#thanks for ruining something good that could've been even better

[after-nine-at-the-oasis]

I will never not be angry about that stupid The Good Doctor meme

[willixmsonswife]

black swan/kyra cooney-cross

*kyra cooney-cross x fem!french!journalist!reader

*it's just an aftermatch interview with one of the new signings, what could possibly happen?

*word count : 2k

*a/n : this is part one of the black swan series, i'm still thinking about how many parts i'm going to do but yeah, this is more of an introduction and when they first meet so the next part is going to be the "actual beginning". let me know what you think :)

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you never really fit into your family. not that that was something you wanted to, god forbid, but it still hurts to think that you could've had a different childhood if you had learned to act differently. but who was supposed to show you how to "act different and more girly" like your father always said? you've never been someone who talks a lot, goes out every weekend but you've always been good at voicing your opinion, especially if it was to put someone (your father) back in their place. the moments were you and your dad agreed on something were rare and gave your mum some hope that maybe, just maybe your relationship wasn't completely ruined. but it was and she knew that, she just had a hard time accepting it. you had too, when you were younger. you had idolized your father like almost every other child idolized theirs but you soon realized that your father was not like your best friend's. it had started when you were about nine and your dad got a job in london which meant that you had to move there. it was easy for your parents but for you? you threatened your parents that you would never talk to them again if they were serious about the whole situation. they were, or at least your father was and your mum followed his lead, she always did. so they forced you to come with them, even though you insisted that you could continue to live in your small city in the south of france, you just had to move in with your best friend claire. your parents laughed at your multiple tries to convince them to stay so in the middle of the following summer you had to say goodbye to your sweet french life, your classmates and claire. many tears were shed but claire's mum promised that she would ask your mum for your address and your best friend pinky-swore that she would write you. as soon as your family stepped out of your old house, you stopped talking. not a single word left your mouth during the entire journey to the new and foreign country that was intended to become your home. your father called you immature quite a few times, which you thought was hilariously contradictory to say for a man who started to scream at you every time you didn't do exactly as he said. once you entered your new "home", you instantly knew that it was never going to become a home for you, it was just a house that you lived in.

since the day you moved in, fifteen years had now passed. you had studied journalism at a university in london and found your place in the world of journalism. you had decided to focus on sport journalism, women's football to be exact. the growth you were able to witness since you started watching the arsenal women at age 11 fascinated you more than anything, which made your decision pretty easy. for a few years you've now pathed your way in the industry and it was better than you could've ever imagined. the interviews, the thorough researches before, the matches you attended, it made everything worth it and you even caught yourself sometimes thanking your parents silently for moving here despite your protests.

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it was the day of the london derby, everywhere you look on the streets you only saw red and blue and kick-off couldn't come soon enough. you had made your way to the emirates stadium earlier today, now preparing your planned interviews. you would be interviewing the captain kim little before the match and another teammate after the match, but it was still unknown who would be willing to talk to the press afterwards. everything depended on how the match would go. you were called to the side of the pitch where you got mic'd up and excitedly awaited the arsenal captain. kim didn't let you wait for long and the interview started.

"hello to everyone who's watching, my name is y/n y/l/n and i am here with arsenal's captain kim little! first of all, hello to you kim how are you doing?"

"i'm doing good, mainly focusing on the game at this moment."

"this london derby will probably decide if arsenal will still have a chance in the wsl title race, how is the team feeling about that?"

"of course we're all excited for the match, everyone is in top form and will definitely be giving 100%. the team knows that this is a crucial game but i'm also very optimistic that we can secure our deserved place in the title race."

the interview continues, the first fans start to enter the stadium and you finished asking all of your questions.

"well that was it kim, thank you for your time and good luck out there!"

"thank you for having me!"

the camera sways over to film the arriving fans and the mics get cut. it wasn't your first time interviewing the arsenal captain so she stays around for a few minutes afterwards to catch up before she has to go back to the locker rooms.

"it's always nice filming with you kim."

"right back at you y/n. i have to get back to the girls now but enjoy the match and maybe we'll see you after!"

"i will thank you!"

kim turns to leave but you stop her for one last question.

"oh kim, i forgot to ask. it'd be nice if someone from the team could answer a few quesions after the game, so could you maybe ask around?"

"i'm sure one of the newbies is up for that. i already have someone in mind, i'm sure you two will get along. i'll send her your way later."

with that, she turns around and leaves. you slowly make your way up to the pressbox while you can't help but wonder if you really just saw a little smirk on kim's face or if you're starting to imagine things.

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the game went even better than you could've imagined, arsenal scoring their first goal in the 17th minute thanks to a corner kick from katie. the second one was quick to follow with steph assisting a beautiful header from kyra cooney-cross, one of the new signings. stina also got her goal shortly after half time and kyra made the victory clear with another amazing goal while leah got her second assist. after 98 minutes, the ref ended the match and the entire emirates stadium erupted into cheers. by the time arsenal finished their walk around the pitch, you already stood by the sidelines, mic'd up and just waiting for the arsenal player that kim promised to send your way. you didn't have to wait long because as you let your eyes waver around on the pitch, you saw kim talking to a younger teammate, number 32, aka kyra cooney-cross. interviewing the woman who was awarded player of the match and scored two goals in this important game would be the best thing kim could've possibly arranged. as soon as kyra nodded and started to make her way over to where you were standing, you felt yourself getting nervous. why were you getting nervous? you had done thousands of interviews with new signings, this was your almost daily routine.

"hiya, i'm kyra cooney-cross. i'm guessing your miss y/l/n?"

you snapped out of it as soon as you heard the soothing voice of the person who was standing right in front of you.

"i- yes, yes that's me. you can call me y/n though, nice to meet you." "alright, y/n it is then."

she looked at you and you could've sworn she had the prettiest smile you've ever seen. you felt your cheeks heat up a bit but tried to ignore it.

"i'm gonna guess kim send you over to answer some questions?" "yes, exactly." "okay, let's get started then."

you signaled your camera man to come over and took a deep breath, only focusing on the interview you were about to start.

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the interview went great, the conversation flowing like the camera capturing your every movement and reaction wasn't even there. maybe that's why you didn't care to control the blush creeping up your cheeks when kyra looked at you for just a moment too long. you forgot that every question you asked and every answer kyra gave you were being recorded live for the world to see, so when it came to an end you had to quickly pull yourself together to at least make the end seem somewhat professional.

"that was the last question, thank you for sacrificing your time kyra."

you gave her your sweetest smile which she swiftly reciprocated.

"thank you for having me y/n."

much to your dismay, you now had to turn your back towards kyra.

"thank you to everyone who's watching until now, i hope you have a great evening and will join us again next saturday when arsenal faces west ham at meadow park."

the camera man nodded meaning he had stopped filming and then walked away. you turned back to see kyra still standing there, looking at you with what you would interpret as pure admiration. you felt your blood rush into your cheeks, again, and mentally cursed yourself for blushing so easily.

"everything okay?"

"yeah, no, everything's fine, i just- how do you do that so easily? talk to the camera i mean."

you looked at her, almost shocked by the fact that she was impressed by someone like you.

"what do you mean?"

"when you talk, it's almost like you don't know that hundreds if not even thousands of people are listening to every word that's coming out of your mouth. it's crazy to watch that, you're really talented y/n."

oh god she was making this whole try not to blush thing really hard.

"when i talk to the camera, i know that people are listening. that's what calms me down, and that's why i do it. people tune in to watch these interviews because they want to listen to me, not because they have to. god, that probably sounds so selfish." you let out a small chuckle before speaking again. "i haven't really been listened to by anyone my whole life, so knowing that people now want to listen to me is just crazy to me. i try my best not to disappoint them."

"oh, i'm sorry to hear that." kyra looked down at her feet, not knowing how to continue the conversation after this.

"nothing to be sorry about, really. i'm better now." you offered her a small smile, which was immediately mirrored by her.

"sooo, don't you want to join the rest and celebrate your big win miss player of the match?"

"nah, they're probably not even missing me. i can stay a bit-" she was cut off by alessia jumping on her back. "kyra you're taking way too long! we're all waiting for you!"

she got down from krya's back and looked at you. "oh hi y/n! long time no see."

you got pulled into a bone crushing hug by the blonde and didn't even have time to answer her before she started to talk again. "i have the order to take you with me cooney-cross. we wanna celebrate your goals!"

as quickly as alessia appeared, she ran off again but this time with kyra. she turned around while running to wave at you and kyra looked at you sorrily before nearly tripping and deciding that looking forward while running would probably be for the best. you waved at them, feeling kind of disappointed because of your interrupted and therefore unfinished conversation with kyra but you decided that it wasn't worth the overthinking. she was just being nice, that's the type of person she is, you shouldn't read too much into it. right?

[d3wdropz]

Brothers AU! Sukuna Fluff Headcanons: Yuji crushing on Sukuna's s/o

Summary: Things with Sukuna have been going good, you're both happy and it's about time that you meet his family. The only issue is that Sukuna didn't take into account that his younger brother might take a liking to you too.

Warnings: no curses! au, fluff, swearing, some mention of deceased parents, sukuna being sukuna, hopefully that's it

Gender neutral! Reader

Lovely divider from @benkeibear !

♡- When you and Sukuna first got involved with each other, it was nothing serious. There was an understanding that you both just wanted to have fun with no commitment

♡ - This set up worked just fine- for a while

♡ - At some point, you both stopped seeing other people and became exclusive, spent more time together just talking and bonding

♡ - This is when Sukuna realizes he needs to have an important conversation with you, he's never been this into a relationship before, but he knows that he has some baggage that you should know about

♡ - On your end, you're just about ready to say 'i love you'- it's been a few months of messing around and about half of that was you both falling for each other.

♡ - So when you two are hanging out it's obvious that you both have something on your minds, it's not ruining the mood just an obvious need to talk

♡ - You both hold it off until the end of the night when you're in his car and he's dropping you off. Before you leave you give him a kiss and end up just leaning on his shoulder

♡ - It's the perfect moment to tell him, something out of a movie- so you look into his eyes and see just how soft he's become for you. Sukuna's not the type to show his love through words, even physical affection is hard for him- so he depends on small gestures; the love in his eyes, how softly he holds your hand, remembering your favorite foods and filling up your gas tank

♡ - Sukuna's thinking about just how much he wants to be with you for the rest of his life, and that means he can't keep important things from you. It's one of the few times that he's nervous, what he's about to tell you could be a deal breaker

♡ - You smile as Sukuna closes his eyes as you both speak up

♡ - "I love you/ I've got a kid"

♡ - While Sukuna is blanking at what you said, you're chewing him out

♡ - "Sukuna, wtf? You have a kid? When? With who? Where is it???" You are so confused and a little upset- this is something you can't just throw out there

♡ - When he comes back from his thoughts, he takes the time to explain everything to you

♡ - Turns out he in fact, does NOT have a child- rather he helps raise his younger brother, Yuji with their grandpa. Sukuna opens up about how their parents died when he was 10 and Yuji was just 3, that he's been helping take care of him ever since

♡ - Sukuna explains that, while Yuji is in their grandpa's custody, he's old and can't do much- so Sukuna stepped up and handles most of the responsibilities: helps with rent, cleaning, food, but mostly Yuji

♡ - It's a lot to take in, probably the most he's told you since he met you so it's your turn to be shocked

♡ - He leans back in his seat and sighs, "Listen- I get if that's a deal breaker- shit, it would be for me"

♡ - You take in the info dump before you realize just what he said at the end and you have no choice but to massage your temples, "Sukuna, babe, what the fuck?"

♡ - At that, Sukuna gives you a frustrated look before you keep talking

♡ - "First off, that was a lot to process- don't get me wrong, I'm happy you opened up to me, but damn you could've picked a better way or method or something" you sigh and grab his face "Thank you for telling me that... and no that's not a deal breaker- you're stuck with me, you moron"

♡ - The relief he feels is unimaginable, like a weight just got lifted off his entire body. Instead of saying anything, he just leans into your hands and sighs- you know just how relieved he is

♡- With that out of the way, you both go back to normal for the next few days- until you bring up Yuji

♡- "So, when am I gonna meet him?" This time you're both lounging at your place, he's in the kitchen making something while you're picking out a movie

♡- Sukuna's a little surprised before he responds "Well shit, didn't think you'd wanna meet the brat so soon." He's bringing the food over as he sits down next to you so you can both make a plan

♡ - The next day Sukuna picks you up and gives you a whole warning speech in the car: "Listen, Gramps can be an asshole, but he really does care. He'll like you, so you should be fine. Yuji's a nice kid, but he can act real immature sometimes so don't expect much from him."

♡ - By the time you make it to his place- a two bedroom apartment- you're dizzy from all the info he just gave you, again. It leaves you a little nervous as you walk up to the door and wait for him to unlock it

♡ - "Yuji, Gramps- we're here!" You take off your shoes and look around- the place is quite clean, something probably influenced by Sukuna and his high set standards. You notice an elderly man sitting in a rocking chair- Gramps you assume

♡- He looks over at you two and starts grumbling to Sukuna, "I'm right here you hellion, don't have to yell" Gramps' eyes soften just a little bit as he sees you before moving back to his grandson for an explanation

♡- Sukuna rolls his eyes and wraps his arm around your shoulders "Hello to you too- Gramps, this is Y/n, they're my partner"

♡- There's a soft smile on Gramps' face as he stands up to shake your hand "This is the first time the kid's brought someone home, nice to meet you." You two click instantly and get to talking

♡ - While this leaves Sukuna pretty happy, he's still got one more thing left to handle, "Hey Gramps, where's the brat?"

