#Damn two writings in one day??

[regretisstoredintheme]

Rise Raph x crush reader who loves to hand make plushies and one day makes one of Raph they often cuddle with when he’s away and one day Raph finds the plush cuz Reader had left it behind by accident?

Wowowowowowowowowoooooo—- AAAAYOO????? 

A Request???

*snatches paper* 

“Soradragon asked: Rise Raph x crush reader who loves to hand make plushies and one day makes one of Raph they often cuddle with when he’s away and one day Raph finds the plush cuz Reader had left it behind by accident?”

A/N: you, m’dear, are very bright. I may have taken just a smidge of creative liberty with this, but here it is all the same :))

- Teddy bear (A Oneshot) -

Warm light filtered into the windows of your room, bringing the gentle warmth that often reminded you of your favorite turtle. Your bandaged fingers brushed against your sheets, a reminder of how hard you worked. Every day you mended, created, and thought up new stuffed animals. It brought you both joy and pain- but you were always thankful for it. Making little dolls for people was your favorite thing, so when you had met Raph, the sweetest plush of all, you couldn’t help but stay up a few nights — making what you hoped was a realistic adaptation of the turtle. This plush you were going to keep for yourself, unlike all the others. Your very own teddy bear, because you had a sinking feeling you would never be able to cuddle the real thing. 

Last night was a bit of a blur—  you had been working on another commission, tirelessly threading your needle through the fabric. You had invited Raph to hang out since his family had all left the lair— something about a surprise — and he didn’t want to be alone.

Throughout the hours, the red-clad turtle had helped every now and then— but eventually, you felt his gentle hand rest on your shoulder. In curiosity, you met his eyes, which held nothing but kindness. “isn’t it a little— late, (Y/N)?” He smiled, yet his brows held worry— what time was it again? You couldn’t remember. “I should get this finished by tomorrow, Raph..” you mirrored his smile, only to pause as he chuckled, a hand pointing to your clock. 

“It already is tomorrow, (Y/N).”

Why that memory in particular was so clear, you couldn’t tell, all you knew was at some point he had coaxed you to sleep despite your protests. You had sleepily told him he could find some blankets in your closet, and that he was welcome to spend the night, but the last thing you could remember was a hand gently sweeping your hair out of your face. Then— there was nothing.

Your eyes fluttered open, hands gently accustoming to the feeling of the Raph plush in your arms- which- last you checked, had been hiding under your blankets. Apparently at some point in the night you had found it again, clinging to the soft fabric with your life. 

“Sorry— did I wake you?” A soft voice asked, and as you looked towards the door, your gaze met the one of your favorite turtle. You sleepily sat up, muttering something about how glad you were it was the weekend. Before you could say any more, a tray was placed on your lap - filled with an arrangement of cut fruits, syrup, and a bowl of oatmeal. “I.. didn’t know how you liked it..” Raph admitted shyly, before his eyes lifted, landing on the plushie you currently held in your lap. 

His mouth held agape for a moment, and he shook his head slightly, as if trying to snap himself out of it. His eyes dilated, and reality struck as he realized he was not, in fact, imagining it. When he didn’t respond to your many thanks, you looked up from your food, and followed his eyes.. to mini Raph. 

You could swear you felt your heart drop into your stomach.

How were you going to explain this one? Say that you were bored? Say that you were going to make the others as well? You knew you weren’t— but you would have to if you said that! How would you explain how dearly you held him it? How would he react? 

“Is that— me?” Raph questioned, swallowing the bit of excitement that crawled up his throat. You felt heat rush to your face, the words escaping you as you avoided his gaze. He crouched next to your bed, leaning closer to the plushie, “Does he have a name?” His arm tentatively reached out, letting the stuffed animal’s hand perch on his finger. 

“Well—“ you thought for a moment, trying to recover from the shock that he wasn’t upset with you. “Uhm, I haven’t really thought of a name other than Raph..” your chin rested on the plush’s head, fiddling with the edges of its shell. 

At the sight, Raph could feel his heart explode. He never thought he could feel jealous of a plushie! Not that he didn’t love the doll, it was just a reminder of where he wanted to be— but maybe this meant he had a chance..? His eyes scanned your face gently, a content smile on his face. “Well, if you wanna just stick with Raph, I suppose I’ll have to let it slide.” He chuckled, nodding over to your tray. 

“Now cmon. Your oatmeal’s getting cold.” 

Right on time, you felt your stomach start to burn, begging for sustenance of any kind. Ignoring how embarrassed you felt, you leaned forward, taking the spoon from the tray as well as a few fruits. The oatmeal was warm and delicious, melting in your mouth as you smiled into the meal. Raph gave a small excited noise at the look on your face, delighted that you seemed to enjoy it. 

A while of comfortable silence fell over the two of you, Raph trying his best to suppress the want to hug the absolute crap out of you. He could feel his tail gently wagging as he watched you, entirely content to sit there the entire rest of the day if you wanted. 

“Soo..” he said after a while, an ‘eldest brother’ look on his face, “was there a reason you chose to make me?” He tried to hide the hopeful edge in his voice, ultimately failing when you looked at him— a slight starry look in your eye. You bit your lip, considering whether or not this was a good time to spill about the warmth Raph brought you every day. “You.. well..” taking a gander outside your window, you observed that the sun was making a once-in-a-blue-moon appearance, glistening against the hues of NYC, and you thought.. maybe today was as good a day as any. 

“You may or may not be..” you started, feeling a lump in your throat at his expectant expression, “my favorite— person.. to be around..” hiding your face in your plushie, you tried to stim out your panic, “I— missed having you around..” your fingers fiddled with the soft hands of the creature, snuggling into it’s head. Raph paused, a look of pure joy on his face, his hand lifted, squeezing where his heart fluttered. Your favorite person? Really? Him? His cheeks hurt from how much he was smiling, and suddenly he couldn’t contain himself. His arms reached out, pulling you from where you perched on your bed into a rib crushing hug. He nuzzled into your hair, grinning from ear to ear as you let out a surprised squeak. 

“You’re my favorite person, too.” He cheesed, loosening his grip a little so you could actually breathe. “Can I have one of you, too?” Letting you some space so you could look at him, he caught a glimpse of the cherry blush on your face. “You okay?” He cupped your face with his hand, brushing your cheek with his thumb. You gave a sheepish smile, leaning into his touch. “Yes to… both questions.” 

You had no idea how to capture your own likeness, but you were sure Raph wouldn’t mind helping you out. 

—

A/N: It didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted it, but considering the grin I had on my face while writing parts of it — I’d say it was worth it 😤 I’m so glad I finally finished this, it’s been on the backburner for TOO long, especially with how sweet of an idea it is!!! (And that it may have been requested by one of my favorite ppl)

[megaerakles]

To Whom It May Concern

Tim couldn’t stay. 

No matter what Bruce had said when he caught Tim in the act of laying the paper trail to establish his Fake Uncle, no matter how long Dick had sobbed into the phone at him during an inordinately expensive long distance (read: off planet) phone call, no matter how much Alfred had been fussing over him and insisting it was no trouble at all to care for him since Tim’s scheme had been revealed and promptly foiled, it just didn’t change the fact that Tim couldn’t stay. Truthfully, the Wayne family’s apparent sudden burst of affection for him actually made this whole thing worse because somewhere along the way, without even trying, Tim had failed to keep things wholly professional between them and somehow tricked them into thinking he belonged in their family! 

