#short program ranking

[falesten-iw]

What makes you react to what's happening in Gaza? and What makes you care about human lives? Is it empathy, ideology, culture, religion, knowledge, or something else that compels you to feel and act?

What would push your government to stop saying, "Israel has the right to defend itself"? What would make columnists stop focusing on self defense and what the demonstrators or students are doing "wrong" and instead use their platform to pressure their government to do what's "right" to stop this ongoing genocide? When did you start caring, and when will you start acting?

Is it when you have Palestinian friends?

When Palestinian children begged for food, safety, and water?

When over 45000 Palestinians had been killed & 98000 injured ?

When left-wing political parties around the world started criticizing Israel?

When Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations sounded the alarm for years?

When protesters took to the streets every week? Do you still hear their voices?

When human rights organizations like Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch documented the atrocities? Was 60 years of human rights violations not enough?

When journalism associations worldwide recorded an unprecedented number of journalists killed in such a short period?

When UN agencies like the World Food Program or UNRWA reported on the humanitarian disaster and worsening famine?

When aid organizations like Doctors Without Borders or the Red Cross warned of the total collapse of healthcare?

When child rights organizations like Save the Children or UNICEF constantly reported on children’s acute physical and mental health crises?

When Jewish groups like Jewish Voice for Peace declared, "Not in my name"?

When the International Criminal Court in The Hague found strong evidence of crimes against humanity and began prosecuting high-ranking officials? Are you waiting for the court to tell you act?

When your children were upset after hearing what was happening in Gaza? Did that stir your parental instincts?

When the EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, repeatedly urged Israel to stop the killings?

When your favorite artist spoke out—did that make you reflect?

When students protested at universities around the world? Does the passion of young people give you hope?

When the Pope made a statement about the situation?

When military experts reported how many bombs Israel had dropped on Gaza?

When 2.5 million people were displaced under bombardment, with nowhere to escape in Gaza—a place already called the world’s largest open-air prison even before October 7?

When your employer gave you permission to speak out?

Are you waiting for Joe Biden to say the red line has been crossed and stop sending weapons?

Or are you waiting for Donald Trump to say the magic words: "Enough is enough"?

Or for Benjamin Netanyahu to say "Oh sorry that was a mistake"?

Or are you waiting for God Almighty to come down and say, "Enough is enough"?

Or for the most extreme elements in the Israeli government to say, "Now we can stop bombing"—but will there be any Palestinians left in Gaza by then?

Or will you stop waiting and act now, driven by empathy, knowledge, and solidarity with people who are being oppressed right in fornt or your eyes?

I’ve lost over 200 family members, friends, and neighbors in this genocide. I have 24 of my family’s members and 2 orphaned children, trapped in a makeshift tent and struggling to survive in this freezing winter in Gaza. Is that not enough to move you to act? Tell me then when ?—when will your humanity compel you to step in? Please, act now and donate!

Vetted and shared by @90-ghost: Link.

Verified and shared by @el-shab-hussein: Link

Listed as number 282 in "The Vetted Gaza Evacuation Fundraiser Spreadsheet" compiled by @el-shab-hussein and @nabulsi : Link

Listed on the Butterfly Effect Project, number 957: Link

Additionally, Al Jazeera News has documented apart of my family's case: Link

If, for some reason, you couldn't donate via GoFundMe, you can donate via PayPal instead.

@mesetacadre @forevergulag @gazafunds @northgazaupdates2 @freepalestinneee

@komsomolka @muppet-sex @nabulsi @fading-event-608 @buttercuparry

@prierepaiienne @interact-if @unified-multiversal-theory @inkstay

@socialjusticekitten-blog @socialgoodmoms @nowthisnews @socialgoofy @fightforhumanity-rpg-blog

@fightforhumanity-rp @queerandpresentdanger @90-ghost @timogsilangan @punkitt-is-here

@fox-guardian @hiveswap @valtsv @helppeople @ibtisams

@annoyingloudmicrowavecultist @vakarians-babe @plomegranate @queerstudiesnatural @tamamita

@apollos-boyfriend @akajustmerry @marnosc @flower-tea-fairies @tsaricides

@belleandsaintsebastian @ear-motif @brutaliakent @raelyn-dreams @troythecatfish

@4ft10tvlandfangirl @communistchilchuck @fairuz @sarazucker @fairuzfan

@a-nautilus-as-pixel-art @13eyond13 @stil-lindigo @baby-indie-blog

[emgoesmed]

We got our match results!

My partner and I are going into different specialties, and this match result was a curveball; we were not expecting it! We’re both happy and optimistic about the program we matched at!!

I’m excited to start the next chapter. 🥰

I matched!

[fandomtrumpshate]

Defeating Tr*mp and the Republican party: how you can help

So as you've probably heard, there is a presidential election coming up in the US this November. You may even be experiencing some concern about the outcome of that election -- given both the high stakes and the active efforts by Republicans to suppress the vote -- and wondering what more you can do to stave off the possibility of a literal fascist takeover of the United States.

The good news is: you're not helpless. There are wonderful organizations out there -- staffed by knowledgeable, talented people with their feet already on the ground -- and they could use your help.

Here are a few of them:

VoteBeat offers deeply-researched local reporting about elections, which is both valuable and rare in the current news environment. A spinoff of ChalkBeat, it was founded and is run by journalists from ProPublica.

Spread the Vote is an organization that works on the ground to help every eligible voter secure the documentation and the access they need to make their voices heard. In particular, StV runs a program called Vote by Mail in Jail to help ensure that incarcerated persons also have access to these rights.

VoteRiders, like StV, works to ensure that every American has the opportunity to vote. In particular, they provide financial and practical support to trans people so that they can get hold of the documentation they need and can vote safely and confidently.

FairVote advocates for ranked-choice voting, a system in wide use outside the US which far more effectively captures the will of the electorate. (we don't have an individual feature page for them, but FV was one of FTH's supported orgs in 2020.)

(This is just a short starter list of amazing organizations, pulled from FTH's supported orgs list in past years; there are plenty of others. Please feel free to add them in reblogs!)

Ways you can help

Donate to one (or more!) of these organizations. These are all fairly small operations, even if their goals and their impact is large; they could use the help!

Volunteer your time. Many of these organizations rely on volunteers to make their day-to-day operations work. Sometimes it's necessary to do this volunteering in person, but often there is a remote option for volunteering if that's what works for you.

Run a fanworks auction to raise money. FTH recently rolled out a full and detailed playbook, sharing all of our organizational materials and step-by-step guides for how to use them and adapt them to your needs. This is a great moment to put that to work! Whether you want to raise money for one of the organizations listed above, or for some other nonprofit, or even for a progressive local candidate that could use the support (FTH doesn't do individual candidates, but you shouldn't let that stop you!) you can make a real difference while also helping to put more fanworks into the world.

[bad268]

MercDuo (Andrea Kimi Antonelli X Mercedes Strategist! Reader)

Fandom: RPF/F2/F3

Requested: Yeah (I was wondering if you could possibly write something about Kimi and a reader who is very young, but works for an F1 team (maybe in the strategy side or on the pitfall as someone's engineer). Maybe even at Williams with Logan to create some drama about Logan being replaced.) (Anon, thank you for being so nice! I <3 you!)

Warnings: Danica Patrick mentioned (but Jenson Button is a reader-defender on live!)

POV: Second Person (You/your/They/them)

W.C. 1221

Summary: Kimi and the reader are the youngest driver-engineer duo in F1.

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~~(^Pinterest)

You started your internship with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team when you turned 16 and in the short year and a half you were there, you flew through the ranks. When Bono told you he was stepping down to follow Lewis to Ferrari, you assumed the new person would be just as cool.

As it turns out, Bono personally recommended you to Toto Wolff to take his place as race engineer. 

Your boyfriend Kimi, who you met at a smaller karting track when you first started learning about engineering, was going to be your driver. There’s no way this could have gone right. There were too many conflicting relationships and forces for it to run smoothly. At least, that’s what the media said. 

Well, you learned from the best and the best nominated you to fill the void. That said something. Not to mention, Toto would not have put you in the role if he didn’t think you could handle it. That said something. And last but most certainly not least, you and Kimi always had a working relationship. 

Ever since you joined Mercedes after him, you two set clear boundaries. Rule number one, no flirting on the job if they are in the middle of something. Randomly in passing was fine, but it was kept to a minimum. Rule number two, you work together, and work to find common ground. Sounded like a given. Rule number three, work is work; leave it at the garage, track, factory, or wherever you are at. Work stays at work and it’s not brought home. Vice versa. Your personal relationship stays outside of working hours.

It was never a problem because Kimi was in the junior program and you were in F1, shadowing Bono. Obviously, with Lewis leaving, the new seat was open for practically anyone. Also, while you were usually a part of the driver decisions and contracts, the team conveniently left you out of the new driver decisions until Kimi himself told you he was taking Lewis’s place. 

This was fine at first because you already saw Kimi around the factory, and you would just be in the background during races. There was absolutely no crossover.

Yeah, then Bono decided to go with Lewis, and Toto promoted you to Kimi’s race engineer. Queue the iconic moments between you and Kimi.

Australia, round one of the 2025 season, was one for the books. Not only were you and Kimi excited to show off the new car (which is definitely championship worthy!), but the entire fanbase was curious (and some angry) to see how you and Kimi would match up against the rest of the grid. You two were barely legal, and neither of you had much experience. That’s what they thought, at least. You had been studying strategy since you could read, and you were ahead of your classes. It was the same story with Kimi except he was driving.  Both of you flew through your respective ranks and were highly regarded. Some people were anticipating you both living up to the hype. Others were honestly hoping you would fail. 

You both walked through the gates hand in hand toward the Mercedes garage. Journalists and fans alike shouted questions at you both, but you two just walked straight past them and put on some sunglasses. This was the first sign you both meant business, and it brought a lot of attention to Mercedes in general.

“Here we see Mercedes rookie, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and his race engineer and partner, Y/n L/n,” Jenson Button said as you two walked past the camera where he was commenting on the prerace show. “They are probably the youngest driver-engineer duo in all of motorsports, but they are proving everyone wrong with Kimi topping the free practice sessions and bagging pole in qualifying.”

“Not many people know this, but Y/n actually graduated at the top of her class super early, and started an internship shadowing Peter Bonnington, Lewis Hamilton’s race engineer, when they were 16. While that’s impressive, I just don’t think they’re ready for this kind of pressure just yet. They only just turned 18, and 2 years is not enough experience before being the lead race engineer.” Leave it to Danica Patrick to say something condescending, but Jenson was not going to stand for it.

“I am a(n) Y/n-defender first, commentator second,” Jenson chuckled, but anyone watching or listening knew he was being completely serious. Jenson knew your character. He knew how hard you worked to get where you are, and he was not going to stand for anyone shit-talking you. It just made it a little better that he got to tell off his nemesis, Danica Patrick. “I will fight for Y/n any time, any day. They have worked too hard for someone to start badmouthing them.”

“But don’t you think it’s at least a little questionable of Toto Wolff to bring on the second youngest driver, next to Max Verstappen, and the youngest race engineer of all time?”

“I think the answer is in the results,” Jenson stressed in disbelief. “You said it yourself that they’ve topped every session together, and the team has been looking pretty reliable for pitstops all weekend. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kimi pulled out a win on his maiden race.”

“Kimi, radio check,” the broadcast cut to the drivers lining up on the grid, and your radio message to Kimi rang out.

“Loud and clear,” Kimi answered, and that was the end of the broadcast, so they didn’t catch the second half of Kimi’s message. Instead, it cut short, and the commentary team jumped into their own conversation.

