#guys gear ne out

[liliallowed]

I am flying too close to the horni sun.

[stele3]

My mom was a flight attendant in the 70’s and 80’s, and she told me a story long ago that I think might resonate with people today.

In 1978, United Airlines flight 173 took off from Denver to Portland, Oregon. As they were making their descent to PDX, the flight crew noticed an irregularity with the landing gear and requested a holding pattern while they tried to figure out what was wrong. About an hour later they crashed into the suburbs of NE Portland, killing 10 people….but they didn’t crash because of the landing gear.

You see, they’d been so preoccupied with the landing gear that they didn’t notice that they were running out of fuel.

The crash led to a safety overhaul and a strong messaging that worked its way down to the flight attendants, and thus from my mother to me:

Keep flying the plane.

Keep flying the plane, guys. Take your meds. Eat. Drink water. Send that work email. Don’t spend too much time doomscrolling. Go on a mental health walk. The big scary thing will be there but there are a lot of other little disasters that’ll take you out if you let them.

[meangirls-imagines]

Frat Parties Suck

Description: It's basically that episode of SLOCG where Leighton and Alicia kiss for the first time but reader replaces Alicia.

WARNINGS: leighton being a gay mess, reader getting beat up, love confessions, fluff

leighton was extremely nervous.

not for her brother or his fraternity. no, she didn't really care about them. she was nervous because the girl she had been pining over for the last two weeks was going to said frat to "inspect" it. 

she met y/n after she got assigned community service for underage drinking and vandalism (that she thinks if she doesn't remember it happening, it didn't happen). the president of the school didn't take too kindly to that and sent leighton to the campus women's center.

her and y/n butt heads the second they met. leighton thought she was too good for the women's center and tried to bribe y/n but the girl wasn't having it. by the end of their first conversation, leighton was storming out of the building pissed off and turned on. y/n was hot as shit. 

the weeks went by and somehow some way, the blonde managed to kinda weasel her way into y/n's life. she had been making y/n smile more than yell so she thought she was getting somewhere.

and then the frat party came up.

while going through clothes they were going to donate, towa brought up the plan of the group going to a drag brunch, leighton politely declined, stating that theta was throwing a huge party. the group went silent and leighton looked confused. she smiled at them. "why is everyone so quiet? did i say something triggering again?"

y/n spoke up. "i get that your brother is in theta, but frats can be extremely sexist, toxic nightmares. we have been campaigning to get rid of greek life for over a year." leighton sighed. i know frats get a bad rep but theta actually does good. they just finished a construction project in mexico." y/n scoffed. "yeah, for the bar that they burned down."

leighton sighed again. "okay, maybe they aren't perfect but have any of you actually been to a frat party?" silence. the blonde grinned. "so we're making a judgmental assumption?" leighton smiled at y/n who smiled back. "you're right. i mean we shouldn't be judging theta until we go to one of their parties." leighton nodded, satisfied with how the conversation went.

"so maybe we should all go tonight."

leighton shot it down instantly. "no! you guys have your super fun....plans." y/n shook her head. "no, we are going to give theta a chance to prove us wrong. send me the invite." y/n crossed her arms and leighton shamelessly stared at the girl's biceps. 

i wonder how they would feel around my ne-

"leighton, you still with us?"

the blonde nodded. "yup. invite. i will send it."

leighton stood next to her brother, impressed with how fast theta changed gears for the party. "we got rid of any and all triggers." the blonde smiled at nico. "yeah, it looks good. i don't think there's anything that the women's center will hate." speak of the devil(s), ginger, towa and the rest of the women's center crew walked in, sans y/n. nico offered to show the girls around as leighton let out a breath, sighing deeply.

then, like something out of a movie, y/n walked in, sighing. leighton felt like she was going to pass out at how hot the girl looked. she wasn't dressed too fancy, a hoodie and some jeans, but leighton felt like she couldn't breathe. y/n smiled at the girl, walking towards her. "so, tonight is going to be a shit show isn't it?" 

leighton laughed. "oh yeah. um, do you want a drink?" y/n laughed. "oh, i already pregamed in the driveway but yeah, let's keep drinking shall we?" leighton giggled and led the way to the drinks.

tonight was going to be a long night.

nico was in the middle of explaining how parties worked at theta before y/n cut him off. "you can calm down nico, i know you think that i'm some big, scary lesbian protester or something." nico laughed a little. "i did not know you were a lesbian. it would be rude of me to assume that." leighton rolled her eyes. "nico. less. please." nico straightened up as y/n laughed. "dude, i'm just here to have a good time. now, will you please hold my feet for a keg stand?"

nico looked shocked and then smirked. "only if you hold mine afterwards." both girls looked at him blankly before he whispered. "equality." leighton shook her head before spotting cory. "oh look, it's cory, i'm going to go and talk to him." she left without another word as y/n and nico went to the keg.

after dominating all the games with nico, y/n found leighton outside nursing a drink. "hey." leighton looked up and smiled at y/n. "hey. heard you and nico kicked ass. congrats." y/n chuckled. "all in a day's work." y/n glanced behind her and saw a trash can overflowing with sombreros. "uh, why are there so many sombreros in that trash can?" leighton winced. "i think that they ditched some of the more problematic elements of the party when they heard we were coming and by problematic i mean deeply, deeply racist." 

y/n laughed as leighton saw kimberly frantically waving at her from behind y/n. "um, i will be right back, it looks like my roommate needs me for something." y/n nodded. "i get it, i'll be here." leighton smiled shyly and headed toward kimberly.

leighton wasn't gone for five minutes before nico came running towards her and her roommates. "nico? are you good?" nico was panting. "you gotta come with me. it's y/n. some dude called her a dyke and she said something back and then he just started beating the shit out of her."

leighton's heart dropped to her stomach. she took off running in the direction nico came and found the group of people that had gathered. she pushed through the crowd and gasped at the sight of y/n. her face was covered in blood thanks to the gash above her eyebrow. it also didn't help that her nose was bleeding. leighton could already imagine the shiner y/n was going to have tomorrow.

she rushed to the beaten girl's side, gently cupping her face. "y/n? can you hear me?" the girl softly groaned, covering leighton's hand with her own. leighton sighed in relief. nico kneeled on the other side of the girl, ordering his frat brothers to get rid of the guy. "leighton we have to take her to the hospital." that's when y/n spoke. "no..no hospital." it was slurred but leighton was able to make out what the girl said. 

leighton sighed. the best thing would be to take y/n to the hospital but she also didn't want to go against the girl's wishes. she stood, making a decision. "no. we're taking her to my dorm."

an hour later, thanks to nico, leighton and y/n made their way back to the blonde's dorm. the girls had gone out to get some stuff to help maintain y/n's injuries since the first aid kit kimberly had wasn't going to be enough. leighton was grateful that her and y/n had some alone time. thanking nico for helping her, she grabbed a washcloth she had in her room and a water bottle, using it to wet the towel.

she gently began wiping the drying blood off the girl's face, being careful of the cuts that littered her skin. y/n groaned a little before leighton gently shushed her. "shhh, you're okay y/n. you're safe." y/n groaned again, grabbing leighton's hand that was cleaning her face. "mmm..leighton. my face hurts." 

the blonde's heart broke and she took a risk. she gently kissed y/n's forehead, letting her lips linger. "i know, the girls are getting you some stuff to take care of that okay? they'll be here soon." y/n moaned in pain as leighton began to gently wipe her face again.

the girls soon returned and allowed leighton to finish cleaning y/n up. they all checked in on the girl before bela went to hang out in kimberly and whitney's room. leighton sat next to a cleaned up y/n, running her fingers through the girl's hair. y/n smiled at the contact. she pulled the blonde to lay next to her. "you know, i hear cuddles from a pretty girl are the best medicine." leighton giggled before making herself comfortable on y/n's chest. 

the two laid in silence before leighton spoke up. "i was so scared. seeing you like that. i didn't think you were going to get up and there was so much blood and-" y/n shushed her, pulling the blonde closer to her. "i'm okay leight. i'm here aren't i? i have the hottest nurse taking care of me too." leighton laughed before sitting up and looking at y/n. 

y/n noticed leighton's eyes shining in a way she hadn't seen before. it was like y/n hung the moon and the stars. she couldn't stop herself from gently cupping leighton's cheek, rubbing the girl's cheekbone with her thumb. leighton couldn't take it anymore. she leaned down and slowly placed her lips on y/n's.

fireworks went off in y/n's head as she kissed the girl back. all this time, she thought leighton was straight. just a common, cis blonde woman. boy was she wrong. the two kissed for a little longer then leighton pulled away. y/n looked shocked. "woah. i was really wrong about you." leighton chuckled before leaning in again. 

"shut up."

[redroomreflections]

Hotel California | Track 8: Obvious

Natasha Romanoff x fem!reader

Summary: Natasha Romanoff, frontwoman of the punk rock band Velvet Rebellion, falls hard for a woman she believes is too good for her. Their intense relationship unfolds in the chaotic world of rock 'n' roll, where they struggle to balance fame, personal demons, and their undeniable passion for each other.

W/c: 4.7k

Chapter 8/12

Masterlist | General Masterlist

Note: Another week of y'all reading my mediocre song lyrics. Let's wrap this up by the new year.

18+ Minors DNI (mature)

Themes: love, fame, sex, drugs

Saturdays were for tennis. Every weekend, if your dad were in town, he’d send a message inviting you and Isabella for your weekly tennis match, followed by tea on the patio with your mom. It had been this way ever since Isabella was a tiny girl, a tradition that had endured through the years.

You’d grown up watching your father maintain his high-profile career—managing bands, launching artists, orchestrating deals—but when he was home, he always made time for this simple ritual. Tennis and tea. Just the four of you. You smiled as you stepped onto the courts, the early morning sun casting a soft golden glow over everything. He was already on the court, wearing his usual pair of black sunglasses and his signature calm, calculating demeanor. His presence alone was enough to put most people on edge. But not you. You knew your father better than anyone. He had always been a man of few words, but his actions spoke volumes.

The sound of the tennis ball bouncing off the court snapped you back to the present. Isabella was sitting off to the side with your mother and a cup of tea, chatting away like a little grown-up. You couldn't help but smile at the sight of them together. Isabella was growing into her own person, and you felt lucky to have witnessed all of it. Especially now, when she would listen to your conversations, paying half attention but always absorbing every detail. Then she'd offer her advice as if you weren't the parent.

“So,” Nick said, casually hitting the ball back over the net. “How’s this Natasha girl?”

You blinked, caught off guard by the question. You had expected it, sure. Your father had been strangely quiet about your dating life up until now. He’d asked about Sam before, mostly because he liked the guy, and you were married to him, but Natasha? That was a different story.

You took a deep breath, trying to keep your tone light. “She’s good, Dad. Really good. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now.”

Nick nodded, but you could see the gears turning in his head. The intensity in his eyes never wavered, and he returned the ball with more force than usual, almost like he was using tennis as an excuse to let out his frustration.

“You’re serious about her?” he asked, his voice more guarded than you were used to.

“Yeah, I am,” you replied, meeting his gaze. “She’s someone special.”

Nick didn’t say anything at first. He just watched you for a moment as if waiting for more. His next words came slowly, weighed down with skepticism. “I still don’t know about this whole rockstar thing. Are you sure about her? Where did you meet her?"

You knew this would come up. The idea of you dating someone in that world—especially Natasha—wasn’t exactly sitting well with him.

"Harley's birthday party," You glanced at Isabella, who was pretending to sip her tea but clearly eavesdropping. You softened your tone, mindful of her presence. “Dad, Natasha’s not just a rockstar. She’s more than that. We connect in ways that I haven’t felt before. She’s not like the others.”

Nick’s gaze didn’t soften. “I know the type. They can be... unpredictable.”

You let out a small sigh, feeling the weight of his words. “She’s different. I promise. She makes me happy.”

His expression remained neutral, but you could tell he wasn’t convinced. He jogged to the other side of the court, sending the ball flying back toward you. “I’m sure she’s got her charms. But you're my daughter. I need to know you're with someone who will treat you right. Someone who can handle all this,” he gestured to the life he'd essentially built for you.

You caught the ball and paused momentarily, considering your father’s words. “I know you’re just looking out for me, but this is my decision. And I really think Natasha’s someone worth taking a chance on.”

Nick set his racket down, his arms crossing in a familiar stance. “Alright, I’ll meet her.”

“Really?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. You hadn’t expected that so soon.

“Yeah,” he said with a nod. “If she’s serious about you, I want to see it myself. I’ve got to meet this Natasha.”

You felt a sense of relief, but that underlying tension was still over you. It wasn’t just about Natasha proving herself to your father; it was about you figuring out where your relationship was headed. You hadn’t even begun to put all the pieces together in your mind, but now, with your dad’s approval, it felt like things were moving faster than you could keep up with.

“Well, looks like you’re going to have to start warming up to the idea,” you teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Nick just grunted, grabbing his racket again. “We’ll see how this plays out.”

"She's really nice, Papa Nick," Isabella joined in. "We went to the movies last week, and she bought me the biggest-sized popcorn."

"Is that so?" Nick raised a brow. "Have you met her, Jen?" He looked to your mom for her answer.

"I have not,"

"Hmm," Nick hummed. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. When is she free?"

"Tomorrow," You replied.

"Perfect. Tomorrow then," He decided.

Good luck to both of you.

***

To say that this brunch was awkward was an understatement. Your father, ever the master of subtle intimidation, had given Natasha the cold shoulder despite your repeated pleas for him to ease up. He wasn’t outright rude or cruel—Nick Fury didn’t operate that way—but his protective instincts were dialed up to eleven. A quiet comment here, a lingering stare there—it was enough to make even you, a mid-twenties divorcee with a sharp tongue, squirm.

Natasha, for her part, seemed unfazed. She sat next to you at the long dining table, her posture relaxed, her green eyes scanning the room with genuine interest. She’d earlier complimented the house’s mid-century charm, admiring the collection of vinyl records your dad kept in pristine condition. Now, she was nursing her coffee, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of the cup, looking every bit the calm rockstar you’d come to admire.

“So, Natasha,” your dad’s voice broke the silence, his tone casual but carrying an edge, you knew all too well. He leaned back in his chair, studying her like she was one of his clients sitting across the negotiation table. “Did you go to college?”

Natasha glanced at you briefly, a small, reassuring smile tugging at her lips before she turned to your dad. “I didn’t,” she admitted, her voice steady. “I was already touring in small venues with the band by the time I finished high school. It was a different path, but one I’m proud of.”

Nick raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. “No regrets about that?”

Natasha shook her head, her eyes meeting your dad's. She didn't shy away from the challenge.

"I'm not a person who regrets. Not if it means I'm doing what I love."

Your dad hummed, seeming to consider her words. You held your breath, watching the exchange closely. For a moment, it was silent, save for the clinging of your mom's fork against her plate.

"Do you value education?" He questioned.

"I do,"

"Good. Then you'll understand when I say I want the best for my daughter and granddaughter. They deserve nothing less than that."

Natasha nodded, her gaze unwavering. "With all due respect, sir, I believe the same."

"Hmm." Your dad hummed. "You're very direct." Your father nodded slowly, clearly weighing her words. “The music industry’s not exactly a walk in the park. A lot of people get chewed up and spit out.”

Natasha met his gaze without flinching. “That’s true. But I’ve got good people around me and learned how to stay grounded. I’ve also learned how to be better as an artist and person.”

You couldn’t help but smile. Natasha had a way of handling the pressure that you envied, and seeing her hold her own with your father was impressive.

Your dad didn't look away, but you could tell he was contemplating her words.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?" He asked bluntly.

Natasha didn't even flinch. "I care deeply about your daughter, sir. She's one of the most genuine people I've met, and I value her input. Her opinion matters to me. I enjoy spending time with her."

Nick's face softened, but only slightly. "I'm glad to hear that. So you understand my hesitation."

Natasha nodded. "Of course. And I'd never disrespect or disregard your family."

"Daddy, do you have to ask her so many questions?" You sighed.

"I'm just trying to get to know the person who's going to spend a lot of time with my grandbaby," He shrugged. "You understand."

"Yes," Natasha responded.

"What are your parents like?" Your father inquired, changing the topic.

"My mother is a science teacher," Natasha said. "She lives in Jersey. I call her twice a week."

"And your father?"

Natasha's jaw tightened. "I haven't spoken to my father since I was sixteen,"

"Why is that?" Your father asked.

Natasha shifted slightly in her chair, her gaze lowering for the first time. "He and my mom got divorced when I was younger. After the divorce, he didn't want anything to do with me."

"Oh," Nick's brow furrowed.

"He wasn't the best man," Natasha's tone was firm, her gaze returning to meet your dad's. "But my mom did a great job raising my sister and me. She always made sure I had a roof over our heads and food in the fridge, and she instilled good morals in us. She taught me how to be a strong woman, and I'm thankful for her every day."

Natasha’s words seemed to strike a chord with Nick. He leaned back in his chair, his expression softening slightly as he considered her answer. You could tell he wasn’t expecting that level of candor or the quiet pride with which Natasha spoke about her mom.

“Sounds like your mom did right by you,” he finally said, a hint of approval in his tone.

“She did,” Natasha replied with a small, genuine smile. “She’s one of the strongest people I know.”

The room seemed to settle momentarily, the tension loosening just enough for your mom to jump in. She had been quietly observing up to this point, sipping her tea with a soft smile. Now, her curiosity sparked.

“You mentioned you have a sister?” Jen asked, her tone warm and inviting.

Natasha turned her attention to her, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Yelena. She’s studying at the University of Cambridge right now. International Relations major. She’s brilliant, honestly. Way smarter than I ever was at her age.”

“Cambridge,” Jen echoed, clearly impressed. “That’s no small accomplishment. You must be proud.”

