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try-again-bissh · 2 days ago

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"Imagine Being Love by Me" Pt 2

Smoke x Annie x OC Sinners Fic

Modern AU

Hello ! the bees in my brain are screaming, they demand I write so here I am back again. My 2025 motto has been 'don't be afraid to be seem trying" and BOY do I feel seen. I love Pearline and Sammie so there's more of them in this section. Also I now have a summary I guess!

part 1

Warnings: None for this part.

Word count: 2930

Enjoy!

Cassidy has arrived in Clarksdale, Mississippi to visit her best friend from college Pearline. Pearline is excited to show Cassidy around and allow her to sample all Mississippi has to offer, which may include more learnings and love than Cassidy is ready for.

Day 1 of 16

Cassidy hefted her backpack further up her back and wheeled her suitcase out the automatic doors of the airport. She paused the Mississippi heat pressed in on her from all directions. She looked around and took in how perfectly flat the horizon was all around her, past the airport parking lot the world seemed to go on forever here. She turned her face up toward the sun and took in a deep breath, it was so different from New York. Different from the city but even different from where she was living now further upstate away from the noise. A honk to her left caused her eyes to pop open and she turned to see Pearline standing in the open door of her car waving at her.

“Babygirl!” A smile burst across Cassidy’ face as she shouted, hefting her suitcase up and hustling towards her. She dumped her bag and caught a squealing Pearline in a hug. Arms wrapped around her shoulders she squeezed her friend hard, bending her back and rocking her side to side.

“Ah, I fucking missed you girl!” Pearline moaned.

“Missed you too, come here lemme look at you” Cassie murmured.

Taking a step back, her hands running down Pearline’s arms to clasp her hands and took a good look at her friend for the first time in a while. Pearline looked amazing. Fresh braids pulled into a high ponytail, her gorgeous chocolate brown skin, glowing and even, her eyes were sparkling.

“Goddamn girl, is it love or is it the Souf that got you shining like this? I am tryna get like you, shit” Cassidy exclaimed.

Pearline swatted her in the arm for her terrible impression of a Southern accent.

“Look at me?! Girl look at you! Daddy got a retwist just for me huh? Look at how long yo hair is.”

“Yeah you know, I had to get right before I meet all your friends. I can't have people talking shit about us city slickers” Cassie pushed her hand through locs and shook them out, preening slightly.

Pearline shoved Cassie away and beeped open the truck of her car, “Get yo shit and let's go city slicker”

After loading her luggage into the car, Cassie settled in the passenger seat as Pearline pulled out onto the road. The flat Mississippi terrain whipping by the window, nothing as far as the eye could see, few trees off in the horizon.

“I can't believe you made it” Pearline said, awe coating her tone.

“I promised I would, shit is settled at the farm and it's cold as shit right now I would rather be here.” Cassie replied, turning to look at her friend.

“I believed you when you promised but damn it's been years I've missed you, girl”

“Aht aht, it's been 18 months not years! And I've missed you too that's why I'm here, I'm ready to root and toot or whatever y'all do out here” Cassie laughed.

Pearline was her roommate sophomore year of college. Still homesick and feeling lost in the ever swelling crowds of privileged white folks the two of them struck a fast friendship.

They had been with each other through so much, internships, microaggressions, bad break ups (Cassidy had notoriously keyed Pearl's garbage ex boyfriends car, he spent years crossing the street every time he saw Cassidy in town, bitch ass) and even Pearline finally packing up and moving back home to Mississippi.

The last almost two years had been filled with daily phone calls and weekly zoom sessions. Cassie listening to Pearl wax about reconnecting with Sammie after so many years away, hearing about her truly making a life for herself now. For the last 8 months Pearline had been begging Cassie to finally come down and visit, the club that Sammie and her performed at regularly was celebrating its 2 year anniversary and it seemed the perfect time for Cassie to take a much needed vacation.

Cassie pulled her phone out of her pocket, opened the camera and held it forward so both her and Pearline were in the frame.

“Smile baby!” She shouted, Pearline’s eyes darted briefly away from the road to smile brightly at the camera.

“I got one y'all! Snagged ha and dragged ha ass out to the Delta!” She called whooping like a cowboy and beating on her horn as they continued down the empty road. Laughter burst from Cassie thick and full and she fumbled to end the video.

~~~

Hours later in the front room of Club Juke, Annie was leaning against the bar, swiping through Instagram on her phone. A new story posted by Pearline caught her attention and she clicked it. A boomerang showing the arrivals gate at the airport showed from 6 hours ago, “ma girl’s finally here !” The caption read.

Next a repost from someone else's story showed Pearline driving and a gorgeous black woman sitting in the passenger seat shouted “Smile, baby!” Annie was struck by how bright and wide the woman's smile was; she missed the rest of the post. She fumbled her finger and replayed it again, this time the woman's playful rich giggles ringing in her ear.

The next story post was from 30 minutes ago, a repost from Sammie's story, it showed Pearline and the women standing in almost a prom pose next to Sammie's truck, Pearline beaming at the camera while the women had one arm around her waist and looked down at her with a smirk. Sammie had caption it “third wheeling with your woman and her stud best friend” followed by a face palm emoji and the crying emoji.

Annie noticed the woman was tagged and briefly hesitated before clicking on her IG, it was private to her disappointment. Her bio read:

Cassie and sassy.

Brooklyn born n raised

Farmer/Rancher in Seneca NY

She/They/Daddy 💦

Annie bit her lip and swiped back to Pearline's story to watch the video again. Captivated, she didn't notice Elijah beside her till he kissed her temple. She jumped, and he cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Who dat?” He looked at her phone screen now showing the photo of Pearline and Cassie.

“Pearline got a friend from school visiting, that's her. Cassie.”

She tapped back to the video and turned the phone for Elijah to see. He looked properly, the corners of his mouth turning up unconsciously at the sound of her laughter. Annie watched him. When the photo of Pearline and Cassie came up she held her thumb to the screen so it wouldn't time out and Elijah turned the phone to take a better look.

Cassie was taller than Pearline even in her customary 5 inch heels. She had dark brown skin glowing and dark dreadlocks curled and tumbled over her shoulders. She was wearing an oversized white button up held together with only two buttons done up, thick belt buckle at the waist her jeans tight and snug over her thighs till it fell down straight over her huge chunky combat boots. Big gold rings on the fingers of her hand around Pearline's waist matching the gold necklace disappear down the collar of her shirt.

Elijah's eyes roamed over her as Annie watched his reaction, he was so busy studying her figure he didn't catch Sammie's caption, when he did his jaw clenched and he caught Annie's eyes.

“She's pretty.” He said, pressing his lips to Annie's cheek as he pulled away. “C'mon baby car’s warmed up”

Annie tapped back to the video letting Cassie's voice and laughter wash over her. “Pretty.” She hummed and followed Elijah out.

Day 2 of 16

Club Juke was absolutely packed. Line outside going well down the street and curving in front of the tamale place. Cassie’s eyes widened as Sammie pulled into what seemed to be a VIP parking spot right up front. Pearline was checking her makeup in the mirror, cleaning the lines of her lip look. Cassie patted her pockets to make sure she had her phone and cards on her. Her own lips are lightly red and glossy. She looked up in time to catch Sammie staring adoringly at Pearline, hand forgotten on the keys in the car's ignition. Pearline noticed and gave him a questioning look and gentle smile. Sammie leaned across and ruined all her hard work by giving her a full kiss on her lips. She yelped and returned the kiss, swatted him on the shoulder as he leaned back.

“You beautiful” he said to her shrugging. He killed the engine and hopped out, walking around the car to open Pearline and Cassie’s door. Cassie looked up startled, from where she was checking out the patrons in line.

“Such a gentleman our Preacherboy is” she said sweetly as she hopped out. Pearline slid from her seat, like liquid sin. She was wearing a very tiny hot pink sleeveless dress, sparkling tights and shiny black heels that made her legs seem to go on for years. Cassie could completely understand how distracted Sammie was every time he looked at her.

They were so sweet it made Cassie’s teeth ache looking at them. Pearline deserved someone who was so in love with her they couldn't see the world around them and that was Sammie for sure.

Sammie’s arm slid around Pearline’s tiny waist in that dress and held out his hand to help her step onto the curb. He didn't follow and hung back so he could watch her walk in front of him. And walk she did. Cassie stifled a giggle, and followed her as she made her way to the entrance.

Both Sammie and Pearl were recognized by folks on line, calling out to them asking if they would be singing tonight which Sammie denied.

“Just hanging with family tonight yall, sorry” he said as the bouncer waved them inside.

Pearline has described Club Juke to Cassie multiple times, having been heavily involved in the place since its grand opening. But seeing it in all its majesty was something else. Unlike the clubs Cassie frequented when she lived in Brooklyn Club Juke was all southern charm and what could only be described as black opulence. Two floors, huge full bar, stages and raised platforms the space was amazing and had all the grandeur of a theater.

Everywhere Cassie looked there was amazingly dressed gorgeous black and brown folk dancing, drinking and chatting. Glasses clinked and the music was soaring around the room. Cassie was almost breathless with excitement.

Tonight’s gonna be a good night. She thought giddily.

Pearline made her way to the less crowded bar away from the stage and waved the bartender over. She plopped herself onto a stool and turned to grab one for Cassie. Cassie was gazing around eyes wide and impressed. Pearline caught her wrist to get her attention and gestured to the seat, Cassie shook her head and leaned against the bar to Pearline’s right keeping the door and the crowd in her sight. Sammie pressed in on Pearline’s left and began chatting with the bartender.

“You can sit. It’s chill here Cassie, I promise.” Pearline leaned in closer to Cassie.

Cassie was already shaking her head trying to deny that she was on edge but Pearl knew her too well.

“Maybe I should've wore a dress.” She leaned in to speak in Pearline’s ear. She had already caught people looking her way as they walked in and this isn't even the most masculine she could look.

“Stop, you look fucking amazing and like I said you good here. I wouldn't bring you nowhere where people don't know how to act.” Pearline swatted her shoulder and then squeezed her arm in reassurance.

“And my cousins don't play about shit like that. People probably not lookin for the reason you think, me and Pearl here most nights. Clarksdale is still a small city you just a new face.” Sammie said, leaning over to hand both Pearline and Cassie drinks.

“We got you, don't worry.’ Pearline added.

“Alright okay, thank you and cheers yall!” They all clinked glasses.

“My friend Therese is performing later tonight, I want you meet her, she's good people. Her and Corey too.” Sammie nodded to Pearline’s words leaning into her side and kissing her shoulder.

Cassie smiled again watching them, Sammie seemed like he couldn't spend 5 minutes without his lips or hands somewhere on Pearline. They had been together for 2 years already and seemed still well entrenched in their honeymoon era.

“She been texting me all day nervous as hell but she's gonna be great” Pearline continued snuggling back into Sammie’s side. Cassie nodded along listening as she took in the crowd again.

Much how Cassie imagined the red sea parting the crowd around the entrance parted giving Cassie clear view what could possibly be the most beautiful woman she had ever seen walking into Club Juke.

A vision in bright chartreuse, one shoulder long sleeved number, deep rich brown skin fucking glowing like she held the light of the sun in her chest, thick as fucking hell, the women was tall and confident her eyes scanning the room.

Cassie swallowed heavily and tore her gaze away, last thing she wanted was to be caught gawking here. She took a gulp of her drink and blinked hard, biting down on her lip she stole another glance up.

The woman had made her way to the bar on the other side of Club Juke, on her walk there she had been stopped multiple times, kissing cheeks, giving out hugs and waving at people too far from her to greet properly.

The bartender almost tossed himself over the bar to greet her, she asked him something, and he turned and pointed to the upper level. Watching her from the back was almost as good as the front. Her dress was floor length and fit her body like she was born in it. Her ass sat high and full and the curve of her lower back was a vision. The sleeveless side of the dress exposed her shoulder and the tender nape of her neck. Cassie was awestruck.

Maybe southern women are just built different cause goddamn. Cassie thought, she tore her gaze away and again and realized Pearline was no longer talking.

Caught out Cassie froze, meeting Pearline's smirking gaze.

“Ion wanna hear it Pearl.” Cassie said quickly turning to face the bar.

Pearline was quiet which made Cassie wary, she picked up her cocktail napkin and gestured towards Cassie, confused she leaned closer to her friend. Who then wiped roughly at the corner of Cassie's mouth and shouted “Wipe the drool off ya face den!”

“Stop it Pearl get offa me” Cassie squirmed out of her hold, her drink spilled over he fingers as she freed herself. Cassie shook her hand out and placed her drink on the bar. Pearline was still cackling as Sammie chuckled beside her.

“Ugh I hate y'all, where's the bathroom you nosey bitch?” Cassie pouted, wiping both sides of her mouth with her dry hand to make sure she wasn't actually drooling. Pearline burst into laughter again and pointed out the restrooms under the staircase to the second floor. Cassie huffed and made her way through the crowd towards the restroom. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and as she looked down to check it she collided with someone. Her phone clattered out of her hands and to the ground.

Shea butter, tangerine and herbs filled her nostrils. She stepped back an apology already on her lips. She looked up and met gorgeous almond shaped brown eyes, perfectly lined and surrounded by full lashes.

Cassie choked on her own tongue. Something that looked a lot like recognition came over the woman's face and she pursed her lips, gaze dragging over Cassie's face.

“Sorry, I wasn't looking.” The woman's voice was rich and low. She had such a smooth accent that Cassie wasn't able to place but it tickled in her brain. She smiled softly. Cassie was already shaking her head, waving away her apology.

“No, it was me I shouldn't be on my phone like that anyway.” Cassie said.

“It could've been very important.” she replied.

“Couldn't be, I've already forgotten what I was looking at” Cassie said finding herself slightly outta breath the longer she spoke to her. There eyes were locked and Cassie had no interest in looking away.

“Well let's see” she bent down, ignoring Cassie's protests and scooped Cassie phone off the ground and held it out to her.

Cassie reached out to take it and their fingers brushed, sending tingles down Cassie's back.

“So?” The women looked expectantly at Cassie, eyebrow raised. “Is it important?” She asked.

Cassie struggled to tear her eyes away from her gaze and unlocked her phone. The notification showed a new text message from Cassie's ex Olivia. She involuntarily sucked her teeth and rolled her eyes locking her phone and shoving it back into her pocket.

The woman's laughter caused her to look up again. She had one hand cupped over her mouth as she laughed. Her face completely lit up in her humor and Cassie felt her jaw slacken slightly again.

“I guess not then” she said still smiling and looking Cassie right in the eyes.

Cassie opened her mouth to reply when the woman’s own phone lit up and she looked down to reply to a text.

“Sadly this is important, but you have a good night” she said as she held her phone. She turned to walk away and then said over her shoulder “I'll see you later maybe?”

Cassie nodded and replied “Uh I sure hope so”

She got another beautiful glowing smile in return. The woman made her way to the staircase and disappeared up to the second level as Cassie watched her walk away.

Mhm they built different down here for sure. Cassie thought as she made her way on to the line for the restroom. She didnt notice dark heavy eyes watching her interaction from the second level of the club.

