#Gold Cup 2017

[37sommz-archive]

✼. THRU SPACE 'N TIME | PROFILE.

Born in Gold Coast, Australia on December 23, 1999, Michaela Sommers was introduced to the world of motorsports from a early age. Her father, Tobias, and his younger brother, Travis Sommers, were avid Formula racing fans who idolized the likes of Senna, Schumacher, and Lauda. The motorsports bug skipped over Sommers' older sister, Samantha, before biting her at the mere age of six. By her ninth birthday, Michaela was competing in karting championships along the Australian east coast.

Despite her natural aptitude for racing, Michaela recalls facing discrimination for both her race and gender quite early on while karting. Despite the negativity that would swirl around her reputation, the young driver would win her first national championship at the age of twelve with plenty of rumors circling concerning her future in the sport. Sommers would attempt to enter her first international competition, but was barred from entry after her father lost his job in the summer of 2012.

Without much hope, Michaela would step back from racing for nearly six months before eventually deciding to join her uncle who had moved to England after his marriage just years prior. Travis then became Michaela's manager, working endlessly to ensure his niece would be able to continue climbing the karting ladder. Shortly after her move to England, her uncle would connect with Australian F1 driver Mark Webber who would travel to watch her race in a regional competition in 2013. Stunned by her potential, Webber helped the young girl to catch the attention of a racing team competing in the Ginetta Junior Championship alongside future McLaren teammate Lando Norris. Sommers' transition to racing cars would prove successful, securing a junior championship at just 14 years old.

Sommers would continue working through the ranks, receiving extensive media attention and comparisons to Lewis Hamilton as a teenager. Spending one year at the Formula 3 level, Michaela would race for British team Jagonya Ayam in 2015 finishing fifth in the championship and second in the rookie cup, both below Charles Leclerc. Her performance would catch the attention of Italian team Prema Racing who signed her to development for higher formulae alongside Pierre Gasly for the 2016 season.

Despite an average result, ending her rookie season in sixth place, Prema would resign the Australian who would be simultaneously be selected to join the Ferrari driver development program for the 2017 season. That same year, Sommers would wrap up her Formula 2 season in second place, once again behind Charles Leclerc.

Eventually, Michaela would finally secure a Formula 2 championship in 2018 while signing on as a reserve driver for Ferrari. Her official Formula One debut came after Sommers signed on to be Alfa Romeo's second-seat driver for the 2019 season, securing one-point in her debut race before finishing her rookie season in eighth place.

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE BASICS.

birth name: michaela jeanette sommers alias: mickey sommers date of birth: december 23, 1999 zodiac sign: capricorn hometown: gold coast, australia ethnicity: australian & xhosa nationality: australian, south african languages: english, italian weight: 121 lbs (55 kg) height: 5'7" (169 cm) dominant hand: left family: tobias sommers, miriam sommers, samantha sommers faceclaim: tinara westbrook

✹.⠀⠀،،⠀THE FORMULA CAREER.

01. GINETTA JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP (2014). ✼.⠀team: jhr developments ✼.⠀number: #72 ✼.⠀teammates: alex sedgwick, dan zelos, jamie chadwick, senna proctor ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x7) ✼.⠀championship standing: 1st

02. FORMULA THREE (2015). ✼.⠀team: jagonya ayam ✼.⠀number: #54 ✼.⠀teammates: gustavo menezes, ryan tveter ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x1) ✼.⠀championship standing: 5th

03. GP2 SERIES (2016). ✼.⠀team: prema racing ✼.⠀number: #20 ✼.⠀teammates: pierre gasly ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x3) ✼.⠀championship standing: 6th

04. FORMULA TWO (2017). ✼.⠀team: prema racing ✼.⠀number: #2 ✼.⠀teammates: charles leclerc ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x5) ✼.⠀championship standing: 2nd

05. FORMULA TWO (2018). ✼.⠀team: prema racing ✼.⠀number: #3 ✼.⠀teammates: nyck de vries ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x7) ✼.⠀championship standing: 1st

06. FORMULA ONE (2019). ✼.⠀team: alfa romeo racing ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: kimi raikkonen ✼.⠀highest race finish: 4th (x1) ✼.⠀championship standing: 7th

07. FORMULA ONE (2020). ✼.⠀team: alfa romeo racing ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: kimi raikkonen ✼.⠀highest race finish: 3rd (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 7th

08. FORMULA ONE (2021). ✼.⠀team: mclaren ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: lando norris ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x1) ✼.⠀championship standing: 4th

09. FORMULA ONE (2022). ✼.⠀team: mclaren ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: lando norris ✼.⠀highest race finish: 1st (x2) ✼.⠀championship standing: 4th

10. FORMULA ONE (2023). ✼.⠀team: aston martin ✼.⠀number: #37 ✼.⠀teammates: fernando alonso ✼.⠀highest race finish: 2nd (x7) ✼.⠀championship standing: 3rd

✼. view:⠀navigation page⠀⸻⠀join the taglist⠀⸻⠀request.

[brandtsstuff10]

The Leica Gallery Stuttgart exhibition by photographer and filmmaker Philipp Reinhard. Under the title "Black, Red, Gold!".

Reinhard has been accompanying the DFB team as a team photographer since 2017, his recordings include international matches, training sessions and major tournaments such as the 2018 World Cup in Russia and 2022 Qatar.

A particular highlight of the exhibition are the intimate snapshots that show the players in private and inconspicuous situations. Often taken in the confines of hotel rooms or on the sidelines, these images open up a new perspective on the world of top-class sport. "I want to show the people behind the athletes and maintain the balance between their public and private spheres," emphasises Reinhard.

"Kai Havertz and Julian Brandt know each other from their time together in Leverkusen and also spend a lot of time together on the national football team". Reinhard - Wolfsburg 2021.

"Bravertz as they say in modern German".

[thankyouforthememoriesworld]

A bunch of little videos, some with crumbs. Not included is the incredible compilation of the games that was done earlier this year.

2017 U16

USA Head Coach Carla Berube On 2017 USA Women's U16 Finalists

https://youtu.be/g8wr86huJJ8?si=LH6gLPwCavyNIeBR

2017 USA Women's U16 Finalists Training Camp

https://youtu.be/OUAoFxj6U-U?si=6pPHwyXFksYMSj9w

Full Court // USA Women's U16 Team Ready For Run At Gold

https://youtu.be/osd-4hPQ9VI?si=70z4OtF4dmR1mJ9B

Full Court // 2017 USA U16 Women Celebrate Gold

https://youtu.be/y8Pu_H0CeBY?si=GGJx9oknxSUjnlv5

2018 U17

2018 USA Basketball Women's U17 Team Trials: Best of Slomo

https://youtu.be/hNmPUEn3r4s?si=iA0O4sdJXDiplGKe

SIGHTS & SOUNDS: USA 2018 Women's U17 Team Trials

https://youtu.be/ZGFyFxZRRdc?si=yO_nLrE8EaKU_XkC

HIGHLIGHTS // 2018 USA Women's U17 Training Camp

https://youtu.be/8Nc6swaOTCI?si=I8ZaPBIZMa_RafED

BEST OF SLOMO // 2018 USA Women's U17 World Cup Team Training

https://youtu.be/NWSKSykyzCs?si=okiguPffGXL4Zjxq

Rapid Fire Q&A with the 2018 USA Women's U17 World Cup Team

https://youtu.be/UqDSXeityQ8?si=Vo8EVp-9Ni2cJ1YF

SIGHTS & SOUNDS // 2018 USA Women's U17 World Cup Team Training Camp

https://youtu.be/LrwofHl_JJ8?si=OMskXdejy6wfI9gp

HIGHLIGHTS // 2018 USA Women's U17 Exhibitions in Latvia

https://youtu.be/hJt57PPjato?si=dJ6JLEmTQdD3tODY

Highlights // World Cup Pool Games

https://youtu.be/S1ExzsaOLIE?si=to-hO06p1mco0mrS

Highlights // World Cup Final

https://youtu.be/JEQYibB6F5A?si=m3KA4QcrZiEH8HnV

GOLD STANDARD: USA WOMEN'S U17 WORLD CUP CHAMPS // FULL COURT FEATURE (features Azzi interviewing but also playing ping pong and training)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C5Gb5mZ4qI

USA wins U17 World Cup (includes THE HUG - side note: I'm the one that found that one initially)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokl9WOU1Nk

USA Women’s U17 Team Member Azzi Fudd (this is an adorable interview after she won)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep0JtpBcEPw

I don't even know what compliment to offer you, just thank you 💙. Also, shout out to @nicky35 for the compilation (if you haven't seen them, go watch).

Baby Azzi and baby Paige playing together are the cutest ever 🥺 and I think the bond created between all the players is still present to this day, a special group.

I had to post this video because how could I not

[sunsetkerr]

STAYING DOWN | s.kerr

summary: you and sam kerr are on-pitch rivals, but when you're teammate hurts sam during a game, you're the first one on the ground with her (or.. 4 times you watched sam hurt on the ground, +1 time you helped her up) [1.8k words]

pairing: on-pitch rival!reader x sam kerr

notes: I love this one a lot..

