#Oh these RULE. Super excited for this update!!

[a-aexotic]

𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐦 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡, chapter 1

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 ! 3.5k

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ! familial issues, underage drinking, tension (between literally every LOL), blair/serena hating each other, you/blair and you/serena being besties lol, a lotta winfrey lore

𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬 ! ahhhh im super excited, as always please lmk your thoughts !!

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PRESENT DAY.

Hey, Upper East Siders, Gossip Girl here, and I have the most surprising news ever. Y/N Winfrey spotted back in town after she disappeared for almost 6 months. But where has she been all this time? Sources tell me she's been living it up in the City of Love, Paris. Oh la la! But what brings our darling Y/N back to the Big Apple after all this time? Could it be a scandalous affair, a family feud, or perhaps a fashionable rendezvous with the elite of Parisian society?

Rumors are swirling as to the reason behind Y/N's sudden return. Some say she's back to reclaim her rightful place among Manhattan's elite, while others speculate that she's returned to stir up trouble in the already turbulent waters of Upper East Side.

But what of Y/N's infamous entourage? Will her loyal subjects, Nate, Isabell, Kati and Blair, welcome her back with open arms, or will there be whispers of betrayal and backstabbing among the ranks of Manhattan's elite?

Will she pick up right where she left off, ruling the social scene with her signature grace? Or has her time away changed her in ways we can't even imagine? So grab your designer handbags and your most scandalous gossip, Upper East Siders, because things are about to heat up in the city that never sleeps. XOXO, Gossip Girl.

As the sleek black limousine rolled to a stop in front of the towering building, the door swung open with a soft whoosh, revealing the figure of Y/N Winfrey stepping out into the cool Manhattan air.

With a flick of your hair, you cast a cool gaze towards your old home, a grand penthouse that stood as a testament to the wealth and power of the Winfrey family. The familiar sight of the elegant facade stirred a flurry of emotions within you, memories both bitter and sweet flooding your mind as you took in your old home.

You were too focused on the old home to hear your mother come up from behind you, putting a hand on her shoulder as she examined the home as well. She hadn't been there since the divorce, which was almost a decade ago.

"I know you're nervous, Y/N. But don't let any of them get to you, okay?" Her voice rang in your ears as you nodded slowly. You weren't sure who she was referring to; your father's new family or your old friends. Or maybe, all of the above.

"Okay," you whispered, your voice barely above a whisper. "I won't."

With a reassuring squeeze of your mother's hand, you gathered your resolve and stepped forward, ready to face whatever awaited you within the walls of your old home.

Your new family met you with open arms and it felt strange to be back home, the same home you'd left; except, everything inside had changed. There were no more pictures of you anywhere, they were all replaced with wedding photos or pictures of your new stepsister, Charlene. It made your stomach twist in disgust, you couldn't believe your father had a brand-new, shiny family. The perfect family he'd prayed for, you were almost happy for him. Almost.

"So how was Paris, Y/N? Did you like it?" Josie's voice brought you back to real life. You turned your gaze up to meet hers, a tight smile on your lips. You were sat in the living room of the penthouse, alongside your mother and stepmother.

"It was... fun," you reply carefully, your tone neutral. You couldn't bring yourself to admit just how much you missed Paris, how it had felt more like home than this place ever did. Instead, you plastered on a facade of indifference, hoping to shield yourself. "It's too bad that we left."

Your mother let out a light laugh as she glanced back at you. "We'll be back as soon as we can. I just missed New York so much and I'm so happy to be back." What she didn't mention was that the only reason she was back was for her business, she wanted to open more shops in Manhattan.

"Yeah, it's nice to be back," you replied, forcing a smile. Despite your mother's attempt to lighten the mood, you couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of your stomach.

Josie, your stepmother, chimed in, her voice cheerful. "I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure you'll adjust to being back in no time. Especially with Eleanor's party tonight, you'll be attending that... right?"

"Yes, yes she will." Your mother answered for you. You knew that your mother wanted to reintroduce you back into Manhattan society but you didn't even have time to adjust back into New York time, you were jetlagged.

You didn't want to even think about why you even left in the first place. When you decided to leave, you promised that when you'd come back, you'd leave it in the past. You'd leave him in the past.

Nate. The mere thought of him sent a shiver down your spine, a reminder of the heartache you had endured before leaving for Paris. You had promised yourself that you would never allow him back into your life, that you would move on and leave the past where it belonged.

Lost in your thoughts, you barely noticed as your mother and stepmother continued to discuss the details of the upcoming event, their voices fading into the background as your mind wandered back to memories you had long tried to forget.

──౨ৎ──

"And if they ask you about the business, what do you say?" Your mother quizzed you as she put on lipgloss, looking into the mirror of the hallway of the building that Blair's penthouse resided in.

You tore your gaze away from your own reflection to meet your mother's eyes, a sense of unease creeping into your stomach. "I'll say that things are going well," you replied, your tone carefully neutral. "That we're expanding and looking for new opportunities in Manhattan."

Your mother nodded in approval, her lips curving into a satisfied smile. "Good," she said, her voice tinged with a hint of pride. "Just remember to keep it vague. We're a family, and we need to show the world that we're strong, no matter what."

You forced a smile, though the weight of your mother's words hung heavy in the air. The facade of unity was fragile, and you knew that beneath the surface, tensions simmered, threatening to boil over at any moment.

Your mother finally finished her lip gloss, focusing now solely on you. "Remember, confidence is key. You're representing not just yourself, but our entire family."

"Got it." You answered, the words coming out as more of a reassurance to yourself than to her.

Her words echoed in your mind as you followed her towards Blair's penthouse, the anticipation of Eleanor's party looming ever closer. The elevator dinged and the door opened, revealing the glamorous penthouse of the Waldorf's. Your mother's hand found yours as she squeezed it, reassuring as you two walked back into Manhattan's elite society.

"Priscilla Winfrey! You made it!"

Your mother's head turned to meet Eleanor, a charming smile enveloping her lips as she walked toward her.

"Oh, and is that Y/N?" Eleanor gasped as she studied you, taking every little detail in. "You look absolutely stunning, sweetheart. You're starting to look more and more like your mother every passing day."

"Thank you, Ms. Waldorf," you replied graciously, offering her a polite smile. Despite the compliment, you couldn't shake the sense of unease that gnawed at you.

Eleanor's gaze lingered on you for a moment longer before she turned her attention back to your mother, engaging her in conversation. Left momentarily alone, you scanned the room, taking in the familiar faces that surrounded you.

Your eyes landed on your old friend group, all seated on the couch. A sense of nostalgia hit you as you examined their faces, all the nights you'd spent partying with them playing in your head. Isabell, Kati and Chuck sat as they spoke, talking about God knows what.

You couldn't help but wonder where Blair was, it was her party and she wasn't with her friends. And of course, Nate.

Chuck's eyes finally met yours, a wide smirk on his lips as his eyes fell on your body before back to your eyes. But before you could go up to them, you heard an excited squeal behind you.

"Y/N!"

You recognize that voice anywhere; it was Blair. She enveloped you in a tight hug, her excitement palpable as she pulled back to study your face. "Oh my God, it's been too long." she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling but there was something you couldn't quite place. "You look amazing, as always."

You were nervous, it had been so long since you'd seen your old best friend. Your stomach twisted in guilt as you gave her a tight smile, her hands squeezing yours. "Thank you, Blair. You looked stunning but I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that."

Blair's smile faltered for just a moment before she regained her composure, a flash of something unreadable passing through her eyes. "Thank you, Y/N," she replied, her tone warm but tinged with an undercurrent of tension. "I'm just glad you're here. Like, really here."

You and Blair had been close since you were kids, your families being close since the beginning of time, basically. Your mothers were best friends in school and now, you are too. Before you left Paris, you told Blair and Serena and made sure to give them calls whenever you could. But soon, Serena stopped answering your calls and according to Blair, she just disappeared to a boarding school in Connecticut.

Blair still didn't know the real reason you fled to Paris and that gulit chipped at you everyday, even more now as you saw her lips curve into a rare genuine smile.

"I've missed you, Blair," you replied, your voice tinged with sincerity. "It's good to be back."

"It's good to have you back, Y/N." Blair gave your hand a squeeze before she spoke again. "Excuse me for two seconds, I have to go to the bathroom."

"Of course, Blair," you replied, offering her a reassuring smile as she excused herself.

You let out a sigh before turning your focus back to your mom, who was now in a conversation with a person you weren't sure you knew the name of. You knew you couldn't bother her right now, she was networking.

With a resigned sigh, you resigned yourself to the role of observer, content to blend into the background as your mother worked her magic in the world of Manhattan's elite. It wasn't the first time you had found yourself sidelined in favor of your mother's professional pursuits, and you knew it wouldn't be the last.

You couldn't blame her, though. After the divorce, her career had become more than just a family business—it had become her lifeline, it was the only thing she still had.

You remembered the days that followed your parents' separation, the way your mother had thrown herself into her work with a fervor bordering on obsession. It had been her way of coping, her way of escaping the pain and heartache that had threatened to consume her. You didn't blame her, her high school sweetheart had left her for a woman almost half her age, closer in age with her daughter than her.

You found the drinks table quickly, grabbing a glass of champagne and taking a sip of it. As you lifted the glass to your lips, the cool and crisp taste of the champagne washed over your tongue, distracting you from the emotions swirling within you. With a sigh of contentment, you leaned against the table, letting the hum of conversation and laughter wash over you.

As you scanned the room, your eyes fell on a familiar brunette. Your heart skipped a beat as you realized who it was; the person you'd been wanting to escape since you left for Paris. His bright blue eyes met yours and you felt a rush of conflicting emotions flood through you. It was Nate, your once-close friend, the one person who had been a constant presence in your life before everything changed.

His gaze held surprise as he caught sight of you across the room, and for a moment, you found yourself unable to tear your eyes away from him. You were frozen, unable to move as he approached you.

You couldn't escape him now.

Nate's lips curved into a smile as he took you in, with all your glory. "Y/N, you're back. It's, uh... good to see you."

"Yeah, you too." You responded, giving him a short answer.

Nate's smile faltered slightly at your response, a flicker of disappointment flashing across his features before he quickly masked it. "So, uh... how have you been?" he asked, his tone cautious as though treading on uncertain ground.

"I've been good. And you?"

"Me too. I'm happy you're back." He looked down at the glass of champagne as he let out a chuckle. "I'm glad you still have that taste of champagne, some things just never change."

You couldn't help but smile at Nate's attempt to lighten the mood, the tension between you easing ever so slightly. "Yeah, some things never change," you agreed, a hint of warmth creeping into your voice.

"Nate!" Blair's voice echoed as she came up to the two of you, grabbing his arm. "You don't mind if I steal him for a second, Y/N."

You and Nate exchanged looks before you tore your eyes from him and back to Blair, a forced smile playing on your lips. "Of course not, he's all yours." In more ways than one, you thought to yourself as the two walked away, leaving you alone once again.

Before you could relish in being alone again, your mother's voice rang behind you. "Y/N! Blair! Look who's back."