~~~

Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think <3

#smoke x annie #smoke x black oc #sinners 2025 #sinners #smoke x annie x oc #annie sinners #elijah moore #sinners fic #sinners fanfiction #annie x oc #annie x fem!oc #back like i never left cause i didnt #pearline sinners #sammie x pearline #sammie moore #michael b jordan #wunmi mosaku

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cirilla-fiona-riannon · 3 days ago

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Ranmaru's Main Story

Chapter 3 Part 1 & Part 2 Spoilers

Translations may not always capture the exact nuances or tone of the original text. Expect grammatical errors and inaccuracies. Not a full translation.

[Ranmaru invited Mai on a date.]

Ranmaru: "Alright, we're here."

(Wait—this place is…!)

Beyond the door lay a shop that sold fabrics and accessories.

Ranmaru: "You always pay attention to your appearance, so I thought you might like a place like this."

Ranmaru: "Well? What do you think?"

Mai: "You nailed it! Thank you for bringing me here."

(He really pays attention to people. And wow, there's so much to see.)

A quick glance around the shop revealed bolts of fabric that shimmered in the light.

Mai: "I've never seen this pattern before. And this one's plain, but it feels so smooth—you can tell it's high-quality."

As I got completely absorbed in looking at the fabrics, Ranmaru tilted his head curiously.

Ranmaru: "You're more interested in the fabric itself? Not the kimonos or hair accessories?"

Mai: "Yeah. Before I came here, I was going to be a designer."

Mai: "Um, it's a job where I choose colors and styles for kimonos and actually sew them myself."

(But ever since I time-slipped here, I've had no idea what happened to that job offer.)

Ranmaru: "I see. So it's like a tailor from the future."

Ranmaru: "You know, you seem more alive than usual right now."

Mai: "Huh? You think so?"

Ranmaru: "Yeah, definitely. Do you really like that job?"

Mai: "I do. I love it."

(Even if I go back to the future and the offer's gone, I still don't want to give up making clothes—that's how much I love it.)

I nodded gently, and he gave me a smile.

Ranmaru: "Hey, Lady Mai. You can tell me anything, okay?"

His hushed voice brushed softly against my ear.

Ranmaru: "We're close enough to share secrets, right?"

(Ranmaru…)

(He's probably being extra thoughtful because of what happened last night.)

That kindness filled my chest with warmth.

Ranmaru: "Finally, now you're starting to look the part."

Mai: "Huh? Look the part of what?"

Ranmaru: "Look the part of someone on a secret date. I told you that when I invited you, remember?"

(Oh, right!)

Even after we finished browsing fabrics and left the store, our "secret date" continued.

Ranmaru: "I got permission to pass through here, but let's keep it quiet."

Ranmaru: "Oh, and just in case something happens, can I hold your hand?"

Mai: "But didn't you just grab my hand without asking earlier?"

Ranmaru: "That was a spur-of-the-moment thing. Please?"

(Isn't that way too sneaky?!)

Even at the restaurant—which he apparently rented out just for today—

Ranmaru: "The grilled kamaboko here is really good. Here, say 'ahh.'"

Mai: "Huh?"

Ranmaru: "I wanted you to try it while it's still warm. Is that not okay?"

Mai: "It's… not not okay."

Ranmaru: "Hehe, what's that supposed to mean? Are you nervous?"

(It's your fault I'm nervous!)

It felt like he was deliberately making me confront the meaning of "secret date"—something I'd been trying not to think too hard about.

(He's capable, thoughtful, and knows exactly how to sweet-talk someone.)

(No matter how hard I try, I don't think I can win against someone like Ranmaru.)

As we went from place to place, I kept getting caught off guard by his little devilish charms. Still, we spent a wonderful day together, right up until the sun began to set.

Mai: "Ranmaru, thank you for today."

Ranmaru: "I should be the one saying that. Did you have fun?"

Mai: "Yeah, I really did."

Ranmaru: "Hehe, that's good."

Suddenly, Ranmaru stopped.

When I turned to look, wondering what was wrong, I saw him looking at me softly.

Ranmaru: "I'll make sure you get back home."

Ranmaru: "So let's get through these three months together, okay?"

Mai: "Ranmaru…"

Mai: "It's really comforting to hear you say that."

Ranmaru: "Right? It's a lot better than being alone."

Ranmaru: "When you were looking at the fabrics in the kimono shop, you looked so genuinely happy."

Ranmaru: "That's why I'll do whatever I can to help you chase your dream of becoming a designer."

He looked straight into my eyes.

(He's talented and well-liked by everyone—yet someone like him is on my side.)

Relief and happiness washed over me.

Mai: "Thank you. With you by my side, I feel like I can take on anything."

I somehow managed to get the words out, and he responded with a bright smile.

[The next day: Late at night - Mai couldn't sleep and slipped out of her room.]

Mai's POV

I thought I heard footsteps echoing faintly from down the corridor.

(Was it just the floorboards creaking?)

(But it felt far too distinct for that.)

I crept to the corner and peeked in the direction of the sound. There, moving silently down the corridor, was Ranmaru, holding something small in his arms.

(What is he carrying this late at night?)

(And isn't that the way out of the castle?)

Puzzled, I watched him suddenly pause and glance around.

Ranmaru: "…………"

(Ah—)

I froze in place, hardly even breathing.

Then, the soft sound of footsteps started again and gradually faded into the distance.

(I ended up hiding.)

It wasn't the first time I'd seen that shadowed look on his face.

(But tonight, it was the darkest I'd ever seen it.)

(I always thought I shouldn't intrude, but…)

He had reached out to me—even when I was the one keeping secrets.

He had come closer without hesitation, gently lifting the weight off my heart.

(So this time, I'll take the first step.)

(If he turns me away, I'll just make sure not to do it again.)

Ranmaru: ".………."

I followed him quietly as he left the castle and entered the forest.

(I have to hurry.)

I tried to keep up, but the uneven path slowed me down.

The starlight that had seemed so bright near the castle faded as the trees grew denser.

(What do I do?)

And just like that, I lost sight of him.

(If I wander around blindly, I'll just get even more lost. But still…)

As I stood there helpless, someone gently took my hand.

(Huh?)

I turned around, and there he was.

Ranmaru: "What's a lady doing wandering around alone this late at night?"

(Ranmaru…)

The one I had been searching for was now looking slightly troubled.

Mai: "Sorry. I saw you in the castle and just followed you without thinking."

That alone seemed to tell him everything he needed to know.

Ranmaru: "Being alone in the forest in the middle of the night is dangerous."

His previously tense expression softened.

Ranmaru: "Someone should be by your side on a night like this."

(Ah…)

Still holding my hand, he began to walk.

Ranmaru: "This way."

He led me deeper into the forest.

As we continued, the trees thinned, revealing a clearer view of the stars overhead.

(A field of flowers.)

Under the moonlight, vibrant blossoms bloomed in full glory.

The breathtaking sight put my heart at ease.

Ranmaru: "This spot should be good."

He stopped at the edge of the flower field.

Ranmaru: "I came here tonight to bury this."

Turning to me, he finally showed me what he'd been carrying.

(A small… urn?)

When he tilted it slightly, it made a dry, rattling sound.

Ranmaru: "These are the remains of someone who passed away."

(Wait.)

Mai: "Whose… remains?"

Ranmaru: "Someone who was suspected of being connected to the attack on Lord Nobunaga. They were captured."

Mai: "Ah…"

What flashed through my mind was the day I first set foot in Azuchi Castle.

(That person…)

(I'd heard they refused to say anything and chose death instead.)

I couldn't take my eyes off the urn, and Ranmaru gave a faint, sorrowful smile.

Ranmaru: "I wanted to return the remains to their family, but they said this person had no known relatives."

Ranmaru: "They died alone, so I just wanted to give them a proper farewell at the very least."

Mai: "Let me help."

(It's the least I can do.)

Ranmaru: "Thank you."

A moment later, a soft voice spoke beside me.

Ranmaru: "You're so kind, Lady Mai—even to someone you didn't know."

Mai: "You're the same."

Ranmaru: "Me? No, I just…"

Once again, silence fell between us.

This time, I was the one who broke it.

