#not only he was one of the most influential players in team
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#mason mount#Armando Broja#what do u mean all the help he gave u stop it rn#not only he was one of the most influential players in team#he was also helped everyone in the club
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CHRIST! your writing is absolutely gorgeous, i love it so much <3
i was wondering if i could request a husk x reader angst, where it's extermination day and reader gets severely injured while protecting husk? kinda something like an executioner lunges at husk while his back is turned so reader saves him from dying but in turn ends up dying instead? as the reader is dying they're also trying to comfort husk, telling him that they wanted to save him. probably a scene where husk is shaking the readers dead body begging them to wake up, that they were supposed to be the one who died and not them????
(i am a sucker for husk angst, and there isn't enough of it ; ;)
Oh my- oh my gosh- LISTEN- I KNOW IM USUALLY A FLUFF WRITER
But this is awesome and I’m a sucker for angst. Yall have no idea. >:)
Ask and you shall receive~
Husk x GN!Reader ANGST
~Live Happy~
Warnings‼️:Angst, gore, blood, heartbreak, descriptions of death, descriptions of grief, not a happy ending, the author is TERRIBLE at writing fight scenes, swearing, Pentious’ is mentioned but barely acknowledged.
~Semi proofread~
Extermination day was here.
The hotel was prepared, armed with the hotel’s residents and Rosie’s Rebellious Cannibals. The sky split, golden light pouring down on Hell’s dark cities. The sight would’ve been beautiful under any other circumstance, something you had hoped to see when death crept up on you. But as villainous angels swooped down from the portal to the golden realm, reality struck like a knife.
As much as you wished to be living afterlife comfortably, with no threats or potential harm to come,
You weren’t completely alone.
“Now! For yours souls!” Vaggie shouts, causing you to grip your angelic weapon tighter. Adrenaline pumps through your veins making your heart quicken its pace. Your hands trembled slightly against your hold on the weapon. The moment didn’t feel real, how had it come to this? You had tunnel vision towards the direction of the portal.
“You ready for this, hot shot?” You hear to your side, making your head snap in the direction where it came from.
There you saw Husk, offering a grin to you. Of course he was nervous, equally as nervous as you were. Husk’s eyes shook wildly with anxiety, gripping some explosive dice in his palm. You felt a boost of confidence, knowing that whatever was to happen, Husk would be there.
Your relationship with Husk only started when you found the hotel on a whim. You had ‘joined’ the princess’ team when you just needed a place to stay and keep safe. So much that did for you when war was about to commence.
But you wouldn’t have traded your impulsive decision to go to the hotel for anything. Sure, the reason the Hazbin Hotel existed was for redemption, something that felt so unfit for you. However, through your stay, you made friends and memories that put your old life to shame.
Husk being one of the most influential players in you staying and fighting for the hotel. At first Husk was tough, hard as nails and sharp as a knife. You shared a few drinks with him on late nights, not really speaking much until you were too tipsy to comprehend words leaving your mouth. It was something Husk was used to. Sinners coming to his bar, getting drunk, and spilling their guts to him.
Husk found your company different than the rest of the hotel members. You were oftentimes quiet, which he could appreciate. But you had a way of being able to sense his emotions. Anytime he was frustrated, he found you somehow just knowing and trying to find a way to calm him. Your company was more intoxicating than any liquor he could get his hands on in Hell.
Did Husk gain certain feelings for you just because you were willing to listen to him? Highly possible.
Was he ever going to act on those feelings? Not in this afterlife, maybe the next.
He couldn’t bear the thought of you guys growing distance all because he couldn’t get a grip. He could put on a brave face and stayed mature, never willing to ruin the bond you both shared.
Unaware of the effects Husk had on you by his little comment, a smirk works its way on your lips. You chuckle, twirling the angelic weapon in your hand.
“As I’ll ever be, whiskers.” You comment back, letting Husk roll his eyes at the nickname you called him. He had no time to come back with any witty banter.
There were more pressing matters at hand.
Surviving.
Battle started, angels swooping down with weapons at the ready. Aimlessly swinging and stabbing at demons ready to rebel. You were never a fantastic fighter, but if meant for your soul, for you to see afterlife better than this, you’d fight until your legs couldn’t carry you anymore.
It didn’t take long for Alastor to form a shield around the hotel and its rebellious sinners. His laugh echoed loud against the shields walls that formed, causing the angels trapped inside and be slaughtered. The sound of explosions, the smell of dirt and angelic blood, it was intoxicating. Revenge felt so sweet as you plunged your angelic weapon into an angel’s gut, letting them fall from grace. You yanked your weapon out, the silver now coated in liquid gold.
When the angel’s movements came to a halt, you couldn’t help but grin. It felt so freeing, all those years in Hell you stayed scared and hidden. Now it was the angels who looked weak by your hand. Your senses filled with empowerment, hope for the future as you continued your slaughter.
With a loud boom, the ground beneath you shook. Hell’s red skies got brighter as Alastor’s shield slowly cracked away, broken by Adam who wore a sinister grin. Your eyes widened, as more angels found the opportunity to swoop down and attack. You took a few steps back, pupils beginning to shake.
There were so many of them.
Your shoulder collided with Husk’s as you backed up. You stumbled a bit, looking over at Husk, gripping your weapon tighter in case he was an enemy. Husk put his hands up in defense. You relax once you see who you had bumped into, seeing no threat. Husk sees the panic in your eyes, how your body started to freeze in fear of any movement that would cause attention to you. He gently grabs your forearm. Despite how unsure he was about how this was all going to play out, he wanted- needed- to keep you safe. And part of that was making sure you were not frozen in fear, waiting for an angel to come attack you.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay.. we’ve got this. Just stick with me, okay?” Husk held your forearm, pulling you closer to him. Your body, like a dog to a dinner bell, instinctively relaxed under his touch. How long had he had this power over you? Even in war, Husk’s presence felt so warm.
Your eyes catch something behind Husk, making them widened. You pull on Husk’s arm, dragging him behind you. With a need to protect, you plunge your angelic weapon into an angel’s throat, that had just been behind Husk, ready to strike. The angel falls limp against your weapon, falling to the ground. Golden blood sprays out of the angel’s neck as your rip your weapon out. You wipe your face with your sleeve, looking back at Husk who looked shocked yet amused by your sudden attack.
“Stick together.” You say, a new sense of accomplishment running through your veins at Husk’s silent approval.
And that is how you fought, making sure you had your friend’s backs whenever they needed. You weren’t alone. You were all fighting for a cause you weren’t sure you really believed in. This wasn’t just a fight for Charlie though. It was to prove that despite how something beyond you decided you were demonic, you weren’t helpless.
Holy light struck the ground, making it shake once again. You looked up to see Adam, shooting rays of golden light down at you and your team. Where was Alastor?? Wasn’t he supposed to be fending off Adam-
Realization hits like a freight train. It got harder and harder to fend off the angels, especially now with Adam’s brutal attacks. You watch Pentious’ ship suddenly start to fly its way right towards Adam.
“That crazy motherfucker..” You hear AngelDust mutter, watching Pentious’ ship head straight towards Adam, its death ray lighting up. In the blink of an eye, the ship disappeared with a single shot of holy light towards it. Your eyes widen as your heart shatters a bit.
Charlie falls to her knees, Vaggie moving down to comfort her. You hang your head low, swearing under your breath and wiping away the tears that threatened to fall. You didn’t even have time to grieve the loss that just happened. You hear Charlie growl under her breath, losing control of herself over the loss of someone she had promised to protect.
She called for Razzle and Dazzle, the two once small rams turning to dragons as Charlie let her true colors show. Vaggie and Charlie flew off towards Adam, a thirst for revenge of a fallen solider evident.
But that left you, Husk, Angel, and Cherri down alone, with the army of cannibals whose numbers were quickly falling. You were exhausted but had no time to pause, each exorcist attacking right after another. As you stabbed through another exorcist, each breath made your lungs feel like fire, unable to get a real breath in.
“Agh—! Fuck-!” You hear Husk swear, causing you to turn in his direction. You watch an exorcist pull him down by his ankle out of the sky. The exorcist yanked Husk to the ground. Husk was quick to regain himself, reaching into his pocket for more explosive dice. Before he can grab it out, the clever exorcist stabbed their spear through Husk’s wing.
Husk cried out in pain, now being pinned down on his stomach. The spear had gone through the base of his wing and now dug into the ground below him, making him unable to move without tearing his wing in two. Husk panted, also out of breath from the intense battle. He tried to get up, but the exorcist’s boot shoved into his back, keeping him down.
The exorcist chuckles in sickening amusement. They reach down towards an angel’s body, grabbing a dagger. Husk’s eyes widened as he found no escape from the angel. Heart pumping hard in his chest as if it was the last time it would be able to.
Your legs burned, your chest heaved with unsteady breaths, and all you could see was red. Your feet carry you, your body moving before your mind can keep up. Gripping your weapon, you stab it through the exorcist who had Husk down. Stabbing where their shoulder met their arm. The exorcist cried out in pain, looking back at you. The exorcist made a sloppy swing with their dagger in your direction. You catch their arm, swinging them back behind you. The exorcist landed on their injury, a loud snap making them scream out in agony.
Husk barely saw what you did, his vision fuzzy from the adrenaline high. He tried to move, but yelped when his wing started to tear because of the exorcists spear. Your attention falls back on Husk, panicking when you saw the spear keeping him against the ground. You bend down, grabbing the handle of the spear, you hesitate. You look down at Husk apologetically.
“This is gonna hurt.” Giving Husk no other time to process, you pull to spear out of his wing. Husk swears at you loudly, wings shrinking in towards his body as blood pours down his wings, the crimson color blending in with his feathers. Meanwhile, the exorcist who had you had tossed to the side, weakly got to their knees.
“You fucking-..” Husk growled out, shooting a glare at you. His harsh eyes turn to confused ones as he watched you go over to a fallen exorcist, ripping their shirt. You’re quick to move back to Husk, wrapping the thing cloth around his wing. It was barely able to stay due to the size of Husk’s wings, but it would due until the battle was over. The bloodthirsty exorcist made a weak attempt to crawl over to you and Husk, gripping their dagger tight.
“Thank you..” Husk mutters, eyes softening towards you as your tightened the cloth around his wound. You look towards him, offering a small reassuring smile.
“No problem, pussycat.” You shoot back, standing to your feet. Husk rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the grin on his face. You take in a deep breath, holding your hand out to Husk.
“Now let’s-!” Sharp. A pulsing sharp pain in your gut that twisted violently before being yanked out. Blood sprayed onto Husk’s face from the harsh stab.
Warmth. Warm blood that gushed from the fresh open wound, coating your skin, making it shine like rubies. Hot tears involuntarily fell from the pain that coursed through your body.
Shock. All you could hear was ringing, all you could see were tears. Your knees gave out as the angel behind you lifted their weapon to deliver a final blow to you. With the sound of a muted gunshot, you felt the angel fall against the back of your legs.
Cold. Your body chilled in Hell’s fiery atmosphere. It almost felt refreshing if the pain wasn’t sitting beside it. A hand came over your gut, where your stomach split, hand getting soaked in blood. You leaned forward, hand that wasn’t over your wound catching you so you wouldn’t face-plant. Lifting your hand, you saw pretty red liquid running down your arm.
Blank. You couldn’t move, you couldn’t speak, you couldn’t hear. Letting out a breath felt like torture as you coughed painfully, blood spitting out of your mouth. You barely even felt strong arms lifting you and sprinting out of lines of fire. Black patterned wings acting as a shield to you and..
Husk.. you look up, seeing Husk with panicked eyes. He looked to be shouting, but despite his close proximity, you couldn’t seem to hear his words. Husk ran to the side of the hotel, panting as he did a quick glance to make sure no angel’s were following him. He bent down with you in his arms, your eyes staring blankly back at him.
Adrenaline stopped pumping, causing more intense pain to shoot through your body. You back felt like it was on fire. It felt like your guts were being ripped out slowly.
“Hey! Don’t you do this! No no no no, come on now!” Husk’s voice finally made way to your ears. Your eyes darted to his. He was frantic, looking at your injury then around as if someone could come help. He pressed his palm down on your injury, making you scream in pain.
“I know I know I know— shit!” Husk shielded you with his wings. His weak attempts in stopping your bleeding felt hopeless.
God- his eyes still seemed to draw you in. Even while frantic, you felt nothing but love for Husk. Love? Geez why did death always have to interrupt. Why did it always make you realize things a little too late? You didn’t want to die. You weren’t ready to find out what was beyond afterlife. Was there nothing? Was it light? Was it dark? Was it the heaven you always wished to see? In the back of your mind you knew it was the end, but your life felt less important than Husk. You couldn’t just leave him, not like this.
Your bloodied hand reached up to hold his cheek, letting him look down at you. You felt his breaths coming out fast and shaky, his hand pressing down harder as your blood pooled around his fingers. You hissed in pain, grip tightening on him. Your breath came out slow and labored, trying hard to keep strong in the last moments you’d have with the one soul you didn’t want to leave.
“It’s okay..” You managed to whisper, immediately regretting speaking from the way it made your body move. Husk shook his head quickly.
“No, no. Shut the fuck up, okay? Don’t go saying anything, we’ll fix this..! I’ll fix it, just give me time, please.” Husk glanced towards where your friends were battling. Now that they were down two more people, heavy hitters at that, they struggled to keep the angelic army at bay.
As if you could read Husk’s mind, like you always did, you spoke, “They need you, Husk.. don’t leave them..” you mutter, your thumb moving shakily to rub Husk’s cheek. Husk shook his head again at you, pulling you close to his body.
“It— it can wait. I’m not leaving you here! Are you crazy?? Just wait and I’ll-!”
“Husker.” Husk’s eyes dart down to you. Looking you up and down, his heart dropped. Your eyelids and body felt like dumbbells. A weight on your body that made it slow. His hand covered in your blood as the wound only spilled more. But despite it,
You smiled.
Husk couldn’t take it, he couldn’t keep losing people. He couldn’t lose you, not like this. Not for this cause you seemingly were dragged into. Why were you smiling at him??
“Stop it. Stop, no- quit it! You’re not doing this to me!” Husk was desperate for any salvation. He’d repent, he’d quit booze, he’d do anything to keep you here and breathing. He watched you blink heavily, trying to stay awake for him. You leaned your head into him.
“I’m sorry, Husk.. I can’t..” your body felt so heavy. Everlasting slumber approaching, making your body feel numb. You couldn’t even feel the pain anymore, only Husk’s arms around you, desperately trying to keep you here.
“Stop! What am I supposed to do??” Tears pricked at Husk’s eyes and were quick to stream down his face, “How am I supposed to live this Hell without you??” He asked desperately, as if the guilt of dying would somehow convince your body not to give up.
You smile to him felt like a taunt. A tease of the future ones that could’ve been. “The same way you did with me..”
“Happily.”
Husk felt frozen at your words, tears falling from his face and onto your body. How was he supposed to.. no not like this. He couldn’t. Not without you there. Your absence would be a void he would never be able to fill. He slowly shook his head, sobs wracking his body that he desperately tried to keep back. You did nothing but close your eyes, pressing your face against his stomach.
“Eternity is too long to suffer for its entirety..” you mutter, breath shallow as your grip on Husk loosened. “Don’t let me.. make you suffer..” you mumble, voice barely audible.
Warmth. Comfort. Soft was the last breath you let out, all strength leaving your body as your body relaxed to rest. Your heavy eyes drooping nearly shut as all life behind them faded to whatever was after this Hell. Husk watched your body fall limp, his grip on your growing tighter in false hope you would hold him back.
Words unspoken. Husk kept his wings around your body, letting out choked sobs while he whispered how sorry he was. How he couldn’t protect you. Hell had taken his pride, his soul, and now his heart. Hell tore everything away from him.
Whatever made him deserve it, he’d go back and do it over and over again to get it right.
If it meant you could’ve been there.
——————————BONUS———————————
Husk flipped a light switch, the sudden harsh light making him groan and squint. He rubbed his eyes, walking down a memorized path just outside the entrance of the hotel. He never was a morning person, he hated getting up so early just to be met with a raging headache from the prior night. He grumbled to himself, going over to a bench at the side of the hotel. He sat down with a huff, setting down the extra mug of coffee he had made next to him.
“Mornin’..” He mumbled, taking a sip of his own coffee that, the warm liquid making his body relax. His greeting was met with silence, something that felt all too familiar ever since the last extermination day. He sighs, leaning back against the bench, and looking up at the wall.
Where a portrait of you was hung right next to Sir Pentious’.
“So you’ll never believe the night I had..” Husk started, going on about last nights quarrels in the hotel. Keeping you updated on any events you were missing out on. Just how it used to be.. the gossip you would share with one another. Quietly judging the other hotel attendees, ranting about your day, or whispering sweet words to another.
An effort to soothe Husk’s grief at the loss of you.
“..and because Lucifer is stayin’ I keep finding these fucking rubber ducks everywhere..! The guy seriously has a problem, I tell ya.. you’d get a kick out of it.” Husk finished off his little rant, sipping the last of his coffee. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the lobby lights inside the hotel flick all the way on, showing someone (most likely Charlie) was up as well. Husk sighed, looking up at your portrait again.
A painted smile on the canvas, one he missed the warmth and comfort of. He held his knees, slowly getting up. He stretched his arms over his head, before reaching down and grabbing your cup of coffee, still full but now gone cold. He gently raised the glass a bit towards your portrait.
“Live Happy..” he muttered, a motto he now followed ever since your dying words. As much as the words made his heart feel heavy, he would try. Try and live happy.
#hazbin hotel#hazbin hotel headcanon#hazbin#hazbin hotel x reader#hazbin x you#hazbin x reader#husk#husk x reader#hazbin hotel husk#hazbin husk#hazbin husk x reader#husk x you#hazbin hotel angst#hazbin angst#husk angst
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“But the team was cautious in its approach to handling Sephiroth. After all, he's one of gaming's most iconic and influential antagonists, so naturally, fans will be touchy about any substantial changes.
"We felt it was necessary to have this very clear depiction of how he came to be the person that he is now in Rebirth," director Naoki Hamaguchi says.
