#There is a dress I got for £5 in the charity shop that will be perfect for a dramatic ice queen look at some point as well

[satans-knitwear]

I have a pretty green lace lingerie set I picked up in a clearance sale ages ago that needs a few pretty big adjustments so I might get the sewing machine out again today 🤔

Orrrr..... I might see what fishnet body-pieces I can locate and get a bit slutty

[angellayercake]

Going out out 💀

[onceuponaoneshotfanfic]

Something There (Chapter 5)

8.0k words

Roy Kent x Reader

Warnings: Language, some angsty talk about retirement, adults getting drunk, drunken spiciness🌶️🌶️🌶️

Author's Note: My fingers kept typing without me so this came out a bit longer than I intended. Also, I don't tend to write spice or smut, so hopefully this isn't too awful 🫣

And major thanks to @agentstarkid for the Broncos joke! 🩷🩷🩷

Series Masterlist

Keeley Jones was persistent, I had to give her that. When she’d originally asked about helping me find a dress for the charity gala, I gave a little “Yeah, sure”, figuring she was just being polite. Instead, she hounded me until I set aside the Wednesday afternoon before the event so she could turn me into her personal Barbie doll. Lucas pouted when I asked him to take over training, complaining that he wanted to be there for my “Cinderella moment”, but he agreed once I promised to let him pick me up for the event so he could be the first to see the finished product.

As though she expected me to bail, Keeley marched out to the pitch at our appointed meeting time, promising to send Lucas lots of pictures as she pulled me off the field; my players, knowing where I was going, whistled and hollered boisterously, calling for me to “find something pretty!”

“Back to work!” I barked, unable to hide the grin on my face, pleased that they were comfortable enough to tease me.

We walked briskly through the building, with Keeley listing off all the stores she wanted to take me to, asking me about what colors I liked, and stalking through my Instagram to see what kinds of dresses I’d worn in the past. I was so immersed in looking over her shoulder and pointing out what I liked about certain outfits, I didn’t notice someone in my path until I’d crashed into them.

“Fuck, sorry,” I yelped, looking up.

Roy Kent raised those thick eyebrows at me as I took a step back. “Cutting training early?” There was an edge of teasing in his voice, an almost friendly tone.

“We’re going dress shopping,” Keeley announced, a Cheshire-cat grin on her face. “This one needs something for the gala.” She poked Roy in the chest coyly. “You’ll be there, right, Roy?”

He rolled his eyes. “Like I have a fucking choice,” he mumbled. He returned his gaze to me. “Your players ready to be auctioned off like pieces of meat?”

I shook my head. “Oh, we’re not doing that.”

“I’m sorry?” His brows furrowed in confusion.

“I told Rebecca that selling dates with women felt kind of gross.” I wrinkled my nose. “So, we’re sponsoring a silent auction instead. Season tickets, signed jerseys, that sort of thing. Some of the gals pitched in for things like trips and wine tastings. I even got some of your guys to sign things to auction off.” I couldn’t help but grin. “My personal favorite item is a ball signed by the 1991 U.S. women’s team. Had to call in a few favors for that one.”

To my surprise, Roy chuckled. “Does that include Brandi Chastain?”

I scoffed in surprise. It was the second time now that he’d shown off that he remembered my poster. “Why yes, it does.”

Keeley was watching us with far too much interest. “We should get going,” she hummed, tearing my attention away from Roy. She quirked an eyebrow at the gruff manager. “Roy,” she started slowly, her voice playful. “What do you think Bucky’d look sexy in?”

We both choked on her question. I gave her a wide-eyed stare. What the fuck, Keeley?

Roy, just as red-faced as I knew I was, seemed to be looking everywhere but my face. “What? Fuck, I dunno. Why the fuck would I know?”

“Just thought you’d have an opinion,” Keeley purred. “We’ll see you later.” She linked her arm through mine and tugged me onwards.

Unable to help myself, I glanced back at Roy, who was staring after us, mouth slightly open. When he saw me looking at him, he shook his head violently, as if trying to rid himself of whatever thoughts ran through his mind.

I wondered if he could see how deeply I was blushing.

“The fuck was that?” I hissed to Keeley as we made our way to the parking lot, where Keeley’s sleek little convertible was waiting for us.

She shrugged casually. “What? Just wanted a man’s opinion.”

I snorted as I climbed into Keeley’s car. “We don’t need a man’s opinion.”

“Babe,” Keeley said in a patient voice. “Number one, wanting a man to think you look good doesn’t make you a bad feminist, alright? Number two-” Her eyes lit up as she pulled out of the parking lot. “-don’t you think Roy’s mad fit?”

My face warmed. “What, do you think he is?” I wasn’t sure why the thought made something in my stomach twist.

“Oh of course. Roy’s gorgeous,” she giggled. “We used to date, actually.” She eyed me carefully, as if gauging my reaction to that piece of information; I did my best to keep a neutral face. “But we’re much better as friends, trust me. He’s actually one of my best friends now.”

“Oh.” Why couldn’t I say anything else?

Keeley continued. “He’s a great guy. Like, I could write a glowing letter of recommendation to any potential partner.” She raised an eyebrow at me. “Anything you want to know?”

“Why would I want to know anything about Roy Kent as a boyfriend?” I scoffed, maybe a bit too much protest in my voice.

Keeley’s voice was suspiciously sweet. “Oh, no reason.”