“I am,” Natasha said with a nod. “She worked really hard to get there. We’re close, so I always cheer her on from here.”

Jen smiled, clearly charmed, and even Nick seemed to appreciate the answer. He tapped his fingers on the edge of his coffee cup before leveling his gaze at Natasha again.

“So, you’ve got a smart sister, a strong mom,” he said. “What about you? You know good music?”

You groaned inwardly, recognizing the shift in his tone. Nick Fury’s “test” voice was unmistakable, and you braced yourself for the next question.

Natasha, however, didn’t miss a beat. She tilted her head slightly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “I’d like to think so. Music’s kind of my whole life.”

Nick raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. “Alright then. Who’s your favorite artist?”

It was a direct, deceptively simple Nick Fury question designed to put someone on the spot.

Natasha didn’t flinch. She smiled, considering her answer momentarily before replying, “It depends on the day. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours is one of my all-time favorites, but I also love modern stuff. Brandi Carlile, Hozier... sometimes even Billie Eilish when I’m in the right mood.”

Nick nodded slowly, clearly evaluating her response. "What about people that look like me?"

"Dad," you warned, feeling your temper flare.

Natasha's smile didn't fade; she took his question in stride.

"Muddy Waters," Natasha replied, her voice filled with confidence. "Aretha Franklin. Nina Simone."

"Ahh," Nick nodded approvingly, a hint of surprise registering on his face. "I like that. When's your next album coming out?"

"Well, we have a few tracks in the worse. Should be done in the next few months," Natasha wiped her mouth. Discussing music put her at ease. This was her territory. "We have a couple of songs we're still debating about. Actually, we're looking at y/n for the vocals. I was going to mention it to you when we had a moment alone."

"Wanda already did," You nodded.

"You talked to Wanda?" She looked at you.

"Yes, we exchanged numbers at the party," You shrugged. "We talk all the time."

"Of course you do," She muttered.

"Well, how do you feel about the song y/n? "Jen asked.

"I'm a little nervous," You admitted.

"She's got a great voice," Natasha praised. "She's a natural. The song's a perfect fit."

"That's not the issue," You sighed.

"Oh?" Nick perked up.

You sighed, glancing at your parents, who were waiting expectantly. Natasha’s praise was sweet but didn’t erase the knot of hesitation tightening in your chest.

“It’s not that I don’t like the song,” you started, fiddling with your napkin. “Or that I don’t think it’s a great opportunity.”

“Then what is it?” Natasha asked, her voice soft but curious.

“It’s...” You hesitated, glancing at your dad, who was watching you closely now. “I’ve put singing behind me for a reason. I worked hard to separate myself from that world, to build something on my own. And I don’t want anyone thinking—”

“Thinking what?” Natasha leaned in, her tone patient but firm.

“That we’re together because I want to boost my career,” you admitted, the words spilling out before you could stop them. “I’ve seen those kinds of PR stunts a million times. They’re transparent and cheap, and I don’t want to look like... that.”

"That's completely understandable," Natasha said. She was content to leave it there. She knew firsthand how to handle this topic for you.

"Well, let's hear the song." Your dad suggested.

"Dad..." You began.

"Before you say no to it, at least hear it," He shrugged. "I have a studio in the guest house. Surely Natasha has her music loaded and ready." You knew what this was. He was testing the both of you. He was mostly trying to push you but also gauge Natasha's knowledge of music. This would be interesting.

****

An hour later, Natasha sat at the mixing board, her fingers flipping switches and turning knobs. A laptop propped up nearby displayed Wanda’s face over FaceTime, her expression focused as she listened intently. Nick sat off to the side, arms crossed but intrigued as Natasha played the first track. He didn’t say much, but the way his brows furrowed in thought spoke volumes.

You sat on a low couch a few feet away, curled up with a notebook. Mostly, you’d stayed quiet, content to watch the interplay between your dad and Natasha. It was rare to see him this interested in someone else’s craft—rarer still for him to keep his opinions to himself for more than five minutes.

As the song wound down, Natasha leaned back in her chair and glanced at Wanda on the screen. “What do you think? Too much reverb on the bridge?”

Wanda shook her head. “No, I like it. It gives the vocals more weight. What about layering the guitar riff in the second verse, though? Feels like it could use a little more punch there.”

“Good call,” Natasha nodded, making a note on a pad beside her.

Nick leaned forward, his gaze sharp. “You’re not a producer, are you?”

Natasha chuckled. “Not officially, no. But I’ve spent enough time in studios to pick up a thing or two.”

Nick didn't look impressed.

"I'm the creative force," She smirked. "If we want it, I can do it."

He grunted.

You glanced at your dad, wondering if he would bring up the song you were supposed to record. The question was evident on his face, but he hesitated to voice it.

Wanda, however, didn't have the same reservations. She was always the one to ask the hard questions, especially if the answers mattered.

"Are you going to record the song, or what?"

You let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through your hair.

"I might have written down a few lyrics that fit me better," You acknowledged. You stood to be given the camera. "I'm not saying no, but I want the song to represent me as well. That's all."

"That's fair," Wanda nodded.

"We can try it out right now if you want?" Nick suggested. "Let's see how good your pen actually is."

"It's certainly improved since you last heard it, old man." You jested. Natasha began to play the music and offered you the floor to give constructive criticism. "Well, if you're going to lean into the whole crossover thing, it should feel more R&B. Subtle."

Natasha immediately adjusted the track, tweaking the tempo and softening the guitar riff. The harder punk elements faded into a smoother, almost sensual melody aligned more with an R&B vibe. She glanced at you as she worked, her expression open and eager for feedback.

“Like this?” she asked, her fingers moving expertly across the board.

“Closer,” you said, stepping further into the room. “The drumline should be heavier but not overpowering. Something you feel in your chest, you know?”

Nick raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “You’ve got an ear for this.”

“She does,” Natasha agreed, her voice carrying a note of pride. “She hears music differently. It’s why I wanted her on this track.”

Your cheeks warmed at the compliment, but you focused on the task. “And the bridge—it needs to soar. It's like a release before the last chorus. Build up, then let it break down smooth.”

Natasha adjusted the track again, layering in a subtle drumbeat and tweaking the synths to give the bridge the lift you described. She played it back, and the room filled with the revised sound.

“Yeah, that’s it,” you said, nodding. “That feels more like it.”

“Damn,” Wanda said through the camera, a grin spreading across her face. “She’s good.”

You opened your notebook to the page you'd scribbled on. You sat next to Natasha, showing her the lyrics. "I think we should be more of a duet. Obviously, Wanda will be there, but..."

Natasha looked at the lyrics, then at you.

"We're already a duo,"

"Is that a problem?"

"Not for me," She winked.

"Perfect," Wanda chimed in.

"This is the new bridge," You hummed along with the music, letting Natasha play the music.

"I don't want to make it obvious,

Caught in the midst and can't lie.

Every touch, you make it harder for me, baby,

Go ahead and look me in my eyes."

Your voice laced each line with a hint of vulnerability, and Natasha watched intently, her fingers lightly tapping against her chair to the beat as she mouthed the lyrics along with you.

The pre-chorus was next, soft but building:

"I can admit when I'm hiding from you,

But you see right through my disguise."

The music swelled, and your voice dropped to a raspy, sultry whisper.

"Baby, when I'm with you, I can't hide."

You glanced up at Natasha, meeting her gaze. Her green eyes were intense, and there was a familiar intensity in the way her jaw flexed. She seemed lost, but her lips parted ever so slightly.

"I think that's great," Wanda's voice boomed through your reverie as the music faded.

"It's certainly something," Your dad smirked from his spot in the corner.

"Natasha, what do you think?" You asked. "Does it seem too r&b for you guys?"

"Are you kidding me? You nailed it. It's perfect." Natasha gave you a thumbs-up. "We need to record this, babe. That was really great."

Natasha leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, still tapping a rhythm on her thigh. "So, are you in?" she asked, her tone casual but her eyes betraying her anticipation.

You hesitated for a beat, not because you doubted the song but because of what it represented—a step into the spotlight you'd carefully avoided for years. Of course, this could all go the opposite way. You could fade back into oblivion, and the song wouldn't even chart. Somehow, you knew you had a hit on your hands. Your gaze flickered to your dad, sitting back in his chair with a knowing smirk.

"You knew this would happen, didn’t you?" you asked him, crossing your arms playfully.

Nick shrugged, his grin widening. "I knew the moment you heard the track, you couldn’t walk away. You’ve got the itch, kid. It’s in your blood."

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t stop the small smile tugging at your lips. Turning back to Natasha, you said, "Yeah, I’m in. Let’s do it."

Natasha’s face lit up with a grin, and she stood. "You won’t regret it," she said, her voice brimming with excitement.

"I better not," you teased, though your excitement started to bubble beneath the surface.

From the corner of the room, Wanda’s voice came through the speaker. "Finally! This is going to be amazing."

Natasha chuckled, sliding an arm around your waist. "She’s right. This is just the beginning."

Nick clapped his hands together, drawing everyone’s attention. "Well, now that we’re all on the same page, let’s record this before you second-guess yourself."

You rolled your eyes again but nodded. "Fine. But if this blows up and I’m on the cover of People next month, I’m blaming all of you."

"Deal," Natasha said, her arm still around you as she leaned in close. Her voice dropped to a murmur, just for you. "But something tells me you’ll love every second of it." 

*****

Later that evening, after the studio session and brunch with your parents, you invited Natasha back to your place. You weren't ready to let her go, reveling in her presence and warmth. You and Natasha found yourselves alone in the dimly lit living room. The air was still charged with the session's energy, and you couldn't shake your feelings.

Natasha handed you a cup of tea, her fingers brushing yours briefly. "For the nerves," she said with a small smile.

You laughed softly, taking the mug and curling up on the plush couch. "I’m not nervous. Just... processing."

She sat beside you, close but not too close, her arm draped casually along the back of the couch. "Processing what?"

"Everything. I don’t know," you said, sighing. "I thought I was done with all this, you know? But, here I am."

Natasha nodded, sipping her tea and letting the silence hang.

You continued, "I mean, I have a good life. I have a good job, friends, my own place."

"And now a kick-ass duet," Natasha added.

"Yeah, it is really great," You nodded. "Without me. You and Wanda are great songwriters."

"You're not so bad yourself." She grinned. "You have to meet our new manager. Mitch Lester."

"Mitch Lester," You tried it on your tongue. You narrowed your eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing," You shook your head. "She manages a couple of my clients."

"Is that good or bad for us?" Natasha tilted her head.

"It's great. She's great," You nodded.

You smiled softly, leaning back into the couch, letting the warmth of Natasha’s presence settle around you. The way she talked to you and never hesitated to share or ask questions were things you didn’t take for granted. In the past, you had been with people who avoided the deeper conversations and let things fester instead of speaking up. But Natasha was different. She didn’t shy away from the difficult topics. In fact, it seemed like she embraced them.

"I’m glad you came to meet my parents," you said, quiet but sincere. "I know it wasn’t easy, but you didn’t flinch."

Natasha’s gaze softened, and she leaned forward, elbows on her knees, her fingers intertwined as she considered your words. "You mean a lot to me, Y/N. Your family means something to me because you mean something to me."

Your heart skipped a beat at the sincerity in her voice. The fact that Natasha didn’t just show up out of obligation but because she wanted to connect with you on a deeper level was something you hadn’t expected but needed. You never thought that kind of honesty would feel so right.

"I think that’s why I like us," you said, your voice a little more confident now. "You always let me in. You communicate with me. You never make me guess or wonder what you're thinking."

Her lips twitched into a smile, a small chuckle escaping her. "I try to keep it simple," she said with a wink. "No games."

You laughed, feeling your nerves ease even more. How she looked at you and made you feel seen was a feeling you hadn’t experienced in a long time.

"You really don’t hold back, do you?" you teased, feeling lighter and more at ease than you had in weeks.

"No reason to," Natasha replied. She moved a little closer, her knee brushing against yours. "I’ve always been more straightforward. With you... it’s easy."

It was easy. That was the truth of it. You didn’t have to question Natasha’s intentions, and that made everything feel smoother and more natural than you could’ve anticipated.

"You know, I’m happy," you said, your voice softening. "Like, genuinely happy. I don’t think I’ve felt this way in a while."

Natasha’s expression softened, her hand subtly brushing against yours. "I’m happy too, Y/N. It’s just... easy, isn’t it?"

You nodded, eyes meeting hers. "Yeah. It is."

A comfortable silence stretched between you both, but it wasn’t awkward. It was the kind of silence that came from mutual understanding, from a connection that didn’t need words. For the first time in a long time, you let yourself just feel—letting the moment unfold, enjoying the simplicity of being with someone who saw you, truly saw you, and accepted you as you were.

"I love you," Natasha said smoothly. Your eyes widened as you tried to process what she'd said. She leaned closer to you, her lips ghosting over yours, the tension palpable.

"I...I love you too." You said with such sincerity Natasha almost swooned. This felt right. You didn't want to think about how long you'd been dating or whether or not things would go bad. Here, in this moment, you were comfortable with each other. You loved her.

Natasha captured your lips with her arms wrapping around your waist, pulling you close. The kiss was passionate and fierce, and you couldn’t help the moan that escaped your lips. Her hands were everywhere, tracing the lines of your body, leaving goosebumps in their wake. She was fire, and you were drawn to her like a moth.

"You said it back," Natasha said her voice husky. She pushed you to lie gently on the couch.

"I said it back," You giggled. "I do love you."

Natasha groaned softly, her lips trailing a path down your neck, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. You arched into her touch, feeling your body responding to her. You were two magnets drawn to each other and couldn't resist the pull.

Natasha's hand slid beneath your shirt, her fingertips tracing patterns on your skin, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.

"This is real for me," She whispered. "You and me. It's real."

"I know," You murmured, your eyes locked on hers. You could feel her emotions in how her hands roamed your body, how her lips sought yours, and how her breath hitched when your fingertips brushed her skin.

She kissed you again, this time with an intensity that left you breathless.

"It's real for me too." 

This is the part where we gear up for some real rockstar Hollywood shit to go on in the next chapters. ---> next part

[peachhcs]

hughes brothers just seeing sam and will acting all couply and seeing how much the two are really in love

watching their baby sister fall in love

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

summary: the hughes brothers realize their baby sister finally found the guy for her + watch her fall in love

2.4k words

this request was so cutie and i enjoyed writing it :) pls send it anymore requests you guys have for samy and will!

au masterlist

for some reason, the hughes brothers never saw their baby sister's relationship with will coming except luke who was the one still around as the feelings grew and the relationship developed—of course he picked up on all of the signs the younger smith sibling gave samy. him and will were almost the same age, so the teenage pining was all too familiar to the middle hughes.

quinn and jack on the other hand? oh forget about them knowing until the summer they came home after samy finished up her senior year. with them being away for most of the year, they missed every single gaze, touch, and stolen glances between the teenagers as the year went on. plus, luke's not one to talk about his crushes in general, so why would he mention anything about his sister's love life to the two older siblings?

the entire relationship left all three of them speechless when it finally happened. watching samy and will interact at the draft in nashville was the brothers' first indication something was happening. they looked way too close than usual considering will's always been attached to luke or jack growing up. he'd just naturally gravitate towards the boys as they grew up in the summer months together pushing each other off the dock, having diving competitions, and playing hockey in the driveway. neither jack nor luke noticed will slowly attaching himself to their sister instead as the years went on.

when samy and will's first date came a month later, the boys were skeptical. of course they knew will and how he was the sweetest soul on the planet—it was their older brother instincts kicking in. samy was their baby sister and it took a certain guy to be the right one for her and neither of the brothers wanted her to get hurt. sure, will was family, but that didn't mean he couldn't fuck something up.

their teasing was relentless before they let the young couple leave, but really it was all a tactic to see how well will held up under this new dynamic.

"can you guys shut up?" samy eyed luke standing against the wall before glancing at their mom for help.

"what? we're just saying. mom never let us go out to ann arbor by ourselves when we were yoyr age," jack piped in from the couch. will stood beside samy in a nervous mess, unaware of the brothers (mostly jack and luke) eyeing him down.

"guys, just cool it, okay? let your sister be," jim stepped in because he was probably the only one that could shut jack and luke up. the boys shut their mouths after that and samy dragged will out of the house before anymore comments could be made.

"seriously?" ellen eyed her boys.

"what? we gotta poke fun at her too," luke defended.

"you were gonna give will a nervous breakdown," the older woman rolled her eyes.

"it's nothing he hasn't heard before. just gotta make sure he's up to our standards for our sister," jack shrugged.

they were still up when samy came back through the door at around 10:30. they all perked up when she walked into the kitchen with the biggest smile on her lips.

"someone's smiley," jack commented.

"maybe it's too early to say this, but i really think it's gonna work out between us. at least, i really hope it does," samy gushed, a lovesick expression on her features that her brothers had never seen before.

her words turned a gear in their brains. they've never heard her talk about a guy like that before nor had they seen a look like that on her face after she came back from a date. that stuck out to them and for a split second, they thought that maybe will was the right guy for her. maybe.

the start of the new school year had the hughes siblings breaking up until summer again. samy headed off to umich for her first semester, luke flew out to jersey with jack to really begin his rookie year, and quinn headed back out west to vancouver—a captaincy in his near future. with the brothers not there, they didn't see the development of will and samy's new relationship. yes, the siblings were close, but there were some things they didn't talk about in detail with one another. one of them being their relationships and love life.

anytime the youngest hughes was on facetime with her brothers, she only briefly mentioned will and they also never really asked. when summer quickly came back around and the gang reunited, they were still skeptical of will. was he really the guy for samy? was he becoming like every other jerk hockey player the boys knew all too well because well, they were once that guy too.

their relationship was approaching one year and the brothers finally got to see and understand that yes, will was the perfect guy for their sister.

lazy lake days were everyone's favorites because people went and did their own thing whether it was nap all day, tan, or just mess around. luke immersed himself with a conversation with some of his old umich friends. ethan and mark yapped on and on about their hockey season while luke chimed in with details from his rookie year. the boy missed being in michigan everyday, but he was glad he could reconnect with everyone during the summer months for a few weeks.

after awhile, luke needed to go inside to get a new drink. he nodded to some of his brother's friends on his way up the yard before sliding the glass doors open. relief filled his body as the cold ac air hit his skin and cooled him down from the burning 90 degree temperatures outside. he was about to head back outside until voices caught his attention in the living room.

he shuffled that way, not quite recognizing who was talking until he saw the faces. luke met samy and will's friends a few times, but he didn't know them that well. two boys stood by the couch snickering to one another with their phone cameras out. luke raised his eyebrow, trying to peer over them to see what had their attention.

he finally spotted his sister and will curled up on the couch together. samy's head was tucked into the crook of will's neck while his own head laid atop hers. her legs were thrown over his lap and his arm draped over her shoulders. seeing them in that position was still so foreign to the middle hughes.