♡ - The elder of the two huffs "Who raised you to be so rude- he's in his room sleeping, you punk"

♡ - "The hell you mean 'he's sleeping'? It's almost noon he's got school tomorrow" Sukuna storms off down a hall and you hear a door slam open

♡- Gramps can tell you're a little on edge as he waves it off "That's just how he is with his brother- he can be hard on him but that's how he loves- sometimes the kid needs it"

♡ - Just a minute goes by before Sukuna comes back pulling a miniature version of himself with him- without the tattoos, height, and muscles they could be twins. Sukuna's tearing into him about how he 'needs to grow up and stop binge watching those damn worm movies'

♡ - Yuji's still half asleep as he pulls his arm free and complains about Sukuna being a meat-head, until he sees a random person in the living room "Wait- who's that?"

♡ - Sukuna massages the bridge of his nose and gestures to you "That's my s/o, Y/n- be nice and don't say some dumb shit"

♡- When you shake hands you can't help but gush over him, Yuji was like a mini Sukuna, just cuter and more soft "Hi there, Yuji- it's so nice to finally meet you!"

♡- Yuji can't help but enjoy the softness of your hand, how nice your voice sounds, how gentle you smile at him. It takes Sukuna smacking the back of his head to respond "Oh! Uh- nice to meet you too!"

♡ - Just like with Gramps, you click with Yuji instantly as he goes on and on about movies he likes, his friends at school- it's really sweet and you listen to it all

♡ - Sukuna sits himself next to Gramps on the couch and lets himself relax, the most important people in his life are getting along

♡ - The rest of the day goes great- Gramps shows you baby pictures that you gush over and Yuji seems to be glued to your side, you could be wrong but Sukuna seems a bit jealous that your attention's taken

♡ - Sukuna makes dinner but it's still the same, Yuji takes the seat next to you and Gramps talks everyone's ear off. When it's time for you to leave Yuji's like a kicked puppy until you promise to come back next week

♡ - As your boyfriend drives you home, you tell him how sweet his family is and start making plans to visit again. Sukuna's quiet though, just giving short responses until he kisses you good bye

♡ - "I'm serious, Sukuna- I'm really happy you let me meet them" you're hopping out of the car as he walks you to your door

♡ - This breaks him out of his thoughts as he squeezes your hand and gives you a small smile, "Yea, had to eventually- now go get some sleep, you work at 9 tomorrow"

♡ - When Sukuna gets home Gramps is passed out on his chair with the TV still on, it's not too late so he knows Yuji is still up and he needs to talk to the little brat

♡ - Just as he thought, his little brother is eating chips on the bed and watching some weird horror movie- that is until Sukuna steps in front of the TV and crosses his arms

♡ - "Hey! It was just getting good-"

♡ - Sukuna interrupts him by leaning down and snatching the chips, making Yuji jump "Listen, ya little shit, I saw what you were doing and don't even think about it- one: they're too old for you, two: they're mine so just drop it"

♡ - Yuji's cheeks turn pink "It's nothing, Sukuna! They're just really nice"

♡ - At that the older of the two turns to leave the room, "It better be nothing, brat" Sukuna leaves the room and mumbles one last thing "Cause you're in deep shit if it isn't"

a/n shit this took me forever! sorry- i experienced the worst writers block ever over the past few months! hopefully i'll have more energy and time to write, hope yall like this!

[littlegrapejuice]

Saved his life | LS2

Pairing: Logan Sargeant x Reader

Summary: You come to check on Logan after qualifying at the Dutch GP, hoping to lift his spirits.

Author's Note: ok so this literally came to me in a dream😭 logan's replacement was announced on tuesday (still crying about it btw) and istg i woke up wednesday morning after having lived this plot during my sleep

F1 MASTERLIST🏎

You had been seeking him out after FP3, and were once again seeking him out after qualifying. Logan was nowhere to be found and you worried about the state he mentally was in since his crash. The backlash from his team as well as journalists had blown out of proportion, for they were all focusing on the damages suffered by the car before considering the health of the driver.

Similar to you, Logan's fans were doing their best to support him and wondered about how he was doing. You had seen many comments online about people complaining that neither Williams - as in James Vowles - nor commentators had expressed an interest in the well-being of the driver, only talking about ruining a newly upgraded car - which would be proven illegal later on.

Scouring the paddock, you were now going from garage to garage looking for Logan. Obviously, you had first gone to the Williams one but without any success in finding the American. You hadn't even known at first if he was actually at the track, but a quick shot of him on the TV screen had confirmed you that he was indeed in his garage.

This is why as soon as qualifying ended, you had waited for George to come back to the Mercedes garage so that you could notify him that you were leaving for the time being. You had plans together later tonight, meaning that he didn't mind you doing whatever you wanted until then.

And that's thus how you were still walking around the paddock, praying that it wouldn't take much longer to find Logan.

As you then thought you had seen him from afar, someone obviously had to come up to you and stop you in your tracks. You turned around at the tap on your shoulder and was met with a blonde driver, but not quite the one you would've rather faced.

"Hi Max," you said with a smile.

"Hey, you alright?" He asked both because he was genuinely interested in your answer and because he couldn't help but notice you frantically looking around.

"Yeah, I'm good! Congrats on P2, that's great at your home race." You gave a last glance to the side and decided to temporarily abort your mission as you had unfortunately lost sight of who you thought had been Logan.

"Thanks, I wish I could've gotten pole but I'll get the first place from turn one so that's alright."

"I'll be internally rooting for you, but you know I'll have to stick to my roots and publicly support my team."

"Of course," Max replied. "The Red Bull garage is always open if you ever feel like changing your mind. We also probably have better food than Mercedes." He let out a smile at your laugh before scratching his throat, as if he was thinking about his next words. "Listen, I-"

"Sorry Max," you apologised as you checked your watch and got afraid you would miss logan leaving the track. "I'd love to talk more with you but I was on the way to do something important so please make it quick."

"Yeah, hmm... did you have the chance to visit the city and its surroundings? I was thinking that..." Max hesitated before he saw you nodding at him, silently telling him to continue. "We could grab a drink or some food later on, and I can show you around? Seeing as this is my home country, I'm pretty familiar with it so I could give you a proper tour and you'd see things that you would never see with a regular tour guide and-"

"Sounds lovely yeah!" You felt pretty bad for interrupting him once again, but the clock was really ticking and you were getting more nervous. "I already have something planned for tonight though, so maybe another day?"

"Well, there's only tomorrow left then. After the race?" He suggested with hope in his tone.

"I'll get back to you on that. Depending on who's winning, I might be celebrating someone else you know."

"Of course, but I'm pretty confident that I can score another victory here."

"Great, then that's settled! Super cool to chat with you Max, I'll see you later." You waved at him and quickly started walking again to the direction you had last seen Logan several minutes ago.

You were gone so fast that you hadn't even heard Max telling you that he would text you his request again, as he had sensed that your focus had been on all but your exchange with him. You liked Max to be honest; he was a really sweet guy and could easily match your energy as a fellow yapper. However, he had chosen the worst moment to strike up a conversation with you. Thinking about how you could repay it to him next time you'd see him - probably tomorrow, all your stress was going away as you finally found the person you were looking for.

You stopped close enough to him that he would notice you, but a few metres away so that you had time to catch your breath without it being too obvious that you had been almost running around for him.

As he called out your name, you couldn't help the smile that lit up your face.

"You're good?"

"I am now, thanks. Been searching for you, you know? You're quite hard to find," you told him in complete honesty with a light laugh.

"Really?" Logan was surprised by your words. He hadn't expected anyone to come talk to him today, except for his teammate Alex or a couple drivers texting him for a check up.

"Yeah," you nodded. "I couldn't see you after practice earlier and I thought talking to you face to face was better than a text so yes, I was looking for you."

If you and Logan weren't surrounded by hundreds of people, he would definitely shed a tear at your kindness - not like anyone was actually paying attention to the both of you as you were on the side of the path. He didn't think a headline consisting of F1 Driver Logan Sargeant seen crying while talking with F1 Driver George Russel's long-time friend was a good idea though.

"And you wanted to talk to me about something important?" He wondered.

"That's what I said", you replied. "I wanted to talk to you, about you, I guess."

"That's not super-"

"It is," you immediately interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. You knew what he was about to say and you were definitely not letting him give voice to his thoughts. Seeing as he was still taken aback by your words, you kept going. "You're important, Logan. More than a random chassis, or an engine, or whatever they put in the shit car that they make you drive."

Hearing your own sentence, you were about to apologise for the strong opinion - Logan was driving said car so you didn't know if you were right to comment on it - but the chuckle that came from the American stopped you from doing so. It didn't last long as Logan quickly covered his mouth, thus shutting down the sound, but you suddenly wished you could hear it again.

And not because you're trash talking his team, but because you're, let's say, watching a movie together and a funny scene comes up; or because you're walking around a park and he laughs at your clumsiness when you almost trip on a random rock.

You just wished, right now, that you weren't at the track, in this paddock, with all those cars and people around. You just wanted to be with him, in a quiet place where you could just enjoy each other's presence without having to worry about a team principal that didn't take his driver's needs into account or about journalists that couldn't seem to see the human aspect of a driver behind the suit and helmet.

Your thoughts were however soon interrupted when a hand appeared in front of your face.

"Hello? Earth to whatever planet you're on?" Logan had a smile on his face. He wasn't laughing anymore but he didn't seem annoyed either at your silence. "Did you get lost in your mind?"

"Possibly", you answered with a nervous laugh. "Sorry, won't happen again."

"It's fine, don't worry."

You could see Logan was genuine in his eyes. The way they were being lit up by the sun suddenly made you wonder about what was hidden behind it. They often say that eyes are the mirror of the soul; but for now, you could only see yourself in Logan's.

"Hey Logan," you said after a few seconds of silence. He glanced down at you, which you took as a sign to continue. "Do you wanna hang out with me tonight? I- hmm I have this dinner with George, Lando, Alex, and their girls. And it could be nice of you to join. I mean, if you want to of course, and if you don't have anything planned already but yeah, that'd be cool. I'd like that."

When Logan didn't reply, you started to think that it was over and that your stress was so obvious, and that he wasn't going to accept the offer. But then:

"I'd love to." Your gaze was now filled with hope, until the next words left Logan's mouth. "But I think I need to be alone tonight. It's absolutely not against you or the others, but today hasn't been the best day for me as you obviously know and even though it could lighten up my mood, I'd rather focus on tomorrow's race."

"Oh, hmm... okay, yeah... I totally get it, no problem."

Logan was not dumb; he noticed your immediate change of attitude as you lowered your gaze, so he decided to add on to his explanation:

"It's just a raincheck, you know? I'm not going out tonight, but I'd absolutely be down for another day if we both find the time. Sounds good?"

"Yeah!" You nodded with a smile. "Raincheck, okay, got it."

"Sorry to cut this short, but I gotta go for now." Logan gave you a smile before checking his phone. "I'll get back to you for a hang out, but thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I truly appreciate it."

"It's normal, we're friends so... I wasn't really thinking twice about it."

"Then thank you for that as well. We'll see each other later, right?"

"Of course," you confirmed. "Race's tomorrow so at least then, goodbye for now Logan."

"Bye, take care."

He gave you a quick hug before departing, and next thing you knew, he was gone. You then turned around, ready to exit the paddock and go back to your hotel, so that you could get ready for your dinner tonight with your friends.

.....

"George, hey!" You called out to him as you saw him from afar. "Thanks for waiting, sorry I'm a little late."

"No problem," he replied. "I sent Alex and the girls inside to keep us a table. We're just missing Lando, but I think he'll be here soon."

As if on cue, you had received a text. Thinking it was from the curly haired man, you opened it in front of George before reading the sender and the content of the message.

Hi! Regarding our conversation from earlier, I decided to formally ask if you wanted to grab dinner with me tomorrow night after the race?

A smile unknowingly took place on your face, and George couldn't help but notice it.

"What's got you all happy?" He asked before adding a comment. "You're even blushing so I guess this is not Lando."

"It's no one," you said as you immediately locked your phone before George could look at the screen. "Just a friend I'm supposed to catch up with tomorrow."

"You have friends other than us in the Netherlands right now?" A familiar voice questioned from behind you.

"Lando!" George exclaimed as the last of your group was finally here. "Hey mate. Congrats on pole. Good quali you did there."

"Thanks man." Lando glanced at you while the three of you started walking inside the hotel, towards the restaurant. "So what's this about a friend of yours?"

"Drop it Lando," you replied, annoyed - although you could truly never be annoyed with him. "I'll tell you all about it when it's over if you still wanna know after the weekend."

"Of course I will! I'll even bring that up in the groupchat so you'll have to tell this wonderful and absolutely not suspicious story to everyone," Lando laughed as he nudged your side.

Thankfully, neither George nor Lando had brought up the topic with the others, even though they were still curious on what you were hiding. You were glad that they didn't because how could you even explain to them that you would be going out to dinner with a fellow driver? You honestly didn't think they would mind, but you also didn't want them to go and bother said driver when you knew that the paddock's walls had ears everywhere.