(1) 2015, FIFA Women’s World Cup - Group Stage

“did you like that one, l/n?” god, you thought. she’s insufferable. you watched as she celebrated with her team, green and gold flooded the box. it was no secret that you couldn’t stand sam kerr. the whole world knew practically, and watching her celebrate a goal whilst looking directly at you just made you hate her even more.

“piss off” you shook your head as she jogged pass you to reset play. 

“oooh” she chuckled at you, her smirk only growing, “feisty today, are we?”

commentator voiceover JP DELLACAMERA: ooh, we can see on-pitch rivals y/n l/n and sam kerr having a few words with each other after l/n just scored her goal

JACQUI OATLEY: i think they’re constantly having words if i’m honest

JP DELLACAMERA: it seems that way, doesn’t it? Kerr and l/n are one of the most interesting pairs to see on the pitch in my opinion

JACQUI OATLEY: no i completely agree, i love seeing how they egg each other on; very entertaining

JP DELLACAMERA: seeing them play each other at arsenal and chelsea, but then seeing them on a national level is just great football

JACQUI OATLEY: it’s funny to me, both great goal scorers, but they somehow always find a way to be next to each other on the pitch

JP DELLACAMERA: sweden taking a corner now… and rubensson sends it into the box and y/n l/n headers it into goal!

JACQUI OATLEY: phenomenal work from the young swede

you threw your hands in the air as sofia lifted you up. you turned around to see sam, on the ground, knocked down from the commotion in the box, with a frown etched on her face. you grinned down at her with a chuckle and shouted, “that was for you, kerr!”.

(2) 2016, WSL Season Chelsea vs Arsenal

commentator voiceover IZZY CHRISTIANSE: and sam kerr scores her third goal against arsenal! and it’s a hat-trick for sam kerr!

PIEN MEULENSTEEN: ooh! and she’s collided just outside the goals with arsenal player, y/n l/n IZZY CHRISTIANSE: looks like they hit each other pretty hard at the hips there.. kerr and l/n are both down

you groaned clutching at your hip bone. “will you watch where you’re going!” you looked over at who banged into you, of course it was her.

“you right?” she winced, holding onto her own hip.

“no thanks to you” you spat at her.

sam threw her head back in pain, “oh fuck” she hissed. you heard someone come up behind you/

“you okay, y/n?” they wrapped their arms underneath your armpits and pulled you up. it was caitlin. you were thankful to be back up on your feet, you muttered a quick thank you whilst you rubbed at your hip. “sam?” she asked her matildas teammate. caitlin always tried to be a neutral force when it came to you both, the two of you too strong willed not to butt-heads on the pitch.

“i’m good” she nodded, still groaning.

“i’ll get the trainers” catilin said before flagging over the chelsea trainers, who were already on their way out.

“come on,” caitlin patted you on the back before walking back to the centre with you. you rolled your eyes, hearing sam groan behind you. she crashed into you, and she’s complaining? figures.

(3) 2017, Algarve Cup Group Stage

you and sam were both gunning for the ball. she was behind you, trying to get the ball out from underneath you. you tried your best to hold it, but didn’t have to try for much longer as sam fell to the ground clutching her ankle. “fuck, fuck, fuck” she winced. 

you turned around, holding on the ball under your foot. you contemplated helping her up, making sure she was alright. 

“y/n!” but your teammate, lotta, was shouting at you as she had set up her position. “run down!” she shouted to you. you got the ball moving again, shaking off steph catley, ignoring sam’s cries in the background.

commentator voiceover JACQUI OATLEY: looks like y/n was a little concerned for sam kerr there

JP DELLACAMERA: that’s a surprise to me

JACQUI OATLEY: l/n crosses the ball in to schelin and it’s a goal!

JP DELLACAMERA: great assist from l/n there JACQUI OATLEY: and even better shooting from schelin

JP DELLACAMERA: a great duo those two

(4) 2022, Sweden vs Australia Women's Friendlies

“that’s two, y/n” caitlin grinned at you as she came off the high from her second goal of the game. 

you chuckled and shook your head, trying to suppress your grin. “shut up caitlin, you’re a show-off” you laughed. you weren’t too fired up this game. your team hadn’t managed to score yet, but the matildas were playing better than you- they deserved to win the friendly.

“and i love every second of it” she grinned.

“i’ve got next caitlin” her voice came out of nowhere, but once you saw her your mood was ruined. sam was jogging past you both with a big grin on her face.

“yeah, sure” you scoffed, heading back to your side of the pitch. it took sam only five minutes of play to score. 

“that was for you!” she sang to you, running straight past where you watched her score. you rolled your eyes, your friendly spirit that had been present in this game was officially ruined.

commentator voiceover JACQUI OATLEY: and kerr has scored on chelsea teammate zećira mušović, getting the matildas third goal for the game, with Sweden still sitting at zero. ooh, kerr has stopped celebrating. she looks to be a little bit of pain. 

JP DELLACAMERA: she’s had a few troubles with her calf, hopefully it’s nothing”

“you good?” you watched as sam limped back to her position as the game reset. 

“agh, shit” she hissed through her teeth, “my calf has been playing up” she admitted, giving it a quick rub.

“do you need a trainer?” you asked her. you stammered before adding, “y-you’re taking up my space on the pitch”.

“nah, no” sam sighed, shaking her hands as she stood up straight again, “just give me a second”.

“are you sure?” you asked

sam raised her eyebrows at you before taking a deep breath, “careful, l/n.. kinda sounds like you care”

“you’re on my half of the pitch” you almost erupted at her accusation, “get moving” you shooed her away.

(+1) 2023, FIFA Women’s World Cup Bronze Medal Match

it was the seventy-fifth minute when you watched her go down. magdelena’s tackle was brutal, you waited for the whistle to sound, but it never came. game resumed play and mags was off running with the ball as sam was on the ground clutching her calf in pain.

you jogged over to her, “are you okay?” you asked.

“fuck!” she cried, panting through the pain. 

“stop time!” you turned around and called down to the referee, but she just ignored you and continued watching play. “hey!” you called again.

“holy shit,” sam put her head on the ground, still holding her leg close.

you looked around for help, and saw the matilda’s physio running out onto the pitch to see sam. “the physio is coming” you told her, “hold on a second”.

“hey! call time!” you screamed down the pitch again, “fucking hell, she’s hurt!” 

“hey,” you watched as z held onto the ball in the box, stopping play herself. the referee finally officially stopped play and began to walk down towards yourself and sam. “she’s been down for at least a minute, you are supposed to stop play!” you shouted, “what kinda refereeing is that? bullshit”

you stayed close while the physios tried to get sam onto her feet. you knew she had just come back from injury, she was doing too much. sure, you didn’t like her. but you couldn’t help but feel inclined to make sure she was alright.

and for some obsurd reason, the feeling was still there even after the final whistle blew and you had won a bronze medal.

you found sam sitting on the pitch, her head in her hands. you hesitated before crouching down next to her, “i’m sorry about the loss” you said, holding your hand out for her.

sam looked defeated as she saw who it was, “you deserved to win” she sighed, shaking your hand.

“you did lots of great work for football sam” you admitted. you took a deep breath before continuing, “is your calf okay?”.

“it’ll be fine” she nodded. you noticed the tears in her eyes, “thanks” she whispered.

“good game” you said, before standing up and heading off.

sam sighed, “you too”.

alanna headed over to check on her captain, just having watched the exchange between you and sam. “what did she want?” your rivalry was no secret, everyone knew that you both weren’t opposed to having words after a tough game.

“to see if i was okay” sam’s tone whilst still defeated, had a hint of surprise buried beneath it.

“yeah alright” alanna scoffed, holding out her hand to help sam onto her feet, “comes over to you after we’ve lost, sounds about right”

the night had wound down for the matildas. sure, they had an afterparty to go to, but there were lots of tired girls walking the ground.

“i’m gonna sleep on the bus before we have to go out” sam chuckled, zipping up her puffer jacket. “i’m ready to party” macca chuckled, giving sam a little nudge.

“it’s a constant emotion for her” alanna laughed.

“shut up, i-“ mackenzie was cut off, your voice peaking the trio’s interest. they saw you over by the sweden bus, particularly close to your teammate, a sour look on your face.

“what the hell what that about?” you asked. “what do you mean?” mags chuckled.

your eyes widened in shock, “i mean what you did to her was totally illegal”.

“it’s football, y/n” she said simply, trying to walk onto the bus.

“that is not football and you know it” you stopped her in her tracks, continuing your conversation. “we were already up, you didn’t have to do that” you said.

“sam is a tough girl, she’ll be fine” magda didn’t seem particularly remorseful, especially not after injuring her own teammate at chelsea. “you know she just came back from injury, going after her calf like that is just not alright” you shook your head at her

“i didn’t ‘go after’ her calf-“

you cut her off, “could’ve fooled me” you laughed.

“you know what, y/n-”

“girls that’s enough!” your coach cut you both off, “we just won a bronze medal, care to cool off a little bit” she raised her voice at you both.

“don’t play dirty,” you finished, pushing past her to get onto the bus.

“rich coming from you” she said, “last season you hated her, what’s changed?”.

you paused before answering, “nothing.. i just prefer to play by the rules” you lied.

“what the fuck?” alanna whispered, shocked by your change in demeanour.

“that was.. strangely nice of her?” macca looked to sam.