"gonna have a whole album by the time summer's over," luke was pretty sure his name was ryan. ryan showed him the photo album on his phone titled smitty's so whippedwhich made luke laugh.

"god, they were so insufferable over the phone and even worse in person," gabe teased.

"will was always calling samy like at any chance he got. pretty sure we tried throwing will's phone out the window one time because he wouldn't stop calling her," ryan snickered.

luke's expression settled a bit the more he stared at his sister and will. it almost softened for a second thinking about will constantly calling her to hear her voice. that wasn't something a jerky hockey player did, luke thought in his head.

"they were annoying, but it was cute i suppose. never seen smitty act like this before, it's kind of nice seeing a different side of him," gabe added with a tiny smile.

the boys' words left luke thinking. he thought back to when samy came home after their first date last year and the look on her face he'd never seen before. hearing about will's change too made the hughes brother think maybe will wasn't like every other guy.

later that day, luke crowded around the kitchen island with quinn and jack as the three discussed when they wanted to go golfing and if they wanted to invite anyone. samy shuffled into the kitchen, sleep laced in her eyes still with will right behind her.

"morning," luke laughed a little seeing his sister.

"morning," the girl grumbled back obviously not in the mood for any teasing.

"heard you two had a pretty sound nap," jack chuckled.

"yeah, it was really nice actually. thanks for asking," samy's voice dripped with sarcasm towards her brother.

"jeez, someone's grumpy," the older brunette laughed which made quinn and luke chuckle too. all samy did was give him the middle finger as she bent down to pick up the bottle cap she dropped.

instinctively, will wrapped his hand around the counter edge so samy wouldn't hit her head when she came back up. the gesture went unnoticed by samy since it was in will's second nature to just do that, but the brothers saw it very clearly. they saw how will didn't even think when he did it, he just did.

neither of them mentioned it when they left, but all three of them thought about the gesture for awhile after.

jack wasn't good at falling asleep. his parents liked calling him the night owl in the family since they could never put him down for bed. he'd just jump right back up, his energy bursting to get out.

the middle hughes tiptoed around the guys asleep on air mattresses scattered across the house. he thought maybe some food could make him sleepy, so he started searching the fridge for a snack.

the guy didn't notice samy and will until he let his gaze drift to the backyard while he cut up some apples. his eyes stopped on the gently swinging hammock on the deck and the two people inside. he immediately recognized samy's frizzy curls—very much taking after luke with that gene.

jack wasn't meaning to be creepy, but he crept a bit closer to the back doors to get a better look. will's arm was draped around her shoulder and samy's head was on his chest. he could hear their faint voices through the door and small giggles at whatever they were talking about.

the older brunette smiled to himself briefly before a few tears edged their way to jack's eyes. seeing his sister in love was not something he thought would make him emotional, but after watching her grow up, it all felt bittersweet in jack's mind.

he was always the one samy would go to first after luke if she needed something. he was closer to her age and while she didn't think quinn couldn't give advice, he was six years older. jack and luke were and have always been samy's go to's. jack was emotional in the fact that his baby sister finally found someone who sat in a hammock with her late at night to look at the stars—especially someone she already knew so well.

he left them be after he cut up his apples, retreating back to his room where he'd go to sleep knowing samy was in the right hands.

water guns were most definitely the worst investment for the lake house. the hockey boys went crazy with them full and armed like they were going to squirt anyone who walked by them. somehow, some of the guys and the girls managed to get themselves into a mini water gun fight.

gabe and ryan teamed up against samy and hannah originally. their squealing caught the attention of some of the other guys who quickly ran to join gabe and ryan against the girls. rutger aided in throwing water balloons at them while mark and moldy chased them with water buckets. poor samy and hannah were severely out numbered.

"hey! you can't run forever!" moldy yelled as he chased after the youngest hughes with an entire bucket of water.

"i can and i will!" samy yelled back at him. the brothers found it amusing and endearing that a lot of their friends saw samy as their own little sister they could constantly tease.

will walked onto the deck where samy immediately ran to him as a shield. the blonde grew confused before he saw nick with the largest water bucket he'd ever seen.

"hey, woah. you can't dump that on me," will said as he held his arm out, shielding samy from the impending water.

"i will if you don't move so i can get samy," moldy laughed.

"i'm not a part of this, so technically, i'm a safe spot," will tried negotiating.

"i'm not sure it works like that, smitty. she runs to you, you're on her side," nick shrugged, smirking still.

"get her!" mark yelled as he ran towards the deck with his own water bucket. nick took that as a signal he could dump his water.

samy screamed as will quickly shoved her out of the way and took the hit as two buckets of water drenched him from head to toe. the boys broke out into laughter while samy stared in disbelief that her boyfriend was now dripping wet and she was perfectly dry.

"oh shit. i'm sorry will," the girl couldn't hold her giggles as she covered her mouth.

the blonde shook his hair out like a dog before breaking a tiny smile. "you're taking the hit next time," he mumbled, placing a chaste kiss to her lips.

quinn, jack, and luke had watched the entire interaction from where they sat together at their fire pit. the three of them were laughing watching poor will get soaked for samy.

"he's so whipped if he just took two buckets of water for her," jack mumbled with a smile.

luke and quinn looked his way. it was the first time one of them had ever said something about samy and will to one another since their entire relationship started.

"they're cute. makes me miss being a teenager in love," quinn muttered. "plus, i've never seen her so happy before nor have i seen will so happy either," the oldest hughes added.

their eyes flicked back towards the couple where will was now trying to dry himself off.

"it's a good look for them, isn't it?" luke said after a moment.

"she's happy. like really happy," jack nodded.

"i think he really cares about her. he's definitely sticking around," luke said.

"i mean wasn't he already? he's like family," jack laughed making quinn laugh too.

"i'm just happy she's found someone. i totally saw it coming by the way, so you all owe me still," luke muttered and the brothers rolled their eyes.

[formulapookie]

:)

Under the cut to read on tumblr, here to read on Ao3 <3

I'll commit your every scar to my memory rosquez, 6k words

(set 2025)

Marc has been looking at himself in the mirror for twenty minutes now.

Inspecting for every micro feature which signaled he was getting older.

He doesn’t want to get older, he can’t.

All his career, his success had come when he was a kid and he had been nicknamed “alien” for it goddamnit.

youngest pole sitter, youngest podium finisher, youngest winner, youngest champion.

key word being young. 

he doesn't feel old, but older, god yes. Everyday.

A new source of pain coming out, an old one resurfacing, the fear of falling behind, of not fitting in anymore and of running out of time.

All present and heavy on his body, which took the hit every time.

Why he thinks that, he isn’t  sure.

But he feels like he must get everything now or it will all have been useless.

It’s been one year now since he and Vale reconciled, and nine months since they made their relationship official, but only to intimate friends and their families, since Marc was still a target in the paddock, and they both knew that having a gay relationship wasn’t exactly the greatest thing to share in a sport like theirs.

And while the respective families had reacted well (except for a bit of skepticism on Alex’s side) the Academy had been more bitter, especially Uccio, but it was to be expected since he is so obviously in love with Vale since the dawn of time.

The mirror in their room at the Ranch keeps reflecting his toned and muscled body, along with his freshly shaved face and regrowing curls.

If he has to be honest he isn’t the one who brought up the aging thing.

First Vale, at his birthday, after he was officially a Ducati factory rider for that year, telling him he was “growing up”, getting closer to 35.

And it terrified Marc.

Then his brother, joking about him retiring so that he could be the only Marquez on the grid “haste que tu y Mr doctor creéis un hijo con magia y aterroricen a MotoGP” (Until you and Mr Doctor will create a son with magic and terrorize MotoGP) 

And finally Bezzecchi two weeks ago.

He was talking to Celestino, to which he seemed glued to the hip, almost symbiotic, as if they only existed one attached to the other.

“Sta invecchiando comunque, magari Vale con i gusti per i più piccoli che ha se ne trova uno più giovane e meno sfasciato” (He’s aging by the way, maybe Vale with his taste for younger people will find a younger and less broken one) 

“Sei un coglione Marco dai” (Marco you’re a dickhead come on)

“Dico la verità, magari tra una settimana ci porta un ragazzetto di 20 anni che lo guarda con gli occhi a cuoricino e che non sia mezzo pieno di cicatrici” (I’m saying the truth, maybe in a week the he’ll come to us with a 20 year old boy who looks at him heart-eyed and who’s not half covered in scars)

“Immagini? Tanta fatica e poi se ne sbatte un altro”

(Can you imagine? So much trouble and he ends up fucking another guy)

“Sarebbe karma” (Would be karma)

Marc had been hidden behind the door throughout the whole conversation, and a wave of nausea and vomit overwhelmed him, causing him to rush silently to the toilet and throw up.

Maybe they were right. 

He was getting older, Vale had said that himself, joking about his smile lines.

He had started exercising even more, buying more products for skincare and trying to act like he was 20 again.

And suddenly he didn’t feel pretty anymore, he just wanted to ride a couple laps on the dirt track and forget about it.

He looks at himself one last time, not failing to notice the faint line of a wrinkle in the corner of his eyes staring right back at him, menacing.

He puts on his gear, ignoring everyone in the kitchen and heading straight for the track, grabbing the bike with the bright orange “93” plastered on front.

It’s the best way to shut his mind off, it’s just him and the track, the bike being a direct extension of his body.

He completes ten, twelve, fifteen laps then he slips, bike flying out of his hands and his body tumbling down in the dirt.

His arm hurts, but his brain aches more.

Finished finished finished.

He goes to grab the bike to climb on it again when he feels a pair of arms around his body. Vale.

“Are you ok Marc? Do I need to grab your painkillers? I’ll help you back on the bike if-” the older one gets cut off harshly by Marc, who has pain in his eyes

“I can still do things Valentino you know?”

He's angry, his tone bitter and his words harsh.

He’s not like that and Vale knows, he’s tender when they speak, they’ve hurt each other way too much already to be cruel to one another now.

Vale has a concerned expression painted on his face, his eyes quickly running to Marc’s right arm, then to his face again.

“Let me get up”

“Ok but-“

“I want to do some other laps let me do them” 

it’s not a plea, or a begging, his voice is resolute and firm.

Vale is visibly worried, but lets him.

He looks as Marc gets back on the bike and restarts, the corner of his eyes caught by Bezz and Celin giggling between themselves.

Marc gets off the bike after one hour, when his body cannot take it anymore and his brain is foggy enough with thoughts about breaking, turning, speeding.

He leaves the bike in the garage, stripping out of his leathers, the only clothing underneath a sleeveless adherent black top, half dirty from soil and grass.

And just when he was convinced to have sedated the thoughts for at least a good few hours his eyes trace the outline of his scar, dead tissue on his arm.

He goes to their bedroom bathroom quickly, to avoid more sensations to overwhelm him, getting into the shower and turning the hot water on, letting it rinse away scenarios where he’s not present in Vale’s future. He spends at least twenty minutes under the water, washing himself carefully and almost trying to clean away the scars littering his body, obviously without succeeding.

As he gets out of the bathroom he’s only wearing a towel around his hips, and he inevitably meets his reflection staring back at him from the mirror.

He wants so desperately to see the 20 year old wonderkid he used to be, but that’s his past. Marc knows time passes for everyone, it takes from you, sometimes more than it should, sometimes it’s harsher on your body and sometimes on your soul.

He isn’t fucking eighty he knows that but still. He’s grown. He’s not the starstruck kid Vale first met and with whom shared many nights during their rivalry.

He’s a grown man now, he looks different, he can see the tiredness in his own eyes, pain sometimes so much it eats his body whole, the same pain which has him stay awake some nights.

And he knows Vale is older than him but Vale is also Vale and no one in their right mind would ever question his capacities or greatness, not even if he was 90.

And like Bezzecchi said he had a taste for youngsters, full of life and ready to do whatever he said as if it was a command.

He used to be one of those, but now…

He hears his name getting called downstairs for dinner, yells back he’s getting dressed and will soon be there.

He avoids the mirror while changing, his body feels wrong every time he tries to look at it, his face transpires the worry sleeping in his chest.

They all eat together, Pecco is there too, he’s getting used to sharing spaces with his future teammate which is good, but Bezzecchi is there too, casting funny glances at his best friend making them both giggle while sometimes looking over at Marc. He speaks maybe four words during the whole dinner, his brain feeling like it’s underwater and needs to be saved from drowning into the abyss.

As they finish eating he helps clean up the table and when he’s proposed to stay and watch a movie he fakes a headache, heading upstairs and leaving the academy to enjoy their time. 

Not even two minutes later he’s in his boxers under the sheets, back turned to the glassy hell his mirror has become.

He hears the door opening and quiet steps making their way to him.

“Ei amore, everything ok?”

Vale’s tone is tender and caring, something which only surfaced once they reconciled, a side of Vale making him humane, not the cold and distant concept of a God Marc still had in the back of his mind.

It was good in a way, but on the other hand it made him feel weak, like he needed to be spoken softly otherwise he would’ve broken like glass. 

“Si, I’m a bit tired and have a headache, can we just…can we just sleep?”

It was the most obvious of the answers, the fakest one, and yet the only one he could give him at that moment.

Valentino nods, taking off his shirt and pants and climbing into bed, Marc laying his head on Vale’s stomach, feeling the man’s hand stroke his curls gently.

Valentino is tired too, he had to follow an event all day and close a contract for VR46, he falls asleep in a half hour, while Marc has his eyes wide open in the darkness of a night lightened only by a pale moon in the distant sky.

He hears his mind speaking again, telling him how he’s not himself anymore, he’s not what Vale wants and he’s not the best Vale can have, because afterall he is THE Valentino Rossi and everyone wants a piece of him and Vale could feel entitled to request a piece of every one just because of who he is.

You’re not the one Vale deserves.

He could have them younger, prettier, faster, better.

He could have someone he can be seen with, with someone he could bring to races and shit like it was normal to do.

He could have someone who didn’t try to fight him so hard back then.

A new rookie maybe, fast, magnetic, idolizing him.

Vale would have every right to just let him go to find someone who doesn’t look so broken, who doesn’t risk getting more and more broken every week.

Perhaps he wants children.

And well for how much you can adopt kids maybe, no surely, Vale wants his kid to look and be like him.

Marc doesn’t cry, but just because he’s too afraid of waking Vale up, and surely seeing him acting so pathetic would be the last straw Vale would need to leave him and go find someone else.

So he doesn’t, he cries a lot internally, he tries to trace every mole on Valenitno’s body because he’s so afraid that in a matter of time he’ll be unable to see him like this again.

or feel the heat of his body next to his own.

Afraid to wake up without the smell of his shampoo or go to sleep missing the pair of arms that are holding him at this moment.

He manages to fall asleep after more than an hour, thoughts feasting on his brain like worms on a carcass, the same word echoing endlessly in his mind.

useless

He wakes up to an empty bed, no sign of Valentino in the room whatsoever, and he imagines his life could become like this in a matter of time.

He doesn’t understand how those little comments managed to get under his skin so much, he had never been the one to take those things to heart because…

because he had never actually believed any of that shit talk before.

But now he’s the first one to think that, the first to indulge on it. 

He can feel a sense of inadequacy crawling in bed with him, wrapping his hands around his throat and slowly depriving him of the chance to breathe.

It’s burning and it hurts like hell, it’s ugly.

He scrambles to the bathroom, throwing up bent over the toilet, coughing and sniffing like during the worst hangover of his life.

He can make out rushed steps coming to the door, Valentino crouching down to level himself with Marc, stroking his hair and back, worry painted in his eyes.

“Marc, do you want me to get you something? Are you ok?”

Weak, undeserving, not enough

That fuckin voice doesn’t shut up goddamnit, it haunts his mind and poisons everything coming in close contact with him.

What if it can poison Vale?

What if by standing so close to Marc he’ll end up being corrupted by this voice?

No no no, he’d rather suffer alone and watch Vale be happy with someone else rather than seeing him hurting.

Because that’s what Marc is when it comes to who he loves.

Selfless, adoring and ready to let go, because he knows he’s not an easy person to put up with so he never pushes.

“No I’m ok I just didn’t digest dinner well that’s all”

“Marc”

“I told you it was yesterday’s dinner Vale, I’m already feeling better, see?”

And he smiles, the fake PR smile Vale has seen hundreds of times, he could recognise Marc’s true smile in a crowd full of people, his laugh in a room filled with clowns and most of all he could recognise Marc hurting in a massacre.

His eyes are lifeless, a veil of something trapping the joy and happiness inside, not letting them see the sun.

“Marc tell me what’s going on because you’re not ok and I am not letting you leave the room until you’ve told me what’s happening”

“I decide if I can get out of the room or not Vale, you’re not my mom, I told you i’m ok so let me go thank you”

Vale wants to stop him but he knows it would be worse, Marc would shut down and respond robotically to questions he dreads to know the real answer to.

