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wileys-russo · 6 months

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childhood sweethearts (8) II a.russo x reader

series playlist one two three four five six seven

will they? won’t they? the age old question x

childhood sweethearts (8) II a.russo x reader

once again alessia found herself sat alone in the same cafe as last time, profound deja vu setting in. her leg was bouncing anxiously and her eyes flickered to the door every few seconds, nervous you'd not show despite having been the one to extend the invitation to her.

but this time alessia knew she was early, having been far too worried about what you might actually have to say to her that she'd shown up a whole forty minutes before your agreed meet up time.

having sat in her car for the last twenty five she'd ventured inside, waiting until it was five minutes before you'd hopefully show to order your coffees, remembering what you had gotten last time and crossing her fingers it was what you'd want again.

her body relaxed the moment you walked inside, raising her hand as you spotted her, the blonde cursing to herself at the awkward gesture as you sat across from her with a smile, seemingly quite relaxed which alessia didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad.

"is this mine?" you asked gesturing to the iced coffee in front of you as the blonde nodded, rambling out that she hoped it was right and that if it wasn't she could easily get you another. "hey, alessia breathe. this is my regular order, it could be two degrees and i'd still get an iced coffee." you joked.

the two of you made some polite small talk, alessia asking about your week as you enquired about hers. the two of you swapping a few stories and a laugh before you decided to put her out of her misery, easily sensing her obvious nerves for why you'd asked her to meet with you in the first place.

which you could hardly blame her for given how your last conversation had gone, and it had taken you a lot of thinking to actually move past that.

"so i obviously asked you to coffee for a reason." you started, alessia nodding as she finished the last mouthful of her drink, setting the empty glass aside.

"i know that the last time we spoke was a bit...tense?" you smiled awkwardly, as one does when the last time you're present in front of someone you scream at them about your dead dad and then promptly collapse into a disgusting sobbing mess.

"and i appreciate you giving me the space that i asked for." you thanked her softly. "there's obviously a lot of history with us alessia and its not something either of us can or should forget, the good and the bad alike." you continued, the blonde across from you twisting her rings around her fingers, clearly still apprehensive about what you might say but listening intently.

"i won’t lie i was so incredibly angry with you for a really long time. and i was hurt and upset and i didn't understand why you did what you did or why you thought i’d have not supported you from the beginning.” you continued, alessia accepting your words with a nod.

“it took me even longer to actually come to terms with my pain and start to move past the anger because it didn’t do me any good, leaving it and you behind. i remember when you won the euros i was grateful to be living overseas because i don’t know how i’d have coped seeing your face plastered everywhere when i had been trying my best to move on with my life.” you were perhaps a little blunt in your words but the blonde across from you appreciated the honesty.

“i got over the breakup a lot faster than i actually got over losing you. i may have lashed out at you about it but you weren’t wrong, we were a huge part of each others lives for a long time before we dated. and i think i felt like once I moved past losing you as a partner, it hurt more to grieve the actual history and years of friendship and that immense bond we had before which was just suddenly gone.” you admitted quietly, a flash of pain glancing across both yours and alessia’s faces momentarily as the blonde was briefly plagued by the memory of her own feelings toward the loss.

“but look i think there is some merit in saying that people change. and i can see that you're making an effort to try and show me that's not who you are anymore." you noted, pausing for a second to collect your thoughts.

"i still feel that the kiss was a mistake, and that it can't and won't happen again. i’ve moved past those feelings for you and i just can’t risk being hurt like that again.” you remanded softly, alessia's stomach clenching at the memory of your lips on hers but she made sure this was disguised, nodding along. unbeknownst to her all of this was also playing on your mind, but you’d shoved deep down how good it felt to lean into the feeling of her lips on yours in favour of not ever wanting to be so let down again, you had your walls up for a reason and you’d learned to protect yourself as best you could.

"but you were right, we do both live here now and its obvious our mums are clearly back in one anothers lives again so we are going to have to interact regardless. so, i guess what i'm trying to say is that i'm open to trying to be friends again." you revealed, alessia's eyebrows shooting upward unable to disguise the obvious surprise on her face at your words.

"but slowly. i still have a lot of trust issues after everything, and they don't just go away overnight." you warned as alessia nodded furtively, clearly trying to hold back the grin which you could see tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"okay." the blonde breathed out, biting her bottom lip to stifle her smile as you shook your head with a smile of your own. "okay?" you chuckled, sipping on the last of your coffee.

"okay. yeah this is good, this will be good. but slowly! i can do slowly." alessia nodded, more as if to reassure herself than you as you hummed. "and just friends less, that other chapter is closed now and i don't want to open it again." you cautioned gently, aware that obviously all of this would be triggering things for her too, not just within you.

"i understand. like i said, i've missed you. to have you back in any capacity is more than i deserve, thank you." alessia admitted quietly with a shy smile, her heart admittedly pounding. again there was the soft vulnerable shy side of her you’d rarely seen growing up, and it was obvious that in her maturity there’d been some changes to her once almost aggressively over confident demeanour.

but between this opportunity that alessia been presented to have you back in her life coupled with the fact you'd just not called her by her full name without correcting yourself, she was quite the happy mess.

"to friendship." alessia lifted her empty glass with a grin causing you to laugh. "really?" you raised an eyebrow in amusement as alessia nodded and gestured for you to do the same. "it's empty! its bad luck to cheers with an empty glass.” you accused pointing to her finished coffee with a roll of your eyes.

"there's some...watery coffee like liquid left." the striker peered into her glass with a wince, the two of you sharing a look and a wide smile.

"fine, to friendship." you knocked your glass into hers, downing the last mouthful of your coffee as the blonde sipped the few milimetres of melted ice left in her own, grimacing in disgust.

"so, how do we um…do this?"

walking into training that afternoon there was seldom a thing someone could have said to wipe the shit eating grin off of alessia's face.

she was always known to be a positive person by nature, never unkind or rude to any of the staff or her team, always yelling out encouragement during drills or games, cracking jokes or messing about with the girls who she was closer to.

however to those same girls it was also not hard to see that today there was very obviously an extra bit of pep in the young lionesses step as she sauntered into the cafeteria for lunch, flashing around a toothy grin.

"you're even more chipper than usual less. have a good morning?" lotte questioned with a surprised smile as alessia sat down with her tray of food, humming in agreement. "would you like to elaborate?" lotte chuckled picking at her chicken as vic sat down followed closely by katie and caitlin.

"russo! you're glowin today. have a cheeky midnight rendezvous did we?" katie teased as alessia's face blushed bright red which vac wasted no time teasing her about, pinching at her cheeks as alessia shoved her off with a playful roll of her eyes.

"no. just caught up with an old friend for coffee." alessia explained with a shrug, shoveling a mouthful of food in as lotte narrowed her eyes slightly. "not..." she trailed off with an insinuating look as alessia avoided her eyes.

"oh less." lotte sighed, shaking her head as she picked at her food. "not the ex missus from the bar?" katie caught on quickly with a shocked look, alessia hissing for her to be quiet and smacking her arm across the table.

"an ex girlfriend? you like girls? why am i the last to know about this?" vic scoffed in offence shoving the blonde beside her. "cause you chose not to come out that night! russo here got beyond blind pissed and called her ex missus who had to come and pick her up, and the poor girl was not happy about it." katie caught the dutch girl up as caitlin shoved her, nodding to alessia with a firm warning look.

"oh was that private information? sorry less." katie winced slightly as vic rounded on alessia with a hundred questions. "okay fine i'll tell you! just shut up for five seconds." alessia huffed at the shorter girls persistence who immediatley went quiet, all four girls now looking to the blonde for an explanation.

so with twenty minutes left before they were expected into the gym, alessia opened up about almost everything between you and her, well as much as she was willing to share with her friends anyway.

"christ russo, you planned on leavin without even tellin her? harsh. i'd have dumped ya too, and kicked your arse!" katie whistled, caitlin stomping on her foot with a firm look at her girlfriends inability to clearly read the vibe of a room.

suddenly the training staff called for everyone to head toward the gym as the girls stood, alessia appreciating the forced cut off of their previous conversation as they all dumped their trays and split up to head off out of the cafeteria.

"i stand by what i said early on, are you sure this is a good idea? that you're able to be just friends with her? that break up had you really not okay for a long time less." lotte questioned softly, eyes shining with care for the younger girl.

"look i can't answer that right now. but i would rather have her in my life as a friend than nothing at all. she’s been my best mate since we were five lotte and we've spent too long apart, i miss her." alessia admitted with a sigh, lotte nodding in understanding, pulling her into a tight side hug before they were split up for drills.

"oh look what’s come crawling out of its cave, it lives!" your older brother harry teased as he opened the door and let you in, causing you to shove him with a roll of your eyes. "hello stranger." your older sister lilly called out from the sofa causing you to groan in annoyance.

"sorry i have a life outside of mooching off mums cooking and fully stocked up cupboards." you retorted back, shrugging off your jacket and hanging it up by the door.

"they're not here yet." harry added as you glanced toward the backyard where several people littered about. alessia hadn’t been wrong your mum had organised another get together with the russo’s, however of course being the hostess with the mostess she had also invited several of her other friends and their families along too.

“why are you both hiding out in here then?” you chuckled, wandering into the kitchen and shaking your head at the amount of prepped food, enough to feed twice the amount of people. though it would mean you could likely steal some leftovers for your work lunches this week and that was a promising thought.

“i’m taking a break from all the polite small talk and lil’s sick of people touching her tummy.” harry chuckled nodding to your pregnant sister who nodded in agreement. “how is my little niece or nephew doing?” you grinned happily, thumping yourself down beside her and looking at your sister with hopeful eyes as your brother ventured back outside.

“i already told you we’re not finding out the gender until the baby comes, nor will i be revealing any names!” your sister warned making you groan in annoyance, giving her a pout to which she just playfully shoved your head away.

“buzzkill. where’s oli then?” you asked, unable to spot your sisters husband anywhere. “work. he’s taken up every second weekend to try and help us save for the little one.” lily patted her stomach. “you know for some extra money we could capitolise on you being pregnant. i’m sure thats like a fetish or something somewhere.” you shrugged casually as your sister looked at you like you had four heads.

“i’m not even going to dignify that with a response god you are so weird!” your sister shook her head as you only grinned. “so how was your date then? i don’t see a ring!” she teased as you rolled your eyes. “is there anyone mum didn’t tell?” you huffed in annoyance at the ever meddling behaviours of her. “please you know her hairdresser, the market attendant and her nail lady are all rooting for you to find a husband or a wife soon.” that caused both of you to break out into a laugh.

“i date all the genders and yet here i am the only single sibling. i’m honestly shocked mums not tried to set me up with someone or sell me off like a prized cow yet.” you rolled your eyes with a smile.

“oh believe me she’s open to it! but you’re lucky she’s so gullible because i personally know you didn’t go on a date, you were just avoiding alessia.” lily quirked an eyebrow knowingly. “i was not!” you defended though you quickly abandoned that strategy at her firm gaze, seeing right through your lies.

“it didn’t work anyway she just came over afterwards.” you sighed as your sisters eyebrows raised. “oo did you two have hot hate sex?” lily asked as your eyes bugged and you smacked her on the arm. “what? of course not!” you scoffed in offence with a deep seeded frown.

“please if you think i didn’t know the two of you were more than friends once upon a time then you’re even more of a moron than i thought. harry and i have known for years!” your sister chuckled as your mouth formed a small o in shock at the reveal.

“how?” you questioned with a frown. “well firstly because you didn’t just deny it-“ she started as you groaned. “and secondly you were both horrible at sneaking around. the shared love bites alone were enough, you’re just lucky mums so oblivious.” she chuckled as you sighed, head thumping back on the pillow.

you’d told her way back then that both you and alessia had decided not to be friends anymore after she kept going to college from you, but you’d never told her the true nature of your relationship.

“why didn’t you ever tell me that you knew! especially after i came out!” you shoved her in annoyance. “i figured you’d want to leave it in the past. plus with dad and everything you had enough going on without the added stress.” her voice softened as you nodded.

“so she came over afterwards? are you two working it out then?” lily asked curiously as you shook your head firmly. “not like that. but we are slowly working on building a friendship back.” you revealed as your sister squeezed your shoulder in a silent understanding.

“well that’s nice then. but come on, if we don’t go and mingle soon i fear mum will send in a search party.” your sister rolled her eyes before you helped her up, the two of you making your way outside, greeted by cheers as you were passed from old family friend to friend giving pleasantries and half sincere smiles.

and that’s exactly how alessia found you as the russo’s arrived, the sun already setting as they made their way around the side of the house, gio and luca bickering as mario warned them to drop it.

they were a little later than everyone else, as arsenal had just won 4-1 with a lunchtime fixture much as alessia had encouraged her family to come here and she would meet them later they never missed a match where they could and she was grateful for their undying support.

as her family dispersed to greet everyone alessia’s eyes of course found you first, a soft smile coming to her lips as she watched your head go back with a laugh at something.

long gone were the days the two of you would hide away from everyone up in your room, it had seemed time had busted you right out of your shell as the blonde watched you effortlessly and confidently engage in conversations with everyone, joking around and waving your hands about as you clearly told some sort of story which had the group around you in stitches.

but well aware that the two of you were trying to go slow alessia chose purposefully not to go to you first, instead making her way around to those who she knew saying hello. she found herself engaged in a heated conversation with her brothers and a few of her dads friends about the match which just passed, playfully taking the mick out of them for the fact they were spurs supporters and that’s who she’d just beaten.

“lessi darling have you eaten anything since you played?” your mum interrupted, grabbing her arm with a smile as alessia shook her head. “well we can’t have that. come with me!” alessia laughed as she was lovingly dragged inside where the rest of the food was, chatting away with the older woman as she piled a plate high with it.

“mum for god sakes stop force feeding people!” alessia’s head turned as you appeared, stepping through the back door with a playful roll of your eyes. “she hasn’t eaten and she’s just played a full match! let your mother be a mother would you.” the older woman swatted at you as you grinned,

“heard you lost, what a shame.” you sighed toward the older girl who rolled her eyes. “no it’s not like golf, remember the team with the most goals wins!” alessia quipped back, thanking your mum with a kiss on the cheek as the woman placed a stacked plate of food in front of her.

