#I don't bother telling my night team this because every time I did before it didn't made any difference

[an-aura-about-you]

sometimes the best thing about a day of work is that it's over.

[devilander]

rain falls in love

homelander x gn reader. fluff, hurt/comfort, mentions of past abuse

Cozy Corner Domaystic: Thunderstorm

You were a light sleeper. Even minor disturbances would wake you instantly; your cat meowing, a neighborhood’s TV turned on, cars passing through the street. Whenever Homelander and you slept together you couldn't help but be slightly envious of how he could turn off the whole world—he slept like a stone, slept like the dead. 

Today, though, you doubted many could sleep through the thunderstorm that split New York’s sky. Each thunder louder than the other, sequences of lightning turning the apartment clear as day. And, courtesy of your boyfriend's gigantic windows, you felt enclosed in the roar of the night. 

For some, it could be an entertaining spectacle; nature's power a soothing balm, a way to make you contemplate how much of your worries were small and ephemeral—in the end, there was only the earth and the rain. 

You could, in theory, see the poetry of it. But all you felt was an overwhelming fear. The loud noises reminded you of your father's booming voice, the cracking of electricity too similar to his heavy hands landing on you. 

John was away, having left a week ago in some undisclosed mission. Undisclosed to the public, of course, because he told you in detail how, actually, he was going to take part in a non-authorized invasion of a terrorist cell. Or so he called it. 

You were alone. Only you and the storm and Popsicle purring in your lap, indifferent to his surroundings. 

After another furious thunder nearly frightening you to death, you decided to call John. Tears streamed down your face and you felt ridiculous—it’s only rain. And yet. 

He probably wouldn't pick up. If he did, he'd be too busy, what could he do?

In the first ring, however, he answered. “Hello, sweet face. Awake at this hour?”

“Oh, it's nothing.” You tried to disguise your sniffles, suddenly beyond embarrassed. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Silence, and then—

“Is it the storm, sweetheart?”

“Yes, yeah. I can't sleep, it keeps reminding me of… you know. I'm sorry for bothering you.”

“Don't you ever apologize to me for that, ever,” he retorted, voice tinged with anger, though you knew it wasn't aimed at you. 

“Can we—” Another thunder, and this time you yelped, scaring Popsicle so that he ran to hide under the bed. “God, I hate this,” you whimpered. “I just want you here. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too, you precious thing. Fuck, this is bullshit. A fucking week here and we accomplished shit. They sent me the most incompetent team of motherfuckers, I'm up my ass with their whining and ‘but sir, mister Edgar said we should be cautious’.”

You laughed. “Sounds like a trifle.”

“Ugh, fucking tell me about it. A week without you for this bullshit. Y’know what, I'm out. Hold on there, honey, I'll be with you in a moment.” 

And he hung up. And the storm raged on, but you felt a giddy warmness settling on you. 

Not before long, he barged in, completely wet, but you couldn't care less. You ran to his arms, letting the raindrops seep through your clothes as tangible proof of his devotion. 

“You didn't need to come.”

“Ah, but I promised, didn't I? I'll be with you anytime you need me, and you need me now, don't you?”

You giggled, forgetting all about the fears. It was washed over. “I do. And you need a hot bath.”

“Hmph. You too, little baby. C’mon, join me.”

You sat behind him in the tub, washing his hair, enjoying every second of this quiet moment. He moaned at the contact and squeezed your thigh as it circled his waist. 

If the storm was a demonstration of nature's power, John was both its likeness and antithesis—he himself was a force to be reckoned with, an amalgamation of sheer strength and might. Created by men, but a victim of them. You could understand that, quite intimately.

He gave you security in his power, and you gave him peace in your tenderness—the value of a whisper to a snowbank. 

“John,” you whispered. “I love you. I'll keep you forever, because you belong to me and I to you. Will you let me?”

You felt, more than you saw, his deep breath, swallowing back tears you knew were spilling down his cheeks. You didn't care what they said, what he did looking back in anger, because this was the only truth. 

“Yeah…” He choked up, but soldiered on. “Yeah, my love. I'm never letting you go. I fucking love you to pieces.”

As you lay in bed together you decided—in the end, there was only he and you. 

[lila-lou]

✨ His only exception - Pt. 3/? ✨

Summary: 12 months ago, Butcher went above and beyond to have you join his team. You had a simple office job at Supe Affairs. The same thing every day, working from 9 to 5 and watching Butcher and his team defeat one renegade after another. One evening, however, something changed.

Pairing: Soldier Boy x Reader

Warnings: Language

Word Count: 1303

A/N: This is part 3 of “His only exeption”.

English isn’t my first language, so please be lenient. 💙✨

When the next morning came, you were rudely woken up by Butcher plopping down on the couch next to you.

“Well, how are you feeling?”. He hit your bare thigh a little too hard. “Glad to see you’re still alive". You couldn't tell whether he was serious or sarcastic.

“Uh-huh”, you replied, rubbing your eyes as you slowly sat up. “I really need my own damn room again", you grumbled.

When Annie called out to you from the kitchen, asking what happened between you and Soldier Boy, the memories of last night came flooding back to you. You no longer knew what disgusted and bothered you more. Ben's actions or what you did afterward. Your cheeks immediately blushed.

You only woke up from your trance when Annie waved her hand in front of your face. Blinking a few times and looking around, you saw Hughie, Frenchie and Annie standing in front of you questioningly, while Butcher gave you a doubtful look.

"What happened? Soldier Boy always left you alone, or rather, protected you?”, Hughie raised his hand, completely astonished. Your gaze slid to your bandaged wrist. “I… I don’t know… Ugh, I feel sick”, your voice cracked, before you stood up and fled to the bathroom.

"What the hell happened yesterday?", Annie turned to Butcher.

“Don’t look at me! I have no idea what Barbie did. In any case, Soldier Boy was beyond pissed. I'm surprised the house and especially (y/n) is still standing", Butcher shrugged before patting on his legs and getting up to grab a coffee.

As you got to the bathroom, you were so deep in thought that you didn't notice Ben getting out of the shower. The words caught in your throat as your eyes found him. You wanted to tell him that you didn't know he was in here. But instead of saying something or at least leaving the room, you stood rooted to the spot.

“Do you fucking mind?!”, he hissed, roughly shoving you to the side. Without shame and only a towel around his waist, Ben reached for his razor and began tracing the contours of his beard. He could see your helpless look in the mirror, but didn't say anything at first, even though he clearly felt his heart swell at the sight of you. To be honest, he didn't know what to say either. Instead, there was an uncomfortable silence in the bathroom. You could have cut off the air, it was so thick. Again he was torn by his emotions.

After a few seconds that felt like minutes, Ben dropped his razor with a clatter into the sink and turned to you. "Look, dollface. If you don't want to sit naked with your legs spread on this fucking sink, I'd really appreciate you get your little ass out of here and leave me the fuck alone before I make you do it". His Voice was deep and loud enough, to finally wake you up. His anger and his wounded pride won out and pushed everything else aside.

It took you a moment to remember who you actually were. Of course you had a healthy respect for Soldier Boy. After all you weren't an idiot. But you weren't afraid. You knew he wouldn't kill you, because you knew how he felt about you. Well, after last night more than ever.

“Asshole”, you hissed, pushing past him towards the door.

“Don’t you fucking forget your fucking attitude”, Ben called after you, pushing the door shut.

Before anyone could say anything, you raised your hand, took the cup of coffee from Butcher's hand and sat down at the dining table where Frenchie and Annie had already set breakfast. Hughie struggled with himself for a moment before opening his mouth to say something. You, on the other hand, quickly interrupted him. “Don’t fucking start. I don’t want to talk about it”, you grumbled, pulling your legs up on the chair and examining the cup in your hand before sinking back into your thoughts.

On any other day, Butcher would have complained about his coffee, but when he saw that you weren't really yourself at the moment, he just hissed "bitch" and grabbed another cup.

Less than 10 minutes later everyone was already sitting at the table and eating. Just as Butcher was about to bring up today's mission, Ben entered the room and everyone fell silent. As they waited to see what would happen, everyone looked between you and him.

"What?!", Ben hissed annoyed and sat down on the chair next to you, his usual seat.

Nobody answered him. Instead, Annie just mouthed a toneless “alrigth”, raised her eyebrows and turned back to Butcher.

"So, what's the plan?", She took a sip of her tea.

It wasn't until Ben reached across your plate for a donut that you became aware of his presence. Even though it wasn't easy for you, you did your best to ignore him as good as possible.

As Butcher announced what was planned for today, Ben gave him the same attention as always. Enough to accommodate what matters most to him. Not too much and not too little. He rather gave you his free attention, constantly looking at you from the corner of his eye.

“And don’t forget. Even if we want to, we can't kill anyone", Butcher looked at Ben.

“Don’t fucking look at me. I won't do anything. I'm just trying to make sure your incompetent asses don't get kicked", he said while he stuffed the second donut into his mouth.

"(y/n), you're still on a team with Soldier Boy", Butcher said firmly, even if his look seemed a little worried.

“Sure”, you muttered to yourself.

“I can’t wait to see you in that tight dress”, Ben shamelessly winked at you, making you roll your eyes. “I bet,” you grimaced. He always managed to exceed your expectations. How could he carry on like nothing happened. After last night? Was he really such an Asshole?

“Alright, girls”, Butcher stood in front of your apartment two hours later. “While (y/n) is, well… seducing that fish-fucking-bastard, this fucker here is keeping an eye on the two of them”, he placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder, who immediately shook it off. "MM, Frenchie and Annie are taking care of A-Train and Hughie and I will keep an eye out for Homelander. We only have this one chance. Don't screw it up!".

The car ride felt like an eternity. Usually, hand on heart, you had the best conversations with Ben. Even if he wasn't the best driver and you were constantly worried about getting killed in a car accident, you always had a great time talking to him. After driving through the middle of nowhere for a while, Ben finally broke the silence. “I won’t fucking touch you again. Calm the fuck down", he grumbled. You looked over at him cautiously. It was probably your racing heart again that gave you away. Or the fact that you held your buttoned-up coat to you like a second skin through your folded arms. “I'm a lot, but not a fucking rapist”, he met your gaze for a second before looking back at the road and gripping the steering wheel tighter with his left hand.

The, in your opinion, bad side of you, wanted to say so much more. Do much more. This side of you wanted to pounce on him and feel what the moaning women in his room were feeling.

However, your rational side remained in control, so you simply answered, “Good”.

———————————

A/N: Please let me know what you think.🥰

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Part 4

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Taglist: @deangirl96

[youngsadlesbian]

STRANGE — wanda maximoff.

pairing: wanda maximoff x reader

summary: you saw slowly you and wanda go from strangers to friends, friends into lovers, and strangers again.

a/n: i became obsessed with this song again and wanted to write something quite sad that matched my mood and also fit a bit with the song. i hope you like it!

word count: 2,8k

warnings: angst, cheating and definitely no happy ending.

From strangers to friends

It was a hot summer morning when you first saw Wanda Maximoff. The air was filled with the scent of fallen leaves and the soft murmur of students on their way to classes. You were new in town, navigating the busy NYU campus, trying to find your place among a crowd of unfamiliar faces.

You were sitting in the courtyard, buried in your books, when a sudden gust of wind scattered your papers everywhere. Muttering under your breath, you tried to gather them up, but found an extra pair of hands helping you.

"Here, let me help," said a gentle voice. You looked up and saw a pair of stunning green eyes and a warm smile.

"Thanks," you murmured, feeling your face flush.

"You're welcome. I'm Wanda," she said, handing you the last of your papers.

"I'm Y/N," you replied, putting the papers back in your bag. "Nice to meet you."

From that moment, Wanda seemed to be everywhere. You bumped into her at the library, the cafeteria, even the gym. Each encounter was accompanied by quick conversations, shared smiles, and eventually a growing friendship.

It wasn't one of those superficial friendships you had in high school, with people you didn't care about and who didn't keep in touch. Wanda was truly your friend in the little details. You spent all your free time together, exploring the city, as both of you came from other states and always wanted to see the big New York City.

Wanda was amazing.

Friends into lovers

At the end of semester party, everything changed.

You drank more than you planned, and Wanda, being a good friend, assured your classmates she would take care of you. All the way back to your dorm, you made jokes that were only funny in your drunken mind. She made you change out of your tight and uncomfortable dress into warm, embarrassing pajamas with a leopard print that was probably the ugliest thing you had in your wardrobe.

Wanda put you to bed and was about to leave to handle her own things when you stopped her. "Don't go, stay with me."

She tried to refuse, of course. But after months of knowing you, Wanda had realized it was practically impossible to deny you anything.

Lying side by side, you looked deeply into each other's eyes, and you noticed things about Wanda you had never seen before.

