#2018 Team Event: Day Two

[reasonsforhope]

Story from the Washington Post here, non-paywall version here.

Washington Post stop blocking linksharing and shit challenge.

"The young woman was catatonic, stuck at the nurses’ station — unmoving, unblinking and unknowing of where or who she was.

Her name was April Burrell.

Before she became a patient, April had been an outgoing, straight-A student majoring in accounting at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. But after a traumatic event when she was 21, April suddenly developed psychosis and became lost in a constant state of visual and auditory hallucinations. The former high school valedictorian could no longer communicate, bathe or take care of herself.

April was diagnosed with a severe form of schizophrenia, an often devastating mental illness that affects approximately 1 percent of the global population and can drastically impair how patients behave and perceive reality.

“She was the first person I ever saw as a patient,” said Sander Markx, director of precision psychiatry at Columbia University, who was still a medical student in 2000 when he first encountered April. “She is, to this day, the sickest patient I’ve ever seen.” ...

It would be nearly two decades before their paths crossed again. But in 2018, another chance encounter led to several medical discoveries...

Markx and his colleagues discovered that although April’s illness was clinically indistinguishable from schizophrenia, she also had lupus, an underlying and treatable autoimmune condition that was attacking her brain.

After months of targeted treatments [for lupus] — and more than two decades trapped in her mind — April woke up.

The awakening of April — and the successful treatment of other people with similar conditions — now stand to transform care for some of psychiatry’s sickest patients, many of whom are languishing in mental institutions.

Researchers working with the New York state mental health-care system have identified about 200 patients with autoimmune diseases, some institutionalized for years, who may be helped by the discovery.

And scientists around the world, including Germany and Britain, are conducting similar research, finding that underlying autoimmune and inflammatory processes may be more common in patients with a variety of psychiatric syndromes than previously believed.

Although the current research probably will help only a small subset of patients, the impact of the work is already beginning to reshape the practice of psychiatry and the way many cases of mental illness are diagnosed and treated.

“These are the forgotten souls,” said Markx. “We’re not just improving the lives of these people, but we’re bringing them back from a place that I didn’t think they could come back from.” ...

Waking up after two decades

The medical team set to work counteracting April’s rampaging immune system and started April on an intensive immunotherapy treatment for neuropsychiatric lupus...

The regimen is grueling, requiring a month-long break between each of the six rounds to allow the immune system to recover. But April started showing signs of improvement almost immediately...

A joyful reunion

“I’ve always wanted my sister to get back to who she was,” Guy Burrell said.

In 2020, April was deemed mentally competent to discharge herself from the psychiatric hospital where she had lived for nearly two decades, and she moved to a rehabilitation center...

Because of visiting restrictions related to covid, the family’s face-to-face reunion with April was delayed until last year. April’s brother, sister-in-law and their kids were finally able to visit her at a rehabilitation center, and the occasion was tearful and joyous.

“When she came in there, you would’ve thought she was a brand-new person,” Guy Burrell said. “She knew all of us, remembered different stuff from back when she was a child.” ...

The family felt as if they’d witnessed a miracle.

“She was hugging me, she was holding my hand,” Guy Burrell said. “You might as well have thrown a parade because we were so happy, because we hadn’t seen her like that in, like, forever.”

“It was like she came home,” Markx said. “We never thought that was possible.”

...After April’s unexpected recovery, the medical team put out an alert to the hospital system to identify any patients with antibody markers for autoimmune disease. A few months later, Anca Askanase, a rheumatologist and director of the Columbia Lupus Center,who had been on April’s treatment team, approached Markx. “I think we found our girl,” she said.

Bringing back Devine

When Devine Cruz was 9, she began to hear voices. At first, the voices fought with one another. But as she grew older, the voices would talk about her, [and over the years, things got worse].

For more than a decade, the young woman moved in and out of hospitals for treatment. Her symptoms included visual and auditory hallucinations, as well as delusions that prevented her from living a normal life.

Devine was eventually diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, which can result in symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. She also was diagnosed with intellectual disability.

She was on a laundry list of drugs — two antipsychotic medications, lithium, clonazepam, Ativan and benztropine — that came with a litany of side effects but didn’t resolve all her symptoms...

She also had lupus, which she had been diagnosed with when she was about 14, although doctors had never made a connection between the disease and her mental health...

Last August, the medical team prescribed monthly immunosuppressive infusions of corticosteroids and chemotherapy drugs, a regime similar to what April had been given a few years prior. By October, there were already dramatic signs of improvement.

“She was like ‘Yeah, I gotta go,’” Markx said. “‘Like, I’ve been missing out.’”

After several treatments, Devine began developing awareness that the voices in her head were different from real voices, a sign that she was reconnecting with reality. She finished her sixth and final round of infusions in January.

In March, she was well enough to meet with a reporter. “I feel like I’m already better,” Devine said during a conversation in Markx’s office at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, where she was treated. “I feel myself being a person that I was supposed to be my whole entire life.” ...

Her recovery is remarkable for several reasons, her doctors said. The voices and visions have stopped. And she no longer meets the diagnostic criteria for either schizoaffective disorder or intellectual disability, Markx said...

Today, Devine lives with her mother and is leading a more active and engaged life. She helps her mother cook, goes to the grocery store and navigates public transportation to keep her appointments. She is even babysitting her siblings’ young children — listening to music, taking them to the park or watching “Frozen 2” — responsibilities her family never would have entrusted her with before her recovery.

Expanding the search for more patients

While it is likely that only a subset of people diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychotic disorders have an underlying autoimmune condition, Markx and other doctors believe there are probably many more patients whose psychiatric conditions are caused or exacerbated by autoimmune issues...

The cases of April and Devine also helped inspire the development of the SNF Center for Precision Psychiatry and Mental Health at Columbia, which was named for the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, which awarded it a $75 million grant in April. The goal of the center is to develop new treatments based on specific genetic and autoimmune causes of psychiatric illness, said Joseph Gogos, co-director of the SNF Center.

Markx said he has begun care and treatment on about 40 patients since the SNF Center opened. The SNF Center is working with the New York State Office of Mental Health, which oversees one of the largest public mental health systems in America, to conduct whole genome sequencing and autoimmunity screening on inpatients at long-term facilities.

For “the most disabled, the sickest of the sick, even if we can help just a small fraction of them, by doing these detailed analyses, that’s worth something,�� said Thomas Smith, chief medical officer for the New York State Office of Mental Health. “You’re helping save someone’s life, get them out of the hospital, have them live in the community, go home.”

Discussions are underway to extend the search to the 20,000 outpatients in the New York state system as well. Serious psychiatric disorders, like schizophrenia, are more likely to be undertreated in underprivileged groups. And autoimmune disorders like lupus disproportionately affect women and people of color with more severity.

Changing psychiatric care

How many people ultimately will be helped by the research remains a subject of debate in the scientific community. But the research has spurred excitement about the potential to better understand what is going on in the brain during serious mental illness...

Emerging research has implicated inflammation and immunological dysfunction as potential players in a variety of neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia, depression and autism.

“It opens new treatment possibilities to patients that used to be treated very differently,” said Ludger Tebartz van Elst, a professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy at University Medical Clinic Freiburg in Germany.

In one study, published last year in Molecular Psychiatry, Tebartz van Elst and his colleagues identified 91 psychiatric patients with suspected autoimmune diseases, and reported that immunotherapies benefited the majority of them.

Belinda Lennox, head of the psychiatry department at the University of Oxford, is enrolling patients in clinical trials to test the effectiveness of immunotherapy for autoimmune psychosis patients.

As a result of the research, screenings for immunological markers in psychotic patients are already routine in Germany, where psychiatrists regularly collect samples from cerebrospinal fluid.

Markx is also doing similar screening with his patients. He believes highly sensitive and inexpensive blood tests to detect different antibodies should become part of the standard screening protocol for psychosis.

Also on the horizon: more targeted immunotherapy rather than current “sledgehammer approaches” that suppress the immune system on a broad level, said George Yancopoulos, the co-founder and president of the pharmaceutical company Regeneron.

“I think we’re at the dawn of a new era. This is just the beginning,” said Yancopoulos."

-via The Washington Post, June 1, 2023

[amber-aura]

Let us Live since we must Die: Chapter 3: Reminisce

Summary: In 1932, something happened in Mississippi. Something no one could explain. In 2001, a baby was born under a sky that remembered. In 2025, she’s about to find out why. Breana Rae has the power to tear through space, but what she really wants is to connect the pieces of her past. When a rare celestial event reawakens the ghosts of a buried tragedy, Breana is pulled into a mystery far older and far deeper than she ever imagined.

Pairing: Remmick x black!oc

A/N: Standby, we're getting closer and closer!

Warnings: 18+ comments only. Minors, you can read but do not interact with any of my works. Angst, graphic mentions of blood and gore, eventual smut, slow burn, slurs, mentions of suicide, emetophobia, sexual assault, murder, etc. Will continue adding more as the story progresses for the sake of any new readers.

Word count: 5.9k

Day three. Two more days to go.

Breana was in her kitchen eating a smoothie bowl; something she would never get tired of was her Vitamix blender. 

She remembered watching the smoothie bowl trend back in 2018-2021 where it was extremely popular just because of how beautiful and smooth it looked so she bought her own. 

Needless to say, she was satisfied with the purchase. She made smoothie bowls all the time as it was one of the small things that brought her happiness. 

Finishing up, she washed her bowl and spoon then went to the living room and sat on her couch. There was quite literally nothing to do when your schedule wasn’t filled to the brim and you didn’t have many friends.

Yeah, you’d think famous people would be friends with practically everyone but the truth is, friendships are damn near nonexistent in the world of fame, and don’t even get her started on romance. That stuff is so rare to find in Hollywood that it might as well be gold.

She also didn’t post on Tiktok or Instagram as much as she used to. The next time she does that will be her birthday but that’s mostly because her team will make her do that.

Breana only had, what? Two, three, four real friends? That was fine, she didn’t need a hundred like so many people thought they needed. Sometimes Breana regretted going to Hollywood. The energy there could be so…dark and fake and just…ugh. But music called her, so that’s what she ended up doing. She didn’t mind continuing to be a C-lister.

All dark thoughts aside, she really wanted to go out at night again but she didn’t want to run into you know who again. But…she was going to take a risk. And this time, she was going to bring a knife with her. She didn’t have access to any guns because…she never learned how to shoot so there’s that. 

So, it was decided. A comfy outfit, and her shoulder bag with the sharpest kitchen knife she had just in case someone wanted to try her again. She loved night, even more so than the day. That was the time the world went silent, and she could just simply…exist. Not that she enjoys the silence too much, she usually needs sounds to keep herself distracted but she enjoyed the peace that night brung. 

So when night comes, she would leave for a little while.

The city was quiet in the way only nighttime could allow.

Not the comforting silence of sleep, but the eerie hush that clings to streets when most souls are tucked away behind locked doors. The kind of silence that presses against your ears, waiting for something to shatter it. A siren. A scream. A breath too loud.

Breana walked with her hands buried deep in the pockets of her jacket, her sneakers making soft scuffs against the cracked pavement. No music in her ears tonight. Just the sound of her own heartbeat and the occasional rustle of wind whispering secrets through alleyways.

Sleep hadn’t come easy after last night’s dream—or... invasion , more like. Her body had rested, but her spirit still felt scraped raw. That voice, that pressure, that twisted hunger disguised as comfort—it’d left something behind. Like ghost fingerprints all over her psyche.

She needed air. Needed the dark.

This late at night, she didn’t expect anyone to be out. But she didn’t exactly feel alone, either. Her gut kept tightening with that subtle paranoia. That watched feeling. It wasn’t fear—not yet. Just a tension humming beneath her skin like a pulled string.

She turned a corner onto an older part of the city, where cobblestones still peeked through the road like the bones of some long-dead body. Streetlamps flickered—yellow halos struggling against the dark.

Then…there it was again.

A flicker of movement in her peripheral vision. She turned. Nothing.

Breana stopped walking and stood under one of the lamps. Just stood there. Still. Listening. The night wasn’t empty.

“Alright,” she muttered, trying to steady her breath, “You gon’ show yourself or not?”

A soft laugh drifted in from somewhere to her right. Low. Feminine. Familiar.

“Now you speakin’ our language,” a smooth voice teased. And from the shadows, Mary stepped forward.

She looked the same as last time. Her eyes glowed faintly under the flickering lamp like sapphires dipped in moonlight.

Breana’s spine tensed. “Y’all again.”

From the other side, Elias leaned against a brick wall with that crooked grin like he knew a joke nobody else did. “Told you we was gon’ run into her again.”

“That was you following me?”

“Nah,” Elias said, still grinning. “Just smell you from blocks away.”

Mary elbowed him sharply, and he coughed into his sleeve. “I mean, not like that. Just…you got a strong presence, baby girl. That ain’t a bad thing.”

Breana’s brows furrowed. “Okay...weird compliment. But alright.”

She didn’t back away though. That’s what surprised her.

Something about them was…off. That much hadn’t changed. The vibe still felt other. But not in the same dangerous way as that dream-creature. Not aggressive. Not overtly sinister.

Just...heavy. And old.

“You stalkin’ me now?” she asked, arms crossing.

“Nah,” Mary said gently, her voice softer now. “We just…didn’t want our last meetin’ to be the only one. It went a little south. We was hungry. Not our best moment.”

Breana squinted. “You’re sayin’ that was your version of being friendly?”

Mary shrugged. “We’re outta practice.”

A silence settled between them for a beat. The air around them was colder now. Not uncomfortable, just...dense.

“You not scared of us?” Elias finally asked.

Breana tilted her head. “Should I be?”

They didn’t answer.

And Breana didn’t move.

Because something about the way Mary’s voice smoothed over the night like molasses, and the way Elias’s grin dimmed ever so slightly, made her think—

They didn’t come here to hurt her.

They came to see her.

Whatever they really were.

And for some reason she didn’t quite understand yet, she wanted to see them too.

Breana thought to herself this is logically, a dumb decision considering the way they treated her the first time they met, but her intuition was telling her something.

Breana didn’t speak right away.

She just looked at them—Mary with her cool grace tucked behind every blink, and Elias with that magnetic troublemaker energy, half charming, half dangerous. Neither of them moved closer this time. They waited. Patient. Respectful.

Her intuition stirred like a whisper behind her ribs.

“Don’t run. Not this time. Watch. Listen. Ask.”

It didn’t say she was safe.

But it didn’t say she was in danger either.

And Breana had learned to trust her gut long before she ever knew her powers existed. That little voice saved her from bad men in high-rise studios, fake friends in flashy cars, and labels that promised more than they gave.

So she took a breath.

And didn’t run.

Instead, she tilted her head. “Y’all got a place you tryna be tonight? Or y’all just hanging out waiting for me to stroll by?”

Mary smiled at that, the first real smile since they met. “You funny.”

“I’m serious.”

“We weren’t followin’ you,” Mary said. “But we did hope we’d see you again. Didn’t know when or where. Didn’t know it was gon’ be this soon.”

“You don’t know a lot for two people who act like they know everything,” Breana said, eyebrow cocked.

Elias let out a short laugh. “That’s fair.”

Another moment of quiet. The kind that wasn’t uncomfortable—just...tense. A live wire, not quite cut.

Breana took a few steps forward, brushing a lock of hair out of her face as the breeze lifted her hoodie. Her intuition itched again.

“Keep control. You lead this.”

“I’ll entertain you,” she said slowly. “But only if y’all drop the mystery act. I don’t got time for cryptic shit,” and she meant that.

“Fair ‘nough,” Mary said, nodding. “We’ll tell you most things, but we can’t tell you everything. ”

Breana narrowed her eyes. “Yeah so, is that your way of dodging shit?”

“It’s our way of respectin’ somethin’ bigger than us,” Elias added, his grin finally fading into something more thoughtful.

