#ignore roys goals completely.

[blakquill]

Every RoyAi future au be like: they removed the laws that prevented mustang and hawkeye to marry so now theyre married and have kids togethr!!

Shut up. Shut up. Wheres the marriage in secret, the silent promises made late at night with very little to show for it. The special earrings that roy gave riza and she wears them religiously as roy climbs the ranks and becomes fuhrer. Eventually leading to a call for trail for the war crimes all state alchemists from the ishvalan civil war commited. his own trial is public as hawkeye reads the news paper holding the hand of her child. (One who looks exactly like mustang but no one says a thing bc those close to here know she is just a single mother in the millitary and the kids father is uknown so the whole team treats them like their own.) And she sees the man she loved fulfill his goals finally.

She reads the title and wonders how to explain to her kid that dear uncle roy is in prison and serving a life sentence.

[jamiefartt]

run the world; part one.

masterlist, part 2.

pairings: Jamie Tartt x reader, a bit of Sam Obisanya x reader.

summary: as the striker for AFC Richmond's very first women's team, the pressure is on. you're desperate to bond with the men's team, especially their number 9. so when your captains make you two train together, you find special ways to make it fun for both of you.

words: 10.6k

warnings: mean Jamie obvi, no smut but def some sexual jokes and tension, alcohol and chugging but nothing gross.

———

metal studs click against the ground as you bounce on the balls of your feet. stretching your neck, you look down at your blue boots before craning your neck back up, eyes gliding over the number 8 in front of you and moving towards the ceiling. the dugout is hot and tense, shoulders grazing those of the opposing team. Manchester United's red and yellow kit starkly contrasts the pink and purple of yours, and while their socks are black, yours are a bright white. you bring your right hand up to your chest, rubbing small circles as you try soothing your heart. sliding it down, you trace the large letters printed on the front of your shirt; KBPR. loud music plays over the speakers of Nelson Road Stadium, and you try make out the words over the screams of the crowds. you take a few more deep breaths before suddenly, you're feet are carrying you on to the pitch as if on autopilot. 

facing forward, you almost get lost in the swing of the ponytail in front of you, shaking your head and clapping your hands together, forcing your mind into focus. the crowd's cheers tenfold the more players appear from the tunnel, and you look around at the sea of colours in the crowd. you spot a lot of Richmond's bantr branded jerseys in the sea of people, appreciating their effort to support your team despite repping the wrong colours. 

"let's go ladies!" you hear someone roar beside you as you approach the middle of the pitch. your head snaps to your left, finding the source of the encouragement. Isaac McAdoo, Richmond men's captain, is leaning over the side screen next to the pitch, borderline folding his torso over it with two fists in the air. next to him, all the Richmond boys line the sideline, all dressed in the women's kit. they clap, cheer, and holler for you all as you make your way to the center circle, stopping right before it to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. 

as much as you want to wave to the guys, you're too in your zone, having gotten into game mode in the dugout. you take a few more deep breaths, looking straight ahead of you with a stone cold expression on your face. you look directly at Roy, your team's manager, who matches your demeanor. the teams are introduced, and you take in the crowd's encouragement when Richmond is called out. once dismissed from the line up, you drop to your position in the centre of the pitch. you roll your right sock midway down your shin before pulling the left one up and over your knee, ready to use your right foot to carry your team to victory. 

your head goes quiet as you take deep breaths, ignoring the players in front of you, faces and sounds blurring in your mind as you become completely calm. looking around, everyone's faces become unrecognisable as your brain stops registering them, full focus on the ball currently being carried towards you. your team captain, Gia, holds the ball towards you, clearly having won the coin toss. her face is the only one you can decipher, and she smiles at you despite your inability to return the gesture with the cold expression that comes from your focus.

"fucking kill 'em." she mutters to you, pushing the ball into your hands. you give her a curt nod as you watch her features merge together into an indistinguishable blur. the only thing you can see is the ball, which you place firmly at your feet, and the goal miles away from you. twisting the football into the grass, you take one last deep breath, anxiously awaiting the referee's whistle to signal your cue to kick off the match. in your mind, the stadium goes quiet, even though you know the noise is still deafening. to you, all that matters is the football, your feet, and your role in the team. it's one of your biggest matches of the season, and in order to keep your position as striker you need to impress. Roy trusts you, and knows you can do it, but more often than not your nerves get the best of you, and that way you find it hard to trust yourself.

the first whistle blows, then the halftime whistle, and eventually the final whistle rings through your ears as the crowd roars. you sprint to the side of the pitch, heading straight for Roy as you scream. you wrap your arms around his shoulders and his hand smacks your back. you let go and turn around, Gia running straight into you and holding you tight. as she hugs you, you feel more and more arms press around your frame as your teammates come in for a group hug. the supporters chant and shout for your team, celebrating your 3-2 win. it was tight, and the result was set to be a tie until you scored on a whim in injury time. 

you and the girls jump up and down, studs tapping the ground rhythmically as they chant your name. cackling with a loud grin on your face, you're well aware of how hard you're blushing at the praise and attention. you've redeemed your position on the team, knowing you'll be safe as number nine for the rest of the season. 

when the pressure around your shoulders loosens, you let go of Gia and lean forward, hands on your knees as you take a few deep breaths. you feel hands slap your back and shoulders in celebration, and the odd hand on your ass as a joke from your friends. your eyes are glued to the grass, noticing how each blade points in a different direction. you notice where they've been flattened by studded boots, how they move in the wind, and even the angle at which they've been cut. 

a firm hand on your shoulder interrupts your thinking, and your attention returns to the actual matters at hand. lifting your head, you blink a few times to bring your mind back to the pitch. it's Roy, who silently nods towards the dugout, signaling you to head to the locker room. standing up straight, you huff a sigh before letting an ecstatic smile return to your face. jogging to catch up with your team, you place your hands on Gia's shoulders and hop into the air. the two of you laugh together as the team continues their celebratory shouting all the way to your changing room. 

the noise echoes through the stairway as you all flood upstairs, clapping each other on the back and hugging. once you're all in the dressing room, it doesn't stop. you all huddle in the middle of the room and jump up and down as you chant: "we're Richmond till we die! we're Richmond till we die! we know we are, we're sure we are, we're Richmond till we die!" 

you're the first to notice the new presence in the room as you stop singing and tap the shoulders of the teammates around you. "guys, guys," you say, trying to get them to turn their attention to Rebecca and Keeley who have just walked in behind Roy. with a satisfied smile on her face, Rebecca winks at you, and you swear your heart almost stops beating in your chest. 

"oi!" Roy shouts, finally gaining the attention of the team. he says nothing else, simply cocking his head towards the two women next to him.

"hello ladies," Rebecca says, contentment evident in her voice as well as her expression.

"girls!" Keeley squeals, "you were fucking phenomenal!" she screams as she claps her hands, and everyone immediately matches her energy, clapping and cheering with her.

"yes, indeed," Rebecca interrupts the celebration, "you were all absolutely amazing!" 

Keeley continues, smiling up at Rebecca; "which is why we've brought you guys a present... boys, come on in!" 

one by one, the Richmond men's team file into the room; Isaac at the front, carrying a bucket of beer bottles, and the rest of the team behind him. they all crowd into the room, and suddenly the spacious changing room starts to feel cramped. you're even a tad embarrassed; you've just come off the pitch so you're sweaty and tired, and your hair is barely even tied up in its elastic anymore. brushing down your shirt, you quickly tighten your ponytail and flatten the top, hoping you look even slightly presentable for the guys. it's not that you want to impress them, but you can't say they're particularly unattractive, so you do your best to smile nicely and stand up straight. 

looking down at your feet, you quickly adjust your socks, pushing them both down to the edge of your boots. when you flick your head back up, your eyes meet those of one of the men in front of you. you recognise him immediately; he's Jamie Tartt, Richmond's star striker. of course, you wouldn't dare keep your eyes on him, so you look away quickly. you share a number with him, but you're nowhere near his level at the game.

"girls, I feel like I can confidently say that you all made AFC Richmond incredibly proud today," Isaac begins, booming voice commanding the room, "and we thought that should be celebrated our way!" he drops the bucket of drink at his feet before taking a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. Gia runs towards him, standing in front of the bucket and holding her hands out to stop the girls from approaching.

"wait!" she shouts, "first, a drink for the woman of the match..." a few people's heads turn towards you as you stand with a cheeky grin on your face, knowing it's you. you wouldn't say you're necessarily a cocky person, but you're pretty sure your goal today will go down as one of your best. your captain continues; "y/n! come up here, bitch!" 

you stride towards her and Isaac hands you a bottle. easily twisting off the cap with your hand, the girls ooh and aah as you wink at them. they all clap and yell as you chug as much as you can. with a grimace on your face, you shake your head, struggling to swallow the cheap beer. one of the guys smacks your shoulder and you hear him laugh, but your eyes are screwed shut tight as you drink even more, so you can't see who it is. when the last drop of the bottle is drained, you turn it upside down in front of you, nothing spilling out. Gia is the first to go crazy, jumping onto your back and cheering. the whole room erupts in shouts and whoops, and you can feel the beer fizz in your stomach as you laugh. you carry Gia away from the bucket, and everyone rushes forward, reaching for a bottle and cracking them open for each other. you pass on a second beer for now, craving nothing but water after all the excitement. 

as much as you share a building, you don't often cross paths with Richmond's men's team. you've been to a few of their games, though, Gia insisting all of you go to show your support, but you've never met them face to face. as you stand off to the side of the crowd, you drag your eyes across them, noticing the height disparities, the flashing smiles, and some of the most beautiful hair you've ever seen. interrupting your thoughts, Isaac lifts his bottle into the air, and shouting: "to Richmond!" everyone repeats him, lifting their drinks in the air before cheering.

as everyone turns to each other and dive into their own conversations, the divide between your team and the men's shrinks as they all start to mingle. smiling at the sight, you move to the left of the room towards your assigned cabinet. bringing your right foot onto the bench, you lean forward to untie your laces. as you swap legs and pull the laces on your right foot, you feel a hand on your shoulder. 

"y/l/n?" the voice is gruff and deep, their hand still holding your shoulder as you stand up straight. you turn your head, immediately smiling at the sight of Isaac.

"Isaac!" you laugh, lifting an arm as you beckon for a hug. he wraps an arm over your shoulder, clapping your back as you embrace.

"congratulations, bruv. you fucking smashed it," he says with an uncharacteristically wide grin. you smile back at him, a humble expression on your face at his kind words. you fold your hands over the navy Richmond crest on your shirt; "all thanks to Keeley and Rebecca," 

"they've done a good job with you lot," he nods, crossing his arms over his chest, "I want you to meet someone." 

he nods his head to the side, and your eyes follow the direction before landing on Sam Obisanya. standing behind his captain with his arms folded politely behind his back, his wide grin is infectious. he bows slightly forward and says: "it's so lovely to meet you, y/n. I'm Sam," 

your smile grows at his sweet tone as you wave a hand in greeting; "hi Sam! I'm y/n, but I guess you already know that," he laughs at your words, and you feel compelled to do the same. 

"I'll leave you two to chat." Isaac interjects, slapping a hand on Sam's back and pushing him closer to you. Sam winces through a smile, chuckling nervously at the set-up. with his captain at a fair distance from the two of you, he relaxes a bit more.

"you were so good out there," he says genuinely, eyes locked firmly on yours.

"thank you so much, that means a lot coming from you." 

"really?" his grin morphs into a smirk, "how come?"

you feel a blush creep onto your cheeks; "I mean, I've seen you play -- you're such a key player for Richmond. you're assist against Chelsea last month was fucking incredible! you make it look so fun and effortless..." you stop talking mid-ramble, noticing how you're supposed to be pretending you've just met him, not like you've been to every match he's ever played.

"thank you, y/n, I really appreciate it. when you play, it's hard to watch anybody else on that pitch."

his words stun you, and all you can do is blink up at him in disbelief. the genuine smile on his face accompanies his sentiment, warming your heart. you're not sure what to say, so you glance down at the ground as you try to subdue the blush on your cheeks with a few deep breaths. "how come you guys came to this match?" you ask, desperate to change the topic.

"Ted said it would be good to bond the two teams a bit more, and I agree! you know, I always wanted to come to one of the women's matches but couldn't find anybody to come with me. that's why tonight, to celebration for your win, I'm hosting everyone at my restaurant with an open bar!" 

"Oh woah, Sam that's so generous. you really don't have to do that," you smile at him again, and his bright smile is fixed as he waves his hand and tsks; "don't worry about it. I love having people at Ola's, especially my team, so why not include you guys- or girls, whatever." 

the two of you share a laugh again, and you find your heart skipping a beat every time you hear the sound escape Sam's lips. your gaze drops from his as you flick your eyes past him, only to see Jamie staring at you from across the room. you don't linger, just look back at Sam to continue talking, but you find it hard to fully listen to him when you can now feel the other man's eyes burning into your face. subconsciously, your hands come back up to your ponytail, making sure the hairs are as tidy as you can get them in your post-game state. why is Jamie Tartt looking at you? 

once everyone's finished their beers, you say goodbye to Sam and the other players before all heading for the showers. you let cold water cascade down your back, goosebumps covering your whole body at the feeling. the shower room is steamy and scorching hot, and the contrast between the air and your water temperature brings a certain peace to your mind. you and your teammates laugh and chatter around you, making fun of the opposition and talking about the guys who came to celebrate with you. with your eyes closed, you let the water hit your face, and it cools the nerves talking to Sam gave you. 

his smile could light up an entire stadium, and he's so kind and chivalrous. he's the only Richmond men's player you've actually ever noticed around the building since he always smiles at everyone. you've seen him laughing and talking with the most random people in the hallway, from the secretary to physiotherapist. you try to do the same, saying hello and goodbye to everyone you pass everyday, and you're pretty sure people appreciate you for it. but Sam seems to genuinely have a place in his heart for everyone, especially the fans. you've seen him interact with them before and after matches, and it's not that you always keep to yourself, you just know there's a zone you need to be in to be able to play football the best you can, and that zone doesn't include other people. 

after your shower, you get changed into a simple pair of blue jeans and a white blouse, some mascara highlighting your eyelashes. if it was up to you, you would be leaving Nelson Road the same way you arrived; in your Richmond branded tracksuit. but when Gia saw you reach for the purple joggers her eyes shot you daggers, so you grabbed the extra outfit she instructs you all bring to every match. "you never know where you'll end up." she always says, and you all oblige. you can't complain though, Gia is your best friend, both at Richmond and in your daily life. you share a place in town, a cozy but spacious attached home, and you wouldn't have it any other way. you all voted her as captain because of her open mind and her free-spirited approach to football. she doesn't see it as a job, she still sees it as a hobby, and it's how she succeeds. having fun is the key to everything in her life, and as much as you wish you were like that, you put way too much pressure on yourself. it used to be fun for you, a hobby you get to do professionally, but you feel more and more disconnected from that with every game.

you drop into her passenger seat, throwing your bag on the backseat behind you. without asking, you connect your phone to her car's bluetooth and turn on your shared playlist. Gia gets comfortable in the driver's seat as you press shuffle, and the two of you squeal when your favourite Justin Bieber song starts playing. the bass pumps through the car as she pulls out of the Richmond gates, heading to Sam's restaurant. both of you sing along loudly to the music, and you direct the lyrics towards her in a dramatic lip sync. it's easy to laugh with Gia, and you're grateful for the friendship you built with her before coming to Richmond. having grown up together, she got you into football, and eventually you both climbed up the same ladders to get to the same premier league team. if you hadn't had Gia in the beginning stages of the development of Richmond's women's team, you're not too sure you would have made it past the first qualification rounds. but thankfully, she's always been there to cheer you up and lift your spirit, reminding you constantly to try to enjoy football, not fear it.

she turns down the next song, and you groan in frustration; "I like this song!" you whine. 

