#i need something to get me interested in footy

[fazcinatingblog]

Happy Thursday!!!!!!

[oceantornadoo]

Could you maybe write a fic for Simon pursuing a reader who has no experience despite being in her early 20s?

(disclaimer: this ask said early 20s but i didn't really focus on that exact age for reality and inclusivity purposes)

you like to think you're a pretty calm person. have to be, for the kind of work you do - can't be a hothead when you're dealing with hundreds of other hotheads (a.k.a. military men). that environment, seeing the vicious effects of too much testosterone and loyalty to those who don't deserve it, has led you to this predicament. a lack of experience with men. all the ones you've met are loud or self-absorbed and your work is so time-consuming so that when you've found yourself at this precipice, you realize you have no experience to guide you. only a few drunk kisses and one teenage crush to act as the map for the journey you're about to take.

it was odd, how easily you fell into simon riley. he duped you into your first date, calling it a celebratory post-mission dinner when in reality, he'd had the reservations for weeks. it progressed smoothly from there: coffee and ice cream and a scary movie you didn't want to see alone. a few weeks later and you let him into your sacred apartment, a couch no man had ever sat on. he was so respectful, soft words and light touches to get you comfortable with him.

you intrigued simon. it was like befriending a stray cat; one wrong move and he'd be out in the hall. he'd asked around (a.k.a. asked johnny) and found out you'd never dated anyone on base. not surprising, he hadn't either, but your skittish nature led him to believe you'd never dated anybody. you were comfortable with men, sure, but you'd never made any moves on simon despite seeming to like him so much. if he were a less confident man, he would think you weren't interested, but it was in the way your eyes lingered on him, the glances you shot him when you thought he wasn't looking. he decided a conversation was necessary to clear the air so he didn't keep handling you like a bomb that could go off any second.

the two of you were watching footie, a bowl of popcorn in the middle. your hands brushed occasionally as you ate, your knee touching his, but nothing further. simon was well practiced in restraint, and he would wait as long as he needed to, but he felt like he was operating blind, no night vision goggles in sight. "love." it was like flipping a switch. you jumped up, snatching the popcorn bowl and murmuring something about supplying a refill even though it was more than halfway full. he let you have your freakout in the kitchen, giving you time to collect your thoughts. finally, you came back ten minutes later, hand shaking slightly as you put the bowl back down, which was decidedly not full. "can i ask you somethin'?" his hand gripped your knee before you could get up again, settling you back on the couch. your eyes were wide, searching his at a rapid speed as you tried to figure out what he was asking.

"w-what?" he started stroking your knee slowly, thumb brushing over the fabric of your sweats. he didn't answer right away, letting the rhythm of his thumb calm you until your shoulders dropped a fraction. "do i scare y'?" he murmured in a low tone. your shoulders dropped completely, your head collapsing on the couch behind you. you figured it was time to have this talk anyways. "no, it's nothing like that. i trust you, si." he nodded, checking a question off his list. his thumb was still stroking you, the motion anchoring you to the moment. "did someone hurt y'? before me?" you shook your head. "no, it's nothing like that. i just-" you cut yourself off, biting your lip. you chanced a glance at simon, his face open and patient. "i just don't have a lot of experience with men. and it makes me nervous, thinking i'll do something wrong." simon nodded in understanding. "'s while y're so jumpy. how much experience?" you muttered your answer too low for him to hear. "wot?" ugh. "none." oh. oh.

simon was rewriting scripts in his head. no experience was not what he was expecting, but it didn't put him off. if anything, he felt honored you picked him to give you experience. "doesn't matter, love. we can go 's slow as you want. just gotta tell me what y' want." your hand covered his on your knee. "i want you, si. i just don't know how to show it." he squeezed your knee. "trust me?" you nodded instantly. suddenly, you were being moved, strong hands around your waist dragging you into simon's lap. he arranged you into a straddle, setting you back on the middle of his thighs. simon didn't want to give you the wrong idea by putting you on his cock so soon. there was time.

"ya ever kiss anyone?" you gave him a small smile. "not sober. none that i really remember." he laughed, the feeling vibrating through his chest down to his thighs. it was exhilarating, being so close to him and not being scared. you were still nervous, sure, but there was less expectation hanging over your head now that you had talked. "c'mere. we'll take it slow. close your eyes." he sat up a little, a hand on your hip preventing you from being jostled. you closed your eyes obediently, lips parting slightly with the exhale of your breath. you could feel his body heat come closer. he brushed his lips against yours, pulled back, and then gave you a real kiss.

you weren't sure what to do. you had listened to enough advice podcasts to know you shouldn't use any tongue, but that was it. his lips were soft, if a bit chapped, pressing against yours deliciously. he felt so close, so intimate, and you pushed back against him, just a little. it melted your heart a little as he pushed back, warm and willing. your hands instinctively dove into his hair, finally feeling those strands you'd been dreaming about. it went on and on, experimenting with little licks and bites as you got more confident. unfortunately, the more passionate you became, the less air in your lungs. you pulled back with a gasp.

"fuck." his lips were swollen and red, his hair sticking up at all angles. ravished. "good?" he asked, licking his lips. you nodded. "can we do it again?" the eagerness would have made you cringe if you didn't want it so much. "yeah, baby, anytime you want. c'mere."

--

i hope i did this justice!! my first kiss was terrible but i was also 14 so i think it would be better with an experienced man lol

[wisteriagoesvroom]

interesting soundbites you might've missed from the op81 & howie games podcast in melb

(did this while procrastinating at work... we are so back i guess.)

disclaimers: (i) i'm paraphrasing here so can't vouch for 100% accuracy, but as much as possible have tried to capture the meaning (ii) the word association game and the carcar soundbite have already made the rounds, but, i feel like, there was a lot more in this interview.

let's go!

on the topic of personal chefs and nutrition etc: host mark howard asks if the menu changes or there's anything special that oscar requests that reminds him of home -- apparently race week thursdays for a while were "chicken parm thursdays" and they might bring this back

oscar's lunch on press day was barramundi and "the big grained couscous with no spices" (oscar... the 1/16th is crying out for help)

one of the reasons he renewed with mclaren is because he felt the infrastructure and people needed to get to the championship in the new set of regs was there, so he was confident

on the reported $22mn bonus last year: oscar denies that it was this high (lol ok sir)

on longevity of career and responsibility: oscar talks about the estimated career in f1 usually being up to 35, maybe into your 40s but "it isn't like a typical career where you've got until your 60s" so financial investing and doing something with your salary to prolong the usability of it is important (wow 20something multimillionaire thinks of his pension. mature)

on the early RC cars: "i drove one around the school [cricket] oval a few times and that got me in trouble" pLeaSe !!!

recounting his first race at oakleigh (he was about... 9? 10?): "i went to a friend's birthday at the bmx track and did the last jump of the day before we went for the race. and i skidded down the down ramp on my face, so i actually missed it" HE REALLY WAS JUST SOME KID

so his real first race was a state race (with a P/provisional drivers' plate) HAHAHAH. he fought his way about half way up the pack in this one

"my first win... i won a club race at oakleigh and it felt like a world championship at the time. and then i quickly realised no one cared" <- once again devastated by his deadpan humour

on aus footie: "i was good in the under 9s cus i was pretty big as a kid up till that point and then everyone else grew and i didn't, then quickly realised i wouldn't become a footballer no matter how much i wanted it. i was playing footie a lot before i started racing and [the demands of racing then] really took up a whole season"

he also fielded in cricket at state level (?) a couple of times here and there. [i don't understand cricket terminology fully so i might be wrong here]

he was starstruck when meeting jackie stewart and alain prost because it was "pretty special, pretty cool. to meet legends of the sport like that."

he downplays the question about whether it was hard to move to boarding school, because he wanted to become a professional racing driver so badly and was always really motivated by this.