You turned to meet the blonde you'd once called your best friend. Serena. Her gaze held excitement as she found yours, you began walking toward and engulfing her in a big embrace.

You didn't know why she left for Connecticut but you knew she would tell you and Blair eventually. You, Serena and Blair had always been close and tight-knit, no matter the circumstances.

Serena pulled out of the hug and put her hands on your shoulders as she studied your face, a grin on her face. "You're glowing, Y/N."

"Says you. How did you get even more blonde since I've seen you?" You teased as she let out a laugh.

Serena's laughter echoed through the hallway, a sound that filled you with a sense of warmth and familiarity. Despite the time that had passed since you had last seen each other, it felt as though no time had passed at all.

"I've been spending way too much time in the sun," Serena admitted with a playful grin, her blue eyes sparkling. "But enough about me, tell me everything. How was Paris? Did you meet any cute French boys?"

You chuckled at Serena's teasing. "Paris was amazing," you replied, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips as you recalled your time. "And as for French boys, well, let's just say they definitely live up to the hype."

Serena laughed, nudging you playfully with her elbow. "I knew it!"

"Serena?"

You both turned to face Blair, a unreadable expression on her face before she quickly masked it with excitement. She pulled her into a tight hug but you could feel the tension, what the hell did you miss when you were Paris?

"So good to see you, how are you?" Blair pulled out of the hug as she looked in between you.

"Oh, look! The girls are back together, my heart is gonna burst." Eleanor gasped as she observed the scene in front of her, oblivious to the tension in the room. "Are you staying for dinner, I'll set a place next to Y/N and Blair!"

"Yeah, um, there's somewhere I have to go." Serena looked in between you, a guilty expression on her face.

"You're leaving?" Blair's voice sounded hurt as she looked back at Serena.

"Yeah... I don't feel well, I-I just wanted to come and say hi. I'll see you guys at school tomorrow." Serena responded as she slowly began to back up, before she turned away.

Blair's expression dropped immediately back to a bitter expression, looking back to you. "At least you're staying. Who needs Serena anyway?" She whispered the last part as she turned away and began walking away.

You began following behind her, "What did I miss?"

"What do you mean?"

You caught up to Blair and you two began walking toward the couch. "I mean... with you and S?"

"Serena." She corrected. "And nothing except all you know. She left without saying a word, to none of us." Blair sounded bitter but you knew deep down, she was just hurt.

"Well, maybe something happened."

"With what?" Chuck joined the conversation as Blair glared at him. You could feel Chuck's gaze on your dress as he smirked.

"Mind your business, Chuck." Blair spoke as she rolled her eyes.

You caught Chuck's gaze, his smirk igniting a spark of annoyance within you. "Chuck, it's not polite to stare," you retorted, your tone sharp as you shot him a pointed look. Some things never do change, you thought.

Chuck's smirk widened at your words, a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "Forgive me, I couldn't help but admire the view," he replied smoothly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You did some growing up in Paris, I could tell." His eyes were focused on your dress as you scoffed.

"Paris does wonders for a person," you replied dryly, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing you flustered.

──౨ৎ──

"I'm pregnant! Surprise, Y/N!" Josie shouted as your father pulled her in closer, your jaw slowly falling. She's... what? Your fork clattered against the plate, the sound echoing in the tense silence that followed Josie's announcement. Pregnant? The word echoed in your mind, disbelief and shock washing over you in waves.

Your head was pounding, you got home around 12:30 last night because the party lasted a little longer than expected. You were just trying to enjoy your breakfast before school, but then they drop this bombshell on you.

"Wh-what?" You finally managed to stammer out, your eyes wide with disbelief as you looked at Josie. "How does, uh, Charlene feel about it?"

Charlene was Josie's daughter from her previous relationship, she was about two years younger than you and... well, you couldn't stand her.

"You can ask her yourself!" Josie's gaze moved behind you and you turned to face Charlene. Speak of the devil.

Charlene's lips curved into a smile, though there was a flicker of something else in her eyes. "Super excited. I mean, I can't wait to be an older sister."

There was awkward silence before you got up from the dining table, clearing your throat. "Well... I have to get ready for school. This was really nice."

You got up and began walking up the stairs, ignoring their stares. You wanted to stay with your mom but she was staying at The Palace and your father insisted you stayed with them and his shiny new family.

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[saintescuderia]

pancakes (pt. 6)

AKA - the story of how the naive australian rookie befriended the gym junkie F1 hospitality worker with the shoe collection - and inadvertently broke the grid's most treasured and unspoken rule: you don't go for y/n.

series masterlist here :) // the pancakes recipe here :)

antinal reference ;)

A/N: to make up for being MIA (and that this sunday might be another miss) here's a double update. enjoy.

P6 - pre-workout for jet-lag

You still found it odd to call Australia home.

You had mixed feelings about the country stamped across the front page of your passport. Your auntie had been the one to organise the papers so that Australian would be your identification. Never mind the hospital bed in Monaco that you were birthed. Or that you were first words were in Arabic. 

Still, your travelling auntie’s own experiences meant that when you came into her care, she would raise you Australian. Never mind any of the other stuff. 

So, when you walked into the house in Melbourne, you were met with an Egyptian lady playing French music, dressed in a Korean football jersey, cooking Greek food. Such was the life of a nomadic English teacher that was your aunt Nadia. Dia for short.

“Ah, it's you." She sat, spying you hauling the suitcase through the door. She looked at the clock by the fridge and then frowned. "You weren't supposed to land yet."

"I landed an hour ago." You said. She looked at the clock again and took it off the fridge. She banged it with one hand and then shook her head, muttering under breath.

"I'm sorry. Did you take an Uber?"

"No. Oscar gave me a lift." Well, technically his father had driven the car.

Oscar’s parents were apparently super excited to meet you and gushed all through the way about how glad they were that their son had you to help him through F1. They had even insisted on dinner but Oscar knew you had stayed up - you had made him do the same thing as you - and thankfully postponed it for a breakfast tomorrow after you both got to finally got to sleep. 

Upon leaving Jeddah, you had looked at the flight times and decided to overdose the 400mg of pre-workout and strategically placeyour workout just before leaving the hotel so that you and Oscar could both avoid the jet-lag many other F1 personnel were struggling with.

So far, it was on track to working. You just needed to push through a few more hours. To do so, Oscar was going to watch the footy. You were going to watch football.

“Ah, this young Oscar." Your aunt was nodding. "I like him. He has a trusting face.” She laughed at you, doing nothing to help but continue to watch you clamber into the well-loved and mis-matched dining furniture in her kitchen. “You hungry?”

“Tired.” You said, checking the time. It was 5pm but you were ready to knock out. Just a few more hours. You willed yourself to push through and avoid the jet-lag.

“Did you eat?”

You hadn’t. You never ate airplane food. 

The silence was answer enough as your auntie plated up some gyros for you. The smells of the seasoned meat filled your nose and your stomach rumbled at the site of it. You picked up your fork, ignoring the bread for the sake of your cut but helping yourself to tzatziki. 

"What's with the Korean jersey." You couldn't help but ask. You watched your auntie's back with CHO GUE-SUNG.

"Oh, he's such a handsome man. So polite too. I met him when I was teaching abroad in Seoul."

You opened your mouth but closed it. Your auntie lived a very unbelievable life at the best of times.

"He was nice. Nice face. Good hair. You should date him." Dia said as if she was commenting about the weather and you rolled your eyes, chewing through the food. She gave you a look. "Better a footballer than a driver."

You gave her a look. She never did like Danny. Much less you two together.

"Speaking of footballers, your uncle called. Went on and on in Italian about how your talents are wasted with cars and you should come to a real sport."

You snorted hearing this. Your uncle's work in football (not soccer, football) and your line of expertise had some people baffled that you hadn't joined him. Only the select few who knew your mother understood just why that was.

Still, every month your uncle sighed at the wasted talent! that you, a world class performance trainer! was stuck making coffee! for some fancy drivers!

Save that your uncle would add in a few choice Italian expletives in the mix.

"So, the usual?" You concluded.

"The usual." Dia nodded. She came to sit down in front of you. Pulling out her phone, she began showing you pictures of her recent teaching stint in South Korea. Your aunt had been there for about six months, working at an international school. And befriending Korean football players apparently.

“I thought you were teaching in Paris.” You said between mouthfuls of seasoned meat. 

“That was before.” Dia waved a dismissive hand. She dropped her phone and then stood up to pull out two wine glasses. Your aunt gave you a look and you shook your head. She put one back with a roll of her eye. “Wine is good for you.”

“I’m already taking resveratrol.” You said. “And I’m on a cut.”

“That’s why no bread.” Dialooked down at the plate full of untouched pita bread. She was well aware of your health habits. “Actually, I went to Egypt recently! Ah!” She went to the cupboard above the microwave and pulled out a shoebox full of small boxes. You knew immediately what it was. Bringing the shoebox to the table, Dia began pulling out various medicines she had brought from Egypt. 

“You will need this for your travels.”

“I have all of this.”

“Do you have Antinal?”

“Yes.”

“Take some extra." Dia still pushed it to you. "Give it to Charles.”

“I don’t speak to Charles.” You said.

Your aunt huffed and looked up at the ceiling, calling to God. “Ya rab. This fight with Charles needs to stop. Pascale and I are sick of it.” You didn’t comment any further on it. It was, admittedly, quite hard when there were so many other people involved. Pascale and Nadia were best friends. It was how you and Charles had grown up so close. The fact that you were family friends made it hard since Charles had pretty much cut you off. Granted, he was polite and you knew he still greeted your aunt Dia with a kiss on each cheek every time she’d visited Monaco. But still. 

“I will give them to Charles.” She said, taking a box back.

“You do that.” You said as she still pushed one boxes of the yellow medicine in front of you. “Dia, I already have this.”

“For Oscar. Yallah.”

“Anti-diarrhoea pills?"

"Oi, mate. You better be grateful. That shit's a miracle." You said, dropping the yellow box in Oscar's hands as you both walked down the Paddock. You had checked your phone this morning to the beautiful news that you would be working for McLaren today. You texted Oscar the news and the next day he had your coffee order ready in the cupholder of the car he picked up you up in. 

It didn't feel odd. It should've, but it didn't. Maybe it was because you and Oscar had already spent the most of the morning together. You had breakfast with his parents - his dad taking a moment to quietly pull you aside to say thank you for supporting Oscar - and then hit a gym sesh.

In fact, you almost forgot that you and Oscar was supposed to be working in different domains until you both had to get dressed and found him waiting for you outside the Paddock dressed in shorts, a McLaren t-shirt and accompanying brand cap.

It made you look down at your black Hospitality wear and wonder just how things would go if you were wearing the same clothes as him.

Well, for one thing, you would have to wear those ugly ass shoes. You looked down at your feet clad in some Nike Cortez and tried to take that as consolation. You weren't dressed in team uniform but at least that meant you had your shoes.

Still, the oddity of seeing a driver openly interact with the Hospitality staff turned some head as you walked down the Paddock together. You were half tempted to tell Oscar to go ahead but it didn't make sense. You were both going to the same place - the McLaren motorhome.