“i know” sam furrowed her brows, “what the hell”

“a change of heart maybe?” alanna chuckled jokingly.

“who knows” sam shrugged. maybe you two could get along after all.

[fascinatingmale]

Matty Lee

British diver and Olympic Gold Medallist won Gold in 2015 at the European Games and  the 2017 European Diving Championships. Matty and Tom Daley won Bronze and Gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

At the 2021 FINA Diving World Cup in Japan, Matty and Tom Daley won Gold in the synchronized 10m Platform.

Matty was appointed an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in 2022 for his service in diving.

[sons-from-adam]

Dustin Lance Black (born 1974)[1] is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist.

Tom Daley, born 1994 - OBE (Order of the British Empire)

Tom is a British diver and television personality. Specializing in multiple events, he is an Olympic gold medallist in the men’s synchronized ten-meter platform event at the 2020 Olympics and double world champion in the FINA ten-meter platform event, winning in 2009 at the age of fifteen, and again in 2017. He is an Olympic bronze medallist in the 2012 platform event, the 2016 synchronized event, and the 2020 platform event, making him the first British diver to win four Olympic medals. Daley also competes in team events, winning the inaugural mixed team World title in 2015. He is a 5-time European champion and a 4-time Commonwealth champion.

On 2 December 2013, Tom released a YouTube video announcing that he had been in a relationship with a man since early that year. He said speaking out about his private life had been a tough decision. Still, he had never felt love, which happened quickly when he met his husband, American film screenwriter, director and producer Dustin Lance Black.

One of the world’s most prominent out gay athletes, Tom is set to make his fifth Olympic appearance his summer at the Games in Paris.

His partner for this year has been named as Noah Williams, who competed with Daley for the first time at the British National Diving Cup, where the pair won gold in March.

Congratulations has been granted by Mark England to Tom who becomes the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games.

Daley’s return to the Olympics is likely to be his last after the diver said he wanted to return one final time so his son could see him compete.

[coochiequeens]

Another example for SheWon

By Jennifer Sieland December 4, 2023

Two trans-identified males dominated a women’s category at the Illinois State Cyclocross Championships yesterday, leading many women’s rights advocates to condemn the tournament for allowing men to self-identify into the women’s divisions.

The Illinois State Cyclocross Championships was held at Montrose Beach on December 3, representing the final challenge in the eight-race Chicago CycloCross Cup. As with other events in the Cup, the event comprised of over one dozen different competitions for men, women, and junior athletes.

But two trans-identified males topped the podium in the Women’s Singlespeed category, taking home medals set aside for female racers. Tessa Johnson and Evelyn Williamson placed first and second, respectively, in the competition, leaving space for only one biological woman – Kristin Chalmers – on the podium.

Johnson also participated in the Women’s Category 1/2 race, placing third and winning $100 in prize money.

According to the Chicago CrossCup’s website, the competition prides itself on “first and foremost fostering a positive & supportive community built around competitive cyclocross racing,” continuing: “That means welcoming and challenging everyone who wants to contribute to the series and make it better in that regard.”

In its official FAQ on the topic of transgender cyclists, the Cup notes that “discrimination or harassment of any kind on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, or any other stupid idea someone comes up with to belittle another racer will not be tolerated at [our] events and may result in disqualification.”

On X (formerly Twitter), news of Johnson and Williamson’s victories was shared by user @i_heart_bikes, an anonymous female cyclist who frequently calls out males self-identifying as “women” in the sport. In response, many women’s rights advocates and sports enthusiasts condemned the competition for allowing the men to participate.

“Well done @usacycling you’ve proved you don’t care about women & you’re happy to put men in female categories. What a joke,” one user replied.

“Cycling has been my refuge since I was a little girl. This makes me sick to my stomach and full of rage,” another said in response to the news.

One woman’s rights advocate even went so far as to edit Johnson and Williamson out of the podium photo, placing female racer Kristin Chalmers onto the top spot.

This is not the first time that Johnson and Williamson dominated the podium at the  Chicago CycloCross Cup. In October, the two also took gold and silver in the Women’s Singlespeed, similarly leaving the only female on the podium with bronze. Johnson also took first place in the Women’s Category 1/2 race, earning him $150 in prize money.

Both Johnson and Williamson have been racing in women’s cycling for years, with Williamson collecting 18 first place titles in races across the country since 2017. 

In September, Reduxx reported that Johnson and Williamson competed as a team in two separate women’s races in Illinois, taking first place in both of them. During one of the competitions, Williamson and Johnson competed under the team name “TS-ESTRODOLLS,” a reference to cross-sex hormones.

Johnson and Williamson celebrated their initial first place win on August 27 after their victory at the xXx Racing-Athletic Relay Cross in Chicago. The two men surpassed nine pairs of women for first place.

Just days later on August 31, Johnson and Williamson beat out two teams of women at the Ed Rudolph Velodrome during the State Championship in Madison. 

Williamson is reportedly in a polyamorous relationship with Austin Killips, another trans-identified male cyclist who has become notorious for his frequent participation in women’s competitions. Killips has similarly taken several first place wins in women’s categories and has forced at least one woman out of the sport after targeting her with physical aggression during a race.

[art-that-fucks-you-up-tournament]

SET SIXTEEN - ROUND ONE - MATCH EIGHT

"Agnus" (2022 - Konstantin Korobov) / "The Cup Of His Murders Is Flowing Over And In His Coat Shall Be Many Curses" (2017 - Teagan White)

AGNUS: never fails to fill me with a sudden and furious desire to sink my teeth into something (spottedsnake)

THE CUP OF HIS MURDERS IS FLOWING OVER AND IN HIS COAT SHALL BE MANY CURSES: Teagan Whites art is just incredible, and I love this work and another one from the same series called "Apparition" about prey animals taking revenge. The titles are modified quotes from The Prophecies of the Brahan Seer, but they are so fitting and eerie. It's such intricate and beautiful work, but the subject matter is so so dark and there is a post on instagram about refusing to depict nature healed, alive, as if nothing was wrong and it validates a lot of my existential angst but also makes me want to scream and learn more about nature and create things as beautiful as this. (light-through-the-leaves)

("Agnus" is 2022 oil and gold on canvas by Russian artist Konstantin Korobov.

"The Cup Of His Murders Is Flowing Over And In His Coat Shall Be Many Curses" is a 2017 gouache and watercolor on paper piece by non-binary American artist Teagan White. It measures 12" x 16")

[asaarii]

cheeeeeeeseeeeeeeee~~~~ talon mini series bc i love him and he doesn't get like any love... ALSO HIGH NOON BC I SAID SO and yone legendary :33 okay time to disappear again ta ta

ft: high noon!talon (league of legends)

reader: fem

wc: 2017

summary: after the fall of heaven, you're left to wander the mortal plain with nothing but a dead-end job and a mark on your hand binding you to a brother who you once thought dead. they say the west is cruel, but you weren't expecting to be reunited with the man you loathed most.

part i (here!) part ii

There’s a distinct creak that echoes through the air as the swinging doors open. The bar silences, all eyes turning to glance at the newcomer from beneath the hem of their worn leather hats before deeming him not worth their time and returning to their previous activities.

His boots click as he slowly stalks toward the front of the bar, the odd blades at the ends of his cape rattle noisily, clinking together with every step. His face remains hidden by the downward tilt of his head, obscured by the pristine hat accented by rims of gold. It isn’t long till he takes a seat at your station, waving you down with a flick of his wrist.

As you approach, your breath hitches. He’s smirking, scrutinizing your every move with an amused quirk of his brow. But what grabs your attention is his eyes, well, eye as one of them is covered by a black eyepatch with similar golden accents as the rest of his outfit. There’s something not quite human about his gaze and devilish smirk, yet you don’t allow his strange aura to deter you. You had a job to do, after all.

“Well, ain’t you a pretty sight?” The man lets out a low whistle, his smirk ever-present as his gaze lands on your gloved hand, which you quickly tuck away behind your work skirt upon feeling his gaze. He quirks a brow but doesn’t push, which you’re grateful for. Heaven knows that the folks in this town are far too nosy than they ought to be. Sweat begins to gather at the base of your neck, though whether it's from the high noon’s unforgiving heat, or from his stare, you aren’t quite sure.

You force yourself to remain calm. “What can I get you today, sir?” The buzz of the bar does little to distract you from the alluring stranger as he lets out a deep chuckle. You fiddle with your skirt when he dips his head to the side with a shrug, brushing aside the feeling in your gut telling you to run. In all honesty, you really should’ve.

“Whatever you recommend, miss.”

If he took note of your apprehension, he gave you the grace of not commenting on it, merely watching you pour a small cup of water from a lukewarm pitcher. The glass is then placed before him with a resounding thud, with a few of the droplets splashing onto his clothes and the counter.

“There you go, a mighty fine glass of water all for you, sir.” You ignore his stare in favor of wiping down the now-wet counter. He snorts, and you know he has a wide grin plastered on his face even if you can’t see it.

“Just water? And here I thought we hit it off, miss.”

Now it's your turn to snort, narrowing your eyes at the strange newcomer with a sneer. “We don’t do freeloaders ‘round here, sir. Sorry to disappoint.” You turn away from him to make your way over to a different customer when the sound of a pouch of coins hitting wood draws your attention swiftly back to the newcomer.