That gave her pause.

Her intuition pulsed again.

“This conversation matters.”

Breana crossed her arms. “Alright. You wanna talk? Let’s walk.” She did not forget the knife she had in her bag.

They fell into step under the moonlight. Mary on her left, Elias a few paces behind. Breana kept her guard up, but her curiosity had cracked something open.

“So,” she said, eyes straight ahead, “Who are y’all? And don’t say just ‘fans.’ I’m not buyin’ that.”

“We were born a long time ago,” Mary said. “Back when a lot of things weren’t allowed. Especially not folks like me and Elias bein’ together.”

Breana glanced sideways, her brow raising. “You mean like...Black and white?”

Mary nodded. “That too.”

There was something in the way she said it. Like her words were dipped in memory.

Elias spoke next. “We don’t age like other folks. We don’t live like ‘em either.”

“Right,” Breana muttered. “You’re not human.”

“Nope,” Elias easily confirmed.

Breana stopped walking.

She turned and faced them. “You’re vampires.”

Silence.

No denial. No laughter.

Just stillness.

Vampires was the only logical conclusion Breana could come to. Like she said yesterday, glowing eyes was a trait many supernatural creatures had, but only being out at night? Not aging? Call her Sherlock, cause the mystery’s closed. Wasn’t that hard.

Mary’s eyes met hers, glowing faintly. “We didn’t come to feed on you, Breana. That’s not why we here.”

Breana’s heart thudded, but her intuition didn’t flare in fear. It hummed low instead. Watchful. But calm.

“You’re not prey.”

Breana took another step. “So why are you here?”

“To learn,” Mary said softly. “About you. And maybe...help you learn about yourself too.”

Breana frowned. “What makes you think I need help?”

Elias smiled again, but it wasn’t mocking this time. “’Cause you walk like you got a storm inside you. And we know what it’s like to live with weather that don’t let up.”

Breana didn’t answer.

Mary noticed this and assured her, “We don’t mean you may need help in a savin’ kinda way. Lord knows we didn’t…” she muttered. Then she remembered a memory:

“I’m sad as all, but I don’t need no savin’.”

“Yes…yes, you do. You all do…”

Mary quickly returned to the present.

“Well, you already showed us your…” Elias gestured from behind her. “Teleportin’ powers, which, we ain’t know people had until two days ago.” 

Breana glanced back at him, “Come to the front. Next to your…sister? Wife? Friend?”

Both Elias and Mary smiled at her. “Wife is correct,” Mary said. “You sure are confident now, huh?” Elias jested as he walked next to Mary.

“I am calmer…now that I’m aware you two have no bad intentions.”

Elias looked at her. “And what if we was trickin’ you? What if we’re secretly livestreamin’ this whole conversation to some sketchy agency? What if this is one big prank and we’re just high out our minds?”

Breana just looked at him.

“Then you’d better hope your phones could handle being ripped out of its existence. You’re not pranking me. You’re not on drugs. This is real. You’re vampires, and you’ve seen what I could do. We are both supernatural,” she shrugged.

“That doesn’t make us allies though. But I still feel like I should listen to what you two have to say, maybe even ask some questions,” Breana said whilst watching their expressions.

Breana actually couldn’t believe how composed she was being right now. Perhaps it was because she finally found people who are supernatural like her, although…no, she would say she has a supernatural ability but she’s still human.

Still though. Meeting people such as these two actually feels comfortable for her, disregarding their first meeting. And she had a feeling she should give them a chance so she did.

“So…ninety-two years you say? Hold on, let me calculate…40’s, 34, 33, 32…” I gasped.

“1932?”

The man nodded, “1932 ma’am.”

“Wait, wait..hold on, I need to think,” I paused.

“Wha-” He started. 

“Shhh I can’t- please, stop for a second, please-” I interrupted as respectfully as possible as I went down memory lane.

‘Relatives Found – Mississippi Lineage: 1800s–1930s” She put the envelope back down and sighed. Mississippi? She wouldn't have guessed that for some reason. But hey, you learn something new everyday. She wondered if she should dig further but she didn't see the point. What else could she possibly find?’

I had to close my eyes. Just for a second to breathe. Here we go…

I opened my eyes to look at them, teary a bit.

“I’m only asking based off your accent..” That wasn’t the primary reason. “-are you two specifically from Mississippi?”

They looked content with my guess but also slightly concerned as I looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Yes ma’am!” The man playfully saluted. 

But I was about to be sick. I would’ve been happy to ask them if they knew anyone with supernatural abilities back then aside from vampires, but the guy literally said I’m the first person they’ve ever seen that has the ability to teleport.

I guess that also meant they didn’t know any other supernaturals aside from their own?

But still. Maybe…

“Um…” I breathed. “In all your years of living, have you ever encountered any other supernatural?” 

The woman answered this time, and when she did I felt my heart drop.

“Nope. Why?” She asked, her eyes faintly glowing a beautiful cornflower blue, as well as the mans eyes.

“I just…well, I’m adopted as you know since you’re fans. I mean, everyone that knows of me is aware of this. But…I was just hoping I had an ancestor I could get to know through you two, assuming you had many encounters with other possible supernatural people in your time..”

Then I sighed. “But…I realize that wouldn’t make sense for me to ask because, even if you did, how would you know I’m related to them? They would be my great grandmother or grandfather I assume? Yeah, nevermind. I give up. I’m never going to know who I’m related to…” I vented unintentionally when I was really supposed to be asking questions about them specifically.

They both looked at each other. We found a bench and we all sat down.

“Surprisingly,” The man started, “-We haven’t met any other supernatural creature aside from our own, even in all the years we been livin’,” he touched his moustache with nonchalant fingers.

“But if you count ancestral abilities as supernatural, we did know one person,” he said and I saw that his eyes grew melancholic. The womans eyes even more so.

“Her name was Annie. She was my brothers wife, though, they said they was married but ain’t have a ring. I can’t talk though,” he said with a faint smirk and the woman looked at him with the same expression.

“Anyway…she did hoodoo practices. She protected my brother by making him wear what ‘chu call a mojo bag all the time, so that when me and him handled business, he would be safe. And he was.”

He paused then sighed for a moment before continuing.

“He ain’t really believe in her beliefs. I didn’t either. But it seemed to protect him well. And that was good, cause he had me to protect since I,” he paused to chuckle, “-was always gettin’ myself into some kinda trouble, still am, that’s just who I am.”

The woman watched him with fondness.

I felt touched by what he said, then it occurred to me I never asked for their names.

“What are your names?”

“This beauty here is Mary that you now know is my wife, and I’m Elias. But I miss bein’ called Stack.”

“What significance is tied to that name?” 

“Made it up back then,” he simply answered. “Stack to mean stacks of money as my brother and I got money by…questionable means but we did what we had to, to survive. My brothers name was Elijah, but he was nicknamed Smoke. My idea. Smoke as in gettin’ smoked with a gun,” he snickered.

“Together, we were known as the SmokeStack twins.”

I watched him in awe, he had such a story that I knew there was more to but, I respected their privacy especially since we’ve just met.

Mary looked at me next. “Back then, as you know from the history books— even though they don’t tell this generation damn near enough,” she deadpanned. “We wasn’t allowed to date. Elias and I. I’m mixed, but I’m white passing so, to them it was a white woman with a nigga, and we couldn’t be seen together.”

Mary had a look, like she wanted to explain more about their relationship but refrained and I didn’t ask.

“I’ve known Elias since I was little, actually. My…mother delivered him and his brother. So I grew up with ‘em. Annie was like a mentor to me, always healin’, teachin’. She was like my second mother. A…mother of many.”

When Mary said this, I noticed she hesitated on the word “mother”, but once again I did not pry.

“Then there was Cornbread. Oh, I miss Cornbread. Respectful fella’ but when aggravated, he wasn’t afraid to put ‘cha in your place,” she smiled and Elias grinned.

“He ‘sho wasn’t. Almost put hands on me once. And I deserved it,” Elias chuckled.

“He worked the fields since, we wasn’t fully free. But that was his and many others source of “income” at the time, even though our folks wasn’t being paid or treated fairly,” Mary continued with a light sneer before her expression lightened.

Mary continued. “There was Grace and Bo Chow. Asian folks. They both worked as shopkeepers, including their daughter Lisa…” Mary paused for a second.

“I remember the last time I saw her, Elias and I gave her some money and told her to take care of herself…” Mary’s voice hitched a bit and I was about to reach out to comfort her but she regained her composure. 

“And, there was Delta Slim. An old drunkard, but very funny and he could play the piano like nobody’s business. I miss the old music… ”

“I miss the real ,” Elias muttered under his breath, voice thick with longing.

I continued to hear them out, my heartbeat racing in sympathy. My empathy overwhelmed me. The tears started again, but only enough to fill my eyes a bit.

“Music ain’t what it used to be. But some music in this time still hold truth, like yours!” Mary shoulder-bumped me. Your recent song…offbeat heart really touched me. All your songs really. When we meet again, you should sing some of them to us,” she paused. “If you up to it, ‘course.”

I nodded. “Why not?”

Mary grinned, then continued her story.

“And then there was Sammie.”

Elias dropped his gaze to his lap, lips tightening. The air around us shifted, grew heavier. Sensitive topic it seems. I was about to tell Mary it was okay, that she can stop now considering Elias’ reaction but she kept going.

“Little Sammie,” she sighed. “Loved the blues. But his father, a preacher, told him it was devils music and that he should sing gospel music ‘else he’d be led astray.”

“You know what?” Mary asked as she looked up. “Although we didn’t share the same beliefs as his father, when I look back, he was ironically right about somethin’ in that statement…”

She looked at me then. “Blues wasn’t devils music, it was our music. Born from pain. From work. From joy and rage and mournin’. That’s where he was wrong. But where he was right, was that his music ended up gaining the attention of someone.”

Elias continued in place of her. “Old bastard. Ion even wanna say his name. Fuck ass nigga. He was the one that turned us, and ruined shit.”

I listened carefully. “Ruined…?”

“Me and my brother set up a juke joint. We had fun. ‘Til that fucker came. Back then, I wasn’t that suspicious cause, I just wanted to,” he paused. “-Vibe, as our people say nowadays.”

“But he ruined everything Elijah and I worked hard for. Honestly, I just wanted money at the time. Elijah too, thus the juke joint was born,” he said dramatically. 

“And I, foolishly trusted that man and tried to let them inside so long as he and his li’ friends had money for Elias and Elijahs sakes, but that’s where it all got fucked up,” Mary sighed.

I didn’t know what to say. I only stared, heart aching for them, for the people they used to be—and the ones they lost.

“But Mary,” I said slowly, “you seem like you don’t regret what happened to you…because it meant you and Elias got to be together.”

“I don’t,” she said without hesitation. “Not for that reason.”

But then her voice softened, guilt creeping in. “It’s the rest of it that’s hard to live with. Our loved ones…they paid a price, too.”

She glanced at Elias, then continued. 

“The man who turned us—he had a hivemind. Could influence us, control us, sometimes more than we realized. But even when we weren’t under his grip…there was still this part of me—of Elias too,” she nodded toward him, “-that truly believed it would be best to turn our people. Make them like us. So we could all live forever together. So we could have our own little heaven here on Earth.”

Her words hung in the air, heavy like humidity before a storm.

I didn’t say anything at first. I just stared at her, trying to wrap my head around what I was hearing.

So…they wanted to choose for them?

That realization made something twist in my gut.

In that moment, I saw them differently. Not as just sweet, nostalgic people from another time. But as people who wanted to play God with their own kin. People who wanted to make irreversible decisions that changed lives— end them—so they wouldn’t have to say goodbye.

And yet…I couldn’t ignore what I’d seen in their eyes earlier. The way their voices broke remembering names. The way Mary’s lip trembled when she said Annie, Lisa, and Sammies names. The way Elias had looked down at his hands like they still carried weight from the past.

No. They weren’t heartless.

They loved deeply. Maybe too deeply. Enough to cross lines most people wouldn’t. 

Selfish? Yes. 

But it wasn’t just selfishness. It was desperation. Grief. Fear. Hope. All tangled up and bleeding into one.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

It’s complicated. They’re complicated.

Who am I to judge, because who isn’t complicated?

Mary gave a dry sniff, then turned to me gently. “Well…what about you? What’s goin’ on with you?”

My intuition nudged again.

“Tell them.”

“I found out I could open rifts when I was eighteen,” I said quietly. “It just…happened. Outta nowhere. I was having a moment.”

I closed my eyes, letting the cool night air wash over me.

“I’d just started getting recognition for my music. And I was happy—my parents were proud. They supported me from the beginning, since I was fourteen and first told them I wanted to sing.”

That nightmare flickered through my mind. I shoved it away.

“But the more attention I got, the more overwhelmed I felt. It forced me to look at myself. My life. And yeah…if you guessed that my thoughts drifted to my biological parents, you’d be right.”

I sighed, staring into the dark. Not at them.

“It made me sad. Real sad. That they weren’t here to see it, to see me. I was doing well for myself, finally making it. But…that thought led to more thoughts. Worse ones. Spiral-type thoughts. You know the kind.”

I took a slow breath.

“That’s when I wished I’d never been born. Not a new thought, not by a long shot—but this time, I wanted help. From…from the blood, maybe. The soul. Something deep.”

I glanced at them, checking their expressions. They didn’t speak—but their eyes said plenty. Understanding. Grief. That kind of haunted curiosity only someone touched by something strange could really give.

So I went on.

“During that breakdown, I caused a tear. In reality. I know it sounds wild, but it was small, and through it—I could see a beach. A beach I used to visit all the time as a kid.”

I shook my head a little, still not quite believing it even now.

“There were people there. Kids playing. Parents talking. Nobody saw it—this literal rip in space—like it was invisible to everyone but me.”

I rubbed my face.

“I panicked. I thought God, the universe, I dunno—some higher being was coming to get me. Because let’s be real, your emotions don’t just tear open reality.”

I laughed, short and dry.

“But then… something told me not to be afraid. Something calm. Steady. My intuition, I’ve been calling it. Not ‘cause I think I’m special or anything—we all have a gut for survival. This just feels like…something more. ”

I looked at them, and smiled softly.

“Same thing told me to hear you two out tonight. Ask questions. Let you talk. And here we are—no drama, no danger, just talking. Honestly? I’m kinda glad I listened.”

They said nothing, but I could feel the warmth shift in the air between us.

“Anyway…the tear closed up. But it didn’t stop there. It kept happening. Little rips. Pockets. I trained myself eventually. Learned to control it.”

I made a vague gesture with my hands.

“Not that I teleport around all the time or anything. I can’t. Not really. Only at night. And even then? Rarely. I’ve got too much going on—work, songwriting, rehearsals, interviews, mini tours. You name it.”

I gave a half-shrug. “So yeah. That’s me. Super stressed-out, low-key unstable, teleporting singer who’s just trying to get through life.”

Mary leaned back on the bench, absorbing the information.

“Well, damn,” she muttered. “Ain’t often I’m speechless, but here we are.”

Elias nodded slowly beside her. His expression had sobered, the usual glint in his eyes dulled by something heavier.

“You ain’t unstable,” he finally said. “You’re just carryin’ too much, is all. And if somethin’ inside you opened reality ‘cause it was hurtin’? Sound like power to me.”

I blinked. My throat clenched unexpectedly.

Mary tilted her head at me. “I think your spirit’s been tryin’ to get your attention for a long time. Not the part people can see—but the old part. The blood part.”

“That part’s loud,” I admitted, barely above a whisper.

“It always is,” Elias said. “Especially when nobody’s listenin’ but you.”

There was a quiet between us then—not awkward, but thick. Like the night was wrapping its arms around all three of us and asking us to sit still and breathe.

Mary leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “I wish Annie coulda met you. She’d’ve taken one look at you and called you chosen. Not ‘cause of your power. But ‘cause of the ache.”

Elias nodded. “Yeah. She always said the ones who feel the most, love the most, lose the most…they got the biggest purpose. The hardest path.”

Mary smiled at me gently. “And yet…you still walk it.”

I didn’t know what to say. For a second, I just sat there, hoping the wind would carry my gratitude because my voice couldn’t.

Then, Elias clapped his hands suddenly, startling me.

“Alright. Now that we’ve trauma bonded—what’s next?” he grinned. “We get high? Can you open a rift to the mall? Visit your childhood beach so we can give it a review?”

I snorted.

Mary rolled her eyes. “He always gotta ruin the moment.”

“Balance,” Elias said, throwing an arm around her shoulder. “I bring levity to this tragic-ass vampire aesthetic you keep up.”

Mary chuckled and swatted at him.

I smiled—genuine, this time. The tension in my chest loosened a little. These two? They were weird , and clearly carried enough baggage to fill a freight train, but I didn’t feel alone anymore. Not in the freakish, glitch-in-reality kind of way.

I crossed my legs on the bench and looked at them both. “So. I guess now we’re…what? Friends?”

Mary looked at Elias. He looked at her. Then they both turned to me and shrugged in perfect sync.

“We don’t really do labels,” Mary said, teasing.

“But yeah,” Elias added, “sounds about right.”

“Even though we call each other husband and wife, just like Elijah and Annie, we ain’t got rings either,” Mary held out her hand. No ring.

“We don’t care about all that. If we husband and wife then we husband and wife, and that’s that,” Elias shrugged.

“Fair,” I simply responded. “Well…” I looked around. “What do you wanna do then? I suddenly feel so comfortable around y’all, it’s genuinely insane,” I say as I cover my face.

They both laugh at me.

“Awww,” Mary cooed at me. “Comfortable enough for a hug?”

I peek through my fingers at her. “That means your face would be close to my neck, are you sure you won’t be tempted?”

“We been talkin’ this whole time without feelin’ tempted. Plus, we fed a little earlier.”

My heart skipped a beat for a second.

“Remember, you can trust them.”

“Alright, sure. Why not? It would be nice to hug a fellow supernatural,” I say as I hold out my arms for Mary.

Mary smiled and hugged me. It was nice. Her body was cold as expected. Not from the night, but because she was kind of dead. Undead? Yeah.

“I’m not the type to just be huggin’ people like this, not anyone I’m not close to-” Mary muttered in my shoulder. 

“But you feel like a sister almost. It’s nice,” she mumbled. I could feel for a moment that she froze, and my heartbeat sped up a little. Was she getting tempted to turn me because she and Elias had spent decades alone?

“Mary, don’t try it.”

Mary then relaxed. Slowly. “I don’t wanna take nothin’ from you. Not like it was taken from us.”

“Thank you,” was all I said before breaking the hug and looking at Elias.

“You too?” I asked.

“Ion do hugs often but,” he started off nonchalantly. 

“No, I mean you’re not tempted right? What was it Mary said to me when we first met?... Alone’s not good? Are you tempted after spending several years with her alone?” I asked rather bluntly.

He looked at me for a long moment, then glanced toward Mary before sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Yeah,” he replied honestly. “We not saints.”

I stared at him.

“But I was taught restraint. If I didn’t learn it, I wouldn’t still be here. Wouldn’t still be me.”

He looked at me with something quiet and serious in his eyes.

“I’m not gon’ turn you. Ever. We like you. And your music.”

I gave him a tight-lipped smile and nodded. “Alright then.”

“We gave Sammie a choice,” Elias said out of nowhere, voice low but steady. “Elijah made me promise not to kill him…so I kept my word.” He gave a dry chuckle, like it still surprised him that he did.

“Meetin’ you brought that memory back. Sammie Moore—the blues man. You heard of him?”

Wait. Sammie Moore?

“The Sammie Moore? The one who sang ‘I Lied to You’?” My eyes went wide. “That’s my favorite track of his—like, ever. That song just hits different.”

Elias nodded, casually. “Forgot to mention—he was my lil’ cousin.”

My jaw dropped slightly. “No way…that makes so much sense now. He was there during everything and he lived to become a musician. I guess that explains why his songs always felt so heavy. So full of ache.”

“Yeeep. Right on the money,” Elias confirmed, tapping his temple.

Mary looked over at me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Your birthday’s in two days, right?”

I nodded slowly—trying not to show the anxiety bubbling under the surface. The alignment was creeping up. And I still didn’t know what the hell it was going to do to me. 

I didn’t mention it to them though. I doubted they’d know much about it anyway. Unless this “Annie” woman they mentioned was tapped in spiritually, which by the info they gave me, she was. But wasn’t hoodoo more about the earthly and ancestral than cosmic alignments? 

Mary smiled anyway. “Well, happy early birthday. If you ever wanna find us again, here’s our address. We obviously can’t be out during the day—”

“Wait, hold up.” I raised a hand. “I don’t wanna stereotype y’all just ‘cause of Hollywood, but is the garlic thing actually real?”

Elias burst out laughing while Mary grinned wide. “Oh it’s real,” he said. “Tragic, too. So many good meals ruined. Garlic was that girl. ”

“We can still eat regular food, but not outta hunger,” Mary added, rolling her eyes. “And garlic just…ugh. Our bodies reject it. It’ll burn us.”

“And silver,” Elias chimed in. “Bad news for us. Same with stakes and sunlight.”

“Damn…” I blinked. “Okay. That’s…a lot.”

But they seemed to be content with each other to attempt suicide regardless of how lonely they are, so I kept my peace.

“Oh, and back to your birthday,” Mary said, pulling out her phone. “You’ll probably be busy with folks that day, maybe even at night. So…let’s just keep in touch, yeah?”

I blinked. “Oh—we’re exchanging numbers? Nice!”

I pulled out my phone too, and the three of us traded contacts.

Their names showed up as:

Mary Mary

Stack

Mary peered over at my screen and laughed. “Mary Mary?”

I shrugged. “What? It’s cute. Like a nickname. Mary Mary, quite contrary…”

She laughed again, then glanced at Elias.

He just grinned goofily at her. 

“Well, alright,” she said. “I saved you as Bree. Feels right. Like what I’d call you if we was close.”

Elias added, “You’re just Rae on my phone. I like your last name better than your first. Even though Breana is a cute name.”

I looked at him, a little caught off guard. “Huh. I mean…okay.”

God, I could be so awkward sometimes. How I could still manage to be awkward after everything we’d shared tonight was beyond me.

“Well,” I mumbled and prepared to open a rift back to my apartment. “It’s been fun.”

“We’ll text you on your birthday, maybe see you during this time of night again but only if you’re available,” Mary proposed.

“Sure, I might be anyway. I don’t really have any big plans and that’s the last “free” day I have so…” I opened the rift. 

“Bye Mary, Bye Elias,” I bid them goodbye.

“See you lata’,” Elias nodded. “Take care baby,” Mary said with a smile.

And I stepped through. Back in my bedroom. The rift quickly closed behind me. I just took off my shoulder bag and sprawled on my bed. Man, what a day. Errr, night.

For the first time this week, I felt good.

I needed that talk. And now I know them. And I want to know more, honestly.

“Research about the 1930’s.”

…I guess I’d be spending my time researching come morning. But for what?

<Chapter 2 Chapter 4>

[overtrred28]

Something out of a rom com | Steph Catley x reader

Summary; The night of Steph’s 30th birthday party leads to the telling of your romantic love story that really should be made into a rom com. 

Words; 2.5k

Pairing; Steph Catley x reader

Warnings; none really, pure fluff

A/N; This is in honour of her birthday and I wrote it because I had the idea during a shower and I just had to write it. It might not be the best but hopefully it's cute and decently written. I’ve also got two blurbs for other players in the process atm so stay tuned for that!

The 26th of January. A seemingly normal day to most people, but it was in fact one of your favourites. It not only marks the day you met the love of your life and future wife, but it coincidentally happened to be her birthday as well. It also happened to be today's date once again. 

So here you sat in your shared living room, Steph snuggled up to you on the couch surrounded by some of the people who loved her the most after a very successful 30th birthday party. 

A lot of other party goers had left as it was getting late, except for almost half of her Arsenal teammates who always seemed to linger after events such as these, not that you minded. 

Different conversations littered the room, most didn’t make sense because of the alcohol that was still flowing. But it was the newest team member Emily Fox who brought the group back together. 

“So, how long have you guys been together?” Emily asked, sitting directly across the room from you and Steph. 

“Almost 3 years now.” Steph smiled at her and the rest of the group listened in. 

“Oh my god, their relationship story is like something out of a rom com!” Jen talked excitingly whilst looking at Emily. 

“What do you mean?” You looked at Jen first and then down to Steph who looked just as confused. 

“Wait, I’ve never heard the full story.” Kyra piped up from her place on the floor beside Alessia. 

“Me either.” Alessia raised a finger while looking between you and Steph.

“It’s not that exciting.” Steph let out a laugh which caused Kyra and Alessia to pout. 

“Yes it is. Now listen up children…” Beth cleared her throat from the other edge of the couch next to Viv who was rolling her eyes as Beth began to tell your love story. 

6 years ago, January 26th 2018

“Oh come on, just let us go out one last time before you leave me forever!” Your best friend was standing in your room as you laid on your bed and stared up at her. 

“Do I have to?” You tried giving her puppy eyes but it wasn’t working, she walked closer to your bed, sitting down and taking your hands in hers.

“You, my best friend of 10 plus years, are leaving me for London for who knows how long.” She pouted at you. “Of course you have to go out with me one last time. So get up, look hot and start drinking.” She pulled your covers off you and dragged you to your vanity, placing a drink in front of you and leaving to go get ready herself. 

Over an hour later you were both ready and a little tipsy, ready to leave and adventure into the Melbourne nightlife. 

It took a while for you to find a club that was half decent and didn’t have ridiculously overpriced drinks but you secured a place in the corner and were finishing your like 10th drink of the night. 

“I’m going to get another, you want one?” You shouted over the music to your friend and pointed to the bar. She shook her head before talking into your ear.

“I’m gonna go on the dance floor, come find me when you're done?” She pointed to where most people congregated and you sent her a thumbs up before weaving through way too many drunk people. 

You accidently bumped into someone as you tried to reach the bar, someone else pushing you in the crowd causing you to fall into her. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” You apologised as she began to turn around and you suddenly found yourself staring at the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen. 

“Don’t even, it’s so fine.” She replied with a sweet smile and placed a hand on your arm sending chills up it. 

“I’m going to take a wild guess and say it’s your birthday?” You laughed as your eyes drifted down the sash she was currently wearing. 

“My friends made me wear it, hoping I could score us a few free drinks.” She shook her head and laughed with you. 

“Well, let’s not disappoint and let me buy you a drink.” You smiled at her and if it weren't for the dark lighting, you would have seen the blush that accompanied her beautiful smile. 

“You don’t have to.” She immediately rejected but this time you reached down and held her arm. 

“I insist, birthday girl.” You winked before leading her through the crowd again and finally reaching the bar. “Order whatever you want.” You leant down to her ear as you waited for a bartender. 

She politely asked the bartender for her drink of choice before he looked over to you.

“Make it two, please.” You smiled before pulling your card out to pay. You both thanked the bartender before walking away and standing against a wall out of the way. 

“Thank you.” She looked up at you with a smile again. 

“My pleasure.” You couldn't stop staring at her, she was the most beautiful person ever and she was talking to you. “Wanna go dance? I told my friend I would meet her when I was done.” You asked after finishing your drinks in silence.

“I would love to, but…” She looked down at her watch and you could feel the smile falling off your face. “I’ve got an early morning and my cut off was supposed to be 12.” She made a pout at you.

“That’s okay, I get it.” You nodded and sent her a tight lipped smile.

“There is something I have to do before I go though.” She sent you a smirk and you creased your eyebrows in confusion. 

“What?” You looked down at her, barely having any time to think before she reached up and kissed you hard, placing a hand on your face. Immediately your hand fell to her waist and you fell into a rhythm.

The kiss was very nice and a little long but it ended and you parted with big smiles. 

“I really have to go now.” She smiled and let out a little laugh. 

“Okay cinderella.” You bit your lip before letting her go and she ran off through the crowd to find her friends. You stood in a daze for a second before a hand clasped your shoulder, shaking you out of your trance.

“Oh my god, who was that?” Your best friend had spotted the end of the kiss as she came to find you but didn’t see her face. 

“Um,” You blinked before turning to her. “I… don’t… know.” You realised she never shared her name and neither did you. And now she was gone; a mystery kiss from the mystery birthday girl. 

3 years later, May 19th 2021

You have been in London for 3 years now, working for an event planning company, establishing a close group of friends and having the time of your life. 

Some of the friends you made had managed to drag you along to a women's football match now that people were allowed back to the matches after the covid lockdown last year, despite your lack of interest in or awareness of the sport, either male or female.

So here you were at Meadow Park on a Wednesday evening, watching a sport you’ve never taken interest in but were enjoying to some degree in the fading spring sun.

“I told you. I knew you would enjoy it eventually.” Your friend shoved your shoulder after seeing you get up when it was thought a shot might finally go in for the home side and her team of choice, Arsenal. 

“Yeah, yeah.” You brushed her off, eyes focused on the game at play and becoming more and more invested with each pass. 

It wasn’t till halfway through the second half that a certain defender caught your eye as she ran past and towards the opposite end of the field. There was something about her that seemed so familiar but you couldn’t place it. 

The game ended in a 0-0 draw and left you with a new interest that would soon turn into a regular outing on Sundays and Wednesdays, instead of your regular dinner and drinks throughout the week. 

The players began to do their rounds and you stuck around, waiting to spot a certain defender once again and figure out the mystery that was the jersey with ‘Catley’ plastered over her back.

She had been talking with another player as they walked, eyes scanning the crowd for any fans with signs or hopeful smiles when she found your eyes further up, you resting along the barrier. The words fell from her lips and the player beside her was tapping her shoulder in an attempt to gain her focus once again but it was no use. 

“One sec.” She gently spoke before running over to where you were standing, now looking down at your phone and missing her completely until a familiar accent fell on your ears. 

“Hi.” She gave you a smile and your head whipped up from your screen, finding that beautiful face from all those years ago in your sights again. 

“Hi.” You breathed out as you assessed her features and reassured yourself you weren’t once again imagining those eyes that plagued your dreams every few months. 

“Fancy seeing you here, halfway across the world.” She spoke again, noticing that you were in a sort of daze still. 

“Uh yeah. Sorry, this is just so weird.” You shook your head, letting out a laugh. “Not in a bad way,” You spoke quickly. “I just never thought I would see you again. Especially not halfway across the world.” She smiled at your shyness, the opposite to the confident you she remembers; though you are quite confident with alcohol in your system. 

“Yeah.” Steph laughed and continued to analyse your features, every part of that night coming back to her in full view rather than scattered pieces of memory like she has for the last three years. 

“So,” You tried to keep the conversation flowing, realising you would have to wrap up soon so she could get back to her team and you to your friends. “Do you think I could finally get the name and number that's not on the back of your shirt? I think that’s something you forgot all those years ago.” You smiled at her and began pulling your phone from its place in your pocket. 

She let out a laugh, a real one before nodding. “Oh yeah. I guess so.” She held your phone in her hands and began adding a contact in, handing it back quickly. “There you go.”

“Thank you.” You took a look at your phone before returning eye contact with her, feeling once again that same thing inside your chest from the night you first met. “I’ll call you, Steph.” You nodded, beginning to retreat from the barrier and up the stairs. 

“And who should I be expecting said call from?” She called out to you, stopping you in your tracks to turn your head back around. 

“Y/N.” You smiled before being the one walking away this time and leaving her with a dazed expression and confused friends. 

“Who was that?” Beth appeared beside her, looking at the retreating girl Steph had just interacted with but couldn’t see the face. 

“Um,” Steph shook her head. “An…old…friend.” She turned her face to Beth who was more confused than ever but began walking towards the changerooms with the rest of the team. 

Over the next few weeks it seemed like you and Steph were texting every spare second you each had when she wasn’t training and you weren't working, even before you could finally arrange a time to meet up and have your official first date. 

She suggested you go out for dinner one night before she was set to go off and play in the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics over the summer. You had the best time together, chatting for hours and catching up on everything over the past few years, talking as if you had known each other forever. The night ended and she walked you back to your apartment which happened to be just down the street from hers, once again leaving you with a kiss that left you feeling dazed; but this time she couldn’t run and hide from you. 

After watching and cheering on Steph and the national team at the Olympics from home, you knew that this was the person you wanted to pursue a future with. 

So when she came back you made it official with one another, a private time for the two of you to continue to learn everything about one another until you were ready to share it with your friends and the world. 

After a few months of secretly dating, realising this is how the rest of your life was going to look like, you began to share with friends, family and eventually the media which caused a flurry in the football world because of Steph’s public status. It turned out to be even better for your relationship now that you could express your love for one another to other people. 

“And then last year, Steph decided to pop the question the day before Y/N wanted to do it.” Beth concluded the story, somehow managing to keep everyone invested despite the late hour and disappearing energy from tonight's events. 

“Thank you Beth, that was quite an accurate retelling.” You smiled over at the blonde, reaching out for a high whilst trying not to disturb Steph who had actually fallen asleep. “But I think you bored Stephy here to sleep.” You brushed the hair on her head and her eyes snapped open with a sharp inhale. 

“Huh?” Steph began to sit up, looking around the room in confusion, all of her teammates letting out small giggles, you simply looking down at her with admiration. 

“I think you’re too old now for all this partying darling.” You laughed at her watching her face form into a scowl. 

“I am 3 months older than you!” She pointed a finger at you, now pouting while looking up into your eyes. 

“Well this looks like fun, we’ll leave you two to it then.” Lia spoke for the group as they all began standing from their places, yourself and Steph rising from the couch too so you could say goodbye at the door. 

“Bye!” You both waved at the last people before you closed the door, Stephs arms securely wrapped around your waist, head against your chest. 

“Let’s get you to bed, cinderella.” You laughed, picking her up by her thighs and carrying her like a koala to your bedroom. 

“Thank you, my princess charming.” Steph mumbled into your neck, placing a soft kiss there while you let out a small laugh. Maybe this was like something out of a rom com.

THE END

[joongtreasure]

Cupcakes and Kisses

Mingi x Fem Reader (ft. ATEEZ members) Word count: 6.6k Genre: high school au, jock Mingi, kissing booth au Note/s: Based on the film Kissing Booth (2018). This was in my drafts since 2021? + Mention of Changbin of Stray Kids <3 hehe Photo credits: 1, 2, 3

High school—it's the period for the most embarrassing moments of your life. Not only was it the time for raging hormones and puberty, but also a time for wrong decisions.

And today was no exception.

Today was the last day of the pitch for the spring carnival at KQ Prep. The student council required every club in the school to set up a booth for the event. Or else, no extra funding for club activities.

You were the vice president of the culinary and baking club, or as others would like to call it, the foodies. It's not that bad or insulting, to be honest (depending on you if you take it to heart). It is certainly not for your best friend, Jung Wooyoung, who was also the president of the club.

You and Wooyoung were like a tandem, a buy-one-get-one-free deal. In many ways, you and Wooyoung fill each other up: you were the shy and patient one, while Wooyoung was the confident and loud one. There was never a boring moment with him, but that doesn't mean all moments with him were good. Like right now...

Wooyoung, with a firm grip on your school blazer sleeve, dragged you across the hallway, whining, "It's a good idea!"

You, on the other hand, tried to pull away, saying, "No, it's not!"

Wooyoung grumbled. "The water sports are doing a toss and dunk booth! We have to beat their sorry asses!"

"You just want to beat Changbin!" You tried to pull away again but Wooyoung's grip was so firm that your school shoes were starting to skid against the school floor. "How is a kissing booth by us any better?!"

"It will be a hit!"

"It spreads germs!"

"We'll provide sanitation and mints!"

"We could be sued for public indecency!"

Wooyoung sighed and let go of your hand. "Oh, come on, live a little, Y/N."

You shrugged. "Can't we just make a bunch of food for the carnival? I know everyone will be hungry."

Wooyoung gave you a pointed look. "Everyone is going to sell food and trinkets at the carnival."

"Well," you jutted your chin out in confidence, "we could do, uh, well, an apple bobbing competition?"

Wooyoung scowled at you. "That's boring." He sighed. "Look, the majority of the officers already agreed to the kissing booth, Y/N. Except you."

"That's because you implied that San will be in the lineup of kissers," you stated. "Even though you haven't even asked him yet."

"That's because he and I think alike. Trust me, he would agree."

You pouted. "And trust me, the food will sell."

Wooyoung smiled and patted your head. "Oh, sure, you do that," he said before turning around and scurrying towards the student council's office.

You sighed.

-----

You slumped on the empty front steps of the school, sporting a frown on your face. Wooyoung was taking so long in the meeting. You hoped the kissing booth was rejected by the student council.

The doors of the school opened, the sound of the creaking metal startling you out of your thoughts. You looked back to see Song Mingi, the star of KQ Prep's basketball team, exiting the building and looking fresh out of a shower. He probably just finished practice.

You looked away before he could catch you staring. Mingi was one of those guys who looked straight out of a movie—tall, handsome, athletic, always wears a varsity jacket, drives a Jeep, and center of the school's attention. But it would be foolish to think that he's arrogant and proud like the trope. He's one of the sweetest and nicest people you ever met. 

You had a few classes with him. You could say that the interaction between the two of you is funny. He could be playful yet gentle and respectful at the same time. And in time, you also found yourself liking him like the entire student body.

Unbeknownst to you, as soon as Mingi saw you alone on the steps, he smiled and slightly hurried down. "Hey, Y/N," Mingi greeted, plopping beside you on the warm pavement.

You internally freaked when you saw Mingi next to you. The loose shirt, the sweet scent of his shampoo, and the dopey grin were too much for your poor heart. 

"You had a club meeting today?" Mingi asked.

"Not really," you responded. "I'm waiting for Wooyoung to finish his pitch for the spring carnival."

Mingi nodded. "And what will your club be doing?"

You groaned. "Don't remind me. It's embarrassing."

Mingi chuckled. "Why? It can't be that bad."

You sighed before muttering, "it's a kissing booth."

Mingi's eyes widened in surprise. "That's... interesting."

"It's all Wooyoung's idea," you shrugged. "Nothing better than to capitalize on teen hormones, right?"

"Right," Mingi said monotonously.

Seeing his somewhat dry response, you slumped. "I told you it was an embarrassing idea."

"No, I mean, yes—I mean," Mingi stuttered a response. "It was just unexpected, that's all." Mingi somewhat looked conflicted, but he still smiled softly at you. "Is it alright for me to ask if," he paused.

"If what?"

"If you—I mean, would you be joining?" Mingi asked.

You blinked in thought. "What do you mean?"

Mingi studied your confused expression before shaking his head. "Nevermind," he said, standing up.

You groaned. "Great, now you got me curious."

"It's nothing." Mingi laughed. "But, hey, if teen hormones bring you the money, then, why not?" He said, making you laugh as well. "Got a ride home?"

"Yeah," you smiled, "I'm riding with Wooyoung."

Mingi nodded. "Alright, I'll see you around then, Y/N."

You blushed. "Yeah, see you," you said as Mingi continued his way down the steps.

"Hey," he turned to you one last time, flashing you his oh-so-perfect smile. "You look cute as always, Y/N," he said before heading towards the parking lot. You swore you could've melted right on the front steps that day.

-----

It was no surprise the council approved the kissing booth idea. You totally blame Wooyoung. The boy could probably smooth talk himself out of jail if the situation calls for it.

Your club already started building the podium and mini stage for the booth in the school courtyard because there wasn't room in the Home Economics classroom. The weather was too perfect to ignore by anyone who had free period at the time.

"I'm going to get more paint," Wooyoung said to you before jogging towards the doors and into the building.

You were left alone with a few of your members, who were engaged in a hushed conversation while you minded your own business. 

You took a peak at the guys playing at the basketball court. It's no surprise that Mingi and his friends were playing. They always do during free period. They must really love the sport. 

It is also no surprise that they have a few spectators as well. It's the only time you would ever find Mingi and his friends setting their blazers aside, donning only their school shirts that accentuated their build so heavenly. Not that you were staring…

Speaking of, Yunho and Mingi laughed among themselves as Yunho tried to shoot the ball. Mingi effectively blocked him with his hand, however the ball bounced out of the court. It bounced until it was rolling over the pavement and stopped right where you were painting. You were able to grab the ball before it could barrel into the newly painted podium.

Seeing where the ball ended, Mingi ran towards you. "Hey," he greeted as he picked up the ball and crouched down next to you, "it's looking great. What's it for?" He asked, referring to the podium.

"It's for this week's carnival," you answered with a sigh.

"Right," Mingi chuckled awkwardly. "Umm," he paused, "so what will you be doing while," he drifted off, evidently conflicted as he pondered over his words carefully.

You looked at him funny. "While...?"

"While, you know," Mingi shrugged, "while people are kissing."

"I'll just man the booth," you said nonchalantly. "I'll leave it to Wooyoung and the others to facilitate the germ spreading."

Mingi laughed, looking somewhat happy and relieved at the same time. "Still haven't warmed up to the idea, I see."

"Never."

Mingi grinned. His face morphed into embarrassment as Yunho called for him from a few meters away. "Are we going to play, or are you too busy mingling, Mingi?"

Mingi rolled his eyes before smiling at you. "I gotta go. I'll see you around, Y/N."

You waved at him as he stood up and went back to his friends. You chuckled at the sight of Yunho giving Mingi a headlock and basically hauling him back to court. The boys laughed between themselves before returning to their game with their other friends.

You were feeling blissful, like how you always felt whenever you and Mingi talked to each other. You truly liked the guy. However, the blissful feeling was short-lived as a wild Wooyoung plopped down next to you. "What was that?!" He asked.

You blinked curiously at him. "What was what?" You looked at the spot you were previously painting. "I'm almost done. I didn't miss a spot as far as I could tell."

Wooyoung rolled his eyes. "I wasn't referring to the podium. I was referring to you and Mingi!" He exclaimed.

You looked at him funny. "It was just a friendly conversation."

"Friendly?" Wooyoung sighed exasperatedly. "Oh no no no, honey, you didn't see what I see. The guy is into you!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Wooyoung," you shook your head. "We have always talked like that. He's just super nice—"

"Na-ah! Again, you didn't see what I see," Wooyoung replied. All of a sudden, Wooyoung's face broke into excitement. He started slapping your arm, making you groan not in pain but in annoyance. "I just thought of the most brilliant idea EVER."

You frowned, not liking where this was going. "What?"

-----

"This is worse than you pitching the kissing booth idea to the council."

"Oh, come on," Wooyoung said as he kept pushing you towards the gym where the basketball team was training. "I will be of service to you forever if you manage to get him."

It was already past class hours when Wooyoung dragged you into putting his idea into action. He said you guys should have a meeting about the spring carnival after class. But alas, he deceived you again. That sly fox, you thought.

Wooyoung faced you towards him. "Alright, your uniform is clean, no evidence of your lunch anywhere," you rolled your eyes as Wooyoung checked you up and down. Wooyoung scrutinized your face before smiling triumphantly. "No booger or drool in sight too," he said.

"You—!" You exclaimed, but Wooyoung turned you around again and shoved you closer toward the gym doors. Sighing, you walked toward it, and right when you were directly in front of the entrance, you looked back at him. "How is this the most brilliant idea you ever had, again?"

Wooyoung shrugged. "The plan here is simple: talk to Mingi and his friends into joining our lineup of kissers so we can get more people to come to our booth."

"I don't want to use him, Woo."

"The man's too soft for you," Wooyoung smiled. "He will do whatever you want, I guarantee."

You gave him the most innocent look you could ever muster in an attempt to change his mind. But Wooyoung just shooed you with his hand and raised his eyebrows pointedly. With a defeated sigh, you opened the doors and entered.

The basketball team was in the midst of a practice game. You immediately spotted Mingi, running while dribbling the ball across the court. When he managed to outrun his opponent, he immediately made his shot, the ball flying through the air and into the hoop. You stared at him, awed as he was in his element. 

A bunch of squeals echoed in the gym. There was an audience watching with excited grins and squeals near the team's benches. It was an open practice after all. Sighing, you sat awkwardly at the side.

The coach blew his whistle, signaling that training was over. The players rejoiced and immediately jogged to their bags scattered on the benches. There were a few girls who called for Mingi, but he only smiled sheepishly and went to his gym bag. 

"Hey, Mingi," Yeosang, his friend and teammate, spoke between his breaths. "Isn't that your friend?" 

Mingi looked at wherever Yeosang was pointing. And true enough, you were there at the edge of the bleachers, awkwardly twiddling with your fingers.

"Yeah," Mingi said, dumbfounded at the thought of you watching their training.

"I think she's looking for you," Yunho, Mingi's best friend, said. He shook his head in amusement, eyeing Yeosang knowingly as Mingi started wiping his sweat and combing his hair deliberately to the back. Mingi hastily gathered his things before approaching you.

"Hey," he greeted with a smile.

You stood up awkwardly. There was something about a wet-haired Mingi in a basketball jersey that had you tongue-tied for a moment. "Uhh, hi, umm, Mingi."

"Were you waiting for me?"

"Umm, yeah, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure, have a seat," Mingi said as he sat a bleacher apart from you, not wanting you to smell his sweaty state. "What's up?"

"Well, our club is hosting a kissing booth for the spring carnival," you slightly frowned at your awkward self. "Umm, but I think you already knew that."

Mingi chuckled and nodded amusingly. "Yeah, you might have mentioned it once or twice," he joked.

You let out a small laugh. "Yeah, I did, didn't I? But, well, you see, Wooyoung asked me to ask you about something."

Mingi nodded again, urging you to go on.

You sighed nervously. "Can you," you cleared your throat, "can you be—wait, I must emphasize that it was Wooyoung's idea."

"It was Wooyoung's idea," Mingi repeated. "Got it. Crystal clear. Now, what's up with Wooyoung's idea?"

You sighed defeatedly. Well, here goes nothing, you thought. "Can you be one of the kissers for our kissing booth?"

Mingi's eyes turned wide. "What?"

Your lips formed a thin line. "Umm, can you be one of the kissers for our kissing booth?" You repeated, less confident this time.

Mingi blinked unbelievably. "Why me?"

You sighed. "Well, Wooyoung was hoping your friends too. He said that having the players of the basketball team would bring revenue to the booth."

"Oh."

You frowned. "I'm sorry, I told Wooyoung you might be uncomfortable with it, but he insisted that I should still ask you."

"Why would I be uncomfortable with it?"

"I don't know," you shrugged. You were busy playing with the ends of your school blazer as the conversation pursued. "I guess, I didn't pin you to be the type to openly kiss strangers, or show public displays of affection."

"Maybe," Mingi side-smiled, "maybe not. Or, maybe it depends on the person."

"Oh," you muttered, "sorry. I didn't know."

Mingi then leaned on his knees, getting a better view of your slightly flustered face. "Do you want me to be a kisser?"

"What?" You stared at him blankly.  "Well, Wooyoung said—"

"I mean, do YOU want me to be a kisser?" Mingi emphasized, "You as in Y/N L/N, and not Jung Wooyoung?"

You didn't reply immediately, pondering over what his question meant. "Why are you asking me?"

"I don't know," Mingi said. "I feel like I should listen to you."

Why, though? This conversation was going nowhere and it was making you more nervous than before. Not to mention Mingi's inquisitive gaze that had you looking anywhere but him. 

Do you actually want him to, though? I mean, the kissing booth opens so many opportunities, but you were uncomfortable with the thought of him... the thought of him kissing...

"No," you said.

Mingi smiled, nodding at your answer, which confused you. "Then I won't," he sat properly again against the bleacher, letting his intense gaze turn into a soft one. "I won't join then."

"What? Why?" You were dumbfounded. 

"Just tell Wooyoung I'm busy or something," he said. "But I will try to talk to my friends, though. Emphasis on the word 'try.'"

"W-Would you have joined if I said yes?" You probed, but Mingi already stood up as if the conversation was already over, smirking at your confused look.

"Do you have a ride home?" He asked.

"Umm, yeah, Wooyoung's right outside," you answered.

"Well, then, I'll see you around." Mingi smiled at you for the last time before exiting the gym.

You sat back on the bleachers. Though your stance was already relaxed due to the conversation being over, your mind still couldn't wrap around what just happened in the conversation. Would he have agreed if I said yes?

The doors of the gym creaked as someone entered. It was Mingi again. He approached you with a different glint in his eye this time. What now?

"Hey," Mingi greeted. "Could you hold this for a moment?" Before you could ask, he put the object he was referring to in your hand. It was a set of keys—car keys, in particular. "Don't lose it, okay? I'll be quick, I swear." And just like that, he left again.

You stared at the keys in your palm. You really like Mingi, but he was seriously giving you a whiplash at the moment.

Your phone buzzed in your blazer pocket, indicating that you received a text message. You pulled it out to see a text from Wooyoung.

There's an emergency at home. Had to pick up Kyungmin from our grandma's house. Go get your man!

-----

You walked back and forth in the hallway, in front of the boy's locker room. You didn't know why Mingi left these keys with you, but you figured you had to return them to him before you leave for the bus stop. You couldn't just leave it somewhere and message him about it. Someone could steal it. Or worse, someone could steal his car.

Just in time, Mingi exited the locker room, fresh out of the shower and now sporting a big hoodie and sweats. "Hey," Mingi smiled.

"Hey, you gave these to me for some reason," you jiggled the car keys before placing them on his palm.

"Right," Mingi chuckled. "Shall we?"

You stared at him. "Shall we what?"

"Wooyoung already left, didn't he?"

"How did you know?"

Mingi chuckled. "The hallway was empty when I left," he shrugged, putting his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, "I figured he went somewhere."

"Ah, yeah, he said he had an emergency at home," you responded, following Mingi outside the school. 

Truth be told, Mingi met Wooyoung in the hallway.

---

Mingi smiled as he saw Wooyoung in the hallway. "Hey," he greeted. "Sorry, I don't think I can join. I think I have to visit my grandma that day."

Wooyoung slumped. "Oh, okay. Where's Y/N?"

"She'll be right out, I guess," Mingi replied. "See ya—"

"You like her, don't you?" Wooyoung asked.

"Uhh," Mingi blushed. "I-well, I, umm—"

"Yup, you like her," Wooyoung smirked. "Why won't you ask her out then?"

Mingi sighed. "I don't think she's interested in me in that way."

Wooyoung scoffed. "Believe me, she does." He started walking away. "I'll be taking my leave. Hope you get the guts to ask her out."

Mingi sighed again when suddenly he remembered, "Hey, aren't you her ride home?"

Wooyoung turned around and started walking backward with a smirk. "Am I?" He waggled his eyebrows before disappearing in the hallway.

Mingi grinned and shook his head in amusement before rushing back inside the gym to leave you his car keys.

-----

Mingi glanced momentarily at you with a smile. He would have to apologize in the future for using your kindness like that. But he hoped that doing this would drive him to ask you confidently out on a date.

Mingi opened the school doors wide enough for the both of you and waited until you were completely outside before closing it. 

"Come on, I'll give you a ride," Mingi offered.

"Oh, no thank you," you hastily refused, "I'll take the bus."

Mingi shook his head. "I'm not taking no for an answer. We live a few blocks away, anyway, so it's really convenient."

"But I don't want to impose," you sighed.

"You're not, Y/N," Mingi said. "And you won't. Like ever."

You sighed again. "But—"

Mingi shook his head then snatched your school bag. "If you ever want to see this bag again, you're going to have to catch me," and with that, Mingi ran towards the parking lot.

"Hey, no fair!" You followed him, pouting as the distance between the two of you widened. Damn his athletic build.

You chased after him, groaning in annoyance when Mingi reached his car and wiggled your bag as if to spite you. But you both found yourselves laughing as soon as you almost barreled into him and he caught you before you both could barrel into his jeep.

"Come on, Y/N, it's really not a bother," Mingi said, opening the passenger door.

You sighed. "Fine," you huffed as you grabbed your bag and settled in his passenger seat. "Just this once," you told him.

"Oh, don't count on it," Mingi said, winking at you before closing your door. You swore he would be the death of you.

As Mingi drove his jeep out of the school lot, you both fell into a casual conversation. "So why don't you want me to be a kisser?" Mingu asked.

You narrowed your eyes at his teasing expression. "Oh, stop smiling. I don't want anyone to be part of that"

"I guess, you didn't have much say on the idea?"

You slumped against the car seat with a soft 'yeah.'

Mingi looked at you momentarily before focusing on the road. "What was your idea?"

"Nothing special." You smiled. "I was thinking of just baking cupcakes or pastries."

"I think that's a great idea."

"Yeah, right," you muttered sarcastically.

"No, I swear. I think your baking's great," Mingi stressed.

"How would you know?"

"Because I bought and ate a lot from last year's fundraiser." Mingi smiled and chuckled, almost as if he could smell and taste your fresh batch just by thinking about it. "Especially those cupcakes. I swear, they're good."

"Huh, no wonder the cupcakes sold out easily," you chuckled. "We had an influencer."

"Or," Mingi drawled, "your baking is just that good." He smiled, switching his gaze back and forth between the road and you.

"Said no one ever," you shot back teasingly.

"I just said like seconds ago that they're good." Mingi shook his head in disbelief. "You don't take compliments very well."

"Maybe because I don't usually get them," you retorted.

"Ahh, all the reason for me to compliment you more then."

You looked at him before turning away upon seeing his smirk. "Oh, stop it," you said jokingly, but your heart felt like it was ramming against the seatbelt of his car.

The car slowed down to a stop just right in front of your house. You were about to thank him when Mingi suddenly exited the car. He rushed to your side before opening the car door.

"Thanks for the ride," you said. "You didn't have to do that." 

"I don't mind," he replied, following you to the front door.

"And you didn't have to walk me to the door." You chuckled. "It's literally like a few steps away from the fence."

"But I want to, though." Mingi shrugged and put his hands inside the pockets of his hoodie.

You both arrived at the front door. You were too busy finding your keys to notice that he was lingering to stay with you longer. As you opened your front door, you finally noticed his awkward stature. "D-Do you want to have dinner with us?"

"Oh," Mingi snapped out of it. "Uhh, maybe next time. My mom's waiting for me at home."

You nodded in understanding. 

"Y/N," Mingi sighed. "Do you want to...?"

"What?"

"I mean, umm," Mingi scratched his head awkwardly. "Do you—do you have any of those cupcakes lying around?"

"Oh, could you wait here for a minute?" You smiled before disappearing into your home.

Mingi palmed his face in frustration, muttering 'stupid' and 'dumbass' to himself. He pulled himself together when he heard your footsteps nearing.

You came out again with a small box in hand. "I baked them last night but they're still good," you said, handing out the box of cupcakes to Mingi.

"Thanks," Mingi grinned sheepishly nonetheless. "I'll give some to my mom."

"You better," you smiled.

"Thanks again, Y/N. I'll see you at school," Mingi started walking backward with a soft smile.

"See you," you waved at him. "Thanks for the ride."

Mingi winked at you before hopping into his jeep. As soon as Mingi's jeep disappeared into the night, you slumped against your front door and tried to calm your blushing self.

-----

It was the day of the dreaded carnival. The field where your school held the said carnival was almost in full swing, the lights and excitement gradually increasing as time passed by.

Your club has been there since early morning to finalize everything for the booth. Despite your judgment against the club's concept, you still had to do it for the sake of the team. 

Although, you had convinced Wooyoung to sell baked goods nonetheless. Your point was to remind the audience that you were still the culinary and baking club of the school. Thankfully, he agreed.

So, here you were, setting up a separate table for different baked goods beside the registration.

Wooyoung surprised you with an arm around your shoulder and a big grin. "I can already feel wads of money in our laps." He dramatically inhaled for effect. "I mean, look at our lineup so far."

You begrudgingly looked at the people readying themselves on the mini-stage. 

Leave it to Wooyoung to invite people from the top of the high school food chain. Everybody likes Wooyoung anyway. At least there were a few friendly faces—school mascot San, street dancer Seonghwa, up-and-coming celebrity Jongho, and... student council president Hongjoong?

"How did you get him?" You almost giggled at Hongjoong's icy demeanor just standing in the middle of the lineup.

"Oh, he owes me," Wooyoung said nonchalantly. When you gave him a look, he just replied, "Don't ask."

You shook your head as if to shake the idea of Hongjoong in Wooyoung's debt. It's an amusing sight, though.

"So where's your pretty boy's friends?"

You shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen them ever since."

You knew it was too good to be true. Your moment with Mingi lasted only a day as you haven't seen him for the rest of the week. Not even on free period. And when you had a class together, he looked like he was about to doze off and fall from his desk. You didn't want to be a bother.

"Oh, wait, nevermind. Here they come."

You immediately glanced up to see Mingi, Yunho, and Yeosang walking toward your booth. You could feel the crowd starting to buzz upon seeing the star players approach the kissing booth. Your gaze landed on Mingi who sported a plain oversized shirt and ripped jeans. So simple yet so handsome.

"Hey," Mingi greeted with a smile, never looking away from your gaze.

"H-Hey, how have you been?" You tried to keep your blush at bay.

"Well—"

"We're so glad to be here, Y/N. Mingi really convinced us to be here," Yeosang smiled in a—teasing?—manner, which you responded to with an awkward chuckle. 

"Yeah," Yunho chimed in. "Mingi really, really wanted us to join your kissing booth." Yunho smiled widely at Mingi, who only rolled his eyes.

"That's great, great news!" Wooyoung rejoiced. He quickly winked at you before ushering Mingi's friends to the lineup.

When you and Mingi were the only ones left, you smiled sheepishly. "I hope it wasn't much of a trouble convincing your friends."

"Don't worry, Y/N, it wasn't." Lie(-ish). Yunho and Yeosang complained a lot and made Mingi do whatever they liked for the past few days. From doing their homework to washing their cars, they were relentless. He hadn't gotten any proper sleep because of it. But, it wasn't really much of a trouble since he was doing it for you. Well, your club. But mostly for you.

Mingi stared at the table of baked goods in front of you. "I see you convinced Wooyoung to continue with your idea." He smiled.

"He still listens anyway." You chuckled. "Do you want one?"

"Definitely. I'll take a—" 

Before Mingi could finish, Wooyoung appeared and dragged you away from Mingi. "Sorry, Mingi! We're about to start now!" He yelled, but not before freezing on the spot as an idea popped into his head.

Wooyoung went back to Mingi with you in tow. "Actually, can you do us a favor and man the table? I need Y/N for the register."

You clicked your tongue and were about to protest when Mingi immediately said, "Sure."

You looked at him curiously. "Really?"

"I don't see why not," Mingi smiled.

Deep inside, Wooyoung was popping confetti. Wooyoung thanked Mingi before going to the center of the mini-stage. You placed yourself at the registration table as Wooyoung shouted, "And the kissing booth is officially open!"

----

You thought you could handle the smooch-fest behind you. But... you thought wrong. The amount of kissing and hooting was too much for your poor heart. Thank the heavens the registration continued to pile up and you had to put your sole focus there. Well, not entirely.

You would sometimes peek at Mingi who had his own long line to attend to. Mingi manning the food table seemed to generate a longer line than the kissing booth, which made you chuckle softly before turning your attention back to the registration.

It wasn't long before Mingi managed to sell everything on the table and he approached you with the funds he generated. You dumbfoundedly accepted and stared at the small lunchbox where he put the money. 

"I hope I did well, Ms. Y/N." Mingi smiled.

"You did, Mingi," you replied. "Thank you so much for helping us."

Mingi shrugged. "It was no problem." He looked at his watch. "Well, I have to do something for the time being. Will you still be here later?"

You nodded. "I'm here 'til it closes."

"I'll see you then." Mingi winked before disappearing into the carnival crowd.

-----

If you were being honest, the rest of the afternoon felt slow despite the buzz around your booth. With Mingi gone, it suddenly felt boring. You didn't show it though. You still wanted to be presentable to the carnival-goers. 

As night rolled in, the excitement started to die down. The crowd dissipated until only a few people were passing by the booths. The kissing booth was more successful than you thought, thanks to Wooyoung and his lineup of volunteers. 

As Wooyoung set aside the podiums, you counted all the money you had raised from the kissing booth and food table. You were halfway done when Wooyoung finished packing up and stood beside you. "So, how much did we earn?" He asked.

"I'm not done counting," you said. "But, we already have enough to win the student council's favor and have some extra funds for our own," you happily gleamed.

"Yes! Let's get drunk and party!" Wooyoung cheered.

You glared at him. "You're joking, right?"

Wooyoung forced a smile and patted your head. "Of course, I'm joking," he said, though his tone didn't sound as sincere as you had hoped.

You tutted before turning back to the money in your hands. For a moment, Wooyoung was quietly watching you count the bills. Then, all of a sudden, he spoke, "Oh, would you look at the time, it's getting late. Gottagohomenowbye," before scurrying away.

You looked up confused, your eyes following his seemingly excited figure before landing on a tall one that was walking towards the booth. You tried to hide your fluster as Song Mingi stopped in front of the registration counter with a smile. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," you smiled sheepishly. You can't help but notice the oversized windbreaker that he is now sporting. "Umm, we've closed already."

"I know," Mingi said, "I just came here again to talk to you."

"Oh, what about?"

Mingi scratched the side of his head. "Uhh," he mustered, "nothing in particular. What are you doing?"

"I'm just counting all our earnings," you referred to the bills in your hand. "Thanks again to you and your friends. I think you were the ones who attracted the crowd, Yunho and Yeosang especially."

Mingi scoffed. "If the crowd knew how weird they are, they wouldn't be lining up at all."

"And you're not?" You teased.

Mingi raised an eyebrow. "Who wanted me to join your lineup again?"

You rolled your eyes. "That was Wooyoung, not me."

"Sure, okay," Mingi shrugged with a smirk. 

You shook your head, wanting to wipe that smirk off his pretty face. You turned back to your money and jotted down the numbers under the last person to register. "Weren't you interested in our lineup of kissers? I can't thank you enough for helping us and being here and all."

Mingi leaned over the counter and crossed his arms. "No, not at all," he answered as he watched you work.

You looked at him and chuckled. "So you just came to watch your friends make out with a bunch of people, then?" 

"Well, I did to maybe get some material for blackmail," Mingi chuckled then cleared his throat, "but I was also waiting for someone."

"Oh," you said. You sounded so dry that you wanted to beat yourself up for seeming affected. "Who?"

"For you, actually," Mingi answered without a hitch, making you blush madly. "I—uh—also got you something." He placed a small chick plushie on the counter. 

You smiled uncontrollably as you grabbed and squeezed its fluffy material. "Where did you get this?" You happily asked.

"The claw machines rented by the robotics club," Mingi sighed. "My talent is limited to basketball I guess, since I only got one."

"It's cute," you chuckled. "What is this for anyway?"

"I figured a gift is better than $5 for a..." Mingi trailed off, unsure of how you would react.

