#whereas eight’s past …

[wybienova]

little comic i made with my splatoon ocs. idk how much i like it but ive been trying to just make anything with them lately. i’m never gonna do anything with my ocs if im worried about them being good

[neverendingford]

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[lord-radish]

Day 3 of COVID, and I'm feeling a lot better already.

I'm still coughing and it still hurts, but the headache is gone and I can drink water without it feeling like I'm swallowing razor blades.

I was also so disoriented yesterday that I had to re-type every third word or so, because it would legit look like a keysmash. I'm back to normal on that front.

I've still got a few days of being sick ahead of me, but it really is night and day how decent I feel today compared to yesterday and the day before.

[vigilskeep]

can i say something insane. here’s the foundational part: i have this ongoing idea that caterina, as a Move On The Board, gave her tacit approval to teia and viago’s relationship. in the tevinter nights story where teia and viago are introduced, two talons dedicate a significant amount of risk and energy trying to hide their engagement from caterina, because they’re consolidating their power and would look like too much of a threat together. teia & viago never have to do any of that, and in fact caterina casually tells one to accompany the other on tasks for no clear other reason than You Kids Have Fun!

and i think there’s a logical reason for this as a Move On The Board. from caterina’s perspective, viago is a bit of a wild card: he has his own ambitions and motivations and bitternesses, his skill set makes him unpredictable if he does decide to be a threat, and he holds himself quite distant from the other talons. whereas teia, by her own internal narration’s admission, loves and respects caterina and has considered her a mother for “the past twenty years”. (which would be since she was eight.) i can see why it would be useful to caterina to lightly encourage viago being under teia’s power, so to speak. it’s stabilising. caterina’s genuine fondness for teia is both an added benefit if it goes right and not enough to stop her using her for something like this.

here’s the more experimental part: it does make me wonder if caterina also lightly encouraged a previous attempt at gently bringing house de riva in line, which was, unfortunately for everyone involved, attempted via flirtatious dagger.

sorry this is probably nothing to anyone else it just kills me to imagine that lucanis has genuinely never successfully acted on wanting anything that wasn’t ultimately her call

[megalony]

Doctor Diaz

This is an Eddie x reader x Evan imagine, based on a lovely anon request with lots of fluff. I hope you will all like it, feedback is always appreciated.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem@sj-thefanthefan@hellsdragon@im-an-adult-ish@crazylittlethingg@allauraleigh@onceuponadetectivedemigod@ceres27@avyannadawn@sleepylunarwolf@coverupps@justagirlthatlovedtoread @musicistheway @avada-kedavra-bitch-187 @luula @missdreamofendless @bradleybeachbabe @woderfulkawaii  @amberpanda99 @daggersquadphantom @marvel-and-chicago-fan @angryknightstatesmantrash @minjix @lyjen @kmc1989 @itsmytimetoodream @noonenuts @hiireadstuff @ashie-babie @classyunknownlover @jayyeahthatsme @sp1ritssz @dumb-fawkin-bitch @oliverstarksbae @gimatida @heart-35 @supernaturalstilinski @stefansalvatoresgf @kyky9103 @wutheringhearts2275 @gay4hotmilfs @itshamleth

Eddie Diaz Masterlist

Evan Buckley Masterlist

Summary: When all three kids and both his partners are unwell, Eddie stays home to take care of them all. Even if they aren't the best patients in the world.

Enjoy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A sigh burned past Eddie's lips when he walked back into the bedroom. His hands found his hips and his jaw locked as he stared over at the bed with an unamused expression.

What was he doing? Evan had one leg hanging off the side of the bed, his arm stretched out on the bedside table and his face squashed into the pillow as he laid on his stomach. He was supposed to be getting up for work, not going back to sleep. Their alarm had already gone off. Eddie had gotten up, showered and dressed whereas Evan seemed to have forgotten all about their alarm and dozed back to sleep.

"Buck, come on we're gonna be late." Moving across to the bed, Eddie jolted Evan's leg and gave him a shake to gain his attention. But his eyes kept drifting across to (Y/n).

She wasn't well. For the past two days (Y/n) had been feeling sick and now she'd developed a cough. Eddie was pretty sure she had the flu but (Y/n) was stubborn. She would carry on as if nothing was wrong until she dropped. But right now, (Y/n) was curled up on the other side of the bed, arms and knees drawn up to her stomach and a sick bowl on the floor in case she couldn't make it to the bathroom.

"Hm?"

"We've got work today, remember? Buck you gotta help me here I haven't even got Chris up yet or the twins."

"I'm up, I'm up babe." Evan pushed up on his hands and managed to get himself sitting up on the side of the bed. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with the base of his hand to try and wake himself up.

With a groan, Evan pushed up off the bed but the moment he was on his feet, it felt like someone tilted the room ninety degrees to the side.

His head tilted to the left and suddenly the rest of his body was following until he felt a pair of tense, strong arms binding around his waist. Evan's head crashed into Eddie's shoulder and he felt the way Eddie's chest rumbled as he held Evan up and stopped him from hitting the floor.

"Fuck, babe you're burning up. You two are out of action today, you gotta stay home." Eddie almost smiled when Evan huffed but he didn't protest when Eddie gently shuffled him back and laid him down on the bed.

Evan had picked up whatever flu or illness (Y/n) had gotten.

That meant (Y/n), Evan and one of the twins were now all bed-ridden.

Reaching into the top side drawer, Eddie found the thermometer and gently cupped Evan's jaw and tilted his head to the side. He smiled softly at the confusion on Evan's face when the thermometer pressed into his ear but when it beeped, Evan weakly grabbed Eddie's wrist.

"What's it say?"

"Thirty-eight point eight. You're sick." Eddie kissed Evan's temple before he moved to leave the room. He needed to get Chris up and ready and take him to school, then he could call Bobby and say both he and Evan weren't coming in today.

There was no way Eddie could go to work when both his partners were ill, it wouldn't be fair to leave them bed-ridden but needing to look after the twins.

"Chris, you up yet bud, we need to get ready." Eddie knocked on the door before he walked in and opened the curtains, but he sighed when he turned around. Chris pulled the cover up over his head and grumbled.

"No."

Eddie's teeth punctured down into his bottom lip and he slumped down on the side of Chris's bed and gently pulled the cover down. He pressed the back of his hand against Chris's head and when he felt a sheen of sweat, he got the thermometer out his back pocket and pressed it into his ear.

"Oh God, you too. Alright, no school today, everyone's staying home. Do you feel sick?" Chris had a temperature too. He couldn't send Chris to school with a temperature when he had been exposed to whatever flu (Y/n) and Evan had. He would spread it on and it wouldn't be fair to send him when he clearly wasn't feeling well either.

Reaching up, Chris pressed his hand to his forehead before he pulled the cover up over his head and curled up on his side. He had a horrible headache, he felt cold and his stomach was now churning up. He wanted to snuggle back down in bed and go to sleep.

He felt Eddie pat his back before he got up and closed the curtains again and headed out of Chris's room. He would give him a few minutes to settle and relax and then he would get him some medicine.

"Are you two awake?" He wandered down the hall into the nursery and flicked the light on.

A soft smile took over Eddie's features as he looked around the room and made his way over to Nate first since he was already sitting up. Eddie leaned over the crib and scooped the toddler up, settling him on his chest. He rubbed his hand up and down Nate's back and listened to the way he croaked and coughed as he tried to take deep breaths.

As soon as (Y/n) got sick, Nate was the next one to get it. All day yesterday he had been coughing and had gone off his food the same as (Y/n). The pair of them spent most of the day yesterday in bed while Evan looked after Robin and tried to stop her from getting the sickness too.

Eddie quickly checked Nate's temperature which wasn't as high as Chris or Evan's, but it still wasn't where it was supposed to be. And with him still coughing up a storm, it told Eddie that most of his family were now ill.

"Mummy."

"You wanna go lay with mummy and pops for a while?" When Nate nodded, Eddie turned round and made his way back into their room.

He wasn't surprised to find Evan already fast asleep and he carefully eased Nate down into the middle of the bed. He watched Nate wriggle around and flop onto Evan's chest since he was laid on his back and (Y/n) was curled up on her side.

Eddie wandered back into the nursery and moved to go and get Robin. He leaned over her crib and gently scooped the two year old up and his heart fell down to his stomach when she began to cry. Her eyes were puffy and sore, her nose was runny and she was burning up. When he checked her temperature, he threw his head back and groaned.

"Oh, not you as well baby girl."

Eddie was officially the only one in the house who wasn't sick. Yet.

He turned around and started to sway Robin from side to side as he fished his phone out his back pocket and scrolled down for Bobby's contact.

"Hey Cap… I don't think me and Buck are gonna be able to come in today. Everyone's got the flu, I mean everyone. Except me. I think I'm gonna be playing doctor today."

Eddie was in for a day full of fun.

***

"What are you doing?"

(Y/n) tried to swallow down the cough building up in her chest and scratching the back of her throat. She tilted her head forward and merged her face into the side of the bed as her arms dropped down at her sides and she tried to take a deep breath.

She didn't bother to lift her head or look up when she felt Eddie's hands on her shoulders but she smiled when she felt his lips merge with the back of her head.

"Stripping the beds." Her head flopped back on the bed and she opened her blurry eyes enough to look up at Eddie hovering behind her. "Chris threw up." She added quietly and gestured to the wash basket she had in front of her.

When she and Evan finally gathered enough strength to leave the bed, (Y/n) thought it would be a good idea to strip the bedding and wash it. And then Chris came through to tell her he'd thrown up in bed, so (Y/n) came into his room to change his bed too. Halfway through stripping the sheets, (Y/n) lost momentum and all the energy she had tried to gather up.

She sat down on the floor and finished stripping the bed down here, but now she didn't have the strength or the willpower to get back up. She felt like falling asleep here, slumped against the bed.

"Okay, and why're you doing that when you're sick?" Eddie pushed the wash basket away from her and knelt down at her side with a pointed look that made (Y/n) shiver.

"Because we have three sick kids and Evan-"

"And you. I'm not sick, so you leave this to me. Go sit down." Eddie slipped his hands beneath (Y/n)'s arms and carefully lifted her up but he could see once she was on her feet, she felt even worse.

(Y/n) took a moment to grip Eddie's arm and gather her breath back and her strength before she slowly shuffled out the room. Once she was in the hall, (Y/n) leaned her weight onto the wall and shuffled along the wall to keep herself upright.

Her head started to spin when she reached the hall but she tried to smile when Nate toddled up to her. He held his beaker out towards her, silently asking for a refill and (Y/n) nodded. She took the pale lilac sippy cup from him and let him guide her into the kitchen. He was wearing his Fireman Sam pyjamas and his hair was toussled and stuck up in all directions.

"What do you want, baby?"

"Milk."

"Okay." (Y/n) slumped her weight onto the fridge but the bottle of milk felt like it weighed a ton when she tried to pick it up. She flopped the bottle onto the counter and her hand shook so badly when she tried to pour it into a mug that half the contents spilled on the counter instead.

She shoved the mug into the microwave and flopped her elbows on the counter so she could slump forward.

She could feel Nate wrap his arms around her leg and cling to her and (Y/n) groaned quietly when her head felt like it was being stuffed with cotton wool. Slowly, (Y/n) let go of Nate's beaker and lowered herself down until she was knelt on the floor in front of the washing machine.

Her legs spread out in front of her and she let Nate climb onto hr lap and cuddle up into her stomach. He bound his arms around her waist and burrowed into her, coughing and grumbling into her chest.

"Mummy, milk." Nate whispered when the microwave dinged, but he was already half asleep with (Y/n)'s arms wrapped round him and her lips smothering the top of his head. He snuggled his face into her chest and closed his eyes as they stayed cuddling on the kitchen floor and (Y/n) hummed into his hair.

She didn't like feeling unwell. (Y/n) didn't like having zero energy like this or feeling the need to sit down every five seconds. When she was pregnant with the twins she had felt fine, right up until she hit thirty weeks. Then she could barely walk around the house without feeling like she wanted to be sick or like her back was about to break.

(Y/n) was used to trying to power through when she wasn't well.

They had Chris and twins who were all unwell and needed looking after, and Evan was coughing up a storm and coming down with vertigo. (Y/n) couldn't be out of action as well when all the kids needed love and comfort. And the house needed tidying, the beds needed changing, washing needed to be done and drinks needed to be made. She couldn't leave it all for Eddie.

"Baby what are you doing down there?" Eddie dumped the wash basket down at his side and crouched down in front of the pair of them with an unimpressed look. He wanted (Y/n) to go and sit down in the living room, not here on the floor.

"Making a drink," (Y/n) mumbled back, but she could scarcely open her eyes to look over at Eddie. And when she tried to lean back and look up at him, her body swayed and slumped back into the counter.

"Yeah, from down here?"

She didn't have the energy to answer back or the time to think up some snappy response. All (Y/n) could do was close her eyes because her head was pounding and she felt like she needed to be sick again. Her limbs were too heavy to move, but she needed to get up and make Nate and Robin a drink each and put the washing on that Eddie had brought through.