He couldn’t let it stand. For the sake of Jason’s memory, for the sake of preserving the sanctity of the true Wayne family, he had to stop this… this absurdity of pretending that Tim belonged with them from continuing! Tim had to run. Tim had to vanish. It was the only way to make things right again. Sure, the thought of never seeing any of them again, the thought of being done with Bruce and Alfred and Dick and Barbara and everyone in his life he currently held dear once and for all made it feel as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest only to be shoved back down his throat to stop the flow of air into his body—but it didn’t matter. He didn’t matter, not nearly as much as they did. This would be for their own good. 

Tim was leaving, and it turned out to be easier than he thought it would be in the end. Not emotionally easier, but logistically easier. Bruce had been extra attentive lately, so he thought he’d have to fake an injury and get ‘benched’ so that they would lower their guard long enough for him to slip away. But by some divine stroke of luck, a new player had waltzed onto Gotham’s criminal scene not too long after Tim’s Fake Uncle plan fell through and started making threats against Batman and Robin. They had apparently freaked B out enough to prompt him to send Tim off to Titan’s Tower to ‘focus on his team for awhile’. Tim had accepted the command with the requisite amount of complaint, planted some fake texts to make it look like he’d actually communicated to his Team that he would be there, shoved everything from his guest room in the Manor that he couldn’t bear to part with into a duffel bag underneath a spare uniform, gave Bruce what only he knew was a more emotionally charged nod goodbye than usual, and then poof. Tim Drake was zapped out of the Batcave for the last time ever. 

He let himself have one night in the Tower. Partly to catch a few hours of sleep in a familiar and secure environment, but mostly so he could clean up his room for its next occupant, sweep his belongings and his person for any extra trackers, and repack his bag more efficiently. He also took the time to grab a spare backpack and fill it up with emergency rations. While he was taking plenty of cash, he didn’t want to risk having to go into stores with security cameras for a while, at least until he’d cleared a suitable distance from San Francisco proper as well as implemented the first of his many planned disguises. He didn’t think a bottle of cheap hair dye and some colored contacts would be enough to fool Oracle indefinitely, but if he was appropriately cautious it might keep her from getting a confirmation of his location long enough for the Bats to either get bored looking for him or to actually realize they were better off without him around. 

When the early rays of dawn started to bathe the sides of Titan’s Tower in ember colored light, he was off. He left behind seven trackers pulled from his clothes and bag and one more from behind his ear; he’d kept the one he noticed in his favorite pair of sneakers because it was a type that wouldn’t start transmitting data until the Bats actively started tracking it and he was hoping to find someone who wore his size at the bus station he could pay to wear them so he could throw them off for even longer. If all else failed, he would just toss them in an out of the way trash can. He had also left a letter of resignation for Batman that he’d whipped up based off of an online template, signed and sealed and awaiting discovery atop the pillow in his nearly empty dorm room (he had tried for something more personal, a longer note of explanation for Bruce about why he couldn’t stay despite being asked, but—the words just wouldn’t come, and he’d been running out of time). His bag was heavy, courtesy of all of the extra supplies he’d grabbed in anticipation of having to evade not only Batman’s team but the rest of the Justice League. His heart was heavy, courtesy of emotional baggage that he wished was as easy to unpack as his actual bags would be when he finally found somewhere to settle. 

He boarded the first bus he saw after he’d gone a few blocks and took a seat towards the back, where he leaned against the window and stared back at the iconic giant T that he used to belong in, however briefly, until it disappeared from sight. And just like that, Tim Drake’s life as Robin was over. 

—

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is to formally notify you that I’m resigning as Robin in Gotham City, effective immediately. 

Thank you so much for the opportunity to work with you all for the past three years. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the team and appreciated the opportunity to learn about vigilantism and hone my detective skills. I’m excited to take these skills with me as I pursue the next step of my career.

During the past two weeks, I have done everything possible to wrap up any ongoing cases and leave no unfinished business. The Robin suit as well as my spare have been cleaned and placed in the armory of Titan’s Tower along with any gear I have been issued. 

I wish Batman and team the best, but am afraid I will be out of contact for the foreseeable future. 

Sincerely, 

T. J. Drake

—

Red Hood stalked into Titan’s Tower with all the grace of a wildcat closing in on its prey, his vicious smirk hidden by his helmet, his unauthorized entrance hidden by virtue of the heroes’ own stupidity in failing to remove his codes from the database. Seriously—he’d thought gaining entry into their so-called fortress would be the hardest part of this little trip, and had only tried his access codes for the sake of checking the most stupidly obvious Plan A off his list! For them to work, to realize that there was nothing truly separating the precious sidekicks from the wrath of a vengeance minded crime lord, well… it sure made the message he was about to send feel all the more poignant. 

He had come equipped to subdue an entire horde of Teeny Titans without hurting them (much), but to his surprise, the tower was empty of kid sidekicks despite Robin having been sent to work with his team yesterday afternoon, a fact Jason had gleaned last night from listening to the mind numbing chatter of Nightwing being bored on a stakeout and wanting to chat with anyone over the comms Jason had hacked into. Which he’d done in order to better plan his aggressive takeover of Crime Alley, not because he missed hearing his family’s voices. Nope. 

(Since coming back to Gotham, it had been more difficult than he anticipated to stick to the plan when some part of his mind still stubbornly clung to those foolish, childhood dreams of belonging and family and a father who gave a shit and things like that, and kept popping up with annoying questions like ‘what if he revealed his identity to Dick or Alfred or someone just to see if maybe Talia had been right and they’d want him back after all. Clearly, the existence of a new Robin meant that they’d never really given a damn about him, so he was going to go through with this thing, just watch him.)

Truly this had to be fate, because the path to Robin was practically unfolding before him with no barriers. All that was left to do was find where in this gigantic clubhouse the itty little birdie was nesting. Jason tried the common room first. Then the kitchen. Then the rec room. And then the training floor. And the med bay. And then the armory, where he found Robin’s suit, but no actual Robin. He supposed the next place to check would be Robin’s bedroom, because even though it was well past eleven, Drake was a teenager and could conceivably be sleeping in, especially since there was no Alfred around to rouse him at a reasonable hour. Luckily, the doors on the floor with sleeping quarters were all clearly marked with either the name or symbol of the person it belonged to, so it was easy enough to find the one with that all too familiar stylized ‘R’. Jason paused to take a steadying breath before gritting his teeth and deciding to really make an entrance by kicking down the door. 

…To an empty bedroom. Like, not just devoid of Tim Drake, but also devoid of books, trinkets, photos, decoration, clothes, dishes, mess, et cetera, et cetera. It looked as clean and sterile as a hotel room, and if Jason hadn’t literally just seen Robin’s insignia on the door he would think he’d entered an unassigned room by mistake. He frowned and yanked off his helmet, as if looking with his own two eyes would suddenly change the scene, but no. Nothing. He strode into the room and yanked open the closet—empty. He walked over to the desk and yanked open the top drawer—empty. He yanked open the bottom drawer, and mostly empty except for—wait, was that a pile of deactivated Bat trackers? Fucking bizarre. When he stood up, he glanced around again, and this time something on the bed caught his eye. It had been easy to miss against the white pillowcase, but there was an envelope tucked up against the pillow. With a scowl, he stalked over and grabbed it. 

