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10 Worst Things About The Trump Presidency
Donald Trump left office with the lowest approval rating of any president ever. But some people now seem to be suffering from amnesia.
Let me jog your memory. Here are 10 Worst Things About the Trump Presidency â in no particular order.
#1. Trump fueled division and sparked a record uptick in hate crimes.
#2. Murder went way up under Trump. He presided over the largest ever single-year increase in homicides in 2020. A number of factors might have contributed to that, but a big one isâŠ
#3. Gun sales broke records under Trump, who has bragged about how he âdid nothingâ to restrict guns as president in spite ofâŠ
#4. Under Trump, America suffered more than 1,700 mass shootings.
#5. Trump said there were "very fine people" among the neo-Nazis in Charlottesville.
Iâm halfway to ten. If you think Iâm missing something big, leave it in the comments.
#6. Trump allied himself with the Proud Boys, a violent hate group who helped orchestrate the Jan 6 Capitol attack.
#7. Trumpâs not wrong when he saysâŠ
TRUMP: I got rid of Roe v. Wade.
It is entirely because of Trumpâs judicial appointments that 1 in 3 American women of childbearing age now lives in states with abortion bans.
#8. One of Trumpâs Supreme Court justices was Brett Kavanaugh, a man accused of sexual assault by multiple women.
#9. Trumpâs White House interfered in the FBIâs investigation of Brett Kavanaughâs alleged sexual assaults.
And now: #10. Trump has been convicted of committing 34 felonies while in office. The criminally false business filings he got convicted for in New York? All of them were committed while he was president.
Iâm sorry, did I say the 10 Worst Things About the Trump Presidency? I meant 15.
#11. Trumpâs failed pandemic response is estimated to have led to hundreds of thousands of needless deaths. By the time Trump left office, roughly 3,000 Americans were dying of covid every day. Thatâs a 9/11-scale mass casualty event every single day. How did Trump screw up so badly?
#12. Trumpâs White House discarded the pandemic response playbook that had been assembled by the Obama administration.
#13. Trump disbanded the National Security Councilâs pandemic response team.
#14. Trump repeatedly lied about the danger of covid, saying it was no worse than the flu or that it would go away on its own.
But behind closed doors, Trump admitted he knew covid was deadly.
#15. Trump promoted fake covid cures like hydroxychloroquine and even injecting people with disinfectants.
After Trumpâs âdisinfectantâ remarks, poison control centers received a spike in emergency calls.
Thatâs fifteen things. Should I keep going? Ok, Iâll keep going. The 20 Worst Things About the Trump Presidency.
#16. Trump presided over a net loss of 2.9 million American jobs â the worst recorded jobs numbers of any U.S. president in history.
#17. Trump profited off the presidency, making an estimated $160 million from foreign countries while he was president.
#18. Trump also billed the Secret Service over $1 million for the privilege of staying at his golf clubs and other properties while they protected him. Thatâs your money!
#19. Trump caused the longest government shutdown in U.S. history when he didnât get funding for his border wall, which he said Mexico was going to pay for. Â
#20. Under Trump, the national debt increased by about 40% â more than in any other four-year presidential term â largely because of his tax cuts for the rich and big corporations.
You didnât really think I was stopping at 20, did you? Weâre going to 25 ïżœïżœ
#21. Trump separated more than 5,000 children from their parents at the border, with no plan to ever reunite them, putting babies in cages.
#22. The Muslim Ban. Yes, Trump really did try to ban Muslims from entering the country.
#23. Trump sparked international outrage by moving the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem while closing the U.S. mission to Palestine.
#24. Trump tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner with drafting a potential Middle East âpeace planâ with zero Palestinian input.
#25. And finally, Trump recognized Israelâs occupation of the Goh-lahn Heights, which is considered illegal under international law.
So there you have it, folks: The 25 Worst â Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Did I mention the impeachments? Weâve got to do the impeachments. Letâs go to 30.
#26. Trump broke the law by trying to withhold nearly $400 million of U.S. aid for Ukraine in an effort to extort a personal political favor from Ukraineâs Pres. Zelensky. Trump wanted Zelensky to interfere in the 2020 election by announcing an investigation into the Bidens. Delaying this aid to Ukraine weakened Ukraine and strengthened Russia.
#27. Trump personally attacked and ruined the careers of everyone who stood in the way of his illegal Ukraine scheme, including Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman.
#28. To cover up the scheme, Trump ordered the White House and State Department to defy congressional subpoenas.
#29. For these reasons, on December 18, 2019, Trump became the third U.S. president to be impeached. He was charged with Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress.
#30. Even while he was being investigated for trying to get Ukraine to interfere in the U.S. election, Trump publicly called for China to interfere in the election.
So those are the 30 Worst Things â
Iâll go to 35.
#31. Long before Election Day, Trump started making false claims that the election would be rigged.
#32. After losing, Trump falsely claimed the election was stolen, even though his own inner circle, including his campaign manager, White House lawyers, and his own Justice Department and attorney general told him it was not.
#33. Trump kept telling his Big Lie even after more than 60 legal challenges to the election were struck down in court, many by Trump-appointed judges.
#34. Trump ordered the Department of Justice to falsely claim that the election âwas corrupt.â
#35. Trump and his allies used threats to pressure state leaders in Arizona and Georgia to falsify the election results.
We may go to 40.
#36. When none of the previous schemes worked, Trump and his allies produced fake electoral votes cast by fake electors in multiple swing states. His former White House chief of staff and Rudy Giuliani are among the many members of his inner circle who have been criminally indicted for this scheme.
#37. Trump tried to bully Vice President Pence into obstructing the certification of the election.
#38. Trump invited a mob to the Capitol on Jan 6 with his âbe there, will be wildâ tweet.
#39. Sworn testimony alleges that when Trump was warned that members of the crowd were carrying deadly weapons, he ordered security metal detectors to be taken down.
#40. Knowing the crowd had deadly weapons, he ordered them to go to the Capitol andâŠ
TRUMP: âŠfight like hell.
#41 â Yes, yes, I know, bear with me.
Trump betrayed his oath to defend the nation by doing nothing to stop the Jan 6 violence. Instead, according to witness testimony, he sat and watched TV for hours.
#42. On January 13, 2021, Trump became the only president ever to be impeached twice. This time he was charged with incitement of insurrection. It was a bipartisan vote.
#43. The majority of senators â 57 out of 100 â voted to convict Trump, including 7 Republican senators.
So thatâs the two impeachments and the Big Lie, but wait, we havenât dealt with Russia, right? So weâre going to 50.
#44. In a likely obstruction of justice, Trump pressured then FBI Director James Comey to stop the FBIâs investigation into Trumpâs National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn. This was documented in the Mueller report.
#45. When Comey didnât bend to Trumpâs will, Trump fired him.
#46. Trump tried to shut down the Mueller investigation by ordering White House Counsel Don McGann to fire Mueller. McGann refused because that would be criminal obstruction of justice.
#47. When news got out that Trump tried to fire Mueller, Trump repeatedly told McGann to lie â to Mueller, to press, to public â and even create a false document to conceal Trumpâs attempt to fire Mueller.
#48. Trump ordered his staff not to turn over emails showing Don Jr. had set up a meeting at Trump Tower before the 2016 election with representatives of the Russian government.
#49. Trump convinced Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about Trumpâs plans to build a Trump Tower in Moscow, and Cohen served prison time for lying to Congress.
#50. Trump was not charged for criminal obstruction of justice because itâs the Justice Departmentâs policy not to indict a sitting president, but more than a thousand former federal prosecutors who served under both Republicans and Democrats, signed a letter declaring there was more than enough evidence to prosecute Trump.
So those are the 50 Worst Things About the Trump Presidency. Now I could go onâŠ
And I will! The 75 Worst Things About the Trump Presidency.
#51. Trump said heâd hire only the best people, butâŠ
His campaign chair was convicted of multiple crimes.
So was one of his closest associates.
His deputy campaign chair pleaded guilty to crimes.
So did his personal lawyer
His National Security Adviser
The Chief Financial Officer of his business
A campaign foreign policy adviser
And one of his campaign fundraisers.
They all committed crimes, and Trump pardoned most of them.
#52. Trump said heâd drain the Washington swamp. But he appointed more billionaires, CEOs, and Wall Street moguls to his administration than any administration in history
#53. Trump intervened to get his son-in-law, Jared Kushner top-secret clearance after he was denied over concerns about foreign influence.
#54. Trump hosted a Russian Foreign Minister to the Oval Office, where Trump revealed top-secret intelligence.
Oh, and Trumpâs economic policies!
#55 Trump promised that the average American family would see a $4,000 pay raise because of his tax cuts for the wealthy and big corporations. Howâd that work out? Did you get a $4,000 raise? Of course not! Nobody did!
#56. Trump vowed to protect American jobs, but offshoring increased and manufacturing fell.
#57. Trump said he would fix Americaâs infrastructure, but it never happened. He announced so many failed âinfrastructure weeksïżœïżœ they became a running joke.
#58. Trump said he would be âthe voiceâ of American workers, but he filled the National Labor Relations Board with anti-union flacks who made it harder for workers to unionize.
#59. Trumpâs Labor Department made it easier for bosses to get out of paying workers overtime, which cheated 8 million workers of extra pay.
#60. Trump repeatedly suggested he might serve more than two terms in violation of the Constitution â and continues to do so.
#61. Trump called Haiti and African nations âshitholeâ countries.
#62. Trump tried to terminate DACA, which protects immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. Luckily this was struck down by the courts.
#63. Trump called climate change a âhoax.â
#64. Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement.
#65. Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental protections.
#66. Every budget Trump proposed included cuts to Social Security and Medicare.
#67. Trump tried (and failed) to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would have resulted in 20 million Americans losing insurance. And striking down the ACAâs protections for the roughly 130 million people with pre-existing conditions could have driven up their insurance premiums or led to a loss of coverage.
#68. Trump made it easier for employers to remove birth control coverage from insurance plans.
#69. By the end of Trumpâs term, the number of people lacking health insurance had risen by 3 million.
#70. Trump lied. Constantly. He made 30,573 false or misleading claims while president â an average of 21 a day, according to Washington Post fact-checkers.
#71. Trump allegedly took hundreds of classified documents on his way out of the White House, reportedly including nuclear secrets, which he then left unsecured in various parts of Mar-a-Lago, including a bathroom. He was even caught on tape showing them off to people.
#72. Trump seriously discussed the idea of nuking a hurricane.
#73. When Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, Trump delayed $20 billion of aid and allowed Puerto Rico to be without power for 181 days.
#74. Trump suggested withholding federal aid for California wildfire recovery and said the solution was to âcleanâ the âfloorsâ of the forest.
#75. Trump pulled out of the Iran deal, placing Iran on a path to developing nuclear weapons.
Honestly, thereâs so much more, from exchanging âlove lettersâ with North Koreaâs brutal dictator to publicly denigrating a Gold Star military widow and making her cry, to the way he attacked journalists, to late night tweet binges.
Look, I can understand why a lot of people want to block all of this out of their memories. But we cannot afford to forget just how terrible Trumpâs time in the White House was for this nation.
And we sure as hell canât afford to put him back there.
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â© it donât need your loving, it just needs attention â© (chapter two)
pairing: Coriolanus Snow x reader
chapter: 2/?
MASTERLIST
warnings: NSFW (18+), snow being snow, themes of sex work (not the reader), cuckolding, eventual smut, fake relationship, unprotected sex, themes of voyeurism & mild exhibitionism, murder mention (but no actual murder) (not yet at least?), MAJOR manipulation/gross power dynamics + generally darkish themes, some power play, oral sex, thigh riding, eventual piv, iâm new to full on smut bear with me here (and pls tell me if i forgot anything!)
i do not give permission for my work to be reposted/translated anywhere, under any circumstances.
a/n: first off, THANK YOU for the love on chapter 1. wasnât sure how Iâd fare since Iâve done a lot of writing in my life but little to no smut. with that said! longer chapter incoming. also I just know heâd give insane head okay i just do,the guy looks like he fucks and he definitely does
You weren't sure exactly how you slipped away from Snowâs room that night, but you could somewhat piece it together in flashes. First a head rush, then the fire in the pit of your stomach practically having gasoline thrown on it.
You remembered a quiet gasp escaping your lips, then panic, a flash of white, and suddenly you were stumbling away, head spinning as you tried to catch your breath, pacing unevenly down the hallway, any chance of a stealthy escape long thrown out the window.
Back in your room, once the door was bolted and your back was against it, making sure nobody could get in if they tried, you had your first shot at clear-headedness since youâd heard heels scuffing the hardwood.
Youâd soaked your panties through and were dripping down your thighs, but youâd be damned if you could get into the headspace to take care of it. Panic flooded your veins, ice-hot as you tried to catch your breath. you slid down the door and sat there, legs numb against the cold wooden planks.
Who was she? A million questions filled your head all at once. Was she from the Capitol? Could she be one of Snowâs friends, one of your friends? The thought made you sick. What if youâd dined with her before? Talked to her? How long had this been happening? Who knew about it? Were you being played?
Had he seen you watching him?
Unable to help yourself, your one-track mind took you back to the way heâd groaned your name, though you were half sure that had been a fever dream of some kind. Still, you kept replaying it. Over and over, like a broken record.
It didnât make any sense, you were so fucking confused. All this time youâd been hoping he would make a move, youâd practically begged him to. Why hadnât he? When you were clearly on his mind, and yet he made you believe he didnât think of you that way at all. Was he just respecting your agreement?
You fiddled with the lace on the hem of your slip as you mulled it over. You stayed sat like this for almost an hour, trying unsuccessfully to wrap your head around it. When you ended up right back where you started, and you were sure enough time had passed that if someone was coming to get you, they wouldâve already, you finally stood up. Your caution led you to drag a chair from across the room, propping it up by the door to jam the handle. That left you with the sliver of peace of mind you required to shower off this cold sweat youâd formed.
The next morning, you dreaded breakfast. But you knew you had to face him, as well as the fact that this could very well be your last meal. You should at least try to eat well.
You made your way downstairs, a few minutes later than usual, enough for Coriolanus to already be sipping coffee, a few pages through his newspaper. Youâd not got fully dressed yet, not wanting the contrast to be too obvious, but youâd wrapped a silk dressing gown around you so you were a little more covered up. You knew one thing for certain, you wouldnât be trying any more of your tricks until you knew just what you were dealing with.
He didnât look over at you, which you took as a good sign. The urge to hide from him, from what youâd seen and what you now knew, overwhelmed you. You didnât say a word, and picked silently at your breakfast, but despite your best efforts, not managing to keep more than a few bites down.
âYouâre quiet today.â He muttered, and you started.
âUm.â
He lowered his paper.
âSomething wrong?â
How about everything?
âOh, no, Iâm okay. Just uhâŠâ you glanced up at him, and met his sharp gaze. Fuck. Youâd hoped youâd go unnoticed. You felt like a deer in headlights, like he could read your mind.
âWell?â He prompted, gaze unwavering. You blinked.
âHeadache.â You managed to breathe, faking a small, pitiful smile.
He brought his paper back up in front of him, crisply turning the page. You both thanked the new barrier between you for cutting off his stare, and resented it as you looked at the tiny printed words you couldnât make out from where you were sitting.
âIâll have Lucille bring you up something.â
âThank you.â you said quickly, almost too quickly, and you feared he might lower his paper again to watch you as you stumbled over another excuse. But you fell lucky this time.
The week seemed to pass in a blur, Mondayâs gala being one of the only times you really left your room when Snow was around, other than meal times, which you spent in a similar state as that first breakfast. You cursed yourself for throwing out your longer dresses, and settled for the least suggestive of them, the white one youâd been thinking of pitching to Snow as a backup plan in your panicked state outside his bedroom. That all felt worlds away now. What youâd seen had shifted the tides, marking a solid, definitive line in your head between the before and after.
The gala went as well as it could given the circumstances. You danced, Snow was charming to you in front of the guests, but held your gaze no longer than usual. It was simultaneously terrifying and thrilling to feel his hands on your waist, knowing what you knew. It felt like youâd been tapped with a cattle prod and had to hide it every time his hand brushed yours on top of the dinner table, as unsuspecting guests smiled at you, the happy couple.
If only they knew that in the same breath, you were scanning the crowd, wondering who the blonde couldâve been, how close she was to Snow, if at all, and hating the way every touch he placed on your hands and waist served as a reminder that heâd been touching her instead of you.
Your stupid brain had formed a highlight reel of what youâd witnessed behind Snowâs door, and it tortured you with every passing moment. To know he was thinking of you. To think that maybe, he wanted you there instead. It put a strange sense of possessive pride into you, that weaved between your jealousy. Because yes, youâd seen another girl on her knees with her mouth around him, but you hadnât heard any name other than your own while it happened.
You carried this strange hope, dwindling to start off, and then building each day that you were left un-hanged and very much alive, slowly chipping away at your fear of the worst. And yet, you knew the game, unbeknownst to Snow, had been fundamentally changed. Youâd stopped your antics altogether, now barely meeting his eye as you passed each other in the hallway, covering up more at breakfast, and only talking just enough to avoid another interrogation. Avoiding touch, and conversation, and all-around keeping yourself away from him.
You were quieter still at night in your room. After a few days, youâd finally felt safe enough to move the chair away and sleep with the door locked as you normally would. But while your games had stopped, your want for him had only been amplified. Fuelled by jealousy and frustration, you had to bite down on your hand so that not even the slightest noise made its way out as you pictured him, not as you used to in your fantasies, but as youâd seen him that night, undone with your name on his lips. It was much easier, in your head, to picture yourself as the one on your knees. Any other fantasy just failed to make the cut now youâd seen the real thing.
Thursday rolled around and youâd made a new habit of pacing the downstairs library when Coriolanus was out of the house. That way, if he got home and stepped inside, you could pretend to be lost in a book. But the hours seemed to stretch out and you became bored, and with no Snow in sight, you decided to head down to the servantsâ quarters.
This wasnât a common occurrence, but it wasnât unheard of. You were known for your gentleness among the house staff, less harsh than Snow, but firm nonetheless. It had led you to a respectful friendliness with the maids and servants, and once every so often youâd check in on them.
Todayâs objectives, however, were purely self-motivated. You found Lucille, who dressed you, at the kitchen table, chopping vegetables.
She stood upon seeing you, and curtseyed (Snow was rather old fashioned that way). You nodded, then took a seat at the foot of the table.
âDo you need any help with that?â You glanced at the cutting board.
Lucilleâs eyes widened. âI wouldnât dream of it, Maâam.â
You laughed. Lucille chopped and diced, and you asked questions. At first, they were after her family, her brother was sick and despite your offers, she wouldnât accept help. So instead you listened, and slowly but surely, your questions got a little more directed toward the object of your interest.
You were good at playing the long game, so you started by asking about the company he kept. What she thought of them, with the promise that it would stay between the two of you, cross your heart.
She wouldnât say much but she knew a little more than you; Snow kept very similar company as you did, and rarely went out for social visits. Any trips were strictly work-related, and when you eased into the topic of his past, Lucille mentioned, in very polite terms, that he had left a small trail of women heartbroken after a short period of time. That not all of them had been pleasant, and that she was pleased you seemed to have a positive effect on him.
She knew about your arrangement, practically the whole staff did, but they were kept on a very tight leash and were thoroughly reminded to not say a word acknowledging it, not even to you. It was with a knowing glance that Lucille told you she was happy youâd stayed around.
You smiled. Knowing that was likely all you were going to get for now, you let her be. By then, it was late enough to have gone dark, and you headed up to bed.
You awoke to creaking outside your door, and the shadow of footsteps from underneath it. Youâd been tossing and turning for the last - you checked your watch - two hours. Excellent. You rolled onto your back wondering who it was, and then you heard it again. At first you wondered if it was just a sleep-deprived hallucination, or a sense of deja-vu, but then you focused, and there it was. The sound of heels. Again.
You sat up in bed, pushing your hair out of your face. You were enraged the first time, but if this was becoming a Thursday night tradition, it would be a serious problem. You were tired, you reasoned, you could just try to go back to sleep. Ignore it. Not let him have this power over you, a power that he didnât even know he had. All the more reason to ignore it, and make it tomorrowâs problem.
But you just couldnât let sleeping dogs lie, no matter how hard you tried. Your mother used to say it was a problem, always sticking your nose in places it didnât belong. But it had got you this far, hadn't it?
You knew you were going to follow her to Snowâs room again, it was just a matter of time. You had to at least pretend you had an ounce of self-control, whereas really your head was thrumming and you knew it would take getting hit by a high-speed train to send you back to sleep now.
So you held off. Five minutes passed. Then ten. You had to know, at least, what they were doing. Maybe you could get a look at her face, see who it was, and answer some of the questions you had.
So you went. With a purpose this time, knowing full well what and who youâd end up seeing, trying to take steady breaths and focus on your plan. Check who it was, then leave.
Youâd never been that great at execution. Call it hedonism, call it a morbid fascination, or living vicariously, but when you walked up to the door - which was ajar again, strangely even more than last time, by at least an inch or two - you looked inside, and your feet planted. The last shred of your self-control allowed you to take in the room first, the desk and chair that was right within your sight, and as you tucked yourself into the room, half hidden behind the door, you finally looked back at the bed where youâd seen Snow with his blonde girl last time.
Neither of them were sitting now.
Thirty seconds ago, you wouldâve believed the hottest thing youâd ever seen was what played out in this room last week. But that was before you saw Snow turned away from you, still fully dressed with his sleeves rolled up, stomach on the bed and face between the blondeâs thighs, eating her out like he was on death row and she was his last meal.
Youâd gotten head before. You knew it felt good, but the boys youâd slept with before your arrangement with Snow were selfish and inattentive. They would try, but they were far more interested in getting their dicks wet than showing you a good time. But Snow - youâd never seen anything like it. You didnât know it could feel that good, or at least, not as good as the blonde girl - who you noted in the back of your mind, wasnât anyone you recognised - was making it look. Her hips were bucking so hard he was having to pin her down with both hands around her waist.
She was just moving so much, wriggling and crying out and gasping and - you didnât think youâd ever truly known jealousy until that moment. You couldnât look away, knees weak and hands shaking, letting yourself get sucked into this headspace again, losing all trace of rationality. Youâd think she was playing it up for him, but you knew what that sounded like. Youâd faked enough orgasms to know if she was, but this? This was real. As she got close, grinding into him, writhing, running a shaky hand through his hair then getting louder, you managed to snap out of your trance.
In a flash, you ran back down the hallway.
If you thought you were avoiding Snow before, this week was about to give you a run for your money. You took breakfast in your room, and kept only to the parts of the house you knew he never entered. You only touched yourself in the shower, silent cries washed away by the water and steam, paranoia backing you into a corner.