"I saw you talking to Sam in the dressing room," she teases, ignoring your annoyance. 

"yeah... Isaac introduced us. have you ever spoken to him? he's so unbelievably friendly, I genuinely can't imagine him ever getting angry."

Gia huffs, shaking her head with a chuckle before responding: "you haven't seen him with Mister Jamie Tartt. he can seriously get on his nerves. Isaac tells me about it sometimes and Sam doesn't let Jamie off easily," 

"well I think your boyfriend was trying to set us up, and I didn't appreciate it."

"yup! he definitely was..." Gia laughs as you roll your eyes. Isaac and Gia have been together since last season, before you had even played any matches. when she was elected captain, Roy thought it would be good to have the two meet and get close, just in case they needed any advice from each other down the line. at first, they would meet for weekly coffees, and soon enough he would be sitting on your sofa when you and Gia came home from late night trainings. 

"Sam is lovely, don't get me wrong, but I don't know if we mesh romantically, you know?" you say, looking out the window at setting sun over the brick buildings of Richmond.

"why not? Isaac told me Sam's had a bit of a crush on you for quite a while, so..."

you snap your head around to look at Gia; "he what?"

"yeah... I mean, from what Isaac tells me, he loves watching you train. he often comes to watch us with Isaac when they're on break or whatever," Gia shrugs casually, and you look at her with wide eyes. 

"why didn't you tell me this earlier? I had no idea he was watching! I didn't even think he knew me before today! God, that's so embarrassing, Gia..." you groan, rubbing your hands down your cheeks dramatically.

"what?! it's fine, y/n, look- I just wanted you to meet him first. if you didn't click I wouldn't be telling this," 

"how do you know if we clicked?"

"babe," she states curtly, "I saw you blushing and rambling. it was so cute! he walked away with such a big smile," 

"oh my God! shut up!" you exclaim, turning towards the window to hide how red you're going. with a deep sigh, you shake your head, and Gia leaves you alone with your thoughts as she keeps the music low. Sam is amazing -- he's a genuinely lovely guy, and a great footballer. admittedly, he made you blush, and smile, and feel all fuzzy inside. but your mind can't help but drift to the dark blue eyes you kept meeting across the room.

pulling into a parking spot one street down from the restaurant, the music stops suddenly as Gia stops the car, and you're pulled from your thinking. "come on," Gia says, "it's gonna be so much fun! you need to talk to Sam some more." rolling your eyes, you push your door open. you hop out of the car with an excited smile, looking forward to celebrate with your team. 

as you start walking up the street towards Ola's, you ask Gia: "do you reckon Jamie will be there?"

Gia's head snaps up to look at you, and her brow furrows in confusion as she scans your face for any ounce of humour. your face stays neutral, however, as you try your hardest to look inconspicuous. "uh- I'm not sure... why?" Gia asks you hesitantly. 

"just wondering," you shrug, avoiding her gaze.

"y/n," she stops walking, grabbing your elbow to hold you back, "do you have a thing for Jamie? oh my god, is that why you don't wanna pursue things with Sam?" 

shaking your head, you shrug again; "I'm not planning anything with him, Gia, chill." you try your best at a reassuring tone, and hope it goes unnoticed. her eyes are skeptical as she squints at you, her hand still holding your elbow. "I just think I should meet him since we play the same position! he's kind of a legend in the making, you have to admit," you continue.

"fine," Gia sighs and drops her hand, "just don't break Sam's heart, okay?" 

"relax, Gia, I promise I can keep it in my pants," you crack a smile as she chuckles, and soon enough you're both laughing out loud. Jamie is attractive, sure, but his whatever he was wearing today took away some of his points. an orange top with a black puffer bodywarmer, paired with a cap with 'ICON' written across it? please.

the red corner building comes into view as your laughter dies down, and the warm light from inside illuminates the footpath. faint music and chatter hum through an open window, and suddenly your chest feels warm before you've even entered the restaurant. the reason you're here tonight is your team, and your win, and you. tonight is a celebration of your team's win, and it's a chance for you and the girls to accept praise and compliments galore. contextualising the reason you're here makes you comfortable in the fact that this isn't work, this isn't football, and there's no pressure on you whilst you're here. pushing open the door and moving past the curtain in front of it, the air isn't heavy, instead it's warm and full of admiration. 

the bell above the door dings as you enter, attracting the attention of the people closest to the entrance. when their eyes fall on you and Gia, they smile, clap, and even cheer. a blush appears across your cheeks instantly, but you're able to play it off as you hide your face in your teammates' shoulders when they hug you. you laugh with them, the stress you were putting on yourself quickly dissipating with every kind smile someone gives you. you move further into the restaurant, waving at Roy and your coaches. you move over to Keeley, Rebecca, and Barbara as you say hi to each of them with a kiss on the cheek; "very European," Keeley comments. with a laugh, you walk to the back of the room, eager for a celebratory drink. 

"just a gin and tonic please," you say to the waiter with a smile. leaning an elbow on the bar, you turn to the side, facing the kitchen. between the shelves, you spot Sam talking to one of his employees. you smile as you watch him, now noticing how smart he looks in his dark purple shirt. feeling your eyes on him, he turns to face you, a wide grin growing on his face at the sight of you. interrupting his own conversation, he appears from the kitchen, folding his hands together as he approaches you.

"y/n! long time, no see!" he jokes, and you share a laugh. you thank the waitress as she places your drink on the bar, and Sam's grin softens to a content smile. 

"I like your shirt," you say.

"oh, thank you! I wore it to match your kit." his statement is simple, but feels big. the effort doesn't go unnoticed by you as your lips part slightly, looking at him through your lashes as he nervously rubs the back of his neck. "you pay very good attention," you note, patting a hand on his chest, instantly feeling how hard it is. it's too late to hide your surprised expression at the feeling of his taut muscles, and you look at Sam with slight panic in your eyes at your reaction. to save you the embarrassment, he throws his head back with a cackle; "did you forget I'm also a footballer, y/n?"

you shake your head and laugh along with him; "whatever, let's go grab a seat."

Sam nods at you, still chuckling to himself when you start walking towards Isaac and Gia at a table towards the far-side of the restaurant. with Sam following behind you, you wave at a few more of your teammates as you pass them. Gia smiles brightly as you approach, as she raises her eyebrows suggestively, you widen your eyes at her with a shy expression, silently telling her to shut up. you sit down next to her and Sam beside Isaac across from you. as you're taking a nervous sip of your drink, you feel a hand tap your thigh, glancing at Gia with a knowing smile before pushing her hand away. chuckling to yourself, you place an elbow on the table and rest your chin in your palm. 

"did you enjoy the match, Isaac?" you ask, making sure you bare your sweetest smile, knowing Sam is watching you.

"of course, bruv. it's great watching you two do your thing on the pitch. I'm just glad I got to bring the lads to this one," slapping a hand to Sam's shoulder, he shakes him a bit. Sam laughs, and your eyes find his again. as outgoing as he is, when he looks at you, he goes so shy and nervous. it's endearing, but it feels like something is missing between you. there's a few butterflies, but there's no tension, no chase. if you're going to dive back into the dating pool after your shitty ex, you want something exciting and electric to start with. maybe Sam can still surprise you, it's still early in your night together. 

"y/n, I was just telling Isaac about that one bitchy player who tackled you during the game. she was so nice to us before!" Gia starts, and then the conversation takes off. the combination of alcohol and Sam's kind smile warms your chest, and you finally start to relax into the space as the chat flows between the four of you. the restaurant is cozy, dim lighting hiding the permanent blush on your cheeks, and when glancing over at Sam every now and then, you realise just how attractive he is. when his smile is replaced by a listening look, his other features catch your eye. his dark eyes are so focused on Gia as she speaks, respect pouring out of them as he hangs on to her every which word. despite his almost constant smiling, he doesn't have a smile line or wrinkle set in his perfect skin. his cheeks look soft, not too chiseled or sharp, and you imagine placing a soft kiss on them when he drops you off at your door after a hypothetical date. letting your eyes drop to his lips, you notice the hint of pink between them, and continue your daydream to imagine kissing his soft lips after this made-up date. 

your thoughts are interrupted when his lips open to a big smile again as he laughs at something Isaac says, and you quickly smile and chuckle, hoping you weren't caught staring. glancing around nervously, you look out the window to the street, before looking around the restaurant. you recognise basically everyone, but haven't spoken to many of the other Richmond players yet. as much as you're enjoying getting to know Sam, you're intrigued by some of the other men's team members. you look towards the busier side of the restaurant, watching as the Richmond guys all laugh and talk to each other, clearly having a bond worth many years of playing together. during the training rounds for your team, you idolised these men, trying to find out what exactly Richmond was looking for. you studied their matches and plays, and had to try very hard not to freak out when you first met Roy Kent. spotting him sitting at a round table behind Isaac, you notice him speaking to someone next to him. when you look at who that is, your eyes meet Jamie Tartt's. 

despite Roy clearly speaking to him, Jamie's focused on you. you want to tear your eyes away, but something keeps them locked on his. he's slumped back in his chair, one hand on the table and the other resting on his thigh. you drag your eyes down his frame; he's still wearing that stupid orange outfit, but you can now make out the deep line across his bicep beneath the tight fabric of his shirt. when your eyes drop down to where his hand rests on his leg, you notice how his jeans hug his bulging thighs. lips parted, you blink yourself back to the conversation going on at your table, quickly looking away from Jamie and clearing your throat subtly. you adjust in your seat, flattening nonexistent creases in your blouse before going to take another sip of your drink, only to realise your glass is completely empty.

"be right back," you whisper to Sam, careful not to interrupt Gia's story as you stand up from your seat. brushing past Sam, you touch your hand to his shoulder. he smiles up at you and when you walk away, you make sure your hips sway that little bit more than usual, hoping he's watching. you beeline for the bar, not stopping to speak to anybody as you pass them, despite the many smiles and waves from friends and familiar faces. placing your glass on the bar, you wait for the waitress to appear. instinctively, you pull your phone from your pocket, checking its notifications. 

"well done today," someone speaks next to you.

"thank you-" you begin, looking up from your phone and slowing your sentence halfway. the Jamie Tartt leans forward on the bar, resting on his elbows as he looks you directly in the eye. the small smile that had appeared at the compliment immediately drops, and you blink slowly as you process his sudden presence. 

"should I be worried about my reputation as Richmond's best striker?"

"what?" you furrow your eyebrows at him, immediately hearing his mocking tone. 

"as much as I love the whole girl-power thing you've got goin' on, I hope it don't fuck with my status." 

you gawk at him, jaw slack at his obnoxious statement; "what the fuck are you talking about?"

"I mean-" 

"what can I get you two?" the waitress returns to the bar. interrupting Jamie.

"I'll have another gin and tonic, please, and you can be generous with the gin." you say, smiling sweetly. when she turns to Jamie, he shakes his head silently, before standing up straight and facing you. 

"I mean..." he tries again, "if the press start calling you Richmond's star striker, I'm gonna have to have a serious chat with coach Kent," 

it's impossible to wipe the unimpressed look off your face, staring at him with raised eyebrows and a grimace. you can't believe what he just said to you, and his behaviour is seriously unexpected. sure, you'd seen his cocky press junkets and shitty attitude in the media a year or two ago, but you were under the impression he'd changed since then. you'd spent the last few months studying his football, his plays and techniques burnt into your brain from how often you'd watched his highlights on repeat. the mixed messages confuse you, and your urge to bond with players you admired so much suddenly vanishes. 

"never meet your heroes, I guess," you mutter to yourself, taking a sip of your drink as you move to return to Sam. 

"Tartt," a deep voice huffs, and suddenly a wall of black appears in front of you, stopping you from leaving. tilting your head up, you see Roy, chest puffed and arms crossed as he stares at Jamie.

"ah, speak of the devil," Jamie says with a fake smile. rolling your eyes at him, you want nothing but to go back to the lovely man waiting for you at your table. instead, Roy puts his hand on your shoulder and guides you back in front of Jamie. 

"were you bothering my striker, Tartt?" Roy grumbles, keeping his hand on you. Jamie huffs before pouting, throwing in an eye roll to piss you off just that little bit more. you feel like a child on the playground, your teacher making you stand in front of the mean girl as he waits for you to make up. 

"you're striker?" Jamie spits, "I was here first, ya'know." his belittling tone makes your drink taste the bad kind of sour, and all you can do is sigh, waiting for the moment Roy dismisses you and you can go back to Sam. 

"it's not about who was here first, it's about who's more respectful, and that will never be you." Roy states, confidently putting Jamie in his place. he holds his fist up towards you, and you bump your knuckles with his before pushing past him, finally walking back to your seat.

"what the fuck, Roy-" you hear Jamie start to sputter at him, but you quickly tune it out when your eyes fall on Sam's again. with your eyebrows still raised in shock, you slide back into your seat. 

"are you alright, y/n?" Sam asks, concern painting over his face when you don't return his smile. 

"what's that about?" Gia says as she stares at Roy and Jamie bickering by the bar.

with a deep sigh, you shake your head; "fuck knows... has Jamie always been such a dick?" you ask the table. Sam nods at the same time as Isaac shakes his head, and you and Gia look at each other completely confused. 

"nah bruv, he's gotten so much better," Isaac says to Sam before chugging some of his beer.

"eh, I don't know about that," Sam replies as he raises his eyebrows, "he's learnt how to play as a team, but outside of football he still doesn't talk much."

"he's different with Isaac, though, right?" Gia asks, her boyfriend blinking at her a few times before turning to you. "he's a good guy..." he takes a deep breath before continuing, "when he wants to be," Isaac smacks Sam on the back, laughing loudly. Sam glances up at you with a shy grin, but your face screams unimpressed at the joking about his shitty behaviour. 

the night continues smoothly, with no more Jamie staining your celebrations. after your conversation at the bar, Roy kept him well away from you. you get to know Sam some more, before chatting with your teammates and meeting some of the men's team. Roy even apologises for Jamie's behaviour, but you shrug it off; "footballers, innit," you say, and Roy laughs and nods in agreement. your whole interaction with Jamie was so confusing, and completely unexpected. you'd hoped him being a dick on the pitch didn't translate to outside of the stadium, and to others it didn't, but he didn't seem to hold back when it came to you. the restaurant starts clearing out around 10pm, people needing their rest after the big match. you and Gia wait around until you're the last ones there, and your nerves suddenly set in as you realise there may be some implications between you and Sam. 

