#so that was a fun nostalgic thing to do!!

[number4syndrome]

Sip by sip

🥭 summary: just a job. just a teammate. just one drink. that’s what Sol told herself. until Lando took a sip. and then everything changed.

🥭 pairing: Lando Norris x Sol (Original Character) - written in first person

🥭 word count: 4k+

🥭 warnings: 18+, public-ish sex (car), swearing, jealousy&possessiveness, enemies to lovers, minor physical aggression (grabbing, slamming doors, pulling), unprotected sex, slight alcohol consumption (at a party)

🥭 author’s note: hey there! 💛 this is my first ever fanfic. english isn’t my first language so there might be some mistakes, i’m sorry for that! it was a random idea, but i hope you like it. enjoy this little something from me!💕

MONACO

It was kind of a chill day in the McLaren motorhome. We were in Monaco, after a ton of interviews and media appearances. Oscar and I were both tired and just wanted to relax a bit, so we went with our usual ritual — grabbing mango-flavored iced drinks. It’s been our favorite since we were like ten, when we first found it in a random arcade.

We were sitting on bean bags in the lounge, sipping from our cups.

“Tastes the same,” Oscar sighed. “When we were apart for years, I used to get this drink sometimes. Just for the memories. It always brought me back to when we were ten.”

“Yeah… me too, actually,” I smiled. “Sometimes I even went back to the arcade. Felt more nostalgic with the drink,” I laughed, a bit shyly.

“Oh, the arcade,” Oscar exhaled like he was seeing it in front of him. “I miss that place.” He pouted. “It basically raised us.”

I laughed. “Yeah.”

While we were talking, we heard footsteps approaching. We looked up — it was Lando, glued to his phone like always. Probably texting one of his many girlfriends. I rolled my eyes, but quickly tried to stop. Too late — Oscar noticed.

He gave me a look, raising his eyebrows while sipping his drink. “What was that?” “What?” I asked, trying to look innocent. “That.” He pointed two fingers to his eyes, then to mine. “What was what?” Lando asked, finally slipping his phone into his back pocket.

“Nothing. None of your business,” I said quickly.

Lando smirked. “Alright, darling. Sorry I asked.”

I rolled my eyes — this time not even trying to hide it. Ugh. He’s so cocky.

“What I really want to know,” he said, pointing at me and Oscar, “is what that is.”

“It’s our signature drink,” Oscar said, grinning, lifting his cup slightly.

“Signature drinks? Wow. You guys are actually weird,” Lando laughed. “Didn’t know you were on that level.”

I hate when he does that — making fun of every little thing Oscar and I do. He’s been like this since day one.

“Jealous much, Norris?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Not at all,” he grinned, sitting down in front of me. “But you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“You wish.” I scoffed.

He just licked his lips — cocky as ever — and stared me down. I held the stare, refusing to let him win. He chuckled lightly and turned to Oscar.

“So, what makes this drink so ‘signature’?” he asked, air quoting.

Oscar eyed the two of us for a second but snapped back into the story. “Oh, it’s not a big deal…” He launched into our shared memory, but Lando clearly wasn’t listening. His eyes kept flicking back to me.

I focused on Oscar instead, jumping in now and then to add little details that made us both laugh.

“So yeah,” Oscar finished proudly, “since then, this is our signature drink. Right, Sol?” He gave me a fond smile.

I squeezed his hand and blew him a playful kiss.

“Yeah,” I grinned. “This friendship deserves a signature drink. Maybe next time we should get matching tattoos.”

“Yeeeah, suuuure,” Oscar replied, obviously skeptical. “Maybe once I get over my needle phobia.”

“Well, that was a really fun story,” Lando said, clapping his hands once and standing up, a bit tense. “Now I’m definitely curious about this flavor.”

He stepped closer. Too close.

I stiffened as he placed one hand on the wall beside my head, leaning in. His other hand lightly brushed against my hip. He dipped his head near mine — way too near — and locked eyes with me as he slowly brought my straw to his lips and took a sip.

Still staring. Still smirking.

Then he licked his lips, straightened up, and let his hand linger on my hip just a moment too long.

“Not bad,” he said, walking off with a wink. “But I liked the one you had yesterday more… you know, the papaya flavor.”

He didn’t even wait for a response.

I sat there frozen, still trying to process what the hell just happened.

“What the fuck?” Oscar burst out next to me. I turned to him, still stunned. “Next time you two wanna fuck, just say so and I’ll leave,” he said, completely horrified, standing up. “God. I think I just got pregnant from that eye contact.” He walked off, cackling.

I stayed seated, quietly taking another sip of my drink to cool myself down. I looked at the straw. Lando’s mouth had just been there.

My stomach twisted.

Not the best reaction.

But it was always like that. Since the beginning.

I started working at McLaren six months ago — all thanks to Oscar. He’d already been with the team for almost three years, and I was always his biggest fan. Me and his girlfriend, Gabby, went to his races whenever we could. We screamed our lungs out in the grandstands. We gossiped about the hot guys in the garage. Gabby and Oscar’s shared mission in life was to find me a boyfriend — they’ve been dreaming of double dates since they got together.

But I wasn’t really focused on that. I had a career to build.

So when Oscar sent me a link for a job opening at the McLaren motorhome — media coordinator, with the message: “this one has your name all over it” — I applied on the spot. And I’m so glad I did.

I get to work somewhere I love, doing something I actually enjoy, surrounded by good people — and most importantly, I get to spend time with my best friend.

And, obviously, his annoying teammate, Lando Norris.

I don’t know what it is between us. We’ve been like this since day one.

