#(Thank you for this one! I'll be responding to the others from you gradually too as I work to get to all of my asks)

[more-than-a-princess]

"So, I know that your administrators would not want you to wear this," Tsubasa said, holding out the green denim jacket for Sonia to take, "so my advice would be, don't get caught, huh?" They laughed, lightly shrugging. There were tons of factors at play that their processing unit hadn't calculated for, but Sonia seemed to sometimes push back just enough upon the expectations of her programming that the cyber angel assumed that if she wanted to wear it, she'd find some way to do so. And, if she preferred the idea of just hanging it up somewhere to look at, well, fine with them.

Virtually every square inch of the jacket was covered up with buttons, pins, and patches displaying all manner of horror and occult iconography, from famous slasher characters to horror manga panels to unsettling symbols of knowledge best left forgotten. The part Tsubasa thought was coolest, though, was admittedly the one they had the least personal hand in. After some consulting, they'd bought all the patches and buttons and affixed them themselves, but the large painted backpiece was beyond their abilities. Instead, they'd handed the jacket over to one of their club friends who worked as a tattoo artist with some ideas. Thus, primed with canvas sealant and nano protector so it wouldn't come off in the wash, the jacket's back featured a unique, gristly, darkly romantic scene all worked around the words MADONNA OF DARKNESS in bold, eye-catching font.

"I really did try to come up with my own access code but I kept coming back to what you told me before, and I think your classmate kind of nailed it on the first try," Tsubasa explained with another laugh. "Nothing I could think of was anywhere near as fitting." For her, or as a cool thing to put on a battle jacket. Plus, their area of expertise was digital, cybernetic things, which wasn't quite Sonia's thing. "I did ask him first, just to make sure it was cool. It worked out - he's super easy to talk to." Why had everyone told them that Tanaka-san was so hard to understand, and hard to have a conversation with? Well, whatever. They grinned. "So, happy birthday, Sonia-san! You don't need a jacket to be totally cool, but I hope you like it anyway, huh?."

Sonia's Birthday Asks 2023 - Accepting until Monday, October 16!

The days leading up to the fall holidays in Novoselic were always stressful, but perhaps being half a world away made them even more so. She'd just returned from another business lunch, finalizing details for a campaign to support international study between Japan and Novoselic, when she found Tsubasa outside her dorm room door with a gift. It had come with a series of apologies regarding the mess, but she had shown her friend in, hoping they wouldn't mind the various trunks and valises open and half-stuffed with items to take home. Members of Novoselic Castle staff were arriving in the morning to help the princess with her packing, after her father couldn't contain his laughter at watching his daughter attempt to pack her own suitcases. He'd commended her efforts, but ultimately it was safer to have professionals finish the task.

A mess Sonia had only added to once Tsubasa had presented her with their gift. Her blue eyes had lit up, admittedly far more than when discussing the series of launch events for international studies, as she quickly shucked her brushed wool coat in cherry red onto a pile of of skirts before taking the green denim jacket carefully, in awe over the various adornments that her friend had taken such care in selecting for her. She'd slipped it on right over her coordinating cherry red shift dress, the combination of green denim and soft red wool making the Princess of Novoselic look like a punk-meets-prep Christmas display. Naturally, Sonia adored it.

"Those are words I tend to live by," She grinned, turning in front of her full-length mirror for both herself and Tsubasa to see. "I have an entire room connected to Novoselic Castle's underground corridors for my occult collection, and my family does not bother entering. Truth be told, I wonder if they fear it might be cursed!"

She laughed. She could only hope, even with her replica haunted dolls and antique texts describing various exorcisms. Pins and patches of those too had made it onto the jacket, Sonia beaming as she took in the horror manga panels, the slasher film icons. "This is so very beautiful and detailed, Tsubasa-san," She told them, turning to face them finally. She'd advised Tsubasa find somewhere to sit, though there was mostly only her desk chair and a small corner of her bed not being occupied with the contents of her upcoming trip. It was almost silly: she had an entire closet and then some at home, and her mother hated the 'trashy' Japanese fashions of Shibuya that she'd explored with Anzu some time ago. Still, she insisted: at least she could wear them when she wasn't working. Just like the jacket. "Thank you very much for this gift, I love it!"

Upon their mention of the 'access code,' Sonia glanced over her shoulder to where the back of the jacket was reflected in the mirror. Moving her hair to over one shoulder so the panel could be in full view for them both, she smiled before raising an eyebrow at the design. "The amount of blood, and candlelight, and roses is stunning! And the...ah, lovers, seem to be passionately entranced with one another." She did not mention aloud that one character, a woman, had long golden hair and a blush over her cheeks while the other, fitted with feminine curves but a sterner expression, pale skin, and darker features, was, to Sonia, unmistakably a woman as well. Ensuring her family would disapprove of her being in possession of, much less wearing, such a piece even more. 

Well, they'd simply have to cope with her new item that supported gothic LGBTQ romance.

"Ah, you spoke with Tanaka-san!" Sonia exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight. She was always pleased when he made new friends and, for the first time in a long time, her heart did not ache at his mention. "Yes, he is a wonderful person and I do not doubt he elicited a positive response at his old nickname for me to be utilized here. Most do not find him approachable, but you are like me then and find him easy to talk to. But truly, am I really 'super cool' in this jacket? I have never been cool before!"

Glamorous, yes. Refined, of course. And a bit (a lot) nerdy: but cool? Sonia Nevermind had never been cool, but she could surely trust Tsubasa's opinion: they were the walking personification of coolness. 

[sinner-sunflower]

P.2 HH Lucifer-centric AU 11/?

STORY 1, PART 1, PART 2, PART 3, PART 4, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 14.5, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22, PART 23, PART 24, PART 25, PART 26

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Lilith: Sign the papers, Lucifer.

Lucifer: Wha- Why?

Lilith: I don't think- This needs to end now. We both knew it won't last for all eternity.

Lucifer: Lily?

Lilith: I'm leaving.

Lucifer: Lilith, please! Talk to me! At least tell me why! How about Charlie! Our daughter, Lily!

Lilith: It’s just better this way. Believe me. You’ll understand someday. And she will too.

Lucifer: Is this because you’re afraid I'll overshadow and control you? That I'll hurt you like Adam did? Because I won’t. Lilith, please. I love you so much. I can step down! You can be the sole ruler of hell is that's what you want. Please.

Lilith: Stop this, Lucifer. Don’t make this harder than it is.

Lucifer: I.....can’t stop you, can't I?

Lilith: No.

Lucifer: I guess you’re the one doing the hurting this time. Is that what you’ve wanted all along?

Lilith doesn’t respond. She leaves. 

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

Lucifer awakens to the scent of Marigolds and the sound of strangled crying. He's vaguely aware of the weight of his body being cradled by someone, their tears falling onto his still form.

With a lot of effort on his part, he commands his vision to clear and the ringing in his ears to subside. Gradually, his surroundings comes into focus, revealing Charlie to be the one holding him, her face contorted with anguish that should never be present on his little girl's face.

'Who did that? Who made my Charlie cry?'

Her words tumble out in a frantic stream, but Lucifer struggles to respond, his voice caught in his throat. It dawns on him that Charlie isn't aware of his consciousness, her attention absorbed by her own distress.

Squinting against the haze of confusion, he realizes she's speaking to someone else entirely.

Charlie: A-angel hurry, please! I don't know what just happened. You're the number I- and I'm sorry please help me!

Lucifer can't hear what Angel was saying on the other end but they're muffled. Each unintelligible word seems to only worsen his daughter's tears, and oh, how he longs to comfort her.

Helplessness washes over him as he wishes to move, to reach out and wipe away his most precious' tears.

'That's what a good dad should do, right? Yeah. Yeah. It's kinda funny how Charlie is the one craddling me right now. I miss her baby days.'

He must have chuckled because Charlie whips her head down to him.

Charlie: Dad! You're awake! Thank you. You're okay, dad, don't worry. I- Angel, he's awake! I don't know! I just found him, oh god, Angel- I thought he-he-

There's frantic voices on the other line, the residents are all probably huddled in the phone attempting to calm Charlie down. Lucifer didn't get to hear what the overlapping voices were saying when the sanctuary's doors fly open revealing the radio demon.

Suddenly, the sanctuary's doors burst open, revealing Alastor. With a keen eye, he spots Lucifer and Charlie, and wasting no time before teleporting to their side in a blink, concern evident as he checks on them both.

Charlie: A-Al, thank god you're here. I- I

Alastor: My dear, you must calm yourself. Breathe.

Charlie: I can't!

Alastor: Yes you can. Count from a hundred backwards.

Charlie: 100, 99, 98.....80... I ca-can't please-

Charlie freezes as a gentle hand touches her cheek, prompting her to lower her gaze. With deliberate tenderness, he reaches for her hand, guiding it to his chest, positioning it over his heart. A silent reassurance pulses beneath her touch, the steady, calming rhythm of her father's heart.

Lucifer: I'm okay, duckie. Feel it. I'm okay. I'm breathing. I'm alive.

Charlie: D-dad.

Alastor: Match his breathing, dear.

After a minute, Charlie managed to calm down enough to form coherent sentences. She reiterates what she walked in on earlier and Lucifer is horrified. His daughter shouldn't have seen that but he's also berating himself. He knew that he shouldn't have told Keekee that Charlie could come. Stupid. Stupid. STUPID-

A snap of a finger stops the start of another spiral.

Alastor: None of that. We will have a talk about this but first, let us go back to the hotel for now. It must be uncomfortable laying on a frozen floor, no?

The King of Hell wants to say something but he knows there's no arguing with a fretting Alastor. Charlie is already outside on the phone again, most likely talking to whoever was at the hotel or maybe the Sins. He's hoping she doesn't call them right away; they're bigger worrywarts than him.

Charlie: -no no. He's fine now We're going to take him back to the hotel. Yes. Yes. Of course. Maybe in a few hours? Yes, I'll call you after we check him over. Yes. Thank you, Aunt Bel.

He yelps in surprise as the radio demon picks him up and holds him bridal style.

Lucifer: What the hell you doing??

Alastor: Why, carrying you, my love!

Lucifer: I can walk just fine.

Alastor raised an eyebrow at this then promptly dropped him.

Lucifer: Ow! What the fuck?!

Alastor: That does not look like standing. Perhaps it's opposite day today?

Lucifer all but growls but knows he's got him there. With a groan, he relents, deciding that he's going to be complain all the way back if he can help it.

Lucifer: Fine.

Alastor: What was that~?

Lucifer: I said fine! Carry me you tacky piece of shit!

He's pouting but he doesn't care. He's the King of Hell for Father's sake! Why is he letting this man bully him??

Alastor only smiles as he picked him up again. At least someone is enjoying this humiliation.

The way Alastor is holding him is doing something to him and had Alastor always been this handsome??

They meet Charlie outside already with one of their limousines. Thankfully, no reporters are camping anymore around the palace or this will be another big scandal that will most likely damage his image. Not that he cares what people in Hell think of him but whatever they they perceive him as extends to Charlie and he's not going to give them any ammunition on her.

Charlie: You sure you're alright, Dad?

Lucifer: Yes, sweetheart. I just want to be in a bed right now.

Alastor: I could always teleport you there, my dear. Would be faster than this death contraption.

Lucifer: I will throw up on you.

Alastor's eye twitches but doesn't say anything back. They sit in semi-comfortable silence the rest of the ride.

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

Alastor: Charlie, why don't you talk to the others and your uncles and aunts about your father's condition? I'll take his majesty up in his room. I'm sure the last thing he needs is to be bombarded with questions at this time.

Charlie: You're right. Thanks, Al.

Charlie squeezed Lucifer's hand in a silent reassurance.

Charlie: I'll follow you later, Dad. Love you.

Oh, how he loves her so.

Lucifer: Okay, duckie.

He almost threw up when Alastor teleported them up to his tower but before he could, the sinner put up a lemon tea up on his face. Muttering a small thanks, the King of Hell took a few sips before deciding to lay down.

Alastor is still not interrogating him but maybe the other can smell his exhaustion. No. The guy did not talk at all. He only moved to sit by his side, leaning back to the headrest. Lucifer takes this as an invitation to hug the other's waist like a bolster and snuggles closer. The Sin of Pride feels his partner's hand combing through his hair and humming an old tune.

He's afraid of seeing Roo again as he tightens his hold on Alastor. The other doesn't even flinch and Lucifer is glad. Alastor usually doesn't like touch so whenever the other allows it, Lucifer savors every second.

Lucifer: I won't blame you, you know?

Alastor: Hmm?

Lucifer: If it's too much. If you wanna leave, you can.

The hand in his hair stops moving but Alastor still said nothing.

Lucifer: I'll remember you though.

Sleep is calling him. He only wishes that he'll dream of nothing this time.

Lucifer: I remember everyone that leaves.

He passes out not hearing Alastor reply, words laced with a genuinity no one else had the privilege to hear.

Alastor: I can assure you, my king, I am not one to give up what I adore that easily.

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

I adore that Lilo and Stitch line. It really struck me when I first watched it.

YT also played this Hour of Joy VHS tape and that background tune really gave me inspiration on some future scenes. So, stay tuned.

[kairiscorner]

no but hear me out: middle blocker kento nanami ... (he gives tsukki vibes but is a lot more like osamu miya tbh)

middle blocker: kento nanami, number 7.

(you have his other jersey that's number 3 ~)

he honestly did not think of signing up for the volleyball team, he was just randomly approached by this couple of annoying, pesky guys; one had white, spiky hair, and the other had dark, longer hair in a bun—he will never forget, nor forgive, them for taking him away from his beloved idle time when he can rest from the day's hustling and bustling and making him practice throwing and hitting volleyballs around all because he was 'tall and scary enough' to be a middle blocker.

he'd always grumble when haibara would drag him to volley practice, he never really understood why he was always so enthusiastic about it when gojo would always bench him and have the guy watch from the sidelines.

though, that was before the team got their manager���some kid in nanami's class, who... was honestly kinda pretty. well, forget kinda, they were... extremely pretty. nanami hadn't noticed them until they were introduced to the team by coach yaga as the new manager, and, wow, did nanami forget how to breathe for a few moments as you scanned the boys' faces in front of you.

nanami still didn't have the right motivation to come to practice after school, but that's where you came in–you'd always, for some reason, sweet talk him into coming to practice.

you were very patient with him in trying to persuade him to come, praising him for his innate talent at blocking and saving, and telling him the truth: that he's the most serious member out of all of them, and for that, you find him really helpful to the team, and very interesting as a person.

"c'mon, nanamin... i'll miss having you around." you say with a sweet, soft voice as you smile up at him, making him look away from you with a stoic look on his face. "you say that every time you try to get me to come." "that's because it's the truth, nanamin–you're important to the team, you're very important to me, too." you tell him with a gentle look on your face as you sat next to him, making nanami lose all composure and sigh, feeling incredibly flustered but trying his best to keep it under wraps. "...fine, but just this once."

it didn't end at 'just that once'.

as nanami started regularly attending practice and gradually working with his teammates more frequently, you wanted to reward nanami for his improvement and change in attitude about practices–and so, you decided to bake him personally some delicious bread that you handcrafted and made for him specifically.

you wanted to make sure that he knew these came from you, so you made them as cute as possible–in your mind, nanami would know that this bread came from you, because you're always told by everyone in the team that you're just the cutest little thing, and maybe nanami would associate the cuteness of the bread with your cuteness.

"nanamin! i've got something for you." you told him all excitedly as you practically ran up to nanami, clutching something behind your back and grinning widely. nanami stopped drinking water and gently wiped at his sweat, then looking at you all confused. "what is it?" he asked you with a soft voice, to which you responded by handing him the hand wrapped bear-shaped bread that you made for him personally.

"for all your efforts recently. i know you like bread a lot, so i decided to try and make you some. it wasn't the easiest thing i've ever done, but definitely the most rewarding–because... i really hope you'll like them, nanamin." you told him with a shy smile, with nanami getting a bit flustered and blushing as he heard your words–he didn't even realize he was until when he stuttered out his thanks to you, and you pointing out how red he looked, making him blush deeper.

"is it because of the heat? i'll get you some cold water, nanamin, don't worry!" you promised him, and before nanami could even tell you he didn't need it, that he was red for a different reason, you took off already like the good manager you were and put your players' health and well-being first. nanami sighed as he looked at the bread you gave him, and smiled slightly at the sight of one bear bun's ear was crooked. "they're too kind, really... but i like them this way." nanami said to himself as a whisper as he waited for you to come back, for you two to eat the bear buns together.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 4 Rewatch Drabbles: 4x2 White Out

(Gif not mine. I couldn't find who to attribute it to. If you're the creator, let me know, and I'll credit you.)

Summary:  A series of 100-1000 word drabbles to accompany my    rewatch of season 4 of Once Upon a Time.  There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season.  Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an emphasis on Captain Swan’s epic love story.

Word Count: 662

Other Chapters: (1) (3) (4)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Emma had stopped shivering.  Surely that was a bad sign.  People who were dying of hypothermia stopped shivering, didn’t they? That, combined with the fact that the desire to go to sleep was overwhelming should have sent alarm bells going off in her head.

But she just didn’t even have the energy to care.  She watched dispassionately as Elsa found her magic and began to slowly open a hole in the wall.  

And then there they were, her father and her…well, whatever Killian was to her.  Her father looked concerned, of course, but Killian, Killian looked frantic, devastated, like his whole world was about to crumble.  He all but climbed into the ice wall himself to get to her.

A sudden warmth kindled inside her at the sight of him.  When had anyone, anyone ever looked at her like that?  Like she was their whole world?  Like losing her was the most terrifying thing he could even imagine?

And so, as soon as she was out, as soon as she was free, as soon as she was in his arms, she hugged him back, as fiercely as her depleted, frozen strength would allow.  

“You okay?” he murmured into her hair.

She nodded, too weak to voice a word.

Words had never been her strength anyway, so she used her actions instead. She cupped the back of his head–the same way her dad always did when he hugged her–pouring out all the reassurance and comfort she could muster.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Killan’s heart gradually slowed to a normal rhythm.  She was here, alive, in his arms, hugging him and nodding in answer to his questions.  He felt the tears prickle the back of his eyes.

He’d been so afraid, so bloody terrified that he’d lost another woman he loved, and this time, he was sure he’d perish with her.  He couldn’t lose her; couldn’t.  It would more than devastate him. It would destroy him.

Her strength gave out and she sagged against him. In one quick swoop, he picked her up, one arm supporting her upper body and the other under her knees.  She was free from immediate danger, but she was still perilously cold.  He must get her to warmth, to safety.

And so he did.  He carried her to her father’s vessel, held her as Charming drove through the streets of Storybrooke, warm air pouring from the vents of the vehicle.  He carried her up to the loft, held her hand as her father and Elsa brought her a blanket, wrapped his arm around her..

When she laid her head on his shoulder and laced her fingers with his, he knew she’d accepted his comfort, knew she needed him as much as he needed her.

As her parents, her son and Elsa gradually went about their business, she turned to him.  “Hey,” she said.

“Hello, yourself,” he responded with a gentle smile, wrapping his arm around her again, and gently rubbing her shoulder.

“Thanks for saving me,” she said simply.

His smile grew more tender, and he planted a gentle kiss against her temple.  “It was Elsa who did that, love, and I suppose your father as well, as he was the one to talk her through it.”

“But you tried, you wanted to,” she countered.

“Aye,” he said.  “Always.”

Emma smiled up at him, raising a still weak and frigid hand to cup his cheek. She said nothing more for long moments, but he could see it all in her eyes. 

I’d save you too.  I care about you too.  I don’t know what I’d do without you either. It means everything to me that you’re here.

One day she’d say the words aloud, but for now, it was enough.  For now, she was safe and in his arms, and he was never letting her go again.

When she quietly, almost hesitantly asked him to stay with her that night, he didn’t even hesitate.

There was nowhere in the world he’d rather be.

NEXT CHAPTER->

[lollytea]

one day Hunter isn't going to be flustered and tongue-tied around Willow for at least a solid 70% of their interactions like he is now and he's gonna be all comfy and assured in his relationship with her and he's gonna be able to joke and tease and flirt with her without melting into a puddle and he's gonna be like "oh. oh this is REALLY nice, actually."

I have this vision of Hunter and Willow's current dynamic in my head and it revolves around this idea that I find really sweet. And it's like.

Though Hunter still doesn't have the words to articulate how he feels about Willow just yet and he's rendered near mute whenever she flirts with him, he's not exactly beating himself up over it. Hunter doesn't feel pressured to force himself out of his comfort zone and start awkwardly flirting before he's ready to do so. Because Willow never makes him feel like he has to.

She understands that this is all a bit much for Hunter to take in so her flirting is never framed in a way where she's pushing him to respond. If anything, she just does it cuz she likes him. Cuz she likes being sweet to him and she thinks his blush is cute and she genuinely thinks he's so cool and wants to let him know. And it gets him all smiley and giggly and she loves it. It's also gradually building his confidance. But on top of all that, it's just a passive little reminder like "Hey. I'm not going anywhere. Whenever you're ready to say something, I'll be right here." Cuz she knows he likes her too and won't make him feel like she's ever losing interest and he'll miss his chance if he doesn't hurry up.

I dunno. It's so cute to me. Willow doting on him and Hunter unable to utter a single word but they both clearly like it and know the other likes it too. They have an understanding. For the moment, this is just what works for them.

But one day, when the time comes, something is gonna slip out of Hunter's mouth. And once he realizes that if he really puts his mind to it, ohhh he could flirt too!!! He could!!!

I could see it happening after all the Collector stuff is handled. Its been a few months. The dust has settled. Things are beginning to return to some semblance of normalcy. They're not really dating but they're also....not not dating, yknow? It's a slow build. Of course Willow does the flirting and the affectionate little touches and makes it very obvious she's interested. But she's waiting until Hunter is a little more comfortable in their interactions before they progress things any further.