"Isaac's coming home with me, by the way," Gia says, locking her arm with Isaac's. she looks at you with her eyes widened, jaw clenched as she darts her eyes towards Sam. you sigh and drop your lids for effect; "Sam, this was amazing, and thank you so much for hosting the team. I would stay for another drink with you but," you force a yawn as you wave your hand in front of your face, "I'm just so exhausted after the game, you know how it is..." 

"ah, okay," Sam starts, rubbing his palms together as his disappointment gets concealed under a kind smile, "get your rest, y/n- and you too, Gia, of course." 

when you're finally back in Gia's car -- squished into the backseat with Isaac in front of you in the passenger seat -- she refuses to start the car. 

"what do you mean you're tired?!" she yells at you, the small car making the noise ten times louder. you smack her arm; "shut up! what's your problem?!" you shout back.

"I think he wanted to get to know you a bit more..." Isaac urges.

"ugh! I have nothing more to say! we've basically gotten to know everything about each other already," you complain, and Gia looks at you with one eyebrow raised. "you're so annoying. why don't you ever let me wingman you?" she finally turns the key in the ignition, pulling out of her parking spot and starting down the road. 

"just leave me alone," you mutter, fishing your headphones out of your gym bag and putting them over your ears. like a grumpy teenager, you play your music loud to shut out the sound of Gia and Isaac talking, leaning on the window beside you as you look out at the passing cars. your mind can't help but drift to Jamie again, still upset by his mean tone towards you. according to Isaac, he's apparently 'gotten better', whatever that's supposed to mean. because to you, he just seems like the same old egotistical prick like when he first came to Richmond on loan from Man City. even when he played in blue you respected him as a footballer, and were actually quite excited to see him come to help an underdog team. 

when Gia finally turns into your road, the recognisable row of houses coming into your view, you pull your headphones off. "I don't think that's a good idea," Gia sighs, but Isaac protests; "no, I swear, I think it'll work." 

"what will work?" you ask, unclicking your seatbelt and leaning between the two of them as Gia pulls into your driveway.

"jesus, y/n, you're gonna give me a heart attack," Isaac groans, holding a hand to his chest. 

they ignore your question, and you let it go, eager to get inside to your big warm bed. the second the car stops, you jump out, speeding to your front door. you unlock it, slipping inside and quickly taking off your shoes at the doormat. almost slipping on the hardwood floors, you run to the stairs, sprinting up to the next floor and straight into your big bedroom. luckily enough, your house has one bedroom downstairs and another upstairs, both with bathrooms on each floor, allowing you to have your own space. you wouldn't mind sharing with Gia, and you actually both slept downstairs for the first week of you living here. you would never admit it to anyone else, but you were a bit scared of how high the ceilings of the upstairs bedroom reached, especially considering the attic above it to which you didn't have any access. 

you close the door and press your back into it, tipping your head back and sighing, eyes closed. dropping your bag at your feet, you dig your phone out of your pocket, seeing texts in your family group chat congratulating you on your win. you thank them in reply before getting ready for bed. finally nestled in the duvet, you scroll through your phone, mindlessly switching between tiktok and instagram as you only half-absorb everything you see. that is, until a press junket with Roy, Jamie, and Sam, pops up on your for you page. Sam's smiling face makes your cheeks warm, his smile absolutely contagious. Jamie, however, looks fucking miserable. 

Roy is between them, calling on interviewers. "Jamie, on the heels of making your England debut, how does it feel to be named Premiere League Player of the Month?" one of them asks him off-camera. the Jamie you spoke to today would have been absolutely gassed by that question, but the Jamie on your screen doesn't seem as thrilled. Roy rolls his eyes, obviously expecting him to be a prick about the question, but instead, he gives a half-assed shrug. "uh-, ehm, yeah, yeah, it feels good, I guess. but it's really the team making me look good. so, I should be doing a better job of making them look good, really." your expression matches that of Roy and Sam on your screen, the shock evident on your face as you sit up in bed. he goes on to object his award, despite how much the other two big him up. 

the timid look on his face breaks your heart a little bit, and seeing the way his eyes seem to glaze over when he's not speaking makes you question whether he's the same man you met today. is this what Sam and Isaac were talking about? switching apps, you type his name into instagram, quickly finding his verified account. you scroll through his pictures, seeing mostly promo pictures for Richmond, or random brand deals he's done. there's nothing personal about his page, and his cocky pout in all of his pictures gives you the ick immediately. any vulnerability he had in that interview completely slips your mind as you sigh deeply, locking your phone and placing it next to your bed. you lay down again, closing your eyes and breathing deep, and right before you drift off, those dark blue eyes challenging you at the bar are the last thing you see before slipping into sleep.

you, Gia, and Isaac all pile into her car on monday morning, heading to Richmond for another day of training. "just to give you a heads up, y/n," Gia says as she starts the car, "we're trying something different at training today." you perk up, leaning forward to feel less like a third wheel between the couple. 

"oooh, what are you planning for us captain?"

"over the weekend, Isaac and I were discussing maybe combining our morning trainings with the guys? just to spice things up a little, you know?"

"yeah, because it's the middle of the season and everything, Gia and I thought we could use a little switch up just to make things more fun." Isaac adds.

"oh yeah! that's a great idea," you say, genuine excitement in your voice. Isaac stares at you with a furrowed brow, trying to sense any sarcasm in your tone, and Gia's silence proves she's thinking the same thing. "whatever you do, don't make me train with Tartt. if you can promise me that, then I'll try to have fun." your emphasis on the last word is only half-mocking -- you really do want to try to make football fun for you again. 

"y/n..." Gia trails off before taking a deep breath, "it's gonna be quite hard to train you both as strikers if you don't train together..."

"that's not true!" you protest, shaking your head with a confused face, "just make me striker for one half of the training team, and make him striker for the other, that way we won't have to interact." 

"right, until you play a game against each other," Isaac adds, "what then?" 

"then I'll just have to fucking destroy him." you huff, leaning back in your seat and peering out the window. maybe kicking Jamie's ass in training is what will make all of it a lot more fun. the grumpy expression on your face contradicts your thoughts, the image of an anxious Jamie replaying in your head. you can't seem to get his big, sad eyes out of your mind, his eyebrows knitted together in worry and discomfort. Roy and Sam seemed equally as surprised in the moment as you were watching the reupload last night, and seeing that different side of him makes you think that maybe today he'll be different than at your match on saturday. maybe he was just having a bad day.

"good mornin' dickhead. ready to get your arse kicked?" Jamie's smug face winks at you as you meet him in the hallway on your way to the training pitch. "hi Jamie," you respond with a flat, unamused tone; he wasn't just having a bad day then. both dressed in different colour training kits, the men's and women's team flood onto the grass, crowding in front of the coaches as they await an explanation for their joint training. Gia and Isaac step out of the large group of players and stand in front of them, ready to give their announcement. 

"so, here's the plan." Isaac's booming voice quiets the chattering players. you're already listening, of course, refusing to talk to Jamie who is still standing next to you. "psst," he leans closer to you, and you reflexively lean the other way, "do you think they're gonna make us tie a string from our dicks to your tits and make us play." with a disgusted grimace on your face, you side-eye him, catching a glimpse of his cocky grin. you roll your eyes, redirecting your attention to your captain. 

"Isaac and I have decided that we're all going to train together this morning, and in the afternoon, we split off again." Gia announces.

"the point of today is to get you guys to have fun with football. just for this morning, you can all forget about the upcoming men's match this friday, and the girls can recover after their amazing win last saturday!" the group all clap and cheer at Isaac's words, both in excitement for the next match, as well as in celebration of the last match. clapping and smiling along with the group, you nudge your shoulder to one of your teammate's next to you, temporarily forgetting about the annoying presence beside you. 

once everyone calms down again, Gia continues the pair's speech; "we're gonna start by having you all group up with everyone who plays your position. wingers with wingers, strikers with strikers, defenders with defenders, that kinda thing,"

your mouth drops, and you gawk at Gia who tries desperately to avoid your gaze, but eventually gives in. "I'm sorry," she mouths with a shrug, and your shocked expression turns into a bored one as you turn to face Jamie. with a smug smile on his face, he runs his tongue along the inside of his cheek as you both cross your arms across your chest. 

"you've got to be fucking kidding me," you sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose as you try to calm yourself with a few deep breaths. when you look up again, Jamie is staring down at his feet, digging his studs into the grass. rolling your eyes, you turn to face Gia and Isaac again. everyone has grouped up, and you and Jamie seem to be the only pair. your brows furrow as you look around; "is there not even a second teamer than can join us? please, Gia," 

"nope," she pops her lips together as she says it, "you two are they only strikers." her voice is stern, and you narrow your eyes at her with a curt nod. "right..." you drawl as you stare at her, challenging her. her simple smile is unwavering, and she's clearly not giving this up. she cocks her head towards Jamie, who is still distracted by his own boots. sighing loudly, you untangle your arms to slap a hand to his, feeling his hard muscles through his long sleeve. the feeling surprises you, and you let yourself glance at his biceps, the taut fabric stretching over them. keeping the disgusted look on your face, you hope he doesn't notice you checking him out. when you lift your eyes, however, he's looking you straight in the eye. you jump at the sudden eye contact, frowning at his forwardness. 

"is there something on my arm?" he asks you, not taking his eyes off yours.

"no," you snap, and you hope the blush creeping up your cheeks is just because of the cold autumn air. 

"are you blushing?" 

"no, fuck off," you mutter, slapping his arm again as you turn your attention away from him. Gia and Isaac take turns explaining how today's training is organised, assigning different coaches to different groups. thankfully, Isaac gives Roy the responsibility of making sure you don't murder Jamie during your session. "alright, let's go!" Isaac shouts, Beard blowing his whistle. you stay rooted in place, trying your hardest to find it in you to actually go interact with Jamie. him and Roy are already making their way to the goal to the left of the pitch, footballs in hand. 

"good luck, y/n." Sam's voice appears, alongside a hand on your shoulder. you place your hand on his, smiling up at him meekly. "thank you, Sam... have fun!" his smile is warm and sympathetic, and you kind of appreciate the pity, it's more than Gia gave you. Sam's words give you the courage to finally move, slowly falling into a jog as you head towards the far side of the pitch. if the whole point of today was to have fun, why the fuck would they lump you and Jamie together with Roy as your peacekeeper?

"alright you two..." Roy says as you approach. you stand next to Jamie, leaving an obnoxious amount of distance between the two of you. Roy tosses you a bright orange football before continuing; "I've been told you need to be friends. I wouldn't have a fucking clue why since you're not even on the same team, but whatever. we're gonna keep it simple, you each take turns kicking the ball against the goalpost, whenever one of you fucks up and kicks it into the goal, you both get down and do fifteen push-ups. understood?" 

"so scoring a goal is bad? what is that supposed to teach us?" you ask.

"and if she fucks it, which she probably will, I have to do push-ups?" Jamie groans.

"yes." Roy says, a simple answer to two apparently-simple questions. 

"jesus christ," you and Jamie both mutter at the same time, making you both look at each other and roll your eyes, also at the exact same time.

you move toward the penalty spot to go first, ignoring how in sync you two seem to be, and the ball firmly at your feet. you push down you right sock before pulling the left as high up your leg as possible. taking a few steps back, you blow out a sharp breath before charging forward and kicking the ball, perfectly hitting the middle of the top goal post. Roy claps with a small smile on his face, and you look at him proudly. without a word, Jamie bumps into you as he places his ball down, quickly taking a shot, the ball smacking in exactly the same spot as yours had. you both jog to collect your footballs, and you decide to up the stakes. aiming for the top goal post again, you now kick the ball so it curves up high into the air before slowly dropping and bouncing off the right spot. Jamie wastes no time to copy you, even turning his back to the goal in a cocky manner, knowing he aimed it perfectly. he holds his hands up in the air as he slowly spins around, proud smile on his face. you roll your eyes for the umpteenth time, turning your head away from him to hide the way the corners of your mouth lift slightly at his bragging. pressing a hand into his chest, you push him out of the way for you to take your next kick, and you finally let the smile through. 

with a loud laugh, Jamie claps and whoops, pushing his fists into the air; "I did it! I made it laugh!" 

"it?!" you shout back, obviously offended.

"go on then, try something harder." he cocks his head towards the goal, biting down on his bottom lip as he grins at you. you run towards the ball and thrust your hip forward with as much might as you can muster, swinging your leg. the ball shoots at the goal, knocking off the top one before bouncing against the left post. "ha!" you shout as you turn to Jamie, pointing a finger at him, "watch out Tartt, I might be coming for your reputation," you mock his words from saturday evening, and he struggles to wipe the shock from his face. his lips are pouted with is eyebrows raised, head tipped forward as he looks between the ball, to the goal post, back to you. his jaw clenches, and you can see his sharp jawline jutting out before his adam's apple bobs up and down with a gulp. although it's mid-october, the skin of his neck is still sun kissed from summer, and you let your eyes drift down to the collar of his navy training top. even through the fabric, the muscles in his shoulders are defined, and the lines on his biceps are still showing without him needing to flex.

"what?" his voice snaps you out of your daze, dragging you back to the cold pitch. your cheeks feel hot again, and you do your best to look pissed off at him; "what?" you snarl back.

"you're staring at me." 

"no I'm not," you mutter, turning away from him and abruptly jogging toward the side of the pitch. as you run away from Jamie, you squeeze your eyes shut, cringing at yourself. what possessed you to just run away? grabbing your water bottle, you chug as much as you can in one go, taking a few deep breaths. "come on, y/n... focus," you mumble to yourself before walking back to the goal as casually as possible. 

neither Roy nor Jamie bring up your little trance, and you count yourself lucky since it would be pretty good ammo for Jamie to annoy you with. the two of you continue your competition, the smack of the ball against the goal becoming almost rhythmic as you don't waste any time to outdo each other with each turn. Jamie even takes it to the next level, moving to the middle between the penalty and the halfway line. from there, he attempts to hit to goal post, and you hold your breath as you watch the ball soar through the air. Jamie locks his hands behind his head, and you have to tear your eyes away from his arms yet again. the ball skims past the top post, missing it by mere centimetres, and you flinch as Jamie screams at the top of his lungs. you stare at him with wide eyes as he falls to his knees, keeping his hands behind his head as he plants his forehead into the grass. he groans and whines to himself dramatically, and you look to Roy. when you see him look equally as confused as you are, you find your feet carrying yourself towards a floored Jamie. 

"Jamie?" you ask with a soft voice, reaching a finger out and poking him in the back, "you okay?" 

"did I lose?" he asks, voice high pitched and cracking.

"Jamie, what the fuck? get up!" your tone is no longer gentle as you poke him harder and tapping your foot to his ass. he lets himself topple over, lying on the ground in fetal position, faking loud racking sobs. looking around you, you notice a few other footballers staring at you two, clearly concerned and confused. you crouch down, looking at him with your mouth drawn in a tight line, rubbing your hand over his arm. 

"Jamie, baby, should I get the medic?" you pout as you coo at him condescendingly, and the petname snaps him out of his dramatics. his face morphs from a cry to a disgusted look as he stares at you. you tilt your head to the side; "if you do these push-ups with me I'll let your mistake pass as a bit of fun." 

he jumps up almost immediately, jogging towards Roy before you can even stand up straight. getting down on his knees, he looks up at your coach and asks; "fifteen? why not twenty?" 

"fine." Roy grumbles and you look at him with a defeated look. "are you serious?" he shrugs at you as you whine, getting down on all fours in front of Jamie.

he smirks down at you, chuckling to himself as he contemplates his words for a few seconds; "you know, y/n, whenever I've imagined you in this position I'm usually behind you." 

his words knock the wind out of you, and you cough a few times as you sit up on your knees. you slap your hand on your chest as you clear your throat, completely shocked by the nerve of Jamie Tartt. throwing his head back, he laughs at your reaction, hand clutching his stomach as he struggles for air. Roy doesn't say a word, doesn't even laugh, just looks around waiting for you two to stop your antics. as Jamie recovers from his laughing fit, and you finally stop coughing, he keeps his eyes on you as he drops forward, planting his hands in the grass. "you know I'm just joking, yeah?" his words may be kind, but the brazen smirk on his face says otherwise. with a wink, he runs his tongue along his bottom lip before dropping his eyes to your lips briefly. your mouth opens slightly, his behaviour giving you absolute whiplash. he's teasing you, winding you up, but also flirting? you give your head a shake before putting your hands down again, keeping your eyes glued to the ground as you try to hide the blush inevitably making its way up your face. 

"okay, stop fucking around," Roy interrupts the flustered silence, watching as you and Jamie push up onto your feet, holding your body weight with your arms. he starts counting out loud, going painfully slow so you have to continue holding yourself up as you wait for him to say the next number. still facing the ground, you huff breaths out through your mouth, still persevering. glancing at Jamie, you look up through your eyelashes to see his strong arms flexing as he pumps up and down. his fingers clench, digging into the ground as he brings his chest all the way down, brushing the blades of grass without letting go of the push-up. the lines in his arms are impossibly deeper now, and you can see his shoulders bulging through his top. your jaw slack, you drag your eyes up to his neck, seeing the muscles strain in its sides. 

"y/n!" Roy shouts, making you jump and sag through your elbows a little before picking your weight back up. your head snaps up to look at Jamie, who's staring at you with an amused grin, eyes dark with his pupils blown wide; "you missed a count, love," he drawls, "too busy starin'?"

embarrassment takes over as you roll your lips and put your head down, arms starting to shake as your holding plank becomes almost unbearable. you just got caught staring at Jamie's muscles, again, by both him and Roy. all you want is to run inside, lock yourself in the bathroom, and never show your face. instead, you mumble a "sorry" and continue your push-ups in front of Jamie. as Roy starts counting again, you screw your eyes shut, swearing not to let them drift across Jamie's body ever again. you squeeze your eyes so hard you start seeing red specks float across your vision. Roy gets to eighteen, and your ears throb as your blood pumps quickly. your arms shiver under your weight as he counts excruciatingly slowly. but on number nineteen, your body suddenly tenses, feeling warmth on your right hand. you allow one eye to open, squinting down at your hand, only to see Jamie's fingers laying between yours.

———

NEW SERIES!! thank you so much for all the love on my last series! if you haven't read it yet, please check it out if you'd like to!

sorry for the big build up with Sam and everything, but I had to give you a reason to hate Jamie, didn't I? I'm really excited to write this, I'm all for longwinded tension ;p

[alwritey-aphrodite]

Sweet Like Justice

Chapter One of There’s Nothing Like This

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Jamie Tartt x fem!footballer!reader

Warnings: cursing

Word Count: 2.6k

Author’s Note: there will be more Jamie soon, I promise!

Settling into your new life, your new routine, isn’t as difficult as you’d thought it would be. Training was grueling, and you’d been putting in as much extra time as you could, leaving you barely any time to explore your new neighborhood or do anything at home other than sleep, but being with your new team made even the worst training days seem better.

It was beyond rare in sports to have a team that gets along as well as you do, with competitiveness always putting distance between blooming friendships. With Richmond, though, you all know that right now, it doesn’t matter who the star player is or who can score the most goals, all you want to do is prove the team to the fans, to the press, to the world.

Training is always taken seriously, with everyone leaving everything on the pitch, but the dressing room carries a different energy, one that’s lighter, more comfortable and fun. It always reminds you of a sleepover, where everyone is slightly delirious from exhaustion but beyond giddy just to be spending time with each other.

Only a few days into practice, nicknames are being given out left and right, bonding everyone even closer together. There were the two Maria’s, who were ironically your pair of fullbacks and simply became known as Thing One and Thing Two, despite the arguments that ensued with who could be One. Amelia, who was the youngest on the team and a fierce center midfielder, started out as Amey-Baby before simply being shortened to Baby.

Not only did all the nicknames help everyone to bond in such a short period, it also helped you remember who everybody was. It was also a testament to how inviting the energy was at Richmond; you’d never been a part of a team that was so full of life, so in-sync and on the same page with your goals and ambitions.

It was easier to picture yourselves winning games when you’d do anything for the girls around you.

Today, though, you were finding it increasingly difficult to stay focused during training. Not only had the men’s team started to come out earlier and earlier, as if they were sizing you up, you’d felt like the coaching staff had been watching you all day. Every time you ran a drill, every time you took a break, you could feel their eyes on the back of your head. You tried to ignore it, tried to shake it off by telling yourself that they were watching everyone because it was the start of the season, but deep down you knew that was wrong.

Once you’re back in the dressing room and already feeling the exhaustion settling into your bones, you notice the coaches standing at the front of the room as if something important is about to happen. The rest of the team catches on, the rambunctious conversations dying down as everyone waits to hear what Roy has to say.

“We’ve decided on our captain,” he says, and the room explodes into conversation, talking animatedly about who everyone thinks is going to be captain. You, for one, are practically positive Mackie’s going to be captain, and you know she’s hoping too, even though she’d never say it.

Instead, though, Roy says your name and you’re certain you’ve died, feeling like your heart has stopped completely.

“It should be Mackie,” you say, and to your horror, you hear other players agree with you.

“Not your choice,” Roy responds before turning into his office, and you rush in behind him, slipping into the room as he slams the door.

“I can’t be captain,” you tell him, eyeing the armband laying on his desk with the same fear you’d look at a giant spider with.

“But you are.”

“It should be Mackie. She was leading the league in assists last season, the girl’s all love her, they all know her.” You plead, desperate not to let down your team who so clearly don’t want you as captain.

“Sure, she led in assists, but she also led in fucking red cards. Does that sound like a good fucking captian to you?”

“No,” you reply, sounding like a petulant child.

“Fucking exactly. You’re a good leader, I can already tell. And it’s not your fucking choice.”

You can tell he won’t listen to anything you have to say, so you swallow your disappointment and head back into the dressing room. While you were gone, Keeley had slipped in, looking like she had an announcement to make. You’re not sure how many more announcements you can take.

“Tomorrow, you guys are gonna have a little friendly match against the boys so I can get some content for the Instagram,” she says, shaking her phone for emphasis, “and Trent Crimm will be there to give us some good publicity, yeah?” She smiles at your enthusiastic agreements, and then she’s gone as quickly as she arrived.

The other girls start to file out too, talking about playing the men’s team and their various levels of confidence. You, though, stay behind and take your time packing up, trying and failing not to think about all the players that sounded disappointed when you’d been named captain.

“Babe,” Mackie says, sitting on the bench next to you with her bag slung over her shoulder, “don’t you dare beat yourself up over this. You’re a fucking powerhouse, I’ll kill anyone who disagrees.” She says it with such conviction that you have to laugh, and a smile blooms on her face at the sound. “Now let’s get the hell out of here and get ready to beat some boy ass tomorrow, huh?”

————

Jamie hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the outrageously pretty girl he’d seen in the hallway the other day. All he knew about her was that she was a part of the new women’s team at Richmond, and he’d been stalking the Instagram page in the hopes that they’d post a roster with no luck. He’s thinking about asking Keeley for a roster when she walks into the dressing room, and he’s convinced he summoned her for a moment.

Instead of presenting Jamie with the name of his silly crush, though, Keeley announces that they’ll be playing the women’s team tomorrow, to get some good publicity going for everyone. The boys don’t start voicing their opinions until she leaves.

“They’re little girls, yeah? How hard could it be?” Jan Maas asks, and among the agreements from his teammates Jamie notices an odd expression on Roy’s face, one that reminds him of the Red String Incident, and he immediately knows Jan Maas is incredibly wrong.

————

You’re fifteen minutes into the full ninety minute match, and you can see a clear path to the goal. The only problem is, you can see someone in your way, someone coming towards you, giving you no choice but to barrel forwards.

Mackie says you go rage-blind, where you see nothing but an empty goal and damn anyone who stands in your way, and when you collide full force with one of the men’s players, you think she might be right. Out of the corner of your eye, you notice them go down, hard, but you don’t stop moving until you sink the ball into the corner of the net with a satisfying swoosh.

The rest of your team swarms you, jumping and whooping for the first goal of the match, and you let yourself feel giddy for a few moments before you remember the fact that you’d slammed into someone with all the force of your body and you jog over to where they’re still laying on the ground, surrounded by their teammates.

It’s Jamie Tartt, and he looks so dazed you’re worried you concussed him.

“Are you ok?” You ask, crouching down with his teammates and extending an arm to help him up. He doesn’t respond, but he does grab your hand, allowing you to pull him off the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“Bruv, that was epic,” Isaac tells you with a clap to your shoulder before he’s bounding off. Shaking your head, you get back into game mode and try to forget the way Jamie looked at you and the way it made you feel like you’d just ran a marathon.

You tell yourself it’s from exhaustion, from running to score, but deep down you know that’s not true.

The rest of the game passes in a blur, with your team winning 3-1. It was clear to you that the men’s team wasn’t taking the match seriously at first, but once you’d knocked Jamie to the ground and scored, they seemed to realize what they were truly up against. As you all walk back to your dressing rooms, they shower your team with compliments, praising your fierceness and determination on the field.

If that match didn’t accomplish anything publicity wise, at least it made sure the men were on your side, and you knew you needed all the support you could get.

Once you’re in the dressing room, you promptly flop yourself onto the floor, exhausted and aching all over the place. You knew you were a more aggressive player, that’s just how you were, but something about needing to prove yourself made you use your body as if you could replace it, throwing your weight around as much as you could get away with before being called out by the refs or the other coaches.

As you’re laying on the floor, offering vague noises to the questions thrown your way, you see the door open out of the corner of your eye, followed by the clacking of heels on the tile floor. Turning your gaze upwards, you see Rebecca staring down at you with a look of mild concern, and all you can do is offer her a weak smile.

“Are you alright?” She asks, looking seconds away from yelling for the coaches or a medic or anyone who could help whatever seems to be wrong with you.

“I’m fine, just stretching out my back,” you promise as you heave yourself up to a sitting position but making no move to get off the floor.

“We have a press conference for you,” she tells you and you nod, sitting for a few moments until you notice the expression on her face and realize what she actually meant.

“Right now?” You ask, nerves filling your bloodstream.

“Right now,” she confirms with a smile, and you’d planned to stay on the ground, make them drag you into the press room kicking and screaming but Mackie is already pulling you off the floor and shoving you towards the door where Keeley is waiting.

“No, please, no, I’m not really a public speaker, please, no,” you continue to plead as if you’re being led to your execution as Keeley and Rebecca grab you lightly by your elbows and steer you into the press room. Your pleas don’t stop until you’re blinded by flashing lights and you're seated in the chair behind the desk, facing a sea of reporters.

Once you gather your bearings, you point vaguely into the swarm of reporters, and one of them stands. You know he says his name and the paper, but you’re too focused on not throwing up to remember what he said.

“As the captain of the Lady Greyhounds-“

“We’re just the Greyhounds,” you interrupt, glancing at Rebecca and Keeley to confirm. They’re barely concealing their disgust.

“Right,” he starts again, “as the captain of the Greyhounds, what are your thoughts on the team so far?”

“Well, I think we’re a strong group of women. Everyone’s strong as a player in their own right, but as a team I think we work really well together. I mean, we just beat the men’s team, so we can’t be that bad, right?” Your comment brings laughter from the reporters, dissipating some of the tension that had settled when you’d interrupted.

That reporter sits, and you gesture for another one to stand.

“What’s it like to work with Chelsea legend Roy Kent, given your short stint on the team?” The question brings a furrow to your eyebrows and a sour taste to your mouth at the flippant way he mentions your ‘short stint’ at Chelsea.

“He’s a great coach, really knowledgeable, really passionate,” the reporter seems satisfied with your answer, but you can’t help but add on, “I’d say Elena Sanchez is a Chelsea legend too, and it’s great to play with her again.” Elena has been one of the only other players you’d known when you started at Richmond earlier in month, and talking again was like you’d never spent those years apart.

The rest of the press conference continues with much of the same, and you could cry when you hear Rebecca announce the end. You don’t even stand from your chair, just slouch into it farther as Rebecca and Keeley walk towards you, the reporters filing out.

“Well, that was just horrendous,” Rebecca says, and when she notices the pure distress on your face she adds, “not you, them!”

“They were all right cocks, weren’t they?” Keeley adds, looking almost as distraught as you feel, “I mean, I expected it from a few of them, but not everyone!”

After that, all you wanted to do was get out of your kit and go to sleep as soon as possible, but apparently even that was too much to ask for. Saying your goodbyes to Rebecc and Keeley, you moved out of the press room on autopilot, head down and thoughts all over the place, only to collide with Jamie for the second time that day.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry,” you say as the two of you stagger backwards, trying to maintain your balance and not end up as a heap on the floor.

“‘S alright, I was standing in front of a doorway, don’t know what I expected,” he says with a smile, but he’s still looking at you the way he did on the pitch, and you’re worried he’s got a concussion.

“And I’m sorry for earlier, during the match, I don't know what came over me.”

Jamie just shrugs, “I woulda done the same thing.” He pauses and his eyes go wide, “Not to you! Not on purpose! Just, durin’ a game, if somebody was trying to get the ball from me, I woulda done the same.” You can’t help but to smile at him, the way he stumbles over his words in his desire to properly explain himself.

“Well, it was nice to talk with you,” you tell him, walking backwards to continue with your evening plans of doing absolutely nothing, “I’ll see you around, Jamie.” He nods and waves at your retreating form, but as you push open the door to the dressing room, it sounded like he was saying something else, but you couldn’t hear so you don’t worry about it.

Even in your two very brief interactions, Jamie was nothing like you thought he would be. You knew he wasn’t that complete asshole from a few years ago, but knowing plenty of professional footballers, you’d assumed he’d be the same as them: full of himself, a little unconsciously rude, thinks he’s the best in every room he’s in.