Mai: "Actually, I saw this person once, back when they were still alive."

Mai: "I kind of know what happened to him."

Mai: "I get that, in this era, things like that were considered necessary, and I'm not trying to judge the people in the castle, but..."

(I get it. In my head, I do. But…)

Mai: "But I still feel guilty for looking the other way."

Ranmaru: "Looking the other way?"

Mai: "Yeah. I thought there was nothing I could do—even if I did speak up."

Mai: "So when I saw him being dragged away—limp and silent—I didn't even try to help."

Ranmaru: "I see."

He nodded slightly, his eyes dropping to the ground.

Ranmaru: "But I don't think he would ever blame you for that."

(Huh?)

He probably said that to ease my guilt.

(But why does it sound like he actually knows that?)

I couldn't bring myself to nod and accept it.

Then—

Ranmaru: "It's okay."

His gaze lifted to meet mine, warm and steady.

Ranmaru: "The real you is someone who follows her sense of justice, even when she's not sure it'll change anything."

Mai: "Um, I don't know if that's true."

Ranmaru: "Hmm, no self-awareness, huh? Yeah, I figured it'd be hard for you to agree."

Ranmaru: "But that's exactly why I admire you."

(Me?)

Mai: "Isn't it the other way around? I mean, I should be the one saying I admire you."

Ranmaru: "No. I mean it. Ever since that day."

Mai: "That day…?"

(What day is he talking about?)

He continued speaking, his voice calm and steady.

Ranmaru: "You know, a page doesn't serve alone."

Ranmaru: "Among the others who served close to Lord Nobunaga like I did, there were a few I was particularly close to."

(Were? Past tense?)

Ranmaru: "They're right over there."

He lifted his arm slowly and pointed.

At first, I didn't see anything. But then I noticed it—a single branch, quietly marked by a tiny flower.

Ranmaru: "The actual grave is somewhere else. I just buried a lock of their hair here."

(A lock of hair.)

A sharp pain jolted through my chest.

Even so, I couldn't stop myself from asking.

Mai: "So… they're already…?"

Ranmaru: "Yeah. They're no longer in this world."

Ranmaru: "When Lord Nobunaga was attacked at Honnō-ji, they fought back against the assailants—but never returned."

Ranmaru's face twisted in pain, contorted with regret.

Ranmaru: "I couldn't do anything. I couldn't stop it."

Ranmaru: "If I had been more like you—able to act without hesitation—maybe none of it would have happened."

Mai: "..………"

(That day… he meant the Honnō-ji Incident.)

Even as a flood of thoughts surged through my mind, I couldn't form a single coherent one. All I could do was breathe, overwhelmed.

Then, Ranmaru gave a smile—so gentle it was heartbreaking.

Ranmaru: "It was my fault. All of it."

This isn't a full translation, as translating a whole chapter would take me hours.

#ikesen translations #ikemen sengoku #ikesen jp #ikesen ranmaru #ranmaru mori #ikesen #cybird

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roverjamball · 2 years ago

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DAY 1 - 17.07.2023

"I've got you and I'm not letting go."

Raven enters the Titans tower, Damian, following her. He close the door he’s been holding for them.

Team Leader for the month continued to berate me as we climbed up the Everest, to the top floors that house living quarters, dining and kitchen area. Damian lead, I was slightly behind him. Trying to to lag.

The patrol was routine. Except for the fire, of course. Which was probably some kind to trap. Either way it would need investigating. This was the day from hell.

Most days Damien and I took the nightshift. I was more alert at night. Shadows, they spoke to me. This was not something I had really noticed, but when we ended up doing three nightshifts in a row, I realised how the cool darkness could feel, freeing. The night Spoke to me in a way that nothing else had before. Shadows, not usually sentient, were always aware of her, always eager to do her bidding.

Raven counted the steps, Damian's, tall, lean frame, ate up the steps beside her. His breathing steady, as if they were out for a stroll. She on the other hand was tired, her legs ached, magically depleted. After being up for almost 48 hours straight, fighting fire creatures, warding a whole building only for the creatures to vanish and rousing unnatural flames, I was a little flames out.

The previous two days, from what felt like dawn to dusk had been filled with Justice League briefings, mandatory Justice League, briefings. There was a threat. It was spooky. Ant that was all Constantine could or would tell them. One magical and one norm was the new protocol. And though they could’ve asked out of Night Shift, Damien and Raven both decided not to.

Raven was mentally cussing the person who designed the tower, this insanely long staircase, and the fact that the elevator was lowest in the list of priorities for renovations of Titans Tower. Maybe she should teleport the architect all the way up and help him feel each stair, head first, on his way down.

So involved was she in the violent, yet satisfying fantasy, it took her totally by surprise when they reached the kitchen.

Raven blinked, further surprised to find that Damian had stoped in the middle of the corridor, and was speaking to her. I turned to look up at him, my senses searching him, what question? Only to sink into his green eyes.

Wide eyes shone like sea glass under dark brows. Add to those mesmerisers, straight thick brows. Damian’s wavy hair, now covered with soot, ash, his warrior bearing, lean like a professional fencer, his beauty could lead her to any number of sins, and Raven was turning into a poet, trying to justify why she couldn’t take her eyes off her teammate.

Thick eyebrows were raised in question. Look away. Look away Raven told herself.

Damian was far too perceptive by half, even suffering form smoke inhalation. And then Raven made the mistake of looking at his mouth, soft lips compress in a lush line as if annoyed at being ignored. Tempting softness beckoned Raven. She had watched him clean up after the fire was put out, ash and soot patchwork, still his magnetism caught her. She didn’t want to notice such things.

Seep deprivation, Raven thought, yes that is the only reason.

“Huh?” She asked.

They’ve been awake for over 48 hours in one go. And haven’t had much rest before that marathon either. A good excuse to be out of it. Reason, not excuse.

The night had been quite, but Raven sensed unease in the air. Damian noticed, he suggested they linger a bit before heading back. Donna and Conner would release them in an hour or so. Damian called for his bike, a fun self drive feature, handy. It stoped below their perch and Raven teleported them to street level.

Damian hoped on, side wheels retracted into the bike, no longer required for balance. Raven took to the skies. They would run parallel sweeps, Raven taking high ground and Damian covering her.

Doing a final lap before turning in, a few blocks from the Tower, Damian informed her a building was on fire. The FD had just been called. FD would take 20 minutes, budget cuts, while Damian and I were less then a minute away. They passed by the area most nights on the way home, office buildings dominated and then closer to the pier godowns and warehoused were plentiful.

I cast my senses out. There was something there. It needed investigating.

I landed on the roof while Damian went in through a window, creating a zip line for evacuation, if needed. It was early morning, midnight oil a old memory. Even so. Patrolling guards or any number of people could be trapped.

My boots slipped and slid on the tile floor as I sprinted around a corner and toward the doors to the middle of a grand foyer reception. The place had an abandoned feel to it.

Streetlights provided light in the dusty hall, and left huge swaths of blackness crouching and observing my progress. The reception of one office to doors to various utility closets. I was looking for anyone trapped in. Stretching my senses I listened, listening to the hum of the universe, speak to me, I thought.

Moving faster, my cafe-length magical cloak black in the darkness swishing against my legs. I heard a rustling, hissing sound and I’m not sure why, ducked to the left, taking cover of an alcove doorway.

A ball of some kind of noxious-smelling substance, zipped past me, engulfed in blue-white flame. The ball of foul I don’t know, hit the floor, sparked and promptly exploded. I broke to lock and ducked into the room behind me, heat of a hungry fire shot towards me and half melted the wooden door.

It got hot for a second, and wooden door would’ve burst into flames but for the wards I'd woven the moment I touched the doorframe.

I called to Damian, but my magic was interfering with the com technology. I could pull my magic in, but then the door would burst and I didn’t like my chances of hand to hand with a thing ablaze and alive.

Another flaming glob crackled toward me. The substance, whatever the hell it was, clung to what it hit and burned with a supernatural ferocity. It had already burned metal doors to slag in the dim hall behind me.

The goop hit my shield, it slid off the protective spells, spattering the walls on either side of my door. I flinched . The walls wouldn’t hold it back and it was getting hot.

Checked behind me, the light from the street lamps and the fire revelled luckily, restrooms. Water!

Light was growing back where I'd come from, as flaming missiles chewed into walls and floor, spreading with a malicious glee. The door held.

I ran for the windows by the sinks, in was an older building, a few stories tall. Slamming the locks, opening the safety bar with my arm and barely slowing down, I pushed with my will. Plumbing broke and as the pipes burst out, they poured with vengeful force guided by my magic on the flame creature. Once the water honed in on the magical flame monsters, knocking them down took minimal concentration.

I climbed out the window, onto a ledge. Three feet wide, if that. The warded door and water kept the burning creature out, but for how long. I’d regroup, find Damian and then we’d finish this. Slowly I moved to the next set of windows, more than a few feet away, a side way shuffle.

Don’t look down. One step at a time. I could teleport but I wasn’t sure if the creature could track that. I pressed against the side of the building. Teleportation was an option of last resort. I wasn’t even high up, but this close to the ocean sea breeze nipped at me. Pulling my cloak. I focused on making my self streamline. I wanted to levitate, this narrow ledge, only a few stories high was getting to me more than I thought it would.

A sudden weight hit my back, it was all I could do to hold onto the window sill, something pulled viciously at my hair. A wolf like creature had leaped off a dumpster below me. It held on, finding purchase on the ledge, started biting at my neck and ear. It hurt. I tried to spin and throw it off, but it had a good hold. If I pushed harder, I’d lose a ear. The creature could easily pull me down, out weighed my by a mile, a short drop but it would do me damage.

I stopped struggling, the wolf thought it had me, I could feel its triumph, primitive thoughts, ruled completely by instinct. I couldn’t fight it off physically, heavy with power musculature. Instead focused on where the creature touched me, my bare skin, “Sleep” I pushed into the creature. Elation and catching me, its guard was done. Feeding compulsion and power where its molten fur met my skin. My voice echoed in the empty streets, “sleep” I willed it, feeding more power into the command. I fed it empty fields, a full stomach, lazy afternoons with shade for a nap.

The pressure ended abruptly. The command took hold. A thud sounded below me. Heavy body hitting metal.

Compulsion took effort, will, concentration, I lost focus of the water to fend off flaming monster in the building. The fire creature burst threw my magically barricaded door. Rushed into the restrooms, zeroing in on me. Heading right at me. More pipes broke, spewing water all over the restroom with the creature in it. Did little good, wet, flames diminished it come for me and I lunged to the side, now all the way out the side of the building to avoid a collision, but now I fell.

My will no longer focused on water cannoning, I blinked into shadows, out of existence. Only to reappear somewhere else. Disoriented I appeared in the middle of a hallway. Smoke, an acrid smell filled my nose, my vision limited. Still in the same building then.

I was about halfway to an exit, not a fire exit she saw, so the door maybe locked. Walking to the middle of a corridor as I pulled my magic into me, I saw it was the ground floor.

Robin still unreachable.

Something ripped the steel doors behind me inward, against the swing of their hinges. A low, bellow erupted from further inside the building. I felt it like thunder. Calling energy to me, my power manifest dark ebony a deep purple. Shadows move to me, eager to please, puppies to her master.

Panting, I looked down the hallway and then to the exit. There was maybe twenty meters between me and the exit. I’d be out, a barred door couldn’t hold me, but then I’d have led who know how many fire creatures after me. I sensed three. I faced two of them, one would sleep for a bit, but the other could re-group and I’d face two again.