"Even as a developer creating this game, seeing Sephiroth discover the truth and fall further and further into darkness – like falling from grace – and depicting this in his expressions, I could truly feel bad for him. Throughout the course of Rebirth, I believe players will not only grow to relate to and understand Cloud, but also Sephiroth through this game much more."
—Game Informer, 2023
—
I am going to cry. I am already hurting reading this. I love Sephiroth as a frightening villain but it’s his downfall that grips me the most. If it made Hamaguchi-san feel bad just creating it more clearly than ever in Rebirth, I can’t imagine what we the viewers will be feeling 😢
#i am already ready to be devastated#sorry my friends apparently i just get sad about sephiroth recently lol#they also have said he will be more present in the world map!!#i know some fans are upset about him appearing too much#but i am happy about it#he deserves plenty of screen time!#🤍#sephiroth#final fantasy 7#ff7#ffvii#game informer#ff7 rebirth
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secret proposals
lee heeseung x fem reader smau series
previous - masterlist - next
BONUS the chaotic dinner, the ban of a company, and the start of a friendship.
-two years ago-
Lee Heeseung could not care less of the reason he was seated at one of Seoul's fanciest restaurants, but his father decided it was a great idea to rent the entire place for a blind date, which of blind had nothing, thankfully, it was not for him. growing up he always knew his role in his family company would always be overshadowed by his older brother not only in business, every achievement lee heeseung made in his 24 years of life was overlooked by the one and only heir in their family legacy.
and here he was, still trying to please his father accompanying him and his older brother on a "date"; while his father called it a blind date, heeseung (and everyone) was well aware this was not it, this looked more like a business meeting, which in part, it was. after many millions in their bank account, greed never stopped running as their main incentive for families like his. the son family was really important in the business world, and for a family like heeseungs who took pride in their economic impact, there where a low amount of companies that were on their level, and while his parents would not like to admit, the sons had a business leiras never was able to approach. this blind date, was business, it represented power and status for both families, but mostly for the lees, heeseung had never seen his dad as excited as when someone in his team mentioned the idea of having his older brother marry the only daughter of sondi group.
this was not the type of blind date heeseung has been sent to, the type of dates with "no strings attached" knowing really well that he was set up with daughters of influential families and leaking those "dates" to the media to pressure him into picking a partner (which never happened and gave him the "player" persona the news had of him) this was a marriage proposal, and just like a proposal, it looked like lee hansol was the main investor, setting the heir of the leiras conglomerate on a stronger and longlasting business deal.
son jiwoo was the perfect addition to the Lee fortune, heeseung had seen her maybe twice in the events he was obligated to assist, people always respected jiwoo, she started working really young, and improved her family business in a way they wouldn't expect a young woman to, heeseung knew that when she married his brother his place in the family will disappear even more.
he saw her arrive in a blue dress at the exact moment she was told to attend, but she arrived alone "hello, I’m son jiwoo, I’m sorry to be greeting you alone, but there was an emergency and my parents had to travel out of city, they said they would text your assistant, but either way we didn´t want to leave you hanging after you organized this sir, my extreme apologies, it’s a pleasure to meet you" she introduced herself in the most proper way possible, she was the synonym of elegance. "its understandable, work always comes first, dont worry miss take a seat" his father said and heeseung sweared he never heard his dad speak that gently, while the waiters fixed the round table to fit the four people heeseung looked to the balcony only to see his brother still speaking on the phone, jiwoo thanked him and seated in between heeseung and his brothers place, "you must be seunghan, you are more handsome than people say" she told him while extending her hand and heeseung choked. "sorry I’m heeseung, his younger brother" and this time the surprised face came from jiwoo "my apologies heeseung, its just-" "its okay" and they both laughed at the awkardness of the situatuion while shaking hands. "seunghan is outside, he will join us in a minute" his father interrupted and both him and jiwoo looked at him, and heeseung saw first hand jiwoos facial expresion change into what was probably the expression she made while on business meetings.
like he did every single time his father opened his mouth, heeseung zoned out, and while he saw the small talk his father his brother and jiwoo were in, neither did they try to involve him, nor did he try to speak, he didn't care enough, at least the food was great. and while he distracted himself with it, maybe half and hour later he heard his dad fuck up this meeting "of course, when you guys get married you could apply to run our hotel division, while its nowhere as succesful as sondis, you can make it great again, we’ve heared good things about your managment" his father said and it was the first time heeseung looked up from his plate. "wait, you expect me to quit sondi and pick up what youve done in your hotels?" jiwoo questioned shocked. "yes, well, at least until you have children, you know early education is important and kids need a lot of attention, I don’t think you will have time for business when that happens" both heeseung and jiwoo physically cringed with that statement, his brother didn’t even react, which didn’t surprise him, but clearly bothered jiwoo. "so you want me to give up my job, the one I’ve had since i was 20, to save one of your divisions to make yourself richer only for me to quit the moment i have kids and become a house wife while not even having shares on your company?" she said and lee hanseol, chairman of leiras reacted like it was the best offer he could give someone, clearly, he didn´t know son jiwoo. "exactly" he answered simply and heeseung wanted to throw up of the entitlement his father was showing and that his brother was permitting "thats one of the worst offers I have received in my years in business, your are treating me and my company like we are imbeciles" she said with a sour expression.
"you should show some respect to your elders and don´t be rude miss" and with that heeseung actually covered his face with his hand embarrased by his family behaviour "I’m sorry sir, but you haven’t showed me any respect to reciprocate" she answered him with an insane amount of pride "you’ve been completely impolite to me, I’m not something your family can own as a source to grow your wealth, and I refuse to talk with someone who is dimishing the work and success I’ve worked for" she continued getting ready to walk out of the restaurant. "miss jiwoo if you walk out of this restaurant that rudely we won’t ever work with your company in any way" heeseung finally got himself into that discussion "oh my gosh, can you stop? it is embarrassing" he said quietly earning a look from his father that meant 'stay out of this' while his brother just played with his food "don't worry, I don't think I would ever like to work with a company run by you." she said while walking out of the restaurant, and heeseung sworn he had never seen a cooler thing; someone had the final word against his father, and wasn't scared of the stuff he said, lee heseung knew that even if it was lowkey he wanted to be friends with someone as awesome as son jiwoo.
NOTE: wanted to share with you the backstory of heeseung and jiwoo friendship and of the event I’ve talked about since the beginning of the series. Even though it’s not related to the current timeline :)
taglist: (@eleanorheartschishiya, @enhaslxt, @ddazed-lhs @nctislifue, @ariadores, @ineedsomezzz, @webjeje, @enhaz1, @strayy-kidz, @firstclassjaylee)
#enhypen fluff#enhypen imagines#enhypen scenarios#enhypen smau#enhypen x reader#enhypen#lee heeseung#lee heesung x reader#enhypen lee heeseung#heeseung
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I Need a Big Boy
Nesta had been a fan of her city’s rugby team, The Velaris Fighters, for years, all because of one man: Cassian Smith, the team’s captain.
Tonight, she was finally going to show Cassian why she was his biggest fan.
A very short and smutty Nessian fic. Inspired by a few influential tiktoks featuring some very handsome and big rugby men in short shorts and tight jerseys that instantly made me think that Cassian would be an excellent rugby player. No other plot, just sexy vibes.
Word Count: 2600
Rating: E
Read on AO3
XXX
“Yes! Just like that! Just a little bit more, just like that - yes!”
Nesta threw her arms in the air and cheered along with the thousands of other people in the crowd as the Velaris Fighters scored five final points before the sirens that signaled the end of the game blasted through the air. Besides her, her friend Gwyn threw her arms around her neck in a hug, while their other friend Emerie blew into a bright blue plastic stadium horn.
“What a game!” Gwyn exclaimed, wiping the sweat off her forehead. “I thought for sure they wouldn’t be able to come back!”
“That was the best scrum of the season. How Rhys managed to hook the ball after the other team nearly had it -“
“And then Azriel managing to grab the ball when Rhys got tackled -“
“But we all know who was really responsible for their comeback win,” Emerie said with a wiggle of her eyebrows, eyeing Nesta.
Nesta only hummed, too distracted by watching the man of the hour: Cassian Smith, front row prop and team captain of the Velaris Fighters. He had gone through two shirts over the course of the game to her delight, and had abandoned his latest shirt, choosing to go topless while he gave a media interview on the field.
She sighed wistfully, watching the overhead lights dance across his golden brown skin. This man was the only reason she got into rugby several years ago, when she saw an ad at a bus stop for the local rugby team with Cassian front and center.
Luckily she found rugby genuinely interesting, and enjoyed going to the games. Even better, she got to ogle the most handsome man she had ever seen.
Cassian was a tall brick house of a man, nearly 6’5” of pure muscle. His upper body - shoulders, arms, back, even his neck - was a mess of highly developed muscles. Each rippling ab was defined, and his thighs were thicker than tree trunks. Most of his glorious body was covered in dark, swirling tattoos that contrasted against his golden brown skin. His shoulder length wavy hair was tied back in a messy ponytail and Nesta watched, enraptured, as he slowly took the ponytail out of his hair and raked his fingers through his sweaty locks.
She licked her lips. It felt like a personal show, just for her. If all went according to plan, then she’d be putting on a show for him soon.
“Come on, let’s go.” Gwyn bumped Nesta out of her daydream. Shaking herself, she gathered her bag and followed her friends out of the stands, joining the throng of people waiting to exit the stadium.
“You still going to go to the player’s entrance and try to get an autograph?” asked Gwyn.
“She’s going to try to get a lot more than that,” quipped Emerie.
“Be safe!” Gwyn said. “Let us know if you need a ride home or anything! Keep us updated -“
“She’s not going to have time to give us play by play updates when she’s getting railed -“
“OK, bye!” Nesta called, turning away from her laughing friends to walk towards the side player entrance where the players entered and exited the stadium. A small crowd had already assembled outside the doors, people anxiously waiting for a chance to see their favorite players.
Nesta forced her way up to the front railing separating the crowd from the door. She didn’t have to wait long - soon, players from both teams began filling out, some stopping to sign autographs. Craning her neck and standing on her tiptoes, Nesta kept her eyes trained on the door, hoping she didn’t miss him.
Finally, the door swung open and Cassian emerged. He was even more beautiful up close: his hair was damp around his face, his form fitting t-shirt clung to his body and the fading sunlight highlighted his rugged face.
Nesta lost her breath as she watched Cassian briefly look around the crowd before his eyes met hers. He looked her up and down, head to toe, before sauntering over.
“That’s a great shirt you have on. Did it come pre-ripped like that?”
Nesta grinned. She was wearing a replica of one of his jerseys, with several rips along the shoulders and sides to mimic how his uniform often looked after a particularly rough game. She had also cut a deep V-neck into the shirt to show off her impressive cleavage.
“No, I had to cut it myself. Wanted it to look more like the real thing.”
Cassian gave her a one sided grin. “Like the rest of my jerseys, it would look better shredded on the ground.”
Nesta snorted, dragging her eyes down his toned chest and lingering on the junction on his thick jean covered thighs. She lazily brought her gaze back to Cassian’s face, noting the slight blush grazing his cheeks.
“This shirt has a lot of sentimental value to me, so I don’t think I’d be willing to risk having it destroyed. I think I’ll keep this one… unless you can give me something special in return.”
She could have sworn she saw him shudder. “I can think of a few things I could give you,” he said huskily. “How about you come back to the team locker room with me? I can give you a personalized jersey, a private tour of the facilities…”
“That’s so generous of you,” Nesta purred. “I think I’d be more interested in a private tour of you , though.”
Cassian cocked an eyebrow. “Are you sure you can take that? Most people can’t quite handle… all of me, like that.”
Nesta stared up at him and licked her lips. “How about we go somewhere private and I can prove to you that I’m more than capable of handling a big boy like yourself?” she shot back.
He smiled. “That can be arranged. Come on.” He single-handedly moved the heavy metal barrier out of the way, letting Nesta slip through. “My friend and I are going to the locker rooms,” he told the security guard at the door. The man nodded lazily, letting them back inside the building.
He quickly led them to the back of the stadium and into a large locker room. It was much nicer than Nesta expected - each player had their own personalized locker lined around the room, with a wide, wooden sitting bench in front of each cubby.
Cassian spun her out of her observations and took her face in his hands for a claiming kiss. Nesta sighed as his tongue swept inside her mouth. He broke away from her suddenly, a cocky grin on his face.
“How long were you waiting outside?” Cassian asked, sitting down in front of his locker and spreading his legs.
“Not long,” Nesta shrugged, her lips still tingling from his intense kiss. “I’m your biggest fan, so I was willing to wait a while for you.”
He smirked. “My biggest fan, huh? What else are you willing to do for me?”
Nesta hummed, then went to her knees between his spread thighs. “If you take your pants off I can show you.”
Cassian grinned, standing up to his full height so he towered above her. “I’ve already worked so hard today - how about you put in a little work and show me how much my biggest fan truly appreciates me.”
Grinning, Nesta reached up and undid the button of his jeans and slowly pulled the zipper down. A considerable bulge had already formed between his thighs, and it only grew larger as her deft hands dragged Cassian’s skin tight pants down his legs. She took her time undressing him, letting her hands wander over the hard muscles in his quads and hamstrings and calves. He kicked his pants away when they bunched around his ankles.
“My, my,” Nesta murmured appreciatively, staring at the outline of his cock straining against his underwear. “What a big cock you have. I can’t wait to see it dripping for me.” She pressed a series of delicate kisses along his clothed cock, kissing up his shaft. Cassian’s abs and legs tensed in anticipation as Nesta’s mouth drew nearer and nearer to his tip.
“I can’t wait to see it stuffed down your throat,” he gritted, tearing off his shirt and tossing it by his discarded jeans. “You’ll do that for me, right? Take my fat cock down your throat? Prove to me that you really are my biggest fan?”
“Anything,” Nesta said, lightly sucking the fat head of him through his underwear. She tasted a bit of his salty precome and had to close her eyes as her desire nearly toppled her, Cassian’s deep groan reverberating through her entire body. Her center throbbed and Nesta felt wetness gathering in her underwear.
She was tired of teasing him. Yanking down his underwear, Nesta lightly pushed Cassian back so he sat down heavily on the wooden bench in front of his locker and spread his legs. She groaned. His cock was long and thick and heavy, leaning towards his stomach. Nesta took him in her small hand and gave him a few pumps.
“You did such a good job today,” Nesta said. “Let me show you what you deserve.” She dragged the flat of her tongue up from the base of his cock to his tip, then took his head into her mouth and sucked.
Cassian groaned as Nesta bobbed her head over his dick. A thrill went through her. She was really doing this. She had flirted and teased the most handsome man she had ever seen, whom she’d been lusting over for ages, and now she was sucking his cock with more determination than anything she’d ever done in her life. Nesta had reduced one of the strongest men she’d ever seen to his knees with a few licks of her tongue, and she’d never felt stronger in her life.
Her hand stroked what she couldn’t fit in her mouth - his was the largest cock she’d ever sucked, and she briefly wondered if she would have to eat her earlier words of proving she could handle someone as large as him. Nesta took half of his length in her mouth and sucked hard.
“Fuck Nesta, you’re so fucking good at this.” A large hand pressed against the back of her head, forcing her down on his cock. “Just like that, I know you can take all of me.”
Eyes watering, Nesta relaxed her throat as much as she could as Cassian gently pressed her head down until her nose met the wiry curls between his legs. Breathing through her nose, she looked up at Cassian.
“You’re so fucking pretty right now,” he moaned, watching her struggle to keep his length within her throat. “Didn’t think seeing you cry while you take my cock would be so hot but fuck, it is.”
Nesta’s pussy throbbed at the praise. A few tears gathered in her eyelashes and she blinked up at Cassian, begging him for anything: to let her move her head, to continue praising her, to touch her, anything.
He seemed to understand how desperate she was. Guiding her off his length, Cassian pulled Nesta up and pressed his lips to hers. His tongue tangling with hers, Nesta relaxed in his arms and against his body. His big hands made quick work of her underwear and jean shorts before he trailed his fingers longingly over the rips and tears of her shirt.
“I really want to tear this off you - it’s already ripped, it’d take so little for me to destroy it.”
“Don’t you dare!” Nesta snapped. “I told you, this shirt is special to me!”
“I can get you a dozen just like it.”
“Are you going to argue with me about a shirt or are you going to fuck me?”
Cassian shrugged. “Have it your way.” Bending down, he grabbed Nesta under her ass and lifted her in his arms, carrying her to the wall so her back was against the surface.
Nesta gasped. It was hot, his casual display of strength. She felt the tip of his cock brush her soaking folds and she shifted her hips, trying to bring him even closer to her.
“You’re fucking soaked,” Cassian hissed. “Did sucking my cock make you this wet?”
“And watching you play,” Nesta admitted, a slight blush staining her cheeks.
“You poor thing,” he crooned, shifting his arms so Nesta’s legs settled in the crook of his elbows, “you’re been a desperate, wet mess for hours, haven’t you?”
“Yes!” Nesta gasped. “I’ve been so desperate for you! Please, fuck me!”
“So needy you’ll let me fuck your pussy raw, hm?” Cassian mumbled, leaning down to kiss her as he pushed his length into her tight cunt.
Nesta sighed, gripping Cassian’s huge biceps as he worked himself into her. She slumped down a bit against the wall, securely held by Cassian’s hands under her ass and his arms supporting her legs.
“How lucky I am, for my biggest fan to have the tightest pussy I’ve ever felt,” he said, withdrawing then pushing back into her. “Like you were made for me.”
She smirked at him. “Told you I could take it.”
Leaning her head against the wall, Nesta lost herself with the feel of Cassian’s big, strong body around her and his thick cock pistoning within her. He hit places she’d never felt before, and she knew she’d never be able to take anything except his glorious length.
The only sounds filling the locker room were their moans and the wet slap of his cock slamming into her pussy. Nesta felt herself getting even wetter the rougher he got. Reaching down, she furiously circled her clit.
“You feel so good,” Nesta gasped. “So perfect.”
“And you’re such a good girl, letting me fuck you like this,” Cassian groaned.