You feigned illness the one time Snow sent a maid to inquire after you. Nothing too major, but enough to put him off. When he left the house, you snuck into the library to smuggle books back to your room, a pile forming as you tried ceaselessly to distract yourself.
You wrote home, you studied art and history. You attempted a few terrible sketches. You tore apart your room, then put it back together.
Before you knew it, Thursday rolled around again. On longer days like this, when Snow had been away working for hours at a time, youâd doubled down on your efforts to get information, and after chipping away for just long enough, you finally managed to squeeze some tidbits out of Lucille. Namely that there was a certain gentlemanâs club in the city that he used to frequent before his election as President. Snowâs old driver might know its name, she said.
âBut that was long before he met you, maâam, rest assured.â She added hurriedly.
âOf course. Thank you, Lucille. I think Iâve kept you for long enough. Goodnight.â
Snow had been gone for the whole day, and you werenât sure if heâd come home yet, so as you headed up to your room, you quietly wandered a little further down the hallway, to check if there was any light beneath his door. There wasnât. Good. You were glad he wouldnât be continuing this routine of his. Maybe this Thursday night, you could sleep peacefully.
With a sigh, and mulling over what youâd learned today, you returned to your room, poured a drink, then collapsed into bed.
This night was as sleepless as the rest, and youâd been drifting - not uncomfortably - in and out. A storm was brewing outside, and the sounds of howling wind began to keep you alert. You rolled onto your back and stared at the ceiling, then glanced towards your door. Snow mustâve come home at some point, and very late at that, because dim lights had been turned on in the hallway. Paranoia crept into your mind, slowly poisoning your thoughts and turning you inside out.
It didnât take long before the feeling pushed you to roll out of bed, slide on a dressing gown, and crack open your door. This time, you couldnât hear footsteps, or anything that might arise suspicion. You closed the door again. Waited. Then looked around your room, at the messy sheets and the half finished glass of liquor on the nightstand. You rarely drank alone, but these past few weeks had been getting to you, fucking with your head. Coriolanus Snow had driven you to this.
The wind got louder, and you knew you were too wired to sleep, so you stood by your window and finished the glass.
Youâd never been good with mysteries. You wanted to know everything, all the time. Know who had power over you, know precisely how to take it away. Know exactly what was happening around you at any given moment. But most of all, you didnât like being played for a fool.
And sure, the ethics of it had never been discussed between the two of you. Your business was strictly professional, but when you werenât allowed to sleep around, why could he?
In fact, how dare he?
You poured another glass, straight whiskey. Downed it, pacing your room, back and forth between the door and the window, running your fingers along the ridges of the crystal glass. You thought about him, comfortably in his room, not a care in the world.
How dare he.
You werenât sure if it was the drink or the buildup of your situation that had your blood boiling, but it didnât matter. You were incensed. His behaviour was an insult to your name, to your familyâs name. Sure, this relationship was a sham, but all the more reason for him to act with basic fucking respect. Sleeping with - and very obviously, at that - a whore, who had a bad habit of leaving the door cracked open, was unacceptable.
You were running hot, and if you knew one thing for certain, it was that when Snow met with fire, he was going to melt. Youâd make sure of it.
Your feet took you into the hallway, with the decidedness that this would be the last time.
You rushed down the corridor with a tightly bottled rage that was about to burst, words hot on your tongue and demanding to be spoken, until you turned the corner and saw Snowâs door half open. You stopped in your tracks. Reassessed, then stepped closer, slowly, steadily. Remembering what you were there for.
Then, as you got close enough to see inside - right there, without you even having to step past the threshold, were the two of them, lit by a table lamp, Snow sat on the desk chair as the girl rode him to high heaven, obscene noises getting louder. As you approached you saw Snowâs face again, eyes shut, breath laboured, and you couldnât believe that anyone just walking by would be able to see this. They were fucking like animals, out in the open. You didnât know how or why you drew closer still, closing in on them. The girlâs head was dropped down to his shoulder, back facing you, and couldnât see you unless she turned, but Snow? He was practically facing the door, almost as if heâd beenâŠ
No. It couldnât be. Could it?
But you didnât have time to think it through, because Snowâs eyes blinked open, and you knew. He was looking right at you, blue eyes piercing into yours, sharp and dangerous like he was going in for the kill. You stood there, jaw dropped, unable to look away. In what world could you walk in on someone like this, and feel like they held all the cards, and you none? That was how he looked at you; like youâd been there watching the whole time, and this was all a show, playing out exactly as heâd planned it. Like somehow, despite all your best efforts, heâd landed on top.
It was like he read your mind, because he wet his lips, unblinking as the blonde writhed on his lap, and fucking smirked.
a/n: canât wait for them to hate fuck after this (oh sorry forgot iâm the author for a sec) thanks for reading <3
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#coriolanus snow#coriolanus x reader#coriolanus x you#coriolanus snow x reader#coriolanus snow x you#snow x reader#snow x you#the hunger games#tbosas#the ballad of songbirds and snakes#coriolanus snow smut#tom blyth
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Holidays | C.S.
summary: your first holiday/christmas outside of the districts
pairing: politician!coriolanus snow x fem!reader
includes: mainly fluff, reader is from district 12 (this is very important in this one-shot), coriolanus is manipulative in this (not a lot, but still), angst if you squint.
a/n: happy holidays đ
Despite living in the Capitol, your spirits were up when the holidays came around. Those living at the Capitol had many decorations up and participated in festivities that would certainly get those in the districts in trouble.
As the chosen wife of â the sudden rise to power and wealth â Coriolanus Snow, you were also put into the impression that you were to make this holiday season the best for you and your husband.
On the morning of Christmas Eve, Coriolanus told you that he was to work late, strategizing to help his campaign as he was running for president next year. Of course, you were used to this and gave him a kiss bye as you started your day with the festivities that you used to do back in your home.
By the time Coriolanus came home, it was late and he assumed you were sleeping already. What he did not know was that you were still in the kitchen baking cookies and decorating gingerbread house while playing music from your record collection.
âWhy are you still up so late?â Coriolanus wrapped his arms around your hips, resting his head on your shoulder.
You grin at his presence, shifting to meet his eyes. âI wanted to surprise you with cookies and a pretty gingerbread house.â
âArenât you sweet?â He kisses your cheek.
âI would like to think so.â You pop a gum drop into your mouth, taking one of your earlier cookies you made from the counter. âWant some?â
He hummed, opening his mouth. You broke a piece off and gave it to him, waiting for a reaction of some sort.
âWell?â
âItâs delicious.â He swallowed, reaching for the rest of the cookie in your hand. âI think I should take them all.â
You let out an airy laugh, handing him the baked good. âI think you should help me decorate this house so we can go to bed. Iâm sure youâre tired, Coryo.â
âââ
âWhat are you doing now?â Coriolanus asked you as he got out of the bathroom, hair still wet. He brought the a towel to his head, watching you stand outside on the balcony. âMy love, youâre going to catch a cold staying out there.â
âI knowâŠâ You mess with your silk robe, rubbing the sleeve with your thumb. âJust give me a few more seconds. I want to check off the last thing I used to do back in 12 for Christmas Eve.â
He refrained from scoffing at the mention of District 12, slipping one arm around your waist. âYou donât remember how bad it was back there before I saved you? Why do things that bring back memories of those days being treated like a peasant?â
You stayed quiet, listening to his words intently.
âI believe you should be grateful you arenât spending time in the freezing weather and instead participate in the fun activities in the Capitol. Where you belong.â He pecked your cheek. âUnless you want to go back⊠Then that can easily be arranged.â
âNo, donât.â You frown, looking up at the shining moon. âI love it here. A lot. And, Iâm really grateful for it, really.â
âGood answer.â He runs his hand up to your chin, tilting it so you would face him. âJust this one thing and then come to bed, okay?â
You nod, pecking his lips. âThank you⊠Love you.â
Coriolanus smiles at you, pressing one last tentative kiss to your lips and leaving for the bed, not bothering to take the time to understand what you were doing.
Leaning against the cement railings, your focus moves back to the bright moon, smiling sadly at it.
âI promise Iâll be back and see you againâŠâ You whisper into the crisp, night air, the wind lightly blowing at your skin. âWeâll be okay. Just watch over mom for me. Iâll see you both again.â
You check your watch for the time, the second hand hitting the twelve. âFrom your somewhat cool older sister: Merry Christmas, Dante Everdeen.â
read more about coriolanus snow here !!
a/n pt2: MING BLOWING đ€Ż sheâs related to katniss, isnât that silly :)
©lqveharrington - all rights reserved. do not copy, translate or share my work on other media platforms
#coriolanus snow#coriolanus snow imagine#coriolanus x reader#coriolanus snow fanfiction#coriolanus imagine#coriolanus fanfiction#coriolanus snow x reader#coriolanus x you#coriolanus x y/n#coriolanus x lucy gray#coriolanus snow smut#coriolanus snow drabble#coriolanus snow angst#coriolanus snow x you#coriolanus snow headcanon#coriolanus snow x lucy gray#coriolanus snow oneshot#coriolanus snow fluff#coriolanus snow fic#coriolanus snow x female!reader#coriolanus snow blurb#lqveharrington#augustâs works đ«§#tom blyth#tom blyth x reader#billy the kid#billy the kid x reader#the hunger games x reader#the ballad of songbirds and snakes#tbosas
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The Mentor pt. 2
Finnick Odair x Reader
Summary: Your mentoring tasks persist as you and the newly crowned victor tackle a Capitol party- with some help.
part one | part three
"So youâre stealing from me now?âÂ
You jump at the sudden sound of the voice behind you. Luckily, none of your champagne spills.Â
âPardon?â You look over your shoulder, only to see a pretty face coming your way.Â
âIntellectual theft is serious, you know,â Finnick says with faux sincerity, and takes a sip of his own champagne.Â
You lazily roll your eyes, âPlease, one of my cows could have come up with the momma-bear angle.â You pick at your nails again, gaze drifting back to where District Tenâs Capitol escort parades Darla around. Before the group of you had even arrived, sheâd forbidden you from sticking by Darlaâs side the whole night. Said the president wanted people to get to know her- which made you reluctant to separate from the girl youâd taken under your wing.Â
Youâd settled for watching her like a hawk, prepared to intervene if you recognized any bad apples.Â
"Blue suits you, by the way," he starts, and you cast him a suspicious sidelong glance. "Much better than brown, or so I'd assume." You prickle with embarrassment, catching the reference to what he'd overheard the other night.
You cross your arms, "Don't be a jerk." The words sound sad rather than snippy- like you intended them to.
"I was trying to compliment you," he insists. "Really, you look quite nice. This is a far cry from your outfit the other night." Your pajamas. They were the closest thing in reach when you were paged to the recording studio during Darla's breakdown. The reminder makes you shift awkwardly, suddenly even more uncomfortable.
"How kind of you," you say flatly, smoothing the non-existent wrinkles of the dress your stylist had placed you in. At least this interaction is slightly less mortifying than the one, or two you suppose, you had with him the other night.
Finnick doesn't respond, and you don't bother looking at his face to gauge his reaction. Instead, you find Darla in the crowd and start picking at the skin around your nails again. She seems okay for now, but it doesn't do much to ease your worry.
âYou seem nervous,â Finnick says, without his former mirth. You startle again, assuming he'd walked away.Â
 âDo I?â You briefly let your gaze flick up to him, eyes wide, before turning right back to your task.Â
âWell, at the rate youâre going, your hands will be bone within the hour,â he lightly grabs your wrist, drawing your attention to the blood (both fresh and dried) that sits on your cuticles. "Have you been at this all night?"
âThanks for your concern,â you snatch your hand back, trying to shield it from his gaze. It takes you a second to spot Darla again, and when you do your shoulders drop in relief.Â
âYou didnât answer my question,â he doubles down.Â
âDid you ask one?â You bite back.Â
âWhat are you nervous about?â He asks.Â
You turn fully toward him, âWhat do you think?â You extend an arm out, gesturing to where Darla is.Â
Finnick follows your gesture to spot Darla being dragged around. He huffs, "She'll be alright, you know. Like us."
"Speak for yourself," you laugh, but it's a hollow sound.
His face falls, "You know what I mean."
"I do, but I don't like it," you snap sourly. Closing your eyes, you take a deep, albeit shaky, breath. When you open them, you face the front again. "The way I feel all the time," you shake your head slowly, "I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Let alone Darla, so if I can- if I can just keep her close enough, I can spare her from some of this."
He quietly says your name, almost like a warning.
"No!" You cut him off, "No, I know how I sound. I can do it." The look in his eye says he's not buying it, but you double down, "I have to. I have to... try." Your voice breaks a little, but there's no time to be embarrassed over it when a different voice calls out your name.
Finnick watches as you pull yourself together. The change is visible. It's almost like you're a new person, the one the Capitol adores. Sweet and pristine, bloody hands hidden neatly behind your back.
"I wanted to thank you for coming in this week. The kids love your visits," the middle-aged woman says, smiling at you. Her attire is far less ostentatious than her fellow partygoers, but she's clearly Capitol-born and bred. Her gaze shifts to Finnick, and he stiffens, recognizing the look in her eye.
It seems you notice it, too, as you're quick to intervene. "It's my pleasure, Mrs. Montgomery," he almost cringes when he recognizes the name you call her. "If I could, I'd come often enough that they'd be sick of me." You're good at this, though, he notes, grateful for being off the hot seat. Quick and clever, just like in your games.
"Impossible!" The Capitolite laughs, "In fact, they're already asking me when you'll be back. When are you free?"
While your facade is impressive, it's not perfect. He sees you tense before replying, pleasant as ever, "I'm actually heading home soon, but I'll let you know when I'm back." It's enough to appease Mrs. Montgomery, at least. She eyes the buffet table.
"Please do! I'll see you soon, love," she waves as she walks away. You wave back, picture-perfect smile lighting up your features.
It drops as soon as she turns, and he does his best not to laugh at the contrast. "If that's who I think it is, I hate her husband," Finnick tells you.
You echo the sentiment with a scoff, "Me too."
"I thought you were sweet to everyone but me," he turns toward you in surprise, and you shrug. "Here I was thinking I was special," he shakes his head in faux sadness.
A small grin emerges on your face at his antics, though it's clear you're trying to hide it. He spots it, however, and smiles a bit, basking in his victory. Suddenly, your poorly concealed grin drops, and he follows your gaze to see who stole the humorous moment you'd been sharing.
Darla, of course, but someone else is with her. A large man, probably a few inches taller than Finnick, towers over the sixteen-year-old. She looks terribly uncomfortable, and the District Ten escort is missing from her side. When his eyes flick back to you, he finds your expression mirrors Darla's. It's worse, even, and far worse than when Mrs. Montgomery came around.
You turn to face him, eyes wet and blown with fear. He's never seen you look so vulnerable, not on TV and not in your limited interactions. You looked worried the other night, sure, but this is different. This is a look of terror.
"Dance with her," you practically beg, suddenly grabbing his forearm. Your voice trembles, "Please. They'll- I can't take her away. Please just go dance with her." Tears threaten to spill over, and you get more upset as you go on.
Finnick's reluctant to leave you so distraught, but he's sure that whisking Darla away from whoever this is is the only way to assuage your worry. "Of course," he nods, ducking his head a bit to be on eye level with you. His hand covers yours, subtly removing himself from your grasp so he can attend to your request. "Keep an eye on us, okay? It'll be fine."
He holds your gaze for a bit as he departs, but he can feel your eyes on him even after that. Quickly, he comes upon Darla and the large man that you apparently know and abhor enough to ask him this favor. He spews some of the charming bullshit everyone in the city eats right up and steals Darla away without issue.
Finnick looks back to where he left you as he leads her onto the dancefloor, hoping that seeing Darla safe will ease your panic. He's caught in the act, though, "Sent by my guardian angel, then?" The teenager asks him, pulling his attention back to the dance floor.
"How'd you know?" His eyebrows knit together, and the girl laughs.
"She's been watching me from the same spot all night. It's kind of creepy," she jokes.
"I think she's just worried," Finnick says defensively.
"I think if she stays there for much longer, they'll install her as a statue," Darla quips. It's funny, but he fails to chuckle since he wouldn't put it past the people here. She sort of cringes, realizing the joke didn't land. "I'm really grateful for her, don't get me wrong," Darla tries, "it's just- sometimes I wonder about her."
"How so?"
Darla inhales, "I don't know. She disappears and just seems... different when she comes back. And I swear she lies about where she goes since there's never any press coverage, but cameras constantly follow her." His face falls as Darla goes on, "Sometimes when she sees random people, she instantly clams up."
It's a little too familiar to him. Paired with your reaction to both his comment about Mr. Montgomery and seeing that man with Darla, he's starting to understand. Maybe he has more in common with you than he'd originally thought.
"Finnick?" Darla says, and he realizes he's left her in silence for too long.
"I was gonna say I wonder about her too, but I was thinking more- favorite food, favorite color," he tries to lighten the mood.
Darla looks pleased as punch, "Well when it comes to you, I have her pinned."
"Yeah?" Finnick asks, amused.
"Yeah," Darla nods, "sheâs clearly head over heels for you.â Â
His eyes nearly bug out of his head, âExcuse me?âÂ
âYeah, no, sheâs totally in love with you,â she reaffirms.
âAre we thinking of the same person?â He asks, extremely skeptical.
âYes!â Darla insists, lightly slapping the side of his head.Â
âWell, it just seems like she doesnât like me,â he defends himself.Â
âYou make her nervous,â Darla affirms. âSheâd make a fool of herself if she wasnât being rude. She told me the other night, this is a quote by the way, 'he's so gorgeous, I can't say anything to his face.'"
âYouâre kidding.âÂ
âNope,â she pops the P.Â
âI struggle to believe that Capitolâs loveliest victor wonât talk to me because she thinks Iâm pretty,â he scoffs.Â
âItâs more than that,â Darla chides, âshe thinks youâre too good for her, so before you can reject her, she tries to beat you to the punch.âÂ
âAnd when exactly did she tell you all this?â He asks skeptically.Â
âOh, we had a sleepover the other night and got super drunk. Boy, was she an open vault,â Darla laughs, but it's clear to him you'd kept some secrets to yourself.
âAnd you donât feel bad telling me?â He inquires skeptically.Â
âPlease, Iâm helping her help herself.â She scoffs, âSheâd pine over you until her dying day without ever saying a word.âÂ
âWhatever you say, kiddo,â he says. Finnick's not sure how reliable a source the teenager is, so he decides to refocus on his original goal. "I meant to ask if you were ok, by the way. You know that guy?âÂ
Darlaâs face sours. âNo clue. But letâs just say I was glad for the interruption.âÂ
He raises a brow, hoping sheâll elaborate.Â
âI felt like he was ⊠looking at me,â she huffs. âLike, trying to see below the dress.â Finnick's jaw clenches at that. He knows the type. He deals with the type. And now he's almost certain you do too, hence your big reaction.
"Well, if he bothers you again, just come find me. I'm quite comfortable on the dance floor," he tells her as the song comes to an end.
Darla pats his bicep, "Thanks, but you should really be getting comfortable with someone else." She nods her toward where you'd been standing. "The bar will take good care of me." She only gets a few paces before he calls out after her.
âHey!â She turns to catch his words. âModeration,â he points at her, emphasizing the word.
She smirks, âYeah, yeah, whatever, Dad.â A smile twitches at his lip, and he shakes his head as he turns to find you.Â
When Finnick finally circles back to where he'd left you, you're nowhere in sight. He sighs, disappointed, though he can't quite blame you when you've revealed more about yourself tonight than you probably intended.
He wonders if you've left the party or just found a better observation spot, but either way, something tells him you don't want to be found right now. He remembers something you said earlier about shielding Darla. You seem to be doing alright so far, but he's suddenly wondering how far you'll go.
âââââââââââââââââââ
Once again- super unedited. I'm just having fun on my holiday break at this point. I feel like this leaned kinda sad? So... sorry for that. <3
#finnick odair x reader#finnick odair#finnick x reader#hunger games fanfiction#hunger games#the hunger games
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đ©[in our next life]đȘ
đ©[join the taglist!]đȘ đ©[request/ask me something!]đȘ đ©[join the main taglist!]đȘ
đ©âĄđȘ CHARACTER - Finnick Odair x Fem! District 4 Victor! Reader
đ©âĄđȘ TYPE - fluff, smut, slight angst
đ©âĄđȘ WORD COUNT - 23K
đ©âĄđȘ SUMMARY - Peeta and Katniss werenât the first to fall in love after the games. That title went to you and Finnick, your mentor after you were Reaped at the age of fifteen two years after Finnick. After being dragged back into the Games with the Quarter Quell, you both are determined to stop it, no matter what- especially if one of you would gladly sacrifice themselves for the other.
đ©âĄđȘ STORY WARNINGS - Use of Y/N || i promise I do not write like this in the fic- || reader was also forced into prostitution, but Finnick forced Snow to make them a pair || reader is definitely bi but has no (sexual) relations with women in the story || Finnickâs hand around your throat can be seen as sexual but itâs mainly just a comfort thing at this point || a lot of mixed timelines, sorry want it to play in my favor || mainly based on the movies bc I havenât read the books in forever || Reader and Finnick are titled the Princess and Prince of the Capitol || you basically replace Annie || inspiration of your story from other characters || weird baby names inspired by the sea (cuz District 4, sea fishing etc) || This is so going to be a series- || smoking, smoking opium || This actually takes place in several different times, first the drawing for the Quarter Quell to the carriage rides where you meet Katniss and Peeta to the interviews to the literal Quarter Quell, being rescued, then skipping to after the rebellion is won (my darling doesnât die, he didnât deserve it <3). || Cinna isn't dead and heâs your stylist, and you and Finnick get married twice (once before the Quarter Quell, another after the rebellion) and of course he designs your wedding dress. || Finnick pulls a stunt like Peeta, turns out to be true later on || first marriage is televised a few days before the games, second of course is private || marriage ceremonies inspired by cultures, yes Iâm giving District 4 marriage ceremonies and no Iâm not basing this off the wedding in the movie, and this is my own little spin on the fic - I didnât want the wedding to be boring || the party Peeta and Katniss go to in the second movie is your wedding || ngl, with these plans, Iâm hoping this is long- || slight rift between you and Katniss at first, but you end up being best friends quickly || you make Katniss question her sexuality bc you top her for a minute- || CPR & mouth to mouth || Classic warning such as cursing, fighting, blood, death, and more to be wary of. || mentions of Finnickâs forced prostitution (brief, my baby has suffered enough) || smut is included in this; mentions of voyeurism and exhibitionism (explained in the story), breeding kink, size kink, oral (â & â), fingering, spit, slight choking, slight dom-sub dynamics, sex is definitely a coping mechanism, degradation, name calling (slut, whore, cumslut, maybe more?), probably dirty talk if you think about it that way, praise, mentions of a hazy mindset that could be seen as a subspace, definitely a soft dom turned pleasure dom turned rough dom Finnick, and more- just be wary.
