#it’s like multiple answers were true but which was best for the situation

[thegaythespian]

I think my philosophy test went well, not expecting 100% like last time but i I’d figure out the multiple choice ones that were initially tripping me up a bit

[f1goat]

more than friends ; lando norris + part eight

In which your best friend is going to help you to gain more sexual experience and say goodbye to your insecurities, but he's quick to discover that he never wants to share you and your new experiences with others - the only problem being, him having to confess his feelings.

masterlist - playlist

fem!y/n x lando norris

warnings: smut with a plot. minors dni! probably grammar or spelling errors due to english not being my first language.

requested: yes, based on this request: something with a driver sister that’s still a virgin & lando (her bestfriend) suggests to teach her things

part one / part two / part three / part four / part five / part six / part seven

“Still nog dating Lando?”

You let out a soft chuckle. Lando is walking in front of you, while you’re slowly walking behind him. Oscar is walking right next to you, which gave him every chance to ask his new favorite question. Together with Lando, Oscar and multiple other team members you’re doing the track walk. Normally you skip this part of the day, but Lando almost begged you to come with him. So here you are - and Lando isn’t even paying attention to you right now. You wonder why he wanted you to come with him. 

“Still single,” you answer.

Oscar has made it his new found mission to keep track on everything between Lando and you. After you picked Lando and him up that night, he has asked you a couple times how things are going. It’s nice to talk with someone about the things between Lando and you. You didn’t tell him about the sexual part, but some how you suspect that Oscar already knows about that. 

“Still waiting for him to make a move,” Oscar states.

“True,” you confess.

Oscar lets out a loud laugh after hearing your blunt answer. You can’t help yourself and laugh with him about it. Lando is quick to take a look behind him when he hears your laugh. It surprises him to see you talking and laughing with his teammate. He decreases his pace until he’s walking next to Oscar and you.

“What are you talking about?” Lando asks curious when the two of you stopped laughing. 

You don’t know what to say at first. You can’t be honest with him - because that would mean confessing that you were talking about him and dating him, but you’re also a terrible liar. What are you going to answer? Before you can think of an answer, Oscar is already talking. 

“Pierre,” Oscar answers with a matter of fact tone. He brings it if it’s not even weird that he’s talking about Pierre with you. Lando is quick to ask a follow up question, “Pierre?” He asks confused. He wonders why you’re talking about Pierre with Oscar. A strange feeling comes up inside of him, he feels ashamed for his quick reaction but he wants to know everything right now. 

“Yeah, I’m trying to get her on a date with Pierre,” Oscar continues. He knows he’s taking a risk right now, a big risk even, and that Lando will get mad at him but he’s done with the way his friend is handeling this situation. He isn’t going to standby and watch for years until one of you finally does something. Oscar has decided that Lando needs a push and quick. 

“But you already said no to Pierre, right Y/N?” Lando questions you confused. He feels himself getting annoyed with the subject Pierre and with his teammate. He told Oscar about his feelings, right? So why is Oscar trying to set you up with Pierre. 

You are also getting a bit annoyed with Oscar his answer. What is he trying to do? You know that he’s waiting for Lando to make a move on you - just like you do, but you told him not to intervene. When you look at Lando and notice his frustrated look, you suddenly start to think that Oscar might have done a good thing. Lando is waiting for you to answer. He looks annoyed en his relaxed smile that normally lingers on his lips is also gone. 

“Yeah,” you tell Lando, “but Pierre asked again.” It isn’t even a lie. Pierre texted you again this morning. His text was stupid and a big cliche, you didn’t even answer it yet. It’s something in the line of you needing to give him a chance, because he wanted to settle down and get to know you. This time he didn’t even said something about the way you look, while his earlier messages all said something about that. 

“Why would you change your mind?” Lando asks you confused, “I thought you already decided that Pierre wasn’t your type.”

“You decided that,” Oscar butts in. Lando sends his teammate an angry glance to his teammate. 

“Maybe I should give him a chance to prove himself,” you shrug. 

You don’t know why you just said that. Why did you say something as stupid as that? You can only hope that Lando is going to say something against it, because you really don’t want to go on a date with Pierre. There’s not a single cell in your body that likes the thought of you going on a date with Pierre. Impatient you wait for Lando his reply. In the mean time you look at him. It’s clear that he is pretty frustrated, but he doesn’t act on it. Yet. Suddenly you start thinking about Lando being this frustrated with you while being alone with him. Would he punish you in a sexual way? You shiver while thinking about it, but you can’t stop thinking about how much you would like it.

“Maybe you shouldn’t,” Lando replies frustrated, “He’s a fuck boy and only wants sex with you.”

The frustration is obvious in his voice. In some weird way it only causes you to say something else about Pierre. Oscar doesn’t even need to say anything anymore, he can just watch how this mess unravels. 

“According to him he’s changing,” you inform Lando. It’s not like you believe it yourself, but you still say it to Lando. 

“He still wants to fuck you,” Lando says with a more angry tone this time. 

“Maybe I want him to,” you reply sarcastically. 

Lando doesn’t realize that you’re talking sarcastically. He can’t stop sending you angry glances. You’re also a bit shocked from your own sharp answer. This isn’t you. But in some way, you don’t know how to behave yourself right now. Lando is annoying you, why doesn’t he want you to date Pierre? You want him to be honest. Maybe it’s just because of your own hope that it means more for him as well… Oscar is looking at all of the drama unfolding before his eyes. He wonders how this work out. Maybe Lando will finally confess? He doesn’t think so, his teammate looks way too mad to say anything good right now. 

“You don’t,” Lando mutters angrily. 

“How would you know?” You ask annoyed. 

You don’t know why you’re getting mad. It’s going about nothing, about fucking Pierre - who you don’t want to date let alone fuck. But Lando annoys you right now and you have the urge to annoy him back. Lando stops walking and grabs your arm to stop you from walking further as well. He stands in front of you right now.

“You told me I’d be your first,” Lando eventually says to you with a softer tone. His eyes are begging you to agree with his words. He needs to hear you say it - he still wants to be your first. “You can’t expect me to believe that you suddenly want to have your first time with a fuck boy like Pierre,” Lando adds when you’re not answering fast enough according to him. 

You let out a soft sigh. “You’re still going to be my first Lan,” you tell Lando. It’s not hard to miss Lando his expressions brighten up a bit. “But maybe I want to date someone,” you add while thinking about your words, do you even want that? “I mean I have to get some experience on dating and Pierre can be useful for that.” 

“No,” Lando states firmly, “You’re not going on a date with Pierre. End of discussion.”

“And who says you can make that decision for me?” You ask. 

“Come on babygirl,” Lando sighs, “not him.”

“Okay,” you reply, “then I’ll say yes to Logan.”

“No,” Lando says again, “you told me you wouldn’t date him.”

“Maybe I changed my mind,” you state. 

“Fucking hell,” Lando mutters. You don’t say anything. “After the track walk I’m taking you on a date and I swear to God, I don’t want to hear you about any other boy for the rest of the day.” 

Oscar lets out a loud laugh. You almost forget that he was here as well. Lando sends him an angry look. He knows Oscar is enjoying his meddling between you two, this must have been his idea. He will talk about this with his teammate later. When he wants to make a sneer directed to Oscar, he starts to notice your look. You have a small smile plastered on your face and you seem quite happy with yourself. It makes him forget about Oscar. Did you do this on purpose? Maybe you wanted him to snap like this? Lando realizes that you’re more of a brat then he knew, he can’t stop thinking about how much he likes that. 

Lando gets a bit closer to you. “And after that date, I’ll deny you your orgasms until you’re screaming out your apologies for even talking about them,” he whispers in your ear. 

Fuck. What have you gotten yourself into?

+++

“We’re going to try something new,” Lando states. The two of you are in the hotel room. You’re standing in front of the mirror, looking at the dress you’re wearing for your date with Lando. It’s fitting you tightly, maybe a bit too tight even, but you want to show off your body to Lando. While applying your mascara, Lando takes place on the bed. “Come here babygirl,” he tells you. 

You don’t even think about it, within seconds your standing in front of Lando. He takes a good look of you, admiring your beauty and the way your dress is fitting you. It’s making him hard already. Lando grabs your arm and pulls you closer to him. 

“I want you to get on my lap,” Lando informs you. You start to move towards Lando, but when you try to take a seat on his lap Lando stops you. “Not like this,” he continues, “Lay on my lap and make sure you’re ass is high up.” Nervous you do what Lando says. You feel Lando caressing your ass, the only thing in the way is your dress and underwear. 

It doesn’t take long before Lando pulls your dress up, sliding it above your ass. Slowly he traces on your string. 

“I want to try something, do you trust me?” Lando asks you suddenly. “Yes Lan,” you tell him without even thinking about it. “Before I’m going to do something, we’re going to work with colors. Okay babygirl? If I ask you for your color, you will answer me with green, orange or red. Green is continue, orange is for taking a break and red is to stop,” Lando explains. You tell him yes again. 

Your stomach tightens when you wonder about what Lando is going to do. You have no idea about what’s going to happen. Lando caresses your ass in the mean time. 

“If I’m not asking, you can still tell me a color if you want,” Lando adds. You tell him another yes. 

Then Lando softly slaps your ass. You let out a soft cry when he does. It didn’t hurt, you’re just shocked. 

“Color?” Lando asks you, “Green,” you answer within a second.

Lando repeats his earlier movements, only this time the slap is a bit harder. You feel a small sting on your ass. Lando slaps you again, even harder this time. He asks you for your color again, you reply with the same answer as before.

“You know what they always say right?” Lando asks you, “Bad girls get punished, good girls get rewarded. I think you’ve been quite bad this afternoon, don’t you think so?”

Before you can answer Lando slaps your ass again. After the hard spank he caresses it. You let out a soft moan. “But I believe you’re enjoying your punishment,” Lando remarks, “Isn’t it babygirl?” You nod. “Words,” Lando reminds you. 

“Fuck,” you stammer, “Y.. yes I enjoy it.”

 “Want more?” Lando asks you.

“Yes please,” you reply.

Lando spanks your ass even harder. He slaps it multiple times after each other. It causes you to let out multiple moans. Maybe this is exactly what you hoped for when you got Lando frustrated earlier today. It feels good that he’s taking it out on you. 

Lando lets out a soft chuckle, he lets his finger slide through your slit. “You like this, don’t you babygirl?” He asks you. “Yes,” you confess quickly. He gives you another slap on your ass. “Look at you,” he says, “all worked up because of me, all horny because of the way you’re getting treated. Fucking hell babygirl, you should know how hot you look right now.”

After that he stops. You let out a whimper when Lando his hands aren’t touching you anymore. Then he pulls something out his pocket. You’re still laying on his lap with your ass up. Lando pulls your string a bit aside. Suddenly you feel a soft vibration against your cunt. It causes you to let out a surprised yelp. You realize that it’s a small vibrating toy that’s being hold by Lando against your entrance right now. What’s going on?

Lando slides the toy inside of you. He gives you a soft slap on the ass and pulls your string back. Then he also slides your dress back over your ass. He helps you to get back on your own feet. After that he opens his phone and you feel the vibrations increase. You let out a soft moan. 

“You okay with this?” Lando asks you. 

“Green,” you tell Lando with a small smile. 

“Good girl,” he states proudly. Lando presses a kiss against your forehead. “You’re such a good girl for me,” he continues, “Keep acting like this and maybe you’ll deserve to cum. And now we’re going to the restaurant.”

“I’m going to a restaurant with a toy inside me?” You ask Lando surprised.

“A toy which I can control,” Lando adds.

Fuck. This will be a difficult dinner. 

“Color?” Lando asks just to be sure. When he hears you say green, he grins. You’re everything he wanted, now he only needs to figure out a way to keep you forever. 

+++

Lando is trying. He really is. But why is it always when he takes you somewhere, that there are so many people interested in you? When he took you to a Grand Prix for the first time, it was his own teammate - Carlos Sainz, who was interested in you. When that faded there were others, new found friends of his who wanted to get to know you better. There’s always someone interested in you. On the grid right now, he knows that Pierre and Logan have interest in you. He hoped to escape from that tonight, but it seems like the waiter has found you as well. 

He tried so hard to think about a nice date for you. He took you to a good restaurant and made sure to check the menu, so he would know for sure that you’d like the food. He acts like a gentleman, opening the car door for you and seating you. It seemed like things were going really well, but now there’s this stupid waiter who is flirting with you. Lando is sure he’s going to lose it soon. He tries to ignore the waiter, but every time he comes around Lando is reminded that your not his. 

Earlier this evening Lando stopped the toy inside of you, but now that he sees the waiter coming again an evil idea comes up. He grabs his phone and opens the right app, when the waiter is standing by your table, Lando turns the toy on again. You are quick to get flustered, the setting is low but it’s enough to make you tremble. Lando takes a look at you, hoping that you’re alright with this. You show him a small nod. 

“Do you want anything else to drink?” The waiter asks Lando, he orders another soda. “And what about you?” The waiter asks you, Lando swears that he saw him wink. He opens the app again and changes the setting to a higher one while you’re telling the waiter about your order. It causes you to stutter while saying the last words. 

Lando chuckles. When the waiter walks off, you show him an angry look. “Dick,” you mutter. Lando changes the setting again, even higher this time. It makes you let out a soft moan. 

“Color?” He asks you. “Green,” you answer again. 

He smiles at you. You show him a small smile back. 

“Such a dirty girl,” Lando softly says to you, you can only nod.

Lando decreases the settings of the toy for you. He doesn’t turn it off completely like before, there’s still a small vibration inside of you. It’s making you slowly go insane. The vibrations aren’t enough for you to get close to a orgasm or to be loud, but it’s still all you’re busy with. The feeling is nice, but it keeps reminding you that you still haven’t orgasmed. Lando has been teasing you since you’ve been in the hotel with him and it’s making you loose your mind. When you remind what he told you earlier at the track today, you wonder if he’s even going to give you the pleasure of an orgasm today. 

When the waiter comes to bring your drinks, Lando can’t help himself and starts to feel annoyed again. He’s so sure of that the guy is flirting with you. It’s not that you’re flirting back, but Lando still feels really annoyed by the situation. You try to make a conversation with him, but he keeps fading out of it. 

“What’s going on Lan?” You eventually ask him. 

It’s your voice that pulls him out of his thoughts about the waiter - and all the other boys who want you. Lando tries to shrug it off at first, but when he notices your strict gaze he realizes that he won’t get away this easily.

“It’s just that everywhere I take you, there seems to be someone who tries to get with you,” Lando confesses with an annoyed sigh. He sounds childish. He doesn’t have the right to complain about it.

You show Lando a small smile. It’s really bothering him apparently. Can that mean that he’s jealous? “I’m not interested in any of them,” you tell Lando, “so just ignore them.”

“Promise?” Lando asks you. “Promise,” you reply.

“Not even that waiter?” Lando asks you, he needs to be sure.

“Waiter?” You ask surprised, “Which waiter? I thought you were talking about Logan and Pierre.”

“The one who just brought us our drinks,” Lando explains.

“What’s with him?” You ask confused.

“He’s trying to flirt with you,” Lando tells you. 

You let out a soft laugh. “I didn’t notice,” you tell Lando, “but still, don’t worry about them Lan.”

“Sure?” He asks you. 

“Yeah, if I was interested into one of them then why would I be here with you and a toy inside of me right now?” 

“That reminds me,” Lando jokes while pulling out his phone of his pocket and increasing the setting from the toy. Now he’s making it harder for you. The vibrations are increasing and making you feel more pleasure then before. Earlier it was just a small thing in the background, now the vibrations are doing a lot more to you. 

The evening is progressing quickly. When Lando and you walk away from your table, you’re shaking. The toy inside of you is making you go crazy. Lando slides his arm around your waist, walking towards the exit together with you. You can only hope that he’ll make you orgasm when you’re back at the hotel. You can’t go on like this much longer. When you notice that Lando his expressions change, you’re quick to follow his new angry glances. They are directed at the waiter. You notice that the guy is walking towards you. Maybe you have forgotten something at the table?  Lando is worrying about other things, he knows for sure that the guy is going to ask for your number or something.

“Uh hi,” the waiter greets you again, “I wanted to ask if you’re still single? And if so, can I get your number?” He asks.

Oh fuck. Lando was right apparently. You feel the way his grip on your body tightens. He pulls you even closer to himself. It’s almost if Lando is trying to show the guy that you’re his. But you’re quick to realize that you’re probably imagining things. You’re not his. Something that seems to be a growing problem. 