When Jason flipped it over, he noted that it was addressed to Batman, but decided that since he was a crime lord now he didn’t have to care about something as trivial as opening someone else’s mail. He didn't want to take off his gloves and risk leaving prints on anything, so he pulled out a dagger and used it to slice open the envelope. As he flipped it over to dump its contents on the desk, he had the fleeting thought that he probably should have put back on his mask in case this had been some villain’s ploy to poison Batman, but luckily all that fell out was a single sheet of printer paper folded into thirds. 

This he was careful not to damage as he unfolded it. It wasn’t a long note, just a few small paragraphs, so it was quick enough to read: To whom it may concern. This letter is to formally notify you that I’m resigning as Robin in Gotham City, effective immediately… 

Jason dropped the letter and took a step back, staring at the innocuous piece of paper with wide eyes and racing thoughts. Robin had—Drake wasn’t—Timothy—the kid, he was quitting? Leaving? Gone? 

It could be a trap. It probably was a trap. Except Robin shouldn’t have had any way of knowing Red Hood would be able to track him all the way to Titan’s Tower so why would he have set a trap for him in the first place? A trap for someone else, then? If it was, it was really, really stupid of him because the kid had signed his resignation letter from Robin with his actual name, and surely he wouldn’t have made it this far if he were that careless with his identity. So, it was either a very bad trap, or not a trap at all. And if it was not a trap at all, then… 

Then Robin had… resigned. Which, ok, Jason’s stated goal coming into this thing was to get Tim Drake to stop being Robin. So he should be happy about this, right? Except he’d not gotten to toss the kid around and work out his aggression at all so there was no satisfaction in it. Also, the timing was fucking obnoxious. Go figure that the very day he decides to do something about his replacement, the kid decides to peace out of the Gotham vigilante scene and… and go… 

… Somewhere. Jason had no idea where Tim Drake would go if he were no longer Robin. Given how he’d waited until he was alone and then left the note to be found on the other side of the country, Jason had a sneaking suspicion that returning to Gotham was currently off the table. The letter had said he would be ‘out of contact’ for the foreseeable future; Jason could read between the lines enough to figure out that meant he was running away. 

—Which, fuck. Another Robin was running away from Batman because of… well, Jason didn’t know what this kid’s issue with B was, but there were plenty of potential flaws in the man to choose from so Jason was going to play it safe and assume it was something Bruce did. Clearly, the man could never learn. And now, this poor dumb Robin was going to pay the price! Jason was more than familiar with the number of horrors that awaited kids who ended up on their own. He could starve; he could freeze to death; he could catch some disease like the flu, or get cut on a rusty nail and get tetanus, and then die from it because he couldn’t access medical treatment. He could get mugged, or harassed by cops, or snatched up by traffickers, or—

And fine; Jason himself had meant to hurt him. But that had been for ideological purposes, to prove a point about putting children in danger and not taking good enough care of them and stuff. It wasn’t like he was going to hurt him that badly, just bad enough to freak out Bruce a bit. But Jason was also the Red Hood, and the Red Hood’s mission was to do what was necessary to stop awful shit from happening to vulnerable kids. And this stupid, stupid letter was apparently enough to abruptly transfer Timothy Drake into that category in his head. 

Everything Jason had heard about the kid said he was smart, and the timing of his disappearance pointed to some thoughtful planning on his part. Jason could imagine that the little shit had some sort of plan in place to evade Batman’s attempts to locate him, and he probably could manage to run without getting caught by Bruce and the Gotham team for a while. Heck, the kid probably had strategies to get away from most if not all of the Justice League members, since B was sure to call in favors once he got frantic enough about the little bird. But one thing the kid likely did not plan for was being pursued by him. Ex-Robin, currently a crime lord, League of Assassins connections, and a bone to pick with Timothy specifically? (He ran away from home and left a fucking resignation letter about it? Does he not realize what that would do to Dick, to Alfred, to Bruce—)

After stuffing the letter into his pocket, Jason put back on his helmet and stalked out of Titans Tower as silently as he’d arrived, this time with a new yet equally furious purpose sharpening his steps. Sucked to be Timothy Drake, he thought, because the Red Hood got his message and he was officially concerned. 

[lighthouseas]

au where poor writer mike wheeler who can't seem to get a story published jumps at the chance to buy a weirdly cheap house in a nice neighborhood near a good publishing company because he doesn't have the money for anything else.

however, upon entering said house, he quickly realizes that it is not all that it seems - the wifi glitches constantly, the doors lock and unlock on their own, he hears footsteps at all times of the night, and he's starting to think that the really cute bowlcut-adorned apparition haunting his dreams isn't just something his constantly sleep deprived brain is making up. he would move out - except for the fact that he doesn't have the money to live anywhere else, so, after a while, he learns to live with said apparition. it's good inspiration for his books, anyway.

and so, when ghost!will eventually realizes that his haunting efforts are fruitless, he decides - against all ghost laws - that he should appear to mike. unfortunately, mike is very cute, and throws will off immediately. and even more unfortunately, mike doesn't find will scary at all.

cue lots of gay ghost pining. and also mike thinking he's hallucinating because he's so sleep deprived

[some-pers0n]

Every once in a while I think about the ship I've been obsessed over for close to two years now and feel like I'm ascending to another plane of reality. Like sometimes you just encounter a ship that hits every single mark and is perfect in every regard and you're left stunned how something like that can even exist

[dailykugisaki]

Day 103 | id in alt

Fish are animals that's why they're made of flesh, duh.

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

yeehaw just wrote over 3k and i can't publish Any of it without miles of fantasy au context

[pansysworks]

Little thing I finally finished!

Warnings for vague homophobia, tranphobia, and religious trauma.

Do you remember the double doors leading into your paradise? Paradise, where you were liked and loved. Valued, even.

Do you remember the double doors, where the smiling faces met you? With a computer in hand and a name badge to match. Welcoming you to the music with the worship and the snacks

Do you remember the double doors, and the auditorium inside? With gaming systems and food, a bribery was made. Your time for their beliefs.

Do you remember the double doors? Do you remember what lied before them?Remember being shunned and being told love is a sin?

Do you remember those double doors once they no longer hid paradise? The daunting feeling of those doors could suffocate the strongest of men.

Do you remember the double doors that hid the cruelty of children? Ignorance for others that could only be taught by their elders.

Do you remember the day the double doors shut for you, when the house no longer felt like a home? When the cross no longer felt familiar?

Do you remember sinking, falling, dying, when the double doors came into view?

Do you remember the double doors, and how they had sealed shut for you?

[beanghostprincess]

isn't it funny how sanji got two hair colours? how his head hair is a bright blond but beard and body hair are a deep black? and how his modified siblings got different hair colors as a modification marker? and how sanji's was supposed to be black?

You're just giving me more reasons to write angst

[tsukikoayanosuke]

One's Dazzling Light - Ruikasa Week 2024

Day4: Fantasy

Rui always thought that the world was cruel. That happiness doesn't exist in his play of life. The curtain rose to reveal a dark wood where he lived since he was born. A poor peasant couple; the toy maker husband and the housewife. In a world where magic surrounded the air, what could a pair of magicless humans do? 