Hoping that it would be fine to reply to the text later, you had therefore waited until you were back in your hotel room to agree to the offer. Tonight's dinner had been amazing and you were always happy to spend time with your friends whom you didn't see much, but tomorrow's would be something even more special as it would actually be your first time hanging out one on one with the driver you were maybe fancying.

Before forgetting, you also decided to notify your friends of your plans - omitting the driver aspect of the 'friend' you would be seeing after the race - so that they wouldn't be surprised to not see you attend any celebration. Of course you would try and spend some time with the winner if he was part of your friend group, but at least you were in the clear to not go party all night with them.

.....

And you had never once regretted not attending the party that had celebrated Lando's win at the Dutch Grand Prix. He had told you that day after the race that you would have a myriad of other chances to attend another one as he was planning on winning more and more often - which he did.

Tonight's party, however, would be in your honour. As well as Logan's. And you couldn't see yourself anywhere else than here, in front of him. You truly didn't think you would one day end up in this situation, and neither did he. Logan hadn't really expected to experience such an event in his life, but he eventually did, all thanks to you.

You had saved his life. That day, when you reached out to him after qualifying, was unknowingly a turning point in his life. He had been at his lowest. He had known what would certainly happen following the Grand Prix; he had been expecting to be let go after the disastrous performances he was giving.

Knowing didn't make it less painful though.

He did get dropped by his team, Williams, which you cursed for as long as you could and still did from time to time. And even if Logan had achieved being a Formula One driver - which no one could ever take away from him, he had still felt like he was worthless after it happened.

He hadn't known how to process the sudden end of his short time on the grid and felt lost for a while, wondering about what would define him as a person now that the dream he'd had since he was a child was over.

But you had made him believe that it wasn't the end of the world and that something else was waiting for him. He could've ended it all, but you showed him a glimmer of hope and he chose to keep going, see what else was in store for him. He still had a future. And he had been right to trust you, as he was now here, facing you and about to be making you his. Only two words left to say before doing so.

'Thank you', he mouthed to you before the long-awaited sentence was to be heard out loud. "I do", he then confirmed without tearing his gaze away from your face.

..........

Okayyyy so this it lol

Hope y'all liked it🫶🏻 this was my 1st time ever writing for a driver since i got into motorsports and I feel really happy w it!! Thanks to my brain for making me dream ab logan, i think it kinda helps me cope regarding him not being the grid anymore (i miss him sm chat)

Idk when I'll write again for a driver if i ever do so, but don't hesitate to give feedback on this so that ik how to approach a future work🤍

[midnightbluebells03]

Good luck babe!

CW - Owen mention, fingering (R receiving), oral (R receiving), hair pulling (A receiving)

Reader is fem, described as wearing a dress and heels.

WC - about 3000

No outbreak

Leave me requests so I can get out my writers block pls and thx xo

If Abby Anderson wasn't in denial of her sexuality, there's a chance you two could've been real. You got along like a house on fire, practically a perfect match. But the mix of comphet, her on and off again relationship of Owen and her crippling fear of being vunrable has left you two like this. Having not talked in just over a month, not a word since your argument about the fact she had been using you as an experiment without considering how you felt. And how did you feel?

Crushed.

Maybe you should know better. But yet again it's a Friday night, your other hook ups weren't out tonight and who else but Abby fucking Anderson was giving you eyes from across the room. Leaning against the bar with a tight black wife beater that makes you drool and matching cargos.

It's the first time you'd seen each other since you screamed in her face and called her selfish. And yet the butterflies in your stomach were boardering on a stampede. Her eyes scanning your body up and down while her hand stays clutching her beer bottle. So tight you're almost worried it'll smash in her unforgiving grasp.

Against your better judgement you decide to ignore the angel on your shoulder, also known as your best friend Ellie. Chugging back your drink and handing her the glass. Starting to make your way over to Abby.

Ellie rolls her eyes and shouts after you. Hardly breaking through the noise. "Don't come crying to me when she breaks your heart again!"

"Cmon Els, it's just some fun" you call back before pushing your way through the crowed dance floor and coming out at the other side. Looking up at those baby blue eyes that make a rush of emotions flow through you. You should be mad at her, should cuss her out again for using you. But tonight, you couldn't find it in yourself to care.

You just needed her again.

"Can I get you a drink?" Her normally confident voice has a slight wavier to it. It makes a slight smirk spread across your lips as you take the beer from her hand. Taking a large drink before your nose scrunches up at the taste. You were more of a spirits girl, a cocktail if you felt fancy.

"So no Owen tonight?" The venom in your voice is clear. There's not a soul in Jackson you wanted to punch more than him. The whole reason Abby was so unsure of herself in the first place. The way he managed to weasel his way back into her life time and time again. But yet you couldn't hate Abby for doing the same thing to you.

"He's back with Mel...shes pregnant." You give her a sympathetic look before handing her back the bottle. "I don't wanna talk about it" she mumbles, barely loud enough for you to hear over the thumping music. She finishes it off before placing it on the bar counter behind her.

"How about we don't talk at all then?" You say before she can even turn back around. Watching as her movements stiffen, and she slowly faces you again. Cheeks flushed that shade of pink you could never be sick of. "Your place is close, Ellie's gonna meet with Dina soooo". Your sentence trails off, the suggestion in your voice clear.

The mention of your best friend makes her eyes widen. Looking around the room to try and spot her. "Ellies here?". There's a slight fear in her voice, something that makes you roll your eyes and scoff.

"Oh calm your tits Anderson you could literally kill her, I don't know why you're you're scared".

"Um let me think" she says sarcastically before looking down at you. "The psycho bitch keyed my car". You fight back the giggle that wants to escape your lips. After days of you crying over your ruined situationship Ellie took it into her own hands. And while you told her it was a stupid idea, you couldn't help but hug her and say thank you.

"Can't prove that" you shrug, looking down at your feet a little nervously. Scuffing your heels off the ground. "Look if you dont-"

"I do" she interrupts, her hand now resting onto your exposed arm. You look back into her eyes. Taking a deep breath and accepting that this was going to hurt tomorrow, but it was worth it. Since even just this little touch was making your skin feel like it's on fire.

"Say it." Your voice is stern, watching as Abby bites her lip softly. Leaning down to whisper into your ear.

"I...I want to fuck you"

Your hand comes up to hers, interlocking your fingers and leading her out. "Cmon then" the judgmental gaze coming from Ellie catches your attention before you reach the door. So you wave over and mouth 'I'll call you' while making a phone with your hand. As soon as you're out the warmth of the bar and in the unforgivng chill of the night, a shiver runs up your shine. "Fuck it's cold!" You squeal slightly.

Abby chuckles, looking around to make sure no one can see you two before her arm wraps around your shoulder. "Wouldn't be cold if you wore real clothes." The playfully dig at your revealing dress makes you push her away. With a fake gasp you point a finger into her defined arm.

"Don't slut shame me Anderson" you giggle softly before returning to her side looking up at her. Taking in the way the streetlamp lights bounce off her features. The way her hair flowed in the slight breeze, it was down for once tucked neatly behind her ears. "Besides I was trying to get fucked not stay warm" The slight look of hurt that flashes across her face makes you raise an eyebrow. "What? You jealous?"

"No" she protests, but they way she won't look at you is telling. Before you can question her again, she points towards the door to her apartment complex. Leading you over before punching in her code and opening the door for you. "Cmon before you get hypothermia"

You walk in and wait for her to be back beside you before you both continue up the stairs. "I thought you were meant to be a super smart med student, it's not cold enough for hypothermia". You're trying to lighten up the mood by teasing her lightly. Remembering the time you were convinced you had hypothermia because the heating in her apartment had gone out while you were over. Her door comes into view, and you listen to her dig the key out from her pocket.

"Yeah yeah, just get inside" Abby rolls her eyes while holding the door open for you again. Maybe it would be easier to hate her if she wasn't so kind, if she wasn't so pretty, if she didn't know you so well. The door shuts behind you as you take off your heels. When you turn Abby is just standing there. Fidgeting with her fingers and avoiding eye contact. "Look um...I- I'm sorry-"

"Save it Abby" you inturput, knowing that it would be nothing productive. It would be the say sorry she gave you atleast five times before you blocked her number. "I don't want an apology I want to cum" Abby steps towards you slowly, your hands moving up to her chest. She quickly takes off her boots before straightening back up.

"Yes ma'am" you giggle softly as her hands wrap around your waist and lift you up. Forcing your legs to wrap around her waist as she carries you to the bedroom. Taking your purse and putting it onto her nightstand before gently placing you down onto her navy blue sheets. Moving so she's looming over you. Her calloused hand running up your outer thigh, inching under the thin fabric of your dress as her lips trail down your jaw to your neck. Sucking a purple mark right in your pulse point that has you gripping for her hair.

"Fuck" you moan softly, feeling her smirk into your skin. You sit up inpatiently, pushing her back by her chest as you fumbling with the zipper on your dress. Huffing when you can't reach it.

"Desperate much?" Abby teases before reaching around and pulling it down for you. Helping to pull the fabric off before throwing it onto the floor. Letting her see the matching lingerie you had picked out for the night. "You really were trying to get fucked huh?"

"Yeah" you swallow hard as her eyes scan over you slowly. "You like it?" The truth was you had bought it for her, baby blue lace that matched her eyes. But she called off your little situatuonship before you got to show her.

Abby reaches her hand out for your cheek, pulling you in. This was new. She'd never been one for kissing during. You guys had made out maybe a hand full of times. Her lips touch yours, and you just melt into her. Arms drapping around her shoulders as she pushes you backwards. Her hand running up from your thigh to your chest. Palming your breast through the barley there fabric. When you moan softly she takes the chance to push her tongue past your lips. Deepening the kiss as your nails start to big into the skin of her upper back. When she finally pulls away slightly, the thin string of saliva still joining you together makes your stomach tighten.

"Abs" you whine softly, arching your back so she can slip her hands around and undo the clasp of your bra. Adding it to the floor alongside your dress.

She kisses you quickly "I love it". Abby mumbles before restarting her trail down your body. From your jaw to your neck, ending at your breast when she takes a nipple in her mouth. Swirling her tounge around the hardened bud as you arch into her. Moaning softly as your eyes flutter shut. Fuck you missed this. The way she made you come undone. Every touch so purposeful.

And God knows if she'd ever let you touch her you'd be the same.

The feeling of her fingers brushing over your clit through your panties makes you gasp. Slightly embrassed by the fact Abby can definitely feel the wetness seeping through the fabric.

"Stop- stop teasing me Abs" you plead as her mouth detaches from your nipple.

"Cmon pretty girl you clearly like it" she teases, rubbing your soaked panties. "What do you want?" You just look at her and bite your lip. Eyes darting down to her fingers but she tsks while shaking her head. "Say it" your own words repeated back to you. Because as much as Abby was unsure of herself when it came to you in public. In the comfort of her own four walls, she's as confident as ever.

"Fuck me" you say, the shake in your voice making Abby smirk. You clear your throat before speaking clearly. "Please Abby fuck me". Her fingers hook onto your panties as she moves back. Slowly peeling them off you and adding them to the pile. You sit up and tug at her shirt. Hoping she'll be feeling generous.

"Baby-"

"Please Abs" you cut her off, bringing your hands up to cup her cheeks gently. "I- I won't touch you, I know the rules by now just...wanna see you" she presses a hand to yours before nodding. Pulling back to grab them hem of her shirt. Slowly pulling it up and over her head.

When you started this situationship you asked her why she didn't like being naked. Why she never asked for anything in return. And the tough girl you'd known just looked at you softly and said. 'I just...I don't think I look good'. You left it at that, but you couldn't help the pity you felt for her. Because the truth was Abby was stunning, maybe the most gorgeous girl you'd ever seen. But there was clearly a voice in her head, who you could only assumed was Owen, telling her otherwise.

When her shirt hits the ground your eyes wander over her body, taking in her black sports bra and her washboard abs like you're obsessed with. "You're so pretty." You don't even realise you've said anything until she blushes softly. As Abby leans beck over you, you reach up and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear gently. Just holding her for a second. God, you aren't drunk enough for this. A wave of feelings washing over you like a tsunami.

"What do you want baby?" Abbys voice breaks through your haze. "I've got the str-"

"Fingers" you inturput, just desperate to feel her. Just her.

"You don't usually want fingers" she teases "that's normally your warm up" Abby slowly moves her hands up your inner thighs, spreading your legs so she can look at your dripping pussy. "Fuck...you're soaked"

"Mhmm" you gasp her her fingers make contact with your clit. Making your hips jump slightly in a way that makes Abby chuckle. "You drive me crazy Abs"

She starts to move in slow, steady circles around your sensitive bud. Working soft gasps and moans from your lips as she kisses up your thighs. "Wanna taste you" she mumbles into your skin. Sure, you heard it but she didn't need to know that. So you snake your hand into her blonde locks at give her a gentle tug.

"What was that?" The fake innocence in your voice almost makes you want to laugh.

Abby looks away from you and goes to say it again so you place your hand on her jaw. Forcing her to keep eye contact. "I want to taste you" you raise an eyebrow, waiting on more. "Please?" The way her voice trembles slightly is the biggest ego boost. Working such a strong, confident woman to a mess like this is better than any drink you could've bought at the bar.