âđ©[CHAPTERS]đȘâ
đ©âĄđȘ CHAPTER I đ©âĄđȘ CHAPTER II đ©âĄđȘ CHAPTER III đ©âĄđȘ CHAPTER IV đ©âĄđȘ CHAPTER V đ©âĄđȘ CHAPTER VI đ©âĄđȘ CHAPTER VII đ©âĄđȘ EPILOGUE
ALL CHAPTERS ARE UP!!!
âđ©[DRABBLES]đȘâ
đ©âĄđȘ N/A
âđ©[EXTRA FICS]đȘâ
đ©âĄđȘ N/A
© asterias-record-shop
#asterias-record-shop#requests open#finnick odair x reader smut#the hunger games#the hunger games finnick#the hunger games finnick odair#finnick odair#finnick imagine#thg finnick#finnick x you#finnick deserved better#finnick x reader#finnick x y/n#finnick x fem! reader#finnick odair x fem! reader smut#thg#thg fanfiction#thg x reader#thg fic#hunger games#katniss everdeen#peeta mellark#haymitch abernathy#caesar flickerman#effie trinket
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been on a hunger games kick lately so. ghoapifying time!! yippee yahoo
(edit: extra because i felt a little silly)
-
Simon isnât much when his name is reaped, just days after heâd turned 18. Heâs scrawny, starved, scarredâbeing from District 10, the only thing heâs ever known is butchery, so maybe heâs of use with knives, but it really means nothing to him. Not when his older brother Tommy had gotten killed by Peacekeepers, not when his mother had died of illness, not when his father couldnât give less of a shit when his youngest son is sent to die.
So all he can do is accept his fate. All he can do is listen to his mentor, train in the fleeting days he has left, and try to survive. No matter if the odds would never, ever be in his favour.
Simon doesnât remember much from the days leading to the games. All he can really recall is the absurd pageantry and the lack of privacy, though it had been nice to be freed from the stench of blood, if only for a few days. It was nice, not having grime beneath his fingernails.
If heâs honest, he doesnât remember much from the Games, either. Simon hadnât made allies, didnât need toâeven his necessary loyalty to the girl from his district was tentative at best. She would still come down to being another competitor, in the end. Simon didnât want to die, he couldnât. Wouldnât.
And he doesnât. He wins, somehowâmaybe out of spite. Maybe out of fear, or out of vengeance. Simon doesnât know.
All he knows is that he hates the man heâd become in that arena.
* * *
Johnny was born and raised in the Capitol. Maybe not in a family that was the richest of the rich, but still much better off than anyone found in the districts. Heâs only ever known some sense of luxury, has never encountered the cruelty of the real world, and continues to stand to benefit from the pain of others.
But even then, he does eventually recognize the faults and evilness of the system.
Eventually.
Because as a boy, he had loved the Games. Before having any sense of consequence or the realness of these people and their deaths, Johnny had been just as enraptured by it all as everyone else. He watched with interest, just as entertained as he was meant to be. The Games had been awe-inspiring to him as they are to most other Capitol children.
He still remembers Simonâs game. Ghost, as the boy from District 10 had been called, having earned the nickname from an uncanny ability to seemingly appear out of nowhere and make that cannon fire one more time. Johnny had been 15, then, still an avid watcher of this slaughter-showâbut heâll always recall that game the most, because of Simon.
Simon was shy, and awkwardâbut the Capitol had loved it. Loved him. And Johnny had just as well, albeit for some different reasons. Because along with everything the Capitol admired about Simon (which was mostly superficial), Johnny admired his resilience. His persistence, his triumph. He had thought, back then, that he could only ever wish to be like the boy from District 10. Heâd never been so enamoured with a tribute, a victor like that before.
That was seven years ago, and things have since⊠changed. Not enough to be different, but enough for Johnny to notice. Enough for him to finally understand that these Games are far more than he had ever been led to believe. He just didnât know to what extent.
Johnny is freshly 22 when he meets Simon. A friend of Johnnyâs (in the loosest of terms), Philip Graves, tells him that heâd gotten a special birthday gift for Johnny that yearâand while usually Johnny might be skeptical or uncaring, given Gravesâ track record, itâs what he says about this gift that has Johnny⊠panicking?
âRemember that victor you used to have a crush on? Well, I finally managed to get in a request.â
Before Johnny can ask what he means, two Peacekeepersâescortsâare entering the room with Simon in tow.
Graves grins almost predatorily before standing and patting Johnny on the shoulder like he means to be friendly. Like he thinks heâs given Johnny all he could ask for.
And in maybe some sense he has, but not like this. Not like this.
âEnjoy the next few days, Johnny,â Graves is saying. âHeâs all yours.â
Johnny thinks he might be sick. The threat of bile in his throat only grows more intense one heâs left alone with Simon.
The victor looks⊠different, since his time in the public eye. Bulkier, likely from a steady supply of food for the first time in his life; objectively healthier. Skin smooth, porcelain, like he hadnât seen a day of suffering in his life. Every aspect of him perfectly tailored, manicured, prim, like a clean slate for his current proprietor.
He still has that rugged kind of handsomeness to him, though. The Capitol could change many things, but they could never take that look of fierce determination from his dark, knowing eyes.
âHow do you want me?â Simon asks softly. Johnny can tell thereâs still fight thrumming beneath his skin, but they both could guess what would happen if that were to be let free.
âI⊠donât,â Johnny says before he can help himself. At the shift in Simonâs expression he feels his heart drop, so he adds quickly, âSorry, thatâs notâI donât mean it like that. I just never realizedâŠâ
Simon tilts his head, curious, assessing. âNever realized what?â
âThat youâŠâ Johnny swallows hard. He takes a shuddering breath, nervous, like he isnât the one with more power here. Like heâs the preyâand maybe he is. âCould be bought.â
Simon shrugs a shoulder, nonchalant like the idea of being bought and sold like an object is hardly a bother to him. Thereâs hurt in those eyes, but it doesnât live anywhere else on his face. âThereâs a lot of things you might not know outside of your world of luxury.â
Johnnyâs gaze falls the floor. âYes,â he sighs. âIâm sure there is.â
A tense silence falls over them, for just a moment, before Simon is shuffling across the room to join Johnny on the sofa. He sits close, but doesnât touch.
âSo,â Simonâs insisting, âhow do you want me?â
Johnny doesnât know if heâll survive these next few days.
Perhaps he should at least be grateful that the transaction is on Gravesâ hands.
#do i have permission to go into detail about ghostâs game#i am having. Thoughts#or whole fic? mayhap#simon ghost riley#john soap mactavish#soapghost#ghostsoap#ghost x soap#ghoap#alternate universe#writing
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unhinged, unconnected thoughts about the Hunger Games 1-3:
Katniss is one of The best female characters I have ever read in my life
Peeta is the definition of sad, wet paper man
I AM SO GRATEFUL THERE WERE CONSQUENCES From the games!! Like Katniss has permanent hearing damage. PEETA lost his LEG
Katniss' severe PTSD was so harsh and brutal and so so so good
Haymitch was such a little guy and I adored him for that. What I really liked about his character was that like -- he survived the Hunger Games. This was not a good thing. He was devastated by the fact that his family was killed and the only way he coped with that was by drinking. There was no getting better. There was no magic fix. It didn't just go away. Then he had to train and prepare 20 kids to go fight in the Games just like he did, knowing that he was sending them all out to die or survive like he did, and I have to imagine that toward the end, Haymitch probably hoped they died. It was easier than living
The Capitol was absolutely horrifying
The PTSD from the Games was vivid and it was so nice to see that this horrible bad thing that happened to the characters didn't just go away because they were in another book. Like it impacted their choices forever
Katniss and Peeta about to take the berries reminded me of Romeo and Juliet and I think that was probably on purpose. Neither can live without the other.
KATNISS IS FREAKING SIXTEEN AND ACTS LIKE SHE'S SIXTEEN
Katniss runs off and screams and cries and breaks down and fails and makes selfish decisions and selfless decisions and like she is SUCH A GOOD CHARACTER. Like I Honestly didn't think there would be a female character that competed with Joan Watson for #1 female for me, but Katniss is like. She's up there.
Gale was overall meh to me. He was There, but the emotional impact he had on Katniss was overall... yeah. just dots.
I'm really glad that Katniss was able to heal enough after 15 years from the Games to have kids. She wanted kids, and the mothering instinct is there, but she didn't want to bring them into a world where they wouldn't be safe. But Katniss having kids means that she does feel safe.
"you love me. Fake or real?" "real"
"sweetheart"
I literally did not realize the Hunger Games was science fiction until I got like halfway through the second one and was like oh yeah, yeah this is science fiction.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THEY SENT THEM BACK TO THE GAMES IN BOOK 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
like all I'd heard about the Hunger Games was book 1, so everything after that to me was just ?????? and I was SO MAD but it made so much sense from the Capitol's perspective and I so wanted to strangle Snow.
District 13 overall annoyed me tbh, but I did get where they were coming from.
Everything in this series is so heavy. Like you feel the weight of the entire world just seeping down on you and it's actually kind of nice. I feel like the Hunger Games decided yeah, this is a dark, gloomy kinda world and then kept that tone. Books that keep the tone are SO RARE and i adore them.
PEETA PEETA PEETA
BREAD BOY
AMNEISA
PRIM DYING LIKE ???????????????????????? so good. So good. Like the whole reason Katniss went into the Games was to save her and like. She died anyway. Tragedy my beloved.
Katniss being so bad at speeches was absolutely hilarious. She is very much a speak from the heart kinda person and I'm glad that was never "fixed"
I love how a running theme in the series was that they have to document everything. There are video cameras everywhere, recording, always recording, and if they aren't it didn't happen. But Katniss is screaming IT HAPPENED IT HAPPENED anyway. Like with Rue's death.
I love that Peeta is so protective of Katniss, but would wholey hold her bow while she punched someone in the face. Like he's protective of her while respecting her strengths.
this series is dark, but I am going to reread this 4000000 times.
#the hunger games#hunger games#katniss everdeen#peeta mellark#haymitch abernathy#hunger games spoilers#catching fire#mokingjay#suzanne collins
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The man who was there the day the Beatles broke up
Mal Evans was the Fab Fourâs roadie, fixer and friend. Paul McCartney confided in him when the band split, while John Lennon relied on him to guard his life. A new book tells his story
The Beatlesâ lingering tensions finally caught up to them during a meeting among John, Paul and George at 3 Savile Row on September 10 1969. As Mal and Neil [Aspinall, who ran the Beatlesâ company Apple Corps] observed, John took particular issue with what he perceived as Paulâs megalomania, saying that, âIf you look back on the Beatles albums, good or bad or whatever you think of âem, youâll find that most times if anybody has got extra time itâs you! For no other reason than you worked it like that.â For Mal, the conversation must have been pure agony. He idolised Paul, who bore the brunt of the meetingâs vitriol.
In his own defence, Paul protested that he had âtried to allow space on albums for Johnâs songs, only to find that John hadnât written anyâ.
With the idea of recording a new album seemingly off the table, John suggested that they produce a Christmas single instead. After all, he reasoned, their annual holiday fan club record would be due before long. When this idea was met with silence and indifference, John soberly concluded, âI guess thatâs the end of the Beatles.â
As horrible as the experience must have been for Mal, panic hadnât set in just yet. During the past 15 months, Ringo and George had quit the band at various times, only to be coaxed back. But ten days later it all spilled out again at a meeting at Apple. Mal and Allen Klein (their manager after the death of Brian Epstein) were there, along with Yoko, Neil and the boys. For his part, George was on speakerphone from Cheshire, where he was visiting his ailing mother. The topic at hand was a new agreement with Capitol, which Klein was understandably eager to ink.
As Mal observed, Paul began to enumerate the groupâs upcoming opportunities, including a series of intimate gigs and a possible television special. In each instance, John said, âNo, no, no,â before telling Paul, âWell, I think youâre daft.â Eventually, he blurted out that he wanted a âdivorceâ. âWhat do you mean?â a stunned Paul asked. âThe groupâs over,â John replied. âIâm leaving.â
At this point, Paul recalled, âEveryone blanched except John, who coloured a little, and said, âItâs rather exciting. Itâs like I remember telling Cynthia I wanted a divorce.â â
Afterwards, Mal and Paul returned to McCartneyâs home, where they retreated to the garden, still trying to process what had transpired. Paul remained hopeful that John might change his mind, that the Beatles would continue unabated. But Mal knew better. As with George, Mal had reasoned that âall of them had left the group at one time or another, starting with Ringoââ. But when âJohn came into the office and said, âThe marriage is over! I want a divorce,â that was the final thing. Thatâs what really got to Paul, you know, because I took Paul home and I ended up in the garden crying my eyes out.â
That night with Lennon and Phil Spector in 1973, when happiness was not a warm gun
Mal took great pleasure in spending long hours in Johnâs company, enjoying the Beatleâs undivided attention, as opposed to sharing him with Paul, George and Ringo. âIt was fascinating,â said Mal, who by this point was living in LA and writing his own songs, âbecause John was talking to me like I was a songwriter, and that was incredible. For the first time, John and I really communicated, whereas, when it was the four of them, John was always the hardest to talk to. I always thought that when John stopped insulting me, we had fallen out as friends.â But, he added, referring to Johnâs teasing, âThe more he likes you, the more he takes the mickey out of you.â
Yet, as Mal soon discovered, working with John during this period would prove to be a chore â incomparable, in fact, to their touring years together, when the Beatles were often confined to the relative safety of a hotel suite. When he was in LA, John could often be found at the Sunset Stripâs Rainbow Bar and Grill, which had emerged as his de facto headquarters [during a period of heavy drinking which Lennon ironically referred to as the Lost Weekend but actually lasted 18 months.] With musicians like John, Harry (Nilsson), Ringo, Keith Moon, Alice Cooper and Micky Dolenz adopting the Rainbow as their regular watering hole, they had taken to calling themselves the Hollywood Vampires, a nickname that evoked the night hours they spent guzzling hooch in the barâs loft space.
On one of his most harrowing evenings in Los Angeles, Mal had accompanied John and Phil Spector to the Rainbow. At one point, John walked Phil to his car, assuring Mal that he would return shortly. âAbout a half hour goes by, and I start worrying and go outside looking for John â no sign,â Mal later wrote. âIâd lost track of a Beatle for a day. What had happened, I found out the following evening, was that when heâd seen Phil off, a few hippie fans of his took him in tow, and John, who had just moved into a flat, couldnât remember the address, nor his or my phone numbers. [John] eventually turn[ed] up, but not before Iâd had a few irate words from Yoko, who phoned me from New York shouting, âI thought you were Johnâs bodyguard â why donât you guard his body?â â
At a loss for words, Mal admitted that âI never really thought of myself as a bodyguard to anybody, but I suppose over the years that had been part of the gig. Anyway, they were all grown up, with very strong minds of their own as to what they wanted to do, and I certainly didnât expect them to hold themselves accountable to me.â
That December, as work on Back to Mono proceeded, John and Phil shifted their project to the Record Plant West. The change of recording studios had everything to do with Johnâs and Philâs antics having gotten them evicted from their previous studio, A&M. At one point, Nilsson and Moon, in a drunken stupor, had urinated onto the recording console, leaving the electronics in an ungodly mess.
Things began innocently enough after John and Phil completed their December 11 session at the Record Plant West, where they took a pass at Chuck Berryâs You Canât Catch Me. As Mal looked on, the two men, drunk to the gills, were horsing around the Las Vegas Room. In a nod to the early days of Beatlemania when the Beatles would climb on Mal when they heard they were at the top of the charts, John decided to hop onto Malâs back for a piggyback ride. Unfortunately, Phil opted to get in on the act, too. Malâs physical dexterity in late 1973 was a far cry from that of the early 1960s, and he had difficulty sustaining the weight of two men atop his aching back. As always, Mal observed, âPhil goes a little too far,â and in the ensuing ruckus, âhe karate-chopped me on the nose, my spectacles went flying, and I got tears in my eyes I can tell you. I turned around with a real temper and told Phil, âDonât ever lay another finger on me, man.â â
And thatâs when Phil, âmaybe to re-establish himself in his own eyesâ, Mal thought, pulled out a handgun. To the roadieâs surprise, the producer âfired it off under our noses, deafening us both, the bullet ricocheting around the room and landing between my feetâ.
John was understandably incensed, exclaiming to Phil, âIf youâre gonna kill me, kill me, but donât take away my hearing â itâs me living!â
Until that moment, Mal and John had believed that Spectorâs handgun was a toy. At one point earlier in the evening, Phil had cocked the trigger and aimed the weapon at Johnâs head. As a result of the incident in the Las Vegas Room, âJohnâs fear of guns generally was doubled.â For his part, Mal vowed to stay clear of Phil. He would attend the recording sessions in deference to John, but that was it.
In nearly the same instant that Mal decided to banish Phil from his world forever, he and John were hustled off to [co-founder of the Record Plant] Gary Kellgrenâs house for a lavish going-away party in honour of Mal, who was preparing to make his return to Sunbury. For the occasion, Phil had arranged for Mal to receive âa beautiful large cake, which must have measured four feet by three feet, so nicely decorated with a large bottle of Napoleon brandy, [and] a lot of comic figures like Superman and Batman,â Mal wrote. The sumptuous dessert was inscribed, âTo Mal, my pal, love, Philip.â
As it turned out, the madcap producerâs greatest gift to Mal that night came in the form of his absence. âPhil, to show the most understanding side of his nature, did not come to the party,â said Mal. âHe knew if he had, heâd be outrageous and spoil it for me. But he set it up and didnât come â a true mark of affection from a friend.â
The party came to a sudden close, though, when John, having grown blind drunk, planted a telephone into the sticky remains of the cake.
Meet the Beatles: four days in Malâs life with the moptops
Paul (1962) In July 1962, Mal and his family attended the celebration of the âWavertree Mysteryâ, an annual event held to commemorate the anonymous donation of a local playground back in 1895. Mal later recalled that, âLil and I were proudly pushing Gary in his pram when she turned to me and said, âThereâs a weird guy over there â keeps staring at us. Now he looks like a real Cavernite to me.â On turning, I was to see Paul standing there, unshaven, with a denim jacket thrown over his shoulder and chewing on a toffee apple.â After engaging in the niceties of introducing his wife to the scruffy musician, Mal took Paul for a jaunt. âWe spent the rest of the day together,â Mal wrote, âPaul and I daring each other to go on things like the parachute drop and other displays that took nerve, neither of us accepting the challenge.â At one point, they stopped in front of an automobile exhibition. Paul announced to Mal that âone of these days Iâm going to own one of those carsââ, pointing to one very humble saloon-type car.
George (1962) After shows at the Cavern, Mal would introduce his wife Lily to the rest of the band. âOn one occasion,â Mal recalled, âLil and I bought the fish and chips for the group and ourselves, as they could only muster enough money between them to pay for the teas.â Although she had her misgivings about Malâs involvement in their lives, she enjoyed getting to know the bandmates. âAfter gigs,â she later recalled, âGeorge would come back to our house for bacon and eggs. He sometimes came back before Mal to keep me company. Iâd be washing baby clothes and nappies or ironing. I liked him the best.â Lily fondly remembered the time she pushed the bangs from Harrisonâs face, saying, âLetâs see what it looks like with your hair back. I like that better.â But George wasnât having it. He combed his hair forward, telling her, âThatâs the way I have to wear it; itâs the Beatle cut.â
Ringo (1965) Driving up the M1, Mal and Ringo stopped at a roadside cafĂ© for lunch. âWe were sitting at the counter,â Mal recalled, âand the chap next to me had obviously been trying to make up his mind whether it really was Ringo with me. Suddenly, he turned to me and said, âI donât care if it is him or not.â Ringo nearly choked with laughter as I teased the fellow, saying, âNo, itâs not him. But it gets terribly embarrassing taking him anywhere because everybody mistakes him for Ringo!ââ
John (1964) John held no illusions about the Beatlesâ behaviour, later admitting that, âWe were bastards. You canât be anything else in such a pressurised situation, and we took it out on Neil and Mal. They took a lot of shit from us because we were in such a shitty position. It was hard work and somebody had to take it. Those things are left out, about what bastards we were. F***ing big bastards, thatâs what the Beatles were. You have to be a bastard to make it, and thatâs a fact. And the Beatles were the biggest bastards on earth. We were the Caesars. Whoâs going to knock us when thereâs a million pounds to be made, all the handouts, the bribery, the police, and the hype?â
During a flight to Massachusetts for the September 12 show at the Boston Garden, Malâs long-standing feelings of intimidation around John came to a head. Sitting at the rear of the plane, he broke down in tears, telling a reporter that âJohn got kind of cross with me â just said I should go f*** off. No reason, ya know. But I love the man. John is a powerful force. Sometimes heâs rough, if you know what I mean, man. But thereâs no greater person that I know.â In many ways, it was as if Malâs lack of self-confidence, a key aspect of his persona for the balance of his life, had returned with a vengeance. Later John approached Mal and embraced him.
Extracted from Living the Beatles Legend by Kenneth Womack (Mudlark £25), published on November 14.
(source)
#another article in today's times!#mal evans#kenneth womack#the beatles#john lennon#phil spector#paul mccartney#george harrison#ringo starr
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I got a weird prompting to ask for a fun fact about someone who came up with a whole system of writing and then just disappeared. Odd, I know.
Well, you came to the right place, friendo! Today You Learned about Sequoyah.
[I had hoped to do this around Thanksgiving, or for Indigenous Peoples Month, but no one asked for it then so better late than never!]
Okay, maybe you have heard of the man. But if not, here ya go: Sequoyah was a Cherokee man born in Tennessee around the year 1770. When he grew up, his day job was actually being a silversmith, trading with trappers and merchants that came through Cherokee territory. He was pretty darn good at it too, and signed off on all of his work.
Something he noticed, though, was that the Europeans who went through had a written language, and that it was helpful for recording information and talking to people far away. Thatâs handy, Sequoyah thought. We should have our own written language. Because at that point, Cherokee didnât have a written language. So, apparently, this man decided to just⊠make one up.
I say âmake one upâ as if he came up with it on the spot without thought. No, thatâs not what happened. In 1809, Sequoyah began to study English, Greek, and Hebrew, and developed a written system for the Cherokee language. Each symbol represents a syllable, rather than a letter like in the English writing system, leading to a total of over 80 symbols for the alphabet.
Everyone thought he was crazy, but I want to be clear: he did it. This man, a silversmith by trade, created a written language system that within twenty years of its creation became the official written language of the Cherokee Nation.Â
Thatâs insane, guys! Where is this guyâs biopic? If you lived in a place with heavy Cherokee history, like the Carolinas, chances are youâve heard of himâthe NC Museum has a small exhibit on him in their section on Cherokee history, and we covered him in school in an article/essay/non-fiction story (I donât know what we call those things) called âSequoyah and the Riddle of the Talking Leavesâ, but itâs nuts to me that heâs not a more famous figure in American history, considering this.
Sequoyah actually taught the language to his daughter Ayokeh first, so that he could prove that it worked and made sense. Then he spent a ton of time traveling through Cherokee territory to get people to see its usefulness and learn it. Apparently, it worked.
So the US government thought this was awesome and gave Sequoyah a mansion to live in, right? [/sarcasm] No, you can probably guess from the timeline what happened. He went to Washington D.C. to protest and argue with other Native American leaders against the Indian Removal laws the government was enacting, but wasnât successful, leading to the Trail of Tears. His interactions with other nations led him to decide to try to create another system of writing for all indigenous Americans to use. I donât think it ever got completed, but someone with more knowledge on the subject can probably tell you more.
He died in Mexico, on an expedition based on the rumor that some Cherokee had gone thereâthe reunification of the Cherokee people was a big deal to him, after all.
We think he died there, anyway.
See, we donât actually know where his body is. Officially, he died in 1845 of a lung infection; we donât know where his body is. The Cherokee funded an expedition to find his grave in the 20th century, but while they found a grave in Coahuila, Mexico, they arenât sure if itâs his. In 2011, a newspaper argued that actually he wasnât buried, his skeleton was found in 1903 in a cave in Oklahoma.Â
I found this out by seeing that heâs listed on Wikipediaâs âList of People Who Disappearedâ (which I do not recommend reading if you are sitting alone in a house at night).
Well, heâs still an important national figure. Heâs got some recognitionâhis statue is in the US Capitol, heâs got a sculpture in front of the Cherokee Museum in North Carolina, and! Along with several figures from world cultures credited with inventing/teaching writing, heâs on the doors of the John Adams Building of the Library of Congress.
YMMV may vary on whether or not itâs good that heâs on there with a bunch of mythological figures.
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Okay, just so you all know, daddy!Coryo live now in my mind permanently, and of course the only reasonable thing to do is set him free by writing something...
I will share one little wip I wrote in my tiny lunch break:
Coriolanus dropped another piece of meat with the classic clang and watched the hybrid devour it. 1.57 seconds. A new record.
"Tell me," replied the professor, his tone neutral to mask his irritation, "What should I do?"
He heard Dr Gaul's clang.
"I have decided that your little songbird will sing at the opening ceremony of the next Games. You remember, don't you? Lucy Gray Baird."
Coriolanus' heart lost a beat.
Determined not to show any emotion, he slammed his tongs back into the funnel. Clang.
She won't find her, he was thinking, frantic, trying not to panic.
She won't find her, and soâŠ
"The girl is already on her way, with all her family," something detached itself inside him, like a piece of floating soul as he struggled to carry on his mechanical gestures. Another piece of flesh. Another clang. The stopwatch. 2.17 seconds. "I thought, as her former Mentor, you were the right person to host the Coveys... And convince your little Lucy Gray to play and sing for us in early July."Â
She found her.
His heart was beating furiously in his chest. Clang. 2.54 seconds.
She found her.
When did she return?
"... With a smile on her face, possibly. Accompanied by her family so that the world can see how much a Victor is able to enjoy life, after being pardoned from PanemâÂ
She's bringing her to me.
Lucy Gray... To his house? With the Coveys? Little Maude Ivory... CC... Tam Amber? Barb Azure?
Oh god.
If she was back... What had she told the others?!
Would they hate him, all of them?
And he was supposed to convince her to sing for Panem? With a smile on her face?
Another clang. His mind raced in circles, and Coriolanus had to force himself to maintain a neutral expression, to carry out his task, to feign indifference...
Could this have been a second chance?
"Ah, there's one small detail," Dr Gaul continued, indifferent to his inner screams, "I don't think it will be a problem for you, however it's better that the public doesn't know... You see, as a matter of reputation."
"What?" asked Coriolanus, his tone always neutral.
Clang. That ugly rat face again. 1.97 seconds.
"Your songbird had a baby," replied Dr Gaul, tone as always sing-songy. Coriolanus stopped with the tongs in midair, rigid. Had he understood correctly?! âIt's not good for Capitol City to be aware of the... Poor composure of the people of the Districts. Beasts that mate without even waiting until they come of ageâŠâ
Coriolanus felt himself rocking and had to appeal to every last ounce of self-control to remain upright and still. Not to be seen. Not to collapse.
Lucy Gray, with a child?
Lucy Gray... Lucy Gray with...?
"... Are you all right, Mr Snow?"
Coriolanus widened his smile and beat the tongs into the funnel with a loud clang. He took the time. 2.80 seconds.
"Well, I'll be getting baby items," he replied, posed and courteous and light as ever.
Inside, he was filled with fury.
Who dared?!
Let me know if you are curious đđ
#coriolanus snow#fan fiction#daddy coryo#snowbaird#my fics#the ballad of songbirds and snakes#tbosas
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December Monthly Roundup
Here's December's fic round up!
DC/BATMAN
Worlds Saddest Breakfast Club by motleyfam  (gen)7k, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd-Centric Following a couple of Very Bad Weeksâą (which may or may not have involved being kidnapped and mildly tortured), Jason decides the best way to cheer himself up is to break into the Manor for a 3 a.m. snack. Turns out he isnât the only one awake.
Batstream by RandomReader13 (gen), 6k, Bats on social media, Humor  âI want it on record that I think this is a terrible idea and Iâm only doing this to mitigate the damage." AKA Red Robin decides it's a great idea to livestream patrol while Batman's off-world. It goes about as well as you'd expect.
cards on the table by wesslan (gen) 67k, WIP, Fortune Teller AU, Tim Drake-Centric Tim's parents faked their deaths and fled the country years ago, but neglected to take him with them. He spent some time on the streets, and now at 16, he makes a living as a fortune teller, stalking and hustling the shit out of Gotham's elite by telling them eerily accurate fortunes based on the information he gathers about them. His life is peculiar but he wouldn't change a thing. When he gets booked for the big Wayne Halloween party, however, he finds himself getting all tangled up with the Waynes, and the more fortunes he tells, the tighter the snare becomes. or: Tim just wanted to scam Gotham's elite, not end up on the Batfamily's watchlist. But it seems they just won't leave him alone..
(a not so) lonesome town by wesslan  (gen), 10k, 2-part series, Sentient Gotham, Jazz music. Two works in which Gotham City is sentient and adopts enough kids to rival Batman himself (Batman is one of them).
Banshee in a Well by liverobinreaction (bugbee) (gen), 43k, Meta Tim, Resurrection Powers  Tim is five years old when he drowns in his parents' pool. He dies quietly, waiting for parents who love him, but will never be there, to realise that something is wrong. They never show up, and he sinks into oblivion.  When he wakes up and claws his way out of the water, the sun has set, and the lights of his house are on. He is cold and wet and his lungs burn.  But most of all, Tim is alone. (If you die and no-one is there to see it, were you ever alive in the first place?)
HUNGER GAMES
right here in the old therebefore by californianNostalgia (Katniss/Peeta) 14k, Canon Divergence, Ghosts Thereâs a ghost at the Hanging Tree. Katniss sees him first when sheâs six, her hair in braids, the song about the growing gallows fresh in her mind. This changes nothing. This changes some things. (In which Lucy Gray killed Coriolanus at the lake.)
How Rue Became the Mockingjay by aimmyarrowshigh (multi) 5k, Different 74th Victors AU Katniss Everdeen and the girl from Eleven are ruining their best-laid plans â the Capitolâs and the Rebelsâ. So Caesar, they say. Announce the change. An alternate chronology for The Hunger Games.
CROSSOVERS
Annabeth and the Nine Step Career Plan by feeling_the_aster_9145 (Annabeth/Percy), 76k, PJO x DCU, Annabeth gets Lex Luthor arrested, BAMF Annabeth. Annabeth Chase does not accept limitations. Everyone knows that. If she wants something, no matter how impossible, she will find a way to make it happen. Though, perhaps she will allow Bruce Wayne and his ridiculous paranoia-induced company restrictions a small portion of the credit. Actually⊠now that she thinks about it, the man may have had a point in his worries. Wayne Technologies does not accept college interns. Annabeth always has a plan B.
A Lesson in Superiority by Nation-Ustria (gen), 96k, WIP, Batfam x Harry Potter, Damian Wayne is Harry Potter, Wizarding Politics âThe good news is, heâs not cursed,â Constantine says. âAnd the bad news?â Dick asks sharply. Constantine squints. âI wouldnât call it bad news so much as, er, news.â He turns to Damian with something like a grimace. âYouâre a wizard, kid.â â...Iâm a what?â
#batfam fic rec#hunger games fic#percy jackson fic rec#harry potter fic recs#fanfiction#Tim Drake#Jason Todd#katniss everdeen#batfamily#damian wayne#Batman#monthly roundup
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Sheâs Still Preoccupied With 1985 đ€ | Bob Floyd x Rockstar!reader Imagine
Takes place after the events of TGM
TGM Masterlist
Characters & Pairings: Lt. Robert âBobâ Floyd x modern-day rockstar!reader (childhood best friends/romantic), dagger squad (platonic), Bob x female!oc (past romance), male!oc x reader (past romance), The 1985âs!BandOCs (platonic)
Content Warnings: major fluff, angst, profanity, canon divergence (Bob is born in 1985 in this, making him roughly 34 during TGM & 37 in the year 2022), pop culture references, second chance romance troupe, suggestive content and light smut + implied smut (MINORS DNI!!) inspired by the song â1985,â by Bowling For Soup | Female!readerâafab!reader (she/her) | wc: 17.2k
Premise: Join Lt. Robert âBobâ Floyd as he looks back on his fairytale love story with childhood best friend and real life rockstar, whoâs set to perform one last time on the countryâs most iconic stage, in her bandâs final show of their farewell tour.
Note: so after I wrote âItâs A Long Way To The Topâ with Maverick x 80sRockstar!reader, I had inspiration for someone from the dagger squad x modern-day rockstar!reader. I was going back and forth between Rooster and Phoenix, but this anon suggested Bob with a rekindled childhood best friend and I thought that was the bullseye. Once again feel free to imagine your friends as your bandmates, I just gave names to make it easier to write. I do not own any of the song or pop culture references, this is for fictional purposes. Let me know what you think! - Bee đ
Songs that are real life songs, but are used as âyourâ songs in this imagine: â1985â by Bowling For Soup, âIrisâ by the Goo Goo Dolls, âSome Nights,â by Fun, âPompeiiâ by Bastille, âPayphone,â by Maroon 5, âLetâs Get Lost,â by Bats for Lashes & Beck, âWhere Do Broken Hearts Goâ & âLittle Black Dressâ by One Direction.
ââââââââââââââââââ
Lt. Robert Floyd had seen a lot in his 37 years of life. Growing up on the plains of Montana, there wasnât much for him until it came time to leave for college. There, life seemed to pass by quicker than the night sky. Heâd experienced the hype of a Navy vs Army football game, getting wasted to the point he hated alcohol. Endless nights of studying that paid off when he received not only his diploma but also the rank of Ensign in the U.S. Navy. Then there was that time he nearly married his college sweetheart only to end things weeks before the wedding because he realized his heart belonged to someone else. In his career Bob pulled Gs with his pilot against the speed of sound in an F-18 and most recently, dogfighting SAMs out of enemy territory.
But no words could describe what Bob felt as he stood on the floor of Madison Square Garden with the people he called his best friends, waiting for the appearance of his one true love on stage.
The love that was once thought to be impossible, until fate was like, âThese souls belong together. Once the time is right, I will work my magic.â
17 years prior in 2005, Bob was certain heâd never get the chance to tell Y/n L/n he had loved her since they were fifteen years old after hearing her voice on the radio.
âThat was Kelly Clarksonâs âSince U Been Gone,â part of her Grammy nominated album Breakaway released last summer. Clarkson is the favorite to win the award for âAlbum of the Yearâ at next yearâs Grammys. Up next is a new group recently signed to Capitol RecordsâŠ.here is â1985â by, funny enough, The 1985sâ
Something about the name of the group and title of the song had an odd feeling swirl through the then college student. Driving the car he was in was his roomate Derek and their buddy Adrian along with Derekâs girlfriend Willow.
Nothing couldâve prepared Bob for the voice coming through the speakers, the lyrics bringing back the memory of when she showed him the paper with them written down in her semi-sloppy handwriting.
âDebbie just hit the wall, she never had it all.â
âOne Prozac a day, husbandâs a CPA.â
âBob, you okay?â Adrian tapped him on the shoulder, âYou look a little pale.â
âHer dreams went out the door when she turned twenty-four.â
âOnly been with one man, what happened to her plan?â
âThis has a good beat,â Willow bopped her head.
âShe was gonna be an actress, she was gonna be a star.â
âShe was gonna shake her ass on the hood of Whitesnakeâs car.â
âMy mom could definitely relate to that,â Derek joked, stopping at a red light. He too was enjoying the song. It gave that classic rock feel that the 80s music his parents listened to had. Nowadays Hip-Hop and Pop are becoming the main genres of music on the radio.
âHer yellow SUV is now the enemy.â
âLooks at her average life and nothinâ,â *guitar riff* âhas been,â *guitar riff* âalright.â
Bob, whoâs eyes were wide and heart racing, breathed in awe, âNo way.â
âSince Bruce Springsteen, Madonna,â
âWay before Nirvana,â
âThere was U2 and Blondie,â
âAnd music still on MTV.â
âHer two kids in high school,â
âThey tell her that sheâs uncool.â
ââCause sheâs still preoccupied,â
Tears spring in Bobâs eyes, wiping them away before his friends could see when Y/n sang the final line of the chorus.
âWith 19, 19âŠ1985.â
That was how the future naval aviator discovered his childhood best friend had accomplished her dream. Breaking into the music industry. Itâd been nearly four years since heâd seen Y/n, the two parting ways after her father took an accounting job in California, uprooting the teenager and her family from their home state of Montana.
Theyâd grown up on the same street, both their moms teaching at the elementary school. The two had pretty much gone through every grade together considering their school was small with few teachers. Every year they were in the same class, often sitting next to each other and spending time after school on the playground while their moms finished up for the day. Bob spent nearly every moment with Y/n as kids, becoming best friends when they were only five years old. But it wasnât until the boy was twelve that he realized what a crush wasâŠ.and boy did he have one on her.
Cherishing their friendship, poor Bob didnât say anything about his surfacing feelings for his best friend. Even when the news of her moving was announced when they were 16, Bob remained quiet. It pained him to do so but heâd rather have her in his life than risk losing her if she didnât feel the same.
In all the years Bob Floyd knew Y/n L/n, music was her life. It consumed her entire being with the young girl always humming a tune or singing along on the radio. When she was given a keyboard and guitar for Christmas, Y/n self-taught herself how to play until they could afford to put her in lessons. Then there were the notebooks.
At first it started as sticky notes with a verse or two, then it turned into loose pages of lyrics before finally the teenager wrote them all into notebooks. Anytime inspiration came to Y/n she was writing it down on whatever she could find. Napkins at a restaurant, receipts from her motherâs grocery run, hell even on her arm Y/n was writing lyrics so she wouldnât forget. Sometimes sheâd have the whole song complete before settling on a title, or a catchy title would come to mind but the lyrics would take time. Bob would always get annoyed when sheâd steal his pen from out of his hand, but would let it go, understanding she had to write it down before she lost it.
At a football game he witnessed her unable to find a pen in time to write something on her arm before the lyric faded away. The teenager nearly sobbed right there in the middle of the stands, face in her hands as though to will herself to remember. âAre you okay,â Bob whispered, to which he received a sad groan.
âNoâŠ.please donât interrupt my thinking. Iâm having a crisis, Robby.â
Y/nâs mom, who mentally still lived in the 80s, was the inspiration for her song â1985â, Y/n wrote at 15. Bob could still remember the day she raced up to their reserved lunch table, planting the paper in front of him, âRead this,â she was out of breath, but smiling nonetheless. Picking it up, Bob adjusted his glasses and let his eyes read over the words scribbled down that were separated into: intro, verse 1, chorus, verse 2, chorus, bridge, chorus, & outro.
âWow,â he reads over the lyrics again, brows raised and feeling a connection to the song. It wasnât hard to pick up on the fact it was likely titled â1985,â which also happened to be the year they were born. âThis is amazing, Y/n. Almost likeâŠ.wait is this about your mom?â As her best friend growing up, Y/nâs mother was like a second mom to himâŠ.so Bob knew her obsession with the 80s and how she had plans to be an actress before she and her high school sweetheart, Y/nâs father, got married after college and had Y/n when they were 24. Then they had her siblings afterward and both changed their course of careers in order to raise them. The line that said âhusbandâs a CPA,â is what really gave it away considering her father was an accountant. Debbie wasnât her motherâs name, but even a rocket scientist could piece it together Debbie represented her.
Glancing up, he sees her guilty expression, offering a light shrug. âIs it that obvious?â
Bob never forgot that song. Even with all the ones Y/n showed him afterwards and when they lost touch two years after she moved, he never once forgot the song, â1985â.
It was a sad day when she told him the news. They were halfway through junior year, college applications around the corner and setting up for SATs/ACTs when she dropped the bomb, âMy dadâs being transferred to California.â
The Coca-Cola heâd been drinking nearly went all over his steering wheel when he coughed, her words sending him into shock. âW-what-youâre moving?!â
âNext month,â she mumbled, head down to hide her face from his view. âMy dad is there now looking at places for us. In the meantime Mom is dealing with the house while also applying to schools in the area my dadâs gonna be working.â
âWhere?â Bob asks after a moment of silence, allowing him to fully process the news.
His best friendâwho he was in love withâwas leaving him.
Y/n sighed before replying with a sad chuckle, âLos Angeles. You know I would feel excited, seeing it was my plan to move to L.A after graduation, but I just canât bring myself to.â
âWhy?â Bob says softly with a frown, âThis is your dream, Y/n. All youâve wanted was to go there and audition for American Idolâor whatever that singing show is.â He was trying really hard to cheer her up, pushing down his heartbreak all the while. âThis is your chance.â
âYeah, butâŠ.â She glanced out the window, âwhat if it doesnât work out? I donât even know if I wanna go to collegeâwhich my mom still scolds me every time she gets the chance because she thinks Iâm a fool to wanna pursue music. You know how it is,â Y/n gives Bob a knowing look, âshe thinks of her life and wants me to go to school before selling my life away to a 9-5. I know sheâs looking out for me, but God, let me make my own mistakes.â Her head leans on the window, âIf it doesn't work out then thatâs on me. But Iâm not gonna give it up just because it seems out of reach. Thatâs what back up plans are for.â
Silence fills the car, the two letting their thoughts wonder. âPromise me something, Robby.â
âAnything,â he doesnât hesitate.
âPromise me that even though Iâm leaving, weâll still be best friends. Weâll still write letters or talk on the phoneâŠjust donât give up on me.â
Taking her hand in his, hoping she doesnât feel the slight tremor as the words he so desperately wants to say are on the tip of his tongue, Bob gives her a look of love which she likely would believe is one of sincerity, âyouâre my best friend, Y/n. I believe you will accomplish everything you set your mind to. When you make it big, Iâll be cheering you on every second and until then, weâll talk every day if we have to,â he makes a face after thinking, âthough maybe narrow it down to once a week so my mom doesnât kill me for the phone bill.â
That makes Y/n laugh before reaching over the console to hug him. Arms go around his neck while his one arm awkwardly wraps around her side.
âI love you, Robby,â she tells him, sending his heart soaring. âYouâre the only person I can count on in this whole damn world.â
âI love you too, Y/n.â âMore than what you could possibly know.â âIâll always be here for you. Forever.â
He never thought heâd break that promise. But around the time of graduation things became so hectic in Bobâs life on top of the fact he was hurting. Hurting because he loved Y/n, and anytime they would talk on the phone or send letters he was reminded of the fact she was in California while he was stuck in Montana and they could never be together. Bob felt the only way he could save his heart and move on from that love was by cutting contact. It was his fault and he knew it when the letters eventually stopped coming and the phone stopped ringing every Friday. His mother could only relay an excuse to the girl so many times before Y/n eventually gave up. The last letter she sent him came two months after their last phone call, âSo much for always being there, Robby. Have a good life, I hope it treats you well. -Y/n.â
He didnât know what happened to her until two years later when â1985â played for the first time on the radio for the whole world to hear. Tears lined his eyes, the man having to look out the window away from his friends. The flooding of emotion was overpowering, forming a sob in his throat.
She did it. Sheâs on the radio like she always dreamed.
âThat was â1985â the debut single of incoming rock band, The 1985s. Hits the nostalgia I gotta sayâI feel weâre looking at some fresh new faces to the scene. Canât wait to see what they have to offer in the future.â
The prediction of the radio host came true, when in 2006 the group released their debut album Established in 1985. Like their name, it referenced the year all members were born in which included frontwoman and occasional guitar player Y/n L/n, bassist Thomas Quinn, guitarist Farrah Cortez, drummer Xavier Hernandez, and keyboardist Pepper Renolds. All met at the University of California Los Angeles, and funny enough none were students in the music program. They were all in STEM/humanities with Y/n studying sociology with a minor in music, meeting the others when they formed a study group after they all had the same prerequisite classes their second semester.
It was at one of their meetups that Y/n couldnât help but sing along to Journeyâs âFaithfullyâ and The Whoâs âWe Donât Get Fooled Again,â as they played on the little radio in the corner. âDamn Y/n,â Thomas looked amazed, âYou got a voice, girl. How come youâre not studying music?â
âSame reason why you arenâtâdonât give me that look, Quinn, I saw that bass in your place when we were there last week.â
Next thing they knew Pepper mentioned she was a pianist who was progressing onto keyboard. Then Farrah said she played guitar and Xavier smirked, âall yâall need is a drummer and you can be a bandâŠ.oh wait, have I ever told yâall I play drums?â
And thus, the 1985âs were born.