Lando can’t stop his movements. After pulling you close to himself and sending angry glares at the guy, he’s still nervous about your answer. What are you going to tell the guy? What if you do want to date the waiter? He feels himself getting more stressed.

“No sorry,” you reply.

“Protective boyfriend,” the waiter remarks while nodding at Lando, “Sorry wasn’t sure before, but it’s pretty obvious now.”

That’s not what you meant. You just meant that you didn’t want to give the guy your number. Why does he think Lando is your boyfriend? Before you can say anything about it, Lando is already talking.

“Glad that it’s obvious,” Lando says annoyed. He can’t help it. He knows he’s crossing the line, but he can’t stop thinking about you being his. You just play along to his words and try to hide your confused feeling. Lando starts to walk off with you in a fast pace, wanting to leave the place as soon as possible. 

He takes you back to the hotel with him. You’re feeling a bit tense because of what happened earlier, but you’re quick to forget when you see Lando pressing something on his phone. It’s the toy. Now you’re back in the car, Lando feels save enough to push you a bit more. And maybe he just wants to hear your moans for him, he can use a reminder of those sounds for him. You let out a loud yelp when the vibrations increase a lot more then before. Fuck. Moans are trembling from your lips and you feel your body shaking in the passengers seat of Lando his rental car. Lando lays his hand on your thigh in the mean time, softly squeezing it. You stare at him for a bit. Could it be possible that Lando likes you back? After today you have gotten a bit of hope. His jealousy is making you question everything.

When the two of you are in the parking lot of the hotel, Lando looks at you. “If you can get back to the room without making a sound, I’ll let you cum,” Lando tells you strictly. You nod desperately. You’re in desperate need to orgasm. The teasing is almost getting to much. “Not even the softest moan babygirl,” Lando continues. You show him another nod. “Good girl,” he mutters before pressing a small kiss against your cheek.

Lando is quick to get out of the car and open your car door as well, you take his hand and together you walk inside. Walking towards the elevator went fine, but as soon as the elevator closes Lando is holding his phone again. He looks at the app from the toy and doubts for a few seconds. He takes a look at you and decides that he is going to try it. Without giving it another thought, he puts the toy on the highest setting. He notices the way you start to tremble. Your lips are pushed onto each other, it’s causing you a lot of effort to keep silent. Lando grabs your arm and pulls you in front of himself. 

“Such a good girl,” he whispers in your ear. After that he presses a kiss against your neck. “Only a couple more minutes,” he continues to whisper. He peppers multiple kisses against your neck and shoulders. “So good for me.” “The best I’ve ever had.” “Fuck.” “You look beautiful like this.” He keeps continuing to praise you. 

When you’re finally back into the hotel room, Lando helps you onto the bed. He pulls up your dress, lifting it to above your ass. 

“How do you want to cum?” Lando asks you. 

“I don’t care,” you whimper, “just make me cum.”

“Me or the toy?” Lando continues to ask.

“You.”

Lando is quick to take your words into action. He slides your string aside and pulls out the toy, quickly tossing it aside after putting it off. Within seconds his fingers are inside of you. Instantly you feel more filled up then before, you let out a hard moan. He presses his lips onto your clit and softly sucks it inside his mouth. When he releases your clit, he looks up to you. “So beautiful for me,” he mutters again. You barely hear him. 

“So close,” you tell Lando. 

Lando decreases his pace. “You know what to do baby,” he instructs you. Without thinking about it, you’re begging Lando for your release. Pleading him to increase his pace again and to make you cum. He doesn’t. “Maybe I would be nicer if you weren’t talking about dating Pierre and Logan earlier today,” Lando suddenly says.

Fuck. You knew this would be coming back to bite you in the ass.

“Sorry,” you whimper without thinking about it, “Shouldn’t have said that,” you continue. “Only did it to get your attention,” you even confess.

Lando increases his pace. “My attention?” He asks you. You nod frantically. Lando lets out a deep chuckle. “Fucking hell babygirl,” he says, “don’t do that ever again.”

“Sorry,” you whimper.

“You always have my attention,” Lando states. He shows you a small nod to let you know that you can cum now. It doesn’t even take more then five seconds before he feels your pussy clenching around his fingers.

The two of you are silent for a bit. Lando lays down on the bed as well and pulls you on top of him. You feel yourself relax against his chest. He wraps his arms around you, you let out a relieved sound. Lando presses a small kiss against your cheek. 

“You’re still ready to lose your virginity?” Lando suddenly asks you. 

“Yeah,” you reply, “as long it’s with you.”

He doesn’t reply further. What you don’t know, is that Lando is starting to think about the perfect way for him to have sex with you the first time. When you fall asleep later that night, Lando turns to his phone and starts to figure out the first things.

part nine

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[sunflowerhyun]

how he sees me | hwang hyunjin | part three

ᝰ summary: “Do you love me?” she asked.

In his hesitation, she found her answer.

OR, alternatively, Hyunjin is a little bit of an asshole and Y/N just misses him.

ᝰ pairing: hwang hyunjin x fem!reader

ᝰ genre: ex-childhood-friends-to-lovers, punk!hyunjin au

ᝰ warnings: cursing, references to past situations (in italics), alcohol consumption, angst, themes of jealousy (from both parties), mentions of body insecurity, mentions of death and grieving

ᝰ wc: 6-8k ish ?

ᝰ a/n: part three in da books, hope you all like it ! also, gif is not mine — all creds to the owner !

ᝰ reference the masterlist here.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Y/N has only experienced the true feeling of rage twice in her life.

The first time was when her grandma passed away when she was only 16 years old. Her grandma was her best friend, (Hyunjin was a close second—he knew he couldn’t compare), and Y/N talked to her the same way she talked to him. Whenever she wasn’t spending time at Hyunjin’s house, they were always at her grandmas. She treated Hyunjin like he was family, and he treated her as his own nana. She would make them breakfast most mornings, (scrambled eggs with cheese, crispy bacon, and chocolate chip pancakes—that was always Hyunjin’s request), let them have sleepovers in her basement that was either always way too hot or way too cold, let them swim in her pool every summer, (where they mainly played mermaids, despite Hyunjin’s request), and sit at her kitchen table to stay up to date on the latest gossip at school while they sipped on mocktails (so they could fit the vibe more while nana had a glass of wine, listening in and chiming in). In a way, her nana was their third pea in the pod, and her nana was the only one that knew of her feelings towards Hyunjin.

Y/N’s sophomore year was tough. Breast cancer hit her nana harder than they thought it would, and by the time it was identified, it was simply too late. So when the doctors gave Y/N’s family the decision to let her die in a hospital bed or die in the comfort of her home, of course they picked the latter. When she was finished with school, she would come straight to her nana’s to take care of her, to tend to her needs. Hyunjin would come with her, would sing to her nana per her request. She always told Hyunjin he had a lovely voice, (“Such a lovely voice for such a lovely boy. You will go far in life, my dear,”), and he always sang I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You, as that was her favorite song and Elvis was her favorite artist. He would hold her hand, singing to her, but always found himself looking back to Y/N.

She passed away after a long two years in the comfort of her bed, surrounded by people she loved.

Grief hit her hard, but rage hit her even harder. She was angry at cancer, angry at the doctors who couldn’t just fix her, angry at God for not listening to her prayers. The feeling consumed her for months, had changed her attitude completely—but Hyunjin stayed with her, and he laid with her, and he was patient with her until she had finally grown to accept it.

The second time she experienced the feeling of rage was right now.

She hadn’t felt it in so long she almost forgot what it felt like. As soon as she laid eyes on a tall, skinny, fit woman with blonde hair that elegantly flowed down her shoulders, face perfectly caked with make-up and designer clothes covering her from head to toe, multiple feelings hit her at once.

The first was insecurity—which was a given. The woman was simply everything Y/N was not, the complete opposite of her, and she was gorgeous. She felt out of place sitting on the couch in her outfit she bought from a local thrift store, and suddenly had the urge to cover up her stomach that was now slightly peaking out from her sitting down. So she did just that, pulling her shirt together so it covered her. Only then did she realize her thighs were now ten times bigger now that she was also sitting down, and she shifted away from Hyunjin, his hands falling down to his own.

The second feeling she felt was jealousy. The woman was obviously beautiful, obviously had money, obviously well-respected from the way she carried herself, and Y/N was full of envy. Not particularly at all of those reasons, but because she was able to catch Hyunjin’s attention. She was able to hold him, to kiss on him, to be with him, and Y/N just wasn’t. And that’s when the rage peeked through. It built up slowly, but it quickly consumed her, just as it did years ago.

She stood up so fast it almost gave her whiplash, not even sparring Hyunjin another glance, shoving her way past the woman who had very loudly and obnoxiously called her a bitch as she did so. She couldn’t blame her for it, she had quite literally shoved past her so hard that she had stumbled a bit, but Y/N couldn’t help it. She was embarrassed, disappointed in herself, and livid—and she just wanted to get the hell out of there.

It wasn’t until she had stepped outside the trailer, the sun beating down on her face and the heat crawling its way back on her skin, that she heard someone yell her name. It was frantic, desperate.

She ignored it, feet stomping in front of her in the grass as she sped-walked further away, a hand suddenly gripping her wrist, softly pulling her back. “Y/N, stop! Please.” The voice was heard again, even more desperate than before, cracking slightly at the end. She shoved his hand off of her, not daring to turn around and face him because she knew she would cave in again, and she just can’t.

He let her go, but the footsteps followed, eventually making themselves prominent in front of her as they forced her to come to a stop. She still didn’t look at him.

“Y/N,” He panted out like he was out of breath, eyes pleading, voice scratchy, “Y/N, please just… can you just—“

“Fuck you, Hyunjin,” She let out sharply, slowly, “Just stop. You’ve obviously got more important things to do than to be chasing after me like this and bringing attention to yourself.”

She still didn’t look at him. His breaths became more faint. “Good luck with performing. I hope it makes you happy. I hope she makes you happy.”

She turned away then. He didn’t try to stop her.

——>

The walk back to Felix and Minho didn’t take as long as she thought it would. Blame it completely on the fact that she was beyond pissed at anything and everything in the world, walking so fast and shoving through literally everyone she walked past. It was actually quite easy finding them because of that when normally she would be a little timid and definitely more polite when it came to getting through large crowds. When she spotted Felix and Minho standing near the B stage, cheering and jumping up and down from a band that was currently performing, her feet carried her even faster over there.

“Heeeeey, bub,” Felix slurred out once she came into view, face slightly flushed from all the alcohol he has consumed and from the UV index being a whole 10 the entire day. He must have not worn any sunscreen. “We’ve missed yoooou! This festival is lit, forreal. I don’t know why we have never come to one of these things before.” His smile was so wide, teeth shining from the sunlight, cheeks red and freckles lathering his face. He looked so happy, so carefree. Y/N envied it.

He pulled her into a hug then, the sweat pooling off of him soaking its way onto her shirt, and she hugged him back despite the lingering feeling of annoyance she had. For a second, she imagined it was Hyunjin she was hugging, and bliss overcame her. But then, blonde hair and red lips came into her view, and she quickly shoved him off of her. Felix didn’t seem to notice the gesture, still looking at her with a giant smile plastered on his face, beer bottle dangling in his hands. He swayed a bit, bringing the bottle up to his lips, holding out his free hand towards her, wiggling his fingers. Y/N simply did not want to be touched anymore than she already had, so she stepped forward, pretending she didn’t see him.

“What, you don’t wanna hold my hand?” Felix asked with a slight pout. Y/N rolled her eyes, reaching down at the bucket of beers at their feet and pulling one out. She ignored him, popping the cap and taking a large gulp, immediately gagging and coughing right after. She felt a hand patting her back, and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, a grimace on her face.

“You don’t even like beer,” Minho spoke out as if she didn’t already know that.

“I don’t. But I lost my mango margarita, so this will have to do.”

“How did you manage to lose your margarita?”

“Just lost it going to the bathroom.” She mumbled back, taking another god-forsaken sip of the beer. Minho let out a hum in response, like he didn’t exactly believe her. Y/N could feel his stare on her, choosing to ignore it and not say anything back.

“Oh, Y/N,” Felix’s voice spoke rather loudly, giving her arm a little tug. She looked over at him, seeing a woman now standing beside him. “This is Dani. I met her earlier today. Wanted you two to meet!”

Dani was also gorgeous, hair up into a high ponytail, legs long and tan, shorts hugging her hips just right. Y/N could see that she was also fit and she immediately frowned, because why can’t she look like that?

“Hi!” Dani grinned, and Felix immediately let out a fit of giggles. He leaned his body into her and she didn’t hesitate to wrap her hands around him. “I’ve heard so much about you the entire day. I’m Dani, but you already know that.”

Her smile was so genuine, eyes sparkling at the sight of Felix who was still giggling like a love-struck maniac. “I think he might’ve had a little too much to drink.”

Y/N’s eyes followed the direction of Dani’s hands delicately wrapped around his waist, the way her body just naturally leaned into him, her cheeks red and eyes glistening in amusement. She took in a breath before replying, “Yeah. Looks like you’ve got it under control though.”

She was happy for him—really, she was. Felix deserved to find someone who would look at him like that. It was even better that she didn’t look like she just wanted to sleep with him and be done with it. She genuinely looked like a nice girl with good intentions. So of course, Y/N was happy for him. She just wasn’t happy.

Dani smiled at her in reply, her attention on Y/N then falling onto Felix as he began whispering something in her ear, a fit full of giggles coming out of the both of them. Y/N turned away from them, eyes focusing on the band currently performing, putting the beer bottle up to her lips.

“They’ll be coming on soon,” Minho spoke up, bumping his shoulder with Y/N’s. She didn’t need to ask who they were, stomach feeling a little queasy at the mention of them. She let out a small hum in response. “They’ll also have a little longer stage time than the others. It can get pretty intense, especially with their fans around us. Just wanted to give you a heads up.”

“Thanks, but it’s all good.” She responded with a curt nod of her head.

She could feel Minho looking at her again, could hear Felix and Dani beside her laughing, could see the mass of people dancing to the music that was currently playing. The sun was starting to go down, the sweat drying on her back, and she took in a breath, taking another sip of the beer.

——>

The stars were out.

Y/N was four beers in, feeling a little fuzzy but nothing like a couple nights ago, swaying to the music that was playing over the speakers. Another band had just finished performing and now it was a brief intermission before the last band of the night came on to end the night. Y/N knew who this band would be, had been dreadfully yet excitingly expecting it for hours. The feeling in her stomach was getting stronger each second that passed, hands slightly shaking in anticipation of the next few minutes, and yet the only thing she could seem to think of was that the stars were out.

There wasn’t too many of them, just a couple scattered across the night sky. She noticed that the brightest one seemed to be towards her right, directly over the stage, and she began to count them one by one as another memory took over her mind.

“What are you doing?” Y/N asked, plopping down beside Hyunjin who was currently sat on the bench, bookbag lying on his lap. His body was slouched down, head against the top of the back of the bench, seemingly mumbling to himself. He didn’t answer her, continuing to mumble to himself, eyes focused on the stars lining the sky in front of them.

“Hello?” She tried again, snapping her fingers in front of his face, placing her down bookbag beside her on the bench. Hyunjin quickly swat her hand away, and she let out a little giggle at the now annoyed look on his face. She asked her question again, copying his position on the bench and scooting closer to him.

“Counting stars,” He grumbled back, continuing to list off what she now recognized as numbers. She didn’t say anything back, glancing up at the sky.

The sound of the double-doors opening and voices were heard behind them, Y/N assuming it was the rest of Hyunjin’s teammates who were making their way outside the school to get in their cars and head home. Hyunjin had a late practice today, so Y/N was stuck doing homework while she waited on him for two and a half hours since he was her ride home. She didn’t mind it, though.

“28!” He shouted, and Y/N jumped slightly, “28 stars! At least that’s what I can see in front of me.”

Y/N hummed in response, letting out a yawn, rubbing her eyes gently. Hyunjin turned his head to face her, “You’re tired already? You’ve barely done anything today. You must have gotten tired watching me do all that running on the field.”

Y/N hit him lightly on the shoulder in reply, mumbling at him to shut up, and he let out a soft chuckle in reply. The sound of car doors slamming shut and engines starting up were suddenly heard, and Y/N glanced up to see that everyone was starting to head home. She looked back over to Hyunjin. He was already looking back at the sky.