“boring.” you shrugged, sending her a smile and offering her a drink which she accepted, your mum excusing herself back outside. “you went to a sold out semi final of the world cup without even knowing the rules of the game, and as an english woman. you’re lucky you didn’t get your head kicked in on the train home!” alessia laughed after she’d swallowed a mouthful of food.

you chuckled at that and retorted that you were not anyone’s favourite person that next day at school especially your very torn up very australian students. but the comment did have you thinking back to that night, where you had to see her for the first time in years and she didn’t even know you were there.

your coworkers had all but dragged you to the match, and despite not being a football fan you didn’t live under a rock. you knew alessia was in the england squad, your social media had been drowned in friends and family all posting and sharing about the teams extremely successful tournament.

englands love and pride for football ran deep and despite being in another country it seemed you just couldn’t escape the beloved strikers face following you around.

it had been the same for the euro’s however you’d been able to try and avoid that as much as you could with that not being something many australians bothered about. but with this tournament happening on the same soil you worked and lived on, it had become ten times harder to ignore it.

it had taken two days of stress and panic for you to actually come to terms with the fact that you’d be seeing her again, even from hundreds of metres away up in the stands, kept safe by the four walls of the corporate box you were all being treated to. your coworkers had forced you into a matilda’s jersey however you made a point of buying an england scarf as to not entirely betray your home country.

it had comforted you to know that at least alessia wouldn’t know you were there, and unlike every other time you’d supported her at a match in the past her eyes wouldn’t meet yours with a cheeky grin and a point in your direction when she scored.

that didn’t however stop you from cheering when she did, you were after all still very proud of the team and knew what this would do for womens sports even if you weren’t personally a die hard football fan. the cheers which were very quickly silenced by the murderous glares of the australians surrounding you in the box.

“you wore an australian jersey?” alessia gasped in disbelief as you revealed that to her. “i was trying to fit in! i had an england scarf.” you defended yourself with a laugh, the two of you sat on opposite ends of the lounge after alessia had finished eating.

“traitor to your own country.” alessia tutted making you roll your eyes before the blonde let out a large yawn, quickly covering her mouth as her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. “sorry!” she apologised, shaking her head as if to wake herself up a little.

“don’t be. i was actually going to head home pretty soon, do you want a lift?” you offered hesitantly, alessia assuring she didn’t want to be a bother. “you’re not, pretty sure everyone’s made a point to tell me you only live a few minutes down the road. and I’d like to get out of here before they break out the karaoke!” you joked as alessia couldn’t help but nod in agreement, accepting your offer.

it took the two of you a further hour to say your goodbyes, the time now ticking over past eight in the evening you accepted the boo’s and the jeer’s that you were bailing early, brushing them off with a smile and a hug.

promising carol you’d come over soon and see her properly you finally made a break for the exit, alessia following suit as you made a beeline out the door and toward your car.

“they don’t ever get tired of making the point we grew up and aren’t thirteen anymore huh?” you laughed as you both buckled up. “oh look at you! so grown up! so beautiful, looking just like your mother!” alessia cooed sarcastically, reaching over to squeeze your cheeks and shake your head back and forth as you laughed and swatted her away.

it was almost scary how easy it felt to slip back into this light banter with her, chattering away as if no time had passed it surprised you how effortlessly the chips had fallen into place.

though despite that your walls were still very much so up, and you knew there were certain topics of conversation you’d avoid with her, and you still wanted to take it slow.

“hey this is really random, and please feel free to say no. but do you want to go get ice cream? there’s a gelato place not far from my apartment and i’ve kind of been craving it lately.” alessia asked apprehensively, fiddling with her hands.

“weren’t you just yawning a few minutes ago?” you chuckled, not catching the way alessia’s face flickered into disappointment for a moment before a smile quickly tugged at her lips.

“but hey who would i be to say no to ice cream.”

“this is me just up here.” alessia pointed as you nodded, driving a little down the street until you found a park. “you really are quite close, i could have walked from my place.” you smiled as the two of you got out of the car.

“the winds picking up and it’s supposed to rain tomorrow you might want a jumper or something.” alessia noted as you nodded, opening the back door and frowning at the empty seats.

“oh my jacket!” you remembered with a groan as realised you’d left it at your mums house, and of course it was one of your favourites. “dressed inappropriately for the london weather, remember you’re not in australia anymore!” alessia teased as you closed your door with a huff.

“i had one! i left it at back at mums place.” you sighed, wrapping your arms around yourself as indeed the wind had picked up. “typical. wait here.” alessia rolled her eyes playfully, stopping herself from inviting you inside well aware that might be a little too soon.

“less its fine i’ll warm up as we walk!” you called after her but the stubborn blonde dismissed you with a wave, glad to be facing away from you as she hurried toward her front door, hiding the smile which wound its way onto her lips at you again not calling her by her full name.

progress.

“here.” the striker returned a few minutes later, holding out a large charcoal grey coat in your direction, having slipped on a hoodie underneath the puffer jacket she was wearing earlier and tied her hair back into a low bun.

“your arms are so long.” you shrugged it on with a huff and rolled up the ends of the sleeves making alessia laugh. “not my fault i had a growth spurt and you’re the same height as when you were twelve.” the blonde smirked causing you to push her with a roll of your eyes.

“i am not! i’m barely a head shorter than you.”

“wow i didn’t realise heads were a metre long.”

“at least i know the size of my own legs. i saw you fall over before!” you grinned, the blonde indeed having tripped over the leg of a chair and tumbled down to the ground, relentlessly ribbed by her brothers for it she had been grateful no one else had seen.

or so she thought.

“thank you though.” you spoke more sincerely, definitely grateful for the barrier from the icy sharp poke of the london evening wind.

as the two of you walked it took every single ounce of your restraint not to focus on the fact that the coat smelled like her and that her scent had changed over the years from how you remembered it.

no longer was it plagued with notes of bergamot and lavender, or her infamous green apple shampoo. now you found yourself drowned in the faint but still ever present aroma of what was likely a rather expensive perfume, much more floral and light but still with some woody undertones, like how the ground smelled in spring after it rained.

it seemed ridiculous to say but she smelled rich, and yet still just as ever alluring as she had when you were younger and you’d steal her hoodies. relishing in pretending that she was with you in bed on nights where the two of you had to be apart, the blonde away on some sort of football tournament or camp.

if anything that made it a little easier to just tell yourself it was someone else’s coat given the unfamiliar aroma, to delude your poor overworked mind that you didn’t notice that you could still find yourself in a drunken haze on how intoxicatingly comforting it felt to wear her clothes, which had always hung off of you in the most ridiculous ways given your height difference.

because you wouldn’t dare to fall back into that trap, you couldn’t.

“can i try that one please?” alessia asked politely with a smile, pointing to a rocky road flavour as your eyes surveyed the counter, biting down on your bottom lip as your options ticked over in your head.

“oh yum. hey try this.” she nudged your shoulder with hers and held out the half eaten spoon toward you without a second thought. you knew she hadn’t meant anything by the casual gesture, the two of you had always shared food or drinks without a care.

but now, with your walls up and already struggling to pull your head out of the hazy fog caused by the fact you were wearing her coat and drowned in her smell, the simple gesture felt far too familiar for you to accept.

so you shook your head, pushing it back toward her and avoiding her eyes you felt look toward you. “can i please get a scoop of the caramel peanut butter and one of the cake batter please? in a cup.” you requested with a smile toward the young girl serving you.

“can i get a scoop of the rocky road and the cookies and cream please? in a cone.” alessia ordered her own, moving toward the counter as you were preoccupied with reading all the other weird and wacky flavours in the small but seemingly busy shop.

with you distracted she wasted no time paying for both of them with a simple tap, thanking the girl and grabbing both her cone and your cup, chuckling at your sweet tooth and making her way to you.

“that’s not fair! you payed for coffee too.” you scowled once you realised what she’d done, the two of you sitting down on a small table outside. “you can pay next time then.” alessia smiled over her ice cream causing you to roll your eyes.

“so do you have a busy week? though that’s probably quite a stupid question given your job.” alessia asked and quickly clarified with a sheepish chuckle.

“you’re not wrong. but they’re actually a great group of kids, a couple i have to keep an eye on but i love teaching them at this age. they’re just starting to learn and develop opinions and big feelings and watching that and encouraging it is so rewarding. much as those big feelings can sometimes be very overwhelming.” you laughed and suddenly realised you were rambling, a slight blush covering your cheeks.

“sorry. but no my weeks okay? I actually have monday off because they have an excursion and i drew the lucky card of not having to chaperone.” you sighed happily, as much as you did adore your class to wrangle over 40 kids in an environment outside of the school was often a nightmare, so you weren’t upset at missing out and having a three day weekend.

“did you really draw cards?” alessia asked with an amused smile. “no we draw names out of a hat.” you teased before explaining there was a rotating roster of which grade teachers had to attend each excursion.

“but a three day weekend means rory is dragging me out tomorrow night. which feels illegal given it’ll be a sunday!” you chuckled with a shake of your head, your long time friend forever trying to harass you into going out with her had meant she’d capitalised on this opportunity as soon as you’d make the mistake of mentioning it.

“what about you?” you switched the focus back to alessia who paused to swallow her mouthful of ice cream. “a few of the england girls are around london for an award show tonight so we’re going out tomorrow night to catch up. though for some reason they’ve decided to let tooney plan it so god knows what we’ll end up doing!” alessia rolled her eyes with a smile.

“award show? look at you, the little football mad girl from Kent going from mud wrestling and slumming it in the boys team to living it up in london rubbing elbows with celebrities.” you grinned as the two of you decided to start walking back.

“hardly, it feels so odd. people knowing who you are, wanting your attention or an autograph, knowing you’ve made their day even just by giving them a wave. you ride out the highs but then there’s the lack of privacy and all the media assumptions and the news articles and the criticism of every single match. i’m so incredibly grateful for all of it but sometimes its a little much.” alessia admitted with a sigh.

“i’m sorry i can’t even begin to imagine how that feels.” you empathised with the taller girl with a small frown. “i don’t even think i know how it feels. one day it’s the best job ever and you’re getting silverware and praise and the next you miss one kick and feel like you’ve let an entire country down.” alessia continued with a wince.

“social media would really make it worse huh.” you winced along with her at the thought of the millions of trolls which could hide behind the anonymous natures of theirs accounts. “god you have no idea. it was really bad when all the contract negotiations were going on with united before i moved to arsenal.” alessia sighed as you listened intently.

“everyone was telling me what to do or assuming what i was doing and that would lead to another news article speculating about my future and suddenly everyone feels the right to tear down everything. my football, my family, my weight, my appearance, everything. and it felt like i couldn’t escape it anywhere, even my own teammates were questioning what i was doing and where i was going if not with united but without a contract signed with arsenal yet because of the transfer window i legally couldn’t tell anyone what was happening.” alessia vented, the two of you finishing your ice creams as you dumped your empty cup in a nearby bin.

“sorry! that was…look its in the past. but yeah, social media sucks.” alessia caught herself becoming overtly emotionally at the memories and quickly breezed over them. “hey that sounds awful and i’m really sorry you had to go through that, but less don’t diminish the fact it felt horrible. people can be so cruel and cowardly on social media.” you grabbed her arm and gave her a smile so soft it had alessia’s knees wobbling.

“thank you. if anything nowadays it just drives me to train harder and play better, the best way to shut them up is by proving them wrong.” alessia shrugged, wrenching her eyes away from yours for fear of drowning in them.

“wow well it’s comforting to know all those years of torture kicking footballs at my head was worth it then.” you smiled bumping your shoulder into her. “mmm yeah using you for target practice really paid off, thanks!” she bumped you back with a grin as the two of you arrived to your car.

“text me when you get home safe yeah?” alessia asked with a slight frown as you nodded, unlocking your car and shrugging off her coat, folding it neatly and handing it back to her. “they have these crazy things called heaters in cars now.” you joked before she could offer for you to keep it, not wanting to entertain the thought.

“thank you, that was nice. catching up and stuff!” alessia smiled, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. “yeah it was.” you agreed sharing her thought, as nice as it could be for exes who suddenly decide after six years to try and be friends, nothing weird or hard about that at all.

a silence fell between the two of you, both sizing the other up and very clearly unsure how to end things. did you hug? did you both just part ways? did you say goodbye?

you both obviously picked up on the slightly awkward tension and chuckled shyly, and then with a few more moments of silence alessia decided to go for it well aware of a potential rejection.

she stepped toward you and opened her arms slightly, clearly hesitant as you paused. but then your arms were wrapped around her and your face was pressed into her chest and alessia held her breath for fear if she even moved slightly you might disappear.

your body filled with a warmth you’d not felt in years as her taller form wrapped around you in a tight hug, the double layers of clothing covering her only bringing more comfort as you could have melted into her.

but your walls suddenly sprang back up and you pulled away, sending her a rushed smile and a quick goodbye before slipping into your car as she made her way to her front door, watching as your car pulled off and disappeared around the corner.

busy driving you failed to see your phone light up with a notification as you turned your music louder to try and distract your mind from overthinking.

@alessiarusso99 has requested to follow you.

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

chapter nine

#woso x reader #alessia russo x reader #woso fanfics #woso #alessia russo #woso imagine #woso blurbs #engwnt

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avocado-writing · 2 months

Note

hiii your bg3 writing is so *chefs kiss*

I was hoping you'd be able to write the companions' reactions to a bard!tav, giving them a private serenade one night. like they lead them to a clearing away from camp one night and there's a picnic set up and tav sings a song they wrote specifically for their love?

if all the companions is too many, could you please specifically do Halsin, Astarion, Minthara and Wyll?

oh, cute! going to give you a lute, as I think that’s easiest!