Neither of them could raise a child of magic. Not just any magic; the Pure Darkness. A magic of jinx and curse. A magic that could bring ruin to the world. 

A magic bestowed on the only son of the poor Kamishiro family. 

His parents tried their best. They did. They loved him more than anything in the world and he lived him back. His father taught him about crafts and his mother taught him about flowers. 

But Rui was a child. A lone child who only wants friends. 

And yet no children his age wanted to step onto his stage. They shun him for having the cursed magic. He could count on one hand the children who eventually accept him the way he is; a shy mermaid named Nene who accidentally swam too close to the beach when he was practicing and a knight-in-training named Mizuki who had been outcasted for being too feminine. 

Those four people are the people Rui kept close to his heart.

And the world decided to take them away almost immediately.

"I got accepted!" Nene said to him, happy tears streaming down her cheeks. "Phoenix Orchestra. I get to sing and travel the world."

He didn't have the heart to beg her to stay.

"I'm going to the Knight Academy next year," Mizuki said to him. "Do you want to join in as well?"

He just shook his head, knowing he had no place there.

"We'll be home in just a week, okay kiddo?" His father ruffled his hair.

"Don't forget that we love you." His mother kissed his forehead.

They never came home. Their carriage was attacked. It was not an accident, Rui knew that. The punishment of being the parent of a cursed child. 

They tried to kill him as well, but a burning house could never hurt him. He sent it back to them, burning them to the bone. After all, Pure Darkness magic could increase misfortune. Perhaps he accidentally cast it upon himself. But he no longer cares. 

If the world tries to kill him, then he'll destroy them first with his own hand. 

"I understand you," the spotlight shone upon a lady in black with pink hair who smelled like death. She offered a hand toward him. "There are many who seek justice, to restart the world with a blank canvas. With your power, we shall bring salvation to those who seek." 

"What must I do?" 

"There are people who are the opposite of you; four people hold the power of Pure Light. Find them, bring them to me, and with the power of Pure Darkness, we shall create a Utopia." 

Rui, who has nothing left to lose and a desire to see the world crumble, took the hand. 

The title 'Alchemist' was bestowed upon him.

The world trembled before his title despite never seeing his true appearance for his illusion magic. In his search for those Pure Light, he brought judgment upon evil. Those who commit crimes will receive punishment from him. Those who wish for revenge upon their enemies, he shall fulfill it. The true Utopia may not come sooner, but he shall bring a little salvation to the people.

*****

In the small provincial town of Phenny, Rui had found one of the Lights. He had sensed a shift in magic the moment he stepped into the town. It was warm, inviting, peaceful... It was everything that Rui wasn't. A Pure Light, such presence they had.

It brought him to an inn. Rather crowded this late in the evening, filled with drunkards and knights off-shift. Rui schruched up hin nose. Could the Light possibly be here in this lowly place?

"Rui? Is that you?"

Rui turned toward the voice and saw a familiar pinknette, now dressed in a silver uniform. "Mizuki..."

"Hey, man!" Mizuki ran toward him, not hesitating to hug him. "It has been a while!"

"I thought you were still studying at the Knight Academy."

"I am. I'm in my final year, so we had a one-year service thing."

"Who are you servicing to?"

"Oh, just some guy." Mizuki didn't look at him as they waved their hand nonchalantly. A gesture of avoidance. They were hiding something and Rui had his guesses.

"Mizuki!"

There it was. A Pure Light walking toward them. Taking a figure of a young man dressed in simple, yet elegant, clothes at the same time; a suit, blue hat, a bow as a tie, and a coat over its shoulder with constellations. Hair as gold as sunset and eyes that shine with innocence.

The Light widened its eyes. "O-Oh. Hello! Are you a friend of Mizuki?"

"You can say that." Rui smiled just for pleasantry. "I'm Kamishiro Rui. And who might you be?"

"Tenma Tsukasa. But you can call me Tsukasa." It offered its hand and Rui took it. Such power radiated from that hand, sending shivers down their spines. "Are you a traveler?"

"You can say that."

It smiled. "Well, I hope we see each other around."

For a prey to invite its predator into its nest, perhaps the Light was more gullible than Rui thought it was.

*****

Passing Akito's room, he could hear the sound of him humming. It wasn't an unusual occurrence, the Wanderer is often one who announces his presence with either a whistle or a caw of his eagle. 

This melody, however, sounded more cheerful, more passionate, and filled with excitement.

"What are you humming about?"

Akito raised his eyebrow from his spot on his bed. Book perched on a thigh and a pencil in his hand. "Why do you care?"

"Just curious."

Akito rolled his eyes and looked back to his book before writing something. When Rui thought he had decided to ignore him, Akito said, "It's just something Kohane taught me."

"Kohane?"

He paused. His gaze shifted to avoid Rui. "I mean, the Light."

Rui chuckled. "Oh, aren't you getting too chummy with it?"

"Shut up. It just happens we have the same interest."

He jumped off his bed and pulled his hood. "Where are you going?" Rui asked when Akito walked past him.

"Meeting-" He stopped himself. "I mean, keeping an eye on Kohane."

"Sure you are."

For a Darkness and Light to be friends... 

How ridiculous.

*****

Phoenix Orchestra arrived at Phenny. It was said that this small town was the birthplace of the most well-known orchestra in the entire country. The same orchestra that Nene joined. Thus their reunion happened in Phenny.

"Rui!" Nene was never one with physical contact, but she leaped into his arms. Even in his cold heart, Rui couldn't deny returning it. "It has been too long."

"I'm glad I can see you again."

"Me too." Nene pulled back. "Oh! I need to introduce you to someone!" She pulled him toward a small pinknette with a smile so wide. "This is Emu. She's the daughter of the head orchestra."

"Hello!" Emu took Rui's hands and shook them hard. "It's nice to meet you! Nene told me a lot about you!"

"She did?"

"Yup! I would love to get to know you!"

Rui couldn't help but chuckle. "Likewise."

"Oh! Oh! Now it's my turn to introduce you to my friend!" She pulled them toward the inn where Rui was now staying. And upon entering, he could hear the sound of a piano. A beautiful melody; soft and inviting. The Light sat there, eyes closed and smiling softly. Fingers glided down the keys, foot pressed the pedal to a ringing tone. A harmony that left Rui speechless. 

"It's just something Kohane taught me."

Was this what Akito felt when he met his Light? To hold a melody close to his heart and cause a change of heart.

When the piano stopped, Rui craved for more.

"Tsukasa!" Emu leaped into Tsukasa's arms, almost causing him to fall from his seat. 

"Emu! I didn't know you were coming back."

"We'll be here for a couple of months! Keisuke is thinking of holding another audition soon. You should try in." 

Light smiled and patted Emu's head. "I'll think about it."

"But you always said that!" Emu pouted.

"It's a hard decision, Emu."

"And why is that? If I may ask," Rui asked.

Light looked at him. His gaze softened and sighed. "I have a personal reason. I don't want to be a bother."

"You'll never be a bother," Emu said again. "Everyone will love you. I just know it! You'll be a star! Don't you want that?"

"I did." He sighed again. "But that was just a phase, Emu."

Emu stared at him with a slight sadness and Rui was curious about that answer.