~

“Hi, Coach Kent!” A few voices called as Roy strolled onto the pitch.

Roy gave a curt nod to the passing Whippets. They were nice women, very friendly, great athletes, got along well with his Greyhounds. But they giggled at him. Well, a couple of them did. Mostly Samara Scott and Kira Malone. Sometimes a few others. He wasn’t sure why, or even when it started, but when they crossed paths with him there were raised eyebrows and knowing smirks and whispers and giggles. It couldn’t be an “isn’t he cute?” thing; these ladies had no problem telling the Greyhounds to their faces when they thought the guys looked good, offering compliments the lads were more than happy to reciprocate.

No, it was as if the Whippets knew something. Or at least, they thought they did. Roy just couldn’t figure out what the fuck it was.

“Oi, Lucas.”

The assistant coach stopped mid-step to turn to Roy. “What’s up, Coach?”

Roy shuffled his feet as he watched the Whippets disappear into the building. “What’s up with your team?”

Lucas tilted his head. “How d’you mean?”

“They…” Roy felt stupid saying it out loud. “They always fucking giggle when they see me.” His face was warm with embarrassment.

“Oh.” Lucas laughed, adding to Roy’s frustration and curiosity. “No, you don’t want to know.”

Roy rolled his eyes. “Come on, man. I have an entire team snickering like children every time they see me. Fuck’s going on?”

Lucas gave a dry chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Well, I mean, it’s only a couple of them giggling,” he pointed out. “And, I mean, I dunno, not to stereotype, but you know how women can be. Mysterious and shit.”

“Lucas.” Roy’s voice was stern; it was obvious the man knew more than he was letting on.

“It’s because they can’t giggle at their own manager.” Coach Beard’s voice made Roy nearly leap out of his skin; when had he become so fucking jumpy? Beard went on. “So, they’re giggling at you instead.”

Roy’s frown deepened as the Greyhounds straggled onto the training pitch. “Right, but why? What the fuck is so damn funny?”

To everyone’s surprise, Nate spoke up. “Well, you know, some of the players… they think you and-and Coach Buck…”

“What about me and Coach Buck?” Roy felt himself beginning to fume, suspecting what direction this was headed in.

“The two of you want to shag,” Jamie chirped as he strolled by.

Roy reached out and grabbed the back of Jamie’s shirt, choking the striker a little as he yanked him backwards. “What the fuck did you just say?” Everyone except Beard looked nervous now.

Jamie cleared his throat and adjusted his shirt. “You and Coach Buck,” he blurted out. “Everyone thinks you fancy each other.”

“We. Don’t. Fucking. Fancy. Each. Other.” Roy growled out each word slowly, emphatically. “Can’t fucking stand each other, you all know that. So, knock this shit off. And tell the Whippets the same thing, alright?” He raised his voice. “Laps until you puke. GO! WHISTLE!”

Lucas cleared his throat as the Greyhounds began running. “Um, Coach Kent, can I go now?” He jerked his head towards the building. “Kind of got my own team to work with.”

He regretted speaking up when Roy whirled around on him. “She hates me, right?” Roy’s voice was low; he wasn’t sure whether or not he wanted to be right.

“Uhh…” Lucas squirmed. “I mean, she probably wouldn’t be sobbing uncontrollably at your funeral, but she probably won’t be the direct the cause of your death either.”

Roy wasn’t quite sure what to do with that answer. “Right.” He blinked at Lucas, who offered up what he hoped was an innocent smile. “D’you think we should shag?”

“Gotta take me to dinner first, Coach.” Lucas nudged him and winked. He chuckled at Roy’s amused expression before turning to walk away. “See ya later.”

Roy shook his head. He wasn’t quite sure what the fuck everyone was on about, but he knew it was going to be all he could think about during training.

~

As we wandered through department stores, I realized that Keeley was very much in her element. Between her modeling and PR experiences, helping a friend find a flattering dress felt like something Keeley could do in her sleep. In the time it took me to find one dress I thought might look good on me, she had already grabbed about a dozen.

In our third store, Keeley declared she knew I’d find a dress here. I wasn’t so sure, but her confidence dared me to defy her. So, I hung up the dresses she had chosen in my fitting room and peeled off my sportwear in favor of sequins and lace and satin.

She demanded to see each dress, taking photos to send to Lucas, whose quick responses had me grumbling, “Who’s running my fucking practice?”

It was starting to get frustrating. I was attractive as hell; I knew I had what Keeley called a “bangin’ bod”, thanks to years of working out. And it wasn’t as if I’d never dressed up. I’d been to awards banquets and charity events, even the fucking White House. I liked dressing up and feeling pretty. But for some reason, this stupid gala had me scrutinizing every single dress I tried on.

“Here, babe, I’ve got one I think you’re going to love.” Keeley threw another dress over the door.

Wondering if I would ever find anything I genuinely liked, I tugged it on and took a tentative look in the mirror. Fuck.

“Keels, you should add personal shopper to your resumé,” I hollered, unable to contain my grin. I turned this way and that, amazed by the view. Black. Strapless. Plunging neckline. Tight. And a gorgeous thigh-high slit that perfectly straddled the line between tasteful and indecent.

When I stepped out of the fitting room, Keeley’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Oh, I am brilliant!” she squealed. “Give us a twirl, I’m gonna send Lucas a video.”