“Infinity,” He spoke out in a soft tone, voice carrying through the soft breeze. Y/N looked at him in confusion. “You know how long it would take to actually count the stars? Infinity. That’s what’s so interesting about it. You think you’ve counted them all, think you’ve finally got it down, but then another one pops up and then you’re counting again. Just a never ending cycle. You’ll never get it right, no matter how much you want to.”

His hair was held back with a headband, softly moving from the wind, posture relaxed, eyes soft and showing a bit of exhaustion. The words sat for a minute, then as if he broke out of a trance, he turned towards her, “Sorry. I know you’re ready to go home. We can go now.”

He moved his hand to dig into the pocket on his shorts to retrieve his keys, but Y/N stopped him, gently placing her hand on top of his. He looked at her, curling up into a little ball as she scooted even closer to him, hands wrapping around his arm.

“It’s okay. We can stay a little bit longer.”

A shrill of screams suddenly broke her out of her little trance, the crowd seeming to go completely wild as the lights turned off. It was dark, the screams growing even more intense as a guitar riff began playing over the speakers. The beat then changed to an upbeat R&B sound, strobe lights flashing in red colors as a video of each of the members began playing on the big screen, ending with Hyunjin. He was posing for the camera, a white tank top on with tight leather pants, long hair slicked back. She felt her heart begin to race when the video cut off and it went black again.

It wasn’t long before the music started up again, the lights immediately coming back on, the beginning of a song starting. Screams began to ring through her ears, more intense than before, and she stumbled a little as she felt someone knock into her backside, Minho being quick to steady her and shoot a glare at whoever it was behind them. She had stumbled again, Minho now shouting at the swarm of people behind them, but Y/N didn’t pay attention to that. How could she, when Hyunjin was now visible on the stage, the lights twinkling behind him so elegantly.

He was dressed in a red silk cardigan with a black tank top underneath, black leather pants framing his legs so perfectly. Half of his hair was tied back into a bun making his facial features more prominent, making his eyes even more darker than they already were. Y/N could tell by the way he was carrying himself on the stage that something was off. Chan and Han were yelling at the crowd, running down the walk-way while playing their guitars, the crowd going crazy. Changbin was standing up behind the drums twirling the drumsticks in his hands, a smirk on his face. And Hyunjin was standing in the center, seemingly frozen in place.

It wasn’t until Changbin hit the drums that seemed to bring him out of his little trance as he began prancing down the stairs to stand in front of his mic. He grabbed it with both of his hands, closing his eyes as he began to sing the beginning of the song.

Time stopped.

Suddenly, Y/N couldn’t see the swarm of people standing around her. She couldn’t feel them knocking into her back, couldn’t hear their voices that were overpowering the song. Everything was a blur, a simple fragment of her imagination—everything was a blur, except for him.

Y/N always knew Hyunjin could sing. He had that ability to perfect everything he did, so of course it was no surprise when she heard him for the first time.

The first time she heard him was when they were both fifteen, in their freshman year of high school. Y/N had just gotten dropped off at his house, had made her way up the stairs and towards his bedroom, when she heard him. He was in the shower, the bathroom door cracked open slightly, singing the words to She Will Be Loved. She found herself walking closer to the door, heart pounding in her chest, hand opening the door a little bit wider to hear him better. He had stopped, then, calling out her name. She stumbled back, a string of apologies coming out of her mouth.

“You wanna see me naked or something?” He had said to tease her.

“No, you idiot! I was trying to hear you sing.”

She remembered how his grin dropped so suddenly, so uneasily—the droplets of his wet hair falling down, soaking his t-shirt. He looked as if he was experiencing an inner turmoil, eyes looking everywhere but at her, cheeks pink in slight embarrassment.

“It’s beautiful,” She whispered out. He looked back at her. “You’re beautiful, Jinnie.”

Y/N always knew Hyunjin could sing, but nothing could have prepared her for this.

It had started off soft, smooth, sweet—just like honey. Then it began to progress into something entirely foreign, entirely compelling. His voice got louder, more intense, and then he was belting out lyrics in a way Y/N had never experienced before. And as he stood there, expressing himself in a light Y/N had never seen him in, she felt it. All the years of friendship—the years of heartbreak, of self-acceptance, of discovery, of love—she felt it all, and she felt it hard. It was overpowering, hitting her all at once like a train crushing her body at full speed. Except it wasn’t a train, after all. It was Hyunjin.

It was always Hyunjin.

Suddenly, she felt a soft pressure on her hand. It knocked her out of her trance for a second as she glanced over, seeing that Minho had grabbed ahold of her hand. It was gentle, barely there at all, but she found herself smiling softly at the gesture, noting that he wasn’t exactly the type to show any form of affection. She didn’t realize a tear had fallen down her cheek until it reached her chin. He must have noticed sooner.

She held it back.

——>

“I can’t believe you didn’t go home with Lix and his new fling.”

Y/N looked at Minho, hands playing with the ends of her braids as she sat on the couch, mumbling out a small thanks as he handed her a cup of diet coke. “Did you just hear what came out of your mouth? Of course I’m not going home with them.”

“Yeah but I doubt you wanna be here either,” He replied, leg bumping against hers as he sat down beside her. He glanced at her, “You can go back to mine if you want. You really don’t have to be here. I can call a ride for you.”

She took a sip of the diet coke, wishing there was some rum in it, but not particularly in the mood to drink anymore tonight. “I’m fine. If I want to leave, I’ll leave, trust me.”

Minho didn’t look too convinced, (he never did), taking a sip of his beer before letting out a sigh. He was about to say something else when a chorus of screams flew through the room. She looked up, seeing that Chan, Han, Changbin, and a couple of other people were coming in the room. She tried to ignore the slight feeling of disappointment she felt when she didn’t see Hyunjin.

Minho immediately stood up, heading straight towards Chan and the other guys. Y/N could hear him telling him how sick they sounded, how awesome they looked on stage. Y/N could not agree more—they were definitely the highlight of the entire festival. She understood now why the crowd was so hype and why so many people were swooning over them. They were all great looking guys, could all play instruments and sing exceptionally well, could all carry a rhythm when they moved. So really, it was no surprise that they were successful.

A call of her name broke her out of her thoughts and she glanced up to see that Minho was waving her over. She quickly stood up, not wanting to be more rude than she already was, and made her way over towards them, Minho placing a hand over her back as he edged her closer.

“Y/N!” Chan grinned, wasting no time in pulling her into a quick hug, “I’m so glad you came! I hope you enjoyed yourself and we didn’t completely suck cause that would be really embarrassing otherwise.”

“Of course not,” She giggled in reply, “You guys were amazing, seriously. I’ve never been to a festival like this before but you guys stole the show, by far.”

“Don’t make me blush, now,” He teased, “But seriously, thanks for coming and supporting us. Means a lot. To all of us.”

Y/N’s smile loosened a little at his comment, feeling like there was a deeper meaning behind it, especially when seeing the sincerity and softness in Chan’s expression. Before she could say anything back, Chan had pat Minho on the back, flicking his head over towards the table full of food and drinks. “Want anything to eat? We’ve got an entire table full of whatever you can think of. Drinks, too. Get whatever you want.”

“I can go grab us a plate to share,” Y/N offered, seeing that the other guys and a couple of women were now making their way over to them. Her social anxiety was starting to brew, and she was a little hungry.

Minho nodded at her before beginning to engage with the other guys and Y/N took this as her cue to head to the food table. She politely greeted one of the waitresses who was standing behind the table before grabbing ahold of a plate, awkwardly making her way down the table in search of what they would want. Chan really wasn’t lying when he said there would be anything you could think of.

She was reaching for a couple of bacon wrapped jalapeños when a voice startled her.

“Hey,” The voice spoke, causing Y/N to jump a little as she whipped her head around, eyes widening slightly in surprise when seeing Han standing beside her. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You’re fine,” She let out in reply, voice soft, timid. What was he doing here talking to her? Shouldn’t he be talking to everyone else?

He let out a sigh before grabbing a bacon wrapped jalapeño from the table, popping it in his mouth. It was silent for a couple seconds, the only sounds being from the distant chatter in the background and his light smacking. Y/N could practically feel the waitresses eyes boring holes into her, probably also wondering why he was making conversation with her.

She was adding a couple of veggies to the plate when he began to speak again. “So, uh—I felt like I needed to apologize. To you.”

Y/N could feel her hands starting to sweat. “You don’t—“

“Yes, I do,” He quickly cut her off, grabbing another popper. He let out another sigh. “Look, I didn’t mean to make such a scene earlier today. To be fair, I didn’t know what you looked like. Obviously I know who you are from Hyunjin, but he never showed me pictures or anything like that. He was always weird about it. I just know you guys have some history and all that and you mean a lot to the guy, so.”

Y/N could feel her ears start to ring, the sweat now becoming more prominent on her hands she felt like the plate would slip right out. Her mouth was starting to go dry, throat closing up, because what did he just say? Hyunjin talked about her?

“And that was just totally uncalled for, anyway. I mean, you falling and getting hurt and everything. I hope you didn’t get too hurt, by the way. Our bodyguards can be too much sometimes. Anyway, I just wanted to come up and formally apologize to you. I hope—“

It was as if one word was going through one ear and out the other, Y/N not able to comprehend anything else coming out of Han’s mouth. It was not that she didn’t appreciate his apology, or his now constant rambling, but the fact that Hyunjin had just walked in. And the same girl from earlier was with him.

The feeling of rage slowly started to creep back inside her seeing that she was perched so delicately on his arm. Her hands were manicured perfectly, fitting oh so perfectly wrapped around his arm. Y/N wondered for a second if he paid for them, if he treated her to a spa day frequently so she could always have them so pretty and soft. So pretty and soft for him.

Her smile was wide, teeth so white and straight, lips adorned with a sensual shade of red. Hyunjin always said he liked red lipstick on a girl, as red reminded him of roses, of intimacy, of love. Did he make her wear red all the time? Did he love the way her lips felt against his? Did he love her?

Of course he did—he had to.

And what makes the icing on the cake is the fact that she is exactly what she always pictured as his type. Fit, stylish, petite—she looked like someone you would see in a painting. She fit his aesthetic. She fit him.

And god—seeing her wrapped around him hurt. It hurt a lot.

She hated it.

“Nice, they have our favorites!” Minho let out excitingly, grabbing a popper from the plate she was still holding. She didn’t even realize he had made his way over here. He must have been here for a minute, as Han didn’t greet him, nodding his head in agreement, mouth full of poppers. “Did ya eat already?” He mumbled out.

“Yep,” She lied, not having much of an appetite at all now. She doesn’t think she could stomach anything right now.

“God, these are so good.” Minho groaned out after pulling her into his side, making conversation with Han. Y/N could feel her eyes boring holes into the woman who was now speaking with another group of women, laughing so loudly and so obnoxiously that she just wanted to go throw this plate of damned jalapeños on her Chanel dress.

Minho had leaned over her to grab a couple more, placing one in front of her lips in attempt to feed her, as he sometimes did with her and Felix. She didn’t really want to, but didn’t want to make Minho start asking if she was okay again, so she took a bite, pretending she liked it even though she didn’t want to.

Glancing back up, instead of her eyes locking back on the woman stuck up Hyunjin’s ass, she found her eyes locked on him. And he was already starring back.

Someone was talking to him, arm wrapped around his shoulders, but he didn’t seem to be paying them any attention. She watched as his gaze went from being on her to being on Minho’s arm that was still around her body. His gaze darkened, eyebrows furrowing as he watched him pull her closer once he laughed at something Han had said, eyes shooting back up towards her own.

It was starting to feel hot. She felt like her body was on fire, could practically feel sweat trailing down her back. He kept looking at her like she was his last meal, and it was starting to suffocate her.

“Here, take this,” She handed the plate of food to Minho who took it without complaint, “I’m gonna go outside for a sec. I’ll be back.”

Not waiting on him to reply, she quickly shook out of his arms and made her way towards the back door, swiftly opening it and letting out a gasp of air. It was much cooler out here, less suffocating; she finally felt like she could breathe again.

She let out another breath before walking over towards the brick wall, sliding down to sit on the ground. She tilted her head back, glancing up at the sky, taking the time to begin counting them in her head in attempts to calm herself down a bit.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… and then the door opened.

She kept counting, kept her gaze on the sky, kept focusing on her breathing. Because if she didn’t, she would look over to see who had just came outside. And she had a feeling she knew who it would be.

Her guess was right.

“I didn’t know you would be here.”

The words hung in the air for a couple seconds, heart constricting lightly at the tone. She still didn’t look over.

She had gotten to fifteen when he spoke again.

“Why are you here?”

She tried to ignore the pang she felt in her chest at his question, wanting to slam herself against the wall when realizing he wasn’t going to leave even if she ignored him. He never did.

“I’m here with Minho. He wanted to come.” She replied curtly.

“Minho?” He spoke out, the name sounding bitter coming out of his mouth, “What, you fucking him or something?”

She stopped counting, then, glancing over to see him standing in front of her, arms crossed over his chest, gaze piercing through her. “Why do you care?” She let out, watching as his jaw clenched slightly.

He didn’t say anything back. She could see that his breathing was starting to pick up, his fingers tightening on his arms from where they were currently crossed. “Why don’t you just mind your damn business and go back inside to your little doll that’s been hanging on your arm all night, and just leave me alone.”

She immediately regretted it when the words came out of her mouth, but that feeling soon went away when he started talking again.

“Oh, so that’s what this is about?” He scoffed out, smirk framing his plump lips, piercing shining in the night, “You getting an attitude with me because of some girl you saw me with? That’s cute.”

“Shut up, Hyunjin,” She replied back, voice cracking slightly, adjusting her legs slightly. She felt a slight breeze between her thighs when moving, Hyunjin’s eyes flickering downwards for a second before landing back on her. “Just… leave me alone. Please.”

Her voice cracked again at the end, soft and pleading. He immediately picked up on her body language, how she curled herself more into a ball, how her eyes struggled to meet his, how her lip started to quiver. He let out a sigh, walking over and sitting down beside her gently, hands over his knees.

“I just wanna talk for a minute.”

“We’ve had years to do that, Hyunjin,” She whispered back.

It was quiet. The longer they sat there, the longer she realized how much she missed him. She hated the fact that even though their arms were barely grazing one another, even though she was finally breathing the same air as him again, even though they were finally talking, she felt her heart swell, felt the butterflies swarming in her stomach. And it pained her to sit here and feel these things because she knows she shouldn’t.

But she does. She always has.

She felt him move beside her, could see his head fall back onto the wall as he looked up to the sky. His fingers twitched, a sigh escaping his mouth. He inched a little closer.

“There’s just so much I want to say, I need to say, but I don’t know where to start,” He spoke, eyes never leaving the sky, “I’m just… I wasn’t expecting to see you again. I don’t know how to act or what I’m supposed to do now that you’re here. I just… I’ve got so much to say.”

Her eyes focused in on the brightest star. It outshined the others, and it was glowing, just as Hyunjin was tonight.

“I know you hate me,” He let out with a forced chuckle, “Fuck, I know you hate me. And I know you say you want me to leave you alone, but I don’t think you mean that. So I’m not going to. I know now is probably not a great time, and I know I’m starting to ramble, but I hope we can maybe… you know, start over, or something. I don’t know… what do you think?”

“We’re not supposed to talk when we’re looking at the stars,” She softly replied. She saw his head move out of the corner of her eye, his gaze burning holes into the side of her face. “Last time we talked when we saw the stars, you disappeared for six years. I’d rather not say anything, right now. Let’s just sit here a little bit longer.”

And as they sat there, so close, yet so far away from one another, Y/N focused back in on the brightest star and noted how it was directly between them, almost as if it was trying to connect them back together. She could only hope it wouldn’t steer her wrong again.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

▫️taglist: @hyundumpling, @hhwangsmoon, @luvyblossom, @inthefairygrove, @rebecca-johnson-28 , @betweensupernovasandstars , @allaboutsan , @babigriin , @vixensss

[outsideratheart]

Happiness (Alexia Putellas x reader)

A/N: This is the third and final part of History and Hope. I hope you enjoy!

It was hard being friends with Alexia but that is the situation you found yourself in. After her injury you forget all about the past because what she was going through was much more important. It resulted in multiple trains to Spain and in the end you were able to mend your friendship. 

But here’s the thing: could two people who once cared about each other unconditionally ever be just friends?

