#i'm also sad and disappointed about who he turned out to be. on top of being sad and shocked about his sudden death

[amoripomoea]

i keep getting hit with these like. weird waves of sadness over liam's passing yesterday?? a big chunk of what shaped me as a person during my teenage years is gone and it's such a weird and sad feeling.

i don't really have the words to describe how i feel about this (well, i do, but they're not like. brief. or clear). the liam payne i'm sad about losing was gone awhile ago, i know that, but part of me always hoped he would get to receive the professional help he so clearly needed.

anyone who was obsessed with one direction knew that liam really lost his way and fell into addiction almost immediately after the band broke up. he's needed help for years. he did go to rehab awhile back and started to heal a bit but clearly things got bad again.

i'm aware that death does not make someone innocent. you are allowed to be surprised and sad by the tragic loss of a life while also holding them accountable for the shitty things they've done. those two things can and should coexist. i know the internet is allergic to nuance but PLEASE exercise some critical thinking and perspective. this is not as black and white as it seems to be on the surface. keep in mind that there's also a lot that we just don't know.

this grief is so nuanced. like i said, i don't support what he has done in the past -- i haven't supported him in YEARS because of the things he's said and done. i stand w all of his victims that spoke up, and i hope they're all doing okay rn and that they know that none of this is their fault.

there's something so weird and sad about combing the emotions of coming to terms with the fact that the person you idolized as a teen turned out to be a bad person, along with the rough and weird feelings of grief that come with that same person dying suddenly, gruesomely, and tragically.

this is all so tragic, so weird, so surreal, and SO hard. there's a lot of weird conflicting and nuanced emotions running through not just me, but so many of us who grew up loving one direction. i'm aching for 12-15 year old me who wouldn't recover from this. i'm destroyed for his son who survives him, his family, friends, and the other one direction boys. my heart also aches for his victims, who i'm sure are experiencing a lot of conflicting and weird emotions about this. i can't imagine what they're all going through right now and can only hope they're doing okay.

this is the first major celebrity death ive experienced, at least with a celebrity i genuinely loved and obsessed over growing up. ik a lot of people feel the same way too.

whatever you're feeling about this right now is valid. you have the right to feel however you feel. you can mourn the loss of someone who meant a lot to you as a child while also remembering that they turned out to be a bad person.

sorry i keep talking abt this but it hits so hard. like i said like 30 times this is so weird and hard and confusing to a lot of us one direction fans who stopped supporting liam a while back bc of his actions. grieving with perspective and nuance is necessary here but it's not easy.

i hope my fellow one direction fans are doing okay today <3

[bloodiedrogue]

GUARD DOG (11)

SUMMARY: During the aftermath of your confession, you and Astarion navigate your feelings.

PAIRING: Astarion & Female Reader

WORD COUNT: 3,982

WARNINGS: Spoilers for Act 2, canon typical violence, brief mentions of past abuse.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi, I made my Saturday schedule with a few hours to spare. :') Also, update: I'm going to be closing my tag list on Monday. I have a lot of people signed up and it's becoming a bit overwhelming to keep track of over time so if you've been thinking about joining do it while you still can!

CHAPTER LIST / MASTERLIST / NEXT CHAPTER

-

You feel like a ghost, drifting from one experience to the next —your body moving as needed while your mind wanders, failing to grasp the fact that you’re already rooted inside of Moonrise Towers.

Blinking hard at such a realization, you find yourself scanning the secluded office you and the party suddenly occupy, feeling the fog of your mind slowly begin to lift, remembering why you’re here. Why Ketheric Thorm has somehow allowed you to explore the contents of his subject’s office. 

He needs you to get the relic. Not that you know exactly what that is. Considering he doesn’t trust you yet, all you know is that after you’ve gathered supplies you’re meant to go to the mausoleum to find it. Along with a man named Balthazar who’s gone missing. The same man whose office you now find yourself looting. 

Moving through the space as quietly as possible, you notice quickly that all around there are stacks of books, creating this sort of claustrophobic space you have to steady your breath against. Deep within your chest, you can feel the past anxiety of the day bubbling up within your throat as you take it all in, threatening to spill just as Wyll clears his throat, telling you to hurry up so that Z’rell doesn’t get suspicious.

At the mention of Ketheric’s disciple —an orc woman you met earlier— you swallow hard and nod, allowing the fog to resurface as you wander towards a nearby desk, exploring the contents of the tabletop with narrowed eyes. Across it, all the usual items sit: various notebooks, an ink bottle with a well-used quill, a couple of decorative knick knacks here and there. However, there’s also a skull that sits at the top right edge, piquing your interest enough to reach out and grab it, testing out the weight.

“Death enthusiast or necromancer?” 

As if on cue, Astarion slithers up to your side, pulling out various tools from his pocket before kneeling on the ground, turning his attention to the desk drawer. 

Almost immediately you reply with necromancer, but unlike him, there isn’t a flirtatious tone that coats your words. Instead, there’s just exhaustive sadness, prompting his eyes to flicker up momentarily as he pushes the hook into the keyhole. 

“Care to elaborate?”

You shrug and run your finger around the eye socket of the skull, tracing the edge with distraction —feeling your mind continue to distance itself from the task at hand as your gaze grows fuzzy.

It’s a sensation that suddenly makes you remember the events of earlier. The ones where you foolishly confessed your feelings only to receive no such reciprocation. A feeling that weighs you down without warning, covering you in a layer of anxious smog that sticks to your skin, reminding you that you’re mad at him. Frustrated and disappointed —a version of yourself that makes you wish you could be anywhere else so that you could process your feelings.

Because you haven’t had time to, yet. Thanks to Shadowheart’s interruption, all you’ve been left with is questions. Inquiries so intense that between fighting the convoy for the lantern and arriving at the steps of Moonrise, you’ve managed to drive yourself over the edge. 

Breathing in, you can feel how heavy it’s made you. How, as Astarion remains knelt beside you, trying his best to avoid your gaze but ultimately failing to do so, makes you want to plummet into the earth in a heap of tears.

“I’m going to take a look in the other room,” you tell him then, giving yourself a moment of reprieve as you place the skull back onto the desk and make your way to the door. Once there, you reach for the handle and freeze in place, releasing a shaky plume of air before you swallow hard and push it open, allowing it to close until Astarion’s hand shoots out to grab it. 

“I’ll give you a hand.”

Standing near the entrance, you open your mouth to respond but ultimately fail to come up with anything that isn’t mean-spirited, prompting you to instead frown and turn on your heel, moving towards the farthest bookcase you can find. Immediately after that, you attempt to tune out his presence completely, opting to sift through the catalogue of books before you, searching for some sort of clue. Perhaps a book on the Shadowlands themselves or something to do with the undead —anything to distract your mind from Astarion’s movements as he explores the room, eventually turning to face you. 

“I assume you want to talk about earlier.”

You do but not right now, so instead of responding you roll your eyes and grab the first book you see, opening it up to find a series of familiar-looking symbols gracing the page.

At first, they merely look like some sort of intricate design. The way each figure curls in odd ways, drawing your eye to the complicated graph in the centre. Then your mind clicks into place and you’re suddenly blinking back the fog, forcing your mind to focus on the translations written below each image, realizing what they are. 

They’re Infernal letters. The language of the Hells clearly displayed in front of you, reminding you of Astarion’s scars as you look up to scan him, watching him reach for a nearby book. 

“Listen, darling, I know you’re angry with me but—“

Without even thinking, you shush him loudly, moving towards his frame. “Take off your shirt.”

He drops his jaw open in shock, laughing in slight confusion. “I beg your pardon? Take off my shirt?” His eyes are wide as he continues to stare, quickly discovering that you’re serious as he tosses the aforementioned book aside. “You’re aware our compatriots are just beyond this door, correct? Or have you suddenly gone mad with lust and failed to remember?” 

You scrunch up your face, shaking your head. “Ew, Astarion. No, not like that.”

He shoots you a look of relief before quickly backtracking and narrowing his eyes. “I’m sorry —what d’you mean ew?” 

His sudden offence makes you scoff and motion to the open page in front of you, forcing him to notice the symbols. “These look like your scars, don’t they? The ones on your back.” 

There’s a moment of silence that stirs between you then. As Astarion reaches for the page, gently brushing his fingers over yours while leaning in, you swallow hard and try not to think of before. Of the unrequited statement that still lingers between you, ripping you apart while he somehow remains fine. 

Standing there, drinking in the great interest that befalls his face, you find it incredibly hard not to reach out and shake him in that moment. To grip him by the collar and demand answers despite knowing there are far more important things at hand. For example, the fact that, on top of the already complicated infiltration mission, you’re now required to go on this little treasure hunt. One that will most likely have dangerous consequences if you manage to fail. 

Meaning, the last thing you should be thinking about is how Astarion still hasn’t bothered to respond to your confession.

“Did that bastard seriously carve Infernal into my flesh?” He looks disgusted as he glances up at you, his brows knitted towards the centre of his face while you offer your sympathies. 

“I guess so.” 

Swearing under his breath, he takes a step back, immediately moving his hands to pop open the leathers of his armour, ignoring the way you press your lips together nervously. 

“You know he spent the entire night doing it,” he says then, moving his hands across the many fastenings, shaking his head at the memory. “For hours I laid bare beneath him, enduring the pain of his blasted knife —and for what? So he could further brand me as his own? Make even more claim to a helpless slave.” 

You frown at his words, hearing the ache of his voice crack inside your ears as you take a step forward, listening to him huff and toss his leathers onto the floor before taking off his undershirt.

“Wasn’t it enough to merely strip me of my rights? To starve me as I filled him up each night.” 

A part of you wants to tell him no. That nothing Cazador did to him would ever be enough. But then you hear the breath that escapes his chest —the tremors of its wake hitting your fingers as you tentatively grip his shoulder, feeling the strain of his muscles tense beneath your touch. 

“We don’t have to do this right now,” you tell him, forcing your thumb further into his flesh with careful precision, feeling him melt. “We can take the book and come back to it.”  

Immediately, he scoffs in response, craning his neck towards you just as the door creaks open, revealing a very shocked looking Gale who freezes at the doorway. 

“I uh… I recognize that I’m interrupting something. However, might I suggest the two of you perhaps don’t do this right now?”

Releasing Astarion from your grasp, you take a step back and close the book in your hand. “May I suggest knocking, maybe?” 

Gale snorts and raises his hands in innocence. “Perhaps you’re right. My apologies. I promise I’m not here to make a fuss. Just here to remind you that while you’re attempting to bed one another in quite literally the worst location we’ve experienced thus far, the rest of us are out here dealing with the constant reminder of our impending doom.” 

Smiling sarcastically, Gale then motions to Astarion who smiles back and reaches for his clothes. “And here I was thinking of inviting you to our little party.”

“Appreciate it. I’ll have to decline though on account of the fact that both of you frighten me and frankly, I’m not one for sharing.” 

“Hm. Too bad.” Astarion pouts, prompting you to sigh in embarrassment, pressing the book in your hands against your forehead.

“Yes, well, anyway. The rest of us are going to split up and take a look around. Feel free to join us?”

His last sentence is phrased as a question but you know deep down it’s more of a command, telling you to stop, so you do. Nodding your head in response, the two of you then watch him leave before turning to the other, releasing shared heavy breaths as Astarion continues to redress. 

“Stupid wizard.” 

Despite the grin that erupts across your face, you realize then that focusing on anything other than the task at hand is dangerous. That, even though you want the answers to all the questions floating inside your head, the only thing you should be focusing on is Ketheric Thorm and the hidden relic that Balthazar failed to collect.

You shouldn’t be thinking of yourselves. At least, not in the way your mind wants to. Instead of emotions, it should be focused on survival. On the steps needed to ensure your safety to get to all the parts you actually want.

“He’s right you know —about doing this another time.” You tap the cover of the book and see Astarion roll his eyes, moving his hands to readjust the top layer of his armour with a sigh. 

“I understand that but—“

Before he can finish, your hand finds his chest, pressing it softly. “We’ll figure it out, okay? I promise. Just give it time.”

Deep down you know it’s a difficult thing to ask. Considering Astarion’s spent the majority of his life waiting already, you’re well aware of the lack of patience he’s developed. How, his sliver of freedom thanks to the Illithid has granted him the ability to become easily irritated by time. 

Unsurprisingly, since you’ve known him, he’s always been prone to bouts of restlessness. Whenever he’s forced to wait there’s often a scowl that presents itself across his face, growing with each passing moment until he eventually explodes. Because of this, when you look at him with desperate eyes, watching the way he twitches and shifts, you’re more than anxious. You’re downright terrified. Lost to a grouping of thoughts that tell you he most likely hates you for asking. 

“I promise the moment we have time, I’ll spend every waking hour trying to translate this for you,” you tell him. Hoping and praying that just this once he’ll understand that waiting is the right thing to do and not a lie you tell him to gain his trust. 

“Can we even afford to wait, though?”

You look at him like you don’t know the answer, sliding your hand upwards to play with his collar. “At this rate, we might just have to take that chance. You heard so yourself, Gale and the others are already planning to depart. We can’t fall behind and further risk our chance of surviving this.” 

He knows you're right. You can tell by the way his jaw clenches and he looks away, trying to suppress the frustrations. 

“I know I already said it before but I do love you. Truly. I’d do anything to make you happy but right now keeping you safe is my number one priority and if that means delaying said happiness, so be it.” 

After that, there’s a moment of silence that hits. One that’s filled with avoided glances and heavy sighs —all of which come from Astarion as he struggles to accept your words. 

At first, it fills you with regret, realizing the way you phrased yourself probably sounds a bit insensitive. But then you see that familiar smirk begin to curl across his lips, pulling upwards with a scoff as he playfully shoves you away. 

“Fine. I’ll wait. But not because you told me to.”

“Of course.” 

“I’m serious. You’re not the boss of me. I can do whatever I please. You just happen to make an effective argument. Plus, you’re rather convincing when you’re professing your undying love for me.” 

“Shut up.” Pushing him back in annoyance, you shake your head and step through the doorway, moving through the office until you’re out in the hall again, glancing around as you pack away the book. “What supplies do we need anyway?”

“Potions, definitely. Perhaps some arrows or elixirs. I know Gale wanted some spell scrolls but after the stunt he pulled earlier I refuse to get him any.”

You fake pout in his direction as you both begin to walk with no destination in mind. “Aw, is somebody sad that the wizard didn’t accept his sexual invitation?”

“Hardly. That man wouldn’t know an orgasm from a sneeze.”

Suppressing the urge to laugh, you offer an unknowing shrug. “I don’t know. You don’t bed a goddess and not have the dexterity to please a woman.”

Scoffing, Astarion turns towards a random doorway, giving you a curious look before you nod your head, prompting him to open the door. “Please, the man pales in dexterous endeavours compared to me.” 

“Hm. Maybe. Perhaps I’ll ask him for a hand one day. Maybe do a little experimentation?”

As you smirk in his direction there’s a feeling of normalcy that hits. Slowly but surely it fills you up with that familiar warmth, reminding you of the reason you first fell for Astarion in the first place. Somehow he has this unwavering ability to make you grin through the darkness. To distract you from the hellish fear that nips at your feet each time you step into dangerous territory. 

Compared to everyone else he’s the closest thing you’ve had to a friend. And now that you’re joking back and forth, grinning as he stares at you in fake shock thanks to your statement, you begin to accept that his response no longer matters. That you’ve made your peace with it, knowing he’s still there, comforting you in all the ways you need as you walk further into the room, noticing a white-haired woman standing in the corner.  

Upon taking another step she turns from the worktable in front of her, raising a brow at the two of you before fully turning around with a grin. “Ah, the True Soul.” Moving forward, she then extends her hand towards you but fails to meet your gaze once she notices Astarion’s nose begin to turn up, causing you to frown. “I’m Araj Oblodra, trader in blood and the sanguineous arts.” 

Taking her hand, you feel an unwanted heat hit your palm, making you look down as you peel away, offering your name before motioning to Astarion. “This is—“

“A vampire spawn,” she interrupts with interest, leaning towards him with crossed arms and curious eyes. “What an absolute pleasure.”

Both of you share an awkward glance that doesn’t go unnoticed. Despite that though, she barely bats an eye as she offers her hand again, this time to Astarion who clears his throat and shakes his head. “Astarion… sorry I don’t… touch.”

At first, she seems a bit disappointed but then such feelings are quickly erased when she turns her attention back to you, revealing another grin as she drops her hand. “I assume you’re faring well around Moonrise?”

“If by fairing you mean struggling to find a decent potion seller then yes.” 

She clicks her tongue in understanding, turning towards the worktable behind her to grab a vial unprompted. “Perhaps I could be of service then? As long as you’re willing, of course.”

“Willing?” You raise your brow, watching her twist the vile between her fingers with a smirk. 

“I happen to trade in blood,” she explains. “And the potions that can be wrung from it. Obviously considering such details it’s ideal that I earn the consent of my customers. Otherwise who knows what kind of havoc might occur. Hence the willingness.”

“Hm, now nice of you to offer the bare minimum,” Astarion comments, making you narrow your eyes in confusion, wondering what’s suddenly got him so on edge.

“Yes well, if you’d humour me with a drop or two of your blood I could whip up something truly potent for the both of us.”

Immediately there’s a wariness that sets in at the mention of sharing. Overall, it feels as if there’s something off about her. Maybe it’s the way she carries herself or the instant distrust you sense from Astarion as he stands beside you, tensing up with every passing moment you spend talking to her. Either or, you take both as a sign of caution, taking a moment to collect your thoughts as you glance around to view her workspace, noticing various needles and vials, haphazardly filled with liquids you can only assume to be her customer’s blood. 

“Not sure I like the idea of weaponizing my blood, to be honest.” Offering her a polite smile, you see her kindness falter in response, replacing it with an air of curiosity. 

“I can assure you it’s safe,” she says. “Nothing more than a pinprick but obviously if you aren’t keen perhaps we can discuss other matters.” 

As she speaks her gaze focuses on Astarion once again, her lids half-closing in such a lusty way you find your chest brimming with something bordering between anger and jealousy —enveloping you in hatred.  

“Your spawn, for example.”

The way she says it feels like she’s insinuating a sense of ownership. As if Astarion’s your pet or something equally disgusting. Angrily, it makes you scrunch up your face and turn towards him, sharing a look of displeasure before ultimately turning back to scowl. “You’re aware he’s his own person, right?” 

She laughs dryly. “I’m sure he believes that.” 

“Yes, he does. Because it’s true.”

After that she’s silent for a moment, taking in your words. Allowing them to sift within the air as each of you stare at one another, trying to figure out how to proceed even though you know you’re already done. 

Unable to entertain the lack of sense, you move your hand to Astarion’s arm, feeling him tense beneath your grasp. Then you awaken your tadpole to contact his, feeling the creature shift against the corner of your eye. 

Can we leave, please?

Before he can make the effort to listen to your words, Araj is already speaking again, telling you stories of her childhood and how, even then, she wished to be bitten by a vampire, prompting the two of you to stop.

“I’m sorry. You want to be bitten?” Astarion says in disbelief, watching her nod and take a step closer, sharing her interest further. 

“To feel your life’s blood slipping away? To dance on the edge between life and death?

She looks at him longingly as she speaks, telling him then that she’d want nothing more than to feel the icy sting of his teeth against her flesh, making you scoff in disgust even though you know all too well what it feels like. How addictive it can be to let your mind drift away as you're sucked dry. 

“I’ll even compensate you if you like.”

“Compensate me?” Astarion laughs. “Darling, I’m sorry but my talents cannot be bought.”

“Not even for a potion of legendary power?” she muses. 

Immediately, he shakes his head. “Hm, afraid not.”

Her tone shifts then, frustrations filling her every pore as she looks towards you but motions to him. “You might want to talk some sense into your spawn, you know. I don’t offer such rarities lightly.”

You catch Astarion open his mouth to respond, but before he can you’re already stepping forward, inserting yourself into Araj’s space with such powerful aggression, pressing your knife to her throat. 

“Are you always this dense?”

Suddenly aware of the consequences of her actions, she lets out a shaky breath and eyes Astarion, her expression filling with desperation as you press the blade further into her flesh, using your other hand to force her to look at you. “You’re aware of the meaning, yes? Of the word no?”

Instead of answering she just groans at you, angling her head upwards to try and distance herself from the knife, forcing you to tighten your hold. “Oh, you don’t? Well, allow me to enlighten you then.” 

For a moment you pause, grinning wickedly at the fear within her eyes. Taking in the change of demeanour as you twist the edge of your blade away, huffing as you release her all at once, watching her gasp. 

“It means he doesn’t want to suck your fucking throat. Just as I don’t want to kill you… at least, not here.” 

Sensing the truth within your words, Araj gives you a careful nod and retreats, reaching to grip her tender neck as you put away your blade and scowl one final time. 

As you do Astarion looks at you with wide eyes, barely responding when you grab his arm and lead him back out of the room, swearing angrily under your breath when you slam the door behind you. 

“Well, that was an eventual moment.” 

You can’t help but laugh and lean forward once you realize you’re alone again, resting your forehead against his shoulder in slight embarrassment. “Sorry. I just…”

His hand loops around your shoulders before you can even think to pull away, forcing you into his chest as he laughs and kisses your head, granting you a moment of peace within his hold. “Don’t be. It’s quite enjoyable seeing you like that.”

“All deranged?” you mumble against his chest. 

“Protective,” he corrects. “In fact, I find it quite flattering seeing you puffed up, ready to kill for me.”

You snort and wrap your arms around his waist, pulling him even closer. “Like I said, it’s because I love you.” 

“Yes, well…” Pausing to clear his throat, you feel his hand stroke the top of your head, slowly moving down towards the back of your neck before repeating the process —doing it several times before he ultimately releases a heavy breath. “I love you too, darling. Thank you.”  

-

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[leviathansshadycorner]

Be Realistic ( Leon x reader)

Short blurb because I'm in a mood - Yes based off of that Britney broski audio lmao Warnings: low self esteem reader, body issues ALSO I LOVE ASHLEY GUYS SO DW DW SHES MY BBG SHE JUST SEEMED APPROPRIATE TO USE IN THIS SCENARIO LMAO

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Rebecca and you sat at the edge of the backyard, both of you sprawled out on the lawn chairs. Claire had thrown a summer pool party, deciding it'd be a smart idea to invite people from work. Ada and Claire were chatting among themselves, sipping away at their colorful drinks, Luis urging everyone to put on sunscreen, and Carlos, Jill, and Chris having a competition to see who could do the best cannonball. Among the partygoers was Ashley Graham, the owner of the house in which Claire was throwing the party.

"She's so gorgeous," Rebecca comments, her sunglasses protecting her brown doe eyes.

"I know." You added, the two of you ogling at Ashley's beauty. She wore a cute brown-colored two-piece, with a metal ring in the front that held the top together, which accentuated her complexion and made her appear like a Victoria's Secret model.

"Hey guys, have any of you seen Leon?" Ashley called out, holding the deflated pink dolphin in her hands.

His name made your stomach twist, and you swear you could've felt your heart pang. The way his name rolled off her tongue was so natural, almost melodic.

"Right here." Leon came out from behind the glass sliding doors. He was the only one still in his normal clothes, deciding he was too cool or some shit for the pool party.

The man walked his way along the perimeter of the pool to Ashley. His muscles showing as he carried the air pump to the girl.

"Dumbass, why did you bring it all the way out here?" Chris commented.

"Easy access." Came Leon's response.

"Thanks, Leon!" Ashley beamed, her pouty pink lips curling into a smile that even made your heart flutter. Leon stood close to her, handing his hand out for her to give him the floaty. She complied, and handed it over, their exchange making your eyes lose their gleam.

"My hero." Ashley was excited, her floaty finally being of use.

Rebecca noticed you from the corner of her eyes. She knew about your little huge crush on Leon. The girl watched as your face crept with sadness- dare she say- disappointment.

"Kind of funny how he's still in his normal clothes." She tries to distract you. "Typical Leon."

You looked at her and smiled, "I know. I was hoping to see him shirtless." The two of you giggled, letting out cackles, Ada and Claire looking your way to see what the commotion was about.

"Why don't you go ask him to take it off?" She teased, turning her body to look at you.

"Hmm, maybe." You said boldly, even though you knew you'd rather fall in the pool and drown than do that.

"Bet. You won't." She smirked, challenging you.

"Pftt I totally would." You played yourself up.

"Then go." Rebecca eyes you.

After being riled up by Rebecca, a burst of confidence shot threw you. It couldn't be that hard right? You and Leon bantered and flirted on missions before, so what difference would this make? Plus it was totally appropriate for you to tell him off about his weird pool attire or rather lack of it.

"Watch me Chambers." You told your best friend as you got up from the lawn chair. You were wearing a (top of your choice) that you brought a size too small to make your figure pop. The shorts that you wore were Rebbeca's basketball shorts that she had let you borrow last minute after you changed your mind about wearing a one-piece.

Feeling confident in your tight outfit you began to strut toward Leon and Ashley, the sun's beams hitting the floor making the cement beneath your feet warm. As you approached you caught a glimpse of yourself in the glass sliding doors. Immediately your confidence shrank.

How could you have been so delusional to wear this out? It looked nothing like the way you pictured it in your head. Your model like posture returned to that of a hunchback as you shamefully scurried past Leon and Ashley, walking along the whole edge of the pool, stopping by the coolers to grab two waters, and heading back to a frowning Rebecca.

Leon and Ashley to focused on judging Chris and Carlos' Cannonballs to notice you.

"What happened?" She ask as she noticed the shift in your demeanor.

"Nothing." You sighed handing her a water.

"(Y/n) we already have water." She pushes her sunglasses up to her head as she stares at you. You take a seat on the same lawn chair.

You whined. "Why didn't you tell me I looked like shit?" It was only loud enough for her to hear.

"What you don't though.." She reassures you as she places a hand on your back. "(Y/n) you look hot!"

You didn't believe it. Surely she was only saying this because as your best friend she was obligated to. Your mind flashed back to the image of you in the glass doors. Your hair was flat yet awfully frizzy at the same time, you stood like a toddler who barely knew how to walk, and your legs looked like they were overflowing in Rebecca's tiny shorts. To make things worse you were sure the chlorine from your previous dip had made your skin look all dry.

You looked around for the oversized shirt you came here in. When you found it you shielded your body from the eyes of the partygoers.

"(Y/n).." Rebecca looked concerned.

"I don't know why I even tried talking to him. I probably look like an idiot." You leaned on Rebecca's shoulder as you two blankly watched the Beefy Brazillian splash into the pool.

"Because you like him. And I'm pretty sure he likes you too." She giggled.

"No- he likes Ashley." You said defeated, your emotions coming out now that you'd made yourself vulnerable. You saw the way those two looked at each other. They had something you wish you had with Leon.

"I don't think so." She wraps her arm around your waist. Smirking when she notices Leon glance over at you two.

"I think I'm just gonna accept my Leon-less life." You said leaning into your friend for comfort. Your eyes occasionally glancing over at an out of place Leon as he shouts at Chris.

"What? You're just not gonna try?"

You sighed. "There's really no point Becca."

She scoffed, "(Y/n)- you're totally out of his league. You can get him if you wanted to."

"Becca!" You groaned, your inner teen always came out when hanging out with her. "I can't. Have you seen the way she looks? She can get him!" You laughed, deciding to find the humor in your failed attempts at love.

"Oh (Y/n) you can too!" Her short hair bounced as she shaked you.

You turned around your hand practically digging into 's shoulder as you stared at her dead in the eye. "Be realistic. Be so fucking for real." You shook her back, your voice that of a goblins.

The two of you laughed as you spewed out nonsensical noises.

The conversation then shifted to celebrity crushes, "You think I have a chance with Josh Hutcherson?" Rebecca lays down on the lawn chair.

"Hundred percent yes." You replied, "What about me and Nick cage?"

"I see that." Rebecca smirks.

"Wait. What about me and Da-" Before you could finish your sentence Leon's shadow loomed over you, causing both you and Rebecca to jump.

"What about you and who?" He asked as he took a seat on the lawn chair you were previously on.

Your heart fell to your ass. "Oh my god you scared me." You and Rebecca giggled.

"You're not going in the pool?" Leon asked, leaning back in the chair.

"You know we were about to ask you the same thing. What's up with the clothes Kennedy?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow, she then nudged your shoulder.

"Yeah, lose the shirt, Leon." You said on cue. A fire growing in your stomach.

"I will if you do." He hooked his hands under his grey shirt as he began to pull it off.

Scratch that. The fire in your stomach was now a full-on Volcano.

[theunbearableweightofpedropascal]

Mother Knows Best

Blaise Zabini x Hufflepuff!Reader

Warnings: (angst, fucked up family dynamic)

A/N: This is the dress I had in mind in case my description doesn't do it justice. All credit to the artist here. and hair inspo (top right). Also I'm not sure why I keep writing that Blaise hates yellow but it feels right, idk.

Summary: With your parents abhorrent views you doubt they could choose a decent partner.

Word Count: 5.6k

The wizarding community was small which meant that Hogwarts was even smaller. Thankfully you had been able to slip under the radar, which in hindsight was easy since your classmate was Harry Potter. Either way, people wrote you off as timid and boring but the truth was far worse. 

Growing up everything seemed fine you came from a prestigious family that was more than respected. With that came expectations as you were told but understood, you made sure your magic was comparable to no one. You had practiced so much that there were cramps in your hand and wrist regularly. However, the expectations that your parents meant were far more nefarious than being a prefect. 

For your sorting ceremony, you had come from a family of Ravenclaw’s and Slytherin’s so when the hat called out Hufflepuff it seemed a slight pause was taken. There wasn’t explicit disappointment written on your father’s face but you knew what he would have preferred. But in his words at least you weren’t Gryffindor.

Motivation thrummed through your body to make up for less than adequate house. You’d managed to become quite knowledgeable on many subjects, even things as taboo as muggle studies. You’d never dared to take the class but had read a few books out of morbid curiosity. There was never anything explicitly anti-muggle spoken about in your household but deep down you knew better. The kind of family you were born into would never be outspoken about that sort of thing, it’s unbecoming in your mother’s words. 

After the death of Cedric Diggory, more talks of he who shall not be named permeated the community. Some believed it was an unexplainable tragedy while others were in complete denial. Not only were you disgusted by what they did to him you also felt sad for Harry, it was crystal clear what happened. Your parents on the other hand seemed unaffected, that should have been the first sign but you were too busy giving condolences to Harry. 

Next was the stream of people they contacted in the coming months. At first, none of them rang any alarm bells but more and more suspected Death Eaters would permeate your childhood home. A small riff formed between your parents and you, the seemingly loving people who raised you held such nasty views. Visits to your childhood home soon became limited to mandatory holidays under the guise of you studying for your O.W.L.s.

Soon enough you could see exactly where they stood and it terrified you. There wasn’t anyone you could turn to without fearing it would get back to your parents. 

……..

On your scheduled visit home you were indifferent to finding certain members of the Ministry leaving your parent's home. However, as your father stood before you in the foyer expectantly you couldn’t help but wonder why. Usually, it would just be your mother receiving you due to the constant stream of ‘meetings’ your father held. No words were exchanged between you two before he gestured for you to follow him to his office. 

The once warm memories that this house provided now gave way to shivers down your spine. It felt like the closer you were to approaching his office the harder your heart thundered in your chest. Uneasiness settles within you because of your father’s seemingly cold nature. 

Inside his office, he gestured to the seat across from his chair and your heart sank. Although you didn’t feel at home anymore, you didn’t have the heart to fully distance yourself. For so long all of your work was due to upholding the family name and reputation and if you let that go there was nothing else. Your mother gave nothing away while she stood off to the side. 

“As you know darling a war is brewing, and now is the time that our Dark Lord needs his loyal correspondents.” His hands on your shoulders send a cold shiver over you. “And it worries me that my daughter seems to sympathize with mudbloods.” Even though you couldn’t see his face you could only picture the defeat on his face.

“I-” Before you could attempt to defend yourself you were interrupted.

“I thought I had made my expectations for you obvious child.” Your father’s fingers dug into you causing a grimance across your face. “Only for you to embarrass me after I put all of my hopes and dreams into you.” Tears well in your eyes from the pain of both his words and his harsh grip. 

“Have I not given you everything?” In spite of how you’ve felt about his purist ways, his words cause you to scramble to reassure him. After all, you didn’t put in as much work as you had to disappoint him.

“You have and I-” The words become stuck in your throat because of how much you are trying to say at once. “I’m so sorry.” Shame has your head hanging low while your tears wet your pants. “I saw Cedric as a friend and I let my judgment get clouded.” Sobs wrack your body and your father lets his death grip go to comfort you. 

“It’s okay darling sometimes we become a little misguided. As long as we find our way back that’s all that matters.” The same hands that caused your breakdown are now nursing you back with slow circles. Your breathing begins to even out and your father takes that as his cue to continue with what this meeting is really about.

“Now that we’ve taken care of that, I wanted to talk about what we are gathered here for.” His hands clap together in what you assume is excitement, and a glance at your now-smiling mother confirms it. “Tonight we are celebrating your impending nuptials.” 

Never has your head swiveled so quickly, you weren't privy to any marriage conversations. As far as you knew you weren’t promised to anyone but you knew better than to question anything in this moment. From the corner of your eye, you see your mother leave the room and the thundering in your heart amps up once again.

“And what better family to be joined with than the Zabini’s?” Your mother is the one to drop the name of your future husband as she glides into the office again. Behind her, you see the infamous Zabini’s. Everyone is familiar with the Zabini’s, more specifically the rumored black widow Domenica Zabini. Her track record of 7 dead husbands speaks for itself. There was nothing short of perfection about their appearance, not that you expected less.

The joy on your mother’s face feels like you’re in an alternate universe, one that involves a happy family. Somehow you didn’t see the gilded cage that had slowly been closing until it was too late. If there was food in your stomach it would have been thrown up by now. 

“Don’t play coy darling, they’ve come all this way to meet you.” As if your breakdown didn’t just happen your mother ushers you out of the seat before urging you closer. “This will be good for you, for us.” The low tone of her voice leaves no room for opposition. 

Domencia’s keen eyes take you in and you almost can’t believe this woman killed her husbands. There’s nothing overtly cunning or evil-looking about her presence as one would think. Her son, on the other hand, had a menacing demeanor for someone who you’d never heard utter a word. Since Hogwarts was small his best friends Theo and Draco more than made up for his silence. 

His brown eyes are calculated while he takes you in and your heart betrays you by skipping a beat. 

“You’re even more breathtaking in person.” Were the first words you ever heard him speak and you hated to admit how your whole body fluttered. The low register of his voice made it feel like only the two of you were in the room despite your parents lurking off into the corner. 

“So the mythical Blaise does speak?” You keep your voice low like his.

“Considering you are my future wife I’d say it’s imperative.” And just like that the reality of your future comes crashing back to you. 

Blaise gently grabs your hand and brings it to his lips before running his thumb across your knuckles. His eyes never leave yours and you can’t help but wonder if he’s trying to disarm you. Either way, you remember to keep your guard up around him. 

“Is there anywhere for us to talk, privately?” Although you doubt your parents can hear you he still goes the extra mile to bring his lips to the shell of your ear.

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” Your eyes dart around the room in an attempt to get out of the situation you’ve landed in.

“Afraid you’ll actually come to like me, sweetheart?” Blaise, as observant of ever, notices your hesitation to him despite his very convincing charm.

“No.” Even you weren’t convinced by your answer however, you refused to give him the satisfaction. 

An amused smirk plays on his face and he finds himself more than pleased with this arrangement. The air between you was thick with undeniable tension. 

“You know,” Your mother places her hands on your shoulders gently but that doesn’t stop the small wince on your face, “You should show Blaise around the grounds since he’ll be around a lot.” 

“That would be lovely.” His award-winning smile splits his face in agreeance with your mother. 

Seeing no way out of this you tell him, “Stay close to me.” 

Many would say that your familial land is almost as grand as Hogwarts, but that only applies if you enjoy greenery. The house is incomparable to the vast amounts of land you can explore and observe. Your mother favored her garden and maze, so much so that the familial home was inconsequential to the lands she demanded. 

“I take it you weren’t as up-to-date as your parents led me to believe?” Now that you two were truly alone Blaise saw no need to hold back. 

“I wasn’t but I can’t say I’m completely upset with their choice.” The truth is they went far beyond your expectations.

“So I still have a chance?” He pulls back before the two of you are more than a couple feet from the house. “I must plead my case.” His general nature gives you pause, you’ve never met someone so magnetic.

“And what exactly is your case?” Your curiosity gets the better of you.

“We could make this a long engagement, I don’t mind a wait. Frankly, I enjoy your presence and I wouldn’t mind growing from that.” His hands reach for yours, and somehow it doesn’t seem desperate. 

“You’re making this feel so easy.” As much as you wanted to reject any man sent your way through your parents, Blaise was different. Not to mention you weren’t in a position to bargain.

“I don’t want to force you, but I will promise absolute devotion.” This time when he kisses your knuckles there’s no prying eyes, making the moment much more remarkable.

Truth be told above all else you wanted someone exactly like Blaise, but your parent's involvement sort of ruined the moment. Emotionally you were still reeling from your father’s outburst, and you know it won’t be the last. If you could keep him off your back with this there would be less pressure surrounding any future mistake. 

But that does peg the question of how you’ll fare should this relationship get serious. Would you be the first of many wives for Blaise? The thought sent a chill down your spine and there’s no way you could outright ask. For the time being you decide being a team player is most important and string Blaise along until he tires of you. 

“I would love nothing more.” Maybe you laid it on a little thick but Blaise doesn’t seem to notice or care. 

………….

With news of you and Blaise’s engagement spreading amongst the parents, you knew it wouldn’t take long for the gossip mill at Hogwarts to circulate. By the time you return from your visit whispers follow you through the corridor. 

“So you wanna tell me why everyone is talking about your engagement to Blaise?” Madeline, your closest friend, saddles up next to you as you barrel down the hall.

You slow down your fast pace to pull her into an empty classroom. “I knew my Father held some anti-muggle ideals but now he’s talking about doing the Dark Lord’s bidding. I went home this weekend to find out they had me betrothed to Blaise Zabini.” Your hands find their way to your face in an effort to rub the emotional distress out. “Not to mention he completely freaked out on me for expressing my sympathies for Harry. Mads I’ve never seen him like that, it scared me.” 

“Godric,” She made her way to stand beside you before rubbing your back in gentle circles. Madeline was first assigned as one of your dormmates, she took it upon herself to adopt you. She'd seen first-hand the immense pressure your parents put on you, and in turn the pressure you placed on yourself. “You know you’re always welcome around mine?” 

Although you did know that it would only prolong the inevitable with your parents. Nevertheless, you thank her and rest your head on her shoulder. 

“The worst part is the fact that I don't completely hate Blaise, I mean he would be perfect if my parents hadn’t been the ones to arrange it. Now it feels tainted you know?” Your eyes are glued to the floor while you pour out everything you’d had to hold in this past weekend. 

“Of course, not to mention his mother has an interesting romantic history.” You are glad that you’re not the only one who noticed. 

“But he’s so gorgeous.” You tilt your head away from your best friend with a whimsical sigh. 

“You’re preaching to the choir.” Her agreeance has you craning your neck to blink in surprise at her. 

“Not too much, he’s still my fiance.” Playfully you narrow your eyes at Mads before bursting into laughter with her joining you. 

With your spirits back up the both of you head back into the hall and make your way to the grand hall. Studying would help in taking your mind off of everything else, somehow it was relaxing. The table was decorated with textbooks as you and Madeline delved into your academics. 

“You look even more radiant when you’re focused.” That low drawl had your head quickly swiveling to meet Blaise’s eyes in surprise.

“There’s a lot I need to stay up to date on.” Your answer must have been enough for him to take a seat next to you. But you don’t let his presence deter you from your agenda. Madeline squirms in her seat across from you to get your attention only to give you a knowing look. 