Feeling almost princess-like, I did as Keeley asked, blowing Lucas a kiss at the end. When Keeley showed me the video, I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped my lips.

“Wonder what Roy would think of this video,” she hummed, eyebrows raised.

My smile faded. “Why the fuck would you show Kent that video?”

She shrugged, her slender fingers tracing the exterior of her phone teasingly. “I won’t. I want him to get the full effect when he sees you walk through the doors on Saturday.” Her face softened. “He thinks you’re pretty,” she added.

“Does fucking not.” Could she hear my breath hitch?

“Well, I think he does,” she backtracked. “Pretty sure he has a crush on someone, and I’m pretty sure it’s you.” She grinned. “Could hardly keep his eyes off of you at your first match. Can’t really blame him, you looked gorgeous, all sexy and badass.” She gave me the onceover. “And when he sees you in this, well…” She winked at me. “Game over, coaches.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “If I tell you to fuck off, can we still grab dinner after this?”

“Oh absolutely, my treat,” she assured me, steering me back into the fitting room so I could change out of the dress. “But I’m definitely not fucking off about this.”

~

Roy frowned at the mirror. He hated the gala. Well, he liked the open bar and free food. He almost enjoyed the spectacle of watching his friends get auctioned off now that he was safe from the meat market. And he didn’t mind opening up his wallet to help underprivileged children. But fuck, he hated dressing up. The red carpet. The dancing. The well-to-do pricks who felt like he owed them his time just because they inherited their money or made it in the stock market or some other posh shit while he earned his by kicking around a football.

And now he hated the way he criticized his reflection and the way his mind wandered to her. What would she be wearing? Keeley had taken her shopping, so something stunning, no doubt. Not that she needed a dress to look gorgeous. His heart hammered in his chest just seeing her in her running shorts and sports bra after work. Maybe he’d actually have that heart attack Keeley had mentioned when he saw her at the gala.

And what would she think when she saw him? Roy thought he was still a good-looking guy. Sure, maybe a little gray here and there, and he hadn’t had defined a six pack in years, but he was still attractive. Women still liked him. And with his black suit and hair almost managed and beard freshly trimmed, he thought he looked pretty fucking good.

But why the fuck did he care if she thought so? What the fuck, Roy?

He spent the whole ride over to the venue trying to turn his focus to other things. Work. The auction. Yoga. Phoebe’s most recent school play. His upcoming dentist appointment. That phone call from Ted that he needed to return. That phone call from his mother that he would not return because she’d just ask him if he was seeing anyone lately.

But his stupid, stupid brain just kept wondering what she would be wearing and what she would think when she saw him.

As soon as the car stopped, Roy handed some cash to the driver and hopped out. Just like every year, there were the fucking paparazzi, lined up to take pictures and shout asinine questions at people who just wanted to get inside and grab a free drink.

He stood at the edge of the red carpet, watching Rebecca pose for photos, so much more poised and confident than she’d been her first time hosting the gala on her own. Roy felt a surge of pride as he observed his friend; he’d seen her grow so much over the past few years, and she’d helped him to grow as well. He hated the idea that he’d been disappointing her lately with his behavior. He promised himself he’d do better. Do things the Richmond way.

“Lookin’ good, Coach.” Jamie clapped a hand on Roy’s shoulder; behind him stood Dani, whose arm was wrapped around a dolled-up Whippet, and Colin, who held hands with Michael.

“Fellas,” Roy greeted with a curt nod. He warily eyed the red carpet, knowing he couldn’t avoid it for long, before his eyes wandered in the direction everyone was arriving from.

“Bucky’s not here yet,” the Whippet- Esme?- pipped up when she noticed his lingering stare towards the line of cars. “She texted me that she’s running a bit late.”

Roy narrowed his eyes at her. “Not sure why I need to know that,” he mumbled. Not wanting an answer to that, he turned around for his annual speedwalk down the red carpet, calling out various combinations of “fuck” and “no” and “you” to the reporters.

He was finally inside, safe from the reporters, but not safe from the knowing looks of his friends and colleagues. Against his better judgement, he approached Keeley at the bar, who greeted him with a kiss on the cheek.

“Don’t you look lovely,” she murmured, giving Roy the once-over and straightening his tie. When he rolled his eyes and grumbled nonsense under his breath, she shook her head. “No, really, Roy. You look quite handsome.”

“Thanks,” he managed. He quickly gave a drink order to the bartender, then leaned against the bar, watching as people wandered in, everyone dressed to the nines. He had just turned to grab his drink when he saw Keeley perk up.

“Lucas! Bucky! Over here!” She waved towards the entrance.

Roy bit back an annoyed groan, then turned around and bit back a definitely-not-annoyed groan.

Fuck.

Arm in arm with Lucas, the Whippet’s manager strolled towards the bar. And, probably to no one’s surprise, she was fucking gorgeous. Hair down and wavy and framing her face angelically, looking better than any model Roy’d ever dated, lips red and so fucking kissable, she was wearing the hell out of a black dress that- for a brief moment- Roy thought would look damn good on his bedroom floor.

What the fuck?

Roy turned his attention to chugging his drink as fast as he could, hoping the answer to what was wrong with him was at the bottom of the glass. He found no answers there, but at least he was able to stop himself from ogling the beautiful manager as she approached.

“Babes, I told you that dress would be perfect!” he heard Keeley gush as she hugged the American. “And you, Lucas, very dapper.” She elbowed Roy, urging him to face the Whippets’ coaches. “Don’t they look great Roy?”