You were beginning to find out the answer to that the hard way. You loved Caroline and deep down you knew you loved alexia, it was a feeling that would never change. The question was which one were you in love with. 

The public hadn’t seen you and Alexia together since before her injury so when the footage of you two arriving together at camp was posted the entire Sefutbol fanbase lost their minds. It didn’t help that every comment was about how it reminded them of the past and how they suspected something was going on between the two of you even though you were still with Caroline. 

Caroline trusted you and she told you this but whenever you called her during camp she questioned the how deep your relationship with Alexia went. She knew of your past and you were honest with her when you spoke of the love you had for your former best friend and co captain. 

You reassured her that you and Alexia were friends and nothing more but you could tell that she didn’t believe you. For the past few of months you could use the fact Alexia had a girlfriend to back up your statement but now they had broken up. You were the person Alexia came to when it happened and Caroline hated that your bond had returned to its unbreakable state.  

You and Alexia were told you’d be roommates for the pre World Cup camp and for the tournament. It was something the two of you were both happy about because you knew the pressure you would be facing in the upcoming weeks and it would be each other that would  keep you sane. 

After a tense phone with Caroline you didn’t know how to feel. Photos had been released from training of you and Alexia and to the rest of the world the two of you looked very close but it was simply the way Spaniards acted around each other. 

“Is everything ok?” Alexia asked as she exited bathroom pretending to not have heard every word you said.  

“I think so” truth is you didn’t know “it’s hard trying to explain, well us”

“It is. That’s why my relationship ended” Alexia knew your struggles well. 

This isn’t something you knew. You wasn’t sure why they broke up, you never asked, but you didn’t for a second think it had something to do with you. 

“I’m sorry” 

“It wasn’t your fault. She knew that I still loved you” 

“Alexia”

“I know you’re with Caroline and I don’t want to jeopardise that but it is true. I do love you, part of me always will and she couldn’t understand that” 

This is why it was hard. Friends don’t say stuff like that to other friends. 

“I’m with Caroline, Alexia. We can’t have this conversation”

“But you admit there is something here, something that we can talk about”

“There’s nothing to talk about. We are in a good place and we need to keep it that way. There’s too much at stake” 

The pressure on the two of you was enormous. The entire world was watching and waiting in anticipation and you weren’t go to let your relationship current or what could have been ruin that. 

“I understand” 

And that was true. Alexia did understand because before you fell in love with each other, you fell in love with football and winning the World Cup was something you dreamed of doing when you made your debuts together. 

The team had a couple of days off between camp and travelling to New Zealand. You took the opportunity to go away with Caroline and it was just what the two of you needed. You could back up your words of reassurance with actions. By the time you boarded the plane to go to World Cup things couldn’t have been in a better place. 

Throughout the group stages you played some of the best football you had in a long while. Every one of your team mates said it was because you and Alexia were in the best place you had been in years. This was true and you knew it was a huge reason why the two of you had been performing like you had. 

Up until now you never had a thought of straying from your relationship or thinking about being with anyone but Caroline. This all changed after the quarter finals. You had scored the second goal and the only person you wanted to celebrate with was Alexia. 

“What just happened!” you shouted as you jumped into her arms. Alexia truly did plan on wrapping her arms around your back but the speed in which you jumped almost caused you to fall if not for Alexia’s hands on the bottom of your thighs. 

“You’ve just sent us to semi final” Alexia kisses your neck. 

The feeling of her lips against your bare skin had the power the teleport you to the night you shared your first kiss in Paris. Your surroundings became blurred for matter of seconds but that is enough to let your mind stray. In that moment you wanted to kiss Alexia, you wanted to cheat on your girlfriend. You hated yourself for it but it was feeling you could no longer deny.

A similar thing happens in the semi final only Alexia isn’t on the pitch for your game winning goal. This doesn’t stop you from celebrating though as you ignore all of you screaming team mates and run straight to where she is cheering on the bench. 

“That one was for you Ale” the nickname made a return, you didn’t dislike it and it wasn’t an accident.

Once again you are in her arms and you can feel her firm grasp on your waist. 

“Mi estrella” 

This time you kiss her cheek even though you know it’s wrong. You tell yourself it is innocent as it isn’t on the lips.

The final whistle blows and you fall to your knees. You were in shock knowing that Spain were through to the World Cup final. The whole team celebrates the achievement and as the team gathers in a circle you spot Alexia opposite you. This is what you have been working towards for years and now you only have one game left to play and one team left to beat. 

Just as you were about to go to Alexia you get pulled away by Olga and Athenea.

“Come with us MVP. We have a surprise for you” your Real Madrid team mates pull you through the tunnel.

With these two anything was possible so you keep an open mind. As you reach the end of the corridor you see the surprise they were referring to and she did not look happy although to anyone else her smile was believable.

“Caroline” you truly are happy to see your girlfriend and having her in front of you makes you forget all about Alexia. 

“Congratulations Y/N” she pulls you in her arms but her hold isn’t as strong as it normally is and you know that something is wrong.

“Thank you Carino” you lean forward to kiss her and are met with a battle for dominance, something with doesn’t normally happen.

“My girlfriend is through to the final” you are too focused on the kiss that just happened that you don’t pick up on the possessive tone that Caroline uses when she says the word mine.

“Let’s get out of here” you are still dressed in your kit although you had swapped shirts with Asllani.

“What about your team mates?” Caroline asks even though she wants nothing more than to have you to herself.

“I can celebrate with them later. I have missed you”

“Looks like it” She whispers under her breath but it is loud enough that you hear it.

Once in the locker room Alexia’s eyes search for you and she even goes back out to the pitch to see if you had stayed out there knowing that this is something you do. Even as she returns to the rowdy Spanish locker rooms she is almost certain that you would be in there by now, only you’re not.

Jenni asks her what’s wrong but she shakes it off.

“I was looking for Y/N but she must be doing media” Alexia says as it is the only explanation she can come up with.

“Y/N wasn’t needed for media. Salma did it instead” their media manager confirms.

Alexia was beginning to worry as to your whereabouts but Olga is quick to put her out of her misery even though what she says makes Alexia a lot more than miserable.

“Caroline came to surprise her“ Olga says.

“And we saw them leaving the stadium just as we came back here” Athenea adds.

The Catalonian was at a loss for words. Had she been reading the signals wrong?

“She did?” Esthers says excitedly “That’s nice. They really are inseparable in Madrid and I think I speak for everyone when I say we can tell Y/N has been missing Caroline”

The players that were listening to the conversation agree with the forward and every agreement made Alexia’s blood boil. It was enough to stop celebrating and leave the room in search of some alone time.

The pitch was the place Alexia thought would be the quietest and she was right. It’s funny how much bigger it felt when it was empty and silent. She took the time to go over the past couple of days and it made her come to the conclusion that she didn’t just love you, she was in love with you. So much that it scared her because you had the power to hurt her although part of her believed she deserved it.

“Here” 

The voice makes Alexia jump. She turns and finds Misa standing next to her with a beer in her hand.

“I don’t drink during tournaments, you know this”

“You’re going to need it for the conversation we are about to have and before you say you don’t want to talk about it you should know that you need to talk about it Alexia”

Whatever was going on between you and Alexia was enough to gain the attention of the goalkeeper. This alone filled Alexia with a little bit of hope.

“I’m in love with her Misa and I don’t know what to do. We have these moments and it gives me a sense of deja vu. I am transported back to 2019 where I wanted nothing more than to kiss her and ask to be mine. I want that, I want her” 

Misa isn’t the person Alexia thought she would be having this conversation with but the two of them had grew close over the past couple of weeks and it helped that she knew you very well. She would be able to give an insight as to how you may be feeling.

“That isn’t going to happen” Misa says before taking a huge mouthful of the ice cold beer in her hands.

���I know but I can’t lose hope. Without hope I have nothing. I won’t have her and I won’t be able to have the thought of us been together”

“I wasn’t finished. It isn’t go to happen right now. She is in a committed relationship and no way will she do to Caroline what you did to her. Her heart is too pure”

Deep down Alexia knew Misa was right. You never wanted to cause pain for anyone and you definitely wouldn’t do it to the woman you love.

“I know. I don’t know what to do” Alexia hangs her head in defeat but not before taking a sip of the drink she swore not to only minutes ago.

“Do you want my opinion?” Misa asks and Alexia nods but doesn’t make eye contact “I think you need to tell her how you feel and don’t hold back”

Alexia wasn’t sure if that is something she is capable off. If she tells you then she risks losing you all together and she couldn’t have that happen. The two of you were in a good place and she’ll be damned if she is the cause for that to change. She needed to the think or more appropriately not think and her team mates that were none the wiser to her feelings would be the perfect distraction or at least that is what she is hoping.

“Alexia” Misa shouts causing the midfielder to look back at her “For what it’s worth I think part of her feels the same way. Ever since arriving in New Zealand I have seen a side of Y/N that I haven’t seen before and I think you’re the reason for that”

When the team arrive back at the hotel they do so just in time to see Caroline leaving. Given the amount of Real Madrid players on the team, most of them stop to say hi but Alexia notices that you are nowhere in sight. Now is her chance. 

She gives up on waiting at the elevator and runs up the stairs two at a time. She is breathless when knocking on your door at a rapid pace. After thirty seconds she takes a short break before trying again. This morning she didn’t plan on having this conversation with you but now she wanted nothing more. She is determined not to admit defeat but her red knuckles beg her to do just that. Maybe you weren’t in the room. 

The team is gathered in the common room when Alexia enters but still you are not there. Her gut was telling her something was wrong and she never ignored her gut.

“Have any of you seen Y/N?” She asks the entire room hoping at least one person would know where you were.

“She is in her room” Jorge states and it makes Alexia take a step back in disbelief because it means you were ignoring her reluctant knocking “She told me that she isn’t feeling well so she won’t be down for team meal tonight”

“Ok, I will take a plate up to her if I can get a key” Alexia knew that if anyone had the power to get a key for your room it would be the coach.

“No Alexia. Y/N asked me to be left alone tonight and given that she has been our saving grace the past couple of games I am going to do as she asked and I’m going to make sure everyone else does too”

Alexia was confused. You were fine an our ago, what could have changed in such a small amount of time and why where you hell bent on being left alone. Being respectful to your wishes Alexia left you alone that night and instead would talk to you in the morning only she doesn’t get the chance because the next day you avoid her at all costs. 

You didn’t intend on hurting Alexia with your behaviour but it is what you needed to do to get through the next couple of days. There was a World Cup final to prepare for and you needed to have a clear head if you had any chance of winning. 

By the time the 20th August comes around you can count on one hand the amount of times you have spoken to Alexia and you would have fingers spare. You heart was all over the place but head was locked in on the task at hand and that is all that mattered or at least it was for the next 90 minutes which would then turn into 120 minutes because the score remained 0-0 after extra time. Like many other games, this one would be decided with penalties. 

“Y/N” Alexia grabbed your hand before the team walked to the half way line.

“Not now Alexia. I need to focus” you pull out of her grasp.

It all came down the 5th penalty. Both team have scored all penalties so far and given that Spain went second the pressure was fully on your shoulders as you were the fifth penalty taker. Misa hands you the ball but doesn’t say a word. Besides she knew that you wouldn’t hear a word she said anyways.

When you hit the ball you know you didn’t get it quite right. You always went for the side netting and you had a 100% success rate. You did until this moment because instead of hitting the netting the ball hits the post and rolls away form the goal. You had just missed and cost your team and country the title of World Cup champions.

You didn’t fall to the floor, nor did you walk back to your team mates. You stood in the same spot as if rooted to the ground. If you had to describe the way you were feeling you would use the word shock. How could you miss, this one out of them all. 

Misa the first person to enter you line of vision as she crouches down to reassure you that it was ok and that it wasn’t your fault but it was. You knew it and the rest of the world did too. The next thing you do it turn your emotions off, knowing that it was better to feel nothing at all. This did mean that you shut off the world around you. The sounds in the stadium became muffled as if you were under water and the presence of your team mates didn’t register.

“We are a team. Win or lose, we do so together” Alexia wraps her arms around your shoulder and tries to pull you close to her but it’s as if the contact burns and you recoil from her touch.

“I am the captain today, not you. I missed the penalty, not you. This is on me Alexia so don’t try and make this about you” 

“Y/N, that’s not what I’m doing” Alexia tries to reach out for you. She knows once you give up the urge to fight that you will need comfort.

“Why don’t you go to Jenni! It’s what you did after the last World Cup” your words were like venom and you spat them straight at her.

Alexia remained in her place even when watching you walk away, seeking comfort in your co captain at Real Madrid Ivana Andres. It was her side that you stood as you watched the other team lift the trophy. As soon as you were allowed to and when it respectful enough to do so, you left not only the pitch but the stadium.

The energy is the locker room was awful, it was as if somebody had died. To the outside world that might seem dramatic but losing a final had an effect that was hard to explain to those who had never experienced it. Some players were still crying, some had cried all the tears they had and others sat in silence still processing what just happened.

Ivana picked up on Alexia’s wandering eyes and it didn’t take a genius to realise what or who she was looking for.

“She’s left Alexia” This not only caught the attention of Alexia but the entire locker room “She said she needed to be alone and I couldn’t argue with her. The pressure she faced during this tournament is enough to crush some people and it seemed Caroline breaking up with her was the last straw”

“What did you just say?” Alexia wasn’t sure if she heard the defender correctly.

“The pressure was too much”

“No about Caroline”

“She broke up with Y/N. She didn’t tell me but I think it was the night of the semi final”

Selfishly Alexia wasn’t focused on the fact that you had been dumped. You were now single and now was the time for her to tell you how she really feels. Still, she is torn on what to do. She is a captain of this team and with you gone they need their other captain.

“Go” Misa tells her.

Alexia waits for someone, anyone, to disagree with the goalkeeper but nobody does and that’s enough for Alexia. She thinks fast. You wouldn’t go back to the hotel because that’s where the rest of the team will be very shortly. Australia isn’t a country you knew well so it did narrow it down a little bit. Alexia’s mind is blank until she remembers you posting almost identical photos to your instagram stories of a beach. You always loved the beach so it made sense that is where you would go.

She was right. As Alexia walks down the small hill that leads to the ocean she sees you sitting close to water with your knees pulled up to your chest. Even from a distance she can tell your crying by the way you body is moving.

“It’s all my fault Alexia” you don’t need to face the figure next to you to know who it is. She is the only one that would go against your wishes and truth is you had been hoping she would because in this moment she is the only person you want to see.

“No it’s—“ Alexia wanted to reassure you but the look she received from you told her that it was best not to finish that sentence. 

“It’s not only your fault” she corrects herself but didn’t quite have the affect she desired. 

“Alexia!” 

You fall back onto the sand and turn your focus onto the stars above you. With the ocean at your feet and the universe above you, you couldn’t help but feel small. 

“Spain is going to hate, the team will hate me and you will hate me. Please don’t hate me Alexia, anybody but you” it’s almost a plea. 

“Y/N I could never hate you. I love you” 

This confession had you sitting up right in a matter of seconds. 

“Alexia in a different life maybe we could be happy together but we are not meant to be in this one” 

“Why? I love you Y/N and I know part of you loves me too. I felt it in the quarter final and again in the semi final. Give me one good reason why?”

“We just aren’t. First I loved you and you didn’t love me, then you loved me and I loved Caroline and now you love me and I don’t love myself. Love should be this hard Alexia” 

Alexia had enough. She couldn’t understand why you were so adamant on standing in the way of what could be. 

“Love is hard Y/N but it is also the most rewarding thing in the world. We spend our whole lifetimes trying to find our soulmates. I found mine when I was 15 and it was you, that wasn’t hard” 

“Alexia I don’t know what you want from me. You’ve said this before and look what happened. I gave you my whole heart and you broke it like it was nothing. I don’t think I can do that again” 

“I want to tell you I am in love with you Y/N and I know I’ve hurt you before but that will never happen again. You deserve the world and I want to be the one to give you that” 

You didn’t know what to say but you knew what you wanted to do. You lean forward, cup Alexia’s cheek and kiss her softly. Never had a kiss felt so right, so good. You pull away knowing that maybe you shouldn’t have done what you just did. Alexia on the other hand didn’t share the same belief because that kiss was nowhere near enough for her. 

She leans forward but with enough force to knock you back. She now hovers above you waiting for your permission because in this moment you held all the cards. You reach up and kiss her only for Alexia to take over. You had never experienced a kiss filled with so much love and passion. You didn’t need to listen to what your head was telling you because your body make it crystal clear that you wanted Alexia.  