The first time I met him, I was minding my own business — answering emails, arranging interviews, pretending to understand how to politely tell a Sky Sports guy that no, he can’t just “grab a quick minute” with Oscar.

And then he walked in. Monster can in hand. Eyebrows furrowed. Suit halfway unzipped and hanging around his waist. Hair a mess. Sweaty as hell after practice.

“Are you new here?” he asked.

“Yeah, kinda,” I replied, a little shy. I don’t even know why. Something about him made me want to give a good first impression — which was ridiculous.

He looked me up and down, smirking. “Yeah, I figured. Girls usually stop that reaction to me after, like, three months.”

He pointed at my face. I blinked. Excuse me?

“Yeah, I guess after that they just accept you're always this sweaty,” I said with a polite smile, turning back to my laptop.

He scoffed. “Oh yeah? That look told me you liked me this sweaty.”

That damn smirk again.

“You misread the signs,” I muttered. “And you better shower, you’ve got an interview in ten minutes.”

He bit his lip. “Wanna join me?”

“In your dreams, Norris.”

“Yeah, I’ll definitely be dreaming about it in the shower,” he called over his shoulder as he walked away. “Bye, Schedule Barbie.”

“My name’s Sol,” I said flatly.

He didn’t even respond. Just kept walking like he owned the place.

I rolled my eyes. But... yeah, I watched him leave. God, is it legal for a man to have an ass that good?

Since then, that’s been our dynamic. He teases. I roll my eyes. He flirts. I pretend I’m above it.

And I’d never admit it to anyone — not Oscar, not Gabby, not even to myself most days — but sometimes... I enjoy it. Sometimes it even turns me on. And I’d be lying if I said I’ve never wondered what would’ve happened if I had joined him in that shower.

I didn’t see him for two hours after that little sipping moment. Which was for the best. I needed to cool down and distract myself. So I did some scheduling. Drafted some post ideas. Even planned a few TikToks.

I was walking down the hallway when I saw him again — standing alone, phone in hand. I took my chance.

“Hey,” I called.

He looked up, and that grin appeared instantly. “Schedule Barbie,” he said, leaning back against the wall. “Can I help you with something?”

“Don’t call me that,” I muttered, stepping in front of him.

“Why? It suits you,” he smirked, crossing his arms.

I rolled my eyes and got to the point. “You can’t do that.”

“What? Give you nicknames?”

“No — hover over me, looking at me like you’re about to kiss me. I’m not one of your bitches, Lando.”

His smirk grew. “Why does it bother you, sweetheart?” He stepped in. Closer. Until my back hit the wall behind me. He’d trapped me. So close I could smell his cologne.

“I think you like when I do things like that,” he said.

“I’m not,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “I’m just here to do my job — not for your entertainment.”

“Is that so?” he asked, his eyes scanning my face like he was trying to memorize it.

“Don’t give me that look again,” I whispered.

“What look?”

“That look… like you want to kiss me.”

His lips parted. I felt his hand brush against my hip. His face was already closer.

“You know I want to,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “And I know you want it too.”

I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. Of course I wanted it. I closed my eyes, just slightly. His lips were right there.

“LANDO!”

Zak’s voice cut through the hallway like a gunshot.

We jumped apart like we’d been caught stealing.

“Come on, kid, it’s interview time!” Zak called again from down the hall.

Lando looked at me once more — eyes wide, stunned, like he was still processing what almost happened.

But only for a second.

Then the smirk returned. “Later,” he said, and walked off.

Leaving me speechless. Again.

MONACO, afterparty

The club was loud. Full of people. The Monaco weekend had been great, and everyone just wanted to blow off some steam.

I’d only had one cocktail. I don’t like going over my limits. But with the heat, the crowd, and the exhaustion of the week — I felt lightheaded.

I was talking to some guy from the Mercedes team. An engineer, if I remembered right. I didn’t really care. He was nice. Funny. Asked questions. He laughed at my stories. I was having fun.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lando. Staring. Still.

We’d never talked about the hallway. We both pretended it hadn’t happened. But of course I’d been thinking about it — more than I’d ever admit.

Still, I kept my attention on the guy in front of me. We danced a little. He offered to buy me another drink. I politely declined, telling him I needed to freshen up in the bathroom. That was a lie.

I just needed air. Space. Time to breathe.

I slipped upstairs and pushed open the balcony doors. The fresh air hit me like a truck. I inhaled, deeply.

“Enjoying the party?” a voice said behind me.

Lando.

I didn’t turn right away. I walked closer to the edge, looking out over the glittering city. “Yeah, actually. Great party. Don’t you think?”

“It’d be better if I didn’t have to watch you flirting with some loser engineer,” he muttered, walking up behind me.

“Aw,” I said, smirking slightly. “Jealous?”

“I don’t get jealous, baby,” he said, hand suddenly on my waist, spinning me around to face him. “I prove.”

His voice was serious. Deadly serious. No smirk. No laugh. Just fury in his eyes — heat, fire, want.

“Prove what, exactly?” I asked, tilting my head slightly.

His hands were lower now. One brushing the bare skin of my thigh.

“That I’m better than him.”

And then he kissed me.

Not just a kiss. He claimed me.

His mouth was harsh, rushed, desperate over mine. I gasped, grabbing a fistful of his shirt and pushing him back — just a little.

He stared at me. His eyes were wild. I could barely catch my breath.

Then I yanked him back in by the neck. One of his hands was tight on my hip. The other at my throat — not choking, but there. Firm. Hot. Possessive.

I pulled at his hair, dragging him closer even though we were already chest-to-chest. Our tongues met — fighting, not dancing.

It wasn’t sweet. It wasn’t soft. It was chaos.

His hand slid down and grabbed my ass, rough. I moaned into his mouth. He smirked — the cocky bastard.

