#this is how i spend the last of my free time

[frogsandfries]

I was introduced to the concept of zines in college, because of a partnered creative project. The first zine I ever contributed to was about social media. It did cost a fortune to print because it was done at the school's favored print shop, in full color.

I don't know how prevalent small bookshops selling zines used to be before the age of the internet, but I think I've only been to one bookshop that sold zines. Which is a real loss, imo. I wish there were more small bookshops and that I had more opportunities to explore zines. I think it's kind of inevitable that the internet caused things to change. Chicken wings and ribs used to be poor people food until they got gentrified. Printing on paper used to be the only way to access and disperse information. Now that we have the internet, it's unfortunately not surprising that zine making has been gentrified.

Plus, I'm sure a lot of people who would like to make zines wouldn't know what to put in one that they'd actually like to share with people. Furthermore, it can be hard to swallow the concept of "if I spend five dollars, I can share this with (let's say three people, for example)" when I can hit reblog or forward or send or submit.......for free.

And then there is the cliche of turning your hobby into a grind. If I can spend five dollars, make three zines, sell them for three dollars apiece, etc etc, maybe I don't need enough money to sell a hundred zines, I just need money to make fifty and I can use the rest of that money for groceries or rent and still keep making fifty zines every time I want to make a new one.

Oh, let's not forget that a lot of USians don't carry cash often if ever, anymore, so now I have to factor in the cost of card transactions, into the cost of my zines. Most people aren't going to find themselves in an avant garde bookshop. Most people may not even find my zines on Etsy or Shopify. This kind of forces an (optional) evolution: if I make a fifty page basically a proper magazine, but because it's full of (idk messages about the best places for poor people to eat in LA), I 'can' call it a zine, I can sell it on like, Amazon, or use a Kickstarter and distribute it nearly infinitely.

I can't look at zines through a pre-internet perspective. I don't have that perspective. I understand that zines should be accessible to those who have very little if any money left over after Life. It can feel tempting to make the flashiest, full color zine. It can feel necessary to print your twenty page zine in full color. It can feel necessary to do the entire thing on the computer. It can feel necessary to make it as professional as possible. It can start to feel like making an "old school" black and white, no computer, xeroxed zine is going to get your zine looked over because it's not flashy enough and nobody likes plain ole boring black and white. Or if I add a cardstock cover, maybe my zine will look a little more professional.

I think a lot of us don't come into zines with any kind of mentor to guide us and regulate the culture, and us younger folks come into it with a mindset that we have to have in the rest of our lives: one upsmanship. If the last guy or the first zine we ever saw had a really professional looking cover, we need one full color page. If that guy used a black and white cardstock cover, we need a color accented cardstock cover, we need a glossy full color cover.

Anyway, all this to say, personally, I don't think zines are the right medium for my creative endeavors. I don't think I say this as like, begging for someone to prove me wrong. I say this as a person who cannot tell a short story. I don't need to rely on zines to get my fanfic (although, even if AO3 did not exist and a monthly zine was the only way to get my Spirk fix, personally, I still wouldn't know where to get some sweet sweet Spirk zines; but that's a me problem).

I feel like I'm about twenty-five years too late to the zine scene.

the whole point of a zine is that it's cheap to produce, amateur and homemade. if you're being asked to apply to participate in a print project, it is not a zine. if the final product is being printed and bound professionally, it is not a zine. if you are being asked to enter into any kind of licensing agreement more complex than "my work can be reproduced as part of this publication" it is not a zine. nine times put of ten if the final product costs more than $5 you have left zine country. im so serious about this.

[hrrtshape]

things i manifested in paris !!!!!

◞ museums basically empty !!!!! like private viewings. like they cleared the louvre just for me. felt like royalty.

◞ drinking every day. obviously. no notes.

◞ dior café. 16 euros.... didn’t even flinch. didn’t even blink. felt nothing. like, yeah, charge me more. i dare you.

◞ NO LINES. literally just walking in everywhere like i was the mayor of paris or something.

◞ food ????? unreal. every bite was a religious experience. i was actually gasping.

◞ thought i lost my earring and was already mourning it…. got home….. it was under my sweater ?????? felt like i was in a time loop. literally how is that possible?/!?!?!??! it was expensive and swarovski and i swore it was lost in the streets of paris..but no. just kept manifesting that it just fell into my bag..but no..it somehow dropped from my all-around wrapped scarf under my (buttoned to the top) trench-coat.

◞ got new jewellery !!!!! like, just out of nowhere !!!!! the swarovski ariana grande set. meant to be. cosmic alignment.

◞ best margarita of my life. 7 euros. plus two free shots. bartender took one look at me and went, "this girl deserves it." and you know what ? he was right.

◞ I SHIFTED. TWICE. ON THIS TRIP. !!!!!!!! i was out here casually jumping realities between croissants. felt like the main character in an experimental film.

◞ weather ????? literally perfect every single day. like the clouds and the sun were working together just for me. rained during comfortable moments...ugh.

◞ every outfit ate. no misses. people were staring. admiring. whispering. like i was a mysterious european socialite.

◞ found the cuuuuuutest, most burberry-escue burgundy trenchcoat. no notes

◞ my hair ???? perfect. not a single bad hair day. not a single moment of struggle. just effortless beauty.

◞ got the best seat in every restaurant, every café, every bar. prime locations only. always by a window. always vibey.

◞ shopping ???? insane. walked into stores and just found the most perfect things. like they were waiting for me.

◞ make-up was on point. no brush strokes, no harsh lines, no nothing.

◞ my phone battery lasted forever. defied all logic. like my phone just decided it was on my side.

◞ got into every place i wanted to. no rejections. no complications. doors opened. things worked.

◞ my skin ????? glowing. no breakouts. no stress. just clear, angelic radiance.

◞ found money randomly. like, oh, cool, the universe is just giving me spending money now.

◞ had a night where everything felt right. the stars aligned. the city was glowing. no explanation. just pure, unadulterated magic.

◞ packed way too much but somehow my suitcase just made the weight limit. down to the gram.

◞ walked 20k steps a day but my feet ???? did not fall off. sore, but still functioning. still cute.

◞ forgot to check the weather but it just…..worked out ??? no rain when i needed sun, no heatwave when i needed a breeze.

◞ convinced myself i was getting sick at least twice, then woke up the next day perfectly fine. mind over matter.

literally a divine trip. heaven was playing favourites and i was in the list.

[maretinelli]

GESTURES OF LOVE

Lando Norris X fem!reader

Summary: When Lando shows his love for his girlfriend in cute little gestures and it makes her heart warm.

Words: 4.4K+

Warnings: Loving Land, mentions of marriage, college Y/n, mentions of teen dating, cute, happy couple, and romantic story

Author: English is not my first language, so apologies for any spelling, grammar, and slang errors that may be present in the story. I love making stories like this, with different situations, if you have any more ideas, please send them to me!! ❤️🇧🇷

MASTERLIST

That weekend, Y/n finally had a break from work and university. After tiring weeks, she decided to accompany Lando to a GP, taking the opportunity to spend more time with him.

Lando was beaming with her company, his smile left no doubt that he loved having her there, sharing a little of the world he loved so much.

The day seemed normal for a free practice session, but the city's weather didn't match the lively pace of the pits. The sky was dark, overcast, and the clouds threatened to collapse at any moment.

In the McLaren garage, Lando was getting ready to get into the car, checking some last details with the team. Before that, Y/n had gone out to get coffee for the two of them. She came out excited, greeting and chatting with other girlfriends of the drivers around the paddock.

Time passed too quickly as she laughed and was distracted by conversations, not realizing that the sky was getting even more overcast.

When he finally stopped at the paddock café to get his coffee, the first drops of rain began to fall. Within seconds, the water was pouring down with force, accompanied by thunder and lightning that lit up the sky.

Y/n shivered slightly at the noise, watching the storm take over the environment.

"What a crazy atmosphere, huh?" He commented, while the friendly waitress prepared the coffees.

"I don't think anyone expected this storm now." The woman laughed. "Well, at least you have some time for a hot coffee before training."

Y/n smiled in agreement, but was interrupted by the vibration of the cell phone in her pocket. When she picked up the device, she saw that it was a call from Lando. However, before she could answer, the call dropped. Then, several messages appeared on the screen:

Love💓: Where are you, darling?

Love:💓: How are you?

Love💓: Do you need anything?

She smiled at his concern before answering.

'I'm at the coffee shop! I got distracted talking to the girls and ended up taking a while, but I'm going now.'

Love💓: Stay there. I'm coming to get you.

'Lan, it's raining a lot. I'll wait a little and then come back, you don't need to get all wet.'

But he didn't even see it.

Y/n sighed, shaking her head.

No matter how much Lando said he loved her, she didn't just need to hear the words. She felt it in the small gestures, in the way he always paid attention to her, in the constant affection. And now, in the desperate way he went out to get her in the rain.

Minutes later, she saw a familiar figure walking through the paddock with an umbrella. Her eyes widened when she realized that Lando was practically soaked, even holding the umbrella.

As soon as he approached the coffee shop, Y/n came out and waited under the small balcony.

"You should have stayed inside, you crazy woman." Lando said, laughing when he saw her. "I'm here to rescue you, like a knight in armor searching for his princess in the castle."

She laughed, and when he held out his hand to help her down the two front steps, she held on tight, joining him under the umbrella.

The rain had calmed down a bit, but thunder still cut through the sky. As they walked back to the garage, Y/n held the two cups of coffee while Lando kept an arm around her shoulders, better protecting her from the rain.

"You really didn't have to come," she murmured. "I was going to come, love. Now you're all wet."

Lando smirked. "And leaving my girlfriend alone out there in the rain like this? Never."

She smiled, leaning against his shoulder as they walked together.

When they reached the garage, he dropped the umbrella in a corner and took her hand, guiding her to the pilot's room. Inside, Y/n placed the coffees on the table and began to tell him about the waitress at the coffee shop.

"She's very nice, Lan. In fact, she's studying the same course as me at university." She said, turning to look at Lando. "Of course, not at the same university because she doesn't live in Monaco." She laughed a little.

But he was busy rummaging through a suitcase until he pulled out some dry shirts and coats. Holding the pieces of clothing, he walked over to her and held them out.

"Change your clothes." He said simply. "You might catch a cold."

Y/n's eyes widened, laughing. "Lan... you're soaked! Look at you!"

In fact, he was completely soaking wet. His curls were streaming down his forehead, his McLaren papaya T-shirt looked a shade darker from the water, and a drop of rain slid down his cheek as he smiled at her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He chuckled, noticing her stare. "Want a kiss?" Lando smirked.

Y/n shook her head, laughing and ignoring her boyfriend's teasing flirting. She just ruffled his slightly brown curls.

"You're the one who needs dry clothes here."

"I'll change right away," he insisted, still holding the clothes out for her.

Y/n sighed and picked up the clothes, but first asked: "Do you have any extra pieces for you too?"

Lando hesitated for a second before admitting, "No... But I'll put on the jumpsuit soon and, as soon as we get back to the hotel, we'll take a hot shower."

"Then I won't change. My clothes only have a few stains on them, and I can take off my sneakers and let them dry. You, on the other hand..."

Lando smiled and leaned closer, leaving a soft kiss on her cheek. "I just want you to stay warm. I know you get cold easily."

She smiled at his affection. She sighed and accepted the clothes, but before going to change, she warned: "Okay, but when we get to the hotel, I'll be the one who will take care of you."

"Fair enough." Lando chuckled, leaning in to kiss her.

••••••••••••••••••••••

Y/n was at university, and Lando, taking advantage of his break from racing, was at their apartment. With free time, he decided to take care of the kittens they had, unpack the suitcase from their last trip and clean the place a little so that, when she arrived, she could just relax.

While organizing some things, my cell phone vibrated with a message from her.

Amore mio❤️: Honey, I'm going to have to stay here a little longer... The teacher decided to extend today's class, since he won't be able to come next week.

'Okay, honey. Did you bring anything to eat? Or do you have your card?'

Amore mio❤️: I forgot my lunch bag on the table... But if I feel hungry, I'll buy something in the cafeteria.

Lando looked at the table and there was her small bag of snacks. He rolled his eyes, smiling. It was typical of her to forget things when she was in a hurry.

He looked at his watch. It was already past lunch time and, knowing Y/n well, he knew she wouldn't buy anything because she would be too busy studying. With an amused sigh, he picked up his bag and decided to take it to her.

Leaving the apartment, he got into his car and drove through the streets of Monaco. It was a beautiful day, with the sun reflecting off the crystal clear waters of the harbor. The narrow, charming streets were busy, but he drove calmly, lost in his own thoughts.

He and Y/n had been together since they were teenagers. They met in high school, when he still dreamed of becoming a Formula 1 driver and she was already talking about working in the health field. Since then, Lando had done small things for her—like sharing his snack when she forgot, stopping by the market after school to buy her favorite sweets, or simply giving her his coat on cold days. For him, these were simple things. For her, they were demonstrations of love that meant everything.

Upon arriving at the campus, Lando parked the car and headed to the block where Y/n's course rooms were located. She was in an area with tables and benches, laughing with her friends as they reviewed something for class.

He stopped for a moment and watched her from afar. Even when she was focused, she still found time to laugh and interact with her friends, and that made him smile. The driver had always admired the way she balanced everything with ease. Relationships, work, university, friends, home, family who lived in another country and accompanying Lando to the races when she could.

For Norris, she was definitely his superhero.

Y/n's friends soon noticed him, but didn't say anything. She, with her back to him, continued talking, oblivious to his presence. Lando approached silently and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"If you're going to scare me, forget it." Y/n grumbled before even turning around, frowning slightly.

"Apparently it worked a little." Lando chuckled.

She turned around quickly, ready to retort, but when she saw it was him, her face lit up with a smile. Without hesitation, she hugged him tightly.

“What are you doing here, Lan?"

He kissed her cheek before answering, and her friends cooed, making them both laugh. Then, he held up the bag of snacks.

"I have a special delivery for a person who forgets things."

Y/n smiled, shaking her head. "You're the best."

"I know." He winked. "But seriously, you wouldn't survive on just the breakfast and granola bars in your backpack."

"I love you, you know?" She bit her lip, knowing he was right.

"I think I can hear that again." He smiled.

Y/n laughed and pulled Lando into a kiss. Her friends cheered playfully, and he smiled into the kiss. While Y/n blushed slightly.

