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blackreaderfics · 1 year ago

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Hygge | Nanami Kento x Tiana

↳ Pairing : Nanami Kento x Tiana

↳ Rating : T

↳ Summary : Nanami breaks his well cultivated routine

↳ W.C : 4.4k

↳ A/N: the voices in my head got me y’all… this is a purely self indulgent fic featuring relatable king Nanami (I, too, do not dream of labor✊🏾) and black girlbossqueen Tiana

↳ Tags + Warnings: xenophobia from a side character, fluff, set in Tokyo, next door neighbors, cultural differences, salaryman x cafe owner, they can speak each other’s languages but not fluently

🎵 A Commuter’s Trip (The Commuter OST) by Roque Baños

🎵 Hello Stranger by KAI

Hygge (n.) | Danish

“the feeling of calm, comfort, and contentment evoked by life’s simple joys”

Nanami had a simple routine. Wake up at 6, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast by 7:45 and be out of the door—at the latest—a minute before 8. He had everything calculated to the T. If Nanami had been a minute too late—let’s say 8:01— he would miss the morning train and therefore be late for work, and he was never late. He had taken into account all contingencies i.e. a train delay, traffic, inclement weather, and made sure he was prepared for any and all possibilities.

That’s why, much to his chagrin, he was “Employee of the Month” every month since he had been promoted from associate to advisor. Most workers would’ve taken pride in that, felt their presence valued at their company. But Nanami didn’t care much for awards or titles, in fact, he just hated working period. He made sure to always clock out at 6 p.m. on the dot. One minute more would be overtime and he didn’t want to give his thankless job a second more of his labor.

When he left work, he always went straight home. When his head hit the pillow and he closed his eyes, thoughts about the next day would drift into his mind.

Did the market close up or down? What reports did he need to finish? There’s a client meeting coming up; the presentation deck needs to be prepared… Just two more days. Get through two more days and it’s the weekend.

And so on and so on. Wash rinse repeat.

He presumed this endless cycle of corporate monotony would continue until the day he turned 40, after which he could retire and live modestly in a country like Malaysia or the Philippines to catch up on all the reading he missed. Perhaps even find a nice woman and marry her while he was there.

The marriage part was new—an afterthought after years of daydreaming—and he didn’t really think much about the kind of woman he wanted to marry. What she looked like or what she did was more of an amorphous thought, a vague idea in his mind.

Until her.

He met her by accident. Nanami had been cooking, a hobby he only indulged in on the weekends, and he was just in the middle of making a rolled omelet when he heard a loud thump outside his door.

His apartment building was more of an office building which meant that his floor didn’t get much traffic. The people who rented rooms were not really tenants who lived there, but workers looking for an extra workspace. He had assumed the thump to be a delivery man outside his door so, naturally, he was surprised when it wasn’t the post, but a foreigner woman standing outside the room next door.

The woman had a heavy bag of groceries balanced in the crook of her arm and another by her feet that he presumed had been the source of the sound. When they made eye contact, he had been so startled that he quickly closed his door. The apartment next to his had been empty for months, but it looked like it had finally been rented out.

He thought nothing more of it until her very presence began to infiltrate his well-maintained routine. Every morning, if he was quiet enough, he could faintly hear her humming as he got dressed. Other times, he could hear upbeat jazzy music on the weekends if he opened his window.

Every night, he was surrounded by the fragrance of whatever she seemed to be cooking. Most of the time it was sweet, other times it was savory. It wasn’t an unpleasant aroma, just noticeable to the point where its absence would feel strange. There were days when they would leave for work at the same time, though oftentimes he would end up holding the elevator door open for her when she left her apartment a few minutes after he did.

In the brief moments they encountered, Nanami made small observations about her: She was an American. Beautiful. Unmarried—Americans wore rings on their ring finger to signify marital status, he’d noticed she didn’t.

He couldn’t infer her job or what exactly brought her to Tokyo in the first place from her appearance alone, however. He’d seen a fair amount of young foreign teachers in the city. He wondered if she was a teacher. She looked young enough. A missionary? She dressed modestly and wore sensible shoes. Her curly hair was often tied into a low bun. From the very slim list of what young American women did for work in Tokyo, he decided on teacher and his curiosity was sated.

One day he found out. After a long day of work, he walked his usual route from the train station back to his apartment building but was redirected due to construction at his usual subway exit. When he alighted from the escalator he was on a different street entirely. The extra few minutes from this detour would undoubtedly cut into the time he’d set aside to unwind, and subsequently, he’d have to make a few adjustments to still get a full 8 hours of sleep.

He loosened his tie and sighed inwardly as he walked on. Since he’d moved to this district last year he didn’t make much effort to visit any new places. For all he was concerned, he only really needed to know his route to work and the nearest Starbucks.

So when he passed by a small cafe called “Tiana’s Place”, it didn’t immediately click that the jazz he’d heard playing softly from her apartment was the same music that was playing now. It was familiar enough that it gave him pause. Where had he heard that song before? When he finally caught sight of her—his neighbor— through the glass window, it finally registered that she wasn’t a teacher or a missionary, but a cafe worker, and from the looks of it, she owned the place.

He watched her dimples deepen as she interacted with customers, giving each and every one of them a tireless smile. Before he knew it, Nanami found himself inside the cafe whisked into the after-work rush of impatient office workers. She was so busy already, the only indication of strain being a moment when she blew the hair out of her face before the next customer walked up to order. He planned to buy something small and leave; he wanted to give her time to catch her breath but inadvertently in his musings he was already holding up the line.

She was…right in front of him? And speaking to him now? It was the first time he’d heard her voice and he decided it suited her. She spoke in Japanese and, though accented, was clear and practiced enough in a way that impressed him.