Oscar, however, was barely paying attention to any of this. No, his attention was still stuck on the medicine you had given him.

"Why do I need," He paused and flipped the box over to read the label that was in English, "Antinal?"

"Because you're travelling around the world more now that you're in F1 and have an additional ten or so race weekends added to your calendar." You explained as Oscar read what minimal English was on the medicine box "And so you're gonna be trying a lot more foreign food. Gotta be prepared, man." You patted him on the shoulders as a form of consolation. Oscar just laughed. 

"I must say, when you texted me that you had got me something, I didn't think it would be this."

"Technically my auntie did." You said before explaining how you would probably needed to purchase another 23kg suitcase from all the things your aunty was adamant you have with you for the rest of the season. Oscar was laughing at the five packets of sunflower seeds your aunt thought was an essential when you clocked it. 

Or, better yet, them. Charles and Carlos.

Both staring at you. And Oscar. 

You felt a jolt rush through you realised. Oscar's latest girlfriend update went to background noise as you took in the two Ferrari drivers stood there.

Carlos was appraising, his head slightly tilted as he clearly was observing the two of you. You could only imagine what he noted.

You. Oscar. Laughter. Gift exchanged. Mention of relatives and close family.

Still, the kind Spaniard's eyes were a lot easy to take in than Charles. 

Charles who was clearly fuming. 

Or, clearly to you. You knew his angry tells. Right fist clenches then unfurls. Left hand runs through hair. Lips are pursed. And then he walks off. 

You watched as Charles said something to Carlos and then turned around to stalk off. You watched his retreating form with forlorn eyes and before you caught Carlos looking at you. The furrow between your brows where you had probably stared longingly after the best friend who left you in the dust immediately fell when you looked at Carlos. 

That was the first time that Charles was actually acknowledging your existence in how long.

You drew your eyes back to Carlos who was still looking at you. You smiled you found yourself even lifting up a hand to wave. You saw his eyebrows raise slightly and his lips lift into a smile. He waved back. Then someone called his name and you saw his cousin and manager appear from the Ferrari motorhome. You turned back to look at Oscar who was still talking, unaware of anything that happened in the past minute.

"... anyway Lily wants to meet you and - "

"Have you copped any shit?" You interrupted Oscar and turned to him. You had both neared the McLaren Motorhome and knew this would be where you both parted ways. 

"Copped shit from who?"

"Other drivers." You specified.

"I mean I haven't really had a chance to speak with them." Oscar said, pursing his lips as if he thought about it. "The Williams guys are nice. Alex is funny."

"Alex is funny." You agreed. You did like Alex. He had a good heart. You would forever be salty at what Red Bull did to him. 

"Lewis said hello, which was nice. Fernando reminded me his career is older than me." You couldn't help but snort at that. Oh, Nando.

"And Lando is... well, Lando." You perfectly understood just what Oscar meant by that. His words, however, also confirmed what you had suspected. None of the 'core' drivers that surrounded Ferrari or Red Bull's circles had come near him. You knew that many of the guys had gone out a few times to celebrate the start of the season and the fact that Oscar had very clearly not been invited was, well, getting to you.

Especially since you were 99.9% sure you were the reason why. 

You stared at the young Australian boy in front of you and felt two things wash over you. 

The first was sadness.

A lame word but there was no other way to describe it. Infuriated, annoyed, hurt - sure. But you were also just sad. Sad that this was your life and that anyone close to you still managed to get tainted by the things you were forced to lug around yourself. 

The second was fondness.

The boy was young and innocent but carried himself with wisdom and dignity beyond his mere 20 years. And his dry ass sarcasm was a special type of humour you missed having around you. He was caring, loyal and an overall good sport. Having Oscar around made you realise how long it has been since you've laughed. He drove you the airport, bought you food and stayed up to watch old FRIENDS reruns after finding out Daniel Ricciardo had cornered you in the gym. 

"Your love language is quality time." Was his reasoning when he had arrived at your hotel room. And so he ordered some KFC and got comfortable in your hotel room to watch Chandler and Joey forget Ross' baby on a bus. You knew Oscar didn't like sit-coms -- it was a recurring argument -- but he watched five episodes that night after you had texted him feeling panicked and needing help when Daniel arrived drunk at the gym.

In short, in that moment, you were suddenly hyperaware of how much you really, really, really fucking loved Oscar Piastri. 

So maybe that's why you just came out with it. 

"Jos Verstappen has a restraining order against me." 

Oscar blinked. Once. Twice. Clearly he wasn't expecting you to say that. You weren't even expecting you to really say it. 

"Come again?"

"Well his wife does." You corrected. "Because the courts wouldn't accept a man of his size him to need protection from little old me." You rubbed your arm, feeling the full vulnerability of what you were doing. You thought of your next words carefully, making sure to not step over the NDA you had signed. "I used to train Max when he was at Torro Rosso and then at Red Bull. I always saw bruises on his arms. One day I..." you huffed, hating that you legally couldn't say what had actually happened. "Well, I ended up beating Jos Verstappen half to death."

Oscar was silent. His face was void of much reaction. He wasn't even looking you in the face but staring at the ground in his pensive state. You were aware that you both had stopped walking and were stood to the side. 

"Is that why you don't officially work as a trainer and had to be all pedantic with training me?" All you could do was nod to his question. Oscar shook his head. "I mean, I've heard the stories about Max and his dad but..." 

Now it was your turn to blink. Once. Twice. You frowned and Oscar finally met your eyes and you were stunned to see the easy going grin on his face once more. It hadn't disappeared. "I can only guess you had to sign an NDA and this isn't the full story. And even if it is, well, it's enough to know you were protecting someone from a -- well, an abuser." 

"I... Yeah. Thanks." You weren't sure what you were thanking him for. For believing you? For not treating you differently? For taking your side when everyone in Formula 1 had dropped you and treated you like a leper?

"Is that why you and Ricciardo fell through?" Oscar asked. It wasn't nosy. You had explained enough to him. It was enough he knew what happened. 

"No Danny, he, uh-." You hated how small your voice sounded. Or that you immediately fell back to his nickname. "He cheated."  

Oscar was silent, waiting for you to continue. And so you did so. You told him everything. From Daniel to Charles to the moment you punched Jos Verstappen in the face.

Carlos Sainz was ready to punch someone in the face.

He sat there at the table, fist curled tight as he tried to calm down from all that he was hearing. It seems like his name would only be an added tag to an otherwise Charles Leclerc fest of a season. Carlos knew, sure, that coming into a Ferrari where his teammate was known as Il Predestinato would mean that he needed to prove himself, put himself in the spotlight and make the Tifosi give him a name like that.

However, as the current race strategy meeting was showing, it seemed like no one in Ferrari was going to give Carlos the chance.

"Now, boys, I have something to discuss with you two." Fred said as people were starting to leave and the meeting seemingly coming to an end. Carlos wanted nothing more than to get up and storm off but he reigned it and listened to the change in Fred's tone.

"What's up?" Charles asked, sitting up.

"Quietly, there was a team principal meeting with Domenicali." Fred said, and this time Carlos sat up also. His anger was momentarily forgotten as his interest piqued. "McLaren have unofficially started working with a girl to train their rookie." Charles was playing with his APM Monaco bracelets, somewhat paying attention. Carlos watched him. There was one particular bracelet he always fiddled with, a small gold chain tucked amidst all the other extravagant pieces.

"She's a Hospitality worker."

Carlos saw how Charles froze. His teammate looked up. Carlos saw the horrified look on his face.

"Quoi?" The French slip was only further proof of something. Carlos's mind raced to make the connection.

The lighbulb went off just before Fred said it.

"She was your friend, non?" Fred said. "Worked with Max Verstappen in Torro Rosso." His eyes flickering over to Carlos. They had been teammates back then.

Charles's years and years of media training went out the window as he struggled to make sense of what he was hearing. Carlos, however, was suddenly thrown back a few years and thinking about just who had caused this whole shitstorm.

You.

Carlos said your name, feeling something swell up in him by saying your name in front of Charles who was your former best friend. Maybe it was ego from the recent meeting, but Carlo wanted to drive the knife in a little deeper.

"She's a very good trainer. I watched her sessions with Verstappen." And that wasn't on showing up Charles; it was the truth. Max's dominance needed to be at least somewhat accredited to you.

"Turns out she is not allowed to work for new teams." Fred spoke. "That means for McLaren to hire her goes against some contract Formula 1 put in place after an incident with Verstappen."

There was a pause. Carlos waited for Charles to say something - to say it. He didn't. So Carlos did.

"She was defending Max." Carlos said, defending you when he thought the silent Monacoan beside him would've. Didn't you two grow up together?

The Verstappen Incident, Carlos was well aware of. However, whatever happened between you and Charles... well, Carlos was out of the loop.

"It doesn't matter." Fred waved. "I'm not here to speak of the drama. But I did have a look. Mattia never told me but she has ties with Ferrari from before - "

"But she's a Hospitality worker!" Charles finally spoke up. "Mattia he-- I spoke to him about her."

"You did?" Fred took that piece in. Carlos wanted to scoff. Clearly Mattia hadn't mentioned that in the hand over notes. "What did Mattia say?" Fred asked.

"Peut-être on peut parler juste nous deux." Charles said, the switch the French reigniting Carlos' anger once more. He forced himself to breathe steadily while Fred nodded. Both men had often tried to keep to English in front of him for the sake of manners and being polite, as opposed to using their mother tongue and making Carlos feel, well, like he felt now. Excluded. Enraged.

Still, Carlos' French skills were okay enough for understand what Charles had said. He stood up and, in French, said. "I'll leave you two." Without looking back, he walked out the motorhome trying to steel himself.

He really wanted to punch something.

Walking a little ways down the Paddock, he took deep breaths and shot a flurry of texts to his dad. He needed his advice on what to do given the way the meeting had gone. It was then that a girl on rollerblades holding the Australian flag zoomed past him and Carlos looked up.

The entertainment at Albert Park never missed. Carlos smiled slightly. Australia was a fun circuit. Not his favourite track by any means but the actual circuit itself had a lot going on that he enjoyed. It was lively, music always pumping and the weather was nice.

Still, the sounds of laughter and the faint dance music that echoed through the Paddock weren't enough to lift his spirits.

And then he saw you.

You were walking with Lando's new teammate, the infamous Oscar something. He hadn't paid much attention to the newbie, hearing something vaguely about Alpine drama from Lando. It all had gone in one ear and out the other.

Now, Carlos saw you walking with him and suddenly he wished he knew more about the kid. Why him? Why were you friends with him? Since when did you have friends? And why risk it all just to train him?

Carlos had always been perfectly polite, nice. Why didn't you laugh with him? Why didn't you reach into your bag to pull out a small box and hand to him as you explained him whatever gift you had brought him? What made this Oscar kid so lucky?

Maybe it was just the Australians seeking out one another? Everyone on the Grid knew you had dated Ricciardo. That had been a painful experience. It was one thing to have pined after you, as Max his teammate's trainer. It was another to see you get swept off your feet by the senior Red Bull driver that everyone adored. Carlos' days at Red Bull sucked since all he did was think about you - and you barely paid him any attention.