"Do you want to stay here for a while?" She asked as they walked away. "I still have time before my next class."

"Sure, honey." He sat down next to her on the bench and soon began chatting with his friends, whom he had known for a long time. Most of them had even studied with them in high school and had been friends since then.

While he was chatting animatedly, Y/n opened her bag to get her snack. It was then that she noticed a small note folded on top of the fruit bowls and the sandwich.

"I don't want you to go hungry because you were busy saving lives before you even graduated. Eat right, okay? I love you. Lan❤️"

Her smile grew, and her cheeks heated. She tried to hide it, but her best friend, sitting across from her, noticed it right away.

"Look who's blushing!!"

Y/n rolled her eyes but laughed.

Looking at Lando, who was still talking absentmindedly, she felt her heart warm. The love she felt for him was not just because of the time they had been together, but because of the way he always showed that he cared, in the little details. She had loved him since they were friends, and when they started dating, that feeling only grew. Every day, with every gesture, with every note, she fell more in love.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Y/n walked into the house, taking off her shoes and letting out a tired sigh, but with an excited smile on her face.

"You won't believe what happened today!" She began, walking straight to the kitchen as Lando followed her with interest.

"Surprise me!" Lando said with a smile, leaning against the counter as he watched her open the fridge.

"The teacher just decided that he won't teach us anymore and finished all the content today!!" She explained, picking up some fruit and starting to prepare a juice.

Lando frowned. "Seems kind of unfair, doesn't it? Like, you guys have to fight to know everything in one day?"

Y/n to them.

"Basically!! But it was actually good, I had time to review a lot of things... And wouldn't you know it, the guys decided to have a competition to see who could remember the most details from the class, AND I WON!" Y/n said in a tone of voice like a child who had just received a long-awaited gift.

Lando laughed and raised an eyebrow in amazement. He loved that even though they were twenty-five, she sometimes told him the news like a six-year-old. It was one of his thousand favorite things.

"Of course you won. My favorite nerd." He joked, earning a look of mock indignation from her as he poured the juice into two glasses.

"I prefer 'a brain incredibly capable of holding everything', but thanks." She said, handing him one of the cups.

Lando chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "Fair enough. And did you get anything to eat while you were out there so late?"

"Ah, so... I even stopped by the markets near the university before heading home, because I had a crazy desire to eat pistachio ice cream, but I couldn't find any." Y/n commented casually, drinking the rest of the juice and going to wash the glass.

Lando made a thoughtful sound. "Pistachio ice cream? That's a new one."

"Yeah, I saw it on Instagram and I wanted to." She said, smiling at him. "Anyway, I'm going to take a quick shower, and then we can continue yesterday's series, okay?"

"Of course, I'll wait for you on the couch." Lando replied, already imagining that that 'quickie' was far from the truth.

She leaned in to kiss his cheek, but at the last second, Lando turned his face and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Y/n giggled against his lips, but kissed him back without hesitation.

When they broke apart, she ran her fingers through his hair and murmured. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Lando smiled, but as soon as she got into the shower, an idea took hold of him. Grabbing his car keys, he left the apartment determined to find that pistachio ice cream.

He knew Y/n well enough to know that, even if she didn't give it much thought afterwards, she still wanted it. And he would do anything to see that satisfied smile on her face.

At the second market he visited, he found exactly what he was looking for. He bought three large jars and drove back home, eager to surprise her.

When she entered the apartment, she heard the sound of the wardrobe doors opening; she had probably just gotten out of the shower and was changing.

Putting two jars in the fridge, he grabbed two spoons and settled down on the sofa, putting on the series they were watching together.

From the hallway, he heard her voice as she tried to apply moisturizer to her arms.

"I swear I'll never understand why these bottles are so hard to open when your hand is wet." Y/n grumbled, focused on the task at hand as she walked to the living room.

As soon as she walked in, she found Lando smiling at her, holding a tub of ice cream out towards her.

"Look what mysteriously appeared in our apartment." He said, an amused glint in his eyes.

Y/n's eyes widened and she walked over to him, taking the spoon he held out. "You're kidding!"

Lando laugh.

"No kidding. I left while you were in the shower and found it at the market nearby."

She opened the jar and looked at it with a mixed expression of surprise and tenderness. "You flatter me too much."

"It's not my fault I like seeing you happy." Lando replied with a smirk.

Tasting the ice cream, Y/n closed her eyes in pure delight. "OMG, this is perfect!!"

Lando laughed when he saw her so pleased.

She then gave a mischievous smile. "Our future children will be the most spoiled in the world. With a father who goes out at night to buy pistachio ice cream for their mother, imagine what he will do for them."

Lando gave a thoughtful expression. "Well, if they pull their mother's leg, they'll probably convince me to do anything. I'm screwed."

Y/n laughed and leaned back against him, still enjoying every spoonful.

Lando put the episode on TV, but his attention was always on his girlfriend. He smiled every time she made a face of pleasure while eating her ice cream.

Y/n felt loved in every little gesture he made. Ever since their school days, Lando had always found ways to take care of her, even when she didn't realize she needed it.

And despite all the teasing, she knew that their future babies would be lucky because they would have a daddy as caring and helpful as the man by her side.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Y/n and Lando had a natural way of balancing each other's differences. She loved quiet nights watching TV and baking, and he did that with her without hesitation complain. In the same way, he liked parties and events, and Y/n, even though she felt a little anxious in crowded places, made an effort to accompany him to all of them.

Lando had always been aware of her discomfort in crowds. When they went to parties, he made sure to keep one hand on her waist, making sure she felt safe, while the other held a glass.

That night, they were at a party with Max and Pietra. Y/n was talking excitedly with Pietra about a reality show they were watching, while Lando and Max talked about news from Quadrant.

When Max and Pietra left to get more drinks, Lando leaned close to Y/n's ear.

"Is everything okay?" He asked in a low tone, making sure only she could hear.

"Comfortable?"

"I am, love." She smiled reassuringly.

Lando nodded, but kept his eyes peeled for any sign of discomfort.

"Come dance with me?" Y/n asked suddenly, her eyes shining with anticipation.

"Now?" Lando smiled, loving to see her letting loose.

"NOW!!" She said, pulling his hand and lightly dragging him back.

Norris chuckled, downing the rest of his drink before setting the glass down on the table and following her. He shifted his position, standing in front of her and gently holding her hand as he excused himself to a few people along the way. The last thing he wanted was for someone to bump into him.

When they reached the dance floor, a song they both knew started playing. Y/n smiled, moving her body to the rhythm of the music. Lando pulled her by the waist, moving alongside her, but his attention was focused on admiring her smile and the way her eyes sparkled.

When the song ended and a new one began, he leaned in again to speak close to her ear.

"Do you want to get some air outside?"

Y/n fixed the collar of his shirt, which was slightly up, and smiled. "Not yet. But thanks for asking."

Lando smiled back and murmured against her hair, "I'll always be here to take care of you."

And then, they went back to where they were before and found Max and Pietra, who had already returned with the drinks.

They continued to chat animatedly, but Lando remained attentive. They had a code for when Y/n needed a break—a double squeeze of his hand meant it was time to leave.

Even without her giving the signal, Lando noticed small signs of discomfort: the way she fidgeted with the strap of her dress, the way her gaze became more distant for a few seconds. Then, without needing her to ask, he leaned close to her ear.

"Come with me, just a minute."

Without question, Y/n took his hand, and he led her to a quiet terrace. As soon as she felt the cool air against her skin, she closed her eyes and smiled, taking a deep breath.

Lando hugged her from behind and kissed her neck gently. "You're doing well, love. But you don't have to stay here for me, okay? We can go anytime. I'm with you!"

She opened her eyes and turned her head slightly to look at him. "I know. But I like being with you, even if parties aren't really my thing."

The pilot smiled, warming to her words. They sat in silence for a while, watching the city lights below.

"Do you think if I let go of my glass from here it will fall straight down or fly away?"

"If you do that, I'll pretend I don't know you." Y/n raised an eyebrow.

He laughed, still hugging her. Her hands were on his, which were resting on her waist. Y/n sighed in relief, resting her head on his chest.

Lando nuzzled his face into her neck, murmuring softly.

"I love you."

She smiled, feeling her heart warm. "I know. Because I love you too!"

"I love everything about you." Lando continued. "From the first time I saw you in my class in high school, I knew you were special to me."

"We didn't even talk properly that first week." Y/n chuckled softly.

"But I knew," he insisted. "And then you stood by me at the beginning of my career, always believing in me, always supporting me. You are my peace before every race, my confidence before I get in the car. Every time you're around, I feel at home."

She blinked a few times, feeling her eyes well up. An emotional smile formed on her lips.

A lone tear ran down her face, and Lando wiped it away with his thumb.

"I love you so much." Y/n whispered. "But sometimes, I can't even put it into words..."

He kissed her forehead tenderly. "But I feel it. Because, even though you don't see it, you care for me as much as I care for you."

Y/n smiled, knowing he was right. Lando began to list little things she did without realizing it: cooking his favorite dish every time he got back from a trip, sending him motivational messages, holding his hand before races to ease his anxiety. And gosh, she learned how to make his mother's recipes so he wouldn't miss Cisca's cooking so much.

"I love you." Y/n smiles. "So much, so much, so much, and so...much!"

Lando chuckled and leaned in to kiss her.

The kiss started softly, tenderly. Y/n's hands went up to the back of his neck, pulling him slightly closer. Lando deepened the kiss delicately, moving his lips against hers slowly, savoring the moment. His thumb caressed the soft skin of her face, conveying every bit of affection he felt.

When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers and smiled.

"Shall we go home?"

Y/n nodded, still smiling.

Lando laced his fingers through hers as they walked out, ready to spend the rest of the night on the couch with her—and, who knows, maybe with a coffee to cure both of their hangovers.

••••••••••••••••••••••••

Lando and Y/n were spending their holidays in the UK, in the city where they grew up and where their families still lived. It was a peaceful time for both of them, a time of rest and nostalgia, surrounded by the streets that held so many memories of childhood and adolescence.

On that cold afternoon, they walked hand in hand through the park that meant so much to both of them. The icy wind announced the possibility of snow in the coming days, and the smell of winter hung in the air. They were dressed in matching warm coats, and Y/n kept her hands intertwined with Lando's.

"I still can't believe I'm going into my final year of college." Y/n commented, looking at the path ahead. "It seems like yesterday that I started, and now we're already talking about the future more calmly... It's going to be good to be able to spend more time at home and eventually start working for real."

Lando looked at his girlfriend in amazement. With a soft smile, he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and chuckled softly when he saw a small leaf fall on her head.

"What is it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There was a leaf on your head," the pilot replied, laughing as he removed it.

Y/n laughed too, squeezing his hand lightly before they continued walking. As they walked, they talked about the latest races, her plans for when they returned to Monaco, and even ideas for future trips.

Halfway through the journey, Lando suddenly stopped in the middle of a bridge, where the view of the park was even more beautiful. The trees swayed gently in the wind, some dry leaves fell, making the scenery even more nostalgic.

"Why did we stop?"

Lando looked at her with a gleam in his eyes. "Don't you remember this place?"

She frowned for a moment, looking around, until her eyes widened in realization.

"It was here..." She murmured, a smile growing on her lips. "It was here that you asked me to be your girlfriend."

Lando smiled and nodded, moving closer to let her closer to him. Y/n rested her hand on the railing of the bridge, admiring the view, but soon turned her gaze back to him.

Lando gently ran his hand over her cheek before speaking, "I know a lot of people say I'm taking too long to propose..." She rolled her eyes but laughed. "But I always say the boss doesn't want it right now..."

Y/n lightly slapped his chest, laughing. "Not quite!"

Lando laughed along, taking her hand again.

"I know we agreed that we would do this after you finished college." He said fondly. "So... if I ask you out again, will you accept?"

She frowned in confusion for a second, until she saw him take a small box out of his pocket. Opening it, she revealed two brand new rings.

"Yes, Lan, I accept. I always will, you know!" Y/n smiled.

"I took advantage of the fact that we're here to renew our engagement rings... because, honestly, mine is already all crooked on my finger." He joked.

Y/n laughed out loud. "Well, mine is kind of crooked too." She admitted.

Lando took her hand, sliding the old ring off and studying her for a moment before joking, "That should be considered a crime already."

Y/n laughed and did the same with his, exchanging the old rings for the new ones. When they finished, each one held the other's old ring.

"What are we going to do with these?" She asked, looking at the ring in her palm.

"We can play in the river. Like a ritual, you know? But in a cute way." Lando smirked.

"I feel bad about throwing it away..." Y/n hesitated, holding the ring carefully.

Lando cupped her face gently, looking into her eyes. "We're not throwing them away, love. They were part of our history, but now we have new ones. And in a few months, you'll have an even more special one. A brilliant engagement ring."

Y/n's eyes lit up at the idea. She smiled, feeling her heart warm.

"Okay then. Let's do this together."

They looked at each other and counted down before dropping the rings into the river at the same time. They watched for a few seconds until Lando laughed.

"Will any fish find and marry our rings?"

Y/n laughed, pushing his shoulder lightly. "Well, I hope they're at least fish who really love each other."

Lando chuckled before pulling her into a passionate kiss.

The kiss started out slow and delicate, but soon became more intense and full of feelings. Lando's hands held her face tenderly, while Y/n wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Their lips moved in unison perfect harmony, as if time had stopped for that moment. The cold around them didn't seem to matter, as there was a cozy warmth between the two.

When they pulled away, Lando rested his forehead against hers, smiling. "I love you. And I can't wait to call you my wife one day."

Months later, when they returned to the city for their mid-year vacation, Lando took her back to that same bridge. With a sparkle in his eyes and a shiny ring in his hand, he proposed, sealing another chapter of their story in the very place where it all began.

[kanmom51]

4 months to go...

Someone clearly has JM etched on their hand and on the brain.

Miss those two so damn much.

Funny how as time is closing and discharge from military etching closer I feel like it's moving so much slower than the first 14 months did. Is it only me that feels that?

But time is nearing, nevertheless, and as it is, I can't help but think what comes next. What is the day after going to look like?

Obviously, I'm not the only one thinking of that.

The two of them are clearly contemplating the day after as well.

We don't know what their hopes and wishes are for that post military future is, but I can tell you what mine are.