“Are you still deciding, sir?” Impossibly large brown eyes waited in expectation for him to order.

He broke out of his reverie quickly enough to make it seem like his stalling was deliberate, his unmarred poker face further upholding the charade.

He scanned the prepackaged foods and retrieved the first thing that looked like bread. “Just this.”

“Good choice,” She looked positively elated as she scanned the barcode and activated the card machine. “Beignets are my specialty.” She was beaming at him. Not in a “thank you come again” customer way but like in a he’d just made her entire week way. She was so laughably easy to please that it discomfited him.

He muttered a “thank you”, taking the package and turning to leave quickly before he met her eyes again. The Fall of Icarus was a cautionary tale for a reason, he wouldn’t risk another trip into the sun.

Nanami’s routine had drastically altered over the next few weeks. Every morning he’d gotten used to riding down the elevator with her. They greeted each other regularly, albeit a bit awkwardly, in the shared space—A slight bow from him as he held the doors open, reciprocated by a grateful wave from her.

The last time they shared an elevator, however, they'd accidentally brushed hands while reaching for the ground floor button. For some reason, that unnerved Nanami. So now, most times, he avoided that, opting to wait and listen to the click of her door before he left the house. For good measure, he started taking the stairs. As a result, Nanami had added an extra 10 minutes to his morning commute.

The detour, having yet to be fixed, took him past the café every day. Though Nanami knew the process of waiting in line would add an extra 15 minutes to his after-work trek, he did so anyway, calculating that picking up a quick dinner bento would be a fair trade to taking the time to cook something for himself.

“What can I get for you today, sir?”

He knew her name now—Tiana, from the name tag she wore, and the sign on the storefront. He noticed from the way her eyes would widen as he approached, that she recognized him now too.

“Black tea. No sugar, please.” He placed his usual prepackaged meal and packet of beignets on the counter, taking out his wallet. Nanami didn’t always plan to add beignets to every order, but he found himself reaching for them every time, dreading her predictable delight when he did. Ordering tea was another stroke of impulse he didn’t account for, but it wasn’t so busy now, he could enjoy it before he went home.

He decided on a table by the window, savoring the warm liquid as the sun set to a melancholy soundtrack of brass and bass. It was like being transported to another time, outside of crowded subway cars and the hustle of his high-powered office.

Nanami closed his eyes and felt something akin to contentment. When he exhaled, the stiffness in his shoulders abated, and the strain behind his eyes subsided. Was this what it was like to finally relax?

He was about to take another sip of his drink when he heard a loud bang. The front door to the restaurant had flown open, a bulky man with greasy hair and a lecherous smile stalking in. Nanami’s eyes trailed after the man’s movements, the cup still raised to his lip.

“I’d like a dozen of those powdered donut things. Ya got any of those?” The man leered at the part-timer manning the counter. He sauntered back and forth at the register, eying the self-serve pastries in the display.

“Sure, would you like them fresh? There aren’t enough ready-made ones for a dozen, but if you’re willing to wait there’s a new batch being made—”

The man picked up a package of beignets that had been warming under a heated case and without warning, ripped open the package and took a bite.

“S-sir! You need to pay for that first!” The part-timer sputtered.

“Well, I’m waitin’ for that new batch. I wanna try before I buy.” The delinquent guffawed and attempted another gleeful bite only for the pastry to be smacked out of his hand and onto the floor.

He whirled around to face Tiana, bursting into laughter upon seeing her. “And who the fuck are you supposed to be?”

“Call the police,” Tiana stated calmly to her employee as she stared down the man. Her usual polite smile had been replaced with a stony-faced expression. “Sir, if you’re not going to buy anything then it’s best you leave.”

“Huh? What was that? I can barely understand you, foreign bit-AHh” A pressure on the man’s shoulder made him crumple in pain.

“Your ears must not be working. I can understand her perfectly well,” Nanami murmured, his vice-like grip squeezing at the juncture between the man’s neck and shoulder. While the delinquent whimpered pathetically at the deepening pressure, Nanami directed his attention to Tiana, motioning with a slight tilt of his head for her to step away. “It’s not worth your trouble, I’ll take care of it.”

She nodded reluctantly and joined her staff member who was now waiting with a phone at her ear behind the counter.

Nanami appeared to be saying something to the man now, but in a volume that Tiana couldn’t hear. His face was calm, betraying no emotion while the delinquent paled gradually in terror, trembling under his grip. The moment Nanami released him, the man scrambled out of his grasp and prostrated himself on all fours.

“I’M SORRY I’M SORRY I PROMISE I WON’T DO IT AGAIN PLEASE—” He shouted hysterically and proceeded to do a fervent bow of penitence.

Tiana looked at Nanami quizzically but was only met with a mild shrug.

“Alright alright,” she stepped around the counter to placate him. If he could just stop snotting up the floor she just mopped and get out of there, they could just forget this all happened.

The tinkling bell sound of the cafe door opening interrupted the scene; everyone’s attention shifted from the blubbering man on the floor to the police officer who had just stepped in.

Before anyone could speak, the man sprang up from the ground and ran toward the policeman. “OFFICER! IT'S ALL MY FAULT I ADMIT IT! ARREST ME, PLEASE! JUST GET ME OUT OF HERE!”

Within 10 minutes the offender was cuffed—willingly, to the cop’s surprise— and whisked noisily out of the cafe just as quickly as he’d burst in. Nanami, suddenly uninterested in the commotion, walked calmly back to his table and gathered his things.

Tiana made her way over to Nanami, eyeing the man through the window. He was currently being escorted to a police car on the curb. Still in hysterics, he’d practically thrown himself into the back of the car.

