#nobody has interacted with this post yet and now I'm embarrassed

[golden-moony]

king of my heart | pt. 2

pairings: lando norris x fem!reader | pato o'ward x fem!reader

warnings: love triangle? kinda.

author's note: go get some popcorn cause we have some drama here🍿... and it's a long part, so enjoy!!

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

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

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, isahernaez, frosenqvist, and 79,121 others!

yourusername Miami GP over and out ✅🏁 No words could ever explain just how grateful I am for all of you and for the opportunity that I get to cover this amazing sport with such incredible people by my side. Thank you for everything Miami, I hope to see you again soon! 🌴💖

user1 the power she holds 🙌

user2 she's really living my dream 🥹

lissiemackintosh so happy to be able to share this with you!! love u❤️

yourusername we really need to do this more often😘 love u too! user3 y/n and lissie hosting track tv together is my new roman empire fr user4 SLAY QUEENS!! user5 the queens are thriving user6 i wanna be friends with them so bad 😫

user7 omg girl you're STUNNING

user8 BEST F1 WAG

user9 facts facts facts user10 she's not even a wag lol it's so obvious lando just keeps this nobody around for when he's bored and horny user11 user10 this "nobody" has done SO much in terms of women representation in motorsport, she's hardworking and a lovely woman. meanwhile, you're just a sad little person who's jealous of her because she's successful and close to your crush, who doesn't even know who you are. so get a life and stop embarrassing yourself. user12 user11 SAY IT LOUDER 👏 user13 user11 PREACH!!!

user14 i don't know if i wanna be her or be with her😩

user15 this is such a mood tbh

landonorris so proud of you, boo😍

yourusername 🥰🧡 user16 YNLANDO NATION WE WON user17 we love a supporting boyfriend 🤩 user18 i want what they have, your honor user19 is this considered a soft launch or what? user20 y'all are delulu😂 it's so obvious they're just friends user21 user20 girl being delulu is the solulu 🙌

user22 so when are we gonna talk about felix liking the post?

user23 i'm lost sorry, who's felix? user24 user23 he's pato's teammate in indycar and one of his besties user25 if felix liked then WHERE'S PATO user26 user25 doing more important things than being focused on this girl.

lilymhe such a pretty girl 💗

alex_albon should i be jealous? yourusername you should indeed. can u fight? user24 the friendship i didn't know i needed 🥹 user25 MY FAV WAGS INTERACTING YAY

user26 f1 is so lucky to have you!!!

user27 LOOOL why would they be lucky to have her?😂😂😂 she's nothing special user28 user27 and yet she's still rising 💅 user29 user27 then why are you even on her post? lol obsessed much?

user30 my role model ❤️‍🩹

📞 incoming call

[y/n; normal] [pato; cursive]

"...Hello? Did you butt-dialed me or something?"

"Uhm, hi. It's not a butt-dial. I-I actually just wanted to talk to you. Hear your voice, y'know. I've been kinda missing you."

"Oh really? And here I was thinking that your cold behavior toward me over the past three weeks meant that you didn't want anything to do with me. Silly me, I guess."

"I-I'm... [sighs]. That's what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. About the way I've been treating you. I'm sorry, y/n. I really am sorry. I know I've been a total jerk-"

"Yeah, you can put it that way."

"...I've been a total jerk and I regret it very much. You didn't deserve it at all. I just- I'm not trying to excuse my awful behavior but I just think I got- Uhm..."

"You got what?"

"Well... I saw Lando's instagram story when you went back to Monaco, as you've probably already figured it out. And I think- Well... I got jealous. And I know it probably sounds stupid now but at the time it felt like a punch in the face."

"Pato..."

"I know I didn't and still have absolutely no business to be jealous about you and Lando, cause you and I are not dating or anything and you don't owe me any kind of explanation about the type of relationship you have with him. But after the great time we spend together in Long Beach... I don't know, it just hurted seeing you with him. But that doesn't excuse anything and I just regret so much the way I've been treating you since then, it hasn't been fair to you at all."

"And it didn't cross your mind that we could have had this conversation way before now? I mean, you waited three weeks to finally talk to me like a decent human being, how-"

"I know and I'm so-"

"Let me finish."

"Sorry, go on."

"However, I do appreciate that you're finally acknowledging all of this and communicating with me like an actual adult. I know it's not always easy to do. And although I don't owe you any kind of explanation, I just want you to know that there's nothing going on between Lando and me."

"So you and him...?"

"We're friends and that's it. We care for each other but there's nothing going on."

"Oh... well, thanks for clarifying that for me."

"Yeah, yeah. You'll have to work harder for my forgiveness, anyway. I appreciate the call but it won't be that easy for you."

"Is that so?"

"You've heard me."

"In that case, what would you say if I invite you for a few days to come here to Punta Mita? Maybe that'll help me a little to earn your forgiveness."

"... I'm sorry, what!?"

"You've heard me."

"You're joking. You have to be joking."

"I'm not joking. You're still in Miami, right?"

"I am..."

"Great! My brother in law is in Miami too and he'll take the jet tomorrow morning. If you want to, you can join him and come here with him! We'd be thrilled to have you here too."

"Oh my God... Pato, I don't know what to say!"

"Say yes and you'd make this birthday boy the happiest man in the world. You'd even make my sister happy, I've been telling her a lot about you and now she's eager to meet you."

"I hope you've been telling her good things about me, then."

"Only the best. She's even on your side, y'know. Said I was being a giant cabrón and needed to make things right. She wasn't wrong tho."

"[giggles] Fine. I'll go, but I'm only doing this for your sister."

"I'll take that anyway! I'll let Brett know you'll join him and I'll send you the details, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Now go and pack your bags for tomorrow."

"Hey! Don't get bosy with me, mister!"

"[Laughs] Fine. Take care, I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you, birthday boy!"

patriciooward posted to his story!

[caption 1; 🦈] [caption 2; beautiful views]

yourusername posted to their story!

[caption 1; para-para-paradise 🌞] [caption 2; in his sharkboy era] [caption 3; 🐶❤️]

paddockgossips

liked by magui_corceiro and 84,091 others!

paddockgossips Among the alleged "breakup" between y/n and Lando, the McLaren driver was photographed last night having fun in a Monaco club in the company of Max Fewtrell and other friends. Some sources have said that Lando seemed very cozy with a blonde woman at the party, whom he later left with. However, we cannot verify this information in any way, so it remains a rumor.

user1 I HAVE A CHANCE AGAIN (i'm delulu)

user2 so this confirms ynlando is over?? 😭

user3 girl i'm devastated 😭😭😭 user4 i'm still in denial user5 well they were never together to begin with user6 user5 THIS!! people act like they were a couple when they NEVER confirmed anything 😂

user7 "blonde woman at the party" "it remains a rumor" and magui goes and like the post LOL

user8 she's so desperate for attention🙄 user9 who's magui??? user10 user9 she's kika's friend and she was dating football player João Félix not so long ago (in fact, i thought they were still together lol) user11 user10 and don't forget she's a cheater. user12 user9 she's trouble

user13 yn >>>>>>>> magui

user14 user13 no need to compare them

user15 sorry but single lando it's so hot 🥵

user16 SO TRUE user17 FACTS he looks so good omfg

user18 in his heartbreaker era 😎

user19 in his reputation era 😎 user20 in his idgaf era 😎

user21 i'm a child of divorce fr

user22 i know y'all love y/n for some reason but i'm SO glad lando finally got away from her.

user23 SAME. and if magui makes him happy then great for him user24 stfu i'm mourning here

user25 y/n this magui that but max was, is and will forever be lando's true wag💅

user26 the one and only indeed

elbaoward posted to her story!

