#failure is contagious

[lovetgr76]

Catherine & Jackson

They’re not a couple, but they kind of are… here’s how… or why… maybe… Starting from S1e1 - written for a friend to show how this show is NOT about Catherine and Jackson... but also, it's TOTALLY about Catherine and Jackson! lol - feel free to chime in with thoughts, feelings, etc.

S1e1 Failure is Contagious

First time we see Jackson, he’s waking up, it’s a mess, he’s coughing and smoking at the same time, he looks outside, gloomy, raining, but wait… his eyes are caught by something, and he follows …

Catherine is seen crossing the street, in her boots and coat and purse strapped across her chest, with the floral print umbrella.

Standish, make her way up the street, clocks Moody at the bus stop, makes her way up the 4 floors at Aldersgate and is unseen/ignored by all of the other Slow Horses.  She gets to her office, turns on the light, puts away her things and 3 seconds later…. “STANDISH!” lol – she’s been noticed!

She is seen making her way to his office with a stack of folders but stands at the doorway to his office and doesn’t speak until she is spoken to –

Are they all in? – Lamb; All except River and Sid – Standish; Last one in can clean my lav - Lamb

*banging happens as someone is opening the door downstairs*

Standish and Lamb look disappointed in the slow horses in general for a moment.

I thought spooks were supposed to be stealthy – Lamb

Catherine grants him a tiny smile as she turns to go back towards her office.

Other Slow Horses comments and interactions w/ Standish

River – makes the “a reason not to blow my brains out!” comment

Struan – that Catherine is a tough nut to crack

Min – She never lightens up. Lamb’s lackey.

Louisa – talks about … what happened before (aka Partner)

Sid arrives with the laptop – aka SOMETHING happens at Slough House and …

“STANDISH! Flash Box!” – Lamb

Standish brings the Flash Box, stands silently, assists in getting it open…

“I’ve got a call to make, so if the pair of you wouldn’t mind, you know, fucking off” – Lamb

To Standish – Get me Lady Di.

Jackson is sleeping (or is he?) with his feet on the desk & Catherine (with coat and scarf on, as if ready to leave for the day) comes in to put a stack of folders on his desk.

She moves another folder to make room for the stack, putting them carefully on the edge of his desk.

Lamb kicks them over, on purpose, without reason… other than his… amusement? Into the trash can next to his desk and onto the floor as he leans back and sighs while watching her

What did your last servant die of? – Standish

Interesting that she calls herself servant, instead of secretary or personal assistant.

She immediately kneels to pick up the folders.

What did your last boss die of? – Lamb

He puts his feet back on the floor and reaches into a drawer to pull out TWO glasses and a bottle.

Because Standish is kneeling, this is at eye level for her and she hears the clinking of glass, trying to keep her head down.

She clearly sees Lamb pulling out TWO glasses, while gathering the folders in her arms, but is seen looking up at him, and then back down to the floor, then at the glasses being filled… as the moody music starts to play – this is dangerous territory, even if we don’t know it yet.

Standish puts the stack back on the corner of his desk and stands up while staring at the two glasses… she glances at Lamb, but goes back to staring at the booze. Dark music continues to suggest the seriousness of the moment.

Standish standing straight is seen as trying to calm her own desires as we see her shoulders go from tense and tight to her seemingly sighing and becoming resolved… as Lamb moves a glass of whiskey directly in front of her, taking a deep breath himself, in direct contrast to her own breathing.

Wanted to add that this particular moment has been brought up to the actors in interviews where Gary Oldman was asked WHY Lamb would offer Standish a drink knowing she’s an alcoholic.  Oldman stated that he sincerely believed Lamb was a bit jealous of her, her ability to say no, her resolve.  He, Lamb, would not or could not say no to whiskey and he admires / appreciates that she won’t… no matter how he tries to needle her – to anger her – to provoke her – and then to offer her – her preferred poison… his preferred poison!

Standish glares at him for a moment shaking her head “NO”… she will NOT drink today, and walks off as he’s already finishing his own drink.

Lamb finishes his drink in one gulp as Standish walks out and he’s left alone looking down at her offered drink, gulping that one down as well.

Next time we see Standish, she’s at her AA meeting.  She is not speaking, just listening, but we see her struggling a bit emotionally.  She is remembering finding Charles Partner’s, her ex-boss…

She is seen with flowers, she’s younger (hair color is darker?!) – she’s got makeup on – she wears no makeup now – her skirts are a bit shorter, her neckline a bit lower – she’s smiling and looks beautiful as she calls out for Charles. She finds him, though, we only see clues – he’s got Opera music playing, he’s in the bath, there’s blood dripping outside of the bath, and she sees him, she gasps and covers her mouth in shock. Music is intense and dramatic, this is traumatic.

Catherine is called out in her AA meeting, asked if she wants to speak. 

My name is Catherine and I’m an alcoholic. I’ll just listen tonight. – Standish.

Slow Horses are gathered in Roddy’s office watching the latest news about the hostage situation when Lamb is seen walking in from the stairs. Lamb says explaining the situation to them is like explaining Norway to a dog, and demands that they all go back to shuffling papers.

[commonsensecommentary]

Flash forward 5-10 years: America’s junkyards will be filled with rusting electric vehicles whose batteries are leaking toxic heavy metals that are leaching into the ground water. Environmentally-friendly? Who believes this propaganda?

[angsttronaut]

one of the weird things about life expectancies in warrior cats stretching out as the series goes on is that lionblaze is 8 years old with adult grandchildren and showing no signs of age or even retiring, while yellowfang was depicted as old af when she died at the age of 8.

[lifewithaview]

Gary Oldman in Slow Horses (2022) Failure's Contagious

S1E1

After a botched and publicly embarrassing training mission, British MI5 agent River Cartwright is exiled to Slough House, an administrative purgatory for service rejects. Known as slow horses, Cartwright and his fellow employees must endure dull, paper pushing tasks and their miserable boss, Jackson Lamb, who expects them to quit out of boredom and frustration. Life in Slough House is defined by drudgery until the slow horses become entangled in a dangerous gambit by Regent's Park.

*It says "In memory of Kal Biggins, a much loved friend and colleague" at the end. Kal Biggins worked in the camera department (although he's not credited for this production) and was killed in a car crash, only 31 years old.

[marauder-misprint]

A strong memory

Fred Weasley x reader

2k words

cw: fluff

After Harry finished explaining how to cast a Patronus charm and to gather the power from a happy memory, the members of Dumbledore’s Army dispersed throughout the room. Some students went straight into attempting to cast it, barely lingering on which memory to choose.

“Plenty to choose from, right, George?” Fred asked, readying his wand.

“Right, Fred,” George echoed as he crossed his arms over his chest to watch his twin attempt the spell. 

You sat down near where the twins took turns attempting to get even a blue mist to erupt from the ends of their wands. Expecto patronum was repeated around the room with various levels of success. It made you feel better that no one got it on their first attempt, and even more so that there were others who hadn’t attempted it yet. Those who, like you, were still trying to decide which memory might be the happiest. 

You reflected on your childhood. Memories with your siblings and cousins made you smile. Holidays spent being silly and feeling loved. These were good memories, but they didn’t feel like your happiest. 

You considered when you received your Hogwarts letter. Professor McGonagall visiting your family to explain the situation, Hogwarts and your powers. It felt wondrous to know that you weren’t as odd as you had always thought you were, but it also drove a stake into your relationships with your siblings. 

Then there were all the moments that you treasured while attending Hogwarts. There were so many. Weekends at Hogsmeade and watching quidditch. All the victory celebrations in the common room and the feasts in the Great Hall. Even simple moments in class flitted in and out of your mind. 

A brilliant blue light appeared in front of your eyes, promptly bringing you out of your reflective state. It took you a moment to recognize the shape as it fully formed and became more defined. A magpie was flying around you as Fred laughed. 

“Expecto patronum!” George cast, determination on his face to match his brother’s success.

Similarly, there was blue that solidified into a mirrored magpie. The two birds chased each other as the twins watched in awe, identical grins on their faces. You couldn’t help the smile on your face as you watched both pairs of twins; their joy in their own success was contagious. The rest of the room had a pleasant air to it as well. In success and failure, everyone was thinking about their happiest moments. 

Then Fred’s gaze fell onto you. His patronus faded with his focus. 

“Going to give it a go?” he asked, taking a step toward where you were sitting. 

You shrug your shoulders and sigh. “Not sure which memory to use.”

George appeared at Fred’s side, looking down at you before holding out his hand to help you up.

“Don’t tell me you don’t got happy memories, love?” George asked. 

