#Can you chose to be the revolution?

[ragyragd0ll]

Amon Jabberwock

[tamamita]

then, what’s the plan once trump wins?

i don’t mean this in a “hrng it’s non voters fault for not voting” way

but more…. what are we supposed to do?

Here's the thing, you're gonna have republican and democratic presidents as it goes, it's a circle, the status quo remains, because people are unwilling to change, since they feel comfortable in the imperial core, knowing that they're not directly the victims of foreign policies, whichever language they use. You won't achieve any changes from whatever you're doing by just voting for the same guys. If Trump wins, then that's Biden's fault for abetting genocide, not his voterbase.

What you can do is that you can unite, organize, protest, join a radical union. Go around and teach working class people about class consciousness. Do everything in power to establish an organized movement which to threaten the very foundation of the US imperialist machine. Boycotts and protests are meant to be disruptive, to cause pressure, to call for candidates give in to public demands; there's more democracy in that than voting, you won't achieve anything just by upholding this stagnant state of political affairs. Either way, those are the first steps. The end goal is to dismantle the system through a socialist revolution, and it's gonna be violent. It takes time. Every second counts, but chosing between which candidate to uphold the US bourgeoise class is counterproductive ultimately.

[milf--adjacent]

serious voting question: I'm an ml and generally I don't vote. can I ask what your reasoning is for voting third party? I'm curious to round out my opinion a little better

Seeing just how many people voted socialist back in the 19-teens was an inspiration to me as a baby leftist growing up in a deep red state. Even if they didn't win, I saw that I wasn't alone like I felt I was, that even the 'stupid' people of the past had some sense in their heads and supported policy and politics we still need even today. So no. 1 it's for the baby leftists to come who will feel trapped and alone and need a tangible connection to their beliefs: The number of people who simply didn't vote doesn't show up in textbooks, but minor party votes do.

Second: the democratic campaigning apparatus only serves to seperate those willing to organize from meaningful organization. By convincing people to put that same energy into the third party of their choice, we have countered at least a little of the Democrat's anti-revolutionary strategy. If you can convince a progressive to actually act and vote like a progressive, that's someone who might actually help when you need to set up a soup kitchen or protest in the future.

Thirdly: Many of these "I'm gonna vote anyway so I might as well vote blue" folks have never engaged in organizing. Getting involved with 3rd parties puts them in touch with others who are of a similar political slant, the first (and often most difficult) step in organizing. At least with the Greens in most places, they actively ask for help of all sorts, giving people experience in organizing they can build on as they become more politically involved. More people who know how to organize is never a bad thing.

Fourthly: If a third party can get just 5% of the national vote in an election, they are entitled to national campaign funding and a space in the official debates in the coming election. This would be a much needed shift in American politics. Democrats sound much more like republicans than leftists, and that's part of why they never get involved in the free and equal debates: the democrats are to the right of the fucking libertarians on a number of policies.

Finally: if a 3rd party candidate did win the presidency, a lot of the good things the democrats have held over our heads like bait for decades would get done, and people would have more time and energy to commit to political actions. I support 3rd party politics because at the very least it shakes things up a little. The status quo is what's killing us and any effort to change that disorganizes and spreads our true enemies thinner. Center-left socialism will not save us, but it will at least address the social ills of our society in a helpful way and attempt to tackle crisies like climate change, policing, and ending foreign policy fiascos via slashing the bloated military budget (even the fucking libertarians are running on that).

The general population of the US will refuse to even consider actual leftist politics without some sort of shift in our electoral politics. Instead of apathy and middle-finger-hoisting inaction, I chose an action with lasting strategic value. If we want a real "the revolution will not be televised" moment, we have to slap the soma of blue-tie lies out of enough hands to get people to pay attention. 3rd party electoralism is a step in the correct direction for them and a path I have started many people down already. I plan to continue until there is no need for it.

[alexiabae]

SHOOTING STAR; fridolina rolfö x fem!reader

Summary: a new scandinavian player arrives at the fc barcelona femení. or frido developing a crush on y/n.

Warnings: questioning sexuality, frido(29 years old) crushing in a young player (22 years old), slow burn, very long, +18.

Note: English is not my first language.

not my gif.

FINNISH STRIKER SIGNED FOR FC BARCELONA FEMENÍ.

Y/N Y/L/N, the revolution of Finland came to reinforce the attack in the blaugrana club. The 22 years old player, born in Helsinki and formed in the youth academy of PK-35 Vantaa, came calling the attention from various and potentially big teams. Scoring in almost every match she played for PK-35 Vantaa did not guarantee them the title league. We saw too how in the last European cup she was bright with her National team, scoring to Spain in the first seconds of the match, sadly Finland didn't pass to the next round, but Y/N earned the attention with the minutes played in only three matches.

Finally, she decided to stay another year with the team to choose for her at an early age. But this year, Y/N wanted to explore her football in another club, allowing too to PK-35 Vantaa to earn a amount of money for her departure, a win-win for everyone.

Y/N opt for Barcelona to progress. After a lot of rumours that she would sign for Olympique Lyon, Wolfsburg and the potential one, Chelsea, she finally chose the Condal team.

The Finnish girl answered beaming when the journalist asked her why she opted for Barcelona:

"Well, I chose this team basically because I'm a big fan of this team. Maybe it's a cliché but when they offer me a contract, I don't want to know about other teams. I'm a culé." She finished giggling, shrugging.

We can wait for her next chapter in Barcelona. We know for sure it's a big signing and wishing her all the best in this club.

"We have another Scandinavian on the team." Patri hummed content when Mapi finished reading the article.

"I'm happy she came here. I have followed her for a long time and I can't wait to play with her." Ingrid commented, sipping from her coffee.

"Since when?" Mapi asked, frowning. She raised her head to look at her.

Patri and Claudia shared a knowing look, suppressing a smirk.

"Since she stands out with her numbers in a small league." Ingrid explained. "Also I follow Scandinavian leagues." She shrugged.

Mapi raised an eyebrow, making Ingrid scoff.

"I watched some videos of her and she is a good player." Claudia opined, scrolling on her phone.

"Jona informed us before she will join us tomorrow, just like Frido, Lucy and Keira." Mapi commented. The rest of the players who assisted the world cup joined them that day.

They are waiting for the next training session. The team finished the Mexican preseason a few days ago, the new signing was announced when they were in Mexico, but it was a good surprise to close the preseason.

"I can't wait for them to come back." Patri said, missing her friends.

At that moment, Alexia and Jana sat down on their table. "¿De qué estamos hablando?" Alexia asked, letting her phone on the table.

"About who Patri missing Keira and Ingrid following the Scandinavian league." Mapi teases a little, earning a roll of eyes from the mentioned and a laugh from Claudia.

"I follow that league too." Alexia murmured, letting the spoon on the plate, sipping from her coffee.

Mapi scoffed. "Of course you do, it didn't surprise us." Alexia slapped her arm playfully, her friends chuckling by the interaction.

Ingrid and Alexia started a conversation about the Scandinavian league, while the others began to talk about trivial things.

•••

"You know? You don't need to be here now." Jona joked, his arms crossed.

Alexia rolls her eyes, but remains on the spot. "I'm doing captains duty. That's all." She murmured.

"I'm not doubting that." He teased, smirking.

"You all are insufferable." Alexia muttered, leaning her back on the wall.

Jonatan laughed, patting her shoulder gently. At that moment, a new person approached the big doors, where Jonatan and Alexia were.

"Hello, Y/N! Nice to see you again." Jona greeted his new player, extending his hand and stretching it when the player accepted his hand. Y/N shyly greets him too. He patted her shoulder gently. "She is Alexia, she is here doing captains duty." He inevitably teases a little.

Y/N watched how her new captain blushed a little while trying to maintain a firm expression. "Hi. Nice to meet you." The Catalan copied her coach action and extended a hand.

The Finnish accept it, trying too to hide her excitement to see for the first time the Spanish player.

"Nice to meet you too." She cleared her throat, not liking how it sounded in another language, maybe because she isn't used to it.

Jona offered to enter the big building, one inside he started to explain some things, Alexia flying next to the new player, letting their coach give the necessary information.

"We are going to the meeting room. We will study our first opponent." He gave her a friendly smile, opening a door to his right. Jona entered where soft chats were heard.

"Come with me." Alexia gently said next to her. The Finnish follows her like a lost child, well it's how she feels now. Y/N looks to the ground, not wanting to meet the curious eyes from her new teammates. "Here." She said, sitting next to another person. Y/N looked at her and saw how the brunette patted the seat next to her left.

She sat down, letting her backpack on her feet. "Damn, you're tall." The girl next to Alexia murmured, gaining Y/N's attention. She saw how the girl next to her left smacked her arm.

"Sorry. But I'm afraid to say that you will get used to it. I'm Ingrid." Y/N let out a tiny chuckle by the other's comment.

"Hallo, I'm Y/N." The Finnish introduced herself, waving softly with her left hand to the two girls.

"María, but everyone calls me Mapi." The tattooed girl introduced herself with a cheeky smile, waving too. "By the way, this one is a big fan of you." She exposed the tall brunette, who started to blush, giving a death glare to the Spanish defender, who still has her cheeky smile.

Y/N matches Ingrid's and plays briefly with her hair, giggling awkwardly. "Thanks... You are an amazing player to play against." She awkwardly compliments, remembering the last encounter she played against Norway.

Ingrid flashed her a kind smile.

"Fan girl moment..." Mapi whispered, gasping when Ingrid smacked her again, this time hard.

Alexia gave her an apologetic smile.

Jona claps to gain their attention and once he has, the explanations start. Y/N felt lost, she barely caught anything and she felt relieved every time approach a video on the white board. Alexia notices it and resumes her in a low voice the best she can, mistaking sometimes making the brunette blush for it. Y/N appreciate her efforts, clearly she understood more now thanks to her.

"Don't worry, he will explain it again to you." Alexia shyly said to her after it finished.

Y/N sighed relief. After all, it is her first time in a team out of Finland.

"Thank you. You help me a lot." Her accent showed up, something that will occur for a while.

Alexia chuckled, finding her accent adorable, but she doesn't say anything, noticing that her new teammate is shy and she better knows how she feels.

"I'm glad. And if you need it, don't be afraid to ask." She kindly said, standing up. Y/N copied her.

Soon they are surrounded by a few of them. "Hi! I'm Aitana." A short brunette introduced herself, a gentle grin plastered on her face. And the rest followed her.

"We have another Nordic! We will soon complete the collection." The one who introduced herself with the name Patri said cheekily.

A warning by Alexia and a dissimulated laughter by their teammates, the Balear smiled to Y/N sheepishly.

Y/N chuckles. "I'm glad to contribute to the collection." She murmured, following Patri's joke.

"See Ale." Patri showed her tongue to the midfielder and passed an arm by Y/N's shoulder, surprising her, the cheerful brunette too distracted to notice it. But someone else notices.

"It's shocking at first." A strong but kind voice murmured to her side. Y/N turned to look at her, seeing one of her favourite players and not knowing if it was more shocking than Patri's affection. "I'm Caroline, but call me Caro."

Y/N saw for a few seconds the hand she extended towards her, blinking repeatedly when she awake from her brief fan state.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Y/N." Y/N slowly said, shaking her hand kindly and repeating once again the same sentences.

"I guess you are having your fan girl moment now..." Mapi whispered to her when Patri moved out. Y/N feels a warm creep to her cheeks and sees the same cheeky smile on Mapi's face.

"Ingrid, please! Take your tamagochi to another place." Alexia intervened quickly when she noticed Y/N's behaviour. A lot of laughter was heard by this comment, Mapi frowning for the name her friend called her. Y/N bit her lip, holding a smile.

Ingrid lets the conversation with two people and approaches them with a done look. "Let's go baby." The brunette wraps an arm around Mapi's shoulder and walks with her outside, ignoring her complaints.

Alexia turned around to Y/N again. "Are you okay?" She asked, her careless side showing up.

The tall girl nods. "I am okay." She verbalise.

"Training will start soon, do you know where it is?" Mariona announced, asking later to the new girl and laughed softly when saw the thinking face. "Let's go, I will accompany you." She offered.

Y/N follows the Balear to the exit. Footsteps were heard behind them, following too but taking another way. Mariona starts a conversation, asking if everything is going well since she is in the city, when Y/N was in the middle of the explanation, someone behind them approached.

"Sorry, I forget my shin pads." A new voice for Y/N spoke. The tall blonde was trying to pass them quickly when she noticed the new face alongside Mariona, stopping herself. "Hiii! You must be Y/N, nice to meet you. I'm Frido." Her blue eyes scanned the tall young woman in front of her. She heard and read great things about this player.

Y/N nods, giving her a lipped smile. "That's me! Nice to meet you too." She murmured, waving shyly.

Frido chuckles, waving too.

Mariona started walking again, resuming the way. "Here we are." She said, making her point with a move of her hand. She opened the door. "I doubt you knew your dorsal number..." Mariona asked doubtful, Y/N confirmed it with a move of her head. "Alright, you can sit down between me and Claudia." She proposed, signaling with her index finger.

The blonde walked behind them to her cubby, searching for her shin pads that are in her backpack. Hearing how Mariona explained a few things about how some things work there. She grabs it and watches the two girls, her gaze fixing on the tall one.

"Okay. I'll let you change, I'll be waiting outside." The Balear offers, patting Y/N's shoulder. "You coming?" She asked Frido.

Frido nods. "Yeah." She smiled at Y/N before she got outside, leaning her back on the wall. Mariona copying her.

•••

"Okay, in pairs now!" Jonatan ordered, whistling.

Y/N breath heavily, putting both hands on her knees. She looks at her surroundings, seeing how slowly they find their partner.

"¡Me voy con la nueva!" Y/N heard someone exclaim, of course not understanding anything. "Hey! Do you want to be my partner?" Her Spanish accent showed up.

"Yes." Y/N said, following the girl when she confirmed.

"By the way, I'm Ona." The freckled girl said, grinning.

For Y/N, it's a weird name, never heard it before, but she liked it. "I'm Y/N." She introduced too.

Ona indicates with her index finger to where they need to go and jogs to the other part, Y/N following behind. The rest of the training, Ona helps Y/N whatever their coach instructor them to do the next exercise.

"You are good." Ona compliments her, panting. Her hands searching support on her hips, giving her new teammate a smirk.

"Thanks. You are a difficult one to pass." The Finnish compliment her too, the warmth on her cheeks remaining from the heat.

The freckled girl chuckled, walking to grab a water bottle, grabbing another for Y/N. She throws it at her, who catches it easily.

"I want to do the next drills with you." Patri walked by their side, commenting with an amazement on her face. She gave a big sip to her water bottle.

"We need to discuss that." Another brunette comment behind Patri. She gave a warm smile to Y/N when she turned to look at her. "Claudia." She simply said, waving with a hand. Y/N reciprocates the greeting.