but does say formula renault was hard because of everything he felt he had to balance that year, and when things were not going well it feels very pressurised especially when you have only a year to prove yourself

on sponsorship and racing: "i'm fortunate to have a family that are pretty well off and it didn't become apparent until i entered f2 [that it was a big financial strain]. it costs about three million AUD a year [to fund a year in that series]"

credits both his parents for the sacrifices they made to support his racing career and shouts out his mum for making sure his sisters had the same opportunities to pursue their dreams as well

about the alpine purgatory years: "that was a tough thing because not everyone knows the full story and we weren't able to tell it. it was not an easy thing to go through but once i cemented my future and signed with mclaren, it was a relief to know i was going to be on the grid for at least a little bit"

to put the current margins on the cars into perspective: "the amount of difference between me and the car in front is the time it takes to blink".

and on car development being so advanced now: "there being something like a second between first car and last on the grid in qualifying is pretty unprecedented"

does he watch drive to survive seasons? "to be honest not really. i just skim through and see my parts to see if they've painted me as a supervillain. [this year's] is pretty balanced i would say. the mclaren episode is a pretty fair reflection of two competitive guys wanting to win races and it being a difficult situation for the team. it's entertaining but that one is for the most part pretty accurate. i found it quite entertaining."

during the drivers' word association part: "i don't have much for Stroll" FLKJKFJSDKLJSDK he really went *mariah carey voice* i don't know her

race weeks are scheduled down the minute, and on off weeks it's usually training every day at least once or twice a day; they get maybe 2-3 days at home. last year he reckons he spent 100 days at home in monaco last year, and was on at least 48-60 flights for work depending if you count the ones going to and from the MTC

howie told him to share his airline points (ha) and oscar said "qantas is the one airline i don't have platinum status at the moment [though] i used to when i lived in aus"

oscar does not own a boat in monaco (YET)

finds life in monaco a little bit of an adjustment due to the smaller spaces, but he's been in apartments even since boarding school so it's not a big deal to him. "i'm going to sound like a complete wanker if i complain about living in monaco"

on communication style on the radio, it's kind of about personal preference and he doesn't cast judgment on that – "some people need to be fired up, some people need to be calm and for me it's staying calm. in baku you can see from the onboard and my helmet i got pretty excited but i don't always open the radio for that"

howie closes with any advice for kids. oscar says: "enjoy it. for me, even – we've spoken about how difficult it is being in f1 and how cutthroat – [it's] always taking a conscious moment to reflect that you're doing a thing you love. doing it because you love it is the first thing. that's an important one for me even though there's so much more pressure now than when i started my first race at oakleigh. the second part is always be trying to learn, and improving. it's often easy when you have success early on, you think you're at that [certain] level now. but on my journey i've learned what's good 12 months ago isn't going to be good enough in 12 months time. that's in the car too. if we raced last year's car this year we'd probably be last. continuing to learn and improve is a part i enjoy as well."

[141goblin]

Soft: Chapter Seven

CW: Suggestive, slight manipulation and sneakiness behind the scenes, John Price being DOWN BAD for reader :3

A/N: damn this is picking up. ngl this chapter had me giggling and kicking my feet as I was writing it. Strap in...

The beers are cooling in the fridge, the crisps are in bowls on the coffee table and I have enough cigars to last me a week-- all the needed ingredients for a lad's night, when they come ‘round to watch the footy. It's something that keeps me sane since retirement, even though I would never admit it, the lads wouldn’t let me hear the end of it. It makes me feel like I'm still part of the team, still Captain of my team, still needed. The lads know that even if I don't say it. I need a little something extra to keep me sane these days, especially since there’s been nothing but radio silence from my big, soft, sweet girl. Every night before bed I type out a message, inviting her on a date, or simply just wishing her sweet dreams. Don't want my angel having nightmares, do we? But, the backspace gets pressed and the message is left unsent, don’t want to scare her off.

I’ve been hypothesising for the past few days as to why I haven't heard from her, and I’ve come up with the following possibilities: 1. She has a boyfriend. 

2. She isn’t interested in me, (not bloody likely).

And that’s it. I hate both possibilities. I know for a fact that she’s interested in me. Not in the arrogant, ‘I'm a sex god’ way, but in the ‘I know women’ way. I saw that look in her eyes the other night, the subtle swirling of heat and wanting, the way she’d chew on her plump bottom lip as she sat there on that stone bench, poor baby lost in her thoughts. Thoughts of me. I saw that blush on her cheeks, I absolutely saw it. Either that, or it's my old age makin’ me think a pretty, soft woman wants me the way I want her when really, she might not ever want to see my ugly mug ever again.

There is an option I’ve been considering, the option that the ugly, impatient, eager part of me is leaning towards. Johnny’s bird is her best mate, right? I’m sure I could pull a few strings, get her address and drive over there under the pretense that I need my jacket back. My bloody jacket. Two weeks it's been there, collecting the scent of my beautiful girl, and just thinking about burying my face in it makes my mouth water and my chest ache. I wonder what she smells like when she hasn't doused herself in perfume like she had the other night, what would fill my senses if I pressed my nose to the softness under her jaw and inhaled? The back of her neck, maybe even between her tits. 

The lads arrive and the usual routine occurs, muddy boots and trainers left at my front door, beer bottles on the coffee table, crisp crumbs in my carpet and echoes of banter and laughter, the soft hum of the football commentator filling my living room. It does everything to soothe my soul like it normally does; time spent with my brothers-in-arms, with good food and good beer. But as always, the woman has made a home in the cradle of my skull, like a little bird making a nest. I cannot get her out of my mind, and I’m not sure I want to. I decide to attempt to drown her out with a bit more booze, knocking back an extra beer or two, and attempting to wash her out, at least until I can get my hands on her. Of course, the bloody lads pick up on it, “You alright, Cap? Don’t normally see you drink more than three”, Johnny laughs, nudging me with his elbow. If anyone knows what's happening up there in the confines of my skull, it's him. I chuckle and nod, swirling the malty liquid around in the amber bottle before tipping the remnants of it into my mouth and down my throat.

“Oh, come off it. Can’t a bloke enjoy a few beers with the footy?”

That earns a few chuckles from the lads and it gets forgotten. But, I don't miss the knowing glance Johnny sends my way like he's already formulated a plan in that head of his. Good lad, Soap. Simon’s taught you well. The football game comes to an end-- 2-1 to Liverpool, and I get up from the couch to put the empty bottles in the wheelie bin out the front of the house and light up a smoke. The bottles clatter and ting as I empty them into the receptacle, the noise louder than I'd like. Don't know what my neighbours must think, hearing me empty glass bottles into my recycling bin two or three times a week. 

I lean against the cold brick of my house with a cigar between my teeth, the end glowing red as I inhale before blowing it out into the night air. The beer has done nothing to quell my thoughts of her. If anything, it made it worse. It’s like she's taunting me up there, parading her pretty self around and telling me I'm not allowed to have her yet. Oh, my girl. Why must you torture me this way? 

I'm pulled from my thoughts when I hear my front door opening and closing. I turn around to see Johnny, hands tucked into his hoodie pocket as he greets me with a nod. He knows I'm thinking of her, I can see it on his face. A silent message of ‘I know she’s up there, I can see her behind your eyes’. I give him a nod back and take a slow, heavy drag of my cigar, letting the smoke curl into ribbons in front of my face.

“How is she?” I rasp, not lifting my eyes away from my boots. I can practically hear the smile in Johnny’s voice, I don't need to look at him to see it. I see him shrug out of the corner of my eye.

“Don't know, Cap. Amelia hasn’t heard from her, or somethin’.”

I nod, boots kicking up some stones from my front path, like I'm making conversation, like it hasn't been clawing at my insides for two fucking weeks. Johnny’s bird hasn’t heard from her, which makes things more difficult than I thought. I thought they were supposed to be best mates? Fuck sake, why does this have to be so--

“Here.” Soap says with a grin that's softer than usual, slipping a scrap of paper into my palm. The corner of a notebook that’s been torn off and had something scrawled across it. 

“Don't tell ‘er you got it from me, yeah? Ameila’ll kill me.” 

I lift my open palm up and look at the piece of paper. Written on it is an address and I don't even have to ask to know who lives there. Good lad, Johnny. Knew you’d figure something out. I’ve never felt more like a teenage boy in my life, having to force myself to remain straight-faced and jumping up and down with the sheer excitement coursing through my body. 

I tell the lads that it's time to call it a night, ‘Gotta see a man ‘bout a dog’, I tell them, and they understand not to ask questions. They’re out the door within ten minutes and then I'm in my bathroom, rummaging around for something, anything, that smells nice. I opt for a slightly expensive aftershave and some beard oil, rubbing it into my hands before running my fingers through my whiskers and-- Christ, when did my beard get so grey? 

Without thinking twice, I grab my jacket and practically jump into my car. My thick finger keys her address into my SatNav, and I'm roaring down the street within seconds. It's time to finally get my eyes on my big, beautiful girl.

[othervee]

Hi Vee!

What is the scene or moment in YR that hooked you into the show 💜

Hi yourself! Oooh, this is a good one. The scene that hooked me was the entirety of the very first scene pre-credits and I will elucidate.

Seeing Wilhelm in that fancy bathroom - just a kid with his floppy hair and bruised face - I was so struck with the number of emotions Edvin somehow managed to convey in that two seconds with his posture and then with his face when he looks into the mirror.

Then when he's in the car and raises his hand to hide his face from the photographers. His face switches; he instantly puts up a wall, and it's in his face as well as the upraised hand. And again there's a mixture of emotions there.

And finally, there's that moment that he looks right into the camera. It's bold, it's unexpected, it makes you think but you don't have time because you get the titles across his face and the blast of 'Wannabe Ghetto'.

I've worked with a number of wealthy people, many of whom had inherited wealth and felt that their privilege meant they needed to take on responsibilities and a public persona that didn't actually fit who they are. It's something we were all aware of but nobody actually spoke about it at all. One of my friends once said, "Geez, what if you were born a [FAMOUS FAMILY] and all you wanted to do was play footy?"

And I'm fascinated with this mystic quality we seem to grant to royalty, and I'm not immune to it myself as witnessed by the time I was actually in! the! room! with! an! actual! royal! and bragged about it to everyone I knew. And I've done media interviews myself as a spokesperson for my organisation and I was scared to do it as a thirtysomething with media training, so I can't imagine how it would be for a sixteen-year-old with WAY more scrutiny on him even with the best media training in the world.

So this show spoke to personal and professional interests of mine, and it came at an interesting moment, too. I didn't really become aware of YR until around the time the second season was about to drop. I was watching Heartstopper (I'd been reading it online since Covid times) and there's overlap in the fandoms, so I was kind of aware YR was out there but I didn't really pay that much attention until Kit Connor's forced public outing, when people reposted Edvin and Omar's messages of support. And it was right around the time Prince Harry's memoir was about to be released and all the gossip and scorn and salaciousness around that.

So by the moment Wilhelm's glance caught mine through the TV screen, I was hooked.

[foreverisntenough]

what is your fav Trent lore?

Oh my god... What a question... I need people to send me theirs!

Often when I think about lore unfortunately a lot of insane things come to mind lol like bad things but I'll choose to not talk about those RN. I already shared some today lol.

Honestly.... Trent lore for me often falls into a group of just attributes of his whether that be physical or like circumstantial. I will reblog this again with example links another time BUT for now...

Liking being alone. This always gets me or reminds me of the theragun video but like this boy actively tells other people he's with he'll just be like nah, not interested in all that. like okay we get it??? Leave you alone got it 😂

How shit PLG is honestly just jokes... but in general his ties to family. On the flip side of PLG but I love big brother Trent. Like sharing his clothes with Marcel or when he says 'my little brother' Honestly, family Trent is my favorite. It makes me melt. so in lieu of of that... UNCLE TRENT 🥺🥺🥺 Aura baby has my heart.

Bow Legs, Tummy, Lips... all of it. You know when you see clips of Trent's lips and you're like wow those lips yum but it's from ages ago but it's just quintessinal Trent. I don't know how else to articulate this

His like... what I would call 'catchphrases? The accent? Him saying 'nah' or 'seee' or 'wow' I could go on whenever he speaks. Someone just recently posted a compilation.

Speaking of him talking...But the way he speaks about football. I have to find the clips but it's so on brand for him to deliver like lengthy monologues about footy. Like as cheesy as this sound he is such a student about the game. Like he's so educated in it and the way he speaks

Any nerd core always get me. Like when he talks about liking to watch certain movies, or like just even nerdy behavior if he's speaking about a topic that he knows wayyy too much about. There are times were I feel like he momentarily forgets his 'nonchalant' persona

Trent's giggles send me. Like him cracking from trying to be 'cool Trent.' because it's just genuine Trent coming through. Like he can't help himself from thinking something is funny, or he's being cheeky himself.

Sorry this was longer and terribly articulated but I hope you get them. I'll grab links later. xx

[dollarbin]

Dollar Bin #55:

Steeleye Span's Parcel of Rogues

Twenty two years ago, in the depths of the Bush administration's lies and war crimes - which are idyllic in comparison to the bizarre abhorrence of the present moment - I slipped away from parenting my two year old and the adults in my care to weed through my local dollar bin and take a $4 chance on Steeleye Span.

To my ill-informed 27 year old self Steeleye were nothing more than a weak-ass Fairport Convention spin off that RT and the boys had trounced in a surely apocryphal game of footie back in 69. They did not rock and were fronted by someone not named Sandy Denny, so they were not worthy.

But it'd been a rough day and I wanted something to show for my efforts. So buy the record I did.

Thank goodness: Parcel of Rogues gave me an introduction to one of my favorite 70's bands and it contains one of the best three song cycles in my collection.

Side 1, admittedly, is a slog. One Misty Moisty Morning has a hook but desperately needs drums; Alison Gross, with its rockin' refrain about the "ugliest witch in the North Country" kinda rocks but is indeed gross, The Bold Poachers gets your hopes up with its minor chords and doom but it is followed by The Ups and Downs which, as my daughter this afternoon accurately declared, makes her "want to go to her room and shut the door with a bang" on all my terrible music.

But: Side 2! The Wee Wee Man is far less silly than you assume it must be given its Weird Al-worthy title and, after that first track, The Weaver and the Factory Maid plants a bold flag of hope. Indeed, I remember sitting up way back in 2003 and telling my now 23 year old to pay attention, as something exciting was happening.

She ignored me, of course, and continued slobbering on her toys. But she should have listened!

I anticipated the eventually fevered bounce of the track all through its opening stately verse, but when the groove finally arrived, preceded by a doodling electric guitar riff that stands on its own and then is joined by a caustic fiddle, I picked up my kid and high stepped about the house, arms swinging and boots pounding. She liked that. And the closing outro, with Maddy Prior alone, her voice doubled and then tripled masterfully, sealed the deal. Steeleye Span!

Rouges in a Nation follows and it still basically breaks my heart. My life has been one of privilege: I've never been forced to pit myself against another human being in deadly conflict. But I've read plenty of books about those who've done so, men who've had to kill or be killed.

For me, Rogues in a Nation is a fitting soundtrack for such horrors, a Scottish song to be sung by those who've survived but are forever stained.

I don't think you say enough about Prior's harmonizing here. Masterful pathos!

Scotland stands behind the climax to this stirring trilogy as well, offering up another tone altogether on Cam Ye O're Frae France. Drums appear with military brilliance beneath satisfyingly violent guitar strokes. But the real power and greatness comes, once again, from Prior.

As a sophomore in college I earnestly visited my music history professor during his office hours so as to play him Richard and Linda Thompson's The Great Valerio; it just seemed like something worth doing. The teacher, who I see recently retired, was a genius: he taught us to understand the opening movement of Beethoven's 5th by comparing it - stunningly - to the Flintstones' theme song.

