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gallusrostromegalus · 1 month ago

Note

Hi! I see your OC Oscar LeColéreux is studying Patent Law. as someone who is literally right now studying patent law, I can tell you that (in the USA), that's not a thing. to be a Patent Agent or a Patent Lawyer, one must first have a technical background (i.e. a degree in science/engineering). Patent Lawyers then go to law school, Patent Agents don't. regardless, both must pass the Patent Bar Exam, administered by the USPTO. this permits them to assist in Patent Prosecution, the process of applying for a patent, including appeals and post-grant proceedings before the USPTO's PTAB. Patent Lawyers can also represent patent holders through litigation in federal court. now that my trap card activation is over, what is Oscar's technical degree in? will he go to law school?

So all of The Lads (All the dogs in this post) have completed their undergrad degrees and are in grad school. They're in the same fraternity, which is to say: they're all renting the same house near campus and convinced a national engineering fraternity to count them as a chapter and help them with the rent and groceries.

Oscar's undergraduate degree is in Materials Science Engineering and he was planning on becoming a research chemist but quickly discovered he liked arguing with people and picking apart contracts more than being exposed to major industrial hazards. He's currently in the law program at College University along with his fellow engineer-ishes.

(more under the cut)

Oscar, Alexander, and Issac are all have proper engineering undergraduate degrees and are following engineering-related pursuits. Ewan is cutting it fine with an interdisciplinary engineering degree and now getting fully into the humanities. Ujin shouldn't even be there because his undergrad was in education, but that guy could talk the devil into piety so convincing the frat rep that his presence benefited the organization was a breeze.

It should be noted that this is a fantasy universe where the world is populated by anthropromorphc talking animals, so they are not, strictly speaking, in the united states of America, so I can play it a bit fast and loose with the laws and academic processes. They are, functionally, in the furry version of Danville from Phineas and Ferb: not a fixed geographic location, but a small city with any geographic feature or cultural center or political issue is required for the story.

College University is likewise an academic institution so much as an excuse for the characters to spend time together, like how nobody in Ouran High School Host Club ever goes to class. They've got a sportsball program and a law school and the art department regularly explodes and anything else that might be needed for the narrative.

The world itself doesn't even have a name, but of various anthropromorpic universes, this one leans more Beastars than Zootopia- there's birds, reptiles and even fish people, social tensions that arise from the radical differences in body types and break along different axes of power than you might expect, and the whole thing is a metaphor before it is a setting. To resolve the two big problems of any anthro universe:

Where does the protein come from? There are animals in this universe, some of which are farmed or hunted. There was an outbreak of Anthropomorphization that caused the existence of these animal-people like 50,000 years ago. There are no humans, except in the speculative fiction written in this universe. The issue of "What counts as a person?" regularly comes up for debate, and is often a political wedge tool, so the definitions of personhood vary widely across time, location, class and culture.

How does everyone continue their genetic line? Any Anthro can produce issue with any other anthro (barring individual fertility issues), but they are rolling the dice on what kind of creature the resulting offspring will be. Two rabbits are most likely to produce more rabbits, but there's a solid chance they'll produce a chinchilla, a lesser chance of having a swan, and a remote-but-still-possible chance they'll give birth to a hybrid anthro like a rabbit-duck, and an even remoter but still possible chance of making a hybrid with species not seen in either parent, like an eel-horse. Ujin's parents are rats. Most of his siblings are rats, except for his oldest sister, who is a marbled polecat. The more disparate the two parent species are, the less predictable the resulting offspring. An elephant can marry a trout and have a baby tyrannosaur. A notable exception is hybrid/hybrid pairs, which consistently produce single-species offspring, usually from the selection of species available in both parents. A hybrid/single-species can produce superhybrids, (sometimes called Tribrids, but this process can continue well past just three species). Another OC in this universe is a Jackayote, the result of the union between a Jackalope (jackrabbit/pronghorn antelope) and a coyote. 2.1: Nobody in-universe calls themselves by breeds or subspecies. Most of the time they identify more with a broader taxonomic group: all The Lads are all Canines, as are what we'd call wolves, foxes, jackals, tanuki etc. and being more specific than that is pedantic and weird. Knowing your specifc specific species is only important for your medical history or if you're going to have kids. In fact, touting around your specific species in public is seen as over-sharing and kinda suspect, like a guy who is a little TOO into his ancestry. Some groups will distinguish themselves if there is a notable practical difference: Fruit Bats include the Fruit so that a well-meaning host doesn't accidentally serve them crickets, and bears are the same because there's a big dietary difference between polar and panda bears. Cats typically call themselves "purrcats" or "roarcats" because Max, a 4'11" Purrcat has very different accessibility needs than her Roarcat cousin Tony (tiger, 7'2") Birds can be outright secretive about their species, with "singers" keeping their exact taxonomy a secret except among other birds. Birds of a feather flock together, and there's strength in numbers for this historically persecuted group.

--- Anyway, the real answer to this ask is that you probably shouldn't worry too much about the greater worldbuilding here, because all of this is in service of a smut comic.

#doghouse comic #oh no it's growing legs #oh well :)

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theseh00perscanh00p · 5 days ago

Text

10 Moments That Led Me Back to You : Part 2

paige x azzi

a/n: The songs I've attached to each chapter sets the tone so I definately recommend giving each one a listen to get a better feeling of the vibe I'm trying to convey. Other than that I hope you enjoy!

word count: 5.3k

The Failed Blind Date

“Supalonely” – BENEE ft. Gus Dapperton

Three Years Post Break-up

The group chat was already on fire by the time Paige rolled over and squinted at her phone. Ten unread messages. Twelve, and counting new texts rolled in with each blink of the eye.

She groaned into her pillow. Please let it be memes.

Nope.

UCONN’t Be Serious

Jana: Paige.

KK: She’s ignoring us again…..Classic avoidance behavior

Nika: Haha give it ten minutes before she comes back and says she’s “journaling”

Paige: Jesus. Can I get ten minutes alone?

Nika: Not when you’ve been celibate by choice for 9 months & have a situationship with your throw pillow

KK: plus only person you flirt with these days is ur Uber Eats driver… and even she began leaving your order at the door

Paige sighed and rested her phone on her forehead. Today was not the day she wanted an intervention.

Jana: We got you a reservation. Tomorrow. 7:30. Candlelight. Tapas. Her name is Riley. She’s in med school. She owns plants. Not one red flag on her Instagram.

Paige: What if I say no?

KK: And then we hack your burner playlist or whatever and leak your post-game thirst tweets.

Paige: You wouldn’t.

Nika: “Thinking of her is cardio” ……..

Jana: You also said, ‘Her laugh still lives in my jawline.’ What even is that, Paige. Is it haunting you? Is it a poltergeist?

Paige chewed the inside of her cheek. Annoyed by her friends but unwilling to block them.

Paige: I hate all of you.

KK: You love us. Wear the blue shirt. It really brings out the color of your eyes.

She hurled the phone across the bed and lay staring at the ceiling. The city was waking up outside, but it was still quiet enough inside her apartment to play pretend.

One drink, she told herself. One smile. One shot to show you are not still caught up in the ghost of someone who stopped calling three years ago.

She rolled out of bed, and opened her closet. Half of it was basketball shorts and sweats. The other half of it was a borrowed hoodie graveyard, most of which weren’t even technically hers. She removed one, grazed her thumb over the known stain on the sleave and shook her head.

Not tonight.

She plunged one hand in and pulled out the blue shirt, then reached past it and grabbed the white one instead.

As she tugged it over her head, the group chat pinged once more.

Jana: You’re going. No takebacks.

Paige: Yeah. I know.

The restaurant was dark in the cool-kid kind of way indie music playing quietly under the clatter of silverware. Paige reached the door a little bit annoyed but slightly proud she even showed up.

She made her way to the hostess stand and tried to crack a joke, “Sorry I’m late. I found myself in a long-term relationship with my couch, and she wasn’t letting go."

The hostess blinked. Politely. But unamused in the slightest, “Name?”

“…Paige.”

She was led to a two-top tucked near a window, where a woman — tall, brown hair, med student chic in a structured blazer — stood up to greet her.

“Hey,” the woman said warmly. “You must be Paige. I’m Riley.”

They shook hands. Paige took a seat. Everything felt rigid, as if they both were wearing clothes that didn’t quite fit.

The first 10 minutes were textbook: drinks ordered, polite smiles exchanged, compliments hit back and forth. Paige laughed a little too loudly at something Riley said about organic chemistry. Then, in order to kill the silence, she began to tell a story about getting locked in a campus training room by mistake in her junior year.

“…and the worst part?” Paige leaned in, “I wasn’t even injured. I just wanted to sleep where no one could find me.”

Riley chuckled, polite again. “I mean, honestly? That’s kind of relatable.”

They clinked glasses. Paige drank more than she needed to in one big gulp.

The food came. Paige barely touched hers. She kept talking — about her experience overseas, about summer league drama, about a viral clip that made her want to erase her entire digital footprint. She tried to be funny. Charming. Normal.

And she could feel herself failing in the moment.

Because Riley was just fine. Perfectly smart. Perfectly sweet.

And perfectly not-it.

Paige used one elbow to prop herself up on the table and smiled even as her mind raced its black-and-white highlight reel. She sensed how forced it all was — the way she’d ask questions, the way she’d make eye contact too long, the way she’d laugh at things she didn’t really find funny.

She swore she could hear KK’s voice in her head: Just act natural.

Yeah. Okay.

She sipped her drink. Laughed again. Tried to convince herself this was her life getting better.

But under the table, her foot was tapping. Fast. Restless.

And when Riley began talking about rec league ball, Paige didn’t think much of it — not until she used the name.

“Yeah, I played against Azzi one time. She subbed for a short-handed team one week. Cool as hell.”

Paige froze.

The fork fell from her hand, dropping just slightly on to her plate.

Riley didn’t seem to notice. She kept talking. But Paige had already zoned out.

Because it didn't matter the quality of the wine, didn't matter how pretty the girl across from her was...

The sound of Azzi’s name still made the hairs on the back of her neck raise and the ache in her heart flare.

And now, the date was over. Even if it hadn’t ended yet.

Flashback: Six Years Ago Prior to The Blind Date

The first date.

It had been raining that morning — not pouring, but enough to add the already building anxiety in anticipation to make the night perfect.

Luckily the sun had come out and the anxiety disappeared with the morning clouds.

This night was different.

Not that it was the first time she and Azzi had hung out alone. God knew they’d done it a hundred times.

It was different because it was going to be — Paige made it so.