“I have happy memories. Just the happiest? Which is the most powerful?” you aired your concerns. “I’m worried some of the happier ones are tainted and they’re too bittersweet to be happy.”

In sync, the boys crossed their arms over their chest and tilted their heads in confusion.

“Tainted?” George asked while Fred said, “Bittersweet?”

You gently raked your fingernails over your forehead.

“Memories with my cousins I rarely see anymore or with my siblings who didn’t take finding out I’m a witch too well.”

Fred nodded knowingly. “Jealousy is a poison.” He nudged George, grinning. “Ronald would know ‘bout that, wouldn’t he?”

George laughed loudly. “Yes, yes he would.” 

“Only one way to find out if the memories are any good,” Fred said. “Wave that wand!”

You decided to try a memory with your siblings. You picked one from a Christmas before you came to Hogwarts, before you found out that you were a witch. Everyone was getting along. Your parents had made plenty of sweets and a hearty feast for your small family. Sitting by the tree with a fire in the hearth, you exchanged gifts and your younger siblings squealed with joy as they unwrapped present after present. It was a good memory. It was a classic Christmas moment. 

“Expecto patronum,” you said with a wave of your wand. 

Nothing happened. You frowned and let your arm fall to your side. 

“So, not that one. Pick another,” George instructed. 

Fred gave you an encouraging smile. You thought over the memories that really stood out. There was a moment in second year when you had earned twenty house points in one day. You had felt so proud of yourself. You had been on a roll of answering questions correctly and Professor Snape was thoroughly impressed with your potion. To end it all, your favorite meal appeared in front of you at dinner that night. That day was so good. 

You attempted the spell again. This time, a fine blue mist fizzled out of your wand. It wasn’t enough to be considered a noncorporeal but it was progress. Harry walked over to where you three were standing. 

“You can either try focusing on that memory harder or picking a stronger one. It doesn’t necessarily need to be happy happy, but it does have to be strong. A strong, good memory. That’ll do the trick,” he said. “George, Fred, I saw yours earlier, well done. Very well done.”

“Thanks, Harry,” they said together. 

George followed Harry as he went to talk to Lee and Katie. That left Fred with you. He moved closer to you, leaning against the wall sideways. You sighed and bit the inside of your cheek. You needed something stronger; there was no way you could focus on that entire second year day any more. 

“What’re you thinking?” Fred asked.

You leaned backwards against the wall to rest momentarily.

“Just… something stronger? What qualifies? Why is this so draining?” 

He chuckled and reached over to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. The gentle gesture sent a shiver down your spine. You looked at him, only to see him looking at you with a rare softness. You could feel your heart begin to beat quicker. 

“You’ll think of it. If Georgie and I can do it, you surely can,” he assured you. 

“Yeah,” you breathe, bringing your gaze to your wand as you fidgeted with it. 

“You can,” he said, putting his hand on your shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “I believe it. Now you have to.”

You nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat. There’s a moment in your mind from earlier this year. It was a mix of happiness and hopefulness, but you assumed it was what Harry meant by strong. 

Gryffindor had just won a quidditch match, absolutely blowing Slytherin out of the water. The game had been so intense, as Slytherin played dirty as they always did. With Gryffindor’s pure skill and team chemistry, they were unstoppable. You had nearly screamed yourself hoarse with every goal and foul. When the team landed after Harry caught the snitch, you were among the first to storm the pitch. You had run toward the twins, but more specifically Fred. George had turned to celebrate with Angelina and Fred had his gaze on you, opening his arms wide to pull you into a hug as soon as you reached him. He had spun you around and pressed a kiss to your forehead. 

After that, he had put you down and you celebrated with the rest of your friends. But that moment when he held you and kissed your forehead. That was the moment. It was drenched in the hope that maybe, just maybe, Fred felt the same way about you that you did about him. Maybe there was something more than friendly between you. 

You had never asked him about it. You never discussed if the kiss meant anything. Despite being in Gryffindor, you didn’t have the courage to ask. You were far too worried that asking about it would mean finding out that he didn’t feel that way, that it would mean creating awkwardness between you and that was something you weren’t going to risk. Your friendship meant too much. 

You took a breath to steady yourself. You raise your wand.

“Expecto patronum!” 

You let the hope and your feelings for Fred fill your chest as you cast the charm. More than a fine blue mist came out of the tip of your wand. It started like a waterfall, blue speckles falling to the ground. A small mound of blue formed into a shape and the image of a squirrel became vivid. It jumped to life, running around the feet of your classmates. A disbelieving smile formed on your lips. A weak laugh left you.

You nearly jumped out of your skin when you felt arms wrap around your waist and spin you around. Your patronus was short lived as this movement takes all of your attention. 

“I knew you could do it!” Fred cheered into your ear.

You relaxed into his arms that are still around you. He stopped spinning and allowed you to re-steady yourself before turning you to look at him with his arms still around your waist.

“What did I tell you,” he said, smiling as wide as you were. “What were you thinking about?”

You felt your face burn at his question. You didn’t want to tell him, but you didn’t know which other memory you could say without him somehow knowing that you were lying. What if he didn’t feel the same about you? 

“Which memory did you choose, love?” he asked, pulling you a tiny bit closer to him. 

You could smell the spice of his cologne, count the freckles on his face and see the flecks of amber in his warm brown eyes. Your thoughts were derailed as you focused on the feeling of hands on your waist. 

“The last quidditch win,” you said softly, staring into his eyes. 

“Oh?” His voice had no edge to it, no teasing lilt.

“More specifically,” you started, hearing your voice shake slightly as you were about to tell him how much that simple moment meant to you, “when we celebrated after on the pitch.”

“You mean,” he said slowly, his voice low and caring, “when I spun you… like this?” His voice lifted energetically as he picked you up and spun you around again.

Your laughter filled the Room of Requirement. You had forgotten about everyone else in the room and didn’t care that you were probably drawing attention to yourself. When he put you down, Fred pressed a kiss to your forehead again, like he had after that quidditch match. 

“Was that your memory?” he asked teasingly as he leaned in toward your ear. 

“Ye-yeah.” 

You raised your eyes to his. His wide grin told you that he was enjoying this, but there was a look of adoration on his face. That rare softness was still there in his eyes from before you cast your patronus successfully. 

“Would you want to make these memories more often?” he asked. 

“What?”

“Fred! Just ask her,” George’s voice came from nearby. You couldn’t bring yourself to look away from the twin still holding you.

“We could, erm, make the hugs and kisses happen more often. If you want.” 

“Are you asking…” Your voice trails off, too nervous to finish the thought.

“If you’ll be my girlfriend? Yes, yes I am. So, will you?”

You nodded. Your heart had taken residence in your throat so you were fully incapable of speaking, but your grin mirrored Fred’s. At least it did until he pressed a quick kiss to your lips. Then you’re certain yours was bigger than his. 

“About damn time,” George said, clapping both of you on your shoulders. “He’s been gone for you for far too long without doing anything.”

“Finally grew a pair,” Lee added from your other side. 

“Oh sod off,” Fred retorted with no bite to his words. 

He couldn’t stop smiling down at you in his arms and finally his. 

[pompeianred]

Sid Baker & River Cartwright SLOW HORSES – S01E01 : Failure’s Contagious

[seat-safety-switch]

It's hard to explain to people from other cultures that our malls are largely useless. In most of Asia, for instance, the mall scene is still vibrant. Stores are in business, generating massive revenue, and attracting daily shoppers, who buy exotic foreign goods like "clothes" and "food."

Here, though, malls have rotted from some kind of unknowable internal malaise until they collapsed in on themselves and took half the economy with them. This unexpected failure has terrified capitalists, who have fled the retail sector in much the same way that folks of old used to cross the street to avoid those with facial deformities. Can't take a chance that it's contagious. Have to think of my family, who happen to all be badly spelled cryptocurrency scams and presale condo flips.

In my town, there's one large mall that's still successful. The demise of all competition has served to make it stronger, like in the movie Highlander where the main guy figures out that he can perform a leveraged buyout of Bluestar Airlines. Every Christmas, this lucky survivor of promenade warfare is thronged with the entire city's worth of shoppers, demanding to be let inside to a warm space where they can walk between stores to do their stuff-gaining. In other words, it is a ripe place for me to enjoy the heated underground parking garage in which to fix my car.

Sure, if you ask the security guards, "I'm not allowed to" change my oil while the moneyed elite are fritting to and fro. They're pretty busy at Christmas, though, and they certainly won't get upset at a guy with a Sak's bag sitting on his trunk, even if that bag is full of dirt-filled 15w40 and smelling faintly of coolant. They just can't take the chance that kicking me out is what killed the other malls.