She's walking him home (She's very chivalrous. Makes Hunter swoon.) and they're lingering at his doorstep. Willow is laying the flirting on thick and Hunter is eating it up, as always. Everything is the status quo, until Willow, admiring the way the sunlight catches flecks of gold in his warm brown irises, says:

"I really like your eyes."

And Hunter, whose brain has completely tapped out from the overload of her attention and the hook of her pretty smile, replies, as naturally as a heartbeat.

"Thanks. My eyes really like you too."

And Willow, sweet Willow, has a brief flash where she completely malfunctions. She freezes, eyes blowing wide, only for her lashes to begin fluttering in discombobulation.

Hunter, realizing what he just said, is not any less stunned. However he can't even say anything to do damage control as the impact of his own skin burning mortification sucks the oxygen out of his lungs and all he can manage is a strangled little squeak.

Willow seems too inside her own head to notice.

"Oh!" She exclaims. "Um. Thank you."

Wriggling where she stands, she clasps her fidgety hands together as a slight pinkish hue blossoms on her cheeks. Eyes jump to the ground as her features wrestle to keep her smile moderate but it's impossible. That giddy grin bursts her features apart. She glows.

And Hunter sees every moment of it.

She liked that, he realizes. She liked that a lot.

Willow raises her head, still looking dizzingly happy. But she's far bolder than he is because she looks him dead in the eye and makes a remark, struggling to curb the breathy giggles in her voice "That was...very smooth of you, Hunter."

Smooth.

Smooth like Willow.

He can be smooth like Willow.

There is literally nothing stopping him.

They bid eachother a bit of clumsy but thoroughly smitten goodbye and Hunter rushes upstairs, leaps face down into his bed and nearly breaks the thing apart from the manic kicking of his legs. The muffled noises he makes into his pillow got dogs the next realm over going bananas.

He tries to call Gus because he's got to tell somebody but once he's like "You'll never guess what just happened!! You'll never guess what I just did!!!!" he realizes that now he's gotten this far, he actually has to recount what just happened. With words. So instead he's like "actuallynevermindgottago!!" and hangs up.

But anyway. ANYWAY. That was my little origin story of Hunter realizing that he is capable of opening his mouth and unleashing some magic that he thought just Willow could do. Sure, she's a lot better at it. But he'll learn.

He does learn.

It takes a little time but once he's found his footing in this whole "taking initiative" thing, it turns out that Hunter can be a relentless flirt. If the mood strikes him. There was apparently a lot of flirty potential just gathering dust in that whole Golden Guard persona and now he finally has somewhere to channel it.

There's a girlfriend to be a nuisance to.

"Quit it!!" Willow attempts to sound vexed but she's utterly transparent to Hunter. She lunges around the flyer derby field, making another failed grab for him, but he's a bastard who can scramble his molecules.

"Cmon, Captain...." He teases with an antagonistic cackle. "If you really like me, you'd try a little harder to keep me in place."

Through burst after burst of glitchy jumps, Hunter is snapping all around Willow. He's at her side, he's behind her, he's flicking her hair, he's poking her cheeks, he's blowing in her ear, he's tweaking her hips, he's chanting teases at her. He's being a general menace and Willow wants to say she can't stand it.

She wants to.

"What's that smile for, huh~?" His voice softly singsongs, the swell of his lip just barely brushing against her ear and Willow seizes up. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you liked this."

Glitch.

He's at her other ear now. "Is it because of all the touching?"

Glitch.

He's directly in front of her. "Is that why--uMPH!!"

Willow dives forward and snatches him in her arms.

"Gotcha!!" She announces, grinning victoriously.

The unpredictability of his less than solid body left her having to grab him suddenly with little thought for the means to go about it. As a result, Willow is currently squeezing Hunter around the waist.

It works out though. As Willow is well aware, he really likes it when she holds his waist.

Hunter laughs at the intensity of her triumphant expression. "Well done." He relents. "You got me."

There's an infamous smugness that contorts his smile into a challenging smirk. "But now that you got me...what will you do with me?"

Willow's own smile twists evilly. Her grip tightens slightly. "Maybe I'll squeeze you like my life depended on it. Pop ya like a balloon."

Hunter snorts at the threat. "I guess you could...." He croons.

"Or I could haul you over my head and fling you across the field." Willow suggests. "See how far I can send ya."

He hums, delighted by the audacity. "You could..."

Willow's evil smile borders on maniacal. Her grip on him loosens, hands sliding to place themselves gently against his hips. She then digs her thumbs into them slightly, like a warning.

Hunter goes rigid, his lips visibly twitching.

"I could tickle ya."

A threat like that makes him crack a little and the dorkiness softens the edges of his sharp smile.

"You could..." He says slowly. Cautiously. His hands have ventured over hers, a feathery brush of fingers against her backhand first, before he captures them firmly and holds them in place before she can do anything evil.

Willow pouts, which makes Hunter laugh again. His attempts to be lofty fail spectacularly, as it's not his teasing laugh. Sincerity bleeds from the sound, all crinkled eyes and adorable snorts.

"I could kiss you~" Says Willow as her final threat, doing an excellent impersonation of his musically lilting teasing voice.

Hunter's eyebrows lift, pleasantly surprised. And if that's not enough of an indicator that she's got this smooch in the bag, she pushes her palms against his hips and reels him in a little closer.

His step stutters as he's pulled into her chest. This should secure the deal. He loves hands on his hips. He loves being manhandled just a little.

To Willow's delight, she even makes him blush a bit. He doesn't do that often anymore but she can still stain his skin red every once in a while if she's dedicated enough.

"You could..." Hunter murmurs and he's already stooped his upper body to her level, only to find Willow was standing on her tiptoes.

They meet halfway.

Once the warmth settles on her mouth, Willow closes her eyes and she likes the long, lanky hand that spreads itself on her cheek, fingers stroking affectionately across her skin.

This is nice, she decides, and she knows he's been thinking the same thing for quite a while.

[batsplat]

hello!! i think you don't talk that much about tennis here, but this year i’ve been watching singles matches from roland garros and wimbledon and omg, it’s super fun!!! my grandfather used to be a big tennis fan and to be honest, i only started paying attention this year because i deeply miss him but omg!!! i've been missing in one of the best sports!!

well, my question is if you have any advice on how to start watching tennis! like, I know how the scoring system works, but for example, are there basic things you feel one should know? lore? matches that everyone absolutely should watch?

i know it’s a lot of work to answer all this, but thank you whether you respond or not! prob everyone tell you this, but wow you really are fantastic!

your brain >>>

i can’t even count how many things i’ve learned since following you!! at the risk of sounding parasocial, i really do have a lot of love for you <3

oh everything about this ask is so sweet!! I'm glad you've had fun watching the slams this year, I think it's quite easy for me to get down on the sport but it really is fantastic. and oh yeah absolutely, this is like. my speciality topic. forget all the other shit, when it comes to tennis I know my stuff

because of the disparate nature of tennis, it's hard to just give easily distilled lore, though I will be peppering a bunch of information and like, infamous matches + moments throughout the post that are quite common touchstones within the tennis fan community. this should also be quite a good time to get into the sport: we have a few smaller tournaments, then the olympics, and then it's immediately big tournaments leading up to the last slam of the year, the us open. the general aim of this post is to just provide a little bit of context for what you're seeing, some useful bits and bobs to get started, without delving too much into the actual tennis itself - but please feel free to ask about those bits too!!

I'll also give a little bit of history on the key players in both tours, starting at the inception of the open era. modern tennis as an actual professional sport has existed since 1968 (though obviously tennis has a far more extensive history we're not going to get in here) - and since then, we've had the gradual development of the formalised elements of the sport like the introduction of a rankings system in 1973, the creation of the women's tennis association also in 1973, the constant tension with the four slams, and so on and so on. which, yeah, all of this is plenty interesting, but in this post I'll mostly limit myself to providing a general lineage of the big name players of either gender from the inception of the open era onwards. the 1920s wills/lenglen one-match rivalry is a conversation for a different day

so yeah, a multi-part guide with a bunch of stuff I think should be useful. these parts can all be read independently, so really just take out whatever's useful for you - no need to read the whole thing:

how it works: the basic details of how the tours and calendar are set up

where to watch: a broad overview of where you can access tennis

how to get started: some general stuff about how to navigate the sport

women: a very, very quick who's who of women's tennis in the open era, kinda the biggest names and then a little more on the top of the game right now

men: you'll never guess

matches to watch: this is not necessary to get into the sport, but I have still provided a few picks from youtube that felt like they fit the general remit

in conclusion: got to have one of those y'know

I've also put a few other things below the cut:

some non-match tennis content and resources, a mix of more fun + casual stuff and where to go for a little more analysis of what you're watching

me going through the women's rankings and giving like, the first thing that pops to mind about the first 35 names

me doing the same with the men but trailing off after 20

just a list of players I think could be fun to look out for

I'm aware that my 'please don't feel overwhelmed' guide may feel overwhelming. again, you do not need to know or remember all of this when you are starting out. the most important thing is to watch matches and to figure out what you enjoy - none of this is mandatory. tennis is very much a buffet sport. pretty much everyone keeps up with the slams, but beyond that you will find fans who are super into challenger tennis, those who are dedicated to supporting every british scrub from rank 28 to 428 in the world, those who consider themselves specialists on two matches from the early 1980s. some are super big doubles fans, which is unfortunately something I will mostly leave out in this guide but is absolutely worth checking out! lastly, and this is really important: you do not need to keep up with tennis all the time! again, most fans generally will tune in for the slams, probably for the masters/1000s, but if you're not keeping up with every 250 it is fine. it isn't homework, the commentators are there to provide context for everything you've missed. all the information I've provided below will hopefully be useful in following the sport more closely but none of it is necessary. there is no required viewing in tennis, just find the bits you vibe with and go from there

HOW IT WORKS

right, thank god we're not starting with the scoring system, but the macro organisation of the sport is also *rubs temples*. once more with feeling, you do not need to remember most of this stuff to enjoy the sport. the rankings points per round thing? honestly, especially how often they faff about with the specific number of points for stuff, I too have to look these up a lot of the time. I usually just check the live rankings sites after certain rounds like everyone else (best site for this for both genders is an unofficial one because of course it is, if you want to find men's entry lists for various tournaments then go to 'dartsranking.com' here (don't ask) and if you want to find women's entry lists then they will come to you in a dream when you are ready to perceive them)

the tldr here is that you have the four slams, you have a bunch of tour-level events, the most important of which are the masters/1000 events and the tour finals, and then you have other stuff going on. also, the tours are thinking about completely uprooting and quite frankly vandalising this whole system so don't get too attached to it

right so, basically the main organisations in tennis are: international tennis federation (itf), association of tennis professionals (atp), and women's tennis association (wta)

the itf is basically like... it technically is responsible for the four grand slams, aka australian open, roland garros, wimbledon and the us open, but those four slams also all have a lot of individual power because they're the most important events in the sport. it's also stuff that's below tour-level tennis (aka atp/wta) but above national level competition... plus they're responsible for team events like the davis cup (men) and the billie jean king cup (formerly fed cup, women)

(atp matches are shorthand for men's matches and wta for women's, even when we're talking about slams. nobody cares that much)

slams are best of five sets for the men and best of three sets for the women. all other events these days are best of three. why is there this gender disparity in format in slams? because pretty much nobody is interested in changing it :) sucks because it's such a unique aspect of men's slam tennis but that's where we are

the atp is responsible for all the other events for the men, and the wta is responsible for all the other events for the women. so basically you have slams, which are the most prestigious things you can win the sport. below that, you have several different tiers of events that the 'top' players still play but aren't quite as important. the slams and all these other events do contribute to the same ranking system though

so the four slams give you 2000 points apiece if you win one of those bad boys (you get points for each round you win, so for instance 400 points if you get to the quarterfinal), and provide you with atp/wta points. it's seven rounds to win a slam, 128 player main draw, plus there's also a three round qualifying for lower ranked players. these are two week events and they're the ones players dream of winning when they're wee shits with delusions of grandeur

the next tier is masters events on the men's side and wta 1000 on the women (honestly often colloquially they're referred to as masters there too). the winner gets... you guessed it, a thousand points (last year we still had events called '1000' that provided '900' points and 500 events that gave you 470 and 250 that gave 280 points, because the wta does literally hate us). they used to mostly be one week but now we're getting more and more two week masters, for reasons. some of these events include both genders, some are for just one of the genders, some are in canada (they do the men in montreal and women in toronto one year and then switch the next)

then you've got 500 events, then 250 events. they're still plenty prestigious for most players, but of course it depends... for some players, winning a 250 is the best day of their life - for others, it's really just a warm up event for something more important

anything lower than that may still be handled by the tour but it's not a 'tour-level event' and top players won't play them. so on the women's side you have 125s and on the men's side you have *drum roll* challengers

if YOU are in the top eight of the year's rankings at the end of the season (referred to as 'the race') then you get to go to the year end championship technically more complicated than this in the atp but let's not!! also called the tour finals. this one's got a round robin system followed by semis and a final, you get points per match for a maximum of 1500. it's kinda a reward for consistency too, not as valuable as a slam but it's the next tier

there's also the olympics, which is like? almost all players would rather win a slam tbh - but I think for a lot of players olympic gold would be the next big thing. it depends though! it's very individual how much that means to you in tennis, and for instance this year because it's on clay between the grass and hard court swings, a lot of players are skipping it. you don't get ranking points for them either

ranking points are updated on a rolling basis, so they drop off after 52 weeks. the official rankings are released every monday (though obviously there's also the live rankings) and they determine what players can enter what event... plus seedings

the points distribution, ta da:

so the thing about tennis is that it's basically just... always on. no break! starts in january, the tour finals are october/november-y - and if you're REALLY feeling withdrawal symptoms, itf's are going on all the time. especially the top players (who expect to go deep in the events they enter) won't enter events every week, and you generally expect weeks right before or after slams to have fields with lower rankings. the 'big titles' are slams, masters/1000s and tour-level finals - and when those are on, that's the only tour-level event happening. most of the masters/1000 are 'mandatory' for players of a certain ranking, but there's a bunch of exceptions there we're not going to get into. 250s and 500s are often happening in the same weeks as other 250s and 500s. a normal amount of tournaments for top players per year is like... 17 to 25 I'd say

the other big element of the tennis calendar is the surfaces, which the tours are organised around. now, basically throughout the year, you do have hard and clay events going on at itf/challenger/125-level - but at the tour-level, it's more regimented than that. let's start with what the surfaces are:

hard - has increasingly become the 'default' surface for tour-level tennis, though it was not always thus. made out of... hard stuff... asphalt, concrete, y'know. lot of different types of hard court, in various colours too, for both indoors and outdoors tennis. you've got very slow and very fast ones and everything in between. tricky to slide on, though men do that a lot these days

clay - made out of crushed brick. generally orange, but can be grey. generally the slowest and highest bouncing surface, though again there's also variation there. in geographical terms, players from continental europe and south america generally grow up on this stuff - if you're from elsewhere, it's usually hard. you can slide on this stuff!! it gets everywhere

grass - used to be the tennis surface but now is kinda novelty value and confined to a small stretch of the calendar. the fastest surface, low bouncing. you can slide on this - but beware, players don't really grow up playing on this (even the bri ish) so is extra likely to cause injuries

and the way it maps onto the tennis calendar in like... very rough terms...

okay. okay so we start on hard court! for the australian swing, leading up to the australian open in like january-ish. there's also generally some events going on in asia in the lead-up to ao

then... right. february, you've got men's events indoors hard in europe and outdoor clay in south america. and there's women's events indoors hard in europe and outdoors hard in the middle east. look. ignore february for now

then everyone goes to the sunshine double (indian wells/miami), back to back masters in the states for four weeks starting in march. outdoor 'hard' (indian wells is infamously slow)

then it's clay season! so ignoring those like. three events at the start, almost all of this happens in europe. all of the events apart from the wta 500 stuttgart is outdoors. and then you've got roland garros in may/june!

and then we switch to grass, where there's only three weeks to lead up to wimbledon! these events are in britain, germany and the netherlands

and then. okay. so. you've got one more grass event but you ALSO have the july clay swing. this doesn't lead up to any big events, it's just sort of there. they're trying to get rid of july clay because #they hate whimsy and fun

also you have the olympics during that time when they're on, typically on hard but this time on clay

then you also start having hard events at the same time, and eventually everyone goes to two masters, first in canada then cincy. outdoor hard

and THEN you get the us open, the final slam of the year, again on hard court, in like august/september

and then. and then. everyone just goes wherever. asia, america, europe, indoor hard, outdoor hard... even a rogue wta event on clay scattered in there

and eventually there's the tour finals! so on the men's side, it's in turin, where they've got a longer term contract - the tour finals move around, but only every few years

on the women's side, they're now in saudi arabia, which... discussion for another day, at least they're polite enough to let us know where it's happening more than two days in advance

as an example, here's what wta events are going on in july:

so, generally speaking there has been a process of surface homogenisation over the last few decades, where court speeds and all that have become more similar to all the other courts... like unless you're casper ruud, if you're a top player on one surface you will be able to perform to a reasonable standard on all of them. but it does matter! every player has courts where they're better or worse, preferred conditions and places where they're relatively weak - even the greats of the sport. relatively dominant world number one iga swiatek just flopped out of wimbledon. 24 slam winner novak djokovic kinda sucks at monte carlo. this is a question of playstyle and how it interacts with the conditions, of weather, ability to move on certain surfaces... etc etc. and the tennis does look different... this is one of those things you do just get the more you watch it I reckon

it's even just very basic stuff! because grass is faster than clay, serves are more dangerous there - and also it's harder for players to make it to the ball in time, so rallies are on average shorter. it used to be super extreme that grass was the territory of servebots and super aggressive players, and clay was ultra defensive grinders. now it's more complicated than that but *wiggles hand* everybody still has their Thing

HOW TO WATCH

*sigh* yeah this is the tough one

okay. so this really depends on where you are, and unfortunately there's no getting around the fact that the rights situation is an absolute disaster in this sport. first of all, each of the slams are their own thing, and often have different deals with different networks/streaming services. so for instance in britain, you can can watch the australian open and roland garros on discovery plus and wimbledon on the bbc and the us open using vpn to a different european country's more affordable streaming service in a language you can speak on sky sports. my understanding is the situation in the states is a nightmare

with the tours, which is most of the year, regardless of location you can watch men's tennis on tennistv, their custom streaming service that also provides replays of... almost all matches in the last few years and a strong selection of matches from the years before. it's not exorbitant fees, but it's also not cheap. again, depending on location, there may be other options available like tennis channel *sigh* and skysports *stares into the middle distance*. with the women......... okay, so you can use vpn to select countries (or just live there I suppose) and then buy wta.tv, which is quite possibly the worst streaming site to have ever been created. they do also have a list of broadcasters by country

I don't really know how to sugarcoat this because like... it's a nightmare. it just is. and if you want to watch a player you like in qualifying, well then, good luck. I do have to bring up for completist's sake that you can use betting sites where you pay in a one-time fee of like ten quid to watch any match live without commentary, including the ones that are otherwise available nowhere else but apparently do have cameras on them. which is.... obviously terrible. but well, icl, I do use it. for below tour level, challengers tv on the men's side does actually exist and works great! no commentary though in almost all cases. for 125 events... I do think they're mostly on wta.tv now? which. about time. some itf events are available on the itf website. the other option we all have to go for sometimes is... alternative streams. the way to go about this for the uninitiated is googling 'reddit sports streams', go to a recent-ish post, click on one of the links they provide, and work from there. of course, you can't watch replays with this - but especially as an entry level fan, that's often the place to start unfortunately

you can also watch match highlights! men's tour-level highlights posted by the tennistv youtube channel are generally speaking quite good. the highlights that the wta compiles are. *takes deep breath* *stares into distance* well. they do exist. sometimes. with slams it's all over the place, so like the australian/us open actually provides great 'extended highlights' quite regularly (and even uploads full matches!!) whereas the roland garros youtube channel might as well be telling you 'fuck you' in french for two and a half minutes for all the viewing value you get out of their highlights. wimbledon is almost as bad an offender - and both also relentlessly copyright strike anyone who is rude enough to attempt to advertise their product for them

^one of the best slam matches in years. an instant classic. exactly three minutes of highlights. the blandest caption on this planet. let's all kill ourselves in french

another thing that's worth bringing up: start times on a tennis schedule are very much vibes. you can generally trust the first match of the day on any given court to start when it's supposed to, except if the weather has something to say about it. there's also some 'not before' times or evening sessions, where generally the schedulers hope that all the preceding matches will already have finished by then. otherwise, you are dependent on how long the players before that have decided to take. this can be frustrating, especially when you're setting an alarm for 4 am and were kinda hoping you didn't do so for nothing. match notifications aren't a bad idea!! and sometimes you just have to see if you can vibe with whatever's on. also, anon you said you were watching roland garros and wimbledon.... okay, look, this can always be an issue (except in indoor tournaments obviously), but I PROMISE you the rain situation isn't usually THAT bad

listen. the thing about tennis is that it doesn't necessarily want you to watch it. but you can beat it