“Marc. I won’t force you ok? But please tell me what’s going on, you look-”

“I know what I look like there’s no need to tell me”

Marc thinks of old, spent, expired, outdated. 

All different words to mean only one thing.

undesirable.

And weak.

He fucking threw up in front of Vale, he almost had tears in his eyes, he had to come up with his fake smile he knew Vale would recognise, he’s so fucking stupid god how can he act like that and hope to still have a chance in keeping Vale.

He gets past him, putting on a pair of joggers and a short sleeved shirt of his and walks out the room, grabbing his biker boots and protective jacket by the entrance and putting them on, ignoring the boys sitting in the living room looking at him with curiosity.

Probably he yelled before, and they heard him.

Amazing.

He slams the door shut behind him and goes to grab his street bike.

Once he’s put the helmet on he’s alone. 

Truly alone.

No other voices or sounds, not even the one in his head.

It’s quiet, like one of the earliest nights he remembers sharing with Valentino, the one in Aragon perhaps, or the many in between races when they could wander off in one of Vale’s secret spots and share everything, even the silence.

He starts the bike and goes for a ride, a long one, he didn’t bring his phone with him so he doesn't know how long precisely.

He comes back home once he’s hungry and beginning to feel tired.

Once again he doesn’t dwell on the academy boys watching him, he can only imagine what they’re saying.

He doesn’t let the thoughts come to him this time though, he just heads straight for the shower and gets ready for lunch.

Vale is an amazing cook, he prepared something that smells delicious, but Marc can’t eat more than half a plate before already feeling nauseous.

He eats everything anyway, he doesn’t want to upset Vale more, so he forces every fork until he clears the plate.

“Vale” it’s Bezzecchi’s voice, he has a strange tone to it “how’s Pedro? didn’t you say he should come to the ranch soon? To see what he’s capable of off track?”

Marc doesn’t want to suppose things, but the way he says the last sentence sends shivers down his spine

20, fast, starstruck by Vale, not half covered in scars.

Check, check, check, check.

The qualities Bezzecchi talked about a few weeks prior are all part of Pedro.

Marc excuses himself from the table for the second time in a row, feeling bad about doubting Vale but also not holding him responsible if that came up to be the case.

He had said it himself he was now the past of MotoGP, and Pedro the future.

Bezzecchi cackles from the table, Celestino elbows him in his ribcage, earning a harsh stare from his friend.

Vale just sits at the table, looking in the direction Marc had disappeared to, trying to understand what was going on with his boyfriend, because he truly has no idea and is scared something had happened outside of the peace of the Ranch, maybe someone finding out about them and threatening Marc to reveal their relationship to the public.

He decides to leave him alone for a while, maybe he’s just not used to having all these people around all the time and needs his space, a moment alone to quiet down his brain.

He spends the afternoon with the boys, racing around the track, checking and analyzing data and talking about Bezz’s newfound harmony with Aprilia.

The clock hits eight pm and they’re all hungry as hell, so the boys quickly make their way to the bedrooms to take their showers and change, since they also decided to go out tonight for a party held by one of Bezz’s DJ friends.

Meanwhile Marc had stayed in the room the whole time, spending half of it crying his eyes out because he couldn’t stop thinking about what if Valentino actually decided to break up with him again and the feeling of emptiness he would feel eventually.

The other half he spent it trying to understand how to make himself look younger for Vale, which clothes to wear, how to act, to talk, to lie when his arm hurt while they were having sex.

Fucking pathetic

He wishes he could tear his brain outside of his skull, anything not to hear that sharp voice commenting his every move and look, he just wants the world inside his mind to shut the hell up and leave him be, at least for a few hours, just that.

A few hours where he doesn’t have to worry about being abandoned by the one person he loves more than life.

A few hours where he can love himself again.

But his brain doesn’t concede him neither those few hours, it’s a machine programmed to drive him insane, unstoppable.

Vale knocks on the door, he recognises their passcode, never changed during all those years spent together.

“Dinner is in five minutes, are you coming?”

“Yes yes, just let me get dressed and I’ll be there”

“Ok, see you downstairs amore”

It cuts deep, the bug whispering in his ear the word amore is just a way to keep him close for need, not driven by real feelings.

He comes down two minutes later, a simple pair of shorts and a t-shirt he stole from Vale not so long ago, still smelling like him.

He smiles softly at the man, sitting beside him, across Pecco, who greets him with a nod.

The boys eat in a rush, not speaking a word, apparently they were supposed to meet some other guys by nine and they’re never going to make it on time.

They practically absorb their food and are out the door in twenty minutes, in Luca’s car off to the bar they set as a rendez-vous point.

And so he and Vale are left alone.

He doesn't know how long it’s been since the last time they were completely alone, not even that annoying guard dog of Uccio staining the environment.

“You’re really beautiful tonight amore”

Lie

“My shirt looks really pretty on you, makes you look smaller”

He doesn’t actually like it

“Want to go upstairs?”

He just needs a release, not you.

“Yeah sure” he’s convincing, Vale doesn’t seem to notice his body twitching when his fingers touch his arm.

They reach their bedroom, Vale guiding Marc towards the bed, hands running under the stolen shirt to go catch on his abs, fingers looking for a strong grip.

They share a sweet kiss, nothing like the ones shared after their battles on track, quick, charged and filled with need.

 Marc knows Vale wants those back, not these ones, too plain and domestic for him to ever like.

So he tries to pull the switch, biting at Vale’s lip, pressing himself against him, backing up until his body is caged between the wall and Valentino, who looks rather surprised at the sudden change of attitude.

“Fuck me Vale come on” it feels dirty, demanding, but that was exactly like he was back then, and he so desperately needs to feel like that again.

Vale’s lips are on his neck, biting and sucking hard, matching Marc’s tone.

It’s not what he wants, it’s what Vale wants.

And that is enough for him, he’ll just try to enjoy what was probably going to be one of the last nights together, and he didn’t want Valentino to resent him for it too.

He’ll just have to relax, think about Vale’s happiness and take it.

After one particularly harsh bite he winces, but so quickly Vale cannot register it while dragging him to bed.

The grip on his wrist is strong, possessive, needy.

It’s what Vale wants, stop being fucking selfish and let him have it.

The voice is right, he cannot be selfish and wish for Vale to stick around out of pity.

He needs to earn his lover back, who cares if he has to do things he doesn’t want to do?

In the end it’s all for love.

He lets Valentino undress him, sharp teeth attacking his nipple, making him moan loudly, he’s exaggerating a bit his actions but it’s for a good cause. 

He keeps repeating to himself this is ok to do, he really wants to please Vale, it’s not bad, he used to like the sharpness and rush of adrenaline that came with battling on track so why should this be different?

He feels Vale’s hand cupping him through his boxers and he thrusts his hips up, eyes closed and hands gripping both on Vale’s hair and back, keeping him there.

“You smell so good Marc, never going to let you go”

And that’s where Marc loses his battle with himself.

He tries to keep it in but a sob comes out anyway, a tear rolling out of his eye and ending up on the pillow underneath his head.

And Vale knows Marc. He knows the difference between a sob due to pleasure and this.

This is not Marc enjoying it so much he cries, this is Marc not enjoying it at all.

He stops, getting up and sitting in front of Marc who has his eyes closed, hands balled into fists and his mouth shut in a rigid and thin line.

He’s fucked it up, he let his own feelings ruin everything again.

He doesn’t want to look at Vale, to see the disappointment and displeasure which surely the older has in his eyes right now.

He can’t bear to see how pathetic he is in Valentino’s eyes.

You ruined it for him, good job.

His head echoes with this thought, he was almost there, so close to faking it perfectly but he had to fucking cry.

He didn’t even cry in front of Vale when he told the world he hated him and he should be off the sport, but he cries for this.

“Marc?” Valentino’s voice is filled with something, it sounds like concern, fear almost.

“Marc, would you open your eyes?” no he can’t he fucking can’t because they’re filled with tears that are just going to spill out if he does, he doesn’t want that, he doesn’t want Vale to see him weak and scarred and broken.

“Amore please, what’s going on? Did I hurt you? I’m sorry if I did just please open your eyes and tell me”

There, now Vale even thinks it’s his own fault, amazing, really fucking amazing, another step towards separation.

Vale is so fucking worried right now, Marc is practically crying in front of him, trying to hold his tears in to seem tough but his body is shivering and his lips already trembling.

If he seriously went overboard and hurt him he’s going to punch himself in the face, he would never want to wound Marc.

“Amore?” It sounds like a plea, and it is, he’s begging for an answer, because he has to know what he’s done wrong.

Was he too harsh? Too demanding? Did he hurt his arm? How many possible things may he have done wrong? 

Marc gathers what little forces he has left and props himself up, sitting on the bed and opening his eyes, but he doesn’t look at Vale.

He wouldn’t be able to see him even if he wanted to, tears clouding his vision and falling on the bed.

Vale grabs the shirt he discarded earlier on the bed, the one with a wrinkled 46 printed in front in a now not so bright yellow font.

“You’re shivering Marc put this on, you’ll get sick if you don’t” he lets Vale dress him, he feels like he doesn’t have control on his body and it makes him go insane.

He always needs to have control, otherwise how can he handle reality?

He finally manages to look up at Vale, and the man can see the pain rooted deep into his stare, and he aches.

He aches because how could he not notice how much Marc was truly hurting? His eyes look like the ones he had back in 2014, after the press conference where he first broke his heart.

God that stare, the haunted gaze he had that day, it will haunt him forever.

A kid, he was a kid and he managed to kill him.

And now he looks like that kid again. Confused, hurt, crushed and dead.

“I-I’m sorry I ruined it Vale, I didn’t mean to I-” he stops, a hiccup interrupting his words “I can’t I’m not what you need right now and I get it” What was he saying? What does he mean not what Vale needed? He is everything Vale needs and way more than what he deserves.

“I just…I thought I could at least still let you have this but I can’t even fucking bring myself to ignore myself for this while”

Vale is so confused right now, because he doesn’t understand. Why is Marc talking like he’s going to fucking die in a minute? Why should he ignore himself? 

He has so many questions but he cannot even pose one, his lips sealed by incredulity.

And Marc on the other hand feels like he isn’t even deserving of an answer, he wants to scream and cry and beg Vale for a chance, but he doesn’t.

Finally Vale manages to speak up, the feeling of instability being suppressed by the need to understand what was killing Marc’s mind.

“Marc, what are you saying? let me have what? you didn’t ruin everything and what’s with the 'I'm not what you need’ thing?”

It looks so real to Marc now, the concern and the preoccupation radiating from Vale.

You failed him, you just had to shut up and endured and you fai-

For the first time this week he manages to shut the voice up, sending it back to the hell it came from long enough to be aware of the fact Vale really cares about him.

He breaks down, crying in front of the man he loves for the first time.

It’s ugly and messy, and he’s fuckinging exhausted, he wants to hold Vale, he wants to be held by him, he needs to feel at home.

And even if he doesn’t say that explicitly Vale gets it, he throws his arms around the boy, keeping him there for a while, not bothering to check how long, he places him on his lap, Marc’s ruffled hair tickling his neck as he continues sobbing into his collarbone, shoulders shivering at every sound.

He gets his head up from Vale’s neck, and fixes his gaze on Vale’s.

“Please Vale promise me you won’t leave me for someone younger and prettier, because I know you could do that anytime if you wanted because you deserve it but please don’t, I know I’m not beautiful like before and that I’m broken now and that you should be with someone who doesn’t hurt himself every week and I know I can’t do what I did before in bed but I swear I’ll try to do it again, and and I get it you could have anyone because you’re you but I only want you please please I love you I can’t let you go I need to be with you I know it’s so pathetic and dumb but I beg of you don’t leave me”

He rushes his words out, one attached to the other not caring anymore if he sounds weak, his face is now completely wet with tears and Vale’s shirt is soaked as well, but he doesn’t care, it feels like he let go of an enormous weight and is finally free.

Vale's answer comes like a helping hand to a drowning person, the hand that grabs yours and drags you out of the angry waves keeping you underwater, your lungs burning.

“Marc I- I don’t even know where to start I mean…why would I ever leave you if you’re the best thing I ever got the chance to have in my life? Why would I need someone younger when I have you and how could I want someone prettier when no one’s more perfect than you?

You’re right you’re not as beautiful as before, you’re far more breathtaking now, and you’re everything but broken, do you think that just because you fell and injured yourself you aren’t attractive to me anymore? Those scars symbolize you never giving up. They are one of the most attractive things you have, amore.

Marc I don’t care if we cannot have that rushed sex we used to have when we raced together, I love what we do now, I adore it, I feel much more connected to you, back then it was adrenaline and desire, now it’s love and need, I wouldn’t trade it for any sum on money in the world you must know this, I would never want to hurt you or force you to have sex with me if it hurts you, ok?

And I don’t fucking care I am who I am, or the fact I could have anyone else because 

I. have. you. 

And you’re the only one I want or need or dream about sharing my life with, you get it?

I love you Marc Marquez and I’ll be damned if I let these thoughts get to you and make you act like that.

I’m never going to leave unless you want me to, because I already left once and I hurt you and myself and I cannot go through it again. 

It was the worst period of my life because I looked for you every night and you weren’t there, because of me.

I should be the on worrying about you leaving me because of what I did, never never never the opposite” 

And now Vale is crying too, his eyes holding onto Marc’s gaze like his life depends on it, like he needs an answer to breathe again, because he too feels like he’s drowning and being brought to safety by his lover.

“You still love me? You swear?” It sounds so feeble and desperate Vale wants to open his chest with his bare hands and gift Marc his heart as proof of his love, because the only way he could doubt his love for him would be Vale not showing it enough, not doing everything the boy needed to feel loved.

“Of course I still love you Marc, I never stopped, and I never will, I want to share my whole life with you, you are my star and I will never let you say those things about yourself again, got it?”

“Even if I’m older now? I’ve got scars and lines and I look-”

“You look perfect. Listen I know I said I don’t believe in therapy and all that shit but I just- it’s just I didn’t like what they told me there and I decided to shit on it, but it actually helped me realize I still loved you and if you need to go there to understand how much I love you I’ll pay for it, I’ll bring you to your appointments and I’ll accept whatever outcome you get from it”

It feels good now, to Marc. It’s like he got dragged out of a stormy ocean onto a tropical beach, sunny, warm, quiet and calm.

Quiet.

No wretched voice demonizing or belittling him, just Vale, the only other presence on his dream beach, so close to him he can feel their hearts beating in unison.

He locks his fingers with Vale’s, a soft smile forming on his lips.

“Yeah I- I want to go, because I don’t want to feel like this again, I need to free my mind. Do you understand me? It’s so full it feels like it’s going to explode”

Yes, Vale knows. He’s gone through it more than he likes to admit, and he just nods, pulling Marc even closer, pressing a sweet kiss on his forehead, feeling the boy relax under his touch.

Marc tilts his head, looking up at Vale, and goes to plant a soft kiss on the man’s lips.

No rush, no lust, nothing except deep love and trust, a feeling of peace hovering over the couple who drifts to sleep together, Marc being able to dream of a beautiful snippet of his life with Vale, them together at the Ranch, not worrying anymore about hiding because Marc is retired and nobody will say anything, Stitch and Shira running after a kid with big blue eyes in the garden, the academy boys discussing who’s the favorite uncle.

Marc and Valentino holding hands, Marc’s head on Vale’s shoulder as they look at the little  girl laughing, playing with the dogs and the grass.

It’s domestic, soft, and quiet.

So quiet.

The only sound being the laughter coming from their friends and families and the dogs panting behind the buzzing girl.

She looks like Vale.

She calls him and Marc picks her up, she smiles, they’re happy.

There’s no need to worry anymore, Vale never left him, Marc neither, they went through Marc’s insecurities together, they didn’t let go of eachother.

In the real world Valentino is smiling, putting Marc to bed, covering him with their sheets, dreaming of the same thing. 

A life, a future with Marc.

[onlyonetifosi]

chapter 15

series masterlist my main masterlist

hello hello, im back with a chapter that i've wanted to write since Charles got Leo so here it is uncle Yn and Uncle Joris in babysitter duty

The morning sun cast a golden glow over Monaco, the calm before the storm of the Grand Prix weekend. Yn Leclerc stretched lazily in her apartment, enjoying the tranquility before the chaos. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand; a message from her twin brother, Charles.

*Be there in 10 with Leo. See you soon!*

Charles was on his way to drop off his tiny puppy, Leo, before heading to the media day obligations. Yn quickly got dressed and made her way to the kitchen, whereJoris, was already brewing coffee.

"Morning, amour. Ready for a day with Leo?" she greeted with a smile.

"Always," Joris replied, setting out two mugs. "Let's get  the breakfast started before Charles arrives."

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Yn opened the door to find Charles, looking dashing in his Ferrari team gear, holding a squirming Leo.

"Morning, sis," Charles greeted with a smile, holding the tiny Dachshund in his arms. Leo wagged his tail excitedly at the sight of Yn

"Morning, Charles. Ciao Andrea. Bonjour, Leo!" Yn cooed, taking the wiggling puppy from her brother. "Did you sleep well, little guy?, come in, we've got breakfast ready," Yn replied, stepping aside to let him in

"Yeah, he was good" Charles replied, stepping inside. "But you know how busy today's going to be. Thank you for watching him"

"Of course. Joris and I are happy to help. Plus, who could resist this face?" Yn said, nuzzling Leo, who responded with enthusiastic licks.

