#they also are usually last in their lineup IM JUST SAYING—

[akkivee]

more proof kuukou and fumiya should be meta besties, they are the windows to each other’s worlds lol

[nathaslosthershit]

“Notice me” “Beg for it" (LN4)

Summary: After what feels like centuries of back and forth flirting, Lando and his Mclaren teammate have tired people out with their inaction to do something about their very obvious crushes. Aka the 5 times they confused fans with their interactions + the one time they made everything clear (SMAU)

Part of my summer event! Warnings: Zak Brown, Reader sort of takes Oscar’s place? Also the timeline on this is weird sorry

mclaren

liked by georgerussell63, landonorris, and others

mclaren Proud to announce our official driver lineup for the next season as yourusername joins the McLaren family🧡! Can’t wait to see her and Lando in action next season👊🎊

username1 oh I am about to be unbearable once we get more content with these two

username2 i have no one i can tell about this

mclaren guess how we felt having to keep it a secret!

zbrownceo welcome to the family yourusername!

yourusername happy to be here!!!

yourusername Thank god the news is finally out, you all don’t know how hard it was to not scream it from the rooftops once I signed my contract

landonorris Wouldn’t want anyone else as a teammate 👊

yourusername I would

landonorris wasn’t what you were saying earlier

landonorris “oh Lando, what a dream come true to drive alongside you, I’ll be such a good teammate you’ll forget all about Carlos-whats-his-face and the other old guy”

danielricciardo why am I catching strays?

yourusername you’re saying I haven’t made a pretty good impression? Maybe I should have stayed at Alpine…

landonorris definitely not saying that, please don't leave

username3 the vibe between these two is off-

yourusername

liked by landonorris, mclaren, and others

yourusername P3! My highest yet 👊! What a blast this year has been so far and we have still got a couple races to go! While I could talk about how thrilled I am with my first podium in F1, it wouldn’t be right to not mention my teammate’s spectacular race, earning him his first F1 win. So happy I could be on the podium right next to you, Lando, to celebrate your first (of many) wins! 🎉

username1 they sure do put every other duo to shame with how much they support each other

username2 Lando’s win was amazing but my god I would rather talk about her overtakes

landonorris always the best supporter 👊

f1gossip

liked by 15,158 others

f1gossip Spotted: landonorris and yourusername seem to be spending quite a lot of time together on their summer break! While most teammates like to take this time to get away from the people they work with every day, these two seem to do the opposite, getting quite comfy with each other while on a eurotrip together.

username1 they can’t do this to me oh my god

username2 completely unprofessional in my opinion! They are coworkers they should not be vacationing together, especially since they are wearing revealing outfits at the beach. Disgusting how much this sport has changed

username3 you will live i swear its not that big a deal

username4 usually id argue against getting into drivers' business but it does seem inappropriate to be going to the beach and having dinner alone with your teammate…

username5 dont know who i am more jealous of tbh

username6 im sorry do you people not want them to get along?

yourusername

liked by zbrownceo, carlossainz, and others

yourusername team meetings and court (mclaren) ordered teammate bonding

username1 lando norris make it less obvious how in love with your teammate you are challenge (impossible)

zbrownceo I don’t think we ordered any bonding, you guys are close enough already. Maybe I will file a restraining order between you two so you guys stop distracting one another?

landonorris sorry boss 😞

yourusername boo you are no fun old man

zbrownceo want to rethink that last comment yourusername?

yourusername we promise we won’t distract each other as much, Mr. ZakBrownCEO

landonorris notice me

yourusername beg for it

carlossainz you both may be happy now but just wait until he replaces you with a fancy new teammate and forgets all about you

yourusername stop being a diva

landonorris

liked by 53,836 others

landonorris Going into today I wasn't expecting the technical failure that would cause us to have to retire the car. Because it wasn’t an easy day for me by any means, id much rather take the time to congratulate my favorite person on her first Formula 1 win. Seeing you grow from your rookie season till now has been such a wonderful thing to witness. Its even better to be by your side while you do it. No one is more deserving of this win. Congrats on your first (of many) wins :) 

username1 he is so in love i am sick

username2 who do they think they are fooling

usernamer3 so sorry to see you dnf 😢but glad to see you are in bright spirits

yourusername Lando 😭 such an incredible day and an even better celebration afterwords. Thanks for being by my side all this time, I couldn’t have done it without you

landonorris we both know damn well you would be just as successful, maybe even more considering how much of a distraction I am for you 😉

yourusername the only thing distracting about you is your stupid face and annoying personality

landonorris I guess you are just spewing out a bunch of lies today huh?

username4 they are already hot rich drivers why do they get to be in love too? 

username5 fr leave some happiness for the rest of us

yourusername

liked by 97,839 others

yourusername yes, we know you all knew this but let us have this moment please

username1 oh my god what a shock 🙄

username2 how will we ever get over this news🙄

username3 how could they have deceived us for so long

username4 nah i can’t even pretend like this is breaking news.

yourusername I knew it was a rumor but I wasn’t expecting everyone to know 😀

landonorris I always thought we were kind of discreet about it…

username5 are you kidding? It would be less obvious if you guys held up signs that said “we are in love”

[singaporesainz]

this will be very long, so fair warning, but, as someone who does pay close attention to mclaren, the idea that so many people are already projecting oscar to completely outperform lando so soon makes me a little wary... not only is it underestimating lando but it's also putting a lot of unnecessary expectation on oscar who will still only be in his second year.

learning things like tyre and race management takes longer than most would think, and some don't ever perfect it despite initial promise (though hopefully oscar does!). they're incredibly complex and not just one singular attribute to learn, but rather a collation of dozens and dozens of conditions with dozens and dozens of outcomes. it's hard, and shouldn't be expected within a year or two!

we also can't forget that lando's only just over a singular year older than oscar; the guy is still so young, and the idea that lando won't also be making year-on-year improvements to his intrinsic performance level is a little silly. neither of them are at their peaks yet, especially when you consider that intrinsic performance improvement usually tends to plateau around age 26/27 for athletes.

another important thing to consider when talking about lando's career specifically so far is he has still never had a car which is even vaguely in line with something that suits his driving style – so you could expect another order of improvement from him when he has a car he feels he can really push and rely on. the mclaren's handling has historically been incredibly odd and unpredictable; not knowing how a car will react from corner to corner, lap to lap will have undoubtedly put a cap on maximum performance and the ability to perform consistently, purely inherently with the car's characteristics, especially when you're pushing 110%.

neither driver has reached their ceiling yet, and to try and predict the outcome in this intra-team rivalry as anything other than just "closer than last year" feels a little presumptuous, and does a disservice to both of them.

i won't touch on the sprint win vs. no wins argument for lando and oscar when only "freak" wins have been available to either of them so far, and doesn't really hold water when really assessing talent in depth in the midst of extremely dominated eras of f1. especially when the strategy department of mclaren is still a bit crap.

but yeah. i imagine lando will remain ahead, but it should be closer just by virtue of oscar now having f1 experience at all of these tracks now, and the combined experience of a year in f1 and the comprehensive f1 testing programme he went through with both mclaren and alpine over 2022-2023.

it'll be interesting to see how lando specifically will develop if he's given a car competitive enough that he doesn't have to compromise his personal aspirations (eg. risks in w2w racing, strategy risks, putting it all on the line for a win) to prioritise the team result. until now mclaren has been prioritising low-risk racing, low-risk strategy and low-damage costs for the sake of what is essentially a midfield wcc each year lando's been there, amidst what has essentially been a money-strapped rebuilding phase.

we've only seen glimpses of how aggressive of a racer lando can be by virtue of him also being a smart racer who knows when it's actually worth risking something. seeing how oscar fits in at the front-end will be fascinating to see as well.

multiple years down the line, once both are fully mature, the lando/oscar argument will be a fun one to have, because we'll have the proper information to evaluate them with; but we don't as of yet. and that's partially why mclaren's lineup is so exciting :)

there isn't anyway i can properly reply to this whole post because i wouldn't know any better BUT i will say that i soo appreciate talks like this. i love talking about the nitty gritty, going deeper than what we see from race to race. im working on really understanding the cars and all that, so it was nice to read this.

thanks for taking the time, truthfully <3

[olsenmyolsen]

An Album, Apologies, and A Movie Premiere

Part 40 of On The Inside With Elizabeth Olsen

Word Count: 5.7K

masterlist

_

March 20th, 2022

IndieMusicNow "Well, the rumors are true! TikTok musician and record-signed artist Hex (real life name being Y/N Y/L/N) was announced by their record label to be releasing an album later this year. The exact details are still being kept under wraps. But this is one artist we don't want to miss."

Billboard Today "Following posts on all social media platforms today, Republic Records announced that newcomer Y/N Y/L/N, whose stage name was also announced to be Hex, will be joining the lineup of album releases this year. First-timers usually don't get this lucky; someone must've heard something. We just can't wait to see what it was."

PopCrave "Looks like All Eyes On Me artist Hex is going to be releasing an album later this year."

Entertainment Celebrity "Fans of Elizabeth Olsen's rumored partner have been spreading since the musician followed an account with their own stage name in the handle. Most are convinced that it's the artist themselves. And while we agree. We're just going to sit and wait."

"Edit: 3/22/22 @ 2:16 pm In a new tweet posted below; the artist confirmed that it was indeed them!"

"And again @ 2:23 pm."

"And @ 2:28 pm."

BuzzFeedMusic "Everything we know about the TikTok artist turned album maker Hex. Who are they? Where did they come from? And have they done shady things to get there? Plus! You'll never guess who they're dating!"

@lizziesfutureex      @BuzzFeedMusic not only is this shady writing but publicly blasting Lizzie and Y/N as a couple when they've never confirmed that they are together again is actually horrible

@hexthestars13      @lizziesfutureex wait... Hex is rumored to be dating Lizzie Olsen?? THE ELIZABETH OLSEN?? SASAHJKGSK

@lizziesfutureex      @hexthestars13 again only rumored but yes. you're a Hex fan did you not know??

@hexthestars13      @lizziesfutureex im new to the fandom after discovering her TikTok's and watching her performance from LA last year on YouTube. so no. i had no idea!

@lizziesfutureex    @hexthestars13 omg wait that's the show lizzie went to last year?!? The one with Ro***e!? Okay maybe I should open Spotify 👀

@hexthestars13      @lizziesfutureex 😊

@scrunchnoselizzie      @hexthestars13 @lizziesfutureex no but fr they be fuckin'. uhauled and everything.

@MadMaxMoore @yikesitshex fuck 'em ❤️🫶

@romanoffthereal     @yikesitshex never taking another one of their quizzes again 😌

@witcheswhores     @yikesitshex i know buzzfeed of all people just ain't make our Hex sad!??!

May 2nd, 2022

Y/N POV

"I'm still having nightmares..."

I breathe out and shift my body on the brown leather couch. Cliché, I know, but Sofia, my therapist, loves it.

"Have they gotten worse?" Sofia asks me. I briefly look her way before nodding. Guilt and shame I still carry with me. "Would you like to go into more detail?" She questions as I swallow the lump in my throat. "Umm." I start. "Basically, it starts out the same..." I clear my throat and move myself into a much less relaxed position.

"Liz will be gone for the day, and I'll be at home on the phone with my mom waiting for Liz to return.. Sometimes, she'll show up in the kitchen's entryway like before. Or... Other times, she won't show up at all..." I clear my throat and run my hands up and down my knees. "The times that she does show up, it's just like how it happened, except she doesn't hold back. And nightmare Liz says things I know Liz wouldn't... but it feels real. So real."

"Have you told Liz about these nightmares?"

I nod. "I did."

"Did?" Sofia writes something down before looking up at me, waiting for me to continue. I shrug. "I can't bring myself to tell her about the more gut-wrenching and violent nightmares."

Sofia takes a second before replying.

"I could understand that. But do you think there might be another reason?"

I do, and it's stupid. I exhale and feel small at this moment. "I- apart of me-." I close my mouth and start over. "There's this voice in the back of my head. And I don't know whether to listen to it or not."

"What's it telling you?"

"That Liz doesn't trust me anymore."

I feel a flash of embarrassing warmth runs over my body. My body is telling me not to trust the words my brain is making me believe. "What do you think? Do you think Liz has lost trust in you?" I move my eyes away from Sofia and onto my glass of water sitting on the cork coaster four feet from me. It hasn't been there terribly long, just long enough that some condensation has set in on the sides of the glass.

"Y/N?" Sofia calls for me to focus up. I slowly do, bringing my eyes back to her. I shrug. "I could see her losing her trust in me." Sofia sits quietly as I open and close my mouth. "And... I know you tell me that it's not my fault, but it is. What happened to her was my fault because of my lack of actions."

Sofia shakes her head. "I'm not here to tell you what you choose to keep to yourself was bad or awful. I'm here to listen and to help you. But yes, I don't think it was your fault what happened." Sofia leans back into her chair. "So why do you think Liz does?"

"I didn't say Liz did." Sofia looks at me with a really face. "Y/N." She puts her pen down. "We've been seeing each other for half a year now. I like to think that I can read between the words that you're not saying. So let me ask you and be honest with me. Do you think Liz has lost trust in you because of what happened with her who shall-not-be-named because we made an agreement? And if so, could you give me a reason?"

I smile at her agreement and then try to think of a reason. Slowly, wondering if my mind was just being cruel or not.

Liz POV

"Sounds like you guys need to have sex."

