#and also nice to have a back and forth discussion with others
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formulafanfics13 ¡ 2 days ago
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Can you please do one where the reader is Jackie Stewart’s granddaughter and he tricks and sets both her and Lando up.
set up by Sir Jackie - LN4
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Masterlist
SUMMARY At Silverstone, your legendary grandfather Jackie Stewart ropes you into a surprise lunch—only to reveal it’s a setup with none other than Lando Norris. Sparks fly fast. What starts as snarky banter over wine turns into flirtation thick enough to cut with a knife. Jackie disappears halfway through, leaving the two of you deep in charm, wit, and undeniable chemistry. By the end, numbers are exchanged, a cheeky dinner is promised, and Lando saves your contact as “Jackie’s Revenge ❤️.”
WARNINGS Mild language, flirtation, romantic scheming by a grandparent, mutual teasing, implied age gap (Lando mid-20s, reader early 20s), suggestive banter, strong independent reader energy, and the dangerous combination of wine, motorsport genes, and historical matchmaking chaos.
You should’ve known something was up when your grandfather invited you to lunch during the British Grand Prix weekend.
Jackie Stewart did not do casual lunches. Not unless he was trying to interfere in your life under the guise of roast chicken and tartan-patterned charm.
Still, you showed up. Oversized sunglasses, vintage leather jacket, calm as hell despite the Silverstone humidity, and with a knowing smirk curling your lip because there was no way this wasn’t going to be a setup.
"Hi Gramps," you said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before slipping into the chair opposite.
He smiled like butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. “You look lovely, darling.”
"You’re scheming. I can tell by the glint in your eye."
"I’m an old man," he replied innocently. "I just wanted lunch with my favorite granddaughter."
"I’m your only granddaughter."
Before he could answer, another chair scraped the ground beside you.
“Sorry I’m late,” came a familiar voice. Warm, sheepish, English.
You turned your head. Froze.
No fucking way.
Lando Norris.
Tall. Freshly showered. Curls still damp. McLaren jacket slung half-off his shoulders. And looking just as surprised as you were.
“Oh,” he said, blinking. “You’re here.”
Your mouth twitched. “So are you.”
Jackie grinned. Pleased with himself. “You two haven’t properly met, have you?”
Lando scratched the back of his neck. “Not really. Just in passing.”
You narrowed your eyes. “Right. Totally random coincidence we’re both here at the exact same time.”
Jackie waved a hand. “Well, I thought it might be nice for you two to sit down. Talk. You’re both young. Attractive. Share a love of motorsport.”
“And you’re bored,” you muttered.
He ignored you. Poured himself a glass of water. “Back in my day, these things didn’t require a dating app.”
Lando coughed on his drink.
You turned to him. “You in on this?”
He held up both hands. “Swear to God, I had no idea. I just got a text saying Jackie wanted to discuss something with me.”
You looked him up and down. Cocked your head. “Well. At least you’re cute.”
He grinned, recovering fast. “So are you. Not that I’m surprised. Stewart genes and all.”
“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood,” you said, grabbing a menu.
He leaned closer. “Are you always this terrifying?”
“Only when I’m being set up by my grandfather without consent.”
Jackie, utterly unbothered, ordered the duck.
Somehow, it turned into a full lunch.
You and Lando ended up drinking wine, snarking back and forth, both trying too hard not to be charmed. He was funny, quicker than you expected. You were sharper than he expected. The flirtation started small, insults with a smile, hands brushing when you both reached for the salt, and by dessert, he was staring at you with something deeper in his eyes.
Jackie excused himself halfway through the second course. Something about taking a call. He didn’t come back.
You arched a brow. “He’s a fucking snake.”
Lando laughed. “He’s a genius. But also, yeah, absolutely a snake.”
The check arrived. Lando paid it before you could argue.
You stepped out into the sunlight together. The air buzzed with the low hum of media tents and distant engines, but neither of you moved to leave.
“So,” you said, tucking your sunglasses back on. “Is this where you awkwardly ask for my number and pretend you don’t want to?”
He looked at you for a long moment. “No,” he said. “This is where I confidently ask for your number and admit I definitely want to.”
You smiled. “Smart boy.”
You gave it to him. He typed it in. Saved it under “Jackie’s Revenge ❤️.”
That night, you got a text.
LN: just so u know LN: i still think he planned this from the beginning of time LN: i think we’re pawns LN: really hot pawns tho
You smiled.
You: i’ll forgive him if u win sunday LN: oh i’m winning LN: and then i’m taking u to dinner without ur gramps involved
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great-and-small ¡ 5 months ago
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Speaking of breed standards, would you be able to give me some context on what the heck is up with the German Shepherd "stack"? I see a lot of GSD owners saying it's breed standard and therefore fine, but the slant looks so extreme in some dogs that I have some skepticism about it (and also because, of course, breed standards have nothing to do with animal health).
This is a pretty hot button issue and you’re right that there is a ton of bickering back and forth about it online. I’m happy to share my thoughts, but keep in mind that as a veterinarian I am biased towards function over form. I care way more about if a dog can do the things it wants/needs to do than how it looks. I won’t get into it here but I actually have real qualms with the distinction between “working line” and “show line” in some breeds.
My quick takeaway opinion- There are several orthopedic issues in the German Shepherd dog (specifically show lines) that have likely been exacerbated if not entirely caused by breeders striving for the classic “sloped back” look that is considered breed standard.
Now that being said, it is a fact that the three point stack (how a dog is positioned when standing) greatly exaggerates the angulation of the back and hind legs. You will often see comparison images like this one that show a dog in stack versus standing square and you can clearly see the top line looks more sloped when the dog is stacked. This image is from a GSD subreddit, a pretty dog here nicely demonstrating how the stance can change the appearance of the top line.
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This phenomenon is what certain hardline GSD breed standard loyalists will point to when discussing this issue. They posit that the sloped back is essentially an optical illusion caused by aesthetic posing, and therefore a German Shepherd is no more prone to orthopedic problems than any other large breed dog. This is where I disagree.
You can easily find stark examples of a poorly put together dog in any breed or mixed breed out there, so when discussing my concerns with the GSD I will only use photos of titled dogs that are accomplished within the show ring. These are not random backyard bred shepherds, but champion dogs from acclaimed lines that will almost certainly be bred to pass on their genes. When breed clubs like the AKC award these dogs as exemplars of the breed, they tacitly endorse the conformation issues I’m about to discuss. So my beef is not with German shepherds or dog breeds in general, but specifically with breed clubs that refuse to examine whether their standard harms animals. An important disclaimer, not every breed club is like this and many take health concerns extremely seriously.
Dogs have a very different limb anatomy and gait to humans and a healthy dog is meant to walk on their paw pads. The “ankle” or hock should be upright and angled as you can see here in this nice-looking champion shepherd from 1902.
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German shepherds can sometimes have a problem that is colloquially called “dropped hocks” where that joint is abnormally loose and in more serious cases can even be touching the ground, which is completely abnormal and something I would consider a serious physical flaw. A dog having dropped hocks/tarsal hyperflexion like this is proven to cause medical issues for these dog, but unfortunately the sinking joints also help to give the dog that “classic” sloping look that breed clubs love.
This dog “Ch Kysarah's Pot of Gold” won best of breed at the National dog show in 2015. You can see his hock is literally flat on the ground even when not stacked
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And it’s not just one dog. Here is another champion dog (Cruaghaire Catoria), who got some controversy for winning best of breed at Crufts in 2016 despite an extremely abnormal gait.
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Perhaps we could excuse the low hocks when the dog is standing as being the result of the stack, but it is glaringly obvious when she moves that this is no trick of her positioning. Her entire tarsus rests on the floor as she runs and in close ups you can even see bald patches there to suggest this is a “normal” gait for her. In this video, the announcers agree that this is the ideal gait for a shepherd. If I saw this gait in a friend’s dog I’d politely express my concerns for long term mobility issues and recommend an orthopedic consultation. To see it win best of breed is galling to say the least.
And lest you think the problem has been solved, here’s another from the National Dog Show in 2023
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None of these dogs could charge athletically into a field and effectively herd sheep. If we are prioritizing aesthetic over function to the degree that a dog cannot do what it was bred to do, or more importantly that it cannot do the simple things that dogs love to do, then we have veered unforgivably off course. Not to put too fine a point on it but what the fuck is the point of a breed standard if it impedes the dog’s function in any way? We have no right. German shepherds are an incredible breed of dog that have stood by us humans in some of our darkest moments; I think the breeders and kennel clubs who claim to love them the most should work harder to ensure the “champion” dogs they are producing can live long pain-free lives. If we have to adjust our notion of what the breed is “supposed” to look like then so fucking be it.
This is too long already so I’m not getting into hip dysplasia, DM, carpal laxity, elbow dysplasia or other conditions that exist in the breed. If German shepherd clubs want to distance themselves from the notion that their breed standard is causing problems with canine health then they will need to stop publicly lavishing awards on dogs with medically concerning gait issues and start focusing on breeding dogs that can run around a ring without causing even the most casual of onlookers to realize “something’s not right there”
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wonderjanga ¡ 7 months ago
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Things I think have Happened pt.2
I might make these “Things I think have Happened” posts into a series because I have a lot of little scenarios that are miscalainous or just sent to the drafts never to be seen unless I desperately need an idea.
Marvel: *sighs and looks like a kicked puppy*
Flash: “Cap, buddy? Is something wrong?”
Marvel: “Well, it’s just, Mrs. Wilkins got a lobotomy the other day. The poor soul.”
Flash: *sounds horrified* “What…? How did she get a lobotomy?” *is thinking some villain did this*
Marvel: “Well, you know, her husband pushed for it.” *shakes head in disappointment* “It sucks too because she was really really nice and would give me- uh some homeless kids any loose change and a cookie whenever she could.”
Flash wasn’t wrong about a villain pushing for it. It just wasn’t a super villain.
Also, Billy hired some ghosts to haunt their house and drive the husband mad with guilt about what he did.
or Batman: “Captain, could we discuss something?”
Marvel: “Of course! Is something wrong?”
Batman: “No, it’s just, do you have a mood disorder?”
Marvel: *sounds concerned* “What do you mean?”
Batman: “I have watched you rock back-and-forth, holding your head in your hands and practically sobbing after you poured some soda and it fizzed to much causing the soda dripping over the edge.”
Marvel: “…Oh.”
Batman decided not to comment of the fact that after Marvel had that previous breakdown. He did a 180 and was like “this is fine!” and went about his day.
or
Mary, Junior, and Marvel: *all on the floor in a rec room and watching Wild Krats*
Robin!Damian: *also on the floor, but he gets a pillow, and is watching it with them*
Flash: *recording this entire thing from the doorway*
A lot of comments on that video were wondering if Marvel is supposed to be the League babysitter or something.
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dwaekkicidal ¡ 8 months ago
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free use with a frustrated minho <3
wcÂť 1k
cwÂť fem!reader, free use, rough sex, slightly mean dom min?, some dirty talk, p in v, multiple creampies, oral (both f and m receiving), 1 mention of shower sex, 1 mention of somno
anÂť take this minho hard thought that i forgot to post earlier this week as a double post bc the chan.in x reader is fucking 2k words and im still not done yet lol... ><
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“This literally never happens. Why did this have to happen?? I practiced this dance for fucking HOURS.” You surprisingly miss your boyfriend's indecipherable mumbles and continue to watch your TV.
Minho walked through the front door less than 5 minutes ago and is still sporting his stage outfit and makeup. He plays the part of some sort of lunatic all too well when he’s pacing back and forth and mumbling incoherent curses to himself. And you already tried asking him what was wrong- all you got in return was ignored as he slammed his keys on the kitchen counter and began this weird manic spell.
But all of this is in the past now. You eventually came to learn that he slipped up on stage today; you learned that all that fuss was because he kept making minor blunders during the recording of their MNET performance. And although it was a recorded thing, something videoed multiple times anyways and not seen live, and he wasn’t the center during these mistakes, he was still pissed.
Minho does not make mistakes very often, so he was upset that he even made one today. But the fact that he managed multiple across the many hours they spent in that god-awful building made his blood boil. But! Luckily for him, he has this very convenient agreement with his beautiful, lovely girlfriend who just so happens to be you.
And this agreement is exactly how he stopped dead in his tracks as he came to this “revelation” an hour after he had arrived at home. It’s also how the oversized shirt of his you were wearing got lifted up to your chest. He didn’t even blink towards the food you were cooking on the stove before he shoved your panties down your legs and slid himself along your already wet folds.
“Dirty girl. Wet when I’ve not even touched you.” He landed a playful smack to your ass and gave you no time to react before he slid into your walls, stretching you out almost painfully. You were thankful that you fingered yourself just before he got home, so the stretch was more tolerable than it would have been if he went in dry.
Minho ignored your pleas of “The food!! It’s gonna burn!” and “Give me one second, babe!” Instead, he wrapped one of those veiny hands around your throat and squeezed as he started moving his hips. He started off nicely, giving you slow, deep strokes. But he quickly found a different pace, one more to his liking.
And that pace included fucking your brains out, pounding you into the cold kitchen counter. If it wasn’t for the refreshing cold of the ceramic, you think your cheek would get some sort of “rug” burn. Well… you can’t really think anything, not when his hips slam into yours so intensely that you can feel your ass stinging from each thrust.
Although he holds you in place, one hand on your head and the other on your hip, he still gives you more than enough chances to actually stop him if it’s what you want. It comes out in the form of dirty talk as he goes on about how good of a hole you’re being for him and how he should “freely use” you more often.
It’s more of a hint to the recent kink you’ve been discussing, but it doesn’t go over your head, so you nod as best as you can. And, even though he’s pissed off and needs to fuck you into every surface he sees, he’s not mean enough to leave you high and dry. So he lets you cum right as he does.
You’re barely catching your breath after the fact before he’s pulling out and admiring your messy form; your cheek still firmly against the kitchen counter even though his hand is gone. He manages to pull out and watch his cum leak from you before another revelation hits him. One that encourages him to help you step out of your panties before pocketing them and shoving himself back into his shorts.
One that also encourages his next comments along with the pat on the ass he gives you after the words have sunk into your mushy brain. “You don’t need these anymore. Keep cooking, I’ll be back.”
But don’t worry your pretty little head about it!! He won’t be gone for very long. In fact, you’re in the middle of setting the table with dinner when his hands return to your body, folding you in half and grabbing a handful of your hair as he immediately slides himself back into your walls.
The only “reward” you get is his groans of happiness as he fucks your brains out again, making sure not to leave out the comments here and there about how, “You’re such a good fucktoy. Letting me fuck you whenever and wherever I want.”
And he’s not done there, oh nooo. He’s still fuming about those slip ups from earlier. Now, at this point can he remember exactly what mistakes he made? No. Will that stop him from using you as his personal stress reliever? Absolutely not. So you should expect to be fucked into every and any surface.
So when he disappears to clean up after dinner and you’re returned to your TV for entertainment, he’s gonna walk up nonverbal and drop to his knees. Then, your legs will be lifted from the floor and he’s gonna shove his head between your bare legs, eating you out and even fighting back when you push his head away from you in overstimulation.
Oh and when you’re showering later that night and you let your guard down for a split second to wash yourself off, he’s slipping into the shower and forcing you down to your knees. He’ll get his fill from using your mouth, his favorite fleshlight, and walk out completely soaked like nothing happened.
You may or may not be overstimulated and sensitive to touch by the time you’re laying in bed, and you’ll be lucky if that stops him from taking you one final time. You’re also lucky if he’s mad enough to let it sink into the next day. If he is, he’ll go as far as to repeat positions/situations from the previous day.
Oh but don’t be mistaken! All of that isn’t happening until after he’s waking you up with a nice, warm, homemade filling.