She borrowed her teammate’s car. She, looked up “best local takeout that doesn’t feel like takeout” for the 237th time. Changed her outfit twice. And when Azzi arrived in Paige’s oversized gray UConn pullover, the one she’d “borrowed” weeks earlier to keep warm and never gotten back around to returning. Paige forgot how to breathe.

“You’re really trying to show out for me, huh?” Azzi joked as she climbed in, “What’s next? Roses in the trunk?”

Paige laughed as they pulled out of the parking lot. “Damn. You mean I overdid it?”

Azzi gave her a glance, the kind you give with a smile behind it. “No. I like it.”

They found themselves at a secret overlook just off campus. They'd been there with teammates in the past but never like this, never just the two of them. Paige opened the trunk, grabbed a folded blanket and two bags of takeout and then walked ahead as if she’d rehearsed this.

Like it mattered.

She wanted Azzi to feel that.

They took a seat on the blanket, their legs spread out in front of them, eating noodles while laughing about their teammate’s awful dance moves. No one else was around. The sky had cleared just enough that the moon was able to make an appearance. Paige passed Azzi a couple of chopsticks but Azzi just laughed and took a bite of hers instead.

“You’re gonna be sorry,” Paige said between mouthfuls. “I go hard for my pad thai.”

Azzi rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and I’m starving. Sharing is inevitable.”

There was no nervousness. No awkward silences.

Just the soft acknowledgment that something was happening — and neither of them was afraid of it.

Paige reached for her soda and accidentally brushed Azzi’s hand. Or maybe not by accident. Either way, neither one of them budged.

“You ever think about it?” Paige said suddenly, without turning to her.

“Think about what?”

“This.” Her voice dropped a little. “Us.”

Azzi didn’t respond immediately. She put down her drink, angled slightly toward her. “All the time.”

Paige’s breath caught.

“I just wanted to know if you felt it too,” Azzi said, more quietly now, but sure. “Or if I was imagining it.”

“You weren’t,” Paige said. “You aren’t.”

Azzi didn’t say anything. She only grinned, slow and wide, and eased her head down to Paige’s shoulder as if it had been waiting for it all along.

And so they sat until the night began to fade away and the leftover noodles grew cold.

Once back in the car, Paige cued up a playlist she’d assembled on her phone — her not-even-knowingly-made-one, of songs that reminded her of Azzi. She didn’t voice that thought, but Azzi must have known.

Because she leaned over, linking their pinkies together across the center console and whispered, “This feels different.”

Paige looked over. “It is.”

They ended up wandering.

Paige and Azzi had planned to go for a walk back to Azzi’s dorm after dinner, maybe linger on the front steps for a while, maybe find the courage to kiss her. But no, instead, they took a purposeful wrong turn off campus and kept going. Past shuttered cafes and closed-up bookstores, past the sounds of weekend traffic way off in the distance.

It was fall, in the night air just cool enough for Azzi to pull Paige’s hoodie tighter around her. Just warm enough that Paige didn’t flinch when their fingers touched.

They wound up on the rec center’s empty soccer field. Hopped the gate like they were still teenagers and flopped onto the center circle as if it was a well-worn blanket laid out just for them. Paige barely registered the chill coming up through the grass — not with Azzi laughing next to her, eyes closed as if she were wishing on the stars.

“What are you thinking about?” Paige said, rolling onto her side, her elbow supporting her.

Azzi blinked over at her. “I just thought — this is our first real date.”

Paige’s stomach fluttered. “You mean ordering you additional fries at the dining hall didn’t count?"

Azzi grinned, lazy and soft. “That was a bribe. This is a date.”

Paige nodded slowly, as though she wanted to take a mental snapshot of the weight of those words in the air. “Then I’m glad I managed to get it right.”

They both stayed silent for a moment, both soaking in the moment like if they spoke to soon it would all vanish away.

Azzi turned her head. “So what’s next?”

Paige maneuvered her nightstick, deep breaths filled with the sound of her own heartbeat. “Next?”

“Mhm.” Azzi smiled, teasing now. “Do I get walked home like a lady?

Paige pressed close so that her nose almost touched Azzi’s. “Only if you promise to let me hold your hand the whole time.”

Azzi didn’t promise. She simply kissed her — slow, and sure, and it was nothing like the almosts between them before.

And Paige … Paige felt it everywhere. That tug in her chest, that dizzy, aching softness. That thing you can’t put a name to at the time, but always know afterwards.

This was it. The difference.

It wasn’t the food, or the field, or the kiss. It was the knowing. That this was no longer a maybe.

It was real.

Six years later and Paige would still be trying to evoke exactly what she was feeling, also known as trying to recreate the feeling of happiness, simplicity, and the just sure easiness she felt that night.

They laid there under the sky for sometime continuing to soak in the night.

Azzi pulled a blade of grass between her fingers and twisted it slowly. “You know what’s weird?” she asked.

Paige turned her head. “You?”

Azzi smirked. “Besides that.”

Paige shrugged, grinning. “Hit me.”

Azzi did not immediately glance at her. She looked up instead, speaking softly but with certainty. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been so sure of something as I have before the thing even really started, in my life,” she said.

Paige’s shy smile blushed into something more intimate.

Azzi kept going. “Like, it’s not something I even have to overthink. You and me. I don’t have to do the math or try to figure out the catch. I just… feel it. You’re it.”

Paige swallowed, hard. Her mouth was full — of heat, of fear, of something she didn’t know how to hold yet.

“I will keep that in mind,” Paige said softly.

Azzi turned to look at her, her cheek resting against her hand. “Good."

Paige didn’t know it yet, but she’d return to that line in years to come, in hotel rooms and locker rooms and half-asleep thoughts.

I just… feel it. You’re it.

That was the moment. The one that wouldn’t register as a memory until much later.

Then, as the night wound down — as Paige walked Azzi back to her door, their fingers linked and their shoulders just barely touching — she allowed herself to believe it could be that easy.

Two individuals choosing each other, that’s it.

And, for a while, it actually was.

They walked without rush. In the kind of comfortable silence that only really made sense when you didn’t want the night to be over.

Azzi’s hand stayed in Paige’s, but it hung between them, their fingers ticking against one another with the same anxious rhythm that only happened now, when neither wanted to be the one to let go first.

“Ya,” Azzi said, nudging her shoulder lightly into Paige’s, “this is when things get, you know, awkward.”

Paige raised a brow. “Are you attempting to manifest that or …?

Azzi laughed. “Just saying. I don’t think most first dates feel like this.”

Paige’s lips curved slowly. “Also most first dates don’t happen after four months of pretending we were just friends.”

“Three,” Azzi corrected. “You were delusional the first month, at least.”

Paige let out a mock gasp. “Wow. That’s crazy. I don’t recall asking for that type of slander on this most beautiful evening.”

Azzi squeezed her hand. “You’ll survive.”

They slowed as they arrived at the steps of Azzi’s building. Paige’s heart sped up in that stupid, predictable manner — just like in movies she used to make fun of. But now, standing here, she got it. That feeling that you wanted to delay the crossing of the threshold because you knew the second you crossed the threshold it would become past-tense.

Azzi didn’t let go just yet. She gripped Paige’s hand at the foot of the stairs, leaned in a bit, looking between her eyes.

“You know what else?” Azzi said.

Paige tilted her head. “What?”

“I think I’ll be remembering this night for a while.”

Paige swallowed, then nodded. “Me too.”

Azzi mounted the first step, this time a little taller, and leaned down with that lop-sided, mocking smile that always made Paige feel as though storm and stillness were happening in her all at once.

She leaned in closer, close enough to hesitate — and then kissed her. Soft. Certain. No hesitation. Just a quiet knowing.

It wasn’t fireworks. It wasn’t cinematic.

It was something better.

Paige didn’t stir when it was over. Stared, just stared, transfixed into silence as Azzi smiled as if she’d known all along that this would happen precisely like this.

“Night, P” she said, walking inside.

And when the door latched behind her, Paige stood alone on the sidewalk, the sensation of her lips tingling, the sound of her heartbeat deafening.

She looked up at the sky and whispered to it, “Goddamn.”

Because that was the night that she stopped running from it.

And years later, it was that night she returned to as it lived rent free in her mind.

Flash forward: The Failed Blind Date

Paige had excused herself from the table to try and rein in her wondering thoughts while she was still in the middle of the blind date.

Paige squinted at her reflection, her eyes wrinkling and then creasing trying to erase the flushness from her own face. She leaned her hands on the marble sink, exhaled and looked at herself as if she was her very own head coach in the middle of a time out.

“Okay,” she muttered. “Let’s get a grip.”

She peered at the mirror as if she might receive moral support from it. It didn’t.

“She’s nice. She’s pretty. She said a stupid little Grey’s Anatomy joke and you laughed. That’s… progress.”

She nodded, and, as if she could actually convince herself. It didn’t.

“And yes, she did say Azzi’s name. But like—what? You think Azzi created basketball? You think you’re incapable of getting through just one dinner without crumbling at the mention of your ex's name??"

Her reflection didn’t answer.

“God, I hate that word,” Paige said and she combed her fingers through her hair like she was trying to strangle the thoughts out of her own brain. “This is why they think you’re emotionally constipated.”

She took a deep breath. “You’re going to go back out there. You are, after all, going to sit like a regular person. You will drain your glass of wine and ask her a considerate question about med school. You are going to be flirtatious but not over the top and not mention your ex even once, and you are most certainly are not going to experience an unwarranted flashback again, do you understand?”

Paige blinked. “Jesus Christ, I’m bickering with myself in a mirror.”

“Sorry!” A voice called out from the stall behind her. “You’re killing it, sweetie.”

Paige nearly choked.

A toilet flushed. A stranger emerged, grinning, and washed her hands alongside Paige, the twinkle in her eyes evident. “Whoever she is, I hope she’s worth the destruction.”

Paige nodded her head shyly. “She was.”

Followed by, quickly correcting herself: “I mean uhh she is... I mean uhh yeah Riley. The girl I’m on a date with. Right now. Actively. I’m… gonna go.”

The woman gave her a thumbs-up as if she’d just seen a reality TV confession. “Good luck, mirror coach.”

Paige nearly ran out of the bathroom, muttering, “I never should be let out side.”

Her shoulders squared up as she swerved back toward the table. She was going to get it together. She was going to be charming. She was going to prove — mostly to herself — that she could.

But, the instant she saw Riley’s warm, waiting smile…

She felt like a fraud.

As long as Riley was perfectly fine, no matter how good the wine was or how many pep talks she gave…

Her thoughts were still on the campus lawn, under the moon light, with someone who hadn’t just felt like a date.

Azzi had felt like home.

And tonight, when she had all the parts she needed right in front of her, Paige worked hard to not let it show how she still missed home.

When they were seated again at the table, Riley glanced up from the menu and pushed a stray piece of hair behind an ear with a polite smile.

“There you are,” she said, not unkindly. “Everything okay?”

“Yep,” Paige said too fast. “Totally fine. Had to, y’know uhh just check in with my brain.”

Riley tilted her head. “Did it respond?”

Paige’s laugh was a little too loud. “Barely.”

She sat down and arranged her napkin as if it had offended her. The wine she had left behind had just warmed up enough to taste like regret. She took a sip anyway.

Riley nibbled from the bread basket. “So I was explaining to you about my clinical rotations ”

“Oh, right. Blood and guts. Sexy.”

That earned a blink. Paige winced internally. She attempted to pull it back, but her mouth just kept running faster than her heart.

“I mean, not that med school isn’t hot! Like, intellectually hot. Hot in a — you’re-ambitious-and-clearly-better-at-life-than-me-hot way.”

Riley’s laugh this time was soft, but there was a softness in it now. A caution. As if she was beginning to understand that Paige might not be entirely there.

Paige speared a piece of lettuce. “Sorry. I deflect with humor. It’s a profoundly pleasing response to trauma.”

“I figured that part out,” Riley said, his voice gentle. “It’s okay.”

It wasn’t. Paige could feel herself coming apart — not visibly, not to make a scene. Just in small, quiet ways. The sidelong glances she kept throwing at her phone. How the guilt creeped in.

Because it was her fault.

She was why she was feeling like this. That she missed Azzi the way you miss muscle memory. Why she couldn’t look across her at someone good — someone nice — without feeling like a thief. As if she were stealing time from them both.

She had not been forced into heartbreak.

She’d walked there willingly. Built the road herself. Laid the bricks with good intentions and ambition and the sort of love that said, not right now, assuming we’d always have a later.

And here she was, three years post break up, six bites into a kale salad and trying not to ghost someone in real time.

“So,” Riley said, “What do you typically do when you’re not being dragged out on to uncomfortable blind dates?”

Paige smiled. It didn’t quite make it to her eyes.

“Usually?” she said. “Stifle my emotions, rewatch game tape, and eat like… two full pints of Ben & Jerry's pretending to sort of have my life together.”

That earned a real laugh.

But Paige felt it — in the brief flare of warmth that followed, the still, sinking truth that she didn’t want Riley to like her too much. She didn’t want to hurt her. And that meant she needed to start falling back before it got too late.

So she did what she always did when she wasn’t able to give what someone deserved.

She de-loved herself.

She overcompensated. Interrupted too much. Told a self-deprecating story about a one-night stand with someone who had toe rings. Brought up her ex again, calling it “funny timing,” and finished with a non-convincing attempt of the argument “I swear I’m normal, just in small doses.”

And Riley — bless her — remained civil. Kind. Patient. But with each minute that went by, the gap between them widened a little more.

By the time the bill arrived, both of them knew what this was.

Or rather, of what it wasn’t.

The sidewalk was chillier than she recollected. Paige slipped her hands into her jacket pockets, as though that could prevent her from saying anything too sincere.

Riley looked at her, with a polite smile still in place — the kind of polite smile you make when you’re trying to be nice but you’re already composing a “hey, I think you’re great but…” text in your head.

Paige cleared her throat. “Well. That wasn’t… so tragic.”

Riley laughed softly. “No flaming car wrecks.”

“A little emotional fender bender.”

“Mm,” Riley nodded. “And a side of unresolved baggage.”

Paige grimaced and returned a mock salute. “You got me there. Impressive.”

“I’m good at diagnosing people,” Riley deadpanned. “Emotionally and medically.”

Both of them just stood there, swaying awkwardly like friends doing that thing when you don’t know if hugging goodbye is acceptable so you try to time it right.

“I had a good time,” Paige said, lying as gracefully as possible. “You’re cool. You know, obviously-too-cool-for-me cool.”

“Not so bad yourself,” Riley advised, gently. “A little chaotic. But… weirdly charming.”

“‘Weirdly charming’ is what they’ll put on my tombstone.”

“Shouldve been a podcast title.”

“I’ll pitch it,” Paige joked. “Right after I spiral in my bathroom later.”

Riley smiled and leaned in her seat. “Well … I should uh order a Lyft.”

“Right. Yeah. Totally. Unless…” Paige stuttered, then shook her head. “No. Nope. No ‘unless.’ Just… yeah. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

For a moment it was as if they looked like they might try to hug — that they ought to, as a matter of politesse. But they didn’t. They stayed there a second too long, then nodded like office mates saying goodbye at a work retreat.

Paige began to make her way towards her apartment.

She sighed.

She then muttered to herself, “Nailed it.”

By the time she turned the corner toward her apartment, she was already fishing out her phone, thumb hovering over a draft message she did not actually plan to send:

“You’ll be relieved to know I only brought you up five times tonight. New record.”

She didn’t send it.

Instead, she scrolled. Of course the first thing on her feed was no other than news about Azzi being traded to a new team. Paige looked at it for a long time, then hit the home button and locked the screen as though that could keep the ache out.

She then retreated to pull her phone out again and began to type out her text to the group chat:

UCONN’t Be Serious

Paige: Okay I panicked

KK: On the date??

Paige: I heard her name and my brain exited the building

Nika: Hell no not even dessert first

Jana: Hahaha hold up howwww did Azzi even come up in conversation??

Paige: Rec league or something. I don’t know. I blacked out after that

KK: So you’re just sitting there like 🧍‍♀️

Paige: Literally

Paige: I had to give myself a mirror pep talk in the bathroom...

Nika: You’re unwell

Paige: She said Azzi. The rest of the night, the entire mixtape of the playlist I made to capture the feelings of our entire college played in my head on repeat...

KK: We need to get you on the injury report

Jana: Is this your way of saying you’re not ready

Paige: Do you guys really think I've ever been ready??

Nika: Do not make us answer that...

Paige: Imma go throw my phone in the ocean

KK: Take a selfie first

Jana: We love you. Even if you’re emotionally unstable from a break up you caused years ago...

Paige: Thanks... for the reminder.

Paige kicked her feet out of her sneakers as if they were individually insulting her. One bounced off the wall. The other hit the laundry basket and flopped around as if it, too, had thrown in the towel. She didn’t even flip on the light; she simply allowed herself to sprawl, facedown, upon her bed.

The night had been … something.

Well, no the thing is it would have been entirely ordinary. Which was the problem. Riley was nice. Like, annoyingly nice. She asked intelligent questions. She could laugh at herself, in a disarming kind of way. She even handed Paige the last of the bread and didn’t think twice.

But the instant she’d said Azzi’s name?

Paige had been toast. Emotionally gone. Lights on, nobody home. The type of spiral from which there’s no clawing your way back once it began — the kind where you excuse yourself to the bathroom and give yourself a mirror pep talk that immediately devolves into a half-sarcastic TED Talk on the topic of romantic self-sabotage.

And now, here she was. Alone in bed, one sock on, scrolling through her phone as if it were a personal archive of every single way in which she was not over it.

She opened Instagram. Azzi’s profile was still grayed out — but not blocked. Because Paige was not that type of ex. She was the type who preferred to have the option of self-inflicted damage at 1:00 a.m.

There she was. Smiling in a new jersey. New team. New city. And looking annoyingly good about it.

“Fantastic,” Paige grumbled, throwing her phone to the far side of the bed as though it might be radioactive. “She looks happy. We love that for her.”

She rolled over and gazed at her bedroom ceiling, as if it had the answers she was looking for.

“All right,” she whispered to the darkness. “So I’m unwell. That’s fine. This is fine.”

She opened Spotify. Scrolled right past her gym playlist, her post-game wins playlist, her “Absolutely Not Crying” playlist.

And there it was.

Azzi’s Mix.

She hadn’t used it in over a year. Had told herself it was for own sentimental, not emotional, feelings.

The first song that played?

The one Azzi would hum to herself while she was cooking eggs on Sunday mornings. The one they waltzed around the kitchen to barefoot, before either one had said I love you out loud.

Paige hit pause immediately. Sat there in silence. The kind that echoed.

Then she murmured to herself, the ghost of a laugh tugging at her lips, “Poor Riley never stood a chance.”

And for the first time that night, she laughed in a genuine manner.

Just once.

It was soft and bitter and perhaps a bit hopeful.

Because if nothing else — at least she was being honest.

Now — Seven Years After the Break-Up

I didn’t mean to open the Notes app.

It was just… there — muscle memory, right next to Instagram and click. I didn’t even realize my thumb had hovered over it until the screen lit up and that same old note stared back at me like it was waiting.

“10 Moments That Led Me Back to You...”

I tapped in.

Scrolled past the blinking cursor and the list I’d written weeks ago. When I hit the top, I paused. Let the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding crash into my chest.

Then, finally, I started to type.

1. The Failed Blind Date

It wasn’t supposed to be anything.

It was dinner. With someone safe. Someone who’d never seen me in a baggy hoodie or sat courtside for my shittiest game. Someone who hadn’t heard me cry into a pillow over a missed free throw or snuck out of practice to make me laugh when I forgot how.

Someone who didn’t know what my laugh actually sounded like — when it was real.

She was perfect on paper. Said all the right things. Smiled like someone who still believed people were inherently good. You could tell she was trying. I could tell I was trying. But the second she said your name, my brain yanked the emergency brake.

Suddenly, it wasn’t dinner anymore. It was damage control.

I started oversharing. Making weird jokes. I went full disaster mode and I knew it. But I let it happen.

Because the truth is, I wasn’t trying to fall in love again.

When she mentioned you, it cracked something open. A memory I didn’t know was still right there under the surface — takeout, your laugh under the stars, my hoodie on your shoulders like it had always belonged there.

She talked about rec league. I thought of your first layup drill at UCONN. She said you were good. I almost said good doesn't even begin to describe her.

But I bit my tongue. Smiled. Made up an excuse to go to the bathroom and had a full-on conversation with the mirror about how I’m “fine.”

I am not fine.

I mentally ghosted her before dessert. I meant it. She deserved better.

She deserved someone present.

Not someone who’s still time traveling back to the version of themselves they only liked when they were with you.

That was the first time I admitted it — even just to myself.

I’m not over you.

Not even close.

So yeah.

That was the failed blind date.

And just a small moment that plays a big part to the rest of this story.

#pazzi fics #paige x azzi #pazzi #azzi fudd #paige bueckers

103 notes · View notes

welostheplot · 16 days ago

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── 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 ᨒ↟☾.࿔*:･ 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐢 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆: vampire!ellie williams / werewolf!abby anderson / reader

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘: after a near-death experience in your school's parking lot, you're left questioning what ellie might really be capable of. ancient secrets begin to surface and you start to wonder if there’s more to jackson—and to abby—than anyone’s letting on.

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓: the briefest mention of incest (but it's not in the way you might be thinking, i swear!), technically underage drinking but it's not explicitly described.

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓: 4.4k

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄: abby's back THANK GOODNESS!! one chapter without her was way too long... also! i've gotten a couple people asking to be tagged when new chapters are posted... guys i made my first tumblr post like a week ago i never thought people would be interested in my work enough that i'd need a tag list (ᵕ—ᴗ—) should i start using one?! and thank you so much for all the support!!!!

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫

𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐄 𝐈 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎: "friendly enough"

IT HAD SNOWED AGAIN LAST NIGHT.

and it hadn't been the soft, storybook kind that you see in christmas movies either. it was a wet, icy sleet storm that had turned the sidewalks into skating rinks and lasted well into the next day.

you’d slipped on some black ice on your porch steps that morning while leaving for school and earned a large wet patch on the ass of your skinny jeans. it almost made you walk right back inside and skip the whole day.

you were glad you didn’t.

the abysmal weather, for some reason, was perfect for the millers. they chose that day to make their grand return to school. and grand return wasn’t even an exaggeration. at lunch, they didn’t enter the cafeteria so much as descend into it, moving like a silent, coordinated unit.

ellie was the last to come through the double doors. she scanned the room and then her eyes landed on you.

your breath caught before you could stop it.

“dude, you have got to stop doing that,” said cassie, nudging your shoulder and breaking the moment. “she’s gonna think you’re, like, obsessed with her or something.”

you huffed out an awkward chuckle, tugging at the sleeves of your sweater and turning your attention back to your own table. devin and marcus were arm wrestling, nat cheering them on while leah filmed it on her camera.

“i’m not obsessed,” you mumbled.

“really? could’ve fooled me.” cassie pointed a ranch-dipped baby carrot at you accusatorily. “besides, i already told you it’s not worth it. i mean, yeah, they’re super hot. but also weird as fuck.”

“and borderline incestuous,” leah added, having given up on filming now that devin and marcus were fully wrestling on the cafeteria floor. "i'm pretty sure dina and jesse are, like, a thing. they're not actually related. but they live together! it's weird."

“literally,” cassie agreed. “total turn-off. unless you’re into that kinda stuff.” she gasped, dropping her voice. “you’re… not into that kinda stuff. right?”

you rolled your eyes, half laughing. “don’t be weird.”

“oh, so now i’m the weird one?!”

THE MILLERS BEING BACK MEANT YOU HAD A LAB PARTNER AGAIN.

ellie never really said hi. or looked thrilled to see you. but you weren’t doing two-person assignments solo anymore, so you chalked it up as a win.

"you missed our first quiz on friday," you said one day, halfway through class. your teacher was droning on about something to do with ribosomes.

ellie didn't look up from her notes. “wasn’t feeling well.”

you blinked. a response. actual words. “you feeling better now?”

she glanced at you then. brief. unreadable. “depends.”

“on?”

“whether or not you’re gonna keep asking questions.”

you raised a brow. “so that’s a no, then.”

ellie’s lips twitched. almost a smile.

“noted,” you said, turning back to your own notebook and pretending like your heart wasn’t thudding obnoxiously loud in your ears.

a couple days later, you passed her in the hall between third and fourth period. “hey,” you said before you could stop yourself.

ellie gave you a once-over. “you always say hi to people who are clearly ignoring you?”

you bit your lip, then decided to take a chance: “only the attractive ones.”

you saw the way she paused, her jaw flexed, like she was fighting off a smirk.

“dangerous habit,” she said, voice low and teasing. "yeah, well," you replied, backing up a step, "i’m a reeeeal rebel.”

ellie kept walking. didn’t look back. but you could’ve sworn you saw her shoulders shake—just once—as if she was laughing.

BY THURSDAY, YOU HAD BOTH FALLEN INTO A SORT-OF ROUTINE.

you’d show up to bio, ellie already in her seat—slouched and staring at the door like she had been waiting for your arrival. you did your lab work together, not much talking beyond what was necessary: “i think your answer for question three is wrong.” “i’m never wrong.”

she hadn’t ignored you once all week!

progress, you told yourself.

today, she had actually been what you’d describe as almost friendly. you were both hovering near the lockers, her shoulder brushing yours every so often as you flipped through the study guide you’d made for the bio quiz next period.

“hey,” a voice cut in, sudden and close enough to make you flinch.

a girl stepped up beside ellie. short, confident. dark curls framing sharp cheekbones.

“you must be the one ellie won’t shut up about.”

ellie glared at her. “dina.”

the girl just grinned. “what? i’m being friendly.”

she turned to you. “i’m dina. one of ellie’s very…. few friends.”

“uh, nice to meet you,” you said, thrown.

“you too,” dina replied, eyeing you with casual curiosity. “i’ve seen your car in the lot. that old red truck?”

you nodded. “hard to miss, huh?”

“it definitely has character,” she said, not unkindly. “but it could probably use some chains on the wheels.”

“funny, my dad said the same thing this morning. he wants to put some on this weekend.”

dina nodded, like that confirmed something. “makes sense. roads’ll get pretty icy the next couple days. worse than usual. you should be careful.”

something about the way she said it made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. it was like she knew something you didn’t.

ellie crossed her arms, visibly annoyed. “okay, are you done?”

“don’t be rude,” dina said. “i like her.”

your stomach flipped.

“anyway,” dina added, already turning to walk away, “don’t let me interrupt. good luck with the quiz!” she patted ellie’s shoulder, smiling knowingly. “i already know you’re gonna get a one hundred on it.”

then, she vanished down the hall, leaving behind a trail of confusion and spicy cinnamon perfume.

you turned back to ellie, still processing. “...she’s nice.”

ellie sighed. “we should get to class.”

the next day, you were twirling your pencil, waiting for your teacher to hand back the graded quizzes. when ellie got hers, there it was��bright red ink scrawled at the top of the page:

100%

she bit back a smile. nodded to herself.

then quietly slid the paper into her folder and tucked it away.

YOU ATE SHIT ON THE PORCH STEPS AGAIN THAT MORNING.

same patch of black ice. same bruised ego. and this time, you landed so hard you actually sat on the curb for a second just to wallow in the shame. when you finally limped back inside to change your jeans, your dad barely looked up from his coffee.

“thought i told you to salt those steps,” he said.

“you did, and i did,” you muttered, rubbing your ass. “it rained. and then sleeted. and then froze again.”

he sighed, pushing his mug away. “we’ll get those chains on your tires this weekend.”

“you can’t do it any earlier?”

“well,” he sniffed, flipping to the next page of the newspaper. “abby’s doing it. and that’s when she’s free.”

“so what am i supposed to do till then? crawl to school?”

“ride with a friend.”

and so you did.

nat picked you up fifteen minutes later, blasting the heater and looking way too chipper for how early it was.

“i like your sweater,” she said as you slid into the passenger seat. “it brings out your soulful eyes.”

you blinked. “okay, what?”

she stuttered, cheeks going bright red as she moved to click on the radio. “just— never mind. pretend i didn’t say that.”

you opened your mouth to respond, then closed it again, opting to lean your forehead against the fogged-up window in silence.

nat drove like a maniac, skidding around corners while singing along to the static-warped radio. “why are you in such a good mood?” you asked as she rolled into the school parking lot.

“because,” she said, “today’s the welcome back assembly. which means no third period. which means we’re basically doing nothing until lunch. and if there’s anything i love more than joel miller preaching to us about the city’s improvements while all the female teachers try not to cream their pants at the sight of him, it’s skipping math to sit in a freezing gym while it's happening.”

“you are deranged.”

“i am festive,” she corrected, winking as she pulled into a spot near the front.

you both climbed out of the car into the freezing morning. the ice crunched under your boots. you were in the middle of adjusting your backpack strap on your shoulder when it happened.

a sharp screech.

you turned.

marcus’s car was skidding out of control across the ice-coated parking lot, tires spinning uselessly, the vehicle veering sideways—straight toward you.

you barely registered nat yelling your name. didn’t even have time to move.

but someone else did.

arms—cold and fast and impossibly strong—wrapped around your waist and yanked you back just as the car crashed, full force, into the light post behind you.

the impact echoed like a gunshot. glass shattered. people screamed.

you were on the ground, heart racing, mind struggling to catch up with your body.

ellie.

ellie miller was kneeling over you.

you blinked up at her, dazed. her face was inches from yours. wild green eyes, lips pressed into a tight line.

she let go like you'd burned her.

“are you okay?” she asked, voice strained.

“you—” you sat up, breath hitching. “how did you get here so fast? you were, like—across the lot—i saw you—”

ellie stood up abruptly. “you’re not hurt?”

“no, but—ellie, what the hell just happened?”

nat appeared a second later, breathless. “oh my god, are you—what the fuck just happened? that was, like—holy shit—marcus almost killed you.”

you barely heard her. you were still staring at ellie, who was backing away, eyes on the pavement. marcus stumbled out of his car, shaken up but uninjured. a crowd had started forming. teachers were arriving. someone had called the nurse.

cassie ran up and crouched next to you, pulling an errant shard of glass from your hair. “and i thought the assembly was gonna be the most interesting part of the day.”

you got to your feet, unsteady. ellie was already stepping away, disappearing into the crowd before you could say another word.

and as your friends guided you toward the nurse, you had one overwhelming thought:

that hadn’t been normal.

and ellie knew it too.

THEY MADE YOU GO TO THE HOSPITAL.

even though you insisted you were fine—you had some mild bruising at most—your dad was already on his way before you could talk anyone down.

“they said you were almost hit by a car,” he said, practically throwing himself into the room once the nurse left. “why the hell am i hearing about this from a school receptionist?”

“because i didn’t actually get hit,” you mumbled. “i mean. not technically.”

“you’re lucky your ribs aren't broken,” he said, jaw clenched, eyes flicking back and forth between your IV line and the monitor tracking your heartbeat. “jesus, i can’t believe that kid almost took your life.”

“it wasn’t his fault.”

“he ran you over.”

“almost,” you corrected.

“i swear to god, i’m gonna kill him.”

from the other side of the curtain hung in the middle of the room, you heard a frightened whimper.

you and your dad both turned. the curtain rustled aside just enough to reveal marcus, laid up in the next hospital bed, a bandage on his forehead and an apologetic look on his face.

“i’m really really sorry, sir,” he said. “the road was—i couldn’t stop. it just happened so fast.”

“you shouldn’t even have a license,” your dad snapped. “you’ve got rust holding that car together. you shouldn’t be driving that piece of junk anywhere near a school.”

you scoffed under your breath. “ironic.”

your dad turned slowly. “what was that?”

“nothing.” you sank back against the pillow.

he opened his mouth to say something else, but the door creaked open.

joel miller stepped in, dressed down in a flannel and jeans. he greeted your dad with a firm handshake and a “sorry to hear about the accident,” before turning to you.

“you feelin’ alright?” he asked.

“uh. yeah.” you gave him a half-smile. “i’ve had worse. honestly, probably got bruised more slipping on ice this morning.”

your dad cleared his throat loudly and joel gave a polite, throaty laugh. “just wanted to come by and check in. council’s already coordinating with the school board about next steps. might be time to look into some serious ice mitigation.” he glanced at the monitor beside your bed. “but i’ll get out of your hair now. 'pologies again about all the trouble.”

he slipped out of the room quickly after.

“maybe they should also coordinate on the fact that they need to cancel school when the roads are shit,” marcus muttered.

you ignored him. you hadn’t missed how joel’s eyes lingered on you for a second too long. like he was studying something. and it made you uneasy.

you felt itchy.

“gonna stretch my legs,” you said suddenly, swinging your legs over the side of the bed before your dad could protest.

“you need to take it easy,” your dad warned.

“yeah, yeah. i’m just gonna walk the hallway. the beeping’s giving me a migraine.”

he didn’t argue. you slipped out of the room, hospital socks padding softly against the tile floor.

the hallway was quiet.

you rounded a corner—then froze.

just ahead, voices.

you ducked behind a wall just in time.

“—wasn’t gonna let her die,” came ellie’s voice, low and frustrated.

“you don’t get to make that call,” joel said sharply.

“what was i supposed to do? let her get fucking steamrolled in the parking lot?”

“you’re not supposed to draw attention, ellie.”

“too late,” another voice cut in—sharp, feminine. “maybe you actually should’ve let her get steamrolled. would’ve nipped that little obsession you have with her in the bud.”

you blinked. jesus.

joel’s voice turned to steel. “riley.”

“what?” the girl—riley—sounded exasperated. “you really think this town is gonna be different than the others if she starts snooping around?”

“enough,” joel snapped. “we’ve got company.”

you flinched, then slowly peeked around the corner. joel was looking right at you.

riley groaned and turned away. “i’m over this.”

joel gave ellie a look. something unreadable passed between them before he turned to you again. “glad you’re feeling better,” he said smoothly, then walked off after riley.

you and ellie were left alone.

she was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. hands balled into fists.

you stepped closer. “so... what was that about?”

“don’t start,” she said flatly.

“i’m just curious.”

“you’re always curious.”

“you give me a lot to be curious about.”

ellie looked at you, something stormy flickering behind her eyes. “you need to leave it alone,” she said quietly. “seriously.”

you didn’t reply right away.

she sighed.

“i mean it. you ask the wrong question to the wrong person, and... it won’t end well.”

“are you threatening me?”

“no.” her voice softened just a little. “i’m warning you.”

YOU WEREN’T TRYING TO INTERROGATE ELLIE MILLER.

you were just… talking to her. a lot.

and noticing things.

cassie, ever observant and entirely too nosy, clocked it immediately.

“you’re doing the thing,” she said one day during homeroom.

“what thing?”

“the thing where you ignore all my warnings about how freakish the millers are and proceed to ask, like, twelve different questions about them over the course of a week.”

you frowned. “it’s not twelve.”

“it’s ten and counting. i’ve been keeping track.”

you scribbled a mindless doodle into the corner of your notebook. “it’s not like that.”

cassie smirked. “sure.”

and okay—maybe she had a tiny point.

after the hospital, something shifted. ellie wasn’t warm, exactly. but she wasn’t ice cold either. her usual glare had softened to a squint. and sometimes, if you caught her off guard, she’d seem even genuinely interested in what you had to say.

you didn’t know what to do with that.

so you kept testing the waters.

attempt #1: bio lab

you nudged her notebook with your pencil.

“your notes are, like, impossible to follow.”

“they’re not impossible,” she said, without looking up. “they’re just for me.”

you squinted at the chicken scratch.

“what even is that? cursive?”

“alien.”

you stared at her. she glanced up.

“kidding,” she said, a small smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “it’s shorthand. you can’t read it.”

“how convenient.”

“maybe you should just pay attention instead of trying to steal my work.”

you flushed. “i’m not stealing.”

“sure,” she said. “you just really like my handwriting.”

you bit your lip to hide a smile.

attempt #4: the parking lot

you were leaning against your car after school, waiting on cassie and leah, when she appeared. no footsteps. no sound. she was just there.

you jumped.

“jesus—”

“chains on your tires yet?” she asked.

you blinked. “what?”

“you mentioned it. last week. your dad said he’d take care of it.”

you narrowed your eyes. “…you remembered that?”

she shrugged. “yeah, i guess i did.”

you stared at her.

she stared back.

"what does it matter to you?”

“just don’t want to have to save you again,” she muttered.

you smiled. “so you admit it. you saved me.”

“oh my god,” she groaned, turning to walk away.

attempt #7: the hallway

you tried to catch her walking between periods.

“hey. wait up.”

ellie paused. didn’t stop walking. just slowed a little.

you fell into step beside her.

“so,” you said casually, “when you… saved me… you moved fast.”

ellie bristled. “...okay?”

“like, really fast.”

she didn’t look at you. “guess adrenaline does that.”

“right,” you said. “but i heard marcus didn’t even hit the brake before you were already pulling me back.”

she stopped walking.

you nearly bumped into her.

“what do you want me to say?” she asked, voice quiet. not angry. just tired. “that i’ve got superpowers?”

you stared at her.

she shook her head. “you need to stop asking questions.”

and, finally, attempt #10: the cafeteria

you slid up next to her on the lunch line, her hood up and face blank as the lunch lady slapped a sloppy joe onto her tray. “so… beach this weekend?”

her brows lifted. “what?”

“we’re planning a trip to colter bay. cassie’s idea. you should come.”

ellie blinked. something in her jaw twitched.

“i don’t do colter bay. actually, i don’t do beaches, period.”

“why not?”

“sand.”

“that’s it? sand?”

“and people,” she added. “and crowds. and being expected to wear a bathing suit.”

you laughed. “you’re a total recluse, huh?”

she shrugged.

“well, the invitation’s open,” you said, nudging her tray. “to, like, all of you.”

ellie didn’t answer.

but her eyes lingered on you a little longer than necessary.

NAT HAD INSISTED ON STOPPING AT A GAS STATION TO PEE.

completely unnecessary, given the drive was only forty minutes, but somehow had turned into twenty minutes of intense debate about what snacks to get and an accidental slushie spill. by the time you rolled up to colter bay, the sun was already beginning to dip, casting a golden haze over the shoreline.

“ugh, i can’t wait to come here when it’s actually hot out again,” devin declared, climbing out of the car and snapping a picture immediately.

you were busy hauling a grocery bag of marshmallows and wine coolers when you spotted a familiar figure walking down the edge of the beach. blonde braid, bulky jacket, broad shoulders.

“well, well,” she said, grinning when she saw you. “look who brought the party.”

“you heard about this?” you asked, surprised.

“manny’s been hyping it up for days,” she said. “he was under the impression there was gonna be ‘hella hot chicks.’ his words, not mine.”

you snorted. “unfortunately, it’s just cassie, leah, devin, and nat. and me. i hope that counts.”

“i dunno,” abby said, giving you a slow once-over. “i definitely think you qualify.”

“abby, shut up and stop flirting” came a voice from behind her—taller guy, long hair, goofy smile. manny, presumably.

the rest of them trailed behind:

nora, serious-faced and sharp-eyed;

mel, eyes lighting up at the sight of the wine coolers;

and owen, who seemed very invested in figuring out who abby was allegedly flirting with.

they all looked... at ease out here. like they did this all the time.

“hey, weren’t the millers invited to this?”

you glanced back at cassie. “yeah i invited them,” you said a little too quickly.

“they never come here,” nora said, sharp and dismissive—almost eager to shut it down.

abby shot her a warning look, but nora just shrugged.

“what?” she said. “i’m just saying. this is our lake.”

“i don’t think it can be your anything,” nat said, half-laughing. “it’s a state park.”

“yeah, sure,” manny said, but there was something weird in the way they all looked at each other.

abby broke the tension with a half-smile. “don’t mind them. they get a little territorial about colter bay. it’s like… home turf.”

“ellie had said she might come,” you muttered quietly, mostly to yourself.

abby nudged your shoulder with hers. “her loss.”

YOU AND ABBY WANDERED OFF AFTER THE SECOND ROUND OF S’MORES.

“you wanna skip rocks?” she asked, already veering off the path toward the lake’s edge.

you nodded. “sure. but i’m warning you now, i have horrible aim.”

“figured,” she smirked. “you’ve got that indoor girl kinda vibe.”

“rude,” you said, scoffing, but it made you smile.

the two of you settled near the shoreline. the lake was quiet now—just the occasional ripple breaking across its surface, catching the light from the stars and the firepit behind you.

“so,” you said, rubbing your arms against the cold, “you guys always hang out way out here?”

abby shrugged. “we live out here. my family, my friends. the rest of the WLF's. always have.”

abby crouched to pick up a flat stone. “you ever hear the stories about this place?”

“like what, ghost stories?”

she tossed the stone. it skimmed once, twice, then sank. “sorta. depends on who you ask.”

you mirrored her, finding your own stone and hurling it with zero technique. it plunked into the water with a pathetic plop.

“they say our people come from wolves,” she chuckled. “wyoming liberation front? WLF? wolf? makes sense.”

“pretty on the nose.”

she ignored that. “and there was another group. back then they called themselves the fireflies. different kind of power. colder. not from the land like we are.”

“and let me guess,” you said. “they were your rivals.”

abby nodded. “my great-grandfather... he caught a group of fireflies on our land, doing something they shouldn’t have.”

“so what happened?”

“he made a deal,” she said. “the fireflies could stay—so long as they didn’t step foot on our land again. in exchange, we wouldn’t tell anyone what we knew. we’d keep our secret. they’d keep theirs.”

you turned that over in your mind. “but that was a long time ago. it still matters now?”

“the millers? they’re fireflies. or what’s left of them. the treaty still stands. it’s why they didn’t come here today.”

you swallowed. “and if they did?”

abby’s face turned serious. “we don’t cross the line. they don’t cross it either.”

there was a finality to the way she said it.

“so what are you guys now?” you asked quietly. “still wolves?”

abby met your gaze. “we’re protectors. of each other. of this place. and sometimes,” her voice dropped, “of people who don’t even know they need protecting.”

your heart stuttered.

"right,” you said, turning back toward the firepit glowing in the distance.

THE BELL ABOVE THE DOOR JINGLED AS YOU STEPPED INTO THE WARM DINER.

your dad was already in his usual booth, newspaper unfolded in front of him, cup of black coffee half-drained.

he glanced up as you slid into the seat across from him, folding the paper in half with one hand. “you’re late.”

“blame leah,” you muttered. “she wanted to walk me through every second of her dream where devin asked her to prom in front of the whole school. with an acoustic guitar. in a tuxedo.”

“romantic,” he deadpanned. “didn’t know teenage boys were capable of that much effort.”

“devin’s barely capable of remembering his own locker combo.”

he grunted a laugh and went back to skimming the paper. the waitress dropped off two menus and topped off your dad’s mug with steaming hot coffee.

“another animal attack,” he said, frowning at the front page. “that’s the third this month.”

you blinked. “where?”

“outside the east edge of town. ranger found what was left of a hiker yesterday morning.”

you took a sip of water, trying to tamp down the chill that slid down your spine. fiddled with the peeling lamination on the menu.

he flipped the paper and took a sip of coffee. “you alright? been kinda quiet since… y’know.”

you didn’t answer right away. your finger traced a line through the condensation on your glass. “i’m fine.”

he glanced up at you, squinting. “you sure?”

“yeah,” you said. “i mean. abby put the chains on my tires. so you can stop worrying about that.”

he grunted. “finally. car like yours needs all the help it can get in this weather.”

“rude.”

“honest.”

“i’m fine,” you repeated. “really. and marcus still won’t stop apologizing even though i told him it’s all good.”

“kid deserves to grovel a little. he’s lucky i didn’t file a report and drag his ass to court.”

you rolled your eyes, a smile tugging at your lips. “his car’s worse off than mine.”

“well, his license should be revoked either way. driving that junker through black ice…” he trailed off, shaking his head.

you let his voice and the chatter in the diner fade into the background as you glanced out the window.

your mind wasn’t on marcus. or your car. or even school.

it was on what abby said at colter bay.

they’re fireflies. or what’s left of them.

the beeping of a microwave from the kitchen pulled you back.

you tapped your nail against your water glass. “hey, dad?”

he looked up, one eyebrow raised.

“…do you ever get the feeling like something’s coming, but you don’t know what?”

he studied you for a second, then leaned back and blew out a slow breath through his nose.

“i think that crash rattled you more than you’re letting on.”

you sighed, shaking your head. “i told you, i’m fine.”

he hummed, clearly not buying it, but didn’t push. reached for his coffee instead.

outside, the sky had turned a heavy grey, and there was a weight to the air that hadn’t been there before.

this work is mine. please don’t repost, copy, or publish elsewhere without permission. thank you!

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didishawn · 4 months ago

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Can you write about Ruben having a daughter with his girlfriend, but when kid is 2 they separate. But their little girl is totally daddy’s girl so they have to be real close with each other (like going to his games, going on vacation together). Recently the rumors started coming that Ruben is in a new relationship and it put a lot of pressure on their relationship, little one not really getting what’s going on.

Always yours (Rúben Días x reader)

warnings: none, a bit angsty

Masterlist

Masterlist 2

You damm Ruben's genes for going so hard and making his daughter an exact replica of him.

Each time you look into your precious baby girl's eyes, you see your ex boyfriend in them.

Ruben and you broke up back when Isadora was just two years old. It wasn't a messy break up really, just a series of miscommunication and busy schedules that made it inevitable.

Meaning: there was still love (at least from your side) and it's torturous knowing you can't be together.

Another fact that doesn't help, is that Isadora from the moment she was born, has always been a daddy's girl.

Meaning, the three of you still act as a family while technically not being a complete one.

Games both at home and away are basically a must-you are not prepared for the tantrums Isadora will do once she can't follow daddy all around the world because of school (knowing Ruben, he might as well suggest home school so he can always bring his little girl wherever he goes). Vacations are another thing you can't escape, having to either sleep in twin beds in a same room with Ruben, or a suite in which you either lock yourself in the room or plainly disappear so father and daughter can have some alone time.

You are not sure what Ruben thinks -from the moment you two broke it off, communication has been strictly only about your daughter (a limit you established, as while you could never hate him, you can't be his friend). You wonder if he too, finds the situation way too uncomfortable, or if he doesn't really care as what you two had, is in the past.

But you are on your limit, that's why when Ruben proposes a weekend away to switch things up after City's latest bad run, you refuse.

You make up some work related excuse, but tell him to take Isadora as some time together will do them some good.

You miss Ruben's disappointed look, way too into your own mind to realise what is really going on.

You can't even look him in the eye when you take a sleeping Isadora from his arms to put her into bed, and you are just about to slam the door in his face as he silently begs you with his eyes to let him explain himself.

You had been so happy, just a couple hours ago seeing him post stories with your little girls eating croissants in Paris, and enjoying the videos of her excitedly going up the Eiffel Tower.

It was a mistake, to answer your friend's call, her asking you why you hadn't told her about Isadora's possible step-mother, and the call ended with your own mother calling you to know whether it was true.

Completely lost, you entered one of those wag's gossip pages to be met up with an horrendous headline:

MAN CITY STAR, RUBEN DIAS, CAUGHT IN PARIS ALONGSIDE HIS DAUGHTER AND NEW FLAME, NEW FAMILY MEMBER ALERT?!

You didn't even know what to say nor think. Ruben had never mentioned seeing anyone, not given signs of it. Much less, has he said anything about introducing anyone to Isadora.

You didn't even have to call him or text him, before Ruben told you they were flying back to Manchester that very same evening.

You only responded with a thumbs up and went on to stalk this "new flame" of his.

A model, of course. Definitely his type, she had a nice smile too.

You can already imagine future vacations: them two in a room and you and Isa sharing in the one next to them. Having to explain to her that Ruben and whatever her name is need alone time and having to handle a fuzzy toddler wanting to be with her dad.

Great, just great.

There goes your heart, any thought you might have had in your child free, drunken nights about you and Ruben ever getting back together now that you are more mature, impossible now.

Also, there goes your trust in your baby daddy, because what the fuck is that about bringing strangers around your daughter without telling you???

Fuck him and his puppy eyes as he looks at you while you quietly come out from Isa's room, crossed arms and glaring his way, waiting for him to explain.

"I swear to God, there is nothing between me and her" he finally says, and you can only grunt.

"I don't give a fuck if you are not with her Ruben. I care about you sneakily bringing some girl around our daughter without telling me in advance. Worse so, having to find out from someone other than you"

"It's not like it was on purpose, I swear! It was pure coincidence y/n, you have to believe me"

He looks sincere, but there is still something fishy going on in your opinion.

"Right, you on pure coincidence crossed paths with some of your situationships on Paris and-"

"She is no one, y/n-"

"Let me finish, because not only did you do that. You were sending me pictures of Isa while carefully making sure I could see her, you were hiding her from me Ruben." you sigh again, already dreading how this is going down. "Look, Ruben, I don't care if you are seeing other girls, I am glad that this is a sign we have both moved on."

You lie, and hope he can tell so. "I am not seeing anyone, I promise."

"...We both know how you are, Ruben, you can't seriously expect me to believe that."

When you met Ruben, he wasn't someone to settle down, it was a miracle he once did with you, but you know it's not in his nature.

"Look, I just ask of you to not go around introducing just about anyone to Isa, I don't want her to ask questions. This whole thing is already hard on her"

You don't remember how the rest of the conversation with Ruben went down, just him giving out excuses that you don't believe.

Of course he is seeing other girls, you are sure of it.

You haven't seen much of him since, asking your best friend to please help you handle pick ups with him with another work related excuse.

Communication is now the bare minimum, every time he tries to speak with you about the whole mess, you just straight on ghost him.

Another child free night, means a nice bottle of wine to drown your sorrows and some romantic com playing in the background to try and convince yourself love might actually exist.

It's almost midnight when someone loudly knocks on your door. You quietly take a sneaky look outside, and open the door confusedly when you see him.

"Where is Isadora? Is she alright?" you worriedly ask and he nods his head.

"Yes, yes, all is alright, she is with my brother, don't worry about it."

There is silence for a moment as you stare at him as he fidgets in his place.

"Then, what are you doing here?" you ask, arms crossed and back to your cold persona now that you now all is ok.

"...You were ignoring me, and I need to speak with you"

You sigh, tiredly. "I was not ignoring you Ruben, it's just that there is no reason for is to keep discussing this topic"

You know that's a lie, everyone knows something bad is going on, it's even affecting Isa, as while she might already be used to mom and dad not living together, she has only really known a life of family dinners, weekly meet ups and movie nights. All gone now.

"That's bullshit and you know it"

He stares at you for a moment, in his eyes the same look he had when you two found out you were pregnant: scared, terrified about what the future holds for you.

You let him in, even offer him a glass of wine which he ignores. You can't really remember the last time it was only him and you in a room.

"...I would never take anyone other than you or Isa to Paris, I wish you accepted that"

Back when you had just started Ruben, he had asked you what was your dream trip, and it might be cliché, but to you it had always been Paris: the city of love.

A week later you had been enjoying a fresh croissant as you walked hand in hand with him near the Louvre.

The last trip you ever made as a couple, was just after finding out Isa's gender, you two in a boat ride along the Sena as you wondered what the future help in hand for your little family.

And it hit you hard, really, rhat he could just go and be with another girl in the city, in the meantime, the mere thought of the city had your heart acting for him.

"But it seems you did, Ruben"

"Y/n, please. You have to believe me. That girl and I just have some friends in common and I couldn't just tell her to get away from me, doesn't matter how much I wish I could"

"That still doesn't explain why would you hide her from me'

"I didn't hide her! She was literally there for about,five minutes, and that was enough for those stupid wag pages to make up stupid stories!"

"...Ok"

"...Ok? Just like that?"

"You prefer me not believing You?'

"Just...not used to you not fighting me"

"We can fight if you want to"

"I would prefer not to, afterall, it was a stupid fight that hot us here"

It's quiet for a second, the two of you watching the movie playing in the background but not truly paying any attention to it.

"Are you seeing someone?"

The question has you choking on your wine and stare at him, wide eyed.

"I mean...the other day you said that thing about moving on and..."