I slam the pantry door close and turn to my sister. "Oh my God! Courtney! I am not having this conversation with you!" I shake my head and pull my water bottle close to my lips. Unscrewing the cap as I roll my eyes. "I can't believe you sometimes." I take a sip of my water before closing it. "We're supposed to be having a nice breakfast. You ask about Y/N. One thing leads to another, and you say that!"

Court puts her hands up, straightens her shirt, and laughs as she steps away from her empty plate.

"Besides, you know it's more complicated than that." I grab the plate and turn towards the sink. My mind starting to wander away as the water gets hot.

But it's true. Y/N and I haven't been exactly on the same page for a bit now.

"I know Lizzie. I'm sorry it was a bad joke."

Court walks up next to me and bumps me out of the way so she can wash her dish. "It's okay." I breathe out as I scoot away.

"Is it? Are you?" Court asks as she shuts off the water.

"Some days are better than most. Those days, we feel like we're how we were before. But.. but then there are moments where I remember and feel hurt." I rub the spot on my wrist where the bruise has faded. "And I know it wasn't purposeful, but... I don't know it just-"

"Just would've been easier if she told you from the start."

I nod to my sister.

No one aside from Max, Courtney, and Kathryn Hahn knows what happened. I didn't want to tell my mom and the twins because as much as they love Y/N, I'm afraid they wouldn't be as understanding as I want people to be like Kathryn and Courtney.

And I know Y/N told Max. Max not so subtly sent me a text recently talking about how amazing Y/N is. I think whenever Y/N called Max, the most damaging parts of her mind were telling her things that would never happen.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie." Courtney places the plate on the drying rack and dries her hands. "But like you said, you know it wasn't on purpose. Y/N just didn't want to believe it was someone that was so vile and abusive towards her." I nod with a sheepish look. "I mean.. if I were in Y/N's shoes, I probably would've done the same... maybe. I don't know." Courtney shakes her hand and tosses the drying rag onto the countertop.

"Where is she, by the way?" Courtney asks, pulling my focus away from the talk I need to have with Y/N. "Oh, Uhh.." I tilt my watch towards myself. "She should be on her way home."

Courtney looks at her Apple Watch. "Therapy?" I nod. "She's been having nightmares. She thinks I don't know." I pull my phone out and sigh. "But whenever she shoots awake, it wakes me up..."

"Do you know what they're about?"

"Me. Her. Naomi." I grimace at that final name. "Ah." Court replies. I can tell she wants to ask or say more about the situation but doesn't.

"Is she still ubering?"

I smile and quickly breathe in and out at the conversation moving along before making a kinda motion with my hand. "Sometimes. She took the Prius this morning."

"How does she not have a car yet?" I shrug. "She didn't need one in New York or her for a while, so there was no need. But we both know she needs one now. So she's been looking at some."

"Oh yeah?" Courtney smiles, getting excited. "Like what?! A jeep? A Tesla? Oh, wait! A convertible! Oh my God, Y/N would look so hot in one!" Courtney goes wide-eyed and shuts her mouth closed as I stare at her. "What I meant to say was... is that I hope it's a nice car. One she can look modest in."

I once again roll my eyes. "Uh-huh. Does Ness know about your little crush?" I make a teasing face at my little sister. She rolls her eyes back to me.

"Yes, she does." Courtney smiles before quickly masking it. "It's not a crush, by the way!! I promise! I just love your girlfriends music."

"And her looks," I mumble. "What was that?" Court asks. "Nothing." I smile as I walk the two of us outside to the garden.

"Wow. It gets more impressive every time I come over." Courtney stands there in awe as I pick up my garden gloves to get to work. "Thanks." I smile back.

"Has Y/N done anything in the garden?"

I shake my head. "She can sometimes have the opposite of a green thumb. And she's a complainer." I laugh as Court nods, finding a spot on the outdoor couch. "Must only be an Olsen thing. Ness can't water a plant to save her life." I chuckle and bend down in the dirt. "I tried teaching her a while ago, but it ended up with me banning her." I hear Courtney laugh. "Maybe I'll try again in the Summer. Maybe after the twins' birthday." I add on as I start snipping.

"I like that." Courtney vaguely says. "Like what?" I lift my head to her. "That even though you're in this place with Y/N now. You still see a future with her."

I lower my hands and think. She's right. Of course, I see a future with Y/N. We've already gone through so many hardships and times without one another. Why would I want that again? Why would I even be with her now if I don't see a long future with her? Us. Marriage. Kids. I see it only with her.

"Yeah, yo-you're right." I lift my head up and smile as the lump in my throat goes down.

I love Y/N with all my heart.

I don't want this distance between us to be present anymore. I want her.

I look at my watch again. She should be home soon. "Lizzie..." I look over at my sister as I snip at another plant. "Hmm?" Courtney puts her phone down and looks at me. "Dad's trying to get me to convince you to talk to him again." I sigh and groan. Courtney nods. "I'm not going to do that. I just wanted to let you know that he's been trying."

"He can try all he wants. You. The Twins. Jake. I don't want to talk to him." Courtney nods again. "I know... how many times this week has he tried calling you."

"Twice."

Courtney hums. "Well, even if he's tried repairing the bridges with the rest of us, we're still in your corner, Lizzie." I smile and thank her before I spend the next few minutes in quiet. Thinking about Y/N.

I know she would never do anything to hurt me, and I know how incredibly guilty she still feels for everything that happened. I feel a pang of guilt as well. I sigh, rip off my gloves, and throw them into the dirt. My mind won't let me focus on the greenery today.

Instead, my eyes focus on my left hand. Empty.

I look around the garden and look into the house. This is our home. Ours. I smile at the memories we've already made and think about the future.

I look back to my hand before looking at Courtney. "Hey, Court..." Courtney shoots her head up from her phone. "Yeah?"

"I'm not saying I want to, but how soon do you think is too soon to get eng-"

"Liz? Babe?"

The sound of Y/N's voice shuts me up as I quickly stand up and brush the dirt off my hands and pants. "Hi!" I smile and walk towards my girlfriend as Courtney stands up to steal a hug first.

"Hey, Courtney!" Y/N smiles widely and hugs my sister.

They've been in contact since Thanksgiving, and she is always happy to sit and talk to her like a friend she's known for years. It's been great to say.

Even Mary-Kate and Ash got a little jealous.

"What are you doing here?" Y/N asks as I wrap my arms around her and kiss the side of her head. When I pull away, I see a flush on her cheeks. She looks at me and smiles. It reaches her eyes for the first time in... well, anyway, I smile back and give her an I missed you look.

She sees it.

"Oh, you know, just stalking you-" Court says clearly without thinking before nervously laughing and covering her mouth. "Oh my God! That was supposed to be a bad a joke! I didn't mean-" She gets more flustered and has a scared look on her face as Y/N and I just stare at Courtney.

It's obviously a sore subject still, but we know Courtney didn't mean anything but it.

"It's alright," Y/N assures her with a flat smile. "Let's just..." Y/N stops talking as Courtney quickly looks at me with a sorry look. "Courtney was just helping me get some stuff done around the house before tonight!" I interject and brightly smile. "Yes! I can't wait!" Courtney catches on and shows her excitement for the premiere tonight of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness!

"Aren't you excited!" Courtney asks Y/N, who nods her head. "Just nervous, honestly." I rub my hand up and down her back. "About what?" I question as Y/N sheepishly looks at me. This worries me a bit.

I think Court catches onto the slowly shifting vibe and makes the decision to grab some waters for the three of us. "Y/N?" I tilt my forward. "What's up?" Y/N avoids my eyes and holds my hand. Leading me to the shade-covered outdoor couch.

She holds my hand before lifting her beautiful face to me as we sit down. I smile at her and wait patiently. Silently letting her know that I'm here.

I'm here.

Y/N nervously opens and closes her mouth before finally saying: "I love you, Liz."

"I love you too, Y/N," I reply back with the same inflections as her.

"Are we okay?" She asks, and I don't waste a second tightening her hand in mind. "We are," I reply, only to earn a shake of the head. "No, Liz, really... are we?" I swallow the feeling in my throat and nod once again. "We are. We are Y/N."

"And y-you trust me?"

Y/N asks with a shaky breath. Clearly, this is a question that's been plaguing her. "More than anything." I close my mouth and scoot more into my girlfriend's touch. "Y/N... look at me."

Y/N lifts her head to me, and I see how much sadness is being held in her eyes; before I can think of what to say, my mouth starts rambling.

"I love AND trust you more than anything..." I sigh when I think about how the two of us have been walking on eggshells with one another when we've done this song and dance before.

"I'm sorry for giving you distance when you didn't need it. Or for making you feel bad or guilty when that wasn't my intention... I don't blame you." I catch my breath and give a sad smile. "I was just so upset... I'm sorry." Y/N keeps her eyes on me as I softly speak to her before I see them dip down to my neckline. I look down and know that I just so happened to be wearing the necklace she gave me on our second first date.

"Y/N, I trust and love you, and all I want is for us to put her in the rearview. It's you and me, remember."

Y/N nods and gives me a watery smile with her bright eyes. "I remember." She sniffles. "I just never want you to be hurt because of me again, Liz."

Tears threaten to spill.

"I won't because you won't. Okay?" I can see the relief on Y/N's face as a tear falls from her chin. "Oh, baby.." I wrap my arms around her and let my girlfriend collapse into me. Her face falls as she buries it into my neck. Her tears landing on the exposed skin.

"I'm sorry..." She whispers. "There is nothing to be sorry for," I whisper back. "I just love you so much. I'm so happy to have you in my life, Liz." I kiss the side of her head and allow Y/N to let herself fall apart in my arms as I whisper sweet nothings into the top of her head.

When the tears slow, Y/N eventually lifts her head to me as we're settled into the corner of the couch.

"I love you, Elizabeth Chase Olsen." She speaks in a hushed tone as her fingers dance along my knee. "I love you too, Y/N Y/L/N." I smile at her touch and take ahold of her chin, quickly giving her a peck on the lips before asking: "Is there anything else on your mind?" Y/N barely budges as she gives me a little shrug before nodding.

"Your premiere is tonight." I nod along to her words. "Uh huh.."

I watch Y/N close and open her eyes. "Am I coming?" I stop and tilt my head, confused. "Of course, you're coming! I have your outfit picked out for you and everything! We talked about this a month ago." I look into her eyes that, hold a look of loss and confusion. "Oh..." Y/N simply states. "I don't remember us talking about it."

She furrows her eyebrows, trying to remember. I do the same because she should remember, right?

After a moment of silence, I look to the door to the backyard and see Court smiling with a thumbs up before she disappears into the house.

"OH!" Y/N breaks up the moment between us. "I remember you talking about it. It was... it was right before Kathryn's party." She starts explaining as I nod. "That's right!"

"You looked stunning." Y/N winks with her tired, cried, and dried eyes. "As did you." I kiss her head as she continues. "I think that's the moment I knew I would never write a break-up song about you."

I smile and let out a laugh through my nose. "Is that right?" Y/N nods. "Clearly left an impression, but I think while you were talking about my outfit for the premiere, I was thinking about a song for you..." I sit up, shocked that this is the first I've heard about this. "A song... for me!?" Y/N sniffles and laughs, clearly a little shy about it. "Yeah..."

"Hey! What- why- I." I can't even form a sentence as I'm trying to find the right words to use before settling on it. "Can I hear it?" Y/N takes her left hand in my right and kisses it. "Not yet... not right now." The corners of my mouth dip down slightly, but it's Y/N choice. I'm just happy to have her here and to be a part of her process, no matter how big or how small. "Sorry." She says, but I'm quick to shake my head. "I'll listen to it whenever you want me to. Can I ask what it's maybe about?"

Y/N thinks before saying: "It's about being yours. Your one. Our future..." I see Y/N's eyes dart to my left hand before moving to my face. "I know we've barely scratched the surface when we've talked about it, and I'm sorry if this is a little scary, but after the past month and day I've had, I just need you to know, Liz, that I'm with you. For better and for worse."

"It's not scary." I'm quick to tell her. "And believe me, I know this because I'm yours, and I'm with you. For better or for worse. It's you and me."

"You and me."

I smile as Y/N's lips melt into my own. She lifts herself up and crawls onto my lap, facing me. She kisses me again and again before kissing my jawline, smiling. I react by finding my lips on the side of her face. Marking my way up to her ear before Y/N giggles and backs away. "We shouldn't." She says with a look in her eye and a smile that screams WE SHOULD. "Why?" I ask with a smirk.

"I don't want to traumatize Courtney."

Shit. I forgot she was here. Instead of answering, I roll my eyes and kiss Y/N softly as she places her head next to mine.

"Liz?" She whispers into my ear. "Yes?" I whisper back as my hand moves up and down her body.

"We're not engaged now, are we?"

My hand movement stops, obviously catching Y/N's attention. She rapidly leans back into my hand and looks at me in the eyes. "Just to be clear!" Y/N's anxious voice comes through. "I don't think we are! But! Everything we just said to one another would make it seem like we did just propose! Right??"

I swallow the last remaining calmness I probably had as my body starts to grow nervous and anxious. Because Y/N is right. "You don't think we are?" I ask, not knowing why I said that! "Are we??" Y/N goes wide-eyed! "I don't want this to be how I propose to you!"

"You want to propose to me!??" My pitch and tone matches hers. Y/N lifts her hands and covers her face. "I mean, obviously! I'm dating Elizabeth Fucking Olsen. I didn't want to do it today! If that's what just happened!!"

She lifts her hands and runs them through her hair before breathing out. I can't help but look at how adorable and fucking precious Y/N is being in this shared anxiety-inducing moment.

"Okay," I say as Y/N looks at me. "Okay?? Okay, what?!?" I hold my hands and take hers.

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes," I confirm. "I would love to marry you and accept your proposal... but it shouldn't be today." Y/N's smile doesn't falter as she takes a breather before nodding. "It shouldn't be." She says back. "Is that okay?" I ask. "More than okay." Y/N laughs as she's coming down from her high.

Her heart probably going as fast as mine.

"You really want to marry me?" She says as her hands find my hips. "Someday. Yes." I hear Y/N whisper, "That's cool." Making me smile and say: "And what if I want to propose?" 

"Then just do it before me, Olsen."

"Hmm, okay, Y/L/N." I lean up to kiss Y/N, but she backs away before my lips reach hers. "I'm taking your last name, just so you know."

"As if you couldn't get any sexier."

After a while of kissing and talking, Y/N falls asleep on top of me as I lay holding her on the couch. I clasp my hands around her body, kiss the top of Y/N's head, and smile as I switch the ring on my right hand onto my left ring finger.

Someday. Not today. But someday...

Later That Day

Republic Records "Grabbing some candles and blankets for a special livestream this Friday!"

@multiversemother @yikesitshex calling it now the album name is gonna be called Midnight!

@scrunchnoselizzie     @multiversemother didn't they say that the album was going to be self-titled?

@hexthestars13     @scrunchnoselizzie     @multiversemother omg what if it's called debut like Taylor Swift!

@lizziefolkmore @hexthestars13     @scrunchnoselizzie     @multiversemother why would it be called Taylor Swift???

Y/N POV

I sit next to my beautiful and elegant girlfriend as we sit in the back of a black Escalade on the way to her world movie premiere here in Los Angeles!

Liz is dressed in a full black set of Alexandre Vauthier blazer and pants with Jimmy Choo platform sandals to match. And I can't get over how much my mouth waters at the sight.

Earlier, she gave me a treat of kisses before her makeup was finished so I would be on my best behavior. If my nerves weren't threatening to spill out all over the backseat, I probably wouldn't be.

Well, anyways, in contrast to her black, I'm wearing a Scarlet Red Michael Kors jumpsuit with heels to match. I thought about wearing sneakers, but I'm fairly certain Liz had Courtney hide them from me.

Speaking of Courtney in the car behind us, she is also wearing red in the form of a dress that makes her smile shine brightly.

Damn the Olsen and their genes.

I smile at Liz as she is locked into the camera on her phone. Looking at herself and the way her hair is. She was sculpted by God and yet worries about a strand of hair from time to time. "Babe, leave it. Sascha did great!" I playfully smack her hand away from her hair, making her quit. Also, so I could wrap my fingers around hers. I guess my grip was a bit too strong because Liz was immediately pulling away to take a proper hold of my face.

"Y/N? Are you okay?" I try to slowly nod yes but fail. "I'm nervous," I tell the truth and watch a sympathetic smile form on her face. "Do you want to tell me what about..?"

I swallow. "It's our first time being somewhere like this. Being a couple. In public together." Liz nods along. "It's not like when we were in Austin for Love & Death, and it's not like here when we go incognito to Target together. This... this is different."

Liz carefully thinks over her next few words to me before speaking. "We don't have to go public if you're not ready. I'm ready whenever you are."

"I know, but that's just the thing. I'm ready now. We've talked about it, Liz, and I am ready. It's just scary."

"It is scary." Liz agrees. "But there's no one I'd rather do it with. Plus..." Liz smiles and takes my hand back to wrap her fingers around mine. "Think of all the people like us... I'm thinking of Geneva right now." I smile at that. "I bet she's watching the live streams," I say with a shake of my head as my phone glows with a new text.

"Whose that?" Liz leans into me to look at a message from Bo in his new publicist role. "Looks like the record company is pushing my new identity everywhere." Liz reads the text over again and then looks at me. "So if we do interviews on the red carpet, you're going to be introduced as Hex?!"

I nod. "I mean, it was going to happen eventually, I guess.." I like the name and the idea of promo starting now, but starting on the premiere of Liz's new movie feels weird to me. "Hmm." Is all she says before turning away.

"Liz?"

"Yeah?" She turns back to me. "Is this okay with you?" I can see it in her eyes that it's not 100% alright. But her being perfectly supportive, I watch her lie and say: "Of course."

"Liz..." I whine, making her remain stoic. Damn, being a fantastic actress. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine." "Liz." She goes to argue that she's fine again, but I drop my phone and stare her down. "Ugh." She groans. "I... I just wanted the world to know Y/N first. Not Hex."

"Oh..."

"But it's a part of your and our life now, so it's fine." She turns back to look out the windows, as her words hurt me more than she realized just as we pull up to the premiere. The driver parks as a man in a tux walks towards the door, getting ready to open it.

Without warning, I reach over Liz and lock the door. "Y/N!" She exclaims as I turn her to look at me. Her eyes moving away from the man, trying to open the door but failing. "I will always be Y/N Y/L/N before Hex or before we get married, and I change my last name to Olsen so for tonight and however many moons after you call me Y/N. Not Hex. Just Y/N like I know you want to. Like you always have."

"Y/N I-"

She goes to argue, but I unlock the door and watch the man stumble backwards as the door flings open. Making a few people behind him laugh. I ignore the looks from my girlfriend as I give a wait-one-second look to everyone outside waiting before closing the door again to kiss Liz.

Because to me, she's Liz. Like to her, I'm Y/N.

"You and me." She says with a bright, pearly white smile before bringing her thumb up to wipe her lipstick off my lips. "You and me," I reply as her soft thumb leaves my red lips.

"Stay here," I whisper to her as I exit from my side of the car and come around to her side full of flashing cameras and screaming fans. I take a quick second and do my best to calm my nerves before opening the door to my girlfriend, whose smile blesses itself down onto me. I extend my hand to her to help her get down and out of the car, and when she does, she turns to me and kisses me. In front of the whole world.

Elizabeth Olsen and I just became public.

Liz POV

I'm going to be honest. I didn't plan on kissing Y/N just then, but she just looked so fucking sexy, and I could tell she was so anxious about tonight that I couldn't help myself. She's mine, after all!

Regardless, the amount of photos of us quadrupled when I did it. Meaning if it's not trending, it will. Everyone will see it. Max, Y/N's label (which should help them), Aubrey, My Dad, and a crazy ex who is awaiting a meeting at a courthouse.

Isn't it so weird how doing something considered normal by most will make you trend?

Anyways, I take a hold of Y/N and don't let her go throughout almost all of the photos I'm forced to take for my job. I laugh and help Y/N as she struggles to find her angle in a sea of cameras, but by the time it's time for my solos, she's nailing it.

Her stage name gets called, and she plays it as if she's heard it a million times before.

I watch in awe and amazement at how far she's come.

"Ms. Olsen!" A staff member surprises me as they appear by my side, letting me know that interviews are set to start and that I need to move along. I thank them but let them know that I'd be waiting for my girlfriend, and to say they did a double-take would be an understatement. But with one quirk of the eyebrow, they retreated.

Thank you, Scarlett, for that life hack.

"Hi!" Y/N is all smiles as she greets me. "Hi!" I reply back. "You ready?" I ask, knowing that the same staff member already told Y/N that we'd be doing a majority of the interviews together. "Yes... wait!" I stop and watch Y/N pull out her phone and point her camera towards me! I pose and smile at her antics before stopping when she looks down at her phone.

"Okay, now I'm ready!"

A/N: And before you ask yes! Y/N met the actors for Billy and Tommy and took silly selfies with them :)

Oh, and Xochitl Gomez tried her best to get Y/N to spill any details about the upcoming album.

[canarydarity]

time for more worm baseball au brainrot!! just needed to come over here and shower you with more compliments on chapter 2 <33

Just a quick question, who all is on the Yankees, and are there familiar faces on Grian’s team in Chicago or is it just him and them Scar?

Hiii cloudy 🤠🤠!! Woohooo im glad its being enjoyed !!!

Okay so. I'm going to say way too much in response to this now <3

So this is...currently the Yankees line-up:

Jimmy, number 7, Right fielder

Joel, number 25, Catcher

Skizz, uhh didn't assign him a number, First base

Zedaph, 12, Second base

Bigb, 2, Third base

Scott, 5, Shortstop

Pixlriffs, 14, Left fielder

Fwhip, uhh didn't assign him a number, Pitcher

and in typing this out, I realize I just never assigned anyone center field. so thats absolutely hysterical, NO idea whos manning that position. Baseball teams usually have around 26 players, but only 9 play the field at a time so thats really all I was worried about!

and then, of course, we have Tango working as an analyst for the team, Impulse as the coach, and Bdubs and Etho as announcers!

The first thing I wrote for this fic is in the last chapter, back when this au was a single scene rather than a whole chaptered guy, and its something that needed quite a lot of people. And since it was just a SCENE at the time I sort of just. plucked random life series and empires cast members from my brain that I could SEE playing baseball. which is so funny to me. Cause now its this and the cast is genuinely sort of random, but also makes sense. To Me.

As for the CUBS!

So, that also did not start as a story, that just started as background for Jimmy's plot. Grian was Jimmy's brother and he's a pitcher for a rival team, and I just picked the Cubs completely randomly. I was originally going to have Scar be in This Fic, but then because I couldn't leave things well enough alone...I said....well what if desert duo offshoot...what if there's one story for each brother. And by THAT time...I had already filled out a LOT of the Yankees cast and was like "well, oops."

There are definitely other recognizable names on the desert duo side though! but I will say, that one is as of right now much much much less fleshed out. The Cubs lineup will likely include many other hermits, such as Iskall, Rendog, Keralis, Doc, joehills (I think he'd be a fascinatingly confusing announcer), Beef—etc! Like I said, it's currently not really planned :) but thats the idea for if it ever becomes A Thing.

What is planned is that Grian (number 16) is the pitcher , Scar is the catcher, and then because it was too absolutely ironic to NOT make happen. I did make cubfan135 the coach of the chicago cubs. A decision I both vehemently hate and absolutely adore. When talking about grians plot and going "cub has to be there" my brain went now hold on a second...cubfan....his name can't possibly refer to the baseba—oh look at that. it does. and ta-da I couldn't NOT do the funniest thing ever in this universe.

Mumbo will also absolutely be there because he can't not be. but my brain refuses to picture mumbo jumbo playing baseball so he just. he. i have no idea what he will be doing But He'll Be There. Trust Me.

Anyway Ive rambled quite enough :)) I hope that answers your question !!!

[deadmaidclub]

I saw your reply on twitter to your recent Danganronpa art where you said that people seem to prefer your drawings where you stick more closely to canon and I cannot argue with an objectively higher number of likes BUT I am sending you a message because I want you to know that your interpretations/versions of characters with headcanons included were the reason that I found your art and the reason that I followed your art blog.

Just by sharing your art online, you have taught me so much about character design. Early last year you inspired me to draw a lineup of the SDR2 cast with my headcanons included, many of which are ideas I originally heard from you. The beauty of the variety in your art has even helped me to accept and want to include canon deviation in the cosplays that I make.

Please know that even if a larger number of people notice your art when you stick to canon, there is also a group of people who lose their shit (positively) every time you share your art regardless.

waah this is so sweet thank you so much 😭😭 i want to say that i said that jokingly because i know more people are attracted to more canon danganronpa art but in no way does it make me feel like i should draw more of that or want to stray away from my headcanons or what i usually draw, neither does it make me sad that my usual art doesnt get that much attention, i just know a lot of people have a more surface level relationship with danganronpa so they immediately connect with more surface level fanart and so it gets more attention. i really love everyone who comes to my art for my headcanons and design and i know thats what most of my followers are here for!!!!! and ive never been one to draw something just to get more attention haha art is purely a hobby for me and i dont think im even capable of drawing something i dont want to lol.

im so flattered that u love my character design so much 😭 i really just shoot from the hip and go with my gut on the designs i draw so im really glad when people like them. i think more people should draw characters off model!!!!!! its very interesting to see how people picture certain characters in their head!!! and i love off model cosplays so much too!!!!!!!!! it can feel kind of weird to do, i for one have a very off-model mikan cosplay and some people have to ask me if im even her but it can feel so good to put your interpretations out in the world in such a physical way and when people love it it feels so nice. thank u sm for sending this it was so so sweet to read and i appreciate u

[rouzys]

THE UNOFFICIAL ST. LOUIS BLUES PRIMER PART THREE: GOALIES + MORE

JORDAN BINNINGTON (Binner)

Info: #50, STL 2011

Last season: 3.31 GAA + .894 SV%

History: Played his first ever NHL game in an emergency role in the 15-16 season, then developed in the minors until the fateful 18-19 season where he was the backup to Jake Allen. Through the season, he proved that he could by the #1 goalie for the team and started each of the Blues' 26 playoff games. He became the regular Blues starting goalie, though he would split starts with Ville Husso in the 21-22 season, and then start 61 of 82 games in the 22-23 season (sorry to Griess, he was not very good). The 23-24 season has been a bit of a redemption season for him after posting his worst ever numbers last year and also being notably rowdier than usual.

Profile: Look. He's a good goalie. He's a GREAT goalie when he has a reliable backup, which he definitely does this season. He's never been able to replicate the level he was on in the 18-19 season, but he's still proven time and again that he is a good goalie. On a more technical level, he has a tendency to over-commit to one shot or angle and leave the back door wide open, which isn't great on a team with an unreliable defense. My dad says he sometimes "flops around like a fish" so take that as you will.

Other: Grew up playing with current Thunderbirds goalie Malcolm Subban! Also he got married summer of 2023 and a lot of the younger guys from the 18-19 season, several of which haven't played on the Blues in a few years, were there :) it was sweet :)

JOEL HOFER (Hof) (?)

Info: #30, STL 2018

Last season: 2.50 GAA + .921 SV% (AHL)

History: ROOKIE GOALIE !!!! He played 6 games last year after Binnington's suspension, and proved himself so well that the Blues had three goalies on their roster for an extra week or so. In the AHL he's averaged about a .910 SV% and he actually scored a goal in the 2022 Calder Cup playoffs !! He has one more year on his two-year one-way contract, but if he keeps playing the way he is, he'll probably be sticking around for a while longer! He's definitely still adjusting to the NHL but he's only been improving

Other: Lives with Jake Neighbours! Their friendship is very cute, definitely watch for them in the headbutt line after wins :) My mom says he looks very polite

ROOKIES/SPRINGFIELD THUNDERBIRDS PLAYERS TO KNOW !

disclaimer: i don't watch the AHL games. im not made of money. also for the record they play in springfield, massachusetts

NIKITA ALEXANDROV

Info: #59, C, STL 2019

Smaller player weight-wise but still throws himself around. Up and down between STL and Springfield a bunch as he develops. Young and inexperienced but played well in the 22-23 season when he played 28 NHL games !

MACKENZIE MACHEACHERN

Info: #28, LW, STL 2012

Nearly 30 and has played 123 NHL games. Played for the Hurricanes organization last year but returned to the Thunderbirds for the 23-24 season. Reliable callup if someone is injured.

HUGH MCGING

Info: #56, LW, STL 2018

Literally the funniest name in the world, and he's on a team with Mackenzie Maceachern. Made his NHL debut last season and played a handful of games this season and has yet to score a point, but seems solid on the Thunderbirds!

JAKUB VRANA

Info: #15, LW, WSH 2014

Won the cup with the Capitals in 2018, came to the Blues at the 2023 trade deadline and had a fantastic 10 goals and 14 points in just 20 games. He came back for the 23-24 season, made the team, and then did not play up to potential. Was a regular healthy scratch for about half of the games in the first half of the season, and then got sent to Springfield. Has spent non-insignificant amounts of time in the AHL in the last several seasons

MATTHEW KESSEL

Info: #51, RD, STL 2020

Currently in the Blues lineup as players deal with injuries! Has played 8 NHL games between this season and last season and has yet to score a point, but has been very good on the Thunderbirds!! Solid young right-shot defenseman with offensive ability :)

ADAM GAUDETTE

Info: #88, C, VAN 2015

Technically a prospect despite having played 218 NHL games between the Canucks, Blackhawks, and Senators. Came to the Blues at the 2023 trade deadline in the O'Reilly and Acciari trade after spending the season playing for the Toronto Marlies. He already has 23 goals + 35 points in just 35 games with the Thunderbirds, was AHL player of the month in Oct 2023, and was just recently named to the AHL All Star Game! Currently leads the entire AHL in goals

kind of a stud. hope to see him play on the blues at some point <3

NAMES YOU MIGHT HEAR: Zachary Bolduc, Leo Loof, Jimmy Snuggerud, Otto Stenberg, Dalibor Dvorsky, Juraj Pekarcik. All recent high draft picks (2022-2023) and players to keep an eye on if you’re interested !

[horizonandstar]

I see you keep bringing up a Pokémon's type weakness and I always find it funny that people focus so much on that.

I remember when i used to play with friends I would have the most random of Pokémon and usually only have one good mon on the team while my friends had very competitive ev trained teams.

They always asked me for a battle not because they thought they would win but to see if they could finally win against me (if you looked at our lineup, they should have won no matter what).

My playstyle focused on having fun instead of winning and it seemed like the game rewarded me for that since the only time I ever lost was when someone decided to just spam minimize and double team. The dude wasn't even happy with the win because of how cheaty it felt to them.

I'm saying all this because it really doesn't matter on what you have so long as you play to their strengths. I've seen entire teams get wiped by a single magikarp so really just play with the mons you like.

Hope you have a nice day Star.

no im fully aware! its just that part of the brainrot includes type weaknesses, it always inevitably loops back to the type chart when i start thinking about teams

my teams are also just "woe, my fav be upon ye" but the type chart is always in the back of my brain if im doing a normal playthrough or creating teams for characters

i do get that its fun and good to play focusing more on fun than on winning! just for me, the type chart is part of it. sometimes gets frustrating when i create oc teams though if i dont have specific limitations in mind (like monotype or something), because if i dont give myself a specific limit, my mind imposes a preset one on me

and while my mind is thinking about teams, heres my emerald team currently! i'm in the middle of a soul link nuzlocke with friends and its a bit. its a fun challenge even though im only really using half this team

aaaand heres my legends arceus team as best as i can remember it! i think i wanted to shiny hunt zorua for the last team member

[mystarsohee]

hihi ! it's vix q&a time ! omg svt mentioned ...

1. what's ur favorite thing to do when u feel tiny? 2. how did u discover agere? 3. what are ur fav eras of ur ults (group or biases!)? 4. what is ur favorite track from walk? if you've listened to it already 5. are there any groups that you've been wanting to get into lately?

— xo, @swee7dream (omg enha mentioned)

hiii vix !!!!!!! (thanku for the questions i just blew you a million kisses btw)

my favorite thing to do is color and draw !! i enjoy it so much when im feeling regressed, and it helps calm me down alot. i also really like cuddling with all my stuffies LOL i prefer larger stuffies so i can hug the life out of them ( ◠‿◠ )

when i read this question i fr had to think abt it.. like ???? how did i discover agere ? i honestly don't have an exact answer for you :< i think just being on the internet for so long i eventually stumbled upon age regression ? and then i decided to look into it more than just scrolling through stuff! (≧∀≦)

ouhhh okay!! i'll just do all the nct units, chenle&sohee.. sorry im going all out!! for 7dream,, i really loved istj & beatbox era.. the aesthetics, music especially, everything was so good!!!! for 127, honestly ay-yo i enjoyed alot, i think it deserves more love! wayv i would definitely say on my youth!!! the album was everything and the concept too. and not to leave nct wish out, i thought the concept photos for songbird were so cute :3 personally i think my fav chenle era is hello future or glitch mode!! i love when idols have cool hair colors/styles its so fun! okay last but not least, sohee!! i am really loving his red hair, but cmon, blonde hee rules all! (whatd u expect me to say hehe) talk saxy was such a good era for riize, i swear im thinking about it everyday

4. i have listened to walk! i dont think ive listened enough to have a set favorite, but the songs that stood out to me were orange seoul, time capsule, and meaning of love! im definitely going to be listening more and i'll have a set favorite in a few days (⌒▽⌒)

5. honestly not really.. so weird because usually theres always a group i want to stan! but i have so many groups right now.. keeping up with them is already alot! i do want to try to follow arrc.. since hyunbeen from boys planet is part of the lineup!

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE QUESTIONS!!♡♡ i seriously enjoy answering them soooo much..

[sungtaro]

hi hi I'm the aspiring teume anon from earlier 🐇 hmm honestly I've just seen them around for so long and they seem so goofy (aka my fave thing abt groups) so I can't help but wanting to know them more.

I do think I have a few songs of them saved that I sometime listen to. lemme check- oh rightt I love darari and jikjin but that's basic of me and I do have boy as well that I listen to occasionally that I also like!

and ofc the thing that help me the most to get into a group is them just catching my eyes 👀👀 but yeah im not sure yet. usually I can guess my bias pretty fast just from looking at them but I'm not sure bc they're all cute 🥺 but maybe (definitely not for sure yes actually it is) hyunsuk and yoshi caught my eye a lil more (I remember esp when watching performance vids a few times).

hhhh who knew I have sm to say abt them, I would love to hear what/who u love most and also like if u have any recommendations like ur fave songs or vids of them (not necessarily what u think I'd like but what u like, I think for me seeing someone love their ults makes me fall hard for them too)

Sorry this turned out so long I was rambling. Hope u have a good day/night!🩷🩷

yaaay this is so exciting 🫶🏻 jikjin and darari are so valid i rly think that comeback got a lot of people's attention bc it was so strong! hyunsuk and yoshi are such a pair, i feel like if you bias one you kind of end up biasing the other 😂 they're both really soft and sweet but yoshi is also lowkey playful / an unexpected menace haha. this will be long so i'll put my ramblings under the cut 🤩

there is sooo much i love about trejo but i think a major thing is that i actually love their entire discography, like i do not think they have a single bad song. i'm mainly a b-side enthusiast (u, volkno, come to me, darari rock remix, be with me ...) but my favorite title has always been 'i love you' which is what initially got me into them; i saw the music video and it felt like it was tailored to my tastes with the bright colors, aesthetic sets and the more refreshing concept, they just looked like they were having so much fun. after that, it was over for me lol i watched everything i could get my hands on, including all of treasure map, which i always recommend to new teumes if you have time to just watch from the beginning because you really get to know them and see how much their relationships grow over time. but if i had to recommend just a couple episodes my favorite of all time is 30-31 it is PEAK treasure silly chaos. sadly, we did lose 2 members this last year but mashiho and yedam are back on instagram and working on their own projects so we're all just waiting to see what they'll do next, and supporting the group as a 10 piece!

i love that the members who are interested in it have opportunities to be part of the writing and production; and ones who aren't ready for that at the official album level still get chances to practice on their own. y/g may give me a headache 99% of the time but it's clear that they foster their idols as artists and i really appreciate that. asahi especially does a lot w this, he's behind 'orange' and 'thank you' ; and rap line also does quite a bit of writing, i rly think volkno is some of their absolute best work and you can hear how much influence they pull from iconic artists. treasure in particular is also first and foremost a performance team - so the focus was to have a balanced lineup that can really put on a show. hands down this group is top of 4th gen performancewise, their stage presence and command is INSANE especially given that they had a pandemic debut. i highly recommend checking out any of their end of year show stages if you haven't - even their early ones - but particularly 2022 mama , & their GDA performance is of all the songs you have saved !

as for my favorite members, i think everyone knows jaehyuk has my heart but actually my first treasure ult is jihoon 💖 i could talk about them for a zillion years so i won't go on that rant in this response lol but i do love all the members and i think what i really like about large groups (and why i keep ending up stanning them lol) is that you get to see a lot of different relationship dynamics, it's i think a lot harder to fake a 'we're all best friends' narrative in a big group and i appreciate that because i don't buy that all (or even most) groups are all best friends lol it's not realistic. i'd rather see a group that works well as a team and treasure is definitely that, they see themselves that way and you can tell by how they treat each other and work together that there's a ton of love and respect and yes, a lot of real friendships there. and they ARE goofy hehe. anyways ... i think that's a good start LOL i hope it is i really just kind of went into rant mode so i hope i didn't bore you and that you might find some helpful stuff in here 🥰

[what-a-heavenly-way-to-diee]

so, i’ve just found a draft of an old aftg fic i worked on a long time ago. it’s very oc centric, but im actually pretty impressed with it. theres not much, but would anybody be interested in reading it as an actual fic? im not opposed to continuing it. i’ll post what i’ve got below

June 9th rolled around before Kevin was ready for it. Summer had been rough, not worse than the year before it, of course, but rough all the same. He was glad the team had mostly separated, Kevin, Andrew and Neil sticking to the tower while their teammates dispersed elsewhere. Because after Riko had died, Kevin hadn’t any room for any emotion other than dark, sickening grief, so thick it choked him. And his teammates hadn’t any room for any emotion other than celebration and scorn. Needless to say, the two didn’t mesh well. He just hoped by now, as he slowly began to piece himself together again, getting used to a life without Riko at his side, they could move past that ugliness from late spring.

Surely the new foxes would serve plenty well as a distraction, though. Kevin thought them over as they drove to the longue, eyes focused on the landscape outside but not quite seeing it. Neil had claimed the front seat before Kevin could try, so he was stuck in the back with Nicky and Aaron, who had returned to the tower the week before.

Jack Morris, striker. Born and raised in New England, he supposedly had a temper, but all Kevin saw when he looked at his file was his brazen and aggressive playing style, that once they could get under control, would be a valuable asset to the lineup. They could deal with whatever rough edges he had; they’d survived the past year after all.

Sheena Hooper, goalie. Kevin hadn’t paid too much attention to her tapes or files, as he trusted Renee’s expertise on the position enough to trust her potential. He had noted though, she played with all she had, which was definitely a welcome contrast to Andrew’s complete apathy on the court.

Joseph Hunt, a talented backliner from the neighboring state of North Carolina. He was quick on the court, strong too, and Kevin trusted Matt to train him up to where he needed to be.

Nicole Marquez, dealer from New Mexico. Her tapes had showed immense promise, and Kevin hadn’t any objections when Wymack added her to the lineup.

That left the last two.

About two weeks into the summer, Wymack and called Kevin, Andrew and Neil to the court for an impromptu meeting. He had also managed to drag Aaron away from Katelyn’s to attend as well. Kevin’s first instinct was to expect bad news, but Wymack’s tense expression didn’t seem like anger or carefully concealed sadness, instead he seemed resolute.

He’d told them he was pulling two of the chosen recruits from the lineup and putting in two new ones instead. It was entirely unexpected and confusing. Andrew reacted with his usual disinterest for anything Exy related, and while Aaron seemed at least a bit interested in the news, Kevin and Neil by far had the biggest reactions. Mostly confusion, had something happened to the two? But that quickly turned to outrage when Wymack revealed that, no, the original striker and backliner were fine, he had just found someone better, without consulting the team first.

They quickly discovered the Wymack was entirely unwilling to budge on the issue. His decision was final. He hadn’t called them down to discuss it either, just to let them know. The biggest shock was that he refused to allow them to see either of their files, merely given them their names and positions. James Bell and Harriet Weiss, striker and dealer, respectively.

They were both transferring from some school in New York, both sophomores who had Wymack’s confidence they were good enough to stand on the court with a Class 1 exy team. They’d be flying in on June 9th with the rest of the team.

Apparently, Andrew’s lot were the last to find out, Wymack having told the upperclassmen the day before. Wymack quickly sent them away before they could argue further, with a gruff reminder that he was their coach, and knew what the hell he was doing with his team.

Back at the dorm Kevin and Neil griped about the situation until Andrew threatened to throw both of them out to sleep on the streets. Kevin holed himself up in the room, exy game open on his lap, to seethe. Wymack hadn’t told them what college the two were transferring from so he couldn’t even look up their games.

He trusted Wymack in his decisions, but he couldn’t fathom what his motivations could’ve been to keep it a total secret. Did he not trust the rest of the team to select their new players? Did he not trust Kevin? He dwelled on those questions throughout a night of restless sleep.

Eventually, he got over it, but curiosity still simmered inside of him. It seemed that way for the rest of the foxes too, as the two recruits were the topic of most of the team’s gossip. Nicky thought maybe they had paid Wymack to play on the team, and Wymack was so ashamed of taking the money he didn’t want the team to know anything about them. Allison’s theory was slightly more plausible, that they were two convicted criminals, saying that it ‘wouldn’t be the first time’. Kevin sincerely hoped not.

He guessed he’d find out soon.

They were the first to make it to the lounge, and Andrew and Neil went straight to the couches, reclining in silence. Nicky was perched by Aaron, blabbing on and on about his summer vacation with Erik, Aaron occasionally responding with either a borderline rude comment, or offering details on his own stay with Katelyn.

Kevin ignored both of them and went to check the locker and supply rooms, just to see that things were in order. Both smelled faintly of cleaning supplies, evidently the cleaning crew had been through recently. For a moment he was struck with the memory of writing on the wall, dark red staining through the number ‘10’, the sharp tang of blooding stinging his nose. He shook his head and the image faded.

He walked back to the lounge, drawn by the sounds of more voices. Matt and the girls had shown up in his absence, likely having come in together. That just left the freshmen.

Renee smiled when she saw him and walked over to give him a brief hug. Her face was flushed with the leftovers of a sunburn, freckles scattered along the bridge of her nose. He thought he remembered her mentioning a beach trip with Allison. “How was your summer, Kevin?”

“Fine. How was yours?” he replied plainly.

“Oh, just lovely. Florida is beautiful this time of year.” She took his arm as she guided him back into the room, where the other upperclassmen were waiting.

He was, all of a sudden, nervous. They had not parted on good terms, and Kevin prepared himself for any remaining animosity. They couldn’t imagine how Kevin could’ve grieved for a monster like Riko, they didn’t understand that he had been his brother, his other half, for his entire life. But, as he searched their faces, he didn’t find any anger, instead, resigned acceptance. It seemed they had come to terms with him over their time apart. Dan seemed her usually self-assured and confident self, Matt tall and cheerful beside her. Allison still looked at him with vague distaste, but that was normal.

No one said anything to him as he crossed the room to take his seat on the coach, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He listened halfway as they recounted tales of their summer vacation to Nicky, who lapped up every detail like it was gold.

He was more interested in watching the door, waiting for the others to arrive.

Joseph Hunt and Nicole Marquez were the first of the freshmen to arrive. Nicole barged into the room like she owned it, hooded eyes sweeping over the room. Joseph was less dramatic in his entrance, following behind her quietly. He was tall, but his hunched posture made him look ten times smaller.

Kevin frowned, backliners needed to be aggressive to properly defend the goal. He hoped his attitude would change when he stepped onto the court.

Dan quickly rose to greet them; her grip was firm as she shook a less-than-impressed Nicole’s hand. The rest of the upperclassmen introduced themselves, and Nicky joined in, introducing his cousins as well. Neil didn’t rise from his seat to give his name, but he wasn’t indifferent either.

Kevin was about to say his piece before Nicole interrupted him “I know who you are.” Her voice had a slight drawl to it “Everyone does.”

He raised an eyebrow at that but didn’t quite know how to respond. Clearly, she had attitude issues, but nothing he’d never seen. Hopefully she knew how to work her aggression out on the court, if not, she’d learn.

It wasn’t long after that Sheena and Jack arrived. In contrast to Nicole’s open aggressiveness, the two seemed coolly indifferent, possibly rivaling Allison in their haughtiness. Jack especially. He took in the room with his nose upturned, features scrunched unattractively. Sheena looked unimpressed at his shoulder.

The upperclassmen exchanged uneasy glances, but Dan went about with her captain’s spiel without any noticeable hitch. They exchanged several bits of conversation then, some of it sounding more agitated than friendly, but Kevin was more interested in how they preformed on the court than he was their personal relationships, so he tuned it out.

He couldn’t help but notice though, that Neil was still seated on the couch. He nudged him with his elbow “You’re vice-captain this year. Don’t you think you should act like it?”

Neil shot him an annoyed look but couldn’t get a word in before Jack spoke up. Kevin hadn’t meant for anyone to overhear, but apparently the new striker had keen ears.

“Don’t tell me he’s vice cap.” His lips were twisted into a scowl, which seemed to be his default expression.

“Neil is a talented player.” Dan said, arms crossed “Why wouldn’t he be?”

Jack turned to look at her “He’s far from the best. Kevin was the obvious choice.”

Allison tossed a lock of blonde hair over her shoulder “You’ve never even set foot on our court. Your opinion is irrelevant.”

He opened his mouth again, likely to say something nasty in retort, but Renee beat him to it.

“We’ve only just met,” she said, “let’s not get off on the wrong foot.”

“She’s right,” Wymack’s voice was gruff from where he was standing in the doorway “I leave you shitheads alone for five minutes and you’re already fighting.”

Matt grinned “Hello to you too, Coach.”

Wymack nodded in response and strode into the room, throwing a stack of papers down on the TV stand as he did so. “Let’s get this over with so I can hand out all my paperwork. James and Harriet, meet the foxes, foxes meet James and Harriet.”

It was only then that the foxes saw the two figures standing in the doorway. As they stepped into the room, they carried everyone’s attention with them. They were Wymack’s mystery recruits, and the foxes wanted to know who they were. Wanted to know why Wymack was so hellbent on them.

Kevin’s attention went first to James. He was tall, with an athlete’s figure. He seemed relaxed but confident, brown eyes lightly amused, his mouth set with a slight tilt. With his elegantly styled brown hair and put together demeanor, he didn’t seem like he fit into any of the expectations the rest of the team had unwittingly planted into Kevin’s mind. He seemed so…normal.

He caught Kevin’s eyes on him and offered him a slight smile. Kevin shifted his attention to his much smaller companion.

Harriet seemed even less conspicuous than James. She had curly blonde hair cut to her shoulder, and a soft look to her. She took in the room with interested hazel eyes. She was dressed plainly, but perhaps that was just for the flight over. Kevin would not have pegged her as a potential fox. But surely, they were there for a reason.

James was the first to break the silence, crossing the room to shake Dan’s hand “James Bell. Pleased to meet you guys.”

Nicole actually snorted at that, but James didn’t seem affected when he glanced at her. Harriet gave a small wave before following him to settle against one of the chairs. Wymack had bought a couple more seating options for the lounge to accommodate the larger number of foxes, and they were quickly being used.

Harriet took the seat while James leaned against the back of the chair. The ease at which the moved around each other meant they clearly had known each other awhile.

Dan found her voice “Welcome to Palmetto. We’re glad to have you.”

“Thank you. We’re glad to be here.” Harriet replied, the comment only noteworthy because it revealed a refined British accent.

Nicky frowned “I thought you guys were from New York.”

“We are,” she told him “But I moved here from London a few years ago.”

Matt raised a less than inconspicuous eyebrow at Wymack, who just stared back in stony silence. When no one else said anything, he picked up his stack of papers. “Alright, you know the drill. Paperwork and physicals today, practice tomorrow. Newbies, welcome to the team, we’re thrilled to have you and all that. I know you’ve all heard the stories from last year by now, so I won’t bullshit you. This team is messy, and you’re gonna have to get used to it. Learn how to function with your teammates, learn how to work together on the court, and you’ll be fine. Dan?”

Halfway through his speech, Abby had walked into the lounge, and as Dan stood up to address the team, she handed out the paperwork. Kevin mostly tuned Dan’s voice out, he’d heard it all before, he knew what he was doing. Instead, he focused on getting through the packet of waivers and signatures. The sooner he could get on the court, the better.

By the time he looked up again, Dan had finished speaking, and was now absorbed in a conversation with several of the freshmen. Jack and Sheena hung to the outskirts of the room, looking like they had nothing to say to anyone. The stream of students coming in and out of Abby’s office had begun, and Kevin leaned back in his seat to wait.

He considered starting up a conversation with Neil, possibly about training strategies for the upcoming year, but to his annoyance him and Andrew were speaking quietly in German to each other. He settled for running plays over in his head.

As he did so, his eyes, completely unbidden, traveled over to Harriet and James. They were speaking to each other, completely wrapped up in their own little bubble. James was waving one of the papers around as he made a point, Harriet nodded along emphatically. Kevin wondered if they were together. It seemed that everyone on the team was nowadays.

That got him thinking of Thea, and, oh. That was not a train of thought he wanted to go down. He forced his eyes away, looking instead to Andrew as he crossed the room from Abby’s office, eyes as bored and impassive as ever. He wondered what that was like, to move through life completely apathetic as Andrew was. He wondered if it was easier. Sometimes Kevin felt so full of emotions he thought he would drown.  

Abby called his name at just the right time. Her office was comfortingly familiar, and he sank into that familiarity gratefully. Kevin liked routine, he always had. Liked things with rules, outlines he could follow. It felt like safety to him.

The start of the season was like that for him. The shift back to normalcy after the blurry rules of summer. He could only hope that this year would be calmer than the last. It already looked like they might have a rocky start with some of the freshmen, but that was to be expected. Kevin still wanted to know what the deal with Harriet and James was.

His checkup went quickly, without a hiccup. Abby paid close attention to his hand, made sure it hadn’t been causing him any pain, and sent him off with an all clear. He sat back on the couch and waited for everyone else to finish so he could leave.

He perked up when James’s name was called, unable to battle his curiosity. He didn’t think it was his imagination when his physical took longer than most others had. Longer than even the other freshmen. When he finally came out, he looked just as calm as before. Kevin narrowed his eyes. If he had some sort of old injury, Kevin needed to know about it. He’d ask Abby about it later.

The rest of the day passed without incident, all in all pretty boring. He spent his afternoon checking over his schedule for the year, sorting out his classes and ignoring the sounds of his teammates moving into the rooms around him.

The foxes had procured two new dorm rooms to meet the needs of the expanded teams. This meant that the original nine of them got to keep their set up, which Kevin appreciated. As he understood it, there’d be three each in the new rooms, one with Nicole, Harriet and Sheena, the other with James, Jack and Joseph. Kevin hoped that placement wouldn’t prove to be problematic.

At around 5 P.M. Matt poked his head into their dorm room. “Dan’s ordering takeout, if you guys wanted to come over for dinner.”

Nicky perked up at that, gazing hopefully at Andrew from his seat on the beanbag. Andrew shot him an annoyed glance but didn’t respond.

Neil, clearly tired of the awkward silence, answered for him “Yeah. Sounds good. We’ll be over in a second.”

Kevin huffed at that, but figured it wasn’t the worst plan in the world. He was done with his scheduling, and the exy game he was watching was only half interesting anyway. He followed his roommates without complaint when they left the dorm.

The girls had already settled in when they arrived, Dan and Renee seated at the couch, with Allison lounging against their legs. They quickly lapsed into their routine of light chatter and laughter, getting reacquainted after a summer apart.

This part of the team was still unusual to Kevin, they way they got along. It hadn’t been like that with the Ravens. How you played on the court was what mattered, how you behaved off it was unimportant. Friendships and personal relationships with your teammates weren’t necessary as long as you could still play with them, but for people like Dan, those relationships seemed key.

Kevin supposed there was some truth to it, he wasn’t blind or stupid, he recognized that as Neil had brought the team closer last year, they had grown stronger, but it was still unfamiliar territory. Were team dinners and game nights really necessary?

Even so, he didn’t protest when Matt struck up a conversation with him, telling him all about how his summer with Dan and his mother went, asking Kevin a couple questions about his own summer. He didn’t have much to input, he had filled his days with grueling practices and awkward dinners at Wymack’s house the nights he stayed over.

Halfway through their conversation Dan and Renee left to pick up their food, and Allison interrupted everybody to beckon them all closer. With a resigned sigh, Kevin moved away from his spot on the wall.

She cast a considering glare over them before she spoke, as if she were trying to read their minds. “So,” she said into the uncomfortable silence “thoughts on the freshmen?”

Kevin sighed, there was no doubt the betting would begin now, that insatiable habit of the Foxes.

Nicky’s grin was slow and languid, matching his posture as he lounged on the floor “Not bad to look at. Especially that last one.”

Neil shook his head “What happened to Erik?” Nicky waved a hand at him “Its all in good fun, Neil. Learn to live a little.”

