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steddieasitgoes · 11 months ago

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Pulling triple duty with this one.

Written for @steddiemas Day 29: Holiday Parties and @thefreakandthehair Spicy Six Winter Fanworks Challenge. It's also a holiday sequel to my big bang fic Signed, Sealed Delivered, I'm Yours

My prompt for the Winter Fanworks Challenge was: “If I wear that sweater to work, my boss will kill me."

Tags: Established relationships, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Mailman Steve, Platonic Soulmate Steve Harrington & Robin Buckley, Slice of Life

wc: 4003 | Rating: T

Read on ao3 | ao3 collection

The Brookbridge Post Office holiday party is a tradition that dates back long before Steve joined the ranks. Every year Warren splurges on renting out a private room at a restaurant or banquet hall before passing all the planning off to his assistant of the month. The only rule, as far as Steve’s aware, is that it has to be tied to some charity organization so that he can write the whole thing off later.

This year is no different as the invitation he finds shoved into his work locker has the Toys for Tots logo front and center. What is different is the attire section that requests all guests break out their best holiday sweaters for the occasion.

Steve’s not sure what constitutes a holiday sweater, but he has a closet full of knit red and green ones that’ll surely work. No sweat off his back. Especially since he’s also done with the toy shopping.

The holiday party isn’t Steve’s favorite way to spend a random Saturday in December, but he always sucks it up and goes. Usually drags Robin along with him so they can stand in the corner getting drunk off free drinks while making fun of Tommy and his gang of mini-me’s as they try to hit on everyone’s plus ones.

It’s not the highlight of their holiday season by any means, but it's a tradition they’ve had going for years now. One he’s not sure he wants to break this year even though he could take Eddie as his romantic plus one. Which is exactly what he tells Robin during their Saturday movie marathon.

They’re sprawled out on the couch, Dumpster between them, with Christmas Vacation playing in the background. They’ve seen it enough times to quote the entire thing from memory so neither minds the interruption. It’s not like they ever actually watch movies on their Saturday movie afternoons anyway.

“Are you kidding me, Steve?” Robin snorts, lobbing a pillow at his head. “Of course, you’re taking Eddie!”

“But we always go together.”

“Only because you never have a date!”

“So, what? You’ve been going all these years as my pity plus one?” Steve asks, nudging her with his knee.

“I’m sorry, did you think I liked hanging out in some stuffy banquet hall listening to Hagan and his little groupies try to hit on me?”

“Don’t forget the year Warren hit on you.” Robin retches, startling Dumpster from her slumber. The cat yawns before slowly climbing off the couch and down the hallway in search of somewhere quieter to sleep.

“Take Eddie. It’ll be fun!”

“Don’t you think two months of dating is too soon to be taking him to work events?”

This time it’s Robin’s bony knee that jabs into the meaty flesh of his thigh.“Jesus, Robs,” he hisses, pulling the hem of his shorts up to check for instant bruising.

“You’re dumber than I thought if you really think you and Eddie have only been dating for two months. What about all those months before, huh?” Steve doesn’t say anything, just rolls his eyes in silent protest. She’s not wrong, but she’s not right either. “Besides, it’s not like he hasn’t already met some of the people from work when he goes to the post office.”

“I mean, yeah, I guess you’re right,” Steve sighs. Still, there’s something lingering in the pit of his stomach. A gnawing, unpleasant weight that he can’t shake. He takes a moment to collect his thoughts before he brings a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Tommy’s going to be there, though.”

The same Tommy who has been a Grade-A douchebag since getting removed from Steve’s route and put back on sorter/greeter duty. Steve’s not sure why he doesn’t just quit if he’s so miserable but every day he finds himself on the receiving end of a lackluster death glare.

Also, the same Tommy who gave Eddie the nickname “Mr. Dreamy.” The same Tommy who relentlessly hit on Eddie until he finally got thrown out of his house once and for all.

The same Tommy who has no idea that the guy Steve is seeing, because yes, Tommy knows Steve is seeing someone and teases him about it daily, is said, Mr. Dreamy.

Bringing Eddie into that is a recipe for disaster. One Steve’s not sure he even wants to subject himself to, let alone Eddie.

“On second thought,” Robin says, scrambling to sit up. “Can you take two guests? I will suffer the gross gazes and bad pick-up lines of your male coworkers just so I can see Hagan’s face fall when he realizes you’re dating the guy he was after.”

Steve laughs despite himself, shaking his head. If there’s one thing Robin loves, it’s being a fly on the wall for some good, old-fashioned drama.

📬 🎄 📬

With Robin officially denying his plus-one invitation, Steve sets out to ask Eddie.

It’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, he knows this, but something about it also feels like a Big Deal — with a capital B and D. Sure, they’ve branched out from their routine lunch dates — they have a standing Sunday brunch double date with the girls and make a point to go out at least once during the week, plus Steve regularly stops by the shop now, but it's different inviting Eddie to go to a work event with him.

It’s another step in their relationship.

One toward a more permanent future and Steve doesn’t want to fuck it up by scaring Eddie away.

So he spends a week testing the waters. Asks Eddie about his holiday plans over Toasty Treats’ legendary holiday turkey sandwich on Tuesday. Brings up Tommy’s latest fuck up over chili leftovers on Thursday to gage Eddie’s feelings about him (“Jesus H. Christ he really is an idiot,” he laughs, clearly poking fun, but not in the teasing way he does with Steve that always makes his cheeks heat up). During brunch on Sunday, he goads Robin into sharing a fun anecdote from last year's party where one too many cocktails had her and Steve taking over the karaoke machine serenading guests all night with off-key renditions of Christmas carols.

When Steve steals a glance at Eddie he finds him smiling and laughing along with the story.

And just like that the seed is planted.

Steve finally gets the courage to ask the question he’s been dancing around for a week on Tuesday over leftover Chinese takeout.

“Course I’ll be your plus-one, Stevie,” Eddie answers mouthful of Chow-Mien. “I’ll be your plus-one anytime, anywhere, any��”

“Alright, you sap,” Steve laughs, leaning over the table to steal a kiss.

“Does this mean I’m finally going to see the back room where the mail sorter fairies work?”

“Unfortunately not. The party’s at the banquet hall in town.”

“Dammit,” Eddie sighs.

“Oh, and you have to wear a Christmas sweater.”

“Love me a good theme!”

📬 🎄 📬

Turns out, what Steve considers a Christmas sweater is very different from what Eddie considers a Christmas sweater. A fact he’s currently in the midst of learning as he glances around Eddie’s bedroom.

“Stevie, sweetheart, love of my life,” Eddie says, clasping his hands in front of him as he rocks on the balls of his feet. “That is not a Christmas sweater.”

Steve glances down at the knit sweater he’s wearing before fisting the hem and pulling it away from his chest to get a better look. He’s not sure what Eddie’s talking about. It’s totally a Christmas sweater!

“Yeah it is, Eds,” he defends. “It has a reindeer and a tree on it. That’s pretty Christmas.”

Eddie gawks for a moment before scrubbing a hand down his face. Steve knows he only does that when he’s frustrated so he braces for whatever he’s going to say.

“Objectively speaking, yes, it is a Christmas sweater. But it’s also not a Christmas sweater.”

This time it’s Steve who gawks at Eddie. He’s used to Eddie getting worked up over random things, but this is a new one. “Okay Christmas Sweater expert, what is an appropriate Christmas sweater then.”

“I’m glad you asked,” Eddie grins before stalking over to the pile of clothes on his bed. He shuffles through the clothes for a moment, tossing a few shirts to the wayside before he shouts victoriously and turns around clutching a red sweater in his hands. “Now this is a Christmas sweater.”

Steve can’t help the cackle that escapes him the minute his eyes land on the sweater. It’s a red monstrosity with an upside-down snowman sprawled out over the entire thing. A plastic carrot of some sort protrudes off and hanhs low, blending with the tinsel on the hat and two blue ornament balls that also dangle low

“If I wear that sweater to work, my boss will kill me,” Steve says through laughter.

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad!”

“Eddie!” Steve squawks, brows knitted together. “It’s literally a dick and balls!”

“Warren is a buzz kill,” Eddie sighs, tossing the sweater aside. Without another word, he reaches for another sweater from the mess on his bed and turns around. “What about this one?”

This one is green with a gingerbread man smiling in the middle. It looks innocent enough except for the fact that the gingerbread has bloodshot eyes and the words “let’s get baked” are stitched in big white letters followed by a marijuana leaf.

“Are you trying to get me fired? Again!”

“Hey,” Eddie scolds playfully. “I didn’t get you fired, I got you demoted. And we agreed it was both our fault. Don’t be putting the blame on me! Besides I’m just sticking with the theme.”

“Baby, the theme is Christmas sweaters not whatever this is,” Steve says waving his hands in the air.

“These are Christmas sweaters.”

“I mean, yeah, they’re technically Christmas sweaters but they’re not appropriate!” Steve laughs. “Where did you even find them?”

“Are you forgetting I work with artists all day? Me and the guys make them.”

“You made these?” Steve asks, snatching the sweater from his hands to get a better look.

Up close it's easier to tell that they’re homemade. The stitches are slightly askew, a missing thread or two here and there. Overall though they’re store-like quality. He didn’t even know Eddie could sew let alone sew an entire inappropriate Christmas sweater. If the tattooing thing doesn’t work out, maybe he and the Hellfire guys should start a clothing line.

“That’s pretty impressive actually.”

“So, does that mean you’ll wear one?”

“To my work party? Absolutely not,” Steve laughs.

“Come on,” Eddie whines. “Nowhere on that invite does it say it has to be appropriate!”

“I’m pretty sure it’s implied! Maybe you can get away with that at the shop's holiday parties, but Brookbridge is full of stuck-up employees. Warren might be sleeping with his assistant but I don’t think he’ll appreciate this,” Steve says, lifting the gingerbread sweater.

“I guess that means I should change then.”

“Wait, you’re wearing one of these right now?” Eddie nods, coaxing another chuckle from Steve. “What does yours look like?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

With eyes shining with mirth and that crooked smile, Steve loves so much, Eddie slowly peels off his leather jacket revealing the Christmas sweater he’s been wearing. It’s hunter-green and looks incredibly soft to the touch. Unfortunately, the words “Well Hung” are stitched in a bright green across the chest. Four baubles are stitched on underneath in various sizes trying their best to make the phrase Christmas-appropriate instead of the innuendo it is.

“Oh my god,” Steve wheezes, doubling over in laughter. It takes him a minute to compose himself and when he does Eddie is standing there beaming with pride. “S’clever and definitely true.” Eddie’s smile grows even wider at that. “But yeah, I think you should change, baby.”

“Ugh, you’re no fun,” Eddie groans.

“Hey, I’m plenty fun,” he says, quickly closing the distance between them. Steve gets his hands on Eddie, wrapping them around his middle and pulling him flush with his chest before searing a kiss to his lips. “But I don’t want to give Tommy any ideas. Don’t think he’d back off if he saw you advertising yourself like this.”

Eddie hums in consideration before reluctantly agreeing. Wiggling out of Steve’s grasp, he yanks the sweater off and tosses it onto the bed with the other rejected sweaters. Then, he sulks over to his closet to search for another sweater. A few minutes pass, nothing but the sounds of plastic hangers clanging against the metal rod filling the room before Eddie turns around with a huff.

“So, turns out I don’t have any appropriate Christmas sweaters.”

Steve laughs, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, I have a spare lying around. We’ll just stop by my place before heading over.”

📬 🎄 📬

They get intercepted by Debbie as they’re trying to leave, costing them an extra ten minutes they don’t have to spare. That added with the detour to Steve’s place and the inevitable quickie that follows when they realize Robin isn’t home makes them an hour late to the party.

But it’s not a big deal. Hardly anyone but Betty even realizes they’re late. And the only reason she notices is because she’s smoking outside the door when they get there.

“You clean up nice,” she says like she does every holiday party. Tossing the cigarette to the floor, she snubs it out with the toe of her boots before slowly dragging her eyes up Eddie. “You do too, Eddie, right?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m Eddie. And thank you, ma’am.”

Betty tsks, waving her hand in the air. “None of this ma’am crap. Just Betty is fine. Steve’s told me lots about you. Have you made a decision on that P.O. Box yet?”

Steve has to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from snorting. That day doesn’t leave the best taste in his mouth considering how it ended, but it did start out with a lot of promise.

“Oh, uh, I don’t think it’s for me. S’much easier to have my mail delivered to me. Especially when he’s doing it.”

Betty glances at Steve and gives him another slow once over before winking at the both of them. “M’sure it is,” she laughs. “You boys better get in there. Don’t want to miss the fun.”

📬 🎄 📬

The banquet hall is decorated just as it always is. A giant Christmas tree sits in the middle. A handful of tables surround a small dance floor. There’s a buffet of food on one end, the donation table on the other. A small band is set up on stage, serenading the crowd with a mix of Top 40s and holiday hits. No karaoke machine this year much to Eddie’s chagrin.

After a round of drinks, Steve gets to mingling, introducing Eddie to the handful of coworkers he actually likes. The introductions are brief and his co-workers are quick to share embarrassing stories about Steve’s early days on the job with Eddie who listens and laughs along.

Eventually, Warren finds them, his wife draped lovingly on his arm while his assistant throws daggers his way from the bar. Steve puts on his best smile and expertly navigates the small talk, making a point to compliment Warren’s wife and joke about her being out of his league. Warren’s quick to excuse the both of them after that.

“He gives me the creeps,” Eddie shivers, watching as he guides his wife through the sea of people with a hand on the small of her back all the while making eyes with his assistant across the room.

“He’s definitely a douchebag,” Steve agrees.

He takes a sip of his drink as he scans the room. They’ve been here for almost two hours now and he hasn’t spotted Tommy once. Usually, he’s the center of attention at these things. Dancing up a storm and making it a point to flirt with everyone’s plus ones. Maybe he’s already staked his claim on someone and is getting lucky in the bathroom, Steve thinks before shaking the thought from his head. Who is he kidding, Tommy doesn’t have that kind of luck.

If he’s honest with himself, he’s sort of bummed that Tommy hasn’t made his presence known to him yet. Not because he wants to see him, he’d be happy going the rest of his life without having to share the same room with the guy, but because he wants to show Eddie off. And, okay, maybe he also wants to see Tommy’s face fall like Robin wanted to.

📬 🎄 📬

Steve is swaying with Eddie on the dance floor when the devil that is Tommy shithead Hagan finally materializes. He’s beyond tipsy, uneven on his feet, and freckled face flushed redder than Steve’s ever seen it. His eyes are glossy and his lips are curled in a way that sends alarm bells blaring in Steve’s head.

Trouble is afoot.