My hope for post military is that they will continue to be as openly inseparable as they have been going into the army and spending those 18 months of their service together.

I know they are together and their relationship is as strong as ever. With as little as we've been getting from them in the past 14 months of their service, they have shown us that ever so loud and clear.

I want them to be able to continue and be open about it.

I want us not to go back to the reality of 2023. A reality in which we KNOW they were spending their time together, but we weren't supposed to know it. A reality in which they gave us crumbs and clues and puzzles to solve but couldn't be loud and clear like this:

or this:

I do feel like there has definitley been a shift since their joint enlistment.

Obviously, them enlisting together was a HUGE part of it.

AYS and everything we were allowed to see in that show (and everything we know we weren't allowed to see as well) was just as HUGE.

But it doesn't end with that.

14 months of service and we barely got anything from them. But when we did, even more so in the last few months, it always contains a clear message of their "togetherness", take it in anyway that you will (they spend free time together, sing together, exercise together, shower together, have heart to heart conversations with each other before going to sleep - together - might not have been said but clearly implied).

To little ole' me this is not a coincidence. This is a clear pattern. A plan in place, one may think or conclude.

So yes, my hope is that when we reach the end of these 18 months we will be walking into a new reality. One in which they don't necessarily 'come out' officially (I think that is asking too much of them, and it would be a huge decision for them to make - together - one that will obviously impact not only them, but the whole of BTS), but do not shy away publicly from just how close and co-dependent they are of each other. A reality in which, dare I say, it's an obvious natural progression for them to continue to live together as "roommates" (in JK's huge mansion, of course) because "they got used to living together while in service". One in which being seen together in public isn't a big deal, it's a norm. One in which neither of them has to cower away or freeze or double take when they are caught on camera together (JK's deer caught in the headlights looks at the camera in mind). One in which when they aren't together them mentioning of the other isn't an "oh" or "ah" moment, but a natural "not a biggie" thing, because that's just something they obviously do. One in which ot7 army who love to ignore just how close those two are (because they are too close and too suspicious and acknowledging that means acknowledging there is more there and that Jikookers aren't delusional shippers that are fantasizing or fetishizing those two, but clearly seeing what they have been purposefully ignoring) cannot continue to ignore any longer.

And I wouldn't have wished for all of the above if I didn't think that was something they wanted.

Because most of all I want one thing.

Most of all I want them to be happy!!

[semipreciousgemstonejade]

A great point that is touched upon here is that ultimately this is a company and we are consumers. Like this post says, if we continue to pour our time and money into this game when they continue to push these predatory practices, they will only become worse.

I've said on the subreddit many times that what they're doing with Sylus affects every player, since we're all playing the same game. How does it make sense to paywall one and not the others? It doesn't. They absolutely will start doing that with the other characters and that process has already begun.

This isn't their only game, so this isn't their only revenue stream. They are also creating a AAA game for console, Ballad of Antara.

All this to say that they can afford to treat their consumers better. Why don't companies ever understand that the more they understand the target demographic and better they treat the consumer, the more money we will spend? People want high quality in exchange for brand loyalty.

Always remember how much power we hold... There is a reason that women are a target demographic for marketing strategies and not just for fashion and makeup. We aren't a monolith.

In simple terms, it’s because marketers think women are making most buying decisions. Research cited by Forbes suggests that women drive 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions (source: Forbes), and more detailed research by Girl Power Marketing shows that this influence isn’t limited to the clichéd trifecta of household goods, cosmetics and clothes that modern media has taught us to associate with female shopping behaviour. (Source: Girlpower Marketing).

In total, experts think that women control over $31.8 trillion of worldwide spending (Source: Catalyst). And when you look at statistics like that, it's easy to see how a lot of marketers fall into the trap of assuming that they'll meet success if they start targeting women.

While there is some truth to the idea that women are household managers and the key decision makers in many business organisations, there's also an equally strong body of research to show that they are much more discerning than their male counterparts when it comes to engaging with digital marketing material.

https://www.redevolution.com/blog/why-do-marketers-target-females

The last part is a warning... We won't just continue to spend our money willy nilly. We will take our money elsewhere. There is talk of competition in the future...

I've seen a lot of the suggestions people have given in their surveys and honestly we're telling them how to make this game more engaging for us. If only they would listen. But as my mother says, "those who can't hear must feel". And since money talks, I guess hurting their revenue is the only way they'll understand.

Ultimately we all want this game to succeed, but not at our expense and using predatory practices.

And always remember, we give Papergames and Infold free marketing with all the things we write, draw, our video edits, YouTubers and social media accounts etc... Not to mention all the cool and extravagant things the CN whales do that promotes the game. Of course, no one asks anyone to do any of this, but it adds to the success of the game by bringing in more players.

No matter what I choose to do in the end — to pull or not to pull 😔 — I will, in solidarity with the CN kittens and the ongoing boycott, refrain from pulling within the first 3 days. I'll only log in on the first day and choose Sylus as my precise wish. That's it. And I will absolutely not spend real money. I have 0 plans to ever do so until Paperfold course corrects.

If you too wish to help with the boycott, then I urge you to do the same. You can still get the card you desire ofc but please wait until after 3 days or at least 24 hours have passed in that case.

For more info on the boycott, please check my pinned post or my hashtag justice for sylus. You can also take a look at this Reddit thread .

[astrasng]

touchstarved txt ౨ৎ

→ summary: every human being needs someones touch.

→ warning: mainly fluff, little cursing.

→ a/n: this is the first post of my valentines week special. so, happy valentines week to everyone ♡ make sure to treat yourself to something delicious and stay hydrated! ♡

here's the masterlist to the event ^^

enjoy!♡

──── ⋆˚࿔ soobin

soobin who doesn't remember the last time someone touched him like this. not because they had to, (because of fitting or anything relatable to his work) but because they wanted to out of love. the feeling of someone's love with a simple touch almost makes him cry out, melting into your touch the first time you hold him. his whole body going slack against yours as he lets himself relax in your arms. he furrows his eyebrows slightly when he feels you swiping your fingers through his hair, only saying a small please continue as he snuggles into your neck more feeling your warm soft touch. "no one ever held me like this before"

──── ⋆˚࿔ yeonjun

when he started his idol career, he didn't think he'd find true love. always focusing on his dreams, on his members and family. love wasn't the first thing on his mind, but when you came into the picture everything changed. he craved for your attention of every hour of the day,texting you constantly to know you are doing fine and happy. somewhere in his mind and heart, it calmed him to know you are safe. when his schedule let him, he spent every time of his with you, always having an arm around you or his hands caressing yours in his palm. yeonjun usually carefully chooses the people he lets in his personal space, and you are one of them. it was rare to see him act so boldly or affectionate in public, but whenever you feel his hands swiping the hair out of your face of fixing something on your dress always makes you blush uncontrollably. you often think he just put an arm around me and my knees are already giving out i'm so pathetic but in all truthness this is your boyfriend's little game. "i just wanted to see you crave my touch as bad as i do with yours."

──── ⋆˚࿔ beomgyu

he spends almost every free time of his hovering around you. not stalker like, but rather like a curious friend. because he is your friend, and it nearly kills him. he wants you to notice him, to give him a fucking chance, and when you do he basically disappears for days. showing up with a smile days after,saying that he was preparing for your first date and when you see what he has been doing you feel guilt building up on you for not dating him sooner. beomgyu craves your love and touch like its a drug, finding every excuse to touch you. either pulling out a chair for you and touch the base of your back slightly to secure you sit down safely, or teasingly pulling on your hair whenever he has the chance. if he's really down bad for you, he even pulls your hand into his lap and examines your lifeline. "this definately says I'll be in your life for forever"

──── ⋆˚࿔ taehyun

taehyun mostly looks forward to nights.he knows you are home waiting for him, already done with work and busying yourself until he's done at the company. his heart beats the closer he gets to his apartment, because he already knows what is going to go down. he practically feels your hug already, your arms wrapped around him to pull him further into your shared home. he loves cuddling with you on the couch or on your bed, his face smushed against your chest to slowly lulling him into a deep sleep. his heart gives up mid-day when he suddenly remembers how you feel in his arms, wanting nothing more but to go home sooner and be with you. it's like his body psysically craves for you, melting into you the minute his body hits the bed yet again after a long day. there are nights when you have to wait for him so long that you eventually fall asleep, but taehyun always wraps his arms around you to feel like he's home again. "I'm home baby" he then murmurs like you can hear him in your sleep.

──── ⋆˚࿔ hueningkai

kai,someone who always puts his focus on his work suddenly gets annoyed when his balance is wavered. to the point he can't even go to practice without thinking of you, your face suddenly appearing in his mind in the middle of rehearsals. touchstarved kai, who thinks he can get you out of his mind if he works out enough, but this isn't the case. because the minute he sees you again he has to have your hands on him, missing your touch and the way you melt into his body when hugging him. he's just so madly in love. "i needed to remember how your hug feels like" says in a whisper as you basically feel him crush your bones.

important!: this is pure fiction, the act in this story is by my imagination and not based off true events. please do not copy the work.

[meo-eiru]

Hi hiiiiii!!! I just wanna say i love ur oc’s so much, they live rent free inside my head like a growing necrosis!! Ever since u dropped the character trivias for Lavi and Elias I cant stop thinking about an AU with the game Catherine for Elias and Lavi but like with a lil twist to itt (the twist being i cant properly remember the entire plot to Catherine, its been like a decade since i played it so i tweaked so much of the actual storyline to better fit the narrativeT-T) feel free to delete it if its too weird;;

TW: cheating, pregnancy, reader/mc is pregnant, ooc Lavi im sorry, Elias having a reasonable crashout, yandere behaviour, continuous affair, reader/Mc cheats, character death(?), misuse of commas and my terrible grammar really

—

Okay so Imagine this, whilst drinking out one day, trying to drown out the midlife crisis and potential worries about the future, you end up having a drunken one night stand with Lavi, this one night stand however snowballs into an affair as you end up sleeping with Lavi AGAIN.

You’re pregnant, and you’ve been in a relationship with Elias for 5 years, Elias is absolutely ECSTATIC to find out that you’re pregnant, and is even considering marrying you if you agree to it (you have no choice in the matter btw lol), so in order to plan for the baby (and wedding), Elias has been taking more and more modeling jobs to hopefully save enough for your future together.

This would’ve been a happy ending for both parties if you actually KNEW who the father was. Youve been rethinking your entire relationship with Elias for a while and whilst its good to feel loved and appreciated just for existing, Elias’ is just… he’s too much sometimes— well most times tbh.

Elias would kill you both, but he hasn’t suspected anything yet, and you plan to keep it that way because you’re thinking of ending things with Elias by the end of the month anyway,

until you can’t.

And you find yourself puking every morning, a worried Elias by your side at every step of the way, loving, understanding (?), pulling your hair back and dabbing away sweat from your face as you stay hunched over the toilet seat, and the guilt smashes into you like a truck, its debilitating—Elias loves you so much, cares for you (too) so much. The guilt should have set in sooner, you should be groveling at his feet begging for forgiveness, but you dont, instead you stay, and the affair continues, even when you don’t remember spending the night with Lavi (where they even at the bar last night?). Even when the test shows two lines. Even when Elias starts doing more work to provide for the two of you.

Maybe it’s guilt, maybe its your consciousness telling you you need to leave, to not subject Elias to a life chained up to someone who doesnt love them enough to stay faithful.

You end up having these weird nightmares where you have to fight for your life trying to escape a hellish landscape. You survive each night but always seem to end up waking up to Lavi on your bedside (you haven’t been outside, Elias hasn’t allowed you to go to work since the pregnancy test, you don’t remember telling Lavi your address either)

But one night, when you wake up from another nightmare, crying, shivering, Elias and Lavi nowhere in sight.

Impulsively, you end up calling Elias and tell him about the affair, how you don’t know who the father of the child is, how you’re sorry and how terrible you are and how it would be better if you just break up.

and as expected, he breaks down. asking you, demanding answers, crying, screaming, shouting, asking if you actually loved him, asking if the child is actually his, asking you why he wasn’t enough, how he knew you were acting weird, asking which fucker he has to kill to make everything work out. its guttural, the way he screams, shouts for answers.

You end up dropping the call. And Elias immediately spams your phone with missed calls until you end up blocking his number.

He’s coming for you, you know he will. And he does, not even an hour later, banging on the door. You worry about your neighbours hearing about all of this commotion, its 11pm, he should’ve been at home but he was still at work, should’ve spent this time relaxing and watching tv shows with you at saturday night, but instead he was still at work, working to support the both of you (even if a big part of you knew it wouldn’t have stopped him from coming anyway)

He’s banging on the door, and you have half a mind to grab the knife at the sink. He stops after what felt like an eternity, only to forcefully barge his way in by using his body to slam the door open.

Elias makes his way inside, immediately grabbing you by the shoulders, eyes red with tears as he looks at you with the most painstakingly hurt expression you’ve ever seen (you’ve seen it countless times before, but only this time its different, it’s it scarier, it feels like he might actually hurt you)

His eyes grows into slits, as you feel another arm snake behind you.

It’s Lavi.

You are so fucked.

Elias ends up lunging at Lavi, screaming, intent to kill, to get rid of the vermin homewrecker that ruined (whatever was left of) your relationship.

Lavi fights back, albeit without mentally damaging Elias in the process as he talks about how much time he spends with you, how he planned on taking you with him secretly behind his back, how the child is actually his and how he intends to take full accountability for it.

You watch as Elias screams reaching for something in the sink only for Lavi to laugh at him, taunting him, waving the knife in his hand hautily, simpering with a glint of malice in his eyes “Looking for this?”

You’re about as useful in this situation as a screen door to a submarine. And you know its in vain, but you scream at both of them to stop anyway. Crying as you fall to your feet, you feel like puking.

Elias freezes, breath hitching as he turns to you before the expression on his face falters, angered as Lavi continues, telling him that “he’s the reason you’re having such a hard time right now”, “how he has no business being a father when all he does is hurt you”.

Everything falls into a blur as the fighting continues,

it feels like forever but it does stop, and you hear someone slump on the floor.

and you find Elias on the floor, with the knife plunged into Lavi’s stomach.

——

I had to write it out the brainrot was killing me, had to write it out until the brain rot unrotted itself.