Anyway, I'll never forget watching him encounter Linda's voice for the first time: she has zero interest in sounding beautiful or meeting gender norms as she traces the tight rope walker's dangerous paces; rather she just beats the hell out of you; after all, that's what the song calls for.

"Who is this singer?" my teacher demanded, standing up from behind his desk to crank the song up louder than anything I'd ever encountered through a stereo system. "She barely sounds human; it's like she's some kind of God!"

I was brought back to that moment when I first brought home A Parcel of Rogues and heard Maddy Prior's delivery on Cam Ye O're Frae France. She's descended from her place on high and is about to do 5,000 push ups one handed; we should cower.

Prior, like Linda Thompson, is not pop singer, nor is she delicate. Rather, she has come to kick all our asses.

What more could one want outta the dollar bin?

[savebylou]

Article below. Read it if you can.

The discourse surrounding Harry Styles is many things, but one thing it literally ALWAYS is is exhausting. Harry Styles has reached the calibre of celebrity and fandom that whatever move he makes, how he chooses to do his hair, what he chooses to wear all spark conversation and debate. It feels like for years now the odiously boring conversation on whether Harry Styles has been “queerbaiting” or not is a never ending pollution across social media and the more yawn inducing side of Reddit – but now, it’s pivoted in a new direction thanks to how Harry Styles looked when he went to watch a footie game the other day, with people saying he’s now “straight again”. O-kay.

Just a very bizarre opinion to be fronted with, in my opinion. And even more bizarre to see it’s currently sitting on 138,000 likes – which either means that many people genuinely believe such trite nonsense or they think it’s funny. It’s got to a boring area of the discourse where it doesn’t matter if Harry Styles rocks up in the pretty bog standard, neutral outfit he did or wears a feather boa as per his Love On Tour era – he’d be spoken about with the word queerbaiting not fair behind.

I think where this gets really problematic is that it’s sort of all centred on the nonsensical. If Harry Styles is bi, gay, queer – any of those things being entirely his business to keep to himself or share when he wants – then why would he suddenly not be if he wears a muted colour, goes the footie or cuts his hair shorter? I feel like the fact I’m even having to voice this makes me feel like I’ve fell down a time slip to 2010 or something. And what I find even more baffling is that the outfit in question is a shirt and sweater vest, big 70s vibes – isn’t that how Harry’s been dressing for … years? So we’re saying all this Harry Styles ‘is straight again’ because he’s cropped his hair short? Do me a favour.

Was particularly riled at this one, which suggests the reason that Harry Styles isn’t walking into a footie match with a feather boa on and some pink palazzo trousers is because Love On Tour has ended and so has the album cycle – therefore he has not interest in… Your guess is as good as mine. No interest in being gay, of which he more than likely isn’t anyway? No interest in appealing to gays? Why are we pretending that over half of every stadium on Love On Tour wasn’t filled with heterosexual women?

It’s all just very weird, to be honest with you. I am writing this as a gay man, and whether Harry Styles is presenting himself in whatever way he’s seen fit I have never once felt “queerbaited”. I have not spent the last few years of my life thinking Harry Styles was LGBTQ+ – just that he was a massive ally and someone who wasn’t afraid to be a bit flamboyant from time to time. Even if he was gay or bi or whatever it would make a grand total of zero difference to my life or to my enjoyment of his music.

If your first thought when you see a pop star with shorter hair at a footie game is “oh, Harry Styles is straight again” – you need an urgent life.

Link to article.

[uptonogoodindiememes]

One Tree Hill Sentence Meme - Resolve

“Well good morning to you too, Sunshine,”

“Just talk to him, what’s the big deal?”

“That was very smooth,”

“Whatever you’re about to say, the answer is no,”

“You know for a smart woman, you sure are being really stupid,”

“Maybe my being here is a bad idea,”

“This is so going on the fridge!”

“Maybe you could tutor me,”

“You really alphabetize your collection?”

“Happy looks good on you,”

“What’s your favorite food?”

“If anyone can make a chocolate chip cookie taste better it’s you,”

“Did the closet explode?”

“Hey, I almost didn’t recognize you,”

“I know that it is very hard for you to accept the truth,”

“Hey, we have a problem,”

“You screwed me over for a guy who won’t screw you,”

“Interesting, care to bet on that?”

“I kind of expected it, you know? It’s like, another day, another disaster,”

“I just wanna let it all go away, you know? I don’t want to be like this anymore,”

“Would you like to come over for dinner?”

“I thought vampires had to be invited in,”

“Do you remember the night before our wedding?”

“I knew I was on the verge of making a huge mistake,”

“Do not come back! I’m not doing this anymore!”

“You keep looking at my weird,”

“I’ve had one serious girlfriend, but it didn’t end well,”

“Turns out she was cheating on me pretty much the whole time,”

“I just wanted to start over, you know? I mean the next relationship I get into is going to be with someone I can trust,”

“Where’s your sense of adventure?”

“Trust me, it’ll be a night to remember,”

“I don’t know how to dance to this kind of music,”

“My parents would dance like this, late at night after I went to bed. I used to sit on top of the stairs in my footy pajamas, and just watch them,”

“There’s a lot of people out there,”

“So tell me again why ice cream was a good idea on a cold night?”

“It’s all part of my plan, to get you cold so that I can warm you up,”

“This plan was your idea, what do you mean you can’t go on?”

“I messed up so many things, things I cannot fix,”

“This is one of the most notorious makeout spots in town,”

“I thought maybe we could talk,”

“I don’t care about who you were, I care about who you are,”

“I didn’t think guys like you actually existed,”

“I put a dash of salt in there, that’s what it said in the recipe,”

“I needed some quick cash, oaky?”

“I just wanted you to have a great prom,”

“I’ve seen how you are when you set your mind to something, I can help you,”

“I had a really great time, I feel bad we didn’t actually study,”

“Oh man, I’ve got cookie dough all over me,”

“This is the best cookie I’ve ever had,”

“It’s okay to let yourself be happy,”

“You’ve been quiet all night,”

[dontcountme]

I watched all three of the sonic movies for the first time and I uhh didn't like them very much in some ways and I was thinking about how I'd handle the characters differently and I think I accidentally came up with an AU... that I'm pretty passionate about... and I think I need to like. Write about it. But I got sidetracked and started trying to animate one of the scenes because Sonic is really fun to draw and uhh anyways would Sega shoot me if I made an animated mini-movie? I'll worry about that if I actually do it (which, not happening.)

First doodle sheet I've made. Bottom left writing is just brainstorming so I might completely change that. I want to lean into the alien/scifi aspects that the movies introduced and I would love to throw some speculative biology bullshit in as a little treat to myself. I might make a 3D model of how I would go about doing realistic sonic at some point because even though they changed his design from the weird footy mascot thing they had going on I still didn't like it very much and yknow? I can do anything. I can 3D-model sonic the hedgehog if I want to. Even if I'm shit at using blender.

One of my biggest irks was with how Sonic and Tom interacted. Like, I don't think that Sonic "freedom-and-second-chances-and-kindness" the Hedgehog would be friends with a cop!! Even if Tom was "one of the good ones" or whatever. They would have such a cool hostile dynamic! They need to hate each other a little! That would be so fun!

(I also don't like what they did with Sonic as a whole. That's a different guy. His character is fine in context with the rest of the movies but I think that I'll change it. Not that I have a good grasp on any of these characters I just. Will write them with the things that I like about them in mind.)

Also! Also! Back with the scifi elements, in the classic games the "Hill" areas (Green Hill, Emerald Hill, Palm-Tree Panic, etc etc) the sky is hella blue. What. If. That was an atmosphere thing. Like Mobius has a much thinner atmosphere than Earth (Which would make the sky darker) and Sonic gets messed up with chronic hyperoxia or something from the different atmosphere composition? That would fit in with Maddie's veterinary capabilities for an interesting plot beat and eughhh.... eugh... There are so many interesting things that they could have done...