"You are a very bad patient. You know that? Come here, mi amor." Eddie didn't like how stubborn (Y/n) became when she was ill.

He leaned out and slipped one arm around her back and the other beneath her knees. He made sure she still had her arms around Nate and that he was stable on her chest and abdomen before he pulled (Y/n) into his chest and carefully stood up.

Her head flopped on his shoulder and Nate snuggled up against both their chests while Eddie turned around and walked out the kitchen and head into the living room.

His eyes glanced around and he smiled softly. The curtains were closed, the lamp was on and both his other boys were in here. Chris had reclined the armchair and was curled up, snuggled under a fluffy blanket as he was now fast asleep. And Evan was on the sofa, slouched down with his feet up on the coffee table.

Evan was only wearing his boxers. He was feeling the heat his body was giving off, unlike (Y/n) and Chris who were feeling the cold. And he was still sweating out his fever so he decided to forgo clothes and a blanket today.

Walking across to the other side of the sofa, Eddie bent down and carefully eased (Y/n) onto the sofa, trying his best to be gentle. He smiled when (Y/n) flopped onto Evan, resting her head on his shoulder as she brought her knees up and cuddled Nate into her chest. Eddie was about to pull back until Nate reached out and gingerly grabbed his wrist.

"Daddy, drink. Please?"

"I'll get you a drink, baby. You're all having your medicine now, anyway." He kissed Nate's head before he pulled up and looked around.

Where was Robin? She had been sat with Evan when Eddie went to look for (Y/n) and see what she was doing. All morning, Robin had clung to Eddie and been his little shadow. When he went into the kitchen to get meds for everyone, Robin had followed behind him. When he tried to tidy up, she had clung to his leg until he picked her up and carried her around for an hour doing odd jobs around the house.

She barely let Eddie out of her sight this morning while Evan and Chris stayed asleep in bed and (Y/n) tended to Nate.

Eddie made his way back towards the kitchen but he stopped midway and looked down the hall. His hands found his hips and a small smirk lit up his face as he watched his daughter.

Robin waddled out of her parents room, her blanket clung to her chest which also draped around her feet and almost tripped her up. She had a pacifier between her teeth and tears were slowly trickling down her face. She was looking for him. He had left her in the living room with Evan and now she was scouting round the house to find him.

"I'm over here, baby girl."

As soon as his voice hit her ears, Robin whined and began crying as she stumbled over her blanket and trotted down the hall. Her arms stretched out and she waited impatiently for Eddie to scoop her up. He wrapped the blanket around her, obscuring the Fireman Sam pyjamas she was wearing which matched Nate's.

Eddie settled her on his chest and soothingly rubbed his hand up and down her back as she croaked, coughed and whined into his neck.

"It's okay, you're okay baby." He smothered his lips against her temple and made his way into the kitchen, cuddling Robin close as he hummed against her temple.

He took the mug of milk out the microwave and slowly poured it into two beakers and handed one to Robin. He pinched the pacifier from her lips and tucked it safely into his pocket so she could have a drink before he turned to rummage around in the cupboard.

"Alright, take this for me please." Eddie filled a syringe with medicine and hovered it near Robin until she took the medicine. Her nose crinkled and she coughed, shaking her head before she began to cry again. "You're fine," He murmured softly as he chucked the syringe in the sink and filled another one for Nate.

Eddie knew when he got into the lounge that if he tried setting Robin down, she was going to scream. The way she clutched his shirt in her hand told him she wasn't willing to be parted from him yet. So he bent down in front of the sofa and juggled his little girl in his left hand, bouncing her on his hip to try and keep her settled and happy before he nudged Nate.

"Medicine, then your drink." He took the medicine without a complaint and smiled tiredly when he finally got his beaker of milk. "Good boy."

Eddie headed back into the kitchen and found one of the twin's trays that he set out on the side. He found a handful of small medicine pots in the cupboard and laid them out before he looked around for the meds he had gotten out earlier. Suddenly, Eddie felt like he was working in a hospital going on a medication round.

"Okay mummy, pops, Chris… and me."

Eddie popped some painkillers into a medicine pot for (Y/n), then poured some of Chris's medicine into another as he didn't take tablets. They were hard for him to swallow so they always got him soluble in case he choked. He poured cough syrup into three small pots for each of them, and dissolved some high strength painkillers in a glass of water for Evan.

He then popped some more painkillers for himself and downed them with a glass of water. There was no chance Eddie was taking the risk of getting sick himself. He was surrounded by sickness. He was helping (Y/n) and Evan move about the house, the twins were coughing and sweating on him and he was constantly moving and cuddling Chris. If Eddie didn't take painkillers, he would definitely come down with whatever his family had.

He was surprised he was the only one in the house left standing who hadn't fell down with the flu yet.

With a few glasses of juice and a pack of cough sweets on the tray, Eddie nodded that he had got everything. He juggled Robin in one arm and the tray on his other hand and headed back into the living room where his sick family were harbouring.

"Chris… wake up buddy, you need your medicine."

Chris tiredly opened his eyes and uncurled his arms from beneath his blanket. He didn't look best pleased about taking more medicine, but he never complained. He knew it was easier to take the medicine than spit it out like Robin had been prone to do quite a lot.

He downed the small pot of medicine, then the cough syrup, then gladly took the cough sweet he was handed and watched Eddie set a cup of juice on the side table for him.

"Babe, your turn." Eddie patted Evan's leg and crouched down beside the sofa, watching intently as Evan groggily opened his eyes and cracked a small smile.

When he was handed a cup of dissolved meds, Evan gave it a swirl before he closed his eyes and downed it in one. His lips curled in distaste and he shook his head but managed to keep it down. Dissolved medication always tasted horrid and made his throat tighten up and he felt the urge to throw it straight back up. But Evan could keep it down, whereas (Y/n) threw it up instantly if she tried.

It was better to take because dissolved meds got into the system quicker and acted faster, but (Y/n) would take the risk of waiting longer to feel better.

Once it was gone, Eddie swapped Evan's glass for a pot of cough syrup and put a glass of juice down on the side for him. He grinned when Eddie hovered over him and pressed the back of his hand against his temple. And his smile turned cheesy when Eddie cupped his neck and felt his pulse.

Evan had been the one who could barely walk this morning. Vertigo took over him within seconds and Eddie had to heave him down the hall to get him from the bathroom into the lounge.

"Am I good?"

"You're still burning up."

"Hm. Is there Lucozade in the fridge? That's good for glucose and energy levels, right?" Evan scratched the back of his head and tried to lift his head up from the back of the sofa but it only made him feel dizzy. He slouched back down and leaned his head back into the cushion as he watched Eddie give him a certain look.

"I'll have a look later, you don't need glucose you need rest." Eddie wasn't hyping Evan up on an energy drink that was meant to keep him active and moving about. Evan needed to rest and sleep right now, not try and boost his levels and hurry about the house.

"You should take some painkillers too, so you don't get it."

"I have, babe. I am a medic, you know. And I'm not getting sick, not because of any of you."

"Wanna bet?" Evan pushed his head forward before he had the chance to feel dizzy and stole a kiss from Eddie. He loved the unimpressed look in Eddie's eyes and the way his lips rolled together like he was trying not to frown or be stern. And just to tease him, Evan stole another kiss and sank his teeth down into Eddie's lower lip to make him groan.

His head flopped back and he lazily reached an arm out to brush Robin's cheek as she finished the last of her drink.

Turning his head, Evan looked down at (Y/n) and gently moved his elbow she was leaning on to gain her attention. It was her turn for meds. "You haven't got the soluble stuff for her, have you? She'll puke it back up-"

"I'm the doctor, you're the patient Buck. I know what I'm doing." Eddie grabbed the pot of painkillers and gave them a shake in front of Evan to make his point. He knew their girlfriend just as well as Evan did, he knew she wouldn't take dissolved painkillers and she couldn't take normal painkillers without a drink either.

A tired, weak smile flooded (Y/n)'s lips when she opened her eyes and found Eddie holding out a pot of meds for her. She took them without complaint and swigged half the glass of juice he held out, grimacing as it felt like the tablets got stuck halfway down her neck.

She downed the cough medicine Eddie handed over before she snuggled back down into Evan's side and tucked Nate higher up on her chest. He was dozing back off to sleep now that he'd finished his drink and taken his medicine.

"Can you go to pops for a while so I can tidy up, hm baby?" Eddie bounced Robin on his hip and looked over at Evan who already had his arms stretched out for his baby girl.

Robin let Eddie ease her down onto Evan's bare chest and she instantly snuggled down into him when she realised how warm he was. But she held out her beaker to Eddie and started to whine until he swapped it for the pacifier in his back pocket.

Her head tucked down beneath Evan's chin and her arms looped around his neck as she curled her legs around his waist and burrowed down into him. Her weight on Evan's chest was comforting but it also made him cough and wheeze, which he did his best to smother so he didn't upset her.

"Can you all stay in here now please? I don't wanna find anyone collapsed in the hall or disappearing around the house. Stay here and rest." Eddie gave them all a pointed look as he planted his hands down on his hips and looked around his family.

"Yes doctor Diaz." (Y/n) whispered softly as she moved to lay her head down on Evan's lap and laid out across the sofa with Nate cuddled into her chest and stomach.

"Diaz-Buckley." Chris corrected, eyes half-lidded as he shimmied back down in the chair and bundled back under the blanket.

Eddie nodded when they all seemed to understand his orders and he smiled before he trailed back into the kitchen to put the washing on and tidy up. He started humming a tune quietly to himself when he heard the music from the tv. He wasn't sure what movie they were all watching. Eddie wasn't so sure any of them were even watching it anymore, they were halfway to sleep and by the time he went back, he knew they would all be fast asleep.

That was what he wanted. He wanted all his family to be asleep and resting so they could get better. Eddie loved each one of them to pieces, but they weren't the best patients in the world when they tried to do too much and didn't listen to him.

"Ooh no… oh baby." Evan closed his eyes and groaned through a cough as his lips curled up in distaste and his nose scrunched up.

Robin threw up on him.

He wasn't wearing a shirt. He was sat in his boxers radiating so much heat that he could warm the whole house up. And one of his twins just chucked up all her milk and medicine right down the left side of his chest.

The feeling made Evan want to be sick and he coughed when he opened his eyes and looked down at her.

Robin tilted her head up and the moment she looked at Evan, a cry burst past her lips which made her begin to cough and croak. Evan ran his hand up and down her back as (Y/n) moved to sit up next to him, grimacing when she saw what had happened.

"I- I'm sorry," Robin blubbered before she let out another cry when Evan unravelled her blanket from her waist and swiftly swiped it across his chest.

"S'alright girlie, not your fault." Evan kissed her burning temple before he slumped forward and set her down on her feet. "Go find daddy, tell him we're gonna get a bath now."

Evan watched her scurry away, tears streaming down her face and cries loudly wailing past her lips. Now she didn't have her pacifier or her blanket that Evan had robbed her of and she still felt sick. She wasn't happy and it was clear in her high pitch cries.

A grin pulled at Evan's lips, despite the coughs he couldn't hide, when he felt Nate tug on his wrist and mumble "Bath?" Quietly while he looked up at Evan with those tired doe eyes.

"You wanna join?"

When Nate nodded, (Y/n) kissed the back of his head and helped him scurry down to the floor. She reached her hand out and rubbed Evan's shoulder and leaned down to kiss the back of his neck. (Y/n) didn't have the energy to join or help, she just wanted to sleep. She would rather stay in here with Chris and finish the movie while Evan tried to relax in the bath with the twins.

She smiled when Evan tilted her head back to kiss her before he used the coffee table as leverage and tried to stand up.

Vertigo hit him like a truck and had him stumbling past the sofa, leaning from one side to the next and he figured the fluids in his ears were unbalanced. Affecting how he held his head and if his head went one way, his body was sure to follow that direction.

"Shit! Eddie…" He whined, feeling like one of the kids when he crashed down to his knees and flopped his head down when his eyes rolled back.

Eddie threw his head back and tried to take a deep breath. He tossed Chris's cover down on his bed and walked out the room to try and see what everyone was doing. He could hear pattering footsteps and he found Nate stood in the doorway to the bathroom and Robin standing close by, her arms bound to her middle as she cried and croaked horribly.

"Daddy!" Her arms stretched out for him but Eddie shook his head when he saw Evan on his hands and knees a little further down the hall, clearly failing at trying to walk.

"Let me get pops first baby-" Eddie cringed and rolled his lips together when Robin screamed.

A high pitch, bubbling scream tore past her lips and she stomped her foot, her arms still held out in front of her. She wanted Eddie and she wanted him now.

"That's not nice." Eddie chided and walked past her to go and get Evan. All the kids knew they couldn't stomp their feet or shout and demand whatever they wanted. None of their parents would give in if they did that and it didn't matter how sick Robin felt, she couldn't scream at Eddie for his attention.

When he walked past her, she cried out and flopped down on her bum on the floor. Deciding she would sit and cry until someone picked her up and decided to comfort her.

"I told you to stay put."

"Robin puked on me… and we all want a bath. Help me up?" Evan braced one hand on the wall and stretched his other hand out to grab Eddie's shoulder when he stood in front of him.