“This goes to show they can be professional when needed,” Jenson laughed. “They may be young but they are professional enough to know there is a time and place. On the grid is not one of them.”

If they had heard the rest of the message, they would know everything Jenson just said was a lie.

“Oh, I don’t get any good luck?” Kimi teased as he looked to the lights for the formation lap.

“Amour (love), now is not the time,” You lectured as you talked a little quieter, especially around the rest of the team. They did not need to be alerted that their driver was currently distracted as he proceeded through the turns of Australia.

“What if I crash? Do you really want the last thing you say to me be ‘now’s not the time’?” Kimi retorted as he went through the formation lap.

“You’re so dramatic,” You groaned, but you couldn’t wipe the smile from your face. You glanced around at everyone briefly just as Kimi was coming around the last turn and into his grid slot. You signed, “Ti amo. Stai attento bello. Torna a casa da me (I love you. Be careful handsome. Come home to me).”

“Sempre (Always),” Kimi said as he waited for the green flag to fly at the end of the queue.

“Now, focus on the race,” You turned serious again, “In the words of Sebastian Vettel, go fast, don’t crash.”

“I try my best,” Kimi chuckled as he turned his full attention to the lights for his first Formula 1 race. His first pole position. His, eventual, first win in Formula 1.

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[fact-dogsarehappiness]

Ranking the Batfam by their sleep habits

Duke: He’s on the day shift so he actually gets to sleep at night. He’s still a teenager in high school so he doesn’t get much rest between the homework and the vigilantism, but he averages a solid 7-8 hours a night

Cassie: She has to stay in optimal shape for ballet so she gets as much rest as she can. She’s also capable of taking time off when she needs it so she can get extra rest to make up for working a harder case. She typically pulls in about 7ish hours

Jason: Do you know how much math is involved in running a crime syndicate? More than you think. Dude’s gotta be able to stay on top of it. He doesn’t have a day job (legally dead and all) so he can pretty much just zonk out after patrol, but he wakes up really easy, so he only typically gets 6-7 hours at a time

Damian: He gets forced to rest even if he doesn’t want to. There’s been a Robin rule since Dick was in the green shorts that Robin has to get at least 6 hours a night

Babs: She would love to get more sleep, but as Oracle, she has to be on call all night. She tried to sleep in between missions, so she got a vibrating alarm and synced it to her mission program to wake her up when something happens. She’s lucky to get 5 hours uninterrupted

Steph: She could get more sleep if she wanted to, but sometimes the adhd just takes over and she spends her precious limited sleep time free time in youtube rabbit holes. She’ll typically get somewhere between 4-5 hours

Dick: Despite always being the one trying to get everyone else to take care of themselves, he’s incapable of seeing bad self care habits in himself, so this idiot voluntarily works the morning shift at his day job. So after patrolling for 8 hours, he only has 3 hours to sleep before work if he’s lucky

Bruce: Bruce gets easily fixated on whatever he’s working on, which makes it hard for him to stop. He can go days without sleep and not even notice. He’ll typically crash and get one night of 8 hours, but the rest of the week, he’ll only get around 2 a night.

Tim: He never knows when the last time he slept was and would actually be glad if you pointed it out for him. He inherited Bruce’s hyperfixations and doesn’t even notice how long he’s been working until the sun comes up. When he finally crashes, he crashes hard and sleeps for almost an entire day

Alfred: No one has ever seen him sleep, they just assume it must happen. No one knows for sure

[bradshawssugarbaby]

Uptown Girl - Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

summary: Bradley is in love with the admiral's daughter. He needs to win her heart the best way he knows how - serenading her with the help of his friends.

pairing: Bradley Bradshaw x reader

warnings: swearing, Jake teasing Bradley about being old.

word count: 2k

“Man, I can’t just go talk to her.” 

Bradley put his head in his hands as he sat at the back of the Hard Deck with his friends. Running his long fingers through his short, golden-brown curls, he sighed before looking up, his hazel eyes full of anxiety and frustration. He’d been pining after a girl who’d become a regular at the local bar for a while - the first day he’d seen her, he was smitten. 

She’d come in with her long hair pulled back into a sleek, high ponytail, a warm, friendly smile on her features as she spoke with a few others in the bar. Bradley had wondered who she was, and where she’d come from, a question none of his squadron seemed to know the answer to. That was, until their team lead, and Bradley’s surrogate father of sorts, piped up with an explanation, having heard Bradley audibly swooning over how great she was to everyone in earshot. 

“That’s Admiral Simpson’s daughter. I wouldn’t try your luck there, if I were you, Bradley,” Maverick had warned, smirking as he took a sip from his beer glass as he looked over between Bradley and his mystery girl.

Bradley had gone quiet upon learning this information, unable to even fire back at his friend Jake’s retorts and quips about how Bradley was punching above his weight on this one, even as a skilled aviator. In a way, Jake was right, no amount of skill or experience in the air, no number of awards for his service, or medals of honor could put him in the same league as the Admiral’s daughter. Her father had recently become the commander of the entire Pacific fleet, and Bradley was just a lieutenant, serving as an aviator for the past 19 years, his entire naval career. 

At nearly 40, Bradley was beginning to consider retirement, weighing his options between becoming a flight instructor for Top Gun, the very flight academy program that he’d graduated from himself, or, ending his naval career to enter civilian life happily. With the exception of Maverick, the rest of his team were considerably younger than he was, the next oldest being Jake, at barely 35. Admiral Simpson’s daughter was easily a decade younger than him, if not more, and probably accustomed to much more in life than anything Bradley could offer her. Naval rank aside, she was likely much more used to living the life of luxury, where as Bradley had never really experienced it, outside of the odd frivolous purchase here or there, like his 1972 Ford Bronco, custom painted bright blue to restore it to its former glory when he purchased it. 

Despite all these reasons why Bradley should just forget this juvenile feeling crush he’d developed on her, he couldn’t shake it. Every time he caught a glimpse of her stunning smile, or heard her infectious laugh, the sweetest sound his ears had ever come across, he couldn’t help but fall right back into it again, like a trap that was set perfectly for him. Bradley was head over heels, but worst of all,

“You’re fucked, man. You can’t win here.”

Bradley sighed again as he shook his head, bringing himself back to the present moment. He looked up at Jake, who, upon seeing the confused look on Bradley’s face, laughed and repeated himself.

“I said, you’re fucked, man. There’s no winning here, you either go in there, you say hi to this girl and you ask her out, her dad finds out and you get your ass shipped out to another base faster than you can salute, or you ask her out and she turns your old ass down, either way, you’re going to end up unhappy and not with her,” Jake shrugged as he sipped his beer, leaning on his pool cue.

Bob, the more shy, reserved of Bradley’s team, shook his head. He pushed his glasses up on the end of his nose, adjusting them as he set his plastic cup down on the bar counter, shrugging his shoulders as he interjected, a rare occurrence for Bob, most of the time.

“I mean…Bradley could probably win her over,” He said quietly, nodding his head, “It wouldn’t be hard, I mean, he has an impressive career record, he’s a nice guy, he’s not bad to look at,” Bob shrugged, “I think he could pull it off. It’s her dad I’d be worried about. But, maybe he wouldn’t care so much? It’s not like Bradley’s gonna ��� what’s that term again? Hump and go? Surf and turf?”

“You mean hump and dump?” Jake snickered, shaking his head, “I think Brad here’s a bit old to pull off the hump and dump nowadays anyways. Maybe 20 years ago.”

“Easy, I only just turned 39 in June, thanks.”

“39 is practically old enough to be a grandfather, Bradley,”

“Oh come on, it is not,” Bradley frowned as he looked at his friends. Bob fiddled with his glasses nervously, avoiding eye contact, Jake smirked as he held back a laugh, and Reuben and Mickey pretended they didn’t hear the conversation, focusing instead on their game of darts taking place a couple of feet away, “Is it?”

“How many years older than you is Mav, man?” 

“I dunno,” Bradley shrugged his shoulders, “22, maybe? 23?”

“Right, so when he was 39, you were…?”

“Uh,” Bradley looks up at the ceiling as he counts in his head, trying to work out the math, “16?”

“Right…you see where I’m going with this?”

“Fuck, you’re right, I could be someone’s grandfather. Jesus Christ,” Bradley frowned, shaking his head as he sipped his beer again. 

“Relax, you’d have to had a kid at like, 23 or earlier, who also had a kid young for it to work, but it’s not impossible, is all,” Jake nodded matter of factly as he sipped his drink. Jake grinned as he spotted the girl in question walking by their seats, his elbow sharply poking Bradley in the ribcage as he nodded his head slightly in her direction. 

“Now’s your chance, loverboy. Take it now if you’re gonna shoot your shot,” Jake whispered with a smirk on his lips. 

Bradley nodded his head once and took a deep breath as he set his beer bottle down on the table. With a nervous smile, he put his aviators down over his eyes to hide their anxious gaze before heading over to the piano. If there was one thing Bradley could do to win her over, it’d be serenading the bar with a fun, classic upbeat tune. Normally, he’d go for his favourite, Great Balls of Fire by Jerry Lewis, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Bradley put a hand on Jake’s shoulder, his grip firm as he leaned in to whisper to him.

“How confidently can you sing Uptown Girl?”

“You mean like, “uptown girl, she’s been living in her uptown world, I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy…?” Jake laughed as he cocked his eyebrow, singing the chorus of the song in his slightly off key baritone, “Oh, you’re not seriously doing this, are you?” He drawled, shaking his head before shooting Bob, Reuben and Mickey a look of disbelief. 

“I love that song!” Bob said enthusiastically as he stood to his feet, “We’ve got your back, buddy, let’s go win her heart!” 

Jake rolled his eyes and laughed before following Bradley and his friends to the piano. Bradley took his seat on the piano bench, lowering his sunglasses to make eye contact with his dream girl’s gaze, a confident smirk on his face as he winked at her before putting his glasses back on. He wasn’t sure if it was the beer coursing through his veins or the sheer smitten head over heels side of him taking over, but his new found confidence had Bradley playing the opening bars of the 80s hit on the piano, his friends offering nothing but encouragement for his somewhat ridiculous idea. It wasn’t the smoothest way to get a girl’s attention, but, it was different, and would almost certainly stand out in her mind, he reasoned with himself. 

“Uptown girl, she’s been living in her uptown world. I bet she’s never had a backstreet guy, I bet her momma’s never told her why,”  

Bradley sang out, his deep, gravelly voice ringing out as he carried each note perfectly in tune as he played the song’s melody on the piano. 

“And now she’s looking for a downtown man, that’s what I am,”  

Bradley’s eyes met with hers as he sang, unable to stop himself from smiling wider than he probably should have as he belted the song out, making it clear that out of the crowd of people around them singing along, his full intent was just to get her attention on him. 

“And when she knows what she wants from her time, and when she wakes up and makes up her mind,” 

Bob, Jake, Reuben and Mickey harmonized alongside Bradley, making for a perfectly imperfect set of backing vocals. While none of the four of Bradley’s backup singers were particularly great singers, their harmonies were enough support for Bradley to carry his way through the song without looking like he’d just lost his mind and started breaking out into song. 

“She’ll see I’m not so tough, just because, I’m in love with an uptown girl, you know I’ve seen her in her uptown world. She’s getting tired of her high class toys, and all her presents from her uptown boys, she’s got a choice,” 

As Bradley continued to sing it out, with his friends as moral and vocal support, he noticed that his mystery girl was making her way closer to the piano, seemingly leaving behind whoever she had arrived with as she inched her way towards the man who was apparently serenading her in the middle of a crowded bar near a naval base. She flashed him a smile, her cheeks a soft blush as she raised an eyebrow at him. Bradley couldn’t tell if the blush in her features was from embarrassment or flattery, but he hoped it was the latter of the two. 