Months were dedicated to them building their sound and learning to be a band all while keeping up with their school work. Y/n was the brain behind all their songs, literally dropping the pile of notebooks onto the table one day saying, âIâve got at least four albums worth of songs in theseâŠmaybe even more.â Working little by little they eventually got the tunes for several that they knew theyâd want to release first if they managed to get discovered. MySpace was just starting out and Y/n took it upon herself to be bold, creating a profile for them. She listed her information since they didnât have a band email set up. That would hopefully come in the future.
It was on MySpace that their lives changed forever.
Roughly after a year of working nonstop to create songs and develop their sound, the band uploaded a video onto the platform for â1985,â in May of 2004. It almost looked like a music video, teaming up with students from the drama programs who were in need of doing their end of semester project. They had someone play Debbie, her husband, the two kids, and a group of extras. Even the yellow SUV Y/nâs mom drove was used as well as a poster of Duran Duran for the line in the second verse. The band would be in clips throughout the video, Y/n singing and playing the guitar. It took them the whole night spray painting a makeshift logo of âThe 1985âsâ onto Xavierâs drum set.
When they first uploaded the video they were all like, âEven if no one sees it, this was still fun as hell to make.â
But little did they know it was going to be seen by many eyesâŠ..including an executive of Capitol Records.
Y/n was just coming home from her shift at a local diner when she checked her email, dropping the water bottle in her hand and letting out an ear-piercing scream that woke her roommates.
âY/n, my name is Martin Plaza and Iâm a talent exec at Capitol Records. A member of my team came across your video on MySpace and we were impressed by your band and song, â1985â. Weâd like to set up a meeting if you all are interested and please bring any demos you may have. Email me back as soon as possible or give me a call using the number listed below. Hope to hear from you soon. Regards, Martin Plaza.â
Y/n and the group could hardly contain their reaction at the meeting when Martin and a few members of Capitol Records were visibly pleased with what they were hearing. With so many songs they had recorded, they settled on bringing five, including â1985,â and âSome Nights,â which they were planning on uploading to MySpace next.
Martin and the team had excused themselves briefly before returning with the offer: a six year contract with Capitol Records releasing at least three albums during that period.
You can bet your ass they agreed. Signing their names before the sun could set on the horizon.
Champagne popped that night with Y/n crying against the receiver of her pink Motorola as she informed the news to her family. Her mother cried with her, her dad celebrating in the background while her siblings were like, âDonât forget me when you become famous, sis.â What made her sad though after the call ended was when she went to dial Robbyâs number, only to close the phone with a sigh. Itâd been over a year since they last spoke, Y/n unsure where he even was or if he had a cell phone. The only number she knew was his home phone.
Curiosity and slight anger rising, Y/n dialed the number saved as his home landline, not surprised when his mother answered. âY/n! Why hello, darling, I wasnât expecting your call tonight.â
âHi, Mrs. Floyd,â she sniffed, feeling tears prick in her eyes again. Y/n was not used to addressing the older woman by her last name. It felt awkward now to call her by her first. âI know heâs probably not going to come to the phoneâŠbut if RobbyâRobert is there, could IâŠcould I just speak with him please? Itâs important.â
âOh honey,â that was enough to indicate it wouldnât happen. Y/n looked up to the sky, heart breaking in two at the fact her so called best friend, who she loved more than anything in the world, had completely discarded her. âRobert is uhhâheâs at the Naval Academy, sweetheart, I can give you his email or cell numberâ.â
âNo-no-no,â Y/n interrupted, stunned by the news. âItâs fine. Uh, just never mind.â
âHoneyâ.â
âSorry to bother you so late, Mrs. Floyd. Take care and thank you for your help.â Placing the phone in her pocket, Y/n allowed the tears to flow freely before moving back inside to where the party was. Only she could hardly enjoy it now. Instead she let her feet carry her over to the notebook placed on her backpack, removing a pen hastily from the pencil pouch and scribbling down the lyrics that were screaming in her head. The words that took over the paper went onto become their Grammy award winning singles, âIris,â and âPayphone.â Iris became so popular it was used in several movies and tv shows after its release in 2006, earning the band the Grammy for âRecord of the Year,â to go along with their âBest Rock Performance by a Duo/Groupâ and âAlbum of the Yearâ, three MTV moonmen including âVideo of the Yearâ and the American Music Award for âSong of the Year.â Payphone was just as successful, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for 20 consecutive weeks and winning just as many awards as Iris.
Anytime the songs played on the radio or wherever he was, Bob had to change the station or frown until it ended. Deep down, he could feel they were about himâhurting him even more at the realization Payphone was basically saying how Y/n loved him and was trying to move on. Just in the way Y/n sang combined with the lyrics telling a story, it was obvious he had broken her heart. And they werenât even together. They were just best friendsâŠ..who were too stupid enough to not admit their feelings for each other.
His senior year of college Y/n and the group were starting to become big, all the members taking a break from college in order to build their careers as musicians. Often Bob would check in to see how Y/n was, tuning into award shows to watch them perform. Pride and awe filled him watching her sing, living her dream just as he believed she would. He hated that he broke his word to her, and it seemed to affect Y/n whenever she performed Iris and Payphone, putting every ounce of emotion into each lyric.
At 21 Bob had finally entered a relationship with a nice girl from the Naval Academy. The possibility of him reuniting with Y/n was long out of the picture and his friends were getting on him to finally break out of his shell. They had no idea of his connection to the rockstar, but they could tell anytime they were on the radio Bobâs demeanor changed. Abby, a sweet pre-law student at the Naval Academy, was his first serious commitment, the two bonding over similar interests and plans for the future. Hope rose at what it could hold.
Until she and their friends decided they wanted to go see The 1985âs concert.
It was 2007, theyâd just graduated and were commissioned to the rank of Ensignâs waiting to be shipped off to their respective duty stations. And Bob was engagedâŠ..but he hadnât really proposed in the traditional way. It was more of Abby pointing out if they wanted to get stationed together then it was best for them to get married and he just agreed. But a big part of him was hesitant to go through with it.
The news of Abby and their friends' desire to go to the concert made his stomach drop and head spin. Still in Maryland, they had gotten tickets to the show in New York at Madison Square Garden which was only a couple hours away. Abby had went ahead and got them as a surprise for Bob, not telling him until the day before the show.
âYou guys go,â Bob initially said, praying she couldnât pick up on the anxiety in his voice. âIâuhâIâve got some things to get doneâ.â
âWhat things?â She scoffed, shaking her head as she laid out the outfit she planned to wear. âSchool is over, you arenât planning to see your family until next week, and you donât leave for flight school till the end of summer. What could you possibly do tomorrow night, Bobby?â He mentally cringed at the nickname, unconsciously thinking of how Y/n would call him Robby.
This wasnât a good idea and he knew it. Already he was starting to think of her again. More and more by the second. Feelings were resurfacing, and Bob was fighting them hard. If he saw her on stage it was only going to confirm what he already knew.
That Y/n owned his heart. And no one else would have it. Not even Abby.
In the end, Bob found himself on the floor of Madison Square Garden of all places, wondering just how the hell their friends managed to get the area. The band was touring for their debut album, selling out within seconds and what made it more historic were they managed to get The Garden in their first ever tour. Usually groups/artists had years before they played at the Garden, settling for smaller venues in New York, but the 1985âs had become sensations.
The entire time they waited for the band Bobâs hands were shaking, the man unable to contain his tremor with each minute. Abby asked at one point, but brushed it off as him being excited when he didnât give her an answer.
He was a little excitedâŠ.but mostly fucking terrified.
Especially because they were very close to the stage. Like if one of the members happened to walk close to where they were standing theyâd be spotted.
Bob shouldâve fucking knocked on wood.
When the band came out Madison Square Garden erupted, Y/n belting out the lyrics to their opening number, looking like an actual dream. Her look was more of a modern take on rock n roll but still looked classic. Black leather adorned her body with cutouts to showcase some skin, arms covered in ink from the various tattoos and hips rolling to the beat of the drums causing the crowd to go crazy.
Y/n really knew how to work the stage and make it her bitch.
Bob was mesmerized. Utterly speechless as his eyes glued to the woman he once called his best friend. All he could do was stand there and stare, while willing his heart to calm down by how fast it was beating.
It was to be a two hour show at the least, and Bob didnât know if he wanted to leave as quickly as he could or wishing the show would last forever. Seeing Y/n up close and performing before a crowd made him feel things he didnât know were possible. Her dazzling smile, dancing across the stage and playing the guitar was everything he couldâve dreamed for her.
He loved her. Bottom line, Bob loved Y/n like no other.
When their eyes connected 30 minutes before the concert ended, causing Y/n to drop the microphone and throw her off for the remainder of the concert, Bob knew he couldnât marry Abby.
He wasnât sure if Y/n recognized him at first, but the rockstar had approached the side he was standing at to interact with the crowd when her gaze landed on his. Eyes widening, Y/n literally dropped the microphone causing the impact to echo through the speakers. Bobâs cheeks went bright red, unable to look away in their 2-second staring contest until Y/n blinked rapidly and cursed.
âShit,â he saw her mouth as soon as the microphone hit the platform, bending down quickly to pick it up. âSorry about that guys,â she nervously laughed, eyes glancing at Bob as though to make sure they werenât deceiving her. A sharp intake of breath indicated she realized it wasnât a trick. Walking backwards until she was back to the middle of the stage where the band was, Y/nâs tone became flustered, âU-uh, we only got a couple songs left in the show. Weâre gonna take a quick five minute break so just hang tight.â
Bob could see the looks of concern from her friends/bandmates as she ran off stage, the group following behind. His heart dropped, rubbing a hand over his face to calm down the anxiety in his veins.
âWhat the hell was that about?â Derek laughed, âIt was like she saw a ghost or something.â Everyone besides Bob agreed, none seeing the way Abby was staring at him with an unreadable expression.
When the band returned for the final act Y/n did her best to not look at the section Bob was in. Unlike everyone else in attendance, the Navy officer could pick up on the fact she was more tense than at the start of the show. Her voice shook lightly when delivering the lyrics to âIrisâ, although it was as though she was putting more emotion than ever into the song, bringing tears to Bobâs eyes. Y/n also appeared to hold back tears, quickly transitioning the song to their next to avoid breaking down.
â1985â was the last in their set, everyone in MSG jumping up and down to the chorus and screaming the lyrics. Y/n smiled the entire time, finally letting a tear slip when the concert came to an end. To everyone it may have looked like the rockstar was overwhelmed with emotion at the fact she just played Madison Square Garden before a sold out crowd. But for Robert Floyd, he knew those tears were because of him.
Especially when they connected eyes again, Y/nâs lip quivering before turning away to hide her face. When she walked off with the band Bob felt his heart go with her.
âYouâre hiding something,â Abby said with a soft tone when they arrived back home late that night. It was nearly 3 in the morning, the concert having ended at 11.
Bob tilted his head back, eyes closing to block off the rest of the world, âPlease, letâs not do this.â He just wanted to go to bed and sleep the night away.
âYou know, I always wondered why your knuckles would tighten around the steering wheel when their songs played on the radio, or why you look like you wanna cry anytime I sing âIrisâ at karaoke, why you canât even look at me when I do,â she lists off, voice slightly rising. âThen thereâs that box of letters you hide in the closet. AndâŠ.and the photo album you wonât even let me look at. Weâve been together for a year, and you have not once told me you loved me.â By now Abbyâs voice wavered, sniffing as she continued.
âIâve been a fan of The 1985âs for close to a year now, but it wasnât until tonight I actually read up on them. On Y/nâŠ..â she saw how his body reacted, confirming her suspicion even more. âHow she was living in L.A when they got discovered, but she grew up somewhere elseâŠ..Sheâs from Montana. The same town as you, Robert.â
âThatâs just a coincidenceâ.â
âShe went to the same high school as you!â Abby shouted, pushing off the wall she was leaning against. âYou told me your town had less than four-thousand peopleâand only one high school. She wouldâve gone there, Robertâin fact it said her mom was a teacher at the elementary school. The same one your mom taught at!â
By now Bob had enough, mouth tightening as he spoke calmly to his âfiancĂ©â, âWhat do you want to know, Abby?â
âWho was she to you? Donât fucking say shit like âI donât know what youâre talking about,ââI saw her look at you,â tears pricked in her blue eyes. âHow she looked like sheâd been punched straight through the heart. She fucking dropped the microphoneâand looked like she wanted to faint! Like you were a walking ghost. And youâŠ.you looked the same.â Pausing, she thought back to his face at the concert. There was no doubt Y/n and him had locked eyes, she heard him audibly react despite the noise.
âYou looked like someone with deep regret. Someone who longed for a second chance. You looked like someone in love, Robert. Never have you looked at me that way.â Abby waited for him to respond, but Bob was unable to speak, expression unreadable causing her heart to break.
âJust please,â she breathed out, âtell me the truth, Bob. What was she to you?â
Silence filled the room, causing the tension to rise. It stayed that way until Bob finally sighed, face falling as he admitted what she already knew.
âShe was everything. She is everything.â
When it came time to ship out two months later Bob was not the married man he expected to be. In all honesty, he was relieved. That night the argument had ended with Bob telling Abby he couldnât marry herâheâd be hurting her even more if he followed through with it. Never could he love her the way he did Y/n and wouldn't put her through that. Going their separate ways was for the best. Even though heâd likely never be with Y/n, no one could compare to her.
Abby was angry as one could expect but part of her knew it was for the best. What good was it getting into a loveless marriage? She almost resented the rockstar, feeling like she could never enjoy the 1985âs anymore knowing the man she thought she spent the rest of her life with was hopelessly in love with his former best friend, who was the frontwoman of her favorite band. But then Abby took some time to think, and felt her heart break for Bob. She couldnât imagine what it was like loving someone you couldnât have.
Ending their engagement and agreeing to be friends, Bob told stories about growing up with Y/nâeven bringing out the letters and photo album for her to see. It amazed the woman, flipping through the pages to see the singer when she was a child and teenager. It was almost funny to see how polar opposites the two best friends were, Y/n with her 80s band t-shirts and ripped jeans next to a Bob in his cowboy hat and flannels. As teenagers Y/n dabbled more in the grunge makeup. One photo made Abby laugh as it showed Bob with black eyeliner and glitter on his cheeks.
Coming across the end of the album was a half of a âBest Friends Foreverâ necklace taped to the page. Abby frowned, âWhat happened between the two of you?â
This was a question he never thought heâd answer, thinking heâd go the rest of his life without anyone finding out his history with Y/n.
âAfter she moved we stayed in contact for about two years. Weâd call every Fridayâsend letters from time to time ....â He paused, biting his lip as the frown took over. âBut I stopped responding and answering.â
âWhy?â
âIt hurt too much,â he admitted, hating the way his heart clenched. âI never said anything because I didnât want to lose what we had,â he looked to the ground, âbut then it just became too overwhelming and I thought if weâŠ.if we drifted apart then I eventually could move on.â
Abby is silent, glancing at the picture of him and Y/n before looking back at the necklace, âWanna hear something, Bob? Something you probably wonât believe, but I promise you itâs more likely than you think?â He looks up from the floor, brow raised slightly.
âWhat?â
âI think Y/n loves you.â
âNot in the way you think, Abby,â Bob deflects with a shake of the head. âAnd she definitely doesnât anymoreâshe hates me no doubt.â
âNo, listen to me,â she closes the album, setting it aside. âWhen did you two stop talking?â
âAround fall of 2003,â he tells her, look of regret in his visage, âin 2004 was the last time she phoned the house.â
Abby thinks back in her research of the band, shoulders dropping slightly, âThatâs when they got signed to Capitol Records. âPayphoneâ and âIrisâ came out last year, but Y/n said in an interview she wrote them the night they were signedâwhich had people confused because theyâre sad songs that were written on a night that was supposed to be happy. Donât you see?â She waves her hand at his now confused gaze, making her huff. âShe probably had called your house hoping to tell you the news! Anyone who hears those songs knows itâs about heartbreak. And not the type of heartbreak you get by a friendship disintegrating, Bob. Thatâs the heartbreak when someone you love with your entire soul hurts you.â
âAbby please,â Bob pleads with her, water lining his eyes. Falling silent the woman leans away, solemn in her expression.
âAll Iâm saying is she loved you more than you think. And judging by her reaction to you tonight, I think Iâm right when I say Y/n would give anything for you to talk to her againâŠ..â
For years Bob thought about what Abby had told him that night they broke up. It kept him up at night especially when The 1985âs came up that day either in conversation or on the radio. There were times he was tempted to write a letter, but life would get crazy with the Navy and then in 2011 he was invited to Top Gun.
Devastated couldnât even be the right word to describe how Bob felt when it was revealed Y/n had eloped with a Hollywood heartthrob. Not a fan of social media, Bob had just returned back to his squadron after graduating from Top Gun to turn on E! News where they were covering the story.
âWedding bells are in store for rockstar Y/n L/n of The 1985s and actor Enrique Lorenzo from The Walking Dead. The two have been spotted throughout the year looking cozy at award shows and Lorenzo attending The 1985âs concerts in L.A and Atlanta. An inside source has gotten word the two applied for a marriage license two days ago and earlier this morning had a private ceremony with close friends and family in West Hollywood. Neither has confirmed if they have in fact tied the knot, but I would keep your eyes out. In the meantime, congratulations to the happy couple and weâre looking forward to seeing Y/nâs ring.â
It seemed like all the air had left Bob, turning off the tv in a flash but still pointing the remote as he stood stunned. Then his phone buzzed with messages.
âHoney, just checking in. Call me when you get home,â was from his mom, trying to avoid the obvious elephant and would rather discuss it over the phone.
âHave you heard the news?â Abby wrote. âIâm so sorry, Bob.â He actually appreciated that she wasnât walking on eggshells. That she was upfront with him. Though itâd been over four years since their breakup, and Abby was now married with children, the two remained friends and often checked in with each other occasionally.
âIt was bound to happen some time,â he replied before turning off his phone so he couldnât receive any more messages.
The rest of the night he was pretty much a walking shell, then as the years went on Bob closed himself off. Hardly did he date, and when he did they only lasted a few months before the girls realized he was not ready for the commitment they were wanting. Some understood, others were more aggressive when spitting out their feelings. Never did he admit why he couldnât love them the way they wanted. The only people who knew who his heart belonged to were Abby and his family.
2015 Bob was transferred to Lemoore when the news broke that Y/n and Enrique had divorced after nearly four years of marriage, however, they had been secretly separated for almost a year before it was finalized. Cursing mentally, Bob couldnât help but feel a slight reliefâwhich was completely fucked up knowing Y/n was going through a difficult time and here he was silently celebrating, as though he really had a chance now to make things right.
That shouldâve been his sign to call her mother and ask for Y/nâs number, with the hope sheâd give it to him. But then Bob felt it was too soon. Her divorce had just been finalized, he didnât know the exact reason despite the former couple citing irreconcilable differences. Whatever it was, Bob wasnât sure he wanted to know but at the same time couldnât help but be curious.
Heâd get his answer almost two years later in January of 2017 when he flew home to Montana to celebrate his birthday. It was his 32nd and his mother literally begged him to come home so they could all be together now that Bobâs sister had recently had twins and were there to visit. Wanting to meet his nieces, the WSO relented and booked a flight for the weekend after confirming his leave.
Suspicion filled him with the way his family was acting when he arrived. Almost like they were excited but nervous, which only confused the officer. He was in his service khakis, pulling his cap off when they got inside and removing his windbreaker before setting it on the coat rack.
Thatâs when he saw the black suitcase in the corner.
âWhoâs is that?â He asked with a raised brow, noticing his mother slightly tense. It wasnât a luggage he recognized as one of theirs, and it was as though it had just been placed there.
And his sister had already unpacked in her old room. So it wasnât hers.
Blushing, his mother tried to find the right words, âOh-um, Itâsâ.â
âItâs mine.â
32 years had gone by in Bobâs life and never did he think heâd experience anything close to cardiac arrest. But hearing Y/nâs voice, so close as though she was behind him, made him think he was about to die right then and there.
Then he turned around, slowly, heart beating so fast it was about to explode from his chest, and she was there. Standing at the end of the staircase in a beautiful black leather dress with matching knee high boots, her hair slicked back into a bun and minimal makeup showcasing her gorgeous face.
She was ethereal. Absolutely breathtaking.
The last time he saw her in person was when they were 22, before that was 16. Here she was a grown woman whoâd been through a hell of a life. She looked beyond gorgeous, and Bob felt the heat rise to his cheeks.
Only her gaze was not as warm as the emotions Bob was feeling. Honestly he felt like he could be six feet in the ground with how she was looking at him. Betrayal, heartbreak, anger, but underneath it there was love and hope.
âHello, Robert.â
He didnât even know how to react. All he could do was stand there, speechless with his mouth slightly agape. Eventually he just breathed out, âY/n.â
Stoic, Y/n glanced at his mother, âMrs. Floyd, could you please give us a moment.â
âOf course,â the older woman nodded, bidding her son a glance, âWeâll all be out on the porch.â
Nodding in thanks, Y/n waited until she and everyone in the house had moved outside before facing Bob again. Chills ran up his arms when she let her eyes trail over his figure, remaining emotionless.
An awkward silence passed, neither really knowing what to say. Bob was hesitant to break it, hoping she would but Y/n just continued to stare at him. Both unable to form the words.
Finally he tried to say, ây-you uhh, wow.â He swore he heard her scoff under her breath.
âYeah, wow,â her tone broke his heart, but then again Bob couldnât blame her. After all, heâs the reason they drifted apart. When he didnât reply, instead glancing to the ground, she scoffed louder, âThatâs all you can really say? âWowâ? After thirteen years, Robert, all you have to fucking say to me is âwowâ? No, âIâm sorry,â no âI can explain everything.ââ
Anxiety rising, Bob sighed which only made her angrier. âY/n, I-Iâ.â
She couldnât stop herself, âWhy?â The question haunted her for over a decade. âWhy did you just throw me away like trashâa-after everything weâd been through? You owe me the reason why you broke your word to me and made me feel like shit. I have waited and waited for years, Robert, hoping you would call or send a letter but now Iâve had enough so you canât run away from me now. So start talking.â
âY/n, I didnât mean for y-you to feel like that,â he tried to explain, but the words were not the best, causing her to explode.
âHow else was it supposed to make me feel!?â She threw her hands out. âThatâs how it came off as to me! âAll always be here for you,â my ass, Robert. You remember telling me that? It was only two yearsâtwo years of us doing so well with the distanceâI was even planning on surprising you for fucking Christmas and then it was just gone in the blink of an eye,â snapping her fingers, Y/n emphasized her point. âNo explanation, no warning. Nothing to tell me you didnât want to be friends anymore, having your mom give me excuse after excuse why you wouldn't come to the phone.â She pauses to calm herself, her tone kept rising with each word.
Bob takes the moment to speak, âItâsâŠY/n, you have to understand it was never my intention to hurt you,â when she made a sound of, âyeah right,â he rushed out, âPlease! I fucked up, I know I did and Iâve regretted every second of it since thenâand as much as I wanted to reach out and apologize, explain to why it happenedâŠI just felt so ashamed and then I heard you on the radio,â a sad smile comes to his lips, seeing her stiffen at the mention of her debut. âAnd when I heard your voice, I just thought that was it. You didnât need me anymore and believed you would forget about me eventually.â
âForget about you?â Her tone went soft, eyes glistening. âYou were my best friendâsince we were fucking five, Robert!â He flinched, shame filling his veins. âWe did everything together, I shared everything with you. My musicâsome of which were inspired by the fucking things we did,â the confession had his eyes widened a bit, âYou think I would just forget all of that? Thirteen years worth of friendship down the drain? Sorry, but Iâm not like youâI wouldnât just ditch the only person I trusted most in this world because I was starting to become something. Did your mom tell you I called?â She suddenly asked, not letting him answer before she was ranting again, âIt was almost a year after you threw me to the winds. The night I fucking met with Capitol Records and got offered the opportunity of a lifetimeâŠ.I wanted to share that with you. Despite the fact we hadnât talked for almost a goddamn year, I desperately wanted to hear your voice and tell you I did it,â her voice cracked at the end, causing tears to prick in Bobâs eyes at the sight she was fighting back her own.
âThat I did it,â Y/n held back the sob threatening to escape. âYou were the only one who believed in me, and I couldnât even share that with you. Because you didnât want me in your life anymoreâand you know what thatâs okay. Friendships come and go, but you couldnât even give me the fucking respect to tell me. And then you come to my show!â Now she was shouting, âYeah I know that was you, donât even try to deny it. It may have been four years at that time but I know damn well that was you in New York. I cannot fucking believe you would come to my show and not even tell me! And then to not reach out after was a fucking slap to my face.â Her breathing was starting to get heavy, the woman pressing her fingers to the bridge of her nose.
âI donât even recognize you honestly. The Robert I knew wouldâve never hurt me like you did. He wouldâve at least shown me some respect. He wouldn't leave me to wonder what I did wrong.â
âYou didnât do anything wrong,â he said sternly.
âWell it doesnât feel that way now does it?â She said just as harsh, âWhy?â
âY/n, itâs complicated,â he put his hands to his neck, looking at the ceiling as he started to lose composure.
âThen tell me why!â
âBecause I fucking love you thatâs why!â
The words had left Bobâs mouth before he could stop himself. Silence ignited, the WSO covering his mouth with a hand as he went pale, staring at Y/n whose own mouth was parted. The confession had hit her full blast, causing her to stumble back as though she physically felt them possess her. A shaky hand came to her own mouth, looking away from the man when her eyes closed allowing the tears to spill on her cheeks.
âI love you,â Bob whispered, mirroring her expression. âIâve loved you since we were fifteen, Y/n. I knew I felt something when we were twelve, but I just brushed it off thinking I was confused. But then I couldnât stop thinking about youâand what we could have. But I didnât want to lose you if you didnât feel the same.â Opening his eyes, they locked on hers. God even when she cried she looked beautiful. âWhen you leftâŠI thought it would be easier to move on. But then we talked every week and the feelings wouldnât go away. No matter how much I tried. You took my heart with you to L.A. and youâve had it ever since.â
He waited for her to respond, chest on fire with how bad his heart was racing. Fingertips were going numb as Bob stared at her with pleading eyes. âIâm sorry. I canât go back in time and change it as much as I wish I could. Please know, Y/n, Iâm so fucking sorry. Iâm so fucking sorry for hurting you. I wonât ask for your forgiveness because I donât deserve it. I wonât blame you if you walk out that door and we never see each other again. But just when you do, know that Iâm truly, deeply, sorry.â
Time seemed to slow now with the two adults staring at each other. Now that it was all out in the open, Y/n seemed to be processing the whole thing. Bob couldnât tell what she was thinking. Unbeknownst to him, Y/nâs brain was screaming, as was her heart. Lips quivering, the woman sniffed.
âYou love me?â
âI do,â Bob signed after a moment. He no longer could keep it in, feeling the immense relief at being able to finally say it aloud.
âFor years?â
âAlmost seventeen.â
âSeventeen,â she repeated with an unreadable tone. âY-you, I thoughtâyour mom told me you were engaged.â
âThat was in college,â he explained softly. âShe was at the show with me that night. Saw how we reacted to each other and realized things I tried to hide. I ended things with herâI couldnât trap her in a marriage that would make her unhappyâmake me unhappy. She understood after a while and we stayed friends.â Bob rubbed his jaw, adding, âeveryone else that came along was the same. I couldnât love them the way they wanted me to. My heart wouldnât allow it.â
Y/n leaned her head against the wall behind her, gazing at the ceiling, âA-and you were just going to go through life alone? Never planning to settle or be happy?â
âWhat good would it be hurting someone by committing to them when I couldnât offer everything they would give me in return. They could love me, but I couldnât love them, Y/n, and thatâs unfair.â He wiped away a tear that slipped from his eye, no doubt his irises were red, âIâd rather be alone than do that to someone.â
She took a sharp inhale at that, more tears falling. âYou shouldâve told me,â her voice cracked, making him look away. Only to freeze when she said in almost a whisper, âBecause we couldâve had all this time.â
âWh-what?â Was his mind playing tricks on him? Or did she really just say what he thought she did?
Y/n chuckled, but it was more of laughing at how sad the situation was. Shaking her head, her eyes stayed on her boots as she said, âDid you ever wonder why I rejected Tyler Davies when he asked me to homecoming junior year, insisting I wanted to go with you instead?â Tyler was the quarterback of their high school football team. A senior, who asked Y/n to the dance and became the talk of the school when she said no. Many were jealous she even got his attention, riddled with shock she would reject the star player.
âBecause you felt sorry for me I didnât ask anyone?â He asked like it was obvious, causing her to huff.
âBecause I wanted you to ask me,â his heart skipped again, âAnd whenever Melinda Perry would flirt with you in government I would literally send her daggers because of how jealous I was. Why do you think I warned you not to go out with her when you asked for my advice? Yeah I knew she was a snake to most of her boyfriends, but I was also selfish because I didnât want you dating someone else. God, Robby, you were so blind. Even with your glasses you still couldnât see that I loved you.â It was though he was on cloud 9, disbelief at what he was hearing.
Y/n loved him. At least she did when they were teenagers.
The next question couldnât even form in his mind before she was lifting her head back up, shrugging when allowing the confession to fall from her lips. âAnd as much as I want to hate you right, I canât bring myself to. Because Iâm still hopelessly in love with you, Robby.â
Now he was the one stumbling back. âY-you do?â
âI do. Iâve loved you since I was sixteen.â
He didnât recall much that happened after that. Just that his feet were carrying him over to her, cupping her face in his hands and moving their faces close together. Lips just barely brushing over, he waited for her to make the next move. Y/n wasted no time, pressing her mouth to his and the two felt the eruption of warmth and love consume their bodies. Her arms around his neck, her fingers ran through his blonde hair causing Bob to groan. The sound made her gasp, allowing Bob to slip his tongue past her lips and heat up the kiss.
âI love you,â he whispered against her lips, bringing them back together.
âI love you too.â
âIâm sorry, Y/n.â His arms went to cradle her, pressing her against the wall. She simply nodded before kissing him back, âI forgive you, Robby.â God he missed that name. Only she could make him feel some type of way when she said it. He chuckled when she added, âEven though I should slap the fuck out of you.â
It was a miracle they made it up the stairs and into his childhood bedroom which was now a guest room. He had to remember to lock the door after setting her on the bed, praying to God his family would stay outside. There was music playing from what he could hear through the window so it made things easier when the two got lost in each other.
Clothes scattered the floor, kisses and hushed whispers shared between the two. Bob worshiped Y/n, letting his mouth kiss along every inch of her, trailing down any tattoos that coated her skin and paying extra attention in the places that brought her the most pleasure.
When he entered her they both sighed in bliss, moving as one until they reached a climax that brought them both to tears. All the time Bob whispered how much he loved her, Y/n repeating it each time. She moaned with each thrust and whenever she pleaded with him to do something Bob delivered it without hesitation. With her leg over his shoulder, chests pressed and mouths attached together the officer believed if he died right there it would be with a smile on his face. They came together, Y/n gasping his name as he eased them through their climax. When it was over Bob leaned down to capture her lips, wiping away her tears before removing himself to clean her. They basked in the afterglow, Y/n laying her head on his chest while he lightly traced the tattoos on her arm with his finger.
âCan I ask you something?â He asked, making her humm in response. âEnriqueâŠâ
The woman made a sound, lifting her head to gaze at him. âEnrique and I had been friends for some timeâand we did drunkenly hook up once to get the sexual tension out of the way but that was it,â Bob controlled his reaction, though he couldn't say anything for he too had his fair share of one night stands. âThe bandâs contract was renewed and The Walking Dead was just starting out. The label and his producers thought it was a good idea for us to be seen together. Just to bring in some press for our upcoming album and the show. But we never felt anything more than friends for each other.â
Bob sat up a bit, causing her to lean on her elbows as she rested on her stomach. His expression was unreadable, âbut you two were married.â Again Y/n let out a sigh.
âEnrique and I were friends so we shared things. He confided in me, I confided in himâEnrique was in love with someone who he couldnât have. Ring a bell?â She raised a brow at him. âI was in the same boat. Just like how you said you couldnât bring yourself to love anyone else, I couldnât either. But at the time I thought you were married, Robby.â That had his eyes widened. âI called your mom after the concert that night, hoping to get to you and she told me you were engaged. So when I met Enrique and we both were going through the same thing, we thought âinstead of being miserable alone, letâs be miserable together.â Our publicists hated the idea, but we both believed we wouldnât get our fairytale ending.â
Something in the way she said that last sentence had Bob think about Enrique Lorenzo. Most recently it was revealed he was in a relationship with fellow costar Simon Zahir, coming out as bisexual to the world with an instagram post of the two sharing a kiss.
âSo you married him even though you didnât love him?â Kinda like how he almost did with Abby. It made Bob frown thinking about it.
âI did love him, just not the way a wife should love their husband. And he understood because he couldnât love me the way a husband would their wife,â she sadly smiled, âIt was a mutual understanding where we would go and support each other at premiers and award shows, kiss for the cameras, all that was needed to show the media we were a happy couple. But behind closed doors we actually lived separately.â
Hesitant to ask, Bob waited a moment before saying what was on his mind the last couple years. âWhat made you two divorce?â The question made her give a small smile.
âSimon confessed to Enrique he loved him after they finished filming season four, and that he and his wife were divorcing. When Enrique told me⊠I could just see the hope in his eyes, and who was I to deny him his chance at happiness just because I didnât want to be alone. It would have been selfish of me to. No, I told him the first thing the next morning weâd file but our publicists called and asked to wait until Simon was divorced before we went through with ours. Thatâs why we were âseparatedâ for a year,â she put quotes around âseparatedâ. âWe didnât want to cite irreconcilable differences since it was a mutual decision, but the lawyers thought that was the best route to go.â
Bringing a hand up to caress her cheek, Bob asked the second question he wanted to know, âWhat made you come here?â She leaned into his touch, âyou said you thought I was married. How did you even get here?â The last question was more due to the fact The 1985âs were currently on tour. It was another reason why he was so shocked to see her there when he arrived.
âWe played in Helena last night. After the show I had this feeling I needed to come here, so I called my mom to get your momâs number. Thatâs when she told me you were flying in today.â Her face turned to one of guilt, âI sorta feel like a bitch because tomorrow is your birthday and I came here knowing there would likely be an argument. Even though I thought you were married, I just really wanted to know the truth. It was eating me up. And with that feeling I needed to come here again after so many years, it sorta felt like a signâif you can call it that.â
Leaning more into his hand, Y/n added, âI didnât come with the intentions of winning you over or anythingâespecially under the impression you were married. I wanted answers, that was all. Although,â she kisses his wrist, âIâm not complaining with how things turned out.â
âMe either,â he agreed with a laugh. As he moved in to kiss her, a knock on the door interrupted causing the two to look like deer in headlights.
âIf you two are presentable,â it was his sister, âthen weâd be happy if yâall joined us for dinner sometime soon. But by all means, take your time.â She ended with a cheeky laugh before footsteps indicated she had walked away.
Bob let his head fall back into the pillow with a groan while Y/n giggled. She went to get up, but the man wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. âFive more minutes,â he mumbled into her neck. âIâve waited too long for this.â Humming, he felt her hands go to his air, maneuvering them so he was on top of her.
Y/n gasped at the feeling of him becoming hard again, causing Bob to smirk as she wrapped her legs around him to offer assistance. âMe too, baby. Me too.â
In the haze of it all and as the weeks passed, the two began to live the life they dreamed of with each other. Neither realized they had forgotten protection that nightâŠ.until Y/n was puking on the tour bus and counted the days since her last period.
âLook at me,â Bob held her hands. They sat in her hotel room in Sacramento, the band finishing out their tour in California before setting to work on their next album. When she called him that morning about her possibly being pregnant Bob got in his car and drove straight there. Thankfully it was a Saturday so he was off and had great timing. Pepper was kind enough to give her a spare pregnancy test she had on her, so Y/n waited until Bob arrived to take it.
Relieving herself on the stick, she kept it in the bathroom to wait for the results while she sat with him on the bed. She was crying, unsure how to feel. Part of her was excited at the idea of being pregnant and having a baby with Bob, but also feared it was too soon. They had just started dating, she was on tour until the end of the month, and they had been keeping their relationship quiet from the public so she was scared of what could happen.
For the WSO, he was going to be happy regardless of the outcome. âLook at me, Y/n. Everything is going to be okay. I am not leaving youâI swear to you, baby. If that says positive, then believe me when I say I will be the happiest man alive,â she whimpered, making him press kisses her cheek lovingly, âWeâll get through it together. Youâre gonna be done with the tour in a few weeks and then we can take it from there. And if itâs negative then thatâs completely okay too.â
When the results did come, the stick reading in small letters pregnant, the couple cried together with Bob pulling Y/n into his lap. âI love youâI love you,â he kissed all over her face, her cries turning into giggles. âItâs going to be okay, Y/n. Iâm so happy, darlinâ. So so happy. I want nothing more in this world than to have a baby with you. Youâre going to be the best momma ever. I know it.â
October of 2017 brought Marcel Brandon Floyd into the world. Keeping her pregnancy a secret, no one besides the band and their families had knowledge of the birth of their son. Thankfully Bobâs identity was still hidden, both very careful to not let paparazzi catch them together. Especially with Y/n being pregnant they didnât want to add on the stress of the media discovering their relationship. They planned to announce it on their own at some point once the baby had arrived.
It wasnât until Marcel was roughly a month old that Y/n posted an Instagram picture with his tiny hand wrapped around her finger, âmy world has arrived đ€ 10.20.17.â The announcement had Y/n trending #1 on Twitter and talk show hosts calling to have her on the show. Y/n declined, she only really made television appearances with the band if they were performing, but that was only when they released new music.
Around the holidays was when Bob proposed. They were sitting by the fire, Y/n in his lap with Marcel in her arms when Bob simply said, âMarry me.â
At first she thought he was joking, but then he removed a velvet box from his pocket. Her eyes watered, âAre you serious?â
âMore than Iâve ever been. Youâre my person, baby. Iâve waited for this moment my whole lifeâand I wonât waste another second. Marry me, Y/n. Be my wife and I promise to love you even after death.â
He truly meant it when he said he didnât want to waste another second. After she said yes, they put Marcel to bed and Bob made an appointment at the courthouse, both agreeing to get legally married and wait for a big ceremony some other time. They made love all through the night until the sun rose. In the morning the little family and the band gathered in the courthouse and tied the knot.
Y/n already knew the media was going to have stuff to say about her when the news broke. This was her second marriage, also happening in the spur of the moment like her first one. Only this time around it was with her soulmate so the rockstar couldnât give a fuck what they had to say. She and Bob were coming up on a year, had a child, and planned to spend every second of their lives together. She loved him with every ounce of her being.
On instagram the picture posted was of their rings followed by one of them kissing where his face was hidden. âIâve been keeping a secret from all of you. In January I reunited with my childhood best friend, who I was in love with way before The 1985âs were even thought of. Things happened in life causing us to drift apart, but we recently found our way back to each other and I plan to never let him go. He is my second half. The person I was meant to grow old with. I canât put into words how happy I am and with the birth of our son, our little fairytale seems to be working out. Some of you may think this is all too fast but let me tell you this, weâve waited a long time for this moment. I ask that you please respect our privacy and thank you to all who have supported me over the years. Much love, Y/n â„ïžâ
For almost two years the two kept their relationship under wraps from the media. Then in October of 2019, just before Marcelâs birthday Bob was called back to Top Gun. Itâd been several years since he graduated from the program, surprised they even wanted him for the mission. With how timing was the WSO would have to report to Fightertown a couple days after his son turned two. Y/n had a beach house in San Diego, deciding her and Marcel would stay there while Bob was in his detachment and what made it better was Xavier and Farrahâwho fell in love over the course of their years as a bandâ were both from San Diego, both currently there while the band took a small break. Bob would have to stay on base with candidates, but after training ended heâd come to the house to be with them.
Pepper and Thomas were back in L.A, but weâre working on beats for their upcoming album and sending the three what they had for them to add on or scrap if they felt it didnât fit. They had a meeting with the two Zoom with Xavier and Farrah and their two young kids at Y/nâs place the day she got the call Bob was in an accident.
âHello?â She answered the phone, moving to the side away from where Xavier was drumming. Marcel was in his little playpen, a pair of baby earmuffs over his ears to protect them from the loud noise.
âHiâŠ.â The guy on the opposite end let out a soft chuckle. âIâm looking for uh, Y/n L/n?â His tone was that of someone who found it funny he was asking for someone he definitely thought wouldnât be on the other end of the phone. Like he saw the name on the card and said, âthereâs no fucking way this is the guy married to Y/n L/n,â but because of his job he had to call the number anyway.
âThis is her. Who am I speaking to?â
The man went silent for a moment, before clearing his throat. âThis is Lieutenant Royce from NAS Miramar medical group,â Y/nâs heart picked up as dread filled her, âCan you confirm you are the spouse of Lieutenant Robert Floyd.â
âYes,â she rushed out. âI am. Is he okay? Did something happen?â Closing her eyes, she prayed she wasnât about to receive the worst news imaginable. No, Bob had to be okay.
âThere was an accident with his F-18 this afternoon, he had to ejectâ.â
âExcuse me one second,â she apologized before bringing the phone back slightly to yell at the drummer, âXavier! Stop drumming for five secondsâI need to fucking hear right now!â The man winced as he mouthed, âsorryâ catching the ashen look on her face. Both he and Farrah set aside their instruments, watching Y/n turn away to speak again, this time more calmly. âPlease repeat that for me, Lieutenant.â
When Royce heard the name of The 1985âs drummer being shouted at, the Lieutenant nearly forgot what he was calling for, âU-uh, yes. There was an emergency ejection in your husbandâs F-18 this afternoon during training. He is okay minus a few bruises, but he will be staying overnight in our facility for observation.â
âOh my gosh, okay,â she breathed in relief, bringing a hand to her mouth to calm herself. âIs there any way I can see him?â
âDo you have a dependent ID card?â She tells him yes and he says with a light cough, âThen yes you can come onto base and see him.â Royce gave the address, still finding it hard to believe he may have been talking with the frontwoman of the most popular rock band in the last 15 years. He really thought it was just someone who shared a name with her. But then again, they sounded very alike.
Thanking the officer, Y/n wrote down the address and rushed to grab her purse. âI have to go to baseâsomething happened with Bob. Can you guys watch Marcel until I get back?â
âOf course,â Farrah told her, âgo go, weâll stay here and clean everything up.â
Practically speeding onto base, it was the first time she ever had to use her military ID, which had the guard at the front gate jaw drop. He maintained professionalism, scanning her card and nodding to the rockstar. As much as he wanted to ask for a photo the guy could tell she was in distress and it wasnât a good idea. âHave a good day, Ms. L/n.â
âThank you, sir. You too.â She waved apologetically, recognizing the look she often got from fans. Had the situation been different she wouldâve happily chatted a little longer.
It was the same when she got to the infirmary. The receptionist, who looked to be in her mid twenties, dropped the apple in her hand while other young servicemen were doing double takes and whispering. âThatâs fucking Y/n L/n.â âAre you sure?â âIâm serious! I had a huge crush on her in college. Iâd recognize her anywhere.â
âHi,â she offered a small smile, aware the guy to her left had his phone out trying to sneak a picture, likely tweeting the fact she was in a Navy hospital. âIâm looking for my husband, Lieutenant Robert Floyd. I received a call from a Lieutenant Royce saying he was here.â
Upon hearing his name, the gentlemen seated behind the girl with his back to her spun around, eyes bulging when they landed on Y/n. The chair almost fell when he stood abruptly. âT-thatâs me. Yes Iâm the one who called you, Ms. L/n. If you would follow me Iâll take you to him.â
âThank you,â she walked behind him, ignoring the whispers and comments made by those around. By now TMZ probably got tipped off, she could already feel her phone buzzingâno doubt from her publicist wondering what the hell was going on. She made a mental note to call her back later to explain.
Royce knocked gently on the door before opening it, âLieutenantâoh you have visitors I apologize,â he glanced over his shoulder to Y/n, still in disbelief on what he was about to say. Turning back to Bob, Royce gives a nod, âyour wife is here.â
âShe is?â Y/n heard Bob, and some murmurs of voices going, âWife?â âWhen the hell did he get married?â
Pushing past Royce, thanking him briefly, Y/n entered the room only to stop short at the several pairs of eyes landing on her. Off to the side she saw a man with a buzz cut drop his bag of chips, choking on the one in his mouth, âWhat. the. fuck.â
The two standing in front of the bedâmouths agapeâparted away allowing Y/n to see Bob sitting with his flight suit unzipped and tied around his waist. Exhaling in utter relief the woman rushes to him, throwing her arms around his neck. âOh, Robby.â She felt his arms go to her waist, pulling her closer as she hid her face in his neck. Y/n could literally cry with how happy she was to see him in one piece.
âIâm okay, darlinâ.â He rubbed her back, aware his fellow aviators were staring at them with mixed expressions. They looked confused, disbelieved, shocked, and in awe.