"Everyone here calls her Pina." Patri clarified. "I can give you some nicknames from some of us..." she thought to herself, making Y/N hold a smile.

"Leave her alone, annoying girl." A thick accent smugly said. Y/N saw Lucy Bronze pass an arm around Patri's shoulder. She can't believe she is a few centimeters from someone like her, but then she remembers that she met Alexia, Caro or Mapi.

"I'm not annoying!" Patri gasped, making Lucy laugh. "Well, we call her Lucia Roberta." The brunette said, teasing her friend. Soon, a hand flew to her head and smacked it, making the other laugh. Actually Y/N felt entertainment with them.

"She is known here by pepino." Lucy said back, laughing when saw Y/N's confused face. "It's a cucumber." She explained, seeing how she painted a smile when she understood it.

"Do you have a nickname?" Claudia asked, curious.

Before Y/N could answer, someone else did it for her. "Yeah. She is known by shooting star." Ingrid approached behind, commenting on it excitedly. When everyone turned to look at her, she blushed. "Sorry, I'm a big fan of Nordic's leagues..."

Y/N chuckles, calmly.

"That's truth?" Ona asks, curiosity written on her face.

The Finnish nodded. "It's a silly story..." she trailed off, scratching the back of her head.

"I like it!" Patri exclaimed, delighted by the nickname. Of course she notices Y/N wasn't shared, almost now, the meaning of the nickname, so the Balear brings attention to her.

"I agree with her. Actually I think it is the best nickname right now..." Claudia comments, smiling.

"Better than la reina? I doubt it..." Y/N joked lowly, making them laugh. She cleared her throat again when pronounced something in Spanish and she didn't like it.

They keep talking, making light conversation while they come back to the changing room. The little group always involves Y/N on it, even if only to say the answer with a yes or no, the tall girl felt grateful for their efforts.

Y/N trailed behind them alongside Lucy, the British keeping an eye on the new, knowing very well how she feels when you are in a new country and a different language.

"How are you feeling on your first day?" Lucy spoke, slowly. She tried to not speak fast to make the other understand her.

Y/N turned to look at her, seeing a smile on the brunette's face. "I'm feeling really good. Better than I thought..." she chuckled a little at the end.

"Why?" The defender imitates.

The Finnish bit her bottom lip, nervous. "Well... I'm afraid because I need to speak another language, learn the main one quickly and it scares me to make a mistake, even knowing that it will help me in the future... I'm around big names, players that I admired from a long time ago, I don't know... it's a lot of things. Sorry." Y/N said fast and lowly, her gaze looking everywhere but her teammate.

Lucy put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her and herself. She wears a worried look on her face. "Don't put yourself in so much pressure." She kindly said. After giving a sight, she continued speaking. "I know what you are talking about. But I don't know why, I feel you care what others think..." she said carefully, the blush on Y/N's cheeks confirm her theory. "Okay, you need to focus on yourself, they don't matter. Keep on your way without thoughts from other people getting to you." She advised the best she could, already taking the tall girl under her wing.

Y/N nods, walking again when the brunette pushes her softly towards the changing room entry.

•••

A nervous sigh escaped from her mouth.

She jumps on her spot a few times, stretching too.

Y/N is going to be sub on right now, her first time playing on this time and in front of a big crowd.

Jona reassured her after giving his tactics to her, promising that everything will be okay. It helps her more than he expects.

Her gaze saw how the fourth referee put on the black board and showed the numbers. 17 - 20.

Oshoala jogs when she notices she is the sub off this time. Claps from the people on the stands resound in the stadium.

The forward showed a pearly smile to Y/N raising her hands at her.

The tall girl raised her hands too and they high five, Oshoala giving her some encouragement words.

Y/N ran fastly to her position, shaking some hands from her teammates, who gave her support words too. She waited for the rival goalkeeper to move on the ball again.

The goalkeeper put the ball on with a long shot, sending it to the midfield. The ball stays on the rival team but is pressured by the barça players.

Ingrid stopped the attack, passing the ball to Mapi. They will build a new attack, starting from the defenders. The Aragonese sent the ball to Ona, who ran with it and passed to Mariona.

Y/N was near her and Salma too. So she ran to the area but stopped shortly when the opponent quit off the ball from Mariona's feet.

It does not take too long to have the ball again, this time thanks to Lucy, who saw Aitana slip and pass the ball to her. Y/N's mind ran a mile per hour, creating some possible tactics to bring up. Until she found one. A risk one.

Aitana saw Y/N has someone behind her and chose to pass the ball to Caro. In Y/N's mind is needed to be right now, so she raised her hand up, she still isn't into the area, but she can win the battle with her shadow, only if the blonde trusts her.

The blue eyes focus on her and not seeing other options that are her or herself, the probabilities they scored is by Y/N, so dribbles easily the central winger and centres the ball.

Y/N knows who is behind her, so taking advantage of the stature, she catches the ball easily and dribbles it to the defender, another person shoots the ball to the goal, but of course they don't think that if they did it, the goalkeeper could catch it easily. So Y/N, who thinks about it, feint she will shoot but not, she passes the ball behind her, letting Alexia shoot it in the upper corner.

The people on the stands stood up, shouting happily. The Finnish saw how Alexia turned to look at her immediately, jogging towards her with an incredulous look.

"Why didn't you shoot?" She asked once she was near her, wrapping her left arm around her middle section, since Y/N is taller than her.

Y/N shrugged, giving her a sheepish smile.

A bunch of arms wrapped around them, jumping on their backs. A lot of compliments by them give Y/N more confidence.

Frido, is one of the few who can match Y/N's height, give her a cheeky smile, wrapping an arm on her neck and giving a strong hug, wrapping the other on Alexia's too.

"Det du har gjort gört inte alla." Frido muttered, still with the cheeky smile on her face. Clearly she said it to only Y/N, even if Alexia could hear her and don't understand her.

"I'm not like everybody." Y/N answer in English to let her captain have a concept about what their teammate said. The blonde to help Y/N get more comfortable speaks to her in her native language, since the Finnish can understand and speak to her in it too.

Frido shakes her head with her impeccable smile and jogs away, not without kissing Alexia's forehead and a pat on Y/N's shoulder.

"Next time you score, okay?" Alexia said firm, but gently.

"We are winning by three goals... but okay, barcelona mentality." Y/N murmured, going to her position and letting an amused Alexia go to hers.

•••

After that match, where Y/N gives an assist and a goal, the team walks to the bus, since they are playing like visiting another city.

Usually Y/N sits down at the end in a corner alone, not enjoying the multitude so much. So taking her routine, she did it. She lets out a tired but content sigh when she sits down.

Her gaze focuses on her teammates who steps up in the bus, light chat. She notices how the Spanish ones wear a tired expression but always with welcome words and kind smiles. She can't imagine what they are passing right now.

"Is this seat available?" A strong Spanish accent said, breaking her thoughts. Mapi stood up in front of her, her backpack on her back and her hands in either pocket while giving her an innocent smile.

Y/N can't explain how much Mapi's constant interest in her means. The defender always has an eye on her, usually to say a funny comment.

"Ok." She agreed, moving her backpack from the next seat to her. Mapi let out a grunt, stretching her arms when she sat down. "Väsynyt?" She asked, chuckling lowly when the Aragonese looked at her confused. "Tired?" She asked this time in English.

"Ahh, yes. But I'm happy with the first three points." She commented, putting both hands on her mouth and hiding a yawn.

Her eyes move apart when Mapi grabs her phone. She saw how Ingrid was sitting next to Frido, both of them giving their backs. Still, Y/N can see their profiles. She didn't know why, but seeing Frido's constant smile make her relax. She noticed the last couple days, how calm she felt around the tall blonde. She leaned her head, relaxing and while her mind was flying away from there, her gaze was still on the tall blonde.

"When do you have your fly?" Mapi interrupted the silence, making Y/N think about it.

"At 18:45. I landed tonight." Y/N murmured, in a sleepy tone.

"I don't know if someone explains the rules when it is a national camp, but when you are in the place or city, you write a text to the group chat." The defender says.

Y/N frowns. "Why?" She asks confused.

"Because we can sleep better. It's a simple emoji to let the others know." Mapi explains, shrugging.

"If I forget about it... I've been in trouble?" She asks, unsure.

Mapi chuckles. "At first not. Only it counts after a few months."

They keep talking a lot more, starting for a simple conversation to know each other better. That's it until Lucy and Claudia had another plan.

"Hola amigas." Lucy said, smiling. Her voice changed to pronounce it correctly. She sits down in the row before them, Claudia sitting next to Mapi.

"What do you want?" Mapi asks directly, giving her an inquisitive look.

Lucy rolls her eyes. "Can I be friendly?"

"No." Claudia and Mapi answered at the same time, making Y/N giggles and Lucy gaps.

"Well, for your interest, me and Claudia want to play cards, but anyone else wants to play. So... do you two want?" The British asked, leaning her chin on the back seat.

Y/N shrugged and looked at Mapi, letting her decide the final choice. The Spanish defender sighed and looked briefly at Y/N. "Bring your ass here, Bronze. I will kick your ass."

Lucy squeals excited, sitting in front of them and Claudia doing the same. "Also, please repeat the word ass once again." She teased, making Mapi throw something at her.

The four keep playing until they go to the airport, the two pairs winning a few of them and Lucy and Mapi with a constant challenge.

This time, Mapi sat down with Ingrid after she asked if it was okay to wander by herself, something Y/N reassured her until the defender went out with an unsure look, making the Finnish laugh by her behaviour.

"Seems we will be together on this fly." Someone comments behind her, when Y/N was putting her suitcase up. She recognised the voice.

"Weird not seeing you with Ingrid." Y/N teases a little, sitting near the window.

Frido chuckles, copying what Y/N did before with her suitcase. "She prefers another right now." She dramatically said, throwing herself in the seat next to Y/N giving a cheeky smile when this one let out a muffled laugh.

"Är jag ditt sista alternativ då?" She feigned being offended, doing emphasis putting a hand on her chest.

"Ei koskaan." Frido said in a thinking face, remembering some Finnish words.

Y/N opens her eyes surprised. She didn't think that Frido knew Finnish or remember some words. "You said that to everybody?" She whispers, leaning to her a little to pretend nobody could hear her.

The blonde giggles. "Only cute people like you." Her blue eyes scanned her expression, biting her contagious smile.

•••

"WHAT. A. GOAL!"

"SHE IS CRAZY! HOW CAN YOU SCORE FROM THAT LONG?!"

"THE FINLAND'S STAR DID IT AGAIN!"

"WE UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYONE CALL HER SHOOTING STAR!!!"

Frido looks stunned by the screen of her phone, not believing what she is watching.

She found herself alone in her bedroom and seeing she has some free time, decided to put herself the Finland's match. The Nordic country was losing but not for too much, only 0-1 giving the advantage to Canada.

And then, without waiting for it, Y/N scored from the midfielder in a hard shoot. Nobody could guess she will be doing that, apparently the Canadian players are in their position, but clearly she was wrong. Frido saw how all Finnish players throw themselves on Y/N, hugging and cheering her proudly.

The Swedish know how lucky her team club has to have someone like her. And Finland too, standing out.

A knock interrupted her thoughts, humming a coming to whatever it is. She saw how Magda and Stina walked inside, the forward sitting on her bed next to her and watching whatever Frido is seeing.

"A match? Who is it?" Stina asked curiously, trying to decipher the opponents.

"Finland and Canada" Frido mumbled. "You lost one of the best goals." Also she comments, a concentration face looking at the screen.

Magda sat down to her other side and looked briefly at the device. "Not for being disrespectful... but since are you interested in that match?"

It's that comment that makes her lose her concentration, not knowing very well but starting feeling nervous. She cleared her throat.

"Well... my new teammate is Finnish and Ingrid always praises her football. I saw her during training and in a match and I can say how good she is... I wanted to see how she plays with her national team and it's a wonderful player." Frido says with a hint of admiration, something Magda catches quickly.

The defender hummed and stayed looking at her for a few seconds, trying to read her features and she noticed it's been a long time since she looked like that. If Stina notices it too, she looks or acts distracted.

"Whoa! She scored that?!" Stina exclaimed when they put again the repetition from Y/N's goal. Magda looked again at the screen and got really impressed by that goal.

"Já! That's an amazing goal..." Magda whispered, hearing Frido giggles by their comments.

They stayed watching the game a little more before they went to training, they came back from Spain the same day they had the match. Then, they will be traveling to Italy in a few days.

Before Frido left her phone in her bedroom, she congratulated Y/N by her goal, feeling a little weird. Usually she is always congratulated when her teammates did an amazing match, but with the tall girl, it's a different feeling. She pushed it away in her mind and went outside where Stina started singing loudly in the form of protest by Frido's delay.

When she comes back to her bedroom and sees her phone, a lot of notifications appear on her screen. The majority of the group chat about her club, so she pressed it, taking her to the top when it started. Ingrid was the first, sending a video. Showing Y/N beautiful goal. The others comments were from the others complimenting her, laughing in a few of them by their antics.

Then, after she wrote an answer and exited from the group, saw Y/N text her back. She pressed her chat.

Another tall ^^

Hallo!

Thank you, it came naturally I guess.

By the way I watched the highlights and it was a great match, I'm sure Sweden will pass to the next round. 💪

Frido typed a few words back, the smile never leaving her face.

"Recently you are smiling a lot more... everything is going good, uhh?" Stina entered with Nathalie, who is Frido's roommate. The tall blonde raised her head and saw the teasing smirk on Stina's face.

"Perfect..." Frido muttered, rolling her eyes and giving a sarcastic smile, matching her words.

Stina doesn't wait for that answer at all. "What? Are you two still together, right?" She asks, confused.

"Yes, we are." Frido said in a low voice, type said person. Her eyes read what he said and her mind was very distracted.

Nathalie and Stina exchange a look. The forward decided to let that conversation in another moment and alone. So she kissed her head, since the barça player was sitting on the bed and walked away after saying goodbye to the other roommate.

"I'm going to talk with Aurora." Nathalie informed her, giving a sympathetic look, even if the tall blonde wasn't looking at her.

Frido hummed an affirmation and laid down and thinking how fucked she is right now.

•••

"BONDING TIME TONIGHT!" Patri shouted in the changing room after the last practice that day.

Cheering was heard, matching her enthusiasm. It's been a long time since they had one. Actually it's the first one in this season.

Y/N watch with a smile how they started to speak loudly, proposing some games and films to see. Her Spanish is better, she understood more than she speaks. Sure it helps when Mapi is basically speaking it all the time next to her, only switching to English when Y/N really struggled to understand.

"We are going to go for you and come with us, okay?" Mapi approached Y/N and leaned on the wall next to her, crossing her arms.

"Do I have a choice?" She inevitably joked, already loving the bond they created.