As soon as you nod your head and release her jaw, Abby wastes no time. Kissing down your stomach before her lips meet your clit. She gives you one fat lick from your hole to clit, her arms wrapping around your thighs to bring your legs over her shoulders. Abby's grip is so tight even if you wanted to move you'd stand no chance so instead you throw your head back into the pillow. Moaning shamlessly as her tounge works around your clit.

The pleasure makes a warmth spread across your body, your hand tangled in her hair as you hold her close to you. Trying to grind your hips into her but stopped by her hands pinning you down. You're almost convinced there's going to be bruises there tomorrow. "A- Abby" You whine, pleading for more.

She pulls back slightly, looking up at you with your wetness dripping down her chin. "Hmm?"

"Fingers please" your hand squeezes over her own. "Please Abby I'm so close"

Humming softly, she loosens her grip of her right hand. Slowly tracing over your skin until she reaches your mouth. You don't need to be told. Parting your lips, you let her push in. Sucking while keeping eyecontact. When she pulls them out you whine at the lose but it doesn't last long. As they slip into your hole your eyes roll back. "Fuck you're so wet" Abby gasps softly. Once you take her down to the knuckles she let's you adjust. "You good?"

"Mhm" you moans softly "move Abs please?". She doesn't need to be told twice, her fingers slowly starting to pump in and out of you as her mouth moves back to your clit. You can't help but clentch around her as she works you to your peak. Her neighbours must hate her, or really they must hate you. The way your loud moans echo throughout the room as she gets you closer and closer. You grip the sheets beneath you, screwing your eyes shut as your back arches. Orgasm washing over you while all you can do is chant her name over and over and over again. Completely lost in the pleasure.

Abby's pace slows after your finish over her fingers. Only pulling out once your breathing starts to steady and you open your eyes again. She moves up next to you, slumping down as your arms stay pressed together. The sudden silence hanging thick in the air. Uncomfortable, tense. But you break it.

"Are you gonna accept you like women yet?" You ask quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

"I don't" you don't wait for her to continue, instead you move yourself off the bed to start pulling on your underwear. You've been here so many times you just make your way to her closet, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a tshirt that's going to drown you. Planning on adding them to your small collection if her clothes. Even if they had all been shoved to the back of your closet. Abby sits up, stammer out some kind of explanation as you don't look at her. "I- I mean I do, but you know that this is"

"Mhm" you reply, the agitation clear in your tone. You quickly fix your hair to the best of your ability before picking up your dress and pulling out your phone from your purse. Slinging the bag over your arm as you request an Uber.

Abby just looks at you, nervously playing with the end of her hair. "I- its just the way I am-"

You inturput her with a sigh, finally looking at her with a slight pity. "It's not just gonna go away, but its your life Abby if you wanna be misrable and act like you dont like women thats your call" your app pings letting you know the ubers already here and you're silently thankful. Because the familiar feeling of falling for Abby is creeping back into you. "Good luck, babe" you say softly before heading out. Glancing down at your heels at the door with a groan. Reluctantly slipping them on before hurrying down to the Uber.

Maybe one day she'll change.

[melodic-haze]

alright think about this jealous sex with arlecchino. Maybe she’s been hanging out with columbina too much.

☆ — DEMO TRACK: sub!Arlecchino x dom!Reader

☆ — TYPE: NSFW

☆ — CONTENT WARNINGS: Thr briefest mention of petplay, rough sex ig, that's basically it 🤷‍♀️

Ohhhhmygod the way Arlecchino talks of her so very fondly too like it's VERY easy to be jealous I think. Like I'm not really a jealous or a possessive person but even then I'd give like a slight side eye

The Knave was just spending a BIT too much time with Columbina for your tastes. You ask if you could hang out w her, she tells you she has a prior engagement with the other Harbinger. You go to talk to her, she's already talking with Damselette. Frankly, she's acc taking the piss❗️❗️❗️

It just. Drives you up the FUCKING WALL but yk. "Do unto others what you want done to you" or smth like that idk the saying

"I-- I'm going to--"

"You are not doing anything unless I tell you to."

You feel her hands grip onto your hair as you practically abused her cunt with your fingers. If you weren't pinning her to the wall and holding her up, you were sure that as formidable as she was, her legs would've buckled down from the overwhelming stimulation and the lack of release whenever she reached her very peak.

(With the strength of her grip, youu also thanked archons above that despite everything, she was careful enough to not claw at your scalp. That wasn't the most important thing right now, though.)

"You know," you idly mused—taunted, even—as you curled your digits within her, "we could've been doing something better. We could've been having tea, tending to your children, having so much more fun than this. And yet what do you do?"

You pulled your fingers away, slick glistening and forming a faintly connecting line before snapping, and you hear a desperate whimper that you pointedly ignore, "You pass all that up for your fellow Harbinger."

"But she can't make you feel good like I do, can she?" You slapped her thigh harshly, to which you ignore her surprised gasp too—you knew she could handle much more anyway, "Nobody else can have you all pliant and breathless like this. Not her, not anyone."

Arlecchino actually makes a move to nod instead of standing there all dumb, "Only.. Only for you.. my love, I--"

"Only for me?"

"Yes..!"

Answering like an over-eager dog. Actually hilarious.

You stand up and press your fingers harshly inside of her, and just when she feels utter delight in tbe thought of you finally granting mercy on a sinner such as her?

"Move."

"..What?"

"You heard me, my love," the affectionate pet name overshadowed by your mocking tone, "if you want to get off, then move. Surely you can manage such a simple task, right?"

It's unsaid that you want her to move on her own to show her dedication to you...

But either she caught on or she was desperate for the feeling of you inside her, for she leaned her head and started to grind her pussy onto your offered hand.

Only you were allowed to command her like this.

Need to constantly alternate between edging her and overstimming her, both to such UNBEARABLE levels bc SURELY she can handle it 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Absolutely use her in ANY way you could think of; by this point she's a hole for you to use and vent your jealousy to, all while repeating some kinda mantra about how Columbina could never do the things you do to her

Remind her that only YOU could make her feel the things she does, remind her that only YOU could have her bend to your will, both literally and metaphorically. Doesn't matter to you how powerful she is!! Could be an eldrich horror and you don't gaf

At the end of the day, you have utterly corrupted her—trained her—in the ways that she (or anyone) had never imagined. You've absolutely ruined her for everyone else

You just. Need to remind her with a LOT of torture 🥰 break this supposed monster all over again, make her remember just who, exactly, tamed her 🥰🥰🥰

Whether it's by stuffing her with so many toys all in the lowest settings or absolutely filling her up over and over and over and OVER until all traces of the angel-like Harbinger is completely fucked out of her mind 🫶🫶🫶🫶

[digitalgate02]

How to corrupt Daisuke and give him a dark evolution (and why ep 22 did not need one at all)

Ni has just watched Kamen Rider Geats, and this subject just came into my mind because my favorite character in this series so far has all the traits Daisuke has, and he's even a walking-mess unlucky kid who gets dragged into a whole chaotic series of events which ends up changing his character DRASTICALLY after a point of the series.

No Geats spoilers mentioned here. Don't worry. We're going to pick our favorite specimen Motomiya Daisuke and study how to apply a corruption arc on his portrayal.

This is a spiritual sequel of this post, which explores Daisuke's weaknesses and how you can exploit them to break and beat him. This is an important step, because if you want to turn a character who canonically lacks malice, you need to understand his weaknesses and then go from there.

First thing to know is about Daisuke's pragmatism. One of the episodes which this gets very clear, about how Daisuke being pragmatic is dangerously SCARY, is ep 25:

This whole discussion between the 02 kids (mostly Daisuke, Miyako and Iori) revolves around the fact Golemon is deadly serious about destroying the dam and having more victims and and that they all should just consider the idea of taking that digimon down and avoid the worst scenario happening. I think Shiha explained this part better than me in this specific subject, so check it out.

But knowing this, let's get to the fun(?) part -- Knowing that Daisuke's weaknesses and his pragmatism you can connect them and realize that breaking him is the only way to drive him into frustration and despair. Daisuke, as I said in the spiritual prequel to this post, cannot work well under pressure, so torturing him psychologically like what happens in episodes 8, 10 and 11 is where you weaken his strength and resistances.

In order words: you have to smash every spark of hope inside him, enough to make him lose his way and then start taking questionable choices in order to solve the problem.

Remember: Daisuke has no malice, therefore he wouldn't turn into a sadistic villain who enjoys hurting others for pleasure and wanting others to just suffer. Daisuke's actions would've still been the same as ever, but corrupt.

He would still want to help others, but instead of finding ways the sane Daisuke would've done, he could've been trying to track down whoever ruined everyone's lives --his included -- and take them all down. Because it aligns with his pragmatic approaches, it matches with the concept of "killing the enemy to prevent more causalities" except it gets driven by the seek of revenge and not the pure intent of saving everyone.

Hurting his friends and family -- or even killing them, if you're THAT CRUEL -- is the key. Because the only way to break someone who is not malicious and yes pure-hearted, is attacking all the things he cares deeply about.

As for 02 ep 22, which kept being unfairly criticized for ages because of the misconception about Dark Evolution...

Daisuke has been running in circles and fooling around only.

He had no negative emotions -- something that it is ESSENTIAL to dark evolution

Daisuke and V-mon had been on good terms in this episode, unlike Taichi and Agumon in Adv'99 in which helped to make things worse because Taichi kept pushing a torn of pressure on Agumon thanks to the Crest. The novel has another approach pointing out that Taichi wanted all the glory of being the first to Evolve Greymon further, which tracks with the idea of having corrupted intents (negative emotions)

Daisuke and V-mon ended up in REAL DANGER later, which means sooner V-mon would evolve normally because digimon evolution is also a sync between human-digimon in order to protect something or someone for noble reasons (at least it's what I think it is about)

Therefore I don't agree with the slander Daisuke and this episode suffer from time-to-time.

But there's more: on a very crack-ish drama CD you have this comical corruption arc for Daisuke...

Narrator: And so, Daisuke and V-mon went into the lumbering fog. Soon, it became apparent that the fog had the same abilities as those of the Digital World to change what someone was wearing, like how Miyako had ended up in her battle suit. And during that moment, a certain kind of thought was swirling in Daisuke’s head… Daisuke: I want to be popular…I want to be popular…I want to be popular… Narrator: And, in order to do that… Daisuke: A dark hero…a dark hero…a dark hero… Narrator: …for example? Daisuke: The Digimon Kaiser…The Digimon Kaiser…The Digimon Kaiser… Narrator: And thus, Daisuke underwent a dark evolution. (evolution noise) Daisuke: Daisuke, evolve…!…Digimon Kaiser.

Daisuke: (evil laughter) Miyako: Who’s that?!…Aaaaaaagh! It’s the Digimon Kaiser! Boltmon: What?! Are you the Digimon Kaiser? The one from all of the rumors? Daisuke: Now, everyone. Bow down before me. I am the one who can control even the power of darkness…the Daisuke Kaiser. Hikari: D-Daisuke-kun? Daisuke: I have been reborn. I shall live on as a hero of evil. Understand, you insects? Tailmon: Hmm…it’s lacking in a bit of punch. Daisuke: W-What. Palmon: He’s saying the right words, but that’s not gonna work by itself… Daisuke: Gh — ah — grrk — Mimi: Yeah, I think we all agree. Crowd of girls: Yeah, Ken-chan is cooler. Daisuke: D-Dammit…Why… V-mon: Daisuke! Try kicking me! Like how the Kaiser was always kicking Wormmon around! Daisuke: A-Are you sure?! Okay…

(kick) V-mon: Ow! Daisuke: Aaaaaaaaah! V-mon, are you okay? I was trying to hold back, too, I was hoping it wouldn’t actually hurt… Crowd of girls: Boo! Boo! Boltmon: Boo. Boo. V-mon: No, that’s not gonna work, Daisuke! Even Boltmon’s booing us! You gotta get into the whole “evil” thing! Daisuke: But…I…can’t do that to you… Ken: Motomiya-kun! Daisuke: (attempting Kaiser persona again) Ah. Ichijouji. Ken: I saw you turning into the Kaiser and came running!…(Kaiser voice) Motomiya-kun. You don’t have what it takes to channel the powers of evil. Daisuke: Hey, you don’t know that for sure! I…have decided to live in the grasp of evil! How dare you imply I don’t have enough willpower. Ken: (evil Kaiser laugh) “Not enough willpower,” you say? Hah. Motomiya-kun. You know nothing of the words you speak. It would be more accurate to say…you don’t have enough power to begin with. [...] Daisuke: Nggghghhhgnnnn…V-mon, is it okay if I go all out…? V-mon: (vaguely Wormmon-ish voice): Dai-chan! It’s okay! I don’t care what happens to me…!

... you realize that Daisuke really has no evil in his heart, therefore he's unable to do sadistic things Ken (as the Digimon Kaiser) has done, and then he fails at being a villain.

When Daisuke is trying too hard to be something he isn't, he completely fails at it. He only succeeds at being a cooler or terrifying person if he's not trying to pose as one. Which makes it 10x scary imo...