Today, though, he was none of those things. He was polite and respectful to you and the other players, messing around with his teammates and showering yours in compliments. If anything, he seemed soft and sweet and anything but full of himself. Maybe you’d gotten him all wrong, or maybe he really did have a head injury.

Tags: @andr0medafallen @buckychristwrites @benedictscanvas @whimsical-roasting @sokkigarden @scaramou @guccilongboard @onceuponaoneshot @presidential-facts @yepyeahuhhuh @loveslide @allthefandomtherapy @gibby31 @buddyjuststop @ellietartt @cancvr @rae4725 @brianandthemays @sonyume @aiyaiy @captainfrisbee @dalebo3 @theloud-yet-quietone @imsoluckyeverythingworksoutforme @rockchickrebel @legobatmans9thab @curlypeter @lostinwonderland314 @yokolesbianism @jamietarttdodo @kno-way-home @nicklet94 @fan-goddess @innocentbi-stander

[rizaposting]

💚 because I want an essay?????

💚: What does everyone else get wrong about your favorite character?

So you have chosen death Riza Thesis.......

There are so many things, but I think the ones that gets me upset the most are that Riza is a cold, humorless hardass and that she is a pessimist/wants to die... I guess these are pretty related lol

People flattening Riza into a stone-cold #girlboss with no substance other than "is annoyed at Mustang" and "wields gun" makes me so..... grr... wwaahhh.... Sure she is stoic and not as outwardly expressive/emotive as some of the other characters, but she's still shown to be kind and humorous as well. You can't swing too far in the other direction, making her giggly and bubbly and flirting at work--like I don't think her quiet nature is a complete persona she puts on at work and is then completely different, that's equally as jarring and out of character! But it's like... once again.... fandom ignoring the nuance and how things fall between two extremes.

To me, Riza reads as AUDHD and it's like..... oough... even if she's being serious (at work, too, mind you) and straight-faced doesnt mean there's nothing going on in her head or that she doesn't have emotions even if she doesn't, or chooses not to, express them. And!!! I mean!! We see her being plenty expressive and emotional too!!! So it's frustrating. Huff.

Riza is also, despite everything, very optimistic? She believes in Mustang's dream for a better future in her youth and that persists through the series, even after the war. If she didn't believe that they could make things better, in some meaningful capacity, she wouldn't be working so hard and putting so much trust in Roy's vision!!!! She believes in the Elrics and their ability to reach their goal!!! Even when she's being held hostage by Bradley, even when she's bleeding out on the goddamn floor, she never gives up....

Her end goal is justice, not death, specifically. Obviously there's so much to be said about her mental health, she could very well struggle with suicidal ideation, but post-promised day I don't think Riza is like "aw man i can't wait to restore Ishval to her people and then Fucking Die". It's just.... So at odds with the themes of FMA as a whole... I think she made peace with the idea of getting put in front of a firing squad during the series because that was her idea of how (punitive) justice worked, but especially after almost dying on the PD it feels in line with her character to slowly start to realize that it's better if she lives and that she is allowed to be happy maybe.... I think I'm losing the point a little bit sndjkfnjdksngkkdjs

Basically: Riza is a lot more kind and optimistic than people give her credit for

[moon0fairy]

Ted Lasso 3x08 commentary aka me suffering:

Jamie as Richmonds talisman aww and him and Rojas making a goal hehe

Yes Rupert suffer

Ted :(

Wait is his full name Jake Jacob ??

Akwaard~

Uhh Jacks tattoos

Girlfriends

Preparing myself for the bad news

Not a Nate scene I expected, he‘s so awkward hdgsjs

Look not to judge anyone by their looks but Jade gives of queer vibes

Oh no Keeley :(

Loved the whole locker room scene. Trent + his rainbow cup, Beard and Roy just watching behind the window, Beard agreeing with what Trent said

Roy asking if he wanna talk about it, look at the growth !! And immediately regretting it haha

Omg Trent is about to experience the diamond dogs for the first time he ain‘t ready

Trent experiencing a cultural shook hdjsks he looks so confused

Trent: 🤨

„You can‘t worry about something that hasn‘t happened yet“ (good advice bestie, still won‘t take it)

the amount of time I need to recover from Trent‘s „woof“ is embarrassingly long

AND WE DIDN’T EVEN SEE TED’S REACTION

Not Nate thinking Rupert would come over 🫡

Trying to recreate his own Diamond Dogs oh boi, bro really needs someone to talk

Those are terrible tricks and I hope this one guy burns this book and never speaks of it again

Noo not Ted learning Oscar Wilde is dead 😭😭😭

Knock on wood

Keeley don‘t read the comments :(

That‘s a terrible statement oh wow

Damn Jamie thats an impressive collection

Oh no Colin bestie what are you saying, that‘s too much and completely inappropriate

Thank you Isaac!! Thank you Jamie!!!

Bumberbatch, I wanna know your secrets

You would think Colin would be extra careful

Pain suffering… are Roy and Jamie gonna try to comfort Keeley ????

What did Jamie see…

The look Isaac gave Colin, fearing for my life right now

Isaac you just gave a whole speech about not looking at photos without permission😭😭 the pure panic and fear in Colins face

Suffering, only suffering (predicting a Colin and Trent talking about it scene)

Not even a word, this hurts so bad

I hope that teacher rots in jail wtf

Now I‘m scared that Jack will release the statement against her will (People are making me doubt her and I hate it)

Roy… why would you ask that …

Yeah Jack you should have asked :(

Look if I didn‘t know better and you just gave me that scene, I would 100% believe that Ted and Beard are a gay couple with their son

Not the west ham match🤡 Beard you‘re iconic for that

Damn Henry really loves Nate huh

„Friend“.. didn‘t you say in the beginning you wanted to show everyone your „girlfriend“ ?? (Not that she has to be out to everyone but this felt different)

Mae being petty love that for her

„Cause my dad does.“🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Rebecca asking the real questions, chapter Michelle is over!!

„You need to stop letting yesterday get in the way of today“

Jack…..

Jamie apologizing 🥹 being accountable matters !! Whoo

The whole scene about his password was hilarious jsksks

Henry ignoring Jake, that‘s right

[cerisia76]

the character everyone gets wrong

which ship fans are the most annoying?

what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

worst part of canon

worst part of fanon

it's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

part of canon you think is overhyped

your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

ship you've unwillingly come around to

Okay a character everyone gets wrong in winx club would definitly be... well it's a group of people but I really think people don't really give Wizards of the black circle the credit and recognition they deserve. Maybe it's because they come from season 4 that today more people like to bash but they actually were so interesting as villains. Like to me what makes them stand out is how they don't give a f^ck about the Winx. in the episode where the girls get their believix (still one of my favs) there is a moment where they have total control over the girls and Ogron basically says "don't be afraid they won't do anything to you, all that we want is Roxy". And actually they already told the girls they had nothing against them and well it is actually true. Like Valtor told Bloom he just wanted her to stay out of the way two seconds before making Aisha/Layla blind. Wizards started being really dangerous to the girls when they became an obstacle for them. They don't care about the Winx because they don't care about the Magical Dimension. They have something to do, a mission to complete and it's their goal. They also have one of the most interesting dynamic as a group and I feel people should talk about it more instead of... fangirling over Duman for the part that cares about the wizards. Nothing against him it's just that I feel like he's the least interesting in the group sorry not sorry.

Also Riven and Roy. Really should explain more about Roy. But I think your other questions can help me.

(tumblr had nothing better and as I'm on my computer I don't have my collection of gifs of them)

Which ship fans are the most annoying? Oh a though one because I don't really interact with fans of ships I don't like. However I will have to give the palm to some representative of the Rivusa fanbase and I'm sorry for you all Rivusa non-toxic fans who have to deal with such problematic people who think that defending a ship is insulting people. Also sorry to those who are good but I had many problems with some Bloom x put the name of the villain you prefer fans. Like sometimes I just want to talk but they take everything as an insult like when I ask "how did you come to ship Bloom with Valtor?" they see it has "lol how on earth can you be stupid enough to ship her with the guy responsible for her parents' fate". Once again not everyone but these fanbase were my worst experiences.

Bloom is basically me dealing with toxic fans

A character that the fandom made me hate: This time I have to go with Mirta. I never was a fan of Mirta but the way the fandom praises her made me feel so out of it that everytime I rewatched season one, I was trying to understand why fans loved her so much and the more I was rewatching, the more I hated this poor Mirta. Today i won't say I hate her because I feel like she had a pretty decent arc and a character that is good for a supportive character (not for a permanent member PLEASE DON'T) and she's cute but for a time I really couldn't stand her face because I felt like she was so overrated by the fandom it made her dislikable.

Worst part of canon: I would say the fact that instead of being very clear when they decided to do their soft reboot in season 5n they chose to do things without being clear enough. Plus they kept things from past seasons but with the new timeline it makes no sense and gives so many plot holes. Even if I kinda like season 5, this soft reboot is still the worst part of canon for me. Plus and this is unpopular as hell, Nabu and Layla's love story. I'm sorry to you fans of this ship who love to say it's the best love story of the franchise but I never was able to buy it. It came definitly out of nowhere, still is a part that annoys me in season 3 and was forced and way too fast. If they had introduced Nabu sooner in season 3 or made them meet the group sooner maybe that impression I had of being forced something in my throat wouldn't have been there but it's here.

Obviously I also have to give Rivusa a palm but I would say the worst part of their story is THE FACT THAT THEY GOT BACK TOGETHER IN SEASON 4. They both finally had grow up and were mature enough to realise that they weren't good for each other. But instead of accepting it... well they got back together.

Look how babyboy is adorable here holding this thing (don't really know what it is supposed to be like it's a wall but not a wall) like it's his teddy bear... Adorable.

Worst part of fanon: The way some people can't stop fighting for their headcanons against other people. Like we all have the right to have our headcanons it doesn't mean we should fight. For example I have the headcanon that Timmy and Tecna are an asexual couple and it goes against many of my friends headcanon that Tecna is aroace. I will never fight with them about it because it's an headcanon. Just respect your neighbour and let him ship Driven without pissing him off for no reason.

It's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on Roy. This guy isn't bland and without a personality like some of his haters may say. He's a sweet guy who never liked a girl before and falls in love with his princess who is also dealing with grief and he's respectful enough to not want to piss her off or be too much. If he got along with the girls and the guys even if this season and season 6 criminally lack of Specialist's friendship moments, it's because he's a sunny guy with a great humor and a personality that goes along with people. He's an extrovert who loves to go and talk with people discovering what interests them and who loves to try new things. And this is absolutely not in my headcanons that are really numerous for him, all of this is shown in the show when he's here and people should stop hating on him just because he appeared after Nabu's death. Plus this reason to hate him is also unfair considering he has nothing to do with the writers decision to kill Nabu in season 4 (unpopular opinion: they were right to do this).

He has so few gifs it hurts me.

Part of canon you think is overhyped: Season 3 and Enchantix. Don't get me wrong, the concept and execution of Enchantix was great and I loved it, it's definitly one of the best transformations in Winx Club. But it also has problematic parts that are for me the way Tecna, Stella, Musa and Layla have clothes that are way too over-sexualising them.And I say that with Stella's enchantix being my favourite transformation for her. An yes I know every transformation has this problem at least once but the thing is that here, it's on almost everyone and it's so obvious. People keep saying it's the most incredible transformation and the "only one where they look like fairies" as if weknew what fairies look like. My fairies are Tinkerbell and her friends and Enchantix doesn't look like them. But WHATEVER. It's a good transformation, definitly has the best way to be earned but is that a crime when someone says it's not their favourite? No and we shouldn't see so many comments saying "if his/her favourite transformation isn't Enchantix...." on youtube rankings of the transformations.

But it's also relevant for season 3. The thing is that season 3 is good but wants to do too much at the same time and loses its own timeline. The first part of the season varies from episodes were everything happens at the same time and others where the plot installs itself. Which leads to the second part of the season where everything goes downhill with many boring episodes and a rushed and deceiving ending. I don't get why people praise it so much because objectively it's not better than seasons 1 and 2 and subjectively not than season 4 in my opinion. It looks like the season was being written episode by episode and suddenly they realised they had ten episodes to conclude the season and started doing WTF and rushed endings of arcs. Plus I don't like the Water Stars scenaristic facility. Sorry not sorry.

Let's be honest, if she had the choice, Tecna wouldn't wear it because it's absolutely not practical. And I also dislike how they decided her hair was too short. Magix Winx, Believix and later seasons transformations except Harmonix showed you could do a transformation with her hair not changing from the rest of the season.

Your favourite part of canon that everybody else ignores: For once I'm not gonna go with easy choices like season 4, Wizards of the Black circle or Roy. I'm gonna go with a plot point everybody keep forgetting and that is: Darcy is a fucking romantic girl. Did she chose power over her boyfriend? Yes but it doesn't mean she's not a romantic person. In season 1, the way she falls for Riven everytime she sees him shows how she wants to build something with him. In season 2 she mentions at the start of the first or second episode that she sometimes thinks of a simple life when she was watching that in love couple (it was a movie I think) and her sisters KNOW she is romantic because they keep laughing at her about it. I'm really sad they decided to forget about that later because it made her character more complete. She's kind of a bitch who dreams of power but she also has a soft heart beating for romantic comedies and who sometimes allows itself (the heart) to dream of a romance. With Riven of course.

Ship you'v unwillingly come around to: There are many but I would still say that the one I wish I never saw is Faragonda x Bloom. How gross it is to imagine the influence this woman has on Bloom since she's sixteen turning into a gross love story? I want to forget it. I do ship Bloom with people and considering the only canon Winx pairings I like in the original group are Brandon/Stella and Tecna/Timmy (Flora/Helia is fine but I prefer her with someone who wakes her baddie and flirty side like Anagan for example or Layla). Bloom to me would fit SO WELL with Nabu. Like he is the soft guy who understands her but also the one who's not afraid to tell her she fucked up and who would treat her right and not let her insecurities win because that's what Sky does by NEVER putting a term to Diaspro's fantasy. But this is mostly linked to the writers loving to torture Bloom and Diaspro.

And this is both Bloom after she finally found peace in a relationship and me after finishing to answer these questions by talking WAY too much!

[roseandgold137]

dick whump with the og titans for whumptober 👉👈

Dick’s head was still spinning. Donna had tried to keep him talking in the first few hours of their captivity, but even she couldn’t maintain the false positivity. 

His neck ached from his cramped position, hunched over in the small, wire dog cage. Maybe if it was bigger, he would have granted it the name of crate, but he wasn’t feeling especially charitable. 

They’d been separated from the others pretty soon after setting out, and then, while they were distracted trying to find them, they’d been hit with knock out gas and woke up in animal cages. Animal cages. 

He hardly had the space to lay his head against the wall of the cage. 

“Robin?” Donna whispered, hours or maybe minutes later. “Robin, are you still awake?”

Dick hummed. “Yeah,” he whispered back.

He heard Donna shuffle in her cage. “We need to get out of here.”

“Wow, really?” Dick mumbled. “I thought we were having a grand old time in here.”

Donna ignored him. “Can you see any locks on yours?”