Thus, when one night came as Emu, Nene, and Mizuki hung around at one table, Rui walked up to the piano where Light was playing once again. Even after a couple of times listening, Rui could say that he was quickly attached to Light's playing.

"What do you mean 'it was just a phase' last time?"

Light smiled. There was a hint of melancholy in his gaze. "I always know my time is limited. I can't let myself indulge in dreams." He glanced at him. "Aren't you here to take it away quicker from me?"

Rui hummed. "So, you know."

"Pure Light and Pure Darkness always resonate with each other. I've never met with you fellow, but I had sensed you the moment you arrived here."

"Are you going to fight me for your life?"

Light paused his playing. "Tell me, Rui." He fully looked at him. "Do you know what it means to bring salvation to the world?"

Rui didn't answer. The question haunted him in his sleep.

*****

"Rui, do you think we're doing the right thing?" Shizuku had asked him one day.

Rui turned to her. "What do you mean?"

Among the four of them, Shizuku had always been the most compassionate. She loves humanity, which includes her sister who she hadn't seen for a long time. The secret of her being the Pure Darkness was spoken and the guilt of leaving her sister behind always burdens her. 

"Minori told me," Minori was the name of the Light assigned to her, wasn't it? "that maybe we're heading to a decision that we couldn't go back anymore." 

"We are aiming for a Utopia. It's only normal that once the world is rewritten, everything won't be the same."

"I know that." She looked at her hand as Pure Darkness danced between her fingertips. "But still." She brought up her hand to her chest and smiled. It wasn't like the cold smile of the Songstress who charmed her victims. But it was Shizuku's smile; a smile filled with warmth. "I think I want to try to live in this world with her for now."

*****

The Light - Tsukasa - stood in the middle of the plaza, surrounded by children. There was a hint of jealousy blooming in Rui's heart. How funny that he hates the sight of children playing around him. He had gotten close these few days under a self-reassurance of building trust. His conversations with Tsukasa about their daily days were pleasant. In the evening, Tsukasa would play at the bar for his part-time job. Rui had asked once why he even bothered to have a job. Tsukasa just answered with, "I just want to experience life."

That was also a thing that Rui was confused about: the desire to live. Rui had given up on life for he had nothing else to do other than wait for salvation Lady Death would bring. Watching Tsukasa going on with his daily life (buying cute stuff for Mizuki with his own money, attending Nene and Emu's rehearsal, inviting Rui for stargazing), Rui wondered if he could do this as well in the new world. Perhaps, if he ever met Tsukasa again, they could live together and experience it.

...

What was that thought again?

"Do the magic, Big Brother Tsukasa!" One of the kids cheered. "Do the magic!"

Tsukasa giggled. "Alright, alright." Tsukasa looked up to Rui, smiling and offering a hand. "Come and give me a hand, Rui."

Rui frowned. "Me?"

"Yeah, come on." Tsukasa skipped to pull Tsukasa into the circle.

"Is he magic too?" One of the kids asked.

Tsukasa nodded. "Yeah, and a great one." He turned to Rui, still smiling at him.

"Are you sure?" Rui whispered. "Pure Darkness brings destruction."

"And Pure Light brings creation." Tsukasa opened his palm and Rui's keen eyes could see magic dancing on his palm. "When combine..." Tsukasa brought Rui's hand closer. "A miracle can be created."

Their hands joined together and Rui could feel their magic intertwined. It felt so right. The wind picked up underneath their feet, fluttering Tsukasa's coat and Rui's robe, carrying white and black feathers. The children cheered from the spectacles. When they reached for the feather, it burst into fireworks and bubbles. 

It was beautiful...

A feather landed on Tsukasa's head and it burst into bubbles. Tsukasa giggled and Rui's heart skipped a beat.

*****

"Luka, I don't want to do this anymore." 

Lady Death didn't even look surprised when Mafuyu stood up from her seat. The table felt so empty after Akito and Shizuku's departure, leaving only a pot of a single black lily in their seat. 

"Kanade had told me everything. You lied to us." 

"You trust the Light more than me?" Luka commented. 

"You never told us anything about sacrificing us all!" 

"What?" Rui looked between the two. "Mafuyu what are you talking about?" 

Mafuyu turned to him. The Marionette had always been emotionless, but at the moment Rui could see the great anguish in Mafuyu's eyes. "In order to create a new world, you need to destroy the first world before creating the new one. If Pure Light is the power of creation, what is needed for the destruction?"

"Darkness? We already know that Mafuyu-"

"The Pure Darkness is tied with our own soul. The same goes for the Pure Light to Kanade's. Once magic tied with one's soul, it became harder to extract." She turned back to Luka, glaring at her. "Any attempt of extracting Pure Darkness or Pure Light won't only result in death, but also the erasure of our existence."

What?

"What... What are you saying?"

"We won't be able to enjoy this Utopia is we disappear for good!" Mafuyu curled her fingers into a fist. "The only one winning here is Luka! She's just using us to get all the Pure Light and later killing us to get the Pure Darkness!"

No...

"Luka..." Rui stared at her. "Tell me this is not true... We're not going to die, right?"

Luka never answered them. But her silence was enough.

"I don't want to die..." Mafuyu lowered her head. Rui couldn't see her face, but he knew the devastation feeling she felt. "I don't want to leave Kanade... She's the only one I have..."

*****

"Sacrifices need to be made to reach one seemingly impossible goal," Tsukasa said as they stared into the sunset from the hill of white lilies. It was a secret place that even Mizuki wasn't told about. And yet Tsukasa showed it to Rui out of all people. "Four Light. Four Darkness. For one utopia that we won't be able to enjoy. Is it worth it?"

Rui turned to look at him. "Are you saying it's better just to let evil roam around this Earth?"

"No." Tsukasa shook his head. "Evil can't roam freely if law and order exist is being held up high." He looked up to the orange sky. "If a Utopia is a paraside where people can do whatever they want, then what's stopping them from doing evil again? Light and Darkness, good and evil, will always be there. One cannot be there without the other. How can one judge that something is evil if good doesn't exist? How can you say you've done a good deed if you don't know what evil doings are?"

"So, what do you suggest?"

"It's a tough question." He reached to snap a lily of its stem, bringing it closer to his nose to smell the scent. "But I don't think bringing the end of the world is a good solution." He giggled. "I still love this world and the people in it."

Tsukasa looked at him with a smile as soft as the sunset as he tucked the lily behind Rui's ear. His fingers lingered on his cheeks for a second too long. Rui caught his fingers, pressing Tsukasa's palm onto his cheek as he kissed it.

"I don't want to die," Tsukasa whispered.

"I won't let you," Rui answered. He leaned into Tsukasa's face and pressed their lips together.

He understood now. He understood why Akito resonated with Kohane's music, why Shizuku wanted to live together with Minori, and why even the thought of leaving Kanade brought Mafuyu to tears.

Rui always thought that the world was cruel. But the simple action from Tsukasa, his Light, made him want to stay in this world together with him.

*****

The city was empty when Rui arrived and immediately he felt dread.

Luka is here.

No no no no no.

Rui ran.

She wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't supposed to be here!

The inn was empty when he barged in. Not even the sound of the creaking window. The bartender who usually already working on his order, was nowhere to be seen. Rui could feel the darkness coming from upstairs inviting him, challenging him.