[caption1; off to dinner] [caption2; my love🤍] [caption 3; lovebirds!]

patriciooward

liked by landonorris, yourusername, brettkimbro, and 86,382 others!

patriciooward BDAY WKND DUMP 📸 thank y'all for all the love❤️‍🔥

user1 THE HARD LAUNCH IT'S HARD LAUNCHING

user2 OMG IT'S HAPPENING EVERYBODY STAY CAAAAALM

user3 he really said i'll give you what you want: thrist traps and y/n... and he's so real for that

user4 he really knows his audience user5 king behavior if u ask me user6 everybody say thank you Pato 🙏

user7 YNPATO NATION HOW ARE WE FEELING??

user8 I'M STILL SPEECHLESS user9 they're so perfect i wanna cry😭 user10 LOVE TO SEE🔥

user11 as a ynlando shipper i have to admit they're cute but ngl this still hurts 😩

user12 MOOD user13 ynlando will always be in our hearts 🥺 user14 ynlando >>>>>>>>>> ynpato user15 user13 girl grow up.

user16 THAT SHOULD BE ME

elbaoward where are my credits for the last pic? cuties🤍

user17 u literally gave us the cutest pic ever user18 elba thank you so much for your service🫡 user19 elba is ynpato's #1 fan and you can't tell me otherwise user20 elba is just like us fr user21 LOVE YOU ELBAAAAA 🩷

user22 MOM AND DAD

user23 can't believe how fast she moved on and got together with this dude lol lando really dodged a bullet with her

user24 how fast she moved on?? girl y/n and lando were never even together so stfu user25 ???? why are you even on pato's ig post? go away user26 user23 y/n is such an attention seeker and yet everyone loves her, i'll never understand it 🥱

user27 not to be that person but i would KILL to be that piñata😏

user28 MOOD

frosenqvist oh to be tanned, young and in love

patriciooward 😜 user29 IN LOVE??? FELIX BESTIE TELL US MORE user30 i don't know about y'all but this is all the confirmation i need about ynpato being real, bye user31 i think i can hear the wedding bells user32 user31 yesss and felix as pato's best man

user33 bestie don't be shy and drop more y/n pics 🫶

user34 i second the motion !!!

user35 NOT LANDO LIKING THE POST LOOOOL

user36 he is so unserious i love him user37 ICONIC BEHAVIOR TBH user38 yeah but i just know he's crying inside user39 user38 for what? lol lando knows he's so much better than this cheaper version of him. user40 user39 i'm so done with people like you who insult pato just because you cannot defend lando with good arguments.

yourusername magical weekend 💖

patriciooward with you there? always user41 STOP THEY'RE SO CUTE OMG user42 this is such an upgrade tbh user43 SO HAPPY FOR THEM 🥹 user44 what a bitch.

yourusername posted to their story!

[caption 1; back to reality✈️] [caption 2; I'm a high performance athlete. Athletes sweat. Sweat, baby] [caption 3; cutest model🧡]

paddockgossips

liked by magui_corceiro and 53,237 other people!

paddockgossips NEW WAG ALERT? 🚨 Magui Corceiro, the Portuguese model and actress, attended the Monaco GP after being seen a few days ago having lunch with Lando. It has been rumored that they could be in a relationship, especially since Lando and y/n apparently went different ways, and Corceiro's presence in the paddock has not gone unnoticed by anyone. Still, neither Lando nor Magui have confirmed or denied these rumors.

user1 A TRIGGER WARNING WOULD BE NICE NEXT TIME

user2 um let's hope there isn't a next time user3 user2 let's pray girl, let's pray 🙏

user4 "neither lando nor magui have confirmed or denied these rumors" well that's bs cause she just liked the post

user5 istg she's trying so hard to get attention user6 lando was asked about magui and he said she was just a friend... and then she goes and does this lol what a clout chaser user7 and people used to say that y/n was after lando's fame and yet she NEVER did anything like this user8 she's such a pick me girl

user9 everything i know of this girl has been against my will istg

user10 SAME

user11 oh good luck lando

user12 oh be prepared for the y/n fans and little girls that'll come attack magui when she hasn't even done anything wrong

user13 literally they're just mad at magui cause she's dating their fav driver loool user14 they're only jealous cause magui is a gorgeous woman user15 user14 she's gorgeous but she's still a snake

user16 i'd ask why lando would be with someone like her, but then i remember he's an adult and if he wants someone like her by his side then that's up to him. let's not treat him like a baby please

user17 say👏 it👏 louder👏

user18 weeeeell if this is the kind of people lando likes to have around then i guess y/n really dodged a bullet with him

user19 FACTS user20 i mean at the end of the day he's just another privileged white boy, so🤷‍♀️ user21 i really don't get all the hate that she's getting, is she really that problematic? user22 user21 girl google it yourself but yeah, she is

user23 I MISS MY GIRL Y/N WHERE IS SHEEEEEEEE??

user24 what is she even doing there?

user25 must be cause lando wanted her to be there user26 why y'all never asked the same thing about y/n? y'all are such hypocrites istg user27 user26 cause y/n was actually doing her job????? user28 user26 oh you're stupid 😂😂

user29 magui in the paddock, pato not being able to finish Indy 500... it really is a shitty day huh

user30 DON'T EVEN REMIND ME WHAT HAPPENED WITH PATO OMFG user31 I'M STILL SO MAD ABOUT PATO user32 the only good part is that y/n and his family were there for him ❤️‍🩹

see y'all in part 3!

taglist: @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @evie-119 @evans-dejong @minkyungseokie @noneofyourfbusinessworld @bernelflo @eiaaasamantha @ijustgomessitupx @honethatty12 @daemyratwst @f1fan65

(if you'd like to be tagged in the next part, just let me know in the comments!🧡)

[linabirb]

HELLO LINA!! 6, 7, 12, 21 for the violence ask game please and ty!!

HI HI TARU thank you for sending these! (i'm going to get executed after this)

6. "which ship fans are the most annoying?"

twst: *sighs and gets closer to the mic and whispers* malleyuu.

no listen. fine. okay. i get it. it's like the most popular mc ship. maybe the most popular ship in general. but. can y'all stop acting like it's canon at least for a second. it's one thing when you just go "oh they're cute and i think it's possible for them to become canon!" but it's a completely different thing when you go "THIS SHIP IS OBVIOUSLY CANON AND IT WAS WRITTEN TO BE CANON AND ACTUALLY THIS WHOLE GAME IS ABOUT THEM". and i say that as someone who actually liked this ship when i first got into the game but then i started to realize that i enjoy other ships much more and listen to each their own but i genuinely hate how people make such a big deal out of EVERY SINGLE INTERACTION. yes call me a hypocrite because i act the same when it comes to my ships but at least i do it either with my friends or alone and i'm not actually trying to make other people feel bad about their ships or something. sure, i want to believe that most shippers don't have a "goal" like that, but sometimes.. it really does feel like a lot of those posts are just there to say "btw these two are canon and i won't let you forget it". and like?? so many people like to just make things up to make it seem like it really is the superior ship like remember how we talked about that one bday vignette line and i went through all the bday vignettes to show that mc saying malleus looked good in that outfit wasn't special and it wasn't them being especially nice to him and they complimented other guys too but some people went "SEE THIS IS PROOF THAT THEY'RE CANON". like sure, whatever, do what you want, but idk?? maybe don't claim that mc is giving him "special treatment" or something when it's not the case.

milgram: i don't think this fandom talks that much about ships, but even when some people do, i don't really mind? like idk i haven't really seen any people like that yet so yeah.