Sure, he was now no longer Ricciardo's junior but it still got to him. Daniel Ricciardo had waltzed in and you had gone wide-eyed before Carlos could've even tried.

Because he would've. He really would've. Even before his dad told him who your uncle was. Even before he tried your cooking, your coffee. Even before he knew your name. A young Carlos Sainz had seen a pretty girl walking around in the same Real Madrid kit that he owned at home and immediately wanted to go up to her, to ask her name, to ask her out.

Carlos felt the door behind him open and out came Charles. He looked completely at ease despite what had occurred before. He patted Carlos on the shoulder. And just as he did that, Carlos' phone beeped. His father.

Don't get mad. Just get even on the track.

Carlos pocketed his phone but felt something ignite inside him. He would do that. It wasn't Charles' fault for Ferrari's favouritism. Carlos had to admit the Monégasque was a genuinely nice guy.

"You alright, mate?" Charles asked. "I'm really sorry about before."

"I'm alright. Excited for the race." Carlos said, changing the subject and not mentioning it at all. If anything, he would stay out if it all and just focus on the race, on proving everyone wrong. He take his father's advice and make his own mark in this team.

"Ah, Australia is always special." Charles said.

Despite what his father had said, anger came back within Carlos. It was the same anger he felt towards that Australian kid. And Daniel Ricciardo. And, to an extent, Max.

Carlos was jealous. Not for Charles' favouritism from Ferrari, but the favouritism from you. Charles had you and he'd thrown you out for whatever reason.

Carlos' eyes came back to you and suddenly he couldn't help himself. Sure, he could stay out of all the Ferrari drama but this was you. He couldn't stay out of it when you were right there, walking beside the new kid who didn't know that Charles had essentially banned every driver from interacting with you.

"Yeah?" Carlos spoke before he even realised. "What's so special about Australia?"

The answer was obvious: you.

You were what had been so special. Carlos' days at Torro Rosso meant that he knew about how you felt towards Albert Park, that it was almost like your home race.

For one, you didn't stay at the Crown Casino hotel like the rest of them. No, instead you stayed at your auntie's place by the beach. Carlos knew that from the time he had to drive a passed out Max Verstappen to said home back in 2017.

Charles' smile dropped slightly. Then he brought it back up. "Ah, you know. The sun, the people. There is a special energy here that - "

He stopped talking.

Carlos knew that his teammate had finally spotted you also. Turning his head to look over at Charles, Carlos took in the look of utter rage on his teammate's face.

And then, you looked up. You noticed him. Them. You met his eyes and then you looked at Charles. The McLaren driver was still talking beside you, oblivious to how you had clearly stopped listening to him. Charles took a deep breath.

He stormed off.

Carlos couldn't help but roll his eyes. He didn't know the truth, but Carlos had heard the many rumours as to why Charles had cut you off. He thought they were all rubbish.

Looking back at you, Carlos met your eyes once more and he thought about his options.

He knew that you were in part responsible for training one of the best drivers on the grid. He also knew that it would take a bit of a miracle to help him outperform Charles Leclerc and show Ferrari what was what.

But hey, if this Oscar kid was going to go against the grid's treasured and unspoken rule, why couldn't he?

You really jinxed yourself.

At first, the Australian Grand Prix was off to a great start. Sleeping at home meant that you had more comfortable waking in a bed that was familiar - and not stuck in some isolating three star hotel room that made you question the hotel rating system.

Three stars with suspicious smells coming from the closet? No, thank you.

Instead, you got to wake up to your auntie humming as she prepared her own version of pancakes. It had been a long time since anyone had made pancakes for you. And even though you had breakfast plans with Oscar and his family, you still ate some of her and kissed her goodbye as you went to the circuit.

By car. You drove yourself. In your beloved Supra, the one that had essentially taught you everything you knew about cars (that and Top Gear) were finally united.

And that in itself was a beautiful fucking thing.

There were a small handful of circuits in where you had a car in the country and could actually drive yourself. Australia was one of them. Japan was another. Monaco was the other.

Then again, Monaco was far too crazy to be driving during a race weekend anyway. Still, it was nice to be able to play some calming lo-fi beats as you drove the familiar Lakeside Drive that led up to the street circuit that was built around the lake. Your lake.

You had found yourself a good parking spot and the cafe vendor recognised you and gave you a free latte. Some marshalls walking by were joking about something nonsensical but the banter and accent made you feel warm inside. No matter the complicated feelings that being Australian brought up, you still enjoyed the laid-back attitudes that came with the softened ds and ts.

You had a good gym session, showing progress with your training. You dropped another kilogram off with the cut working well and then you were ready to go to the safe confined of the McLaren motorhome.

And then you saw the message from your co-worker.

Sorry bro. There's been a change in the roster because Mack called in sick. You're going to be covering him at Ferrari for the rest of the race weekend.

You really had jinxed yourself.

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@inlovewmarlenemckinnon

[k-s-morgan]

I can’t describe how much I love A rule for a rule. I discovered it by going through your works on ao3 and completely devoured it! I was so so excited when you posted the new chapter (I’ve been checking everyday for weeks) and you just don’t disappoint. Their dynamic is so fun and toxic but oh so addictive. I was glued to my screen reading and death gripping my phone when it got to each new plot twist. I was so shocked when Jay didn’t reciprocate Bruce’s kiss and romantic feelings??? Is Jay’s perception of love and relationships so messed up that he just didn’t know what his feelings for Bruce were? Because it did seem obvious, as Bruce said, that their relationship was naturally progressing towards romantic. I have two theories, either:

Jay has a bad perception of romantic relationships, possibly because of abuse, and didn’t want to contain their relationship to such mundane societal labels. Maybe out of fear that they would both become boring??

He genuinely doesn’t love Bruce romantically, but his thoughts and feelings most closely resemble a romantic relationship. He may just feel a strongly aroused from the thought of dominating and possessing Bruce, as pointed out in the fic.

I know Jay said he was just nervous that Bruce was being implosive and thoughtless but their relationship kinda functions off spontaneity? Plus he was described as genuinely uncomfortable. Technically Jay could have been doing that on purpose to see how far Bruce would go to fulfil his desires for Jay, like forcing the kiss and chasing after him. Ugh, this is why I love how you write them so much! I have so many theories because you make Jay such ambiguous character who purposely makes Bruce (and the reader) question his logic and reasoning. You have no idea how hard I screamed at how that chapter ended!!!!!!!!! Bruce faking his death was literally both the smartest and dumbest thing he could have done😂 like I get what you’re trying to do Brucie but you legit left a nuclear green bomb behind in Gotham and said see ya later guys😘✌️🌅. Poor Alfred. I really hope we get a POV for Jay when he hears the news cause I neeeeed the angst, the anguish, the drama! I know it’s gonna be messy and he’s gonna break but I’m sooo curious to know in what way. Is he going to go into a deep depression or a high mania? Both? At the same time? I can’t imagine how antagonising it would be to mourn your soulmate, lover, long time best friend, other half and it being someone quite famous. Like the funeral is probably going to be filled with people Bruce didn’t even know or like. Is Jay going to blow the funeral place up😭? Ugh I love how to tie everything with the story like the way Joker is going to be obsessed over Batman because of the connection to Bruce’s halloween costume and his purple suit is to remember Bruce🥹. Another thing I can’t wait to find out is whether the Joker tells people about Bruce or is it super top secret? I feel like he’s gonna make an effort to keep Bruce his own personal secret and everyone knows not to ask about the B on his finger 😅 I love these two so much❤️

I seriously can’t wait for the next chapter! I know you probably won’t update it for a while but I will be waiting for forever if necessary. I’m sorry for leaving such a long message but I’m just so passionate about my obsession with this amazing story. Everything you write turns to gold. I’m always so taken by how you write SO much and the quality is some of the best stuff I’ve ever read. I’m so sorry that your country and people are going through such horrific times. War solves nothing and only brings tragedy to the citizens of the country. I’ve been on your tumblr page for a while and you are such a strong person - everyone in Ukraine is❤️ Sending so much love and appreciation. Please take care and stay safe❤️❤️❤️

Hi! Thank you so, so much for this ask - A Rule for a Rule is a pretty small story, so I'm so excited that you've liked it to this extent! Bruce and Joker are like an ultimate toxic ship, so I get such a delight from writing about them :D

As for why Jay initially rejected Bruce - it's definitely up to each reader's interpretation. My take on it is a mix of your first theory and the reasons Jay names in the story itself. I think he doesn't fully understand what romantic love is and how it's supposed to differ from what he's been always feeling toward Bruce. What he does know is that he's 100% satisfied with the relationship they had over these years. Yes, he and Bruce never had sex, but Jay knows he can get both physical and emotional contact with him any time he wants, and this is enough to keep him sated and happy. Having Bruce suddenly change this wonderful safe balance freaked Jay out. Entering a new territory, introducing any changes, no matter how desirable they seem right now, means risking losing what they have. Jay wanted Bruce to kiss him, but he was more scared that if this was indeed a whim, they might damage their relationship in a way he's not prepared to accept.

In Jay's eyes, if Bruce really wanted them to take this step, then he had to prove it. Jay wanted to be chased and persuaded, comforted and reassured that the foundation of their relationship would stay the same, it would just gain a few more benefits. And yes, he probably wanted to he pinned down and forced. To him, it would be evidence that Bruce really wants him. When Bruce gave up so quickly, he was angry, disappointed, and relieved at the same time.

Until Bruce returned with Selina, of course!

Haha, yes about Bruce leaving a green nuclear bomb back in Gotham! He'll be away from it, but it's the citizens and Alfred who will have to deal with the consequences.

I don't plan on writing from Jay's POV, but rest assured, there will be plenty of info on what went on after Bruce faked his death! Both from Alfred and from Jay, and maybe from video cameras. The funeral should be a part of it, too)) Because, like you said, Jay is going to hate absolutely everyone there. So he'll have to do something drastic.

And yes, Joker will be obsessed with Batman because of all the little things that will make him think of Bruce! The costume, the eye color, some personal ticks.

You're also right in that Joker won't tell anyone about Bruce, at least nothing specific. Some of his goons might know that someone named Bruce existed once and was very dear to him, but that's the extent of it.

Thank you again so much for what you said and wrote! I squealed when I saw the length of your ask - like most writers, I adore lengthy comments :D I hope you'll enjoy the next chapter! I have more time to write now, so I don't think the wait will be as long as before.

[yaderyngoch]

Alright so this entire situation is absolutely insane, but someone apparently accused me of being an anti for some reason, so I wanted to make a post with the full explanation of what's going on so that hopefully if anyone else sees this account, they know what's happening and I hopefully won't continue to get blacklisted from the Batman fandom for absolutely no reason.

Basically, I'm new to the Batman fandom as a whole, and a few months ago I decided to make a Twitter account that was specific to JayTim in hopes of meeting new friends who were also fans of the ship. The fandom friend group I'd been part of previously wasn't great for my mental health for a few reasons, so I was really really excited to join a fandom entirely disconnected from that group and hopefully make new friends. I know how antis can be, so I also made a new account disconnected from my main to protect my anonymity.

I forget where exactly I saw it, but I think it was in the replies of a tweet one of my mutuals replied to? I'm really not sure, but someone mentioned having a proship RP partner search blog on Tumblr. Immediately, I was ecstatic. I've been struggling finding people to rp with in general, and even moreso for JayTim, so I was really excited to meet new people and find new people to write with on this blog. It had been years since I'd been on Tumblr, but I made this account as a new sideblog specifically for the purpose of posting an ad to that account (I later learned you can't send in asks as a sideblog, but oh well)

I DMed the mod of the blog on Twitter to make sure my ad followed the rules and also let them know that my blog was new because it had been made new for the sake of posting an rp ad. I submitted the ad, they posted it on the blog, everything was great. While I waited for replies, I scrolled through old posts on that Tumblr account to see if anyone else was looking for a JayTim rp, and I found in the comments of one post the link to a Discord server specifically for BatFam rps. Immediately again, I was super excited. I'd been looking for a Discord server to become an active member of, and this seemed absolutely perfect, I was really incredibly excited about the idea of being part of a community. I know I'm beating the dead horse about how excited I was but I really want to emphasize that all of this was happening to someone who was utterly ecstatic about the idea of making new friends in a new fandom.

I joined that server, posted an rp ad there as well, and I got a message from the mod of that server about the ad suggesting we start a JayTim rp together. The conversation goes like any other with a potential new rp partner. Discussions of writing styles and preferences, I shared a sample from another JayTim rp I was doing at the time, things were looking great.

So then I decided to check Tumblr again to see if there were any updates about the post. To my surprise, I see that my post has been taken down, I have been blocked by the RP blog, and I have been blocked by the blog mod that I messaged on Twitter initially. There was no message about what I might've done wrong, no warning, nothing. No context, no conversation, just Blocked with no explanation. So of course I'm incredibly stressed out and confused because I have absolutely no idea what I did. It's been a while since I'd been on Tumblr so maybe there was an etiquette rule I broke? I know I'll block people who post a lot of a ship I don't like just because I don't want to see it on my TL, but my ad was specifically for JayTim in the first place and the mod approved it, and this wasn't a personal Tumblr this was a place to find RP partners.

While this is happening, the Discord mod is still chatting with me about ideas for our rp, and I apologized for seeming a little off suddenly and explained what happened and that I was really stressed and confused about it. The discord mod said they understood, and that it did seem odd. A few minutes later, they mentioned having to go to bed.

A while after that, I check Discord again to see that I've also been banned from that Discord server and blocked by that mod. Again, no explanation, no context, nothing. At this point I wanted to cry because I didn't understand what I was doing wrong or what was happening. I thought since I'd been talking to that mod about how confused I was about the initial situation, maybe they'd contact me to give me context, but no there was nothing. No way to contact anyone, no closure, just getting blacklisted from the new fandom I was so excited to join with no explanation.

At least a month went by. Finally I want to try and find more JayTim rp partners on Tumblr again so I look for a tag, and to my surprise I see that initial Tumblr rp partner search blog has unblocked me. So, I send them a message explaining what had happened and expressing my confusion. I'm just going to copy paste exactly what was said:

Me: Hi there, I'm admittedly a little confused. I posted an rp ad ages ago on this account, the mod proofread it on Twitter and I sent it in and it was posted. A few hours later, the post was taken down and I was blocked on this account, and the mod who I was in contact with also blocked me on Twitter. There was no explanation and I'm really not sure what I did or why I was blocked? But I was just looking for an rp and noticed I'm now unblocked on this account. The mod on Twitter still has me blocked and I'm still very confused. I'm not sure what I did wrong or why I was blocked in the first place, or why I'm no longer blocked now. Is there maybe a different mod in charge of this account?

Blog: Oh heck i guess it mustve gotten lost in the mix

(Maybe they didn't read my initial message? I thought maybe they were going to add more information, but no they just left the message at that for 2 hours)

Me: The ad? No it was posted. It was up for hours, and then I was blocked by this account and the mod's twitter account with no explanation or context to why

Blog: Ohh yeah no it was reported that you are an anti and this acct is not for you so we took your stuff down

I was then, again, blocked, and at this point I'm even more confused and baffled than before. I'm not, nor have I ever been, an anti. I have literally no idea why they might've thought I was one, and I couldn't ask because they blocked me. At this point this is driving me nuts and I've been stressed out and frustrated about this for months. No one is listening or talking to me, I'm just being ignored and I don't understand why, so at this point I'm not going to let it go.

I logged onto my old Tumblr account from years ago and messaged the blog again saying that I'm not an anti and don't understand what happened or why they think I was, I'm trying to be understanding and non-abrasive but I don't understand how this even happens and why the mods would handle a situation like this. I also went onto an alt and contacted the mod on Twitter. At this point Elon Musk has removed the ability to DM someone you are not mutuals with, so this entire Twitter conversation is happening in the public replies of one of her tweets. (The Tumblr account never responded to my message)

Me: Hi, I know this may be inappropriate to message you on an alt, but you didn't give me a chance to explain before you blocked me again. I'm not an anti. I don't understand why you think I am or who told you I was, or what I possibly did to indicate to you that I was an anti.

Mod (responding immediately. This mod has consistently been replying basically immediately): Hi i have been told you have been blackmailing people and telling them that youre going to post callouts about them writing incest and underage if they dont write these things with you and that you evaded server bans on discord for the same reasons

Me: Okay, I have never done any of those things, so could you please expand on who said I did these things and what evidence they provided of that claim?

(A day goes by, no answer)

Me: I'm not sure if you're busy, if so understandable, or just not responding to me, but I'd really like to talk to someone and try and figure this out because I don't understand what was happening. Did someone say it was my account? Or was there an assumption that I'm associated with another account that did these things? I'm sorry for being so persistent about this I just was really excited about joining this fandom and really don't want to get blacklisted from it for something I didn't do and no one is talking to me about it

Mod, Immediately : I messaged the person that reported you to see if they have anything to chime in about this maybe being a case of mistaken identity. please be patient.

Me: Okay, no worries. Thank you

Me: No rush to respond to this but I forgot to mention that if it would be helpful to provide my main account and ao3 and anything else, let me know, I would just prefer to do it in DMs

Mod: I'm waiting for the other person to get back to me right now i will let you know if i need anything further from you <3

(4 days go by, nothing. So they're not asking for my word on the situation, they're not looking at the active JayTim Twitter account I've been running for months, there's absolutely nothing I can do and no one seems willing to have a conversation with me about what happens, it's all just waiting on this mystery person to add context.)

Me: Hi there! It's been 4 days so I was just wondering if there were any updates on the situation?

Mod: I've gotten into contact with the person who reported you and they said they would look for the screenshots when they had a chance

(So, they didn't already have screenshots? From what I can tell, someone told them I was an anti, and the mods felt no need to actually verify that? And just blocked me and blacklisted me from everything, no questions asked, even though I have nothing to do with whatever I'm being accused of and no idea what's happening.

A week goes by. Nothing)

Me: Hi there, it's been a week, has that person managed to send you the screenshots yet?

The mod hasn't responded to that message, it's been two days. I'm trying to be patient and understanding but I'm so sick and tired of being ostracized, blocked, banned, and ignored for something I had nothing to do with. The information I've copy pasted in this message is all I've been told, I don't know anything else about whats going on or how this happened. I'm just so frustrated because I was so happy about the idea of joining a new fandom and making new friends, and now suddenly I'm seemingly blacklisted from the entire BatFam rp community for reasons no one is even actually telling me.

The most I can tell so far is just that someone said "hey that person is an anti" and despite having no evidence to back that up, the mods just decided to kick me out of everything and tell everyone I'm an anti?

I'm not sure that anyone is actually going to read this, both because I have one follower and also because this is a long post, I guess I partly just wanted to type it all out, and also just wanted to tell my side of the story because it stresses me out so much every time I think about it. And I was talking to that Discord mod about how stressed and confused I was when I got blocked the first time but still, no one thought to take a second look? No one thought to give any amount of context or even talk to me?

If anyone knows anyone who could help me with this situation, that would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone knows a good place to find more JayTim fans or people to RP with, I could really use some new friends right about now. This is a side blog so I can't follow back or comment, but feel free to send me a DM or an ask!

Edit: there is an update to this post. It is.... a lot. Here's the link

[minisugakoobies]

I’m so excited about the drabble that’s not a drabble anymore!!! Also YES PLEASE GIMME THE TEASER!!!!!!!!!!

Ahhhh, I'm glad you're excited! Ok then! 💕 Title: The Rules Pairing: Bang Chan x Reader Genre: strangers to lovers, smut, Wedding!AU WC: 634, final TBD Warnings: none for the teaser Summary: How long can you follow the rules?

When your cousin asked you to be a bridesmaid, she gave you three simple rules to follow:

Number one: don't be late. "To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is to get cut out of the family. Don't think Halmeoni won't drop you from her will if I ask."

Number two: Don't get super wasted. "What if I have a bridal emergency and you're completely zooted, upchucking wine spritzers in the bathroom?" As if you'd drink a wine spritzer.

And rule number three: Don't fuck Bang Chan.

She announced the third rule the first time you gathered with her and her other bridesmaids to discuss wedding details. Bang Chan, it turned out, was her fiancé's "Best Bro" from his college frat days.

"Binnie was in a frat? Huh," was your response upon learning this new factoid.

Sun Hee rolled her eyes. "I know, it's weird, but he's grown up a lot since I met him. Chan, on the other hand…" she grimaced. "He's a fuckboy. Of the highest magnitude. S-class. A summa cum fuckboy."

"More like a someone's gonna come fuckboy, amiright?" maid of honor Ji-won snarked, cracking herself up, but she quickly stopped when Sun Hee gave her the evil eye.

"And that's bad because…" you drawled.

"Because every goddamn time one of my friends hooks up with his slutty ass, they completely lose their shit. And I! Do! Not! Have the time to deal with the fallout!" Sun Hee clapped her hands after each word, like a deranged cheerleader. "So keep your hands and your holes away from that man!"

At first, when you met the groomsmen at the engagement party, you thought to yourself that Sun Hee's rule was unnecessary. Apparently, Changbin only hung out with other ridiculously good-looking guys. Any one of them could probably show you an amazing time, if you so desired. 

And then Bang Chan walked in.

Out of curiosity, you'd looked the guy up, scouring Changbin's insta for old photos. Just so you could see what all the fuss was about. It was pretty easy to identify why Sun Hee's friends were apparently throwing themselves at the man, between his muscular build, his warm eyes, and his heart-melting smile. And as a semi-famous music producer, he's a star on the rise, which only adds to his allure. But holy shit, you were not prepared for the charisma.

He strolled into the room like he was walking onto a stage, radiating confidence from every inch of his rather thick frame, as if expecting an audience to start applauding at his presence. Maybe that's why you weren't surprised to see Changbin and his friends light up as they caught sight of their friend.

Of course, they weren't the only ones to notice him.

"Oh damn, look at the snack that just walked in," Ji-won whispered, tugging on your sleeve. "He's tasty."

"Yeah he is," another bridesmaid, Hae, piped up. "Is it too late to call dibs?"

"Gawi bawi bo!" Ji-won suddenly yelled, but you grabbed her hand as she threw a scissors symbol into the air.

"Sorry, ladies, but the bride's rules trump rock, paper, and scissors. That's Chan."

“That’s Chan? Well, shit.” Ji-won pauses. “Okay. Dibs on Jisung!” 

“Wait a minute!”

Ignoring the horny squabbling going on beside you, you discreetly ogle Chan over the rim of your cocktail. Changbin really needs to update his insta, because you were not prepared for Chan’s blond hair. Or the lip ring. Or, fuck, you nearly choke on your old fashioned as Chan laughs and something silvery inside his open mouth catches your eye. Is that a tongue ring too?!

This man could not be more your type. Absolute catnip, and your kitty is eager for a taste.

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

© 2023 by minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

[seeminglyranch87]

Taylor & Travis Timeline

September 2024 - Part 1

September 2 - NFL post hype video for the upcoming season - Taylor appears 5 times! (x)

Chiefs post tailgate video with Funny Marco with multiple Taylor Swift references (x)

Prime Video celebrate Travis Kelce's record breaking achievements

And to keep up with record breaking achievements here are some Taylor Swift's records for this week!

September 3 - Travis Kelce guest appears on the Rich Eisen Show (x x)

Rich “How much prep work needed to go in for [appearing on stage at the Eras tour with Taylor]?” Travis “I'm not gonna lie. It wasn't a lot. Taylor knew… when the lights are on, I'm gonna have some fun. And she put me in a position to where I didn't have to do much for it to be a success. She put me in a really comfortable part of the show. And I was just there not to screw anything up. I mentioned it on New Heights. I just didn't want to drop her when I was carrying her on that stage. That would have been the most embarrassing thing I could have ever done. So just getting her to the couch was the hardest part.” Rich  “Well, you're known for completing the process of the catch, man… you can't fumble possession there.  But there was never in a moment where Taylor looked at you and goes, are you sure you have this?” Travis “Oh, for sure. There was definitely … wait, are you sure you want to do this? But she was so fun about it. And, you know, I'm always down to have some fun on stage with Tay Tay.” Rich  “I love it. Is it true? Mahomes dropped this one. Is she calling plays or is she drawing up plays? Or what's happening here?” Travis  “You know, she does love- She has done- She has just been so open to learning the game. She didn't know much about the rules and everything. And I think what makes her so good in her profession is that she's so- detailed in every every aspect of it from from the words to the music to you know even the releases and the music videos and everything she's so detailed and a part of it that I think she was just curious about the profession and I don't think any of the I know none of the none of the plays have gotten to coach Reid yet but if they ever do I'll make sure everyone knows it was her creation" Rich "But they exist like they are actually something written down on a piece [paper]? Travis "She's a little biased and just creates plays for me.”  

So much Tay-praise from Travis.

September 4 - Travis interviewed on CBS Mornings about his feature in a Pepsi advertisement dressed as a Gladiator (x). Travis says he loves all of Taylor's songs and talks about his desire to bring happiness and something to cheer about . We love a positive king! He also jokingly blames Taylor being on vocal rest as the reason they could not attend the interviewers wedding whilst in Australia!

September 5 - NFL 2024-25 season kickoff. Chiefs v Baltimore Ravens, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. Chiefs defeat Ravens 27 - 20

Travis arrives at Arrowhead ahead of game (x x)

Taylor arrives at Arrowhead for game 1 of the 2024 NFL season

Taylor celebrates win with WAG Chariah Gordon (x)

Chariah Gordon posts to IG. Recreation of photos from 2023. Travis & Taylor, Chariah Gordon and Mecole Hartman Jr. (x)

Taylor & Travis leaving Arrowhead Stadium (x)

Travis & Taylor party with teammates afterwards at Prime Social, KC

Earlier in the day Travis posted his own hype video to IG (x)

A source tells ET (x)

"Taylor is super excited for the season and to support Travis today at the game and cheer him on. It means so much to Travis to have Taylor there."

The Chiefs formally welcome Taylor back (this makes me SO happy) (x)

Go to previous update -> August 2024 part 3

Go to next update -> September 2024 part 2

Return to the timeline

[thegeminisage]

it's star trek update time. last night* we watched, well,

pics taken moments before disaster ^

sighing deeply. ok. *i'm typing this at fuck o clock so technically it was earlier today but this post will go up while i'm at work. anyway here we go:

dark page (tng):

i don't want to talk about it.

rules of acquisition (ds9):

me having to watch this after dark page must count as some kind of cruel and unusual punishment

i was hoping ds9 could make me like the ferengi. i think whoever wrote this episode was trying. dax's little pro-ferengi speech. sure. and here's this ferengi woman, fighting for acceptance and change in her own way. yeah. fine.

unfortunately i think the episode undercut its own message a little in two ways: firstly, by having kira and dax getting groped nonstop without kira getting to break any fingers. like, non-ferengi women won't and shouldn't tolerate that, but for some reason in this episode they do...? i was especially steamed on kira's behalf; at least dax didn't seem to care as much. like, shouldn't the point be that that behavior is UNacceptable, instead of "oh it's not so bad once you get to know them"? and secondly, i think the impact pel made on odo was a little understated. the only real hint we got at him seeing a new way of things vs just him trying to protect himself was him offering pel the money to start a new life with, for free. you could tell because of his acting chocies there was a lot happening under the surface - like, he's always trying to get his own ass out of the fire, but he seemed protective of PEL rather than his own interests in several scenes there, particularly ditching his bar - but we didn't get to see most of the stuff that could ACTUALLY have been interesting bc we were too busy watching the nagus feel people up and eat bugs ha ha quirky fun! now THERE'S a guy that belongs on tng! extremely unendearing. you can win me over to um. some characters. but not this guy.

i was VERY surprised they let quark and pel kiss when quark was under the impression pel was a dude. not only was it a really funny "i thought i was GAY ping" moment, it also feels weirdly...progressive...? for 1993. along with dax assuming pel's in love with quark while ALSO still assuming pel is a guy. even though they kind of ruined it later

actually, the more i think about it the more pel reads as a trans man. is it right to categorize someone as trans when really they're just trying to get out of horrifically oppressive gender roles? maybe not, but the way quark managed to be super homophobic and misogynistic to pel at the same time ("you didn't kiss me" ok self-gaslighting king) feels so much like transphobia, and the way quark utterly rejected pel because of what she (he?) IS even despite the bond and chemistry they'd formed, AND dax, also trans, seemed to clock pel pretty quickly as being Some Kind Of Queer Like Me...i am Seeing

like, pel is all, hey we can run away together! fuck gender roles, who cares if i wear clothes! and quark is straight up like I Would Care. his internalized Whatever is keeping him from being happy with someone he clicked with, whether that's for a single night or an entire lifetime. there WAS a queer theme here. it was almost more about being queer than it was about sexism, except it wasn't actually about either of those because they fumbled the landing a little bit plus i feel like some censorship was probably happening and so the whole thing wound up being muddy. i did like quark's lisa simpson stare at the end though. girl, mood

TONIGHT: tng's "attached" and ds9's "necessary evil" I KNOW IT'S AN ODO EPISODE i'm very excited

[merrock]

HAPPY FIRST OF OCTOBER!

The spooky month is upon us! We have a few exciting events coming up this month, for those who love fall and Halloween. And we have some fun tasks to help get you in the spirit. But mostly, we wanted to touch base on some rules and updates and get everything to where it needs to be for the month ahead. Let's go!

HAPPENING IN OCTOBER!

SHELTER APPECIATION WEEKEND (October 6 - 9): join us at the Animal Sanctuary to donate goods and food for pets, or to adopt your very own best friend!

HALLOWEEN MASQUERADE (October 28; ooc 24-30): the Benefactor has lent us a mansion for the night. Come dressed in formal wear (and a mask!), and feel free to add touches of Halloween. Adults only!

HALLOWEEN NIGHT (October 31): head to the Community Center to chaperone the party for the kids, or gather up a group of kids and take them trick-or-treating! (This is also the night to post your costume.)

OCTOBER'S MINI-EVENTS!

October 1 -- Coffee Day: start a coffee chain at Cobblestone and keep paying for the person behind you.

October 4 -- Cinnamon Roll Day: a fun day to send a cinnamon roll to, well, your favorite cinnamon roll!

EXTRA BIT OF FUN!

We are running our "four photos of fall" task for the month of October! This should be a fun one, as it's sort of moodboard ish, but easy to do, the only challenge is that you may not use any photos of your face claim (stock photos of people are okay). Can be done all October, but does not count for activity -- please do not rush, save it for some downtime. If you have not already had a chance to do our previous Halloween-related task, you can find it here, and we will also allow that to be done during the month of October!

IMPORTANT NOTES!

please take a moment to refamiliarize yourself with our rules, as we have made a few changes to reflect activity now that we are back on schedule with checks, as well as cleaned up & tweaked things.

another gentle reminder, as we know this isn't a rule everywhere, but please do not 'mass post' finished replies -- if you must work ahead, stagger them in a queue a few minutes apart, but otherwise dash can become super hard to navigate, and overwhelming. especially now when activity notifications are unreliable, and people are drafting replies off of dash as they come in. it becomes easy to lose things in a large batch posted all within a few seconds!

speaking of: notifs are still a little messy. do what you need to do to track your activity! but please remember what we mentioned in the ooc: trackers are for your personal use, sharing where you are at with OOC contact, plotting, etc. is unnecessary and can put pressure on others. just keep 'em for you!

if you list a wanted connection or if you fill a wanted connection, please be communicative with one another and be sure that you are fulfilling your end of the bargain, so to speak! don't just pick up a WC to join, and then not write with that person, and on the other side, don't ignore someone who picks up your WC. we want to be sure everyone gets what they want from connections.

BEHIND THE SCENES!

we've decided to stick to our 20 cap, with 5 extra bonus spots once 20 is reached. those 5 spots must be filled by wanted connections only, although you're always encouraged to pick one up (especially as an existing writer).

moving forward, we will only allow writers to pause characters for one month, and they can only pause two at a time (unless there are extenuating circumstances). if you need longer than a month, you must contact us to ask for the extension.

oh! and November. we have candy day, world kindness day, Black Friday and Small Business Saturday for little things around town, with Kindness Weekend, the Railway 5K, and Thanksgiving happening, as well!

HAPPY OCTOBER! xx

[gojonanami]

Lovely Sab,

I just wanted to thank you for writing that little snippet from Professor Geto's perspective! It really made my day.

Just before I left my house to get to my uni, I read through your blog and I saw that post, and it made me so happy! It really improved my mood.

And yes—Professor Geto is absolutely right! (As always.)

Just as an update, though...

It's super cold today. Hauling up my stuff to my dorm to set it up again was a total bore, and I had to arrive earlier instead of arriving in the afternoon as I had planned because I received a last minute email yesterday evening (circa 19.00) informing us about a lecture today at 12.00....

Anyway, I got back to my uni town and everything was so quiet? It was a little weird! It was nice seeing some familiar faces though!

Also, my new course leader for my option this term is super, super nice so my mood has improved drastically. He's so cute! He looks like a little cherub (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). We also made eye contact and he smiled at me lol

He also mentioned his daughter and getting her a book to get her interested in his area of expertise which I thought was super cute 🥺🥺🥺

On the other hand, though, it seems like my supervisor for my other side of the course will be as strict if not stricter than Professor Geto.... 😬😬😬 She already sent us an email outlining her 'rules' and her rules for submitting essays are super, super nit-picky...

Anyway, I just wanted to send you a little message thanking you for indulging me as it really, really improved my day! It made me feel a little better about coming back, especially seeing as this term is meant to be super tough.

Sending lots and lots of love your way xxx

Also, I'm really, really looking forward to part two of 'I Need Someone Older'! Can't wait!

(Hope you're getting enough rest, sleep, snacks, fun, etc. xxx)

ahhh I’m so glad you saw it and it cheered you up!! oh no I’m sorry you had a last minute lecture that made you get there earlier but I’m glad you got to see some familiar faces - it’s always nice when that happens.

awww I love that for you - that’s so precious - I love wholesome girl dads! oh nooo but I’m sure you’ll be fine! just have to get feedback and go from there - just like reader in prof geto’s class 😂😭

thanks bb!! I got some good sleep today for once which was really nice. I’m excited for you guys to read it ahhh 💕✨

[flowergirlmiwa]

games I wish I had when I was a kid!

Yu-Gi-Oh The Eternal Duelist Soul

This was one of the best selling games on the GBA, but I got Dark Duel Stories on GBC instead. Eventually I got 7 Trials to Glory, a mixed bag of a game I nonetheless hold dear to my heart, but I wish I had EDS as a kid. EDS is the perfect game to be the first YGO game on GBA. The spelltraps are massive blowouts, caveman Yu-Gi-Oh is in full effect, and the cardpool is both small and nostalgic. EDS (or the original Japanese release) was the first video game that actually tried to follow the rules of the real world OCG/TCG card game and it did a pretty good job along with a clean presentation, great music and flavorful decks to grind against. Plus the packs you pull from are mostly based on real Japanese card sets! Basically I admire a lot about what this game did in 2002 and in a potential world where I got it alongside my GBA SP in 2003 I would have been set for years. Instead I got... Dark Duel Stories in late 2003 around the time I got my GBA SP, and that game is .. not as worth investing time into. Oh yeah and it has a cute calendar system with weekly matches at the duel shop and oooo it's just such a cute game!

Goldeneye 007

I didn't have a lot of N64 games as a kid, but out of all my regrets on the console, I easily missed out the most not owning Goldeneye. Now I can appreciate it as basically the Super Mario 64 of first person shooters and imagine that, even though I only owned one controller, those levels would have kept me coming back again and again obsessively for hours. I can just imagine how I would have organically find the island on Dam by myself and wondered what was out there. I never had that chance

Super Smash Bros Melee

Throughout the early 00s I had various nostalgic experiences playing the original Super Smash Bros, and eventually I craved very dearly to play it's sequel. Literally all I could tell you is that it had (Scott the Woz voice) "a freaky STORY MODE! now that's cool!" and you could play as Bowser. It looked so damn cool but I didn't have a GameCube. I would have dreams about playing this game I knew very little about. I actually can guarantee I read about the Sonic and tails in melee rumor before I had seen more than an hours worth of gameplay in my life (all through playing demos in 2002).

When did I actually get a GameCube? 2007. I actually remember visiting Nintendo World NY in 2006 right before release of the Wii and playing Melee on one of their demo kiosks (and wind waker for the first time ever, notably). I got my hands on a GameCube in summer 2007 thanks to a friend of my dad's and pretty much the first thing I did was go to the still surviving Hollywood Video in The City and rent melee. Now considering I was 12 the first time I got to extensively play melee and really enjoy it, you could say I was still a child and that's true. I wish I somehow had a GameCube around 2004 and got to play it then though. Look, things felt different in my life then, it wasn't the same kind of feeling to me. By the time I got to play it I didn't really have that childish exuberance and excitement. Plus I got a Wii that same year for Christmas so my overall excitement for the GameCube was muted lol.

The Simpsons: Hit and Run

I would have gobbled this up as a kid even if not the biggest fan of the simps, if I had gotten this at release for PS2 I could imagine I would have spent many hours playing it

Pokemon Stadium 2

As a kid I desperately wished I had this game and rented it a bunch of times. When I discovered you could emulate N64 I spent most of my time doing so playing this game. I eventually got my own real copy around 2019 but considering I would leave the first game on for days on end I would have loved to have had stadium 2 as a kid. Plus it actually has single player content and provides plenty to people without use of a transfer pak too! I was fascinated by the updates as a kid renting the game

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Just Like That by Cole McCade - 2/5 stars

So I started reading this age gap romance about two professors at a boys boarding school expecting it to be different than the last Cole McCade romance I read. It...wasn't. The emotions are turned up to 11 all the time, from the very first page, and that means there's nowhere emotionally to go. It also felt rushed and like the characters didn't really have room to breathe. So...I might retract what I said about the first Cole McCade novel I read needing to be shorter, because this one was shorter, and it didn't work.

Scattered Showers by Rainbow Rowell - 4/5 stars

Bought this for the SnowBaz story, ended up reading the whole thing and quite enjoying it. The SnowBaz story was definitely still the best though.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - 4/5 stars

In my last reading update I said I wasn't going to read any my Leigh Bardugo books, totally forgetting this one was sitting very near the top of my TBR pile. I liked it a lot, but I have been informed that Hellbent involves a glowing, fully erect demon penis in multiple scenes (and not even for demon sex) soooo yeah. I think I'll give it a miss.

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles - 4.75/5 stars

Drama! by AJ Truman - 4.25/5 stars

Bloodline by Jordan L Hawk - 4.75/5 stars

Wanted, A Gentleman by KJ Charles - 5/5 stars

Oh I loved this one so much. I love when KJ Charles writes books with a twist because I never see them coming. And it's not like the clues aren't there. This is a super quick read but so good. I definitely could have read a full length novel about Martin and Theo.

The Klockwerk Kraken by Aidee Ladnier - 5/5 stars

You look at this book and you think, tentacle porn. And yeah, there's some sex with tentacles. But??? This book??? It kind of wrecked me. It's two connected novellas about trauma, healing, family, memory, love...really really good. Highly recommended.

Pack of Lies by Charlie Adhara - 5/5 stars

And then I read a werewolf book and loved it! Not that I expected to hate this or anything, but I definitely went into it feeling a bit iffy, because werewolves are really not my thing. This book is romantic suspense and really good, and I loved Julien and Eli so much. This is a spinoff of Adhara's other werewolf series, which I want to read, but it's only available as an ebook, and I don't do ebooks.

Seven Tears at High Tide by CB Lee - 4/5 stars

Cute little YA mermaid book. Mermaids also aren't my thing so I liked this more than I thought I would. Much better than Jason June's Out of the Blue, imo.

A Restless Truth by Freya Marske - 4.75/5 stars

Again, my toxic trait is I don't really enjoy reading books about women or f/f romances. But not surprisingly at all, this book was really good. Though, you know. I inhaled all references to Robin and Edwin (of which there were many) and was sorta/kinda more invested in the hints of romance between Hawthorn and Alan. Obvs excited for the third book.

The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths and Magic by FT Lukens - 3.5/5 stars

Just Like This by Cole McCade - DNF

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I put this one down before I got through chapter 2.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales - 5/5 stars

I tore through this book in a single day. It was SO funny and sweet. It's considered YA but quite honestly I'd call it New Adult. Or if you don't like New Adult, straight Adult. Sophie Gonzales is the author of one of my top reads of last year, but of course, since this is an f/f romance, I was wary. But ugh, so good. Highly recommend this one.

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard - 5/5 stars

Apparently the idea for this came from the author posting polls on twitter for what would happen next, which is...unspeakably lame, honestly. But the book that came out of it is great. Loved the world, loved Winnie and her family (especially her brother and his boyfriend).

Beguiled by Joanna Chambers - 5/5 stars

Loved the first one, loved this one more.

This Census-Taker by China Miéville - 3.25/5 stars

What was this even about? Pretty sure Miéville was high on peyote when he wrote this.

Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman - 3.75/5 stars

Picked this up because it was 20% off at Target and was actually pleasantly surprised by how much more adult it is than the series. Then of course started watching season 2 of the series and found it to be as sanitized as season 1.

The Henchman of Zenda - KJ Charles - 3.5/5 stars

He Bears the Cape of Stars from Duck Prints Press - 4.5/5 stars

Glitterland by Alexis Hall - 3.75/5 stars

This is a re-release of one of a novel Hall wrote like a decade ago. It's not a romcom (which I knew going in), but I didn't expect it to be quite so rough. Similar in ways to Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble, only that was funnier. The fact that he wrote out the Essex accent really grated, but I guess it kind of made sense. My bigger issue with this book was the absolutely shit editing. There were repeated paragraphs, formatting issues, and places where it seemed like there had to be something missing because it made no sense.

The new edition is annotated by Hall, which was pretty fun. Not a bad read, but it's not Boyfriend Material.

Part 2

[gravitywonagain]

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your wip folder regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet of it or tell them something about it.

hehehe... hahahahaha... oh this is gonna be... embarrassing, mostly, but also very fun!! thank you for tagging me @amethyst-noir <3<3<3

A Necessary Evil [wangxian]

All the Monsters Come Out at Night [wlw wangxian]

Alone on Lunar New Year? Mad at your dad? [wangxian fam]

Assassin's Creed AU [wangxian]

Beating Like a Hammer [wlw wangxian]

Boy Meets Sword [mxy&suibian]

Breathing You In (I Don't Wanna Stop) [wangxian]

Bury the Sunlight [burial mounds fam]

Caiyi Town (Gilmore Girls AU) [wangxian fam]

Can't Cheat Death While You're Digging Your Own Grave [nhs&wwx]

Control [beefleaf]

Do you like apples? [wangxian]

Dreaming in Red [wangxian]

Dresden AU [wangxian fam]

Edges that Scratch (and notes on the Expanded Monterey Genderverse) [wlw wangxian]

Fierce Corpse JYL [yunmeng siblings]

Fire in the Back of My Throat (Sunshot Band AU) [wangningxian]

Fresh Powder in the Pine Trees [wangxian]

Gui Daifu | 鬼大夫 [burial mounds siblings]

Gun Oil [sunny bees]

Hand in Hand with a Brother (Demonic Shuangjie AU) [yunmeng sibs]

High Fidelity [wangningxian]

Homeless AU (and a treatise on the US treatment of felons by librarian LWJ) [wangxian fam]

Hot for Teacher [wangxian]

I am Not a Vessel for Your Good Intent [wangxian]

I Got Dumped in Tokyo [wlw wangxian]

Immortals [lan wangji/&wen ning]

In the Parking Lot Between a Dairy Queen and a PL$ Check Cashers [junior quartet, zhuiyi]

Inquiring Minds [wangxian, wwx&jc]

Let Your Brain Run Wild (Everybody's Nephew Band AU) [junior quartet, zhuiyi]

Let Yourself be Loved (Definitely Not a Queer Eye fic) [wwx&fab5]

My Heart's Like Yours [wangxian fam]

Paint My Body Gold [wangxian]

Parker [leverage ot3]

Ramen House [wangxian]

Rope Burns [clexa]

Roses Don't Know When They're Dead [xuanli]

Sign Your Name Across My Body [wangxian]

Teal Eyes [fair game]

The Bar [thunderblink]

The Korrasami Sexcapades Playlist [korrasami]

The Too Personal AU [wangxian]

The Trashbag AU [korrasami]

The Water's Right, It's Sinking In [wangxian]

Turnt Up at the Club [sunny bees]

Under Streetlights [wangxian]

Undergrad Groupchat [wangxian]

Urban Fantasy AU (What Does the Huli Jing Say?) [wlw foxxian/dragonji]

WAGBFM: Can You Hear That (Whistle) -- A Nighthunt [junior quartet]

WAGBFM: Devil's Worst Nightmare -- A Rendezvous [mianqing]

WAGBFM: Nails in My Coffin -- A Marriage [songxiao]

WAGBFM: The Killing Kind -- A Prequel [wangxian]

Weird West AU [wangxian]

Words are Gonna Bleed from Me [wangxian]

WQ Soul Sacrifice Ritual AU [burial mounds siblings]

You Got Me Bloodshot [wangxian]

水 | Paradoxes [xue yang, yiling wei sect]

wow. okay. sure. at least 50 is a nice round number?

(i put the main focus in brackets when i start writing a thing, but sometimes that changes and i forget to update so... idk if all of those are super accurate or not? i guess we'll find out!)

Tagging: anyone who wants to do this! it's very fun! and also painful. but mostly fun! and i'm super excited for questions!

ask away! i'll answer whatever, whenever :)

ETA: still open. open forever. maybe i'll even try to keep it updated if people want that?

[keepingthehopealive]

Update

The big move is going relatively well all things considered. Some hiccups and hard parts which is to be expected and I'm dealing with them as they come. I love my place and my dog loves having the place to himself and a nice yard + a great walkable neighborhood + many fantastic parks all around. I'm currently trying to get the city to pick up my damn trash (it's been almost a month) and need to get a new dresser after an ikea disaster...but other than that, not too bad. I didn't have water the first day I was here which was so annoying and I lost hot water a few weeks ago, but it's all been resolved quickly. The property manager is pretty on top of things.

I already got involved with a shelter nearby and am volunteering there and will be fostering too. There aren't any crazy rules like where I was, and they don't care that I work long days. They have no problem with me using my dog walkers for fosters too. We're gonna start with some short term weekend fosters as I adjust to my job then go from there. Once I'm on nights I'll feel more comfortable taking longer term fosters I think. I volunteered at their pet food pantry which was amazing, they are a great shelter and organization.

My dog is having some seperation and adjustment anxiety which is to be expected, but were using medication and doing lots of training and it's getting better already as he settles. Overall it's been a great move for him

I got antsy and decided to start work a week early so I did my orientation this week (so boring) and tomorrow is my first day on the unit. I am so nervous and so excited. This is my dream job and I really hope it's everything I dream it to be and more. I know I'm gonna love it! I'm nervous for tomorrow as I was given very little (read:none) direction, but I'm gonna get there early and figure it our and know it'll be fine. The hospital is super catholic which I knew but didn't realize how dramatic it is. They call the hospitals "ministries" which I find gross but oh well. I'm sure the hospital and staff won't be as in your face as the higher up people are.

I've been looking for a new therapist and found 2 good options so I have 2 intakes in the next few weeks with them. My insurance sucks so I'm going with private pay and feel lucky to be able to in the position I can do that for myself. One of the therapists does nature therapy where you can go outside and go for walks, and she said my dog could come even which would be awesome. She sounds like a good therapist all around so I'm hopeful for that intake this week. I have one other one next week. My current therapist from home is not pushing or rushing the termination and I'm so appreciative of that because it's been such a huge source of anxiety for me. Plus all the other feelings. It's probably the hardest part of all this. Not so much her specifically but having to start over again and all the triggers of the past terminations coming in full force too. I hope I find a good match and can keep working on things.

[cyberdva]

HELLO CYBERDVA NATION!!!! Just announcing after taking a (three year long) break, I’ve started writing again! So hopefully, I’ll start posting some more fics finally! I’m totally open to suggestions, just can’t promise I’ll write all of them as I’m busy with work. I am still writing for Stray Kids and now writing for Wolverine/X-Men. I’d eventually like to start writing for Roman Roy, Superman, and Stardew Valley, but that’s down the line.

I’ve missed writing so much and have a few half written Stray Kids (Changbin mainly) fics I’d like to finish up. OH ALSO I AM OPEN TO WRITING SMUT! (I’m now an 18+ blog, reminder as it’s been in my bio for a long while now) I am totally open for writing for ppl I have in the past, not IT tho ofc. Anywho, I also am opening my asks box for anything really, so if anyone wants to talk to me about anything please indulge urself.

I’ll be updating rules as to what I will/won’t write for in the next coming days as well as updating my master list. Expect some Wolverine stuff to be coming in the next week or so. Super excited to be officially back!

P.S. will start posting my art here too, also will open comms eventually.

- CD 😻

[storieschats]

Fourth Wing Book 1 Update 2

Where I am: Page 207 of 516

She's just been chosen by two dragons and found out that her and Xander's dragons are...married or mates or I don't know something. Last sentence I read, she and Dairn kiss. And that's it, he's starting to annoy me.

What I think so far: I'm genuinely enjoying the story now! I want to know what happens next!

Positive points:

Dragons!!! The dragons are the best part of this story by far! They're hilarious and their relationship with human beings piques my interest. I'm also curious to learn more about their secret culture. I loved the dragons!

The romance is still nice for now. I loved the part where he was supposed to be just an observer but was willing to break the rules to go and help her. Heart pounding not gonna lie, it was very romantic. And uhh their dragons are married, I'd like to say I think it's cringe buttt it kind of works for me sorry not sorry.

Her school friends are finally starting to seem like real people instead of people shaped cardboard forms put there to fill out the story and that gives a different flavour to the world! Go Rhy and Ryand(?? The funny one).

Negative points:

The writing continues to irritate me xd and now I've come to the conclusion that it's not because it's melodramatic because I even tend to secretly like more flowery writing “look how wise and deep i am says the author”, but I don't think I like this one because I find it repetitive and to a certain extent a bit... childish even but I think the main problem is really that it's repetitive.

Look, why do we have to kill, like, three quarters of everyone on this course?! Makes no sense! These people are useful especially in a pre-industrial society, especially in a war. These guys are throwing away people they could use as canon folder if nothing else. If I were in this world I'd still do challenges but instead of being fatal challenges, the losers would just be put in the regular army and the only deaths would be in an attempt to bond with the dragons and the challenges would have the task of trying to reduce the number of deaths as much as possible by “eliminating” the weak from appearing in front of the dragons. More soldiers, same number of riders! I'm not particularly clever, anyone in real or imagined life would have thought of this! And from a storytelling point of view it wouldn't change anything, the danger would still be there, we could even add that those who left would be sent to the front line and almost certain death. Same story, much more sense!!!!!

Hate the fact that I solved the problem of the steep climb before Violet. Characters in books are supposed to have more information about problems than I do, so when I solve them before them, they seem dumb. And the one about the rope for christ sakes, oh wow I wonder what I can do to get up something steep, I think as I go down the hill on a rope after failing, oh wow how to get up something steep, uhm if only there was something to use for exactly this, I think as I grab onto the rope to get down.... Eye roll.

I think Violet is becoming a bit too special, two super important dragons wow I hope there's a reason other than she's super hyper mega smart, brave, honorable yada yada because.... I like her, but come on.

Stars I'd give: 3 stars

What I think will happen: Her friends are going to drop like flies cause drama. Drain will continue to get more insufferable. But what I'm most curious about is: the old rider of Train’s or whatever the old black dragon names is supposedly died trying to save Brannon but if Brannon survived then did he survive too?! But if so, is the dragon connected to him and not to Violet?! No wait, I bet he did die, but he managed to sort of resurrect Brannon back to life. Yeah ok that's what I think!

After a voicemail from my friend: Uhu excited for her to become friends with Xander's friends really that's going to be cute! And I'm glad to feel that I'm not the only one who thought it was stupid that they were killing people willy nilly. The problem she was having she solved with the rope but that was only the penultimate task, the last task that she had never been able to practice because she had never gotten past the first one whose solution was, I repeat, a rope, she solved with the knife.

[sodrippy]

heyy it's op anon again, how are you? what's up? is it still cool to send you updates or are you not that interested since you're caught up?

i'm at the start of dressrosa rn! i warmed up to fishman island by the end of it and punk hazard was fun :3 (as fun as these set-up arcs can get)

i almost hate to say it but i get the law hype, love a guy who is playing chess while everyone else is playing poker

bartolomeo is also funny, i like his cocoroach-like swag. what do you think of him?

also idk if it's just me or the translation I'm reading but all the tontattas sound like they have a jersey accent and idc if i'm wrong about it it rules

and while this arc is interesting like 30% of my attention is on the fact that wci is next, cannot wait to focus on my beautiful princess with a disorder

please let me know your thoughts about all this :0 hope you're having a nice day!!

hii!! omg yes please keep sending them!!! i love hearing where youre up to and what you think of the arcs and the new characters and everything, its so fun!

oh thats such a good description of law youre so right. its a shame they made him so crazy smart w insane devil fruit powers bc it means he has to constantly be nerfed so he doesnt like. end arcs in two episodes or whatever when hes around, but its SO fucking funny too bc this man cannot catch a break 😭

excited to hear how you feel about laws backstory!! i forget where thats placed in the arc but its a lot</3

his cockroach like swag has bewitched you...his intro was so fun like 'um what the hell is wrong w this guy lol?' and his power is super cool as well! i think hes a sweetheart but also like. i dont want to hang out in person around him too long hes INTENSE fdhsjsdxz. i love the yin-yang balance him and cavendish have over luffy, like barto loves him and cav hates him, meanwhile luffy is like 'hi who are you again?'

JERSEY ACCENTS...thats incredible and im adopting that into my personal canon immediately<3

oh sanji babygirl.....hes so depressed disordered dejected. sounds like youre having a similar experience to getting through impel down arc while knowing marineford is next, like you cant give 100% of your attention to this bc you know whats coming! guessing youre aware of this already but bestie it kind of takes a while to get to the sanji part of wci its crazy.

i think i said before but i really liked dressrosa, like i def skimmed swathes of it that i didnt really find super interesting, but i thought the general arc had a lot of heart and it was really engaging for me, maybe it was just bc everyone had fun outfits or smth but im quite fond of it!