Nesta looked up at him with wide eyes. “Since I’m your biggest fan, I’ll let you come in me. Just for you.”
Cassian cursed. “You want me to come in you?”
“Yeah, want you to fill me up.”
“Since you asked so nicely,” he moaned, thrusting so hard and deep inside her Nesta knew she’d be sore later. It was wonderful and everything she’d ever wanted.
“Cass, yes, right there!” She gave her clit one final brutal rub and she was coming, quaking in Cassian’s strong arms as he chased his own release.
“Fuck Nes,” Cassian groaned, emptying himself within her tight cunt. He gave her a few more weak thrusts before he stopped, resting his head in the hollow of her throat. Giving her a quick peck on the lips, he withdrew his cock from her body.
“I was worried you were actually going to destroy my shirt, you big oaf,” Nesta said as Cassian carefully set her down on shaky legs.
“I’d never destroy the first jersey I ever gave you,” he replied, gathering their clothes. “I know how much you love that thing.”
“Not as much as I love you,” Nesta said, leaning up to kiss him.
“I love you too. I don’t want to kink shame you, but when you asked me to roleplay with you as my biggest fan for some dirty locker room sex -“
“Oh, don’t say you weren’t into it right away!”
“I just thought it was a bit weird, considering my girlfriend should already be my biggest fan. Do you know the logistics I had to figure out to make sure we’d have the locker room to ourselves?”
Nesta rolled her eyes. “This just means you have a pretty big leeway for what you want the next time we roleplay.”
“Oh I’ve already decided what I want. Maybe some sweaty post-workout sex, with leathers and chains, stuff like that.”
Nesta grinned. “I can’t wait.”
#nessian#nessian fanfiction#nesta archeron x cassian#nesta archeron#cassian#cassian acotar#acotar#my fics#my fic#rugby!cassian#rugby au#cassian is big and hot#and nesta is into it#who can blame her#a court of thorns and roses
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Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers’ goalie-goading throwback, delivers hits — and wins — when it counts
by Hailey Salvian and Jeremy Rutherford
Matthew Tkachuk put his father in “timeout.”
That’s why Keith Tkachuk, an 18-year veteran of the NHL and one of the league’s best American-born players, wasn’t available to talk about his son’s remarkable run that has taken the Panthers from “biggest disappointment” to one win from the Eastern Conference finals.
On a Toronto radio station in March, the elder Tkachuk called the Panthers “soft.” By many accounts, that assessment was accurate at the time, and the words seemed to light a fire under the team — as did Paul Maurice’s tirade on the bench the same day during a game against the Maple Leafs.
Florida won its next six games and went 6-1-1 down the stretch to qualify for the playoffs.
Now, there’s no time for distractions, and Matthew wants to keep a lid on his pops, who informed The Athletic of his “timeout” via text.
After upsetting the 65-win Bruins in the first round, the Panthers are the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup, leading 3-0 in their second-round series against Toronto with a chance at a sweep Wednesday at FLA Live Arena.
And the 25-year-old Tkachuk — in the midst of another career year that would have been MVP-worthy had it not been for Connor McDavid’s otherworldly season — has led the way, from scoring game-winning goals and delivering rousing speeches in the room, to delivering cross checks and goading goaltenders into fights.
He’s the player people love to hate, and he’s building a following of haters as he pushes the Panthers along in the postseason.
And even though the person who’s been most influential in Matthew’s career isn’t talking, others are. The Athletic spoke with a dozen people who for years have tracked Tkachuk’s brand of hockey — he’s a highly skilled agitator (a modest 6-2, 201 pounds) who opponents hate to play against.
Keith — known as ‘Walt,’ a nickname given to him by Winnipeg Jets teammate Eddie Olczyk because his surname was so similar to former Ranger Walter Tkaczuk — was traded to the Blues in 2001. Matthew, only 3 years old at the time, would start playing hockey with a youth program in St. Louis. Let’s just say he wasn’t a phenom.
Chantal Tkachuk, Matthew’s mom: They thought they were getting this ringer of a kid. We went to his first game and he was terrible. He was by far the worst player on the ice.
But that wouldn’t last long. Tkachuk improved steadily, adding a diverse skillset, and working through minor hockey, the U.S. national team program and the Ontario Hockey League.
Jimmy O’Brien, longtime family friend, owns OB Clark’s bar in St. Louis: They had a goal in their backyard, and 50 pucks would be lying in the driveway. Anytime you pulled up to the back of the house, you had to watch from running over the pucks because the driveway was littered with them.
Jon Benne, longtime family friend and strength trainer: I used to take wrist shots at him, and he’d knock them into the net. So when I see him tip a goal in now, I’ve seen that a million times.
Jordan Janes, St. Louis Junior Blues coach (2009-10): Matthew would do some of these between-the-legs (moves) before anybody was doing that. I would always look over at Keith and smile because in my mind I’m thinking, “Holy s— ,” like this is incredible that a 14-year-old is doing this. But you could tell that Keith, who was a “go to the net hard” type of guy, it drove him crazy.
O’Brien: His father told him, “If you ever do that stuff in a game and it doesn’t work, you won’t get off the bench.”
Taryn Tkachuk, sister: He’s not going to do that stuff just to do it. The through-the-legs goal against Nashville, he was like, “There was no way I could’ve shot that regularly.” He practiced that all growing up, so he knows he’s going to be able to do it.
Rob Simpson, assistant general manager of the London Knights: He would try new things all the time. It speaks to how smart a player he is. He was always trying to be creative in different ways to produce or make plays based on what he is seeing against defenders or what they’ve done against him before. He’s always been a creative, out-of-the-box thinker.
There are elements of Tkachuk’s game that can be traced back to the fact that he is Keith Tkachuk’s son.
Don Granato, Tkachuk’s coach with the U.S. National Team Development Program (2013-15): I think you can give some credit to — if not genetics, then just being around his father over the years.
Chantal Tkachuk: When Keith was still playing, they got to go down to the rink, skate after practice. Some of the players would play around with them.
O’Brien: He was a rink rat. He was always hanging around his dad, always going to his practices.
Barret Jackman, Blues defenseman (2002-15): I remember the coaches would have to come by and say, “Hey Walt, practice was supposed to start 10 minutes ago. Can you get Matthew off the ice?”
Benne: Matthew would be sitting on the bench the whole practice, and Keith would come over and say, “Watch T.J. Oshie. Watch how he goes into that corner and comes out.” Matthew would just be sitting there with a helmet on, just absorbing it all.
O’Brien: It’s hard to get a better education in the hockey world than sitting there with professionals and watching them at a young age.
Chantal Tkachuk: Every night, we always watched hockey. The boys would get up before school and the first thing they would do is turn on NHL Network.
Taryn Tkachuk: That was the only thing we really watched on TV. We never really watched other shows on Disney channel.
Chantal Tkachuk: Keith retired in 2010 and stepped away from his career and took almost five years off. In that time, he totally devoted all his time to youth hockey. That happened to align with the most important developmental years of the boys’ lives.
Janes: Keith knew what it took to get there. He demanded a work ethic out of his boys. Goals or not, assists or not, he just wanted to see you work. If you worked, Keith was happy. He knew if you did that, everything else would come.
O’Brien: One of Walt’s favorite things to say is, “Hey, you didn’t win? Play better!”
Taryn Tkachuk: Oh, he says it all the time. If someone didn’t play as well and maybe they’re complaining, like, “The ref did this or that,” or, “The other team wasn’t letting me do this,” my dad is just like, “Play better!” Nothing else. It’s just “Play better!”
Janes: That quote is the most Keith quote I’ve ever heard.
Growing up, Matthew was always competing with his brother Brady (23), and sister Taryn (20). Whether it was roller hockey, basketball or a made-up game they called “trampoline football.”
Benne: Matthew, Brady and Taryn would be on the trampoline, which was enclosed, and I would throw the football in the air as high as I could into the trampoline. It became an MMA wrestling match to see who got the football.
Taryn Tkachuk: I don’t even know how the game got made up. I just remember it being very physical. Literally whoever had the ball, you were about to get decked.
O’Brien: We were playing a two-on-two basketball game, and there were some of the most violent fouls you’ll ever see in your life. I had a bloody nose when we were done.
Taryn Tkachuk: If we were playing basketball, Matthew would never let me just go in for an easy layup. Of course he was going to foul me.
Jackman: I remember during one of the lockouts, Matthew was 15 at the time, and he skated with some of the NHL guys. I went into the corner with him, thinking I was going to play him hard. He tried to reverse hit me, and then he came out of the corner with the puck on his stick. He didn’t back down, even at 15, and I was in my early 30s.
Chantal Tkachuk: The most somebody hates to lose, that would be him.
Tkachuk committed to play at the USA Hockey National Team Development Program a few years before his first season there. But, at 16 years old, there was a learning curve playing with the national team and in the USHL, an under-20 league. In his first USHL season, he scored only 17 points in 33 games. He would double that production one year later in fewer games.
Granato: We knew of his talent, but in his first year, his production wasn’t there.
Nick Fohr, U.S. NTDP associate coach (2013-15): He wouldn’t shoot it. He literally wanted to show off those hands all the time.
Granato: I would tease him a bit. I’d say, “Hey Matthew, do you like to score?” And he’d say, “Yeah.” And I’d say, “No, you like to stickhandle.” He was so good at it, but I needed him to see that he wasn’t going to be that up-and-down-the-rink player.
Fohr: He wanted to have that agitator piece to him because it was kind of ingrained into him at that point, but he wasn’t big enough or strong enough to do any of that stuff at 16 years old.
Chantal Tkachuk: It was the second year in the program. That was the point where we thought he could make it.
Fohr: He played most of his second year with Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic, which was an unreal line. Auston was the marked man, and Matthew — after being around his dad — was like, well, “Auston is my center, nobody is touching him.” And he started to become that guy. Any little scrum, he was right in the middle of it to make sure that his teammates were taken care of.
Granato: By the midpoint of the second year, he was playing just like he plays in the NHL right now. He was great in the same areas of the ice, great in the same ways.
In the 2016 Memorial Cup Final, the London Knights were in overtime against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Tkachuk, in his first (and only) season in the OHL, took the puck up the left side, toe-dragged around a defender and scored the game-winning goal.
Aaron Berisha, London Knights teammate: At first, it looked like he was on a harmless rush.
Simpson: Matthew could always elevate at the right times.
Robert Thomas, Knights teammate (2015-16), and family friend: We always joked that Christian Dvorak actually tipped it, but obviously Matthew got all the credit for it. Just a big-time player making a big-time play.
Simpson: It’s not just by coincidence that he’s big in the right moments. He puts in the work.
Fohr: He’s in those moments because it’s just who he is. You saw it on the overtime goal against Boston. He knows somebody’s got to go in there and get the puck, somebody’s got to go screen the goalie.
Simpson: He wasn’t the one who shot it in the net, but if he didn’t have the sense and savvy to pop out and screen the goalie, it doesn’t go in.
Fohr: It’s no surprise that you see him do it in overtime in Game 7 because he does it every shift, every game.
Janes: The way Matthew was (growing up) and the way he is today, he will do what it takes for his team to win a hockey game. Period.
Because of his ability to stir up drama on the ice and (at times) cross the line, Tkachuk is one of the most polarizing players in the league.
Fohr: He’s that guy that everybody hates unless he’s on your team.
Benne: I don’t think Matthew came into the league fearing anybody. He just played with that edge, like, “I’m here, I’ve arrived, and look out!”
Granato: He could stoke a situation and get it stoked and get everybody’s emotions running on overdrive. And then, even in a highly emotional state that he stirred up, he will execute where many, many skilled players cannot.
Fohr: If he’s agitated somebody somehow, now a little bit of their focus is on Matthew and it takes just a little bit of focus off what they’re good at and impacts so much of the game.
Granato: It’s like a diversionary tactic, and a highly effective skill that he brings. He’s always ready to score the goal after he disrupts the situation, where other guys just want to take his head off. He never loses sight of, OK, while you’re trying to do that, I’m going to be scoring a goal.
Benne: He’s just going to play hard. He’s going to hit you, and he expects to get hit himself. If you watch that game against Toronto, he hammered two guys, and then he got hammered. Not whining, that’s the way the game goes. That’s the way he plays. He’s pretty fearless out there, but I think he plays right on the line. That’s where he wants to be.
Thomas: It was in full force in London. He’d always find himself mixing it up. He’s feisty and he’s got all the skill in the world. Some people just have it, and he definitely has it.
Berisha: It’s funny when people play against him and say, “Man, I hate playing against him, he seems terrible.” He’s actually one of the best guys ever.
Taryn Tkachuk: Matthew has this switch. Off the ice, he’s a completely different person: super nice, super fun. Once he steps on the ice, the switch just goes off and he puts on these different goggles and just has this compete level that you don’t even know how to explain.
The most common ways to describe Tkachuk: He’s a throwback. He’s a unicorn. He’s just like Keith … and maybe better.
Eddie Olczyk, TNT analyst, former teammate of Keith (1991-96): You see (Matthew) and it’s like turning back the clock 25, 30 years to when we played with each other in Winnipeg.
O’Brien: Walt played in an extremely physical era, and the way Matthew plays is refreshing because it’s a throwback to how it was all the time.
Janes: One thing Keith taught these boys at a young age was, if you want to score, you’ve got to be around the net. They got that right from Keith. They just took it a step further as far as their skillset goes.
Fohr: It’s just a place he’s not afraid to go to. Some players are. They don’t want to go there because it’s a hard area to play in because the D are big and strong. There’s an art to getting there and doing it the right way and Matthew has mastered it.
O’Brien: When Walt was playing, you’d see a big guy out there and you wouldn’t think a guy like that has deft hands. But Walt had sick hands, especially tipping pucks. And that’s one of Matthew’s strengths, too.
Olczyk: Matthew will make a play and you go, “Well, there’s Walt.” It’s eerie, but it’s not surprising that the boys are a chip off the old block.
Chantal Tkachuk: To this day, they tease me because skating has always been Matthew’s deficiency, so they make fun of the fact that I taught him how to skate. Keith will take credit for everything else.
Granato: Matthew plays the same kind of style as his dad. He just does it with more talent.
Fohr: To be a thorn in the side of the opponents and then have that elite ability on top of it, that’s pretty special.
Simpson: It’s very hard to find hockey sense that is that elite but also comes with the poise to make the play when it matters most.
Taryn Tkachuk: He’s literally doing every single aspect of what different players bring in a hockey game. It just makes him so unique.
Benne: Matthew doesn’t care what the media writes about him. Matthew doesn’t care if the fans boo him. Boston is going to hate him now, and Toronto is going to hate him after this series. But that’s what drives him. He wants to perform. He wants to put on a show. But more important than anything, he just wants to win.
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The Many Boyfriends of Daniel Ricciardo
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Chapter 2: Who Does He Think He Is?
Everyone knew that Daniel loved all things American.
You just had to spend a few minutes with him and you'd realize that the Australian was absolutely, undeniably charmed by the United States. Though his affections were specifically focused on Texas and cowboys, he did appreciate other things as well.
Like football.
Daniel loved football. He may not fully understand all the intricacies of the sport or the vast history, but he did love it.
All the other drivers knew just how much Daniel loved American football and how many times during race weekends, he could be seen watching a game or telling Blake to record it for him to watch later.
None of them expected a football player to actually encroach on Daniel's inner circle. To carve out a space for his rather large self in Daniel's close-knit group of lovers. Making room for Scotty had been easy, but Josh Allen? No, they did not like it one bit.
Despite Max's best efforts of keeping Daniel in Monaco in their shared apartment building or Lando's efforts in keeping Daniel in Woking, Daniel ends up in Buffalo, New York (a place that most of the drivers didn't even know was a real place).
From there on, it's just bit by bit of realizing that they would have to deal with the American for more than just a little bit like it typically was with Daniel's LA friends.
Max should be happy, basking in Daniel's company and delighting at the sight of the crop top that the McLaren media team had gotten Daniel to wear, but instead, he was grumbling about a big, burly American football player manhandling Daniel all around the paddock as if he was the only one to have Daniel's attention.
"Who does he think he is?" Max grumbles as he talks to Charles. They’d all seen how this Josh Allen never left Daniel’s side and looked like some lovesick fool. (They all also chose to completely ignore that they looked like that when Daniel’s undivided attention was on them.)
"Does he not know that Daniel is taken?" Charles questions in response, his eyes narrowed as he watches this so-called football player catch popcorn in his mouth that Daniel was throwing. Charles could do that too, why did Daniel need someone new when the rest of them were so good at catching things in their mouth.
In another part of the paddock, Lewis and George were watching the same scene with the same annoyance. "I hope that your team beats his team," George says. He doesn't know a lick of American Football, but he does know that he doesn't want the latest entry on the list of boyfriends to win.
"I want that too, but he's annoyingly good," Lewis mutters. "Maybe we should set an F1 curse on them or something," he says. Lewis only partly considers how influential Nico's selfie curse would be on football outcomes.
In his opinion, Lando thinks he has it the worst. Sharing a garage and a wall between drivers' rooms meant that he got to hear and see everything. And a guy like Josh Allen was intimidating, to say the least, so he couldn't even do something about it.
He rolls his eyes when he sees this Josh guy pick up and twirl Daniel in the garage. Sure, he couldn't do that, but he could do other things. Lando's sure he's more flexible than the hulk-like man Daniel seems to want in his bed after the race is over. He's not as flexible as Lewis, but he is much more flexible than Max and George, and definitely more flexible than the American.
#daniel and his harem of boyfriends#dosh#maxiel#dewis#ricrussell#dando#scaniel#chaniel#daniel ricciardo x josh allen#daniel ricciardo x lewis hamilton#daniel ricciardo x max verstappen#daniel ricciardo x lando norris#daniel ricciardo x charles leclerc#daniel ricciardo x george russell
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🌻Imperfections🌻
Draco malfoy x (f)Reader (Hufflepuff)
Summary: Perfection is what defined those who were above the rest- yet, she could not be part of the perfection that defined him. Defined his society and very presence- defined her own family but not her. She was the imperfection within his world of perfection, the bright sun in his cool, pale blue sky. For even if she was the warm sun, he was nothing more than the silver moon- both destined to live in the same sky but never together.
Genre: Fluff, Angst
AU: NO VOLDEMORT - Plus Cedric is vibing, I'm sorry he's too precious.
Warnings: None
Part- 1/?
Masterlist/ Next
A/N: Legit told @ryugujitr about this a week ago- and ended up turning a drabble into a series, please excuse any spelling errors- I'm about to dip from life. But, I hope you (the reader) like it. Also, I have yet to make a TAGLIST for this, so if you're interested, feel free to msg me 🌼
Draco Malfoy, the definition of a being blessed by the heavens. Born with a golden spoon in his grasp, the lad had the wealth, looks, and the brains to put many to shame. As such, he had been bred and raised with the ideology of perfection and beauty. Elegance was what would define the pure blood, perfection was their motto and beauty was their existence. The upper cream of the society, the best. And like any other pompous rich daddy's boy, he had let this get to his head- at least till he hit his teens.
As he got older, he became more irritable. Any and everything would aggravate him, years of listening to his father had gotten him nothing but hate from most of the people in his school and as usual minimal recognition from his father. The golden trio being part of the many things that would tick him off, his own 'friends' could easily trigger the 6th year, leading him to throw a sissy fit for a good 30 minutes. He could hear them whisper and murmur in every corner, the professors, the students, and even the paintings. The older he grew the louder the voices became, increasing in numbers. He was lucky enough to have a solo room, which was possible due to his influential status.
In the calm of the night, he would lay in bed, staring at the stoned ceiling, wondering why perfection was something he felt that he needed but could not attain. He'd wonder why he was still alone, he had done everything his parents had asked and was excelling in his studies, so what exactly had he done wrong? Potter? Was Potter really that important? Potter didn't have anything he had, but he had that one thing the blue-eyed boy had been craving for a long time, friends. Perhaps he didn't deserve friends, real ones, part of being him was being alone- perfection often tends to exist solo. Or so he thought.
Quidditch, the only thing that made him feel alive, made him feel like a normal 16-year-old, one who had a purpose. A game that was perfect- at least according to him. He had made captain too- yes, he had bought his way into the team initially, but he was a pretty good player (according to Slytherin standards), which is why as the new captain he had made sure to change up the laid-back training schedule of the team. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to check things, the pre-existing schedule of the other teams and the weather for the next day.
Hence, the drenched team in green stood by the bleachers, as their 'new captain' was busy arguing with the captain of the Hufflepuffs.
"Listen Malfoy, we gave our schedule a week before yours, the field is ours for the day-"
"THE DAY? Bloody hell Diggory, you pastry puffs really got some nerve, huh?"
"Mind repeating that Malfoy?" The brunette took a step forward, glaring at the blonde, neither wanting to back down. Perhaps if the blonde had asked politely, the older one would've given him the field but not if he thought it was HIS BIRTH RIGHT.
"Cedric."
The two turned to look at the person who had dared to interfere as the two were trying to "alpha" the other out.
"Lovely to see how hormonal boys get when they don't get their way, but the storm's getting worse and we're leaving. Can't see a thing." Y/N stood there, holding her broom, uniform clinging to her body as she pushed back her wet hair that was bothering her vision.
"And who might you be" he snapped at her, trying not to drink in her image, something was off about her, he couldn't tell what it was but he felt this thing.
"The keeper. Anyway, we're leaving now, Cedric." She cut him off before motioning for the brunette, walking away with the rest of her team, not giving either of the captains the chance to speak up.
"She's uh- vice-captain by the way," Cedric muttered, as a matter of fact, he didn't just let anyone tell him what to do, so technically, she was allowed to since she was vice-captain, not just anyone on the team.
Draco stood there, with his team behind him, the sound of the rain growing angrier echoing behind them as he mumbled to himself, "Is she new?" Only to be heard by Zabini who responded, "Not really, I think she just made vice-captain this season...a looker ain't she." He looked at his captain who gave him a certain look of disgust- to anyone else it was the usual grimace he would express at the mention of any and everyone, but right now, unknown to everyone on his team, his expressions expressed not his disgust but possessiveness. He had no idea why, but as the words slipped past Zabini's smug face he wanted to sock him in the face, punishment for disrespecting her- what in merlin's name? Shrugging him off the blonde stormed off, everyone else exchanging a look, Boyle sending Zabini a look, 'Really man?" Who let out a chuckle, "It's true though...too bad she's a puff."
That night he couldn't sleep, he didn't know what it was, perhaps the fact that he had never noticed her before was bothering him. The notion of that thought bothering him was bothering him even more because why in Merlin's name would he care about noticing a Hufflepuff, even if she was on the quidditch team, why would he notice her? He barely ever noticed anyone anyway. Huffing in frustration he pushed away the soft comforter, jumping off his bed as he groaned, perhaps a walk around the halls would do good, the cold weather is always a good way to clear one's mind. Putting on his robes he walked out into the dimly lit common room, glad no one else was awake at this hour. Grabbing a green apple on his way out he made sure to keep the noise to the minimum so no one could catch him roaming around past curfew hours.
Hopping up the last step he took a deep breath, exhaling to watch the white puff come to life. The wind howled around the corridors as he reached the base of the giant door, it was usually locked, but perhaps the Slytherin prince had found a way to undo the spells that kept it locked. Opening the door he entered the astronomy tower, and that's when he saw the reason for tonight's insomnia, sitting there at the edge of the window, legs dangling out, eyes closed, looking all peaceful- and here he was somewhat annoyed.
"You'll fall at this rate." He spat, well, it came out ruder than he intended it to. It was supposed to be laced with concern but his usual mood and inability to control his temper had gotten the best of him, again. And now, she'd probably insult him or -
"Well, I wouldn't worry about that." She shrugged, scooching back a bit, "wouldn't be missed much." Turning her head to him she cocked a brow, "The real question is, why are you here?"
"Fresh air."
"Ah, I see." With that she turned back around, choosing silence over the conversation. He thought he'd appreciate it but instead he pestered her further;
"Shouldn't you be in bed, Hufflepuff?"
"Shouldn't you?"
"I asked you first."
"Well, then I couldn't sleep so I came up here."
"I've never seen you up here before."
"Well, let's just say something happened today and I needed to be alone." She spat back, only to sigh at his raised brows, "sorry...I was about to leave anyway." She lied, but she was in no mood to start an argument with him. She'd seen how he got when he'd be in full Slytherin mode and right now she was too tired to handle it-
"You can stay." Mumbling he closed the door behind him, locking it as he walked over to the other end, another window, "Get off the window though, don't want to be blamed if you fall and become a scrambled egg."
Her laugh bounced across the walls, ringing like bells in his ears, eyes darting to her form that was now seated right under the giant window, back pressed against the stone wall, facing the room. Clearing his throat - he didn't mean it as a joke- he looked away, peering out at the view, the dark lake reflecting the moon, the mist settling in across the fields, covering like a bride's veil.
The land was silent, other than the occasional howl that would echo across the valley, but that was it, it was at this exact hour of the night when he felt at ease, free from all and everything that had him all riled up. However, he had never expected to share that moment with anyone, let alone the Hufflepuff keeper- one who had been playing as long as him but he had never noticed. Possibly because they had beat the brightly colored house in numerous matches. Bringing his cold hands to his lips, he blew out a puff, hoping to warm them up, and it hit him, she was sitting in nothing but her uniform- quidditch uniform. Frowning at the thought he turned to take a look at her again, only for their eyes to meet.
Quickly averting her gaze she pretended to look elsewhere, the wall across the room becoming too interesting all of a sudden. Yes, she had been looking at him because she liked him, no, it wasn't because of that she had been avoiding him since day one. She had been looking at him simply because he was beautiful- she had seen many like him, like her, beings that belonged to prominent families, but none looked like him, radiating a glow like him. It was...intimidating. Though she could not judge, for she had never conversed with him before, usually she'd avoid everyone during class, especially when the Golden Trio was involved, the usual banter was quite irritating, why couldn't everyone just get along? Perhaps this was why she was sorted in Hufflepuff, a lot of things didn't matter to her; family names, intellect, race- who cares? As long as one is within the boundaries of a decent person, why must there be an issue?
"So, why are you here?" He asked, placing the skeleton of the eaten apple beside him, "In uniform?" Once again, his tone of choice was harsher than anticipated, which led him to expect a flinch or a retort, and once again, he received neither but a simple answer.
"Had a lot on my mind today...and uh" she looked down to realize she hadn't changed from her gear anyway- well she did come here directly from the field. The rain had just added to the flare of angsty thoughts, which is why she had spent almost all day after practice, in the astronomy tower.
"What is it?"
"Well, aren't you a nosy hen?" Snorting at him, her gaze met his for a split second, crystal orbs wide, as if he had realized how he was prying.
"Sorry." He mumbled, turning back to the view, ignoring her, brows knitted together, cheeks flushed- from the chilly wind mind you.
"Are you...brooding?" She gasped before letting out a sweet chuckle, "And here I thought you were ready to fight Cedric in the morning-"
"Please, I'd beat him to a pulp."
"Very mature." She smirked, knowing she was able to get a reaction out of him, "Though I'm glad you didn't..." Whispering she looked at her hands, she didn't eat anything after practice, was she starving? Probably but-
"Here." She heard from beside her, squeaking and jumping a foot away, when had he moved closer to her? Noticing his extended hand, she saw the contents that lay in his palm, wrapped in shiny foil were a dozen Fizzing Whizbees, "Bet you didn't eat if you've been here all day."
Clearing her throat to cover up her reaction she nodded, slowly reaching out to grab one, fingertips brushing against the skin of his palm, which was surprisingly soft and warm. Sitting back down beside him she popped it in her mouth, savoring the sweetness as she closed her eyes in contentment.
He watched her silently, not knowing why he was being like this, confused as to why she hit didn't think this was out of character for him. Then it hit him like a mad witch on a broom, he wasn't bothered because she was the reason he couldn't sleep in the first place- why he was roaming around the halls like a ghost, all because she was stuck in his mind. He had been thinking of looking her up, thinking of ways he could, if not talk then, learn about her a bit more, enough to satisfy his curiosity and remind himself of how mundane and boring she truly was.
"Yeah, I didn't" she peeked at his hand, to see if she could take another, only for him to place the rest between them, glancing at her and then looking ahead, "So, why are you here?"
"Well, since you were oh so kind to bribe me with sweets, I'll tell you."
"I'm not bribing you-" he frowned only for her to giggle, "It's a joke, Malfoy, haven't heard one before?"
"O-oh."
"Anyway, I came here to clear my head...family stuff, y'know."
"Yeah, I know." He sighed, not like he had the best relationship with his father, the man he would listen to at all costs. Feeling her sigh in return he muttered, "What's your name puff?"
"Well, it's definitely not Puff. I'd also appreciate it if you don't call me that." She snapped back, glaring at him. He frowned in return, not really sure if he should argue back, being polite was never his strong suit, especially to anyone else but, for some reason, he muttered an apology to her. That earned him a ....smile.
"Apology accepted. It's Y/N L/N"
"WAIT"
Flinching at the loudness of his voice she groaned, she knew where this was going, "L/N- you're the...oh..." he paused for a second then continued, a bit calmer this time, choosing his words wisely, "The last child of the L/N family....the one that..."
"Yes, yes, you can say it, stained the family name. I am aware- apparently being sorted into Hufflepuff was a real issue for my parents."
"I'm-"
"You say you're sorry and I swear I'll hex you."
"Yeah..." and then there was silence, for a good time too, neither exchanged a word. To be honest, she thought he would make fun of her or walk away as soon as she told him her family name. Her family made fun of her and walked out on her too, she was no longer invited to family dinners- rather was not allowed to attend any, no galas or birthdays or parties of any kind, hell, not even funerals. To make it all easier, she was a resident of the school, a deal signed by her parents and submitted to Dumbledore, requesting she stay there till her school years are complete. After that, she was sure they'd either ship her away or cut off all ties with her permanently. Yet, here he was, the lad of one of the most prestigious families, sitting there, feeling sorry for her.
"I don't feel sorry for you though."
"What." turning a whole 90 degrees she looked at him with eyes as big as saucers, trying to stare right into his soul as she squinted, "Excuse me?"
He knew she was looking at him, but he did not dare look back, he knew the moment he locked his eyes with hers, he'd lose the newly formed confidence. Clearing his throat, pulling his robes closer to himself, "I mean, I don't, I - you don't seem like your father...or your mother, you're different." Simply put, the Malfoy heir had met the L/N family, naturally, they were one of the few families his father would invite to their annual dinner- yet he had never met her, even when he was younger, he has no memory of it. He knew she had an older sister and an older brother, the sister sorted into Ravenclaw, much like her mother while the brother was a resident Slytherin, both graduated when he was a wee lad.
"Why have I...never seen you though? Even at dinners- prior to Hogwarts?"
"Oh, funny story actually," she sat facing him, knees pressed to her chest, conversing casually like they had known each other for centuries, "So like, I was 5, right, and we were in Paris, family vacation and stuff. And there was, playing in the park with the rest of my siblings when out of the blue this weird lady pops up and grabs my hands!`` She reached forward and grabbed him, too engrossed in the story, to be honest, she considered him a friend now anyway, her hands gripping his wrists. He flinched but didn't pull away, wanting no more, "She was bald and had no teeth, dressed in all black- her eyes were sunken in and she smiled at me with those gums wide." He made a disgusted expression at this oh-so-vivid description, nodding as if signaling her to continue, "And she said with glee 'You, the youngest of the L/N, will bear a curse like no other, one that would shatter the family name~' and then everybody was panicking okay and before anyone could get a hold of the weird sorcerer lady, she vanished" gasped, amused by how his expressions were changing as the story reached its climax, "Thus, I was taken to another fortune teller, one who advised my parents to keep me locked up to protect me, hide my existence till I could come to Hogwarts." she finished, letting go of his wrists, as she clapped her hands together, "the end."
The dent between his eyebrows increased, first of all, that story made no sense, and secondly, the lack of contact made him realize how warm her hands were, the cold air on his skin burnt as if her touch had engraved into his soul.
"Your bloody wankers." He scoffed, "No wonder they locked you up-"
"It's true! Turns out the dishonor part came when I was sorted into Hufflepuff." she argued, somewhat enjoying this conversation, "After that they barely kept any contact with me, I am to stay at school until my education is finished, and I was upset today because I had sent an owl with news about becoming Vice-captain- though my father said it would have only mattered if it wasn't the house I was in and he'd appreciate if I only sent an owl out if it was an emergency. Like how do I do that? What if I'm dying? Won't really have time to write then, would I?" she whined, reaching for another sweet.
"Well..." he muttered, not really knowing what to say next. Honestly, he didn't want the conversation to go in so deep, he just wanted her to give her a pathetic story, so he could insult her and move on but now, he felt as if he owed her something, not sure why.
"So, why are you here?" she finally asked, neatly folding the wrapper of the sweet, and stuffing it in her pocket.
'You' he thought to himself-
"For fresh air."
"Doesn't seem like an actual reason."
"It is."
"Well, I mean now you know my secret and I don't know yours."
"You do know my secret." He muttered, standing up, dusting himself as he looked around.
"I do?" she looked up at him through her lashes, eyes wide.
"Yes, you know I come here sometimes."
"That's not a secret, that just makes me an accomplice to your crime."
Letting out an uncharacteristic chuckle, he looked away, so she couldn't see his face, slowly walking towards the door, in a few hours they'd have class and he didn't want to be late in the morning. At the door he turned to look at her, "Aren't you going to bed...Y/N?" he asked, holding onto the door, choosing not to call her Puff anymore, or by her last name since it would bring up bad memories for her- WHY DID HE CARE?
"Nope." she responded, "I will in a while."
"You'll be late for class."
"Please, I need two hours of sleep max."
"You know...I can't really tell if you're a good liar or just all talk no bite."
"Bit of both Mr.Malfoy."
Raising his eyebrows he scoffed at the name he was given, she had some nerve, he'd give her that. Part of him wanted to converse with her, the more logical part knew the two probably would not interact after this, she'd live on with her life and him with his, and perhaps they wouldn't even interact in class- usually Potter would keep him busy anyway.
"Goodnight Y/N" with that he walked out, feeling that all too familiar feeling settle in his bones once more, back to being Malfoy, the Slytherin Prince. He did wonder if she would actually be on time tomorrow- wait, did they even have class together?
They did, in fact, for the next morning, Draco Malfoy had stepped into Potions class early morning, a bit tired, but not enough to sneer at the golden trio that was sitting on the opposite end. Crystal orbs looked around the class, scanning for a particular person, perhaps she was not in his class anyway. He turned back to the board when Snape walked past him, tapping on his desk to gain his attention, "Eyes front Mr.Malfoy."
Almost twenty minutes in, Snape stops to talk only to glare at someone, though half the class freezes, Draco is one of the few that turn to look at the poor person, and there he sees her, standing there, staring at her professor sheepishly, wearing a few extra layers- of course, she probably caught a cold.
"Miss L/N, where have you been?"
"I um...overslept Sir."
"And how is that my problem?" he snapped back at her, only for her to flinch, mumbling an apology. Exhaling through his nose the man waved his hand, "Sit down. And 10 points from Hufflepuff."
She scurried to the empty seat in the back corner, sitting down to look up and lock eyes with shiny blue hues, smiling at him meekly as she looked back down at her desk, though he was still staring at her. She looked different in her usual uniform, strange, not to mention he had told her to go to sleep and-
"Mr.Malfoy, if you're done staring at Miss L/N, look in front." he flinched when the professor gripped his head and moved him to look forward. To say the Prince of Slytherin was embarrassed was an understatement, he was blushing mad, especially when he heard a few students giggle- including WEASLEY. Oh, how he wanted to punch him in the face. The rest of the Slytherins were confused though, mostly Draco's group, why had he been staring at the Puff in the first place?
The class was over and he was glad, he was pissed and right now his hungry eyes were looking for someone to destroy, to bully enough to make them feel worthless. That's when his eyes landed on her sleeping form. For heaven's sake, had she fallen asleep too? How, just how did Snape not see that???? Walking over to her sleeping form he stood there, wondering if he should wake her up and yell at her for embarrassing him in front of everyone- but technically, she had nothing to do with that, he was staring at her by choice. He was alone, she was asleep and no one else was there. Frantically, his eyes scanned the books that lay beside her, what other classes did they have together? a few- wait, they've had almost every class together?
"You comin' mate?" His head whipped to the door to find Zabini standing there at the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.
"Yeah," he muttered as he walked towards the exit.
She felt someone poke her, groaning at the disturbance. She opened her eyes, only to spot Luna smiling at her, "You look like a little pixie when you're asleep."
"OH MY GOD." She sat up, staring at the people around her, this wasn't her class, wait, how long had she been asleep? Turning to look at Luna she whispered, "What time is it?"
"Well, it's half past noon."
"I'M LATE FOR PRACTICE!" she gasped, slamming her hands on the table, gathering her stuff, and almost out the door when Luna called for her, "Wait, Y/N, you forgot this!" She turned to look at the blonde, spotting a familiar shiny object in her hand, a Fizzing Whizbee. had he put it there for her? Clearing her throat she thanked her and took it from her hand a bit too abruptly then dashed out.
"Pretty pixie didn't realize she missed half the school day too." the blonde giggled before going to her seat, glad she had woken up before the next professor had come in.
As soon as she reached the field she bumped into someone, "Oh sorry- Cedric hey." she smiled up at him, praying to any and everything he wouldn't make her do laps.
"You're late."
"I may have overslept."
"How?"
"In class....been asleep since the first one-"
"You've been sneaking out again?"
"Not sneaking out if I never came in, don't go all Prefect on me now."
Sighing in defeat he moved so she could get her gear only to grab her wrist, "Did you say you've been asleep since the FIRST CLASS?"
"...Perhaps."
It was this conversation that had led her to run laps around the field, while everyone else was up in the skies, even the benched keeper was there- replacing her. 30 rounds- Cedric was mad, nothing else- she wasn't even much of a runner. On her 25th round of running - walking out of breath- she fell to her knees, panting as she looked up at the sky, squinting to see the people that looked like ants, "Bloody Diggory."
"Oh, would ya look at that, a Puff with broken wings," she turned her head to look at whoever thought that was a clever insult. Goyle, who else, ah yes, the rest of the Slytherin team behind him. Standing up she dusted her clothes and looked at them, "Field's taken, as you can see."
"Well, we want the skies, not the field, you can continue with your running though." Zabini stepped forth, a smirk adorning his face as he leaned closer to look at her, "Got Malfoy in trouble today didn't ya?"
"Your boy got himself in trouble- now get out of my face or-"
"Get out of her face Zabini, the hell's wrong with you." He spat, pulling him back with his robes, "Now, act like a good vice-captain and get your captain." He looked at her, slightly annoyed by the morning's events.
"Okay, 2 things." She raised her hand to show two fingers, "1)I'm the vice-captain, not a messenger, 2)I can't, he took my broom."
"Sorry?"
"Apology accepted."
Zabini snickered, looking away when Draco turned to glare at him, then back at her, "What do you mean he took your broom?" Why was he angry- wait, was he angry for her?
"He's the captain, captains can do that- please tell me you've read the handbook?"
"There's a handbook?"
"Yes?" She answered, utterly confused as to how he even made captain. At this point, the rest of the team was growing restless, wondering why their captain was even conversing with her.
"Come on Malfoy, show her the damn paper so we can kick'em out!" Zabini cut her off, kind of tired at this point.
"What- oh yeah. We have a signed-HAVE YOU NO MANNERS?"
She snatched it from his hand, reading his very clean and pretty writing, a new schedule, approved by Professor Snape. Of course.
"PFFT" she looked up at him, "You.. realize you have to get this signed by all house masters and the team captains?"
"SAYS WHO?", He yelled, gone was the patient Malfoy, because no she was testing him and he was done.
"The Handbook. Would've known it existed if you didn't buy your way in the team." She snapped back, shutting him up. Two could play that game. She didn't want to pick a fight with him, but he just wasn't listening.
"What did you say to him?" Another player in green stepped forth only to be stopped by the captain, his hand in front of him as he peered down at her, "Watch yourself, L/N. Let's go."
"What?" Goyle spat, "We don't have to play by the rules Draco-"
"When I say let's go, " he turned to the boy, walking closer as he glared at him, all his anger now addressed to him, "You shut up and listen, like a good little boy, do I make myself clear?" He seethed through gritted teeth, ever ready to knock some sense into him.
Gulping the pale boy nodded, quickly turning around and following the rest of the team, none waiting for their captain to follow. Turning around he frowned at her, "I didn't buy my way into captaincy."
"I know." She shrugged, handing him the paper that he snatched back, "Then act like you didn't." With that she jogged away.
The loud crunch of the paper could be heard as he walked away, back to his dorm to change, for lunch. He did not expect to be confronted by Zabini, sitting on the couch, staring at the blonde who had entered but chose to ignore him.
"Mind telling me what was that about?"
"What was what?" He asked, stopping by a table to peer through the snacks and sweets. He was glad the common room was almost empty at this hour, unfortunately he had not anticipated being confronted by an idiot.
"You didn't say anything to her- no wait, you let a Puff talk back to you, it was almost like you two know each other." He suggested getting up to go to Draco, who had grabbed a fistful of Fizzing Wizbees and stuffing them in his pocket.
"I saw no reason to, also, don't get up in her face- wait, don't get up in any woman's face, that's weird." He spat back, and stomped away, assuming he had offended him. Unfortunately, the other male just snorted in response muttering an 'interesting.'
Seated for lunch he poured himself some juice and began to eat. Act like a captain, what did that even mean? Scoffing, he smashed the potatoes, even more, wondering where he could get himself that book, the old captain had never told him about it- then again, the old captain didn't care much about the rules either. They were Slytherins, they never did. But the way she had said it, like he had to prove something to everyone, prove something to her. Who was she anyway? Hell even her own family didn't want her- but it's not like she chose which house to be sorted in. Shaking his head he groaned, staring at the plate of now cold food. She wasn't like her family anyway, she was cunning or a cheater and wasn't the brightest out there too- he had met the family, the siblings, but neither reminded him of her. They were elegant beings, one that looked at most with a glint of disgust in their eyes, yet, there was her, she had nothing, but it didn't bother her. Isn't perfection having everything? Her father had practically told her off just yesterday, highlighting her insignificance and here she was, joking around and sleeping in the class- why was he thinking about her anyway-
"Draco you haven't eaten a thing! Are you alright", Pansy's shrill pushed his train off its tracks, instantly igniting a fire within him- he was triggered, once again.
He got up abruptly, the group around him quieting down, he glared at the person who dared interrupt his thoughts. "I'm not hungry." He spat and walked away, shoving any and every kid that got in his way. Harry being one of those poor souls, earning a, "Watch it, POTTER."
Scoffing in response the brunette went to sit at his table, "What's his deal." He said as he put himself some food. His friends in response shrugged, Hermoine pitching in, "He's been weird all morning, I think he's embarrassed about being called out by Snape."
"He did that to himself though." Ron mumbled with a mouthful, only for Ginny to grimace then, "I heard he fought with Cedric yesterday and Y/N called it off." They heard another Weasley, of course, the twins would have all the hot gossip.
Fred shoved Ron aside to sit next to Harry and smirked, "Apparently they had a little argument today too." He said as he picked up a berry and popped it in his mouth. Harry just shrugged and snorted, "How is that any different?"
"Oh, dear boy." George gasped, standing behind Hermione, "She won the argument and from what we've heard, he even told off one of his goons- you don't just stare at someone in Snape's class, mate. That's just dumb."
"Shouldn't we not presume stuff?" Ginny asked as she placed her empty dish aside, sighing at her brother's antics.
"It's not presuming," Fred announced, only for George to continue, "It's an observation."
Draco had spent almost all day in the library and he could find no such handbook. What the hell was that woman about? Was she lying to him? She wasn't like that, right? Or was she just messing with him, trying to mock him, some sort of stupid prank to satisfy her pathetic self. Angered, he marched up the stairs to the tower, he wasn't even sure if she would be there, though he prayed that she wasn't. A part of him wanted to yell at her, insult her and make her feel as worthless as everyone had deemed her to be, but the more compassionate side of the boy, the one that was often asleep, had been urging him to remain patient, to see how things unfold before jumping to any conclusion.
Slamming open the door he looked around the empty space, shoulders slouching as he let out a shaky breath, muttering something under his breath. She wasn't there, it was half past 8, he had skipped dinner to come up here, not for her though, or so he was telling himself as he entered, closing the door behind him.
Choosing to sit by the window she had yesterday he sighed, he was used to feeling angry, this temperament had become a part of who he was, a feeling that would bubble up at the thought of any and everyone, but right now, at the thought of her, what he felt was not anger but...disappointment. What was the purpose of last night's events? He was sitting there like a fool, with a pocket full of sweets, why? Not to mention Zabini had been trying to gain some form of entertainment from this situation, first the class' events, then he caught him staring at her asleep, then he was up in her face at the field- exhaling he closed his eyes, head tilting back against the stoned cold wall. His hand reached for his pocket, feeling the rustling sweets, as he opened his eyes and looked at the door, then getting up in defeat and disappointment-
"BLOODY STAIRS"
Flinching at the loud slam of the door he hissed, "Quiet down!" Eyes landed on her hunched-over frame, heaving, and panting.
"Shh- " she waved her hand, holding onto the door as she tried to stand up properly, stretching her back. Closing the door, making sure no one was there she turned around to smile at him, only to shiver under his icy cold glare. "N-no one followed me, don't worry" she cleared her throat, averting her gaze.
"Better not have." He scoffed, staring at her, she had her bag with her. He wanted to ask her why she was late, but since he was "mad" at her, he didn't.
"Umm...I'm sorry about today's class...you got called out because of me." She muttered, staring at her feet.
"And the field?" Crossing his arms over his chest he stared at her.
"You did that to yourself."
"What?" He gasped, shocked, utterly shocked at the audacity of this being-
"Well what else!" She exclaimed walking over to him as she reached in her bag, which hung on her shoulder, "what kind of captain doesn't know basic rules?? What good is it to be one of the best players in the school and not know basic rules?" She took out a small battered book, showing it to him, "Don't lose it, okay? I borrowed it from Cedric for a week."
He was...touched. She had gotten him the book and explicitly stated how he was one of the best players? He reached out for it, fingers gripping onto the opposite end of it, only to stop and frown at the last moment, "You sure talk a lot about Diggory."
"He's my friend." She muttered, pulling away once he took the book, "Anyway, I'll be off now! My legs hurt and I had to get you this-"
"Wait." Grabbing her wrist he stared at her, frowning, as if he was angry at her. Well, it seemed like that to her, he kinda looked constipated. "Yes?" She asked, staring up at him, the world around them slowing down, nothing existing but them.
"I - You- here." She felt him place something in her palm, glancing down at the sweets then up at him, biting her lip to stifle a laugh, failing horribly.
"HAHhahah-" she covered her mouth with her free hand, stuffing the sweets in her bag as she looked away, trying not go embarrass him anymore. "S-sorry hah..." Turning to look at him, she burst into another fit of laughter, his face growing redder by the minute.
"Are you done?" He spat, ears as pink as his cheeks at the moment. Yes, he was embarrassed, but he dared not avert his gaze, he took his sweet time drinking in the scene before him. The way she was laughing, the way her nose would crinkle, face flushing as her melodic laugh filled the world around him.
Gasping she shook her head, "Man....I'm sorry, I'm- you looked so serious and...I...its like you pay me with these."
"I don't pa-"
"Again, it's a joke...but thank you." She smiled up at him, "I'll consider moving you up from 'acquaintance' to 'close acquaintance' ."
Pausing at the responde he looked away, hoping she didn't notice the way his lips had slightly curled upwards, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"Anyway, I'm going to go now, I'm exhausted and I don't want Snape to throw me out tomorrow".
"Goodnight...Y/N."
Only waving at him in response, she noticed how majestic he looked, standing there under the moonlight, shimmering hair being caressed by the wind- a being made with perfection to the dot.
The Malfoy heir woke up next morning before the birds could begin their usual tune. He was ready before everyone and was out of the common room, heading straight to class, passing by professors, muttering quick good mornings to them, while they were still trying to blink away the sleep.
Opening the classroom door he entered the cold room, shivering at how Snape would keep his class covered from anything warm- may it be sunlight or anything else. He was early, good, no one would be there and he could sit and brood in silence for a while, he had sent out a letter to his father in regards to his studies a while back, though his father's response was more of a lecture on how to be better. Hence, after tearing it up he had decided to come for class.
"You're up early."
"Shit." Almost jumping out of his skin he turned to look at her sitting in her usual spot at the back, head resting on her palm, fingers of her other hand drumming against the wooden desk.
"What are you doing here?" He frowned, choosing to sit close to her yet at a distance, sitting at the opposite edge of the same bench. It would be easier for him to pretend he had just entered and was going to his desk.
"Woke up early, apparently if you sleep on time you can wake up early." She stated like it was a newly discovered fact, then sat properly and reached for her bag, "May I interest you in some candy? A young fellow has been giving them away recently, I feel like he has shares in the business." She said, taking out a shiny wrapped sweet and showing it to him, "Breakfast is very important."
"Chocolate is breakfast?"
"Anything is breakfast if you believe in it." She exclaimed, sliding it over to him as he caught it in one swift movement. A small smile gracing his lips as he stared at the dark desk, the way she had just commented on his way of thanking her was somewhat...comical.
"So," clicking her tongue she glanced at him, his side profile, "You seem...upset."
"How can you tell?" He asked, eying the toffee wrapper he was now nervously playing with, fingers trying to smooth over the creases of the foil.
"Stop that." He was unsure of when she had moved next to him, he never even felt her body heat, unt she gently took the wrapper away from him, fingers brushing against his colder ones. Just like that she was gone, back in her place again, keeping her distance like he was initially.
"Why did you-"
"Let it be, the wrinkles and folds, they're a part of it. Let things be, you don't have to fix everything, nor must everything be perfect." Smiling softly she glanced at him, "Accept the imperfections, with the perfection. The sooner you accept it...the better you'll feel " she whispered, no longer looking at him but looking ahead at the empty class. He wasn't sure if she had said the last part to him or herself. Sighing he looked in the same direction as her, "I am not a perfectionist, but you won't understand- it's easier for you".
His only response was a scoff, "You got that right. No longer existing for my family is super easy."
"At least no one expects anything from you-" he countered, turning around to glare at her, he did not want her to lecture him about any bullshit. He had it hard, his father's expectations, the burden of carrying the family name, trying not to break down everytime his mother asked him if he was okay. He stopped though, he had turned to find her staring dead ahead, yet her quivering lip twisted his heart. Had he made her cry?
"I- I didn't mean it like that-"
"It"s fine." Letting out a shaky breath she looked away, wiping her eyes. He wanted to reach out to her, he never meant to hurt her- he had never even seen her frown let alone cry-
"It is easier." She let out a sad chuckle, turning to look at him with glassy eyes, "But it's also a constant reminder of how useless you are. I'm not saying you have it any better, but at least you have parents who know you're there." Sighing, she reached for her bag again and took out her books and quill, "You should go sit in the front now, it's almost time and I- its best if no one sees you here."
"Y/N I-" he stopped at the approaching sound of students and had him stand up abruptly by reflex. Hissing he marched to his usual spot, turning to look at her, he wished she was upset with him- he deserved it but the way she gave him a small smile and went back to reading had his brain working in overdrive. That was it, the moment was gone, and he let it slip past his fingers once more. He knew she'd pretend as if nothing had happened like there had been no argument, no hurt feelings, nothing. He didn't get it, how, just how could she do that? In one swift motion, she'd normalise everything around her.
To make it worse the students that they had heard were not in their class, so now the two were sitting in silence, at opposite ends of the class and he had made a fool out of himself- again. He wanted to start a conversation with her, fix the thing he had broken, but how? As his brain pondered upon the current matters, something hit him smack in the head. Wincing he reached up to touch the aching spot, turning to glare at her as she stifled a laugh, "I thought you'd catch it." He looked at the Fizzing Whizbee that had bounced off his head and landed on the bench beside him, "Did it occur to you that you didn't give heads up?" He snapped back, reaching it and stuffing it in his robe's pocket.
"Well, at least now we know you have a thick skull."
"I am aware of that- diD YOu just insult me??" He gasped as she laughed at him, however, both froze as the door slammed open. A man in black robes and an eerie flare walked in, looked at both of them, and exhaled in defeat.
"May I inquire as to why both of you are here?" The professor mumbled, eying the girl then the blonde who cleared his throat, "For class professor."
"I had announced yesterday that there will be no class today. Seeing as to how Miss L/N was asleep yesterday and you were busy watching her, it is no surprise you two...missed the announcement." He spat, staring at Draco until they heard her snort, quickly ducking her head when both of them looked at her.
"Is something funny?"
"N-no Sir. Sorry Sir"
"Miss L/N, let me add more to your amusement, you've failed your recent test."
"Oh"
"Oh?" Draco reacted before their professor could, only to realize his mistake when Snape turned to him with a cocked brow, "Well, as Mr.Malfoy seems to be distracted by you these days, he'll be tutoring you."
"But Professor-"
"Think of it as a punishment for both, for Miss L/N's horrid grades and...for your lack of knowledge about the Quidditch Handbook".
Before Draco could ask him something about how he knew the professor walked out, leaving the two in the class. A minute of silence passed until she chuckled.
The two walked out of class, though he could tell she was keeping her distance, looking around as they passed the halls with filled classes. She had slowed down, in hopes that he'd get the message of walking away, but clearly, he was as slow as a sloth. Neither had any real destination to go to right now, which is why he turned to look at her, "Library?"
"Is that a...question or a ?"
"We could start on your ...potions stuff." He shrugged, slowing down, letting her catch up, though he did look around to make sure there were no other students there.
She paused for a moment, as if trying to think about it, then nodded, "Very well, lead the way, professor." With that she marched ahead, leaving him standing there, a blushing mess.
Choosing to sit in an empty corner he motioned for her to sit quietly, "I'll be back with the books. Don't do anything stupid." With that he walked off, he needed time to think. How did Snape know about the book? Moreover, he saw her asleep in class but didn't call her out? Why? And what was he going to do when his housemates would ask him about tutoring a puff? Zabini had been up in his arse lately. Sighing in frustration, he grabbed another book, he didn't even know how bad she was in the subject, considering she had failed one of the easiest tests he had given. He was glad the library was almost empty though, he was in no mood of conversation or rather, no mood of arguing with anyone right now. It was also bothering him how she was all normal again. He had offended her, she had failed a test and now she was being tutored by someone whose friends would insult her at every given moment.
Coming back to the desk he placed them on the table, she was scribbling something only to stop when he had come. Closing the small booklet and stuffing it back in her bag, "Those are...a lot of books." She muttered before glancing at him, who in return shrugged and sat down next to her, shoulder brushing against hers as he pulled his own books out of his bag.
The smell of fresh mint and aftershave engulfed her senses when he moved closer, making her dizzy. Side-eying him she made sure to take in the view, his uniform had not a single crease, the way everything was tucked in properly- it was at that moment she noticed that he had taken off his robes before sitting down and rolled up his sleeves too. Clearing her throat she looked up at his face, eyes focused on the things before him, there was a spark within them, one she had never seen before, is this what he usually looked like while studying? Trailing down they landed on his hands, that ring, she knew the purpose of such family hand-me-downs- they were symbols of status. Each of her siblings had one, you receive it once you come of age, but she was not to get any anyway, naturally, she never expected one either. It was the first thing she noticed when his father had given it to him, he would constantly fiddle with it, especially when he was nervous, like the time he had to present in Herbology.
"Y/N?"
"Hmm?"
"If you're done staring into space, shall we begin?" He scoffed, he had noticed her staring at him, he didn't stop her though or say anything, he liked the attention, which was weird because obtaining attention from any woman had never been an issue for him. Though he had never expected to feel like this under her gaze, at least she wasn't talking about Cedric anymore. It took him an extreme amount of self-control when Zabini was getting too close to her in the field. So, yes, even though he was aware he was being inspected by her, he chose to use different wording, to not embarrass her and for he had been relishing the attention. That and he had been helping himself with her image, from the way her tie hung loose, she hadn't even buttoned up completely, she looked so imperfect, yet so ...perfect? Sleeves rolled up, no sweater west, a skirt that ended above her knees, and the choice of wearing black tights. He had noticed in the morning how she wasn't wearing her robes, but never commented on it.
"Y-yes." She cleared her throat taking out her books and stuff, turning to him, "please proceed, professor."
Biting his lip he looked at the notes, "Well um...how about you write down the answers you wrote in the last test." He said, retracting his hands to his lap, under the desk, his fingers going to his other hand, fiddling with the cold ring, waiting for her to begin.
A moment or two later of staring at the blank pages he cleared his throat, was he making her nervous?
"Do you...want me to look away or-"
"I just realized I failed because I left my paper blank."
"...WHAT?" His voice echoed around the shelves, instantly earning him a "Shh!"
"I fell asleep yesterday...and that's when he took the test..." she trailed off before shrugging, "So, like if you remember the questions-"
"Y/N. I...I mean- how, just how did you get away with that? Snape never saw you??" he snapped, flipping through his own notes, where he had jotted down the questions, so he could work on them in his free time as well.
"Oh, I think he did, but a day before class, the day before I kinda got caught taking potions from the storage area, and Snape caught me and;
"Miss L/N, what are you...doing here?" her professor glared at her, though she had assumed she had hidden successfully, "I can see you behind the shelf."
"I umm.." Clearing her throat she came out from behind the shelf, "I was looking for ingredients..."
"For?"
"Sleeping Draught Sir."
"Why is that? and have you any permission."
"N-no Sir." she clutched the letter behind her, yes, she had read the letter in the morning, but it was almost midnight and her thoughts were getting too loud for her to sleep. Part of her thought of going to the astronomy tower, but the sight of the potions storage room was more tempting, and honestly, easier. So she had snuck out to get a few ingredients, she had the herbs anyway, so all she had to do was take a few other potions, and boom perfect brew. But fate was not with her tonight.
"Give me that." He snatched the paper from her hand, quickly reading it and for a split second, the headmaster's stern eyes softened, only to revert back when he looked at her. "We do not use potions to deal with such petty emotions Miss L/N."
"Yes Professor." she stared at her boots, she was still in her quidditch uniform.
Neatly folding the paper he handed it back to her, clearing his throat, "When the mind is hazy and filthy, one takes to nature, not magic."
She didn't really understand what he meant by that, but she was grateful he wasn't going to give her detention or take away house points. She was about to take the paper for him only for him to pull it away further, "Burdens must be dealt with as soon as possible." He said as he brought his wand to the paper, pressing against the skin of the paper, as it slowly started to disintegrate, evaporating into nothing, "Once they disintegrate, they bother you no more."
"With all due respect professor, I have no idea what you meant by that."
"Get out."
"And that's probs why he didn't wake me up since it is his fault I dozed asleep" she stated as a matter of fact, before stretching her arms over her head, leaning back against her chair, only to slump afterward.
Draco had never been more confused in his life, six years in this school and Snape had not once gone soft on anyone- why on Earth did he- "Wait, the hell did he even mean by that?"
"Oh- so I didn't get it, and after he kicked me out, I came to the astronomy tower right? After practice yesterday, I went to Professor Sprout because my legs hurt and ended up asking her if she knew what Snape meant. Turns out the two are actually friends- or at least, she claims to be, I mean, I know she's super friendly but-"
"You're derailing."
"Huh? Oh- sorry, she told me that Snape had once told her to write down her feelings and then burn the paper, some kind of therapy to make herself feel lighter. So, I guess he was trying to tell me to do that."
"And he'd help you because? You aren't even a Slytherin?" she frowned at his statement, only for him to quickly cover it up with a, "I mean...he's not the friendliest person out there, and we're in his house yet he barely talks to us in a decent manner."
"Good save," she chuckled, resting her chin on her palm as she looked at him, "It's probably because he was the professor my father contacted after I was sorted into Hufflepuff, demanding it was some kind of mistake- then they made arrangements and you know the rest~"
"So, the small diary-"
"Yes, I'll burn the pages soon, see if it works out. Didn't know Snape could actually pity someone," she shrugged, reaching for his notes, reading through them, the neat cursive, not a splotch of ink- what a freak.
"I don't think it's pity though," he muttered, reaching for another book and opening it to a specific page. "Oh~ Then what is it?" she asked excitedly.
"Start reading from here, I've marked it, we got questions from this chapter and the next five."
"FIVE?"
"Yes, now off to it."
They had been sitting there for an hour, while she was reading through the notes occasionally muttering a "This is so stupid." He had been silently reading a book beside her, not bothered- which was amusing, for anyone whining would make him want to smack them, the only one allowed to whine was him. Yet, he didn't mind her, he found it amusing how she had put herself in this situation.
"Been looking all over for you," the two looked up to find Zabini standing there leaning against the shelf, "Neat corner, what's going on here?"
"Clearly, a tutor session- why were you looking for me anyway?" Malfoy slammed his book shut, an irritated huff leaving his lips. The moment was gone, thanks to this idiot.
"Well, I woke up and couldn't find you anywhere, plus Pansy's been bothering everyone about you not feeling well."
"I was feeling spectacular, that is before you showed up." He spat, radiating completely different energy, she had just been watching the two, she could tell Zabini was just enjoying himself, while Draco was slowly losing his temper with the passing minute.
"Oh? Spectacular with Puff- oof" he clutched his nose, glaring at the girl behind Draco. It was only at that moment that the blonde realized what had happened, somewhat horrified by the speed of her reflexes. She had thrown a book at him, right in the face.
"You filthy-" he took out his wand only to realize that Draco was pointing his at him, "Stand down, Zabini"
"Malfoy, are you blind!? She threw a-"
"It slipped!"
"NO, IT DIDN'T-"
"THE THREE OF YOU OUT OF THE TO THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE"
Hence, the three were standing in front of Snape, who was staring at this with the most annoyed look he could muster. "Mr.Zabini...I suggest you go to the infirmary after this."
The three were standing in a row, Draco in between the two as Zabini was pressing the robes against his nose. They were waiting for Professor Sprout, the librarian had thrown them out and Zabini had marched into Snape's office without announcing, which their headmaster had found extremely bothersome. Draco looked conflicted, somewhat confused, yet amused by the turn of events, he never thought a Hufflepuff had it in them to hit someone, let alone talk back- he learned his lesson though, if he were to ever call her a Puff again, his nose would be next. Y/N on the other hand was not even bothered, she had two plans, though plan A required Malfoy to take her side, if he did not, plan B was simple, accept your fate and hope it's not suspension.
There were three knocks against the door and it opened to reveal a worried Sprout, "Y/N, dear are you okay?" she asked, eying the girl who seemed perfectly alright and then Malfoy who was okay too, but when her eyes landed on the bleeding boy, she gasped, "What happened to you!?"
"Your little goblin! That's what" he snapped back only for Snape to slam his hand on the desk, "Enough. Narrate the incident."
"Yes professor," Y/N began but stopped when he raised his hand, "Not you. Or Mr.Zabini, Mr.Malfoy, what happened?"
Never had Draco felt so conflicted in his life, on one hand, it was a housemate, on the other, it was well... her. The only person with whom he had not once lost his temper, the only person who had gotten him in trouble two days in a row, the only person who had dared to throw something at him- the only person who had not triggered him once for these past three days. On the other hand, there was Zabini, his loyal....housemate, someone who had been with Draco through thick and thin, one who had helped him with obtaining notes from the Ravenclaws and had helped him with the useless schedule change notice. So, what was he going to do? Remain loyal to his house, or side with a Hufflepuff- one that had possibly claimed his heart...not that he would say that out loud, or accept it, he didn't like her, he was possibly just, amused by her, to say the least. He had been staring at his shoes when Professor Sprout cleared her throat, "Well, what happened, dear?"
"It slipped out of her hand."
"WHAT?" Zabini snapped, glaring at Draco who shrugged, "He had his wand out too, I think L/N was probably scared, and seeing how clumsy she is, she got up to run with her books and one must have hit him in the face-"
"That's NOT what happened!" he growled, only for Y/N to cover and hide behind Draco, muttering, "yes, I was so scared professors." as she gripped onto Draco's arm, peeking from behind him.
"You took your wand out?" Professor Sprout huffed, before Snape could comment, "Dear boy, whatever had happened, why would you take out your wand-"
"But Professor! That's not how it even happened, she threw it first-"
"That's enough. Mr.Malfoy, Ms.L/N, you may leave, make sure I do not see you here for a long time. Professor Sprout and I'd like to have a word with this hooligan."
The two had never run faster in their lives, they were running down the halls, and at some point, he had grabbed her hand and led them outside to the courtyard. They had passed by many students, not that either cared at the moment, their first priority was reaching a safe zone. Coming to a halt near the big tree in the square, the two leaned against the tree, panting, still holding hands. He looked down at her, meeting her gaze, earning a cheeky smile in return. Her face was flushed, cheeks a bright pink, much like his own. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins- he had never felt like this before, this excitement, this thrill.
"You're insane." He breathed out.
"Me?" She gasped, using her other hand to point at him, "I didn't even have time to tell you my plan and you had one that was even better."
The two glared at each other for a moment, before bursting into laughter. This was a moment he would remember for a lifetime.
"Oye what do we have here?" The two instantly looked ahead to find the two ginger prefects standing across the field, their badges shimmering in the sunlight
"Well, Fred, I see a little naughty badger and a slithering snake skipping class."
"You're right George, so what do you suggest we do?" The other seventh year asked, then looked at Y/N, "Whaddaya think Y/N?"
"None of your business, tweedle dee and tweedle dum-" Draco snarled back only to stop when he felt her tug his hand, almost falling on her, "What?' he hissed at her who mouthed "Shut up."
She looked at the twins and smiled, "Sorry, we are just on our way to class."
With that the two walked in the opposite directions, only to stop when their held hands pulled each backward.
"O-oh." She cleared her throat letting go of his hand as he quickly moved his hand away too, "S-sorry." The two stood there, a blushing mess, looking around until George cleared his throat, "Are we gonna stand here all day?"
"Shut up Weasley." He finally snapped back and marched away, she chuckled and waved to the twins before skipping in the opposite direction.
Both of them had different classes at this time, which wasn't an issue, but what he wasn't prepared for was lunch. He had walked only halfway down the corridor to stop before turning the corner, Pansy's shrill echoing across the hall, unleashing her wrath on some poor soul. Was Draco Malfoy ready to face all of this once again?
Nope.
Y/N entered the dining hall, eyes scanning for a specific platinum blonde head until she bumped into someone, "Oh sorry". She looked at the person, fixing her bag over her shoulder, "Sorry Harry."
"Who are you looking for?" He asked, only to receive no response as she continued to walk away, towards her house's table. Maybe he wasn't hungry? She sat down at her usual spot, pouring herself something to drink, stopping when she felt eyes on her. Glancing up she saw Cedric sitting across her, arms crossed over his chest.
"Mr.Diggory?"
"Three days in a row is a new record, isn't it?"
"Well, I thought Hufflepuff needed to freshen up its image."
"Y/N"
"Hey, it wasn't my fault! I was busy being tutored."
"So I've heard."
"Then why am I being interrogated-"
"I wanted to ask if you're okay?"
Slamming her cup down she glared at him, as the people around her silenced, staring at the two before continuing with eating.
"I'm fine."
He let out a sigh in defeat, standing up as he looked around, "Just...don't invest in someone who'll hurt you ...okay? I've done that before and it's... It leaves a mark." With that he walked away, leaving her alone with her thoughts before one of her housemates nudged her, smiling at her as she offered her a bun.
Draco had decided to go to his room, he wanted to be alone right now, and there were many things to think about. Sure, in the heat of the moment he had elaborated a lie to save her, had gotten his closest housemate of a friend in trouble- granted he did start the fight but it's not like the other Slytherins would care about that. To some extent, he had betrayed his own house, his own reputation, and his own family. He lay in bed, it had been hours since he had come here, just thinking about what to do- what could he do? He knew what he had to do, but he didn't want to do it. It had been only a few days, but they had been days that he would remember in bright, warm colours. Though he'd have to go back to the greys now, honestly, he was no longer sure whether he could put up for any longer. Sighing in defeat he turned to his side, closing his eyes as he almost let slumber take over him, but a knock on his door interrupted the sandman's task.
Hesitant he walked over to the dark oak, pondering over it, should he open the door or not? The person at the other end was persistent, however, for a series of knocks erupted, triggering him to slam open the door with a loud, "WHAT!" Only to come face to face with Zabini, a giant band-aid plastered on the bridge of his nose.
"Mind explaining yourself?"
"How is your nose?"
"It's been better. How is your feral friend?"
"No longer my friend."
"Wait, what?" he asked, shoving past the blonde, so the two could talk without the others hearing them. No need to get common folk all riled up. Turning to look at Draco he frowned, "First, you break my nose, then you get me in trouble with Snape- BLOODY SPROUT WAS YELLING AT ME, CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT??"
Chuckling Draco leaned against the closed door, "Well, I've met Y/N, I can imagine it-"
"And now you tell me it's over?" raising an eyebrow at his friend, he clicked his tongue, "What is this about Draco- what is going on? You've been weird as f*** since the start of the year and honestly Pansy was annoying enough, if you plan on turning into her-"
"I'm not turning into her, Zabini, I- look, my time with her was short but sweet and as much as I regret to admit it, I have to end it, for the sake of my house and my - wait, you're not upset with what I've done?" he asked, utterly confused.
"No. I mean I was initially, I wanted to hex her and punch you in the face but then when I was in the infirmary I got to thinking- you've been as a** all year round, and suddenly this feral thing-"
"Her name is Y/N."
"Yes, Y/N L/N, the girl rejected by her own family, turned into a ghost."
"Wait, you know that?"
"You should really listen to school gossip-"
"I'll pass." He spat, "You were saying."
"After you met her, you seemed well...less of an a**."
"Thanks. But, you and I both know how creative our housemates can be...I'd rather have her hate me than...hurt."
"You sure you can handle that, mate?"
"She literally broke your nose."
"Yeah, break her heart. I agree."
#draco malfoy#draco x y/n#draco imagine#draco fanfiction#draco fluff#draco x reader#hufflepuff#slytherin x hufflepuff#harry potter#harry james potter#cedric deserved better#fluff and angst#series#draco x hufflepuff!reader#fem reader#draco fic#draco x hufflepuff reader#hufflepuff reader#draco lucius malfoy#slytherin#hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry
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Other predictions I could see happening based on what's already been set up (s3e3):
Colin gets mad at or tries to quit the team bc of the team's behavior, everyone assumes that it's bc he was placed on second string, only Trent knows the real reason and is in a position to help him stay
Isaac will realize colin/michael are in a relationship using body language before they've admitted it to him/the team and it will change his views and make him work to be better (isaac may also discover other relationships this way)
A rumor is spread somehow that Richmond has a gay player, after some media backlash Jamie (or the entire team started by Jaimie) claims to be the gay player to protect Colin
Roy and Jamie become besties, it's Jamie who helps Roy realize that he broke up with Keeley out of fear and helps them get back together
Shandy will mess something up majorly for Richmond. (Best guesses she sleeps with Zava, Rupert, or someone else she isn't supposed to, is the one who leaks Colin being gay to the press, leaks that Rebecca was trying to get Richmond to lose first season, or leaks Sam and Rebeccas former relationship)
Beard will finally break up with Jane (pls).