Wanda had soft freckles on her nose. She also had a mole above her eyebrow that would go unnoticed to the naked eye unless you looked very closely. She also had beautiful lips.

Suddenly, you felt an overwhelming urge to lean in and touch Wanda's lips with yours. And you did. Before she could even react.

At first, it was just a peck, not reciprocated. You almost thought Wanda wouldn't kiss you back.

Then she gave you one of those unforgettable, deep kisses, as if in every bit of it she was giving you all the answers to the universe.

As if she was telling you she would always love you with a simple touch of lips.

The next day, you woke up with a hangover that seemed to be killing you slowly. You didn't forget the kiss, of course not. But you didn't mention it either, because Wanda chose to ignore the situation from the previous night, you noticed.

As days went by, things changed gradually. First, it was the subtle looks you gave each other in a crowd, it seemed that even if you didn't know the other was there, your eyes would always meet. The connection you had was also growing, often it wasn't necessary to say what was bothering one another; you just knew.

Then there was another party, this time celebrating the football team winning the regional championship. You went together but eventually separated, each joining specific groups from your classes.

You were in an animated conversation with Valkyrie, who seemed to like being close to you. She touched you without hesitation, her hands always on your waist or tapping your arm, flirting shamelessly.

You felt Wanda's eyes on you before she even approached. You had never seen her with such an angry expression as in that moment.

"Y/N, let's go." You had an agreement to leave any party when one of you didn't feel comfortable.

And this was the first time you felt like you were walking on eggshells with her. "But we're talking..." The look Wanda gave you was enough to convince you to go with her right away. "We'll talk later, Valkyrie."

Wanda didn't let you stay to hear the girl's response, pulling you by the arm with such force that you feared falling to the ground.

She didn't talk to you the whole way back to the dorms. You tried everything to make her speak, but she maintained a tense silence, her eyes fixed ahead. When you finally reached your room, she stopped abruptly, turning to you with a look of contained fury.

"You kiss me like that and now let a girl shamelessly flirt with you?" Wanda exploded, her eyes blazing with anger and pain.

You were slightly shocked by the accusation, but couldn't help feeling a touch of frustration too. "You decided to ignore it for months and now bring it up?" you responded, your voice rising with the tension.

"I ignored it because I thought you didn't want to talk about it! I was afraid you didn't feel the same!" Wanda retorted, her voice trembling.

"So you say nothing, and now you're mad at me for something we don't even know where we stood?" you replied, the confusion and despair starting to show.

"I'm mad because I felt something in that kiss, something I thought you felt too, but you acted like nothing happened!" Wanda shouted, tears streaming down her face.

The room was charged with emotion, the words echoing off the walls. In an impulse, Wanda crossed the space between you, holding your face with trembling hands. Before you could react, her lips met yours in an intense, desperate kiss. It was a kiss full of pent-up feelings, anger, love, and sadness mixing together.

You kissed her back, feeling all your own emotions bubbling up inside you. When you finally pulled apart, both of you were breathless, tears in your eyes.

"Wanda, I've always felt something for you," you murmured, your voice choked with emotion. "But I was afraid of ruining everything."

She shook her head, holding your hands tightly. "We need to be honest with each other. We can't pretend this isn't happening anymore."

You nodded, feeling a new determination rise within you. "Yes, we need to. I really like you, Wanda."

She smiled through her tears, pulling you into a tight embrace. "I really like you too, Y/N."

Your relationship didn't start overnight as most imagined. You took it slow for fear of ruining the friendship. At first, it was like you were just friends with benefits, even though you went on romantic dates every weekend.

Wanda asked you to be her girlfriend two months after you confessed your feelings, and that was, if not the, maybe the best day of your life. The dynamic of being great friends didn't change, and you loved knowing that Wanda was not only your lover but also your best friend and confidant.

The paid internship for both of you, almost at the end of college, enabled you to rent a small apartment in the suburbs of New York. Despite being far from college, you had a car that you shared, making everything easier. It was a first step you were immensely proud of.

The furniture was bought little by little; in the first months in the new apartment, you only had a bed, a small fridge, and a stove. Then came a television, a wardrobe, and all the necessary items to form a home.

Sharing an apartment was the idea you had to reduce the physical distance, as with internships and the end of college, it was becoming harder to see each other often. Although there wasn't much time to spend together, the feeling of hugging your girlfriend to sleep at night was enough to make your day better.

On your graduation day, Wanda proposed to you, and you didn't think twice before saying yes. She was the love of your life, your favorite person, and the center of your world.

With time, life started to settle down. You began your respective jobs; Wanda at a super famous and renowned art gallery, and you at a tourism company.

A year later, you got married in an intimate ceremony. Pietro, Wanda's brother, came from Sokovia especially for the day. You had never met him, but he seemed to know everything about you.

"I hope you take good care of my little sister. She deserves only the best," he murmured, noticing that you couldn't take your eyes off your beautiful wife. "But from what I see here, I don't think I need to worry."

Life never seemed so perfect. When you were a child, you used to make plans for your adult life, and all of them came true. Marrying your best friend, getting into your dream college, and consequently getting a good job and having a home.

And strangers again

But it's not all sunshine and roses.

By working in the tourism industry, you had to be away for long periods and even travel for work, leaving your wife alone. This was never a point of contention between you because Wanda understood that your job was extremely important to you and would never ask you to try to find something in your area that didn't demand so much of your absence.

Wanda missed you every night, having nothing more than video calls until you both fell asleep. She missed your touch, your kiss, your presence.

Wanda never intended to betray you, she loved you too much. But meeting Vision was one of the coincidences that her work provided; he was a buyer who liked to talk and seemed to go through the same as she did. At first, their relationship was completely platonic, two friends who got along very well and wanted company in the absence of their wives.

It all started with a dinner. You knew of Vision's existence and were pleased to learn that your wife had made a good friend who seemed to be in the same situation. Wanda and Vision had had a bit too much to drink, and he, being a true gentleman, offered to take her home. Wanda suggested that he come in and have another glass of wine. They talked for two hours until Wanda took the initiative and kissed him.

She immediately regretted it, and things between them became awkward afterward. Until the day Vision knocked on Wanda's door at two in the morning, clearly distraught. He and his wife had had an argument, and he needed someone to talk to.

From that day on, the two began an affair. For exactly three months, until you returned early from a trip and caught them together.

You stood frozen at the bedroom door, unable to believe what you were seeing. Wanda and Vision together, as if all the love and trust you had invested in her meant nothing. Pain and betrayal overwhelmed you.

"Wanda," you said, your voice faltering.

Wanda and Vision quickly separated, their faces full of guilt and panic. "Detka, I can explain," Wanda began, but you raised your hand, cutting her off.

"No, Wanda. There’s nothing to explain," you said, trying to stay calm, although your voice trembled. "I've seen enough."

Vision, realizing the gravity of the situation, stood up, trying to compose himself. "I’ll... I'll leave," he mumbled, quickly exiting the room.

Wanda approached you, tears streaming down her face. "Please, listen to me," she pleaded, her voice full of desperation.

You took a step back, shaking your head. "How could you, Wanda? I trusted you. We built a life together!"

"I know, I know," Wanda sobbed. "I made a terrible mistake. I was alone, and Vision was there... You were always working, and I felt so lonely..."

"Fuck, why didn’t you ever talk to me about this? We used to be best friends, Wanda. You could have said something, I could have tried to fix things so I wouldn’t have to travel so much..." you shouted, the pain and anger finally overflowing. "You just needed to say something."

Wanda fell to her knees, her hands covering her face. "I'm so sorry, detka. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to force you to give up your dreams for our marriage. Please, give me a chance to fix this."

You remained silent for a moment, trying to process everything. The betrayal was a deep wound, something that couldn’t be easily forgotten or forgiven.

"It wouldn’t be a sacrifice because I love you so fucking much. I... I don’t know if I can, Wanda," you finally said, your voice low and full of pain. "I need time. I need space."

Wanda looked at you, her eyes full of desperation. "Please, Y/N. Don’t go. I’ll do anything to fix this."

You shook your head, tears streaming down your face. "I need to go. I can’t stay here right now."

With that, you turned and left the apartment, leaving Wanda alone with her guilt and regret. The path out of the building felt endless, each step more difficult than the last. You didn’t know what the future held, but one thing was certain: nothing would be the same.

Two weeks later, you were settled in Natasha’s apartment, a good friend your job had provided. You didn’t go into details about what had really happened, but Natasha was very perceptive, and you could swear she knew.

Natasha strangely always knew everything.

A month passed, and you finally decided to accept Wanda’s request to meet. She looked like a shadow of her former self, her face dejected and her eyes full of hope and fear. You met at a quiet café, away from the city’s noise and crowds.

"Hi," you said, trying to stay calm.

"Hi," she replied, her voice soft and hesitant. "Thank you for coming."

You began to talk, each word chosen carefully. Wanda explained everything, every detail of how she felt lonely and lost without you, and how Vision became a distraction. You listened in silence, trying to understand, but the pain of the betrayal was still palpable.

"I want to try again, Y/N," Wanda said, her eyes full of sincerity. "I know I made a mistake, but I’m willing to do anything to win back your trust."

You took a deep breath, feeling the turmoil of emotions inside you. "Let’s take it slow, Wanda. I can’t promise that things will be like before, but I’m willing to try."

For months you really tried, but you no longer recognized Wanda.

It started with daily calls followed by questions like where you were, what time you would be back, and why you were taking so long to answer her calls. At first, you responded with all the patience in the world and explained that you were busy for some reason. When you got home, you would argue again, and in the end, have an amazing night together, only for the cycle to repeat the next day.

Jealousy crises were also a new thing in your relationship, which had never existed before because you had good communication and, consequently, knew how to respect each other's space. Wanda started to pick on all your female colleagues and swore up and down that you would cheat on her as revenge and leave her for some random girl.

This further strained the already fragile relationship, and you understood that there was no way to fix it. Trust was too broken to be recovered.

You also had your own fears. The sporadic work trips were never made with the peace of mind knowing you wouldn’t have to worry about what was happening at home; you feared Wanda would find another distraction for her bed in your absence.

In time, it became clear that you couldn’t continue like this. The relationship became toxic, full of distrust and fear. Finally, you made the decision you knew was best for both of you.

"Wanda, we need to break up," you said, your voice choked with emotion. "We’re toxic for each other, and we had something so beautiful... I don’t want this for us. I want to be able to look back and have good memories of what we had, despite everything. And at this point, that might not happen."

She nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I don’t want this either, detka. But maybe it’s for the best. I’ll always love you, but we need to move on."

With one last embrace, you parted ways, knowing that the love was still there, but that the relationship could not continue. You knew you would always love Wanda; she would always be your first love and owner of your fondest memories.

But not all loves are meant to last forever.

[reneyorene]

OPLA roronoa zoro × fem! reader headcanon

summary: you recruited to the crew by luffy before sanji. it didn't take long for you to get close with him, even closer than with zoro. no one knows that zoro is actually jealous because of that

note: english isn't my first language, so please understand. hope you enjoy!

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

• it's all starts when sanji joined the crew. everyone knows that he is a type of person that easily socialize with others

• sanji does flirt a lot. to all women. and when he join the crew, you and nami are never absent from his flirty words

• meanwhile, you and zoro aren't really that close. he looks like keep a barrier for everyone

• after you got recruited, he is the only person that haven't talk with you unless needed. even nami almost spend every night jist talking with you

• when you guys save nami from arlong and his crew, you just motice something. zoro make some moves that looks like he's protecting you

• of course you can fight, but arlong's crew just really strong

• zoro helps you sometimes especially when one of arlong's crew attack you from the back

• "thanks, zoro" and he just hummed or nod. that's all

• when the fight is over, you and your crew take some rest while sanji made the dinner for you all

• you're standing beside sanji while he's cooking. admiring his skills that you can't even do as a woman

• "you got a real good cooking skills, sanji. probablly you should open your own restaurant like zeff" ypu said

• everyone agree by saying the same thing but one person remain silent, it's zoro. not untill usopp asked him "sanji is a good chef don't you think, zoro?"

• and he just relpy with "he'll be a chef when we come to baratie if that so"

•and after that he just left making everyone confuse except sanji. he seems like know that zoro didn't like him that much

• after reasuring yourself, you decide to follow zoro and talk with him. maybe ask about the reason of his behaviour before

• you found zoro sitting on nojiko's roof. you come closer and asked him if you can join him

• he let you join him by giving a nod

"want to tell me what is wrong with you?" you asked

"there is nothing wrong. just want to have some fresh air here"

"definetly something is wrong with you. i mean, you did not talk a lot like usual, but today it looks like you have something inside your head"

"everyone have someting inside their head"

alright, that's it. maybe he just being himself. nothing to worry. you decide to comeback inside the house but you feel a hand on ypur wrist

"if you don't mind, would you sit here for few minutes more?"

you thought he don't want to share anything or even say a thing, but looks like he did

"okay, i'm gonna asked you again. what is inside your head? what makes you look like you owe someone hundred million berries? is it because of sanji? ypu know he just-"

"you. i don't owe someone hundred millions berries. amd yes, it's him bothering me"

you froze for few moments "me? what is this have to do with me? and how is sanji bothering you"

he sighed before answering your question. it takes some moment for him to talk

"you just being too close each other"

"but we are a team" you answered with confuse tone

"you not that close with me"

zoro's answer startled you a bit "i thought you are keeping a distance"

"i'm not" he asnwer swiftly

there some silence moment before he continue speak "i am sorry for make you think that way"

you chuckle makes him looks towarda you. it's night thankfully, so you can't he he's blushing right now

"it's all clear now, so that's fine.i just don't really get it why i can't being too close with sanji"

"you can. you can be friend with him. but just... don't too close"

"why?" you looked at him back, asking for answer

zoro take a breath before answered "because i'm jealous"

oh.. you didn't expect that answer from him. it's roronoa zoro we're talking about

"you are... jealous?"

"yeah"

again, moment of silence. this time it's longer than before

"i asked usopp. he said that i like you. probably he's right"

you still silent, don't know how to react. actually ypu have talked about this witj nami before. about sometimes, either nami or you caught zoro just starring at you or helping you with anything you do. but you just take it as an act from a teammate, nothing special. but tonight you got an absolute answer

"do you.. like me?"

zoro's question bring you back to the earth, you glanced at him but when you meet his gaze, you try to find other object to look at. your cheek feels like burn, also feels like there's a lot of butterflies inside your stomach

"zoro-"

"you like sanji?"

"no. i mean yes, as a friend. i like you all as my team mate?"

"so it's just a team mate between us?"

you frowned "you expect more?"

"ussop said when i confessed, you'll answer that you like me too right away"

his words got you chuckled

"usopp is wrong then" there's a disappoint tone in his voice

"no, he's not wrong. he's right. i like you too, not just a team mate" you answered with smile

slowly, a smile appeared on his face makes ypu smile even wider

"i think i'll got heart attack, my heart just beating too loud"

you laughed, so does him

"am i cool? i make roronoa zoro nervous"

he chuckle "yeah, you are cool"

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

sorry for the typos and grammar error. i'm not good at writting in english guys

[whorekneecentral]

sd! toto? this man is the biggest sugar daddy material hands down, like a billionaire. maybe the reader is student at Harvard (i know this type of prompt has been used many times but I can’t think of anything else 😭) she’s studying to be a professor and can’t seem to be paying her student loans. And her friend invited her over to the paddock for the weekend to get her mind off of her studies and relax, where she then meets Toto and there’s a attraction which then leads to him being her secret sugar daddy?

-jenson anon ❤️

jenson anon you are so sexy for this idea ily bae <3333

you thought you knew him from somewhere; your friend ran in all the high end, luxury circles because of who her parents were and when she introduced you to the team principal of mercedes; you knew you had seen him before.

he remembered you before you remembered him - the two of you had met when he did a lecture at harvard. you were telling him that you were getting your PhD so become a professor and he said if you ever changed your mind, you could come work for them.

you never bothered with his comment, you figured you'd never see him again; you had been too busy to even think about that. between school and working to be able to pay for school, you barely had time to breathe.

the only reason you were there is cause your friend's parents paid for everything.

the afternoon goes by, everyone gets busy and your friend eventually disappears when she sees someone she knows.

you were sat in merc hospitality, having a coffee when someone asked if they could sit with you. you look over and see toto.

you tell him go ahead and you two make small talk. he asks how the PhD is going, you tell him it's slowly killing you.

"what do you mean?" the man pushes his glasses up a bit, looking at you.

you shrug, "I might die before I pay back the loans I have." you joked, not really tho.

toto shook his head, "so stupid that you need loans to go to school, to work just to pay back the loans."

"tell me about it." you sighed, spinning the cup around on the table. it goes quiet for a bit before he speaks. "let me pay for it."

you look at him like he's insane, "no, absolutely not. you're very kind for offering but I cannot let you do that."

"why not? it's a good use of my money."

"I wouldn't be able to pay you back, it would kill me to just take the money from you."

toto nods, telling you he understood and the conversation drops.

"we can work something out," he starts and you cut him off, "I can't afford that-"

"no, not like that. uh, so I was thinking more along the lines of you just giving me some company."

you get what he meant and you can't help but laugh. "I'm not looking to be a sugar baby."

"no of course not," he shook his head, "just two friends who benefit from each other?"

"well when you put it like that." you nod, smiling.

toto asked you to join him for the races over your summer break, in exchange he paid for your next two semesters.

you got to travel the world and he got the company he wanted, while your school was paid for.

it was nice, you got to explore on the days you didn't join him on track. he left a card with you which you used for emergencies but he left it with you incase you wanted to shop or stop to eat somewhere. you two had dinner together almost every night, unless he was working late.

he spoiled you with lavish clothing and jewellery to match; you told him it was too much and he said you needed to fit in with the crowd so he's just making sure you don't stick out.

you both knew he just liked to spoil you, that was the whole thing.

the break in the race schedule came up, the drivers off to rest for the summer. toto asked if you'd like to join him in England, spend a few weeks with him relaxing.

you said okay; the 2 of you spent 2 of the 4 weeks in England, resting and getting to know each other properly- and by that I mean in bed.

one too many glasses of wine turned into flirting, into touches and stolen glances and eventually you two ended up going at it right on the deck.

the next 2 weeks were on an island, a little villa all to yourselves, rolling around in bed all morning, waking up to the sun and your lover kissing on you.

you returned to the paddock, toto a little more touchy than before but no one seemed to say anything even tho they noticed the change in the two of you.

[heavyhitterheaux]

It Was Always You (NSFW 18+)

AN: second chances don't always come around, so if you see an opportunity take it. This is my first fic for Joe so go easy on me! lol

Synopsis: You and Joe both attended LSU and although you both had feelings for each other, he told you when you least expected it.... when you had a boyfriend your senior year. What happens when you see him at the LSU spring game and all of those feelings are now rushing back towards you? The feelings that you tried so hard to put in the back of your mind?

Pairing: Joe Burrow x Reader

Requested by: @soaharleys and @a-moment-captured 💖

Joe Burrow Masterlist

Do not engage if you are not 18+

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

Your breath hitched in your throat when you had finally caught sight of him standing next to Ja’Marr and looked around to see if you could make an escape.

Because right now you wanted to disappear into thin air.

You were now back at LSU for the spring game and knew that it was only a matter of time before you ran into him.

Joe.

The ex that wasn’t really your ex

The one that got away

Because of the way that the two of you left things, if it was up to you, you wouldn't have bothered showing up knowing that he would be here. But your two best friends dragged you along so you didn't really have a choice. They were always Team Y/N and Joe from the beginning and it doesn't look like that was changing any time soon.

The two of you were basically inseparable during your time at LSU, but a relationship never bloomed and there were so many factors as to why. After he got drafted to the NFL, you watched his professional career closely and always congratulated him on social media. He did the same with you seeing as you were now a professional gymnast.

And the crazy part of it all was that you trained in Cincinnati.

But that was as far as it went, social media and nothing else. He also followed your career closely just like you did his and would always tell you underneath your posts how proud he was of you.

Even though there was a time that it was rare to see either of you without each other, it was almost as if you were now strangers and you couldn’t understand how it got to this point.

You just figured both of your careers were now taking off and left it at that even though deep down you did miss him and wanted to reach out to him.

But you were scared.

Scared of what, you didn’t exactly know but you figured that you were scared of your feelings that you had towards him which you didn’t want to admit. 

But you had to be honest with yourself. You did know how the two of you got to that point.

During your senior year, you had a boyfriend.

And Joe did not like that one bit. You could tell he was against the relationship from the beginning, but seeing how happy you were, he let it go.

Then it all came to a head.

You admit that you did spend less time with him and in return he decided to tell you how your boyfriend didn't deserve you and was cheating on you every chance he got.

Then the argument happened.

You called him jealous and the only thing that came out of his mouth was 'Well what if I am? He doesn't treat you right!'

'Oh and I suppose you know someone who can do better? You are so jealous of him that it's actually pathetic. I thought you would be happy for me. You're supposed to be one of my best friends!'

'Anybody can do better than his ass! How can I be happy for you when I'm absolutely in love with you?! You belong with me, NOT him!'

'Joey...'

Next thing you knew his lips were on yours and as bad as you wanted to push him away, you didn't.

It wasn't until your phone went off to tell you that he was downstairs waiting for you for date night.

You abruptly pushed Joe away from you and all he could do was sigh in defeat because he knew.

He knew that you would go back to him despite everything that he had put you through.

'Joe, why would you kiss me knowing that I have a boyfriend?'

'Then why would you kiss me back when you know the exact same thing?'

You didn't have a response for him and just stared anywhere but his eyes. It wasn't until he lifted your chin for you to look at him that your eyes welled up with tears.

'Let me show you how you deserve to be treated. Leave him. You already know being with me that you'll want for nothing.'

You didn't know how long you stood there staring back into his blue eyes, but you finally broke.

'Joey, I love you but I love him too and I...'

'You're choosing him over me.'

'No, babe just wait a minute please.' You said while trying to catch his arm as he turned around to leave out of your apartment.

'Wait for what? I'm not waiting for the person that I'm completely in love with go and love someone else in front of my face and that someone else doesn't deserve it. I love you, but I can't do this anymore Y/N. Just.... take care of yourself.'

Joe then placed a kiss on your forehead as you suddenly raised your voice to ask him what that meant.

He couldn't just leave you and your friendship behind, you wouldn't let him.

'Joe...'

Joe turned around to walk away from you and was making his way through the living room as you kept calling him.

'Joey... what does that mean? What does that mean? ANSWER ME DAMN IT! Don't do this, I... I need you in my life. Ever since you came into it, I can't see myself without you.'

'I can't be friends with you anymore and watch you love someone else that isn't me as selfish as that sounds. Y/N, don't call me when he breaks your heart either because I'm here trying to save you from the heartbreak, but your falling into head first.'

As hard as it was to leave your apartment seeing you with tears run down your face, Joe walked out of the door and never looked back.

Not even a week later, your boyfriend broke up with you.

You tried to call Joe right after it happened and of course....

he didn't answer.

"Ooh, look! It’s your man. Go and talk to him.” Your friend Jada said while pushing you towards him, but you immediately shook your head no.

Jada was with you on the gymnastics team at LSU along with your other friend Destiny and the three of you remained close after graduation. They didn't know the story behind what actually happened between you two seeing as you would get upset every time you thought about it. Because of that, you just let it go. 

“Why not? He literally has not stopped looking in this direction since you came through the door.” Destiny added while looking over at you confused.

“He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Uhh?? His bedroom eyes that he’s giving you is saying different and what makes you think that? There was a time where the two of you were inseparable and I was convinced you wanted to be in his nutsack so that you could hang with him all day.”

“JADA!”

“Tell me I’m lying. All of us just knew that the two of you were going to end up together and were very surprised that the two of you just went your separate ways.”

“We talk on social media.”

“Barely. You should have been sending him nudes to get his attention. A little titty pic never hurt anybody” Jada added and Destiny just shook her head at her.

“Not everyone can be successful from their only fans, Jada.”

“I only did it for six months!”

You and Joe had formally met when there was one night when you couldn’t sleep and decided to go to the gym on campus. You were in there for about ten minutes by yourself before Joe came in with his headphones on. He sent you a small smile and you went back to doing your workout. It wasn’t until you needed a spotter for your chest press that you actually spoke to him. Of course he agreed and the two of you had been close ever since. 

“Oh shit, oh shit, he’s coming, he’s coming!” You whispered to them as you noticed Joe starting to make his way over to the three of you. 

“Oh Y/N will definitely make sure that he’s coming later if I have anything to do with it.”

“And this is why we never want to take your ass in public. You don’t know how to act.” Destiny said while shaking her head.

“All I’m trying to do is make sure my bestie gets dicked down, there’s no harm in that.”

“Ladies.” Joe greeted the two of them while you just stayed quiet.

“Hiiii Joe.” Jada and Destiny responded while you just tried to stifle a laugh. They were so incredibly full of it.

He then turned to you and gave you his famous smile and of course you couldn’t help but to smile back at him.

“Y/N, long time no see.”

“Too long in my opinion.” You heard Jada say and Destiny immediately pinched her.

“It’s so good to see you.” It almost came out like a sigh of relief, but your heart rate had definitely begun to pick up even more now that he was right in front of you.

You should have chosen him over your ex-boyfriend and you regret making that decision every day.

“You mind if we go somewhere and talk?” Joe asked while scratching the back of his neck and you immediately nodded your head.

“I slipped a condom in your purse earlier just in case. I got the largest size that I could find. Because we KNOW it's big.” Jada whispered in your ear and all you did was look at her in disbelief before turning back to Joe.

“Sure.”

The two of you walked in a comfortable silence until you reached downstairs in the hallway leading to the locker rooms knowing that you two would be able to have privacy.

You were looking down, being more interested in your shoes when Joe placed his finger under your chin so that you could look up at him. Just like old times when he desperately wanted your attention.

“I actually had this whole speech about what I was going to say to you when I saw you today, but now that you’re in front of me all of that has gone out the window.”

“Whole speech for what?” You curiously asked while you felt your chest was about to burst.

“I… I hate the way that we drifted and there’s really no excuse for it. You were one of my biggest supporters while I was here and you were the first one I told when I said that I wanted to enter the draft. I left you in a time where you probably needed me the most and I feel like I failed you. Even if you didn't feel the same way, I should have been a better friend to you and support you in whatever was going on with him.”

“Who said that I didn't feel the same way?”

“You did?”

“Yes and I thought that I was making it obvious. I just didn't expect to be in love with two people at the same time.”

“I liked you since I first laid eyes on you, but not knowing if you felt the same, I didn’t bother saying anything. At that time, being your friend was good enough for me. Especially because I didn’t know if you felt the same way. Even though I could have just asked you, I didn't know what I would do if you said you didn't share those same feelings. But, I couldn’t risk losing our friendship. When I got drafted and then moved to Cincinnati, I tried to push the feelings to the back of my mind. I thought if I wasn’t always around you that they would go away, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. And seeing you today, I realized that the feelings never left. I thought that distance would help but it didn't. Still want you just as much as I wanted you then and I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed it.”

You were quiet for a few minutes taking everything in while Joe on the other hand was starting to grow nervous because you hadn’t said anything in response to him.

“Y/N?”

“I wish that you would have told me sooner.”

“Why? Do you have a boyfriend that I don’t know about? Again?”

Joe asked while once again getting a defeated look on his face. You decided for him to sweat it out a little bit before answering.

“No, but we have barely spoken in three years and I fucking missed you but didn’t know if you missed me too and that was why I didn’t say anything. That fight we had? Joey we never fought.. EVER.”

“I know. I've replayed it so many times in my head and walking away from you is the hardest thing that I've ever done. It was always you and I hated how long it took for me to realize it. No matter how much I tried to suppress my feelings I get it if you don’t…” You immediately cut him off.

“If I don’t what? I thought it was obvious that I liked you too and still want you in my life despite how much you pushed me away. I did agree to talk to you today after all. I just didn't expect you to wait to tell me that until I had a boyfriend. Come on, I would get us both Starbucks every morning before class and I shared my apple cinnamon muffins with you and no one else every time I made them. No one got that same treatment. I woke up at 6 in the morning for you, I didn’t even do that for my ex-boyfriend.”

“Ja’Marr also pointed that out, but I didn’t notice.”

"You don't know how hard I had to suppress my feelings for you while I was with him. I thought that you were giving me all of these signs that you liked me back, but when you didn't ask me out, I thought that I had misunderstood you. But then you finally did tell me and I was put in a difficult situation."

"If I would have just told you then we wouldn't even be here right now having this conversation because we would be together."

“So, what now?” You asked wanting an immediate answer.

“I’m doing it the right way this time. Date night later? Now I'm really going to show you how you deserve to be treated.”

—-

Joe was now pounding into you as you reached up to wrap your arms around his shoulders in order to bring him closer to you if that was even possible.

Luckily that condom Jada slipped into your purse earlier came in handy.

As your left thigh wrapped around him, he adjusted both of you in order to be able to grab your hip tighter to continue his movements in and out of you. It was a long time coming with built up frustration on both of your parts since no one wanted to admit their feelings first.

But you had to admit that the wait had been worth it. You had lost count of how many times he had made you cum and you knew for a fact that he wasn’t going to be done any time soon. And if he was, it was only for a small break and then this would continue later.

He then reached down to place kisses all along your breasts before taking one nipple into his mouth and massaging the other one making a moan quickly escape from your lips. As much as you were trying to hold back, you were failing miserably. Joe was doing everything he could to get you to come undone in front of him and you knew that it was only a matter of time.

“Mmm, baby you feel so good around me.” Joe whispered into your ear as he reached down to massage your clit and you only gave him a moan in response. Your back immediately arched up from the mattress beneath you as Joe was trying to hold you in place so that you didn’t move.

“Oohhh shit, right there, baby stay right there.” Joe heard you say and immediately slipped out of you to then put his mouth on you while adding two fingers.

“You going to be a good girl and cum for me again? Been waiting for this.”

You eagerly nodded your head yes as he put his mouth back on you without breaking eye contact. He grabbed your legs tighter to pull you closer to him so that now they were both resting on his shoulders. Your breathing had picked up and you knew that you were close. Joe knew it too as he began to suck on your clit which immediately made you gasp.

“I know you’re not running from me, baby. Spread those legs. You have a few more left in you, don't you?”

“Joeyyyyyyy….”

“Didn’t realize how much I missed you calling me that.”

Less than a minute later, you were coming undone in front of him as he continued sucking on your clit making you cry out in pleasure.

As you rode out your high, Joe was placing kisses on the insides of your thighs as he waited for your breathing to become even again. When it finally did, you sat up to meet him halfway as you brought your lips to his in an intense kiss. It almost seemed desperate at this point wanting for him to explore every inch of you and wanting to do the same for him. 

You then made a motion to flip the two of you over and Joe had gotten a surprised look on his face as he looked up at you.

“Damn, I forgot how strong your ass was.”

“You should know better since I could almost lift just as heavy as you could.” You replied as you slowly sat down on him letting him fill you up as moans escaped from the both of you.

His hands immediately went to your hips to help guide you as you were slowly riding him. You could tell that he wanted for you to go faster, but you wanted to take your time. The clock on the nightstand read 1 am and you knew that you still had a few more rounds left in you.

“Come on, babe.” Joe breathlessly said and you could tell that he was growing impatient.

“Patience, Joseph.”

“I am being patient. Take your time, but hurry up.”

“And I see that some things still haven’t changed.” You said in response to him as you rolled your eyes.

“You said how much you missed me earlier so you better ride this dick like it.”

That was all he needed for you to say as you lifted up and slammed back down on him and increased your pace.

“Fuckkkk, baby.”

“You coming undone underneath me is a sight that I’ll never get tired of seeing.” You confessed as Joe gripped your hips even tighter. You had a feeling that was going to leave a mark later, but for now you didn’t care. 

“I’m close, babe.”

You then placed your hands on Joe’s stomach to help you lift up as you were also close and could feel him start to twitch inside you.

“Shit!”

As Joe was cumming you continued to ride him and finally lifted yourself off of him to lay beside him. He immediately brought you back on top of him while kissing you as you were eagerly kissing him back. 

After discarding the used condom, Joe turned the shower on to a comfortable temperature before going back into the bedroom to pick you up off of the bed to lead you back into the bathroom. 

Joe helped you put your box braids into a high bun in the hopes of not getting your hair wet when both of you stepped into the shower with him going first and holding his hand out towards you. Joe was staring down at you smiling and you couldn’t help but to smile back.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” You asked as you reached to the side of him to grab your mango body wash that was perched on the side while he had begun to wash his hair.

“Just happy you agreed to go on a date with me. Despite how I left things between us. I just... I won't let that ever happen again. If problems arise, we work through it.”

“Did you think that I was going to say no?”

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure. That’s why it took me so long to say anything.”

“Well, I’m glad I didn't so now Jada and Destiny can shut up about it.”

“You know they all had a bet going since we were at LSU right?” Joe asked you and you immediately looked at him confused.

“A bet for what?”

“To see how long it would take for us to start talking to each other again. I don’t think anyone thought that it would take this long.”

“Me either, but it worked out how it was supposed to.”

“And I now owe Ja’Marr 1500 dollars. He said that you were going to say yes to the date and work on moving on from what happened between us.”

"Oh, shit. YOU OWE HIM TOO?"

"Wait?! He?"

"Text me and told me the exact same thing yesterday and said I would owe him 1500 if you proved me wrong."

"Can't stand his ass, he always was right about everything."

"He will never let us live this one down."

Liked by joeyb_9, lahjay10_, lsuladytigers, msjada, chooseyourowndestiny, simonebiles, zendaya, and 836,204 others

y/nthegymnast: date night 💕

y/nupdates: OH, WE GOT A NEW MAN!

msjada: HOLD ON, WHOSE HAND IS THAT?!

chooseyourowndestiny: msjada you are so damn slow. you know whose hand that is! Y/N GET IN HERE!

lahjay10_: joeyb_9 BITCH BETTER HAVE MY MONEY. BOTH OF YOU PAY UP!

joeyb_9: lahjay10_ how do you know it's even me in the pic?!

lahjay10_: joeyb_9 currently looking in the imaginary camera like I'm on the office. you been after her since forever. PAY ME RIGHT NOW.

y/nthegymnast: okay this would have been REAL awkward if that wasn't in fact joeyb_9 🙄

msjada: y/nthegymnast I take it you probably used what I slipped you earlier? 👀

y/nthegymnast: msjada and had to go get more

msjada: MY GIRL!

chooseyourowndestiny: msjada actually does know what she's talking about sometimes

lahjay10_: okay cool, so when's the wedding?

y/nthegymnast: lahjay10_ you should have seen how red he turned just now after reading that

I plan on doing a separate taglist for my Joey girls so message me if you want to be on it 💖

[the-guilty-writer]

Big Biggie

Request: from @itmejado

Could you write an imagine where Rossis daughter has an asthma problem and has to go to hospital for antibiotics and stay for a few days and the team comes and spends time with her, like playing chess with Spencer, penny makes cookies, she watches sports with Derek?

David Rossi x daughter!reader, Platonic!BAU x rossi!reader

Summary: reader with asthma finds herself in the hospital while her dad is away. The team steps in to keep her company.

A/N: I don't have asthma so I did research to try to get as accurate as possible. I hope this captures everything okay. If not, I am always open to feedback in order to make the next request better. Thanks!

CW: reader has asthma, minor swearing, hospitals, IVs, reader is sassy (as I'd imagine Rossi's daughter would be)

---

You hated frat boys

No. That statement didn’t cover it all; you hated frat boys that didn’t have the decency to cover their damn mouths when they coughed. Of course, not everyone had been raised in a mansion, but sometimes the level of common sense people lacked completely baffled you. After just one class of sitting next to a guy from Sigma-Phi-Disease-Factory claiming that he “just has allergies” you ended up with pneumonia.

No biggie, right?

Yes biggie. Big biggie.

Because having athsma made treating pneumonia far more complicated than taking a trip to the student health center.

The persistance of your wet cough and the burn in your chest as you heaved air in and out of your lungs became increasingly concerning. You weren’t sure if you had so much pain in your chest because you felt like you couldn’t breathe, or if you felt like you couldn’t breathe because of the pain. When your temperature skyrocketed and your skill chilled, you had your roommate drop you off at the ER.

It didn’t take the doctors long to decide you needed to be admitted, and immediately after finding out the pneumonia was bacterial, you were glad you hadn’t waited any longer than you did. Growing up with athsma meant you had been through enough treatments, seen enough specialists, and had enough infections to know that you’d be laid up in the hospital on IV antibiotics for at least five days.

Staring at the ceiling, you found yourself craving company, but you weren’t sure who to call. Your roommates were busy working and your dad was on vacation. Well, actually he was on his book tour, but that was the closest thing David Rossi got to a vacation. You didn’t want to bother him.

The problem with that- you were still on his insurance plan. You’d have to bother him some time before you got discharged. It was probably better that you did it now rather than later.

“Ah, if it isn’t my favorite girl," he answered after the first ring. “I was just about to call and tell you about this fantastic restaurant I went to last night. I think it’s the best carbonara I’ve had since your great-grandmother was alive.”

“That’s great, dad,” you managed to choke out.

“(Y/N), what’s wrong?” Your dad said, his voice filled concern.

You wanted to sigh, but it came out as a cough. “I’m in the hospital,” you managed to say between heavy breaths. “Bacterial pneumonia. I have to be on an IV for a few days, but I’ll be okay.”

“I’ll catch the next flight home-”

“Dad, no.” You coughed, the speed at which you cut him off causing mucus to come up your throat. “There’s only one more day left of your tour. You deserve to have some fun every once in a while. I’ll be fine. Bored, but fine.”