I have successfully developed a standard operating procedure for dealing with big, nasty monsters who wanted to kill me in excreting ways. Run. But I couldn’t apply that here. This building was going down, business, shop hopes and dreams would burn tonight. We shall see. I just hoped Damian was all right. He could hold his own.

I breathed in pants, pulled on a mask to cover my mouth and nose. My eyes watered from the heat and smoke.

Water water everywhere, I thought. Finding the reserves of the building, the infrastructure around. Ah!. In an overhead tank, I had spotted something white and round when I landed on the roof. There was three fire hydrants nearby. Only one close enough to make a difference. I reached out to them.

Just then my com crackled. “Raven?”

“Get bike. “ I kept my sentences short and urgent. “Exit off the west parking lot. Over looking the high rise expansion.”

“Copy” his voice crackled in my ear.

“Be ready to carry me out.”

No response. I hope my message was heard. If I ran, the monsters zeroed in on me, would follow. If I escaped, they may scatter in the sleeping city. My magic and will held them at bay. No man made flame retardant material had a prayer against supernatural fire these creatures were throwing around. It was like greek fire.

I pictured the building in my minds eye. Then spread my awareness all over. My power coated each wall and window and vent. I wanted to contain the creatures in which ever area they are, but I don’t think I can do both. Find them all to keep them in, contain the flames.

Adrenaline surged through me. My heart hammering in my chest. The world slid into sharp focus. I saw it all at the same time in half a second: two creatures converged from different areas to me. Their shape flickering in my minds eye. The whole building is covered in my energy, spread too thin I panted, should’ve practice more.

“Seal.” I say. But my voice is normal not a force to be obeyed. I pore my will into the command.

“Seal”, I say again, my voice an eerie register, even to my own ears. I picture what I want. Identify the creatures to the ward. Keep these in. Contain the unnatural flame. Snuff in out. Deprive it of oxygen.

Damian! I sense, him coming from one side, lower face covered with a modified oxygen mask, eyes red from smoke. I find the sprinkler system and feed some magic into it. I give the water intent and power.

Something new, other touches my senses. Closing in. Not from the mundane, not having the same signature as the creatures, they are not of the entity, its power setting my senses on high alert.

Undeterred, I showed the ward the differences in the air. Mundane and magical and foul. The darkness that are shadows creeps towards me. As if to assist. A stranger on the street watching me lose energy, someone it considered of itself, coming to help.

Avalanche of power, magic rushed at us. Honing in on me, it fell in waves. Damian was closing in, keeping the power contained was beyond me. The colossal power must have found a way around my ward, it was like an extra dimensional opening.

Its magic beckoned me. Making promises and offers, all without words. Emotions: belonging, power, family, support, understanding and finally acceptance.

It took a monumental effort of will to restrain it. I was a rock, small and unmovable. The power and its promises an ocean. The waves could go on right over me, but I would lay there, stationary, not at all affected.

The creatures surged, drawing my attention, a frontal assault. Keeping my wards up, while pushing water at the flames was taxing. Walls burst all around, the plumbing breaking out, drenching the beasts; the sides, front, back while the sprinklers worked double time, pouring water from above. Magic combined with water seemed to be effective. Steam rose, mixing with smoke, filling the air. It was hard to see.

Attuned to seeing into levels and dimensions far removed from reality, and therefore inefficient at observing the merely mundane, I was now suspended in the narrow space between the living world and the dark shadow-world, I could survey all that was Metaphysical. My vision doubled magical and mundane superimposed.

With smoke and steam obstructing my normal vision, this magic shadow-world sight was worth the loss of the former.

Magic brushed against me, insubstantial but saturated with power. It was too large, I couldn’t perceive its limit. I began to tremble with the effort. I strained to stay upright.

An explosion of magic, a blaze of white brighter than the nearby street lights. The entity was here. The light bathed the creatures. There were three of them, vaguely animal like, made of flame, the constant water combine with my power did not fade them, but they shied away from the blinding light.

“Evac?” I head in my ear, Damian was here, he reached me. I felt relief in my very bones. Damian was here, safe and he would back me up.

An ancient colossal power that observed me, I felt it judging me. The magic pulled me forward. I only barely got my barriers up. Belatedly, I threw one around Damian.

The pressure held, roaming around my shields, against their shape, strength, a long pale beam of light tasting, testing. Its focus was solely on me, Damian or the creatures beneath its notice. In a moment it retreated. I heard a clinking sound. I think I was losing it, my shields, the warding of the whole building, holding back the creatures, dousing them with powered water, it was a bit much.

The remaining light coalesced into something luminescent, it landed on the tile floor to the side of me. The power was finally truly gone. And it left behind a present. Good thing too. Damian and I we no match for it. Not with out major preparations; artefacts and back up.

On the floor was the object, it that was hard to describe. It had a physical and metaphysical presence. The double vision was giving me a head ache, and sapping at my power reserves. It had markings on it, scratches in the groves. A misshapen shape, it could be an octagon, a hexagon, a disc of some sort, of what sort I just wasn’t sure.

I nodded to Damian, he walked the perimeter of the area. Taking in the scene. We could leave, no need to stand and fight. The wards were in place. Able to function without my intervention. They would hold. Back to my senses, I found that we were alone. Damian and I.

I looked up and around, the creatures must have backed off. They were gone, leaving only charred animal footprints on the floor as proof of their passing.

“Stand back.” Damian walked to the luminescence. It finally faded, leaving nothing behind.

I staggered to the exit. The door was locked. I sagged on it. Right now a stiff wind could flatten me.

Damian gestures me to move away, staggered to the side I leaned on the wall, he took a running start and rammed the door. It shuddered. Where it was weakest, he rammed it again. Wood splintered, metal groaned, the doors burst open. Ignoring my protests Damian lifted me and we shot out into the darkness of the parking lot.

The fresh air was startling, it tasted so good. I stumbled, blinking, trying to get used to the darkness after the red glare. After images dancing before my eyes. The symbol etched on the coin predominant.

I hear a bike reeving, the headlight turn on and helmets come out its sides. I run to it assisted, mostly carried by Damian, push on with my will, climb the rear seat and sag. Spent.

Damian mounts the bike behind me, securing me to him. "I've got you Raven, and I'm not letting go."

“Go!” I mutter. Go”

We duck into an alley. Sounds of sirens and flashes of red blue light pass us. Their howls deafening. Damian turns to check on me, passing me water canteen.

“What the hell is that?"

“Back at the Tower.” I held back a groan. The fire was out, a fire truck couldn’t have done much but with the fire monsters gone they had a chance putting out the embers.

As Damian drove us away I pulled my directive back from the building. The fire hydrant I had repurposed went back to normal and the sprinklers pushed out regular water found in any tap in the city.

And now we were back at the Tower, standing together, Damian facing me.

Damian shrugs resigned to having to repeat the question. “Would you like breakfast before turning in, Raven?” Damien asked, but ever so aloof and polite. Typical, Damian.

His eyes never leave my face, I love my name on his lips. At 19, Damian is so much bigger than me. Taller, broader. His face losing its youthfulness, and with the right get up he can look younger, older, Arab, Afghani, Caucasian or Latin descent. I used magic to help, but with Damian it was all micro expressions and body language.

Back to his question. Spend more time with Damian while he inevitably cooks us breakfast, because my skills in the kitchen were basic at best! Answer a hundred questions. Or, or go off to sleep, hungry.

Her body needed sleep and food. She’d gone without one and now going without the other wouldn’t in anyway, restore her.

Raven nodded, realised she’d been staring and looked down and away. Oh crap sure signs she was hiding something. Hide the slip. Move, move, she told her body. Did an about turn towards the kitchen. Put some distance. Actions speak louder than words.

Before she could, Damian open the door for her. His whole body was in her space. Trying to repress then urge to gauge Damian’s response to our closeness, as he behind me, too close for comfort.

I worked to control my breathlessness. But Damian filled my perception in every way. His face leaning over my right ear, his warm breath grazing my temple. My whole body tingled from the contact. Unless I moved forward, or leaned back a fraction of an inch, I’d be braced against him. Too close.

At times like this, when Damian was gentlemanly towards her, opening doors or pulling my chair for me to sit, I felt something. Correcting my stance during practice or training. Offering me a ride when I’m tired at the end of patrol, giving me a leg up to climb on his unnaturally high Robin cycle. With him this near me, touching but not touching, when his very presence surrounds, he makes me feel safe.

I hope I didn’t pause for too long, get a move on, Damian followed me, our combined smoke flavoured miasma dispersed into the largest, most modern kitchen anywhere, ever.

The kitchen was a priority over fixing the elevator, food trumpets a few extra stairs. Jamie words not mine. I thought of using a portal when I didn’t disagree. Good food the way the Titans did it was usually worth the hassle of a few, million extra stairs.

The right side of the kitchen faced the ocean, floor to ceiling reinforced glass with metal panelling. In times of emergency or lockdown, bars and shutters would enclose them in darkness, but right now hints of sunrise, seeped threw. Hints of stars, twilight still evident.

After Tera’s betrayal, the priority was structural integrity of the tower and defences, after that armoury and training room. Even before the living quarters, the kitchen was done up.

“Pancakes?” Behind her, Damian stood almost touching, his words vibrate through her back. She still felt unsteady, but managed to move unaided. She conquered the stairs, a few feet to the kitchen she would manage.

“Aha” she said, monosyllable reply, is best, Raven decided.

Going into the kitchen, she moved purposefully towards the sink cleaning up the best she could. Then the cupboards. Raven pulled out the necessary pots and pans, while Damian entered the pantry, returning a moment later with required ingredients; butter, flour, salt, maple syrup and honey.

His voice echoed in my mind, a continuous refrain “"I've got you and I'm not letting go.”

When I thought back to those words, how Damian sounded as he said them, how he held me close and warm. His arm around my waist, secure and strong against my back.

Placing the items on the counter, Damian moved to one of the breakfast bar. Removing his cape he folded it and draped it on the back of a chair. He smells like smoke just like she does. Then arm guards came off, followed by all outer pieces of armour; leg guards - that moulded mussels, chest plate, domino mask, equipment belt. Stop, she thought, eyeing him covertly.

To her dismay, Damian even pealed off his reinforced buttoned tunic, now dressed only in pants, and an athletic temperature regulating black t-shirt, the kind most of us wore under our suits. Unaware or unconcerned of side glances Raven gave him, Damian moved about the kitchen, cleaning up, washing his arms after pushing his sleeves above his elbows, scrubbing his face and neck. Water clung to him as he drank a swallow after rinsing his mouth.

Arranging the utensils in only half of his Robin uniform. Pants that moulded his thighs, defined, long legs and a thin temperature regulating athletic high neck T-shirt, sleeves pushed up to his elbows, revealing warm sinewy muscles.

Oblivious, Damian continued, drying off, measuring ingredients, finding dishcloths, wrapping an apron around his waist. His body, lean and hard, flexed, stretched, his sure hands working kitchen appliances, mixing and tasting. It was embarrassing how much it all appealed to me.

This was the worst part of the morning routine. Damian had only recently, a couple of months ago, started to feel comfortable removing his armour, which he usually kept on, even in Titans Tower. And now Raven felt like an asshole for not removing her cloak and equipment belt when he was so comfortable with her.

Raven debated using magic to change out of her smoky clothes, but with her mind so addled, she may end up picturing something ridiculous, and be utterly humiliated. No thank you.

Facing the floor-to-ceiling windows, Raven chose the table furthest from the kitchen. Ever this early it smelled of coffee, the automatic timer must have activated.

Quit stalling. I remove the cloak, balling it on a chair - warding saved it but would need to be washed, belt pouch - carried magical items, powders and herbs equipped with multitools and gadgets, like our communicators and such, I set down carefully across the table. Magic and technology don’t mix too well, techno-magic was possible, I’d tried my had at it a bit. But as a rule I kept them separate, powders in glass or lead jars, mostly inert to magic.