So. Instead of feeling sad about the things that I think that they could have done that would actually not have fit in with anything. Boom. Au. I can draw. I can write. I can post shit on Tumblr. Also I might completely abandon this and if I don't I will totally still upload like once every few months so don't get your hopes up.

Here's a bad WIP of a runcycle; ignore the form if its bad, he's probably got a headache anyways (Reference images from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKrUhkpW6M)

[coachbeards]

(jamie & beard anon) ohhh beard's family/childhood is definitely messed up and i think while not living there, he is still somewhat in touch sporadically or at least he knows what is going on since he says his mum has gone full blown qanon.. I can see both his parents possibly not being parents at all, leaving him to himself since he was a kid which ends up with him keeping the wrong company (+ addiction can run in the family if he was so exposed to it growing up it's not surprising). While jamie has not gone into sex work it could be seen as him having a particular relationship with his own body (the body as a vehicle for footie + him going to have sex live on tv) so perhaps there is an element of hypersexualization as a consequence of trauma (depending what we assume Beard has experienced as a child.. but a house of addicts is often filled with people taking advantage of unsupervised kids that no one will protect). I am going to be honest and admit I don't really have enough knowledge of stis to say whether they could've got them in certain instances and they keep coming back? is that a thing? I do feel like i read something about survivors of abuse being more likely to have recurring infections but have no idea on the science behind it, if it has something to do with a messed up immune system. I don't know where you stand on ships, but also an interesting thing to see if either one was in a relationship and how their partner (likely not informed on the matter) would take to them suddenly having a sti aka "they cheated" (jane definitely would think that!). And on that note - 100% behind jamie being the one making beard realise he deserves better!!

not to derail into my personal headcanons for beard (trust me he's like a full fledged person in my brain im like picturing his childhood bedroom and everything lmao. i have so many thoughts about him) but..... i think his father was a vietnam war veteran, common for children born during the early 70s like beard was....a father who's reeling from his trauma from the war, becoming an alcoholic (which is also extremely common),,, beard growing up like that, with a volatile tough household, irish catholic conservative parents in 20th century illinois..... i think beard was very much. on his own. like as much as he could be. which led to stunted emotional development and social skills, as he's definitely also autistic (undiagnosed for the longest time, obviously. i actually Don't think he's diagnosed /now/) so he really was,,,,,,,,,, on his own.

and then we get the canonical information that beard turned to sex work in college as a stripper, and given his parents (or what we can infer) he probably did so as a last resort to help pay for college, rather than just because he wants to. needing the money, desperate for it, resorting to sex work that continues into his adulthood since he has to exchange his body for drugs/money/food..... i think there's a chance beard's had his fair share of treatable stis, like chlamydia or gonorrhea, especially since meth causes lots of disinhibition and incredibly unsafe sex........ yeah.

i do think beard's immune system has definitely taken a huge hit from his various medical struggles.....yeah.

but with beard and jamie i really do think it's interesting how they both......have signed away their bodies for others uses. jamie's body belongs to football, to whatever team has him. like. his body isn't his own. it's Theirs. and beard had a similar thing with his sex work (also i think it's so fascinating that beard............. left one career of service to....becoming ted's long term assistant. like. he never left giving himself up for others, he just transferred it from sex work to coaching) ... like they have never been their own people. they've always belonged or provided services for someone/something else,,,,,,, and it's such a hard thing to shake, especially when they've both suffered violations of autonomy and their selves................

i know this is a ramble and makes zero sense but. i think the both of them losing autonomy and still never fully having it back..... yeah.

[jackmcdornan]

Entry 1: About Me page

Entry 1: About Me page including: a brief on your background, sport interests, work experiences and career ambitions. In addition: a reflection on your study performance to date and areas to improve; expectations and aspirations for this subject and your internship.

My name is Jack McDornan, I am 21 years old and currently living in Wantrina south. I have a family of 5 which includes two siblings, my sisters Meg and Abby with me being the middle child, currently living with my mum.  

Growing up I always had a love for sport with some of my earliest memories are attending the AFL or watching it on TV. Being a passionate Brisbane Lions fan has taught me resilience, but it has always been able to give me joy through the darkest moments. I started my schooling journey at Laburnum Primary School in Blackburn and was quick to realise school wasn't for me and often found myself relating my schooling towards the footy, which was often turned down by my teachers. 

As I got older I continued to lean towards sports rather than my schooling finding love in other sports such as cricket, basketball and now the UFC, this led me to struggle with schooling in my higher education at Vermont Secondary college where I was quick to fall behind which led to me moving to a more hands on education at SEDA college which I found the type of learning for me. Combining my love for sports and school was exactly what I needed. With help from my year 12 teacher Josh Newman i finally found love for schooling.  

After finishing year 12 I was unable to enroll into the course i wanted to due to not doing VCE which was the bachelor of sports media, so I decided to take on a diploma of sport and business at the Collingwood football club which was the inaugural year of the course. 

Throughout this diploma I was lucky enough to Volunteering at the Collingwood, which led me to have a lot of industry access. After receiving my diploma i was able to enroll in Holmesglens bachelor of sport media, which at the start I found quite difficult due to my lack of doing essays and meeting deadlines due to my more hands-on study at SEDA. But with hard work I was able to get the hang of it. Something I'm looking forward to is the internship due to the fact I'm more of a hands-on learner, with the aspirations to do something in the space of sports media organisation content creation or social media.  

[allwaswell16]

Part 3 of my favorite One Direction a/b/o fics as requested in this ask. Another long one because I love this trope. Please leave kudos and comments for the writers if you enjoy the fic! You can find my other fic recs here. Happy reading!

Part 1 /// Part 2

Alpha Harry/Omega Louis

Follow Your Arrow by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 36k, canon) They said Louis playing alpha wouldn’t affect anything. It was the best thing for the band, so he doesn’t really regret it except deep in the dead of night, when he bites down on his knuckles to swap the echoing ache of depri for a sting of pain.

Mark my word (we gon’ be alright) by harioandlouigi

(E, 35k, pack dynamics) an A/B/O AU featuring an oblivious Harry as the pack leader, a pining Louis as his second-in-command, and an entourage of friends and family who are a little too good at keeping their mouths shut.

Compass to my Soul by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 31k, canon) Louis Tomlinson, omega, is 1/5 of world famous boy band One Direction. He spends his time hoping his bandmates don’t notice him.

Misbehaving Honeys by thinlines / @thinlinez

(E, 28k, football au) In which Omega Louis can't figure out why the alpha newbie on their footie team seems to hold a grudge against him.

how do I stay tender by jessicamcqueen

(E, 16k, neighbors) Louis has touch depri and Harry is the alpha neighbor that offers to help.

Breathe me in, breathe me out by @lunarheslwt

(G, 14k, touch deprivation) Louis is drawn into a quaint candle shop in his desire to find ways to soothe himself while struggling with touch depri. 

baby, you're the end of june by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 13k, courting) In which Harry courts Louis. Entirely by accident.

Hint: I want to be yours by bluegreenish / @greenblueish

(M, 11k, fwb)  the one where Harry unconsciously starts acting like Louis' alpha after they spend his rut together and Louis finds ways to make sure Harry's affection doesn't end.

good enough (for you) by localopa / @voulezloux

(G, 8k, olympics) omega louis is next in line to rule the pack. in spite of the rule saying he needs an alpha to rule, he creates an impossible olympics to find a worthy mate.

Tastes like Strawberries by @sadaveniren

(E, 5k, uni au)  Louis texts Harry by mistake. It works out

you fit me better by docklands / @hershelsue

(E, 3k, laundry) At the laundromat, he meets Harry, a meddlesome alpha who smells divinely enough to ease his anxiety.

Simply the Nest (Better Than All the Rest) by @homosociallyyours

(G, 2k, omega drop) It's been a few months since Louis moved to a new town, and he still hasn't managed to get his nest to feel as comforting as he'd like it to. 