“No,” Dick said, closing his eyes. “I already checked at the start.”

“Hey, don’t just give up,” Donna said. Dick heard her cage rattle as she wrangled her limbs around. “Ugh, if I could just –  ”

Donna yelped as the wall of the cage burst against her arm, and she tumbled out the side. Dick, fatigue forgotten, eyes snapped alert, stared at Donna where she was sprawled on the floor. 

“Are you okay?” Dick asked.

“Am I okay! This is great!” Donna grinned. “Here, lemme see your cage.”

——

Dick crept across the complex. His leg was stiff from disuse. Wally wasn’t exactly easy to contain, nor keep out – either they were keeping him somewhere super secure, or they had some really impressive shields up. Both of those options meant that Dick had some searching to do. 

Donna had gone looking for their equipment. Dick’s mission was made harder by the fact that he didn’t have anything from his belt, but it wasn’t impossible. He could improvise if he had to. 

Dick eased himself through a door, narrowly ajar, to find an empty control room. 

Score.

Dick bypassed the security on the main computer within minutes, then pulled up the schematics of the building. There was an area by the east of the structure - that’d be where Wally is, Dick decided, if they do have him. 

With his new goal in mind, Dick stepped back from the monitor, disappearing into the shadows of the room. 

——

Wally zipped out the second Dick disabled the anti-speedster protections. In his rush, Wally ricocheted off the wall, half-vibrating through the wall before pulling back and spotting Dick. 

“Robin!” he exclaimed, flitting in and out of being a fuzzy figure and a kinetic force. He must’ve been in there a while, if he’d built up so much energy. “Hey, where’s everyone else?”

“Wondergirl went looking for them,” Dick said. “Did you see them take Speedy or Aqualad?”

“No,” Wally said. “They hit me with some sonar stuff, threw me off completely.” He sounded annoyed. Dick could work with annoyed. 

“Wondergirl said she was looking for our stuff,” Dick said, leadingly, and Wally picked up on his implication faster than Dick could blink, and by the time he opened his eyes again, they were standing right in front of Donna. Dick slipped out of Wally’s hold with only a slight stumble, catching his belt and cape when Donna threw it. “Thanks.”

——

Roy had staged his own breakout on the other side of the complex, and he dragged a limping Garth with him. He had no arrows, but he’d found a baton somewhere and brandished it in front of him. His shoulders visibly relaxed when he spotted the three of them.  

“Took you long enough,” he grumbled. Garth’s head bobbed up, but his eyes weren’t tracking them as they moved. A concussion, probably. 

“What happened to Ga – Aqualad?” Dick asked, his own slip making him frown. 

“Smashed his head into a guard’s face,” Roy said plainly. “It was pretty class in the moment, but not so much in the aftermath.” Garth hummed his agreement. There was blood in his hair, which Dick hoped wasn’t his.

Donna stepped forward, taking Garth’s other arm over her shoulder. “We should get out of here.”

Wally zipped around, leaving ghostly afterimages of himself all around. “Seconded. Sounds like someone’s coming down the hall.”

——

They made it to the perimeter with little to no incident, which means, of course, that it all went to shit once they reached the gate. 

“Go, go, go!” Wally yelled, running circles around them. Roy scowled at him as he ran. Heavy rain beat down on them, because nothing could ever be easy for them, could it?

“We are going, you idiot, not all of us have superspeed.”

Garth had pretty much given up on running, simply letting Donna and Roy carry him between them. Dick stumbled after them. His legs felt like hot magma, semi-molten and burning, but he couldn’t stop here. He pressed on. 

It wasn’t enough. Roy and Donna carried Garth through the gate, and Wally had run back and forth several times over, but Dick’s legs gave out long before he crossed the gate. He tripped, falling face first in the mud. 

Dick knew he had to get up, but his limbs certainly didn’t. He’d hardly accepted defeat before a flash of yellow lightning engulfed his vision and he found himself deep in the surrounding forests. 

Wally fumbled, half-dropping Dick in his haste, lowering him to the ground, and sprinting off again. Dick panted into the forest. Rain continued to pour, making its way through the maze of leaves and branches to reach him. 

A small robin flitted past, perching on a low twig. It regarded Dick briefly before flying off again. 

Dick blinked, and then Garth was beside him, static leaving his hair on end. Garth flopped over, sighing as rainwater drenched him. “I’m so ready to go home.”

Dick hummed. He slid down, lying down beside Garth. “I really want a shower.”

Garth huffed. “I really want a nap.”

Yellow lightning. Roy barely managed to not fall on them. 

“Are you two okay?” he asked eventually. He seemed mostly fine, from what Dick could see. Maybe a scratch here or there. Overall, could have been worse. 

“Peachy,” Dick said. “I can’t feel my legs anymore.”

Garth made a questioning sound, raising his head, and immediately bringing it down again as his colour disappeared. 

Roy poked Dick’s left knee, then the ankle. Neither of them elicited any particular reaction. Dick’s right leg was a different story. Roy had only poked Dick’s knee when he reflexively kicked out with his left. If Roy had been any slower to react, he probably would have joined Garth in the concussion club. 

“Okay, so your leg is fucked,” Roy said, as Donna and Wally materialised next to them. Wally, having finished his task, joined them on the ground. 

“Whose leg?” Donna asked, wringing her hair. It wasn’t very effective, considering it was still raining. 

“Robin’s,” Garth mumbled. He looked half asleep. “Where’s our ride out of here?”

Donna frowned, looking at the sky. “Good question.”

——

This is only chapter one! I’ll finish chapter two and put it in the reblogs then 😊

[darkx-the-dragon-kn1ght]

Chapter 11- Part 5

Tch, I knew it wouldn’t be that easy-

…Why do I get the sneaking suspicion the key isn’t actually that far away at all?

Okay, good luck with that, drama king. You with a team of fainted Pokémon, real good job you’re doing-

Well I don’t forgive you people co-opting the Team Rocket motto, but here we are!

But now that we’re free, we can do a few things. First, the Arbok PokéDex entry:

Then we go to the Pokémon Center, heal up, actually swap out Roi to get Bloom back this time, and then search for that key!

As funny as it would have been if the key was in that room…it’s not. You actually have to go back to Obsidia Park and look for it.

Or find this Heart Scale first, I suppose.

Still, I’m checking everything- all the bushes, the trees, the rocks, and…nothing so far? The wiki said the key was in Obsidia Park, but where could I have missed-

…Ah. Somehow, I completely missed this very obvious house for a solid couple of minutes, there. Let’s just…ignore that and go inside.

Oh wow, I wonder what that one item is-

Oh wow, what a twist!! But I actually am curious about the TM-

Nice!

So now, with the key obtained, we go back down to Coral Ward, and- remember all those locked buildings? Those were in fact warehouses, and the key is for them! So let’s go- prepare to be free, old folks!!

…Um…I meant- prepare to be free, old folks!!

Yup, definitely meant to do that, just wanted to show you all which warehouse to not check, let’s go in now-

Yeah, uh- how are these two still kicking after weeks of being locked up in here? Were they given food? Clean water? Like, I know it’s been well-established that no one in Reborn City owns a bed anyways, but having to sleep in here seems a bit excessive even by those standards-

How does stealing Pokémon fit into Team Meteor’s plans, anyways? Like, obviously it’s not entirely clear right now what Team Meteor’s goals actually are, but so far it seems like it has a lot to do with, like…destruction and interference within the city. And, again, stealing so many Pokémon like this just seems a bit…I mean, I’m sure it doesn’t hurt their plans, but it doesn’t seem like it’d be that big of a priority compared to everything else.

Previous

Next

[tartt9]

okay so @lvebug asked me to actually brainrot on rl footballers jamie admires so here's this (i've abbreviated most names bc i dont want this showing up in tags but i know it's gonna show up in tags so at this point oh well wikis are linked)

• madders // knowledge of the game, tactical skills, this is a jamie move // fruity content. • kdb // obviously (this is obvious to me bc i watch football but). probably the best center midfielder of this era, versatile, a truly complete player. // big wet puppy eyes content • bellingham // his ball control, the way he's described as a "do it all" midfielder, he's incredibly young but incredibly talented, jamie's excited to watch his career really continue to flourish. this is jamie coded • rashford // genuinely his personality. he's someone who works to change the world for the better and jamie admires that deeply. they're the two sides of the manchester red and blue coin, both raised by single mums, both worked their way up through their respective club's academies to the senior sides. he's also excellent on the pitch, can really drive at the defense without fear // also hehehaha meme • saka // a great decision maker, quick on the wing, they play well for england together. another academy player who made it in the club he was raised in. silly goofy guy. great vibes // also this is an insane statistic that jamie strives for • gundo // another complete midfielder, has pep's admiration (important to jamie), can play as a team's central cog (like jamie), also look at this goal • becks // jamie is english this one is obvious • john terry // kept his academy number his whole career so that people wouldn't have to buy new shirts (that just feels sweet to me and jamie might've honestly pulled a move like this if he'd stayed with city and it weren't for his dad pressuring him to get lower numbers), chelsea's highest scoring defender of all time, an excellent leader on the pitch (was kind of a cunt personality wise but im ignoring this bc lbr roy was also probably kind of a cunt personality wise at the time)

[digital-mathur]

Getting Started with PPC: A Beginner’s Guide to Pay-Per-Click

In the rapidly evolving world of digital marketing, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising stands out as a powerful tool for businesses to reach their target audience quickly and efficiently. Whether you’re a small business owner or a marketer looking to expand your skill set, understanding PPC is crucial in today’s competitive landscape. This beginner’s guide will walk you through the essentials of PPC, helping you get started on the right foot.

What is PPC?

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is a form of online advertising where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Unlike organic traffic, where you work to earn visits, PPC essentially buys visits to your website. The most common form of PPC is search engine advertising, where advertisers bid on keywords relevant to their business to display ads in search engine results.

Why PPC is Essential in Digital Marketing

PPC is a cornerstone of digital marketing for several reasons:

Immediate Results: Unlike SEO, which can take months to show results, PPC campaigns can drive traffic to your website almost immediately after launch.

Targeted Advertising: PPC allows you to target specific demographics, locations, and even the time of day your ads will be displayed. This precision ensures that your ads are seen by the right people at the right time.

Measurable ROI: PPC provides detailed analytics that allow you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, helping you to optimize and improve continuously.

Control Over Budget: With PPC, you have complete control over how much you spend. You can start with a small budget and scale up as you see results.

Getting Started with PPC

Starting with PPC might seem overwhelming, but by following these steps, you can set up and manage a successful campaign.

1. Understand Your Goals

Before you start, it’s important to define what you want to achieve with your PPC campaign. Are you looking to drive more traffic to your website, generate leads, or boost sales? Having clear goals will guide your entire strategy.

2. Keyword Research

Keywords are the foundation of any PPC campaign. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to find keywords that are relevant to your business and have a reasonable search volume. Focus on a mix of broad and long-tail keywords to capture different stages of the buying funnel.

3. Set Up Your PPC Campaign

Most businesses start with Google Ads, but there are other platforms like Bing Ads and social media networks (Facebook, LinkedIn) that also offer PPC services. Create your ad account, choose your keywords, set your bid amounts, and write compelling ad copy that will entice users to click.

4. Landing Page Optimization

Your ad should direct users to a landing page that’s relevant to the ad content. This page should be optimized for conversions, with a clear call-to-action, fast load times, and mobile responsiveness. The better your landing page, the higher your conversion rate will be.

5. Monitor and Optimize

Once your campaign is live, monitor its performance closely. Use analytics tools to track key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), cost-per-click (CPC), and conversion rate. Regularly adjust your keywords, bids, and ad copy based on the data you collect to maximize your return on investment (ROI).

6. Test and Learn

PPC is not a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. Continual testing is essential to success. Experiment with different ad formats, headlines, and keywords to see what works best for your audience. A/B testing is a powerful method to determine the most effective elements of your campaign.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even seasoned marketers can make mistakes with PPC. Here are some common pitfalls to avoid:

Ignoring Negative Keywords: These are keywords you don’t want your ads to show up for. Adding negative keywords can prevent irrelevant clicks and save your budget.

Setting and Forgetting: PPC requires constant attention and optimization. Failing to monitor your campaigns can lead to wasted spend and missed opportunities.

Poor Ad Copy: Your ad copy should be compelling and relevant to the keywords. If your ads don’t grab attention, they won’t get clicks, no matter how much you bid.

Not Using Ad Extensions: Ad extensions provide additional information (like phone numbers or links to specific pages) and can improve your ad’s visibility and CTR.

Final Thoughts

PPC is an essential part of a digital marketing strategy. It offers immediate visibility and measurable results, making it an invaluable tool for businesses of all sizes. By understanding the basics, setting clear goals, and continuously optimizing your campaigns, you can leverage PPC to drive significant traffic and conversions for your business.

Starting with PPC can be challenging, but with patience and persistence, it can become one of the most rewarding aspects of your digital marketing efforts. Whether you’re just beginning or looking to refine your skills, the key is to keep learning, testing, and adapting to ensure long-term success.

[pixenite]

The Age Of Performance Marketing – Why It Should Be On Every Brand’s 2024 Playbook

Imagine spending tons of money on fancy marketing, but over half of it reaches the wrong people. That’s the problem with traditional online ads. Even on social media, where people spend tons of time, ads get buried and ignored.

But hold on, performance marketing is here to help. It’s not about how many people see your ad (vanity metrics), but about getting the results you want, like sales or sign-ups. It’s like paying only when someone buys something after seeing your ad, not just looking at it.

Here’s why it’s super important for 2024:

-> People are tired of irrelevant ads. They want value, not just to be sold to.

-> Competition is fierce. Businesses need to be smarter with their marketing money.

-> Data is king! We can track what works and what doesn’t, so ads get better and better.

Defining Performance Marketing

Performance marketing is like paying for results, not just appearances. It uses data to track what really matters – things like sales, sign-ups, or app downloads – instead of just likes and shares that don’t actually help your business.

Performance marketing and traditional digital marketing differ fundamentally in their orientation and measurement. Traditional formats use broad targeting focused mass brand awareness goals. But performance marketing spotlights qualified traffic and revenue returns. Activities get evaluated through microscopic conversion tracking instead of superficial engagement monitoring alone. Overall accountability shifts left towards tangible ROI from cost centers pushing reach.

For example Using Facebook ads that track how many people buy something after seeing your ad. Else creating Instagram posts that encourage people to sign up for your newsletter.

Performance Marketing The MVP In 2024

So, why is performance marketing the MVP in 2024? Buckle up, because we’re diving into the top reasons:

1. You’re The Boss Of Your Budget:

Remember that party analogy? It applies here too. With performance marketing, you have complete control over where your money goes. No more guesswork, no more wasted ad spend on people who are just passing by. You only pay for the actions you care about, making your marketing budget work harder than ever before.

2. Data Drives Decisions, Not Hunches:

Forget relying on gut feelings and crossed fingers. Performance marketing is all about data-driven decision making. Every click, every purchase, every interaction is tracked and analyzed, giving you clear insights into what’s working and what’s not. This real-time feedback allows you to constantly fine-tune your campaigns and maximize your return on investment (ROI).