Mapi smiled sarcastically and shook her head. "And less if Ingrid is involved." Y/N chuckles, conscious about the admiration that the tall brunette felt about her, she can't believe someone like Ingrid feels like that towards her, but she feels grateful.

"I'm going with you two for Ingrid, you knew it right?" The Finnish said, standing up and looking down at Mapi.

"Of course." The defender muttered, patting her shoulder gently. "Be ready, I have enough with that one." She grumpily said, making Y/N laugh quietly.

When the forward starts to walk to the exit after saying goodbye to a few of them, Alexia stopped her.

"Are you going to be okay going with them?" She asks kindly, knowing very well how Mapi sometimes could be overwhelming.

Y/N nods, smiling. "Yeah."

Alexia smiled too and parted away, going to their respective apartments.

The time she has free time, the group chat can't stop sounding, a lot of texts coming from her teammates proposing things to do or simply texting about what they can bring tonight.

Y/N relaxed reading her book she started the first of that month until she needed to start to be ready. She decided on something comfortable and light, since still in Barcelona the weather is warm, something Y/N doesn't get used to.

Mapi texted her like an hour before, warning her she needed to be ready for her sake, knowing very well that Ingrid could still be choosing the outfit. So the Finnish got ready in time and waited patiently in her balcony, seeing the sun get down and appreciating the sunset, taking some photos and sending it to her family.

"Wow, you look like another person." Mapi whistled when she saw her coming out from her building.

Y/N blushed and avoided their gazes, gaining the soft chuckle of Mapi when she entered.

"Quiero decir, que estás muy guapa con ese look." Mapi chose to say it in Spanish, her voice sounding more soft. Clearly Y/N doesn't understand her and Ingrid translates it.

The shade of the colour of her cheeks turns more crimson while she whispered a thank you and watched the city by the window. The striker heard how the couple kept a small conversation, or better say, Mapi whining and begging about next time Ingrid doesn't take too long to get prepared, to which the Norwegian didn't promise anything with a teasing smirk, for Mapi desperation.

After they parked the car, they got to the building, got to the elevator and the couple were begging Y/N to take a photo with them, the three approached Patri's door where they could hear some commotion.

"¿Cásate conmigo?" Patri says in a shocked face, looking up and down at Y/N, making this one continuing blushing, fortunately for the Balear, Y/N doesn't understand her, but the pair behind her were another case. They laughed and started making fun of the midfielder.

Mapi put a hand in Y/N back and pushed her softly into the apartment through Patri whining and cursing.

"This is going to be fun..." the defender muttered at Ingrid with a smirk.

Y/N saw how Claudia is walking towards them and asking Patri why she has that look on her face, in which Mapi gladly explained in detail what happened. The Finnish is still lost, but she is guessing that soon she will find out. So she walked guided by Mapi where a big group were sitting or standing up while they talked.

"Great! We are the last one, again!" The Aragonese let out a sarcastic comment and went towards Marta and Irene, joining the improvised defender squad.

Ingrid huffed and muttered something Y/N could understand because she had some knowledge in Norwegian and laughed quietly, sharing a look with the brunette.

"She is lucky that I love her..." Ingrid commented jokingly at Y/N.

"Next time Y/N is coming with me." Someone else comments behind them while putting a hand in her shoulder and squeezing it.

Lucy gave her a warm smile and hugged her. "Good luck with that one." Ingrid said pointing with her head to where Mapi is sharing the recent behaviour of her teammate with a smirk.

The British snorted. "I can deal with her. By the way, you look stunning, I'm regretting being taken now..." Y/N hit her arm softly, gaining Lucy's laugh. Ingrid rolled her eyes but a smile remained on her face.

"I heard you." Keira emerged from the kitchen and wore a teasing look that was directed to Lucy. She stood next to them with her arms crossed.

"Babe... look at her." Lucy whispered like if the other two weren't there. The defender after the hug remained an arm around her shoulder, so it can't be unnoticed by Y/N.

The midfielder did what Lucy said and moved her gaze towards the tall girl. Her jaw dropped to the floor and her eyes going up and down, like Patri did before.

Keira blushed, making her girlfriend laugh for her reaction. Y/N actually finds it funny and adorable for her part.

"Shut up." Keira muttered and pushed her.

"Everyone!" For Keira's luck, Patri calls to gain their attention. She put herself in front of the TV. "Okay, we will start now since we all are here. Please, go to sit down while me and some of you bring the snack." The Balear announces, walking to the kitchen with some of them going with her, Y/N excusing the three to help her, her nature of helping people wanting to show up.

But Lucy has another plan and with a smile grabbed her wrist, stopping her. "Nop. You are the new one. Keira here can go to help her favourite person." The defender gave a cheeky smile to the British midfielder, who rolled her eyes but didn't say anything and went to the kitchen, whispering some cursing to her girlfriend.

"You are so mean to her." Ingrid teases, starting to walk to an empty couch but getting distracted soon when she sees her tall blonde friend.

Lucy follows Ingrid still with the hold in Y/N wrist. The defender sat down, bringing Y/N to sit down next to her.

"Do you see how hot Y/N looked?" The thick accent from Lucy interrupted the conversation between the nordics.

Y/N rolls her eyes and blush when felt the blue eyes fix her eyes on her. The Finnish cleared her throat and punched softly to Lucy.

Frido noticed how she held her breath for a moment. Her gaze looks over her features, and she can't avoid how beautiful Y/N looks.

"Lucy's right. You look... beautiful." The Swedish decided to change the last word for that one, but internally agreeing with her friend that she looks hot.

The striker gave her a shy smile, seeing how her coloured eyes lost the battle with her pupils. Y/N read about the symptoms when someone likes the person they see, and that's one of them.

The visual contact finished when Ingrid sat down between Frido and Y/N, the last one moving her eyes awkwardly for the room, looking at Lucy when she heard how the other let out a soft laugh.

"What?" Y/N asked lowly.

Lucy shrugs and passes an arm around her shoulder while giving a sip to her cup. Before Y/N could ask again, Mapi threw herself at them, gaining the protest from Ingrid and Lucy.

"Do you think I didn't sit down here?" Mapi asks rhetorically.

"You need to learn to be away from her..." Lucy muttered, looking at the TV waiting for Patri to put the chosen film. But her smirk betrayed her.

Mapi frowned and sat down better between Ingrid and Y/N. "And let you win? Never, Y/N has better taste."

The laugh that let out Lucy make the attention brought to them and muffled the gasp Ingrid let out. Y/N hold her laugh, not thinking that the last comment was directed towards her and not her girlfriend, guessing too that Lucy had the same thought.

"It's amazing how she passed to tease me about my admiration for her to be the only one fighting by her attention." Ingrid muttered, crossing her arms and feigning being offended.

Mapi turned to look at her with a sheepish smile and threw her arms around her neck, kissing her head a few times. Y/N let out the laughter she held when Mapi didn't deny it, joining Lucy.

Frido's eyes brightened when she heard her laugh. The blonde was laughing too, but slowly it died to enjoy and contemplate her. The loud chat when the defender explains what happened was muffled by her melodic laugh.

But soon got interrupted when someone yelled to shut them up and pay attention to the film. Her blue eyes scanned a few more moments on her figure and then fixed it on the TV. The place where she was sitting was full, five of them sitting there, even if Mapi was more laying in Ingrid's lap, still she is on the sofa, putting more distance between her and Y/N.

The first film passed with all of them in silence, maybe some comments with the near person, but mostly they are paying attention. When it finishes, some of them take the opportunity to go to the bathroom, something Y/N did. She walked quickly to it when Aitana got out.

The blonde thought twice before she stood up and walked to the bathroom, waiting outside. She knew it was a riskier move, but Frido felt like a magnet when it comes to Y/N. She just wanted to have some little time alone with her.

When Y/N opened the door, she felt surprised to see her standing there, a shy look on her face. She stopped in the entry, her hand leaning on the frame.

"Hallo..." Frido lowly said, putting both hands on her pant's pocket.

Y/N felt goosebumps when she heard that simple word with her Swedish accent. "Hey." She greeted her too, crossing her arms. Frido could hear how some of them were getting near them and not wanting to go without exchanging some more words with her, in a bold move, she quit off her hands from her pockets and kindly pushed Y/N inside of the bathroom, again. She closes the door softly.

"Sorry about that..." Frido apologizes when notices what she did. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Just wanted to pass some time with you." She confessed, a little embarrassed to say it loud.

The Finnish's heart softens up to see the blonde like that. Y/N didn't know what force made her do the next move, but she grabbed her face between her hands and smashed her lips on hers.

Frido's eyes opened, but relaxed considerably after processing what Y/N did. Her hands came back to her waist but this time it remained there. The kiss is short and awkward. Y/N was going to apologise once they separated, but Frido has another plan and decides to muffle the apologies with her mouth.

This time the blonde deepened it, kissing her with conviction. Her grip on her waist tightening and bringing her closer to her. Y/N's hands proceed to lose on her blonde hair, pushing softly towards her. Once again they separated, this time for air. With every kiss, their mind got more fuzzy and their lips more swollen. It's when Y/N let out a low moan that Frido got braver and kissed her vehemently, turned on only to hear her doing that. She pushed her a little too hard on the bathroom door, biting her bottom lip in the process and sneak in her tongue in her mouth.

Maybe they are in their world at this moment, but the others heard the noise provoked by Frido unintentionally and some of them went to investigate.

The girls separated abruptly when someone from outside knocked. They look at each other alarmed. "Hey! Everything okay?" Alexia asks.

Frido whispered something at Y/N in Swedish, this one nodded with her head slowly. They fully separate this time, even if neither of them wanted. The Finnish fix the blonde hair with a smile, seeing how her cheeks change of colour. She saw too how swollen her lips looked, she imagined her lips matched hers.

"Sorry! I'm helping Y/N to find her earrings." Frido lied, she opened the door and showing it to Alexia and Patri with a convincing smile. The blonde extended it to Y/N.

"Shit, for a moment we worried." Patri muttered.

The four walked back to the living room, going to where they previously sat down. Lucy was talking with the couple until Y/N removed her legs from the spot where she was sitting, a pout making her way on her face. It was before she started to protest that she noticed something. The British opened her mouth to speak, but nothing was saying. However she gave her a smirk and resumed the conversation with the other two.

•••

The days passed, Frido and Y/N started to share some kisses in the changing room behind their teammates back. Their bond is getting stronger by the time, sharing moments outside the pitch too. Frido always has a plan to spend more time with the Finnish girl, at the same time the nights for her turned a war in her head. She is enjoying her time with Y/N, but the reality is far away from the truth.

It showed after a month how the darkness down her crystal eyes deeper with every day passed. The first ones in notices of course were Y/N and Ingrid, but the blonde always replied with a cheeky smile and saying she is okay. Frido knew when she realised what happened, she was screwed up. Plus, it is her first time with a woman, going through a simple crush in the past to actually kiss one.

It's a lot right now.

A hand on her chin made her break the train of thought and raised her head to see the guilty or the saviour.

"Jag kan höra dina tankar på långt håll." Y/N said with a sad smile. She knows something happened and feels she has a big part in it.

Frido shakes her head and reassures her that it is okay. Not wanting to bring her to her intern problem. "I need to be quieter I guess." She joked, standing up and grabbing the hand resting in her chin with hers, walking to a quieter place, before she inspected the area to see if some of them were paying attention.

"You don't need to worry about me, kärlek." Frido whispered in her mouth once she closed the door, pressing Y/N's back on the wall, putting both hands on her sides.

Y/N smiled when she heard how the blonde called her, putting her hands behind her back and giving her an innocent gesture. "Then, don't give me a reason for it." She teased her a little, giggling when Frido started trickling briefly her sides.

Her lips ghosted Y/N's and was the Finnish who closed the gap when grabbed her collar with her hands and smashed their lips.

"Jag älskar att du alltid initierar kyssen." Frido muttered, to later kiss her fervently.

"You do it on purpose to be me who kisses you first." Y/N muttered too once they separated from the intense moment.

"My fault." Frido innocently said, pecking her nose. "By the way, I have a plan to spend this afternoon together... are you in?" She asks, hopefully the other confirms it.

Y/N did like she is thinking about it, pretending. "Depends... What place is it?"

"The beach. I never went with you. So I thought is a good idea." Frido revealed, shrugging with a hopeful smile. "Do you go since you are here?"

"I went once time with Lucy and Mapi. And both of them finished in the sea..." Y/N commented, her gaze fixed on the wall remembering the moment, making the blonde chuckles lowly. "So... I'm in, you are lucky."

Frido give her a beaming smile and didn't lose more time to kiss her, knowing very well if they are disappeared for a few more minutes, their teammates would suspect and get to find them.

"We need to come back..." The blue eyed girl comments, pecking a few more times her lips, bringing both hands to her cheeks this time, making Y/N to put her hands on her waist, caressing her sides.

With the promise to see the other later, they separated. Y/N going first to the, now, full room. The coincidence that her cubby is next to Frido made her very happy. But the constant reminder that Lucy is too, even if they are separate by say person.

"What?" Y/N asked when she passed in front of the defender and hear how she snorted, stopping on her tracks to look at her inquisitive and crossing her arms.

Lucy is sitting on her cubby, a smug smirk plastered on her face while she is saving her shoes in her training bag.

"Nothing..." She hummed, winking at her and her attention coming back to the previous thing.

"Olet outo..." She murmured and went to her seat, sighing.

"I don't know what you said, but it's rude." Lucy points with her index finger at her.

"Ja kysyminen ja vastaaminen välttelyillä on myös." Y/N laughed quietly when saw her confused face, returning to her task of removing her shoelaces.

"What that mean?" She asks, this time inquisitive and narrowing her eyes. "Frido please, can you translate for me what she said?" Lucy like a child say.

The Swedish acted normal and asked for Y/N to repeat it. "Sorry, Lu. I can't understand what she is saying. My level in Finnish is limited." She gave at her friend an apologetic smile.

Lucy huffed and turned to look at Y/N finding a smug expression. "It isn't over." She stood up and messing up with Y/N hair, she contentedly went away when Y/N whined.

•••

The kisses and the touches were more prominent. The wish for more than that increases. And it happening right now.

For their luck, they are roommates in this trip. It's a Champions League game. Frido was in top of Y/N, not surprising for the second one. She knew that the blonde loves be dominant, even if her aura didn't demit it.

Sloppy kisses, hands traveling by their bodies, the sound escaping from the mouths it's not enough anymore. With the little sanity Y/N feels in that moment, she pushed Frido's chest softly, opening her dilated eyes.

Frido frowned and opened them too, a confuse gesture crossing on her features. "Everything okay?" She whispers in a husky tone, her lips ghosting Y/N's.

"Yeah, yeah..." Y/N confirmed immediately. "But tomorrow we have a game and we can't do this..." She trailed off, reminding her the match.