“And when she’s walking, she’s looking so fine, and when she’s talking, she’ll say that she’s mine,” 

Bob and Jake began dramatically singing with one another, using Jake’s empty beer bottle as a makeshift microphone, while Mickey excitedly drummed along with his hands on the wooden top of the piano. Reuben began dancing slightly as he sang along to the words, all four men now completely immersing themselves in their performance with Bradley, and all four likely contemplating how they’d get Bradley to repay them for their public humiliation in the name of getting him a potential date. 

Bradley grinned as she approached the piano, her hands resting on the wooden top as he played the last few notes of the song, his eyes completely fixated on hers. To him, at that moment, she was the only person in the room. The only face he cared about in the crowded bar was hers, and now, it was right here, standing in front of him. 

“You’ve got quite the talent,” She curled her sheer, gloss-coated lips up into a grin as she leaned on the top of the piano, looking directly at Bradley.

“I’m a man of many talents, this was just a couple of them on display,” He nodded his head once, trying to keep his composure as she leaned towards him, willing his eyes to not wander down her body, “I’m Bradley. Lieutenant Bradley Bradshaw, US Naval Air Force,” He said his title with a sense of pride that he hoped didn’t come off as bragging. 

“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant,” She grinned, pointing to his empty beer bottle that sat atop the piano beside her, “Care to grab another one of those with me?” 

“Absolutely,” Bradley said as he hopped off the piano bench at an almost breakneck pace, leaving Jake, Bob, Reuben and Mickey fighting off fits of laughter at Bradley’s eagerness. 

[purinfelix]

special treatment ⊹₊⟡⋆ - daniel ricciardo

pairing: reader x compsci!daniel summary: to others, there might be absolutely no reason for you to be spending the night at your nerdy classmate's dorm room, but you know that he's the only one who you trust to check over your code - and look good while doing it w/k: 1k a/n: the brainchild of this late night blurb, the idea was too good not to turn into a fic so enjoy - i love writing my boys being nerdy <333 I LOVE NERDS

"We can't keep doing this. It's late."

"I know."

"Yet you're here again."

"I know."

You pause before continuing your pleading, "I need you, Daniel, you're the only one who can-"

"Get in," his voice comes curt, an attempt to hide the nervous unease he feels as he opens the door to his dorm a little wider for you. You shuffle into the cool darkness of his room - trying not to think of how suggestive this conversation might've sounded to anyone passing by.

If this had been any other day you might've taken a minute to pause and look around his dorm room, satisfying your morbid curiosity to know everything about the mystery you found this boy to be. But it wasn't the time for that, and you had little else on your mind when you threw your bag onto the floor and slumped onto his bed.

"I doubt our head of academic integrity would look very fondly upon one of their top students doing something like this," he mutters, sitting across from you on his desk chair.

"Probably not any better than they would on the top student for helping them get away with it," you challenge back, getting a kick out of the way he seems to squirm under your gaze, eyes darting between you and the floor.

It must've started around the end of last semester if you recall correctly. A couple final assignments, way too many cans of energy drink and a fated late-night library encounter had thrown you into a 'relationship' some might've seen as strange, but you thought more of as resourceful. Before that night, the thought of even approaching the guy you'd only seen leaving lectures early because he understood everything before the professor had the chance to explain it, seemed out of the question - equal parts daunting and embarrassing.

He was a cocky nerd, and there was little more you hated than someone who not only had an ego, but the means to back it up. You'd be lying if you said you didn't resent him a little every time you saw his name on top of yours when the class rank lists came out, but something about the stress of finals week had lowered your guard and forced you to swallow your pride.

"Fine, show it to me." He's so easy to break, you think to yourself as you fling open your bag to grab your laptop. Navigating quickly to the page of code you'd spent the last four hours unsuccessfully debugging, you set it down in front of him.

"Danny, I don't know what's wrong with it, and it's due tonight!" You watch as his eyes scanned the code, fingers moving masterfully as he fixed a line here, edited a call there. After a ridiculously impressive short amount of time, he clicks the program and to your delight, your code runs with no bugs. You're tired enough not to be embarrassed by your squeal of joy, but also awake enough to resist the urge to throw yourself at the man in front of you.

"You're my saviour, you know that?" You resign yourself to this, and it seems to do the trick as you watch him break into a shy smile - which, even in the low light, you can tell is accompanied by flushed cheeks.

"It's nothing," he laughs softly, pushing the laptop back towards you.

You're not sure why he keeps giving in to your begs for help, especially when - to you - you're not giving him anything in return. You've brought it up before, amidst offers for free dinner or coffee or lecture notes, things you'd think no other university student could give up. Yet every time he waves you off with the same content smile. Smart, cocky, as if he couldn't get any more annoying the asshole just had to be generous as well.

"Thank you, I'll get out of your hair now," you say hurriedly, shoving your laptop back into your bag and slinging it over your shoulder - eager to let him get back to whatever it is he was doing before you barged in.

"Wait," he says, and your hand pauses around the handle of the door.

It's silent for a bit, as you turn back to him and watch in fascination as his usually unbothered expression transforms into something you can't quite put your finger on - a strange mix of pain and confusion.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" he finally manages to blurt out.

"No, sorry I think I've got plans with a friend," you laugh awkwardly, still confused as to why this seems like such a big deal to him.

"Oh, alright," you watch his face fall and something in your heart twists.

"I should be free the night after though, what did you have in mind?"

His eyes shoot up to meet yours as he regains a little bit of the confidence you're so used to seeing him sport. "I was thinking I might take you up on your offer, for dinner?"

"Oh, of course, I mean I do owe you for all you've done for me."

"But I want to pay."

"Doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose of my paying you back?"

"Think of it less like you paying me back and more like..." he trails off towards the end of his sentence, and when you look into his eyes, eyebrows raised, you're quick to catch on.

"A date?"

He gives you half a nod, shy and a little unsure.

"Danny, are you asking me out on a date?"

"If it's alright with you, yes."

You let out a half-hearted laugh of surprise, letting out a breathy "of course."

Relief washes over your classmate's face as he sits back in his desk chair with a sigh and a grateful smile. "See you then."

You nod, a sudden shyness washing over you as you finally make it to the door and return to the harsh white light of the hallway - though now the code you came to ask him about is the last thing on your mind.

[leandra-kinard]

The Tommy timeline is making me insane

We know the 911 writers are REALLY crap about timelines. I mean, just within the Eddie Begins episode there are several dates that just don't add up. I love those writers, but they can't even count to 10, lol.

Tommy was never supposed to come back, so him being in his late 20s-ish in 2005 when Chim joins the 118 was of no consequence, but now that Tommy is back, that makes it really difficult to say how old he really is.

Some people have speculated that he's 45, but I find that too old. Lou was born in Nov 1984, which makes him 39 currently. I could see Tommy being 1-2 years older than that AT MOST.

So let's say Tommy was born in early 1983 and go from there.

He would have started school at 6.5 and finished HS at 18 years old in 2001. Which means he could have joined the army that year and started training to be a helicopter pilot.

There's a program called "From Street to Seat", also sometimes called "High school to Flight School", so that is a possibility. Training would have been around 2 - 2.5 years until he'd achieved the rank of Warranty Officer and be a fully trained helicopter pilot in late 2003. After that, you have to enlist for TEN years at minimum to repay them getting you through flight school.

At that point, the US had entered the war in Afghanistan and just started the one in Iraq.

Tommy could have been stationed anywhere in the US, or been deployed to one of those countries, or at first, as a still very young officer, been deployed to an allied country like Germany. In the early 2000s, there were many bases in Germany where US soldiers were stationed, only serving short missions in Afghanistan or Iraq. So that's an option if we don't want him to be permanently stationed inside a war zone.

Now, how did young Tommy leave the army early so he ended up being a firefighter just two years later?

Well, there's always medical discharge, but if it was for any injury, him already being a member of the team (and by the looks of it no longer a probie) in 2005 is a bit tight. He'd have to recover from his injury, then apply, then be accepted, do the basic training at the academy (18 weeks) and his probie year... so yeah, that's really a very tight timeline.

Another option would have been Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Back then, army members could not be actively asked if they're gay and therefore fired for it, but if they voluntarily disclosed/confirmed it, they would be kicked out.

If he was lucky (and probably the version I'm going for in my fic), and had a very lenient superior officer, he might be offered medical discharge for depression. Usually, that can get you out of the army pretty quickly.

So, to recap:

Born between Jan/June 1983

Finished high school summer 2001, joined the army

Finished flight school in fall 2003, was deployed somewhere or in service in the US

Found out/discharged in early 2004

Started LAFD academy in summer/fall 2004

Started his probie year end of 2004

Just finished it when Chimney joined in (should be late) 2005, at now 22 years old.

Still an incredibly tight timeline, and I wish Chim joining had been more like 2007 or so, but alas. It works.

You are welcome.

And I need to lie down. God I hate inconsistent timelines, lol.

Oh and I just looked it up, and apparently you're only a probie for 6 months at the LAFD, so I guess that makes it a little easier.

I mean, if you shift things around a little, you could even make him only 40 now, born in summer 1983 instead of early. Maybe he was initially gifted and able to enroll in school at just barely 6 years old.

[another-lost-mc]

a/n: this was a request and it sounded really cute. I used to watch watch F1 races as a kid and thought it'd be such a fun job to have. but then I grew up and realized I hate driving lol

➤ when MC is a professional F1 driver | the demon brothers

2.6k words | sfw | fluff & slice of life shenanigans

cw: developing relationships with the demon brothers; some angst and insecurity if you squint.

related: the dateables + mephisto edition

Lucifer is your main obstacle when you decide you want a shot at racing in this realm. You argue it’s only fair if they expect you to give up your passion and livelihood for an entire year without warning. The world of Devildom racing is dangerous and he doesn’t want (or expect) a human like you to understand that. You try to show him videos of some of your races that you have on your old phone, but he’s still skeptical of your abilities. He takes you to the local track so you can prove what you’re capable of. (His brothers, Diavolo, Barbatos and the students from Purgatory Hall show up to watch as well.) By the end of the first lap, most of them are stunned with disbelief or excited for the possibilities of living with such a talented driver. Lucifer grudgingly concedes that he underestimated you. He arranges a personal vehicle for you to use during your stay in the exchange program. He also speaks to Diavolo about your interest in continuing your racing career. The young prince agrees once he’s confident you understand the risks. 

Lucifer is your advocate and advisor at first, but over time he gradually becomes your friend. He admires your determination to make a name for yourself. He attends each race in person and pretends he’s there on official business, but it’s his own way of supporting your efforts. He’s genuinely proud of you for making such a lasting impact in the Devildom in a short amount of time. He treats you to dinner after each race and it becomes a celebratory ritual you both look forward to. He starts to crave your company when the racing season comes to an end, and he scrambles for new reasons to spend time with you. He starts asking you out for dinner—just the two of you—for no apparent reason at all. He can't explain the profound happiness that blooms in his chest when you eagerly accept.

Mammon thinks this is a fantastic opportunity. At first he assumed you were just some cute human that liked cars. But now it turns out that you actually know how to race, too? The novelty of a human racing against in the Devildom’s most competitive league is sure to draw in a bigger crowd than usual. He never bothered with betting on the races before, but your introduction to the racing league shows him the untapped potential; he can't wait to make a fortune off this! Unfortunately for him, you hear through the grapevine that he bets against you before your first race. You're annoyed and drive more aggressively than usual because of it. You already feel like you have to prove yourself, and you’re already under enough pressure without him counting on you to fail. The race finishes and you rank in the top three—it takes the Devildom sporting world by surprise. Mammon lost a fair bit of money betting against you, but he’s not angry. He admits he underestimated you and it feels like you’ve earned his respect. (He learns from his mistakes and doesn’t bet against you again.)