HOW TO GET STARTED

okay, the obvious one, and the bit you've already done: just start watching some matches!! slams are a good gateway drug. also, the next few months are gonna be super hectic - you don't even have the relative 'lull' of july clay because it's all prep for the olympics. then you've got two masters leading directly to the us open. there's plenty of matches to watch!! most of the top players will be at the olympics, basically everyone will be at the masters and then at the us open

for one week events, you have a lot of matches at the start of the week before the field gradually thins out, and then you get just the final on sunday. for two weeks, it's a bit more complicated than that, but you still generally will end up with a final on sunday

again, you don't need to watch everything! seriously, I imagine the number of matches can feel a bit overwhelming, but there's plenty of tournaments where I watch like. one match on a thursday and nothing else that week, and if it's on the main feeds then the commentators will tell me all I need to know about what's been going on

and yeah, pick a few players. if you've got a bit of a range - especially in terms of their ranking - they're also likely to be competing in different events and give you someone to get invested in most weeks if you so choose. plus, if you're just there for one player, they may just flop for six months and go on a seventy match losing streak. can get pretty dire. give yourself a few players to orientate yourself week by week... I used to have scoring notifications turned on for a bunch of players (also to let you know when they start), now I just let their results come to me in a dream

we'll be getting into this in a moment, but with the men it's always important to remember that legally speaking, only three men are allowed to win a slam at any single point in time. which means that for your sanity it's probably a good idea to just pick one of those blokes to be a fan of so you have someone to actually provide you some joy in life. the other top ten players are kinda filler material in terms of the Big Narratives of the sport, but some of them do make it to late stages of slams quite regularly and have even been known to win some masters, so you might want to pick from that pool too. beyond that, you're getting into territory where there's a lot of fun blokes who generally have a big run in them somewhere, but it's also considerably less predictable and they are more likely to just. lose a lot. but also, the small successes there are more fun to celebrate!!

with the women... well, listen, we're in a situation where the big events on a tour level currently do feel a bit more dominated by top players than the slams do - cf how we've had two matches this year between the worlds numbers one and two and none of them have come at the majors. given the wta has more or less left its chaos era, you're quite unlikely to have 'random' players winning slams, though generally speaking they may be more likely to make the late stages of the slams than on the men's side. what this tour really has plenty of is depth! I'd still recommend getting into one of the top 3-4 players on tour, all of whomst are slam winners - but there's only two multiple slam winners you feel relatively confident about racking up at least a few more, whereas the other two still have a bit more to prove in that regard. beyond that, you do have to embrace a little more volatility to enjoy the women's game to the fullest extent. if you've watched the channel slams, you'll have been introduced to a player who would have been considered a 'scrub' a year ago (a term of endearment, at least to me) but made back to back slam finals in the midst of her strongest career season. #realtennisunderstanders will know this didn't completely come out of nowhere, but for a lot of viewers it will have!! the beautiful thing about this tour is that you can hope for something that isn't just more of the same - you too can pick a random scrub and experience the thrill of them making a round four in a slam out of nowhere

basically, with both genders, my suggested approach would be finding a realistic slam contender who might actually win shit for you, find maybe one or two lost causes you can get upset about whenever they give you false hope, and then pick up a bunch of scrubs at random because they charmed you that one time they won a three and a half hour match in the first round of a 250

there's also a bunch of non-match tennis content that you can check out! I shoved it under the 'read more' because this was getting too long, but you have a mix of youtube channels, podcasts, writers to check out, specific pieces, websites... that kinda thing. I'll say this again below but really my number one rec is daria kasatkina's tennis vlog to get the insight into what life is like for a top twenty player. plus, her and her girlfriend are lovely. so

WOMEN

right, first a brief history of the big names, starting from the open era (1968):

at this time, the big names were billie jean king (known dyke, one of the key figures in founding the wta, cf 'the original 9') and margaret court (known homophobe, statpadded her slam count total with a bunch of australian open titles when nobody bothered to make the trip to australia which still feeds into some deeply annoying modern goat debates). you've got the breakthrough of goolagong (one of the most important players in the 1970s, from an aboriginal family back in the time when the government was removing aboriginal children from their families - really would recommend reading up on her story). these players all won a bunch of slams, very successful

in the late 1970s you get the emergence of navratilova and evert, who have the most prolific rivalry in tennis history - and they are the dominant names throughout the 1980s. interesting and layered rivalry, both in terms of their interpersonal relationship (which has gotten very warm since they've retired) and in terms of the tennis - with navratilova the attack-oriented serve and volleyer taking on evert the defensive baseliner. unfortunately, they now spend much of their time being transphobic on twitter dot com

the next big name to break through is one of the contenders for the title of goat, steffi graf, miss forehand who started winning slams in the late 1980s. a bit shy, a bit introverted, a bit withdrawn with a father who can politely be described as 'a piece of work', she was dominating the sport to an insane extent - she's still the only player to have won a 'golden slam', all four slams + olympic gold in a single year, which she did in 1988. then comes monica seles, even younger, a power player with two hands on the forehand as well as the backhand and seemingly the player who could finally take on graf. seles won three out of four slams in 1992 (she lost wimbledon in the final to graf) - but then, in 1993, she was stabbed while playing a match by a fanatical graf fan. while she survived the attack and was eventually able to return to the tour, even managing to secure one more slam, the crime irrevocably altered the course of her career. it's still considered the single biggest 'what if' in tennis history. graf dominated for most of the nineties... the other big names are sanchez vicario, who won a bunch of slams but also lost a lot of slam finals vs graf + seles, as well as hingis, an extraordinarily precocious talent with a few fun controversies and plenty considerably less so, who ended up having her career marred by injuries

turn of the century is when we get the emergence of the williams sisters, venus and serena, both of whomst are all time greats - and serena has perhaps the strongest goat case of any single player in the women's game. the two made a huge impact on the sport both on-and off-court and they are in that rare categories of athletes who can be considered 'bigger than the sport'. of course, we're not going to do that history justice here - and there's all manner of talking points like the indian wells boycott as a result of how the crowd treated their family (allegations of match fixing with obvious racist under/overtones) and how instrumental venus in particular was in bringing about equal pay in slams. on the court, both separated themselves from the pack in their athleticism in all domains - venus has the all court game with the mix of aggression and craftiness, and serena is a powerful baseliner with probably the best serve of all time in the women's game. beyond their singles slam tallies, they also are one of the all time great doubles pairings, winning fourteen slams as a team (this did used to be more common, cf navrat's doubles slam count)

many wta fans consider the noughties pretty much... peak of the sport, a golden age - this is the bit people tend to get nostalgic about. it's partly the tennis itself, partly the state of the competition, the Big Characters and all their drama.... apart from the williams sisters, you had the belgian rivals: henin, who was seen as cold and ruthless and a bit of a cheat, with a lethal one handed backhand, quick feet and a great serve considering her height, and clijsters, with her big groundstrokes and her distinctive way of sliding on hard court and how she was considered cheery and kind but also flaky and too much of a choker to ever finish the job. those two had a whole history with each other, as childhood friends from opposite sides of the belgian linguistic divide who became very much not friends.... were on very different on-court and off-court trajectories. then you've got a few more americans, many of whomst were also active in the nineties... davenport who smacked the ball like crazy, capriati who was known for being a semifinal choker until she wasn't - one of those players who captivates you with how much of themselves they leave on court. then kuznetsova, with a fun if inconsistent game and some banger matches, particularly memorably vs serena, mauresmo who had a stunner of a one handed backhand, these days she's making herself unpopular as roland garros' tournament diector, sharapova, the prodigy to break through and suddenly beat serena in a wimbledon final (basically never beat her again lol) who... uh. yeah! lore! she's got plenty of that! also jelena jankovic, who was world number one but never won a slam. still known for the single most important reaction image in the sport:

you use this attached to some dumb fake quote, typically about how players today just don't cut it. an important element of sports discourse is, of course, nostalgia for some kind of mythical era vastly superior to the present - get in on the game early

the 2010s is like... a mess... serena is still super successful, sharapova is still a major factor, but you also have a bunch of other big names. muguruza! halep! azarenka! wozniacki! kerber! kvitova! in no particular order! some are still around, some have retired recent-ish, some are now back after having been suspended for doping. as a cohort, I feel like they're generally treated as kind of underachievers, but all the ones I listed DO have at least one slam to their names. also many Characters in this camp!

next big thing is naomi osaka, who is currently on four slams (first sealed at us open 2018). her first slam was sealed in a massively controversial final against serena that is hard to summarise in a pithy way - but the controversy is all about officiating and serena's disagreement with the sanctions the umpire was applying. it had nothing to do with osaka - who is a fun character with a great understated sense of humour, but also is a bit of an introvert and ended up quite overwhelmed in the situation with the vocal crowd response. since then, osaka's torn up a few more hard court slam draws, though her other results aren't like,,, really in line with those slam results? and she ended up a bit disillusioned with tour life, which is tied to another big controversy we're not getting into here about her refusal to attend press conferences at rg '21. then she got pregnant, but this year she's back! jury's out about whether she'll become a regular feature at the top of the game again, but her recent r2 at roland garros against swiatek was promising in that regard. one of those players where the sheer power of her groundstrokes can make you gasp, one hell of a serve, so so much raw talent that she's now attempting to coax out again

for a while, the most important player in the woman's game was ash barty, who ended up on three slams and a good run of weeks at the top of the rankings. an australian with obscene amounts of natural talent at all manner of sports, she was short enough to make her serve freakishly good, a powerful forehand and a nasty slice... but always with a complicated relationship to the sport. after winning the australian open in 2022, she retired out of the blue, in what has to be one of the shocking announcements we've had, like... ever. given the sport had been fairly chaotic in recent years, there was a bit of an expectation that the world number one ranking was going to be beset by similar levels of chaos. with barty gone, removed from the top of the rankings after the very next event, were we going to get another five different number ones in the year to come? was it just going to be a free-for-all? will we all be number one for 15 minutes?

well, no. off the back of her third consecutive tournament win, iga swiatek ended up inheriting the title. she'd already won a roland garros title as a teenager (the weird covid-y autumn 2020 one where she just like... terrorised the field, scary scorelines) - and after a slightly rockier 2021, she was already in the process of putting together a fearsome 2022. there was always the concern the new pressure of becoming world number one might affect her... but if anything, it spurred her on even further. she ended up accumulating a 37 match win streak, the longest in the women's game in the 21st century - which also took her to her second roland garros title. she's on five slams total now

she's been number one since then except for a brief period late last year when aryna sabalenka briefly replaced her

which brings us to the current game:

especially on the non-slam level, there are definitely a few big names right now who you'll see win a lot of titles - or at least show up in the late stages. I've already mentioned iga (igatha) and aryna (sabs, sublanko) (long story)

iga is a class apart from the field outside of slams, has by now won a shit ton of titles, often by like... brutalising the field. her biggest asset is her phenomenal movement, best in the game. the forehand is... unusual (odd grip and with very high topspin by women's standards), big big weapon but can fall apart - but on the plus side that's meant people are finally paying attention to her very lovely backhand. can be a bit tactically rigid, generally too few in-match adjustments

very intense on court! less so off it, kinda an introvert, big on reading, tiramisu, that kind of thing. her polish fanbase can be a teensy bit. insane. (honestly the non-polish ones are also a lot.) on clay she's in a class of her own - four of her five slams are at roland garros, and I fully expect her to reach the double digits at that particular slam. her slam results have been a bit disappointing outside of that, minus her one us open title in 2022, which in itself is a reflection of the expectations people have for her. she's also very good on hard, though the grass situation is currently a bit sketch. always a force to be reckoned with, though! struggles the most with big flat hitters (rybs, penko, noskova, alexandrova, kalinskaya, idk, that type. apart from those first two who are consistent Problems, generally speaking she does get the better of them more often than not)

^our current numbers two and one, sabs on the left and igatha on the right. I quite like iga's top because from the right angle it looks a bit like a piano and I like pianos - but on running doesn't believe philosophically in providing people a chance to 'buy' their 'product', so to the best of my knowledge this kit was never available to buy. tennis: a sport that is so profoundly shit at capitalism it comes around to being kinda marxist

sabs is a POWER player, but with a fair amount of spin to her strokes when compared to many of the other wta 'bashers'. smooth and elegant and easy power production is overrated as shit - sometimes you want to see a player who is visibly putting effort into smacking that ball. she puts so much of herself into every single shot, and you do NOT want to be that ball when she's on it. very expressive on court, a fun character off it, the type of player to really show her emotions. for her, the mental side of the game tends to be a massive talking point. despite her current slam tally of two (ao '23, '24), a lot of her fans would very much feel she should be on several more than now - and a big reason for that is a pattern of underperforming/choking in big matches late in slams, typically in the semis but also in last year's us open final. the tennis is there, but the ability to always deliver on it? eh. it's a cruel sport

the other massive hurdle for her was her serve. she developed such a severe case of serving yips that during the australian swing of 2022, she ended up clocking double digit numbers of double faults in single matches. she ended up working with a biomechanics specialist to fix the issue - and it's still one of the sport's loveliest fairy tale stories in recent years that she ended up winning her first slam in the place that had caused her such heartache the year before. she started the final with a double fault, and went on to win it in the best slam final (either gender) we've had this decade. she might still be fighting her demons, but at least you do know she won't stop fighting

speaking of the ao '23 final: elena rybakina (lena, ryba, rybs), the player sabs beat to win it. ryba is... I don't think it's fair to say she came out of nowhere to win wimbledon in 2022 because she had reached a slam quarter the year before, but she certainly was a bit of a surprise. a little bit of controversy surrounding that title, given ryba is a russian-born citizen of kazakhstan who switched nationalities because she was promised support by the kazakh tennis federation - and wimbledon that year had banned russians and belarusians (this was a one time thing, and in the end no other tournament went the same way). there was also a little bit of... *sigh* discourse? about how little she emoted when winning the title, which kinda led to a weird set of presser exchanges where she ended up crying when the emotion finally overcame her and she kinda went 'well you got what you wanted' and then everyone clapped? like, literally

anyways, she backed it up by reaching the ao '23 final, won a couple more big titles last year, and seems to be particularly lethal when facing iga. that being said, her other slam results have been quite poor since then - and she was seen as the clear wimbledon favourite this year in the second week but failed to convert it into another slam. she's also been hampered by various illnesses, remains to be seen if that remains a consistent problem in her career. still feels like she's got a little bit to prove in that regard. she's very tall, an icy demeanour on the court with an excellent serve and big, flat groundstrokes that are particularly effective cross court. also she has a sister who tags along sometimes and very much emotes

and then there's coco gauff, who had her main tour breakthrough very very young and is still only twenty. had her big title breakthrough last summer in the american hard court swing, won a lot of matches and ended up winning that us open. since then it's been... a bit more of a mixed picture. she's a great athlete, very very fast, and that athleticism is her single biggest strength. the backhand is a thing of beauty. the forehand is not a thing of beauty. partly due to her unorthodox grip, it's a bit of a catastrophe at times - very liable to breaking down entirely, and her slam was won working around that weakness. iga has a painful 11-1 head to head against her in large part for that reason. coco's also got a powerful serve, but it's... not in great shape right now I don't think? but the other big thing she's got going for her is how damn tough she is - like especially this year when the tennis hasn't always been there, she's managed to knuckle down and get a lot of incredibly gritty wins. she's survived a lot of 'ugly' matches, has somehow scrapped and clawed her way through plenty of them... though yeah, doesn't seem like she's particularly happy with her camp at the moment. no question about her dedication or talent, but it remains to be seen whether the forehand will end up imposing a ceiling on her ultimate potential

barbie k has earned a promotion to this bit of the post by just winning her second slam at wimbledon! you get to this section if you win two slams this decade, I reckon, and barbora krejcikova (barbie, barbs, mother krej) is now a multiple slam champion in singles as well as doubles (where she is very, very successful). she's a late-ish bloomer who really only started performing in singles in 2021, and still remains a bit of a mystery in her performance patterns. czechia is a powerhouse in the women's game that has produced a lot of top players, some crafty ones with a ton of variety and some bashers - and krej is in the former camp. she has a real fun game in part as a result of her doubles expertise: she slices! she moonballs!! a LOT!! kinda quirky way of hitting her forehand, a lot of arm extension, but the backhand is the real beauty. clever player even when she can't string it together consistently on the singles court... had a dip in results after winning a final against igatha early last year (her second time doing so in a matter of months - given iga's fearsome reputation in finals in particular, this is particularly impressive). who knows, she might disappear again after this... but well, you always know she has this kind of a run in her. she's a proper fan of the sport herself and you'll frequently spot her watching women's matches from the stands in her off time

in conclusion, the current women's game is great. I have no clue who's going to win the us open. there are about a million fun and interesting players I've left out of this narrative summary. pick up your local scrub today

MEN

again, starting with a broad historical overview:

right right around the switch to the open era, the biggest name is rod laver, who is still the only bloke to win a calendar slam (all four slams in one year). the main stadium at ao is named after him, as are a bunch of other things. they trotted him out in 2021 when it looked like djokovic would win the calendar slam, but, well, he did not. there's also rosewall who won a bunch of slams... the era also includes arthur ashe, the first black man to win a slam title (did it three times). eventually, in the mid seventies you get the emergence of jimmy connors, who ended up being around forever and ever - famously a dickhead, one of the backhands of all time and an early adopter in the two handed squad

you also get the emergence of bjorn borg, the iceman, who was like. super popular with his looks and magazine shoots and exorbitant exhibition fees, very very intense about his tennis, steely baseliner. eventually burned himself out and retired young, which also negatively affected his rival - the tempestuous young john mcenroe, known for his temper tantrums (he of "you cannot be serious") and being a magician on the court, who tended to behave himself around borg and borg alone. he believes he never quite recovered from borg deserting him so early, though he did amass quite a nice collection of slams

early eighties and we're throwing in a mats wilander into the mix, a baseline grinder in the classic mould who you may be familiar with if you've ever followed tennis through eurosport - plus boris becker, who won wimbledon ridiculously young, a highly gifted serve and volleyer, who spends his days now going to prison for tax evasion. two more eighties players while we're at it: the hardy ivan lendl, a man with a big forehand and an icy demeanour which is SUCH a cliche I hate myself for using it, and stefan edberg, the best type of serve-and-volleyer because he really was more about the volleys than the serve

and then!! the nineties!! well, a little bit before the nineties, actually, is when a new crop of american talent come through - four players who were going to define that decade of men's tennis. michael chang was the first one to break through, and did so very young - still the youngest slam winner in the men's game at seventeen years old. a short bloke who based his defensive game around his speed and consistency, he never quite managed to replicate that initial success, but was still a major factor in the game for the decade after that. also, check out chang's autobiography if you want to learn more about nineties tenn- oh, what's this I'm hearing? really? huh, that's not what I was expecting going in, but fair enough! right, okay then. let me try this again: check out chang's autobiography to learn about how to live a good christian life and why sex before marriage goes against the teachings of jesus christ our lord and saviour (and also a little bit of tennis). then you've got jim courier, an american who excitingly did not suck at clay (funnily enough three of these four did win one slam on clay, it's really just sampras who SUCKS), big fighter, one of those americans with big forehands, y'know how they are. also one of the best retired player commentators and interviewers, really knowledgeable and good at explaining shit. courier also used to be in the same training academy as agassi and was kinda the less favoured one so he loved to beat agassi in a five set final to win his first slam

the other two are wunderkind andre agassi who hated the sport most of the time, and pete sampras, a genius of the game who had a far healthier relationship with the concept of tennis. the world's best returner against the world's best server, the intrepid baseline with the fearsome running forehand versus the cool serve-and-volleyer with one of the greatest serves in the game. sampras defeated agassi when everyone thought agassi would finally win his first slam, and he became a bit of a professional bogeyman for agassi. very much the rivalry of the decade, big contrast in personality as well as style. sampras won fourteen slams (but was very much not one of those americans who could play on clay), agassi had a bit of a messier time of it but still ended on a respectable eight - and remains the only man in history to win a 'career super slam', aka all four slams, olympic gold and the year end championships (nadal was missing yec, federer and djokovic gold - these olympics are presumably djo's final chance to complete the set)

agassi and graf eventually got their happy ending with each other. when he retired from the sport, agassi focused on his true calling and became a professional wife guy

anyways, they did also need someone to win the clay slams in that era, for which you do get a bunch of different blokes - but the most successful of these is kuerten, who brought a lot of aggression to his clay court game (this would become way more common since). big heavy groundstrokes, lots of topspin, you know how it is

early noughties is a bit chaotic, sampras and agassi are still winning a bit, there's a few names who are kinda limited to being successful on clay, lleyton hewitt looks like's gonna be the next big thing but isn't (still wins two slams). eventually you get the emergence of the big three/four

the first guy to show up is roger federer, who was kinda seen as a very talented flop, lots of potential he wasn't delivering on, until he finally put it all together and started winning absolutely everything. one of the serves, especially given his height, all time great flat forehand, very good slice. got even better at the net in his later years. the one handed backhand is a shot people like for aesthetic purposes, but it could be a liability. swiss. after he got rid of the ponytail, he was eventually seen as sort of synonymous with like. elegance. gentleman's sport idk

after a few years of federer winning everything, rafa nadal emerged as an ultra good teenager. kinda became the federer kryptonite. he's especially good on clay... okay, yeah, understatement, greatest of all time on the men's side on that surface, a lot of records that are going to take a lot of beating. like it's hard to overstate how good he is at roland garros, won the thing fourteen times. lefty, seen as a big fighter, got the sleeveless shirts, big big forehand with big big spin, fast. did branch out from the whole clay thing to also win all the other slams a bunch

that was the big rivalry for a while, until two players shoved themselves into the conversation (born a week apart): novak djokovic (nole) and andy murray. djokovic wasn't quite as early a bloomer as nadal, struggled a bit more physically early on, won a slam in 2008 and was consistently at the top but it really clicked in 2011 when he just won like. basically everything that year. didn't lose a match until roland garros. from serbia, childhood affected by the war... prone to some pretty dubious nationalism. a counterpuncher with one of the all time great backhands, ridiculously flexible, also ridiculous mental strength. was unpopular as the intruder in that nadal/fed rivalry that a lot of tennis fans seem to really be into, also federer in particular used to be real bitchy about him (kinda faded over the years). but like, don't bother booing him! it makes him better!

has won some insane matches against fed - crowd against him, fed with matchpoints, all that shit... us open 2011! and of course, wimbledon 2019, that infamous final where federer had two championship points and that lady in the crowd held up one finger (one more point) and djo ended up winning. another beloved meme in the community (well, not with fed fans)