Astarion

he makes a comment about how he feels the picnic was a bit unnecessary as he can’t eat it, but you mention you’re his snack later ;)

you sit him down, pour him a glass of wine, and pull out your lute

you ask, suddenly uncharacteristically shy, if you can play him something.

he cocks his head to the side and nods.

your fingers dance across strings, and when you start to sing, he realises it’s a song about him.

you once offered to be his mirror, and tonight you repeat that. your song is about how lovely he is, in every way. how he’s handsome but kinder than he wants to admit. brave. fierce.

its the most sincere celebration of his character he’s ever heard, and by the end of it, he’s left shocked.

“oh…” “did you like it?” chewing your lip, nervous.

“it’s… you’re…” he really doesn’t have the words to convey how you’ve made him feel. so he gently takes your chin in his hand and kisses you.

the kiss gets deeper. the lute is abandoned. so, really, is the picnic. the music the two of you make then is of a different kind.

later, when he has time to come up with a suitable review, he will tell you how much it meant to him. you are his favourite musician, and he has a new favourite song.

Halsin

oh, he’s been around for a long time, but this is the first time someone’s done something like this for him.

he’s just sat in bowled-over silence as you play for him, and it is amazing. an epic ode to his life and kindness, how strong and handsome you think he is.

he comes closer as you sing, sitting right next to you. studying every inch of your face as you perform.

when you’re done, he tells you that it was the loveliest thing he’s ever heard.

“I’ve heard pods of whales singing as they meet up with their lost family… until now, it was the sweetest sound to have graced my ears.”

he gets you to repeat the song and turns into different animals to enjoy it, be it via vibrations or different ways of hearing. either way he wants to be surrounded by your music, and you.

Minthara

absolutely no idea how to respond.

she was brought up in a cutthroat world. this softness is new to her.

she remains quiet for a while as she tries to work out if you’re trying to get anything from her. is this a trick?

”oh, I’m sorry,” you say after a while when she’s just been staring. “did you not like it?”

”no. no, it was… play it again.”

you do, and she really listens to the lyrics. they’re about her beauty. how glad you are to have met her. her strength in battle and soul.

she’s exceptionally moved.

“this is… a priceless gift that you’ve given me. I have no way to repay you.” “I don’t need repayment. it was freely given.”

she kisses you, for she has no way else to thank you. you have moved her more than she thought possible.

Wyll

you play and he listens. his eyes and smile go wide.

absolutely enraptured. claps when you’re done, and cheers your performance. you laugh and bow for him.

he tells you how much you mean to him, what a sweet gift this is. how your love is his most treasured possession.

he reaches into his pocket… and takes out some paper.

“I… I know this is incredible timing but actually… I wrote you something, myself.”

and he starts to read out a poem.

oh, it is lovely. full of flowery verse, and sweet appreciations of you. all the little things which make him love you. you pick up your lute and play along eventually, and he gets into the rhythm too.

the two of you laugh at the fact that you both had the same idea! you’re so alike, so in sync.

he holds you tenderly, kisses you softly.

you end up writing many songs about your Blade. he is your perfect muse.

bonus:

Karlach bursts into tears when she hears it, and scoops you up into a big hug at the end. she’s so emotional. she can’t stop saying she loves you, she loves your song, all of it. lots of wet kisses for you.

Gale is rendered speechless for the first time he can remember. he just stares at you in adoration. he’s never had anyone love him enough to write a song about him before, and he full force of his affection for you hits him in that moment. he is smitten.

#astarion x reader #astarion x you #astarion x tav #gale x tav #gale of waterdeep x tav #gale x reader #gale of waterdeep x reader #wyll x tav #wyll x reader #wyll ravengard x tav #wyll ravenguard x reader #karlach x tav #karlach x reader #halsin x tav #halsin x reader #minthara x reader #minthara x tav

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merakiui · 5 months

Note

Stepson! Floyd with accidentaly pregnancy 😭

Like imagine he thinks you can't have children anymore due to the age gap so he would just happily stuff you full every tike he visits. But then in the next weeks, you start to feel sick and all the symptoms start to appear <3

AAAAAA OTL and you don’t say anything to him about it at first because you really don’t want to believe it. Perhaps it’s a testament to Floyd’s determination to tie himself to you forever—that and his virility. ;;; you’re sluggish in the mornings and when Floyd visits you’re still resting in bed, feeling so sick and sleepy. Floyd’s immediately concerned; if he didn’t have a key to the home (which is more like a looming estate to outsiders. But hey. Home, sweet home.), he’d have kicked the door down when you neglected to answer on the first knock. He's all over you, insisting he help you to the doctor. You tell him it's fine; you'll handle it and if not there are servants employed to help out when needed. Floyd, cutest sweetheart that he is at twenty-nine years old, pouts at you. He's just worried about his mama. He hates seeing you like this. It makes him feel so anxious.

Floyd tries to move back in so he'll be here to look after you, but his pops won't have any of it. The two of them are volatile about the entire thing, hackles raising when he says, "I'll look after my wife. You just focus on yourself, Floyd." And Floyd retorts with an icy, snarling, "Yeah? Well, I'm gonna look after my mama."

Even though you're so fatigued, you manage to sit up enough to scold the both of them. And, though they look like they're two seconds apart from tearing into the other, they listen. You tell Floyd to go home and he tries to protest—this is his home, too—but you give him that stern look many mothers are notorious for and he immediately shuts up. He's pissed about the entire thing the following morning, complaining about it to Ace and Jamil when the three of them get together for breakfast. Ace really doesn't understand it; Jamil does, but he's not about to call Floyd a motherfucker (literally) to his face and risk the consequences that will soon follow.

Jade, slippery, all-knowing Jade, suspects it. Floyd and their father are alike in more ways than one, even if Floyd will never admit to being anything like his old man. He's stubborn like that. But the both of them, though sharply intelligent when the situation calls for it, can be incredibly, obnoxiously dense. Jade knows it's not a joke either; they genuinely have no clue and have yet to catch on.

He visits on days when Floyd and his father aren't around so that he can fawn over you in his own ways, making note of the obvious while you're too bedridden to brush his observations away. He helps you to the bathroom when you need to vomit or pee, standing in the doorway so patiently. You try to shut the door, valuing privacy and dignity and everything in between; he stops it from closing with his foot, his head tilted curiously. The unspoken is illustrated clearly in his actions: Don't shut me out, Mother.

He half-expects you to confide in him because he's Jade—responsible, logical, problem-solving Jade. And you do. When he serves you lunch in bed and you try to keep something—anything—down, he rubs your back soothingly and the admission just tumbles free.

"Jade, honey, I think I'm pregnant."

And he smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "I know, Mother."

Floyd always knows how to take the best things from him. Although that's partially Jade's fault. Everyone's always indulged Floyd; even Jade's guilty of it. It was Floyd who'd get the bigger half of something when it was split between the two of them. It was Floyd who was set to inherit the family business from day one. It was Floyd who got to kiss you on the mouth first. It was Floyd who fucked you first when Jade was out of the country on a business trip. And now it's Floyd who's knocked you up.

Jade's not jealous. If he was jealous, he'd feel as if he was losing his place as your stepson. And he's not. You love Jade as much as you love Floyd (granted, not in the way he loves you, but he can settle for familial for now). But he is envious, sickly so.

Because who else? Who else could possibly knock you up even when you're supposedly too old to be able to have kids?

#twisted chit chat #tw: stepcest #tw: pregnancy

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alonetimelover · 6 months

Note

"I can't stop thinking of you" for Harry maybe?

Also, your writing is really so so great🫶

"I can't stop thinking of you."

pairing: Harry Styles x booktuber!reader

summary: YN and Harry had loved each other for months. The thing was, none of them was brave enough to admit it. So what happened when Harry found the courage and YN made a mistake the night before?

word count: ~1,4k

warnings: mentions of sex (nothing explicit), angst!, heartbreak, and some feels from Harry

a/n: Thank you so much for requesting and your lovely words!

blurb weekend prompts blurb#1

booktuber!reader: part 1 part 2

Well, YN never was good with dealing with her emotions. There were always two options: run from it or make a decision that you’d regret the next day. She tried to take option one all the time, but making mistakes was engraved in her life story (like in anybody else’s). Lately, or should it be said, yesterday, she made a mistake she felt was going to ruin her most valuable relationship - her friendship with Harry.

“YN, please. Don’t tell me you went home with him,” her best friend screamed into the phone.

YN looked over her shoulder, gazing at the man sleeping in her bed. The duvet was placed over his lower body, exposing his muscular back painted with black tattoos. His curly hair was splayed across one of her least favourite cushions, creating a brown nest. In a good way.

“And what if I did?”

“Did you look at him even once last night?!”

She moved out of the bedroom, closing the door after herself, so as to not disturb the sleeping man.

“Of course I did,” she scoffed.

“So you know what you did.”

YN sighed into her phone. Of course, she knew what she did.

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

YN moved around the kitchen taking things out of the cabinets and fridge to make some breakfast. She started her newly bought express, needing some caffeine. If she was going to get through this phone call, she needed as much help as she could get. Well, then she would need to face the man from the bedroom, but it was a task for a ‘future her’.

“You slept with Harry’s doppelganger!”

Right. In her bed was a sleeping 6 feet tall man with darkish brown hair and tattoos almost all over his body. In the club last night, she couldn’t distinguish more details than those, but she needed something, someone to help her forget him. The appearance closer to someone she was attracted to was just a plus.

When the lights were illuminating the man's face she knew how ironic it all was. His cheekbones were high and sharp just as his jawline perfectly accented. The dimples deep into his cheeks whenever he was sending her that white smile. And those green eyes. Right there, she deep down knew he wasn’t there to help her forget about Harry. No. He was there to somehow be him, to make her feel as if he could ever be hers.

“They look nothing alike,” YN lied, sipping her coffee, cursing after burning her tongue. “Fuck.”

“You’re either blind or delusional. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“You’re very supportive, babe.”

“I’m not going to support whatever you’re trying to do. It’s a mistake, YN. Trust me.”

“How do you know?” She raised her voice. “Maybe it’s good for me. I slept with him, it was great. And now I can forget about Harry and move on with my life.”

“You can forget about Harry?”

“Easy. Done.”

YN placed the coffee mug on the counter with a thud, spilling half of it. She really was over the talk. She decided to have sex with that man, and she did. She didn’t regret it and didn’t lie about it being great. The man, Henry (yes, she knew fate was really messing with her) treated her right. She had a very good night. It was all about the consequences. She didn’t want them to become clean. And all the talk she was having was writing those mistakes with black ink on paper.

“Is it? Is it that easy to forget about the man you’ve been in love with for months?”

There it was, period on paper.

And before she could answer anything, there was a sound of knocking echoing through her flat.

“I need to go. Someone’s at the door. Can we please meet up today?”

“Of course. My place at 5. You bring wine, I make dinner.”

“Okay. Love you, bye.”

After hearing the good bye back, YN moved across the room and towards the door. After unlocking it, having made sure that her bathrobe was covering everything it could, she opened the door.

Fuck you, fate.

“YN.”

“Ha- Harry. Hi. Uhm, what are you doing here?”

Now, she felt even more exposed. Couldn’t it be her noisy neighbour or the courier with the delivery she had been waiting for for days?

“Well,” he started slowly, immediately halting in thought for a moment. “I don’t really know. Can I come in?”

“It’s really not the best time.”

Puzzles had been slowly being put together in his brain. After waking up today and seeing YN’s post on instagram he felt part of his heart breaking. He covered his feelings for her deep inside, praying for them to never come up. He put on the role of a best friend and was proud of it. He could never jeopardise that friendship. YN was somebody that he knew his soul was searching for.

“I just need a few minutes.”

“Maybe during lunch? At that bistro you’d talked about?”

“YN, please.”

He knew that if he didn’t say anything right now, he’d never do it. When the courage was still in his veins, he had to use it. Whatever would follow, that would be his fate.

“I can’t stop thinking of you. You’re in my mind when I wake up, looking up at the ceiling you sprayed with that wine, thinking that I should really paint it. You’re in my mind when I make breakfast, because of that time when we were doing it together and you got the email about your grandad’s shop being sold to you. It always makes me smile, thinking how happy you were at that moment. You’re in my mind when I’m driving down to Chesire, pointing out all the yellow doors you were so infatuated by, when you drove to mum’s with me. You’re in my mind when I fall asleep, remembering how many times I held you in my arms and felt whole. And- and I can’t do any of those without thinking of you. You’re engraved in my mind. In my heart.”

Harry took a deep breath and finally looked at YN. Her eyes were glossy, looking at him with that look he could never distinguish and put in any category. The one thing he admitted to not know about her - that look.

Through his whole monologue she couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She was in his mind. She was something that he couldn’t possibly forget. She was his. And that feeling, that love for him was beaming from her eyes. The look of love.

“Harry, I-”

“You don’t need to say anything, really.” He started rambling, somehow embarrassed that he had let himself out like that. “You don’t need to say that you feel the same way. I can deal with rejection. It’s okay. I’m sorry. I shouldn't have come.”

“No. Stay,” she said immediately, reaching for his hand.

She felt the electricity going through Harry’s palm to hers and straight to her heart. She looked into his eyes, searching for any grain of doubt in his feelings, finding none.

“Harry, I can’t express how long I’ve been waiting to tell you this.” She laughed, not believing that she was going to admit everything. “I lo-”

“YN?”

Harry’s eyes moved from YN’s, landing at the source of the interruption. His hopeful eyes lost the spark in milliseconds. His smile faded and the grip of his fingers on hers, loosen. He was a fool, believing that she could feel the same. He felt betrayed. Even more when the stranger turned around and locked his eyes with Harry.

Harry took a step back, diverting his eyes from the man and then back to YN. Puzzles were tossed on the ground and with each second stepped on, losing colour and making the outlines unreadable.

YN looked over her shoulder, seeing Henry standing near her couch in nothing but his underwear. She wanted to think that ‘it couldn’t be happening right now’, but she knew better. The decisions she had made yesterday and regretted, backfired on her. The decision, which just now, was costing her the friendship she was so protective of. The love she was so afraid to fall into. It all was drifting away.

“Harry,” YN whispered, trying to find the words to explain the situation.

“It’s okay.” Words, like venom, were sipping out of his tongue. Even Harry didn’t like the way it sounded or the tone he used. “No need to explain. I think you have someone to get back to. Have a good day, YN.”