Afoot? Christ he’s spending too much time with Eddie.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Harrington.” He practically spits before whipping his head to stare at Eddie. “And oh, look what the postman dragged in. Yesterday’s mail!”

“I’m sorry,” Eddie says, taking a step toward Tommy. He gives Steve a mischievous look before cocking his head to the side as he gives Tommy his full attention. “Do I know you?”

“Oh don’t play coy in front of your little boy toy, darling,” Tommy slurs, reaching out to rest a hand on Eddie’s shoulder.

It takes all the strength in Steve’s body not to reach out and yank his arm away. Thankfully, Eddie does it for him, shrugging the offending hand off with more force than necessary.

“Oh come on,” Tommy scoffs, more of a whine than anything else. “Don’t pretend like we didn’t have the best times when Harrington got himself demoted. What’s it like getting my sloppy seconds, Harrington?”

“Watch it, Tommy,” Steve scolds, taking a step closer to Hagan. He’s not going to make a scene, he’s not. But he’s also not going to stand here and let him talk about Eddie like that.

Eddie scoffs, shaking his head. “If I’m anyone’s sloppy seconds I’m Steve’s. And they are very sloppy if you catch my drift.”

Steve bites the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He knows he shouldn’t encourage this, but it's hard to be the bigger person when Tommy is standing right there purposely antagonizing him for his own gain. Sue him for wanting to play the game just a little.

“Sorry, Tommy, but Eds here is right,” Steve says, placing a delicate hand on Eddie’s shoulder before squeezing it. “Don’t you remember, I got demoted for hooking up with a “bombshell” in the van? Well, guess what, you’re looking at him.”

“That— that’s not what happened,” Tommy says, directing his words at Steve, not Eddie. “You weren’t with him! Aaron said you were with…”

Steve watches the metaphorical gears turning in Tommy’s head as he trails off. Can tell the moment things start clicking. He really had no clue that the guy Steve had been seeing was Eddie. Steve watches the stunned look spread across his face the same way it spread across his all those months ago when he caught Tommy leaving Eddie’s place. The gross realization that they actually do have the same type after all.

“Why don’t you keep moving Hagan,” Steve says, nodding his head in the opposite direction.

“Nah, I think I’m good right here, actually,” he says, confidence returning.

This guy just doesn’t know when to quit.

“Tommy seriously,” Steve tries again. “Go bother someone else. We’re not interested.”

“Oh, so you’re speaking for him now too?”

“Please,” Eddie scoffs. “You know I’m not interested in you. Never have been and never will be.”

That does it.

Steve sees the moment Tommy’s confident facade breaks. The rosiness of his cheeks grows into an angry red, flooding his body. His eyes, once glossy, are now laser-sharp and squinted. His fingers curl into fists at his side as he readies himself.

Steve’s faster though, stepping in front of Eddie at the same moment Tommy lunges. It would be easy to put an end to this once and for all. Give Tommy the gift of a black eye or bruised rib with one skilled punch that Steve would love to throw. But Tommy shithead Hagan isn’t worth losing his job for, so he reigns in his own anger and instead gets his palms on Tommy’s chest to hold him back.

“Don’t be stupid, Hagan,” Steve says. “Warren’s watching. Do you really want to lose your job for good this time?”

The words are supposed to knock some sense into the guy, calm him down. But it does the opposite, riling him up even more until Steve can practically feel his skin vibrating under his hands. Thankfully, Aaron and the rest of his minions are there in an instant, pulling him away and holding him back.

They try their best to calm him down but Steve can see Tommy’s anger growing by the second. He’s only seen him this angry once before — two months ago when Warren removed him from the route. He doesn’t need to see an encore performance so instead he reaches for Eddie’s hand and drags them away from the impending doom.

📬 🎄 📬

“Part of me still thinks you should have let him have it,” Eddie laughs, shoveling a mouthful of chocolate chip pancakes into his mouth.

“Tommy’s not worth it.”

“I would have been so pissed if I missed you deck him,” Robin says, working her way through her own mountain of pancakes.

“That’s the real reason you didn’t punch him, isn’t it?” Eddie teases.

“Oh yeah,” Steve deadpans, rolling his eyes. “Promised Robin I wouldn’t punch anyone unless she was there to witness it.”

“Does she also have to refrain from punching people,” Chrissy asks.

Robin shakes her head. “Why? Is there someone I need to punch in your honor?”

“Not yet,” Chrissy says, nuzzling into her side. “But if Eddie makes us go to the Birchwood Holiday party in these tonight, you might need to. Debbie’s nephew is in town and he keeps staring at me from the window.”

“Again with the sweaters,” Eddie huffs, letting his fork clatter to the table. “They’re cozy and hilarious. You guys are just boring! Besides, people are going to love my sweater. You’ll see. They’re going to be all the rage one day.”

“Debbie already thinks they are,” Chrissy giggles. “I saw her wearing the one that says “I’m So Good Santa Came Twice” the other day while she was taking out the trash.”

“You gave Debbie one?” Steve shouts, nearly spitting out his orange juice in the process. Robin does spit out her drink, through her nose as usual as she chokes on her own laughter.

“She cornered me and I panicked! I didn’t think she’d wear it!”

“Look on the bright side, Eddie,” Robin says between shrieks of laughter. “With Debbie’s help, every suburban mom in Brookbridge will be walking around in one by next Christmas.”

“It’s a good thing you know a great delivery man,” Steve teases. “Because they’re going to be flying off the shelves.”

“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” he groans.

As the table erupts into another fit of laughter, Steve can’t help but tug Eddie towards him before giving him a soft, syrup-infused kiss. And if he whispers something about feeling inspired by the inappropriate sweater Eddie’s picked out for him to wear later, well, that’s between him and Eddie and whoever’s bedroom they end up in when they leave Murray’s.

Besides, he still owes him for not punching Tommy himself at that holiday party.

And Steve always delivers.

#steddiemas #steddie #steddie fic #steddie ficlet #SpicySixWinterFanworksChallenge #steve harrington #steve harrington fic #steve harrington ficlet #eddie munson #eddie munson fic #eddie munson ficlet #eddie munson fan fic #eddie fic #steve fic #stranger things #stranger things fic #dani writes

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badhockeymom · 6 months ago

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Cup Besties talking

It's about this ⤵

And this ⤴

Can't recommend this enough if you know any Finnish. They were veteran dad and rookie son, winning the most coveted prize in the hockey world, one to start off his NHL career, one to finally get the crown on his before retiring.

This is just the beginning of the roughly 1,5 hour conversation of Teuvo as a guest on Kimmo Timonen's and Antti Mäkinen's podcast. Teuvo's deadpan sarcasm and his subtle chuckles that soften his wry chirps and self-mockery work like a charm, sending his forty-something hosts into fits of laughter.

May be continued but let me put this out there first.

Kimmo: Our next guest hails from Helsinki. He's full 29 years old, but still has the face of a child. He goes by the nickname Turbo, which I don't understand, because he isn't that fast. A produce of the Jokerit, he has got, among other accolades, the Finnish rookie of the year award. From Jokerit, he went to Chicago, where we won the Stanley Cup together in 2015. Nowadays he plays for the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Sebastian Aho. Welcome, my good friend, Teuvo Teukka Teräväinen, to the Kimanttia podcast!

Teuvo: Thanks a lot, (chuckle) nice to be here even though you forced me to come.

Kimmo: (laugs) For your information, listeners, I've tried to goad Teukka for a guest appearance for two or three years, but he has always, always declined before now. It's good, it's great to hear your voice, man.

Antti (co-host Antti Mäkinen): I was so sure that Teuvo has been on the show but it's great that you're there now.

Teuvo: Yes, I always say to Kime that someday I'll come, and now I felt it's time.

Kimmo: Are you in Finland, Teukka?

Teuvo: Yes, a few days ago. I came straight to the cottage, it's nice to wind down for a few days here. Nothing special.

(They go on asking if Teuvo has watched the Worlds, he reminds the hosts that Canes were still playing when the games started.)

Kimmo: I wanted to ask, before we start going through your career, how long are you staying in Finland, and will you spend time at the cottage or do you have plans?

Teuvo: I usually head back to the States in the beginning of September, to settle down a little before the camp starts. In Finland, this summer will be quite busy, all my weekends are pretty much locked down, I have so many weddings and bachelor parties this summer.

Kimmo: Oh, you're getting married? I haven't got an invitation.

Teuvo: Yeah, multiple times. (Antti and Kimmo laugh) No, fortunately it isn't my wedding. They're nice events, but they do take up your time.

Kimmo: Yes they do, weekends come and go.

(Antti tells a story about a golf live stream during the covid lockdown, where Teuvo played against Patrik Laine. Both played well but in the end, Teuvo lost. He left the course with very few words, and after an half an hour, posted a pic of his golf bag on his Instagram story, captioned "Clubs for sale")

Teuvo: I remember that. It's what it is, it's never nice to lose.

Kimmo: (laughs) That sounds familiar because I've also sometimes played golf with Teukka, and the round has gone fine, and he says, I'm quitting this game.

Teuvo: Yeah... We've played tennis, too.

Antti: How do you do against him in tennis, can you hold your own?

Teuvo: Well, I don't think i've yet won Kime, at least on his home court.

Kimmo: Well now, there we heard the truth.

Teuvo: But now i have my own homecourt here at the cottage, you're welcome to challenge me here.

Kimmo: (softly) I must come over.

Teuvo: On my own court I haven't lost to anyone else but Henkka Kontinen who's a pretty good player. (Pro tennis player, doubles specialist, career high rank 1 in doubles)

Kimmo: Oh. I'll have to come and challenge you this summer.

Teuvo: You'll have to.

Antti: Hey, that guy is a professional at that tennis hobby of his, he does have an advance.

Teuvo: Or used to be, he hadn't been playing for a full year when he defeated me.

~~~

So, that's just the first five minutes.

A little extra treat from the next segment:

Kimmo: I did some research about your junior years, and it said you started on Helsingin Kojootit (Helsinki Coyotes). Where's Helsingin Kojootit?

Teuvo: It's -- in Helsinki. (chuckles.) Like it says, Helsingin Kojootit, how didn't you pick it up from the name?

(Laughter, Antti is dying)

#kimanttia #is there a subtext here? like?? i'm open to discuss.#teuvo #teuvo teräväinen #kimmo timonen #my translation #link in finnish #podcast link

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seangelfish · 7 months ago

Note

#Sil300Special hii I hope there is still some space ay, I was wondering if I could request headcanons for cozmez with a s/o fem who is a children's entertainer ^^ well that would be all jeje tkm and congratulations *hugg* <33

Here's the first request for the event!! Thank you so much for your request for my 300 followers event! ♡(>ᴗ•) Your request is ranked 8th, so there isn't a gift this time around, but thank you for participating nevertheless~ 💕

THEIR S/O AS A CHILDREN'S ENTERTAINER

Featured characters: Kanata Yatonokami, Nayuta Yatonokami

♡ Tags: Headcanons/bulletpoint fic, fluff, casual romance, established relationships, fem reader

♡ Word count: 559 (Kanata), 467 (Nayuta)

♡ A/N: I loved writing this. It was the sweetest thing. I hope everyone enjoys! (˚ ˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥ )♡

Kanata doesn't care how you make your money, but he does get intrigued when you would always come home to him with candy and confetti in your pockets.

"Look at my haul today, Kanata!" you exclaimed, dropping all the candy onto his lap. "Let's try some–"

"Oi..." he said, annoyed at the fact you just dumped all your sweets on him. "We can't eat these until after dinner, y'know?"

You were always so happy whenever you'd show him what the kids had given you that day, describing how the parties went that in the end, it made Kanata want to attend these events to see you in action too.

He had never seen you working before because your usual gigs were children's parties, but there were times you'd work at public events that were usually hosted in the middle of the city.

You had informed him about your current event beforehand, so he went to visit you after working his own jobs set by Iori.

But when he arrived, he didn't see you anywhere. Sure, there were balloons and kids everywhere and that big, fluffy bunny mascot that you couldn't miss, but you, his girlfriend, wasn't there.

"Ehhh... where is she?"

Kanata stayed for a few minutes, eyeing the happy faces of kids who were given balloons by the bunny, but he came here for you, not some middle-aged man in a rabbit costume.

He was about to leave until the bunny ran over to him. It took his hand and tried giving him a balloon.

"Argh... No thanks, I'm fine," he uttered. He was kind of embarrassed that the bunny went over to him and made him the centre of attention. "No, seriously. I don't want it."

But the bunny was reluctant. You were reluctant. Urging your boyfriend to take the balloon was hard when he was being so stubborn.

"Just take the balloon, Kanata!" you cried under the layers of fabric and foam. You jumped up and down in frustration as the balloon followed your movements.

And for some reason, this was what got Kanata to accept the balloon. "Okay, fine..." he sighed, but a smile appeared on his face. "Thanks... (Y/N)."

You had told him you were going to be working as a mascot this time around, but it seems that Kanata didn't take that information in until the last second.

But you were content that he finally accepted your balloon, so you continued to do your job of entertaining the kids.

When your shift was over, Kanata was waiting for you with the string in between his fingers. He looked adorable sitting there with the balloon you gave him.

"Kanata, I'm done!" you said, engulfing him in a hug. You had changed out of your mascot costume so you were free to talk to him normally. "I'm glad you came!"

With his other hand, he hugged you back. "Yeah... I didn't expect that mascot to be you though," he confessed. "Not until you started stomping like that, haha."

"Was that how you recognised it was me...?" you questioned in offence. But you laughed as you linked arms with him, ready to go home. “But I was a cute bunny, wasn’t I?”

“Mm, the cutest,” he agreed. “Do I still have to hold onto this balloon though…?”

“Of course! I gifted it to you after all!”

Nayuta thinks it’s pretty cool that you’re a children’s entertainer. But to be honest, he always thinks you're cool.

Since he can't see you at work, he's still content with the fact you can show him pictures and videos of you performing. He always has something cute to say about how you dress or the way you speak to the kids.

"Your outfit's really... interesting... but you look adorable, haha."

But he does want to see you work in person one day. The two of you don't know how that is possible though, but an opportunity arose when one of the kid's parties was held at the park.

"Nayuta, you can help me set up the activities," you said. "It'll be fun!"

"Sure, but do I have to wear those costumes too...?"

"Of course you do! It's part of being a children's entertainer!"

Nayuta barely wore such absurd and bright colours, but you thought he looked adorable. He looked like a little kid in his primary-coloured outfits and polka dots.

"Hehe, smile!" you chirped, taking a pic of your boyfriend.

"H-Hey! Delete that!"

"No way! You look so cute! Plus this is something to be remembered."

Nayuta scoffed under his breath, but he didn't press on further. You did look really happy.

"Fine," he breathed as he flicked your forehead with a small smile. "Just don't show anyone else, okay?"

When it was time to entertain the kids, Nayuta helped you out with the activities you had planned for them beforehand. He was exceptional when speaking to the little ones and it surprised you a little.

But he was terrible at making balloon animals, so he just sat there and watched you do it.

For most of the time that he was there, he admired you, watching you in awe and in love that you could be so energetic and humorous.

At home, you were the complete opposite. Sure, you were energetic, but this was a whole different level. The kids loved how entertaining and fun you were that the atmosphere Nayuta was occupying felt so cozy and warm, something that he didn't get to experience when he was a kid.

"Thanks for helping me out, Nayuta!" you exclaimed. "Did you have fun?"

Nayuta nodded as he carried a little party bag filled with candy in one hand whilst the other carried yours.

"Haha, yeah I did," he said, but continued softly. "I'm glad I got to experience that one way or another..."

"Hmm?"

"Nothing~"

Despite helping you out that one time, Nayuta concluded that he just wasn't fit to be a children's entertainer, but he loved that you were one, so that was all that mattered.

And yet he still loved hearing your stories and watching videos of you performing. He'll never get tired of those.

Intro page | Paradox Live masterlist | #Sil300Special!

#sil300special #paradox live x reader #paralive x reader #cozmez x reader #kanata yatonokami x reader #nayuta yatonokami x reader #kanata yatonokami #nayuta yatonokami #fanfic #imagines #headcanons #one shots

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allari-ammayi · 1 year ago

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Butta Bomma

A. Bahubali x Reader x B. Deva

The Snarky Prince

Synopsis: An esteemed and grand Pooja is held in Mahismati which only the highest and greatest of the kingdom can attend. Y/n is invited to this grand event, and being oblivious to the mannerisms and traditions, struggles to navigate through the Pooja's rituals, earning her endless teasing and snarky remarks from the elder prince, much to her displeasure. Following the Pooja, Y/n reencounters a face from her time, a separate mystery of a Prince's soft spot opens up and some bad news is broken to Y/n.

3.7k Words

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Magically materialising infront of the elder prince of Mahismathi, suffering through a harsh interogationg and getting on the queen’s good side sure had it’s perks when Y/n was being made to attend a private Pooja held by the royal family, attended only by very high-ranking individuals and royal council members.

As Y/n entered the grand chamber where the Pooja was taking place, led by servants, she was immediately struck by its opulence and the air of reverence that surrounded the ceremony.

The room was adorned with intricate decorations, and the fragrance of incense filled the air. She took a moment to observe the guests, many of whom were adorned in richly embroidered attire.

The Pooja began, and Y/n found herself seated in close proximity to the princes. As she was led to her designated spot, she momentarily hesitated, not quite sure whether to sit on the floor or in one of the grand chairs alongside Bhallaladeva and Bahubali.

Her uncertainty did not go unnoticed by the palace attendees, who exchanged knowing glances.

Bhallaladeva, ever the observer, couldn't resist seizing the opportunity for a snarky comment. With a smirk, he leaned towards Y/n and whispered,

"You know, in Mahishmati, we usually sit on chairs like civilized people, not on the floor like monkeys." His playful nickname for her, 'monkey,' which had been coined during her fruit-gathering escapade, got on Y/n’s nerves.

Y/n, refusing to let Bhalla's teasing go unanswered, sent him a sidelong glance and retorted just as quietly,

"Well, Your Highness, it's not every day I get to feel like a monkey in a palace. But I suppose I can give the chair a try." With that, she smoothly settled into the grand chair, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

"Ah, I see you're willing to adapt, even if it means leaving behind your primitive ways." Y/n couldn't resist a grimace.

"Well, I'm nothing if not adaptable, Your Highness. I've even learned to tolerate the company of royal brats." Bhallaladeva rolled his eyes at her response.

“Watch your tongue, Monkey.” He warned, but Y/n took no word.

"Well, I must admit, the palace furniture does tend to be more comfortable than tree branches.” Y/n leaned back in the chair, smirking. "You should try it sometime, Your Highness. It's good for building character."

It took Bhallaladeva a few seconds of thought about Y/n’s words before he gasped, his eyes wide as he gaped at her smirking face.

“Monkey.” He bitterly said, rolling his eyes.

The Pooja continued, and as the rituals unfolded, Bhallaladeva couldn't resist another opportunity.

"You know, Monkey, you might learn a thing or two about our customs if you paid more attention and less attention to me." Y/n glared at him and his audacity.

"Oh, I've been paying attention, Your Royal Snarkiness. Besides, at least I’m not the one picking a fight every time I see you. Anyway, I've learned that you enjoy making snide remarks almost as much as I do." Bhallaladeva raised an eyebrow.

"Is that so? Perhaps we have more in common than I thought."

“Maybe that, but not holding such grand ceremonies, we don’t.” Y/n motioned around the large event with her eyes.

“You don’t hold grand Poojas where you come from?” Bhallaladeva poked at Y/n with his suggestive words.

"You know, back in my kingdom, we didn't have grand ceremonies to worship deities- well, sometimes, but not as often as Mahismati. We just used… erm… smartphones… and emojis." Bhallaladeva raised an eyebrow, clearly perplexed.

"Smart... what?" Y/n leaned closer, her tone conspiratorial.

"Oh, it's a magical device that lets you talk to people across the world without leaving your throne. You'd probably love it, except there's no room for grand chairs on Twitter. You’d fit right in."

Y/n was internally cackling at herself for her superior humour but grimaced at how Bhallaladeva wouldn’t understand her joke. But oh well, she enjoyed it enough for the both of them.

The prince let out a low, amused chuckle.

"I doubt I'd find such a 'device' of any use, but it seems to have made you quite the expert in... what did you call it? Emojis?"

Y/n grinned mischievously.

"Yes, indeed. I can say more with a single emoji than you can with a royal decree." Bhallaladeva's lips twitched with amusement.

"Is that so? Well then, show me." With a sly wink, Y/n mimicked an exaggerated emoji face, complete with wide eyes and a cheeky grin.

"There you go, Your Highness. That's the 'I'm thoroughly entertained by your snark' emoji. In a sarcastic way, of course."

Bhallaladeva couldn't help but laugh outright, earning a few disapproving glances from the other attendees.

As the Pooja continued, their banter intensified, each comment designed to one-up the other's wit.

Bhallaladeva, with a smirk, leaned in and whispered,

"You know, you're quite audacious for an outsider and a Monkey, sitting in my presence." Y/n shot back with a sly grin,

"Audacious? Well, you should be flattered, Your Highness. Not everyone gets to enjoy the company of someone as charmingly audacious as me." Bhallaladeva raised an eyebrow.

"Charming, you say? I thought I was dealing with a wild monkey." Y/n laughed hollowly.

"Wild monkeys can be charming too, especially when they outsmart the royals."

Their whispered exchange didn't go unnoticed by some of the other attendees, who were trying their best to stifle their laughter.

The Pooja continued, and so did their banter, growing more spirited, each comment a subtle challenge to the other's wit.

During the Pooja, Y/n couldn't help but notice that the priest conducting the ceremony had an unusually high-pitched voice that, on that particular day, seemed almost comically exaggerated. It was as if his voice belonged in a cartoon rather than a royal ceremony.

As the priest continued with his high-pitched chants, a sudden bout of laughter threatened to escape Y/n. She struggled to stifle it, biting her lip to hold back the mirth that bubbled within her. But her valiant efforts were in vain, and a snort of suppressed laughter emerged, much to her chagrin.

Bhallaladeva, ever the vigilant observer, caught wind of her snort, as did the others gathered for the Pooja. A knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though he kept his amusement well hidden, choosing instead to glance away with a subtle shake of his head.

As Y/n was summoned by the priest to approach the sacred fire pit for a ritual, the atmosphere grew tense with anticipation. Her steps, however, were far from the graceful, deliberate movements expected in such a solemn ceremony.

Instead, she sauntered casually, her sari's end swaying as she strolled, completely unaware of the formality required.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Y/n asked, taking a seat next to the fire.

Seated by the sacred fire pit, Y/n greeted the royal priest in an unintentionally informal manner, failing to use the specific, customary formal greeting meant for such occasions. Her actions prompted a variety of reactions from the onlookers.

Amarendra Bahubali, who had observed Y/n's unconventional behaviour throughout the ceremony, couldn't help but stifle a silent chuckle, his eyes twinkling with amusement. In contrast, Bhallaladeva's hand met his face with an audible face-palm, a gesture of exasperation and disbelief.

Y/n, sensing the weight of the room's expectations and her own blunder, glanced awkwardly at the royal brothers. She summoned a hesitant and awkward smile and shrugged, her uncertainty palpable.

“Oh, I mean... um, Priest-sir... or Your greatness?” Y/n stammered, growing increasingly flustered. Bhallaladeva couldn't resist a snarky remark, leaning closer to Y/n and whispering,

“Oh, it's just the guardian of the eternal flame and the messenger of the gods, no need to be formal.” Y/n shot back with a sarcastic smile,

“Right, just a guardian of the eternal flame and the messenger of the gods. No biggie, Your Highness.”

Bahubali, who had been watching the exchange with a mixture of amusement and protectiveness, chimed in,

“Y/n, it's 'Your Holiness.' And don't worry, you'll get the hang of it.” Y/n sighed in relief at Bahubali's reassuring words, grateful for his kindness amid the awkward situation. But she couldn't resist one more dig at Bhallaladeva, who was clearly growing more annoyed.

“See, Your Snarkiness, even the guardian of the eternal flame and the messenger of the gods is forgiving. Maybe you should take a lesson or two from him.”

Bhallaladeva huffed in response, clearly not amused. “I have no desire to become a guardian or messenger of anything, let alone flames.”

The priest, though taken aback by Y/n's informality, decided to play along, finding Y/n’s presence refreashing. He chuckled softly and replied,

"Ah, it seems we have a free spirit among us today." Bhallaladeva couldn't contain his frustration any longer and muttered under his breath,

"Free spirit? More like a loose cannon." Y/n overheard him and couldn't let it slide.

"Well, Your Snarkiness, a loose cannon can make things interesting, can't it?"

Bhallaladeva shot her a withering look. "Interesting is an understatement."

Bahubali, ever the peacemaker, tried to intervene with a smile. "Let's not dwell on formalities for now. Y/n is still learning our ways, and we should be patient."

Y/n turned to Bahubali with a grateful expression. "Thank you, Your Highness. Your brother here isn't making it any easier for me."

Bhallaladeva scoffed. "I'm not here to make things easy for you, Monkey."

Y/n sighed, rolling her eyes again. "Your Snarkiness, you're starting to sound like a broken record. Cut me some slack, will you?"

Bahubali chuckled and placed a reassuring hand on Y/n's shoulder. "Y/n, these customs may seem daunting, but I promise you'll get the hang of them with time."

Y/n turned to Bahubali with a grateful smile, her eyes reflecting her appreciation for his understanding. "Thank you, Your Highness. At least someone here is on my side."