*extremely cold take voice* REAL fans know the 2019 final is overrated and 2014 fed/djo is the superior one. djo won that one too, tended to do that a lot in that rivalry

oh obviously also gotta mention that djokovic had the entire covid 'oh I don't want to get vaccinated look at me get deported from australia' thing going on. which means a lot of like, free speech anti-establishment nuts are super into him now. so beyond the vaccine scepticism, it also means that now any time he gets bitchy about crowds, you can't really enjoy it because it immediately sparks super weird discourse

anyway then there's sir andrew murray who was part of the 'big four' as an era and was always there but was losing a lot of semis and finals against these guys. far, far better than his three slams sound, one of the greats who got unlucky in the era he played in. moody scottish bloke, pepperidge farm remembers the english used to hate him. counterpuncher, lovely lovely backhand, the forehand was sometimes a bit. eh. and the second serve *stares into middle distance*. very smart and crafty and tactical player. just retired this wimbledon

wawrinka also won three slams in this period..... powerful one handed backhand, kinda peaked at exactly the right time because the rest of his record is not three slam worthy. interesting taste in shorts. used to have beef with fellow swiss bloke fed and also his wife? but unfortunately they patched things up years ago. dated teenage vekic when he was late twenties - there are rumours that relationship may have started when she was underage, but either way she was definitely very young. reaching the end of his career

basically, look, the big three won pretty much everything for so so so long. unprecedented length of domination by three blokes. all of them have deranged fanbases, though each of them is a different flavour of deranged? single slam winners who are either retired or close to it are del potro (insanely talented, very injury blighted), cilic (when he's on, he sure is on), thiem (the guy who the big three feared for a while, insane one handed backhand, won a silly slam final in 2020 and then was kinda struggling mentally before his wrist got fucked)

andddd let's get to the current state of the game, what the vibes are like right now:

we are. finally. I think. mostly done with the big three? federer's very much retired, nadal's on the brink, djokovic... *wiggles hand* he's been deeply mid most of this year until roland garros, where he got injured. then he came back very quickly and admittedly got bitch slapped in the wimbledon final but also, like, 63 players allowed him to reach that final? anyway the thing about the big three is you can't really trust them to actually stay down, but tentatively I do think it's mostly #over

first bloke to get through the big four stranglehold on the number one ranking since. uh. 2004 I believe? a long time. was daniil medvedev (meddy, med), who it's fair to say was a bit of an Unexpected contender for that spot. he's very tall, part of a new generation of very tall players who can actually move, used to have a good serve... unconventional technique, especially on the forehand side. unique return position (think very far back), commonly compared an octopus with his lanky limbs in odd places. a pusher who likes to win by outlasting his opponents in rallies to exhaustion/madness. smart bloke, head case on the court - quite marmite where either you enjoy the antics or think he's a dick who's apologised for his behaviour more than he's changed it. has reached a lot of slam finals, did win one (us open 2021) but also. the manner of some of his late stage slam losses is what his fans would consider 'a little bit painful'

he was part of the og nextgen... basically you had the golden gen, which was the big four and co, then the lost gen, dimitrov, thiem, all those fuckers who didn't replace the gold gen, then the next gen which was like a marketing campaign to finally replace the big three (med, AZ, tsitsipas, rublev)... still didn't work so now we're on the next next gen

the big name here is carlos alcaraz (carlitos, charlie, charlitos), this wunderkind who is known for his big forehand and dropshots and creative game and general air of like, joy on the court, also for not being a talentless flop (and came in at just the right time to not get a shit ton of scar tissue courtesy of the big three). alcaraz had a mini breakthrough us open 2021, and then the proper one 2022... a season Of All Time by a teenager. won a lot of stuff that year and then eventually won the us open, ended year number one. 2023 has brought another slam, 2024 two more slams and counting... very much the next big thing in the sport, loads of fans. he's got basically everything, offensive all-court game with a lot of tools that make him successful on all surfaces, a mix of power and finesse. sometimes his number of options can trip him up and he can be a bit of a slow starter, has also been criticised for his over-reliance on coach ferrero in terms of his tactical flexibility - but crucially he's very very good, has won a lot, will continue to win a lot

then you've got jannik sinner, an italian from south tyrol (y'know, the bit that's right next to austria, kinda pasty looking, his fans have this whole carrot situation going on). he's number one now, after winning his first slam start of the year... bit older than alcaraz but only became a shoo-in as a slam contender this year. bit more of a linear, straightforward game than alcaraz, big big forehand and big big backhand, high margin aggression but more emphasis on the 'aggression' than for either prime djo or nadal. like alcaraz, an elite returner, plus his serve has massively improved in the last year and it's now pretty lethal. has sometimes been quite physically frail, jury's still out whether he's completely overcome those issues looking at his losses this year. the alcaraz rivalry is a whole thing now.... for a while, sinner was still kinda mid against the field but always played alcaraz super close and got some big wins. now he's very good against the field too, still plays alcaraz close

just as a recommendation: if you want to get into men's tennis and want to have a good time for the next decade, you probably want to try to get into one of those two guys

MATCHES TO WATCH

this is kinda trickier to do than with motorsports because it really depends on what you're looking for? like I wouldn't say there's really any 'recommended viewing' and also because tennis is going on literally ALL the time, really the best way to get into it is just watch the new shit as it comes out.... also most tennis fans aren't watching that many replays lbr. now obviously there are freaks who are way too into old matches they weren't old enough to experience live and could provide you with detailed match recs from the nineties if you were interested, but they're very much in the minority in the fanbase and can safely be ignored

that being said! you asked for recs so I will provide recs, all from stuff that's available in youtube. weirdly enough this is like, the one thing that is better for women's tennis than men's tennis, so for new-ish matches the only men's matches uploaded on youtube are a few slam ones. I'm gonna give like, 3-4 older matches from each gender (all from this century don't worry) that jumped out at me when I checked what was available, then add a few newer ones. all easily searchable on youtube dot com

historical matches:

okay. look. I don't want to sound like I have some fixation with the concept of '2003' specifically. but if I can give you one match, just one older match to watch. it's the us open 2003 semifinal between capriati and henin. this is a match with literally everything... incredible tennis between two very different players, stylistic contrast, a crazy atmosphere, ridiculous momentum shifts all three sets, officiating controversy, booing, a player fighting through cramps, choking, a super dramatic finish, narrative implications... like it's so worth it I PROMISE

um... apart from that, let's go serena/clijsters australian open 2003, really cool match though a BRUTAL third set to watch on a psychological level. like oof... again the narratives around this match that emerged for one player specifically... cruel!! tennis sucks!! hm I'm aware this is also a 2003 match but kinda an iconic season in women's tennis idk what to tell u!!

gonna refrain from reccing henin/serena rg 2003 though if you want something super controversial...

venus/davenport wimbledon 2005!! one of THE all time great slam finals. this is a match that grabs you by the throat and doesn't let you go until the bitter end. real back against the wall stuff, going beyond your limits to somehow turn it around.... absolute classic

oh idk let's toss in serena/henin 2010 ao, I'm gonna stop myself there but it is a fun match-up lol

men!! men. I mean, if you want to get 'caught up' then I'd probably better give you some big three recs

well, look, if there's one classic men's match everyone will tell you to watch, it's wimbledon 2008 federer/nadal. icl I haven't watched it in years and can't really remember it particularly well, but I'm sure it's perfectly lovely

from the matches available on youtube..... hm well australian open 2012 djokovic/nadal is also a classic! partly because it's Very Very Long but yeah nah this one's definitely fun

oh oh federer/djokovic matches I'd go wimbledon 2014 and us open 2011! especially the latter one, along with wimby 2019 I think those are kinda the matches that define the rivalry in the popular consciousness? also it was the FIFTH consecutive uso in which they played each other, which is inherently narratively potent

they uploaded nadal/djokovic roland garros 2021! that one's great yeah, the... third set I believe is one of THE all time great sets of tennis. also again interesting arc there because it's only a few months after the rg '20 final where nadal like, bagelled djokovic in the first set

and more recent matches:

well first of all, they have the ao 2023 ryba/sublanko final on youtube and yes, OBVIOUSLY watch that. fantastic match! best slam final this decade thus far, what a classic. also, read up just a little bit more about sabalenka's 2022 australian swing before watching it to get a sense for just How Bad the double fault situation was (I'm sure the commentators do also discuss it). like again!! what a journey!!

the wta full matches playlist is an absolute blessing here. iga/aryna 2023 madrid final!! still... well okay madrid this year is also in the conversation, but certainly one of the best matches they've played. as an introduction to the pair of them and how much fun that rivalry can be to watch, definitely the place to start! yeah, what a match man

they have!!! iga vs krej!!! ostrava!!! 2022!!! final!!! I miss ostrava!!! such a good vibes tournament, important to note that iga was almost unbeaten in finals going in (apart from one final when she was still like, a toddler) - this one's a real journey and also really works to show how cool barbie k's game can be when she's actually playing well. lovely stylistic contrast, lots of quirky momentum shifts, again you're getting introduced to current players of relevance. also ostrava!!!

kerber/juvan strasbourg 2022 look you do not need to get into angie kerber in the year 2024 but... well I saw it on the youtube playlist and I can't NOT include it. it's a 250 final, it's right before roland garros, this isn't relevant to greater narratives or anything else, this is just two players fighting it out for hour after hour, leaving their absolute all in the dirt. I could marry the matchpoint

leylah/osorio monterrey 2022... again, I'm not saying they're big names or some shit, but I can't not. two of the all time great tusslers in the women's game like there are women who tussle and then there are women who TUSSLE. amazing amazing atmosphere, some ridiculous drama, scamming, lights fixtures failing, these two women going at it… they're both SUCH characters, such energy, such vibes, never give up… this slaps!!! my favourite matches are the ones that really take you on a journey

speaking of. any match in the leylah us open 2021 run lol like they've got her vs naomi vs svitolina vs angie vs sublanko.... still one of the most bonkers slam runs in recent times, if perhaps overshadowed by what was going on on the other side of the draw. but yeah truly one match of peak drama after the other, what joy

scrolling through the ao matches that have been uploaded and tried to refrain from reccing coco/kostyuk but in the fondest way possible if you want to see some awful tennis... there's nothing more beautiful on this planet than genuinely horrendous matches. like again when I say 'abysmal' it's meant as a term of endearment

(I feel bad for just including a terrible coco match so of the ones on youtube the one I'd rec is maybe us open 2022 vs zhang? but like her coach's catchphrase is 'winning ugly', it really isn't a bad thing or meant as a drag)

from last year's rg, muchova/sabs and muchova/igatha are both very much worth a watch, both for the drama and the tennis

moving on to the men... well look, again, it's just a few of the slam matches on youtube not the tour level, which does kinda limit the ones I can offer you. probably the one I'd go for first and foremost is alcaraz/sinner uso 2022? defo the best match those two have played, super high quality, big big big momentum shifts, the third match between the two of them in fairly short succession which really helped in terms of like. narratives and shit. and again, these two are definitely The Guys going forwards, so you kinda want to be vibing with one of them I reckon

uh.... okay sure, alcaraz/djokovic wimbledon final last year. I still think there's a little bit of gaslighting in the tennis community about how good this match actually was (not as bad as what people do with their cincy match last year, mind) but well it's long and dramatic and long! also you do have like, the generational contest and all that stuff... it's A FINAL FOR THE AGES according to wimbledon's youtube account and who am I to argue with them

man these men's matches.... there's some sentimental faves for me personally but I shall not include them. apart from that, the youtube selection is honestly quite poor. maybe alcaraz/tiafoe 2022 us open

lmao altmaier/sinner roland garros 2023, sure, that was funny. making that one of like ten matches you've uploaded... never change roland garros, never change (please do change)

anyway listen there's a lot of fantastic men's early slam rounds that clearly nobody ever bothers to upload, I'm not really feeling any of the choices they have here. if you have tennistv and access to actual tour matches, then I'm more than happy to give recs for some of my faves there

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

congratulations! you are now caught up on 'tennis'. you've done it! that's all there is to know. job done

anyways, look. like I said at the top, it's tough to give a sort of concise 'lore' intro, because the thing about tennis is that there's always going on. and the 'always' element is the good bit!! it really is all about the variety, it's going into tournaments with an open mind, it's definitely not just gravitating around a few top players. we could get into plenty of old matches and old drama and old unsung heroes... an endless litany of minor beef, both very recent and slightly less recent, that may one day be lost to time. like tears. in the rain

last point as I wrap up this worryingly long post - obviously, if you have any questions on anything technical or historical or just like. hot takes. please feel free to send an ask. talking about tennis is fast and free and easy if you've been a part of that world for way too many years. but the main thing is to just watch and forge your own hot takes! it's easier to get the hang of than it looks from the outside - and from my years of observational studies, once it hooks you, it sure does hook you. have fun!!

congratulations! you have accidentally clicked to find the 'read more' section!

this is the section of 'shit I decided would make the main post not streamlined enough, but still felt like was relevant enough to include here'. basically, what I've thrown in here is a bunch of non-match stuff you can check out in your journey getting into the sport, my quick fire 'hey here's some players you can check out' list, as well as a relatively brief take on some players I haven't already covered above. like a teensy little intro.

anyway, to the non-match content:

dasha's vlog: okay. so daria kasatkina is currently ranked top fifteen in the world and for the past year or so her and her girlfriend (retired figure skater natalia zabiiako) have been releasing a vlog of her life on tour. genuinely dasha is doing more than the troops (certainly more than the wta) to actually promote the tour... the vlogs consist of like. her travelling, her training, her and her girlfriend chatting to other players and interviewing them (mainly women but men too depending on the event), the matches... and also dasha and natalia just being incredibly cute. they're in a mix of english and russian with english subtitles. fun, gives you a sense of both how fun and how not fun life can be for professional tennis players (plenty of depressing losses), an inside look in pretty much all the major tournaments... and you do get introduced to a smattering of other players. she recently won eastbourne so happy ending to that one!!

various tennistv videos: unfortunately, the wta does not produce similar content. they have a lot of match highlights, but they also have like. compilations. 'meme' videos for a given value of the word. 'funny moment' compilations. these vary in quality, some stuff will make you cringe, but unlike Certain Organisations at least they're trying. so for instance you have a video from rome 2021 that's a mix of people falling over on clay and throwing racquets and complaining about shit and also djokovic staring out at the endless rain. or specific features like atp players reacting to videos of amateur players playing tennis, y'know, that sort of thing

gill gross: so you want to learn a little more about how tennis works, maybe some match tactics or common discourse points? gill is a good place to start I think, most of it should be relatively accessible and watchable. there's monday match analysis videos, which tend to be the finals of the week before on the men's side, individual match analysis videos especially during slams, and mailbag episodes - those are the ones I'd start with. unfortunately, most of the content is focused on men's tennis, though gill does also talk about women's tennis in the mailbag episodes. available both in youtube form and podcast version

tennis abstract: this isn't really 'content' per se, but it's the resource that I thought I might as well include here and does include a very interesting blog proponent and some very eclectic content. basically, tennis kinda sucks in providing you with stats, so some enterprising minds just do it themselves... tennis abstract might not be the friendliest website to get on with at the start, but I think it's worth checking out just to give yourself a bit of a sense of what's out there. how you measure tennis! you can compare players by a bunch of different metrics, like how many return games they're winning per match or average time per match. there's also the individual player sections, which lets you filter their results by various criteria... and then there's the individual match charts and the data based of those, which is entirely volunteer-produced match coding to give you far more in-depth stats than the general tour product (which I have done a bit of myself, it's fun!!)

tennis podcasts: right, I'm gonna be honest I'm not really a regular listener to any of these for various reasons so I can't REALLY vouch for them. you have no challenges remaining, quite well-known journalists with that; there's the tennis podcast, which... controversial, they easily annoy me too, but around slam times the media day + daily podcasts are pretty good content, quite surface level but good entry level probably? there's the body serve, which I think is quite good, it's just got an editorial slant towards certain players I'm not big on. there's backhands and compliments, which is a fan podcast by female fans... just about atp tennis though. I'm not really the target audience for this one, but if you want something quite casual and fun, think this could be good! tennis & bagels is pretty good, they're only this low down because they're not currently regularly posting. talking tennis is very much a mix of content but one I regularly check out, again more on the analysis side of things, but yeah!

I also can't really vouch for this content myself - but I should mention that morgan riddle, the girlfriend of top twenty atp player taylor fritz, is a social media influencer on both instagram and tiktok. I'm not active on either platform so I only really see what she posts second hand, but well it'll be stuff relating to her boyfriend and also fit checks for watching tennis, I suppose? I do know people who enjoy her stuff, think it's quite good!

tennis majors: I'm a little loathe to include this because the site is basically a patrick mouratoglou pr outlet that moonlights as a serious news site? and look. mouratoglou we are not getting into here, but he's a very annoying famous coach. site's got some good content though. also tennis.com which is another news website that's like. fine. I don't really check it a lot tbh, good as a starting point I reckon

players tribune has a few pieces by tennis players - iga, jpeg, foe... obviously not that many but the ones who have contributed a piece are well worth checking out!! for a bit more thoughtful content

popcorn tennis: this is a blog that updated irregularly with a mix of opinion pieces, player profiles, and match reports. another one where I easily get irritable at a lot of these pieces, but that's sort of the point with think pieces innit

some more technical analysis on thread of order, which unfortunately again is heavily biased towards men's tennis. there's match analyses, generally of big finals, but also some really interesting pieces on technique. this one on forehands is probably like... a bit much for entry level fans, but it should be quite accessible as a read! then you've got the sadly discontinued matt racquet blog, which still has an archive worth checking out - mix of match analyses and more big picture think pieces. here's a good accessible one on the early 2022 men's top ten with their strengths and weaknesses displayed in a video game-y way, obviously a bit out of date both in terms of who it includes and what it says about them, but... good as a starting point of how to think about this stuff. also, I love radar charts

on the same site, there's also this on the equal pay debate with regards to best of five versus best of three at slams, and what still remains the best analysis out there of why alcaraz's drop shots are so incredibly effective. again, less on women unfortunately, but some pieces that withstand the test of time on why iga is so damn good (x, x). also, the good old What's Wrong With Tennis piece from 2020, many of the same things are still wrong with tennis now

as long reads go, this piece on federer from the time of his retirement is pretty hard to beat in terms of what tennis writing is out there. does a good job of capturing why people go so crazy about the guy, a very engaging read. also liked this piece in the guardian about return positions from last year, and back when 538 was a thing they had a few interesting tennis articles. and yeah, again, tennis abstract is a super useful site but the blog is also fun analysis, good up to date stuff especially on players who are finding more success and like... explaining what's changed, the pieces on demon and boulter this year for instance are worth checking out. and here's an essay on talent and prodigies and losing again and again.... not too long but quite thoughtful and I vibe with a lot of it. plus giri nathan of the defector is one of the best current tennis writers

and if you're on twitter, the number one follow recommendation I'd give is @/josephwofford - when he's active, he does a lot of fantastic live analysis of matches and post-match threads. definitely not a neutral fan, but the passion and eclectic selection of faves is the best element. plus, you'll never believe this, there's actually a pretty much fifty fifty gender balance. here, giri nathan did an interview with him entitled 'an interview with the biggest tennis sicko I've encountered at the us open'. my type of guy

there's also like, fan-produced wta content on youtube, but it's a real mix between stuff that's done with love for the tour with all its quirks and stuff that feels very mean-spirited, misogyny central, so it goes. not always easy to distinguish between wta drama (fond) and wta drama (look at these bitches). anyway there is some kinda nice stuff out there.... like idk naomi osaka 'funny moments' or iga swiatek 'being a meme for 4 minutes straight' or aryna sabalenka 'funny moments', that sort of thing

not going to get into a tennis bibliography here, but if I had to recommend one tennis-related book it'd always be agassi's autobiography. will probably always be my favourite sports autobiography, and I promise you that you do not need much of a tennis background to find it a worthwhile read