You heard your dad hesitate. Rossi had raised you on his own. Every minute he didn’t spend working to catch the most dangerous criminals in the country, he spent taking care of you. The man deserved a break.

“Okay,” he said. “But if you need me all you have to do is call and I’ll be there.”

“Okay, dad.” Your eyes felt heavy. “I love you.”

“I love you too, kiddo.”

---

You weren’t sure how long you were asleep for, but when you woke up there was someone next to your bed.

“Who are you and why are you eating my jello?” You muttered, your eyes still only half open.

“Good morning to you too, (Y/N).” Derek chuckled. “How are you feeling?”

“Never better,” you replied, followed by a wheeze. “Why are you here? Let me guess, one of the nurses here is a serial murderer- wait no. Dr. Super Genius managed to get shot again.”

At that, Derek burst out laughing, nearlying dropping his empty jello cup on the floor. “You are your father’s daughter, aren’t you?” he said. “I’m here because I heard a certain Rossi told her dad not to come home from his book tour early and I couldn’t let the BAU’s favorite oldest kid be bored and alone.”

“I appreciate that, Derek, but you really didn’t have to. There isn’t much to do around here.”

“You didn’t let me finish,” Derek grabbed the remote for the TV. “The Commanders are playing the Bears today and there was no way I was going to miss an opportunity to watch my home team beat yours.” His smile turned cocky.

You wanted to back-talk him but you began coughing violently, mucus rising in your throat, chest heaving as you struggled for air.

“Let it out, kid,” Derek rubbed your arm softly. “Let it out.”

Just then another agent you knew all too well walked into the room, but this one was far less fun- Agent Hotchner. Though you had known him the longest of anyone on your father's team, he didn’t make for great company. Unless, of course, one considered filling out copious amounts of paperwork in silence a fun activity.

“Morgan, what did you do?” He asked.

“Nothing, Hotch!” Derek said defensively.

He was right- it wasn’t his fault your body decided that it needed to try to eject your lungs from your chest. But Hotch wasn't looking at you, instead, he walked over to the table with not one, not two, but three empty jello cups.

Your coughing subsided and Derek turned to look at his boss, who raised a suspicious eyebrow. “I might have participated in the jello.”

Hotch let out a small, rare smile and turned to you. “Your dad gave me the information to get your forms filled out so you don’t have to worry about it. I have to go, but you can call me if you need anything.”

“Thanks,” you managed to get out.

Hotch nodded. “Of course. Get some rest.” The interaction was short, brief, and to the point, but Aaron Hotchner leaving work to fill out medical forms so you didn’t have to do it later was his way of letting you know he cared.

“Now,” Derek said. “Where were we?” He turned up the volume on the TV just as the Commanders scored a touchdown.

“You’re going down.” You smirked at him.

---

“Ha! The Commanders win 14 to 7!” You cheered weakly. The antibiotics were starting to kick in, making the suffocating feeling in your chest far less painful than before.

Derek rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, kid. But they only won because that ref made a bad call.”

“It doesn’t matter. They still won.”

“Who won what?” Penelope Garcia toddled into the room on bright pink heels. She was wearing a black and white polkadot dress with a cardigan to match her shoes. Sometimes you wondered if she had to bribe someone to get around FBI dress code.

“The Commanders beat the Bears,” you told her, smirking at Derek.

“Ooo!” Penelope squealed. She didn’t understand sports, but she understood enough to ask “So your team beat Derek’s team?”

You nodded.

“Do you know what that means?”

You shook your head. 

“It means that you get to pick out your cookie before he does.” Penelope smiled and pulled a box of cookies out from her purse, offering them to you. They were the good kind- the ones that she spent hours icing and designing to look like cartoon kittens.

“Penny, you are the best,” you told her. You picked out a cookie that looked a whole lot like Sergio and took your time enjoying the delicious treat. “So good.” 

Derek nodded in agreement as he finished off his first cookie and went to grab another one. Penelope swatted his hand away.

“I made one for each of us,” she said.

“But there’s one left,” Derek observed.

Before Garcia could reply, Spencer Reid made his way into the room and grabbed the last cookie. Derek looked defeated.

“Hey, (Y/N),” Reid said, putting down his satchel and taking a seat before starting on his dessert.

“Hey, Spencer,” you replied, then furrowed your brow in confusion. “You came in here without a hazmat suit on?” Spencer was known for having a slight problem with germs.

“As long as we stay five feet away we should be fine,” he countered. “Plus I want a rematch of our annual holiday game.” He pulled a chess board from his satchel and began to set it up on a small chair.

“Reid,” you started. “How are we supposed to play if I can’t even reach the board?”

“Morgan can move the pieces for you,” Spencer said with a mouthful of cookie.

“Penny can’t do it instead?” you asked, half to tease Derek and half because you were sure the guy had never played chess in his life.

“Hey, ouch!” Derek said, bringing his hand to his chest and pretending to be hurt. “But you are right. I think Penelope would be the better choice.”

“I’m on it!” Garcia got up from her seat to move closer to Reid, who had placed himself as far from your bed as possible. 

The game took far longer than normal, with Spencer having to guide Garcia through what moves you were asking for, and the match ended in a stalemate. You were about to start another round when a nurse came by, letting everyone know that visiting hours were up.

You said your thank you's and goodbye's to your father's team members. After that, it wasn’t long before you fell asleep.

---

“Yes, and according to Morgan, her and Reid’s chess match ended in a stalemate. I have a feeling he might not be able to wait until the holiday party for a second rematch,” Hotch told Dave over the phone.

“Thanks for doing that, Aaron,” Rossi said. “It means a lot.”

Before Hotch had a chance to answer, a flight attendant tapped Rossi on the shoulder. “Excuse me, sir. I’m going to have to ask you to put your phone on airplane mode for the flight.”

Rossi gestured that he just needed one more minute and put the phone back up to his ear.

“What time are you getting in tomorrow?” Hotch asked.

Rossi sighed. “Not till the afternoon at least. I forgot that layovers are a huge pain in the ass.”

“Well, try not to worry too much about (Y/N). Emily and JJ have something planned to keep her occupied.”

Rossi smiled. “I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“Well,” Hotch said, taking on a bit of a playful tone. “As Garcia might say, it’s no biggie.”

“Sir.” the flight attendant came back, this time looking far more annoyed.

“I’ve gotta go. Thanks again, Aaron.” Rossi hung up the phone.

It’s no biggie.

But it was. Even when he couldn’t be there for his daughter, his team- their second family- always would be. And that was a big biggie.

[blingblong55]

Cruel- Ghost

This is a very much requested end to the last section of this post.

Sorry it took me this took me long to continue. Thank you for being patient&lt;3

F!reader, Platonic! Relationship

----

The day r/n was shut down by Ghost, was the same day the team saw less of her. Ghost hated himself for it. He tried, he really did but the same you, he had learned loved was gone.

Hell, he tried telling the same jokes you used to laugh at. And again your smile never appeared. He cursed himself a million times, and then a million times more. Everyone missed you. They missed you running around and spreading your positivity.

Soap stopped hanging around Ghost, or at least it was less than he used to. He knew people disliked him for what he said to you.

Every night before he shut his eyes there you were.

"why don't you? " your voice low, and your eyes forming tears.

He tossed and turned, it would be a sleepless night. And in the morning there you were. A waffle in hand and milk in the other. You sat near the rookies. They said something that made you smile.

It was something you did with him, eat your waffle and drink your milk, always in his office before he even got there.

"Morning Ghost!" you'd greet him at the door. And when you would finish your meal, you'd rub your belly, "m'full, so whats new!" your eyes full of shine.

You even stopped training around him. Your hums and full blown concerts stopped.

----

He walked up to you one day after your training. "M'sorry,"

You tried to ignore him but the way his eyes looked, you couldn't just ignore him. "What you said wasn't kind. You practically said you didn't like me. And let me tell you something, being a bother is one thing, but not being liked by your best friend hurts-" his heavy arms wrapped around you caught you by surprise.

You cried a little. Every time you saw him in his office, alone, you wished you were there. But how could you? He was the one person that made you feel excited to be yourself. He encouraged you to have fun, and even though you felt a bother he had never pushed you away.

So of course you shut down, he in a way blew the fire you happily created for and because of him. You stopped doing the things you did with him, because nobody would stick around but him.

"I was mean, and I know that, I just hate how happy you are, I want to be happy, I try to be." his voice was so soft and low, you almost didn't hear him. " s'okay, I forgive you."

He broke the hug, his hands on your shoulders.

"why?"

"why what?"

"why are you always so nice to me?"

"well, you are my favorite little human, I feel my best self when I'm around you, I used to be me when I was alone in my room...and along you came and now I'm here!" Your smile, making his heart ache.

"I appreciate your apology, means I've done something right, now do you want to go see me climb a tree?"

"how about I join you this time?"

You get so excited that you almost jumped in his arms,

"I'm glad you're back love."

"Only with you."

"Promise?"

"Yes sir!"

You two sat at some branch, swinging your feet. And since a very long time, he was happy. He wasn't annoyed at your stupid little jokes.

----

Tags: @marshmelloe , ghostsfavhoe

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

OC questionnaire

Thanks to @eccaiia here, @mysticstarlightduck here and here, and @elsie-writes here!

Other questionnaires:

Robbie, Gwen, Maddie, Noelle, Jedi, and Kelsey here.

Carmen, George, Akash, Sam, Lexi, and Ash here.

Gabriel, Carla, Parker, Rose, Alex, and Ewan here.

Liam, Hye-Jin, Wendy, Wade, Issa, and CJ here.

Teo, Niri, Jazlyn, and Anathi here.

Below the cut, I will do Tyler, Xitlali, Atsila, and Raissa!

#1- Tyler

Are you an outdoorsy person or a fair weather freak?

“Outdoors suck. Would rather stay inside. Gym is inside. Books are inside. Why bother dealing with outside?’

Do you like animals? Have any pets?

“Have a poodle named Jolene. No, we didn't style her hair. She's perfect as is.”

What's one thing you keep on you at all times?

“... Did you know that the last thing you think about before you fall asleep is the first thing you remember in the morning? So the night before a big test, study right before going to bed! That'll keep you up at night.”

#2- Raissa

Do you have any weird or unusual habits?

“Absolutely not. There is nothing weird about me. Though John complains about me sighing too much. He once said I breathe out more air than I breathe in.”

Are you a night owl or a morning bird?

“These are ridiculous Ceteri phrases that make no sense. But my answer is neither, or both. You decide how to interpret it. I have devised a daily potion that allows me to properly function on a mere five hours of sleep, rather than the eight most people need. I'm up early and late. Now, if only I can get my team to help find a way to eliminate sleep altogether...”

Who is the person you hate the most? Why?

“Atsila McLain would be such an easy answer. And I can tell you want me to say her. But no. She was merely annoying. I try to avoid thinking about her Aequales as long as I can. She thought of us as nemeses, but it was one-sided on her part. But maybe if she stopped trying to take what was rightfully mine, I would stop. She never experienced anything I did. And in the name of peace? She was an awful person. It was a relief when I killed her.”

#3- Atsila

What are your biggest pet peeves?

“Oh, spirits, I hate when people aren't doing what they're supposed to do at the speed they should do it. I mean, how hard is it to adhere to a schedule and complete your tasks in an efficient manner? I don't understand it! I tell people to do something, and they don't do it! Or, they do it in the least efficient way I've ever seen. Even something as simple as walking. Walk diagonally to get somewhere faster. No need to stay on a certain path. But no it seems like every other person here is staying on the path.”

Who is the person you look up to the most?

“I don't look up to anyone. Literally, I suppose, everyone--I am rather short. Figuratively, no one. I suppose Carmen is rather efficient. And organized. She's highly intelligent and... She listens to me. I admire her loyalty and companionship.”

Do you have any major fears?

“Absolutely not. [Pause] I suppose boredom. Mediocrity.” if I may add - it's because she's terrified at the state she'll be in if something isn't going on Right Now

#4- Xitlali

Do you have any allergies?

“I think this is a personal question. I mean, what kinda questionnaire is it? Would rather not answer it. But ekaberries. I break out in hives if I eat it.”

How many people have you kissed?

“Not as many as I'd like, but I'm only twelve, so I'll probably kiss a few girls before long.”

What is your favorite number?

“My favorite number is 63. I find it incredibly satisfying knowing it's divisible by 7. 91 is a close contender for the same reason.”

I feel like this is all of the prominent TSP characters I feel need to answer these questions. Next time I'm tagged will begin the repeats.