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

twst: HMMM this one is interesting because uhhh basically i started to hate pretty much all twst characters that i hate not bc of the fandom but simply because i don't like them? like i simply don't like those characters bc i either find them annoying, can't relate to them or i knew/know people like that irl and that makes me want to punch them even more. so yeah i don't think i have one! but if i already mentioned malleyuu. well. *gets closer to the mic again* malleus fans is this guy your uwu pure little soft baby or is this guy a cool powerful prince who doesn't even have to do anything because he's that cool. come on. come on yes i liked him too. yes i found him relatable too. but now i just really wanna say that. idk! maybe him not having any friends is kinda his fault! like this game tries so hard to make you feel bad for him it's embarrassing. it doesn't feel like a funny "haha get it he's based on maleficent" thing anymore. and i say that as someone who has anxiety and finds socializing extremely tiring and who doesn't have any irl friends. like sorry guys this is not your poor little meow meow and i am so tired of this fandom babying him and going "HE'S JUST LIKE ME FR" every time they see him. i'm not saying that finding him relatable is a bad thing bc i found him relatable too, but like. guys. please. again as someone who is also kind of a loner PLEASE. TALK TO PEOPLE. DON'T BE LIKE THIS MAN AND JUST GO "oh no nobody wants to talk to me :(" I KNOW HOW HARD IT CAN BE TRUST ME. i have so much more to say but i'll stop here bc sol's essay exists and it does a better job explaining it.

milgram: no characters here either bc i don't really have any character that i dislike or hate, like the worst thing that i can do is to just. not care about that character sjskslssdks and ngl. there's a lot of characters that i don't really care about

12. "the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them"

twst: *GRABS THE MIC* ONE DAY I WILL WRITE AN ESSAY ABOUT WHY ROLLO UNIRONICALLY HAS MORE PERSONALITY THAN SOME "MAIN" CHARACTERS. listen. listen maybe it's just because i'm so tired of nrc characters that i need someone new. maybe. but the masquerade event really felt like a breath of fresh air and i will never shut up about it unless they make an event that is just as interesting. and twst has a lot of good events! ngl i actually kinda enjoy event stories more than the main story! but idk something about the masquerade is just. so. like they really gave us a whole new character (who is also voiced by hiroshi kamiya but also gets like two-three voicelines not counting the battle voicelines.), a whole new school, a whole new city, so much new lore, so much new worldbuilding-related stuff AND THEN JUST MOVED ON. I'M MANIFESTING PART 2 SO HARD. I WILL LITERALLY COME BACK TO WRITING FOR TWST JUST TO WRITE IT MYSELF IF WE DON'T GET ONE. (i'll be kinda ok with it if they make a halloween event that is just as fun but still..) but okay okay let me just. explain why i find this guy so interesting.

yes i also made fun of his design at first but now he's literally one of my fav characters to draw and not even bc i like him as a character. yes his outfit is extremely detailed and hard to draw but something about drawing it is so satisfying! also idk i love how tired and 😐 he looks bc dude same!! (i still don't know if he has dark circles or he wears eyeliner btw. i think he clearly has eyeliner in the trailer but in the actual game it's more like dark circles??)

i'm biased yes but the way he smiles is cute. like idk i think his smile is very soft :)

say what you want. say that he's manipulative because i agree this guy really did lie and really did betray everyone's trust, i'm not here to deny that, but i just want people to understand that this guy is not. like. as evil as they want to think he is. i'm not here to say that he's the kindest and most pure twst character or anything but i just want to say that if we don't count his goal and the way he tried to achieve it, it's clear that he really likes the city of flowers and he cares about it a lot, even if he's manipulative, he's very polite and nice to people, also based on what nbc students have said, he's a good student council president ("but he's just being manipulative-" AND SO WHAT?? BY BEING NICE (even if he's not sincere about it) HE'S ALREADY BETTER THAN MOST DORM LEADERS. RIDDLE (i say that as a huge riddle stan and apologist)?? LEONA?? AZUL (yes azul is also all nice and polite but let's be honest for a sec and admit that he's.. not really good at making it seem like he's not here for his goals or you know *mr.krabs' voice* FOR THE MONEY, basically it's obvious that he's not being honest, meanwhile with rollo, even if it's a lie, he actually makes people feel like he cares)?? NO SERIOUSLY I CAN GO ON JUST LOOK AT ALL THE DORM LEADERS except kalim. live laugh love kalim.

the fact that this guy is doing all the work, like taking care of the belltower, the gargoyles, etc, makes me cry every day. again, he really is doing more than some dorm leaders. and no, don't go "but (character name) did this thing once", like i'm pretty sure rollo does all those things every day.

listen. i'm gonna say it. when he was like "we should get rid of magic", i had that "the villain is kinda right" moment. because i'm sorry but twst is not really doing a great job at making us (or at least me personally) believe that magic can be good. like idk man. of course he should've done it differently, but i kinda think he was onto something. (wait oh no this sounds like a good fic idea-) i usually never agree with villains like that, but in this case.. idk, with all the overblots, people using their magic to do questionable things or to just be mean, etc..

have you seen me talk about T H E S C E N E on the server. wanna see me do that again. okay. AGAIN SAY WHAT YOU WANT. SAY THAT HE WAS GOING TO USE MC FOR SOMETHING. SAY THAT HE JUST HATES MAGIC USERS (which he does but that's not the point rn). BUT THAT ONE SCENE WHEN HE MEETS YUU SHOWS THAT HE'S ONE OF THE FEW CHARACTERS WHO ACTUALLY WENT "hey isn't that too much work for someone who's magicless" AND THAT'S ALREADY SOMETHING. i can say more but that will sound like i'm being biased (and i already sound like that) so i won't. NO YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND I WANT ROLLO AND MC TO INTERACT AGAIN IN PART 2 SO BADLY. "oh yuu will just hate him" guess what. i've never said that i want their relationship to be all cute and soft. enemies to lovers IS GREAT.

a reminder that malleus himself acknowledged that this guy's magic is really strong and that he's very talented. HE SOMEHOW BROUGHT BACK THE FLOWERS THAT WENT EXTINCT. (again a good fic idea-)

i can say something about the nrc characters too but tbh all of them have a fanbase so i don't think i can say much. i could say something about the rsa characters and i love them but i'm gonna be honest.. they really should give us more rsa content. give me a whole rsa event. do it cowards.

milgram: again, all characters have their fans, so i can't say that anyone there is unpopular, but i still have some things to say. tbh i'm not.. a fan of how, like, some (or even most) people who like amane just like her because "well she's a cute child!! therefore she's pure and innocent and has never done anything wrong!!" yes this is coming from an inno voter and her biggest apologist and at first i really did like her bc she seemed cute, but after i listened to her vd, i ended up liking her even more because it's like.. idk, something about her behavior is so accurate. like, yes, she's a victim. yes, she's a child who was brainwashed and manipulated. but that doesn't mean she will go "oh noooo help me pleaseeeee :(" or anything, no, she will go "no, my god is always right and i've also never done anything wrong so i think you know what to vote me" AND THAT'S SO COOL. I LIKE CHARACTERS LIKE THAT I LIKE CHARACTERS WHO CLEARLY WENT THROUGH A LOT BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING EXACTLY SYMPATHETIC. and it makes me so sad to see some people ignoring those traits and turning her into a completely different character. thankfully i haven't seen that many people do that, but still, i remember watching her vd and seeing some people go "oh no i thought she was all cute but she's actually so annoying". like wow people really will stan any cute child character until they find out that child character has a personality and they're not as perfect as they imagined them to be. and that sucks. but also yeah i wish i could see more content with her! she definitely has her fans, but still..

also i have some things to say about yuno: she's definitely very popular, but i'm not a fan of the fact that some people like.. idk, it seems like some people like her just bc "oh well she confessed that her "crime" is abortion, soooo she's innocent and she's better than most characters there" like SHE'S SUCH A DEEP CHARACTER I CAN TALK ABOUT HER FOR HOURS. I LOVE HER NOT JUST BC OF HER PERSONALITY OR HER PINK AESTHETIC I ACTUALLY RELATE TO HER A LOT AND. I KNOW SHE MOST LIKELY WOULDN'T LIKE TO HEAR ME SAY IT BUT I LOVE HER AND SHE DESERVES TO BE HAPPY AND I'M NOT SAYING IT BECAUSE SHE'S "pure" OR "her crime isn't even a crime". i know she may seem like a "flat character" but i swear she's deeper than that. it may sound like i'm overthinking stuff but hey, overthinking stuff is this project's whole point.