He finally had to force himself to look at her. She gazed up at him expectantly, her red, red lips slightly parted, eyes a little wider than he was used to seeing. Roy ignored the annoying feeling that they were being watched by more than just Keeley and Lucas.

“Coach Kent,” she greeted shortly. Her eyes searched his, as if she were asking him to take the lead and set the tone for their interaction.

“You… look… nice,” he managed, wondering if she could see his eyes straining to avoid trailing down her figure, the way he often let them wander during their silent evening runs on the treadmills.

She nodded. “You too,” she replied, fingers fidgeting on her clutch. “I, um, like your suit.”

Roy unconsciously licked his lips. “Thanks. I like your…” Fuck, he just noticed the slit. “Dress,” he finally blurted.

Her shy smile was almost enough to make Roy squirm. “Thanks.” She cleared her throat and patted Lucas’s arm. “Let’s go check out the silent auction before we sit down.” Her eyes returned to Roy. “See you guys later.”

In spite of himself, Roy watched her walk away, letting himself appreciate the way her dress hugged her figure as she walked. Unfortunately, he’d forgotten Keeley was leering at him.

“Oi, Kent,” she teased, nudging his shoulder with hers. “Pick your damn jaw off the floor.”

He brought his hand to his chin, realizing his mouth was indeed agape.

Fuck.

~

Fuck Roy Kent for looking so fucking good, I thought as Lucas and I perused the silent auction. It didn’t take a psychic to know he’d be in all black, but I hadn’t expected my knees to actually go weak at the sight of the man. I tried to tell myself it was because I was nervous that he’d start an argument about the silent auction or something, but deep down I knew it was because the stupid, feral part of my brain wanted to tug Roy by his black tie and take him straight to my apartment.

“See anything you like?” Lucas hummed, shooting me a not-so-sly wink when he caught me glancing over mt shoulder.

I gave a casual little shrug. “The 1991 ball is pretty awesome,” I murmured coolly. “Might put down a bid.”

Lucas elbowed me sharply. “You sure you wouldn’t rather bid on R-”

“Luke,” I warned in my most dangerously low voice, giving his tie a tug. “I will grab one of those butter knives and cut your tongue out if you finish that sentence.”

“So violent,” he tsked. “The two of you really are a match made him heaven.”

Before I could make another threat, Rebecca hurried over and wrapped me in a hug. “You came!”

“Of course,” I laughed, squeezing her back before letting go. “It’s in my contract.”

She winked at me. “You’re damn right it is.” She gave Lucas a quick kiss on the cheek. “You two look great. Americans clean up very well, apparently.” Her gaze lingered over the silent auction tables. “Excellent job with this, by the way. I took a quick peek, there’s already some big bids being put down.” She laid a hand on my arm, giving me a squeeze. “I’m very proud of you.”

And I knew she didn’t just mean the auction.

“Now then, you two are at table nine.” She gestured towards the tables, where people were beginning to settle for dinner. “You, me, Keeley, and all the coaches.”

“All the coaches,” I echoed, forcing a tight smile. “Of course.”

When we approached the table, I tried to make a beeline for the open seat next to Coach Beard, but Lucas immediately engaged Beard in conversation and stole the seat. That left just the spot on Lucas’s other side- next to Roy.

It was like everyone at Nelson Road had conspired to force Roy Kent and me into close proximity.

He gave me a curt nod as I sat beside him. “You decide who I have to dance with yet?”

Oh. Right. My team had won the charity game; I got to pick someone for Roy to dance with during the gala. I hadn’t even given it a single thought, assuming he wouldn’t bring it up and hold himself to our bet.

“Still thinking on it,” I answered. “Any requests?”

He gestured towards a nearby table, where an older woman was blowing kisses to a perturbed Jamie. “Not that old bird,” he hissed. “Won me in the auction one year. Had to go on a date with her, and it was the worst night of my fucking life.”

I couldn’t help myself. “You shag her?”

To my amazement, a smile appeared on his face. “Look at you, speaking our English. Maybe there is hope for you Yanks after all.”

I ignored the butterflies that appeared in my stomach. “But if I pick her,” I clarified slowly, “you will dance with her?”

His glare was playful. “Now, why would you go and ruin all our progress? We almost tolerate each other now. If we were any friendlier, Rebecca’d give us a fucking raise.”

Dinner was surprisingly painless and unsurprisingly delicious. I found myself actually enjoying chatting with Roy Kent. He pointed out the rich people at other tables and told Lucas and me horror stories about some of the auction dates he’d gone on.

“Oi, Coach Buck.” Jamie Tartt knelt down next to me, wearing a very stylish suit and a serious expression.

“Hi Jamie,” I greeted. “You look nice.”

He nodded. “I know.” He glanced up at Roy, who was rolling his eyes, before turning back to me. “Wanted to ask… How well d’you know your players?”

“Um, pretty well, I guess.” I frowned. “Why?”

His pretty face turned shy. “I was wondering about Kira. Is she… a Denver Broncos fan?”

My frown deepened. I knew Kira better than most of the Whippets; she’d played for me for one season before coming to England and playing for Arsenal for a couple of years. I wracked my brain for this random piece of trivia that was apparently very important, according to the look on Jamie’s face. “Well,” I started slowly. “She grew up near Pittsburgh, so she probably likes the Steelers. Don’t quote me on that, though.”