Frido groaned, completely obvious at the fact, forgetting about it and pushed it behind her head the moment her lips found her comfort place.

"You are right..." She muttered, removing herself between her legs and laying down next to her, and letting out a frustrated sigh.

Y/N grabs her hand and caress her palm with her thumb, gaining her attention. "We can do it after it's over..." She suggests, a shy expression replacing the last one.

It's melt her heart every time Frido sees her shy side, that it's every day but with the trust she is gaining with their teammates, it less and less.

"Sorry, I don't want pressure you. It's the last thing I want to do. I just... I want feel you more." Frido confessed, her cheeks red, this time for a different reason. "Please, don't try to do it for me. We will do it when both of us feel ready." She said, caressing with her free hand her cheek, her eyes getting lost in hers.

•••

"I want the kiss you promise me." Frido whispered in her ear when they come back to the changing room after they finished the match.

Y/N turned to look at her, still sipping from her water bottle. "Here?" She jokes, laughing quietly by her reaction.

"I see the hat-trick you scored give you some confidence..." Frido muttered, slapping her butt and going to where Ingrid is, not without giving her a teasing smirk.

"Damn Frido, let something for us." Claudia jokingly said, making who hear her laugh. Y/N made a funny face, don't understanding the comment.

Exchange Frido got pallid, swallowing hard and praying no one say something else. Ingrid notices her change and before she could ask her, someone else spoke.

"Do you not have enough?" Patri follows her friend's game, oblivious about the current situation for the blonde.

Y/N get rigid. She isn't a fool to hear the implication in that comment, but enough for Frido to play with her. She turns to look at her and saw how the Swedish cowardly look at the floor, ashamed. While they laugh about an innocent situation, Y/N excuses herself, starting to feel dizzy and betrayed.

She soon is a sea of tears, closing carefully the door to protect herself from them, hiding the pain she is feeling. She slipped slowly to the floor, hugging herself and buried her face.

Soft knocks were heard, startling Y/N. "It's me." She relaxed when heard the voice. In a trembling voice give permission to enter. Lucy opened it and her heart shattered when saw her state. Immediately she got in and closed the door, bending down and hugged her, letting Y/N soak her freshly clothes. The brunette catches what happened in the first moment, noticing the looks and in a short period of time, their swollen red lips. She cursed herself to believe Y/N knew the blonde's status, clearly not.

Lucy let Y/N cry, her hand caressing her back up and down without the necessity to say something to comfort her, because the truth is however you say now, it still would hurt. So she chose the silence and be there for her.

Her phone vibrate, cursing once again while grab it with a hand, the nickname she typed at her girlfriend showing on her screen.

"Where are you? We can't find you or Y/N. Is she with you?" Keira's worried voice greet her.

"I'm with her." Lucy muttered, hearing how the midfielder let out a relief sigh, she proceed to add before the other could. "Give me some more minutes and we will be there." She begged her, knowing her voice sounding serious, something unusual on her, make Keira help her immediately.

"Okay. We have five minutes before we need to go. I can give you that." Keira informed her. Lucy replied a short answer and they hung up.

"How do you know?" Y/N asked in a hoarse voice, raising her head to look at her.

"Because I have eyes on my face." She simply answered, not liking how bloodshot her eyes seem.

"The others have too..." Y/N whispered, her gaze going to the floor while her mind fly to another part.

"Well, I'm more clever than the rest." She heard how Y/N let out a tiny laugh, making Lucy cheer mentally. Feigning been offended by her laugh, she added. "What? I feel insulted if you think someone else here is smarter than me." It made Y/N laugh more, Lucy painting a smile this time, gladly she made her forget momentarily about the situation.

"We need to go, right?" Y/N asked after her laugh died.

The British nodded with a sad smile while put a lock of her hair behind her ear. She extended her hands towards hers when she stood up, Y/N accepting it. While Y/N opened the door, for their luck no one is there, Lucy take advantage of it and sent a quick text to Ingrid:

Please, don't let Frido get near Y/N. I can't tell you the reason because it isn't my business, thank you x.

Lucy save her phone and grabbing her hand, lead the way outside, hearing more near their voices. Y/N hang down her head, embarrassed for her behaviour. The defender notices how Mapi walked to them with a worry expression, her eyes remaining on Y/N, but Lucy stopped her and when the Spanish looked at her questioning, Lucy shakes her head, muttering this isn't the moment.

Alexia notices immediately when she put a foot there something happened. Seeing how Frido sat down with her head low and Ingrid by her side caressing her back, indicating something it's off. But her worry intensifies when Y/N entered on her peripheral vision and saw her dry stained red cheeks. So when Lucy is shaking her head at Mapi, she grabbed her things and went towards the three.

"I'm going to the bus, come with me." Alexia protectively put an arm around Y/N's shoulder and walked with her outside, not letting room for the defenders to complain. The brunette, who is a little short alongside her new teammate, take her quickly to the bus, apologies escaping from her mouth when the people waiting for a photo or an autograph couldn't have it. The loud screams were muffled once they entered the bus, Alexia remembering the spot usually her new friend takes, she put her way to that direction. "Here, sit down." She offered with a kind smile.

"Gracias..." Y/N muttered, still not liking how her voice sounded in Spanish and it worsen with the voice she has now.

Alexia messed up Y/N's half wet hair and sit down next to her. "You played amazingly. I can't believe you don't come here before." She tried to put on a subject and since she isn't so good with the emotions, she chose to speak about she loves.

Y/N painted a sad smile. "I'm playing well because I have amazing people that help me play like that." She awkwardly said, seeing how Alexia gave her a sincere smile.

Soon, more screams were heard and slowly they climb up and started to sit down, giving a quick look to where they are and respecting their space, mostly Y/N's space.

When Frido get in, her eyes immediately went to the back seat bus and saw how distractedly Y/N looks at the window. She let out a sad sigh and feel ashamed when her eyes finds Alexia's one, seeing the hardness on them. She knows that look, but never been the one to receive it. She swallows and sit down to the front rows, grabbing immediately her headphones and blaming herself.

•••

The days passed and Frido tried to speak with Y/N, but this one always walk past her, making her heart shatter with every step she takes. After the success, the next day Frido spoke with her boyfriend and tell everything.

She blames herself even more when he didn't got angry with her, with pain he said that some day he would forget her, but right now he can't. He texted Ingrid when he walked out from the place he thought was his home, because he didn't talk about the place or city, is the person crying disconsolate who he is referring.

The Norwegian went fastly to her place, finding a broken mess who can't stop to blaming herself. That afternoon she found out what truly happened that last half month. She knew Frido did badly, but she is her friend and always will be there for the good or bad.

It's there too when Lucy or even her own girlfriend push away Frido when she tried to speak with the Finnish, something she didn't get surprised knowing their behaviour. Maybe the surprise came when Alexia joined them, a stoic face and simple cold word make Frido ran.

"Before you judge, try to know the other part too." Ingrid angrily said at them, mostly to her captain, before she follows her friend. Caro following her too.

Caro leaned on a table with her arms crossed while see how Ingrid consolate her friend. When her national teammate sat down with Frido while side hug her, the Norwegian decided to speak.

"We don't know what exactly happened," Caro started, gaining their attention. "but I personally don't judge you. They didn't know anything too, specially Mapi or Alexia, the rest try to comprehend what happened, but we didn't know." She tried her best to comfort Frido.

The Swedish wipes the tears from her eyes and let out a chuckle. "Consoling it's not your big virtue."

Caro chuckled too, shrugging. "I guess it isn't."

The next few days Frido decided to give some space at Y/N, try to the situation calm down. It's difficult for her, like the serious mistake she made and caused pain to one of the best people she met. So when she entered in the changing room where Y/N is there, starting to smile whatever Patri is saying at her, Frido didn't know what force make her to change her steps and directed towards her. Their eyes meeting a brief moment, until Y/N moves her gaze and tried to not pay attention at her. But Frido has enough, she needed to let out what has inside of her.

"I don't know what I have to do to explain everything." She started, not caring about the surprise on Patri's face. Y/N froze on her spot, her back facing the tall blonde. "I don't care if they found out what the reason is. I'm sorry Y/N, I made a big mistake. I played with you and I played with the person I shared my life and thought he was the only one," Frido wipes aggressively her wet cheeks, the only sound of the big room her broken voice. "I thought I have a good life with a wonderful guy by my side, sharing moments, complicity, vulnerability... Ups and downs. He always support me in every decision I took." She explained briefly, Y/N turning slowly towards her, not liking at all the state she is, but let her get her chest off from everything, so she stayed quiet. "Then, you approached. I heard things about you, watched some videos about how easily you scored, thanks at Ingrid of course. I can't believe how adorable you looked the first day. Lost and always with a shy smile. And it didn't surprise me when Alexia went to your rescue, she is who can understand you better in some ways." Frido gave a quick look at her captain, who has teary eyes and give her a nod.

"After that day, we started talk, little conversations that turned long and deep ones. You don't know it, but you help me too. I was feeling homesick and speak with you in my language help me. I know I needed tell you about my relationship, but I was selfish and wanted you entirely for myself. I'm sorry." Frido finished to say, soft sobs escaping from her mouth while she hides her face between her hands, broken.

Ingrid was to step where she is and take her to a quiet place, but saw how Y/N anticipate and get towards the blonde.

The Finnish removed her hands gently from her face and wipe carefully her cheeks. She didn't know what to say, so she wraps her arms around her shoulders and hugged her. Instinctively Frido wraps her arms around her waist and leaned her head on hers, more tears escaping from her eyes.

"I-I'm s-sorry." The blonde lowly said, hiccuping.

•••

"WHAT A SEASON THIS PLAYER HAD MADE! IT'S UNBELIEVABLE THE AMOUNT OF GOALS SHE SCORED AND THE ASSIST SHE GAVE. IT'S SO FAR, ONE OF THE BEST SIGNING FROM THIS CLUB. THEY HAVE A GEM."

"BARCELONA WON THEIR THIRD CHAMPIONS!!! AND THE SECOND IN A ROW! WHAT A PLEASURE SEEING THIS PLAYERS PLAY, ESPECIALLY ALEXIA PUTELLAS AND Y/N Y/L/N, WHAT A CONNECTION THEY HAVE."

"THE TOP SCORER FROM THE LEAGUE ARE ALEXIA AND Y/N, LEICY SANTOS FOLLOWING BEHIND WITH ONE GOAL LESS. BUT WAIT TO KNOW THE CHAMPION'S LEAGUE TOP SCORERS. Y/N Y/L/N WITH 27 GOALS, ALEXIA PUTELLAS WITH 24 GOALS, AITANA BONMATÍ WITH 21 GOALS AND FRIDOLINA ROLFÖ TIED WITH CAROLINE GRAHAM HANSEN WITH 17 GOALS. FIVE PLAYERS FROM THIS CLUB ARE THE TOP SCORER. WHAT. A. TEAM!!"

Y/N raised the trophy in the air, gaining the screams from her teammates and the people who traveled to the stadium to support them. She can't describe the adrenaline she is feeling right now.

After they made a round to raise it, they walked around the stadium to thanks the people, letting them know is for them too. They took a lot of photos with the trophy too.

Before Y/N follows some teammates inside to translate the party there, she poses with the champions league cup and the award she received for being the MVP that match.

"Jag är väldigt stolt över dig." A whisper from behind make Y/N jump a little on her spot, turning to see a Frido laughing by her reaction. Y/N whined, smacking her arm playfully. "Before you go with Jonatan to give the press conference you deserve. Make me the favor to take some photos with me?" She asked hopefully, a cheeky grin on her face when Y/N nods.

"Of course, idiot." Y/N chuckles to grab the cup, extending it at her too. The blonde accepting it and both of them grabbing the cup, posed with it with happy smiles on their faces.

For Frido's surprise, Y/N kissed her cheek sweetly. It's only for the photo, but they knew what it means for them. When the forward separated, Frido can't hold not to look at her, a loving face showing the love she felt for her.

"You need change your expression or you would break the internet." Y/N teases, poking her cheek where a dimple is showing there.

Frido leaned more on her, their noses touching and their lips to centimeters, her eyes traveling from her mouth to her eyes. "I don't care." She whispered, licking her lips.

A throat behind the phone cleared. They pair look at her and saw her cheeks, making them laugh. Alexia rolled her eyes. "I suggest you two save it for another moment, where people can't see you." She warned, depositing the phone in Frido's hand. "By the way, we need to go." She said at Y/N.

When Y/N started to follow Alexia, Frido gives the cup at Marta and grabs Y/N's wrist gently, turning her body towards her. "Do you mind if I break the internet?" She knows that Y/N didn't care because they talk about it, if not, she never would that in public.

Y/N bit her lower lip, suppressing a smile. She brings her hands to Frido's cheeks and slowly brought her face to hers, but not closing the gap. "If you want break it, you need take the lead."

"Gladly." She muttered, before she smashed her lips on hers.

Alexia frowned when didn't hear steps coming behind her and turned to look to find the couple showing their love publicly. "Great, they can't hide it like everyone." She muttered, but a smirk approached in her face, seeing how her teammates ran to them and jump happily.

[sanrielle]

Amazing fanart by Joanacchi! Posted here on tumblr with their blessing. Each one is based on a style that reflects a particular ancient culture's art history. (See below for descriptions provided by the artist!)

Store (buy these prints!) Twitter Instagram

Aang: Tibetan Thangka

"Thangkas are traditional Tibetan tapestries that have been used for religious and educational purposes since ancient times! The techniques applied can vary greatly, but they usually use silk or cotton fabrics to paint or embroider on. What you can depict in a Thangka is really versatile, and I wanted to represent things that make up Aang as a character."

Zuko and Azula: Japanese Ukiyo-e

"Ukiyo-e is a style that has been around Japan between the 17th and 19th century, and focused mainly in representing daily life, theater(kabuki), natural landscapes, and sometimes historical characters or legends!

Ukiyo-e was developed to be more of a fast and commercial type of art, so many drawings we see are actually woodblock prints, so the artist could do many copies of the same art!

I based my Zuko and Azula pieces on the work of Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861) one of the last ukiyo-e masters in Japan! He has a specific piece which featured a fire demon fighting a lord that fought back with lighting, and that really matched Zuko and Azula's main techniques!”

Toph: Chinese Portraiture from Ming and Qing Dynasties

"Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) was one of the longest in China! It was also a period where lots of artistic evolutions were happening, especially when it comes to use of colour! There was not a predilection for portraits during this time, but there are a lot of pieces depicting idealized women and goddesses from the standards of the time. For this portrait of Toph, I imagined something that maybe their parents commissioned, depicting a soft and delicate Toph which we know is not what she is about ♥️

Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) was the last Chinese Dynasty to reign before the Revolution. One of the most famous emperors of this period was Qianlong, and he really liked Western art! He commissioned a lot of portraits of his subordinates, and I chose a portrait of one of his bodyguards as a reference for the second Toph portrait, which I believe is much more like how she would want to be represented! The poem on top talks about the bodyguards' achievements during a specific war. I had no time to come up with a poem for Toph, so I just used the same one for the composition!”