The whole bar seems to come to a standstill as the shimmering gold rolls across the countertop.

Tobias Felix looks up from his shuffled deck of cards, blue eyes falling to the coins with piqued interest. It’s rare to see the man away from Buzzard Gulch, and you can’t say you find yourself at ease with his presence, especially when he keeps his cards so close to his chest. 

(Never trust a man with too many secrets; a saying befitting of your current predicament.)

The famed Gunpowder Witch lets out a low whistle as she props her feet on the table despite your numerous complaints. Her left hand dutifully twirls one of her guns—Blaze, you recall her naming it—while the other tightly grips a bounty from the Mechanical Devil himself. The amount in the pouch is significantly less than the amount on the bounty, but out here in the west, all coin is good coin.

Your nostrils flare and your eyes glint with an unmatched hellfire that would send the Mechanical Devil himself running with his tail between his legs. “Fine,” you spit venomously, “what can I getcha, sir?”

“A moment of your time would suffice.” The man leans against the counter, taking the hand that lay resting on the counter before placing a chaste kiss on the silk glove.

As if burned, you quickly draw your hand back, reeling away as disgust paints your features. “A moment of my—! Do I look like a common whore?!” Had it not been for the manager coming to step in, there is no doubt in your mind that you would’ve struck the man. With a hand firmly clasped over your mouth, you’re unable to voice your complaints as your manager smiles.

A dangerous look crosses the outsider’s face, but it’s quickly replaced with a mirroring plastered smile.

“Pleasure doin’ business with you, kind sir.” Your manager tightens his grip on you, sticking his hand out for the strange man to shake.

“Much obliged.”

With the tip of a hat and the snatching of coin, you find yourself in the devil’s hold, deliberately avoiding his piercing gaze as he leads you away from the bar. Dust kicks up beneath your feet, dirtying the whiteness of your dress into the same barren shade of brown as the dirt. Once you deem yourself far away from wandering eyes, you tear yourself away from him. 

“You!” You press your gloved finger to his chest, unable to withhold your thinly veiled anger.

“Well, hello to you too, darlin’.” He peels your hand off of his chest, once more placing a kiss on the back, though this time he removes the glove, revealing the half mark of grief inked into your skin. 

(One half on you, and the other on your brother; two sides of the same coin.)

“Miss me, angelface?” His tone is light yet mocking as he peels off the eye patch. One of his arms sneaks around your waist, pulling you flush against him, much to your chagrin.

“I ain’t ever miss a devil.” You resist the urge to spit in his pretty face. His eyes, forever soulless, burn bright beneath the scorching sky of the high noon, amusement dancing in the two-toned irises as he forces you into a crude waltz. 

“Naw, can’t hide it from me, angelface. You’re still as shitty a liar as y’always been.”

Twisting and turning to an unheard rhythm, his hand entwines with your ungloved hand; calloused and rough through years of merciless killing. You try to pull away from him but his grip remains firm.

“And you’re still a connivin’ sonuva—!”

His movements are sudden and hidden, yet still as precise as they’ve always been.

You gasp as a blade pierces through your midsection, the cold steel bringing the familiar feeling of a harrowing death as it pushes deeper. 

It burns. 

The mark on your hand pulses, no doubt your brother on the other end restarting the process of grief. 

Golden blood trickles from the open wound, tainted by mortal air and a devil’s blade. You can only gape at him as he smiles down ruefully at you, bearing the same expression he bore all those years ago. You grasp weakly at his throat in an attempt to choke him, unable to voice your anger and grief with the blood rising in your throat. Your body falls as he drops you, but your soul is quick to stand again, gazing down at your corpse as it dissipates into a golden light.

The barren land cracks beneath your feet as you give up resisting, giving way to the hidden tracks beneath. The tracks of utter damnation.

A train horn sounds in the distance, followed shortly by the distinct sound of wheels on rails, chugging along the beaten tracks as the Sulfur Rail draws ever closer. You smell it before you see it; the intangible scent of burnt matches and rotting eggs pervading your senses even as you scrunch your nose at its distasteful smell.

It isn’t long until the train comes to a standstill, pausing before the two of you with the deafening screech of metal on metal. The devil—ever the utmost gentleman—steps on first, gripping onto the rusted rail as he extends his other hand to you.

His smirk widens as you take his hand, conjuring a fan to hide your expression as well as an attempt to block out the Sulfur Rail’s foul stench. Its white feathers fall with every movement, fading to black before disintegrating as they hit the ground. 

(Similar to a lot of folks you know, your brother in particular.)

You tune out his conversation with the ticket taker both out of spite and boredom, focusing your attention instead on the multitude of souls meandering about. Angels, devils, humans—all on a one-way ride to hell, paid in full by the mechanical devil-king himself. You see a few familiar faces amongst the sea of souls, though one in particular eludes you. Shrugging to yourself, you make your way down the rows of seats, both empty and occupied.

Anger still simmers beneath the surface of your skin despite your lack of outward resistance. The man takes a seat across from you, his face schooled into a more familiar look of annoyance and perpetual anger, unlike his suave facade from earlier.

You hate how he still looks attractive after all these years of nothing but silence between the two of you. You hate how he speaks so casually with you as if nothing happened after the downfall of Heaven—your home. Snapping your fan shut, you look at him, looking for any subtle shift in his features brought upon by time. His frown lines, the imminent scowl that’s taken over the plastic smile he clung to at the bar, the shaggy silver hair beneath his hat, and you could never forget the hidden blades just barely peeking from the cuffs of his shirt and knives in the holster at his hip.

Nope, he’s exactly the same. Just as you suspected.

“Why didja bring me here, Talon?”

“Lookin’ for somethin’ and you’re the only one who can help me find it, angelface.” That all-knowing look in his back on his slappable face and your jaw clenches tight beneath your teeth at the mere sight of it.

Your hand clasps over the mark visible on your ungloved hand as if protecting the bond from outside gazes—from Talon’s gaze. “Varus ain’t gonna help you. I wouldn’t help ya if it meant all the gold in the world.”

He cocks a brow, tilting his hat back slightly with his thumb as he looks at you, really looks at you, “You ain’t never cared for gold before.”

Melancholy settles over the anger, cooling its hellfire-like blaze into a manageable ember. “People change, Talon, but s’good to see you’re still as insufferable as ever.” You’re quick to recollect your fallen expression. “But that ain’t the point. Why d’you needa speak to Varus anyway? Pretty sure he’s still got that grudge of his.”

“Can’t a guy catch up with an old friend?”

You bring a hand up to quell your growing headache—can the dead get headaches? You digress. You stare hard at him, trying to piece together what in the world he was on about. “Right. The two of you were such good friends, weren’tcha?” Sarcasm drips from your tone as you roll your eyes, and he snorts in response.

“We were pretty close though, hm? All cozy n’ warm.”

“I reckon it’s high time you shut your damn mouth, demon.”

Talon hums, raising his hands in faux surrender before finally allowing you a moment of respite.

Resigning yourself to an unknown fate, you lean back into the train’s seat with a tired sigh. “I ain’t spoken to Varus in centuries, y’know?”

“Why’s that?” He’s smirking again. That damn twisted smirk that’s seared into the forefront of your mind.

You hate him.

“‘Cause you killed ‘em.”

©asarii 2024 — do not copy, steal, repost, or translate any of my works on tumblr or any other site

[aftermathfanfic]

Part 4, Chapter 1

Uncle Scrooge stood in front of him, one hand on his cane. His hat was resting on a nearby countertop, and he wore a strange, guilty expression.

“I’m sorry, Louie.” He told him quietly. “I should’ve been there.”