Joris emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. "Breakfast is ready. Come on, let's eat before you get swept away by the media storm"

Charles entered, followed closely by his trainer Andrea, who eyed the kitchen warily. The spread on the table included croissants, fresh fruit, yogurt, and—much to Andrea’s dismay—a stack of pancakes topped with syrup and berries

"Charles, tu ne devrais pas manger ça (Charles, you shouldn't eat that)" Andrea admonished, shaking his head

"Andre, relax. It's just one breakfast. He'll need the energy for today" Yn interjected, handing Charles a plate

Charles grinned. "Listen to Yn, Andre. She knows what she's talking about"

They all sat down, with Leo happily run around the apartment. As they ate, Charles filled them in on his schedule for the day, while Yn and Joris shared their day plans

"Alors, comment te sens-tu pour cette course, Charles? (So, how are you feeling about this race, Charles?)" Joris asked, pouring coffee into mugs

"Je me sens bien, confiant. Monaco, c'est toujours spécial. (I feel good, confident. Monaco, it's always special)," Charles replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "And having all of you here makes it even better"

"We're all here to support you, Charles," Yn said, squeezing his hand. "And Alexandra arrives this afternoon, right?"

"Oui, she lands around six. She's really excited to see everyone, especially Leo and you" Charles said with a chuckle

After breakfast, Charles stood up and gave Leo one last pat, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Merci encore, I owe you one and thanks for the breakfast, guys. We need to get going, see you tonight?"

"Of course," Yn replied, giving her brother a quick hug. "Bonne chance aujourd'hui (Good luck today)"

"Merci. See you later," Charles said, waving as he and Andrea headed out the door

With Charles gone, Yn and Joris turned their attention to Leo, who was busy sniffing around the apartment

"Alright, Leo. Ready for an adventure?" Yn asked, crouching down to pet the little dog and Yn asked, clipping on his leash. Leo barked in agreement, his tiny body quivering with excitement

Their day with Leo began with a walk along the scenic streets of Monaco. The tiny Dachshund drew attention wherever they went, his tail wagging furiously as he explored every new scent. Leo’s curiosity was piqued by every new scent and sight. Locals and tourists alike couldn't help but smile at the sight of the small, energetic dachshund trotting happily beside Yn and Joris.

They strolled down to the harbor, where the luxurious yachts bobbed gently on the water. Leo's nose twitched as he sniffed the salty sea air, and he barked at the seagulls that swooped overhead.

"Il est tellement mignon. (He is so cute.)" Joris remarked, watching Leo’s antics

"Oui, il l'est. (Yes, he is.)" Yn agreed, laughing as Leo tried to chase a butterfly

Their next stop was the Japanese Garden, a serene spot that Yn loved. Leo sniffed around the carefully manicured bushes and trees, clearly enjoying the change of scenery. Yn and Joris strolled behind him, holding hands and chatting about their plans for the rest of the day

"Maybe we should take Leo to the beach later," Joris suggested. "I bet he'd love running around in the sand"

"That's a great idea," Yn agreed. "We can go after lunch"

As the sun climbed higher, they decided to take a break and have lunch at a seaside café. They found a shaded spot on the terrace and ordered a light meal. Leo curled up at their feet, content after his playtime in the garden

After their lunch they headed to Larvotto Beach. Leo was ecstatic, barking and chasing after 

the waves that gently lapped at the shore. Yn and Joris watched, laughing at his antics and Yn took the opportunity to snap a few pictures to send to Charles

"Leo's having a blast," she texted along with the photos

By the time they returned to the apartment, it was soon in the afternoon. Yn checked her phone and saw a message from Charles saying that Alexandra’s flight was arriving soon and they were heading home to freshen up before dinner. Yn and Joris spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and playing with Leo until it was time to get ready

The afternoon flew by with more playtime, a nap for Leo, and a bit of work for Yn and Joris. Before they knew it, it was time to prepare for dinner. Alexandra, Charles' girlfriend, had arrived from Paris, and they were all meeting up for a family dinner

Yn felt a flutter of excitement as they made their way to the restaurant. It had been a while since the whole family was together, and she couldn't wait to see everyone, especially their little brother, Arthur, who she hadn’t seen in over a month

That evening, they all gathered at their favorite restaurant, a cozy place tucked away in a quiet corner of Monaco. Charles and Alexandra were already there, looking radiant and happy. Lorenzo and his girlfriend Charlotte arrived shortly after, followed by their mother, Pascale, and their younger brother, Arthur

"Artie! Ça fait si longtemps! (It's been so long!)" Yn exclaimed, squeezing her brother tightly

"Je sais! Tu m'as manqué (I know! I missed you)" Arthur replied, smiling

“Hi Alex, I’ve missed you! How was Paris?” Yn said greeting her brother’s girlfriend

"Merci, Yn! It's so good to be here. I missed you all," Alexandra said, her eyes lighting up when she saw Leo "And there's my little Leo!"

Leo bounded over to her, tail wagging furiously. Alexandra scooped him up, showering him with kisses "I've missed you, mignon!"

Dinner was a joyous affair, filled with stories and catching up. Charles recounted his very busy media day, while Lorenzo and Charlotte talked about their latest adventures. Arthur recounted his recent races, and Yn and Joris shared funny anecdotes about their day with Leo while Pascale admired their sons and the people they love.

"Merci d'être là, tout le monde" Charles said, raising his glass (Thank you for being here, everyone)

"À la famille," Yn replied, raising her glass as well (To family)

"À la famille," they all echoed, clinking their glasses together

taglist: @love4lando@gcldtom@im-mi@hiireadstuff@celesteblack08@reblog-princess@sunf1ower16@janeholt3@athena-artemis-dorian-gray@minkyungseokie@tesi1

[therobotmonster]

In honor of he who died and rose after three days in the grave and now grants life ever lasting to his followers I thought it only right I got into the spirit once. So Dracula, this one's for you:

Just look at it.

You have what appears to be (and is) an accountant being menaced by boobalicious vampire women twice his size, so he's got Ethan Winters beaten to the punch by 34 years. But don't be fooled. One glance into his 30-yard stare and its obvious why only Mr. Weems can stop these sinister She-Vampires:

Weems is dead on the inside yet still living, where the she-vampires are animated from within with life, while dead.

He is their antithesis.

So yeah, a pile of jank with a fun name crossed my path, and now you all have to hear about it. If you're not hitting 'J', you have no one to blame but yourself.

Released on a scad of systems, but mostly the ZX Spectrum and the C64, The Astonishing Adventures of Mr. Weems & the She-Vampires is a sort of 'Gauntroidvania'. It's also trying to push the limits of how titillating a pre-NES era game could be, though the C64 port's interface missed that memo.

The hacked c64 version was the one I played, but giantbomb had a lot of gifs from the ZX verison that I've upscaled for demonstration purposes.

The only bit of story is from the back package. Weems wants to feel something, so he's decided to take on the Great She-Vampire or die in her buxom grasp. Fair.

This game is not recommended for people with epilepsy, dignity, or in general.

Mr. Weems has a garlic gun to defend his ever-dropping blood supply (vampire hunter is an odd professon with anemia) and destroy the baddies...

All three of them, which are all introduced on the first screen!

You've got bats, they pop out of pots and attack you.

The manual says these guys are Frankenstein's' monsters, but they're clearly the giant from Twin Peaks trying to warn you that you've bought a dud.

On the C64, the lesser she-vampires are clearly based on Dracula's brides, whereas on the ZX, they're more like ghosts with big naturals.

Which means that to get both kinds of vampire babe from the secondary cover, you'd have to buy a cassette for your c64, and and for your ZX. And I don't mean a cartridge, I mean a, Cassette tape.

If you manage to stalk your way all the way to the end and find the gear you need to destroy her, the Great She-Vampire awaits:

There's no boss fight, but there is a 1 pixel nip, at least on the ZX spectrum.

From there you book it back the way you came, only every screen now has a she-vampire chasing you in a murderous rage. Make it out, and you win. Or maybe you didn't, because just like the Dungeon of Fear and Hunger, you can never really escape Mr. Weems & the She-Vampires.

Only Weems increases the immersion by truamatizing you, the player. Mr. Weems is fine. You don't have to worry about the Weems.

So...

Is it a good game?

Not remotely, but that isn't the point in the slightest.

It's temping to say this is the Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies of video games, but that's not quite right. Weems has promise and ISCWSLaBMUZ doesn't make promises. It issues threats.

Mr. Weems has the charm of a concept that's all potential and zero execution. A dead-eyed accountant gunning his way in a Gauntlet-esq blitz through a vampire-babe infested castle is a fun idea, more-so with all the secret passages and 'gather items and backtrack to the boss' aspect. It's just everything else that goes wrong.

I mean, who doesn't want to hunt the Great She-Vampire to her penthouse for a good staking, I ask you?

[wosowrites]

I Can Be Your New Home Part 2 (Jessie Fleming x Reader)

warnings: ⚠️alcoholism⚠️

a/n: pretend your mothers name is hellen 💀💀part 2 of I can be your new Home. here is part 1:

prompt: in which after coffee, jessie goes home with the reader and it’s her turn to comfort the reader about a situation going on in her life.

"Game day tomorrow? How you all feeling?" Magda asked the girls who were out for coffee as you all sat around a round table outside. The London air was crisp and warm and the trees were finally starting to show their fall colours. It was a good time of the year, you loved august.

"You can drop the captain act, Mags." You joked, sipping a flat white. "Maybe I just actually care. Man United is a good team, I want to make sure no one is stressed." She said, smiling at you lightly.

Magda knew you weren’t great with your own emotions, she was always kind to you about it.

"Well I feel like we’re gonna kick some red devil butt." You said, lifting your coffee in the air. "Here here!" Guro echoed in her best, sarcastic british accent.

You all drank your coffee and talked, took teasing pictures of each other, and eventually you told the group you had to go. "Have to have my weekly call with Hell-en." you told the girls. The younger ones laughed, thinking the nickname for your mother was clever, the older girls rolled their eyes, believing you should try to fix your relationship with your mum. "Wait. I’m missing something here. Hell-en?" Jessie asked, confused. "Oh right, you don’t know about her. I’ll explain in the car, want me to drive you home?" You asked Jessie. "Yeah, sure."

She stood up and zipped her coat up before saying bye to the girls and walking towards your car with you. You guys settled into the car, you in the drivers seat. You subconsciously did the one hand on the wheel, and looking back thing to pull out of the driveway. Jessie visibly shivered. "You cold?" You asked her. "Nope. Now tell me what Hell-en means." Jessie asked.

"Helen is my mother. I don’t get along with her. She was deep into the addiction lifestyle by the time I was 10 and was just never really around. A year ago, she called me and told me she wanted to fix our relationship. She asked for one call a week, so I agreed out of the goodness of my heart… that’s a lie it took me two months to agree to an every week call. Anyways, it’s awkward, and long, and I hate it and I’m always in a bad mood after the call, which means that I’m in a bad mood when I go to bed, which means I’m in a bad mood for training or the practice the next day." You told her, eyes on the road. "Ahh, so that explains the reason why once a week you’re such a grump before the games." Jessie laughed. "Yep. That’s it." You smiled.

There was a little silence that was broken by Jessie putting her hand on top of yours who was resting on your thigh. "I’m sorry though. I’m really sorry. You deserved better, you were really young." Jessie said.

You bit the inside of your cheek, a bad habit you had developed, your heart pounding so loudly you were sure could hear. "Your heart is beating fast." Jessie said, almost a whisper. "Yeah. I know." You said quietly, not meeting her eye. The atmosphere was very tense, but not uncomfortable, just full of nerves. "Yours is beating hard too, Jess." You said, switching lanes. Her hand was still on yours. "Yeah. I know."

You had to move your hand to switch gears, it shocked her a bit as the car has been silent for five minutes. She took her hand back, and before you knew it, you had placed yours on her thigh, rubbing your thumb on her skin gently.

"Go to your house." Jessie said, breaking the silence. "What?" You asked, confused. "You said you’re always in a bad mood after the calls. Let me make it better. Call your mum, and i’ll cook for you. We can watch a movie and just chill. I have everything I need for tomorrow in my bag so I can even stay the night. Or I can just get a cab back-" Jessie started saying.

"No! No. You- yes. Yeah you can come to my house and stay over. That’s great. That’s good." You said quickly. Looking over to smile at her and pulling your hand away.

You couldn’t let the undeniable feelings you had for Jessie take over. Not right now.

You quickly took the exit to get off the highway and then made your way into London. You turned onto your street and then parked your car. "You’ve never been here, have you?" You asked Jessie, opening the car door for her. "Nope." She smiled, grabbing her bag. "Well it’s not much but it’s nice. It’s the best home i’ve ever had, easily." You said, not meaning for it to sound as sad as it did. "Well I’m happy you’re letting me see the place." Jessie smiled as you walked into the apartment complex. "Don’t be. I bring a lot of girls back here." You joked, but she didn’t catch it, instead her face scrunched up adorably. "I’m kidding, Jess." You laughed, throwing an arm over her shoulder, causing her to lay her head on your shoulder. "Oh. Good." She said, laughing softly. "Only my mothers have been here. And by my mothers i mean P and Magda." You told her, now on the third floor of the apparement building. "Really? Why?" Jessie asked, following you to the end of the hallway. "I don’t know. I like my personal space I guess. It’s also a little small so not great for gatherings." You told her, putting your key in the door and pushing it open.

Your apartment was really nice. Small, but cozy. Upon entry, to your right, was a kitchen with a marble island. Parallel to the door, there were huge windows exposing the city of London. You had a couch and a TV to the right, and a desk to the left. Farther to the left was the bedroom, with a washroom connecting it. The area was tastefully decorated in white tones, made homey with accents of colours.

"Why am I surprised that it’s not horribly messy?" Jessie laughed, taking over her shoes and her coat. You laughed and took her jacket, hanging it up in the closet. "Well… I don’t know. I guess I am messy at training but I like it clean at home." You said. "Want water?" You asked her. She nodded and you filled up too glasses. "Do you mind if I shower later. We showered at training but is it just me or do the showers there give you the ick?" She said. "No! I get what you mean! Sometimes I feel so dirty after I shower there. Feel free to use it. And anything else. My mums gonna call in about ten." You told her. "Okay. Well I’ll shower while you’re on the call?" Jessie said, making it sound like more of a question. "Yeah. Definitely. Oh there’s clothes in the dresser in case you want something else to wear." You told her with a smile. "And there’s a towel here…" you got one from a closet. "… the conditioner and shampoo are new and-"

"Y/n. It’s okay. I’m good." Jessie said, placing her hand on your stomach gently.

You were taller than her, it was a low bar, but as she stood 5,4, you were about 5,6. "Okay." You breathed out, her touching making you dizzy. "I think your phones ringing." She said, pulling her hand away.

You looked down at the counter, and indeed, the name Hell-en was written on your screen. "Great. Uhm the water warms up quickly, don’t worry."

She nodded and walked towards your room as you answered the call.

"Hey mom." You said, trying your best to give her some kind of enthusiasm. Jessie smiled at you as she closed the bedroom door and you smiled back. "Hey sweetie! How was your day? Big game tomorrow!"

She said the same thing everyday, even when the game wasn’t big.

"It was good. I- well I had training and I went out to get coffee with some of the girls." You told her, sitting up on the counter. You heard the shower turn on. "That’s great. I’m happy you’re happy there." She said gently. "I hear the shower. Is there someone there? A boy?" She asked, hopefully.

You had never come out to her. You never felt the need. You felt as though she didn’t deserve to know you. But everyone knew you were gay, you posted about it on social media, being a big activist for the community and having dated a footballer before. So if she really wanted to know you, she could have just looked it up. "Mom…" you said simply, pinching the bridge of your nose. "Okay! Okay! Actually I have a favour to ask you." Your mother said.

It would be a lie to say you hadn’t been waiting for it. 12 months of talking to your mother on the phone and she hadn’t asked you for anything yet. It was fishy. But you tried your best to be calm and not jump to conclusion. Concentrations on the sound of the shower, the sound they told you that Jessie was right there. "What is it?" You asked her gently. "Listen… I’m in a little financial trouble. Just a small bit! I just need… like… the equivalent of 300 pounds." Your mother said.

You were shocked. The apartment was silent other than the sound of water. "You still there?" Your mom said. "Not for long! Not for fucking long Helen! You call me telling you want to rebuild our relationship! You call me!" You yelled into the phone, not realizing the water had stopped running. "You never wanted a relationship with me! You wanted someone to call in case you ever fuck up again! You wanted somebody to give you cash." The door of the bathroom creaked open. "What is it now? Can’t pay the bills?! Need to bail your drug addict boyfriend out of jail?! TELL ME!" You yelled, tears running down your face and shaking your body.

Jessie was standing in the doorway now, a towel around her and wet hair dripping. She has been alarmed by the yelling. "Honey… I’m just a little short-" Helen started saying. "Save it. Save it. Don’t call me again." You hung up the call and slammed your phone against the counter, back turned away from Jessie.

You heard footsteps and you turned around, seeing Jessie walking towards you. "Y/n…" She said softly, coming up to you and putting her hand on your jaw, using her thumb to wipe your wet cheek.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to see that. That’s not me. I don’t yell." You said, sniffling. "I know you don’t. I know you. It’s okay." She said. "I want to hug you but you’ll get all wet." She laughed.

You laughed and sniffled but didn’t care, pulling her in and hugging her. Her head left a wet spot on your shirt, but you didn’t care. "Go get changed, I need to too." You smiled. She walked back to the washroom and you went to your bedroom. You pulled out a grey hoodie and sweatpants for Jessie and and blue sweatsuit for you. You tossed the clothes to Jessie who changed in the washroom as you changed in your room. "Movie?" You asked.

"Definitely." She said. She sat down on the couch and took the remote, scrolling through netflix as you made coffee in the kitchen. "Any particular movie?" She asked. "Nope, I’m open to anything." You told her, pouring you both a cup. "Oh coffee! Thank god. I love Niahm but every time I go over to her house she gives me tea and I can’t take it anymore." Jessie laughed. You smiled at her and handed her a cup. "So… you and Niahm?" You asked, trying to be subtle. "No! No. We’re just friends. Really." She said quickly. "Oh. Okay." You smiled, looking at the TV. She had picked a movie called Into the Tall Grass. "We should talk about the car. And the call with your mum." Jessie said, her eyes still on you as yours were on the TV.