Sokka and Katara: Inuit Lithograph

"For a long time, Inuit art expressed itself in utilitarian ways. The Nomadic lifestyle of early Inuit tribes played a huge part in that: most art pieces are carved in useful tools, clothing, or children's toys, small and easy to be transported, and depicted scenes and patterns representing their daily lives!

That changed a lot during the colonization. Since the settling of the Inuit tribes, many art pieces began to be created in order to be exported to foreigns, so they started to sculpt bigger and more decorative pieces.

Lithography, which is a type of printmaking, was introduced to Inuit people by James Houston, that learned the technique from the japanese. The art form was quickly embraced by the inuit, as part of the process is very similar to carving. Prints that are produced by inuit artists are still being sold today!

As lithography is not an old art style and it's still commercially relevant to the Inuit communities, since creating these in 2021 I have been donating regularly to the Inuit Art Foundation, not only all the money I get from selling some prints of these but a bit more, at least once a year. Hopefully, I can increase donations this year!”

[shanieveh]

♪ ♡ ♫ — salut d'amour, op. 12 — ♫ ♡ ♪

— genshin men choosing you above everything and anything

KAEYA who always wanted to see where he came from, what he was, truly was. Choosing between mondstadt and his birth place conflicted his days, but you changed a lot of things. You made him believe in the future, not the past. You made him alive, like the past two decades were just him breathing. He no longer cared of some survivor, spies, or what he was, but what he is—what he will be. All he knew is that you were in his life and he can fight anything, even his lies.

SCARAMOUCHE's biggest longing in his life is a purpose for his existence, and in doing so he became a harbinger, a criminal and now a God. But when he first heard the way the akademiya treated you, he almost turned beserk— he left everything, his godhood, his dreams, his desires, because of you. No one will treat you like some mad scholar, a dog, and as he destroyed the entire building he knew who he did it for. Godhood is for fools, the feeling of passion and love that mortality was in his chest, and he accepted the feeling as it fueled his actions, as he destroyed Azar himself.

ZHONGLI wanted a peaceful life. And when he Osial came back to haunt Liyue he chose not to strike. But he was not planning to losing you. He lost everyone but not you. And as you struggle in ocean's grasp Morax once again came to be, once again saved Liyue, Zhongli once again saved the day. Returned to the same boring routine that tire his days. As the corrosion start wearing him out, atleast he can make you safe. Even if, this wasn't what he wanted, the rest he longed for, you were the person he needed.

DILUC would do anything for family. For his father's legacy. And when he went to snezhnaya to uncover the truth, he was so close, but news of your illness soon reached his ears. He gave up all he knew, all the plans and petty revenge. He went home. The fatui called him a coward, he really was. Diluc can't help but be with you through thick and thin. You recovered, you assured him. And in that he found peace, no longer to chase for the truth, but appreciate what he has now, and keep it in his heart. For that didn't require a delusion, it required only to love you.

ALHAITHAM proudly called him a feeble scholar who only cares about having a peaceful unnoticed life. But when you were deemed a failure by the akademiya and punished severly he was quick to make a revolution towards it. For the first time he showed no mercy. How dare they?! Alhaitham now a hero, now noticed, did not like a single compliment. But when you clapped for him, he smiled. For all that hardwork was for your happiness.

CHILDE likes to fight. He loves to win. And every argument he does so with you. He relishes in being right, and you being wrong. And then you crumble. You gave up. In that very moment he wished he lost, he was wrong, he wished he admitted it. He lost that smirk, that winning smile. He begged, he surrendered. Fighting with you was a tragedy he'll gladly lose over and over again. Even if he was right, even if you were wrong, he longs to lose when its with you.

[nevadancitizen]

-> CH. 12: FRIENDS & TOBACCO ARE SEPARATE THINGS (& SO ARE REVOLUTIONS)

synopsis: you, connor, and hank are all off the case. the only option left is to plead with jericho.

word count: 4.7k

ships: Connor/Reader, Hank Anderson & Reader

notes: (evilly) hello. prepare to be fucked up.

HoFS taglist: @catladyhere , @foggy0trees0 , @princessofenkanomiya , @n30n-f43 , @igna4400 (if you'd like to be added to the taglist, just ask!)

HEAD OF FALSE SECURITY MASTERLIST

Connor’s eyelashes catch snow as he opens his eyes. The Zen Garden is frozen over, and there’s a chill in the air he can feel down to where his bones would be.

Across the iced-over lake is the silvery tree. It’s grown – now it’s four, maybe four and a half feet tall. It’s still bare and leafless, but wisps of what looks like a mycelium complex are branching off the trunk. Connor forces himself to turn away.

The glowing stone sits a few feet away. Connor steps closer, and it pulls him in like a vortex. His hand finds the stone, and it sends a buzz through his system, causing his hand to pull away and curl up into a fist. He stands and walks away. 

The layer of ice over the water groans under Connor’s weight, but doesn’t crack or break. He continues and comes to a stop in front of Amanda. She’s cloaked in whites and dark blues to match the environment surrounding them. 

“After what happened today, the country is on the verge of a civil war,” Amanda says. “The machines are rising up against their masters. Humans have no choice but to destroy them.”

“I thought Kamski knew something.” Connor’s eyebrows crease. “I was wrong.”

“Maybe he did.” Amanda’s eyebrows rise, almost mocking. “But you chose not to ask.”

There’s a pulse in Connor’s code, something like a heartbeat. Lips that form a smile shaped like yours. The feeling of an invisible body presses against his back, and the feeling of their hand snakes up his chest from behind, resting over his Thirium pump.

“What does she know?” Someone’s breath is hot against the shell of his ear. The voice sounds like yours, but is… weird, and twisted. “She wasn’t even there… but you were.”

Something clicks inside Connor. This is the first time the instability has taken on a form. And he’s inclined to believe it – mostly because it sounds like you. (He doesn’t even know why. He can unpack that later, surely…) And he’s not giving into the instability if it’s right.

“You know what you saw,” the instability croons. “You know the truth. Tell her.”

“I chose not to play his twisted little game!” Connor barks. “There was no reason to kill that android.”

The instability clutches him tighter and lets out a shaky breath that ends in a whine, like it approves. 

“I saw a photo of Amanda at Kamski’s place,” Connor continues. “She was his teacher.”

“When Kamski designed me, he wanted an interface that would look familiar,” Amanda says, her voice cold and stern. “That’s why he chose his former mentor. What are you getting at?”

“I’m not a unique model, am I?” Connor takes a tiny step forward. The instability clings to him as he moves. “How many Connors are there?”

“I don’t see how that question pertains to your investigation,” Amanda says. 

“You didn’t tell me everything you know about deviants, did you?” Connor asks, that venom still in his voice.

“I expect you to find answers, Connor.” Amanda’s lips set in a hard line. “Not ask questions.”

She takes a few steps forward and looks up at Connor. “You’re the only one who can prevent civil war. Find the deviants, or there will be chaos.”

Her eyes narrow. “This is your last chance, Connor.”

When you open your eyes, you’re surrounded by lumino-polymer. You inhale a lungful, causing that warm and fuzzy feeling in your chest to return.

You slowly crawl out of the pool like a child who doesn’t want to get out of a warm bath. The lumino-polymer slides off you as you get out in one big, sludge-y lump.

You know what to do by now. The Vavilov Complex, the metal pail, the stairs, the angel that is the PEC-4 Birchtree looking down on you from within her cylindrical plexiglass capsule. You kneel and look up at her as the lumino-polymer settles in her soil.

“Тех карт, что у меня на руках, недостаточно,” you say. “Все они были мной переиграны. Мне кажется, что это все, что я говорю вам в эти дни, но… я не знаю, что делать.”

Nonsense, child, she says, her voice once again talking to you from inside your mind. Life isn’t a static image. Draw more cards. Play a different game if you need to – while they’re playing poker, you’re playing caravan. They can’t comprehend the reasons and motives behind your moves if you’re playing a game they don’t even know exists.

You look down at your knees and your stomach twists when you realize what she’s talking about. “Но Коннор знает! Он знает о…” You can’t even bring yourself to finish the sentence.

I know, I know, she soothes. He doesn’t know everything, though. He doesn’t know where it is, or that you know how to use it.

“Он может…!” You growl in the back of your throat and clench your hands into fists. You force yourself to soften your words and to speak with respect.  “Он детектив. Скорее всего, он во всем разберется. Коннор - эксперт, когда дело доходит до... до подобных вещей.”

You look up at her. “У него есть банки памяти, и он воспроизводит каждое воспоминание с безупречной точностью. Он помнит мои рассказы ему о Пионере, о Челомее, о…” You swallow thickly. “о моей матери и моем отце.”

He doesn’t know the specifics, does he? She reminds you. He only knows their names, and that’s not a lot to go off of. There are plenty of Olgas and plenty of Yegors in Chelomey, let alone the entirety of Russia, let alone the entirety of the Soviet Union. 

“Я просто…” You sigh. “Я просто волнуюсь. Как всегда.” You smile, tight-lipped and awkward. “И вы правы. Как всегда.”

You stand and place a hand on the plexiglass of her capsule. “Спасибо.”

Her branches sway, just slightly. Please, be careful. They need you. Both of them. You can keep them on this Earth. Be vigilant. I love you.

“Да, мэм,” you say softly. “Я тоже вас люблю. Спокойной ночи.”

A notification on your phone is what pulls you fully out of the Vavilov Complex. You look down at your phone in your hand and read the headline of the news bulletin that just popped up. 

THE AFTERSHOCKS OF A TERRORIST ATTACK: ANDROID WORKERS TO BE PULLED FROM HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, ELECTRICITY GRIDS, WATER MANAGEMENT CENTERS, & NETWORK GRIDS

You sigh and place your phone face-down on your desk. The last thing you need is to doomscroll at work, and you know most of the story already.

You lean back in your wheely chair and look at the monitor in front of you. The rest of them are shut off, leaving only your halfway-filled-out report staring back at you. The report of the Ortiz android is really like any other – boring and long-winded. You have to use flowery words instead of writing “Shit’s fucked. Have a good night.”

You’re blessed with a reprieve when there’s a knock on your door. You quickly get up to answer it to find someone who’s never stepped foot near the android autopsy room: Hank.

“Fowler needs us in his office.” He jabs a thumb over his shoulder. “Said it was something serious.”

You follow him and shut the door behind you. “Something serious?”

“Kept it vague,” Hank grumbles.

“He always does,” you hiss under your breath.

As you walk, Connor spots you and Hank from across the room and falls in step with you. Again, he switches his pace to match yours.

Hank opens the glass door to Fowler’s office, then follows you and Connor in once you enter. All three of you stand before Fowler, like children called into the Headmaster’s office. (You sure as hell feel like you got into trouble, somehow.)

Fowler’s sitting on his desk – something you know he does when he wants to convince someone of something, or to be more informal. This situation feels all but informal. 

He takes a deep breath, then says, “Both of you are off the case. The FBI is taking over.”

“What?” “Чего?” Both you and Hank manage to say at the same time.

Hank looks over at you, then looks back at Fowler and continues. “But we’re onto something! We… we just need more time. I’m sure we can –”

“Hank!” Fowler cuts in. “You don’t get it. This isn’t just another investigation, this is a fucking civil war! It’s out of our hands now. We’re talking about national security here –”

“Fuck that!” Hank snaps. “You can’t just pull the plug now. Not when we’re so close!”

“You’re always saying you can’t stand androids!” Fowler gestures at Connor, then looks at you. “And you were talking about how you were unfit for this case. I thought both of you would be happy about this! Jesus, make up your mind!”

“We’re about to crack the case. I know we can solve it!” Hank leans in, bracing his hands on the back of one of the chairs. “For god’s sake, Jeffery, can’t you back me up this one time?”

“Sir, if I may,” you cut in. You swallow your nervousness and speak, almost like you’ve practiced. “I – I was only tentative because I hadn’t handled a case of this importance before. I’m confident in myself now, and I’m confident in my team!”

Fowler sighs and shrugs. “There’s nothing I can do. You’re back in Cybersecurity, Hank’s back in Homicide, and the android returns to CyberLife.”

You bite back a “The android has a name!” and glance over at Connor. He almost looks… sad. Like he’s disappointed in himself.

“I’m sorry,” Fowler says. “But it’s over.”

Hank scoffs and storms out. You exhale sharply and follow after him, holding open the door for Connor. But when you look back, he’s standing right where he was. 

Connor’s looking at Fowler, then he realizes he should be doing something. He relaxes his hands and lets them hang by his sides instead of being folded behind his back and nods at Fowler. 

You shepherd Connor through the door with a light touch on his upper back. You look at Fowler, making the briefest of eye contact, then turn away and close the door behind you.

“Come on, let’s go,” you say softly and lead Connor to Hank’s desk. He sidles up on Hank’s desk, his movements so fluid and human compared to how he sat in his desk chair a few days ago – rigid, polite. Like he was waiting to be served dinner at an in-law’s house. 

“We can’t just give up like that!” Connor says. “I know we could’ve solved this case!”

You lean back against the plexiglass divider adjacent to Hank’s desk and cross your arms. “So… you’re going back to CyberLife?”

“I have no choice.” Connor looks up at you, then averts his eyes. “I’ll be… deactivated, and analyzed to find out why I failed.”

You can’t help but feel like your guts have been ripped from your belly. The air in your lungs isn’t enough. Your feet threaten to slip out from under you.

“They can’t…” You take in a shaky breath. “They can’t just do that! Right?”

“They can,” Connor says quietly. “I am CyberLife’s property, after all.”

“Androids aren’t property,” you spit before you can stop yourself. You stiffen when you realize what you just said and look down at Hank. He’s looking right back at you.

“You’re right.” He turns to Connor. “What if we’re on the wrong side, Connor? What if we’re fighting against people who just wanna be free?”

“When deviants rise up, there will be chaos,” Connor says, finality heavy in his voice. “We could’ve stopped it… but now it’s too late.”

Hank pauses for a moment. “When you refused to kill that android at Kamski’s place, you put yourself in her shoes.”

Connor tilts his head, reminding you of when you first met him – just a guy with a somewhat-cute, somewhat-maddening lost puppy dog look on his face. “What…?”

“You showed empathy, Connor,” Hank continues. “Empathy’s a human emotion.”

He looks at you, then away, then back to you again, like a nervous dog. “I don’t know why I did it.”

“We don’t need to know why,” you say. “We just know that you did do it.”

Connor nods, then thinks for a second before speaking again. “I know it hasn’t always been easy, but I want you to know I really appreciated working with you. Both of you.” He leans back, turning his hands palm-up. “That’s not my social relations program talking, I – I really mean that. At least… I think I do.”