Jamie cocked his head, eyebrows furrowed. “The fuck does that mean?”

Roy rolled his eyes. “He’s not asking about football,” he muttered. “He wants to know if she likes men.”

“Oh.” I turned to Jamie. “Yeah, Kira’s into men.”

The beaming smile on Jamie’s face was infectious. “Mint. Thanks, Coaches.” He planted a sweet kiss on my cheek, then turned to Roy, eyebrow quirked teasingly.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Roy growled.

With a “Right, right,” Jamie practically skipped back table six, where he scooted his chair a smidge closer to Kira Malone’s; the pleasure on her face was visible even from where we sat.

“What the hell was with the Denver Broncos crap?” I asked Roy.

He shrugged. “Lasso shit,” he mumbled. “You’re better off not knowing, trust me.”

Surprisingly, I did trust him. “Alright, I know who you’re dancing with.”

Roy grimaced. “It’s the pervy old woman, innit?”

“Nope.” I pointed to table six. “Jamie Tartt.”

His laughter brought a deep blush to my cheeks. “You’re fucking vile.”

~

This had to be Roy’s favorite thing about being a coach. Sure, it was a gift to get to still be close to the game he loved so much. And yeah, helping players grow and become their best selves was fulfilling and shit.

But fuck, he loved getting to watch the auction and not be one of the prizes.

He whooped and hollered along with everyone else as each Greyhound took the stage, enjoying the alternating horror and delight on their faces when they saw the people who’d won them. There was something very sweet about witnessing Colin’s surprised expression when Michael won him, and he couldn’t resist adding to the particularly flirtatious hollers when Kira Malone placed an unsuccessful bid on Jamie Tartt.

Once Rebecca declared the auction a success and reminded everyone about the silent auction that would be continuing throughout the evening, people began moving to the dance floor. Good on his promise, and without prompting, Roy grabbed Jamie Tartt by the back of his shirt and dragged him away from Kira Malone, determined to get this over with.

Even above the music, Roy could hear a familiar laugh as he swayed to a fast song with Jamie, who, after his initial confusion, danced with genuine enthusiasm. Even Roy couldn’t resist cracking a smile when his former teammate asked Roy to give him a twirl- which, to everyone’s surprise, Roy obliged.

Once the song ended, the two men shook hands warmly, and Roy sent Jamie on his way to go ask Kira Malone for a dance.

Roy found Coach Bucky at the bar, sipping a drink. “Satisfied?” he asked.

“Extremely.” He tried not to focus too much on the way her lips looked wrapped around the little black straw.

“Good.” He stood next to her, leaning against the bar. “Can’t believe your team got out of the live auction. Such a double standard.” He hoped she could hear the teasing in his voice.

Her chuckle told him she did. “Well, when my girls make as much money as your boys, then we can talk about double standards.”

Roy shrugged. “That’s fair.” The two of them stood there, side-by-side, watching their players mingle and drink and dance. Roy wondered if she was also remembering that night at the club, the night that set the tone for all of their interactions. He felt kind of stupid when he remembered it; he should have been polite and asked her to dance. Things could be so different.

“Babes, come dance with us!” Before Roy could get the courage to do it himself, Keeley had come over and grabbed the American by the hand.

She turned and placed her empty glass in Roy’s hand. “That better be full when I get back,” she called over her shoulder as Keeley dragged her off.

She was coming back.

Maybe it was the alcohol in his system, but Roy found himself unable to keep his eyes off of her. The way she smiled, the way her hips moved, the way she looked in that dress. He let his mind wander to places he’d been avoiding since that first day in the changing room. Wondering what it’d be like to kiss those red lips, to have her arms wrapped around him, to see her in his bed. He liked those thoughts, despite what he’d spent months telling himself. He really liked them.

Not sure what to do with those thoughts, Roy distracted himself by pulling Beard over and chatting about nothing in particular, not really caring that his assistant coach could see his wandering eyes.

As the night wore on, she did eventually return, a few times actually, and Roy had a fresh drink ready for her each time. She’d stand by him and sip her drink, they’d talk about mundane things like the songs that played or the Greyhounds and Whippets that danced together, and they’d both wonder if the other could feel the tension between them that grew with each round of drinks they shared.

Late into the night, Keeley approached the managers, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Hey, you two,” she greeted carefully. “I’ve got a killer idea.”

Roy eyed her warily. “What?”

“Rebecca and I thought it’d be cute if our two managers shared a dance. Nice little photo op.” When she saw their faces sour, her voice turned stern. “Especially since they completely and totally owe me one.”

Right. They’d ruined her photoshoot.

“Fucking fine,” Roy muttered, as if the idea didn’t make his heartrate quicken. He downed his drink and slammed the glass on the bar, almost hard enough to break it. He held out his hand to the manager, whose sudden doe-eyes made his mouth go dry. “Let’s go.”

To his surprise, she didn’t protest or make a snarky comment. Not even a playful one. Instead, she took his hand and followed him to the dance floor; he wondered if her fingers also tingled the moment their hands touched.

Roy wasn’t sure if the fact that it was a slow song made things better or worse. But he did kind of like the way her hands rested at the nape of his neck, and he didn’t entirely hate the way her lower back felt under his hesitant grip. And he didn’t mind too much when she took his left hand in her right, holding them close to his hammering heart.

Three minutes. It was three minutes of her body pressed close to his, of letting himself stare at her and not caring that she or anyone else could see, three minutes of wondering what was going through her mind and hoping it was the same kinds of things he was thinking.

And those three minutes ended entirely too soon.

“What time is it?” she murmured absently. Seemingly without hesitation, she grabbed his wrist and held it up so she could see his watch.

“Scared your carriage’ll turn back into a pumpkin?” he teased, his mind begging her to stay so Keeley could force them to continue dancing.

She shrugged, eyebrows raised. “Dunno. Was kind of thinking of calling it a night.” After the longest three seconds of Roy’s life, she added, “What about you?”

He nodded. “I mean, the guys call me grandad for a reason,” he joked. “It’s way past my bedtime.” He gulped. “Should we share a taxi?”

~

The ride to Roy’s house was surprisingly short. He probably didn’t even need to take a cab and most likely could have walked home. But part of me- probably the drunk part- felt glad he did.

When the car pulled up to his house, he gripped the door, then hesitated. His eyes bore into mine as he said the last thing I ever thought Roy Kent would say to me: “Want to come in for a drink?”

I was pretty sure I surprised both of us when I offered up a small “Yeah.”

He paid the driver, helped me out of the car, and laid his hand on my back as we walked up to his front door. It dawned on me that, aside from our silent after-work runs in the weight room, this was the first time we’d ever been alone together.

Not a big deal, I told myself. Just two colleagues sharing a drink. Late at night. Looking really fucking attractive.

A few months ago, I would have expected his house to have a bunch of upside-down crosses and a few coffins and skulls lying about. Instead, I found his house to be almost… cozy? There were photos of his sister and niece, a couple of plants, even a record player in one corner with vinyls stacked next to it.

Maybe he really deserved the “grandad” nickname.

I settled myself on the couch, placing my clutch on the coffee table that held far too many books to be tidy, but not enough to look cluttered. Roy disappeared into what I assumed was the kitchen and immediately popped his head back in.

“I’m a fucking idiot,” he said softly, an embarrassed grin on his lips. “I invited you for a drink, but all I’ve got is a fridge full of beer, half a bottle of tequila, and a brand-new bottle of scotch. Apparently, I am a shit host.”

“Scotch sounds good,” I assured him, for some reason unwilling to give him any excuse to send me home.

His smile told me he wasn’t going to. “Scotch then.” He nodded towards the record player. “You could put something on if you want,” he offered before disappearing again.

Feeling amused and curious, I went over and began perusing his record collection. It was a mix of old and new albums, all kinds of genres, some pretty surprising. I was looking at the back of one when Roy returned, holding two glasses.

I glanced over my shoulder. “Sam Cooke?”

He nodded as he sat down. “My grandad was a fan,” he explained. “That one was his, actually.”

With a small hum, I put the record on, the music immediately reminding me of my own grandparents. “Were you and your grandfather close?” I asked as I joined him on the couch, taking the glass he offered me.

“Very.” He took a sip of his drink. “You were close to yours, right? You mentioned him in your first press conference. Gave you your nickname.”

He remembered. “He was my best friend,” I murmured, leaning back into the couch. “Loved soccer and wanted me to love it too.” I let my finger trace the rim of my glass. “Saw me go to the Olympics. Didn’t see me become a coach.”

Roy studied me carefully as I took a drink. “Can I ask you something?”

“Hmm?”

He hesitated, as if trying to figure out how to phrase it. “Why the fuck are you retired? You don’t have my excuse of being old as shit. Fucking Rapinoe’s barely retiring, and I know for a fact she’s older than you.”

A dry chuckle escaped my lips, amused at his less than gentle phrasing. “I love soccer more than breathing. What d’you think would keep me from playing until I die?”

“You got hurt.” Not a question.

“I got hurt,” I confirmed. “Took a really bad tackle in an international friendly. Fucked my ankle.” I stuck out my chin, refusing to look pitiful in front of anyone, let alone Roy Kent. “They told me that with surgery and rehab and a lot of work I could play again, but I would never be the same. Eventually playing would destroy me, and I’d make it worse and fall into that ugly cycle of injury and rehab and becoming more and more useless on the field. And I refused to keep playing and keep getting hurt and becoming an easy target for commentators. So, I retired and became a coach. Stayed useful. Did it on my terms.”

Roy let out a sharp breath. “Fuck. Well, you’re less stubborn than me, I guess. I fell into that fucking cycle and kept playing and let myself become a fucking joke because I was too fucking proud to retire with dignity.”

I shook my head. “I was just a different kind of stubborn. Refused to play if I wasn’t at my best. Gave up the one thing I ever truly loved because I couldn’t do it my way.”

“We’re just a couple of stubborn pricks then,” Roy declared, lifting his drink.

I tapped my glass to his with a clink. “I don’t think anyone at Richmond would fight us on that.”

“Even if they did, we’d argue with them.”

“Definitely.”

We sat in silence, staring at our drinks, clearly not sure how to speak to one another for this long without shouting.

He finally opened his mouth. “D’you ever miss it?” His voice was softer than I’d ever heard it.

I nodded solemnly. “More than anything. You?”

“More than I miss being able to walk up the stairs without having to take a break,” he joked, clearly trying to avoid the heavy direction we were heading in. Noticing our now empty glasses, he silently picked them up and carried them to the kitchen. “Oi,” he called. “I have a fucking awful question for you. Whatever we say doesn’t leave this house, alright?”

“Can’t have anyone figure out we’re capable of getting along,” I teased. “We couldn’t get away with our screaming matches anymore.”

His smirk was wide when he returned. “Exactly.” He handed over my drink and resumed his seat, his serious expression returning. “D’you… ever hate your players? Because they get to keep playing and you… don’t?”

Fuck. I’d never heard anyone voice the bitterness I silently felt so perfectly before. “It’s awful,” I admitted. “Because I adore them. And I’m so fucking proud of them. But sometimes I feel so envious, y’know?” I blinked, refusing to cry in front of Roy Kent. “It’s like time keeps moving and I’m just frozen. It’s so damn hard to go from the top of the world, being the fucking champion of the world, to sitting on the sideline, watching other people live your dream. Faking smiles when all you want to do is fade into oblivion.”

“But you just can’t fucking stay away from the game,” Roy murmured, reading my mind. “It’s like a first love. You can never quite get over it.” He sighed heavily. “So, we linger, we stick around, and we figure out some way to be useful, even if it kills us.”

“And when it does kill us,” I added, “they’ll just keep dribbling around us.”

His dark laugh eased the pain this conversation held. “Oi, I promise to move you out of the way. Give you some fucking dignity. Promise you’ll do the same for me?”

I smirked at him, determined to help him lighten things up. “Dunno if you’ll be able to move my body. I hear your knees are shit.”

“Fuck you,” he replied, the expression on his face telling me that, for once, he didn’t really mean it. “Alright, another question.” I raised my eyebrows at him. “Do you miss, I dunno, being the hot young thing?”

Doing my best Roy Kent impression, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Fuck you,” I repeated. “I’m younger than you, Kent. And I have it on good authority that I’m still pretty hot.” My expression naturally softened when I saw the laughter in his eyes. “But I know what you mean. Everyone wants the cute young athlete, no one wants the exhausted manager. A lot less options when you’re not the shiny new thing anymore.”

“Well,” he started slowly, “you are the shiny new thing at Richmond.”

I gave a little hum. “Not with the other Whippets around,” I pointed out. “I noticed Jamie Tartt and Dani Rojas started poking around my office a lot less once my girls arrived.”

Roy studied me carefully for a moment. “Do you… want their attention?”

I nearly choked on my drink. “Fuck no,” I laughed. “I might still be young, but I’m old enough to not want to date guys like that. Not that I don’t think they’re sweet,” I quickly added. “That’s just… not what I’m looking for anymore.”

The silence returned. Something in the way he looked at me had me blurting out the first thing that popped into my head.

“Keeley mentioned that, um, the two of you used to date?”

After a moment of shock, he nodded. “Oh. Yeah. For a bit.” He took a long drink. “That’s all completely over. We’re good friends now, but neither of us want to go down that road again.” He paused before continuing. “Not that it was a bad relationship. It was great, actually. We just grew apart. And we’re honestly much better as friends.”

“Oh.” Just like when Keeley talked about it, I couldn’t figure out what to say. Or why I was so interested.

“And we’ve both moved on,” he continued, as if he was trying to convince me. “She’s had a couple of relationships since, and I…” He looked at me carefully, watching me take a drink of my scotch. “I’ve moved on,” he repeated.

I crossed my legs, not sure if it was me or the alcohol that purposely did so in a way that took full advantage of the slit in my dress. “Well, that’s nice. That you two remained friends, I mean.”

“Yeah.” His eyes were on my exposed leg. “Friends.”

“I would say we’re on our way to almost being friends, wouldn’t you?”

He grunted in response. “Maybe.” He turned his body to face me, something heated in his eyes. “D’you need some more scotch?”

I smiled at him and mirrored his posture, reveling in the closeness it provided. “Not sure I should keep you up any longer. Bedtime, remember?”

“I don’t really have a bedtime,” he admitted with a laugh. “Just wanted to get the fuck out of there.” He paused, letting his hand drop down onto the back of the couch so his fingers ghosted over my bare shoulder. “Getting a little sick of everyone watching us all the time.”

My heart skipped a beat at his touch. “I take it you’ve been getting some teasing?”

“They don’t fucking stop, do they?” He finished his drink and put down his glass with a thud. “All this ‘shag it out of your system’ shit. It’s fucking sexual harassment.”

“That’s what I told Lucas!” I set down my glass, ignoring the last couple of sips left in it. “Even Keeley was going on and on about how you were going to love this dress on me.”

His lips curved upwards. “I do love that dress on you.”

My words got caught in my throat. Hell, I didn’t even know what those words were going to be. All I knew was that Roy Kent was staring at my lips and his fingers were grazing my shoulder and that he was still wearing his jacket and that I suddenly wanted to see it on the floor.

His eyes reflecting the same uncertainty and heat that I felt, Roy leaned forward and captured my lips in a forceful kiss. The hand on my shoulder moved to the back of my neck as his other hand gripped my thigh where the dress split open to reveal most of my leg, as if the dress was conspiring along with everyone else at Nelson Road. My own hands tugged at his suit jacket, shoving it off his shoulders and tossing it aside, before returning to his shoulders to pull him closer to me.

There was a surprising gentleness to the way he pushed me back until I was horizontal on the couch, Roy propping himself up to keep his full weight off of me. My hands moved to his face, amused to find that his beard was much softer than I’d expected it to be. Somewhere in my mind- the part still capable of coherent thought- I scolded myself for expecting anything about how his beard would feel.