I do know i couldve done this darker and better but i cant write anymore i feel so rustyT-T if you see “them” instead “you” its because i originally wrote this with “Mc” and using “they/them” before changing it to explicit xreader

Rereading my writing realising it is so tellenovella coded oof

Holy shit anon I don't know how you did it but this might just be the most hellish possible scenario known to mankind. I'd honestly just end it right then and there, there's no getting out of this bermuda triangle ass dynamic we got going on here.

Like Lavi and Elias being in the same universe is already horrible, them liking the same person is even worse but darling CHEATING on one of them with the other??? I would just

[secretlysamcro]

Black female reader x Jax Teller PLOT SPOILERS!!! explicit language & offensive language. If you’re under the age of 18, haven’t finished the show or dislike any of said topics, please read no further.

Request: Okay! I just saw your post about requests for Jax x black!reader and the first thing that popped into my head was this scene from Mr. & Mrs. Smith (because I am shamelessly obsessed with this movie) when they do the shooting game at the fair. I would LOVE to see your spin on this where reader is lowkey a sharp shooter and surprises Jax cause maybe she doesn’t look it 👀 Lmk what you think! I love your writing 🖤

Backstory: The Sons, Gemma & y/n spend a little time at fun town, y/n showing Jax how sharp her shot is, photo booths & unexpected screams…

Laughter blends with the hum of carnival rides as the scent of over priced fried food lingers in the air. Jax keeps his arm around you, his touch warm and possessive, pulling you closer with each step. Your smooth dark skin glows under the lights, a contrast to his pale complexion, marked with the inked memorial of his late father, John Teller.

Your eyes light up with excitement as you near the shooting game. Without hesitation, you tug Jax along, urging him forward with a quick pull. He smirks, the corners of his mouth twitching as he shoves his beer cup between his teeth to hold it.

With his free hand, he digs into his pocket, pulling out some change and tossing it to the fair worker. "Two" he says, his voice muffled by the cup. You skip forward, reaching for the sniper, your fingers brushing the cool metal as you prepare to take your shot.

Jax leans in, eyeing you with that cocky grin of his, "You know how to hold it?" he teases, his voice low.

You laugh softly, the question almost making you roll your eyes. If only he know, you think, but you play it off, flashing a sweet innocent smile. "Yeah" you reply, as you line up the gun, getting it perfectly positioned.

Jax, now finished with his beer, sets the cup down and leans casually against the side of the booth. His back is turned to the target, but his focus is entirely on you. "Yeah?" he challenges again, the doubt high in his voice.

"Yes Jax, damn..." you mockingly demand, a playful laugh slipping out before you can stop it.

You take aim, fire lazily, and miss. Five shots in a row, not even grazing a target. But you're not really trying, and each miss only makes you laugh. Jax joins in, shaking his head with a look of amused sympathy, like he genuinely feels bad for how shit you are.

You roll your eyes, biting back a grin as you step aside, letting Jax take his turn. He's good, you'll give him that. Lining up his shot, taking down most targets with ease, but still missing a few. You watch him intensely, eyes fixed on his every move as if you're trying to figure out his technique.

"I wanna go again!

He pauses, then lets out a laugh, repeating your words with a teasing tone "You wanna go again?" shaking his head, he digs into his pocket for some more change, rolling his eyes as he prepares to watch you fail all over again.

Only this time, you're not fucking around.

Lifting the rifle, you line up your shot, your focus precise. Before Jax even has the chance to turn back around, half the targets are already down. You make it look effortless and when he finally turns to see what's happening, his jaw drops to the ground.

By the time the last target falls, you lower the rifle, Jax's cocky grin now stretching across your own face. With your teddy, five times the size of Jax's, tucked under your arm, you strut past him. Before you get too far though, he pulls you into him, his arm wrapping around your shoulder.

"Where the hell did you learn to shoot like that?" He laughs, still in awe.

"Beginner's luck" you tease, snuggling closer to his chest as you continue to walk.

The Photo Booth was small to begin with, but with both of you crammed inside, you positioned awkwardly on Jax’s lap, it felt even smaller. Your curls, worn like a crown, framed your face perfectly, as always.

“Shit, y/n your hairs takin’ up all the goddamn space” he mutters, laughing awkwardly shifting around, trying to squeeze into the frame.

You shoot him a playful look, already knowing he’s just messing around. You smack his chest playfully as you laugh at his struggle.

“Just take the picture Jax” you laugh, tilting your head so the camera gets your best angle.

Stepping out of the booth, you wait for the photo strip to print. As soon as it pops out, you grab it, a satisfied smile spreading across your face.

“Oh, we look good” you say, nodding your head as you admire the two of you.

Jax leans in, taking a look before shaking his head with a smirk. “Nah, you look good. I’m barely in the damn thing” he laughs, pointing to where only half of his face peeks out from behind your curls.

Before you can even respond, a familiar voice cuts through the noise. “Well, ain’t you two the cutest” Clay remarks as he strolls over, Gemma slung over his shoulder. He sets her down gently, his eyes moving between you and Jax.

You laugh, alongside Jax. Without thinking. You step a little closer to him, drawn to the comfort of his presence. Not that you were scared, there’s just always been something about Clay that puts you on edge.

As you all stand around talking, a family approaches. An older man, a woman, and their younger daughter.

“Republicans, 12 o'clock” Clay hisses under his breath as they move closer.

Still, when the man steps forward, Clay puts on a grin, extending a hand “How you doing, Elliot?”

“Okay, Clay” the man responds, shaking his hand stiffly.

Gemma grips Clays arm a little tighter, you also pressing yourself closer to Jax without much thought.

“Hey Mom, I’m gonna go to the spin out again” The young girl pipes up.

Her mother frowns “Tristen, you’ve been on it four times already” she says, a little unimpressed.

The daughter pouts, shifting her weight and shrugging her shoulders.

Jax digs into his pocket, pulling out some leftover tokens “Hey, here” he says, handing them over to Tristen.

“That’s not necessary” her mother replies, her tone polite but borderline firm.

Jax just laughs, squeezing your hand before giving Tristen a wink “That’s aight, they kicked me off cause I was screaming too loud”

She brightens up instantly, saying thank you before she runs off towards the ride.

Once she’s gone, her parents don’t bother sticking around. They wrap up the conversation quickly, making it clear they’re in a hurry to move along.

You all watch as they disappear into the crowd. Gemma, shaking her head. “You’d think with all the money they had, they could pay someone to remove those sticks shoved up their asses”

Clay grins, his arm around Gemma “maybe he’s a little paranoid his country club cronies are gonna see him talkin’ to the outlaw”

Gemma laughs, moving in closer to Clay. “Come on, I need to talk to the outlaw” she says, shoving him into the photo booth.

Jax immediately, turns away, a disgusted look on his face “you both make me sick” he says, before grabbing you by the waist, pushing you forward. “Come on, let’s get outta here”

As you continue walking, you catch up with Bobby and Tig. “Darby’s guys?” Bobby asks, eyeing the unfamiliar men who had just passed by.

Jax watches them for a second before shaking his head “don’t recognise 'em” he speaks, sizing them up in the process. A voice cuts through the air.

“Oooh, look at the big bad bikers, huh? Gonna get clowny all wet?” You all turn towards the voice, only to see a guy dressed as a clown, grinning like an idiot, clearly looking to start something.

Jax, never one to walk away from a challenge, steps right up, ready to play. The booth worker hands him two yellow balls. The goal? Hit the target, dunk the clown.

Jax takes his first throw, but his shot is just a little off.

“Aww, what’s the matter tough guy? Can’t put the little ball into the tight hole?” The clown taunts, his voice a complete mockery. “Bet all your leather wearin’ butt buddies say the same”

Jax’s whole demeanor shifts. He’s pissed. His jaw clenches, his grip on the second ball tightening. You step in front of him before he can do something real stupid. Placing your hands on his chest to calm him down.

“Gimme it” you say, giving him your confident smile.

He exhales sharply through his nose but hands you the extra ball. You take your time walking up to the booth, making sure the clown sees the sway in your hips. He puckers his lips, making an over exaggerated kissy face at you. Jax moving to lunge, but Bobby and Tig grab his arms, holding him back.

You look over your shoulder with a little smirk. “Don’t worry babe, I got this” lining up your shot, you take a breath before launching the ball, of course, you hit the target dead on.

The clown drops straight into the water, suddenly he doesn’t seem so cocky.

Jax bursts into laughter, his arms wrapping around your waist, a little too tight as your waist beads dig into your skin. “That’s my girl”.

Meanwhile, Bobby and Tig rush forward, making sure to push the asshole under just a little longer than necessary.

The fairground is quieter now, the crowd thinning as the night stretches on. You and jax are currently tucked away behind a burger van, hidden from view. The metal of the truck cool against your back as you lean against it, whilst Jax stands close in front of you, pulling pieces from your candy floss and bringing them to your lips.

His fingers brush against your lips, staying just a little too long each time. You close your mouth around them, your tongue grazing his skin before he pulls away, his blue eyes darkening as he watches you.

“You doin’ that on purpose darlin’?” His voice is low and teasing, as usual.

“Maybe” you tease, shifting just enough for your knee to brush exactly where he’ll notice.

"You know, you still never told me where you learned to shoot like that" he chuckles, his thumb grazing over your bottom lip.

"You..." you poke his chest, smiling "...shouldn't judge a book by its cover". There's a teasing tone in your voice, daring him to challenge you.

"I..." he presses his forehead against yours, playful but firm "...don't read books" he adds, trying to sound cool.

"Maybe you should start" You arch a brow, waiting for his comeback.

His expression shifts slightly, his head tilting "You callin' me stupid?" there's a faintest edge of offence in his voice, unsure if he should be insulted or amused.

"No" you say, grinning "I'm just sayin, you don't exactly look like the type who enjoys foot rubs or lets me braid his hair for fun"

Jax narrows his eyes, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Alright, alright keep it down" he says, shaking his head. "I got a reputation to protect" You shift a little, straightening up, "Speaking of books…" you hesitate for a second, knowing he wont wanna talk about it. "you read any more of that manuscript you found?"

Jax exhales deeply, his nostrils flaring in the slightest. "Nah, haven't had the time" he murmurs, his voice dipping lower in tone.

You study him for a moment before offering, "I could read it to you tonight?…" But when you see the way his shoulders stay stiff, you decide to lighten the mood. "…While I do your nails, maybe throw in a face mask too" you tease, arching your hips toward him.

He snorts, shaking his head "Yeah, cause that's exactly what I need"

You tap his chest again playfully "Self care, Teller. You should try it some time" “Why do I need to take care of myself when you do it all for me, huh?” he murmurs, his voice dipping into that familiar, flirty tone as he leans in closer. He bites his lip, gripping the the back of your neck tight as he leans in. His lips meeting yours, slow and deliberately. He could take you right then and there, knowing full well that you'd let him, but the moment is cut short.

A piercing scream shattering through the entire fair.

“TRISTEN!”

A woman’s voice, panicked and desperate.

Then again, louder this time.

“TRISTEN!”

You and Jax both freeze. Your eyes meeting his, concern flickering between you both.

“Isn’t Tristen the lil' girl from earlier?” You ask, an uneasy feeling twisting in your stomach.

Jax takes a second to register. “Yeah, Elliot’s kid”

Without another word, you both move, rushing back into the heart of the fair, the flashing lights seeming harsher now and the music from the rides providing an eerie backdrop to the chaos unfolding.

You spot Elliot and his wife frantically searching, their faces tight with fear.

“What’s going on?” You ask, stepping towards Tristan’s mother. Your hand resting lightly on her arm, a small attempt at comfort.

“We can’t find Tristen” she says; her voice shaking as her eyes dart around. The panic in them making your chest tighten.

“Oh shit” Jax curses under his breath, glancing towards Elliot who’s looking just as frantic.

“She’s gotta be here somewhere” you offer, trying to reassure her, but the mother immediately shakes her head.

“No! We’ve looked everywhere” she insists, her fear spilling over, just like her tears.

Elliot comes rushing back, his expression pained. “She’s not on any of the rides”

“Oh my god, oh my god” his wife whispers, her breathing uneven, her entire body trembling, she stumbles forward, calling out for her daughter again, and again, and again.

The name “Tristen” echoing through the grounds, desperate with urgency.

Photos & gifs are not mine, just edited together.

For the lovely @daughterofapollo-7 🖤

Love an excuse to rewatch episodes, not that I need it it’s all I fucking watch lol. Hope you all enjoy!

Jax Teller Masterlist

[frythebrains]

My official list of how well it would go if a primarch would be horrendously down bad for me (in numerical order)

Lion- 4/10. He's really going to have to have a lot of Very Serious conversations with himself and get out of the closet. I feel like he'd complain that I'm on my phone too much. Also, I can't keep secrets for shit.

[REDACTED]- 0/10. Didn't even show up for the date.

Fulgrim- 6/10. We'd probably get along relatively well and I'd really enjoy having someone to make clothes for, but I wouldn't be able to keep up with his social obligations. His rating goes up considerably well if Ferrus is also included.

Perturabo- 8/10. I feel like I could handle him well enough, and we're both grumpy bastards, so it balances out. We actually have interests in common, so we'll be able to actually have things to talk about while we sit on opposite sides of our massive craft room working on our own projects. He might be a little sexist, but I'm sure we could work it out.

Jaghati Khan- 3/10. I really don't have the energy to keep up with him. Also, I'd last about 5 minutes in a yurt.

Leman Russ- 1/10. We are absolutely incompatible, and that's not counting my dislike of him. I'd be falling asleep halfway through his parties on one of his wolves. Not to mention that I somehow doubt that Fenris is a good place for vegetarians.

Rogal Dorn- 5/10. Honestly, we'd probably forget that we're in a relationship at some point because we get too involved in our own little projects and just never see each other. Not to mention he'd probably get along with my brother way too well and every single family dinner would be turned into an engineering black hole. However, our lego collection would be legendary.

Konrad Curze- 2/10. I feel like this should be obvious. Also, he'd probably shred all my plushies.

Sanguinius- 4/10. Honestly, we're just both going to be caught in a loop of 'I'm not good enough for him' at some point or another and it'll drag down the relationship immensely as we both try to prove our worth to the other one all the while feeling terrible about it. I do feel like our hobbies would line up nicely though.