I bit his lip. Harder than I needed to. He groaned.

“Fuck, Sol,” he breathed against my lips. Then his mouth was on my neck. Open-mouthed kisses. A trail of heat.

“Lando,” I moaned.

Then his phone buzzed.

He groaned and pulled away like someone had shot him.

“What?” he snapped into the phone. I tried to fix my lipstick with my hand, failing miserably.

“He did what?” Lando asked, confused. “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

He hung up.

“I have to go, sweetheart,” he said with a smug grin. “But we should definitely continue this sometime.”

He winked.

And walked away.

Leaving me there.

Breathless. Ruined. Speechless.

Again.

Fuck. What did I just do?

MTC, the next morning

I walked into the building with my sunglasses on. My whole vibe screamed “don’t talk to me.”

Oscar was already there, sitting at a table, eating cereal and swiping on his phone. He looked up as he heard my steps.

“Good morning, sunshine,” he smiled.

I gave him the smallest smile back.

“Uh, you look bad. Like you were hit by a truck.”

“Nah, I’m just tired,” I muttered, sinking into the chair beside him.

“Whatever you say. When did you leave? I never saw you go.”

“I don’t remember,” I lied. “I got tired from the week, so I left early.”

I took off my sunglasses and set them on the table.

“You sure you’re okay? You look… weird.”

“I’m always weird,” I said, forcing a smile.

“No, this is different. You didn’t even insult my outfit.”

“Oh. Yeah. It’s bad,” I added, trying to save myself.

He gave me a look — the kind that said I know you’re full of shit but I’m choosing peace.

“Alright, I won’t nudge anymore,” he said, turning back to his cereal.

I stood up to make a coffee.

But then, casually — way too casually — he asked, “Oh, did you see how Lando was looking at you last night?”

I froze.

Recovered.

“What do you mean?” I asked, as innocently as possible.

“Oh, it was hilarious. Me and the guys were betting on when he’d strangle that Mercedes engineer. He stared at you both all night. I swear someone said he broke a glass just from gripping it too hard.”

He laughed like it was the funniest thing ever.

“Interesting,” I replied, grabbing my mug.

“Yeah, yeah. Then he left. I don’t know when. One second he was there, then poof.”

He paused.

Then squinted at me like he’d just solved a murder. “Just like you.”

I raised an eyebrow, sipping my coffee. “Maybe he was tired too.”

Oscar was still looking at me. Suspiciously.

“Or maybe with one of his girls,” I added with a forced laugh.

“Right. One of his girls.” He didn’t look convinced.

“Yeah. Maybe that one from quali?” I shrugged, trying too hard.

“Mmm.” He still wasn’t buying it.

“I’m gonna answer some emails,” I said quickly, turning to leave.

“Yeah. You do that.”

I was halfway out the door when he called after me. “Hey, Sol?”

“Yeah?”

He was serious now. Eyes narrowed.

“Be careful with him.”

I smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

And I walked away.

“Yeah, sure,” he muttered behind me.

I squinted, coffee in hand, regretting every single decision that led me here.

…Okay, maybe not every decision.

MONACO, team gala

The hotel ballroom was drenched in gold lighting and expensive perfume. Cameras flashed, music played low, and McLaren orange accents were everywhere — napkins, lighting, drinks, even the tiny desserts. Because of course.

I walked in alone. Hair pinned up. Black satin dress hugging me like it was custom made. I didn’t need a date. I didn’t need anyone.

But I could feel eyes on me before I even got to the bar.

Especially his.

Lando was across the room, already mid-conversation, but the second I stepped inside, he looked up. Locked eyes. And didn’t look away.

I gave him nothing. Just a subtle smile — the kind you give someone when you know they’re watching.

I mingled. Laughed at people’s stories. Sipped champagne. Let my hand linger too long on the arm of a Ferrari performance coach. Was I doing it to make a point? Maybe. Was it working? Definitely.

Because every time I glanced at Lando, his smile looked a little tighter. His drink disappeared a little faster.

When the night started winding down, Zak gave his thank-you speech, people filtered out, and I grabbed my things to leave.

I wasn’t expecting him to follow.

But of course he did.

“Are you walking home?” he asked from behind me.

“No. I was thinking about calling a taxi,” I said, already swiping on my phone.

“I’ll give you a ride. Come on.” He didn’t even wait for my response — just walked past me to his McLaren and opened the passenger door.

I walked over without a word.

He closed the door behind me and got into his side. “Buckle up, princess.”

I stared out the window, feeling strange. My whole body was buzzing, like it knew something I didn’t.

The engine started with a soft hum, and he pulled into the street.

“So… where’s that Ferrari guy?” he asked, way too casual.

I sighed.

“I mean,” he continued, “I thought you’d go home with him. You guys looked pretty cozy. Laughing at whatever bullshit he was whispering in your ear. Brushing his arm every five seconds.”

His grip on the wheel tightened — white knuckles, death grip. “God, I really thought it was a done deal,” he muttered.

“Lando, don’t start this.”

“I started this?” he snapped. “Baby, we both know you did that on purpose. You wanted to make me jealous. You wanted to see me lose my fucking mind.”

“Oh, right!” I shouted. “Because everything revolves around you, huh? Every girl wants to fuck you, wants to scream your name at night—”

“God, Lando, you are so full of yourself!”

“Oh, am I?” he yelled. “What about you? Flirting with everyone who isn’t Oscar! Teasing me since the day you walked in and all I ever get is eye rolls—”

“Stop the car, Lando. Now.”

He slammed the brakes. I unbuckled and got out fast, heels clicking against the pavement.