Bhallaladeva couldn't resist a snarky comment. "Yes, it seems our noble prince is quite smitten with our guest from the land of ‘Mexico’."

Bahubali blushed slightly. "It's not about that, Bhalla. It's about showing kindness and patience to our guests."

Y/n chuckled sarcastically. "Why, Your Snarkiness, are you jealous that you're not the centre of attention for once?"

Bhallaladeva's retort was swift. "Hardly, Monkey. I have more important matters to attend to than vying for attention."

“You certainly have a way of keeping things interesting, don't you?” Whispered Bahubali to Y/n.

“I'm trying my best here, but these formalities are like a maze,” Y/n complained with a roll of her eyes. She turned to the priest and gave a bright smile. “Now, your holiness, d’you have me sitting here for any reason?”

Bhalla let out a deep sigh, face-palmed and shook her head slightly, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

“She's going to give me more grey hair than I can handle.” He muttered to himself.

Y/n, overhearing his comment, felt a spark of annoyance and turned her gaze squarely on the prince. “Oh, Your Snarkiness, are you worried about your looks? I wouldn't want to be responsible for that.”

Bhallaladeva shot her a withering look. “It's not about my looks. It's about upholding the dignity of this ceremony.”

"But grey hair? Really, Your Highness? I didn't realize my presence was that taxing on your youthful appearance."

Bhallaladeva met her gaze with an arched eyebrow. "Your presence is taxing in more ways than one, I assure you, Monkey."

Y/n grimaced, "Ah, Your Snarkiness, always the charmer. How do you manage to be so endearing?"

Bahubali, who had been observing the exchange with a protective glint in his eye, couldn't resist intervening. "Enough, you two. This is an important ceremony, and we should show respect to one another."

Y/n turned to Bahubali with a warm smile. "You're right, Your Highness. I apologize if I've caused any disruptions." Bahubali smiled back, just as warmly.

Bhallaladeva, ever the instigator, chimed in. "Apologies won't change the fact that you've disrupted the entire ceremony, Monkey." Y/n narrowed her eyes at Bhallaladeva.

"Don’t say that, Bhalla. We know she didn’t mean to do this, and we don’t blame you, Y/n, or at least I don’t. I know it can be overwhelming, but we'll help you navigate. Besides, it isn’t a big issue." Bahubali, with a kind and protective tone, addressed Y/n, “I don’t know why Bhalla making such a big deal of it,” He added, with a whisper.

Bhallaladeva, noticing Bahubali's protectiveness, couldn't help but roll his eyes slightly. "Always the gallant protector, aren't you, Bahubali?"

"Well, Your Snarkiness, it's nice to have someone who appreciates my company," Y/n said. Bhallaladeva couldn't help but respond with a touch of annoyance, his voice tinged with subtle jealousy. He muttered,

"Appreciates your company a bit too much, if you ask me."

“Let's not argue during the Pooja, shall we? We're here to celebrate and seek blessings, not engage in squabbles.”

Y/n nodded in agreement, but couldn't help but sneak an annoyed glance at Bhallaladeva, adding, “Yes, Your Royal Snarkiness, save your lectures for later. We'll have plenty of time for those.”

Bhallaladeva scoffed and turned his attention back to the ceremony, while Bahubali shot Y/n a warm and reassuring smile.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

As Y/n stood before the mirror, carefully brushing her hair in the quiet of her room, the rhythmic strokes of the brush being the only sound, she was momentarily lost in her own thoughts.

The private Pooja had been an eye-opener for her. She didn’t realise till now just how different how her world and Bahubali’s worlds were.

A sudden knock at the door broke her reverie, and she called for the visitor to enter. When the door swung open, revealing the servant who stood before her, Y/n was stunned, nearly choking on her own surprise.

Hazel locks that were put into a bun and grey familiar eyes caught Y/n’s attention.

"G-Gowri?" Y/n exclaimed, her voice a mix of joy and disbelief.

The woman, who was an unbelievable doppleganger of Gowri, however, introduced herself formally to Y/n, her tone and demeanour lacking the warmth of their previous friendship.

Gowri bowed to Y/n, as a servant would to a master.

“Yes, my name is Gowri, my lady.”

“Gowri…” Y/n breathed out, her eyebrows scrunching in confusion and the tiniest tears welling in her eyes from the joy.

“Yes.” Gowri remained formal, finally standing straight but keeping her head bowed, “I have been sent by the prince to serve you as your new personal servant.” Y/n arched a brow, several things not mixing well in her head.

Why was Gowri acting so weird, which of the princes sent her, did she know about the whole red amulet thing, and why was she being so formal?

“What- Gowri, what’re you saying?” Y/n formed a cracked and confused smile.

“Oh, I have been sent by His Royal Highness to serve as My Lady’s personal maid-servant for the rest of My Lady’s stay at Mahismati.”

“No- That’s not what I meant.” Y/n gulped and stepped towards Gowri, her nose starting to sting with the creeping realisation of something Y/n didn’t want to believe. But Y/n clung to the one bit of hope and put her hands on Gowri’s shoulders. “Do you not remember me, Gowri?”

Y/n stared into Gowri’s eyes, her pooled tears evident and her voice broken.

“No, My lady. I’m afraid we haven’t met before.” Gowri answered, after a second of thought.

This wasn't the same Gowri she had known and cherished.

Y/n, her eyes tinged with disappointment, sighed and said,

"What’ve they done to you..?” Y/n then said something to Gowri that nearly made her lose her composure. “Treat me like a friend, please, not like a master. Which means calling me my name and treating me like an equal." Y/n said as she strolled back to her dressed table.

“What, no I possibly cannot, my Lady. That would mean I’d be showing such disrespect to you, I cannot-” Y/n looked at the stressed Gowri with wide, sad, and teary eyes. Gowri gulped at the look on Y/n face that shattered her heart into several pieces.

“Please…” Y/n begged.

Gowri hesitated for a moment, then her lips curved into a faint smile as she replied, "Of course, Y/n."

Gradually, the formality began to melt away, and their bond started to rekindle. Y/n appreciated the effort Gowri was making to adapt to her wishes.

“Oh, by the way, Gowri,” Y/n asked the two chatted away in front of a plate of cut fruits, “which of the princes sent you to me?” Gowri’s eyes went wide and she realised her blunder.

“Oh- That was a mistake of mine lady, the prince wished to remain anonymous, and yet I accidentally revealed his ranking.”

“Anonymous?” Y/n ached a brow.

“Yes. The prince requested that a high maid-servant be sent to My Lady to serve her as a personal maid-servant.” Y/n gasped and jumped slightly.

"Oh, Gowri, please tell me!" Y/n pleaded, desperation seeping into her voice. She clasped her hands togetherl. "Please! I promise I won't tell them you told me!"

Gowri, on the other hand, appeared distressed by the predicament she found herself in. Her nervousness was palpable, and she nibbled on her nails in a futile attempt to calm her frayed nerves.

"I really mustn't- He'd- He'd- Oh, My Lady-” Gowri's voice quivered with uncertainty as she implored Y/n not to push further.

But Y/n was not one to give up easily, especially when faced with such a mystery.

"Come on, just a tiny hint, pretty please? You know how much I love a good mystery." She leaned in closer to Gowri, her eyes sparkling with playful anticipation.

Gowri squirmed in her seat, clearly torn between her loyalty to her lady and the weight of her secret.

“Well, I suppose I could say that... one of them seems to have a particular soft spot for your fiery spirit."

Y/n's interest was piqued, and she couldn't help but smile at the vague hint.

“A soft spot, you say? Now, that's a clue worth pondering over, isn't it?"

Gowri nodded timidly, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and anxiety.

"But My Lady, please, you mustn't tell anyone I said anything."

"Cross my heart, Gowri, not a word to anyone." Y/n made a solemn promise, sealing their secret with a conspiratorial wink. "Now, let's get back to this delicious fruit."

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Amidst their conversation, Gowri conveyed a message from Prince Bhallaladeva, which caught Y/n off guard. Bhallaladeva had arranged for her to have etiquette lessons. Annoyance flickered in Y/n's eyes at the thought of Bhalla's involvement, but she reluctantly agreed, realizing that it was necessary for her to navigate the complexities of her new life in Mahishmati.

"Etiquette lessons, Gowri? Are you serious?" Y/n groaned, rolling her eyes. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Gowri chuckled softly, saying, "It seems the prince believes it's important for you to fit in here. Besides, it might not be as bad as you think."

Y/n sighed in resignation. "Well, let's hope they don't turn me into a completely different person. Imagine how it would be if they sucked the life out of me and turned me into a ‘His Royal Snarkiness’ clone.” Gowri stifled a chuckle.

“You know, I think the prince had pure intentions. He saw how you struggled during the pooja, and despite how much you two bicker, he seems to genuinely want to help.”

“Don’t be silly, Gowri,” Y/n said, with a roll of her eyes.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The day following the Pooja, Y/n began her etiquette lessons. The instructor chosen by the palace, or rather the nosy prince was a woman of unyielding traditionalism. With an air of stern authority, she left no room for error and demanded nothing short of perfection.

Y/n listened attentively, eager to absorb the knowledge that would help her navigate the intricacies of her new life.

However, her first lesson ended on a rather tragic note. As Y/n attempted to replicate the graceful gestures and postures the instructor demonstrated, her movements were far from flawless.

The instructor's severe gaze never wavered, and soon enough, she couldn't contain her displeasure any longer.

With a sharp tone, the instructor scolded Y/n, making her aware of every misstep and misinterpretation of courtly conduct.

But Y/n knew one thing for sure: The next she would see Bhallaladeva, she would surely need to hold herself back from pouncing on him, pulling his hair and hacking the man into several pieces from the rage and frustration.

♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡•♡

Taglist: @vellipo-mellaga, @bitchy-bi-trash, @vijayasena, @sakhiiii, @celestesinsight (If you would like to join the taglist, please let me know in the replies!)

#telugu #tollywood #writers #writers on tumblr #bahubali #tamil #y/n #reader insert #telugu fanfic #x reader #bhallaladeva x y/n #bhallaladeva x reader #bahubali x y/n #bahubali x reader #love triangle

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manonamora-if · 9 months ago

Text

March Check-In

Lol. We definitely were not back on track here. We tried and SUPER FAILED at going back to the schedule.

Will March be better? Let's find out together...

Onto the usual index:

Recap of last month’s progress

IF Events in the Next Month

Plan for the next month

Still long post under the break. If you want a mini version, head over to itch.io!

February Progress

Welp... there wasn't much of a list in the January Check-in, since it was the retrospective, which included the yearly plan. Still, I did make a mini one on itch. Put together we'd get:

Play more IF and maybe review. ✅

Finish the coding of Harcourt Ch5 ❌ and editing of Ch6 ❌

Fix one of the semi-completed games: ❌

Complete the Vamp/Smoochie jam entry✅

Heyyyy 50/50. Passable grade!

I've passed the very funny number of 420 reviews on the IFDB recently, mainly working my way through the French games (since there are very few reviews and French IF peeps are neat people). There are 300+ games left on that side, it will take me a while to get there but I'm making progress (almost done with 2023!). If my pace continues... I might be able to reach 2nd place in the ranking before my 1 year anniversary of reviewing games (mid-may). Also somewhat related, I've been trying to rate more games on itch too :)

I said I would finish the coding of Harcourt... and then didn't. But MelS was more productive than me, and he finished the first draft of Chapter 6 earlier than planned... which I haven't finished commenting on either... So :/

I also didn't fix any semi-completed games. So there.

But I managed to make it for the Queer Vampire Jam and the Smoochie Jam with Teatime with a Vampire ! A 20k-long trippy game with a hot vampire and a weird show...

AND AND I finally fixed my website and my itch.io profile. It has a cool feature on the front page. And we did a little AMA a few weeks ago!

Honestly, I thought I would have been done with Teatime two weeks before it actually was completed. So that threw a wrench in the rest. And probably having to moderate a few events at once...

And the extra day clearly didn't help.

EDIT: I TOTES FORGOT, but I updated DOL-OS for an extra QOL screen at the start.

What’s happening in March?

There's always something happening in the IF world. I don't think I ever find all that happens anyway... but. Here's the ones I know!

Today is the last day to submit a Spring Thing intent! (ranked)

he Queer Vampire Game Jam ends in about three weeks. Got a vampire/human story with a LGBT+ cast? Then this is the event for you! (unranked) Also they are doing a fundraising/matching donation with submissions!

The SeedComp! (Sprouting) extended the deadline for a few more days! See @seedcomp-if for more info ;) (ranked)

Concours de Fiction Interactive Francophone 2024 se termine Lundi! Viendez faire des histoires en français!! <3 (ranked, duh)

The next @neointeractives mini-jam will all be about bringing back old jams... Check out the Revival Jam !

The Text Adventure Literacy Jam 2024 just started! It will be looking for "parser for beginners" entries until May!

Note: @neointeractives will have jams all year long. One a month/or so. And the next Planting Round of @seedcomp-if will start as soon as the results are dropped.

The PLANtm for March

Busy plan once again. Here are the thing I'm hoping to do or finish this month:

Complete my French Comp entry. The deadline is in 3 days. Will I make it? Probably. Will it be good? Probably be not because I've been writing it only in the past two weeks. You can expect some "love" letters though...

Complete my SpringThing entry. It will be all about fixing typos and potential bug. The code will be ready next week anyway. Maybe slap some cool-er animations.

Play more games! Consider this done. There's the Smoochie Jam, the SeedComp! and the FrenchComp right there...

Finish the Code Ch5 of Harcourt and edit Ch6. At least one round of edits would be good. So I can put MelS to work again.

Finish fixing The Roads Not Taken. I'm so sorry babe. I'm not avoiding you I swear. I actually haven't bee on the computer with your files this month...

LET'S DO THIS! WE CAN DO IT!

The 2024 To-Do List:

I have done nothing here. So here's the list again for nothing.

The hopefully maybe easy to handle To-Do:

fix the bugs in EDOC + overall the French version to match

fix the bugs of TRNT + find a way to add the missing pieces (giving up on the translation)

fixing the interface of LPM and the popups + check animal interactions

figure out the One-Button JavaScrip/jQuery issue...

edit the loading screens of the completed tiny games to include the program/format logo at least.

The 'Need a Bunch of Content to update but it's planned!' To-Do:

Update my website (bunch new title - also I don't think the logo clicky thing work...) + redo my itch page

Finish TTATEH (MelS dependent - this year should be it - for real)

Finish Exquisite Cadaver (half-way mark by this summer - manif)

Finish P-Rix - Space Trucker (main path at least)

Update CRWL (it's been almost two years... I'm getting ashamed)

The Unlikely But it Would be Dope To-Do

Finish The Dinner as it was planned (and translate)

Finish In the Blink of an Eye as it was planned (and retranslate)

Finish The Rye in the Dark City

Fixing TTTT (at least fixing, maybe try adding some storylets)

And finally The 'It's impossible, but one can wish' TO-DO:

Remaster SPS IH (if I managed to start this after completing the rest... I'm going to eat a whole sheet cake).

Start the IFComp project (2025? Might end up being a ST?)

#dev log #progress #interactive fiction #check-in

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tea-with-barbatos · 1 year ago

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ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PLAYING OBEY ME: NIGHTBRINGER FOR FREE! - SECTION 2 - HOW TO GET DEVIL POINTS!

Glorious devil points. A bane. A burden. A blessing. More desired than Asmodeus himself. But unlike Asmo’s level of beauty, having bountiful devil points (dp) is possible for everyone. There's several ways to acquire them for free that I’ll explain for you. For free.

✅ Method 1 - Daily Tasks

Every day you can earn 18 dp by simply playing the game. Daily tasks are your best friend. Swiping left on the home screen will bring up the menu. Do your absolute best to complete these tasks until you fill up the top bar every day. It will add up SO fast. You have 24hrs to do them all so take your time. You’ll soon develop a routine for getting them done and it won't feel tedious.

✅ Method 2 - Fight for S-Rank and Full Combos!

Now to the nitty gritty. Completing battles will give you guaranteed dp. Achieving S rank in any battle for the first time will give you +2dp (or more). Make sure to go back and collect this first time bonuses on previously cleared battles when you can. They add up quickly.