“Ok…what on earth did you say to that man?” She quirked an eyebrow at the blonde businessman.

That this cafe is his one and only oasis in the heaping pile of shit called life, and if even so much as one insignificant waste of air like him tries to ruin it he’ll have no choice but to chop his fingers off one by one and shove them down his throat so hard he’ll be shitting fingernails for weeks…among other things.

It would’ve been improper to divulge this to Tiana, of course.

“I asked him to apologize,” he said instead in simple English, a far cry from the eloquently horrific threats he’d made in his native language.

“Really?” She asked, accepting the sudden change of language in stride. Her arms were crossed, her hip jutted to the side, face incredulous. “Just like that?”

“I’m rather persuasive.”

After a beat she laughed.

Nanami didn’t consider himself a funny person. And frankly, he didn’t understand why she was laughing now but he welcomed it, if only to see that the earlier disturbance hadn’t caused her too much distress.

“Well, thank you kindly,” she drawled in between giggles, her southern accent now unmistakable when she switched to English. “Mister…”

“Kento.” He offered his first name, aware he was skipping over several customary stages of familiarity. In any other case, anyone less than an acquaintance addressing him by his first name would be extremely frowned upon. But it was common business practice to use given names when dealing with American clients; he thought it fitting to do the same with her.

He reached into his suit jacket, pulling out a silver business card holder, and passed over an impressive looking card:

Nanami Kento, Investment Advisor

“If there are any similar issues please don’t hesitate to contact me.” He repeated an English phrase that had come in handy from past business dealings.

“Mr. Kento,” she repeated to herself with finality studying the card. Tiana faintly wondered why a guy with a fancy title—and the most expensive suits she’d ever laid eyes on— lived in the modest one-room apartment right next to hers. She pocketed the card and patted around for her own business card.

“I would’ve given you my own card too. But if you ever need to contact me—”

“Boss!” Her part-timer called out, waving her over from where she stood next to a police officer holding a clipboard.

“I’d better go, you know where to find me.” She excused herself with an apologetic smile.

Unfortunately for Nanami, this little ordeal had cost him another hour of wasted time.

The next day Nanami waited for the familiar click of her door shutting before starting his commute. When he exited his apartment, he could still see the silhouette of her back walking towards the elevator bank.

She left without an umbrella, he noted to himself as he walked part of the way down the hallway. He imagined walking up to her and bringing it up casually as they waited for the elevator. But as soon as she’d turned his direction he changed course abruptly, legs moving on their own through the emergency exit and down the stairs.

Work went on as usual. He sat at his desk going over the pitch deck, but his eyes could not seem to follow the text. Instead, he found himself gazing out the window, watching the clouds slowly darken in the horizon.

“Fucking weather, right? News said it’s gonna rain like a bitch the next few days.”

His boss had walked up behind him, crouching at his eye level to see what Nanami was looking at.

“Hope you brought your galoshes, rookie, we’re going overtime today for that big client meeting. Dinner’s on me.” His boss clapped a hand on his shoulder and went off to bother a different team.

He tried to return his attention to his work, but he couldn’t. Instead, he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes against the blue light of his computer screen. All he could think about was the rain.

Tiana had hoped that by the time she closed, the rain would’ve stopped. But she found herself outside the doors of the cafe, reluctant to leave. The rain hadn’t let up, and it didn’t look like it was stopping any time soon.

It was a day of disappointments. On top of forgetting her umbrella, Nanami hadn’t come into the shop that day. She’d gotten used to seeing him enter the store at the same time every day, and perhaps even looked forward to it.

She took one tentative step outside, shivering through the draft of wind. She didn’t live far, maybe it would be alright if she just ran home with a plastic bag over her head. Tiana locked the door behind her and raised the collar of her jacket, clasping it with her hand to protect her neck. On the count of three, she lifted the plastic takeout bag over her head and took the plunge.

After a few strides in the pelting rain, it suddenly stopped—She had run into something or someone. The rain made it difficult to see where she was going so she blindly sputtered a reflexive “I’m so sorry!” in English at whoever it was that she had run into.

When she wiped the rain out of her eyes she could see nothing but an impeccably tailored pinstripe suit in the dim of the streetlights. It was Nanami and he was holding an umbrella over her head. His collar was unbuttoned without a tie, and he looked utterly exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes were even more pronounced from where she stood underneath him.

“Mr. Kento? Are you alright? What are you—”

“I figured you could use an umbrella,” he said dryly and pretty pointedly at her makeshift plastic bag hat.

“Yea, I guess I could use one of those,” she laughed breathlessly and took the bag off her head, before giving him one of those heart-stopping smiles he loathed. “You saved my life.*”

The corner of his mouth quirked slightly, amused. Perhaps because her choice of words sounded highly literal, almost…cute?, in Japanese. He “saved her life” just by sharing his umbrella? Americans were known to have a penchant for the dramatic. But he didn’t bother to correct her, instead, he only hummed somewhat of an affirmative response.

They walked in a comfortable silence down a familiar tree-lined path leading to their apartment building. She noticed Nanami’s shoulder getting wet, and leaned closer to him.

Feeling the imperceptible shift, he gave the woman beside him a sidelong glance. His eyes settled on the loose wisp of hair he’d always seen her blowing out of her face.

It bothered him.

Maybe it was the fatigue-driven delirium, but he was struck with the inane compulsion to brush that lock out of her eyes. He couldn’t have been more grateful for the umbrella currently occupying his hand, otherwise, he would’ve indulged it.

Tiana reached over and gently adjusted the umbrella closer over his side. “Wouldn’t want to ruin that nice suit of yours,” she said softly.