^dasha and natalia... look up photos of them I promise you it's a good scrolling experience

and here's my lil list of players I'd consider giving a watch, see what you vibe with. I haven't included any top five players - you will be brute force introduced to that lot anyway - and generally not players that I consider... surefire bets to reach/remain at the top of the game. they're still mostly relatively high profile! a bunch of different playstyles, career trajectories, personal stories, and so on... again, this is just a bit of a random list and only very loosely correlates to players I myself root for, but I reckon I still stand by the names here in terms of giving you a good range of interesting players with interesting stories:

paolini, kasatkina, zheng, krecjikova, fernandez, collins, ostapenko, svitolina, m. andreeva, garcia, kenin, andreescu, osorio, haddad maia, avanesyan, bouzkova, putintseva

davidovich fokina, de minaur, musetti, tiafoe, korda, etcheverry, baez, machac, arnaldi, norrie, sonego, hanfmann, munar, berrettini

okay, some more wta players - so so many you could get into here but I've just tried to give the top 35 like. a few lines of summary (not including anyone already featured above):

this would feel like a bizarre sentence to type out a year ago, but I suppose the first player you have to mention here is jasmine paolini! how did that happen! at age 28, her game has suddenly Clicked and she's won a 1000 title, plus become one of the few players in history to have gotten to back to back slam finals at roland garros + wimbledon (the 'channel slam'). short, somehow generates some crazy power, plus she's such a scrapper and grinder, a lot of determination and spirit to her game.... she's having fun, you're having fun watching her, who knows what she does from here

jessica pegula/jpeg - billionaire's daughter, late bloomer, perpetual slam quarterfinalist, injury blighted season, plays doubles with gauff a lot, big fighter, deceptively good... like you don't always know what makes her so dangerous, she's not super powerful or super fast or super anything really. but the strokes are consistent and fairly powerful and she's incredibly tenacious

qinwen zheng - reached her first slam final at ao this year, and she's been tipped as a big star for a while now, also very much got the celebrity juice and lovely magazine shoots and all that. the results are still quite inconsistent though, we'll have to wait and see. tall with a quirky serve motion, big forehand, really likes to take the ball on and step in, still trying to kinda bring it all together

maria sakkari - the most beautiful biceps in the game, very fit (in every sense of the word), also kinda quirky technique that's like... effortful, quite tense. renowned for being a massive choker but won her second title last year. she's one of those players it's super rewarding and fun to be a hater of, less rewarding and fun to be a fan of. so don't do that

danielle 'danyell' collins - announced her retirement so she's going to be gone by end of the season, but since then she's had some very impressive results including a 1000 title. plus a lot of great matches. she's a bit of an underdog hero, no sponsor and all that, also a number of physical ailments that makes it hugely impressive what she's achieved. struggles with rheumatoid arthritis and endometriosis. known for her powerful game and her KAMANNN yells

jelena ostapenko (aljona/penko) - 2017 rg champion. don't try and predict her results, you just won't know. WHACKS at the ball, amazing angles, distinctive return position (way way too close sometimes lol), can generally be counted on to generate some drama. gets into a lot of fights with electronic line calling. very much a force of chaos in the women's game, check her head to head with world number one iga swiatek. doesn't have a sponsor and comes up with some memorable outfits

daria 'dasha' kasatkina - I Was A Fan Before I Knew She Was A Dyke. a pusher, little firepower but WILL run for every ball, loops and slices it back. very very very slow serve, great returner though. it's a very sad serve. tends to get overpowered especially by top players, and is probably a bit too defensive these days. it's definitely not a game for everyone, but idk if you're into different ball flight trajectories and a lot of running, she's a good watch. plus she does play some very long matches. when you have players who are shite at serving and great returners, you tend to get a lot of matches where they're either handing out or on the receiving end of bakery products (6-0, 6-1 sets) (because the serve becomes little more than a neutral point starter on average, so the bit that matters is who's winning off the ground)

ludmilla samsonova (samsung/samsonite) - ... she's top twelve? oh, I checked and I'd forgotten she reached two 1000 finals last year, those were great runs fairs. another player who's quite honestly a mystery, goats some stretch of the calendar and then has a series of horrific chokes. big power player, I like the shape of her groundies

madison keys (madi) - she brings a certain kind of 'approaching tennis like it's baseball' vibe to the tour, going by some of her balls' trajectories, got to rate it. boy can she smack that ball though, pretty cool when she's actually getting it between the lines. has broadly underachieved career expectations, got to one slam final that was Not a good experience for her, seems lovely as a person so a lot of people root for her. retired from the best match of the tournament this wimbledon :( (against paolini)

emma navarro - another billionaire's daughter, possibly didn't exist before last year. honestly, I haven't watched enough of her matches to have a great read on what her deal is... but now she's top twenty

ons jabeur - trailblazer as a tunisian tennis star, reached three slam finals and didn't really show up for any of them. (like, psychologically, she didn't literally skip them.) a magician on court with a game that some would call creative and others undisciplined. got nicknamed the 'minister of happiness' in tunisia and outside of it, but has been fighting a lot of demons - injuries, the slam final chokes, her desire to become a mother and so on. a lot of people are cheering for her but her window may have passed (dude, seriously, not a good fan experience, don't get invested)

anna kalinskaya - oh yeah another flat hitter who igatha has struggled with. got to a 1000 final this year... look I hate to do this but I suppose I should mention one of the main associations people have with her right now is that she started dating men's number one sinner this year

marketa vondrousova (maky) - another mystery. has some big runs in big tournaments and then disappears. won wimbledon last year, has barely won a match on grass before or since... one of those crafty czech players, y'know. fun game to watch when it's on! lovely lovely slice, just an incredible amount of tools at her disposal, some of those angles pheww.... really likes her cat

marta kostyuk - had a breakthrough very very young, things have been tougher for her since then... not made easier by the impact of the russian invasion of ukraine. outspoken on the subject. last year things increasingly clicked in her game, started winning against t10 players, deep run at ao this year. bit of a messy game at times but she's a fighter

victoria azarenka (vika) - two time ao winner, already got mentioned above. fantastic returner, spottier server, lovely lovely backhand. gotten involved in some classic wta drama over the years. still goes on some deep runs, but reaching the end of the career

donna vekic - breakthrough young, had a hard time since, now 28 and was a first time slam semifinalist this wimby. a few things you could get into here which would take more time, but really an engaging watch. some of her down the line and inside out shots... man, they can make you gasp

beatriz haddad maia - do you want to watch four hour long matches with fifty thousand momentum shifts? boy do I have a tennis player for you. pusher with a serve, definitely a fighter, makes for some epic matches... not having a great season. a Dedicated brazilian fanbase

leylah fernandez - us open 2021 runner up as a teenager... her run to the final was genuinely bonkers, one three set classic after the next. it's all been messier since then and with her height and game the worry is she'll always be underpowered. she is SUCH a vicious fighter with a charming grin after the fact... a great character and a henin fan (taste) but yeah... can be frustrating

caroline 'caro' garcia - okay so look. she has her good seasons and her off seasons and her last good season was 2022. she's very aggressive, very.... uncompromising, including in her return position, sometimes it works out and.... it may also not. had past familial coaching drama. mentally a bit up and down. when she wins she has this whole 'fly with caro' thing where she runs around like a plane. but so help me lord I resisted leading with this - quite possibly one of the hottest women on this planet and when she speaks with that french accent paired with one of history's cutest smiles... in the most feminist way possible. call me

dayana yastremska - she's top thirty...? another mystery, had a breakthrough young and then struggled, ukrainian also impacted by the war, also a character you can sometimes get some quality Drama out of

linda noskova - still very young... very powerful, beat iga at ao, one of a million good czech players. jury's out as to what her potential is

ekaterina alexandrova - madrid specialist! well, no, not really, but she's definitely a bit of a peaky player.... flat hitter, very nice stroke production

diana shnaider - still quite young, HUGE forehand (like. huge. huge), bandana!! looks cool, cool kid, left college to turn pro, still need to see where the ceiling is

yulia putintseva (poots) - again, her results.... nobody can explain them, but boy can she be a joy to watch. also, and I cannot stress this enough, A Character. beat iga at wimbledon (she did also win a warm up event so not completely random). sometimes gets involved in the messiest matches on the planet

elina svitolina - bit of an old school pusher! a counterpuncher, even! very strong record against her fellow pushers. she came back from having a kid last year, been having quite a successful comeback though she would have been hoping to win last wimbledon (got to the semis). underpowered, felt like her ceiling was slam semis but y'know... great fighter and match player. also vocal on ukraine

mirra andreeva - baby goat! younger sister to erika, who is currently still in scrub land. mirra made rg semis, she's had some big runs. very much a Tennis Fan who studies a lot of old matches, very crafty, tactical game, deeply charming but also has a temper and is not adverse to the odd tantrum. might lack the weapons to 'make it'

anastasia pavlyuchenkova (pavs) - kinda a perpetual slam quarterfinalist, but she made the rg '21 final. she really works at it, I suppose quite workman-like game (some creative descriptions here)... out with injury for most of 2022 but she was back at it last year. she's sweet!

katie boulter - bri ish. uh. kinda been having good results this past year.... hate to do this again but she's dating de minaur. very low margin game and now does hit the court a few more times? um. bri ish. beef with fellow brit harriet dart

elise mertens - round three streak slam goat!! unfortunately the streak is very much broken, and she's - uh I thought she was old but apparently she's only 28 oh god. never mind! hugely successful doubles player, kinda fun creative game

karolina muchova (karo, mucky) - dude. if only she could not be injured for more than two minutes. reached the roland garros final last year, lovely matches against sabs in the semi and then against iga in the final. this is for the connoisseurs, you can get all pretentious here, really for the lovers of slices and lovely looking strokes and nice touch and feel and unfulfilled potential and all that shit. crafty czech player y'know. plays guitar, should be playing for our team (dykes)

okay I think that's probably enough for now

I'll do a few of the men too... this one's got fewer main protagonists so I'll limit it to twenty. the problem with men's tennis is that these guys are all relevant but basically none of them are likely to win a slam like. ever. just to warn you

right. first one we haven't covered in the rankings is alexander zverev. the main thing you should know about zverev is that he has been accused of domestic violence by two different women. one of the women never went to the authorities, the other ended up settling in german courts. the atp has done nothing about this, the players haven't spoken out - and if anything, the most prominent players in the sport, the beloved big three, have either defended him or said it wasn't any of their business. quite a few of the most popular players, including rublev and thiem, are close friends with him. many have explicitly declined to speak out. as a player, he's tall, big serve, great backhand, mediocre forehand, should use his offence more but resorts to a lot of pushing. he used to be seen as a sure fire world number one and slam winner, and came within a set in the 2020 us open where he was up two sets to love (this was a while before the allegations came out). he got injured badly in 2022, last year was his comeback season, this year he's been playing well but losing slam matches from winning positions. one of the most tedious strains of tennis discourse equates his playing style/mental strength to his morality or attributes his lack of slams to karma, but I have no interest in doing so. he's a very good player who may win a slam, he might have too much mental scar tissue and might be gatekept away from them. if I had to bet on any player I've listed here to snatch one, it'd be him. he also shouldn't be allowed to play

alex de minaur (demon) - dude he's? tf do you mean he's number six? I've really not checked the rankings in a while, bloody hell. yeah, he used to be the next big australian sensation, the new lleyton hewitt... but like, he didn't quite have the game. very very fast, not necessarily much in the way of firepower, some midcourt finishing attempts that make you wince. used to have an awful record against top players, it's looking up now and he's using his forecourt game a lot better these days (still not great at being aggressive off the ground but he's always been quite handy at the net, just needs to get there)... having the best season of his career. got injured match point of his round four wimbledon, so had to withdraw next match - rough rough luck if he has to withdraw from the olympics too. dating katie boulter

hubert hurkacz (hubi, hubertus, I feel like I'm not really distinguishing between 'real' nicknames and 'things I personally call these players' but whatever): very tall. very very good serve. polish. not as good as iga, obviously. gets bullied a lot by polish fans (in a fond way) (I think), seen as a bit crap. comes across as nice and normal but has had a slightly mental exit in the last two slams where. well. some interesting behaviour there. lovely backhand, extremely non-lovely forehand. poor returner. a good mover, not med/AZ levels though. keeps playing longer matches than he should. very tragicomic vibes

andrey rublev: has a lot of fans, plus a lot of neutrals who also have a soft spot for him (including journalists one feels). one-dimensional game, mainly reliant on the big forehand... very poor second serve, which is one of the main thing other players exploit. got the record for the most slam quarters reached without winning one. uh, he's quite cheery off the court, vaguely emo-lite vibes I suppose, but also he does have... issues on the court with managing his temper. he takes this out on himself a lot of times, like bashing his knee and head with his racquet. fun quirk of the tennis rules: you're not allowed to damage your racquet or the court but apparently you're allowed to do whatever you want with your limbs. quite close friends with med, godfather to his daughter. he's had a poor year apart from winning madrid kinda out of nowhere (since then he's gone back to losing). a lot of like, the fun quirky videos the atp produces heavily feature him, he's very good at them

casper ruud: la la la la la la la casper ruud.... seen as a 250 clay merchant, but he won a 500 this year so it's all fixed. very much a hard work pays off kinda guy, had his breakthrough 2022 where he reached two slam finals... big forehand, great serve, the other bits of his game aren't always up to scratch, not fantastic defensively (though he's actually made Proper Improvements to the backhand, apparently it's possible) (and he's not like, taylor fritz slow). this year he's really committed to being aggressive and going after his shots and it's helped him get over last year's slump. comically, comically disinterested in playing on grass. gets involved some of the funniest and most random drama, like jaaaaaa gate (he was accused of shouting 'jaaaaa' in another player's face by said other player). big nadal fan. seems nice and normal and should be drama free but is also like? judgy. maybe that explains it

grigor dimitrov: ah yes, lostgen. there's one guy on twitter who always calls him a 'bisexual balding bulgarian', quite possibly the funniest slander name I have ever come across. he's had the balding issue fixed at least. bit of a style over substance player, the one hander is a nice shot though.... decent slice, at times flaky forehand, a lot of natural talent and a good watch in terms of athleticism. used to be called baby federer, bit of a cursed nickname. dated sharapova for certain, rumoured to have dated serena too. he's kinda nice I suppose, low drama, but like. don't bet your life savings on him actually delivering in a match is what I'll say

taylor fritz: oh he's the american number one again... also quite a one dimensional game, big forehand big backhand good serve... worst mover at the top of the men's game. also in the variety department he's sometimes a bit... yeah. he's got one type of ball trajectory and it's a good type, just don't expect him to switch it up too much. one of the og nextgen lot. in the most polite way possible, he's probably around where his ceiling is. tennis influencer girlfriend

stefanos tsitsipas: super og nextgen, he was really seen as one of The Guys back in the day... beat federer at a slam back in 2019, won the tour finals that year.... he's reached two slam finals and he's been within a set of winning one but. yeah. not happening. game's stagnated since his breakthrough - he's big on the forehand and serve but the one handed backhand is super exploitable. and the thing is, if you have a one hander it's a good idea to actually develop a slice as your defensive tool which he did... not do. deeply dysfunctional familial coaching situation. also too likely to be posting a misogyny on social media. dating fellow player and former world number two paula badosa

tommy paul: another american. he showed up drunk to a us open doubles match he had a wild card for years and years back, and the national federation cut his support. rockier rise to the top! there's like... a lot of nice bits to his game, like it's good shot making, but it's missing the top player x factor (that forehand in particular can be a liability). has reached a slam semi (that bit of the draw collapsed is all I'll say)

ben shelton: another american, but he's younger and he's seen as super promising, was a very successful college player. so might be worth investing in! he's very energetic, plays to the crowd a lot, big on vibes... big big serve. small warning, I personally think that's not a game that'll take you to the top of the men's game these days and I'm not convinced by the package, but who knows! a lot of people would disagree with me

ugo humbert: fifteen??? FIFTEEN in the world????? the fuck. well. um. he's got big weapons! he's also got french brain. french tennis players, especially the men, are known for.... uh. I don't want to say it's a nation of chokers, but I wouldn't say they're seen as the mentally sturdiest? well anyway I'm not sure how humbert got this ranking, good on him though, very good watch when he's on

lorenzo musetti (lore): oh thank god, finally a one handed backhand that's better than the forehand. stylish game. lovely slice. a working father. quite young, he's still kinda known for that 2021 roland garros match where he was up two sets to love against djokovic and ended up retiring in the fifth when he was... losing badly... listen, again, I wouldn't buy the musetti slam stocks and he is NOT consistent throughout the year, but absolutely a good watch

holger rune (holgah): sheesh, seventeenth? well, he was higher a while back! listen, he's super marmite. very close to alcaraz's age, also super promising junior, absolutely a brat, has had some very exciting early success like beating djokovic in the paris final in 2022... incredible drama queen, as are his mum and coaching set up. got a lot going on in his game, has no clue what to do with it. he's... yeah he's a character. at the moment he's not looking like he's part of the same category as sinner and alcaraz, but some would feel he'd be a welcome presence at the top of the game. accused casper ruud of screaming 'jaaaaaa' in his face. you'll either love him or hate him, but at least he's never boring

felix auger aliassime: still quite young, but god did people used to think he was gonna achieve great things... big serve, big forehand, great athlete, unfortunately the backhand is... yeah. he was also dealing with a bunch of injuries last year. had this whole coaching set up with nadal's uncle.... anyway, look there's been a lot of stagnation there. also some real scar tissue

sebastian baez (sebi): argentinian clay court specialist, from a country that produces quite a few of those especially on the men's side. very watchable tennis! quite short, not much in the serving department, uses his forehand a lot and grinds away from the back of the court proper clay court fashion. tends to be quite streaky, but boy can he put together some title runs (we're talking 250s and now one 500) - then sometimes he disappears for months

alejandro tabilo: omg he's top twenty, good for him!! already in his late twenties and like... this is probably the ceiling as his rankings goes, but it's so cool he's made top twenty. beat djokovic this year. his strongest surface is clay, but weirdly his two tour-level titles are on hard and grass. lefty, I do quite like his backhand motion, very compact. good underdog to root for who's having a career best season!

marija cicak world's hottest umpire

[mywritingonlyfans]

Can you do 016: "I could never leave you, I love you too much!" But it's reader comforting Alex during an anxiety episode

i haven't answered these in a while but i'll be rescuing the ones that are left! (1,1k - blurb)

It was difficult to pinpoint when all of this had begun, but it had started, and it was happening, and you were glad to be by his side to try to help. The place was calm and quiet, and the receptionists knew who you both were pretty well by now. You often brought a book or downloaded games on your phone to distract yourself, although you hardly used them; it felt futile. Restless, you'd tap your legs, waiting for him as if he might pass by the door without you noticing. As the appointment hours neared their end, just like in every other instance, you would rise and lean against the wall. As expected, the receptionist would give you a knowing smile and a friendly glance, indicating that he was on his way. Alex liked the knowledge that when he left he'd have you waiting for him outside.

At times, you thought you could do more, but Alex found your presence more than sufficient. With a friendly smile, you watched him walking to you. His eyes and cheeks were red, and he looked visibly drained, accompanied by the therapist who had been with him. You opened your arms solemnly, and he eagerly pulled you close, allowing your arms to envelop him, as if you could take away all his pain. The therapist bid her farewell, as pleasant as ever, and Alex wondered if you ever realized that, in many of those sessions, he talked about you with her. He shared how you made him feel lighter and improved his mood, and how he felt too burdened for you to handle at times. It wasn't that you weren't aware of his feelings; it was just that it had become so frequent and repetitive that he felt exhausting to others, particularly to you.

You clung to his waist, his arm draping over your shoulder. You could sense that he was still somewhat detached from the session, unsure whether it had helped or exacerbated things. His head seemed distant, his body tense against yours. As you thanked the people around you, you walked him out, the sunlight hitting your skin and the trees seeming unusually alive. Then, he needed space. Despite his seeming distance, you had learned to read him. You knew he liked your touch, especially when he wasn't feeling well. Even in his darkest moments, you could swear that his eyes held a fondness for you, warm and comforting. Alex wished the gods that you wouldn't tire of him.

"Take your time, there's no rush, baby boy," you smiled at him as he leaned against a tree. You held one of his hands, delicately stroking your thumb over his skin, and he seemed to find comfort in your touch. His eyes were unfocused, tears welling up with each passing moment, his breathing uneven, squeezing your heart even though not to the same degree as his own. He was about to raise his hands to his face, but you quickly took both of his hands in yours, gently squeezing to ground him in something other than what he was feeling. You had learned to avoid escalating his distress; it was challenging to control, and your eyes often welled with tears, fearing that you might not be able to help, despite your attempts to remain composed for his sake.

"Hey, try lookin' at me, babe," you whispered, your voice low and tender, meant only for him. "Can you focus on my touch? I'm holding your fingers, intertwining them with mine, slowly trailing up your arm..." you continued, deliberately slow. Gradually, you began to feel his fingertips moving in sync with yours, his sweet eyes returning to you. Holding his face, you kissed his tears away, tracing a path across his cheek and nose until his senses returned, and he started responding. You pressed your lips to his, exchanging slow kisses, the roles reversed. Seeing you affected by his state made him want to improve, to see you well, a notion that made sense in his head.

He pulled you into a hug, his hands fitting around your waist as he nestled his chin atop your head, a firm and precise embrace. It felt as though you possessed a healing power over him. "I'm sorry," he murmured so softly, sounding more like he was speaking to himself than to the world. You shook your head, still sounding utterly adorable and caring in his ears. Though it didn't bother you, it still made him feel unworthy of you at times.

"Don't be, it's not your fault," you said, getting closer and brushing your lips against the tip of his nose. His arms remained around your waist, and you allowed him the time to gather himself before heading back to the car. He moved more slowly, and you were sure he would doze off during the ride back; all of this was taking a toll on him, something you could never have imagined. Despite everything, you felt good about being his driver when he wasn't up for it. It was pleasant to have him choose the music and hum along beside you.

Whenever he fell asleep, it was always the same. The low instrumental music in the background, his conversation starting to sound disjointed, and then he would slip into slumber. It was endearing that his face always ended up turned toward you, bundled up in the seat. "I still fear you might get tired of this," he said softly, almost without pause, as if he had practiced letting those words slip from his rose lips. You were stopped at a red light, stealing a quick glance at him. You hated these moments, but you wouldn't fail to let him know that you preferred when he opened up to you, rather than letting negative thoughts fester within him alone.

His eyes seemed distant again, even though they were on you. You held his hand. "I could never leave you, I love you too much for that." He swallowed hard, and even as you needed to drive, you didn't let go of his hand. You eventually placed his palm on your thigh, as if the exchange of warmth served as a reminder that you were there. "I'll say it as many times as necessary, I don't mind at all." You smiled softly, feeling lighter as you saw his reflection at your emotions.

He seemed more spirited and was about to pull his hand away to gesture something, but you just tugged it back to you, causing his smile to grow even wider. It was a beautiful sight, those wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes and the one between his relaxed eyebrows. He let his hand rest comfortably there. "We could stop at a drive-thru, get some burgers and ice cream, and eat in the car. What do you think?" He seemed playful in his thoughts ahead, then found himself agreeing with your reassuring voice. He was indeed hungry but didn't want to deal with seeing or interacting with new people. So, the idea was appealing, and he liked to believe that you knew him so well that you noticed that, almost as if you could read his mind (in a way, that was true).