“I’m sure there is,” He lets his eyes fall over your form, and warmth spreads throughout your body at his brazenness. He clears his throat before continuing, “ My mother’s hosting a party next weekend and I was wondering if you’d do me the honor of being my date?”

From the corner of your eye, you could feel Madeline’s widened eyes taking in this conversation. You’re not sure why you expected Blaise to ignore you once you returned to Hogwarts, but strangely you’re pleased he didn’t. Finally, you set your quill down to properly address him.

“I would love that,” You school your features to not look as giddy as you feel. “Any specific dress code requirements?” 

“If you don’t mind I got your measurements from your mother and had a dress commissioned.” He had the gall to look sheepish. 

“And what if I find the dress ugly? What if I had said no?” The questions fly out one after the other.

“Your mother promised me you had no shortage of beautiful gowns, and if you had said no I would have found another way to gift it to you.” His eyes peer down at you while you bashfully glance towards Madeline. Once he leaves you know you’ll never hear the end of this. 

“Well thank you,” For once you are truly rendered speechless and there is no other feeling more embarrassing. 

Blaise, as observant as ever, senses the end of the conversation and readies himself to leave. Before he completely takes off he places a folded piece of paper in your palm and closes it. When his back faces you you let your eyes wander after him with a stupid smile splitting your face. You realize too late that once he reaches his table his friends have already caught you grinning like an idiot. They proceed to clap him on the back and you quickly face Mads only to be met with a teasing grin. 

You resign yourself to laying your head on the table until the smile on your face calms down. When you unfold the piece of paper you find a rough draft of a fluffy green gown. His penmanship impressed you but his eye for detail on the various layers of dresses solidified your opinion.

…………

The box holding the dress Blaise commissioned is sitting on the ottoman by the foot of your bed. It was a deep emerald green with a light green bow wrapping around it. Your mother delivered it with a bright smile as soon as it arrived in the morning. She was adamant about opening it but you wanted to wait, even if the anticipation was killing you too.

Your parents were attending as well but they had been rather agreeable lately. Just as you assumed once you showed interest in being with Blaise they seemingly backed off. The last thing you want is a repeat of what happened.

With the sun setting you begin taking down your hair, and the curls bounce as you rub oil on them. You deliberately save the front braids for last while you finish individually placing each curl. The front of your hair is parted to the right side, and you begin gathering half into a small ponytail. You decide to leave a small piece of hair out from the right side that is curled away from your face. 

A smile graces your face at the finished product and you turn to the box that’s been calling to you all day. The note attached to the bow was the first thing you read. 

I hope the dress is up to your standards -B.Z.

You place the note on your bed and untie the bow before lifting the top. A lavish hunter-green bustier greets you, before fully pulling it out you take note of the silver and black jewels lining the entire top. You carefully grab the strapless top to pull it out of the box and a gasp involuntarily leaves your mouth at the mass of the dress. 

Flowers made of sheer fabric litter the waist and sage green fabric lines the sides of the dress. Layers of tulle overlap with leafy designs that feature silver accents. You had never seen a dress as beautiful as the one in front of you, Blaise clearly had an eye for fashion. The drawing he gave didn’t do the dress enough justice.

Progressively you place the dress on the floor and step into it. Perfect is the only word to describe it as you gaze at yourself in the mirror. Even in low light, the jewels sparkle enticingly and you note that he used his house color on you. You do a spin before heading to your jewelry box, only to find that you missed a matching necklace and earring set at the bottom. The dangly earrings remind you of snowflakes and the necklace matches the gems atop your dress.

“Please tell me you’re rea-” Your mother bustles into your room but pauses mid-sentence at you. “My, you look stunning.” She slowly circles you before noting the jewelry in your hand and she gestures for you to face the mirror. She delicately takes out your stud earrings and replaces them with the one Blaise gifted you. When she reaches into the box for the necklace a gasp, much like your earlier one, leaves her red-tinted lips.

“When he asked me about your measurements I never expected this.” She circles her arms over your head to gingerly lay the necklace over your sternum. Her polished nails circle your shoulders for a gentle squeeze, “Let's finish up before your father storms in here.” 

She sits you down on your vanity chair before pulling out a brown lipstick and gloss. You tilt your head back to allow her an easier time and her sweet perfume fills your nostrils. Once she finishes she steps back to admire her handiwork with a smile. She opens her mouth to say something but is interrupted by your father’s call.

“We are now thirty minutes late,” The both of you share a silent laugh before heading downstairs to put on shoes and meet your father. 

………..

Blaise is bored out of his mind waiting for you, he was surrounded by friends but it was clear he was anxiously awaiting your arrival. Although he thought you would like the dress he couldn’t be sure, maybe it was a bad idea to not consult you. 

“Oh cheer up Zabini your girlfriend’ll be here soon.” Theodore’s quip was met with laughter from Draco. 

“Not girlfriend, fiancee.” Malfoy corrects Theo before Blaise can open his mouth to say the same thing. While they laugh Blaise rolls his eyes before scanning the hall once more. Theodore could sense how his friend felt despite him trying to downplay it.

“Is there an actual ring or is this a vocal agreement?” Draco decided to push his limits 

“There’s plenty of rings but we aren’t there yet kind of like you and Astoria.” Draco rolls his eyes at the reminder of his love life. “And who knows when a woman will become agreeable to your presence Nott.”

Both boys exchanged looks of amusement at Blaise’s snappy tone.

Time seems to stand still when he spots you at the entrance of his mother’s grand hall. His heart thunders as he realizes you are wearing the dress he helped create. The low light of the room captures the shimmering jewels that line the dress and he can’t recall anyone as lovely as you. For once he is rooted in place unable to fulfill the greeting he had prepared.

“I think I understand now mate.” Theodore is stumped in place as well when he follows Blaise’s line of sight.

Everyone in the hall spares a glance at you, how could they not? The dress gives the illusion that you are gliding across the floor. His mother intercepts your family and focuses on you. It’s obvious she’s fawning over how alluring you are. Your eyes scan the crowd scantily and Blaise takes that as his cue.

“I’ll catch up with you two later.” He doesn’t spare his friends a glance as he makes his way through the crowd to you.

When your eyes lock with his he internally melts, the closer he gets the more you steal his breath away. A symphony with booming music plays in his head to match his beating heart. 

You straighten your posture when Blaise stands before you in a three-piece emerald green tailman suit. His hand collects yours before bowing to kiss your knuckles, and after he comes up you curtsey before him. Your dress pools around you in the most elegant way before you slowly come up again. It was nearly impossible to rip his eyes away from you but he had to greet your parents before whisking you off. 

“Would you mind excusing us?” Blaise’s polite manner brings joy to your mother’s face and approval to your father's. 

“Of course not,” Your mother and Domencia are quick to shoo you and him away. 

His hand glides around to the small of your back while he guides you to the refreshment table. The array of food makes it hard for you to pick anything and he senses your indecision. He hands you a plate to pick as much as you want.

“Thank you, for the dress it really is amazing. Your drawing was beautiful but I never expected anything like this.” The sparkle in your eyes is all he wanted to see. 

“Anything for you.” His declaration left you speechless once again so you focus on picking your food. 

He then leads you to your table to eat but you hesitate before moving to sit. Blaise angles your body and dress to sit comfortably in his lap. Your stomach flutters for the umpteenth time and you try to look anywhere besides his face. 

“This was your plan all along huh? Create this elaborate dress so I’m woefully dependent on you.” You begin trying the various foods on your plate while Blaise watches you. 

“If I’m being honest I wish I had come up with that, but I did want to see you in a beautiful gown. Maybe steal a dance or two.” His complete focus was on you enjoying your treacle tart. 

“Nobody else is dancing though,” You spare a glance around to find everyone mingling while the live band plays quietly. 

“So?” His head was being cradled by his large hand as he searched your eyes. 

“You must be the fiancee, we’ve heard so much about you.” Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott step into view on the other side of the table.

“I kind of miss Zabini when he was quiet and mysterious.” Theodore jokingly pouts his lips at Blaise before taking his seat. 

“Fuck off,” Blaise tries to look annoyed but everyone catches the slight crack in his face. 

“The only Blaise I’ve encountered is the lovesick puppy variant.” The boys roar with laughter at your one-liner. 

“As much as I love this conversation, I should probably do a couple of laps around the room,” He places his hands on your hips before addressing you, “You think you’ll be okay with these vultures for a couple of minutes?” 

“I think I’ll be alright,” The mischievous grin on your face convinced him and you stood up so he could fulfill his hosting duties. 

“That's the spirit,” Malfoy clapped his hands at your willingness to entertain them. “Shall we get you a drink to catch up with us?” 

“As long as it’s fire whiskey.” Your agreeance has them flagging down the nearest server for a round of glasses. 

Surprisingly talking with Draco and Theo is easy, mostly because they’ve been shit-talking Blaise. You keep your intake of whiskey to two glasses to keep your wits about you. This wasn’t that kind of party. 

They tell the story of how Blaise was knocked off his broom by an ex-girlfriend's spell. A re-enactment of how he flailed for 30 feet ensued but luckily the table was toward the back. You’d been breathing in short bursts for the past few minutes and you hope for a reprieve.

“Alright if you all don’t mind I’ll be stealing her for a dance,” Blaise’s hand stretches out to you before he calls, “M’lady.” 

One last giggle escapes from your lips when you place your hand in his and slowly rise from your chair. On the way to the middle of the floor, you realize the band is playing a much louder tune than before. Blaise’s steps slow and his hand guides you around to the front of him while your dress flows flawlessly. 

Each of you repeats the bow and curtsey from earlier but this time you keep eye contact. Once both of you are upright you wait for the musical cue to begin your first step. When the violinist begins their solo you step forward attaching one hand to his right shoulder and the other in his left hand. His hand envelops yours before sliding down to the small of your back, just above the flowers.

Just like you thought you two were the only ones about to dance, and people were quickly realizing that. 

“Don’t look around, I want to see those beautiful eyes aimed at me.” With warm cheeks, you gaze up at Blaise who smiles back at you taking the first step in the dance. Completely confident in your steps, you follow his lead while he guides you in circles.

“This dress is the best gift anyone’s ever given me and don’t even get me started on the jewelery, thank you.” You step back as Blaise raises his arm to spin you, showcasing the multiple layers of tulle whirling around you. 

“Does this mean I need to begin drafting another?” The moment you step back into each other’s space it feels as if the whole room is empty save for you two.

“If I could make a request, would you mind yellow?” The slight grimace crossing his face makes you laugh.

“And your very first flaw rears its ugly head.” You swallow the chuckle that wants to escape so that you can back away from Blaise once more. This time you both take a step to your left before holding your palms close but not touching. With your left hand behind your back, you keep your eyes on the only person in the room as you walk in a circle. 

“Where would I even wear another dress like this?” Events like this don’t exactly happen every week.

“I’ll plan another party for you.” His words cause your heartbeat to thunder in your chest you almost thought he could hear it. 

All playful banter between you ceased and all that could be heard were the strings of violins increasing in tempo. At the same time, you turn so that your right hand can hold a sliver of space between them. Something within his eyes made a jolt run through your body as if you took Amortentia.

With the tempo slightly decreasing it was time for you to stand side by side, facing the fireplace and his hand guiding you backward. Now that the both of you are facing each other once again you circle the other in a figure-eight motion. If you were thinking about anything other than Blaise you would feel ridiculous but there was nothing else running through your mind. 

His mouth firmly remains in a smile and yours mirrors his if the strain in your cheeks had any say. Your dance comes to an end when you face each other before your last curtsey. Applause fills the room and you remember you’re not alone. 

“I think it’s time for a tour.” Blaise bends down to speak lowly into your ear and a shiver runs down your spine.

“I would love that.” You place your hand on his bicep and follow his lead out of the ballroom.  

The corridors are dim with only candles lighting your path. Your heels click rhythmically in time with Blaise’s steps, echoing off the walls. 

“You’re enjoying yourself I take it?” Even though he meant to sound sure you could hear the doubt in his voice.

“I love it, I love this dress, and spending time with you isn’t terrible.” Everything about tonight has been great and you were starting to come around to the idea of actually being with Blaise. Maybe the deal with his mother’s dead husband had a logical explanation. 

“That sparkle in your eye tells me it’s a little better than terrible.” He slows to a stop before sliding his arm around your waist. An alcove that has stained glass lets the moonlight shine through allowing the colors to reflect off your skin. 

“It would kill me to admit my parents are right.” Your whisper causes the biggest smirk to split his face and you almost retract your statement. 

“It would kill me if you were to let that stop you.” Both of his hands find themselves planted on your waist playing with the jewels.

After a moment of looking at you his thumb and forefinger lift your head so he can press his lips delicately to yours. You tilt your head to kiss him back while your hands find purchase on his biceps. The way his thumb caresses your cheek makes you lose all inhibitions. Suddenly your hand wraps around the back of his neck to bring his lips closer, your poor dress getting squished in the process. 

It felt like the two of you were molded together, if someone walked past they wouldn’t know where you end and Blaise begins. A groan sounds from him as he slides his hand from your face to the back of your neck, balling his fist full of your hair. When he pulls a gasp leaves your lips and allows him to slide his tongue in. 

“Godric, save that for the honeymoon.” Theodore’s voice and Draco’s laugh feel like cold water being poured over you. Blaise’s hand leaves your hair but stays around your waist while you keep both of your hands at your side. Lip gloss makes his lips irregularly shiny and you're tempted to wipe it but you're interrupted. 

“Your mother’s asking for the both of you, so we did you a favor and came ourselves.” Draco smiles before raising his glass of fire whiskey and tipping it back.

You and Blaise begin leading the long trek back to the ballroom. 

“They’re going to breed like gnomes.” There was no telling who mumbled that out but it resulted in laughter spilling out from everyone.

[gavisuntiedboot]

Just Pretend (Gavi x reader)

Part 4

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 5 | Most recent part

Warnings: Profanity!! Swearing!! Kinda sad!!

Word Count: 7.4k (fun fact! if you've read the whole story, that's 27 pages of reading!)

A/N: The highly anticipated continuation to my ramblings. Please let me know if you want to be on the tag list for this series (because apparently that's a thing people do?) Also, can you tell I'm a huge Bad Omens fan?

"Wait, you're from  San Sebastián? Like the cake?"

"If I had known you were this funny I wouldn't have ordered a soda. It keeps coming out of my nose."

You smiled widely at Martin, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. You sat across from him in a restaurant by the beach, the dim yellow light complimenting the fading sun that cascaded through the windows. Salt hung in the air, filling your lungs with a feeling of relaxation. You rarely ever let first dates pick you up, let alone drive you an hour outside of Barcelona. But Martin had made you feel safe.

He had pulled up outside of your building, top down on the blue Mercedes he drove. His sunglasses were perched on the bridge of his nose, allowing him to drink in your sight and let out a low whistle as you approached the car. Your beach dress swayed around you, hugging different parts of your body as you moved. Your hair was pulled away from your face, with the wind shifting a few strands. Martin jumped out of the vehicle at the sight of you, opening the door for you and helping with your bag. The car ride there had been a tad awkward, with both of you nervous to come across too strong or two excited. So he handed you AUX and got a feel for you through your taste in music (which was erratic and all over the place). He let you play whatever you want. Well, almost: when 'Like a Villain' by Bad Omens came on, he changed the song himself, stating that he "could not stand scream music".

You had both loosened up by the time you got to the beach. You set up on the sand and Martin unbuttoned his shirt, glancing up to make sure you were watching him expose his chest inch by inch. You decided to be just as bold, lifting your dress over your head without turning around. Upon rummaging through your belongings, you decided none of your swimsuits gave off the desired impression, which was "I was meant to be a rich football WAG please wife me now". The natural next step was to ask Angelika for one, and she did not disappoint. It was a light pink medium-slutty bikini, sitting ever so prettily on your chest and on the curve of your hips. You laid across the towel on your side, finally able to engross yourself in the conversation with Martin. Once you two started, it was almost impossible for you to stop talking. You were so enamored by this man, who was interesting and funny and good looking and successful and interested in you.

You had spent hours at the beach, walking along the water, swimming in the shallows, and just laying in the warm sand, all while maintaining a great conversation. He was genuine in all his questions about your interests and your life. As you put your dress back on, Martin stared at you. He licked his lips as you let your hair down, shaking it to get any excess sand out. He asked if you didn't mind keeping the night going by having dinner with him, which is how you ended up at a pretty tiny seafood place by the sea. The other three occupied tables in the restaurant also hosted couples, so you felt at ease sitting across from Martin and asking about his home town.

"Okay but I love  San Sebastián cake! It's like cheesecake but better and doesn't make me feel like I have butter lining my veins."

Martin laughed shyly and rolled his eyes. He looked at you softly, in a way that few men had. Most guys looked at you with a hardness in their eyes: you were a challenge to defeat, a mountain to climb, a conquest to complete. You were the impossible woman and you were to be treated as such. But Martin? He looked at you with a delicate that made you feel like you were made of glass. He looked at you the way Disney characters looked at the princesses: like something special that needed to be cherished. You rested your hand on the table, and he brought his hand to drape over yours, making you feel like a high schooler with their first crush. It was sweet and delicate and everything a girl wanted in a romance. You looked up at Martin and saw what you had been searching for all this time: potential.

You woke up Monday morning feeling the best you had in weeks. The previous day, you received an email saying you passed your field medicine exam with a 93%, shortly followed by a few texts from Martin saying how much he enjoyed the date and how he couldn't wait to see you again. It felt like everything in your life was falling into place: you were on your way to becoming a successful sports physiotherapist, and you had a hot football player who was sending you "good morning" texts before his 8am training.

You practically skipped into work, coffee in one hand, handbag swinging in the other. You stood in the hall outside your office and stared at your phone, smiling like an idiot at the messages from Martin. A hand came down and grasped your shoulder, scaring you out of your trance.

"Good morning doctora. You didn't answer my texts."

And just like that, your mood was ruined by Pablo, Barca's little storm could of misery. He had sent you several messages over your time off, all of which you had decided not to open:

[Gavi]: Good luck on your exam Doctora.

[Gavi]: Frenkie ripped his knee open today during training. It was nasty as fuck. You would have thought it was cool.

[Gavi]: Sevilla is so fucking cold I can't stand it.

[Gavi]: Did you see the injuries during today's match? You're going to be busy on Monday.

[Gavi]: Say hi to Martin for me and the boys

[Gavi]: Tomorrow morning I need you to remove my back and give me a new one

"Yes Gavi, because I was busy," you breathed out as you opened your office door. Gavi walked in behind you, taking your coffee and bag from your hands to place them in their usual spots. "I gave you my personal number for emergencies. If you keep texting me status updates about your life, I will demote you back to email only. Why is your shirt off?"

"Because you're gonna work on my back, which you would know if you read my messages. Besides, don't lie, you love my little updates."

You pulled your hair up, grabbing clean gloves and some muscle warming lotion as you approached a shirtless Gavi, who had laid himself across your table. Despite not opening them, you had to admit that the messages made a feeling of warmth spread through your chest. Someone on the team was thinking about you, and he had remembered the things you were interested in. You could just barely admit this to yourself, but you would never say it out loud to Gavi. God forbid he ever found out that you enjoyed his presence.

"No one likes them, given that you send them to me rather than your friends."

From his position on his stomach, he looked over his shoulder at you.

"Are we not friends, y/n?"

"I'm not sure, Gavi. We could be if you stopped hating me."

"I don't hate you. I think."

The statement made your cheeks heat up slightly for reasons unknown to you. Instead of focusing on this, you squeezed some of the gel onto Gavi's lower back, an area that consistently gave him trouble. It was odd to hear that Gavi considered the two of you friends. Hell, it was weird to hear that he didn't hate you. Despite him treating you more politely, he never gave you the impression that he enjoyed your presence outside of the fact that you repaired his aching body. Well, that, and the fact that he was sending you daily updates about the team, most of which were not related to work at all. You spread the gel around the area, giving it a moment to heat up before you started working the muscle.

"So how did your exam go?" Gavi asked, laying on his folded hands. It was 7:40am, and he was susceptible to falling asleep unless he maintained a conversation. He also needed something to focus on besides the feeling of your hands on him. There was that damn feeling again: the ache in his chest, the goosebumps on his arms, the feeling like he wanted to run out the room and off the roof. He had no clue what is was about you that made him feel like he was on the verge of exploding. He would deny it if anyone asked, but he felt himself start to get hard every time you put your hands on him. Maybe Pedri was right and he was severely touch starved.

"It went amazing. I was a little scared about the technical test, because I can't really lift more than 60 kilos, so if we had to use the spine board it might have been a problem. But it was a stomach injury, so it was pretty easy. Passed with a 93%."

Your hands moved around Gavi's lower back, and he was letting out sharp breaths of pain.

"Muscle tension?"

"No actually. Your gloves... you know what it's fine I'll live keep going."

"No no. Gavi I don't want to hurt you. Tell me what's the issue."

"Well.. Your gloves are getting caught on the hair of my lower back, and you're pulling on it. I don't really know what you can do about that but that's what hurts."

You looked down at your gloved, realizing the mix of latex and gel had ripped a couple hairs out of Gavi.

"I can go wash my hands and do this without gloves. I'll be right back."

Before Gavi could protest to your bare hands massaging him, you had thrown your gloves away and let the room, washing your hands across the hall and returning. You repositioned yourself to lean over Gavi and began working the muscles in his lower back, your hands digging into his skin. Gavi was now, for the second time in two weeks, seething with anger in your office, because he was about to get hard in front of you from the most platonic touches. He didn't want you to think he was a teenage slave to his hormones. He wanted to show that he was cool and in control (even if in reality he was falling apart under your fingers).

"So how was the beach?" He asked. He knew he shouldn't. He knew you two weren't close enough for him to be asking. Gavi didn't even want to hear the answer - you looked like you were so happy, and the thought of you being happy with another man made him sick. He told himself it was because a boyfriend would make you less available for the team, but the reasoning was weak at best. But he knew the disappointment of hearing about your date would make him flaccid and riled up for training, so he let his lips utter the question that had bothered him for days.

"The beach? Or my date?" You asked, pressing harder into his lower back. The thought of Martin brought you warm sunshine feelings normally, but when Gavi asked, it made you feel nervous - embarrassed. Like you had done something wrong or shameful.

"Either. Both. Did you have a good time?"

You took a deep breath, allowing the memories of Saturday to fill your lungs.

"Honestly, it was great, Gavi, the best date I've been on in so long. The beach was gorgeous, and he seemed to really like me, which is more than I can say about the other guys I've been out with."

He clutched the plush bed tighter, arm veins becoming more pronounced.

"Have you been on dates with a lot of guys here?"

You paused your motions. Usually, you would respond with a sarcastic remark, asserting your dominance and your ability to date whoever you wanted. But Gavi's eyes showed that he wasn't being judgmental like the previous week - he was genuinely curious.

"Yeah like a dozen since I moved back. They've all sucked. Like majorly - they think I'm dumb and looking for a sugar daddy, or they just want to have sex. Or both actually. But Martin was so sweet to me. Every other date I've been on, the guy tried to kiss me or squeeze my thighs. The most physical thing Martin did was hold my hand."

In your dreamy recount of your date, you had lost track of what you were doing with your hands. The medical muscle treatment had shifted towards a much more intimate massage, with your hands lingering slightly too long on sections of Gavi's lower back. This was not helping his tenting issue, and neither was the mental image you were painting. He squeezed his eyes shut, focused on stopping the blood flow to his dick, but instead he pictured you in a swimsuit holding someone's hand. Holding his hand. His eyes shot open and he pushed him up, startling you in the process.

"Sorry, I don't know why I did that." He said, leaning back down and letting you keep working.

"I know I probably shouldn't be giving you this much information about my personal life, but you're not gonna tell on me, are you Gavi?" You asked, winking at him. Why would you do that? Did you hate him? Were you purposely trying to get him hard?

"Of course not, doctora. It's nice to hear you talk about something else besides how shit my muscles are." You continued rambling about your date and about Martin while Gavi listened intently, erection now fully gone, much to his satisfaction. You listed off all the good things you experienced that day, from the feel of the sand to the taste of your drink. As you finished up, Gavi had his eyebrows scrunched together (more than usual).

"You look like you want to say something, so just say it."

"Do you like him?"

The question caught you off guard (much like everything else Gavi had done that day) as you moved to get some paper towels to wipe the gel off Gavi's back.

"He's a great guy and he likes me a lot, so I think I would like to see where things go."

Gavi held out his hand, preferring to wipe himself down. He had just recovered from your touch, and was not eager to have another exchange like that again. He looked at you critically with one eyebrow lifted.

"Tch, you're not listening to the question. I'm sure he's very nice. But I'm asking about you, y/n. Do you like him?"

Looking down, you wiped your hands and pressed your lips together. This conversation had gotten a lot deeper than the ones you and Gavi normally got into. But there was something about the boy in front of you that made your heart soften, urging you to open up to him. Maybe it was the memory of his drunken state and how burdened he seemed. Maybe it was the boyish innocence that he carried, still resilient despite the sin that accompanied being rich and famous so young. There was just something about Gavi that, despite him being immature and infuriating, made you feel safe.

"I don't know. I don't think I can let myself like him before I'm sure that he wants to be with me for the right reasons."

Gavi had never seen you like this. You were one of the most confident people he knew, always walking with your head up and shoulders back. Now, your head hung forward, and despite you standing, it looked like you wanted to curl yourself into a ball. Your eyes were unfocused, as if you were remembering something you would rather forget.

"I understand that."

If Gavi kept surprising you like this, you were going to need your own physio.

"Understand what?"

"Wanting people to like you for the right reasons. Not wanting someone to be interested in you because of your body or your money or your name, but for who you are as a human being."

Your eyes met his hazel ones, holding his gaze. There was something that neither of you were saying, but you both felt. It was a pain that you couldn't explain with words - you either knew what it was like to be an object or you didn't. Feeling the mood weigh heavier on the both of you, you decided it was time to lighten things back up.

"That was really deep Gavi. I didn't know middle schoolers could be so philosophical."

Gavi groaned, cracking a smile in the process. He had gotten up, slipping his shirt over his head, working on getting his shoes back on as well.

"You know good and well that I'm 18, not a middle schoolers. If you want more proof, go ask your mom."

"My mom is an elementary school teacher."

This caused both of you to lose it, gripping your sides in laughter. You looked over at Gavi, watching the way his eyes crinkled and body shook with each laugh. You liked seeing him smile (it finally gave those eyebrows a break).

You and Gavi exited your office, walking to the field together. You would be observing their training to get used to assessing on field injuries with Antonio, another physio assistant. He had graduated from the same program as you, and had been assisting Dr. G for the least 3 years. He had been recruited by Manchester City, and would be moving to England at the end of the season, creating a need to impart all his wisdom on you.

Gavi ran onto the field giddy with excitement. He loved his teammates and all the friends he made at La Masia, but he had a hard time making other friends the more famous he got. Every time he liked a photo or followed someone on Instagram, there would be news articles and headlines reading that he had a wife. He felt comfortable around you, and despite meeting you through his work, you didn't have an obligation to like him in order to win trophies. It started that warm and fuzzy feeling again.

"Gavi, nice of you to join us. You'll be with Ferran and Christensen. Pedri, Lewandowsky, and Kounde, you'll be the other team. It will be precision training."

Ferran sauntered up to Gavi, phone and bottle in hand. As they waited for Christensen to join them, Ferran unlocked his phone and held it up to Gavi. It was a picture of you (seemingly from your private Instagram) this weekend at the beach, sitting on the sand and looking behind you. Your glasses sat at the top of your head as you glanced over your shoulder at the camera.

"In those scrubs, could you ever tell that our little nurse has such a heavenly ass?"

Gavi wished he couldn't hear. Or that Ferran didn't have a mouth to speak. He glared at him and brought his phone up, pressing the side button and making the screen go dark.

"She let you follow her on Instagram and this is what you do? Show her private pictures to the whole team?"

Gavi tried his best to hide the hurt in his voice at the fact that you had yet to follow him, hating that Ferran, nasty as he was to you, got special treatment.

"Oh no, Martin sent this screenshot to me. She hasn't accepted me as a follower yet. And not everyone gets to see - just you, because I know you've been waiting for her to let you hit. Oh and maybe Pedri if you let him."

Gavi wanted to step on Ferran's smug face with his cleats. But what really angered him was Martin. Why was he sharing private photos of you with anyone who asked? Needless to say, Gavi was on fire for the rest of practice, being extra physical with all the boys. He was throwing himself at the ball, scrapping the exposed skin on his arms on almost every play. After five rounds, Gavi's arm had gotten past scrapes and began to bleed, leading to Xavi stopping the drill and calling you over to bandage up the ragefully aggressive boy.

"Hey nurse y/n." Ferran called out, leaning against one of the goal posts.

"Stop calling me a nurse Ferran before I hurt you so bad you're eating through a tube." You were tired of Ferran's remarks from the day you started. The longer you worked with the team, the less they bothered you.

"There's that fire that I love. How was the beach? Do anything...hot?"

Gavi tried to turn around and glare at Ferran, but you gripped his arm tightly, instructing him not to move while you bandaged it.

"Yeah I did actually. I called your dad and almost gave him a son he actually loves, but I decided not to hurt your mom like that." The boys all snickered at your comment. Ferran leaned into Pedri, showing him the picture as well, much to Gavi's displeasure.

"I bet it's bubblegum pink - and I'm not talking about the swimsuit."

You didn't hear what Ferran had said, only Pedri's response of "you're sick dude". The bleeding boy in front of you had. This time you couldn't hold Gavi back, and he turned around fully to smack the phone out of Ferran's hand.

"What's your problem Hermano?" Ferran said, hostility apparent in his voice.

"You're giving me a headache."

"Sounds like a personal issue. y/n, on Thursday after Pedrito tucks Gavi into bed, all the adults are going to the club to celebrate the hopeful win against Espanol. Care to join?"

You pinched Gavi on the arm to keep him from turning around to respond to Ferran's comments about his age. You knew age was a sore spot, but you really needed to make sure his elbow was bandaged properly, and him constantly rotating wasn't helping.

"I'm not sure it's appropriate for me, as a member of staff, to be going out with a group of players. I'm not trying to get in trouble."

Pedri had approached you at this point, draping an arm around Gavi and leaning against him.

"Martin will be there, so you won't be out with the players. You'll be out with the guy you're seeing, and the players will just happen to be there. You should come - you'll get bottle service for free."

Gavi prayed you would say no. He prayed you would be responsible and say that you needed to go home and rest, as you clocked into work at 7:30am. Despite Ferran's taunting, Gavi would also be at the club, and the idea of you seeing him while he was drunk made him queasy. He was already off-putting to some people while sober, so he didn't want to undo the closeness he had achieved with you today with a shot of tequila.

"If Martin's going to be there, I don't see why not. I would love to see what Pedri looks like when confronted by a bottle service girl."

You finished bandaging Gavi's arm, and heard Xavi yelling that this was practice, not school lunch, and everyone got back to their places on and off the field.

The rest of the week passed by rather uncharacteristically. No intense injuries. No texts from Gavi to meet him for an early morning session. It really was just a normal 9-5 job. On Thursday, Barca played at home against Espanol, winning 2-0, with goals from Dembele and Gavi in the second half. Only one head collision between Araujo and another player, so you go to stay on the sides and enjoy the game. At the end, the players came to the sidelines to thank the fans for their support. You watched as Gavi removed his shirt, tossing it to a little girl at the front of the audience, her dad protecting her immediately from the rabid fans around her. You were brought out of your trance by two arms around your waist, lifting you up, causing you to let out a small scream.

"Ready to party bonita?" Ferran's voice asked uncomfortably close to your ear. Upon being put down, you grabbed your medical bag and rushed off the field, eager to get away from the player that felt too comfortable touching you whenever he pleased. Pedri watched you run off from the corner of his eye and turned to Ferran, giving him a side eye for the actions.

You drove home with music blasting over the speakers. It was a great stress relief (even if it encouraged you to speed). You showered and got dressed, excited to get to see some of the boys out in the wild, not only in the secluded space that was Camp Nou. You slipped into a black dress, hair half pulled up, and your makeup done dark and smoky - typical for a night out. A knock at your door made you finally stop admiring your own reflection, and you found Martin in front of you, a black t-shirt hugging his torso, coupled with those dreadful skinny cargo pants in army green (you know the ones that Spanish men love).

"Good evening beautiful. Let me take a look at you." He grabbed your hand spinning you slowly, and taking in every curve the dress hugged.

"Ready to go?" You asked, trying to step into the hallway and close the door to your apartment. He placed a hand on your shoulder to stop you.

"Not quite. You look absolutely stunning, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's a good idea for you to go out dressed like that. It's a little too revealing, and if anyone were to take pictures of us together, I would want them to think you're my girl, not just someone dancing half naked in the club trying to get a footballer."

You felt a pit develop in your stomach. You had never been told by a man to go change for a night out. This is how you had always dressed, feeling confident in yourself and your ability to look put together without looking cheap. You were ready to tell Martin to fuck off, but you thought back to university. You had dressed this way back then too, and all anyone ever wanted was to sleep with you. Maybe he was right - your clothes were giving off the wrong impression. You stepped inside to change, substituting your dress for a pair of high waisted jeans and a corset top with long sleeves.

"Even better." He said, kissing you on the cheek and leading you out of the building.

'Maybe this is what men want,' you thought to yourself as you strapped into Martin's car and plugged in your phone, queuing several songs that you knew would be Martin-approved.

The line at the club was ridiculously long given that people had to go to work the following morning, but Martin explained that word had gotten out about the footballers frequenting this establishment, and so every girl and all her wannabe WAG friends would flock here after a home game to try and get a glimpse of the million euro boys. Martin shook hands with one of the bouncers, who gave you a once over before leading you both to the VIP section. The Barca boys were already there, not running late because of last minute outfit changes.

The older players had their own section where they sat with their partners, speaking with each other as much as they could over the thump of the speakers. The younger players had the more obvious section that overlooked the rest of the club. Pedri noticed you first, looking away from the bottle service girl he was talking to and waving you over. The closer you got, the more you could see the waitress fidgeting and blushing, overwhelmed by the fact that Pedri was whispering their order into her ear (because the music was loud. no other reason). Gavi sat on the seat next to him, legs spread and arms crossed, looking utterly uninterested until his eyes landed on you. He sat up straighter, wondering if it was ok to come up to you and greet you given that you were with another man. As he thought, someone else beat him to it.

"Martin! Good to see you Hermano. Always great when you join us, especially with something pretty on your arm."

You stopped yourself from responding to Ferran, looking at Martin instead. You didn't know much about men, but there was an assumption that most of them didn't like it when other guys made suggestive remarks at the girls they were with. But the anger never came - only a laugh from Martin before joining hands with Ferran to great him. You look a seat beside Gavi, with Martin on your right. He waved the bottle service girl over, still red as a tomato from taking Pedri's order, and started requesting bottles while placing a hand on your lower thigh, rubbing gentle circles into the skin there.

Gavi followed Martin's fingers with his eyes, tracing the same circles with his vision and damn near going cross-eyed. His body filled with heat despite the fact that he had not yet consumed a drop of liquor. There was something about the possessive grip Martin had, coupled with the nervous way you sat with your hands folded, that upset Gavi. Soon enough there were bottles on tables, and shots were being poured.

"What'll you have baby? Don Julio or Azul?"

"I'm actually not drinking. I have to be at work in the morning" You replied, and Gavi went to remove the shot glass from in in front of you, but Martin stopped him.

"What do you mean you're not drinking? Come on you're out and we got bottles, you have to drink. I'm pouring you a shot of Don Julio. Better take it or I'm leaving you here." Martin said with a slight laugh in his voice. You picked up the shot glass reluctantly. You didn't drink on weeknights, but you didn't want to make him uncomfortable. Gavi leaned into you ear.

"You don't have to take it if you don't want to. He's not in charge of you or what you drink."

You looked over at Gavi, silently thanking him for the encouragement, but felt the cool of the glass against your lips. You looked over at Martin, who licked his lips and gazed at you with hooded eyes. Maybe this is what you needed to be doing - loosening up with the guys you went out with. Maybe it was your uptight nature that made people want to fuck you until you went soft, never sticking around to put the pile of mush back together. You knocked back the shot, reeling from the burn.

"There you go. Good job." You giggled slightly at the praise, leaning into Martin's side. Gavi was not happy. He hadn't known you your whole life, but the three months you had been at Barca showed him fundamentals about your personality. One of them was that you did what you wanted, and didn't let anyone sway you when you were set. Allowing Martin to persuade you into doing things you didn't want to made Gavi uneasy, but he said nothing, knocking back his own shot and leaning back onto the couch. He knew the alcohol would start to damped all his emotions, making the anger and other unnamed feelings more bearable.

Martin had one hand around you, whispering into your ear about nothing in particular, just pleasantries: how good you looked in your jeans, how you pretty you were under the club lights, how nice it was to see you again. The sweet words and the alcohol in your bloodstream made everything slightly hazy and rose tinted. But you weren't relaxed. On the contrary, the panic started to set in at the fact that you were not completely with it in a place full of strangers. This was only made worse by the fact that Martin had poured you another shot, holding it up once again. This time he wasn't even asking, just pushing the glass to your lips waiting for you to oblige.

"Hermano, stop pushing drinks on her." You heard from your other side. Gavi had now pushed himself up from the couch, standing above you almost threateningly. Martin looked up at him and scoffed.

"Listen poquito Pablo. When the adults are speaking, learn to shut up." He looked back down at you, shot glass still raised for you to drink from. His eyes were now angrier and more expectant - like the only way to prove to Pablo that the two of you were happy together was to take the shot. You tried to grab the glass from his hand, but he tutted and moved his hand away: he wanted to feed it to you.

"I might go get something else. I'm not a huge fan of tequila."

"No one is a fan of tequila, bonita. We're just trying to have a good time."

Gavi closed the gap between him and Martin at this point, causing everyone in the group to stand. Pedri disconnected his eyes from the bottle service girl and grabbed Gavi's shoulder, hoping to hold back his outburst. Martin stood, lifting you off the couch with him. He put one arm around your waist, pulling you in close. He then looked Pablo dead in the eyes and took the shot himself.

"Watch the way you speak to your superiors, Cabron. Come on bonita, lets get you a more suitable drink."

He shoved past Gavi with you in tow, walking through past the VIP security and towards the general bar. You looked back over your shoulder at Gavi, who was obviously fuming. Pedri went to stand in front of him, blocking his path in case he decided to retaliate.

"Did you hear what he said to me? I should-"

"You should sit down and not make a scene." Pedri said, looking Gavi in the eye. "Martin wont be coming out with us again, but if you get kicked out of the club, you'll be in deep shit. And you'll worry y/n."

"Why would I care-"

"You just do. Don't make her more anxious than she already is. Sit. Relax. Have one more shot if you want - one, Gavi. Control yourself."

Pedri took his seat again, and the bottle girl came back for them to continue whatever pseudo-flirting they were engaged in.

At the bar, you weren't doing too hot. You thought Martin just wanted to get you away from an uncomfortable encounter, but he seemed intent on getting you to drink. His arm was still tight around your waist as he ordered two Long Islands from the bartender (for all my dear readers that don't drink, that is a mix of rum, tequila, triple sec, gin, and vodka with a splash of cola. Probably the most alcohol you can get in one cocktail). Your stomach dropped further. You didn't usually drink. You hated the feeling of being drunk, and hated more the feeling of not being in control of yourself. But Martin was looking at you like you were the stars that filled the sky as he handed you the glass, clinking his against it, and you couldn't say no. You wanted to keep him happy.

So you sipped, slowly and nervously, as he stood behind you, arms around your waist and swaying to the beat of the music. Ferran had also approached the bar, making conversation with Martin as you tried not to let your distress become visible on your face. The song changed to something more base-y and seductive, and the grip around your waist tightened.

"Come on, bonita. I want to see how you move for me."

You were grateful to be parted from your drink as you were pulled onto the dancefloor, bodies trapping you against your date. You swayed your hips to the beat, allowing yourself to be taken by the feeling of the music. Marin turned you to face him, resting his arms around your lower back, and resting his forehead against yours. It felt good: being able to look at him rather than the other club goers. You felt the occasional brush against your ass (you assumed from Ferran), but worked on steadying yourself. The alcohol was now hitting your system, causing you to become less stable on your feet. Maybe you couldn't handle liquor as well as you thought.

Gavi was back in the booth preparing to take a 4th shot, despite clear instructions from Pedri to stop at 2. The bouncer had said his ID was fake despite letting him in the previous week. The bottle girls, who were blushing and flirting with the other team members, talked to Gavi like he was ordering from the kids menu. And now, his final straw - Martin. "Cabron" didn't bother him. It was a common phrase on the field, usually an indication he was doing well. But it was "poquito" and all the other references to being a child that got under his skin. Children didn't drink - adults did. That's what Gavi was doing, finishing his fourth with no chaser. The alcohol was calming him, making him less likely to punch someone in the face.

He had undone the first button of his shirt and sat on the sofa with his legs spread. He was about to tell the bouncer to let a pretty young thing into the VIP to keep him entertained, when he saw you struggling to walk on the outer edges of the crowd. He should have stayed seated. You were here with your... what was Martin? A date? A boyfriend? Whatever he was, he was meant to be looking after you, not Gavi. Gavi was supposed to be having fun, taking shots and dancing with girls. But he wasn't. He was pushing himself off the couch to go and see why you were walking around shaky and alone.

"Where are you going?" He asked, grabbing onto your shoulders.

"I'm trying to find the bathroom. I feel shaky and nauseous."

"Where is Martin? He didn't offer to take you home?"

"With Ferran. He said to come find him when I feel better. It's fine, he doesn't have to leave because of me." You stumbled forward with that last sentence, being stabilized by Pablo (who, while drunk, was doing better than you). He walked you into the bathroom of the club, helping you lean over the sink and splash some water over your face. He delicately gathered your hair in one hand, keeping it away from the faucet. He looked at the top of your back, shoulder blades peaking out the top. Without thinking he brought his other hand to rest there, rubbing gentle circles into your back as you tried to calm your nausea and anxiety.

"I'm sorry that Martin swore at you." You said, meeting Gavi's eyes through the mirror.

"Don't apologize for him. He's an ass for trying to make you drink. He's an ass for letting you walk around while drunk."

You got up from the sink, turning to face Gavi. His hand slid from your back now to grip your arm. He looked you straight in the eye, despite his vision being foggy at the edges from the shots.

"Don't say that about him, Gavi. Be respectful."

"Why?" The question came out as a yell, startling you slightly.

"Why do i need to respect him when he's cursing me out and treating you like shit? Because I'm younger than him?"

"No one said anything about your age Gavi."

"Why do you keep making excuses for him?"

It was the question you were scared of. The question that lingered in the back of your own mind even before leaving Gavi's lips. Martin was pushing you far outside of your comfort zone, in a way that you hadn't allowed anyone to before.

"He likes me, Gavi. He wants to see where things go. I think I want that too. I've been living my life one way until this point, but obviously it's not working. I have trouble getting close to people," your eyes were welling with tears, "and even when I do get close to them, I can never keep them in my life. No one wants to be around me. So if Martin does, I have to try, don't I?"

Gavi felt a pang in his chest, right where his heart was. It broke him to see you like this - shaking and in tears in a club bathroom, while the man you were trying to impress was probably grinding on other girls. Gavi told himself it had nothing to do with you specifically, just fairness. You were objectively a good person, and you deserved to be treated well by everyone around you. He tugged your shoulder, bringing you in for a tight embrace. You tucked your head into his shoulder, allowing your tears to fall more freely now that he couldn't see you. Something in you began to calm. It was like Gavi had flipped a switch. Your shaking gradually decreased, and you no longer felt like throwing up your internal organs.

"It's because you're a good person."

"What?" Gavi replied, unable to decipher your mumblings while you spoke into his shoulder. You separated from him and looked him in the eyes.

"I don't want you to say things like that about Martin because you're a good person. It just... feels wrong to watch you be a typical rude and angry man. It doesn't fit you."

Gavi let out a breathy laugh, moving away from you and towards the door.

"A lot of people would disagree with you. Being angry is my defining quality."

"On the field maybe. But don't bring that into your real life. I like you how you are."

There was that feeling again. Gavi could try and blame the alcohol, but this was different. It was like there was a match lit right under his skin, burning him from the inside, making it hard for him to breathe - hard to not touch you. Maybe he need help. Or to stop drinking.

"You know I could never be angry with you doctora."

___

You woke up the following morning on the couch of your apartment. You were still in your clothes and makeup from the night before. Your phone was dead and on the coffee table in front of you. You started to recall the night before in bits and pieces, with your interaction with Gavi being the most vivid. You set your phone to charge, going to wipe off the makeup from last night. You wracked your brain trying to remember how you got home. A part of you hoped it was Gavi that brought you there. For safety reasons (nothing else ofc). No one would come near you while walking with Gavi.

As your phone came back on, you heard the *ding* of about 80 messages. You finished washing your face and headed over to check.

[Martin Zubimmendi]: Sad that you didn't invite me in last night. Hope to see you again soon Bonita xx

[Gavi]: Text me when you get up so I know you're alive.

[Gavi]: Are you coming in today?

[Dr. Gonzalez]: Please call me immediately about missing this morning's shift.

It was only after reading that last one that you looked at the time. 10:41am. You had missed all of the morning activities at the camp.

"Good morning Dr. Gonzalez! You wanted me to call?"

"The morning is almost over, miss. I was informed by Pablo this morning that you were at an appointment and not to expect you until noon. Please note it is not appropriate to have the players relay messages for you. In the future, please communicate with me directly about any hours you will miss."

You unclenched your jaw, relived over the fact that you still had a job.

"Yes sir. I apologize. I'll speak with you directly next time. See you at noon."

You ran to get changed, and as you waited for your coffee to brew, you texted your savior.

[You]: you're actually the best friend on the planet. Thank you for covering for me.

[Gavi]: 1. I know I'm the best and 2. You owe me

[You]: anything you want

[Gavi]: famous last words doctora

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: I'm hoping the length will keep y'all at bay for a few days. I have been feeling kinda crappy about myself for the last few days, which is why I have missed some of the prompt challenge. Reading messages and comments from y'all has made me feel better, so thanks <3 I am going to make the parts longer from now on to avoid the story being like 25 parts. Please feel free to leave any feedback/ comments. I love hearing from y'all (bonus points if you also say y'all).

Songs I listened to while writing this: Often (the Weeknd), Starboy (the Weeknd), Baby (madison beer), Primadonna (marina & the diamonds), CALL ME BACK (Chase Atlantic), Test me (Melanie Martinez), The Eve (EXO), Sneakers (Knox), Okay (Chase Atlantic), 18 (Anarbor), FOOLS (troye sivan), The A Team (Ed Sheeran), Disasterology (PTV), You're on your own kid (Taylor Swift), Ya'burnee (Halsey), Emergency contact (PTV), A match into water (PTV), Josslyn (olivia o'brien), Anti-hero (Taylor Swift), English love affair (5sos), needy (ariana grande), if you can't hang (Sleeping with Sirens), Talk me down (troye sivan), Young God (Halsey), mockingbird (eminem), would've could've should've (taylor swift), Can I (kehlani), Mary on a cross (Ghost), Happier (ed sheeran), Roman Holiday (Halsey), Dangerous woman (ariana grande), Devil in me (Halsey), lying is the most fun a girl can have without taking her clothes off (P!ATD), funeral (pheobe bridgers).

*~*Taglist*~*

@l0verl4ne @vibinwkay @anastasia-nova @mxgvmiii @mads-grace4 @bubblebeep69 @katluckybear @scuderiabarca @alwaysclassyeagle

*pls let me know if you want to be added

[demiaroacejadeharley]

The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 2 Review

Warning: This post contains spoilers for the second episode of The Amazing Digital Circus. If you haven't seen the episode, please skip this post and watch the episode before reading this post.

This post also contains critical commentary about Vivziepop. If you're a Vivziepop stan, please do not interact with me. Critical fans and antis are welcome to interact. Reblogs on this post are turned off to prevent Vivziepop stans from interacting with me.

If you're a Vivziepop stan and try to interact with me by sending a PM or tagging me in a post, you'll be instantly blocked. Any asks sent by Vivziepop stans will be deleted.

I didn't find out that TADC had another episode out until Saturday night while I was preparing for my morning shift at work. I decided to watch the new episode before bed and wasn't disappointed at what I watched.

The episode starts with Pomni having a nightmare before Ragatha woke her up. Poor girl can't catch a break after what she went through in the first episode.

And now, for the main event of the episode. Caine assigned the crew to a mission to return the maple syrup that was stolen for a candy kingdom by a small group of gummy gator bandits. I also got some nostalgia feels for the episode as I grew up watching Adventure Time, and the candy themed kingdom reminded me of the Candy Kingdom from Adventure Time.

The chase scene was extremely hilarious, and I felt bad that poor Pomni had to try to keep the bandits from going away. If only Jax actually did something instead of antagonizing her. Gotta say that Jax is one lovable prick.

It made me sad that after Pomni and Gummigoo had their little bonding moment, Caine was like, "nope" and Thanos'd Gummigoo from entering the circus. But after that episode, I wonder what Gooseworx has planned for Caine. Will he end up being the big bad guy in the show? His role is to be some sort of ringleader, after all. I'm looking forward to the future episodes to come.

To end my thoughts about the new episode, I did like that the ending shows Pomni slowly starting to get comfortable with the others. I know Gooseworx said that she doesn't plan on shipping the characters, but maybe she might reconsider it with Pomni and Ragatha. But either or is fine. Gooseworx has the right to do whatever she wants with the show.

I've also mentioned at the very beginning of the post that I will add some critical commentary about Vivziepop. So I might as well address everything now.

I believe I've said this in my post about my thoughts on the first episode about The Amazing Digital Circus, which is that Gooseworx doesn't rely heavily on excess amount of swearing to make her content funny. I still got a good laugh out of watching the new episode. I also like how Gooseworx hired indie voice actors for the show, and it shows that you don't need voice actors who have been in the industry for years to get people to consume your work. Also, last time I checked, the new episode got over 30 million views on YouTube.

Another thing is that I really like how the characters are designed. I'm curious if there is any significance for the roles the TADC crew will play during the future of the show. For example, Pomni is in a Jester outfit, and I'm curious how it will affect her role in the show. And it's obvious that Caine, being the ringleader of the crew, by having him wear a suit and top hat to show that. Meanwhile, Vivziepop seems to rehash similar character designs for the rest of her characters, which, in my opinion, makes her characters look dull looking. Viv has the potential to create really well designed characters as shown with her past work. And I wish she could improve that in the future.

Lastly, the writing. I know The Amazing Digital Circus only has two episodes, but the writing is far better than Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss combined. The Amazing Digital Circus stays consistent to the plot by showing the crew going to various parts of the universe they're in to complete their missions. I will admit that the plot of Hazbin Hotel is somewhat consistent as it shows Charlie trying to redeem sinners on top of the threat of Heaven. My biggest concern with Hazbin is that whenever Season two comes around, I'm worried that Vivziepop will sideline Charlie's mission to redeem sinners and help maintain the population of hell to either filler episodes or deter the main plot by focusing heavily on heaven or things that are not significant to the plot of Hazbin Hotel.

And then there's Helluva Boss. The show was promoted being about a group of imp mercenaries doing kill jobs. It wasn't until Viv decided it would be a "brilliant" to show that the main plot aside to focus on Stolas and Blitzo's "relationship" (even though I don't consider that a relationship due to how predatory Stolas is towards Blitz and something similar to Angel Dust and Valentino).

To close this post, I would like to say that The Amazing Digital Circus is what both Hazbin Hotel and Helluva Boss could be, despite TADC only having two episodes. If Vivziepop hired indie voice actors, worked more on her character designs, rethink how she writes both Hazbin and Helluva Boss, and works on giving her female characters the character development they deserve, then maybe I'll rewatch them in the future. However, the problem is that Viv doesn't really handle criticism well and relies on her fans to protect her. She's a grown woman, and she doesn't need other people to fight her own battles. If she can't handle that as a content creator, then maybe she should either step down from her position as the lead of HH and HB or consider taking a hiatus and have her work on herself.

But anyways, that's was I gotta say. The second episode of TADC was a fun watch, and I'm looking forward to what Gooseworx has in store for her viewers.

[n33dlew0rk]

Bad Boy Boogie

I’m thinking about how in The Dirt they depicted Vince Neil as someone who was not into the alternative scene as much as Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee were.

And I'm thinking about Steve being recruited in some glam rock band in a similar way after he’s been scraping the barrel for a few years because his poor excuse of a father kicked him out and cut him off for being queer:

He’s working dive bars, strip clubs, lame pool parties, whatever gets some food, smokes and the occasional joint on his table. He liked to sing when he was younger, but it was never something he thought would be one of his main income sources in his twenties. So it's like you know whatever, as long as it keeps him alive and kicking.

He’s not very social these days, too busy surviving the late 80’s. But someone from high school still remembers him from his King Steve days, knows what happened because of the typical small town talks + sees him kind of around the scene sometimes, between Indianapolis and Chicago, hears him sing lame slow ballads and chart stuff.

So after some laughs (he does not take the thing seriously at first) and some uncertainty (money is not guaranteed ofc), he gets recruited and slowly starts to fully embody this glam rock sexy kind of androgynous and ambiguously sensual charismatic frontman role.

They do good. Like really good. Papers talk about them, mothers pray clutching their pearls, kids go nuts. Their gigs are sweat, fishnets, smeared make-up, tall boots, short skirts, tight pants.

---

Now cut to Eddie and Corroded Coffin, still a small town band, still dreaming big. But someone in their extended friend circle, probably someone a little bit less socially awkward than them, knows someone in Indi, who knows someone in Chicago, who finally hooks them up to open for a bigger band on a small state tour. Only it's Steve's band.

Eddie is fuming.

Not only did a fucking jock got to get bigger in music faster than him, he also did it in a genre that was not popular among metalheads. Even Metallica had feuds with Mötley Crüe, after all. You know that thin veil of elitism that makes metalheads a real pain in the ass despite how intensely GAY most of Judas Priest’s lyrics are.

By the way, back to Eddie.

Fuming.

He doesn't wanna go. Pleads the guys to please have some integrity, for fuck’s sake. Tries to convince the owners of The Hideout to make them play more nights.

But when money is thrown into it, like actual money, money like a month’s worth of day jobs, he can’t really say no to the proposition.

So they go.

Eddie refuses to even listen to the other band's demos, determined to spend the entire tour playing his own set and then getting blackout drunk in the back of the van for the remainder of the night.

He manages to do just that for the first two nights, until he gets cut off from the free alcohol because the bar owner is a sad greedy bastard.

And since spending a whole evening sober inside a van is not nearly as fun as he thought, he goes back inside, searching for his bandmates, barely managing to move through waves of sweaty half naked people and groupies.

A disappointed growl leaves his throat as the lights go down while he’s still in the middle of the pit. Scorned and absolutely annoyed to the core, he turns towards the stage, fully prepared to boo his way to the side of the room.

So you can imagine how totally and utterly shocked he is when Steve fucking Harrington appears: red cowboy boots under the tightest leather pants ever created by humankind, held together by flimsy flimsy strings on the sides. A brutally ripped white tank top (more like a sad reminder of it) under a goddamned leather harness with spikes and chains, all of this on top of his hairy, toned (is that glitter??) chest. Black make-up beautifully ruined under his rich brown eyes, a shadow of red lipstick on his lips. A black bandana tied around his forehead like a crown over his messy mullet (still rich in volume, that’s a magic trick the king still brings along for the journey).

Eddie feels like a lost greek sailor hearing the sirens for the first time.

Mouth: dry.

Hands: sweaty.

Jeans: dangerously tight.

The place feels like a fucking furnace and he cannot, for the love of all things unholy, tear his gaze away from Steve’s body, his face, the way he cups the microphone, how he grinds on the mic stand, how he falls onto his knees during guitar solos panting in front of his guitarist.

Lastly, I'm thinking about when the show is over and a phantom trace of Eddie’s rationality tries to persuade him that Steve will turn back into his jock self, preppy clothes and all, like a rock'n'roll Cinderella; but instead Steve smiles big to the crowd, tears the bandana from his head, wipes away some of the sweat from his neck and then stuffs the very same black bandana right into his right back pocket.

Gareth and Jeff literally have to drag poor Eddie out of the venue because his knees are so wobbly they stopped working indefinitely.

[otherone12]

Oh, Baby... You're Mine (part 3)

Vampire!Gerard Way x Reader

-> Masterlist

A/N: Hey!! Finally the 3rd part of "Oh, Baby... You're Mine" yayyy. I thought I might take more time to write, but I interrupted the other fic I was writing because I was extremely excited to do this one lol. Anyway, I hope you're all well <3

(If u have some suggestion, idea, or request, just drop it! What if i post fics with Teacher x Student dynamic? Also, do you want me to post headcanons?)

if u didn't read, here's the part1 & part2,

Summary: You finally started to succumb, and truly fall in love with him. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful romance?

- Word Count: 1.510

- Warnings: She/her pronouns. Kidnap, stockholm syndrome! AFAB SMUT! (probably a bit cringe, sorry)

IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS KIND OF CONTENT, DON'T READ!!!! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME.

- Ps: I'll not use y/n…

- Ps2: Sorry for the smut, i'm not used to write this, i'm still learning already. (:

- Ps3: I'm brazilian, so english is not my first language... sorry if i wrote something wrong.

___________________________________________

1st Person POV

I can't explain in words how it feels. I'm again in his arms, but this time seems just right… he's cozy, and the sensation of our skin together while I rest my head on his chest made me forget the urge to go away from this man who kidnaped me. 

I think Gerard became more confident in me, ‘cause he untied me, even though that only passed some days after he decided to turn me into a vampire. Of course I can't go out of the old room, but still. 

His arms softly around me, caressing my shoulder. The atmosphere that was once heavy now seemed calm and loving… And I'm getting used to my fangs ether.

My head laid on his shirtless chest, not able to sleep, just cuddling to the sound of a muffled record playing on the old record player at the back of the room. My hand rested on his torso, Gerard was smiling with certain pride and a genuine love.

Our synchronized breath was interrupted by the sound of his sweet voice. 

-Baby… I'll need to leave for a while - I'm not gonna lie, I felt a bit sad about it… I was comfortable with him. I let out a disappointed hum. - I know, sugar… I'm gonna miss you too.

I didn't say anything, just got up on him, giving him space to move out of the bed. I looked at him from top to bottom and damn, he's hot. 

-I'll be back soon… - He said, dressing up and walking to the door. In a warning tone, he said - Be good, darling. 

I heard the door being locked and I felt empty, laying down again looking at the beautiful chandelier that was hanging from the ceiling. Hours after Gerard leaves, I started to get worried… worried about a fucking vampire, who fucked up my life. 

*** time skip ***

I got excited when I heard the noise of the key unlocking the door and got up wearing only underwear - cause that was the only thing I had there to wear. 

-Looks like someone missed me hm - he said with a smirk when he opened the door and saw me waiting for him on the side of the bed. - Come here, baby!

He made a sign with his hand, indicating for me to come closer. Slowly, I walked through the room in my bare feet, making a little noise because of the wooden floor.  I stopped in front of him, making eye contact with his beautiful hazel eyes.

-I bought something for you, darling… 

He was holding a bag, which he opened and took a package from the inside. Gerard gave that to me, still smiling while I opened. Behind all the wrapping, that I let fall to the floor, there was a dress. A black dress with a cut that flattered all the positive aspects of my body

I exchanged glances with Gerard quickly, looking down at the dress in my hands and back at him again. 

-Thank you! - I exclaimed, smiling ear to ear for him  - I- I love it! 

-I'm glad you liked it, princess - That was the first time I saw him blushing… how cute. - There's another thing in the bag…

I took a close look at the bag and saw a little box on the bottom of it. Opening the box, which was wrapped in a red bow, I could see a thin ring, with a small red diamond on the top.

-That’s beautiful! - I instantly put the ring on my finger, bringing another smile to Gerards face. - But why did you buy me this?

-’Cause a gorgeous girl needs pretty clothes. And you're mine… - He held my hand and kissed the ring softly. I felt like we were Gomez and Morticia. - So you need a reminder of that, darling

He put a hand on my waist, and the other let go from mine and got up on my cheek, pulling me close for a kiss that I didn't deny. A slow kiss, which broke when he noticed I was kissing him back. 

-Better late than never, darling 

My face turned light red, ‘cause of the mocking tone he was using and the eye contact he was keeping. 

-You look so pretty when you get shy like this. - Smiling and keeping looking at me, he rolled his thumb on my cheek - You look so pretty always, princess 

I melted by his voice, and when his hazel eyes glow, I couldn’t help but return the compliment 

-So do you… 

-Aw… We're complimenting now, hun? 

Leaving no time for me to answer, he kissed me again, roughly, but I could feel how much passion he was putting there. His kiss was getting down my neck, and my body was getting even closer to him, making me wrap my arms around his neck.

-I swear…- he hummed on my neck, and I felt my skin tumbled under his voice  -  I could bite this beautiful neck again. 

My fingers runned his black hair, and I let out an involuntary moan. 

-Really? Already in that state, darling?

He backed his attention to my mouth, catching my lips and intertwining our tongues. He held my hips tight and led me to the bed, without breaking the kiss. 

His hands touched all my torso pressing all the right spots. When the kiss slowly ended, he looked at my eyes again, smiling with the pretty fangs.

- I… I think… - Swallowing my pride, in a dizzy voice and being a hundred percent honest - I think I'm in love with you.

-You ‘think’? - He chuckled, approaching my face again and almost whispering the next sentence - I'm sure you do, princess. 

-If you say so…

I smiled in his lips, kissing him. Yeah, I kissed this time. His lips slipped down in my neck, and his hands passed through my body, stopping on my back and opening my bra.

-Again? - I asked, panting but not pulling him away.

-Yeah… but this time you want it as much as I - still up on me, he moved away a little, just enough to take off his black shirt - Am I right, darling?

He batted an eye playfully, I giggled and Gerard went to me again, mouthing one of my breasts while moving his hand to the other. 

I moaned, pulling his hair and feeling his tongue on my nipple. He just knows what to do with my body, I don't know how, but he seems like Gerard knows me like the back of his hand. 

He murmured some praise, and got off of me, keeping eye contact with me, undoing his belt and unbuttoning his black jeans. The bulge on his boxers was clearly visible, and made me want him even more.

He laid his hands on my tight. Fast he swiped his hand between my legs, teasing me through the fabric of my panties. 

-D'don't tease… - I grunted, arching my back a little.

-So impatient… - He said, in a low voice, still moving his fingers in circles on my clit.

Not taking too long, he stopped, holding now the waistband of my panties, pulling it down. He opened my legs even more and held my hips tight

-Gee…

-Shh…you're gonna like it, princess.

Before I could have a chance to protest, I felt his mouth on me. I pulled his hair, letting myself be carried away by the feeling of the way he was sucking me.

My orgasm washed over me before I could warn him, but he already knew that happened. 

He returned to my face, making a point of running his hands over every inch of my body, kissing me deeply again, so I could taste myself.

-I told you that you're going to like it. 

With his mouth close to mine he dropped some kisses between the words.

-You were right… - I said, holding his face and smiling lightly - like you apparently always are

-So you're finally realizing it, baby? 

He murmured on my neck not letting go of me. I runned my hands from his face to his boxers, groping his hard member. Hear him growls is like music to my ears.

Not wanting to tease, I pulled his boxers down in moves that looked like a dance.  He slammed into me, without violence this time, he was being, at some point, affectionate and caring, anyways, I screamed in pleasure.

being with him has become less and less weird. The longer our bodies stay together, the more it seems like we are perfect for each other. 

Faste, after he thrusted on me a couple of times, I felt his cum inside of me, followed by another growl.

Gerard laid his head on my chest, arranging our position and cuddling on the bed. I caressed his wet hair and he almost purred on my skin. 

-Sugar… - he said in a soft voice, blinking his eyes with a cute, innocent-looking smile.  - You said you thought that you were in love with me...

- Y’know? - I gave him a smirk- I guess I'm sure now.

___________________________________________

~ So… That 's it! Lemme know if u liked, idk if i write a part 4… you want it? (:

PART 4!

[chaifootsteps]

this is gonna be rambly, btw

anon who was talking about Brandon's sexism - I think you've got a point but something about Brandon's writing idk, bothers me less than Viv's?

it's hard to explain but something about projects where he did most of the writing like Class Acts feel less mean spirited towards the female characters than HB is? like Brandon's specialty seems to be writing over the top people or broad stereotypes (for everyone, not just the women) and then making them feel tragic and human. and everyone gets this treatment, not just the male characters.

it's been pointed out Viv's female characters tend to fall into a couple of repeating categories: bitch (Loona, GlitznGlam), shrew (Stella), or perfect wholesome angel (Charlie, Millie, kinda Vaggie). but from what I've seen of Brandon's stuff there's a bit more variety - Class Acts has a grandma who is bitter and grouchy all the time but she's attending drama classes for her grandson's sake and cares a lot about him, while Morgana's character is a more realized version of what Loona was probably intended to be - a goth who's abrasive and mean because she's disappointed with how life is turning out.

on top of that the female characters often give as good as they get - there's this sequence in a recent Class Acts that's basically the Apology Tour party but done better where all the female characters are having an actual support group (meetup where they talk in a circle sort of thing) from their experiences with the main character that Brandon plays, who is kind of like if you combined Blitzo's jerk tendencies with an acting teacher with failed dreams.

And the show lets them have this moment. It doesn't do what Viv does and use the female characters' pain as a vehicle for another, suckier male character to look better in a ship that's increasingly DOA.

I guess what I'm getting at here is the overuse of 'bitch' and etc feels a lot less pointed in a show where the male characters get insulted constantly too, but more importantly the show doesn't prioritize its male characters over its female ones, screentime wise. Unlike Viv's writing Brandon's female characters actually feel like people - I haven't seen it but I know he devoted an entire series to the Bryce Tankthurst character, who looks kind of like what Stella could have been if she was fun and well-realized (I think Bryce canonically doesn't have a heart or something?)

Also as you mentioned also Brandon never pretended his writing was high art, unlike Viv who acts like her swearing is sophisticated comedy and keeps jamming in embarassingly handled abuse storylines to make her writing look more mature than it is.

Speaking of Stella, I have a hard time imagining Brandon writing a storyline where a woman is forced to get marry young, get pregnant and then is villainized for being trapped in a life she never wanted in order to make a flawed male character look better.

And if just Brandon had been writing Stolas and Stol1tz, I think it would have turned out less victim blamey than it is now, because from what I can tell he doesn't have a problem with holding his male characters to account and calling them losers.

If it had happened in an episode that wasn't written the way Apology Tour is, Blitzo's 'I don't wanna be this way, not forever' probably would have landed and been impactful. I kinda sensed where things were going with the Stol1tz storyline from the trailer but that line made me sad because I could so easily imagine a scenario where it would have worked. But since Viv's writing of men hamstrings the story's ability to hold them to account - combined with the horror movie levels of gaslighting going on with Stolas - that line is completely wasted in the episode and context it's in.

I don't mean to sound like I love Brandon's work or it means a lot to me - I don't and it doesn't. But I can see a level of craft there not present with Viv's and his female characters are just better handled across the board.

(The Octavia thing was messed up though, idk if he was just playing to the crowd there - and it's not even true since canonically Blitzo has no problem with Via! He calls her sweetie for crying out loud!)

Thank you for putting it into better words than I ever could.

Brandon's an asshole, but he does have a solid understanding of craft. He knows what kind of story he wants to convey and how to do it, and in spite of said assholeism, he has a better understanding of empathy, of how to write human characters. I think that actually really bugs Viv, to be honest.

[luigiblood]

Really disappointed about F-Zero GP Legend on GBA NSO

Today, as of the writing of this post, saw the addition of F-Zero GP Legend & F-Zero Climax on GBA NSO, two great games, and one of them finally officially available worldwide, even if untranslated.

Putting aside the annoyance that F-Zero Climax is untranslated, on which I still think Nintendo should seriously consider translating some of their retro titles, I want to talk about a real disappointment surrounding F-Zero GP Legend.

The hype before release

Before the release of the GBA NSO update, Nintendo's japanese blog showed that F-Zero GP Legend would actually have for the first time the inclusion of the 20 e-Reader courses, expert ghost data and machines. The Wii U Virtual Console release did not have those, and that's genuinely cool of them!

The original American and European releases of GP Legend actually included the e-Reader machines as unlockables, after they probably knew that e-Reader was just out of the question, however, they never included any of the Ghost Data, or the 20 extra courses (the equivalent of 4 cups in this game).

But for some reason, the American and European NSO releases of the game does not include the e-Reader content. You can probably excuse this as like, the game simply didn't have any support for them and therefore they couldn't hack them for it, but... that's just kind of bullshit actually.

How much effort did they make?

Guy Perfect, who you might be familiar with their recent work of BS F-Zero Deluxe, which is a hack of F-Zero that includes all courses and machines from the original game and the Satellaview BS F-Zero Grand Prix 1 & 2.

He made a few years before the e+ Complete patch for all versions of F-Zero GP Legend:

This patch includes all e-Reader content, all 20 courses and all ghost data for all versions of the game, and unlocked machines for the japanese version.

Why do I mention this? Because this patch was possible because all versions of the game, including the American and European versions still had functional e-Reader support, it's just inaccessible.

Now, I want to say this, Nintendo's modification of the japanese version of the game is still pretty well done, just like the patch I've linked, Nintendo did a similar thing in a different way, where they actually managed to include all 20 e-Reader courses in the same menu, bypassing the limitation of 5 courses, a limitation caused by the limited save space as, yes, the cards actually included the custom course data in them, no unlocks.

This might have required as much effort as Super Mario Advance 4's e-Reader levels which also bypassed similar limitations.

After asking Guy Perfect about the work that was done towards the American and European versions of his patch, it turns out Nintendo didn't need to do that much more to do it on them, porting the modifications from the japanese version would actually not require that much effort, because the e-Reader code is still just there, fully functional, and could just be enabled relatively simply.

To say it simply: Nintendo already did the work for the modifications to add e-Reader content to the game and it would have needed basically almost nothing else on top to make it work on the American and European versions.

The fan patch is not actually doing a lot of code changes to all the versions, proof that it is really not doing that much to add these courses, and that's just sad.

The European could need maybe some translations, but as it is, it doesn't even need any significant work, like, just translating "Card e-Reader+ Cup" is all that's essentially needed, and even then, they could have left it as is and you would just see it in English regardless of the language, it would have still worked and no one would probably bat an eye...

It's just disappointing, you know, this was so close, not much work was needed, it's not like I'm asking the impossible here, the work is already there and could be ported very very easily to the other versions.

This is not an outcome I can easily accept, I can accept a lot of technical reasons for not doing things at times, but not this one.

In the meantime, I guess either use the e+ Complete patch, or just use the japanese GBA NSO app if you really want to play those legally.

[tragedyhappentome]

Tfp Bumblebee x (depressed?)reader!

Anger, sadness, and disappointment. These are the words that described your situation right now.

Anger came because you mad at yourself because you can't do easy things right. Always getting judged by others.

Sadness came because you feel so pity to yourself. Even on a small mistake, your family hates you immediately.

Disappointment came because you feel very upset. Why a human such like you even live anyway?

You know that you're in a depression stage. But you still wanted to live, unlike other depression people who wants to commit suicide immediately.

You refused to leave the base and ask Optimus if he can let you stay for a couple of days in the base, because you need sometimes away from your family and interaction with people.

At first Optimus reject your request, but after he thinks again, he allows it because it is for your own good.

You always lost on your own thought, you barely even show emotion even when Miko tells you a joke you didn't give her any response. Instead, the other kids were dying behind her as they cannot help laughing.

Bumblebee knew something is wrong with you.. no.. everyone knew something is wrong with you, but most of them thinks that you will be normal after some days.

Bumblebee saw you out on the rooftop. You are sitting on the edge of the roof, swing your legs and lost on your own thought again. You didn't even feel your surroundings and got scared at Bumblebee who sit next to you.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Bumblebee chirps, but somehow you manage to understand what he says like Raf did.

"If there is something disrupt your mind, I'm here for you."

Something inside you is telling to put all your thoughts out, and you did. You tell everything that have been going on from the bottom to the top.

Small tear coming out from your eyes as Bee tries to wipe it out for you, after that he pulls you into a hug. The longest hug you ever had in your life.

from that day, you become very close with Bumblebee. He always checks up on you, just to make sure you've been feeling alright.

When it's his turn to patrol, he asks you if you want to come with him. Whether it's a yes or no from you, he will force you to come with him anyway.

Bumblebee often ask you to cuddle with him in his berth, even if he won't ask you, you exactly know what he was asking for. You never say no if it comes from him.

Everyone starts to notice about your behavior change, and also your connection with Bumblebee become closer.

Sometimes, Raf would saw you and Bumblebee flirting to each other and he will back off from you two to hang out with Bulkhead and Miko instead.

[belowzion]

Adam and Why I Felt His Character Disappointing

Sooo, I have watched the first two episodes of Hazbin Hotel! While I did really enjoy Status Quo (The song, the fact that Vox loses his first match against Alastor in the show is quite sad.) the rest of the show, I had a lot of problems. Especially the way they handled Adam.

(Look at this lil' shid.)

The dude-bro thing is just too much. It feels like his entire character is just Mammon but Angel.

Now, I've been working on rewrites for months now, slowly turning it into my own piece of fiction. Funnily enough, me and Vivzie had the same idea of taking from Paradise Falls. I feel like the book is great and can have many different ways of interpreting it. However, I am not here to talk about Lucifer, so lets instead get back to Adam.

So, let me tell you all about Adam in Below Zion and how he is in a bit of an odd spot considering Angels...:

Adam is in his luxury spire, pacing around, phone in hand, another hand flailing, disappointment, sadness and anger is felt in the presence of his holy living room.

"You hold the keys to the Well of Souls, you lead an army of an entirely new species of Angels! And you're letting these absolute nutjobs beat you!? Adam, come on! You're better than that! I mean for fuck sake man, you have the name of the first human! He got like... 100 percent of woman in his time!"

"Good on him, but i have 0 percent. I'm telling you, there's something wrong with women. They Never go for a nice guy like me, only for douchebags who probably don't even treat them right!"

"Well, Adam. Do tell me… how would YOU treat your woman?" "Well, i treat M'lady like a queen, of course! They don't know how good they would have it with me!"

"... M'lady...M'lady? Adam... you don't treat woman like... oh my... Mrghhh! Look, this is the third time this week. Why don't you just come over to me and... we'll talk bro to bro. How does that sound, hm?"

"...I don't know what you have, the Virtuosos (opposite of sinner, worships angels despite flaws) tell me it's Top gentemanly behavior of the century. And yes... I'd love that. I'm coming. And i'm bringing my emotional support Lute."

"... Just... just come over here and we'll fix you up... or attempt to at least..." Adam sighs, and hangs up. Lute comes out of Adams room with a suggestive smile, like she always does.

"Mmm, we're visiting Master Lucifer, sir?"

"We are, my dear Lute."

He says, kissing her forehead.

"Just a trip for a talk between bros. Sounds lovely, doesn't it?"

"Indeed, sir... Would you like me to transform?"

"That would be preferable for the way... yes. Makes getting out of town easier."

She nods... and folds into a brilliant lute! And then... Adam is off... taking flight to meet with Lucy...

Adam is an agent of Lucifer whom is... okay, lets not beat around the bush here. He is an incel. The odd thing here is that, Exterminators are an unofficial branch of Heavens military. So unofficial that even Arch-Angels don't know about them. They are robotic angels, made by Lucifer and a dear friend of his, trained and maintained by Adam. Adam is also not the leader of the Angels. He works at a very high position, that being that he guards the Well of Souls that leads to the conjuration of all the souls on Earth. All Exterminators are made for Lucifer and Adam. The marks on their eyes are the Mark of Lucifer. They belong to him. They do whatever HE wants.

This makes Adams girlfriend a robot.

He has an AI girlfriend.

He objectifies women to no end.

He is also very good at his job as being Lucifers mole in Heaven. While Sinners do pacts with each other, Adam allows Lucifer to have a foothold in Heaven, years after he got kicked out...

Adam is in his luxury spire, sitting at his computer, with a plate of pretzels on the desk, phone in hand, screaming wildly to it!

"What you're suggesting is ABSOLUTELY ludicrous! I will have NONE of it! You will deal with the Brightwing family until next week or I'll make sure to put that pact to good use!"

From the phone, a rather paniced individual speaks!

"Hah, BITCH! You think you have any say in here!? Killing the guys children- what don't tell me YOU have any children!? You do?! Well, uh, thats the thing! Noooot anymore you don't! I'll see you again soooooon~

The other angel on the phone seems to speak in an extremely agitated and afraid tone! Pleading!

"Oh! Changed your mind have you!? Great, GREAT! NOW! I got the whole thing planned out for you, so YOU can't mess this up! Sending you the docs. DON'T. MESS. THIS. UP! BYE, ASSHOLE!"

He hangs up and grins triumphantly…

He continues to deal with the usual fluff. Lucifers extend into heavens business. Angels need a good amount of convincing to stay in line sometimes, but it's good work, and… dare he say it, fun~ With how he feels life is treating him, it feels Great to be able to make the lives of others even worse. It having such a positive impact on the work of his best bud is of course a wonderful bonus!

He is a lonely asshole that lives off of the misery of others and finds purpose in serving someone like Lucifer.

He is a villain, but he is a lot more complicated than just being a dude-bro.

[ilovechuuyakjk]

SPOILERS FROM THE FUTURE ‼️‼️

this will take place in ep from the future and will be a Willow x reader x hunter

Your personality will be based on ranpo from bsd

Why?

Because he is a genius and perfect

About the resquests I will do after this is posted

The lines won't be 100% ok probably because I got this from yt

Luz was at the portal, she watched a yellow creature with wings saying something but she couldn't understand anything, when she realized she was being pulled by her girlfriend, amity

"Luz! You were there for so long, we thought you got stuck behind! Are you hurt anywhere?

"I'm I'm fine, i saw something or someone but it was probably just in my head, any sign of...him?"

" oh come on it's not like a sore of ghosts will inexplicably appear if you say his name... I think anyway, if belos was here he's long gone now "

" Not very far after all it was only a few minutes that he had to advance " You said with your palisman over your head, they were sleeping, you were next to Willow, willow had her hand on top of your shoulder comfortably

" he better stay out of our way, this mama's hungry for vengeance! "

" now that is a fight I'd watch "

" I love powerful mothers" You said, Willow had a mini laugh at your comment

You started walking, hunter was nervous and went ahead, amity and Luz were next to each other, Willow and gus were next to you,

" okay everyone coast is clear huh "

Willow watched a red grass

" oh hello red grass I miss you! I can't talk for long we're on a mission to save the boiling aisles"(100% which is probably not how it is written, but it is what is written there)

Gus created some illusions to make Willow happier

" willow is back horay! (I don't know how to write it, it wasn't written there how to write it)

You looked at Willow so adorable that scene was, hunter was too, he heard the bird and looked in the direction to see if it was Flapjack but found with disappointment because it was just a red bird

" we don't have time to red grass or illusions! Belos had a head start so we should keep moving until we find him! " Hunter said with anger in his voice not for his friends but more for himself.

Gus and willow got sad faces and gus shattered the illusion

" yea we should leave him alone, it's been less than an hour since he's been possessed by Belos and he's probably still processing all this" You said, your palisman had already woken up so they was now by your side

Willow was trying to comfort gus which resulted, Titan you love her so much, she's so nice and pretty and super powerful, too bad you knew she wasn't doing well which worries you a lot but you're not one of the best people to comfort others, this has always been a problem for you

Willow made blueprints and started driving on them

" oh wow! You kids were really holding back in the human realm huh " Camila said with enthusiasm in her voice impressed by what Willow did

" maybe a little " amity said catching the slime by moving it in the air

" hello gorgeous slime " amity said while Luz was looking passionately at her, turning red but then she shook her head to let go of the feeling

" y/n Also has powers or is equal to hunter? " Camila asked Luz quietly so you wouldn't hear but before Luz could answer you answered

" Of course I have powers! Only I haven't shown them yet because you guys would be so impressed by them. " You said it boldly and in a strong voice

' One of the worst lies you've ever told ' Your pasliman says, you just ignored them

Camila just stood there awkwardly smiling but realized the unhappiness of her hija

" Mija you never told me how pretty this place was, the trees, the sky, give it aAAAAAAAAA "

Camila stands right in front of the children protecting them

" kids stand back who knows if that monster is alive or not " Camila looks at it strangely

" actually the titan skull is normal everything else is... wrong "

you guys watched it all strangely, it wasn't right at all

" guys what's on top of the skull " willow said you turned to see what was up there

" It looks like collector magic and the castle must be where he lives, to get rid of this strangeness we have to go there " you said making everyone turn to you

" Smart as ever y/n" gus said putting a hand on your shoulder

" we may have more answers at bonesborough " Luz said causing everyone to start walking, amity looked a bit worried but still went, You couldn't hear the conversation very well, only what Luz said at the end you could hear

" but I haven't changed my mind, after we rescue eda and king I'm staying in the human rea,l permanently, it's for the best..."

" wait let's talk first-"

Camila tried to convince but she couldn't this time

You already knew part of this story but didn't know it was forever, you have to try to convince her

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

(I'm not going to write the Belos part so I just cut this part from here.)

you arrived at the owl's house, it was covered in paint with words of hate written there

" what is this place " Camila asked looking at the house

Luz went to the door, putting her hand on the doorknob with her head down, then looking up and saying

" welcome. To the owl house " Opening the door, seeing that there was practically nothing inside

you went upstairs to talk to your pasliman

" So let's proceed with everything we heard, everyone disappeared, the collector turned this all into a dream, Luz is thinking of staying In the human real forever, hunter was possessed, Willow is on the verge of a breakdown, amity is trying to help Luz but Luz is just pulling her out, gus blames himself for all this because he was afraid to tell everyone hunter was a grimwalker from the beginning and WE can't say many things because I don't know what is really happening, why all this was provoked, maybe in that castle there is something that can say more about the collecter, And I don't know how to comfort others, gosh I needed him to be here maybe he had an answer, he always had an answer... " You said sitting on the floor looking for a photo in your bag (yes you have a bag)

Your pasliman started going into the bag " what are you trying to do" you asked them but they didn't answer instead he took out the other pasliman that was inside making the pasliman wake up

" What are you doing, that pasliman was his and we agreed not to touch it " You said with a bit of anger in your eyes

' I know but hunter now doesn't have a pasliman so we can give him this, it would be a victory for both, hunter would have a new pasliman and the pasliman would have a new owner ' Your pasliman said turning around the other one who looked a bit confused

" You forgot the detail that they both have to accept each other and now hunter would rather throw him into the sea than welcome the pasliman not to mention pasliman is still saddened by his death and probably wouldn't accept another owner now "

You said that putting the pasliman back in the bag

' Try talking to hunter first before saying that please ' They said you said maybe and your pasliman came back to put themself in your hair again

" IT'S EDA AND KING" you heard hunter scream going down there fast

" they were on that shooting star! " hunter shouted pointing to the blue star

" how are we supposed to follow them?! " Camila asked in a worried voice.

" don't worry " amity says making pasliman transform " I'm a safe flyer "

" flyer?! "

Camila went to amity, Luz went to Gus and hunter went to mine, we follow the blue star as far as we can

' Tell now this could be the time ' they said in code

" Now that we're flying? I'll ask him later " " Ask what later? " He asked listening to your conversation " Is it something serious? " He asked you continue to fly and you answered

" It's nothing that serious but this isn't the best time to ask " You replied, he nodded, and you continued in silence until you arrived.

" those thing meed symbolts " Camila said relaxed that she is finally on earth " oh hello sweet earth " Camila was about to sit down when she saw a mixture of goo and meat and she pulled her staff and screamed " AAAAAAAAAA I I mean hello good sir " She said bowing to the monster, he was happy

You guys started walking around seeing everything broken or full of stars

" where eda and king? "

" where is anyone..? "

You continued walking, arriving at a place where hunter went to look

" something's coming! "

" Witches? "

" demons? "

" no it's...sparkles? "

hunter saw the blue sparkles and pulled you like Luz pulled amity, hiding your head in his arms

When you saw there were a lot of people there but they were transformed into... Dolls?

Willow recognized one of them, it was her father.

" dad?! " Willow said this looking worriedly at her dad

The dolls started to move, Willow went after her father while you and the hunter went after her to pull her to safety

" stop it's me! Have you seen papa?? Wait! "

You and the hunter pulled Willow into an alley behind you there was an explosion and you three ran fast

When you saw it, it was the owl lady

" eda? " Luz said looking at Eda destroying everything

" That doesn't look like the owl lady " You said, hunter and Willow agreed

Willow saw Eda going to hurt her dad and immediately reached for her staff but stopped when she heard a familiar voice

" stop right there beast ! "

You all started looking at the collector admired not in a good way

" fear not citizens bonesborough I'm here to stop this beast roughage! "

" I believe in you collector! " king said pointing thumbs up

" thanks best friend! " Collector said doing the same

" what the- " You said with open eyes

" Wyclef! " (he probably didn't say that but that's the only thing the subtitles are saying)

Saying that, there started to be blue lights and the "beast" was defeated making people applaud.

" yeah oh hooray I'm back to normal "

" what " Luz said looking creepy at Terra

" yeah who's got a pint of apple blood hoot hoot "

" ah timeout everyone timeout, Terra for the last time eda doesn't sound like that! She's got more a like a a cool ant vibe who pretends to be like a cold-hearted but actually cares alot "

" yeah you're real son in my side you know that, I've had it whit you and your stupid little dog " Collector looked at her with eyes filled with anger at what she said

" uh whatever all I have to do is play eda the owl lady and I don't get turned into any of those things right? Then let's just continue " oh I like musicians! ""

" your not being very nice right now " Collector said making a mini moon and pointing to Terra

" wait!! " Terra said but it was too late she was a doll now

We were left looking at it traumatized

Collector went to sit on the star with a sad look

" collector, buddy you gotta stop doing that think about what you're doing to these people! " king said trying to call the collector for the right option

" you are so boring! I'm just playing pretend " collector said looking like a child ( he is a child )

" even playing pretend has consequences... A cranky old witch thaught me that... " King said referring to eda

" you mean eda right? That's what we need! The real thing! A cranky know-it-all mentor figure no substitutes allowed! Maybe if I ask real nice I won't turn her into a puppet "

" NO! Her curse is still um.. in effect but I can check if she's feeling better "

" you promise?? " collector said making a sly smile

" you can trust me collector " King said putting his hand on his chest

" is that the little king guy you were tell me about? " Camila asked making Luz smile and nodding

" aww que lindo " Camila said looking at King with adorable eyes

" c'mon king! Let's go back to the archive house " collector said making the star fly and things start to disappear

Luz ran to try to catch the star " no! Not yet! "

" king...! " Luz stared at the sky with disappointed eyes.

" oh okay okay the eyeballs on the ground are normal but the little space cherub is the danger? "

" we should follow them! Belos is probably trying get back to the collector " Hunter said ignoring Camila

" it looked like they were playing a game "

" yeah whit some king of messed up version of my life! King must have told him about our adventures "

" do you think everyone who was turned into a puppet gets into archives? "

" probably, there are no more places for him to put the puppets " You said looking up at the sky

" Y/n is probably right, we have to up there then "

" you'll never make it " A familiar voice said

" Hmm "

" cause you guys are losers " The guy said making an L and putting his hand on his forehead, Two more people were behind him.

We started walking and they started telling the whole story since the draining spell I didn't listen half because it was boring I just went back when he said the end

" ... We've been hiding here ever since and somewhere along the way I went from being mett tholomule to man tholomule " he said making a face, we cringe and Camila laughed

" shiuu " She said making us all stop

We had to hide from the blue star and the guy signaled when we could move forward

We went to the door and she said

" we redecorating these past few months! So let me welcome you to " She stopped talking and opened the door " new hexside! " they gasped, You've never been to hexside so you just watched seeing children free but not free at the same time

" this does not smell great " a guy said

" real " you said

" heads up " A child said shooting a ball of fire making us go down

We went to the cafeteria where people were advertising their products and a nursery where the kids were trying to hint to others how to destroy the blue stars, We stopped at the principal statue

" this is a statue of principal bump who risked his life four ours " he said in an emotional voice but the statue wasn't very emotional

" it's so nice to see teachers getting the respect they deserve, I think "

" You guys really liked your director huh " You said looking at the statue

" He was very precious to us " one of them said

They started whispering about us and started talking to gus and Willow, amity went to her siblings

You and hunter stood there just watching, He took advantage of it and said " So what was it you wanted to ask? " He said looking at you

" It's not the right place yet, but I'll tell you later today " You said and grabbed more your bag, he looked weird at you but just nodded

you went next to willow

" no offense but this seems a bit.." willow didn't finish but Camila continued

" disgusting... "She said looking at it with disgusted eyes

" yeah but we're just following orders.." she said

" from who? " Luz asked

At that very moment the cluns start talking

(now it will probably be right because i had the brilliant idea to finally go to the computer and to the owl house club and see the subtitles from there and not from yt)

" attention can captain Tholomule escort our guests to the council chamber? And do it now! "

" captain who? " willow said

" wait. Was tholomule your last name all the time? " Gus asked turning his head slowly, the guy just shook his head

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

We started walking towards the gym seeing a tall guy talking to the girl with pink hair, on the side was a Lady with white hair and red skin and on the other was a tall and strong person, seemed to remember a person

" oh well, if we had a group to organize the flyers can keep track of perishables and that way we won't have to fight over food anymore " he said awkwardly

" hmm... " She was thinking when the red ball went to talk to her

" president if I can comment..- "

" president?! " Luz said interrupting the red ball

" this would take valuable resources away from your guard if you don't want to be collected like the other do you? "

" good point mike, next! " The girl in pink said making the guy leave with a disappointed face and sigh

" oh my gosh, it's you guys! "

" did she consider any of our ideas? "

" no uh... Sorry I gota make sure the kindergartens aren't hunting down lockers again, it was a bloodbath last time, so glad you're alive hehe " He said leaving awkwardly

" bocha, we found...- " He was stopped by the red ball

" allow me to introduce student body president, bocha and her trusted guards Miki and rouka " He said irritated

" It seems to be just one person " You whispered to Hunter, he didn't know what to say so he just looked at you and then looked straight ahead

" welcome to new hexside " bocha said with pride " home of the future of the islands and stuff

" what the heck is going on here "

" yeah. Hexside doesn't even have a student council, I would know it, I tried to organize one but bump seis I was to obsessed and-" Willow cut amity

" alright girl, take a breath "

Amity took a breath and got a pissed off face.

" and who are you two? " Gus asked

" my little sister and I traveled for the day of unity but found ourselfes hiding since after the incident. Bocha welcomed us, se we helped her established order over hexside "

" and now we are incredibly " She said, behind us there were people running around because of children

" well, first of all... I would like to introduce my mama, Camila "

" and our smart brillant y/n! And our fellow star, hunter! " Gus said making hunter blush all over his face

" in short: we are here to help, we'll rescue everyone from the archives and save the boiling isles! " People just stared

" not the reaction I was expecting... "

" As the leader the safety of bocha's subjects is paramount and this is a suicide mission after the horrors her brudgby team faced! "

" I don't need to hear it again! But Mike is right, we stay here!

" but- "

" and that's is! "

" So you're going to listen to a person who doesn't have a plan and is only harming your subjects than a person who has a plan to save this all? Stupid " You said making bocha and the red ball look at you angrily

" Get them out of here! Especially the one over there! " She said pointing at you

When they realized we were already out of the gym

" what just happened?! " Luz asked confused about what just happened

" it's been like this ever since Miki and rouka appeared we wanted to fix things here but every time we suggest something, Miki threatens to trow people to the detention pit"

" The what?! "

" 100% Miki is using bocha for her personal desires, This is very noticeable but she still doesn't understand it I don't know how " You said Willow walked over to you and put her hand on your shoulder

" what are we going to do to get to the archives? " willow asked

" I don't know how to get to the archives, but... We maybe can get closer "

" like the titan head, That would be a smart plan yeah " You said putting your hand on your chin

" Exactly! We just need the spell! " Luz said taking your hand

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

Gus watched to see if the hall was clear of people and was free to open the door with magic.

" very good,there are no moors on the coast! " Gus said making the guy open open the walls to the door

" this is where me and Jerboa have been trying to make plans to make hexside more livable "

Willow went to look through the photos when she found pictures of her and her dads when she was little, She was going to let out a few tears but stopped herself from doing so " keep it in, keep it in- ow! " she found a picture of hunter when he had Flapjack, he was smiling holding Flapjack, She looked at Hunter who was sighing his hair with an upset face

She also found a picture of you and your friend when you two were younger " aww " She said seeing you happy " They must miss him a lot... " She said looking at you seing that you were looking at what Luz was doing, she took these two photos and kept them

" plans to turn the gym into a common room? Hours for rotating on-call shifts? Is that a menu using vegetables from the plant room?! Matt thonomule, you really are a decent leader!" Gus said amazed

" have you had any doubts? " Matt said with cocky charm

" yes. Many many doubts "

" all right, time to go back on a walk down memory lane. I saw Phillip once, I mean, belos, using a glyph to transport himself to the skull but, it could take time to find out "

" remember Luz, no tricks, no ideas, no plans and-

Definitely no gimmicks " willow and Luz said at the same time

" I'll assume those are clean " Camila said

" It's better to assume yea " You said agreeing with camila

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

You've seen the memories of the Luz and nearly half of it is sad

" Damn you have many sad memories huh "

" yea " luz spoke, barely able to hear herself

" I think we found it! " Willow said taking the memory picture of Luz head

" it's so clear! We can use this to climb up to the skull " luz said excitement in her voice

" finally. Let's move again " Hunter said walking forward stopping when he heard willow's voice

" before we go, look what I found " Willow said giving the photo to hunter

Hunter saw the picture and his eyes got softe

" we will all miss Flapjack, but we know that he loved you the most "

Just so you know, we don't care who you're supposed to be because you are one of us now. Never forget that " Willow said trying to make hunter smile but only saw almost tears in his eyes

" hunter, are you okay? " Light asked worried

" I... Don know..." Hunter said making Willow feel guilty

" oh um... I'm.... I'm sorry. I didn't want to make things worse " She said this without realizing it making herbs cling to her boots but quickly undoing it as she started to walk

" I... I'll be right back " Willow said leaving the room

" I guess this is my fault too " Gus said looking away to not look into hunter's eyes

" what? How? " hunter asked confused

" I knew you were a grimwalker since the day of unit. I was waiting for you to bring up yourself but... I... I don't know, maybe if I wasn't so afraid none of us would be right here

" Gus I - " Hunter said being cut by gus

" it's okay, you stay here, I'll find willow" Gus said leaving the room

" wait, Gus! Willow, Gus , please hold on! " Hunter said leaving the room too

You stared, not knowing what to do, until Luz asked you a question.

" Did you know that Gus knew hunter was a grimwalker the whole time? " She asked not in an upset tone more in a tone of why didn't you tell her

" Yes, it was quite obvious, he saw Belos' memories so he probably saw those too, I went to talk to him on the second day in the human world he said not to tell anyone, I asked him if he wanted to vent what he wanted but he said it wasn't necessary and that he can keep it all, I didn't know what to say so I just said ok " You said a bit clumsy and guilty

" It wasn't your fault you just did what you thought was right hijo" Camila said giving you a hug, you didn't know what to do so you just stood there

" So you know all Belos' memories? " Luz asked

" No, not yet, only Gus knows now, but I'll find out after all I'm a good detective " You said making luz give a mini laugh, your pasliman was on your shoulder just watching everything

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

" uff... they are not coming back are they? " matt asked

" you kids have through too much. Even when rescuing your families there is still much to fix" Camila said very sad

" at least we will all be together to solve it, right Luz? "

Luz looked at her with guilty eyes

" amity... I'd should tell you something " Even at that moment the wall exploded

" Why is this always happening?! " You asked making your palisman agree

The red ball and her suit appeared

" ha, do the rumors were true. They were planning a riot, little Matt tholomule

" yea, we were because you guys are the worst " He said quite irritated now

The red ball just laughed

" no.. not you! " Luz said with the tone of ' not again '

" long time no see, human "

" I always knew it was pretty obvious even with that disguise you can't hide your ugliness! "

She looked at you " I recommend saying that when you are the strongest not when you are the weakest y/n " she said

" what's that smell? " Camila asked

" Nettles of sleep! " Luz said

" the most important rule of brudgby, always expect the unexpected " She said

You couldn't concentrate when you realized you were lying on the floor about to fall asleep.

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

She threw us into detention and we fell flat on our faces, well at least you

" what is this kiki mora? Are you working for the collector? " luz screamed

" the days of " kikimora, the subordinate " are over I prefer companionship like ours, we need to mandate now, for the sake of future generations "

" ok I'm still catching up. What is the red kitten trying to do? "

" she just copy Belos on " scaring people into worshipping her " because she has no ideas of her own! " Luz said to tease Bocha or kikimora

" uh. Um going to enjoy this " Kikimora said jumping into the hole where we were making Luz fall " you think I would just throw them inside and walk away? No, I think I'll finish you of myself "

" Bocha c'mon! this is a bit much, even for you! " She just looked and left, the floor closes in on her.

I saw them battling, you're not the best at fighting you're better at brains not at fighting!

" I don't deserve this! " you hear Matt say

Camila cast a spell making the ground fall and we go to separate ways.

You landed in a place with things written on the walls and drawings of more collectors

" Where am I...? " You asked seeing what was on the wall and a stone that was also written next to you

' We fell into a kind of temple full of collectors I guess, Well that's what it looks like ' your pasliman said

" Like the collector stories, well it was likely that there are other collectors but I didn't imagine that the one we saw was the smallest of all " You started trying to decipher the story behind the images and poems that were on the rocks " Why was all this up here? In a school detention? " You were reading the poems that were written in the rocks

' Maybe you can put some in your bag to read later because right now we should get out of here. ' Your pasliman said landing on your hair

" Yea, you're right, let's go " You said picking up some rocks and starting to walk until you reached a place where there was a hole above where you can get out

' After 30 minutes we finally found something. ' your pasliman said

" We? it was practically just me because you just did only add weigh on my head " You said taking the pasliman out of your head

' Rude ' they say

" yea yea " You said turning the pasliman into a staff to fly up there

you finally got up there sitting on the floor watching hunter do the same thing Flapjack did, luz having a staff in her hand that caused an explosion

" what. the. Heck, Why do I always miss the good parts " You complained to your pasliman, they just looked at you and turned they back

" Seriously? Now? Pick better times to be mad at me man " You said still sitting on the floor

Hunter saw where you were and used Flapjack's magic to get to you.

" y/n! I finally found you! " Hunter said picking you up and used Flapjack's magic to get to where the others were.

When you arrived Willow gave you a big hug

" y/n! You were the only missing here! " She said continuing into the hug

" You don't seem to be that tense right now, good " You rubbed your hand on her back for comfort

You heard kikimora behind you and you let go of the hug

" I don't need this reckless school to create my empire ... I'll make my own. And I will start by breaking them into pieces, part by part.. brat for brat! " After she said that, a fireball hit her.

" Stop right there! " Matt said " Miki, I can't say that I'm surprised by this, as for you Rouka I know there has been nothing more than chemistry between us... However you want to take it, I - "

" it's a robot, Matt " bocha said

" Finally the girl with pink hair said something true " You said making Willow laugh a little bit

They started shooting fireballs and amity came down

" they'll keep her busy let get to get to the skull! " She said taking Light's hand and running, we going after them

" hey bocha, don't think I'm done with you... "

" whatever, I didn't do this for any of you I just wanted to do normal things, and look cool and play grudby with my team! " She said screaming and throwing the fireball with everyone

Luz went to do the spell and pasliman started to move and made her fly

" I can't tell what you're gonna be but, thanks little friend! " She said flying with the staff

You'll decided to help with yours staffs

" this is my empire now! You'll have to obey me! " She cast the spell in yours direction but Luz was quick and did the spell and you guys went to the titan's head

" we ... We did it! " Gus said

You opened your eyes and saw you were there, excitement was in your eyes

" oh my, gosh! I can't believe that actually worked! " Willow said pulling amity and walking excitedly

" oh ohohoho we certainly beamus up O'Bailey? " Camila said making Gus and Hunter gasp

" bemus up! Bemus up! Bemus up! (I don't know how to write it, it's not written there as they say)

You were happy to see your boyfriend and girlfriend happy again, you then notice what the Luz was doing

Luz was grabbing her staff seeing that it is starting to open

" guys? " Luz said making everyone go around her to see the staff

" come meet my pasliman " Luz said making everyone circle around her

" what kind of magical creature will it be? " Camila asked " a dragon? "

" a bird? "

" an otter! "

" a spoky bat? "

" a snake ? "

" an octopus? "

" you were close " the creature started to come out of the fog and started shape shifting into different animals

" it's a shapeshifter snake! Her name is string bean.. and she is perfect! " She started to pass us and your palismans started to follow her and they all went to Camila

" oh look at all mama's precious babies. Come here, come here "

Hunter was just watching when he felt a hand on his hand.

" thanks for what you said back there, you mean a lot to me too " They blushed and hunter started to cry

" cool, happy to help. "

Willow saw you in front and pulled you into a hug with hunter

" Don't think you're left out Y/n! " She said giving you a kiss on the cheek, you were amazed, you couldn't speak

" I... I " It was the only thing you could say equal to nothing

She looked into your eyes with adoration in her eyes hunter did the same

" oh! I almost forgot! I found a picture of you and him on the floor, it must have fallen when you were walking " She said giving the picture you looked at the picture first and you heard her talking

" we know you don't talk about him much in front of us but we can feel that you miss him a lot " Hunter said letting Willow continue

" we also know we can never replace him but if you need anything i hope we can help like he did " Willow said wiping the tears from your eyes

" t-thank you guys, thank you alot " You took a breath and looked again at the picture " This was the only photo I managed to capture our friendship the rest is just written and drawn " You said putting the photo in your bag next to the book " You guys really did a lot for me these months, I'm glad I'm your partner, one of my best happiness in life now " You said that with excitement in your eyes, and they also have a few tears in their eyes from you saying that.

Amity called willow she had to go but first she gave you both a kiss and went to amity

Leaving hunter with the opportunity to ask what he wanted

" Now are you going to say what you wanted to ask? " He asked looking into your eyes

" Well I don't know if you need it now, after all you already have the Flapjack magic now " you said

" But what was it, maybe I can still answer! " He said taking your right hand

" ok, Well me and my palisman had an argument at the owl's house, you don't have a pasliman so i was thinking, why not give his old pasliman to you? One thing you all have in common, you lost important people in difficult times. " You said that going to get him from your bag, he woke up seeing hunter, hunter looks at him and says

" He's similar to Flapjack and I'm sure he likes a lot of cuddles too hehe " He said seeing pasliman caressing his cheek

" Yea he looks like he likes you what do you think? " You asked, hunter was thinking and said

" yea, I stay with him, he seems to like me a lot and he seems to be powerful, thanks y/n " Hunter said giving you a hug that took a few moments to let go, Those moments seemed happy, too happy

Little did they know that the collector was planning on them.

I hope you like it!

sincerely i hope, it took me all day to write this

It just ended at 2 am and I have school today

Byeee!

[landinrris]

Photographer!Lando WIP Snippet

Inadvertently came across an F1 challenge on ao3 that included a prompt about paddock photographer Lando and Ferrari driver Carlos and now I am running wild with it. It's almost 20k help Since I'm horrible at making short, consistent things, here I am sharing a snippet of them meeting for the first time

Lando had just been starting in the F3 paddock the last time Ferrari had seriously challenged for the title. It hadn’t ultimately gone well— a masterclass in disaster if Lando’s being honest. The way hope had slowly petered out, all but gone by July. Lando doesn’t know Carlos personally, but he’s followed his career through the years— had posters of him up on his bedroom wall and everything. He’s not too proud to admit that it’d be pretty cool to watch Carlos take Ferrari to their first championship in eighteen years. What a story that would make.

The Red Bulls aren’t too far behind him on Friday practice, his teammate back in third to his second after Saturday’s qualifying is all said and done.

It’s not like Charles doesn’t also deserve to be champion, Lando thinks, watching from the castle as he’s practically on top of Carlos through the tricky corners. But there’s a part of Carlos that screams he’s done waiting, and compared to the two DNFs Charles has already had with another fifth place in Australia, he’s further back in the points already.

Carlos has been walking around with careful confidence every time Lando sees him, like he can’t quite believe it’s been going so well.

And Lando’s not a stranger as to the other reason he’d love for Carlos to win.

It starts with a cr and ends with an ush. Seeing Carlos know he’s leading even early on in the season has been doing wonders for Lando’s infatuation. While he’s not one of the photographers who wait around for the drivers arriving at the paddock each day, he’s half tempted to hang around to get some of Carlos.

Lando’s sitting with his camera in the old city complex around halfway through the race when one of the nearby marshals reaches for their yellow flag. A second later, he sees a distinctly red Ferrari come around the corner going much slower than it should be even given the area it’s in. The distinct 55 becomes clearer not too long after.

One of the marshals rushes up to Lando, ushering him away from the escape road that Carlos is trying to direct his car towards. Lando moves, numb and disappointed as the broadcast feed in his ears finally acknowledges Carlos’ impending DNF.

He’s supposed to be neutral, and he is for the most part. It’s just that Carlos had been comfortably in the lead after jumping Checo at the start and now he’ll walk away from the weekend without any points.

This is how it starts.

Carlos jumps from the car once it’s safely off track and marches behind the barriers. They’ve never spoken, but Lando can read the tension in his shoulders from ten feet away. He’s stuck standing still as some of the nearby photographers turn to capture Carlos’ annoyance. Lando can’t bring himself to raise his lens in Carlos’ direction and instead turns back to the track. Carlos is undoubtedly not in the mood.

The old city usually provides good vantage points to capture the cars as they come through, but bunched up behind the safety car while the tractor pulls Carlos’ car behind the barriers is even better. A nineteen-car squirming snake.

The other photographers wander off after a handful of shots leaving Lando to believe that Carlos has mounted whatever scooter of shame they have for him back to the paddock. He’ll probably want to go punch something.

When Lando turns around after all the cars have cycled past though, a shock of red sitting with his back against the barrier without a helmet on, greets him. Lando only feels slightly guilty for thinking Carlos looks hot when he’s sad. The sight of Carlos sitting there, legs bent and hands dangling atop his knees, takes Lando’s breath away.

He should focus on the race, maybe move to a new location as the safety car comes in and the race goes green again. Instead, all Lando does is open his big mouth in the most embarrassing way.

“So, come here often?” It’s not overly loud, but with the lull in noise and Carlos close by, of course he hears it.

Carlos cracks open an eye and shifts his head level with Lando. “That is the best you could come up with?” It’s not overly nasty, but the element of unimpressed is definitely there that has Lando cringing internally.

“I mean, unless you’d rather me ask if you’re okay? And clearly you are, physically. Mentally, you’re probably kicking yourself. Points opportunity gone and everything when you know you need every one you can get.” Carlos is staring at Lando dead-eyed when Lando’s brain finally cooperates and slots its filter back in place.

“Are you finished?”

“Yeah. Sorry.”

The tell-tale roar of engines making their way down the straight pulls Lando’s attention back to the track.

God, he’s such a moron. Out of all times for his filter to up and disappear, of course it happens while meeting one of the hottest people he’s ever seen. All while clad in the billowy white and purple mesh photographer vest he’s made to wear. Carlos probably thinks he’s some piece of shit who thinks he’s right about everything.

Checo’s leading when the cars snake past them but the only noise that lingers once they pass is his own self screaming wanker inside his head over and over.

“I haven’t seen you before, I think.” Carlos unexpectedly speaks nearly in conjunction with Lando’s finger lifting from the shutter.

Lando carefully holds himself still, trying to evoke an air of uncaring rather than one of eagerness to please. “Uh, no. This is my first season in the F1 paddock. Been with F2 and F3 since 2019 though. I’m Lando— Norris. Lando Norris.” He would hold his hand out for Carlos to shake if they weren’t awkwardly far apart and Lando was sure Carlos wouldn’t punch him for speaking out of his ass.

Carlos doesn’t punch him though. He nods and turns his head to look over at the marshal standing at their post fifteen feet away. “Tell me, Lando Norris, do you think this will cost me in a few months?”

Lando should say no, especially after shoving his foot in his mouth earlier. “It’s not gonna make it easier,” he says. God. “I mean— it’s not like I don’t think you can’t. I think if anyone could come back, it’s you. With like, consistency and all that. But the field is like, so close, you know? I should really stop talking.”

But Carlos is at least smiling at him this time like he’s enjoying watching Lando struggle to stop digging himself an ever deeper hole. He probably just needs to run and find a new photo spot where he won’t be at risk of talking to drivers who DNF.

“You think I’m consistent?” Carlos teases. Because that’s 100% what he’s doing, Lando can see it now. Proper smile and everything.

He points his camera at Carlos and takes a burst of shots in retaliation. They don’t deter Carlos’ grin.

“I mean, you beat your veteran teammate twice over the seasons since you’ve been at Ferrari, and then before when you were at McLaren even though you had shit luck. You know how to keep it in one piece.” Lando can feel how hot his face is and wonders if his blush is visible.

Carlos sighs. “I guess we will see, no? Where is Charles right now?”

The cars come roaring back up the hill and Lando counts fifth. Carlos seems mildly okay with that. Lando can only imagine how quickly Ferrari would switch allegiances if Carlos’ performance fell off. At least Lando can offer some reassurance.

One of the Haases clips a corner and gets some spectacular front axle damage a few laps later. Carlos takes that as his cue to push himself up and make his way back down to the paddock. Part of Lando is morose to see him go even though he definitely needs to move as well to get some variety in what he sends off later.

“I will see you around?” Carlos asks as he picks his helmet off the ground.

Lando flashes him a smile. “I’ll be here as long as they let me. Hopefully next time you’ll be back up on that podium.” And then Carlos is trudging back in the direction of the pits. Lando gives Carlos a few minutes before setting off in the same direction. Better to be closer to the podium at this stage in the race than farther away.

Lando doesn’t see Carlos again for the remainder of the afternoon. When he’s editing his photos later as the paddock begins to clear and the champagne has dried, he comes across the ones he quickly took of Carlos. They stop him in his tracks.

The photographers who had swarmed him after getting out of the car and sitting down on the ground all got photos of Carlos at his most vulnerable. Lando’s sure they look like he’s about to cry or scream or maybe both. They’ll use them to paint pictures of defeat and concern over Carlos’ championship chances— the likelihood of continuing with a DNF under his belt.

Lando’s photo shows the opposite. There’s a hint of a smile on his face as he sits on the ground looking in Lando’s direction. It doesn’t speak of dashed championship hopes, but rather fortified determination. That a DNF isn’t the end of the world, nor does Carlos think so.

He spends a few minutes correcting the balances and then opens Instagram. Carlos is one of those longstanding drivers Lando’s followed practically since he signed up for an account. He’s sure Carlos gets overwhelming numbers of DMs on a regular basis, but Lando has no other way of contacting him and he wants Carlos to have the photos.

The way his gut jumps when Carlos not only opens the message but replies with a short message of gratitude, should be embarrassing. Like a fucking teenager. And then Carlos honest to God posts them, crediting Lando’s page.

Lando tries not to feel guilty when he goes back to the hotel later and pulls up Pornhub on his phone. Dark-haired and dark-eyed guys aren’t solely reminiscent of Carlos. He’s totally normal and within his rights.

Nothing to worry about.

[earlgreytea68]

In this year of 2023, we had so much Fall Out Boy astonishing amazingness that it's been very easy for me to forget the one huge disappointment for me of 2023, which was the Taylor Swift song. Like, it's funny because for years I really wanted a Taylor Swift / FOB collab, so it's amazing that I got the song and it doesn't make my list of, like, top twenty FOB moments of the year, because there were so many unbelievable, incredible, stellar moments of the year, like, WHO WOULD HAVE IMAGINED, the band got put on an album released by the biggest star on the planet and I shrugged, who cares?

I listened to the song again this morning, because I was like, Maybe I was just in a bad mood when it came out. So I tried to be more objective about it. And here's the thing: It's a fine Taylor Swift song. It has absolutely nothing to do with Fall Out Boy and Patrick continues to sound absolutely unrecognizable on it and I continue to hate it for that reason hahahaha. And it's extra-sad to me because it kind of made me over Taylor Swift, which is too bad, because I loved Taylor Swift, and I should be like, "Oh, it's just one song, whatever." But, I'm sorry, it's obnoxious to me to say you're doing a song with Fall Out Boy and then make Patrick Stump sound like that. Like, that is just insulting, I've got to be honest. Just don't do the song with Fall Out Boy. That would have been fine. And the song has drums and guitars, but they are not played by Andy Hurley or Joe Trohman, so honestly, what even was the point???? I always wanted a Taylor Swift / FOB thing because she says she loves Pete Wentz's lyrics, so that's what I wanted: an actual collaboration. What I got instead was whatever that nonsense was, where Patrick had to sing lines with a straight face that were like, "I want you now," or whatever, and I was like, This from the person who admires Pete Wentz's lyrics?????

I don't blame her for it entirely, I think the production on the song is awful. The way Patrick is drowned out in the production is just atrocious. Even when he finally lets his voice loose a little tiny bit at the very end, he's so far in the background, dialed down so much underneath her, that you wouldn't even notice him if you weren't listening very hard for him (which I was). But at the same time, I feel like she does that sometimes to her collaborators, that Lana Del Rey is almost nonexistent on the original version of Snow on the Beach and Chris Stapleton is nowhere to be found on I Bet You Think About Me. But neither of those artists are my fave, so it bothered me less. But once it happened to Patrick and I was thinking about it, it made me think less about Taylor Swift, and then that annoyed me extra, because I used to really like her, and now I just feel...annoyed lol.

So I was thinking about this whole thing and I was like, There's a lesson in this, too, and the lesson is to be careful what you wish for. But then again, not so much, because I also wished for a new Fall Out Boy album and that turned out great. So I think the lesson really is:

Appreciate the things you love when they come around. Fall Out Boy released a new album and had an incredible year and I had a blast with all of it, and I am really, really appreciative of that. It could have not been the way it was for me, but it was perfect. It was literally perfect. I feel so lucky, so fortunate, and so grateful, and that's really what I'm taking out of 2023. And, in a way, having this one moment in the Fall Out Boy year that I hated highlights how extraordinary the rest of the year was. That contrast is useful and instructive. Luckily, I hated one song. But I loved every other moment, and I really noticed it. What a year.

And that's it, that's my final word on "Electric Touch" lol

[somebodys-nuisance]

Hey, Our Life Fans, who wants a Baxter End-Game Fic Idea?

Okay, hi, so, Baxter and his love for ballroom dancing means so much to me. Dancing has always been a big part of my life, and when I played through Baxter's DLC I was just floored by how much we had in common with our interests. I love finding stories that I can really relate to in that way. I was a bit disappointed I wasn't able to really lean into the idea my character was into dance, even before Baxter's DLC, and I had always wanted to make a version of the story that could be more focused on the dancing element, while also being Baxter End-Game (cuz I love Cove, but I LOVE Baxter.)

So, the idea goes a little something like this:

Jamie Last becomes obsessed with ballroom dancing (and dancing in general) when her older sister Elizabeth joined the non-member junior golfing league when she's a child. It'a a program that rents The Cypress' space, but you don't need to be a member to join, and it's relatively affordable. Jamie peeks in and catches a ballroom dancing class and is like WHAT IS THAT GET ME IN THERE and moms see what they can do. Turns out they'd need to become members (I'm pretty sure they are in the actual game but SHHHHHH, it's a fic, and I'm trying to make a STATEMENT here about what I know about ballroom dancing) and the class prices on TOP of the membership price are just astronomical. They absolutely can't afford it. Poor Jamie's sad and doesn't understand (she's like, 6,) so moms sign her up for general dance classes at the local studio. Not ballroom, her first dance love, but close.

Cut to the beginning of the game timeline-wise, and Jamie's performing in her dance recital. She's absolutely in love with dancing and is VERY talented. Anyway, after the recital, in the lobby, Jamie's awkwardly approached by a strange man who shoves 20 bucks in her face and asks her to be his son's dance partner. She's like uhhhhh, stranger.... danger? And she runs away before he can fully explain himself. Runs back into the theater, comes across boy with green hair and glasses. Get to talking, finds out he's the dude's son. Son kinda sorta explains his dad teaches dance and he used to co-own a studio back where they came from, and boy's been dancing since he can remember. But, boy seems kinda sad about it. Through a combination of Cove's explanation and Cliff eventually approaching moms and being less weird and awkward (love Cliff,) Jamie finds out he's a former ballroom dancing competitor turned teacher. Used to own a studio with his wife, they're not together anymore, and she's kept the studio. So, he has to start from scratch over here in Sunset Bird and form his own studio. He tried to inquire with The Cypress to use their studios to teach the classes, and the owners told him absolutely not, and shooed him off. But, the teacher, Mr. Suarez, told him if he could prove he's a skillful teacher, he could put in a good word and get him in. So, he's going to use his only student, his son, and find him a partner. He says Jamie was the best dancer he saw today, so he wants her to be Cove's new partner.

And, Jamie's like, um, YES? Cove seems shockingly sad about it initially, but Cove and Jamie hit it off almost immediately. Jamie picks up ballroom real quickly, and they enter a competition against some of Mr. Suarez's students, including his own son, Derek. Jamie and Cove SWEEP and are FANTASTIC, and not only does Gregorio allow Cliff to use the space, but they eventually become business partners, running ballroom dancing classes that are specifically affordable and accessible to the average person, as well as being a bit more daring, fun, and modern in their styles compared to the traditional Cypress classes.

Meanwhile, the underdogs from Cliff and Gregorio's classes go up against the hoity-toity rich kids that can afford the members-only classes, and Jamie and Cove begin to cross paths with certain partners consistently, like an especially captivating and elegant pair with a boy with grayish hair...

Story follows the basic plotline of the game from there! Cove and Jamie are only close, close, nearly inseparable friends in this one, with Derek being the only other possible love interest. It's essentially your classic competitors to intriguing acquaintances to friends to lovers to exes to enemies to begruding acquaintances to friends to lovers with lots of dancing, both ballroom and otherwise. We'd get more into Baxter's background, his parents, and Golden Grove in general, and the story would HIGHLY DEVIATE from Step 4 to allow room to fully center dance in some form. Also, YES. Every one of Jamie's friends are involved in ballroom in some way, shape, or form except for her immediate family in this au. Everybody's dancin'.

Would anybody be interested in something like this? My ADHD means it will almost definitely not happen, but figured I'd throw my ideas out into the horizon since I haven't been able to get it out of my head for literal MONTHS. Whaddaya think?