"Mhm." You said, looking back to Jessie. "My mother wanted money. 300 pounds. I didn’t ask why. It doesn’t matter anyways because she’s not getting it. I’m not digging her out of the hole she dug herself in. No, scratch that. The hood she dug both of us in. I just got myself out of that pit. And it’s not my job to get her out." You told her. She nodded, listening you calmly. "I agree. I don’t want you getting hurt." She said to you, moving closer to you a little. Her legs were crossed on the couch, facing you, and your forearms were resting on your thighs as you leaned forward. "And the car…" you said, leaning backwards and turning your head to look at her. "I think you have a pretty big chokehold on me Fleming." You told her, making her blush. "I think you have one on me." Jessie answered, running a hand through her loose, damp hair. "But I can’t date you. You just moved here. You need to get settled in before we could even try to be together."

"That’s not what I want. I’m settled in. The only thing that feels unsettled is that I haven’t kissed you yet." Jessie said.

Her words caught you off guard. You had never once thought you would hear such bold words from Jessie. "Does it now?" You teased, sitting up and crossing your legs so that you mirrored her position. "Yeah. It feels wrong." She said.

"I don’t know how to be with somebody." You told her, entwining your fingers on the backboard of the couch. "Then we’ll learn together." Jessie said.

You looked into Jessie’s eyes, unfamiliar with the feeling of never wanting too look away. You didn’t think, for once, you let your mind go empty. You got closer to Jessie and pushed her gently down on the couch, your body hovering over hers. You looked at her lips, and then kissed her. Your lips tangling, your hand slipping under her hoodie gently as your other hand held your body up over hers. She moans lightly, the feeling of your cold hand taking her by surprise. "Sorry," you giggled into her mouth. "It’s okay" she laughed, not stopping the kiss.

However when air ran out, you had to move off from on top of her. "Feeling satisfied?" you teased her. She took her turn to push you onto the couch, laying her head onto your chest. "Yeah."

You spent the rest of the night with food, movies, and just talking, until it was 9:00 and you went to sleep, bodies tangled together in your bed, just happy she was with you.

[ggukkiedae]

Rough and tough we play hard | DREAM 8lace | EP.1

Click Below to See the Video

(italic dialogues are spoken in english, bold dialogues are spoken in chinese. this is just a little something to celebrate dreamscape's release!)

while they’re walking up to the house, hannah and chenle have their arms linked together

they’re just watching everyone in amusement

inside the actual house, she sees haechan lying down on the couch

“stay still”

she plops herself down, head on his stomach and feet over the arm of the couch

he grunts at the impact then starts laughing

“stop laughing! my head is shaking”

he laughs harder before telling the other members to move away from the window

they both get up to look at the view with the others

she laughs when they point out the sound team and cleans up the toys they were playing with

“GUYS COME HERE” “GEGE CALM DOWN”

chenle laughed the hardest at that

while everyone gets on the tub, she waits then decides to stand in the back next to haechan who she asks a question to

“why are we doing this?” “we listen to renjun”

when they gather to discuss the survival game, she crosses her arms and looks at everyone

“so do i get to play? or does this count as part of taeyong oppa and hyuck’s “no violent games for hannah” list?”

jaemin throws an arm around her shoulders

“no physical contact, so you’re playing” “damn”

haechan fixes the beanie on her head while helping her into the gear

she bounces slightly in place, moving to keep warm while the instructor tells them what to do and the boys ness around

once in, she hides behind one of the wooden boards and fixes her gloves before holding her gun

“i am not going grocery shopping”

she gets up and spots mark, shooting him from the back and hiding again

“wait…. hans! was that you?”

she stood up, shooting him continuously until he dies before he could kill her

“dude!” “every man for himself, mark!”

she actually moves forward

there a clips if her shooting renjun and jaemin before she hides again and sees chenle

“noona! noona, let's be allies?” “sure thing, chenle”

she and chenle go back out into the field and take down jeni and renjun again

she’s in the middle of running away from haechan when she realizes

“where’s jaemin?”

she looks ahead and sees jisung looking up in confusion, then sees jaemin shooting from near the rest area for spectators

she and haechan exchange looks for a moment then haechan shoots her, effectively killing her

she gave him an incredulous look before haechan laughed and ran away

there’s more clips of her shooting and being shot at before the instructor calls them over

when haechan doesn’t call her name, she grins, then he says those he called goes home

“are you kidding me, hyuck?” “haeeun-ah, i trust you”

she sighs and loops her arm through chenle’s in solidarity

in the car, she’s the one in the driver’s seat

when mark asked why he chose the three in last place to go home, she scoffed

“hyuck was being petty for variety because of our cheering” “what?”

she left it for chenle to explain as she buckled her seatbelt

when mark turned the camera to chenle in his frustration, it caught her smiling fondly at the younger boy and gently brushing his cheek

she started the car

“you three talk amongst yourselves, don’t distract me while i drive”

jeno opened a vitamin drink and passed it to her before she pulled out of the parking lot

“wait, hannah, what are you cooking today?” “i can make hotteok for us to snack on, but is there anything you guys want as a meal?” “how about a soup?” “hmm… does yukgaejang sound good?” “sounds great” “good, now don’t distract me!”

she pulls out of the parking lot while the other three continue debating what else to cook

when they arrived at the store, chenle walked over to her side of the car and opened the door for her

she looked at chenle attentively while he talked about his sunglasses

“lele, i told you not to wear your sunglasses at night, didn’t i?” “they’re a necessity, noona”

then it fades out and shows clips of the next episode

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[ashenberry]

ashen. ashen i hope you know. i really want to know metal gear lore and the story please if youre ever bored and wanna talk about it talk at me about it !!!!!!!!!

HEHEHE >:3c i was gonna ask if u wanted like a specific game or in an specific order (game vs timeline) but i decided im just gonna talk at nasuem. for fun.

future ashen voice this ended up being long as shit. a read more. for ur sake

ANYWAYSSSS metal gear is about snake. which snake? fuck you that one but specifically these two

The metal gear games can basically bit split into the Solid Snake Games [MGS1/2/4] and the Big Boss (Naked Snake) Games [MGS3/PW/V]

The timeline for the games go

MGS3 -> ***MGS:Peacewalker -> MGSV* -> MG1/MG2SS** -> MGS1 -> MGS2 -> MGS4 -> MGRR

*(which is 2 games in 1 but not actually? konami wanted a game released in 2014 so they took one of the missions from V and called it ground zero. and then the rest is called the phantom pain. tpp. the peepee)

** these are msx2 games which was a home computer back in the 80s it was basically slightly more powerful then a NES. its very funny its such a. interesting part of the timeline and they never remade them so theyre just 35 year old games that are like the biggest twist is that big boss. is a bitch !

*** Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops is here but its not mainline saga. Metal Gear Rising Revengence is also not mainline saga but people have heard of it so it gets a mention. its the one with the brazillian guy sammy.

---

our timeline begins in the humble year 1964. the cold war is cold-ing and we meet our protagonist for the game john metal gear jumping out of a plane and into Russia to get some scientist past the iron curtain and into the states bc he decided he fucking hates developing nukes. Our cast for this game includes [Naked] Snake. The guy who will become, by the time of metal gear 2, the guy running the War Orphan Economy. they call him naked bc zero is mean and also bc they didnt give him shit in way of supplies

Zero. Also known as David Oh but who gives a shiiit. Hes your main point of contact for mission information he will tell you your current objective he'll tell you where to go what to do etc etc.

Para-Medic. She is here to tell you fun facts about the food you pick up, she is the one you call to save the game (in which she will then tell you about the movie ^-^) and she helps you when it comes to tending to wounds but i think that only comes up twice

The Boss. The most important character in the series given the impact she has on others, everyone whos met her talk about her in the highest regard and after this game Snake and Zero (and others) will tear the world apart for her.

Sigint. He's your main contact for weapons and equipment in this game. He and Para medic might end up being the character you talk the least to if you dont go out of your way to but honestly i really like their banter :]

EVA. Shes your intel on the inside for being the only other mother fucker on your side* thats actually here. in the russian jungle. Shes also propped as the love interest but snake and her at best have a one night stand and then. well you can argue they stayed friends. I do. i like that they dont get together it goes with the side thread that like. sometimes meaningful relationships cant be described as romantic or platonic WHATEVER!!!! next guy

Ocelot. fuck ass. bitch. he meows. he gets his ass kicked by snake and watches him hit his famous "i shit my pants" stance and then is just. [textually. stated in game] obsessed with him. for the next 50 years. and makes him everyone elses problem. my beloved mutuals could give u a more sincere read on ocelot i just. hes funny to me check this shit out

he does that for like 2 minutes. and for what. fuck him

Volgin. this guy is terrible he stinks which is great for a villian but hes fucking terrible. he also grabs snakes dick. he nuked a science facility hes trying to start mass produce the shagohod which is basically the precursor to metal gears. the metal gears are the nuke launching metal dinosaur

*theres some double tripple agent bullshit but. shes on your side like 90% theres like some side thing she crosses on you but snake i dont think gave a shit

---

SO SO SOSO SO. game starts out snake jumps out of plane into russia etc etc etc. This is called the Virtuous Mission. His Radio team consist of Zero, The Boss, and Para-medic. And this is the first time hes talked to the boss in like. 5 years? and she is like. the most important person to him shes like basically raised him since he was 15 he is often described as 'her most beloved disciple" anyways snakes like why did you leave >;| and the boss is like snake what is loyalty. who do you answer to? the goverment? the goverment changes who are you loyal to. for no reason. btw u dont need me anymore ive taught you everything now go forth and go save that russian scientist guy. so you go and pick up sokolov and then ocelot shows up and shoots the shit out of everyone and then snake shoots the shit outta ocelot and his boys but he doesnt kill ocelot becauses hes a fuck ass 20 something and snakes like ahh hes a fuck ass 20 something i cant kill him.

so he and the russian scientist walk towards the pickup point and the boss is like hi snake :> and snakes like shouldnt you be in a submarine ? and then the boss is like send the bees. Snake and Sokolov (Scientist guy) get swarmed with bees, sokolov gets yoinked by The Cobra Unit which is just. the boss squad for the game they have silly powers and theyre the boss's group from WW2 and the boss is like hey snake. im defecting to russia and volgins like hiiii we should kill the fuck outta this guy and snake hits his famous i shit my pants pose

and then the boss breaks his arm and throws him off the bridge* and then snake washes up on shore and calls in to zero and paramedic and is like hey chat. all my bones hurt so then the boss and volgin fly off in their helicopter and volgins like thank you The Boss for these davey crockets (which are nuclear warheads u can launch by hand) im gonna use them :> and ocelot (whos there) is like you cant just nuke the shit outta people????? and volgins like i can do whatever the fuck i want the blames gonna be put on the american who just defected and snakes like. hey zero i think something down the road got nuked to shit. the send snake a balloon and thats the end of the virtuous mission

*the boss has been wearing a bandana, and when snake gets thrown off he grabs at it and then from this point on untiiiilll. end of peacewalker he is seen wearing this bandana. idk if its the same one solid snake wears it might be im no bandana doctor

---

One week later, snakes in the hospital healing up from getting his bones broken and zero is like hey. theyre sending you back to russia. to kill the fuck outta the boss bc yknow that building that got nuked? well it was an american nuke on russian soil and if we cant prove that the boss was rouge this cold war is gonna go hot and theyre gonna kill the fuck out of us. So begins Operation Snake Eater, called that because the objective is to take out The Boss, Leader of the cobra unit (though the cobras will also die bc they are loyal to da boss L)

To begin snake has to meet up with his guy on the inside ADAM at the same shack sokolov was rescued from. On his way there he meets up with the boss on her horse and shes like snake. Go Home. horse stomps on his hand she breaks his gun. L. Snake heads to the shack. When snake arrives he is not greeted by ADAM however but by the motorcycle riding EVA who gets him supplies including a disguise for getting to the research facility sokolov is chilling at and a gun and shes like youuu should fucking sleep its like midnight and snakes like >:| fine. and he does. and when he wakes up in the morning theyre surrounded by the ocelot unit that snake has to take out and Ocelot, the main guy, has eva held at gunpoint and is like SNAKE. YOU. LOOK I GOT A REVOLVER LIKE YOU MENTIONED. YOURE GONNA HIT TTHE CLASSIC "i shit my pants pose" SO I CAN DEFEAT YOU FOR REAL and snakes like ok buddy & snake and eva 1-2 combo him, eva does a wheelie off his face, and they head towards the research sokolov is behind held at.

on the way there snake meets alligators and you can grab the alligator cap and some leeches and then you get to a ravine and oh fuck its ocelot again. that gif earlier? this is when he does it Snake and Ocelot have a good ol duel before they are RUDELY. interrupted by a shit ton of bees in which they are both. terrible at dealing with? snake tries to cut them with his knife and ocelot spins his guns at them and to avoid the bees snake jumps into the ravine at the end of which is our first cobra fight with

THE PAIN - each cobra brings an emotion into battle. The unit includes, The Pain, The Fear, The End, The Fury, The Joy, and The Sorrow. you fight each of them in this game. The way the Pain's fight works is that he has a shit ton of bees and you have the power of water. he uses his bees as a shield, fake clones, bullets and you can go. under water to not get stung. you defeat him he explodes yay

and off to the research facilityyyyyy. on the way you see The Boss and Volgin and Sokolov and Ocelot chit chatting and if u have a sniper rifle you can kill The End here but theyre just giving exposition about this girl tatyana and how sad it is that the pain died. off to the research facilittyyyyyyy

sokolov isnt there. some other guy is i think his name is granin? he has nice shoes and he was the guy who design shagohod and hes druunk and hes like shits fucked. heres a key card so u can go to grazny grod which is where theyre keeping sokolov and also shagohod and snakes like thanks. nice shoes. and heads out to encounter the secound cobra fight with...

THE FEAR - this guys a BITCH to do when youre doing a no kill run bc the way to take down foes non lethally is to take out their stamina and he will recharge back to full once hes hit half. his fight is him chilling. invisible in the trees until he gets hungry enough to come on the ground and start eating. i found when going non lethally just handing him a bunch of poison frogs works really well. you defeat him he explodes with a shit ton of arrows cause he used a crossbow and off you gooo.

Eva calls in and goes wdym he gave you that key card theres. mountain there. ill meet you there get you supplies. snake continues on towards their meeting location when he encounters....

THE END - honestly metal gear, aside from sniper wolf in mgs1, has reallly fun sniper fights in this youre basically hunting him down and augh its good. you can also put the game down for an irl 5 days and he will die of old age cause hes old as shit. he also has a parrot that u can eat after the fight but like. bro? dont? anyways you defeat him he explodes and then snake continues on in which he encounters. the ladder

ANYWAYS you make it past the ladder and my least favorite sneaking section of the game and then you meet up with eva and shes got you some food and a way into grozny grad BUT !! she also is trying too yknow. seduce snake shes very upfront about this tbh shes like most of my missions is to fall in love w/ who the mission says anyways snake got any deets about da boss while shes just wearing her underwear and snakes like :| yknow eva. im not feeling the whole vibe your bringing to the conversation but i will talk about the boss cause this whole things got me conflicted why would she do that to me :| and evas like oh were u lovers and snakes like some things cant be explained w/ the lovers friends dichotomy but she was like. stupidly important to me and evas like damn. i need to get going ocelots getitng suspicious of me and she heads back to gronzy grad on her motorcycle and doesnt bring us we need to go. a different way through the sewers where we have our next cobra fight with...

THE FURY - this guy is decked out like an astronaut with a flame thrower and my favorite vocal performance AND THE FIGHT IS ANNOYING AS HELL I DONT LIKE ITTT HES A BITCH whateverr u defeat him he explodes and youre in gronzy grad

Once in grazny grad snakes next objective is to get into the weapons lab. find raikovich and impersonate him and meet of with sokolov. Raikovish isss. raiden mgs2 hes very clearly made to look like him raikovich vaugely sounds like if you took raiden and tried to make it sound more russian, they made him a little bitch to reflect the fact that gamers of 2002 did nootttt like raiden bc he was a little bitch with hips you could make out as oppose to solid square. I like raiden. anyways. you locate raikovich, knock him out drag him to a locker room and steal his close and now youre raikovich so now you can just walk around without anyone instantly smiting you.

you walk into the room where sokolov is being held and there you find him getting interrogated by tatyana (who is EVA. btw. idk how much of a twist this was suppose to be bc on one hand of course but on the other aaaa it was a ps2 game i just went like waow. the third blond blue eyed women in this game bc thats just what metal gear does theres a lot of blond bitches ANYWAYS) tatyana leaves you talk to sokolov hes like we gotta blow of shagohod and snakes like im getting you outta here. this time. for sure. surely nothing bad will happen and volgin walks in and was like raikovich. i was waiting for u in my room what the hell man and snake. cant say anything he doesnt sound raikovich at all so he just stands at attention and then volgin grabs his dick. Volgin's then like hah. an imposter. and then is about to beat the shit outta him and then the boss walks in and beats the shit outta snake and then volgin beats the shit outta him to unconsciousness.

snake wakes up with a bag over his head and his arms tied up above his head for beat-the-shit-outta-him 2: electric boogaloo. Ocelot, The Boss, and tatyana eventually are watching. its an interrogation scene theyre "trying" to get information out of him but we're shown earlier that volgin is very good at the beating the shit outta someone part and very bad at the getting information part. Granin (nice shoes) guy died. very sad. ANYWAYS. volgins like i hate this cia dog dipshit are you here for the philosophers legacy and snakes like ? cause he doesnt know shit about that and volgins like the philosophers legacy. yknow. the big pile of money that The Philosophers, a group that worked behind the scenes to pull the strings on events around the world that eventually broke into the US, Russian, and China branch after the cold war started? and snake looks at him like he just got the shit beat outta him.