Rui ran up and slammed the door open.

There, under the moonlight that shone through the window, Luka stood in the middle of the room. With an unconscious Tsukasa in her arms.

"You really think I would let walk out of our deal that easily?" She smiled at him. "Out of all the Pure Darkness, you were the last person I expected to betray me. I guess all those big talks about hating the world are just for shows."

"Luka..." Rui knew he had the power and yet he felt utterly hopeless under the gaze of Lady Death herself. "Let him go."

"Didn't I tell you?" Luka glanced down at Tsukasa, eyes gleaming with greed. "We need the Pure Light if we ever going to create Utopia."

"But you also need us Pure Darkness."

"That's true. But you'll come." She stepped back, separating Tsukasa from Rui even further. And Rui couldn't even lift a finger. "You will all come. All of you are attached to those Lights. And I'll be taking everything."

A portal appeared as the wind picked up again. Rui could feel the world shift, returning to its original form before being visited by death herself.

And Tsukasa slowly opened his eyes, dazed. He didn't even register that he had been captured. All he knew was that Rui was standing there, just a few feet away from him. "Rui..."

He reached out for him. And Rui snapped as if a freezing spell was finally being lifted from him.

"TSUKASA!" He ran toward the pair, arm stretched to reach his Light. But before he could even graze a finger, Tsukasa was gone.

He's gone.

Tsukasa's gone.

Luka caught him.

He's going to die.

All because of Rui.

"Rui!" He didn't even realize Nene was there, clutching his shoulder and shaking him, because Tsukasa was gone. Luka has Tsukasa. He's gone. Rui couldn't stop her. She's gone with Tsukasa.

"We'll find him." Nene clasped his cheeks, grounding him. "We'll bring Tsukasa back."

Bring Tsukasa back...?

"We'll bring him back." Mizuki knelt beside him, hand on his shoulder. Emu gave him a determined nod. "Not just to stop the end of the world."

Right. They can Tsukasa back.

Rui looked at his hand. A hand that could bring disaster with his magic. But Tsukasa believes that he's a good person, even if his hand is cursed.

Rui would believe him. He clenched his fingers into a fist, feeling Pure Darkness flowing in him.

"Wait for me, Tsukasa…"

[rexscanonwife]

Grrggh...good morning everypony = w = I rewatched the episode of the ppg reboot where Utonium gets a girlfriend...

[smimon]

Help i'm falling for a kcu crackship and have no time or will to even talk about it helppp

[merryandrewsart]

Fan art for lovely Notchka88 (on AO3) for 'Miles To Go' story💗

[vamossainz55]

Moonlight Chapter 2 || Carlos Sainz x Reader

A/N: Hey guys!! I hope everybody's doing well. I told myself that I would have the next chapter up for next week but my brain is literally going a mile a minute so I decided to finish up the second chapter already (it is almost 1am lmao). Idek if anybody is reading this but I might have some mistakes here and there but please feel free to let me know!! All constructive criticism is appreciated. This chapter is also a bit rushed but I feel like I want to do some building + context before throwing it all in but I am hoping to get more Carlos into the next chapter <3. Thank you so much and I literally love you if you are still reading until here.

ANYWAYS im done xoxoxo.

link to chapter 1 / all chapters / my masterlist

Chapter 2 (4k words)

You don’t sleep at all that night, your mind is spinning and a part of you knows that all the drinks you had were finally catching up to you. Your eyes scan the ceiling, deciding to focus on the small dent you had accidentally left there in hopes to get your mind to still. You couldn’t believe what you had read. McLaren? Out of all teams? A part of you even wants to laugh, because of course this would happen to you. 

You pick up your phone again, read over the email again, and again, and again. How were the words not changing? How were you supposed to join a team knowing Carlos was going to be there? What were you going to do?

A weird mix of emotions settle in your chest. Happiness, excitement, nervousness, pride, and even anger- and maybe a little sadness. You had dreamt about this opportunity for as long as you could remember. Why were you so worried about so many things?

There was one main question drumming in your head, what would happen if you took it? 

You ponder at that thought for what feels like hours, but soon enough your eyes begin to grow heavy. As worried as you were, your body was beginning to shut down, begging to finally get some rest. 

Right before you drift off to sleep you think to yourself still, 

What am I going to do?

_____________

The next day you wake up with the sleep still sticking to your eyes. You had managed to get some sleep, but you didn’t feel like you had gotten enough rest. Your eyes were heavy and your body was sore from the night before. You try your best to settle yourself back to sleep but the moment you close your eyes your mind decides otherwise. 

Thoughts of an orange team flood your brain along with a certain driver, but before you can start thinking too much a knock on the door rips your attention away. 

“Y/n? I’m coming in,” Your roommate announces. You let out a loud groan, telling her to go away, but before you can even finish your sentence you hear your door open and feel a strong weight on your bed. Soon enough you’re being crushed, your roommate’s body sprawled over yours. 

“Oh come on- fuck off, get off of me,” you whine as you hear Jane laugh and shift a bit to lay beside you instead. Being awake for so long helps you notice the soft pressure in the center of your head that slowly begins to spread. Yeah, you were definitely hungover. 

“You smell gross,”Jane says, soon getting inside the covers with you. She feels warm and you can’t help but scoot closer. “You never wanna go out and party with me but you do with Laura,” She says playfully. “But you had fun? Laura told me a guy came home with you.”

And fuck- right. You had forgotten about Bastien. “A guy? Yeah yeah, he dropped me off last night. He asked me out on a date.” You tell her, and you can feel a slight swoop in your stomach still. “I’m actually excited?” You’re a bit nervous at the thought of it. It was rare for you to get excited about these things- let alone to say it outloud. 

Jane grins. “You’re excited for a date? Am I hearing you right?” She asks and you can already feel your cheeks heating up so you try your best to look away and come off as casual. 

“He’s really cute and nice. But he told me he’s just here visiting a friend and looking for jobs so it might not even go anywhere.” You say with a shrug. You wondered if it was weird or not but you felt that it was a bit reassuring to not know where it was going to go, like there weren’t many expectations going into it. If he wasn’t going to be around anyways it would be fine if it didn’t work out. 

Jane’s asking when the date is and she is quite surprised by your answer, “The date’s tonight,” You say before explaining, “but we didn’t agree on the time. Should I text him and ask?” 

The look Jane gives you almost makes you laugh. “No, are you crazy?” She exclaims and you wince at how loud she is being, suddenly remembering about the headache that is spreading through your head.

“Wait for him to text you, and if he doesn’t then his loss you know?,” She says, getting off the bed. You think for a second, and yeah, maybe she is right. You could wait and see if he would show up or not. 

“Where are you going?” You ask, peering over the sheets to look at her. As much as you needed it you did not want time by yourself to think about things. 

“Oh I’m coming back, I’m just getting you some painkillers and water,” she says matter of factly and you return her kindness with a smile. 

“Love you!” You say as you watch her head out of the door. 

_____________

Bastien does end up texting back, and you both go out to dinner that night. It’s nice, the conversation is casual and you both realize it wasn’t just the alcohol talking the night before. You’re a bit too smitten for your liking but you try your best to ignore it. 