He’s a lot friendlier after that. He's a good engineer and likes working with his hands. When your loaner car acts up, he offers to help you with it even though you both know you can handle it yourself. He keeps you company and watches you work on it in the garage Lucifer had built. Mammon pretends he's "supervising" your work so he still has a reason to hang around. Sometimes you let him do the work for you because he looks so happy when he does. He makes a show of rolling up his sleeves and flexing his muscles before he pops the hood and leans forward to take a look at things. It's ridiculous how attractive he is when he's sweaty and covered with dirt and engine grease. 

He doesn't let anyone else drive his precious car Demonio 666 Lexura except for you. When you finally agree to his invitation to take you out on a date, he hands you the keys so you can drive it for the first time. It’s nicer and a lot faster than the car Lucifer arranged for you to use. You can tell that Mammon puts a lot of pride and care into the upkeep of his vehicle, and you’re flattered he would trust you with it when no one else has that privilege. Mammon gets a little flustered in the passenger seat because watching you drive in your date night outfit turns him on. He’s tempted to slip his hand into your lap and test how good your concentration is.

Levi doesn’t have any interest in driving outside of video games. He’s shocked at how talented you are as a racer because you’re terrible at Devil Kart. He still invites you to play games with him and it surprises him that you would waste your time with him. He's not sure how to act around you sometimes. It should be easier to interact with you the more he gets to know you. Instead, he grows even more shy and anxious and flustered all at once and he doesn't know why.

The other students at RAD start to admire you and you develop a little bit of a fan following. He gets a little jealous that you seem to bask in all the attention, but you admit to him later that a lot of your public persona is just an act. You’re scared to be yourself in the public eye, and you hate the feeling of being judged for who you are. You show him rare glimpses of the real you that no one else sees, and he realizes he likes you. He wants to be your friend, but he wants to support you too. You don't have to pretend to be someone else when you're with him. He's not a fan of sports, but in his eyes, you slowly become as important as one of his beloved idols.

He hears rumors around RAD that some of the students want to start a fan club for you. It irritates him that he didn’t think of that first, but he sets up a fan site that gets a lot of traction. His username is different from the ones he uses on other sites so it’s harder to trace it back to him. He basically runs the largest Devildom site dedicated to you and your career and its his worst-kept secret. Another fan of yours designs cute logos based off your Devildom racing nickname, and it opens the floodgates to a huge line of fan-made merchandise. Levi orders one of everything, and he knows all of his brothers have bought some that merch too. He squirms in his seat when you mention how sweet the fan club president is. You drop subtle hints that you know it’s him, but he’s too nervous to admit it. One day you ask him out to see a new movie he’s interested in, and all he can do is nod and blush furiously when you call it a date. (He doesn't even realize he's wearing one of your fan club t-shirts until after you leave his room with a bounce in your step.)

Satan didn't have much of an interest in cars or racing before you arrived. Once you break into the Devildom racing scene, he takes it upon himself to learn more about it. (Watching awkwardly from the sidelines while Lucifer his brothers fawn over you has nothing to do with his sudden interest.) He picks up the basics of car maintenance easily enough, but his main focus is the politics behind the racing industry and how the teams function. He wants you to succeed and that means finding a manager that's dedicated and organized and has a keen eye for detail. He observes how the other teams operate and quickly identifies the weak spots in their leadership. He's certain that he can do so much better than them and he’s relieved when you agree to give him a chance. 

You spend a lot of evenings working together. You give him detailed breakdowns about your career in the human world and how things operated. He makes careful notes of the things you liked and didn't like, the people on your team that helped you and the ones you butted heads with. He knows some of his brothers are suitable for roles on your team, and he's extremely critical when he begins filling the other vacant positions. He goes to the track when you practice and you appreciate his company. He takes on most of the behind-the-scenes responsibility for you so you can focus on other things, like not crashing and staying alive. He has zero tolerance for demons that badmouth you when he's in earshot, and it takes all his self-control not to tear them to pieces. Don't they realize how hard you work? Sometimes he gets frustrated when he has to control his temper, but you pat his arm and hug him or kiss his cheek for his efforts. You remind him that you appreciate him sticking up for you like no one else does; the anger inside him deflates and is replaced with something even more potent.

Asmo can’t remember the last time he felt so inspired. Here you are, the most precious little human he’s ever laid eyes on, and you’re a professional racer? He's already planning a new fashion line that’ll capitalize on the hype of your budding career—he knows the trends of the Devildom and anticipates your success before anyone else does. Your first race generates so much excitement that he sets up a corporate Devilgram account for you too. The first wave of fans start following you within minutes of your surprising race debut. Asmo goes to the track and takes pictures of you talking to Satan and the others on your team about devil-knows-what. He manages to snap a particularly fetching photo of you leaning against your car. He knows you were just pointing out something in the car’s flimsy paint job, but it makes you look intriguing and formidable and a bit sexy, too. (You roll your eyes when you see the photo on Devilgram later, but his suggestive caption under the photo about the Devildom’s hottest new ride leaves you feeling flustered the rest of the day.)

Things move very quickly once the rest of the Devildom media catches up to Asmo’s insight into your popularity. All the magazines want to interview you, and even Mephistopheles requests an interview on behalf of the RAD newspaper club. The Devilgram account Asmo runs for you skyrockets in popularity with each photo he posts. Satan offers Asmo a role on your team as your official agent and social marketing strategist. He asks Satan for some other responsibilities too: he arranges your sponsorships and endorsements, and he designs your race attire and car wrap. He’s not sure anyone else in the Devildom can capture your talent or charming good looks the way he can.

You and Asmo have some very long, heated discussions about managing your celebrity status and your personal boundaries. You maintain veto power over any interviews or photo-ops you’re uncomfortable with. You also get final approval on any licensed fashion or merchandise. (The little fan club of yours has superior merch anyway and everyone knows it.) Asmo enjoys the challenge of designing your race suit too, and he’s so proud when he shows it to you. It incorporates comfort, style and function in a way that's flattering without being provocative. There are little symbols embroidered along the sleeve cuffs and he explains what they are when your brow furrows in confusion. “Oh! The thread is imbued with protective magic. The sigils will help protect you in case you get into an accident.” He mistakes the shocked look on your face for disappointment and backtracks quickly. “I promise, it’s not cheating! Demons are more durable so most of them don’t bother using these, but I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt—“ He stumbles a little when you wrap your arms around him and mumble thank-yous into his chest. He kisses the top of your head and hugs you back just as tightly while he murmurs about how special you are.

Both of the twins end up working in the pit as part of your crew.

Beel is an obvious candidate for that physically demanding job because of his speed and strength. He didn’t know much about racing before you came to the Devildom. Your passion and his brothers’ involvement is contagious and he can’t resist getting involved too. He learns about the mechanics of caring for cars and how important the pit stop crew is to your success. He bonds with his family because they're all supporting you in their own ways. Working with his hands helps distract him from his hunger and becomes an unexpected perk of the job. You’re considerate and still make sure he has access to snacks throughout the race if he wants them, though. He can’t be there for all of your races because of scheduling conflicts with his other club obligations, but that’s when he realizes how much he likes spending time with you. He’s flattered that you find time in your busy schedule to go to his games to cheer him on too. You agree to go with him for spontaneous lunch dates when you both have time off. He takes you to new restaurants and watching your reactions to the different types of food the Devildom offers. He worries that you don't eat enough when you're so busy, and he's much happier knowing that you're well-fed.

Belphie works in the pit but his responsibilities are a bit more abstract. He volunteers for that role because his twin is there. All he needs to do is help keep Beel’s hunger-related distractions to a minimum and stay out of the way while the other demons do their jobs. He has a nice little corner where he can watch the race if he wants, but he spends most of the time sleeping. He wakes up when he senses your car is pulling up. Each time you drive away, you wave in his direction like you know he wakes up just to see you for a few brief moments.

He doesn’t like it when your fans recognize you on the street. They ask you for autographs or selfies and it’s annoying. He’s proud of you, but he hates having to compete for your attention. He makes snarky comments about your fan club but he still buys your merch—the t-shirts are soft and nice for sleeping in. He drags you to the bed in the attic for naps because he senses how exhausted you are. He makes sure that you’re not sacrificing relaxation or sleep for the sake of your career. Sometimes you dream, but it's not the nightmares that bother you. You dream about returning to the human world and living a normal life without obligations to your fans and your manager and your sponsorships. You crave a life that's completely your own again. Those dreams disturb you the most because sometimes you wish you could go back to being that person before you started on this path. Belphie listens quietly when you share your feelings in a moment of sleepy vulnerability. He doesn't judge you or laugh at you. He understands why you’d want to give up a lucrative career when it leaves you feeling weary from self-doubt and regret. Maybe one day, sooner rather than later, he can help convince you that it's okay to retire and pursue a different dream instead.

[sywtwfs]

2024 ISU Congress: Accepted Proposals

Our website has been updated with the decisions made at the ISU Congress. For reference, the full ISU Congress Agenda with all proposals is located here.

Notable accepted proposals include:

Starting in 2024-25:

Proposal 45 - Change maximum age limits for junior pair skaters to less than 21 for women, and less than 23 for men. Change maximum age limits for junior ice dancers to less than 21 for both partners. (Current age limits in both disciplines are less than 19 for women, and less than 21 for men.) A maximum age gap of 7 years would be allowed between partners in both disciplines.

Proposal 188 - Remove the qualifying round from future World Championships. (The qualifying round had been approved at the previous ISU Congress, and would have started at the 2025 World Championships.)

Proposal 230 - Remove the order draw for free skates at ISU competitions. The starting order of the free skates will be in reverse order of the rankings after the short program.

Proposal 236 - Somersault-type jumps such as backflips would no longer be illegal moves.

Starting in 2026-27, numerous technical rule changes, including:

Proposal 234 - The Euler will no longer be a listed jump, and will have no base value.

Proposal 235 - A jump sequence can have up to 3 jumps in singles skating, but only 2 jumps in pairs skating. An Euler is allowed in the jump sequence.

Proposal 239 - Reduce the number of jumping passes in the singles free skate from 7 to 6. Replace one leveled spin in the singles free skate with a choreographic spin.

Proposal 240 - Reduce the number of jump combinations/sequences in the singles free skate from 3 to 2.

Proposal 241 - The same type of jump cannot be included more than 3 times in the singles free skate, regardless of number of revolutions.

Proposal 245 - In the pairs free skate - Replace one leveled lift with a choreographic lift (seniors only). Replace the leveled pair spin with a choreographic pair spin. Remove the choreographic sequence.

[obessedwithfictionalmen]

Protect you

John Egan X Pilot!Reader

Summary: When a woman is thrown into Bucky's cabin. He feels the need to protect her.