So i hope you enjoyed how i perceive the concept of corrupting Daisuke in a very effective way... at least for myself 😅

[hylkun]

30 DAYS | L. HEESEUNG

DAY 4: the strawberry cheesecake

SYNOPSIS: in which y/n l/n gives lee heeseung 30 days before graduation to prove his feelings for her are genuine.

PAIRING: popular!heeseung x quiet!fem!reader

GENRE: high-school!au, angst and lots of it, fluff

BEFORE YOU READ: cursing

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"Heeseung, I'm convinced you're actually dumb." Sunoo grumbles, while Heeseung holds his head down in shame. "Who in hell possessed you to get involved with Jang Wonyoung, of all people? And don't you like (Name)?"

"I know, I know - I just thought she didn't like me after she ditched us the other day, so," Heeseung murmurs, resulting in a hard slap from Sunoo on his shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That's for being an idiot. You're lucky I'm not like the rest of our friends and actually give a fuck about what you do. Now, I suggest that you have a very serious talk with (Name). Do you have her number?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"Let me work my magic."

You immediately plop your phone onto the bed and rush into the shower. You were literally meeting Heeseung outside of school in less than 30 minutes, and you looked like a mess. Today was your off day, so you weren't expecting to be going out. Well, the day quickly turned around.

After yesterday's events, you sort of regretted getting involved with Heeseung - but a part of you wanted to give him another chance, despite him quite literally letting your arch nemesis kiss him on the cheek. Jang Wonyoung was pretty much known for ruining people's lives - especially yours.

Since middle school, Wonyoung had been endlessly tormenting you. To this day, you wonder what you could've done to make her hate you.

The sound of your phone ringing interrupts your daydreaming, and you step out of the shower. You check the caller ID, and Heeseung is calling. You hesitate to pick up, but you do after a minute, so it wouldn't go to voice-mail.

"Hello?"

"Hey, (Name)? I'm already here. Are you on your way?"

"The fuck? I just got out of the shower - give me 20 minutes."

You hang up, and you dress the fastest you have in your life before leaving home. Hopefully, Heeseung hasn't been waiting long. He's lucky you don't hold grudges. Otherwise, you would've taken longer on purpose.

15 minutes later..

You rush through the doors of Bighit Cafe, grabbing the eyes of numerous customers. You scan the place in search of Heeseung, and there he is - Goodness, he looked so much better out of his uniform. And his skin is practically glowing - God, why did he have to look so beautiful?

You approach his table, and with every step, you can feel your confidence dissipating. Heeseung notices your presence and smiles sweetly. "Hi!" He says. He grabs your hand - a gesture that makes your cheeks heat up - and leads you to the table.

As you sit, you feel the aura of awkwardness surround the both of you. It was as if everything you had planned to say and had just up and left. Well, that was until Heeseung finally spoke up.

"Look, I'm sorry. For, y'know, the whole Wonyoung issue. Well, she's my ex - and if you know Wonyoung, she's a pretty hard person to get rid of," he starts and takes a deep breath before continuing, "Just know I'm not interested in her anymore. It's her who's interested me."

You nod in response. It was pretty understandable. Wonyoung was a girl who would do whatever it takes to get something she wants, in this case, someone. It's not surprising that she would do all this to take Heeseung from you - not that he's yours or anything.

"Yeah, I totally understand. Wonyoung is a bitch." You say, and chuckle in hopes to lighten the mood and thankfully, it works.

"Tell me about it. Uh, on the brighter side, I asked Yunho what sweets you liked, and I ordered you some strawberry cheesecake. I already paid for it."

"Really? Thanks so much!"

And Heeseung loves to see you smile, even if it's over something small like strawberry cheesecake.

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TAGLIST: @zerobaseone-zhanghao @jooniesbears-blog @heeswif3y @nshitae @llvrhee @ikeusimp @starfallia @softieluvsyou @rairaiblog @lhspeachie @nishiriks @13tter @acousarah

[nicoandindy]

ok so this is probably really bad but i made it at 3-4am so please give me some grace thanks

explanation of all of them under the cut

alienstage: till dispised ivan, him and his horrible way of talking go till, his strange obsession. till gave up his chances of escaping just for someone else, leaving ivan behind.

regretevator: doomed to hate someone who adores you, even if pest does have some small amount of admiration back poob has something after for him but pest knows he probably can't save him, and soon they'll leave pest behind.

good omens: separated by heaven and hell, doomed to never be together, aziraphale was manipulated to leave earth, thinking it'd be better for him and crowly. leaving crowley behind without his angel.

life steal: opposing sides of the war, friends turned foes and mapic always given the idea that zam is the one ruining things at mawn. they drift further from eachother, and even with slight amendments, who knows how long it'll last.

spooky month: doomed to never be fully apart of the group, ross and robert somewhat seperated from roy because of how he acts. roy doesn't know what he's doing wrong, he feels left behind by the other two because their together now aswell. he admires his friends deeply, just wish he knew how to be better

phighting!: doomed to be enemies, medkit hating subspace and subspace having some sort of obsession with medkit. he hates medkit, took out one his eyes and medkit returned the favor. never to be friends again like they were back when medkit was subspace's assistant.

this one: doomed to never be together, fate for seawatt to leave evbo. seawatt followed clownpierce and ended up getting killed. evbo had feelings for seawatt, and never realized til long after but maybe in another universe seawatt and evbo get to be together. he just wishes it could've been this one.

also i kin evbo, ivan, pest, crowley, roy, and subspace so i feel it's fate that it has to be this way

[runningincircl3s]

Nothing Ever After

Noah Sebastian x Reader x Vinny Mauro

Chapter Eighteen

chapter warnings: none?

masterlist

happy monday bffs!! editing and posting this rn with vin's drum stream in the background :) i've written up to chapter 24 now so i'm thinking about posting another chapter on friday again! i'm getting closer and closer to the end of this fic which i’m pretty sad about HOWEVER i’ve started to plan what’s going to come next🤭

Hey, I’m sorry for how I acted towards you today, I just didn't want Rick finding out. I hope I haven’t… Unlock to view more. 

Noah scrunched his face up as he read the message over again, wondering what on earth that could’ve been about. However, he knew better than to intervene in your life where it’s not needed, so he put your phone back down and let himself out of your room. As he was about to leave, your phone buzzed again, but he fought against what his mind was telling him and left before he did something he may regret.

He would be lying if he said he didn't think about unlocking your phone and seeing what that was all about, and what Ricky could've possibly found out about. Maybe five years ago that would've been the sort of thing he'd do, but not anymore. He put his trust in you, and let it go.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

You were rudely awoken the next morning to the sound of knocking at your door. Struggling to open your eyes, you kicked the sheets off with a groan and rushed to answer the door.

"What do you want?" You mumbled, still half asleep as you rubbed your eyes.

“Good morning to you too!” Bryan laughed, handing you a small brown paper bag, “I thought I’d bring you some breakfast and check in on you after last night...” 

“I can’t even remember half of last night,” with a yawn, you stepped to the side to let him in, “I didn’t do anything embarrassing did I? The last thing I want to do is ruin your guys' cool and mysterious reputation.”

“Our reputation's untouched but yours...” he smirked, “Noah had to drag you out when you started to sing just pretend.”

“Oh shit,” you laughed, “I better apologise to him later. What time do we need to be on the bus?”

“About nine, we still have an hour before we've got to be on the road.” 

“Okay cool.” You said, sitting back down on your bed.

There was a brief silence before Bryan spoke again, his tone shifting slightly.

“So… I wanted to check up on you, not just after last night but in general,” he said, his eyes softening. “We’re halfway through the tour now, and I haven’t really asked you how you’re doing. You holding up okay?”

You smiled at him.

“Yeah... I think I’m doing alright. I've had my ups and downs and sometimes I still think this is all a dream, but yeah... Overall, I'm good.” You nodded.

“Well I’m glad to hear that,” he says, “Oh and before I forget, Chris has asked if you can fill in for them again tonight. I’ve heard their photographer keeps having issues with the travel side of things and he keeps missing dates.”

“Yeah... That's cool.” 

“You don’t sound too excited about that,” he chuckles, “Are you sure everything's okay?”

“Yeah,” you smiled weakly, “I think I’m just tired… and hungry.” 

“Well, I’ve got you a bagel,” Bryan said, gesturing to the brown paper bag. “Anyway I can't stay for too long, I need to find Matt, but I’ll catch up with you again later.”

“That's okay. Thank you, Bry.” You said, giving him a genuine smile as he left your room. 

As you began to eat, you reached for your phone, feeling slightly surprised when you saw you had a couple texts from Vinny.

 Hey look I’m sorry for how I acted towards you today, I just didn't want Rick finding out. I hope I haven’t upset you

But I've been thinking a lot about us and I really think we could make something work if you’re happy to. I'm gonna be totally honest, I can’t ignore the way I feel about you anymore y/n, and I know even if you won’t admit it that you feel the same. We should probably talk about this in person tomorrow, but until then I hope you’re okay. Good night x

You read the text over again, slightly taken back at the confession, before replying

Morning :) You didn’t upset me, I guess I was just surprised at how you reacted. But I’m happy to talk later if you are.

Btw I’m with you guys tonight so I might see if I can sneak on your bus with you this morning x

It didn’t take long for him to reply, you barely had a chance to take another bite of your bagel before you had a message back.

Wow I don’t even remember texting you last night lmao

You better hurry your ass up then, we’re leaving in about 10 minutes. I’ll come by your room and get you :) x

You cursed, nearly tripping over your own feet as you scrambled to pack your suitcase, brush your teeth, and fix your hair, your bagel long forgotten. Before you could even get dressed for the day, there was a knock on your door.

“Do I have time to get changed?” You asked, opening the door to find Ricky and Vinny standing there.

“All the guys are already down there... can you do that on the bus?” Rick asked, pressing buttons on his camera before holding it up to face him.

“I guess.” You sighed, slipping your shoes on and grabbing your bag and suitcase.

“Good morning guys... It's out first night on tour after our week off, we just came to get y/n,” Rick says as you shut the door behind you and wave to the camera, “We’re about to go and check out of the hotel, I’ll see you when we’re on the bus!”

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

“Update, I’m tired! This tour never seems to be ending,” Justin groaned, pointing at the camera, ignoring Ryan as he reminds him everybody's just taken a week off, “Uh.. We’re on our way to tonight's venue- And hey, look, y/n’s with us today! Rick has an extra person to annoy… So he can leave me alone now! Please! Thank you!” He pointed at you with a smirk as he backed away. 

“Fuck you!” You called out, laughing as Ricky panned the camera toward you, waiting for you to say something.

You were sitting beside Vinny, who had his head resting on your shoulder as he watched you play a game. He was acting like nothing happened yesterday, like nothing happened over the weekend, which you wouldn't complain about- it saved all the awkwardness and questions. You were waiting for a moment alone with him where you could talk about yesterday, and what he really meant in his message last night. However, with Rick's camera in your face, you worried you wouldn't get a chance.

“Update,” you sighed, faking a smile, “I’m playing animal crossing and procrastinating. I have photos to edit but I don’t want to do it yet because my laptop is fucked, I'm scared it's actually going to blow up, so I’m waiting until I can steal Bryan’s when we get to the venue-"

“Oh is that a fish?” Vinny pointed at the screen, “Can I catch it?”

“You can borrow my laptop.” Ricky offered, putting his camera down, “I don’t know what you usually use to edit but I have a few different apps and software's downloaded on it, you could play about with them and see if they're any good.”

“Really?” You looked up at him in surprise. “I’d really appreciate that, Rick. Thanks.”

“Of course! I’ll go and get it.” 

“Vin, I am trusting you with my island, don't cause any trouble or spend all my bells... She's in your hands.” You say, passing him your switch before getting up to follow Ricky. 

“I feel honoured.” He smiled. "I'll take good care of it."

As you followed Rick back to the bunks, you noticed he was on a call, and you didn’t want to interrupt. You awkwardly stood there as he spoke, keeping your eye on Vinny as you tried your best not to listen in, but you couldn't help it.

“Should I tell him?” Ricky tried to keep his voice low. “Or do you want to keep it a surprise?... Yeah? Okay… Well, that’s great. Sure, I'll let you know, thank you! Bye.”

He hung up, turning to find you standing awkwardly in the hallway.

“Sorry, that was Vin’s dad,” Ricky explained, gesturing to his phone in his hand. “Don’t tell him, but his parents are coming to surprise him at our next show. They just wanted to double-check the details.”

Your heart sank, panic blooming in your chest. Vinny’s parents were coming?

“What?” Your mouth went dry, shaking your head. “No, I won’t say a word…”

“Thanks,” he smiled, “Anyway, here's my laptop, the password is Ryan's birthday."

You spent the entire journey to the next venue wondering how the hell you would go about the next show. Surely if you stayed with the Bad Omens guys then you wouldn’t cross paths with his parents, but then they’d be asking questions and if any of the others caught wind of the situation after this weekend you’d both have a ton of explaining to do.

Once you were at the next venue all the guys began setting up as you sat with Ryan, who had hurt his back the night before so was excused from any heavy lifting. You had gotten a few pictures of the guys throughout the morning so you could edit them with Rick’s laptop, playing about with the different editing apps he had installed.

“So how are you finding the tour?” Ryan asked, looking up from his phone. The two of you were sat outside the bus with a couple chairs you stole from the venue, the morning sun shining down bright onto the both of you.