Achieving a full combo for the first time in boss battles will give you +3dp on regular mode and +5dp on hard. Getting a full combo on any extreme song will net you +7dp. These are your best bet for getting a lot of dp quickly. It does require skill but with practice you'll find full combos easy in no time. Keep trying. Never give up!

✅ Method 3 - Milking the Events

If you have caught up on lessons in regular and hard mode, go back and complete any S rank or full combos you have yet to achieve. If not, then events have your back. There's a new one every 2 weeks. These events feature 6 new extreme songs, 1 regular boss battle, and 6 hard boss battles that give full combo dps. That's 13 opportunities! That's not counting all the S rank bonuses you'll get doing them too. (Visual guide to which battles give dp below).

You can also use lonely devil to go back and complete these in previous events if you haven't already too!

Participating in events will net you dp as rewards as well. Make sure to play Them every day. You'll also get demon vouchers that save you dp too.

Achievements give dp. Login bonuses give dp. Consistency gives dp. Be patient and save your dp where you can. Avoid spending it on things that aren't congrats sets or the gacha unless you're grinding an event for a UR.

❌ Method 4 - Pay to Win

You can also buy devil points. I'm not recommending you do, but I'll give you advice in case you do want to. Be careful not to spend money you don't have or will need though! Lucifer will cry if you do that.

When there's an event, there is a super hell sale. You will get more bang for your buck with this. It's best to buy when there's bonus points to be had. These sales will offer regular prices but give you more dp than usual. For example, instead of £80 for 1,200 dp it'll be £80 for 1,500 dp. (Yes. I'm British. Tragic, I know. The currency and prices depend on your region. This is an example.) You can see how these sales are ‘worth’ it. They are limited though so you may only be able to buy 1 at this price.

There's also one time first buyers deal packs available too. Once they're gone, they're gone though.

VIP subscription to the game gives you a whole host of benefits. Read up on them in game if you're interested. But once a month you'll receive 160 dp, as well as the chance to buy 2 other dp packs for VIPs only. These give you 84 dp + 3 dv if you buy them. They are exclusive. In total the sub + 2 packs cost me £16 a month for 244 dp total. A pack of 240 dp costs £20 normally.

That doesn't factor in all the other benefits VIP provides. It's very cost effective if logging in daily. VIP logins also give dp.

That's all the advice I can give on P2W. Just don't do it, really. Unless you're rich rich. (I am not rich rich btw. Please do not eat me. I'm a normal person. I just love Barbatos way too much to make good financial decisions.)

LINK TO SECTION THREE - GET GRIMM QUICK SCHEMES (LEGIT! NOT CLICKBAIT!)

LINK TO MASTERPOST

#obey me #obey me nightbringer #nightbringer #om nightbringer #obey me shall we date #obey me fandom #om fandom #om nightbringer fandom #gacha games #mobile games #tea time posts

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2dkapsddr · 30 days ago

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October 26th, 2024 - PIU Phoenix, SDVX EG, Music Diver

wahoo!!! it's saturday at last, which means tomorrow is my designated arcade day, which means today is the day i lock in and do as much homework as i can, right??? ...i WISH . but noooo, instead someone just happened to cut the fiber cables that powered the network in my area, and so now i have no internet!!! all day!!! until tomorrow!!! unbelievable!!! i had everything laid out in front of me for today, only to be snatched from under my nose in an instant...

and so, with no other choice and no better solution, i had to trek all the way from my house to the mall just to get any work done... and since it was in the same place, i stopped by Round 1 while i was at it to find the arcade at its busiest and most exhausting point possible!!! so many people occupying so many machines... but hey, that also meant so many dance gamers here at the same time in the same moment!!! and that means i got to play CO-OP with them in PIU!!!! something i hadn't been able to do for a while now... and something that turned out Not Great when we all realized just how hard it was to play co-op when the machine was squished so far between a wall and an SMX cab... but we managed!! ...at least, i think we did...

moving on from that, i found that one of the SDVX cabs was unoccupied despite all the chaos everywhere else!!! itching to work out my hands before working on my HW (and also to get kickstarted on the ongoing Triple Tribe Season 3 event), i only ended up getting a single set in... but it was honesly a really good set overall!!! an upscore + excessive clear on Ura-Omote Lovers [MXM 16], a near-S on Matryoshka [MXM 16], and getting a very sloppy just-barely excessive clear on Kamisama Nejimaki [MXM 17]...

so, between that set and these next scores, i tried finding the quietest + most stable place to do some homework, which was unfortunately out in public where passerby and screaming children still bothered me a ton, despite having noise-cancelling headphones that would usually block a majority of their noise out... but whatever, they can't all be winners . i got through a lot of my notes regardless, though with no progress on the homework itself whatsoever, and celebrated by taking a pilgrimage back to round 1 as the mall was set to close soon...

once there, i walked toward the IIDX cabs hoping to play some songs stuck in my head and get Even More Progress toward the ongoing event... but that was when, in the corner of my eye, i saw 4 free, abandoned credits on the only available Music Diver cab (the other had a red swiper for some reason, couldn't identify why), calling to me like the Green Goblin mask . then and there, i knew my purpose, and i didn't hesitate to scan my card and start playing what came to my head. it started with some Ura-Omote Lovers [EXTREME Lv.17], just like it had in SDVX earlier that afternoon, before i moved on to playing new charts and upscoring old scores like trappola bewitching [EXTREME Lv.16] (a chart i played more times than i'd like to admit), Signal (feat. Such) [EXTREME Lv.17] (EXTREMELY fun chart and song holy shit i'm in love with it), and then Show [EXTREME Lv.15]... the chart which i ended up getting my first ever Music Diver FC on!!!! such a successful attempt inspired me to try for it again on trappola bewitching, but such a jump in levels and FCs just wasn't meant to be, as i ended up walking home empty-handed and so close, yet so far from the SSS rank border... alas, maybe another time? who knows...

#2dkaps 2024 #2dkaps piu #2dkaps sdvx #2dkaps music diver #2dkaps piu phoenix #2dkaps sdvx eg

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nya-vivi · 3 months ago

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thank you for the answer! i was the anon who asked you about 4* and sethos (maybe I'll use this emoji 🛸 so you can identify me easier)

Sorry I'm replying late as well, life is hectic 😭😭

And omg you main Noelle??? what's your build? i'm trying to build her again since i used her at the start of the game and didn't take her past lvl 60... She deserves better 😭

AND I ALSO LOVE GAMING OMG HE TOOK MY HEART. I literally c6-ed him and spend so many primos on him 😭😭 that's ok tho he deserved it. I also love Chongyun he's my special son. Got him at the start of the game so he was my first main 🥺 alongside him my faves are heizou, fischl, yanfei, gaming, faruzan, layla... well theres many of them lol. and recently sethos! I love his dynamic with everyone. Actually sumeru characters feel like family it might be my fav region for that. I was shocked when he had bigger connection to scara. I love the black cat and golden retriever dynamic they kinda have going on and their parallels.

also yes please do a favorite character list i would love to see it!

Have a nice day and sorry for the shorter reply. It's just I'm busy 😭 maybe I can send you more asks next week when I'll have more time. If you don't mind that's it. Or maybe I could stop being anon.

Hello 🛸 Anonie!! I'm super sorry for the super late response T-T I have already addressed it in one post, but I have been super busy filling and paying for my next year (banks are truly my no. 1 public enemy,,,), a few trips back and forth to see friends (I stayed in a place with minimal internet signal for more than a week TnT, among other trips) and doing a lot of house chores because all my household members except for me are working, so I clean all the house (which I don't mind, but there's a lot of work and too much heat T.T and I end up in my bed after everything lol).

I do main Noelle! I went to see my stats and realized I have to get her a better crit rate percentage because she does so much crit dmg... I use 4p Husk of Opulent Dreams + Prototype Archaic (I have seen guides saying that Whiteblind is better, so I might sacrifice my lvl. 90 Prototype Archaic for Whiteblind and change one piece of my artifacts so it has better rate,, choices choices) I will add images below cut!!

To preface this, I am not a meta player so take my opinions with a grain of salt lolol

So much dmg,, so little rate,,,,,,, I usually take whatever piece to add that element dmg, in this case Gladiator.

My favorite region is def Mondstadt, but Sumeru is my second one!! I like all the character dynamics and exploration in Sumeru, both rainforest and desert (unpopular opinion, it seems (≧∇≦)/) also the lore?? Absolutely fantastic. And Sethos? He has been incorporated to the fave characters very quickly, I loved his interactions with Cyno and whatever he has going on with Wanderer lolol Like wise, I loved Gaming, such a cutie and honestly a real good guy, he became one of my favorites very soon.

I ended up making a ranking with only four stars (as to make it fair), but only lore/storytelling wise, since meta is dead anyways (/j) and how hoyo managed their reveal and relevance (?) I think seeing the rankings will explain mostly everything but if you have any questions please feel free to ask!!

(I want to say that I like all the characters, I am a person who finds it east to love characters lol)

In no particular order, except for Noelle and Xingqiu, who are the uncrowned queen and king of my heart and party and Xinyan. Pls hoyo release my queen from hoyo jail. Criminal that they did a event about music and my girl wasn't in it.

I have to say that I am guilty of not doing most of the hangouts, so my ranking can change after them. I foresaw me being tired from playing genshin, so I am only hyperfocusing on the characters that are more interesting to me first and when this gaming block disperses, I am going to do the hangouts and enjoy them lol

IT'S ME WHO IS SORRY ╥﹏╥ I kept this ask for sooo long ajdkashjashda pls send me more asks, I love reading and answering them 👉👈❤ they are very fun!

On my side, I don't mind if you want to stop being anon! I would love to interact with more people from the genshin comunity, even if it is a bit scary❤ so take your time and do as you wish, I will be happy either way 🤭

#lovemail #🛸 Anonie

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butterflyintochains · 3 months ago

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The New Queen of Quebec

Canadian Open 2025, and World Number Eleven Gabriella Lemieux is dead set on winning her home tournament in her home city for the first time. It's been a goal she's been working towards for over a year, and she made the final in 2024. Montreal is her beloved spiritual home, even if she's lived in Vancouver with the loves of her life for over a year. The pressure is on, the eyes of her city and province are on her, and some of the Canucks have even turned up to support her.

Can she get this done? Is this going to be her year at home?

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

Montreal greets the team well this week, the gang get to their rented houses for the week of the Canadian Open. Daniel will be staying with Gabriella and her boyfriends. Camille, Michael, and Renee will be just next door. Gabriella gets her stuff unpacked into the dresser, she always packs light for tournaments. Elias and Quinn do the same, hanging their suits for sunday up in the wardrobe. They always wear suits to her finals when they're with her at tournaments. Gabriella made the final here last summer, and lost to Jessica Pegula. She is proud of her last result in Canada, but she'd love to go one result further this year. She's due to face Rebecca Marino in the first round, still not quite ranked high enough for a first round bye yet, that'll come in Cincinnati if all goes well this week. ''Excited for this week, Ella?'' Quinn asks her, slumping down onto the sofa in the living room.

Gabriella nods, and says. ''Yeah, I am, I've always done well in this event, so, I'm hoping there's another title on the year for me here.'' Elias comes back from checking out who was at the front door just now. ''Uh, Ella, doping control are here for you.''

Gabriella says. ''That's fine.'' She goes to meet them, her TUE form in hands, the slip of paper allowing her use of her Zoloft and Lexapro for her anxiety and depression. She's been off her sleeping pill for about nine months now. They go into the bathroom, and get what they need from Gabriella. ''Okay, the usual medications will be in your system, so that's fine, nothing to worry about.'' The woman says to her.

Gabriella says, used to the whole routine by now. ''Great, glad I got this done early, now I can relax a bit.''

After lunch, she hits the training courts with Daniel and the boys. Turns out her boyfriends make amazing sparring partners, who knew? Daniel has her tighten up her overhead and volleys. ''You're doing so well, kiddo, just those two problem areas to iron out while we're here.''

Gabriella stops for some water and an energy bar. ''Are the guys coming to see me?''

Elias nods, and kisses her cheek. ''Yeah, four of them: Brock, Garly, Thatcher, and Dakota.''

Quinn adds, a calming hand on her back. ''Hogs and Teddy couldn't make it.''

Gabriella nods, it's an odd little circle of friends they've knitted together over the last year and a half, but she'd never give it up for anything. ''That's cool.'' She gets back on with tightening up her volleys, the courts will be playing faster this week from what she's heard, so it is absolutely vital she works on her net game. Especially since she's in Coco's half of the draw. But, one match at a time.

That night, Gabriella finishes journalling, and gets ready for bed. The boys have opened all the windows in the bedroom, just as she likes it. Gabriella joins them in bed, lying down with Elias to her right, and Quinn to her left. Some may think this whole thing is the weirdest relationship ever, but for the Whistler Trio, this is just how life is. They're happy, and no one can take that from them.

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

The day of her first match comes, and, for a change, Gabriella is the calmest person in a room! She and Daniel go through their pre-match briefings, Michael gets her warmed up. Camille is already in the box. Renee helps her with centering herself, not that she really needs it today. She's home! Playing tennis! At home! What's there to be anxious about? She dresses for the match, she and Lacoste worked on a red, white, and blue kit for her in Canadiens colours. She laces up her Nike shoes, getting into full battle dress. They're given their calls to get into place. They've been given top billing, Center Court. The crowd roars for them both, Gabriella turns to face her box, seeing both of her boyfriends cheering for her, she flashes them a smile. There's no way she's letting this week get away from her. She gets set up, and goes for the coin toss. ''Heads or tails, Gabriella?'' The umpire asks her.

Gabriella says. ''Heads.'' The coin is tossed, and lands in her favour, she opts to serve. They go through warm-ups, and get on with the match. Gabriella holds to love to open the match up, and races to a 3-0 lead in about eleven minutes. Rebecca gets herself on the board with a hold to two deuces. ''Game, Marino. Lemieux leads three games to one, first set.''

Gabriella holds to thirty to go head 4-1, and the sixth game goes to a third deuce. Rebecca serves a soft one up, Gabriella responds with a backhand cross court. ''Advantage, Lemieux.'' Gabriella wins the game, and will serve for the set. She goes up 30-0 in her last service game of the set, and bangs down her fifth ace of the match, then, her sixth. ''Game, and first set, Lemieux, six games to one, new balls, please.'' The umpire says.

The second set is much the same, Gabriella is up 5-1, and serving for the match in about twenty five minutes. She's 40-15 up, and bangs down a service winner, Rebecca nets a forehand. ''Game, set, match, Lemieux. Two sets to love: 6-1, 6-1.''

After the usual stuff, Gabriella showers, and gets into a tanktop, leggings, and a thin cardigan for her press conference. After which, she's off home with the team for something to eat. Olga Danilovic is next. She's probably got Emma Navarro in the third round, her last match against Emma was at Wimbledon in the quarters last month. She won that match in straight sets. ''Navarro in the third, Ella, excited?'' Quinn risks asking her, knowing how much they dislike each other. ''Yeah, the spoiled brat nepo baby, I've never played anyone so classless.''

Elias puts a hand on her knee. ''You'll be fine, Ella.'' All Gabriella knows is that she's not going down without a fight.

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

Brock, Conor, Dakota, and Thatcher arrive in Montreal the following day, on her day off, the only day off she's getting all week. Brock hands Gabriella a very pretty bouquet of flowers. They get a picnic going after Gabriella's gym session, and eat lunch outside in the backyard. Thatcher seems puzzled by something, and asks her. ''Where are the boys, Ella?''