Warning: Mention of rape/ touching without consent/ use if Y/n/ violence/ blood/ mention of death/ Swearing/ mention of concentration camps/ choking (not in a sexual way)/ guns/

Word count: 2.9k

A/n: I might be a little drunk writing this and tried, so if there's any mistake, sorry :)

The door opened violently, all the men stood from their chairs, confused of the situation. 4 German soldiers entered their shelter. ‘’She’s yours, have your fun with her, she’s your roommate!’’ One of them exclaimed as a woman was thrown on the floor. She moaned in pain as her body hit the wooden floor. ‘’Suck my dick’’ she said, with all the energy she had left. One of the youngest German took the comment personally, walked forward and kicked the injured woman in the stomach. She groaned in pain, but started to laugh, she was tired, in pain and found it funny that the soldier took her comment personally. Bucky was the first to react to the unnecessary beating of the woman, he looked at the Germans. ‘’Dumme Schlampe’’ One of the soldiers said in his mother tongue. He called the woman a stupid bitch as they left the cabin. The woman was agonizing on the floor, her face was full of blood, her lips were cut, her left eyebrow was open and severely bleeding. Her right cheek was open, the wound was about 6 centimeters, her hair was a total mess. They were stained with blood. Bucky looked at her body, her cloths were ripped, but not everywhere, mostly at her breast and her stomach, her pants were at her knees, showing that the soldiers did things he didn’t want to think about. The smell of blood filled the small cabin, Bucky saw bruises on her body, he saw them where her cloths were ripped and allowed him to see her skin, he didn’t want to imagine the state of the skin he couldn’t see. Her vision was blurry from all the hit she took, but she could see that men were coming towards her to help her. ‘’We’re going to take care of you, you’re safe’’ one of them said, but she couldn’t see who it was. Her breath was short and ragged, she probably had broken ribs.

She didn’t know what day it was, nor how many time she was out. The only thing she knew was that her head was hurting like a bitch. ‘’Welcome back’’ one man said. She sat on the bed, it was painful for her, but she wanted to sit. She touched her head and hissed when she touched one of her wounds. ‘’How long was I out?’’ she asked with a raspy voice, it was like that because her vocals cords were injured when an officer almost choked her to death. ‘’2 days, we cleaned your wounds the best we could’’ a blonde said. ‘’Thank you, I’m Major Y/n Hughes, 319th, WASP division’’ she introduced herself. Bucky was surprised to see a woman being a pilot and being the same rank as him. ‘’Wasp?’’ one of the guys said. ‘’Woman Airforce Service Pilot’’ Bucky and Y/n said at the same tine. He had heard of the program, he thought it was great and pretty badass. ‘’What did they do to you?’’ A man sitting at the end of the table asked. ‘’Isn’t it obvious?’’ she said sarcastically. ‘’Come on, Crank, you can’t ask that’’ the blonde said. ‘’I’m Major Gale Cleven, 100th, but you can call me Buck’’ the blonde introduce himself. ‘’Major John Egan, call me Bucky’’ the brunette said. The woman smirked. ‘’Your Buck, and he’s Bucky?’’ she stated, confused. ‘’It’s a long story’’ The guy named Crank said. Her hole body was hurting, every move she made was painful for her. ‘’Did they, y’a know, touch you’’ Buck gave a death stare to Hamilton. ‘’I don’t remember, it’s all a blur. My plane crashed in the middle of nowhere, but next thing I know, I’m surrounded by Germans, they must’ve hit me, because when I wake up, I’m in the cell. Then they take me to see a really annoying man. He asks me questions about my girls, if I’m married, what was our target.’’ The man nod, they all went through the same process. ‘’I do as I was told Name, rank, serial number. When they got enough of me, they threw me in this train with other soldiers. Then I come here, but when I walked, Germans punched me, a dog bit my pants, or my leg, can’t remember.’’ The next part was too painful for her to say out loud. She looks at her cloths, they’re not the same she had on when she came in. ‘’We gave you spare cloths, since yours were ripped’’ Buck explains. Y/n nods. ‘’Thank you for what you did’’ she smiles.

She’d just fallen asleep when the door got violently opened. German soldiers were shouting, Y/n’s eyes were half closed when one of the guars pulled her out of bed. ‘’Got her!’’ the men holding her yelled. Bucky woke up to the sound of a thud, when he opened his eyes, he saw Y/n being dragged on the ground by two soldiers. He quickly woke the others up; the sound of a siren came to his ears. Y/n was trying to wrestle the German guards, but one of them hit her, again. A message came through the camp’s speakers. ‘’All men round up! Right now!’’ they wanted them in their place, just like they inspected their room, but tonight they weren’t doing that. The snow on Y/n’s body was cold, she was being dragged in front of the man, the two men pulled her to her feet, she looked around her, two dogs were barking. She looked at Bucky and Buck, they were in the second row. ‘’Sorry for waking you up, gentleman, but we wanted to introduce you to this whore!’’ One of the Germans General said. ‘’I got a bad feeling about this, Buck’’ Bucky whispered to his friend. The hand of the General went on Y/n throat, slowly closing around it, preventing her from breathing normally. She started to choke. His other hand started to open the blouse she had on, exposing her chest. ‘’You see, she thinks she’s a pilot, but she can’t escape what she really is. A ball emptier. Just another hole for us to fill, a baby machine. She should’ve stayed in the kitchen. Look at her!’’ he exposed her fully. A tear rolled down her cheek. Bucky was fuming, he wanted to stop this madness, but if he moved, he would het shot. ‘’Stay calm, I’m as furious as you, but don’t do anything stupid’’ Buck whispered, sensing him friend’s anger. The American soldiers felt bad for the woman, some of them even fought with WASP at their side. Y/n tried to resist, but the grip the soldiers had on her was too strong for her. The General came closer to her face, trying to kiss her, but she decided to bite his lower lip as hard as she could. The taste of blood filled her mouth, but it wasn’t hers. He exclaimed in pain, the men that was holding her throat tighten is grip. Y/n was smirking at the General, he was holding his lip in pain. With fury, he slapped her face. ‘’Is that all you got?’’ Y/n pushed her tongue against her inner cheek as she looked up at the General. Bucky was proud of her for defending herself, but he was also scared of what was going to happen to her. ‘’You fucking bitch!’’ the General walked towards her, ready to beat her up, but an officer stopped him. Y/n took the time to hide her breast from the men, she closed her blouse and looked at the General. ‘’That’s enough, Rolf!’’ he warned the general. The General named Rolf didn’t care, he took Y/n and lift her on her feet. He gave her another punch, but this time, Y/n spitted the blood in her mouth on him. Before Rolf could hit her again, a soldier pushed her into the crowd. He thought the men were aroused by seeing her chest, but they weren’t, they were happy she got thrown at them, they were going to protect her. Bucky and Buck catches her, immediately putting an arm over her, as a sign of protection. Rolf was fuming, but the other Germans were telling him to calm down. ‘’It’s not a concentration camp, Rolf! You can’t do that here! You’re drunk, go to bed!’’ his superior yelled at him. Y/n smirked, seeing him getting yelled at made her chuckle. Bucky made sure she was okay, she was bleeding, but it wasn’t that bad, it was her neck that was worse. It was now dark purple; it was going to be bruised for a long time. ‘’Everyone back to your cabin! NOW!’’ the officers yelled. The two men supported her as they made their way back to their wooden prison.

‘’You got balls, I’ll give you that’’ Crank said as Y/n sat on a wooden chair. ‘’I wasn’t going to let him disrespect me like that’’ she chuckled, but her throat hurts her. She gently puts a hand on it, it’s warm and really sensitive. ‘’Are you okay?’’ Buck asked her, handing her a glass of water. She thanked him with a small nod. ‘’It’s not the first time he touched me like that, he did it when I came here, earlier, but yeah, I think I am’’ she said, taking a sip of water. ‘’That piece of shit touched you before?’’ Bucky asked, taking a seat in front of her. ‘’He did more than touching’’ she whispered. Bucky wanted to kill this man, he wanted to rip his head off and put it on a stick to plant in front of the camp. ‘’I’m heading to bed’’ Crank said, Buck and others following him. Bucky stayed with Y/n. The only light came from a candle. She took a deep breath and looked at the man in front of her. ‘’I’m sorry, I wanted to help you, but – ‘’ she cut him off. ‘’You could’ve been shot, I understand’’ she said, putting her hand on top of his. Bucky looked at their hands, then he looked at her face. Even though she had wounds, she was the most beautiful woman on the planet, and this rage that she had inside of her intrigued him, he wanted to see the full potential of it on a German soldier. ‘’You know, I, uh, we, uh, you could sleep next to, uh, me. If they come back, they’d have to het though me before they can hurt you again’’ Buck stuttered. Y/n blushed, even though it didn’t show from all the blood on her face. She smiled to the man and nodded. ‘’Thank you, Bucky.’’ She said, with a smile. ‘’It’s normal, I won’t let these guys hurt you again’’ he replied, smiling too. ‘’Let’s get to bed’’ he said, blowing on the candle. He led Y/n to his bed, letting her in first, then laying down next to her. ‘’Good night, Bucky’’ she gently said. ‘’Good night, Y/n’’ he replied. At that moment, he made a promise to himself, that he’ll protect her, at all costs.

It had been 2 months sine Y/n arrived at the camp, she grew closer to Bucky, he was charming and kept his promise, he never let anyone hurt her. The warm wind of June blew in her hair as she looked at Buck ordering the men to pull. They were doing a thing with a tree, and it was complicated. ‘’Guys! Who wants to play baseball?’’ Bucky asked as he walked towards the man. Y/n looked up at him, he lost weight, they all did. ‘’ Bucky, we’re a little busy’’ Buck replied. The brunette was annoyed, he was starting to lose his mind. Y/n started to develop feeling for the Major, after all, he was the nicest person around. Buck was nice to her too, but Bucky was just so caring; always making sure she’s okay, that no one messes with her and saving some of his food to give to her, because he doesn’t want her to starve. ‘’Ah come on, Buck, I’ll let you win!’’ he pleaded his case. ‘’I’ll play with you’’ Y/n offered. Bucky looked at the woman, she looked magnificent, her skin was a little tan, she spent a lot of time outside. ‘’Alright, but hey! Let’s go on a walk’’ he offered the woman his arms. ‘’Don’t get too close to the gates’’ Buck joked, but it was enough to send Bucky over the edge. ‘’Why the fuck would you say that?’’ he turned to look at his best friend. ‘’Bucky, it was just a joke’’ Buck said with a calm voice. Bucky walked towards his friend, but the fight he was about to start was stopped with the sound of a gun. Y/n flinched as she looked at the location where the sound came. Bucky instantly looked at the woman, making sure she was okay. ‘’They shot Henry!’’ other men yelled. Y/n put a hand in front of her mouth, she’d seen men getting shot before, but here, the Germans were merciless. They didn’t care who they shot, nor why they pulled the trigger. Bucky watched with horror as the body of Henry got carried away by two men. ‘’Everyone, in their cabin!’’ a SS yelled. Since Brits escaped, the security was more intense. ‘’Rain check on that walk’’ Y/n tried to smile while saying her sentence. Bucky nodded as they made their way back to their cabin.