And just like that he was gone. And so were their hopes that it all could have turned out the way they dreamed about.

Fate really was heartless.

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles imagine #harry styles x you #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles one shot #harry styles angst #booktuber!reader #blurb weekend

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brf-rumortrackinganon · 2 months

Text

I saw another post on another blog that had a really good point and wanted to share it with everyone here...unfortunately I can't find the comment now!

The anon suggested that perhaps why the wire services may have freaked out about the edits on KP's photo is because of terms and conditions prohibiting agencies from selling post-edited or post-modified images. So someone at the AP or whatever wire service saw the edits and assumed that the usual rules - no selling or purchasing edited photos - applied in this case and overcorrected by issuing the kill notice to rectify their mistake of purchasing an edited photo. And in that panic to correct their "error", no one realized that the photo was sourced from a personal social media account, thus is subject to different rules. More internet chaos and a KP apology later, the photo suddenly gets resurrected and some of the community notes are removed.

It's a good theory, and one that's very plausible. Probably the most plausible explanation of everything that happened.

As to why there was suddenly a resurrection, I'm thinking the lawyers got involved and if the lawyers finally did get pulled in, they probably said either "this is a personal photo accessed on social media, those rules don't apply" (and everyone went "shit-shit-shit") or they talked about the sudden liabilities they're now open to with this precedence of calling out edits that they now have a standard to uphold (and everyone went "shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit"). Again, this is just conjecture. The kneejerking back-and-forth that happened today does seem classically lawyerese to me, though.

A second piece to this, I'm reminded of how KP shares their photos. Which is that the actually aren't selling their photographs. It's an old story from back in 2013, but when KP published the baby George-Kate-William-Lupo photos taken by Michael Middleton, a blogger who wanted to buy the photos for her website contacted Michael or KP to enquire about purchase and usage, and Michael or Michael's people responded that there was no cost for using the photos as long as she properly credited him with the copyright and used them only for a news story. I imagine that's similar to KP's process; if a publication (such as the AP) wants to reproduce a photograph credited to Kate (or William) that has been published on social media, the entity makes a request to the office, and the communications office sends them the source file.

At no point in any of this is there actually any money exchanging hands. I'm pretty confident there's no money being exchanged for KP's personal photographs to be reused, in which case the "we don't buy edited photos" rule is null and void. Different standards apply here. (My confidence comes from the fact that this is part of the "press pact" that Meghan and Harry pushed back against; they wanted to charge copyright and usage fees for their personal photographs rather than make them freely available on request like the then-Cambridges did.)

And then finally, all photographers - amateur and professional alike - edit their images before publishing them or sending them anywhere. What Kate did is no different than what Misan Harriman or Chris Jackson or Samir Hussein do (and have admitted to! Check out those links for their "confessions."). And I suspect that KP's statement where Kate said she had done the editing herself before the photo was posted is what threw the monkey wrench that maybe brought the lawyers in - because if they retract KP's photo on the basis that someone edited it before it was first posted/submitted to the public, then they have to retract thousands and thousands of other photos on the same grounds that someone edited it before it was first posted/submitted to the public. Again, this is all speculation.

At the end of the day, it all seems to be boiling down to one thing: there was a mixup and a miscommunication somewhere. And for me, all the signs point to the cock-up happening on the media's side. The rules/terms and conditions they have in place to use only verified images are good ones to have, but the last 48 hours have made it abundantly clear that there are holes in the rules and gaps in how they vet and verify images they source and distribute.

(Honestly I'm surprised that photographers haven't spoken out in Kate's defense. I'd have thought at least one or two would've said something. I can see why they wouldn't - maybe jobs are on the line or maybe they lose contest/recognition opportunities if they do - but it does strike me as a bit odd.)

(Also, sorry to the anon from earlier this morning to whom I said I probably wasn't going to post on the photo edit drama anymore. Clearly that plan went by the wayside.)

#brf #waleses #theories

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fawnfictions · 8 months

Note

HII :D

So basically I was thinking of a platonic thingy with monkie trio with gn!reader who can just fall asleep literally anywhere

sleepy findings

— macaque, wukong & mk, gn!reader

tbh, i'm not the smartest, so i wasn't sure if you meant the traffic light trio or like swk, mac, and mk? i went with the latter, but if you meant redson, mei, and mk, let me know and i'll happily do them, too <3

i really liked this prompt, so i wrote more than i thought i would by accident LOL

;; platonic, fluff, no warnings.

MACAQUE

- he may get a lil concerned at first, not understanding why you would fall asleep anywhere that isn't necessarily comfortable.

- after a while, he won't bat an eye, simply moving around you and continuing with his business, or making sure you're comfortable.

- if he turns around and you're just sleeping on the floor, he'll chuck a blanket on you, maybe a pillow or two (or even moving you completely if the position looked like it'd ache later).

- as much as he'll refuse to admit it, sometimes he'll hop into the shadows just to check up on you (he can't lie, he's terrified of losing you after making a new friend after so long).

- and if he finds you passed out somewhere that you probably shouldn't be, he'll carefully pick you up and move you somewhere else nearby.

- if you've decided to take a nap on a bench in the park, you'll mysteriously wake up inside Pigsy's restaurant, assuming that you must've started sleep walking.

- will definitely join you whenever and wherever you decide to conk out, if he's able to, though.

- depending on the strength of ur relationship/how long you've known each other, he'll lay down close to you.

- probably won't snuggle with you, but will move as close to you as he can, having some part of his body touching yours; like his tail laid over your midsection, or his arm against yours.

- he's most likely touch-starved in some way—monkey's are very social and affectionate creatures, and since his resurrection, he hasn't had the chance to cuddle up to, or rough house, with anyone, much less the other monkey's on Flower-Fruit Mountain.

- but he'd be reluctant to start anything, and wouldn't want to outright ask for cuddles, either.

- if you insist on it, though, he'll happily wrap himself around you in a warm embrace, reminiscing on the cuddle piles he and Wukong used to take part in.

The dark-shaded monkey dipped himself into the familiar darkness, joining the bitter shadows lingering in the cracks and crevices of buildings and people alike. He travelled away from the dojo, his usual place of hiding, and onwards to the theatre.

Macaque had planned to perform his usual shadow play, a sort of practice for the eventual time that the Monkey King's little successor would be lured there. However, he'd be lying by saying he wasn't enjoying himself—putting on a show for the local theatre had almost turned into a hobby for him.

As he emerged from the void he often travelled through, stepping into an alleyway next to his destination, Macaque felt one of his ears twitch. He picked up a noise he had grown familiar with, following the quiet snores after adjusting his cloak to ensure his identity was hidden from the public.

The anthropomorphic monkey rounded the corner, taking all but a few steps until he was stood in front of an occupied wooden-bench. He silently sighed, holding back a smile at the scenario he had been through all too many times.

You were seated, chest moving rhythmically with your calm breaths. Your head was uncomfortably leaned backwards at an angle, eyes closed, and mouth slightly agape.

You were clearly asleep; although, Macaque didn't know how.

He felt his heart swell at the peacefulness and innocence displayed on your face. He already knew that he'd do anything to protect you from the kindness you had shown him, but this just further encased that thought in his mind.

It took all but seconds for him to decide. The shadow play could wait and be performed later; for now, he'd focus on taking you home and ensuring your safety and comfortability.

He gathered you in his arms, positioning your head to lean into the crook of his neck and holding underneath your legs and upper back.

Macaque promptly fell into the shadows after a quick glance confirming that no one important would see. He held you tightly, understanding that these 'voids' of his were often too cold for most lifeforms, not wanting you to catch a sickness.

In less than a minute he felt himself 'pop!' back into existence, the familiar interior welcoming him back. Your house had always felt warm to him; not in the sense that you kept the heater on, but rather that it radiated a friendliness that drew people in. It felt very... Homely.

He navigated himself to your bedroom, which was practically muscle memory at this point. After gently placing you amongst the fluffy pillows and heavy blankets, he shed himself of the cloak he wore and lazily tossed it on the floor.

With conversant movement, Macaque took his place beside you in the bed, worming his way under the covers and wrapping it over you. He hesitantly lifted his arm, laying it over your midsection and pausing, listening for any hitches in your breath or signals of disturbance.

Once he was certain you weren't going to wake up any time soon, he relaxed into the position, unconsciously curling his tail over your leg under the blankets.

Macaque may have had plans today, but none of which were as important as taking a lazy day and napping with you.

WUKONG

- he totally gets it tbh

- if he could, he would be falling asleep anywhere and everywhere.

- he isn't too concerned about it, he figures that if you aren't worried about it, he shouldn't be either.

- refuses to ever wake you up, unless you are in immediate danger or if he desperately needs you for something.

- if you fall asleep anywhere on Flower-Fruit Mountain, you WILL wake up in a non-consenting cuddle pile with like, 20 monkey's.

- wukong may or may not also be in that pile (he totally is, out of jealousy).

- any time he finds you sleeping, no matter where it is, he'll join you.

- asleep in a tree? he's jumped up there and is already wrapping his arms around you.

- taken a nap in Pigsy's restaurant? well, looks like he'll surprise MK with a quick visit (where he's cuddling up to you).

- sleeping on a public bench? okay, maybe he's a little more reluctant to be that public about it, he is the Monkey King after all—he'll just move you both to a more private location.

- that may sound saucy, but it isn't, i promise <//3 he's just nervous of someone taking advantage of him in a vulnerable state and attacking you both.

- he LOVES his lazy days, and if you even entertain the idea of sleeping in, he will immediately be dragging you back under the covers to get some more shut-eye.

- honestly, you'll have to drag him out by his tail if you want to get up any time after, like, 10am.

- and, if he gets you too wrapped up in his arms, you aren't seeing the outside world until MK comes knocking at his door, asking about his lesson that was supposed to start 10 mins ago.

- this monkey is VERY cuddly.

- you don't even have to ask, and he'll be (NON-SEXUALLY!!!) touching every part of your body with his own.

- he loves feeling you against him, it really grounds him and confirms that his loved one is safe within his arms, and hasn't abandoned him.

Wukong was growing nervous.

You had told him you'd only be gone for a few minutes, planning on grabbing a few snacks for the movie marathon that you two had set up. Yet, it had been nearly an hour and there was no sign of your return.

When he realised his tail was unconsciously tapping against the arm of the couch, Wukong decided to investigate. Despite his comfortable position amongst the pillows, he lifted himself onto his feet and wandered towards the kitchen. If you were supposed to be collecting snacks, that's where you should be, right?

As he glanced around his familiar abode, he felt his heart drop at the lack of your presence. However, before he was able to begin panicking about your whereabouts and a possible kidnapping, one of his monkey's pulled on his pant leg to gain his attention.

With a few chirps and hand motions, Wukong realised that the smaller of the two wanted to lead him somewhere. If he knew his monkey's well enough, which he did, he'd know that this one must've picked up on his anxious behaviour and was trying to help. With this knowledge alone, the mystic monkey was willingly led to, hopefully, you.

It took all but a few minutes to come across a, rather large might he add, cuddle pile. And, in the midst of it all, was you, smothered by several monkey's clinging onto your form.

Despite the swelling of his heart to seeing his family and you getting along so well, he felt somewhat... irked. This was where you were the entire time? Without him?

Wukong was able to shake the feeling away, before stepping closer to the pile with the intention to join everyone. His entrance had woken most of the monkey's up, causing them to move further away from you to allow their King to take his place next to you in the middle.

From the appearance of it, he was left to assume that you had entered the kitchen and gotten distracted by the cuddle pile that had begun to form, unable to resist the temptation of sleeping. He wasn't surprised; there wasn't a week that had gone by where he hadn't found you asleep in some odd place.

He lowered himself next to you, gently wrapping your body close to his and folding his arms around you. His tail was moved around your leg. Gradually, he felt more monkey's placing themselves around him, further enticed by their King joining the cuddle pile.

It wasn't long before Wukong felt himself drifting out of consciousness. Your rhythmic breathing and the reassurance of your body pressed up against his created a calm atmosphere in his mind, surrounded by his loved ones. He had a feeling that he would need to cancel that lesson with MK, later, though.

- he is SERIOUSLY concerned when he finds you falling asleep one too many times.

- asks if you've been sleeping alright, how many hours you're getting each night, etc.

- poor boy thinks you must be stressed and lacking sleep, from prior experience of his own.

- when you tell him that you just... fall asleep for no reason, sometimes, he's... surprised, to say the least. you can tell he doesn't immediately believe you.

- gets even MORE concerned when he finds you in these weird locations and positions, some of which do not look comfortable in the slightest.

- might even ask Sandy for help, only to be told the same thing that you already told him.

- listen,,, he's just worried for his friend's wellbeing :(

- if you fall asleep in Pigsy's restaurant, he'll rush upstairs to grab you a pillow and some blankets.

- and he'll act as your guard dog, making sure no one disturbs your sleep by being too loud or by moving you.

- although, if anything, he'll be the one to wake you up—he can't exactly control his volume very well.

- If he finds you asleep somewhere outside, he'll probably take you to Pigsy's restaurant, but if it's closed, he'll just take you to his house instead :)

- honestly, i doubt he'd cuddle you at all, unless you were like, ultimate besties and asked him to cuddle.

- he'd be MEGA awkward about it too, but once he got comfortable, he would realise that he's a lil touch-starved and would revel in the feeling of his arms around you/your arms around him.

- if Mei walked in on you two cuddling, she would join you IMMEDIATELY join you, and you'd be stuck in a cuddle pile with them both for the next couple hours.

Before he's even found you, MK knows you've probably fallen asleep in some obscure place that will concern him. Despite his dislike of this habit you've gotten, when he finds you asleep in Pigsy's, he's somewhat glad, because at least he knows where you are.

It's days like these that he can feel himself getting older by the minute. The stress you put on him is undeniable, he hates not knowing whether his friends are safe or not.

Fortunately, his searching does not take long until he finds you.

At first glance, he assumes that you're a child, collecting sticks or playing hide-n-seek in the park, before realising it's you; sleeping underneath a tree. MK wastes little time in rushing over to you, giving you a once-over to ensure that you haven't brought injury unto yourself.