21. "part of canon you think is overhyped"

twst: i'm gonna say it. main story is. kinda boring. like i couldn't care less about the updates or new chapters or anything, again, i'm more interested in the events. i get it, the whole point of the main story is overblots and the overblot gang's backstories, but tbh i got tired of it after like chapter 4. i get it, it's literally the main story, of course people will talk about it, but i just.. can't make myself care about it.

milgram: THIS ONE ACTUALLY MADE ME THINK BECAUSE.. tbh nothing about it feels overhyped to me, at least right now? like i feel like the whole project is almost based on this feeling like "what's gonna happen next" or "what should i do" or "how should i react to this". so yeah again i don't think i have anything to say AGAIN I'M SORRY JDFKSLDLD. i could talk about the novels, but also.. not that many people know about the novels or are interested in them, so yeah, i definitely can't say they're overhyped. i could say how i'm not really that interested in the ninth and tenth mvs and the purge march is the only mv that i'm excited for rn, but that's just, again, me being biased and i definitely wouldn't say those mvs are overhyped. i also really want to see them! i just don't care about those characters as much.

[pions]

This turned into more of a "tips I've learned that I'm sharing" list, because a lot of what makes me happy about myself is constantly learning new things and applying them to my life. So here are some positive things about me with commentary. Requested by @probablypartalien

I've been stressing over who to tag because I don't want to make anyone feel weird, but if you're a follower of mine and you want to do this when please do, and tag me in it. :)

Anyway, here's the content --------------

1. I'm super happy about how much my communication skills have grown in the last few years. I was a pretty stunted kid as far as "talking normally to others" went, and I had a lot of anxiety about saying weird things that would get me teased, so I often wouldn't know what to say at all. I'm still pretty awkward but I don't seem as anxious about it anymore so I think it helps. one-on-one's have been a lot better ever since building my arsenal of "script" phrases too. I can make appointments, and order food without having to worry so much because i better know what to expect now. So that's cool

2. I saw an disordered eating post today and that reminds me that I'm way better about my eating habits than I used to be. For almost all of my childhood I was surrounded by adults who did name brand diets, and encouraged weird eating to trick the body into losing weight. At no point was there a balanced diet and exercise plan, and when I wanted to lose weight as a kid my mom told me to stop eating carbs. (I was 13! And I did and got super small but it's also caused me many body battles and fluctuations and dizzy spells and overall it's bad kids don't diet like that)

But anyway, ever since becoming an adult I've had a lot of success with not starving myself, and applying other good tips for keeping my body machine running smoothly. There's still a lot to unpack, but it's definitely better :) many thanks to that nutritionist I saw a few times lol. I'll share a few of the takeaways

- only put on your plate what you're going to eat

- put enough on your plate, don't go back for seconds. feel free to add a cookie or snack or anything you want to eat that makes you happy, just make sure to only take what you can eat

- Your diet shouldn't feel restricting or make you feel like you're missing out! It's all about moderation of food intake

- Don't eat in front of distractions. Find a table and make it an event of its own. That way you'll better focus on the way your body feels when you get full. You don't have to eat once you're full, but it takes about 10 minutes before you can even tell that you are

- your body will adjust itself based on food intake, and it knows how to best regulate itself so don't worry if your food plan doesn't make you look like someone else on the same plan, because your body is always doing what's best for itself, and trust that if your diet is healthy that your body is doing its best too, even if your not seeing "results"

3.) learning to throw away my pedestal for the raw intelligence mentality was one of the best things I've ever done. Probably most of us here can relate to being one of the smart kids, and I specifically was one of those kids singled out at an early age and placed in a 'gifted program' (and jeez did that do nothing for me but isolate me socially, and set an impossibly high standard was what was clearly my "God-Given genius") I've seen the same pattern from every single gifted kid I know. They have a hard time working for things because if they're not already good at it then they must've been faking this 'gift' the whole time

Honestly I'm here for saying FUCK intelligence/genius/IQ culture altogether. The thing that keeps me going is knowing that just because you're bad at something, and ESPECIALLY if you're slow to pick things up, doesn't have any say on your worth as an academic. The human brain is so so powerful, and it's better and faster when it's trained to know how to do the thing! Even problem solving is a SKILL! All skills take practice, even if it's quick mental math, even if it's pattern recognition, even if it's reading-comprehension. We need to stop writing ourselves off as 'less than' just because someone is already better at it, or they picked up on it easier. We're all on different paths and levels and it's okay to know just to do you on your own time. You're capable, and I know I am.

Definitely happy that I've taken that one to heart. It helps all the time

4) Speaking of cultivating skills, I have a few I'm pretty damn proud of.

One: I'm really really good at problem solving. I spend so much of my waking time thinking about problems, and I'm told by a lot of my friends that I come up with efficient and creative solutions, and I really value that.

Two: You bet your ass I'm the best researcher around. I know so so many things specific to my interests. If you ever want to know or need help with computer programming, astronomy, or physics I'm pretty much your guy. I love to know things deeply so that I can re-explain them in a simple way. It's one of my favorite things to do, chewing up impossibly large topics

Three: this is a good one: I'm way better at asking questions now. Might sound weird, but I used to be really bad at asking questions because I had a hard time understanding why they didn't immediately have my answer. I considering myself a dummy level of meticulous, so if I'm asking a question you best bet that I've crafted it to sound like it makes the most sense in my head, but what would you know? Other people aren't me, and so I would repeat the same wording over and over and they would drive me crazy with the wrong responses. A good step is to let the person answering the question know what you already have in mind. It keeps them from repeating concepts your already have, and instead of them guessing whats wrong, they can start nit-picking or confirming your thoughts. It was so hard for me to understand that others are not in my head when I'm asking these things, but keep in mind that they're often on another planet and it requires some grounding before you can make progress. Saves so much time and frustration if the questioning process is dynamic

5. I'm the autistic nb your parents warned you about, and I think that's pretty sexy of me. I shan't explain

[leviiattacks]

heyyy there, saw your requests are open. and i'm wondering maybe you could do a timeskip where everything is done and levi finally opened his tea shop. then there he met reader, and he treats them differently from other customers. thank you, hope you're having a good day.

author note :: this was kinda rushed as is most of what i post. the reader is a writer just bc i thought it would be cute and also ISTG. i wrote this entire thing thinking leviolas was such a cool name for a tea shop then googled it and saw it’s also the name of a spider so... ++ btw i have not yet double checked or proofread this because i wrote it at 2am but yeah it’s definitely not great :-) word count :: 2.4k??? somehow???