Evan managed a small smile when he felt Eddie's hands on his waist and he carefully reeled him back up and let Evan lean his weight onto him. He smiled and leaned forward, resting their temples together as he brushed his fingers across Eddie's neck.

"Are you joining us?"

"I can't exactly leave you all unattended, now, can I?"

[thebroccolination]

KRIST, FAME, AND WHY "YOU SIGNED UP FOR THIS" DOESN'T EXONERATE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE PUBLIC

Lindsay Ellis uploaded this video to YouTube framed around the myth that Yoko Ono broke up the Beatles. It's phenomenal, as her work often is. I'll probably watch the whole thing multiple times in the near future.

Toward the end of the video, Lindsay expands on the morbid paradox of fame. Many of us see it as this aspirational thing that famous people should be grateful to have, and yet we're also aware that the circumstances of being famous often lead to tragic ends for celebrities, either by violence or by their own self-destruction.

Over the past week, I made this thread to explain the events that led to Krist putting his foot down after months of trying to placate the segment of KristSingto fans who are vocally opposed to Krist sharing any part of his continued close friendship with Gawin, Krist's costar from his 2023 BL series "Be My Favorite."

The day he started his break from social media, Krist addressed his fans about what he'd been dealing with very clearly and characteristically sincerely. He expressed his confusion, explained the impossible situation this unreasonable portion of his fanbase had put him in, and ultimately just gave the vibe of a very tired teacher. Coupled with the reality that Krist's fanbase is on average much older than he is, it's a little absurd that a twenty-eight-year-old had to tell a fair number of middle-aged, tax-paying adults that he's allowed to have friends.

Krist concluded his TikTok Live only to be tagged in even more abuse and complaints on Twitter. I saw some of it and didn't bother saving receipts, but you can imagine it. You're hurting your comeback with Singto by posting Gawin's photos, Krist. This comeback isn't going well, Krist, and it's your fault. You're supposed to be loyal to Singto, Krist. You abandoned Singto at the outing, Krist. If you hate it here so much then just go back to Gawin, then. Don't you feel guilty for ruining Gawin's career, too? He must be good in bed for you to come to his defense like this.

Oh, wait, I did save that one.

Presumably sensing that he had done everything he possibly could, Krist addressed fans one last time on his Instagram Broadcast channel.

Let no one misinterpret this: Krist left social media mainly and specifically because some Peraya were viscerally outraged that Krist didn't cast Gawin aside and spend 100% of his time adhered to Singto. Even though Krist is the one who wanted the comeback, a significant number of Peraya seem to think he's not trying hard enough.

"Not trying hard enough" even though he was so obsessed with getting Peraya Party right that he made himself sick.

This tweet was when he admitted himself for an IV to keep himself healthy, and then he ended up getting admitted anyway for almost a week. During which time he continued working on the concert from his iPad, messaging staff and Singto who continued with rehearsals.

"Not trying hard enough" isn't something Krist knows how to do. He's a self-professed perfectionist who identified so strongly with the character of Anxiety in "Inside Out 2" that he posted about her on his Facebook seven different times. He has an Anxiety plush. He even tweeted about the anxiety attack scene when he visited Beijing for work.

Krist has spoken about his experiences with depression. He moved back home in 2022 to be with his parents at the suggestion of his psychiatrist, the fourth he'd seen.

It's widely known that Krist hates being alone. Singto recently said it's something that concerns him, that Krist has someone or other at his house most of the time because he doesn't want to be on his own. Just last year Krist said his favorite thing about his four cats is that they're with him always, whereas people eventually have to go their own homes.

Rather than close himself off, however, Krist has remained a phenomenally open and affectionate person. He treats his fans like friends. (The ones who aren't trying to control his life.) He took the time to address fans twice in text and in video.

And yet, as soon as Krist stepped away from the helm of his own narrative, some fans were horrified by the idea that Krist might be mad at them. Others began to twist his words and intentions to suit a more palatable narrative. This wasn't about Gawin, no. He did it for Singto.

And while, yes, Krist did also make it clear that he won't tolerate people trash-talking one of his favorite people, this was about Krist.

It wasn't only about Singto or Gawin. This was Krist facing down fans who have relentlessly demanded more than he could have or even should have ever reasonably done for them.

It's a special kind of horrifying to me that fans are misrepresenting Krist when Krist clearly said as recently as last October that what hurts him most is being misrepresented.

I spoke with some Peraya in DMs about this whole mess.

A few said they have no issue with Gawin, they're only envious of the closeness he has with Krist. They're both musicians and singers, and they're both people-shaped emotions who went through hell together during all the "lol who asked for this pairing" and "ew I'm not watching the homophobe show" nonsense.

Others said Krist is behaving childishly and that he should just ignore everyone.

After all, all of this comes with the territory of being famous. It's normal. He shouldn't overreact. He's taken the wife role. He should be cute and soft and sweet at all times.

When I posted my thread about this, some were underwhelmed by the informational tone and had hoped it would be more of a call-out. Thing is, I'd already criticized that portion of the Peraya fandom:

It's frankly beyond my comprehension how Krist has made it this far as stable and as kind as he is. He was bashed by homophobes for starring in SOTUS in 2016, then stalked at his university by fans who disapproved of him having a girlfriend since he belonged to Singto, harassed about his sexuality until he snapped, vilified by international fans who showed up late to the party in 2020 and made everything a thousand times worse by not bothering to fact-check anything they were seeing, tormented off social media, put through four different psychiatrists, lost the partner he'd been through all of this with, found a new one, lost him, and gained his original partner back only for fans to demand more from him.

And the thing is, I don't want to say all of this on Twitter because it's becoming more and more of a noxious hellscape with every passing day, and the people who need to embrace this aren't going to read it. But I did want to say it somewhere.

Watching Lindsay's video, I felt such a bolt of fear. He's just been pushed so far, and fame isn't what destroys: it's people.

So I'm so proud of him for handling this with composure and strength. I'm proud of him for keeping the promise he made to Gawin in October last year at his solo concert, that nothing would change between them.

One of my Gawin fan friends said it best: Krist was the first person to see Gawin's potential and then show the world. He featured Gawin in his own solo concert, he mentored him through promotion, he opened up to Gawin about his life and his thoughts. He would never cast Gawin aside, and the fact that people are still trying to hand-wave how important Gawin is to him is maddening.

He loves Singto. He also loves Gawin. One doesn't cheapen the other. He loves a lot of people. That's who Krist is.

The idea that Krist should be cute and demure and ignore constant harassment he can't avoid because he needs to use social media for work is so unimaginably cruel I can't fathom how it could even transform from an idea to a real belief. Whether you like it or not, he's standing up for himself now.

Being famous eases some things and barbs others. You'll get free stuff and fans who admire you, but you may also get a deterioration of your mental health and fans who feel entitled to your body, soul, and mind.

You tell 'em, sweetie.

[lilianasgrimoire]

Witchcraft 101: An Introductory Post

What is Witchcraft?

Witchcraft is the practice of magick. It's a series of techniques one uses to harness and/or manipulate energies externally or internally to change one's surroundings of circumstances as well as themselves. This can be done through using herbs, stones, crystals, and other materials.

Witchcraft can, and is, performed in a plethora of ways. It can be done through meditation, spell work, rituals or even baking and cooking. Witchcraft is as unique as you are. To practice witchcraft you do not need a religion, however most people practice witchcraft to feel more connected to their chosen religion. Witchcraft is as unique as the individual demonstrating it.

What makes someone a witch?

A witch is a person who practices magick. Witches can come from any background, any age, race or gender and religion. The term 'witch' is a gender-neutral, universal name. A being who claims the title may do what they desire with the craft. There are many types of witches, all of which are nature based. Not all witches are interested in the same type practise, however. One may prefer the study and use of crystals, and another being drawn to divination or even one of the elements.

A witch is neither good or bad, as they are only human.

There aren't any rules to being a witch (unless your religion states otherwise). Whilst you don't have to be religious to be a witch, most witches who practise, are most commonly Wiccan.

What is Paganism?

Pagan is an umbrella term for the many non-Abrahamic religions. This included Hinduism, Wicca, Buddhism, Sikhism, etc. However, not a lot of people fall into a specific type of religion that comes under paganism but still believe in & worship more than one God/Goddess or Greater being such as the elements, for example. Many, if not most, witches, fall under the Wiccan religion.

Paganism, across all sub-genres, follow holidays/festivals, and in many religions, many they follow The Eight Sabbats, or Wheel of the Year. The Sabbats, depending on the religion, have slight variations in terms of rituals, timing and practicing of the holidays i.e. which God/Goddess is associated, traditional colours or foods. It also is up to the individual as to what they do and don't want to celebrate.

"All Wiccans are witches, but not all witches are wiccan. All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Witches."

Religion VS. Spirituality

Religion and spirituality are often meshed together and difficult to differentiate the two. Some people believe there is a blurred line between them, whereas another may believe they are two completely different topics.

So, how can we tell the two apart?

Religion is an institutionalised system of certain attitudes, practises and beliefs; often the service or worship of a greater being than ones self or the supernatural. A religion is often based upon life lessons and teachings of a historical or archetypal figure. Typically, there is a place of worship, such as churches, temples, mosques and cathedrals. Religion is a structured organised system that is heavily rule based with it's main focus on the faith of the religion (scriptures of being infallible and ultimate or truth. Acceptance and the surrender to the Divine are taught as the path to complete and ultimate salvation. Religion is one path for all to follow.

Spirituality is a connection that one has to something that is much larger than yourself. Spirituality is an aspect of humanity where an individual seeks and expresses meaning and purpose through the connection they experience to a moment. People who are spiritually awakened liv4e life in a reverent and sacred manner. Yoga, meditation and contemplation all help a person to start, progress and explore their journey. Many use these practices to reach out to their spirit guides, past lives and even advice from outside forces. Each journey is unique. Spirituality is often referred to as a "pathless path". Spirituality is about following your own path and learning, growing, loving and acceptance on a more personal level. Unlike religion, spiritualists do not follow a set of rules n regards to their inward journey but, faith is not dismissed and entirely acceptable to incorporate with spirituality.

[palaceofpassion]

The life of a House Husband

"Uhm... are you sure that I'm needed for this sir?" Jaune Arc was many things, he was a young awkward man, he was also the only boy in a household of eight women. Something that had a rather grand affect on his life, from cooking to cleaning, he could do every household task with ease. Something that had come akin to his mother wanting everyone to chip in.

And of course, being under the thumbs of his sisters. Whether it was through brute force, or being unable to say no. So... when he received a call from Headmaster Ozpin, of Beacon Academy, that he had a job for him, he was a little shocked.

"Yes, Glynda has informed me that you're quite skilled at helping others."

His cheeks felt flushed as he stared at the elderly man. "I mean, my semblance is good at helping bring out positive emotions but... I wouldn't really say I'm good at helping others." That was a lie, and he sort of wondered what his Auntie Glynda had told him. Glynda being his late father's sister of course.

"Mmhmm, she has spoken quite highly of you."

Now he was just embarrassed, "Oh. Well, that's honors." She was very brutal about the truth, even to family. "But I don't see why that means anything here."

"Well you see." Ozpin put a photo on his desk, ushering Jaune to pick it up. To which he did of course, the image had four young women. Ordered from tallest to shortest. Though he did note that three of them were quite short when compared to the tall redhead, who appeared to rival even him in height. "These four young women are some of our, if not the most promising huntresses this year... except."

"Except what sir?" He was a little confused, a bit embarrassed, if they were important and famous, he should know them... but he was kind of just a country bumpkin.

"Except that they would be unable to take care of themselves if left to their own devices. " Ozpin seemed frustrated by the statement, grabbing a cup of coffee to take a deep sip before continuing, "You see Mr. Arc. These four are the hope of Beacon, and while I would love for them to succeed, they have... problems. Ms. Cruz." He pointed at one of the shorter girls... actually THE shortest. With soft green hair, and dazzling emerald eyes. "She has unfortunately had... issues with the loss of her past team, so it's hard for her to open up to others, and she lacks self confidence in herself. And while the most calculating mind on her team, and their leader... it's doubtful whether she'll be able to communicate with the other three." He next pointed at the next shortest girl, with snow white hair, and frosty blue eyes, "Ms. Schnee is... strong willed, to say the least. She's grown in an environment that was about being used or to use others. As such, she'll be abrasive to the others, she also has very little experience with chores or taking care of herself, or so her mother has informed me."

Next was the maroon haired woman, with a stoutly figure, and pretty grey eyes, "This is May Zedong. She's similar to Ms. Cruz, but whereas Ms. Cruz has fears of being around others. May chooses not to involve herself, she's also had a hard time. Apparently she's had issues with both male and female students in the past. And likes to keep to herself. She's also quite soft spoken."

"And finally, this." He pointed out the dazzling red haired woman, with shining green eyes. "Is Pyrrha Nikos, she is, the strongest member of their team. However, she lacks the will to lead. She would rather not ruffle any feathers, and takes on an overtly polite persona when around other people. She's also quite famous, so it's not strange for people to come to her with ulterior motives. She's not quick to let people in, especially when she feels they'll be coming for her name. Unfortunately Ms. Schnee has already seemed to get on her bad side, and whether they'll work together at this point is impossible to tell."