Keeping it simple, I unlace and remove my boots: an organic vegan compound Gar created to replace leather, soft soled and light with re-enforced heels and toes, they had two loops for silver knives, Anthems. By the power of my will I send them to my room. Then I sent the cloak to the hamper and my belt which had technology, I left alone.

Not wanting to be barefoot in front of Damian, I summoned slippers and unbraiding my hair, still smelling of smoke, I took a moment to get a hold of myself.

All this took less than two minutes. Was she being rude if she didn’t continue to help Damian with breakfast?Decided that she was, he was as tiered as she felt, Raven went to set the table. She could do this without distractions if she kept her eyes averted.

Setting the table with plates, glassware and cutlery, Raven while giving Damian a wide berth, opened cupboards, pulling out a platter and placed it on to Damian’s left.

She went back to the pantry, found some ripe summer mangoes, proceeded to peel and cut them to go with the pancakes. As a cook, she was okay, but cutting, mixing ingredients was an essential part of being a magic practitioner. The fruit was cut in perfectly thin slices, garnished with mint and a bit of red pepper sprinkled on the side. And it didn’t make sense, but Damien liked a bit of roasted spice with his pancakes.

“Thank you” Damian said indicating the platter and cut fruit. His voice was low, it had a husky quality to it that made even the most clinical assessments in the heat of battle, sound, intimate. Planning logistics sounded private, spoken in the dead of night. His voice was rough, smoke damage.

It would be beyond rude if she left him there while he cooked for both of them, but she didn’t know what else to do. The table was set fruit, honey, maple syrup placed on the table, awaiting diners.

Damien had two pans going on the burner and soon pancakes word begin piling up the platter. Raven probably would eat three, Damien would probably have four or five, but if he didn’t make some for the other Titans, he would never hear the end of it.

I forced myself to grope for reason but found only fog, a fog Damien routinely created around my mind; every time he spoke, looked at me or I looked at him. I had figured that if I look just off his ear, it would seem I was looking at him, and I would only see him in my peripheral vision. I felt it dilutes the intensity and his effect on me, at least a little bit.

“After we finish breakfast, Damian”. Raven said, I kept my gaze on him. No emotional compulsion.

I pick up the platter of pancakes, taking away Damian’s access to it, once it had enough pancakes for the two of us. The others weren��t even up and they could wait for breakfast after Damian had eaten. Damian had been awake longer than even she had.

The corner of Damian’s mouth twitched, Raven was struck again by Damian’s beautiful lethalness. Without even trying, his dimples and the beginning of stubble made him distinctly handsome.

Damien put the kettle on one burner and turned off the heat of the second burner, leaving the pans as is.

“For later” his smooth voice assured her. Surprisingly a placating smile graced his lips.

Carefully balancing the planter, Raven turned away, she moved away for the kitchen, to their table by the windows. The Sun rose over the horizon, lighting the ocean in pinks and oranges. The whole sky was lightning as she placed their food on the table, arranging the cutlery.

Damian’s long-legged steps were easy beside hers, and she envied the way he seemed so at home in his own skin. Feeling every step Damian took, getting closer and closer as he pulled a chair for her to sit, Raven wasn’t sure how much more she could take. Just keep it professional. Less pathetic that way.

For the last couple of months, most of the night patrols were Damian and Raven, what partnered She’s caught herself staring at him a moment too long and would look down a street, or anywhere else abruptly, so as not to keep staring at him.

As if perpetually aware of her, Damian responds to her sudden movement. Trusting that she must’ve seen or sensed something that he missed. It was happening with such frequency, these last few weeks, it was getting ludicrous.

She could notice things like that, she reasoned, despite the fact that she would never fall for him. She could appreciate his appeal. His movements across any space, for instance. He was fluid and aloof, like a wolf that could take off at any moment with great speed, even though at the moment he was simply beside her. She wouldn’t touch him, however. She had a feeling she’d end up losing a lot more than a limb.

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every-sanji · 1 year ago

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#one piece #sanji #black leg sanji #everysanji #thriller bark #ch473 #ik this is not on the same post i had my little enstars tag ramble on #and i've said before idk how many of you read these (though evidently enough of you do i see you #people who prev tags my silly comments. and reply to me as well hiiii)#but i will not apologize for like. being silly doing life updates in the tags #i've been told one of my charm points is that i'm very passionate about things i like #idk how to flirt i just let my autism flare up til my girlfriend kisses me /j <- mostly cuz we're ldr #augh speaking of my gf.... she's coming to visit me in june for a wedding for my friend #she's my +1 i'm excited to see her we're gonna go on a cute date the day after #oh i'm excited i havent seen her since january 2023 before we even got together lmao #okay. now that i got that out of the way i should finish queuing this chapter before i go to sleep

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fisheito · 10 months ago

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did you hear about yakumo's new rooms yet? or seen it?

sir i just got here please have mercy

#it is Day 1 #how fast are you going through this event?!#i got to part 5 of the story and had to stop because #i thought that was too extreme. we gotta chill out a bit. let's just take it easy #take it slow.... eat some now... eat some later...#i can't be hyping up my excitability receptors all at once or else i'm just gonna drop like a rollercoaster #into a pit of All Energy Potions Gone #the fact that you are going out of your way to ASK ME WHETHER I'VE SEEN THE NEW ROOMS #this is mildly concerning. it gives me the impression that there's something novel in the rooms.#something i may prefer to perceive. rather than not.#well. let's wait and see.#so far it's all kuya anyway #zizz calls me on my phone #'hi is yakumo there?'#no he doesn't go here #mirage of scales #feesh answer

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kalosian-woods · 6 days ago

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(synchro nonnie)

i swear, clemont's inventions need to be studied because his inventions can either actually do something for more than 10 minutes without exploding (clembot mini) or just blow up in everyone's faces

like how does one achieve so many explosions????

Tbf it is a gag first and foremost, in the same league as Brock's love for older women and Cilan's '*insert here* time'! exclaimations. But I do find it something that can lend insight if we look at it in the right angle 🤔

I know you're just talking about the sheer amount of explosions (that everyone somehow survives at point-blank range) (how are they alive?) and YEAH I'm totally with you on that one. I think overall Clem has had only a handful survive their untimely fate, with the most notable being the Clembots (....I mean the OG did survive! Mostly...), could I say the Clemontic Showers?? And also his bag to an extent. I do feel like Clemont does start to work with their latent ability to combust as time goes on (really feeling like he planned it in 'A Stealthy Challenge!', like there was no way he made a decoy that blew up in TR's face without knowing it pls) and later on his inventions do get a little sturdier and it takes outside force for them to go kaboom (e.g. the inventions in 'A Legendary Photo Op!' and 'A Cellular Connection!') (I hate TR for those incidents specifically).

And that sort of leads me to one of the gripes I do have with the anime-- as in I know I should've expected it, it's a gag for the male travelling companion and we have to have those as a staple, but geez he already had the marriage one! And I'm not even saying we take away the fun factor of his inventions! So many times it just explodes because of the air hitting it wrong - but why couldn't we have other causes instead? Some of my friends were talking about different ways that his inventions could blow up like him trying to power it with Pikachu (ambitious goals, really :P) or with his other Electric Types, or some of the Pokemon battling next to it. We can have moments where Clemont can learn and grow through his inventions, even if they failed before, because he is not only a Gym Leader but an inventor too! I think the only eps where we sort of get into the whole 'inventing' part of him (beyond Clembot! and don't get me started on that guy) is 'Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike!' and 'A Gaggle of Gadget Greatness!', and idk that's a little sad for me. It's a core part of his personality and informs so much of his arc! He lost the Gym because of one of his inventions! He made a promise to his friend that helped him make an invention and then lost them because of the celebration of its success! So many parts of his life can be drawn back to that.

Anyways, I like to assume that the reason why most of them blow up on their own is because as an S-ranked worrier, Clemont goes on to put so many failsafes and extra features into every invention that inevitably overworks the poor thing. Attracts 'bird-like Pokemon'? Well, he better put in things that attract Flying-Types, but also a majority of those would also be Normal too, right? But also some Pokemon have different preferences, and use sight as well as hearing so he might as well find a way to stop them from thinking too much about the signal but then--

For him to make the perfect invention for times such as the very specific situations they land in, Clemont would have to have thought ahead. And that's a weakness as well as a strength. In moderation it's a powerful tool, but also if you think too much you end up overthinking things. And then overcomplicating your machines. And that stresses them out too, because machines are like people that way. They need a break, and a purpose, and know their limits.

I find it interesting that in the sea of failures, Clembot mini gets to exist lol. Actually Clembot itself is a very cool example, because that bro can survive falling off a building with no damages whatsoever (no, seriously, watch 'Confronting the Darkness!'. what a fever dream), and before that the only examples we have of his inventions have always worked while the ones after it have, for the most part, always failed. When you think about it, Clembot is very much a turning point in Clemont's life: after trudging through Gym Battles and feeling overwhelmed, he turned to making a robot of himself (and as a Gym Leader, specifically). And that worked until it kicked him out because it couldn't recognise itself in the mirror Clemont himself. Bonnie calls out to Clem in Ep3 after the first (but not the last) explosion we've seen, about how it's 'another failure' / how he 'blew it again' (in dub), and idk that's got me thinking. I mean, it could be the explosion itself, or the fact that it didn't fulfil its function. Just like what happened at the Gym.

Maybe he's just trying to make up for the mistake he made beforehand, or he's just trying to live up to the perfection he was lauded for as a child when he lit up a whole city for people and Pokemon alike. I mean, I could get into the whole thing about 'Heroes - Friends and Faux Alike!' but that's a whole other ballpark heh. But ig beyond the gag itself, the fact that his inventions have a tendency to explode can be its own arc of sorts for him. To work with new materials and with the Pokemon around him, to reuse what he has, and to connect with those that are still around while not fixating on them as well. Always looking ahead to the future and being resilent, and helping others do the same.

#hey sychro nonnie!! just imagine me waving at you whenever you pop by heh #clembot mini is like an angel to me. too perfect. did nothing wrong.#love that for him. i wonder if it's still around because it dipped just before snowbelle lol #tbh i do know that i'm not supposed to take it seriously! but i did say i'm exploring everything in this au #so yeah not even gags are safe from my eyes :P #also because we seriously do not get enough out of clem being an inventor #does he try to make new foods as well? make training machines for ash and serena and the mons some days?#does he know how to stitch and sew clothing after all the ripped clothing? have a special shampoo to keep his hair okay?#does he have a supplier or get the materials himself? what does he do with the burnt scraps afterwards?#so many thoughts about this one (1) small background joke #one day i should do a tierlist for all his inventions lol #and techincally i will be looking into the inventions through fics as well (because i love to)#i'm so going to dive into this all btw i've got a list of fics for this #when you think about it a lot of clems arc to me is about balance #and it's also reflected in his dual interest in pokemon and inventing #trying to restrain myself from just going into ten tangents here but yeah this really got me thinking through my old thoughts so yah :v #i bet there is a ban on him making inventions in wildfire season across the region #bro can survive the black smoke but can't survive walking. lore accurate asthma in the pokeworld represent #let me just say it: his bag is the OG invention. he always touches it up every once in a while and doesn't like to change it much #that's why it's so sturdy and nice and mostly simple #diancie delivers

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umilily · 1 year ago

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I've been trying to get this fucking degree for 7 years, suffering basically nonstop, taking part in all my classes, even taking extra ones, I think at this point I more than deserve them just giving me my bachelor's. I've done ENOUGH.