She was going crazy, since the Germans broke their hand-made radio, she’s been determined to build another one. ‘’Shit! It doesn’t fucking work!’’ she slammed her hand against the table, it was the third time she tried to make another radio. ‘’I don’t understand what we’re doing wrong!’’ Buck exclaimed. He’d been helping her building it. ‘’It’s useless, if I can’t build a fucking radio, there’s no way I’m getting out of here!’’ she rested her elbows on the table, putting her head in her head. ‘’Don’t say that I’m getting you out of here, with or without a radio’’ Bucky stepped in. She looked at him as she let out a sign. She smiled to him and continue to work on the radio. Hamilton was scraping wood, to shape it as an airplane. Y/n got an idea. ‘’Give me that!’’ she got up and snatched the piece he used out of his hand. ‘’Something must be in the way of the wire, glue or something’’ she began to scrape the radio, then she brought the headphone to her ear. She heard something, it was in German, so changed the frequence. ‘’I got it, the BBC’’ she exclaimed as she passed the headphone to Buck. He confirmed what the woman said, making the men smile. ‘’You did it!’’ Bucky hugged her and spun her around the room. Buck was surprised of his best friend, but only chuckled. They both make eye contact; it’s filled with joy and hope. They go in the other room; they don’t want to make too much noise and stop Buck from hearing important information. ‘’You built another radio! That was amazing!’’ he whispers. Y/n blushes and smiles, Bucky’s compliments were always sweet. ‘’Thank you’’ she replies. They maintain eye contact, but another emotion joins the mix: attraction. Y/n breath are quicker, and her pupils are dilated. Bucky takes a step forward, being closer to the woman. ‘’Can I kiss you?’’ he breaths out. Y/n can only nod, next thing she know, their mouth come clashing together. His lips are soft and gentle, not like the rough kiss she was forced to get by the General. It was a quick kiss, but just enough to make them giggle after, like teenagers. ‘’I –‘’ he was cut off the by the sound of a gun sound outside. ‘’Rolf, come back here!’’ they heard the guard’s yell. The general was drunk again, which meant he was coming in their cabin. It was his habit, when he got drunk, he wanted to see Y/n, to try to do horrible things to her. When the boys understood, they quickly found a way to prevent him to come inside. This time, he had a gun in his hands. ‘’I’m going to kill that bitch’’ he yelled.

Even the German guards weren’t comfortable with the General’s doings. Buck told the men to bring the table in front of the door, to make obstacles. They held the table, that prevent the General from entering the cabin. Y/n looked at Bucky, fear was in her eyes. ‘’I’m not going to let him hurt you, not now’’ he smiled. That reassured Y/n a little bit. But when Buck failed to hold the door, Rolf came in the cabin, looking for Y/n, she was hiding behind Bucky, they were near the doorframe. ‘’Wo zum Teufel bist du, ich bringe dich um!‘‘ He was asking where she was, and he swore that he was going to kill her. Y/n was afraid, she didn’t want to die. ‘’Don’t worry, I have a plan’’ Bucky whispered. When Rolf came in the room, Bucky punched him in the jaw, instantly knocking him out. German officers came rushing in the cabin. ‘’Normally, you should be killed for this, but I’m going to close my eyes on this one, it’s the first and last time, understood?’’ said a German soldiers. He understood that Bucky only protected the woman, that’s why they didn’t shoot him. Rolf was removed from the cabin to Y/n relief. ‘’I can’t thank you enough, Bucky, from the beginning, you’ve protected me’’ she said. ‘’A kiss would be a nice reward’’ he smirked. The woman rolled her eyes and smiled. ‘’That would be one of the things I could do to thank you’’ she teased as she pressed her lips on Bucky’s. Her protector, her lover, her pilot. He was going to be a lot of things for her, he just didn’t knew it, yet…

[l3v1s-g4m3r]

Could you please make another replaced MC au? I really loved the first one❤

ask and you shall receive 😈😈

main idea is from my old account but with some touches and more plot

btw this don’t align w the bible this is my om! heaven ranks in here

replaced au mc who did indeed love the brothers, royals, and purgatory boys once and was devastated when they came to the realization they had been replaced.

first it was just cancelling hang outs and dates, saying they promised r/n they would spend time together even though you have had this planned for weeks.

then it was was comparing you to them, saying how r/n has such perfect grades and everyone likes them, what happened to you?

and lastly it was threatening and insulting you when you tried to spend time with them again, being threatened that they would eat you, saying that you should stay out of their business, quite like your first time in the devildom all those years ago.

you had lost the only people who gave you purpose, the only real reason for you to continue living. you had nothing to go back to in the human world, no family, since your family had died long ago. not even a home anymore. no friends. nothing.

there was no need for pacts anymore, they were useless, for when you were in actual danger, no one came to your call.

so you got rid of them. all by yourself. it was painful, you were in agony for days, not that anyone noticed. they were all too busy with the new exchange student.

and then, since you had nothing to live for, that fateful night, you took your own life.

it was a short, but painful death. you jumped off a cliff. in your final moments though, you saw heartfelt memories of your loved ones. your mother and father/sibling(s), your friends. such happy memories.

then came the darker memories, memories of a certain set of brothers and an exchange program that took you away from the people you loved.

then, just white.

you woke up in a bright place in front of an open gate. you trudged forward through the gate, and saw the one and only, who the brothers called, father.

he told you he knew you were strong, and that’s why he let you into celestial. he said you could repent for your time with those demons, all you had to do was follow his orders.

and, you did just that.

your wings went from a dark grey, to a glowing, blissful white. your halo shimmering a bright golden sunset color.

you went from being an ordinary angel, all the way to an archangel comparable to michael himself.

then you became even stronger. even more powerful.

due to your strong ambitions and long-lasting good will, you were given the second strongest rank to father himself;

the holder of the seven virtues.

you thanked father profusely for this position of power and swore your undying loyalty to him.

now, with your new position, you helped run the entirety of the celestial realm.

you had asked the angels to just refer to you as “xeythus” from now on, not holder, or higher up.

a bit after your new ranking was bestowed to you, the devildom decided since they had three human participants in the exchange program, it was time for another angel student.

father thought it would be a good idea for you to go, to see how things were down there. it would be a good look for the celestial realm if you, the highest ranking angel below god, did good down there.

this is about two years after your mysterious disappearance. you disappeared without a trace from the devildom. everyone just assumed you went back to the human realm, finding nothing for you in the devildom. but when diavolo looked for traces of you in the human world, there was no information on you. no death date, no nothing. it was like you didn’t even exist. then again, they just assumed you went off the grid.

the brothers felt guilty for driving you away, but just filled the hole in their heart with r/n. or atleast they thought they did.

deep down, they knew they were just trying to fill the void you left when you disappeared. knowing that it would never work.

now, back to the present. simeon had heard of this new holder of the virtues but didn’t know who they were. all he knew was that the angels liked to call them “xeythus”. luke had heard lots of them, and now looked up to them, maybe even more than michael, after he heard how they had dark wings and managed to clear their name and climb the ranks by doing good. and he was so excited to finally meet them as an exchange student!

the day finally came when the new exchange student would come. the brothers and r/n were in their respective seats, with r/n in your old seat, while diavolo and barbatos stood near where the portal was supposed to show up. the purgatory hall boys didn’t have to be there, but luke was so excited to meet this higher up that they basically had to go.

the room went silent as a blinding golden light appeared where the portal was. the portal was about seven feet off the ground, with seven clear steps each with a sigil of one of the virtues on it leading down to diavolo and barbatos.

a hooded figure steps out onto the first step. they wear a flowy cape with a sleeveless turquoise green shirt that has each of the seven virtue sigils on it. their pants are white and fade into a blue sky with constellations in it. as the figure goes to step on the second step, the previous one turns into a sparkly golden color before fading away. this happened with each of the five next steps until the final seventh step fades and the portal closes into a mist of turquoise green.

”hello! I am diavolo, future demon king of the devildom! welcome!” the very familiar redhead introduces himself, not knowing that you indeed know him very dearly.

you gently pull your hood down and shake you hair around, it flowing gracefully around you as people around the room recognize you.

“why, hello diavolo. I am xeythus mc, the holder of the seven virtues, and greatest helper to father.” you decide to also introduce yourself, to help some people recover from shock and realize that it indeed is you.

mc, the second, or first, human exchange student who disappeared two years ago without a trace.

”m-mc..?!” a familiar tan cloud haired man calls out.

you turn around to see many familiar shocked faces, the one that spoke being mammon.

“it is xeythus, avatar of greed. if you would please call me by that?” you smile sweetly, grin full of nothing but pure genuine kindness.

now they knew that they could never get you back, for you swore your undying loyalty to their worst enemy.

(I really like this one! feel free to use the idea, and please, tag in it if you do! I would like to see!)

[witchofthesouls]

I would love to see you write some more culture differences between the bots and humans. If you wouldn’t mind :0 I wish we saw some in TFP

Same here. I love seeing world-building and deep lore, especially with other fantasy/sci-fi civilizations.

TFP gave us so much and so little at the same time. It's like going to a restaurant, you have a drink and great appetizers, so you're constantly waiting for the entrée that isn't coming!

TFP is also really fascinating when looking at it with the lens of the caste system and its deep roots within and among the 'bots, even their reduced circumstances. I get the feeling that Optimus is way more casual in way with his team than what the decorum would demand, even with his barriers.

The Autobots would find human cityscapes as quaint. Even the dense sprawls of megacities with towering high rises are paltry reminder of what they're used to.

Cybertron was a planet where its wilds had been tamed. Either reshaped or completely stripped. The Wastelands is/was an apt name for the baren landscapes outside the established city-states.

It wasn't just a large difference in public transport and zoning and sheer scale. It was also the functional design and architecture.

City-states mimicked the layouts of Titans' ground alt-modes. They didn't sprawl outward. Those had set perimeters based on Titans' outer defenses. Instead, the cities expanded up or down.

It wasn't limited to just a parking structure or secretive bases. Whole levels housed entire communities of what castes resided there: occupations, hospitals, sewage, refineries, restaurants, entertainment, and so much. Some mecha go without ever seeing the sunlight or feel real wind, especially those at the lowest of the system. The lowest castes are set all the way at the bottom, among ancient tech and dilapidated buildings. Sorting and recycling what could be kept and what must be sent back to the upper levels.

The concept of "open to the public" would confuse the Autobots. The Golden Age operated its society under the strict overview of a caste system, which expanded to "where" and "what" individuals of a caste could access.

Monster truck rallies fall under bloodsport to them. Bulkhead once scavenged money to watch and do small bets at high-stakes drift racing and lower-tier gladiator matches below the ground. Mecha still had to pay entrance fees to it.

Parks were under the Artisanal caste. Blending murals of legends, careful tending to fauna that are functionally extinct that was tailored to the agreed aesthetic, live music from specific pupils of masters, playing on instruments that merged with the gardens, so it was difficult to tell what was a tool and a plant or animal. And entry to any of it was only allowed for certain castes.

Universities were thriving, self-contained communities, and major points of power. No one off the list would be allowed into its grounds. All visitors and short-term guests were deeply screened and monitored. There is no such thing as "dropping by." Everything is meticulously planned and prepared. Unless a faculty member personally vouches for a guest, they must heed the numerous rules or a risk permanent banning.

Academia had long since been territorial over its talents and quality of its programs and people. They refuse to allow anyone outside its jurisdiction to bully one of its own. No matter the rank or caste, it will close its inescapable jaws around an outsider.

The fact that someone could go to a private university and simply jog upon its grounds is mind-boggling to the 'bots.

As well as libraries and their courses and workshops. So anyone can go? Anyone?! Everyone has access to the knowledge!? Can anyone simply go join a seminar on local gardening? Anyone can just go to a playground and start swinging or playing basketball or flying a kite or dancing to music? Anyone?

Bulkhead had a lot of questions for Jack and Raf since they're locals compared to Miko.

"So anyone can go?"

"Yeah. I used to spend my recess looking up bird anatomy and Ancient Greece and Egypt."

"You had a thing for ancient civilizations?" Raf asked.

"Doesn't everyone?" Jack shrugged. "Pharoahs and gladiators and old gods? We ate that up with mystery books or Goosebumps."

"I read Sherlock Holmes and the Chronicles of Narnia."

"Those are classics. Hey, did you get into The Lo-"

"Hold up," Bulkhead cut in, crouched down and leaning more forward, as if sharing a secret and quietly ask, "So anyone?"

"Yes. Anyone." Jack repeated, rapidly firing off each point with a finger. "Their family. Their friends. Their classmates. Their coworkers. Their pe-"

"Even, let's say, a construction worker. He could just go inside and pick up, I don't know, quantum physics? Anatomy of any frames? Gardening?"