[zapreportsblog]

↱ savior ↰

➘ summary : Yuta Okkotsu job requires him to save other humans from curses and restore piece in this god forsaken world, who knew he would be the one needing the saving too

➘ Yuta Okkotsu x reader, jjk x reader

➘ a/n : y’all see that hand work from our boy yuta 😩

Yuta Okkotsu found himself far from familiar grounds, lost in the bustling streets of an American city. The foreign environment was overwhelming, and a sense of disorientation washed over him as he tried to navigate the unfamiliar surroundings. The chaos of the city was a stark contrast to the quiet familiarity of his homeland.

As Yuta wandered aimlessly, his brows furrowed in frustration. He was out of his element, and the unease he felt was palpable. Just when he was starting to feel overwhelmed, a friendly voice broke through his thoughts.

"Hey there, you look a little lost. Need some help?"

Yuta turned his gaze toward the source of the voice, his eyes locking onto a young woman standing nearby. Her warm smile was inviting, and he found himself feeling an immediate sense of relief at her offer.

"Yeah, I'm... kind of lost," Yuta admitted, his words slightly halting due to his limited English.

The woman's smile widened, and she extended a hand toward him. "I'm (Y/N). Nice to meet you."

Yuta hesitated for a moment before shaking her hand, a small smile forming on his lips. "Yuta."

"Yuta, huh? Well, Yuta, how about I show you around a bit? I can help you find your way," (Y/N) offered.

Yuta's gratitude was evident in his gaze as he nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, (Y/N). I appreciate it."

As they walked through the city streets, (Y/N) pointed out various landmarks and shared tidbits of information about the area. Yuta found himself becoming more at ease in her presence, his initial discomfort gradually giving way to a sense of companionship.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Yuta decided to ask a question that had been nagging at him. "Have you seen anything... suspicious around here lately?"

(Y/N) arched an eyebrow, her expression curious. "Suspicious? Like what?"

Yuta's gaze shifted to the alleyways they were passing by, a thoughtful frown tugging at his lips. "Anything out of the ordinary. Anything that seems... dangerous."

(Y/N) considered his question for a moment before responding. "Aside from the local kids complaining about a monster in the alleyways, nothing much. People tend to exaggerate, you know."

Yuta's interest was piqued by her mention of a "monster." While it might have been a rumor, he couldn't shake the feeling that it was worth investigating. He turned his attention back to (Y/N), his eyes determined.

"Would you mind showing me where they said they saw this... monster?"

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow, surprise evident in her expression. "You're really curious about this, huh?"

Yuta nodded, his gaze unwavering. "If there's a chance it could be dangerous, I want to make sure no one gets hurt."

(Y/N)'s lips curled into a smile, admiration evident in her gaze. "Well, Yuta, you're certainly determined. Okay, I'll take you to the alleyways where they said they saw the 'monster.' But just so you know, it's probably nothing more than a prank."

Yuta's determination remained unshaken as he followed (Y/N) down the streets. He knew that danger often lurked where it was least expected, and he was committed to ensuring the safety of those around him—no matter how unfamiliar the setting or how unusual the situation.

“See nothing out of the ordinary,” (y/n) says upon arrival of the alley way. Yuta looks around, walking deeper into the alleyway he can feel faint curse energy in the alleyway but nothing that looked out of the ordinary from its regular places in a alleyway.

“You good?”

“Yes, thank you again.” Yuta bows.

Once again Yuta Okkotsu found himself in unfamiliar territory—the bustling streets of an American city lost once more, his mission was rather simple: investigate reports of a powerful special grade curse that had been wreaking havoc. The intel had warned him that this curse was unlike any he had faced before, and his heart raced with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

But the only problem was he was having a hard time finding this curse.

As night fell, Yuta seen the familiar traces of curse energy, following the trail of destruction, his senses attuned to the eerie energy that permeated the air. Suddenly, a chilling presence materialized before him. The curse, a monstrous and malevolent entity, towered over Yuta with an unsettling grin.

Without hesitation, the curse unleashed its attack—a barrage of tendrils made of cursed energy that surged toward Yuta. His instincts kicked in, and he dodged with agile precision, narrowly avoiding the deadly strikes. The tendrils tore through the air, leaving behind traces of their destructive power.

Yuta's fingers tightened around his cursed tool, a manifestation of Rika's presence within him. With a determined glint in his eyes, he lunged forward, his movements a blur as he closed the distance between himself and the curse. His cursed energy erupted, surrounding him like a protective aura.

The clash of their energies created shockwaves that reverberated through the surroundings, shaking the very ground beneath them. Yuta's cursed tool collided with the curse's massive form, and a burst of energy erupted from the impact, creating a blinding light that momentarily obscured their figures.

As the light subsided, the curse's form wavered, but it quickly regained its composure. With an unsettling hiss, it unleashed a series of devastating strikes, each one aimed at overwhelming Yuta's defenses. Yuta's movements were fluid and precise, his curses striking true as he managed to evade and counter the curse's attacks.

However, the curse's strength was undeniable. Yuta found himself pushed to his limits as he fought to hold his ground. His body bore the brunt of the curse's assault, cuts and bruises marring his skin. He gritted his teeth against the pain, his determination unwavering.

In a daring move, Yuta channeled his cursed energy into a powerful attack, a torrent of energy that surged forth like a tempest. The curse's form trembled under the onslaught, its distorted cries echoing through the night. But just as Yuta seemed to gain the upper hand, the curse's eyes gleamed with malevolence.

With an ear-splitting roar, the curse summoned a surge of cursed energy that spiraled around it, forming a vortex of destruction. The vortex expanded with alarming speed, threatening to engulf Yuta. He braced himself, his cursed energy flaring in defiance as he unleashed his most potent counterattack.

As Yuta continued his intense battle with the powerful curse, (Y/N) happened to be passing by the area. Her steps faltered as she caught sight of the intense struggle unfolding before her. Her heart raced with a mixture of fear and curiosity as she watched the fierce clash between sorcerer and curse.

Feeling a surge of empathy for the sorcerer fighting against the overwhelming odds, (Y/N)'s instincts kicked in. Without a second thought, she swiftly unslung her backpack from her shoulders and gripped it tightly. Her eyes locked onto the curse's form, and with a determined breath, she threw her backpack with all her might.

The backpack sailed through the air, its trajectory aimed at the curse's eye. The unexpected projectile hit its mark, causing the curse to let out a furious hiss and momentarily divert its attention away from Yuta. The distraction served its purpose, buying Yuta a precious few moments to regain his composure.

Taking advantage of the distraction, (Y/N) shouted with all her might, her voice echoing through the tense atmosphere. "Hey, ugly! Over here!"

The curse's eyes shifted toward (Y/N), its malevolent intent now fixated on her. It let out a chilling growl, its massive form surging toward her with a newfound ferocity. (Y/N)'s heart pounded in her chest, but she held her ground, determination blazing in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Yuta seized the opportunity (Y/N) had provided. His movements were swift and precise, his cursed tool blazing with energy as he delivered a final, devastating blow to the curse's weakened form. The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the air, and the curse let out a deafening roar of agony.

(Y/N) watched as Yuta's attack connected, the curse's form shuddering before it dissipated into nothingness. The battle was over, and the tension that had filled the air began to ease. Yuta's gaze shifted from the dissipating curse to (Y/N), his eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and surprise.

Breathing heavily, (Y/N) approached Yuta, her heart still racing from the adrenaline of the moment. "You okay?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Yuta nodded, his expression a mix of exhaustion and relief. "Thanks to you. You provided the distraction I needed to deliver the final blow."

(Y/N) offered him a small smile, her backpack still clenched in her hand. "Glad I could help. You seem like you handling that thing pretty well, but I figured it could use a little extra nudge."

Yuta's lips curved into a genuine smile, gratitude evident in his gaze. "Well, it worked. Thanks again."

As the adrenaline began to ebb, (Y/N) couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I guess this is your average day, huh?"

Yuta's chuckle joined hers, and he shook his head. "Sadly. But I appreciate your help."

As they stood amidst the aftermath of the battle, a sense of camaraderie seemed to settle between them. A chance encounter had led to an unexpected partnership, with (Y/N)'s quick thinking providing the opening Yuta needed to emerge victorious.

The curse, however, lay defeated, its form dissipating into nothingness. Yuta's heart pounded with a mixture of exhaustion and triumph. He had faced a foe unlike any other, a curse that had pushed him to his limits. But he had emerged victorious, proving his strength and determination in the face of adversity.

As the city's lights illuminated the scene of the battle, Yuta's gaze remained fixed on the spot where the curse had once stood. He knew that this was just one battle in a war against the darkness that threatened to consume the world. And as long as he carried Rika's presence within him, he would continue to fight—no matter how formidable the foe.

[goatcheesecak3]

Adam x reader (fluff)

Warnings for: mention of substance use, casual misogyny, alcohol

A/n requests are open, check my pinned post for details :^)

You sat on the sofa, taking a large gulp of your drink. You always looked forward to Adam's parties, he and Charlie had been your best friends for about a year, and it was nice to spend time with the two of them. In the past, Adam's parties had become something of a free for all. At first he was okay with it, not quite coherent enough to care about the holes being punched in his walls, the stench of pcp emanating from his bathroom, or the broken glass on his carpet. But as he'd started to get his shit together and grow up a bit, he was less fond of his apartment becoming a hive of crime and wanton desire. One of the perks of your friendship was that you were pretty good at defusing situations before they happened, and you didn't really care if people liked you or not, so you weren't afraid to be bad cop and kick people out on Adam's behalf if they got too out of hand.

Adam joined you on the sofa, a glass of bourbon in his hand. This night was like any other, you scanned the room keeping an eye out for trouble, while Adam rolled you a cigarette.

"I see you found my bourbon then," he said, nodding towards the drink you'd helped yourself to.

"Well you didn't expect me to spend the whole night drinking cheap beer did you?" You replied smugly.

Adam laughed and shook his head.

"You're an asshole you know that? This was expensive" he feigned annoyance with you

"Tastes expensive too" you teased, swirling your drink in your hand.

You sat in comfortable silence for a bit, letting the laid back beats of wu-tang punctuate the lack of dialogue, when something caught your attention.

"Dude," you called toward a shaggy haired party goer stood in the corner of the room, smoking on something that definitely wasn't weed or a cigarette.

"Take that shit to the alley, it fucking stinks"

"Hey whatever man," he mumbled before slinking out the apartment door.

"Thanks" Adam said, shooting you a wink.

Just then, Charlie's familiar frame entered the room and made it's way over to the two of you.

"Me and the others are gonna head over to the other side of town soon, apparently one of the frat houses is throwing a rager. You guys gonna come?" He inquired.

"Man I'm too tired for that shit" Adam groaned, throwing his head back.

"I can't think of anything worse. I'd just end up dodging a bunch of frat guys asking 'is it true what they say about girls with piercings' all night" you said.

"Suit yourselves," Charlie said, before turning to the rest of the crowd, "guys come on, I don't wanna miss this party".

Gradually, the guests trickled out of the small apartment, leaving just you and Adam.

"Shit, I better call an uber, there's no way I'm walking in the state that I'm in" you said, pulling out your phone

"Aw did someone over do it?" Adam poked fun at you.

"Behave. Hang on, what the fuck? It says I'm banned?" You exclaimed, looking at the uber app.

"Lemme see," Adam said taking your phone, "ohohoh shit, you HAVE been banned" he sneered.

"I don't even know how that could've happened, I haven't used uber in ages. I mean, apart from that time I let you..." your voice trailed off as you put two and two together, looking up to see Adam's face painted with a guilty smile.

"Adam did you spill your guts all over an uber booked in my name by any chance?" You asked, with a put on polite tone.

He just shrugged.

"You asshole!" You cried out, lifting up one of the couch cushions and hitting him with it.

"I'm sorry! Look dude, you can just stay here tonight. I'll help you get your account back in the morning" he said, offering an olive branch in hopes that you hadn't seen how hard he was trying not to laugh at the situation.

"Fine. And I think I'll take that refill you were about to offer me" you responded, smugly handing your empty glass to him.

"Whatever your highness wants" he joked before dissapearing to the kitchen.

The pair of you sat idly on the sofa, smoking and arguing over which song to play next for a little while, until the conversation turned to your personal lives.

"Where's whats-her-face tonight anyways?" You asked Adam, referring to his latest friend with benefits.

"Oh Stacey?" He took a sip "long gone. I'm done with that"

"Are you serious man? Her tits were like the size of my head, how in the fuck have you upgraded from that?" You laughed.

Adam found himself chuckling with you, before responding.

"Nah, I mean I'm done with hookups. For now, at least. Like, don't get me wrong she was really fucking hot, but I don't know, I always just felt miserable afterwards" he dipped his head down slightly, cringing at himself for letting himself get slightly too real.

"No fucking way, I never thought I'd hear you say that" you teased, feeling ever so slightly proud of him. "How's abstinence treating you then?"

"You should know, miss I don't do hookups" he said.

It was true, as a rule, you didn't do hookups. You used to, and definitely still could if you wanted to, but you just didn't see the appeal of being that intimate with a stranger anymore.

"Man it gets hard, but it'll be worth it in the long run. Not like the dating pool has me spoilt for choice though" you said, taking a drag from your cigarette.

"Preaching to the choir. Seems like people around here either want nothing but sex or they're talkin bout 'how many kids you want?' 'What are you plans for the future?' Like, hell if I know, I just wanna meet someone that makes me laugh" Adam complained, dipping his ashes.

"While it is pretty jarring to hear you complain about people only wanting sex, you put it perfectly man" you said.

"Feels kinda good to get that off my chest. Don't get me wrong or anything, like I love Charlie, but I could never talk about this shit with him" Adam rambled.

You had to admit, it was oddly reassuring hearing Adam letting his human side out. You loved the lairy attitudes of you two best friends, but it got somewhat lonely being the only girl in the trio sometimes, you didn't often get the chance to talk about real shit. You found yourself feeling slightly sorry for Adam, it seemed like he'd been wanting to be more honest about his feelings for quite some time, but never felt brave enough to do so. Following this train of thought, you found yourself saying something you wouldn't normally say.

"At the risk of sounding corny as fuck, when was the last time someone gave you a hug?"

Adam puffed out his cheeks and exhaled before answering

"Too long ago, man"

"Well bring it in, dude" you said, leaning over to him with open arms.

The two of you hugged, giggling, and both slightly embarrassed, but enjoying it nonetheless. It seemed as though the pair of you had been needing this.

When the hug ended, Adam's arm remained over your shoulder, and you remained leaning on him comfortably. It should have felt weird, being so touchy feely with your bro like this, and in a way it did feel a bit weird, but at the same time it was comfortable and you didn't ever want it to stop.

"Look at you, getting all soft on me are we?" Adam teased.

"Watch yourself" you warned playfully

"Or what?" He grinned

"Or this" you said, swiftly tickling his ribs.

Through laughs, Adam somehow managed to snake his arms around your waist and hold you in place, unable to tickle him any longer. The laughter died down and the two of you found yourselves staring at eachother, both smiling shyly.

"You always make me laugh, y/n" he said, his voice low and gentle - it wasn't the lighthearted casual way he normally spoke.

"Same with you" You replied, hearing the softness on your own voice.

Ever so slowly, as though you were afraid to startle one another, your faces edged closer and closer together, until finally, your lips met. The kiss was gentle, tame and full of affection. It should have felt unexpected, unnatural, but for some reason it just felt inevitable, as though it had been a long time coming.

You both pulled away, blushing and smiling timidly

"Wow. How long you been holding that back?" You asked, your voice barely a whisper.

Matching your volume, Adam responded "longer than I think either of us are willing to admit"

Your smile grew in size, which seemed to reassure Adam, who'd felt a little worried that he'd overestimated your feelings for him.

"So.. we make eachother laugh. I think that meets both our standards," you said, earning a small chuckle from Adam.

"Should we stop putting off the inevitable and just.. you know.. give it a go?" Adam said, feeling a bit more confident now.

"What, me and you?" You asked, wanting to hear him say it.

"Yeah, me and you" he smiled

"I'd like that" you said, before kissing him gently.

You snuggled up to him on the sofa, and when the moment passed, the two of you resumed playfully making fun of eachother for being so sickly and cutesy. There was no use denying it any longer, you really were perfect for eachother.

A/n check my pinned post to make a request! Replies and reblogs are greatly appreciated bc I'm trying to locate some Adam stans (we're a rare breed)

[ngmn2002]

Once, I revealed a secret to you, I said that I would give you my most beautiful words when the right time came, and you always asked me, what time would that be, so mysterious.

You've found out now, haven't you?

I saved my best words for this moment, to talk about the laughter over silly conversations, the laughter over a fun image or other that we keep secret ~ "What would they do if they knew we were laughing at their queen?" Hahaha

The stories you tell me, the happiness and the sparkle in your eyes, that I always imagine you having, when you hear what I have to say about them. Your stories opened the doors for me to tell you mine.

Then, everything seemed more magical than it was before, as if a bridge had formed, more and more doors opened. We gradually built a small castle. Of course, a castle, what else could a fairy offer a 👑?

Hearing what you have to say makes me happy, it always makes me wonder "what will she say now?" like a child discovering a new book.

I arrived here with no prospects, then I met you by chance on the way, and you held my hand and walked beside me. Yes, and I discovered many things about you.

I often saw you happily talking about your boy, countless times, and I always thought that Tsukasa was lucky to have someone like you to love him, even if there was no one else.

Seeing you sad because he was vulnerable, seeing you wanting to help him with all your strength, even though you couldn't, seeing you give him the ease he deserves in your stories, always left me in awe.

"Ah, Tsu, she loves you so much, you should give her a hug"

I suggested, and well, I ended up getting such a sweet and genuine wish, "I want to hug Tsukasa"

And as a fairy that I am, I couldn't have thought twice. I guided you along the path of the stars, and you found your moon. He was there, and he gave you the best hug he could give you.

Your happiness made me so happy when I could fulfill your wish.

And to think that what made us meet was Tsukasa, Amane and the stars in the PP arc. Stars, moon, LUNAR fairy, is there a connection?

There are things that are meant to be, and finding you was one of them. You are my friend, my sister, who made me laugh, made me feel comfortable telling you so many secrets, and who almost made me cry with one of your greatest stories, the melody of light, NN💜

You've brightened my days since we met, and regardless of what happens now or in the future, you'll always be my lil sis, and I'll always be grateful to have met you, to finally have someone to talk to about crazy JSHK theories , for having someone to suffer when something bad happens to Tsukasa, for having someone to celebrate when something good happens to him, for having someone I can have fun with and find comfort with.

I'm grateful to also have the opportunity to be loved by you, and well…..

To be able to love you too, my sweet little sister, my bestie 💜 Thank you for listening to me, for being kind to me, and for always being here.

With love, from your favorite fairy. 🪄

Oh, one secret I couldn't get out of my head, yet said… I will patiently wait for the right time Fairy mentioned. And on that promise, I lived.

You've found out now, haven't you? – She asked. Yes, I have. Glad I did. – I responded.

Oh, what a magical moment. Your best words reached me loud and clear. Can you feel that in the atmosphere?

How can I forget any of these moments you've mentioned? They are there, sleeping soundly inside my head. Let's break them down one by one, shall we?

*

Haha, what a nice question you mention. "What would they do if they knew what's hidden?" ~ *

Just trust me when I say, you add to that sparkle with every single kind word you have to say. The stories I tell always feel happy to be appreciated by the great Fairy. Your stories, that with me you allowed to stay... really are touching, I will say. *

So, I will go further and say… let's keep the castle's magical doors open every day. What does the Fairy say? That's what the 👑 for will pray. *

Likewise, hearing what you have to say makes me happy in return. A special, fun earn. "what will she say now?" Hmm, that when it's a matter of what you wonder about, she behaves the same way the Fairy does every single time? Speaking of books, remember when I told you there is one book I'm really interested to discover more into with time? Let's not forget that, and let it shine.

*

Thanks to that road that one comment opened, now we are united. Together, side by side. On that special road, we kept on collecting tips about each other, one by one, little by little, with many fun games mixed in the middle.

*

Oh, my boy… the guy who stole my heart and made it his little toy. Left with nothing to do about it, I just sigh. Mischievous little Tsu! You can keep my heart, I allow you. ~ After all, you're my beloved bad good boy, aren't you?~

And for your kind words, as always, I thank you. If anything, Tsukasa and I, are lucky to have you. Our team is incomplete, our happiness is lacking, without you.

*

To be sad when I see the boy I love that way, is the price I agreed to pay, for love really is a beautiful pain as I always say. I accept this love I feel for him with all that will accompany it. For how can my love be true lacking it? I love my boy, there for him, in his highest and lowest. There is still more pain to come, a lot for both of us to face, but we can walk on through it.

I will still believe one day, happiness will knock his door, and he will live in harmony together with it. If that's not how it will end, I will create that end. In my world, things are under my command.

I will have to say, it's always magnificent how the words of a Great Fairy helped me manage through the pain, in a time all I could see was darkness, as I lost my way within it in vain. She ignited a tiny light for me to follow, a tiny light that kept on living inside my heart for the moments to follow. To this day, things are still that way.

Her powerful magic always leaves me in awe. For neither can I get the nature of it, nor convey how much grateful I am for it. What can simple "Thank Yous" do to repay it?

Is it only that one thing she did for me that simple "Thank Yous" can't repay? Not at all, I will reply.

*

A genuine wish with her generosity she made come true, one of: "Oh, dearest Tsukasa, how I wish I can hug you.", counts too.

Under her delicate guidance, I reached my Moon. Following her gentle starry tune, I finally captured said Moon. A magical moment she gifted us with. A wish I thought was impossible, with her power, she made possible.

*

Her nice gestures I am still trying to repay, the best I can till this day. With all the little magic I have within me. I want to make her feel as happy as she makes me. I want to grow a smile on her lips as she does with me.

Our road is long, and we're still walking on through it, so naturally, many opportunities will occur for me. Of them, I will take a tight hold, and won't let any slip through my fingers.