#lily talks #it has been a day #Have what might be my last exam ever on Friday and ahahahhah #I only got one attempt to pass it or I'll have to do an oral one and I would much rather die than do that #And I've put myself through almost 2 weeks of suffering from being unable to do basically anything other than lie in bed and stare at the #ceiling bc I am so stressed but enemy number 1 aka my brain refuses to let me sit down to properly study but at the same time i'm not #Allowed to do anything else because I'm not studying like I should be and I just am miserable #Anyway I've been a mess this entire time and NOW 2 fucking days before the exam the professor announces there will be another date in late #To take it instead #COULD YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS ANY EARLIER??????????#I am so tempted to switch the date because I barely studied and I feel like shit but i already suffered so much for this and then I would #Just have to do it all again #But I really can't afford to mess it up either bc I don't think I would recover from that. Genuinely.#I am so unbelievably done with all of this. The degree. uni. Constant stupid pressure from everyone about when I will finally be done.#Not even daring to think about the financial aspect because I would just cry #I feel so dumb for having a meltdown before any test situation I ever found myself in because you would expect that AT SOEM POINT my brain #That at some point I would learn to deal with it and cope somehow #Unfortunately I'm starting to doubt that this is going to happen in this lifetime

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queen-mabs-revenge · 1 year ago

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oh it's real depression hours

#giant hole in my ceiling from a leak from 3 years ago that restarted #and knowing the speed at which it got fixed last time shit's gonna be weeks #got a fucking bowl on the floor and everything and it's dripping water and bits of plaster so that's cool and great #cat's slowed down on eating even with the syringe assist #lab said it'll be 14 days before they have results #but if it's FIP that could be half of the time she has left #and there's a treatment that has an 85% success rate but it's not approved in a lot of countries so i'd have to get it myself #and it's the bones of a grand for the meds before even accounting for the syringes #and it's 84 days of injections which - this is the cat who won't even let me pill her so #but i can't even think of starting that until i know what it is for sure #and so i'm just gonna sit here and watch her die over the next two weeks #and most of that time is going to be spent trying to force her to eat and watching her growing to hate and avoid me #i literally just want to fucking scream 1% of cats ever get this why is it my best little friend in the world?#6 weeks ago she was the healthiest 12 year old you ever saw in your life #i've only got 60/195g of food into her today and that's taken hours and hours #this is torture for both of us idk what to do

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roverjamball · 2 years ago

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DamiRaeWeek2023

Master List

Day 1 - "I've got you and I'm not letting go."

Day 1 - II

Day 2 - "Let me take care of you... please." Part I Part II Part III

Day 3 - "I think I'm in love with you and I'm terrified."

Day 4 - "Why are you so good to me?" Part I and Part II

Day 5 - "I have to do this to save the world.” “You are my world."

Day 6 - "I'm not going to leave you. You're never going to have to suffer by yourself again, I promise."

Day 7 - Free day |Forbidden love | Moving in together

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wileycap · 25 days ago

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Selected Correspondence of Fire Lord Zuko

As preserved by the Royal Archives

My good hotman Zuko,

It's Aang! Sokka let me borrow Hawky. Please feed him before sending him back.

I'm writing to ask if it's okay for me to drop by. Except I'll probably be there by the time you get this, because Appa flies faster than Hawky. Still, it's polite to ask!

Write back (or don't.)

Hot regards

Your friend Aang

Revered Avatar Aang

Hawky arrived two hours after you left. Never send me "hot regards" again. Like I keep telling you, language has changed in the past 100 years. It doesn't mean what you think. Future historians will think we were having an affair.

It's always okay to drop by. Hawky has been fed.

May your inner fire warm you (write that down somewhere)

Fire Lord Zuko

need 3 fire benders (zappy) + few construction workers + a lot of copper

Delivr to harbor

sokka

Honorable tribesman Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, son of Chief Hakoda, Hero of the 100 Year War

No.

May your inner fire warm you

Fire Lord Zuko

Dear Jerk Lord of the Jerk Nation, Master Jerkbender and All-Around Jerk

quit being stingy and send me what i need. seriously. the fate of your nation is at stake. LOOK:

[drawing of two pickles, a stick figure and waves]

Hot regards

Sokka

Your drawing makes no sense. I'm writing a law which bans you from owning a messenger hawk.

I found you three volunteer firebenders who can lightningbend. They'll be there in a week with four carts of copper. If you need construction workers, beg Toph, don't bother me.

Feed Hawky better. He's malnourished, he keeps begging me for more food.

And don't do that.

Fire Lord Zuko

Dear Honorless Usurper

My, how the time flies. It seems as if it was only yesterday that I was supposed to be crowned Fire Lord, and here we are, celebrating the first full year of your doomed reign. I salute you.

Know this: you won't know peace for long. I have entered into an alliance with Admiral Noboru. He is a true patriot and has kindly offered me three ships and 2000 men to retake the throne. He has also generously offered to serve as my consort, "despite my mental deficiency."

I am writing as a courtesy, as it is obvious that the throne will soon be mine. I might even let you live.

May Agni's light shine on you*

Azula

Fire Lord-in-exile

[* common benediction for the dead during Fire Lord Zuko's reign]

Dear Sister

Thank you for writing. I spoke with Noboru. I told him that I was allowing an Agni Kai and that you were on your way.

Noboru has fled the country. He gifted you his whole estate, see the enclosed list. He said to tell you he's sorry and not to come after him.

Please come visit any time. I hope your healing is going well.

May your inner fire warm you

Your brother Zuko

[enclosed: A list of assets including a home in the 5th Province, a vacation home on Ember Island, 20 acres of farmland, a substantial amount of gold and silver and assorted property]

Zuko

this is the worst copper i've ever seen??? i want a refund. you're the worst copper merchant ever.

sokka

Sokka

You didn't even pay for the copper. I'm not giving you a refund. And I'm not a copper merchant. I didn't even buy it, somebody else did. What's wrong with it?

I can send you more if you need?

Fire Lord Zuko

Sokka

I sent you two more carts of copper. This is the best copper we have, so if it's not good enough, you can get your own and stop mooching off of me.

Fire Lord Zuko

[on a thin sheet of metal]

Sparky! Earth Rumble 8 is two weeks from now. I'm coming to pick you up in the morning two days before.

Check it out: I can write now. Katara helped me with the characters but I've got it now. Hawky isn't strong enough to carry these, but Katara's dad is letting me borrow Seabreeze.

It's TOPH.

Dear Lady Beifong

You can't just come pick me up! I'm the Fire Lord. Two weeks isn't enough time for me to arrange days off.

I'd like to come watch you knock some heads, but I can't. Sorry.

Feed Seabreeze. Seriously. What's wrong with you people? Every bird you send me is starving.

May your inner fire warm you

Fire Lord Zuko

[on a thin sheet of metal]

Sparky. Thanks for sending me a sheet of paper but my privy is stocked. I can guess what it says though: "I can't go I'm so busy and I'm too much of a wimp to clear my schedule"

I'm coming to pick you up. Tell your guards they can either get out of my way or get CRUSHED. It's gonna be fun.

It's TOPH.

A painting of Fire Lord Zuko, Lady Beifong, Master Katara, Avatar Aang, Suki of Kyoshi Island and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Lady Beifong is sitting on the Fire Lord's shoulders, holding up a decorative belt and smiling widely.

#Seabreeze (main character of Salvage) is a creation of Muffinlance just so everyone knows #zuko: huge pushover to friends and animals alike #zuko #fire lord zuko #sokka #aang #toph beifong #azula #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla fic

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h1biscusgal · 3 months ago

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I fucking entered the void.

Long post ahead!

@premiumbitch I owe u every shit wtf, your method was INSANE?

REMEMBER HOW I TOLD Y'ALL IMMA BE ENTERING THE VOID ON MY BIRTHDAY???? I did it, and guys it's literally the easiest shit idk why some people see it as smth big 💀

I didn't manifest anything, why? Because guess it or not I actually just wanted to be familiar with it, I love how I'm slowly knowing everything is mine, and yesterday I didn't want to manifest anything I just wanted to try the void out especially bc I have been studying sm these days, I wanted a break.

Now I've been eating up that mindset that I'm a master at the void, which let's be obvious, everyone is, they just need to get to the point and slowly realize it, it has to click.

Okay I'm going to stop yapping and fucking get into it 👍🏻, either way, yesterday night, at 1:32 AM or smth, after the day turned 6th April, I got in bed and made myself comfortable, and simply told myself I'll enter the void under 5 minutes, which actually and unsurprisingly, it was the case, I used a standard boring ass method too yk, the one where it's usually always what people do.

On my back, started slow breathing, and i set the intention of keeping myself awake when my body sleeps (best advice I got from idk who it helps sm) and then I let myself sink in the bed for some minutes, like I just laid there, and already I immediately was in the SATs.

So naturally I affirmed for the void, knowing I'm already in there, and mf I slipped in there after two or three minutes of affirming, just saying "I am the void." Or "I am in the void."

I think the reason I actually got out myself or sometimes used to slip in and back, is how I immediately focused on my body signs or anything connected me to myself, so I have a note to myself next time, to allow it naturally happen and focus just on the blackness behind my eyes.

ANYWAYS I STAYED THERE FOR LIKE I THOUGHT 2 OR 3 MINUTES BUT IT WAS A WHOLE WHOPPING 1 HOUR TF, and get that, how did I know it's the void? I just wanted to see stars there and I fucking did 🎀

IMMA GO CRY I FINALLY AM THE CREATER OF MY OWN REALITY.

anyone reading this, babes please don't give up, genuinely don't, I've been in this game for 6 years and I know a lot of people that'll leave for this long, saying they have no patience, girly you can do it if I did, I used to be in SUCH a bad place you can't even imagine, I pulled my shit and started living in the end for 2 months (and no it doesn't take two months, I just was stubborn af and kept slipping in and out my beliefs).

Special thanks to them for keeping my motivation up 💗

@joc3lynn @catherineaboutlife @salemlunaa @premiumbitch @prettygirl444sblog @mercifulstate @shimmershifts @littlemissprettyprincess @luckykiwiii101 @carlyshifts111 (I adore her oml her RAS thing? ATE the fuck up)

And of course can't forget @gorgeouslypink but idk if she's here anymore? And every old blog back in the 2022 and 2020, I adore y'all sm even though I don't have your blog's names 😔🎀.

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inkandapex · 4 months ago

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stream madness pt. 2

Lando Norris x Reader

Summary: Lando Norris embraced his now-public relationship as a chance to openly and unapologetically adore his girlfriend. Fans saw it as a win—though it came at the cost of Max F constantly getting roped into their antics.

Words: 4.8k

Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex, suggestive dialogue

part 1 | part 3 | part 4

Protect Max

Fans were absolutely loving how Y/N had become a bigger part of Max’s streams. They got to see a side of her they’d never caught on social media and beyond the glimpses from the paddock with Lando.

It was just another day of chatting and gaming for the two during a break between races, the pair sat in an ever familiar room in Lando's place in Monaco, but with him absent as Max had mentioned he went out for training.

"We just agreed on not using grenades you cheat! Lando's rubbing off on you way too much. I don't like it" Max exclaims as his character on Counterstrike once again, gets killed by Y/N less than a minute into the round.

"Oh go cry about it Max, just admit I'm better than you" Y/N smirks as she grabs her water bottle to take a sip

"You cheated! I got absolutely knocked by that"

"Fine! You big baby, no grenades this time, promise" Y/N groans as they start another round

"they're so sibling coded" "not bob getting dethroned from being Max's gaming partner" "she's so gonna beat Max again this round"

“Okay, chat, no need to rub salt in the wound—by the way, I was the one who taught you how to play, you should be grateful—shit!”