Ted actually starts being a coach again and pulls Zava off of first string bc of something Zava does, this leads to major backlash from Rebecca, fans, and news outlets
Trent is gay. (We all already knew but I'm predicting it here anyway)
Ted and Trent have a heart to heart about their fathers and their kids, and about both being divorced (this is also a prediction I'm making) and the challenges that presents with being a parent and feeling like a failure of a parent when an ex moves on
Trent is also the one who convinces Ted to stay at AFC (I just think this relationship will be the most influential to Ted this season regardless of if a ship sails or not)
Rebecca will actually be the one who leaves Richmond in the end, subverting our expectations, and it's Keeley or Sam who will buy AFC from her
Rebecca and Bex will become friends and coparent her child after she leaves Rupert
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behind the scenes: let's start thinkin' bout it
chapter 1: a wish for more time
in this time travel TKA fic, naturally there's a lot of personal headcanon regarding the future, of what's happening after the end of the webnovel. i'm inclined to be hopeful for Happy's future, not solely based on favoritism, but also the main fact that all of Happy's remaining members have all playoffs experience, both main and reserve team members. With Su Mucheng of the Golden Generation is also the most senior member, this makes Happy has the youngest and yet experienced lineup, which even Samsara cannot boast the same. it makes me think with Happy's environment, theirs is a team that won't have much problem in regeneration. Blue Rain might be the only team that can say the same or even might be better as Happy still needs to be beaten back and blue first in S11.
some personal headcanons hinted in this story:
Fang Rui had a crush on Lin Jingyan. his old partner is his first love
Qiao Yifan and Luo Ji are the last of the original members of Happy. they retire in S18
Su Mucheng is the first to retire following Ye Xiu. she retires in S12 at the age of 27 after preparing Qiao Yifan and the team accordingly
Fang Rui and Bao Rongxing retire in S14, at the age 27 and 28, respectively. Tang Rou, lasting longer than expected due to her professional piano background, retire in S15 at the age of 28. An Wenyi retires next, in S16. Mo Fan retires in S17. and finally, Qiao Yifan and Luo Ji, establishing Happy's tradition of retiring by the age of 28 with Su Mucheng and Fang Rui as the sole exceptions
Su Mucheng is the only captain who stays in Happy after retirement, besides Wei Chen and Bao Rongxing who works in the guild. however, Baozi is often struck by wanderlust so he might suddenly leave Happy, but can be counted on to be found online helping the guild. Mo Fan makes an appearance here and there, no one really knows what he does
An Wenyi continues his education, resuming his previously disrupted plans. Tang Rou inherits family business. both Ye Xiu and Fang Rui find Glory-related jobs, with Ye Xiu based in Beijing while Fang Rui based abroad
Yu Wenzhou holds the record for the longest active player in the League
Tyranny wins S11, Han Wenqing and Zhang Jiale retire. Zhang Xinjie becomes captain, Song Qiying inherits Desert Dust
World Invitationals are held once in two years. So is the International League (the name is undecided), which is basically the professional Glory clubs around the world competing against each other, with the participants are champion and the runner up from domestic league for each country
With this there's international competition every year, and to accommodate the players (and to extend their career lifespan), in S12 there is secondary league for lower ranked teams, leaving the top teams in the primary league with less packed schedule
Happy wins the domestic league in S12 and S14, and the international league in S13 despite only being runner up in domestic league (unknown to public, they're on fire knowing Fang Rui is about to retire)
Fang Rui in some ways are more influential than Ye Xiu to Happy, especially in the later years. Happy's younger generation barely knows their legendary captain and God, but have known and been taught since training camp days by Fang Rui (alongside Wei Chen and Qiao Yifan)
in the wake of Ye Xiu's retirement, Fang Rui is the most capable and experienced in dealing with team and club management. his appointment as vice captain is to mainly to reduce his burden (although everyone agrees Su Mucheng is a better captain, Fang Rui included)
Fang Rui reclaims his old class (and the title of King of Thieves) to add diversity to Happy's tactics. Happy purchased Lin Feng's Thief account from Blue Rain. he is the second pro player to be registered for two account cards after Fang Shiqian
however, like Fang Shiqian (and Ye Xiu), it puts heavy burden on his body, particularly his left hand, trying to keep up with his golden right hand. he quietly has a surgery for it, and change his playstyle, which rely less on his speed and reflexes and more on his mind and experience
Qiao Yifan becomes close to Yu Wenzhou initially due to Fang Rui, but then Yu Wenzhou becomes Captain and later Team leader for World Invitationals when Qiao Yifan joins which leads them to spend a lot of time together, thus the notebook
#fanfic#fanfiction#quan zhi gao shou#the king's avatar#qzgs#tka#fang rui#qiao yifan#happy#headcanons#bts: let's start thinkin 'bout it#let's start thinkin 'bout it
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g, regarding your recent ask about shesterkin’s goalie style, do you know/have any info on why different countries adopt certain different styles when it comes to goalkeeping? like what leads finnish goalies to trend towards being fast like snake and russian goalies to be strong and dependable like brick wall? i’m just interested to see if there’s history behind it or if it’s more just like “well the most elite goalie coach in russia right now happens to coach that style” or smth
I love thinking about this, yes!
A lot of it does have to do with the influence of particular coaches who run key programs or who train a star goalie that lots of people then want to copy. The hockey world isn’t that big; the goalie world is tiny.
As an example of that, modern goalie training might be really different if the airplane carrying the Soviet Wings hadn’t gone down in 1950. One of the men onboard was 23 year-old goalie Harijs Mellups. He was born in Latvia and had played hockey briefly outside the USSR, I believe in Czechoslovakia, which made him just about the only one who knew what hockey goaltending was. He was supposed to teach it to all the bandy and soccer players. After his death, the USSR teams had a reputation for being, understandably, weak in net for a long time. The resulting pressure for Soviet coaches to look outside the USSR for goaltending inspiration eventually lead to Tretiak, who was chosen because his gangly build was as similar as possible to a successful tall Czechoslovak goalie that Soviet coaches had been watching. (There was a lot of debate all around the hockey world over whether goalies should be small, which had been the fashion in the late 1800s and early 1900s, on the theory that if they were lighter they would be faster. There was a time when tall goalies were avant-garde.)
Tretiak also picked up equipment and equipment techniques from Finnish national team goalie Urpo Ylönen, who made his own goalie sticks with the blade set at angle that allowed him to rest it securely on the ice in all positions. (He gave him a signed stick, which Tretiak promptly played with). Later, Ylönen would become a goalie coach in Finland, while Tretiak coached in America and Canada. Obvsiously in addition to earlier North American star goalies who many people imitated, Tretiak has been pretty influential on American goalies.
Their actual movements were made up from both cultural and cross-training influences.
Finland actually made goalies such a priority that Ylönen became the goalie coaches’ coach. Finland knew they weren't competitors in international hockey in the '80s and '90s. They committed to funding a program to build more good coaches before they could build good goalies, and Ylönen’s very efficient style of movement just spread around the country. I believe I said something about "picking the puck" in the earlier answer--that's from him, and is now a Finnish signature, to stand very tall and keep the arms in relatively close before darting out very fast, like you said, rather than sweeping the arm out wider like Lundqvist or positioning it preemptively. I can't comment on whether that organization or efficiency is something Finns see as national character or culture, but just the fact that they set up such a program created a strong sense of unity and sport culture within their hockey.
The culture in the USSR and now in Russian sports has generally been to let young children play around longer than in North America. Creative thinking in playmaking is encouraged, including for young goalies, who watch or participate in just playing with the puck and seeing where it goes. One of the things Shestyorkin has been praised for and has been commented on by his teammates is his willingness to play the puck and pass it forward to them, which is why he's ended up with several assists. That's credited to just how much he watched plays. Meanwhile in North America, young kids are often encouraged to spend time as skaters before committing to the goalie position, and that might encourage them to skate further out of the net to play the puck or meet a skater and cut down their angles, like a Carey Price or a Braden Holtby (who didn't play goalie until he was twelve or thirteen). Both groups will involve themselves in the play and obviously can be very effective and fun to watch, Russians just mostly do this while still sticking close to the crease.
Cross-training consists of the other types of physical activities you do outside of your sport, which can work as conditioning but also often lead you to learn certain patterns of movement that you might then bring back to your sport. This is often influenced by culture or the social group around you, so there are some really interesting national trends!
Swedish goalies, including Eddie Lack, Anders Lindback, Henrik Lundqvist and others play lots of tennis, an idea that they all spread between themselves by inviting each other to play in the summers. (Note: tennis is one of the sports I am absolutely fascinated by but clueless about, but I gather it's very popular in Sweden to begin with, so it's easy to slot into summer training.) Besides his interest in dance, Tretiak ran a lot, as do many North American goalies today. Americans and Canadians are also very influenced by gym-based conditioning programs from strength and conditioning coaches like Maria Mountain. Young Russian goalies today do a lot of ballet and gymnastics.
Elena Segal, a former Soviet Bolshoi dancer who has worked in Russia and America with teams like the Anaheim Ducks, describes the value of Russian-style ballet training for goalies: "Vaganova ballet training focuses on the deep, small internal muscles.... Their role is to stabilize joints, align bones and muscles during movement, and when stationary, to produce force to the mobilizers and keep the entire body balanced, steady and in-control."
I admit--you'll all be shocked--that ballet would also be my cross-training method of choice for a young goalie, but there are other activities that work, and just might highlight different facets of movement. Maybe there's something taken from tennis in Lundqvist's great leaps and dives and reaches with the glove (at the same time, maybe he likes tennis because it fits with how he already likes to move. It's always a little bit of both.) But in terms of why Russian goalies seem strong and dependable, I'd say that's it's because they're comfortable with reading the play in order to position preemptively or participate without taking many risks, and they're also just well conditioned and move the way they want to move well!
(A video of some goalie ballet from Segal you need some joy)
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SHINSEKAI - Epilogue 1
Location: Tohoku Town (SHINSEKAI)
Characters: Sora, Natsume & Tsumugi
< A few days later, in the “SHINSEKAI” main street, up in the air. >
Natsume: YeAH. Well, I suppose things are running smoothly for nOW. The players’ satisfaction levels are continuing to be at a hiGH.
Tsumugi: Fakes like Sagami-sensei and Kunugi-sensei or those sorts of relics have stopped appearing since then, too.
“SHINSEKAI” has been operating as per normal without any other huge issues.
Natsume: Rather than being hit with a severe problem in the distant futuRE, it’s good we’re able to do some debugging now since we’ve discovered what the issue iS. WeLL, no one would want any troublesome accidents to ariSE.
Every day is a good dAY – There’s nothing better than thAT.
Tsumugi: But there’s still something on my mind. What was that fake Sagami-sensei thing all about? What did they want to accomplish?
Sora: HaHa~♪ Senpai is always worried about everything~
Tsumugi: That’s just how I am by nature. You're well aware of that too, right, Sora-kun?
Sora: Yes! Just like how Master~ and Senpai know Sora well, Sora knows Master~ and Senpai well too!
Natsume: YeAH. No matter how well they try to keep up appearances in that disguiSE, they’ll always give themselves awAY. A fake can never beat the real thiNG.
And yet, why did idols of the past appeAR?
Tsumugi: Hmm~... I know this might not be the right way to phrase this but…
Putting Sagami-sensei aside, Kunugi-sensei wasn’t that popular and most young people nowadays probably don’t know who he is.
Even if the fake couldn’t act like the original, I don’t think most people would be able to tell.
Natsume: But we don’t even know the teachers that weLL and we could still tell they were fakES?
I have the feeling that pretending to be famous idols of the past and profiting off that wasn’t their goAL.
The currency you can gain in “SHINSEKAI” is “SSG” and not the Japanese yEN.
It’s the same as coins from an arcaDE – you can’t exchange them for Japanese monEY. When “SS” ends, “SSG” and “SSL$” will have no value to thEM.
That’s why I’ve concluded that their goal didn’t involve monEY.
Tsumugi: If it wasn’t for money, then what?
Natsume: Who knoWS. I did wonder if someone was trying to pull another Saga project, thouGH.
Sora: The Saga Project? Sora heard that it didn’t produce any substantial results and it wasn’t successful as a business, either~
That’s why a second Saga Project couldn’t be held and because “Ba-barrier” was created during the Saga Project, it hasn’t been active since.
Natsume: YeAH. Maybe that’s why they changed how they did thinGS.
The goal of the Saga Project was to learn from the past and to revive past idoLS.
But even so, idols who were either middle-aged or older were of no use at all, just as it was shown in the Saga ProjeCT.
They were all just “normal middle-aged men” who have retired from the industry and haven’t been practising at all, so that’s only obvious, thouGH.
Tsumugi: Yes. That’s probably why in the Saga Project, one of the older members would team up with younger idols to form a “teacher-student relationship” in an attempt to gain popularity.
On one hand, they expected the experienced veteran and the energetic young idols to be there supporting one other but…
On the other, the “middle-aged men” are nothing by themselves, so they teamed up with lively kids to increase their commercial value.
Natsume: YeAH. That plan seemed to work and the Saga Project missed being marked as a massive failure of a project by a haIR.
But there must have been others who weren’t happy with the project resulting in a “it didn’t faIL”.
Probably, someone in the higher-ups in ES, someone amongst the ones who are still controlling the idol industry to a large exteNT…
Tsumugi: Ahaha. The younger generation has started standing out ever since ES was established, but it’s not as if they could remove the influential figures or the higher-ups.
There are still a lot of them around. It can’t be helped, though~ We live in a society with a declining birth rate and an ageing population – there will definitely be more adults than children.
Natsume: YeAH. Remove the elderly and no organisation or industry will functiON. The adults still have the influence and the power to do that muCH.
A part of them still yearns for the past so they tried to hold another Saga ProjeCT. But this time, using “SSVRS”.
By using “SSVRS”, they can avoid the issue that came up during the first Saga Project – the ageing idoLS.
That’s because you can recreate an idol’s appearance and their movements from their peAK.
Tsumugi: Yes. We let Shuu-kun and Mika-kun use their own appearances.
But you can actually choose to look however you want in “SHINSEKAI”. You can look like an animal, change your gender…
Natsume: Or even look youngER. And most of the influential figures who participated in the Saga Project were famous idols who anyone in Japan would have known in their priME.
That’s how attractive and capable they weRE.
It might be true that they were simply forced into the industry, but if they didn’t have the capabilities worthy of their positiON, they wouldn’t have the fame they have todAY.
We can revive our “significant historical figures” to how they looked in their peAK.
Even if the actual person passes awAY, it’s possible to recreate something similar if they replace the “person on the insiDE”.
← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂ Next Chapter →
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Candace Parker Is a Force in Basketball and Beyond
Candace Parker was already enjoying a monumental run in her life last year. One of the greatest women’s basketball players of all time had just won her second WNBA championship, capping a storybook return home: the Naperville, Ill.-raised athlete had signed with the Chicago Sky before last season and delivered the franchise its first-ever WNBA title. Parker served as the face of an emergent WNBA. Parker’s media work, providing commentary on TNT’s highly popular and influential NBA program, was receiving rave reviews. Parker was a basketball force.
Then, late last year, her journey took another significant turn. On Instagram, she revealed publicly, for the first time, that she had been married for two years to Anna Petrakova, a former Olympic basketball player from Russia who played with Parker on a pro team there. Parker, who was previously married to former NBA player Shelden Williams, shared pictures from the couple’s Dec. 14, 2019 wedding—which 50 guests, plus workers, were required to keep secret. Parker also announced that the couple was expecting a child. Their son, Airr Larry Petrakov Parker, was born in February.
During an interview in suburban Chicago on an off-day for the Sky, who are in first place in the Eastern Conference heading into the WNBA playoffs starting Aug. 17, Parker, 36, reflected on her decision to take her relationship public. One reason she and Petrakova kept their marriage under wraps Russia’s anti-LGBTQ+ policies: Petrakova was concerned she’d be subject to discrimination. But with a baby now on the way, Parker and Petrakova felt the timing was right. Plus, she wanted to send a strong message to her daughter Lailaa, now 13. “I always tell my daughter to be herself,” says Parker. “I always tell my daughter to be proud of who she is. And I always tell my daughter to speak for herself and speak up for those that she loves. And I can’t say that to her if I’m not doing it myself. I don’t want her to ever think that I’m ashamed or not proud of our family. That was a step that we had to take. But we had to take it on our own terms.”
Parker’s announcement resonated with both her family and the LGBTQ+ community. Her message, plus her continued accomplishments on the floor—in May, at 36, she became the oldest WNBA player to record a triple-double before he got another one in June—her strong performances on TV, and her ability to manage the demands of motherhood and a full-time sports career, have set her up to become one of the key figures in American sports and culture, for years to come.
Hoops savant
Parker grew up breathing basketball. She attended her first basketball game—a middle school contest featuring older brother Anthony, who would later play nine years in the NBA—when she was less than two weeks old. At age 5, at a Chicago Bulls game, she told everyone in earshot that Michael Jordan’s team had no shot at winning unless they rebounded better. A college recruiter once visited the Parker home, trying to woo Anthony; Candace, who was 6 or 7, told the coach about his team’s defensive shortcomings.
She was the Gatorade Girl’s High School Player of the Year in 2003-2004; she is still the only girl’s basketball player to receive this accolade in back-to-back years. She became the first female to win the dunk contest at the McDonald’s High School All-American Game, beating out future NBA players like J.R. Smith and Rudy Gay. Parker was one of the most highly recruited players in girls basketball history: she chose Tennessee, coached at the time by the late Hall of Famer Pat Summitt. As a sophomore, Parker became the first woman to dunk in an NCAA tournament game. Tennessee won back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008.
As a first-year pro in 2008, Parker won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, and was named league WNBA MVP and Rookie of the Year playing for the Los Angeles Sparks. She was unknowingly in the early stages of pregnancy with Lailaa. “My daughter was along for the journey,” Parker says. “She got an Olympic gold medal, won the MVP and rookie of the year before she was even born. That’s so special for me because it encompasses what women are capable of.”
Parker spent her WNBA off-seasons playing professionally in Russia, China, and Turney where salaries are more lucrative for female players. (Even after a 2020 collective bargaining agreement made notable improvements in WNBA pay, the maximum salary for this season is $228,094; Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers will make $47 million next season). During the WNBA season, she continued to thrive, winning a second league MVP in 2013 and a title with the Sparks in 2016.