[asunshinepuff]

That’s Our Coach!

🏒So some of us on the SW discord were talking about Remus now that the final chapter of SW had come out. And we came up with the headcanon idea that Remus had figured out a way to continue his summer coaching despite now being spoiler alert if you haven’t read it (but why would you be here if you hadn’t? GO READ THE FINAL CHAPTER!!) the newest player of the Gryffindor Lions. Naturally, I got inspired and thus had to write this fic. Honestly this is the longest work I’ve done in a while and I am so excited to finally be posting it.

Course, credit is due. This wasn’t just my idea. Thank you so much to @whataboutmyfries, @im-oknutzy-trash, @bkfstclubmember and @fadedgreenmittens for coming up with the details for this idea! I couldn’t have done this without you four!

Just a heads up, despite being an ice skater and knowing hockey terms, I have never ever written hockey before. So I apologise profusely if something doesn’t seem correct. As always, full credit goes to @lumosinlove for her amazing characters!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy! 🏒

.

One Month Ago

Remus stopped at the boards smoothly, letting some of the ice spray as he hopped onto the boards of the bench. “Great practice everyone.” He exclaims with a smile, “Boys can you come over here for a moment?”

Fifteen boys, ranging from ages eight to ten skated quickly over to their coach, sliding into a halting stop - some less graceful than others which causes Remus to chuckle lightly under his breath before addressing the boys.

“Now boys, this is the end of our summer session. The next season is going to be a little different.” He explains calmly, trying to get a handle of his nerves yet excitement for what the Cubs’ reactions will be.

Naturally, this caused a chorus of assumptions all ranging from horribly bad to hilarious. 

“Are you leaving?” One boy, the loudest despite being the youngest exclaimed tearfully, and this caused a collective gasp before a chorus of the same comments. “Don’t leave Coach Remus!” “Yeah! You’re the best!” “Stay with us!” 

“Calm down, calm down. Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that.” Remus repeats a few times before the attention is back on his words, “I’m going to be playing for the Lions.” He finally announces with a smile, “And I’m inviting you guys to the first game at Hogwarts Stadium.”

He watches as his words resonate in each of the kid’s minds as they all collectively gasp, once again, with wide eyes and erupt into cheers. Most likely the smartest decision for him to currently have been seated upon the boards of the bench or else he might’ve been tackled to the ice by the Cubs.

Smiling, he watches as the boys skate off the ice and rush over to their parents, yelling “COACH REMUS IS ON THE LIONS!!!”

.

Present-Day

The locker room was buzzing with excitement and it seemed to emanate through every player. Leo and Logan were somewhat geared up already, making some sort of competition out of a play fight by tasing the other’s side with their fingers.

It was interrupted by Finn who came sprinting from his stall and jumped onto Leo, and Logan broke down laughing at the sight. Kasey was on the floor of his stall, in the midst of stretching out his legs in the splits while he was in a three-way conversation with James and Talker.

James sat leaning forward as he was lasing up his skates, and Talker was drumming on the walls of James’ stall as he sat somewhat in the middle of the room. Meanwhile, Olli, Kuny and Nado were also set in a pretty energetic conversation in full gear. Dumo sat watching the boys with Sergei by his side, and finally, Remus and Sirius were the last ones to enter the room to get geared up.

Remus stopped for a moment, staring at the stall that was now his. Lupin #6 was written on the back of the brand new Lions jersey. It felt so surreal, yet, strange. Normally he’d be here early in the morning, setting up all the stalls exactly the way each team member preferred in order to not mess with superstitions. 

But now, here he was. Coming at the same time as the others, with Sirius by his side. He made it. And yes, he loved his job as a PT, and in some ways will miss it - he cannot deny the excitement that fueled the spring in his step. The urge and want to prove himself was here once again. 

He sent Sirius a smile before they part to their stalls. On reflex, he sat at his stall and fell easily back into his old routine for stretches, calf stretches before thigh, and then when he felt ready he began gearing up.

“Mon Loup, are you nervous?” A familiar voice says by his side, as Remus was beginning to lace up his skates. He looks up to see Sirius in just his under armor, as always before games, leaning against his stall and he cannot help but smile in return despite his nerves. 

“A bit more now that we’re actually here. But I’m excited.” He admits. Spotting the paper in his fiance’s hands, his eyes widen ever so slightly. This was really happening, he’s here. He’s on the Lions about to play his first game with his love and family by his side.

It still felt so new yet so right to call Sirius his fiancé, everytime the reminder comes to his mind he has to smile. He was just so happy. “Is that the starting line-up for the game?” 

Sirius nods, giving him a fond smile in return. Most likely assuming what was on his mind before he asked the question. However, there was some mischief, and pride within his eyes, he most likely read the lineup already. “Wanna join me for the read off?” 

“Absolutely.”

The couple makes their way to the center of the locker, in the midst of the chaos, and Sirius lets out a loud whistle before yelling, “Alright! First game of the season! Let’s kick the Habs’ asses tonight yeah?” That caught the attention of the team, as a series of answering shouts of approval, all of which amplified when the team caught sight of Remus in his jersey. 

“Let’s go Loops! Rookie up!” Finn yells, laughing as he rushes forward and gives Remus a high five. 

“Coach gave the line-up for tonight’s game.” Sirius continued over the noise. He looks to Remus with a smile before he turns to the team and starts off the line-up, “Starting tonight, in the cage, we got Kasey Winter!”

Remus leans over at the paper with a grin on his face as he takes Sirius’ hand as he decides to steal the next call, “On the left, we got James Potty-Mouth Potter himself.”

“On the right, we got the fastest on our side - Remus Lupin!”

“Loops on the ice!” Logan calls out, forming a chant followed by James, Talker, Finn, and Leo. Remus couldn’t help but laugh at the antics, this was really happening. In an effort to drown out the series of chants, he takes the next announcement. 

“We got Talker and Olli on defense!”

James, in his excitement, quickly stole the paper from Sirius’ grasp, yelling above his protests, “And of course on center, we’re making the power front line here. We got the man, the myth, the legend - Sirius Black!”

A chorus of cheers rang out for those announced in the lineup, progressively dying down as Coach Arthur came into the locker room, and then it was really business time. The last of the gear and jerseys were finally dawned, laces were laced up, and the team was getting into the right headspace for a game.

Remus stood at the end of the tunnel with Sirius by his side. “Gryffindor!” boomed Frank’s voice, which echoed down the tunnel in addition to the crowd’s loud cheers in response, full of excitement for the Lion’s entrance. “Are you ready?”

Ten... Nine... 

“Re? You okay?” Sirius asks, placing a gentle hand upon his own, that was tightly gripping the pole of his hockey stick. He gasps lightly as he lets his grip slacken, not realizing that his nerves had increased since entering the tunnel.

Eight... Seven... 

“I’m... okay. Just nervous.” Remus replies honestly, trying to give a reassuring smile at the concerned look upon Sirius’ face. Taking Remus’ opposing hand in his own, he runs his thumb comfortingly across the top and squeezes it lightly. “Breathe Remus, you’ll be okay. You’re not alone out there.” He says, as they walk hand in hand down the tunnel. 

Six... Five.....

“Right... Breathe. Just Breathe.” He repeats over and over momentarily, getting himself out of his head. “It’s just the first game.” He sees Sirius nod, out of the corner of his eye.

“You’ll be okay. And you’ll play so well.”

Four... Three... 

The camera crew within the tunnels, displaying the entrance on the jumbo screen within the stadium begin rolling the cameras as the team gets closer. Distracted, Remus gasps as he’s suddenly pulled back from following the team and pulled flush against a familiar chest. 

“What is it?” He asks, looking up at Sirius with a slight tilt of his head in confusion. 

It was strange, Sirius’ eyes were shining bright as he looked back at Remus. Probably trying to gauge how nervous he actually was at the moment he assumes. “Hey, Re?”

“Yeah?”

Sirius glances briefly to the cameras that were now focused on them since they were the last two remaining, before he tilts Remus’ helmet upwards slightly, and kisses him softly. As if they have all the time in the world.

Two... One...

As they pull away, he briefly lets go of Remus’ hand, only to gently place it on his cheek. “I love you. So much.” Sirius comments with a smile.

Remus can’t help but smile in return, leaning into the touch, feeling his nerves wash away as he looks into the eyes of the man he loves. “I love you too.” 

Zero...

“Your Gryffindor Lions!” Frank drew out the words and the lights within the stadium went crazy as the team appeared down the tunnel. The order was the same as usual, Kasey came first, goalie mask propped on top of his head as he skated out onto the ice.

Then Timmy, Finn, Leo, Olli, Logan, Evgeni, Nado, Sergei, Dumo. The only difference was that James came out right before Remus, who was now second to last, and it was his turn.

It was exhilarating, hearing the cheers as Frank called his name and he skated onto the ice, right foot first. It was smooth beneath his blades, bringing him to a sense of calm focus.

There was a sea of red and gold throughout the stadium, in addition to rainbow flags, his nickname was being shouted by multiple fans and as he skated to a section, there was a chorus of a different nickname being yelled which made him laugh. “COACH REMUS!”

Stopping at the glass he waves and pounds on the glass in return to some of the boys close up to the boards. “Hi boys! Enjoy the game!” He yells up, not fully expecting to be heard but nonetheless felt the need to.

When he turns to skate off and find Jules in the stands, Finn skates by, looking at him with wide eyes. “Loops, you have a lot of children?” 

“What?” He responds in confusion, turning back behind him to the team before looking back to Finn. “Oh… No. Finn, that's my cub’s team from summer.” He says, laughing.

“Gotcha. Hey, let them back after the game!” Finn says with a smile before continuing the loop around the rink, while Remus takes off once again, reaching close to the middle of the rink before he goes back to the glass, stopping in front of where his family has a front view.

Smiling, he watches as Julian rushes from his seat to the glass with the biggest smile on his face. Julian had his Lions beanie on as usual but for once, he wasn’t dressed in a Black jersey.

Instead, he wore the Lupin jersey that he had just gotten a few days prior, turning around briefly to show his older brother. The brothers place a hand on the glass on both sides, smiling at the other as they mouth to one another.

I love you Re!! Good Luck!!

Love you too Jules!

With a quick wave up to his parents in the stands, Remus took off once again, passing by his fiancé who was already at center ice with the ref who held the puck and the Habs’ center. Stopping at the boards, he was met by James who smiled at him.

Rolling his eyes, he quickly grabbed the gatorade blue he had put on the bench prior next to two bottles of water, not wanting to mess with his friend’s superstition despite him not needing to be in charge of it anymore. He flips the bottle towards him, earning a grin in response, “Blue.”

“Always blue.” He replies with a wink before he skates off to his position on the right. Sharing a look with Sirius, he smiles before looking to the Habs’ right winger in front of him. James joined them shortly after, and the six crouched, eyes on the puck. The ref dropped the puck shortly after, and the game began.

The first period went by in a flash. With the Lions being up 1-0. James narrowly managed to score a breakaway up the ice off of a clean pass from Remus and managed to break through the Habs’ goalie. However, the Habs’ defense was strong. The Lions needed to be at the top of their game.

In the midst of the second period, the Habs managed to tie the game 1-1. So, Remus decides to push a little harder. Puck in hand, he races through the defensive line of the Habs and manages to score. With a hat trick.

His hands up in a cheer and laughing to himself, he was suddenly slammed into the boards by Sirius and James, and there was a loud chorus of young shouts yelling “THAT’S OUR COACH!” that made the three players laugh.

In the stands, there was no one more excited than Julian, who was practically jumping up and down as if he was on a sugar high. The nine-year-old wasn’t even playing himself yet he felt adrenaline for his older brother. He was just so happy!

“Yeah Loops! You’re on fire today!” James says on his right, smacking his shoulder playfully as he pulls away, heading off to the Lions goal to give Kasey a high five, then heading off to Olli and Talker.

Sirius stayed behind, having the biggest grin as he watched Remus laugh with glee, kissing his cheek briefly before he speaks. “You got a hat trick!” 

“I did!” 

Remus is freed from the board, however, his laughter and excitement has not diminished in the slightest. Joining James and Sirius back at center, the second period continues. 

.

🏒Hey you guys! 

Thank you so much for coming this far. I don’t usually like to put author's notes at the end of my works but this is an exception. And I have to admit, this one-shot took me a lot longer than I initially thought but I adore it so much.

Now, I have a question for you all.

I’m thinking of writing a second part to this (and possibly more than just another in the future), and making Lions Player/Coach Remus a regular au on my blog. What do you guys think? Let me know in the comments, a reblog with your answer or shoot me an ask with what you think!🏒

[tezzbot]

Hi! I wanted to say that I LOVE your art style - it’s so cute!! I love how you draw the varying pony races so differently, I was wondering if there was any particular thought process that went into designing them? Or was it just something that sort of happened naturally over time? Either way would you be willing to share? I love seeing artists design processes! If not, ten that’s totally fine - I hope you have a wonderful day <333!