"Sure." Raf squinted and moved to wipe off his glasses with his sleeves. "Clubs and people like to donate more to expand the base. Some of the college professors even leave early editions of their textbooks." Raf readjusted his glasses and beamed. "It's for easier access people and for an industrial copier."

"Oh..." There was a wealth of meaning in that small noise.

"You..." Jack struggled on the concept. Perhaps giant metal aliens didn't need books and could download information from their own internet. "You don't have libraries or schools?"

"No. We did." Bulkhead sighed. "I just wasn't allowed into them."

Out of all of them, Miko would be the to come the closest to understanding them in some ways. 出る杭は打たれる. The nail that sticks out gets hammered in.

As a transfer student from Japan, Miko does have instances of culture clashes with her American classmates and host family.

She's loud. She knows that. But Americans are a different breed with no restraint. In some ways, admirable. In others, incredibly frustrating.

Miko is used to a far heavier workload with long hours after-school and a busy city life. Jasper qualifies between a small and large town that she can't walk around easily on her own with the blazing heat and bitter cold nights and the lack of a car or a bike.

Detention in the US is a joke to her. Stay in school after it's over? She's used to doing that back at home with clubs and cleaning it. On a Saturday? Same thing. Some clubs back home ran long hours over the weekend. Do homework? She already finished it during lunch or between classes because she wants all the other time to herself and the 'bots.

Because Bulkhead gets a realization just how free the kids' social mobility is, he tries to get on Miko over her scrapping at school and her assignments, especially after Ratchet's high jacking their science projects resulted in failure. And that was another strange blow since Ratchet is a medic and a scientist. She's smart and quick and can be rough around the edges and so everywhere, and, to him, Miko deserves everything she could want in her short life. (And wasn't that also a terrifying concept to grasp? To just live and die under a single vorn?)

At first, Miko was getting annoyed because it's similar to the well-meaning nagging her host family does, but she reads the worry he has, and they have to really sit down and speak and soothe over his misunderstandings.

It comes as a huge surprise to her that Bulkhead can just download a language into him. Context and colloquialisms would be missing, and he needs work because he's a mix between extreme formality and, much to her delight, yakuza. And it's all because of her own frustration that English is her second language.

[thefreakandthehair]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 10th: College | Loser Denial - Heyrocco | Determined a/n: steddie, college au, really just fluffy getting together. un-betaed because I’m challenging myself to write these in under an hour. read on ao3 | link to masterpost on ao3

They say that the most basic human need is to feel a sense of belonging, to feel welcomed. Eddie’s yet to find that acceptance at Ivy Tech Community College in Fort Wayne, about 25 miles southeast of his hometown. He’d hoped that getting away from Hawkins and joining a program for automotive technology would give him a good shot at meeting some like-minded people but so far, it’s been nothing short of a bust. 

Not only is he yet to touch a car because he’s had to focus on meaningless general education classes first, he’s made one friend. One single friend in the form of a lab partner, and he’s not actually sure if they’re even friends so much as they are two people forced into talking on a regular basis. But Eddie counts it, because it’s all he’s got for now. 

Without his high school reputation and the safety of a familiar environment, college is an ominous beast with sharp teeth. Each day feels like stepping into a pasture with no shepherd, but he’s determined not to fail. Three attempts at graduating high school is enough failure for a lifetime. So yes, he counts his lab partner. 

Besides, if they aren’t really friends yet, Eddie would like to be. Steve’s a good dude— not quite his normal type in company, sure, but he’s studying to become a nurse, he’s smart in a quick-witted non-traditional sort of way, and Eddie can’t imagine anyone being on the receiving end of that smile and not going a little wobbly in the knees. 

Alright, so maybe Eddie wants a little more than friendship but he’s only greedy when the end goal seems possible. And determined as Eddie may be, he can’t imagine that he’s Steve type. Some days are harder than others though, like the days when they’re crammed next to each other in the library at tiny tables, or the days when they hang back in the lab to work through their latest experiment. 

Today though? Today is downright painful. 

Today, he’s in Steve’s fucking apartment. Steve’s tiny, off-campus apartment that he shares with someone named Robin who Eddie can only assume is his girlfriend. There are pictures of the two of them all over the place, distracting Eddie from the lab report they’re supposed to be working on. Words jump off the page in front of him as he sits cross legged on the floor with his back against the couch Steve’s sitting on. It doesn’t help that Steve’s sitting so close, his foot occasionally grazing Eddie’s side, his thigh close enough for Eddie to rest his head against. 

Twice now, Steve’s leaned down over Eddie’s shoulders to get a closer look at the data chart, turning to face him close enough that their noses nearly touch. Eddie’s just about stopped breathing both times because his hair tickles Eddie’s ear and he smells so good. 

Molecular weight. Boiling point. Propanol. 

He tries his damndest to focus on his section, opting to take on the procedures and data analysis while Steve works on the lengthy conclusion section, but he just— 

He can’t. Maybe he can’t be friends with Steve after all. Not when he’s sitting in his apartment, surrounded by happy pictures of Steve with his girlfriend, feeling his disappointment grow stronger and stronger. Through his haze, he barely recognizes Steve asking him a question. 

“Hello? Eddie? Earth to Eddie Munson?” Steve nudges him gently in the shoulder with his knee. “We have to rank the order that the pure substances traveled through the column from fastest to slowest, and you’ve got the data.” 

Eddie shakes his head, trying his best to hide his disappointment that Steve can’t be a friend because of his own stupid crush and that Steve can’t be more because well, he’s clearly spoken for and why wouldn’t he be? Who wouldn’t just fall ass over ankles for Steve? 

Apparently, he already has. 

“Uh, hey man, you good? Seriously, you’re kinda freaking me out.” Steve drops his papers on the coffee table and slides off the couch to kneel in front of Eddie. He reaches out and gently tips his chin up, probably checking for some kind of medical issue. 

Stupid nursing program, Eddie thinks. But he just looks up, lets himself be guided by Steve soft, practiced hand and makes eye contact. Hazel, he thinks. I’ve never been close enough to notice that. 

But he still hasn’t spoken and can see that Steve is truly starting to panic so he swallows and finds his tongue again. 

“I’m fine, I’m good, promise. Just uh, just lost in thought. That’s a thing that I do a lot, you’ve seen my notebooks,” he tries to laugh it off but Steve doesn’t drop his hand. He simply slides it to the side, resting carefully on Eddie’s cheek. Eddie’s sure that Steve can feel it growing warmer beneath his touch. 

“What about?” Steve asks, inquisitive. Eddie must be going insane because he swears he sees Steve’s eyes flicker between his gaze and his lips. 

Eddie smiles, mostly fake but there’s something about Steve’s touch that does give him a reason to. 

“Didn’t know you had a girlfriend, that’s all. Got a little lost looking at all the pictures, she seems awesome.”

Not that he’s thought too deeply about how Steve would react, but hysterical laughter wouldn’t have been one of them if he had. But that’s what he sees: Steve falling to the side, his face turning red, his hand slipping from Eddie’s cheek to his chest, and his elbow leaning on the coffee table as his entire body shakes with laughter. 

What the fuck is going on here? Eddie wonders.

“That’s—” Steve tries to speak but takes several tries to get audible words out. “God, she knew that was gonna happen, I owe Robin $20.” 

Eddie sits, stuck in place, his eyes wide and brows knitted tightly above his nose. “Robin? What was gonna happen? $20?” 

“Oh my God, Eddie, I’m— no. Robin is the girl in these pictures, and she’s my best friend. She bet me $20 that the pictures were gonna throw you off and I thought I’d been obvious enough by now that you wouldn’t go down that route. But no, we’re definitely not dating. I’m uh, I’m not exactly her type.” Steve grins and slowly sits back upright, this time cross-legged to mirror Eddie’s position, their knees touching this time. 

“How the fuck could you not be someone’s type?” Eddie lets slip, his mouth moving faster than his brain. No surprise there. 

Before he can take it back, Steve just quirks one eyebrow up. “Well, unless I wake tomorrow a woman… not gonna happen. Did you miss that picture?” 

Eddie follows Steve’s finger that’s pointing to the largest picture hung on the wall, one of them at a Pride event. Robin sits on Steve’s shoulders, wearing a flag of varying shades of reds, oranges, and purples like a cape around her neck. Steve’s smiling from ear to ear, otherwise dressed as he does every day save for the pink, purple, and blue stripes painted on his cheek. 

It’s the largest picture in the room, and somehow, Eddie’s missed it completely.

“So yeah, not really her type. Is that why you’ve been so quiet? And completely ignoring all of my attempts to make a move?” 

“A move? On what?” Eddie asks, incredulous. 

Steve shrugs and leans forward, resting his palms on Eddie’s knees. “You, dumbass. Why else would we study here instead of the library?” 

“Gonna level with you here, I didn’t even think about it. I figured you were just tired of me almost getting us kicked out for being too loud or something! That was not obvious, Steve.” Eddie’s heart pounds in his chest, hope clawing its way through a graveyard of isolation. 

Steve just huffs a small laugh through his nose and bites his lower lip. “Let me be clearer, then. I like you. And maybe we can see if we’ve got as much chemistry as propanol and… whatever the fuck else was on that list, I don’t remember.” 

It’s Eddie’s turn to laugh, wild and free as he throws his head back against the couch. When he looks back at Steve, his laughter lulls to a soft smile. “Jesus Christ, that was so bad and I can’t believe it’s about to work on me.” 

“Yeah?” Steve grins, leaning closer, almost closing the distance. 

Eddie nods, breathless. “Yeah.”

Terrible chemistry puns and pick up lines aside, kissing Steve does feel like a chemical reaction, one that deserves its own lab report. 

His lips are soft, a little chapped to match Eddie’s, but he moves with intention and care, two things Eddie isn’t familiar with. He’s kissed before but not like this, not like his partner is trying to pour affection into him with every movement. Over time, he’ll grow to learn that that’s just how Steve is, all-in on everything he finds worth his time and energy. 

Their lab report goes forgotten in favor of learning more about one another until Robin comes home hours later, thankfully after they’ve washed up and settled in on the couch in a much less precarious position. 

“Aw, man,” she bemoans, dropping her bag next to the door with a loud thud. “I really thought the pictures were gonna cockblock you.” 

Eddie elbows Steve in the side. “Pay up, Stevie. Be a man of your word. I don’t date men with poor integrity.” 

“You two are gonna be the worse fucking tag team, goddamn it,” he mutters under his breath as he lifts his hips up to fish around for his wallet, tossing a $20 on the coffee table. “I don’t think it should count because it was fine once I explained!” 

Robin grins, walking over to the couch and grabbing the bill off the table before making herself comfortable in the free corner next to Eddie. 

“Eddie, I’ve heard a lot about you and I think we’re gonna be really good friends.” 

He finds himself sandwiched between Steve and Robin for the rest of the night, comfortable and welcomed, as though he’s belonged there the whole time. The evening doesn’t end with Eddie making a friend out of Steve, but how can he complain when he finds so much more?

[acim-ed-ortsac]

Butterfly Kick (Shinobu! Male! Reader x Blue Lock)

You knew you were shorter than the other football players in this room, not as strong as them, and admittedly your face was considered cute. But one thing you can rely on is your speed and agility. As you stood amongst the sea of around 300 other boys in this building, you waited for the person who summoned you here. You noted well-known figures here such as the genius speedster, Chigiri Hyouma, whom you heard of in middle school. Another guy was the heir of the Mikage Corporations, Mikage Reo, which intrigued you since you hadn’t heard of him playing football.

Adjusting the strap of your gym bag, your eyes went around the room some more before the screen at the very front flickered to life. A bespectacled man who looked unhealthily thin with bowl-cut hair greeted you, “ Greetings, diamonds in the rough,” were his first words. His dark blank wide eyes stared down at you as if you were mortals and he was a god. In a way, maybe he is in this situation.

His speech at first brought chaos and irritation, followed by fear at the prospect of removing their chance at the U-20 team. You had internally scoffed at that. Especially when ‘Japan's Jewel’ had protested against the man who calls himself Ego Jinpaichi ideologies. But you, you saw some truth in them. You weren’t ignorant or unaware of the flaws in Japan’s philosophy, ‘All for one and one for all’. Teamwork is nice but it’s useless if no fruits are being born or progress amongst the individuals themselves.

A team is not only a group of people who work together, but people who can bring out the best in each other, and who can compete and climb to the top. People who have a certain self-importance, an ego the bespectacled man had emphasized.

When the first boy ran towards the opportunity to improve and make it to the top, the others followed behind. You ran forward because you wanted to see what this program is all about, and you wanted to use it for your benefit.

“You can’t become the world's best striker unless you become the world’s best egoist.” Ego Jinpaichi had said in his speech.

When the others would grit, grumble, and protest, your sweet smile which you had worn for years now had a meaning under it. Something fiery and hungry.

After the blue buses brought you to the facility, you were given a number along with a letter before being directed to the building you were assigned to. You had changed into the suit you were given before finding your room, which was a W. It took you a while, but you managed to find it, opening the door.

In it were other boys besides you, around 10 to 12. And they were infuriatingly taller than you as well. You felt a muscle twitch as you kept your smile, “Hello, how are you? I’m Kocho Shinobu, nice to meet you.”

The boys have taken your introduction well as one came up to you, with a smile. From there, it was easy to befriend the other guys in the room, which came to blow when Ego appeared on the screen and announced a game of tag; the loser would be kicked off of the program and never play for the National team ever.

From there, it was a war of desperation.

You mostly stood to the side, dodging when others would target you, which was often. You knew it was because they underestimated your short stature and weak-looking body, but it was easy to prove them wrong when you quickly dodged any strike aimed at you. And the few moments you were hit, you quickly kicked back at them. When the timer was up, one exited the room, bawling his eyes out.

You didn’t even know his name. 

Then Ego announced the First Selection, where your team will be facing off against four other teams in your building. Which builds up anticipation and distress at the prospect of losing and going home. For now, it was the Athletic tests.

You were confident in your speed and endurance, but weightlifting was something you were sure to suck at. 

You glanced at your rank as you wiped off the sweat from your forehead, ignoring the sounds of boys training. You’ll need to do better if you want to stay and make it to the national level.

The food that you ate was decent, but you couldn’t deny how appetizing the others were. Your eyes glanced at the other players who were participating in this program while you partake in conversation with your teammates. You noticed some peculiar ones such as a blonde with dyed ends that rise up aside from to locks at his front that go down. He has dark skin, not as dark as the people from the African continent but close.

Another one is a dark-haired boy with cyan eyes and underlashes, a loner type with a powerful aura.

Then there’s one with long hair and another one with a bulky build.

Sadly, they were taller than you by a lot. You internally grit at this, ‘I’m possibly the shortest one in this program, aren’t I?’

Your teammates were oblivious to your annoyance when you went back to conversing with them with a smile.

The first few matches were…uneventful. You weren’t sure if it was just because they were lower than you or what, but the first match was chaos and a mess. You could’ve just stayed at the side, but you had gotten fed up when your teammates refused to work together despite your insistence.

Which made you decide to do it yourself.

Kicking off from your place at the side, your feet ran past your teammates and the enemy before getting the ball from them. Everything was a blur for you as your eyes were dead-center at the goal, a sense of belonging and fire as you pulled your foot back before kicking the ball past the goalie and straight into the net.

And in that moment, you knew you started a chain reaction.

From there your teammates had found themselves the motivation to help you score, which in turn finally made you work with them like a team. You suppose this was what Ego meant by ‘Ground Zero’, by playing without roles there will be chaos and disorder until there will be a 'protagonist’ to shine the light and guide the way to victory.

Your smile became sharper at the idea.

The next match was kinda boring as there was no challenge, opting to stay at the side and let your teammates have their chance at scoring. The match after that was against the team with the boy with blonde wild hair pink ends, and dark skin. Now that you got a good look at him, you noticed how he has pink eyes and a sort of…unique would be putting it lightly but deranged would be too much…He had a very interesting smile.

The match started off and the ball was in possession of one of your teammates, which was stolen by the blonde. None of your teammates could stop him, ending him in scoring.

Your interest piqued, deciding to enter the game. In the second round, your teammate passed the ball to you, leading you to run like the wind. You avoided the opposing team members with ease, feet light and body airy like a butterfly. What surprised you was the blonde that caught up to you.

“You’re pretty fast, for a shorty.” he grinned.

You felt a muscle twitch in irritation as you smiled at him with closed eyes “Am I? Well then,”  When you opened them, you made sure to express every irritation and ire that you felt in what humans call ‘The Windows of the Soul’. “I do hope you can keep up.”

With a kick, you sped through the field with speed that for others broke the sound barrier. Your legs pumped with anger, the ball bracing against your swift yet aggressive kicks when in your control. Your vision narrowed at one thing: the goal. It was in sight, and you knew you had this one when you pulled your leg back and shot the ball into the net.

The whistle blew at your goal.

Satisfaction took the cake, as you smiled while your team yelled in euphoria at the scored point. Then a blonde slammed that satisfaction down when he threw his arm over your shoulder—even more so when he leaned over to accommodate your height and smiled at you like he was teasing!

“I like you, Butterfly-kun.” The blonde said. “The name’s Shidou Ryusei, can I get your number?”

Your eye twitched before you shrugged off his arm, “Ara, Shidou-san is quite friendly. But I say that you are quite bold to ask me for my number—

—When you haven’t scored yet.”

Shidou’s smile became wider, “Like to hide behind a smile, huh? Bet I can break it out of you.”

”I don’t know what you mean.” you replied before returning to your team.

After enduring tests, challenges, and obstacles, you found yourself being one of the few players left in Blue Lock. Sadly, Kunigami seemed to have been eliminated. And just as you were reacquainted with each other again. However, the boy with blue eyes seemed interesting enough.

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

Words: 1567

I had this in my google docs for a while now and just wanted to get this out there.

I also use the second person pov since it was easier to write.

[gachagon]

I love it when characters who were previously incredibly pompous and egotistical realize that the pedestal they've placed themselves on is actually worthless given the current situation they're now in.

Kaiser is realizing now that his idea of what it takes to be on top, to be the best striker is wrong and that it's probably been wrong for a while. And that's really got to suck, because while Kaiser has accomplished a lot of great things, ultimately his goal pales in comparison to the people he now has to go up against. Isagi and the other Blue Locker's aren't just there to rise up the ranks slowly, this is a last man standing program and Kaiser isn't strong enough to stand on his own.

He had become a great player, but he's not the best player. And he needs to be better in order to even have that position of acclaim in the first place. I am reminded of what Isagi taunted him with earlier, calling him a "Naked Emperor/King" which is an obvious reference to the "Emperor's New Clothes".

In that short story, a king orders himself new clothing that outshines everyone else and so the court creates "Invisible Clothing that only he can see" for the King. The king accepts the clothes and "wears" them, and so to him he is wearing the finest cloak imaginable, but to everyone else he is just a naked man making a fool of himself.

In a way, Kaiser ended up being the naked emperor in that he only came to the realization that his past achievements weren't good enough to stay in the team until this very game with Isagi.

I really think that fear of losing everything he worked for was always holding him back from really going above and beyond as well, because while he does have the support of a partner to do passes for him and he's able to read the field accurately, he doesn't take chances that tougher opponents hand him.

His backstory as a thief really puts this into perspective too because thieves wait for the right moment to strike instead of going out into the open to steal. And just like a thief, everything they get is "unearned" because they just take it from other people. In a way, you could almost say Kaiser's position as the best and the king was unearned because he hadn't actually done what needed to be done in order to get to that level.

And that's why I think this makes him so upset when Ness rattles off all of the thing's he's done, because ultimately none of those things will really amount to anything if he can't keep control of this team and be the best among them. It won't matter if he's scored a goal in every match, or if he's gotten offers from top teams, his goal is to be better than everyone and right now some dude from a no name prefecture in Japan is wiping the floor with him, and easily.

You really gotta feel sorry for Ness too, because he thinks of himself as one of Kaiser's "accomplishments" in a way, but Kaiser literally doesn't care about him enough. He just see's Ness as a tool to use, someone who's easily replaceable and loyal like a dog.

My moot (@miyamiwu) made a really good observation about how Ness might just leave Kaiser soon if he doesn't keep playing in that magical way that captured Ness in the first place, and I think that's true now especially since Kaiser himself seems to also realize it. When he's thinking about all of the achievements he could potentially lose if he doesn't win this, Ness is one of them.

"I thought I was becoming human." Is so sad too because I think deep down he really did think that by being close to Ness that he was truly becoming a normal player, that he was on the fast track to achieving his goals. But because he doesn't really know what that goal is anymore, the rug has been pulled from under him now and he has to literally reevaluate what is probably years worth of self reflection.

I also think this chapter is Kaiser ditching the rose as a symbol of his ego because he's truly looking back on things and realizing that the object that really gave him solace wasn't that symbol of the impossible, but the soccer ball itself. He is coming to terms with the fact that without soccer, he doesn't have anything at all, and that it is the only reason he was even able to get this far or have the courage to fight back against his abusive shitty dad.

Instead of the rose tattoo being here, we see there's a new tattoo that's prominent now and it's in the shape of a crown. And rather than being in a place where he's most vulnerable (his neck), the tattoo is on his hand, which I think symbolizes how he is able to take his own freedom and by extension his own place as a king with his own two hands.

Kaiser's solitude is something he really needs to become the best, because if he can't do it alone, than he can't do it at all. He is clinging desperately to the things he has managed to gather throughout these years, including Ness' loyalty and he's so afraid of losing even one of those things that it's making him a worse player.

However, whether or not being totally alone is what he needs to heal as a person is another thing entirely, which is ultimately why I don't think Kaiser will ever beat Isagi and that if he does it'd actually be the worst ending for him. Throughout this entire manga, Kaiser comes off as a really calculated person who's always thinking ten steps ahead, but inside he is just a damaged kid who is using soccer as his one means of coping with the trauma he faced as child.

And that phrasing "I thought I was becoming human" really just makes me feel so sad for Kaiser, because to him if he doesn't have soccer he is less than human and has nothing to give back to the world. He has never allowed himself any time to just be a normal teenager and just make friends in a healthy way, and the one friend he does have might just up and leave if he's not playing in a groundbreaking way. He thinks so lowly of himself that he hinges his entire identity around how other people perceive his abilities in the game, and if he's not the best at the game, he surely can't matter that much as a player, no matter how much Ness tries to placate him with words about how he's "already done enough".

Ego Jinpachi said it as well after Nagi made his really good goal, that some people are content with just being average and "good" instead of being great. And that it's because they're content with where they are in life, that they never advance at all. The idea that they are totally fine in their current position makes them lose the drive they normally would have if they weren't still thinking about trying to get better.

And Blue Lock's philosophy hinges on the player wanting to always get better and better and beat the other players on the field. Being "good" is never enough, hell being "Great" isn't enough at times, you need to be the best forever. You need to make it so that dethroning you is an uphill battle.