There was obvious frustration in his voice, "Unfortunately, while each are all incredibly skilled huntresses, they haven't put much time, nor want, into self care. And that's where you come in." "So... you want me to be a nanny?" "Something to that effect, though you'll also be providing them with a shoulder to stand on." He wanted to say something, but as the most normal sibling, amongst a cavalcade of spectacular and amazing sisters. He sort of knew his position, and knew where people with talent tended to lie. Their single minded pursuit on improvement and being the bet. Especially if they have mental or emotional hang ups... he hated to admit it. But his semblance would definitely help. But more than that, as he listened to their stories, he wanted to help. "Okay." He would do what he could to help ease their lives, and besides... while he never wanted to be a huntsman. It would be interesting to see what kind of lives they lived.

While eyeing the image, he started to try to work things out. He didn't know their backstories, but one was afraid that she would see others die, or that she would be the cause. One is afraid of letting others in, because she's lived in a harsh environment, one is unable to communicate her feelings with others, used to being ignored... or something happened between her and a past team. And one has learned to close her heart, an actress if you will... He took a deep breath and sighed, "Okay, I suppose I should go meet them." "Mmhmm, they've already been informed of your... inclusion." He nodded, hopefully things wouldn't be too bad. But as he held the photo, he couldn't help but worry.

[talonabraxas]

“Walpurgis Night was when, according to the belief of millions of people, the devil was abroad—when the graves were opened and the dead came forth and walked. When all evil things of earth and air and water held revel.” Bram Stoker, “Dracula’s Guest”

“There is a mountain very high and bare…whereon it is given out that witches hold their dance on Walpurgis night.” Jacob Grimm, 1883

In the Germanic countries of central Europe, there is what is essentially a second Halloween, Walpurgis night, or as it’s often referred to in its German form, Walpurgisnacht, falling exactly six months from All Hallow’s Eve, or Samhain.

Many of the ancient cultures divided the year into just two seasons, summer and winter. The dividing line between the two seasons were Beltane and Samhain, with Beltane being one of eight solar Sabbats in the pagan calendar, its date based on the sun.

In Britain, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, Beltane often begins at sunset on April 30 and continues through May day. Since the medieval era at least, it was believed that the veil between the world of the living and dead is thinnest on both the night of Halloween and the night before Beltane.

As a result, not just the ghosts of the dead, but fairies, shapeshifter and in regards to Walpurgis, witches were at their most powerful and could more easily cross between the two worlds.

Walpurgisnacht and Beltane

Despite sharing the same date and many customs, there is a distinct difference between Walpurgis and Beltane. At its most basic, Beltane is primarily Gaelic and celebrated on May 1, whereas Walpurgis is Germanic and often celebrated the night before Beltane. If you were able to go back in time however, you’d realize you’re dealing with rural customs, in areas quite often cut off from much contact with the outside world. From that perspective you’d likely see little difference between the two holidays.

The primary difference between the ancient times and more modern history, is Walpurgis has developed a distinctly witchy flavor. Walpurgis in the Middle Ages concerned itself with protecting yourself from or driving away witches.

Today, as the fear of the craft fades slowly into the past, it’s all about celebrating witches.

“Walpurgis Night” Lavestalu

[riya-kaur]

calum thomas hood

summary: everyone knows about the crush you and calum have on each other, but still, the two off you brush it off. calum thinks hiding his feelings by acting differently will help him get over you, but it doesn't.

cw! swearing!

eight years.

part two!

december had quickly approached by, which meant soon it would be everyone's favourite holiday: christmas.

this year, you had decided to tag along to a ski retreat with ashton, mali-koa, and your absolute favourite person in the world- calum hood.

you had first heard about this weekend trip on thanksgiving, when everyone had gathered round michael's to celebrate his newborns' first thanksgiving.

after your interest was peaked, you decided to ask if you could tag along, and ashton and mali jumped with joy accepting, whereas calum stayed stone-cold.

so nearly a month had passed, the car that was parked outside your house, honking impatiently.

"fuck" you muttered as you sat on your suitcase, hoping to press down some of the weight. your hands pulled at the zipper, you let out a sigh as you continued to tug on it.

"you're gonna break it" a deep, familiar voice says from behind you. you turn your head, meeting calum's soft eyes as he leant against the door frame with a cigarette in his hand.

"can you make yourself useful then, and help?" you sneer as you throw your hands up in the air. calum chuckles before he walks past you. his steps stop once he reaches your window. he takes his cigarette from between his lips and burns it out before tossing it outside.

"move" he nods his head to the side.

you sigh as you stand up from the suitcase, taking the same position on your bed.

your eyes observe calum as he kneels down beside your suitcase, "you sure there's nothing you can avoid taking?" he asks as you he lifts up the top of the case.

your eyes fall onto calum as he lingers a stare on your clothing that lay at the top; swimsuits and your underwear.

flustered, you reach over and shut the top of the case, "nope"

calum shakes his head before muttering something under his breath. he places a heavy hand on the top of the case, forcefully pushing down as his other hand found the zipper. in a swift movement, his hand pulls around the case, zipping it close.

"easy" calum retorts. he stands up and lifts the suitcase up onto its' wheels, "can we go now?" he asks, you nod before thanking him. the two of you make your way out of your house, and you lock it from the outside before catching up to calum.

he sets your suitcase in the trunk before the two of you take a seat in his car.

the journey to the resort was a quiet one. you tried lightening the mood by humming along to the radio, but once you saw calum giving you a glance, you settled your lips in between your lips, feeling embarrassed.

the only talking he did throughout the drive was when mali, his sister had rang him. letting him know that her and ashton had bought the food shop and had made it to the cabin you were all staying at.

what had felt like hours, the two of you had finally arrived.

"what took you guys so long?" mali exclaims, opening up the front door wide. "someone wanted starbucks" calum rolls his eyes before walking past his sister with both his and yours' suit cases in his hands.

"i got it for everyone!" you retort, setting the cup holder down on the table in the hallway before hugging mali.

ashton then comes running into the hug as he wraps his arms around you both.

"come on, cal" mali shouts over her brother. "no, thanks" he mutters. "calum thomas hood, if you don't get your ass over here right this second, i'll show everyone that picture of you dressed up as a bratz doll" mali rambles but as soon as she threatened calum he came jogging over beside you and ashton.

you turned your head slightly and held your arm out to calum. his eyes flicker between your arm and your eyes before letting out a sigh.

he moves his gaze over to his sister, giving her a death stare. his arm hovers over the small of your back whilst his other arm tightly wraps around ashton's shoulder.

the four of you stand there laughing before pulling away. "that was cute," mali giggles, picking up a cup of coffee from the table.

your move your eyes over to calum, "d'know what would be even cuter?" you ask him. "what?" he snaps back. "you dressed as a bratz doll" you giggle, taking small steps towards him.

you let your hand rise to his hair, your fingers combing his hair. he looks at you, embarrassed. his cheeks turning a deep red. once you realize what you were doing, you quickly retract your hand back, dropping it to your side.

"shit, sorry. i don't know what-" you began to ramble, "it's fine, " he huffs. you nod awkwardly before trying to change the conversation.

"so room situations?" you ask as you look over at mali. "there's three rooms" mali begins. "and only one master suite" she finishes as she nods her head over at calum.

"so?" calum asks, shrugging his shoulders. "you're gonna have to share, calum"

"fuck, no. you take the suite and share with her" calum shakes his head. "stop being difficult calum, besides i've unpacked my stuff already," mali exclaims. calum looks over at ashton, "c'mon mate" ashton speaks up. "i'm totally fine on the couch" you pipe up as you twiddle with the rings on your fingers.

"it's fine" calum says once again, "you're with me, i guess" he let's out a sigh as he grabs the suitcases, trekking them up the stairs. "come on, then"

"coming!" you hurry up the stairs, following him into the master suite.

"we should set some ground rules." calum starts. "good idea," you return. "you have that half of the room, and i'll get this half." calum points at the opposite side of the room, letting you know which side yours was.

"seriously?" you raise your eyebrows at him. he nods his head, shaking his head to the side. "calum, that's so stupid. we're not kids"

"fine, what rules did you have? he asks. "i dress here, you in the ensuite. i want the side of the bed closest to the window and no bringing anyone back here cause i don't want to walk in on anything that you're up to" you list.

"is that everything, princess?" he curtseys in front of you with a sarcastic tone, and his eyes stay glued to you as he does so.

you put up your middle finger, aiming it towards him, he simply rolls his eyes.

"we should unpack"

whilst the two of you were finishing up unpacking, mali called you both down for dinner.

the four of you sat around the fireplace, pizza boxes scattered around you all as you sat and watched 'gilmore girls', the boys complaining at every chance they had.

whilst absent-mindedly watching the tv, you reached for the last pizza slice in the box. once you had felt another's hand already on the slice, you jerked your hand away.

"take it," you look over at calum, who had now moved his hand away, nodding his head over at the slice.

"no it's fine, it's yours." you shake your head before letting your eyes fall on the tv again. "just take it, y/n," you hear him say, but you simply shake your head to the side, keeping your eyes on the tv.

calum sighs before picking up the slice, which you saw out of your peripheral eyesight.

seconds later, you see him open his palm out to you, "here, take it" he says. you look down at his palm the see that he had tore the pizza in half.

you hear ashton say something in the background which made calum roll his eyes, "take it y/n, i made it fair" he shrugs. you give him a nod before taking one of the halves out of his hand, "thanks cal"

after finishing up, the four of you decided to play some card games, which led to every game being won by mali.

"what can i say, i'm older so i'm wiser." she smiles proudly. the three of you chuckle at her as she takes a bow.

"well, tonight's been fun guys" you pipped up, standing up from the floor, which you were seated on.

"i'm gonna get some sleep for tomorrow" you say, "make sure you guys set your alarms" mali exclaims, "yes mom" you roll your eyes playfully at her.

"goodnight guys," you smile. "i'll be up soon" calum says. you give him a nod before making your way into your shared room.

you lock the bedroom door behind you before pulling out a pyjama set; an oversized black tee and some short, baggy, grey shorts.

you headed over to ensuite, pulling your hair up in a messy bun on the top of your head, strands falling onto your face, to help frame your face.

you then washed your face and patted it dry before beginning to brush your teeth.

as you brushed around the toothpaste in your mouth, you heard a lazy knock to the door. knowing it was calum, you headed to the door, unlocking it.

"hey" he says, dropping his phone on the bed. with you not being able to reply with the toothpaste in your mouth, you gave him a small wave before returning back to the ensuite.

you once again shut the door, thinking he would change into his pyjamas.

once you had finished brushing your teeth, you called out to calum, "can i come in, cal?" you ask.

"yep" you hear him say, with that you open the door to see him already laid in bed.

he pulls the covers over himself, but before he does so, you scan his body to see what he's wearing: a black tank top and grey joggers.

you walk around to your side of the bed, slipping under the covers.

you laid on your back as you stared at the ceiling. the room was dark, but with the small lights from the window coming in, you could see calum in the same position as you.

you felt your eyes becoming heavy as you closed them. you had felt like you were falling asleep until you heard your phone ringtone blare out. "shit, sorry," you apologise as you scramble out of the bed to grab your phone of the table.

you checked your phone to see crystal calling you, and you slipped out the room, shutting the door behind you. but you stayed in front of the door as you answered her call.

"y/n, how was the drive?" she asks, "mali mentioned you came with calum" you giggled at the thought of mali and crystal talking about you and calum.

"yes, we did. it made sense to just take one car" you whisper. "has calum made a move yet?" she squeals. you furrow your eyebrows, "what'd you mean, made a move, crys?" you ask.

"what do you mean, what do i mean? this is so obvious y/n, " she starts, "everyone knows about you and calum, " she ends. "babe, there is no me and calum, i'm pretty sure he hates me," you pipe up. you hear crystal cracking up on the other side of the phone. "y/n, surely you've noticed how he acts around you"

"like friends?" you question. "ask mali, she'll back me up" crystal says.

you try ending the conversation as soon as you can, wanting to not talk about this topic. and you definitely weren't going to ask mali either about her thoughts. that would be embarrassing.

after ending the call, you made your way back into the bedroom, tiptoeing back to your side the bed. just in case calum had fell asleep.

you slip under the covers, placing your back against the mattress again. "was it crys?" calum asks. you look over at him and watch his biceps flex as he tucks his hands behind his head.

you hum in response, "is she okay?" his voice laced with concern. "she's all good cal, baby and mike too," you answer, and you feel his head nod.

"goodnight y/n"

"goodght cal"

it was now the next day, you had woken up to bright flash to your eyes.

you stirred in a warm embrace, nuzzling your head into the pillow.

"look how cute" mali's voice is heard in the room. you blinked open your eyes as you took in your surroundings.

shit! your hand was hung loosely around calum's bicep, your calf slightly tangled with his leg, and your head was nuzzled in his neck.

you brushed yourself off of him, causing him to stir, "what's happening?" calum asks, his voice hoarse and croaky.