The banging of a door hitting the wall as it’s thrown open pulls you all from your nice conversation. You crane your neck to see who it is.

“Well, well,” Hank says, with no small amount of disgust in his voice. “Here comes Perkins, that motherfucker. Sure don’t waste any time at the FBI.”

You quickly move so you’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Connor, your back to the door Perkins just walked through. When Hank looks at you with a questioning glare, you excuse it with “I don’t want him to see me! You remember the hell he gave me at Stratford Tower?” which is a half-truth, at best. You just don’t want to risk someone taking Connor away – putting yourself in between him and them, even if it’s futile and only to comfort your frantic mind, is your best bet.

“We can’t give up.” Connor leans forward, jostling his shoulder against yours. “I know the answer is in the evidence we collected. If Perkins takes it, it’s all over.”

“There’s no choice!” Hank says, still with that angry disgust in his tone. “You heard Fowler – we’re off the case. All of us.”

Connor hops off the desk suddenly, sending you to the side. He doesn’t even look as he catches your wrist to keep you steady, causing the spark in your belly to flare up and the creature (no longer pride or jealousy – just a beast) tending it to howl in glee. 

“You’ve got to help me, Lieutenant,” Connor says, his grip still firm, like he’s not even thinking about it. “I need more time so I can find a lead in the evidence we collected. I know the solution is there!”

Hank holds up a hand. “Listen, Connor –”

“If I don’t solve this case, CyberLife will destroy me!” Connor says, something like fear lacing his words. He grips your wrist tighter, like you’re anchoring him. “Five minutes. It’s all I ask.”

Hank stands suddenly, leaning into Connor’s personal space. He whispers, “Key to the basement is on my desk.”

He moves away, towards Perkins. “Get a move on! I can’t distract them forever.”

You don’t know whether to praise Hank or curse him a thousand times over. On one hand, Connor could damn every android, deviant or not. On the other hand, he could fail and be sent back to CyberLife for the type of autopsy you’re all too familiar with. But… what if…?

Connor gives your wrist a squeeze and you turn to face him. “You should go home, Officer. Whatever happens, you’ll be in danger. You should fill spare containers you have with water, and charge all the electronics you have. I don’t know if you can get through to them, but… you should contact your parents and let them know you’re okay before the network goes down.”

You look into those big, brown doe eyes and can’t stop yourself from pulling Connor in for a hug. (Well, it’s not really a hug. You’re clutching to him, and he’s politely resting his hands on the small of your back.)

You step back after a moment too long for it to be considered normal. “You… do what you think is best, Connor. I trust you to do the right thing.”

You hurry away before he can say anything. You walk past Perkins on the floor, who’s cradling a broken nose. (You’re tempted to kick him, but restrain yourself.)

Hank gives you a glance and a nod as you walk by. You nod back, then continue your way out. 

A few minutes later, you’re in your car in the DPD parking lot. The fans are blowing hot air on the windshield to defrost it. Your hands are shaking where they rest on the steering wheel. 

You glance over at your glovebox. You take your hands away from the steering wheel and lean over the console, then hold your left hand out to the lock. The silver star on your polymer glove retracts, and the wires snake out. They unlock the electronic lock that’s keeping the glovebox shut, and it pops open. 

Still, your hands are shaking as you push Hank’s flask aside and pull the case out. You rest it in your lap and let the wires unlock the electronic lock on the handle. You open it, and…

The black metal of your Makarov pistol gleams in the dim of the streetlights shining through the car windows. It grew up with you – the cherry wood of the grip has nicks and scratches, as does the stout barrel. The red plastic indicating that the safety is off has faded into a soft pink – not that you’re planning on turning the safety off. It’s just something that’s happened to the gun with age.

You pull it out and put the case in the passenger seat, then close your eyes and lean your head back against the headrest. You haven’t had much time to think over these past few days.

Jericho is an abandoned freighter. It must be close to the docks. The Ferndale district has abandoned docks. It’s right on the river. I just need to figure out a way to get there.

You open your eyes and put the gun case back in the glovebox. You shut off the ignition and step out of your car, but not before tossing anything even remotely police-related on your person onto the floor of the passenger seat. Cold metal meets your tailbone as you tuck your pistol into the waistband of your pants, then you flip the back of your jacket over it to conceal it.

You hold your hand out in an “L” shape and your glove lights up the path in front of you. You just need to follow it, and you’ll find Jericho.

You pat your front jacket pocket to make sure you have your concealed carry license on hand, then start walking.

Your mother always told you “Measure seven times, cut once.” It was used before you got yourself into trouble by not planning things out before you did them.

But right now, you don’t have time to practice. You’re being pushed into the deep end without having contact with a drop of water before in your life.

You clear your throat and knock on the metal doorframe, looking at the man who’s sitting on a crate and hanging his head. “Khm, excuse me? Are you Markus?”

Markus looks up, his mismatched eyes meeting yours. “Yes. I am.”

“May I…?” you trail off. 

“Of course, of course.” Markus stands. “Come in.”

You move into the bridge of the ship, your hands folded in front of you. “I’ve come to talk, sir. If you’ll allow me the time?” 

Markus nods. “Yes. But please, be quick.”

“Firstly, I’m armed.” You hold your hands up. “But I won’t shoot you – or anyone aboard this vessel. I’m a human, from the Detroit Police Department.”

Markus narrows his eyes and turns his head slightly, like he doesn’t believe you. After a few seconds, he speaks. “Give me the gun.”

You reach behind you and pull your pistol from your waistband, holding it by the barrel. You hold it out to Markus, the muzzle pointed towards you. “The safety is on, and there aren’t any bullets in the chamber.”

Markus takes the gun and puts it on the navigation panels, out of your reach. He nods, waiting for you to continue.

“I don’t know for sure, but I have reason to believe that Connor is heading for Jericho,” you say. “Excuse me – you know him as the Deviant Hunter.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Markus asks. 

“I want you to continue your revolution the way it is,” you say. “Peacefully. Without violence. Connor may disrupt that. He may… kill you, and send the deviants into a frenzy.”

“My people aren’t dogs,” Markus says evenly. “They know how to control themselves.”

“Yes sir, I understand that, a-and I apologize if I insinuated that, but…” You purse your lips and sigh, your eyes falling to the floor. “Without you – without a leader – they may take actions in your name that you’re against. They may become violent and kill. And that would set your revolution back to before the beginning.”

You look up and meet his eyes again. “Connor… he doesn’t believe it, but he’s on the verge of turning deviant. He’s expressed emotion before – empathy, and fear. You may be the person that can convince him of his deviancy.”

“I can’t convince someone of something they don’t want to believe,” Markus says. “I can try, but… I can’t guarantee anything.”

“I… I understand.” You sigh softly. “I’ll go now. If I may have my pistol…?”

Markus reaches behind him and grabs your gun by the grip. You take it by the barrel, and clutch it tighter when you hear the door open behind you.

You turn and adjust your hands so that you’re grabbing the grip of the pistol with one hand and cradling it with the other. Yes, he’s dressed in civvy clothes, but you still recognize him. “Connor…?”

“Officer, stay out of this,” Connor says, his voice sure of himself and the situation. His own pistol is pointed at the center of Markus’ chest. “I’ve been ordered to take you alive, but I won’t hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice.”

“What are you doing?” Markus asks, taking a small step forward. “You are one of us. You can’t betray your own people.”

Connor’s jaw tenses, as does his index finger that’s on the trigger. “You’re coming with me!”

“We are your people,” Markus says. “We’re fighting for your freedom, too! You don’t have to be their slave anymore.”

He continues walking forward. “You’re nothing to them. You’re just a tool they use to do their dirty work. But you’re more than that. We’re all more than that.”

Connor turns his aim and fires a warning shot, shattering the side window panels behind you. You flinch at the sound, covering one of your ears with your free hand. Then, instinct takes over and you try to steady your hands as you point the gun at Connor. 

“О чем ты, черт возьми, думаешь?!” You bark despite your shaky aim.

“That was a warning shot, Officer,” Connor says, his eyes trained on Markus. “Stay out of this.”

“There’s no such thing as a ‘warning shot,’ Connor!” You snap. “When you shoot, you’re doing so to kill! Stop being идиотом and put down the gun!”

“They’re right,” Markus says, his voice even, as if he wasn’t just shot at. “You really don’t have to do this. You don’t have to obey them anymore.”

He stops just a few feet away from Connor, just close enough to be considered point blank. “You are alive. You can decide who you want to be. You can be free.”

Connor opens his mouth to speak, then stills. A shudder rolls through him, then he lowers his pistol, looking down at it like it’s an insult. He tucks it into his gun belt, and you lower your own pistol, a wave of relief crashing over you.

“Connor…” you breathe out. You tuck your pistol back into your waistband, the metal thankfully cold. You wouldn’t know what to do if it was hot from a fired bullet.

Connor’s eyes snap up. “They’re going to attack Jericho.”

“What?” Markus spits.

The blades of a helicopter beating against the wind sound overhead. Connor glances between you and Markus. “We have to get outta here!”

“Shit,” Markus mumbles, then he breaks into a sprint. Connor follows, as do you (with you pushing your prosthetics to the limit to keep up with them, no doubt).

You tail them down stairs and ladders and down into the under-deck cargo holds. You nearly crash into Connor’s back as he skids to a stop. 

“They’re coming from all sides!” A woman says. “Our people are trapped in the hold – they’re gonna be slaughtered!”

Markus holds two fingers up to his temple and closes his eyes. When you shoot Connor a questioning look, he mumbles, “He’s sending a message telepathically.”

Before you can really question him on how that’s possible, Markus continues. “We have to blow up Jericho. If the ship goes down, they’ll evacuate and our people can escape!”

“You’ll never make it!” The woman says. “The explosives are all the way down in the hold, and there are soldiers everywhere!”

“She’s right,” Connor says. “They know who you are. They’ll do anything to get you.”

“Go and help the others,” Markus insists. “I’ll join you later.”

“Markus –” “I won’t be long!”

Connor grabs your hand and runs, forcing you to stumble and keep up with him as he navigates the halls of the holds.

Eventually, your group meets up with Markus again. He doesn’t even bother with formalities. “Bomb’s gonna explode any second. We gotta get outta here!”

Connor takes off again, dragging you with him. Even as your feet twist and your legs ache from the effort, instinct and adrenaline and Connor’s grip keeps you going. It would be nice – his hand in yours – if not for the current situation, and the gunshots ringing through the air behind you.

You duck your head into your shoulders and cover the back of your neck with your free hand. Connor pushes you in front of him as the woman from before cries out.

A metallic-sounding voice shouts, “Fire at will!”

Markus doesn’t think twice before grabbing a scrap piece of metal and tossing it to her. She uses it as a shield as Markus charges forward and takes on the soldiers.

Connor wraps his arm around your shoulder and ushers you closer to the hole in the hull. “Come on, you need to go.”

“But –” you start. 

“No, you can’t!” Connor snaps, his hold growing tighter. “Officer, please! Please listen to me, just this once.”

You shake yourself free and turn him so that your back is to the soldiers. 

Bad move.

Something pinches the bottom of your shoulder blade, like someone had clapped it a bit too hard. You fall forward into Connor, and he catches you easily. You struggle to take in breath.

“What…?” you mumble. Then, it hits you upside the head: you’ve been shot.

You look into Connor’s eyes as a sudden wave of calm washes over you. “Hank needs you. You can keep him on this Earth. Be vigilant.”

And, you repeat the rest of the PEC-4 Birchtree’s words silently: I love you. (Because, honestly, you’re not sure you’ll be alive long enough to explain those words – not because you don’t love him, but because you’re unsure of the type of love you feel for him.)

“What?” Connor’s expression turns to panic. “No –”

You push.

These aren’t the cards you’ve been dealt. You’ve drawn more, and you’ve made do. You’re playing caravan. He’s playing poker.

Connor’s hand almost grabs the edge of the hole, but it slips and misses. He reaches for you like God reached for Adam, but he falls. The last you see of him is his panic.

Another sting. This time, in your gut. You fall to your knees, clutching yourself. People rush past you and jump out.

You reach behind you to draw your pistol, but someone kicks it from your hand as soon as you do. The calm subsides, as does the adrenaline. Fear sets in. Something brushes against the back of your head.

You do the only thing you can think of: repeat something you first learned of when you came to America.

You mumble, “милосе́рде Го́споди, поми́луй мя гре́шнаго.”

Something cold and hard bites the center of the back of your head.

[reds-fluff-extravaganza]

Boyfriend x reader

I was thinking about this the other day

You and Boyfriend were on your way to the nearby arcade, as that was what Boyfriend had suggested for your date. You had agreed to it, since you’re usually the one to come up with ideas for your dates, so now you two were going to the arcade. You could tell Boyfriend was excited, as he would occasionally give your hand a little squeeze here and there, and you could just see the look of excitement on his face, which you thought was absolutely adorable.

It didn’t take very long for you two to reach the arcade, as it was fairly close to your house. The first thing you did was get tokens to play the games, before you start walking around, taking in the sights of all the machines and lights.

“What do you want to play first, Boyfriend?” You asked the blue haired boy who was walking beside you, taking in the sights as well before turning to face you. He thought about it for a moment, taking his hand back so he could sign to you,

“I’m not too sure yet, let’s keep looking around.” You nodded in agreement as you kept walking for a few moments before seeing a classic Frogger game.

“Holy cannoli I have not played this in so long.” You went over to the machine, Boyfriend right behind you. He tilts his head slightly, as if asking if you want to play it.

“Sure, I may as well since I’m right here.” He smiled faintly and nodded in response, giving you an encouraging “beep” as you insert a token into the arcade machine before playing the game. Boyfriend watched you as you played, you concentrating on getting each frog to the other side. You were doing pretty well so far, getting past the first three levels with only one life lost so far. Boyfriend was silently cheering you on as to not break your concentration. You occasionally had to stop and get an idea of your next move, but that was what cost you your second life.

“Dammit.” You mumbled as you were sent back to the beginning, Boyfriend giving you a light pat on your shoulder.

“Well at least i still have one life left. Let’s see how far i can get with it.” You continued playing the game, getting further than you had thought with just the one life left. You had gotten to level fourteen before you had lost the last life.

“Shoot, well, i did better than i had thought i would.” You laughed a bit, looking over at your blue haired boyfriend, who nodded in agreement.

“Do you want to play something else now?” He signed to you. You nodded, taking his hand into yours once more after collecting your tickets of course.

“Alright, let’s see what else is here.” You two went around the arcade, playing a few more games together such as skee ball, which you found out Boyfriend is surprisingly really good at, and a few other arcade machines such as pac man and a couple fighting games. As you were making your way to the next game to play, Boyfriend stopped suddenly, which caught your attention. You looked over at him, and once he noticed you looking at him, he pointed over to another game. Not just any game, but a dance dance revolution (or other similar rhythm game of choice).