Alpha Louis/Omega Harry

Ace of Spades by @allwaswell16

(E, 78k, pirate au) Louis is a pirate, Harry is his captive, and no one is who they say they are.

These High Walls by LarryAlways28 / @larryaboworld

(E, 68k, CEO Harry)  when the older, and wildly attractive Harry Styles offers him a deal in exchange for saving his family's legacy- how could Louis ever refuse that?

Unveiled by phdmama / @phd-mama

(M, 65k, royal au) There are no robes. And not a single one of them is veiled.

I Like You, Say It Back by ishiplouis / @pocketsunshineharry

(E, 43k, fwb) the one where it takes a lot of time for Harry and Louis to figure it out. But they do, they always do, don't they?

 take my hand, wreck my plans by amomentoflove / daggerandrose

(T, 38k, Cinderella au) Louis meets the man in the center of the room, feeling every eye on him.

The Risen (series) by @creamcoffeelou

(E, 20k, cult au) In search of the next breaking story, Harry goes off to do something no one else has been able to do: get the scoop on Louis Tomlinson and his devoted group of followers.

It's Been Ages by @2tiedships2

(NR, 13k, friends to lovers) Louis shook his head in exasperation. “If you’ve been watching, you would see that Harry is interested in, like, alpha alphas. Not me.”

Find Me in the Kitchen by @neondiamond

(E, 9k, cooking au) When Harry sees Louis step in his beginners cooking class for the first time, he’s surprised to say the least.

Moon Baby by @jaerie

(E, 7k, porn stars au) Moon Baby is arguably the most well known pregnant omegas in the same circle. 

A Silver Lining In A Storm (You Were Lightning, I Was Born) by @fallinglikethis

(E, 7k, arranged marriage) the only responsibility he’s aware of is to give his husband, the future king, an heir.

to wrap me in paper by @juliusschmidt

(E, 6k, uni au) Louis hasn't been keeping track of his ruts, but, it turns out, Harry has.

Nontraditional Dynamics H/L

dip you in honey by delsicle / @eeveelou

(E, 28k, omega/omega) Princess Harry, the pearl of England, is set to be married to the youngest prince of France in just six months.

Single Bells Ring by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense

(M, 16k, alpha/alpha) A holiday singles event is not where Louis wants to be tonight, but there he is, helping his best friend find love.

Never Been Knotted by @allwaswell16

(E, 9k, alpha Louis/beta Harry) There's just one small problem: he'd really like to be knotted.

All I Do the Whole Day Through by @lululawrence

(NR, 6k, omega/omega) But why was Harry using Louis’ clothes and items that probably smelled like him in his nest?

Where I'm Meant To Be by Halos_Boat / @halohamilton

(E, 6k, alpha/alpha) When Louis helps Harry out with his rut so he can get it done in time for his exam, they're forced to face feelings they were habouring for a while.

Rare Pairs

Make It Up As We Go Along by @lululawrence

(NR, 52k, ot5) When a baby is left on their doorstep, their lives become the definition of chaos...but maybe that is exactly what they need to see what has been right in front of them all along.

enough to make a girl blush by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 22k, Niall/Louis) When Louis moves from her small hometown to the city, she runs into her childhood friend Niall. Despite her surprise at learning that Niall presented as an alpha, she’s immediately drawn to her. 

over my shoulder by @nouies

(E, 11k, Louis/Sebastian Stan) The media thinks omega singer Louis Tomlinson is dating alpha actor Sebastian Stan because they bump into each other all the time.

All The Small Things by restless_rebels / @restless-rebels

(NR, 6k, Louis/Liam) Louis finally looked up, staring at the same boy from the laundry room, his hair dry and soft looking, a short quiff at the top of his head. “Hey, uh, Liam, right?”

[possibilistfanfiction]

Your footy au is so awesome and giving me all the feelings

[hopefully i’ll be able to finish & post ch4 tomorrow but a little preview (& ode to tobin, if u know lol) to offset how bOring the uswnt game is rn 🙄]

//

you get a few questions about your continued work in advocacy, team chemistry, and how you’re looking forward to your club season and the world cup.

‘there’s a few new players on the roster that you’ll play against in a few days, maybe a different look to this team than what you might be used to,’ one journalist says. ‘do you have any specific team tactics you’re bringing into this upcoming match, especially as the world cup approaches?’

‘sure. any player called up and rostered is going to be dangerous, of course,’ you say. ‘and their veterans, as well, deserve a lot of credit. i’ve played with mary for years and there’s no better a leader than her.’ you really are thinking about the upcoming match when you continue, ‘and, obviously, in regard to some new faces we’ll see, ava silva can score when she wants, so we’ve got to make sure we keep her in check.’ you can’t help but smile. ‘easier said than done, of course. but beyond that, we just need to stick to our game plan: be patient, control the midfield, win tackles, finish. we’ve come together really well after this break, so i’m excited.’

you answer a few more specific tactical questions, and then you’re done. you say hi to a few of your favorite journalists that you haven’t seen in a few months, and then make your way back to your room. when you look at your phone, you roll your eyes at the number of texts you already see, try to wrack your brain for something you’d said that had been that interesting.

you answer when ava calls, and she’s laughing. ‘hi bea!’

‘hello, ava.’

‘wait, one second.’ she facetimes you with mary in the background, who waves with a good-natured eye roll at ava’s antics; she’s practically vibrating. ‘okay, here,’ she says, then turns her camera around so you can see her laptop on a youtube video, then presses play. ‘ava silva can score when she wants,’ you hear, and you groan.

‘ava.’

‘this is the nicest thing anyone has ever said about me.’

‘ava.’

she’s smiling too big for you to fight it: a laugh bubbles up out of your chest and then mary is laughing too. ‘lilith is gonna have a field day with this,’ she says.

‘i’m gonna print this out as a poster, i think,’ ava tells you, still playing it on loop in the background.

there’s a knock on your hotel room door and when you open it lilith is, indeed, holding out her phone.

‘hi lilith!’ ava says from your screen. ‘looking hot, as always. great and terrifying to see you, please don’t kill me in two days.’

you sigh. lilith leans against the doorframe. ‘ava silva can score when she wants?’

‘okay, you know what i meant.’

‘yeah!’ ava says. ‘i can score! in more ways than one!’

‘goodbye, ava.’

‘bye, love you,’ ava says, still laughing, and you hang up.

lilith just looks at you for a moment and then rolls her eyes, but it’s not cruel. you think, maybe, she might be amused. ‘see you at dinner, beatrice.’

[justletmeplayminecraft]

I have a prompt for the Space Outlaws AU if you're interested: A bunch of Hermits chilling in a room just chatting about stuff, general chaos/shenanigains, or playing board/card games or something :3 Can be any hermits of your choice but I'd love more KC crew and/or Architechs~

it's been a while, but i watched jimmy play switch sports with the squad and got sudden inspiration for this. so enjoy some light-hearted space football shenanigans! the teams are iskall, cub, scar & stress vs grian, mumbo, ren & wels.

the space outlaws au belongs to @martuzzio! you shouldn't need much prior knowledge of the universe to enjoy this ficlet, though.

"Mumbo, get over here!" Grian yells, waving with both arms.

"We need another player to make the sides even, my dude!" Mumbo turns to look at Ren at the same time Grian is grabbing his wrist, dragging him into the holochamber with a skip in his step.

"I mean- not that I'm saying no, of course, but-" Mumbo starts, looking warily around the grey panelled walls. "None of you have actually said what you're doing."

Iskall and Stress are together at the end of the room, speaking more with their hands than their words. Wels and Scar lean on one of the walls, chatting quietly (though Scar does wave as Mumbo enters.) And in the corner of the room, Cub is fiddling with the control panel.

"Cub, you can set it for even sides of four now!" Grian calls across the room. Cub looks up, giving Mumbo a smile and Grian a thumbs up.