"nothing!" you say quickly. a bit too quickly.

mali giggles before turning her phone around, showing you both the picture she had taken, you noticed calum had his head on yours, one hand still behind his head whilst his other laid dangerously low on your back.

you felt your cheeks growing red as you turned away from them both. calum clears his throat before sitting up on the bed.

"me and ashton are heading to the slopes, you guys woke up late so we'll meet you there" mali informs the both of you, you give her a nod before you watch her leave.

"i'm sorry" he apologizes. you shake your head as you look at him, "no that was on me, i was on your side of the bed, shit i'm sorry" you ramble.

calum follows suit and shakes his head, "it's not that deep, right?" he asks. "of course, not" you faked a smile before excusing yourself to the ensuite.

maybe everything crystal had said to you yesterday was getting in your head, making you unconsciously act out.

you tried brushing off the feelings, but you couldn't. you started replaying times when you and calum were together and the little things he used to do. you always thought he hated you, but maybe he didn't?

"you nearly done in there?" you hear calum ask from the other side. "just a few minutes" you call out. you snap out of your thoughts and start brushing your teeth before washing your face.

you walk back into the room, beelining straight to the wardrobe. as your hands were occupied with finding an outfit, your eyes sneakily fell on calum before he entered the ensuite, locking the door.

"fuck" you muttered, letting out a heavy breath that you didn't notice you were holding in.

once you had found an outfit suitable to the cold, you applied some light makeup: blush, mascara, and lip balm.

you then called out to calum, letting him know you'd be waiting for him downstairs. whilst making your way downstairs, you pulled your phone out of your jacket pocket, dialling crystal's number.

she answered after the first dial, "i need your help, i'm going crazy. like i don't want to be dealing with these feelings right now crys, i don't know what the fuck is happening to me. one minute, i think he's a jerk, and then the more i start thinking about him, i get butterflies in my stomach, and they hurt crys, it fucking hurts" you rambled over the phone, not even allowing her a moment to speak.

"say something," finally reaching downstairs, you take a seat on the couch, awaiting for a response. "are you okay?" your eyes widened when you recognized the voice over the phone as not crystal's.

"perfectly fine, mike." your cheeks turning into a deep rep shade, "where's crys?" you ask, a nervous laugh coming following suit.

"she's out with sierra, she left her phone at home," michael says. "oh okay, well, no need to let her know i called, but i should be going now," you try to hurry the conversation to an end.

"okay, no worries" he says, "y/n?" he says quickly after. "are you sure you're okay?" he asks. you let out a little sigh, "i'll be fine"

"ready to go?" calum says running down the stairs, he stands at the end of the stair, looking over at you. you give him a nod, "one sec" you mouth to him.

"i have to get going, mike. i'll see you soon. " you finish off the call after hearing michael saying his goodbyes.

"is he okay?" calum asks you, as he watches you now walking over. he give him a nod. "we should probably get going, it's like a twenty minute walk" calum informs you.

"can't we take your car?" you ask, frowning your lips. "we can't, there's no cars allowed up there" he says. "but we can take a cable car?"

the two of you stood in line for one of the cable cars. it wasn't busy, so you both managed to get a cable car for the both of you.

you both sat on opposite sides to each other. looking down, you watched as the cable car left the tunnel, your eyes widening at the extreme height.

"is this a bad time to say i'm terrified of heights?" your eyes find calum's soothing brown ones as you nervously place your bottom lip in between your lips.

"just don't look down, okay," his voice soothing, he leans forward slightly, watching as you twist the rings on your fingers. you nod your head at the advice.

but you felt your chest becoming too hurt as you exhaled heavier breaths. "hey, you're gonna be okay" he quickly rushes over to your side, sitting beside you. "sit back" he says and so you do.

he let's one of his hands cup your cheeks, "just look at me, focus on my breathing, okay?" and so you start following his breathing pattern. once you had calmed down, you realized calum's thumb rubbing circles on your cheeks.

you looked up at him before glancing at his hand that was still on your cheek. he quickly let go, clearing his throat, to help fill the silence.

"we're here" he spoke in monotone, whilst looking out the glass.

he stands up, waiting for the doors to open, you follow behind him as he walks out.

the exit tunnel was extremely overcrowded, which hinted at the fact that the slopes would be busy.

"c'mere" calum says, reaching out for you hand, pulling you against his chest as he lead you both out of the exit tunnel.

your body melted against him, his chest pressing into your back, making you weak in your knees. his hands settled on your waist as he guided you.

once the two of you had finally left the tunnel, you were both met with the brightest snow on the slopes.

"let's go look for the others," calum says as he pulls himself away from you. your lips turned into a small frown at the loss of warmth. not wanting him to see you, you quickly plastered a smile on your lips before giving him a nod.

after minutes of searching, the two of you had regrouped with mali and ashton. the four of you decided to have some hot chocolates from one of the pop-ups. so whilst ashton and calum went to go buy them, you and mali sat at a table.

you noticed mali giving you a wide grin, "what?" you giggled. "nothing," you could tell she was lying, so you simply just raised an eyebrow up at her.

"it's just you and calum -" she starts, but you quickly stop her. "i feel awkward talking to you about this. he's your brother." you shake your head.

she opens her mouth to start speaking again but gets interrupted by ashton and calum, placing the hot chocolates down on the table.

calum takes a seat beside you whilst ashton sits besides mali.

the four of you make mindless conversations whilst sipping on your hot chocolates.

after what was around an hour, ahston and mali decided the wanted to ski down the slopes.

"you guys wanna join?" ashton asks. "you guys go ahead, i'll watch you three," calum gives you a quick glance, "i'll stay with you" he says before finishing off his drink. "we'll find something else to do," he says.

you quickly shake your head, "no cal, you should go, i don't want you to miss out" you argue. "no, i don't even want to ski, we'll go find something else, okay?" he asks. "are you sure?" you ask him and he responds with a nod.

"we'll see you guys later then" ashton says. "let us know if you end up going back to the cabin" mali says before running off to catch up with ashton.

"so what'd you wanna do?" you ask calum.

"sleigh ride?" he raises his eyebrow whilst asking you. "that's sounds perfect!" you squeal.

so the two of you make your way over to the sleigh carriages, taking a seat in an unoccupied one.

the two of you sit back whilst you watch the reindeers start to take small steps forward.

"so, have you always been scared of heights?"

you turn your head to look at calum, "not always, but as i got older, i guess i got sacred of the lack of stability and control" you say, "sorry that was a bit deep" you giggle. calum gives you a smile in return.

as the forty minute sleigh ride went on, the more the two of you talked, on a personal and connected level.

ashton and mali had also made their way back up to you guys.

"it was honestly so fun!" you exclaim as you tell ashton and mali about the sleigh ride. you notice calum's lips turning into a smile as he watched you ramble about how good the sleigh ride was.

"cal" mali exclaims, trying to regain calum back in from his daydreaming. calum replies with a hum. "what did we always do up here when we were younger?" she smiles as she jumps up and down on the spot.

calum rolled his eyes playfully, "snow angels" he chuckles. "come on, everyone!" she announces as she falls back onto the snow, letting her arms and legs push around the snow as she flaps them in the snow.

the three of you follow suit as now the four of you create snow angels.

once the shape was imprinted in the snow, mali and ashton rose back to their feet, and you once again followed shortly behind them. "need a hand," you giggle as you watch calum, struggling to get up.

he hums as he reaches for your hand. before you know it, you feel him tug on your hand, making you fall forward and on top of him.

your face inches apart as your hands now lay on his hard chest. you look up to his eyes as he looks down at yours. he places his hand on the low of your back.

"hey" he smiles. "hi" you smile back. "y-y/n" he whispered, and you hummed in response.

"get a room!" ashton chuckles. you notice calum bite his cheek before opening his mouth again, "you're on me," he says. "oh, yeah, shit, sorry," you rambled as you quickly found your stance back onto your feet, brushing of the snow that was on your clothes.

"what the-" you begin to say as you feel something being thrown at you. you turn around to see mali throwing snow balls at you. you giggled before bending down to create a ball of snow in your hands.

you stood back up and threw it on her back.

"snowball fight!" ashton called out.

and there, the four of you were throwing snowballs at each other.

after throwing multiple at ashton and mali, you decide to throw some at calum. so you had two snowballs in your hand, about to throw them in calum's direction, but before you could, you felt a heavy weight being thrown to your head, making you trip over your feet.

"fuck! are you okay?" you hear calum say, panic in his voice, as he rushes over to your side.

you brought your hand to your head as you rubbed it. "it's hurts" you winced. "i'm so sorry" he repeats as he brings his hand over yours, rubbing the place he had hit you with the snowball.

he then moved my hand from it, letting his lips leave a small kiss on the area. "i should take her back" calum says as he helps you up on your feet. you shake your head, "i'll be fine"

despite saying you were fine, calum still made you go back to the cabin with him. you told mali and ashton to stay out still and to still keep having fun.

the journey back to the cabin was pretty much quiet except when you were back in the cable car, you felt your head starting to pound so you winced from the pain and calum had asked you if you were okay.

once you had gotten back, you went straight into the bedroom and got changed, calum doing the same in the bathroom.

you were sat in the bed as you massaged the side of your head.

"how're you feeling?" calum asks as he enters back into the room, this time with a tracksuit on.

"i'll be fine, calum," you shake your head as you look up at him. you watched as he walked over to your side of the bed, kneeling down in front of you.

he didn't say anything, just simply looked up at you as his hand cupped your cheek, his thumb creating shapes on your cheek.

"you confuse me" you scoff as you catch his eyes with yours.

"what do you mean?" he asks as he rises from his knees.

"i thought we were getting along on this trip, cal. i thought you were lossening up around me. i thought you had dropped your jerk act, but as soon as you do, you put it back on again. why? why won't you let in?" you let your hand intertwine with his, tugging on it, making him take a seat beside you on the bed. which he did.

"how long have we known each other for, y/n?" calum ask, you furrow your eyebrows, "eight years"

"eight years, it's been y/n" he starts. "eight years of me being completely and utterly infatuated with you. eight years of me wanting you for myself, eight years of having you consume my every thought. eight years of knowing i couldn't be with you because i don't deserve you, eight years' worth of songs that were written about you because i couldn't bring myself to tell you how i'd felt"

whilst he was expressing his feelings, you noticed at some point he had reached for you hands, he was looking down at them, twiddling with them.

"i thought if i could try distance myself away from you by acting the way i have, it would hurt less but fuck it hasn't" he sighs.

he looks up into your eyes, "can i be selfish for a second?" he asks as his eyes flicker to your lips.

you nod as you watch him lean into your lips, placing a delicate kiss on them.

he moves his hands, so he's cupping your cheeks, "i've wanted to do that for so long"

"i wish you told me" you shake your head. "i'm sorry y/n about everything," he says as he rests his forehead against mine.

"it took you eight years calum" you begin, "let's not make its nine, okay?" you nod before letting your lips catch his.

a/n: i wanted to extend this, but i didn't want this to be too long, so it'll be either be a part two to this or i might change it a little bit to be its own work to be different but regardless it'll be the next post.

also this took me forever to writeee :'(

[imogenleewriter]

Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson AO3 Works Stats

The other day, I was curious to see what the trajectory of uploads of Larry fanfic on Ao3 was and if it was increasing.Anyway, it was a pretty simple process, and here were the findings:

Perfect right? Done. Time to go to bed? No, because ya girl got hyper-fixated. So grab a cup of tea and enjoy this absolutely ridiculous waste of time...

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic profoundly affected various aspects of societal behaviour, including participation in online communities. The ‘Larry fan fiction community’ had a notable influx of new participants and emerging writers during this period. My antedotal observations suggested a significant number of authors have been publishing their first works as recently as this month. This study aims to quantify the trends in Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson fan fiction uploads on AO3 (Archive Of Our Own) over the past decade, with a particular focus on discerning any noticeable uptick in contributions corresponding to the pandemic’s timeline.

Method

The data collection was executed over several days, starting from the 16th of October 2023. Due to this, the 16th of October was used as a reference point for all of the 12-month periods. The following parameters were employed for filtering:

Relationship Category: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson.

Inclusivity: All pieces that included this relationship, irrespective of the presence of other pairings. The result of this means there are likely some works included where they are a side pairing.

Language: All languages were included.

Work Status: Both individual pieces and those parts of a series were included, as were completed and incomplete works.

Accessibility: Being logged in allowed access to members-only works.

During the analysis, two works were excluded due to backdating, to ensure the timeframe remained consistent. Due to the dynamic nature of the fan fiction platform, some works underwent updates or were removed during the data collection process. While these fluctuations did cause some inconsistencies, they were negligible and did not significantly impact the overall dataset.

For the 12-month periods under consideration, three main categories were analysed: total, completed, and unfinished.

Results

A comprehensive analysis of Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson fan fiction uploads spanning from 2011 to 2023 revealed the following insights:

2011: A total of sixteen works were documented, all of which were completed.

2012: The total number of uploads rose to 417. Among these, 409 were completed works, while eight remained unfinished.