“Fuck you,” I spat. “You are just a fucking narcissistic little boy.”

I slammed the door and started walking. I didn’t know where — I just needed to be away from him.

I heard his door open behind me.

“Sol, get back in the car!”

“No!”

“Sol, don’t you dare walk away from me!”

I ignored him. Kept walking.

Then suddenly — his hand grabbed my waist. He spun me around. “What?!” I snapped.

“I said get back in the fucking car!” His face was way too close. His eyes? Blazing. Angry. And something else — lust.

“No,” I said, jabbing a finger at his chest. “Because sometimes, Norris, not everything goes the way you plan it.”

“Are you sure?” he whispered.

I looked at him. Words caught in my throat. God, he’s beautiful.

“You make me lose my mind,” I whispered.

“Well, you make me mad,” he growled, pulling me closer. “And angry. But god, I’ve wanted you since the day you walked into MTC.”

Before I could respond, his lips crashed onto mine — hungry, desperate, almost violent.

I kissed him back. Hard. Every ounce of self-respect I had flew out the window.

Our tongues fought for control. His hands clawed at my back, pulling me against him like he wanted to fuse us together. I tugged at his hair. He groaned into my mouth.

“God, you’re so hot when you’re angry,” he said against my lips.

Then he lifted me. Effortlessly.

His hands slid under my thighs as he picked me up like I weighed nothing. I wrapped my legs around his hips, letting him carry me back to the car.

He sat down in the passenger seat with me still on his lap, pulling the seat back just enough.

He didn’t stop kissing me. Not for a second. His hands were everywhere. My fingers tangled in his hair, messing it completely. I kissed down his neck, biting, sucking. He moaned, low and rough.

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” he groaned.

His mouth was all over mine — hungry, wet, teeth dragging over my bottom lip like he needed to bruise it to believe this was real. He pulled me tighter into his lap, hips grinding up into me like he couldn’t stop himself.

I moaned into his mouth and that was all it took — his hands clutched at my waist, my thighs, my hips like he was trying to memorize every curve. I rolled my hips down once, and he swore into the kiss.

“Fuck,” he breathed, kissing across my jaw, down my neck, sucking just hard enough to leave a mark. “You’re killing me.”

“You said I’d be the death of you,” I gasped, head tilted back.

“I meant it.”

His hands slid up my thighs, bunching my dress higher and higher until it was practically at my waist. He groaned when he felt the lace of my underwear.

“You wore this knowing I’d lose it,” he muttered, lips against my collarbone.

“I wore it for me,” I smirked, breath hitching as his fingers brushed up over the fabric.

“Yeah? That why you’re soaking through it?”

I was about to fire something back when two fingers pushed aside the lace and slid over me. I choked on a moan.

“Jesus, Lando—”

“You’re so fucking wet already,” he whispered, voice gravel and heat. “All that attitude and it still takes nothing to get you like this.”

I rocked my hips into his hand, desperate, unashamed. He moved faster, fingers circling my clit with maddening precision, and I buried my face in his neck, moaning openly.

“Look at you,” he whispered. “Grinding on my hand like it’s your job.”

He pushed two fingers inside me and I gasped — back arching, body trembling.

“Oh my god,” I whimpered.

“You feel like fucking heaven,” he groaned, kissing me again — messier this time. “You gonna come for me, sweetheart?”

I nodded, mouth open, brain already foggy.

“You always act like you hate me,” he whispered, curling his fingers. “But this? This tells the truth.”

“Lando—fuck—don’t stop—”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

I was shaking, legs tight around him, my head resting against his shoulder as the orgasm slammed into me like a wave. I moaned his name — breathy, helpless.

He kept moving his fingers, milking every second of it, and only stopped once I was panting against him, completely undone.

Then he licked the fingers he just used on me. Didn’t break eye contact.

“You taste even better than I imagined,” he said, voice low.

I barely had time to recover before I felt him shifting underneath me — unbuckling his belt, dragging his jeans down just enough.

“You’re not done,” he said.

Neither was he.

He pulled my underwear to the side again, gripped my hips, and with one sharp thrust — he was inside me.

We both moaned — loud, unfiltered, like we didn’t care who heard. The car fogged up instantly.

His hands dug into my ass, helping me move — up, down, grinding, taking every inch of him as he whispered filth in my ear.

“Look at you,” he growled. “Fucking me in a car like you were made for it.”

I kissed him again, biting his lip, moving faster, harder. The windows shook. The seat creaked. His name was on my lips like a prayer and a curse all at once.

“I’m close,” I gasped.

“Come with me,” he said, forehead against mine. “Now. Come with me.”

And we did — together. My nails dug into his shoulders, his hands gripping me so tight it left marks, both of us trembling, gasping, completely wrecked.

For a moment, the world was silent. Just breath. Just heat. Just us.

Then he spoke.

“You’re mine now,” he whispered, brushing my hair off my face. “Say it.”

I looked at him — flushed, dazed, shaking.

“I’m yours.”