He offers to drive you home but by the way he holds the lower of your back you both know it isn’t just for a drive. It’s thrilling really, to sneak someone upstairs again- begging them to be quiet to not wake up your roommate (because of course you wouldn’t hear the end of it). But you both get away with it, and waking up next to someone the next day makes it even more worth it. 

It wasn’t really supposed to become a thing but it does. Bastien had told you over your date that he was only around for the next two weeks. Mainly a mix of hanging out and catching up with friends along with job interviews and looking over other opportunities. You prep yourself for disappointment, tell yourself that it is a one and done, but that’s far from what ends up happening. 

You see him almost every day, he would either drop by with lunch, dinner, or even a coffee to just squeeze some extra time with you. You would let him sneak into yours at night and he would often pick you up to give Laura a break and stay at his. It’s like you were floating on cloud 9. He meets your friends and you meet some of his. Everything is new, fresh, and exciting. 

So much happens that you don’t even realize you’re in your own little bubble. 

But every bubble is bound to burst. 

It happens to you a whole week after you take Bastien to the airport (with the promise of keeping in touch and seeing eachother soon). Your mind is still preoccupied with him- you both were still texting practically every day- and if you knew any better you were practically dating. But were you really? 

Sure you were practically attached to the hip the whole time you were here, and sure he was texting you good morning, good night, and everything else between the day. But were you really dating? 

There were so many questions still that you had completely forgotten about your upcoming semester. The internship. Your mind suddenly springs. You were sitting at the table with Laura and a few other people in your major when Theo mentions how he had just accepted the offer he had gotten over a week ago. You had completely forgotten about your own offer and it had been over 3 weeks since you had gotten your email. 

“Shit- shit, no way.” You murmur to yourself as you open your phone. Most of the table is distracted in their own conversation but you can feel Laura and one or two other pairs of eyes scanning over you in interest as you scroll through your phone. How could you be so stupid and forget about it? You read through your emails quickly, scrolling through and looking for the email that had sent you the offer. 

You finally see the latest email that you had gotten from them. Your heart sinks as your phone loads, already dreading what the email would say. 

It finally loads and you take a deep breath before reading. 

F1 Talent Program Offer: 3 days to Deadline. | Received: 2d ago 

One day left to decide. You let out a nervous laugh as you run your hand through your hair, letting out a shaky breath. Could you even make a choice within a day? 

“What are you looking at?” Laura huffs, leaning next to you to read over your shoulder. She practically lets out a gasp before looking at you, eyes wide. “Y/n! Oh my god. You did it!” She says and before you know it you feel two arms wrapped around you and squeezing you tight and knocking the air out of you. 

“What’s going on, what happened?” You hear one of your classmates ask. Laura chimes in before you can, and you can hear the pride in her voice as she announces it. 

“She got accepted for the engineering talent program for F1!” She says proudly and you force a smile onto your lips as you can hear everyone gasp. Soon the table is congratulating you and you thank everyone quite sheepishly. As much as you wanted to get mad at Laura you could tell how happy she was for you.

You try your best to smile it off, not wanting to seem ungrateful for the opportunity  but you can tell Laura knows something is off. You feel a grip on your shoulder before you realise Laura is pulling you step aside for a bit. You stumble a bit to follow her and go to ask if everything is okay but Laura beats you to it.  

“So? What’s wrong? You should be exhilarated about this- bragging left and right.” Laura says, already crossing her arms across her chest. Four years of friendship and you are still amazed with how well she can read you. 

“I am happy, I am.” You try your best to say convincingly but the look Laura gives you says enough. “No- seriously I am. I can’t believe I got it. You know how hard I worked for this?” You say, and its true. All the hard work you had put in the past years was for this moment. The sleepless nights before an exam, the being away from family to be able to study at the best school, missing out on parties to be able to get enough sleep for class, even the endless nights crying when everything became too much. It was all for this moment. 

“But?” Laura asks, and she can tell that you are thinking too much. You tend to do that thing where your nose twitches slightly, whenever your brain begins to eat itself from the inside out and let the worries settle in. 

“I got accepted into McLaren.” You tell her quietly because it's embarrassing to say it outloud. Embarrassing to admit to yourself how much Carlos still had a hold of you. 

Her brows furrow slightly and she gives you a shrug. “So?” 

You frown at her. Although she was not into racing you were pretty sure you had kept her updated with where Carlos would be going within the upcoming season. “I told you. Carlos is going to join McLaren. What if I have to see him? Talk to him? Work with him?” You say, this time even more quietly but just because you can feel your other friends trying to snoop and look over to you both. 

“Again, so?” Laura asks, and this time she shakes her head and takes your hands into hers. “Y/n, look at me.” She says, squeezing your hands gently. “You’ve been dreaming about this since before I met you.” Her voice is soft yet firm, and somehow you feel your chest begin to swell. “Do not let someone from the past scare you away from your future. You have to take this opportunity y/n.”

You stare at her for a bit, letting out a shaky breath. Your heart is beating in your ears because she is right. You have been dreaming about this for ages. You pull her into a tight hug, tucking your face into her shoulder. 

“Thank you.” You say, already feeling part of the weight on your shoulders slowly lifting. You slowly pull away, smiling at her from ear to ear. “Come over to mine? I need to send in my acceptance.” 

_____________

Accepting the offer was less dreadful than you thought, taking into account that you weren’t starting the internship after your graduation. But time flew by faster than you thought it would. 

The months between accepting the offer and starting at McLaren were eventful. Looking back, you had too many exams, too much stress, and simply too much to do. You were grateful though that you got to enjoy some of the last months with your friends before you all headed to do different things. Not only were you able to finish all your academic requirements but you had finally decided to pay more attention to your personal life too. 

You finally caught up and partied with the girls, had more days out with them, and just enjoyed your time without worrying too much about your next lecture, class, or exam. It was relaxing to finally be able to let go a bit and have fun. Not only that- but Bastien came to visit often too. Before you even realized everybody already knew that the both of you were dating, but by the time you found out you didn’t really mind either. You both worried about the distance considering your internship and how he was still traveling around looking for a job whilst freelancing- but you both figured with a little faith you could make it work.

Even graduation passed by like a breeze. Your parents and your sister flew in and soon enough you were already packing your things into boxes and luggages. Half of your things were being shipped back home as you could not take them around with you so you were definitely forced to pack light. 

And that’s how you ended up there. Staring at the McLaren headquarters, nervously fixing one of the bracelets on your wrist as you waited outside. You had been one of the first few to arrive, but to be fair you had arrived a bit earlier than the agreed time. You couldn’t help but look around, the office was bigger than you thought, along with the large lake adorning the side of the building, it looked amazing and you were trying your best to keep yourself composed without taking photos of everything. You had seen the McLaren headquarters a lot through photos and videos- but this was the first time you were anywhere near it- let alone about to step in. As you looked around more people seemed to trickle in. The others seemed to also be amazed by the site, scanning over the whole area. Even the surroundings were nice and peaceful, vast greenery covering the whole area and more. Soon you heard the automatic doors open alongside a pair of footsteps. 

“Hi, welcome! I’m Andrea. Sorry for the wait.” A woman said, waving at you all. She was wearing a McLaren polo shirt along with black slacks. “Come in, I’ll take you to one of our presentation rooms and we can kick off with some introductions. We’ll have our basic induction and onboarding before handing you off to your own departments and managers.” She announced, eyes meeting yours quickly as she also smiled and looked at everyone else. You can’t help but have a voice in the back of your head telling you to keep an eye out for a certain spanish man. You were absolutely dreading bumping into him. 