Her hands began to roam your body and found their way under your shirt. It was getting heated and knew where it was going. You also knew that this couldn’t happen on a beach in Australia. 

You push her off you but when you she the look of sheer panic in Alexia’s eyes you quickly peck her lips to reassure her this is not something you want to stop. 

“I love you Alexia and if I give you a chance, if I give you my heart again, then I need you to promise me that you’ll look after it” 

Alexia stands to her feet and holds her hands out to help to you up. Once at eye level she takes both of your hands in her own. 

“I promise Y/N. I will take care of you. I will protect your heart as if it was my own. I will love you with every fibre of my being. If you give me a chance, I promise I will never hurt you the way I did”

“Ok” your tone is quiet but the smile on your face is wide. 

“Ok?” Alexia asks as if needing a double confirmation. 

“Yes Alexia. I love you and I will give you another chance” 

Alexia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She really did think that the outcome of this conversation would be different but right now in the moment, even after losing the final, she has never been happier. You had given her the chance to rewrite a wrong from four years ago and she wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.

[fuckyeahisawthat]

Furiosa viewing #3 for me last night and I figured something out. I have heard multiple people say that the pacing of the movie felt off or weird or even "slow," even though the plot consistently moves along at a brisk clip. But what people were noticing was not the speed of the story but the structure.

I realized the pacing feels weird because the movie has two third acts.

The overwhelming majority of movies released by Hollywood studios follow a very standardized three-act structure. This is certainly not the only way to structure a film story, but it's the most common one in the Anglophone film world, so common that you have probably absorbed its pattern without even thinking about it. The previous Mad Max movies do generally fit this structure, and Fury Road fits it like, down to the minute.

When we get to the big fight sequence at the Bullet Farm, where we know Jack has prepared everything for Furiosa to leave and they just have to get through this one last mission together, my gut story sense was like this feels like it should be the third act. The fight in the Bullet Farm and the chase with Dementus that ends in Jack's death feels like it should be the climax of the movie. And not just because we are around the two-hour mark at this point, although we are.

In terms of themes and plot arcs and story beats, Jack's death feels like where the movie should end. We start the story with Mary Jabassa telling Furiosa to leave her behind and make it home safe. I'm sure Mary knows she's on a suicide mission at this point, but maybe she can hold off their attackers long enough for her daughter to escape. But Furiosa can't leave her mom behind. So she goes back, and she watches her mom die brutally and gets trapped by Dementus.

Then, at the Bullet Farm, Furiosa has her best chance yet at getting home. She has a fully loaded vehicle, and she's outside the Bullet Farm gates while Jack is stuck inside. Jack, too, tells her to run and save herself. (While it's never spelled out, I'm sure we're supposed to intuit that the green flare means GO.) He probably thinks he's dead either way at this point, but maybe Furiosa can make it out. But once again, she can't do it. She goes back to defend Jack, and we have this little bit of hope of, maybe this time she'll be able to save the person she cares about from being killed by the same warlord who killed her mother. Whether she succeeds or fails, narratively, this feels like it should be the climactic action sequence of the movie.

But there's still another 30 (ish?? I need to watch with a timer) minutes to go after that, in which we have a whole other plot arc of Furiosa getting back to the Citadel, making her prosthetic arm, and going off on her quest to hunt down Dementus. And if this part all feels a bit grueling, it's because your brain expected the movie to end half an hour ago.

(I should pause here to say that you absolutely can write a movie in three-act structure that's longer than 2 hours--you just have to stretch all the pieces out equally or it starts to feel lumpy. And the place where our attention spans are going to be least forgiving of lumpiness is at the end of the movie.)

Well, you might say, maybe Furiosa was just not written with the three-act structure in mind. And that could be true! But I would argue that the oddness of the end of the movie comes primarily from the film not being clear on what narrative question it's trying to answer.

Because an ending that focuses on Furiosa's choice between finally getting home or going back to try to save Jack is addressing the question of, "Do you prioritize saving yourself, or do you fight for the people you love, even if you may end up in a worse situation because of it?"

An ending that follows Furiosa's revenge quest seems to focus more on, "What does seeking revenge do to your humanity?"

Both of these questions are rich territory to be explored in the wasteland, and the other Mad Max movies deal with both of them. But I would argue that the first question is very clearly set up in the beginning of the movie as a thing we expect to be exploring, and the second question, not so much.

I think the story would have benefitted from picking one or the other. And if they wanted to tell a story about the price of revenge, then highlighting this earlier--either by making revenge Furiosa's primary motivation from the beginning, or highlighting it thematically by showing how the quest for revenge warps other characters--would have made the last section of the movie feel more like a payoff and less like a sudden left turn into the desert.

[juniperss]

Could you write something with Joe Liebgott where maybe they are friends but he’s got a crush on the reader but refuses to acknowledge it so he tries to distance himself from her. Then maybe one night something goes wrong and she gets hurt and it causes him to admit to his feelings. Some big angst and fluff :)

this is such a cute idea! Since I'm only taking headcanon suggestions though, I'm gonna answer in that format, <3 Joe Liebgott you can run from your feelings but you cannot hide them! I wrote these with gender neutral pronouns, i hope that's alright!

Honestly the fact that he has a crush on a friend is one of the last things he feels he needs in his life during the war. It's just another series of emotions that he has to deal with now and he can't believe that he's had to go and get a crush on you, of all people. Because honestly, in his mind, there are only two ways this is gonna pan out: you're gonna tell him "aw thanks, Joe that's really sweet but I don't feel the same" or you're gonna like him too and he's gonna risk losing you in combat. No thank you, either way!

Now....is that entirely rational or true? Nope. But he doesn't want to admit that he has feelings for you and lying to himself about the outcome is certainly a way to help suppress them.

Really though he's worried that admitting a crush on his best friend is going to mean losing you, one way or another and he doesn't think he can live with that. Not now, not after everything that's happened.

Him denying his feelings results in trying to put distance between the two of you. Which is really obvious since being friends with him meant that you two were usually joined at hip. And it's sudden too, he doesn't just gradually or subtly introduce spending less time with you. Because as soon as he's hit with the realization that "OH shit, I love them", he starts the distancing. Better to nip it in the bud now.

And it hurts. You're not sure what you did to upset him and cause him to ask for a different patrol partner or for him to turn around and walk away when you approach. And if you try to bring it up, he gives some bullshit about "I'm not acting any different, what are you talking about". I can also see him starting to be a bit mean towards in an attempt to get you to stop asking him about it. Throwing rocks at the dog kind of situation.

This goes on for a few weeks and one day while he's making some rounds he hears about an ambush on the patrol just a little bit ago. The patrol that he knows you were on because he asked Muck to switch with him earlier in the day.

There's some serious injuries he hears and no one around seems to have the same answer about what happened to you. There's so much panic building up in him and a heavy sense of dread and guilt. He's booking it towards Doc Roe's station to find you.

Literally pushing past people trying to track you down and when he finds you sitting on the ground with a bandage around your upper arm he wants to throw up. So many apologies pouring out of his mouth that they jumble up and don't even make sense, but you can pick out the words "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" multiple times.

You think you can see tears in his eyes too but you don't have time to investigate because he's hugging you and you're wrapping your arms around him too. You missed your friend and you missed how good it felt to hear him speaking to you with kindness.

He explains his behavior over the last week or two as he helps you back to camp. Saying it out loud has him feeling really dumb because he can't believe he thought that would work when you're looking at him with such big eyes and a frown. He just feels like an ass.

When he finally admits that it was all because he has feelings for you, he has to look down at him feet. He can't take saying it directly to you. It's odd seeing Joe Liebgott shy and self conscious about something. He only looks at you once you've taken his hand in yours and squeezed it gently.

Ends with a tender kiss, but is quickly followed up with promises to never ignore you again. He'll spend as much time as he needs to get you to forgive him despite your acceptance of his apology.

[iraprince]

do u have any advice for those that want to run a quest?

it feels a LEETLE silly answering this when all my own are currently on hiatus bc i got busy (SORRY TO CALLIST0 READERS LOL) BUT!!! yes i do. i have only ever run quests/interactive comics on the site questden, so i guess as a baseline this will kind of all be geared towards that, but i think most of this should translate to any hosting situation

you have to be cool with your plots branching and mutating in unexpected ways, and you have to be willing to play ball with your readers. quests are a collaboration between the author and the audience. it often feels a lot like gming a tabletop campaign (and that's the origin!! questden, specifically, was originally an offshoot of /tg/.) -- we've all had or heard about bad GMs who view their position as that of a narrative dictator who exists to punish and prod a captive group of players thru their own personal novel, but a good GM is interested in telling stories as a group. u have final say and have to stay true to the important stuff abt ur story, but if u get mad or frustrated when ur readers want to explore something "off topic" or aren't following the threads of ur narrative the way u expected them to, u don't actually want to run a quest, u just want to make a webcomic w mandatory comments. (the flip side of this is: consider if the story u want to make is the right one for an interactive quest. if it is REALLY important to u that the plot beats of a story go a certain way, maybe save it for a medium where u have more control!)

keep it loose and fast. the art does not matter. i am rly guilty of not following this one, but i still think it's really important! one of the things i like best about quests is the barrier to entry is very low and you SHOULD be able to start and maintain one very quickly. if i were better at keeping my art scrabbly and sketchy and loose, my stuff would not go on hiatus as often as it does. draw fast! it's NICE if the art is gorgeous to look at and definitely will draw readers, but it's way better if the art is simple enough that you can update frequently and without much stress. the quality of ur writing + character building, and whether u are telling a story that's engaging and that ur readers feel meaningfully involved in, is 100000x more important than the art.

on the more nitty gritty side: try to have a hook in each update. one of the most common reasons suggestions die off is readers being unsure of what they're supposed to do next. sure, too much spoonfeeding could end up feeling like railroading, and you don't have to end every single update by getting right in their faces and yelling "WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT??", but when you finish an update try to take a second to put yourself in a reader's shoes and see if there's an obvious next step. is there a course of action to decide on/debate, are there clear questions they can ask an npc, etc -- i can't think of a great way to describe it, but you want to avoid ending an update on a note where the player character and readers are basically sitting there looking at each other like "um... okay. that's that, then." some ppl even just end all their updates w multiple choice options, which is a super simple way to keep things moving if it fits the style of what ur doing. if you don't want it to be that overt but you still can't think of a way for there to be a clear hook, you can at least try to leave a little nudge in the narration that invites the readers to try to tie whatever they've just done/learned back into the pc's main goals/motivations or current tasks. (on this subject, VERY useful for your main character to have a very specific goal or end destination that everyone is on the same page abt. it's harder for your plot to lose momentum if you can always point at what your readers are supposed to be moving toward!)

finally: KEEP UPDATING EVEN IF YOU GET VERY FEW/NO SUGGESTIONS. it's a niche genre. questden is a small website. it's hard to get people to read something new, especially if it's in a new and unfamiliar format (and especially especially when it's on a website that looks like a chanboard lmao). picking up readers takes a long time, and a lot of people lurk without suggesting (ESPECIALLY if it's a difficult/plot-important decision, and also especially in the opposite, if it's a very obvious next step and someone else has already commented what most ppl would say). it's very tempting to want to wait for more suggestions bc u "only" have one or two, and then that wait becomes stagnation, and then you're frustrated and u end up dropping the quest bc "nobody cares." instead u just have to push thru!!!! u only have two suggestions and u wish u had more? maybe next update u'll get more. u have NO suggestions and u feel like that means ur quest is dead in the water? NOPE! the solution is to update again, bc maybe ppl with latch on more and have something to say in the next scene. the more u update ur quest, the more u'll be able to talk abt it (and maybe get more readers), and specifically in the case of questden the more ur thread will be bumped to the front page. think abt how many times you've seen ppl talking abt a webcomic or a book and thought "i need to check that out eventually...." but it takes months for you to actually do it. 99.9999% of the time, ppl need to see something MULTIPLE TIMES before they check it out!! most readers do not come from clicking something the very first time they see it!! i know it can feel lonely and discouraging, but u owe it to ur art and the stories u want to tell to keep trying, even if engagement is very low at first, otherwise you're killing it before it's even had a chance. like, get shameless about it. ask your buddies to comment on your quest. but give that horse a few really good whacks before you decide it's dead!! i think that's my main thoughts. if you have any more specific questions i'm happy to help if i can! but also i think you'll learn the most by just jumping in and fucking around. quests are easy to pick up and easy to drop, and imo do really well as a playground where u test different ways to draw and tell stories, so might as well just get messy.

[red-ruth]

So like…. could Marc actually win this?

Short Answer: I mean…… yeahhhhhh????

Long Answer: *incomprehensible screaming* …… and in this essay I will-

Because I genuinely don’t know what to think of Marc’s mindset rn. The whole gresini team + Marc seem hesitant to announce the championship challenge.

When Frankie did the interview post Misano 1 w TNT sports he identified their weakness as Friday, which is true. Winning the title means he needs to sort out his fucking qualifying. The tracks where he’s falling behind, he pushes more to find the limit and make the difference, but the other side of that line is him binning it and sending him down the grid. He has the speed to be on the front row pretty much every track now, even the ones where the gp24s are in a championship of their own. He can’t keep recovering from several places back every weekend, only to get up to the podium by half way through the race, at which point Pecco and Jorge have fucked off into the distance. He needs to be up there terrorising them.

However, the amount of tracks left that DO favour Marc are significant.

To start with, the counter clockwise circuits. Phillip Island and Valencia. We could very well see a performance there like we saw at Aragon and what was hinted at in Germany (Sachsenring 2024 what could’ve been, always in our hearts). I wouldn’t say we can guarantee wins, I’m aware of how powerful jinxes are, and Aragon did have an abysmal lack of grip, but they’re tracks where his performance is expected to be the best. We can’t necessarily say the same for the rest of the tracks, but what we can say about them is that they’re a complete fucking lottery.

Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Australia = anything could fucking happen. It’s no doubt that if it were actively raining (could be likely) Marc would come out on top, as we’d seen in misano 1. But what we also learnt from that race is that Marc only really needs a slightly damp track to beat the pace of the gp24s. He got up to the front because it started pissing down for half a lap yeah, but if he sorts out qualifying, he’d be up at the front in the first place, and a damp track would then allow him to keep up and extend a potential lead. More than that, you’ll see more riders coming through on an even playing field to take points out of Martin and Pecco. Exactly like Aragon. The Asian leg, in the past, has always been a bit of a gamble, and that’s where Marc will thrive.

Realistically, Valencia being the final race means that if Marc came in to that final round near equal on points, he could win the title. It would require a perfect weekend from him, Valencia being dusty plus counter clockwise would be good for that, like Aragon.

In order to be close enough going into it though he’d definitely have to be on the podium every round from here on out. Probably more 2nd’s than 3rds so that he’s scoring more than either Jorge or Pecco. Aswell as a handful more wins.

He’d also have to bargain on Jorge and Pecco fighting amongst themselves, taking points off each other. And the both of them having a few more dnfs/bottles like Pecco in Barcelona/Aragon (Peccos horrific starts not his crash w Alex) or Jorge in Sachsenring/Misano 1.

Another factor I haven’t seen people talk about, THE BEAST. For one, he is not far behind Marc, which could be a threat to him, of course. But if we imagine a situation like silverstone happening at more circuits where the gp24 could hold a massive advantage, that’s taking significant points off Pecco and Jorge, drawing the entire fight closer together. To then alternate to tracks where the playing field is more even, then we have Marc coming out on top, and Enea realistically falling behind so he can’t really make an advantage stick (like how we’re seeing him drop away again despite his dominant silverstone performance)

But I’m gonna be real….. I know I’ve just written multiple paragraphs about how Marc could win this, I don’t actually think Marc is trying to win the championship. I think he could, I honestly really, really do. I think if he had something to prove, we’d be having a completely different conversation. But in my mind, he’s already proven himself. We all know that next year, Marc is going to be alongside Pecco. There are less ducatis on the grid, and a lot of the riders on the remaining bikes, have never been Ducati riders before. If we can count on Ducati taking another massive step forward in development (fuck even any step at all at this rate) it’s clear that this is going to be a Pecco v Marc showdown. He’s staked his claim in that.