Tagging softly @aziz-reads @thegreatobsesso @i-can-even-burn-salad @mk-writes-stuff @starlit-hopes-and-dreams

What is your favorite thing about rain? What is your least favorite thing about it?

@willtheweaver @elsie-writes @dyrewrites

+ ANYONE ELSE

What is something you don't mind waiting a long time for?

Have you ever been punished for something you didn't do?

TSP intro

TSP tag list (ask to be +/-): @thepeculiarbird @illarian-rambling @televisionjester @finchwrites

@nebula--nix @literarynecromancy

[aleksa-sims]

RL Story

CW: addiction, serious illness

Totally done and still sad because I saw Daniel and this stupid girl today I came home after work. Nico wasn’t home yet. I was kind of relieved about that. I wasn't sure, if I should tell him? I mean, nothing happened, but what I said to Daniel today was just not ok! It was totally unfair and selfish.

As soon as I got home, I went for a walk with N.’s dog. Back home I took a shower & I lay down on the bed. I wasn’t feeling so well. I got serv pain in my right knee and my hands also hurt. It bothered me so much, that I had to take a painkiller. After that it slowly got better while I fell asleep.

A little later N. came home. I heard him come up to the bedroom and watch me sleep. Nico has an extraordinary talent for disturbing me while sleeping. No, tbh it's really cute. Every morning before he leaves the house, he comes back to the bedroom to me, while I’m mostly still sleeping. He kisses me and tells me quietly that he loves me. In the beginning I found it hard to get used to. It's annoying to be woken up by him in the morning (5.00 am!) just because he has to kiss me. Yk? It wasn’t until he was gone (abroad), that I realized how much I missed being woken up by him in the morning.🩷 But back to that day, it was not in the morning, but in the evening.

N. saw the painkillers I had taken next to me on the bed, thinking I was sick or something.

Nico: Hey babe.... Are you ok?

Me: M-hm... Yea, I'm ok.... Where were you? I missed you.

Nico: I said good-bye to Damien and the others. They’re going back to Italy tomorrow.

Me: Yea, without you.... You stay here, with me. So happy about that. Right now I need you with me. I've had a really, really bad day N.... And you? How is your new team? Are they nice?

Nico: Agh...well, what can I say? Germans, yk?🤷‍♀️😉 But it was ok and it’s nice to be home, not somewhere alone abroad ..... Did you see Dilek today?

Me: No, she’s sick. She stayed home.

Nico: Are you sick too? I see you’ve taken painkillers.

Me: My knee hurt again. Somehow my whole body hurts, my hands and legs... But I'm fine. 🙂

Nico: You should tell your doc. You are pregnant. Maybe it has something to do with it?

Me: Yea, but don't worry. I know this pain. It's nothing. I’ve had this pain since I was a kid. It comes and goes, but it’s not serious. My muscles and bones are just very sensitive to pain. 🫤

Nico: It’s all right, babe. But if I see you get pain again, I’ll take you to your doc. I don’t want to scare you, you know that! But you don’t hurt for no reason. Sure, it's nothing, but it’s better to get it checked out before you need to take painkillers again.

Me: Chill Nico!! I know you’re afraid I might get addicted to painkillers . But c'mon, N.! It's just ibuprofen. 😄🤷‍♀️My pill addiction is past. I know I was difficult for you back then, but I promise, this won’t happen anymore. Love you.

Nico didn’t worry about my pill addiction, but actually about the pain I had. A few days ago, my knee hurt so badly that I could not walk. I even cried. But after I took a painkiller, it stopped again. That pain I had in my muscles and bones will get really bad after delivery. Not immediately after delivery, a few months later. But I do not want to draw too much attention to this issue now. Later, when the time comes, I will explain this in more detail. These were the first symptoms of a serious illness. Since CML is not so easy to diagnose, it will take a while for me to get the diagnosis.

And about Daniel I didn't tell Nico. I was happy with N. and we’re about to have a Baby, so I decided to somehow forget Daniel and let him go. But something happened that night!😞 Daniel texted me at 1:00 a.m. I’ll see him tomorrow again. 😢

Previous/Next

[howlingday]

When I met your father, we didn't like each other. To be honest, I couldn't blame him any more than he could blame me. I was the queen bee of the school who treated him like garbage since long before. And him, being the good, little farm boy who saw good in everybody. Except me, of course. I was evil incarnate in his eyes.

Of course, they say love and hate aretwo sides of a very thin coin. If that were true, he and I shared some very special flirtations to show our love.

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

Weiss: Good morning, limp dick.

Jaune: Fuck off, washboard.

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

In our first year, I decided to show him his place by pouring milk on his head. What can I say? I was a cruel bitch back then.

Do I regret it? Of course.

Would I stop myself? Absolutely.

But time doesn't work that way. We make mistakes, and we pay for them in the future. In my case, your father put a milk carton on top of my locker. An old milk carton, just on the edge so that when I shut my locker with just enough force...

Yeah. If it wasn't for Cinder and her cronies, I would have been called "Spoiled" for the rest of my life.

And oh, yeah, Cinder Fall. If I was the queen bee, she was the god of bitches. She had terrorized that school all the way to her senior year. Everybody hated her, but she looked out for her girls. So long as they were "her girls".

Sleeping around? New body every weekend.

Skipping class? Practically a weekly event.

Bullying the meek and vulnerable? Hourly.

And I was right there next to her. Yup, your mom was on that hell bitch's team for a solid month. I broke pencils, hearts, and stood on top of all the broken pieces. I was on track for a life behind bars until that night everything changed.

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

Weiss: Argh! That limp-dicked pile of shit!

Cinder: Something bothering you, hon?

Weiss: Who the hell does he think he is, telling me how to live my life?!

Cinder: Daddy dearest got you down again?

Weiss: I wish. It's that fucking jackass, Jaune, again!

Cinder: Farm boy?

Weiss: He thinks just because we see each other every day, he has a right to tell me who I can and can't hang out with! He said, "Uh, Weiss, you shouldn't be hanging out with Cinder! She's bad news!" Bitch, I AM the bad news!

Cinder: Uh huh...

Weiss: He even said something about you getting Pyrrha arrested with dope in her car!

Cinder: ...Did he now?

Weiss: Yeah, something about how he saw you walk out to her car and picked the lock to slip the drugs under her seat. Who cares, though? It's obviously not true.

Cinder: No. Of course not.

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

It definitely was.

The next week, Jaune was getting harassed by all the jocks at the school. Especially Cardin. I didn't care about what jocks did at the time, but if I did just a little more, I would've done something. See, Cardin was like a guy Cinder if Cinder was trying to compensate for something. She wasn't, but he was. I don't listen to gossip, but let's just say none of the girls were singing any praises about him.

Anyway, so Jaune kept his chin up high and ignored everything. He was a good sport about it. Didn't cry or whine about it, from what I'm told. But what he did do was come up to me and say,

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

Jaune: Here.

Weiss: ...What?

Jaune: Take it.

Weiss: What is it?

Jaune: My phone number.

Weiss: Why would I want your fucking phone number?

Jaune: To call or text me.

Weiss: And why the fuck would I ever what to do that? I fucking hate you.

Jaune: Just take it. If you want, you can prank me or whatever, but if you need help, don't forget this number.

Weiss: Why are you acting so fucking weird?

Jaune: Just... take it.

Weiss: Ugh! Fine. (Takes slip, Copies number) There, see? I have you as "Limp Dick."

Jaune: ...Anybody ever tell you that it's weird you keep using the same words to describe me?

Weiss: Fuck off! I'm going to a party tonight and I don't need you to ruin my good fucking mood.

Jaune: Be careful, flatbed.

Weiss: Eat my dick, li- soft scrote!

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

That party turned out to be the worst night of my life. Shitty music, shittier people, and enough drinking to make an alcoholic put their life into perspective. There was also a lot of groping, grabbing, and touching. Cinder said she wanted to thank me for coming, because she needed me to do one last thing for her.

She... She led me into a dark room, and told me to wait there. I waited, and then the door opened, and there was Cardin, stumbling in. He mumbled something about and easy lay and pulled his pants down. I ran for the door, and... and Cinder stood there. She set me up as a bargaining chip for Cardin. Said she got his help in exchange for "Arc's girlfriend".

I shoved her out of the way and ran as fast as I could out of there. I pulled out my phone and needed to call somebody. In my terror, I didn't think the police would arrive, so I chose the first number I saw.

I called, "Limp Dick".

The next few minutes were cold and quiet. I saw headlights, and I hoped it would be your father. They weren't. But then a pair of headlights came from behind. I thought it was weird for your father to come from the other direction, but I just wanted to be at home.

But the headlights weren't his. Those lights belonged to a sportcar, not a pickup. And there was only one person I knew at the time who drove a sportscar. It was Cinder, and she didn't slow down. I jumped right into a ditch as got closer, and she skidded to a halt a few yards past where I was.

She... She climbed out of the car and started screaming at me. She called me every name in the book. She slapped me. She hit me. Hell, she even clawed at me and tore my dress off. She called me a slut for her to use. As she wrapped her bony hands around my neck, I thought, "This is it, isn't it? This is where I die." The world got dark.

But then...

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

Jaune: GET THE HELL OFF OF HER!

Cinder: AGH! You stupid, fucking hick! I'll fucking kill you!

Jaune: Put the knife down, and I won't hurt you as bad as I should.

Cinder: You don't scare me, you limp dick! You're as good as-

Weiss: Whuh... Where... Jaune?

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

Apparently, while I wasn't looking, your dad was learning self-defense from your grandpa on the weekends. He pulled some retired army combat move that completely knocked Cinder out long enough for the police to arrive.

She got life in prison for all the horrible shit she pulled, and all her cronies pinned her as the ringleader under questioning. Cardin lost his scholarship and was nearly kicked out of school. And your mommy got a plea deal for community service, since I was also a victim in this case. Every weekend, until graduation, I was "servicing the community" by picking up trash, feeding the homeless, and reading to blind children. That last one was the worst by the way.

But that all happened after I woke up. Before that, I was in a daze, trying piece together whst had happened. The last thing I remembered that night was when I was in your father's pick-up. He drove me home while I slept in his massive hoodie he wore all the time.

When I woke up, the first words I saw were a message on my phone from "Limp Dick," and they almost broke me.

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

Jaune: You doin ok Weiss?

[bettyshoweduptotheparty]

You can't hear it in the 'silence'... I have to get something off my chest

Sorry, this isn't going to be a fun post, but I've thought about it for a few days now, and I really need to get this off my chest if I want to continue talking about Taylor Swift in this space.

Reading Taylor's wrap up post for the London shows/European tour on Wednesday night filled me with relief, but left a bad aftertaste and I couldn't really put my finger on why, but it irked me so much that it kept me up all night. If you haven't seen, this was her post with the usual photo carousel:

So, finally, Miss Swift has found her voice addressing Vienna. And I don’t personally love the way she handled it, but I totally understand her reasoning and am aware that we have very different perceptions of danger given that home invasions and stalking are a frequent occurrence in her world, when that’s not something any of us have to fear.  And I thank Taylor, her team, and the Met Police for how incredibly safe the concerts felt, given the circumstances. But something has been bothering me about all of this, and it’s the way she addresses the ‘silence’.

Why is now the time she can finally “make something very clear”? Where was this when her creepy 'fans' swarmed and harassed her at Jack Antonoff's wedding last summer or when gaylors were told 8 times a day to off themselves following a simple NYT article? Yes, I’m disappointed. Because she can when she wants to. And the ‘restraint’ can sure feel like abandonment when people are hurting and nowhere is safe from Swifties… I doubt anybody really thought she doesn’t care or isn’t working hard to make the shows safe. But I have a question about that.

Why is my safety taken more seriously when I’m attending her concert than when my safe space online is being invaded by people telling me to go die? Twice in the last 8 months have I actually altered my behaviour because I felt distinctly unsafe as a gay woman in a Taylor Swift-related space. Why did it take such a scary event for that stadium to truly feel like a safe space for people to even show up wearing a pride flag as a cape , when back in June, I didn't feel safe enough to wear rainbow laces in my shoes. Because hate that turns into actual real life violence always starts online, and I just didn't want to risk it when people were calling for my public execution on social media mere months ago while Miss Taylor was yet again 'silent'....where was her ability to 'make something very clear' then? Was my safety, all of our collective safety, not important unless I've paid for a ticket to her show? Because I don't see the difference in what it would do to Taylor if even a single life was lost to excessive harassment and bullying by swifties versus if we got attacked at a stadium or during a dance class.

When you go on record saying you never want to be silent on important issues ever again, you can't act all annoyed when people subsequently expect you to say something when a fascist and convicted felon may be elected to government again, or queer people are being harassed within an inch of their lives in your name by your very fans. In the silence, actions speak louder than words and the legacy of a year of WAG Taylor catering to die hard conservative football fans and smiling in photographs with Tr*mp supporters (in an election year!) is really very scary. Those photos on the front of every newspaper may just be louder than any words she said five years ago (and no, performance art does not absolve anyone from that).

I'm all for thinking before speaking, but I don't want to feel like she's actively sending the bullies our way with her actions and verbal 'restraint'. I want to enjoy her art with the people in my community in a safe environment every day, not just when I'm coming to a stadium.

Since it's tour break, I'm also going to take a bit of a break from here, get some perspective, get my kids settled into a new school year. Maybe even try this dating in my 30s thing...(scary!). Have a good September, peeps! 😘

[bunnimew]

In the rotg film, do you think the Guardians get along with any other spirits, regardless of alignment? The Groundhog, Leprechaun, and Tooth Mouse are only mentioned or seen briefly, but most of their relations with the Guardians seem negative: Bunny apparently doesn't like the first spirit, and with the third spirit, there seems to some sort of discrimination and unawareness from the tooth fairies based on how Baby Tooth reacted so violently to what was basically a co-worker?

Hello Anon!!

Well, we know Bunny doesn't get along with the groundhog, and he didn't seem particularly impressed with anyone's suggestions for teammates, or even the idea of someone new joining the team, so I'm gonna say Bunny does not get along with anyone.

Everyone else seemed very excited about someone new, so it's conceivable that they have positive working relations with any number of spirits. But yeah, Tooth clearly never gets out into the field, to the point that her own fairies don't know about other international divisions. So even if she has positive working relations, they're probably not anything more than acquaintances.

North seems like the kinda guy where everyone is instantly his friend for the length of time they are in his presence. I bet North has invited every spirit on Earth back to the workshop at least once, and upon arrival, he's completely forgotten why they're there but welcomes them in and offers fruit cake, anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if the more extrovert spirits showed up more than once and those are the spirits North actually thinks of as his friends.

There is no telling what Sandy gets up to, though. That gremlin could be partying in every time zone every night and his teammates wouldn't even know because they never leave their houses. Maybe Sandy isn't tired all the time because he's the Sandman; maybe it's because he literally hasn't slept for 48 hrs, jumping from edm concert to edm concert, throwin back dippin' dots and slamming gummy bears because he has no adult supervision to stop him.

So Sandy probably has all of the friends, and plays a mean game of Mario Party.

Jack clearly did not have many friends, but did know about other spirits, which would imply someone bothered to stop and talk to him. He probably has some fair weather friends or acquaintances who are willing to spread some gossip, but aren't interested in actually hanging out. Otherwise, he would not have been nearly so lonely, or talked about Sandy in that distant, "Oh cool, that guy I kinda know but shouldn't bother," kind of way. If he'd had friends, Antarctica would have looked a lot different.

Insofar as alignments, I imagine Bunny and Tooth would give a thought to the day job of whoever they were talking to. North sees the good in everyone, and seems like he'd give them a shot or three before writing them off for good, if he ever does. Sandy was going to punch a child, so I don't think he cares. And Jack was too lonely to be picky about who he talks to, but I think he would have been picky about what he was willing to be party to, to keep them talking. He listened to Pitch's offer, he just didn't want to doom the planet to darkness, yanno?

Thank you so much for the ask, Anon! And thank you for putting the image of Sandy guzzling Dippin Dots in my head.

P.S. Alternatively, maybe Baby Tooth is just a crazy brawler and it isn't that Tooth never mentioned the other divisions, it's that Baby Tooth's fight or flight instinct is superglued to fight and the mouse jumpscared her.

[cielles-random-vault]

vamp ghost brainrot do you see my vision

DO YOU SEE MY VISION?!?!?!?!?!

ok this is v random but apparently im on a creative spree so lets enjoy it while it lastssss

context: the idea came from when i noticed ghost had lil fangs on his mask and and and

reader is tf141's medic/nurse idk how you call it but you get it also shoutout to @unabashedcroissanttreefan (PHEROMONE IS BACKK) and @cluelylikesporn mwah

also reader is not white AND a vampire. boom. not black either but i like the concept of poc/mixed vampires (and poc vampires would look so cool) (i am mixed and id look so cool as an autistic soon-to-be-adult teen vampire and you cant tell me otherwise.)

wc: 1049

also trigger warning dislocation and blood (duh there's vampirism in this fic what did you expect /lh)

also maybe ooc ghost idrk

pt 2 in the making!

"okay, lets see... who do we have next.." you said as your checked your medical files. "lieutenant riley?" (you raise an eyebrow) "strange. he never came before" you thought out loud, but you shrugged it off. "you can come in!"

"hello, y/n" ghost greeted you politely as he sat in front of you. "i hope my team hasn't been of too much trouble"

"don't worry about them!" you smile softly, "lets talk about you, for once! what brings you there? you usually never come to check ups, which i have to say isnt very professional!!" you scold him lightly, "but im glad you seem safe and well!"

ghost chuckled softly before replying: " i came here because i have been suffering from awful migraines, and i have no idea where they can possibly come from, and so i wanted to ask you if you could check? and maybe give me a stronger dose of painkillers so that i won't need to bother you every week? also, i noticed i have been having more trouble falling asleep, it's as if i found myself more... active in the nighttime, i would say?"

"mhm.. this sure is strange, but dont worry!" you reply with an assured smile. "do you have some spare time so i can do your checkup now, or do you wish to book another appointment?"

"i would like to do it now, if you don't mind"

"okay, no problem!" you smile as you put on a surgery mask, "lay down on this chair and lift up your mask just above your mouth, please! ill start off with examinating your teeth."

ghost did as you asked him to, and you started your inspection; what you saw surely was weird.

"this is strange..." you muttered to yourself, "can you please bite into this?" you asked him as you handed him a plaster mold. "it looks like your fangs... have overgrown."

"what??" ghost asked, confused. "with all due respect, you must be kidding me."

"im not" you reply, showing him the mold he bit in. "see? its like, the bite mark is... sharper than a usual one would be"

"and... do you happen to have a reason to that?" ghost starts to panic, "or even a remedy?"

"i think... i might have an idea, but don't freak out, okay?" (he nods unsurely) "you might want to sit down for this one. okay so... there have been rumors - and i insist on the word 'rumor' - of a disease that turns people into vampires, and-"

"are you telling me i'm one of those freaks?!?" ghost hurried, panicked.

"that's... insensitive to us.." you mutter to yourself, "but nevermind. no, there is no cure, you just learn to live with it.

"thats..." he thought out loud, "wait did you say us? are you a vampire too?"

"duh, just because im not white doesn't mean i cant be a vampire thats- very cliché." you reply, slightly offended. "but yes, i am."

"but- how do you even sleep at night? how do you even feed yourself ? and-" ghost's mind raced with questions.

"let me guess, you're assuming all vampires drink blood to survive, aren't you?" (he nods, slightly ashamed, but you smiled, amused at his panic) "don't worry, we aren't all like that. i'd be delighted to teach you there are a whole lot of different types of vampires! for example, i am an empathic one! which means i tend to be more well... empathic."

"and how does one know what type of vampire one is?" ghost asked, seeming childhishly interested to the point it almost looked endearing.

"thats exactly what im coming to!" you reply with a soft smile, before coming back a few moments later with a little pouch of blood. "what does this make you feel?"

"this looks delicious" he replies as his eyes lit up, "can i have a taste?"

"well then," you chuckled, "it's all settled! you're a blood drinker vampire!"

"oh." the worries then came back in his voice, "does that mean i have to..." (he gulps) "kill people to drink their blood?"

"well, technically speaking, if we were in a typical eldritch story, you would have to. but, hopefully for the writer we're not, and its a good thing im a medic, so i have plenty of those little pouches!"

ghost sighed in relief, but then panic peaked again.

"do you think we should tell others? like, price and soap?" ghost asked worried.

"no. not for now, at least." you thought for a moment, and added: "but, one thing is sure, if we dont want anybody to find out you have to do whatever it takes to not get deployed,or else... "

"we're fucked, balls deep." ghost completed your sentence. "but how? price won't allow me to stay at the base unless i get injured."

"that's exactly my point!" you say as your eyes glimmer mischievously, "but im not sure you will like the idea.."

"whatever it takes for people not to notice.." he sighs.

"good!" you reply with a smile, "please lay down on this chair,just so youre warned its gonna be a little... painful."

"what the fuck- you sprained my fucking ankle???" ghost hurried, grumbling in pain.

"what?? you wanted a reason to not get deployed, didnt you? you should thank me" you chuckled as you noticed him wincing in pain. "anyway, its time for price's meeting, take those to help you walk, and you let me do the talking to price, okay?"

ghost nodded as you both headed to the briefing room, one of his arm around your shoulder to help him walk, where price and the rest of the task force were already waiting for you.

"sorry we're late, captain!" you hurried as you and ghost entered the room.

"its fine" price replied, raising an eyebrow, "what happened to you, Lieutenant?"

"we were practicing close fighting and he accidentally sprained his ankle, sir" you reply with an assured smile.

"is that so?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, "then why didnt i see both your names in the record?"

"because we forgot, and there was nobody on the wait list, sir" you reply. "but i promise it wont happen again."

"good" price sighed, "then i suppose i have no choice but to make gaz replace you, ghost."

is all for part one i feel like its already too long help

hope you enjoyed, if you dont reblog ill snatch your toenails

[batsplat]

so in assen 2004 comms talk about how valentino helped melandri with riding yamaha A Lot, and how they are two great friends. and indeed those two have known each other since childhood/or at least their teens right? (seen a lot of their photos w matching terrible dye jobs) but then fast forward to 2010 and melandri is going full conspiracy theorist about the freaking chair affghhhkgjk. like what happened here? is it any interesting or is it like mostly one sided bitterness from melandri or something. like that can’t really be about 2005 season for vale bc come on melandri wasn’t his main rival that year.

even if it’s not interesting feud or drama wise it is another friendship that vale had (and unlike w sete vale&melandri go way back) that eventually fell apart as a result of competing in motogp…….hm

yeah, we don't actually have a great sense of what happened there! it's funny the coldness seems to have crept in during the 2005 season specifically, because I'm very much with you here on the 'come on valentino why bother' stance - melandri was aggressively not a proper title contender that season and really not even the main on-track rival... but actually I do think this fits in rather nicely within my sete thesis, which we'll get to. the subsequent public bitterness has been entirely one-sided, with melandri occasionally saying something kinda mean-spirited about valentino in recent years and valentino... not doing any of that

anyhow, they definitely WERE close, which was hammered home not just through repeated mentions by the commentators but also when you read the columns he was dictating every race for mat oxley in his early years. here, from his 250cc days:

mugello 1998

I wasn’t so confident before Mugello because while I was at home I played football and lost, I played tennis and lost, I rode motocross and lost. The only thing I won was minicars – I am the champion! We got beaten in a five-a-side soccer match, six-one, then a friend beat me at tennis, six-one, then Marco [Melandri] beat me at motocross. I’m always fighting with Marco on motocross but he’s faster than me. I’m getting better though – at the start of the year he’d beat me by five or six seconds, now it’s only one or two. I have much fear when I ride motocross because I’m not good at flying. We don’t go crazy; it would be stupid to get hurt doing that. Motocross is great for my muscle power though. I don’t go the gym much in the summer because I want to be outside, so motocross is perfect.

paul ricard 1998

As usual, my break between Mugello and France was full of battles with my friends! First we played football and my team won on penalties. I scored the winner. I never make a mistake from the penalty spot. Next day I did motocross with Melandri and he beat me, as usual, but we had some very funny races. Then I raced with Melandri again, but with electric cars. He’s bought a Honda NSX – it’s fast. Before I left for France we raced minimoto at a track in Rimini. There were about 20 of us: me, Melandri and a load of fast, young Italian riders. We had a lot of really crazy battles. Lots of fun! I don’t think it’s dangerous because the bikes aren’t so fast, maybe 60kp/h. I had some big fights with Melandri, we hit each other all the time – BANG! BANG! BANG! – and we crashed together maybe two or three times.

madrid 1998

I’m doing motocross three times a week now to help build up strength, but Melandri is still faster than me, so I’ve started practising in secret. I get dressed into my motocross gear, then ring him to tell him we don’t need to ride today, then do a few hours riding in secret! Soon I will be faster than him! Anyway, I beat him in minimoto before we went to Jarama.

assen 1998

“Hooray, finally I am first on a 250! It was the day of the teenager at Assen, the Italian teenager! I was so happy when my friend Melandri won the 125 race, so it was fantastic to go out and win the 250. A perfect day, except Marco and me couldn’t party on Saturday night, because I flew home to celebrate with my friends, while he stayed at Assen. I guess we’ll make sure we have a beer together before Donington.