The ceilings seem even taller from the inside, and the glass walls allow natural light to fill the building. You look around as you follow Andrea, appreciating the clean and modern design the building had adopted. “Here, come in.” Andrea says, soon opening the door to a medium sized auditorium with a powerpoint slide already splayed on the screen. 

The onboarding goes by smoothly and you all introduce yourselves one by one. You’re a bit nervous since you introduce yourself first, but you get through it quickly before others follow up with their own introduction. After going through almost half of the room you soon learn there are three other interns from other departments also joining and you relax a bit knowing you were all in a similar situation. A bit after the introductions you all go through some general knowledge about McLaren, learning about the values and the mission of the company. After a few more fun facts you’re all sent off with your own managers who are waiting outside at the door. 

“Y/n?” A man asked, stepping closer to you. You turn and smile once you see a tall man with short black hair. 

“Hi yes, that’s me. It’s nice to meet you.” You say with a smile, putting your hand out for a handshake. He takes this moment to introduce himself. 

“Hi, perfect! My name is Tom. Welcome to the team.” He says before pulling his hand away. He nods slightly towards the direction you both are supposed to go to before explaining the day’s run down. “We’ll take these first few weeks for you to look over the systems we use, learn more about them, and get familiar with them. We can analyze past data and see how you interpret it compared to our previous interpretations.” You nodded along as you followed him, already getting excited as he also told you more about the team. 

“We will also have an event later tonight with everyone, just a few welcoming drinks. You don’t have to show up but it would be nice and good for you to socialize with everyone too.” Tom smiles as he opens the door to one of the rooms. Something from the corner of your eyes captures your attention but once you look over it's gone. You look back ahead of you and take a deep breath before stepping in. 

_____________

You’re barely there for a full working day and your brain is fried. Numbers were printed into the inner corners of your brain and you had learned so much that you weren’t sure if you had enough space to store it all. Despite your exhaustion and the overload of information you were buzzing. You could already feel your fingers twitching, ready to get your hands on something and to help out. They had explained to you that the first few weeks were a bit hands-off, focusing on getting you settled in and learning mostly the theory behind it all but you felt like you couldn’t wait. So much was happening around you and you wanted to do something more. 

“I think we have our welcoming drinks in a bit. How about we head out there and you can meet some people from the other departments?” Tom offers and you thank him, already following him with a few other newcomers that had joined the team too. You had made friends with a woman who had recently joined too, Cara, as you both were one of the few women within the engineering team, so you stuck to her side as you all trickled into the room. 

“I think I’m going to nib a few snacks.” You say, already nodding at Cara, so you both decide to walk together to the table with several snacks. You grab a small plate and a few of the snacks, waiting for Cara to grab something for herself too. Once you’re back to Tom and the others you set your plate on the table, “I grabbed a bit extra, just in case anybody wanted a bite too.” You smile. Tom seems to look over the plate, already ready to fish a sandwich off your plate when you see two figures coming over, and one seems a bit too familiar. You tense a little and instantly grow quiet, already looking away before even making sure if you had seen the right thing or not. 

“Tom! Hey, how are you?” Zak says, grinning as he pats Tom on the back. You’re torn between looking over or keeping your eyes away, but as soon you hear the other person’s voice you screw your eyes shut, already feeling your heartbeat race. 

“Hello Tom, Zak told me we had new people starting. Decided to drop by since we’re gonna be working together a lot no?” And you don’t even need to look over to know who’s voice it is. You can’t tell if there’s a knot in your throat or the food is coming back up because you start to feel a bit sick. Your legs twitch to get up, but your brain is screaming not to run. Not in front of your new manager, and even worse the CEO of your company. 

You quietly look over, already feeling your palms get clammy. Zak and Carlos look so focused on Tom that you realize they had barely looked over to the rest of the group, but Tom decides to change this. “Yeah- yeah. Everyone here’s new. Wanted to get them to mingle a bit.” He says, soon turning to you all. Zak and Carlos look towards you all, smiling. A part of you wonders if he doesn’t recognize you but you notice the moment that he does. 

He freezes a bit and blinks, eyes locked on yours and you quickly look away, breaking eye contact. Tom and Zak don’t even notice, not until Cara approaches Carlos, who barely reacts as he shakes her hand. As Carlos is, he quickly recovers and composes himself, apologizing before introducing himself. 

“So this is Cara, she is our new Junior Aero Engineer, she worked quite a bit in the W League and in the F2 series,” Tom says. Carlos manages to make some eye contact but you can feel his eyes shift from her to you but you try not to look back at him. After three more introductions Tom shifts the attention to you. 

You force yourself to look this time and you bite the inside of your cheek to remain calm. You can see Carlos is about to say something, but he struggles to find the words. His eyes are a bit all over the place, and his nose is twitching the way it does whenever he’s nervous. The tension is suddenly visible in the group and all eyes are on you both. 

“Do you know each other?” Zak asks, deciding to be the one to break the silence. 

“Actually,” Carlos starts. 

“No- no we don’t.” You casually laugh, and what? You were meant to stay quiet. But what were you supposed to do? Let Carlos tell not only Tom, but also Zak, and the rest of the team that you used to what, date? A part of you realizes, maybe he was going to say friends. But it was too late now. “My name is y/n. Nice to meet you” You say, and you can tell Carlos’ demeanor instantly changes. His back straightens and he quickly plasters on the tight lipped smile you used to hate. “I’m,” You stutter a bit when he holds your hand to shake it,  “I’m the new Engineer Intern.” and you can tell he’s upset. His eyes are cold as he locks eyes with you again. This time you can’t look away. 

“Carlos.” He says shortly. It pierces through you like a knife. “Nice to meet you.” 

“Nice to meet you too,” You murmur. 

You feel a pool of instant regret settling in your stomach as he turns his back towards you and goes to greet the other new starters. 

What had you gotten yourself into?

____________________________

Link to chapter 3

Taglist: @luvrboygaslys-interacts @mossafiato

(if you drop a comment i'll tag or just let me know and i'll add you!! ily xoxo)

[potatobugz]

uh. uh . uhhhm. here take a bunch of out of context wips from a comic im making. I've been making. ..........for the past four days.

[decaflondonfog]

day 18/30 of 30 microfics in 30 days

second-chance romance modern au bc i know what i’m about hjkgjhj i couldn’t make canon justice in 50 words but this fic idea is going to be my brain-cinema bedtime story for a long time i reckon

DAMEN/LAURENT • SERENDIPITY for @shealwaysreads

[necromeowncy]

I saw a post regarding fic collections/how they're difficult to navigate, so I put some outlines in the descriptions for both Reflections and Delights:

I hope this is easier to browse! I'm never sure if folks somehow miss seeing these... Looking back, I probably should have made each of these fics their own individual oneshots, but I was self-conscious about spamming the wolgraha tag on AO3 and thought people would get mad at me somehow. lol (I realize this is silly, now, almost 2 years later.)

Anyway. I hope you enjoy, if you haven't read these yet! Reflections are canon-related stories, and Delights are extremely kinky oneshots.