[reignoftiramizu]

Everyone drop everything (yes even your most prized possession & winning lottery ticket) and look me dead in the eyes. DID THAT??? Ok thank you. First of all: thanks for your most prized possession & winning lottery ticket. Second of all, GET FUCKING READY FOR ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHTFUL.... NOSTALGIC..... FUNNIE (yes with an IE, it's that funnie).... BRILLIANTLY ANIMATED INDIE THINGS U WILL EVER LAY YOUR EYES ON IN RECENT YEARS (OR EVER). 🐝💣🐑🧤🌑 I am so fucking proud of Sam & the entire team working to make this thing REAL..... Dude Ive been in the production server for quite some time now -- Ive had the honor to help cowrite the pilot script/lend a minor hand w/ chara design/do voice acting work -- but far far far beyond that, the animation & story to come are so thoughtful and fun, and full of a LOT of heart & passion, in-front-of-AND-behind the scenes. (Run on sentence, I know, but Im running on adrenaline because Im so STOKED). Seriously, I am but a small part in the grand scheme of this; Sam is a brilliant creator (yes even better than God, do u see her making indie animations?? Didnt think so) & everyone else involved have poured so much love into this thing, it's unreal. (<- "Unreal" that's what the dinosaurs said before a creeper exploded the earth 10000billion years ago. Jk, they said "Aw man".) Anyways. If u aren't already a part of the Krowned Jester's court, then put on ur sillycap and join NOW or get guillotined (by me). What the hell does that mean Zuwie??? Ok YOU DOLT, I'll tell u: in layman's terms, please follow Sam, as there is MUCH more news to come abt this Untitled MC Adventure..... 👹

i swear i've seen it before. in a dream, maybe... music by @/liynn.o on instagram

[karoiseka]

17) Sally

((a little late to posting since this week is also kicking my ass, but this one is very abstractly set in @nuclearanomaly 's bookshop au! I had an idea for a cross-over inside an AU, and here's how it turned out! lol))

Karo took the steps up to her apartment two at a time, pack slung across her shoulders.  She was already late, closing the store well after the scheduled time due to helping Hilda try out several of her new arrivals.  She was due a new instrument, and the latest song they were composing needed a particular sound out of the guitar. Karo had been helping Nastrond find the right sound, and the newest batch of instruments was looking promising for delivering what they wanted.  Very well worth every minute helping. 

She was, however, running late to her meetup with friends online as a result, despite messaging them earlier to let them know about her delay. It was rare enough that all of them were able to meet up and spend some time on the larger challenges in the game.  Opening the door, she almost danced through the one-room space, flitting to her computer to start turning it on, placing her pack by the door, and swinging into the kitchen to grab a drink and snack before sliding back into her computer chair, looping her headphones on.

It didn’t take long to get the game going, and the chat program running, the whole team already chatting away about their day and the things they were looking forward to in the next game update.  Karo left her mic muted as she ate her food while the loading screen greeted her before clicking her favorite and main toon.

Finally loaded in, the avatar on the screen leapt off the building, falling ever faster to the ground before suddenly shooting off into the sky, small black wings flapping.  A team invite came almost immediately after, her friends noticing she had arrived and she swapped zones via the in-game trains.  Grinning with glee, Karo set her toon to skimming the lake in flight while searching.

“You know, she’s only up once an hour because someone always finds her first,” the voice of Thancred in her headset reminded her that her “secret” hunt was not so secret due to the fact that they were all in a team and could see what zone she was in needlessly.

“Yeah, but I’m only one more tap away from the badge!”  Karo guided her toon over the water, casually dodging the various enemies on the shore while keeping an eagle-eye out for her target.  She had created a version of herself in the game, even using her full name as a character name for some reason, but if nothing else, it felt good to fly.

“Anyways, if you get in zone when I find her,  you get credit too!”  The elusive monster was a hard find, and Karo had been looking for her for weeks.  She loved to collect the badges in game, and had long since collected all the exploration and lore badges she could get her hands on, and was slowly going through the various lists of enemies to dispatch.

“That’s all well and good, but I thought we were gathering for a Task Force!”  Alisaie was definitely ready to take on the larger challenge for the evening.  One of the newest Task Force’s had a badge that required no deaths and no temp powers to be used, and it was the hardest one out to date.  They had defeated it normally several times at this point, but it was time for the challenge.

“I’ll be there in just a moment, I wanna do one more lap,” dodging another mob of land-based enemies, Karo was glad flight was a fairly fast travel power as she swung her camera to and fro, looking for the elusive enemy.  With a sigh of defeat, she angled her character up just a little to head back to the train station to join the others in the proper zone to get the evening started, when she caught a thin tall neck out of the corner of her eye.

“She’s here!  I found Sally!!” Karo squeaked, diving down to the rare spawn, hovering near her happily.  Exclamations of disbelief poured in through her headset as one by one she saw each of her friends pop into the zone before heading to her marker.  Once everyone was there, a solemn thanks was given, before a single stroke encouraged the monster to retreat beneath the waves once more, the badge popping up on several screens at once.

“Okay, now that that’s done, can we please get on with the Task Force?” Alisaie’s toon was already back into the proper zone as the rest meandered, laughing, but headed to her to buckle down and try the next challenge that awaited them.

[johnnyshrine]

★ 105 // “Star of the Show”

[silverwhittlingknife]

hi Silver! o/ because that fanart made me wonder - would you happen to know when/where Dick's stuffed elephant plush Zitka turns up in the comics?

GREETINGS CAM <3333 THAT ART WAS SO CUTE

Yeah, I think your instincts are right - it's a truly adorable bit of transformative fandom, but I'm 95% percent sure it's not comics canon. Barbara has canon plushies, but I don't think anyone else does.

I got kinda invested in the investigation (it's hard to prove a negative!) and I ended up typing out an entire History of Elinore/Zitka, so, uh, if you're curious, meet me below the cut for:

Where does Elinore / Zitka - the animal - appear in comics?

Did Dick ever have a stuffed elephant toy in comics?

Where does Elinore / Zitka appear in comics?

We're gonna go in chronological order!

Dick's circus elephant friend was first created for practical reasons: in Batman 436, Marv Wolfman does a big expanded flashback to Dick's circus backstory as a way to subtly show us Tim before officially introducing him (so that we can have a technically-solvable mystery-of-Tim's-identity in LPoD). In this comic, there's an elephant named Elinore who loves Dick:

Aww. Such a cute elephant!