Your face morphed from happy to surprise upon realizing what he meant. You looked him in the eyes to see whether he was joking or not, but eventually, you avoided his intense gaze. And you suddenly realized how close he was as he continued to lean over the counter, waiting for your response. "Stop that," you mumbled, "please."

"Stop what?"

"That," you said, not looking at him as you pushed him gently away from the counter. "Stop messing with me." 

Mingi sighed as he stood properly, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets. "I'm not messing with you, Y/N. I," he paused, plucking up the courage, "I want to kiss you—no, I want to ask you out first because I like you a lot."

You bit your lip anxiously. He wouldn't mess with you, right? You continued to stare at your feet. You can't bear to see if he was joking or not.

Mingi leaned over the counter again in an attempt to see your face. "I can see that you're holding yourself back. What's stopping you?"

You sighed, meeting his eyes for a moment before looking back down. "You're Song Mingi—"

"Nope, don't start. I don't wanna hear that bullshit. Give me a logical one like, I don't know, you don't like me back?" Mingi said sternly. His deep voice made the hairs on your nape stand. "I can date whomever I want. And that's you, Y/N. I like you for who you are. You're sweet and kind to everyone. You're one of the smartest people I know. You even stand up to your best friend for what you think is right."

You bit your lip again in a fluster, still too shy to make your move.

Mingi sighed. "If you don't like me back, it's alright, Y/N. I'm not going to be mad." He smiled softly. "I'm sorry for bombarding you with these things. You don't have to answer when you're uncomfortable." He moved to walk away, but you instantly grabbed the lining of his jacket to stop him.

"No, I—" you gripped the material nervously. "I like you too, Mingi. I—" You paused again, not knowing how to say your problem.

Mingi's eyes widened in surprise but waited for you to finish.

"I like you, Mingi. I—" you gulped. "And I also want to kiss you."

"But?" Mingi asked. "I feel like there's going to be a 'but' there."

You looked down at the counter. "But, I don't know how."

"I'm sorry." He smiled apologetically. "We don't have to kiss right now. We can just have dinner for now—"

"But I want to," you blurted out, which you immediately apologized for nonstop.

For a moment, you thought Mingi was going to laugh at you. You guessed that most of the people your age had already gotten their first kiss. Heck, your club's booth was a testament to that. So you were utterly embarrassed by your confession. 

However, Mingi did no such thing. "Move over," he said. You didn't know what he meant until he climbed over the counter. You almost tripped backward when he jumped down right in front of you. He caught you just when you were about to stumble.

"What are you doing?" You mused.

"Can't you tell?" Mingi teased as he held your face tenderly. "I'm trying to kiss you properly."

You shook your head in disbelief and amusement. This guy is really sleek. 

"C-Can I kiss you, Y/N?" Mingi asked. He rubbed his thumb against your cheek, comforting you.

You were extremely flustered by the warmth, not to mention the anticipation of what he was about to do, so all you could do at the moment was nod silently at his question.

Mingi smiled. You thought your heart was going to explode as Mingi came closer. You thought he was going to kiss you on the lips right away, but he planted a soft kiss on your forehead first. Then on your nose. You had to refrain from giggling, given the soft moment. Then he slowly came closer to your lips. You closed your eyes when you felt it against yours.

You couldn't explain it, but you felt warm and fuzzy inside despite your heartbeat ramming against your chest. The air felt soft yet exciting at the same time. It was definitely more than what you had imagined it to be. 

You slid your hand against his chest and rested it behind his neck. His hands softly slid against your waist and pulled you closer. You could faintly hear Mingi humming in delight. And a few moments later, you both stopped to gaze at each other.

Although, you still had trouble maintaining eye contact with his intense ones. And Mingi just chuckled lightly at the sight. "You still don't want me to be a kisser?"

"No, I—" you pouted and Mingi just laughed.

"Don't worry, you're the only one I want to kiss," he murmured before kissing your forehead. "Dinner?"

[misskattylashes]

Okay inspired by @thetruthisfictional post about Milex patterns. I thought I would share some observations I have made in my autistic pattern seeking brain.

I am only looking at the post EYCTE period to the present day, and not everything is in chronological order.

Louise

Louise started to appear around the same time Miles decided to move back to the UK permanently. Rather than Alex split with Taylor, there are rumours of him cheating on her with Louise, creating a reason for him to want to leave LA. It is also a convenient narrative because Miles and Taylor were friends, so the reason that Miles and Alex can’t be seen together is because Miles doesn’t like Louise because of what she did to his friend Taylor.

Which means Alex can come home to London, without it looking obvious that he is following Miles.

Plothole – the reason for his return is so  Louise can split her time between London and Paris to pursue her ‘successful music career’. The truth has since emerged that Louise lives in Paris and Alex lives in London and Louise has no career to speak of.

Louise’s use of social media

A genuine social media account will post day to day happenings, even not every day. Shared songs, interesting meals, something work related. Louise’s posting only ever coincided with events happening around AM. Go and check her account sometime, see how much she posted around the summer of 2022 leading up to the release of The Car. Note also how she has posted every September 21 since 2021 which also coincides with the day she was officially announced in September 2018.

Songwriting

Since EYCTE Alex has not used one female pronoun in a romantic sense. Miles barely has either, nothing to the degree of the previous two albums.

Alex’s image

This is so carefully protected. Most recent photographs were taken several days or even weeks before. Alex is usually in his ‘costume’. One of the most questionable being the recent Eurostar ones. He was sitting there so obviously being ‘Alex Turner’ but the only people who recognise him are a couple of fans who happen to have professional equipment. I suspect there are all sorts of clever wizardry and facial recognition software going on in Meta that stops unfamiliar photos of Alex being published. Before you say ‘How can they do that?’ think about times you may have uploaded a song only for the sound to immediately disappear or you get a message with the list of territories it can’t be played in. This happens in seconds so the technology is there.

The train photos fitted a convenient narrative. Just after Alex was seen coming home from Paris, Louise is seen in the Caribbean with her family. We then get a recent of Alex in NY. Louise comes home from the Caribbean to Paris, but then makes sure to tell us she is going to NY, we then get the pap walk etc.

Why are we never allowed to see Alex walking along Bethnal Green High Street or in the pub with Miles? I think this is less to do with record company pressure and more to do with Alex wanting to keep his private life private.

Miles’ use of social media

Last year when AM were in the UK, I would notice that days Alex was on a break, we would hear nothing from Miles. You might get one official post about OMB that was clearly posted from his social media team. But stories would be empty.

Once Alex went to the US in late August, many a night we were treated to tipsy Miles chatting to the TV, or filming little Maxie getting up to mischief in the house. Soon as Alex came home it stopped.

Earlier this year Miles started the late night posting again and filming Maxie. Lo and behold a few days later we get pics of Alex in NY. Soon as he comes home, it stops again.

Another thing I have noticed. When Miles posts videos he always puts the photographer's name. But he occasionally only puts an 👀. These will always appear when Alex isn’t seen elsewhere.

There are probably many more but I will probably do a part 2.

[theflowergothic]

Kelly Piquet Master Timeline - Amendment 1 (Some things I missed the first time around)

(Masterlist)

Hey y'all! Welcome to the first amendment for the Kelly timeline! In these amendments, I will be adding things that happened during already-published parts of the timeline, but did not add before for a variety of reasons (not knowing about it, not having proof for it before, etc).

Sorry this took a bit to release. I've been dealing with a bit of irl stuff this past week that took my attention away from working on Max/Kelly things aside from updates to the timeline. In fact, you might have seen me crack on Twitter over it! Yay!

By the way, you may notice some repeats from the official timeline. Those are events that I did cover in the original, but with new information/context that I initially missed.

Let's go!

As always, you can find the full timeline here.

A new person has entered the grid!

Christiano “Tuka” Rocha: A former Brazilian race car driver Kelly considers her first love. The two would remain in touch until his tragic death in a plane crash in 2019.

1999

March-October, 1999: The 1999 F1 season. Jos serves as a test driver for the Honda Formula 1 Project.

2000

Unknown dates, 2000:

Kelly and Tuka meet. She is most likely 11 and he is most likely 18.

2002

Unknown dates, 2002:

Tuka visits Kelly and her family while she is visiting France. She is most likely 13 and he is most likely 20. (Archive)

2004

May, 2004: The Jordan racing team considers Jos as a replacement driver for an underperforming Giorgio Pantano. But, a test drive is canceled after he discovers he is too big to fit in the car.

2012

November 10-11, 2012: Max has a series of flirty/amorous exchanges with former world karting champion Laura Tillett on Twitter. She is 21 and he is 15. (Archive) 

December 7-10, 2012: Max has more flirty exchanges with Laura Tillett on Twitter. She is still 21 and he is still 15.

2015

September 30, 2015: Max turns 18. He spends the day obtaining his road driving license. He would move to Monaco shortly afterwards. (Archive 1, 2)

Mikaela also posts on Twitter to celebrate Max’s birthday, calling him her “love”. (Archive)

2016

December, 2016: Kelly leaves her job at Formula E. Officially, she claims she resigned because of burnout, mentioning she “was literally on a plane every week” to a new destination. But, unconfirmed rumors claim she was fired for sleeping with a married man. (Archive)

2018

September 14, 2018:  Kelly likes an Instagram post by Victoria. This would be her first of many likes on Victoria’s Instagram.

September 23, 2018: Victoria likes an Instagram post by Kelly. This would be her first of many likes on Kelly’s Instagram.

September 30, 2018: Max turns 21. Lando makes an Instagram post wishing him a happy birthday. It is not liked by Max, but it is liked by Kelly.

October, 2018: Kelly likes several more of Lando’s Instagram posts.

Late October-Early November, 2018: Kelly and Daniil’s daughter is conceived.

November 13, 2018: Lando makes an Instagram post celebrating his 19th birthday. It would be liked by Kelly.

2019

January 8, 2019: Lando likes an Instagram post by Kelly. This would turn out to be one of several posts he would like on her account throughout 2019 and 2020, including a post about breastfeeding.

March 17, 2019: Lando makes his F1 debut at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, driving for McLaren. He would finish in 12th place. At this point, he is 19 years old. (Archive)

On the same day, Victoria likes a post by Kelly. She would proceed to like several more posts on Kelly’s account throughout her pregnancy, with Sophie doing the same on some of the same posts.

November 14, 2019: Tuka is seriously injured in an airplane crash near Bahia, Brazil. (Archive)

November 17, 2019: Tuka succumbs to his injuries sustained in the plane crash at the age of 36. He is memorialized as a hero for trying to save the lives of others  in the same crash. (Archive)

November 19, 2019: Kelly makes a memorial post for Tuka on Instagram, calling him her “first love” and mentioning he made her “feel like the most special girl in the world” and “feel very special feelings”. (Archive)

December 4, 2019:  Daniil makes an Instagram post about the end of the F1 season. Kelly likes the post. It would turn out to be her last like on his account.

December 6, 2019 (Most likely): Kelly and Daniil end their relationship. While Kelly makes a since-deleted Instagram post implying she broke up with Daniil, varioussources claim it was Daniil who broke up with Kelly for a variety of reasons.

2020

Unknown dates, 2020:

Max and Dilara break up. Despite that, Victoria, Sophie, and Jos continue to follow her on Instagram. Daniil would also follow her at a later date.

January 31, 2020: Kelly likes another Instagram post by Max. This would turn out to be one of several posts she would like on his account throughout 2020.

2021

July 16-18, 2021: The 2021 British Grand Prix. During the first lap, Lewis attempts to overtake Max, resulting in the latter retiring and going to the hospital after a collision. Max would be released that same day.. Lewis receives a 10-second penalty, but ultimately wins the race. (Archive)

Initial reports would say Max was unharmed in the collision. But, in subsequent interviews, Max would admit he felt the after-effects of it in races, including blurred vision. (Archive 1, 2)

September 3-5, 2021: The 2021 Dutch Grand Prix. Max achieves poll position and finishes first, starting a three-year winning streak at the race. (Archive)

Kelly leaves the race altogether after qualifying, and Max spends a night at his motorhome on the track. According to speculation, Kelly and Jos had a fight over her sharing photos in his residence. Jos unfollows Kelly on Instagram.

2023

Unknown dates, 2023:

An anonymous Tumblr user makes a summary of the rumors and scandals surrounding Kelly to that point. (Archive)

2024

June 21-23, 2024: The 2023 Spanish Grand Prix. Max starts in P2 and finishes first. This would turn out to be his last Grand Prix victory until November. (Archive)

June 28-30, 2024: The 2024 Austrian Grand Prix. Max finishes first in the Saturday sprint race. This would turn out to be his last victory in general until October. (Archive)

During the second half of the main race,  Lando makes multiple attempts to overtake Max. This culminates in a collision when the latter tries to block him. Lando would retire from the damage, and Max would place fifth. (Archive 1, 2) 

Of note is that while Kelly posted about Max’s pole positions and sprint win, she would not say anything about the results of the main race.

[thebramblewood]

thebramblewood's Legacy Universe: A Primer

I've never really been one for following specific legacy challenges, but I do get incredibly attached to families and love seeing genetics play out, so generational gameplay has always been my thing. Recently, I've been very distracted by Helena Zhao Is Dead, which means my long-running family of nine generations (!) has been on indefinite hiatus for most of this blog's life.

I discovered their save got accidentally deleted, which is probably for the best, considering it was the same damn save I started back in 2018. Luckily, I had the current generation in my library, and I missed them, so I decided to bring Naomi and Micah back for Life & Death. I thought it might be helpful to summarize past events for those who might be interested in their family's background. Don't worry, we're not going all the way back! I love my earlier generations, but I didn't start getting into a more story-based approach until pretty far in. So here are the relevant details from generation five on (and I really did try to be brief, I promise).

GENERATION FIVE

This generation's heir was Gaby Martinez-Jang. After saving Strangerville from the Mother Plant with her ragtag investigative team, she moved to Sulani with the hunky conspiracy theorist she met along the way, Alvin. The impetus for this journey was Alvin being adopted and deciding he wanted to learn more about his birth family. In Sulani, he not only met his biological sister, Kaimana, but also discovered and embraced his mermadic ancestry! Meanwhile, Gaby became a conservationist and even won a Starlight Accolade for her documentary film on Mua Pel'am!

GENERATION SIX

Gaby and Alvin's one child, Noelani 'Aukai, became the new heir. After struggling to figure out their identity as a teen, Noelani's love for music led them to pursue DJing and producing. They started off doing pop-up performances in Sulani that gained traction on social media and led to a record deal. Meanwhile, they were falling in love with their childhood BFF, Nani Kealoha. Eventually, the two of them moved to San Myshuno, where Nani pursued her political dreams and Noelani was thrust into stardom.

This is where it becomes really important to pay attention. Noelani's other best friend was Malia Kahananui. The result of MCCC shenanigans, she became the granddaughter of Mele and Alika Kahananui because I thought they were too old for a surprise baby, lol. She was left with her grandparents by her reckless and impulsive mother, who was always going off on grand adventures and eventually just never returned. A yoga enthusiast and masseuse, Malia discovered her talent for communing with the island spirits when she was visited by her recently deceased grandparents, who encouraged her to nurture the gift they never got the chance to tell her about.

The spirits were always cryptic, but during one visit she received a more specific warning: "One day, there will be a cataclysmic threat to the realm where all spirits go. Humans occupy this realm, too, humans with supernatural talents who coexist with us in exchange for the protection they offer. A human of modest background and raw power is the only one capable of defeating this threat. They will sacrifice greatly to save our realm from extermination." She promptly filed that information away for a decade or two.