[comraderoscoes]

lewis unfollowing the england nt after they lost is so so funny to me lmaoo. like dw baby failure’s not contagious

[vettelsvee]

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE | Sebastian Vettel

High School History Teacher!Sebastian Vettel x Primary School Teacher!Reader ↳ Teacher AU ⋆ Part of CLASSROOM GOSSIPS

SUMMARY: Seb is stressed because his students did pretty bad in their latest History exam, but he gets more stressed and grumpy when Y/N, the cutest Primary School teacher according to Seb, arrives to the teacher's lounge to "annoy" him, but the truth is that there's more than that ↳ BASED ON THIS POST I MADE THE OTHER DAY!

WORD COUNT: 3099

WARNINGS: LOTS OF GRUMPY (Seb) X SUNSHINE (Reader), some bad words, cursing, nothing else but wait till the end because I assure you you're gonna love it!

TAGLIST: @koalapastries @vampsarereal @gracie23x @cutelittlefakejourneys @scopeiguess @hoziersfrancesca

VEE'S NOTES: I ABSOLUTELY adored writing this, and I hope you like it as much as I do! This goes all the way up to the top of my fave fics written by me. Also, a toast to you because you liked all this Teacher!Seb thing a lot 🥹 I'd love to read your opinions on this, so feel free to leave me a comment, an anon message or reblogging since it helps us creators a lot. Thank you so much for reading, and hope you like it! <3 ↳ TALK TO ME / REQUESTS! | FORMULA 1 MASTERLIST | BUY ME A COFFEE

© VETTELSVEE (2025). please, do not steal, copy or translate my works. thanks for reading!

“How can you say that World War II ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall? My God...”

“It makes no sense at all, but if you ask whoever told you that, they’ll give you a convincing enough answer to make you pass their exam.”

Sebastian lifted his head, even though he didn't need to in order to know who was speaking.

Y/N Y/L/N, the second-grade teacher who is the pure representation of the sunshine itself. Your smile, always revealing your teeth, and your energy, isn’t exactly contagious to him, and even sometimes that'd be enough to make someone want to throw up.

You were standing in front of him, holding an absurd amount of papers. Seb couldn't avoid looking at you. No matter how much you might irritate him at times, he found you more than fascinating. He admired you in every single aspect and, somehow, that made him pretty angry with himself. You took the opportunity to silently show him some drawings of bees. Bees. Happy bees. Sad bees. Damn it, there were even bees wearing party hats and surrounded by confetti, and other baking and having coffee.

Sebastian said nothing. Instead, he ignored you and continued grading exams, but you didn't take it personally since you know how stressed he had to be with his class.

It didn't take long before a series of increasingly loud bangs started to get on his nerves.

When he looked up again, he saw you struggling with the printer, which seemed to have decided not to work.

“Why is it that every time I come here, this stupid, useless piece of junk decides to stop working?” you huffed, nearly shouting. “It’s like… like it’s out to get me!”

“Maybe it’s because you make too many copies every week,” Vettel replies.

“I have to give my students a quality education, Seb. And a quality education includes, among other things, making as many copies as I need to teach the contents properly!”

“And does your quality education include printing an entire colony of bees?”

You shrugged, offering no further explanation. Instead, you grabbed a nearby chair and dragged it until it was next to Sebastian. To his utter surprise, you sat down beside him, placing your absurdly thick stack of papers on top of the ungraded exams.

If you didn’t leave in the next few seconds, Seb swore he'd have a heart attack.

“My kids need all of this, Seb,” you said again, showing him those ridiculous drawings once more. “They’re learning about pollination, and what better way than by coloring little bees and then putting them all over the classroom to represent how they work?”

“I’m currently questioning whether I’m a complete failure as a teacher so, to be completely honest with you, the last thing I need right now is you showing me this... nonsense.”

You scoffed, knowing he didn’t mean it. He was just too stressed. His students failing with embarrassingly low grades didn’t mean his skills as a teacher were declining, but it did mean he’d have an army of parents breathing down his neck, demanding explanations for why their children’s performance was so poor.

“Stop saying things like that!” You smacked his shoulder, and his patience wore even thinner when he noticed a red pen mark on the exam he was grading. One that, knowing all too well his students and their thoughts, they’d probably say looked like a penis.

“You’re not a failure. Teenagers are just… idiots.”

“Is that your opinion as a professional in the education field?2

“Of course!” you shouted, waving your hands dramatically. “Why do you think I teach Primary school? Little kids are way cuter, and they think I’m a genius just because I can spell difficult words without getting any help.”

Seb tried not to, but a small smile started creeping onto his face. He quickly bit his lower lip and shifted in his seat, attempting to maintain his composure even though sitting next to you made him more nervous and, especially, more entertained, than he would have liked to admit.

“Look at you! I made you smile!”

“If I admit that you're almost funny, will you leave me alone?”

“Let me think about it… No.”

Sebastian didn’t even get a chance to answer before you suddenly jumped out of your chair and rushed toward the printer again.

“I just remembered why I came here! Oh my god, why do I have to be sooooooo forgetful?”

“I suppose that’s to make my life more miserable,” the German replied, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s just a bonus, Seb,” you turned to him, still smiling. “So, yeah, this printer isn’t working because… Well, I don’t know why. But I really need to make these copies, so I guess I’ll have to go back to the Primary school teachers' lounge…”

Sebastian stared at you, unsure of what to say.

Was he misunderstanding things because of stress, or he understood that you had actually walked all the way to the High School section, which was not anywhere near the Primary one, just to make copies, despite having a perfectly good printer in your own area?

“Did you come all the way from the Primary section to the High School one just for… some photocopies?”

“Yes!” you nodded enthusiastically.

“You're perfectly aware that there's a much better printer over there, right?”

“Well, that’s debatable if you consider…”

“Y/N, cut the bullshit.”

You pressed your lips together, unsure of how to tell him that your free period, and your desire to see him, was the real reason you had come all this way, even if it had earned you a few questioning looks and whispered comments from some of your colleagues in the upper grades.

“Well… Maybe I also decided to come here to see you,” you admitted.

Vettel had no idea how to reply to that. He tried to think of something friendly and lighthearted, but his stress seemed to take over before he could filter his words.

“I'm this close to kicking you out, Y/N.”

You only laughed, placing a dramatic hand over your chest and letting out a fake gasp. Seb loved when you acted like this, but right now, he hated it more than ever.

“Oh, please, you wouldn’t dare. I’m your favorite person out of all the people in this school.”

“Funny, because right now you happen to be exactly the opposite,” he muttered.

“You didn’t mean that. I know you didn’t.”

Seb shook his head and buried himself back in grading exams. Of course, he hadn’t meant it. No one was perfect, but somehow, you came pretty damn close without even trying.

“Stop making that weird face, or you’re going to get wrinkles ahead of time,” you teased. By now, you had sat back down beside him and were carefully cutting out flower-shaped drawings with impressive precision.

“You are insufferable, Y/N, really,” Vettel shot back as he meticulously corrected a student's answer about the causes of World War II.

“And yet, you still haven’t told me to shut up.”

Seb frowned. He wanted to do it. He should do it. But he couldn’t. You were too kind to him for him to snap at you… just like what was happening now.

He cursed himself mentally and swore that, from now on, he would grade exams at home to avoid this kind of altercation. Though, deep down, he also knew he would do it because, maybe, it would give him a little more time to spend with you.

Suddenly, you moved closer to him, too close, and took his chin. Your eyes locked, and for a few seconds, neither of you could say anything, let alone voice everything running through your minds about each other.

“You need a break, Seb.”

Your hand instinctively moved to his cheek, caressing it with a kind of affection that neither of you expected. He swallowed hard, trying to stay calm, but his heart only pounded faster and faster, and he couldn’t see it as anything other than a betrayal of his feelings for you.

“Why do you always have to be a threat to me, Y/N?”

You simply smiled before leaving a kiss on his cheek and standing up.

“You can keep pretending all you want, but you know you love it,” you said, grabbing your things and heading toward the door, though not before turning back to him.

Sebastian knew exactly what you meant by doing that. He let out a deep sigh and carefully gathered all the exams, placing them in his briefcase along with his pencil case and phone.

“If I go with you wherever you’re going, do you promise to shut up?”

“Nop, there’s no way I’m doing that,” you replied cheerfully, taking his arm the moment he was beside you and dragging him out of the teachers’ lounge with no real destination in mind.

The German was beyond exhausted. He felt his head throbbing more than usual, which he knew was a sign of an oncoming migraine. He felt drained, frustrated, and more plagued by imposter syndrome than ever. It wasn’t the first time he’d had bad results on an exam, but it was the first time they had been this awful.