He sighs in relief after noticing that you're in good physical shape. That was one less thing to worry about; now, onto the next...

He wormed his arms underneath your body, being as careful as possible to not disturb your slumber, and lifting you up against his chest. You might complain at him later, feeling embarrassed to be picked up and moved by him, but he's fine with it as long as you're safe and in his sight while sleeping.

With the strength he's gained from his newfound abilities and Monkey King's training, he barely breaks a sweat in his endeavours to relocate you. The familiar scent of Pigsy's restaurant calms him, and clearly you, as well, if the unconscious smile on your face after entering was anything to go by.

MK makes a beeline for one of the booth seats, gently placing you down and ensuring that you won't take a tumble off the edge, before rushing back outside to enter his own apartment above the restaurant. Despite knowing that you're a heavy sleeper and unlikely to wake anytime soon, he hurried to grab the necessary items that he kept stashed in a seperate cupboard for your unexpected naps.

With a pillow and blanket now in his grasp, the young successor retraced his steps to the building below.

Both his boss and Tang ignored his behaviour, used to the odd interaction that happened between you two every week or so. As MK carefully wrapped the blanket over your shoulders, he quietly shushed Tang after a particularly loud slurp from the scholar.

Once he was certain that you were the comfiest you could be, he sat down in the seat opposite you and relaxed. Pigsy had let him out on a break earlier, and he still had 10 minutes left to enjoy it.

That was, until he was startled by the yelling of a young girl entering the building.

MK, in response, stammered out a warning that you were sleeping, putting a finger to his mouth and shushing her. He glanced over to you through Mei's apologies, thankful to notice that you hadn't woken from the disturbance.

He really had no clue how you were able to sleep the way you did.

#lmk #lego monkie kid #six eared macaque #sun wukong #mk #monkey king #macaque x reader #sun wukong x reader #mk x reader #— fawns fics #platonic #fluff #headcanons #scenarios

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themushroomgoesyeet · 3 months

Text

For the first installment of this series, let's start with something easy!

Arcana characters as Disney princesses/princes

Julian - Flynn Rider/Eugene

These two are so similar istg

Dashing, dramatic, swashbuckling rogues with dry humor and a secret, insecure soft side?

The only difference between them is one is ginger with an eye patch and the other isn't

Honestly Eugene would probably be a good pick for a voice hc tbh

Oh hey they're both orphans with big brother vibes too look at that

Asra - Elsa

White hair? Check. Water-related magic? Check. orphans? Check. Unconditional fashion style that doesn't really match everyone else but still looks drop-dead gorgeous regardless? Check

Both of them also have familial abandonment issues and feel the need to isolate themselves from the people they love instead of confronting the problem smh

I will admit their romantic interests are a bit different, with Asra being bisexual and Elsa either being a lesbian or aro/ace at best

Both of them have also been described to have seductive singing voices 👀

Nadia - Princess Jasmine

We👏stan👏 headstrong 👏 independent 👏 middle eastern- inspired👏queens👏here👏

Ngl Jasmine is one of my favorite Disney princesses & she & Nadia would definitely hit it off

Both feel stuck in their respective lives while also wanting to rule, and try to take action for themselves whenever they can

Also both of them would look absolutely stunning in an outfit swap

Muriel - Hercules

Honey you mean HUNK-ules

I know Hercules isn't technically a Disney prince but he fits Muriel too well

Big and strong but shy and genuine at heart? Hell yeah

Their reactions to fame are a little bit different but they are the same when it comes to falling in love; both are so gentle and genuinely caring, and can't stop gushing about their partner

Also amazing idols for how men are supposed to treat women - a.k.a with respect

Both have a heathy amount of respect for their partners modesty (even when said partner is trying to seduce them on purpose), as well as their partners autonomy to make their own decisions

Not to mention they both have estranged families that they didn't know about, and a supportive animal companion

Portia - Rapunzel

I know some of you might be thinking "why not Merida? They look so alike with their frizzy mop of ginger hair!" Well, dear chat, let me explain

While they may look similar, Portia and Merida do not act similar. Merida is rebellious, headstrong, and airheaded, fighting her loved ones on everything and doing what she wants regardless of the consequences until said consequences come back to bite her in the butt. Portia on the other hand, while also headstrong, is spunky, kind, and takes others feelings and opinions into account instead of doing the first daring thing that comes into her head

Which brings me to Rapunzel. Admittedly, Rapunzel is a lot more sheltered and inexperienced about the world than Portia was but they are still kindred spirits. Curious, spunky, headstrong, kind, compassionate, and unafraid to fight for themselves.

They're ready to take on the world even if they don't know enough about it

Both also have evil and manipulative family members (ik Mother Gothel isn't Rapunzel's family; she was still the one who raised Rapunzel & Rapunzel considered her family long enough for it to count in this situation)

Both also meet love interests who guide them through the part of the world that's unknown to them, be it magic for Portia or the world as a whole for Rapunzel

Lucio - Merida

remember all those traits I listed for Merida? Yeah Lucio fits those

Merida and Lucio may be hella good warriors, but boy are they stupid sometimes

Both also have mommy issues™

Both are also wildly inexperienced with magic and should really be more cautious about it

Both just go "oopsies" and expect everything to be fine because of their status when it's never fine

Can you tell yet that these two bother me lol

Both were brought up in a Scottish-sounding culture and you can't change my mind

#the arcana #the arcana game #arcana #count lucio #muriel of the kokhuri #nadia satrinava #portia devorak #julian devorak #asra alnazar #the arcana as _

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kennahjune · 5 months

Text

Just got a very unlikely idea but oh well

Steddie AU where they get together cause of Mike.

It’s post-s3 pre-s4 maybe or post-s4 with Alive-Eddie; either way, Steve and Eddie are constantly around each other because of the kids.

And it’s Mike that realizes it first, when he notices that Steve looks at Eddie like how he used to look at Nancy. And yes he would know, Dustin, because he was forced to learn what knocking was after walking in on them one too many times.

But really, Mike doesn’t want to believe it. Because why would Steve be looking at Eddie like that? Adoration Mike can understand— what about Eddie wouldn’t you adore? But unconditional romantic love? He didn’t get it.

Not because they were both guys! Mike was in no place to make any remarks about that. Not anymore. But because they were so different from each other.

Mike was there during every Hellfire meeting when Eddie went on rampages about “King Steve”. He was there at the sleepovers when Steve would utter under his breath about “Asshole Metalheads”. He was there when Steve and Eddie finally met for the first time outside of school, when Steve was picking them up for Hellfire, and Steve looked ready to kill when Eddie brought up “Losing the Crown.”

And sure, Mike may seem oblivious and aloof and “give no fucks” most of them time, but really it wasn’t true! Ok— maybe the oblivious part. But he didn’t “give no fucks”— he has a lot of fucks to give, actually.

And sure maybe he doesn’t seem to care about most things. But he does! A lot more than he should sometimes. He cared when Nancy and Steve first broke up (maybe not for Steve’s side until he knew the full story but still). He cared when Barb died (she was his friend to, maybe not as close as her and Nancy but still!). And he cared when Max got dragged into everything. And he cared when Hopper “died”— and sure, maybe he stopped trying to care after that. Because caring got him hurt in more ways than one.

But Steve and Eddie? They’re things he cares about. People he cares about a lot more than he cares to admit. Steve saved his life on more than one occasion and showed him more affection in a month than Ted Wheeler did in Mikes whole life. And Eddie was the one of the first to show Mike that “hey, it’s ok to be a nerd.”

So yeah, they mean a lot to him.

But them being romantically together makes no sense to him. And when he tries to bring this up to the rest of the Party, he was told he was insane.

“Steve and Eddie aren’t interested in each other romantically,” claimed Dustin, “They’re just friends.”

“Not even that,” called Max from the couch.

Lucas snorted but otherwise said nothing.

Mike looked at Will for help.

“Well— why do you think they are romantically involved?”

Mike huffed. “Do none of you guys see it? Steve might as well have heart eyes!”

El nodded. “I agree. Mike is right.”

Suddenly all eyes were on El. Mikes were shining with hope and everyone looked incredulous.

“But why?” Dustin asked exasperatedly. “They’re— they’re nothing alike!”

“I know!” shouted Mike. He stood and paced. “But Steve always looks so fond of Eddie! And we’ve all heard the typical “King Steve” rant from Eddie and the “Asshole Metalheads” one from Steve, right?”

Max, Dustin and Lucas all answered with a unified “yes” while El and Will answered with a unified “no”.

Mike waved his hand and continued to pace. “But maybe it’s an opposites attract kind of thing? Like Max and Lucas?”

“Excuse me?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Or maybe it’s not! Because nothing about them is really opposite other than their styles.”

“But—“ Dustin was quick to interrupt, “—they are pretty opposite. Jock and Metalhead? Seems pretty fucking twisted to me.”

“Yeah but you’re looking at the cliques,” Will added, finally catching on. “Mikes looking at personality.”

Mike clapped happily. “Yes exactly! They’re both bitchy and quick-witted! They’re both dramatic in their own ways—“

“—they’re both oddly parental and protective,” added Lucas, also catching on.

Mike nodded aggressively.

“Ok—“ Max shook her head. “—say we believe that Steve and Eddie actually are romantically interest in one another. What are we supposed to do about it?” she put extra emphasis on “we”.

Mike looked at them each one by one. Max, who was sprawled on the couch like she owned it. Lucas, who had Max’s legs in his lap and was gently rubbing her thigh. Dustin, who was sat in a chair at the end of the couch with his thinking face on. El, who was looking at Mike with a sly grin— an expression he rarely saw on her. And Will, who was looking at Mike with something like Steve to Eddie.

But none of that right now.

Dustin stood up and walked to stand by Mike. He threw an arm around his shoulders (Mike bending with the action) and loudly proclaimed “We need to get them together!”

Will stood hurriedly and joined them, El right behind him with a grin on her face. Lucas shrugged and looked to Max as if saying “what can you do?” before gently pushing her legs off of him joining them as well.

They all looked at Max expectantly. She groaned and stood to join them, a chorus of cheers ringing out.

…

Idk if I’m gonna continue this or not but eh

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laithraihan · 13 days

Note

I really don't care about whatever someone ships or doesn't & I do believe you that it's not meant shippy & I think that's fine, because it's fiction so you can make up a bond between whoever you like however you like. But that goes for everyone else alike.

Art will be interpreted as soon as you look at it not after digging for the artist's own opinion, so I can't say I'm surprised that people look at it and think it's shippy first. Sure, some were annoying about it I grant you that, but I think it's because it simply comes of hypocritical to act like a ship interpretation is nuts when the art simply does look like that on first glance.

The average MP100 viewer will not interpret a familial bond between these two characters who canonically barely interacted, but you did. (& more power to you) Maybe your average follower will not interpret a romantic implication in your artworks, but others will. (& more power to them)

I really don't think people lack parental love to see it shippy, I think people simply expect parental love between, well, a parent and their child. Not someone you personally declared to be a "weird uncle" to a girl he barely knows. I didn't even want good night kisses from my actual "weird uncle" as a kid idk man.

Again, I don't see the slightest issue with the platonic relationship you make up for them. I just also get where the romantic interpretations are coming from.

Your uncle/niece interpretation sincerely is farther removed from canon than ship interpretations are from your artworks.

Interesting message so I'll answer this genuinely.

To start off: I Never once implied that it was crazy that other people would interpret this as romantic at first glance. I quite literally said that I understood the confusion because these two barely interacted in canon. Which is why Im always happy to explain my intentions. Experiences vary so what one considers normal may not be normal to someone else: I'm very much aware of this but y'all clearly aren't.

When it gets to the point where people say "this artist drew that AND said it wasn't shipping even though we can obviously tell theyre delusional and in denial", that's where the problem is. I provide an explanation, that explanation gets ignored, people either answer "lmao just admit it" or they treat me as if I'm the worst person alive and they refuse to accept they must've been wrong about their interpretations. They proceed to openly "discuss" this (by just mocking me repeatedly, nothing constructive) in a public space where they think I can't see it almost as if they forget I'm an actual person who can come across these messages at any time.

What others ship or don't ship is none of my concern, I stay away from circles I dislike. But when people constantly attempt to force me into "admitting" I'm into something that I have zero interest in out of malicious intent, then naturally it'll annoy me.

I'm sure you didn't really mean to imply that I was merely outraged at the thought of someone interpreting this as romantic if they didnt know every single thing about my headcanons which is why I'm answering you sincerely. So please forgive me for assuming the ones who compared a peck on the cheek to some nonsense like "platonic breastfeeding" have never experienced any sort of familial love growing up 💜

#asks #and whether or not you think my headcanons are 'so removed from canon' is also not an issue by itself #this is 100% me being self indulgent and i don't hide that fact #i draw whatever i want whenever i feel like it and if others dislike it then i understand #but please don't act like these people were totally oblivious when making these comments: they knew very well what they were doing

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cycwrites · 4 months

Text

A (Few) Day(s) in the Life - Lingerie

A very overdue second chapter of random glimpses into the lives of my favorite girls.

This was meant to be a short, fade to black ficlet while I tried to remember how to do this words thing. Close enough.

Thank you to everyone who has ever left me a comment on AO3 (I owe so many responses over the last 3 years) or sent me a message on Tumblr, encouraging me to continue after all this time. I’m really hoping to finish a few things next year as I still owe everyone a Staubrey origin and cliffhanger reveal.

For @tiny-maus-boots and @kimmania. I honestly don’t know if I’d be here without your unending support and encouragement in life as well as writing.

And for Rylee, who somehow convinced-slash-hoodwinked me into thinking about the Mitchsen chapter, which in turn reminded me I needed to get this one done first.

Words: 3600ish (aka the 2nd shortest thing I've ever written.)

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter 1 (and the whole Nowish Universe) on AO3

Master Post for Tumblr

And just because, the Spotify playlist that helped me write pretty much every Pitch story.

A Pitch Perfect Lifetime

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

~S~

Wednesday, October 11th, 2017

“Is it dumb that I’m nervous?”

Stacie turned to look at Aubrey who very clearly was avoiding looking at her. Which meant she missed the loving smile that Stacie aimed her way.

“Bree.” Aubrey didn’t turn, merely slid another hanger to the side and intently looked at the clothing behind it, which was exactly the same style and color. “There is a list of things you are not, and dumb is definitely on it.” Stacie resumed going through the rack in front of her, deciding this was one of those times that Aubrey needed to pretend they weren’t having a discussion about whatever was bothering her. She knew they’d eventually get to the heart of it. “Were you nervous with Chloe?”

A pause. “No.” Another few seconds filled with the sounds of hangers sliding along metal racks. “Chloe is home.”

“Are you saying Beca’s less?” Stacie grinned even though they still weren’t looking at each other.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.” Very snooty, very amused but then a longer pause. “But my history with Beca is more…”

“Spicy?” Stacie looked over her shoulder and saw Aubrey’s beautiful smile in profile.

“I suppose that’s one way to put it,” Aubrey agreed wryly. “But that’s not quite what I meant.”

Stacie looked around them and lowered her voice even though there was no one else near them in the shop. “You guys have been alone before.”

“Not like this, no. Not since…” Aubrey’s voice was even quieter and Stacie had to strain a little to hear it. “You and or Chloe have always been in the house or within minutes of getting home.”

“Really?” Stacie turned and rested one elbow on the rack. “I’d have sworn…” She thought for a minute, watching Aubrey’s hands as they ran down lacy fabric. Their movements were graceful but precise. Controlled.

Chloe had a convention she wanted to attend the following week and it was Stacie’s turn to go with her, leaving Aubrey and Beca at home to hold down the fort. It was something they had done many times before, but it was the first time since beginning their new shared life together.

The nerves were making a kind of sense now, Stacie mused, reaching out to run her hand down Aubrey’s back before moving past her to another rack of lingerie. She didn’t know yet what exactly was going on in her beautiful wife’s head, but since Aubrey was at least dancing around the subject, it hopefully wouldn’t be too long before she could help work through it.

Briefly she wondered if Beca was nervous before deciding that of course she was. The two women were far more alike than either of them usually admitted to. In fact, she’d almost be willing to place a large sum of money that whatever was setting off Aubrey’s nerves was at least partially in Beca’s mind as well.

“Bree?” Stacie waited until Aubrey turned and held up a random negligee. “What about this one?”

“Hmm?” She turned, eyed it narrowly from top to bottom and pursed her lips before giving a single dismissive shake of her head “No.”

As she turned away, Stacie sighed and hung it back up before moving to stand next to Aubrey and flip through the same rack, though she wasn’t paying any attention to the clothing in front of them. “Are you turning your nose up at everything in every store we’ve stopped at today because you can’t find anything you think will make a good impression on the woman who already loves you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Another precise sliding of hangers from right to left.

“You’re using your high voice, Bree.” Stacie nudged her gently with her elbow. “The denial tone doesn’t work on me anymore.” She’d used to think it was just haughty and dismissive – and okay, sometimes it was – but now she knew that it usually hid uncertainty and a need to look in control when Aubrey felt anything but. “You could wear the Bella uniform and she’d still think you’re one of the three hottest women she’s ever seen. She’d be dying to rip it off you.”

Aubrey snorted. “That last is true – mostly because of the PTSD it would cause.”

“Ooh, yeah. That’s probably true.” She waited a moment, trying to figure out the best way to help. “It’s true though. She loves you and when I asked if you wanted to pick up matching lingerie, I didn’t mean to make you think you needed to dress up.”

“No, I know.” Aubrey glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “And I know I don’t, but…” She bit her lip in a very Chloe manner that made Stacie smile. “I want to make it special.”

“The fact that you exist makes every day special, love.” She leaned over and kissed Aubrey’s cheek. “For all of us. What’s really going on?”

With a sigh, Aubrey finally turned to face her, sheepishly meeting her eyes. “I have a lot to make up for.”

“What do you mean?” Stacie’s brow furrowed.

She wondered if there was something else she was missing, having obviously not realized that the two women had never been fully alone together before. Sure, she and Chloe hadn’t yet either – a circumstance they were happily changing next weekend as well – but that was more random luck than anything. She knew how they all felt, knew them better than herself some days, and it had never occurred to her that any of them would be hesitant. Not with how much they loved and trusted each other.

Then again, she reminded herself, they were only three months into their new phase of life. A fact that she found hard to accept since it felt like they had been together for years this way. Plus, Aubrey and Beca were built a little different. More prone to listen to their darker fears even knowing they shouldn’t. Not anymore. And now that Stacie was thinking about it that way, things started falling into place.

“I wasn’t nervous with Chloe because she’s been my home for years. But with Beca…” Aubrey continued, looking down and then back up through lowered brows. “I worry she… It’s just that, the first year I was so terrible.”

“Aubrey.” Stacie very much wanted to reach out and hold her but didn’t think it was the place even if it was the damn time. “You’re both so far past that –”

“Rationally I know that!” Aubrey raised her hands in frustration but kept her voice low. “Or tell myself I do.” She signed softly, shoulders slumping. “But does she know?”

It was said so plaintively that Stacie pulled her into a hug, potential audiences be damned. “Know what, love?”

“That she’s as necessary to my continued existence as you and Chloe.” Aubrey pressed her face into Stacie’s shoulder, the words muffled but the worry coming through loud and clear.

Stacie thought about the way Beca would sometimes watch Aubrey in their quiet moments – while one or the other was working quietly on a laptop on the couch; when Aubrey was taking pictures of her garden, trying out her artistic angles while sober – her eyes so filled with peace and love… Chloe had confided to Stacie that on at least one occasion she’d had to make up some excuse and leave the room because it had moved her to tears.

“Oh… I’m very certain she knows.” Stacie kissed the side of her head. “But I’m definitely behind Project Woo Her if that’s what you want. I will never say no to looking at all these sexy outfits and picturing you in them.” She leaned down and whispered in Aubrey’s ear. “And to imagine Beca slowly removing them from you.” There was nothing more beautiful in Stacie’s mind than the image of any of them being together.

With a laugh, Aubrey stepped back, her smile genuine and more than a touch wicked. “Don’t think you’re going wind me up and lure me into the dressing room, lover.”

Relieved at the teasing, Stacie lifted her chin at the challenge. “Don’t think I’m ever going to give up trying.” She turned Aubrey around and patted her on the ass. “Now, let’s find you something that’ll make Beca’s legs weak before you even lay one silken fingertip on her skin.” Aubrey flashed a wink over her shoulder and Stacie felt some of the tension drain from her. It was likely only temporary, but she’d just do her best to draw the rest of it out or, at the least, keep Aubrey distracted for the next week.

In part she supposed that’s why she had made the suggestion that they go shopping for the non-boring sleepwear that Beca said they should bring over. Both because she wanted to reaffirm, once again, that this was all okay and she was one million percent behind this amazing new life they were making as a foursome. But also, that she expected Aubrey and Beca to enjoy any and all of their moments alone just as Aubrey was encouraging Stacie to do with Chloe. Sure, it might be a little strange to just be two bodies instead of three or four, but they all knew each other inside and out – puns absolutely intended – and she couldn’t imagine it feeling awkward for any of them.

It certainly hadn’t phased Aubrey just a few weeks earlier when she and Chloe had finally realized what had been growing between them for years.

Then again, the rest of them didn’t have the contentious history that Beca and Aubrey did, and the last thing she wanted to do was dismiss Aubrey’s worries and make her feel worse about them. Maybe she’d just have to have a talk with Chloe to see if there was matching nerves and anxiety at the Beale-Mitchell household and see what they could do to help their partners relax. She smirked to herself as she continued that thought and realized that even if she and Chlo failed, once the other two were past the first few minutes they would help each other relax just fine. Repeatedly.

After a couple more minutes of perusing, holding up various outfits up to each other and dismissing them, Stacie pulled a white bustier and panty set and held them up. It was satin and lace, zipped down the center and it was solid with none of the peek-a-boo cutouts that she normally bought. Simple and yet it called to her to try it on.

“Hey Bree? I’m going to go try this one.”

“Oh?” Aubrey turned and Stacie held it behind her back. “Seriously?” She pouted and Stacie laughed.

“You’ll see soon enough.” The pout deepened and she relented. “I won’t make you wait until we’re home – you’ll get to decide if we buy it or not.”

“Oooh, I’m in charge today?” Aubrey’s eyebrows rose in delight.

“For now.” As Aubrey laughed behind her, Stacie made her way to the fitting rooms and found most of them unoccupied. Taking the one against the left wall, she locked the door behind her and quickly stripped, knowing that Aubrey would be drifting closer as she looked for the perfect outfit.

The straps over the shoulder were adjustable and fit comfortably and when she zipped the top closed, it wasn’t constrictive. The front of the bustier came down to points that would pair perfectly with nylons and garter straps if one were so inclined.

Each room had tri-fold mirror on one wall so shoppers could get a better idea of how everything looked from all angles and after a couple minutes of turning this way and that, Stacie decided she approved. She’d also decided that Aubrey would look utterly fucking delicious in this same outfit in black and definitely with nylons. Satisfied with how it fit her, she opened the door and found Aubrey only a little way away, holding up another bustier and panty set that was all silk, lace and almost matched the color of Chloe’s eyes.

“We’re definitely going to have to get that one for her,” Stacie said softly, leaning against the doorframe.

“Yeah?” Aubrey tilted her head as she eyed the outfit. “I think so too.” She finally turned her head and toward the dressing rooms. “I thi –” She stopped mid word, her eyes widening and her hands going slack, suddenly nerveless fingers losing their grip on the hanger and letting it fall to the ground, utterly forgotten.

It immediately brought to mind the night she’d proposed; Aubrey had reflexively dropped the rib that she’d been eating when Stacie had brought out the ring. It almost shamed her to admit it, but her ego purred under the immediate desire that lit Aubrey’s face, even as she marveled that this beautiful and complex woman was hers to love forever.

Then Aubrey was moving, a not-quite-casual swift power walk that bordered on a charge. Stacie was unprepared as her wife pushed her back into the fitting room, closing the door behind them. Stacie started laughing as Aubrey’s hands began to run over her hips and thighs; the amusement at the best reaction she had ever gotten in public from Aubrey filtering the slow building sizzle as the touches burned with serious intent.

“Bree?” The chuckles still bubbled up but they were followed quickly by the urge to moan as Aubrey’s fingertips dipped just under the edge of the panties and slid back and forth.

“Can you be quiet?” Aubrey’s lips were busy pressing kisses to her exposed upper chest and Stacie took an involuntary deep breath, lifting herself closer and it was Aubrey’s turn to chuckle against her skin.

“Me?” Stacie found herself in the unfamiliar position of having her mind short circuit and having to sprint to catch up with her normally restrained in public spouse. “You’re the loud one.”

Aubrey’s head snapped up, indignant. “I am not!” To her credit, it was whispered and not shouted like it usually was at home. The corner of her mouth twitched. “That’s Beca.” She slowly backed Stacie up until she was against the wall.

“Oh, right.” Stacie licked her lips as Aubrey’s hands resumed their wandering over her body. She flicked a look at the door and was grateful to see that even in her rush to get them in the room, Aubrey had locked it behind them. “You’re going to get us kicked out of here before we can buy these, aren’t you?”

“Not if we’re quiet.” She paused, just the slightest bit, giving Stacie the opportunity to stop things before they got too far.

As if.

“Well, I did say you’re in charge…”

With a familiar wicked glint in her eyes, Aubrey’s fingertips once again dipped under the edge of the panties but this time she pushed, her palms skimming down and taking the fabric with them until they fell to the floor. Her nails ran back up the outside of Stacie’s thighs and up her sides to trace the edge of the bustier, tickling as they barely grazed her skin. “God, you look amazing, Stacie.” She flattened her hands and ran them over Stacie’s breasts to her stomach, curving them around her ribs before retracing her steps. “You feel so good.”

It was unspoken that they would need to be quick as well as quiet. There had only been a handful of times that Stacie had been able to coax Aubrey into anything even half as risky and all of them had been at night and most with alcohol. She knew without being told that if she hadn’t come before Aubrey reached whatever timer she had going on in her head, Stacie would have to wait until they got home.

Aubrey’s fingers were on the zipper of the bustier and Stacie could tell she wanted to do it slow, teasingly, but they just didn’t have that sort of time. She pulled normally, as if this were any normal trying on of outfits, but the second Stacie’s breasts were free, her lips covered one nipple and sucked lightly.

Stacie’s head rebounded lightly off the wall as she jerked in pure reaction and she winced at the small thump, hoping it didn’t carry. She tried to say something, anything, to keep anyone from asking if she was okay, but even a simple “Oops” wouldn’t pass her lips when Aubrey’s hand slid down and cupped her center.

“I think that one looks great, Stace.” Aubrey’s voice was shockingly even for someone who’s lips brushed Stacie’s nipple as she spoke for the benefit of an audience that might not even exist. “Try the other one.” As if her middle finger wasn’t slightly stroking Stacie’s clit in all the right ways to make her whimper even though that was definitely not in today’s rules.

‘Let’s hear it for Posen control,’ she thought giddily, her legs parting to give Aubrey a little more room. But even as she really hoped Aubrey didn’t expect her to answer, she looked down and saw Aubrey’s eyebrow lift in challenge.

Goddamnit.

She licked lips suddenly gone dry and took a deep breath. “Sure, Bree.” She was rewarded by Aubrey’s mouth on her breast once more, tongue swirling to match the motions of her middle finger.

Stacie could already tell it wasn’t going to take long, the sheer fact of Aubrey – her unbelievably sexy but usually-proper-in-public wife – taking her in broad goddamned daylight, even if they were in a locked room, was enough to throw her halfway to orgasm; she could hear people talking in other rooms for fucks sake and Aubrey was still touching her and showing no signs of stopping.

With an ease brought about only by familiarity and deep trust, it didn’t take long for Aubrey to have Stacie wet and writhing against her. She swallowed the gasp as those long, skillful fingers filled her in a way guaranteed to reduce her to a trembling mess in their bed. Except she was plastered to a wall and had to lock her knees to keep herself upright as Aubrey took her in complete silence, their eyes locked together.

She would have thought it was the images of them in the mirrors that surrounded them that would have done it, but it was Aubrey’s gaze softening from wicked determination to sensual devotion – a distinction and emotion Stacie had never known before Aubrey – that pushed Stacie to the peak. She reached down with her hand and gripped Aubrey’s wrist, pulling up until Aubrey understood what she was after and thrust deep within, her palm tight to the curve of Stacie’s body; letting her set the pace and take what she needed. Her eyes closing involuntarily, Stacie rolled her hips, rising and falling, chasing her release until Aubrey leaned forward and raised ever so slightly on her tiptoes to whisper in Stacie’s ear.

“Come for me, mon Soleil.”

Her body surrendered instantaneously. She pulled harder on Aubrey’s wrist, her hips driving downward in rocking spasms as she rode Aubrey’s touch. Eventually her body slowed and she realized she had no idea how much time had gone by, though she was very aware she didn’t have enough time to sink into the blissful lassitude spreading through her muscles in the aftermath. They had to pull themselves together – or apart as the case may be – and clean up. There was also no way they were leaving without buying the garments that had been so gleefully stripped from her.

In several variations.

Leaning against the wall, she kept her eyes closed for another few moments, enjoying the languor before she had to hustle back into her clothes. Except she heard another zipper and looked around to find Aubrey digging into her purse one handed. She couldn’t help it; she started laughing as Aubrey pulled out a pack of wet wipes.

“Always prepared, aren’t you, love?” Just one of the legion of reasons she had fallen in love.

Despite the hint of rose in her cheeks, Aubrey handed over several. “Never know when they might come in handy.” In a lower aside, she half muttered, “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to go walking through the shop with you all over my hand.” A pause. “You’re definitely going to go pay and I’ll meet you in the car.”

Stacie merely smiled. “’Kay.”

It didn’t take long to clean themselves up and for Stacie to get dressed. When Aubrey left the room, power walking like a champ, Stacie took another moment to rearrange the outfit on the hanger and hopefully make it less obvious the room had been very occupied.

When she went back to the rack, she kept an unobtrusive eye on other shoppers but no one seemed to be paying any special attention to her. Deciding to stop worrying about it, she picked up the same outfit in black in Aubrey’s size, as well as a red outfit of similar design that caught her eye. It took only another moment to find the blue lingerie Aubrey had been holding and bring all four outfits up to the counter.

Finishing the transaction without the cashier giving her any sort of knowing look, she pushed her way through the door and out into the bright sun, wishing she’d brought her sunglasses with her. Lengthening her stride, she headed down the block to where they’d parked the car, anticipation singing through her veins like champagne. She couldn’t wait to get Aubrey home and in bed to return the gift she’d just been given…

And maybe later they’d invite Beca and Chloe over and see who was louder once and for all.

#aubrey posen #stacie conrad #chloe beale #beca mitchell #staubrey #bechloe #bellas squared #a shared lifetime #cyc writes #a few days #pitch perfect fanfic

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tollingreminiscentbells · 5 months

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RoCS Side Story: Simon and Harry

Since people sometimes ask about Simon and backstory and things of that nature, I thought I'd deliver with a little bit of side content! Specifically, Simon and baby Harry meeting for the first time. A little shy of 1,000 words below the cut, if Harry's early childhood, and Simon's take on how to talk to toddlers, is of interest to you.

“I’m here to see the boy.”

The older woman currently responsible for the care of Harry Potter looks at Simon with extreme skepticism. Simon doesn’t blame her—he wouldn’t trust him, either.

“Harry,” he amends, because he knows he wouldn’t appreciate being referred to as the boy and, even if Harry isn’t present for this conversation, it’s the principle of the fucking thing.

She still looks profoundly unimpressed, but nods. The Dark Lord must have let her know Simon was coming, though he can’t imagine she was fully prepared to be confronted with a skinny twenty-year-old who hasn’t slept in almost thirty hours.

In hindsight, that might have been an error in judgment on his part.

“This way,” she says stiffly.

“Thank you,” he says, following her down the hall and up a flight of stairs.

Their destination turns out to be a small nursery on the second floor, just off the landing. And there, sitting in a crib under the window, playing with a stuffed dog, is the child the Dark Lord inexplicably thinks Simon is fit to raise.

“I’ll be back in fifteen minutes,” the woman tells him. She leaves the door open on her way out.

Simon watches her go, then turns his attention to Harry, who is watching him with fascination, the stuffed toy forgotten. They stare at each other for a moment and then Simon says, “Hello.”

Harry waves. “Hi.”

“Oh.” Simon blinks at him. “You can talk. Sorry, I didn’t realize.”

Harry giggles and says again, “Hi.”

“Albeit with a somewhat limited vocabulary.” Simon crosses the room and folds his arms against the side of the crib. “I suppose you are only . . . how old are you?” He shakes his head. “I don’t know why I’m asking you, you’re a baby. Or are you a toddler? Is there a discrete point where one becomes the other?”

Every word that leaves his mouth is just more evidence that he has no business even being here. Of all the wizards in Britain, Simon Glass might be the last one anyone should entrust a small child to, particularly a small child as important as Harry Potter.

Said small child is stretching his arms in Simon’s direction. “Up.”

“You want out of the cage? I don’t blame you.”

He’s never picked up a toddler before, but the principle seems straightforward enough and he reaches down to wrap his arms around Harry and lift him up and over the side of the crib. He’s heavier than he looks, but Simon doesn’t drop him and instead gets them both situated on the floor, so he’ll consider that a success.

The bar is so low he’d have to start tunneling to go any lower.

And then they’re back to staring at each other because of course they are. Simon has never felt more out of his depth in his life. This is worse than the day he got arrested.

“I don’t know what to do,” he admits quietly.

Harry tilts his head curiously, but Simon’s uncertainty might be affecting him because his face is starting to screw up like he’s going to cry. In a tiny, plaintive voice, he says, “Mama?”

Oh. Oh no.

But Harry really looks like he’s going to cry now, so Simon does the only thing he can think of: he starts talking again. “She’s . . . she’s not coming back, I'm sorry. Neither of them are.” He tries to smile and is very certain he fails. “My mother died a long time ago—I don’t remember her very well. I wish it had been the other way around and my father died first, but no one asked me.” He reaches out and brushes messy hair off Harry’s forehead. “No one asked you, either, did they? I suppose we’re alike that way.”

The talking strategy seems to be working because Harry is once more looking at Simon with some degree of interest, the tears held at bay. He makes a noise that isn’t quite a word, but Simon has spent most of his life not being understood by the people around him, so he nods. “Just so.”

Harry smiles at him, which makes him quite possibly the only person who has ever found Simon remotely amusing, and Simon sighs. “I’m not cut out to be a parent,” he tells him flatly. “The house is horrible and I can’t cook. I don’t know anything about children. And there’s no one else, so you won’t even be getting a proper family out of the deal. This is a terrible idea and I don’t know why anyone would even entertain it.”

Harry holds out a hand and Simon takes it, watching as pudgy fingers curl around his index and middle fingers. It’s kind of sweet, actually. Reaching out to Simon like he’s in any way fit to be here, like Simon is someone he might conceivably be comforted by.

Perhaps the Dark Lord knew Simon better than he knows himself because there really isn't a decision to be made, is there? It was made the moment Simon walked in the door. Or maybe even sooner. The moment he agreed to meet Harry Potter at all.

Harry is alone in the world now, but Simon has an idea of what that’s like and maybe . . . maybe that will be enough to get them started. A foundation he can build on, if he manages to keep them both alive long enough to try.

Looking into Harry's bright green eyes, he finds that he wants to try.

“I suppose I should introduce myself, shouldn’t I?” When Harry smiles again, he smiles back. “I’m Simon.”

#revolution of configured stars #rocs #my fics

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chirpsythismorning · 10 months

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When do you think the strike will be over ? ( sorry if you’ve answered this before )

Well now with SAG in the mix, there is a sliver of hope that the writer's strike could end sooner than if the actors didn't strike. That doesn't mean that it will all end tomorrow, but it does increase the chances of a fair deal being reached for both a lot sooner than what people were expecting for the WGA on their own, especially because their demands overlap with the actors in a lot of areas, ie. residuals, AI.

If the actors can manage to get a deal that they see as fair, specifically their demands that are non-negotiable, maybe there's a chance it could overlap with the non-negotiable demands of the writers.

Quite frankly, public support for the writers strike was already starting to dwindle over the last few weeks. And so if SAG didn't strike, it's very likely hope for a fair deal on behalf of the writers would have depleted amongst the public, leading to impatient consumers wanting their entertainment to roll-out, and resorting to taking their frustration out on the writers. This could have lead to the writers either giving up sooner because of lack of public support, or at best holding out until Oct/Nov, being forced to give in to an abhorrent deal. Because I just can't imagine how hard it would have been to fight for so long, all while not having the support that makes fighting so much more worthwhile. Despite all the hardships that striking entails, the public coming together to show their support in a really impactful way, is why strikes can have a huge impact and lead to real change.

Studios really fucked themselves over within the last like 72 hrs though especially. The way they have chosen to go about this has been so detrimental to how they probably envisioned this would go down (how they probably reassured their shareholders it would go down). This might just be their worst case scenario, that being the actors striking along with the writers (DGA joining would have been their nightmare scenario).

Because these studios have so much money and power, they are capable of essentially colluding and bribing amongst major news outlets (many of them are all owned by like a few people, with ties to the AMPTP??...), which means all major reporting on the strike is coming from a source that is going to prioritize the interest of those who are lining their pockets, not necessarily the unbiased truth. And even when the reporting includes most of the truth in the details, they headline it with the most misleading title, putting the writers in a bad light, knowing full well most of the public will only read that far and leave it at that.

Which is why it's important that I mention this next part within the context of everything going on, which is that it's believed that this report was a plant by the studio executives in a last ditch effort to instill doubt and fear amongst writers striking and actors on the cusp of joining.

Unfortunately for them, it backfired.

Within 24 hrs of the SAG strike being announced, the studios themselves managed to manufacture even more support for the unions, both writers and actors alike, all because of their less than humane approach to this strike. And the craziest part, is that they've let us know this was their plan the whole time.

Back in late April, when asked about the potential writer's strike, Ted Sarandos revealed that Netflix could hold up for the next 6 months comfortably, and boasted that they would also fair well among their competitors in the case it did happen. Combine that with that Deadline article and it pretty much checks out. This makes their recent attempts to backtrack and deny that report (a report they themselves likely planted at the last minute to scare both unions) even more pathetic given Sarandos already low-key admitted this was his plan before the strike even began.

Sarandos mentioning the 2008 strike and acting all concerned about how it affected the economy after, putting blame on the writers for fighting to be paid fairly, was his backhanded attempt at compassion, and of course followed by a No worries tho! We're the best amongst our competition!! Like I get that this was a quarterly earnings call, but Jesus Christ, Ted.! You're basically admitting that you are the enemy amongst all of the enemies in this situation...??

Don't get me wrong, I do believe all of the studios have a role in this. But there is also a reason why a lot of people in Hollywood refer to this strike as The Netflix Strike. And it's because Netflix has played the biggest role in changing how we as a society consume media. We are in large part here in this situation amongst all these streaming competitors, because of Netflix.

Everyone. Disney, Warner Bros, the entire film industry, has been flipped upside down, forced to play ball with a company that BENEFITED from the 2008 strike. And yet Ted has the nerve to act like Netflix CARES about how people were impacted by the 2008 strike, when it was literally the backbone of their success?...

No, this doesn't mean Netflix holds all the cards, as they are still amongst companies that have been here LONG before they have. Still, they no doubt hold a lot of the cards because of their role in all of this. Everyone else is following their lead, hoping to outperform Netflix and every other competitor.

The reason Netflix doesn't want to reveal their numbers, is because if the numbers are astronomical or even just decent, that means they are going to have to compensate ALL of the workers within that production fairly, based on similar factors that were considered for broadcast television.

The problem with this, is that Netflix's prefers to invest in new shows consistently, only with the intention of renewing the content that makes the most obscene amounts of money, while dropping everything else, even stuff that probably would have been considered as performing average or even above average by broadcast television standards.

This means that, instead of making an obscene amount of money greedily as a result of underpaying their workforce because of lack of transparency about their numbers, they'll have to make a less obscene amount and simply pay their workforce for what they are actually worth.

I understand there are complicated factors, like rewatch hours and the fact that every single home has control over what they’re watching, at all times. So yes, they should sit down and make a deal that considers the complexities of how broadcast is different in some ways than streaming. But, just the simple fact that they are acting as if it's impossible or this huge inconvenience to do the math and figure it out, is how you know it’s more likely the opposite. Nielsen managed to measure audience viewership in the 1950’s, and yet you expect me to believe that it's suddenly impossible to know those same numbers with streaming, all the while they are prepared to make deals with AI taking over? Be fucking serious.

It's just so obvious that they know their workforce is by and large worth a lot more than they are even asking for in this strike. And so, if they have to lay it all out there, they risk losing a loophole they created that allows them to make obscene amounts money inhumanely and unscathed. It's no wonder they view this as a deal breaker for them, because bye bye maximizing profits and hello having to accept that you can’t see exponential growth forever.

That's probably the main thing that I think they are struggling with, is revealing their numbers.

Other streamers that are more new to this game are probably scared about revealing their numbers because it will be revealed that they aren't doing nearly as good as they've bluffed to stress their competitors, which could also turn subscribers away AND still mean paying their workforce fairly. I think that's a big part of why they're pulling series off of platforms like Paramount+ and Disney+, because overall watch time beyond those first few weeks, will reveal that they should be paying their workforce more than they currently are.

Basically, it's a mess.

Both sides, the writers and actors vs. the studios, have certain points that are non-negotiable for them, but that are so far apart, which is what makes it difficult for either side to budge.