“Mm-hm.” Louie grunted noncommittedly.

~~~

Three Years Ago

Louie sat silently in the armchair, his gaze levelled at a cup of water he was clutching in his hands. The only sound in the room was the ticking of the wall-mounted clock and the scribbling of pen against paper, a few feet in front of him.

“…Can you tell me what triggered your panic attack?” Asked Dr. Lake, his voice calm and measured.

“…Yeah.” Louie murmured. He took his hands out of his pockets, laying them on his legs as he talked. “Um… so, I was at my uncle’s Money Bin. Apparently, some thieves had broken in, tried to steal stuff… the Beagle Boys, apparently. No idea how they got in. Me and my brothers went over when we heard about it… not that we needed to, it was all wrapped up by the time we got there. We saw the police were taking some of them away, and they were searching them… fishing gold out of their pockets and everything.

“I came over, saw this, like… gold ingot that had fallen on the floor. And I…” Louie swallowed, forcing himself to continue. “…I saw my reflection in it. Like I’d seen in the… in the dagger.” Louie took a moment, then finished, “And I just… same thing that happened with my golden khopesh. I just… froze up, couldn’t breathe right… it felt like I was back in that room, like…”

“Like you couldn’t escape?” Lake suggested.

“…Yeah.”

Louie fell silent. He heard the doctor scribble something else down.

“…And what did your family do, when you had your attack?” Dr. Lake asked.

Louie shrugged. “Took me home. Huey calmed me down, he’s, uh… really good at doing that. And I just watched TV for the rest of the day.”

Louie looked into the cup, his tired reflection staring back at him.

“…I used to really like gold.” He murmured.

“Did you like it because it was valuable, or for what it represented?”

“Both. Kinda. Having gold meant that you were rich.”

“And what does it mean to you now?”

Louie shrugged again. “I don’t know.” He mumbled.

The therapist was quiet for a moment. Louie looked up at the older drake, swaddled in an old grey turtleneck. He put his notepad down, then asked, “These panic attacks, they occur whenever something happens that reminds you of that… ‘adventure’, yes?”

“Yeah.” Louie nodded. “That’s why we don’t go on adventures anymore.”

“And the nightmares… do they occur in response to similar stimulus?”

Louie shook his head. “No, the nightmares just happen whenever. There’s no… rhyme or reason to them.”

“I see… and do you tell your family about the nightmares?”

“No… but they know.”

“And they take care of you when you have your panic attacks? You mentioned that your brother Huey is good at calming you down.”

“Yeah, yeah. They take care of me.”

Dr. Lake wrote down another note. “…Let’s go back to your last ‘adventure’, where this all started. Are you comfortable if we do that?”

“…Yeah.”

“In one of our previous sessions, you mentioned how the incident started off as a ‘routine adventure’.” The doctor recalled, flipping through his notes. “Could you remind me… what constitutes as a ‘routine’ adventure?”

“Uh… ancient ruins, deathtraps, treasure that’s either cursed or protected by another, scarier deathtrap…” Louie explained. “You know, like those Ford Windfall movies.”

“And you’ve always felt safe on those trips?”

“…Yeah? Like, it- it’s dangerous, but Uncle Scrooge always has our back.”

“You feel as if your uncle protects you?”

“…Why wouldn’t I?” Louie asked, confused.

“He doesn’t force you to go on these trips? You have the choice of staying behind?”

“Of course I- What do you mean? What is this?” Louie demanded.

“Calm down.” Lake said steadily. “I’m not trying to be accusatory. I’m just trying to get a better understanding of your… situation.”

“Really? ‘Cause it sounds like you’re saying that- that it’s my family’s fault that- that I’m like this!” Louie accused him.

Dr. Lake didn’t say anything, his face pensive. He leant forward in his chair, his hands clasped. “Louie… if I could speak frankly…” He said slowly. “Your family has a very unique lifestyle.”

“Yeah, we’re adventurers.” Louie retorted.

“I know that. But please, try to understand… there are very few children who live a lifestyle like yours. And those children are typically… quite troubled.”

Louie didn’t say anything.

“There are many people who would say that your circumstances aren’t healthy for a growing mind.” Lake continued. “And if your uncle didn’t have the reputation that he has… well, it’d be seen as a case of neglect, or abuse, even. I-”

“Abuse?” Louie spluttered. “You think my family’s- what the hell do you know about my family?”

“I’m saying this is how your circumstances can be perceived. These aren’t my views, and I don’t personally believe this to be a case of abuse. But I do think that your family might have had a role to play, however unwittingly, in your trauma. All I want is to get to…”

Louie stopped listening. He couldn’t hear him. He felt his breathing quickening, his heart racing, the doctor’s words flying back and forth in his head. The cup shook in his hands, there was a ringing in his ears, and-

~~~

He was in a doctor’s clinic.

He was sitting on a bare white bed, a bloodied bandage wrapped around his midsection. His hands were in his lap, and he felt exhausted.

Uncle Scrooge stood in front of him, one hand on his cane. His hat was resting on a nearby countertop, and he wore a strange, guilty expression.

“I’m sorry, Louie.” He told him quietly. “I should’ve been there.”

“Mm-hm.” Louie grunted noncommittedly.

Both Louie and June had been whisked away to the village doctor’s clinic the moment the family had escaped from Castelo de Cristo. Both of their injuries were flesh wounds, though June had lost a lot more blood than Louie had. It took a while for her to wake up, and neither Donald, May nor Webby left her side until she did. When Louie saw her, she was sporting bandages around her head that held a thick gauze to her wound.

Louie’s complication was the poison – the bulezau’s barbed tail had delivered a potent venom into his system. It was a small dose, thankfully, but it was still enough to warrant an overnight stay at the clinic.

Scrooge was talking again. Louie wasn’t listening. He just nodded dumbly and said, ‘Okay’ whenever the talking stopped. Eventually, Scrooge left the room, leaving Dewey as the only other person in the room, sitting in a nearby chair. Louie didn’t look at him. He just looked at the ground, his hands in his lap, and the tortured expression of the murdered girl burned into his retinas. He remained in that state for the rest of the day. It still hurt to move, and he needed to lean on Dewey to walk, so all he could do was sit on the bed and wait.

They were back on the plane in what felt like no time at all, and the flight felt like it only took an hour. Louie kept his distance from the others, sitting up on the upper level buried in his hoodie. He didn’t speak for the whole trip, not even when they landed back at the mansion. Huey and Della immediately rushed to his side, helping him walk back into the house and worrying ceaselessly over him, and Louie saw the other adults rushing out of the house as well.

Louie didn’t think he’d ever seen Daisy so terrified. She ran up to June immediately, hugging her tightly and apologizing profusely over and over again. June didn’t look like she knew how to react at all. She just lent dumbly into her foster mother’s embrace, allowing herself to be led back into the house with Donald and May in tow.

Webby followed them with Mrs. Beakley beside her. Neither she nor Louie spared a glance at each other.

Louie was taken to his bedroom by his mom, with both his brothers in tow. He had to move slow, every step causing a dull pain in his stomach. He was sat down gently on his bed, Della kneeling before him. “Hey,” she said softly. “How are you feeling?”

Louie grunted weakly, holding his wound.

“Do you want a can of Pep?”

“…Yeah.”

“Coming right up.” She stood back up, looking at all three of them. “You don’t have to worry about going to school tomorrow. We’ve told them what’s… well, we’ve given them a sanitised version of the story. You’ve all been through enough without having to angst about tests and stuff.”

Dewey frowned. “What happened to Huey?”

“…Something happened while you were away.” Della replied evasively. “But we don’t have to get into it now. What’s important is that you all recover from this, so you’ll stay at home. We’ll set up some sessions with Dr. Lake, maybe a-”

“No.” Louie interrupted.

“…Louie, you can’t-”

“You guys can do whatever you want, but I’m not seeing him.” Louie declared stubbornly.

“…Alright.” Della sighed. “You need to physically recover first, anyway. Just rest up, don’t exert yourself… if you need anything, just call me or your brothers. Okay?”

“Yep.”

Della gave him a weak smile, then left the three of them in the room.

Once she was out of earshot, Louie looked up at Huey. “Tell us what happened while we were gone.” He told him bluntly.

Huey hesitated. “…Louie, I don’t think you need to be-”

“I need to distract myself, Huey. Anything to stop me from thinking about last adventure or the pain, okay?”

“Or the stuff you said to Webby.” Dewey added, giving him a look.

“…I was kinda hoping I’d dreamt that.” Louie muttered.

“Well, you didn’t, and I feel like she deserves an apology.”

“Later. Now’s too soon.”

“What did you say to Webby?” Huey asked slowly.

“Just- tell us what happened.” Louie all but begged him. “Whatever it was, I can guarantee that it wasn’t as fucked up as what happened to us.”

“Language.” Huey chastised him.

With both of his brothers looking at him now, he sighed, reluctantly explaining, “If you must know, I got accosted at school the other day by someone from the FBI.”

“The what?” Dewey exclaimed in disbelief.

“…The Federal Bureau of Invest-”

“I meant like ‘what the hell’, dude. I know what the FBI is.” Dewey replied, annoyed.

Louie leaned forward, wincing as he did. “…What did the FBI want with you? Did they confuse you for me or something?”

“No, they- wait, why would they want to talk to you?”

“I dunno, I’m just the more suspicious one.”

“…Right. Well, what he wanted…” Huey continued, sitting on Louie’s desk chair. “And this is where it gets weird – he wanted me to talk about the Other Bin. Where we keep the dangerous stuff.”

“The…” Dewey frowned. “Isn’t that, like, top secret? I mean, we didn’t even know about it for like, two years.”

“It is. But he knew about it somehow. Or at least, he knew about some of the items we keep down there.”

“How?”

“No idea. But I did some research, and the guy who spoke to me…” Huey pulled out his phone. “His name is Agent Nickel, and – this is where it gets even weirder – he’s behind this.”

He brought up a picture of a large, dark figure being shoved into a police car, showing it to both of them. Louie narrowed his eyes at what he saw, asking cautiously, “That’s… that’s that ‘Phantom Blot’ guy, isn’t it?”

“Yep. And this…” Huey swiped through his gallery. “…is Steelbeak, being brought in by the Arizona police. And this is Rockerduck,” He added, swiping to the next picture. “Also getting arrested. And this one- well, we didn’t fight him, but he was one of FOWL’s administrators. All of these senior-level FOWL agents, everyone who fled from the fight at Alexandria, almost all of them are in prison now – and this Agent Nickel guy was behind all of those arrests.”

“Holy crap…” Dewey murmured.

“Lang-”

“This guy brought down FOWL! I mean, we defeated them first, but he- wait, shouldn’t this mean that he’s on our side?” Dewey questioned confusedly. “He obviously knows FOWL were the bad guys, why’s he after us?”

“I don’t know.” Huey admitted, putting his phone away. “It doesn't make sense.”