Gabriella swallows some of her wrap, and says. ''The men's tournament is in Toronto. We swap cities every year, so last year we went to Toronto, and the men came here.''

Conor asks, nursing a diet coke in his hand. ''Why is that? You share the rest of the tournaments, no?''

Gabriella shrugs, to be honest, she's never questioned the city swap for this event, it's just... like that? ''I don't know, it's just always been that way, I guess?'' She doesn't exactly understand it either, the Canada Family never feels quite right when the five of them are separated for a length of time. ''Who've you got next?'' Dakota asks. Gabriella finishes eating, and says. ''Olga Danilovic, a Serbian qualifier. She's got a big baseline game.''

Elias jokes, he and Quinn had a front row seat for her last match against her possible third round opponent. ''Then, the dreaded.'' Gabriella says to one of her boyfriends. ''This is my home, and I'm not letting her beat me here.''

Quinn nods, that drive to be the best is one of the many things that unites the Whistler Trio. ''Too right, babe. Especially not after what she said to you at Wimbledon.''

Brock looks intrigued, only the boyfriends were able to make it out to London this year, there was no Canucks Invasion like there was last year. ''What did she say to you, Ella?'' It's the dumbest thing ever, but Gabriella just cannot let it go for the life of her for some reason. ''She didn't say this to me, she said it about me to someone in the press. She said: 'I hate losing to a pill pusher.' So, suffice to say, she's not exactly been welcomed here this week.''

The boys are horrified at that statement, only her boyfriends knew about her medications, she hates talking about her struggles to outsiders. ''You're on medication for something?'' Dakota asks her. Gabriella nods, and says. ''Zoloft for anxiety, Lexapro for depression, and I recently came off of a sleeping pill. Been going through treatment for about two and a half years now.'' She hints to the others, not wanting to go too deep into her struggles with mental health. ''Just, don't watch any of my highlights from 2022, it's not worth it.'' Elias and Quinn press kisses to her cheeks, always there to pick her up.

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

Her match against Olga is early in the evening, again on Center Court, Gabriella is dressed, fed, and warmed up. Her racquets are all prepared, all seven of them she'll be using for the match. She finishes her prayer, and gets going to the tunnel. There will be six Canucks in the building watching her play today. They set up, and warm up with Gabriella to serve after losing the toss. The umpire says from the chair. ''First set, Gabriella Lemieux to serve.'' Gabriella takes a deep breath, and serves an ace to open the match up. Her first service game goes to deuce, she wins a short rally with a backhand cross court, and puts a volley away to seal the game. ''Game, Lemieux.'' The first set is a quick affair, Gabriella going up 5-2 in no time, and serves with fresh balls to love to take the set. ''Game, and first set Lemieux, six games to two. Lemieux leads by one set to love.''

During the sit down, Olga takes her bathroom break. Gabriella adjusts her emerald and sapphire necklaces, gifts last summer from Quinn and Elias, and finishes an energy bar. They get the second set underway, Olga holds to thirty in her opening service game. ''Game, Danilovic, first game, second set.''

The set goes with serve until 3-3, Gabriella breaks to love to go head 4-3. She finds Elias and Quinn's gaze in her box, and gives them a smile and a nod. She goes up 40-0 in her next service game, and serves, Olga returns with a soft forehand, which Gabriella puts away with a nice overhead. Olga is to serve to stay in the match as it gets dark. The game goes to deuce, with Olga double faulting the advantage away, and Gabriella banging down a forehand to seal the match. ''Game, set, and match: Lemieux. Two sets to love, six-two, six-three.''

She has her on-court interview with Ashleigh Barty. ''Well, Gabriella, very impressive match this evening, how are you loving this? Playing at home, your boyfriends here, and no sets dropped yet.'' Gabriella laughs, and says, taking her hair out of its braid. ''I'm probably the happiest woman here this week, Ash.''

Ashleigh informs her. ''You've got a rematch with Emma Navarro next, your quarter-final at Wimbledon was spicy, will that continue tomorrow?''

Gabriella just says, a smile on her face. ''A Montreal girl playing an American here, eh? Should be fun, you're all with me, though, right?'' She asks the crowd, who cheer for her.

She gets back to the house, and has a small meal before writing in her journal for the day. A routine she'll never give up, it saved her life more times than she can count. Before she goes to join the boys in bed, she gets a call from Leylah. ''Hey, Sunshine, what's up?'' Leylah says to her. ''Saw your on-court interview, and you're insane for rallying the crowd, you know that, right?''

Gabriella laughs, and gets going upstairs. ''If it works, it works. Oh, did you win your match against Katie?''

Leylah hums, and says. ''Yeah, I did. Emma beat Bianca, so it's just us left now.''

Gabriella gasps, she must avenge her friend tomorrow night. ''I'll avenge her, I promise.''

Gabriella gets herself ready for bed, she's sure Elias and Quinn have been making out without her, not that she's got a problem with that. Once in bed, she kisses both of them, and gets snuggled between them as always. She's all but certain that her ex would have an aneurysm seeing her this happy with two amazing men, but he's stuck in Salt Lake City for the next three years of his six year contract.

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

The following night, Gabriella is up a set against Emma Navarro, 6-2, after about forty minutes. Emma has been ranting nonstop to the umpire about the very partisan crowd cheering for Gabriella. The umpire has tried to keep them quiet for the most part. Gabriella scoffs to herself as she comes back from her bathroom break, if Emma is this bothered by a tennis crowd, she should hear Rogers Arena during a Canucks game. Or The Bell Center during a Habs game. Gabriella looks to her parents as the second set begins. Emma holds to love to take the opening game, seemingly done with her complaining for now, thank God.

Gabriella finds herself down in a set for the first time all week by the middle of the second, 5-3, and Emma will serve for the second set. Gabriella pushes the game to a third deuce, Emma fires a lob that she can't retrieve. ''Advantage, Navarro.'' The rally to close the set goes for ten shots, but Gabriella nets a routine backhand to gift her rival the set. ''Game, and second set, Navarro: Six games to three. Players are tied at one set all.''

Emma goes off for her bathroom break, Gabriella fiddles with her late nana's rosary while finishing off another energy bar. Emma surfaces, Gabriella puts the rosary away, and they get back to work. ''Final set, Gabriella Lemieux to serve.'' And serve, she does, a hold to love in just under two minutes. She wins twelve points in a row to go ahead 3-0 in the final set. There was no way on Earth she was letting this match get away from her. The fourth game goes to two deuces, but Gabriella holds firm to go ahead 4-0. Emma doesn't win a game until her final service game. Gabriella gets ready to serve for the match, the crowd are being a bit loud, so the umpire says. ''Players are ready, thank you.'' Gabriella goes up 40-15, and fires an ace down the T for match point. ''Game, set, match: Lemieux, two sets to one: six-two, six-three, six-one.''

In her post-match press conference, a journalist for CNN says to her. ''Gabriella, amazing effort, never once did it look like you lost control of that match, how much do you think being in this city helps bring the best out of you?''

Gabriella laughs, tired but feeling amazing all at once. ''Not bad for a pill pusher, eh?'' The press laughs, Emma's comment about her medical status was met by harsh criticism from everyone in the media, and a fine from the WTA. ''No, but, I love this city, and it's nice that it loves me too. Didn't get to be here in 2023 for obvious reasons, I'm glad I'm here healthy this year. Having this crowd, my crowd, I'm just so happy right now.''

A journalist from ESPN asks her. ''What would it mean to you to win this tournament here, rather than in Toronto?''

Gabriella says, eyes welling up as she talks. ''Everything, simply put, winning this here would be the greatest thing I've ever achieved.'' A journalist from L'Equipe informs her. ''You've got Mirra Andreeva next, Gabriella.''

Gabriella nods, and smiles, she says. ''Cool, I'm looking forward to it.'' She heads home after some questions in French. She crashes on the couch between her boyfriends, who kiss her hands. She's gonna need some time to calm down, she stepped off the court at half nine, it's now almost eleven. ''I love you both so much, you know that, right?'' She says to both of them.

Quinn nods, and kisses her temple. ''We do, and we love you, and each other, too.'' Elias says, nuzzling his nose into her hair like he does when they're at home. ''Three down, three to go. We're here for you, Angel.'' Gabriella has no idea where she'd be without them in her life, and doesn't want to know. Antoine broke her, she put herself back together, and her loves keep that recovery solidified.

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

She's back into the semi-finals of her home tournament! A straight sets win over Mirra Andreeva: 6-3, 7-6(7-1) before the headline match of Coco Gauff and Elena Rybakina leaves her with a free evening. The team, the Canucks, and the Whistler Trio get together at one of the rental houses for some dinner to watch that match. Whoever wins this one will be Gabriella's opponent next. Iga Swiatek will be facing Leylah in the other semi-final. For what must be the first time ever, half of the semi-finalists are home talents! Daniel hands Gabriella some food, and sits down next to her. For once, Quinn doesn't protest, understanding that the coach wants to sit with his player. So, Quinn sits on the other side of Elias, the boys link arms while they eat. The match begins, Coco opts to serve first. Gabriella notes that down in her strategy notebook while eating. 'Opt to serve first, always!' She always goes heads in a coin toss, but often makes the rookie error of opting to receive first. ''Making match notes, Ella?'' Dakota asks her from his place on the floor next to Garly. ''Yeah, gotta do my homework.''

Daniel adds, remarking to the assembled hockey players. ''This is the bit of tennis you don't see on TV.''

After she's eaten, Gabriella splits her page into columns for Elena and Coco. As the first set goes into a tiebreak, she notes a lack of pace on serve for Coco, and patchy net game for Elena. ''Who'd you rather face of these two?'' Brock asks her.

Gabriella clicks her pen a few times. ''Coco, I know her game better, with Elena I'd be going in basically blind. Sounds weird, especially given her ranking, but I'd rather face Coco.'' She's never beaten Coco before, so to get her first win over her friend here is music to her ears. Coco wins the set 7-6, 8-6 in the tiebreak. ''Coco has played two more hours of tennis than you as well.'' Daniel says, and Gabriella notes that down.

Elena locks herself into the match to take the second set 6-0. ''Holy shit, where did she find that set from?'' Thatcher asks, astounded. Elias blinks a few times next to Gabriella. ''Good question, Demmer.'' Gabriella is not surprised in the slightest, this is a slam winner after all. ''Well, she has won Wimbledon, boys.''

Coco takes a 5-3 lead in the final set, and holds to thirty to win the match. Gabriella will face her friend in the final four, she'll need to go through another American to get to the final. ''Wow, second best match of the week, for sure.'' Quinn says. Second best? Gabriella furrows her brows. ''Which one was the best, then, honey?''

Quinn looks at her as if she's grown another head, and says. ''Your match against Navarro.'' Oh, right, he was counting one of hers into that mix. ''It'll be bumped down to third after you win the whole thing, alskling.'' Elias says. Gabriella flushes deep pink, someday these two will be the death of her. More praise in eighteen months than Antoine gave her in three years. Part of her still has no idea how to deal with praise or attention, but that's what Renee is here for. ''Gabriella, it's okay to take a compliment sometimes, you look like you've just short-circuited.'' Renee says to her, stepping into therapist-mode. Gabriella takes her face out of her hands. ''I know, It's just... a lot sometimes.''

After the rest clear off, Gabriella updates her journal, and gets herself ready for bed. She finishes her nightly skin care, brushes her teeth, and climbs into bed between her boys. She leans her head back against the headboard. ''I've never beaten Coco before.'' She informs them both. Quinn kisses her shoulder, and puts a hand on her thigh. ''You'll do it, I'm sure you will, you've been playing lights out tennis all week.''

Elias plants a soft kiss to her cheek, and assures her. ''And, we'll be in your box for the whole match.'' She kisses them both, and rests her head on Quinn's chest, Elias holding her from behind. She's safe, she's loved, she's valued. She drifts off coddled in this warmth and protection.

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

The match is to be the second semi-final, whoever wins this will face Iga in the final. Iga beat Leylah 6-2, 7-5 earlier today. Gabriella is in battle gear for the match, and meditating over the family photo she keeps with her at all times. Her loved ones are all here, they're here for her, and she's going to use their love to win this match. She's asked the team to leave her be as she prepares for this match, not even a briefing with Daniel. She's not nervous as such, just needs to be left alone to gather herself. She took her meds this morning, and they kick in fast. They're given their cue, and head out onto the court to roaring applause. For the first time all tournament, Gabriella is the lower ranked player. She'll be Number Eight in the world if she wins this title. The umpire does the coin toss, Coco wins, and elects to serve.

After warmups, it's off to the races. The first six games go by really quickly, and with serve to 3-3. After another service hold, the umpire calls for new balls. This is going to a tiebreak, Gabriella can just feel it coming. There's still no breaks of serve when Coco serves to take it into a tiebreak at 6-5. The game goes to deuce, Coco serves an ace. ''Advantage, Gauff.'' The rally goes long, but Gabriella fires a backhand long down the line. ''Game, Gauff. Tiebreak, first set.'' Coco serves to open up the tiebreak, and double faults. ''One-zero, Lemieux.''

Gabriella doesn't take long to go up 4-3 in the tiebreak. Then, 5-4, and Gabriella is facing her last receiving point. Coco serves, and Gabriella fires a forehand passing shot to take 6-4. ''Six-four, Lemieux.'' Gabriella will serve for the set, she tosses the ball up, and fires a body serve out wide. ''Game, and first set: Lemieux, seven games to six, seven-four in the tiebreak.''

The second set is much the same, going with serve to 5-5, when Gabriella is broken to fifteen. Coco will serve for the second set up 6-5 with a break of serve, the only one so far. A sudden idea in Gabriella's head, she positions herself right on the baseline, ready to pounce. Coco serves, and Gabriella rushes the net to volley it away. ''Love-fifteen.'' The next rally goes long as well, but Gabriella executes a beautiful dropshot. ''Love-thirty.'' Coco double faults, giving Gabriella break points, which she puts away with a backhand cross court. ''Game, Lemieux, tiebreak.''

Gabriella goes up 3-0 in the tiebreak with two holds and a break, but it doesn't take long for Coco to reel it in for 5-3. Gabriella, however, has two serves. She serves out wide, and Coco nets a forehand. She seals the match with an ace down the line. ''Game, set, match: Lemieux, two sets to love: seven-six, seven-six.'' Gabriella meets her friend at the net. ''Go and get this, Ella.''

Gabriella promises her friend. ''I will, Coco, thank you for the match.'' She needs a moment to collect herself after on-court media. She's back in the finals at home, against the best player in the world. One match win away from entering the top ten, winning her home tournament for the first time, and her third title of the season. She's sure the final is going to be difficult, it's Iga, of course it's going to be difficult. But, she's so close to her dream. It takes the boys getting her out of her reverie at the house to help her calm down. ''Ella, babe, you with us?'' Quinn asks, searching her face.

Gabriella takes their hands, using them to ground herself. ''Yeah... tabernak, yeah, I'm here... just, got a bit checked out.''

Elias takes Quinn's free hand, closing the circle for her, knowing that it's one of the ways they calm each other down. ''It's okay, we know what you're thinking about. Deep breaths, okay?'' He says. Gabriella nods, and does her normal breathing exercises. In for four, hold for four, out for four. ''Here, drink this, kiddo.'' Daniel hands her some water. She sips it slowly, hating that her Zoloft is once a day only. ''Do you want one of your Zoloft, Ella?'' Camille asks.

Gabriella shakes her head. ''I can't, once a day only. I'll be fine, just... need a minute with my boyfriends.''

That night, Gabriella is out like a light, too tired physically and emotionally to stay awake any longer. The biggest match of her life lingers tomorrow, and there's no way she's letting this one go. She's never even played Iga, let alone beaten her, but, she's more than ready for the hard work ahead of her.