“I hate this suit.” The curt statement came off a bit more brusque than he’d initially intended, though, it was true. He hated that suit and everything it represented.

She looked at him curiously, wondering if this was another aspect of his humor. But from what she could see on his countenance, he was entirely serious.

He glanced at her again, catching the confused look on her face. “I don’t mind if it gets wet,” he reiterated this time with the intended lack of severity, along with a kind of finality that implied an end to the discussion of his suit and his decision to prioritize her dryness. They continued the rest of the way, the umbrella above them biased towards her side.

When they got to the apartment he held the building door open, letting her walk through first.

“Thank you again for yesterday. That man, he was—” she paused to conjure the correct word.

“He was being a nuisance,” he completed, pushing the button for the elevator door. Naturally, he had chosen the same number for their floors, and when they arrived at their floor he waited for her to alight before walking after her.

When they finally reached their neighboring doors, he set his umbrella on the hallway floor for it to dry and began to punch in the code for his door.

“Mr. Kento, wait a moment.”

He stilled his movement and watched as she rummaged into her purse.

Tiana pulled out a paper box from her bag and presented it to him, “I was going to give these to you earlier if you came in. Glad they didn’t get wet.”

It was a small gesture. Even so, he was reluctant to take it.

“You… didn’t have to,” he frowned, eyeing the box.

“You didn’t have to walk me home, either,” she shrugged.

“We’re neighbors. We were going in the same direction,” he said plainly, though, he didn’t entirely believe the words as they left his mouth either. It was unlike him to go anywhere else except straight home after working overtime. He hadn’t run into her by some coincidence or divine guidance. He’d gone there on purpose, and he had a sinking feeling she figured that out already too.

“Then just think of it as a ‘thank you gift’,” she insisted, tugging gently at his wrist and nudging the box softly into his hands. “For being my favorite customer.”

He shifted uncomfortably to receive the box with both hands. It was an unfamiliar concept for him to be anyone’s favorite anything.

“Good night, Mr. Kento.” Tiana’s voice had an amused lilt to it. Nanami must’ve stood there frozen because she was already halfway through her door, a knowing smile on her lips.

He regained his composure and mumbled back a formal “Good night, Miss. Tiana,” —her name a bit alien on his tongue—before retreating back inside.

When the door shut behind him, he immediately shed his suit jacket. His body was much too warm despite one side being wet; his collar much too tight, despite his lack of tie.

Nanami stared at the assortment of pastries that Tiana had given to him. He couldn’t recall the last time he willingly ate dessert though he assumed if he had, it would’ve probably been with Gojo and his infantile palate.

Truthfully, Nanami didn’t really like sweets at all. The first time he bought those beignets, he’d just picked up the first thing in line that day and just…never stopped buying it. Over the past weeks, he’d amassed a bevy of unopened bags of the foreign confection and they were occupying the much-needed counter space of his kitchen.

It was rather ironic for an investment advisor to be so frivolous with his money. Spending on foods he didn’t even eat when was supposed to be saving it didn’t make any sort of financial sense. He had been planning to retire by 40, and now he’d have to add an extra 5 years to his projections over mere fried dough.

Nanami turned over the yellow business card for “Tiana’s Place” that he had found wedged in the box. A simple “Bon Appétit ;) -T.” was written on the back.

He picked up a beignet from the box and took a bite—It was made for him, after all. He chewed it slowly, the consistency not too far off from that of a baguette. It wasn’t too sweet, either. In fact, it was…delicious? Better than any dessert he’s had before. Maybe everything he’d tried before this was just a crude imitation, a poor excuse for the craft of baking.

Perhaps he did like sweets or even dessert right before bed. Maybe he didn’t even mind that he wouldn’t be getting his full 8 hours of sleep. If he concentrated hard enough, her faint humming as she got ready for bed filled the silence of his apartment. He could stay up even longer if at all possible.

When he finally closed his eyes, a rush of different kinds of thoughts flooded his mind.

Some were more mundane: Maybe I’ll have a beignet for breakfast or It’s probably going to rain tomorrow.

Some were imaginations: plump glossy lips curved in an oversweet smile meant solely for him. His fingers gently tucking that bothersome tendril of hair behind her ear.

He finally drifted to sleep with one last thought just as simple as the others, a tiny hope that she would forget her umbrella again.

*A/N: Tiana’s words sound like a literal translation/unnatural because she’s a non-native speaker ex. “you saved my life” vs a more natural/colloquial “you’re a lifesaver”

©️ blackreaderfics // credit to cafekitsune for the dividers

#brfwrites #tianami #nanami x tiana #jjk x disney #idk yall lmao #walk with me #I’m just glad it’s finally out of my head #x black reader #black reader #jujutsu kaisen fanfic #jujutsu kaisen fluff #nanami kento fluff #nanami kento fanfic #nanami fluff #nanami fanfic #jjk fluff

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agendabymooner · 1 year ago

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seb’s best girl: meeting mick in malaysia || sv5 scenario (2)

foster dad!sebastian vettel x daughter!ofc (filo!ofc)

EXTENSION TO CRAZY RICH WIFE AND SHE’S EVERYTHING… AND HE’S JUST MICK

Summary: Sebastian Vettel understood the downfalls of infertility just by being there for his wife. What he didn’t know, however, was that his life would drastically change when their foster daughter, Barbie Blanco, was put into their care. OR, what made Sebastian the best father figure to a teenager who had nobody but herself.

Scenario summary: Sebastian and Bel had taken their foster daughter to her first race, where she met the friends that she’d have forever. OR, it turns out that being alone in high school can could lead to happiness as Barbie met Mick for the first time in Malaysia— with the boy and his sister Gina getting curious about the Filipino girl.