3. Hello, Mr. Right Audience:

Gone are the days of shouting your message into the void. Performance marketing lets you target your ideal customer with laser precision. Whether it’s demographics, interests, online behavior, or even purchase history, you can tailor your campaigns to reach the people who are most likely to convert. It’s like having a secret handshake with your perfect customer.

4. Flexibility Is Your Friend:

The marketing landscape is constantly changing, and performance marketing is built to adapt. Unlike traditional methods that might be locked into long contracts, performance marketing allows you to quickly adjust your strategies based on results. See something not working? Change it! See something working great? Double down! This agility keeps you ahead of the curve and ensures your marketing dollars are always working for you.

5. It’s A Measurable Marathon, Not A Sprint:

Remember, marketing is a journey, not a destination. Performance marketing lets you track your progress every step of the way. You can see exactly how your campaigns are performing, identify areas for improvement, and celebrate your successes. This data-driven approach helps you build a sustainable marketing strategy that delivers long-term results.

But wait, isn’t performance marketing complicated? Not necessarily! While it involves data and tracking, the basic principles are simple. And guess what? There are plenty of tools and resources available to help you get started, even if you’re a marketing newbie.

So, are you ready to join the performance marketing revolution? Here are some simple steps to get you started:

Define your goals: What do you want to achieve with your marketing? More website traffic? More sales? Increased brand awareness? Knowing your goals will help you choose the right performance marketing channels and metrics to track.

Get to know your audience: Who are you trying to reach? What are their interests and needs? The more you understand your target audience, the better you can tailor your campaigns to resonate with them.

Explore different channels: There are many performance marketing channels to choose from, like search engine marketing (SEM), social media advertising, content marketing, affiliate marketing, and email marketing. Experiment to see what works best for you and your audience.

Track, analyze, and adapt: Don’t just set it and forget it! Regularly monitor your campaign performance, analyze the data, and make adjustments as needed. Remember, performance marketing is all about continuous improvement.

Concluding

Frustrated with marketing that doesn’t deliver? Pixenite cracks the code on growth. We’re your performance marketing heroes, weaving results into every campaign across all channels. Ditch the wasted ad spend and vanity metrics, we focus on what matters: conversions. Our data-driven, integrated framework optimizes every dollar, maximizing your ROI. Don’t wait for chance, spark your growth with Pixenite’s agile, accountable team. Ready to turn marketing into a conversion machine? Contact us today!

Article Source -  https://www.pixenite.com/the-age-of-performance-marketing-why-it-should-be-on-every-brands-2024-playbook/

[zov911]

Maximizing ROI: Email Marketing Strategies for Construction Firms In an industry where cement, bricks, and steel rule the roost, email marketing might seem like a foreign concept. This is especially true for construction firms who are traditionally more familiar with negotiating contracts on vast construction sites and synchronized workflows of different trades. But today, even the most hands-on sectors can't ignore the undeniable power and potential of digital marketing tools – with email marketing being forefront. But why should construction firms care about email marketing? The answer lies in the arena of ROI (Return on Investment), lead nurturing and customer retention. If done correctly, email marketing can prove to be an astoundingly cost-effective strategy, offering an average ROI of $38 for every $1 spent. Wouldn't you want a piece of that action in your marketing plan? So, where does one start? Let’s hammer out some essentials. 1. Set Clear Objectives What do you want to achieve with your email marketing campaign? Are you looking to nurture leads, increase your client base, establish thought leadership, or share project updates with existing clients? By outlining your goals, you can better shape your email marketing strategy to align with your business objectives. 2. Build a High-Quality Email List Investing time in building a high-quality email list is fundamental. Never opt for purchasing mass email lists. Instead, grow your list organically by capturing addresses through your website, at trade shows or events, and during client meetings. Offer your audience something valuable in return, such as unique research, insights or a newsletter. 3. Personalize your Emails Personalized emails typically result in an average increase of 20% in sales. They allow you to establish a more direct connection with clients by addressing their specific needs and interests. Highlight completed projects that align with their requirement, industry news, or technological advancements in construction methods. 4. Content is King In email marketing, content is everything. Your aim is to deliver valuable and relevant information that keeps the reader engaged. Steer clear from corporate jargon. Use layman's language to convey your point – let your email tell a story. While doing so, ensure to maintain a balance - your emails should never be overly promotional. 5. Tracking and Analytics The essence of a successful email campaign lies in understanding what works and what doesn’t. Email analytics can give you this valuable insight. You can track open rates, click-through rates, unsubscribe rates, and more. By studying these metrics, you can constantly modify and improve your email marketing strategy. 6. Stay Compliant Lastly, but most importantly, remember to follow the stipulated laws regarding email marketing such as the CAN-SPAM Act. This includes being clear about who you are, allowing recipients an easy way to opt out, and honoring opt-out requests promptly. In a field where concrete relationships often determine the next project, email marketing provides construction firms with a powerful tool to stay connected and engage with their clients and potential customers. Employing robust email marketing strategies can increase brand visibility, foster loyalty, leverage referrals, and eventually maximize ROI, helping you cast a longer, stronger shadow in the competitive landscape of construction business. So, roll up your sleeves, fire up that keyboard, and let email marketing help you build your construction firm with the same precision and finesse that you bring to your real-world projects. Title: How to Skyrocket ROI: In-Depth Email Marketing Strategies for Construction Firms The construction industry, like many others, operates in a digital world. Without strategic utilization of digital marketing tools, many construction businesses risk falling behind the competition. Today, we’ll focus on one critically influential tool—email marketing—and how to harness its power for maximum return on investment (ROI).

**The Potency of Email Marketing** Contrary to the prevalent misconception that email marketing is outdated, it remains one of the most effective means of engaging with prospects and clients, if done correctly. A study by Campaign Monitor shows that email marketing could offer an ROI of $44 for every $1 spent. Despite this, many construction companies are not harnessing the full potential of email marketing. Today we'll address that gap, using practical strategies, relevant case studies and actionable steps. **Case study - John's Construction Company** Let's consider the example of a firm named John's Construction Company. They operated via traditional marketing methods until they decided to venture into email marketing. Initially, their emails were poorly organized, without a clear call to action, and failed to engage recipients. After focusing on refining their email marketing, the firm implemented segmented emails, behavioral-triggered emails, informative newsletters, and started testing to find what works. Within six months, their conversion rate increased by a staggering 61%. What did they do differently? **1. Segmentation** Instead of 'one-size-fits-all' emails, they created different sectors and tailored emails based on the individual's interests. For example, they separated their list into categories such as residential clients, commercial clients, and subcontractors. Their messages became relevant to their audience; a commercial client doesn’t want information about kitchen remodels and vice versa. **2. Automation and Triggered Emails** John's Construction began sending automated responses and personalized emails based on the user's actions or certain triggers. For instance, subscribers who downloaded their e-book on safety precautions during construction received a series of emails regarding their safety services. **3. Newsletters** Informative newsletters showcasing their project updates, industry news, and new services were sent occasionally. Through this, their audience felt involved in the journey, fostering a sense of belonging. **4. Testing** To continually refine their approach and maintain an upward trajectory, they incorporated A/B testing into their strategy. Understanding that what works for one sector might not work for another, they conducted regular tests to establish the most engaging subject lines, content, and calls to action differ. **Actionable Strategies for Construction Firms** 1. **Avoiding Clutter** Making your emails clutter-free is the first step toward engaging your audience. A key tip is to write concise, precise content, ensuring that it provides clear value. Consider your customer’s perspective and ensure all content is relevant and engaging. 2. **Clear & Compelling CTAs** Drive your user to take a desired action, such as visiting your website, booking a consultation, or downloading an e-book. Be sure your CTA button is clearly visible and compellingly worded. 3. **Mobile-friendly Design** Most people read emails on their phones, making a mobile-friendly design essential. Avoid large blocks of text and ensure images render correctly across all devices. Email marketing is an affordable way to drive engagement, build lasting relationships, and provide measurable ROI for construction firms. With these tailored strategies and real-life examples, you are equipped to take your email marketing strategy to new heights.

[simmyseo]

SEO SERVICES IN TORONTO

Winx Designer is a leading SEO company helping the business to achieve their goals. If your website is not getting visitors or not bringing business, call us to get effective optimization services. We give top quality search engine optimization services to grow your business. Our ROI focussed SEO Services in Toronto grows your customers, generate leads, and increases revenues. Winx Designers works to increase traffic to your website and delivering rankings of your website on Google and other search engines.

In the modern digital era, it can be damaging for any business to ignore search engine optimization. People today heavily rely on Google and social media for any kind of information. Searching for products and services on search engines is a common trend. Under such circumstances, it is important to have a powerful website that is visible on top search engines with higher rankings. SEO accomplishes business websites with much needed relevant traffic, clicks, and conversions.

Benefits of Hiring SEO Expert

Every business invests in a certain kind of marketing or promotional activity. Unlike traditional advertising, SEO is an affordable and long term marketing strategy. As a result of website optimization, huge traffic is driven to the website. With our right kind of strategies and keywords, your websites will be generating quality leads.

SEO works with proven techniques to give abundant benefits to businesses. Here are some of the key benefits our optimization services-

1. Drives huge relevant traffic to the website 2. Delivers higher online visibility on Google 3. Generate quality leads 4. Builds online reputation 5. Creates social media presence 6. Delivers conversions 7. Increases revenues 8. Allows to measure results with accurate analytics

Search engine optimization is completely measurable and hence it is possible to see how the client is benefitting. We submit accurate reports and analytics to our clients to let them know how our SEO is working.

SEO Expert in Toronto

Hiring an expert SEO Agency in Toronto can be challenging. With hundreds of options, it is important to select the right SEO service provider. Choosing the right SEO agency determines the success of your business website and many more benefits.

Why We Are Right SEO Company-

• Highly experienced SEO experts • ROI-oriented strategies • Customized services • In-depth analysis and research • Accurate reporting and updates • Affordable and transparent pricing • Long term results

Winx Designer is a team of dedicated SEO experts passionate about delivering success. Our powerful groundwork comprises market analysis, brainstorming, business analysis and detailed keyword research. We also analyse the online presence of your customers on the internet to target them accurately.

Our optimization enables your business website to stay strong on search engine result pages for a long time. During the process, we track and monitor the website for traffic, leads, and conversions. We make sure that the business goals are achieved due to our SEO efforts. Call us for most effective SEO Services in Toronto for guaranteed results. We are also providing a host of other web solutions including social media marketing and pay per click services. Winx Designer guarantees all the benefits of being with an expert and reliable SEO company in Toronto.

SEO Services in Toronto, SEO Consulting Toronto, Local SEO Services Toronto, SEO Consulting Toronto, SEO Company in Toronto, SEO Agency in Toronto

[vihaan-digitals]

In the world of AI, why should you choose an agency for Digital Marketing Services?

Everyone refers to Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the current digital age. It is a tool that has completely revolutionized the world of digital marketing. As Artificial Intelligence continues transforming the digital landscape, businesses increasingly rely on digital marketing services to stay ahead of the curve.

Today, you can use digital marketing using several AI-powered platforms and solutions. Yet, figuring out the complicated world of digital marketing on your own can be difficult. That's where a digital marketing agency comes in.

You can expand your business with AI. But you can't ignore the benefits of partnering with a digital marketing agency, considering their services and how they can assist you in achieving your marketing goals.

In the age of AI, there are several reasons for you to choose a digital marketing company:

Expertise: 

An agency specializing in digital marketing will have expertise and experience in creating and implementing effective marketing strategies using AI tools and techniques. They have a team of specialists knowledgeable about the latest AI technologies and how to apply them to marketing campaigns.

Resources: 

A digital marketing agency will have access to resources and tools that may not be available to you. The resources include access to advanced AI algorithms and software, as well as specialized marketing tools and platforms.

Cost-effective: 

Hiring an agency can be cost-effective for businesses needing more resources or expertise to manage their digital marketing campaigns. By outsourcing their marketing efforts, businesses can save time and money while still achieving their marketing goals.

Scalability: 

A digital marketing agency can scale its services to meet your business's needs. Whether a small startup or a large enterprise, an agency can provide the resources and support you need to grow your business through effective marketing campaigns.

Results-driven: 

A digital marketing agency focuses on delivering results for your business. They work creatively with you to develop a customized marketing plan that meets the aims and objectives of your business. They also continually monitor and optimize your campaigns to ensure maximum ROI.

In conclusion, while AI is an essential tool for digital marketing, it can't replace the human touch. Choosing a digital marketing company in the world of AI can offer numerous benefits, as they offer a range of services that AI can't replicate. They also provide a team of experts who can provide personalized plans and strategies to help your business achieve its marketing goals and ensure its online presence remains competitive. Hence, by partnering with a digital marketing company, your businesses can leverage the power of AI to optimize their online marketing efforts and stay ahead of the competition.

[husky-twst-and-obeyme]

Anon Asked : "You know how some twst fan artists like to draw Yuu with their face blocked out, usually by Grim? I have this headcanon that in the Twisted Wonderland universe, it’s impossible to get a picture of Yuu, there’s always someone standing in front of them, a piece of paper floating by, or they’re just out of frame, but no one noticed until after the picture was taken. No one knows why, Rook even tried to draw them once but a Pomefiore first year spilled nail polish on the picture when he finished. " I do like that idea! I did see one artist who just had a mickey shaped head with blank eyes and it really looked cool! Now as for the scenario or story i will only do Dorm leaders for this situation, if anyone wishes for more i will provide ! BUT i have a small twist :) Warnings: Cursing Riddle

Riddle wasn't sure why but he it really irritated him how whenever they did civil group pictures, you always end up blocked or something happens to you in your part of the picture

It's not your fault really but it bugs him

he made it a goal to get a perfect picture , such as asking for a selfie

He actually wasn't a fan of it but he wanted at least ONE good picture of you because he cherishes his friends

but EVERY. SINGLE . TIME . IT'S THE SAME-

He's frustrated to no end

He eventually gave up and just accepted fate

he even tried to draw you and it somehow got ruined which made his mood worst

At one point , you came to him with a strawberry tart to cheer him up but he was really pouty

You asked if he wanted to try the selfie again but you hold the phone , which he reluctantly agreed to

afterwards when you left , he went to see the picture and he couldn't believe his damn eyes

a perfect picture of you and him

" i don't know if i want to cry of joy or behead them . "

He stilled loved the photo and refused to show anyone else in case it somehow got ruined or deleted

Leona

He wasn't too interested in photos but in your case it caught his interest slightly

he noticed from school activity photos that your face was always somehow ruined.

he thought it was funny but rare

so he tasked ruggie to take a picture for a small amount , mainly because he thought it would be easy

plus it's not like he wants a photo of you for anything psssshh

but when ruggie returned , he was frustrated and tired

confused leona questioned him

"Leona san. i loved getting money from you but i might just not even try anymore ..."

he got baffled that Ruggie had given up money for any easy task. or so he thought was easy

So thinking ruggie was being lazy , he went to do it himself

as a predator, he knows how to be sneaky and hide well , so once he locked you in , he took a snap

he looks ats the photo completely ruined

he took another , ruined. once again , it was ruined

he repeats many tries after and it all ends the same

" ahh fuck it ... " and went for a nap

later on you wanted a selfie with leona

being smug he said " would you even get the picture right ?~"

with a pout " of course i can!" you posed for the picture and snapped

he took a glance and he'll be damned ,, it was perfect

" don't talk to me for the next few day, herbivore."