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE KIND OF ASK TO GET CLAPS MY LITTLE HANDS TOGETHER RAPIDLY

i Have made a similar post to this in the past but uhuhhuh i want to do it AGAIN >:] some things im gonna say are headcanons or just my general interpretations for the pony types, i dont think any of em are like. controversial at all but i just thought id clarify jic anyones like "no theyre not!!11!!1" lol

first of all THANK YOU that means sm<33

now into my convoluted horse thoughts HJGFHG i went a lot more in depth than my last one i think lmaooo

ill start w earth ponies bc they are the blueprint<3 and also my favs lol. earth ponies are naturally the strongest breed of pony, so my designs for them are more Built and stocky than the others, im not sure why i decided their heads should be taller, so both eyes are usually visible, i guess it makes them look a bit more Structured if you get what i mean? their hooves are the most exposed of the three because they use them for pretty much everything, (w some exceptions that they use their mouths for lol) for all the manual labour and stuff they need to do and just like. walking around sm uknow lol. the fur around their hooves can vary just based on how I personally think theyd style it, so for instance take applejack, i dont really think shed Do much with hers other than trim it and move on since shes very much function over form, but with pinkie pie, her fur is styled in a rounder way, honestly mostly on my part because it goes with the rest of her generally round design :P but i imagine that as a filly hers was trimmed flat since her parents seem very prim and working on a rock farm having hair in the way of your hooves which youre using to sort through probably sometimes very fine rubble doesnt make sense. and the Fun part: their general shapes, i love using the shapes in a character to signify personality and whatnot, so AJ is a sturdy workhorse whos been on a farm her whole life, shes also what i feel is a very reliable and stable presence in her friends lives so i make her Huge and rectangluar to signify those kinds of things? pinkie on the other hand is a fun loving party planner who lives in the town bakery! she also spent a significant portion of her life on a rock farm so, she's also very sturdy in typical earth pony fashion but she's also on the shorter end of my mane 6 lineup, this is bc i feel that all the pies are p short bc if theyve mined for a living (seemingly for generations) itd make more sense for them to be little to fit better into underground structures and whatnot, but pinkie herself is round and bouncy to fit her fun-loving bubbly personality! and ofc bc she LOVES all of the cakes at sugarcube corner :P

pegasi are generally the most lithe and athletic of the breeds, due to their near constant usage of their wings in everyday life. all my pegasi looka like fuckin sock puppets(affectionate) fkjdgfd uhh because it makes them feel way more aerodynamic to me, like if youre gonna be going at any kind of Speed up there youre gonna need the least amount of wind resistance possible, this is also why theyre generally the shortest type of pony, less animal for those little wings to heave around lmao. their hooves are completely covered in fur because i wanted to make them look soft, as if they actually could stand on clouds, their hooves are the most delicate of the breeds as theyre not Really designed to be on the ground at all, but they can build up a tolerance over time! ive sort of been playing with the idea that fluttershy's hooves are very slightly visible bc of her line of work? idk tho lol. pegasi ears are the shortest of all the breeds for aerodynamic purposes and theyre very fluffy on the insides to prevent unwanted stuff getting in while theyre in the air :] the fluffy feathers can also appear around the sides of the pegasi's heads n the amount can vary SHAPES!! rainbow dash is pretty obvious, shes small lithe and her head is flat as a pancake, snout All Forward, no extra feathers her wings are longer, more pointed i guess, shes a speedster!! she needs to be Smooth and little to be as fast as she can be >:P and for fluttershy, shes shy and more into herself, she can be quite awkward so to show this her snout is turned down and more curved, shes also fairly tall and gangly for a pegasus, she has fluffy feathers around her head and her wings are more round and fluffy, theyre shorter than RD's but theyre wider, better built for gliding than speed i guess

unicorns are honestly Fully like. ornamental physically. theyre pretty shitty at most physical activities but thats because they become reliant on their magic for most everyday things, they all have a pointed snout to exhibit that fact too lol some are curved some are just straight up triangles just based on what i think their vibes are lmao. their hooves are mostly covered in fur with the exception of the fronts which shows off the fact that theyre cloven, its sort of a half and half kind of situation with it half being because i wanted to it to look kinda decorative but also it could be because that, They Are on the ground at all times like earth ponies, Unlike earth ponies however, they arent built in a way that favours the sorts of manual labour that EP's would be used to, again, theyd use their magic for anything like that. their horns vary slightly in size and shapes, my thoughts behind this dont make a lot of sense but in my canon, the better a unicorn is at magic, like the more powerful, the longer and thinner the horn, so unicorns like rarity who only use their horns for stuff like levitation or like sunburst just arent That gifted in the magic department their horns are thicker than those who can do more advanced magic or just have stronger magic innately ilke starlight have thinner and longer horns, whether a unicorns horn is curved or not has no bearing on their like. magical ability its just a stylistic thing on my part so no trixie isnt shit a magic bc her horns bent LMAO. also their tails are. theres a word for it hold on. is it prehensile?? icr but its the shit where its like a cats tail but w mane-like fur on the end, these also vary in length and thickness those are also vibe based lmao. their ears are the longest of the breeds and they have curled fur on the insides of em, they can be rounded or pointed on the top. i dont rlly feel like i need to explain rarity shes pointed and neat all over like youd expect a prissy, wanting to seem upper class unicorn would be, i made her on the fatter side because i feel like its fitting, and also both of her parents were that way too, i feel like it could be genetic too

alicorns were kind of difficult to like. 'deal with' ?? i guess because having to combine all three of these things i had set rules out for was kinda difficult but, i just kinda wing it lmao. so with celestia and luna (while im still working on their designs) we dont really know how they originated but i sorta landed a sort of a stereotypical alien-like design for them? ig its bc theyre like. sort of foreign and different to their subjects?? whereas with twilight shes just a very recent alicorn and so her body is still adjusting to the features she gained by aquiring earth pony and pegasus magic so the differences are more.. obvious i guess?? but with her Base being unicorn those traits are the strongest in her design, and i havent drawn cadence yet but hers will be in a similar way but since she was a pegasus first her pegasus traits will be more apparent, but as shes grown more than twilight she'll be in sort of a transitional look? thats closer to celestia and luna's alicorn specific design i guess? flurryheart's design, i was kind of just thinking she was entirely just a fluffy alagamation of all three breeds rather than just immediate alicorn, i guess because since she was born an alicorn, her genes weren't entirely sure of what to do since she's the first natural born alicorn but as she grows she'll take on the alicorn shape? or not idk lol. alicorns in general uhh their ears are REALLY big versions of their base forms' with traits from the other two breeds obv, and their their horns are Long since alicorn magic is more potent and therefore just naturally more powerful so. long horn. their hooves are what their base breed's looked like but, again, with the others features their tails are prehensile(?) like unicorns but the mane like hair that comes off of it not only comes off the end but extends the full way up the bottom of the tail uhh idk if i missed anything but thats. p much it i guess!!

with combo babies like the cake twins, i just kind of mash the two species together in a way i think looks best lol like they both have the structured earth pony heads but pound has the long pegasus snout and pumpkin has an upward turned pointed unicorn snout and their hooves are more exposed like an earth ponies :P

ANYWAY. SORRY LONG POST LOL

[randomoranges]

who doesnt like a new au?? hahahaha.

i got this little idea over the summer?? maybe??? and then it turned into a Thing and i just felt like it.

kinda reverse-ish club 1642 except in this one kate/ed is Older and ét is young.

also im so clever with the title.

Club 1795

Part 1

 There was already a steady thrum of music coursing to the backstage and Kate knew that tonight would be a good show. The lineup was excellent, she was performing some of her best pieces, and overall, she was in a rather good mood. She’d done her fair share of shows over the past few decades, but this one promised.

 It seemed as though the rest of the girls felt the same energy, for she heard a gaggle of excited whispers and laughs. She paid no mind to them, until she heard her name and the sound of approaching footsteps. She beat them to the door, meeting them halfway from her dressing room and groaned at the sight that greeted her.

 “Katie – Katie look – he sent you sunflowers!” One of the girls said, barely able to hide the glee from her voice.

 “Do you think he – grew them from seed?” Another asked and sent the rest of the group shrieking and gasping.

 “Well if he did, I want some of that! Kate hasn’t given him light of day in months! Poor sap!” A third said and Kate rolled her eyes. She should have known better, really. This had been going on for months after all. It’s not as if the girls would let this one slide – or act normal about it.

 “Don’t you lot need to get dressed?! We have people coming to see a show and they don’t expect to see five-o-clock shadows or chipped nails – off – all of you!” She shooed them away and they left, barely taking her seriously, as they wished her well and made lewd suggestions about what else she could do with the flowers.

 Kate waited until they were gone, before she brought the flowers to her dressing room, shoved them into a corner (after putting them in the vase she now kept – it wasn’t the fault of the flowers that they had been given to her) and then reached for the card that always, without fault, came with the blasted flowers.

 She recognised the elegant cursive, gave the card a quick read – to see what garbage was written this time, before she opened one of her many drawers, and threw it on top of the pile with the dozens of others that all had more or less the same message written. She didn’t need this nonsense. She had a show to get ready for. (And why she kept all these notes was another matter all on its own. She liked to tell herself that it was because there was no recycling bin in her dressing room. Eventually, she’d bring them all to the bin and move on with her life. It had nothing to do with lingering sentimentality.)

 Still, for some absurd reason, Kate left her dressing room once more, made her way to the stage, on the side, well hidden by the thick plush curtain, and stole a glance through the small gap.

 Exactly like clockwork, her so called suitor was there.

 She cursed to herself and only watched for a moment.

 It had all started last winter, really. At the end of a show much like any other, Kate had returned to her dressing room and there’d been a gathering by the door of excited girls all swooning over a rather large bouquet of flowers. Other than being teased and envied by the others, she’d thought little of it and had moved on. These things happened. This wasn’t the first time one of them had some sort of eager fan.

 However, this had been the first time someone had been that persistent.

 Kate scoffed at the memory. The impudent green fool. The young naïve boy.

 She had no idea why he’d taken a special liking to her – especially when she’d never returned any of his polite advances. Yet every weekend, he was there, sitting in the third row, same seat, every time. He wasn’t as impudent as to sit in the front row, no, but a few ways behind, close enough that the stage lights would still light up his table, enough for her to see him in the crowd and it drove her nuts.

 He’d come knocking backstage, a few times, asking for her, wanting to say a quick hello, and the other girls loved it. It helped that the fool was young, attractive – if someone was into obnoxiously medium length curly brown hair, stupid green eyes and over the top politeness, which bordered on the excessive flirtation. Yet, he had a way with words that had the rest of the girls swooning and a sharp tongue for quick exchanges that had won him over the rest of the performers who now teased the living daylights out of Kate.

 Once upon a time, maybe, she would have gone for something like this, but she was older and therefore wiser now and had no time for young men who were still green behind their ears and lived in their own little fantasies. She had better things to do and really hoped that her dumb little suitor would get the message and move on. Leave her alone. Get a life. Go after someone his own age. And such.

 Yet, the bastard was seated in his usual seat, sipping at his usual pink concoction with little paper umbrella and there were days where she wanted to march up to him, steal his little stupid paper umbrella and crinkle it over his ridiculously curly hair.

 But – she had to get ready. There was a show that would be starting soon and thankfully, there were other customers at the club tonight.

--

CURRENT: I NEXT: II

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

what are you thoughts on mark watson? i just found out he's doing a show in my hometown next year (which is rare bc. it's not a big place) and so im debating whether to see him.

ive only ever seen him on taskmaster, wonder if he'll be good on his own

Fun question. I should start by saying, to be honest, I haven’t seen all that much of Mark Watson either. I haven’t seen No More Jockeys or We Need Answers, for example. And I haven’t seen any of his stand-up, which is the crux of this question. So if anyone reading this has seen Mark Watson’s stand-up, or any of the shows in which he actually stars, they could probably leave opinions in the comments that would be more informed than mine. However, I have seen Mark Watson do quite a few guest appearances on panel shows (Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Argumental, Would I Lie to You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, QI, Mock the Week). And of course Taskmaster season 5.

I did just finish listening to Mark Watson do the s04e01 episode of the Taskmaster podcast, in which he was absolutely excellent (honestly, one of the best episodes that podcast has done so far), so I’m in an even more pro-Mark Watson mood than usual at the moment. Also, I while I am a bisexual woman who generally leans more toward the “being attracted to women” side of the spectrum… when it comes to being attracted to men, the small and awkward type are very much my kryptonite. Not sure if I’ve mentioned that before (that’s a joke, I realize I’ve mentioned that frequently since I started watching The Last Leg and seeing a lot of Josh Widdicombe). So that’s a bias that should be factored in when considering my answer to this question.

With that disclaimer, I will say I’ve seen him appear on a lot of different shows, and his name in a lineup always makes me look forward to that episode. I think he’s often the best thing about any episode in which he appears. I like his comedic style of being awkward and earnest and always trying really hard and also always vaguely disappointed with himself. He’s pretty sharp in a panel show environment, especially for someone who’s also so self-deprecating. I also like the way he uses words like “fiddly” a lot and his accent goes a bit Welsh when he’s unsure of what he’s saying. I can imagine that sort of thing making for good delivery in a stand-up show.

So having said all that… personally, if Mark Watson performed anywhere within a few hours of where I live, I’d pay a fair bit of money to see that. But as I haven’t actually seen himFun question. I should start by saying, to be honest, I haven’t seen all that much of Mark Watson either. I haven’t seen No More Jockeys or We Need Answers, for example. And I haven’t seen any of his stand-up, which is the crux of this question. So if anyone reading this has seen Mark Watson’s stand-up, or any of the shows in which he actually stars, they could probably leave opinions in the comments that would be more informed than mine. However, I have seen Mark Watson do quite a few guest appearances on panel shows (Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Argumental, Would I Lie to You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, QI, Mock the Week). And of course Taskmaster season 5.