“Maybe he’s covering his tracks?” Louie suggested. “Like…” He winced as he shifted his position, “…there’s no way that this guy just happened to know exactly where all of these FOWL guys were hiding out. That’s something you can only learn from the inside.”

“You mean Nickel’s ex-FOWL?” Huey frowned. “That explains the arrests, but what does he have to gain by going after Uncle Scrooge?”

Louie shrugged. “Dunno.”

He felt his phone ping in his hoodie pocket. He frowned, pulling it out and looking at it.

It was from Doofus Drake.

“So, what happens now?” Dewey asked. “Like, we can’t go on another adventure if we’re being watched by the government, right?”

“I don’t think we’d be going on another adventure regardless.” Huey replied flatly. “Not after what happened on this one.”

Louie put his phone away, trying not to betray the surge of panic he’d gotten. “Yeah, nah, dude. This adventure was a disaster.”

The door opened again, and Della stepped in with a cool glass of Pep in her hand. “Hey, dudes.” She handed the glass over to Louie. “Here you go.”

“Thanks, mom.” Louie murmured, taking the glass and taking a long sip of it. After a moment, he asked quietly, “Could I be, like, left alone for a bit?”

“You sure? You don’t want to talk about-”

“No.” Louie replied brusquely. Hesitating, he added less harshly, “Not… yet. I just… need to be alone.”

Della shared a concerned look with her other two sons, then replied, “…Alright. If you need anything, just shoot a text to me or your brothers, ‘kay?”

“Yeah.”

Della hesitated, then added, “…You don’t have to see the doctor if you don’t want to. But you should still talk to someone about stuff like this. Trust me, if you just let it stew…”

“Yeah, I know.”

Reluctantly, they left his room, leaving Louie alone. He waited a few moments after they left, listening to their footsteps disappear down the corridor, then he pulled his phone out again, checking Doofus’s message.

I see you’ve returned, it read. Bring my present to where we last met. Sooner rather than later.

“God… fuck.” Louie swore under his breath. He stood up, wincing at the pain, and trudged to his door. He opened it, looking down both directions of the corridor, just in case either of his brothers were secretly listening. Seeing nobody, he shut his door and hobbled back to his bed, dialling the number that the text had come from.

Only a few seconds later, there was an answer from the other end. “Llewellyn.” Doofus greeted him boredly.

“Hey, Doofus, buddy!” Louie replied, trying to sound confident. “Hey, look, I’m gonna just say it and save us both a car trip – I don’t have a treasure for you.”

“…Is that so?” Doofus replied disinterestedly.

“Yeah, I know. I know how it looks, but the thing is-” Louie bit back a hiss of pain as he sat down on the bed. “…my uncle had been duped. There wasn’t any treasure for me to grab, so- so you can’t exactly blame me for not-”

“I thought I was clear, Llewellyn.” Doofus interrupted him. “Bring me my trinkets, or your school finds something… unpleasant in your locker.”

“I know, but there- there were no trinkets to nab.” Louie chuckled nervously. “You gotta understand that!”

“I believe I mentioned, last we spoke, about perusing your uncle’s collection?”

“That’s not an alternative. He’ll know, man.”

“We both know that’s not my problem.”

“Look, just- be reasonable.” Louie groaned. Thinking quickly, he told him, “My family goes adventuring every weekend, right? Why can’t I just get you something on our next adventure?”

“And give you and Chanda time to ruin me?”

Louie froze. He heard Doofus chuckle and remark, “Yes… I know you two are plotting against me. Really, Llewellyn? Trying to wriggle out the moment you’re out of earshot?”

Louie took a few moments to compose his answer, replying carefully, “…Guys like us don’t like being blackmailed, Doof. I feel like you’d do something similar in my position.”

“Hm.” Doofus sounded amused.

Louie sighed, continuing, “Look, your blackmail isn’t going to work anyway. I don’t know if you caught on from how awful my voice sounds right now, but I’m not going into school this week. And if a bag of weed just magically shows up in my locker when I’m not even there, I can refute that easily, can’t I?”

When Doofus didn’t respond, Louie insisted, “You have to give me a week.”

“…Hm.” Doofus didn’t sound so amused this time.

After a moment, he said coldly, “Next Sunday. I want something by then.”

“I can get you something by Sunday.” Louie lied.

“And I expect it to be gift-wrapped.” Doofus added before hanging up.

“Of course, yeah.” Louie chuckled to himself in the brief moments before his smile vanished. “Fuck you. Fuck you all the way to Hell.”