you’re sweet like honey when you first order from leviolas. you’re the same when you ask the owner for extra napkins and you remain exactly the same when you return with the intention to stick around for a writing session with a black tea by your side

something about you is attractive. that’s what levi thinks of you when you first walk into leviolas

you’re just incredibly wholesome poking your head around looking at all of the handmade pastries and confectioneries in admiration

you think the homely decor is cute and reminiscent of cottages in the countryside, the view outside the windows is beautiful and the scent of coffee alongside tea is heavenly

the pastries are beautiful and you find yourself eyeing the macrons pretty frequently. just EVERYTHING about leviolas is cute :-(

but one particular thing is especially adorable to you

and that would be the owner

when you hear his name for the first time you’re a little shocked

levi ackerman to be specific captain levi ackerman, the high ranking official who aided in paradis’ independence and freed the nation from the grip of titans

you read about him a year back in a paper or two and vividly recall the valiant title he held as humanity’s strongest soldier

he still holds the title that’s for sure but now he happens to own a tea shop

it’s slightly unusual it’s not every day you see a soldier retire and live such a plain life but you suppose the simplicity makes levi happy

honestly, if you had been through hell and back like him you too would wish to spend the rest of your days in the company of tea leaves and sweet cakes

today is a day like any other you’re sat by one of the windows and contemplating sitting in the outside seating area

the sun is shining and lands uncomfortably on your face at this angle and you may as well make your way outside

but before you can a shadow looms over you and a broad chest leans over to cover the window with dainty curtains

“you looked bothered by the light.”

oh god.

it’s him.

he’s standing there looking at you with an unreadable expression and all you can do is open and close your mouth not knowing what to say

humanity’s strongest soldier

levi ackerman

also known as the really really really attractive cafe owner you’ve been crushing on for the last few months now

seeing him up close is much more different to looking at him from the comfort of your seat or whilst you order

he’s normally got his back turned whilst collecting orders or another worker collects them as he prepares the beverages

that’s why the unexpected interaction has you nervous

you can always tell when he’s made your drink because he honestly has a way with tea leaves and you kinda want to gush about how much you enjoy it

but, no, no, no.

you’re panicking just looking at him

soft black strands of hair stick to his forehead, his undercut is oddly satisfying to stare at and he smells of pine trees which again is refreshing

“ah hahaha thank you for blocking the sun out!!”

why the fuck did you ha ha????

this is so awkward.

putting on your best front you beam up at him hoping your toothy smile doesn’t look stupid

then again it probably does because who the hell has a good toothy smile

nobody.......

levi’s gaze lingers on you but if he has anything else he wants to say he doesn’t make it known

instead he firmly nods and turns away

you’ve messed up,,

only!!! you manage to mess up even more....?

without thinking your hand latches onto the back of his blue button up and your face burns up realizing what it is you’ve done when he stiffens to a stop

as quick as your hand has grabbed onto his shirt it lets go and you awkwardly laugh again

hahahahaha

“i’m sorry i didn’t mean to hold onto you so hard i was just...wondering if you could let me in on your secret.”

the random sentence is one you’ve made off the top of your head because you don’t have any real reason for holding onto him

but thankfully for you the saccharine of your voice is enough to sway levi

when he turns to see you with the same smile eagerly awaiting his answer something sparks in him

his chest feels a little funny but he ignores it

“secret?” he questions

“yeah!! your tea!! you’re really good at making it and aaaahhhh” you sigh contently thinking back on it.

“i remember when i ordered rose tea one time. you made it beautifully and the taste was infused so delicately it was incredibly soothing.”

hearing you ramble passionately about what he loves to do makes his chest feel funny again

he doesn’t know what the hell is going on exactly

but the only way he can explain it is his heart somersaulting and flipping despite him not wanting it to

despite that, it’s quite enjoyable

it’s probably got something to do with your kindhearted demeanor or the way you always manage to give him a smile when you waltz in

but levi finds himself fighting to touch you more and more as the days pass

your collar is always haphazardly done and he wants to lean in and fix it

sometimes you’ll have an eyelash on your face and he wants to lean in to swipe it away with his thumb

occasionally he stares at your hair and wants to sort it out. half the time it’s all over the place from the wind

he wants to lean in and smooth it out.

all he wants to do is LEAN IN but he sees no valid reason to

he’s lucky he’s always able to catch himself before his thumb reaches your cheek (you’re very oblivious and never notice how close he really gets)

ever since your first encounter at leviolas a few months back he’s been dragged into your world of books and lively stories

it doesn’t take you long to break out of your shell and you’re always telling levi something new

he doesn’t speak as much as you but when you coax out a story or two out of him he’s always earnest

you’ve learnt a lot through the conversations

you’ve learnt about his lost comrades, the horrible things he had to see on the battlefield, how he hopes he’ll live happy with what he has left

there are certain conversation topics he skips entirely and you respect his boundaries

you and levi are sat by a window and a comfortable silence floats between you two

it’s been four months

four months since you asked what his secret was

come to think of it he never told you what it was

he’s intently staring at you as you drink the lemon tea he’s just made you and his stare is a little too intense

feeling nervous you pick up your cup hoping for something to occupy yourself

recently the butterflies in your stomach have been increasing in number but you know it’s wrong to fancy levi

you don’t know why you think that but it’s the fact that you’re sure you’re not his type

he probably likes organised people, dependable people, funny people

not you.

you’re just an irksome author who spends your days writing in his shop

honestly he finds you annoying he has to. you’re always hanging around here

however, you do remember the one day you did choose to write in the park he thought you had died or something. that made you feel a little sad because he can’t really help but automatically worry if his routine is broken and you happen to have accidentally become part of his schedule

no, like levi’s literally said he has your name in his planner and whenever he thinks of a new thing to make you he’ll write it down with your name next to it

but still,, you’re convinced he has to find you annoying

there’s no reason for thinking it but you DEFINITELY think it’s correct

absentmindedly you haven’t even noticed levi still staring at you

“y/n?”

looking up at levi he’s clearly worried about something

humming in response telling him to continue he does

“i like someone.”

oh.

“...i’m not sure they’d return my feelings, that’s why i mentioned it.”

you smile at him warmly and you feel your heart sink, obviously he has to like someone. it’s probably someone in the corps, someone strong, someone capable. you’re not any of those things.

“well, you need not worry. if a man as good as you fancied me i’d be over the moon. i’m sure they would too!”

keep optimistic, don’t let him see you upset.

levi’s cheeks grow bright red and he bashfully tries to hide his embarrassment by covering his face with his hands

you laugh when he doesn’t budge and stays in the same position 

“c’mon levi, confess they’ll accept you have nothing to fear.” you coo persuasively

finally letting up after a few seconds he lets his arms drop to his sides.

“would you date me?”

the question takes you aback and you stare at him startled

soon realizing the idiocy laced in the inquiry he quickly retracts his statement

“nevermind, that was stupid.”

ignoring him you still want to answer

“uh well, i would. i have thought about it on occasion.”

he’s blinking rapidly trying to process what you’ve just admitted.

“you’ve thought about...?”

“dating you. yes i have.”

“and why the hell would you do that?” you can’t tell if he’s mad at you

“you’re capable, respectful. you’re considerate and quiet. i mean it you’re an amazing man really. also your tea!! imagine getting to drink it every day.”

you really have to add in the part about his tea because you know he loves it when you compliment it :-)

“ok, you drink my tea every day already.”

his short uninterested response stings and the dam of regret bursts open 

you shouldn’t have said all of that.

you and levi sit in an awkward silence for what feels like an eternity. you don’t dare look at him and your course of action is too drink your tea as quick as possible before dismissing yourself.

but before you can set your plan in motion levi breaks the ice.

“let’s date.”

you freeze and your eyes grow to the size of saucers

what did he just say???

he has to be losing his mind

“but levi what about the person you like?”

his eyebrow cocks upwards and an amused expression stretches across his face.