Marc doesn’t need the 2024 title. He’s saying he’s spending the rest of the year figuring out the bike in combination with his riding style. He’s doing this because he’s achieved all his goals already, get on the podium, win a race, get that seat, enjoy racing again. Tick, tick, tick, tick. He’s done, he’s checked out. He’s being realistic about his performance. As he was saying about the sprint yesterday, “If we start 7th, I finish 4th. If I start 1st I finish 4th.” And you can see the fucking BALL of a time Marc is having at Gresini, (oh my god what an incredible team I might write a whole post on my thoughts on them later). He’s enjoying racing again, and he’s relishing in that feeling coming back. I’m sure Marc is honestly satisfied in sitting back and having fun in a low pressure environment before he moves to Ducati Corse and locks the fuck in.

HOWEVER, he also has absolutely nothing to lose. For someone like Jorge who’s going to a less competitive team next year, or Pecco who’s gonna have an 8 times world champion in the box, they both are conscious of the fact this could really be their last chance at a title. Marc could come 4th, 3rd, 2nd or 1st this year and it means literally nothing because next year is where the real fight is.

In Misano 1 Marc took the risk during the rain to get up to p1 because he could afford to crash, and Pecco couldn’t. Which got him the win. If he’s planning on riding like that for the rest of the season he really could win it. But need I remind you, Pecco didn’t fight him because he wasnt Jorge Martin. Maybe Marc and the team are trying to put out the fires the media are lighting and they don’t want to draw attention to the fact that Marc very well could win this. If his strategy in those situations is fuck around now, find out later, in which the “finding out” is “win or we crash”. He’d be bargaining on Martin and Bagnaia disregarding him as a real contender. His best bet is laying low and striking when they don’t expect him too.

Am I seeing mind games where there aren’t any? Maybe. Is this delusional hope? Of course! And I also don’t think it’s something that Marc is gunning for. Like I genuinely believe the title is only gonna happen if it… falls into his hands, you know? It relies so much on luck. Getting race conditions he prefers, Pecco and Jorge bottling. Enea preforming only when it’s convenient. Not Crashing In Quali For Fucks Sake Marc. And I think Marc knows that too. This title is something that’s almost completely out of his control. He doesn’t have the bike to simply be the better rider, the only thing he can do is maximise the chances he gets in the next few rounds. If he wins or loses this, it’s not because of his skills as a rider, it’s because he was dealt the hand he needed.

But if this happens, if he is dealt this hand and he rounds the final turn of the final lap in Valencia in P1, his ninth championship secured, if I can allow us all to dream scandalously for a second, this season will go down in fucking history. In a career of incredible championship fights, controversies and highs and lows, nothing will beat whatever happens in the coming months…..

…

cut to marc in the gravel in a few hours time

[ethereal-engene]

promise you | donghyuck

pairing: bf!haechan x fem!reader

genre: angst, fluff, and comfort  // warnings: mentions of death threats & cuss words

summary: The first and last time your boyfriend answers a call from a sasaeng who keeps calling your phone. // word count: 1695

note: I am in my delulu era per usual and apparently he said this once and ... this is my take on it "Ah, you really don't know when you should be scared. I'm going to sue you. I'm going to hang up."

Honestly there are a few things that one can expect when they’re dating a k-pop idol. However, nothing could have ever prepared you for dealing with your boyfriend sasaengs.

It was a big deal too because he didn’t want you getting hurt because of them since he knew he had many of them. It’s too bad that he couldn’t control them but he tried his best to keep them from you. Nonetheless, the extent to which some sasaengs were willing to go were farther than his power and influence could reach.

This just so happened to be another incident where he wasn’t able to protect you from it. A couple weeks ago, you kept on getting text messages from an unknown number. As one would do in this situation, you blocked them but of course they would just have another number to text you with.

These messages at first didn’t seem like much until they escalated with messages of threatening to kill you and to stay away from Hyuck. You still ignored a good chunk of them even if they did make your heart rate go crazy. To be fair, if they were serious about this, they would have already done it.

You would have brought it up to your boyfriend but you slightly felt bad to have tell him about it since you knew he would feel bad about you being hurt. When in reality, he shouldn’t be sorry and if they were his true fans then they would be happy for him. It’s just the unfortunate nature and conditions that come with dating an idol. Plus, the bare minimum here would also be fans respecting their idol’s privacy.

Even though you had not brought this up to your boyfriend, he definitely picked up on how your phone notifications would go off more than usual these past few weeks. You brush it off as it’s just your friend texting you about the drama happening at work.

But we both know that’s a lie and haechan knows one when he hears one. Especially when you sometimes pick up your phone and a small wince or sigh leaves your mouth as you read what’s on the screen. He decides to leave it alone for now because he believes that you will eventually tell him.

One night when you’re staying over with him at the dorms, you’re chilling on his bed as he plays. Your phone starts to ring and you forgot to take a look at the contact number before picking it up.

“Hello?” You ask. Haechan hears you on the phone so he tries to make less noise, but he also quiets down to hear who might be calling you this late into the night.

“Bitch, if you don’t leave Haechan tonight, I will literally kill you tomorrow so you will never see him again. I’ve told you multiple times to leave him but you still haven’t. This isn’t a threat, it’s a promise. Now take your things and go. And as always. Do. Not. Tell. Him.” The voice responds and you end the phone call. You quickly block this number and try to make your heart stop racing so fast.

Placing your hand over your heart and attempting to pace your breathing. Haechan can hear your slightly heavy breathing. His eyes leave the screen to look at you. You are clearly not in the best condition as you were a few moments ago.

“Jeno-ya, I’ll be gone for a few minutes. Make sure I don’t get killed this round, I’ve gotta go check on my girl.” As soon as he says that, he rushes to the bed where you are.

“Hey baby? I’m right here and if you don’t mind me asking, who called you earlier?” Haechan’s hands search for yours and when he feels them, he squeezes them to let you know he’s there.

Shaking your head left and right to let him know it was no one, he frees up one hand to tilt your head so you’re only looking at him. When he does it, he sees that your pupils are dilated. His immediate reaction is to figure out what the hell happened and how to comfort you.

No one in the world should ever make you feel this way. Haechan brings your figure closer to his. Wrapping you up in his arms and giving you small kisses. “Baby, I’ve got you. I am begging you to tell me who called you and what did they say? And don’t try to lie. You’re a really bad liar ya know?”

You’re too scared to tell him now because of how he’ll react. Scared to hear him tell you about how you’re supposed to go and tell him about these things because you’re in danger. Scared to hear him tell you that you shouldn’t have kept this a secret for so long. Scared to hear him tell you that this is all of his fault and that he doesn’t deserve you.

Silence fills the air. It starts to feel so stuffy and you want to escape it so badly. But he won’t let you go until you tell him. Right before, he’s about to say something else; the phone rings again. You’re quick to end the call before he gets a chance to see it.

But the phone just keeps on ringing and ringing after you click the decline button. With the way you react to decline the call quickly and your phone lights up with more messages. Haechan’s eyes skim over them and he pieces together what’s been going on.

You might have a death grip on your phone but you forget that Hyuck’s strength heightens when he’s frustrated like right now. The next time, they call. He snatches it before you can even try to grab it back.

“Oh, so glad you learned your lesson and picked up the phone again you bitch. Now as I said, if you don’t leave Haechan tonight. I will kill you. If you think I’m kidding, I’m really not. I have everything ready for you. Your choice.”

Haechan removes you from him in the best way he can without hurting you. Along with holding you back as you continue to try to get the phone back, even though you know you can’t win. All he sees is red but he composes himself to answer back.

“I’m not sure who you’re calling bitch unless you’re talking about yourself. If you know what’s good for you. You should stop contacting this number.” A laugh is heard in the background of the call on the other side.

“Oh my god Haechan!! I didn’t know that you were going to pick up. I’m so sorry but your girlfriend deserves to die because she’s not good enough for you.”

A ‘tsk’ leaves his mouth and continues with "Ah, you really don't know when you should be scared. I'm going to sue you. I'm going to hang up." And with that, he ends the call.

A long huff and puff is heard from him. He’s going through so many emotions right now. You look at him in the eyes and wonder what he’s thinking about saying next.

“I’m sorry, hyuck. I’m sorry for not telling you about this earlier. I don’t want you to blame yourself for this and please don’t hate me or yourself because of this.” You can’t help but start to let it all out. It would be a big lie to say that all of this wasn’t scary to deal with and it wasn’t painful.

Some of their comments were as if your insecurities started to come to life and taunting you about not being good enough or worse. You tilt your head down to look at the floor because you’re too embarrassed to look at him right now. Your eyes are all puffy and your nose is starting to leak.

After a few minutes of rubbing your eyes dry on your shirt and snot with a tissue away, he finally says something. At first, it’s not you. It's to Jeno telling him that something happened and he’s done for tonight.

Then he walks over to you and cups your face with his hands. Wiping away the falling and dried tears from your eyes. They’re bloodshot red and his heart hurts all over again.

He just keeps eye contact with you with his hands cupping your face. Haechan can’t help but laugh a little at your face when it’s all squished like this. “Y/n-ie. You are the love of my life. Without a doubt, you are one of the many people in my life that I love so much and couldn’t live life without”, Planting a forehead kiss and making sure that you’re still looking at him.

“I am not going to lie and say that you I’m not a tad bit angry or upset that you didn’t tell me about this. Because frankly, I am because it involves your safety and wellbeing.” You nod in agreement.

”You are right about me somewhat blaming myself for this. You are not responsible for my feelings and neither am I responsible for yours. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly sorry you had to go through this alone but I promise you that I’ll always be there. God forbid this ever happen again but if it does. Please tell me so I can do my best to make you feel safe and loved again. I promise.” Haechan finally un-cups your face to hold you in his arms. You whisper another apology and I love you too as you take in his warmth & comfort.

“It’s okay, baby. You’re one strong woman and I couldn’t be happier to call you mine. Just remember that you don’t have to be strong all of the time.”

You two fall asleep afterwards and the next day involves him getting you a new phone number along with the paperwork required to file a lawsuit. When all that is said and done, this phone call remains the first and last time he ever picks up a call from a sasaeng on your phone.

... another fic I’ll probably re-visit b/c this could be longer but for now, enjoy this! man, the # of sasaengs he has is 😔 

as always please do give me feedback by reblogging this with your thoughts in the tag or leaving a note or even dming/sending an ask. it’s all that I ask for. please take care until next time

signing off

- ash 

[hollow-lime-green]

AO3 Wrapped (hana's version)

Since I just did the fanfic writer interview post a while back, this will be short (although I love to yap so send me asks if there's anything you want to hear me yap about RE my writing this year). I'm going to keep it short - something I've never done before! New Year New Me.

Words Written: 139.8k (about 3 great gatsbies, I think)

Works Published: 5! All in the FIYM verse!

Fastest Work (per word): string theory

Slowest Work (per word): 2sorcs chapter 12, probably

Number of WIPs I'm Taking into 2025:

1 posted (2sorcs) I really really really wanted to finish 2sorcs this year, but alas, I did not. But then I'll be able to say I've been writing 2sorcs for two years!

4 in the drafts, also all for the FIYM-verse (man I should write other things)

Favorite Character to Write: Nanami!

I use him sparingly because his narration will get old if I overdo it, but it's such a delight to write him sometimes. As the straight man of 2sorcs, he gets to be an outlet for me to say "look, I know this inconcievably gay situation has jumped the shark multiple times, I know this is ridiculous."

Favorite Moment(s) I've Written:

"The Mario Bros Bully Sailor Satoru"

Kenjaku Reveal

Malevolent Kitchen as a real cooking show (based on Cutthroat Kitchen, which is my Roman Empire)

Hardest Thing I've Written:

The missions in 2sorcs, not even close. Oh my goodness that was such a bitch to write. I just wasn't happy with it for such a long time, until finally it clicked for me and I figured out what I wanted to do.

Some of my Favorite Lines and Jokes:

From string theory -

“...You’re self-conscious?” Suguru stares at him like he’s grown a second head. But Satoru feels like he isn’t even working with one functioning brain at this point, let alone two. I know I’m not the shape of someone you could love. “I…” Satoru bites his lip. He shrinks back as Suguru settles next to him on the bed. Please don’t hate me for wanting to pretend.

From 2sorcs -

“Maybe,” Suguru shrugged. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.” “Mmmm. Very panopticon of you.” Panopticon? Suguru considered himself bisexual, but he was kind of fluid with labels.

also

You see, Kenjaku was not an artist, Kenjaku was a patron of the arts. Best to let the real artist work his craft. Of course, Kenjaku had theories about the plot. Multiple theories, in fact. These ‘anime-onlies’ (so to speak) were so invested in what would happen to their precious Starks, while true manga fans (in a sense) like Kenjaku were already well into arguing (on online forums) about the identity of Azor Ahai, The Warrior of Light, The Son of Fire, wielder of Lightbringer, the Prince That Was Promised. Anyway, if the old man didn’t get his shit together, Kenjaku would have to take steps. They had connections. All it would take would be a few galas, a donation here and there, and they’d be in the writers’ room by Season 7.

From relativity (I just posted this yesterday, so check it out if you haven't) -

Because every top in gay porn is some muscle hunk with a buzz cut, twenty tribal tattoos, and enough oil on their bodies that George W. Bush would accuse them of hiding WMDs in their pants. (And he’d be right).

This list is mostly inspired by @fushiglow's wrapped post! (Also thanks for the tag @marichild - since I have only really been writing in one ship/fandom this year, that set of question/answers wouldn't have been super interesting to read for my stats, probably).

[theheirofthesharingan]

I saw you reblogged a post requesting asks so here is my contribution. Feel free to ignore, because it is probably a difficult question.

So, the Uchiha burdened Itachi with their problems and used him against the village even though he was just a child. From your posts I see you defend this and there is no much to argue here, it is pretty obvious it is true regardless of the legitimate reasons they had to oppose the village. So, in your opinion, and based on the situation they were in, what would have been your course of action if you were in their place? In Fugaku's place, let's say. What should they have done taking into account that even leaving the village peacefully can be considered treason.

I just don't have the slightless idea and I think maybe you are the right person to come up with a good analysis of this.

Great blog, by the way. Happy to see a space to love both Sasuke and Itachi, it is so rare. Enjoy the day/night, whatever it is at your end.

Hey!

Yes, it is a difficult question because of the possibilities and AUs it can conjure. I'll try to answer it as best as I can.

The Uchiha clan was doomed from the start. From the time of Madara and Hashirama, I mean. It was always a one-sided game where Uchiha were always seen as an afterthought. As a goodwill gesture, Hashirama tried to offer Madara the Hokage seat and then deserted him. Okay, maybe there was some weight in what Tobirama said.

Hashirama was the driving force behind the truce and the village. It was his vision that he never gave up on and continued to fight for despite Madara not being in the picture. Uchiha also acknowledged his contribution. They lived in a warring era, so everyone was fed up with this perpetuatal violence and hate, Uchiha included. That makes Tobirama's next words about them bullshit. Unlike both Madara and Tobirama, Hashirama - who had also lost his siblings - tried to look at the bigger picture. The problem was that he chickened out of his promise he made to Madara in the last moment, which is a major breach of trust on both personal and diplomatic fronts. Both Madara and Hashirama were clan leaders and must have had the abilities required to carry on the responsibility of the village. Yes, the village was growing with other clans coming to live in and you needed abled leaders, Hashirama should have thought of it before rather than changing his stance after the proposing Madara the Hokage seat. They were both capable of handling the village, and one would always have the back of the other, because they had seen some of the worst alone, and endured the same things since their childhood.

Then, Hashirama backed out. And Madara attacked the village multiple times, slowly tarnishing the name of the Uchiha clan, who wanted nothing more than to live in peace.

To summarize it, the conflict in which Itachi was brutally used was bigger than him, Fugaku, and the clan itself. It was a deeply rooted prejudice that had taken hold because of the events of the past. It would be impossible to get rid of it and also convince the village that they were oppressed.

If they tried violent methods for it (coup d'état), it would be the end for the clan in more ways than one. It was never, ever the answer to the oppression, especially because lives were not at stake with this.

What else could they have done?

Diplomacy.

It was like shooting an arrow in the dark with the coup which may or may not have been successful, so why not try something else before taking the destructive path?

Obito mentions Hiruzen wanted to buy some time, but it wasn't enough. In Itachi's memories we see Hiruzen saying the same. Though from his Midnight novel we know Hiruzen didn't do much to help the cause and was secretly okay with the clan's extinction. It might not have been entirely due to hate or prejudice that Danzo had; instead it was 'I will not have to work on this issue too much, too long if the clan's dead completely since they're not backing out.'