Basically, the endgame the studios hoped for was to either have the writers settle with their offer at any point, or somewhere down the line, like October at the latest. It's also speculated that they were planning on relying on SAG not striking, because that meant they could get away with filming out of the country on at least a decent amount of productions. The WGA doesn't have much say internationally, whereas SAG does in a lot of places. So it's starting to look pretty bleak for the studios who were depending on certain loopholes to keep filming going despite the writers strike.

This means Hollywood being almost entirely shut down, as opposed to only like 60% shut down. A double strike with closer to like 90% of productions shut down is a big deal for the studios short term, let alone long term. Arguably, it is something that might very well force them to make a fair deal sooner than later.

If you want my deluded optimistic opinion, we could be looking at some progress by the end of the month, but with us not seeing a deal officially until August/September. If you want my realistic opinion, we could be looking at unexpected bumps along the way that are impossible to anticipate, which means a deal coming closer to October, assuming the studios want to stick to their original plan and then have no choice but to give in since a double strike at that point couldn't go much further without being detrimental to them and then satisfying their shareholders. Worst case scenario, we could be looking at the year coming to a close with no fair deal in sight and with Hollywood self-destructing, with no productions making a return indefinitely and the world seeing a whole new system of entertainment break through on the other side of all of this.

All we can do is show support to unions as much as we can. Whether it be the writers, actors or even UPS who is anticipated to strike August 1st, the public coming together is essential to us getting through this and them coming out better off because of it, which is what strikes are all about. All of this wasn't worth it if they don't get anything out of it in the end, which means sticking it out for as long as they can until the studios get their heads out of their asses, if that's what it takes.

I have been keeping updated over the last few days on tags like #wga strike and #sag strike, where a lot of other users have made valuable information super accessible for fans who want to donate or just find out more about the strike and any ways they can help show support. Be sure to follow those tags as there are a lot of great posts that detail other aspects of this that are so important to understand the overall picture. Also keep up on other social media going forward, from people striking themselves because stuff is going to get pretty crazy in terms of reporting on the strike(s). So be prepared for that!

I know that a lot of us are excited about the final season and things are looking bleak right now, but it’s important that we don’t take our frustration out on the writers and actors and others striking for the absolute bare minimum, because right now they’re not even getting that. They are fighting for things that could have the capacity to impact everyday people in all walks of life outside of the entertainment industry.

So if you’re a fan who gets a lot joy out of ST or basically any of the productions impacted by the studios inability to agree to a fair deal, and that joy inspires you to want to fight for something, you’re in a great position to prove to them that their consumers, who they depend on to hold their positions, are not going to side with them on this.

They have the ability to end this right now and yet they refuse to.

Until they do, give em’ hell.

#byler #stranger things #st writers #writers strike #actors strike

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f0point5 · 3 months

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Doing this completely anon cause I'm genuinely scared of the backlash that may occur - This is controversial and also contradictory so im willing to be shat on for this hot take.

Charles cannot seriously be hoping to win races and be a world champion. I've got no proof just my own absurd theories but I seriously cannot see him becoming a wc. Lando is the same. They both are so alike. One bad race or bad moment and they shit on themselves and lose control and take a week to bounce back from it. I as much as I have love for them and am starting to think they genuinely believe they will win a dc. Oscar and Carlos are the only ones who could on either team as it currently stands. Unlike merc where George could in the team even tho he is lewis' teamate he actually could. But Charles and lando can't unless they change their mindset and team. And tbh to some extent I see both Charles and lando not nearly serious enough about f1 at the moment. And I know 'social media is fake and only shows so much blah blah blah we dont know them personally' but if they gave a fuck they'd risk the money and try and get into redbull. They'd risk thier paychecks and get the money invested into the team. And again I know I don't know what is happening behind the scenes and I'm whatever for saying this but Charles won't win a dc and neither will lando. Max is by far the most authentic, marketable, talented and most relatable driver and I'm a lewis girl (well more lance than lewis but just showing my bias that typically happens with lewis fans).

- Charles isn't dedicated (I believe)

- lando isn't either

- neither will win a wdc

- this celebrity branding thats going on is fucking ridiculous, lewis and max (although he's not nearly as willing to want the title) are the only ones who truly deserve it

- Daniel while yes is charismatic isn't all that talented anymore and would do better in another series. (I included Daniel cause I thought of the celeb status and him)

- and also drivers can only be so relatable and likeable as long as they stay grounded and don't seem so big for their boots and tbh again as a lewis fan (initally) I'm just not really caring for him and the va va voom of him anymore (that was wierd admitting) and when Charles is getting more 'celeb-like' he becomes more unlikable same with lando...

This was long and I apologise 😭🫶🏻

WOAH. Okay we about to get trashed for this but ya know what, idc, I partially agree with you.

I don’t think Charles, or Lando, will ever win a WDC. I think of the two of them Charles is the one with the real shot, because I think he has a much stronger mentality than Lando. I don’t think the pressure gets to him for pressure’s sake the way it does with Lando. I think where Charles knows he doesn’t have the equipment he gets desperate, and mistakes happen. Whereas Lando just can’t seem to hold it together over a weekend, and I think a lot of what affects Lando happens outside the car, which is why he would crumble in a title fight. That said, I think time will run out for Charles, George, Carlos, Lando, etc. Those teams won’t catch up to Red Bull before ‘26 and by then Oscar, and whoever else has come in from the next generation will be younger and hungrier, and the next cycle will start. For me, they will miss their window. I won’t say for sure but that’s my feeling, and if by the end of next season the Ferrari team is not operating like Red Bull (meaning they have a clear #1 driver, and their strategy and pit stops are where they need to be) it will be clear that not even Fred can change the tide and they are an unserious team where Charles will waste his talent.

I disagree that it would be a smart idea to get into Red Bull. Tbh I don’t think Red Bull would want Charles, but that’s another issue. That team is Max’s and it will be until he leaves (or suddenly can’t drive a car anymore but that won’t happen). As a driver, you have to think you’re the best driver, but I don’t think either Charles or Lando is delulu enough to think that they could beat Max in Max’s Red Bull (and this is not me saying they build the car for Max, I’m saying that when Newey hands you a car and Max is saying “make it faster” and everything you do to the car to make it driveable only makes it slower…you are fighting a losing battle). Red Bull would not only be a waste of time for them, but yes, probably a big financial loss, because they both benefit from marketing themselves as #1 drivers at the moment.

I have to say, I agree that it doesn’t seem to me that Charles is as committed to being WDC as he could be. Disclaimer - this is purely based off vibes, I don’t know the guy. I’m not saying he’s not doing his job, he absolutely is, but the self promotion levels, at a time when the results are not resulting…signals to me he’s branching out. I talked a lot last season about how I think he’s transitioning out of the “Il Predestinato” image, and how I felt part of that is because it is becoming less likely that he will win a WDC. I think it’s clever of him to think about doing other things though, because so much of what it takes to get a dc is out of his control, and he doesn’t even have the bare bones of a team or a car that will let him challenge for a title. There is no point in him waiting around for Ferrari to get it together, if they get it together he can revisit but right now…I think it’s in his best interest to get his bag.

I don’t think there’s many similarities between Charles and Lando’s path here, Lando is a wholeeee other essay 😂

But I disagree that the branding is ridiculous, I think it’s a logical thing to do. Yes these guys make good money from their teams but that won’t last forever, they have pretty short careers. It’s good for them to use their platform to build income streams for themselves that will go beyond their F1 career. Charles previously hadn’t been able to do that and now he is, which is definitely a positive. I will give Max and his team props here because I think he’s sneakily got the best alternative income streams of anyone. Verstappen.com must absolutely be raking it in with those grandstand deals, the merch is consistent, his brand deals are minimal but they’re big and they stick with him. My point is, drivers do need alternative income streams, especially when their brand can’t just be “I win”.

Lewis a master at this, I will admit, I just don’t like his brand. But it is consistent and he has managed to transcend F1 as his own brand which will keep him comfortable for the rest of his life, so good for him. I don’t buy into the brand but the brand is branding, I have to recognise.

I don’t really get Charles’s brand identity yet lol so I can’t tell if how likeable it will be. I mean, currently he is very liked, it’s possible it will stay that way. I really couldn’t say. I think Lando is about to have an unlikeable season but I also think his “babygirl brat” thing is pretty amusing and won’t ultimately alienate his fan base.

It was long but it was fun. The villagers will come for us with pitchforks for this opinion though.

#it’s a piping hot take #i said what I said #it’s not that deep don’t come in here with a 95 thesis of bitter complaints #we love a chat but keep it chill #f1 #formula 1 #charles leclerc #lando norris

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pumpkincarriage3 · 1 year

Text

Malleus Draconia: Character Analysis

This is a character analysis of Malleus Draconia. Please keep in mind that I haven’t been apart of the fandom for a super long time, so I’ll probably get some things wrong. But I’m more than welling to have corrections, so if you see anything inherently incorrect on my analysis, please feel free to tell me.

Onto that character analysis --

Something I’ve noticed about Malleus is how inherently Fae he is. Which sounds weird, because he is a Fae, but I mean in the sense of how much Malleus was based around the old stories of Fae.

One thing being that he likes ice cream. Part of that reason, at least as far as the implication goes, is that he likes cold desserts in general. Which is true, probably because he is a dragon and can breathe fire, so he probably likes something cold going down his throat. At least, that seems to be the implication.

But another thing most people don’t know is that in older stories, Fae were known to like cream. In fact, Malleus himself when eating a melon, filled with ice cream, in the A Firelit Sky over the Sands, he remarks how creamy it is.

Malleus himself also has a bit of a playful streak. In-particular, I can think of is in Malleus’s gym uniform vignette and some of the events that happened in A Firelit Sky over the Sands, he messes with both Cater and Grimm, respectively. Cater in the way that he runs around when Cater tries to get a picture, and with Grimm how he moves so Grimm can’t get in his shadow. He even tells them the can both do the things they wish to, as long as they find a way to do it.

He also makes quite a few jokes here and there, but most people don’t realize he’s joking. This being because he constantly has to hold himself to a certain decorum because he is the first in line for the throne, and that typically carries over into when he’s playing a joke unless he’s being really playful.

Fae normalcy and Fae morals are also different from any other creature. Something Malleus inherited. Proof by the Halloween events and his actions. Even the other characters, human, beastmen, and mermen alike all say that Fae standards are skewed. Fae have such different moral standards that all the other creatures think its strange. Which, holds as far as folklore goes.

One could even category him allowing both Grimm and Yuu to call him Tsunotaro as his way of making a joke. He admits to Vil that part of the reason that he allows Yuu to do so is because he found it amusing, mainly because Vil calls him out on it for “messing with his juniors”. Malleus accusing Vil of the same.

Another thing would be how he doesn’t give out his name right away. Which, this is because he doesn’t want Yuu to know who he is, but names are important to Fae. A name holds a lot of power over someone.

This might be part of the reason he allows Yuu to keep calling him as such even when they figure out who he is, because he told them they could call him whatever they want previously. Fae’s are trickster by nature, but they always keep their end of the bargain and keep their word. He told Yuu they could call him that previously, so allowing them to do so is him keeping his word. As an added benefit, it’s a name that he finds amusing.

It could also be why he has such a superiority complex. Fae are known to see themselves above humans and have a bit of an ego. Which explains Sebek’s discrimination towards humans, and Malleus’ superiority complex any time we do get to see it.

And he does have one. He thinks himself superior to most. Either this be because of his magic, being Fae, or even because he’s a prince -- who knows -- it might even be all three.

But even with his superiority complex, he gets lonely because most people run away in terror. Or when his own subjects talk about him as if he’s some god, putting him up on some pedestal that he can’t get down from. He unknowingly also puts himself up there, because he does have superiority complex. He unknowingly flaunts his greatest assets but gets annoyed when people put themselves at a distance from him. A self-fulfilling prophecy in a way.

Especially if you consider he might be flaunting his assets to draw people to him, but ends up doing the exact opposite. But I can see it going both ways. To either scare people away or draw them closer.

It’s why he finds people with such a different reaction to him so amusing, because their reaction is so different. So he wants to keep them around for his own entertainment. Once again establishing that distance without realizing it.

It’s why he glorifies gargoyles and abandoned places so much. He feels lonely because everyone is at a distance, so he goes to the places that he relates to on some level. Abandoned buildings can be dangerous, and gargoyles are seen as things meant to scare things away, most people ignore them, so he relates to them. That’s why he likes them so much.

He also gets offended relatively easily, he does a good job of showing that he isn’t upset, more than likely because he is the next sovereign, but he does easily get offended. Another thing Fae do.

That’s not to he doesn’t care for people. He does. We see proof of this in Chapter Six in regards to Yuu. In regards to his retainers and guards in many other instances. But he doesn’t always realize he cares for them. For several different reasons.

One being, that he is always at such a distance to people. Because people put him up on a pedestal. So, he’s never gotten to sit down and really interact. His guards and retainers don’t count because he knows they have to hang around him because that’s their jobs. Not to say that they don’t care for Malleus and he doesn’t care for them in turn, but no doubt the presence of the imbalance of the power dynamics in the relationship is always there. They can’t get away from it and have to act within how their duty calls for.

He was also very isolated. He’s never gone very far from his castle, except for when he’s sneaking out. And people typically know who he is, so he probably never really stuck around to chat until Yuu came along. He’s been surrounded by Fae who live a very long time.

Everything has always been static for him. Nothing major ever changes because he grew up around people who isolated him from the world and move at a slow pace. It’s his normal. Where nothing major ever changes.

And then Yuu comes along, being the first major change in a long time. Its why he doesn’t realize he cares for them. At first he likes them simply for the entertainment that they provide, until he actually learns to care for them as themselves. Something so rare and foreign and outside of the normal, he doesn’t realize it until they are already gone. And even then, he doesn’t actually realize it. He’s just beginning to contemplate the idea that he *might* care for them.

It’s probably why Chapter Seven more than likely will be him coming to the understanding that things actively change and rarely is the world forgiving.

This probably seems more like a ramble than an analysis, but its just my thoughts on the subject. I might do more character analysis or maybe not. Is there anyone people would be interested in seeing a character analysis on if that’s the case?

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