“i was talking about you.” he confesses boldly

this is a fever dream, nope, nope nope. you can not comprehend that this is your reality.

pinching your arm you hiss a little when you feel the pain

okay so, you’re definitely not dreaming...

“i, you, me. you...you like me?” the sentence is a jumble of words but you manage to sputter out something that makes sense

“yes. i like you.”

he’s being so blunt you can’t tell if he’s being serious but when you remind yourself that this is levi you relax, a blunt straightforward confession is meaningful coming from him 

BUT THAT’S BESIDES THE POINT

HELLO???? HE LIKES YOU BACK?%^%^”*

you get all blushy and flustered and you let out another one of your awkward hahahahaha’s but it’s a good hahahahaha

cautiously testing the waters he grabs your hand from across the table intertwining his fingers with yours

the gesture is adorable. the buzzing sensation that travels through your laced fingers makes you giggle to yourself giddily

“leviolas suddenly a matchmaking agency now? ;-)” your joke is dry and unfunny and levi rolls his eyes at it 

“you’re not funny.”

“but you still like me.” you tease

“yes. i still like you.” he admits

a few days have passed since then

you and levi have been the talk of the town 

humanity’s strongest soldier finally found his flame???

the chatter and rumors spread like wildfire, both you and levi aren’t fans of being in the spotlight but nothing negative has been said so there’s no complaints so far

levi places a cup of tea in front of you, it’s a herbal kind because you’ve been complaining about a headache

today you’re explaining why you dislike the plot of beauty and the beast and how there’s so much wrong with it. from the weirdly toxic relationship to the power imbalance. levi stands listening attentively whilst waiting for you to take a sip of the tea

just as you’ve paused to take a large breathe and prepare yourself to continue explaining how unbearable that book is levi uses it as his chance to say what he’s been wanting to 

“drink up before it’s ice cold.”

following his instructions you interrupt yourself and take a gulp of the herbal tea

your eyes glimmer in approval. it tastes of strawberries and you’re delighted already feeling your mood slightly raise in response

“it’s GREAT?? what did you put in it?? it doesn’t even taste medicinal.” once again, you’re fawning over his tea

“so levi ackerman, what really is the secret to all these perfect cups of tea?”

and without a seconds hesitation he responds.

“i was making the tea for you. that’s the secret.”

it takes a while for the gravity of his words to sink it but when the meaning does you cup his face in your palms and peck him everywhere. he whines a little but you can tell he enjoys the attention

you find that you’re more than happy you’ve found a home in levi and his shop

and levi’s more than happy he’s found a home in you and your books

:-)

[ganymedesclock]

What do you think of a theory floating around that Shiro dislikes Lance? Because honestly, I'm stumped how anyone can come to that conclusion because we were given examples of how Shiro acts around people he doesn't like and how Lance would behave if he was around someone who he's aware of either doesn't like, trust, or isn't too fond of him and the interactions between Lance and Shiro just doesn't seem anywhere comparable to the scenarios I'm talking about.

I think it’s a pretty clear juxtaposition of two fandom trends.

1. There’s a very robust group of people who are very fond of victimizing Lance.

I kind of refer to this as the “langst party” but I think that’s not entirely true because some people write “langst” purely for the sake of enjoying frolicking in dark places and that’s, y’know, can’t fault them.

But roughly, there’s a very vested interest in sections of the fandom in seeing Lance not as one of the most emotionally savvy people on the team and overall a hero who is able to take care of himself and meaningfully deal with his own insecurities, but as a defenseless and intensely vulnerable person, to the point of giving him a character flaw of internalizing things without discussing them with people (a character flaw markedly held by Shiro, and Keith, and to a lesser degree Allura, but definitely not by Lance).

Because the point of this exercise is nobody loves Lance more than them, and in fact, everybody else hates Lance. His team hates him, his friends hate him, random people at the Garrison hated him, the writers hate him…

Which is… manifestly not true. But it needs to be true to see Lance as an unloved victim which is very important for, I think, flattering themselves (or whoever they want to ship Lance with) as the one person who can see his real worth.

Which, being fair- if there’s one trait here that is authentically Lance, it’s the concept of hidden worthiness. Lance out of the team has a conflicted relationship with his specific “heroic identity”. He first specifically, strategically interrupts Allura so as not to hear it, and then when it is finally stated in the open- that the Blue Lion is the heart of the team- it’s Lance saying it with certainty and confidence… about Allura.

Lance worries his contributions aren’t enough and then when he realizes they are important he assumes Allura can do it better, which… he’s wrong. And this is frustrating.

But Lance is not hated, by Shiro or otherwise- this perception of Lance as an interpersonal underdog is frankly, morbidly hilarious to me because Lance is the interpersonal champion of the team. His major successes- s2e2, s4e6, to name examples- come from connecting with other people and knowing his feelings. He did the best during the Lion Swap- a few embarrassing near-collisions in Red but other than that almost immediately settling in and working the kinks out- because he’s good at knowing where he is emotionally.

And yet, the attitude is out there- because the ultimate point of this exercise is it has nothing to do with Lance the character’s feelings- it has everything to do with the fans who want to consume the feeling that they’re the only one who cares about him, that they’re lifting up this wounded soul. And in that case, pointing out that canonically Lance is manifestly not a wounded soul, and doesn’t need to be fawned over, and has friends who are there to support him, doesn’t appeal. It’s not what they’re getting out of it.

The other side of it, with Shiro in particular:

2. Shiro is mistaken for an ideal person and judged harshly when he doesn’t live up to that ideal.

Shiro adores his team. Compassion and empathy are traits he places a very high value on. In Shiro’s eyes, a leader who fails to support, nurture, and care for their subordinates is the lowest form of filth- they have failed the fundamental thing that makes them worth following. As a leader, he thinks that it’s his job to take care of these people. It’s one of the first things he says about the idea in s1e1: “My team was captured by aliens once, I’m not going to let it happen again.”

Shiro reflexively takes charge, not in that he starts bossing people around but in that he immediately feels responsible for other people’s welfare. And this is a charming and heroic trait- this is the worthiness the Black Lion sees in him.

It’s also a product of the fact that Shiro lives his life ruled by a sense of responsibility and anyone he views as in a situation comparable to his- Zarkon, Lubos, Slav, Keith in s3/early s4- Shiro feels comfortable projecting the unrelenting sledgehammer of his own personal standards on them.

As I just made a post about, Shiro reads as someone with PTSD and OCPD. In short, he’s got a lot on his plate while already being naturally kind of high-strung and prone to internalizing struggles as personal failings. He’s under a lot of pressure and its inevitable not all of his interactions with the team are going to be perfect. He’s going to mess up, he’s going to yell at people, he’s going to regret it and try to do better. This is all pretty standard- it’s the behavior we see from the rest of the cast, and, people in general, especially people like Shiro who, again, have a massive load of stress they’re dealing with.

However, there’s a pervasive perception of Shiro as the completely well-adjusted, infinitely more mature than the rest of the cast, flat-out father figure- which is through and through not who he is. Because of this, completely understandable instances of Shiro losing his temper are viewed out of universe either as complete jokes (s2e10 and its fandom reaction) or suddenly not funny any more because now he’s losing patience with Keith, and this must be evidence that Shiro is sinister and evil somehow now.

As much as the fandom has a bad habit of treating Lance like a victim, the fandom has an equally bad habit of either treating Shiro like a saint who can do no wrong or- when he fails to live up to that- like a demon out to ruin everyone’s lives, especially Lance’s.

Roughly, Shiro has had some imperfect interactions, with Lance and with others. This is because he’s an imperfect person. The problem is, with the expectation he should be, or that he’s presenting himself as such, it means that his imperfect interactions are seen as an act of malice, rather than again, a stressed person with a lot on his plate not always knowing the right thing to say. The perception that Shiro is actively or maliciously disregarding Lance, rather than the fact that even out as far as season 4, our heroes are still growing and getting to know each other.