*

"Is there is a connection?" Find the answer between the lines, or… where would the fun be? ~

*

You do know how much I agree. Those destined things that are meant to be… always are so fascinating to me.

My friend, my sister, let me tell you I'm always happy to be told by you that I'm succeeding in bringing a laugh into you. That's my greatest pleasure.

The stories we share together, are our little treasure. On top of them are: "The Melody of Light – NN", "The Special Secret of The Fairy", "The Great L", and more. 🧡

*

I'm grateful to hear all the kind words you allowed yourself to say. Know that I feel the same way.

For sure, regardless of any obstacles that we might meet in our way, as long as our sisterly bond is there to stay, nothing will manage to come between us, my big sis.

*

Uh, you always can't settle without making me melt, can you? It's alright I forgive you. Because I love you, too. It's a special pass I give to my generous big sister, my bestie. 🧡

*

Thank you for opening up to me, for trusting me, for accepting my company.

With love, I respond to my favorite Fairy. 🧚

[mangoshorthand]

Before A Fall [Five Hargreeves x F Reader]. Ch 8 (Hard Feelings Part 2)

SUMMARY: As your life begins to grow around Five's, his attitude becomes a little sinister. When does protection become suffocation and when does taking matters into your own hands become betrayal? (weekly updates) Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Chapter Eleven - Chapter Twelve

A visit with Santi's terminally ill friend puts things into a little perspective for both of you.

Kids with cancer and smut below, (though not at the same time). Proceed at your own risk

Chapter 8: Alyssa

Still in his blue pajamas, Five silently makes coffee for you both and pours himself some cereal. When he sits across from you, placing the mug down in front of you, you give him a nod of thanks.

“I’ve been messaging Lila.”

“Oh?” you ask, stiffly.

“Yeah. She thinks Santi should go see Alyssa. She put me in touch with her mom, Laci."

You take a bite of toast and watch him expectantly. He can continue an uphill battle making conversation as far as you’re concerned. When you swallow, he looks like he expects you to respond, so you just take another bite. His mouth tightens a little, but he looks as if he’s trying to be patient.

“She said tomorrow at around 11am would be best. Will you...come with us? I know you have work. I wouldn't ask, only..."

He peters out, expression inscrutable. You feel tempted to capitulate immediately, to offer to take the morning off without a second thought.

You really do want to be there for Santi, but you don't want Five getting the idea you can just drop everything to be at his beck and call. You let his unfinished sentence hang in the air. When you don't immediately rush to his aid, he finishes:

"...we're both supposed to be watching Santi and I think it would be best for him."

His face from behind his coffee cup reminds you of his oil painting still hanging, all but forgotten in the house: assumed confidence hiding vulnerability. He sighs.

"...and because I need your help. I need to ask Laci about JUICED, only-"

You scoff, interrupting him.

"JUICED? Is this you trying to throw me a bone, Five? Make me feel included?"

He huffs. Head tossing a little.

"Forget it then." 

"Oh, believe me, I will."

You pick up the coffee in one hand and your toast in the other and make as if to leave the kitchen. When you get to the bottom of the stairs, he calls your name. You don't return to him but your halted footsteps assure him of your ear.

"If you want the truth: I need you there. Dying kids, grieving mothers...hell, I don't know what to say; how to be."

You turn to stand in the doorway. He's leaned back in his chair, looking at you with entreaty now. There's a beat as your eyes meet. They beg in the way his lips won’t. You maintain a little coolness as you reply:

"I'll have to move some meetings but I'll see what I can do."

It seemed Santi had still not really grasped the situation- he was just excited to have the morning off school to see the friend he was missing so much. He kicks the back of your seat periodically while drawing with colored pencils.

As he drives, Five sings along to Jerry Dyke on the car's tape deck. He starts off quietly at first, drumming one hand on the steering wheel, his elbow resting slightly out of the open window.

“Will the circle, be unbroken,

by and by lord, by and by...”

You watch him singing along with his eyes on the road, growing gradually louder as the minutes progress. As his head begins to jive along too, you can’t help but smile and suppress a laugh. He notices you looking and smiles back, half self-conscious, half suspicious.

 “What?”

“Nothing.” And then, continuing to stare with your little smile still in place, “You’re such a dork.”

You keep the ‘I love you’ back, but you do. For better or worse. Probably worse.

He transfers his window-side hand to the wheel and uses his other to give your knee a squeeze.

When you reach the children’s hospital and wend your way through hallways to the oncology ward, the reality of what you’re about to find inside seems to break on both of you. Taking one of Santi’s hands each, you enter through the double doors.

The gaily coloured walls are papered with children's drawings. You pass a toy-stuffed playroom with a bright red playhouse in the corner, at which Santi looks with interest. The jollity contrasts starkly with the evidence of medical equipment around you in a way that hurts your heart.

“Alyssa!”

Santi pulls you both into her room.

She doesn’t look good. Propped up on pillows, her head is wrapped in a scarf and her eyebrows look sparse already. Her face has the too-pinched look of the seriously ill and her collarbone is too prominent. Despite this, she smiles when she sees her friend.

“Hey Alyssa,” smiles Five, a little awkwardly. Turning from the child, he swings out his hand to shake with Alyssa’s Mom.

"Nice to meet you in person.” 

She’s a short, solidly built person. For you, seeing her is even harder than seeing Alyssa. This is a woman who’s clearly stayed strong for too long. Her skin seems dulled and her lips are chapped.

“Thank you for bringing him, Mr Hargreeves. She’s missed him so much.”

“Call me Five,” one corner of his mouth turns up in an uncomfortable smile. You step forward and introduce yourself.

"Laci, right?"

"That's me. Nice to meet you."

Santi chatters to Alyssa in the background.

"How are Lila and Diego? Enjoying England?" she asks, turning to Five with weary, forced brightness.

"I hear Diego's enjoying the pubs."

Laci smiles but it doesn't quite reach her tired eyes. All three of you watch the kids talk for a few moments. It’s clear that Santi’s becoming a little unsettled by the change in his friend.

You speak, voice lowered, "How is she?"

Five's grateful to you for breaking the silence. Such a simple question but voice cadenced perfectly: care and empathy expressed while maintaining a respectful distance. God, he's glad you agreed to come.

Laci lets out a breath, "As well as can be expected. She has a scan in a couple of days to see how the chemo's been working."

Five nods and then, as if it's risen to his mouth like vomit, he blurts:

"Do you guys drink JUICED?"

You stand on Five’s foot under your chair. Laci looks nonplussed: she shakes her head, apparently concluding that he's offering to get them a couple of cans.

"Alyssa got a little obsessed with it a couple of months ago so we try to stay away from it. Too much sugar."

"Sure. Sure." 

It's as he suspected. 

"And...the other kids? Are they here too?"

Another step on his toe. He needs to get it through his thick skull that he isn’t here to grill this poor woman.

"The little boys from her class? Yeah. They're all somewhere down this hall. I think they're trying to start treatment for them as soon as possible."

"Jesus, I didn't know they were in the same class."

You're just about the break in and commandeer the conversation away from this when the attention of all three of you is directed towards the kids. Santi's standing, holding Alyssa's hand. 

“You wanna go play in the other room?”

“No- I’m too tired.” says Alyssa, resisting the slight pull of his hand.

“But there's a playhouse that has a upstairs, I think!”

"Santi..." you say, with a hint of reproach.

"There's a slide!"

Laci steps in, “I’m sorry, but Alyssa’s too sick today. Maybe next time you come?”

You look up at her, knowing that she doesn’t really think ‘next time’ will bring improvement.  

Santi looks stricken, turning back to Alyssa, “You feel too bad to go play?”

“Yeah, but not so bad. It was worse before. The doctors give me the medicine to make my head stop hurting.”

“Does it hurt bad?” his voice squeaks a little as he talks.

She rubs at sunken eyes.

“Yeah. It's the worst hurt I ever had.”

Santi gives a loud sniff and hugs her hard.

In his emotion, he forgets to be gentle. Five leans to try and loosen his grip, but can’t. He’s squeezing as if he’s trying to pop her damn head off. Alyssa takes a sudden, alarmingly sharp breath and you feel a surge of shock. Her tiny, fragile ribs have got to break with this. You and Laci stand up and move to the bed.

“I miss you SO much!” Santi cries.

“Santi, let go!” yells Five, succeeding in tugging him away with difficulty.

Laci places her body in between the two children, to block him from her. 

“Alyssa? Alyssa, sweetheart, are you ok?”

Alyssa sits there for a moment, as if punch-drunk, and then says: 

"Yeah Mommy, I’m fine.”

She sounds almost surprised to be asked and, considering the unwitting assault her body’s just been through, her voice sounds normal.

Five turns Santi to face him, shaking him a little, “You were too rough. I know you miss Alyssa but she needs you to be gentle!”

Santi's eyes fill with tears at the harshness he never usually gets from his uncle. Five tries to maintain the stern face but can't. Instead, he sighs, puts an arm around him and hugs him. 

You look at Laci.

“I’m sorry about this. I don’t think we prepared him properly. We’re sorry to have made this more stressful for you.”

Laci seems torn between grief and anger but stays calm: “I think this was a bad idea. They’re too little.”

“No!” Santi cries, “I’m sorry. I’ll be gentle.”

“Mommy don’t make him go, I’m fine.”

She sighs wearily, rubbing her eyes with one hand. 

“Ok you guys, but let’s watch some cartoons together.”

The incident seemed to quell Five's desire to investigate. Although he looked through all the open doors on the way back down the hall, he allowed you to pull him out of the ward without stopping in unannounced on the parents of the three sick boys.

Santi cried a little on the way home and fell asleep. Though it was only lunch time, this morning had exhausted him. 

No Jerry Dyke is played on the way home. You both sit in silence, lost in your own thoughts, but in companionship too. When you get nearer to the academy, you look back at Santi, his head lolling on the seat.

“I don’t think we should send him back to school today.”

“I agree. He can play upstairs while I talk with Luther, Sloane and Viktor.”

“Great.”

You think he senses the resentful inflection you kept out of your voice, but also your restraint. He places his hand on your knee again and gives you a conciliatory pat.

You’re sat at Five’s desk on your laptop, pretending to catch up with work but really finalizing your plans. Based on Harvey Klein's prolific social media presence, he seems to take his lunch break from his trendy start-up employer at the same time every day. The plan is to just lie in wait and 'happen' to meet him.

“I love this book.”

You turn around. Five sits on the reading-nook slipper chair, Persuasion in his hand.

“Yeah? I never read it.”

“It's Austen's best.” he says, flicking back a page and meeting your eye. “The heroine falls in love with a poor navy guy when she’s nineteen. Her family are assholes and persuade her not to marry him. Nine years later he comes back rich but he’s still angry, so he flirts with younger women. But then he-uh-comes to his senses and writes her a letter. It's...can I read you a bit?”

“Sure.”

He clears his throat, seemingly glad of the excuse to look down at the book and avert his eyes from yours:

“I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for-ever. I offer myself to you again with a heart even more your own…I have loved none but you. Unjust I may have been, weak and resentful I have been, but never inconstant.’

“…I guess I just like that part”, he finishes, lamely.

You look up at him and catch his eye. He holds your gaze steadily now. Has he picked this part for a reason?

“One of Dolores’s recommendations?”

“Yeah,” he smiles, marking his page and putting the book back on the shelf beside him, “Come on, come and sit with me.”

Again, he sits on a comfortable chair and stretches his hand out to you in that come-hither way, his head on the opposite shoulder. During his work this afternoon, he loosened his tie, unbuttoned his waistcoat and first two shirt buttons. His hair is a little mussed from all the times he’s run his fingers through it.

You don’t refuse him this time. Closing your computer, you cross the room and perch on his knee. He immediately puts one arm around your waist, the other behind your knees and pulls you more firmly onto him, stretching his neck to kiss you. He forgot to shave today so sports a little five o’clock shadow. He looks pleasantly disheveled. 

God help you.

You reposition yourself with a knee either side of his legs and kiss his lips again. You keep it delicate, tender, focusing on the feel of his lips interlocking yours. When he tries to deepen the kiss, flicking his tongue questingly into your mouth, you pull back a little, keeping your lips light. As he leans forward again to try and up the intensity, you pull away, straightening your back.

“You get back here.”

“Nope.” 

“Tease,” he strokes your hips and buttocks, “a cute girl like you, sits on Daddy’s knee with this ass and then doesn’t let him have a piece?”

Damn. You feel slick already. There’s something about him calling himself Daddy that always makes this happen, no matter what’s going on between you. At this point it’s got to be a Pavlovian response. Perhaps it's time for you to take charge- you're already asserting yourself by going behind Five's back so maybe you can assert yourself here as well; have your cake and eat it too.

You climb off his knee. And there it is, as you knew it would be: the outline of his manhood harsh behind his suit-pants. You start to strip off, first exposing your top half and then your bottom.

“Mm,” he sounds appreciative. As he strips off his own clothes, he watches you with his head cocked, like a mildly interesting TV show.

When you’re both naked and ready, he spreads his legs to expose his full package; balls tight with arousal. These, he rubs a little experimentally whilst looking up at you.

“I'm gonna fuck you senseless but I want you to suck me first.”

It’s an instruction rather than a request. This is the dynamic to which you naturally fall. You decide to humor him for now. Getting on your knees, you give him a few lingering sucks and twitch-tongued licks, tasting drops of his precum. He lets out throaty ‘Mms’ of gratification, looking down at you; full lower lip pouting and eyebrows a little raised.

"Shiiit...you always look so good down there."

 You make eye contact and slowly slip your lips up and back over the head. In your mind, he's had enough of this.

“Did I say stop?”

You ignore him, stand and then sit astride him again. An eyebrow raises incredulously: What's all this?

He tut-tuts a little at your disobedience, stroking your ass. You give him a severe look right back, clearly in a deliberate challenge to his authority. In retribution, one of his hands, lightning fast, jerks up and twists one of your nipples between a thumb and forefinger. He catches you wrong, causing you to flinch and cry out.

“Ow! Red light!”

“Shit, sorry.”

The lust partially leaves his eyes to be replaced by concern. He puts his palm over your breast in an effort to soothe the nipple.

“I shouldn't have done that. You ok? What can I do?”

It was mainly the shock that caused your reaction; the pain is receding now. So why can't you turn this to your advantage?

“You can sit there like a good boy and get ridden hard.”

As soon as you say it, you realize the implications: ‘Good boy’ wasn’t the best idea for someone with unique hang-ups about his age. Except, given his recent behavior, you find you don't care. You're resentful enough to stand by what you said, never mind his precious feelings.

You look at him, ready for an angry response. Instead, he just sits slack-jawed for a moment. 

“Yes please,” he breathes.

You laugh and shift your hips until his sex meets yours. You lower yourself onto him, taking a few seconds to adjust to his full girth, stretching you all at once.

“Oh god, that’s so tight” he moans.

Your script-flipping confidence and the lines of your body are maddening; folds so shamelessly inviting to his dick. He's now so hard within you that it hurts him. His pleasure, like bolt after bolt from the blue, shoots down his erection- he’s sure his stones tighten even more. 

You begin to grind with his dick inside you, keeping it slow and controlled. You keep your eyes locked on his. You can tell he wants to close his eyes and throw his head back but your eyes tell him not to dare. You watch as his pupils dilate and his hair falls over one beautiful green eye.

"Fuck me harder." 

He's whining a little, thrusting his hips upward, looking for the friction you deliberately aren't yet giving him. At the shake of your head, he grabs your hips and tries to take control; to bounce you up and down onto him, but you pull his arms roughly away. 

"Say please, you little bitch."

He rolls his head back and groans. Being in charge is new for you and surprisingly satisfying- seeing him desperate beneath you is intriguing to say the least. You add in thrusts from your pelvis.

He doesn't want to give in... but his mind grows more numb as his arousal builds. Trying to regain control, he multiplies prime numbers counting up from 7393, but it's no help; he's becoming less aware of conscious thought and more of your velvet skin and what it's doing to him. He is for sure going to sit here like a good boy and be ridden. He wants to be ridden like a fucking bike. What else is a red-blooded man supposed to do? 

He abandons all pretense. 

"Please." he breathes.

He runs his hands around to your ass, stroking the cheeks and down the line between them. You shiver as his fingers brush your asshole. 

"Finger my asshole and I will."

Whimpering just the tiniest bit, (from arousal at this idea or the delay in release- he doesn't know), he spits generously on his fingers, finding that he’s already been salivating. With this, he lubricates your tight asshole, accommodating to his fingers from his regular explorations back here. After applying more saliva and listening to your jagged breathing as you ride him lazily, he slips one finger into you: stretching and pistoning until he can fit in a second. The squeezing sensation around his fingers is exquisite. The tingles through all the nerves in his dick intensify.

The second intrusion seems to really get your motor running, as it always does. You go faster now, riding his fingers too. And now he has the speed he needs.

“Oh fuck, thank you." he wheezes, watching your face tense as you fuck him. 

You go faster, gasping and cursing softly. He can tell you're close, but he's closer.

“I’m gonna come.”

“Not- yet you aren’t. I. am. Not. Done.”

You accentuate the four words with particularly violent hip-jerks. He screws up his face and tries to quell the explosion surely coming. He can feel his own dick in your cunt, via your asshole. This is too much to expect of him. He holds his breath, hoping to stop a little of the blood flow. His success is mixed, he holds on, but the tension makes his pleasure redouble when he has to breathe again. You start to moan, throwing your head back. He can't look at your bouncing breasts or he'll- 

“Please," his voice comes out high.

"No!" 

But then you come, throwing your head back and mouth wide. You ride your entire orgasm viciously. It’s too much. He has to, he has to...but he can't.

“Now you can come”

As if it was somebody else, he hears a strangled, almost sob-like cry issue from his own throat: loud, long and wavering as he boils over, blowing up inside you with a relief like weight being removed from his back. He sees stars.

Listening to Lionel Richie on his ancient Walkman, Luther jogs happily up the attic stairs. Outside Five’s door, he removes his headphones and raises his fist as if to knock, but it freezes as the sound of rhythmic movement and a particularly wanton moan reaches his ears.

His cheerful face quickly turns to a pained grimace. The fact that Five could make such a noise is challenging to many of Luther’s most deeply held ideas. Why does this keep happening to him? He is never coming up here again!

Headphones still playing All Night Long tinnily in his hand, he walks hastily back down the stairs with the attitude of someone who's just discovered a decomposing body.

 “Did they want pizza?” asks Sloane, looking up on his return.

“No.” Tag list: (please comment to be added or removed.) @dilfjohhny , @sunsunhe, @w4stedtr4sh, @nevbrooke-555, @theredvelvetbitch, @td-miley01, @five-hxrgreeves

Masterpost Alternatively, join me on AO3.  Here is a link to the whole series

[lightmelodyva]

Haruka was walking down the hall frustrated and tired of a full day of making sure the entire Shinsengumi didn’t fall apart due to Itou and Miki. “When did I become babysitter…” she said to herself. She then saw light from Hijikata’s room. His candle was still on.

She sighed, he was working himself ragged again with work. “I guess I’ll drag him to bed too while I’m at it..” She made it to his room and called out. “Hijikata-san? It Shinomi. May I come in?”

After a minute of silence, Hijikata finally spoke. “Yeah. Come in.”

Haruka slid the door open, stepped inside and closed the door. “Are you seriously still working this late?”

“There isn’t a better time to do it.”

Haruka just shook her head and walked over behind him. She leaned over him and took the brush from his hand. “It’s bedtime, Hijikata. If you want, I’ll offer to sleep next to you if that will get you to bed. I don’t need you to be another child I have to look out for here.” She had a smirk on her face as she looked down at him.

Hijikata looked up at Haruka, his gaze meeting her smirk, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Sleeping next to me, huh? You're quite confident that will work, Shinomi."

"As if I haven't been with you all for a year already.." She crossed her arms. "I can take a guess what would work on you. Thought I'd give it a try this time."

Hijikata raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. "Is that right? Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some company. But only on one condition."

Haruka just raised an eyebrow.

Hijikata got closer to her. "Don't treat me like a child again."

Haruka just blinked at him. "Really? That's it?"

Hijikata sighed. "You're younger than me. You don't have to treat me that way."

Haruka just looked at him deadpanned. "Hijikata-san...You sometimes act like one..." She then smiled and put the brush back on the desk. "Besides, I don't need you collapsing on me doing all this work." Haruka then went to prepare his futon. "I won't treat you like a child anymore." Hijikata looked at her with an eyebrow raised. "...But?"

Haruka looked up for a second before ginning. "Obviously if I catch you again, I'll treat you like that."

Hijikata let out a small laugh. "Fine. I'll try not to." Hijikata changed his clothes to go to bed while Haruka continued to set up his futon. When he turned back around Haruka was sitting down on her side, untying her hair.

"Let me." Hijikata said as he came over and helped untie her cord. Her hair fell down to her shoulders. Haruka then looked at him and smiled taking the cord from him. "Thanks, Hijikata-san." He then untied his own cord holding his hair.

Haruka blew out the candle and they both then laid down, their backs to each other. "Goodnight, Hijikata-san."

Hijikata was silent for a moment before responding. "Goodnight, Shinomi."

A few minutes passed, Hijikata was still awake but could tell from how Haruka was breathing that she fell asleep. He took a glance at her in the little light in the room. "...You...are strange... Offering that to me. Don't you know it's dangerous?" He said as he turned back away from her. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

In their sleep, Hijikata had turned and pulled Haruka closer, his arm around her. Haruka was in a deep sleep and felt none of it. Morning arrived, bringing the soft light of dawn. As the sun's rays gently filtered into the room, Haruka gradually stirred from her sleep, her eyes fluttering open. She blinked, momentarily disoriented, before her gaze fell upon Hijikata, his arm still wrapped around her.