donington 1998

We had our own paddock World Cup at Donington on Thursday, which was really shit, because we played three games and lost three games. I played in the Italian team with Melandri, Boscoscuro, Scalvini, Locatelli, Borsoi and Carpani. First we played the Suzuki 500 team and lost, then we played Team Rainey and lost, and finally we played Dorna, and lost. Dorna were all Spanish and very good. But the games weren’t so much fun because the pitch was tiny and really bumpy. Last year we had the paddock World Cup at Imola on a full-size pitch, and I scored twice. Nice!

sachsenring 1998

Now we have a four-week holiday before Brno, but I’m going to spend most of my time on the beach near my home – it’s sunny and the girls are nice, that’s all I need! But I am going away for one week – a racers’ holiday with Loris Reggiani, Roberto Locatelli and Melandri. We’re going to Tunisia to mess about with jet skis and fast boats. Should be a lot of fun!

sepang 1999

The winter was fun. Usually I don’t like the winter because it’s too cold, but where I live, near the Adriatic coast, there are so many people in the summer. That didn’t used to be a problem, but now everyone recognises me, so it’s Rossi! Rossi! Rossi! all the time. I don’t like it! I spent a lot of time with my friends, as that’s when I’m happiest. We went skiing a few times, a big gang of us. Mad! Snowboarding is more fashionable nowadays but I’m faster on skis, so it’s better! Melandri came with me once, he’s my best mate in the paddock, plus Alessandro Brannetti, a new Italian 125 guy.

mugello 1999

Before Mugello I spent some time at home, riding my 250 road bike and going motocrossing. I have a new motocross bike at home, but I can’t tell you what it is, because it’s not an Aprilia! But it’s a lot of fun on the new motocross track I’ve built behind a friend’s house. I dug the ground myself with a JCB digger we hired. I have designed the track to be safe for me, because modern motocross tracks have near-vertical take-off jumps, which are very dangerous if you don’t have good control in the air. And I don’t! So I’ve built low and fast jumps which I can take in fourth or fifth gear and be safe. Big fun! I’m looking forward to racing my friend Melandri, who hasn’t been doing motocross since he broke his wrist in Malaysia.

sachsenring 1999

Now we have a four-week holiday, hooray! All I really want to do is sleep. During the break last year I went to Tunisia with a bunch of friends like Melandri, but all I want to do now is stay home and rest. My home is near a holiday resort anyway, near the Adriatic Sea, but to be honest I don’t like the sea so much. I prefer snow...”

argentina 1999

I already have some plans for the winter. The World Championship may have finished, but I already have two more races over the next few weeks. No rest yet! First is the X Race at Misano. This is a special event for GP and world Superbike riders. I’m racing go-karts, motocross and cars with [Carl] Fogarty, Melandri, Capirossi, Harada and a lot of other guys. They ran this event for the first time last year and I won it. It’s only fun of course but I want to win again because winning is always important. Then at the end of November I’m doing a car rally at Monza.

so yeah, clearly close buddies! I'm sure there's more out there about their friendship, but I've never been that invested in digging into the details lol. about the collapse of the relationship... well, there's this from the barker biography, which kinda lumps melandri into a generic section about valentino's rivals:

Marco Melandri, who had been a close friend of Rossi's for years before he started winning races in 2005, noted the same shift in attitude: 'When I started to race well with him he changed a lot. When we were growing up we were very good friends. Valentino plays games with everybody... the way he talked to the media - he tries to never say something good about you.'

in 2007, after valentino had finally lost a title fight (and was in the process of losing another), there's another oxley column where a few key figures like his teammate edwards, his rival hayden, and his crew chief jb were asked about what made valentino so good. and valentino's crew chief jb was kind enough to give his own take on the melandri dynamic:

“He only uses mind games when people make a serious challenge, then he pulls out that extra tool in his armoury, which he did with Max, with Sete and to a lesser degree with Marco. Then there’s Loris, who is also serious challenge, but there’s a different understanding between them, there’s a respect. When I first worked with Valentino he was mates with Marco. Whenever there was a dinner or a party, Marco was always there. When Marco came to MotoGP it was still fine, then when there was any sort of a challenge their friendship cooled off a bit."

and then by 2010 you get melandri be like. full yellow chair conspiracy theorist. now, he also mentions how his own celebrations were received, and we do actually have jorge himself give his review of said celebrations a few years earlier (x, x):

I don't really have a point here, I just think it's funny

whereas from valentino's side.... well, there's really not much. his autobiography goes until the end of 2004 and is published in 2005 - so if melandri was already a 'proper' rival when the book was finalised, it will have been a very recent thing... but there's literally one reference to melandri in the whole thing, and it's something generic to do with the yamaha's development. valentino himself has said pretty much fuck all about this friendship falling apart. it's a bit frustrating because... when melandri says that valentino tries never to say anything good about you in the media - look, that's probably referring to something substantive, but we don't really know what exactly valentino supposedly said. we just have to take melandri at his word.... when you go that far back, it's a lot trickier to hunt down specifics if it's not a big news story, if there's not been a major controversy

you do have this from mid 2005:

"No. I think this is not true," replied Rossi, when asked if he deliberately avoided friendships with his closest rivals. "With Melandri, when this year he start to go fast, especially the Italian journalists, try to put some bad things between us - to make fight like what happened between Biaggi and Doohan. "But I go to speak to Melandri after Shanghai, on the podium, because I say one thing and the Italian journalists they modify and say to him another thing - and also the same journalists come to me and make the same. "I know Marco from minibikes when we were friends - we've been friends for more than ten-years - so I try to keep a good relationship because I don't like a bad relationship with anybody," he insisted. "For sure I have had a bad relationship with Biaggi and Gibernau but I don't think that is the right result."

now, according to the article, there were already rumours at the time that the relationship had grown colder that year. which is mainly funny insofar as valentino had quite literally double melandri's points - and the latter still hadn't won a race. again. what's the point

which, well. I do think jb's mention of capirossi is kinda interesting, as another rival valentino had known forever and one who wasn't like. dramatically less likely than melandri to end up a serious challenger to valentino, beyond being a bit older already. jb mentions they have an "understanding", a "respect" between the two of them... it's also maybe worth bringing in what hayden, the man who had actually managed to beat him in 2006, had to say about valentino for the same oxley piece:

“I can’t say it’s just his approach that makes him good. Some guys take their racing real serious, others are really laid back, it’s whatever works for that rider. But regardless of whatever he does he definitely gets around the track fast, that’s what’s most important. “One thing I noticed when we were team-mates is that he looks like it’s fun, fun, fun, he definitely cuts up a lot, but once you’re in the garage that dude is so serious, so focused. Everything seems perfect, right down to the windscreen sticker and the colour of his boots. He doesn’t overlook anything and I think that’s a big part of it. “More than anything it’s the racer in him that makes him so strong, it’s obvious the guy wants to win. He’s got a lot of natural talent but I know a lot of guys with natural talent and it gets some guys in trouble. It’s the whole package that makes him strong: the desire, the focus, the talent. “I think sometimes maybe he’s not as laidback as he comes across. He knows what to say and when to say it to make it look like things aren’t really getting to him. He knows how to play it, on the bike and off the bike. “It’s hard to say what he’s like with mind games because I can only comment on how he’s been with me and I’ve never seen him play any games with me, especially last year when he was taking chunks out of my points lead. The guy didn’t really change, maybe he just knew that I wasn’t going to roll over. Maybe some of the guys he can break down mentally, maybe he knew it wasn’t going to get to me. “Him and JB (Jeremy Burgess) haven’t won all those titles just through his riding, they know how to play people, they know how to play their cards, when to show their hand, when not to show their hand. I don’t think he plays as many games as other guys – you don’t need to play a lot of games when you can ride like that.“ "On track sure he’s aggressive but he’s totally clean and he definitely has a lot of tactics. He knows when he wants to race just one guy, how to separate groups, how to slow down. Like Phillip Island in 2005 I was on him the whole race and he eventually saw that he wasn’t going to get away, so he slowed down, brought the next group up to us to get me caught up with them, then tried to make another break. He’s got a lot of race craft. “I’d say his biggest strength is that he can adapt. If the tyres go off and he needs to slide he can slide, when the bike need to be ridden in line he can ride in line, he can definitely adapt to situations. I can’t say there’s one area of his riding where he just kills guys. It’s not just braking or corner speed or this or that, I’d just say that when he’s in a rhythm and putting those laps down he can break a guy. Like at Jerez this year he broke Pedrosa by about half a tenth a lap, he just kept putting those laps down, riding on that edge. He doesn’t ride 95 per cent, he rides on that razor edge for a long time. “I don’t know about weaknesses, it’s hard for me to point out a guy’s weakness when he’s won all those championships. In fact I’m not going to say he’s got any weak points because I don’t need to motivate the guy! That’s why I don’t want to say anything negative, I’m a big believer in not motivating these guys anymore, that’s why I don’t talk trash.”

like, you do have to bring up the context that valentino had four title rivals in 2006 - melandri, hayden, capirossi and dani - and he really only seems to have cooled off towards one of them. I'm not saying it's melandri's fault! I think it's more... hm, it's a bit telling, isn't it? competitively, there's not really any reason for melandri to be singled out in any way. I mean, you'll note he didn't win the title - and the guy who did explicitly says he didn't think valentino was fucking with him. valentino says in 2005 that he's made an active effort to not let the melandri relationship get worse... which could be true insofar as he didn't want any drama, but clearly he did allow that friendship to grow cold. why do that? is melandri really such a threat? I feel like if valentino said something particularly egregious about melandri, we would have some kind of a record of it - but let's say he was just mildly bitchy about the guy. you'd want to take him to one side and tell him 'dude, you really needn't bother', right? like, no offence, but is THIS guy worth it?

except. well. it is a little interesting that in the immediate aftermath of 2004, valentino had another friend of his (who he had considerably more history with than his last title rival) head over to honda gresini, turn into a more serious challenger... and valentino went. 'hm, yeah, maybe let's not do that again.' whether consciously or subconsciously, he does seem to have drawn back from melandri a hell of a lot quicker than he did from sete - and let's not forget that sete was actually beating him in dramatic last lap duels, which melandri extremely did not do. now, look, of course there COULD have been some sort of private spat here that nobody involved ever talked about... or maybe valentino just decided for completely unrelated reasons he'd had enough of melandri. but isn't it just. a little noteworthy. that when it comes to the 2006 title rivals, valentino is on good terms with all of them, who he seemingly does not piss off too badly with any sort of off-track antics... except melandri. his coldest relationship is with his childhood friend. one might conclude that melandri was the one who had the most power to hurt valentino, if he had been allowed to remain close. one could argue that there the sete rivalry marked a bit of a turning point in terms of how valentino approached his rivalries, that after this point he really didn't want another rivalry that could affect him in the same way. one might point out that some of the details of the melandri rivalry sure feel like they could be used to back up this framing

all that being said. what valentino is doing here is... well, it's basically fine, isn't it. everyone and their dog agrees it's tough to remain friends with your actual close rivals. jb describes it as their friendship 'cooling off', which is also the kind of thing that can just... eventually happen with childhood friends, even when you don't have pressures of competition warping interpersonal dynamics. there's not all that much to suggest valentino was massively treating melandri differently from any of his other major rivals at the time - it's just that his prior relationship had been closer and melandri seems to have taken the shift poorly. given how little of a paper trail there is, it feels like any mind games on valentino's part were generally on the subtler side, perhaps just the occasional snide comment or insinuation or ambiguously shady line that never made it to an article we can still access nowadays. more in line with what nicky "I don't think he plays as many games as other guys" hayden is describing: how valentino knows how to play his cards without necessarily escalating it into full out war. when melandri's talking about the rivalry, at times he does seem less annoyed by anything valentino actually did than he is by the media pressure of being an italian rival of valentino's, of being subjected to a more hostile media environment tan valentino, etc etc. after a certain point, valentino was often a passive beneficiary of his own successes in that regard. it's not like he's telling the italian journalists to put extra pressure on melandri... but he's also hardly going to complain

in general, the timing of it does have a certain charm to it as useful evidence for my great big 'the sete experience changed how valentino approached his rivalries' thesis, but I'm always a tad wary of analyses that flatten valentino's rivalries and by extension valentino by treating the patterns of behaviour in each as identical. it's also worth pointing out that... well, melandri isn't exactly a neutral source here, and his 2010 great big yellow chair theory does maybe suggest his resentment was getting in the way of his judgement where valentino was concerned. in the end, people didn't enjoy melandri's celebrations as much as melandri would have liked. and at some point in 2005, valentino apparently decided he didn't like this guy's vibe any more. c'est la vie