The truth of it..?

In s1e1, Shiro is contextualized as Lance’s personal hero, and his first interaction towards Lance is remembering his name unprompted, thanking Lance for helping him, and offering Lance his hand. Lance eyes the mechanical prosthetic, unsure of how to feel about alien technology, but then looks up at Shiro’s face- smiles, and clasps it. The implication is thus that Lance is slightly uncomfortable at first with the implications of what happened to Shiro, but he trusts Shiro.

Shiro is shown in this scene to live up to Lance’s admiration of him. He’s, at the core, a good person.

Now, there are also a few scenes in early season 1 of Shiro sort of rolling his eyes, expressing frustration, or shutting Lance down. Again, Shiro is a perfectionist who’s very concerned with making a good impression, and Lance is the kind of guy who’s much more inclined to wing it. In that sense, Lance is more confident than Shiro- he’s not afraid to look goofy. This contrast is shown big time in s4e4, when Shiro is positively wooden and painfully uncomfortable the entire time, while Lance is hamming up his lines and dangling from the Red Lion striking poses for strangers.

(Seriously, consider Lance basically doing the clothed equivalent of a pole dance in front of an audience full of strangers compared to Shiro’s look of visceral discomfort when Worm Coran presents him with a tight shirt to wear)

This initially leads to conflict (s1e1, “Girl, you’ve already activated my-” “LANCE.”, s1e6 and “Nope, not doing that.”) but we never see anything I would call a major falling out between Shiro and Lance- and Shiro relaxes a lot around Lance as the series goes on.

As you say, anon, Shiro doesn’t treat Lance like someone he doesn’t like, because Shiro is someone of incredibly pointed standards- if he doesn’t like someone, he verbally lays into them with an intensity that makes it very clear. Even the early stress between them is not because Shiro dislikes Lance- he likes Lance, and sees him as someone he wants to take responsibility for/take care of. It takes Shiro a while to come to trust Lance as someone who can take care of himself, but that’s very much present by the time of s2e10- the point at which Lance confidently states he can make an incredibly difficult shot and Shiro- despite not knowing much of Lance’s marksmanship- hangs back and trusts Lance to make that shot.

This is a big deal for Shiro, who really dislikes being hands-off. And when Lance makes that shot, Shiro praises him in a way that suggests he was very impressed.

Shiro sees Lance as someone he can be proud of to have on his team. They may not always agree, but Shiro trusts Lance. He does override him in s4e6, however, at the same time, as soon as it becomes clear Lance is right, they need to get out of there, Shiro reverses that call and agrees with him.

And Lance trusts Shiro. I think the clearest example of that is s2e8, where Lance is willing to pointedly disagree with Shiro to his face. That might not sound like respect, but it is- you have to remember Lance looked up to Commander Iverson, but didn’t really trust him, and this was exemplified in s1e1 by the fact that Lance had zero hesitations doing things behind Iverson’s back. If he disagreed with Iverson, he’d just work around him.

We have never seen Lance go behind Shiro’s back like that, and that, to me, is the nail in the coffin. Lance expects, and is used to getting, that if he has a genuine concern he can go to Shiro and bring it up and even if Shiro disagrees, he’ll at bare minimum lay out his reasons for doing so (as he did in s2e8). When Lance argues in s3e1 against Keith leading, he never once says “well, I disagree with Shiro’s call”- his rebuttal instead is “well, I never heard Shiro say that,” and when Black, Shiro’s Lion, corroborates the decision, Lance’s response is that even if he’s disappointed, that this is fair and he can trust that.

The one time Lance accuses the Black Lion of hating him- the closest I think he’s possibly come to suggesting he thinks Shiro resents him- he very clearly changes his mind seconds later to, again, “We should trust Black’s decision because he wouldn’t make it without a good reason.”

“The Black Lion hates all of us!” is petty venting, and deeper down, Lance trusts Black- just like he trusts Shiro if they might not always agree. I don’t think Lance still holds Shiro as a distant personal hero the way that he did at the beginning, but Shiro came off that pedestal to instead become Lance’s friend. That Lance doesn’t have stars in his eyes when it comes to Shiro any more is a testament to the fact that they’ve become closer, and Lance now has a better sense of the real Shiro.

So I think that’s about what it comes down to- Lance can get mad at Shiro, he might grumble at some of Shiro’s calls, but, ultimately, he trusts Shiro, and cares about him. Lance doesn’t dislike Shiro, and Shiro doesn’t dislike Lance. They definitely have room to be closer, and, given this picture by Lauren Montgomery:

I think that we have damning evidence they’re going to get closer if I’m correct in my theory about Lance having an arc about sexuality, that it’s going to be mostly Shiro supporting him through that.

Much the way Hunk was the main person trying to help Keith process the immediate ramifications of his revealed galra heritage, much like Allura’s immediate reaction to finding out Pidge was a girl was to try to connect with her (which, if there’s something to the theory that Pidge is a trans girl, it’s actually rather sweet of Allura to immediately hail her as a kindred spirit in that sense), Shiro is depicted with a fond hand on Lance’s shoulder and standing with him for support. Lance is a little uncertain, like Keith and Pidge, but he’s there, and he’s smiling.

The implication from the picture, if we indeed take it as foreshadowing, is that we’re due for an arc of Shiro being there for Lance in a period of introspection or self-exploration. And this is flat-out not the interaction of people who dislike each other. It’s very hard not to read this picture as Lance is drawing strength and confidence from Shiro’s presence, and Shiro is making an effort to be here for Lance.

Even if it’s not meant to be taken as foreshadowing, this is how one of the formative minds behind VLD views Shiro and Lance.

It’s also worth noting that Sven’s fate in s3e4 is mirroring the death of Shirogane in the original series, GoLion, and Sven’s hospitalization in DotU (which is an adaptation of the same event)

Both times, for a bit of context, the reason why Shirogane/Sven is trapped in single combat with Haggar is because Haggar’s target is originally Lance- (again, just like in s3e4 Sven takes the bullet to protect Lance). Haggar isolates Lance, attacks him, and traps him in a net, intending to kill him. Sven realizes Lance is missing, goes after him, cuts the net and tells him to run while he holds off Haggar.

That in s3e4, they remind us specifically of this event- Shirogane dying to save Lance’s life- suggest that while Shiro is almost definitely not gonna bite it, that connection between Shiro and Lance is important to the writers. They could’ve put in a lot of other DotU or GoLion homages in s3e4, but in an episode mostly original, it’s Sven, and his selfless sacrifice for Lance, that made it in.

[ffxiiscenarios]

Waahhh I would love it if you could write a scenario post FFXII, where an attendant s/o discovers Basch is masquerading as Judge Gabranth??? (like maybe they knew Gabranth before the game and would recognize the voice change once Basch takes up the armor)? Thank you :) I'm so glad there's an FFXII Reader blog.

Everybody loves Lord Gabranth now.

“He’s so kind,” they say.

“I can breathe easy around him now.”

“Lord Larsa’s new rule has brought out the good in everyone.”

But you know better. You know people. Nobody simply changes out of the blue like that! Though relatively new to castle duties, you’ve served as Gabranth’s maidservant since at least the fall of Dalmasca.

Before this “change,” you mostly cleaned, did his laundry, and served him food on the rare occasion he cared to eat in his quarters, so your interactions were limited. But little as you knew him, one thing was certain: like all Judge Magisters, he was to be feared, not adored. And he made sure of it. Once, when he accidentally removed his helmet in your presence, you’d managed to sneak a glance at his face.