He decided not to dwell on it and did his best to push his intrusive thoughts aside, focusing instead on the woman beside him.

You couldn’t stop talking. First, you told him about how your kids, as you called your second-grade students, had made Christmas cards for you and even brought you a gift after the holidays. Then, you talked about how, today, your favorite student (because, according to you, yes, teachers had favorites) had dropped a piece of her sandwich on the floor, and you had to give her your own breakfast but it was worth it since she was more than happy to be having Ms. Y/L/N handmade cheesecake.

Now, you had launched into an explanation of the biodiversity project you were preparing for your students, focusing specifically on the importance of bees in the ecosystem. You even showed him some pictures of what you had been working on at home because you wanted it to turn out so well that you couldn’t just work on it during school hours.

“So…” you said after finishing your explanation. “What do you think about my project so far?”

Sebastian kept walking, trying to process the flood of information you had just given him in such a short time. While some of the pictures looked like pure chaos, something completely opposite to him, the embodiment of perfection, he had to admit that it was good. Really good, actually.

“Well… it looked fun,” he admitted.

“Are you serious!?” you squealed, your eyes sparkling with excitement.

He gave you a shy smile.

“Yes, of course, I mean it.”

“Oh, look at him! Grumpy Seb handing out compliments so easily!” you shouted again, now bouncing on your feet, earning a few disapproving looks from the teachers passing by. “This calls for me to get you a coffee!”

“Y/N, I don’t feel like having coffee. I already had one this morning, and I don’t think it’s the best idea, considering how nervous I—”

“That’s nonsense!” you interrupted, marching toward the Primary school section. “You’re going to have coffee with me, no matter what, and you’re going to thank me because I’m convinced my coffee is way better than that vending machine garbage you drink daily.”

“I’ll thank you the day not a single one of my students fails one of my exams,” he told you.

The Primary school teachers' lounge was empty when you both walked in. You didn’t say much, just offered Seb a seat and told him to make himself at home while you headed to your locker. The German pulled out the stack of exams once again, ready to continue grading them, if you didn’t annoy him again. As he kept marking the papers, he glanced at you out of the corner of his eye. Not only were you making him a cup of coffee, but you also seemed to be decorating it. And, if he wasn’t mistaken, you were writing something on a piece of paper.

When you returned, you placed the mug in front of him. It had “Bee positive” written on it, and it was decorated, of course, with a little bee making a heart with its tiny hands. As if that wasn’t enough, you had somehow managed to create an impressive amount of cream, topped with a smiley face that looked like it had been made with cinnamon.

Then, as you took a seat beside him, you slid a note his way, the one he assumed you had been writing earlier.

“Even if you’re having a gray day, remember that you can always make the sun shine! Sincerely, your very own little Miss Sunshine,” followed by a heart and, unsurprisingly, a bunch of smiley faces.

He didn’t know what to say. His eyes, however, when they met yours, seemed to say everything.

“You know, maybe all you need is just a new approach.”

Your sudden change of topic, spoken as you took another bite of your chocolate cupcake, threw him off a little. But he preferred it over the uncomfortable silence you both knew was bound to settle in.

“I’ve already tried, Y/N.”

“Have you tried bribing them?”

Seb narrowed his eyes, impressed and clearly not convinced by what you had just suggested.

“I’m not going to bribe my students, Y/N.”

“Not even by making them work in teams and offering extra credit?” You widened your eyes in surprise. “Have you considered bringing cookies and handing them out? That works incredibly great as a positive reinforcement, trust me”

“I’m not giving my students cookies or anything else,” Seb stated firmly. “I don’t know what to do with them, and that’s what worries me the most. What if I start acting like, no offense, a Primary school teacher, when they’re only two years away from university?”

You shook your head. It annoyed you that Sebastian was so… rigid, so unwilling to change. But what annoyed you even more was that you couldn’t seem to find the right way to help him.

“If you help me with the biodiversity project and actively participate in it, I promise I’ll find a way to make sure all your kids pass the remaining exams this year,” you proposed.

“And what exactly does a primary school teacher know about teenagers and History?”

“First of all, stop being so grumpy with me… I’m just trying to help you!” You huffed, crossing your arms. He wasn’t expecting that answer, and honestly, neither were you. Sebastian straightened in his seat, a bit uncomfortable. “Second, I happen to have a few tricks up my sleeve, but I’m not sharing them until you agree with helping me with the project.”

“Y/N…”

“What is it? What you don���t like: bees, seven-year-olds, or me?"

“I don’t like bees that much, I love being around little kids, and I’m completely captivated by you.”

That was what Sebastian wanted to say. Instead, he stayed silent, absentmindedly playing with the coffee spoon while staring at the note you had written for him.

“You do realize how many exams I still have to grade, right?” was all he managed to reply.

“Seb, you need to relax. I’ve told you before, but I’ll keep saying it as many times as necessary until you actually listen to me.”

“I can’t relax,” Vettel muttered, furrowing his brows. “Do you have any idea how painful it is to read that…?”

You didn’t let him time to finish speaking. You approached him faster than you’d planned, took his face in your hands, and kissed him. At first, Seb was completely caught off guard, but then he placed his right hand on your neck, pulling you closer and making sure the contact between you didn’t break.

Sebastian wondered why he hadn’t done this sooner, while you were more than happy to finally have the courage to take the initiative, especially since it seemed like your work crush was responding with a lot of enthusiasm.

The lack of air forced you to pull away. You readjusted yourself in your seat and couldn’t help but laugh when you saw your lipstick smeared all over Seb’s mouth.

“Did you just…?” Seb tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.

“Yes, and I don’t mind doing it again,” you kissed him once again, but this time it was shorter. “Sebastian Vettel, I need you to stop worrying about those fucking exams and take a break.”

Now, Sebastian couldn’t stop smiling, and that’s exactly when you knew you had won that battle.

“You’re so lucky you’re too cute and beautiful and you’re keeping me at my feet somehow, because I swear I wouldn’t stop talking and be annoying just for you to shut me up by kissing me.”

Your eyes lit up at his tease, and your mouth opened in surprise at what Seb had just confessed.

“Sorry, did you just call me cute and beautiful, and also say you want me to shut you up by kissing you?” you pressed him.

Seb didn’t know what to say. His cheeks started to turn red out of embarrassment.

“If I’d known this was going to happen between us, I should’ve asked you to work together waaaay sooner!” you shouted, jumping up in excitement and sitting on his lap. If he hadn’t grabbed you tightly around the waist and balanced the chair, you would’ve ended up on the floor. “Say it again, come on!”

“No way I’m repeating that, Y/N.”

“Please, Seb,” you pouted, then kissed him all over his face. “Just one more time, please…”

“No.”

“Please…”

“Y/N…”

“Seeeeeeebastian.”

“You’re the most annoying person I’ve ever met,” Seb started, “but, somehow, you’re also my very own Little Miss Sunshine.”

You smiled brightly at his words, but you knew this wouldn’t be the end of things between you.

“I’m not your Little Miss Sunshine yet. At least, not officially,” you teased.

“Oh, really?”

You shook your head.

“I’ll be when you finally have the courage to ask me on a date,” you replied cheerfully, wrapping your hands around his neck and kissing him once more. “I’ve taken the first step and kissed you not once, but twice, so now it’s your turn. We’ve got to work as a team, Seb. Haven’t you learned that all these years working as a teacher?”

[wbbpls]

Platonic Plus One

Chapter 7-Paige POV

Word count: 2,790 sorry in advance for the ending. it couldn't be all sunshines and rainbows. next chapter is azzi's pov for those invested in her perspective.

Paige and Azzi stopped in their room before heading to the party in Jake’s room. Ever since Paige told Azzi the moment she fell in love with her, things have been, well, different. Azzi just seems softer and closer. Even in their room, it felt like Azzi was attached to Paige. 

“Hey, Az, I bought this downstairs for us before we go if you wanna pre-game a little?”

“Ugh, yes, please! Everyone seems really nice, but it’s a lot of new people, so going in a little buzzed is not the worst way to go.” 

“Aight, cool. I don’t have any cups, so just don’t go crazy like last time.” Azzi rolled her eyes and grabbed the bottle from Paige. “Just give it to me.” She took a swig, and Paige laughed at Azzi’s scrunched up face trying to take the drink down. “I told you not to take too much!”

“God, why do we do this to ourselves?” Azzi hands Paige the bottle, and she can feel the alcohol rush through her body. Paige takes a big swig, causing some to drip from her mouth. Before Paieg even has a chance, Azzi wipes it off her lip with her thumb and then sucks the liquid off her thumb while making direct eye contact with Paige. 