2013: A significant surge was observed, with total uploads reaching 4,795. Completed works accounted for 4,251, whereas 544 were left incomplete.

2014: The growth trend continued, recording a total of 6,303 uploads. 5,296 were completed, and 1,007 were in-progress.

2015: The first decline was witnessed, although minor, with 6,105 total uploads. Completed works comprised 4,919, and unfinished ones stood at 1,186.

2016: A slight decline was noted, totalling 4,805 works. Completed pieces were 3,765, with 1,040 still in-progress.

2017: Uploads further decreased to 2,898. Of these, 2,297 were completed, and 601 remained unfinished.

2018: A modest rise was seen with 2,784 total works. Completed contributions were 2,275, while 509 were ongoing.

2019: The total dropped to 2,064. Completed pieces stood at 1,700, and 364 were still under development.

2020: A slight increment occurred, totalling 2,572 uploads. Of these, 2,071 were finished, and 501 were ongoing.

2021: The count increased to 3,195. Completed works reached 2,483, with 712 in-progress.

2022: A total of 3,767 works were uploaded. Completed works were 3,090, while 677 were yet to be finished.

2023: The most recent data showcases 4,018 total works, with 3,104 completed and 914 still ongoing.

After collating the primary data on completed and uncompleted works, I wanted to look at the distribution based on word count. The intention behind this exploration was to discern if there were patterns or preferences within the writing community regarding the length of the stories. (Please note that on diagrams representing word count, the years are now in descending order)

The categorisation of word count was structured. Works were segmented into word count brackets that started from the shortest stories, ranging from 0 to 1999 words, then progressively moved up in intervals: 2000-4999 words, 5000-9999 words, and so on due to the high prevalence in numbers in the shorter works. This structured approach allowed for a visual representation of how numerous works fell into each bracket for each year.

If you click on it, you might be able to see the distribution.

Results: Word Count Analysis

The following overview encapsulates the distribution of word counts for fan fiction uploads from 2011 to 2023:

0-10,000 Words:

2023 observed the highest concentration within this frame with 2507 works. Over half of the total published works for the 12-month period were found within this bracket.

The trend experienced notable growth from the 14 entries in 2012.

2014 saw a peak with 4994 works in this category, followed by a fluctuating pattern in subsequent years.

10,001-50,000 Words:

2023 recorded 1,031, a slight increase from 1,010 in 2022.

2015 led the chart with the most works in this range.

50,001-100,000 Words:

The count in 2023 showcased the highest number in this category, with 293 works.

2016 and 2021 were equal second, with 219 works in this category.

100,001-300,000 Words:

2023 had the most works in this segment, followed by 2022 and 2021.

Prior to this, the peak was in 2017.

300,001 Words and above:

The numbers in this range are comparatively limited, with 2023 having the most works surpassing 300,000 words.

Most years witnessed very few works in this extensive word count bracket, with numbers often remaining in single or low double digits.

I was also interested to find where most work stopped being completed. This is the percentage of completed works in each range.

Limitations of the Analysis:

AO3 Filtering System Limitations: The AO3 filtering system does not readily display the initial posting date of a fic. A fic could have been started several years prior to its completion but only shows up in the filtering system in the year it was last updated. This poses a significant limitation as the actual duration taken for the completion of a work might not be accurately represented.

Human Fallacy: There's always a potential for human error in manual data collection and analysis. Overlooked details, misinterpretations, or unintended biases can inadvertently influence the results.

Deletion and Date Modification of Works: Authors may delete their works or modify posting dates. This becomes significant for older works with a higher likelihood of deletions or date changes. Such actions can skew the numbers, offering a misrepresented view of the works available during a particular year.

Variability in Word Count Reporting: While categorising based on word count is useful, it's possible that authors might update or expand their works after the initial posting, leading to changes in word count categories over time.

Conclusion:

The data spanning from 2011 to 2023 shows that over the 13-year period, there has been a marked increase in both completed and uncompleted works, with the total number of works increasing more than 250-fold from 16 in 2011 to 4018 in 2023.

From 2011 to 2015, there was a notable surge in the number of completed works, culminating in 2014 with a total of 6307 works. This could potentially reflect an increased growing interest or a pivotal shift in the community or broader fandom dynamics during this period.

From 2016 to 2019, a noticeable decrease in the total works emerged, with 2019 seeing the steepest drop. This decline aligns with the onset of One Direction's hiatus. While causation cannot be conclusively established, it does provide a reasonable explanation.

Beginning in 2020, a revitalisation is evident, with figures steadily climbing and nearing their zenith by 2023. While this remains speculative, anecdotal accounts suggest that the pandemic, affording individuals more leisure for social media coupled with the growing popularity of TikTok, may have reignited interest in the fandom, steering them towards both reading and potentially writing fanfiction.

In summary, the AO3 community showcases dynamic growth, decline, and resurgence patterns over the examined period. While completed works have seen fluctuating trends, the spirit of initiation remains unwavering, as observed by the consistent number of uncompleted works.

Length of works

In 2011, the publication of longer stories (10,000 words and above) was almost non-existent. The numbers began to rise steadily, with a significant jump in longer stories from 2015 to 2017.

The number of stories with a word count between 10,000-14,999 went from 2 in 2011 to a peak of 458 in 2014. Similarly, the 15,000-19,999 range saw an increase from 0 stories in 2011 to its peak at 253 in 2015. As we progress through the word count brackets, there's a discernible growth trend, albeit with some fluctuations. For instance, the 80,000-89,999 bracket jumped from 0 stories in 2011 to a peak of 48 stories in 2023.

While there have been fluctuations in the numbers for some years, the overall trend does show growth in the publication of longer stories over the past decade.

The data shows that extremely long stories (those above 200,000 words) have always been a rarity. However, there's still a perceptible trend.

The 200,000-249,999 word count range sees the most action, with a peak of 27 stories in 2023. This is growth from the previous years 17, and then to 14, and so on. The numbers decrease as we progress to the right into the higher word counts, but occasional stories reach these impressive lengths.

The 250,000-299,999 word count range has peaked at 6, with numbers generally dropping with previous years. Higher word count ranges, such as 300,000-349,999 and 350,000-399,999, are sparser but maintain a presence.

Word counts of 450,000 and beyond are sparse, with very few recent entries.

In conclusion, while very lengthy stories remain uncommon, they exist and have seen publication in varying numbers. There's a trend towards fewer stories as the word count increases, which is expected given the monumental length of these works.

Upon examination of the data, there's a pronounced resurgence in the publication of longer narratives, particularly following a noticeable decline post-2016. The trajectory of this resurgence hints at an evolving literary landscape, with authors and perhaps readers veering towards more extensive works. Although the factors underpinning this shift remain speculative, the upward trend, especially in the realm of extended narratives, cannot be dismissed.

Monitoring developments in this sphere to ascertain whether this resurgence signifies a phase or a deeper, more sustained transformation in literary predilections will be interesting.

[thisismeracing]

Lewis + first love + fluff 🤍

First love | LH44

⸺ the one where Lewis was your first love and you find each other again after twelve years away. ✓ no warnings.

⁕ one word, a thousand stories blurb night (closed) ⁕ my masterlist and my taglist

He never thought his first love would come back after so many years, yet there she was in all her glory smiling and enchanting everyone around just like she used to do when they were younger.

He never loved someone the way he loved her, never kissed, or shared his secret feelings like he used to with her. Yn was Lewis' first in all the ways one could be, and that included heartbreak. She was his first taste of what love could become if you let it grow past what supposed to. Whereas for two young adults just starting to see what the world had in store for them, love could break their hearts, but would never cease to exist, and once they meet again it would mend their souls together just like it happened in the first time.

And as it turns out, they were right.

"Lewis, come here," Toto called with a huge smile on his face. Susie was right beside him excitedly talking with Yn, but the eight times world champion knew she wasn't listening as attentively as she was seconds ago because their eyes met and she gave him one small almost shy-like grin. "This is Yn, our new head of engineering. And, of course, Yn this is Lewis Hamilton as I imagine you're aware." His boss introduced them as if they were not familiar with each other.

Over twelve years had passed since they had been face-to-face, still, Lewis could tell the smile she gave him was a genuine one. And for some reason, he could also tell that that was the place where their souls met again, and their broken hearts were mended back together. Destiny was giving them a second chance, and they would not let go of each other's hands this time.

"Nice to meet you, Yn. I've heard good things about you," Lewis smiled, shaking hands and silently telling her everything she needed to know with just one look. He told her he was sorry they went so long far away, that he missed her, that they were better now, and that he could love her better now because, for all it mattered, he had never stopped.

"Pleasure to meet you, Sir Lewis. It will be an honor to work with you," and with only one smart reply and a glance of eyes, she answered him back: she too had never stopped loving him, because he was her first love, but most important, he would be her last.

Nobody would ever come close to what Lewis Hamilton was.

― ⋆🪩 VOICEMAIL: I'm kinda proud of how it turned out. I hope you guys like it as well <3 don't forget to comment and reblog *mwah*

[briarrolfe]

Recently, I was sent a job listing. It called for a graphic designer "to produce direct response static & video ads for various social media channels, such as Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube." So, even though it was asking for a graphic designer, it wasn't a graphic design job—it was an advertising/social media/videography job. The career I've dedicated eight years of my life to is the bit the ad referred to as 'static'.

Ever since, I've been thinking about this idea that video is the future, and also I have been (not coincidentally) extremely depressed. Not to be all "you kids and your phones," but...

In advertising, your consumer's attention is money. Video is THE most attention-demanding form of advertising and therefore the most bang for your buck. It's why Facebook fudged their own stats for the effectiveness of pivoting to video so aggressively in the first place. If your consumer is reading something—a magazine, a poster, a book, something on their phone—then they're still listening, and if something else demands their attention, they'll just look up. If they're listening—to somebody talking, to music, to a podcast—then their eyes and hands are free to do whatever they like. They can look at the world around them, which involves many forms of competing visual advertising.

Video is a media form that doesn't stop. It keeps talking when your consumer looks up, and then keeps moving to grab their visual attention again. The best method for advertising is one that a consumer has to exert energy to not pay attention to.

(—This is why I hate video so much as somebody with ADHD. When my dopamine and blood sugar are low, focusing past someone playing TikTok audio is hard enough for me that it hurts. I've never had the same problem with radio or with like... idk, billboards. And TV is kind of bad, but at least it makes predictable sounds, whereas every person who films a TikTok with sudden screams or yelling in it is, in my opinion, going to hell.)

This is why the UI for platforms like TikTok and Instagram have autoplay, algorithms that disappear things you've seen so quickly, no scrub bars, and don't have skip or pause buttons. Your consumer has to keep their phone in hand to keep swiping or scrolling to properly engage. If that consumer can't stop a video or go back, then the platform can train them not to look up until the video is over. Anxiety that a user will lose their place or not be able to keep up with what is happening is part of what keeps them from looking away.

This is also a reason to be suspicious of why so many tech companies are obsessed with VR in general. A phone that people have to hold and look at and listen to is pretty good, right? But they can ultimately still put it down when an ad plays. It would be way better if we could put the advertising somewhere that tracks and follows their eye movements so that they literally can't look away.

We all know that text is still a better, faster, and more information-dense delivery system. Sometimes I see people mourning the pivot to video because it's a worse way to consume information. They're right! It is! But social media platforms have NO INTEREST in providing their users with like, actual reliable information. If they did, then social media companies would have no interest in AI.

(—This is also why they have no interest in fighting misinformation on their services. People who get radicalised are very engaged platform users. And the people who radicalise them come with massive budgets for ad spend.)

All social media platforms want is to get consumers hooked on their content so that they'll continue to deliver ad revenue. Video is the best way of achieving that. That's why we're all pivoting to algorithms and video. That's why Tumblr Live exists and Snapchat miraculously has not died.

Anyway. I chose to become a graphic designer.

