#i was just happy with how the lineup was turning out so far and i wanted to share :)

[milykins]

Hello my dear! ✨️

I was curious if you might be able to write a little something fun/fluffy with Mikey for this prompt:

"Sorry, you're just my type."

I'd love to see what you could come up with for this. Thank you!

🫂💖

Finally ready to post! I hope this doesn't disappoint. I had fun putting my own nerdy spin on this ask and putting it in my AU where they already live among humans just worked really well for this prompt. Thank you for it!

TW: None, set in an AU where they live in the city and have jobs/own businesses. Aged up, adult turtles

Special thanks to @sophiacloud28 for beta reading!

Just My Type

Mikey was kind of a big deal. He was the first of his brothers to go ‘public’ once they had made the decision to reveal themselves. Predictably, Leo had advised him to go about it carefully. Raph followed suit, and Donnie especially. Both were planning to take careful baby steps and advised Mikey to do the same.

Funny that they expected him to listen, did they even know him? Unsurprisingly, he went hard, very much putting himself out there. To him, the choice was easy. If they were to live among the humans, he needed to show them that they meant no harm. The incident at the police station was a painful reminder of how bad things could go and he was willing to do whatever it took to prevent that. Mikey was steadfastly dedicated to shifting humanity’s perspective from ‘monsters’ to ‘heroes’.

To his delight, the expressed reception was largely positive. He was very pleased that his efforts had paid off. Perhaps a little too well. Mikey ended up with a huge fanbase in a matter of months. His popularity exploded across social media and he even appeared on a few talk shows.

Opening his comic book store was huge. People camped outside with lineups around the block for the grand opening. The rush of customers and fans was so intense that Mikey actually had to call his brothers in for assistance. Raph had been more than happy to act as a bouncer for his little brother.

He was quickly becoming very familiar with the term ‘be careful what you wish for’. Our hero in orange was there. The constant fans demanding pictures, autographs, even trying to steal his mask… (he’d lost four so far) had been grating on him a little. He’d been wondering if his brothers were right in telling him he should’ve approached humanity more carefully. Leo certainly had no problem pointing it out. ‘You asked for this, Mikey. What did you expect?’

He couldn’t say. He’d just wanted what they all wanted. Acceptance. Now, it looked like he’d bitten of more than he could chew.

Then you came along.

He’d been watching the day you nervously approached the door. Carefully, you placed your hand on the door handle before abruptly drawing it back like it had been burned. Turning on your heel you left fast, caught up in your own mortification. Stifling a soft chuckle, Mikey went back to his work.

You proceeded to do this twice more over the coming days much to his growing amusement. He couldn’t help but be intrigued and was patiently waiting for the day you summoned enough courage to actually enter the store.

Obviously, you were a huge fan. He was flattered of course but he could tell something was different about you. Typically, his fans had no fear in approaching him and most had even less shame in throwing themselves at him. He found your hesitancy and careful approach to be endearing and a refreshing change.

His heart soared the day you finally summoned your courage and asked to be a part of his weekly one-shot D&D afternoon gaming sessions. Of course it was a resounding yes from him. He was perhaps a bit too enthusiastic as he was more than happy to include you.

It was a wonderful thing to see you blossom during the session. To see your confidence grow as you slowly came out of your own proverbial shell. You’d played before, he could tell. The adorable accent you put on as you fell into the role of playing your character nearly dropped him on the back of his shell. It was so cute. He delighted in the fact that you did not need much help in calculating your rolls either. He was really trying to tamp it down but he was already smitten. Soft, sweet, pretty and shy, but hiding this confident player underneath. You were just his type.

As the session came to a close, he felt a surge of pride upon being thanked by you. A wholly grateful smile on your face. Humbly accepting the praise, he secretly hoped this wasn’t the last he’d see of you. To his relief you shyly approached him after the game, not to ask for a picture or an autograph but to ask if he knew of any D&D groups accepting new members. Hope bloomed within him as he explained that actually there was one. His heart fluttered in his chest as he watched the excitement in your eyes grow. It was a done deal. You were invited to join his very exclusive, only reserved for family and close friends… D&D group.

Those sessions were the most enjoyable he’d ever had the pleasure of dming. Seeing you attend his games became the highlight of his week. You and he soon struck up a solid friendship and for once in his life, Mikey was trying his hardest not to come on too strong. He didn’t want to screw this up by any means. He wanted you to call the shots and was secretly hoping that you liked him as much as he liked you.

Oh, he was in deep. He began noticing the subtle nuances in your behaviour, little things unique only to you. How your cheeks flushed pink when something embarrassing happened or when he’d teased you in-game. Your expression of pure satisfaction and excitement as you rolled a perfect nat20 and your contradictory one of utter disappointment and dramatic woe when you rolled a nat1. He found himself craving these moments, just to see how you’ll react. Truthfully, he’d fudged at least one roll just so you’d have a success instead of a failure. He needed to see the look of pure joy on your face. He wanted to be the cause of that joy.

One day, he couldn’t help it. He had to ask you out. Saying he was nervous was an understatement. You’d think having such a huge fanbase would’ve prepared him for this but alas no. He was still a shy, stuttering mess when he’d quietly suggested dinner and a walk after.

At your soft, surprised yes, he nearly cheered with an overly enthusiastic fist pump. Instead, he tugged you in for a tentative hug and quietly told you how happy that would make him. He had to really hold back from kissing you as your faces grew close. Shyly, you pulled away first to tell him you’ll see him there. He watched you turn with a small wave and a tiny excited smile. You were so adorable it hurt.

The date itself seemed to be a success. He wanted you to be wined and dined, wanted you to feel special, like a princess. He tried to be an absolute gentleman while putting his best romantic foot forward. To his delight, you seemed to be having a wonderful time. If your wide smiles and soft bouts of laughter were any indication. By the time he was carefully holding your hand while walking with you through Central Park he’d thought he'd made it. Reading your body language and how you had glanced up to his face a few times while your cheeks flushed so prettily. He took the cue and leaned in for that once-in-a-lifetime first kiss. It was going to be perfect.

It was… until you pulled away at the last second. Mikey felt as though his heart had dropped into his stomach. Concern laced his features as he searched your face to find out where he’d gone wrong. Then you started talking, your voice stuttering and unsure.

“I’m sorry… I just… I didn’t think you really liked me like that…”

His heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. “You… you don’t feel the same way… do you?” There was no hiding his disappointment this time. He watched your eyes widen as you struggled to pick your next words carefully.

Your tone changes then as you shake your head and then nod, stammering a bit. “Wait, wait, wait! No, I do! I do like you, Mikey… I just didn’t think you’d go for me, I’m nothing special… not like those fangirls of yours. Aren’t they more your type?”

This was the answer he’d least been expecting to hear. He’d been sure you were going to let him down easy… that your heart belonged to another… more human guy. Not a mutated turtle guy.

“Not my… you think that they…” His mind was absolutely blown. This gorgeous, sweet woman thought that she wasn’t good enough for him? That was it, he was in love.

“Sweetheart… sorry to disappoint you, you’re just my type. Exactly my type. You’re the only woman I want to be with. The one that knows the real me.” He gave you a truthful and tender smile as he carefully tucked an errant curl behind your ear.

This time, when he moved in for that kiss, there was no hesitation on your part. He wanted you to feel the joy and tenderness he poured into it, right down to your toes.

A tightening of your grip and a deepening of the kiss was all he needed to know that you did feel it. He’d found what most people had been searching for their entire lives. A deep connection you both shared in the depths of your souls. To heck with ‘types’ he just wanted you.

Until the next ask!

Taglist:

@danceingfae @thelaundrybitch @iridescentflamingo @redsrooftopprincess @ninnosaurus

@the-cauldron-witch @thepinkpanther83 @avery73 @adebauchedsloth @sophiacloud28

@definitely-canon @scholastic-dragon @truffle-reblogs @fyreball66 @yorshie

Please ask if you'd like to be added!

[laanonlovestrash]

i feel like they'd be the cast of a weird cartoon

ignore how uneven the footing is please

[silvertherogue715]

Minx throughout Arcs 1-3 of my MMBN AU/Brainrot AU.

So much happens.

[roquebr]

The Fury

Barcelona femeni x reader

Aitana Bonmáti x reader

Summary: When all seems lost, a turnaround can be more impressive.

The rocking of the bus gives me a slight feeling of relaxation, my headphones placed carelessly in my ears, with the sound at the highest volume, hoping to hide the prevailing noise of the place.

The youngest girls on the team are very excited about today's game, it's no surprise that we are heading towards the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, simply the biggest European championship. So it's not surprising when some of them are sitting on their benches with greater concentration than the other side, which is a mess.

Everyone has their own way of preparing, mine being to ignore everyone around me as much as possible until we get to the changing rooms, music being my escape point, I always turn to Brazilian music to be my company during these moments, it's a way of feel close to home.

— Meto o chapéu na cabeça ela perde a cabeça e me fala assim... – When the song approaches the chorus, I feel a nudge on my shoulders, I pause the song and look at the intruder who disturbed me and then I relax, yeah Alexia, she knows about my pre-game ritual and I know she wouldn't disturb me for nothing.

—Hey Ale, allright?

— Yes, sorry to bother you, but we've already arrived at the stadium and the girls are already coming down.

— I lost track, I'm going too, I'm just going to get my things — I give a small smile, thanking him for his kindness.

— I see you're a little out of tune, is everything okay? – He places one of his free hands on my shoulder, with the other holding his belongings. I don't know how she manages to balance everything like that, if it were me, my cell phone would definitely be broken on the floor by now.

— Yes, I'm just concentrating on the game, you know how it is, right?

— I understand, but if you need anything you can talk to me. – I don't answer, stopping myself from just returning a kind look.

We continued walking towards the changing rooms, greeting the workers as I passed.

I know that this nervousness is not just because of the game, but because of the desire to show more than my best on the field, having arrived at the club just under a year ago, coming straight as a standout on the Ferroviária, I knew that from the beginning I had to show more than I expected.

I've had a strong presence in many of the 37 unbeaten games played so far, I've been a regular starter, but apparently I'm not good enough to start today.

As soon as Jona announced who would start before we got on the bus, my spirits immediately dropped, I know he decided the lineup thinking about preserving some prominent athletes for possible future changes of keys, but that doesn't negate my feeling of incompetence to start on the bench.

We arrive at the locker room and I immediately head to my cubicle, my headphones that have been stored for a long time no longer deprive me of Rosalía's loud voice that emanates from the absurdly loud speaker in my ears.

I change calmly, but I decide not to wear socks or football boots for now, I'm going to interpret this as a protest for being on the bench today, a bit childish I know.

I sigh and lean my head against the wall, where my game t-shirt used to hang, I watch my happy teammates as they transform and sway to the beat of the music.

I saw my girlfriend of 1 year, we met in October 2022 at Ballon D'or, I went to the event as Marta's guest after telling her in a free conversation that I would like to have the experience of going.

We talked for just over a month and soon we were dating, excited, right, but the feeling was intense and it happened, at first it was difficult because of the distance because I was in Brazil and she was in Spain, but we got through it together, whenever I could I went to visit her. there. Unfortunately, she never managed to go to Brazil, but I will resolve that during our next “vacation”.

Jona arrives in the locker room and starts his usual motivational talk, honestly I don't feel like listening to anything, with my mind confused I just focus on going to the bench.

Sit next to Alexia with Lucy on the other side, the traditional song of the champions plays bringing a smile to my face, regardless of my wounded pride, every time this anthem plays I can't help but get emotional, it's a dream that becomes childhood reality.

The first half of the game was somewhat disappointing, Barça put pressure on Chelsea's marking but unfortunately the defense did not give in, in the 39th minute came the beginning of our fall, taking advantage of a passing error from Irene that gave Chelsea close possession of the ball. to the area, making a respectable exchange of passes until he found a partner in the area, he deceived Keira's marking and passed to Cuthbert who wasted no time in scoring. We came out at half-time with 1-0 to Chelsea.

The atmosphere in the dressing room is very different to when we arrived, the totally dead Barcelona vibe contradicts the emotion I normally feel, word after word, motivation after motivation, all falling on my deaf ears as each teammate seemed focused on acquiring each lyric. said by him.

With a wave of his hand, Jona takes me aside to talk.

— YN, where are your boots?

— It's in the bank, Jona.

He sighs lightly in annoyance, the stress in his shoulders is visible.

— Look, I know you're disappointed that I didn't start today, but please put your boots on, I'll be with you on the field in about 10 minutes.

— Great Jona, I'll put it on.

Returning to the second half, a little more excited, I ask one of the physiotherapists there to put a bandage on my ankle, Sophia is her name, as I injured my ankle during the game I always put a bandage on it to avoid future injuries.

After Sophia finishes, I put on my socks and football boots, I kiss each shin guard before putting them on.

The second half began, Barça had difficulty getting into the game, then a penalty was awarded in our favor, we celebrated along with the cheers of the fans, this would be our chance to continue in the game.

The referee goes to the Var and immediately cancels the penalty, apparently the referee interprets that Salma's offside hinders the defender, nonsense if I may say so.

At 63 minutes Jona makes 2 substitutions, bringing Alexia and Lucy. Ingrid and Ona sit next to me, respectively tired and disappointed with their performances, I give both thighs a comforting squeeze.

I wait anxiously at the edge of my bench for a while, waiting for the moment when Jona replaces me. In the 74th minute, when Ramirez, Chelsea's striker, missed the chance to expand, my heart almost exploded. Patri managed to disrupt her position well, although he still let her to finish the shot.

— Jonas!! – He doesn’t even turn around in recognition.

— Que saco mano. – I go down towards him who was on the side of the field. — Jona, am I going in now?

— Be patient, YN, go to warm up.

A frown appears on my face, but I do as I'm told, not before kicking the water bottle nearby. My companions give me sympathetic looks, which makes me more stressed.

At 78 minutes, the assistant coach says I'm ready and Jona calls me to the sidelines next to him.

— Listen to me, we need you now in this field, are you ready for this challenge. – She pauses only to give the numbers to the fourth referee who is preparing the replacement panel. — We need to decide this game at home, with our fans who came here to watch us play, with courage and love when we enter the field. I know you are ready for this challenge, show who you are and what you came for.

I can't find words, so I just listen, shaking my head with a determined look. I take the place of Mariona, who wishes me good luck, running to my position, passing my girlfriend, blinking and returning to focus on the game.

Time: 80m

In a quick run down the wing, Frido sends it to Caro who tries to finish, the goalkeeper saves but the rebound goes straight to my side, I don't miss the opportunity and send it into the goal. I see Salma grab the ball so we can restart the game, I run back to position, jumping and calling the fans to play together.

Time: 83m

Patri intercepts the ball in midfield, passes it to Aitana who dribbles the opponent, leaving her mistaken, I ask for the ball and soon receive it. I notice that the goalkeeper's left corner is free, I prepare my leg and take a strong low shot, I see the ball roll quickly as the goalkeeper tries to launch himself too late, then you see the net ripple. We changed the course of the game, but it's still not enough.

Time: 85m

Aitana is having an impressive run taking advantage of Chelsea's neglect, a defender in front of her, with options like me on the left and Caro on the right, with Salma right behind. Aita rolls the ball to me, I take a slight touch to the right and shoot with confidence, the ball takes a threatening curve and soon falls into the net, surprising the goalkeeper.

Now I allow myself to celebrate, I run close to the flag post and slide down on my knees, my teammates hugging me and pulling me everywhere, the euphoria was so much that it felt like we had won the Champions League right there. I felt like crying, I scored my first hat-trick in the Champions League

Time: 88m

We receive a free kick after the Chelsea player almost grabbed Aitana trying to take the ball away from her, Salma takes the free kick which hits Lucy's head, who aims the ball towards the goalkeeper's box. She came spinning through the air, landing perfectly at my feet, I beautifully pushed her towards the goal and fell into the hug. With every second that passed the crowd became louder and louder, if possible.

Time: 90m

The gas had not passed, it was getting stronger and stronger, now with a considerable advantage, we preferred to send the team back. Keeping score is crucial for the second leg in England. Although we are currently more focused on defense, that doesn't stop us from also attacking at every opportunity. The team's confidence increased and we played calmer, making more passes and remaining calm when under pressure.

Caro has the ball on the right wing, looks up and sees the perfect opportunity to cross.

Caro's always necessary crossing makes things easier for me, I wait for her to reach the right height before jumping and sending the bike, when I fall backwards onto the grass my pain is numbed by a very loud vibration coming from the stadium.

Barely having time for anything else, I run towards the small Chelsea fans present in the stadium, stop in front of them and place both hands on my waist, with an arrogant posture, soon my teammates come to me in pure euphoria. Many compliments reach my ears, I allow myself to embrace them as much as possible before we have to return to the starting position.

9 minutes of extra time were allowed, nothing else impressive happened during this period, the 3 characteristic whistles were heard. There were many celebrations after we greeted the rival team. I head towards the referee team who hands me the ball.

Jona hugs me congratulating me on a successful game, the team soon arrives and gives me the idea of throwing myself into the air, I try to run away but I'm not fast enough, after the desperate seconds pass I run to the fans, my spirits were high today.

I ask a member of the coaching staff to hold my ball for me, while I jump into the arms of the crowd, doing my best to sign and take as many photos with everyone as possible, the only limit being the barrier.

I feel an arm go around my waist as I sign a Mapí fan t-shirt. I look to the side and see that it is Aitana, who is already looking at me with her beautiful smile on her face, her bright eyes remind me of the constellations.

I can't help but smile with her, our passionate looks betrayed our enormous passion for each other, which doesn't go unnoticed by the public, to everyone's euphoria and my poor heart, she stands on tiptoe and gives a long kiss to the my lips. , fireworks light up in my belly.

Soon the photo of that moment would be published on many pages, one of them was the official Barça account, and certainly on many fan pages that would blow up my cell phone with notifications.

But I couldn't care less, I played an impressive game and had my girl in my arms, could I ask for more than that?.

!!The inspiration for the character to score 5 goals in 10 minutes came from Lewa, when he played for Bayern he did this feat, so I thought “why not put that in the fic?”!" ... sorry for any mistakes, english is not my main language

[httpsryu]

muse? pt. 5

pairing: kang haerin x fem newjeans!reader

summary: getting a new member way long after debut and before a comeback isn't really the best idea to haerin

category: enemies-to-lovers (?), kpop idol au

genre: slow burn, angst, and fluff

warnings: a bit frustrating and A LOT of jealousy

a/n: i appreciate all the love muse has gotten so far! tysm everyone :)

It has been a week of you being a member of NewJeans.

All of you finally finished with the concept photoshoots for the comeback along with the re-designing of the albums and completing new photo-cards as well.

While the days are hectic with everything, you feel happy with the newfound idea of being on a team. A team where the members are very inviting and warming to you. Well...all except for that grouchy roommate of yours.

You recall only exchanging a single word to her, especially after that accidental kiss. To your surprise, Haerin kind of seems like she opened up to you. (JUST A TEENY TINY BIT!) However, you don't pay much attention to her.

Practice today was going smoother than expected, especially because of the fact that no one has been in this room since that day you messed up. Everyone was so occupied with the concept shots and re-recording everything that no one had time to practice.

Much to Haerin's surprise, she might have to admit that you're actually not as bad as you made yourself seem. Of course, Haerin believes you still joining the team is a 'setting NewJeans up for failure' thing but she gives some sort of props to you, she guesses. 

However, looking at the reflection of you through the practice room's mirrors and seeing the look of determination in your eyes, the feline-like female understands why SM was so determined to cast you. The way your eyes speaks for itself, it looks quite too good for a 4th generation idol. 

"Alright! We'll take a quick half an hour break before countering Cool With You." The dance instructor informs the girls before turning over to you. "Impressed at how fast you're keeping up, great job, Y/N!" 

Your eyes lit up, a smile that is so perfect for your face appears on your pretty pink lips. "Thank you, unnie." 