“Damn, Az.” Paige’s feet literally can’t move. 

“Tastes much better that way.” Azzi smiles sweetly as if she didn’t just make Paige’s heart stop. They each take another shot, and then Azzi grabs her hand. “Ready to go, P?” Paige is still trying to recover, so she simply nods and follows after Azzi like a lost puppy. 

====================================

It was easy to find the room, considering the loud music heard from down the hall. It’s a good thing this place only books out for the people here for the wedding. 

They enter the room to see the wedding party, the happy couple, and some other familiar and new faces. Jake immediately notices them and drunkingly yells, “PAIGE N’ AZZI ARE HEEEERRRRREEE!”

The girls wave and head over to make drinks. “Whatchu want to drink, mama?”

“Surprise me.” Once they have their drinks, they settle into the party and get to know the other people in the wedding party. Azzi had a lot in common with the other bridesmaids, and Paige found herself gravitating toward the other significant others. Still, they found a way to keep in contact all night. Whether it be holding hands or hips, they were always touching. Throughout the night, they both got progressively drunker, leading them to cross even more boundaries. It’s almost as if their first kiss unlocked the permission to finally cross that line. There’s something safe in saying it’s a fake relationship. There’s safety for Paige’s heart. Even knowing that, Paige will take whatever parts of Azzi she can get. 

Azzi was having a laughter-filled conversation with Jess when Paige noticed she had an empty cup, so she came up behind her, wrapping her arms around Azzi’s waist. “Hey babygirl, want me to get you another drink?” 

Azzi leans into her touch, “Mm, sure, baby.”

“How about the bride-to-be?”

“I’m all set. Thanks, Paige!”

Paige is mixing some new drinks when she bumps into Jake. “Hey man, thanks for the invite. This is a great party so far.”

“Are you kidding me? I have Paige Bueckers at one of MY parties. I should be thanking you, honestly.” Paige chuckles as his words slur together. “By the way, you and Azzi are like the hottest couple here. Don’t tell the bride and groom, though.”

“Thanks, dude, I’m pretty lucky.”

“You guys just seem so in love. It’s contagious, dude.” While Jake keeps talking about how much of a fan he is of the UConn basketball team, Paige notices that guy Matt from the elevator making his way towards Azzi. Jake must have clocked it, too. 

“I wouldn’t worry about him, he’s kind of a dick. He’ll set himself up for failure before he even has a chance.” 

“Yeah, he really doesn’t get the hint to back off, huh?”

“I told him you guys were dating, but like I said, he’s a douche and doesn’t care. I had to tell him to back off my girl like 3 times already.”

“Well, thanks for having my back, dude, but I’m gonna go get my girl.” 

Paige knows Azzi has no interest in him. He is precisely what Azzi tries to avoid, but she’s too nice that sometimes she doesn’t know how to just walk away. He keeps getting closer to her as they talk and puts his hand on the back of her arm. Something about his touching her is what does it for Paige. 

When she gets to Azzi, she hands her the cup and wraps her arms around Azzi’s shoulders, pulling her in. “Here you go, pretty girl.” 

“Thanks, Paigey.”  

Matt doesn’t even acknowledge Paige. “So Azzi, we are gonna be starting beer pong soon. How bout you and me partner up to get our night started?” Paige isn’t jealous, necessarily. If anything, she is having a moment trying to understand why people like men in the first place. Azzi shifts uncomfortably, always a people pleaser, unsure how to get him to back off.

“She’s good, man.”

“I was talking to Azzi, not you.” 

Paige takes her arm off of Azzi’s shoulders to move a step forward and look down at Matt. “Well, now you are. Go find someone else to play your little games with.” Paige could feel Azzi grabbing her hips, grounding her.

Her height and intense blue eyes seem to make Matt uneasy. But his ego is too big to let it go. 

“Whatever dude, she’s just with you because she hasn’t found good dick yet. Isn’t that right, baby?” Paige saw red at that point. She pushed him back, forcing him into the wall. 

“You fucking talk to my girlfriend like that again, I swear on my life I’ll kick you in the balls so hard you’ll be the one trying to find dick.”

“Okay, okay, damn!” Matt has his hands up in surrender, sliding away from Paige. Azzi pulls at Paige’s hips, trying to get her to focus on her. “Paige, he could have hurt you or something!” 

“I don’t give a shit dude. I’m not gonna sit here and let him talk to you like that. I fucking hate that guy.” Paige is looking over Azzi’s head towards Matt on the other side of the room stroking his ego. Azzi grabs her cheeks to force her to focus in. 

“I know baby he’s an asshole but just focus on me, okay? I’m here with you, not him.” Paige is lost in Azzi’s eyes and rests her hands low on Azzi’s hips. “I’m sorry, Az.”

“Don’t be sorry for anything, Paigey. Not gonna lie, it was pretty hot, but I’m not trying to encourage you. You’re already too full of yourself.”

“So you think I’m hot, huh?” Paige leaned forward and smirked when she noticed Azzi looking at her lips. 

“Is that really all you heard?”

“Nothing else mattered, Princess.” Azzi rolls her eyes jokingly and then smiles widely when she hears her favorite song. “C’mon, big head, let's go dance.”

They attempt to be cordial in their dancing. Well, for like two seconds. Before they know it, they’re pulling each other in, desperately trying to get close enough. Azzi is practically grinding her ass on Paige at this point, and Paige is helping direct her. Paige knows in the back of her head she should slow this down, but the alcohol has blurred her brain just enough to lose all reasoning. She pulls Azzi in close and gently kisses the back of her neck. Azzi immediately put her hand on the back of Paige’s head to push her closer. This moment is exactly why Paige left her hair down. Azzi starts threading her fingers in her hair at the nape of her neck and pulling hard or shoving Paige’s head further into her neck with every nip and lick. 

“Fuck, P, you feel so good.” This must be a dream.

“I love these shorts on you, fuck, Az.” Azzi spins around, wrapping her arms around Paige’s neck and pulls her in for a messy kiss. Neither of them is holding back as they compete for dominance with their tongues. Paige slips her hands further down towards Azzi’s butt and squeezes, causing Azzi to moan in her mouth. 

Paige moved back down to appreciate the other side of Azzi’s neck. She stops at Azzi’s ear to whisper, “You’re so beautiful.” Azzi reacted by pulling her hair tighter and breathing harder. Paige is kissing and sucking with the intention of leaving a mark, making sure everyone knows who Azzi belongs to. Their relationship might be fake, but the hickey Azzi will try to hide tomorrow won’t be. 

Azzi pulls Paige back up to kiss her before they both separate and lean their foreheads together breathlessly. This should be awkward, but it isn’t. It’s the most natural thing Paige has ever done. 

Jake walks by and interrupts them. “Yo, lovebirds! Wanna play a round of beer pong? Couple vs couple?”

“I mean, if you wanna lose, then sure, let’s play.” Maybe Paige is too confident for her own good. The issue is that she proves each time she has a right to be that confident. Jake has yet to get a cup, and his girlfriend is the only reason they’re still even in the game. Azzi hasn’t missed once, which isn’t surprising. Paige is too busy trying to do trick shots to care about making every one. There is one cup left in front of Jake and his girlfriend. 

“You go ahead and get us that win, pretty girl.”

Azzi offers her signature sweet smile and drains the last shot like it's a 3-pointer. The girls start celebrating, and Azzi jumps into Paige’s arms. Paige picks her up and spins her around. “Yeah, that’s my girl! Best shooter in the nation, baby!”

“Yeah, in retrospect, asking two of the best shooters in the country to play beer pong wasn’t one of my best ideas.”

The party continues to ramp up when Paige notices Jonathon entering the room. Azzi must have noticed her tensing because she immediately turned to see him. He made eye contact with Azzi and walked up to the two girls. 

“Hey girls, how’s the party been going?”

“Hey, Jonathon! It’s been chill so far. If this is any hint at how the wedding reception will be, then I think we have a fun week ahead of us.”

“Plus, we got Azzi Fudd over here, the reigning beer pong champion!” 

“You too, Paigey! We were partners.”

Jonathan chuckles, “No surprise there. You guys have always been quite the duo.”

To Paige’s shock, it’s actually somewhat nice to catch up with Jonathon. The issue isn’t whether he is a nice guy or not. The problem is that he can have Azzi, and she can’t.

A few of the bridesmaids gather people around to play truth or drink. Paige moved to the couch, and Azzi happily sat right on her lap. For the majority of the game, Paige’s hands were firmly placed on Azzi’s hips unless she needed to take a shot. Most of the questions are lighthearted, but as people drank more, messy questions started to come out. 