I did just finish listening to Mark Watson do the s04e01 episode of the Taskmaster podcast, in which he was absolutely excellent (honestly, one of the best episodes that podcast has done so far), so I’m in an even more pro-Mark Watson mood than usual at the moment. Also, I while I am a bisexual woman who generally leans more toward the “being attracted to women” side of the spectrum… when it comes to being attracted to men, the small and awkward type are very much my kryptonite. Not sure if I’ve mentioned that before (that’s a joke, I realize I’ve mentioned that frequently since I started watching The Last Leg and seeing a lot of Josh Widdicombe). So that’s a bias that should be factored in when considering my answer to this question.

With that disclaimer, I will say I’ve seen him appear on a lot of different shows, and his name in a lineup always makes me look forward to that episode. I think he’s often the best thing about any episode in which he appears. I like his comedic style of being awkward and earnest and always trying really hard and also always vaguely disappointed with himself. He’s pretty sharp in a panel show environment, especially for someone who’s also so self-deprecating. I also like the way he uses words like “fiddly” a lot and his accent goes a bit Welsh when he’s unsure of what he’s saying. I can imagine that sort of thing making for good delivery in a stand-up show.

I can also say, based on the podcast I've just heard, he has good insights. He's thoughtful and analytical and I like the perspectives he takes on things, and I can see that making for very good stand-up as well.

So having said all that… personally, if Mark Watson performed anywhere within a few hours of where I live (and by "a few" I mean five or six, I'd consider it worth at least a half-day road trip), I’d pay a fair bit of money to see that. But that is because he appeals to a lot of my subjective tastes, so if you don't share those than you might not feel the same way. And as I haven’t actually seen him perform on his own, if anyone has seen more of him than I have and can shed more light on what that's like, please let us know that in the comments to help this person make an informed decision.

[liujinhee]

[ Kyuhyun/Reader ]

plotting an us (working title)

Word Count: 2,622

Summary: Art student y/n, theatre student Kyuhyun one shot

Uh, so this was supposed to be a y/n fic, but I think I gave the character so much personality that they qualify better as an OC? Haha... im sorry guys :')

-

There was little use in trying to reason with yourself why you travel two hours every weekend to the Penguin Ice cafe. Cafe menus were unreasonably expensive, and Penguin Ice was located in the heart of the city, where the population was far too saturated for your liking.

Then you hear the familiar voice saying the words Welcome to Penguin Ice cafe, and you know you'll be coming back next weekend regardless.

You walk straight up to the counter—even if you had a crush on one of the part timers, it didn't mean your judgement was clouded enough that you'd drop by during rush hour just to see him. At 4pm, the cafe was quiet, a few patrons scattered in different corners.

When Kyuhyun's gaze falls on you, his professional smile softens into one you now recognize as warm. “Single scoop of matcha and vanilla with sprinkled topping, having here?”

“Got it in one.” You return the smile, hoping it isn't too wide. The way your feelings tend to write themselves on your facial features has never done more good than harm thus far. Digging into your pocket, you hand him the bill; never the exact amount, if only for the selfish reason of wanting him to drop the change onto your open palm.

And he does. “Here's your change,” Kyuhyun sings in that merry tune you know by heart.

“Someone's in a good mood.”

He makes a show of scanning the bar, which currently only has him manning it, before leaning forward. He's not close enough that you feel his breath, but still close enough that your heart rate picks up as he tells you in a hushed whisper that fails to contain his glee, “It's payday.”

You snort at that, even though you already had your suspicions. Kyuhyun simply gives you a cheeky grin and wags his brows, seemingly pleased to have shared that little tidbit. Your hand twitches with the instinct to reach out and ruffle his hair, something you're not quite able to do to someone you can barely call an acquaintance. So you settle for a Congratulations, to which he bows dramatically, My heartfelt thanks, before twirling away to prepare your order.

He may be majoring in theatre, you think. Or at the very least, hold an interest in it. It's not the first time the two of you have exchanged words in such a manner, nor do you believe it'd be the last. As you watch him drop a generous scoop of ice cream into a cup, you wonder if you should ask him today. Something like, What school are you from? What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Do you want to catch the next musical that comes?

But they all feel like questions that'd make your existing dynamic awkward. In a way, you already consider Kyuhyun a friend, despite not knowing anything about him other than his name, which you got from his name tag, and that he only works on weekends, which is written on their blackboard under the Shifts section. 

Once again, you spend too much time overthinking, and your order is ready before you come to a decision, Kyuhyun extending the cup to you with a gentle hum. Your mumble of thanks matches the tone of his hum, and your feet bring you to your usual seat, empty as it always is. Customers aren't the biggest fans of seats by the entrance, after all; the constant opening and closing of the door can get annoying. It doesn't bother you, however. As much as you dislike crowds, you find comfort in the buzzing of human activity.

And, well, if the seat provides you a good view of the bar where Kyuhyun busies himself with cleaning up, that's just a really big bonus. Once you're satisfied with the angle of your chair, you bring out your pencil and sketchbook, flip to a fresh page, and begin sketching.

It's not always Kyuhyun. Scenery fascinates you, and you've long since lost count of the cityscape, the parks, the rivers that you've drawn from memory and imagination. But it's always when the imagination starts that Kyuhyun joins, somehow making his way into the scenery.

This time, you’ve sketched him barefoot by the beach, laughing as he splashes seawater up a silhouette with his foot. It’s an imagery that comes easily to you; Kyuhyun with his friends out having fun together. He seems like the type of person who is able to get along with everyone, and you're near certain he is.

You scribble down the date and your signature like you do on every piece of art, leaving out your name. The ripping of the page is quiet, barely audible over the music; the edges of the paper imperfect, but they always are. 

As you rest the paper under the now empty cup, you can't help but imagine how Kyuhyun would react to the sketch this week. He hasn't shared his thoughts on your sketches since that first time nearly three months ago, when you'd come to Penguin Ice with your friends for a birthday celebration.

I like the way you sketch, Kyuhyun had told you as he served the tray of sundaes ordered by your table. Art student?

Yeah, you'd answered after a moment of shock, watching how the man's eye was trained on the lines of your sketch. Understanding that it was genuine praise. Your eyes had fallen to his askewed name tag, committing his name to memory. And, um, thanks. He'd tipped his head in acknowledgement, set down your orders, and returned to his post.

Looking back, it might've seemed like nothing. But to the you back then who had been dealing with self doubt, the words of a stranger had been everything you needed to hear and more. While your friends chit chatted and ate, you'd done up a quick sketch of the cafe, and left it on the table with a short thank you note addressed to Cho Kyuhyun.

The next time you'd come, it had been because another friend was curious after seeing your post about the cafe before. Even then it had been Kyuhyun who took one look at you and went, Ah, the art student! Right? The memory of that moment still makes you chuckle now. It's in his recognition that Kyuhyun started becoming more than a part timer at a cafe in the city for you.

Now, as you wait for Kyuhyun to turn away and busy himself with cleaning before sneaking out of the cafe like a protagonist in a cliche romance drama, you wonder if this plot will ever advance, or if this is but a draft that will not live to see a happy ending.

It doesn't really serve as a surprise when you come across Kyuhyun at a local arts festival you are a participant of. You've thought about it, the what if. What does surprise you, is how you come across him.

There's an event pamphlet, of course, but you're also not the type of person who focuses on details like the musical cast names. It's not like any of them would ring a bell, since they're students. Except one of them does. You don't connect the dots at first, too tired from hours of live sketch after live sketch for customers. Then you hear it, his My heartfelt thanks, and the thought is formed.

Can it be? You reach into your back pocket for the pamphlet and flip to the musical lineup for today. Sure enough, printed in bold is the name Cho Kyuhyun along with a photo of him. Gods, does he look cute in casual wear. You're staring hard at his photo when he rips your attention back to him with his vocals.

While you wouldn't go as far as to call yourself a theatre enthusiast, it's not like you haven't been to musicals. You have, and you enjoy them when you do. Paid hundreds of bucks for a good three straight hour sitting of a show that'd live in your memories for decades to come. And when Kyuhyun sings, goosebumps rising along your arm midway through the first line, you know that's the kind of level he'd belong on in the near future. That's how good he is.

You're in awe, then you're in wonder, and then maybe, just maybe, you're falling in love with the theatre student and part time ice cream man Cho Kyuhyun. The sudden realisation startles you, but you accept it just as quickly. Little as you may know, it's enough for you to have developed feelings for him, and you feel it growing stronger every passing second in your mind. Your fingers itch with the need to capture this moment forever in the form of a painting.

Then the musical comes to an end, the cast coming together, hands joined as they bow their thanks while the audience reciprocates with thundering applause. Your eyes are still on Kyuhyun as the curtain falls, but you're certain he hasn't seen you in the dark. Nor would he know or have reason to be looking out for you.

You're out the moment you're able, zigzagging through the night crowd back to your post in a rush. It's not that you're late to return, nor will your neighbor mind even if you were. You simply need to pick up a pencil right now and bring to life the visuals buzzing in your head. It's been a while since you've felt this adrenaline rush under your skin. 

This is going to be a masterpiece.

-

You drown yourself in the canvas, skipping your weekly visit to the Penguin Ice cafe for the first time. There's only one reason for it: you don't want to override the memory of seeing Kyuhyun on the stage. A side you've never seen before, a temporary skin he wears so well one may be fooled into thinking it is his own.

There's a moment when you wonder if you'll ever finish the painting—each time you think you're quite about done, the paint setting for the last time, there's something new to add or to revise. You want to make it perfect, but in art, nothing ever is. Still, it is through willpower that you drop the brush for good, stepping back to take a good look at your painting.

It's… well, there’s no other way to say it: it's the man you saw on stage that night. It’s as close to what you wanted to express as you think it can get. The desire, the urge to convey your admiration for Kyuhyun grows overwhelming, and you rush to hold down on the power button of your phone. It’s 7:12pm on a Sunday. Which means there’s a good chance Kyuhyun will be there. They close at 10pm on weekends… can you make it?

It's worth the risk, you decide. You've got to be stupid at least once in your life (or many, but that's not how the saying goes, see). You wrap up the canvas carefully, yelling to your parents that they don't need to buy your share for dinner later, and rush out the second you feel presentable enough for public appearances.

Kyuhyun stares at you unblinking, and you do the same. It's easy to get lost in the reflection you see in them—and he blinks, light returning to his eyes.

“Hey,” he greets, but behind it you sense the question.

“Hey,” you return between pants.

“We're closing,” he says slowly, as if you can't tell from the flipped chairs and cluttering of washed utensils, “But if you're okay with on the go, I can bring out the tubs.”

You shake your head wildly before Kyuhyun can go grab said tubs. “That's not why I'm here.”

When you don't elaborate, he nods once and prompts, “Okay… So you're here to…”

“Pass you something. I can wait till you're off work. If you don't mind, I mean.” You're babbling, and you just know your face is a deep shade of red from nerves and embarrassment. To his credit, Kyuhyun doesn't judge despite his wrinkled brows, and gestures in the direction of your usual seat. So that's where you head. And you wait, your mind too crowded and thoughts so jumbled that you blank out until someone taps you on the shoulder.

“I'm done here,” he says, but now your brain short-circuits for a different reason. Kyuhyun in a plain t-shirt and shorts with a bag slinging across one shoulder shouldn't be anything worth ogling over, but it is. Even more so than the photo you'd seen on the pamphlet. You struggle to remember how to string words together and give him an answer, digging into your backpack for the thing you're here to hand him but can't quite remember what.

Then your fingers brush against the cloth holding your canvas, and you're reminded of your purpose. Right. With your heart slamming against your chest, you carefully pull out the painting you spent a week on, all while watching for any changes in Kyuhyun's expression. He has that cute frown that suggests he's confused, and you bite back a smile as you extend the canvas in an offering.

“For me?” 

The laugh breaks free from you as he accepts it with a cautiousness you've never seen. “

“Is there… something here?” He wonders aloud, gesturing between the two of you. His question is innocent enough, but then you see the way he's nibbling on his lower lip, the way he's peeking at you from under his long lashes—why are they so long anyway, you briefly wonder.

“An empty space,” you quirk, still somewhat afraid to take the leap, but unwilling to leave his question hanging in the air. 

Kyuhyun is instantly right by your side, the sleeves of your t-shirts brushing against each other, his body heat radiating off him this close. You feel yourself stiffen before you relax, easily growing used to this new lack of distance.

“So that's fixed,” Kyuhyun says after four beats of silence. “Anything else?”

“Hmm,” you hum to stall time as you think of other quirky answers to give, but it seems that isn't something Kyuhyun is willing to take a second time. His steps grow wider as he makes to stand in your way, forcing you to look up at him. He isn't exactly tall per say, perhaps a 1.8, but you're simply leaning toward the other end of the spectrum. 

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

He smiles, small and shy and hopeful. “It'd be really embarrassing if I'm reading this wrong, but are you interested in me the same way I'm interested in you?”

And now it's you who's worrying your lower lip, question after question clogging up your mind about all the things you can say that will ruin any possibility of the two of you—Then you look at Kyuhyun again, and realise the man’s likely feeling the same, to some extent.

Licking your dry lips, you decide to go for it. “If by that you mean—” you swallow before you're sent into a coughing fit because of your salivary glands, “—The I want to hold your hand on a date kind of interested… then yes.”

“Who said anything about dating?” he teases, and before your brain even registers the words for you to feel disappointed, he continues, “I think we should start with self introductions first, shouldn't we? After all, I still don't know your name.”

“Okay then.” Kyuhyun clears his throat, his posture tall and grand before he gives a graceful bow, hand extended. “Would you do me the honor of exploring the potentials in this budding relationship?”

It seems like the plot is moving forward, after all.