It's a valid argument that since Hiruzen knew about the clan's displeasure with the system, he could have reached out too. It was his duty. However, as the marginalised group the clan could also have reached out, instead of, you know, throwing a 10-year-old child to do the spying for them, collect the information, and then attack the government.

The idea of the coup was shortsighted and upto no good. This is when the Uchiha did have some power in their hands.

They had their roots set deep into the Anbu as well.

The Uchiha police force had enough power to arrest anyone except for the Anbu (they could arrest any other Shinobi and civilians).

They had their connections in Anbu. Like I said before, pressurizing Hiruzen into taking an action and letting him know of their plight would have been a better idea than sending a child to spy for them. It was a matter of 'we'll see what happens' anyway. So why not first reach out to seek support and then do something about it if your demands are not met? It would most likely come to that eventually, but making a noise, letting others know, would have been better than sending Itachi into it. There might have been some dissenters who might have supported them, and helped their cause.

In Itachi's novels, which elaborate on the oppression, the clan looking for negotiation is never mentioned either. Historically, too, going against the village had resulted in the complete annihilation of a clan.

It all boils down to taking one more chance with the negotiation before taking the drastic measures.

One more thing that would make more sense than what they actually did, would have been waiting for the old geezer i.e., Hiruzen to die. If they weren't planning the coup d'état, Konoha would have no reason to kill them. Hiruzen wasn't immortal. He would have died at one point.

Koharu and Homura recommended Jiraiya instead of Danzo to be the fifth Hokage. In Kakashi's filler arc, Hiruzen kicks him out after the massacre, but manga doesn't provide any such information. When he's introduced he's already the leader of the Root.

There are countless possibilities on the outcome of Konoha Crush with Uchiha being in the picture. But let's say it does happen and Orochimaru causes enough damage and kills Hiruzen, the old man is dead, which gives way to the fifth Hokage. By this time Shisui must be grown up. There's a possibility he might have been Hiruzen's successor. If not him, and Tsunade does show up as Hiruzen's successor, the kind of person we know she is, she would be far more compassionate towards the clan.

Unlike Hiruzen she put Danzo and the other two elders in their place. She took stand for Naruto. She had immense respect for Kakashi as well. I strongly believe she would have been the perfect person to understand and help the clan. I don't view her as a one-dimensional 'loyal to Konoha' woman as her predecessors were, who wanted to protect the landmass rather than lives of the civilians.

Given her character I imagine her to be able to separate the cause of the clan's dissatisfaction towards the village and work on it. She wasn't blind in prejudices like others were.

I also imagine she'd dote on both Itachi and Sasuke. And Itachi might be her successor since in the novel he wanted to be one.

Also, thank you for the kind words. I know it's super rare to find people who love both the brothers. So it's nice to come across people who share my love for them both.

[jeannereames]

I read a previous ask you answered about the Dancing With the Lion books, the anon mentioned that they’d like to see Hephaestion have lovers other than Alexanderos. I was wondering how would that affect his relationship with Alexandros? I know that in ancient Macedonia it was normal to have multiple lovers but I feel a little heartbroken, which I know is silly, that Hephaestion and Alexandros won’t be each others one and only in the books because to me it looked like Hephaestion doesn’t have space in his heart for other people other than Alexandros so I’m wondering how you would go about it and under what circumstances would Hephaestion take other lovers [hoping this makes sense]

One of the things I always try to do in my writing is to portray relationships as authentically as I can. I don’t think that means they can’t be romantic—but in attainable ways. I don’t believe in soul mates, or happily-ever-after. Or rather, I believe soul mates are made, not stumbled over, and happily-ever-after takes hella lotta work. But if you put in that work, it’s unparalleled.

I want the reader to see especially long-term relationships Real. It’s why, I think, some readers are either disappointed or confused by the novels. That they were published by a Romance publisher muddles the matter even more. Romance novels have a pretty specific plot pattern, and Dancing with the Lion: Rise (book 2) plays ALL kinds of havoc with that. There’s a story (a lot of story, in fact) after the boys get together. Elements of insecurity remain, and they aren’t always kind and understanding to each other. It’s not a(n easy) happily-ever-after. They muddle along because they’re human.

That’s because I write love stories, not (R)omances, and love stories don’t follow the plot arc of a Romance. For one thing, they typically extend long after a Romance would end, showing how the couple deals with life, the universe, and everything. In real life, the “crush” phase rarely outlasts about 18 months. So something real had better be there as it mutates. Romances are about falling in love (attraction phase). Love stories are about being in love (attachment phase). Why does this couple make sense past the chemistry of infatuation?

Alexandros and Hephaistion have already begun answering that by the end of Rise.

Partly they’re successful because they have a genuine affection for each other that runs alongside (and for Hephaistion predates) their infatuation. Quite simply, they like each other, as people. And when they make their vow, they commit to working through problems. Hephaistion thinks to himself after that he’s not sure why what they said to each other matters, but it did.

Relationship beginnings are inherently uncertain. Exciting, but uncertain. “Will __ still like me if I do X, or if they find out Y about me?” By taking that vow, each promises they will. Ergo, when Alexandros makes his enormously selfish and stupid decision not to tell Hephaistion something critical (no spoilers), his vow keeps Hephaistion from walking away. Even with the best of intentions, people will do things in relationships that hurt the other person, so a willingness to forgive is one of the most essential tools for making relationships work. The other essential part is being able to offer a genuine apology—which Alexandros does give. This type of forgiveness isn’t to be confused with becoming a doormat in an abusive situation, which is why I note that about offering a real apology (and not making the same error again). But people screw up. Hence the value of a promise that gives a firm foundation in order to trust someone with our Tender Things.

It’s about emotional security…not sexual fidelity. They don’t live in a society the equates sexual fidelity with “true love.” Both boys are actually rather jealous types, but they’re coming to trust the other one means it, when he promises to stick around.

Yes, Hephaistion has a harder time separating sex and love, or at least sex and affection (e.g., he’s a demisexual). But it’s uncertainty about Alexandros’s EMOTIONAL fidelity to him that sets off his jealousy. As time goes on, he’ll grow increasingly confident that he has that. For one thing, Alexandros’s very success increasingly isolates him, but it’s more than that. Hephaistion trusts him and is trusted in turn.

So they ARE each other’s one-and-only, or at least each other’s most important. Emotionally. Connecting that to sexual exclusivity devalues the power of it. There is no Hephaistion but Hephaistion, for Alexandros. Hephaistion certainly doesn’t care about Alexandros’s other women. He might be a bit more concerned about other (freeborn) teens, but only because there’s a potential there (to the Greek and Macedonian mind) of Alexandros developing a real attachment that could rival/displace what he has with Hephaistion. That’s why Alexandros will be quite circumspect, although he’s clear in his own head that nobody can touch Hephaistion. Hephaistion comes to realize this as well. Just as no one can replace Alexandros for him.

If anything, over time, Hephaistion starts to worry because Alexandros is so isolated by his power. What would happen to Alexandros if something happened to him? It's prescient.

[malthemagnifisent]

Pairing: Aerin x Male!elf Mc (Cyrus)

Summary: The Elves of Undermount and King Arlan of White Tower form an agreement, to be sealed by the marriage of the King’s youngest son and Cyrus of House Nightbloom. A political alliance between the two was long in the making and important to uphold, so despite the heavy burden, Cyrus knew he could not shirk his duty and could only hope that his husband would be good to him.

Notes: There will be another part to this story soon enough, I wanted to make it multiple chapters cause why not? I think there’s a lot of material to work with

Tags: @oh-so-youre-a-nerd @baldwinboy5ive @lilyoffandoms @guinevre @vicissavior @lancelotsimp

“Why me?” Cyrus demanded, suddenly and loud enough to be heard over the wind rushing in their ears as they flew toward the palace of the white tower.

“Because you’re unimportant to Undermount,” Tyril said back, which Cyrus had known was the answer, but he still wanted to hear it out loud.

The tensions between Undermount and White Tower had been rising, and in an attempt to smooth over that tension, a simple deal had been made. A marriage was an easy alliance that was not so easily broken, and Cyrus had been chosen as the most obvious choice to be given away.

Because, like Tyril said, he was not important. Sure, he had mobility, but his family was dead, his contributions to elven woxiety would not be a great loss, and marrying some human prince would be a better use of his time.

Or so everyone thought.

So he’d been packed up, given a Drake, and Tyril Starfury as an escort before taking off to White Tower to meet his new fiancé, a man named Aerin.

They’d never interacted before as Cyrus had never gotten to stray far from Undermount, and he wasn’t the most pleased with the arrangement, but it was considered his duty, and shirking his duty would get him nowhere.

Besides, there was a small part of him that was interested in seeing the world. He’d never been given duties that brought him far, but he had a curious mind and was hoping to see the best in the situation. The best part was that he would get to see something new.

The peaks of the white tower came into view, shimmering softly in the setting sun. It made the white stone shine orange and yellow, which would have been a beautiful sight if Cyrus wasn’t so absorbed into his own head.

As they drew closer, it became clear that there were people waiting for their arrival. At first, they appeared as little more than tiny specks, but soon it became clear they were people. Not close enough to make out any features yet, but Cyrus still felt a tightening in his chest and forced himself to look away from the looming castle with its many white spires.

“What if he’s cruel?” Cyrus blurted out, his fear finally slipping out, but it was far too late for any real assurance. He didn’t know the man he was to marry; he didn’t know his humor or temperament; he didn’t know if he would even like the man.

He liked to believe that no deal would have been made that would put him in harm's way, but he didn’t truly trust that all the elves in Undermount would care more for his well-being than whatever alliance stood between the elves and humans.

They would gladly give Cyrus to a cruel man if it meant they kept their power and peace.

Suddenly, the drake dropped steeply, and Cyrus was forced to tighten his grip on Tyril’s waist. The wind flew wildly through his hair and made his eyes water as they came into a steep landing, and the dragon's feet alighted gracefully onto the stone floors.

He heard the chatter of the people around them, but was too busy getting his bearings to really pay attention to what anyone was saying. Tyril, of course, did not have the same problem; he slid off the drake with ease and the same refined grace he always possessed.

“King Arlan, this is quite the reception committee,” Tyril said, and as Cyrus finally got his wits about him, he realized it was true. There were nobility, guards, and servants gathered for their arrival, all of which seemed overboard to Cyrus, but who was he to say how the humans did things?

With a quiet sigh, Cyrus slid from the back of the drake, landing behind Tyril, his head held high and his back painfully straight. He’d been quite trussed up for his first meeting with his betrothed; his hair had been braided back and swept to the side, thin gold wire was running through the dark strands, and intricate clips had been secured at the base of the braise.

And while he looked a little windswept, it didn’t detract from the obvious effort put into his appearance.

“We are happy to welcome you to our home; the alliance between Undermount and White Tower is a long one; it must be maintained,” King Arlan was saying, to which Tyril dutifully nodded along, though out of the corner of his eyes he glanced back at Cyrus, silently checking in, making sure he still stood strong.

Tyril was not very clear with his care, but Cyrus always managed to pick up on it, and right now he appreciates it far more than he usually does.

With a deep breath, Cyrus schooled his expression and put on an easy smile before stepping forward and lowering his head in a respectful greeting. “It’s a pleasure to be here, King Arlan. I am Cyrus of House Nightbloom. I hope this arrangement between our families will help further solidify the relations between our people,” he said, his voice steady, never wavering for a second as he stood up straight again and met the king's eyes.

Two men stood beside the king, and Cyrus knew one of them was his betrothed, but they were both dressed in fine clothes, both Prince's; one was the older son whom he had no interest in, but he couldn’t tell which was which, at least not until King Arlan smiled and gestured at the slightly shorter of his two sons.

“This is my son, Aerin. I trust that the two of you will have much to discuss together,” he said, allowing Aerin to step forward.

The prince looked nervous, not as well put together as Cyrus was, but he didn’t look all that intimidating, and Cyrus was glad it was him and not the other brother he was being married to. He didn’t want to sound rude, but the king's older son had a rather unsettling air about him.

“It’s good to meet you; I know this has been in discussion for a while, so it’s nice to put a face to your name, Cyrus,” Aerin said, bowing his head much the same way Cyrus did before he reached out and gently took Cyrus’ hand and placed a kiss on his knuckles, which were flushed a slightly darker blue, irritated by the cold air from their flight.

His cheeks, however, turned darker for a very different reason. The kiss on his hand was a very human greeting, but it was sweet nonetheless, and Cyrus found the tension in his shoulders melting away.

It looked like things could be worse. Aerin seemed sweet, and he wasn’t unattractive. Which Cyrus noted with some relief. He would have been fine if his spouse did not physically appeal to him, but he thought it would make things far easier if he did find them attractive.

Luckily, it seemed he had come out on top with Aerin.

“I hope the two of us will get to know each other well,” Cyrus finally responded, and he was glad to see Aerin smile, seeming happy with the exchange between the two of them. Perhaps he’d been just as unsure of the arrangement as Cyrus was.

Clearing his throat, King Arlan brought attention back to him. “The ceremony will take place tomorrow, for tonight we thought it best we leave my son and Cyrus alone and allow them to become acquainted,” he nodded at them both, the perfect picture of grace as a king. “You will be given a private meal together, if that is acceptable to you, of course." He explained, addressing Cyrus directly at the end.

“I have no objection; it will be good to speak with Aerin,” he responded, though he felt he didn’t have much of an option but to say yes. This was expected of him, and he would do his duty.

Both he and Tyril were garnering stares from their surrounding audience, and it was starting to set Cyrus on edge. He didn’t like being watched; he stared at it like some sort of spectacle. The people of White Tower were most likely not used to seeing elves, but Cyrus wasn’t exactly used to being around humans. At least he had the decency to not stare.

The king said something that Cyrus didn’t catch, and suddenly they were all walking inside. Tyril walked beside the king, but Curis stuck by Prince Aerin, who seemed almost surprised that Cyrus hadn’t left. He didn’t see any reason to stand by anyone else; after the wedding, Tyril would be gone, so he needed to get used to being without the man.

“Have you ever been to White Tower?” Aerin asked, speaking up so suddenly that Cyrus caught him off guard, and he wasn’t sure what to say, despite the obvious answer being a resounding no.

He raised his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat, trying to think of something more to say that would actually be an engaging response. “No, I’ve spent my life in Undermount, and there was rarely any reason to leave,” he explained, getting a little distracted as they walked further into the palace and the beautiful architecture became more apparent.

The ceilings were high and carved with intricate details, and above them on the walls were windows of stained glass that reflected multicolored light into the ground, all of which rippled and shimmered as the sunlight shifted through clouds and the leaves of tall trees. “I am glad to be here now; it’s beautiful,” he said, turning his head ever so slightly so he could meet Aerin’s eyes.

The prince had nice eyes, soft and brown, with long feathery lashes that cast shadows on his cheeks when the light hit him at the right angle.

“I am happy you like it; I'll show you around after we’ve eaten,” Aerin said, brightening up at the prospect of showing Cyrus his home. It was obvious the prince held a fondness for it, and Cyrus envied that a little. He liked Undermount, but sometimes the way things were done was so exhausting, so confining, and so strict.

Things seemed freer here.

“We have beautiful gardens here, and the library is wonderful; it’s one of the most extensive collections in the kingdom if you're interested in that sort of thing,” Aerin added, stepping a bit closer to Cyrus and looking happy to share. It was rather endearing.

A snort of condescending laughter sounded to the side of them, and Cyrus looked over to see Aerin’s brother walking at a pace behind them. He’d forgotten that the others were still there, and Baldur’s interruption wasn’t appreciated.

“You’ll bore him to death before the two of you even reach the altar,” Baldur said, laughing far louder than was necessary. If his tone had been different, then Cyrus could have brushed it off as a rather tactless joke, but the crown prince sounded like he meant every word as an insult.

The way he laughed was clearly meant to mock, and the ensuing look on Aerin’s face was something that told Cyrus that this was a regular occurrence.

Clearing his throat, Cyrus cast Baldur a withering look and very pointedly looped his arm through Aerin’s own, which seemed to shock the prince so much that he actually stumbled over his own feet. “I’ll be happy to see the library actually; I expect you’ll have interesting Tomes on magic,” he said, directing his words at Aerin but making sure Baldur heard them as well.

It didn’t sit well with him to have a brother-in-law who acted cruelly, so he didn’t intend to take any shit from Baldur, no matter how much he expected to get his own way.