Ferrus Manus- 7/10. I have a feeling he might not appreciate my abilities with fiber arts, but I feel like we could work around it. Not to mention that I would absolutely not turn down free blacksmithing lessons. His rating goes up significantly if Fulgrim is included (What? They balance each other out!)

[REDACTED]- 0/10. Wrote me a creepy stalker letter and I didn't reply.

Angron- 1/10. I literally have no idea what we'd even do with each other. There would be lots of awkward staring.

Robute Guilliman- 9/10. We'd probably spend a lot of time crying in each other's arms during tax season. Other than that, we're pretty compatible and would probably have a lot of fun making petty comments at state functions.

Mortarion- 14/10. It mainly works because I'm also horrendously down bad for him. Like, I'd have this man's children and I hate children (which is fine, because I doubt he wants children either). It would be the second date and we'd already have the house with the white picket fence and 2.5 nurglings.

Magnus- 9/10. I'm also severely down bad for this man; I would probably spend a lot of time playing with his hair and reassuring him that yes, Leman Russ and the space wolves are bitches. However, Jeopardy would be an absolutely blood sport in our house to the point of terrifying the neighbours.

Horus- 3/10. There's absolutely no way I can keep up with this man's social schedule. I'm way too much of an introvert for that. There's also no way I'd be able to deal with his daddy issues.

Lorgar- 5/10. I do feel like Lorgar could be really sweet, but with the daddy issues and the religious issues and the having to have Kor Phaeron at holidays... yeah.

Vulkan- friends/10. Like, I know he's the perfect man and everything, but the only way we could conceivably cuddle would be in a freezer because otherwise we'd both overheat.

Corvus Corax- 4/10. We'd just be too depressed together, and I feel like he's not going to give me encouragement. Also, there's the probability that he would disappear at some point and I'd spiral into a 'what have I done wrong?' spiral at endless guilt.

Alpharius Omegon- 8/10. I might be as blunt as a 2x4, but I do like the idea of getting two for one. I do also really like the idea that the entire Alpha legion would gaslight everyone in my life to not misgender me.

imagine if the one of the primarchs was horrendously down bad for you, the fucking dream

[siravalondulac]

pour it in a cup | j. snow x reader

summary: after the devastating wars against the white walkers and house lannister, jon is once again king in the north, and as such, is in need of a wife. how lucky, then, that tyrion lannister has a niece.

contents: arranged marriage, unrealistically quick relationship progression, she/her pronouns for reader, one use of y/n, slight non-graphic smut at the end

words: 5814

author's note: based on this request. i've also written a version with my oc here (in case you saw both and were confused, it's the same story)

masterlist | additional works masterlist

Perhaps avoiding any talk about the topic of his missing queen had not been the correct idea. He should have listened to his advisors when they spoke of marriage, of the betrothal offers from the Northern lords, of the suggestion to take a Free Folk woman as wife to unite their people. But he had been too focused on trying to deal with becoming king - again - he had brushed them all off. And this was the punishment.

He stood in the courtyard, his remaining siblings beside him, waiting anxiously for the procession to arrive. The entire castle had gathered to greet the visitors from Casterly Rock, and to catch a glimpse of their new queen.

Horns blasted, and then the first soldiers arrived.

Their red and golden armour had not changed, and neither had the lion on their banners. Fewer men than expected accompanied the party, but all of that was forgotten when you rode in.

Cersei Lannister's oldest child, who had hidden in Casterly Rock for the entire war, staying far removed from the horror the rest of them had to suffer.

You were clad in rich fabrics, a dark red dress with golden embellishments, decorated with soft furs to keep yourself warm in the cold. Yet more peculiarly, you did not travel in a wheelhouse as your mother or any of the southern ladies would have done, but sat aside on a horse, its hide as white as the snow around them.

You would become his wife. You would become his queen

Your uncle, Tyrion Lannister, jumped off his own horse and approached him. They shook hands with a smile, and Jon was glad over the lack of proper manners.

“Your Grace.” Tyrion's voice sounded amused saying the title. “I am grateful for the invitation. And that you have accepted the proposal.”

“The North needs this alliance to heal,” he repeated the words of his council. “Just as the Westerlands.”

“That we do.” He beckoned someone forward. “May I introduce your betrothed? My niece, the Princess Y/N.”

You raised your hand, and he quickly took it to lay a kiss upon your knuckles.

“My princess, I am honoured.”

“As am I, your grace.”

Your words were polite yet cold, and he realised for the first time you might want this marriage even less than him.

He tried to grasp at something to say. “May I lead you to your chambers?”

You nodded, and closed your hand around his arm.

Perhaps he should have stayed, should have greeted the other lords and ladies as well, should have held a speech - whatever was expected of a king. But he wanted time alone with his bride, wanted to spend your first moments together without dozens of eyes watching them. And so he did not feel bad as he led you into the halls of his castle.

“Uh-” He cleared his throat. “You will receive your own chambers until the wedding, in order to get used to everything. Afterwards you will move into the Lord's chambers with me.”

You nodded, and said nothing.

You passed the main hall, where a wooden throne now eternally stood high above the rest.

“It must be strange,” he said, “being back here after all these years.”

You chuckled. “Strange indeed. The last time I was here, my family was still alive. Now there is only my uncle and me, the dwarven king and the forgotten princess.”

Your voice had become biting, accusatory. And he supposed you had a point.

“I apologise.” He did not dare look at you. “These last years must have been difficult.”

“They sent me away and never came for me,” you answered far too quickly. As if you had prepared it. “I am loyal to the Stark crown and will do my duty by it.”

He did not try to initiate another conversation until you had reached your chambers. And even then, the few words he spoke were only to inform you that a servant would be with you shortly. You seemed as if you wanted to tell him something - a thank, a question, a demand to leave you alone until the wedding the coming week - yet closed the door before any such thing could happen.

You tried to forget him. Tried to ignore the reality of the situation whenever the thought passed your mind. Which was nonsense, you knew. But it was easier than facing the fact you would be marrying a total stranger in just a few, short days.

That first night, Winterfell held a feast to welcome you, and to introduce the castle and the entire North to their new queen.

Despite what would be expected of you, and despite knowing you would have to adhere to your betrothed's customs soon, you had decided on a blood red gown for the evening, while a golden tiara decorated your intricately braided hair.

One last desperate attempt to cling to your heritage. To not lose what remained of your family.

King Jon Stark already awaited you at the doors to the feast hall, clad in yet another set of black and brown leathers and a fur-lined cloak, this time, however, with a spiked iron crown on top of his dark curls.

He smiled at you, you smiled back, then you took his extended arm, and entered.

The few spots of red and gold were drowned out in a sea of Northmen, all staring at you. Judging you. None of them wanted a tyrant's daughter as their queen, a foreigner, an enemy. Neither did you, but what else was left for you in this world? You were your uncle's heir, yet only until he sired his own children. And afterwards, you would have nothing.

Best accept this marriage. It was certainly the best you could get.

King Jon held a short speech once they stood in front of their seats, thanking first his lords for joining him for this most wonderful occasion, then your uncle for brokering this much needed alliance between their kingdoms, and lastly you. For agreeing.

You smiled and curtsied, and hastily removed your hand from his arm once you were seated.

The food was agreeable, the ale not too bitter, and the constant chattering and even shouting from the wildlings bearable. You had to get used to all this, you reminded yourself, especially to the presence of the man beside you.

Jon, to his credit, had not tried to strike up a conversation yet, though the glances he threw in your direction burned on your skin. You would have to look at him eventually, you knew as much. Touch him, even. Lay with him. Perhaps speaking to him now might soften that experience later on.

But he was drawn into a conversation with your uncle before you could decide.

Sansa sat on your other side, beside her brother and two others you did not recognise. You grasped at something to say - something easy, and far removed from the terrors your families had inflicted on each other.

“I like your dress,” you said carefully, not daring to fully look into Sansa's face.

It was true, you did like her gown - dark blue and simple, with an intricately embroidered wolf just above her heart.

“Thank you. I made it myself a few years ago. I had too much on my hands to sew a completely new gown simply for this feast.”

“You enjoy making them yourself, I take it?” you asked, trying to keep the conversation going. “The last time I was here, you were so proud of what you made, it was all you could talk about for an entire course.”

“And all you could talk about was King's Landing, and how much I would like it there.”

Perhaps Sansa tried to start an argument, to find any excuse to convince her brother to break off the betrothal. Perhaps she wanted to guilt you into admitting fault for your family's actions. Or perhaps that was simply the only thing she remembered from that evening.

“I am sorry.” You stared at the rings on your fingers. “I should have warned you about Joffrey.”

You had been sent to Casterly Rock not long after the outbreak of the war - for safekeeping, so that the Baratheon crown could live on through you should disaster strike the rest of your family - but you had still witnessed the beginnings of your brother's cruelty towards Sansa.

“You couldn’t have known what he would do.”

“I grew up beside him. I knew him longer and better than most. What he did to you… I could have prevented it.”

“He would have punished you as well, had you tried.”

Jon had joined some of wildings further into the hall, and you could almost understand their words and cheers from your place at the main table, such was the volume they were speaking at. He looked comfortable with them.

“Your brother…” You hesitated. “What is he like?”

Your eyes stayed on him, even when Sansa eventually answered.

“He will not mistreat you, if that is what you fear.”

“No. I mean-” You chuckled half-heartedly. “That is all anyone tells me about him. He is good, he is kind, he is brave. It all sounds rather dull.”

“He was a bastard, then a brother of the Night's Watch. He still thinks he is undeserving of the crown, even though the Northerners have pronounced him their king twice now. He has already fought in more battles than most will in their entire lifetime. Such a thing is known to leave one scarred and withdrawn. Give him time, he will warm up to you eventually.”

Jon joined your side again after a while, with red cheeks and a small grin on his lips. Yet when he noticed your stare, he swallowed, shook his head slightly, and it had disappeared.

You almost wanted to tell him how cute it had looked.

“I am rather tired from the long ride,” you said instead. “Would it be terribly impolite by Northern customs to leave already?”

“No, not at all.” He stood up and offered you his arm. “Let me accompany you to your chambers.”

Conversations died when you passed.

The cold air hit you the moment you stepped out into the quiet of the night, and you could not stop the noticeable shiver running down your back, nor the slight shaking of your arms. You clenched your jaw and prepared yourself for an uncomfortable walk, when a cloak was suddenly laid around your shoulders.

Confused, you looked towards Jon.

“I apologise about the cold. I suppose it will take a while to fully get used to it.”

Then he realised he still had his hands laid on your arms, and he hastily dropped them, taking a step back for good measure.

You pulled the fabric tighter around yourself.

“Thank you, your grace.”

You did not touch each other again on the walk to your rooms, and you did not mind at all. Welcomed it, in fact. You would be forced to endure his hands soon enough, there was no reason to invite them sooner.

You thought about saying something once you reached your door - a thank, a question, an invitation to spend the following day with you. Yet all you did was hand him back his cloak, whisper a quick “Good Night”, and quickly close the door behind you.

Be gentle with her. She has gone through a lot.

Tyrion's words echoed in his mind as he made his way to your chambers.

Your distance at the feast last night had surely been noted, he knew it had. Certain Northern lords - Manderly, Umber - were already looking for any excuse to oppose this marriage, he could not provide them with more reasons. You two would be seen conversing happily, spending time together, kissing if necessary. They would not punish you for his misgivings.

He knocked on your door, waited, and assumed for a moment you would ignore him, when he suddenly heard steps. Slow, careful, yet still. His back straightened on its own, and then you stood before him.

A soft green dress draped your body. Simple, without much embroidery, jewels, frills, or lace. Just a lone necklace hung around your neck.

You looked… beautiful.

“Your Grace.” You quickly pushed a strand of hair behind your ear. “Is something the matter?”

“No, I-” The light caught in your hair. He cleared his throat. “I was planning to check on the castle, make sure everything is working as intended. Would you like to accompany me?”

Best make you believe you would not put unnecessary burdens on his shoulders by agreeing to this walk, but simply to join what he was already doing.

Still… Even despite his efforts, you seemed ready to decline. Your fingers tightening in your dress, the trembling of your lips, the terror in your eyes-

“Yes.”

You quickly had a cloak slung around your shoulders and your hand around his arm, and so you set off.

Jon knew, of course, that you had only agreed because you were aware of your situation, much like him, and that you needed to play the game in order to survive. Your mother had taught you much.

Your walk through the castle led you past the kitchens, the feast halls, the smithery, the stables, the sept, the glass gardens. He explained everything as well as he could - what lead where, who worked where, whom you should talk to when faced with a problem. All while staring ahead, seldom sending a gaze your way.

You listened, nodded, smiled. You curtsied when encountering ladies and servants alike, picked up a stray flower you found in one of the hallways. And yet you also rarely spoke a word. Just a question here and there, a greeting, a polite agreement. A pretty thing on his arm.

Perhaps you were hiding. Perhaps this was simply who you were.

You walked through a door and outside, ending up on the pathways surrounding the training yard.

Northmen and wildlings sparred side-by-side, laughing and joking despite their thousands of years of animosity. Some had said their blossoming friendship was due to him - the man who had died to bring innocents south of the Wall - but he knew they attributed far too much to him. Facing death itself was enough to unite even the greatest of foes.

“Are they all living at Winterfell?”

He shook his head, then remembered you likely weren't looking at him. “No, they are not. Most of them are lords and their entourages, who will leave after the wedding. The wildlings are visiting as well, they are merely here to strengthen our alliance.”

His eyes wandered towards you for a short moment, to glance at you, see if you might express anything but polite interest. And… yes, perhaps that was indeed a small smile on your lips, and a sparkle in your eyes as you watched the children chase each other with sticks and wooden swords.

“I remember the last time I was here,” you said, lost in thought. “My brothers sparred with yours. Tommen was still far too young, so his fighting was more mindless stumbling in a set of armour that didn't quite fit him.”

“Do you miss your siblings?”

You nodded.

You continued your walk around the castle until you ended up in front of your chamber again.

“Thank you for accompanying me,” he said.

“Thank you for letting me.”

Then the door was shut before him once again.

After an eternity of walking circles in your room, you had grabbed a blanket, a book, and hidden in a secluded spot in the glass gardens. Surrounded by flowers and vines that, if you squinted, reminded you at least a little of your home, you had finally felt at ease.

Walking around the castle the previous day had been gruelling. Everyone had stared, knowingly, judgingly, as if they blamed you for your family's crimes, for the dire state the North had been beaten into. And the worst thing was…

You didn't blame them.