Jess decides to ask Paige a question. “Alright Bueckers, since you’re dating my baby cousin I have to fuck with you.” Everyone laughs as Paige braces herself for whatever might be asked.

“In the spirit of weddings, are you going to ask Azzi to marry you one day?” Azzi shifts to look down at Paige with a gentle smile. Paige wants to scream yes from the rooftops but can’t even find the courage to ask Azzi to be her real girlfriend. Everyone here thinks they’re together and are right to believe that Paige is deeply in love with Azzi, so only one answer makes sense. 

“Oh, 100% imma lock her down and get my last name on her jersey.”  Everyone laughs and moves on, but Azzi is still looking at Paige. She is running her fingers through Paige’s hair, so lost in each other's eyes that they almost don’t register that Azzi is being asked a question. 

Someone asks Azzi if she’s ever slept with anyone at the party. This should be an easy answer, considering they’re trying to convince everyone they’re in a relationship. What Paige doesn’t expect, however, is how much she can feel Azzi tense under her hands. 

“Uh, yeah, I have.” Why did she respond so awkwardly? Paige notices Jonathon looking at Azzi and the two of them making eye contact. 

Paige isn’t the only one who has noticed this exchange. In fact, a few of the bridesmaids look at each other, confused. “Wait a minute. Did you have sex with Jonathon, too?”

Paige’s head is spinning. She would know, right? Azzi would have told her. They’ve always been best friends first; even if it kills Paige, she wants to be there for Azzi in every way possible. Jonathan jumped in, noticing how much Azzi was struggling to answer. “Yeah, but it was a long time ago. Old history.” 

Azzi and Jonathon make eye contact again and smile at each other. Paige feels like she is about to throw up. She tries to focus on the feeling of Azzi’s fingers rubbing her arm. She tries to feel the weight of Azzi’s body against hers. But, she can’t. The entire night comes rushing back through her head, and she realizes what an idiot she is. To let herself feel like Azzi is hers. Paige shifts to move Azzi off of her. “I, uh, I n-need to go to the bathroom.”

“You okay, Paige?” Azzi looks at her with so much concern and care that it almost gets Paige to sit back down. Almost. But Jonathan is approaching them, and Paige doesn’t think she can physically handle the interaction.

“Just don’t feel great.”

“Can I come with you?”

“No,” Paige replies harsher than she intended and is reminded by the flash of hurt in Azzi’s eyes. But if she didn’t get away from Azzi this second, she might crumble into pieces. 

Paige finds her way to the bathroom, locks the door, and sinks to the floor, trying to catch her breath. Once her breathing is steady, she walks toward the sink and splashes her face with water. She has no right to feel this way. Azzi isn’t hers. She keeps reminding herself over and over again. The reminder begins to cause Paige to build resentment. She resents how perfectly Azz fits into her and how natural it is to kiss her. If they weren’t supposed to be together, why did it need to feel so right?

As a best friend, Paige is hurt. She thought they told each other everything. Before this party, she would have confidently told anyone she knew Azzi Fudd better than herself. 

Once Paige calmed down, she left the bathroom to look for Azzi and see if she was ready to go back to their room. She found Azzi in the same place on the couch they were sitting on, but Jonathon was still there. They’re sitting way too close and laughing. What could even be that funny?

Paige notices how easy it looks for Azzi. Maybe she just has that effect on everyone, and there’s nothing special about Paige. Paige is just the idiot to fall in love with her for it. Azzi never talked much about her sexuality but generally identified as straight. Azzi probably thinks Paige is just really playing her part and doesn't see anything odd about their situation. 

It’s hard not to notice how happy Azzi looks while Paige feels like her life is falling apart. She doesn’t have it in her to stay at the party, and she needs to distance herself from Azzi. As Azzi throws her head back laughing, Paige slips out to return to their room. She changes into sleep clothes and slips under the covers, missing the warmth of Azzi in the bed with her. Paige sent Azzi a quick text letting her know she didn’t feel good and went back to the room.

Suddenly, everything came over Paige at once, and the tears started to flow. She doesn’t want to let Azzi down or risk their friendship in any way. She’ll be what Azzi needs tomorrow. But now? Now Paige needs to let herself be hurt. To let herself be heartbroken. 

She slips into a deep sleep after the night's exhaustion hits her with tear stains down her face.

[emziess]

Olivia Cooke as Sidonie "Sid" Baker Slow Horses – S01E01 – Failure’s Contagious

[shaesinflames]

🌥️ Rainbow Factory Infection AU🌥️

Hello everypony!! Ive been loving the infection stuff and wanted to jump onto the trend myself with an AU that came to me very suddenly. I'm gonna try and get all my thoughts out here:

☁️ Scootaloo fails her flying assessment by getting disqualified for checking on her injured friend who had crashed during their turn. The two of them get taken to the Rainbow Factory as a punishment for their failure, and quickly realize the deadly situation they're in.

🌈 There are few dozen pegasi there already. All of their wings have been torn off of them, their cutiemarks are branded over, and chains are fastened around either their legs or neck. They all seem so... dull. As if the color has been stolen from them.

☁️ Rainbow Dash enters to examine the new sacrifices, and is mortified when she sees Scootaloo. She had trained her every day to prevent this from happening; she never wanted the pony she thought of as a little sister to end up here. Dash had to quickly decide if she was more loyal to her career, or to her friends.

🌈 She chooses Scootaloo. This does not go over well. Whether you enter the Rainbow Factory as a prisoner or an employee, you were not allowed to leave until you died. Rainbow Dash grabs Scootaloo and attempts to flee with her.

☁️ A chase ensues. She realizes that even if they do escape, they wouldn't be free. They would be hunted for as long as the factory existed. The answer suddenly seems obvious. Dash veers away from the exit and heads deeper into the building, straight for the core.

🌈 Because of her high status in the company (and a lot of kicking), Rainbow Dash gets into the restricted access room and corrupts the core, sparking a reactor meltdown. Her and Scootaloo manage to escape seconds before the core collapses, and the Rainbow Factory is lost to the rainbows it created.

☁️ Not long after, ponies begin to emerge from the ruins. Well, they seem to still be ponies. Mostly ponies. The Inital Victims. The pegasi who had been deemed useless and dispensable in one way or another, and had been put through torture for weeks or months in order to drain them of their very magic and soul.

🌈 The Victims seem to have a symbiotic relationship with the Rainbow Infection in their body. They live just out of reach of death; gaunt and hollow, yet somehow surviving. Blind, weak, and terrified, they seem to believe they're still trapped in the factory, and will viciously maul any living being they sense with a newfound strength. So far, they don't seem to be curable, or killable.

☁️ The Infected pegasi have a much more unpleasant experience. Every waking moment is nothing but agony as the infection consumes their magic and feast on their vessel, reducing them to nothing more than another fluffy white cloud looming in the sky.

🌈 The Infected aren't hostile, and seem to still be lucid up until their death. However, they are incredibly contagious, and the final stage of the infection seems to be designed specifically to further the disease.

☁️ Unicorns and Earth ponies are completely immune to the Rainbow Infection. Alicorns are not. The princess's have been barricaded in Celestia's castle to protect them all.

🌈 Without any pegasi to moderate the weather, it has become increasingly unpredictable and harsh, making typical farm work almost impossible. The Survivors are getting low on rations, and they're getting desperate and hungry.

I think thats about it. Idk at the time of writing this its 3am lol.

[rizzanon]

This just came to me bc I've read some Batfam-hallucinating-Jason-post-death fics and I couldn't help but think of how would it work with your neglected!Batsis series. I've also been binge-reading some Batfam stuff and rereading Undoing Fate (and a lil bit of your Batfam Febuarary bc help your writing is contagious aaaa), and I can't help but think of a lil prompt: Hallucination!Batsis. Like, after the overwhelming amount of guilt and regret, the family is gon have some cruel hallucinations about her like–

"*whistles* Now, that's gotta hurt. Y'know, you've put a lotta effort into finding and beating these guys than you've ever been as my brother, right? Even though you've known me first, but not enough as your little sister? Haha. It's funny. How people would suddenly miss you, even though they've hardly knew you at all..."

"What are you sulking around for, Jay? You've finally proved your point: that this lifestyle got me killed! Shouldn't you be happy about that?! Now, that you're right?? ...Haha. You're sad 'cause I'm dead? That's impossible. Ever since you came back, you've made it very clear when I was alive, Jay. I thought you would've been proud of me... But I guess that's all you see me as: a failure. Just like everyone else. Maybe it really is a good thing now that I'm dead... You wouldn't have to worry how much I'm such a liability."

"This is like, the nth time you've been visiting here and you still didn't have any flowers for me?? Who cares about my favorite flowers at this point, just bring flowers! Hey, I have an idea! You could just ask me! Oh, wait..."

"You're watching that again?? What's there to figure out about? That there's some mistake I've missed so you could get mad at me about it?? That it's my fault that I'm dead!? ...Haha. What does it matter anyway? You loved to pick apart the flaws in my work... and then scold me for not figuring it out sooner. Is that why you hate me, Tim? That I'm always falling behind?? Well, good for you 'cause I won't be around to mess things up again! Isn't that so nice?"

"...I know it's your way of showing how much you care... but I wish you've made it clear to me about how much I mean to you, Damian. Because maybe... Maybe I wouldn't be so ashamed to go to you for help."

Maybe this could also be a fear toxin thing?? I dunno, this idea just came to me when I was tryna s l e e p and then I can't stop thinking abt it, so I thought I'd share it with you XD

WAIT STOP THIS IS SO???? i can totally imagine this happening in the og universe, epecially if they’re being affected by fear toxin. reminds me of that one issue from nightwing 1996 (i think it’s #9-10 iirc)

[pichirobi]

fire, air, water, earth.

prince xie lian is one of the most promising up-and-coming avatars the world has yet to see. that is, until disaster strikes his home earth kingdom of xianle. when his people die out at the hands of a plague spirit, bai wuxiang, the nations blame the avatar. with his reputation destroyed, xie lian joins the air nomads for 20 years and travels the world as a scrap-collector. although he has lost the respect of the people he is destined to protect, the spirit world is thrown into chaos without his guidance. xie lian works thanklessly to maintain global balance all on his own. but unbeknownst to him, there's one person, upon the throne of the fire nation, who still believes in the avatar.

welcome to my tgcf x atla au!

click here to follow this tag for updates. read more below for my story notes.

STORY

xie lian is born to the king and queen of an earth kingdom city-state, xianle, and is quickly discovered to be the avatar. a wildly talented one, at that. he learns firebending second, and waterbending third. still young and pampered, xie lian struggles with the humility associated with airbending principles.

at just the age of 17 he begins to travel the world to master the four elements and [katara narrator voice] to restore peace and balance in the world. he acquires a servant (firebender mu qing) and a bodyguard (earthbender & childhood best friend feng xin). it's during this time that he tours the fire nation, meeting with political figures and impoverished citizens alike, gaining a positive reputation for his determination and skills. to celebrate the summer solstice, xie lian is the face of a festival in which he proves his elegance, combative strength, and firebending prowess. during the ceremony, he controversially interrupts it to save the life of a 10-year-old urchin boy.

the lines between the spirit and mortal worlds bleed together during solstices. it's xie lian's festival which attracts a particularly violent spirit to emerge into the mortal world: bai wuxiang. the white-clothed calamity.

xie lian's life is filled with promise until he turns 22. he catches word of a disaster taking place in his home kingdom. he puts a pause on his tour of the nations to return to xianle. there, he finds that a strange and highly contagious disease has begun plaguing his people. its symptoms are unnatural; the work of an angry spirit. xie lian works himself to the bone trying to save his common people. he fails.

when xianle falls to plague, to chaos, to fear, its people blame the avatar. he is dubbed the avatar of misfortune. a failure. xie lian's reputation crumbles to dust and he is helpless to restore his people's faith in him. when the rest of the world learns of how xianle came to ruin, the avatar becomes not a figure of peace to be revered, but a bad omen.

having lost his two companions, his parents, his kingdom, and the global adoration he's come to rely on for his self-worth, xie lian runs away. he disowns his past identity and seeks to start a new life. he finds himself in the northern air temples, where the air nomads pay him no mind, although xie lian is a bit of an oddball. (xie lian might look rougher and jaded but they certainly recognize the avatar. they pretend to not know him—the nomads keep to themselves and as long as xie lian doesn't cause trouble, he is welcome.) he eventually befriends a monk named shi qingxuan.

xie lian seeks enlightenment. he incorporates himself into the monks' way of life, releasing all ties to material possessions and worldly indulgences. he abstains from sex, alcohol, anger, and, hardest of all, grief. he goes on to live 20 years as a scrap collector, practicing what he was taught by his teacher and guide, monk wu yong. xie lian knows it's time to leave the temples when he finally masters airbending.

humbled, xie lian rekindles his fighting spirit. the common people loathe the avatar, but he forgives them. he will save them.

as xie lian wanders the nations, he learns that during his darkest years, literature, art, and scholarly works of the avatar have been destroyed. most people don't even remember what he looks like and much less have the means to learn anything about him. (hua cheng carving xl's face into the side of a mountain: HOLD MY BEER)

meanwhile, there is a fire nation urchin boy who has grown into someone powerful enough to be feared. through his unmatched wit and charisma, he has worked his way up the capital's political hierarchy. a city governor who calls himself hua cheng, is the first aristocrat to challenge the firelord to an agni kai. he is also the first to win. he delegitimizes the royal bloodline and single-handedly reshapes a generation's idea of a competent ruler. bonus points for the previous firelord being xie lian's indecent cousin, qi rong.

now 35 years old, the new firelord, terrifying yet respected by all, leads his people to prosperity and vanquishes every enemy. peculiarly, he seems somewhat uninterested in his position of power. instead, he enjoys turning his attention towards erecting a shrine, a palace, in honor of avatar xie lian.

HUALIAN'S BACKSTORY

the avatar preceding xie lian, jun wu, oversaw great conflicts between the four nations. it is during one of these wars that a seemingly insignificant teenager dies. his soul drifts aimlessly in the spirit world, vulnerable, alone. he encounters the trickster spirit koh who steals his face. time is hard to account for in this realm, and the once-a-teenager forgets his past life, his own identity, simply choosing to refer to himself as wu ming: nameless. many years later, the avatar cycle begins anew with the birth of xie lian.

at 7 years old, prince xie lian and his best friend feng xin are outdoors playing with swords. feng xin takes a break, as he is called inside by the king of xianle, leaving xie lian outside and unsupervised. (feng xin will shortly be told that xie lian is not only his friend, but now his responsibility.) meanwhile, xie lian is left without a sparring partner. until a ghostly silver butterfly flits in front of him. it playfully weaves around the flourishes of the blade. xie lian chases it, away from the palace grounds, across the fields and into the brush, where he falls head-first through a burrow. when he stands up, his sword has disappeared, but not the butterfly. it pulls his attention upward, where he takes in his surroundings: the spirit world.

xie lian continues to play and greet spirits, who are all pleased to meet the new avatar, eventually finding a sad, dissipating ghost fire. the ghost introduces itself as wu ming. xie lian works very hard to cheer it up, promising they'll be friends in this lifetime and the next. wu ming brightens and confesses that koh has stolen its face. xie lian fails to tolerate this news: if he's to be the avatar, he must protect the innocent and slay monsters. with wu ming's warnings, he marches to koh's den to demand his friend's face back.

xie lian succeeds. wu ming doesn't remember much these days, but he's sure that no one has ever showed him such incredible kindness. when wu ming expresses his desire to disappear, xie lian gives him a mantra: "live for me."

xie lian has to leave, to return to a very worried feng xin (who is scared he's already failed his new bodyguard job on day one), but wu ming is invigorated with life like never before. his soul persists, stubbornly, for the avatar. he is reborn back into the mortal world as a fire nation boy. although, the encounter with koh would leave a mark on his body: the sclera of his right eye would be an unsettling blood red. the people of his village would know him as hong hong-er.

elsewhere in the spirit world, the ghost of avatar jun wu senses young xie lian's presence. he also senses the persistence of the ghost fire—a soul reborn. could he, too, return to the mortal world? jun wu entertains a simple but horrifying thought: by swapping places with xie lian, could he achieve immortality as the world's last avatar? thus, jun wu hatches a plan. he strikes a deal with bai wuxiang, the white-clothed calamity, a malevolent plague spirit. bai wuxiang would possess the body of jun wu to eliminate the new avatar. to kill xie lian, and to be reborn.

the plan doesn't go—well, according to plan. the people of xianle are wiped out before he can get his hands on xie lian, and the destruction of a people leaves behind a universal distrust of the avatar. jun wu realizes he would be unable to seize power in such an environment. his new strategy must involve controlling young xie lian, manipulating him into a puppet. it takes a while to pin him down, but jun wu eventually finds him settled in the northern air temple, at his most emotionally vulnerable. jun wu will impersonate a monk teacher, changing his name to wu yong. he will bide his time and play his cards until the world is ready for his return.

EXTRAS

hualian are middle-aged men in this au because it makes sense timeline-wise, but also because sexy silver fox xie lian is what i see every time i close my eyes.

narratively, i'm torn between hua cheng loving the avatar, or hua cheng loving xie lian. thinking about this timeless lovestory, "you, not the state of you," i can see it both ways. hua cheng might love the avatar, xie lian and all of his reincarnations regardless of their body. or, he might love xie lian, regardless of the "avatar" title. ("avatar" may also be this world's equivalent to hua cheng respectfully calling xie lian "dianxia".)

firelord hua cheng presents himself at what he believes is his ugliest, most intimidating form: exposing his burned right eye. as san lang, however, he is at first ashamed to reveal such a vulnerable part of him in front of his love; he covers it with an eyepatch. (the people of the fire nation are like: "a platypus?" [san lang takes off his eyepatch] "PERRY THE PLATYPUS?!?!")

hua cheng teaches xie lian how to bend lightning. they easily trade bolts back and forth to each other in a cute and intimate way. feng xin and mu qing are horrified when they first see this in action.

hualian's first kiss happens when they're battling a sea monster underwater and xie lian loses his concentration enough to accidentally pop hua cheng's air bubble. a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation will do the trick until they can float back up to the surface.

ruoye = xl's spiritual serpent guide (kind of like roku's dragon)

e'ming = hc's super clingy fire ferret

[pompeianred]

Olivia Cooke as Sid Baker SLOW HORSES – S01E01 : Failure’s Contagious

[bloomzone]

2025 : #21 Hope.

✒️..hope. It’s something we all talk about, we all need, and yet, we seldom understand in its full depth. We hear phrases like “Keep hoping,” or “Don’t lose hope,” but what does hope truly mean, and why is it so vital to our well-being?

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪs ʜᴏᴘᴇ?

Hope is more than just wishful thinking . It’s not simply wishing that things will get better without any effort. True hope is the belief that a better future is not only possible, but within reach. It’s the feeling that even in the darkest moments , there is potential for light to shine through (we often see this in sad dramatic moment or anime lmao ). Hope is both an emotional state and a cognitive mindset that enables us to see beyond present circumstances, empowering us to take action towards a brighter tomorrow it's not motivation ! There is a diff ! (motivation is the drive to act and hope is the belief in possibility ) so It’s the force that keeps us going when life feels overwhelming, the quiet but persistent whisper that says, “You can do this, just keep going.”

Unlike optimism too , which is the general expectation that things will improve, hope involves a more active, personal belief in the possibility of change. It’s rooted in the understanding that our choices matter, that our actions can lead us to a better outcome, and that we are not at the mercy of fate alone.

ʜᴏᴡ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ɪs ʙᴜɪʟᴛ

Hope is not something we are born with . It is something we learn and develop over time. It is cultivated through experience, through resilience, and through the belief that no setback is final. Just like any other muscle in the body, the more we exercise hope, the stronger it becomes. It’s built in the small moments when we face challenges and choose not to give up, when we take that next step even though we don’t have all the answers, when we look at a failure as a lesson and not a limitation.

It is fostered by connection. Having supportive relationships, where we feel understood and encouraged, helps build our belief in a positive future. Hope grows when we see others overcome difficulties and when we learn from those who have faced hardship and emerged stronger. In this sense, hope is contagious when we see someone else hold on to hope, it reminds us that we can too .

But most importantly, hope is built through action. It’s easy to feel hopeless when we are stuck in a state of passivity. When we take deliberate steps forward, even in small ways, we send a message to ourselves that we are capable of making progress, no matter how incremental. And with each small success, hope is reaffirmed.

ᴡʜʏ ᴡᴇ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʜᴏᴘᴇ

Hope is the antidote to despair frrr It gives us a reason to get out of bed in the morning, even when the weight of the world seems too much to bear. Without hope, we can easily fall into apathy or worse, depression. It is hope that helps us find meaning in our struggles, to see them as part of a larger journey rather than insurmountable obstacles. It is also crucial for mental health. Hope has been shown that individuals who cultivate hope are more likely to bounce back from setbacks, maintain a positive outlook, and experience better overall well-being. It is linked to resilience because when we have hope, we believe that we can navigate difficulties and emerge on the other side, stronger and more capable. is essential for personal growth. It fuels ambition and provides us with the courage to dream beyond our current limitations.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴀ ʜᴏᴘᴇғᴜʟ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ ᴠs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪɴᴅ ᴏғ ᴀ ʜᴏᴘᴇʟᴇss ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ

The difference between a hopeful person and a hopeless one is in the way they perceive the world. A hopeful person sees opportunities in challenges. They look at a difficult situation and ask, “What can I learn from this? How can I grow from this experience?” They understand that setbacks are temporary, and that their present situation does not define their future. Their mindset is one of possibility, of determination, and of a belief that they can influence their outcomes through effort and perseverance.

On the other hand, a hopeless person sees only limitations. They view challenges as insurmountable obstacles, and they feel powerless in the face of adversity. When things don’t go as planned, a hopeless individual may become paralyzed by fear or despair, believing that nothing they do will change their circumstances. The hopeless mind is often stuck in a cycle of negativity, where every setback is seen as proof that things will never improve. This mindset becomes self-fulfilling: the more they believe things won’t get better, the less they take action to change them.

✒️.It’s important to note that hope is not about denying reality. It’s not about wearing heart glasses or pretending everything is fine when it’s not. It’s about seeing beyond the present difficulties and understanding that change is possible. A hopeful person acknowledges challenges but believes they have the strength to overcome them like when u pass a final test and u have hope to pass the final test of next semester even u have to face the same difficult but u have "hope" to pass again

ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴜʟᴛɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴏɴǫᴜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀʀʀɪᴇʀs ᴛᴏ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠɪɴɢ ɪɴ ɪᴛ

The good news is that hope is something we can cultivate, no matter where we are in life. It doesn’t require an innate ability or perfect circumstances. It requires intentional effort and a mindset shift.

To start, one of the most important things we can do is to ..

change our language

ur monologue intérieur bro need a mise à jour 🦅 . We must stop using words like “I can’t” or “It’s impossible” and instead adopt language that opens up possibilities. Even if you’re unsure about the outcome, saying “I’ll try” or “I can figure this out” signals to your brain that you are not giving up, that you are willing to take action despite uncertainty.

setting small, achievable goals.

Hope thrives when we experience progress, no matter how small. When we accomplish even the tiniest task, it reinforces the belief that we can make a difference, that our actions matter. This sense of achievement builds momentum, turning hope into a habit.

Surround yourself with inspiring stories

NGL I do this all the time when I feel hopeless. listening , read , or watch stories of individuals who have overcome adversity can be a powerful source of hope. These stories show you that no matter how dire the situation seems, it’s possible to rise above it. They can inspire you to believe that you too have the strength to get through tough times.

Surround ourselves with people who uplift and encourage us.

Hope is contagious, and when we are surrounded by individuals who believe in us and in the possibilities of the future, it becomes easier for us to believe the same. Our environment plays a significant role in shaping our mindset.

Find Purpose in Your Struggles

One of the most powerful ways to build hope is by finding meaning in your struggles. When you view challenges as opportunities for growth or as stepping stones to something greater, you begin to see them as part of your journey rather than obstacles. This shift in perspective can help foster a deeper sense of hope and resilience.

Reconnect with Your Core Values

Hope is strongest when you are deeply connected to your core values. When you live in alignment with what truly matters to you, even in challenging times, hope becomes a natural part of your life. Reconnecting with your values reinforces your sense of purpose and reminds you of the bigger picture, which can fuel your drive for the future.

Set and Focus on Bold Goals

Hope is driven by vision. Having a clear, compelling vision for your future helps you move forward with purpose, even when the journey is tough. The more you envision your future and set bold, exciting goals, the more hope you generate for what’s possible. It’s about seeing a brighter future and actively working toward it. For example u want to be a doctor and when u face struggles in ur study .. remind urself of the goal to keep going

💁🏻‍♀️: Set long-term and short-term goals that align with your vision for your life. Write them down, break them into manageable steps, and celebrate progress along the way. The clarity that comes from goal-setting provides a roadmap for hope.

Hope It’s the thread that connects us to a brighter, better tomorrow, even when today feels heavy. Hope is the fuel that powers our dreams, propels us through adversity, and reminds us that no matter how difficult the road may be, there is always a way forward.we can create a life that is not only full of potential but rich with possibility. Because when we hold onto hope, we hold onto the belief that no matter what happens, there is always something to look forward to.good luck 🍀

@bloomzone