It turns out he expected it a lot, because he sputtered and glared for a moment, looking ready to start a fight, before suddenly the king was speaking up and announcing the party was to split. Cyrus and Aerin would be given a private meal together, while Tyril, Baldur, and King Arlan would dine more publicly. Hosting various lords and ladies at a dinner.

Cyrus was glad he’d get something more private; he didn’t think he could take being a spectacle at the moment.

He understood people’s interest in the arrangement being made, but he’d only just arrived and didn’t feel like being bombarded. He wanted to get to know his fiancé without prying eyes all around them.

They said a brief goodbye, and Cyrus locked eyes with Tyril as they went their separate ways. Aerin and Cyrus were then led by a servant down a short flight of stairs and into a moderately sized dining room, where a table had already been laid with a meal. The room smelled of fresh, cooked meat and fragrant tea. It was nice.

“You were very nice earlier, about the library,” Aerin said, slipping his arm from around Cyrus’ as he stepped forward and pulled out a chair, gesturing for Cyrus to take a seat. “If you’re really interested, then I will be happy to show you, but you needn’t pretend; I know it may seem like a dull pastime,” he added, looking sheepish and unsure of himself.

He stepped away then and took his own seat, across the table from Cyrus, who smiled reassuringly as he picked up the cup beside his plate and took a small sip of the floral-smelling drink inside. “I wasn’t pretending; I would be glad to see the library; even if I wasn’t interested in books, I would still be happy to go with you; we’re going to be married, and I want to know what you enjoy,” he explained, which once again seemed to shock the prince.

Cyrus had a feeling that Aerin didn’t often have people who showed interest in his interests.

“Besides, I feel your brother needed to be put in his place,” Cyrus added, turning his gaze down to his plate, which was beautifully put together. A small bird of some type had been roasted and was topped with a sauce that smelled vaguely like something he ate back home in Undermount.

He would miss the food back home, but perhaps he could find new favorites—things he enjoyed even more.

“It’s better not to get on Baldur’s bad side; he can be rather-“ Aerin broke off and clenched his jaw, looking angry for the barest of moments before his shoulders slumped and he just began to cut up his own food. “He is not used to being told off,” he finally finished, noting a fact that Cyrus had already picked up on quite easily on his own.

“Well, perhaps it’s time someone stood up to him; I’m not one to back down from a challenge, and if we’re going to be married, then I will take that seriously,” Cyrus said, taking a small, practiced bite of the food, which coated his tongue with a salty taste. “What kind of fiancé would I be if I didn’t stand up for you?” He asked, wondering if anyone had taken the time to stand up for Aerin before.

Cyrus could understand not having people on his side; as the last member of House Nightbloom, he was often pushed to the side, shunned, and regarded as lesser in some way, so yes, he understood, and perhaps it meant the two of them could have a marriage built on that understanding, that they were the same and would be on each other's sides.

The sound of a bird singing outside drifted in, but Cyrus was more enraptured by the look on Aerin’s face, the open surprise at being treated kindly.

Cyrus hoped he could make kindness the norm for the prince so that he wouldn’t be shocked by it again.

“I want this marriage to work. I do not expect anything more than friendship from you, of course, but I would like us to be friends at least,” he said, watching as Aerin’s expression continued to twist with surprise.

Eventually, however, the prince’s lips curled up in a smile, and he nodded. “I’ll gladly be your friend; I have not had many of those in my life,” Aerin responded, and Cyrus got the impression that he really would treasure a friendship just as much, if not more, than a lover.

[fredricwertham]

20, 22, &25 for the choose violence ask game :-)

20 part of canon you found tedious or boring

The amount of hand-wringing over property crime (in 90s comics in particular) gets old fast.

I’m also not a huge fan of the fab five, which may or may not be surprising? They’re too much of a sausage fest and I need to see WOMEN DOING THINGS if I’m expected to be invested in the long term. The NTT lineup will always be my standard because (1) it was the first American comic I ever read; and (2) Raven and Kory are my favorite titans.

22 your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

There are so many ways I could answer this—I think fanon dominance and the sprawl of DC comics means that most of what’s interesting about canon goes by the wayside tbh—but I’m picking the situation between Bruce, Dick and Harvey. I just like everything about it. Upfront, I really admire the amount of effort Dixon et al. put into making that event feel like a concrete, meaningful part of the Dick’s biography rather than a one-off retcon by referencing it across multiple comics and storylines. It’s an unusually clean backstory addition, especially given how opaque Dick’s post-crisis Robin years are.

The decision to make the villain who hurt Dick the worst as a kid—and he’s a very little kid in that story, so, so tiny—his guardian slash mentor slash partner slash father’s former best friend was incredibly bespoke to begin with. It’s the sickest choice they could have made, which means it’s a winner with me.

And then I the way Dark Victory developed Dick into a sort of legacy character for Harvey, as the person who represents hope and embodies optimism for Bruce. It’s so good, golden boy vs. former golden boy.* I love the specificity it layers onto Harvey’s resentment of Dick, which already had a distinctly personal flavor as far back as Prodigal—he’s not the Joker confusing Tim for Jason and assuming the kid he beat to death came back, you know? He knows exactly who Dick is in spite of the fact that he’s now an adult in a different costume. I love that Dick doesn’t think Harvey is as redeemable as Bruce does and has implied to Harvey’s face(s?) that he believes Harvey was always a bad person deep down. I love that Bruce never seems to reflect on any of this outside of Dark Victory, where’s he’s very explicitly aware of the continuity between the two.

Of course I’d be remiss not to mention that this is the subject of one of my all time favorite fanfics, but for the most part it gets very little air play among fans.

*which also a notable aspect of Dick’s more popular antagonism with Slade. The inciting incident for Slade’s fixation on Dick was his realization that Dick reminded him of himself as a young man, and he grows more and more resentful of Dick as he ruins his own life in spite of initially getting along with him quite well.

25 common fandom complaint that you're sick of hearing

Am I allowed to say all of them? lol? I mean I’m pretty sick of complaints about fatherhood in general, who is or is not a father and to whom, whether or not they’re a good father. Above all else, though, I’m tired of the way nominally progressive fans pick apart the work of any author who strays from the path of white male cishetero righteousness. This is about Devin Grayson obviously but it’s also true of the way people talk about Grant Morrison. They’re less unfairly maligned than Grayson, but I still don’t think they can reasonably be blamed for making a bunch of characters who were based off of a *Fu Manchu movie* racist. Insert astronaut meme here, you know the one.

[slythereen]

Hey! I saw your answer to that one ask and would like to know why Redbull (or any other team) would be interested in doing what Liberty Media asked of them and have two top drivers that are truly competetive? Why would a team and a TP want that added stress of managing them and handling that situation if the current situation (for example with Max & Checo) works. We all saw what happened with Mercedes and Rosberg & Hamilton.

And we all remember how good and competetive the 2020-2021 seasons were because there was a true fight between multiple drivers/ constructers for the win. And tbh we all can agree that this season has been pretty boring because there has been no fight for the win (with the exception of the Las Vegas and Singapore GP).

Thank you in advance for answering 🫶🏼

this is ABSURDLY late! but hello! i do have a few thoughts about this so please accept my belated answer while i fight the tumblr app demons 🫶

the reason why i think red bull would be willing in doing what liberty media asks is not necessarily because they care about liberty media, per se, but because of the marketing power that comes with it. it also doesn't hurt to get in the good graces of the owners by going along with their latest "entertainment" plans.

that, and because redbull can get away with it in a way i don't think other teams can. why?

redbull has already proven that they can win both championships with max verstappen alone if they have the car for it. that might not hold for next season, if the other teams manage to close the gap (please!!!), but as of right now they don't have to worry too much about their second driver.

that being said, they are always about MORE. more domination, more breaking records, more being the best and the first to do something — youngest drivers, youngest winners, longest records, etc. etc. etc. it would definitely be a goal for them to demolish a whole season even more than they already did in 2023, and having two drivers contribute would be part of that (checo did fine imo; he's just not at max's level to lead to total complete annihilation).

(consider how infamously brutal they are with their second drivers. obviously they seem content with checo as a #2 to max, but historically they have been vicious if their second driver couldn't compete well. why? because they want a powerful duo. i don't believe even kind of that they are content to keep checo just because he's doing "alright".)

having two top drivers might take points from one another, sure. that might jeopardize an easy snatch at both championships. but rbr is also very good with strategy, very good at drawing obvious lines. if it comes down to it and they need to enforce a little bit of discipline between their drivers, they will. i think they would be able to manage a consistent 1-2 every race without having to worry too much about #3 creeping up on them, but if they did have to be a bit more strategic? they could do it. now, would they be willing to prioritize the other driver over max if they had earned it thus far? i think maybe, but that one is admittedly questionable.

(see also part two: imagine seeing a very competent team with very good drivers managing to team up against their rivals when necessary? a lot of very cool strategies to take out competition or play the team game strategically don't always work out because of the skill gap between drivers — i.e., carlos aside from being unwilling to help charles is almost never in the position to do so because he lacks pace or is too far back or is on a different strategy etc etc. same goes with checo. this would give rbr more options for coordination when needed, i think, which could lend itself to some cool stunts and scheming.)

redbull as a brand — that is, Red Bull™ corporate, not just red bull racing — is all about pushing boundaries and being exceptional and highkey crazy. rbr also prides itself on being "different" and not like those stuffy manufacturer constructions. they're a scrappy energy drink bodying "real" car companies and doing it as loudly and controversially as possible. being the type of hooligans to take on the chaos and potential drama of a two top driver lineup is sort of in their wheelhouse.

i also think that mercedes not being able to do it successfully would only be more incentive for rbr to try. imagine if they make it work where toto wolff and one of the iconic manufacturer teams failed? that's bragging rights for life. rbr would go crazy with that. christian would be elated.

(see also, with charles specifically: stealing ferrari's prince, golden boy, il predestinato, and giving him the championship that ferrari failed to give him? yeah. rbr would eat that shit up. they love their controversial champions.)

entertainment value. rbr did not seem non-receptive to liberty media's attempts to bring more entertainment to the sport. obviously max hates the added fuss, but this is the sort of entertainment that max wouldn't hate — give him a real challenge every weekend and batshit crazy racing? i think he'd take that. i know he's said he enjoys not having to fight as much because it means the team is doing insanely well, but fighting his own teammate because they are the only ones who can actually compete would still be rbr domination. and lbr, he seems to enjoy the races where he RACES much more than the cruising ones.

that being said, yes, i agree it is pretty entertaining when it's two or three teams battling it out in full-fledged fight. obviously having two rbr drivers fighting the champion fight reduces some of the drama — no steward fights and arguments, no rival tps arguing, no inter-team tension. that's a little less fun. besides, stewards don't tend to investigate intra-team incidents. so there may be some lost entertainment there — but it also might be less toxic, too. time would have to tell on that one.

(also worth noting that people got annoyed with on-going rbr dominance this season, but, i mean... at least the first few races when it looked like checo might actually fight seemed entertaining to the masses. i think it's more so max verstappen dominance they are sick of. this would lend itself to some mystery.)

who knows though! even if charles has renewed (and ferrari has been doing A Lot lately to suggest they are trying hard to keep him, for once), i think rbr will be trying to get a closer-to-number-1 driver in the future regardless. obviously they tried to get charles. they have tried to get lando (debatable if he's on the same level, but he's good and has the potential).

i think they are very interested in having two top drivers; i just happen to think charles would be best suited for it, provided he gets a fair shot at the title with them.

[galaxysharks]

if maddox were to have a meltdown for whatever reason with the wildcats... well, what'd happen???

i can assume most of them haven't seen maddox have one, with the exception of jet bc of The Incident

Oof, Finn, my guy this one's on you

They certainly haven't. Maddox has gotten pretty good at the whole 'removing herself from the problem' thing you see. It's pretty rare these days for something to bother her long enough to set off a meltdown, cause she can always run off, right?

So really it should make sense that the first meltdown that the Wildcats see is during one of the few times she really can't run away.....

It happens during a press event for HSM4. The Wildcats are generally there supporting Gina and Mack, with a few questions thrown their ways in regards to follow up from the Frozen documentary.

It starts out quite doable, with the hardest questions being the whole relationship musical chairs situation, which is relatively easy to play off with they're all quite young and exploring their individual sexualities. Jet is remarkably personable with the press, his dry wit a big hit, Maddie jumping in every so often, but mostly hiding behind JJ and Mack. With Gina and Mack expertly directing focus, Maddox gets away without answering many questions, oddly given she's the third in the triad of heavily involved students in HSM4.

Then the reporter forevermore known only as the Soulless Bastard finds his way to the front of the line. He claims that several of his platform's followers are from the lower LA area, and have a few questions for the behind the scenes process of the film. Quinn is further up the line with Gina, discussing similar topics with the major publications and isn't able to get back to them at the moment, so Maddox of course steps forward to take over in their portion.

Except he's not asking questions about things like the set reconstruction process, or the framing of shots, no he keeps asking about Maddox. Frustrating, invasive questions that Mack keeps trying to joke around but this guy's not letting it go.

Reporter: How did such a delicate recreation tolerate a dog on set?

Mack: actually, JJ here makes me feel right at home, after all you could say my most reliable coworkers were the wonderful dogs of Mark and Spark!

Reporter: We are simply concerned for the safety of several historical HSM set pieces and props pulled from the Disney vault in the presence of such a large animal.

Maddox: ...uh.... actually Joe-Jack was not on set during the filming of High School Musical 4 *JJ licks Maddie's Hand and she pets his head*

Reporter: oh so you don't need it? Is the service vest simply a fashion statement then? Are you aware of how incredibly disrespectful it is to miss label a pet as a service animal?

Maddox: ....well no, or yes, I, I need him... he.....he helps me! *JJ starts leaning on Maddox's legs*

Mack: come on sir! Can't you see he's working! He's very busy!

Reporter: Was he assigned to control your Autism?

Maddox: my, my what? How?

Reporter: is it true that you attacked several students and destroyed multiple pieces of state property at a previous school?

Maddox: I, I need to go, I need to go, I need to go. *JJ begins actively pulling on her jacket to direct her through a clear path the reporter attempts to follow. They are stopped by a barrier blocking of this street in front of the theater*

Reporter: there are thousands of children in attendance at this event, are we expected to trust that they'll be safe with someone like you here!?

Mack: HEY! ENOUGH OF THAT!

At this point with Macks shouting, several of the wildcats have noticed that something is happening, and are wrapping up their questions as best they can, Gina and Quinn included.

Maddox's grip on the old wooden barrier behind her begins tightening, splitting the wood apart, and causing splinters to push into her hands and causing them both fall to the floor. Maddox blindly pushes through the mess of wood, through the confused crowd on the other side and down a side alley. JJ gets caught on the support of the barrier hooking through his harness's handle, pulling him away from her as he struggles to unhook himself.

Once there the excess anxiety and panic send her to the farthest corner. She can hear too many things, heartbeat, the crowd, the shouting reporters, heartbeat, kids somewhere, her own breathing, someone calling for JJ, heartbeat, those kids she hurt, Jet yelping in pain the first time she'd scratched him, everything and everywhere.

She pull off her hearing aid, throwing it away from her, not caring about where it ended up. She stumbles into an unused rope barrier, without thinking she sends the weighted cylinders careening away from her, catering to the ground.

What she doesn't see is Jet hoping over them as he tries to get closer. Quinn has stopped this portion of the event, and had all affiliated presses from that publication removed and banned from future events. Mack, Gina and Seb (Carlos's +1) have moved forward, shoving back the crowd.

Ashlyn and Kourtney are untangling JJ from the debris, before EJ comes over and just unhooks the harness all together, with JJ taking off immediately to the alley. They follow him.

When they get there, Jet is crouched by his sister, with one hand supporting his leaning against the wall, and the other pulling Maddoxs hand from under her ears. Her hands are bleeding and there are scratched lines along her neck, but it's hard to tell where the blood is from at this angle. JJ is on top of her, pressing her into the wall, the sleeve to her other hand in his jaws pulling that one away from her face too.

The frantic struggling starts to slow as Jet talks to her, directly by her ear so she can hear him.

Once she has settled, Quinn comes back with security to escort them to a different room, where she can wait out the press event and decide if they want to press charges to the reporter.

After this, it's decided that the premier is going to be watched at the apartment to avoid any more of these scenarios. Maddox does not attend any events for Romeo and Juliet.