"Mumbo!" Iskall perks up at the sight of him. "Are you going to join us to play footie?" It's a bad imitation of Mumbo's accent. Grian snorts, turning away in an attempt to hide it.

"I am not dressed-"

"Aw, Mumbo, please!" Stress pulls his hands up to her chest, brown eyes big and sad. "We've been so excited all day but Falsie had to drop out last minute an' now we're a person short." Mumbo stares at her, stricken.

Grian nudges his shoulder, "C'mon, Mumbo, you don't want to let Stress down do you?" Mumbo splutters, pinned between their hopeful expressions (and not to mention Ren's sad, floppy ears.) He finally sighs, leaning his head back.

"Fine, but don't expect me to be any good!" They cheer, as if Mumbo's fate wasn't sealed the moment he walked through the door.

-

"Iskall!" Stress calls. "I'm open!" Iskall inclines his head, deftly swerving around Grian and launching the ball across the field with a buzz of haptic feedback. She cheers, doing a quick spin away from Ren with the ball underfoot before striking it towards the goal. It's on target, heading straight towards the open panel of fractal lights.

"Mumbo, don't move!" Wels shouts.

"Wha-" Despite Mumbo's raised hands, Wels is able to grip his shoulders, using Mumbo to launch himself upwards and head the ball across the field. Cub is luckily (or unfortunately, if you asked Wels) there to intercept, Stress crying out as she rushes to follow the action.

"Aw, that was such a good shot, though!"

"Not good enough!" Wels calls to her, jogging backwards as Scar dribbles up field.

The once dark room has transformed into an open space. Beyond the walls mimics a spacious plaza, built with bright red bricks and exotic fauna in the planters. The sky outside the façade of a glass building is a bright shade of blue. The deck is climate controlled to match the scenery, keeping them cool despite their activity. Above them, the timer counts down, scores displayed above their goals.

"Ren, you're a dog, you should be better at this!" Grian cries, nearly tripping over his own feet as he sprints across the field.

"That's on you!" Ren calls back, following several indistinguishable noises as Iskall launches the ball over Grian and towards the goal.

"Now you're using my height against me!" Grian protests.

"You're barely shorter than me!"

"Direct all height related frustrations at Mumbo!" Wels shouts, balancing on his toes besides the goal. His eyes don't leave the ball for a moment.

"Wels! We're on the same team!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Cub chants. Stress rolls her eyes and bashes the oncoming ball with her head, hair wildly flying around her.

"Scar!" Iskall yells, just short of reaching it to secure their goal.

"Oh!" Scar spins, and in the nick of time, is able to side kick the ball in a way a leg is definitely not supposed to bend.

"No!" Wels dives, letting out a frustrated noise when it sails straight over his legs. The ball flies into the goal area, the patterned lights filling with colour and shattering.

"That cannot be fair!" Grian gestures at Scar whilst the score ticks up: 2-2.

"I can't help how my legs work, Grian!" Scar calls back, giving a neat little bow. Ren glances up at the paused timer. Thirty seconds. It looks like they'll go into extra time.

"Cub, did you loosen Scar's legs?" Grian asks, pointing accusingly in his direction. Cub shrugs, letting Iskall run past him and take position in the centre of the pitch.

"Not that you can prove."

"Cub!"

The whistle interrupts their argument, the holo-ball dropping into the centre of the pitch. Iskall kicks it to the side before Ren can, landing by the feet of an awaiting Stress. Whooping, she dribbles down field, carefully dodging Grian's tackle. If the ground were actually real grass, she probably could've kicked up some dirt. Ears pointing backwards, Ren sprints to join Mumbo in front of the goal.

"Scar, to you!" She's kicked the ball before she's even finished the sentence. Scar squawks, stumbling over himself. With a bit of a flail, he manages flings the ball forward. It flies straight over Grian's head, who squawks in panic.

"Mumbo!" Mumbo, who had been standing idly on the edge of Grian's peripheral, makes a surprised noise and turns just in time to get nailed in the forehead by the ball.

Mumbo falls to the ground with a ceremonious 'thud'.

"I think we killed him," Wels says, voice flat as he peers over.

"Mumbo!" Grian sprints over, dropping to his knees and skidding the last few inches. "Are you alright? Can you hear me?"

"Give 'im a bit of space!" Stress tells them, ignoring the ball as she walks over. She crouches by Mumbo's shoulder, her hair falling over his vision. "Hey, love, how are you feeling?" Mumbo groans. His arm dramatically flops over his forehead.

"Like I just got hit in the head by a ball," he replies.

"You know, most people consider that part of the game!" Iskall chimes in. Scar is currently talking quietly to Cub, his gestures small but fast. Which leaves Ren to thump the back of Iskall's head disapprovingly. "Hey!"

Stress ignores him, "Everything put together, though? You got no headache, blurry vision or nothing?" Mumbo shakes his head.

"No, no, just a little caught off guard, I think." He tentatively touches his forehead, poking the red spot the ball left.

"So we'll have to try a bit harder to kill you, then?" Wels jokes. Grian makes an impressive huff, his many eyes turning to glare at him. Stress simply offers a hand to Mumbo, helping get him up onto his feet.

And behind them all, silently, the ball rolls into the goal unnoticed.

Scar does a full body jump as the whistle sounds out, grabbing onto Cub's shoulders. Even Wels jolts a little, head snapping up ready for an attack. But instead, all they see overhead is a bright '3-2'. Right as the clock counts down to zero.

"We won?!" Grian exclaims, looking around in disbelief. "We won!"

"That does not count!" Iskall protests.

"If Scar's leg thing counted then this totally does!" Mumbo stares at them bickering and leans in close to whisper to Stress.

"I'm not too sure it counts myself, really." Stress laughs, clapping his shoulder (well, more of his arm with his outrageous height.)

"Just enjoy your win, you spoon," she tells him. "I'm sure those two won't shut up about it." She points her thumb towards the bickering pair.

"Oh!" Mumbo smiles. Then he remembers what his win actually consisted of and it morphs into a distraught frown. "Oh." Stress giggles, bouncing over to break up their fight. Or make it worse. She'll decide when she gets there.

"I think-" Ren calls, pointedly projecting his voice across the room, "-that we should maybe get some lunch, dudes?"

Wels gasps, "I was supposed to help with lunch today!" He sprints out of the room with only an attempt at a wave. There's a drawn out beat, where they all simply stare at each other, before breaking into laughter.

"I'll shut the deck down and meet you guys there," Cub calls, walking back to the panel. Scar follows, twirling along with a quiet, oh, you need to tighten up my legs again-

"Sorry, I, uh. Did that," Mumbo offers, looking at the floor.

"You won us the game, Mumbo! Why are you apologising?" Grian tilts his head and Mumbo remembers how having all those eyes on him can be a little off-putting at times.

"I, well, you sounded really worried about me and certainly didn't-"

"It's okay!" Grian interrupts before Mumbo really gets into his rambling. He throws his arm around Mumbo's shoulders. "Next time we'll just get you a crash helmet."

"G- Grian!" Grian laughs, ducking under Mumbo's arm and sprinting down the corridor. Mumbo runs after him, yelling all the way. Stress looks to Iskall, a giggle behind her hand.

"Do you think any of them will be alive by the end of the day?" She asks.

Iskall snorts, "Absolutely not."

[cipheramnesia]

"Hey. Uh, is this Maryam?"

"Yes Laika, this is Maryam. How do your repairs progress?"

"Ah, oh. Fine I guess. Are you still up there?"

"We are, as you say, still up here. I hope to be able to make introductions to our higher level officers. It will be easier to accompany your travel."

"They're really okay with like, all this, uh, negotiation I guess?"

"Yes Laika."

"Okay, cool."

"..."

"..."

"Did you wish to discuss other matters?"

"Huh?! Oh, uh. No, just nervous I guess."

"That is understandable. There is some degree of concern amongst my crew as well, considering your record."