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moomine ¡ 8 months ago
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backwash II | daisuke
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author's note: totally awesome people should check out part one as well ⍢ also, if you want to be part of a taglist for future updates feel free to reply or dm me! (cover image credit)
summary: (daisuke x f!reader) It's been a little over a month since the Tulpar departed on its 382-day long haul. Anya takes the reader aside to perform her monthly psych eval, where she discusses her experiences with her peers and life on the ship so far. After she's clear to go, she runs into Daisuke who's drawing in the lounge.
word count: 2,291
warnings: mild language? all characters are 18+
now playing: Radiohead - "Motion Picture Soundtrack"
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EMPLOYEE STATEMENT 028—
I’m starting to feel more and more homesick. I miss my mom’s roast chicken. I miss swimming pools and the feeling of the breeze. I miss burning incense. I miss my friends. It hasn’t been that long since we left Earth, but I guess I just never considered how still outer space would be. How lonely I’d feel. The others have been nice, yeah. Especially Anya. And Daisuke. I get the feeling that Captain Curly is still warming up to me. I wonder if he’s ever taken on another apprentice before. I don’t know about Swansea, or Jimmy. They seem to tolerate me at best. But then again, those two kind of just tolerate everyone, except for maybe Captain Curly. It’s only been almost a month. I just have to keep my head. 
If mom were here she’d say: “Everything gets easier with time. Time and patience.”
DAY TWENTY-SEVEN—
“Everything okay, [Name]?” Anya asked in a gentle tone, gingerly placing a hand on the table in front of you.
Your shoulders tensed at the sound of her voice as it filled the otherwise silent lounge. You looked up at her, feeling the tension seemingly wash away by the sight of her face. She offered you an understanding smile, her tired features softened as she looked down at you.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. Just lost in thought, I guess,” you responded. 
You raised a hand to rub your eyes. It had been difficult to find sleep lately. The groaning of the ship was almost haunting at night. Laying in your bed, staring at the ceiling, you spent the few hours allotted for sleep thinking about Earth, about what laid just beyond the door to your room, about the ceaseless whining of steel and steam. About the next three hundred and fifty four days.
Anya nodded sympathetically, moving her hand from the table top to your shoulder blade. “It gets easier. I promise,” she paused as Jimmy and Curly entered the room, their voices loud and booming. “Are you ready for your psych eval?”
You nearly didn’t hear her over the sound of the other two. They were reminiscing, shouting stories back and forth of college parties, bar fights, and past lovers.
“As I’ll ever be,” you said with a timid grin. 
Anya nodded once more, motioning toward the door just past the kitchen space. You came to your feet and followed her until the two of you made it to her domain. The medical bay had become a safe haven for you. Over the past month, you gravitated toward Anya the most. She had been kind to you from the very beginning, almost sisterly. When there was no more work to be done, you often found yourself walking straight through the lounge and into her office. Anya didn’t mind. In fact, she had grown to rather enjoy the company.
She walked around the desk before taking a seat in her chair. Behind her was a wall of white shelves and cabinets with glass doors. Inside they held assorted medical supplies and books on psychology and basic clinical practice. To the right of her was a bulletin board, cluttered with posters, a calendar, pictures of her hometown, and notes and reminders. A number of Daisuke’s doodles had made it up as well, namely ‘Yimpy’, a rather horrible caricature of Jimmy. It was pretty realistic.
You sat across from her with your hands interlocked in a tight ball. “Same as last time, right?”
Anya grinned as she organized your file. “Yep, same as last time. Since it’s only your second evaluation, I’m going to go over it one more time. Is that okay with you?”
You nodded.
“Lovely,” she said with a soft hum. Tapping the papers into a neat pile against the desk, Anya glanced at you once more. Her eyes flickered from the page to you, you to the page as she read aloud. “I’m going to ask you a series of questions about your experience, relationships, and general well being during your time under contract with Pony Express. It is your responsibility to answer as truthfully as you feel comfortable and/or deem necessary. Your answers remain confidential unless you give reason to believe you are at risk of harming yourself or others. Do you have any questions?”
“No questions here,” you replied with a shake of your head.
“Perfect. Let’s get started. On a scale of one to ten, how confident do you feel in your capability to complete your work and responsibilities on a day to day basis?” Anya read.
“Maybe eight? I’m still getting a hold of some of the more technical aspects. The Tulpar is an older ship… I wasn’t exactly trained on her special quirks in school,” you said with a nervous laugh.
“You’ll catch on fast. You already have,” she reassured, jotting down your response with that sweet smile still on her face. “Okay, next question. You mentioned last time that you’ve been having difficulty sleeping, is that still a relevant cause for concern?”
“I don’t know if it’s that concerning. I think I’m just having a hard time getting used to the new environment. It’s been getting easier to fall asleep though,” you responded. A little, white lie.
“I’m happy to hear that, [Name]. Your rest is important. I remember not being able to sleep at all during my first haul. I spent all night just tossing and turning, reading my books if I could focus on them long enough. It’s normal, but from the sound of it, you’re doing a great job adjusting.” Her gaze softened as she spoke. It was clear that she had grown to care for you quite quickly, and you did the same for her. “Only a couple more left to go…”
Anya listened intently while you answered each of her questions, taking the time to write down key details of your responses. Between questions, the sound of her pen etching against the paper filled the room. As Anya wrapped up the second to last question, your eyes wandered to the evening window screen. The warm orange and reds of the artificial sunset made the room look like it was on fire. You looked back to your hands, reaching up to take a piece of your hair and twist it between two fingers.
“All right,” Anya spoke up. “Last but not least, how do you feel about your relationships with the rest of the crew? Is there anything I should know about in particular?”
“No, I don’t think so. Everyone has treated me fine enough. Other than you, I’m still trying to get to know everyone better,” you said, still focused on your hair.
Another sympathetic smile graced Anya’s lips as she looked over at you. She knew how it felt to feel slightly out of place. “Look, I’m technically not supposed to tell you this, so you have to keep it a secret. Okay?” Anya let out a quiet laugh as you nodded quickly. She watched amused as you dropped your strand of hair and leaned in closer. “Daisuke mentioned during his eval that he wanted to get to know you more. Maybe you could try talking to him? You two have more in common than you might think.”
You looked down at your lap again, biting at the inside of your cheek. “Yeah, okay. Maybe I will.”
“Well, you’re all set. You’re free to go.” Anya closed the file and tucked it away alongside the others in her desk. “Thank you for your time, [Name]. I assume I’ll see you here tomorrow. Same time as usual?”
“Same time as usual,” you echoed, beaming as you got out of your chair and left the room.
From the hallway leading to the medical bay, you could tell that the lounge was quiet now. Curly and Jimmy must have wandered off elsewhere. It would have been completely silent if it weren’t for the subtle sound of pencil scratching coming from deeper within. As you entered the room you noticed Daisuke, hunched over the table as he sketched something in his sketchbook. Completely oblivious. You leaned against the doorway and watched from a distance for a moment, admiring as he tucked a tuft of fried brown hair behind his ear. 
“What are you drawing?” you questioned.
Daisuke jumped in his seat like a cat that had been snuck up on. His eyes shot to you, the surprise he felt immediately quelling into a tenuous excitement. He hastily closed his sketchbook —almost like he was hiding something— and smoothed out his hair. His mouth broke out into a wide, infectious smile, the gap in his two front teeth a thin ravine and the dimples on either side of his mouth tiny sinkholes.
“Me? Oh, y’know, just doodling,” he said, leaning back in his chair as if trying to act casual. “Where ya been? I couldn’t find- I mean, I didn’t see you back in the cockpit.”
“Psych eval.” You pointed over your shoulder with your thumb as you pushed yourself from the doorframe. “Can I see it?” you asked, walking up to the table and taking the seat across from him.
“Uhh… see what?” Daisuke asked in turn, voice coy and simultaneously flustered.
“Your doodles,” you responded with a laugh. “Only if you’re okay with that, obviously.”
“Oh! I mean, yeah. That’s like, totally fine. But, fair warning, they’re not that incredible or anything.” Reluctantly, Daisuke passed you his sketchbook. He looked rather bashful, cheeks slightly flushed and smile wavering.
“Hey, that’s not fair. I’ve seen your stuff on Anya’s corkboard. You’re really good.” You took the sketchbook in your hands, looking down at the cover of it. It was absolutely littered in a random assortment of stickers. Only through the few and far between gaps could you see that it was once a pure black. It looked much cooler now decorated with the various games, bands, and whatever else Daisuke liked. “Are you sure you don’t mind me looking? Again, it’s perfectly fine if you changed your mind.”
“Nah, it’s all good. Just don’t expect too much, ‘kay?” he replied, running a hand through his hair.
“No expectations,” you agreed.
You turned over the cover, revealing the first page. In red ink you read ‘if found please return to Daisuke, thank youuuuuu’, alongside it was a doodle of himself looking particularly grateful. Or maybe he was pleading. You chuckled under your breath and began flipping through the rest of the pages. Each one was filled with sketches and those increasingly familiar doodles of predominantly other people. Friends, maybe family, and characters from the different games he liked. His work wasn’t quite realistic, but not the most stylized either. Rather, it seemed to be a perfect mix of the two. Something entirely unique to him. To Daisuke.
The deeper you got into the book you started to spy familiar faces. Captain Curly, Swansea, Anya, even Jimmy, but mostly you. You glanced up at him, seeing that he was seemingly avoiding eye contact with you all together. His hand was still tangled within his hair, head turned to the side, and lips knitted into a fine line. That mole —high on his left cheek— stared at you more than his own eyes.
When you finally got to the last page you realized he hadn’t been doodling at all. Instead, there before you, in soft pencil sketching, was a portrait of you that Daisuke had drawn from memory. It wasn’t perfect, but it was incredibly detailed nevertheless. You held up the book, taking in the details with a look of awe on your face. He captured all of your little imperfections —the tilt of your eyes, the quirk in your smile, all of it. 
“Daisuke, these are actually so good!” you exclaimed, setting the book down and passing it back to him.
“You… you really think so?” He let out a breath of relief, finally looking at you again. “Man, I thought you would find them totally weird. I’ve been too scared to show anyone else but Anya.”
“Why would I think they’re weird?” you asked.
“Shit, I dunno…” Daisuke trailed off.
You shook your head. “You’re really talented.”
“I- Thank you,” he breathed. Daisuke’s face softened as you looked at him from across the table. The flush in his cheeks was barely noticeable, a fair pink dusting the peaks of his features. “Hey, I noticed you brought a Walkman on board with you. I never thought I’d actually see one of those things in the flesh.”
“Oh, yeah,” you laughed lightly. “It was a gift from my mom. It’s outdated as hell, but I’ve got a bunch of custom tapes back in my room. We should totally listen to them sometime.”
“Are you kidding? Dude, I’d love to-”
“Daisuke!” Swansea called from down the hall, cutting him off. He rounded the corner, sticking his head into the lounge with a sweaty brow. “There you are. Get your ass up, break time’s over. We’ve got work to finish up before dinner.”
Daisuke looked noticeably disappointed at the sight of Swansea. “But I-”
“No ‘buts’. C’mon now, I don’t have all day,” Swansea said with a huff before he turned around, walking back toward the utility room.
“Coming,” Daisuke sighed. He stood up, tucking his sketchbook under his arm with a slight frown. “Guess I’ll see ya later, [Name].”
“Yeah! I’ve got to show you some of my mixes, remember?” you responded sweetly, smiling up at him.
Daisuke nodded enthusiastically. As he left the room, he adopted a pep in his step. A smile was glued to his face as he beamed down the hall. The human embodiment of sunshine in that moment.
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crumplstiltskin ¡ 8 months ago
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unckuna au hcs migrated from x
main post: i cant draw rn but like this for a random unckuna au hc (from my verse so dont come @ me if it doesnt fit with yours)
unedited btw so don't come for me!!! some things are subject to change bc i said so
1. sukuna daps up  young choso as a greeting bc he thinks its funny with the size difference + how choso goes along with anything
2. sukuna has the passcode and key to jin and kaori's house so they find him randomly in the house sometimes. he likes to nap on the couch bc its nice and deep
3. sukuna met kaori first but they were all involved with bad company when they were students. kaori and jin immediately started to clean up their act after they started to date
4. yuuji used to cry looking at sukuna but at one point after seeing the twins side by side he just started laughing and never stopped???? rorschach test on sukuna's face ✅
5. sukuna and jin kick their feet behind them when they do tummy time with yuuji
6. yuuji named sukuna's cat cheese burger. they call her chizu
7. choso is kaori's first child and jin's step son. he rarely calls jin "dad" (usually something similar to "mr. jin" "uncle" "sir" etc) but when he does he's shy about it and jin also tends to get teary eyed ☹️
8. sukuna lives in tokyo. kaori has long stretches where she lives in tokyo for work. jin travels back and forth between sendai and tokyo. yuuji lived with wasuke until high school+his passing, then he moved in with his parents in tokyo.
9. choso is wherever yuuji is. but when he moved to sendai the first time they cut his hair short and he sulked for a week. he had to keep it trimmed short until he graduated middle school. he went to a local vocational school instead of high school
10. when choso and yuuji go to tokyo during holidays everyone stays at sukuna’s place bc it’s bigger. otherwise kaori stays at company housing (if jin is visiting kaori he also stays with sukuna)
11. kaori is older than the twins by two years 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ ‍‍‍kenjaku (kaori’s brother) is older than the twins by three years (kk irish twins!!) jin is the older twin.
12. kaori had choso at 20, only started dating jin a couple years after that bc he was too busy pining and she was dating someone else, married jin at 26 and had yuuji the same year. choso and yuuji are 6 years apart
13. sukuna likes to offer to stand in for parent discussions about yuuji’s life. kaori never takes him seriously even if he is only half joking (he says that yuuji is also HIS bc jin and sukuna are identical twins. genetically it’s true but this does not impress her at all….)
14. megumi and yuuji met during one of the holidays he was in tokyo for. they occasionally met the following summers and sometimes ask their parents to call each other until finally they became classmates in hs (when yuuji moved out to tokyo)
15. the twins and toji knew about each other by reputation (same circles but they’ve never met and they dont wanna talk about it either 😭😭😭esp not around his innocent wife)
16. tsumiki is megumi’s neighbour+childhood friend and they basically grew up together. she sometimes stays with megumi’s family bc megumi’s mom is friends with hers and she works a lot of nights.
17. sukuna pretends to be annoyed by choso but one time after he said he doesnt love young choso he went to cry in his bed and it hurt sukuna’s feelings lol
17.1. (he remedies this later by talking to him and saying he really likes him though and he’s his best friend—all while frowning and shaking his head at kaori who was watching)
18. sukuna and uraume have been besties since elementary school. uraume used to have a crush on jin (but they never liked sukuna that way for reasons related to his personality ☠️)
19. sukuna fixes cars and motorcycles in his free time. he only has space for a single bike in his garage, but he often visits one of kenjaku’s properties to work on other ones that kenjaku has.
20. kenjaku is in prison‼️‼️‼️
21. yuuji and toji’s rs is exactly like that one radio episode where they talked about yuuji being a (lovable) nuisance to his life…megumi’s mom and tsumiki both treat him like family
See: [podcast] Will Toji & Itadori get along well?