But during her final years in Los Angeles, Parker and then-coach Derek Fisher had a rocky relationship: Fisher benched Parker down the stretch of a 2019 playoff game, which the Sparks lost, ending their season. So before the 2021 campaign, Parker decided to return home to Chicago, signing with the Sky as a free agent. The 2021 season started out rough: Chicago was 2-7 at one point. The Sky finished .500, good enough for a sixth seed, but rolled to the WNBA Finals. Sky guard Kahleah Cooper recalls a particularly tense huddle in Game 4 of the Finals, when Chicago was trailing to the Phoenix Mercury. Parker’s calm and experience made all the difference. “We were all a little disheveled,” says Cooper. “And Candace is like, ‘hey, hey, like, snap out of it. We’re fine. We’re a really good team .’ She just gave us these reminders and the reassurance that everything was going to be OK. These things happen during big games. It’s normal to feel how we felt. And in that moment, Candace literally flipped the switch for us.”
Dunking on Shaq
Parker, who has had eight knee surgeries, is still unsure if this will be her final season. “I live in the moment,” she says. But whenever retirement from basketball arrives, Parker has a luxury unavailable to most athletes: a thriving second career awaiting her. She first signed on with Turner Sports to analyze men’s college basketball games in 2018: her strong showing earned her a contract that added NBA responsibilities too, making her the first woman featured on TNT’s NBA studio programming. “The biggest thing for me when I came in is that I said that I’m not trying to be one of the guys,” says Parker. “I’m trying to be one of the players. That line is what I established. I’m Candace. I’m not going to change who I am.”
Her exchanges with Shaquille O’Neal have stood out. In March of 2021, for example, Parker patiently explained to Shaq that since, in the modern NBA, very often all five NBA players on the court can shoot three-point shots, defensive players must switch assignments when they are screened. If you’re not always near someone, an open shooter will do damage. When O’Neal argued that he and Dwyane Wade, who was also in the studio, won a title using different defensive tactics, Parker looked around quizzically, as if to say dude, it’s not 2006 anymore. “It’s a confidence that she walks with,” says Wade. “She knows she’s an expert. So it’s so dope to sit next to her and hear her perspective on the game, because it always gives me a different way to think of it.”
Parker’s success is also helping attract a new audience to the WNBA. “It’s not only important and inspiring for young girls and women to see that, but I think it also makes men look at women’s sports and female athletes a little differently,” says basketball Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo, who analyzes WNBA games for ESPN. “Like, ‘oh man, you know, Candace Parker would be fun to have a beer with to break down the NBA.’ You wonder, do people tune in and be like, ‘oh man, Candace Parker makes me laugh on TNT. Let me check out her game.’”
“Those of us who cover the W, and have for like a long time, have been talking about how, in the last couple of years, it feels like the WNBA is becoming more mainstream,” says Lobo. “It feels like it’s at that tipping point. It feels like it’s going to break through culturally. And I think, you know, the coolness factor of Candace on Turner, that can only help.”
From Russia with love
In Russia, Parker played for UMMC Ekaterinburg, the top women’s team in the country, from 2010 through 2015. Brittney Griner was playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg at the time of her arrest in February. On Aug. 4, a Russian judge sentenced Griner, whom the U.S. government has designated “wrongfully detained,” to nine years in prison for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage.
“Everybody is just ready for this unjust detainment and now sentence to be over and for her to be back,” says Parker. “You talk about something that’s valuable, which is your freedom. And you talk about what’s valuable, is your time. We can help fight for her freedom, but she won’t get the time back. Let’s not have her lose any more of either.”
Russia is where Parker first met Petrakova, about a dozen years ago. Petrakova joined UMMC Ekaterinburg in 2012, which was when her friendship with Parker blossomed. Parker and Petrakova would stay up late and talk. “There were some drunken nights,” Petrakova says, laughing. “And it would just go further than we would think.” During one of these evenings, they kissed for the first time. “We’re scared, and we’re like, ‘what the hell was that?’” Petrakova says. “You are kind of scared to look each other in the eye and then you’re like, ‘OK, well, what are we? We’re lying to ourselves here.’”
Neither Parker nor Petrakova had ever imagined themselves married to a woman. “We literally denied it to ourselves for three years I think,” says Petrakova. “Then we just finally accepted it. That was a long, hard process.”
In 2019, Petrakova planned a birthday trip for Parker in Mexico. On a boat, surrounded by about 15 friends and family, Lailaa held a cake. Parker got on one knee and told Petrakova to look at the cake. “It literally took me a few minutes to figure out what was going on,” says Petrakova. Written in icing was a question. “Will you marry us?”
“She knows that Lailaa is the center of my entire universe,” says Parker. “So we come in a package deal. It was important for the dynamic duo to be upgraded to the Big Three.”
The crew is now a quartet, with the arrival of Airr Larry Petrakov Parker in February. His first name is pronounced “Air,” as in Air Jordan: given the name, Parker knows her son has no choice but to take up basketball. “So here’s the thing,” says Parker. “With my daughter, I’ve taken the sort of backseat approach. If you want to play basketball, if it’s your passion, I want you to find your passion. With my son, we’re just out of the gates, your name is Airr. There’s going to be pressure with that. If you shoot an Air Ball, it’s going to be a problem.” While Parker did her son no favors by giving him an ideal name for basketball heckling, Airr’s genes could more than make up for it. “A drop step dunk is definitely in his future,” says Parker. “His hands are huge.”
Parker and Petrakova had long feared that the social media blowback to their relationship would be hurtful to them and most importantly, to Lailaa. But they’ve both been pleasantly surprised. Aside from an occasional ignorant comment, they received mostly positive feedback. “I was always against ‘coming out’ because I felt like in this society, in this day and age, you shouldn’t have to do that,” says Parker. “Society had a way of putting this pressure on people to come out. And I don’t think it should be that way. I think there were a number of media members who knew about my family. And they supported it. They didn’t out me. Or they didn’t put pressure on me to expose my living situation. We live in an oversharing world. You should be able to choose the parts of your life that you share and the parts you keep private. And I hope I was able to open up the door of conversations. And open up the door of how valuable it is to have support.”
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⸻ SONG MINHO. HE + HIM / have you ever heard of DEVIL’S BACKBONE BY THE CIVIL WARS., well, it describes ISSAC YOON to a tee! the THIRTY year old, and an ATTORNEY was spotted browsing through the stalls at portobello road market last sunday, do you know them? would you say HE is more of a workaholic or more PASSIONATE instead? anyway, they remind me of black and white photos on the fridge , neverending spirited debates and the sound of a gavel’s slam maybe you’ll bump into them soon!
time in notting hill :3 years
birthplace : nyc , usa
sexuality : bisexual
relationship status : single
born the prime prospect — the apple of his mother’s eye, issac yoon was primed from a young age to be as sharp as they come. raised in the penthouses of wall street, he was taught early how to become one of the most influential men of their time and grew up wanting to be the next president of the united states. he had a goal in life, and it was to reach the very top of the tier, engulf his life in politics, perhaps even become the first asian president, assuming someone else didn’t beat him to it beforehand. it was all that he wanted, and with the yoon family fronting the bill, he was convinced he could have everything. it was the posh life of expensive clothes and cars , the utmost pristine education and being raised by a nanny that taught issac just everything that he knows today — the college education he earned, later on, was only a stepping stone into the man that he would soon become.
a sharp tongue and intelligence to boot… issac was a competent young man that was able to breeze through his classes, his hard work countering any doubts that his fellow students may have had when accused of only getting into the private school by way of family name and funding. he was spoiled, the eldest son to carry on the hopes and aspirations of his mother and father and for that, they were willing to give him everything that he could have ever wanted in the world without question. however, it was his years of playing ice hockey that really made him capable of being a team player, learning to understand the needs of others even if such lessons didn’t stick through to his adult years.
it was with great pride and expectation that issac was accepted into yale where he chose to study law, his first step into becoming what he’d always dreamed of, a political savant. however, the first steps were always the most difficult, having already gotten his ride through a charter school, and one of the top-ranked law schools in the country, upon graduation issac struggled for some time in finding the perfect law firm to fit what he believed to be his cup of tea and as picky as he was, it wasn’t until a year later he found a position worth keeping in a cozy law firm right on wall street where he grew up.
all dreams, as beautiful as they may be, however, must come to an end at some point and the waking siege occurred years later, hard work paid off to earn issac a comfortable office with his very own assistant. that is until news hit the stands of a major case being put against a certain martin yoon, a wall street wannabe king who was issac’s very own father. money laundering, insider trading and a few counts of racketeering on his list, the yoon family was quickly vilified by the press, their faces sprawled across the new york times in shame. their lives as they knew it were over, their family penthouse, taken by the police, ransacked, their personal lives overturned and the family fortune wiped out. it was issac’s saving grace that he was able to create his own nest egg from his well-paying job but the final decision became clear. the yoon family was no longer welcome on wall street and while his mother chose to remain in their home city to ‘support her husband’ issac, even after all his hard work, found himself incapable of handling the media stress and decided to leave.
there enter notting hill , london , a city where nobody knew his name, and yet everyone knew everything about everyone else. there, he was able to get himself a comfortable and humble job at the local law firm where he’d defend people from breaking and entering and the occasional elevated crime. to say that issac was pleased with his sudden uprooting would be a blatant lie, and his bitterness would show even in the courtroom but still – he managed to make himself comfortable in the niche little city, purchasing himself a vibrant home so that he could live in his new life, enjoying it for whatever it turned out to be .
personality: issac is about as driven as one can be. he is known to be callous in the courtroom where his words are the very weapons that he uses to slice anyone down the center, if he has a goal in mind — it’s his to obtain no matter what stands in his way. he is, however, quite prideful in his actions and often finds himself biting off more than he can chew. this drive he carries on his back is coated in embarrassment for his family’s wrongdoings and because of this he is quite secretive, preferring to live his life as a new issac yoon instead of the son of the man who stole millions of dollars from innocent
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Stardew Valley/Schitt’s Creek Sims 4 Idea
This is adding onto my ideas for a Sims 4 population revamp. Previously I had an idea of combining the Stardew Valley player with Sims 4. Now I wanted to work on the town itself. This is an idea that combines Haley and Emily from Stardew Valley along with the Schitt’s Creek premise. Here’s the family description:
“When wealthy businessman Craig Henford lost his business due to some... questionable... practices among his business partners, the family lost everything - their home, their wealth, you name it. However, Craig still had his name. His forefathers founded Henford-on-Bagley generations ago and his name still meant something there. A property belonging to his predecessors was available for Craig and his family to live on for free. Now the family owns a farm and they have to maintain it if they want to rebuild their life. Most members of the family were unhappy with the move, but Craig sees this as an opportunity to not only rebuild his fortune but also his family. Over the years, they’d grown apart. He and his wife, Kate, barely knew what was going on with their children. Although they would prefer their old life back, they’re determined to make it work.
Kate Henford was a prominent, influential woman back when her family had wealth. She had friends in high places that definitely played a part in her husband’s success. She wants to keep her connections but she divulges as little about her situation as possible to her peers. She doesn’t understand why her husband wants to make farm life work. He should be rebuilding his company! And if he won’t do it, Kate will have to step up herself. In the meantime, she’ll make the most out of his ridiculous situation. Perhaps she can connect with the mayor of Henford-on-Bagley or try to make her husband mayor... Or get in good with the Starre heiress who oddly decided to move to the country...
Ashley Henford was at the top of her social class back in the city, and she mooched off her parents. When the business fell, Ashley didn’t have any money of her own, so she moved to the farm with her parents and siblings. Being back under the same roof with her younger sister Emma has added to the tension of the house but Ashley is determined to ignore her strangeness and instead work on her social media presence to get back in the spotlight.
Emma Henford has always felt like the black sheep of the family. While her family focused on wealth and status, Emily focused on her inner peace. She feels a deep spiritual connection to the nature around her and wants to immerse herself in her surroundings. She’s also determined to fix the relationship between her and her sister.
Zachary has always felt a bit out of place in the social scene. He often hid behind his twin sister Emma’s big personality while he hid in the background. Now in a new scenery where no one really knows him other than for his name, he has the opportunity to make a new personality for himself. He’s really enjoying the local diner and one day hopes to become skilled in the culinary arts himself.
Athletic Ricky was devastated to be taken out of his soccer team to move to a farm. He still wants to keep playing soccer so he’s ready when they move back. He’ll actually have to put forth effort to make friends now too. Before kids just gravitated towards him because of his status. Now everything is different...”
Another long description I admit! But I really wanted to go into the background and emotions of every sim with no one left out. There’s a lot of different directions you could take each character. My main goal personally is for them to really be a part of and come to love the town, making friends with those around him.
For Zachary, I wanted to create an older couple perhaps in the world that owns a diner and have him essentially be an apprentice to said couple.
Perhaps Craig could one day become mayor, but not so he can gain status, but because he’s come to love the town and wants the best for it.
For Ashley, I wanted her to become a nicer person and be friends with those around her and get into the farm work. She’s a good potential friend for the Stardew Valley “player” character (Zuri in my previous post). I thought that perhaps she had tension with her sister because she’s jealous about how Emma can be unapologetically herself while Ashley feels the need to act in front of her peers. I also wanted her to have a hot-shot boyfriend and friends she left behind and maybe have him leave her at some point so she can expand her horizons without the constrains of having to keep up an image with her old friends.
For Kate, I wanted to give her a hobby where she could work with her hands. I can picture her being good with flower arranging since she’s done a lot of events in the past. She can even be a good event planner in Henford-on-Bagley. I also wanted her to have a good friendship with some other prominent families across the worlds like the Landgraab family and perhaps the Goth family.
I see Ricky being some kind of athlete and he can either stay in town or eventually go to university to become a soccer player, always remembering his roots and new friends in town.
And for Emma, you can follow Emily’s story more or less in Stardew Valley. She’s a teenager starting out in my family but once she becomes an adult she can maybe work at the same diner Zachary can own one day. She can develop her mixology skill and more or less just enjoy the world around her, either by collecting or having a lot of animal friends.
That’s all I’ve got for now! I’m working on an official description and background for Stu and Wart that I mentioned in my previous post. Let me know what you think of this one! I’m really enjoying working off of loose interpretations of Stardew Valley or other existing media for Sims.
#sims#ts4#ts#thesim#thesims4#sims4#stardew#stardew valley#schitts creek#sims 4 storylines#sims 4 storyline ideas#sims 4 scenarios#henford-on-bagley#cottage living#farm#sims 4#simsblr#simblr#sims 4 simblr#sims 4 lore#sims 4 inspiration#sims 4 family#sims 4 rewrite#sim#sims 4 challenge
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India's Most Popular Sports Personalities
In a nation where cricket reigns supreme, the quest for the title of Most Popular SportsPerson in India is fiercely contested. Cricket, deeply ingrained in the country's cultural DNA, has produced legendary figures like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, who have captured the nation's imagination with their on-field heroics. Yet, amidst the cricketing fervor, a new narrative is emerging—one that celebrates the rise of athletes from diverse disciplines, challenging the hegemony of cricket and vying for the coveted title of India's most beloved sporting icon.
Cricket: A Cultural Phenomenon
Cricket holds a special place in the hearts of millions of Indians. Introduced during British colonial rule, the sport quickly captured the imagination of the masses and became an integral part of the nation's cultural fabric. From dusty village grounds to state-of-the-art stadiums hosting international matches, cricket permeates every stratum of Indian society.
The Indian Premier League (IPL), launched in 2008, revolutionized the game, transforming it into a glitzy, high-octane spectacle that attracts viewership from around the globe. The league not only elevated the status of Indian cricket but also turned players into household names, with superstars like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni achieving demi-god status.
Virat Kohli: The Poster Boy of Indian Cricket
Among the pantheon of cricketing legends, Virat Kohli stands tall as one of the most influential and celebrated sports personalities in India. Known for his aggressive batting style and fierce competitiveness, Kohli has shattered numerous records and garnered adulation both at home and abroad. As the captain of the Indian cricket team, he epitomizes passion, dedication, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Kohli's meteoric rise to stardom mirrors the aspirations of millions of young Indians dreaming of sporting glory. His success transcends the boundaries of cricket, making him a cultural icon and a symbol of hope for the nation's youth.
Beyond Cricket: The Emergence of New Sporting Heroes
While cricket continues to reign supreme, India's sporting landscape is undergoing a transformation, with athletes from diverse disciplines making their mark on the global stage. One such sport is badminton, which has witnessed a surge in popularity thanks to the exploits of players like PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal.
PV Sindhu: Badminton's Brightest Star
PV Sindhu's silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics catapulted her to superstardom and inspired a generation of aspiring shuttlers. With her towering smashes and steely resolve, Sindhu has cemented her status as one of the world's top-ranked players, becoming a beacon of hope for Indian badminton.
Saina Nehwal: Pioneering Pathways to Success
Saina Nehwal blazed a trail for Indian badminton, becoming the first Indian woman to achieve the world number one ranking in singles. Her tenacity and resilience have made her a role model for young athletes, proving that with determination and hard work, anything is possible.
The Rise of Other Sporting Icons
Beyond cricket and badminton, India boasts a burgeoning contingent of athletes excelling in diverse disciplines such as wrestling, boxing, and athletics. From wrestlers like Bajrang Punia to boxers like Mary Kom, these sporting heroes embody the spirit of resilience and triumph against all odds.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the growing recognition of non-cricketing sports, India faces numerous challenges in nurturing and sustaining its sporting talent. Issues such as lack of infrastructure, funding constraints, and bureaucratic hurdles continue to hinder the development of sports at the grassroots level.
However, amid these challenges lie immense opportunities. With the government's renewed focus on promoting sports through initiatives like the Khelo India program and increased corporate investment, there is hope that India can unlock its vast sporting potential and produce champions across a multitude of disciplines.
In Conclusion
India's love affair with sports transcends mere competition; it reflects the nation's collective aspirations, dreams, and identity. While cricket remains deeply entrenched in the country's sporting psyche, the emergence of new sporting heroes signals a seismic shift in India's sporting landscape. As the nation continues its quest for sporting glory, one thing remains certain: the spirit of sportsmanship and the pursuit of excellence will continue to unite and inspire generations of Indians for years to come.
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