"Ruben, you caught me alone at home drinking a Friday night with the lames rom com playing on the background. You really think I am hiding someone from you?"

"...Good point, I guess" he clears his throat, then waits a second. "You might not believe me, but I am really not seeing anyone"

"Is the Ruben Días having trouble getting laid?"

"The only girl I want to get laid with- said no to a trip to Paris I had planned to ask her whether she would ever take me back"

"...That's not funny, Ruben"

"Only jokes are supposed to be funny, darling, and this is not a joke"

#rúben dias #ruben dias x reader #ruben dias #man city #manchester city #portugal national team #portugal nt #football imagine #football player #rúben dias x reader

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aerodyssey · 1 month ago

Text

Hermit-a-Day May !! || Day 18: Magic Mountain Row (Favorite Build)

(me yapping about the base below)

I guess this is technically multiple builds, but honestly magic mountain row is one of my favorite builds that on hermitcraft s10 that im aware of ! I just feel like it has so much storytelling and thought behind it, like Mumbo did such a great job !! Like he also made like business cards, concept art, and things related to each like business and building just for a vibe, that’s like a craft of love ! AND the armor stands (even tho I didn’t add them here) like they just add so much life and character GAHH! I can go on for hours about how much I love this base and how filled with story it is, but I’m running out of words in my brain to describe it all :3 !

Originally I was going to draw grians base when I first saw the prompt, but I got into watching mumbo like a week ago and I just fell in love ! (No hate to grians, but I just HAD to draw this) Still, I like a lot of the hermit’s bases this season (and the other seasons, but sticking to 10 cause it’s easier)

I tried using my sort of lineless art style I use for backgrounds, it does seem a bit wonky and unclean, but honestly it kinda fits the vibe, with all the clutter maybe ? Maybe one day I’ll make a polished version :D

Also reason why I am posting this like a few hours after my last one is because I wanted to get this done so I can get stuff done for school when I wake up TvT

#hermitaday #hermitcraft #hermitcraft season 10 #hermitblr #mumbo jumbo #mumbo fanart #mumbo jumbo fanart #yipppeeee #my art #fanart #I could just gush about how much Mumbo inspires me but this is not the time #I would honestly live here if it was a real place #my favorite build here is Willy’s workshop #BUT my favorite characters here are Jill and bill (they’re so cute!)#yapping too much just know I really like magic mountain row

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fernslivers · 3 months ago

Text

MODERN MIZU THOUGHTS

Kicking off my Hyperfixation with some silly little thoughts about modern-day Mizu!

Just a mix of headcanons and imagines, maybe I'll write some of them out into proper imagines if there's any interest! I have some spicier movie imagines already partly written!

Let me know if you like them, I definitely have MANY more thoughts--

This is my first time attempting to post my writings like this, so apologies for any errors.

(TW: canon-typical mention of SA due to Mizu's backstory)

So, of course, in the modern day, she wouldn't be as immediately ostracized the same way, but...

The closest I could think of was that her father was one of four very rich men/CEOs and her mother/baby Mizu were targeted to try to keep the "affair" quiet.

Still believes herself to be the product of SA (I know there's speculation among some fans as to whether this will be true, but since it's what she knows in the show, I'll just say that's true as far as she knows here too)

This still left her with a similar huge complex about her self image, bc she knows she has her dad's eyes, and that he got her mother killed

Went into the system after her mother’s mysterious “death”, got adopted by Eiji after she just wouldn't stop sneaking away from foster care to bother him/stare at his swords

He's still a swordsmith because people DO still do that in modern day. It just would make him even more famous/special.

The whole thing with M*k*o did happen, they divorced, she is aware that that woman is not her biological mother and they are No-Contact

Since she knows that was a maid, she still has the belief that her mother was killed for the reason listed above and still wants revenge.

I debated SO HARD about what she would go to college for. Because her two biggest passions are the sword-making, and revenge, both of which are hard to translate to modern day by themselves, much less in a combination.

(I thought about business, like maybe she wanted to take down a CEO father by taking over his company, or about law enforcement/law school, but they all felt wrong for her character.)

Because let's be honest, those four men in modern days would be involved in organized crime, so Mizu would probably just go straight for that kind of situation as well in order to tail them.

She isn't one to play by the rules of ANY organization

So, she's involved in organized crime on the down-low while going to college.

She doesn't work for anyone in particular, but she does run in shady circles and knows certain names and places. Nobody knows much about her, though.

She's definitely made enemies.

She's only in university at all because Eiji demanded she do something good with her life, and she can't stand to disappoint him so she does try somewhat hard to balance both.

I saw someone else on here say she would pursue Materials Engineering, and I think that’s probably a great option for technical sword smithing. (Sorry, I can't remember who it was, but it was NOT my suggestion.) That or something involving Metalworking in art (my fav cuz it's what I do).

She does sword training privately. She's not in any clubs on campus because, similar to in canon, she prefers a mix of them and actually does use her skills when she's "working", not just for what she considers play-sparring.

She's an older student that went back to school after her divorce.

DON'T ask her about that.

You two meet because you're both looking for a roommate halfway through a semester.

You had a nasty cheating-related breakup that culminated in you kicking your ex AND old RM out, leaving you with an apartment you couldn't pay for alone.

She used to room with Ringo, but just simply could. not. stand. Ringo’s intensely social atmosphere. He's a culinary student who is very respected in classes, and constantly inviting people over for dinner. (Edit: This was also partially someone else's!)

She noticed your ad that specified looking for someone quiet, in an off-campus place that offered a small courtyard for her training.

Perfect.

Your first thought when you meet her is “god damn.”

A tall drink of water with gorgeous eyes and a voice like crushed silk.

Haha I'm in danger

But you keep that under wraps. You tell yourself that you don't need to be rebounding with the person that just moved in.

So much for a roommate that doesn't offer any distractions, though. Her training in the yard pretty much means you get zero work done in that time unless you close the curtains.

…She is very quiet, at least. Even if she keeps odd hours with her strange "job".

However, Ringo is going to be stopping by almost every day to make sure she eats, so expect a lot of humming and a LOT of friendly questions.

Ringo is actually responsible for the two of you getting to know each other initially, because he asks questions of you that Mizu won't ask, and subtly makes sure to do it when Mizu is around to hear the answers.

She pretends to ignore you both, but can't help but tune in a bit.

He also chats a bit about Mizu, as long as it isn't anything she's told him is a secret, and ignores her glaring at him.

She stays stoic about it, but secretly she's rather flustered when you seem interested in a positive way by what Ringo blabs to you about her.

She also appreciates that you don't bug her about it when Ringo isn't around even if she kind of wishes you did

He is Very Excited that Mizu now has TWO friends! :)

Mizu acts annoyed by him, but she is secretly pleased when you seem to like him.

She would not fw you if you didn't. He's like a beloved sibling; she gets to complain about him, but she'll fight anyone else that doesn't like him.

You finally get to ACTUALLY start becoming friends when you both happen to stay on campus over a break.

You aren't on good terms with your family, so you assume you'll have the place to yourself, but...

Walking by Mizu’s room you notice that she's still here.

Her door is open for once because she also assumed you would be gone.

After staring at each other in mutual surprise, you awkwardly ask her if she wanted to maybe hang out over dinner and watch a movie or something.

She would normally have said no, but with nothing else to do over break, she chose to focus on doing homework continually (She is perpetually behind because of those Extracurricular Revenge Activities of hers), and she is just so done with it

So she awkwardly agrees

And you learn the hard way why Mizu is not allowed in the kitchen EVER.

You try, you really do, to keep that first bite in your mouth, but…

She shamefacedly asks if you're alright while you're still coughing over the garbage can, but your coughing turns to giggling.

You joke to her that you're actually glad to know she isn't perfect at everything, and she seems surprised that you admire anything about her to begin with

You're willing to start over ON YOUR OWN, but she insists that would be unfair and orders you both takeout.

Since she bought dinner, you insist that she gets to pick the movie.

She kind of wants to put on that new slasher flick that just came out on streaming, but she isn't sure what you like and you seem like such a sweet little thing.

And after nearly killing you via spices, she didn't want you to think she was a TOTAL psycho.

(She doesn't want to talk about why she even cares what you think.)

So she chose a documentary on modern sword-smithing that she knew Eiji had been interviewed for.

(This surprised you, because you were EXPECTING her to choose a horror. She just seems like the type. And maybe you were hoping for an excuse to snuggle closer…)

But this is actually really interesting, and you find yourself fascinated. You never knew about the details and craftsmanship that went into this!

She tries to sit quietly, as usual, but she just can't resist the urge to point out Eiji when he appears.

She's just too proud of her sword-father. That pride is obvious in her voice and makes her seem almost soft for once.

This makes you feel ever so slightly brave, and leads to you pausing after his section (because you don't want to talk over him), and asking all sorts of questions.

Normally she wouldn't be thrilled about this, but she can't resist questions about Eiji the way she can about herself.

Somehow this leads her to ask some minor question about your major, related to something you told Ringo, and she's startled at the jolt that runs through her when you light up, just beaming at her.

“I didn’t know you listened to any of that!”

You start excitedly explaining, but she's distracted by the strange thrumming in her chest at the way you smiled at her.

(This is not going to be a problem for her. It's NOT. )

#mizu x reader #mizu blue eye samurai #mizu #modern mizu #bes mizu #mizu bes #mizu x you #mizu x y/n #bes #blue eye samurai #mizu brainrot #bes x you #bes x reader #tw: sa

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f1rodrigo · 1 year ago

Text

the mclaren boy mystery | part two

l. norris / o. piastri

summary: in which your boyfriend is a formula one driver for team mclaren and when you finally decide it's time to start hinting to the world, the internet is confused on exactly which driver is your boyfriend. pairing: social media au || lando norris / oscar piastri x reader fc: jazmyn makenna

a/n: sorry this took a little longer than i expected! it was so fun to make though. i didn't want to say who she's actually with because i feel like it's fun for the readers to have to figure that out too! so please share any guesses you have lol i'm interested to see what people think the outcome will be. hope you enjoy and thank you sm for reading<3

part one | part three

sweet relief series | valentine's day drabble

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liked by yourbrother, maxverstappen1, and 101,225 others

yourusername happy birthday to my favorite brother, i love you and am so grateful to know i have someone in my life who looks after me like you do<3 here's my fav pics of us of course they're all racing related lol, our first love

view all 982 comments

yourbrother "my favorite brother"... As far as I know I am your only brother 😐

⤷ yourusername 🥱🥱🥱🥱 technicalities

yourbrother Thank you least favorite sister, miss those days. Have to get back out on the karting track, been too long since I've beaten you

⤷ yourusername been too long since you've been beaten, you mean?