22. when jin and kaori ask yuuji about nobara they always refer to her as his gf (not true, they aren’t dating, never will). nobara always complains about it when she comes over and begs on hands and knees for them to stop (they dont bc they think its funny)
23. as an infant yuuji liked to sleep on sukuna’s chest bc of the cushion :robloxmanface: jin got jealous and started working out just bc of that
24. nobara and kaori are so close sometimes they go on little shopping dates and send the pictures to yuuji and jin🤷‍♂️ people on her insta keep asking her if “her mom” is single and yuuji fights for his life in the replies
25. sukuna also gets a lot of attention on yuuji and nobara’s socials but they leave him to the dogs. if it gets crazy they just start blocking everyone after sending them the link to sukuna’s account
26. megumi’s insta is just candids of his friends and dogs mixed into photography. no captions except on bday posts
27. if yuuji asks his parents for something and they say no, he will sometimes ask sukuna if he is desperate (who will always say yes if its amusing enough bc hes an enabler)
28. yuuji makes sukuna do a duet with him every time they bring out the karaoke machine at big family parties (sukuna just stands there breathing into the mic)
29. jin is a stay-at-home husband 👍 kaori’s the one making bank and insisting jin wear his cute lil apron when she comes back home
30. as an infant yuuji only ate whatever jin/wasuke/sukuna made. they didnt feed him any processed food unless it was baby puffs or something like that
31. heights for fun (sorry uraume they gave you a lil boy body….or am i…🤨)
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32. the only person sukuna is scared of is jin and maybe wasuke one time when he got mad (he's usually pretty mild-mannered, just frowns a lot)
33. sukuna has never had a steady gf in his life🤷‍♂️ when they start getting too comfortable with him and telling him what to do he cuts them off
34. he always introduces girls he's interested in (beyond hooking up) to uraume. if uraume thinks the vibes are off even a little bit he drops them. jin and wasuke have only seen a few in passing
35. tw????? sukuna uses "gay" the millennial way. as in "wack"
36. yuuji has  tried to wash/rub off/erase sukuna's tattoos on several occasions
37. jin and sukuna greet each other by wrestling and doing silent takedowns. when yuuji gets big enough he also does the same thing with sukuna (sukuna never lets him win until he actually starts taking martial arts classes and he has to take him seriously😭 sore loser)
38. besides his own food sukuna only eats homemade food his family (wasuke, jin, yuuji + uraume) make. he’ll eat kaori’s food if jin makes him but he pretends to have a hard time swallowing it
39. sukuna is always in bed by 11pm!!! he sleeps in the dark with blackout curtains and a pillow on his head. doesn’t move an inch. hotel sheets with high thread count. bedroom never above 20 degrees celsius
40. sukuna used to steal food off yuuji’s plate to mess with him but after he noticed that yuuji would push his plate closer to him on purpose (to feed his poor uncle) he stopped 😔
41. child yuuji has called sukuna to finish a tub of ice cream (to get rid of evidence) that he shouldn’t have been eating but bc sukuna was all the way in tokyo and yuuji in sendai he couldn’t save him from getting scolded by wasuke 💔
42. sukuna has billed a girl for staining his shirt with makeup
43. sukuna and uraume sometimes pretend to be father and child to get family discount 👍
44. twins and uraume are only one year apart. they are just built different…sukuna built like an industrial fridge, uraume like an immortal elf on the shelf.
45. sukuna and yuuji decorated yuuji’s first helmet together (for skateboarding). the theme was dinosaur but it ended up looking like a rooster
46. the glovebox in his car still has stickers yuuji stuck on when he was small
47. once jin caught sukuna going🥰���😝 with baby yuuji and when sukuna realized he was being watched he pretended to be asleep……..
48. sukuna has an album on his phone just for yuuji. half of it is burst pics of baby yuuji in action (dont ask why he didnt just take a video)
49. jin matches his outfits to yuuji’s
50. when they lived separately sukuna would sometimes get blurry pictures from jin’s phone of things yuuji would photograph (baby foot, jin’s scalp, wasuke in the garden, etc) and sukuna would text back very seriously (eg “tell your dad i can pay for his trip to turkey”)
51. whenever he babysits outside of the house and comes to pick up yuuji sukuna asks where “his accessory” is in reference to the baby and kaori hates it😭😭😭
52. if he HAS to, sukuna only uses metal tin containers for food. you can distinguish who made yuuji’s lunch that way (metal tin + looks gourmet = sukuna, food with faces +cute dividers = jin)
53. uraume and sukuna always invite yuuji to test new menus so he’s kind of acquainted with sukume’s industry friends. they think he has a gift in it too.
54. megumi and choso are so awkward together they usually sit in silence if left alone in a room….yuuji and sukuna think it’s so funny for some reason
55. jin is the last person to realize yuuji and megumi are dating when they eventuslly do. sukuna is the one to tell him but kaori (clocked it, asked nobara) and sukuna (mental math) realize first.
56. sukuna’s cat is a ginger maine coon😊
57. sukuna built a catio behind his shophouse for his cat
58. sukuna wears saxx underwear
59. sukuna and gojo go on food and bar crawls together (they play stupid games to see who should pay. gojo always pays)
60. choso is a nurse🫶
61. yuuji gets ""free"" scans at the hospital whenever he thinks he broke something (9 times out of 10 he's fine)
62. when yuuji calls for “dad” sukuna will always look, sometimes he’ll catch himself almost responding (jin always catches him too)
63. choso doesnt actually have the face tattoo in this au. i just draw it  bc i thats what i’m used to 🙃 sukuna has all his tattoos though
64. sukuna thinks blended chicken protein shake is an abomination. he believes in chewing your meat (his fav protein shake is vanilla flavor)
65. jin always greets yuuji at the door when he comes home (before anyone asks he likes to act busy when kaori does so she can backhug him hahahahhaha)
66. difference between bffs
🐯🐺= they also kiss…
🐯🔨= act like siblings
⛩️❄️= evil girl telepathy, will snicker about you together without saying anything
67. sukuna is the type to get a new phone just bc his gallery is full also “doesnt it look cool though” (jin gives him the dad look)
68. yuuji was the deciding factor (excuse) for sukuna not to have his own child bc when he realized during a discussion b/w jin and sukuna that his uncle wouldn’t have time for him he got sad and cried lol
69. when sukuna takes choso and yuuji out together he makes them hold hands and walk infront of him so they dont get kidnapped 😭
70. sukuna has gotten emo over yuuji outgrowing his baby clothes. jin straight up bawled
71. if they don’t meet for a while (12+ hours) and sukuna lifts his hand yuuji will get under his arm for a hug. choso will get a shoulder squeeze or a sidehug and jin will get his ribs crushed. he nods his chin at kaori (very rude)
72. bc they grew up together and choso has been fussing over yuuji ever since he was born, yuuji is the only person choso is comfortable hugging and making extended physical contact with. he doesn’t mind his mother touching him but anyone else?? very flustered
73. sukuna treats nobara like family and he’ll call her his neice if a random person asks. has let her apply makeup over his tattoos for fun, will drive her places if kaori isn’t around. they also talk about luxury brands together….
74. when yuuji was sick as a baby jin would cuddle him the entire time so he can feel warm. if sukuna is around he’d also take shifts with jin. they wouldnt let wasuke bc he might get sick (sukuna: he might pass away from a cough)
75. sukuna got jin a baby wrap for the above reason….otherwise yuuji would cry his head off if he was put down for even a second
76. (when sick) yuuji cried less the older he got but he would still hold his caretaker’s hand and follow them around the house if they were making food, etc…
77. yuuji doesn’t cry a lot or make a fuss in general though 🤷‍♂️he’s the kind of kid to wave at strangers and say hello
78. the rare times yuuji gets combative is bc sukuna is provoking him 😭 that stands true throughout his life. bc if he has questions they all answer him and he takes it as true (sukuna will lie and then yuuji looks foolish which will lead to arguments)
79. callback to the tweet below but yuuji has asked sukuna on several occasions if he has a job to do when his uncle gets on his nerves
i realize sukuna acts jobless in the unckuna au but its only bc he gets to make his own hours most of the time if he’s not booked for an event/job 😭
80. after yuuji and nobara start posting sukuna online his insta and business profiles go viral. the requests get concerning sometimes but every time there’s a big private/foreign one yuuji asks if he can go (answer is always no)
81. sukuna, jin, and yuuji (after childhood) come down with a cold maybe two times a year. choso and kaori get sick more often. and choso plays it up bc hes dramatic
82. megumi has been scouted by modeling agents a few times. of all the times it happened while out with nobara she chased them away out of spite (not that megumi was interested in the first place)
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foreingersgod ¡ 1 year ago
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Kate and reader accidentally coming out on Jada’s live with Jada’s response being “well that’s one way to hard launch a relationship” while the rest of the team that was there start laughing while Kate and reader try and melt into the floor. Then now that they’re public they become the most sickeningly cute couple always posting each other and gushing about eachother in interviews and not shying away from being affectionate in front of cameras now that they are public
Hard Launch . KM
pairing: kate martin x reader
synopsis: kate accidentally makes your relationship public
༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶
you were all cooped up in jada’s apartment, hanging out after an incredibly long practice. everyone was exhausted and just wanted to spend the night relaxing and catching up. so you had all opted to go to jada’s place for the evening, maybe watch a movie or something.
to be completely transparent, you had just wanted to go home. drag kate into a nice hot shower with you and spend the night intertwined in your shared bed. but when jada had offered to have everyone over, kate was quick to announce your plans of attendance. you couldn’t blame her, you had all been working very hard this season with very little breaks in between to casually spend time together. you could share your girlfriend for one night, you supposed.
you didn’t get to spend a lot of time with kate outside the safety of your apartment walls. both of you had agreed to keep things private for a while, only the team and your families knew of your relationship. so you concluded that a night with the team couldn’t hurt anyone.
the room filled with laughter, excitement buzzing off the walls. the team was sat in jada’s living room going back and forth about old stories and favorite memories of the season. it was nice to see all of you together like this, no pressure or stress weighing down on you.
a few drinks and several embarrassing stories later, jada had suggested you all go live. it had been a while since the team had been active on social media and in everyone’s tipsy opinion, going live to all the fans was a perfect idea for the night. jada had her phone out immediately, starting the stream as she watched viewers join left and right.
you honestly didn’t care for it much, off in your own world as caitlin and jada laughed next to you. they were messing around and talking to fans on the live. meanwhile, you were observing from afar, offering a small comment here and there. chatter started to die down as the night went on and you were beginning to grown tired. kate, from the other side of the room where she was goofing around with hannah, noticed your heavy eyelids and small yawns. she knew it was time to call it quits for the night and let everyone know you guys were about to head out.
she walked over to you, completely unaware of jada and caitlin still cackling about something said in the livestream. you were barely keeping your eyes open as she knelt in front of you, taking the half empty cup from your hands.
“hey, baby” she said, shaking you awake “ready to head home, you seem tired”
you yawned again and nodded, about to hoist yourself off of the couch until you realized the silence that filled the room. everyone was staring at you, jada’s hand covered her mouth as she held back another laugh. kate, like you, looked extremely confused.
“well that’s one way to hard launch a relationship” jada broke the silence.
“what?” kate asked. and suddenly it dawned on you, your hand also flying to your mouth in disbelief.
“the live is still going” caitlin said, double checking and watching the comments flood with people asking about you and kate.
“oh my god” you said mortified “i completely forgot, kate”
kate just stood in shock as you peered over the phone to see the damage. sure enough, you were the topic of discussion. so many people were asking about your supposed ‘secret relationship’ and freaking out over the accidental reveal.
the team began to laugh, seeing the looks on your faces as the comments kept flooding in. you and kate just looked at each other with wide eyes. you were always so careful when it came to keeping your relationship quiet. it had become a skill at this point, but now all your efforts had seemed to be for nothing.
“ok i think we’re gonna head out,” kate announced slowly, cheeks a bright crimson “i’m too mortified to stay at this point”
everyone was still laughing at your slip up, ending the live before things could go any further. they all offered their goodbyes as you headed out the door, sneaking in a few ‘good luck’ s for when the announcement of your relationship was all over the internet.
the car ride to your apartment was near silent. both of you were too caught up in your own disbelief to say anything. you weren’t really sure how to feel. mad? nervous? relived?
the warmth of your apartment was a welcoming sensation as you stepped through the door. keys gently hit the hallway table, shoes clunking against hard wood floor. you could see through the still dimly lit room that kate was troubled, hands rubbing at her temples. you turned on the lights as she hunched over the kitchen counter with her head in her hands.
you approached her from behind. front your your chest meeting with her sweater clad back and hands snaking their way around her waist. you let yourself mold into her, head dropping to rest between her shoulder blades. she sighed as you spoke up.
“don’t be too hard on yourself, babe”
“i just can’t believe i wasn’t paying attention” she muttered through her hands “i’m sorry, i know we were gonna wait until-”
“hey” you shushed her, standing up while taking her with you, forcing her to look you in the eyes “i know it’s not what we had planned, but it’s ok! it was an accident and you didn’t mean to, it’s not the end of the world”
she frowned slightly, perfect lips pulling tight together as she nodded in agreement.
“and who knows? maybe this’ll work out better anyways! now we won’t have to hide it anymore!” you continued your attempt to reassure her.
“yea i guess so,” she cracked a smile “i just wish we could’ve done it on our own terms”
“maybe we still can” you pecked her on the lips.
“what do you mean?”
“well it’s only been like an hour” you said “what if we made a post on instagram or something, then that way it can still come from us?”
she thought for a moment before obliging, “yea ok, i like that idea”
so you sat down on the couch, shoulder to shoulder, phones in hand. you made sure to keep the posts simple, but sweet and meaningful to get the point across.
after posting your relationship officially, you and kate finally decided to settle into bed and let the situation play out over night. after changing and shutting down the house for the evening, you dove into the comforter next to your girlfriend. her arms instinctively found you and pulled you into her chest, kissing you goodnight before you both drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
when you awoke the next morning, you got exactly what you had expected. instagram notifications on both of your phones were out of control. ďżź
katemartin03
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♡ liked by its.yn, caitlinclark22, and 737,575 others
katemartin03 my other half <3 @its.yn
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its.yn i love you !
iowafan44 no way
caitlinclark22 proud of you guys :)
⤡ katemartin03 thanks cait
user53 anyone else here after jada’s live?
⤡ iloveyn13 guilty
moneymartin4ever totally called it
its.yn
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♡ liked by katemartin03, ur.sis, and 553,449 others
its.yn love you to the moon and back @katemartin03
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katemartin03 my soulmate <3
ynsbiggestfan ok this is going to be my new obsession
⤡ user55 no cause same
ur.sis i’m going to tear up :’)
caitlinismygf the new it couple fr
˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗
weeks passed and you couldn’t be happier. being able to finally be out to the public about your relationship was like a breathe of fresh air. and no doubt about it, you and kate were taking full advantage of being officially ‘out’ girlfriends.
the media was all over you two, trying to capture sweet moments of the cute couple. and really, you didn’t mind. any chance you got to flaunt your girlfriend, you leaped at with no hesitation. there were probably dozens of pictures of you guys holding hands, kissing, and leaving practice together by now.
even in post game interviews, both you and kate found ways to bring each other up. you were absolutely obsessed with one another and could never get tired of displaying your love to the public.
jada’s livestream was a blessing in disguise.
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the-world-annealing ¡ 1 month ago
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The rise of AI has caused incredible damage to art, or: what ate up their brains and imagination?
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(Surface Level, by me just now)
This used to be even longer, believe it or not. A bit more personal than I thought it was going to be and there's a few sections where I mostly talk about myself - the bored reader is invited to simply skip those.
I enjoy worldbuilding. I've written probably a small novel's worth of worldbuilding Tumblr posts by now (especially if we're including Dawn of Worlds, a collaborative worldbuilding RPG that I played in 2023 and 2024). Other creative hobbies of mine include writing one-page TTRPGs, or designing custom Magic: the Gathering cards, or designing fakemons, or fangames, or whatnot. None of this is good enough to sell, nor do I need it to be. I simply enjoy working on it.
As I understand it, 'art' is increasingly synonymous with 'creative expression', so I suppose I might be a capital-A Artist, but I don't really use that term for myself. 'Creative' feels more neutral, and more honest. 'Tinkerer' captures how it feels to me, having all these pieces and trying to crystallize them into an arrangement that makes sense. That's what I named myself after - the world annealing, see?
Back on topic: I might not call myself an artist (for visual arts specifically, the picture above is as good as it gets) but I think I share a lot of the key motivators. I enjoy creating. I enjoy displays of skill. I like making something that others can use and giving it to them for free. I want to make good, useful, or interesting things, and I want them to look nice. Most of all, I want to add my own ideas to the endless conversation that humans have been having since the dawn of time.
One of my favorite authors is Alexander Wales (whose tumblr you can find here), best known for giant-sized webnovels like the 1.6 million words Worth the Candle. In a post fittingly titled The AI Art Apocalypse, he writes:
["Art is a communicative act. It’s a conversation. You see a picture and it makes you feel a certain way, and yes, sometimes you silently process that art, but most of my favorite aspects of art as discussing it with other people, wrestling with the art in public, teasing out what it’s trying to do, or what it’s doing without trying. I generally think that this is one of the best parts of being an author or an artist, this very public back and forth."]