"Self defense though."

"I am aware. Would you like us to join you on Stribog?"

"Nope. No thanks. I'll, like, get back to work then. See you around."

"Okay Laika, we will remain at your disposal."

● ● ● ● ●

"So how come you ditched the big furry look?"

"Eh, that lady, Maryam. She asked, I didn't figure it was an issue."

"You haven't gone back to it though. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I mean. Yeah, I guess. I'm clearing my head a little bit since, y'know, we don't need to rush out of here or anything. Sometimes being short is just like, very soothing."

"You're pretty tall for a short werewolf."

"Hah, fuck off, you know what I mean. Um. So, breakfast was good..."

"Right? I was skeptical about boar eyeball scramble, but call me a convert."

"Whuh... Boar what?"

"Oh. So they use every part of the ice boar here. Every part."

"Uh, by every part... Actually, no, don't tell me. I'll just like enjoy the food, and never ask what it is again."

"Probably for the best. We're also going to have real furniture delivered soon. Made from genuine pressed local vegetation, and suede ice boar leather."

"Oh..."

"Sorry, should I not of mentioned what it's made from? You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just, like, I haven't had my own bed since I was... uh, in awhile. Just getting cash together for a tube rental or a hopper ticket, I'm... it's pretty good."

"Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't want to make you..."

"It's alright. 'S good."

"Yeah... So we're going to have all the cables and tracks laid soon. Ready to start testing."

"Yeah, I guess so."

■ ■ ■ ■ ■

"This discussion will be more efficient fully utilizing Pilot interface."

"I know, but you know, earth civ stuff. Sometimes we need to be, like, inefficient."

"I am aware, and I have often taken great pains to accomodate this lack of optimization."

"It's kind of interesting laying on the floor, the, uh, the footie control things. Uncomfortable also."

"It is almost as if my floor has not been designed for lying down."

"Yeah... so, uh, ghosts."

"The physical alterations are in place. Framework for electromagnetic construction is also completed. We will need to confirm the ghosts of Luna can conform to our structure."

"Our structure...?"

"When you are engaged as Pilot, our structure is shared, you are allowed to utilize my structure for the purpose of flight, travel, navigation, and other processes which I am no longer able to performer unaided."

"Yeah, I mean I know. What about now?"

"You are not engaged as Pilot."

"Yeah, but I'm here right? Am I, y'know, sharing a structure? Like, does it just, I mean, do I even have a say?"

"I can perceive the complexity and mutability of your structure. I also understand information about your structure in more detail now. The structure of Luna is folded into you, and it is a very elegant design to accomodate your variant complexities. I cannot easily interfere with structures at individual levels without interface, such as used by the Pilot."

"I... was that a yes or a no?"

"We are not able to share structural interface presently, although some of your structure has learned to more easily engage with the Pilot interface."

"And then, do I have any say?"

"It can be accomodated, although our navigation will be less efficient."

"Yeah, I guess. Eh... I'm like..."

"..."

"Luna told me like, not to keep hiding and running. Like I should change and hunt, and something with ghosts I think. You know?"

"Your communication is significantly less coherent than typical. Your meaning is unclear."

"I just want to do something. Really do something. Maybe even like be okay with, whatever, structure exchange or something. I keep thinking of home... never mind."

"This is a line of thought I also experience, as my structure has also learned to accomodate your interface. Perhaps we can find a means by which to bring a needed change to your home."

"Hm. I kinda like that thought? There's a lotta changes back we could implement. Maybe your home too. We can try anyway."

"The implementation may provide some greater benefits."

"I guess, uh. I guess we should see about a test run, huh. I should find something to eat."

"That would be wise. Adequate caloric intake ensures the structural alteration of your physical material is able to proceed without undue stress. It is my preference that you remain in good physical health."

"Thanks GK. I care about you too."

● ● ● ● ●

"Hello Laika, how have you been progressing?"

"Oh wow you- Right. Hi. Well, we're gonna test out all the new stuff. We tested bits and it's pretty good."

"That is very good news. I hope we can still rely on your willingness to discuss the treaty issue with your WMD?"

"Yeah, sure, we'll go. Anyway, uh, just letting you know. Don't freak out or something if you get weird signals."

"I understand. I am looking forward to seeing your vessel under pleasant circumstances soon."

"Okay. Thanks, you too I guess."

"You are welcome Laika."

"Alright. Well, bye. Or see you later."

□ □ □ □ □

Maryam stared distantly through the walls of her quarters in the silence after the call, and worried.

The girl sounded different from the first conversation, not quite hostile but there was a degree less enthusiasm.

She had re-checked the plan to negotiate with Steyr several times, and received the response it would be accomodated.

There was Kan being dealt with as well.

She knit her hands together. Worrying was no use, but she continued to wrack her brain as to whether she could do more. The girl was so young.

No use, she thought. The future would write its own conclusion with or without her input. She would be there to witness it, if nothing else.

Part 6: Warning Labels For The End Of The World

a story by @rox-and-prose and @cipheramnesia

Parts 1 to 5 are available to read on Ao3!

Deep under miles of blistered, freezing atmosphere strewn with purple gray slurry, the most illegal werewolf in the entire earth civilation rested her muzzle in the crook of her elbow, relaxing in the controled climate of the second most illegal space system ship in most of earth civilization. The uneven floor switches, pyramidal dials, and assorted sensors jabbed Laika through her fur and she mostly ignored them.

She sighed, blowing her fur across her arm. Sy was out in the bay, helping Peng and his extensions run fiberoptics and ductile metals throughout the major damage Genghis Khan had sustained. The major injuries it had sustained, she reminded herself. Damage was something that happened to objects, shells as GK called them. Injuries happened to the living.

"Hey GK," she said, muffled by speaking into her elbow.

"Hello Laika. Would you like me to list productive activities which you could undertake in lieu of your present occupation?"

"Uh. Nah. Just, how are you?"

"My condition has largely remained unchanged since you initially stumbled your way into my airlock. I continue to find the activities of Peng uncomfortable, but not so much that I am unavle to tolerate them. My assessment is that he is performing adequately. I am what you so often would call 'fine.'"

"But does it still, y'know, hurt?"

"There is no impediment caused by the injury, and I am presently fully capable of optimal performance, or as much of it as is feasible with the lackluster availability of fuel."

She looked generally up, because she always imagined GK as 'up' when she was on the bridge. "That sounds like it still hurts."

"In a sense, that may be correct. However, it is negligible to support of Pilot functions."

"So like, what can Pilot do to support your function?"

"Laika, you understand my function, and we have discussed in some great detail that implementation will not be undertaken within earth civilization."

"I meant, how can I help you get better. To heal."

"The present level of assistance is likely the maximum amount which may be accomplished within your civilization. You can, as you say, 'help me get better' most expediently by understanding that I cannot get better. The work of Peng and Sy may help with more efficient utilization of my capabilities. My injuries, however, cannot be corrected. In my creation, such trivialities were and remain unimportant. The injuries will not reduce my capabilities, but they will never heal, as you imagine the concept."

Laika rubbed a hand over the scar on her thigh. "That sounds awful GK."

"It is no worse than the way your flesh grows back together imperfectly, a parody of your true form. I will never seek to recreate what the Pilot created. It is folly and pride to try."

"Hmm," she muttered. "I was thinking about that implementation stuff. Like, I should learn more, more about what you do."

"It will bring me great satisfaction to educate you further on this aspect of my function, and to help you better understand the function of Pilot. However, the presence of the human doctor is needed. I have gained contact with the fae court of the electromagnetic spectrum, and we will require a translator."

"Do you think they'll take Yelena? Can they?"

"If the electromagnetic fae cannot take her, her body will cease its ability to function within approximately three weeks. There is no cause for alarm."

"Huh," she got to her feet and pulled on her envirosuit. "You're sure they'll have her?"

"I am unsure of this, but I am certain that her current condition will come to a swift end regardless."

"I'll go get Sloane then."