Content warning: Fluff, mentions of isolation and sadness (Barbie not making friends in school), attentive people, Mick and Gina being siblings and wholesome, brief Tagalog dialogue + translation

Note: I’m planning to run on no sleep all day tomorrow so I’m going to post this before I nap hehehe enjoy some Mick and Barbie! xx

a - n masterlist

o - z masterlist

if you’d like to get on one of my taglists, check this post out!

Sebastian made an effort to stay in the Philippines way before the 2014 season started— and throughout those two months of having Barbie in their care taught him quite a lot about her.

One of those things being the amount of sadness on her face whenever he’d ask her how classes went for her whenever he picked her up from school (he loathed the traffic in the Philippines with a passion).

She never said it aloud, seeing as she barely spoke English, yet her face — one that told him that she’s indeed his daughter — showed enough for him to understand her struggles.

Barbie loved people. She was attached to the hips with the sisters in the orphanage and now that she was a part of the Vettel family, Sebastian and Bel assumed that she’d easily get along with them and her peers at the private school.

Oh how wrong they were. The first month of high school told the couple enough that she wasn’t coping well nor adjusting— her peers in school didn’t make her feel less isolated and she was often found alone during the break, her teachers told them.

Sebastian and Bel hated being so helpless. Sebastian was due to start his season soon, and all he wanted to do was ease Barbie into the life she was introduced to. He wanted her to have many friends and have fun. What else was there for him to do?

Right.

A race passed by so quickly and the second round of the season started for the Red Bull driver when Sebastian and Bel flew her to Malaysia with her nanny, Angie. Or rather, Sebastian anticipated his wife’s arrival with Barbie and Angie in the hotel and found himself grinning at the sight of Barbie as the girl’s eyes brightened at the sight of Sebastian.

Barbie waved at him before Sebastian approached the girls and wrapped one arm around Barbie’s shoulder. It was a gesture that Barbie truly appreciated— Sebastian’s hug — and it was something she couldn’t deny herself such a gesture if he offered it.

Their first day in Malaysia consisted of touring the nearby attractions and buying souvenirs. Bel and Sebastian tried to coax Barbie into buying more than what she asked for— they knew that she was simply being humble and while they appreciated it they wished for her to ask for more. But alas, their attempt didn’t work as well as they had hoped.

Their second day was the very beginning of Sebastian’s race week in Malaysia. Barbie’s VIP pass slung over her neck as she walked side by side with Sebastian and Bel as the Red Bull driver taught her everything there was to the facilities and areas of the track during the race week— including the paddock.

Cameras took photos of the Vettel couple. The sight of the girl, however, was new for the media outlets as they captured some images of the girl as well while she listened attentively to Sebastian. It spooked her off— having her photos taken like she was a public figure and a celebrity— that she decided to hide a little more behind Sebastian and held onto the hem of his shirt as they both made their way around the grid.

Bel, noticing the behaviour of the girl, looked around and saw the cameras before she nudged Sebastian and gestured to the photographers subtly.

Sebastian had taken notice of what was happening as he leaned towards Britta— who walked alongside him and his family — and asked, “Can you please tell them not to take some photos, please Britta? It scares Barbie.”

Britta, his dear manager who’s done everything to keep him on a leash, nodded before walking off to handle the situation. Sebastian eventually led Bel and Barbie back to the Red Bull hospitality— where they found a group of blondes standing and chatting with other Red Bull staff.

“Oh hey! You guys are here!” Bel exclaimed, making Barbie flinch slightly at the tone of her foster mother’s voice.

Barbie could only observe their faces and it was safe to assume that they were relatives. The young boy looked about Barbie’s age and he looked… kind? Or cute. Barbie wasn’t sure.

But Sebastian and Bel knew these people so much that they could immediately tell Barbie that she would get along with the boy— that the boy was a kind one.

The older woman and another girl, one that looked a bit older than Barbie, chatted with Bel and Seb gleefully. Barbie wasn’t sure what it was about seeing as she was approached by the boy immediately.

“Hi,” he said with a smile, sticking his hand out as he introduced himself. “My name is Mick. I know Sebastian. What’s your name?”

Barbie’s face flushed, unable to answer the boy while she worried about what to answer. She was still learning English— and so this was very difficult for her.

“I— m—“ Barbie paused, looking at Sebastian and Bel for help. Her nanny was nowhere in sight, as well. She looked back at the boy— Mick, who tilted his head with an expectant look as she answered, “Barbie.”

“Barbie?” Mick’s blue eyes shrunk for a moment as he squinted and looked down at her Prada bag — one that Seb had bought her recently. “Like your bag— pink Barbie?”

“Mick,” the older woman chastised, “be nice, okay?”

“Mom, I’m just asking about her bag! She said her name is Barbie so I asked if that meant her bag— kind of like Barbie pink!” Mick reasoned out before Seb and the older woman looked at each other with a teasing smile.

“Yes Mick, that’s her name,” Bel answered for the girl, offering the boy a smile. “Barbara is actually her name and you’re going to have to bear with her— she doesn’t speak English as much yet.”

“Oh,” Mick uttered. “So how do I speak to her?”

“She can understand but not speak it, stupid,” the girl snorted, making Mick shoot her a glare before the girl approached Barbie. “Hello! I’m Gina— I’m this idiot’s sister.”

“Hi,” Barbie nodded politely.

“Hör auf, mich dumm zu nennen, Gina,” stop calling me stupid, Gina. Mick muttered in annoyance, the foreign words making Barbie pause and tilt her head in confusion.

The adults chuckled before Sebastian reached out to mess with Mick’s hair with a grin. “Ugh, Seb! Don’t do that!”