⤷ yourbrother Yeah, yeah we'll let the track times speak for themselves

⤷ user1 ok but we have to admit the brother sister banter is kind of adorable

⤷ user2 no bc she seems so sweet 😭

user3 nah because what is max verstappen doing in this girls likes now????

⤷ user4 and the plot thickens 😯

user5 she saw everyone calling her a fake f1 fan and said take a look at this

user6 yn hater club how you guys feeling right about now

⤷ user7 🤡🤡🤡🤡

user8 honestly kind of hope she's dating one of them

⤷ user9 yall switch up so fast please 😭😭

user10 seriously..... you HAD to only post f1 related photos lmfao so totally pandering to the landoscar fans

user11 f1 school of wags next graduate

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liked by mclaren, yourusername, and 1,891,218 others

landonorris DOUBLE PODIUM!!!!!!!! couldn't have asked for a better race, congrats @/oscarpiastri and a huge thanks as always to @/mclaren 🧡

view all 5,871 comments

user1 I SAY THATS MY BABY AND IM SO PROUD 😭

user2 mclaren double podium... oh i used to pray for times like these

user3 oscar piastri you are insane omfg

user4 MY POOKIES LOOK AT THEM !!!!!!!!! 🫂

user5 save me landoscar SAVE ME

yourusername jumping up and down screaming and crying losing my mind

⤷ landonorris you should probably get that checked out....

⤷ user6 THATS IT, ITS YN AND LANDO IM CALLING IT

⤷ user7 nah nah nah this is so giving gf of the bestie banter

⤷ user8 agreed hopping on the oscaryn train 💪🏻

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yourusername added to their story

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oscarpiastri added to their story

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liked by kellypiquet, oscarpiastri, and 789,012 others

yourusername qatar gp smiles <3 practice timeeee

📸 @/kellypiquet

view all 1,281 comments

kellypiquet so beautiful

⤷ yourusername all you

landonorris eye spy a mclaren car down there?

⤷ yourusername ? i just see a tractor

⤷ landonorris not funny. 😐

⤷ yourusername i certainly laughed

⤷ oscarpiastri same actually

⤷ user1 i dont know how much longer i can take this

⤷ user2 GUYSSSS i am telling you its so oscaryn

⤷ user3 WHAT literally look at the Proof its so landoyn 🥱

⤷ user4 i am giggling we're literally in a shipwar

user5 she's so pretty i'm sorry guys i love her 😵‍💫

⤷ user6 well yes!

user7 patiently waiting for one of the mcl boys to main feed post her then we know for sure ‼️

⤷ user8 at this rate it still won't clear anything up

lilymhe miss u beautiful

⤷ yourusername omg i miss u more ms lily

⤷ user9 she has The wag stamp of approval WE MOVE!

user10 theres four e's at the end of 'time'....... landos number is 4 i've got it guys 😃😃

⤷ user11 seek medical attention STAT

⤷ user12 bro thinks this is a taylor swift album release

⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。⋆ ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。⋆ ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。⋆ ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。

liked by mclaren, landonorris, and 789,012 others

yourusername oscar piastri sprint race winner AND mclaren double podium, better start calling me the good luck charm

view all 1,281 comments

user1 nah bc you're onto something.....

user2 she can't be serious 😐

⤷ user3 well no shit it's just an instagram caption

user4 i cannot be the only one who finds the caption extremely weird

⤷ user5 nah i'm with you i've never liked her 🙄

⤷ user6 its just so odd like forcing yourself into the mclaren narrative completely taking away from the boys achievements writing it off as your own doing...

⤷ user7 omfg yall are so dramatic just say you're jealous they're not dating you lmfao

⤷ user8 no fr because it is not that serious it's clearly a joke like she loves them cmon now

mclaren BRB getting your paddock passes for the duration of the season

⤷ yourusername i'm giggling, i love you guys 😙

⤷ user9 see mclaren is fine with it so yall should be too

⤷ user10 now i'm going to need all the haters to sit DOWN and shut the fuck UP

oscarpiastri wait can you send me that picture

⤷ yourusername i literally did already but okay

⤷ oscarpiastri ok could do with less attitude

⤷ yourusername you have not seen real attitude piastri

⤷ oscarpiastri 😧

⤷ user11 i think this just converted me to team oscar

⤷ user12 nah this is literally landoyn confirmation

landonorris 🍀

⤷ user13 i am picking up what he's putting down

⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。⋆ ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。⋆ ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。⋆ ⋆ ˚。⋆୨୧⋆ ˚。

part one | part three

sweet relief series | valentine's day drabble

taglist:

@landoscar-f1 , @urfavnoirette , @imsiriuslyreal

#lando norris #formula 1 #lando norris x reader #formula one #lando norris imagine #lando norris x you #lando norris smau #f1 2024 #lando norris fanfic #lando norris fluff #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x reader #oscar piastri x you #oscar piastri imagine #f1rodrigo

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bowsandgutts · 6 days ago

Text

Nina VS The Creepypasta Fandom: How A Fandom Turned An Innocent OC Into A Nightmare.

As someone who's been present within the creepypasta fandom since the 2010s, the sudden surge of Nina love within the fandom today is both amazing... and slightly irritating.

Of course, when I say "irritating," I don't mean that I hate that she has become as beloved as characters like Jeff, Toby, Eyeless Jack, etc. I more so mean that as someone who has never hated Nina and saw potential in her character. She was a perfect representation of our fandom!

A fandom that, unfortunately, would be her downfall and lead to the relentless harassment of her creator, Alegotic-twelve.

Note: It should be obvious, but just in case- PLEASE do not harass anyone mentioned below. This post is being made as a critical analysis of the creepypasta fandom, and how they treated Nina/Ale. This is NOT being made to stir up drama.

Our story would start in the year 2013, where on February 5th, the original Nina The Killer story would be posted to the creepypasta website. Technically even earlier, as Ale came up with the concept of Nina in 2011.

To summarize the original story:

Nina Hopkins is an 11-year-old girl who transfers to a new school to be closer to home

She's admires and looks up to the creepypasta jeff the killer

On her first day, she defends her younger brother Chris from bullies, leading to a violent confrontation where she attacks them

After the incident, Nina feels empowered by her actions, realizing that she liked hurting people and wanting to do it again

Nina discovers a note in her locker, someone knows about her violent act but chooses to remain anonymous and not tell anyone

Chris is kidnapped by the bullies and beaten up badly, which makes Nina further fall into her dark desires and want revenge

Nina gets another note in her her locker where her anonymous admirer apologizes for what happened to her brother, saying that she wasn't alone and that they'll "be her friend"

Picture day comes and Nina dawns her iconic outfit

Nina is once again attacked by the bullies

Bully beat down part 2

It's revealed that Jeff is the anonymous admirer

Make over time!

Nina kidnaps Claudia and kills her in her room

Nina kills her mom and her brother, tells Chris's body she's gonna kill more people

The end!

I assure you, this summary is relevant and was done for a reason.

You can read the full story yourself here!

In Ale's post I think it's time to talk about this, she explained that Nina was created because Jeff was a comfort character for her, which is something I'm sure many of us can relate to. (Please note that English is not Ale's first language)

(There's also an interview in Spanish)

youtube

When Ale is asked why (at the time) she had abandoned Nina as a character, she explains that it was because of the staggering amount of hate she was receiving ever since the creepypasta was published.

I'm not gonna lie, reading this was absolutely heartbreaking. Ale was only thirteen years old when she created Nina, a minor for the majority of when this all happened. People were directing death threats at a child over an oc they had created for fun. And with all of this... I don't blame Ale at all for wanting to abandon the character altogether (I'm sure it was even worse when the story first came out but these were the only stuff I could find).

So I started digging, trying to find where this hatred first started to circulate, and the best I could find were these journals on DA. https://www.deviantart.com/alotta-stars/journal/Nina-The-Killer-485947249 https://www.deviantart.com/fireant02/journal/Nina-The-Mary-Sue-469951508 https://www.deviantart.com/fallenangelkayaxx5/journal/For-those-who-hate-Nina-the-Killer-like-me-472200933 Disgusting behavior aside, there's a frequent mention of Nina being Jeff's "fangirl."

Now, the definition of a fangirl is a girl/woman who's extremely enthusiastic over someone or something.

The fandom referred to and still refers to Nina as a fangirl... never once was she called such in the original story or by Ale herself.

The detective at the beginning calls her a "crazy fan," but even he acknowledges that she's more than that after an interview with one of the victims.

I even did a word check to confirm it. The word "fangirl" is never used.

Hell, when she finally meets Jeff, her idol, her reaction is rather calm. She doesn't freak out, or scream, or anything. Just kinda acknowledges he's there.

Now, I'd like to address something I know multiple people have said: Jeff was never a hallucination. He was always there.

He'd been watching Nina throughout the whole story, leaving notes in her locker for her to find (as mentioned in the summary). He even confirms to himself that he'd been watching her when he finally makes his appearance.

Which is why it really pisses me off that the fandom shoved Nina into the "stalker trope" and hated her for it, when Jeff was the one that was stalking her!

And there's literally no implication that either of them are "in love" or attracted to each other. If you read the scene in the original story, the interaction feels more like siblings then anything else. Very chaotic siblings at that.

Ale herself confirmed this was what their dynamic was supposed to be in a Twitter (now x) post back in 2024.

Nina's love interest was always supposed to be Eyeless Jack. They even had a kid together! (Which, in a really weird way, kinda makes them the first-ever pasta parents? 0-0)

I unfortunately couldn't find any information about the ship or Eyeless Alice (their daughter), but I did find this post on X where Ale says that she misses the ship (suggestiveness blurred lol).

So, what's the takeaway from all of this? What ruined Nina as a character?

Well... the fandom itself. Because of the misogyny that was rampant in the community back then (and still is unfortunately present today), misinformation being spread, and the mischaracterization of Nina's character. Nina The Killer was the perfect representation of us as a community. And that point completely flew over everyone's heads. Instead, we ruthlessly harassed a minor for a character we mischaracterized so badly that we ended up absolutely loathing her. I think we, as a fandom, owe Alegotic-twelve an apology.

#i can be your prom queen ( musings )#creepypasta fandom #creepypasta #nina the killer #creepypasta nina the killer #nina the killer creepypasta #nina hopkins #alegotic tweleve #ninajack #eyeless jack #jeff the killer #jane the killer #homicidal liu #ben drowned #laughing jack #creepypasta characters #//ITS FINALLY DONE #//whew this was a long time coming I always wanted #//to do a full rant about this lol

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