Haerin bores her eyes a little too much, lingering on your features. Her lips are parted in concentration at the way you simply move; bowing at the instructor and letting out another smile before brushing your hand through your hair. She was going to stare a bit harder too but she notices the youngest with a teasing smirk on her face from her peripheral view. 

Immediately, her pupils pull away from you and lock to the ground in hopes of Hyein not catching onto anything. She hopes that she wasn't too obvious of staring at you. 

"I'll be back." The instructor leaves the practice room, the door shutting behind her. 

Everyone started doing their own thing the second the door shut. Minji and Hanni are bickering again over some issue while stretching their arms. Hyein makes her way to her bag to grab a quick snack to avoid passing out while Danielle leaves the room to get her water bottle refilled. 

Haerin picks up her phone from the couch, resting leisurely on the soft cushion to interact with 'Bunnies'. However, she takes a quick sneaky glance over at you. You stare at your reflection in the mirrors of the room, she doesn't look past the discontented expression of yours. 

Something in the cat-eyed female feels her own heart feeling quite bitter at the way you look unpleased at your own self. And she wants to reach out to you and ask if you're alright; however, Haerin doesn't want to be distract herself with anything at this critical moment right now. 

No one else seemed to ask if she was alright with adding you to the lineup last minute, so why should she ask if you're okay? 

Is that so wrong of her? 

"Is everything alright?" Minji walks over to you, concern painting over her eyes as she look at you. 

Haerin bites down on her jaw, wondering why Minji couldn't have continued arguing with Hanni. She looks down at her phone, not caring anymore. 

"I'm just worried." You tried to smile it off, however, being the oldest, Minji knows something is bothering you.

What could it be?

"Are you not feeling well?" The oldest brings the back of hand to your forehead, her eyes are down-turnt as her eyes worryingly fixed at you.

Looking at Minji, you feel your heart warming up from having a considerate leader of the team. Something you never experienced at your previous company. You feel happy for once.

Minji breath hitches at the eye contact from you. The way your eyes seem to shine a bit brighter, even in the dark room has the older nervous. She feels her ears going red and her mind is flooded by the sounds of her heartbeat that wants to jump out of her chest.

"I'm fine, unnie." You laugh a bit to lighten up the sudden concern from her. "I guess I'm just worried the fans won't like the change. I'm not too sure really."

Haerin doesn't care, yet, her eyes aren't on her phone like she wanted to. Instead, they're glancing over at you and Minji through the mirror of the room. Why does she seem to care so much about Minji touching you? Why does she care about who you talk to?

Most of all, why does Haerin want to talk to you more?

"Y/N-shi, you're a really beautiful person. Inside and out. From my eyes, you're so hardworking and you deserve to be on this team. After all, you were specially picked." The oldest gently smiles as she lightly boops your nose (she couldn't help it.)

Minji pulls out a lollipop from the pockets of her sweatpants, handing it to you with a soft adoring look in her eyes. You let out a small giggle, taking the piece of candy from her.

Haerin's eyes glower down at the physical touch, letting out a quiet scoff as she rips her eyes away from the sight. A sour taste is forming in her mouth and she despises it. After all, she's unconcerned about you. Right?

"Scoot over." Hyein towers over the cat-eyed, her bag of chips in one hand while the other is constantly moving between the bag and her mouth.

Haerin stares at the younger with a stoic face.

"You're scooting or...?"

Letting out a grumble in frustration, the raven-haired girl puts her legs down and scoots towards the wall for Hyein to sit besides her.

"So, I saw you looking at Y/N unnie earlier."

Oh fuck.

Haerin knew Hyein was going to bring it up someday, just not now. Especially when you're literally a few meters away from them.

"No, I wasn't." Haerin lies, hoping and praying that Hyein will believe her.

The youngest stares at the cat-eyed, confused. "Hmm..yes you were."

"Why would I?" Getting a bit defensive now, Haerin puts her phone away as her mind scrambles to find more lies to get out of this investigation from the youngest of the group. "You know we don't get along so why would I look at her?"

Popping a chip into her mouth, Hyein shrugs. "Maybe cause you realize she's actually not bad and is really good at this."

"Like I said, I don't care about her." Haerin's voice is stern now, upset at what Hyein is trying to get out of her.

"You can lie to yourself but you cannot lie to me."

Whatever.

"Unnie, can you show me how you do that popping trick?" Hyein jumps up from the couch, rushing over to you.

You divert your eyes away from Minji and Hanni, paying attention to the youngest. In the process, you make eye contact with Haerin who only looks away while she rubs the back of her neck and letting out a cough afterwards.

"Of course!"

Oh, screw Hyein. She did that on purpose. For you to look over in this direction.

And screw Haerin's slight excitement at the way your eyes landed on her for the first time today.

Finally exiting HYBE's building, everyone lets out noises of excitement. The night breeze feels very cooling across your face, especially after countless of practicing for Cool With You. You shut your eyes for a couple of seconds, reminiscing about the air of your hometown.

"Move, you're in the way." A voice causes you to immediately open your eyes, ruining your 'main character moment'.

Turning to the person besides you, you cross your arms with a scowl. "Let me get some fresh air."

"Well, you're in my way." Haerin retorts back, placing her hands in the pockets of her zip-up to fend for something. "And it's getting windy."

Rolling your eyes and letting out a small tsk at the other's words, you can only look at the view outside again. The night sky looks very calming today, with the streets all lit up ready for some people to have their nighttime adventure.

"The night is my favorite time of the day." You softly smile, looking at how the moon is glowing with a few stars. "It's so pretty."

Haerin can only stare at the view beside her, her eyes focuses on how your natural face seems to look pretty. She would admit that if there was a definition for beauty; you would be the first contender.

"I overheard you talking to Minji unnie earlier." She looks away, not wanting to look at your decently overwhelming eyes. "While I'm personally not a fan of you for joining the team, I think 'Bunnies' would like you."

You can't help but let out a gasp at the other's sudden words and kindness. Suddenly feeling a frenzy of a stomachache at what your teammate just said, you let out a small sigh.

"Why do you not like me joining the team, Haerin?"

The cat-eyed diverts her attention back to you at the way you called out her name.

That was the first time either of you acknowledged one another by name.

"I don't like changes, Y/N." She can only defend her reasoning, pulling out a lollipop and staring down at it. "Do you see this candy I just pulled out, it was never there but all of a sudden, it's in my pocket. That's the type of change I dislike."

What in the world is this girl talking about?

You furrow your brows, looking down at the strawberry-flavored candy in her hand.

"Here, you can have it." She hands it to you.

You don't even know whether you'd want to take it from her. "Hmm, keep it. Get used to the change, you'll like it soon."

"You think I will?" She responds back, her voice sounding cold yet unsure.

Letting out a small hum in response, you smile over at her. "It takes time, I understand."

Haerin and you stare at each other in silence.

"What are they doing out there?" Hanni squints her eyes from the car's window.

Hyein can only shake her head while she too stares at the view from the car. "Haerin is so stupid."

"I don't want them to get sick, omg." Minji stresses, head in her hands.

Ripping your eyes away from the sudden moment between you two, you cannot help but to let out an awkward laugh. Motioning with your hands at the van. "Let's go, I think the others are waiting for us."

Haerin nods at you.

"What are they doing over there?" Hanni squints, looking out from the window of the van.

Minji stresses, placing her head into her hands. "I don't want them to get sick omg."

"Oh they're coming!" Hyein sits up, moving her things away and placing them onto her lap. "I want to sit by Y/N unnie!"

Hanni disagrees, turning away at god speed from the front to look over at the youngest. "No way! It's my turn!"

"You've always sat next to her! My turn! Plus, you chose that front seat."

Danielle stares at the tantrums from both of them, thinking of a solution. "Let's make it simple and have her sit next to me for today."

"She's always welcome to sit next to me." The oldest proposes. "I can always move to the back."

Hanni purses her lips in an upset manner, lowering her eyes at the unofficial leader. "Bro, you're going to make a move on her."

"Bro? What?"

The Vietnamese crosses her arm, squinting her eyes at the one besides her. "You heard me."

"Sorry we took long out there." Haerin opens the door, scanning the van and is met with an unsure atmosphere. "What happened?"

The youngest lets out a laugh at how the oldest members are arguing over something small again. "Minji unnie and Hanni unnie were fighting over who Y/N sits next to."

"Me?" You peek your head in from the outside, earning a gasp from Danielle at how cute you just looked.

Haerin rolls her eyes at how Minji and Hanni just automatically assumes you're some sort of property once it comes to the seating arrangement in the van. After all, at the end of the day, they're all going to leave in the same way so why does it matter where and who Y/N sits.

"You two need to stop fighting over the same thing." Haerin can only mutter to the two OLDEST members acting like immature toddlers, stepping into the van to bee-line her way towards the back of the van where Danielle is sitting.

You let out a smile while scanning where to sit. Ultimately deciding to sit between Haerin and Hyein.

"Thanks a lot, you scared her." Minji mumbles with her teeth gritted at Hanni.

The female with the bangs scoff before pointing at herself. "Me? More like you."

"Whatever, Pham."

"Suck my toes, Kim."

Finally, with everyone seated, the manager takes off for the night to end.

Haerin can only let out another thousandth sigh at how they were acting. There's too many things going on in the world than to fight over sitting next to someone (like controlling the small excitement she felt when you chose to sit next to her).

As the ride is a bit bumpy, your thigh accidentally touches the cat-eyed female's thigh as well. Feeling shy all of sudden from the physical touch, you scoot a bit closer to Hyein. This leaves Haerin a bit confused and fazed at why you didn't want to sit next to her.

But whatever, right?

"Haha, unnie likes me more than you." Hyein sticks her tongue out at Haerin, who only stares back with a blank.

"That's not true, haha~" You say. "I just wanted to give her some room."

Everyone sits near each other, huddled around the computer after the manager sent a file of all the concept photos for each album. Gasps and squeals at how each individual photo turned out while Minji scrolls through the photos.

"Hanni unnie looks so cute in these polaroids." Hyein compliments, looking at how tiny the older is.

The Vietnamese giggles, waving her hand off. "Oh stopp~"

Haerin has to admit, she liked that there was more water concept ones compared to the previous ones proposed earlier before you were added to the lineup.

"I loved the way your hair was done in these." You too compliment the Australian.

At the compliment coming from you, Hanni suddenly feels shy. Letting out a small and quiet "thank you" to you.

Minji whips her head to look over at her best friend with an unsure expression, confused as to why the Vietnamese is acting all "coquette".

"Oh! Look at Haerin's photos." Danielle proudly admires how her best friend is charming, she starts complimenting the hair, outfit, makeup and pose but stops once seeing the paired photos that Haerin took with you.

The feline-like furrows her brows at how the paired photos turned out. They look pleasing with the scenery of the tree and sun in the background. The simple picnic theme with both girls wearing light colors to balance one another.

Continuing to scroll, Minji pauses upon the photo where Haerin accidentally kisses your cheek.

"This looks so good! With the butterfly adding a touch to it." Hyein excitedly sits up, her eyes sending a teasing look over to Haerin.

"We do look cute here." You nod in agreement, trying to ignore the way your heart is beating and all of sudden you feel the need to grab a glass of water from how hot it is in the living room.

Hanni rolls her eyes, crossing her arms at the mere fact she wasn't paired up with you. "It's cute and all but Y/N and I would've been cuter."

"Too bad." Haerin replies, sticking her tongue out at the older. "Where's the one where I fixed her hair? She looked cute during it."

Cute?

You have a funny feeling at the way your cheeks are starting to warm up. "Let me go get a glass of water real quick."

You need to get out of being in the same room as her.

"OOO, this one looks super good." Minji hums, satisfied with the way these looks. Especially with the fact that you and Haerin don't get along but somehow, the photos make it look otherwise.

Haerin throws out a delighted smile at how your eyes looked in the picture taken. Admiring the view points of you, from your eyes to your lips. And maybe, just maybe Haerin can admit what Hanni and the others mean by you being real.

Meanwhile, you're pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

There's no way you feel nervous around your very mean roommate, right? RIGHT?

Yeah, it can't be.

Kang Haerin and her mean comments. Kang Haerin and her cute smile. Kang Haerin and her boba eyes. WAIT-...

This is bad...

prev part

june 16, 2024; publishing date

AHHH FINALLY UPDATED MUSE!! tysm for all being patient .^.

taglist: @xszn , @airice , @nnewjeansstuff , @xeiinpain , @jiwoneric , @brocoliisscared , @ilamara , @linnnsworld , @gayforalll, @lorsstar1st , @haechansbbg, @dhdhdjjf , @hyejin67 , @mushroom-main, @ilovekimminji , @justme-idle , @kyuusberry , @masuowo , @iraa567 , @shycreationdreamland , @idunnofr , @imahybridicannotbekilled , @twicesserafim, @awkwardtoafault, @olives-on-pizza, @misclsims, @lailac13, @gtfoiydlyj 

[rin-solo]

Finally, I am happy to present to you my ...

EPIC: THE MUSICAL | ACT I [Character Design project]

I have been working on these for a long time and I am very happy with how these turned out. I am a huge fan of visual character design and I simply needed to do a full lineup.

Act II will follow shortly (it is all done except for Ithaca Saga, which I will add as soon as it drops.) Please enjoy, and read below for some thoughts and background on some of my design choices!

TROY | CYCLOPS ft. Odysseus, Athena, Eurylochus, and Polites

With Odysseus, I really wanted to emphasize his free spirit in this era and mark him as Athena's warrior, so I gave him a special belt and some armbands that represent her (this was inspired by some of @mircsy's work). He also has heterochromia; his left eye is green, representing his cunning, wisdom, and spirit; his right eye is gray, representing his ruthlessness and warrior side.

I simply love Athena in purple/gold. Her mask is a symbol of her invulnerability and comes off only during "My Goodbye" when Odysseus tells her that she's alone. Her cape can also transform into wings, and her eyes are actually golden without the mask.

I had to give Eurylochus his large anime sword (it's just as heavy as it looks but he likes it that way because that means no one besides him is strong enough to wield it ... I imagine Eurylochus can bench press at least Odysseus' and Polites' weights combined. He and Polites are also wearing variants of Odysseus' armor, indicating that they belong to the same army.

Listen, I can vibe with Eurylochus' giant sword but I draw the line at Polites with glasses, sorry. He still gets the hairband, of course. He's also dressed more casually, and without a weapon, because of his pacifistic outlook. He's the physically weakest among the trio by far but also still an inch taller than Odysseus (it's fine, Odysseus is still like 5'10, his friends are just all so freaking tall...)

OCEAN ft. Aeolus, Poseidon, and Odysseus

Not gonna lie, I LOVED designing Aeolus' outfit. She's playful and mischievous and loves to hang out in the clouds all day; her outfit is probably made out of clouds let's be real. Also yes, her image on the windbag moves to make cheeky faces.

Poseidon I cannot imagine without tentacles anymore thanks to @gigizetz's "Ruthlessness", idk it just fits him so well. He definitely got all dressed up to go and sink Odysseus' fleet that day, he has a reputation, you know? And he just likes the shiny gold and accessories; the ocean is full of them so why wouldn't he?

Since breaking up with Athena, Odysseus lost her belt and armbands. He's still wearing her brooch because he couldn't bring himself to fully throw that away as well yet. Polites' hairband around his wrist reminds him of what he's fighting for and what to live by ... for now (Poseidon is about to ruin this man's whole career...)

CIRCE | UNDERWORLD ft. Circe, Hermes, and Tiresias

I wanted to give Circe the "witch" vibe while putting a Greek spin on it and I actually adore her design. She seems both immortally youthful (something I aim for with all my god designs) and motherly. There she was, gathering some herbs when a bunch of strangers crash onto her island ... Oh well, at least this man was a good man this time.

Hermes is kind of just Hermes. I wanted to keep him shaded, a bit impish, and definitely up to no good. He's wearing the contrasting colors on purpose, by the way. And yes, his hat can fly on its own ... But for it to do that he'd have to actually be willing to show his face which he seldom does unless he really trusts you.

Tiresias is a soul, so he has the same kind of ageless youth as all my gods (something that goes for souls of dead people too, since I like to think they get to appear at whatever age they want after death.) He's looking a bit regal since he's a prophet, so I imagine regarded highly, even in the Underworld. Instead of the blindfold, his hood covers his face, adorned with a symbolic eye to identify him and his skill.

***

Well, that's it for ACT I, friends, I hope you liked these! I will upload ACT II asap. Please comment and/or tell me your thoughts about my designs! And feel free to ask any questions you may have! I would love to talk more about these.

[fredwkong]

hi. The new year is less than 2 weeks away, and I still don't know how to celebrate it.. All my friends have gone home, and my parents live far away. I was planning to go to a club or bar, but I'm embarrassed to go there alone. What do you recommend?

That hardly seems like a winning attitude. The club is where singles go to be together with other people, isn’t it? You probably just need to find the right club.

You’re sitting at home alone for yet another night. Hearing a tap at the door, you go to answer, only to find that a flyer has been slid under it. An ad for a new club. Their opening night party theme is “New Year, New Me.” Cliché, but certainly classic. And it’s a singles night, almost like they heard that you’re gay, lonely, and alone this holiday season.

You walk up to the club a few nights later, trying not to feel out of place in your nicest shirt and pants. Thankfully, most of the other guys waiting in line are dressed similarly. You awkwardly strike up a conversation with the guy next to you, who’s wearing an ever so slightly cropped shirt to show off his skinny belly. Cute, but not your type.

Inside, the vibe is totally different. The music is a mix of pop and EDM, with a DJ in nothing but a jockstrap spinning discs on the stage. You yell to the bartender, but he must have misunderstood your order. He slides you something tall and clear, the fumes of which have your head spinning. The guy from the lineup outside grimaces next to you. The bartender made a similar mistake with his order, but he has a neon yellow drink. The two of you toast and toss them back, too awkward to ask about it.

You lower your glass. Sure, it’s strong, but nothing to a party boy like you. The music, which just seemed overwhelming, moves through you, making you eager to dance. Through your sunglasses, you look over at the guy next to you. How could you have thought he wasn’t your type? With his perfect, airbrushed face and lickable muscles under his singlet, he’s the ideal hookup.

He gives you a once-over. You flex your abs at him, angling so that the thong under your sheer outfit is totally obvious. Getting laid is all about putting yourself out there, and if you’re lucky, maybe the two of you can join forces to find a top during the party. Seems like there’s a lot of bottoms turning up.

Happy New You!

[sociallyrepressed]

I’ve finally calmed down enough from Hungary ‘24 to give my two cents

(tw for absolute UNITS of blocks of text)

I feel like people forget that racing is a selfish sport at its core: there is only one winner. Formula 1 adds in the component of the Constructors, which means that drivers do have to somewhat work with their teammate, but in cases like Sunday (McLaren was pretty much guaranteed a 1-2 win) it really is down to the driver. I bring this up to say that the drivers are, at their core, also selfish (when it comes to racing at the very least). The MOMENT they pit Lando first and practically put him in the lead they should have realized what a struggle it would have been to switch back. He’s second in the Drivers Championship and pretty much every point matters. They should have pit Oscar first since he was leading the race and Lewis was far enough behind that Lando would have been fine. Instead, they left an opening for Lando to win and his pace those last laps was really good. At that point, they should have just let him finish p1 because what they ended up doing was humiliating and unfair to both drivers. And Lando definitely played some part in that, too, but again, he’s a racer, he’s going to gun it for first no matter what. Oscar earned that win all on his own merit from the get-go, and I’m so so happy and proud for him. It is unfortunate that McLaren fucked the strategy and it’s pathetic that they made him feel like he had to apologize for his maiden win.

Continuing on this last point, I was disappointed to see the podium celebration and Lando blowing past him, but I won’t speak on it too much because I don’t want. I just wanted to bring it up because a lot of people have strong emotions about it. The podium celebration and the cool-down room are such hot topics in regards to Lando’s behavior. I don’t want to justify his decisions by comparing him to others, but I’m going to anyways. I’m going to bring up Mad Max first because a lot of fans have a love hate relationship with him. We saw a glimpse of him on radio today and people loved it (some people didn’t, but not the point), and many fans are begging for the resurgence of Mad Max. I personally feel like Mad Max is even worse than the behavior in the cool down room, and people seem to be latching onto that. He’s very upset and being borderline rude, I’m not going downplay that, but he still congratulated Oscar and they acted like typical Landoscar while waiting to be interviewed post-race. So, other than the champagne spray on the podium (which could have been chalked up to him making sure he didn’t make Oscar drop the trophy or if he intentionally avoided spraying him, we won’t know since we’re not Lando) he’s been supportive.

Fans like to remind Lando that he’s not anywhere close to being on the same level of the greats such as Lewis, Max, and Sebastian. I will admit that I’m a newer fan and may not understand the intricacies of their relationship with the sport and teammates, but I’m pretty sure none of them would have been open to giving up p1 even if they only got the lead due to their team’s mistakes. Especially if they were second in the wdc. I would also like to bring up the Aston Martin thing. A good example of selfish drivers. Fernando allowed Lance to pass him with the promise that if he couldn’t overtake, then the position would be returned to him. Surprise surprise, Lance didn’t return it. If a driver didn’t return a position so that he could have a one-point finish, how do you expect a driver to react to returning a position that gives up a win. Probably wouldn’t expect him to give it back.

Anyways, I think McLaren lucked out with their driver lineup and the fact they respect each other so much. I think they got complacent after seeing how well Lando and Oscar get along that they forgot about how selfish drivers can be. Especially Lando, since he’s been with them since his start and he’s turned down other interested teams. He and Oscar have done so much for that team.

I’ve got more thoughts but I’m going to keep them to myself for now. Since both drivers have got a taste of winning, I’m excited to see what Spa brings.

And congrats to Oscar Piastri, a freaking Grand Prix winner !!!!

[beauttifullife]

Maybe you need a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend.

Agatha had just taken a bite of her pizza when Nicky blurted out.

“Daddy has a new girlfriend. Amanda. She’s nice. She took me to the zoo.”

She froze mid-chew.

So, James is seeing someone—again.

Her ex-husband had gone through a rotating lineup of women since their separation, most of whom came and went before she even had the chance to meet them. And, like a cliché of wealthy divorced dads, James didn’t exactly date in his age group. Agatha had met one or two over the years, all of them at least twenty years his junior.

James was fifty-two, for God’s sake.

It was ridiculous.

Nicky kept talking, oblivious to her thoughts.

“Daddy is happy. He smiles more.”

He took another bite of pizza, then paused, his small brows drawing together as his nose scrunched up in that familiar way he did when he was thinking hard.

Agatha braced herself, recognizing that look all too well. Her son had a habit of speaking with the brutal honesty only a child could wield.

He reached up, pressing his greasy, pizza-stained fingers to her cheek, looking at her with a curious expression.

“You don’t smile a lot.”

Ow.

Agatha winced inwardly.

It is amazing how kids could unknowingly bury daggers in their parents’ hearts with their blunt, innocent observations.

She managed to keep her composure, setting her pizza down as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

“I smile,” she insisted softly, and then, with a mischievous grin, she tickled him, smiling as he burst into giggles and squirmed in her arms. “See? I smile all the time with you.”

When the tickling subsided, Nicky’s laughter faded, and he looked at her with that same serious, searching gaze.

“But what about when I’m gone? Do you smile when I’m gone?”

Damn it.

This kid was trying to kill her.

Agatha opened her mouth, ready to give him a reassuring lie—something simple. Of course, I smile when you’re not here, even though the truth was far from it.

But before she could speak, Nicky’s eyes lit up as though he’d had the best idea in the world.

“Maybe you can get a girlfriend like Daddy—so you can smile even when I’m not here.”

Agatha laughed at that, a startled, genuine laugh.

“You mean a boyfriend, honey,” she corrected gently.

But Nicky only shrugged, as if it made no difference to him.

“You didn’t smile with any of your boyfriends.”

Agatha stilled, her breath catching as she absorbed his words.

She hadn’t realized Nicky had been watching her so closely, hadn’t known he’d picked up on the things she kept so carefully hidden. She’d thought she’d shielded him from her own disappointments, put on a brave face as she tried to navigate dating again after the divorce.

Yet here he was, perceptive in that unfiltered way only her child could be, seeing through her mask to the truth she hadn’t even fully admitted to herself: that the men she’d dated hadn’t made her happy.

Since the divorce three years ago, she’d tried to move forward. She’d gone on plenty of dates, a few even turning into short-lived relationships, but none had ever clicked. She even introduced Nicky to one or two men she’d thought might last.

They hadn’t.

He hadn’t liked them, and she hadn’t blamed him.

Honestly, she’d barely liked them herself.

Her attempts at dating had all felt empty, like trying to force pieces into a puzzle that just didn’t fit.

Nicky, meanwhile, picked up his slice again and took a big bite, chewing thoughtfully before looking back up at her.

“Maybe you need a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend,” he said, words muffled around his mouthful but clear enough.

Agatha blinked, caught completely off guard by the innocent but strangely perceptive comment. She forced a small, wry smile, hoping he’d move on to a less jarring topic.

But Nicky just kept looking at her, waiting, his wide eyes expectant and curious.

She let out a breath, her mind racing through the events of the past few days, the revelations she’d had, and her unexpected, undeniable connection with Rio. Her son’s words lingered, pressing gently but insistently against the parts of herself she’d barely started to acknowledge.

Finally, she gave a small shrug, her voice softer than usual.

“Maybe, kiddo,” she murmured, reaching out to ruffle his hair with a gentleness that felt like both a reassurance to him and a grounding touch for herself. “Maybe.”

Nicky grinned, clearly pleased with her response, and dove back into his pizza, blissfully unaware of the quiet stirrings within his mother’s heart.

[blairx-bitch]

BG3 Tarot Update!

12 people so far have responded to the form- tysm!! Those who prompted in for the tag list I will begin that soon, but for now I'm gonna just post this update.

°‧★ Anyone new seeing this post, quick rundown is I'm making a fully functional 78 card tarot deck around things from bg3. I post all my updates under #bg3 tarot on this blog! ☆⋆｡

PLEASE NOTE: From here, card designs contain companion ending spoilers !!

I've began working on both The Lovers card (aylin x isobel) along with The High Priestess (selunite shadowheart). Finalized designs will be posted once done and the designs will probably be fixed slightly before I release the entire deck, which will take a VERY long time btw.

More information on some design decisions, major arcana lineup, how i will distribute the decks +more!!⬇️⬇️

First off, another huge thanks to the people who responded to my form!

Back Design:

The decision of the gold + purple was reinforced through the responses with over 50% of responses voting for it.

There was also some helpful feedback given too, I really appreciate it! I'll likely tweak some colors and the center design slightly and post it on the next update

Frame Design

Complex won by far, and I totally agree. This is pretty much final with a bit of room for color and symbol tweaks for consistency between the back and front of cards. Lots of great feedback on this once again, thanks!

Major Arcana line up!

This is probably the biggest decision for this project, and the lineup two won in the polls with 66.7% voting for it. So, what does those mean? It means that as I shuffle around the minor arcana placements a bit (which are set but not finalized or released) I'm now able to provide more diversity of characters in the cards. Minor arcana will be the next big poll, stay tuned!

Below is details on line up two :)

Lastly...how will these decks turn to physical form?

I've done lots of thinking on this, and once more, this info is not final! Due to my distrust and/or lack of funds for the several large manufacturers I have looked into, I will likely make the decks by hand and sell them on my etsy. I've found several methods that which i am yet to test in the upcoming months that would ideally make a high quality and similar product to if I followed through with a large manufacturer such as mpc. Pros to this would be I can better manage the quality and design of this, and it may actually be more cost wise for me while still making a good product. Cons, it's extremely time consuming. This means I'll probably have to make smaller batches to sell than I would with a manufacturer and have them be spaced out, along with opening my shop over the summer as I have no time otherwise (I am a student)

Anyways, my main worry is the designs right now. More updates on this later :))

Concepts? Questions? Ideas? Want to be added to the taglist?

PM me or comment! I'm happy to answer

[virgoilluminati]

WORLD CLASS

Chapter 6

previous chapter |next part

A/N: Hey guys, long time no see. Happy 2024! I hope everything is going the way you wanted this year to go so far. Apologies for being M I A. Cannot promise that it won't happen again, but I'm trying honestly. Here is the next part of the world class fanfic - currently posting archived posts so hopefully my posts will be a bit more frequent. Anywayysss enjoy :)

ps: i know that one of the photos y/n is wearing an orlando kit, please just imagine this as if its the england kit (i tried looking at couldn't find a single photo.)

y/nmorrison_

liked by ellatoone, alessiarusso and 200,000 others

y/nmorrison_ semi final jitters. First starting lineup for england!

view all 20,000 comments

judebellingham - proud boyfriend moment ❤️

ellatoone game time! ⚽️

leahwilliamson my arsenal girl 🔴⚪️

lucybronze: well done lil sis. ✨💕

As the trio—Y/N, Russo, and Toone—receive a summons to meet with Serena Weigman, the tension rises once again.

Seated side by side in Serena’s office, the trio exchanges anxious glances, awaiting Serena’s decision. Before the manager can delve into the details, a sudden commotion outside the office draws her attention.

In Serena’s absence, Russo and Toone begin to whisper to each other, casting furtive glances in your direction. The mystery surrounding their hushed conversation only fuels your confusion.

Finally, unable to contain your curiosity, you ask, “What’s going on, guys? Why the secret conversation?”

Toone hesitates, exchanging a glance with Russo before breaking into a grin. "Okay, here's the deal," she begins, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "If either of us gets the chance to replace James, we've decided we'll give it up for you."

Your eyes widen in disbelief. "What? Why would you do that?"

Russo chimes in, "Because, Y/N, we genuinely believe you deserve this opportunity more than anyone. You've been giving your all on and off the pitch. It's your time to shine."

You, humbled and slightly overwhelmed, stammer, "But... I don't understand. Why me?"

Toone smiles, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "Because we're a team, and we know you'll make the most of this chance. We believe in you."

Russo nods in agreement. "You've got the heart, the spirit, and the skill. This is your moment, Y/N."

As Serena returns to her office, the trio—You, Russo, and Toone—shifts their attention back to the manager. Serena, her expression serious yet compassionate, begins laying out the scenario.

"Alright, girls, here's the situation," Serena starts, her eyes moving from one player to the next. "As you know, James is out due to the red card. It's a crucial match, and decisions have to be made."

Your stomach churns with a mix of nerves and anticipation. You exchange glances with Russo and Toone, both of whom share a silent understanding.

"We've got options, and I need your input," Serena continues. "Toone, Russo, both of you have been in excellent form. But here's the catch—we can only pick one."

Serena pauses, letting the weight of her words settle. Outside the office, the buzz of activity hints at the significance of the moment.

"Toone," Serena turns to the forward, "you've been a force up front. Your agility and goal-scoring prowess are invaluable."

Toone nods, her eyes reflecting the gravity of the decision at hand.

"Russo," Serena shifts her focus, "your ability to create opportunities and your strategic play have been crucial for us."

Russo acknowledges Serena with a determined nod.

"And then, there's you, Y/N," Serena says, turning to you with a hint of a smile. "A versatile player, a team player, someone who's demonstrated resilience both on and off the field."

You feel a mixture of pride and nervousness as Serena acknowledges your contribution.

"Before we make a decision," Serena continues, "I need your honest thoughts. Speak up. What are your strengths, and how do you think you can contribute to this crucial match?"

Toone and Russo take turns expressing their confidence in their abilities, emphasizing how they could make a difference on the pitch. You, though still battling the lingering nausea, speak about your adaptability, teamwork, and the determination to give your best, regardless of the position.

Serena listens attentively, weighing your words. Just as the discussion reaches a pivotal point, another commotion from outside interrupts the conversation. Serena excuses herself briefly, promising to return to finalize the decision.

In Serena's absence, Toone and Russo exchange glances, and you can't help but feel the intensity of the moment. The unspoken camaraderie among the three players resonates in the room.

Finally, Serena returns, her expression resolute."The decision is made," Serena declares. "Toone, Russo, thank you for your commitment. But today, Y/N, you're stepping into James' position. We believe in your ability to make a difference on the field."

A mix of surprise and gratitude washes over you. Toone and Russo, true to their whispered agreement, nod in support. The trio, now united in a shared mission, leaves Serena's office, ready to face the challenges that await them on the pitch.

jude's story.

In the early morning light, the Madrid football stadium stands quiet as your voice echoes, phone pressed against your ear. On the other side of the world, you pace the field in Australia, cleats clicking, engaged in your conversation with Jude.

"I did it jude, I'm on the lineup!"

"Ahhh! Congratulations my love, I am so proud!"

"I'm shitting myself though. What if I mess up?"

"Y/N, you won't." Jude's frown is evident through the screen.

"But what if-" Jude interupts you, knowing her common weakness of self doubt.

Jude: "You know, Y/N, I've been thinking. I really want to get a dog."

You chuckle, adjusting your kit, "A dog, Jude? Seriously? That's your way of making me feel better?"

Jude, excitement in his voice, "Well, yeah! Imagine having a loyal companion to share the victories and defeats with. Plus, I could use some unconditional love."

Your tone shifting, you sigh, "I love the idea, Jude, but you know our situation. We have a tiny apartment in London, and with our careers, we aren't home much. A dog might not fit in."

Jude, thoughtful, responds, "You've got a point. But think about it, Y/N - a dog could bring so much joy into our lives. We could make it work."

You chuckle, "I can just see us trying to fit a dog bed next to all our football gear. It's a charming image, but practicality might get in the way."

Jude: "Practicality? Since when did footballers worry about that? We'll figure it out. Maybe hire a dog walker or recruit teammates for puppy play dates."

You smile at the mental image, saying, "You're optimistic, Jude. I love it. Let's make a deal: if we ever get a dog, it has to be an arsenal fan. No exceptions."

"how about England fan, as a compromise?"

"Deal!"

Jude laughs "Now, speaking of dogs, while you're preparing for your World Cup match, I'll start researching local shelters here in Madrid. We might find the perfect furry friend."

You grin, "In Madrid? That's ambitious, but I like it. Just make sure it's a dog that can keep up with both our busy schedules."

The conversation takes an unexpected turn as Jude hesitates, "You know, Y/N, we've been talking about this dog and our hectic schedules. What if... What if you moved in with me in Madrid? We could find an apartment here, and maybe that way, we can make having a dog work."

You, on the other end of the line, feel a mix of surprise and panic. "Move to Madrid? I mean, it sounds tempting, but that's a huge step, Jude. My club is in Arsenal, my family's in London. It's not just about football; it's about my whole life."

Jude, realizing the impact of his suggestion, softens his tone, "I didn't mean to upset you, Y/N. I just want us to find a way to make it work, you know? The dog, being together more, all of it."

You, taking a deep breath, reply, your voice wavering, "I appreciate that, Jude, I really do. But moving to another country, leaving everything I know behind, it's a huge step."

And with that, the conversation ends on a somber note, leaving you to gather your thoughts and prepare for your match, while Jude grapples with the realization that his suggestion has brought unexpected tension into your relationship.

Feeling the weight of the conversation, you take a deep breath and reply, your voice strained, “Jude, this is a lot to process. I’ve got a match to get ready for, and we both need time to think. Let’s talk about this later, okay?”

As you navigate the tumult of emotions, Jude, sensing your struggle, starts to respond, “Y/N, I didn’t mean to make this–”

Before he can finish, you interrupt, “Jude, I’ve got to go. Lucy’s coming into my room, and I need to focus. We’ll talk later, okay?”

Jude, left with his thoughts and the unresolved conversation, reluctantly agrees, “Yeah, sure. Take care, Y/N.”

The line goes silent, leaving Jude to grapple with the weight of the discussion. On the other side of the world, you face the challenge of compartmentalizing your emotions and preparing for the match ahead. The distance, both physical and emotional, lingers as you each retreat to your respective worlds, carrying the burden of a conversation that has taken an unexpected turn.

As you sit there, attempting to process the unexpected turn in your conversation with Jude, Lucy walks into your room, concern etched on her face.

Lucy: “Y/N, everything okay? You seem a bit off.”

You, forcing a small smile, reply, “Yeah, just… unexpected news from Jude. We were talking about getting a dog, and then he suggested I move to Madrid. It’s a lot to take in.”

Lucy, sensing the weight in your words, sits down beside you, “Move to Madrid? That’s a huge step. What are you thinking?”

You, staring into the distance, admit, “I don’t even know, Lucy. Arsenal is my home, my family is here, and I can’t just uproot everything. It’s overwhelming.”

Lucy, offering a supportive hand, says, “Take your time, Y/N. You don’t need to make any decisions right now. And if you ever need to talk about it, I’m here.”

As you sit in contemplative silence, Lucy gently reveals, “You know, Y/N, I was actually considering mentioning you to FC Barcelona. But I held back because I knew how close you are with Leah at Arsenal. However, things have changed now.”

You, looking at Lucy with surprise, ask, “You were going to mention me to Barcelona?”

Lucy nods, “Yeah, your talent deserves recognition, and Barcelona is always looking for top-tier players. I didn’t want to complicate things, but now that Jude has brought up this move, maybe it’s worth exploring. You could commute from Madrid and play with me and keira. No pressure, though. Just a thought.”

You, processing the unexpected turn of events, say, “That’s a lot to consider, Lucy. I appreciate your honesty and support. Let me think about it.”

Before Lucy leaves, you ask her quietly, “Please, Lucy, don’t tell anyone about this. Not yet.”

Lucy, with a reassuring smile, responds, “Never. Your decisions are yours to share when you’re ready. I’ve got your back, Y/N.”

And with that promise hanging in the air, Lucy leaves the room, leaving you to contemplate the potential paths ahead, the weight of the conversation still heavy on your shoulders.

england & lionessess

liked by y/nmorrison, englandfan1, and 150,000 others

england: kick off in 10 minutes, some of the cutest scenes in australia today, including this precious little mascot Tilly.

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user105 so cute 💕

englandfans06 it's coming home 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

In the bustling waiting area, players clutch their mascots, standing alongside their Australian opponents. You, battling persistent nausea, can't pinpoint the cause. A quick, vivid flashback engulfs you - you remember feeling queasy and unsettled just after your meeting with Sarina..

You take a deep breath, trying to compose yourself. The vivid image of the office, the faint scent of paperwork, and the subtle anxiety that lingers in the air become etched in your memory. You shake off the unsettling thoughts, determined to focus on the task at hand - the World Cup semi-final.

Returning to the sidelines, your eyes catch the glimpse of your little mascot - a charming girl with braided hair named Tilly. You greet her with a warm smile. "Hello there, what's your name?"

The little girl beams back, "I'm Tilly!"

Kneeling down to Tilly's level, you create an instant connection. "Hi, Tilly! Who's your favorite football team?" you ask, genuinely curious.

Tilly hesitates for a moment, then responds, "Arsenal."

"No way! Who's your favorite player? Is it Leah, 'cause she's brilliant-"

She shakes her head.

"Meado?"

She shakes her head.

"Then who?" You giggle. Tilly hesitates for a minute before pointing at you.

Taken aback, you chuckle. "Me? Really? That's so special, Tilly. Thank you!"

You compliment Tilly on her adorable braids, expressing genuine admiration. Standing up again, you take Tilly's hand, leading her toward the pitch. The exchange transforms the waiting area into a moment of connection and inspiration.

As you step onto the pitch, the roar of the crowd intensifies. You, still feeling nausea, twirl Tilly around, creating a moment of joy. Your laughter echoes, a delightful contrast to the tense energy of the impending match. Your teammates, witnessing the scene, join in the merriment.