“You kids,” Sebastian tutted with a cheeky grin. “You know what? Why don’t you guys take Barbie around the track or paddock?”

Barbie’s eyes widened as she looked at Sebastian with a warning look, leaving the man to shrug, “You’ll like it around here, liebling— I think you’re going to get tired of having adults around all the time so Mick and Gina are here!”

“Absolutely,” Bel nodded with a smile, “besides, you’ll spend a lot more time with the two of them.”

Barbie shot her parents a puzzled look before Bel explained, “Mga kaibigan namin ‘yong nanay at tatay nila Mick at Gina.” We are friends with Mick and Gina’s parents. “Gets?”

Barbie nodded in agreement before asking, “Hindi ba puwede dito na lang ako?” Can I not just stay here?

“Puwede pero,” Bel paused, “nagtataka kami kung bakit tahimik ka sa school. Sabi ng teacher mo hindi ka daw nakikipagsocialize sa iba — they don’t want to, right?” You can but we’ve been wondering why you’re quiet at school. Your teacher said that you’re not socializing with others. “This is for your good, Barbie. Mabait yung dalawa and you’ll get along with them well.” The two (Gina and Mick) are nice.

Barbie looked back at the two blond kids with hesitation, but their smiles reached their ears as they spoke to their mother and Sebastian — it was no doubt that they were, indeed, kind.

Meanwhile, out of Barbie’s earshot, Mick asked his mother Corinna and Sebastian something that piqued his curiosity, “What language are they speaking, Mom? Seb?”

“Bel’s first language, duh,” Gina replied. “Taga- Tag-a-log? Is that right, Seb?”

Sebastian nodded, “Tagalog— Filipino— it’s Bel’s first language.”

“How come she can’t speak English?” Mick asked, referring to the girl.

“Some people can’t speak it well, Mick,” Corinna replied. “Remember she’s from a different country— like you are.”

“But I can speak English,” Mick pointed out.

Sebastian laughed at the boy’s comments as he said, “Barbie’s life is a bit more… complicated than ours, Mick. All you need to know is that she’s learning to speak English and if you kids don’t mind— help her out a little bit. Be friends with her.”

“She’s a very good girl,” Sebastian added. “I think you three would make a good chaos in the paddock once you start driving in the grid, Mick.”

“Eh, I don’t cause chaos,” Mick protested.

“Thus, he lied again,” Gina joked before nodding at Sebastian, “okay well, I’m taking her with me for some ice cream. It’s hot in here.” Then she walked off, approaching the Filipino girl to invite her for a walk around the paddock. The pair then left and waved goodbye at Bel and the adults.

Mick’s eyes widened, his bright pupils widening as well as he rushed after the two and exclaimed, “W- Oi! Wait for me, Gina!”

The adults looked at each other with knowing smiles, adoring the teenagers and their presence.

“So,” Corinna Schumacher grinned, “Bel, Seb— tell me how’s it been with Barbie at home so far!”

The red bean ice cream on her cup was melting, all thanks to the weather in the circuit. That— and Mick’s excited tone as he spoke about the sport. Barbie was too drawn to and curious about anything that the Schumacher siblings were talking about.

“Dad actually knew Seb since he was a kid! You should ask him about the photos of him and Dad on his races back then,” Mick grinned before saying, “I also race but I’m not in this level of competition… yet.”

“Ah,” Barbie nodded, eating her ice cream while both Gina and Mick devoured their pandan flavoured ice cream.

“How about you?” Mick asked with a smile. “What do you like to do?”

Barbie hummed quietly and answered the best that she could, “I like to cook.” Her accent wasn’t as thick, but it was different.

“You’re a chef,” Mick nodded in approval, “I like that. I like food.”

“Ooh! Like that food Angie made before,” Gina piped up with an enthusiastic grin. “Chicken adobo. There’s a lot but that cuisine? Divine.”

As they chatted amongst themselves, Barbie couldn’t help but smile and nod. She’d sometimes pull up her phone to translate some things to interact with them if she couldn’t speak her thoughts out in her second language. And if Google translate was wrong, Gina and Mick would correct it and help her learn the sentence.

The way they spoke of her culture was… endearing. It was as if they were trying their best to understand who Barbie was and for the first time, Barbie felt like she belonged for once. Not even her peers in the Philippines were friendly like this.

She could get used to travelling with Sebastian and meeting with the Schumachers. Hell, she could get used to being best friends with them.

She wouldn’t mind being best friends with them.

And it seemed like Mick Schumacher was going to be stuck with her forever. They just didn’t know it yet.

♡ moony’s reminder 🅶 (general): @hiraethrhapsody @avaleineandafryingpan

#formula one imagine #f1 imagine #sebastian vettel fic #sebastian vettel imagine #sebastian vettel #sebastian vettel fanfic #sv5 #red bull seb #formula one x oc #sebastian vettel fluff #formula one dad #formula one fanfiction #formula 1 fluff #mick schumacher imagine #mick schumacher fluff #ms47 #mick schumacher

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irithnova · 2 years ago

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🔥 on aph ASEAN?

Philippines: I'm kind of glad that the Philippines turned out to be a guy in canon I know people were upset because a lot of fanon interpretations saw him as being a girl but, idk how to explain it without sounding insane or self hating LMAO but I feel like the Philippines being a guy makes seeing ships like Spain x Philippines and America x Philippines less uhh gross to look at. I mean I definitely don't ship those ships but its leaves a grosser taste in my mouth when I see Spain x woman Philippines for example, purely because we uhh all know what the Spaniards did to the women here lol.