He was handsome, to be sure. Exactly what one might imagine if one was stupid enough to romanticize a ruthless Judge Magister. But you knew better, even then, and his eyes were nothing but cold. You easily averted your gaze and left his quarters at once, understanding that you were to speak of it to no one.

Now, suddenly, simply for the death of the Emperor and his mad son, Lord Gabranth has become the kindest man in Ivalice? Preposterous.

Of course, you can’t deny that he is kind nowadays. He acknowledges those who dare to address him, and politely, too.

“Thank you, ________,” he even said this morning, when you brought in his breakfast.

Before then, you weren’t even sure he knew your name. It’s nice, but there has to be something more to his sudden transformation. This Gabranth is not the lord you knew, served, and feared.

Clicking your tongue in frustration, you scrub the floor of his bathroom dutifully. Regardless of his odd change, after all, you still have a job to do. You can’t deny that the Judge Magister certainly does his.

That’s when the sound of shuffling outside snaps you out of your thoughts.

Pausing, you glance up. No one is allowed to be here save you and anyone who would take your place if you were ill, and Lord Gabranth is never home during the day. A thief, then?

You get up and slowly open the door, ready with a broom in hand - when a peculiar sight greets you. Several scars on a muscular back. Old lashings, but not that old - and they sting to even look upon. You stare in horror until something on the bed catches your eye. A helmet, breastplate, gauntlets…

Your gaze snaps back to the scars - or it would, if their owner didn’t just turn to face you.

Your gaze falls to the floor at once. “Forgive me, my lord. I…” Your mind runs over itself trying to think of an excuse, but it’s clear to both of you that his scars distracted you.

Gabranth startles, but his voice is calm. “______. I didn’t realize you were here.”

“I - I was cleaning, Lord Gabranth. Forgive me. I’ll take my tools and leave at once.”

“It really is no matter, _______.”

Your eyebrows furrow. Not at his kind response, but the way he says it. The way he speaks, and his voice… It isn’t just a matter of intonation. You’ve been trying to pin down what it is, but there’s no other way to put it.

His voice is simply….different.

Gabranth’s face now mirrors your knitted brow. “Is aught amiss, _______?”

After a long pause, you softly admit, “Yes.”

His brows lift in surprise at that. “Know that you may speak plainly with me. What is it?”

“…Who are you?”

Gabranth blinks at your sudden question and the way you’ve lifted your broom somewhat, as though ready to defend yourself at any moment. As though it would matter against a Judge Magister. “_______? Have you grown ill?”

“…I’m fine,” you curtly answer. The real Lord Gabranth would be cross at such an accusation. Not concerned. “One does not speak plainly with Lord Gabranth. And…” You rattle away, all your thoughts tumbling out of your mouth, “it would be impossible for him to bear your scars. New scars. Or your voice. Neither was he kind.” 

When you finish, Gabranth levels you with such an intense stare that you almost take a step back. Not even the real Lord Gabranth had ever looked at you like that. Still, you hold your ground, even if you’re barely able to stop yourself from nervously gulping.

“Did he hurt you?” is what he asks.

Relief washes over you, but so does alarm. At least he isn’t angry, but…

“No, never,” you murmured. “But—”

Gabranth sighs, letting his shoulders slump as he runs a hand through his short hair. “I had thought my acting fine enough to fool even those closest to my brother. I see I was wrong.”

His brother…? That is the only plausible explanation, you suppose. But why? “Well, yes… You and Lord — the real Lord Gabranth are markedly different.”

You speak without hesitation, but Gabranth doesn’t miss the question in your eyes. When? “During the battle with Vayne,” he answers it. “It was his last wish that I protect Lord Larsa, as he had.”

There are so many questions on your mind. Where did this man come from? Does the Emperor know? And is Lord Gabranth really…?

It isn’t as though he had been anything more than your master, but knowing that someone you knew passed away, and to no one else’s knowledge… Tears prick your eyes, to your confusion, and to this Gabranth’s shock.

Your chest heaves for a moment, taking in the news - and then you school your features into the neutrality of a trained maidservant. But you still can’t bring yourself to speak.

Gabranth watches you for a time, perhaps waiting for your response, but your reaction isn’t lost on him. He lets a moment of silence pass before he speaks again.

“I suppose it didn’t help that I smiled. He wasn’t one to smile, was he?”

The sudden question - or the smile that graces this Gabranth’s features - makes you think of the real one, and how he might look if he smiled. You find that even with one on this Gabranth’s face, you can’t imagine it on the old one.

“No. And neither did your sudden change in manner and temperament,” you say, unable to help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Gabranth gives the smallest chuckle that makes you laugh even harder - at least until tears begin to slip onto your cheeks. Dropping your broom, you rush to wipe them even as you weep. “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be.” Gabranth - because that is who he is now - draws closer when it is clear you won’t push him away. He rests a hand on your shoulder. “I am glad - that he had someone who cared for him. I am sorry you could not know. Lord Larsa thought it best.”

Your gaze lowers again. “I had no right to. I was merely his maidservant. I didn’t really know Lord Gabranth.”

“Few did. Nevertheless.”

You can’t help but look up at his kind voice - one that matches his kind gaze. He bears a scar across one eyebrow, and now that you know the truth, you see all the little differences in their appearance. How could you ever have mistaken him for the true Gabranth? Still… he is handsome, just like his brother. And though his voice is much more gravelly, it isn’t unpleasant.

And his form…

His half-naked form.

Suddenly, your face blooms red and you turn your back on the Judge. “I’m sorry for intruding, Lord Gabranth. I’ll take my tools and go.”

You hurry into the bathroom as Gabranth appears to realize his state of undress. When you return, he looks peculiar in a tunic and the bottom half of his armor. Before you can scurry out, however…

“Wait.”

You turn, hoping you are no longer as red as you feel. Now that you’ve realized just how handsome this kind man is, you can’t quite look him in the eye, and heat pricks at your back in embarrassment. You are suddenly aware of how plain you might look in your maidservant’s dress.

“Don’t fret, Lord Gabranth. Your secret is safe with me.”

“It isn’t that. _______… we have our duties, but might we speak again?”

This time, you do gulp. He wants to see you again? “Milord?”

“You knew my brother, and now you know me - something true of no one in Archades but the Emperor. I must admit, I find it a relief.”

Oh.

“Oh. Well…”

“And - I would like to hear of what you knew of him, however little. But I understand if you don’t wish to—”

“I would love to,” you blurt out, before he can withdraw the invitation.

Gabranth pauses, and then smiles, gaze lingering on yours. It seems as though he’s looking at you for the first time. “I am glad to hear it. …Dinner, perhaps?”

“I - I suppose?” You clear the nerves from your throat. What is the matter with you? He’s only asking to speak with you again to discuss his brother. You don’t even know this man, and yet… “Yes.”

“Thank you, _______.”

“Good day, milord.” You nod, giving a quick curtsy before rushing outside with your tools. You lean against the wall as you shut the door behind you, trying to calm your beating heart.

You will mourn Lord Gabranth. He deserves that, at least. But perhaps this new one isn’t so bad after all.

//

Here you go! Thank you so much for the ask! I love Basch and i needed this to kick me back into gear! Love Noah by extension, but I wonder how s/o will react to the knowledge that Basch’s scars were Noah’s doing. I know there wasn’t much romance, but s/o is getting a bit of a crush! :D (And so is Basch.)

I still have the previous asks to answer and I will absolutely get to them! I’ve just gone through a change of life-everythings and so it’s taken me a while to get back into the groove, I’m so sorry guys! But this definitely helped and I’ll be picking up and finishing the other asks soon c: sorry to keep you guys waiting oTL