GENERATION SEVEN

This generation's heir was Noelani and Nani's son and robotics enthusiast, Sione 'Aukai. Unfortunately for him, he was almost immediately overshadowed by his eventual spouse, Malia's daughter, Cassie. Oh, Cassie... Possibly my favorite Sim of all time. As kids, they had a long distance friendship, bonding over their love of magic and fantasy. When Cassie started having dreams of a world beyond her own, her mother remembered the warning from the spirits and, fearing the worst, tried to deter her interest, which only made Cassie more stubbornly determined to seek out magic. Malia thought her daughter's rebellious streak might be fixed by a change of scenery, so she moved in with Sione's family in San Myshuno.

Unfortunately, Sione decided he was "too cool" for their shared childhood interests and rejected Cassie's long-time crush. Even so, they agreed to share a house for uni, where he studied Robotics at Foxbury and she studied Art at UBrite. Cassie soon decided college wasn't for her, but she used her connections in the Secret Society to make her way to the Magic Realm, where she met L. Faba and finally began her magical training. A few years later, she and Sione met up again in the city, finally worked it out, and got married. (Can you tell I'm a big fan of the childhood friends to romantic partners pipeline?)

GENERATION EIGHT

Sione and Cassie have twin girls. Rowan 'Aukai is the heir of generation eight. Rowan and her sister, Sabrina, are just beginning their own magical educations when tragedy strikes. A rogue spellcaster, having acquired forbidden magic, storms the Magic Realm and kills the three Sages. As word spreads, Cassie is one of the first spellcasters to arrive. She defeats the rogue spellcaster but dies of magical overload. Overcome by grief, Sione forbids the girls from continuing their training. Rowan misses magic and her mom every day, though everyone else seems to be moving on. She starts having visions of her mom trying to communicate something important. After clashing with her dad, she runs away from home, determined to teach herself the magic she needs to bring Cassie back to life.

Rowan ends up in Evergreen Harbor, where being a homeless teen in a smog-infested city isn't conducive to developing her magical prowess. She temporarily loses her abilities but is introduced to a couple who takes in wayward teens. After a dream visit from her mom, her magic returns. She and her friend, Alejandro, research all things paranormal and find themselves in a haunted house, where she receives advice from Claude René Duplantier Guidry. Eventually, she returns to the Realm, which is shockingly still intact, and where she finally learns what she needs to do. She casts dedeathify at her mom's grave, and her family is finally reunited.

GENERATION NINE

Whew, we're finally almost finished. Generation nine is ongoing, and its heir, August Uchiyama, only just became a teen the last time we saw him (and will probably look a bit different when we see him again because I have to remake his teen version 😭). After bringing her mom back, Rowan started dating one of her friends from Evergreen Harbor, Raveena Uchiyama. They eventually got married, settled into a hippie lifestyle on a big Henford-on-Bagley farm, and had five kids. August is the middle child and only boy. He's had a rather idyllic childhood full of farm animal friends, oversized crops, and adventures with Uncle Alejandro and Grandma Cassie. He has a lot coming up for him that remains top secret. 🤐

Back to Naomi and Micah, they're August's older twin sisters. (They also have younger twin sisters, Tess and Sadie.) Since August is the heir, they've existed mostly in the background so far. But Naomi proved herself to be a cigarette-smoking rebel who frequently snuck out at night and cut class to hang out with her delinquent friends, and Micah was a reserved, rather moody teen who enjoyed painting and journaling but eventually branched out and joined the cheer team. In The Mourningvale Files, they're meant to be in their late 20s and still struggling to find their footing as adults. I'm excited to develop their characters more before I eventually (hopefully) make my way backwards to fill in the rest of August's story. This may be the final generation for how fucking long it's going to take me to finish. 😅

And that's what you missed on thebramblewood.tumblr.com!

[toasttt11]

introducing vera

Vera Lily Hischier was born January 13, 2002, the youngest out of her three older siblings.

When she was growing up she played hockey just like her family and she grew to love the sport, but when she 7 she had a bad hit in a game and broke her wrist and elbow, leaving her not to being able to play hockey for months but she still wanted to be on the ice so she started doing figure skating and fell in love with it and decided to continue with the sport.

Vera had made the right decision by choosing figure skating anyone with an eye could tell, so if you thought she’s an amazing at hockey it is nothing compared to her raw natural talent she has for figure skating.

Vera quickly gained a lot of attention as she started doing moves that were deemed difficult for women or unable for women to do, but it never seemed to stop her if anything it motivated her.

By the time she turned 13 in 2014 she was going into her first olympics not only was she the youngest ever to compete in the olympics she got gold in her two events and became the youngest ever gold medalist.

The end of 2014 she had found a partner for paired skating someone she quickly connected to and anyone could see the chemistry they had on the ice. They quickly were becoming oke of the best pairs to skate ever.

Frederic Schmid was a skater from Switzerland and had watched Vera’s performances and hoped to become her partner one day, and he did.

The two became best friends and became an amazing pair of the ice.

Vera once again was in the olympics in 2018 and not only did she get there goal medals she always broke the world record of landing four triple axel.

Vera and Fredric’s friendship slowly turned into a romance and by 2020 the two knew of their feelings for each other and embraced them, the two were the perfect couple and everyone thought they were soulmate’s until 2022.

In 2022 fans, friends and family could all tell there was something different between the couple, not only was the once affection and loving touches between the two now nonexistent but Fredrick barely seem to acknowledge Vera if not on the ice.

The two competed one more time together at the Olympics bringing home a gold before Vera decided it was time to end the relationship and she was going forward to find a different pair partner especially when she read the contract for the next few years and Fredrick not only wanted her to play for everything for him but all the winning money would go to him, she quickly shut down the offer and left.

She decided to leave the home she shared with Fredrick in California and move to New Jersey to be closer to her brother.

Vera after her first olympics started a business for ice skating fashion, clothes to train in off and on the ice, costume’s to perform in, everything and anything to do with figure skating and the company quickly grew fast and soon she was adding a hockey line where she had NHL teams asking her to sponser their apparel, olympic teams also asking her to sponser them as well.

Nico and Vera have always been very close, the two have been best friends since she was born, Vera’s favorite person has always been Nico. Nico was ecstatic when he found out she would be moving near him and having the chance to see his favorite sibling more.

Vera has always looked up to Nina, her being the older sister. Nina always had Vera under her wing teaching her everything and anything. Nina always loving fashion was asked by Vera to be a partner in her business.

Luca has always been the most protective, as the oldest he was protective of all his siblings but especially the two youngest ones.

Vera was competing a division a head but watched the lower division and loved watching a girl who was three years younger then Vera, Alexandra Trusova. They ended up going to the same ice skating camp and they ended up rooming together, the two became fast friends and Vera became an older sister to Alexandra and have stayed great friends since.

Vera is pretty close with most of the players on the Devils because of Nico and she tries to go to as many games and she sees all them.

Jack once in an interview when he was 16 said his celebrity crush was Vera Hischer and Vers never once saw the video but most of the world have found that video and ship Jack and Vera.

Nico has seen the video and surprisingly has always wanted Vera to be with Jack despite being teammates with Jack, Nico always had an off feeling from Fredrick when he started dating Vera and hated he was right in the end.

Jack and Vera met when he was drafted in 2019 and despite Jack having a celebrity crush on her, he didn’t treat Vera and different and Vera didn’t treat him anything other than just Jack.

The two become really great friends and nothing more happen especially since in 2019 Jack had a rough season and didn’t have time to think of anything more, Vera won’t admit but she has always had a little crush on Jack having heard of him in the Hockey world but just pushed it away because he’s her brothers teammate.

Jack figured he lost his chance when he realized she was in love with someone else and happily just stayed her friend just wanting her to be happy, but the more she was in the relationship the more he could see her spark fading.

Jack of course was very happy when he realized she was literally moving into the same apartment building as Nico, also the same apartment building as him.

[boxboxblog]

Driver Profiles: Lando Norris

Updated December 2024

Name: Lando Norris

Age: 25

Nationality: British

Years in F1: 6 (Mclaren 2019-Present)

Number: 4

WDCs: N/A

Driving Style: Norris is known for his smooth drives and string control over his car. He rarely overdrives the car, and this allows his lap time to remain consistent throughout the race. This smoothness is particularly noticeable around corners, where he rarely compromises his speed while keeping the car steady. While not as aggressive as some other drivers can be, he is rather a thoughtful racer, overtaking strategically. He is also known for his patience as he races, and rarely gets in crashes. He remains relatively level headed throughout races and has great communication with his race engineer. There have only been a few times Norris had had friction with the pit wall, and seems to be a strong team player. The only negative I have about his driving style is that this reserved style can lead to him getting overtaken often. As he grows as a driver, his confidence and aggression has grown, however.

History:

Scion of the wealthy British Norris family, he started karting at age 7, competing in national events. In 2013 he competed in the KF-Junior class, winning the CIK-FIA European Championship and the CIK-FIA International Super Cup, as well as the WSK Euro Series. The following year he won the CIK-FIA World Championship in KF.

(Lando Norris, age 11)

In 2014 Norris debuted with his first car in a support series to the British Touring Car Championship. He finished third in the championship and won the rookie cup. he then appeared in a variety of F4 events, regularly getting podiums and pole positions. For 2015, Norris signed with Carlin Motorsport to drive in the newly established MSA Formula Championship (now the F4 British Championship). Norris took eight wins, ten pole positions, and fourteen total podiums to win the championship

(Norris in 2015)

Norris raced full-time in the 2017 European Formula 3 Championship, and finished on the podium in twenty of the thirty races, including nine wins, and recorded eight pole positions. He clinched the title with two races remaining, marking his fifth racing championship title in four years.

 In 2017 Norris made his FIA Formula 2 debut with Campos Racing, racing in the final round. Norris competed full-time in the 2018 FIA Formula 2 Championship and won the opening race at the Bahrain  from pole position, however, this would prove to be his only race victory of the season. He scored consistent points and podium finishes to hold the lead of the championship until the sixth round, and ultimately ended up in second.

(Norris in 2017)

In 2017 Lando Norris had been signed as Mclaren Junior Driver, was reserve driver in 2018, and it was in 2019 that he made his F1 debut. As part of a lineup with Carlos Sainz, Norris and Mclaren had a mixed year, with some good results but many bad (not untypical for Mclaren at the time). That year, Norris reupped his contract with Mclaren to extend to 2022.

(Norris in 2019)

In 2020 he achieved his maiden podium, and for the next three years results for both driver and team would get constantly better (getting his first pole in 2021). Every year he would achieve more and more podium finishes, a very steady increase as the years went on. His teammate was switched multiple times, until landing on the current lineup with Oscar Piastri in 2023. In 2023 he resigned again with Mclaren, extending to at least 2025.

The 2024 season is where the magic really starts to happen for Norris. Ahead of the season he signed yet another contract negotiation with Mclaren (i'm not sure till when) and the 2024 seasons saw Mclaren finally having a top car. After a series of good results (regularly on the podium), Norris won his first GP in Miami, a day long awaited by driver and team. He then went on to win in Zandervoort, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. This also put him in a championship battle with Max Verstappen, his first real title fight in F1, but by the end he did finish 2nd that year.

(Norris at 2024 Miami GP)

Major Races:

2019 Belgian GP - While he didn't get the result he wanted due to an engine failure in the last lap, Norris had a strong race, holding on to fifth position for a majority of it. This was in his rookie year.

2020 Austrian GP - His first podium, after a late penalty to Lewis Hamilton, Norris was able to take 3rd place. It was a strong drive, his first real battle with the top teams.

2020 Styrian GP - In the last lap of this race, Norris executed a series of overtakes, taking him from 8th to 5th. A gutsy move for the usually reserved driver, he showed he can pull out the moves when needs be.

2021 Imola GP - His best result of 2nd place, Norris showed good race craft in wet conditions. He showed great adaptation skills.

2024 Miami GP - His maiden win on a relatively new track, Norris showed the new pace Mclaren had and was the first win for his team that year.

2024 Zandervoort GP - Norris' second win, it was a dominant display, winning with a 22 second gap to 2nd place. This was his first win where he was inarguably the fastest, and although he lost his place in the first turn, he eventually overtook Max Verstappen and was race lead for the rest.

2024 Singapore GP - Possibly the smoothest F1 win for Norris, he started on pole and held it the entire race, winning with a healthy margin.

Cheers!

-B

[sgiandubh]

The one with the server

BIF's explanation on the (re)surfacing of old/new/whatever BAFTA pics was the following:

A server change, applicable to all the Scottish BAFTA pics ever taken by their team.

Riddle me this, then:

How do you explain the surfacing of these pics I found by chance in January?

Not a BAFTA event, but W Magazine's Golden Globes 2018 Party, on January 4th, 2018.

Uploaded again at a different point in time and on different days:

1st November, 2023

and

10th November, 2023

Just two examples. Scheduled maintenance does not explain it all, however.

Perhaps even more importantly: how can one explain the tens (hundreds?) of people who swear they never saw these, on Tumblr or X? Simple confirmation bias?

To quote Churchill, which is borderline ridiculous, at this stage: it's a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.

And one overdue explanation: when I wrote this blogger treats people like shite, I did not mean me. I am not important. Using the seniority argument whenever trying to explain rebuke something, along with a consistent entitled, stilted tone can be construed as treating people (but perhaps shippers are not people, who knows) as shite. Or rubbish, if you prefer.

The agenda being to prove we are delusional idiots.

This is my opinion and I stand by it.

I am done with this topic. I am probably not done with the torrent of insults thrown at me by Marple, her spokesperson - a tried and true strategy of victimization. Go ahead, help yourself.

[zyxwl2015]

Some excerpts from the new Lando Norris biography

Although Lando was born into a rich family, his dad, Adam Norris, did not come from wealth himself. Adam's dad was a farmer & mum was a teacher. Adam has dyslexia and he was terrible at school and hated it. So he always has the mentality of working harder than anyone else to success

Lando and his brother Oli tried horse riding, quadbike and motorbike before eventually got into karting. Lando was 7 yo when he first started racing in karts

Adam was not willing to just buy the best equipment for his sons, instead he wanted to develop them. He approached Mark Berryman and Fraser Sheader in 2011 for help, Mark and Fraser has just founded ADD management in 2010 and their philosophy is on "developing and nurturing talents" rather than "just place them in teams", so they matched perfectly.

Mark on first meeting Lando: "for at least the first nine months he didn't listen to a word I said. "(😂😂) They were doing great with Oli because he was listening, but Lando just wasn't listening, but even then he's still winning races because he's really fast

Lando is the polar opposite now: he listens to everything Mark suggests. Brazil GP 2022 when Lando was on track, Mark texted Jon some suggestions, and Lando tried it straightaway. Out of Mark's students now, Lando is the best at "if you put something forward, he just does it".