I agree with this completely.
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That was as good a bridge as any, let's talk about AI now.
A lot of the points leveraged against AI art are kind of bad. Gaming for an hour on a decent consumer PC consumes about 0.5 kWh - generating a hundred images with stable diffusion takes 0.005 kWh (other models are less transparent due to their proprietary nature, but given that it's ultimately corporations paying the power bill I don't see why electricity costs would be needlessly higher). Arguments that focus on the training data being used without permission need to contend with the fact that fully licensed generators are a reality now.
But those arguments are also not why people are against AI art in the first place. That goes back to all the subjective, intangible values I brought up in my introduction - the desire to create something personal, or interesting, or new, or inspiring, or useful. The desire to have an audience, however small. The desire for individual expression, for something other than Extruded Corporate Media Product, forever. For art that speaks and invites response - for conversation.
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Creation is compromise. As I said, my real interests lie in the directions of prose writing and game design. If I was also a skilled visual artist, I could create illustrations to accompany my stories and games and 180-card custom MtG sets, and this would almost certainly improve them.
But I'm not a skilled visual artist, and I don't have infinite free time, and even if I could draw real well I think I would prefer ten hours of writing over four hours of writing and six hours of illustrating it. Nor do I have the money that would make it realistic for me to commission a hundred and eighty digital paintings. So it goes.
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In Dawn of Worlds, each player takes the role of a god and helps shape the development of a world. My character was Haebarik, god of travel, a lanky red-haired giant with skin the color of slate, born from a tree on the world's first island. Distraught at the emptiness of the early world, he tore off his right arm, and cast it over the horizon, and where it landed it became the first continent. I liked this beat - it felt very mythic, not like a sanded-off modern fantasy narrative.
This was my own creation, and I am proud of it, even though it's irrevocably tainted.
See. when the game started I decided that I was going to need some kind of visual reference of my character, for the benefit of the other players if not myself. I spent some time prompting and tweaking the then-new stable diffusion, and eventually got an image I found acceptable - except that, in the wonkiness typical of such models, it'd only drawn a single arm. But seeing it, I was struck by inspiration, and in the end it made my work better.
(and to reflect the myth, the continent I drew on the map was shaped like an arm, and that shape inevitably influenced the other player's actions, and after a while I created a species that like their god only had one arm, and all of this enriched the conversation we were having and the art we were creating - or did AI poison it all?)
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As I mentioned, I'm in a lot of creative spaces that aren't for visual art per se but that are often adjacent to visual art. There's a lot of people there who've clearly put a lot of effort in their craft, whose work has genuine passion and genuine personality. And sometimes I see those people reach for AI art because they've decided that illustrations would improve their work, and then they get brigaded for it.
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What are we even defending here? Not beauty (it doesn't have to look good, just don't use AI), not authenticity (it doesn't have to be yours, just don't use AI), not even individual vision (it doesn't have to look like you want to, just don't use AI). It's so depressingly negative - art not defined by the presence of a human, but the absence of a machine.
More charitably, I suppose these people are asking for 'effort' or 'personality', but by what standard does a 1-minute MS paint doodle count as effortful and personal, but not The Secret Origin of Wally ManMoth? Are we guarding individual expression, or forcing it into a straitjacket?
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(TSOoWM of course also doubles of a beautiful example of how DALL-E's 'overcooked plastic' look is not inherent to AI - and how someone skilled at 90% of a creative process can use it to fill in the gaps)
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I'm not afraid that AI will kill art - it can't do that; nothing can. But this post's title wasn't a lie: I really do think that something awful has happened. There's an ever-sharpening divide between the communities willing to experiment with this new tool and those vehemently against it, a divide that might actually be sustainable in this age of algorithmic feeds and walled gardens.
Art is a communicative act. We are seeing the emergence of a side that would not merely cut off communication with the other, but deny they are worth listening to - deny they could speak, definitionally. If people actually started to believe that, it would betray a greater failure of imagination than any glassy-eyed slop ever could.
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ladykailitha ¡ 3 months ago
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Heartbreak in Overdrive Part 6
Hey, guys! Welcome back. Last week did way better and I wanted to thank you all for that.
In this we meet Steve's team and Eddie is blown away.
Also this chapter is longer than I normally go. Enjoy!
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
~
Eddie sat in the makeup chair and waited for his two attendants. He was used to Vickie doing it all for him, so this was going to interesting.
Then his hair stylist walked in and honestly he was shocked. He imagined someone more like Steve. Straight laced with stick so far up their ass they could be used as a puppet.
What he got was a sassy twenty-something with bright red hair in complicated pleats and a funky style. She wore wide shorts that almost looked like a skirt with a rainbow long sleeved tee and a denim vest that the front pocket held a couple brushes and a comb in it.
And that was the other thing. Max was a she. He had assumed a man with the name like Max, but he thought it really fit her.
“I’m Max,” she greeted. It wasn’t rude per se, but it was tinted with something like snark and sarcasm. He liked her already.
“Eddie,” he said, sticking his hand out to her.
She glanced at it with a smirk and then licked her lips. “So I guess Steve was right about you, after all.” Max shook his hand. “How would you feel about putting your hair for the shoot? Not the whole thing, but getting more and more loose to help signifying your descent.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “And then have it all the way down for the nude shots?” That could actually work.
“Yeah,” Max said cocking her head to the side. “You down?”
“Work your magic, Max,” Eddie said feeling a lot better about Vickie not being here. He settled against the back of the chair.
“Magic Max...” she said nodding thoughtfully. “I like it!”
She started conditioning his hair to prepare to take the heat from her tools. “Vickie was telling me and Rob that your hair is combination that your scalp puts out so much oil it dries your head but makes hair super greasy if you don’t keep up on it, right?”
“Yeah,” Eddie said, flipping the ends of hair up. “And with the curls it makes for a nightmare if I don’t wash it, but if I wash it too often it’s actually worse, so...”
“So you have to have a carefully balanced routine,” Max confirmed. “Well, I’ve got you. You’re hair will be amazing and before you go home I’ll make sure to run some nice leave in conditioner to help keep it soft.”
She wove his hair into a half crown braid and let his bangs frame his face. She turned him around and showed him the with her mirror.
“So what do you think?”
He twisted and turned to see it from every angle and he had to admit that she had done a bang up job. Maybe even better than what Vickie would have done.
“Wow.”
In the mirror he could see her grinning at him from behind him. He smiled back. “Any chance I can steal you away from Stevie boy out there?”
“Not a snowball’s chance in hell, dude,” she said bluntly. “He’s the reason I’m here in the first place. He would have to be dead and even then it’s iffy.” She waved her hand back and forth.
Eddie threw back his head and laughed. “Yeah, okay. What’s next?”
“Next is Ellie,” Max said with a grin. “Steve wanted to tweak the outfit a little bit so they’ll be in to discuss it with you, then you get to meet Robin who will do your makeup.”
Eddie cocked his head to the side with a half shrug. “I’m game. Though these clothes are amazing.” And they were. They really, really were. He was in a white tank top with a white long-sleeved button up over top. Then the white leather belt went with the broad-legged white jeans. Then to top the whole outfit off he was wearing white loafers without the socks.
“Ellie didn’t like the white button up once she had seen you and was trying to convince Steve to let her try something else.”
“And how hard was that?” Eddie asked leaning forward, actually interested in how Steve treated his team.
“Ellie?” Max said with a laugh at his eagerness to find fault in Steve. “She batted her eyelashes and said please. But make no mistake, it’s because he trusts her to know his vision for the clothes and she trust him to tell her to walk away when she gets too far in her head about it needing to be perfect.”
Eddie lifted the shirt and glanced at it in confusion. “So what’s not perfection about this shirt?”
“It hides your shoulders,” Ellie said from the doorway. “It was open, stop staring at me like a dead fish. It’s gross.”
Eddie closed his mouth with a snap of his jaw. Ellie wasn’t like anything he expected and he was starting to see a pattern. He was judging Steve based on all his other experiences with other photographers, but he was learning fast that Steve didn’t fit into those boxes.
She had soft curly, brown hair. A lot like his own, but the curls weren’t as tight as his. Her eyes were a warmer brown then his own, but they were currently sharp, glaring at him as if daring to say that she was invading his space when the door was open for all and sundry to go in and out of.
“Just surprised me is all,” he assured her. “So you think you have a better option in that magic wardrobe of yours?”
She turned back to Steve and nodded curtly. “I like him.”
Eddie turned a bright red that couldn’t even be hidden by the makeup because they hadn’t applied it yet. There was something about the way she said that made Eddie believe that it was rare thing for her bestow her favor on someone. And the fact that she had picked him was an honor.
While he was ducking his head and desperately wishing he could shove his hair in front of his face to hide the blush that heated his face, Ellie was going through the clothes looking for something better than the shirt he was wearing.
“What is Ellie short for?” he asked trying to draw the attention elsewhere. “I mean if it’s short for anything. Had friend named Jenny before. Not Jennifer, just Jenny.” Good job, Munson, he cursed himself. Way to make it more awkward, not less.
She looked over her shoulder at him with a soft, serene smile. “My first name is actually Jane. But my middle name is Eliwen and while I appreciate that my mom was being sensible in giving me a plain first name and a unique middle, I really took to the middle name. But because most people can’t seem to get it right, I go by Ellie.”
“Well, Lady Eliwen,” he said bright, “let’s divest me of these ill fitting rags and let me don something more to the lady’s taste!”
Steve burst out laughing. “I told you you didn’t need me help. You’ll do just fine.” He turned to Max. “You ready for Rob to come in and do the makeup?”
Max nodded. “We’re all good until the next costume and makeup change.”
“It’s a good thing I did reserve the studio for two days,” Steve said with smirk. “With all the changes we’re doing for the progression the client wants, it’s going to take a couple days just to get to the nude scenes. I’m going to talk to Kimmy and see if we can extend the shoot another day.” He turned to Eddie. “I’ll see you when you’re ready for the first shots.”
“Sure,” Eddie said absently. His attention was already on the shirt Ellie was holding up.
It was a white button up, same as what he was wearing, but it was a much lighter material and neater construction. It would frame his shoulders instead of hiding them. He looked up at her and then back to the shirt.
“Nope, nope,” he said snatching it from her, “I bow to your superior taste, that is much better.” He shucked off the other shirt and put on the new one. Even he could immediately see the difference in how he held himself.
“That’s because Ellie is always right,” a voice teased from the doorway.
Eddie turned to see the newcomer and really he needed to stop being surprised on who Steve chose to work with. It was becoming annoying.
The woman, because of course Rob was a she, had dark, choppy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes and smile on her lips. She wore boxy men’s clothes and pulled it off better than he could have. Her olive green pants were rolled up to just above her boots to show off her unicorn socks. She wore a black t-shirt under a floral print, billowy button up that was tied at her waist and instead of a belt she wore rainbow suspenders. It shouldn’t have gone well together, but it absolutely did.
She walked up to him and stuck out her hand. “Robin Buckley. Most folks just call me ‘Rob’,” she greeted with a half shrug.
“Nice to meet you,” Eddie replied taking her hand, and meant it. He had never met people so much his speed in his life.
Robin smirked at him. “I’m sure. So I’m assuming you’re familiar with the brand? Ravenscroft?”
Eddie nodded. “They always sounded like something out of an Agatha Christie novel, but yeah. I’ve even used their products on occasion if I wanted something more glam for an event or whatever.’
“They’re a really good company,” she agreed. “And with them getting their start in theatre it makes my little drama nerd heart happy.” She clutch her hands to her chest and Eddie burst out laughing. “So we’re going to start with the full face makeup of the corpse style then go more Ziggy Stardust and into glam rock. Then to finish it off with clean style but clearly metal aesthetic.”
“Will you marry me!?” he cried getting on his knees. “You actually know what metal is!”
Robin giggled. “Sorry, staunch lesbian. If there was anyone that I would join in a lavender marriage, it would be Steve. He’s my platonic soulmate.”
Eddie blinked up at her and then cocked his head to the side. He leapt to his feet and dusted off his knees. He turned to see Ellie eyeing him critically. “No harm was done to the clothes, milady. I would never put such wonder garb in any real danger.”
Ellie nodded curtly with a sniff and then she sailed out of the room as if she really was a lady at some high court.
Robin watched her go with an amused smile on her face. “I think you might created a monster with the lady bit.”
Eddie grinned at her unrepentantly. “It’s my honest pleasure.”
Robin shook her head but got to work, opening her kit. She had swapped out most of her usual makeup with the stuff from Ravenscroft. She kept her moisturizers and got to work Eddie’s face.
Eddie tilted his head back and allowed Robin to do her job. After he had heard that they had talked to Vickie and seeing the stuff they used, Eddie felt safe in their hands.
Robin spun him around to face the mirror. “All right. Open your eyes.”
Eddie gasped. The makeup was striking. He looked like Death. Capital D and everything. In many ways he was reminded of Peter Stormare who played Satan in that Keanu Reeves ‘Constantine’ movie.
“Wow.”
Robin giggled. “I like that. Now, go knock Steve’s socks off.”
Eddie frowned. He wondered what that was about. He shrugged and hopped out of the chair to go out to the studio where Steve was waiting for him. He was sitting on the same hard folding chair fiddling with his camera.
“Hey.”
Steve looked up and a broad smile spread out over his face and Eddie’s stomach turned into molten lava. “Wow! I know Rob is the best, but damn she’s outdone herself this time.”
He pulled out his phone. “I’m just going to take a test picture to send it to Kimmy to make sure this is direction the company wants to go.”
Eddie let him take the picture and then got settled on a black leather chair. “I thought I was going to be in the folded chair at first.”
Steve looked up from his camera. His eyes twinkled and a soft smile crept up his face. “I never liked the idea. Why should the start of it be sparse when the rest of the shoot will be decadent? So I ‘borrowed’ this chair from my dad’s office.”
Eddie’s eyebrows shot up. Did this guy literally imply he stole his dad’s chair? “So what will you say happened to the folding chair?” He pointed at the offending object.
Steve stood up and then knelt down and fiddled with something underneath. He held up one finger and Eddie cocked his head to the side, intrigued. Steve sat on it and it suddenly collapsed under his weight. Eddie was on his feet in a heartbeat as Steve laughed.
Eddie helped him to his feet and Steve jumped up so that they were so close they were almost touching.
“Thanks!” he said brightly. “So if you’re ready, get into position and we’ll get this show on the road.”
Eddie scoffed. “No one says that shit anymore.” But he walked back over to the armchair. He flopped on it dramatically and then turned to Steve and licked his upper lip slowly. Then there was a flash in his face. He guessed Steve really liked that.
The next couple of hours was getting as many shots of Eddie in the corpse makeup, before he called a break. During the shoot sometimes Robin or Max would come in a touch up something before diving back to whence they came.
The first thing Eddie did was dive for a water bottle. Even though Steve kept a cooler full of the things that Eddie had access the whole time, he was still parched.
“Should we go see what craft services has for us?” Steve asked jutting his head in the direction of a set of doors Eddie hadn’t noticed before.
“Fuck yeah,” Eddie said a little breathless. “I demolish half a cow I’m so hungry.”
“I know what you mean,” Steve replied, leading the way through the doors. “I don’t know how taking pictures for two hours burns up so much energy, but it does.”
“I think for me,” Eddie said, nervously bouncing on the toes of his feet as he walked, “it’s having to stay still for so long.”
Steve nodded. “If you ever need to just get up and walk around to get the blood flowing again, let me know and I’ll call one for you.”
Eddie gulped. He wasn’t sure if what he said was a double entendre or not, but he could feel the heat on his cheeks under the makeup.
Once they got to the craft services, the girls had gotten there first and were all ready chowing down on the most delicious looking sub sandwiches Eddie had ever seen. They had wraps and three kinds of bread. Different kinds of cheeses and meats. All sorts of vegatables too. From bell peppers to avocados to lettuce and tomatoes. Steve went for the turkey and piled it on with avocados, lettuce, tomatoes and ranch dressing.