"huh-"

Azul

azul didn't like photos , much at least because of certain ones of his past

though he took note of a particular incident

(Event after chapter 3) when you all took a picture at the museum , he noticed that your part of the picture , floyd's arm covered your face

He thought nothing of it until he noticed it often

Ace took a photo of you and deuce and somehow grim flew in front of your face

Cater took a selfie but it ended up blurred

it was pointless but hard to ignore so he assigned Jade and floyd into getting the perfect picture of you

after a couple hours, jade and floyd came back frustrated

even jade looked visibly irritated which was VERY rare to the point it scared Azul

they showed him nothing but blurry pics, he knew something was up because even jade wouldn't fail this bad

He knew he couldn't stand the chance if the tweels failed

but later on , you wanted to take a selfie with him

he refused immediately but you promised to keep the photo private , then he did agree , reculantantly

His immediate thought was that the picture would of been ruined anyways but was shocked to see a cute selfie of him and you

"....send me that picture . " you turned to him "what???" "SEN ME THAT PICTURE"

Kalim

We all know this absolute dork would love to take pictures , possibly from Cater's influence , because he sees it as a fun thing to do

So you , being one of his favorite people, he obviously wants a good photo of you

but to his disappointment, when he wanted to take a pic of you while you were at the gardens, it turned out super blurry

he thought nothing of it , just might of moved a bit , until the next one came blurry

he was getting semi frustrated and you had already left , so for once, he was actually grumpy to the point where he just asked Jamil to take a good picture for him

he felt lowkey bad of course but he was a tiny bit frustrated

Jamil didn't care until he had the same issue

Jamil tried a it but gave up when he kept getting the same result

then kalim was just sad , he just wanted a cute picture of you

you visited one day and he was his usual self but you here reminded him of the picture incident

you offered to try again , he was hard for him to say no to you

but after looking..you took a perfect photo

he wanted to cry and you were just so confused

hug him he needs it

Vil

Vil is a perfectionist of course, which includes photos too

you , him and a few others went on a small trip , you wanting to take a photo to remember the trip

you're one of the only people he's allowed for a picture minus fans because he's aware you just want a genuine picture and knows you won't share/ brag about it

Rook offered to take the photo

you two posed and rook took the shot but Vil automatically saw Rook's confused face

"Rook?.. is there a problem?" "non non roi du poison! I must of moved a little fast, part of it came blurry

he didn't think on it , just a small mistake no biggy

that was until the problem kept repeating itself

Irrigated , he took the camera and looked at the photos , each and every one of them was blurred of were you were at while vil looked completely fine

he slowly looked at you while you just stood there worried that we weren't going to get a picture

"Vil senpai? maybe i can just take a selfie? Rook's camera's probably broken"

sighing in defeat , he agreed ,after getting in a cute pose , you snapped a photo

he took a look and he was legit about to burst

It was an absolute beautiful picture

He was stunned that you did an even better job then rook

might make you his photographer

Idia

we all know for a fact, he hates pictures , at least mainly of himself

though he doesn't mind pictures of you

of course , he doesn't take pics of you willy nilly , he asks you first because he'd be hypocrite to take a picture of someone who didn't want a photo

You often cosplayed as some of his favorite characters and of course he'd want a picture of it but he was in for a surprise

The first time you cosplayed in front of him , he asked and you agreed

he snapped the photo , it blurred

he got irritated but thought nothing of it and tried again

still failed

he has plenty of cameras ( I dunno it's for the story make up your own reason XD ) and used a different one to get a photo

it failed and he tried many times , it was too a point he built up the courage *cough*two hours*cough to ask rook to help

he was dumbfounded when rook couldn't do well

you later went home , while idia was sad , he really wnated to take a good pic

soon after, you sent him a text

"I'm sorry you couldn't get a cute picture earlier, so i took a shot at it with a selfie!"

and there he saw the perfect picture

"...what the f**k is this voodoo magic- "

he of course loved it but he was so confused

Malleus

oh boy here we go-

he was still confused on the idea of photos

but he thought it was similar to a painting but it's instant

so of course he wants one with you

he attempts to use an old style camera (hey be lucky he made it this far)

he sets it up to where it takes a picture with a timer and you both pose

After it was done, he looked at the photo and somehow it blurred

he just thought it was a small mistake and tried again

second time, same result

this is where his temper slowly rises and it's shown every time it fails

and after about the 20th time , he smashes the camera

you attempt to calm him down and offered to use your phone

he agrees because he trusts you more than a dumb camera

after you took the photo, he was very happy , it looked wonderful

he didn't care about the camera anymore, he just cared that he got a good photo

I hope you enjoyed!

[greenygreenland]

What I'd Do For You:

-imagine Roy as your adoptive father

-he'd be so flawed but he'd try his hardest

-I write for females because that's what I'm most comfortable with, but it's not too prominent (please don't be offended! It's only what I'm comfortable with!)

Summary: You're feeling down. Roy's here to help.

Today was nothing short of a bad day. It poured as soon as you stepped out of the house, and before you could grab your umbrella, you realised you were going to be late. Not long after, you ran straight into Ed and Al, who both ignored you in favour of chasing some guy down the street.

Whatever, you told yourself. Not like I needed a 'hi' from my best friends anyway.

Not long after, a car zoomed by and splashed muddy water at you. If it weren't for the rain, you'd be caked in the stuff. As you continued down the street, some guy thought it would be fun to mug you. Of course, when he found out you were a state alchemist, he made a run for it. But that didn't make you feel better, not when there were people staring at you like you were a nuisance.

What did you ever do to them anyway? Maybe it was just the fact today was a terrible Monday afternoon.

When you got to Roy's office, your clothes were sopping wet, your hair a matted mess, and your heart, very much hardened and cold. You softly closed the door behind you. There was no point in slamming it when you didn't have the energy to be angry in the first place.

"(Y/n)?" Roy stared at you incredulously. "What happened to you?" You pointed to the window.. The pouring rain and gray clouds were enough of an answer. "Everything happened, that's what." He raised a brow with a short sigh. "'Everything' is quite vague, don't you think?" He stood and made his way to a cabinet. From seemingly nowhere, he found a towel and threw it at you.

"Thanks Roy." You ran it through your hair and placed it on the couch to sit on. It was just as wet as your clothes, but it wasn't like anyone had a blow dryer on hand. Roy took a seat across from you on the opposing couch. "Care to tell me what happened today?"

You thought back to the Elric brothers, then the mugging and everything else you had to go through today. Roy listened intently. "Why did you leave the house so late?" he inquired. "You could have been here at eight o'clock sharp if you hadn't been up all night reading. Then you could have avoided that mugger, the rain, and everything in between." You huffed. "So what? Changing one thing wouldn’t change the day. And besides, it was a good book. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Put it down." Roy plainly offered. "Save that 'last page' for tomorrow, or better yet, sleep before three in the morning." You didn't like the way he was looking at you, as if he were deciding on whether he should be disappointed, frustrated, or annoyed with you. But bad habits died hard. It wasn't easy to break out of those cycles.

You leaned back into the couch. Defeat crossed your eyes, and that was when Roy realized how tired you looked. It wasn't because of your constant travels, or the fact that Edward and Alphonse ignored you completely (he'd give them a piece of his mind later on), but because you were burnt out.

And maybe feeling a bit down.

"You've been studying a lot." Roy stated. You didn't need him to point out the obvious. It was no secret you were doing your best to help the Elric brothers on their journey towards finding their bodies. "Have you found anything useful?" You shook your head with a tight frown. There was so much you needed to work out, so many variables that didn't add up, and so many frauds you needed to uncover.

"Whenever we're close," you mumbled, "our goal keeps getting farther away. Sometimes I feel so useless while Ed and Al go off on their own accord. I just...I don't know." Your shoulders slumped and Roy's heart began to ache. "It's so hard, and I'm really..." A sigh escaped your lips.

"Tired?" Roy finished. He knew that look well, the one where your eyes darkened with clouds and you looked like you wanted to scream when you couldn't. Long ago, he had the same look. Silently, he swore he'd never do it again. At least, not when you were around.

Seeing that same look on your face made him sick to the stomach. "Take a day off," he started. "The Lieutenant is here so don't worry. As for the Elric brothers, I don't think they'll need your help now. They’re fine as is if you ask me." Roy winced at his words. He didn't mean to make it sound like you were unwanted. In fact, he wouldn't do that even if he was paid.

"Maybe I'm not needed by them anymore.” you concluded. “They're busy anyway, so they won't miss me. It’s been weeks since we last talked actually. And besides, Ed’s really great at everything he does. Same with Al. They’re skilled, smart, everything I’m not." You smiled and it was a bit watery.

Roy's lips parted. No, no, no, that wasn't what he meant. The urge to punch himself in the face was overwhelming. Why was he so bad at wording things?

You stood and folded the wet towel. "I'll take the day off. I'm not sure what I'll do though."

"Wait--"

"If you need me, I'll be around the block somewhere." You looked like you were about to cry, and all Roy could do was watch. He wanted to say something, but what if he made it worse? Saying 'Don't cry!' wasn't exactly comforting, and by the looks of it, you weren't in the mood to talk anything through.

A forced smile made its way to your lips. "I'll be back later Roy."

And just like that, you were gone. The door closed shut with a small click, leaving Roy alone in the quiet office. He stared at the phone on his desk tensely. Hughes was good with people, and he knew how to talk to (Y/n) better than most. If Roy called then maybe...

No. Why should he have to rely on Maes? This was (Y/n). He could deal with his daughter just fine. "Teenagers." He found himself making his way to the phone "Why are they so hard to understand?” The familiar beeping sounded on the other end as he dialed the number.

“Hello, could you connect me to Maes Hughes?”

-----

The lone bench you took refuge on was lonely. But you were fine with that. Here, no one could see you through all the pouring rain and darkened clouds. As your tears mixed in with the cold droplets, you stared into the far off distance. The trees swayed in the occasional breeze and you shivered.

Maybe you should have brought a coat.

Suddenly, the rain stopped pounding against your head. Your dampened hair had rivers flowing down it, and the tears that quietly came to a stop left your cheeks with stains.

“So this is where you’ve been,” a voice calmly said. You didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Why, after an hour, did he come looking for you in the rain? It wasn’t like it mattered. Roy settled by your side, the umbrella hovering above. “Here,” he handed you your coat, “you’re shivering.”

You pushed the coat away with a shake of your head. “I don’t need it.” There was a crack in your voice you covered with a cough. If Roy noticed or not, he didn’t show it. Instead, he helped you put on the coat. “It would be inconvenient if you were sick,” he decided. “How are you supposed to help the Elrics with a cold?”

That didn’t matter. The Elrics were busy for all you cared, and it wasn’t like they needed you anyway. “I’m dead weight, dad.” The words made your eyes sting again. “They don’t-t-they don’t need me.”

“And why is that?” Roy’s gentle tone made the tears fall fast. “Because, dad, I’m useless. Edward’s so much better at everything. He--he’s always saving the day and figuring out all of this country’s problem’s. And...and when I try to help, I always mess it up.”

You thought back to earlier today, where you bumped into the boys spontaneously. They might’ve been busy, but they blatantly ignored you. And the fact that they hadn’t called all week made you worry. Had you done something wrong? No, maybe they didn’t care for you anymore because you were so useless.

“I...I don’t know what to do.” With the umbrella over your head, Roy saw every tear as clear as day. He watched your shoulders tense and your fists clench into tight fists. You were trying to stop crying, but the tears kept coming and coming like a river.

How useless of you.

“Come here.” You didn't want Roy to see your face. “Come here,” he repeated. You hesitantly scooted closer to him on the soaking bench. He held the umbrella in his left hand and pulled you close with his other. When was the last time he actually hugged you like this? He couldn’t remember, and that made him feel guilty.

Was it his fault that you thought so lowly of yourself? Maybe he should have been more adamant on showing how proud he was of your accomplishments. Becoming a State Alchemist at this age was more than a simple privilege. It was a precedent that no generation had ever seen in their lives.

“Why do you compare yourself to Fullmetal?” he inquired, rubbing your arm comfortingly. “He’s not you.”

“But he’s better than me and I can’t measure up to him.” Roy shook his head dismissively. For a moment, you wondered you disappointed him. “It doesn’t matter what Fullmetal is, (Y/n). He’s strong, I admit, but the most hot-headed kid I’ve ever met. Unlike him out, you never let emotions blind your choices. That’s something Fullmetal can’t do. As for strength, you don’t need that.”

He smiled a little and it was so warm. It wasn’t everyday you got to see this side of Roy. He was always caught up in paperwork, plans, and looking after what he worked so hard to accomplish. “You have enough wits to outsmart me. Remember that time Fullmetal challenged me to a match?”

You nodded. “I joined because I didn’t think he could handle it. Ed didn’t want my help, but I ended up coming along anyway.” A smug smirk made its way up Roy’s lips. “And who lasted the longest?”

“Me.”

“And why was that?”

"Because I read your attack patterns?" You uncertainly replied. Roy frowned. "Say it like you mean it."

"Because I read your attack patterns." you repeated. An approving look made its way up your dad's face. "Exactly. Fullmetal has wit, but you are a much more terrifying opponent." You sniffled with a huff. "I'm not--I'm not even close to your level."

"You don't have to be." Roy turned his gaze to the pouring rain, as if he were thinking about how useless his alchemy would be. "If you believed in yourself more, then you will advance farther than you've already come."

That wasn't true. How could you believe in yourself when you felt like an absolute failure? It didn't matter how many successes you've had in the past, because what if they were all flukes? Some day, your luck would run out. Then you'd let your dad down, along with Ed and Al and Hawkeye and Uncle Maes and everyone else you knew.

"You're not a failure, if that's what you're thinking." Roy blurted out. "I couldn't be more proud of how far you've come. The day I met you, I thought I'd fail you. Look where we are now." He laughed a little and it made you relax in his hold. "If you were a failure, you wouldn't have become a reowned State Alchemist. You wouldn't have survived in the most dire times either, and you wouldn't have made me so proud of you."

Your eyes widened. Had you heard him right? You had to be hearing things. Roy met your gaze and smiled warmly. "Yes, I'm proud of you. Why wouldn't I be?" For a moment, you remained still. The gears in your head churned like clockwork, dissecting and rewinding the words Roy had spoken. You tentatively wrapped your arms around Roy's middle.

Yes, I'm proud of you.

You buried your head into his shoulder.

Why wouldn't I be?

And then you cried. Today was nothing short of a bad day, but if you hadn't forgotten your umbrella, gotten ignored by the Elrics, nearly mugged, or showed up late, then you wouldn't have been able to hear those words and the silent I love you's.

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