Time passed in the safe space you had crafted for yourself, amidst the moondusts and dragon’s breaths and coldsnaps, lost in the words of your book.

Then steps drew near.

In your haste to jump off the cushioned bench, you threw over a flower pot, sending it tumbling to the ground. The bench almost tipped backwards, and you only narrowly kept it from crashing into the glass behind it.

No one could see you here. This was not your place, not your home, not yours to enjoy. You should have stayed locked away, deep inside the halls of Winterfell, with a dozen guards to line the way. Here there was no one. Just you. Alone.

If one of the lords found you here… You had seen their eyes the previous days, the glances and stares sent your way. Full of hatred. Lust. You knew them all - their meaning, their consequences. They would mean to punish you for what your family had done to them, and perhaps even find a way to stop this alliance and keep the king from wanting you. You needed to get away from here, back to your rooms, far away-

“Princess? Is everything alright?”

Jon stood amongst the plantlife, dressed in another set of black leathers. He looked down at you, concern etched across his face as he watched your hunched over form, kneeling in the dirt.

“Yes. Yes, everything is alright.” You stumbled over your words. “I- I apologise for this mess. I will clean it up right away and then-”

“Let me help you.”

His hands were calm, strong, cold as they brushed yours. He quickly had the flower pot - not broken, thank the gods - back on its pedestal, and helped you brush the dirt together.

“Thank you,” you said quietly.

“You would not believe the amount of things I have almost destroyed in this castle.” His chuckle reverberated in your chest, the sound low yet warm and inviting, and something shifted inside you.

“I doubt anyone would have noticed. Winterfell is even more contorted than Casterly Rock.”

And then he laughed, and you wanted to bottle up the sound and keep it locked away close to your heart.

“Maybe you could show it to me one day. After you have gotten used to your new life.”

You knew you should agree with him, tell him he need not be worried, and that you would be the nice and pleasing wife he desired. Yet something about your current position - sitting on the ground so close next to each other, your fingers mere breaths apart, staring into his dark eyes - made you whisper, “I don’t know if I ever will.”

He cocked his head. “Why would you say that?”

“Just look at me. I don’t belong here - I don’t belong anywhere. Your lords know that, and you would be much more suited marrying one of their daughters. Not the child of a foreign tyrant.”

Jon looked at you, eyes fluttering across your face, your body, your dress, seemingly trying to find an answer to the questions mounting in his head. You turned your head away, yet he quickly caught your chin with his fingers, and forced you to meet his gaze again.

“I don’t want anyone else.”

His breath brushed across your cheek, his lips so close to yours you felt the heat radiating off them.

“After our wedding,” you whispered, “I want you to stop lying to me. I get enough of that pity from my uncle.”

And so you quickly stood up, and ran away.

You had stayed hidden in your room since your interaction the previous day. Or perhaps, simply stayed hidden from him.

He was slowly running short on ideas to make you warm up to him. Nothing, it seemed, that he said or did made you more comfortable around him, nothing caused you to open up to him, nothing led to you seeking him out.

Perhaps he should give up. Commit himself to a sad, lonely life, with an emotionless shell of a person beside him, until the cold finally returned to claim him once more. Perhaps it was what he deserved.

He sat up in his bed; slowly, breathing laboured, skin covered in sweat. The chamber was still wrapped in darkness, with only a sliver of the moon’s silver light falling past the drapes. He buried his face in his hands, then quickly stood up, slipped into a tunica and some boots, and disappeared into Winterfell’s deserted hallways.

No one was awake during this time of the night. The most he would ever encounter during his semi-regular walks around his castle was a stray rat, or a cat running after it.

Ghost had joined him at some point, trotting by his side like a white shadow, the fur cold and soft underneath his scarred hand. He was glad for his direwolf, glad for the quiet company, glad to not be alone in the darkness. Then he stepped on one of the walkways overlooking the main courtyard, and almost had his breath knocked out of him.

A soft breeze wafted through your hair, open for the very first time in his presence, the moonlight illuminating the strands and making them appear almost silver. Despite the freezing cold you wore no cloak, just a simple, dark blue dress that hugged your frame.

You looked… ethereal.

Your blue eyes settled onto him, and he nearly stumbled backwards.

“I- I apologise. I will leave-”

“No.” Your gaze settled on the yard beneath you once again. “It’s alright.”

He slowly, carefully walked towards you, yet made sure to stop a good distance away from you, and then followed your gaze into the abandoned courtyard. Usually brimming with life, now dark and empty.

“I apologise about my behaviour yesterday,” you almost said in a whisper. “You were merely trying to be nice towards your betrothed, and I should not have run away.”

“I understand why you did, and do not hold it over your head.” He buried his fingers into the frost-covered banister.

You stood there, in uncomfortable silence afterwards, neither knowing what to say, if to say anything.

“I suppose…” you said, then hesitated. “My mother sent me away and never came for me. Even as my siblings started dying, even after your brother had been killed, even after my uncles had been defeated, she left me at Casterly Rock, never sending a letter, never visiting. Then she crowned herself queen, and the only way I found out was because my uncle turned up after the war to tell me. And to tell me she had died, and that the Seven Kingdoms were no more.” She took a shaky breath. “I fear that if I trust someone again, they will do the same.”

He had had no idea- He had always thought you had hid in Casterly Rock, looking down upon them as they were slaughtered on battlefields. That you had been essentially held captive had never once crossed his mind as a possibility.

Be gentle with her. She has gone through a lot.

“I am not your mother. You will never experience anything like it again, I swear it.”

Ghost eventually left his side and took a few careful steps towards you, sniffing at your hand, bumping his nose into your arm. And even though Jon had seen you ride in on a horse, had seen your eyes, hard as ice, staring at anyone daring to get too close to you, it still took him by surprise when you did not move back in fear, instead slowly starting to let your fingers glide through his white fur. All while failing at hiding the smile gracing your lips.

He wished you would smile like this at him. Some day, perhaps.

“I remember them from my last visit,” you said. “Though this one has grown quite a lot during this time.”

“His name is Ghost.”

“Ghost.” You chuckled. “An apt name. And I think you agree as well.” You ruffled the direwolf’s fur.

“You changed as well. You grew taller, and your hair has gotten longer as well. Back then you looked just like your mother, but I can’t say you share much resemblance with her now.”

The words had tumbled out of him, and he regretted them as soon as he closed his mouth. What had gotten him to say all this?

Then, into the silence, you whispered, “I don’t remember you at all.”

Your smile had faded, replaced by the constant state of terrified impassiveness he had gotten so used to seeing on you.

“I do not blame you. I was a lowly bastard, and you part of the royal family. Our paths could have never crossed, even had we wanted to.”

“And yet you remember me.” You looked down into the courtyard. “Likely remember me walking out of that wheelhouse beside my mother, and smiling at your brother, and talking to your sister, and decorating myself with all that useless frivolity, still so deep in the belief that my life would have some meaning.”

“Then perhaps it is time you create those memories of me.”

Something that was far more beautiful than you trying to hide your smile was you trying to hide your grin. And perhaps, if the sun had been out during your conversation, he would have seen pink bloom on your cheeks.

All week, the castle had been busy preparing for the wedding. Your wedding. The one that would make you queen of a strange and alien kingdom.

You had stayed away, as well as you could - while you still could. After tomorrow, you would be expected to act as their queen, no matter how little you knew your people.

Pacing up and down your chambers had become something of a favourite pastime of yours. Not that you liked it, of course, but you did not dare step foot out of the door on your own, without one of the Starks to accompany you. Defend you against the disapproving stares.

A knock on your door.

You had expected everything, except for King Jon to stand on its other side, a wooden box and a book in his hands.

“May I come in?”

You could not quite forbid your betrothed from walking around his castle, so you stepped aside without a word and closed the thick wooden door behind him.

“I wanted to talk with you about tomorrow,” he said quickly. Either because he did not want to stay in your presence any longer than necessary, or because he was nervous.

You nodded, indicating to him to continue.

“There will not be a bedding ceremony. I have been to Northern weddings before, and approximately know when they happen. We will leave before then.”

You could barely comprehend his words. He could not truly mean-

“Why?”

“I- You will be my wife and queen, and I want my lords to respect you. I don't want their first real interaction with you to be… touching you inappropriately.”

He was seemingly embarrassed by his own words, and if you were not currently talking about the prospect of your wedding night, you might even say it was cute.

“I… thank you.” You tugged at the sleeves of your gown. “But I doubt it would change anything. I am an outsider, whether or not they undress me tomorrow will not change how they see me.”

He then, quite strangely, handed you the book he had been carrying. “But this might.”

Justice and Injustice in the North. You had been reading the tome in the glass gardens two days past, and had forgotten it there in your desperate attempt to escape Jon.

You looked up, and met his dark, endless eyes.

“You are learning about the North,” he said. “Not simply its people, but its laws and customs as well.”

“It's the least I can do.”

“See? Not even married to me and you are already taking your role as future queen of these lands seriously.”

Then he offered you the wooden box, opened the latch, and revealed a simple iron crown. Much like his own, yet this one had a small ruby etched into the front.

“You do not have to wear this tomorrow,” he said. “But you can, if you wish. I will force you to nothing.”

You nodded slightly, took the box, and carried it and the book towards one of the cupboards.

“I assume that will be all?”

You could not remain in the same room with him for any longer, could not stand to remain in vicinity to this man who had been treating you so kindly at no benefit to himself.

“Actually… There is one more thing.”

Jon gently turned you towards him, laying his fingers underneath your chin to urge you to meet his eyes. The moonlight fell through the window beside you, bathing him into a soft, silver light that illuminated his black curls.

“We will be watched for the rest of our lives. Nothing will remain secret, each of our actions needing to ensure prosperity for the North and all who live here. I am certain that tomorrow, even if we manage to escape the ceremony, someone will ensure we have consummated our union. So, if you are willing, I want this one, simple thing to be just ours.”

His lips had gotten so close to yours, a mere hair's breadth apart, and you could once again feel the immense heat radiating off it.

You could refuse, you knew. If you told him no, he would accept your answer, and leave. Yet his words echoed inside you, and you knew them to be true.

And so, instead of whispering that dreaded word, you simply closed the space between you, and sealed your lips in a kiss.

A week ago, Jon would have never thought he would feel so at ease standing before the heart tree in Winterfell's godswood, you before him in a blinding white gown and with the iron crown of winter upon your hair, speaking the vows that would bind you. But he was glad the day had come. And he was glad you were the woman he would share eternity with.

The ceremony, the brief kiss, and the feast passed by him in a breeze, his wife's hand in his the only thing grounding him.

His wife.

He would need some time to get used to that word.

You looked even more radiant than you had the previous night, cloaked in the silver light filling your room, with red lips swollen from your kiss. He was barely able to keep his eyes off you.

(A part of him desperately hoped his lords noticed.)

And then the moment came. The guests in the feast hall either too distracted or too drunk to pay the pair of you any real mind, so his fingers tightened around yours, and he pulled you upward, through the servant's entrance behind the high table, and down Winterfell's corridors.

His quick steps had turned into a run at some point, and your giggles echoed off the stone walls.

Then you entered his chambers, and you went quiet.

“I-” He swallowed. “I know what I said yesterday, but we do not have to do this today if you do not want to. There is no pressure on us to-”

“No. Let us get through this.”

You took off your crown and cloak, laid both of them on a chair, and then started unlacing your dress. Eyes lowered, half-turned away from him.

Carefully, he stepped up towards you, and laid his hands on yours. And then, when you looked up and met his gaze, eyes sparkling in the fire of the candles around you, he laid his lips on yours without hesitation.

Your previous two kisses - one in your chambers, one at the ceremony earlier in the evening - had been chaste. Short and sweet, yes, but over far too quickly, and without ever providing him with the opportunity to feel you. Now he allowed himself to move deeper, to touch your body, explore your mouth with his, trace the lines of your dress, hear your pretty gasps. And you accepted. Melted into him, almost.

Until he touched the laces at your back.

He pulled back, heart beating in his chest so loudly he feared you might hear.

“If you wish to stop at any point…”

You nodded. “I know.”

To alleviate at least some of your fears, he started undressing, willing to bare himself and that what he feared most to stop your trembling hands. And they did, yet only once he had gotten rid of his blouse.

You stared at the scars on his chest. Carefully, you lifted a hand and let it hover above them. He made no move to stop you, only watching your confused eyes as your fingers traced his skin.

(He did not look down. Would not dare.)

“What-” Your voice broke. “What happened?”

“I was betrayed. They’re all dead now.”

He left it at that, and you did not inquire any further.

Eventually, even your last clothes fell to the ground, your lips once again locked into a kiss as he picked you up and carried you to the bed.

His hands explored your body slowly, gliding across your breasts, your stomach, your legs. And once you stopped twitching away, he let his mouth follow that same path. First kissing your breasts, then your stomach, then your legs, and then your core.

He listened to your gasps and your moans to find out what you liked, and what you loved. Your body reacted, as if on its own, to every single one of his touches, to the movements of his tongue, the crooking of his fingers, and when you finally peaked, he took everything you offered him.

Then he wandered upwards again, sealing your lips in a kiss. Your fingers got tangled up in his hair, pulls and tugs eliciting groans from his mouth that you swallowed as soon as they spilled across his lips.

He entered you as gently as he could, stopping shortly when you buried your nails into his shoulder. Once your hips sat flush against each other, and he had looked into your eyes, he started moving. Your back arched at his thrusts, and you swung your leg around his waist to encourage him to speed up. He followed your commands without hesitation.

You peaked again, and he followed shortly afterwards, spilling inside of you and sealing your union.

You laid in his bed afterwards, tangled up, pressed against each other, your heartbeats echoing the other, yearning to beat in tandem.