“You know that was looking pretty healthy until you dumped ranch on it,” Eddie huffed, a tinge of laughter peaking out.
Steve chuckled. “They didn’t have chipolte ranch otherwise I would have done that instead.”
“You are strange little man,” Eddie said shaking his head. He went for the whole wheat bread and Italian dressing over lettuce and chicken with Colby jack cheese.
“What no avocados?” Steve asked peering over his shoulder to look at his wrap.
“They’re slimy!” Eddie protested. “I don’t know how you can stand them!”
“Let me guess, you are one of those like ketchup, hate tomatoes kind of guys, huh?”
Eddie blushed from his cheeks all the way up to the roots of his hair. “Guilty as charged.”
Steve chuckled, shaking his head. “Come on you menace, let’s get some food in you.” He grabbed a couple of waters and led Eddie back to the table that had the girls.
Max a Monster energy drink in front of her and nothing else; Eddie thought that was very on brand of her honestly.
Robin had a veggie wrap and a bottle of water, while it looked like Ellie had piled everything on there. All the meats, all the cheeses. Mayo and mustard and ranch dressing to boot.
Eddie raised an eyebrow at her. “You going to be able to even bite down on that?”
Ellie raised the sub to her mouth and bit down on it, keeping eye contact with Eddie the whole time.
“I swear she just unhinges her jaw,” Max huffed, rolling eyes.
Ellie just grinned around her bite as Steve shook his head.
“Man, I think even a snake would be impressed with her ability to take a bite.”
They got to chatting and it was nice. Usually Eddie ate in his dressing room so to not have to deal with all the glares and whispered back chat from the crew.
But there was none of that here. At least not yet. Eddie was still reserving judgment until the last day. They might get annoyed with him still.
~
Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12
Tag List: CLOSED
1- @itsall-taken @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs
2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @irregular-child @cryptid-system @kultiras
3- @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog
4- @bookbinderbitch @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006
5- @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @genderless-spoon @fearieshadow @thesecondfate
6- @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman
7- @counting-dollars-counting-stars @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @lingeringmirth
8- @gutterflower77 @a-lovely-craziness @just-a-tiny-void @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss
9- @chaotic-waffle @steddieislife @oh-no-its-danger-gays @ollieolive @micheledawn1975
10- @little-birch-boy @alfhitchblonde @tartarusknight @chocolateracconlights @spookycollectorcandies
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leclercsbunny ¡ 2 years ago
Text
maybe if you loved me ♡ c.sainz
part two ♡ masterlist
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F1CHAI the summer vacation not only brings dramatic shifts and shuffles among the current lineup, it also brings forth a new *rumored* couple. after a previous relationship that was rife with confusion and so much controversy, y/n has rose to the trends, this time, with daniel ricciardo headlining the event. their similar posts have sparked discussions all through out the interweb, prompting fans to speculate that they have spent their break together.
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"haagen or ben and jerry's?" daniel hollers from the kitchen, and you raised your head to shout back, "both!"
you focused on the task at hand, picking the perfect movie or series to binge while munching on the junk food spread on the table. it was covered with all the essentials for a night in; chocolates, popcorn, fries and nuggets. you were wrapped in the fluffiest of blankets, and the felt the most comfortable you've ever been in a while.
daniel sat himself on your side, grabbing the other end of the blanket and getting cosy himself. you murmured a quiet thanks when he handed you the icey treat, leaning into him when he kissed your head with a welcome in return.
the aussie raises an eyebrow to his phone, seeing notifications flash after the other and feeling it hot under his touch. he chuckles, showing the barrage of mentions and messages he's recieved, "see, i'm not totally sure but i think they're saying we're on a holiday. together."
"me with daniel ricciardo?" you gasp for added effect, "i couldn't possibly."
"i know, where could they have gotten it from?" he sighs dramatically. "i'm woefully alone."
"and i'm utterly heartbroken," you touched your chest with a fake pout, "on a soul searching rendezvous."
"we're a bit pathetic." he tilts his head, a grin forming on his face. "but in-a-totally-chill way." you giggle.
"it's nice to be sad and pathetic together, though." he nods his head with a laugh, "ditto." you toast your respective icecream cups.
you both settle into comfortable silence, watching the generic comedy film playing on the television. daniel's arms felt comfortable around you, and you naturally fell into his embrace... he felt safe, and warm.
"thanks for being a friend dani." you mumble, on the prepice of sleep.
"... someday.." you were too incoherent to understand what he said in reply, only faintly registering his lips on the top of your head.
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liked by scuderiaferrari, charles_leclerc and 1,799,682 others.
carlossainz55 hace mĂĄs calor en espaĂąa
*It's hotter in spain
username carlos thirst trapping his way back into yns life is so ex boyfriend lore 😭😭😭
username daniel fight back !!
username you won't even have to tell me twice
username yn i won't blame you🫡
username why would you say something so controversial and so brave???
username LOOK AWAY YN IT'S A TRAP
username let the girl move on damn
username 🚩 but he's a ferrari driver and this good looking so 10/10
landonorris 👀
username weren't you just making out with a random girl the other week?? 🤨
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liked by landonorris, maxverstappen1 and 1,692,602 others.
danielricciardo i'm not worried💤
username he violated you carlossainz55
username the girls are fighting hold on💨😳
username YN AND DANIEL CONFIRMED ???
username CARLOS FUMBLED
username daniel just knocked carlos out with this one, 10/10.
username do not let these men back on track fia !!
maxverstappen1 cute
username netflix are you seeing this ??
username sprinkle sprinkle 🥰
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russellsppttemplates ¡ 1 year ago
Text
A red thread tying you to me (Charles Leclerc)
There was something pulling you to him and Charles was ready to act on it
Note: english is not my first language. I loved the blurb and now we have a big piece too!
Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!
my masterlist
Tw: mentions the death of reader's father's and Charles' father's deaths
Tag list: @myloverjk-blog @hiireadstuff @c-losur3
"The congress is just outside of Milan, the exact city and details are in there", your colleague Lucia offered as she flickered though the pages, "I've been a couple of times before and it's really enriching, I just know you'll love the students and the department head - she was my supervisor for a couple of years".
"It sounds great", you looked at the panel information and then the travel details, "it's such a shame you can't come with me though, but I also wouldn't want to risk your little dude showing up and have me as your midwife", you chuckled as Lucia rubbed her baby bump.
"You're capable of many things, Y/N, but I would prefer if the fate of my baby and my underparts was in the hands of a professional!", she bumped your shoulder, "and the area is really nice too, I'm sure you'll find something to keep you busy during the weekend".
"I have plans, actually, I'll be fine I think", you smiled.
Like Lucia predicted, you had a great time in the conference and the guest lecture you gave was applauded and discussed for nearly an hour after you showed the last slide of the presentation, topics going back and forth until everyone had to absolutely leave the room before the next lecture began. For now, you'd get to enjoy the region, drinking some wine and taking in the views you recognised.
The park where your father used to take you didn't look too different. The slides didn't look rusty anymore, and the swing was a bright red colour as you sat on it once you didn't see any other kid around who might want to use them and let yourself feel the breeze on your face and hair as you kicked your legs in and out. Your father used to make you feel like you could touch the sky with how high he helped you go, "you're going to touch the clouds, mia piccola stella", he would say and you would laugh loudly.
You missed him every single day, but over the years, your grief allowed you remember all of the happy moments you lived with him, cherishing them close to your heart. Spending the whole weekend in Monza and attending the race was something you hadn't done without him since he passed away. The circuit was your father's favourite - "it's the fans, Y/N, there's a thrill in the air that no other circuit has - Tifosi cover the streets, they're all you can see around town and it's magical almost" he would say to you, so when you noticed the conference was in the area and coincided with the Grand Prix weekend, both you and your mother agreed you should take the opportunity.
On your way back to the hotel, you stopped by the track, wondering what the preparations for a race weekend looked like after so many years. You still followed the sport, but you never got the chance to catch this on television.
"Oh my, oh my", you heard someone say beside where you were standing, "I can't believe my eyes, it's Y/N Y/L/N".
Turning around you spotted Salvatore, one of the mechanics your father worked with. He also had kids around your age and you would often play together whenever you were both in the garage for the weekend.
"Salvatore!", you cheered, giving him a big smile after kissing each of his cheeks, "you better believe your eyes then".
"It's been so long since I've seen you last", he recalled, rubbing your back softly. You and your mother had gone to Maranello for a tribute ceremony the team had for your father - that had been the last time he saw you.
"It has been, yes - I'm sorry", you apoligised. You told the team you'd be around and so much had happened since and you only watched it through a screen instead of living it in the flesh.
"It's okay, it was the time you needed - What brought you to Monza this weekend?", he wondered as he walked inside the paddock with you, scanning his card and getting you both in.
"A work trip actually - I finished a conference yesterday and I also gave a lecture at the university", you nodded, "and my father always loved Monza", you smiled at the memory, "he knew how clichĂŠ that sounded, but he always said there wasn't a better weekend on the calendar. And I've missed the rush, too", you offered, letting the tears flow freely and accepting them even though you were in the middle of the paddock, loud noises coming from every angle as the teams prepared the finishing touches for the upcoming race.
"He's very proud of you, I'm sure", Salvatore comforted, "and everyone will be happy to see you here - the little girl with the high pigtails is a grown woman now who attends conferences and gives lectures, who would've known?", he joked as you stepped inside the garage.
"Is this little troublemaker Y/N Y/L/N?", one of the oldest mechanics said after he applied a sticker to the halo.
When your father took you to the races, everyone knew they had fun guaranteed with you, always pulling pranks and laughing loudly, "my troublemaker days are over, I'm a responsible woman now", you chuckled, giving a quick wave to everyone before greeting everyone individually.
"Do you have tickets for this weekend?", Fred asked. Even though he had just met you, it was clear to him how much you mattered to everyone who worked with your father, "we can get you a pass, I'm sure".
"I have grandstand tickets", you stated.
"Silvia!", the team principal called the woman, making her approach him and rub your arm kindly, "do we have any guest passes left?".
"Let me check", Silvia mumbled, "we have one left, actually! Charles didn't even notice he asked us to save a ticket for his mother twice - I'll get it for you, it's in the meeting room upstairs", she smiled.
"Charles will also be very happy to see you around, did you tell him you were coming?", Salvatore mentioned.
"I haven't actually - I've been really busy", you mumbled.
You met the monĂŠgasque driver when he was Scuderia Ferrari's development driver and Prema Racing driver in Formula Two, accidentally running into him in the dining area of the hospitality and ending up spending most of his free time there throughout the whole weekend.
Quickly, it became a tradition to do so whenever he was over and whenever he was done with his Formula Two duties and you happened to be at the same track.
When you stopped attending races because the memories were too painful, you lost contact, opting to react to eachother's Instagram stories every now and again and sending quick messages through the social media app.
"The boys arrive today, but they're only coming to the track tomorrow", Fred added, "you'll have plenty of time to catch up".
Charles had finally arrived to the hotel after all the flights and drives, thankful that there weren't many fans around already and he could get inside without a hitch, checking in and getting his room keys.
"Hold it, per favore!", he said to the person on the lift, dreaming of the changing from his travel outfit and the bed waiting for him. When his hand helped him inside the metal door, he couldn't believe his eyes, "Y/N?".
He could remember the last time he saw you. He had just started his first season as a Formula One driver for Alfa Romeo and you had come back to the paddock for the first race of the season like you promised you would. He sat with you whenever he had a little break, you caught up with him and his early days as a driver with a seat rather than just watching from the sidelines.
"Charles, hi!", you gasped, hugging him and feeling him squeeze your body against his.
"I- what are you doing here? Are you here for the race?", he wondered. This couldn't be a mere coincidence. He hoped it wasn't.
"I had a work trip here that coincided with this weekend, and I thought of it as a sign", you explained, "you're staying in this hotel too?".
"Yes, the team are at the one where we usually stay for the weekend, but until Thursday, I'm staying here, yes", he smiled, "Goodness, I feel like it's both been forever and like it was yesterday", he chuckled, "do you want to get a drink? I have a nice selection in my room whenever I stay", he offered.
"I'd love to, Charles", you said, hoping that the tingly feeling on your tummy mirrored Charles' own excitement at this unexpected but valued encounter, "are you sure though? You just arrived".
"No, don't worry about that! My room is... 705", he checked on the card he was handed, "so you can join me now or maybe you want to set those things down first and meet me there?", he pointed to the bag you were carrying.
"Yes, this is quite heavy actually", you blushed, "my room is on this floor, so I'll meet in your room in fifteen? I need to freshen up because I've been walking around town all day".
Leaving the elevator on your floor, Charles waved at your before the doors closed andyou headed to your door. Stepping inside, you left the totebag with the books you bought in the chair before heading to the bathroom, brushing out any tangles in your hair and splashing your face with water to freshen up.
After getting yourself ready to go, you went up to Charles' floor, knocking on the door and waiting for him.
"Come in, come in!", Charles offered after he opened the door, "I've unpacked but kept it very organised still", he chuckled as you walked inside the room. It looked the same as yours did, only a different colour pallette for the decoration.
"How have you been?", you wondered once you sat down and shared some sparkling water, neither of you really feeling like drinking anything alcoholic.
"You surely know more about me than I know about you", Charles smiled, "but it's been good, this season has been great so far, I feel like we're in a really good path and things are working well", he took a sip from his cup, "the team have done such an incredible job".
"And the driver on the car doesn't have anything to do with that?", you squinted at his ever so modest take on things.
"I suppose I do", he blushed.
"I may have not been here, but I've watched every race - minus some of the ones at daft o'clock, I only watched those when my sleep was all messed up", you joked, "you're an essential part of this team, Charles, everyone can see that so you should give yourself more credit", you touched his arm.
Even though it had been years since you last saw eachother, you hit it off immediately and it seemed like no time had passed.
"And you? What is this work trip that brought you here?", Charles nodded.
"You're not the only one who gets to travel for work, alright?", you tsked, "I had to do a presentation on a conference and then the department invited me for a lecture, nothing big".
"Who's being ever so modest now, hm? That is fantastic, mon ange!", he congratulated before he noticed the words coming out of his mouth.
"When I noticed it fell around this weekend, I told my mum and she said that I should try and dip my foot here - I've been wanting to come to race sooner but...", you trailed off.
"I get it - it's hard going to the places that remind you of them", Charles took his hand in yours and squeezed it, "he was so cherished by the team, I'm sure everyone will be very happy to see you".
"Actually, I walked to the track today so I could see it up close before the race - I hoped it wouldn't be such a big shock once I got there on Friday -, and I bumped into Salvatore", you smiled, "he let me go into the garage and I saw everyone, it was really nice", you looked up so the tears on your eyes wouldn't fall.
"I can get you a pass, let me just text Silvia!", Charles said as he got his phone from his pocket with his free hand.
"She already did", you chirped, "apparently you booked two for your mother, so they had a spare one".
"You see, a couple of years ago, my mum was too late to tell me she was coming to the race and I was out of the guest passes, so I always have one on hold for her and I sent the list with her name on it as well", he admitted, "but it seems to have turned out just fine - meant to be even".
You ended up requesting room service for the two of you for dinner, neither feeling like going out of the room after feeling so comfortable there. Conversation was steady, vulnerability was easy to show and the butterflies were happily dancing on your tummy.
"I better get to my room, then", you stated once Charles told you about what he needed to do tomorrow once he was at the track.
"I didn't mean it that way - I'm fine!", he said after doing his best attempt at containing a big yawn, "I'm fine!".
"You're tired, and frankly so am I", you admitted as you got up from the bed.
"Would you like to come with me to the track tomorrow? If you don't have other plans that is", he mumbled the last part.
"I don't - I was just going to work a little bit, but if you find me a spot in the hospitality, I'll happily take my stuff there", you smiled reassuringly as you put on your shoes and headed to the door.
"I can take you to your room", Charles got up from the bed and followed you.