Batman 436 comes out in August 1989. New Titans 60 comes out a few months later, in November, and guess what? When Dick visits the circus, he is suddenly surprised by an unexpected blast from the past! It turns out that even though it's been years, Elinore still remembers him!

Here's the part where Elinore remembers Dick:

SUCH a cute elephant. I love her.

(Guess who else still remembers Dick even though it was so long ago. Guess which other character is about to be an unexpected blast from the past. Guess which character Elinore is directly paralleling guess guess guess sorry everything is about Dick and Tim in my mind but I can focus I swear)

Four years later, in 1993, Batman: The Animated Series retells Dick's origin story. They like and keep Wolfman's elephant, but they change her name to Zitka:

Wolfman doesn't return to the elephant beyond those two appearances, and a few years down the line, New Titans gets cancelled and Wolfman's not writing Dick anymore anyway. So the animal gets abandoned for a while, until Devin Grayson, a fan of both Wolfman and B:tAS, revives the Wolfman-era Titans team in JLA/Titans and then the ongoing series Titans 1999.

Grayson then brings back the elephant in a flashback to Dick's past in Titans 16 (Jun 2000), where she imports the B:tAS name. Sometimes I'm skeptical of TV-to-comics imports, but honestly, I endorse this one. You lose the alliteration, which is a shame, but IMO Zitka is a better elephant name than Elinore.

Here's Dick with the newly-christened Zitka in Titans 16:

Grayson also briefly references the elephant in Gotham Knights 20 and - in a final angsty callback - in Nightwing 88 (Feb 2004), where Zitka tries futilely to comfort Dick in the midst of his trauma conga line:

... And... honestly, I think that's it for comic appearances? The two Wolfman comics plus the three Grayson comics.

Both Wolfman and Grayson are writing multiple titles - Batman, New Titans, Titans, Gotham Knights, and Nightwing between the two of them, spanning a big chunk of Dick's post-Crisis canon - and both writers use the elephant for heartwarming moments of nostalgia, which means if you're doing a post-Crisis readthrough for Dick, Elinore/Zitka feels memorable. But I don't think she actually shows up that much.

For post-2011, I am not as well-informed - throwing this out to the dash? anyone know? - but I feel like Zitka the heartwarming symbol of Dick's heartwarming circus past is, uh, thematically very at odds with the Court of Owls evil!circus vibes, so my instinct is that this story element was almost certainly dropped in the reboot.

Did Dick ever have a stuffed elephant toy in comics?

In WFA, yes; in main comics continuity, no. Technically, I have not read every comic ever published, so I could be wrong!! But I don't think so.

Below, find my rambling reasoning on the tonal vibes of pre-Crisis, post-Crisis, and post-2011, and why this particular story element doesn't seem right to me for the first two.

Pre-Crisis (...okay, mostly the Silver Age): stuffed animal, yes or no?

tl;dr no, requires too much background knowledge on the part of the reader, plus the elephant wasn't a thing until later

Elinore doesn't get created until post-Crisis, but also just generally, pre-Crisis callbacks are more along the lines of this reference in Batman 129 (published in 1960), where, wow, Batman and Robin are hunting jewel thieves - and it turns out Robin recognized this strongman! BUT HOW?!

The comic goes on to recap Dick's entire origin story in flashback, on the assumption that you may not know it.

(BTW, if you'd like to know more about Haly's Circus throughout the years, nightwingology has a great post here summarizing a lot of fun plotlines and characters!)

Basically: Silver Age comics are very self-consciously episodic and kid-friendly; they're not generally gonna do overly-elaborate callbacks because they don't know what comics their kid readers may have randomly picked up or remember.

By the time of post-Crisis, comic books were being written for an adult audience buying from the direct market, i.e. readers who are collecting whole runs & don't need or want Dick's origin story to be recapped to us in full every time it's referenced. That's why in post-Crisis, we get stuff like "hey, neat, this particular soda brand is getting mentioned in several different books!!" or "in order to understand this story arc, buy SIXTEEN DIFFERENT COMICS in FIVE DIFFERENT RUNS and read them ALL ACCORDING TO A NUMBERED ORDER and also you better be following the individual plotlines and recognize these five minor characters who we don't bother to introduce!! Good luck!!" But the elaborate post-Crisis plotlines - and subtler worldbuilding like a stuffed animal callback to Dick's backstory - don't make a lot of story sense UNLESS you're imagining your readers as completionist adult fans.

So IMO a stuffed animal wouldn't be a pre-Crisis thing unless it was The Episodic Story Of the Week, and I don't think a stuffed animal is action-adventure-y enough for the fast-paced storytelling of the Silver Age. (Unless it, like, came to life and tried to eat you or something.)

Post-Crisis: stuffed animals, yes or no?

tl;dr: no, Dick's a manly tough guy, he's not gonna have a stuffed animal, that'd be lame, like something Tim might do

Part of the edgy grimdark adult vibes in 80s/90s comics is that some characters who used to be kinda silly & goofy & lighthearted - like Batman and Robin - get reimagined as Serious and Angsty and Edgy in a Tough Cool Manly Brooding Way. This massively affects characterization for Bruce, Dick, and Bruce and Dick's relationship.

(I obviously love this change & love the tense Bruce-and-Dick interactions, but plenty of fans of the earlier fluffy comics really disliked the edgy retcons of Miller / Wolfman / Starlin / et al.)

The upshot is that post-Crisis is a period when you could have a recurring reference like a stuffed elephant, but you wouldn't have a stuffed elephant, not for Dick. I think a toy like that would be too cutesy / childish / effeminate to give a male character in post-Crisis, unless you were poking fun at him.