“It’s nothing like I expected,” you admitted, “But it’s been fun. I’ve loved getting to know you guys... some more than others.”

“Oh yeah?” He smirked, looking over at Rick, wiggling his eyebrows

“What?”

“I saw you and Rick earlier,” he teased, “Isn’t Noah going to be upset?”

“Ricky?!” You burst out laughing, “No! Hasn’t he got a girlfriend?”

“I don’t know, does he?” Ryan furrowed his eyebrows, “If he does then I haven't met her. He’s quite a private guy, I guess.”

“Guess who…” A voice from behind you made you jump as you felt a pair of hands cover your eyes. 

“An angel?” 

“Close enough.” Angela smiled down at you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “Noah was asking about you by the way, I don’t think he realised I’ve literally just got here.”

“He is? Where is he?” You asked, and she pointed to the door that led inside. 

“He’s setting something up by the stage with Matt, he also asked if you were hungover but you don’t look it, what happened last night?” She chuckled. 

“Shit I forgot about last night.” You shook your head, watching Ryan smile as a curious look spread across Ang’s face. “There was a karaoke night at a bar by our hotel, long story short... Noah had to walk me back after a couple hours.”

“And you didn’t invite us!” Ryan gasped dramatically.

“I had to spend all weekend with Vin, I needed a break from you guys! Anyway, I guess I’ll go and look for Noah. I need to thank him for getting me back safe.” You said, getting up from the fold up chair and giving Angela a hug before you made your way into the venue. 

After a few minutes of wandering, you eventually found the guys and gave them a wave as you approached them. 

“How are you feeling?” Noah asked, laughing as he handed Matt something to plug into their sound equipment. 

“Not too bad,” you smiled, “Thanks for getting me to bed last night. I don’t remember too much of it if I'm being honest.” 

“I think that’s for the best,” Matt laughed, “Me and Bryan said you should go up there and sing just pretend tonight- give you a chance to finish what you started last night!"

“Give me a mic and I’ll do it.” You grinned as Noah shook his head. 

“I just wanted to make sure you’re alright, I asked Angela when she came through just now but she said she hadn't seen you."

“Yeah she sent me to you,” you smile, “Need any help with anything?” You felt quite helpless as you watched them all stress over whether the cables were plugged into the right places and try to figure out which one was loose.

"No, I think we're good." Noah slowly nodded his head, carefully watching Matt take his hat off to scratch his head.

He wondered whether he should bring up the message from Vinny last night, but he didn't want you to think he was snooping on your phone. Despite his curiosity, he chose not to bring it up, but he'd keep his eye on you today instead, maybe he could piece things together. He thought perhaps he could start by asking you one simple question...

Y/n," Noah begun, but was interrupted by Chris.

“You could go and get some pictures of Rick over there,” Chris laughed from behind you, and as you turned you spotted Ricky standing with his guitar on him with his phone in his hand, “Catch his ass slacking!” He grinned. 

However, you were quickly distracted by Vinny at the drums. Shirtless at the drums. Sure, it was hot in this venue, but everybody else managed to stay fully dressed. 

“I... uh, left my camera by the bus,” you say, “I’ll get it and I’ll be right back.” 

As you left, you could see Vinny glancing at you. You tried not to blush as you pushed the doors open and made your way back to the bus. You desperately wanted to tell him about the news you received from Ricky, to put a plan in place to stop them from saying anything to the others, but you also wanted his parents visiting to be a nice surprise for him. 

However, there was one thing that was for sure- you needed to talk to Angela. 

“Back so soon?” Angela gave you a smile as you sat back at the table, you had passed Ryan on the way out, leaving the two of you alone. "Everything good?"

“I forgot my camera.” You said, sighing as you sat back in the chair, “Ang, we have a problem.” 

“What is it?” She asked, putting her phone down on the table and taking off her sunglasses.

“Vin’s parents are coming to the next show to surprise him, but if you remember Vinny told them that I'm his-”

“Angela?” You heard Chris call out, spotting the two of you and smiling, “Do you want to get yourself set up?”

“Of course.” She nodded, watching as Chris put his thumbs up and walked back into the building. “Look, we’re not too far from my apartment for the next couple shows, why don’t you stay over tonight? I’ve got ice cream, wine,” she smiled, getting up from her chair, “We can have a catch up if you want?”

“I’d love that!” You grin, “Thank you.” 

“Any time!” She said, pulling you into a hug. 

As she left, you spotted your camera and picked it up, expecting to see some candid pictures of the guys when upload them onto the laptop, as it wasn’t in the place you had left it. 

As you made your way back into the venue, your camera in hand, you spotted Rick standing by the side, still absorbed in his phone. You grinned, ready to take the shot, but then you caught a glimpse of Vinny across the room. He was deep in conversation with the rest of the band, but his eyes kept flicking toward you, but you tried to ignore this.

You snapped a couple shots of Rick, chuckling to yourself as he didn't even seem to notice you were taking his picture. You glanced back over at Vinny, who began walking away from the group, heading backstage. He gave you a nod of his head, basically saying 'follow me'.

You left your camera by Nicholas, asking him to keep his eye on it as you followed Vin, trying to keep up with him.

“Hey.” He greeted you softly as you followed him into the room, he reached into the mini fridge, grabbing a couple bottles of water, holding one out to you.

"Hi," you smiled nervously. "So... I think we need to talk."

Vinny nodded.

"Yeah, I..." He paused, thinking of how to word his next sentence. "I'm sorry for snapping at you yesterday, you didn’t deserve that. I’ve just been so stressed lately with the tour, my parents, my roommate’s broken our tv…” He sighs, “And then I’ve been thinking about everything... About us, about you."

There was a vulnerability in the way he spoke that you had never heard before. Vinny was usually the most unserious guy in the room, always making people laugh and having fun, seeing him open up like this felt like you were seeing a whole new side of him.

"What do you mean?" You asked, meeting his gaze.

"That night at the hotel... That felt like more than just a fuck to me." He chuckled, "We weren't just releasing tension, were we? It felt… I dunno. I don't know how to explain it, y/n, but I know you felt it too."

You felt your chest tighten, and there was a lump in your throat as you nodded your head.

"I know... I did, I felt it too," you confess, "But we've talked about this before, Vin. There's Noah, and there's our friendship- I don't want to risk losing that if I hurt you again."

"You won't," he assures you, a soft smile on his face as he speaks, "I know your situation with Noah, and I'm telling you right now that if you're down for it then so am I."

"What exactly are you down for...?" You furrowed your eyebrows.

"You," he smirked, "Can we just give it a try maybe? I'm not asking for a relationship, I'm not asking for you to drop Noah but... Y'know, if you two still aren't exclusive then... Could we…?" He couldn’t bring himself to say the words.

"Last month you told me you can't do this," you frowned, "You told me you’ve been in an arrangement like this before and you can’t do it again. You're totally sure this is okay? You know we'll have to keep everything a secret, right? Folio, Matt and Angela know about us, Ricky’s bound to find out at some point, but it can’t go any further, okay?"

Vin was silent as he nodded his head.

"I know," he sighed, "It's taken some time but I've realised that's what I want. The thrill of it, the risk, I'm willing to give it a try if you are."

You exhaled slowly, a hesitant smile tugging at your lips.

"Okay… If you're sure you really want this. But if anyone, especially Noah, starts asking questions…" you added, "We're just friends."

"Of course," he nods, "But I need to know something, I've been wondering for a while now and I apologise if it's too invasive...”

“Okay…”

“When we were talking about that feeling we felt back in the hotel this weekend, do you feel that when you're with Noah?"

You thought for a moment. Sure, you felt many things when you are with Noah, some things you don't feel around Vinny, but have you ever felt that?

When you’re with Noah you feel nothing but pure pleasure, and you know that’s his aim. He doesn’t care about himself when he’s with you, he prides himself in being a giver rather than a receiver. When you’re with Vinny, however, you feel like you’re both in the moment, you’re connected- dare you even say it, you feel love.

Was that what that feeling was?

Before you could even open your mouth to answer, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway, and you both turned to see Noah walking in, phone in his hand.

"Everything okay?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked between you and Vinny.

You nodded quickly, trying to think of something to say.

"Yeah, uh, are you ready for tonight?"

"Our biggest crowd so far? Yeah, I'd say so." He smiled, bending down to plug his charger into his phone. “How are you feeling?”

“Kinda nervous,” you confess, “Vin was giving me a pep talk, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, "Anyway I'd better, uh... Get back to the others." Vinny said, giving you a soft smile before leaving the room.

There was quite a silence between you and Noah as you both stood there, opposite sides of the room. He was the one to break the silence first, taking a breath as he crossed his arms before he asked.

"So... What did Vinny not want Rick to find out about?"

You scoffed, screwing your face in confusion.

"What?"

"I saw he texted you last night, I didn't mean to look but your phone was right in front of me and I saw the message. Then, I come in here to charge my phone and it's like I walked in on something, you both had the same look in your eyes as if to say 'oh shit!' when you saw me. Is there something going on between you two?"

"No, Noah..." You chuckled, trying your best to be as convincing as possible as you lie straight to his face, "He didn't want Ricky to find out about the birthday present he bought in New York!" You were shocked as the words left your lips, how you covered your back so quickly, "I accidently said something about it without realising he was there, Vin was pissed and... Yeah." You pressed your lips together as you nodded your head.

You couldn't tell if Noah bought your story or not, but he didn't question anything.

Surely that was a good sign, right?

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

@rumoured-whispers @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard @lma1986 @thisbicc @dominuslunae @miss570 @miamore0570 @jilliemiw86 @itsyaboinoah @kait16xo @discocowgirly @rainy-darling

[laceandsilkhandkerchiefs]

Aches and Pains (Snzfic, Original Characters)

Cowboy snz?

Cowboy snz.

Brief warning that this story involves a bit of whump in the form of broken ribs (nothing graphic, though). Also as a contextual note, one of the two main characters in this is unable to speak due a previous injury. He uses a little bit of sign language as well as a lot of body language to communicate, so be sure to look out for that.

Enjoy!

Wyoming, 1921

"You're an idiot, Jesse Black."

Jesse met Sophie's gaze over the bowl of soup he was eating while propped up in bed against a small mountain of pillows, looking suitably sheepish. With his dark hair still slightly damp and plastered to his face, rosy with a low fever, Sophie was finding it increasingly difficult to be angry with him.

That didn't mean she couldn't still try, though.

"Doctor Clayton said you had to be either very brave or very stupid to try and single-handedly save a whole herd of cattle from that flash flood like you did, and I'm inclined to agree with him. What were you thinking?" Sophie looked down at her lap. "You could've hit your head, or been killed even, or-"

Jesse cut her off by reaching for the end of the long braid she wore her hair in and tugging on it gently. She looked up into his worried brown eyes and he smiled apologetically at her.

"I'm sorry," he signed.

Sophie sighed. "I know."

Jesse looked as if he wanted to say more, but his expression grew hazy instead and he ducked into his hand with a soft sneeze. He gritted his teeth afterwards, wincing noticeably as he lay back against the pillows. Something in Sophie's chest squeezed as she observed him, and she only hesitated a second before she reached out and placed her hand against his forehead. It was all damp heat, but he felt a little cooler than he had a few hours earlier, which she took as a good sign. He also relaxed into her touch, and Sophie let her hand linger for another moment. When Jesse's eyes fluttered she reluctantly removed her hand and gently took the almost-empty bowl of soup and spoon from him.

"You should rest," she remarked, though she wasn't sure if he was quite awake anymore. "Only you could manage to break two ribs and come down with a cold on the same day."

A noiseless huff of a laugh, followed by a soft hiss as he accidentally jostled his ribs, was her answer. Sophie smiled to herself and placed the bowl on the dresser next to the bed. "Serves you right."

She turned back to see Jesse glaring at her, though with only one eye open he looked less like the rough-and-tumble cowboy she was used to and more like a grumpy bedraggled cat. His attempt to be fearsome was ruined even more thoroughly by another sneeze, this one more violent than the last. "H'tsh!" A barely audible raspy groan followed, along with a few weak coughs. Sophie winced sympathetically.

"Here." She crossed back to the bed and reached behind his head for a small pillow. She placed it against his left side, where his injured ribs were. "Better?"

Jesse smiled and nodded. "Thank you," he signed.

Sophie blushed. "Of course."

She made to stand and leave him to rest, but Jesse quickly grabbed her hand and patted the empty space on the bed beside him.

Stay? he mouthed.

Sophie glanced at the door, but it was shut firmly against outside observation. She had a little while yet before someone came looking for her. Turning back to Jesse, she nodded shyly, lying down next to him slowly and carefully so as to avoid aggravating his injuries. When they were face-to-face he smiled sleepily at her, and she in turn reached out to place a gentle hand on his chest.

"You should get some rest," she murmured.

Jesse placed his large hand on top of her small one, intertwining their fingers, in answer. Sophie gently pressed a kiss to his hand.

"Good night, Jesse."

[lou-struck]

6 vs 1

Beelzebub x reader

W.C: 2.1k

~ After a hard day's work helping Barbatos advert a royal disaster, you are sent home with a special little treat for yourself. But while you sleep, Beel is locked in a losing battle against his Sin.

Warnings: Mentions of food/eating, Asmo being Asmo, someone getting tied up, brotherly shenanigans.