"No need, my room is just downstairs", you reasoned, kissing his cheek in a silent thank you still.
"That's right - so we'll go tomorrow after breakfast?", he rested his body on the door once you opened it.
"Yes, that works for me! Good night, Charles", you smiled before walking up to the elevator.
.
Walking inside the hospitalitynwith Salvatore and the rest of the team, he was quick to show you where you could set up.
"Charles likes to spend as much time as possible with the fans and it's right about now that they start becoming more and more and they're everywhere, too", he explained as he helped you in the table on the lounge area, "there's food and coffee in there if you need anything", Salvatore smiled, "if you need anything, just ask someone".
"Thank you - this is perfect", you assured, sitting down and working on your laptop and reading some of the books you had bought.
Charles and Carlos finally arrived at the hospitality, greeting the team and talking to them for a while before they headed upstairs for a meeting.
"You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend and you were bringing her here", Carlos told Charles as he poured some coffee on a mug after the meeting.
"I don't - I haven't brought a girlfriend here", Charles quirked an eyebrow at his team-mate.
"So who is that young woman you just smiled at and are pouring coffee for after giving her the heart eyes?", it was the spanish driver's turn to raise his eyebrows.
"Oh, Y/N!", Charles smiled as he mentioned your name, "she's an old friend! Her father was a mechanic before he passed away a few years ago - the older team members have known her since she was little, everyone loves her", he mused.
"Everyone loves her - I can see that", Carlos chuckled as he followed Charles to the table.
"We don't want to interrupt or disturb you too much", Charles announced as he set the mug next to your laptop.
"It's fine, sit sit!", you encouraged as you closed the books you no longer needed to make room for them, "I'm Y/N", you told Carlos.
"I'm Carlos", he smiled back, "nice to meet you", he said before you dove into conversation, discussing anything that popped into your minds and getting to know eachother.
"Don't let her fool you into believing she has always been a responsible, put together girl because she used to steal and hide all of our tools!", Antonio, one of the engineers pointed at you after he got himself a bottle of water, "Charles knows her tricks already but you, Carlos, don't fall for that!".
"You loved it every time I was on the computers and drew on Paint! You even had one of my drawings as the background for almost an entire season!", you threw at him as he approached you, patting the top of your head protectively.
"I'd like to see that! I've only known her since she was way older", Charles pouted.
"Jealous much?", Carlos teased, his voice above a whisper as Charles seemed to get flustered.
"Is it really that obvious?", the monĂŠgasque driver mumbled once you got up to get something to eat, "I've had a crush on her since I was a development driver".
"Why have you never said anything? She seems like she really cares about you too", Carlos mused as he thought to a few moments before where you too gqve him heart eyes. He would have to be blind to not notice it, and even then the energy between you too would still be felt.
"The timing wasn't right, I guess - her father passed away almost right after as I became a driver for Alfa Romeo, and she hasn't been in the paddock since. We have texted every now and again over the years and now she happened to be here for the race too", Charles offered.
"I'd say you should take a shot - trust me, she likes you back", Carlos patted Charles' shoulder after getting up, watching you go back to the table with a big smile on your face.
.
After Charles took pole position in qualifying, the team stayed a bit longer for the debrief, going over a few points of the discussion and the changes they still needed to make before the race.
"Y/N! We're having dinner at one of our favourite restaurants in town and I'm counting you in, okay?", Charles said as he spotted you in the garage, followed by Andrea, who had been keeping you company along with his brothers, Charlotte and Pascale.
"Your family is here for you, Charles, I don't want to intrude", you said as you got up, unaware of the Leclerc matriarch behind you.
"ChĂŠrie, of course you won't be intruding - we'd love to have you there!", Pascale chirped in.
"Well, in that case...!", you smiled, "just tell me where I should go and at what time, or are we going straight there?", you wondered.
"I was thinking we could go straight there if that's okay with you - you can can come with me and Andrea can ride with my brothers", Charles suggested, "unless you need to go back to the hotel", he quickly scrambled.
"No, I'm fine! Unless this outfit is not restaurant appropriate", you muttered as you looked down. Against all odds, you managed to not get any food stains on your dress. It was a midi skirt cut, flowy to allow your body to feel cool considering the warm Italian day.
"It's fine - you're fine, you look beautiful!", Charles was quick to assure you.
"Good, that's good then", you smiled before excusing yourself to go and get your things.
"You have to tell her, Charles - your affection is no use to either of you if you keept it in here", Pascale tapped her son's chest.
.
"Y/N", Charles called you before he had to go and get ready for the race, "I have something for you - we do", he said as some of the mechanics, including Salvatore, followed him.
"Oh, what is it?", you smiled.
"We commented with some guys back at the factory that you were here with is this weekend and they found something we thought you'd like to have", Salvatore said as he handed you a bag.
Looking inside, you noticed an old Ferrari cap and some embroidered lettering on the side, recognising it immediately. When you were a teenager, you decided to try different hobbies and hand embroidery was the one that stuck the most, so much so that on one of the race weekends, you embroidered caps for everyone on the team that asked you.
"My wife remembered the one I have at home and then the guys at Maranello found your father's and apparently one you did for Charles' as well", Salvatore offered as you took them both out.
"Dad always said he had plenty of embroidered things at home and this one was the one he had to travel with him", you chuckled as tears welled up in your eyes, feeling Charles soothingly rub your back.
"I remember getting this and loving it - I thought I had lost it!", Charles said, unaware if how close he was pulling you together so he could get a peek at the old caps.
"There's some loose string here", you chuckled, wiping the tears and fiddling with the red thread, "I didn't know how to properly tie it at the start, I kept losing it - I think I even glued it down at some point. Thank you for bringing this out", you smiled.
"Would you mind if I wore this for the driver's parade?", Charles asked you.
"I was planning on wearing my dad's while I watched the race", you offered, testing the fabric and placing it on your head before doing the same with Charles, fixing it on his head and looking up at him.
You never got over how handsome he was. The little scar on his cheek, his mole, the smile that never failed to make you smile, his beautiful green eyes. His kindness, his gentleness, his talent - there wasn't a way to deny how much you liked it. How much you liked him.
"We will be matching then!", Charles squeezed you against him before going to his driver's room.
Only when Charles was headed to take P1 on the grid did he hand the cap back to Salvatore and put on his helmet, giving you a wink before he left.
"How are you feeling?", Pascale asked as she sat next to you to watch the race. Over the last couple of days, she had grown close to you, not only because you had captured her son's heart and she wanted to get to know you, but also because Charles had told her how emotionally charged it was for you to be at the track, in Monza nonetheless.
"It's a lot", you admitted, "everyone has been so kind and warm, so all of the heavy feelings have been slowly infiltrating the good ones and it's been easier to deal with them like that", you blinked away a few tears.
"I get it", Pascale nodded, "losing someone is not easy, and I can't imagine what it feels like for you - the boys and I talk about my late husband every now and again and it gets easier to talk about it, I think that's what it is anyway".
"Yes, definitely like that. My mum and I have reached the point where we don't cry at every mention - despite what you might have noticed this weekend", you chuckled.
"It's emotional, chĂŠrie - I, for one, always cry whenever the boys achieve their goals. HervĂŠ isn't here to see them, but I know he knows, and the boys know how proud he is of them", Pascale smiled, keeping some tears at bay too.
"You raised amazing young men, don't doubt that", you let out. At this point, you were sure she had noticed or had at least an inkling. As any mechanic for the red team who knew you since you were a kid would say, you were never a good liar - anytime you said you didn't touch something, they knew to look in your backpack first.
"Thank you, dear", she added, "you know, Charles is quite careful in who he lets in, but he's never been good at hiding how much he cares about someone and I can tell he cares a great deal about you".
"I care a lot about him too", you smiled before you were handed a pair of headphones each with the race about to start.
When Charles successfully kept the cars behind him away with a good gap, you clapped and watched the remaining laps number get smaller and smaller until there was only the current lap left.
Charlotte held your hand together with hers as you watched Charles be the first driver to see the checkered flag and when Xavi yelled "And P1!" into the radio, you did your happy dance, not having a care in the world about what others thought as you watched the Tifosi erupt in cheer.
"He did it! He did it!", Pascale clapped for her son, Arthur hugging her while Lorenzo did the same with his girlfriend while you softly touched your father's embroidered name on your cap with your fingers.
Running up to Parc FermĂŠ, you stood in the sea of red, waiting for him to come back and hug them.
"You did so well, congratulations!", you said as you pulled Charles for a hug.
"Had my good luck charm with me!", he smiled back, kissing your cheek as he took advantage of you being shielded by the mechanics and engineers.
The team celebratory dinner was going really well, everyone happy with how the weekend panned out with both drivers on the podium and enjoying the meal on the restaurant's outside patio.
"If you guys want dessert, they're going to set them out on that table and you can grab as much as you like", Fred spread the message as you could see all kinds of sweet foods being brought out, a pudding catching your eye along with some raspberries.
You and Charles got the dessert plates and served yourselves, noticing the staff was already clearing up the tables, meaning you'd have to move to the bar area, many people opting to skip dessert and get some drinks instead.
"You can see the stars so clearly tonight", you mused as you looked up at the sky, setting your plate on the high table.
"My father always said that the stars did shine brighter here, and tonight the sky is very clear", Charles hummed in agreement, looking at your face. The moonlight and the dim lighting for the lamps and fairy lights illuminated all your features perfectly - your smile as you looked up formed the dimples on your cheeks, your eyes that were a tiny bit squinty and the way your whole body seemed relaxed.
The goosebumps on your arms caught his eye though, "here, have this", Charles said as he offered you the cardigan he had carried around all night since according to him his mother made him do it because it would be cold.
"Thanks", you smiled as you pulled the sleeves and folded them around your wrist so they would fit better, "this is really comfy, I might steal this if you don't ask for it back", you joked.
"I don't mind if you keep it, you have had my heart all these years", Charles stated. There it was.
"What?", you faced him, heart beating fast inside your chest.
"It's true, I've had a crush on you since I first met you, and these past couple of days have been amazing, and I can't believe it took me all these years to realize how I truly feel about you Y/N", he told you, no stutter or sign of regret on his face.
"I haven't been around, really, it's my fault", you fiddled with your thumbs before looking at him again, "but I can't lose you again".
"You never lost me, amour", he smiled as his eyes flickered between your eyes and your lips, his hand cupping your cheek your mouth pressed on his, ignoring everything and everyone around you.
Interrupting the kiss for air, Charles giggled as you hid your face in his neck once you heard the cheers and whistles, your lashes tickling him as his arms circled your waist and pulled you closer to him.
"He wins inside the track and outside of it, Charles Leclerc, P1 to Y/N's heart!", Carlos shouted before whistling again.
"Just so you know, I want an invite to your wedding!", Salvatore pointed his finger at you, "I still remember when you invited me for your wedding with Vettel!".
"You and Seb?", Charles chuckled once you pulled away from his neck.
"Sebastian was my favourite when I was little", you giggled, hiding your face on Charles' chest this time, "when he was back in RedBull still, I asked my father to ask him if he could take a photo with me and I cherished that for so many years - it was my most prized possession!".
"I can't promise you Seb, but I can promise you the very best of me", Charles said as he kissed the top of your head.
319 notes ¡ View notes
crowandmousewritingco ¡ 1 year ago
Text
Not Like Them
Pairing: (Implied) poly ghouls x gn!reader
Words: 2.5k
Summary: You are a new ghoul summoned for the clergy, but it doesn't go as planned.
Rating: G (with like a smidge of angst)
Author: Mod Mouse
Author's Note: This fic was also inspired by the July prompt list from @thepromptfoundry specifically #23 becoming disabled. Thank you again for the great prompts! Also I might end up making more fics with this character cause I actually really like writing them.
Everything had gone wrong. You were just living your life in your level of hell only to be ripped from your home in the most painful way. Now you laid there in the middle of the summoning circle clutching the stump that was your hand. You were dazed and frantically searching for a source of the summoning. 
Several people surrounded you but you could hear two of them whispering frantically to each other in what you thought was Italian. One was a middle aged man with a damaged eye wearing a black cassock and the other was an older woman with blonde hair dressed in a nice green suit. The woman kept rubbing her temples, clearly irritated at the situation though not at the man. 
Separate from the pair was something more familiar. You could smell the characteristic scent of three other ghouls. One smelled of a rich forest, another smelled of a fresh summer breeze, and the other smelled of magic coursing with electricity. The tell tale signs of ghouls were on full display. Mouths full of pointy teeth, tails in various states of motion, and horns poking through their hair. You let out a small whimper which caught the attention of the ghouls. 
The one who smelled of magic slowly approached you, hands held out in a non-threatening manner. He kept his distance from you and slowly crouched down so he could be eye level with you. “Hey there little one.” 
You look up at him, your tail frantically swishing back and forth, very wary of the situation. Although the comfort of a fellow quintessence ghoul did help a little. 
“I promise you're safe,” He reassured you. 
“W-Why am I here?” You asked softly. 
The man from the pair turned at your words. “Ah yes about that. I um… we have summoned you to be an additional bassist in our band. You shall help the Clergy on our tours.” He answered in a very heavy accent. 
You scoffed and gestured with your stump. “Hard to play the guitar when you only have one hand.” You tried to joke it off but tears started to fall down your cheek. 
“I’m sorry caro, I promise Sister and I are looking into what happened.” He promised with the most sincere smile. “Now ghouls please look after our newest member while we discuss with Omega about what happened” He gave his head a little bow and followed the woman out of the room. 
There was a moment of silence as you once again took in your surroundings. You searched the room for the other two ghouls. Your eyes landed on the pair standing off to the side. The taller of the two had short straight brown hair. That must have been the earth ghoul. Which then meant the smaller ghoul, no wait ghoulette, was an air element.
“I’m Aether,” the quintessence ghoul introduced himself gently. He gestured to the other ghouls. “That one is Mountain,” He pointed to the taller ghoul who just nodded, “and the other one is Cumulus.” The ghoulette gave a small wave. You didn’t respond, but your wary tail stopped its nervous swaying. Now that you had realized you weren’t in immediate danger, you became aware of how chilly you were, and your body started to shiver. 
“Here let's get you to your room,” Aether cooed softly and you let yourself be helped up by him. You kept your hurt hand to your chest and the other one wrapped around your stomach. 
Aether led the group down the hallway with Mountain and Cumulus on either side of you creating a safety bubble around you. You didn’t realize but your tail instinctively reached out and wrapped around Cumulus’ tail searching for comfort you didn’t know you needed. Cumulus looked down at you. She smiled at your touch and chirped soothingly. You looked up at her slightly, but quickly looked away, still feeling a bit weary. 
They led you down the corridors of the ministry, passing different members of the Siblings of Sin. The Siblings must have been used to seeing ghouls on a daily basis since most didn’t take notice, but a few glanced your way taking in your form. You drew your arm in closer trying to hide it more from view. 
After what seemed like miles of walking, you finally entered an area of the Ministry with dark black marble and more engravings fit for the ghoul types. Down the hallway lined several doors on each side. Each door had an engraving of a different ghoul type. Those must be the types of ghouls who live here, you thought to yourself. The further you walked down the hallway, that familiar scent of ghouls filled your nose and you relaxed even more. 
Finally the group approached a large dark wood door, and Aether stopped in front of it. “This will be your room during your time in the Ministry. We all have our own spaces, but we always tend to gather as a pack in the common room. Now you aren’t required to become part of our pack, but if you ever want to join us we will be happy to accommodate you.”
“T-Thank you,” You said softly. You turned towards the door and you saw your own quintessence symbol carved into the dark wood. The little touches of this place was making you less weary.
Aether smiled softly and opened the door for you. “Dinner is in a few hours. Mountain is making a delicious stew, but if you aren’t ready for social time then we’ll set aside a bowl for you in the fridge. We usually eat in the dining room just a few rooms down from here.” 