[amberjazmyn]

you stayed (alt ending of "whenever you're ready, bug") 💔🫶

pairing : max verstappen x fem!younger sister verstappen reader & f1 grid x platonic!fem younger sister verstappen reader

summary : whilst max verstappen's younger sister always seemed to draw the short straw in her life, what if she actually survived and beat her cancer? what if she actually never died at the 2024 mexican grand prix and she was actually a young adult during the time of the mexican grand prix? what if she made it past all of her birthdays? what if her short straws were actually never short to begin with and they just needed some tender loving care to grow properly? 

warnings : happy ending, older brother x max, terminal illness, crying, flashbacks

a/n : the og was done for kian egan from westlife and then jared padalecki but now i've done max verstappen. i have also messed with the timeline so the first part is kind of the "alternate ending" if you will where the first one is she's younger when she dies during the mexican grand prix whereas in this one, the "og one" she's actually a lot older by the time it gets to the 2024 mexican grand prix. which i know sounds fucking confusing but please hear me out alright! so, in the first part, i had the mexican grand prix happen in 2024 and have willow be nine years old, however, in this version, she's eighteen and it was a dream she had in her "alerted" cancer state when she was nine that she had died during the mexican grand prix 2024 but as a nine year old if that makes sense. 

willow verstappen was eight-years-old when she was diagnosed with cancer. she already wasn't considered a "normal kid" because of who her family was, the verstappens. however, the moment the young girl and her mum and older brother heard the news of the heartbreaking diagnosis, they knew exactly how the press and other kids willow's age would react. to the other kids and everyone else, not only did willow's brother and his fame make the girl weird but her new cancer diagnosis made her even weirder and as though she was an exhibit in a museum.

when willow was nine-years-old when her brother and his f1 grid were starting their last race before a three week break before their next triple header, there was a moment. during the mexican grand prix, the last race before a three week break that was before the triple header that everyone, including willow herself, thought she wasn't going to make it through the entire day and wake up the next morning. but, she did wake up the next morning. she opened her eyes the next morning and cried out for her brother who was in mexico. in a rage of emotions, their sister victoria verstappen, rang their brother max in a frenzy of her own emotions. 

thinking the worst, max was mere seconds away from dropping everything at the mexico grand prix. that was until he heard the very voice he had thought, imagined, he would never hear again. he then stopped for a moment and took that as his chance to just breathe. his little sister was alive and she was okay 

willow's pov | flashback to cancer diagnosis

i could tell my mum and brother felt like the walls in the doctor's office was closing in on them. they, like me, never imagined to be getting this news. after all, it was just supposed to be just another regular hospital trip for me, eight-year-old willow verstappen.

whilst i wasn't in the office with my mum and max, whilst my doctor, dr phelps, told them, i could still hear them. especially when it's realised that the hospital is never as soundproof as one thinks, "...mr verstappen? max, did you hear what i just told you?" dr phelps questioned my brother, who until now had never really called him by his first name as max responded after blinking a couple of times

"no, sorry, what did you say? could you please repeat that?" it was obvious that max was still so far away from dr phelps' office mentally, doing his best to not tune out a second time since it was important news that dr phelps was telling my mum and brother

"i was saying that, with willow's recent diagnosis of terminal cancer, she can still try chemotherapy and maybe a little bit of radiotherapy but we are not certain that it'll work in the way it usually would if we had seen it earlier..."

ahh, yes, i could see the wheels in my brother's head start to turn as he realised what the conversation was about. his younger sister, me, had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and were having a conversation about the roads of treatment for me. and just how successful they could be for a small eight-year-old who had many ailments before this new one. as i watched from the waiting room, i could tell that max could feel a cry building in his throat, mum also feeling it as well, holding his hand tightly as i knew they both wished they were anywhere but in dr phelps' office at this moment.

i watched as max continued the conversation, "...ah, umm, so, theoretically speaking, if my sister...willow, was to undergo a round or couple of chemotherapy and maybe radiotherapy, how long would you say we'd have her with us, realistically?" max gulped as i watched the way he fiddled with the scrunched up tissue in his palm as he squeezed mum's hand with his other hand

dr phelps paused before he continued, "now, max, i really couldn't tell you because this is so new and so late in finding the cancer in willow's system that we truly have no idea how long it could potentially prolong her life but, once the chemo and radiotherapy do start, then we can start estimating things like that..." dr phelps responded as i could tell that max felt his heart shatter

our mum feeling like she was holding all of his heart and hers together. max's face almost crumbling as he then turned away from the dr when he caught a glimpse of me. which i quickly turned my head to make it seem as though i was in conversation with his f1 teammates, daniel and charles, who had lovingly put their hands up to take care of me whilst the other drivers put their hand up to take care of kelly and penelope, once again, jos and the step-siblings nowhere to be found

hesitating to turn his head back around, he quickly did so before continuing on, making me turn to look back at my mum and brother and dr phelps, "...she doesn't deserve this..." hearing my brother so heartbroken and his voice so croaky from his tears was not something i'd ever heard before as he brought his tissue up to cover his face, mum comforting him whilst dr phelps sighed solemnly

"...no, she doesn't max, no one her age does. she's so young but, unfortunately, these things happen and it's absolutely cruel but i promise, we'll do everything we can to make sure your little girl has the best chance of surviving and beating her cancer since she was so strong during all of her other surgeries and ailments," dr phelps was confident in the idea that once again, i was going to survive another diagnosis

but heartbreakingly, i could tell mum and max thought otherwise and it seemed as though, in my eyes, i too thought the same thing as my mum and brother.

as mum, max and dr phelps continued to chat, i silently slipped my hands into both of daniel and charles' hands since i was sat in the middle of them. i was absolutely terrified and it didn't take a genius for daniel and charles to figure it out either and the looks we shared with each other weren't as helpful as we hoped they'd be.

present time

as i remebered the day i was diagnosed, i remembered that i didn't cry like i had imagined myself i would have. because if you know my family well, most especially my parentals but specifically my dad (hauk tuh - and not in that way, jos verstappen), my family is not known to be an emotional family. that is, discounting me, i am the one in the family that basically carries all the emotions for the entire family. like, to the point that max has made fun of me in many f1 press conferences about it that the reason he isn't as emotional about things is not only by our dad's fault but also by the fault that i took all of the tears in the family. so the fact i didn't cry after my cancer diagnosis is something i'm just realising years later at nearly nineteen years old and that's insane to me. completely insane because at eighteen, nearly nineteen, i'm still the crybaby that i was until my cancer diagnosis.

right now, i was hanging out with penelope, the little girl of max's girlfriend kelly piquet. she was very young, an actual toddler, when i was going through my cancer and it's something that she genuinely does not rememeber well whereas my little step-sister blue jaye, who was maybe slightly older than penelope, has some lingers of memories here and there. i have been told though that there are times that she, penelope, does have vague memories and it makes her really upset and panicky. but what makes her upset and panicky is because she can't remember everything about it, only small little pieces of it. since then, the verstappen family has grown thanks to father verstappen having yet another wife, which is lucky number three apparently but that's okay. 

but, going back to hanging out with penelope, we were literally just getting ready to head out to the beach since i could drive and had my own car now. and, because of that, i could drive us down since mum was busy with victoria's littles and max and kelly were on a date night hence why i had penelope with me. everything was completely fine and happy as penelope and i got ready together, penelope on one side of my room and me on the other. but, i was taking a bit longer, penelope had popped her head over the divider to check in on me. i was no longer fine and happy. as i slipped on my bikini and reached up to grab my surfboard and wetsuit, i had caught a glimpse of all my scars and my porthole where i could get my chemo put in. it was really the first time i had seen it since i had been named in remission and by every technicality, cancer-free. and i hadn't realised how traumatising and ugly the scars and porthole actually was until this moment. the moment which i actually took a moment to stop and look at it after actively avoiding my glance from it for so many years.

and i cried.

i cried my eyes out nearly nine whole years after my initial diagnosis.

i hadn't cried this much or this hard i don't think since i had told victoria that i thought i was going to die during the mexican grand prix. and obviously, hearing and seeing penelope peak over meant that she had heard my break down into tears. and usually, similar to mum and max, but especialy max, i'd usually try to hide it in front of the littles, especially penelope. but, this time, i just couldn't. not because i couldn't control my tears but because i needed to stop hiding my emotions from my family, including kelly and penelope.

after her knock, i heard her voice and it made me smile, "...you okay willow?" she asked as i tearfully giggled, wiping my hand underneath my nose

"you can come back to my side of the room if that's what you're asking p, i'm fully dressed now," i tearfully chuckled as i turned away slightly from the divider and looked back at myself in my full-length mirror

i then heard the divider slightly creek as penelope walked back to my side of the room. she then noticed me in the mirror and her face fell as she saw my tear-stained face. immediately, she rushed over and pulled me in for a hug as she quickly noticed what it was that i was staring at in my reflection. my porthole and other scars being the first thing that started penelope's memories of me having cancer whilst she was a toddler.

and then, the next thing she said was the utmost sweetest thing in the world and made me cry even more, "don't let those scars upset you anymore, willow. because they're the reason why i can hug my aunty every day! you may think it's ugly but, i don't. i see them as the reason why you're still alive and got to watch me and the rest of the littles grow up ! if it's making you so upset to look at it in your bikini, which i think you great in by the way willow, we don't have to go surfing today if it's making you feel a bit icky to do so. we could just instead go for a walk along the beach and go surfing over the weekend with mum, maxie, victoria and the family?" penelope sincerely asked as she didn't let me go out of her hug as i smiled, shocked at how this little kid, my little niece was so emotionally intelligent

pulling back out of the hug, tears still streaming down my cheeks but for happier reasons this time, i nodded my head, "that sounds perfect p, thank you, baby girl! you are such a sweetheart and i love you so much, sweetheart. of course, we can go for a walk on the beach and then go surfing with the family over the weekend. i'll just throw some clothes over the top of my bikini and then we can hit the road, that sound okay p?" i asked after thanking my niece as she nodded her head, swiftly leaving my room without another question as i then threw on a pair of linen pants and a halter crochet top before grabbing my phone

meeting penelope downstairs as she handed me a pair of flip flops, my car keys and handbag, we said farewell to max's cats, jimmy and sassy. we then got into my car and we drove down to secret beach.

flashback | willow's pov

it was the mexican grand prix and my brother and the other drivers were in mexico when i thought i'd not wake up the next day. it was during the day that victoria was looking after me when i genuinely thought my life support machine and my body was going to go awol and that i wasn't going to wake up the next morning. i was aboslutely terrified to close my eyes, worried that if i did, i wouldn't wake up tomorrow. suddenly remembering all the other times i was tired and knowing that i'd wake up the next morning. however, more recently, falling asleep and just closing my eyes has been scary for me.

shaking with worry, i reached over to grab victoria's hand which she immediately grabbed, "what's wrong, love?" she asked without hesitation as i tried to calm down as best as i could

"i...i'm so scared to fall asleep, vic. what...what if i don't wake up tomorrow morning?" i whispered fearfully as victoria softened as she held my hand, squeezing it tightly

"oh, willow. don't be scared, i'll stay here, awake with you all night and make sure nothing bad happens to you throughout the night. you are safe sweetpea, big sissy victoria's got you!" she whispered as i nodded my head but still didn't want to close my eyes

however, with some more encouragement from victoria and her singing my favourite album, we managed to get me to close my eyes and fall asleep. just hoping, praying, that i was going to be able to open my eyes the next morning.

and i did. i opened my eyes the next morning.

and i cried out for my maxie, enough though i knew he wasn't here in monaco.

and in a flurry of her own emotions, victoria rushed to grab her phone and ring him.

and i just knew he was ready to drop everything, thinking the worst. ready to leave the mexico grand prix when he heard the one voice i think he also thought, imagined, he wouldn't hear again.

i was still alive.

present time | 2024

finally, after what felt like forever, and the hell that was the three week break between the mexican grand prix and the triple header, f1 was back in full swing. so, here the entire f1 family were at the dutch grand prix and it was an emotional moment, that's for sure. and it wasn't just because we were finally back as a family. but because i was eighteen, an age that no one thought i'd be able to reach because of the cancer that i was now in complete remission from. also because, the dream i had when i was younger that i would die during the 2024 mexican grand prix as a nine year old hadn't come true. obviously, because i'm eighteen in 2024, not nine. and it was also actually the anniversary of my first diagnosis back when i was eight years old and i was now eighteen. so, i just knew that at some point during the press conference, most likely when max was there, that he would talk about it. and then get emotional over it which would then get me emotional over it all over again. 

and, who would've thought, i was correct? however, i did not think it would have my brother inviting me up to the press conference couch but, in all honesty, i didn't care. i grew up with this f1 grid and the cameras so i wasn't uncomfortable on the couch and around the drivers so, i went along with it. 

smiling, i walked to the couch and over to my brother, sitting in the middle of him and daniel. getting smooshed into a maxiel sandwich has honestly always been my favourite thing about having my brother as an f1 driver. even at the age of eighteen, when max was debuting all those years ago when i was much younger, i still enjoyed all the hugs the same way i did when i was a little girl. 

max then grabbed my hand, grabbing the attention of the media personel and the moderator of the entire press conference. still giving me a shock at how easily he and the other racers could control them. he then introduced his little speech as everyone happily filmed it and took photos. 

"...i'm so sorry guys but, can i just say something?" max queries, making me giggle as the couch and media cheer at his question 

giving me a smile, he then continues, "so, as everyone possibly already knows, this is one of my younger sisters, willow, who is eighteen years old..." he trails off as everyone, including the drivers on the couch, are in shock, the shock rippling through the crowd which induces laughter

which, i can't lie, also included me too. because, i truly forget too that i am eighteen myself. 