The quiet, reserved, yet sometimes sassy WSO is married to the woman who's been ruling the radio over the last decade.
Who had seven fucking Grammyâs under her bandâs name.
Pulling away, Y/n ran her hands along his shoulders, checking for any visible wounds. âWhat happened? Lieutenant Royce told me you had to eject?â
âThere was a bird strike,â he explained, taking her hands and soothing them with his thumbs. âWe lost both enginesâPhoenix tried to get back control but we were going too fast and couldnât save the jet. Had to eject at the last secondâweâre okay though, I promise. Just a little shaken.â
âThank God youâre alright,â she sniffed, hugging him again while kissing his cheek. âLeave it to you getting in an accident that makes me use my ID for the first time.â
âHow was that?â
âInteresting. I was tempted to run the gate because I had no patience, but controlled myself. Getting arrested would not have been good.â
âNo it wouldnât,â he chuckled, pressing his lips to her forehead.
The clearing of someoneâs throat ended the moment, Y/n removing herself from Bob to face the group of aviators who were still speechless by the scene. Smiling shyly, Y/n took in each of them. âHello, Iâm Y/n.â
âOh we know who you are,â Fanboy said with awe, groaning when Payback smacked his shoulder with a disapproving look. âSorry that was not the best thing to say. What I-I meant was weâre all fans of your work.â
âAnd by that he means we were all jamming to your music on the tarmac just yesterday, not understanding why Bobby here looked so smug when Seresin said he could totally get a shot with you if he ever got the chance,â Rooster added on, resulting in the blonde pilot to glare at him before blushing when the others started to laugh.
âWell now I sure as hell wonât tryâIâm not that shallow to hit on a married woman, Bradshaw. Made that mistake ages ago and it was not pretty. Anyways, sorry Bob for what I said,â he held a hand up, âbut let me be the first to say what a fucking G you are. And Y/n, itâs an honor to be in your presence. Big fan.â
Y/n raised a brow, smirking to her husband to see his reaction. He sure did look smug, keeping his arm around her waist. âA fucking G, huh?â
âHeâs the one who said it,â he smiles before noticing she was alone when she arrived, âWhereâs Marcel?â
âWith Xav and Farrah. They were at the house when I got the callâwe were working on some songs.â In the corner of her eye she saw Coyote and Fanboy visibly react to the mention of her bandmates.
âForgive me for asking,â Phoenix finally spoke from her bed that was seated right next to Bobâs. âBut werenât you two childhood best friends if Iâm not mistaken? Sorry if itâs too personal, but I remember seeing your post on instagram two years ago and I thought it said something like that.â
The couple smiled, confirming her wonders. âYeah,â Bob looked at Y/n with love in his eyes. âWe grew up together. Took a hell of a long time before we could get our chance at love, but it was worth the wait.â
For almost an hour the aviators learned more about Y/n and Bobâs relationship, literally saying it should be a romance novel with what life threw at them. The hopeless romantic in Phoenix couldnât help but awe, feeling so much happiness for her backseater and the rockstar sheâd been listening to since sixteen. They truly were the ultimate love story.
When it came time for the mission with Bob and Phoenix selected as one of two foxtrot teams, Y/n held onto him the entire night prior to him shipping out. He made love to her for hours, very slow and sensual ensuring she felt every inch of him. And when they climaxed a tear spilled from her eyes, âYou better come home to me.â
He kept a picture of her and Marcel in his pocket the entire time. Before the jet took off of the carrier Bob gave it a small kiss before keeping it safe in his flight suit. The second they got back after successfully completing the mission he called his wife to tell her he was coming home. She practically catapulted into his arms when she picked him up from the docks, not giving a shit that the paparazzi had followed her there. By now the whole world knew who Bob was to her.
The rest of 2019 seemed to go by in a blur. They first thought 2020 would be the best year of their lives when it was discovered Y/n was pregnant again, having conceived the night Bob had left for his mission. She was just at the end of her first trimester when the entire globe shut down. When the rumors spread of a possible pandemic with the outbreak happening across the ocean, the 1985âs all took up camp in San Diego now that Bob had become an instructor with Phoenix at Top Gun. Thomas and his fiancĂ©, who was an actress, didnât mind moving, neither did Pepper and her girlfriend. The group were working on their sixth studio album and had celebrated 15 years as a group.
But they were starting to get burnt out, thinking it was time to go on hiatus.
Concerned with the virus and what it could have on her pregnancy, the two were very strict on keeping up with covid restriction. For at least three months Bob was working from home, the base shutting down with only certain personnel allowed on. Marcel was still too young to be in pre-school and daycare wasnât needed since Y/n was home most days. And when she did have business meetings to attend or studio sessions he often traveled with her. Zoom became their best friend during the lockdown, with meetings happening frequently at the beginning to figure out what they were going to do going forward.
Y/n spent weeks going through what were the best records to put on the album. If this was going to be their last for a while then she wanted it to be their best. Two songs she knew she wanted were âPompeiiâ and âLittle Black Dressâ, while the other 13 were going to take time to decide. âPompeiiâ could definitely have people relate with how this lockdown was making them feel. On the other hand, âLittle Black Dressâ was mostly for her, inspired by the time Bob went absolutely feral when she walked into the room wearing a little black dress.
It was one of her favorite memories.
And so the months went on and before they knew it they were welcoming a baby girl in Julyâright smack in the middle of a pandemic. The whole ordeal was unlike anything they ever imagined. Only Bob was allowed in the room, not even their son could come visit so little Marcel didnât even get to meet his sister until days later. He was with Y/nâs mother who traveled down from L.A and quarantined in the weeks leading to her due date. Y/n hated hospitals, looking forward to bringing their daughter Brenda Rose home. Unfortunately no one else in their family or friends could meet the baby girl until spring of 2021 when things were starting to settle out.
That was also when The 1985s made the decision to go on hiatus, planning to release their album that summer before going on a final tour in 2022.
âThis just in, pop rock group ,The 1985s, have announced a hiatus following the release of their upcoming album End of An Era set to drop at the end July. Frontwoman, Y/n L/n, posted on her Twitter a photo of the group in a sweet embrace with the caption, âwhen one chapter ends, another begins. Join us in 2022 as we say goodbye to the stageâthank you to everyone who has supported us since we were kids on MySpace. We hope to see you as we close this chapter in our lives, but donât worry, the future can always surprise you. In the meantime, as Elvis would say, âThe 1985s have left the building.ââ
âItâs a sad day for fans of Grammy award winning rock band The 1985s. Earlier it was announced they are going on an indefinite hiatus once completing their impending world tour for their sixth studio album. Formed in 2003, the 1985s skyrocketed to the Billboard charts after debuting with their single â1985â in 2005, going on to dominate the late 2000s and early 2010s with features on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse soundtrack, the 25th anniversary of We Are The World to raise charity for the Haiti earthquake, and accumulating a total of seven Grammys including taking home the big three: âRecord of The Year,â âSong of The Year,â and âAlbum of The Yearâ in 2008 for their second studio album Sugar, Spice, and A Little Bit of Rock âNâ Roll. The announcement of the hiatus has succeeded the news of bassist Thomas Quinn tying the knot with longtime girlfriend, Oscar Winner Amelia Bandera, who recently revealed she was pregnant with the coupleâs first child. Last year frontwoman Y/n L/n welcomed a daughter with her husbandâthe coupleâs second child since they wed in a private ceremony in 2017. And word on the street is keyboardist Pepper Renolyds is looking to adopt with partner Jenna Langdon. The married pair of the band, Xavier and Farrah Hernandez have had two children following their wedding in 2010 and have hinted at possibly wanting to have a third. It is unsure when the group is likely to regroup after 2022 comes to an end, but one thing is for sure: The 1985s have embedded their name as one of the bestselling groups of the 21st century. Iâd say we could be looking at a possible induction to the Rock âNâ Roll Hall of Fame in the future, and a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.â
Now here they were, November of 2022 at Madison Square Garden to take the stage one last time. Would they ever come back? Probably, but it would be some time before they did.
So they were gonna go out with a bang.
âI have twenty minutes until my ass needs to be on stage, Robby,â Y/n mumbled between kisses, back pressed against the door of her dressing room. His mouth went to her neck, roaming his hands all over her body that was covered in her usual leather, âThatâs plenty of time.â The response had her giggle, moaning when he attacked her sweet spot making him smirk.
âThen you better do double timeâŠweâre on the clock.â
Her glam team was going to be pissed when she came out with messy hair, glistening of sweat, and slightly smudged makeup, but she didnât care. Not when her husband was rocking her world as he had her bent over the couch. His chest pressed to her back and hair in his fist, whispering absolute filth into her earâsaying he was going to have her on stage full of him and only he would know. But Bob also gave words of praise and love.
It wasnât the first time he snuck backstage to rile her up before a concert. When they started the American leg of the tour in California he was at almost every show and would bring her flowers. Sometimes the kids came along, other times they stayed with Phoenix, but each time Bob would either get her pent up by teasing her as the minutes counted downâŠor would full on rail her. He'd be lying if he said he didnât get off on the thrill of almost getting caughtâŠ.or the fact anyone passing the dressing room could figure out what they were making their own music.
This time around in The Garden their kids were with Phoenix and Rooster, who were all waiting to get to their spots on the floor after wishing her and the band good luck. The others were already there, ready to have the time of their lives with the sold out arena. Bob needed to hurry because the stage manager was going to be knocking on her door any second.
They finished with minutes to spare, out of breath and panting with a light layer of sweat coating Y/n. Fuck she looked sexy in her leather and messed up hair, glistening as the light hit her. A smug look took over Bob, winking at his wife who just shook her head with a smile, âIâm gonna miss that now that the tour is over.â
âDonât worry, baby. We still got after party.â
The rockstar ushered him out when the stage manager appeared, the aviator delivering a smack to her ass as he told her good luck. She smacked his in return causing him to yelp, âNaughty boy.â
Yeah he got some looks from his fellow officers when they got to the floor, Jake whistling under his breath as he went to check his watch. âJesus Bob, you two were at it for a while. Were you trying to go for baby number three? I hope sheâs able to walk on stage.â The comment had Phoenix slap his shoulder, âCan you not? We have kids with us,â she gestured to not only Bobâs children but also Payback's ten year old son and Hondoâs seven year old daughter. Then there was Mickeyâs girlfriend carrying their toddler with baby earmuffs, the same Brenda and Marcel were wearing. âMy bad,â Jake said, though the smirk remained on his face when Bob sent him a wink.
When the show started it was the most amazing thing any of the squad had witnessed. Some of them had seen the band in their college days, but it was obvious they were gonna top what they did ten years ago. There was a light rumble to Madison Square Garden with how loud it was. Flashing lights and smoke covered the stage, the countdown with a video montage hitting zero before The 1985âs opened with âWhere Do Broken Hearts Go,â sending everyone who was still sitting on their feet. Bob put Brenda on his shoulders, Rooster doing the same with Marcel who were clapping and pointing to their mother, âMommy!â
âNow, Iâm searching every lonely place,â Y/n belted out the first line of the chorus, moving down the stageâs elongated platform that split the floor. âEvery corner calling out your name. Tryna find you, but I just donât know.â Xavier hit the drums with Farrahâs riff, Y/n holding a hand to chest, âWhere do broken hearts go?â
âAre you sleeping, baby, by yourself? Or are you giving it to someone else? Tryna find you, but I just donât know,â Pepper and Thomas joined the vocals, âWhere do broken hearts go? Where do broken hearts go?â
When the song came to an end, Y/n let the audience scream for a moment before introducing the band. âMadison Square Garden!! New York City!!â The crowd screamed again, smiles on every member. âLadies and gentlemen, boys and girls, theys and thems and anyone in betweenâŠ. welcome to the âEnd of An Eraâ world tourâour final show as we close out an actual end of an era,â Y/n moves closer to her friends with a sad laugh, hearing the sounds of protest from some fans.
âLetâs start off by introducing ourselvesâŠ..Mr. Thomas Quinn on the bass!â Tom hits some chords against the audienceâs cheers, Y/n doing a little dance off to the side. âMiss. Pepper Reynolds on keys everyone!â The former pianist lets her fingers move along the keys, grinning wide and waving when she finishes. âShow me what you can do, Ms. Farrah Cortez,â the guitar solo sends the crowd into a frenzy, which only increases when Y/n introduces Xavier. âAnd last but not least, Mr. Farrah Cortez,â laughter rings out before she corrects herself, âI meant Mr. Xavier Hernandez,â the drums go crazy when his last name leaves her lips. She waits till heâs finished to do a bow.
âAnd Iâm Y/n L/n,â she has to pull her mic away to hide her laugh, cheers ringing from every corner in the sold out stadium. âAnd weâre The 1985s.â
The energy throughout the concert was insane. Even during intermission and 5-minute breaks the audience was having a blast. The dagger squad, plus Hondo and even Maverick were dancing and singing alongâthe older man getting a literal PowerPoint lesson from his former students on everything there was to know about the group.
Y/n was very entertained when Bob told her that night, saying Maverick aced his test theyâd given him. âYou gave your old instructor, the famous Captain MitchellâŠ.a test on our band and music? And he got a 100%?â His little nod and smile had Y/n jump in his arms, kissing all over his face, âYouâre so fucking adorable, Robby. I love you so much.â
The first part of the show was mostly dedicated to songs on their most recent album, including âPompeiiâ and âLittle Black Dressâ. The latter had Bob blushing mad during the set, especially when Y/n came over to where they were at, eyes on him and curing a finger to get him to come to the edge of the floor. There the stadium exploded when she practically laid on the platform to lean over and kiss him, the cameras catching the scene to display on the giant screens.
Blowing kisses to her kids, she got back up and finished the song, smirking at how the dagger squad were whistling and howling in cheers. âSorry I couldnât help myself,â she giggled, moving back to her bandmates to prepare for the next set.
Though the tour mainly focused on their songs from their latest work, they called back to some old hits, including âLetâs Get Lost,â which was written for the third Twilight movie soundtrack. âWe got any Twilight fans here tonight?â Y/n chuckled at the screams, âI got one thing to ask thenâŠ.Team Edward or Jacob?â
âSome Nightsâ was one of her favorites to perform, feeling a wave of nostalgia each time she did. It was a fan favorite as it was their second single ever released. The band harmonized on the track, all of them showing off their vocals with the âOh come on,â part of the song.
Y/n was hesitant to sing âIrisâ and âPayphone,â considering they were about her husband, but he assured her when they were planning the tour set list that he wouldnât be offended. They were some of her greatest works, the audience should hear them.
They even covered the iconic, âDonât You Forget About Me,â from the Simple Mindsâmost notably from the movie The Breakfast Club. âI hope you never forget about us, New York,â Y/n said when they finished, âCause weâll never forget you.â
Finally they were coming down to the final ten minutes and they had yet to play the song that started it all. âAs we come to the end of tonightâs show, we just wanna thank each and every one of you for the support and love you have shown us tonight and through the years. None of this wouldâve happened without you allâand we cannot thank you enough for sticking by us, you all play a giant role in what we do. And weâre going to miss you the most as we close this chapter in our lives,â Y/n pauses, feeling the tears prick her eyes. Glancing at her friends, she could see they were fighting back their own. They knew it would be an emotional night, and now they were minutes away from stepping off the stage for the final time.
âWe started this journey when we were only seventeen and eighteenâand itâs been a hell of a ride since. Next year marks twenty years since we became The 1985s, seventeen since we made our radio debut, back when MySpace was still a thing,â she has to laugh at that, âWhat better way to end this tourâend this chapter, than by traveling back in time to the year that started it all.â
The reaction in the dome had little Brenda have to cover her hands over her muffs because it was so loud, Bob holding her on his hip and asking if she was alright. âLoud,â she said in her small voice, causing him to mentally awe.
âI know, baby, itâs loud. But the show is almost over and then mommy will be done, then we go home. Can you hold on for one more song? Itâs your favorite one,â Brendaâs eyes brightened at the mention of her favorite song, nodding frantically making him laugh. âOkay munchkin, I expect to hear you sing alongâexcept donât say the bad word in it, understood?â
âYes, dada.â
Phoenix was jumping up and down with Marcel in her arms, head banging with the little boy along with Rooster and Javy. Everyone was in delight, rockin out to the final number. Brenda sang along with Bob, the crowd harmonizing with them.
âSheâs seen all the classics,â Y/n belted the second verse, hands moving on her guitar, âShe knows every line. Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, even St. Elmoâs Fire.â
âShe rocked out to Wham, not a big Limp Bizkit fan. Thought sheâd get a hand on a member of Duran Duran.â
Her and Farrah were leaning their backs against one another, âWhereâs the mini-skirt made of snakeskin? And whoâs the other guy thatâs singinâ in Van Halen? When did reality become TV? Whatever happened to,â she hit a riff, âsitcoms,â she hit another, âgame shows? Sing it!â
The entire squad, the kids, and Madison Square Garden echoed, âON THE RADIO!â
âWas Springsteen, Madonna. Way before Nirvana there was U2 and Blondie, and music still on MTV. Her two kids in high school, they tell her that sheâs uncool. âCause sheâs still preoccupied with 19âŠ19âŠ1985!â
Her mini solo before the bridge had the crowd wild. Smiling the entire time, Y/n even went to the side where her friends and family were, making them all go crazy. âShe hates time, make it stop. When did Motley Crue become classic rock?â
âClassic rock,â the band repeated.
âAnd when did Ozzy become an actor? Please make this stop,â Y/n hit a riff, âstop,â another, âstop!â Only the cheers could be heard during the slight pause before Y/n brought her hand back on the chords.
âAnd bring back Springsteen, Madonna. Way before Nirvana. There was U2 and Blondie, and music still on MTV. Her two kids in high school, they tell her that sheâs uncool. âCause sheâs still preoccupiedâsing it!â
â1985!!!â
âOne last time Madison Square Garden!!â Not a single person in them dome didnât sing along, everyone shouting the final chorus at the top of their lungs.
âSince Bruce Springsteen, Madonna. Way before Nirvana. There was U2 and Blondie, and music still on MTV. Her two kids in high school, they tell her that sheâs uncool. But sheâs still preoccupied, with 19âŠ.19âŠ.1985!!!â
All the band members continued playing an extended outro, lights flashing all around as the crowd whistled and screamed. Y/n ran over to each side of the stage before coming to the middle, waving a hand to her band who were still going hard on the instruments before raising it and finally bowing.
On the floor, Brenda still in his arms, Bob wiped away the tears falling from his cheeks with his free hand. His friends were cheering, the entire scene overwhelming for the WSO as he stared at his true love as she took her final bow. Y/n was also crying, as were her friends when they finally closed the show shouting, âMadison Square GardenâNew York City we love you! Thank you so much for being here with us and being the best crowd ever. Safe travels wherever youâre going and we hope all your dreams come true. Until we meet againâŠ.as Elvis would say, The 1985s have left the building!â
The crowd was still screaming, the five adults coming to the middle of the stage holding hands in the air before bowing. Then they all met in a tearful embrace, Y/n full on sobbing with Farrah and Pepper, overcome with emotion that it was all over. Waving to the crowd, they spotted dozens of fans in their line of vision crying, some even throwing flowers onto the stage. They all went to each side of the platform to blow kisses and wave, until finally walking off into the arms of their crew whoâd been with them since 2005âwhere another heartfelt moment took place.
As soon as their families made it backstage, Y/n was dropping to her knees to allow Brenda and Marcel to run into her open arms. âMy babies!!â Peppering kisses against their cheeks, Y/n held them tight as they said words of praise. âYou were amazing, mommy!â âThat was so fun!â
âThank you, baby,â she kissed Marcelâs head, looking up to see Bob staring at her with absolute love and admiration. Gently moving him and Brenda to the side, Y/n stood up, only to squeal when Bobâs hands went to her thighs to lift her up, spinning them around.
âYou were incredible!â He exclaims, stopping still but still holding her up. Their lips met in a searing kiss, âabsolutely spectacular.â Her hands came up to cup his face, deepening the kiss as their children wrapped their arms around Bobâs legs. It was like they were in their own little world, oblivious to everyone celebrating around them. The band were with their kids and partners, the crew were popping off champagne.
âI love you so much, Robby,â she said against his lips, kissing him again when he said, âI love you too, baby. More than anything in this world. Iâm so fucking proud of you.â
When they pulled away, Y/n was a flustered mess, mirroring that of Bob who was looking at her like she was a goddess. âDonât give me that look, Floyd. Not until we get to the hotel.â
âCanât help myself, darlinâ,â he chuckled, adjusting her in his arms before giving her another kiss.
âEww,â Marcel groaned, making the couple laugh into the kiss. Bob set Y/n down, but pulled her close as Brenda and Marcel squeezed in between them.
âSo whatâs next then?â Bob whispered in her ear. âI know you can take the girl out of rock n rollâŠbut sheâll always be a rockstar.â Y/n laughed, pulling away to gaze deeply in his beautiful blue eyes that she fell in love with as a teenager.
âNow, we live our lives. One day at a time. Together.â
Y/n really needed to thank her mom one day. It was because of her that the woman got to live her dream. After all, she was the one still preoccupied with 1985.
âŠâŠâŠ.
TGM tag list: @avaleineandafryingpan, @caitsymichelle13, @poppyalice2001, @cutelittlepotatofry, @luckyladycreator2, @americaarse , @elenavampire21
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motivation â coral
coral!tbosas x reader
notes â in which coral always finds a way to leave you wanting more. iâm not even joking right now, coral was the reason i started questioning if i liked girls and muna were the ones who confirmed it for me. all this in the past few months LMAO. ALSO iâm so sorry for these bad quality pictures, i canât find any good ones. female reader
warnings â not edited & uploaded via iphone
    you had watched from afar as your brother, festus creed, tried interacting with his tribute. the scene was laughable, both parties having no desire to be there. but alas, festus was a sycophant who wanted to score points with dr. gaul, whereas coral was reaped and taken to the capitol against her will. you could almost feel him roll his eyes in surrender despite facing the other way and decided that this was your time to try and help him. besides, you would need the practice. if the mentor gig was successful, you would likely get chosen to be one next year, nepotism and all.
    âlook, i donât want to be here any more than you do, so why donât you just take the food-â his voice gradually got more forceful, growing louder before you decided to intervene.
    âmay i?â you popped up next to festus, causing him to almost jump out of his skin. coral laughed and you turned to face her. âhi there, coral. y/n creed, his little sister. the superior sibling, might i add.â you joked, sticking your hand out to her, not quite through the bars of the enclosure, but close enough for her to accept. she eyed you up and down, her arms crossed, but nevertheless she took your hand, giving it a firm shake. her hand was dirt ridden and covered in callouses, and the feeling of her hand engulfing yours send a jolt through your body. âi really think you should eat. going into the arena without food isnât the best idea. and look, i know festus is incredibly annoying-â
    âhey!â festus objected, crossing his arms. you side eyed him, then continued.