The referee's whistle signals the start of the match. You, still holding Tilly's hand, guide her toward the center circle for pre-game rituals. Tilly, wide-eyed, takes in the enormity of the stadium.

During the national anthems, you stand with Tilly, singing along proudly. The little girl, mimicking the anthem, adds charm to the solemn moment. You exchange a knowing glance with Tilly, a silent acknowledgment of the shared experience.

As the anthems conclude, you crouch down to Tilly's level. "You ready to watch an amazing game, Tilly?"

Tilly nods enthusiastically. "Yes! And you're gonna score, right?"

Y/N grinned. "I'll give it my best shot. And I have you cheering me on, so that's like having a secret superpower."

With a final exchange of smiles, you part ways momentarily as the match begins. Fueled by Tilly's infectious enthusiasm, you dive into the game with renewed vigor. Throughout the match, you steal glances toward the stands, where Tilly waves her miniature flag, cheering wholeheartedly. The documentary crew, capturing every emotion, immortalizes this heartwarming chapter of the World Cup journey.

Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson gather the team for a powerful pep talk. Lucy's embrace envelops each player, setting the tone for unity and determination.

"Ladies, today is special," Lucy declares, her voice ringing with authority. "We're welcoming you onto this grand stage for your debut. We've seen your dedication, and now it's time to show the world just how brilliant you are."

Leah steps forward, her words infusing the air with a mix of authority and camaraderie. "Today, we beat the Australians not just for a place in the finals but for the pride of wearing this jersey and for the legacy we're building together."

The team absorbs the intensity of the moment, a shared resolve forming as they prepare to face the formidable Australian opponents.

"The Australians are tough, relentless," Leah warns. "This won't be easy, but we've faced challenges before, and we've conquered them. Today, we fight for each other, and we fight to win."

As they disperse to their positions on the field, Lucy and Leah's words linger, becoming a driving force for a team ready to turn challenges into triumphs. The pitch awaits, and with your debut adding an extra layer of significance, the England Women's National Team stands united, ready to leave their mark on the journey to the finals.

During half-time, you, overwhelmed by emotions stemming from the recent decision to consider moving from Arsenal to FC Barcelona, run out, seeking solace. Unbeknownst to you, Lucy, who knows the source of your distress, observes your hurried exit and decides to follow.

As you find yourself in the bathroom, tears streaming down your face, Lucy enters, concerned. "Y/N, what's happening? You seem upset."

Surprised by Lucy's presence, you try to brush it off. "It's nothing, Lucy. Just need a moment."

Lucy, aware of the underlying issue, insists, "Y/N, I know there's more to it. You don't have to face it alone."

Meanwhile, Leah, approaches the bathroom to check on you. Lucy intercepts her, blocking the entrance. "Leave her be, Leah. She needs space."

Leah, puzzled and concerned, insists, "Lucy, Y/N is my best friend. I can't just leave her alone when she's upset. What's going on?"

Lucy, torn between loyalty to you and the desire to protect your privacy, hesitates. "This is not something for everyone to know. Y/N needs time."

Leah, feeling the tension escalate, demands, "Lucy, I need to know. What's bothering Y/N? She doesn't keep secrets from me."

Lucy, frustrated and grappling with the conflicting responsibilities, finally blurts out, "She was considering a move to FC Barcelona. But nothing's confirmed—"

Leah, stunned by the revelation, looks at Lucy with disbelief. The confrontation shifts from concern for you to a heated exchange between Lucy and Leah, each grappling with their roles in your life and the challenges of balancing personal matters with the demands of the game.

Leah's eyes harden with frustration and confusion. "Wait—What?!!"

Lucy, defensive yet determined, replies, "Because she's trying to protect you, Leah. She knows how much you care. And you would also convince her not to go."

Leah, not satisfied with the explanation, shoots back, "Y/N and I share everything. What gives you the right to decide otherwise?"

Lucy, now equally frustrated, retorts, "I'm trying to do what's best for her, Leah. Sometimes that means making tough decisions."

Leah, her emotions bubbling over, exclaims, "Best for her? You don't get to decide what's best for Y/N without considering how it affects the people who actually care about her!"

Sarina, hearing the heated exchange between Lucy and Leah, steps into the bathroom, her presence commanding attention. "Enough of this," she declares.

The confrontation between Lucy and Leah intensifies, and you find yourself caught in the crossfire of conflicting emotions. Finally, you can't take it anymore. "Enough! Both of you, just stop!" The weight of your emotions spills over as you storm out of the bathroom, leaving Lucy and Leah in stunned silence.

Lucy and Leah exchange a tense glance but follow Sarina back into the main room, where the team is gathered. Sarina swiftly transitions into discussing the plans for the second half of the match, redirecting the focus to the task at hand. "As I was saying," Sarina begins, her tone authoritative, "we need to tighten our defense, capitalize on their weaknesses, and keep the pressure on. You, Y/N, are key in this; I want you to exploit the gaps in their formation."

Determined to contribute despite the emotional turmoil, you nod in agreement. The rest of the team, sensing the underlying tension, focuses on Sarina's strategic instructions, trying to maintain the morale built throughout the tournament.

The second half begins with renewed intensity. The team, despite the recent upheaval, channels their energy into the game. You, amidst the emotional turmoil, push yourself to deliver on the pitch. Lucy and Leah, recognizing the need to set aside personal differences, demonstrate a united front in their positions.

The opposing team notices a shift in the England Women's National Team's dynamics but can't exploit it. The players, committed to their roles, continue to execute the game plan, rallying together for a common goal.

As the match progresses, the team's focus becomes more pronounced. The exchange of glances and unspoken tensions are momentarily set aside for the collective pursuit of victory. The pursuit of victory resonates with every skillful play, and the once-challenged morale finds its way back, fueled by the shared determination to advance to the finals.

At the crucial moment, as the ball finds its way to you, Leah's words echo in your mind - a reminder of the strength that comes from leaning on your teammates. Your legs burn with exhaustion, but the goal beckons like an elusive dream slipping through your fingertips. With a burst of determination, you unleash a powerful, swerving kick that sends the ball soaring through the air.

Time seems to slow as the ball arcs towards the goal, every heartbeat resonating with the collective hope of the team and the echoes of the crowd. The goalkeeper, stretching in vain, can only watch as the ball, driven by your unwavering spirit, slams into the back of the net.

A thunderous roar erupts from the stands, the celebration echoing through the stadium. You, momentarily suspended in the bliss of triumph, are engulfed by your teammates, the weight of the match and the underlying tensions momentarily forgotten.

With the scoreboard now reading 2-1 in favor of England, the atmosphere in the stadium crackles with anticipation. The England Women's National Team is on the verge of securing their place in the World Cup finals.

In a strategic move, Russo enters thepitch, replacing Kelly. The team, riding the momentum of your earlier goal, senses the opportunity to solidify their lead. You, eager to contribute further, seize an opportunity near the sideline.

As the clock ticks down, you skillfully maneuver the ball, evading defenders with a series of deft moves. Russo, positioned strategically in the box, makes a decisive run, anticipating your intention. With precision, you deliver a pinpoint cross that arches gracefully into the penalty area.

The stadium holds its collective breath as Russo, timing her approach perfectly, leaps and connects with the ball. A resounding thud echoes through the stadium as Russo's header sends the ball hurtling into the net. The crowd erupts into ecstatic cheers as the scoreboard now proudly displays 3-1, marking a significant advantage for the England team.

You, having orchestrated the play, share a triumphant moment with Russo. The teammates, their connection evident in the precision of that crucial play, are engulfed by the jubilant celebrations of their colleagues. The dramatic turn of events showcases the resilience and teamwork that define the England Women's National Team, solidifying their position in the World Cup finals.

Amidst the celebratory chaos, as you and Russo revel in the glory of the goal that solidified England's lead, Lucy approaches with a compliment. "Y/N, you'd make a great addition to Barcelona," she remarks, a smile on her face.

While you reciprocate the smile, a sudden gut punch of realization strikes you. The prospect of moving to another team, even if just in conversation, reopens the emotional wounds stirred by earlier discussions. Despite the outward composure, your internal struggle intensifies.

Feeling the weight of conflicting emotions, you seek solace in the familiar embrace of Leah, who, overwhelmed with emotion, has tears streaming down her face. The joy of reaching a World Cup final, an elusive dream for Leah until now, has rendered her speechless.

You, sensing Leah's vulnerability, attempt to apologize for the recent bickering, but before you can utter a word, Leah pulls you into a tight hug. In that embrace, the unspoken apologies and the weight of your recent conflicts seem to dissipate. Leah's words ring clear, breaking through the noise of the celebration. "Bickering or not," Leah whispers, her voice choked with emotion, "none of it matters right now. We made it, Y/N. We're in a World Cup final."

The significance of the moment hangs in the air as you hold each other, your shared journey filled with struggles and triumphs culminating in this monumental achievement. The team, once fractured by personal conflicts, finds unity in the pursuit of a common goal. In that embrace, you and Leah celebrate not only the victory on the pitch but also the resilience of your friendship amid the challenges of elite football.

As your and Russo's celebration echoes through the stadium, the commentators seize the moment to emphasize the historical significance of this match for both the women's and men's teams. "Incredible scenes here as Y/N's goal propels the England Women's National Team to a 3-1 lead, securing their spot in the World Cup final. But, folks, let's not overlook the broader impact of this moment. For years, both the men's and women's teams have tirelessly pursued the elusive World Cup, and today, the women have showcased their prowess on the grandest stage."

The echoes of the celebration and the commentators' reflections merge into a symphony of triumph, resonating far beyond the stadium, marking a defining chapter in the history of women's football.

In the midst of the roaring crowd, the commentary captures the essence of your journey. As the England Women's National Team secures a 3-1 lead, the commentators emphasize the historical significance of this moment for both the men's and women's teams.

"Your goal, Y/N, propels the England Women's National Team to a 3-1 lead, securing your spot in the World Cup final. This moment isn't just about a match; it's about breaking barriers, rewriting narratives, and proving that women's football deserves recognition and celebration. Your journey is a testament to the strides made in the pursuit of global glory."

Leah's emotional reaction becomes a powerful symbol for the women's team, transcending the boundaries of just a match. "Leah's emotional reaction speaks volumes. For the women's team, this isn't just about winning a match; it's about paving the way for future generations and showcasing that women's football deserves every bit of recognition."

The unity between you and Leah is highlighted as symbolic in the grander scheme of things. "The unity between you and Leah is symbolic—a reminder that, regardless of gender, football is a sport that unites, inspires, and creates history. As you head to the World Cup final, you're not just competing; you're paving the way for future generations."

In the broader context, the significance of England's journey is acknowledged. "As we savor this moment, let's acknowledge the magnitude of what's happening here. England, with its storied football legacy, is on the verge of etching a new chapter in the annals of the beautiful game."

The shared dream between the men's and women's teams becomes a powerful narrative. "The men's and women's teams stand side by side in pursuit of a shared dream—a World Cup triumph that transcends gender boundaries. This moment isn't just important for England but for football as a whole."

leahwilliamson

liked by lucybronze, y/nmorrison & 500,000 others

leahwilliamson world cup finalists! 🌏🏆

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lucybronze - so proud of this team ❤️

milliebright - come on girls! ✨✨

no.1englandfan - its coming home! 🎶🎵

[gemini-sensei]

Thoughts on Monster dick!Alpha!Demetri with a Chubby!Omega!Reader?

I have a few 👀

Monstercock!Alpha!Demetri x Chubby!Omega!Reader NSFW Headcanons

CW: a/b/o and knotting, fem!Reader, rough sex mentioned. (unedited)

Alpha!Demetri with a monster cock comes with a monster knot. That terrifies him. When he popped a knot for the first time, it freaked him out because he was already going through a lot of changes, his heat was horrible, and now he has a knot the size of a softball. So when he is met with any prospect of a relationship moving forward, he's hesitant to go too far because he fear hurting his partner.

However, when he has with his omega for the first time, it isn't during a heat or rut and he doesn't feel the pressure to knot them. They take things slow and the sweet omega takes a good portion of his big thick cock so well. It's like that for a while until her first heat of their relationship comes around...

She begs him for his knot, swearing she can take it. She's seen it, but she's not scared of it, especially not in her heat fogged brain. She presents to him, ass in the air, spreading her drooling pussy open for him, slick leaking down her inner thighs. He can't possibly say no to her pleases and fucks her rough, just like she needs him to. She keeps begging for his knot and when he feels it throb, he tries to ease it into her. She squeals and cries, canting back into his thrusts until it she screams with pleasure when it pops into her tight fat cunt. She comes right then and there, pussy squeezing his cock and knot as it pulses. He comes not long after her and his knot swells to lock him in. They're connected for a long time as he fills her with a copious amount of cum and his knot makes sire it all stays where it needs to be.

He makes sure she's comfortable, turning them over and sitting against the headboard, letting her sit on his lap until they can part. The whole time, he's crooning and peppering her face and neck and shoulder with kisses. He praises her for taking hit knot and he's just in awe. This whole time he's been cautious about his knot, most omegas he's been with before being fearful of it, some even scared of his cock. But Reader has never been scared of what he's packing and she's so satisfied as he stays buried in her cunt. His knot nowhere near close to going down when she sits up, braces her hands on his thighs, and starts grinding down on his cock.

Their first heat together was a lot to say the least.

And when her heats and his rut lineup for the first time 👀 absolutely insatiable pair.

Omega!Reader is ruined for any other cock, alpha or otherwise.

Alpha!Demetri also knows that this is his omega, his forever mate. He marks her as soon as she's ready for it. They're mates and love to flaunt it.

He walks around with such confidence too. Her scent is always covered up by his musk, especially because they just have a lot of sex on a regular basis and Demetri loves knowing that other alphas can smell him all over her. Typically, he doesn't even have to scent her or at least not often.

Demetri also has the satisfaction of knowing he's the only alpha that can satisfy his omega's needs, not only because of his big cock, but because he knows what she likes and how she likes it.

Casual sex turning into knotting turning into cockwarming. He loves it. She loves it. Everyone is happy.

This fucker rubbing and pressing on her soft belly make her moan, using his hand to press her own hand into her belly and feel his cock and how deep he is. All while he tells her how much he she loves it and can't get enough of his big fat monster cock. She whimpers back a feeble but pleasured "Alpha..." and he goes ballistic just to make her cream on his cock.

[zwy01]

Reiner doodles!!!

Ahhhhhh my little prince boy!! He’s finally here!!! He’s HERE!!!

This is my OC, Aretis Verja Di Reiner! He is Razark and Raskreia’s son, and the latter’s heir.

I haven’t gone in depth with his backstory yet, so I’m going to do that here. He’s one of my 15 “main” characters of my Millennium AU and his full bio is up in my pinned post.

A brief recap on Reiner’s family. Typically, Reiner is an only child. His hypothetical full-sibling and younger sister Lorenda Roxanne Di Gloria does exist depending on how the mAU storyline is interpreted, which is very flexible in itself. If Gloria exists, she is born after Reiner runs away from Lukedonia. She is not a “100%” existing character in my mAU, which is why she isn’t in my lineup featured in my pinned post.

I love Reiner for his complexity and I’ve hardly even mentioned him at all. Ahhhhhhhh. I’m like, SO excited to finally talk about him. I’ve been waiting for this moment for four years since his creation!!!! And he’s by far one of my most layered characters, which is also why I’m not sure about how much I’ll be able to get through in this post. Probably won’t even be able to fit in most of his backstory in one go but I’ll do the best I can to cover major points. He’ll definitely get more posts of his own in the future, so what I don’t get to finish here, will go there. And you may recall me mentioning how I will expand on Gloria’s backstory as a two-in-one with Reiner’s character post. As of now, that won’t hold true anymore because Reiner’s own stuff turned out to be much longer than what I had expected so I think I’ll end up giving Gloria her own post. (She deserves her own post despite being a situational character. Looks like there will be 16 posts total, haha) Yay! My precious Reiner’s partially complete backstory.

Before I jump right into Reiner’s story, I want to give a little more context on this AU in general because I feel like I haven’t clarified exactly why this AU is not a happy one, but an angsty one. The answer is Lord Raskreia. Presumably everything goes well post-ending in the post-canon timeline. Crombel’s nukes are dealt with, Raskreia takes her two Clan Leaders back to Lukedonia, and life goes on etc etc. That is the “good ending” for Raskreia and the general noble population. Basically your happily-ever-after ending. (In this timeline, Reiner is nonexistent because Razark is dead, and he stays dead. Reiner is replaced with Raskreia’s son whom she has with Kei, with the latter serving as the soul fragment donor. That’s a lot of new information at once. But the post-canon timeline kidlord deserves his own post so that’s for later. He actually made a brief appearance in my crackship nextgen post so feel free to check it out!) This is where my mAU thematically diverges from canon. Razark being alive isn’t even the main focal point of this AU. In my mAU timeline, Lukedonia is ruled by the “bad ending” Raskreia.

To be exact, Lord Raskreia who doesn’t take the canonical series of events very well. I mean, just think about it. Traitor nobles, werewolves, modified humans, bloodstones, satellites, nukes… they just kept coming. And it all happened during her reign, right under her nose. The world was in danger, and Lukedonia was in danger. They were more than fortunate enough to save Razark in the nick of time before the traitor nobles were able to finish him off. Raskreia and her two Clan Leaders were more than fortunate enough to return safe and sound after facing Crombel’s nukes head on. Now what? To think that all threats have been eliminated, and that the world is finally at peace, would be rather unrealistic. Too optimistic. After all, just look at what happened. For this exact reason, Raskreia feels uneasy and she is unable to relax. She can’t guarantee that the possibility of future attacks is at 0% …none of them can. It is unlikely, but you can’t just ignore the what ifs. Thanks to these series of events, Raskreia more or less decreed that Lukedonia would continue to stay on guard in a half-emergency state. Everyone must be vigilant and prepared to respond to emergencies anytime and anywhere. Admittedly, they were a bit underprepared during the most recent, and hopefully the last invasion of Lukedonia. To her, this was a wake up call. The world has gotten more dangerous as it developed. And it will continue to develop at fast pace. So she called for action. The guards’ training program doubled in intensity and duration. Those who did not show substantial improvement were deemed under-qualified, got removed from their posts and then replaced by faster, stronger, and more qualified individuals. Raskreia also assigned more people to patrol duty; along the coast, in the forest, in the mountains… until every last inch of Lukedonian land had eyes monitoring it. She enforced evacuation drills at regular intervals. She established a new alert system. Ludis, along with many other nobles, were called in to investigate and enforce the barrier of Lukedonia in hopes that a stronger barrier with increased resistance to being deactivated would make Lukedonia harder to penetrate. The list would continue on. To summarize, Lukedonia is now harder to enter… and harder to leave. You know what that entails.

In my mAU, the Clan Leaders’ relationship with Raskreia also takes a different approach to canon. They are still extremely loyal to her and will respond to her commands without hesitation. Except what’s different here is that they are not so sure if they trust her completely. This could refer to many things, but it’s mostly pointing to Gejutel’s incident during the first Lukedonia arc. The Clan Leaders pretty much witnessed their Lord almost executing Gejutel, her trusted advisor and one of her most loyal subjects who also served the Previous Lord during his reign. All because of a misunderstanding and suspicions that she didn’t even bother to fully investigate. She was willing to accuse and execute him just like that. So the man who dedicated his life to serve her, and her father, only meant that much to her. Fortunately the misunderstanding was eventually cleared thanks to Raizel’s timely intervention. Had it not been for the noblesse, the old man would’ve met his tragic fate under a false treason charge. Did Raskreia even apologize to him in the end? And… what does Gejutel think of her now? The Clan Leaders don’t know what Gejutel thinks of this entire incident, nor does he ever bring it up. As curious as these Clan Leaders are, they know better than to ask Gejutel himself, as it would be impolite. If he didn’t complain, then none of them can. Gejutel’s loyalty to Raskreia seems to remain the same, at least from what they can observe. But they can’t help but think… what if they were in his shoes? How would they feel? After all, Raskreia proved that she was willing to jump to conclusions and execute a reputable, loyal subject like that in an almost whimsical manner. Just, you know… does this mean that them witnessing Gejutel’s almost-execution is simply them getting a glimpse into their own future? Will their Lord still be as immature? What will the future even hold for them? Sure, they are still loyal to her, by both their own choice and their duty. But again. They couldn’t help but think in that direction.