"I appreciate you coming over to assist me, MC. "Barbatos smiles, setting a large box on the polished kitchen counter. "Your assistance is invaluable, not only to me but to the crown. Tomorrow's event will surely be a success due to your efforts."

You smile and look at the butler. "It was no problem, Barbatos. I'm glad we were able to get everything done in time. I still can't believe that the catering company handled the demonus shipment so recklessly."

"Indeed, without your help, the party supplies would've been ruined." He looks a bit tired but gives you a warm smile. "It's getting late, I'd hate to waste any more of your time tonight. Shall I walk you home?"

You shake your head, "No, it's alright. You worked way harder than I have today. You should rest."

"Thank you for your consideration. Perhaps it's best that we both retire early. "He smiles wearily, reaching for a little parcel on the table wrapped carefully with a little teal bow that matches the tips hair of his hair. He handles the little bundle with care as he hands it to you.

"What is that for?" You ask regarding it.

"Oh, it's just something I whipped up for you earlier. It's my way of saying thank you for everything you've done for me today."

Your curiosity gets the better as you as you gently loosen the bow and peak at the little gift. The sweet smell of golden crust and sugared fruit reaches your nose as you take in the beautiful miniature blood strawberry cheesecake before you. "This looks delicious, almost too delicious to eat," you murmur. "Thank you so much Barbatos, but may I ask you something?"

"Perhaps, what is that you wish to know?" he replies carefully.

"When exactly did you have time to make this?" you ask, not remembering anything where he could've slipped away to prepare this still-fresh treat.

He chuckles, and his eyes light up with amusement, "Only an hour ago. It was nothing at all; if I couldn't manage to pull together a reward for my favorite human, I wouldn't be able to call myself a butler.

"You are incredible, and this treat looks amazing," you say politely, excusing yourself. "I'll have it with my breakfast tomorrow, but I think we both need to get some rest. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Indeed, then have a good night, Mc," he raises his hand, and before you can blink, you find yourself teleported off to the house of Lamination in a cloud of purple smoke. Apparently, Barbatos could not bear to have you walk home in the dark with you in such a state of exhaustion. 

You understand why. Your steps are sluggish as you make your way through the darkened hallways until you stumble sleepily into the kitchen. You fling open the fridge door quite recklessly, causing quite a clatter as you place your treat carelessly into the chilled air before stumbling into your adjacent room and flopping down on the unmade covers, still in your shoes. 

You are fast asleep before your head even hits the pillow, and soon, the peaceful sound of your slumber fills the air. And you, unaware of the problem you have unintentionally created.

~

Beel is Starving…

The Avatar of Gluttony had just awakened from quite the dream. He was chasing after a giant burger on legs around the Fangol field. He kept calling out to stop because he wanted to try just a little bite, but it kept running until it vanished.

Sitting up, the Demon licks his lips and feels his stomach calling out to him. He doesn't blame it; after all, all that dream cardio he did really made him hungry.

His strong legs carry the still-drowsy Demon down to the kitchen like it's second nature. But he still knows to be quiet since he knows that you are sleeping in the next room over.

He grips the fridge handle and opens it, squinting in the bright light as he spots something resting on the center shelf. It's small and tied with a cute ribbon. A sweet-smelling little treat like this certainly would not have gone unnoticed by him the last time he was poking around the fridge.  

He breathes in deeply; his inhuman sense of smell picks up the delectable aroma wafting from the package. It's definitely a pastry of some sort. When he picks it up, however, he notices that written on the little tag in a careful pen is your name. 

This treat must be yours. 

You weren't at dinner since you were helping Barbatos get ready for the party tomorrow so he must've given the treat to you as a thank you. But despite its belonging to you, Beel wants it badly. His stomach growls as the Sin of Gluttony calls out to him. Any other food in the fridge is meaningless now. This is the treat that his Sin wants him to eat.

He shuts the fridge and sets the little parcel on the countertop. It takes all of his willpower to not rip open the package right then in there.

His legs are shaky as he takes a step back, but his eyes never leave the flimsy bow that separates him from his craving. 

What if he just ate a little nibble of it?

You probably wouldn't mind, especially since you always like to share your treats with him when you bring them home from the castle. But you're asleep; he can't just wake you up after you have been working so hard to ask you for your permission.

The Demon grits his teeth as he tries to do the right thing. But he knows he doesn't have the strength to do it alone.

His eyes fill with tears of hunger as he sits down on one of the kitchen barstools and tries his best to ignore the beast inside of him.

~

There is not much that can wake Belpheghor in the middle of the night. 

One time, he even slept through the fire alarm after Levi's lava lamp caught fire. But tonight, something pulls the Avatar of Sloth from his slumber.

'Beel…'

His eyes open as he stares across the room, but he sees that his twin is not in his bed. The sight of the empty sheets makes the uneasy feeling in his chest only grow. 

Beel needs his help…

He gets out of bed, grabs his DDD, and lets the invisible string that ties him to his twin guide him down to the kitchen. Where he finds the sixth born hunched over on the barstool, his fingers digging into the metal causing it to warp under his touch.

"Beel?" he asks sleepily. "What's wrong?"

His twin looks up at him with darkened eyes, "Belphie, m'n hungry." 

"Then why don't you eat something?" He asks. It's then he notices your little parcel sitting on the counter, still untouched.

"I don't want anything else, but I can't eat it. It's Mc's," he says with a frown. "But I don't know how much longer I can hold back."

Belphie nods and looks at his twin with sympathy and understanding in his gaze. "I see, so what do you need me to do?"

"Help me." He pleads; the pitiful sound is smothered by a vicious growl in his stomach. The sound seems to shake the room, and belphie flinches, worried that the sound will somehow wake you.

Belphie knows that stopping Beel is going to require more than just his strength. In order to protect your happiness and Beel's sanity he is going to have to call in some reinforcements.

~

You are awakened by a sound akin to a herd of elephants stomping just on the other side of the door. Your throat is parched from your hard work earlier, and you lie down, waiting for the noise to stop.

'Who is out there?' you wonder to yourself. 

Whoever it is, you want to give them a piece of your mind, but you really don't want to get out of bed. You place a pillow over your head to muffle the noise, but the scuffle only gets louder. Curiously, you peek over to the doorway and see through the crack in the floor that whoever is out there is moving quite a lot, and you begin to grow concerned.

"Oi, get him to stop squrimin~," a voice says before being met with a chorus of loud sushes. "Shut up Mammon," a lower voice hisses. "Are you trying to wake Mc?"

"You're such an idiot Mammon," a lighter voice chides in a sing-song voice. "Just keep the rope steady so I can tie it in a pretty bow."

Is he restraining someone?

An Intruder?

Tired or not, you have to see what is going on. Curiosity gets the better of you, and you slide out of the comfort of your bed and creep over to the doorway to get a better idea of what is going on.

"Asmo, I know you're used to tying ropes, but you gotta change your genera down there; this is an action scene, not romance.." a voice says, and you can clearly tell that it is Levi.

"Ohhh, my bad Hon," Asmo giggles. And you bet all the Grimm in your wallet he is giving Levi a signature wink.

"Pay attention," another voice hisses, "We are losing him…"

A new, muffled voice lets out a deep cry of agony, and you hear the scuffling begin once again. "What the hell is going on?" you murmur to yourself as you twist your doorknob and step out into the kitchen. 

"Everyone stop!" Your strong command permeates the room and the cluster of bodies freeze as you pactmarks warm under your clothes. Their eyes dart to the doorway where a very tired-looking you stands. Your face in a deep pout as you stare at them with your arms crossed over the front of the adorable pajama set Asmodeus gave you. "It is four in the morning; why in the three realms are you having this disagreement outside of my room?"

The group of six brothers stand and part silently to reveal a tied-up Beelzebub on the floor; his mouth is gagged, and a pained expression rests on his face. His kicked-puppy expression hurts your heart, and you walk over and crouch next to the large Demon. "Beel, what happened? Did you try to eat the pantry again?"

You gently remove the gag, and he shakes his head. "No, I asked them to do this, but then I got hungry and started fighting back."

You look to the others to see if he is telling the truth and is met with six awkward nods. "Why would you want to be tied up?"

"Because…" his eyes drift to the counter where your treat from Barbatos sits untouched. "I didn't want to eat your treat."

"And he won't'" Lucifer says, encasing the parcel in magic as it vanishes from sight. "When you want to eat your snack, Mc, you can summon it in the morning."

"Thank you, Lucifer," you say stiffly as you are caught between your feelings of exhaustion and those of guilt for causing this little disturbance. 

"I'm glad that you're okay Beel," Belphies says, changing the subject and smiling sleepily at his brother. "I'm really proud of you for holding back until we got help."

"Thank you, Belphie, I just didn't want to make Mc sad." he frowns 

"Well, if that's all, I'm going back to bed. I need my beauty sleep," Asmo yawns, padding out of the room as the rest of his brothers follow, leaving you alone with Beel.

As gently as you can, you start to undo his restraints. His struggle from before caused some painful-looking marks to appear on his skin, but he didn't seem to mind it as his stomach began to growl again. "Still hungry?"

He nods, looking absolutely distressed. "Yes."

"I know how hard it is for you to hold yourself back. Thank you for not eating my snack," you say softly, running the pad of your thumb over the little indentation on his wrist.

"I really didn't want to take it from you, especially after you have been working so hard." he says, with a frown, "but I got so hungry, and it smelled so good I couldn't help myself.

Your heart flutters as you grab the Demon's larger hand. "We can share it tomorrow before the party, but for now, how about I make you something else to eat, and then we can get back to bed."

At the prospect of eating something made by your loving hands and staying the night in your room, he nods eagerly, looking at you like you told him you had just invented the Turducken. "I would like that."

Tagging: @pixelcafe-network

[profundcherrylady]

Analysis on Mabel (Part 2)

They were both very temperamental people who were going through their own hell, and it wouldn't be fair to say one had it worse than the other, because yes, Stan did spend all those years trying to get Ford back through the portal and didn't even get a "thank you", but he had been warned about the dangers of said portal and the reason why he fell into it in the first place was because of a fight that could've been avoided in the first place. I feel like there are situations like this one where it's not a matter of who was in the "right" because pointing fingers doesn't solve anything nor does any good to any of the people involved. Which is why, getting back to the main topic, is so absurd to expect Mabel to be better than these two. I mean Stan ruined Ford's proyect being fairly older and more mature than Mabel (not for that many years, but still, they were almost in college) so how does him making that selfish decision make more sense than Mabel being an emotional pre-teen?. Mabel was a 12 year old who asked for ONE more day of summer because she was scared of being left behind, which if it did actually happen it wouldn't had caused any harm to anybody, she also didn't know what was the thing that Dipper had in his backpack or what could unleash, nor that Blendin's body was being possesed like Bill. Not even we as an audience knew at the time, so how could we expect HER to know? Things had been going bad for her all day and one more day of summer wasn't going to kill anybody, which is why she was tricked. I think it's incredible how people seem to forget that fact... she was tricked, she had been promised something harmful by someone she trusted. And besides, as it has been said, staying with Ford was NOT the right decision for Dipper either; he was not thinking clearly when he almost accepted, nor Ford was when offering it tbh. Something reasonable would've been, I don't know, tell him that they could both come back to Gravity Falls every summer and during the summer he could be his apprientance, which would have let Dipper learn a lot without taking out all other parts of his life, letting him live his life, go to school, interact with other kids his age and socialize and stay with Mabel while helping out Ford during the summer. Mabel during the weirdmaggedon is a bit different, because she had been told people were suffering out of her bubble but she still wanted to stay, but thinking back it isn't THAT crazy. Like.. she was in the one place she knew she wasn't getting harmed in the middle of the apocalypse as long she just didn't leave, which is selfish of course considering none of it was real, but regardless in a situation of crisis a lot of people would be making the selfish choices, so I don't feel like I'm in a place to judge. So in conclusion, Mabel, they could never make me hate you; she is a very complex character which is what I love about her.

[makemeimmortalwithahug]

2024 WRITING REVIEW

thank you for the tag @ahyperactivehero !!

stress free tags: @oddessea @nix-nihili @read-write-thrive

number of stories posted to ao3: 8! Exclusively Dead Boy Detectives and I started in August, there will be more in 2025!

word counted posted for last year: 45,885 words

fandoms i wrote for: Dead Boy Detectives

pairings: mainly payneland, but also palasaki

stories with the most kudos, bookmarks and comment threads:

kudos: I'll Love You Carefully - A cursed Edwin falls from the Tower Bridge and Charles rushes to his rescue

bookmarks: also I'll Love You Carefully (something about protective!Charles just hits right)

comment threads: The Road to Ruin - Edwin gets taken to Hell for the second time but Charles is in a much much worse mental state

work i’m most proud of (and why):

it must be The Road to Ruin because I am actually proud of my characterisation of Charles and it's my first attempt at a multi chapter fic, so that alone is enough for it to have a special place in my heart. I love really getting into the Hell aspect of it all and I think the introspective nature has something to it that I previously never quite managed to capture with my writing.

work i’m least proud of (and why):

probably How Could You Think, Darling, I'd Scare So Easily? - Charles gets capture by Esther and Edwin rescues him Tam Lin style. It was the second fic I ever posted but I have to say I should've worked longer on it. It's not bad but I realised that it could've been more angsty and it feels kind of rushed when I reread it now

share or describe a favorite review you received:

it was so hard to pick just one because I love every single comment and they all make me stay motivated and want to get better. But if it's just one, then probably this one:

(sorry for all the tags btw, oddessea dear, you've been such a huge part of my journey on ao3, I cannot thank you enough!)