"...i know, it's crazy to say i have an eighteen-year-old sister too so, don't worry, it's just as shocking for me as it is for you guys! but umm, that's not the reason why i invited her to join this press conference. the reason why i invited willow on the couch for this press conference is that, on this very day when she was eight years old, we were told that willow had cancer..." he trailed off as i smiled softly and squeezed his hand tighter as he smiled back, daniel, charles and lando moving closer by as well

taking a deep breath, max continued, "...and for a while, we didn't think willow would make it through the very beginning or through the races she was able to go to during her diagnosis. or in mexico during the mexican grand prix we were especially worried something bad would happen after she had turned nine. because, during this time, it seemed as though willow's chemo was not effective anymore. it was during the mexican grand prix 2014/15 that she thought she wasn't going to wake up the next morning. i remember because like i already mentioned, we were just about to start the race and i got a phone call from our sister victoria. and immediately, i thought she'd be on the other line in absolute hysterics telling me that willow had died but, she hadn't. she had rung me up because willow had woken up and had cried out for me. hearing my little sister's voice that day, just as i was ready to drop everything and leave mexico for my little sister. to then hear that she was okay and that she was still alive was all i needed to know that she was getting better. and that maybe, just maybe, she'd recover and be okay again..." max once again trailed off as it started to get way too emotional as i smiled, feeling slightly embarrassed as the crowd stayed in utter silence

which is probably why i felt a little bit uncomfortable at the same time. since, the f1 media are never this quiet and are always the ones asking for the invasive answers that max had just suddenly become comfortable to talk about. the moderator then asked if i wanted to stay on the couch for the actual recorded and shown conference and i couldn't say no so, i didn't. 

so, i stayed on the couch with the drivers and i was also asked some questions that i got to answer which was super cool. and it felt so surreal to be on the press conference couch on the other side since i was almost always either watching the press conferences on tv or in the red bull hospitality. having the privilege to even be alive and be in complete remission from my cancer. 

then, after i answered a journalists question, max raised his microphone to his mouth and spoke up again. revealing some news that we had only just found out this very morning to the point that, i don't even think he had told daniel, charles, lando or the rest of the attending drivers.

max smiled brightly as he got everyone's attention as he announced the news, "...this morning, we found out the best news in regards to willow and her cancer. we got told this morning that she is finally in complete remission and has been said to be cancer-free!" he smiled tearfully as i turned around on the couch to see how daniel, charles and lando reacted and it made me teary-eyed

giving me the answer that this was the first time they had been told as well. daniel, charles and lando then hopped off their spots on the couch and pulled us in for a group hug in which i started to cry. in pure joy that i was healthy again, my cancer is finally gone and i didn't have to be constantly in the hospital anymore.

the press conference then finished and the other drivers who were waiting for their own press conference gave me hugs and congratulations. then we went back to the red bull garage and i just hung out with max, kelly and penelope for a little bit. 

°∘❉∘°

the free practice and media day had finally finished and as we relaxed and enjoyed each other's company, i got a notification saying that max had posted to his instagram. and i just knew instantly what it was he had posted about. he had been saying all day that he had wanted to also make an instagram post, announcing that i was officially in complete remission and cancer-free. so, he did. 

liked by willowverstappen, victoriaverstappen, landonorris, heidiberger, danielricciardo, francisca.cgomes and 12,001k others

maxverstappen1 when willow was eight-years-old, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer, the uncertainty of her survival. however, all these years later and i have an eighteen-year-old, nearly nineteen year old sister, who i got to see reach all of her special milestones. like her tenth birthday, her high school graduation, her eighteenth and soon her nineteenth. she also got to see her step-siblings be born, all of their births and will be healthy enough to watch them grow up even more and watch them reach their special milestones. my younger sister stayed and it is the biggest joy to say that willow is now in complete remission and cancer-free! i love you so much, willow violet verstappen. and if i had to watch you go through cancer all over again, i would do it. because it reminded me of truly how special and irreplaceable you are. you were the final of mum and dad's angels and our favourite sister. you know we would do everything and anything to make sure you were your happiest, your healthiest and your best. and i truly do believe that this next season in your life, with you cancer-free and no longer in hospitals constantly, you'll be truly successful in every single thing you wish to do with your life! you are such a strong girl and even though you always say it was me, mum, victoria, kelly, penelope and the f1 family as the reasons why you stayed, i truly believe that it was you that made yourself stay. and that it was you that gave you the strength to push through. your older brother loves you willow, thank you for staying 🤍

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willowverstappen i love you so much, maxie! i am truly so grateful to be cancer-free! and don't thank me for staying, of course i'd stay 🤍

maxverstappen1 willowverstappen i love you more willow and i know you're grateful and so am i 🤍

victoriaverstappen these photos of our little sister! i cannot believe she's nearly nineteen 🤍

maxverstappen1 victoriaverstappen i know right? it makes me feel so old, like, we nearly have a nineteen-year-old sister!

landonorris i swear to god, we need to stop telling each other things for the first time during press conferences! but, in all seriousness, it brings me so much happiness that willow is cancer-free!

maxverstappen1 landonorris lol, we really do! and it brings me so much happiness as well, getting that phone call from dr phelps was like a dream come true!

heidiberger still in shock that willow's cancer free!

maxverstappen1 heidiberger i'm still in shock too

danielricciardo best news ever, max! hearing that willow's cancer-free was truly the highlight of the entire media day!

maxverstappen1 danielricciardo i agree! i had moments where i just wanted to scream it out way earlier in the press conference but i knew i couldn't!

francisca.cgomes this is great news max! i'm so glad that willow is finally cancer-free! it seems as though that time from eight years old to eighteen/nineteen has been a whirlwind for you all but also somewhat of a fever dream!

maxverstappen1 francisca.cgomes i know! so am i, it's been a long, windy road but, i'm glad we've finally reached the end of it! 

liked by maxverstappen1, kellypiquet, pierregasly, victoriaverstappen, carlossainz55, christianhorner and 11,000k others

willowverstappen life since being cancer-free 🤍

~

being a survivor of childhood cancer, amongst other things throughout my life, i knew i wanted to stay and stay alive the moment i was told i had the "big c". since entering complete remission and getting labelled cancer-free, i've graduated high school, i've travelled back and forth from each corner of the globe, from monaco, to the states, to australia and back. i've turned eighteen, i've gone on nights out with my parents and f1 grid family (only in europe and australia). i've gone to grand prixs with my family and i've surfed. i've been able to live my life in ways that i hadn't been able to do in years and i didn't have to worry about the scars, i didn't have to worry about being tired, i didn't have to worry about the fear of simply closing my eyes and if they'd open the next morning. i've been able to take care of and hang out with my step-siblings and my nieces and nephews, especially little p, i've seen them grow up, from when they were toddlers when i was first diagnosed to when cousins of mine came along later on when i was recovering, to their handsome and gorgeous selves now. when i was battling cancer, i couldn't do the things i can do now. i couldn't surf, i couldn't drink (i mean, that was because i was underage the majority of the time and still am in some countries), i couldn't go into physical school and had to do it all online when i wasn't violently ill, i couldn't travel back and forth around the world and had to stay in monaco or the netherlands. i couldn't have an extravagant ninth or tenth birthdays for that matter, and i couldn't go to races with my f1 family. when i had cancer, i was constantly riddled with the fear and anxiety of not being able to live another day because of how tired, sore and exhausted i was. having to see but also hear your family, most especially your brother, who isn't an emotional person, cry and not being able to help them other than offer a hand or a soft smile for comfort was agonising. the number of times i watched my brother cry as he sat in the same hospital chair over and over again just to make sure i was still breathing through the night is no longer countable since he had done it so many times. the number of times i had to watch my f1 family cry as they also sat and watched to make sure i was still alive throughout the day is immeasurable. thankfully, i didn't have to see my littles cry a lot, especially because they were so young at the time and were rarely visiting the hospital. but, at the same token, it makes me feel sick to think about the times when the other cousins were around that they did cry during my cancer battle and i wasn't there to tell them that everything was going to be okay. but now, whenever they do cry or they are upset, i can be there for them straight away. and it was all because i stayed alive and i didn't let myself have my family go through the agony of having to live without me. because i couldn't do that to them, no way.

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maxverstappen1 i love you, more than words can describe willow! you strong, brave girl!

willowverstappen maxverstappen1 i love you most maxie! and i'm only strong because of you, victoria and mum

kellypiquet crying my eyes out reading this!

willowverstappen kellypiquet i cried writing this, believe it or not!

pierregasly hearing your brother announce during the panel that you're finally cancer-free after completing complete remission is the best news to hear!

willowverstappen pierregasly i genuinely had no idea that he hadn't told you guys yet! so seeing how everyone all reacted made me cry!

victoriaverstappen i'm still screaming over the news that you're finally cancer-free!

willowverstappen victoriaverstappen so am i vic! it's the best feeling ever!

carlossainz55 i am so beyond relieved that you are cancer-free, sweet willow! i remember when i first met you when you were just a little baby and now you're a glowing eighteen-year-old

willowverstappen carlossainz55 aw, thank you carlitos! i am relieved too and thank you again!

christianhorner i'm so glad you're cancer-free willow!

willowverstappen christianhorner so am i! i cannot believe it sometimes!

fin

yay, another one-shot done and i am so glad it's over! and yes, i know i fucked up the timeline, i mentioned that in the above author's note that it would be happening. this part two is not my favourite out of all the ones i've written but that's okay! i've found it slightly hard to write for f1 because i always forget to add in the fact that they are f1 drivers lol! but no matter, it'll get better i'm sure!

©⠀amberjazmyn's original work. do not translate or steal any of my fics. 2024

[my-rewrite-academia]

About U.A.

Before we get into starting U.A., there are a lot of changes I made to U.A.

U.A. is a city.

Let me explain: in canon, there's a lot of seperate buildings owned by U.A. like the staduim, the USJ, all of the accomodations, so it made more sense to me to just make it a city, just beyond Musutafu. In order to enter the city, you need a pass, which has a chip inside to allow you in. This means that any visitors need a visitor pass beforehand, which is delivered through either mail or in person. The entrance exam is the one day of the year where they allow people to come in regardless, though dozens of pro heroes are there to make sure people don't wander off.

In the city, you have the entrance. If you don't have a pass, the doors will shut on you. If you try to walk in with someone who does, alarms will be set off.

There's a building to the right of the entrance - that's the sports staduim, with plenty of room for the course building up to it. There is a separate entrance for it.

To the right of that is the USJ, which is a five minute drive and thirty minute walk from the school.

In the centre of the city is the school building, (with six gyms, one for each hero class). There is another gate that scans for passes, in case an intruder gets past the main city gates.

To the left of the school are the accomodations. In this rewrite, U.A. will be a boarding school from the beginning. There are twelve buildings all together, one for each course in each year. This means that 1-A and 1-B share the same building.

To the right of the school is the staff accomodations, and it is only the one building.

Beyond the student accomodations, is a centre, (mall for my American readers). Retired heroes can work there, but it's mainly people who have had extensive research done on their past and character. There's shops, an arcade, a library, and a park.

Aizawa's Expulsions

It's mentioned in the Entrance Exam post(s), but Aizawa does not actually expell his students. He claims they are, but truly only gives them a week or so off, and does not mark their records. No black marks, just a threat.

Obviously, this is still a wee-bit shitty, but it's nowhere near as bad as what happens in canon. For those who don't know, black marks on your record is one of the worst things to have on it. Whereas in the west, black marks can be looked past. In Japan, you could have the best portfolio, the best grades, the best whatever, but if you have that black mark, you're screwed.

I couldn't find a way for this to be forgiven by anyone but that insufferable Aizawa-simp, Fuwa, so I decided to tweak it. No actual expulsion, just a few days off where the student believes their life is over. Still a bad thing to do, but not unforgivable.

Lesson Spread

A few things are set. Combat lessons are pushed to the second week, and combat lessons using quirks are pushed to the fourth week. Simulated scenarios are pushed to eight weeks.

I noticed that most, not all, fanfiction use the canon timeline, with simulations in an enclosed environment using quirks being done on the second day. Personally, I thought it was awful and just didn't make sense.

You go to high school to learn. You are not, and should not, be expected to know everything beforehand.

So I'm spreading the lessons out further, with the added benefit of having the final arc in the third year, rather than the first/start-of-the-second.

Conclusion:

U.A. is a city rather than just a school

Aizawa doesn't mark his students' records

Lessons are spread out further

[paper-mario-wiki]

You got any recs for learning mahjong? It's fun and I win sometimes but I cannot for the life of me remember the different hands, nor do I know how to win outside of riichii lol

to my understanding (limited, have only developed any sort of knowledge about this game in the past 4 days), all the hands of mahjong are named due to their actual makeup, kind of like a story. consider "Thirteen Orphans". this hand is comprised of a one and a nine of each suit, plus one of every dragon, and one of every wind (plus one extra wind to make tenpai).

the reason this hand is called "Thirteen Orphans" is because each of these tiles cannot possibly link with each other in any way. consider a 2 and a 4. a 2 could be linked to a 4 via a 3. that said, if you already had a 4 and a 5 with the 2, you would have no reason to keep the 2, because the 2 would only be useful if you had a 3, whereas keeping the 5 would give you a group if you found a 6 OR 3 (456, 345). pairings of two tiles can be given value this way, and that value is called its "wait" value, referring to what it leaves you literally waiting for. comparatively, a one can only link with itself and a two, and a 9 can only link with itself and an eight. in terms of wait value, they are as incompatible as possible. the honor tiles (winds and dragons) also cannot link between each other at all, and instead can only make pairs with duplicates of themselves. for this reason, these tiles which could not possibly form any sort of unit are called "Orphans".

so just figure out why they're called what they're called. you could even write em down and reference em, that aint cheating.