Now, you could probably let Tim have a stuffed animal, because Tim is sometimes cool but also sometimes a tryhard loser who is faking being cool and not entirely pulling it off (see e.g. the Robin comic where he practices tough-guy faces in the mirror, or the Teen Titans comic where Conner discovers his cringy Enya CD, or when he's fanboying over Connor and it's awkward, etc etc.). A stuffed animal would be deeply embarrassing, and you'd have to be careful to compensate by having Tim do something cool afterward - but Tim's character concept allows for "he's kind of a loser sometimes."

But Dick isn't!! In post-Crisis, Dick's a tough / impressive / "cool guy" character, the kind of guy anyone would want to be, even in the flashbacks where he's Robin, and even in the stories where he's more lighthearted than angsty. It'd be kinda lame for Dick to have a stuffed elephant, so he wouldn't. I feel like Dick would be more likely to poke fun at it if someone had one, like when he's making fun of Wally for liking the Hardy Boys. Dick could have a Batman action figure, at most, and if he had one he would have it ironically.

Basically: in post-Crisis, a male character hugging a stuffed elephant feels more likely to be a punchline to me, not something poignant. (Even with Tim, Tim could have an embarrassing stuffed animal, but he couldn't hug it when sad - that's too far. Maybe Booster Gold might do this. Probably he wouldn't, but spiritually, he would. Sorry Booster ilu! <3)

Instead, Dick instinctively deals with his inner turmoil like the TORTURED ACTION HERO he is: by punching things and brooding and yelling and joining the mob and sleeping on rooftops and going on obsessive secret missions and acquiring Angsty Stubble!! Just like Batman!

(Technically I don't know if Bruce ever joined the mob but you know he would.)

Anyway as you know this is my favorite continuity and I am poking fun affectionately, but uh, yeah sdfsfdsfs. No stuffed animals.

Post-2011 / Infinite Frontier / Wayne Family Adventures: stuffed animals, yes or no?

tl;dr it's in WFA! Probably not anywhere else, but it could be.

Post-2011 stuff tends to be cutesier overall, most of all in the current Infinite Frontier era. So I don't feel like this would be tonally out-of-line with IF comics. Taylor tends to go for more meme-y references rather than fanfic references, though.

So the obvious best fit is WFA, which is aiming for a rough approximation of Silver Age family-friendly vibes - wholesome, episodic plots, Teaching Good Moral Lessons For The Youth, etc. - plus lots of Easter eggs for fanfic readers and some comic references.

And look, here we are:

Aww.

Whew - that's everything I could find!

Anyway as you can probably tell, I LOVE the elephant, so this was a very entertaining rabbit hole to go down, thank you <3

[ghostfiish]

Happy ten years to transcendence au and almost as long to Brian the organ duck! How time flies...

I haven't drawn anything for this au in ages but I did remake the 8tracks playlists on Spotify if anyone uses that. Before Brian shows up, imagine Dipper and Mabel are discussing songs to add to the answering machine playlist (which. that's. Did I mean hold music all this time? lol)

[goldensunset]

‘the children yearn for the mines’ is a little too real to me bc when i was a kid and my older siblings were trying to get me into pokémon i really never cared to try playing. BUT. i was obsessed with the underground mining minigame in dppt. i used to beg my sister to let me take a turn playing and set it up for me bc i didn’t know how to so i could go mine for gems nonstop until i cleared that entire cave section of glittering wall spots which always made me so sad bc i was having such a great time. i didn’t even understand the significance of what i was doing but 7 year old me was high off of it

[marimbles]

i miss carpisuns sometimes </3

[clumsypuppy]

if escape rooms as team building exercises became popular im not sure if id be more excited or terrified

[moe-broey]

Textpost redraw that only works in a modern setting, so. I gave them silly outfits (and a little bit of lore!)

Some zoom ins on the illusts!

And Lore

Moe is like. A SHUT-IN shut-in. So in any modern setting that isn't "Hey wanna visit my hometown for a sec (events so far have followed canon at least loosely)", it would have to meet Alfonse under Extremely Specific Circumstances.

And finally! Textpost under cut!

[torchickentacos]

do you have any pokeani fic recs for the classic vibe (read: the content is unhinged and wild)

Referencing this post- long reply but I give a few pointers in these fics' direction at the end!

I'm gonna be so honest anon, I'm not sure I want to actively rec some of them 😭 A lot of them are very of-their-time (usually 2007-2013) and, while HILARIOUS, often contain things that I really don't want to 'recommend' (homophobia, sexism, a lot of slutshaming, some REALLY out of pocket stuff that is not properly warned for, etc). OBVIOUSLY I am not reccing the yikes of things so much as the rest of it (the hilarious unhinged side), but the current fandomscape leans bad-faith and assumey and I'm just not keen to fuck around and find out tbh. Ye olde fic reccing takes a level of understanding of other time periods and attitudes and customs in fandom and on FFN that I'm... not sure that all of tumblr is always very good at tbh lol. If you guys really want me to and if we can all understand that it was a different time and that enjoyment of batshit insane fics does not equal agreement with everything said or depicted in them, then come back and I'll consider it again. But for now, I'm MORE than happy to tell you guys the best ways to find them on your own lmao. It's not hard once you get it down, and anything I'd rec, I've found through this method.

First off, FFN's search system is just frustrating imo. Between a less-than-intuitive UI and people not bothering to tag characters and ships and genres properly, using it the same way you'd filter stuff on Ao3 is a fool's errand (unless you're doing it by word count/completed/etc, which is objective and automatically tallied I think). You're better off using key words. I usually ignore the filters. The only thing I filter by is fandom at the start page (all of Pokemon is under 'games' in FFN and I don't bother narrowing it down to animeverse personally due to aforementioned mistagging or an entire lack thereof).