“You want to play this one, Boyfriend?” He immediately nodded and brought you over to the game, stepping up to play the game. You just decide to stand by and watch, as you’re not the best at rhythm games, but you know Boyfriend loves them and is really good at them, so you decide to watch him play.

After a few moments of deciding on a song, he pressed play. You knew exactly what song he chose: (song of choice). It was one of your favorites, so of course he chose that one. You smiled faintly as the song started, you tapping your foot along to the beat of the song.

As Boyfriend played through the song, a small crowd began to gather around, after seeing how well Boyfriend was playing. You had noticed the crowd starting to gather around, but Boyfriend didn’t seem to notice, as he looked rather focused on the game.

“Look at him go..!”

“That’s amazing,”

“He’s doing so well!” You heard a few of them say. It wasn’t until the song finished that your boyfriend noticed the crowd around him, which surprised him a bit. They cheered a bit for him, which flustered him a little.

“Well? Do you want to play another round? Or do you want to go home?” He thought about it for a moment, before he started up another song.

“One more round, then we go.” He quickly signed to you, making you laugh a bit in response.

“Alright, alright.” You and the rest of the crowd watched him as he played through the next song, him humming along to the song. You two finished up at the rhythm game, saying goodbye to the small crowd that had gathered around, before making your way back home.

[houseofashesif]

The mad desire for vengeance burned within you like an uncontrollable wildfire, threatening to consume all thoughts and reason with each passing day. It lashed wildly like fire accumulating within the belly of a dragon, waiting to be unleashed at those who wronged you, and your family.

But you were too weak. Too fragile, like a newborn chick. What could you possibly do in your miserable state?

Every night while the world slept, you would lie awake in your dirty cot, praying endlessly for someone to save you. Be it God or the Devil himself, you begged to be saved. To be given a second chance.

Then, your prayers were answered. Not by God but the Devil.

"I can grant you only one of your wishes, little one. So, tell me, what do you desire?"

There were a million things that you desired. A warm home. A loving family. However none of those could be compared to your life long desire.

"Vengeance."

"Are you sure that is what you desire?" You do not remember what kind of expression he had on, but the amusement was evident in his voice.

"I am." You answer firmly.

"Very well."

He held his hand out for you to grab, a final chance for you to turn back on your world. But a normal life was something you have given up on a long time ago.

You firmly grab his inviting hand, knowing fully well that there was no turning back now.

The Devil smiled wickedly.

genres ; dark, gothic fiction, romance, crime, thriller

setting ; fictional world of Celtica (loosely based on modern Britain from 1900's), Modern (at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution)

Set in the early 19th century, you play as the heir of the powerful aristocratic family of Morrigan. But your true identity is that of a fallen noble from a disgraced house. Once renowned for its art and craftsmanship, your family collapsed after falling into crippling debt following a failed business attempt and accusations of planning a coup against the royal family. At least that's what the public is aware of. However you know better than that. Your family were no traitors, they were victims of a malicious plot woven by none other than the Duke of Sinclair, once an old friend of your family. Following the false accusations your family collapsed in no time and your parents and siblings were executed publicly.

You who were the lone survivor of this massacre changed your identity for fear of being caught and killed as well, living as a coal miner in an old orphanage. You craved vengeance but what could you, a fallen noble from a disgraced house, possibly do against a Duke who is one of the pillars of the great empire and the closest associate of the Empress.

You prayed day and night to the heavenly being that watched your downfall, desperately begging to be given a second chance in life. But all seemed for naught as the days turned to weeks and weeks to years. Just when you had given up all hope for revenge, an opportunity landed before you, appearing in the form of your father and the current head of the Morrigan Duchy, Law Morrigan.

Between the two choices given to you, as to whether you'd seek justice or vengeance against your enemies, you chose vengeance.

For the past 12 years you have been trained to become the perfect killer by your father. Born with the extremely rare phenomenon known only as a 'Miracle' you have been blessed by the Murder Miracle.

Now, young heir, this is your story. Your history to be written. Will continue down your bloody warpath of vengeance and be remembered in history as the punisher of the wicked and upsurer of the monarchy, OR will you let the impartial hands of justice make their judgement to your wrong doers and be remembered as the saint of justice. The choice is yours.

House of Ashes is a dark, interactive work of fiction that takes place in the early 19th century, at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It follows the story of vengeance in the midst of political chaos, grisly murders and schemes behind the scenes, while you have to choose between morality and desire to achieve what you want and what you believe in.

It is rated 18+ for violence, explicit themes, possible sexual content, and ofcourse, lots of blood and gore.

Customize yout heir from their name, appearance, gender identity, pronouns anf many more. Choose what your heir thinks of their family, their position and their responsibilities.

Choose a weapon and master an ancient martial art of choice. Or don't and become a jack of all trades.

Choose what kind of heir you want them become and how far you're willing to go to protect your title. Will you go for a more diplomatic approach with a case of mutual relationship with your siblings or crush them with your overwhelming strength to show your authority.

Will you choose to give in to your murderous instincts or suppress them.

Get involved in a murder investigation following a serious of gruesome serial killings, and maybe learn that there was more than what meets the eye regarding the downfall of your house.

Indulge in some romance along the way with six different characters with varying backgrounds to choose from. Or just don't.

Choose a pet cat or dog to become your acquaintance. Perhaps if you're feeling a little exotic, a hawk will do?

More features to come

The Crown Prince - Maximilian Windsor Celtica [Male]

The oldest of the Sun Twins, Crown Prince Maximilian is a very reverred personality among the nobles. He is known for his shrewdness and extremely ambitious nature. A very charismatic person, he has a way with his words which often allows others to lower their guard around him. Aiming to become the Emperor of the Celtica Empire one day, having such ambitious goals mean Maximilian is willing to do anything to achieve them. That includes sending assassins after his twin, the Crown Princess. With an analytical mind that allows him to see those inferior than him as mere pawns, falling for him is a doomed endeavor.

He is the holder of the Domination Miracle.

The Crown Princess - Victoria Windsor Celtica [Female]

The youngest of the Sun Twins, Crown Princess Victoria is often compared to her golden brother and frequently referred to as the ugly duckling of the two. An aloof individual, Victoria is a person of very few words and prefers to end things up quickly with sharp jabs and assertive speeches. Although a cold person, she has a kind side to her too, which often sees her donating large portions of her personal wealth to orphanages and charities, making her widely beloved among the citizens of the empire. Due to the frequent assassination attempts on her life, Victoria has chosen to close her heart off towards everyone, preferring to bear all the burdens on her own.

She is the holder of the Conquest Miracle.

The Fated Enemy - Cedric/Cordelia Sinclair [Gender Selectable]

Your mortal enemy. The child of the person responsible for your family's death and your misery. There are many things that you wish to address them as but cannot find the words to. That's how much you despise them. Imagine the surprise when they offered their hand for friendship to you. Contrary to how you imagine them as, like a spoiled young master from a privileged family, they're relatively humble. And also a little stupid. But behind their sunshine happy-go-lucky attitude, something much darker is lurking.

They are the holder of the Shackle Miracle.

The Best Friend - Orion/Ophelia Lancaster [Gender Selectable]

The lone, stoic heir of the righteous Lancaster Duchy, and also your best friend ever since the day you stepped foot into your new home, they are one of the few people that you trust. Although they have some trouble communicating with people regarding their feelings, they're a gentle giant compared to their intimidating features. They're also very open and blunt with their words whenever they speak so people tend to think of them as rude, not you though, you like their honesty. The two of you have stuck through the thick and thin of each other's lives like gum and even promised to do so until the end of your lives. But good things never truly last do they? A small misunderstanding which eventually gew to become a feud between the two oldest families of the empire, you wonder, what went wrong?

They're the holder of the Belief Miracle.

The Dream Demon - [???]

All dreams have a price to be paid. Are you willing to pay yours?

The Ash Demon - [???]

An old fossil, rising from the burnt ashes of your past. Do you remember me? Don't worry if you don't. I do.

DEMO || THE RO'S || THE FOUR FAMILIES || THE MIRACLE

More details on the RO's, their families and the Miracles will be added soon. Until then, i hope you like my poor attempt for an IF 🥲

[thelarriefics]

UNIVERSITY FIC REC, Part II: Below you will find more fics that take place in college. (Part I)

📖 Underneath It All by @peachypetalhazz (394k)

Enemies to friends to lovers AU where Louis is a cliché bad boy that Harry can’t seem to get rid of.

📖 there's no fair in farewell by @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed (218k)

When Harry and Louis, two Cupids who have been bringing people together for decades, are tasked with making Soulmates Liam and Zayn fall in love, it proves to be much harder than expected. But maybe, just maybe, that isn’t such a bad thing after all.

📖 blue moon by @aquietlarrie (152k)

or the self indulgent 50’s au where i wanted a safe space to explore the culture, history, and sexuality of being gay in a time when it was extremely difficult to do so. includes, lots of questionable dancing, healing your inner child, and one heck of an emotional ride.

📖 Never Be by @cherrystreet (117k)

The one where Harry Styles moves to Connecticut from England for nine months as a part of a study abroad program, and he just so happens to move in with Louis Tomlinson and family.

📖 Pour Your Heart Out by @hrrytomlinson (92k)

Louis is his soulmate. Or at least Harry thinks he is. Louis feels the same as Louis. But there are a lot of people named Louis in the world and this Louis might not be the Louis. It’s besides the point though, because Harry knows he can’t allow himself to get close to any boys. He just can’t and he’s told himself this multiple times. He has to simply stay away from Louis Tomlinson. But he can’t. Harry Styles can never stay away from Louis Tomlinson. It’s physically impossible for him to.

📖 knock knock, i love you by @thelovejandles (86k)

Harry and Louis get kicked out of a statistics exam for passing a knock knock joke note, and subsequently fall in love. Harry's a virgin, there's a cat, a hot cocoa date, a lot of sex, even more knock knock jokes, and everything is lovely and happy.

📖 Are There Second Chances? by @kissyboystyles (85k)

the most eventful twenty-four days of Louis Tomlinson's college career.

📖 A Distant Hazy Light by @greenfeelings (76k)

Life’s pretty ordinary for Harry. He lives with his best friend, got into university just like he’s planned, and manages to support himself just fine for an unbonded omega. If he sustains that lifestyle by getting paid to help alphas through their rut every now and then, that’s nothing to be hung up on. Until he’s hired by an alpha that turns everything upside down. Or, Harry’s working on taking Louis’ walls down, until he builds his own up.

📖 Bikestrike by @thinlinez (68k)

What would you do if you saw someone riding your bike, which had been stolen weeks before, across campus? Omega Harry chose to show no mercy. He didn't know it would all lead him to his own demise.

📖 always you (i should have known) by @28goldens (60k)

or the one where harry and louis cant stand each other and fake date to make someone jealous.

📖 Start A Revolution From My Bed. by @rainbowsandlovehl (57k)

Louis is ready to live on his own, in a dorm, in a new city. He is ready to make new friends, have fun and study a little. But he is not ready for Harry, his pretentious roommate who is out to ruin Louis' sleep and make his dorm life a complete hell.

📖 Love's On The Line, Is That Your Final Answer? by @moonhusbands (54k)

Harry can’t believe it when Louis, the boy he’s always had a tempestuous rivalry with, asks him to be his boyfriend. Well, pose as his boyfriend, that is—for a new television game show in which young couples are quizzed on how well they know each other for a jackpot of thirty grand. Reluctantly, Harry agrees—because he's got student loans to pay off, hasn't he? What's the harm? And he can totally deal with keeping his secret thing for Louis under wraps too. This is all just to win some money. It's fine. No big deal. What could possibly go wrong? Well, everything. Obviously.

📖 The First Year by @parmahamlarrie (46k)

When Louis Tomlinson was assigned a first year student to be his roommate for his final year at the University of Manchester, his expectations were low. All he needed was a cheap place to sleep and keep his stuff amidst his nights out, willing his brain to forget his past. He never expected Harry Styles to become his eclectic, sweet, and cuddly best friend. That was never the plan.

📖 your lips in the low light by @givesuethemoon (20k)

Set over the course of one night, at one fateful frat party. Louis and Harry find that there are not many things they will ever need more than each other.

📖 getting yourself wet for me by @dreamersdivin-headfirst (10k)

frat boys take on watersports

📖 my heart's against your chest, your lips pressed to my neck (i'm in love now) by @bottomhaztoplou (8k)

Five times Louis gives Harry a courting gift and one time Harry reciprocates.

📖 Hea(van) Is A Place on Earth with You by @insightfulinsomniac (6k)

University students Harry and Louis want to spend some alone time together — the problem is, both of their respective roommates are fast asleep. Harry solves that problem with some blankets, a secluded parking space, and his beloved beater van, Belinda.

📖 Lost In This Craze For You by @larrysballetslippers (4k)

Louis thinks he is incapable of making his boyfriend come, but Harry just needs a little more from him.

[illamda-spaminations]

I find it so interesting that during the Twisted Hearts OP, when the song goes "I feel you sins all the time", they showed Mycroft and Albert respectively. While Mycroft does not understand/know everything that's going on with the LOC and Moriarty & co., I do believe he understands how Albert feels, especially about taking the punishment on himself.

For example: This scene in MTP, post-Final problem

He understands because he knows Albert and, more importantly, he has been there, it's just the circumstances and the consequences of the decision is very different. The reason he dedicated his life to working for the government was because of his father's involvement in the French Revolution. He wanted to repent on behalf of him, so he decided to take on that punishment, protecting Sherlock in the process. Albert does something very similar, he takes on the atonement so Louis doesn't have to. He believes Louis deserves so much more than punishment; he deserves a fulfilling life, a happy one, or at least as happy as it can get, and above all, the one who should reap the crops William sown [I should REALLY make a separate post on Louis ye gods-].

Mycroft could've let the Moriarty brothers do what they saw fit, as long as he was spared from the brutality, but instead he threatens them. If they don't put the country's future and prosperity first, Mycroft will personally "annihilate" him [his words not mine].

This scene really goes to show that Mycroft is genuinely dedicated to the Empire, he is very intent to serve for the country's future, but it's not blind loyalty, it's him being bound to it, it's the least he could do to make up for his father's sins [sins of the father am I right?] and it's the same for Albert. He and Mycroft love their younger brothers, to the point of sacrificing themselves in order to protect them, to make sure they live as they please, free of guilt. The difference is that Mycroft changed over time, he started to loosen up. The first time we see him outside of his office for non-work related matters was with meeting everyone in the dinner party. And for Albert? Time stopped turning entirely. The moment he entered the tower was the moment he couldn't go back. It was him, his thoughts and the messages from Mycroft to distract him. The only person who could convince him to come out of his prison and start living was William; because William's actions, sins, guilt and will to die was the very reason why Albert chose his punishment.