He slowly laid down on his bed, throwing his phone to the side and staring hopelessly up at the ceiling. He already knew he was going to have a bad week.

~~~

Bentina handed Webby a glass of water. “Here. This will help.”

“…Thanks.” Webby mumbled, taking the glass and taking a sip.

They were in Webby’s room, on the library floor. Webby was sitting on the stairs leading up to her proper bedroom, with Bentina kneeling before her. She had a hand on her granddaughter’s shoulder, looking sympathetically into her eyes.

“…Do you need anything else?” Bentina asked.

Webby shook her head, taking another sip of water. “No.”

Bentina was quiet for a moment, before saying softly, “Those men… they were trying to kill you.”

“I know.”

“If it hadn’t been for whoever saved you, you would be in a much worse place. You know that?”

Webby frowned, looking up at her. “Are… you trying to make me feel better about it?”

“I’m trying to make you understand that it couldn’t have gone any other way.” Bentina told her. When Webby didn’t respond, Bentina insisted, “It had to be done.”

“…I don’t like that idea.” Webby murmured.

That’s because you’re young, Bentina thought to herself. But she said nothing, only looked at her granddaughter sadly.

“…I’ll get you something sweeter.” She decided, standing up. “Apple juice?”

“…Yes, please.”

Bentina left the room, leaving the door open behind her. She made her way to the kitchen, where she found Donald, Daisy, and Scrooge having a hushed conversation. They stopped as she entered, though it didn’t escape Bentina’s notice that their words had a somewhat heated edge.

“…How’s Webby?” Daisy asked anxiously.

“It’ll take a while. But she’ll be fine.” Bentina replied. “May and June?”

“…May’s alright.” Daisy answered her, worry painted across her face. “But June… she’s barely said a word since she got back. It’s like she’s catatonic.”

“She’s had a head wound. She’ll recover in time.”

She walked over to the fridge, opening it and pulling out a bottle of juice.

“You can stop blaming yourselves, by the way.” Bentina added over her shoulder.

“It was our adventure.” Donald lamented, shaking his head.

“We sent them there, Bentina.” Daisy insisted. “June and Louie got hurt – seriously hurt – because we didn’t see this coming.”

“How would you have seen this coming?” Bentina questioned simply, walking over and putting the bottle on the table. “Our research gave no indication that anyone had lived in those ruins for centuries. And the only hint we would have had of them was a single missing person report. There was no way you could have known.”

“Goldie did.” Scrooge spoke up miserably. “She up and told me to my face. I didn’t listen.”

Bentina frowned. She opened up one of the cupboards, replying, “Well, you’ve made worse lapses in judgement.”

Scrooge gave her an angry glare. “A lass died, Bentina. Barely older than the kids.”

“And sitting here, feeling sorry for ourselves, will not bring her back or make the children feel any better.” Bentina said dryly. She put down the glass for Webby, inquiring, “You contacted the Portuguese authorities, yes? You told them what happened?”

“…I gave them a truncated version of it, aye.”

“And her family has her body?”

“Aye.”

“Then that is all that we can do.” Bentina told them simply, pouring the glass.

The kitchen door opened again. Della walked in, looking just as tired as the rest of them. “Hey.” She murmured. The others greeted her back.

“How are the boys?” Donald quacked concernedly.

“…Dewey’s handling it pretty well.” Della sighed, heading over to the fridge and reaching towards the top. “That boy’s unshakeable. But Louie…”

She took down a bottle of Irish whisky, admitting, “…He’s not gonna be okay for a while. He’s been doing so well, opening up to us and everything, but after this… I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts pushing us away again.” She laid out a number of glasses on the table, asking, “Anyone want some?”

They all nodded, save Bentina. Della poured the four drinkers a shot each, then promptly drank hers in one gulp. Everyone else took a sip of their glass.

“God, those poor fuckin’ parents.” Della muttered, pouring herself another shot. “Can’t imagine what they’re going through right now.”

“If it hadn’t been for that gunman, we’d be going through it too.” Donald mumbled.

“God… the idea of losing one of them makes me wanna puke.” Della winced. Holding up her glass, she asked frustratedly. “And we have no idea who that guy was? Not even a hint?”

“Nope.”

“Great.” Della muttered, downing her drink. “One more mystery to deal with.”

Donald nodded. Then, he frowned, looking up at her. “…One more?”

“Huey got accosted by someone at school.” Daisy muttered, her drink untouched. “From the FBI, apparently, talking about-”

Scrooge suddenly bent over in a coughing fit, slamming his half-finished drink on the table. He waved them away as they came to try and support him, thumping his chest as he cleared out his throat. When it was over, he looked back up at his family in shock and anger.

“…What?” He hissed.

[toasttt11]

august crosby

August Catherine Crosby

Number: 7

Season: Eighth

Position: C

Height: 5”6

Hometown: Halifax, Nova Scotia

S/C: R

NHL: VGK

Prev Team: PIT

NHL

• Selected First overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2016 NHL Draft.

• Traded to the Vegas Knights for the 2017-2018 season.

International

Team Canada

•2023 World Championship- Gold Medal, 9 G, 8 A, 10 GP.

•2021 World Championship- Gold Medal, 9 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2016 World Championship- Gold, 10 G, 8 A, 7 GP

•2016 World Junior Championship- Gold, 9 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2015 World Junior Championship-Gold, 8 G, 9 A, 7 GP

•2014 World U-18 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 7 G, 7 A, 7 GP

•2013 World U-17 Hockey Challenge- Gold Medal, 9 G, 8 A, 6 GP

Eighth Season (2023-2024)

Vegas Knights

42 G, 40 A, 82 P, 50 GP

Signed a 75 million dollar contract for 8 years and five million dollar signing bonus.

Captain.

Seventh Season (2022-2023)

Vegas Knights

58 G, 80 A, 135 P, 81 GP

Received King Clancy Memorial Trophy

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Conn Smythe Trophy.

Stanley Cup.

Captain.

Sixth Season (2021-2022)

Vegas Knights

52 G, 77 A, 127 P, 80 GP

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Captain

Fifth Season (2020-2021)

Vegas Knights

50 G, 75 A, 125 P, 75 GP

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Alternative Captain

Fourth Season (2019-2020)

Vegas Knights

25 G, 30 A, 55 P, 40 GP

Received NHL Plus-Minus Trophy

Captain

Third Season (2018-2019)

Vegas Knights

48 G, 66 A, 113 P, 79 GP

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Received Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Signed a six year contract for 50 million and three million signing bonus.

Captian.

Second Season (2017-2018)

Vegas Knights

42 G, 65 A, 107 P, 78 GP

Received Ted Lindsay Award.

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Received Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

Alternate Captain.

Rookie Season (2016-2017)

Pittsburgh Penguins

39 G, 63 A, 102 P, 75 GP

Received the Rookie of the Year award.

Received Art Ross Trophy.

Received Conn Smythe Trophy.

Received Hart Memorial Trophy.

Signed a Contract for 9 Million dollars for two years and a 1 million dollar signing bonus.

Won a Stanley cup.

OHL

Third Season 2015-2016

85 G, 120 A, 205 P, 75 Gp

Captain.

Won OHL Championship.

Draft Year.

Second Season 2014-2015

70 G, 107 A, 177 P, 68 GP

Alternative Captain.

Rookie Season (2013-2014)

56 G, 110 A, 166 P, 68 GP

First player to ever get exceptional Status and joined a year earlier.

Personal

Born September 14, 1998

Daughter of Troy and Tina Crosby

Has two siblings Sidney and Taylor

[amethystina]

Oh man!! The latest chapter!!! The angst was angsting, pain was paining, heart is wrenching, tear is falling, it was soooo mean, but do it again!!!

It was the longest chapter and ironically the most painful chapter as well. Have I said how much I love slow burn and angst and this fic hits home everytime?? Likeee woah I just LOVE how this fic is LOOONG , nowhere near close bc that means I get me read it longer lol.

And I feel like I would never be able to appreciate how much hard work you put in Who Holds the Devil.

I am guessing it is now Ga On's turn to pursue Yohan and Oh man I can already imagine how much he is gonna suffer while doing it 😭 or maybe not (bc he tends to be pretty straightforward at times and impulsive as well) but I believe it's gonna be pretty hard bc Gaon has so much shit to get together and Yohan, my man, already gave up (poor him) so gaon trying to persue him or rather seduce his sugar daddy would look very suspicious to him. Nevertheless I am exited to see Gaon try and miserably, comically and hilariously half fail bc he will succeed eventually as Yohan is too much of a loser for Gaon lol. I am excited for future chapters and definitely wouldn't complain about more angst lol.

It was necessary for this to happen, otherwise the story would go nowhere and most importantly Gaon and Yohan would go nowhere, their problems will never be solved. Sometimes hitting rock bottom is crucial to develop in life BUT I would hate it if it happens to me, hope I will be able to get my shits together before that happens ( or maybe it already happened but I am not relizing it or not acknowledging it much like gaon but he is better than me ngl at least he has the courage)

This became a rant about me naur 😭

Lastly I hope you have a great day and things work out for you 💕

Also idk if it's your cup of tea but My Happy Ending kdrama is sooo good and worth giving it a try. It's a psychological suspense drama hehe. I am soo invested in it nowadays so couldn't help recommending you as well 💫

It was a painful chapter, yeah. And I'm both relieved and heartbroken to finally have it out there. As someone who doesn't actually like angst, this chapter was a struggle in more than one way. But it's necessary if I want their relationship to move forward, so here we are.

At this point, writing Who Holds the Devil has sort of turned into a second job, not going to lie. I still enjoy it, make no mistake, but I have to plan all of my other hobbies around it since I feel an obligation to post somewhat regularly. Like, I've been postponing drawing for the past two weeks because I wanted to get this chapter out (that's how long it took to edit, yes) but drawing is the thing that helps the most with my depression symptoms (that have made an unwanted reappearance due to my burnout), so I've been struggling quite a bit. And now all I want to do is draw for a couple of days.

So yeah. I can't lie and say it's not a lot of work, both in terms of planning, writing, editing, etc., but also how it affects the rest of my life. BUT I just love it too much to give up on it ;)

And yes, Ga On will have to be the one to pursue Yo Han now ;) Or, well, eventually. He has to wallow and overthink things a bit first because, well, Ga On. If overthinking things was an Olympic sport, he'd win the gold for sure. But he WILL give Yo Han what he wants in the end, I promise.

In short, the "the only way after hitting rock bottom is up" saying is pretty apt in this case.

There's still hope, so just hang in there :)

I looked at the plot for My Happy Ending but I admit it didn't really catch my attention. But that could be because I don't really watch much right now? I'm too busy writing and drawing. I'm also trying to finish a drama I started ages ago called Mad Dog. Which, let me tell you, it's disorientingly gay for a drama about insurance fraud. But unlike The Devil Judge I'm not sure if they're actually AWARE of how gay it is? (especially since it's from 2017)

But, like, if I had a penny for every time I've watched a drama in which a traumatised, older man brings home a reckless, bratty twink after said twink got injured — under the pretence of protecting him from more harm — only for the twink to start snooping around his house before deciding to charm the dude with home-cooked food and then just doesn't leave I would have two pennies. Which isn't a lot, but it's still weird that it's happened twice.

Also, what the heck do they want me to think when they have these kinds of angles when the two dudes are arguing?

That looks questionable both in and out of context. BUT that could also be because Woo Do Hwan could have sexual tension with a goddamn rock. Rarely have I seen a man with so much "fuck me and find out" energy as his character in this drama.

But the twink also has a romantic plotline with the woman on the team, at the same time as he's living in the older dude's apartment and giving this poor dude all kinds of conflicted feelings because he's a widower who's lived alone since his wife and kid died and suddenly there's someone in his apartment cooking him food, nagging at him when he comes late and drunk etc. etc. Like, bruh. It really sounds like the twink is his new wife? And I am SO CONFUSED because the drama plays it so straight (without the "hint, hint, nudge, nudge" winks that The Devil Judge had) that I'm about to have an existential crisis.

Fellas, is it gay if this is the face you make when you're told you're not actually living with the man who took you home to keep you safe after you almost got murdered but then you accidentally behaved like his concerned and doting wife?

Asking for a friend.

(and don't even get me started on the whole "Bring Your Twink to Work Day" scene)

At this point, I'm half convinced I'm gaslighting myself into thinking this is gay when it's actually just a really heartwarming story about a really deep bromance that I'm too queer to understand.

ANYWAY. Thanks for the rec! But I'm not sure if it's my thing and I'm really bad at watching things right now. But I'm thrilled to hear that you're having so much fun with it! I'm happy for you! :D

And thank you so much for the lovely message 💜

[eaeulfl]

Small rant about the Olympics specifically table tennis in the Olympics below please skip if not interested

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I very seldom post about sports on here but I simply wish to express myself right now. I’ve been a casual table tennis fan since 2017 maybe, earliest 2016, because I remember the first ever table tennis video I watched and the match happened in 2015. Anyway I’m not anything close to being a pro like I don’t even play at all and actually I would say I know very little about how the game works, because again the keyword here is casual, like very very casual. I just like to watch it for fun, I’ve never taken the time to learn about it. But this has never stopped me from getting excited over the matches. Stupidity runs deep in me and a lot of what I’m about to say probably won’t make sense and there might even be a bit of misinformation not to mention I’m a bit sleep deprived so feel free to SKIP please, this is just me feeling things

I really think they should’ve sent ma long for men’s singles. I’m not very familiar with wang chuqin’s play but at least from what I’ve seen, I don’t think he’s the better player. I don’t have any kind of evidence to provide in objective terms, this is just me basing it off of my own intuition and the clips that I’ve seen from the two of them. Ma long strikes me as being much more stable, and obviously much more experienced. He has been playing for much longer after all and his track record is no joke. My brother who plays table tennis agreed that losing your main racket will surely affect your play, but regardless, I feel like if it had been ma long in that position he still would’ve won. Maybe getting his main racket broken affected him mentally too. But again, regardless of this, that’s your job as an athlete. You should be able to prepare yourself physically and mentally. Also, back in Beijing 2008 something similar happened to zhang yining and she still won gold, with her opponent being very tough as well, so. Probably not a very good excuse. But congratulations to him still for winning mixed doubles, and kudos for denying that excuse too in his interview.

On the other hand something made me a bit emotional during fan zhendong vs harimoto. From what I can remember harimoto’s parents are quite soft spoken people, but during the match I saw at one point his dad shouted with his hands on either side of his mouth in order to cheer for him, and then somewhere towards the end of the match his dad was doing something with his hands, like offering a bit of coaching or support, I actually don’t know what he was doing at the time but he seemed truly excited and proud, and that was quite moving for me. World championships are held every two years and world cups every year, but the Olympics only every four years and for a parent, to be able to watch their child not only participate in it but also go above and beyond in performance, it must be an indescribable experience. Even the rest of the Japanese team were cheering for him so passionately. It’s just like how the father of the 58 year old Zeng zhiying stayed up all night just to watch her match. I felt emotional too when she talked about how her 92 year old father watched her compete, with the Olympic dream having been in their hearts for decades. What an inspiration. Anyway regardless of the results I think the majority of people would probably agree that fan zhendong vs harimoto should’ve been and was pretty much the finals. It was very intense for both sides, one being that harimoto and his family have always been branded by some people as traitors because of their immigrant status and again because of the same status it probably isn’t a reach to say as a bit of an alien for some Japanese people. So the Olympics gold is a huge, huge deal for him and his family because it’s a way to even further “show” their loyalty I suppose, but also to prove to the ones that call them traitors that they are at least better off now than they were before. On the other side we have fan zhendong who ABSOLUTELY CANNOT lose, because he’s the only one left in the running for gold in his team. To have wang chuqin get dropped so early and then in the next moment have to prepare to meet harimoto must have been wild. The pressure must have been extreme, probably almost tangible even. I know he’s an incredibly skilled and accomplished athlete but I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Nevertheless it was an amazing match. I think harimoto might have choked towards the end, because in the sixth set with him having won three sets already he lost, and then in the last set he was up by 1 point 7-6 and lost five points in a row and so ultimately lost the match. The both of them are beasts though and arguably the best male players in singles. I’m happy that fan zhendong won, because after that he won 4-0 over Felix and now he’s off to the finals to face truls who won over wang chuqin. I’m not familiar with truls’ play, but we are talking about fan zhendong here. And just for the sake of getting a bit of reference I looked up his match against fan zhendong back in the 2021 world championships and he lost 4-0 so, even if he really has had some kind of power up or whatever, I’m still not too worried. Mainly I’ve read his recent statements/interviews and he seems a bit arrogant if I’m being completely honest, so I personally would find it satisfying to see him be humbled in the finals. Also, I’m not familiar with Hugo calderano’s play either, but I saw he lost the first set against truls even though he was up by 6 points 10-4, and I agree he probably choked. Not to discredit truls, he’s obviously playing at a high level as well or he wouldn’t have been selected for singles to represent Sweden, but choking is real. Calderano lost to himself, and truls arguably also had the better coach. Speaking of coaches, I was also surprised that they sent a Chinese coach to accompany harimoto. This is the Olympics, and they’re representing Japan. Given the history between the two countries it’s probably a bit of a sensitive situation, to say the least.

I haven’t had the time to check out the women’s yet but I will soon enough. Also I don’t know if I’m just biased but I didn’t think they’d send miu hirano for singles. For some time now I’ve always been under the impression that mima ito and even harimoto miwa are better than her. Again, casual fan here. I can’t emphasize this enough. I probably just haven’t seen enough of their matches. I’m excited for the teams events though.

[setevulpo]

touchstarved love interests in the olympics? yes.

this post by @enviousbug2 (sorry for the tag i'll remove it if you want) and now i have this headcanon? au? idk but they're going to the olympics, enjoy the wild amount of dates and years mentioned lolol

divider by @/cafekitsune

mhin - artistic gymnastics

they're 25 by the end of the 2024 summer olympics, born in 1999.

currently only participates on the horizontal bar event, but used to do the all-around.

participated in the olympics three times: in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

they got a bronze medal in 2020 and a silver in 2024 in the horizontal bar, but didn't get any while doing the all-around in 2016.

participated in the youth olympics in 2014 in the all-around, ended in 24th place.

did four rounds in the fig world cup! they got bronzes in 2018 and 2019 in the all-around, and silvers in the 2019 and 2020 horizontal bars!

ais - ski jumping

he's 24 by the end of the 2022 winter olympics, born in 1997.

participates in the individual large hill event for the olympics, but does normal hill on other competitions.

got a silver medal in 2018 and a gold medal in 2022, both in the olympics. those were the first olympic events he participated in.

has joined the fis world cup every year since 2014, regularly gets bronze and silver medals.

got his first gold medal when he was 20 years old, during the 2017/2018 season.

vere - figure skating

he's 25 by the end of the 2022 winter olympics, born in 1996.

currently participates in the men's singles competition, but used to be an ice dancer before his partner left figure skating.

started competing in 2010 as a junior, and in 2012 as a senior, both in the isu world championships. his first olympics were in 2018.

got a bronze in the 2018 olympics, and a silver in 2022, both in men's singles.

he has two bronze medals for his ice dancing, in 2011 and 2014. after changing to men's singles he got three silver medals and a gold, respectively in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2023.

participated in the feminine categories until 2016, changed to masculine when he split off from his dance partner.

kuras - speed skating

he's 32 by the end of the 2022 winter olympics, born in 1990.

formerly an ice dancer in figure skating, currently does the 5000 metres event in speed skating.

has a bronze medal in ice dancing from the isu world championships, from 2014, and no olympic medals from figure skating.

has three silver medals in speed skating isu world cups, in 2017, 2020 and 2021. he also has two golds from the same competitions, in 2019 and 2024.

got a gold medal in his first olympics in speed skating, 2018, and a silver in 2022.

leander - athletics

he's 18 by the end of the 2024 summer olympics, born in 2006.

competed in the olympics for the first time in 2024 and got 4th place in the javelin throw.

got a silver medal in javelin in the 2023 world athletics u20 championships.

didn't always do javelin events, in the 2022 edition of the u20 championships did discus throw instead.

has practice with pole vaulting, but hasn't participated in any competitions for it.

[fascinatingmale]

July 4 - gray

4, 14, 24 "fifty shades of GRAY"

Photo copied from 'thejumperlover' on Tumblr featuring Tom Daley

Tom Daley, born 1994 - OBE (Order of the British Empire)

Tom is a British diver and television personality. Specializing in multiple events, he is an Olympic gold medallist in the men’s synchronized ten-meter platform event at the 2020 Olympics and double world champion in the FINA ten-meter platform event, winning in 2009 at the age of fifteen, and again in 2017. He is an Olympic bronze medallist in the 2012 platform event, the 2016 synchronized event, and the 2020 platform event, making him the first British diver to win four Olympic medals. Daley also competes in team events, winning the inaugural mixed team World title in 2015. He is a 5-time European champion and a 4-time Commonwealth champion.

On 2 December 2013, Tom released a YouTube video announcing that he had been in a relationship with a man since early that year. He said speaking out about his private life had been a tough decision. Still, he had never felt love, which happened quickly when he met his husband, American film screenwriter, director and producer Dustin Lance Black.

One of the world’s most prominent out gay athletes, Tom is set to make his fifth Olympic appearance his summer at the Games in Paris.

His partner for this year has been named as Noah Williams, who competed with Daley for the first time at the British National Diving Cup, where the pair won gold in March.

Congratulations has been granted by Mark England to Tom who becomes the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games.

Daley’s return to the Olympics is likely to be his last after the diver said he wanted to return one final time so his son could see him compete.

[sons-from-adam]

Tom Daley, born 1994 - OBE (Order of the British Empire)

Tom is a British diver and television personality. Specializing in multiple events, he is an Olympic gold medallist in the men’s synchronized ten-meter platform event at the 2020 Olympics and double world champion in the FINA ten-meter platform event, winning in 2009 at the age of fifteen, and again in 2017. He is an Olympic bronze medallist in the 2012 platform event, the 2016 synchronized event, and the 2020 platform event, making him the first British diver to win four Olympic medals. Daley also competes in team events, winning the inaugural mixed team World title in 2015. He is a 5-time European champion and a 4-time Commonwealth champion.

On 2 December 2013, Tom released a YouTube video announcing that he had been in a relationship with a man since early that year. He said speaking out about his private life had been a tough decision. Still, he had never felt love, which happened quickly when he met his husband, American film screenwriter, director and producer Dustin Lance Black.

One of the world’s most prominent out gay athletes, Tom is set to make his fifth Olympic appearance his summer at the Games in Paris.

His partner for this year has been named as Noah Williams, who competed with Daley for the first time at the British National Diving Cup, where the pair won gold in March.

Congratulations has been granted by Mark England to Tom who becomes the first British diver to compete at five Olympic Games.

Daley’s return to the Olympics is likely to be his last after the diver said he wanted to return one final time so his son could see him compete.

(photo copied from 'thejumperlover' blog on Tumblr)