Max was mid-sentence when Y/N sniped him, knocking him out of the game and securing yet another win—this time, fair and square.

“The student becomes the master,” she smirked, leaning back in her chair, clearly enjoying the moment.

"What's going on here?" the mic picks up Lando's voice before he even enters the frame.

"I'm absolutely dominating on counterstrike—did you just get back?" A playful smile spreads across Y/N's face as Lando walks into the room, standing behind her chair and gently massaging her shoulders.

"I've already showered and everything. Been here the past 30 minutes, you two were too busy bickering—I could hear you all the way down the hall," Lando chuckles, looking down at her with a cheeky grin.

He leans in, but Y/N quickly shifts away, avoiding the kiss.

"You're avoiding my kisses now?" Lando teases, his mouth hanging open in mock surprise.

"The stream, Lan..." Y/N mutters, a little pout on her lips, making Lando laugh softly.

"Alright baby, for our eyes only, yeah?" Lando smirks, leaning back down while reaching for the camera, his hand covering it just in time to hide their kiss.

"Hello?! My eyes! My eyes! What about Max’s eyes?!" Max's shout makes the two burst into laughter as Lando pulls his hand away, revealing Max’s face, twisted in utter disgust.

"lol poor max" "bet he misses P a lil extra today" "i think im going to cardiac arrest they're so cute"

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Snitches get stiches

The night before testing in Bahrain, Lando hopped onto Max’s stream for a few rounds, confident as ever. After absolutely schooling Max, he decided it was time to call it a night, shutting down his setup and stepping away.

What he didn’t step away from, however, was the chat.

Curled up in bed, phone in hand, Lando lurked—dropping smug messages every few minutes. No matter how much Max tried to ignore him, chat was loving it, egging Lando on as he tormented his friend from the shadows.

" 'Just take the L—' Mate, I did take the L. You’re the one still lurking in chat," Max laughed, shaking his head as yet another message from Lando popped up. "You have testing tomorrow, by the way."

Then, a new message appeared.

"Ed said he let you win this morning."

Max smirked, grabbing his phone. Without a word, he held up a finger to the camera and pressed dial. The stream went quiet as he waited. After a few rings, a familiar voice came through the speaker.

"Hey, Y/N, you alright? Sorry if I woke you. You’re in Bahrain with Lando, yeah?" Max finally said, his grin growing wider at the thought of absolutely snitching on his best friend.

"Hey, Maxie. No you're good, just in the other room catching up on work. Lando went to bed about an hour ago. Everything okay? Do I need to wake him up?" Y/N sounded concerned.

"Yeah, 'bout that... he’s wide awake, actually—just finished streaming golf with me. Wouldn’t leave my chat."

The pause on the other end was almost too satisfying. Max leaned back, waiting patiently, his smirk never fading. The sound of rustling and soft footsteps had him turning up the volume, bringing his phone closer to the mic. He even covered his mouth, stifling his laughter, determined to catch this golden moment in all its glory.

"bro is cooked" "oh no she's mad" "not max snitching on lando AGAIN"

"You’ve got testing tomorrow, Lan." "Fucking snitch, Max! Grow up!" Lando’s voice barely made it through, muffled. "You said you were going to bed an hour ago," Y/N said, clearly not amused. "Baby, I am in bed," Lando mumbled, his tone defensive. "You were just playing with Max—" "—For one round, my love. I’m in bed now, aren’t I?" "Don’t play me, Norris. Go to sleep, or I’m taking your phone away." “How am I supposed to sleep without you next to me, huh?” Lando’s voice was full of fake desperation, stretching the words out like he was pleading for a lifeline.

“Right, well, now I’m about to throw up,” Max interrupted, cutting through the conversation with his dry humour.

"Fewtrell, you knew better. shouldn't have entertained him when he asked you to play." "yeah that's right! you get him baby" "Didn't I say go to sleep? I'm telling Jon about this tomorrow" "This isn't over Max!" Lando manages to shout before the line cuts.

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

Taking her back

Lando, Max, and Y/N had been best friends long before Lando and Y/N started dating, and though Lando loved how well his girlfriend and best mate got along, there were times when his jealousy got the best of him.

"Baby, come on. You've been playing with Max forever!" Lando whined, his voice dripping with playful frustration. Both Y/N and Max paused their game, turning to see Lando dramatically sprawled out in the chair behind them, looking all sorts of pouty.

"Lan, you’ve been glued to your phone for the past two hours," Y/N teased with a laugh. "We’ve asked you to join us, like, a million times"

"That’s different!" Lando huffed. "I need you. Did you not miss me? It’s the first time we’ve seen each other in a week!" He gave them a puppy-dog look, and Y/N couldn’t help but smile at his adorable pout.

"A week’s not that long, mate," Max teased, unable to resist poking fun.

"Shut up, you dickhead. I wasn’t talking to you," Lando snapped back, a grin playing at the corners of his mouth. "You're only saying that because P’s been with you the whole time."

"Y/N is literally 6 feet away from you—" Max shot back, raising an eyebrow.

"—Yeah? And you’re about 6 feet away from getting punched," Lando retorted, his playful threat making everyone laugh.

"You’re so easy to wind up," Max said, shaking his head in amusement, clearly enjoying Lando's reaction.

"Very mature, you two," Y/N spoke up, watching the back-and-forth between Lando and Max with an amused smile.

"Baby, please, can we kick Max out? I need some me and you time," Lando groaned, rolling his chair closer to Y/N, his eyes full of exaggerated desperation.

"Lando, chat asked her to join my stream today," Max protested, raising an eyebrow. "You’re really gonna steal her away from them?"

"They’re stealing her away from me right now," Lando shot back, narrowing his eyes playfully at the camera.

"Alright, you big baby, one more round, then we'll leave Max alone," Y/N chuckled, turning to face Lando and gently running her hand through his hair.

"No. Now," Lando pouted, shamelessly showing just how needy he was, making Y/N laugh as she gave him a soft, teasing look.

"I'm about this close to bleaching my eyes and ears, mate," Max teased, smirking at the chaos unfolding.

"I'm about this close to kicking you out of my flat—" Lando leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at Max.

"—OKAY. Chat, my kids are throwing tantrums now, I think it’s time for me to go," Y/N sighed in defeat, sitting up straight with a playful roll of her eyes. "You two are impossible." She gave both of them an exasperated but affectionate look, knowing she’d have to be the voice of reason.

"boooo! not bob stealing y/n from us" "NOOO don't leave Y/N" "LN being selfish lol" "hes neeeedy"

Max let out a laugh as he read through the chat, clearly enjoying the chaos. "They're booing you, mate—yeah, chat! That's right! He’s stealing Y/N from us!" Max egged them on, his voice full of mischief.

Just as Y/N stood up from her seat, ready to leave, Lando grabbed her arm, pulling her back down onto his lap. He held her firmly by the waist, giving her a quick kiss.

Y/N gently shoved him, standing up again with a soft laugh, trying to hide the flustered look that had crept onto her face from his sudden move. Lando, now sporting a proud smirk, looked straight at the camera. "Gotta take my girl back now, chat," he said with a playful wink. "We’ll see you guys next time."

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Look at my girl

"Did you get the code? I sent it to you on WhatsApp," Lando said, setting his phone down and turning his attention back to his screen as he finished setting up the game.

"Yep, got it. We're using in-game mics, yeah?" Max replied, joining the lobby.

Before Lando could answer, a soft knock echoed through the room. He instinctively pulled off one side of his headphones, swiveling his chair to find Y/N standing by the door.

"I'm heading out now, bub" her voice carried through the mic, chat flooded with messages about how soft Lando’s gaze had just turned.

"Look at you all dressed up—where are you headed, my pretty girl?" Lando smirked, leaning back in his chair, eyes shamelessly trailing over his girlfriend.

A blush crept up Y/N’s cheeks as she shifted on her feet, slightly embarrassed by her boyfriend’s proud declaration. "I’m having lunch with Alex today, remember?"

"You look beautiful, my love," Lando murmured, his grin widening before turning back to his stream. "Chat, doesn’t Y/N look absolutely stunning?"

"Maate, start the bloody game!" Max groaned, dragging out the words in frustration.

Y/N chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Alright, Lan, I gotta go—they're arriving soon."

"Alex is picking you up?" Lando asked, tilting his head as he kept his eyes on her.

Y/N nodded. "Charles offered to drop us off at the restaurant. I'll bring you home food, and I’ll send you the menu when I get there."

Lando’s expression softened. "Have fun, my love. Text me if you need anything."

"Got it. Bye, chat—" Y/N smiled, giving a small wave as she stepped out the door.

"—What?! Hey, hey, no! Come back—baby, my kiss!" Lando whined, nearly pushing himself out of his seat, watching her leave with a dramatic pout.

She let out a playful groan but stepped back into the room, making her way toward Lando.

"Look at her, everyone—stunning," Lando grinned, taking her hand in his. "Alright, bye, gorgeous. Have a great time."

Y/N smirked, holding her hand up to the camera—mimicking the way Lando had covered it on a previous stream—before leaning down to press a soft kiss to his lips.

"Thanks for that, Y/N, really appreciate the modesty," Max's voice rang through Lando's headphones, dripping with sarcasm. "Hope you do that to my eyes next time, yeah?"

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

Don't look at my girl

Lando had been on Twitch for a good hour now, casually playing UNO with Max and a few other friends on who were on Discord. It was all easygoing banter, a way to kill time before diving into a more intense Tarkov session.

Y/N walked in not too long after, carefully balancing plates of food in her hands. Without looking up from his screen, Lando muttered a quick, “Thanks, love,” too focused on his cards to even glance her way.

It wasn’t until the chat suddenly exploded with rapid messages that his attention flickered toward the comments. His brows furrowed, eyes scanning the screen.

"hi Y/N" "okay hot mama!" "Y/N you look stunning babe" "can Lando fight?"

“‘Can Lando fight’—chat, what the fuck?” he scoffed, finally turning his head toward his girlfriend.

And then he saw it.

The slightly cropped, low-necklined tank top hugging her in all the right places, a sight he was very much happy to see, just not so happy to share with the rest of the world.

His reaction was instant. “Baby… where’s the rest of your shirt?” Lando whined, reaching out to tug at the hem of her top as if he could magically make it longer.

Y/N only laughed, swatting his hands away. “It’s literally just a tank top, Lando.”

“Yeah, and apparently, it’s starting fights in my chat.” He shot a glare at the screen before narrowing his eyes at her playfully.

As Y/N stood up, completely unaware of the way the camera was angled, she leaned forward slightly to grab something from behind the monitor.

Lando, ever vigilant with his quick reflexes, moved faster than ever, one hand darting out to cover her chest while the other reached for the mouse, ready to slam the stream off if necessary.

“Woah, woah—baby! Careful, please,” he blurted out, eyes wide as he practically shielded her from the world.

Connor’s laughter echoed through the call. “LN’s about to have a heart attack, mate.”

Y/N, finally realizing what had just happened, let out a soft laugh as she sat back down, napkins now in hand. “I was just grabbing these, bub. Calm down.”

Lando let out a dramatic sigh, clutching his chest like he’d just lived through a near-death experience. “Baby, please, I’m begging—could you put on a hoodie or something?” His voice was almost desperate, eyes flicking between her and the chat that was going absolutely feral.

Y/N raised a brow, arms crossing over her chest. “You’re overreacting.”

“Yeah, well, they’re not getting a free show,” Lando huffed, shooting a glare at the screen before rolling his eyes. With one last grumble, he finally turned his attention back to his game, picking up his fork to dig into dinner—all while side-eyeing the chat every few seconds.