    âbut you should listen to him. he knows what heâs doing, for the most part, at least. weâre here to help you win, coral. and, if i may, the odds might just be in your favor here. if we didnât think you could win, we wouldnât be here trying to coerce you into taking our food.â while it was somewhat a stretch, she seemed convinced.
    âwell whatâd you bring me, sweet thing?â you couldnât contain the expression of delightful shock that spread throughout your face as you heard her speak for the first time, as well as use a rather flirtatious nickname. you stuttered for a moment but quickly shook out of it as you heard her amused chuckle.
    âright, um- letâs see hereâŠâ you began. festus swung the bag over his shoulder, unzipping it and allowing coral to look over the items once more. he was extremely agitated that coral would listen to you but refused to give him the time of day. festus, being the bum that he was, packed rather lightly. the food he made was distasteful, including a not-so-grilled cheese, an old banana, and the leftover omelette the academy had served for breakfast. âjeez⊠alright, festus. a little hard to work with.â he rolled his eyes once again. âwell, um. sorry about that, coral. donât worry, iâll make sure you get something digestible tomorrow.â at this point, your dear brother was glaring daggers at you.
    by the time you left the zoo, your brother in tow, you had left a lasting impression on coral. she was amused by your wit and entranced by your good looks, as well as your charm.
    the next time you interacted with coral was the day after arachneâs funeral. festus had told you all about how the interview went with coral, how he barely filled out half of the page because she refused to talk to him. the extent of his knowledge about coral was her name, her age, and her job. you decided to check up on your girl again, giving her a visit at the zoo.
    âyour brotherâs an idiot, yâknow.â she remarked, letting you know how the interview went.
    âi canât believe you just realized that!â you laughed in agreement with her.
    âso what inspired you to pay me a visit, princess?â coral queried, leaning against the bars that separated the two of you.
    âgrilled grouper sandwiches. thought the fish might remind you of home. handmade!â you replied, as if you were advertising the food to her. she nodded, smiling.
    âwell thank you for thinking of me, sweetheart.â you smiled back, handing her the food. she accepted, of course, but not without making sure she grazed your hand first. immediately, your breath hitched. gosh, you were putty in the hands of a district girl. your family would freak if they even saw you this close to her. but you couldnât get her out of your head. you looked up at her, and she was staring down at you, completely unashamed about her method of flirtation. she held a rather smug look on her face regarding the effect her touch had on you.Â
    âyou holding up okay in here?â you asked her, moving the focus away from your embarrassing reaction.
    âbetter than ever.â she replied, sarcastically joyful. mentally, you pinched yourself for the dumb question. she was locked in a cage about to fight for her life, of course she wasnât okay. but coral took the question lightly, bidding you goodnight as she strode away calmly.
    it was now the last time you would see coral before the games. you had snuck into the zoo late at night, hoping to see her before she was taken away to the arena. ânight before the games⊠howâre you feeling?â you fidgeted anxiously with the hem of your skirt as you posed the question.
    âconfident.â was her short, vague reply.Â
    âthat much?â your face contorted in  concern at her answer. she reached her hand through the bars, grabbing yours and holding it firmly. it was the first time that contact between the two of you lasted more than a few seconds.
    âdonât psych me out, princess. you were the one who said you thought i could win anyway.â coral laughed. âbut yea, i got this in the bag. donât you worry your pretty little head about me, darling. in a few days, youâre all mine, iâll make sure of it.â coral left you with a wink, squeezing your hand before promptly walking away to her claimed rock, mizzen already dozing off on top of it. you sighed, leaving the zoo while the girl consumed your thoughts. she always had you on edge, leaving wanting more. and hopefully, youâd get more.
#coral tbosas#tbosas#the hunger games#the hunger games x reader#thg#thg x reader#coral#coral tbosas x reader#coral thg#coral thg x reader#the ballad of songbirds and snakes#thg fanfiction#coral x reader#tbosas fanfiction#tbosas x reader#Spotify
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Au where quirks exist ever since the beginning of humanity but thought the last 200 years they started becoming rarer for no explainable reason
"for no explainable reason"? Not "because someone born two hundred years ago started eating them all"? Well, both can be true I suppose
1- humans have always had quirks so just go ahead and disabuse yourself of the idea that world history looks anything like ours now. Any boundaries humans have drawn between themselves or their spaces are totally different. Anyway, our story is set on the island nation of Akitsuba, which has begun to receive reports of children who are born without quirks- it seems impossible, but apparently the child born in Canton Province to two glowing parents but had no light himself was not the result of an affair. He is genetically both his parents child - just, without any unique plus alpha factor at all.
2- when the news breaks, Setsuji looks over at his twin brother. The two stay in a group home, and on the record, they have a spike quirk, just like their mother did before she died at their birth. In truth, Setsuji can take others quirks. He assumes he took his brother's in infancy, which why the boy can't use them, but now he wonders if his brother was in fact simply born without. He doesn't say anything, but his brother does- whispering it at night, apologizing for assuming his brother took it all this years ago and refused to even try to return it, but there's simply nothing to return, is there?
3- more people are born quirkless over time, and more people lose their quirk to AfO over time. Ujiko theorizes that quirks would get too strong, so both quirklessness and AfO are evolutions to prevent plus alpha self destruction. That is, sadly, a generous view- quirklessness is largely viewed as a horrible strange disability, and suddenly quirks become more important. Few people before had jobs that specifically used their quirks, but now no one wants to be mistaken for not having one. Many people campaign to treat and 'fix' quirklessness, trying to force activate one, study and prevent it, etc. Just go ahead and assume all the terrible things that can happen with this mindset, it all happened.
4- by the time of canon, however, quirklessness has been around for two hundred years, and it isn't going away- clearly the opposite. about half the population of the world has no quirk, and the number's hanging around 45% in Akitsuba when our main character, Akatani Mikumo is born. He's quirkless, and lives in the capitol of Higakyou, as schools there are required by law now to no longer require certain or any quirks. It's an election year, so his first semester of high school all anyone can do is talk about the candidates- especially Yagi Toshinori, a bit of a symbol for quirkless politicians and one people thought would run years ago. Mikumo, who helped Yagi carry groceries home one day and didn't recognize him outside of the bright suit, camera lights, and makeup, makes friends with a few kids at school. (Ochako, and the twins Tokoyami Fumikage and Kuroei- while the latter has a quirk, the former does not).
5- Then one day, Yagi is kidnapped, vanishing on live tv through a smokey warp. Mikumo doesn't know what to think about that, until he runs into the man on his way home from school- clearly in bad shape, with strange dark eyes that glow with some quirk he shouldn't have. Mikumo helps Yagi hide, and asks what happens, and how he can help. (AfO decided to end Yagi's use as a symbol by forcing a quirk on him and controlling him, but one of his brother's successors managed to break Yagi out first and give him his brother's quirk, allowing him to fight against AfO's quirk and withstand them safely. As for what Mikumo can do to help... he's done far more than he should already, a kind boy, but that answer isn't going to be good enough for him- he's determined to do more anyway.)
#kuroei is dark shadow btw#wow this is a Entirely Different Genre from canon isnt it#also izuku is just straight up mikumo yeah. looks like him but acts just like izuku#uhhh and im not sure if anyone else is more of their prototype#but i do know the todoroki kids dont exist#or at least. arn't todorokis here#because the Himura line kinda just went all out preserving the family ice quirk lineage at all costs#and would not risk 'tainting' rei with a fire quirk (what if they cancel out? what if enji has a quirkless gene somewhere?)#also. you may notice i said nothing of heroes. im not sure they'd be a thing in a world where people always had quirks#and are recently going away#so i dont know if enji would have any need for that anyway#so. yeah.#very different!#except afo being a bastard. thats about the same really#pocket talks to people#ask game#anon
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hello!! i absolutely love your time-travel au!! i saw on one of your posts that you said you have a lot of thoughts on the dovecote family- i was wondering if youâd be willing to share any of those thoughts?
Hi!! So happy to hear you've been enjoying the time-travel au :)
I'd love to share Dovecote family thoughts and to hear your (and also everyone's) thoughts as well!
So without further adieu...
Dovecote Family Lore
Some background info - TBOSAS mentions the old guard for some families in the book and I sort of took that idea and ran haha
So within the various families that make up the old guard, I like to imagine a hierarchy exists within them. There's families at the very top and also minor houses
And all these families that are part of the old guard have family crests and even Latin mottos to distinguish themselves from the nouveau riche and the lower classes (both Capitol and District) Is it a bit pretentious? Yes. But that's part of the fun
I see 'Dovecote' as one of the minor houses - old enough for the Latin motto and family crest, but not as prestigious as 'Ravinstill' or even 'Phibbs'
family crest ideas: a dove? a pair of them? idk but I'd like to incorporate the bird into it
motto ideas: I have like way too many, but these are my current favourites (My translations might be a bit rough đ
)
Alis grave nil (nothing [is] heavy with wings)
Ad astra per aspera (to the stars through difficulties)
Amata bene (well loved)
Cor aut mors (heart or death)
~~~~~
Also THIS idea that the Dovecote family is well-respected amongst the old-guard, but nobody knows where they first made their money/wealth and where exactly it comes from right now
I think it'd be funny if nobody in the Capitol can agree on how the Dovecotes are part of the old guard. They just sort of appeared one day on records and that was that
Nevertheless there are theories: some say the family is built on blood money (ie. a crime family /mercenaries /assassins elevated to the old guard either through blackmail or some notorious deed). There's some that think they're some vassal house that was elevated to this standing for some good deed or otherÂ
Also Dovecote clementines đ€ (I keep adding this to a lot of my other AUs)
They're as tied to the Dovecotes as roses are tied to the Snows
The fruit are especially sweet when compared to the average clementine and nobody has a clue where their supply comes from
They have it year round even when they're not in season
It's a semi-recent thing, it started in Clemensia's parents' time as teenagers
For the Dovecotes, the clementines are a way to communicate things - there is no one thing it represents (ie. I love you / be careful / you are dear to me etc. )
Random lore about our Dovecote family members in this AU
Clemensia is an only child
Endymion Dovecote and Aelia Dovecote née Beauchamp have a running joke whose charm Clemmie inherited (it's Endymion, the Dovecote genes are strong here)
like father, like daughter, especially the Dovecote smile. Also both of them seem to be able to befriend anyone, they really do have friends everywhere
Endymion is an indulgent husband and father
I had this in a different AU, but I liked it enough to want to maybe add it here; how part of the Dovecotes being sort of anonymous in their circles is because of their control on the media - unless Endymion approves it, nothing about the family is published. Especially if it's about his daughter
Because the movie promo had Clemmie talk about D1 and D5, I decided to connect D1 to her mother's family.
Her mother (Aelia) comes from a merchant family - so, wealthy but not part of the old guard. The Beauchamp family owns a jewelry business, Lavinium. And pre-war that was THE place for the elite to shop at
Clemensia stands in line to inherit the business from her maternal uncle (family inheritance in the Beauchamp family can be messy hehe. Doesn't help that her uncle has no children of his own and instead has 2 sisters with their own children)
Actually there's this one dialogue I have about Clemensia between Livia Cardew and her own father - inspired by that line in Dune
Livia has a bit of a motive here to be Clemmie's friend and to stay her friend
Livia's mother owns the biggest bank in Panem, there's no way she doesn't hear from her parents about her classmates' family's finances
Livia's father is probably one of the only people to have a semi-good grasp on what the Dovecote finances are like because he manages the accounts
Livia's father: I hear you've recently become good friends with the Dovecote girl. Well done. Make sure to keep her close.
Livia (age 8): Because she's a possible heir to Lavinium?
Livia's father: No. Because she is Endymion's daughter.
Because the Capitol is still recovering, Lavinium isn't earning as much as it had pre-war. And the Dovecote accounts don't have any deposits from them either
Yet the Dovecote family is considered is recovering quicker than anyone can explain
The salary of the secretary of energy pays well, but not that well.
Dovecote family rumours are hard at work again haha
#clemensia dovecote#dovecote family thoughts#rambles#crack au#time travelling clemmie#capitol family lore#try not to ramble? haha task failed successfully#thanks for stopping by!#tbosas au#the ballad of songbirds and snakes
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Oh hey so here's a thing that we never really got proper follow up on, and in fact if anything some late additions to canon just kind of... not quite "contradict" the implicit world building but kind of just exist without addressing the existing hooks?(i hope that makes sense) I'm talking around the subject... I mean the dual zanpakutou and what that actually seems to say about their wielders and how Ichigo absolutely does not fulfill that same criteria with his bullshit final zanpakutou, either played straight or as a subversion.
I have sort of talked about the zanpakutou names themselves but I didn't really stray into the territory of character analysis too much. Kyroraku and Ukitake both have implicit dual personas that are reflected in their swords, at least at first. And Ichigo pretty distinctly doesn't, not in the same way at least, although there is sort of a caveat to that, but I'm already getting ahead of myself...
I'll start with Kyouraku since his is probably the least consequential, and the most overtly addressed... On the one hand Katen[è±ć€©] probably comes from the more specific Chinese phrase HuÄ tiÄnnÇ[è±ć€©ć„ł], I specify because it has much more concrete artistic associations than [è±ć€©] does, either in Chinese or Japanese, and is a minor figure of Chinese celestial bureaucracy often depicted as a beautiful young woman flying thru the heavens scattering flower petals from a bouquet or basket of flowers. The garden she tends is comprised of all the most beautiful and exotic flowers, posses magical qualities such that the fruits of her garden can grant immorality or magical powers, and the petals she scatters all over the world bring happiness and good fortune.
Clearly her evocation here is an allusion to Kyoruaku's outward demeanor as a kind of pampered, decedent lover of good drink, music/poetry, and women. There are a few things in his name that all point to this as well, beyond just his visual design: Kyoraku[äșŹæ„œ] reading as "(Imperial)Capitol + Music/pleasure/comfort" and Shunsui[æ„æ°Ž] as "Spring(the season) + Water," the associations with spring somewhat implicitly involving cherry blossoms, making the phrase sort of analogous to "rose water" or "sweet water."
And then Kyoukotsu[çéȘš] is a yokai that takes the form of a skeletal old man that haunts the bucket of an abandoned well. It's got some weird uncertain regional etymologies that sort of suggest it could be any of a number of euphemisms, but I'm not certain which if any are relevant to this. There is one i stumbled into that, given the casual nature of all this, i did not think to record like a citation as i didnt think it'd be so hard to track down again... that said it was used as a kind of slang towards a crazy person or a raucous drunk. I don't want to lean too heavily on that when I can't corroborate it, but it did feel like it made a lot of sense: you drink(from a well) something you shouldn't(i.e. cursed) and it makes you violent and/or crazy.
And more over, their release call is,
Hanakaze midarete Kashin naki, Tenpuu midarete Tenma warau
[è±éąšçŽăăŠè±ç„ćŒă, 怩鹚çŽăăŠć€©éć€ă]
"FlowerWind in disarray FlowerSpirit(s) cry, HeavenWind in disarray Tenma* laughs/ridicules."
There is a distinct bit of poeticism here with Hana... ka[è±... è±...] referring to "flowers," Ten... Ten[怩... 怩...] referring to "heaven," midarete[çŽăăŠ... çŽăăŠ...] referring to things "in disarray," and kaze... fuu[...éąš, ...éąš] referring to "wind." And notably while there are obvious thematic links back to Katen, there's not actually much reference to Kyokotsu, apart from vague tonal implications. Still, the message seems very clear: The pleasant scent of flowers and aesthetic of petals on the wind are disrupted, flower spirits/god(s) cry/wail in pain or otherwise distress. And at the same time, in the same way, a divine wind/winds of heaven, something that is implicitly a blessing or relief, a kind of god send, is disrupted and the evil spirit Mara laughs or jeers. A good thing is spoiled and divine forces make noises of distress and malice.
This just reinforces the names' dualistic themes that suggest there is a dark side to Kyoraku's penchant for unrestrained revelry. While that could be taken a number of ways, the most surface level one would seem to suggest that for all the boisterous drinking and partying he does, he in fact has a violent abusive drunken side to him as well, past some certain point.
Mara btw is a sort of "demon" in buddhism with a lot of associated themes, not the least of which being seduction, and the derailing of one's path towards enlightenment --in Japanese in particular his name is associated with sexual temptation and masturbation, and yeah he's the penis chariot summon in SMT. He is very specifically the giant demon featured in classical art of the samsara --the cosmological wheel of reincarnation within which all living things exist. So when Mara laughs, it's not just a matter of generic evil, it's the victory of base material temptation over enlightenment. By all rights this makes it sound like Kyoraku's shikai is a matter of trading in his easygoing demeanor for a more violent and darker side.
But as we know that isn't quite how things panned out... Rather, the reveal of that very change in tone just got sorta kicked down the road a bit and became a part of his bankai rather than his shikai. But the implicit themes of the zanpakutou's name, and the zanpakutout themselves, suggests that Kyoraku has two swords because he has two truths, two inner selves rather than one: the one that is personified by heavenly flowers, and the one personified by malice and drink.
And I guess just to clarify, I find it really weird that Kubo went and canonized Masashi Kudo's zanpakutou filler arc designs that way he did, and I still sort of regard them and even their inclusion in the manga proper to be kind of non-canon? I know that's a weird bold arbitrary claim, but even as he used the designs they don't feel like they contribute at all to their own theme or shtick. Like, they were clearly designed with no insight to the shikai's actual powers, the designs are nonsensical (the swords printed on her kimono? european oujo drills on a japanese design? the frills on a kimono? the nonsense exposed midriff on kyoukotsu? it's just a mess) they aren't even named accordingly, you'd think the light tone of Katen would lend itself to the shikai's children's game theme and thus the diminutive one of the pair, and Kyoukotsu the darker themes and thus the noh and bunraku theatre thus the older of the two, splitting them between children's play and adult play. But no.
Anyway... that just being part of the set up for the fact that...
Ukitake's got a whole daoist yin-yang thing going on. His theming is a little less obvious at a glance, but pretty distinct in the broader context of things, and eventually ironically nailed down a little more firmly by Kudo's still not especially canon design work for the anime filler: The courtly heian robes the kids are put in are part of the iconic onmyoji image of daoist mystics who served the imperial court as advisors in spite of their non samurai/nobility status. The yin and yang motif is alluded to in the "twin fish" aspect of Sougyo no Kotowari[ćéç]: "Law of Pair(ed) Fish" which is itself later alluded to in the Hell Jaws Wailing/Christening oneshot. Unlike Katen Kyokotsu, there aren't two distinct facets to the sword name, and unlike Kyoraku's katana and wakizashi set, Ukitake has a single sealed katana that splits into two for shikai, all suggesting that the nature of the two fish is that they are a singular unit rather than distinct facets. This makes sense of course because the nature of yin and yang as positive and negative elements is that they are in constant struggle but balanced, and cannot exist without one another.
But the nature of the zanpakutou, again, suggests that Ukitake's soul exists as both sides of that balance, that he is is innately capable of just as much "evil" as he is good. And this underlying tone of something sinister beneath his kindly demeanor is something Kubo sort of tries to paly with but never really fully pulls the trigger on. This theme is where the Fullbringer arc's underutilized bit where Ukitake has been using the substitute badge as a means of surveillance, and where Ukitake is implicitly the one who stripped Ginjo of his powers in the first place, having also monitored him during his tenure as substitute. It implies that, like Kyoraku's two sides to his drink and revelry, Ukitake's inner truth about being an agent of cosmic balance comes in a dark and a light form.
So then there's this thing about Ichigo's stupid new zangetsu(s) where he both has two swords now like Kyoraku and Ukitake, but also doesn't because we get the janky sort of excuse that "oh they're not really two different swords one's just a sheath and their true form is one sword."
And to be fair, while I find the explicit use of that line to try and handwave... i don't know what exactly, but it definitely felt like Kubo thought he was patching up some kind of plothole when he brought it up... we technically already knew that was the case leading up to the first time he addressed it with the final getsuga thing.
In the first inner world fight, the hollow was just a part of Zangetsu that he was able to sort of produce and later reabsorb, and implicitly the opposite was true when the hollow appeared alone during the Visored training: they exist as two sides of the same coin, and can just kind of flip flop control as needed. This made sense as an expression of Ichigo's misguided struggle to deny and rid himself of his hollow --he didn't have two spirits he had one, which again we already knew, but it needed to be confirmed and addressed to cap off Ichgio's arc of self discovery.
Then Kubo tried to sort of rehash this dynamic with the whole the hollow is the sword, and Zangetsu is actually Yhwach's quincy blood just holding the hollow/shinigami side back, but it makes distinctly less sense because when Nimaiya forges the new sword(s) the two spirits show up as separate entities, one per sword. Plus the stupid retconned excuse that, oh no they weren't ever actually the same thing, the whole absorbing thing was just Yhwach actively suppressing the shinigami side. So then what does this really say about Ichigo's nature? Does he have a dualistic nature or doesn't he? Are they two facets of his inner truth, or are/were they always the same singular truth and realizing that was the entire key to self actualization and his true power?
At face value the new explanation divides his identity into shinigami and quincy, despite him having no actual functioning identity as a quincy factionally or culturally, and on a personal level he never actually does anything to reconcile this identity crisis. I know it's a long way around to just point out that it fumbles the theming a lot here, when that was fairly evident even without the context, but I guess I just wanted to bolster that. In the first place i think everyone reading at the time understood it to feel very inauthentic as a twist? like most of the developments of the late arc. Just another case of Kubo phishing around fandom chatter for stupid ideas he could play into to siphon ratings out of.
But again the bottom line being that we had precedent for Ichigo to have two swords in one of two ways: Ukitake's style of having a single identity that encompasses both the best and worst of his inner truth, or Kyoraku's suggested style in which his two facets exist in distinct and separate entities but ultimately both reflect him as truths about his nature. But Ichgio doesn't really do that. His original balance of shinigami and hollow seemed to be a satisfactory solution in the style of Ukitake's, and if he'd just had one shinigami/hollow sword and one quincy sword, that might have been acceptable in Kyouraku's style, but the flipflopping between the two by making the final form just a big sword inside a different big sword where one of the big swords is a sword, but the other sword is just a sheath to hold the first sword(???) is just this bizarre gibberish of themes and symbols.
(I've had this thing sitting in drafts for so long i forgot abotu it. and I swear I had some kind of actual conclusion I was working toward across various rewrites but i don't remember what it was anymore... anyway it's taking up space in my drafts that could be better used, so out it goes..)
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