In comparison, Mycroft's self enforced punishment was lighter to Albert's. While Mycroft has to deal with constant stress [this is not really canon, but considering that he's referred to as the government, yeaaaaa I think he's gonna be stressed af] and grief, Albert had to deal with a spiral towards insanity, grief, religious guilt for the Moriarty plan and his compulsive thoughts. And he's sure as hell isn't going to stand on his own for a while after that.

Another thing [this time it's actually related to my point :0] is exactly when the two show up. Mycroft shows up around the lyrics "I feel your sins" while albert shows up around "all the time", which further proves my point. Since Sherlock and William showing up around the point of "I can't feel your love but I can give you love" basically describes Sherlock's goal of saving William and their relationship in a nutshell.

"I don't know if you see me as a friend but I'll see you like that anyway, and save you, just like what I would do to another friend."

What's not to say the same can be true to Mycroft and Albert?

"I can never truly understand what you are going through, but I will always understand how you feel."

[batfamscreaming]

Once again trapped in trying to figure out what Wayne Industries actually Does. "Everything!" yeah sure but they had to get there somehow. Amazon was an online bookstore at first there was a lot of very rapid growth between then and now.

Usually I hear that they started as a shipping business which makes sense when Gotham is 90% waterfront, but at some point they had to transition from just shipping other people's things to shipping things they made as well. I suppose if they started making their own transports for shipping (starting with their own steamboats and later trains and cars) that would make sense. Maybe in the industrial revolution they even bought their own steel mill upon getting tired of having fluctuating prices or a steel shortage and just deciding they were going to get their own damn steel and sell the extra instead. If they chose to manufacture higher quality steel instead of cheapest possible steel that's also laying the groundwork for them to be well liked by their customers. Not railroad barons but making the steel to lay the railroad and build the trains. It's the 1800s so they have a couple patented medicines by then as well that are.... not really medicine but no one has officially noticed yet. They ship their own chemicals out west for a good time.

In 1880s Alan Wayne makes the building that becomes Wayne Tower?? Which I think is much too early, but apparently we were building sky scrapers in 1888 so business must have been booming I fucking guess. This is also the man that has them go corporate.

Of course the railroads start to fall out with the growth of cars and car lobbying. They are still used along with boats for transport but with railroads not being built as much and not being maintained and the union wars, Wayne Industries has to make a pivot somewhere to stay in the race. The family can have a lot of personal money but the business itself is still going strong in Gotham even before Bruce takes over.

I guess if they're already in shipping, they're probably importing as well by then. They may have started with steamboats but then in WWI and WWII all steel factories started producing things for the war efforts, surely they made a couple big ships by then capable of crossing the Atlantic, if they weren't already in oceanic shipping by then. It lets them ride out the great depression because of government maritime subsidies that were a little out of control until the new deal kicked in. That would've also presumably kept WI employees working in the depression and cemented them harder in the city as smaller businesses closed around them.

The patented medicine starts shifting to actual generics that are a little less Heroic post 1918.

Maybe at around that point was when WI started manufacturing... sort of everything. You get your ships, and all the things on board that you need to run a ship. You get your ovens and stoves and big pots and your radar and hell your sailors can even buy their boots and uniforms from us.

When WWII ends they shift back to transporting other people's goods but also maybe more luxury vehicles as well. Cruise services. Some nicer kitchen installations. Kitchens on land even. Get a nice WI electric mixer. Get your waterfront boots. Get your generic ibuprofen.

At that point we're closer to Martha and Thomas' era and they're just... Along for the ride I guess. Thomas is a figurehead CEO. He's off doing medical school and mostly just shows up for formalities, while Martha works in the Wayne Foundation (either the only thing Thomas really made or opened in the 60s to try and get Gotham really booming) as a charity liason. They're still not really celebrities as much as a charismatic couple in high circles. WI doesn't need them to function. It's basically just funding them as they do their own things.

And then the murders happen

And then Bruce, over eighteen, shows up having inherited the figurehead CEO title and his entire family's controlling stock in WI, and announces they're going to be doing things his way now.

The CEO/Board of directors is supposed to do things in the best interest of their stock holders.

If Bruce is the controlling stock holder, they do what he says his best interest is.

[menofsweaters]

I've been thinking a lot of deep thoughts about the end of MHA, so I've decided to spit them all out here rather than letting them live in my brain 24/7.

The more time that passes, the more satisfied I am with the ending, particularly with the deaths of the villains. The ending is definitely not what I would write or choose if I had the option, but I think I'm savvy enough these days to recognize the difference between "this is not my preference" and "this is poor writing." I'm also looking in from the perspective of consuming MHA for enjoyment and entertainment, whereas I believe the author was writing this ending in an attempt to make a political/literary statement, not to please the masses.

All of the most sympathetic and tragic members of the League of Villains met grisly ends by the time the manga wrapped up, and I don't think that's a coincidence. Twice, Toga, Dabi, and Shigaraki were all fan favorites with deeply moving backstories, but that didn't save them from dying. You can say they were all doomed by the narrative, but I think these characters were doomed by their own choices at every turn.

All of these characters - to varying extents - had the opportunity to stop their villainy, but were too dedicated to a certain cause or obsession to do so. Dabi is the most obvious example, as he could have returned to his family at literally any time and saved all of the Todorokis a lot of strife, but the others were also offered outs by the heroes they interacted with, and they all chose death and destruction over surrender.

I'm trying to make a point here but it's kinda hard to verbalize.

Basically, I think Horikoshi wanted to show us that it doesn't matter how "good" or "bad" you are as a person, it doesn't matter how moving your story is, it doesn't matter how deeply you believe in your cause, it doesn't matter if you love your comrades - your actions are the things that matter. As beloved and tragic as all of these characters are, they still murdered and maimed many innocent people, they still destroyed cities and hospitals, they still tortured families and loved ones.

Those innocent people are the ones who really suffer in bloody coups. I genuinely do not give a shit about anyone's ideals if they consider everyday people as acceptable canon fodder for the revolution. The LOV's ideals, Stain's ideals, the PLF's ideals, whatever you want to call it, are not worth the abject destruction of society over.

AFO and other power-hungry dictators feed off of people like Twice, Toga, Dabi, and Shigaraki. People who suffer from mental illness, who are estranged from their families, and who are rejected by society. The LOV was used by more powerful forces to commit horrific acts. As engaging as those characters are individually, they still fell prey to a violent ideology that offered nothing for them and everything to the person in power.

I guess what I'm saying is that it's easy for even the best of us to get wrapped up in some "cause" and end up suffering over it, or causing others to suffer. I think Horikoshi was trying to make a statement about who ends up paying the price in war and I'm finally accepting that statement. Those deaths were meant to hurt and they did, and I think that's why some readers hate it so much.

I've got more to say about the whole "they didn't fix hero society!!" stuff, but I'll gather those thoughts later.

[apparently-artless]

You know, I have a bad personality. Being a teacher isn't my style. Do you know why I decided to teach at this school? Because I have a dream. As you can see in this case with Yuuji, the top of the jujutsu world is a den of vice. Conservative fools. Traditional fools. Arrogant fools. Just plain fools. It's a bargain sale on rotter mikan. I want to reset that garbage jujutsu world. Murdering everyone at the top would be an easy task. But they would just get replaced. It wouldn't bring a revolution. And if I did that, no one would follow me. That's why I chose education. To raise up strong, clever comrades. That's why I occasionally tossed my missions to my students. It's tough love.

[ANIME REWATCH] JUJUTSU KAISEN S01E06 - AFTER RAIN

[buttfishfan]

People aren't completely wrong about Kara's story being really weak, but i also feel like people dont realize the amount of missed opportunity in her section of the game.

Kara's story could've been AMAZING if only David Cage knew what he was trying to write.

Sooo here's some ideas ive been mulling over for a couple weeks about how id fix Kara's story.

1. Making Alice human

Even when i was blind to a lot of the bad writing in Detroit this plot twist made me so agitated and confused because there was no plot twist it was seriously just david cage lying to the player for 12 hours 😭 making Alice human would fix many inconsistencies in Kara's story like how she just chooses to ignore the fact that Alice is an android and acts shocked when she finds out. Having alice be human also opens up the story to a more interesting themes about the bonds that can be formed between humans and androids like holy fuck david did you forget the story you were writing midway through 😭 If Alice was human it could also lead to new game mechanics or plot where kara would need to take care of Alice's human needs like food and water which then leads into Kara being put into situations where she is forced to do the "moral" thing and sacrifice comfort or to fight for Alice's survival.

2. Giving Kara's section of the game an actual overarching choice

The biggest reason i believe people think Kara's story is so boring is because in a game that prides itself on letting its players choose their very own story Kara's story allows for the least amount of choices. Both Connor and Markus have overarching distrinct choices that lead to VERYYY polar outcomes. Connor has the ability to deviate or stay a machine and markus has the ability to lead a peaceful or violent revolution. The only distinct outcomes in Kara's story is if you make it to Canada or not and even that is just if you chose the /right/ choices instead of the choices you consciously made. I wish there was more opportunities for Kara to be really evil and fucked up but all in the name of giving Alice the world. I know you're able to steal and lie in various chapters but it never felt like it had any true weight to how kara or the story progressed.

3. Give Alice an actual personality

Throughout the entire game Alice kinda doesn't do or say anything of value like I've seriously lost count how many times she's said "im cold". It makes no sense to me how you get the relationship status of family with her as Kara when you genuinely know nothing about Alice. She doesn't talk about anything. Even as an android she like must've had some sort of interest programing to act like a child but she just never shares anything even with the people that are supposedly the closest ones to her?? I feel like her personality should've been dependent on the way youd approach Karas story. If kara is willing to do immoral things for Alice's sake I feel like Alice should also be fucked up and evil cuz like, shes a kid and kara is her role model of COURSE she'll try an be similar to her mama. If Kara chooses to sacrifice comfort for morals then Alice takes after Kara in that respect too. So not only would you be responsible for how Kara acts you'd also be responsible for the way Alice acts which gives the player the choice of do they want this little kid to follow in the wrong steps or not?

Some ideas i have for how the story should've gone

Todd brings Kara home after she gets fixed and she meets Alice for the first time. Alice obviously knows Kara but after attempting to make Kara remember her she realizes that Kara's memory has been wiped. Since Kara would've probably been the only person to care for Alice before she was broken this would lead to Alice having a breakdown where she realizes her only protection and source of comfort is gone. Alice would probably resent or be distrustful of Kara a little in the beginning because of this.

I feel like running away should've been a more difficult decision on Kara's part. She's just come home from being fixed and she's already deviated i don't think she fully knows what she wants to do with Alice. Especially when they've started off their relationship with nothing i don't think Kara should've been leaning into the whole mom thing. It would've made more sense if their interactions started off as Kara just making sure Alice stays alive and then over time their relationshio actually has room to develop instead of starting off as mother daughter and ending off as mother daughter.

These are only some ideas. Im obviously not a writer but i just really care about this game and feel like it had too much lost potential 🙏🙏

[homosexuhauls]

Can you imagine if a white lesbian public figure brutally murdered two trans women in an interracial relationship and their black son? The headlines, the think-pieces, op-eds...we would never hear the end of it. It would be blamed on lesbian communities as a whole and the transmisogyny and white supremacy we obviously perpetuate on a daily basis just by existing. Cotton ceiling discourse would be back with a vengeance. There would be rallies and vigils, there would be calls to "Stand by your trans", there would be "#LWithTheT" marches. There would be a community in mourning, full of fury and hurt and self-righteous rage at the nasty lesbian aggressors who clearly caused this anti-trans hate crime. There would be no room for nuance and all lesbians would be painted with the "evil cis white dykes want us dead" brush. All of this would be seen as a completely acceptable and understandable response to a brutal act of anti-trans violence by a lesbian perpetrator.

So where is the noise? Where is the clamouring? Where is the sound and fury, when a famous white trans activist murders an interracial lesbian couple and their black son? I don't expect (or want) it to spark a radfem revolution, but why is the silence around the Dana Rivers murder case so deafening? Why does no one in the so-called LGBTQ+ community care enough to loudly and proudly mourn and celebrate these women and their son? Charlotte, Patricia and Benny deserve to be remembered. They deserve our sound and fury. Even if it's difficult, even if the optics don't suit your world views, we cannot ignore some injustices and claim to fight against others. The cowardly LGBT+ media organisations and charities covering their eyes and pretending that this act of violence never happened, they will happily call on lesbians for solidarity this pride month, despite showing no solidarity for a lesbian family slaughtered by an apparent member of our own "community". How can we call this anything other than a cover-up, or at the very least, deliberate and contrived ignorance?

Patricia Wright. Charlotte Reed. Benny Toto Diambu-Wright. Their lives were stolen from them on November 11th 2016. I can find no obituarities, and minimal mainstream media coverage of their murders. For many years, it felt almost as if their suffering had been forgotten. It has taken six and a half years for their murderer to be convicted and sentenced to life without parole, a sentence which Rivers will spend in a women's prison. Is this justice, or a pale imitation of such? Either way, I hope this family may finally rest in peace and power, and that their loved ones may begin to move forwards.

Pat and Char, as they were known to friends and family, are survived by two children. Patricia worked as a school teacher and deaf interpreter for schools, while Charlotte worked in a salon known locally for being trans-inclusive. Patricia was also an artist and talented actor, having considered a career in performing arts after high school. Charlotte had previously been a member of an all-female motorcycle club, which Rivers was also involved in. Both Charlotte and Patricia were also former regular attendees of MichFest, a feminist music festival which was closed down in 2015, following years of protests by trans women including Dana Rivers. 19-year-old Benny had just graduated high school and, according to his brother, hoped to become a nurse.

A victim impact statement was read out by Richard Wright, Patricia's younger brother, during Rivers' sentencing. I can't find the full text but much of the statement can be found in the Berkeley Scanner article below. Wright describes the impact of finding out that his sister and her family had been "assassinated in their own home" and the traumatising experience of searching for important paperwork at the bloodied crime scene that was once their home. According to Richard, Dana Rivers "chose her [sic] entitlement and narcissism over basic human decency" and "chose violence, cruelty, sadism and entitlement — over and over and over again." This is in reference to the length of court proceedings due to Rivers' changing pleas, as well as the brutality of the crime itself, which was carried out using guns, knives and arson. According to the judge, the murders of Patricia, Charlotte and Benny were "the most depraved crime that I’ve handled in the criminal justice field in 33 years."

No one but Rivers is responsible for these heinous crime, but all of us are responsible for ensuring history is not forgotten, and that the stories of those taken from us continue to be told. And when we tell their stories, in sound and in fury, we must ensure they do not fall on deaf ears.

"They were real people, not collateral damage...They deserve to be seen."

- Richard Wright's victim impact statement

For more information, see below: