#guess it’s time to start posting about this

[enwoso]

the grumpiest day | alessia russo x child!reader x leah williamson

-> based on this request

grumpy masterlist

it all started with a sock.

not even a missing one, not even a particularly dirty one. just a tiny, pink, glittery sock with a unicorn on it, abandoned halfway down the staircase.

and unfortunately for leah, it was the first thing she encountered at 7:36 a.m, barefoot and uncaffeinated.

she stepped on it. slid slightly. nearly died, in her humble opinion. "seriously?" she muttered, flicking it off her foot with the grace of a disgruntled cat. "y/n!"

from the living room, a small but unbothered voice replied, "it's mine! i was gonna pick it up, i swear!"

"really? cause it's lying in wait like a sock-shaped trap!"

there was a pause. then: "you're grumpy."

leah exhaled. "and you're messy." it having been a long two week break for the three of you. you being off school full of energy each day and the footballing season seeing alessia and leah with a few more days off. it had meant there had been a lot of bumping of heads, not even bad — more dramatic and unnecessary really.

upstairs, alessia spat toothpaste into the sink and froze mid-rinse. tilting her head like a dog who heard its favourite squeaky toy. trouble. it had begun. the grump-off and she hadn't even been able to have her morning coffee in peace before it began.

—

by 9:00 a.m, tensions had escalated to cold war levels.

you had refused leah's toast she'd made, 'it's crispy, not toast, it tastes like burnt air!' and then leah had outright banned cartoons 'i am not watchin' bluey again, i'd rather eat the glitter sock that nearly killed me this morning'

alessia, caught between the toddler hurricane and her grumbling girlfriend, tried her best to keep the peace with snacks, deep breathing, and that tight, diplomatic smile she wore during post-match interviews when she wanted to scream.

you sulked in your room with your crayons, scribbling something angrily while muttering, 'mama is not my best friend today.'

leah sulked in the living room, muttering back to waffles, "she's five. why am i arguing with a five-year-old? she's a tiny little dictator."

the only thing louder than the silence was the mutual stubbornness.

—

you both through your own stubbornness forgot about the visitor that was coming over, as ella showed up just after three. man united being down in london for an away game her suitcase in tow, wide smile plastered on her face.

"ello, elloooo!" she sang, letting herself in like she owned the place. "oi, i brought biscuits and northern charm, who wants to be blessed?"

she walked straight into the thickest atmosphere since the 2022 final. "why does it feel like i walked into a funeral?" she asked, pausing mid-kitchen stride as she saw alessia sat at the kitchen table nursing a coffee in her own peace

alessia rubbed her temple standing up to give the manchester girl a hug. "they've fell out."

ella blinked. "who? leah and tiny?" alessia hummed, nodding her head, "over a sock."

ella's mouth dropped open. then she laughed, full and unapologetic. "oh my god, no way. let me guess—leah took it personally and tiny declared war.”

"pretty much, yeah.”

"well least neither of them have over reacted! where are they both now?"

alessia gestured vaguely. "leah's sulking in the living room watching a rom-com. and lovie is drawing pictures of leah with devil horns in her room, i think."

"right well it's intervention time."

—

fifteen minutes later, they were all in the living room. alessia curled up with a mug of tea, while ella had flopped across the armchair with a handful of biscuits and in the middle of the couch sat the two grumps. both of you with shoulders hunched, eyes narrowed and both of you refusing to go first.

ella took charge, like a seasoned camp counselor. "right, you two. this mood is not what being a family is about!"

you sniffled, folding your arms across your chest, well tried to. "mama shouted at me." leah huffed as she let out a sigh of defeat, "ok, i raised my voice a little bit."

"she said my socks were a trap."

"they were! i nearly fell to my death!"

"so dramatic," you muttered, letting you back fall against the back of the couch as ella nearly choked on her biscuit from holding in laughter. alessia shot her a look and mouthed help me.

ella cleared her throat. "okay. leah you need to say sorry."

leah sighed and rubbed her face. "fine. little one, i'm sorry for snapping. i didn't mean to be scary and upset you."

you narrowed your eyes. "and?"

"...and your socks are cute. even if they are a little bit dangerous." you smiled triumphantly.

"and you?" ella asked, turning to the little face as your smile dropped a little bit.

"i'm sorry mama for leaving my sock on the stairs. and for saying you were a monster."

leah raised a brow. "you said that?"

"only to the waffles."

"wow."

alessia stepped in before another spiral happened. "you've both said sorry. now, can we maybe watch a film and just relax like a proper family?"

"I WANNA WATCH FROZEN!" you shouted, bouncing upright with the energy of someone who hadn't spent the entire day pouting.

leah groaned like someone had just asked her to run ten laps  of the football pitch with a hangover. "again? you've seen it like eighty times."

"it's the best movie ever. you'll like it if you just stop being boring."

"why is that always the solution?" leah asked no one in particular as she flopped onto the sofa, close to alessia as she sipped at her mug of tea.

you climbed up beside her, victorious, clutching the remote like a scepter. "cause' you need to let it go, mama."

ella burst out laughing. "okay, no, she wins. that's it. game over."

alessia settled beside leah, tucking her legs underneath her. "you could just sing along, just this once. for the memories."

leah's head fell into her hands as the opening credits started. "i think i would rather watch paint dry."

next to her, you were already swaying to the music, eyes sparkling, mouthing the words like you were in the west end.

ella leaned over to alessia, whispering through laughter, "i'm not saying i told you so, but i am watching the grumpiest defender in england get emotionally bullied into watching frozen by a five-year-old."

leah peeked through her fingers. "i heard that."

you gasped. "auntie ella, you have to be quiet! it's starting!" ella immediately put her hands in the air in defense not wanting to argue her point as alessia chuckled to herself.

"that's you told."

and just like that, as elsa belted her first note, peace (mostly) returned. ella passed alessia a biscuit. "well done, mum. crisis averted."

alessia just smiled, eyes on her little girl and her very reluctant girlfriend, who, by the second chorus, was... maybe humming. just a little as her head rested on alessia's chest.

ella smirked. "told you."

[paucubarsisimp]

reader x oscar where oscar reconnects with a old female friend and kind of neglects reader a little bit, at the beginning y/n gets hurt but ends up deciding to get a male friend to “make things even” so oscar gets really jealous, realizes what he’s been doing and tries to make things right? happy ending pls and maybe don’t make reader forgive him that easily?

second place

pairing: oscar piastri x reader

summary: in which you feel mia is more important than you…

warnings: none

you didn’t expect things to change so quickly.

one minute, you and oscar were solid — late-night facetimes, good luck kisses before qualifying, sleepy grins under hotel duvets. being with him felt like quiet gravity. not loud or dramatic, just right. steady.

and then came mia.

the girl from karting days. the one who could talk race setups and tire strategies in the same breath she joked about oscar’s twelve-year-old mullet.

you weren’t threatened at first. oscar had always been honest. you weren’t insecure.

but it’s hard to stay secure when you go three days without more than a “hey, sorry, busy today” text… and then check instagram to see him tagged in a selfie with her, laughing over sushi.

you didn’t confront him right away. you weren’t that person. you trusted him — or at least, you wanted to.

but when you showed up at the paddock that friday, his reaction said everything.

he didn’t light up the way he used to.

he smiled — polite, distracted. his arm slung around mia’s shoulders like second nature.

you didn’t know whether to feel angry or embarrassed.

maybe both.

you brought it up that night, quietly, after dinner.

“she’s really been around a lot lately.”

oscar shrugged, pulling his shirt over his head. “yeah, she’s doing a piece for f1tv. like, a feature thing. it’s temporary.”

you nodded. “just… feels like you’ve kind of forgotten i exist.”

he froze for a second. “y/n, come on. don’t start this.”

that was what hurt the most — not the time he was spending with her. the fact that he brushed off your pain. as if it wasn’t real.

you went to bed with your back to him. he didn’t reach for you.

you didn’t plan to make him jealous.

you didn’t even think of marcus that way — not at first.

he was the boy who used to walk you home from school, steal fries from your lunch tray, accidentally-on-purpose hold your hand during horror movies.

you hadn’t seen him in years. but when you bumped into him at a café near the paddock, it felt like a reset. like someone was seeing you again.

like you weren’t invisible.

oscar didn’t notice you were smiling more that weekend.

but he did notice marcus.

especially when you invited him to the post-race celebration. especially when marcus leaned close to tell you a joke, and you laughed with your whole body — the way you used to laugh with oscar.

he caught your wrist later that night, voice tense. “is this supposed to be a message?”

you stared at him. “no. but i guess it’s working.”

the fight came two days later.

oscar had been cold. distant. until he snapped.

“so what, you just bring some guy around to get my attention? that’s mature.”

your blood ran hot. “don’t pretend you have the high ground when you’ve been mia’s shadow for three weeks!”

“she’s a friend, y/n!”

“so is marcus! or is it only okay when you’re the one doing the ignoring?”

oscar looked at you like he didn’t recognize you. and you realized — he didn’t. because he hadn’t really seen you in weeks.

“i don’t care about mia,” he said, voice strained.

“but you cared more about making her laugh than asking if i was okay.”

that shut him up.

it took time after that.

oscar started showing up again — really showing up.

small things. bringing you coffee before interviews. watching your face instead of his phone. apologizing, not with flowers, but by listening.

you let him back in slowly. not because he begged — but because he changed.

and one night, while you sat on his balcony overlooking monaco’s coast, his fingers laced with yours, he said:

“i got used to you always being there. like i couldn’t lose you. like you’d always wait.”

you didn’t answer right away.

then: “don’t give me a reason to leave, and i won’t.”

his hand tightened in yours. “you’re not second place. not to anyone. not ever again.”

you believed him. not because he said it — but because this time, he meant it.

taglist: @barcapix, @universefcb, @joaosnovia, @ilovebarcaaaa, @levidazai, lmk if you want to be added!

[totalswag]

coachella baby ⎯ RAFE CAMERON!

authors note coachella fic is finally here. i know i went hiatus for a bit (again) but now that i finally had the time to finish my coachella fic ENJOY IT. kook and pogues are civil aka we love that. feedback is always appreciated <3.

taglist ✎ ̼ if you would like to be notified every time i post you will type in your username then be all set to go.

masterlist

summary attending coachella with your boyfriend and friends for the weekend to make amazing memories, watch artists perform, and just have fun.

warning(s) cursing, drinking, kissing, partying, mentions of loud music, and girls wearing badass outfits the whole trip.

The whole friend group made the biggest decision to fly out to Palm Springs for Coachella. Of course you all agreed. You’ve always wanted to go and now it’s finally happening, you couldn’t believe it. This is about to be a long eventful weekend.

Fast forwarding to today⎯Coachella day one. Everybody woke up this morning ready to start the day. The gates don’t open till one o’clock which gave everyone enough time to relax.

Morning started off with breakfast by the pool and mimosas. Laying by the pool with music playing from your speaker. The closer it gets to getting ready, you ran into the house to shower then get ready. The whole house was getting ready.

“Leaving in thirty minutes!” Sarah yelled from the kitchen reminding everyone it’s getting close to “go time” as she likes to say.

“Has anyone seen my other shoe?!” Topper yells from down the hall.

"Which one?" Kelce yells back. "Left, right, emotional support sneaker?"

"left, bro. I need the left," Topper practically screams.

Downstairs, Kie’s trying to untangle five different necklaces in the mirror while JJ runs through the living room like an absolute menace, a towel tied around his neck like a cape.

You were in your shared bathroom with Rafe putting the final touches of your makeup⎯leaning forward applying lip liner then you were finished⎯you looked hot.

“Are you tryna kill me or something?” Rafe says from behind with his arms crossed tilting his head to the side that makes you weak to the knees.

You turn your whole body around seeing him in full length⎯thin white button shirt with his tanned chest revealed, black cargo pants, white shoes along with his signature gold chain.

“Could say the same to you” you mock.

You roll your eyes, checking your outfit in the full-length mirror. “You’re one to talk. You look like a Calvin Klein ad got lost in the desert.”

He laughs and walks over, pulling you into him by the waist. “Then I guess we’re the hottest couple out there.” He presses a kiss to your shoulder. “Ready, angel?”

The moment you arrived to the festival you found your way to the drinks⎯everyone made sure to buy waters too since the heat is no joke right now. Luckily there mini fans to buy at little tents.

Meanwhile, Cleo reaches in her back and brings out her small digital camera, and everyone gathers around.

"Okay, group photo first!" Cleo yells. "Then we'll do individuals and couple shots."

The girls cheer each other on the entire time, adjusting one other's accessories and swapping places. The girls looked unbeatable had to toe⎯each to their style⎯Sarah, Kie, Sasha, and Kendall.

“Y/N, tilt your head a little⎯yes! That’s it!”

“Cleo, you better send me every single one of these" you say in between pictures.

Meanwhile, the guys are doing whatever guys do when you put a camera in their hands. JJ and Kelce start making dumb poses, flexing muscles and arguing who's is bigger. Rafe just waits patiently, leaning back on one leg, watching you through dark lenses.

"You girls look so hot!" a group of girls yelled as they walked by. All of you compliment back with the same energy.

Couple photo's came out great. Cleo's camera does wonders with amazing quality too. All the couples outfits complimented each other in their own ways.

You slid into Rafe's arms, leaning into him. He placed a kiss just behind your ear, whispering, “You’re the hottest thing at this whole festival.”

“I think your ego is,” you teased.

“Debatable,” he murmured, brushing his nose against your cheek before the flash snapped.

Two hours into Coachella and it's been so much fun so far. You guys watched a few artists perform on stages⎯singing and dancing like your lives depended on it. Seeing what other's are wearing for day one was nice because everyone's vibe was different.

Watching different artists perform on stage felt like a fever dream. They all brought something different that made their stage presence unique⎯Tyla, Gorilla, The María's, and more.

Sunset paints the sky in bruised pinks and oranges, and everyone is glowing with sweat and happiness. Sunset pictures were a must.

Right now Missy Eliiott was performing on stage and you felt like shaking ass⎯you did. The energy she brought to the stage was unmatched. The crowd lost their shit the minute she started singing.

The guys were behind while the seven of you girls stood in front letting loose. "I am having so much fun!" Shay, Kelce girlfriend, says aloud, swaying her hips to the beat of the beat. You all agreed cheering then singing more of the lyrics.

You caught a moment alone with Rafe near a vendor, the two of you sitting on the grass. The bass from a nearby stage vibrated through the soles of your shoes. He leaned back on his hands, looking up at the night sky.

“This is kinda perfect,” he said.

You glanced over, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “You mean me and you or Coachella?”

“Both,” he said, eyes flicking over to you. “But mostly you and me.”

You leaned in and kissed him, soft and sweet. He smiled into it, pulling you onto his lap with zero shame.

“Let’s never miss this weekend ever again,” he whispered. “Like… ever.”

The moment you guys have been waiting for⎯Lady Gaga⎯set to perform at midnight. One thing about Lady Gaga is she'll give it her all when performing. No one knows what she'll perform but you're most excited for her older songs.

When bad romance played you were at lost at words. The visuals were insane. You had your phone out recording the performance. Moving your phone to the rest of your friends in their own element.

Rafe reached for your waist, pulling you closer, the music vibrating between your chests. You moved with him, bodies so close that there wasn’t any air left between you. He wasn’t really dancing, not like the people around you were⎯he just held you, guiding your hips in time with the pulsing beat, like he didn’t want to let you slip away into the crowd.

When Gaga’s voice soared into the chorus⎯I want your love and I want your revenge⎯Rafe dipped you slightly backward, one hand cradling your lower back. You shrieked in surprise, laughing, gripping onto his shirt as the lights flashed wildly around you both.

Half way through Gaga's performance, she walked to the piano getting ready to sing the next song. Die with a smile starts playing on the keys. The whole crowd was silent at first then started singing along. You however, could feel your chest tighten up.

Rafe and you love this song. It means so much to you especially. Rafe is everything you want in someone. You allowed yourself to take a deep breath as you stared into Rafe's eyes.

Rafe tucked a stray piece of hair behind your ear and stared down at you with this look you could feel all the way to your toes.

“This song,” he said, fingers dragging slowly up and down your spine, “is exactly how I feel right now.”

You blinked up at him, chest pounding from more than just dancing. “How’s that?”

He leaned in, so close his breath warmed your lips. “you meaning the absolute the world to me and I wouldn't know who I'd be without you."

You give him a delicate smile playing with the ends of his buzz cut hair, "you have no idea how much I love you," and pull him down to kiss your soft lips.

By the time you made it to the house, everyone went their separate ways in their shared rooms. Coachella day one was one in the books and can't wait for the next two days ahead.

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[astrokid425]

…

Ok.

Okkkkkkkk

Alright.

I have not been active for a while but I think I need to say this.

You can make fun of the Preacher. You can make fun of her MAD, her trying to give MAD to an alternate, her lying about being human. That’s. That’s whatever. Ok wow, we’ve heard it a million times but no keep on joking it’s not stale at all.

We’re used to that kind of oppression. (what?)

But anyone. ANYONE. Who fucking jokes about something like Gabirel turning her into an alternate? They better have a good fucking reason.

I’ve seen posts like this before. Cocky white guys who get 10’followers on tumblr and activate the middle school bully part of their brain. They see anyone who struggles with any kind MAD disorder, who’s already been spat on by Gabriel, and start dogpiling.

But the Preacher is bigger than you. She's happier than you, more successful than you, and I’m just guessing on this last one but she's probably more attractive than you.

You can try your hardest to segregate (WHAT) out the kinds of people you don’t like from your little BPS crew clique of ungrateful subscriberwhores. But it’s not gonna fucking work mortal.

The real point of making her face like a nun is that it helps her hide the sigmaness while having to read over pathetic slop from basic bitches like you.

charlie OUT! MIC DROP!

Actually insane to me how dream wrote an entire ass breakup song about him and quackity and yet we all continue to pretend it never happened

[yulin-pop]

i just saw your headcanon of Ace + Deuce w the same crush, but what if reader ended up w another person? (u can choose who you prefer to write)

⤷ ✧ 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭

order 91 | headcanons | Heartslabyul+Malleus|Gender Neutral

❀ NOTE: I chose the most ironic candidates, They never stood a chance against them

Of course they would know you had a crush, they both feigned surprise and begged for names and how and when this crush started. I mean, seriously, who could’ve caught your eye? You wouldn’t tell them which gave them both at least a little hope it could’ve been one of them.

Though as you dropped more hints, they learned they were an upperclassmen.

Well, sucks for them but just because you have a crush doesn’t mean it will be reciprocated— but they were proven wrong.

You would gush about the interactions you shared with your crush to the two, leading to some snooping. But they would never seem to catch you talking to whoever this mysterious yet charming guy was.

That was until you came forward with some news at lunch, with glimmering eyes and flushed cheeks you announced…

➺ Riddle Rosehearts

“Me and Riddle are official.”

Neither of them are happy, far from it. They hide their true opinion of it. Yeah, they would be upset no matter who it was but Riddle? He was a psycho when they first met, caused a lot of trouble for all of them and somehow you caught feelings for him.

But you have a rebuttal towards Ace, he was your first bully when you came to Night Raven but you’re still friends. One can argue he’s still your bully actually.

But then they find it hard to imagine Riddle in all those rants you went on about. Before you and Riddle began dating, you freaked out when you went on a study and brunch date with him.

He wiped your face and leaned in close enough you could feel his breath against your ear. Good for you (I guess) but it’s hard to see Riddle doing that.

Their first reaction is to go to Grim and just unleash every thought they had on the matter at him.

“I mean seriously Riddle? He’s shorter than both of us! Isn’t it crazy since I was always the closest. I walked [Name] to class multiple times but it’s special when Riddle does it. It’s so dumb. I bet they’re both too shy to do anything to the point where they just look into each other’s eyes. That’s so awkward!!” Ace rambled.

“Yeah!” The only thing Deuce could do was agree since Ace was already saying everything on his mind.

I think the first week they’re in disbelief and just go silent whenever you mention Riddle. The second week is when the teasing starts. By teasing they’re actually helping you since when you see Riddle, they push you into him. Which always leads to Riddle catching you and both of you getting flustered.

As much as they did like you, as said by Grim, they need to accept it. Deuce seemed to be the most crushed out of the two but that’s just because Ace hid it behind indifference.

They’re both the people who will always be on your side when you and Riddle have a fight. They don’t just blindly agree though, if you did something wrong they’re going to tell you.

It’s hard to say if they will lose feelings for you after you started dating someone else. I think they won’t ever lose the affection they had for you but the crush and the potential you had together will be pushed to the back of the brain for as long as you were happy with someone else. That’s what mattered more.

➺ Cater Diamond

You shoved your phone screen in their faces and showed a video recording of Cater confessing to you with a poster and flowers. The video ending with you hugging Cater and his arms wrapped around you.

Okay with Cater it’s not as big of a surprise. He wasn’t clueless in dating but not what you would call “experienced”. Looking back at everything you gushed about it did sound like Cater.

All the mentions of selfies and how he would always take pictures of you, remarking how cute and photogenic you were. It checked out seeing how often he posted you in the past few weeks, they’re kinda mad they didn’t realize it sooner. Of course there was a whole post on his MagiCam announcing your relationship. Just to be expected of Cater.

Deuce asked if you were okay with your relationship being out there like that and surprisingly you were, not caring how embarrassing it could be.

Ace is the one who makes you feel embarrassed about it though. He points out and laughs at all the photos Cater posts of you two. And yeah he left some satire hate comments.

The first week is almost unbearable, especially because Cater is pretty open about how his happy-go-lucky mood is because of you.

“After months of constant rizzing and going out on dates, they said yes.” He would proudly proclaim to whoever asked.

Ace accidentally cut him off mid sentence to tell him to shut up and then Deuce has to apologize. Ace is slightly hostile to Cater while Deuce is just short with him but that eventually goes away.

Whenever Cater is anywhere near by. Ace says “Oh look it’s your boyfriend go kiss him!” But before you could react Cater is already walking over and steals you for whatever reason.

➺ Trey Clover

“I managed to confess to him… Trey said yes.”

They were surprised, Trey was a wild card but it’s not like he was the worst out of the upperclassmen. But it all made more sense how when you would come over to Heartslabyul, you’d always go to the kitchen saying you’re hungry and wait around until you found Trey. Not only that you wouldn’t even eat. Same with how you randomly took an interest in baking and started taking lessons from Trey.

Deuce is awkward and Ace is slightly irritated but both congratulate you but Ace mentioned how it was weird you had to confess. Though that led to you going into a strained retell of how you confessed and how Trey reacted and how wonderful it all was.

Trey did seem sort of distant when with you but that really didn’t seem to affect how you were with him. Ace and Deuce got the slight impression Trey was inexperienced. Deuce wasn’t one to judge but Ace was the one to scoff at it.

Trey wouldn’t mention it unless anyone asked, more importantly when you saw him at lunch or during school Ace would try to push you over to him but you insisted you wanted to leave him alone. Why is that? You two didn’t seem to interact much even though you were dating.

Ace and Deuce mentioned this to Grim, just because they were nosey and all. “Seriously you think they’re distant? Man if only you KNEW… [Name] is almost never here because they’re out with Trey and when they are home they’re talking about how much they want Trey to come over.”

So that’s how it was, they’re the more hidden couples but in private they act completely differently. Additionally, that explains why you’ve been texting them less after school. They don’t have a lot to say besides the normal anguish that comes with unrequited love.

-ˋˏ Malleus Draconia

“I think me and Horton are dating?”

Oh yeah that’s pretty normal, just you announcing your possible relationship with the most powerful fae in school and the future king of Briar Valley. Now what’s with that vague wording?! It’s either you are or you aren’t.

They shake you and demand answers out of you. But you can’t answer some of them. The truth is you confessed but you received a vague answer back. “How cute… I admit somehow my heart aches with approval.” That’s all you got back.

Now Ace, you and Deuce began theorizing what it meant. You hoped it to be acceptance but the other two prayed you’d be rejected. You’ve told them everything about this “Horton” which was later to be discovered as Malleus Draconia… Despite the discovery, you still had feelings for him.

They knew who they were up against though. But they weren’t even sure if it was a competition since you’d had an interest in him and he may like you back. But they’ve never been the types to back down.

You raved about it over and over to them, though they would talk down your excitement. You were really happy and it’s not like they don’t want you to be happy but… you’re not even dating so just hold your horses. They tried to make so points like Malleus is the heir to Briar Valley so there’s issue with that and his emotions can cause devastating storms so leaving him on read may or may not tear down Ramshackle.

Regardless, you planned to meet with him again to confirm the status of your relationship and Deuce and Ace turned to Grim once they realized they couldn’t stop you.

They were trying to force Grim to go along with their plan of talking you down from dating Malleus, then to stop you from meeting with him at night by any means necessary but Grim could only do so much.

The next morning, you had small bags under your eyes but were brimming with joy, talking about how you love Horton. Besides how politically crazy your relationship is for Malleus, they’re supportive as long as you’re happy. Nothing changed much besides the fact you always want to talk about your boyfriend.

[4m0r1m]

Closed Doors

SUMMARY: everyone thinks House and the sweet, gentle doctor hate each other—but behind closed doors, they’re far more than colleagues. when Wilson accidentally catches them in a heated moment, the secret they’ve been hiding threatens to unravel.

WORD COUNT: 1,116 words

PAIRING: greg house x reader

WARNINGS: a little heated moment but nothing too bad.

The corridor buzzed with the low hum of activity—nurses ferrying charts, pagers beeping intermittently, and hushed discussions about patient vitals. Amid it all, one thing remained a constant: Gregory House limping through the hallway like a tornado in tweed, cane tapping rhythmically, sarcasm trailing in his wake.

This morning was no exception.

“Foreman, try not to kill the patient with your god complex before I get a proper look at his scan,” House barked, brushing past his team without so much as slowing down.

“Good morning to you too,” murmured the woman trailing behind them, her voice soft enough to be overlooked—but with a hint of dry amusement that rarely went unnoticed by House.

She was the anomaly of the hospital. The type of doctor who remembered birthdays, lent pens, and somehow always had a stash of calming tea in her drawer. To patients and colleagues alike, she was the kind face of Princeton-Plainsboro—except, of course, to House, who made a daily ritual of riling her up with snide remarks and questionable nicknames.

“She’s got the bedside manner of a fairy godmother and the IQ of a well-trained golden retriever,” he’d said once. Loudly. In front of Cuddy.

She’d smiled sweetly and replied, “You’re just mad I’ve never let you borrow a pen.”

What no one knew—what absolutely no one could guess—was that behind the sarcasm, the sideways glances, the deliberately loud arguments… House was very much involved with her.

Behind closed doors.

And she, for all her angelic exterior, could match him wit for wit when no one was around to witness it.

It had started six months ago. A late-night consult, an empty hallway, and an unexpected kiss that left them both stunned and more than a little breathless.

Since then, they’d perfected the art of secrecy. The stolen moments in diagnostics. The lingering touches disguised as accidental. The occasional post-lunch escape to House’s office under the guise of “arguing about lab results”.

To the rest of the hospital, especially Wilson, their dynamic was obvious: House was being House, and she, poor thing, was just the latest target of his relentless teasing.

Wilson had once even said, “Honestly, mate, I don’t know how she hasn’t stabbed you with a scalpel by now.”

House had only shrugged and replied, “Maybe she’s saving it for Christmas.”

It was Tuesday afternoon when Wilson started to suspect something wasn’t quite right.

He’d passed House’s office and caught the tail end of laughter—her laughter, rich and warm, the kind no one else at the hospital ever seemed to coax out of her. Curious, Wilson lingered near the door. The blinds were drawn, but he could hear movement. A low chuckle. Muffled voices.

And then silence.

Frowning, he knocked.

“House?” he called out.

No response.

He tried the door.

It was unlocked.

The scene that greeted him upon entry froze him mid-step.

House, jacket discarded and shirt rumpled, sat on the edge of his desk, locked in a very enthusiastic embrace with the very doctor Wilson had been certain loathed him. Her hands were tangled in House’s hair, his cane discarded somewhere near the filing cabinet, and their lips—

“Oh, God,” Wilson muttered, instantly averting his gaze and turning on his heel. “I—Nope. I did not see that. I did not see that.”

House, entirely unbothered, detached his mouth long enough to smirk, “Your timing is impeccable, as always.”

She, however, buried her face in House’s shoulder and let out an embarrassed groan. “We’re going to have to kill him, aren’t we?”

“Tempting,” House murmured, dropping a kiss to her forehead. “But I need him to cover for clinic duty.”

Later that evening, after the drama had settled and the blinds were open once more, Wilson sat across from House, arms folded.

“You’ve been sleeping with her?”

House leaned back, tossing a rubber ball against the wall. “Only in the literal sense about fifty percent of the time.”

“Does she know you’re emotionally stunted?”

“Shockingly, yes. Turns out sarcasm and emotional repression are her love languages.”

Wilson scrubbed a hand over his face. “I genuinely thought you hated each other.”

“Technically we do,” House replied, ever smug. “But we hate everyone else more. It’s romantic.”

The next day, whispers trickled through the hospital. Nothing concrete, just vague observations. The way House had taken his coffee from her hand without comment. The way she’d rolled her eyes, but not with annoyance—with familiarity.

Someone even claimed they’d seen her leaving his office with a tie in her hand.

Of course, nothing was confirmed. Nothing could be.

House still insulted her in front of patients.

She still told him to sod off when he pushed her buttons in diagnostics.

But if you looked closely—really closely—you’d catch the smallest things.

The way her eyes lingered a moment too long.

The way his smirk softened when he thought no one was watching.

And the way she always knocked twice before entering his office.

Even though it was never locked.

A/N: I guys i hope you like this one!! I actually had it in my drafts and just didin't post it. This is a little different for what I usually write but i still hope people from other fandoms like it!!

[woman-respecter]

i was unblocked because this loser just hadddd to make dumbass replies to my post. which gave me a chance to check something.

i’ll give you all one guess as to how she feels about johnny depp 😝

i guess that answers my question, she didn’t just start her abuse apologia for gaiman, she’s been doing it for years! i do think depp support is a gateway drug to disbelieving women in most cases, so i appreciate @likorys-shimenawa demonstrating that for everyone.

really wracking my brain to think of a time i encountered a more evil person on this website. i probably have but nobody comes to mind.

only vaguely related but it is just so crazy that mentioning that you were ever a harry potter fan in your entire lifespan will get you drawn and quartered but it’s fine to still support good omens like 9 months after the gaiman allegations came to light bc it’s your comfort show or whatever.

[purplereina11]

🏀 Based after Eleven 🏀

Chapter 8

It started as playful online chemistry with someone unexpected-Alexia Putellas. Flirty banter turned into late-night texts before a heated moment on a club balcony shifted everything.

Now it was post game meet-ups, no-strings friends-with-benefits arrangement. They shared passion, comfort, and the grind of pro sports. But as the season went on, lines blurred.

It was supported to stay simple. These things never do however. Not in professional sports. The option to stay isn't always yours.

Mariona’s gaze flicked to Liv, like maybe she expected a lifeline. But Liv just sipped her drink, watching you carefully now, all traces of smugness gone. Maya muttered something under her breath and busied herself with rearranging the olives on her plate—clearly not wanting to get involved.

“Okay,” Mariona said cautiously, setting her glass down. “Maybe that came out wrong.”

“No, it came out loud and clear,” you said, keeping your voice even, detached—because if you didn’t, the heat building behind your ribs might crack you wide open.

She shifted in her seat, tapping her fingers against the side of her glass. “I’m not defending it. I just think… she doesn’t know how to deal with you.”

You scoffed. “What, like I’m some kind of puzzle?”

“More like… a live wire,” Maya mumbled, not looking up.

You glanced at her, but she still wouldn’t meet your eyes. The table had turned heavy now, air thick and humming with things unsaid.

Liv finally leaned forward, elbows on the table, chin resting in her palm. “So what’s your play then?” she asked, tone too casual to be innocent.

You raised an eyebrow. “You mean, now that I know she’s been stringing Vicky along to make me jealous?”

“Mhmm,” Liv nodded, swirling her wine.

"I've just followed and commented on Albas latest bikini post"

Mariona groaned immediately, dragging both hands down her face before burying it in her palms. “No. No no no—you didn’t. Oh, come on,” she muttered, muffled by her hands. “You did not.”

You leaned back against the booth, arms crossed, the tiniest edge of a smirk curling at your lips. “I did. Fire emoji and the one with the face is drooling and all”

Liv’s jaw actually dropped for a second before she burst out laughing. “You’re evil.”

“Thank you,” you said sweetly, taking a sip of your drink.

Mariona finally lifted her head, eyes wide. “Alba? Really? Of all people? You couldn’t have picked someone slightly less… personal?”

Maya looked up sharply, then blinked like she’d just caught up to the conversation. “Wait—Alba Alba? Are you serious right now? That’s her sister”

You nodded, raising your glass. “I’m aware,” you said, voice flat. “She wanted a reaction? She’s about to get one.”

Liv looked downright gleeful now. “Oh, this is gonna be so messy. I’m obsessed.”

“Please don’t encourage this,” Mariona muttered, scrubbing a hand over her face again. “Alexia’s going to see that and lose her entire mind.”

“That’s kind of the point,” you replied, voice cool. “She wants to play games? Let’s play.”

Maya shook her head. “You are poking a very emotionally unstable bear.”

“She poked first,” you said flatly. “She just didn’t expect me to poke back with claws.”

Liv raised her brows and leaned in like she was watching a car crash in slow motion—equal parts horror and fascination. “So what was the comment?”

You smiled, all teeth now. “She posted a bikini photo, her caption sun hits different lately” you dropped your phone to the table, "I commented Guess it does. Damn. Drool emoji Flame emoji"

Mariona smacked her forehead against the table with a thud. “That’s worse than I thought.”

“That’s perfect,” Liv corrected

Maya let out a long, slow exhale and leaned back. “You’re both insane.”

You didn’t disagree.

Because the game had changed now. And somewhere across the city, Alexia was probably staring at her phone, trying very hard not to throw it across the room.

--

The comment had been live for less than a couple of hours. Just enough time for you to scroll past it, toss your phone aside onto your sofa back home, and tell yourself you didn’t care. That it didn’t mean anything. Except… it did.

Because the moment you refreshed your feed and saw Alexia had viewed your story—the one you posted from dinner with Liv, Maya, and Mariona, all smiles and full glasses—it was clear she could of seen the comment too. Of course she had. It was Alba’s post. There was no not seeing it. You leaned back against the cushions, ice back on your ankle, tension thrumming just beneath your skin. You weren’t sure if you were satisfied, or anxious, or just bracing for impact.

It didn’t take long. Your phone buzzed with a text.

Alexia: Really?

Just that. No punctuation. No context. You didn’t reply right away. Let it sit. Let her squirm.

Then another.

Alexia: You’re flirting with my sister now?

You stared at it. And smiled. You tapped out a reply, slow and deliberate:

You: Not flirting. Just appreciating the view. 😏

The bubble popped up instantly, like she was ready to go off— Then it vanished. A minute later, it buzzed again.

Alexia: Don’t play games with me.

You stared at the message, pulse ticking in your jaw. The nerve. You typed without thinking.

You: Funny. I could’ve sworn that’s all you’ve been doing.

There was a long pause. You could feel her reading it, re-reading it, trying to figure out whether to respond or throw her phone.

And then—another text.

Alexia: We need to talk. In person.

You didn’t respond. You just locked your phone, tossed it on the coffee table again, and let the message hang in the air like smoke. She wanted to talk? Fine. But this time, it would be on your terms.

You didn’t answer her text. Not that night. Not the next morning. You didn’t ignore it out of spite—well, not entirely. It was more about holding the upper hand for once. About not jumping the second Alexia snapped her fingers, not folding just because she decided now was the time she wanted to talk. She’d been the one playing games. She’d been the one walking out. Let her sit in the silence for once.

You spent most of the next day with your foot elevated, rehabbing like a professional, and pretending not to check your phone every ten minutes. You weren’t waiting for her to text again.

But by early evening, as the sky turned pink through your window, your phone buzzed with a name you’d been expecting. Not a text this time. A call. Alexia. You let it ring. And ring. And then—picked up. “…Hello?”

Her voice was tight. Controlled. But not cold. “Are you home?”

You looked around your quiet apartment, tension already gathering in your chest. “Why?”

“I’m downstairs.” Of course she was.

You exhaled through your nose, pressed the bridge of it with your fingers. “You can’t keep showing up every time you don’t like something I do.”

“Then stop doing things to get a reaction,” she shot back.

You almost smiled. Almost. “Touché.”

Silence stretched on the line. Like she was pondering what you knew, then “Please just… can I come up?”

You didn’t answer. You buzzed her in. A few minutes later, there was a knock. You opened the door slowly. There she was. Hoodie. No makeup. Fire already burning in her eyes. 

She stepped in like a storm, brushing past you without waiting to be asked. “You seriously commented that on Alba’s post?” she snapped, turning back to face you as the door clicked shut.

You leaned against the frame, arms crossed. “You’re still on that?”

“Yes, I’m still on that. What the hell were you thinking?”

You laughed—sharp, tired, bitter. “Maybe I was thinking about how it felt watching you parade your ex around while pretending I don’t exist.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not what that was.”

“Oh, come on,” you snapped, stepping forward. “You didn’t want her. You just wanted to see how fast I’d react when she showed up at your door.”

“That’s not true.”

“Then what is true, Alexia?” you fired back, voice rising. “That we only work when we’re naked and fucking? That this only makes sense when you’re crawling into my bed, and everything else gets swept under the rug?”

She flinched. “Don’t twist this like I’m the only one playing games.”

“Right, because you showing up every time we fight to remind me how good it is in bed—that’s not a game?”

“I didn’t come here to sleep with you,” she shot back.

“No?” you scoffed. “Then why are we shouting in my living room again? What are we even doing, Alexia?”

She stepped closer. Too close. “I don’t know!” And then—she grabbed your face and kissed you. Hard. Fierce. Like a fuse had been lit inside her. It hit you like a wave—heat, anger, heartbreak, all tangled together. Her hands were desperate, her mouth familiar and wild against yours, like if she kissed you hard enough, she could silence all the things she didn’t want to say.

But you didn’t melt this time. You pushed her back, panting, hands still gripping her wrists. “What the hell are you doing?” you demanded, heart hammering.

Alexia stood there, flushed, lips parted, chest rising and falling. And then she said, bitter and breathless, “Isn’t this what we do now? Fight. Fuck. Repeat.” The words hung between you like a slap.

You stood there, staring at her—your pulse still pounding from the kiss, from the heat of the argument, from everything. The air between you was heavy, volatile, laced with something that felt just as dangerous as it did familiar. You blinked slowly, jaw tight. Then, your voice came low. Calm—but cutting. “So you did come over to fuck.”

Alexia didn’t flinch. She looked at you square in the face, jaw set, defiant. “No.” Then she took a breath and said something that made your stomach twist.

You stepped back, finally. Put space between you and the fire still burning in her eyes. “I’m not gonna keep doing this,” you said. “I’m not gonna keep letting you walk in here like this place—and I—belong to you.”

Alexia’s shoulders tensed as you stepped back. Her jaw clenched like she was holding herself together by a thread. You could see the flicker in her eyes—anger, guilt, something else trying to break through. She glanced away for a second, just enough to give herself time to reset, and then levelled you with a look.

“So this is what we’re doing now?” she asked, her voice sharp, wounded. “Dragging my sister into this? You really think Alba deserves to get caught in your mess just because you’re pissed at me?”

You laughed again—this time quieter, rougher. “My mess? That’s rich coming from you. Don’t act like you’re suddenly the moral compass here.”

Alexia’s expression twisted. “This isn’t about morality. It’s about respect. You don’t use people like that.”

“Oh please,” you snapped. “Like you didn’t pull the same stunt with Vicky.”

She blinked, caught off guard for just a second. Then her face hardened. “That’s not the same.”

“The hell it’s not,” you said, stepping forward again, voice rising. “You didn’t give a damn about Vicky. You just wanted me to see her, to wonder, to burn. And you knew exactly what you were doing.”

Alexia scoffed, shaking her head like she couldn’t believe you were saying it. “You’re paranoid.”

You grinned, sharp and cold. “What? Didn’t think I’d figure it out?” You tilted your head slightly, letting the smugness cut through your voice. “I’m not stupid, Alexia.”

Her mouth opened, then closed. You could see the words behind her eyes, the ones she wanted to hurl but knew would do real damage. And then—there it was. That flicker of guilt again. That flash of you-caught-me-even-if-I-hate-it.

She crossed her arms tight across her chest, like she could hold it all in. “You’re twisting everything.”

“No,” you said, your tone low now, calm like before the crack of thunder. “I’m just done pretending I don’t see the games.”

Her breath hitched, barely, but enough. Enough to let you know you’d struck something real. “You think this gives you the high ground?” she asked, voice steady but glass-thin. “Using Alba to hit back at me? That doesn’t make you right. It just makes you petty.”

You shrugged, the smirk still playing at the corners of your mouth. “And you showing up uninvited, starting fights, kissing me like you’re still allowed to? That’s what—mature?”

Alexia’s jaw twitched. “I came here to talk.”

“No,” you said, walking past her now, not even looking at her. “You came here to win. Like you always do. You just didn’t expect me to stop playing.”

She didn’t follow you right away. Didn’t speak. Just stood there in the silence, like she was trying to figure out what to do now that the script had changed.

When you turned back to face her, she was staring at the floor, hands fists at her sides. “I’m not your punching bag,” you said simply. “And I’m sure as hell not your backup plan when you get bored.”

Alexia looked up then, eyes rimmed red, but the fire hadn’t left. “You think I’m bored of you?”

“I think you don’t know what the hell you want,” you said. “And I’m done paying the price for your confusion.”

There was a long pause. Just breathing. Just tension. Then Alexia said, almost too quietly, “I don’t want to lose you.”

You looked at her for a long second, heart aching against your better judgment. But your voice was firm when you answered. “You never had me”

Alexia didn’t move, but her voice came sharp, slicing through the space between you like it hurt her just to say it. “So it was just sex for you?” she asked, her tone raw, cracking at the edges. “You never considered me a friend?”

You froze. That question—of all the things she could’ve said, that one knocked the wind out of you for a second. Not because it surprised you, but because you knew how badly she needed the answer to be no.

You sighed, rubbing the back of your neck, eyes drifting to the wall like it would offer you a way out of this moment. But there wasn’t one. Not anymore.

“Alexia…” you started, voice low. You shook your head. “You’re not just some hookup, alright? You never were.”

“Then why do you treat me like one?” she snapped, stepping forward again. “Why does everything have to turn into this tug-of-war where we’re always trying to hurt each other more than the last time?”

“Because you started playing games with feelings,” you shot back. “Because one minute I’m the person you can’t live without here by the fucking minute and the next I’m a ghost until you get bored or lonely or jealous enough to remember I exist. Or horny enough because apparently your girlfriend can’t fuck you right”

“That’s not fair—”

“No, you’re not fair,” you cut her off. “You show up like a hurricane, wreck everything, then act surprised when I stop trying to be your friend.”

Alexia blinked, but stayed rooted. “I wasn’t trying to wreck anything. I just… I didn’t know how to be around you without wanting more.”

That hung there. Real. Vulnerable. Too late. You took a breath, slow and shaky. “And you thought dragging your ex around, sleeping with me, then ghosting, then showing up again to fight and fuck, was better than saying that?”

“I was scared,” she said quietly.

“So was I,” you admitted. “Still am. But I didn’t lie about what this meant to me. I didn’t hide behind my ex, or silence.”

Her lips parted. She looked like she might cry, but you both knew she wouldn’t let herself. That wasn’t her style. She’d storm out first. Slam a door. Set a fire. “I just wanted you to see me,” she said, almost a whisper.

You met her eyes. “I always did. With your ex in tow. It didn’t draw me in Alexia, it pushed me away, I’m no ones second choice.”

The silence that followed wasn’t angry anymore. It wasn’t loud. It was tired. Heavy with the weight of everything said and unsaid over months, maybe years. Alexia looked around the room like it wasn’t hers to be in anymore. Like she was already halfway gone.

Then you said, barely above a breath, “Go home, I’m sure your girlfriend is wondering where you are.” And that, finally, broke something in her. Not visibly. No tears. No dramatic collapse. Just the smallest retreat in her eyes. A quiet surrender.

She walked past you, slow, like each step cost her something. At the door, she paused, her hand on the knob.

“She isn’t my girlfriend,” she said, without looking back. You didn’t answer. You’d heard it all before. She opened the door. And this time, she didn’t look back.

--

It wasn’t the call you’d hoped for.

You sat at the far end of the practice facility, ankle still taped from your last session, phone pressed to your ear, tension riding your spine like armour. Your agent’s voice filtered through the line—calm, clear, but laced with the kind of tone you’d learned to expect when news wasn’t good.

“They’re lowballing you,” she said bluntly. “Again.”

You didn’t respond right away, just stared through the tall windows as your teammates warmed up on the court. Barcelona’s logo shone from the centre, bold and clean, and for the first time, it didn’t feel like it belonged to you. “Tell me the number,” you said finally.

She did.

You clenched your jaw. “That’s less than I’m on now.”

“I know.”

You let out a bitter laugh, leaning forward to press your elbows to your knees. “After everything?”

“They’re banking on your loyalty,” she said. “On the hype around the league title. On the connection you’ve built here. But they’re not backing that belief up financially. They’re assuming you’ll stay because of the badge.”

You stared at the floor, voice low. “And the WNBA offers?”

There was a pause. Then, “Big. Real big.”

You knew what she meant. Endorsements. Cities that would roll out the red carpet. A league where you could own your moment instead of constantly proving you deserved it.

“You’d be a franchise face,” she said. “They’re not treating you like a project. They’re treating you like a star.”

The weight of it sat heavy on your chest. “I need time,” you said, barely above a whisper.

“You don’t have much,” your agent replied. “Deadline’s closing in. You have to start asking yourself what you want this next phase of your career to look like—and who’s going to actually help you get there.”

The call ended, but the pressure didn’t.

You sat there, still as the court buzzed on the other side of the glass. The sound of bouncing balls and shouted plays was distant, like another world.

And you knew it wasn’t just about Barcelona anymore.

It was about whether you were willing to stay somewhere that didn’t value you the way you’d proven you deserved to be. And, whether the person who made this place feel like home... Would still be around if you chose to stay

--

You weren’t expecting to run into anyone—let alone her.

It was early evening, the kind of golden hour where the streets of the city felt a little softer around the edges, like they were pretending not to know the weight of your thoughts. You’d just ducked into a small café near the edge of Parc de la Ciutadella, hoodie up, ankle still a bit stiff, sunglasses on despite the fading sun. You weren’t hiding exactly. Just… trying not to be seen.

And that’s when you saw them.

Alba. And her mother.

You nearly turned on your heel. But Alba had already clocked you.

Her lips curled into a grin, mischievous and amused. “Well look who it is,” she said, stepping out from the café doorway, iced coffee in hand. “If it isn’t Barcelona’s most unbothered heartbreaker.”

Her mother glanced up from rummaging through her purse, then gave you a polite smile—tight, knowing. You managed an awkward wave.

“Hi, Mrs. Putellas,” you said.

Alba's mom nodded, but didn’t linger. “I’ll be inside,” she told Alba quietly, giving her a look that said behave. Then she disappeared through the café doors, leaving you alone with the one person who definitely should’ve hated you right now… but didn’t.

Alba cocked her head, sipping her drink like she wasn’t the sister of the person you’d emotionally lit on fire just a day ago. “So… the bikini comment? Really?”

You sighed, rubbing a hand over your face. “Look, I didn’t—”

“I loved it,” she said with a laugh, cutting you off. “Bold. Reckless. Hot, honestly. You really had her pressed, huh?”

You blinked. “Wait… you’re not mad?”

“Oh, I’m definitely judging you,” she smirked. “But also? I’ve been waiting for someone to knock her off her high horse for years. You just… chose chaos. And me. Which was… weird. But iconic.”

You let out a breath of a laugh, tension easing just a bit.

But then Alba’s smile faded, just enough for the shift in tone to land.

“Look,” she said, taking a step closer, voice dropping. “I’m not here to tell you what to do with Alexia. She’s a grown woman. And stubborn as hell. But she’s not built for this kind of back-and-forth. You’re breaking her.”

You stiffened, lips pressing together.

Alba raised an eyebrow. “She hasn’t slept. Barely speaks. She’s spinning. And she’s not good at not being in control, so… you’ve got her all twisted up. Just—if you’re done, be done. If you’re not… stop dragging it out. Put her out of her misery.”

You looked down at your hands, at the cup between them, cold now. “It’s not that simple.”

Alba crossed her arms, expression unimpressed. “Why not?”

You hesitated, then shook your head. “Because I don’t know what I’m doing. With anything. My contract’s up, they’re lowballing me, I’ve got offers from the W, and I don’t even know what country I’m gonna be in three months from now.”

Alba’s face softened, just a little. “Okay… but what does that have to do with her?”

“I can’t settle her,” you said quietly. “Not when I don’t even know where I’m going next. Not when my life’s about to change.”

She looked at you for a long moment. Then: “So let her go.”

You blinked.

“She’s not good at waiting,” Alba said. “And she definitely isn’t good at wondering. So if you’re not gonna stay, don’t leave the door open. Don’t give her just enough to hope.”

You looked out toward the street, where the lights were just starting to flicker on. “Maybe she should just go back to Vicky,” you muttered. “She’s clearly not done with her if she’s still keeping her around.”

Alba made a face. “Vicky was a move. A dumb one. A calculated, emotionally stunted, classic Alexia move. But trust me… that ship’s already sunk.”

You looked at her again, surprised by the certainty in her tone.

She rolled her eyes. “I know my sister. And whatever you two had? Have? It’s way deeper than anything she ever had with Vicky.”

You didn’t say anything. Couldn’t.

Alba sighed, tilting her head. “I’m not saying you have to be with her. But you do have to stop screwing her up just to make a point. You’re not the only one hurting.”

You swallowed hard, throat tight. “I never wanted to hurt her.”

“Then stop doing it on purpose,” she said simply.

The café door swung open behind her. Her mother poked her head out, lifting a brow. Alba waved her off.

Then she looked back at you, softer now. “You don’t have to fix her,” she said. “Just stop breaking her.”

And with that, she walked away.

Leaving you there, holding the weight of her words in your hands like something fragile and sharp all at once.

--

You didn’t plan on going to her place. You didn’t even know why your feet took you there—why, after that conversation with Alba, after every reason not to show up, you still found yourself in front of her door.

You stood there for a moment, hand hovering just above the buzzer, heart pounding with something tangled—regret, anger, desire, confusion. You were supposed to be thinking clearly. You weren’t supposed to want this again.

But then the door opened.

She must’ve seen you through the peephole, or maybe she’d just known. Like always.

Alexia stood there in sweats, hair up, no makeup, just socks on her feet and that storm still brewing behind her eyes. But it wasn’t angry this time. It was… bare.

And whatever words you thought you had prepared—about closure, about space, about not playing games anymore—they vanished.

Because the second your eyes locked, something cracked open between you like lightning splitting the air.

And then you were kissing.

Hard. Sudden. Like gravity had tilted toward each other and neither of you could fight it this time.

Her hand was in your hair, your arms pulling her closer, mouths crashing like waves after a long drought. She tugged you inside, the door slamming behind you, your backs hitting walls, fingers fisting in clothes, breathless and messy and urgent.

You didn’t speak. Not yet. Words would only get in the way.

It wasn’t about revenge or winning. Not this time.

It was about every unsaid word. Every night you didn’t text back. Every morning she woke up and didn’t find you there. It was months of silence and hurt and want and love, all bleeding into this one chaotic, desperate, perfectly ruined kiss.

She broke away just long enough to breathe, her forehead resting against yours, lips swollen, eyes wide with something that felt like surrender.

Her hands found the hem of your shirt like they’d been there a thousand times—and maybe they had. Maybe muscle memory knew what the mind was too hesitant to admit.

The kiss deepened, slowed, sharpened. Her fingers brushed under the cotton, knuckles grazing your skin with a reverence that only made the heat rise faster. She pulled back just enough to look at you, wordless question in her eyes, like she needed you to stop her if this wasn’t where it should go.

You didn’t.

So she lifted your shirt slowly, fingers brushing up your spine, and tugged it over your head. Her breath caught—just slightly—when she saw the bra beneath it. She didn’t hesitate this time. Not with you. Her fingers found the clasp, unhooked it like a secret she still remembered, and slipped the straps down your arms. It hit the floor soft.

You backed into the table behind you as she stepped forward, pressing her palms flat against your bare ribs like she was grounding herself, like the truth lived under your skin. The wood was cool against your thighs when you leaned, half-sitting on the edge, her body slotting between your legs as if the space had always been made for her.

She kissed your collarbone, slow and aching, like the apology she couldn’t quite say out loud. Then lower. Then lower.

Your hands threaded into her hair, tilting her back up to face you, foreheads brushing again.

No one spoke.

Because this wasn’t just about sex, and it never had been.

It was about everything that burned between you—words unsaid, time wasted, love that never got the chance to settle long enough to be safe.

And now, here, under dim lights and the shadow of something you couldn’t name, it all came spilling out in touch, in breath, in the way she looked at you like she still wanted every version of you, even the one that walked away.

You weren’t sure where this was going. But for now, you let yourself fall into her hands like maybe—for once—it didn’t have to be war.

Her hands were already working at your shorts, dragging her fingertips along your skin like a tease before she gave the softest instruction, “Lift for me.”

You did, and in one smooth motion, she pulled your shorts and underwear down together, dragging them past your thighs like she had all the time in the world. Your pulse thrummed, your breath shallow as she trailed kisses down your stomach. Her presence between your legs, electric. She pulled a chair up like it was a throne, sat down slow and confident, resting her hands on your knees before gently pushing them apart.

Comfortable. Controlled. Completely focused on you. What came next wasn’t rushed. It wasn’t wild. It was methodical.

With your eyes closed and your breath coming in short, ragged gasps in anticipation, you felt Alexia's breath on your thighs before her tongue met your skin. She took her time, kissing and licking, leaving a trail of heat and anticipation as she moved closer to where you most wanted her. Each brush of her lips made your legs quiver, your body begging for more. When she finally reached the juncture between your thighs, you felt the softness of her tongue part your folds, the wetness of her mouth pressing against your clit.

A soft moan escaped your lips as you lay back against her cool dining table, and Alexia's eyes lifted to watch you, filled with a dark hunger that matched your own. She didn't say anything, but you knew she was watching your every reaction, savouring every little sound you made. You felt her hand slide up your inner thigh, her fingers curling gently before sliding inside you. The sensation was overwhelming—the warmth of her mouth, the slickness of her tongue, the pressure of her fingers. It was all too much and not enough at the same time.

You, unable to form coherent words as she began to move her tongue in slow, deliberate circles, her fingers curling and uncurling inside you. The tension grew, coiling tighter and tighter with each stroke.

The tension hung in the air, thick with desire. You could only moan again, your voice lost to the pleasure she was giving you. Your moans was all the answer she needed, and she redoubled her efforts, her tongue moving faster, her fingers pressing deeper, until you were writhing on the table.

Your eyes snapped open, staring at the ceiling as you felt Alexia's other hand join in, her fingers sliding over your breast in perfect rhythm with her mouth. The sensation was intense, the pleasure so sharp it was almost painful. Her eyes remained on your face, a silent conversation passing between her, and you knew she wouldn't stop until you were begging for release.

"Please," you finally whispered, the word barely audible. "Don't stop" You breathe before moaning again, "'m gonna come"

Alexia's smile grew, and she took your clit between her lips, sucking gently as her fingers danced around it, playing you like an instrument. The combination was exquisite, and you felt yourself teetering on the edge of something incredible.

Your orgasm crashed over you like a wave, and you arched your back, crying out as pleasure surged through every inch of your body. Alexia didn't miss a beat, her mouth and hands moving in sync, drawing out the sensation until it was all you could do to stay still.

As the aftershocks of your climax began to subside, Alexia, her cheeks flushed and her eyes gleaming with satisfaction, she kissed the inside of your thigh, her thumb brushing over your clit one last time before she sat back in the chair, her gaze never leaving yours.

You watched as she licked her lips, savouring the taste of you. Her hands remained on you, trailing up your legs to your hips, then up over your stomach to cup your breasts. She massaged them gently, her thumbs flicking over the hardened peaks of your nipples. Your breath hitched at the contact, the sensation still so intense.

Alexia's eyes studied you, watching your chest rise and fall as you tried to regain your breath. She leaned in closer, her hot breath fanning over your skin as she whispered, "You're so beautiful when you come."

The compliment sent a fresh wave of warmth through you, making your cheeks burn even more.

Alexia’s gaze flicked up to meet yours again, she leaned in closer, her breath tickling your skin as she kissed your inner thigh. Her hands didn’t stop moving—they slid down to your thighs, her thumbs brushing against your inner thighs before moving up again.

The tension in the room grew thick, the air charged with unspoken need.

Her eyes remained on her hands as they continued their journey, tracing the lines of your body as if committing them to memory. She watched the way your skin responded to her touch—how it goose bumped when she grazed you with her nails, how your breathing hitched when she applied just the right amount of pressure.

And all the while, still she watched you—your face, your chest, the way your stomach muscles tightened and released with each breath. She took in every little reaction, storing them away for later, like a treasure trove of secrets only she had the map to.

The room was filled with the sound of your breathing, the occasional sigh or gasp escaping your lips. It was all you could focus on—her hands, her eyes, the way she seemed to be worshipping you with every gentle caress.

She gently took your leg off her shoulder, "You want a drink?"

You swallowed as reality struck again, "..Please"

Alexia helped you sit upright, her hands lingering at your waist for just a second longer than necessary before she stepped back, brushing loose strands of hair behind her ears like she needed something to do with her hands.

“I’ve got that citrus sparkling water you like,” she said casually, already walking to the fridge, like you hadn’t just shattered all the walls between you moments ago.

You slid off the table carefully, legs still a little shaky, your pulse still a quiet thrum under your skin. You pulled your shirt back over your head slowly—mechanically—suddenly aware of how exposed you still felt, even clothed.

“Thanks,” you said, voice low.

She handed you the drink without looking at you for too long. You both avoided eye contact, like maybe eye contact would break the illusion that this was normal. That it hadn’t just been something. That there wasn’t still a conversation looming between the two of you, thick and heavy, sitting in the room like another person.

You leaned against the kitchen counter while she busied herself at the sink, rinsing out a glass she didn’t end up using.

“So,” she said after a beat, still not facing you. “You, uh… you’re still taping the ankle?”

You nodded. “Yeah. Trainer said another week of low load before I can really test it.”

“Right. Good.”

You both sipped at your drinks like they were shields. Like carbonation could fill the silence instead of words.

You opened your mouth to say something—anything—but nothing came out.

Alexia sighed, setting her glass down on the counter. “It’s weird, isn’t it?” she said. “That we can do… that”—she gestured vaguely toward the table—“but still not know how to talk without tearing each other apart.”

You gave a quiet, humorless laugh. “Yeah. It’s almost like we’re better at pretending nothing happened.”

There was a pause. Then she nodded. “Almost.”

It wasn’t cold between you now. Just... quieter. Muted. Like a song you both knew by heart, but no longer wanted to sing out loud. You weren’t angry. She wasn’t either. But you were both tired. And maybe, a little afraid.

Alexia turned to you again, leaning her hip against the counter. “So. What now?”

You looked at her, really looked, and the answer sat heavy on your tongue, but didn’t make it past your lips.

“I don’t know,” you said instead.

You both stood there, side by side in a kitchen that had known heat and heartbreak, your shoulders just close enough to brush if one of you shifted an inch. But you didn’t. Neither of you did.

You finished your drink, set it on the counter with a soft clink, and reached for your jacket. “I should probably go,” you said.

Alexia didn’t stop you. She didn’t ask you to stay. She just nodded again, like she’d already expected that answer.

You walked to the door, hand on the knob, then paused. Glanced back. Her eyes met yours.

“Thanks,” you said.

“For what?” she asked, voice quiet.

You thought about it for a second. Then: “I don't know, the orgasm I guess”

She didn’t smile. But she didn’t look away, either. “Welcome.”

And with that, you opened the door and stepped into the night. Not sure if you were walking away… or just buying time before you turned around again.

[trainsinanime]

The darkly ironic thing is that if you are worried about the recent news that someone scraped Ao3 for AI research, then you're probably vastly underestimating the scale of the problem. It's way worse than you think.

For the record, a couple of days ago, someone posted a "dataset for AI research" on reddit, which was simply all publicly accessible works on Ao3, downloaded and zipped. This is good, in a way, because that ZIP file is blatantly illegal, and the OTW managed to get it taken down (though it's since been reuploaded elsewhere).

However, the big AI companies, like OpenAI, xAI, Meta and so on, as well as many you've never heard of, all probably had no interest in this ZIP file to begin with. That was only ever of interest to small-scale researchers. These companies probably already have all that data, received by scraping it themselves.

A lot of internet traffic at the moment is just AI companies sucking up whatever they can get. Wikipedia reports that about a third of all visitors are probably AI bots (and they use enormous amounts of bandwidth). A number of sites hosting software source code estimate that more than 90% of all traffic to their sites may be AI bots. It's all a bit fuzzy since most AI crawlers don't identify themselves as such, and pretend to be normal users.

The OTW hasn't released any similar data as far as I am aware, but my guess would be that Ao3 is being continuously crawled by all sorts of AI companies at every moment of the day. If you have a fanfic on Ao3, and it isn't locked to logged-in users only, then it's already going to be part of several AI training data sets. Only unlike this reddit guy, we'll never know for sure, because these AI training data sets won't be released to the public. Only the resulting AI models, or the chat bots that use these models, and whether that's illegal is… I dunno. Nobody knows. The US Supreme Court will probably answer that in 5-10 years time. Fun.

The solution I've seen from a lot of people is to lock their fics. That will, at best, only work for new fics and updates, it's not going to remove anything that e.g. OpenAI already knows.

And, of course, it assumes that these bots can't be logged in. Are they? I have no way of knowing. But if I didn't have a soul and ran an AI company, I might consider ordering a few interns to make a couple dozen to hundreds of Ao3 accounts. It costs nothing but time due to the queue system, and gets me another couple of million words probably.

In other words: I cannot guarantee that locked works are safe. Maybe, maybe not.

Also, I don't think there's a sure way to know whether any given work is included in the dataset or not. I suppose if ChatGPT can give you an accurate summary when you ask, then it's very likely to be in, but that's by no means a guarantee either way.

What to do? Honestly, I don't know. We can hope for AI companies to go bankrupt and fail, and I'm sure a lot of them will over the next five years, but probably not all of them. The answer will likely have to be political and on an international stage, which is not an easy terrain to find solutions for, well, anything.

Ultimately it's a personal decision. For myself, I think the joy I get from writing and having others read what I've written outweighs the risks, so my stories remain unlocked (and my blog posts as well, this very text will make its way into various data sets before too long, count on it). I can totally understand if others make other choices, though. It's all a mess.

Sorry to start, middle and end this on a downer, but I think it's important to be realistic here. We can't demand useful solutions for this from our politicians if we don't understand the problems.

[kusanagihaku]

the other on my heart

⭢ haku x mc, 2.1k

If you are sliced open right now, you think, if you erupt into flowers right this moment - you will bleed the same gold that shone in Haku’s eyes that first day on the train, the same gold that shines now whenever he looks at you, all affection and adoration, devoted and devout. or: Haku’s got a one-hand feel on the steering wheel, and… on ao3 here / masterlist.

belated birthday fic for @ghoulspaw but i'm two months late (;´ - `;) happy birthday ily!! inspired by this one mel post and haku's affinity 11 voice line about the woes of the people and our screaming crying throwing up in the dms about driving!haku with his hand on your thigh... thank u for screaming w me abt haku always… haku gfs club 4ever... i hope u enjoy!!

“That should be all,” Haku says, surveying the trunk. 

It is packed full of tightly-taped boxes, brown cardboard tops messily labelled in a chicken-scratch scrawl barely readable by dim streetlight. You squint at the top-most package, and check the last item off your list – red mizuhiki strings, requested by Festival Stall #28 – then click your pen shut. 

“That should be all,” you confirm. 

Haku reaches up to slam the trunk shut. 

“It was a good call to borrow a car from Alan,” you say, as you get into the car. “I don’t know how we’d haul all this back within one trip.” 

Haku laughs, tugging the driver’s door closed. “I should be thanking you, then, since you were the one speaking to Vagastrom.” 

You tuck your clipboard back into the tote bag at your feet. “If I didn’t convince Alan, Subaru would have spoken to Sho.” 

Haku laughs again, a short huff as he leans in over the centre console. The proximity sends a flush up your neck, especially when you feel his nose brush your cheek, followed by the soft press of his lips. “Thank you for doing it, then, so our captain didn’t have to.” 

Even though it’s been months of this it still sends a shy swell of adoration through your lungs every single time. You turn slightly to reply, but Haku is reaching across you with his right hand, long fingers catching on your seatbelt before pulling it across you. His lips don’t leave the edge of yours as he murmurs, “Your seatbelt, princess.” 

If you turn just a little more, you’d feel the press of his lips against your own– 

But there is nothing stopping you, you remember, nothing stopping you from tasting the honey of his words straight from the source– and so you do, and he kisses you sweetly, gently, heart-thumpingly–

It is so easy to pretend, that you are just two people, out running errands and heading home for the night. That everything is ordinary, that after this, you will unlock your doors and unload your groceries and put everything away, and spend the rest of the moonlight murmuring in the warmth of each other’s eyes. 

But there is a beep from your phone, a sharp crack in the still of the car, a snap of notifications and reminders that you are nothing but a tool of Darkwick–

When you pull away, Haku sighs.

The smile he offers you is tired and rueful, and he straightens back up to start the car as you dislodge your phone from your blazer pocket. 

“It’s Subaru,” you say, apologetically. “He’s asking if we managed to find everything okay.” 

Haku drums his fingers against the steering wheel. The gold of his watch catches the streetlight as he begins to manoeuvre the car out of the parking lot. “Guess that’s our cue to head back.” 

You tap out a short update to Subaru before leaning back into your seat. When you sneak a glance at Haku he is half-lit by the red of the stop light, one hand resting on the top of the steering wheel and the other resting loosely in his lap. 

You bite your lip. “Haku.” 

His eyes flicker to you. 

“Thanks for inviting me to come with you,” you say, quietly. You worry the edge of your phone case with your fingernail. “I know it wasn’t a mission and you could have asked the general students to do it, but it was nice. Spending time outside of Darkwick. With you.” 

Haku’s returning smile is the sort of fond only ever reserved for you; it makes you want to melt into him, gentle, safe, your personal equator. He reaches over to take your hand, carefully tangling his fingers into yours. “You look like you needed it.” 

He gives your hand a squeeze. It squeezes your heart. 

You squeeze back. 

The lights turn green, and you settle into silence. 

Time comes in waves, on the road - you are looking at him, fringe falling into his eyes, then at the twinkle of city life and flash of taillights, then at the way Haku’s fingers have molded themselves into the shape of yours, steady and sure and soft, and then suddenly it is all gone and you are faced with the blank canvas of black road and the expanse of stars above you that you cannot see. 

The car hurtles towards your destination. 

Before Darkwick, you’d bemoaned having to do chores, having to spend time doing supermarket runs, doing laundry, doing paperwork. But now, having had stood in line for wagashi for hours, Haku’s head dipping towards yours in shared secret laughter, having had sprawled out on the floor of Haku’s room, buried in mission briefs and reports, having been pinned against the thrum of your washing machine, cradled between the heat of Haku’s palms— what wouldn’t you give, to do those things with him forever. What wouldn’t you give to wrap around time like this, to repeat your everyday in his company, to spin forever in each others’ orbit like two dust motes from a star that have never been apart. 

Your intertwined fingers flash gold under the passing highway lights. 

In another life, you think, this could be your everyday – white noise on the radio, road humming beneath your feet. Haku humming along, painted in city glow, framed in mundanity. Haku, with his hand in your lap and his name on your lips and his heart in yours. Haku within reach, always. 

“Do I take this exit or the next?” 

Haku’s voice breaks you out of your thoughts, and you squint at the tiny text flashing across the screen to his phone. The words are too small, however, and so you have to somewhat reluctantly let go of Haku’s hand to reach for where it has been propped up as a navigation system on the dashboard. 

His hand drops to your thigh. His palm burns through the grey of your skirt, thumb brushing along its hem. 

“This one,” you say. The pad of his thumb is rough against the bare of your skin. 

You lean forward to set his phone back on its stand. The movement dislodges his hand; as you settle back into your seat he slips it neatly under the hem of your skirt, and gives your inner thigh a squeeze. 

“Haku,” you say, warningly, smiling, and he laughs in surrender. His hand returns to the steering wheel. 

He does not take the exit. 

“Haku–“

“I know,” he says. He glances over at you again. “There’s a place at the next exit I want to show you. You can see the city lights and all, from up there.” 

You hesitate for just a fraction too long, thinking of the report record you’ll have to fill up, and Haku reaches to take your hand in his again. “Just for a little while, I promise. You can just write it up as us taking the wrong exit and losing our way for a couple minutes.” 

God, he’s too persuasive. 

“If you’re going to murder me,” you say, at last, “I won’t tell Darkwick.” 

It pulls another laugh out of Haku, startled and bright, and you lean into it like you’re drinking the sun. 

“You say that like I could ever live without you, princess,” Haku says, grinning at the road. His voice is lighthearted. Neither of you mention the fact that he will soon have to. 

It takes a while to get from the next exit to the top of the small hill that Haku decided upon, but as Haku slides the car headfirst into the parking lot you see why he has chosen it. 

The car park is empty, with only a pair of dim streetlamps at its entrance, but beyond that– oh, beyond that–

The city sprawls out beneath your feet. From this overlook you can see the rise and fall of buildings, dotted with tiny lights that flicker on and off with every movement of your eye. The cars on the highway you left behind crawl like ants to and from their kingdom; the clouds, lit a dim purple from below by the glow of the city, hang low across its occupants. 

How far away you are now, from this life. How far away you will be. 

“I’ve always liked the city lights more than stars,” Haku says, quietly. The soothe of his voice shatters your thoughts into tiny, brilliant pieces the way it always does, rounding their sharp edges into something muted, dull. “People are always going on about stargazing and stuff, you know, but you can barely see them, most of the time.”

You turn to look at him, turn to look at the way his earrings brush the sharp of his jaw. His head is tilted against the headrest, eyes half-closed as he stares out at the cityscape. 

“But every light I see here,” he says, softer, his hand sliding again into your lap, sliding home, “every light in every window is a person. They’re going about their lives and getting their groceries and doing their laundry and thinking about their problems and celebrating their successes and they’re just one in fourteen million people who are doing so.” 

He does not look at you, not yet. His thumb runs along the inside of your thigh, starts a dim burn in the hollow of your spine. “It makes me feel insignificant, sometimes. That I’m just one in fourteen million people who are just struggling along. But then I remember, that out of these fourteen million people, on that one day on that one train at Kisaragi Station, I got to meet you–“ 

They say that gods are invisible, but when Haku half-turns to look at you, then, haloed only in yellow streetlight and dashboard glow, you think you might know what holy is supposed to look like. 

Your own personal angel, with his hand on your thigh and his voice low and tight in his throat like a prayer. With the green of his fringe shaded grey by the night, but with the gold of his eyes glowing bright all the same.

“This life kinda sucks,” Haku murmurs. When he leans in across the console to tip his forehead against yours his breath ghosts across your lips. “But in my next one, I’m hoping that in these fourteen million people, I’ll get to meet you again. And we’ll do whatever we did today together again, but this time every day, again and again, for the rest of our lives.” 

“Haku,” you breathe, but your voice is tangled up in your lungs, and there is a heat behind your eyes that threatens to leak–

But then you are kissing him something soft, sweet, lips on his like you are speaking, praying his words into existence. And he is kissing you back, something yearning and yawning and needy, something shaking and pleading, like he is willing the universe to make it happen; he kisses you like the press of your lips have the power to turn back time, like the curl of his tongue can rewrite your ending. 

When you break away, gasping for shared breath, eyelashes tangled in his and your trembling hand on his hand on your jaw, blinking away your thoughts like stars in the winter, this is what you write into your memory of tonight: 

That if love is a place, perhaps it is in the cup of his palm, in the soft of his laugh. Perhaps it is in the press of Haku’s shaky smile against yours as you pull him in, again and again, kissing him silly in the middle of an abandoned parking lot. Perhaps it is not in the promise of forever, but buried in the cracks of everyday vice-captain and inspector duties, in the minutes he has carved out for the both of you in the moments you have remaining. In the heat of his hand on your inner thigh, in his breath in your lungs, in the unshakable assurance of I’ve-found-you-too-late-in-this-life-but-I-promise-you-I’ll-find-you-in-the-next. 

That if you are sliced open right now, you think, if you erupt into flowers right this moment, you will bleed the same gold that shone in Haku’s eyes that first day on the train, the same gold that shines now whenever he looks at you – all affection and adoration, devoted and devout. 

“It’s a while yet until curfew,” Haku murmurs. His words are warm on your cheek as he pulls away. His hand slides higher, higher, as he looks at you, begging. “Shall we stay a while longer?” 

[azulpitlane]

we cant be friends ii l fc43

summary: after months of hiding your pregnancy, one mistake ruins your peace notes: this is kinda chaotic idk how to feel about it lol

part one masterlist

july 2025

🔒yourusername

346 likes

yourusername quick baby bump update at the six month mark💘🎀

view all comments

user your bump omg!!! so cute

user ur having a girl whattt🥹🥹🥹

user missing u in argentina <3

user you were born to be a girl mom🩷

alexpriv i took two out of three of these pictures. i feel like the father.

yourusername um you literally are the father of my child tho??

alexpriv considering im the one who goes out to buy your weird cravings, i might as well be!

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yourusername posted stories

317 views

alexpriv did you go out alone? i wouldve gone with u babes

yourusername actually😬😬😬 i accepted francos mom’s offer to eat lunch together

alexpriv um what

yourusername …and i told her about the baby

alexpriv um WHAT

yourusername i cant lie to her!! shes like my second mom :( she didnt ask who the father was though so i didnt mention it either

alexpriv oh gosh is she gonna tell franco?

yourusername she said she wont. she knows we dont talk anymore, she just doesnt know why. ig franco didnt tell her about everything

alexpriv of course he didnt🙄🙄

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f1

1,529,258 likes

f1 BREAKING: Franco Colapinto will race for BWT Alpine for the remainder of the 2025 season. He will be replacing Jack Doohan starting at the Belgian Grand Prix.

view all comments

user yay he’ll have money to support the baby

user this couldnt have been announced at a worse time😭

user wait why ?? am i late to the gossip

user girl go on twitter. everybodys freaking out saying he impregnanted his best friend

user WHAT SHSHSKSLSL

user someone posted a picture of his mom and his best friend (who he was always shipped with) and she was definitely pregnant

user twitter is nothing compared to the argentinean gossip shows, theyre milking tf out of this rumor

user they on twitter saying hes a baby daddy

user alpine pr had to come up with something real quick!

user congratulations on the promotion! oh and the baby🍼🍼

user guys what if franco is not the father…

user omg that would be so embarrassing for everyone in these comments

user nah that would be hilarious😭😭

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yourusername posted stories

243 views

alexpriv you are SO unserious😭

yourusername babes my life is falling apart! humor is the only thing getting me through

alexpriv should we just run away to a different country again?

yourusername yes! i heard canada is nice!

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🔒yourusername

294 likes

yourusername life is too chaotic. im just gonna sleep until i have to give birth brb

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user girl see u in three months i guess

user gonna miss ur baby bump updates🥹

alexpriv oh when i told u to get off your phone you actually took that seriously LOL

yourusername in my selena gomez era and deleting all social medias bye

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november 2025

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alpinef1team

425,294 likes

alpinef1team Alpine F1 Team Statement.

view all comments

user man what is going on with colapinto this season? he's barely scoring points, now this?

user at this point just give doohan his seat back🤣

user i thought briatore said they were going to move on from these "distractions" ?? why is he missing a race now?

user and when we needed him the most, he vanished😔

user so unfair!! do you know how many fans flew out to see him race??

user wow everyone is being so insensitive, it clearly states family emergency!! all other drivers would choose their family over racing!!

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yourusername posted a story

342 views

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yourusername posted a story

304 views

alexpriv i leave you two alone for a few hours and now he's laying down in MY bed😒

yourusername LOL to be fair, i was the one that told him to get some rest

alexpriv um what the hell ?? you are being too nice to that man

yourusername that man is unfortunately the father of my child

alexpriv wasnt much of a father these past nine months

yourusername trust me I KNOW. but honestly right now im just happy lucia is healthy and perfect, i don't want to deal with the drama right now

alexpriv ill deal with it on your behalf and get him out of there.

yourusername 😭😭 don't worry ill let you kill him another time for now im just gonna nap

alexpriv WAIT I NEED A DEBRIEF OF YOUR CONVERSATION WITH HIM AFTER I LEFT THE ROOM

alexpriv HELLO??

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🔒yourusername

429 likes

yourusername little lucia💘

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user oh my god she's perfect!! congratulations bby

user lucia omg❤️ beautiful name for a beautiful baby

user i cannot wait for you to bring her home!! gonna shower her with gifts

alexpriv OMFG I LOVE HER SO MUCH ALREADY I WOULD KILL FOR HER

alexpriv so honored to be her godmother <3 im still crying

alexpriv okay but that debrief though...

yourusername ill text u rn dummy😭

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francolapinto

liked by lando, pierregasly and 2,490,245 others

francolapinto ❤️

view all comments

user I KNEW IT OMG

user HELLO?

user he missed the race to be at the birth🥹

user honestly i applaud you for being able to keep this a secret

user Y/N X FRANCO TRUTHERS WE WON

user and they called us crazy for believing these rumors

lando congratulations mate!

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epilogue out now ♡‧₊˚

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(im so disorganized when it comes to tags, if i missed u i apologize😵‍💫)

tags: @toldyouitwasamelodrama @hc-dutch @96mcobo @formulaal @aleatorio1234 @kayleighlovesf1 @angelluv16 @hadids-world @landossainz @flowerpotterr @eclipsedcherry @weekendlusting @freyathehuntress @irisesinthegarden @bravo-delta-eccho @kissesandmartinis @mrs-reeves-17 @dancerbailey3 @chlmtfilms @oopsalltropes @mayax2o07 @htpssgavi @janhavichauhan @luvrrish @widow-cevans @ellelabelle @kaztheemyth @mclarenswag @1800-love-me @czennieszn @unstablefemme @formula-ghost @ajordan2020 @parkerloves @ivegotparticulartaste @oiiiiiijhhhvcfxc @riverjane-d @rendezvoushn @taeraeshii @kravitzwhore @sunshine-and-midnight-rain @blackmage24 @marijas-stuff

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Meaty Post Since It's All You're Getting for a Bit

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

*** This blog will be on mini hiatus for most of May 2025. Not dead just busy. You'll be fine without me. Don't burn down this hellsite anymore than normal while I'm away.

April 2025 Week 4

Ongoing Series - Thai

My Stubborn (Sun iQIYI) ep 1-2 of 10 - Mflow's latest high heat office romance involves best friend's younger brother, boss meets intern, bit of a love triangle, GL crumbs, and few other tropes.

It's... raunchy.  And it's giving me Deep Night vibrations. So to speak. Similarly cringe but still fun to have on our screen. I don't mind a "teach me daddy" trope. The leads are serving up BossNoeul in LITA and the other pairs seem decent too. It’s messy gay but it’s low stakes high melodrama soap opera messy gay so I guess I'm okay with that style. Shall we call this "sloppy gay"?

I'm not mad about it.  

The BangkokBoy (Thai Sat Gaga) ep 1 of 12 - Action, crime, and revenge meets gangs, street fights, mafia, and more. Oh my. Intriguing premise. Not a bad beginning in terms of acting and family strife set-up. The terrible dubbing is sending me. The terrible fight scenes are sending me even further. They better give us some BL within the next two episodes or I don’t know if I can take this level try-hard.

Sweet Tooth Good Dentist (Fri iQIYI) ep 5 of 12 - I am so happy to have Jimmy back on my screen. I can’t even tell you. No additional thoughts, only Jimmy in glasses.

Top Form (Thurs WeTV) ep 6 of 10 - this time I reminded myself going in that this is based on Japanese IP. But I still couldn't take it. I fast-forwarded through most of this ep. I knew it was coming but I still couldn’t stomach it.

Akin better get everything tested. And some counseling.

Boys in Love (Sun iQIYI ) ep 1-2 of 12 - Our only true high school BL from GMMTV this year and it's fresh faces for the youths and old favs for the teachers. I want to like this (and be surprised by it) as much as My School President in 2023 but so far that is definitely not the case. I do love the teachers (shocker) and I like the sides but I’m not sold on the main couple. With a kiss already in ep 2 the pacing is off. If this were Japan I would 't be worried, but this is GMMTV messing with the formula and that could be rough for all of us.

Side note... how does Papong look so daddy in Not Me and do damn ingenue here? Best chameleon in GMMTV's stable? I think so. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Heesu in Class 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 9-10 end - omg they are ridiculously cute dancing round each other. Please just kiss! Bah, this did take too long to resolve. I was worried about that.

The people (aka me) want more BL in our BL! Rah rah rah.

I also wanted more Heesu advising others and less of the hets hetting about the place. Sad we got not kiss but also no time to develop it.

Conclusion

What started out with a great core concept (KBL version of Sex Education) rather lost its way getting mired in the slowest of slow burns which effectively turned the BL storyline into a sub plot for multiple het dramas should have just added flavor. The acting was sweet all round, and sincere, and the lead character of Heesu very engaging. There was even some chemistry with his love interest, rare from Korea. The extra length (so rare in KBL) turned out to be just enough for them to hang themselves with. Should we be shocked that Korea didn't have enough faith in the queer romance thread? No, but I had hoped for better. This was almost great but missed the mark by simply not being gay enough. 7/10 

I will add the handling of the coming out sequence was... deft.

I think I need to go rewatch Light On Me.

Business as Usual (Korea Thurs Viki) Ep 4 of 6 - Gah this is so sad. They like each other so much and made such stupid mistakes! i guess Jin Hwan won't let it stick? Honestly I'm kinda glad this is a short one.

Something Is Not Right (Korea Weds Viki) ep 2 of 8 - The library scene made me laugh.  Every single on of them is such a drama queen. It's awfully angsty but i like it. 

Fight for You (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 6 of 12 - Oh this is getting kinda good. That fantasy was lovely. The rest of the story is rough. But the chemistry is great.

Exclusive Love (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 12 end - Pretty much just a wrap up episode with lots of sex and a double wedding (never a good idea). But all of it was very pretty. 

Summary 

Taiwan gave us this weird premise of funeral home + mafia + secrets, yet somehow no excitement or real tension because they then slapped it with a pathetic excuse for a plot. Everybody in it was pretty, but the chemistry really wasn’t what I’ve grown to expect from Taiwan. The suits were nice, i guess? Ultimately, given the initial concept, this is remarkably forgettable. 6/10 

It's airing but......

Sashes and Hearts (Pinoy YT) 13 eps - Philippines is doing Drop Dead Gorgeous only all gay boys queening their asses off. Doesn't interest me, not sure if it's BL.

Last Meal Universe (Thai ????) 8 eps - An alien who has come to destroy earth instead falls in love with Thai food and then the Thai boy who cooks it - realistic, actually. I got a link to watch but it still wouldn't work for me, so I guess I'm waiting to see what happens.

Lost in the Woods (Weds Gaga) 7 eps - Not my thing, dropped at ep 2.

Secret Ghost (Thai Sat Viu) ?? eps - The trailer dropped and it looks so bad.

My Golden Blood (Weds iQIYI) 12 eps - dropped at ep 5. Recent thought process as follows: Oh, I think I would have loved this if it were OffGun.

What a thing for me to think.

Still, I'm not wrong.

The Rewatch BLigade!

Jazz for 2. I wasn't sure about this when it aired and I'm still not sure about it. I think I like it. But how much do I like it?

Cherry Magic Thailand. Still very enjoyable but there are more slow and lagging episodes than I remember. Lots of fast forwarding through the slow bits. But TayNew still deliver like only they can. Now I kinda wanna do a Deep Blue Kiss rewatch.

Wandee Goodday. I fast forwarded through everything that wasn't YakDee on screen together. Solid choice. I love them so much, and I suspect they might be the healthiest sexual relationship we have ever seen depicted in a BL. (On Viki these days)

Unintentional Love Story. Yeah a regular rewatch for me. I put it on to check something, and then just ended up running through the whole series. Will I ever recover from Gongchan's eyes? Not in this lifetime.

Your Sky. Yeah I finished the 3 ep special and then immediately rewatched the whole darn show. This is my 3rd or 4th time. I love it, totally my type of so bad it's good, so sweet it hurts, BL pulp. I don't ask for much from my BL. This show gave me exactly that much and no more.

Mr X & I - Us Against The World. One of those obscure shorts I love, this one from China pre 2016 crack down. Yep. Still love.

I'll be doing a ton of rewatching over the next month because of all my travel. Wish me luck!

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming in May

5/2 Pit Babe The Series 2 (Thai Fri iQIYI) 13 eps - More conspiracy and struggles and past coming out to play but even less omegaverse.

5/3 The Next Prince (Thai Sat iQIYI) 14 eps - Hotly anticipated 3 yr production featuring ZeeNewNu in a fantasy/historical set in a palace where Zee plays a knight and Nu a prince fighting for his right it inherit. Plus Jimmy with a new partner. Should be pretty and hot if nothing else.

5/16 Knockout (Thai Fri WeTV ) 12 eps - A low quality less fun/funny version of Wandee Goodday?

5/19 I Promise I Will Come Back (Thai Mon WeTV) 10 eps - A Thai Taiwanese colab. Stars two Thai actors and Taiwanese identical twins from H3. However the lead and co-producer Tontae is actually a very good actor, so this could be good unless it's oen of those mostly intended to be a tourism advert for the Thai countryside. We shall see!

5/16 My Sweetheart Jom (Thai Fri YouTube) 12 eps - I admit I wasn't sold on this one from the trailer but Saint is back and I'm disposed to be intrigued by the kind of script that would pull hm in. But it is certainly not my kind of script.

May? Season of Love in Shimane AKA Ai no Kisetsu: The Season of Love (Thai) - Sequel to Kiseki Chapter 2 which I intensely disliked, must we?

May ? Sweetheart Service (Korea Gaga) - Strongberry is back with a fake dating trope?! After being pressured by his family to get married, Min U proposes to Yu Ha to pretend to be his fiancé. As they spend time together, feelings begin to develop between them.

2025 Line Up

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 1

BL Announced for 2025 - PART 2

20 BLs Announced for 2025 That I'm Really Excited About

GMMTV 2025 Line Up - My Totally Biased and Wildly Flawed Feels

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Lap sit kiss teaching sesh with this boy you kinda hate who is now also kinda your boss... sure, why not?

(last week)

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

[goldenlikedayl1ght]

//A/N: cute joel miller flirting blurb :’) //

“what would you be if you could be anything in the world? any job, pre or post infection?”

you’ve been driving for a few hours now. you’d known joel for a while.

back in the boston qz, you were a doctor— not by pre infection standards, but you had been practicing for about 15 years in the qz. you were only a teenager when the outbreak happened. then, you got dragged along by joel to check out this ‘medical’ thing he and tess were looking into..

and long story short— you were making your way from boston to salt lake.

so, as you drive, you became bored. you asked ellie to play a game of truth or truth—

ellie wanted to play truth or dare, but you were stuck in a car and didn’t trust ellie’s concept of a ‘dare.’

“an astronaut,” ellie’s answer is immediate. you smile, remembering when you were 14 and knew exactly what you’d be if you could be anything.

“yeah?”

“yeah. it would be fucking sick, right?” and when you glare at her for saying ‘fuck’ she just gives you a sarcastic glance. “being up in space and stuff.”

“yeah, guess it would be pretty cool.” you nod. you’d never considered it. but when you imagine it, starman by david bowie starts to play in your brain. or maybe space oddity. you’re not sure.

you wonder if ellie has ever heard either of them. you desperately wish you could see the expression on her face as she listens to it. to dance to either of the two songs with her.

“what about you?” ellie asks joel.

you wait.

you watch his features subtly shift.

“i always..” he hesitates. “kinda wanted to be a singer.”

“a singer?” you smile.

ellie laughs.

“what would you sing?” she questions.

“probably country.” he answers honestly. you just smile.

“alright, cowboy.” you smile, the nickname slipping out with ease.

“well, how ‘bout you?”

“how ‘bout me?”

“yeah, if you could be anything..” ellie started.

“i’d want to be a writer.” you answer honestly. you had this whole plan. get great grades, go to a great college. become some great writer.

how you longed to have the time, the energy, the urge to create— because you missed it desperately.

your hands ached for long forgotten movements.

“yeah?” ellie’s voice is soft. curious.

“yeah.” you smile. “a poet, maybe. and at least one novel.”

the dream slips out so easily it’s almost freaky.

you’d never told anyone that before. because even at 17, you knew that you’d probably never pursue that dream; you’d become a teacher, or a psychologist.

then joel surprises you.

“you gonna write me a love song, sweetheart?”

your eyes roll as your face flushes.

“i’ll only ever write you a breakup song, miller.” you tease.

joel just rolls his eyes with affection.

yeah, you thought, you would write him a love song. in another life, maybe.

or maybe you’d write it in this life. then you could have him sing your words as you fall asleep, and you’d be a poet after all; and he’d be a country singing cowboy.

your cowboy.

[hephslacker]

Your post was incredibly fun and interesting to read and I couldn't help but want to point out some of my own observations and share some thoughts!

You have discussed how Ena’s sides represent her “individuality” and here’s another little thing I have noticed!

> In the game, Salesman actually says NOTHING regarding her opinion towards her job, staying “professionally-playful”, yet distant.

What I think is also a point of interest is that a few of the jobs Ena has collected didn’t promise her ANYTHING in return, basically making her work for free. And while helping Taxi Driver’s Heads might have been justified as "helping a fellow worker”, what about Hoarder Alex? The guy, at most, said that he MIGHT give us his thanks, but that’s about it. And yet Ena still accepts the job.

And we HAVE seen how Ena reacted when she thought that The Witches weren’t gonna pay.

The only explanation I can think of so far is that she was willing to let it slide due to the fact that she NEEDED to pass through the bridge, which made said task a priority.

> Just an interesting interaction I have noticed, especially if we take into account that this is Ena’s inner thoughts

> Another thing I wanted to talk about was the apparent “violent streak” you have briefly mentioned.

Technically speaking, “aiming for the target” could be taken metaphorically, aka cementing Ena’s main task as dealing with the Boss. What kind of “dealing” is being talked about remains to be seen!

> That brings us to another interesting point and a bit of a theme that I have noticed being subtly repeated throughout the game: miscommunication.

The most notable example of that would be the confusion that Genie and Bathroom cause, however I want to focus on what I think might be the most important miscommunication in the game, aka the one between Ena and Froggy.

What if we, and Ena, have misunderstood the task that was given? Considering that in this particular case Froggy was actually trying to use a fixed expression from a different language, it is quite probable that he might have caused confusion by what exactly he meant by “aiming for the Boss’s gut”. Do we have to kill him? Peacefully deal with him? Get rid of him? “Dethrone” him? Who knows!

> Another interesting thing is the Boss himself. What I have noticed is that… we actually have no idea if he’s been born, no?

After what the Receptionist tells us (You are too late! The Boss isn’t even born yet) I have realised that Froggy, while heavily implied, never did really SAY that the Boss has been born, no? For all we know he might be born SOON, but not yet.

It also aligns with the fact that both Froggy and The Receptionist mention us being “late”.

However, that’s just a speculation.

But who is the Boss? What does he do?

> Regarding Ena’s apparent Sin, it honestly feels like it’s not this specific Ena, but ENAs in general that are unforgivable. Honestly? It’s very hard to even start guessing what may be the reason, but I do have a few theories.

The first thing I have noticed is this particular sentence

I’m not doing what you SAY I’m doing

This most likely hints at some huge misunderstanding that has taken place.

If you think about it, misunderstandings are also quite a common theme in ENA DREAM BBQ. Just take the ending for example! Or when Ena goes to the Purge Event, during which Froggy assumes she’s partying and is having a good time.

Another theory I have is that Ena might be, quite literally, being punished for the sins of others, as has been hinted in the dialogue with Taski Maiden.

Maybe she’s unforgivable because she’s a “vessel” for the sins of other beings, hence her being unable to be “sin-free” herself.

Frankly, for all we know she might have been simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

But of course, it’s impossible to say for sure, although some sort of misunderstanding playing a role might be quite a possibility.

Honestly tho, Ena’s overworking tendencies and disregard for herself is honestly quite saddening:(

Wonder if it’s due to the feelings of guilt or regret? And if so, are they misplaced?

Could it be that it’s impossible to forgive Ena because she can’t forgive herself?

Have you noticed how she doesn’t seem to be all that concerned by the idea of being unforgivable?

But, well, all of this is nothing more than a speculation at the moment.

DREAM BBQ

What if the whole game is Ena's subconscious?

I'm sure that most have already heard of such a theory, but what if everything (or mostly everything) is nothing more than a dream, in which case this may open a whole other bug of worms.

However, what I want to focus on are Ena's view of herself, because if the world itself is a dream, in whatever way of form, then it means that what we have seen regarding Ena would be completely Ena's own view and opinion of herself. That, in turn, would mean that her "unforgivable" state would be entirely her "fault" too.

Could it be that she did something she deeply regrets? Does she blame herself for something out of her control, or is she actually responsible for committing something terrible?

The idea of other ENAs existing, in this context, has left me thinking that, what if they actually are the "species" that represent certain people? With the hints to war and Ena's connection to the military, could they represent different participants, including those who might have simply been affected by such events, or are they only the people who have actively been participating?

Well, all of that remains to be seen.

I’m not sure if I have missed anything because it’s quite hard to keep track of everything but yeah!

Ena in Dream BBQ and Work Culture

HELLO Dashboard!! Ever since i first played DBBQ i've found the entire game endlessly interesting (as have most people, LOL) But one of the most interesting, and in my opinion, most Potent things, is Ena's character and how she relates to the game's commentary on modern work culture.

So for anyone as much of a #SICKO as me 😭 Here's an embarrassingly long analysis of just that! There's SO much to talk about with this game, and even when I'm trying to focus on one specific idea with this post, I'm sure I'll still miss things, so just stick with me best you can OK? 😭 😭

My aim for this post is to allow you to understand Just how deep in the torment nexus Ena is, and to want to say "she should be at the club" Only to realize she can't even go to the club. She can't even go to the club. Because of Job. (Among other, hopefully more intelligently articulated things!)

SO, Let's just jump right in :D

First, to state the obvious—Ena's literal entire life is her job. The only moods she expresses under normal circumstance are "smooth talking salesperson where every line is about working or trying to sell something" and "Stops keeping up the veneer and gets frustrated and pissed because she hates her stupid job."

This permeates every aspect of her character—I don't think there's a single line in the game so far where she says like, Anything about herself. There's nothing about what she may want or what she may like. It's all about her fuckass job or the fuckass Boss.

And of course, even in gameplay aspects, you literally don't get a chance to choose whether you accept a job or not, like the thought of doing anything besides giving her time and energy for other people or her job's benefit doesn't even occur to her (Or, it can't occur to her—I doubt the Boss would want to allow her reprieve from anything at all, and I'm sure Ena would know this).

(^ Ena's reaction to being told to find a mythical figure that she maybe didn't even know existed cause Froggy sure as hell didn't to do a stupid job for Froggy's stupid ass. Like)

Maybe i'm reaching here, but I even find it interesting how her red hand has no fingers (besides a thumb). I feel like that represents a lack of individuality she has when she's in Salesperson mode, or at least, a lack of individuality she's been allowed. A lack of having a defined being cause it's all about this stupid job.

There's lots of avenues to go from here, but let's start with another big point of the game: Everybody hates her. Except for like, three characters, every NPC in the game either insults her, talks down to her, blatantly doesn't respect her, or Literally tells her nobody should be punished for being born except her. Typical day for Ena.

I'm not going to get into why I think this is—for me there's not enough evidence to speculate with surety right now—but I think this does tie strongly into her commitment to her job. Ena working her ass off in every aspect of her life and earning nothing but disrespect for it is very reminiscent of real life work environments.

Think of how almost every NPC claims they are "the Boss" in such a way that many of them seem to want to be the Boss, like he's some kind of well-known or respected figure. The description for the game on Steam even says as much: "Play as ENA as she searches for the Boss that everyone wants to be."

(eg: "I am the B-O-S-S!"):

People wish they were the Boss, they want to be some kind of rich capitalist with power and fame, but when looking at someone who actually works for him, and probably is the reason the Boss has profit and success in the first place, they insult her and demean her no matter how much she gives herself to them and the Boss. I'm sure you can see the real life parallels here.

It's even possible one of the reasons Ena works so hard in the first place is as an attempt to earn respect from these people, or to make up for whatever everyone thinks she did that made everyone hate her so much. Especially considering...

Our society is one that tells its people that Work is unequivocally Good. Committing yourself to work is what everyone, no matter who they are or what they face, is what you have to do to be a valuable member of society, and to have any respect from other people in the slightest. It tells its people that you only have value as a living human being at all if you give your life to work.

Even though this blatantly isn't true. If people think you're the Wrong type of worker, or if people think your work isn't valuable, helpful, or that it doesn't require skill, you can work as hard as you want but you'll still be treated like shit. But, hey, work is still your duty as a member of society, right? Stop bitching and whining and pull yourself up by your bootstraps, right?

Needless to say, it's easy to see how this whole idea is being represented in DBBQ. She even knows how much she's sold herself to this, she just... Seems to have extremely casually accepted it all LOL, which, I mean... What else does she have the power to do?

This very casual and nonchalant acknowledgement of her lack of autonomy connects to another big point: Ena doesn't value herself, nor does she even know how to exist without being in a constant state of working.

Let's talk about the Purge: There's a LOT to get to here in terms of Ena herself LOL, but the intrigue starts before she even enters the party. Literally Froggy just saying she's about to enter an "Event" stops her in her tracks and worries her. Not to mention the next line...

This feels like an indication that despite how much she commits herself to it, Ena does "crave freedom" from her shitty job, although she can scarcely admit this anywhere else so far. Then, if you talk to this slime guy, you get some strange text.

As far as I know, the text for interacting with things doesn't look like this anywhere else in the game. And given that it looks exactly the same as how Ena's lines do in the Purge, it's seemingly the only peek we get into her internal monologue, and it is. Quite worrying! She literally can climb up a hellish freezing floating mountain and yet this is by far the most freaked out she gets in the entire game.

And then to actually get into the Purge, an Evil eye Ball tells her that she needs to give a literal arm or a leg to get in. And she just does it. Like no hesitation no further questions she just gives it away to the evil eye ball. Presumably for Good? Because the only reason she regains the arm later is because of Genie magic? Like Ena. Girl. Are we gonna talk about this at all.

But so many real life work environments expect you to give every part of yourself in order to be allowed to exist and live in society, including your physical being and critical parts of your personhood at all.

(Let me also say I find it intentional that she gave away her white arm. Whereas her red hand literally doesn't have fingers, the sharp claws she has on her white hand represent the individuality and unique identity she Does have. However, it's also the part of herself that's in conflict with her ability to be a Good Worker, that always does exactly what she's supposed to do, and never complains, and never gets in the way of her duties.)

She was already very distressed here, but it's a clear indication of how little she values herself. It was a motion to lose a part of herself just to reach the Genie, both for her stupid job, and possibly for the possibility of "freedom" from it all. And your average job these days—no matter how important you are to your cause—will drill it into you that your ability to be a good worker is infinitely more important than your existence as a person. It's easy to see how Ena may have internalized that.

And then she goes to the club one time and this happens

I won't get too deep into her dialogue with the NPCs here because I think their intention is pretty clear; Being in a place so antithetical to a work environment, and a place where she's supposed to let loose and have fun, is so distressing and impossible to even fathom for her that This Happens.

(see: "H-How can I leave this stupid event? M-my lame schedule is full,")

Like, everything at the Purge is insane, but this is a particularly heartbreaking line for me. One because of her job's shitty environment that's broken her down so much—do you think she EVER gets a break, because I sure don't—but also because of how it's conditioned her to not even believe she can "afford another minute of joy." Ena :[

Note how she's covered in these branches that started growing during Froggy's phone call, which look very similar to how she looks in this gag with the Shaman—it's literally her nervous system. In her scene with Mitu she even says she's feeling "sick," She's literally freaked out of her flipping Gourd with her goddamn Nerves On The Outside

Hell, even though Meanie's speaking (which, I mean, no shit, in another line she literally describes her job as "deplorable" 😭), these sprites in the files are actually labelled "Anxiety", suggesting that she's SO freaked out by being somewhere supposed to be so opposite to her work she's become another variant of herself, a la Drunk Ena from Season 1.

I won't get much more into this, because @cube-cumb3r has a PHENOMENAL post I'll link in the notes that goes deeper into this stuff from the Purge and the "Anxiety" thing, And also gets more into theory territory than I do here! Please please go read that post, it is so damn good.

In any case, I think the scenes with the Purge NPCs are the biggest examples in the whole game of how much she hates her fuckass job, yet she can't be allowed to be anything besides a wage slave to it. And just as she's internalized everybody in her world's dislike of her, she hates herself for it.

So:

We've established that Ena's shitty job parallels the real life work conditions that plague our world, and that these conditions have caused her to devalue herself and believe she can't have any reprieve from them... but, what even is her job?

Apparently she's a salesperson, but what is she even selling? She tries to offer a "divestment opportunity", and tells the Witches she can show them how to "grow [their] own [boss]" which definitely falls in line with the Sales thing, but besides that it's still not clear, even when she talks to Froggy.

I suppose the "grow their own boss" line does sound a lot like the phrasing used in MLM schemes, with how they lure people in by telling them they can "be their own boss." The Receptionist also calls Ena a scammer and a conman, so maybe she is a sort of scammer, but, I also don't exactly think the Receptionist think she has the most reliable opinions of Ena LOL

She also calls her a "pink-collar slug", pink collar meaning a job traditionally associated with women, which. ??? I don't fully know where to go with that.. like ...Nothing she does harkens to... Any kind of job expected to be done by women, imo?? Um. Yeah idk i just thought that may be significant??/ 😭😭😭😭 Listen man I can't know it all

Anyway. Maybe I'll be proven embarrassingly wrong when we receive more information in future chapters, but I think the lack of clarity on what she's supposed to be is representative of the games themes. The constant disrespect Ena receives makes her seem likely to be a low-tier worker, someone at the bottom of the ladder that people have no problems walking all over.

Because these types of jobs will treat you the same no matter who you are or what you're supposed to be doing. She's doing what the world tells her she needs to do in order to be a respected member of society, and yet she's also someone people feel comfortable treating poorly because she's at the bottom—because has no power of her own. It doesn't matter what she's supposed to be doing, it matters that she's the Wrong type of worker.

And how is she supposed to ever say anything for herself? It seems virtually baked into her Salesperson side to completely ignore past all the rude things these assholes say to her. After all, not only would that probably just make most people ruder to her (and impede her ability to complete jobs for them) isn't the customer always right?

...OK I will say her whole "Understood! Aim for the target!" line DOES seem like her overall job here is to fucking kill the Boss, but this is long enough already and the likely theme of Ena having a violent streak and whatnot is another beast entirely that I am NOT getting into here 😭😭

Besides, maybe she has no clearly defined job because we've already seen exactly what it is. To sell her life, time, and emotions to whatever all these clowns ask of her, and to receive no reward besides another goddamn job to do.

I think future chapters may delve more into Ena's true feelings on her situation, and possibly even how she'll get freedom from it. Allow me to mention the scenes with Theodora, wherein if you try to "aspire to receive a blissful life" Theodora just tells Ena "You can't aspire for more than what you are capable of." (LIKE OKAYYYY.... RUDE MUCH????)

Until, finally:

How is her mind—containing a desire for freedom—supposed to be in harmony with the letters it spits out, when she's been so conditioned that the only thing she's allowed to be is a worker?

Now, even I still have a lot of questions after this. Like: What has happened in Ena's past that made her this way? How and why did she take this job in the first place? What is up with the "Guys wait, I'm not doing what you say I'm doing" scene I literally didn't even mention that once here. Why should nobody be punished for being born except poor damn Ena, and does it relate to any of the themes I just talked about?

I... don't know. Like I actually truly have no idea. But I have confidence, even if it's in a delightfully vague and abstract Ena-typical way, that we'll find out eventually.

[problematic-aroace]

I think I figured out why I just don’t like StephCass that much(I don’t hate it I’m just not a big fan of it)

It’s because my first association with StephCass was in the Batgirls comic and I really dislike how Steph was characterised there, and it seems to be where most people started shipping it. So to me I’m just seeing a someone who’s Steph in name only X Cass. Which annoys me already. Which is made worse by when I see a mischaracterised version of Steph in fandom dating Cass. So that’s one thing that hinders me from considering the ship.

Second thing is- I’m tryna be real nice but… this ship doesn’t really have anything interesting to me. Like no angst, no stumbling blocks they have to get through together it’s just… boring. Like I don’t won’t them to have a toxic relationship at all, but their relationship just doesn’t have anything interesting(in the way the fandom portrays it at least.) I love myself a messy relationship(JayRoy is my prime example), so when it’s just… sunshine lollipops and rainbows it’s just way too boring. I definitely wouldn’t like it if it was like StephTim… god I’m gonna make a whole post on that… but I need both of them to have struggles to work though and not just be two characters kissing in the background(literally every AO3 ship in existence.) And it’s not that hard to find something for them to work through, like bring back Stephanie’s disdain for the no kill rule, make Cassandra struggle with her social life, make Stephanie struggle with accepting love(I can make a whole post about why that would be fitting to her character), make Cassandra struggle to show her love thus making it harder for Steph to receive it or even question her love

Actually another point, I fully believe StephCass should be a messy relationship that somehow works based on their character flaws and how they would clash. So most StephCass posts make it look like a shell of the two characters and makes it way too boring for my while there’s ships like StephKara(in the batgirl comic Steph is sorta a asshole to Kara at times and it looks like she’s sorta jealous of her while Kara still shows Steph the love she needs which makes it so much more interesting to me) and then StephRose(do I need to explain?). I guess I like those a lot more than StephCass because in fics I read of them, Steph tends to be characterised a lot better.

Last and final thing is well… I’m a pre52 Steph stan(specifically before war games) and well- I just never really saw the two as a couple there- they’ve always been best friends++ to me and later on in the comics: big sister, little brother. And I can’t really forget how Cass was like ‘well go home then’ to Steph when Steph told her she was fired, I know it was because Cass wanted to protect Steph, but so did Bruce so it wasn’t too much different in my eyes because they all told Steph to go home, they all discouraged her and it all had a very, very negative effect on Steph(however out of her 3 discouragers I only believe 2 should be forgiven but I know damn well Steph would still forgive 3.)

So yeah what are you guy’s ideal version of Stephanie & Cass?

[hkthatgffan]

"End" of the Kiki-Kit Saga (For me at least)

Okay, I've been waiting for a while to make this post and quite frankly, it's one I really didn't expect to make. But, having started this topic in October, I felt it was important to also end it even if it's not a great end overall.

You may remember back in October 2024 that I made this post regarding the artist Kiki-Kit. She's pretty well known in the Gravity Falls fandom and worked on Lost Legends. Long story short, she'd been ghosting me and many other people for months regarding commissions we had gotten from her in January of that year. That first post goes into detail about it all and has the specifics but basically, after finding out there were people waiting years for her to respond to them, I felt compelled to make that post to call her out and hopefully get more eyes on this issue as Kiki had seemed to be getting away with this behavior for a while. Well, good news (sorta), for me at least, it's now over...

Kiki-Kit Refunded me!

I'd love to be happy about it but quite frankly, to even get this was a pain in the ass. As I said in the first post, Kiki never responded to DMs or even the email she had set up for commissions. So, as a last resort, I contacted a friend of hers that she had mentioned back in January during her commissions request period. I won't name them as they never were involved in this, but I got in touch with them via Bluesky and asked if they could let Kiki know I was trying to reach her but can't. And low and behold, the very next day she actually FINALLY DM's me for the first time in over a year!

I should say, this happened back on February 9th of this year (it'll make sense in a sec why it took me so long to make this). On one hand, it was nice that she did finally DM me but I can't lie, it felt very suspicious and off to me that it literally had to take me contacting someone she knows about it. Someone who never was involved in this and had no reason to be and that in turn was what finally got her to respond to me.

Kiki did explain herself and without sharing her PM, I will say I fully understand her position. As she stated back in June 2024, she's going through a pretty rough time and even her reasoning for doing these commissions were for financial reasons I am sympathetic to her for. I wanna make clear again, this was never a case of "artist is taking too long on my art and I am impatient!" I get it. Everyone like me in this situation gets it! Artists are humans like you and me and things can happen and they have every right to take breaks, be offline, etc.

But where the problem was, was that Kiki-Kit NEVER responded to any update request going back months. I tried every appropriate channel of communication I could to no avail. I'm understanding, but I also am a paying client and if nothing else, a simple update would suffice. She never gave me even that until now and the way I had to get it out of her was beyond what someone should have to do to get that.

She did admit to me she is aware of this problem of hers of not communicating properly and seeming to ignore clients. If nothing else, I was appreciative she admitted where she was wrong. I told her back she really needs to improve on that and also, given she gave me the choice, I asked for a refund. Even though she offered me assurance she will get these commissions done, I'm not dealing with her anymore and I wanted my money back.

And then guess what? Kiki-Kit GHOSTED ME AGAIN!!

This all happened on February 9th. Well, March 9th, one month after that first exchange rolls around and I still hadn't heard from her. I follow up, no response. She hadn't communicated at all since February! Finally, on March 25th, the day she refunded me, Kiki FINALLY gets back with some excuse about why it took so long and again apologizing. I'm not even gonna bore you with what she said this time around as it was another of the same excuses and "I'm sorry." At least this time I got my money back.

I was as nice back to her as I could be but holy fucking shit, I was beyond angry and disappointed in her. It really didn't seem to sound like she really even cared. I mean, the fact it took her over a month again to get back to me after apologizing and saying she was working to be better at communicating really left me running out of sympathy for her.

And again, I should stress, I'M NOT MAD AT KIKI-KIT FOR NOT DELIEVERING MY COMMISSION! IDC if I had to wait a year for it if she had been proper in her communication and transparency about why she was offline and not responding. This was always a communication issue, NOT an issue with it taking so long. Yes, she gave a reason in June, but then vanished for months yet again and still technically speaking, she hasn't officially posted anything since August 2024.

If you pay someone for a service and they then just vanish and not pick up your calls or respond to your texts or emails, you're gonna be suspicious. Excuses are a whole other story but even so, at least you are getting a response. I could've understood it if that was what she did. But a year without any response whatsoever, only one update in June 2024, multiple people coming out and saying they too have been waiting for months or even years for a response to no avail and finally me having to contact a 3rd party just to get her to fucking respond? Either Kiki-Kit is the worst at keeping track of her DM's, or she purposefully is banking on people not saying anything about her ghosting and just hopes they forget they ever bought something from her or give up after enough time with no response and accept they lost that money.

I mean, @foxieskullz was waiting since 2019 and similarly to me, it was her persistence and constant talking about it that probably was what finally made Kiki-Kit respond.

As of today, April 26th, it's been 1 month since Kiki refunded me. I told her once again when she did that she needs to contact all the other people she was paid to make art for and give them the same offer of a refund or promise to finish their art. Given it's been a month since that, I decided to reach out to some of those people to see if Kiki actually made good on that.

I contacted my friend Darkshade on Discord who also bought a commission from her that January about if she had heard back from Kiki and sure enough, she hasn't!

I also contacted @animepianistgirl2 who also has been waiting and similarly, no response from Kiki-Kit either. Hell, I was looking through my old posts about it and I saw even stephreynaart said she'd gotten a commission from her and still no response. That was back in June, so I haven't asked her yet about if she got a response or not since then, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a no too. When even a person as respected and popular in the fandom as Steph is probably in the same boat, then things really are looking bleak.

IDK what else to say. I'm disappointed beyond belief. Maybe this is my GF fandom version of "never meet your heroes," but I still am so upset that of all people, Kiki-Kit could be like this. She's a legend in this fandom and was respected and loved by fans long before I ever joined. Her fanart was some of the first I ever saw and I celebrated with the rest of the fandom in 2018 when she got her moment to shine as an illustrator in Lost Legends and even meeting Alex Hirsch in person at a book signing event for it.

She's been in so many fan projects. She's a name everyone on GF Tumblr probably knows and respects. So, yeah, to have to say all this about her is not easy even now. I am so grateful to all of you who heard me out in October when I made my post about this. I was afraid to post it given even with all the people who came out and said the same thing, I was worried people would side with her due to the notoriety she has and just the thought that someone like her would never do this. But the response was incredible (I even had long time GF fans and artists who were friends of Kiki-Kit agreeing that her actions here were not right) and if nothing else, I hope it maybe helped spread word about this and get people to be more aware.

Kiki-Kit, if you see this, know that I am upset. I really hope you are doing okay and that you can overcome the hardships in your life that maybe led you to being like this right now. I don't believe you meant to be like this with malicious intent but it's what happened and you now need to fix that. I appreciate that you refunded me, but I am still mad. You have not refunded anyone else or even spoken to them even after I told you that you should. You ignored everything I said, even after you admitted yourself that you have a problem with communicating.

I hope you seriously work on improving your communication. I really hope you offer everyone left waiting a chance to either get their art finished or refund them. My posts are not going away. If you ever try to open commissions again, I am making sure people see these and know what kind of person you are to those who pay you. I hate having to spread negative shit like this on my platform, but if it spares another fan from losing money to you, then so be it. I had to wait only a year. Foxie was waiting since 2019 (and you gave her a similar set of excuses and apologies and probably never read anything she told you like you did to me)! And don't forget Jolliejackdaw who you blocked on Twitter and has been waiting since 2020!

I don't want anyone else to be in this same boat. Either commit to better communicating with your clients, or don't bother asking people for commissions next time. This could've all been resolved privately if you just bothered to talk. But you didn't. And now this all had to be said.

So, all this to say, while I don't anymore have to deal with Kiki-Kit, others are still waiting. And I'll keep asking around to see what happens. But unless something else big transpires, this is it for me in regards to Kiki. I hate making posts like this but it had to be done and tbh, I hope if anything it serves as a lesson to both artists and clients. Communication is key. Without it, stuff like this can spiral out of control fast.

I hope Kiki-Kit can mend her name in this fandom. I'll always be a fan of her work, but I am never commissioning from her again. And quite frankly, until she seriously fixes her communication ability, neither should you.