He would be alright. Perhaps you  would never love each other, but you would be friends, and he decided that ruling side by side with someone he trusted was everything he needed.

author's note: if you liked this story, may i recommend the fic it was inspired by, meet me in the dark

[faworsley]

Would you like to read the longest Charles Des Voeux post on this website that goes into rambling and disorganized IRL and show meta? Below the cut because I think it’s some form of eTerror-ism to subject everyone to how big this’ll be (pasted from when I described in the discord! Because I’m happy w the thoughts)

1/? (I NEED to be able to put my little images and gifs under each segment so I’m adding more in reblogs)

Ok so HISTORICAL background for the guy first of all because I think some of it is relevant to his show portrayal:

His family moved to Ireland in his grandparents generation because they wanted to become Protestant and needed the freedom. So therefore much like Crozier Des Voeux was actually Irish but like Hickey claims, he really did spend more of his life in England—because he started in the military at the ripe age of, wait for it… ELEVEN—which was partially to suppress his accent and partially to avoid culture bias. His family last name was NOT Des Voeux originally; his grandfather changed it from the original de Bacquencourt.

Also devastating, weird, confusing fact: Charles Frederick Des Voeux (our CDV) had a brother named Charles Champagne Des Voeux (yes, another CDV) and in historical records, at least if I’m remembering correctly, THAT one is called Charlie, whereas it seems that our CDV went by the Victorian era shortening Chas, or in some cases Fred.

Child Soldier 101: He served in the Opium wars alongside Hodgson, Fitzjames, and Gore, and was 19 at the start of the Franklin expedition. Fitzjames chose him specifically because he was “a great favorite of Hodgson's” and also because, unlike show CDV, he was a very nice guy and seemed to be generally well-liked. He did also have some level of war experience and Navy knowledge.

Right before the Franklin expedition set off, he passed his lieutenant's exam with flying colors. This means he was technically a lieutenant before they set off, but there are a limited number of lieutenantcies available on an expedition like this, so for what I wouldn't really call political reasons he kept his position as a Mate. Later on, with records of him at the Cairn with his friend Gore, we know that he was almost definitely promoted to Lieutenant once things started going south, whether that's because they lost a lieutenant or just needed more help.

Now onto Charles Frederick Des Show

In the show, we first see Des Voeux handling the death of Billy Orren because he stops Collins from jumping into the water, and while that's absolutely the right choice, it's also the first of his scenes where he begins to paint himself as almost being unsympathetic to other members of the crew. He’s actually the first to the rail, and the first to toss a rope to Billy Orren, but what sticks out in the end is that he chose in the end that he couldn’t be saved. Fun fact--he (CDFV) and Collins had very close ranks on Erebus which means they would’ve been in close proximity quite a lot of the time, so it’s interesting to consider they might’ve been friends (though I doubt they got along).

In the show if there's ever a guy who's there without clear reason, says something out of place or tells a bad joke, it's almost always without fail the one and only Charles Des Voeux. He goes to the cairn with Gore to leave the Victory Point Note and looks like he's having a bad time the whole way. Gore seems charmed by Goodsir but Charles seems to think he's annoying. When they're at the camp they set up nearby in Season 1 Episode 2: Gore right before Gore dies, Charles keeps making little quips and telling jokes, and without fail, every time he looks over at Gore to see if Gore laughs. In the comic version that came out before the show, he and Gore are good friends and are portrayed sharing a sleeping bag all cozy like two bugs in a rug so I just think their friendship is really sweet.

Check out the manga Icebound, it’s free online (and for whatever reason I can’t link it)!

So up until this point, slops aside Charles is always very well-organized and put together, even if he looks like he wishes he was anywhere other than here on the expedition. Note: See my less-good post that focuses specifically on how his appearance and his attention to it changes throughout the show. He's 19 and has experience at war (the only enemy here is a bear he hasn't seen) and at sea (they are frozen in the ice).

[merlin-reboot-when]

Lancelot du Lac / Series 4 au where Merlin manages to free Lancelot from Morgana's spell and he lives, but all other plotpoints transpire exactly as shown in the episode. There's no proof that Lancelot wasn't entirely himself at the time, maybe his own memories are a little foggy too and they still don't know why Gwen ended up kissing Lancelot.

Arthur can't trust him anymore, but he also considers the possibilities that Merlin is telling the truth because it is the truth and not just because it could save his friend. So after a couple of days of consideration he banishes Lancelot as well. He can't stand the thought of sentencing a friend who might be innocent to death.

Merlin is incredibly upset because on the one hand Lancelot is alive, but he still loses two of his best friends in the aftermath of this mess, Agravaine is still whispering in Arthur's ear and if Morgana finds out Lancelot is alive and she catches him out there alone...

Lancelot tries to find Gwen - who also still doesn't understand everything that happened - and explain to her that this was Morgana's doing. Maybe they can look out for each other. He succeeds eventually (after Merlin sent Gwen to Ealdor in "The Hunter's Heart" and let Lancelot know where to find her) an in the beginning it's very awkward because at one point they did have feelings for each other. They soon figure out though that whatever was once between them is over for good. They've both moved on, Gwen is in love with Arthur and Lancelot- well. Lancelot may or may not have some complicated feelings about a certain warlock.

They reunite with the rest of the group in "The Sword in the Stone" and with Agravaine's betrayal revealed Arthur finally believes the (slightly censored) story Merlin and Lancelot told him about the incident that led to this banishment. They win back the castle, Arthur takes Lancelot back as his knight and marries Gwen. Happy End!

I'm not sure how this would impact the events of series 5, but I've always seen Lancelot as a counterpart to Kilgarrah's and Gaius' respective warnings to prioritise the bigger picture or Merlin's personal safety. He believes in Merlin because he's Merlin, not because of some prophercies or because Merlin has powerful magic. And with Mordred re-entering the picture Merlin became increasingly conflicted about doing what feels right vs. doing what would serve his long term goals best. With the building pressure of the oncoming final battle Merlin also felt increasingly lonely under that weight and having Lancelot in the picture again would've helped him a lot in my opinion.

There could also be some relationship drama around Lancelot knowing Merlin cannot prioritise him. Lancelot knows that Merlin always has and always will have to put Arthur. He understands this to a certain extend, he's a knight and he took an oath to serve Arthur and Camelot above all else too. Still, there are dozens of knights while Merlin is a very unique type of protector and this isn't just his job, it's who he is. So they keep circling each other, drifting closer and closer the more time they spend together and the more secrets they share, but always finding excuses to not take that last step.

Those two aspects combined could come to a head around "The Disir" when Merline faces one of his biggest dilemmas about the prophecies yet. Instead of only Merlin and Arthur travelling to see the Disir a second time, Lancelot would be there too. He is probably the only person who in that situation might advise Merlin to finally tell Arthur the truth. He's not as cold as Kilgarrah and cares about his fellow knights, including Mordred. He's not as scared as Gaius and therefore might prioritise Merlin's integrity as a person over the (sometimes selfish) instinct to ensure Arthur's survival at any cost.

I imagine they'd have a huge fight about this because from the outside Lancelot sees how much Merlin and Mordred really have in common and his instincts would tell him to protect Mordred as well as Merlin by making Arthut finally see the good in magic. Merlin on the other hand might argue that it's too soon, that Arthur still only trusts him when it suits him, that Arthur isn't ready.

And I am thinking huge fight here btw. There'd be angry whispering and then angry yelling, then Arthur would chime in demanding to know what the hell they're fighting about. Merlin would blame Lancelot for putting even more pressure on him when he's already being pulled in all kinds of directions; Lancelot would argue that he's doing this because he knows all of this and sees how Merlin is running himself into the ground and for good measure he'd throw the four letter L word in there which Merlin would not take well because doesn't Lancelot know he can't do this - can't risk anything - when the prophecies and destiny basically dictate every breath he takes. Arthur'd be furious at this point because what the hell and what prophecies and why doesn't he know anything about any of this and why is Merlin crying? Lancelot would keep pushing though because helping Merlin hide for a long time was the best he could do for him, but that is no longer true and now Lancelot would be crying too because he'd hate being the one to put Merlin into distress like this even if it's necessary. And Arthur "no man is worth your tears" Pendragon would not know what to do with any of this, the situation is obviously much more complex than anticipated. Eventually things would calm down, but Arthur heard what he heard and after gathering every bit of courage he has left Merlin would drop the bomb.

This would obviously lead to more arguing because Arthur, from his point of view, has once again been betrayed by the people closest to him and Lancelot not only knew, he helped Merlin the entire time, conspired with a sorcerer. Almost a decade of friendship between the three of them and all of that based on lies and deceit? Lancelot would stand steadfast by his decision to protect Merlin, he'd remind Arthur that he himself had wondered if the old religion was actually the evil he'd thought it to be only minutes ago and ask him what he thinks Merlin should've done instead of lying about his abilities? Hearing this from someone who doesn't have magic themselves might actually help Arthur believe that Merlin has only ever lied to him to stay alive. They'd eventually end the discussion for the night to give everyone a chance to cool off and sleep off the exhaustion.

In the morning Arthur would have to step in front of the Disir again with a decision that will seal his fate. And there'd still be a lot to figure out for Arthur, he might still end up executing Kara, he might still end up dying in Camlann, but he would make a different decision in front of the Disir.

[dioslesbianwife]

People... People are... Being too joyful, satisfied and free..

I must.. I must request....

ANGST‼️‼️‼️‼️

What if they witnessed reader dying in font of them, and they could do nothing to save us, help us? Would we die by their own hands? By accident? Betrayal? Or would we die in front of them, as they stand there helpless?

Request to be 🕷️ anon please????

Hii, yess absolutely u can totally be 🕷️ anon :D and this made me giggle a bit that things are too joyful and free lmaoo. here is your angst- hope u enjoy, or idk don't enjoy? lol

this is so sad but i think it's some of my best work (˃̣̣̥ᯅ˂̣̣̥)

angst for Jofoes when the reader dies

Dio

By His Own Hands (Betrayal)

Dio doesn’t handle love in a conventional sense. If you ever crossed him, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate you, even if it left a hollow ache afterward.

But if your death wasn’t by his hand- if someone dared to take you from him- he would not rest until every last person responsible was reduced to ash.

The fury would linger, though he’d never admit that your death had shaken him to his core.

The world slowed as blood poured from your wounds, your breaths growing weaker. Dio stood frozen, golden eyes wide with shock. His hand trembled- an unfamiliar sensation. "You were supposed to stand beside me... forever." His voice was low, strained. You reached for him, but your hand fell limp before he could grasp it. Anger burned through his veins, but this time it wasn’t enough to hide the hollow ache swelling in his chest.

Kars

Helpless as You Die Before Him

Kars, the Ultimate Lifeform, believes himself above mortality and suffering. But when you die in front of him, even he cannot reverse death.

He stands there, frozen, unable to comprehend why this feels different than other deaths he’s witnessed.

Your loss gnaws at him in ways he never imagined, leading him to either rage against the cosmos or delve into madness, desperate to find a way to bring you back.

Kars watched in disbelief as your body collapsed onto the cold earth, crimson pooling beneath you. His mind raced for a solution- he was the Ultimate Lifeform, nothing was beyond his power. Yet, as your life slipped away, he was powerless. "No," he whispered, kneeling beside you. "This isn’t how it ends." But it was, and for the first time in his existence, he felt defeated.

Esidisi

By Accident (Uncontrollable Fury)

His boiling blood, an uncontrollable force, surges during a chaotic moment and strikes you down.

The realization hits instantly, and his agonized wails echo as he cradles your body.

"I didn’t mean... No, no- come back!"

He spends the rest of his existence haunted by that moment, never forgiving himself.

The smell of iron filled the air, and Esidisi’s flames surged uncontrollably as he realized what had happened. His attack- meant for your enemy- had torn through you instead. "No… no!" he roared, falling to his knees beside you. His hands trembled as he tried to stem the bleeding, but it was too late. Hot tears streamed down his face as guilt gnawed at his chest. "Forgive me… please."

Wamuu

Helpless as You Die Before Him

Wamuu fights with honor and always strives to protect those he respects and loves.

When he sees you bleeding out, your breaths shallow, he kneels beside you, pressing his hands to the wound even though he knows it’s futile.

"You fought bravely... I will carry your memory with me always."

He promises to honor your legacy, even if it means facing his enemies alone.

Wamuu cradled you in his arms, his honorable composure cracking as he felt your life slipping away. "Stay with me," he urged, voice thick with emotion. Blood dripped from your lips, but you managed to grasp his arm. As your eyes closed, Wamuu bowed his head, promising in a choked whisper, "You will never be forgotten."

Santana

Helpless as You Die Before Him

Santana doesn't understand human emotions well, but when he sees you dying, something primal stirs within him.

He reaches out, trying to stop the inevitable, but it’s beyond even his strength.

He remains by your side, silent and solemn, contemplating the strange ache in his chest.

Santana stood still, his usually impassive face marred by confusion and something deeper- grief. You lay at his feet, life ebbing away, your breath shallow. He knelt beside you, touching your face with tentative fingers. "Why… does this hurt so bitterly?" he murmured, unable to comprehend the ache in his chest. As silence fell, he remained there, unmoving, trying to understand what he had lost.

Yoshikage Kira

By His Own Hands (Betrayal)

Kira loves peace and control. If your presence disrupted that carefully curated life, he would see no other option but to eliminate you.

However, if your death was caused by someone else, he would become an obsessive, methodical force of vengeance, hunting them down and erasing every trace of their existence.

He tells himself he doesn't care, but he keeps your hand as a memento, hidden away, unable to let go entirely.

Kira’s pristine world shattered as he saw you fall, blood staining the ground in chaotic splatters. He knelt beside you, hands trembling as he tried to smooth your hair back into place. "You’re ruining your beauty," he whispered, voice breaking. You coughed weakly, eyes glassy. "It’s… okay." But it wasn’t. Kira clenched his jaw, rage simmering beneath his grief.

Diavolo

By Betrayal (His Paranoia)

Paranoia drives Diavolo to assume you’ve betrayed him, and in his madness, he ends your existence with King Crimson.

The instant you're gone, he’s struck by an unfamiliar emptiness.

"It wasn't supposed to happen this way."

Despite his ruthlessness, a small part of him spirals, questioning whether his isolation is worth it.

Time fractured as Diavolo stood there, powerless to stop what had already been written. "No…" His voice was strained as your body hit the ground. Blood soaked the dirt beneath you, and for the first time, King Crimson was useless. He knelt beside you, hands trembling as he cradled your face. "This wasn't supposed to happen." But the void in his chest told him otherwise.

Doppio

Helpless as You Die Before Him

Doppio is frantic, desperate to save you.

"No, no- please! Boss, help me!"

He clutches you tightly, tears streaming down his face as he begs for your survival.

The Boss may feel nothing, but Doppio’s heart breaks entirely.