Tatyana is like this is fucked up and The Boss is like your ass at this and Ocelot is like tatyana can u stop wearing that perfume (this haas been mentioned everytime their on screen together I just Forgot to mention it) and volgins like ok ignoring tatyana and ocelot. Da Boss. why dont youuuuu prove your loyalty and stab both of this dipshits eyes out and the boss is like 🧍‍♂️ yeah ok hand me that knife and then we get a scene of snake looking at the boss sad puppy style while theres a blade inches from his eyes and tatyana is like this is FUUCKKED and grabs attt. volgin or the boss i forget its been a hot minute. it goes to chaos a little bit but the scene ends with Ocelot shooting out Snakes (his right, looking at him the one on the left) eye and at long last. now people who havent played the games have their shorthand for which one is big boss and which one is solid snake (the eye patch. tho we still gotta wait a minute for him to get one theyre not just gonna. give him one yet they still gotta beat the shit outta him more). eventually volgins like thats IT. we're done for now send him to the cell and tatayana (EVA) whispers to snake when she has a moment hey i got an escape route for u w/ supplies all you need to do is to get outta the cell.

So now snake is in gay baby jail. theres a couple ways to get out one is that if you went in 1st person view mode earlier you would have saw a Ghost (whos shown up a couple times, uh mostly when the boss is like Are you there The Sorrow? the ghost is the Sorrow) and the ghost wouldve held up a sign that had a radio frequency if you call it it opens the door. you can leave when the guard uses the bathroom sounds like dinner didnt agree with him. you can also make friends with the guard by giving him food hes like waow :3 my names johnny my dads name was johnny my sons name is johnny and snakes like thats crazy can you open the door and hes like yeah and you scram presumably after putting him to sleep. ANYWAYS you run off to the sewers and eva is like bad news they got dogs you gotta get going and snakes running through this sewer getting chased by dogs n guys until he gets to the end and oh fuck a cliff drop into the river and he looks behind him and FUCK ITS OCELOT AGAIN goddamit hes like SNAKE. LETS DUEL AGAIN and snakes like fuck it T-poses and falls into the river jesus style where because he was barely hanging on takes him too the next boss fight with…

THE SORROW. yeah. the ghost from earlier. snake is in a realm between life and death. The fight takes place in a monochrome version of an earlier section where you are walking through waist through water. the sorrow is like its fucked up to kill people snake. heres everyone you killed and then you have to walk through this river past the ghost of everyone youve killed up until that point. no kill runs still have a couple ocelot unit members bc snake kills them in a cutscene. and once you wade past all of them you see a body floating in the water. The sorrows body. touching it kills you instantly and to progress you need to take a revival pill you have earlier bc u also have a death pill you can use whatveer but it wasnt important.

I will mention it here. This jungle is where the sorrow died years earlier. He and the Boss were put in a situation where one of them had to kill the other and they decided the sorrow will die and the boss will live. which is great for the sorrow honestly he already had ghost powers im. being a cryptid is his calling truly.

Snake wakes up under water and starts swimming upwards for air. he gets ashore and EVA's like heres the meet up spot and he heads over there where he gets his gear back and a nice roasted snake for the time being. They Chill before Eva is like OK!! i got some C3 youre gonna head back and blow the fuck outta the shagohod i need to get back before ocelot gets sus and snakes like o7 ok AND WE HEAD BACK. TO GRANZY GROD. to BLOW UP. THE SHAGOHOD. we set up a bunch of c3 which was c4 but a little lamer but they didnt know that at the time but before the explosives can go off volgins like HIIII and hes got tatyana (EVA) corned because they found out about the spy shit. Remember how ocelot kept getting annoyed by her perfume? he finally placed the smell it was the smell of gasoline from her motorcycle and evas like your a bitch ass motherfucker and volgins like lol. lmao. strikes you with lightning. and the boss is like hey. let me finish her off and volgins like ok :thumbs_up: and turns his attention to snake where the 1v1 in a pit. Ocelots miffed because HEEE wanted to 1v1 snake so he just watches from above. and throws items for snake which pisses off volgin oh yeah next boss fight

Volgin - he has electric powers he can zap the shit outta you so for the most part you cant really use ru guns bc theyre metal you gotta use C! Q! C! close quaters combat a fighting form in universe created by The Boss and Snake. you have. 10? maybe minutes to defeat volgin b4 everything blows up. at some point phase 2 beings where volgin is like OCELOT. KILL HIS ASS> and ocelots like fuck you. does his gay little hand gesture and leaves cause he aint getting blwon the fuck up.

you finish up the volgin fight and get the hell outta dodge where you see Eva outside on her bike and snake is like ? i thought da boss killed you and evas like noooo she wanted me to tell u that we gotta go meet her at the lake where im keeping a plane and snakes like awesome ok. and then the c3 goes off and theyre like yay and then the shagohod starts coming for them and theyre like D: and volgins like IM COMING FOR YOUR ASS and ocelot who hates being left out also gets on his own motorcycle and also starts chasing after eva and snake hijinks ensue ocelot gets knocked off his bike early you blow up a bridge trying to take out the shogod it works for most of it but theres still the front half you 2v1 it in some field you kill the fuck outta volgin god strikes him with lightning. snake and eva are like x_^ YAY ^_^

then all of volgins men keeps chasing them to kill em and theyre like ah fuck. eva's like snake ill drive u shoot the fuck outta them and so u go through this driving section and then you get out nice n good and then eva n snake notice the gas tank got shot and while theyre looking at that they drive into a tree and off a cliff and eva gets like. stabbed all the way through her abdomin with a stick and shes like aug i cant go on and snakes like you have to. i cant fly a plane. i need u and shes like well when u put it like that so u get eva off the stick and then perform surgery with snakes first aid kit which includes. ointment. bandages. a cigar? SHES PATCHED UP. she aint shmooving tho so we have some slower paced stealth before we get to the lake! yay! snakes like i need. to go talk to the boss and evas like ok. ill get the plane started so snake walks over to the flower field the boss is in and then we have our final boss fight with…

THE BOSS - also known as The Joy.

Life's end... Isn't it beautiful? It's almost tragic. When life ends, it gives off a final lingering aroma. Light is but a farewell gift from the darkness to those on their way to die. I've been waiting, Snake, for a long time. Waiting for your birth, your growth, and the finality of today.

Joy recounts to snake parts of her life. How she went to space and saw the world whole. with no division no borders no west vs east capitalism vs communism us vs russia. how she went to fucking dday and gave birth on the field (??!) and how her kid n womb were taken by the powers that be. uh in this case those powers are the Philosophers. She talks about how this. shouldnt be happening. They shouldnt be going face to face. How the winds chance and how someone you fought along one day will be ur enemy the next. iiii have opinionsss but those are stored in the boss ppt uh. ask if you want those send an ask im not going tooo incredibly deep here bc im just writing this all off the top of my head but she thanks snake for letting her talk about her self, calls in a bomber jet, and says snake. we have 10 minutes before everything gets blown to shit. lets have the best fight of our lives.

I have found that this fight is far easier when using a non lethal method and also this is like the only part of the game that lags the flower field has hands. The games theme snake eater plays for the second half of the fight and you can find 3 snakes around named Solid Liquid and Solidus. buuut im stalling. At the end of the fight The boss hands snake her half of the philosophers legacy that she stole from volgin. She tells him that he is a wonderful guy. That their can only be One Boss. and One Snake. the camera pans out and this is when you the player are suppose to pull the trigger. if you wait long enough the game will do it for you but this is where Joy dies.

the while flower field turns red and snake heads towards the plane with a petal he took with him that as they take of get stolen by the wind. as the gain win who shows up but MOTHERFUCKING OCELOT BABYYY HE WANTS THAT 1 ON 1 HE HAS SOME LIKE HOVER CRAFT BULLSHIT THATS SHOWN UP A COUPLE TIME AND HES LIKE FUCK YOU SNAKEE AND THEY HAVE A 1-1 IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE AND THEN OCELOTS LIKE WAIT wwai twaitwait. russian roulette my friend here here. 1 bullet. 2 guns. he starts juggling them u take them and theres like a lot of outcomes here but its either snake gets it and shoots past him and either no bullet or its a blank or ocelot shots him and its no bullet or blank and hes like. "im not an ocelot and ur not a snake what ur name" to which snake responds john metal gear. thanks john metal gear. ocelot jumps out of the plane and we're off. out of russia. thank god.

They arrive back to the states Snake and Eva have a night to themselves :smirk: and then snake wakes up alone with a message from eva thats like hey snake. i took the philosophers legacy. i wouldve killed you too but god. The Boss is really based wow. Her ORIGINAL Mission was just to get the philosophers legacy off of volgin but the dipshit nuked a building so to prevent the cold war from going hot she had to die but she couldnt kill herself cause the states needed to prove their innocence so they made YOU do it and while this tape is playing we see snake getting his medals and honors for operation snake eater and. the president whats his fuck Lindon B Johnson i think is like. youve surpassed even the boss. we give you the title big boss. people go shake snakes hand and he just fucking leaves and goes to an unmarked* grave and just cries bc da boss is dead. *its like a MIA gravestone i think. yknow. the gravestone "here lies a hero" but theres no name.

AND THATS METAL GEAR SOLID 3. Ill be fucking honest i didnt expect this to be as long as it is holy shit. and mgs3 isnt even my favorite game i just honestly sincerely just recounted the events to you off the top of my head bwhadwaiwfjiwf. ill do the other games but later hehe

[commsroom]

Re: Doug and video games (I tried to find the post we were chatting on and think it maybe got eaten?) After some thought I think the sole reason he isn't more of a gamer in Canon is money, he seems like maybe he was the kid who didn't own a Wii or Xbox but played at a friend's house, like casually games in group settings kinda guy? BUT given means to do so he could potentially get into it (probably would go for a Nintendo system I think, given his references, and also bring able to participate in nerdy kid activities like playing Pokemon that were behind a real-life paywall when he was a kid) also a Nintendo system is geared towards group play like Mario kart or smash bros and I think he'd get a kick out of roping other people into playing with him. This has been the Doug Eiffel gamer agenda lol (also I'm super late but happy birthday! May the year being you peace and joy! 🎇🎇)

i would agree with that sentiment, for sure!! eiffel kinda grew up during the decline of arcades, so i think that's his main source of childhood video game nostalgia, but he definitely had a friend with an NES / N64 that he deeply envied. (he was already an adult by the time the wii came out, but he'd love the wii. for about ten minutes before he threw the remote through the tv, anyway.)

i think eiffel entered the workforce as a teenager, it was the only way he could get access to the stuff he cared about, and i have a personal headcanon that he's still got an old gameboy that he bought himself. it won't even turn on anymore unless he hits it against a flat surface at the exact right angle. he's the only one who can do this. and he wouldn't admit he was proud of himself, but he was. (as for pokemon, well. he references pokemon multiple times, and i know he still insists there are only 151. i just know it. his favorite pokemon is charizard.)

he would also go crazy on guitar hero.

[oiblackestsheep]

Letters to MBTI: ENTP

Dear ENTPs,

Man, oh, man, if I could choose to be another type, you better believe it would be you guys! It's not much of a stretch with me being an INTP, but still, your Ne-Ti combo packs quite the punch that I've always admired.

So quick to think on your feet, you come up with novel ideas like you just happened to find them in your back pocket like a lost dollar, or something. Not to mention that they aren't just nonsense ideas, most of the time, they work and make so much sense right off the bat. Sure, they might need a little tweaking to optimize them, but for flying by the seat of your pants 24/7, your unique ideas/solutions to problems never cease to amaze me with how functional they are, even in their infancy.

Not to mention that when you find your confidence, you really wear your thoughts and ideas on your sleeve for the world to see, and you're so unbothered by criticisms. If they're valid criticisms, you'll acknowledge and address them, but you don't take it personally or let it get you down, and it's such an admirable trait of yours! You can be so good at being unequivocally yourself, even if you tend to go against the grain. Sometimes especially if you go against the grain.

You're one of my favorite types to joke with, since you're almost always down the play. Anything random or zany I can think of, you can match my energy instantly and the synergy of our combined humor always leaves me feeling more uplifted than I was before.

Your tertiary Fe makes an appearance every now and then when you find little ways to show that you pay attention to your friends' wants/needs. You are considerate and care about other people more than everyone else thinks you do, partially because your reputation of being a jokester sometimes precedes you, and also partially because you seem just a little reluctant to let that side of you show too much.

I've seen you do or say something very thoughtful and sweet, but play it off as not a big deal, or like you didn't really even mean it to be emotional or mushy, and try to move on from it quickly until its forgotten by everyone. I'm not sure if it's because you're embarrassed, uncomfortable with deep feelings, or you genuinely don't recognize the emotional depth you possess, or all of that and more, but let me say this:

Your hidden sensitivity and discretion for others is a welcome facet of your personality. It balances out your witty, untouchable persona that you can sometimes assume because it shows that ultimately, underneath the jokes, the brain-storming/think-tanking, the never-ending debating and problem-solving, you do it all with a kind heart and good intentions for all the people around you.

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing more of that side of you, but I also realize that it's not your preferred way of interacting with the world around you. If it was, then you wouldn't be an ENTP, would you?

I'd give you advice like "clean your room", or "finish the project you're working on before moving on to the next one", but I don't really think that's necessary. Your mind covers so much ground from day-to-day, that I'm sure you've already considered that stuff. You might have concluded that you could do those things, but you don't need to because you're already functioning well enough with your own methods to your madness. And you'd probably be right! I mean, hey, I'm an INTP, I can relate, you're preaching to the choir. Why fix something that isn't broken, right?

Well, from one xNTP to another, nothing might be broken, but maybe what we really need is the push to acknowledge that while we are doing fine the way we are... we haven't completely reached our maximum potential either, have we? Coming up with new ideas, and switching gears at a moments notice to solve the problems and fit the needs of the current situation is such a gift, but I think we both know that it can be a curse, too. We both can make waves, for sure, but I think we could both learn to move mountains if we made more conscious efforts to finish the things we start and not get bored of them halfway through, or get distracted by a fun, new idea.

You'll never stop thinking of new ideas! Especially in the middle of working on your current project. Write down the new idea so you don't forget it (in as much detail as you need!), then go right back to working on your current project. The new idea will still be there when you're done. You just wrote it down, after all!

Sometimes you might not get the chance to write it down, and you end up losing the new idea forever and you never remember it. And that's a bummer! But even if that does happen, who cares? You're already well underway making progress on your current awesome idea and that needs your attention now more than anything else. And also, you'll think of even more new ideas later that might just be even better than the idea you forgot about. So why waste time fretting about getting started on that next thing before it's too late? We all know you'll come up with something even better later on, anyway. :)

With love, understanding, and appreciation,

Your kindred spirit, INTP.

[atinyniki]

soft thoughts on Nat? (that valentine's gifft makes ne wonder)

authors note: this is literally the cutest ask ever omfg… also ive never done soft thoughts on anyone before…?! heheh im excited (also this might be super inaccurate bc im kinda projecting but… wtv) anyways this one is probably going to be long-ish, but it can be read as gender neutral. (i got help from zehina and kylei too btw :P) also normalize men being soft in relationships please!!! they don’t always have to be the tough guy :3 i hope most of it is right @writingforstraykids hehe :3

nat has to love cuddles. it’s the same thing over and over again. you’re sad? “come cuddle 🥺” you’re tired? “come cuddle 🥺”. she’d give the best cuddles too, which leads me into the specifics… nat would hold you close to her and fondle your hair while cuddling. if you’ve read her fics, that’s one of the things she talks about most. just laying down with her while she massages your scalp and rakes her fingers through your hair like agh 🥺💕 she’s so cutie

another thing, nat really hates when someone is in pain. if an anon mentions that they’re upset, she always asks what’s wrong. and she’d do the same to you, so so so incredibly caring. she’d always ask about your day, and you could talk for hours on end, but she’d pay attention the whole time. and if you asked her to recite everything you just said, she’d parrot it right back 💕

when you have a tummyache, nat would kiss and rub your cute lil tummy till you’re content. she hates seeing her baby in pain, and does anything she can to make you feel better. just imagine small little pecks across the soft skin, her nose nuzzling into your plush with every kiss 🥺

nat gives compliments. a lot of them, to just about everyone she knows. but what if you were to turn the tables? she’d get so blushy, trying her best to stay composed. if you were to shower her with compliments, she’d get so red. especially when in public. just small gestures to show your affection and some praises thrown around here and there is enough to get her all warm and fuzzy 🥺💕

nat cares deeply about every one of her friends, so what’s to say she wouldn’t care for her lover the same? of course, she shows everyone so much love, but once you’re the one being treated this way, everything changes. everything she does and says comes directly from her heart, and she’s never afraid to show you how genuine her words are.

nat is godly at aftercare. there’s nothing she loves more than taking care of her love. she always makes sure you go to the bathroom after and runs you a bath. even after a soft scene, she will always reassure you and make sure you know how much she loves you. her heart just about bursts whenever she hearts your heavy breathing and soft snoring as you fall asleep in her arms 🥹

when it’s gloomy out and you want to go outside, the two of you will drive around for hours. nothing is better than spending time with your lover, and long drives with the light pitter-patter of the rain in the background also gives you some more time to talk to eachother. when she’s driving you, she likes to intertwine your fingers with hers and place her hand onto the gear stick, just to feel you close to her. and since you’re traveling so much, you normally try a new place to eat! kind of like a special occasion ☺️

kissing nat is so sweet too. with the small pecks here and there, as well as the steamier moments you have with her, you will always be able to feel how much she loves you. kissing is never exclusive to just the lips either, and i’m sure she’d kiss all over your face if she had the chance 💕

it’s basically impossible to hide your feelings from nat, considering how attentive she is. if you talk or text a specific way, she can tell exactly how you’re feeling just based off of that. this ties back to the point about comforting. she’s constantly checking up on you, providing as much comfort as she possibly can. she never wants her baby feeling upset 🥺💕

nat is an amazing artist. if you’ve ever seen her art, you’d know. imagine going on a nice picnic date, feeding eachother fresh fruits and doing silly poses while sketching eachother. bonus points if it’s springtime, picking flowers and braiding them into her hair 🥺 you could be there for hours with her and never get bored, not when you’re in your lovers arms with the light breeze brushing against your cheeks >//<

kisses were already mentioned, but lazy/sleepy kisses deserve their own section. you both work hard, as one does, and sometimes it’s hard to talk to eachother when you’re drained of all energy, and so is she. so what do you do? you hop into bed with her and curl into her, planting lazy kisses to her face while half-asleep. there’s something about these kisses that are so intimate, recharging you after such a long day. the two of you end up getting so comfortable that you just fall asleep in eachothers arms, lips still brushing against each others 🥺

pda with nat sounds soooo sweet. just holding hands while in public or linking arms? kisses to the cheek while walking and talking? hugs while you’re at small gatherings and watching the smile grow on her face? she’d get soooo giggly and so so happy. we all know how cuddly she is, so chances are she’d do it right back to you :3

being with nat will always feel like a dream. at some points, you may even think she’s too good to you, because that’s just how amazing she is. she loves with her entire heart, and she’s damn good at it too. you will never feel neglected or unwanted with her, not with the amount of attention and love she gives you. with all the constant reassurance, the compliments, and the sweet gestures, there’s no doubt that she loves you hehe <3

[blazehedgehog]

How is progress on your Ghostbusters RPG?