I think this is the one comment that genuinely made me tear up because I had been struggling with the way I wanted to write this fic and reading that it apparently worked out was just absolutely bloody wonderful

a time when writing was really, really hard:

Probably the last few weeks because I have all of these ideas but also a lot of pressure (put there by myself, mind) to have them turn out perfectly. I won't get into any details, but real life hasn't been too good either for a while now, so it's hard to get into the right mindset sometimes. But it will get better

a scene or character you wrote that surprised you:

Crystal surprised me a lot! I adore her so much and I want to do her complexity justice and while I don't think I have posted a lot of Crystal yet, I enjoyed writing my palasaki fic Bloom Like A Flower so much because it allowed me to show that while Crystal is incredibly powerful and has been through a lot, she's still a teenager

a favourite excerpt of your writing:

I think this one stuck with me:

He pressed Charles even closer to himself, as if he wanted to embrace him fully, so as to not let any of his demons reach Charles in any way. Charles moved to brace his hands against Edwin, somewhere between resting them on his shoulders and pressing them against his collarbones. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to push Edwin away in desperation or pull him closer until no one could untangle them anymore. Edwin was coming undone around him and there was nothing for Charles to do to ease his pain. It was obvious that whatever Edwin was seeing, hearing, feeling, it was paranoia and not something Charles could see. How could you help someone who saw the world burning and crashing around them while you were still standing on solid ground, mere millimeters between both of your realities? - The Case of the Turning Key

how did you grow as a writer last year:

A lot, seeing as I had never written fanfic before and had been struggling with my original works for so long that calling it "writer's block" would've been a huge understatement. So just the fact that I managed to finish 7 (!) fics is already a huge accomplishment for me. Apart from that, I got better at finding the characters' voices when changing POVs.

who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc.)

shoutout to a few people as well!

I obviously have to thank @im-perfectly-normal-about-this for listening to my yapping about various ideas in dms and giving me feedback on my Charles characterisation! I appreciate you so much!

Also dear @oddessea for making my day with every single comment you write!

And then of course the entire DBDA Haunt server. Joining was probably the best decision I made in 2024 and all of our discussions in the writers room are so special to me.

Thank you to: @genevievefangirl, @ahyperactivehero, @read-write-thrive, @moonikabear, @dead-but-still-sarcastic, @zmorak (I'm so sorry if I forgot anyone! Y'all are all so loved!!)

anything from your real life show up in your writing last year:

definitely, little nods to things I enjoy or have done myself. I am good at projecting my own insecurities and problems onto Charles and of course the best example would be Days by the Sea - the agency goes on vacation in Scotland. That was entirely created from my wish to someday visit Scotland

any new wisdom you can share with other writers:

have fun!! When I don't pressure myself into writing and just do it for fun, I get the best results, not because they're perfect or anything, but because I genuinely enjoy working on them and then also feel good about finishing them. Having fun is already a big step

any projects you’re looking to starting (or finishing) this year?

The Road to Ruin will defintely find an ending in 2025! Apart from that, I obviously have my F1 AU that I've been yapping about. A different Modern AU and then let's see what I'll come up with next 👀 I'm looking forward to this year <3

[synergysilhouette]

My frustration with "Maleficent" (2014)

I kind of mentioned it before, but I can't stand this movie. While I enjoy the cast and the gothic vibe, the film ultimately failed to be what I wanted from a "Sleeping Beauty" adaptation for a few reasons.

Aurora is STILL a plot device rather than a character--While she's seen a bit more in the remake, she's characterized as naive and lacking the sense of concern or danger that her OG self had about strangers. Remake Aurora is a means to an end in the Maleficent vs Stefan battle rather than feeling like she has her own autonomy; she's a pawn. It's just as bad as being a princess who randomly stoked the ire of a fairy.

2. Leah and Stefan exist only to make Maleficent look good--In the original film, Leah is only shown a little and Stefan slightly more, being a protective father who understands the possibility of Aurora being overwhelmed when learning about being a princess and having an arranged marriage. But for whatever reason, the remake takes away from them rather than adds to them. Leah (now named Leila) is alive in the beginning of the film, but died offscreen at some point before Aurora was reunited with her. This was obviously done in order to make Maleficent the mother figure to Aurora, even though Aurora could've had both, with Leila being a more gentle and kindly figure in contrast to the pessimistic and scarred Maleficent. And Stefan is ruined, made into a treacherous man who betrayed Maleficent to be named the king's heir and cares nothing for Aurora other than keeping her from Maleficent. Nothing about him really seems to show caring or compassion for her, and it feels as though he only seeing Aurora as something to own as being king.

3. The fairies are downgraded in their role--One can argue that Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather may have not always been the best guardians, the 1959 film makes sure to showcase that they have a good sense of caution and concern, warning Aurora of strangers and attempting to lock the house to prevent their magic from being exposed. They also help to rescue Aurora from Maleficent's clutches; Phillip couldn't have defeated her without them. However, in the remake, Knotgrass, Thistlewit, and Flittle (why they didn't keep the OG names, I have no idea) are much more out of their depth with Aurora, easily distracted with each other and only took her in by Stefan's command, rather than volunteering to look after her. Along with this, their personalities and individual dynamics are not as fleshed out beyond Knotgrass being bossy. They don't help in the battle, and while caring about Aurora, they saw looking after her as more of a hassle than anything--not to mention that it's only thanks to Maleficent that Aurora grew up safe and sound.

4. Phillip is a red herring--While originally a mature and heroic figure, the remake makes him feel much more youthful and naive. While this itself isn't an issue, he fails to do anything for Aurora rather than be a love interest; he isn't even a plot device like Aurora. He's just there. They could've easily removed him from the story and it be pretty much the same.

(Nevermind that this film isn't a musical.) Altogether, if they wanted to do a remake/reimagining of their own "Sleeping Beauty," I think they could've made Maleficent a tragic figure without demonizing/ruining everyone else's character (or in Aurora's case, doing nothing); make Maleficent always an ostricized figure who's hurt by not being invited to Aurora's christening, and during the final battle, Aurora, the fairies, and Phillip appeal to her better nature rather than kill her. OR if you really want to experiment, you could make Phillip a disguise conjured by Diaval to lead Aurora to Maleficent, only to fall in love with her. It's cliche, but different from the OG version.

[altschmerzes]

☔Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

OH GOSH YEAH THERE IS it's called 'without grace, without understanding' (thanks wrinkle in time) and it's a reimagining of the training arc with roy and jamie in season 3

this got a little long so it is..... under a cut lsdfkjs.

update: 'a little long' this is basically a fic in itself lmfao WHOOPSIES. i guess i may as well actually tag it, enjoy... whatever this is.

started off with me thinking about the myriad of ways that could've been a fascinating plot to use to explore those two characters' trajectories and their relationship to themselves and each other and this sport. roy's lack of trust in himself and his conviction that he ruins things.

and it's like... thinking about how roy's approach is uh. a bit much sometimes and jamie particularly doesn't necessarily react super well to that and has a tendency to take things the wrong way even when they are well delivered, and thinking about roy's concerns this season about his coaching skills. that he's REALLY worried about being a good coach. and the stuff in season 2, where he was worried he was Ruining Phoebe somehow, just.

and there's the jamie of it all. him trying to hard to be better, to do better, not sure how to make it work. how to make it happen. how to be as good as zava, be better than zava. still trying to deserve the second chance he's been given. still a brat a lot of the time bc he is who he is but also trying so hard to be good. be cooperative. be a team player. Work Hard Enough.

so you get into the actual training of it, right. they're working together one on one, and roy is pushing him. hard. and i looked at that and went. okay this is supposed to be humorous but also what if we took it seriously. what if roy pushed him TOO hard and jamie just let him because he’d do basically whatever roy told him to and thinks he’s supposed to shut up and not whine and Be Good. and this somehow ends up pushing jamie so hard he’s just completely exhausted or hurt somehow and roy is absolutely horrified by this. and is like NOPE i cant do this i shouldn’t be doing this and doesn’t really communicate to jamie why he’s calling it off. he just does it. so jamie thinks he’s done something wrong and roy thinks he’s protecting jamie by (freaking out and) walking away and it’s a MESS they gotta sort out.

somewhere in there there's a thing with roy and the coaches or the diamond dogs as a whole, right. after he's walked away from training jamie one on one and their relationship is extremely strained bc roy is spiralling beyond proportion like Oh Fuck, Oh Gd, I Was Ruining Him, I Was Hurting Him and jamie is like He's Done With Me He Don't Want Fuck-All To Do With Me. so things are... weird. they're not really talking. they're both upset and hating it. but roy sort of. he doesn't stop coaching jamie again at all, but he does sort of. he pulls back. he goes stiff and distant and doesn't engage. he doesn't ice him out like in s2 but he's not. there. either.

and so they're talking and he's like. (in his mind the training is like. paused. they're Taking A Break.) but he's like. i need to talk to you about jamie. and the others are like... yeah, sure seems like it! and roy just admits. i don’t know how to train him. what i know how to do isn’t working. what worked on me isn’t working (ted/beard/someone voice maybe it perhaps Didn’t Work On You in a good way, but-) so What Do I Do.

which gives ted the opportunity to pay it forward with some advice and just - positive reinforcement. maybe try approaching this differently. he’s destroying himself trying to make you happy, make you proud, do good in your eyes. he idolizes you, not sure how AWARE of that you are, but he does. still. maybe try using that - tell him what he’s doing right.

(and that's the fuck of it all right is like. there's this part of roy that's been wondering if he's a bad coach for the opposite reason, too. he's been wondering if he's been too soft on jamie, and maybe that was the problem. it was something that was gnawing at him, before jamie worked himself sick/hurt and he realized his approach was massively backfiring, that like... maybe he was a bad coach because he couldn't be harsh enough. but he couldn't just. he couldn't stomach being like the coaches he'd had, he just couldn't do it. and then that happened, and obviously that wasn't it, but it was in there somewhere)

but so he talks a bit about that there, like, it comes up somehow - the coaches he had when he was young. when he was a kid and when he was coming up. he talks about how he was trained and they’re like right okay sure and how do you feel about those coaches now? how did they make you feel about yourself? is that how you want jamie to feel about you? is that how you want to know he feels when you talk to him?

he doesn't. he doesn't want jamie to feel like that about him, to feel like that when looking at him. because roy respected those coaches and wanted them to be impressed with him but he was afraid of them too. and he never thought for a minute that he ever lived up to their expectations. and fuck, gd, he never, ever wants that for jamie.

and that's the point ted and beard and company sort of gently make to him too like.

and so it's like. he trusts you. he looks up to you. he'd do anything you asked him to. that's good, that helps, but it means you gotta be careful too, y'know?

so he has to figure out a new approach. and it's like. roy doesn't need a personality transplant, don't get me wrong. he's never gonna be ted and he doesn't need to be. that's not the goal here. it's about figuring out how to be tough without being mean, right? and maybe a little about figuring out how to let himself soften.

(especially since half the time it’s his own younger self he’s hollering at imo. and so treating jamie better sort of asks him to realize he should’ve been treated better too. Be Kinder To Him And In Doing So Give Your Own 24 Year Old Self Some Gentleness And Grace.)

so roy offers to resume training with him after some other stuff happens etc, this is the part i have less thought through lmao.

(there's a subplot also with isaac and captain stuff and figuring out there's something up with jamie and not knowing what and trying to piece it together. love that too.)

and there's a scene in the end, right, where we get this whole... they've sorted things out, they're resuming training again, roy has extracted a promise from jamie to Speak The Fuck Up if things aren't going well, and he's promised to be less of a hardass generally, and then there's a bit where he like. apologizes for ever having been that hard on jamie in the first place and not thinking about whether that was the right approach.

and jamie just... he shrugs. he's not affected by this. "gotta make sure i don’t go soft, yeah?" and roy is like. no. absolutely not. stop right there.

which is when roy then makes the very specific point that like. when they talk about jamie’s performance on the pitch and how he should approach it sometimes he needs to be a prick, and he needs to worry about being permissive or passive or whatever else, but even if they have to bust out a thesaurus they will not be referring to him as soft. we will not be using that language here. do you understand me?

which... jamie. doesn't, really. he's like ??? and tries to brush it off at first like pshh that’s just the same thing “don’t want to be noncommittal or passive on the pitch ain’t that just the same thing as soft just more letters” and roy is like no. no it’s not. there’s implications in- in calling someone soft that there ain’t in there, and even if it is, so what. that’s a word that’s been used to hurt you. right? and jamie’s just kinda sullenly silent and roy goes right. which is why im not fucking using it. that’s the fucking point im trying to make here. if i can help it im not gonna fucking hurt you because i really don’t want to.

which y'know. is a lot. it's a lot for both of them. but they figure it out.

i’ve been wanting to do something like this for a while tbh but keep being like no that’s excessive- that’s dramatic- whatever this arc is gonna turn into it doesn’t NEED to turn into an angsty character/dynamic study- but honestly who cares. why not have fun with it. why not get into some of the vast unexplored potential here. maybe one day i will.