Lando was so incredibly fast at that early age that people were convinced he/the team was cheating. One race when he was in the junior category, his lap time was so incredible that it would have put him in top 6 in the senior category

Lando had two crucial meetings in 2014, one was Jon Malvern, who's still his trainer to this day, the other was Trevor Carlin, who's the boss of the Carlin team, with which Lando competed from 2015 to 2018

Fraser approached Zak Brown in August 2016 to help bring some commercial values to ADD management. Zak at the time was the co-owner of United Autosports, a sports-car team. They agreed on a deal, and Zak then became part of the core Norris team together with Jon, Mark and Fraser. Little did they know Zak would soon became CEO of McLaren (😂)

February 2017. Charlotte Sefton was setting up a filming event on the Boulevard of MTC. She was making sure no one is on the Boulevard, tours was canceled, etc, apart from one guy "Lando Norris", who's a "VIP guest" and "it's top secret". Charlotte went "who's this guy?" and looked up on the Internet. (😂) Later that day she saw this shy kid got out of a Mini, said "hello" to her and walked to Zak's office. Days later Lando was confirmed as a junior driver for McLaren

(This book isn't as interesting as I initially thought, it's mostly "Norris raced in xxx series in year xxxx and did xyz"; but it does have a lot of quotes from people around him & some behind-the-scenes stories)

[bearterritory]

#3 Cal Takes 2nd with Strong Finish

Bears Grab Top 5 Spots In 6 Events On Final Day

FEDERAL WAY, Wa. – The California men's swimming & diving team finished second in the 2025 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships with a team score of 471 points on Sunday, extending its streak of top two finishing at the event to 15 consecutive years. The final day saw the Golden Bears in the top five in six separate events while 13 earned All-American honors.   In the first event of the evening, Lucas Henveaux earned a third-place finish in the 1650-free freestyle after shaving 2:12 seconds off his school record, finishing in a time of 14:27.62.   In the 200-yard backstroke, Destin Lasco, Gabriel Jett and Mewen Tomac finished 2-3-4, respectively. Lasco led the pack with a time of 1:31.41, followed by Jett after finishing at a time of 1:36.76, while Tomac touched in a time of 1:36.90, a personal best.   In the next event, Jack Alexy posted a personal best in the 100-yard freestyle, lowering his school record, with a time of 40.36 to finish fourth.   Yamato Okadome was the lone Bear in the 200-yard breaststroke, where he placed sixth, earning his fourth All-American honor in his first appearance at the NCAA championships.   Dare Rose set another school record of the championships after touching the wall in a time of 1:38.04 in the 200-yard butterfly, earning himself a third-place finish. The day prior, Rose set the school record in the 100-yard butterfly in a time of 43.74. He followed by lowering the mark in the championship event to 43.52.   In the final event of the night, the foursome of Alexy, Bjorn Seeliger, Matthew Jensen and Lasco placed fourth in the 400-yard freestyle after touching in a time of 2:44.59.

Texas claimed the NCAA Championship after topping the standings with 490 points while Cal followed close behind with 471 points. It was the tightest finish since the Bears placed only 11.5 points behind Texas in 2018. Rounding out the top five were Indiana (459), Florida (315) and Tennessee (266.5).

The Golden Bears were on the Longhorns heels the entire tournament, at one point trailing by only two points. Some earlier Cal highlights in their hunt included claiming their second consecutive national championship in the 800-yard freestyle relay in record-setting time while setting another program record in the 200-yard medley relay.  

[herohimbowhore]

Sunset Lap vs. Storm Lap: A Dichotomy Between Two Drivers

Something that's been running in my mind a lot is how we view drivers and events in Formula 1. There are a few ways we can go about it, with the two main ones being the imagery and the stats.

Imagery, in my opinion, is so important in Formula 1. In a sport where things change every year and no true stats or comparisons across teams/eras exist, it is the imagery that people remember.

Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher crossing the finish line just 0.011 seconds apart in Indianapolis 2002. Sebastian Vettel on his knees and bowing to his Red Bull after he won the World Championship. Lewis Hamilton with the Brazilian flag wrapped around him. Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Sebastian Vettel doing donuts together at the end of the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The two Ferraris driving past a broken-down Red Bull.

The imagery is important in not only what we remember, but also in how we think of drivers.

Images of Charles Leclerc's 2022 Austin sunset lap and Max Verstappen's 2023 Brazil storm lap will go down as iconic Formula 1 images.

But, the images can also play into how we perceive the two drivers. Sunset vs Storm. Leclerc vs Verstappen. Ferrari vs Red Bull.

There is a visible dichotomy between Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen through the images of their laps.

Sunsets hold many meanings across literature, cultures, and art. In most cases, the sunset represents the completion of a cycle. The setting sun brings an end to a day. Often times it is attributed to the ending of something - life, laws, a journey, etc.

But other than that sunsets are also a thing of beauty. A moment in time when a golden shine settles over the earth and everything is bathed in that glow. It is the boundary between the bright skies of the day and the darkness of night. They also represent the beauty of the world.

Storms, just like sunsets, can mean many things based on how you would like to interpret them. Oftentimes, the connection to storms isn't very pleasant. Filled with thoughts of fear and impending doom. In gothic literature, storms are often seen as harbingers of doom. Foreshadowing the inevitable.

Where sunsets bathe everything in a fleeting, golden light; storms bathe everything in a lasting darkness. A destruction of nature as rain pelts everything in sight. While storms are typically destructive, they have an ability to cleanse

So how can this be used to explain the dichotomy in Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen?

The imagery in these laps exemplify how we as fans see the two drivers.

On one hand, we have Charles: il predestinato, il principe, the sun of Maranello. And on the other hand, we have Max: mad Max, the Dutch Lion, Super Max.

That's two very different types of nicknames/monikers that follow these drivers who grew up racing together.

Sunsets align with the image that has been created around Charles Leclerc. Beautiful, golden, and an expected end to the championship drought at Ferrari. He is the sun of Maranello that shines over the Scuderia. The predestined prince that will bring back glory to Maranello. Born in Monaco, raised in Maranello, Charles Leclerc is who the Tifosi have set their hopes on. Chanting "Oh Leclerc portaci il mondiale" (oh Leclerc bring up the world championship." There is no doubt that the kid who grew up with Ferrari backing, the first FDA driver to make it to Ferrari, will be the one to end the years-long drought that Ferrari has faced. When Charles did his sunset lap, we saw how he will be remembered by Ferrari and the Tifosi no matter how his career progresses, a golden moment in time. A driver who gave his all to the Scuderia and bled rosso corsa, a tifoso at heart. And when Charles Leclerc wins a championship, then he'll be the sun setting on a championship drought that has lasted well over a decade now.

Whereas, the storm is the perfect imagery for Max Verstappen and how he's made his mark on the sport. Destructive, a sign of doom, fear, inevitability, and change. Max Verstappen came into the sport so young and so many questioned if he should even have his seat. And in those early days, he made a name for himself. He was bold in the maneuvers he made, reckless some might even say. Mad Max, as said by so many of the 2010s drivers. He had Nico Rosberg terrified. Given a good car that didn't have reliability issues, everyone knew what Max Verstappen could do and the potential he held to bring Red Bull the championship. And he did do that, ending the Mercedes/Lewis dominance and starting the Red Bull/Max dominance. In 2023, as Max did a qualifying lap as a storm brew, shrouding the track in darkness, we saw a hint of how Max will be remembered. The inevitability, the man who took Formula 1 by storm and made his mark.

So imagery is very important in how we think of the drivers and the narratives that follow them. Should there be documentaries made of these drivers in years to come, it will be images like these that will be used to show who they were as drivers.

_____________________

Currently cleaning out my drafts and found this little essay of me rambling on about imagery in F1. I hope it made some sense

[athena-gundampla]

Mobile Suit Gundam: Chronological Watch Order for the Universal Century Timeline

UC 0001

Laplace incident – the Universal Century is declared, and Laplace, the Prime Minister’s residence, is destroyed by terrorists (First few minutes of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2010) Episode 1: Day of the Unicorn)

UC 0068

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 1

UC 0071

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 2

UC 0074

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 3 first half

UC 0076

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 3 second half

UC 0077

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 4 first half

UC 0078

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 4 third quarter

UC 0079 (the One Year War):

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 4 ending, Episode 5 (January 3rd up until January 15th 0079 UC).

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War (2004) Episode 1: Vanishing Serpent of Loum, runs from 4th to 17th January 0079UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin (2015-2018) Episode 6 (The Battle of Loum, January 15th-16th 0079; later events in the epilogue scattered throughout the first half of the year).

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front Episodes (2008) Episode 1: Take Out That Angel of Death!, runs from 26th to 27th April 0079UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War (2004) Episode 2: Howls Stained in Dusk, runs from 29th April to 11th May 0079UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front Episodes (2008) Episode 2: Kings of the Jungle, Roll Out!, runs from 21st to 26th July 0079UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) Episodes 1-15, starts September 18th 0079UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island (a movie adaptation of Episode 15), around about late October 0079UC. This is set in the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin timeline, and thus the White Base has already visited Jaburo and all members are officially part of the Earth Federation Forces. The Guntank is replaced by a second Guncannon, Sleggar is present, and Cucuruz Doan's Island is relocated to the Canary Islands rather than Japan, although the event still precedes Operation Odessa.

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) Episodes 16-25 (up to early November 0079UC)

Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team Episodes 1-11 (October 6th 0079UC up to around 15th November 0079. Starts after 0079 Episode 10 (Garma's death), and finishes sometime after the battle of Odessa during the Zeon Asian Ground Forces retreat)

Mobile Suit Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance (2024), runs from November 6th until around about the end of that week, shortly after Operation Odessa and the evacuation of the Zeon Eastern European and Asian Ground Forces. The timeline is a little sketchy as Yuri Kellerne appears in both this and 08th MS Team, but dies in the latter, but the series definitely ends by at most two days after 8th to 9th November and Operation Odessa in Episode 25 of Mobile Suit Gundam (1979).

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO 2: The Gravity Front Episodes (2008) Episode 3: Odessa, Storm of Steel!, runs from 8th to 9th November 0079UC, concurrently with Operation Odessa in Episode 25 of Mobile Suit Gundam (1979).

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: The Hidden One Year War (2004) Episode 3: Dance of the Orbital Ghosts, runs from 24th October to 11th November 0079UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) Episodes 25-35 occur from around November of 0079UC up until the start of December, although there aren't many exact dates for when exactly in the year each episode takes place, although The Battle of Solomon in Episode 35 takes place on 24th December 0079 UC).

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079 (2006) Episode 1: In the Skies of Jaburo I Saw the Sea, happens from 3rd to 7th December 0079UC, sometime after 0079 Episode 30.

Gundam 0080 War in The Pocket (1989) runs from around December 9th 0079UC up until around 12th to 25th December 0079UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079 (2006) Episode 2: Cross the Path of Light, happens from 28th to 30th December 0079UC.

Final few episodes (around 36/37 until 43) of Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) definitively happen on December 30th and 31st 0079UC, as this is when the Battle of A Bao Qu occurs in canon.

Peace treaty with Zeon signed on 1st January 0080UC.

Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO: Apocalypse 0079 (2006) Episode 3: Spirits Returning to the Cries of Thunder, happens from 31st December 0079UC until 1st January 0080UC.

UC 0080

Mobile Suit Gundam 08th MS Team Episode 12 (unspecified number of months after the end of the One Year War)

UC 0083

Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory (1991-1992)

UC 0087

Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985-1986)

The Gryps Conflict/Gryps War

UC 0088

Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ (1986-1987)

The First Neo-Zeon war

UC 0093

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack (1988)

The Second Neo-Zeon war

UC 0096

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2010-2014)

Laplace incident - occurs from around April 7th 0096UC til May 4th 0096UC

UC 0097

Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative (2018)

UC 0100

The Principality of Zeon is officially dissolved and reabsorbed back into the Earth Federation

UC 0105

Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway (2020)

UC 120

Mobile Suit Gundam F90 (1990)

UC 0123

Mobile Suit Gundam F91 (1991)

UC 149

Zanscare Empire Declared, Zanscare War Commences

UC 0153

Mobile Suit Victory Gundam (1993-1994)

End of the Zanscare War and all key members of the imperial core

[txttletale]

i'll actually in a limited capacity defend the overwatch league's regional teams gimmick but the execution was bad. having regional teams could have been hype. like--during astralis' 2018-2019 csgo run, danish esports fans went fucking insane for them. and like of course they did. there's inherently something exciting about having a team you can in some way 'identify' with. and geography does create natural sports rivalries and pre-writes your stories.

there were two glaring bad problems in the dumb way blizzard did this though. one is forcing teams to come up with brand new branding. this was a horrible idea. it forced well-established esports organizations with strong fanbases across different games like cloud9 and optic to try and build new brands up from scratch. they realized this with their call of duty leage where they let teams play as 'atlanta faze' and 'optic texas' but yknow. kind of too little too late

the other one (and this is also the glaring fatal flaw in the overwatch league's entire silly, silly business plan) is the idea of a global league. now if you don't know much about esports you might think 'wait whats wrong with that. its gaming you can do it online players can be anywhere'. however that's not true! first of all, esports--well esports doesn't make money, esports when managed correctly is essentially a loss leader for the game it's an esport for--but esports makes a lot of its money on live events. yeah, people go to see esports games:

much more importantly, ping is a huge factor in esports. the higher the level you're playing at, especially in a game like overwatch that's full of twitchy hitscan aiming, the more a 10ms latency difference can make or break a game. you need to be running in-person events in order to have a competitive esports league and to make a good chunk of your revenue.

and that means that a global esports league runs into the exact same problem a global normal sports league would run into and the reason why that doesn't exist, which is travel logistics. the overwatch league has a london team, a san francisco team, and a chengdu team. these cities are very far away from each other [citation needed] and although overwatch league people will often blame covid for ruining their plans, i honestly think it actually saved them by preventing the horrible idea they had for how the league would work from actually happening. imagine all the problems that travel causes in a league like the NBA--jet lag, exhaustion, the obvious budgetary expenditure. now imagine that the travel itinerary also includes flights across the atlantic and/or pacific.

that's not even all! the thing about esports is that, because practicing for ten hours a day doesn't physically destroy your body like it would for regular sports, esports players and teams... do that. if you spend seventeen hours on a plane from paris to hangzhou for a match that's seventeen hours where you're not practicing. when you arrive, you can't just stay at a hotel--you need to be able to practice in the days leading up to the match too, especially because it's esports, which means the game can change. if you miss some practice as a sports team, you're gonna be rusty--if you miss some practice as an esports team, the rules of the game might have literally changed since your last practice session.

the result of this, by the way, is that the london and paris teams have never been actually based in europe--and that right now the dallas team is based in korea. it is very silly. every other multinational esport ever invented has created regional leagues--league of legends has a league for korea, china, europe, north america, pacific, vietnam, brazil, japan, and latin america. but blizzard entertainment are god's special little gamers and they weren't going to let something like 'the ocean' get in the way of their global league dream.

and ultimately this means that the entire local team concept was pointless. most of the teams aren't locally based. and even if they were -- the madcap way they play against each other mean that those city affiliations don't matter. when manchester united play liverpool f.c., even if you are not a big football fan, if you're from manchester you presumably have an opinion of liverpool and liverpudlians, and vice versa. there is an emotional hook to latch on to. if manchester united were to play khon khaen united, you would probably say 'where the fuck is khon khaen'. for the localisation to work, the overwatch league's london team needed a manchester or glasgow or dublin or amsterdam or brussels team (etc.) to play against. if you're invested in the esport itself and the players, you can get invested in a philadelphia-london or chengdu-houston rivalry--but the localisation aspect of it isn't doing the work it should there.

tldr: the overwatch league was a bad idea ever since the moment it was announced. people are too harsh on the team localization idea but the way it was executed was hot garbage and it's no wonder this entire venture failed badly

[hassiegfrieddoneanythingwrong]

Anniversary 9 rundown:

Fate/Extra Record will come out in 2025 (and it'll be on the Switch, PS4 + PS5, and Steam)

New QoL update that when you're in need of a specific material you can go to what place it drops from the skill level menu

Now you can regenerate all three Command Spells instead of one per day

8 more previous event CEs, those from 2016-2017 (JP)/2018-2019 (NA) are obtainable in the Mana Prism shop

Previous Mystic Codes are now obtainable, along with previous Command Codes (including the 5 star ones)

Increased the number of team parties from 10 to 15

Two new append skills - first one increases crit damage by 20-30% and the second one lowers the skill cooldown by 1-3 (after activating a skill, this will kick in) and unfortunately no update to the damn coin system >:(

A revamp to the pity system, if you get the 5 star Servant featured, you can still get another copy of them when hitting pity, and there's also a counter for how many pulls on the banner

The next set of Rank-ups (featuring: 5 star Saber, 3 star Saber, 5 star Assassin, 3 star Caster, 5 star Rider, 4 star Assassin, 5 star Foreigner, 3 star Archer, 5 star Ruler, 1 star Assassin, 5 star Foreigner, 3 star Rider, 5 star Caster, and 4 star Caster)

The Anniversary Servant is Summer Space Ereshkigal (5 star, Beast)

Part 2 of FGO will end in 2025