Doppio's heart raced, his vision blurring with tears. "Please, stay with me!" he begged, voice cracking. "Boss, do something!" But no answer came. Blood seeped through his trembling fingers as he tried to stop the inevitable. "I can't lose you," he whispered, pressing his forehead to yours. As your breath stilled, Doppio's world shattered, leaving him hollow and broken.

Enrico Pucci

Helpless as You Die Before Him

Pucci believes in fate and divine will, but your death shakes his faith.

"This... this was not God's plan..."

He kneels beside you, whispering prayers even as your life slips away.

Your death fuels his obsession with reaching Heaven, determined to create a world where such pain cannot exist.

Pucci knelt beside you, blood disappearing as it soaked into his black robes. "This can’t be…your fate," he murmured, voice trembling. He prayed fervently, his words desperate and raw. But Heaven did not answer. "No… this can’t be it." As your eyes closed for the last time, Pucci’s faith fractured, leaving only a hollow man searching for meaning in your absence.

Funny Valentine

Helpless as You Die Before Him

"No... I will not allow this."

He tries to use D4C to bring a version of you from another dimension, but each attempt fails to bring his version of you back, leaving him increasingly desperate.

Your death becomes a scar on his heart, driving him to protect his ideals with even more ruthless fervor.

Valentine’s world collapsed as he watched you fall, crimson blooming across your chest. "I won’t allow this," he declared, summoning D4C. But every attempt to bring you back failed, each version of you felt different in his grasp. "No," he whispered, voice cracking. His hands trembled as he cradled your lifeless form. "There will never be another you."

Diego Brando

By Betrayal (Self Interest)

If you ever became a liability, Diego would have to cut you down.

"It's nothing personal- just survival."

However, if someone else took your life, his fury would be unmatched.

He’d hunt them down with cold precision, driven by a bitter mix of guilt and rage.

Diego knelt beside you, desperation clawing at his chest. "You’re stronger than this," he growled, as though sheer willpower could save you. Blood dripped from your lips, and your eyes fluttered shut. "No," he whispered, voice breaking. He clenched his fists, fury masking the raw ache inside. "I’ll kill every last one of them," he vowed, though vengeance would never fill the void you left behind.

Tooru

By Betrayal (Manipulation Gone Wrong)

Tooru’s games of manipulation backfire, leading to your death.

"Wait... no, that wasn’t supposed to happen."

For once, his smug composure cracks as he realizes he's pushed too far.

Though he tries to rationalize it, your death lingers in his mind like a splinter he can’t remove.

Tooru’s expression twisted into something raw and broken as he saw you fall. "Wait... no, this isn’t funny," he muttered, panic creeping into his voice. He rushed to your side, hands shaking as he tried to stop the bleeding. "You're not supposed to die- you're supposed to be with me." His voice cracked, the realization settling in that he couldn’t manipulate this outcome.

[buddiesmutslut]

👶👶👶👶👶

we need more pipe baby fics in this fandom I'm BEGGING

HELLO beautiful person, I'm so glad you asked for more of this story!! I'm so attached to itty bitty Pipe Baby, I love her so much and I'm SO excited about this fic, so have some more!! 15 sentences (I think, I'm not great at math lol) & again, the details are all subject to change (I've already re-written this once, so who knows what it will look like by the time I'm done lol) but you get the general idea of what I'm going for. I hope you like it!

“Eddie, hi! It’s Sarah, Alec’s mom?” She starts, like she’s not sure he remembers her or not. She sounds frazzled, which Eddie tries not to worry more about. 

“Yeah, Sarah, hi. Uhm, is everything alright?” He asks, not wanting to be rude but curious to the point of her call. 

“Yes, yeah, everything is fine! I just- I hate to do this to you, but I need a favor. Is there anyway you can pick Alec up from school today and watch him for a little bit? My husband was supposed to do it, but he got called into a last minute, emergency surgery and I’m currently out of the state for a training thing, and our normal babysitter is busy, and my mom is sick and-” 

He cuts her off, relief settling over him that it’s not something serious. “Sarah, yes, Alec can absolutely hang out with us until your husband can pick him up, I’m sure he and Chris will both be thrilled,” he agrees instantly. This is an easy problem to solve, but he knows how hard it is to ask for help, remembers the shame of admitting that he couldn’t handle something on his own. He’s gotten better though, but only after years of therapy and damn near blowing his life up.

“Thank you so much, Eddie, you’re a life saver! Willow’s going to go with him, hang out in the hospital while he does the surgery. Probably not the most fun place for a 7-year-old, but God knows the nurses and everyone know her well enough, there’s just no way he could get Alec and across town in time for the surgery.”

He knows she’s just rambling now, thinking out loud as a way to try and keep everything straight, but he can’t imagine wanting to spend his free time in a hospital at 7, especially when the one person he knows is going to be busy. 

Maybe he’s a glutton for punishment, but he can’t stop himself from asking the question. “Who’s Willow?” 

[hurtspideyparker]

ur so right bestie, doing the good work 🙏

mirrorball for Tony Stark means you actually understand his character yesss. Like he acts arrogant because he's the most insecure man in Marvel! He secretly tries so hard to be liked and it never works so he just hides bc he'd rather they hate someone he isn't than someone he is. All he does is TRY TRY TRY. The fact that his death was not only foreshadowed from the first Avengers movie but constantly alluded to. How the worst part about the vision Wanda gave him in AOU wasn't that his friends died, it was that he didn't die with them? He's never enough, my pookie 😭

right where you left me for Strange. I'm not a huge Strange fan but now you got me feeling sad, it's such a perfect song choice. Like damn maybe I do feel bad about him and Christine 😞. Plus the fact that his whole life stopped when he lost control of his hands, meanwhile everyone else's kept going. Everything he cared about was tied to being a surgeon

HOW DARE U! The Prophecy is so near and dear to me I can't believe you'd place this burden on Clinton. He really just could not have it all no matter what. He tried to change his fate but his grip was too weak. "no sign of soulmates" AND NAT IS THE SOUL STONE. thanks now I'll cry everytime I hear that line ✌️

I see what you've done for Bucky Barnes. I see it, and it's too perfect. "Fighting in only your army" when all he does is go to war to fight beside a man who leaves him. "Always rising from the ashes" the way he LITERALLY falls as well as metaphorically before being forced to rise again and again. My man needs to rest. They are constantly torn apart and pulled back together, Bucky is barely a full person anymore.

Natasha as Peace spending her existence fighting for her life, and then trying to scrub herself clean of all the life she took. She joins all these great honourable heroes to try to live up to something good for a change but all she sees in herself is her past. Feeling like she's tainting them by associating with them. Feeling as if she's never done enough good to make up for it. I could never give you peace—to Clint, to her family, to the world that believes in her. She'll die trying, burn out her flame to keep you warm. "Your integrity makes me seem small, you paint dreamscapes on the walls" Steve and Tony. The believer and the futurist. "All these people think love's for show, but I would die for you in secret" and she did. she loved Clint so much, he gave her the peace she wasn't able to return until the end

loml for Peter Parker is easy pickings I won't even entertain this. In every universe man. EVERY UNIVERSE Peter Parker loses Gwen Stacy. He knew he wasn't supposed to go near her, and yet 😞

Long Live for my precious baby boy 😭💖 I fear I've never thought of this and now I'm jealous of ur brain. I really needed this. He is the golden boy and so many people were rooting for him. Tony, May, MJ, Ned, Happy... the way he used to be filled with such light and eagerness. He glows in my eyes

My girl Yelena deserves this song so bad. Would've Could've Should've is one of the most scathing and despairing songs a girl could relate to. And obviously it fits Dreykov, that freak, but also Alexei. The way he handed that 6 year old over when all she knew was safety and love under him. They took everything from her and now all she can think about are the years without free will forever haunting her because grown men thought she made a good commodity

I've never thought of a song for Pepper but Cornelia Street is a beautiful selection. Tony was such a rocky choice for her but it was the right choice, and she never knew when it would be his last time putting on that suit. The city screams his name, her work her life her daughter her everything. It was all his once too.

Loki How Did It End is so not cool. He wasn't supposed to have an end, and yet here he is. Genuinely gone this time. "A touch that was my birthright became foreign" that hurts so much knowing that his entire life seemed to be a lie to him. He would never get the throne, or their love, or out of Thor's shadow because it was never his to be in the first place. How did he get here, willing to die for Thor? To not have a way out this time? Come one come all is happening again. But he still doesn't know how it was really the end this time.

My tears ricochet is really just the icing on the cake huh. "We gather stones... you know I didn't want to have to haunt you" when they pair that with the time travel scenes and then Natasha's. Gutted. "I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want just not home" and the home is 2012-2015 domestic Avengers 😭😭😭 noooo. The way so many relationships were broken and they all had to come together in the end because the trust never fully went away.

Here's some of my personal Taylor Swift marvel comparisons:

Fresh Out The Slammer as a Bucky anthem. "Bitter, he was with her in dreams" Endgame Steve when I catch you 😠👊 "I'm the girl of his American dreams" Steve the American icon and his great sidekick Bucky! "where we used to sit on children's swings" nuff said... "but it's gonna be alright, I did my time". Bucky's been a prisoner for decades. Now that he's free he can finally live a normal life with Steve right? right???

Tolerate it as Homecoming Peter Parker (irondad). Peter as NWH Peter Parker (lol). But it's sooo Spideychelle coded "said you were gonna grow up, then you were gonna come find me"

My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys as Steve Rogers. EVERYONE HE LOVES HE HURTS. Bucky Tony Natasha Peggy. All his closest friends and/or lovers. He stays till they get all smashed up then picks up the next shiny thing (I love Steve but it's true)

For a little fun and whimsy: I Did Something Bad for Loki. Plus "they're burning all the witches even if you aren't one" how he's always teased and blamed growing up. Then growing to embrace the mischief and deciding to truly be at the center of all the problems, even when they weren't his to begin with. "They say I did something bad but why's it feel so good ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯ mortals 🙄"

Thor as Castles Crumbling. Everyone believed he was the next great king, including, most importantly, himself. Then seeing him slowly abandoning Asgard for Earth, then losing it to Hela, and finally having Thanos tear it to pieces. He completely gave up being king and passed it off to Valkyrie. "They used to cheer when they saw my face now I fear I have fallen from grace" "I will just let you down you don't wanna know me now" "I held that grudge til' it tore me apart" "my foes and friends watch my rein end" still mad about how they made Thor's depression and weight gain into a comedy bit.

Wanda as mad woman. Girl is literally the witch on the stake every movie 😭 first the Stark bomb drives her mad, Ultron torments her, then it's the media terrified of her because she couldn't control the bomb someone else set off, the loss of Vision due to Thanos, the entire Westview incident and her children... she does bad things but every single time it's because she was hurt so deeply first. she's just crashing out !!! "what a shame she went mad, you made her like that"

marvel characters as taylor swift songs but i take no critiques

tony stark:

stephen strange:

clint barton:

bucky barnes:

natasha romanoff:

peter parker (andrew)

peter parker (tom)

yelena belova:

pepper potts:

loki:

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

Now that the 3 day Banner Boycott has reached — or for some of us is fast approaching — its conclusion I want to thank each and every single person who stuck through with it. Especially OG3 girlies, many of whom joined us Sylus and Caleb girlies out of solidarity. I know that I don't speak just for myself when I tell you how appreciated all of you are and how invaluable your support has been. It's been an honor to have you with us 🫶🏻💯 I won't hold it against any of you who chose to spend on the banner starting today (the 13th, after the daily reset). I won't and can't in good conscience ask more from you OG3 girlies than what you've already given. I wish any of you who will start pulling great success in the wish pool! May you all win on soft pity ❤️

For anyone worried how/if spending will affect LADS placement in the CN game rankings, it won't. Most of the people partaking in the 3 day Banner Boycott are global girlies. The CN girlies are still marching ahead with the Justice Boycott, just as they have been for a long time. I don't see any of them opening their wallets in the forseeable future. They are committed to not spending at all until Sylus and Caleb get justice from the company. So in short, LADS is extremely unlikely to climb in the CN rankings. They will most likely retain their top spots in the Blacklist chart for a while though, which, I mean... well deserved 😏

As for Sylus and Caleb girlies, my advice to you all is to stay onboard the boycott— ie the Justice Boycott. This is an indefinite one, and it entails not spending real money. At all. Not until our husbandos get what they are owed by Paperfold. While a 3 day boycott is a feat and sends a message of what we are capable of as consumers, it is in the grand scheme of things unlikely to, by itself, make Paperfold fold in the way we want. So we have a bigger chance of success if we take a page out of the CN kittens' — and increasingly also Caleb stans (what are y'all called by the way?) — book and keep our wallets closed and our voices loud. That is not to say that the 3 day Banner Boycott has been inefficient or in vain. Definitely not. Like I said, it sent a message and it proved what we on the global side are capable of organizing. Thousands of people joined, and that is impressive for such an impulsively organized boycott. And judging by how the main LADS sub on Reddit has reacted to the 3 day boycott — that is by censoring it and deleting pretty much every single post and comment relating to it within hours 🫠 — I would def say that company officials take it seriously enough (it is an open secret more or less that the main sub is monitored by Paperfold, and that the mods are in close contact with them in some way).

Me personally, I have been onboard the Justice Boycott for over a month. I have no plans of abandoning it, and will as such not spend money on the game. Nor will I speak about or post/reblog content relating to the current memories or the event until the banner is over. This last rule is one I've set for myself — I'm unsure how the CN boycotters approach posting memories and pulls. The no spending money rule is 1000% one they uphold though. So if you are a Sylus or a Caleb girly and want to stay/join the fight for their content, then I urge you to only use free wishes and diamonds in the game. No fair treatment for our husbands, no money from us.

As for OG3 girlies, again, I won't ask you to join us in this indefinite boycott, since neither I nor anyone else can guarantee what results it'll ultimately yield. I don't want to ask you to sacrifice for no ensured reward. But I will say though that if you feel the effects of Paperfold's greed or are sufficiently worried about the future, it won't hurt to join us 😘. Now is the best time after all to try to prevent the execs from pushing their greed further than they already have — to try to nip the spread in the bud, so to speak. But again, I won't blame you if you decide to spend now. I am forever grateful to you for sticking with the boycott these past 3 days, and you can always count on me to have your backs as well, for what it's worth 🩷