So, what key words do I use? When looking for that specific brand of insane campy 2000s kitschy wild unhinged stuff, I usually default to searches like "PS CS IS" (poke contest ikari, there's a lotta stuff in there, sometimes there's ORS/LGS/OS/ES/AS etc and you won't always know the acronym and it's just a surprise tbh) or trope related searches like "Assassin" or "High school" or "Vampire" other words you might find in a summary. You can also search by character names (in the search bar and not in the actual filters, which are not reliable in my experience). I'd say to go for tropes and AUs as far as keywords go. I'd ALSO say to not filter by completed, because that'll filter out a lot of two-week-passion-projects that someone dropped as soon as it got flamed, and there's some fun ones in there.

That's about it, but if you find one good fic then it's worth checking the rest of what the writer has. A lot of them have a bunch of unfinished fics and there's some hidden gems. Have a good time reading, and the search is half the fun! Come back with any funny lines you find if you want :)

[crescentmoonrider]

j. jakedirk kissy?

dorks

sorry for the wait !! it was 3am where i am when you sent this, so i was eepy, and then i had to take a day to recuperate

hairy Jake with the shitty teenage attempted beard.... glasses getting in the way, noses getting crushed.... ah, young love~

i missed them, thank you for getting me the opportunity to draw them again !

[severedscales]

a question to both! favorite and least favorite thing to do in the garden (or just in the garden in general)?

ABOUT: FAVORITE THINGS

I love running! Or any physical activity, really. Being unoccupied makes me feel restless, and when I sit on my own for too long it feels like static slowly starts eating at my brain. That's why I prefer being out and about! I've been told that my physical aptitude is suprisingly high, so I've got lots of energy to spend. Going around and playing with my friends is always fun, but the game I love playing most is racing! Especially with Mentha and Ambrosia! Whenever I play with the others, I usually end up tiring them out, but Mentha and Ambrosia seem to have energy that lasts hours. I even end up tiring out before Mentha does! He's got insane stamina.

Uhh, also, there's this weird thing I do... I forget what it's called, but I like running and jumping across a bunch of stuff! Like roofs! And tables! Trees, sometimes! I don't get to do it a lot because everyone coaxes me down before I get scolded. But it's fun! What's it called again... parkour? Kinda funny sounding.

Least favorite thing, though...

Hope this doesn't make me sound stupid or anything, but some of my classes really exhaust me. Especially the ones that force you to remember a ton of stuff. Seriously, I'm already grasping at straws as is. I end up falling behind on projects that are due on a later date, it's hard for me to comply unless it's needed at that very moment. Whenever I need to do something, I have to do it right away or else I'll just end up forgetting it. I don't want to bother anyone else by asking for help or reminders. They're already so occupied with their own junk.

...I don't really want to ask him, either. He's been helping me get adjusted, but I feel like he just barely tolerates me. Can't even look me in the eye. Fine, then. This is me trying to be less of a burden.

I don't have 'favorite' things. Unnecessary, irrelevant. All I'm allowed to have is work and practice. My guardian communicates with me frequently, and the madame is quite demanding. She sends me new paperwork at the start of every week, to be completed and returned strictly on the deadline. As such, I am constantly occupied. Recreation and fondness are things that I cannot afford... or deserve.

As for least favorite things... great heavens, where do I even begin. Everything, I suppose. The list is far too extensive to elaborate. I'm afraid we'd be here all day.

[hypocratic]

@rvolving for roman.

Sun in Venice has been a near permanent fixture. His sunglasses, meant most gravely to conceal his identity, have found more fulfilling purpose in their intended, manufactured use; like his wine key—bought and carried in his front pants pocket as protection—exclusively piercing corks. Frederick chooses to lounge at a table outside the restaurant despite the heightened exposure. More walk by and see him, but their gazes are glazed grazes; the image of him—as attractive as it may be—never permeates their long term memory. Inside the restaurant, it would be different. The world there is sedentary. Stares stew and stir as long as the meals do.

The sun begins to strain into the dark; stars like tiny, orderly perforations. Everything here feels individually placed yet comprehensively whole. Stone brick roads and homes and private wood pillar piers. His white linen shirt (borrowed from Benedict Hemingway's closet) fit the day well, but in this sinking temperature the short sleeves and two generously opened buttons at his chest (no further, or his scar would peek through) chill him. Unshaven graying-speckled hair no longer than a centimeter along his throat and face (appropriated utility like the sunglasses, the wine key) retains his body heat well. Like a warmed towel laid across the jaw.

His dinner is done. Plate removed. His legs are outstretched beneath the table and crossed at the ankles, socks peeking out. The edge of the shoe heel not hanging over the other is neatly stuck-tucked into the bevel-bubbly bricks of the street. Frederick remains to finish his wine. He overhears the waiter at the table next to his informing the guest they have already sold their last bottle of that selection. Bored and buzzed, Frederick interjects: "Pardon me. I am a glutton. I bought the last Super Tuscan. Would you—?" He tilts the quarter-emptied bottle by the neck towards the man, raised brow mirroring—amplifying—the gesture. "Like a glass?" Positively unfettered ambrosial notes when one knows, for certain, the oak barrel the grape juice fermented in contained wine and only wine.

[roseofcards90]

Finally finished all of Mahoyo and I'm really happy that I managed to get through another long VN

[coldbrewpup]

Starfall by SALEM, especially in conjunction with the music video, makes me go fucking insane. unlocking heretofore inexpressible emotions. i want to go on another road trip with my brother so bad.