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Sunday begins at eight in the morning, the match is at seven this evening. Ten hours of waiting for the biggest match of her life. Gabriella gets up, slithering out of the cuddle pile, though it's so tempting to stay in bed. She showers, does her skin care routine, and brushes her teeth. She slips into some leggings, a tanktop, and a hoodie for a session on court with Daniel. She takes her pills, and grabs some breakfast while watching the news with Daniel and the boys. Then, it's down to a practice court for a few hours before lunch. Gabriella checks her watch after they get back from lunch. ''Half three, God, can this day hurry up already?''

Brock asks, grabbing some water. ''Getting antsy, Ella?'' Gabriella nods, and says, booting up her laptop for some match study. ''Yeah, this is the biggest match of my life so far, Boes, I just wanna get this done.''

Conor laughs, though not at her, more just at the situation. ''Can't say I blame you, Ella.''

After a couple of hours of match study, Gabriella has a small dinner, and gets in the car to go down for her match. Iga and her team are already there when she arrives in the locker room. She says nothing to her opponent, and gets herself ready to fight like hell for her home title. Camille hands her something in a plain package. ''Put this in your bag, and don't open it until you've won. Came from Lacoste yesterday.'' Gabriella nods, and gets warmed up, and does her pre-match prayer. At seven, they're given their cue, and take to the court. Again, Gabriella is the lower ranked player today. They set up, and the umpire, Eva Asderaki, does the coin toss. ''Iga, heads or tails?'' She asks. Iga says. ''Tails.''

The coin lands heads up. ''Heads, Gabriella, serve or receive?'' Gabriella says, as though it's second nature. ''Serve.'' No player worth their salt opts to receive in a final, not if they're wanting to win the first set. Daniel taught her that when she was seventeen. After warmups, Gabriella gets ready to serve. ''First game, first set - Lemieux to serve. Ready? Play.''

Gabriella holds to love to open the set, and so does Iga. This might be a long one, especially after it goes with serve to 3-3, They both hold to a single deuce for 4-4. The crowd are starting to bubble up a bit, Eva says. ''Players are ready, thank you.'' Gabriella puts on the magic to break Iga to love in two minutes. ''Game, Lemieux.'' She's 5-4 up, and will serve for the set. Her game goes to 30-all, but, two aces in a row give her the lead. ''Game, and first set, Lemieux: six games to four.''

They take their sit down break, Gabriella downs some of her gatorade, and finishes an energy bar. She grabs a new racquet, and takes some deep breaths. She shares a small smile with her box, and gets back to work when time is called. She immediately stamps her authority on the second set, breaking Iga to two deuces to take the first game. Before holding to love to go ahead 2-0. ''Game, Lemieux.'' Iga holds to thirty to get herself on the board for 2-1. Gabriella holds to fifteen to go ahead 3-1 before the ball change. She's got three games left to win. The next few games all go to deuce, but Gabriella baits out the forehand errors to lead 5-3. She'd rather not be breaking for the match, but she'll do what she must. The crowd are getting loud again, so Eva says. ''Players are ready, thank you.'' This sort of calms everyone down. The first point rally goes to fifteen shots, but Gabriella reads a dropshot well to put it away with a volley. ''Love-fifteen.'' Iga fires down an ace for 15-all, but Gabriella sticks to her net rushes for 30-15. ''Fifteen-thirty.'' Two points left, then this is hers. Iga double faults. ''Fifteen-forty.'' The final rally goes to twenty shots, Gabriella putting the point away with a beautiful overhead. ''Game, set, match: Lemieux, two sets to love: six-four, six-three.''

She's won, at home. She came to Montreal, and won in Montreal. All she's ever dreamed of and more. After a hug at the net, Gabriella runs to her box in tears, she was heartsick after losing in Toronto last year, this is the win to make up for it. Daniel wraps her in a bear hug, so do her parents and siblings. She kisses both of her boyfriends. ''You did it, Ella!'' Quinn says.

Gabriella shakes her head. ''No, we did it, Quinn. This is our victory.'' Elias says. ''We're so proud of you.''

She goes back down to her bench, and salutes the crowd, her crowd. She opens the mystery package from Lacoste, extracting a white jacket with a red maple leaf on the back, and on the crocodile logo, with the motto of Canada on the sleeves. 'From Sea to Shining Sea.' She proudly puts it on, and zips it up. The trophy is the same one Bianca lifted in 2019, she guesses they were saving it for another home champion. Iga receives the runner up trophy, and gives her speech. ''Now, for your 2025 National Bank Open Champion, born in this very city, Gabriella Lemieux!''

Gabriella lifts the trophy before her home crowd, and makes her speech. ''I've been dreaming of this my whole life, and it more than lived up to my hopes and prayers. First, Iga and Team Swiatek, thank you so much for the kind words and the match tonight, hope it's not the last, you're a warrior, Iga, like Rafa before you.'' She addresses the tournament itself. ''I wasn't able to be here last time, and I never once thought I'd get here so soon after my hiatus, I'd love to thank the people who make this tournament possible for all they do for us.'' Finally, she addresses her box. ''To my people. Daniel, Michael - thank you for keeping me match fit, I'd not be here without you. Camille - thank you for being the best manager ever. Renee - you keep my head quiet, for which I'm eternally thankful. My family - I love you all so much, this is your trophy too.'' Then, she takes a breath. ''Finally, Elias and Quinn - I love you both more and more everyday, through your love I become stronger.'' To end her speech, she says to the city itself. ''Montreal, I might not live here anymore, but I am very much your daughter. Merci beaucoup, and concordia salus!''

After media and doping control, Gabriella gets back with the replica trophy she was given, the same size and just as beautiful. They fly out to Ohio tomorrow morning, so no big party. Gabriella puts the trophy on a table in the bedroom, and goes to get ready for bed before the guys join her. She journals about the match, this wonderful feeling of victory surging through her. She crawls into bed, and waits for her boyfriends. They also get ready for bed, and join her. ''God, I'm tired.'' Gabriella says, the fatigue finally catching up to her. Quinn laughs, and says. ''Well, we leave at two tomorrow afternoon, we can sort of sleep in.''

Gabriella says. ''Sounds good to me, Elias?'' Elias yawns, and kisses her temple. ''You both know me, I love sleep.'' And sleep, they do, wrapped up in each other despite the warm night. It's the only way they can ever get to sleep.

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They fly out to Ohio without the other Canucks for the Cincinnati Masters after Gabriella is taken for one last photoshoot with the trophy out in front of Center Court. Her second round bye is a blessing in disguise for her, giving her a little bit of breathing room to relax in. She's also now officially a top ten player in the world! The first Canadian woman since Bianca to be up that high! World Number Eight, and she'll go up to Six of she makes it past the quarter-finals here! She could very well go into New York as sixth seed. But, as with everything, she counts her many blessings, and aims for the short-term. She looks at the trophy in its case, it occurs to her that she's now won a title on each surface this year. Stuttgart on clay, a title defence of Rosmalen on grass, and now Montreal on hard courts. This will also most likely be her last event with her boys in the box, before they head home to Vancouver for their work. But, that's fine, they're always together anyway. ''Excited to get going, kiddo?'' Daniel asks her.

Gabriella nods, and says. ''Yeah, I hope I can keep this form together. It's so surreal sometimes, you know?''

Daniel sits down next to her on the sofa. ''How so?'' Gabriella fiddles with her ring, and says. ''Not too many years ago, I didn't even wanna be alive anymore. I was broken, lost, and in constant pain. Now, here I am. Canadian Number One, World Number Eight, dating two amazing men, and champion of my home tournament.'' She says, thinking of all she's been through to get here, never mind all that's still to come. ''It's all just so strange sometimes.''

Daniel puts a supportive hand on her knee, sometimes he's the only person she feels understands her, and sometimes she's right. ''I know, and I am so proud to be your coach and friend, you deserve all of this success and more, and I wanna make sure you get all you can out of this sport.''

She decides to take a nap to rest off the flight and all of the emotions of the past week. The boys join her eventually, as they always do. Somewhere deep inside herself, Gabriella feels the last piece of her puzzle click into place, as though that win at home in Montreal was the final bit of healing she didn't know she needed. If so, if it is, then she's glad of it. Antoine took a lot from her. Her sanity, her love for life, her love for tennis, her belief in herself, everything. But, slowly, she's gained it all back, and that victory puts the capstone on a now two and a half year healing journey. From pulling out of Dubai in 2023 until now, it's been a roller-coaster of work to be healthy again, and she knows it'll never truly end. But, she's the new Queen of Quebec, and that's something nobody can take from her.

When she wakes up, she decides to do an open letter on instagram.

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

Gabriella.Lemieux

liked by: _eliaspettersson, _quinnhughes, danielnestor1, and 900k others.

Gabriella.Lemieux: An open letter to my sport.

I was four when I found you, a tiny little girl who fell in love with a sport, and was desperate to play it. On my fifth birthday, my parents got me my first racquet, and ever since then, I've never looked back. This sport gave me love, a purpose in life, and the four best friends I've ever had. Felix, Denis, Bianca, Leylah - all for one, one for all!

I was seven when I won my first junior tournament at home in Montreal. I could barely believe my luck that day, that I had won my first ever event! The only way from there was up, and up I went, becoming the top ranked junior in the province.

I was seventeen when I found my forever coach, Daniel Nestor, who took a major gamble on coaching a teenage girl so soon after retiring from his own career. But, I'd never be able to do this with anyone else. Daniel, thank you for that gamble, I hope it ends up being worth it.

I was twenty-one when I began using you as self-harm after the worst thing that's ever happened to me. A betrayal off court soured me to my own sport, and I began a spiral into mental breakdown. I fell out of love with this sport, the tennis had left me, and I needed help that the sport couldn't offer.

I was twenty-three when I traveled to Vancouver for winter in the west, my first real trip anywhere alone. I needed that trip more than I knew, and it gave me the people I had been missing in my life until then. A revelation about myself, and my two Canucks. Quinn and Elias, my missing pieces. I love you both so much, and I'm so happy we've made this work, because I'd not be here without you both. Then, I began winning for real, lifted up by my boyfriends, my coach, my family, my friends, and my new love for my sport.

Now, I'm twenty-four, and you have given me the biggest and best win of my entire career so far. A victory I'd spent twenty years dreaming about, a win at home in Montreal. In the city where I was born, the city I love so dearly. I beat the two best players in a row to achieve my dearest held dream in life. In front of most of the people I love, I became a champion in my birth city.

I know I've got plenty of time left with you, it's taken me a lot of therapy to get here I'll admit, and that healing will never truly end. But, now I know we've still got so much time left together, I'll not ask you for anything, but know that I'm excited for whatever lies ahead. Even if I have no idea what that is yet.

I am still that tiny little girl in so many ways, she still lives deep inside me, I still carry that pink Prince racquet in my bags to this very day. I still nurse her dreams, her hopes, her ambitions, and her fears. But, I'm better equipped to see them through, older, wiser, and more mature. I hope that tiny little girl would be happy with all the twenty-four year old her has become, both of us are excited for what we still can be, I know that much.

So, tennis, as my time back in Cincinnati begins anew, let's see what this relationship can yield us until our story ends. I'm not stopping here, there's so much still to do, and so much time left to do it in.

I love you, and I hope you never forget that.

Gabriella Celeste Noelle Lemieux 🍁🎾💖

comments are turned off.

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She shows the post to Elias and Quinn before it goes up, They read it carefully, brown and blue eyes glistening with tears. They silently hand her phone back to her so she can publish the post. She publishes it to her page, and takes her weeping hockey players into her arms. She'd not be here without them, and they'd not be where they are without her and each other. They both kiss her, she'd not have this life any other way. She's lived a life without this, for too long. Now, she's not letting this go for anything. This is her life now, a top ten player at last, champion on home soil, girlfriend to the two most amazing men - who also love each other every bit as much as they love her. She's happy now, happier than she ever dreamed of being, and she's not letting the past own her anymore.

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This was so much fun to write! I've kinda missed my beloved Whistler Trio! Their little ot3 relationship is such a new experience for me to work on. But, I'm in love with this story so much! Having Gabriella win Montreal 2025 felt like the final piece of her puzzle in a way to me. Being born there, raised there, based there until her move to Vancouver, the place is her spiritual home, and always will be. Going through her run to the title was very cathartic for me, and for her. Having Elias and Quinn with her too is just the icing on the cake.

For anyone confused, Elias and Quinn are also together, and they're with Gabriella. The three of them are all together in this relationship. And, they're probably the first openly poly athletes in their respective sports.

Anyway, enjoy!

#best with three au #hockey rpf #tennis rpf

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airsoftaction · 5 months ago

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faulty-writes · 2 years ago

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You’re such an angeeeellll, can you write for the second idea you mentioned to me? The Yule ball one? I totally loved it and since I’m feeling really emotional (my eyes watered when I read about the reader because I found myself on her soooo muuuchhh) I just got giggly imagining myself with Shoto in that situation (I even have my own OC for bnha but I don’t know how to draw and did t find a way to so I don’t have an image of her) Have a nice day ☺️💜

[ I get to use my cute banner again, why is Shoto so cute? I don't understand, haha. So for those who may not have seen, this request is part of one I had suggested in response to the lovely todoroki-vivian's ask. To summarize, this story is about Shoto comforting the reader during a dance-related celebration of heroes. The reader happens to be a low-ranking hero and is a wallflower at the event until Shoto decides to ask them for a dance. I might have made this slightly longer than my other requests, but once I started writing I couldn't stop. ]

Soft music continued to fill the air and the shadows of dancing silhouettes just barely reached you. A sigh passed your lips as you continued to press your back against the wall, somewhat grateful you were hidden away from everyone else.

You were somewhat "forced" to attend the Hero Throwback Ball which was created to celebrate how far heroes have come over the centuries and honor the individuals who made powerful impacts or movements that paved the way for hero society.

Unfortunately, despite being a graduate of Yuuei. You were a piss poor hero who ranked low on the hero board. Many didn't even know your name or worse, made fun of you despite the fact you really tried doing some good in the world.

But villains always escaped your grasp somehow and recently you found yourself slipping up more than usual, this always seemed to happen during your confrontations with said villains. Of course, you could thank your anxiety for that.

Negative thoughts and doubts would begin to take over your mind as you attempted to fight off whatever villain. Eventually, you'd end up injuring yourself or you'd try to use your quirk, only for it to "backfire" and for the villain to escape.

It was no wonder you were referred to as the "villain helper" rather than an actual hero. Maybe it was just your paranoia, but you swore you only received the event invitation as a form of mockery. So maybe it was better that you were out of sight.

'It's not like anyone would ask the lowest ranking hero to dance...' you thought bitterly, crossing your arms. Yet you couldn't help but wonder if your old classmates would try looking for you. "Mm..." maybe that was hoping for too much.

"Todoroki-kun!" Izuku said cheerfully, "y-you're here too, that's great!" Shoto hummed before turning to face Izuku aka 'Deku' the number one hero. Katsuki was number two, and Shoto took his place as the number three hero in Japan.

He knew that his ranking somewhat disappointed his father and that people expected more from the former number one hero's son. But Shoto could care less about ranking, his main goal was to use his quirks to help others, not to capture all the fame.