Almost dead, unfortunately. I think about it from time to time but I haven't done any meaningful code work since my Mom died. At some point in the last year I decided I'd write out the entire game script, since I was coalescing around a story idea.

With making an RPG in Clickteam Fusion, planning ahead is your best friend, so knowing every story beat ahead of time would give me a clearer picture of what needed to be coded on the back end.

But naturally, the opening to the game is going to be the most text heavy, outside of the ending. I wrote about three chapters, encapsulating a teaser and a recap of how the original Ghostbusters ended, and have been too distracted with other things to write more.

The general gameplay flow I was gravitating towards was something like Metal Max. Not long after starting this GB fangame, I watched somebody stream all of Metal Max NES and the bounty system in that was really interesting. Basically, over the course of the story, you'll hear rumors about special creatures and bandits roaming around the overworld, and if you can kill them, you earn a big reward by turning in the bounty.

If you ignore bounties, it cuts the gameplay length in half and you lose out a lot of level ups and gear. Taking/ignoring bounties almost ends up being kind of a difficult selector. Like doing a three heart run in Zelda.

For a Ghostbusters RPG, all of this just made sense, and it'd make it easy to reuse areas. You get calls about ghosts to catch, and you can either go catch the ghost (your bounty) or you can follow the story. Maybe the bounty is along the way to the next story event, maybe it's in a previous dungeon. It's up to you where you go.

I dunno if the game will ever get finished, but I'll let you peek on what I'd decided story-wise:

So it bothers me that a lot of recent Ghostbusters movies are kind of hero worship. Ghostbusters Afterlife is all about how these four guys were total legends that saved the world, and what a tragedy it is that they've been forgotten. "omg you kids don't know who the ghostbusters were? let me, paul rudd, educate you on the coolest, strongest and most epic titans to ever dress like sweaty service industry workers."

That's dumb. The Ghostbusters are working joes. They stumbled into this job, and saved the world kind of by accident. They are barely heroes and could have ended all life on earth as we know it just as easily. They just wanted a paycheck and were looking for a niche to fill.

And in the wider view of producing the first Ghostbusters movie itself, that too was kind of an accident. The movie got rammed through production, the script was an unfinished mess so they adlibbed a lot of it, and basically nobody expected it to do as well as it did. It is the very definition of lightning in a bottle, and it hasn't really been replicated.

So I wanted to push in on that. These guys aren't looking to save the world. They aren't actually that strong or cool. They don't have a sense of duty. They're just regular people, and they can (and do) make mistakes.

When Egon says crossing the streams is like "all life as you know it stopping instantaneously and every molecule in your body exploding at the speed of light", I imagine that means it's more than just a really big explosion. Ray calls it "total protonic reversal", which makes it sound more like the creation of a black hole, or something.

When the Ghostbusters crossed the streams and directed that into the doorway to Gozer's world, in my story, they effectively collapsed an entire dimension. Erased it, and whatever it inhabited.

I wanted there to be consequences for that. It was an impulsive action they made out of desperation to save themselves, and though it worked in the short term (sealing the door, almost certainly killing Gozer) I wanted there to be much worse long term consequences. They more or less punched a hole in reality, and there's really only two things that happen with holes:

They get bigger and deeper

They get filled in with debris

Ultimately I wanted to say that when the Ghostbusters crossed the streams, it was a mistake. They didn't know any better. They were messing with forces vastly beyond their comprehension. And the thrust of the game would be them figuring out what they did wrong and trying to come up with a plan to do a better job at fixing it.

But they don't know if they can do it. What happened with Gozer was a happy accident (that turned out to be not so happy). The scale of this problem literally dwarfs them. They are so small that they are barely even specks of dust. This is a supernaturally cosmic issue.

To me, The Ghostbusters are screw-ups that were in the right place at the right time and did the wrong thing. But not maliciously, just ignorantly. And the decision to take responsibility for that mistake is the grease that turns the gears of the narrative.

[nrdmssgs]

Darker matters (part 5)

Masterlist Previous part Next part

Angst Pairing: Nikolai x Olga 'Zhar' Samoilova Summary: The fall of Chimeras commander Warnings: Non-graphical description of an act of rape of a person below 18 y.o. (this may be triggering, I'm dividing this part with red lines for your wellbeing), swearing.

Author's note: Krueger does nothing wrong! It is not his fault, Zhar misreads him. I would never make him do anything this ugly. He cant stand treason and has every right to question Zhars choices. I didn't add the saddest part just to make things more dramatic. I needed to talk about the reasons behind Olgas constant state of fear and helplessness. I promise, the next part will be more safe and happy. Thanks: My very important people: @siilvan, @homicidal-slvt, @sofasoap and @gamergirlbonestaskforce141riot. And a very special thanks to @pale-elysium for the help with language and endless support.

Blue horizon and a darkening gray wall of blizzard, slowly but inevitably descending on her. She looks the man in a mask deep in the eyes and sees a power of nature, she fled from back in Norilsk. Now that Zhar thinks of it - that mission seems to have happened so long ago - she might as well call it ‘in a previous life’. 

This man's eyes are nothing but cold wind and ice, hatred and hunger. 

Olga didn't say a word, since he opened the passenger's door and motioned her to sit down. And this seems to annoy him more with every next moment of silence. 

“You either start talking, or prepare to be thrown out.” Hoarse voice muffled by several layers of cloth and plastic, thick slavic accent.

“Spent much time looking for me?” She does her best to sound calm and collected. If this is the end of her - she at least won't make it pleasant for this man.

“Ne obol`shchaysya. Ty ele polzla.*” Zhar understands, it was not an accidental switch to Russian - he shows her, how much he knows about her. All this while she has no idea, who is she talking to.

“Nu i kak tebya zovut?*” Unable to stare into his cold eyes any longer, Olga looks down at his uniform. She is surprised to notice that he is wearing a flight suit. If it wasn't for her personal experience, she wouldn't know, this is a very unconventional choice of gear, until one needs a constant soft layer right on their skin to compensate the extensive pressure of hard shells. 

“Nikak.*”

“Nikak…” Zhar pauses and clicks her tongue. “Oni posylayut za mnoi cheloveka, u kotorogo dazhe imeni net…*”

With one swift, almost untraceable motion he takes out a knife and, swinging it in a wide arc, stops it right at her neck - where the nervous tremor of her pulse is visible on the skin. “What stops us from killing you right now, mraz`*?”

Now that is a right question, that Olga asks herself as well. 

“A few weeks ago you killed my informer on my eyes.” Cold steel presses firmer against her skin. “Then you did it again with another one… and again. You could have waited for a little and offed me in that very first car, you've burnt. Yet here I am, and I doubt, It's because Im so skilled or lucky. They need me alive. You have an order to teach me a lesson - not get rid of me.”

When she goes silent, the blade slides up her neck, slightly scrapping soft skin of her jawline and stops right under her septum.

“Why don't I leave a lesson right on this face? I could, after all, make you wish, I was allowed to kill you. Could make that guy, Nikolai, devastated…” Somehow he sounds calmer now, as if he found a solution to his dilemma and now works on the smallest details in his head.

Olga closes her eyes and sighs. There is this one idea: risky, on a verge of madness. But there is only one way to test it.

“Right inner pocket of my jacket. Keys.” The man follows her instructions and pulls out a key ring with a few keys and examines them, not moving the blade away from her face.

“House keys, not older than five years. Either someone recently replaced the doors or-”

“I bought that flat a few years ago. Still paying the mortgage.” 

The man chuckles, “Are you offering me to rob you? Bring Nikolai some trinket of yours? You really thought, I could settle on that, idiotka*?”

“No.” She finaly opens her eyes. “This place is my home. Nikolai was there, he knows it well enough. You want to scare him? Burn that place to the ground. Show him, I have nothing left - ashes behind and ahead. I'll give you the address and make sure, nobody from my former colleagues finds out.”

He scans her face for a long time, searching for any trace of a trick or a lie. But as he slowly softens his grip on the knife - Zhar turns her face back to him, and he sees nothing but eternal weariness and terror. These are not the eyes of a soldier - these are the eyes of a prey, a deer in his headlights. So he asks one last question. 

“Why help me?”

“I'm buying time. I need this meeting, this informer.” She wants to add ‘please’, but that would be the fatal mistake, so Olga bites her tongue and looks back at the snowstorm, raging in his eyes. “Out of my car. Now.”

***

“Let me check, if I got it clear.” Yegor scratches nose bridge, frowning. “You've finally got, where this Said-?”

“Sedmi. Like ‘the seventh one’ in Serbian.” Zhars eyes roam across Nikolai's office over the heads of Chimeras gatheredthere.

“Ok, you've got Sedmis location. And that is where they are keeping Nikolai. But instead of going there asap, extracting our leader and blowing the place up… We are to split and spend next week cleaning out random locations around the globe and taking pictures?” Yegor was usually the silent type, he was ok with many questionable operations of the Chimera. So the fact, that even he started asking the questions showed, how confused the whole group now was.

“You got it right.” Zhar still looks anywhere, but at them. “Tomorrow morning, each of you will receive coordinates. You go there, you clean the place, except for three people, I mentioned, you do your magic and bring me the proof of your deed done. And I-”

“And you off us one by one, while we are divided? Isn't that what Sedmi instructed you to do? Why don't you tell us our target locations right now, so there are no secrets, Lieutenant?” Krueger cuts her off, slamming his fists against the desk. 

“I can't give you the coordinates, because I will never see them myself. It's safer so, since Sedmi is tracking me constantly. Whatever info I personally gather - he may find out. So the locations will come from intel department of Chimera - not from me.” Olga ran her fingers along the edge of the table, erasing a layer of dust.

“Commander, I don't understand. Taking over their base is a hard battle, but not an impossible task. Why wait, when every day can become the last for Nikolai?” Iskra tries to keep calm, but her voice gives out her annoyance. Everyone in Chimera are on the verge, and she is not an exception.

“Because a battle is exactly what Sedmi and others are preparing for on their base. And I'm declaring a war, soldiers! Now get up, go somewhere, where you can breathe, think about the difference, and make a decision, if you are ready to be a part of it, because after tomorrow there will be no way back.” Zhar stands up and turns away from others, letting them feel, that the meeting is truly over. She hears them sighing heavily and leaving the office one by one, all while she stares at some old aviation schemes, that Nikolai patched to the wall.

She doesn't move, when the door finally closes. A quiet, almost inaudible noise - someone's soft footsteps, doesn't escape her, despite a myriad of thoughts fighting in her head.

“Have any questions left, Krueger?”

“Only one: how do you like our commander's chair? Nice and cozy for your traitor ass, Hure*?” His voice resembles a low growl, a thunder, striking right above her.

Zhar is about to turn back to him and answer, but he gabs her by the back of her head and slams her face against the wall. The world around her fades for a brief moment and white-hot sparks are flying her in the eyes. She doesn't fight back, when Krueger takes her both hands in an iron grip behind her back, doesn't protect herself even when the wall under her skin becomes unnaturally warm and slippy. Sharp pain creeps from Zhars face to the back of the head and neck. The man is hissing his insults right in her ears, but everything, she can think about now is that she already was so helpless once…

“Doing it wrong, Sebastian.”

“What did you say?” He keeps pushing her into a wall, making it hard not even to answer, but to breathe in the first place. 

Zhar feels a metallic taste spreading across her tongue. She doesn't even think straight, when her mouth formulates an answer. “Doing it wrong. Want to humiliate a woman, use her - you'll need to immobilize her legs, not her upper body. Using your weight to pin her against the wall will do the trick for head and shoulders, but if you want her to stay - you hold her thighs and press one leg behind her knee… Poor thing will never escape that.”

He lets go and almost jumps away in disgust. “Hast du den Arsch offen?! Du bist doch nicht ganz dicht! Was denkst du von mir?! Ich bin doch nicht pervers! Hat man dir ins Hirn geschissen?!*” 

As he rushes out of Nikolai's office, leaving Olga alone, she slowly slides down the wall and ends up curled on a floor. 

She knows, it's embarrassing to stay like that, when any soldier can enter this room anytime, she understands, she must be better than this. A hopefully temporal leader of a private military company, an ex-141, a Lieutenant, got recognized by no lesser than John Price… One moment she is ready to declare a war to a criminal syndicate, but then she is on the verge of tears, because her subordinate wasn't happy with her decisions. Embarrassing. Pathetic. Helpless.

The word ‘helpless’ keeps reappearing in her mind from the very first day, when she lost Nikolai. She kept pushing it away, but now, laying on the deepest bottom, she grips this word, this feeling, and searches, what triggered it a long time ago. 

She felt like this before. Many years ago, in a previous life, when she still lived in Russia. Olga was still a teenager. A happy child, a spark of light despite having lost her mom and brother to street riots and the FSB suppressing them. She still had her dad, her friends, classmates, uncle Shura - not a real uncle, just an old friend of their family. As long as Olga remembered herself - he was always around: on every celebration, on family gatherings, even on her moms funerals. He helped her so much, was always there for her, always knew, how to make her laugh, told her heartwarming stories from his and her father's youth, had this giant for that time library in his flat. It was only natural, that she spent much time in his place after school, before her father came back home from work. Uncle Shura was always the safe person for Olga and her family. A friend.

Maybe that's why her brain just shot down, when it happened. The evening was so trivial - she did homework, sitting in his library, he was reading a newspaper, or maybe just listening to the radio. They were lazily chatting, laughing, Olga asked him something, and he pointed to a book on a far shelf in the corner. 

When he pressed her against the shelves - she thought, it was some prank. And then her mind went blank. 

She should have fought back, she should have not let him do it. Unkle Shura wasn't a big guy, nor was he fit or sporty. She could have escaped. Olga did nothing. Her body froze, every muscle clenched in a desperate attempt to become smaller, to hide. She only heard her own laughter and a phrase ‘this is so foolish, so silly’ being repeated on and on. She laughed and didn't move a finger. 

Not until he stopped, helped her readjust her clothes and asked if she's ok. 

Olga never told anyone. Not even to her dad, not even after so many years. This episode was buried too deep to bring it to the surface. But it never left her, not even now, when she admitted to herself, it really happened, and never was ‘just a nightmare’.

Slowly raising on her knees, she reaches Nikolais desk drawer. Zhar hates her body and her mind for keeping failing her. She needs to stop this flow of memories right now. Olga needs a human voice to keep her from giving up.

The screen of a burner phone turned on and an empty number entry field appeared before Olga’s eyes. Mentally going through who she could call, she brushed aside one name after another. 

Price is forbidden - he will understand that something is wrong and will rush to help his best friend, and this could cost Nikolai his life. Johnny's a nice guy, but he'll instantly tell everyone she called. Laswell... No, too risky. Kyle is too precious to drag him to this dirt. Ri- no, she's off limits.

Zhar cursed under her breath: never before she was so desperate to hear anyone's voice and felt so alone. There was nobody around, no one, she could call. Her finger pressed one digit mechanically, then another one. She didn't even look on the screen anymore.

“Darker matters, you said? Should have listened to you sooner, Lt.” She mutters to herself, pressing the last digit and bringing phone to her ear.

In a deafening silence, a sound of a first beep seems too loud. But as the beeping continues, Zhar grows accustomed to it. She flinches, when she hears a familiar voice. It takes her a few seconds to muster a greeting.

“Its Olga. Can we talk for a minute?”

Ne obol`shchaysya. Ty ele polzla. - Don't flatter yourself, you barely crawled.

Nu i kak tebya zovut? - So how do they call you?

Nikak. - No name

Oni posylayut za mnoi cheloveka, u kotorogo dazhe imeni net… - They send a man after me, and he doesn't even has a name...

mraz` - scum

idiotka - idiot

Hure - bitch

Hast du den Arsch offen?! Du bist doch nicht ganz dicht! Was denkst du von mir?! Ich bin doch nicht pervers! Hat man dir ins Hirn geschissen?! - You lost your mind? You are nuts! What do you think of me?! I'm not some pervert! Are you completely brain fucked?!

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