I'm not saying that someones a bad person if they ship those ships I mean at the end of the day it's all fictional and people can do what they want, it's no biggie, I just think a lot of people in the hetalia fandom still don't have the ability to be nuanced about ships between countries with complicated histories. I have yet to see a well done analysis on how Spain x Philippines or America x Philippines would realistically work outside of people shipping it purely because it's a coloniser x colonised ship. I'm sure that a hetalia fan who is informed and can give a nuanced take can probably make me tolerate those ships but for now, no not really. . So if Philippines was a girl I feel like a lot of Spain x Philippines content or America x Philippines content would be a lot more disgusting and f3tishistic because Filipinas are already f3tishised.

Also when it's coloniser x colonised and the only reason why those two countries know each other is because one of them sailed across the world to invade the other one unprovoked, it's different from two nations who are neighbours and who war with each other if that makes sense. I think it would be different if Spain and the Philippines were like, neighbours who've fought each other for centuries and who subjugated each other and maybe I'd even like it if that was so, but it's just not the case (this is all coming from a Filipino)

Malaysia: LOL HE'S A SIMP FOR SINGAPORE (same). But honestly I kind of get it like why did Singapore say that Iceland of all people is his fave like what. Hima why are you trying to shoehorn in random Europeans LMAO

Indonesia: I love him but I wish in the manga he was portrayed a bit more like a Chad lol maybe it's because I'm used to the fanon interpretation of him

Singapore: I don't have strong feelings about him and I like his design but again uhh why is Iceland is fave bro💀 again it just seems like Hima trying to shoehorn in random European nations like shhh Iceland has had his turn being venerated by the fandom let the Asians have their go..

Thailand: No strong feelings about him I love him

Vietnam: Strong feelings about her but none of them are negative I LOVE HER XADKJS I just wish Hima would release a chapter of her just beating up America tho <3

Brunei, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar I don't have unpopular opinions on really because I don't enough about their characters or how the fandom perceives them

Thank you for the ask :D

#hetalia #hws asean #hetalia world twinkle #hetalia world stars #hetalia world series #hws philippines #hws indonesia #Hws Singapore #Hws Thailand #Hws Vietnam #hws malaysia #Hws Cambodia #Hws Myanmar #Hws brunei #Hws laos #Ask

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lunakagayake · 8 months ago

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#hetalia #aph #hetalia axis powers #aph philippines #hetalia world stars #hws #hws philippines #hetalia philippines #Philippines x Pien is not an option

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aricastmblr · 11 months ago

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HYBE_MERCH X 26 dic. 2023

[December 2023] Newly Launched Licensed Products! BTS @photoism_kr

Digital Photo Frames available in Canada, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, USA and Vietnam (https://www.tumblr.com/aricastmblr/735434708020871168/photoismkr-x-29-nov-2023-jung-kook-artist-frame?source=share)

#jeon jungkook #jungkook #kookie #galletita #amor a mis chicos jmjk #HYBE_MERCH #jungkook photoism_kr #jmjk fotos #amor a mis chicos JMJK #cr.a photoism_kr #cr. a photoism.kr ig #PHOTOISM is with Jungkook ARTIST FRAME #Jungkook ARTIST FRAME

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ask-the-pearloftheorient · 7 months ago

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malaysia is kind of like a pathetic crusty cat don't you agree phil

He snags my lunch a lot

I like it when he's pathetic tho :)

[I should draw faster omg :')]

#aph #catboy kink that we'll talk about in therapy #along with the ex issues #I just like shipping Piri with anybody #ask-the-pearloftheorient #aph philippines #hetalia axis powers #hws philippines #hetalia #hetalia world twinkle #hws #hetalia world stars #hetalia world series #philmal #malphil #malaysia #hws malaysia #Malaysia x Philippines

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brookstonalmanac · 4 months ago

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Holidays 7.22

Holidays

Ask An Archeologist Day

Attorney Day (Indonesia)

Beta Blucan Day

Blackfoot Daisy Day

Childbirth Education Awareness Day

Climate Emergency Day

Division 722 Day

Dornach Commemoration Day (Switzerland)

Family Tree Day

Festival of Boredom and Reveries

Fragile X Awareness Day

George Crum Day

Guelaguetza (Primer Lunes; Mexico)

Hammock Day

Health, Happiness with Hypnosis Day

IMF Day

International Childbirth Education Awareness Day

International Love & Gratitude Day

King Father’s Birthday (Eswatini, f.k.a. Swaziland)

Lendemain de l'Aïd el-Kebir (Mauritania)

Liberation Day (Guam)

Lion's Share Day

Majdanek Liberation Day

National Be A Good Teammate Day (UK)

National Flag Adoption Day (India)

National Intern Day

National Liberation Day (Poland)

National Pajama Day

National Press Day (Azerbaijan)

National Sing from the Book of Mormon Day

National Sophia Day

National Squirt A Pigeon Day

National Thomas Day

National Water Coaster Day

One Piece Day (Japan)

Pi Approximation Day (a.k.a. Casual Pi Day; 22/7)

Preparedness Day

Qurbon Hayit Holiday (Uzbekistan)

Ranggeln (Germany)

Ratcatcher's Day (a.k.a. Pied Piper Day; UK)

Remington 722 Day

Ryegrass Day (French Republic)

Spooner's Day (a.k.a. Spoonerism Day)

Stilt Dance Day (Spain)

SNN 722 Day

Summer Leisure Day

Thulsa Doom Appreciation Day

Trae Day (Houston, Texas)

Urania Asteroid Day

World Brain Day

World Day Against Open Pit Mining

World Fragile X Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Froot Loops Day

National BLT Sandwich Day

National Mango Day

Penuche Fudge Day

Independence & Related Days

Bohol Day (Philippines)

Claveria Day (Philippines)

Organic Act Day (Virgin Islands)

Revolution Day (July 22nd Anniversary; The Gambia)

Sarawak Self-Government Day (Malaysia)

Slovenian People’s Uprising Day (Yugoslavia)

4th Monday in July

Hurricane Supplication Day (Virgin Islands) [4th Monday]

Festivals Beginning July 22, 2024

The Borderland (Alversjö, Denmark) [thru 7.28]

Corn Capital Days (Olivia, Minnesota) [thru 7.28]

Farnborough International Airshow (Farnborough, United Kingdom) [thru 7.26]

Supertoon International Animation Festival (Šibenik, Croatia) [thru 7.26]

USA Beer & Wine Ratings (San Francisco, California)

Feast Days

Abd-al-Masih (Christian; Saint)

Alexander Calder (Artology)

Aphrodisia (Ancient Greek bathing festival of Aphrodite & Peitho)

Aristo (Positivist; Saint)

Beginning of Leo (Astrology; Pagan)

Contemplate the Cosmos Day (Pastafarian)

Dabius (a.k.a. Davies) of Ireland (Christian; Saint)

Edward Hopper (Artology)

James Whale Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Joseph of Tiberias (or of Palestine; a.k.a. Count Joseph; Christian; Saint)

Karl Marx Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Leo zodiac sign begins

Loch Ness Monster 1st Sighting (Everyday Wicca)

Markella of Chios (Christian; Saint)

Mary Magdalene (Christian; Saint)

Meneve, Abbot of Menat (Christian; Saint)

Neil Welliver (Artology)

Nohra (Maronite Church)

Pete Dexter (Writerism)

Ruthie Tompson (Artology)

S.E. Hinton (Writerism)

Tom Robbins (Writerism)

Vandrille (a.k.a. Wandregisilus; Christian; Saint)

Vaughn Bodē (Artology)

The Venusian (Muppetism)

Wandregislus (a.k.a. Wandrille; Christian; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 14 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [14 of 24]

Premieres

At Your Service (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1935)

Back to the Shack, by Weezer (Song; 2014)

A Balmy Swami (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1949)

Bikini Beach (Film; 1964)

The Bodyguard (Tom & Jerry Cartoon; 1944)

Captain America: The First Avenger (Film; 2011)

Crazy Drivers (Fleischer/Famous Popeye Cartoon; 1955)

The Daily Show (Late Night TV Talk Show; 1996)

Friends with Benefits (Film; 2011)

Gallipoli, by Alan Moorehead (History Book; 1956)

Green Lantern: Beware My Power (WB Animated Film; 2022)

Ice Age: Collision Course (Animated Film; 2016)

The Inverted World, by Christopher Priest (Novel; 1974)

The Island (Film; 2005)

Hollywood Sweepstakes (Color Rhapsody Cartoon; 1939)

It’s Hummer Time (WB LT Cartoon 1950)

Jaws 3-D (Film; 1983)

Join Together, by The Who (Song; 1972)

Jungle Jingles (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

Lolita (Film; 1998)

Marnie (Film; 1964)

Midnight Run (Film; 1988)

Mr. Mom (Film; 1983)

Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

My Aim Is True, by Elvis Costello (Album; 1977)

Nope (Film; 2022)

North (Film; 1994)

Plan 9 From Outer Space (Film; 1959)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (Film; 1954)

Star Trek Beyond (Film; 2016)

The Subtle Knife, by Philip Pullman (Novel; 1997) [His Dark Materials #2]

Weary Willies (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Cartoon; 1929)

Today’s Name Days

Magdalena, Maria (Austria)

Lena, Magda, Magdalena, Miglena (Bulgaria)

Lenka, Magdalena, Manda, Marija (Croatia)

Magdaléna (Czech Republic)

Magdalene, Maria (Denmark)

Leen, Leena, Leeni, Made, Madli, Magda, Magdaleena, Mall, Malle (Estonia)

Leena, Leeni, Lenita, Matleena (Finland)

Madeleine, Wandrille (France)

Magdalena, Marlene, Verena (Germany)

Magdalena, Magdalene, Magdalini, Markella (Greece)

Magdolna (Hungary)

Lena, Lorenzo, Maddalena, Maria, Marylena, Menelaos (Italy)

Margita, Marija, Marika, Marina, Marisandra (Latvia)

Dalius, Magdalena, Mantilė, Marija (Lithuania)

Malene, Mali, Malin (Norway)

Albin, Bolesława, Bolisława, Laurencjusz, Maria Magdalena, Milenia, Pankracy, Wawrzyniec, Więcemiła (Poland)

Magdaléna (Slovakia)

Magdalena, María (Spain)

Madeleine, Magdalena (Sweden)

Mada, Madalina, Madalyn, Maddi, Maddie, Maddy, Madel, Madelaine, Madelein, Madeleine, Madelene, Madelina, Madeline, Madie, Madelyn, Mady (Universal)

Amaya, Magda, Magdalen, Magdalena, Magdalene (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 204 of 2024; 162 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of Week 30 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Tinne (Holly) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 6 (Xin-Wei), Day 17 (Ding-Hai)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 16 Tammuz 5784

Islamic: 15 Muharram 1446

J Cal: 24 Red; Threesday [24 of 30]

Julian: 9 July 2024

Moon: 98%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 7 Dante (8th Month) [Aristo]

Runic Half Month: Ur (Primal Strength) [Day 14 of 15]

Season: Summer (Day 33 of 94)

Week: 4th Week of July

Zodiac: Leo (Day 1 of 31)

Calendar Changes

Leo (The Lion) begins [Zodiac Sign 5; thru 8.21]

#Holidays

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