"Midoriya..." he replied, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Todoroki!" came Uraraka's voice seconds later and Shoto immediately noticed she was dragging Tenya along with her. "Ah..." he replied, raising one hand to greet the two of them.

"Apologies, Ochako was rather eager to say hello before we departed to the dance floor," Tenya explained in his normal matter-of-fact tone. "Mmhm!" she confirmed with a nod, tightening her grip on his arm. "Heh..." Izuku gave a pity smile and scratched the side of his head.

"I'm n-not much of a dancer so Iida volunteered," he explained half-heartedly. "I'm afraid even if that were not the present circumstance, I could not refuse one's invitation to dance," Tenya added before pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

"Are you going to dance too Todoroki-kun?" Uraraka questioned with a smile. "After all," she said tilting her head, "it is a celebration and you can't just hide away like you usually do," she knew Shoto tended to be quiet and reserved in social situations.

"Mm," he replied, not exactly one to start arguments. "I'll be watching you!" she warned with a pointed finger before turning to Tenya. "Let's go!" she said cheerfully. "Ah, yes," he replied before looking back at Shoto.

"I do hope we can speak later," he said as Uraraka guided him to the dance floor. Izuku and Shoto watched as they disappeared, the dance floor itself looked rather crowded but Shoto found an odd comfort in the gentle melody that echoed through the air.

He took an extra moment to observe the way others were dancing, how close they were and how they embraced each other. Keeping their hands together or their arms wrapped around their dance partner. 'I wonder...' he thought before his attention shifted to Izuku.

"Who else is here?" he questioned bluntly, somewhat catching the green-haired man off guard. "Huh, oh well..." he paused, lightly tapping his chin as he thought. "Kacchan, Kirishima, Denki, Jirou, uh...m-most of our old class," he answered, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

Shoto narrowed his eyes. "What about Y/n?" he asked. "Uh..." Izuku looked dumbfounded and took a moment to recall if he had seen you or not. He knew the trouble you had found yourself in lately and frowned as he replied, "I...I don't know if they're here..." before glancing around.

"I...I know they h-haven't had the best ranking lately and...m-maybe they thought it best to...decline the i-invitation?" he suggested despite knowing that the answer wouldn't satisfy Shoto. "I'll find them, thank you...Midoriya," he said leaving a baffled Izuku behind as he walked away.

"I wonder why Todoroki-kun wants to find Y/n..." he muttered to himself. You slumped your shoulders, continuing to stare at the floor with a frown. 'I should have stayed home...' you thought, somewhat feeling sorry for yourself.

Your eyes began to water causing you to furiously wipe them with the back of your hand. The last thing you needed was more negative attention, yet you couldn't help but feel utterly useless. Before you could dive too far into this wave of self-pity, you heard someone speak your name.

It seemed so out of the blue and your head snapped up at attention. Your breath hitched when you saw two different colored eyes staring at you and there was only one person they could possibly belong to. "S-Shoto!?" you exclaimed, feeling your face immediately flush.

However, you quickly came back to your senses and frantically wiped your eyes, hoping he didn't notice that you had almost cried. "W-what are you doing here, or uh...h-how did you see me?" you questioned, moving your hands about nervously.

But this didn't seem to bother Shoto who merely replied with a "Hm?" and continued to keep his eyes locked on yours. He noticed that they looked moist, and though it was possible that there was something in the air, no one else seemed to have irritated eyes.

'I know they h-haven't had the best ranking lately' Izuku's words rang through his head, 'maybe they thought it best to...decline the i-invitation' well at least that part wasn't true, but he wasn't sure if that put him at ease because something was clearly bothering you.

The fact that you tried hiding in the shadows was enough of a red flag, but as Uraraka mentioned, he too had a tendency to isolate himself from others. "Uh..." you blinked, wondering why he hadn't said anything. Luckily the music filled the space of awkward silence.

"Dance?" he suddenly said, making your eyes go wide. "W-what?" you replied with your mouth hanging agape and a confessed expression on your features. "Dance?" he repeated in a robotic-like fashion, not knowing how to properly ask someone such a thing.

Panic washed over you causing your hands to press against your stomach which twisted into knots. Dance?! With Shoto!? Oh no, no, no! Just the thought of how you would mess up cemented your response.

"No!" you exclaimed before clasping your hands over your eyes, feeling your heart begin to race, and the urge to go and find another safe spot grew. "Hm..." Shoto leaned back, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Is something wrong?" he questioned, he thought you would be happy to dance. Maybe it would make you feel better and forget your troubles, at least that's what he had learned since forming bonds and friendships with those at Yuuei.

"W-why..." you lowered your hands which were trembling furiously, "why do you want to dance with me!?" you squeaked out, feeling yourself growing short of breath due to the anxiety that now riddled your body.

Shoto noticed this but answered your question first. "I'm a wallflower too..." he replied, confusing you all the more. You violently shook your head, balling your shaky hands into fists. "No, no, no!" you replied once again.

"I-I'll only mess up again and...t-trip all over the place and then people will laugh and I m-might hurt you a-and..." you glanced to the side, continuing to breathe rapidly. Your mind was racing with a million more ways you could continue to deny Shoto.

Then a loud sound echoed next to your ear and you turned your head only to notice Shoto had firmly pressed his hand against the wall. "W-wha..." your breathing came to a halt as you turned back only to feel your heart accelerate at how close Shoto's face was to yours now.

You knew Shoto didn't have the best social skills, and neither did you, but didn't he know about personal space? "You won't hurt me," he assured before leaning back and moving the hand that was pressed against the wall to once again hold it out in front of you.

You latched onto your bottom lip noticing that the music almost seemed to be getting louder, like it was taunting you just as the dancing silhouettes did earlier. "Mm..." you looked at Shoto before leaning to the side.

The couples on the dance floor looked so happy, and you felt a sting of jealousy knowing they could so easily engage with others socially and that they had someone to be so physically close with. You frowned and slowly pressed yourself back against the wall.

'Can I really...be as confident as them...being who I am?' you thought before noticing that Shoto had moved his hand closer which caused you to look up at him once more. His facial expression held no judgment, not even the slightest hint of anger that you were taking far too long to accept his dance.

'It's not like anyone would ask the lowest ranking hero to dance...' your own words echoed in your head and your hand slowly began to move. 'But...' you laid your palm in his and watched as his fingers so gently closed over the top of your hand.

'Shoto did,' your stomach was still in knots and you tightened your grip when he guided the two of you onto the dance floor. You wiggled your body this way and that, not exactly thrilled about brushing against anyone else.

When the two of you reached the center, he turned to face you and tried to replicate what he saw earlier. He stepped close, pressing his chest against yours which didn't help your already nervous state. "Eep!" you squeaked out when he guided your free hand to his shoulder.

Your face grew hot when his hand came to press itself against the side of your hip, this was accompanied by a tremble that violently coursed through your body. "Are you cold?" he questioned, feeling the way you dug your fingers into his shoulder.

Your throat felt tight and you were almost certain you'd pass out at any moment. You somehow managed to shake your head in response, but he continued to look at you with a blank expression, the same one you had seen for years.

"This is what I saw others doing earlier," he noted and you couldn't help but question the reality of what was happening. Was this real? Were you really cradled so close to Shoto, the number three hero? "U-uh huh..." you managed to say, focusing your attention on his chest rather than his face.

"Do you like it?" he questioned making you yet again tremble which caused him to ask, "Are you sure you are not cold?" seconds later. You nodded before swallowing hard. "I...I uh...i-it's fine!" you somewhat hoped no one heard the panic in your voice over the music.

"Okay," Shoto replied as he began to sway gently back and forth, but your feet barely moved. In fact, your upper body did most of the work following along with his motions. You squeezed your eyes shut, hearing those doubtful thoughts once again plague your mind.

How did the two of you look to others? Were you making Shoto look silly? After all, he could be dancing with someone who actually knew what they were doing. Someone that would make him look good. Not you, not a hero ranked so low you were considered a waste of space.

Once again your eyes began to water and though you didn't want to, you buried your face into his chest seeing as it was the only place you could hide away from the crowd. He came to a brief pause and looked down, slightly confused about what you were doing before he heard a soft sniffle.

He resumed swaying back and forth, being careful not to bump into the other couples that were around. "Why..." you squeaked out, almost feeling bad that the few tears that ran down your cheeks soaked into the front of Shoto's tux.

"Hm?" he tilted his head, continuing to look at the top of your head. "W-why did you ask me to dance with you?" the words left your mouth in a soft and slightly broken tone. "Because I wanted to," came his immediate response.

You frowned and slowly lifted your head to look at him, bringing your hand from his shoulder to his chest. "Why would you w-want to dance with...a l-low ranking hero? I-I'm not even a hero I'm just..." a sigh escaped you.

"Just a...screw up," it was Shoto's turn to frown. You thought so little of yourself because of your ranking? If that were true, then why did you accept the invitation? He couldn't seem to come up with the answer, but you needed to see how important you truly were.

"Hm?" Uraraka lifted her head from Tenya's shoulder. "Hey is that Shoto and Y/n?" she asked with a pointed finger which caused Tenya to turn his head briefly. "Ah, I believe so," he replied, turning back to look at her.

Uraraka smiled and began to wave her hand, trying to catch Shoto's attention seeing as you had buried your face into his chest for the second time. Shoto immediately noticed the movement from the corner of his eye and tore his attention away from you momentarily.

He returned Uraraka's smile before once again looking at you, furrowing his brow. He then looked back at his friends before gently guiding the two of you over to them. Your face remained buried in his chest the whole while.

He brushed against Tenya before leaning over to whisper something into his ear. "That's quite an extensive request," Tenya replied as Uraraka looked at him with a confused expression, but then her eyes settled on you and a frown came to her face.

It wasn't that hard to tell something was wrong, but she assumed whatever Shoto had whispered to Tenya was going to solve the dilemma you were going through. "Huh?" she looked back when Tenya came to a stop and released his hold on her.

"However, it would be an honor to help you," he said to Shoto. "Iida, what's going on?" she questioned. "Please allow me a moment, I believe what I am about to announce will answer your question," he replied before raising one hand.

"Attention!" he exclaimed, his voice easily being heard over the music and causing your head to snap back up like it had moments prior. "What's going on!?" you questioned, looking at Shoto however his attention was focused on Tenya and you followed his gaze to the man in question.

"Please clear the dance floor, Shoto would like to perform a dance with his fellow hero Y/n!" under normal circumstances everyone would have remained where they were, but considering most of them respected Shoto they followed through with what he wanted.

You watched everyone begin to evacuate the dance floor and trembled yet again. Your face grew hot knowing there were now multiple sets of eyes on you, why would Shoto do this? Part of you was angry and quick to assume he was only doing this for one reason.

So everyone had a front-row seat to watch you screw something else up. However, your assumptions were proved wrong when Shoto leaned down and whispered, "You deserve to be in the spotlight too," into your ear causing your jaw to drop.

He then reached down to grab your hand which was still fisted into the front of his tux. "Follow my lead," he instructed, and though you didn't quite understand what he meant before you could even blink he took off running.

"Ah!" you couldn't help but holler as your feet desperately tried to keep up with him. "Shoto!" you cried out when you suddenly found yourself being twirled multiple times all while continuing to move around the dance floor.

Your vision was spinning by the time he wrapped one arm around your waist and the other around your legs, lifting you just enough to see the crowd and their eyes. The very same ones that were causing you anxiety just moments before.

They looked fascinated, intrigued even at this strange dance Shoto was performing with you. Another cry came when you felt him let go causing you to panic for a few seconds before he once again caught you. His arm still remained around your waist and the one he had used to wrap around your legs was now holding them apart.

It was a tad awkward to be facing sideways, especially as he proceeded to spin around as if he were a figure skater. But despite this and the fact that you were getting a little nauseous, a nervous chuckle left your mouth just seconds before he let go of your legs.

You instantly turned your body, grasping onto his shoulder which slightly cushioned the impact your feet had once they reached the floor again. Then Shoto resumed running, pulling you along with him as the two of you rounded the perimeter of the dance floor.

You found yourself laughing as he guided you into another spin, the two of you interlocking your hands and fingers as the world around you grew blurry. Yet, you could still hear the slightly distorted cheering and music that filled the air.

For a brief moment, you seemed to forget your troubles. Your anxiety was completely pulled from your mind and your stomach seemed to settle though you noticed an odd feeling of warmth growing from deep within. Was this what everyday heroes felt like?

Since becoming a hero, no one really cheered for you. No one ever said 'thanks for saving me' or 'you're my hero' to you. But now, they were cheering and maybe it was partly due to Shoto. Still, the feeling was intoxicating and you wouldn't mind if you got more of it.

You continued to follow Shoto, leaping and twirling around every inch of the empty space laid before you. When you reached the center, the rest of the dance floor was cast in darkness and the only source of light was the circle that illuminated yourself and Shoto.

Of course, you didn't have much time to question who was responsible for working the lights. But you swore you saw a few sparks in the distance beyond the dance floor which illuminated a certain blond headed-boy who was known for his electricity quirk.

Your lips parted, and you briefly wondered how many of your past classmates were in on this. "Whoa!" you cried out when Shoto grasped your hips causing your hands to naturally grab onto his shoulders as you were once again lifted into the air.

You looked at him in shock, though you didn't miss the fact that he was wearing a smile and the way he looked at you was as if he were witnessing a star in the making. But you didn't have much time to appreciate his gaze as you cast in total darkness for a few seconds.

He lowered you back onto your feet and you hissed as the dance floor suddenly lit up again. The crowd's clapping, whistling, and cheering grew louder. "Whoo! Go Shoto and Y/n!" Uraraka screamed as she continued to jump and down.

"That was quite an unusual but impressive dance routine," Tenya commented as he grasped his chin, ignoring the ringing in his ears due to the continued noise around him. You briefly glanced over the fellow heroes who seemed to now be looking at you with amazement.

"Heh..." your heart was still racing and that tinge of nerves still coursed through your body. Yet, despite this, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms around Shoto. Embracing him in a hug, though his body stiffened at the contact.

You ignored this reaction and uttered a quiet, "Thank you," which made him look at you confused. But then a smile came to his face and his body seemed to relax once again. "You're welcome," he replied before returning the hug.

He'd have to remember to thank Tenya and whoever else happened to help him accomplish giving you the confidence you needed to believe in yourself because no matter how low or high the hero board claimed you to be, you would always be an incredible person to him.

#shoto x reader #todoroki x reader #shoto x you #todoroki x y/n #shoto x y/n #bnha x reader #bnha x you #bnha x y/n #faulty writes: shoto todoroki #faulty writes: shoto todoroki: one shot

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