And that wraps up my brief overview of my mAU! Hope that answers some questions, and gives a little more context on why Raskreia and Reiner act the way they do in my storyline. Without further ado, let’s get started on Reiner’s story! Yeahhh!!!!

We already know that Reiner is the heir to the throne of Lukedonia. It is a fate to which he is tied since birth, and one he can never separate himself from. He is meant to follow in Raskreia’s footsteps and succeed her as Lord one day, just like how she succeeded his grandfather, and his grandfather’s many, many ancestors before him. He shall become the next ruler of Lukedonia who will protect them and guide them to prosperity. Reiner the great and glorious. Eeeexcept his future is neither great nor glorious. Reiner gets depressed, ditches his identity entirely, and runs away after his attempt to reform Lukedonia into a democracy fails. Currently, he is permanently on the run with his mother and her elite search party coming after his head. Reiner adopts a human name, disguises himself, and works part-time jobs in the human world all while skillfully evading whoever is after him. He’s a fugitive on Lukedonia’s most-wanted list, but he’d take that over being the prince of a suffocating noble country. Anything but that. And we will witness how his story unfolds, from his early childhood all the way to his escape many years later.

On Reiner’s general character. In terms of appearance, Reiner resembles his maternal grandmother Desdemona very much. A mysterious aura, beautiful eyes, and wavy black hair that turns into a wonderful crimson shade under the sun. Personality-wise, he also has some of Mona’s stubbornness when it comes to firmly sticking to his beliefs. But it’s not just Mona. Reiner also takes after his maternal grandfather, the Previous Lord. Their personalities overlap quite a bit. Just like the Previous Lord, Reiner is charismatic, outgoing, has his sense of humor, and is open to new ideas. Despite being stubborn at times, Reiner can also be quite flexible, especially when it comes to keeping up with the ever changing world. But Reiner is even more upfront and vocal about it. He himself is the change; he doesn’t need to wait for it to happen. And he doesn’t want to wait. Back then, his grandfather voluntarily entered eternal sleep with his Clan Leaders to pave way for the new generation. And Reiner? He would much rather witness change with his own eyes. He doesn’t just want to believe in it, he wants to see it happen real time. Reiner will be there to implement what he envisions by being the person to lead them all. He wants all the nobles to live up to their fullest potential, and he has confidence in himself that he will be able to figure out something that works for everyone. Reiner is positive about the future. He will be a responsible, caring Lord who has everyone’s best interest at heart. His bright future awaits him. Not only will he be his people’s leader, he will also be their friend. It will be his responsibility to guide them as their equal. And when he passes, he will be remembered as a great Lord.

Except this side of his personality never got the chance to develop. This is the Reiner that could have been if he had the opportunity to grow up under the right circumstances. Precisely, if he had the luxury of receiving ideal support coming from both his family and his people. Reiner was basically robbed of his full potential, and one that he will never get the chance to make up for. You can’t just redo your childhood and early adulthood to replace what had been missing all along, which means his pain will last for a lifetime. The current Reiner is sad, defeated, doesn’t want to interact with anyone, and gave up on his identity altogether. In fact, he doesn’t want anything to do with Lukedonia in the slightest, even if they pardoned him and invited him back. To see why this is, we will have to go back to the very beginning, to Reiner’s toddler days.

Reiner was a good child. He was polite, kind, generous, and always kept an eye out for the needs of others, as if the world and everyone around him lived inside his little heart. His precious, delicate little heart. He truly cherished them all. In Reiner’s eyes, the people of Lukedonia were more like his friends than his future subjects. The nobles all greeted him with utmost respect and addressed him as “Prince Reiner”, and even though Reiner did not fully understand why everyone was so formal with him, he very much enjoyed the attention. And of course, being the polite kid he was, Reiner would bow back and say “thank you very much!”, to which the nobles would be very flustered, beg their prince to get up, and even go as far as to blame themselves for making their prince bow to them. At the same time, they were also very flattered to know that their prince thought so highly of them.

And Reiner did! It wasn’t just to be polite from his end. Reiner respected and loved them just as much as they did for him. Anyone can tell you that Reiner was a nice boy. He made sure to never be on only the receiving end, and always went out of his way to reciprocate his people’s efforts. He didn’t need to do so as being served is one of the perks that came with his birthright as prince, but he never let that stop him. He was full of enthusiasm. Reiner helped Minerva’s librarians shelve their books despite being only a smidge taller than a large houseplant. He assisted Doris with her journal entries on effects of different soil types on crops, writing in his own tiny notebook with his tiny hands. He tended to Claudia’s garden of herbs and harvested, cleaned, and dried the plants with her. He eagerly followed Ludis and his knights around during patrol duty even though he was too small to keep up with them. At home, he offered to dust his residence along with his maids and greet the guests at the door with his butler. Even when no one was around, Reiner bowed to the stone statues outdoors and thanked them for watching over Lukedonia, and brushed dirt and twigs off their heads and shoulders.

Reiner loved his people, and he loved his country. His passion was unmatched. Reiner had won over most people in Lukedonia at a very young age. If you needed help or looked like you needed help, you could count on little Reiner. He’d stand upright, give his chest two firm pats with his tiny hand, and say “Allow me to assist you!” How adorable. Aww. Soon enough the citizens of Lukedonia learned to not refuse their prince’s offer to help with their mundane tasks because they saw how happy he was to be a part of them. Everyone seemed to be impressed and proud of their prince… except for one. Or, at least she doesn’t show it.

Despite Lord Raskreia telling Reiner that he will become Lord after her, and that he must prepare himself for that role, little Reiner didn’t quite have a full grasp on what being Lord means yet. But that’s okay, because he is still so young. He has all the time he needs in this world to learn what it means to be Lord. His father Razark would smile, pat his son on the head, and tell him that one day, everyone in this land will be under his care, so he needs to grow up to be strong and smart to protect and lead them. To which Reiner would always smile and answer “Yes, Father!” with sincerity. Little Reiner understood that he will have to work harder than anyone else, but he was certain that he’ll do a good job. He has to. He’ll do it for his people, he’ll do it for himself, his father, and… his Lord. His beloved mother, though he’s not allowed to address her as such. Right. His Lord, his ruler, and Lukedonia’s one and only. She’ll be proud of him, right? Even if Raskreia never explicitly stated that she looked forward to her son’s accomplishments and that she’d recognize him for his excellence, Reiner just knew that she would. He was hopeful and optimistic. After all, he’s her son! Razark could sense that his little son yearned for his mother’s approval, despite it being one he knew she wouldn’t be handing out freely. Razark also knew how stoic his wife could be sometimes, so he would tell Reiner that the Lord has… her own way of showing her feelings, and even if she doesn’t openly display much enthusiasm, he’s sure she’d be proud of her boy. And that is all the reassurance little Reiner needed to hear to be happy, to have his father praise him in his mother’s place. It was a short-lived happiness, but it was genuine for as long as it lasted; until the delicate illusion that ever so gently and sweetly veiled the harsh truth was inevitably torn down and Reiner’s innocent little soul was no longer shielded from the woes of reality.

As soon as Reiner became old enough to start his rigorous training in both studies and fighting, he was no longer allowed to roam around freely as he wished. He had a schedule set for him, with little to no room for deviation. It was the standard operating procedure. Raskreia followed it in her youth, and so did the Previous Lord and the Lords before him. It was tradition. Reiner had to obey whether he liked it or not, as this was a mandatory obligation of a prince. Reiner was only 15 years old at this time, which is the equivalent of a human preschooler. As soon as Reiner had his 15th birthday, Raskreia decreed that it was time for him to begin his training as part of his Lord succession lessons. Reiner obeyed his Lord and did as she ordered, albeit a bit begrudgingly because he did not like idea of endlessly rotating between tutors and having to sit inside a boring classroom all day. He did make sure to not let his true feelings show, because Raskreia is his beloved mother, and above all else, he wanted to make her proud. As much as Reiner missed being able to roam around Lukedonia to interact with his people with all the free time he had, he was determined to do a good job at his mother’s assignments. He will study hard and not be distracted by anyone or anything. He even stood in front of a mirror, pointed to his own face, and made a promise to his reflection that he would do everything his Lord prepares for him. “Good job. You’re brave.” He said to himself. This was not an easy feat for Reiner, as he already knew how much he would crave being out there doing mundane tasks. But it was the right moment to put all of that behind. It took some time and a little bit a courage, but Reiner was ready. Now was the time to live up to his title of Prince of Lukedonia. Poor Reiner. In hindsight, perhaps it was too early, and he would’ve done better if he had more time to be a child instead of future Lord.

Reiner was not an academic genius, he was still better than average. Time proved that his efforts paid off. Little Reiner kept up with his tutors and went through piles after piles of books and papers. While he did not cruise through the material, he was able to make progress without falling behind Raskreia’s schedule for him. Reiner believed that he was pretty average though. Perhaps he was unaware of the fact that he was doing a very good job, given how strict his mother was regarding his education. At times, Reiner did feel the urge to zone out, count the tiles on the ceiling, daydream about being outside doing fun things with other people…etc. He even thought about skipping class because listening to his tutors’ voices echo in the study room was anything but interesting.

But Reiner had a lot of self-discipline. He did his best to not let himself be distracted, and he did a pretty good job. And if he doesn’t do it now, he’ll need to do it later anyway. Most of all, the Lord would be disappointed in him, and that was the last thing he wanted to see: his mother’s disheartened expression. He’ll make sure he does everything ordered of him, if that means he’ll get praise from her. Anything is welcome. Good job, you’ve worked hard, that’s my little boy. If the Lord praises him, maybe he can even stop daydreaming about his freedom. All these tedious tasks would then have meaning to them. But not once did the Lord drop by to check on her son’s progress. Little Reiner always had his eyes and ears on the windows and doors of his study room in anticipation of his mother’s arrival. Unfortunately, his wishes never came true. Each time his disappointment increased as the footsteps he so eagerly followed were revealed to have belonged to one of the Lord’s many assistants. Sure, the Lord sent them herself and they were tasked to check on their prince, but that doesn’t change the fact that they weren’t… her. He wanted to show his mother how much progress he made. Make her proud. Yet not once was she willing to come in person. And her assistants were not helpful either. They never praised Reiner for his work, only to take notes and report back to Raskreia if they came to the conclusion that Reiner was about to fall behind. That’s literally their job. They were in no place to interfere with their prince’s classes, even if he was only a small child who needed emotional support. Reiner started to feel trapped, and classes felt more like prison sentences than lessons.

Fortunately, Reiner’s training wasn’t all about pen on paper. Sparring lessons were like a breath of fresh air to him, and he always looked forward to meeting people on the training grounds. At least he didn’t have to sit still and listen to a tutor talk all day. He could actually interact with a “real” person out in the open, and he could stretch his limbs and move around to his satisfaction. How nice! As with Reiner’s academic skills, he was no fighting genius either. His grasp on his little wooden sword was wobbly and his swings were less than smooth. His aura conjuring was unstable and at times, it either dispersed completely or messily exploded. But with perseverance and effort, and lots of patience from his mentors, he was able to get a decent grasp on things fairly quickly. Raskreia assigned her most elite fighters to Reiner to help shape him into the impressive warrior he must become as part of his succession training. He had mentors who specialized in offense and defense, and some that specialized in being all-rounders. Reiner would begin to develop a very special way of defensive fighting. His mentors were very impressed with their young prince. And for Reiner, getting his clothes sweaty and his knuckles bloody was definitely more fun than watching a tutor talk all day. And unlike his tutors, his fighting mentors were much more enthusiastic and open to communication outside their spars rather than just deadpan reciting an old piece of history while refusing to have any small talk. His mentors were fun people. Reiner had a good time. But something still felt like it was missing. Like with Reiner’s daily academic checkpoints, the Lord’s assistants would also come to the training grounds to take notes on Reiner’s progress. They jot down something in a notebook, take a few glances at him, and they leave. Yet again, his mother was nowhere to be seen. She did not bother to come to see him recite a passage flawlessly, nor did she make an effort to watch him skillfully defend himself from a mentor’s forceful kick. Reiner’s mentors would notice his sudden mood switch and ask their prince what’s wrong, to which Reiner would always respond “nothing”. And now he has to clean up and go back indoors to finish his essay on Lukedonian history, before he can even get a chance to relax. Sigh.

Studying after sparring. Sparring after studying. Back and forth. For almost every single day. Reiner started to grow tired. But he never let himself relax. He pushed himself, and he consistently grinded through the challenges presented to him just like he had always been doing since Raskreia put him on this training regimen. His brain and body, one of them was always busy. Yet Raskreia was never absent from Reiner’s mind. Whenever he made progress, he always instinctively thought about her witnessing his good work. He sustained himself by coming up with and replaying imaginary scenes of his mother giving him the praise he deserves. The real deal never bothered anyway. She still relied on her assistants to monitor Reiner’s progress. As days went by, Reiner began to lose hope and he no longer anticipated his mother’s arrival and involvement in his training. Sometimes, it’d cross his mind, but then he’d shrug it off. Nope. Don’t think about it. It’ll just make him feel sad. Can’t give himself that false sense of hope. Fortunately, for him, his mother isn’t his only source of hope. One day, as his tutor announces that class is over, he hears some footsteps… and he senses something familiar. It isn’t his mother, nor is it one of her assistants. It’s… his father!! Little Reiner is more than overjoyed to have his father pick him up at the end of the day. Usually, the butler or one of the maids do it. Not today! At least Reiner can stop pouting for now. Razark would give his son praise and tell him he worked hard. This would soothe the faint, aching feeling in Reiner’s chest. While it did not substitute for affection from Raskreia, it was still better than nothing.

Not only was Razark more involved in Reiner’s early life, he pretty much remains as Reiner’s only parental figure throughout his son’s time in Lukedonia. Functionally, his role is pretty similar to that of single parent’s. Raskreia is simply too busy to be involved in Reiner’s life. She is Reiner’s biological mother, but she is also her people’s Lord. She had the duty to attend to her subjects. And… her son can get by without a mother present in his life, but Lukedonia can’t be without their Lord. That’s what her husband Razark is for. Right. She has him. He’ll be there for their son, in her place. And the title of Kertia Clan Leader now belongs to Rael, so Razark has all the time in the world for Reiner if he needs parental support. That’ll work. Their son would have company, and she could carry on with her duties as Lord. Surely that is the best arrangement. Or, at least that’s what the Lord thought. Logically, it made sense. Realistically? Asking her preschool-aged son to compromise probably wasn’t the fairest thing to do, but they had no other choice. And Razark, being the loyal husband he is, did as his wife suggested. And he did what a good father would. He monitored his son’s progress, played with him, and they talked about the old days. About that time when the traitor nobles invaded Lukedonia and how they ultimately fought them off with help from the noblesse, how the Lord stopped a missile with Rozaria-nim and Kei-nim, what his paternal grandfather Ragar was like, even funny stories about uncle Rael’s embarrassing shenanigans… they had a good time as father and son. It didn’t make up for Raskreia’s absence, but Reiner nonetheless appreciated his father’s efforts very much.

However, this did not stop young Reiner from asking his father questions about his mother. After all, she was still very much of an important presence in his life even if he wasn’t necessarily part of hers. He asked his father if the Lord didn’t like him, or that she was disappointed in him, like any child would if they felt like a parent didn’t want to be with them. Razark always reassured his son that the Lord loves him, but she is just too busy. Out of respect, Reiner does not press the matter any further. And their conversations always ended there. Did Razark manage to convince Reiner? No. As much as Reiner wanted to believe his father, he needed to witness it with his own eyes. Reiner loved Raskreia and he missed her. She was everywhere, yet she was also nowhere. She could be in the throne room discussing matters with her Clan Leaders, checking in on the coastal borders, on a diplomatic meeting with some humans or werewolves… if something needed her attention, she would always be on the way. And out of all those things, she couldn’t find time for her son. If Reiner was lucky, he got a short glimpse of his mother from below the balcony or through the window. His eyes follow her longingly, ever so hopeful that she would turn around and look at him just once. Yet she simply walked straight ahead and her back view vanished from his sight as she hurried to her next destination. Those few seconds would be the last of her that the young prince gets to see for a whole week.

Reiner refused to believe that this is how his life will be. If his mother didn’t come to him, then he will go to his mother. How will he make that happen then? Reiner obviously couldn’t ask his servants. The other Clan Leaders and nobles were in no position to authorize such a thing either. And his own father Razark seemed to avoid answering his questions that hinted towards wanting him to be the bridge for him to meet his mother. If he couldn’t get realistic help, then he’d come up with something on his own. Reiner pondered for some time. Then he came up with a genius idea. What he did not realize at this point was that this would go on to be a complete disaster and the first major traumatic event of his life that would permanently change him.

So Reiner snuck into one of Raskreia’s offices when she wasn’t there. Earlier, he happened to overhear one of her secretaries talk to a colleague about their Lord’s next meeting and the documents she had prepared for it. The perfect opportunity. With a bit of searching and standing on his little tiptoes, Reiner was able to find exactly what he was searching for. He took out the crayons he stuffed in his pockets and scribbled something on the papers. Then he carefully closed the documents and put them back where he found them, hoping that Raskreia would be overjoyed to see what he had prepared for her. And it’ll happen very soon, because she’ll be opening those documents for her next meeting. Reiner was very proud of himself. He left her office with a big smile on his face and went home in anticipation of good news.

The time came. The Lord summoned her subjects to their scheduled meeting and her secretary passed the documents into her hands. Raskreia opened the folder and… instead of words on paper, as it should’ve been, her eyes met a colorful scribbly mess. She was shocked and confused, and wondered who on earth dared to mess with the Lord. It couldn’t have been one of her secretaries or assistants, because they were dutiful and dared not to tamper with their Lord’s belongings, let alone meeting documents they knew their Lord had prepared to present. Then Raskreia took a closer look at the scribbles and finally pieced together what it attempts to depict. It was more than intentional, and the culprit did not mean to stay hidden at all. It was even a deliberate effort to catch her attention. Right there on the paper was a childish crayon drawing of three figures holding hands on a flower field, with “I love my family” and “I miss my Mama” written below. As badly drawn as it was, Raskreia had an idea of who these figures were meant to depict. The smaller one stood in the middle, smiling happily, and to his left a taller one, drawn with a black crayon. Then to his right an even taller one drawn in yellow. This was exactly what she suspected it to be. It had to be. The other nobles at the meeting were shocked as well, but before they could fully comprehend the situation, Raskreia’s aura suddenly exploded into the air like a shockwave and the office was heavy and drenched in her rage. The walls and ceiling began to shake and pieces fell to the ground where cracks had formed. All the nobles dared not to talk and nervously held their heads low in response to their Lord’s wrath. They were not sure if the Lord’s anger was directed at them. But Raskreia had someone else in mind, one she realized she had failed to discipline. …Reiner.

She immediately summoned her son through their mind link, but it was done so forcefully, all the nobles within a few kilometers heard her and felt her fearsome tone. And of course Reiner did not anticipate this reaction. He had imagined that if his mother does summon him, she would invite him in, give him praise, and hug him while telling him she’ll never leave him alone again, and from now on they’ll spend a lot of time together. He daydreamed that his little drawing would melt her heart and make her realize how much he loved her as her son, in hopes that she’d reciprocate his affection. Except… the final result was the complete opposite. The Lord was livid. Reiner dreaded the entire walk to his mother’s office, and he could feel his legs shaking and telling him to turn around and run away. He was panic-stricken, his fingers went cold and his limbs tensed up. Then he stepped into her office. There was no warm welcome, no greeting, no interaction between mother and son. Oddly enough, his mother did not reprimand him. There was nothing to break the dreadful silence in the room. And perhaps that silence was much worse than his mother yelling at him. Then Reiner’s memories blur. To this day, Reiner is not able to recall what happened after, as it was too traumatic for his little brain to fully process at that time. The only thing he can vividly recreate in his mind is the scene of a dark room. There was no sunlight, as the clouds had darkened, and candles blown out. And in the darkness, Reiner saw his own reflection inside two glowing crimson orbs of coldness and fury. His legs would not stop shaking despite his every effort to stay still in front his Lord. And then it hit him. In this moment, he was no longer her son. He was a criminal. Reiner can’t recall anything else. Or, maybe he doesn’t want to. Any attempt to do so would be a ruthless act of reopening the deep scar inside his little heart, and he doesn’t need to hurt himself any further. Perhaps he even tries to suppress this event to the best of his ability in an attempt to completely forget it, which he does to no avail.

Reiner’s memories only resume its tracks at him being punished to a week of solitude inside his room. Messing with the Lord’s belongings usually warrants a much harsher punishment, but Reiner was only a small child. Even a week of a being left alone was too harsh on him. But the Lord would not have it otherwise. And for the entire week, Reiner sulked and curled up in the corner. He didn’t even notice day and night passing by. Seven days felt like seven years. He did not understand why his mother was so angry. If fact, he had never seen his mother like this in his entire life. Reiner felt something for the first time. He had no place in her heart; of the one he loved so, so much. His mother wanted to disown him, and his Lord wanted to execute him. And of course that would be untrue and very delusional, because no Lord would ever do that over something so trivial. Reiner was just overthinking. But in the midst of the mess, that was all he could comprehend with his little mind. He will never be Raskreia’s priority. Compared to everything else she had to do, he was a nobody. Nothing. He was her subject, but he was no son to her. Lukedonia needed her, and he needed her as well. She chose the former. Then Reiner woke up from his illusions. She would never approve of him no matter how hard he tried. Receiving her unconditional love was just as much of a myth as humans dreamed of mermaids and dragons.

And for the first time in Reiner’s life, he cried. He sobbed. His wails echoed through his room, and no one was there to hear him. Then Reiner calmed down. Once again, Reiner stood in front of the mirror. This is the second promise he makes to himself. Except this time, he swore to himself that from now own, he will never call her his mother again. He can’t be greedy or selfish anymore. She will only be the Lord. His Lord. And he will be her subject. Nothing more. This would be the first and last time Reiner ever cries.

Reiner’s punishment came to an end when Razark unlocked and opened the door. Reiner could’ve broken himself out of solitude if that had been what he desired, but he was responsible and accepted his punishment. Furthermore, he would just upset his Lord again, and she’d have to punish him once more. Father and son did not greet each other verbally upon their meeting. Slowly, Razark approached his son, who sulked on the floor, and sat down next to him. He gently stroked Reiner’s head with one of his hands as he held something in the other. “This is for you, my son. Do you want to take a look?” He said in a soft voice, and his low-spirited son lifted his head slowly. Razark passed the box to Reiner. It was a plain, black box. Reiner opened the box and he was greeted by a small handwritten card inside that read “To Aretis Verja Di Reiner”. It was his Lord’s handwriting. Reiner carefully picked up the card and flipped it over, but he found no other text. It was just his name. Then Razark gestured to his son to take a look at the content. Inside the box were two items.

The first item was a thick envelope that held many copies of the same form. Reiner took one out and read it carefully. It was a form for an official request to meet the Lord in person. The standard procedure. This was Raskreia’s way of telling her son that if he wanted to meet her, he had to submit a request just like everyone else to ask for her audience. Essentially, Raskreia was reminding her son that he was no exception, even if he’s the prince. But this was also an invitation, in a sense. Reiner, albeit in a less desirable manner, had successfully conveyed to Raskreia that he wanted more private time with her as her son. And Raskreia responded, even if it she did it in a confusing way. She basically reached out Reiner from her end. Sure, it was strange, but it sure was something. A proof of her efforts. If Reiner wanted to spent time with the Lord, he could fill out a form and deliver it to one of her secretaries, and they would then add it to one of her many piles of forms to approve. If she approves Reiner’s request, he will get a chance to meet her. What an overcomplicated and unnecessary process of parent-child bonding.

The second item was a toy. It was a small, fluffy black teddy bear with red gems embedded into its eyes. Reiner was perplexed. Was this… Raskreia’s attempt to apologize to him? He could not be certain, but he had a feeling that Raskreia intended for this to be her substitute for when she isn’t around. This teddy bear was to serve as her replacement for when he missed her. Reiner was not sure on how this was supposed to make him feel. He doesn’t even like teddy bears, or toys in general. So far the Lord had spent so little time with him in his life, she wasn’t even aware of his preferences for things. Still, this teddy bear had a very significant meaning to it, as it was the first gift his Lord had ever given him. It was an item with great sentimental value, despite being one laced with sorrow and regret. To this day, Reiner has this teddy bear stored inside a thrice secured display cabinet inside his room. It sits inside a sturdy glass case, fixed with a complicated maze lock, all encased inside a layer of Ludis’ special barrier charm. It will never leave his residence, let alone his room. Every now and then, Reiner would take it out to play with it, and lock it back up when he’s done. The maids are not allowed to go near the cabinet, as Reiner stated that he will do the cleaning it himself. They would stay loyal to this order of his even after his departure from Lukedonia. Funny enough, Reiner never names this teddy bear, probably in fear that it would come alive if he did.

We move on from Reiner’s early childhood to his teen years and early adulthood. Reiner attends his lessons as usual, and performs his duties as prince. But before we dive into that part of his story, I want to talk about the deal with his parents first.

Raskreia. Truth is, Reiner is not entirely correct with his assumptions about what his existence means to his mother. In fact, he is very wrong. It is not his fault either, because anyone would’ve guessed something similar if they were in his shoes. Raskreia does genuinely love her son. She has loved Reiner since he was born, and she still loves him after his eventual departure from Lukedonia. He has always been her little one, and he’ll always be. He has a permanent place in her heart. But Raskreia also struggles to express herself. This is Raskreia’s biggest flaw as a parent. Raskreia’s sense of pride and the need to uphold her position as Lord even with her family hurts her relationship with her son very much. Just as much as her son misses her, she misses her son. The feeling was mutual, yet Raskreia never acted upon it. She couldn’t. She had a standard she had to uphold as Lord, and that is to stay faithful to her duties and to not let herself be distracted by other elements, especially considering all the mess they and the noblesse had to deal with in the past millennia. They had to stay alert, and Raskreia as Lord was busier than ever. She must lead her people and respond to them in a timely manner. She had to be professional, even if it means ignoring her own son unless he has a dire emergency, which he does not. At least from her perspective. Reiner is more desperate than ever.

Raskreia simply could not dedicate time to her son on a regular basis. That’s why the request-to-meet forms are there for him. She cannot promise him her guaranteed presence, but she’d approve of it when she can. Maybe thirty minutes at a time. That is her limit. Maybe twenty, or ten, if she really can’t squeeze more in. Occasionally, she’d have an hour for him, though that is an extremely rare luxury.

And… She needs to prepare her son for the position of Lord. Yes, Reiner has a family, but most importantly, he has a duty to all the nobles in this land who will require his leadership one day. He does not have an option. This is the fate that he is destined to carry on his shoulders since his birth. It wasn’t Reiner’s fault for being a needy child, a normal child who needed love and affection to thrive. Except Reiner is also Lukedonia’s prince. He needs to learn to put his personal needs below the duties to which he is tied, even if it means setting his own important feelings aside. That is an essential skill a Lord’s successor needs to master. Raskreia can’t just grant her son’s every wish. She doesn’t shut him out completely, but she also keeps some distance from him. She can’t let him be too attached to her, as that would be unfavorable in the long run for him as future Lord. She will only respond to him when he asks for her, but she’ll never be the first one the reach out if he doesn’t ask. It would be cruel to Reiner if he got to see his mother as often as he liked while knowing that he has to detach himself from her one day.

Regarding the doodle incident, Raskreia was actually… touched by her son’s efforts, as a mother. She understood her son’s love for her. But as Lord, she couldn’t show it. She had to maintain her professionalism. What was seemingly a touching gift from son to mother, was in reality a very disrespectful disruption of her work. Little Reiner trespassed, and vandalized official documents. As touched as she was, she couldn’t encourage that behavior. It just wasn’t acceptable. She had to address the situation and issue her son’s punishments accordingly. Everything was decided by the book. She had to show her fellow nobles that she was fair, and that she does not condone misbehavior from anyone. Their Prince was no exception. That is all.

What they do not know is that Raskreia didn’t dispose of those documents. In fact, she has them locked away somewhere with a protection charm to keep the crayon’s colors from fading over time. She had to be angry with him, but… she treasured this gesture as well. Every now and then, she’d take out the drawing and stare at it, and then lock it back up. You can say that they really are mother and son, despite their challenges and differences.

Raskreia would continue to remain mostly uninvolved in Reiner’s live for as long as he’s still in Lukedonia. The two of them would go on to never resolve their issues verbally, and despite their love for one another, the miscommunication and misunderstandings would only continue to snowball into bigger messes. Their relationship is very, very strained but neither wants to be the first to initiate a reconciliation, nor is any one of them willing to let go of their own sense pride. Deep down, both of them yearn for each other’s love so, so much, but their own issues mixed together with reluctancy on certain things just makes matters worse.

Razark. Reiner’s functionally “only” parental figure in his life, and the healthier one of the two that he technically has. He’s actively involved in Reiner’s life as his father and mentor, as he’s free thanks to passing his title (and soul weapon) to Rael. He entertains and keeps Reiner company. He’s really trying his best to be Reiner’s father. Except… Razark’s efforts has its limits. In fact, the older Reiner gets, the less helpful Razark is and he actually starts to hurt his son unintentionally, with Reiner eventually losing trust in not only his mother and Lord, but in his father as well. Yeah. It’s angsty. We’ll have to look into Razark’s relationship with Raskreia for an answer. The two of them are a loving couple, even if they don’t appear such way in public. As emotionless as their faces may be, they are quite affectionate when they’re by themselves. People just don’t get to see this side of them. Razark’s official title is the Lord’s spouse. He is a responsible husband who takes care of their son, and manages the household in Raskreia’s place. But he is also Raskreia’s subject. One of her many, many subjects. The nobles are all loyal to her. Amongst them, Razark stands out as exceptionally loyal. Maybe even too loyal. And this loyalty would prove to be detrimental to their son. You see, Razark enables Raskreia’s behavior, even if he himself is unaware of it. Not once had he attempted to intervene Raskreia’s way of “parenting” their son. Giving her suggestions, telling her what she’s lacking, encouraging her to see their son more often, reminding her that their son is still their son before he is the prince, etc… none of that. As a husband and father, it would be logical for him to do that. As a subject, that would be questioning his Lord’s decisions with her heir. Not their son, but her heir, and that would be mighty disrespectful. And it’s not that Razark is refraining from communicating with her. These things simply never crossed Razark’s mind. His blinding loyalty to his wife and Lord means that he never questions any of her decisions, including ones involving their son. He will stand by Raskreia’s beliefs, because she is always right. She is their Lord, after all. And the Lord is meant to be followed without question. You can assume how this goes. Razark is supportive of his son, but he never tries to get Raskreia to notice him more. He knows that Reiner is lonely, but never addresses the direct cause of his unhappiness. All these years, he never stood up for Reiner, even when he very much should’ve. Always on the sidelines, watching Raskreia handle their son as she pleased. In a way, Razark is just as guilty as Raskreia. He put his Lord before his son, even if he is oblivious to this fact. He just deals with the aftermath regarding Reiner, and never takes on the role of actively supporting Reiner by being the change his son needs. And Reiner could not ask his father to help him, as he was in no place to challenge his father’s loyalty and decision to unconditionally follow their Lord.

At this point, Reiner doesn’t know if he trusts his parents anymore. He still loves them very much, but he can’t put his full trust in them. This love would go on to be very twisted, especially for his mother. Reiner loves her just as much as he loathes her. As for Razark, Reiner is grateful to him for being the father who raised him, but he is also disappointed in him for never standing up to his mother for him. He does feel like his father betrayed him, in a sense. Poor boy.

Back to a now older teen/young adult Reiner. Reiner is busy with lessons and successor training as usual. He has a lot less free time than other nobles of the same age, but he still has some to himself. Despite Reiner’s wounds from his parents and rather unideal childhood, he is still the kind and generous child he has always been. He still helps ordinary nobles with their mundane tasks, and enjoys interacting with them. His passion in people miraculously stayed unaffected despite his circumstances. Because Reiner is so busy, he shows up less frequently. Nevertheless, he manages to not miss out on being there for his people because he promised that he’ll come. The nobles are extremely honored and grateful that their prince makes an effort to interact with them despite being so busy, in awe that he insists on dedicating the remainder of his scarce free time to them. He probably has much more important matters to attend to, they think. But what they don’t know is that mingling with his people is his passion and, ultimately, what it means to be prince. The current Lord goes around to assigning tasks to people and they are meant to follow her without question. And Reiner? He believes he should be one of his people. Not as future Lord, not as Prince Reiner, but just Reiner. He is in a position higher than any of them, and for this exact reason, he is also responsible for their well being. That means doing so by walking along the ordinary people to understand what they really need in life, and not by sitting on the throne giving order after order. To Reiner, the position of Lord is more symbolic than it is technical. That is why Reiner is so active with doing good for the community.

Unfortunately, it is time for Reiner’s lessons to be taken to a further step. Raskreia updates her son’s training regimen and his lessons are even longer and more intense than before. In addition to individual tutors teaching him different subjects, he is now also obliged to attend lessons aimed at simulating real-life Lord meetings, tasks, and discussions. Basically, he has a seminar group assigned to him, with all of his mentors carefully hand-picked by none other than the Lord herself. The roster is made up of her most loyal followers whom she trusts to shape Reiner into the Lord she thinks he needs to be. This is Raskreia saying that Reiner is ready to move onto the next phase of his life. Reiner is not too happy about this change, but he follows the Lord’s orders without complaints. He doesn’t appreciate how her assistants now follow him around even during his free time to remind him that it is time for him to go back indoors to attend his lessons. He can tell time by himself; he doesn’t need the Lord’s little lackeys to interrupt him when he’s washing herbs and have them drag him out of the garden while telling him that he’ll be late if he doesn’t leave soon, and that princes do not engage themselves in such shallow matters. Sigh. The Lord is so overbearing even when she isn’t here.

Reiner is back indoors and ready for his mock conference. His mentors have high expectations for him, as he had shown that he is capable of academic success through his childhood accomplishments. Except this is where things don’t go smoothly anymore. His mentors would present him with hypothetical scenarios and ask him what he would do, and Reiner’s answers always contradicted what was expected of him. He told them that the throne is meant to be shared, and it did not belong to one person just because they were born into the position. He argued that the throne should only be a symbol of leadership and not a source of power that lets one decide the fates of others, and that people should get to decide on things as a group. Not just Clan Leaders, but ordinary people as well. This would confuse his mentors very much, and Reiner would explain to them that a healthy nation does not let the decision of one overshadow the decision of all others. His mentors were in disbelief, and scolded their prince for playing a humorless prank during such a formal lesson. Unfortunately for them, Reiner is dead serious. They don’t believe him. No one wants to listen to him. It makes sense. They are the Lord’s loyalists, after all. They aren’t having it otherwise. They seem to be satisfied when Reiner gives them the standard answer, the one they want to hear. So they’re not here for discussion, they’re just here to put words into his mouth, Reiner thinks. But Reiner knows better than to argue with them, so he stops speaking for himself, and submits to the suffocating echo chamber. His unhappiness and frustration intensified. So did his resentment towards the stubborn Lukedonian laws and traditions. His bitterness towards the system would plant a seed of rebellion in his heart that he himself did not even realize was growing inside of him.

Things weren’t any better on the training grounds. From Raskreia’s assistants’ judgement of Reiner’s progress, he leaned too much towards defensive fighting. In other words, he was lacking in offense. But that is just how Reiner fights, and it comes most naturally to him. The Lord thinks otherwise. So, she pulls out his mentors who specialized in defense and replaces them with offensive fighters. They are faster, more aggressive, and do not hesitate to land unforgiving blows on their prince. This transition was a little too abrupt for Reiner, as he had almost no room to allow himself to get used to this new type of fighting. His new mentors are also much less lenient than his old mentors. They are much harsher with Reiner’s perceived lack of improvement. This would lead to the second major traumatic event in Reiner’s life, where he fails a fighting test and gets pushed too much and ends up almost dying from his wounds. Healers from the Volo Clan had to be called in to address his injuries. As Reiner laid down on the ground groaning in pain, one of the Lord’s assistants monitoring the training grounds simply walked over, and in an flat tone, informed their prince that “The Lord intends to remind you that in a real battleground, not only would your enemies not spare you, they would also kill you.” Wow. How cold. Not even a word of care or concern. As usual, the Lord doesn’t bother to show up to check in on her severely injured son. This would only go on to twist Reiner’s view of the Lord even more. He continues to suppress his feelings and follows her orders without question. He changes his fighting style to be more offensive even if it is difficult and unnatural for him.

He won’t say anything. He can’t say anything. He has to be a good son and a good prince. If following in his Lord’s footsteps is his destiny then… he’ll do so. He won’t ask questions anymore. He’ll stop resisting.

His Lord’s wish is his command.

For this reason, Reiner never brings up any of his concerns during his one-to-one meetings with Raskreia, the “submit a request and wait for approval” mother-son bonding time. The two of them would just awkwardly sit across from each other. Just silence. Occasionally, they’d talk about the weather. But that’s it. Reiner also finds it hard to look at the Lord in the eyes, so he just looks to the ground, only meeting her eye to eye when he answers one of her boring, awkward questions. And they’d continue to sit like that, until time is over and Raskreia has other guests to see. Reiner would always leave feeling bitter. Yet he never stops submitting his request forms, because that would mean that he had given up on facing her and that he had lost his battle with himself. He’s not afraid of her. Nope. Impossible. What a spectacular, twisted love and sense of pride.

As time went on, Reiner started to feel numb. He stops standing up for himself. He simply does what is asked of him. Only a husk of him remains now. Even his passion in his people started to dwindle. He still loves them with all his heart, and wants to be a part of them very badly, but his energy levels are no longer enough to sustain himself. Reiner is being drained from the inside out, and he could feel the few remaining ounces of motivation slowly leave his body. He wants to care, but can’t care anymore. He doesn’t even care about himself; what does he have to spare for the others?

Reiner has finally cracked from the pressure of being the perfect prince.

Gradually, Reiner’s progress slowed down. He still shows up to all his lessons, but he can’t quite keep up with the pace anymore. He really is trying his best. He’s doing everything correctly, yet he’s failing. Reiner is depressed. As usual, Raskreia’s assistants report back to her. Her response? Tells him to pick himself back up and return to normal. A future Lord does not have time for this. The Lord doesn’t care, she never has, she never will, Reiner thinks. Raskreia’s way is easier said than done. Reiner is already very stressed out. His Lord is only adding fuel to fire.

Reiner develops many unhealthy habits as a response to stress.

He pulls his hair out when he feels nervous. He’d run his fingers through his hair, twirl around for a bit, and yank on it forcefully. It hurt, but the pain eased his anxiety a little.

Reiner also started to talk to himself. A lot. He’d talk to himself when he’s studying, when he’s running errands, when he’s sitting still… he just couldn’t be left alone with himself. He is unable to be at peace with his own presence, and has to fill the empty space with his voice. The silence was too heavy as if it would crush him. The things he says are mostly self-deprecating phrases. Not smart enough, not fast enough, not strong enough. Too weak, both physically and emotionally. Too easy to fall under pressure. Can’t handle anything. Reiner constantly belittles himself. Again, it barely eases his discomfort.

Sometimes Reiner would also stand in front a mirror and tell himself to cry. Crying makes people feel better, he says. Try it. He’d lean forward so his forehead presses against the mirror. No matter how hard he stares at his reflection or how much he shames himself for not being able to be honest with himself, the tears just won’t come out. And he’d try and try and try and fail every single time. He’s too tired to even cry.

Reiner is also constantly in pain. His neck, shoulders, arms… his entire body is constantly aching. His muscles hurt. This is caused by him not being able to relax. He’s always alert and anxious, as if the Lord is behind his back watching his every move. He has to stay in posture, to be respectful and to not be a disappointment. It doesn’t help when Reiner would sometimes even hear her voice inside his head telling him that he’s a failure of a prince, and that Lukedonia cannot be entrusted to him. Shut up, shut up, please leave me alone, Reiner dreads. Inaudible painful whimpers would make their way out despite Reiner clenching his jaw as hard as he can as to seal away his sorrow.

Reiner’s would-be paranoia also lead him to suppressing his aura routinely. He doesn’t even realize he is doing this. It’s not perfect, but it’s enough for him to go unnoticed by your average noble in an average situation. He’s of the Lord’s lineage, so of course by nature he has a very strong aura. To Reiner, this is a curse. It’s like blasting his arrival, wherever he goes, on loud speakers. So he does as he needs to counter that. The only thing he wants to do now is to lie low and stay unnoticed. He doesn’t want to draw any attention to him. Even positive attention is undesirable. Reiner’s subconscious wants to make himself as small as possible as part of his defense mechanism. Unfortunately for him, he is still detectable, and he has to maintain his weak, forced smile in public. Doesn’t help that Raskreia has now assigned him to greet werewolf and human diplomats as part of his new duties as a public figure. It is nothing but torture to Reiner.

Reiner’s free time is now spent either alone and locked up in his room, repeating self-deprecating phrases over and over to himself, or he’s with his maternal grandmother Desdemona. Only she truly understands him. But even she chooses to lurk in the shadows, so she can’t keep him company unless he goes to her. At this point, Reiner is reluctant to spend time even with Razark, because he’d just be reminded that this man is his mother’s enabler. Razark doesn’t understand why his son is not enthusiastic about father-son bonding anymore. Reiner would just tell him that he’s busy with studies. To be honest, he can’t stand his father.

Reiner also can’t stand his mother. His paranoia worsens. The thought of her alone is enough to send him into a panic attack. Like Reiner has always done, he doesn’t seek help from anyone. He just locks himself up until he calms down. Poor Reiner doesn’t know how to ask for help.

As soon as Reiner became old enough to have to some power over the household, the first thing he ordered was to renovate everything he owned. His study, his bedroom, etc. Everything that reminded him of his Lord, his classrooms, and general sources of discomfort, were to be thrown out or torn down and rebuilt from scratch. Even just seeing the same wallpaper pattern is enough to cause a panic attack. Reiner still has to go outside to attend class and perform his duties, but at least he doesn’t have to be reminded of them when he’s at home.

Reiner ordered his servants to burn everything they threw out and tore down. He wanted no trace of any of it. Curiously, the teddy bear his Lord gave him in his childhood was spared. Reiner precisely ordered them to leave it alone. That stays. Everything else goes.

Renovating his surroundings would only help to a certain extent. It did not remove the source of his pain, to his dismay.

Reiner is dying. He is alive, but his soul feels like it is disintegrating. He doesn’t even know who he is anymore.

One faithful day, on one of Reiner’s temporary escapes from reality, he visits Grandma Desdemona who lurked in the shadows. She suggests to him the option of leaving Lukedonia permanently. Huh. That’s impossible. It’ll be a huge crime and act of betrayal. Grandma just shrugs and says you won’t know what’s best for you unless you try. Reiner pretends that he didn’t hear anything. But this single piece of seemingly absurd and impossible suggestion would be an important catalyst to his ultimate choice. Remember the seed of rebellion inside his heart? Mhm.

Reiner can’t get Mona’s words out of his head. Whenever he’s in a difficult situation, he’d think about it. He would still hear Raskreia’s voice in his head due to his paranoia, but her voice would be overridden by that of his grandmother’s. “You can always leave this place.” She says. With repetition, the impossible becomes possible. Soon enough, Reiner was considering leaving his home forever. To the unknown, to faraway land. He feared the possibilities, but he was also hopeful. He hadn’t felt hope since his childhood. Then Reiner realized that he didn’t have to figuratively kill himself to become the Lord everyone expects him to.

And what does being Lord even mean to Reiner? Once he becomes Lord, he’ll be permanently separated from his people by an intangible barrier. He’ll no longer be Reiner, and he’ll only be known as the Lord. No more being with the people. He’ll be imprisoned to his throne for all eternity, until his hypothetical future heir is old enough for him to abdicate or he enters eternal sleep. To his core, Reiner believed in a democracy. It didn’t matter if none of his Lord ancestors established one. Someone needs to be the change. The first. And he doesn’t want to wait until Raskreia steps down to see this happen. Perhaps due to Reiner’s now realistic option of leaving Lukedonia, he is more daring. His childhood dreams and passions felt like they have returned, and though not to their full extent, it was the push he needed.

Then Reiner decided. He doesn’t want to be “Lord” anymore. He doesn’t want to be Prince. He doesn’t even want to be Reiner anymore. If giving up his identity means that he could have one single shot at changing Lukedonia, he’d risk it. If he can’t have a democracy, then he doesn’t want any of this. This land and everything he had ever known since his birth… he’d give it up. Reiner already has a very estranged relationship with Raskreia, and there is no hope for reconciliation despite their love for one another. It has to be him, or her. This land cannot tolerate both of them at once.

It took Reiner centuries of preparation, from Mona’s initial suggestion to his final decision. Most of this time was spent saying goodbye to everything he loved. The grass, the trees, the mountains. He’ll miss the way seasons change. The blooming flowers, the falling snow. The way sunrise illuminated and colored the land. The way the sea reflected the beautiful moon. The singing birds, the fluttering butterflies. It’ll never be the same outside Lukedonia. And… the people. His family. His friends. His acquaintances. It brings him great sorrow to think that he’ll have to part from all of them, and that he’ll never get to see any of them again for all of eternity. He’ll never stop loving them no matter how hard he tries to put his love for them to an end. As soon as he thinks he has gotten over them, his emotions flow back. This just makes him want to cry, despite being unable to.

Razark is glad that his son seems to feel a bit better. After all, Reiner went on walks more often and started hanging out with people again. He looked like he was returning to his old self. What Razark does not realize is that this sudden boost of optimism is his son saying his last goodbyes to his home.

No one realized.

To say that everyone in Lukedonia totally agrees with Raskreia would be false. Of course, they have to look like they agree with her, at least on the surface. She is their Lord, and they have to live as she intends them to. This is what Reiner doesn’t like. His vision of an ideal Lukedonia is one where no one is afraid to speak their mind, where everyone could have input on how to live. The title of Lord is only there for symbolic and spiritual reasons. Reiner wanted freedom for everyone. Freedom to live as they wish, freedom to enter and leave Lukedonia as they please, freedom to not be held back by the decisions of a single person… Reiner can only dream about it. Reiner knew how his people felt. He isn’t the only one with depression and anxiety. While many are indeed satisfied with life here, some thought otherwise. Reiner spent time with them, got their trust, and they talked to him. Reiner asked them why they didn’t pursue the things that they wanted to, and they always answered “Because it’s just how it is.” Who gets to say anyway?

So Reiner went around and asked more questions. Soon, he was certain that many of them felt exactly the same way. If he’s going to give it a shot, he might as well do his best and gather all the resources he can find. Reiner needed supporters to back him up. Even if his chance of changing Raskreia’s mind is near 0%, it could help. Who knows. Nobody knows for sure. But it was an option. Reiner worked hard to gather people who were seemingly willing to support his cause. They all agreed with his ideals and dreams. However, Reiner does not tell them that he plans to enter the throne room and give a speech in front of the Lord and her audience, at least not until a few hours prior. Everyone who initially agreed with him suddenly panicked. This was far too aggressive and rebellious. Unlike Reiner, they had more important things to lose. They did not expect Reiner to be so upfront about his attempt to change Raskreia’s mind. Then… his supporters left. They apologized, told him this was impossible, and disappeared in a hurry. To be labeled as a traitor was the last thing they wanted. All of a sudden, Reiner was alone again. But it was too late go back on his plans. Reiner is determined, and he is going to get this done regardless of whether he had supporters or not.

So it will be done. Reiner takes a deep breath, and straightens his back. He walks towards the throne room steadily. He is afraid, yes, but he is dedicated to his cause. Nothing will stop him now. He pushes open the door and barges into the throne room despite the guards begging him not to, and interrupts Raskreia and her nobles. The throne room went silent. Then, Reiner gives his speech. After his closing sentence trailed off, no one reacted. Then, Raskreia’s voice breaks the silence, just as everyone dreaded her reaction. Curiously, she does not arrest Reiner on the spot, nor does she order him to apologize to her this instant. She orders him to go back to his residence immediately, and to not leave until she comes to him. They will have a very long discussion there. For now, no more words shall be spoken in the throne room.

And this is when Reiner knew he failed. The Lord kept calm for the sake of her audience. He knows that look on her face. Those same eyes. Reiner could feel the world collapse on him. So his one shot failed, he thinks. But it’s alright. He saw this coming. He shouldn’t have expected anything anyway.

Reiner tells Lord he’d obey her wishes for him to wait for her to come to him. Raskreia’s guards come to escort him out of the throne him and they are about to deliver him to his residence. Except Reiner asks the Lord for one last favor. He wishes to meet his grandmother before he goes back to his residence. Oddly, Raskreia does not refuse this request, and grants him permission. Reiner would then go to say his goodbyes to Mona while the guards waited outside. That is where she gives him her magic ring, and then they part for good.

Reiner is escorted to his room. But he’s not done. He would proceed to disobey Raskreia one last time. As soon as he got a cue from her alliance, he acted right away. Grandma Mona is more than smart enough to sneak Reiner out of Lukedonia without Raskreia knowing, and she has her own group of followers. Even if Mona doesn’t tell Reiner exactly what will happen, she gives him a few clues. This is his chance to leave. After bypassing Raskreia’s guards, Reiner runs through the forest, and through the mountains. Mona had cleared the path for him. No guards in sight. Then he reaches the border at the sea, where he confirms that a small portion of Lukedonia’s barrier had been deactivated in a timely manner, and it will close up very soon. Reiner runs towards the opening at full speed and… it’s been done. He’s done. He’s no longer in Lukedonia. He ran, and he ran, and he ran. He does not look back. He can’t look back.

And into the horizon he vanished.

It didn’t take long for Raskreia to realize that her son had run away. She immediately dispatches a search party to go after him. Then Raskreia summons everyone in the most urgent manner, and announces that Reiner is now a traitor to Lukedonia, and that he is being hunted after. If anyone spots him, they need to deliver him to her immediately. They cannot hide him or assist him in evading her, unless they want to be labeled as a traitor as well. She then issues the most severe punishment to her son, for abandoning his identity as future Lord, and for betraying her. He had multiple treason accusations on him. There was no expression on Raskreia’s face as she uttered everyone’s most dreaded words: death penalty.

For this first time ever, Razark broke down into a sob. No one had ever seen him cry before, until this moment. He couldn’t control himself anymore. After Raskreia dispersed the crowd, he went to her crying and begging for her to rescind her prosecution of their son. There just has to be another way. She can’t kill their boy. Raskreia said nothing. She did not even look at her husband in the eye as his sobs echoed through the room. Her decision was final. There is no going back. According to tradition, this is the punishment for Reiner’s crime. Her opinion did not matter. From this moment, he was no longer her son. He was a runaway prince. A fugitive. A criminal.

Raskreia and Razark did not speak to each other for weeks to come.

Truth is, Raskreia sentencing Reiner after he runs away from Lukedonia doesn’t hurt her any less than it hurt Razark. She is just as devastated as he is. Reiner left her with no choice but to carry out Lukedonia’s laws as they had been written since the beginning of time. As a mother, she did not wish to sentence him. As the Lord, she had no choice. She could not show her turmoil to anyone, not even her own husband. She must keep her composure and remain calm despite total chaos. If she showed any signs of hesitation, she would fail as Lord.

On the one hand, Raskreia’s end goal is to catch Reiner so he meets the fate he deserves. On the other hand, she hopes that Reiner will run far, far away; so far away she will never catch him for all eternity. She needed to execute the traitor and former Prince Reiner, but she wanted Reiner to live. The thought of executing her own son tormented her more than anyone else; her little boy whom she had neglected all these years. The best she can do is to pray that her search party never finds Reiner, despite being the one who is sending them after him. May the two of them never meet again.

“Regrets are an extravagant emotion to me.” As the noblesse once said.

To this day, Raskreia visits her father’s grave every so often and asks for his forgiveness on what she had done, and wishes that Reiner eventually finds his peace.

And that’s the end! Woohoo! There’s a lot more to come, and I’ll leave that to future posts. This includes Raegyn’s deal with Reiner, Garyth’s crush on Reiner, and much more. My prince boy is just so angsty lol.

A small spoiler for now: Reiner currently lives with his distant cousin Oswald Kravei. So fun!

Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for the next long character post!

See you again!

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Forged Divinity Unnamed Sequel: Chapter 1

I only wrote a couple chapters and then I got stuck, dunno if it’ll ever go anywhere so have these!

2434 words

CW: major character death, dissociation, dead and decaying body, interacting with that body, like it’s real nasty

Masterlist, Next

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“The desert is a nice escape

“The desert is a nice escape

“You want to know if you can always count on me

“Honey, I wish I knew how to leave”

“You are listening to WUMB, listener-supported public radio, broadcasting out of Old Boston from the Yumas convent. Please consider donating water, food, or bartering chips to keep us on the air, keeping you sane! My name is Dusty Engels, and I have a great lineup for you this morni-”

Leannan clicked the radio off. Phineas was asleep. They weren’t listening.

He got up off the mattress on the floor of their one-room shack, his bare, calloused feet shuffling across the dirt to the cabinet in the corner that served as their pantry. He opened it and took out a small sack.

He’d make oatmeal. Maybe Phineas would eat today.

He poured some oats into a metal pot, then opened the tap on their water barrel and dampened them down. The he tentatively shook the barrel, listening to the water slosh within.

Not a whole lot left.

He returned to Phineas, sitting down on the mattress, careful not to jostle them – they hated being woken up – and set the pot on the floor. He hugged his knees to his chest and stared at it.

The water would soak into the oats eventually. He just had to wait.

Leannan had gotten good at passing the time doing nothing, especially since Phineas had gotten sick. He liked to imagine stories in his head. Possibilities. His current favorite was imagining what would happen if Phineas met his old master, Queen Killia. They would be the best of friends, Leannan thought. They could all live in Killia’s castle together, and eat good food, and Phineas and Killia would take care of Leannan. Killia used to brush his hair – maybe Phineas would do that.

Killia was long dead, of course.

A fly buzzed a circle over Phineas’ face, and Leannan swatted it away with a sudden burst of directionless anger. He took a breath, unclenched his jaw, and settled back into his fantasy.

~~~

“Phineas,” Leannan gently shook their stiff shoulder, “Phineas, wake up, you need to eat something.”

Phineas hadn’t eaten properly in days. Leannan had gotten water and broth into them, but not much else. He reached out and gently squeezed Phineas’ face, prying their jaw open. He lifted a tiny spoonful of oatmeal to their lips and tipped it in.

They didn’t choke, at least. It seemed to go down. Leannan sighed with relief and fed Phineas a few more spoonfuls.

Maybe that would help them get better.

~~~

They were running out of water. Phineas was getting worse, and they were running out of water.

Leannan paced, rubbing the scar on the side of his head. He desperately wanted to curl up on the mattress next to Phineas and retreat into his dreamland, where things were happy and safe and everything turned out fine, but Phineas was sick and his daydreaming wasn’t helping anything.

He’d had an idea, that had surfaced a few times, but he’d always dismissed it. Now it seemed like the only option.

He had to get to the Yumas convent radio station, and radio La Libera. Maybe – just maybe – Enjolras would come and help. Not because of Leannan, of course, he had burned that bridge, but Phineas was still Enjolras’ sibling. She couldn’t want them to waste away.

He knelt next to Phineas and took their hand, puffy and swollen from whatever disease wracked their body.

“Phineas?” he said softly, “I have to go get help. Will you be okay? For a little while?”

Phineas didn’t answer. That was okay. They were probably tired.

~~~

Leannan walked beneath the bright stars. He’d been to Old Boston with Phineas before. He was pretty sure he knew he way.

Desertous hills swelled around him, rocky and gray. The plant life was few and far between, scraggly bushes and stubborn brown grass. He walked all night, and reached the ruins of Old Boston as the scorching sun rose.

The occasional scavenger was trawling pointlessly through the crumbled buildings, and Leannan asked each he passed the way to the Yumas convent. Most knew, and pointed him onward. The terrain grew flatter and the air salty as he neared the ocean. The ocean wasn’t a point of fascination for him, anymore. He’d seen it enough times.

Soon, he spotted the radio tower. The literal beacon drew him in, until he was standing in front of the impressive surviving building. It stood long and wide, three stories tall, all brick and concrete and large boarded-up windows. Atop it all was a skeletal, hodgepodge radio tower, built up over the years in order to broadcast ever farther and farther.

A woman sat on the cracked stone stairs up to the entrance, reading a bible. She set it down and picked up a club instead, standing to stare down at Leannan.

“Got a donation?” she asked harshly.

“I need to contact someone. Please,” Leannan said.

“That’s not free,” she replied.

“Please,” Leannan begged, “I’ll do anything.”

She squinted at him.

“They’ll hold you to that, you know.”

“I’m good for it,” Leannan said.

~~~

“Oh, no,” Dusty Engels said, in her perfectly smooth voice, “I’m not letting that filth near any of my equipment.”

“Please,” Leannan clasped his hands, “My mas – my, my friend is dying, I need to contact someone with La Libera.”

“Trankviliĝu, I didn’t say you couldn’t, just don’t touch anything!” Dusty folded her arms, “Who do you need to contact?”

They stood outside the broadcasting room in the hallway, amidst peeling walls and decrepit linoleum.

“Enjolras. Enjolras de la Glavo.”

“Oh, diable, her?” Dusty raised an eyebrow, “You wouldn’t happen to be Leannan, would you?”

Leannan hesitated to answer. The world thought that the final Iowan had been taken by La Libera and killed, joining the rest of them. Phineas preferred to keep it that way.

“Is she… looking? For someone named Leannan?” he asked.

“Yeah. Real frantic. Is that you? Or your friend?”

Leannan took the plunge.

“I’m Leannan. I really need to contact her.”

“Alrighty then,” Dusty clapped her hands, “I’ll make some calls.”

~~~

Enjolras lay on the ground in the shadow of her solar-powered pickup truck as it charged, trying to sleep through the pain in her joints and the thoughts in her head.

She had enough food and water to keep looking for another few days. After that she’d have to make the day-and-a-half drive back to Niagara to restock. She couldn’t buy more supplies out here – even if she wasn’t down to her emergency stash of bartering chips, there was hardly anything being sold.

Every time she returned home without Leannan, it felt like a new failure. Every time she had to pause the search, it felt like she lost ground. It had been almost a year and a half now, and she barely felt any closer than when she started.

She knew they were somewhere around Old Boston. She’d found eyewitnesses who’d described Phineas and Leannan in detail, with some disturbing new additions. Leannan was thin, now – she didn’t like the thought – and he had a large scar on his temple, pushing into his hairline. None of it boded well.

Her radio crackled to life.

“Enjolras de la Glavo, you still on this frequency? This is Dusty Engels, calling from the Yumas convent. Enjolras, do you read me?”

~~~

Leannan sat on the station steps, his head nodding with exhaustion. He hadn’t gotten to talk to Enjolras, but he’d been told to wait outside, that she would be there in half an hour. He was skeptical, that she just so happened to be so close. It might not even be real. Dusty could be conning him.

The security guard sat on the other end of the steps, reading her bible. Leannan mustered his courage.

“Would you mind… reading it aloud?” he asked.

She stared at him coldly for a moment, before shrugging.

“Alright.”

~~~

She’d made it to Revelation 17 when they saw the truck approaching. She stopped reading, her mouth falling open slightly.

“Is that a fucking car?”

Leannan stood. He hadn’t seen a functional car since the Desert Conquerors – they’d had a whole collection.

The pickup rolled to a stop in front of them. It would have been white, if it weren’t caked in dust. Solar panels perched on the roof of the cab. The bed was securely covered, protecting the contents from dust and thieves.

Leannan found himself preparing to run. It might not be Enjolras who stepped out – and even if it was, he wasn’t sure how she would feel about seeing him again. He’d let her get stabbed, after all.

The door swung open, and a dusty boot landed on the street. Enjolras climbed out of the cab slowly, painfully – then rushed to Leannan, throwing her arms around him.

Leannan stood stiffly, unsure how to react. He wasn’t really enjoying the hug. There were more important things to worry about.

“Leannan…” Enjolras started.

“I think Phineas is dying,” Leannan rushed out, “I need your help.”

Enjolras stepped out of the hug, her hands on Leannan’s shoulders and her eyes darting over his face, drinking him in.

“Leannan…” she seemed at a loss for words.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Leannan folded his arms, “That I should leave Phineas, and go back with you. Well, I’m not doing that. I won’t go anywhere with you unless you help Phineas first.”

She blinked at him.

“Are you saying you’ll come home with me if I help Phineas?”

Leannan chewed his lip. That hadn’t been quite what he meant, but he decided to roll with it.

“If you help Phineas, and Phineas can come with us, then I’ll go with you.”

Enjolras hesitated, but nodded.

“Alright, I can work with that.”

“No, you have to promise,” Leannan insisted, “You have to promise Phineas can come with us.”

“Yeah, okay, I promise!” she relented.

The security guard cleared her throat.

“About payment…”

“Right!” Enjolras went to the back of the pickup and unlocked it with a set of keys, folding back the cover over the bed and opening the tailgate. She started unloading jugs of water and crates of food – only a few, but when she looked to the guard for approval she nodded.

“That’ll do.”

“Okay!” Enjolras re-secured the truck bed, “Leannan, let’s go!”

~~~

Enjolras didn’t like how quiet Leannan was.

He leaned his head against the window, staring blankly out. Enjolras had tried asking him questions at first, as she drove: had Phineas hurt him? How’d he get that scar? When was the last time he ate anything? But after a couple noncommittal, single-syllable answers he’d stopping responding. He watched, unseeingly, as the desert passed by, only occasionally stirring to point the way.

Enjolras couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. That feeling only grew when Leannan finally sat up straight and murmured, “We’re here.” Enjolras slowed the truck to a stop, looking around; the only building in sight was a dilapidated shack.

“There?” she asked, but Leannan was already climbing out of the cab. Enjolras parked and powered off the truck as Leannan hurried over to the shack, nearly running. She started to follow him more slowly, not looking forward to seeing Phineas again – but then a shout of alarm from Leannan inside the shack made her spring into a run.

“Leannan? What – ah!” she jumped back as a trio of raccoons sprinted out of the shack, dodging around her ankles. Shaking off the shock, she rushed to the door of the shack.

The smell hit her first. Putrid, foul rot, an utterly overwhelming scent that made her eyes water and her stomach turn. She could hear Leannan crying, and against her gut instinct she stepped forward into the dim room.

The source of the smell was obvious.

A bloated, leaking corpse lay on a dirty mattress on the floor. It was covered up to its shoulders with a blanket, but black ooze crept out from underneath, staining the mattress. Its eyes leaked pus, and its mouth was a gaping, writhing mass of maggots. Strips of flesh had been ripped away from its cheekbone, and Leannan – poor Leannan – was frantically trying to press them back into place, hyperventilating.

“It’s okay, it’s okay, we can fix this, Phineas, it’ll be okay…”

Despite the heat, Enjolras felt a chill down her spine. This was Phineas. Phineas was dead – long dead, by the looks of it – and Leannan… didn’t realize. His efforts to replace the flesh half-eaten by the raccoons was only making things worse, his pressing and prodding causing the whole side of Phineas’ face to start separating from the bone and sloughing away.

“Leannan,” she stepped forward and took his shoulder, “Leannan, stop.”

“I shouldn’t have left!” Leannan wailed, “I shouldn’t have left, Phineas is going to be so mad when they wake up, they’re going to be so mad!”

“Leannan,” Enjolras couldn’t stand the smell or the sight any longer, “Come outside with me.”

“No, I have to fix this, I have to…” The flesh of Phineas’ cheek finally gave way, peeling off, revealing Phineas’ molars and sending maggots cascading onto the pillow. Leannan sobbed harder. Enjolras dove in and grabbed his wrists before he could cause any more damage.

“They’re dead!” she hissed, harsher than she meant to, “Phineas is dead!”

Leannan fell silent, staring down at the wriggling maggots for a moment.

“But you can still do something, right?” he asked tearfully, looking up at her.

“No, Leannan,” Enjolras said, “There’s nothing anyone can do.”

Leannan looked back at Phineas, and his face went slack. Enjolras waited a minute for him to say something, but he just stared numbly. She gave his wrists a gentle shake.

“Leannan? Let’s go outside, okay?”

Leannan didn’t respond.

“Leannan?” Enjolras breathed. She realized that Leannan was somewhere else. He was completely dissociated, lost to this world. This wasn’t something that she’d ever seen him do before, and it scared her.

“We’re going outside,” she declared, and she hauled Leannan to his feet and walked him out the door. He complied, but still didn’t awaken. She sat him down in the dust, then went to the back of her pickup and opened it. She wetted a rag and returned to Leannan, cleaning his slimy hands off.

“We’re going to get you home,” she said, “We’re going to get you home, and then…”

She couldn’t bring herself to say ‘everything will be okay.’

~~~

Masterlist, Next

Taglist: @angst-after-dark, @sunshiline-writes, @flowersarefreetherapy, @thecyrulik

[overtrred28]

Stargirl | matildas x original character fic [part thirteen]

Words; 1.8k

Pairings; matildas team x astrid taylor (OC)

Warnings; swearing

A/N; Hi all. Hope you're enjoying this story. Just wanted to apologise for such a late update and a really short chapter but I started a second job and I've got less time to write so updates may take a little longer sorry. But I will try to keep it within two weeks of each other and write when I can so you guys can keep reading. Love you all xx

masterlist

The next morning after breakfast the team assembled for their pre match meeting where they would do last minute reviews of their opponents style of play, and plan their own around the starting lineup Tony was going to reveal. 

Astrid’s prediction from the night before was proved right when Kyra’s name appeared in the midfield, a smile donning both of their faces as Astrid lightly punched Kyra’s shoulder. The rest of the line up was almost the same as it always was but with Cortnee replacing Sam’s usual position as the left forward and Charli staying in that back right in replace of Ellie who was still out with her ACL injury.

Although Astrid had yet to be named again in the starting XI since that Phillipines game, the plan involved her coming on later in the game and continuing her super sub reputation. 

Arriving at Kingsmeadow again the energy was high and the team were ready for what was to come. They got ready and headed onto the pitch for the warm up, Astrid, Charli and Kyra trailing at the back of the group. 

“Will you three hurry up? Otherwise you’re not part of the rondos.” Alanna turned around, yelling at the three of them who were still slowly walking out of the tunnel. 

“How dare you!” Astrid dropped her mouth in shock, separating from her friends as she ran to join the team, rather ditching her friends than missing out on the only fun part of warm up. 

“Rude.” Charli called out as Kyra scoffed beside her, watching the youngest player run out of the tunnel to the team on the pitch, jogging to catch up behind her. 

Training like always was full of laughter and fun, slightly distracting them before the tough match but still focused on the drills ahead of them. When it began time to partner up, Astrid began walking towards Charli but was pulled away before she could even process what was happening. 

“You’re with me today, chicken.” Steph finally spoke as she walked with Astrid further away from the younger of the Matildas. Astrid was confused but not complaining as she had begun to form a stronger bond with Steph through these camps and over long distance while at clubs. 

“Cool with me.” Astrid shrugged her shoulders as they began their partnered drills and passing skills. 

“So, how’s Hammarby?” Steph asked, looking over at the younger player. 

“It’s really good, I think I’ve finally settled back into the team and the rhythm again.” Astrid smiled as she talked about her club. 

“That’s good. You always want to feel good at your club and comfortable in that environment.” Steph nodded at her, happy she was content in her current club and team. “What about Sweden though? How’s living there treating you?” 

“It’s fine, I’m glad I have Kyra and Nevs with me, and Charli not far away.” Astrid drifted off slightly and looked back up at Steph instead of the ball they were sending between each other.

“But?” Steph quizzed, looking her softly in the eye, Astrid pausing to think before responding.

“I don’t know. Something’s missing or off, I think. It’s just not what I’ve been used to, you know. Especially with a whole different language and customs and lifestyle; it’s just different.” Astrid shrugged casually. “But I’ll get used to it, and the weather.” She laughed with Steph who also missed the Australian sun whilst living away.

“It’ll get better, that feeling of being misplaced sorta. I promise.” Steph pulled Astrid into her side as they began to walk back to the group who were finishing up their warm ups as well.

They all returned to the locker room, changing from their training gear to their game jerseys, Astrid donning her 31 proudly as the subs exited the room, hyping up the starting line up as they went past. 

Courtney and Astrid sat beside each other on the bench as they waited for the match to start. The whistle blew and the ball was taken into quick and easy possession by the Australian side, keeping it close to them and weaving through the South Africa defence. A few chances were made within early minutes, almost getting Astrid out of her seat ready to celebrate, but it wasn’t till Steph took a corner at the fifth minute that she was able to. 

Steph struck with her left foot and the ball headed straight to Mary who attempted to head it in but struck the post, Cortnee saw it and quickly knocked it into the net, scoring her first international goal on the senior team. 

“YES VINEY!” Astrid screamed from the bench, cheering loudly as the players on the field celebrated Cortnee’s goal; Tony also cheering loudly from his place in the tactical box. 

And it wasn’t long until they were celebrating again, Cortnee knocking the ball into the net just 10 minutes later, bringing the Matildas to an easy 2-0 and getting herself a brace. Polkinghorn further advanced their lead just before halftime with a header from another one of Steph’s corners, letting the Matildas leave halftime 3-0 as they retreated down the tunnel. 

While the starting XI were having their halftime meeting with Tony, Astrid took this time to practise her shots with Macca and Courtney for a few minutes before the two younger players were called over to the bench again. They discussed the tactics again for the second half and when they were both going to come on to make a difference in the game, not that there was anything wrong with how it was panning out so far. 

The second half began with the kick from Vine, the Matildas once again taking quick possession and earning corners as they stayed down near the box. Caitlin was the one to give them their next goal, taking a long ball from Aivi to Steph and dancing around the defenders to send it to the right side of the net. 

Astrid and Courtney got up not long after that to warm up once again, running up and down the sidelines as they watched the game progress.

At 70 minutes the Australian side made three substitutions, taking off Steph, Caitlin and Charli and bringing on Courtney, Astrid and Larissa as their replacements; the three of them quickly settled into the rhythm of the game and added to the dynamics of the players on the field. 

Astrid came into the left forward position, slightly further up to where Caitlin had been playing before but somewhere she was more comfortable and was now working with Hayley and Larissa up front. It didn’t take long for Astrid to get her feet on the ball, running ahead of Chidiac who delivered it to her in open space and she slotted it past the South African goalkeeper into the bottom right corner. 

The team were thrilled with her contribution so early after coming on, bringing them to 5-0 at 75 minutes in; but it’s not like they were surprised, it’s what she’s known to do. 

Only 3 minutes later and the ball had landed at her feet just outside the box, but she was surrounded by defenders, all eagerly watching her feet to see where she might go. Astrid paused, lifting her eyes up to the defender in front of her before shifting it in the direction of Hayley who was free to the right of her. 

She moved her left foot, indicating to go right where her eyeline was, the defender turning over her left shoulder but Astrid quickly rolled the ball under her foot and went around her other shoulder. She could hear the defender groan as she tricked her, running closer to the goal, jumping over an outstretched leg from South Africa and continuing the ball towards the goal. Striking with her right foot hard, she aimed for top bins as the keeper bent down to block a low shot, missing it completely. 6-0 to Australia. 

The small Australian crowd who had gathered cheered and so did the girls as they surrounded Astrid who made her way to Kyra first like always. As they parted Kyra pointed to her mouthing, “You owe me lunch.” with a smirk. She was right so far; but so was Astrid as Kyra didn’t seem to be coming off anytime soon and they were inching closer and closer to full time. 

Chloe and Sam joined the field with only 7 minutes of regulation time remaining and just minutes after South Africa scored their first goal of the match in the 87th minute after a terrific lob from Hilda Magaia. 

Three minutes of injury time were given and Astrid was not ready to finish up, neither were any of the Matildas subs who felt like they had just begun to play. 

And with only 40 seconds of time remaining, Courtney delivered the ball to Kyra who then shot it up the field in the direction of Astrid who had made her way into the box, watching as the ball flew in the air. There were a few defenders closing in on her but she had plenty of space, jumping into the air and joining her head with the ball, steering it hard to her left and hoping the keeper was just away from her. 

She landed and looked into the net, finding the ball rolling on the ground and the net still rippling from the impact; she scored another goal and earned herself a hattrick for the first time on the international stage. A wide smile donned her face as she spotted Sam, Hayley and the rest of the team running towards her, screaming and cheering for the youngest player. 

It’s a late goal and a hattrick from number 31 Astrid Taylor, the 18 year old in her 8th appearance for the Matildas. 

Play resumed but not for long as the whistle blew and the game ended 7-1 to Australia, both teams immediately shaking hands with one another and their own teammates. Charli ran over to Astrid when she was free, almost tackling her to the ground. 

“Just casually scores a hattrick within the last like 20 minutes of the game. Are you even human?” Charli squeezed Astrid who laughed at her. 

“Fuck off.” Astrid playfully pushed her away as they began their victory lap, clapping to the crowd that had gathered for the match and waving to the Matildas fans. 

“You just had to be the only one right huh?” Kyra had caught up to Astrid who walked behind everyone else taking in the post-match feeling. 

“I guess I did.” Astrid casually shrugged her shoulders as she turned to Kyra with a smile. 

“I’m proud of you.” Kyra unexpectedly pulled Astrid into a hug but she quickly reciprocated. 

“Thank you, I’m proud of you too.” Astrid spoke as they parted, both with blushed cheeks and large smiles. “So,” They began walking again. “When are you taking me out for my free lunch?” 

to be continued....

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

[thedreamworldlibrary]

Nothing Bad Happens Chap. 3- Possessed

Here’s more of my fun AU! Ready to see how Winnie and Litho play out? Don’t worry it won’t be THAT bad, but that depends on how you see it.

Big thanks to @gigilefache for being my beta reader!

Enjoy!

After a wild day and the sun had been set for a while, 10PM rolled around and the facility closed up for the day. Waitt was getting ready to leave, but not before being stopped by Lewis and Oliver. “So, Wiatt, where are you staying?” Lewis asked. “You're welcome to come live with the three of us.”

“It’s alright, I’ve gotten an apartment not too far from here.” Wiatt replied.

“Well, feel free to visit. It will be like old times when you came over while we worked on our projects.” Oliver offered.

“I will.” Wiatt saw only two of the three founders were leaving. “Wait, where’s Sara?”

“She likes to stay overtime once in a while.” Lewis explained. “She says she’s working on more projects, but is keeping what they are secret.”

Wiatt raised an eyebrow, feeling suspicious about this. “Uh… I see.” He replied.

“Yeah, she told us for now she needs alone time, but plans on telling us soon.” Oliver explained.

“Alright.” Wiatt grabbed his phone and looked at it, almost like he was waiting for a text from someone. “I’m still waiting on my ride, so I’ll relax here for a bit.”

“You sure?” Lewis asked.

Wiatt nodded in reply.

Lewis frowned, not wanting to leave Wiatt alone. “Well, just call me in case your ride doesn’t show up. I’ll come back to pick you up.” He said.

“Okay.” Wiatt replied.

“See you tomorrow, Wiatt!” Oliver said, waving goodbye. Wiatt waved goodbye to the two in turn. Once he saw they were truly gone he decided to go to Sara’s office.

Quietly, he walked through the halls of the employee area and saw Sara’s office door slightly, ajar. Slowly and carefully, he saw Sara talking with a Pegasus animatronic.

Wiatt remembered seeing the posters around the facility featuring this specific animatronic, but didn’t see him in the official lineup. Maybe he’s meant to be a future animatronic.

“You know Sara, I’m still surprised you found a loophole in all this.” The animatronic said. “You know the goal is to kill to use the soul!”

Wiatt’s eyes widened hearing the word kill. Sara wasn’t seriously trying to kill Lewis, was she? Or was it him? He decided to listen more to this conversation.

“Winnie, I’m not going to kill in order to achieve immortality. Everything has a loophole, and I found my own.” Sara explained.

Winnie growled, “Litho isn’t going to be happy once he finds out.”

“Too bad!” Sara exclaimed.

Wiatt’s eyes widened. The name Litho sounded familiar to him, but where had he heard it from.

“You know, I shouldn’t tell you this, but I should. your-” Sara was cut off as she cried out in pain. Wiatt saw a black shadow appear behind Sara and merge into her body. She then collapsed to the ground. Seconds later, Sara got up, but now her eyes were red.

Wiatt gasped, but covered his mouth not wanting to be heard by Winnie and Sara.

“Oh Litho, don’t you know it’s rude to interrupt someone when they're in a conversation.” Winnie remarked.

Litho, possessing Sara’s body, brushed himself off. “Oh Winnie. Do you know it’s rude to talk to your boss like that?” Litho mimicked Sara’s voice. “Now where was I…” Litho thought, before snapping his fingers, “oh yeah, Sara seemed to mess with our plans.”

“So what do you think we should do? I mean we can kill them.” Winnie suggested.

“No!” Litho shouted. “Sara used a bit of their soul, which means the animatronics are linked with them.” Litho went through all of Sara’s paperwork hoping he could find something to destroy the link between the animatronic and their human.

Wiatt went to his bag, took out his camera, and videotaped the situation.

Litho went through paper after paper, but nothing about how to break the link of Sara’s loophole. “Nothing! She has nothing!” He shouted.

“You know, you're in Sara’s body! Can’t you go into her memories and find out where she puts them?” Winnie asked.

Litho glared, “what do you think I’m doing? Just shoving papers from her desk like it’s nothing! I am looking through her memories, you piece of scrap metal!” He yelled.

“Ah! Ah! Ah!” Winnie warned. “Your temper could lure someone here.”

Wiatt’s eyes widened as Winnie glanced at the hallway. Luckily, Wiatt was hidden well. He got enough footage for now. Wiatt quickly put his camera away, and ran out just as Winnie opened the door. 

“Odd I sensed someone here.” Winnie said, seeing no one. He closed the door and decided to help Litho find those notes.

Wiatt ran as fast he as could until he made it back to his apartment. It was about a 10 minute walk, but with how fast he ran it felt like he made it there in five minutes. Once inside, he dashed to his room and went through his notes to find any information about Litho. It took a while, but he was able to find something.

“Alright, time to learn more about you, Litho.” Wiatt said. He turned his laptop on while looking at the notes he had laid out, and started his research.