Haruka's eyes widened a bit. She needed to get out of this situation quick. As gently as she could, she managed to get out of his grasp and started to get up to leave. However, she was quickly pulled back down, her face inches from Hijikata as her face turned red. "H-Hijikata..san?" Haruka managed to stammer out.

"So, you are able to blush." He said with a smirk. "Sorry, but you're too comfortable to let go."

Haruka blinked still red faced. "H-Huh? Comfortable?"

Hijikata studied her face as he put one hand on top of her head. Why hadn't he noticed before that on the left side of her face she had two beauty marks? One under her eye and lip. "It feels..right... Having you here."

Haruka has calmed down a bit. "I...think I know what you mean.." Her eyes looked away from his face. Hijikata smiled, his hand falling down to cup her cheek. "You're a stubborn women, but seeing you like this...It's a new discovery."

Haruka blush returned a bit. "Do...you like women like that?"

Hijikata looked at her for a moment. "...I think I prefer stubbornness and knowing who they are first. You know how to use your position. And I won't deny I like that about you." His grip on her back tightened a little. "At Ikeda and Hamaguri...Handling Itou and Miki...Even dealing with Souji...You know just what to do...So..I-"

Haruka then suddenly escaped his grasp and sat away from him. Her head was a mess of confusion. Complements and kindness are not something she is used too. Or maybe it's the kind they are that she is not used too.

Hijikata on the other hand was wide eyes and sat up. Did he do something wrong? Did he take it too far? She wasn't even looking at him at all. "Shino-"

"I..Need to go think..." Haruka quickly got up and left his room, sliding the door closed behind her. Hijikata tried to reach out to her but she was quick in leaving.

Hijikata then looked at his hand in the now silent room before balling it into a fist. "...The hell were you thinking..."

[fankhx-invasion]

Full Moon

Once again many thanks to @mangowritesstuff for helping to edit, add content, and advise on these! Also apologize for the late releases, I'm very rusty with my writing nowadays ^^

┍—————- /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ ——————┑

Your breath came out in soft puffs, creating little whispy clouds of vapor around your mouth like trails of smoke, taking a stroll through the path in the woods that night wasnt something you had initially planned on doing. Your nose and fingers went numb from the frigid, December weather, in a vain attempt to retain some warmth, you shoved your hands deep into the pockets of your jacket. Home wasn't that far, but you couldn't return just yet. The moon tonight was gorgeous, looking bright and full, illuminating the dense foliage in an ethereal glow. You felt at absolute peace under its cosmic gaze upon the earth, stopping to lean against a tree and pull out a lighter and cigarette from the back of your jeans.

You sniffed the air, humming at the faint metallic scent slowly getting stronger, and the familiar huffing that got louder behind you.

"Is that my good boy?" you gently crooned out, glancing to your left side.

A large snout bumps into the side of your neck, the beast whimpering. It was almost seven feet tall, resembling that of a fox, claws and face wet with fresh blood, eyes glowing bright orange in the dark.

You tsked gently, turning to face the large creature, running a hand up to one ear and scratching the back of it.

"My poor reynard, I bet you're exhausted, hm?"

It only responded with another whine, leaning into your hand for more comfort. Of course it was exhausted after the hunt; its adrenaline was running out as the moon's power waned. The beast was ready to return home and rest all of the next day away.

You dropped your cigarette down, letting it extinguish under the heel of your boot into the ground below.

"Let's get you home, foxy. You're gonna need a long nap tonight. I'll get you nice and cleaned up."

It followed silently behind, tail dragging along a few loose leaves, pine needles, and the other forest floor debris. You managed to persuade the oversized fox to continue moving with soft coos and gentle pets, eventually helping it get through the back door of the small house you lived in.

As soon as you both slip through the back, you lock the door and draw the curtains over, listening to the creature behind whimper and collapse down to the floor. Limbs moved around, bones popped, until the mass of fur left behind a small human figure with fluffy, dark ringlets of hair, the soft ears, and a long, bushy tail.

You lean down to help him stand and gradually step towards the bathroom.

"..'M so sorry.." His voice was scratchy and rough.

"Don't apologize, you know I never mind caring for you."

As soon as he stepped into the tub, hot water running, you started wiping his face and hands of the blood, watching the water turn a very light shade of red. His dark, Italian eyes were intently focused on you.

Eric could barely remember what all he had done; the massacre that took place every night of prey much larger than the rabbits you would lie to him about. You knew he was innocent for the bloodshed, that everything he had done was never intentional, coming from a place of animalistic urges he never had control over. You never had the heart to tell him that the news headlines about missing people were his fault. He was gentle and sweet, his little grin and happy tail wags could make any room brighter, as if he were a ball of pure sunshine. You couldn't bear with the idea of letting him live with the guilt of countless deaths that were on his hands. You made sure he would never know. You made sure the police could never trace him too, messing up any visible prints, picking up his ragged clothing, and washing him of all the evidence left on his skin.

┕———————————————-┙

[seishuswife]

[Main Masterlist] | [Tokyo Revengers Masterlist]

Chifuyu/Reader

Word count: 1,829

CW: nightmare mention, alcohol mention, Chifuyu drinks a little too much, fluff

Chifuyu Matsuno jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat. His heart raced, and his breath came in uneven gasps as he struggled to shake off the remnants of the nightmare that had haunted him. The images were hazy, a chaotic jumble of violence and despair, but the feeling of helplessness lingered.

It was in this state of distress that Chifuyu's trembling hand reached for his phone on the bedside table. His fingers fumbled with the device as he dialed the number he knew by heart—the one that held the potential to soothe his troubled mind.

The phone rang, seemingly echoing in the silence of the night. Chifuyu's anxiety intensified with each passing second, fearing that she might not answer. Just as he was about to give up, a soft voice broke through the line.

"Hello?"

Chifuyu's breath hitched at the sound of her voice. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to steady himself before speaking. "Y/n... It's Chifuyu. I... I had a nightmare, and..."

On the other end of the line, Y/n listened intently, her heart aching for Chifuyu. She knew all too well the torment that nightmares could bring, having experienced her own fair share. But she also understood the power of comfort and reassurance.

"I'm here for you, Chifuyu," Y/n responded softly, her voice filled with empathy. "Take a deep breath and try to ground yourself. Remember, it was just a dream. You're safe now."

Chifuyu followed Y/n's guidance, his ragged breaths gradually slowing down. He focused on the sound of her voice, her words acting as a lifeline in the darkness that threatened to consume him.

"I wish you were here with me, Y/n," Chifuyu confessed, his voice trembling with vulnerability. "Just having you beside me makes everything feel a little less frightening."

A gentle warmth bloomed in Y/n's heart as his words washed over her. She couldn't help but smile, knowing that she held a special place in Chifuyu's heart. The connection they shared was something that transcended mere friendship, and it gave her the strength to be there for him even from a distance.

"Chifuyu, remember that you're never alone," Y/n replied tenderly. "Even if we’re on opposite sides of town right now, my thoughts and support are always with you. We'll get through this together, I promise."

As Chifuyu absorbed her words, a sense of calm began to settle within him. He could almost envision Y/n's comforting presence, her unwavering support bolstering his spirit.

"Thank you, Y/n," Chifuyu whispered gratefully. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Y/n's voice held a soft chuckle. "You'll never have to find out, Chifuyu. I'll always be here for you, no matter what."

+++++

Weeks had passed since that restless night, and Chifuyu had been coping better with each passing day. The nightmares had become less frequent, and whenever they did haunt him, he found comfort in the knowledge that Y/n was just a phone call away.

Chifuyu and Y/n had always shared a special bond, one that had grown deeper over time. Their connection had transcended the boundaries of friendship, slowly transforming into something more profound. Chifuyu found himself falling for Y/n, and he couldn't deny the joy that blossomed within him whenever he heard her voice.

One evening, as Chifuyu sat alone in his room, he felt a sudden urge to hear Y/n's voice once more. He reached for his phone and dialed her number, his heart fluttering with anticipation. The phone rang, and soon enough, her familiar voice greeted him.

"Hey, Chifuyu. What's up?" Y/n's voice carried a hint of curiosity.

"I just wanted to hear your voice, Y/n," Chifuyu admitted, his voice filled with affection. "Talking to you always brings me comfort."

+++++

Chifuyu Matsuno stumbled out of the crowded bar, his steps unsteady and his mind clouded with the effects of alcohol. It had been a night of celebration with his friends from the Toman, a rare opportunity to unwind and forget the troubles that plagued their lives. But as Chifuyu's drunkenness consumed him, his thoughts drifted to someone who held a special place in his heart—Y/n.

Y/n, the girl who had captured Chifuyu's attention with her kindness and understanding. He had often found solace in her presence and multitude of phone calls, and now, under the influence of alcohol, his inhibitions were diminished, leading him to an impulsive decision—to pour his heart out to her through a series of drunken texts.

With shaky hands, Chifuyu fumbled for his phone, struggling to type the words that swirled in his intoxicated mind. Each message was a mix of emotions—affection, vulnerability, and the raw honesty that only alcohol could coax out of him. He poured his heart into every word, unfiltered and unrestrained.

The messages ranged from heartfelt declarations of his feelings to nonsensical ramblings, all bearing the weight of his intoxicated emotions. Chifuyu's fingertips stumbled clumsily across the screen, as he hoped against hope that Y/n would understand the sincerity behind his inebriated words.

+++++

As the morning sun spilled through the window, Chifuyu's heavy eyelids fluttered open, only to be met with a pounding headache. Reality crashed back into his consciousness, and a wave of regret washed over him. The memories of the previous night's intoxicated texts flooded his mind, leaving him with a sense of unease.

Slowly, Chifuyu reached for his phone, dreading what he might find. His heart sank as he saw the unread messages, evidence of his intoxicated confessions to Y/n. He cringed, knowing he had bared his soul in a way that he might not have done under normal circumstances.

With trembling fingers, Chifuyu read through the messages, his face reddening with embarrassment. His intoxicated ramblings, once filled with emotional turmoil, now seemed foolish and excessive in the clear light of day. He couldn't help but curse himself for succumbing to his drunken impulses.

Chifuyu was repeatedly and anxiously scrolling through the messages he had sent in his drunken stupor, cringing at the incoherent and emotionally charged words he had typed:

"Y/n, you're always there for me, and I can't help but feel this overwhelming affection for you. I don't know how to put it into words, but you mean so much to me. Sorry if I'm being sappy, it's the alcohol talking."

"I wish I had the courage to tell you this sober, but I've fallen for you, Y/n. Your kindness, your understanding... It makes my heart race every time we talk. I know it's crazy, but it's the truth."

"Y/n, you're like a guiding light in my life. When I'm with you, the chaos and darkness fade away. I can't help but imagine a future where we're together, supporting each other. Am I being delusional?"

"I'm sorry if this is too much, Y/n. I know it's out of the blue, but I needed to tell you how I feel. If you don't feel the same way, I understand. Just know that I cherish our friendship more than anything."

As Chifuyu read through these messages, he winced at his lack of reasoning for such messages and the emotional vulnerability that had seeped into his words. The messages were sent at around 2:30 a.m., a time when the night had blurred into a haze, and his inhibitions were compromised by alcohol's influence. Still embarrassed, Chifuyu took a deep breath and steadied heart.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed, signaling an incoming message. Chifuyu's heart skipped a beat, fearing the worst yet hoping for some understanding from Y/n. He read the message with trepidation, preparing himself for the inevitable rejection or confusion.

"Chifuyu, are you okay? I got your messages last night. I know you were drunk, and I appreciate your honesty. Let's meet up to talk about it soon. Be safe."

Relief flooded Chifuyu's entire being as he read Y/n's understanding response. Her message carried a warmth that eased his worries, and he felt a renewed sense of hope. Despite his intoxicated state, Y/n had seen through the haze and recognized the vulnerability in his words.

With a grateful smile, Chifuyu mustered the strength to reply, thanking Y/n for her understanding and promising to have a heartfelt conversation once they could meet up in person. He knows that his feelings for Y/n were genuine, and he hopes that she shared mutual ones.

+++++

Two days had passed since Chifuyu's intoxicated texts to Y/n, and he couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and nervousness. The weight of his words lingered in the air, waiting for a time the two of them could meet up and he could get a response that would determine the fate of their relationship. Finally, the moment came when they were both free later that day.

They decided to meet in a cozy cafe, away from the distractions of their everyday lives. As Chifuyu walked through the door, his heart raced, unsure of what awaited him. He spotted Y/n sitting at a corner table tucked away by the window, her eyes filled with understanding and compassion.

"Chifuyu," Y/n said softly, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "Thank you for being honest with me. I've had some time to process your… inebriated texts, and I wanted to talk to you about it."

Chifuyu nodded, his nerves still getting the best of him. "I'm sorry if I made things awkward between us, Y/n. I didn't mean to burden you with all that."

Y/n's eyes softened, her hand reaching across the table to hold his. "Chifuyu, your words were so sweet, and they showed me a side of you I hadn't fully seen before. You don't need to apologize for being honest about your feelings."

Taking a deep breath, Chifuyu looked into Y/n's eyes, his own filled with a mixture of hope and apprehension. "So... what do you think?…About what I said?"

A small smile played on Y/n's lips as she spoke, her voice filled with warmth. "Chifuyu, I feel the same about you, truly. I was just too nervous to do anything about it."

Chifuyu's heart soared with a mix of relief and joy. The weight that had burdened him for days lifted, replaced by a newfound sense of possibility and happiness. He felt a rush of emotions, unable to contain his excitement. "Y/n, I'm so glad to hear that," Chifuyu confessed, his voice filled with sincerity and joy. Y/n's eyes shimmered with affection as she squeezed Chifuyu's hand gently which caused him to squeeze back. A sense of relief and look of contentment washed over Chifuyu, along with a smile that bloomed on his face.

As they sat in the cozy cafe, engrossed in their continued conversation, Chifuyu and Y/n couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for what the future may hold.

[cryptidshadows]

Hi this is kind of invasive and you definitely don't gotta answer - I'm a trans guy ~2mo on T, and it's been great so far, already feel way better even with just my small changes. One thing I'm worried about is I've heard that once you're 10+ years on T, there are some unavoidable lower/reproductive system issues that can only be solved with surgery. Specifically painful cramping that requires a hysterectomy, and urinary urgency that requires bottom surgery with urethral lengthening. Was this your experience too? Can't really afford surgeries rn and if I can save for one, top surgery is way more urgent. I wouldn't mind getting hysto if I can afford it someday but I don't think I want bottom surgery; I do got bottom dysphoria but bottom growth is helping a ton. My doc did talk to me about atrophy and prescribing estrogen cream if I experience symptoms, but I heard that doesn't help with uterine issues at all, nor urinary urgency most of the time. I really don't wanna go off T ever if I can help it though lol, so I'm just wondering what other people's experiences were, if it was that big an issue, and how they dealt with it. Sorry for the wall of text and invasive question, thank you if you respond and hope you're having a good day either way

Hey glad things are going good for you dude! Since answers are medical and will involve certain medical terminology, I'll put that under the cut.

Honestly these are some tough questions to answer, because there hasn't been enough research conducted on trans men on T for 10+ years yet, at least not enough to be truly conclusive. I had an endocrinologist tell me that it was imperative that I get a total hysterectomy within 2 years because it was inevitable that I'd develop endometrial atrophy. Buck Angel (my opinions on him aside) often speaks of how he nearly died from atrophic complications. But I had another endocrinologist and ob/gyn tell me that there isn't really a lot of evidence that there's a particular timeline or even that it happens to everyone. When it does, it's typically gradual and very rarely severe enough to cause life-threatening problems. That doesn't mean it's to be taken lightly, but it also happens to some cis women who've had a total hysterectomy or are naturally producing less estrogen, especially later in life.

I had a hysterectomy just 3 weeks ago, after more than 10 years in HRT. The biopsy did reveal endometrial atrophy. I was not experiencing cramping or pain (actually, I had very severe pain and period issues before HRT, which went away entirely once I stared T) but sometimes penetration with toys caused some light bleeding. Estrogen cream can help with that, yes - but even post-hysterectomy, I'm producing natural lube down below so far. But with any medical intervention, there's risk involved.

For urinary urgency, yes lol, I do have to pee more often, but I also drink entirely too much coffee, so that may be a factor. I've never known any trans men who had surgery for urethral lengthening except as a part of bottom surgery (to reroute the urethra through their neophallus or bottom growth). Hysterectomies come with a risk of more urinary urgency and incontinence as well. There are pelvic floor exercises that are often recommended to prevent these problems, which I'll be doing once I'm a bit more healed up.

It's very good that you're prioritizing the surgery you most need, and not pursuing operations that you don't feel are vital for you. With costs, you may be able to get a hysterectomy covered by insurance, especially if you have any pre-existing issues like PCOS, endometriosis, or evidence of atrophy, so at least there may be financial options for you if you are one day in need of it - but there's no solid evidence that you will absolutely need to remove everything as a result of HRT, at least not that I know of yet.

[vicvinegarandhughhoney]

Ooh Sensory overload but I can’t decide whether for Dennis or Jack 👀

Hospital Stay for Dennis because we don’t see enough of him there

The house that Jack built- prompt: Sensory Overload

As a thunderstorm rolls in, Jack struggles to cope, and Lynette is there when everything breaks.

Pairing: Jack/Lynette

Fandom: AP Bio (TV show)

Thanks for the submission anon! I'll get to the Dennis one next probably :)

Read here or below the cut

A loud peal of thunder rumbles close by as Lynette, at last, returns from her pilgrimage downstairs. In her hands are a couple of bottles of water and a packet of saltines. The quivering duvet mound atop her bed is exactly the same as it was when she left it. 

Slowly, she places the spoils of her adventure on the nightstand, and peels back the covers just enough for her to slip underneath them. The sound of the storm outside is muffled by the weighted blanket. 

“Hey.” She murmurs gently, scooting forward until she can feel her boyfriend’s hand in the darkness. “I’m back, hon.”

Jack doesn’t respond with anything more than a wavering hum, but given his state, even this seems to take a great deal of energy. When Lynette’s eyes adjust to the blackness again, she sees that his eyes are squeezed tightly shut, nostrils flaring fearfully with each breath. It’s hard to keep herself from feeling completely helpless. 

She carefully places her other hand atop his, moving it gradually along his arm until it curves around his shoulder reassuringly, not wanting to startle him by any sudden contact. Just as expected, he sinks into the embrace she offers him instantly. 

“It’s alright, Jack.” She whispers, drawing him closer to her chest and letting him burying his head beneath her chin. “It’ll be over soon.”

Her words are followed by an ill-timed flash of lightning which briefly illuminates him curled against her, clammy and pale and trembling. They both know what it precludes, and the low whine of discomfort that bubbles up from within him makes her heart sink. She squeezes him just a little tighter as the thunder rolls through again. Kisses his forehead and the bridge of his nose, then uses the pad of her thumb to wipe away the ensuing tears that roll down his cheeks. His stubble bristles against her skin. 

They’ve known tonight was going to be a bad night for days now, since the weather warning flashed up on the TV screen in the break room at Whitlock. Jack, ever casual in his stance leant against the counter, had exchanged a secret glance with her, eyes glittering with the kind of concern she often didn’t see in him. 

When their relationship had first began, Lynette came to understand that there were many ways in which Jack isn’t like other people. For one, though he’s an avid cook, his own diet consists of a fairly limited array of foods. He loves to use sarcasm, but he doesn’t always catch onto it in conversation. He has a hard time making friends. He gets very into things. And, as he explained himself, sometimes the world simply gets too much for him, and his body just... shuts down. 

“It’s called a sensory overload.” He’d told her quietly after the first one she’d witnessed, his cheeks still glistening with tears and his hands still fidgeting in a repetitive self-soothing motion beneath the blanket she fetched him. “It’s like... it’s as if suddenly everything becomes so much more, and it hurts to even touch anything or hear noises or see lights that are too bright. The worst part is, you often can’t even tell anyone it’s happening because the sound of your own voice is like a jet engine. You just- all you want to do is curl up beneath a blanket and lock yourself away from the world until it disappears.”

Back beneath the blanket, with the storm raging outside, Jack looses a muffled sob and Lynette’s heart breaks just a little bit more. In truth, she doesn’t know when this weather will abate. For his sake, she just hopes it’s minutes rather than hours. 

A particularly loud clap of thunder sounds, and his grip around her middle tightens. She moves to rub his back. 

“Shh, you’re okay, sweetheart. You’re alright.”

He curls against her, breathing raggedly. 

“Hey... I got you. I got you...

This is the house that Jack built.”

Ever so slightly, he relaxes. The response is almost Pavlovian.

“This is the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.”

She sings quietly, all self-consciousness gone from her in an attempt to make him feel better. He’d told her once that this was the rhyme his Mom used for him when he was younger.

“This is the rat

That ate the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cat

That kill’d the rat

That ate the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.”

His breaths slow, his shuddering growing less frequent as he curls fully into her.

“This is the dog

That worried the cat

That kill’d the rat

That ate the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.

This is the cow with the crumpled horn

That toss’d the dog

That worried the cat

That kill’d the rat

That ate the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.”

The pad of her thumb now grazes along his cheeks, across the bridge of his nose. Though his eyes remain closed, they’re no longer squeezed shut with fervour like before. In the darkness, she can see that the lines etched into his brow are gone.

Lynette smiles. The thunder seems to be growing more distant too.

“This is the maiden all forlorn

That milk’d the cow with the crumpled horn

That toss’d the dog

That worried the cat

That kill’d the rat

That ate the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.”

His breaths begin to even out.

“This is the man all tatter’d and torn

That kissed the maiden all forlorn” She presses her lips to his forehead, and though he smiles weakly at the feel of it, he doesn’t otherwise stir.

“That milk’d the cow with the crumpled horn

That toss’d the dog

That worried the cat

That kill’d the rat

That ate the malt

That lay in the house that Jack built.”

At last, all is quiet in Jack’s house.