You blushed at their kindness. “That’s very kind of you,” You smiled softly and turned back to your room. “Oh wow.” Your room was stunning. A nice big bed was in the center of the dark room. It was covered with soft materials perfect for any ghouls' nest. There was a dark wood dresser on the opposite wall of the wall. The walls were mostly bare with a few small paintings as an accent. Additionally there was a bathroom attached to the bedroom offering you the comfort of privacy when showering. You chirp in contentment and turn back to the group. 
They all gave you soft smiles. “Seems like you approve?” Aether smiled at your increased ease around them. 
“It’s really nice actually,” You replied gently sitting down on the bed. It was soft and suddenly you felt so tired. 
“We’ll let you settle in, and hope to see you later,” Aether said before reaching for the door knob. He pulled the door shut and you saw Cumulus giving you a small wave. 
You sighed and laid down on your back. You lifted your right arm and examined the lack of a hand. “How the hell is this going to work?” You asked yourself before setting it back against the covers. The weight of the day started to way on you, and before you knew it you fell into a deep sleep. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was hours before you woke up from your much needed rest. It took you a few moments to realize you weren’t in Hell anymore. You gently rubbed the sleep from your eyes and sat up. A rumble came from your stomach and you sighed. Seems like you were hungry after all, though seeing the other ghouls made you weary. Maybe a shower would help you calm down. You stood up and walked over to the closet full of dark clothing. Inside was a variety of clothes in different styles and sizes. After searching through the hangers you decided on a soft black hoodie with matching shorts. Carefully you draped the clothes over your right arm. 
You took them to the joined bathroom and set them on the counter. The bathroom was fully stocked with everything a ghoul would need to care for themselves. Horn polish, skin care products and so on. You would definitely be using those later. After today you deserved some self-care. After some effort with your flimsy Hellish clothes, you strip your worn clothes off and toss them into the trash can. You wouldn’t need them anymore considering the plethora of new clothes you had now. You turned your attention to the big shower and twisted the knob. Several jets flowed warm water out of them and you sighed when the water hit your skin. You let the water flow over you, taking the grim and dirt from the summoning off of you. You looked down at your lost hand. Whatever cause this made sure that the wound was sealed by the time you had serviced which you were grateful at least. 
You sighed and tried to shower as quickly as you could though it didn’t quite go as planned. You struggled quite a bit with just the simple tasks like opening the shampoo bottle, but eventually you figured out how to balance the bottles to get what you wanted. The water took the tiredness with it as it washed down the drain. 
After letting the water flow over you for a few more minutes, you finally turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Luckily there was a big fluffy towel waiting for you on the racks. You purred as you felt the soft texture against your skin. Quickly you dried yourself and changed. You still weren’t used to the lack of a hand, but you were slowly getting better.
Finally you were ready to grab your dinner. You opened the door and headed in the direction Aether told you earlier. Sure enough when you opened the door was the kitchen and dining room. The scent of dinner was still in the air and it made your stomach growl. You quickly grabbed the food from the fridge and heated it up. (tk if i want to add inner thoughts) 
You were carrying the bowl back to your room when you heard the Aether’s voice. The large door at the end of the hallway was cracked a bit and you could see light streaming from it. You approached the door unsure and peaked inside. You saw Aether with a smaller ghoul on his lap in the middle of a large couch. That ghoul was arguing with a much bigger ghoul on the floor with dark brown curls. Whatever the argument was didn’t seem too serious because after the next remark he playfully pushed the other ghouls leg. Leaning one side of Aether was another smaller ghoul. You could tell that it was another quintessence ghoul.  On the other side of Aether was another ghoul cuddling with Mountain. This one seemed shyer than the other pair of ghouls since he seemed to stay cuddle to the larger ghoul. Off on another couch Cumulus cuddled with another two ghoulettes. The trio seemed to be deep in their own conversation. 
The pack looked so comfortable and your own inner ghoul was crying for the attention of other ghouls, but you weren’t like them. You couldn’t fulfill the only job you were meant to do, and you just knew that they would see you as different. 
You let out a subconscious whine and the conversation paused. “What was that?” said a male voice. 
“Sounded like another ghoul?” A ghoulette noted. 
“But we’re all here?” Another ghoul added. 
“Here I got it,” A different ghoulette said. There was a rustle and a few muffled curses before the door opened. Cumulus stepped through the crack and smiled when she saw you. You instinctively stepped back from the door. 
“Hey,” She smiled and her tail began to swish happily back and forth. 
You chirped softly feeling safe but you shook your head. “I’m sorry I just wanted some food. I didn’t mean to bother your pack time.” You apologized.
She giggled “Understandable, Mountain makes the best food.”
“I’ll make sure to savor it.” You smiled softly. 
Cumulus nodded and after a moment turned to look back at the pack. “You know,” she started and turned back to you. “They really want to meet you.” She added softly. 
You looked down, not meeting her eyes. Tears pulled in your eyes. “I-I don’t…” You paused to take a deep breath getting your emotions under control. “I’m not like you guys.” 
The ghoulette tilted her head in confusion. “What do you mean? You have horns and tails like the rest of us. And I know you smell just like Aether and Phantom.” 
You sighed. “Yes but you all play in the band and well I can’t now.” 
“We’ll figure out a way for you to play, but that doesn’t stop the fact that you are now a part of the group.” Cumulus said offering a soft smile
You looked between the door and the ghoulette. The pull of your instincts was becoming greater than your need to self isolate. Your eyes landed back on the ghoulette. “T-They won’t hate this?” You asked, gesturing to your right arm. 
“I promise they will love you.” She reassured you gently. 
You paused and nodded “Okay then.” 
Cumulus smiled softly and turned back to the door. She pushed it open further and the ghouls turned to see what the commotion was about. “Everyone, this is the new ghoul at the Ministry.” She stands to the side as you nervously walk past her. You felt anxious under everyone's gaze, but when you looked to Cumulus for support, she gave you an encouraging head nod. 
“H-Hi there” You introduce softly. 
“Damn Aether you didn’t say they were hot,” The ghoul on the floor stated, earning a smack on the head from the smaller ghoul he was arguing with earlier. 
“Satan Swiss learn to be subtle,” The smaller ghoul scoffed. 
You watched their interaction with both amusement and uncertainty. Cumulus leaned over as the pair started arguing again. “Don’t worry. This is how they flirt.” 
You chuckled and whispered back. “Sounds like a pair I knew in Hell” 
The other quintessence joined the pair and grabbed your right arm. You panicked when the ghoul didn’t feel a hand, but he smiled and slowly dragged you over to the group. “It’s rare we have so many quintessence ghouls in one place. It was just me and Aether until you were summoned. I’m Phantom by the way. Now no one can call me the baby of the group.” 
Aether chuckled as Phantom pulled you over to the other ghoulettes. “Phantom, you will never stop being baby.”
“There's nothing wrong with being baby,” You add as you settle beside Phantom. Cumulus settled back with the other ghoulettes who created a comfortable place for both you and Phantom. 
“Oh goodness I forgot to introduce everyone else,” Cumulus sat up. She started to point out all the other ghouls and you followed her hand. “You already know Aether. Swiss is sitting on the floor. Dewdrop is in Aether’s lap. Then it's Rain, you know Mountain and Phantom. And the other ghoulettes are Cirrus and Aurora.” 
“You have quite the pack here,”  You said after Cumulus finished. 
Aether chuckled. “We really do, and we would love to have you as a part of it whenever you are ready.” 
You smiled and blushed, “I think I would very much like that.” 
Cumulus smiled and cuddled closer to you. That was the future, but for now you enjoyed your dinner surrounded by your new found family. 
168 notes ¡ View notes
lihhelsing ¡ 2 years ago
Text
Part 4 - Catfish Steddie
Author's Note: This part turned out to be bigger than I expected, so I also decided to take this to AO3. I'll update when I have the link, but I'll keep posting over here too, and doing the tag list at the end. Thanks for reading! Look out for two more parts after this one!
Now on Ao3
It's not that Steve didn't care that someone was using his face to catfish people. He knew, from how little Eddie wanted to discuss it, how it affected him. How it messed with his self-image and his ability to trust others. 
Steve could feel it in the way Eddie always seemed to be ready to bolt from him. He offered something real and then pulled back again. It was a slow back and forth that Steve didn't mind, because he knew what he wanted. 
Eddie. He wanted Eddie. 
He felt the way he retracted every time Steve complimented him, hiding behind jokes or self-deprecating comments. Steve tried to reassure him, and he felt like he was winning. 
But when Eddie called the catfish number, that he still had on his phone under Steve's name for some reason, it was like every inch they had walked towards each other had disappeared. Eddie retracted again, as if he was certain he was reading the situation right when he possibly couldn't be. 
"I don't understand," Eddie says at first and Steve tries reaching out for him, seeing the exact moment Eddie flinches away. 
It hurts more than he can admit. 
"Eddie, let's talk about this," Steve says, but he can see it in Eddie's eyes, how he just wants to run out of there. 
"Why do you have two phones?"
"It's not my phone," Steve says calmly. Eddie's not calm. 
"It's in your house. Your couch!" his voice comes out a little strangled, and he jumps from the couch, the other phone still gripped hard in his hand. 
"Can I see it?" Steve raches his hand, but Eddie shakes his head. "Please. It's not mine, I swear."
But Steve can see how his words go through Eddie and doesn't really make an impression. It's just words, especially if he doesn't try to see how crazy it would be. Why would Steve invite Eddie over to his place and not hide the phone better? 
Why would Steve be so careless about the whole thing? 
"Eddie, I swear. This phone is not mine. I have no idea what's-"
"I have to go," Eddie says, his hands are shaking and Steve wants to hold him and make him listen but Eddie is not in the mood to listen and Steve can't force him so he just nods, lets the fight leave his body and Eddie hurriedly gets his things and leaves. 
Before closing the door, he drops the phone on the table and doesn't look back. 
Steve thinks his heart could explode from how fucked up he feels right now. 
x
It's not really surprising, but Steve doesn't sleep at all. He tries a couple of password combinations and when he gets to Chrissy's birthday, the phone unlocks in his hands. 
Steve is scared as he scrolls through it. 
Robin always seemed nice, even if they weren't all that close. Sometimes Steve even thought they were friends. He didn't have much experience with those and most of his friends were kids that he used to babysit when he was in high school, but he thought he and Robin could've been friends, somehow. 
Maybe he was wrong. 
But when Steve pulls on one of the only apps he sees on the phone, he feels… 
He doesn't know how he feels as he looks at a profile with his picture and name on it. There are a bunch of chats in there and he sees himself flirting with lots of girls - and guys. 
He doesn't remember mentioning to Robin he's bisexual, but she must've picked up on it for some reason. Steve doesn't mind, he feels comfortable with his sexuality but he doesn't feel comfortable with a bunch of people thinking they are talking to him when in reality… 
It's not surprising that he doesn't get much sleep, really. 
x
Steve is in his room when he hears the front door unlocking. It's still before nine and Robin doesn't usually come home that early on the weekends. She likes to spend the day with her girlfriend Chrissy and Steve gets it. 
He listens carefully as she walks inside, doesn't even stop to take off her boots, so Steve hears the click, click, click as she moves through their tiny apartment. He hears rustling sounds and then.
"Shit," Robin's voice is low, muffled by the closed door. Steve thought a lot about how to do this and yet he feels sick to his stomach. "Where the fuck did I put it?"
He gets up and slowly makes his way to the door, opening it a little. 
"Robin?" he asks. Her head snaps in his direction and she looks panicked. 
"Steve? What are you doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep. Is everything ok? You look-"
"Yeah, yeah! Everything's great," Robin forces out a smile. "I just forgot something Chrissy really needed and you know her, she gets really mad at me and I need to fix it, otherwise she will hate me forever and I-"
"I don't know."
Robin frowns. "What?"
"I don't know her. You never… Introduced us."
Steve doesn't know what he's saying, but neither does Robin. She looks frazzled, on the verge of a breakdown. Steve can't say he's not enjoying it, though. 
"Well, we should. You know, do something, the three of us!" Robin is talking frantically now, her voice taking on a high-pitched tone that shows Steve how desperate she is. "Anyway, we can decide on that later! Don't worry about me, just go back to sleep! I'll be super quiet!" 
She finished her sentence whispering and smiling at Steve, but he doesn't buy it. Her smile is completely fake and her hair is a mess, sticking up to all sides. 
"Ok," he says, playing along. He moves to close the door and Robin isn't even looking at him anymore. She's kneeling on the ground and looking under the couch. "Oh, Robin?"
She almost hits her head as she looks up at him. 
"Did you happen to be looking for this phone?"
Steve holds it out for her and she squints her eyes, processing, and then all the color gets drained from her face. 
Steve can't say he hates it. 
x
Robin fidgets nervously with her hands as she and Steve sit side by side on the couch. The phone is almost burning a hole through their table and Robin hasn't tried anything too crazy like grabbing it and running away. 
Maybe even someone like her can tell when she lost a battle. 
"So… Care to explain?"
Steve tries to keep his tone neutral but from the way she flinches, he knows he failed. Robin takes a deep breath, then another. 
"I'm sorry," she says, not looking at him. Steve raises a brow.
"For what? Catshing people? Using my picture and my name without permission? Lying to my face?" He sounds so angry he barely recognizes his own voice. Steve is not a guy to get really angry, he's good at taking a punch, but this feels… Too much.
Robin shakes her head. "All of the above?"
The worst of it is that Steve wants to laugh. Robin looks outright miserable and his entire chest feels heavy when he remembers how Eddie looked at him, but this is too crazy for him not to laugh. 
"I'm really sorry Steve, I didn't mean-"
"Can you just… Not? Just tell me. Why? Why me?" He says sharply and has to pinch his hand to try and get himself in check. He already knows there's nothing Robin can say that will make this ok to him. 
It's not only that she lied to him. She used him to lie to other people. She hurt other people. But she made Steve think he was doing something wrong. She watched Steve try and try and try knowing she would never let him in because she couldn't stand the guilt. 
Robin sighs dramatically. 
"It started as a joke, I swear. When you first moved in, I kept telling Chrissy how you looked like a hot model from a magazine. How I had never seen a guy so good looking in my life and mind you I don't like guys. But you're… You know, objectively attractive."
"Uh… Thanks?"
"Chrissy found that super funny. She said you must've been one of those guys who were always hooking up with girls and I agreed. Like, it took me six months to gather the courage to ask Chrissy out and I still wasn't sure she was going to say yes, and then Chrissy was saying how you probably didn't have this problem because anyone would say yes to you."
Steve frowns at her. Robin has a tendency of rambling and talking really fast and Steve feels he's not following. 
"So it was a prank?"
"I mean… Yes! At first. Chrissy and I wanted to see what it was like to be you on Tinder. You know, how many people we would match with, so we just swiped right non-stop. On the next day, there were thousands of messages for you."
Steve pinches the bridge of his nose and he sees a faint dust of pink on Robin's cheeks. She's embarrassed. 
"Chrissy laughed and moved on, but I kept thinking about it and I started talking to people there because why not? It was kind of addictive, being someone else. I know it's wrong and honestly I have no interest in anyone other than Chrissy, but it was fun to like, make up this whole persona and just see what people would do. I was curious about life as Steve Harrington. It must be easier than trying to flirt as, you know, me."
"And Chrissy doesn't know?"
Robin shakes her head. "She thinks I dropped the whole thing, but I couldn't. So I got a new phone, I deleted everything from my phone and I just kept going. I wanted to know how long it would take people to want a date. I started analyzing data, and I thought it would be a good study subject. But it's like I said… I only have eyes for Chrissy. I don't even like men. It was just… A test, I guess."
Steve exhales. He has to be honest, this is way more complicated than he thought it would be. It still doesn't make it ok, and it still confuses the hell out of him.  
"Robin, this is fucked up."
"I know ok? But there's just this… Adrenaline thrill. Of creating a personality for you, talking to people and seeing how they act, how they flirt with someone that looks like you. I never experienced any of that because I'm awkward and weird and I like girls. I told one of my professors I was doing it and he said it was fascinating. I couldn't just drop it. He wouldn't let me drop it. He kept saying how I had a chance of a lifetime with it and I just… How the fuck do I say no to that?"
