#pitch perfect podcast

[dailybrittanysnowpics]

Brittany Snow on going to bootcamp for Pitch Perfect

[messedupfan]

Everything is Fanfiction: Episode 3

This map somehow leads to Wanda Maximoff. Find out how on next week's episode with a very special guest! July 17th at 2pm ct!

[pshbites]

LOVE ON AiR

SYNOPSiS » two podcast groups, both equally popular on the internet, start interacting with one another. however it isnt how fans want it to be.. OR yn sees sunghoon hating on lauryn hill and accidentally starts an entire fanwar with him.

PAiRiNG » sunghoon x fem!reader

FEAUTRiNG » all of enha, giselle of aespa, txt briefly mentioned

GENRE » smau (social media au), fluff, angst, enemies to lovers (barely), chronically online humor, romance, podcast au, influencer au, HEAVILY inspired from suburb talks and under the influence podcasts, SLOWBURNN

WARNiNGS » profanity, suggestive humor, kys/kms jokes, lots of pop culture references (im chronically online im sorry), drinking, drugs, fanwars, yn haters (BOOOOO), stalking (sorta?) manipulation (NOT FROM SUNGHOON OR Y/N) changes every chapter.

STATUS » completed — (08/03/24) to (10/26/24)

PLAYLiST » your eyes only - enha, after midnight - chappell roan, ex factor - lauryn hill, kiss me - dpr live, read your mind - sabrina carpenter, 3005 - childish gambino, poison poison - renee rapp, thirst - dpr live, just a little bit - enha, daisy - wave to earth, nouvelle vague - wave to earth, thinkin about you - frank ocean. (got carried away .. 😁)

AUTHORS NOTE » BIGGG thanks to my bestest friend ever, my fav british person, @lqfiles , ily so so much and thank you so much for helping me with this process. teaching me how to work tumblr like i was a grandma even tho im only 2 years older than u and making this AMAZING cover (isnt she talented), i love u sooo much more than words can describe, you annoying brit (endearing) 🫶

TAGLIST CLOSED!

written chaps in blue

🔴 RECORDING..

teaser (read first for context!!)

profiles i & profiles ii

1) call my phone a vibrator the way it keeps buzzing

2) YAP CENTRAL EP.135: alpha male podcasts?!

3) first hate thread. feeling nervous

4) pussy slay queen!

5) okay alpha

6) ROUND TABLE EP.149: perfect pitch :o

7) 1 down 3 to go

8) what the fuck is a ynhoon

9) YNXOXO VLOG: night out w/ won and riki

10) wet and bothered

11) just a normal tuesday

12) jungwons evil arc

13) YNXOXO VLOG: cafe date with my girls <3

14) the battle of thirst traps

15) twitch streaming era

16) YAP CENTRAL EP.136: did social media ruin relationships?

17) second interaction: kinda scared

18) fuck skater boys

19) park sunghoon v. round table

20) riki emo era: OVER

21) sunghoons side hoes

22) ROUND TABLE EP.150: we traded phones?!

23) bro define: friend

24) spidey sense

25) on my cellular plan i pay for?

26) YNXOXO VLOG: night time routine + surprise!!

27) a face i would kiss

28) collab of the century

29) YAP CENTRAL EP.137: has love lost its meaning?

30) eyes don’t lie

31) operation: ynhoon (postponed)

32) crybaby

33) operation: ynhoon (BACK ON)

34) chat is this a date yes or no?

35) boss baby jay

36) boyfriend

37) soft or hard?

38) what da heck *tyla voice*

39) YNXOXO VLOG: ice skating! | vlog w/ a special guest!!

40) love is on air

UNCUTS

1) operation: get riki ip banned on twt

2) try not to blow up challenge: FAILED

3) JAYS KITCHEN: my friends trying to help me make food blindfolded. (spoiler: it’s a fail)

4) YNXOXO VLOG: my boyfriend does my makeup voiceover !

5) YAP CENTRAL BLOOPERS: riki kat and yn patreon ad

© all rights to pshbites 2024

[azuredawn81]

patron of the arts p4 | quinn hughes x musician!reader

part 3

♫ summary: quinn and y/n go to new jersey to meet his family. she's nervous. his family just adores her.

♫ pairing: quinn hughes x reader

♫ content: fluff, flirty!quinn, queen ellen, mama’s boy!quinn

♫ word count: 2k

♫ warnings: the eras tour (sorry to everyone who didn’t go)

♫ note: merry christmas

❅ tags: @verycoolusername1 @luvoblivixus @tomskookie @leclerc-drives-in-circles@dream-girl06 @skepvids@how-what-why-huh @devilinpradaheels @r0wdymaize86 @summert158 @lolatokki@captainhuggys @camiesully

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁

“baby, are you sure you got everything?” quinn said, a smirk on his face. there’s no way y/n could’ve forgotten anything, not when she packed the whole apartment.

“yes, i’m sure.”

“just double checking. can’t let your forget perfume number 5.”

“oh, that reminds me, should i wear miss dior or good girl to meet your mom?”

quinn just blinked, exasperated. “y/n, it does not matter. my mom will think you’re amazing.”

“so, chance?”

“you’re hopeless.”

“hopelessly in love!”

“unless you want to put the bags in the car, go sit down.”

y/n sat in the passenger seat, plugging in her phone for music.

“you better not be putting on taylor!”

“you were at the eras tour!”

“höggy made me go!”

he slammed the trunk shut and sat down in the driver’s seat.

“and did you enjoy it?”

“i mean, i kinda liked vigilant sh-”

she pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “don’t you dare finish that sentence, quinny.”

“i’d rather see you do that.”

“ugh, i have to go on a eight hour flight with this sicko!”

“the sicko that holds you every night.”

“the very one.”

“you know i love you, right?”

y/n made an affirmative hum noise, staring out the window.

“no, no, look at me.”

“yeah?”

“turn your head.”

“what?”

“i love you.”

she kissed him again.

“baby, you gotta say it back.”

like clockwork, her lips were on his yet again. “i love you more.”

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

quinn held her hand as they boarded the plane, taking their seats in first class. y/n got the window, quinn got the aisle.

“goodnight, love.”

“goodnight? baby, it’s 1pm.”

y/n pushed the divider between their seats up and nestled into quinn’s arms. “goodnight.”

“forgetting something?”

“oh right!” she leaned down and grabbed her purse. inside, was a little bag containing her sleep mask.

“goodnight, quinny.”

he pressed a kiss to her forehead and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “goodnight, my sweet girl.”

as soon as she was asleep, quinn put his airpods in. he’d been taking a break from podcasts to listen to what he viewed as the highest form of music, the new vso album. it was about 45 minutes, so he could listen to it about eleven times. eight and a half hours, snuggling his girl, staring out the window. this was going to be an easy flight.

“mr hughes?” the flight attendant asked.

“hi.”

“would you like anything to drink?”

“just a water.” he nudged y/n. “angel, wake up.”

“what?” she muttered, groggily.

“drink?”

“it’s too early.”

“2:30, love.”

“diet coke… with the little biscuits.”

“so a diet coke and water?”

“yes, please.”

“ice?”

“angel, you want ice?”

“sure…”

“i’ll be right back.”

y/n was already back asleep.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

quinn: hey mom

quinn: we’re on the plane

ellen: oh good

ellen: is y/n feeling alright? quinn: she won’t admit it, but she’s a little nervous

quinn: she’s performed for presidents and heads of state

quinn: flown out to perform at the coronation for king charles

quinn: but meeting you and dad is scaring her

ellen: oh poor girl

ellen: i love her already

quinn: you do?

ellen: yes of course

ellen: she’s made you so happy

ellen: she actually has substance and her own career

ellen: and the grandbabies i’d get… adorable

quinn: mom be so serious right now

ellen: i am!

ellen: she has a nice nose.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

“angel… angel, wake up.”

“no….”

“we’re landing soon. if you keep sleeping, your ears will hurt.”

“too early…”

“tausk will be mad if you can’t use your perfect pitch.”

y/n jolted awake. “don’t say that name, i’m on break.”

“you’re so cute when you sleepy… and asleep.”

“were you watching me sleep?”

“baby, we’ve been on this plane for almost nine hours, yes i watched you sleep.”

“this is what i mean, you’re a creep.”

“i had to be your pillow for eight hours.”

“and? you’re my boyfriend?”

“i love you.”

“love you too.”

she put her earbuds in and leaned against quinn, smiling. he pulled out his phone to text his brothers.

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

da boyz 😈

quinn: 30 minutes till we land

jack: lets gooooo

luke: how’s y/n

quinn: tired

quinn: she slept the whole flight

quinn: she’s very nervous

luke: why

jack: probably mom

quinn: all of you actually

luke: no way she’s nervous about meeting me

quinn: she’s nervous cause you’re my brother idiot

jack: mom loves her already

quinn: y/n doesn’t know

luke: did you not tell her

quinn: no i did

quinn: she just doesn’t believe me

jack: she’s mostly just happy that y/n is famous for something other than wearing bikinis

luke: dude you can NOT be talking

quinn: yeah jack one of us has to

jack: ok whatever

jack: luke and i will be at the airport soon

luke: mom and dad won’t be staying with us

luke: but don’t think that mean you and y/n can be loud all night

jack: luke that would mean quinn gets action

quinn: who has the girlfriend

jack: you and me both dork

luke: 😔

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

“i think i have a pretty good idea of your family. you talk about them a lot,” y/n said, watching quinn grab their suitcases from the overhead bin.

“quick refresh.”

“uh-huh.”

“don’t leave your food unattended around luke.”

“you’ve made that clear.”

they walked off the plane into the airport, his hand holding her so tightly.

“seems like you’re the nervous one, quinny.”

“me? no.”

“your hand’s clammy.”

“is it?”

“are you nervous?”

“very.”

“you’re just seeing your family.”

“yeah, but i’m bringing you home and i haven’t brought home a girl in a long time. and you’re amazing. but with an atypical job.”

“i don’t want the hockey player telling me how i have an atypical job.”

“lots of people are pro athletes, y/n.”

“and lots of people are musicians.”

“tomatoes, tomahtoes.”

“uh-huh.”

“oh, and my mom’s gonna be asking if we’re gonna get married soon or have kids and i don’t want you to feel uncomfortable or anything.”

“quinn, i know we’re going to get married.”

he raised an eyebrow. “what makes you think that?”

“you call me mrs. hughes in your sleep.”

quinn didn’t look back at her, just looking straight ahead.

“cat got your tongue?”

“shut up.”

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

“jack, look.”

“she’s so pretty.”

“that’s our new sister.”

y/n’s eyes widen as she spotted them. she waved. quinn gave her a look that said “what are you doing?” until he followed her line of sight and saw his brothers. then, he frowned.

luke had a sign that said “welcome back from rehab!”

jack had a sign that said “just married! quinn & y/n”

“are you two serious?” he asked, getting jack in a headlock.

while those two fought like brothers do, luke hugged y/n. “i finally get a big sister.”

“quinn’s dated before, no?”

“yeah, but i can tell you’re the real thing.”

“thanks, luke.”

“c’mon, i’ll carry your stuff. mom and dad are waiting.”

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

“welcome to casa hughes.” jack said, opening the door into his and luke’s apartment. “you two will be down the hall.”

quinn led y/n down to the spare room, where an air mattress had been set up.

“try not to use the closet, it’s storage,” luke said, peeping his head in.

“bye, luke.”

“bye, y/n.”

he closed the door, leaving the happy couple alone.

“this is quite the bachelor pad.”

“yeah, not all of us have amazing girlfriends with a penchant for peonies.”

“shame.”

they laid on the air mattress, on top of the dark blue sheets that smelled faintly of sweat.

“ready to meet my parents?”

“i’d like to fix my hair first.”

“i’m sure that can be arranged.”

she nestled a little closer to quinn. he wrapped his arms around her, like a teddy bear. “q, you’re so warm.”

“i aim to please.”

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

y/n was wearing a little black satin dress with black heels. her hair was in a cute updo, a silver pin holding it in place. in one hand was her purse, in the other was quinn’s hand. he was wearing his suit, the one he typically wore for gamedays.

“if you put that stupid beanie on your head, i’m dumping you and going back to vancouver.”

“you wouldn’t.”

“yeah, you’re right. luke would probably be my favorites hughes, thought.”

“that’s crossing a line.”

“love ya, q.”

“god, can you two save this for after dinner?” jack asked from behind the wheel.

“sorry, jacky.”

“thank goodness, we’re here,” luke muttered, getting out of the car.

quinn stepped out, then gave y/n his hand to help her out. he pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

“what a charmer.”

“i love you.”

inside the restaurant, jim and ellen were already waiting at a table. the kids joined them, luke sitting next to ellen and jack, quinn, and y/n on the other side of the table. ellen scanned y/n up and down before smiling.

“good job, quinn.”

“thanks, mom.” he was as red as a tomato.

“mrs. hughes, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you and mr. hughes. i have nothing but respect for you two and-”

“y/n, you don’t need to talk like that unless you’re about to tell us about your pregnancy.”

“pregnancy? mrs. hughes, i assure you that-”

“y/n, y/n, you’re okay. you can just call me ellen. jim and i already like you.”

“really?”

“did quinn not tell you?”

“no, he did.”

“i did.”

“the poor girl didn’t believe me.”

“she’s really nervous, mom.”

ellen turned back to y/n. “don’t be nervous. you’re the best girl out there for little quintin.”

“mom!”

“if things keep going the way they are, she’ll know your full name. they have to print it on marriage certificates.”

“we’re just taking things slow.”

the rest of dinner flowed with ease. quinn was thrilled to be back with his brothers. ellen and y/n swapped stories about quinn, like how he set off the smoke detectors making pizza when he was 12 and how he did the same thing just last tuesday. jim was impressed with y/n’s jazz knowledge and vice verse. she showed him pictures of her replica of miles davis’ moon and stars trumpet, the one she played during her jazz stint in new york.

“thank you for dinner, ellen.”

“thank you for taking care of my quinn. i haven’t seen the boy this happy since he got drafted.”

“i try my best.”

“you’ve really turned his life around, y/n. i’m so glad he’s stopped partying.”

“how do you know about that?”

“give it a few years. you’ll know too.”

“what do you mean?”

“moms always know.”

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

“y/n, come to bed.”

“give me a second! someone can’t remember how to leave their sleeves facing the right way.”

“is that- is that my hoodie? from earlier?”

“… maybe.”

“baby, i wore that on the plane!”

“and? it smells like you.”

he opened his arms for her as she laid next to him. the blanket was tugged across the two of them, engulfing them in a warm cocoon.

“how did i get so lucky?”

“i ask that every day.”

join the tag list to stay updated

[silentglassbreak]

I know. I know. I have other projects I need to work on. I have about 1000 things I need to do. I need to edit my novel. Write CYFMH2. Edit my podcast. Work on my last 2 fic requests, and write the one that’s been swirling around in my brain. I know. And I will…

And my best friend (I know you’re reading this, Big Daddy) will roll her eyes when she sees I’m posting on here instead of getting my shit together.

But…

NSFW under the cut

I keep having this thought in my head about Noah. I’ve let my mind drift off of him for a couple weeks. It’s so hard to live in the real - cruel - world when he floats around my brain like TV static making me frothy. But I just can’t fucking help it, you know?

Once in a while…I can’t help but imagine…

What if you can’t sleep?

What if you and Noah were already together? An item. Life is good. The man of all of our dreams - and he’s all yours. Laying in bed next to you. You’re happy. You’re successful in whichever venture you choose to pursue. Your life couldn’t be any better.

So why the fuck do you have such bad insomnia?!

His bed is the perfect texture. His blankets are so cool, but keep you wrapped in a cozy cocoon next to his large frame. His soft snores aren’t bothersome, but so soothing. You’ve learned that without the sound of his breathing, your sleeping habits are even worse. His body radiates heat, but he keeps his room so cold, it makes it easy to draw into his side, his arm draped loosely over the front of your body while his mind is off dancing in whatever dreams he’s having that night.

You’re jealous. You’d kill to be dreaming. Or even just dozing. Because you have to get up early in the morning, and you just remembered there’s no coffee creamer in the fridge downstairs, so having caffeine when you first wake up is out of the question. You’ll have to drive to Starbucks, or order it in. That just sounds like medieval torture to you. First world problems, amirite?

And it’s not without you trying. The room is pitch black save from one shred of moonlight casting in from the window. The white noise of Noah’s sleep behind you. Your brain feels fuzzy enough, but you’re still squirming and frustrated.

You just don’t get it.

After about your third readjustment, the arm around your waist tightens, pulling you tighter against his chest.

His voice is right at your ear, thick with sleep. “Struggling tonight, baby?”

All you can do is whine in response, defeated, wriggling under his tight grip, and pressing your face into the pillow.

“I don’t know why I can’t sleep. I’m so fucking tired.” Your voice was cracking. You were so desperate.

A soft kiss pressed to the fabric of the shirt over your shoulder.

“No good, love. You comfortable? Need me to adjust the AC?”

Noah never touched the AC. Noah never adjusted the room temperature - unless it was for you.

But that wouldn’t help.

“I’m comfortable. I’m relaxed. I’m exhausted. So what the fuck?! Why can’t I sleep?”

His arm snaked all the way around your waist, pressing your back hard into his chest, his legs intertwining with yours.

His lips spoke into the hair next to your temple. “I don’t know, beautiful.”

You let out a frustrated sigh, melting into him.

“Need me to put you to sleep?”

And you froze, suddenly cemented in your exact spot.

And yeah, it was real hot in the room, out of nowhere.

“What?”

His palm flattened over your abdomen, sliding up beneath your t-shirt, calloused fingers tracing over your skin.

“You heard me.”

Did you really need to answer him? No. He would’ve done whatever you needed with a silent plea, but - as was mentioned before - you were desperate.

“If you think you can…”

And you knew what you were doing, didn’t you?

To challenge him like that…

Which is why you found yourself face down in the pillow, hips up in the air, eyes rolling back in your skull while Noah pounded into you, his fingers bruising the skin of your ass with each hard slap that landed. His deep, vicious groans mixed with the skin on skin of his cock sliding in and out of you over and over.

His hand reached down to tangle in your hair, pulling you up so he could wrap his long fingers over your throat, crushing your windpipe in the process.

The tears leaked from your eyes, his voice venomous in your ear.

“Don’t think I can wear you out, baby?” Your hands gripped his arm that pressed on your throat, begging for more pressure. “Just for that, I’m fucking you into a coma tonight.”

His fingers loosened enough so you could crane your neck, his lips crashing into yours, tongue licking sloppily into your mouth.

When he pushed you back down, his length slipped all the way out before railing back into you, pressing hard against your cervix, making you bite down on your bottom lip.

“Tired yet, love? Want me to stop?”

You cried out hard, begging him not to. This elicited a dark, humorless laugh out of him.

“Didn’t think so.”

This went on forever, until you crested up to the edge, his fingers slipping under you to press against your clit while you writhed against him.

“Finally going to come for me, sweetheart?”

You could only nod helplessly, begging him to give you the release you needed.

“C’mon baby. Wake the house up. Let’em hear you.”

And you did. The screams that left your lungs when your orgasm slapped you shook the walls of the bedroom, the pillows having no prayer of muffling the shrieks.

“There you go, love.” His hands released you, hips falling back into a smooth rhythm while he chased his own release. You could only let your body naturally respond, pressing back into him instinctively. Your brain was buzzing, each added thrust just comfortably settling you into your own euphoria.

He finished with a hard, loud sigh, his chest pressed to your back and fingers lacing with yours.

You collapsed down onto the sheets while he peppered kisses over your shoulders, soothing you into a soft lull.

After a moment, he retreated into the bathroom to clean up, grabbing a soft, damp towel. You felt him clean you, purring at his gentle touch.

“I’m going to grab some water. Need anything from downstairs?”

You grunted in response, and you heard him chuckle softly. “Be right back, baby.”

Once the door closed, shutting the rest of the light out, your mind fell away, tossing you into the abyss.

He was only gone a moment, sinking back onto the mattress next to you, arms encircling you.

You had no idea, though. You were gone. Finally letting your own comfortable dreams take over.

You barely even heard him speak, his voice like a background noise of your thoughts.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.”

Sorry I just couldn’t stop thinking about it.

[shinraalpha]

oh i hope i don't regret this but hi tumblr i am on the lookout for new horror fiction podcast recommendations please. here are some i have done already or tried and if they hit the spot or not (please don't come for me if your favourite didn't hit for me it's nothing personal i am a picky bitch)

HIT LIST

Malevolent (GOATed, magnificent, no notes)

The Silt Verses (life changing, sublime, perfection)

Old Gods of Appalachia (beautiful, compelling)

The Magnus Archives (up to a point - s4 did not do it for me tbh)

The Black Tapes (love a faux-investigative journalism, though it didn't stick the landing)

Deviser (space horror space horror space horror)

Limetown (fuck me what a show)

LIKED BUT DIDN'T LOVE

I am in Eskew

Tannis

Rabbits

Alice Isn't Dead

The Right Left Game

The White Vault

The Lovecraft Investigations

Wake of Corrosion

NOT QUITE MY TEMPO

Woe.Begone

No Sleep

Archive 81

Borrasca

Unwell

Mabel

I like - cosmic horror, creeping dread, sci-fi, existential dread and faux investigative journalism. I'm fine with anthology or ongoing narratives. Big fan of weird vibes over overt.

I dislike - audio that relies on sudden loud noises (I am sensitive to sound and this is the audio equivalent of a jump scare), when characters are sucked into an alternative "fucked up" world (I just find it much less engaging - Malevolent notwithstanding) and when a show is pitched as "haunting" but really isn't horror.

Thanks in advance sorry I'm so picky lol

[leveloneandup]

For Christen Press, the Joy is in the Journey

Progress isn’t perfect.

That’s been Christen Press’s motto over the 781 days since she last played in a soccer match—and not just when it comes to her recovery from the ACL tear she sustained in June, 2022, but also when thinking about life as a whole.

“You have to accept that things won’t go the way you think they will, but maybe they’ll go better,” she explains. “Progress isn’t linear. It’s up and down and back and forth. But in that movement there’s more than what you ever imagined. So the imperfection—the struggle, the setbacks—those are actually the greatest gifts as you get to learn about yourself and you have the chance to grow.”

Press has had more than her share of setbacks over the last two years, as an initial surgery turned into two, then three, and finally four.

“I think every single time that I was told I’d have to have surgery, from the first ACL reconstruction and the three scopes that I had, I always thought I would be on the quickest timeline possible,” said Press when she returned to Angel City training in June. “I think that's part of who I am. I'm just relentlessly optimistic. I'm naively positive, and just thinking that everything's going to work out for me—and I never want that to change, you know? And I got off course of all of those timelines so many times that I finally had to actually relinquish that expectation of myself.”

In her two years off the field, Press says she’s grown and healed in more ways than just physically, but the goal was always to return, even if that possibility felt far off at times.

“I never thought about giving up,” says Press, “but there were moments that I thought I’d have to accept that I wouldn’t make it—or that ‘making it’ might not look how I expected.”

One of the hardest things about this process has been accepting that the outcome was not fully under her control. “I’m able to do a lot of suffering for success, and I’ve been that way since I was a child,” she says. “The question I had to answer was how to accept and be open to things I cannot control.”

Press had access to the best medical and rehabilitation care in the business—first at the Meyer Institute of Sports, an El Segundo rehab and performance facility specializing in elite athletes, and then with Angel City’s training staff, including VP of Medical and Performance Sarah Smith, Head Athletic Trainer Manny De Alba, Head of Sports Science Dan Jones, Director of Rehabilitation Sarah Neal, Performance Coach Michael Roman, Assistant Athletic Trainer April Seymon, and Senior Physical Therapist Joscelyn Shumate Bourne.

Ultimately, bodies don’t always heal the way we hope they will. All she could do was show up every day and try her best.

“I had to make decisions that centered my well being and full personhood,” she says. “To start to find my inherent value outside of excellence in the pitch.”

In part, that meant finding joy in other areas of life. She worked on her business, re–Inc, including starting a podcast with (business and life) partner Tobin Heath, initially focusing on the 2023 World Cup, then branching out to cover women’s soccer more generally. She went to the beach. She spent time with family.

In some ways, this time away from the game Press loves has been freeing. “The last two years have been the first of my career that I wasn’t evaluated on my performance,” she says. “I showed up for PT every day with a smile on my face and gave max effort. That’s all I had to do.”

Press’s return comes at a perfect time for the club: they’ve begun to build momentum with two convincing Summer Cup wins, against Club América and Bay FC, as they look ahead to the back half of the regular season. Playoffs are still well within reach heading into this stretch, a fact that Press’s return can only make more tangible.

“Her quality is inevitable,” says First Assistant Coach Eleri Earnshaw. “Last week in training, she scored a couple of goals that we haven't seen anyone else do yet this season in training.”

Returning to play after such a long hiatus isn’t easy for anyone, but Earnshaw says there’s a point the coaching staff have emphasized both to Press and to other injured players eyeing a return to the field: “your ability doesn't change overnight,” she says. “There are some things that just stay with you. Her chance creation, her separation from defenders—you’ve got to be in the right physical and mental place to be able to perform those things, to be confident to do it, but she is building those things up every day.”

“If we can get that quality onto the pitch for any number of minutes, great,” she concludes.

As Press anticipates her return to what she calls “the real world of professional sports”—one “filled with stress and pressure and often angst,” as she puts it—she’s going in with a fresh perspective.

“I’m determined to enjoy it,” she says. “I know who I am as a player and person, and I see this opportunity as a chance to do what I love. I told my teammates today: football is a miracle. It’s a miracle we get to do the thing we love.”

[hatsukeii]

12:51 FM / K. AKAASHI

BROWSE EPISODES HERE

-PROLOGUE: 12:51 AM-

01:43 ━━━━●───── 15:58 ◁ PREVㅤ ❚ ❚ ㅤNEXT ▷ ㅤ

warning(s): use of y/n (format)

wc: ~1.0k

Akaashi: Is this thing...working?

Y/n: Course it is! Hear that? It's whirring, that means something has to be working.

Akaashi: You know what else whirred? My old laptop that blew up in physics last month.

You tap the microphone, and a high pitched ring sounds from the speakers. Akaashi slaps the headphones on, forgetting that they are connected to the two microphones.

Y/n: Ow! What the hell?

Akaashi: You haven't put the windscreen on yet! Mute the mic!

One hand over your left ear, the other hand scrambles for the mute button to stop the ringing, and Akaashi breathes a sigh of relief as the auditory torment comes to an end. You let go of your ear, now shuffling through papers and packaged food for the foam cover that has been buried beneath them. You manage to fish out a ball of tangled cables, the black piece of foam trapped in between. Pulling and threading wires through each other, they loosen enough to release the windscreen from their mess, and you stretch it over the metallic mesh of your microphone.

Y/n: There, is that better? I think it's better.

Akaashi: Much better.

Y/n: It's official, sound engineering is my future calling.

Akaashi: The last time you used my guitar amp, you almost blew up the insides plugging a bass into it. Please stay far away from sound engineering.

Y/n: You're no fun Keiji. Loosen up! Relax!

Akaashi: I'll relax when I walk us out of this studio in one piece. Why is the mic still whirring? I don't like that.

You clear your throat, before snatching a pack of melon bread and ripping open the plastic wrap haphazardly. Crumbs land on the pop filter of your microphone, and Akaashi clicks his tongue, swiping them off gently from beside you. From the recording booth, two bells sound simultaneously- the muffled, distant class bell from the neighbouring high school, and the booming lunch bell of Fukurodani. 12:51 pm.

Y/n: Hello hello to Fukurodani High! God, this is a really weird time to be broadcasting, isn't it? I mean, who starts lunch almost a whole hour after noon? Like, just pick twelve, or like twelve thirty, right? Even twelve fifty would've made more sense. Why twelve fifty-one?

Akaashi: Yeah, but that gives us a killer podcast name, doesn't it? 12:51 AM sounds way better than 12:50 AM.

Y/n: That's- good poi- Keij- input is- crashed?

Akaashi's audio cuts off, popping and crackling through his headphones as you continue to speak. He clicks his tongue, flicking the mic once, twice, and a third time with his finger. When that doesn't work, he cranks the mic clamp, and curses beneath his breath just quietly enough to not be picked up by the microphone. Pushing and twisting it around, he finds the perfect position, just above his head, angled upwards ever so slightly. Yes, he has to crane his neck for the duration of the podcast, and he can already feel the muscles in his shoulders tensing. But he can hear your voice perfectly this way, the silent humming of static buzzing unobtrusively beneath your talking. He's going to feel the strain at volleyball after school, but this is close enough to perfect for the broadcast.

Y/n: Alright, it's registering again.

Akaashi: I give it another five minutes to cut out again.

Y/n: Man, can't the school fund for a better PR system or something? Keiji, remember that one time we had a bomb threat and the announcement wasn't working in our classroom?

Akaashi: Yeah, this might just get us killed one day. To any teachers listening to this, can we please get a PR system upgrade?

Y/n: And that's not even the worst part! We're using AM radio at the moment, but if only we could use FM... not like anyone would notice the difference anyways.

You take a bite of your melon bread, and crumbs fall onto your pop filter again. Akaashi can't help but to swipe them off the foam cover for you, even as you keep talking. The recording booth now smells like metal sound equipment, with an odd hint of artificial melon.

Y/n: Anyways, you are currently tuned in to 12:51 AM radio! We're your hosts, y/n-

Akaashi: And Akaashi. Fukurodani's weird lunch time means that no one else is using the same frequency as we are, so we can actually run this show without any interference. Hooray to that.

You laugh at Akaashi's random spiel, punching his arm. He rubs his bicep, even though you didn't hit him that hard, before realising that his head is off centre from the microphone. He readjusts to his original seating position swiftly.

Y/n: Oh come on Keiji, no one understands enough about radio frequencies to get that! What's important is that we'll be your central student hub for-

Akaashi: I don't think we can call ourselves the student hub, isn't that the wellbeing area upstairs?

Y/n: ...True. Well! The two of us will be your main source of lunch entertainment once a week then! I'm not even too sure what our main topics are gong to be, so I guess stay tuned and be surprised?

Akaashi: I second that sentiment, stay tuned and be surprised everyone, because we'll be surprising ourselves as well. These episodes are available to watch on the school's website, so if you ever feel like going back to an episode again, or there was something you didn't quite catch, you can go back any time for it.

Y/n: Buuuut all you gotta do is show up at school, and you'll get the unedited, unfiltered first edition of each episode! How 'bout that!

Akaashi: Correct. The school is definitely not making sure we endorse good attendance.

Y/n: Don't say that Keiji!

You punch his side this time, and Akaashi snickers at your weak hit, head staying scarily still as he catches your wrist in his grasp while you pull away. You twist your hand from his fist, smacking his hand, before erupting into a fit of giggles. He raises his brow tauntingly, watching you turn back to your microphone from the corner of his eye. You take a deep breath in, and Akaashi doesn't miss the way your fingers grip the edge of the table so hard that they turn pale. You've never been this quiet.

Y/n: Now, without further ado....

He thinks you'll do just fine.

Akaashi: Welcome, to the first edition of 12:51 AM radio.

author's note: do you guys fw the script format? I'll probably be mixing this and full prose between chapters, but I've been really getting into scriptwriting and staging things, but i'm not exactly a filmmaker so scriptwriting is all i can do. take it as dialogue practice i guess. hope you guys enjoyed anyways!

tags: @wyrcan @kawoala @bakery-anon @catsoupki @chuuya-brainrot @hiraethwa @fiannee @staraxiaa @akaakeis @velvetreds @tokeposts @kongkhoi @hiraethwrote @shouyuus @kuroppiii @bailey-reeds @kameyyy @tokeposts @tobiosluvr @gumims

p.s if you're not in the general taglist, comment/ask for tag if you'd like to be included in the taglist for this series!

[ceratedfish24]

Thoughts on Scott and Impulse?

Hello Anon! Sorry I took so long to answer this one. I have strong feelings about Scottpulse, so I wanted to be able to answer this ask in a way that conveyed my feelings properly. However, with traveling to and from Thanksgiving backing up a couple of asks and then going straight into my exams afterwards, I haven't had a lot of time to think this one through.

Scottpulse is the physical manifestation of a warm hug. Those two are fairy lights and pillow forts and the default hosts of Friendsgiving for the Americans.

Impulse would get caught up in how pretty Scott is all of the time. He can't wrap his head around how Scott looks so beautiful in every lighting at every angle. He's just so photogenic all of the time. Impulse isn't a big picture taker, but he takes most of the photos Scott posts on social media. Now, Scott knows that he's pretty. He better be pretty. He puts a lot of effort into looking nice, and he enjoys the attention. However, Impulse is so earnest about how gorgeous he finds Scott to be, and it's his sincerity and emotional vulnerability that makes Scott coy.

Scott is the type to have a panic attack during a horror movie, while Impulse acts tough and big and strong. Meanwhile, Scott is totally calm and comfortable during True Crime shows, while Impulse is completely horrified the whole time. Impulse is all "this is REAL LIFE!! You hate the fictional ones, but this is REAL" and Scott's like "yeah but sometimes it just be like that :)".

Not a day goes by where Scott isn't blown away by Impulse's technical knowledge. He loves to watch Impulse work, and Impulse loves to talk Scott through what he's doing. Scott thinks that Impulse's intelligence is so very attractive, even though Scott, himself, has absolutely no idea what's going on the whole time.

Impulse has talked on the Imp & Skizz podcast about wanting to get really into decorating his home for the holidays, especially since he still has young kids. I can imagine Scott being so excited that Impulse wants to decorate and asking Impulse to make a list of everything in his vision. Then, Scott and Impulse buy some of those big blow-up decorations and DIY a bunch of decorations. They're very proud of it.

Additionally, I've seen some art of Wild Life Episode 7 Impulse in blue and orange as a superhero costume, and it's the same shades that Scott picked for his Transporter New Life SMP character, which is also a character that teleports and swaps places with people. All I'm saying is.... boyfriend clothes :)

Most of the time, Impulse is pretty mild when flirting with friends, but I think he would be a very romantic partner to Scott. It might not be entirely in his nature, but he knows how much Scott really appreciates a big gesture now and then. The first time Impulse set up a big thing, it was a romantic dinner with Scott's favorite scented candles, a home cooked meal he knew Scott would like, and a nice bottle of wine. He wore a black button up with long sleeves rolled up to his elbows and brown dress pants. Scott very much had a "am I being seduced right now" moment when he walked in.

Elle (Scott's cat) and Prim (Impulse's dog) love each other. They're attached at the hip. They always greet both Impulse and Scott whenever they get home regardless of whether or not Impulse and Scott have come home together or separately.

They fret over each other like mother hens when one of them is sick. "What are you doing out of bed?!" "Here, this will boost your immune system." "If you need anything, text or call me immediately. No problem is too small. It's what I'm here for." Homemade soup is their love language.

Impulse loves Pitch Perfect and Taylor Swift. I know Scott loves Taylor Swift, and I have no doubt that he's a Pitch Perfect fan. They would listen to Pitch Perfect and Taylor Swift songs all of the time.

Socially, Scott and Impulse are Yin and Yang. Preferring to spend a most of his time with one or two people, Impulse is a little on the quieter side, while Scott tries to spend a little bit of time with everyone. Combined, they get ALL the gossip.

I don't know how to explain this one, but I just feel like the curtains in their bedroom are dark purple and completely opaque. I am extremely set on this headcanon for no reason. I will die on this hill. Sunlight shines in through slivers between the curtains, creating hard shadows that really bring out the colors of the room in the morning. In contrast, Impulse's hair is so soft under Scott's fingers.

I cannot explain why, but I am extremely dead set on their colors being royal purple and gold. That's their wedding color theme. I literally cannot fathom them as any other colors.

Thank you for the ask!!🩵🩵🩵

[isagrimorie]

So we all know how terrible Rick Berman is towards actors, especially towards women.

And lesser known but still known is how he treated writers. And now I return from another episode of Bryan Fuller spilling the Tea from the Bride of Chaotica episode in Trekspert Briefing Room:

Apparently, Berman never wanted individual writers to get the credits— he wanted to get all the acclaim for Star Trek even if he didn’t actually care for Star Trek.

Berman got angry at writers if he learned they gave interviews or received praise for an episode.

Bryan Fuller also spilled the tea about Kenneth Biller who was Voyager’s showrunner near the end.

Biller didn’t care at all for Star Trek— and you know that’s okay if Trek wasn’t you’re thing and if it’s just a paycheck.

But also, this meant he never advocated for anything. He played it safe.

Berman loved to crush any Voyager story that had a hint of serialization. He hated DS9 and how Ira Behr got away with a lot of the things because Behr basically went: I Do What I want. and he kept challenging Berman to fire him, Berman never did.

It’s amazing we got something good to great from 90s Trek considering everything behind the scenes.

I like when Fuller is in a podcast— he inevitably spills tea about how terrible it was in the Voyager’s writer’s room.

Also, the executives hated Kate Mulgrew’s pitch perfect Arachnia because according to them she played her too broadly.

JFC.

No, Mulgrew played Janeway playing Arachnia exactly right.

Kate Mulgrew understood the assignment.

Also, all the working writer’s knew that Voyager worked when it was allowed to stray from the TNG formula and be its own thing. Explore concepts, and be as weird and wacky as it needed to be. Unhinged in all directions.

But then Berman will get wind of those stories and Squash them.

[godzillachloe]

I love this so much 💜💙💜💙

Brittany Snow and @alexandracooper recreate the famous shower scene from Pitch Perfect

[bull-shit-suji]

kuro modern au stuff that i word vomited into my notes app

kind of a Vincent summoned sebastian to save ciel so ciel doesnt actually owe sebas anything

amnesia? idk

single dad moment! except theres this other dad whos kinda find.. (cough agni)

i think vincent was like do NOT let ciel know ur a demon so sebastian keeps it a secret but he doesnt have a good handle on like. Humans. so he kinda does a bad job and ciel definitely knows that he's weird but doesnt say anything. will go out of his way to gaslight you when sebastian does weird shit because he thinks its funny

"hey uhh is your dad levitating?"

"no?"

"he's flying above the school rn"

"that's a bird"

u think suddenly being a butler is hard? have fun being a dad bitch

alois is there but thats complicated. claude and hannah are DIVORCED but on decent terms (i think claude is like. toxic alpha male podcast type guy) and claude sees alois on alternating weekends!

are they demons? i dont know

i think ciel and alois can be friends. platonically. alois would probably say yes if ciel wanted to be romantic but i Promise you he does not. they are just pals :)

im saying ciel has a crush on elizabeth because i can (she's not his cousin here). emo boy x sunny church girl. said sunny church girl has to ask the mcdonalds employees for the blue raspberry slushie they forgot to put in ciel's order because emo boy is too scared.

IM 13 EVERYTHING SUCKSSSSS

grelle is actually living her best life transitioned with anne so they are ciel's aunts on his late mom's side. i think grelle likes ciel. mom figure moreso than anne is.

ciel owns four bongs and definitely a vape or two. come on now

he's also probably got celiac and is lactose intolerant he is just a feeble boy i think

he listens to twenty one pilots. sorry! sorry.

ciel is goth alois is punk those r kinda just the rules

ciel is insanely smart top of the class this shit is easy for him.

yells at sebastian daily. figured out what happened with his real parents around the age of uhhhh 12 or 13? has been an absolute terror ever since

"it was really nice of your dad to bring cookies for the field trip!"

"i hope he fucking chokes on one"

"oh!"

sebastian and claude are pta rivals.

"is this lemon bread store bought? my, how... efficient!"

"you made these from scratch? i can tell."

"i've never seen an interesting looking salsa! very exciting."

ciel purposefully invites alois over constantly bcus it pisses sebas off. alois is Terrified of that man.

"go grab the chips from the kitchen"

"but... what if mr michaelis is in there?"

"mr m- you mean my dad? tell him he can shove a faucet up his ass"

"id rather die on the spot"

sebastian will yell at ciel and is maybe a little emotionally unavailable but he's trying!!! it's hard :(

does that Dad thing where he comes into ciels room and is like hey bud......... what r u up to..

ciel and seiglinde r also palls. the smartest people in school

lizzie is a JOCK. she plays softball.

alois is a theater kid come on now

ciel is best at writing and literature analysis, specifically fiction. enjoys history, language, and Some sciences as well.

nerd

au where myspace is still a thing ciel has a myspace account

he definitely writes shitty poetry

wants to major in business

alois is a glee and pitch perfect truther

[rosielav]

Rosie's Favorite (currently finished/caught up) Podcasts:

The Amelia Project - silly, quirky, morbid but almost always more jaunty and eccentric than completely dark. Great for anyone who loves 'narrator' or interview type podcasts. If I'm not mistaken, I've posted some of my thoughts on here using the pod's hashtag.

The Mistholme Museum of Mystery, Morbitity, and Mortality - another narrator type podcast, and probably my favorite of all time. The main voice you hear is perfect imo and keeps you engaged in all the right ways, bringing tension where it's needed, and levity where it's funny or odd. Absolutely consumed this podcast with a voraciousness I haven't felt for a bit. Keeps you guessing and always wanting more from every exhibit.

Victoriocity - excellent voice acting, interesting and unique premise and setting, and great plot. One of the podcasts I'm most looking forward to returning :) think steam punk but also it's the 1800s still in weird ways. If you love an old timey British accent, you'll love this haha.

The White Vault - probably my favorite specifically horror podcast, that makes you wait for answers in a craving sort of way, a longing to know what's going on, and not slogging through a bunch of filler to then get answers. It's great, gorey, geographically diverse fun. Interesting mashups of various cultures re: mythology, history, religion(?). Another on my list to watch out for the return of.

Midnight Burger: the quick pitch is - a time traveling diner that always services people in need, no matter what time, space, or dimension they may reside in. Excellent cast of characters, great development, wonderful implementation of a new character(s), and in general a very comfortable vibe to return to (speaking of, once I run out of recommendations I may relisten to this one). Highly recommend if you like sitcoms with time travel splashed with a bit of horror.

Edit: just finished up another one, so time to add it to the list!!

Monstrous Agonies: A radio show advice segment, about, by, and for the Creature Community. If you like WTNV, but find it a bit intense sometimes, or a bit too plot heavy/etc, you'll absolutely love this. Instead of the whole show, you just get the advice segment, but oh ho ho, is it so much more than that. If you're queer, BIMPOC, from a blended/mixed/broken/anything but 'typical' home... I think you'll like it. Very much what I would call 'easy listening', meaning you can just ease into an episode without having to remember a huge cast of characters, a plots b plots C plots meta plots... And it just feels *real*, in that strange and beautiful way WTNV does, but instead of a fictional town, the setting is the real world, with real problems, and real solutions. Sometimes you really do just need to howl or cry or chew on some slippers and that's OK. Highly recommend for ADHD havers or anyone with a short attention span who loves a soothing voice.

Edit: Another absolute banger to add to the list

Wooden Overcoats - how do I even properly describe the experience of this podcast. Let's start with the basics: It's the story of twins who run a funeral parlor on a small island, in a small village. Their family has been running said parlor for hundreds of years, as the only funeral directors on the island. Until one day... They aren't. A man arrives and sets up his own funeral parlor directly across the square, and boy, do things change for those twins. If you've listened to (and loved) Victoriocity, or The Amelia Project, I guarantee you'll enjoy this one. Strange, silly, and interesting things are always happening, except this one doesn't have quite as much drama (well...... Perhaps a different kind of drama. I'd call this an interpersonal dramedy, with emphasis on the comedy). An incredible listen, through and through. I thoroughly enjoyed every single episode, and the ending was quite safisfying :)

Another EXCELLENT addition to this ever increasing list of content!!! I'm not even finished with this one, I just love it so much that I can't help but add it to the list:

Mission Rejected - you know in those spy movies, where the spy gets a secret message from HQ and they say 'your mission, if you choose to accept it...' ok great. Now imagine if 007 said 'no'. This is the story about the backups, the team that takes the missions rejected by the Top Spy Guy. It's got diverse voice acting (in many senses of the word - you can tell the voices apart, it's not exclusively straight cis white dudes, etc etc), wonderful worldbuilding, great pacing, an excellent plot, I really could go on and on. I highly recommend this specific podcast to anyone who wants something light to get deeply invested in, that has a lot of comedy but also develops the characters outside of just their bits. 100/10 no notes

Edit: not sure which podcast/podcast enthusiast rb'ed this yesterday but I'm so glad more folks get to see this list!!! It makes me so happy that lots of folks enjoy this list, a d share their fave ones, and!!!! Aaaggghhhhhhhhh!!! I love podcasts and podcast enthusiasts!!!!!

Also I have another one for yall :3 if you're looking for another improv comedy to add to your list!!!

Hey Riddle Riddle - exactly what you think it is, but also so much more. Three friends/coworkers who also happen to be sensational improv comedians solve riddles and puzzles together, while also introducing bits and skits and reoccurring segments, so it never feels like 'just a Riddle podcast' (whatever that means). I have laughed every single episode, which is a big deal for me (some comedy podcasts only make me laugh every few episodes, and I require at LEAST one laugh per episode). I can genuinely say this is one of the funniest podcasts I've ever listened to, and the absolute best improv I've ever heard. I'm all for committing to the bit, and this one absolutely delivers on both the commitment part and the bit part haha. Seriously can't recommend this one enough if you maybe listen to a lot of drama/horror and need something easy to listen to (easy meaning there's not a plot you have to be intensely listening for, you can just enjoy it casually). 1000/10, please listen and also tell me YOUR favorite riddles :)

[liannaedgelord]

my friend @jeffstormer has a good-ass actual play podcast for 2-player story games and you should listen to it if you don't

so to that end, i made a list of my fav @partyofonepod episodes in no real order

Clicks & Hums & Sirens & The Sun: You know how sometimes you go to a big loud dance party and you fall in love with a boy and then later you have a big stupid breakup? This is a game about that. This episode is a funny relatable emotional rollercoaster and I'm on it and we talk about Weezer.

Something Happened & The Lights Are Out: A really sweet conversation between two long distance friends before the electricity goes out forever. Also I wrote the game. This is the last personal bias pick, I swear.

The My Little Pony RPG Alex Pearlman Found In His House When He Moved In: Exactly what it says on the tin. This is the funniest shit I've ever heard.

I Have The High Ground: I just love when a duel is super horny for no reason. Like I REALLY love that. Don't @ me, as the kids probably no longer say.

Knowing You: The small sad breakup game that made me want to write small sad breakup games. Everything on my Itch page flows from this episode. Just a beautiful melancholy story of smalltown heartbreak.

Hey Man, I Love You, But No Fucking Way: Speaking of small towns. A little slice of life drama about teens getting ready to leave the shitty little town they grew up in. This episode introduced me to one of my favorite albums and I listen to both whenever I start feeling nostalgic for places I hated actually living.

We Used To Be Friends: A real fun little teen mystery game that, if I'm being totally honest, is mainly on this list because one of Jeff's characters, Preston, is a hilarious pitch perfect impression of everybody I hung out with in high school. It fucking kills me every time, and you may feel similarly if you also were autistic in high school.

Cadences: Making art about making art is really easy to do insufferably, but when it hits, man it HITS. It's not even sad or anything, but I'm an artist with a love/hate relationship to being perceived and this is a small personal story about the conflict between wanting to do art for an audience and wanting to do it for its own sake. So uh, it kinda makes me cry despite being a pretty upbeat game.

[talkinfanfic]

Episode 307 - Interview with HeyJulien, Football RPF and Carraville writer

🎧 Episode available on any podcast app, Spotify, or stream here!

Like a bicycle kick goal at minute 95, Sara finally completes editing on a much overdue interview with fellow Carraville author @heyyjulien ! 

Sara and Julien talk about the world of football RPF (as in soccer, for all you Yankees); specifically the delightfully odd-couple rivals-to-lovers ship of English football pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher. Other talking points scattered across the pitch include: football as war, derby days and football rivalry; the joys of local non-league football, the Bundesliga and fußballkultur; to switch POV, or not to switch POV; the annoying beauty of David Beckham; and of course, we discuss the tragically under-utilized in fic friendship of Paul Scholes and Gary Neville (or, Scholesy as the Kermit to Gary Neville’s Miss Piggy). 

Join us, if you like!

Correction - at 03:27:40 we incorrectly refer to our wonderful fellow Carraville author as ‘player1604’-- their handle is @player1064, which is a reference to Gary Neville’s England legacy number. Gary was the 1,064th player to play for England’s National Team. More notes, references, and time caps below the cut.

Contact and Credits:

Intro Theme: Kyle Laurin "Oasis Supersonic Theme" (Twitter: @cobrakylemusic)

Tumblr: talkinfanfic.tumblr.com 

Instagram: @talkinfanfic

Email: talkinfanfic@gmail.com 

Time caps:

00:10:39 - Chelsea v Liverpool result in the Carabao Cup Final AND “Football and Butts”

00:13:17 minutes - Picking an English team as an outside fan, local rivalry in sport, and the mechanisms of tribalism

00:21:10 - Football pride as a substitute for national pride in Germany

00:22:57 - League structure in european football, the purity of the local club, financial doping, and German “fußballkultur”

00:32:57 - A late introduction to HeyJulien ! Julien’s earliest reading and writing memories.

00:36:36 - First encounter with fanfiction and Youtuber RPF

00:42:11 - Path into Sports RPF

00:45:28 - The specific allure of Hockey RPF

00:53:54 - Getting into Football RPF and Carraville

01:11:07 - Carraville fic, start of “Zombies” discussion, and Julien’s real-life plot inspiration

01:20:04 - Excerpt 1, from “Zombies” 

01:39:12 - Strategy and instinct of switching POV’s 

01:59:50 - “The Victorian Era” 

02:06:13 - Excerpt 2, from “The Victorian Era” (apologies from Sara for the botched English accents)

02:23:17 - Cat cameo by Daniel Pickles - and the theme of power in “The Victorian Era”, Gary and Victoria’s friendship, and writing moments that “show” instead of “tell”. 

02:32:27 - The fun of writing about “bad people”, and recurring themes popping up in our works; AND the specific joys of fanfiction enriching “real life”

02:40:36 - “Tasting Syrup On My Tongue”

02:50:45 - The joy of Stevie G and Scholsey in Carraville fics

03:00:46 - Sara’s childhood soccer experience

03:02:49- Rapid Fire Questions!!! 

03:17:21 - Michael Owen Quotes

03:31:00 - Coffee Shop Scenario

03:37:32 - Julien’s fic recs

03:43:11 - Final question- “What do you think it is about sport that lends itself to fiction and fanfiction?”

Episode References

FIC - ‘These zombies in the park, they're looking for my heart’ by HeyJulien 

FIC - 'The Victorian Era' by HeyJulien 

FIC - ‘Tasting Syrup On My Tongue’ by HeyJulien

https://www.fanfiktion.de/ - Julien’s first fanfic site!

CBS Champions League Today "Best Of" - Youtube video, example of CBS crew compilation, ft. Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards, Thierry Henry, and Kate Abdo

"Gary Neville & Jamie Carragher's BEST moments! 👀🍿"   - Youtube video that Julien sent Sara to kick off the Carraville spiral

Gary Neville’s interview with Jamie Carragher on The Overlap - Youtube

"Neville and Carra - the perfect TV double act make their Monday Night Football debut" - Daily Mail article from August 2013, describing Jamie’s MNF debut alongside Gary. 

And another 2013 article, this one from Stretty News on the Carraville punditry duo, described as “a dream pair”. 

‘Tasting Syrup’ reference - Footage of John Terry head injury  in the 2007 League Cup Final, Chelsea v Arsenal - Youtube

‘Tasting Syrup’ reference - Footage of Jamie Carragher head injury in a match against Arsenal in April 2011 - tumblr link

Fanart - Man United v Liverpool lineup as envisioned by the genius k-ky - tumblr link

Article - "Bastian Schweinsteiger dragged the modern Germany to ultimate glory with blood, sweat and tears" - on Schweinsteiger’s heroic and gritty performance in the 2014 World Cup Final (October 2019)  

Some more brilliant Michael Owen quotes (unverified but highly entertaining)

Julien rec - Sara's fic, [the gap between crack and thunder] WIP! 

Julien rec - Quell the Tide by Imnotreallyhereatall - the hockey RPF julien mentions loving (Ao3, locked)

Julien rec - Take a Chance on Me by @zevons, @jjjat3am (Ao3, locked)

Julien rec - keep your silver, give me that gold by @thesecretdetectivecollection (Ao3)

Julien rec - Gary Neville is Still a Red, Just a Different Shade by @fanficburner (Ao3) 

[insomniac4000]

The Ultimate 5 a side, ChrisMD

The sun was shining brightly over the London skyline, casting a golden glow across the city as Chris, strolled down the bustling street toward the podcast studio. He had a spring in his step, a secret in his heart, and a grin that he just couldn't shake off. Today was the day he'd share some news that would turn his life upside down in the best possible way.

The familiar sign of the "Pitchside Podcast" hung above the entrance to the studio, and as Chris pushed the door open, he was greeted by the warm, lively buzz of conversation. Chris had been a regular guest, bringing his infectious energy, love for the game and sometimes bad takes but today was different. Today, he had something personal to share.

"Chris! The man himself!" Theo Baker, one of the co-hosts, called out as Chris entered the studio. Theo was already seated at the large round table in the center of the room, microphone in front of him, headphones resting around his neck. Sitting next to him was Reev, who gave Chris a knowing smile as he took his seat.

"Hey, lads," Chris greeted them with a grin, settling into his chair. He was dressed casually, as always, in a simple t-shirt and shorts, but there was an undeniable spark in his eyes.

"So, we've got a packed episode today," Theo began, clicking through some notes on his laptop. "But first, Chris, you told us before the show that you’ve got some big news to share?"

Reev raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with a playful smirk. "Yeah, mate, you’ve been teasing us with it all week. Spill the beans!"

Chris chuckled, glancing down at the table for a moment before looking up at his friends. "Alright, alright. You know how Lottie and I have been talking about growing the family?"

Theo and Reev nodded, both of them now fully focused on Chris, anticipation written across their faces.

"Well," Chris continued, taking a deep breath, "we're not just growing it we're doubling down. Lottie and I are expecting twins!"

There was a beat of silence as the words sank in, and then the room erupted in cheers and laughter. Theo nearly knocked his microphone over in his excitement, while Reev clapped Chris on the back, his grin wider than ever.

"Mate, that’s incredible!" Theo exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Twins? You and Lottie are gonna have your hands full!"

"Yeah, full to the brim, mate," Chris said, unable to hide his joy. "I mean, we're already at three, so why not round it out with two more, right?"

"Three plus two equals… a five-a-side team!" Reev quipped, laughing. "ChrisMD’s very own family football squad. That’s genius, mate."

Chris burst out laughing, shaking his head. "That’s actually true! I didn’t even think about it that way."

Theo leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Think about it, Chris. You’ve got the perfect setup. You, Lottie, and the five kids. You could take on any family in the park."

Reev chimed in, "You could even start your own family football league! The Dixon Dynamos, taking on all comers."

Chris laughed again, imagining the sight. "Yeah, and I'll have them all in little matching kits, running around the pitch. It’d be chaos, but the good kind."

The three of them spent the next few minutes tossing around jokes and ideas about the imaginary Dixon family team, the banter flowing effortlessly. But beneath the humour, there was a deep sense of camaraderie and genuine happiness for Chris and Lottie.

"So, when are the twins due?" Theo asked once the laughter had subsided, leaning forward with a more serious tone.

"January," Chris replied, his voice softening slightly. "We’re just about halfway there, and everything’s looking good so far. Lottie’s doing amazing, as always."

"That’s fantastic, mate," Reev said, nodding. "And the kids? How are they taking the news?"

Chris grinned, thinking about his three children at home. "They’re over the moon. Especially Jude — he’s been asking for a younger sibling for a while now. I don’t think he was expecting two, though."

"Double the fun, double the trouble," Theo joked, earning another laugh from Chris.

"Exactly," Chris agreed. "But seriously, we're just so excited. It’s a bit daunting, sure, but it feels right, you know? Like our family is about to be complete."

"Complete with a starting five," Reev added with a wink.

The conversation shifted to other topics as the episode continued, from the latest Premier League drama to their predictions for the upcoming season. But the atmosphere remained light and joyous, the news of the twins casting a warm glow over everything.

As the recording wrapped up, Theo leaned over to Chris, his expression sincere. "Mate, we’re really happy for you. It’s amazing news. And you know if you ever need anything, we’re here for you."

"Thanks, Theo," Chris replied, his voice touched with emotion. "That means a lot."

Reev nodded in agreement, giving Chris a fist bump. "Absolutely, mate. It’s gonna be wild, but you’ve got this."

Chris smiled, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for his friends. "I know I do. Thanks, guys."

The three of them packed up their equipment, chatting about plans for the weekend as they made their way out of the studio. As Chris stepped outside, the sun still shining brightly, he felt a wave of contentment wash over him. Life was about to get a whole lot busier, but it was a challenge he was ready for.

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message to Lottie, letting her know the podcast had gone well and that he’d be home soon. Almost immediately, a reply came through, and Chris couldn’t help but smile as he read it.

"Can’t wait to hear it. The kids are excited to see you. Love you ❤️"

Chris slipped his phone back into his pocket, taking a deep breath of the crisp afternoon air. In a few months, his family would be welcoming two new members, and the thought filled him with a sense of wonder and joy. He’d always dreamed of being a dad, and now he was on the brink of having a five-a-side team of his own.

As he walked down the street, heading toward home, Chris couldn’t help but laugh to himself. Life had a funny way of surprising you, but sometimes, those surprises turned out to be exactly what you needed.

Back at home, the Dixon household was a hive of activity. Lottie was in the kitchen, overseeing a batch of cookies baking in the oven, while their three children — Jude, Edie, and Sienna — were busy with their after-school activities. Jude was sprawled out on the living room floor, assembling a Lego set, while Edie and Sienna were at the dining table, colouring in their favourite Disney princesses.

The door creaked open, and Chris stepped inside, greeted by the familiar warmth of home. The kids looked up at the sound, and in an instant, they were on their feet, racing toward their dad with shouts of "Daddy!"

Chris knelt down, arms wide, as the three of them barrelled into him, nearly knocking him over. He laughed, hugging them tightly. "Hey, you three! How was your day?"

"Good!" Jude exclaimed, holding up his partially constructed Lego creation. "Look, Dad! I’m building a spaceship!"

"That’s awesome, Jude!" Chris praised, ruffling his son’s hair before turning to his daughters. "And what about you two? How were school and nursery today?"

The girls both launched into excited stories about their day, talking over each other in their enthusiasm. Chris listened with a smile, nodding and asking questions as they led him into the living room to show off their drawings.

Lottie watched from the kitchen, a soft smile on her face as she saw Chris with the kids. The sight always filled her with a deep sense of love and gratitude. Chris was an amazing father, and she knew he was just as excited as she was about the twins.

"Smells amazing in here," Chris said as he finally made his way into the kitchen, the kids now back to their activities. He leaned in to kiss Lottie, who smiled up at him.

"Chocolate chip cookies," she said, nodding toward the oven. "Almost ready."

"Perfect," Chris replied, wrapping an arm around her waist. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Lottie admitted, resting her head on his shoulder. "But good. I can feel them moving more now."

Chris's hand moved instinctively to her belly, a look of wonder on his face as he felt the faint kicks. "I can’t believe there are two of them in there," he said softly.

"Me neither," Lottie agreed, her voice filled with awe. "But I can’t wait to meet them."

"Me too," Chris said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It’s going to be a bit chaotic, isn’t it?"

"Just a bit," Lottie teased, laughing lightly. "But we’ll manage. We always do."

Chris nodded, his eyes meeting hers with a look of determination and love. "Yeah, we will. And we’ll have our little five-a-side team to keep us on our toes."

Lottie laughed, the sound filling the kitchen with warmth. "That’s one way to look at it."

The cookies were done a few minutes later, and the family gathered around the kitchen table to enjoy the freshly baked treats. As they sat there, talking and laughing, Chris felt a deep sense of contentment settle over him.

Later that evening, after the kids had been tucked into bed, Chris and Lauren sat together on the couch, the soft glow of the television playing in the background. Chris had his arm around Lauren, her head resting on his chest as they relaxed in the quiet of the evening.

"You know," Chris said after a while, "I told Theo and Reev about the twins on the podcast today."

Lottie looked up at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "How did they react?"

"Pretty much like you’d expect," Chris said with a chuckle. "They were over the moon, and then Reev pointed out that we’re going to have our own five-a-side team."

Lottie laughed softly, shaking her head. "Of course he did."

"But they were really happy for us," Chris added, his tone more serious. "And it made me realize just how lucky we are, you know? To have this life, these amazing kids… and now two more on the way."

"We are lucky," Lottie agreed, her voice soft. "And no matter how crazy it gets, I wouldn’t trade it for anything."

"Me neither," Chris said, kissing the top of her head. "We’re in this together, no matter what."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while longer, just enjoying each other’s presence. Chris knew that the months ahead would be challenging, but he also knew that they had something special — a bond that could weather anything life threw their way.

As the night wore on, Chris felt his eyes growing heavy, the events of the day catching up with him. He pulled the blanket up over them, settling in for the night.

"Goodnight, love," Lottie murmured, her voice laced with sleep.

"Goodnight," Chris whispered back, holding her close. "Sweet dreams."

The next morning, the Dixon household was a whirlwind of activity as usual. Chris was up early, helping get the kids ready for school and nursery while Lottie prepared breakfast. The twins were already kicking up a storm, and Lottie smiled as she felt the little flutters in her belly.

As they sat down to eat, Jude looked up at Chris with a serious expression on his young face. "Dad, when the babies come, can we teach them how to play football?"

Chris grinned, his heart swelling with pride. "Of course. We’ll teach them everything we know."

"And can we all play together?" Edie asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"Definitely," Chris replied, ruffling her hair. "We’ll have our very own family football team."

Sienna giggled, clapping her hands. "We’re gonna be the best team ever!"

"That’s right, Enna," Chris said, his grin widening. "The best team ever."

As they finished breakfast and got ready to head out the door, Chris felt a sense of anticipation building inside him. The future was full of unknowns, but he knew one thing for sure — he had an amazing family by his side, and together, they could handle anything.

Later that day, after dropping the kids off, Chris found himself back at the Pitchside studio, ready for another day of filming. But this time, he was carrying a secret plan.

As the cameras started rolling, Theo and Reev welcomed the audience to another episode, their usual energy on full display.

"Before we dive into the latest football news," Theo said with a grin, "we’ve got something special planned for today."

Chris raised an eyebrow, playing along. "Oh? What’s that?"

"We’ve been thinking," Reev said, leaning forward, "about that five-a-side team of yours. And we thought it might be fun to put it to the test."

Chris blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean?"

Theo grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "We’ve set up a little challenge. You, us, and a couple of special guests… in a five-a-side match."

Chris laughed, shaking his head. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely," Reev said, standing up and grabbing a football from under the table. "And we’re playing today."

Chris couldn’t help but smile as he realized what they’d planned. "Alright, then. Let’s see what you’ve got."

The match was set up in a nearby park, a small pitch perfect for a five-a-side game. Chris, Theo, and Reev were joined by two surprise guests Billy Wingrove and of course Big John, both of whom were ready for some friendly competition.

As they kicked off, the banter flowed as freely as the football. Chris found himself laughing more than he had in ages, the joy of the game mingling with the excitement of his upcoming fatherhood.

At one point, Theo turned to Chris, panting slightly from the exertion. "Mate, I think you’re ready for that five-a-side team of yours."

Chris grinned, wiping sweat from his brow. "You reckon?"

"Absolutely," Reev called from the other end of the pitch. "But you might want to start training those kids now. They’ve got some big shoes to fill."

Chris laughed, shaking his head as he dribbled the ball down the pitch. "Don’t worry, they’ll be ready."

The game ended in a draw, both sides exhausted but happy. As they gathered on the sidelines, drinking water and catching their breath, Chris felt a deep sense of contentment settle over him.

"That was brilliant," Billy said, clapping Chris on the back. "But I think you’re going to have your hands full with those twins."

"No doubt about it," Chris agreed, smiling. "But I’m ready for it."

John grinned, leaning over to Chris. "Just make sure you don’t let them all gang up on you. Five kids can be a handful."

Chris laughed, nodding. "I’ll keep that in mind."

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the park, Chris looked around at his friends, his heart full. He knew that life was about to get even more hectic, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He had an amazing family, incredible friends, and a future that was brighter than ever. And with his very own five-a-side team on the way, there was no challenge too big for ChrisMD to handle.

As they all walked back to the studio, Chris felt a sense of peace settle over him. The journey ahead would be filled with ups and downs, but he was ready for whatever came his way.

And as he looked out at the horizon, Chris couldn’t help but smile, knowing that the best was yet to come.