Meanwhile, Max was wheezing through his mic. “I swear you just aged five years.”

Connor chuckled. “Bro’s fighting battles no one else can see.”

"still cant believe he was able to pull her" "Y/N leave him be with me" "she looks unreal" "lando better know how to fight"

Lando didn’t say a word, just stood up abruptly and rushed out of the room, leaving his friends confused as his turn in UNO was about to run out.

“Where’s he gone now?” Max muttered, clicking onto Lando’s stream, only to see Y/N sitting there, casually eating and playing in his place.

She simply shrugged, unfazed, taking Lando’s turn for him as she popped another bite of food into her mouth. A few seconds later, Lando reappeared, arms full, determination set on his face.

“Pick.”

“Huh?” Y/N blinked up at him, mid-chew.

“Pick one. Shirt, hoodie, or blanket?” He stood in front of her, dead serious, holding up the options like this was a life-or-death decision.

Y/N let out a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Baby, pick.” Lando repeated, unwavering.

“Lan, it’s really not that—”

Before she could even finish, he had already tossed the clothes onto the floor and made the executive decision himself, unfolding the blanket and draping it over her shoulders. “Right, blanket it is.”

Y/N sat there, wrapped up like a burrito, staring at him in amused disbelief.

Max was howling through the mic. “Mate, she’s looks like she's about to go to bed”

Lando glanced over at her, a proud grin spreading across his face as he admired his work. “There. Better,” he said, his tone smug but warm, clearly pleased with himself for making sure she was all cozy and covered up.

Y/N couldn’t help but laugh at how serious he was about it, “You’re ridiculous, you know that?” she teased, tugging the blanket a little lower, enough to free her hands.

“I’m just making sure you’re comfy,” he replied, his grin only widening. “Don’t want you catching a chill, do I?”

She shook her head, playfully rolling her eyes, but the smile she gave him was all warmth. “You’re something else, Lan.”

Lando only winked, clearly pleased with his efforts. “I try.”

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

Rumour has it

It had only been a couple of weeks since Lando and Y/N had last been seen together in public, but the internet had exploded. Breakup rumors, theories about a fallout, and even claims of a “divorce era” started circulating among fans. Of course, Lando and Y/N found it all utterly ridiculous. But why not have a bit of fun with it?

Tonight, Max was streaming, and Lando was, as usual, by his side. The chat was absolutely flooded with questions and speculations, with fans wondering where Y/N had gone, why they hadn’t seen them together lately, and if they were still a couple. Usually, they wouldn't entertain it, but Lando couldn’t help but grin at the chaos as Max glanced at him, his face filled with mischief.

“Mate, you’ve been dodging questions for weeks now. People are asking if you and Y/N are okay. What's going on? Is it true? Are you in the ‘divorce era’ now?” Max teased, his voice full of drama.

Lando leaned back in his chair, groaning. “Oh don't even say her name around me. We're happily separated,” he said with exaggerated seriousness. He watched as the chat went wild, fans speculating whether he was joking or not.

"this is NOT funny im fighting for my life over here" "i honestly cant tell if hes serious pls" "stop asking ab their personal lives guys" "theyre clearly fine, look at him" "oh theyre fine lol"

Max laughed, clearly enjoying it. “Heard it here first chat, there you go”

Lando shrugged dramatically. “Sometimes, I still hear her voice"

Before Max could respond, the door behind Lando opened. Y/N walked in casually, wearing one of Lando’s hoodies, hair up in a messy bun. She stopped when she saw the camera, raising an eyebrow at Lando’s ridiculous grin.

“Hey, guys,” she said, giving the camera a casual wave.

"See! it's like she's still here” Lando pretends to wipe a tear

Max burst into laughter, while Y/N, confused as ever, attempts to read the chat. "Why are you guys talking about me like I've died?"

Lando looked at her with all seriousness. “Baby please. We're broken up remember, gosh keep up will 'ya"

Y/N nods, the expression on her face immediately switching from confused to locked in. "Oh— guys, being in this room right now pains me. I can't even look at him"

Max, lounging back in his chair with a smirk, couldn't help but shake his head. "You two were definitely eating up this breakup rumour stuff, huh?"

Lando and Y/N couldn't help but break, letting out small laughs at the comment. “Oh fuck yeah, we’ve been lying in bed, giggling like idiots, reading threads and watching tiktoks about it,” Lando said, acting like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“We purposely stopped liking each other’s posts and hid from the public" Y/N grinned, “And had so much fun doing it,” she added, sticking her tongue out at the camera.

Max threw his hands up. “You lot deserve an Oscar for this shit”

Lando, still grinning, nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, mate, you’re telling me— I had Carlos knocking at my hotel room at three in the fucking morning after reading some random breakup article online.”

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

Not so subtle

It was well past 1 AM, but Lando was still wide awake, glued to his Twitch stream, deep into another round of Tarkov with his friends. The chat was slowly saying their goodnights, viewers logging off one by one—but Lando? He and the guys were more awake than ever, already planning a few more rounds like the night had just begun.

Y/N was not one to stop Lando from enjoying his alone time, but it was getting late. She had just finished yet another episode of her go-to comfort show—but sleep still hadn’t come. With a glance at the clock and a sigh, she finally got up, padding toward the other room. Maybe she could convince Lando to get some rest… or at least come fill the cold, empty space beside her.

“Baby… it’s late, come to bed.”

Y/N’s soft voice barely stood a chance against Lando’s, drowned out by his rapid-fire strategy talk and the sharp bursts of gunfire from his game. He didn’t even flinch, too locked in, too focused.

It wasn’t until she stepped closer, bathed in the soft glow of his monitors, that the chat began to stir, messages flooding in at the sight of her. Only then did Lando pull off one side of his headset, glancing up at her with a lazy smile.

“Hi, gorgeous. Thought you were asleep already,” he murmured, seamlessly giving out directions to his teammates in the same breath.

“Couldn’t sleep… You should come to bed now. It’s late.”

“I know, baby. Just give me ten minutes, alright?”

“Bedtime for little Lando?” Connor teased, earning a chuckle from Max and an eye roll from Lando.

“Shut up, Connor."

Instead of leaving, Y/N plopped down in the free chair beside him, mindlessly scrolling through her phone. She barely noticed how time slipped by—until she glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes had passed since Lando promised he’d be done.

“Lan, it’s been 15.”

“10 more minutes, baby. Just a little longer,” he mumbled, eyes still glued to the screen.

"he's so stubborn lol" "poor y/n" "listen to ur gf pls lando, im sleepy but i have fomo"

Another 15 minutes passed, and Y/N, now visibly annoyed, let out a sigh. “Lando.” No pet name. Just his name. Max chuckled on the other end.

“Mate, I’d log off now if I were you. Y/N is scary when she’s tired and cranky.”

Lando glanced over, taking in her tired expression. “Baby, go to bed, you look exhausted… I’ll be there soon, okay? C’mere, gimme a kiss.”

Smooth. A clear attempt to buy himself a little more time.

Y/N gave him a blank stare, then simply nodded before standing up. No protest, no further attempts to drag him to bed. Instead, she turned to the stream with a small smile.

“Okay… goodnight, guys. Have fun playing with Lan. Goodnight, baby.”

Lando blinked, a little surprised that his plan actually worked. He grinned up at her, feeling triumphant, until she leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek, her lips barely brushing his ear as she whispered.

“I was gonna let you have me any way you wanted tonight… your loss.”

His smirk vanished instantly, his head following Y/N's trail, now exiting the room.

"WHAT DID SHE SAY OMG" "look at his face she definitely said something" "bro is cooked lmao" "lando fumbled baaad"

Beyond distracted by what his girlfriend just whispered in his ear, he misses an opponent causing Max to get killed in game earning a battering of complaints

"Gotta log off now guys, goodnight" Lando, without saying a proper goodbye, had managed turn everything off, leaving both the game and his stream in record breaking time.

Max, watching Lando vanish without a word, quickly put the pieces together as the chat exploded with teasing. Realizing he could save his friend from some serious trouble, Max cleared his throat and leaned into the microphone.

“Bet she’s got him in trouble now. He’s probably getting an earful for keeping her waiting.” Max grinned, adding, “Man’s gonna need a serious apology when he gets off. You know how it is—no escaping when she’s upset.”

Even the chat could pick-up how he's working extra hard to save the his best friends from a PR nightmare.

"Max working extra hard tonight" "LN and Y/N got Max sweating bullets lol his face" "Max being the bigger man, respect" "Theyre bout to hear an earful from max too after this"

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

Shameless

Chat was going wild. It was a random Friday night, no announcements, yet, somehow, Lando had appeared with his own stream. Even Max, mid-game, was caught off guard when the messages started rolling in, asking him to play with Lando.

Lando, sitting in his chair, still looked like he had just stepped out of the shower, his hair damp, he wore a matching grey sweatsuit and hoodie.

“What’s going on, mate? You’re back early. Thought you two were out for dinner?” Max’s unmistakable voice crackled through the speakers as he joined the group Discord, clearly catching onto the sudden shift in the vibe.

“Aye chat, Max is here! Yeah, mate, we were, but got back home and decided to hop on,” Lando cheered, clearly stoked to hear his friend's voice.

“Loving the enthusiasm, man. You seem happy tonight. You up for some golf?” Max chuckled, amused by the energy radiating off Lando.

“We can play whatever you want, Max. Feeling really lucky tonight,” Lando replied, a grin spreading across his face.

Max raised an eyebrow, eyeing him with a teasing smirk. “You’re worrying me a bit, mate. You sick or somethin’? Bit too happy for my liking.”

Lando just kept dancing and singing along to his music, looking even more upbeat, and Max couldn't help but laugh. “Alright, what’s going on with you, seriously?”

It was as if the universe had perfectly timed it—Y/N walked into the room, completely unaware that her boyfriend had already started his stream. She was wearing nothing but the white long-sleeved button-up shirt he had worn during their date earlier that night, the one fans had captured in photos. Her hair was slightly messy, giving her a carefree, just-rolled-out-of-bed look as she casually walked in.

"Lan, did you see my cleanser by any chance? It’s not in the bathroom." Y/N stood just by the door, just enough to be in frame of Lando’s camera.

As soon as she appeared, the chat went wild, and Max couldn’t help but laugh, not even attempting to rescue them this time. “Hey Y/N, my chat's saying Lando’s shirt looks better on you than it did on him.”

Y/N froze for a few seconds, her face turning bright red before she quickly dashed out of the room, her voice still audible through the mic as she shouted, “Lando Norris, you little shit!”

Lando, in too good of a mood to keep it together, couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright, chat, calm down—we’re all adults here.” He leaned back in his chair, a grin spreading across his face as he wiped away a few tears of laughter.

After a beat, he stood up, still chuckling to himself. “I’ll be back in a minute, guys.”

He left the room, probably heading off to help Y/N find her cleanser, maybe even consoling her after the little reveal. The chat was buzzing with teasing comments, but it was clear Lando wasn’t too worried—he’d be back soon, and the situation was already too funny to be mad about.

"post sex stream is insaaane" "man was glowing, no wonder" "PR team fighting for their life after this" "Landos phone bout to blow up" "meeting being set up as we speak"

Lando returned, a smirk still tugging at his lips as he casually sat back down, as if nothing had happened. “Right, Max, what are we playing tonight?”

Max raised an eyebrow, eyeing his friend with a grin. “Look at him, so smug. Had a great night, didn’t you?”

Lando let out a laugh, shrugging nonchalantly. “Told you, mate, we went and had dinner.” He paused for a second, then winked at the camera, his smirk widening. “Just had to head home early to have some dessert.”

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