Steve knows it still doesn't make it ok, but he's starting to feel sorry for Robin, so he tries to hold on to the anger. It's easier that way than if he tried to understand her. But there's still this one thing that doesn't make sense. 
"But how the hell did that evolve into you setting up a date with Eddie? And that's why you kept telling me to not go out with him isn't it?"
And that… That felt awful. He liked Eddie. He had liked him from the start and because Robin fucked up he had felt a little unsure about asking him out. When she finally speaks, she's not looking at Steve. 
"I didn't set up a date with him. I knew I could never do that because there was no way I could keep up the farce if I started doing it. But I should've been more careful. One of the pictures I set up on your profile had the coffee shop in the background. It didn't take a genius to make the connection, but I never thought he was just going to show up like that!"
"Well, that does sound like Eddie," Steve pointed out and he was assaulted with mixed feelings. An ache spreading on his chest as he thought he might never see Eddie again. Because of Robin. 
"I panicked when I started getting weird messages from him saying like 'surprise' and 'stop messing around' and I didn't get it. I sent a bunch of question marks and Eddie never got back to me. I figured it out after you told me what had happened and, well, you know what happened next."
After that, Steve stays silent for a long time. Robin keeps fidgeting with her hands as if she's waiting for a death sentence of something. 
Steve feels… So many things. He's mad at her, of course he is. But the frustration right now feels so much bigger. Even if Robin thinks it's easier being like him, Steve is tired of all that comes with it.
And Eddie was the first person in a long time that saw Steve in a different way. Sure, he might've started talking to not-Steve for his looks, but right now Eddie knew him. And Steve wasn't ready to let that go. He had no idea how to fix it and his head was pounding with lack of sleep and Robin was… Talking. Always fucking talking. 
"Robin!" he said, his voice going up an octave and making her shut her mouth. He got up from the couch and pressed the heels of his hand on his eyes. "I'm just… Please delete the whole thing. I don't care what you're going to tell your professor, but I'm not your little experiment. I just wanted to be your roommate. Maybe even your friend.But right now I just… Just leave me alone, please."
Steve walks to his room without looking back and he only hears when Robin leaves the apartment, a couple of minutes later.  Previous | Next
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redbleedingrose ¡ 1 year ago
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Girl Dad!Cassian x reader Headcanons
A/N: I love me some girl dad Bat boys and Vanserra bros. TBH all the ACOTAR males would make incredible girl dads and I was just thinking about Cassian today. Anyway, this is for @augustinerose I know that it has been tough recently, so I hope this made you smile. <3
Cassian is a girls girl. He LOVES his daughter, and wants his babe to be able to express herself in any way she wants. So he def lets his daughter paint his nails pink and purple, and grins so wide when she smacks a kiss onto his cheek calling him pretty. And he takes real good care to paint her nails all nice and clean.
Cass is also happy to let his pretty princess put some makeup on him, with the blue eyeshadow and red lips. Male is not even the slightest bit embarrassed when you walk into your home to find him sitting on the floor so that your daughter can reach his face, six bows of all colors in his hair that is half braided and half curled, with your reddest shade of lipstick being smeared all over him. The guilty look from your babe stealing your makeup is too cute, and you settle down into Cass’ lap and ask her to do your hair and makeup too.
He would die for this child, and do practically anything to see a smile on her face, so he is gonna wear the purple tutu and tiara for his girl, and he is absolutely gonna have his pinky pointing out while he sips water from a tiny princess tea cup cuz his baby girl scolded him for not using "proper etticuite daddy."
Occasionally, she can also rope in Az and Rhys and they might roll their eyes and moan and groan, but they are gonna do anything for that little girl because they adore her and she is the only baby girl in the family so far. They spoil her like no other. You had to practically ban Rhys from getting her anymore dresses because there was no more storage in your home, and you nearly threw him into the Sidra when he offered to add another room to your home so he could fill it up with more jewelry and shoes and tutus for the “night court princess��
And on starfall, she does little dance routines for the whole family but she willet all shy about dancing her little ballerina routine in front everyone in the inner circle, so he helps her out and dances by her side even getting on his tippy toes despite everyone is snickering at him, this big burly male twirling around with his muscled arms pointed to the sky with his "mini me"
He loves pretending to chomp and eat her ruddy cheeks because it makes her cackle from deep in her tummy, and he is always blowing raspberries into her chubby belly. Don’t even get me started on those chunky thighs, and stinky feet. Cass wants to cry every single time he thinks about his pretty princess growing up. He wants her to stay young forever, to never worry about a single thing, to make sure that he can always watch over her and protect her.
When she was a newborn, he would steal her from the bassinet and take her on flights, wrapping her tiny wings into a wooly blanket to make sure they stay warm and cozy, and he would spend hours just flying around and telling her stories about his life, and stories about you. His favorite topic to talk about to her while she snoozes away is how much he loves you and how much he loves her. His obsession with his girls is truly a next level of adoration.
Ugh AND he loves cutting up fruit for her, and she just walks around munching on it with her tiny fist around the fruit and juices smeared across her cheeks. An he is always so gentle about wiping away the juices with a wet rag, having her sitting on the counter with her tiny legs swinging back and forth kicking his corded thighs while he cleans her ups and smooches her ruddy cheeks when he is done
Let us also discuss how Cassian learned how to braid hair by the Valkaryie warriors, and so he is the expert when it comes to doing her hair. Male can do twists and plaits so fast and instinctually, its insane. Most days, you have him doing your own hair. Oh, and she was born with a TUFT of hair that he would play with to soothe her. It is thick and dark just like his, and curls at the end, and he thinks it is one of his favorite features that he passed on to her.
OOOHHHH and imagine him teaching her to fly when she finally has the strength to control those muscles. She is all frustrated with fat tears rolling down her ruddy cheeks cuz “is too hard daddy” and he is down on one knee in front of her, rubbing his large hands over her tiny shoulders hushing her little cries, “s’okay baby, you’re right, it is hard,” and he smooches her cheek and pulls back to stare into her big eyes, “but you know what sweet girl? You can do it. It might take some time and practice, like most things do, but you will do it. And I will be here every step of the way, ‘kay?” And she sniffles, rubbing her tears away with a tiny fist and snuggles into his big chest while nodding.
Every birthday, he buys her a bouquet of flowers. And he also buys you a bouquet of flowers, making sure to thank you for the best gift he has ever received.
Okay maybe I will add more to this later, but this all I got for now, I hope you enjoyed!!!
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hoodedboy79 ¡ 11 months ago
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Hey. I just saw your post of the idea to write about Assassins Creed. It’s lovely to see someone who would write about the Assasins, like Bayek (he doesn’t get enough love). I don’t have anything particular in mind but I’d love to see some/or reactions of some kind of Bayek, Arno and/or any you feel comfortable with. Have a nice day :))
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Being Best Friends With Them: Bayek, Arno & Jacob.
Just to start off with I'm sorry this took so long for me to do but I've got major writers block atm so these might be ass but I tried. Also Arno might be extra ooc cuz I only brought Unity a few days ago when it went on sale and haven't done more than the beginning yet so apologies in advance 😅
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Bayek
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• The most loyal, lifelong friend you're ever going to get right here.
• Even if you two don't see each other as often anymore after Bayek became a Medjay and started a family.
• Talking about him starting a family, you were one of the first people he told when he found out Aya was expecting.
• Invites you over regularly to eat dinner with him and his family, along with Hepzefa and Rabiah if they are free.
• He loves that his closest people get on so well.
• You accompanying him, Khemu and Chenzira on their hunting trips.
• As much as he wants to confide in you after Khemu's death and Aya's departure, he can't bring himself to. Not only because he doesn't want to speak about it when the wound is so fresh but he doesn't want to burden you with his feelings.
• So he doesn't say much to you before leaving to track down the Heron.
• When he eventually returns, and is in a slightly better headspace than before he left, he was happy to see you, and Hepzefa, waiting for him.
• You two have a lot to catch up on.
Arno
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• Will silently judge every stupid decision you make, his face tells you exactly what he wants to say though to the point it doesn't feel as 'silent' anymore.
• He will help you clean up and or defend you from the consequences of said stupid decision though.
• The type to have clothes made for you, regardless of your social status.
• Depending on your personality, there's going to be a LOT of disagreements between you two due to Arno's stubbornness (and yours, potentially) but he's willing to come to a compromise with you after enough back and forth, he probably won't admit if he was wrong though.
• Arno never truly gets over Élise and has times where his grief rears it's head, sometimes he'll allow you to comfort him even if it's just by sitting in the same room in silence while you both get on with your own things or other times he'll avoid everyone completely and try to keep himself busy with random tasks till he feels ready to see people again.
• Would like to visit the theatre with you occasionally or just relax for once and have a discussion about art or the newest plays.
• Gossip duo 💅🏻
Jacob
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• Sheer pandemonium.
• You two together brings the fear of God into people.
• Spending hours with him in the pub, whether it be indulging in drinking games, playing Whist (don't worry he won't drown you in the river if you beat him) or just chatting with the Rooks, Jacob will make sure you enjoy yourself and hopefully get you to stay just another hour (and buy another round).
• Tells Maxwell about you and eventually invites you to accompany them on one of their random outings.
• We all know how that eventually ends.
• Both of you teasing Evie about Henry. Jacob will definitely turn on you though if he finds out you are courting someone/being courted, it isn't just Evie he's willing to tease.
• He would find out as much as he could about the person that you're interested in, especially if their the one trying to court you. He's been betrayed by people close to him before and doesn't want you to go through the same thing if he can help it.
• He'll make almost everything a (friendly) competition with you; Who can climb this building faster? Who can kill the most Blighters in this random street fight? Who can escape the police quicker?, things like that. Evie will even sometimes join in, which usually ends with the twins bickering after she wins.
• You and Jacob really do share the same braincell at times fr.
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I haven't done any hc's in a hot minute and I can see why lol. Maybe I'll rewrite these one day or add to it I dunno.
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ingravinoveritas ¡ 4 months ago
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Same David event anon: On a more positive note there was some Michael talk. They were talking about how Michael was top of his class at RADA and David joked that his career had done okay he supposed. 😝 And then the interviewer said “oh but he doesn’t do good like you….oh wait he did pay off the debt of 900 people” and David rolled his eyes and said that he supposed he was a very good person. Much more genuine than the performative Georgia crap.
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Hello, Anon. Tumblr for some reason decided to glitch out, so trying this again, albeit with the messages out of order.
Well, it's certainly nice to hear from someone who was at the event last Thursday, and I appreciate you sharing your perspective. For those who might've missed it: On Thursday night, David was interviewed at An Evening with David Tennant, which was held at (of all places) a church in Chiswick.
The interviewer for this event was Deborah Frances-White, author of The Guilty Feminist and host of a podcast by the same name. David and Georgia have a long history with this author, going back at least several years to when they were in a Silver Linings video for her podcast during the pandemic (a video that is very surreal and oddly prophetic to watch now).
From what I've ascertained, it seems like she interrupted/talked over David a great deal, and seeing how this author is also one of Georgia's favorite writers and Georgia was in the audience on Thursday, all of this has to be the lens through which we consider and discuss everything that happened.
For the first part you mentioned, it does seem that someone took video, so I will post it beneath the cut so folks can have a visual:
The biggest thing for me is that as soon as the interviewer starts gushing about Georgia/their relationship, David's body language noticeably changes. I know we've said how wiggly David is under most circumstances (to where there's even an entire blog here on Tumblr dedicated to how he can't sit normally in chairs). But as soon as she starts gushing about their relationship (specifically, what would happen if they ever broke up), he's so far to one side that he's all but launching himself out of the chair entirely. And when she makes the comment about the PM declaring that monogamy is over, David reaches for cup of water, which is possibly the oldest and most well known "I'm uncomfortable" maneuver in the book.
I'm not sure why this woman thought this was an appropriate venue/time to say all that, but she seems to be projecting what she thinks David and Georgia's relationship is--that is, based on what they've shown her of their relationship--in a public forum where both of them are present, and where David has no room to say anything else. But to go so over-the-top with it (while also talking over David/dominating the conversation in general) makes it feel more out of place and stand out for the wrong reasons.
Which then takes us to the questions you mentioned, the "What turns you on?" and so forth. It turns out these questions were lifted verbatim from what James Lipton used to ask on Inside the Actor's Studio--although to go back further, the questions are actually from Marcel Proust, who originated the Proust Questionnaire. Many interviewers have used them since, but usually put their own personal spin or twist on the questions. The questions that this author lady asked, however, were identical to the ones from IATS. So knowing all of that, these seem like questions that were deliberately asked to elicit a specific response.
(I will say that one other thing I noticed was David wearing his 1970 jumper again, but with the sleeves noticeably pulled down in a way he doesn't normally wear them (see below pictures). In particular, the sleeve is curiously pulled down over his right wrist, again in a way he has never done so before...)
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In thinking about David's answer to the "What turns you on?" question, what stood out to me was the immediacy of it. Again, this interviewer had just finished gushing over his relationship, they're in the middle of a church (which likely had a lot of personal resonance for David, growing up the son of a minister), and Georgia was in the room. So while it might not have been a dishonest answer, it was expected, and something he did not have to think about. It reminded me a great deal of DragonCon in 2019, when David was asked which co-star he had the best chemistry with. His immediate answer was, "Probably my wife." But then a few moments later, he said "Maybe I should've married Michael Sheen." So that in a way illustrates the possible difference between the prepared answer vs. what he might have been thinking more deeply about.
Which then takes me to the mentions of Michael and particularly interestingly, what David said about GO and Crowley/Aziraphale. Because what we're talking about here is vulnerability, and opening up a hidden side of yourself in a forum such as this. David's answers to "What turns you on?" and "What turns you off?" were predictable and performative, but they were not vulnerable. Contrast that to what one of the attendees recounted about him discussing Crowley/Aziraphale, and it's night and day...
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When I first read this, my jaw hit the floor. The entire lack of subtlety, to where you almost don't even need to read between the lines anymore. What David did here is what Michael was already doing back in 2019--connecting himself to the character in a deeply personal way, to where the line is blurry as to where Crowley ends and David begins. Crowley needs his "best friend" but can't express it? And it's very "Scottish Presbyterian" of him? I mean...I don't think you need to be a member of MENSA to put the pieces together at this point.
This was David being vulnerable. This was him opening up and saying something that we never heard him say before, and it was extraordinary. He went into detail in a way he did not with the answers related to Georgia. He didn't say why or how she inspires him creatively, just that she did. He gave a perfect answer, but that's not the same thing as a heartfelt one. And for him to say what he said about Crowley/Aziraphale in this context, at this particular event, and after everything that's been going on with GO for the last few months, is absolutely huge.
I love that you pointed out the genuineness of David talking about Michael as well. I had heard from another report that he said something like, "What's he ever done for charity... Oh, wait, maybe it's not the best week to be saying that." Which tells us that David is keenly aware of what Michael has done and gave his full attention to every single second of the documentary. (The "oh, wait, maybe it's not the best week to be saying that" implying that it's obvious and that everyone already knows what he's talking about...or at least should know.)
When it comes to Michael, David never seems to go for canned/prepared answers, but instead speaks from the heart. He didn't need someone there hyping up his and Michael's relationship to try and encourage those responses--he just gave them on his own. The real emotion that David showed in making these comments/talking about GO was more than noticeable, and seems to be what so many people have reacted to most strongly since then.
This brings me to my last point, which is the response in the aftermath of all this. Knowing that Georgia was there, and knowing the responses David gave to those ITAS questions, you would think that she would've posted something on Insta about the event. At the very least, something about this author lady, who is a friend of hers and her favorite writer and so on, and what a great job she did at the event. But what did Georgia post about this event?
Nothing.
Two Insta stories about an upcoming event with this author and David in April. But not one single thing about this past Thursday. Given everything just discussed above, it would make all the sense in the world for her to be bragging or at least just mention him in some capacity. And yet...nothing.
So yes, those are my thoughts on the event David spoke at this past Thursday. I'm glad you got to go, Anon, and had such a lovely time. Thanks for reporting in! x
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