As his tongue skimmed against mine, the record came to a halt; neither of us seemed to care, instead choosing to fill the living room with the sounds of our heavy breathing and soft moans. Kissing Roy Kent was delicious- he tasted like scotch and smelled like expensive, spicy cologne and felt like everything I never knew I needed.

His mouth moved away from mine to find every bit of bare skin and planting rough, wet kisses on every inch he could reach, giving me butterflies in more places than just my tummy. When he finally decided to take advantage of the neckline of my dress and bring his lips there, I mumbled, “Will you argue with me if I ask you where your bedroom is?”

He looked up, grinning like a devil, eyes darker and more intense than their usual soft brown. “Only if you slow me down.”

He managed to get us both to our feet without breaking the embrace, albeit with a bit of a stumble. He kept his mouth on mine as he tugged me through the house and down the hall, where I relieved him of his tie and began fumbling with the buttons on his shirt, while his hands roamed the back of my dress, searching for the zipper.

As we crashed through his bedroom door, he managed to rasp against my lips, “Are you too drunk for this?”

Feeling just short of desperation as I squeezed him impossibly closer, I shook my head. “Just drunk enough. You?”

“Just drunk enough.”

That was all either of us needed to hear. His shirt was suddenly unbuttoned, and my dress was on the floor. We had enough sense to carelessly remove our shoes and kick them to some corner of the room before tumbling onto his bed. When his shirt was tossed aside, I gave an involuntary gulp. This wasn’t a new sight; I watched Roy run without a shirt regularly. But tonight? Tonight, I got to reach out and let my fingers run through that dark curly hair, giving a little tug that had Roy hissing against my neck and grinding his hips into mine.

“Take your pants off, Kent,” I groaned before smashing my mouth into his again.

“I think you can call me Roy now,” he mumbled, for once doing as he was told.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, desperate for more, more, more of him. His skin was blazing hot against mine as his hands explored here, there, everywhere. I marveled at how good it felt to have this man pressed so close to me, amazed that we’d lasted this long without falling into bed together.

His mind must’ve been in the same place, because he mumbled, “Wish I’d known this is what you meant all those times you told me to get fucked.”

“Fuck you, Roy,” I whispered jokingly as my hand slowly travelled lower, towards the place I knew would be the hottest to the touch.

“Thought that was the plan,” he replied, hips bucking slightly when I began toying with the waistband of his boxers.

I buried my giggles against his lips. In the back of my head, behind my usual contempt for this man and his snark, behind my ever-growing need for him, some little voice whispered, He’s funny. Roy Kent is FUNNY.

There wasn’t much time for me to focus on that, however, as Roy’s hand found my own underwear, giving a playful little tug. “This alright?” he breathed, as if we weren’t both on fire with wanting each other.

“Just do me one favor,” I murmured, bumping my nose to his, an impossibly chaste gesture compared to what we were about to do.

“Fucking anything,” he groaned. The- was I really seeing this?- affection in his eyes told me he truly meant it.

I pressed a heated kiss to his lips, where I mumbled, “Don’t fucking call me Bucky.”

He laughed, and, for the first time, he whispered my name.

And he whispered it in my ear for the rest of the night.

Taglist: @optimisticsandwichgladiator @reading-blogs @callmecasey81 @ladygrey03 @puckyou-forpuckssake @royalestrellas @shineforever19 @rae4725 @burnafter-reading @her-fandom-sanctum @infinetlyforgotten @giggling-sewer-ginger @whataloadofmalarkey @agentstarkid @kingleahhh @tortilla-maria1 @geekgirl1996 @amatswimming @meg-ro @spicyraccoonlordking @spaghetti-dad187 @needlesthreadandbuttons @elissaaa @imsoluckyeverythingworksoutforme @reverieisaway @djskakakaksjsj-blog @thatonedogwithablog @allthetroubleiveseen @sunderland-6 @netflix-addict @paranormal-is-my-life @jill2629-blog @itsbuzzfeedbitch @pretzelactivist @amieinghigh @kashee-h @beingalive1 @mythicalbinicorn @needyomega @kno-way-home @janalustare @sssatorus @its-a-rich-mans-world @confessionsofatotaldramaslut @hesitant-alien33 @katie-sheep-111 @bonesbonesetc @seacactusplant @thebookwormlife @dreamscape22

[moider-time]

Model Bruce AU

As a kid, Bruce always enjoyed dressing up in Thomas and Martha's clothes. They taught him that clothing isn't specific to a gender so if he wants to wear suits or skirts, tights or trousers, it's all ok. Martha would love taking him shopping and trying on clothes.

One of his fondest memories is of the three of them dressed up as the Three Good Fairies from Sleeping Beauty for a Halloween charity gala. After they died, he framed all of their outfits and hung them up in his study.

He meets Selina in college. He wants to be a doctor and she wants to be a vet. She also has a hobby of sewing and making clothes and he got suckered into being her mannequin. Harley helped with the suckering. To this day, Harley says she got him his first gig cause she introduced the two of them. Bruce never denies it.

The first time he models is for a university fashion show. The winner gets 5 thousand dollars donated to a charity of their choosing and as Selina says "the kitties need their money". It takes a lot of convincing though. Trying on her clothes is one thing but walking a runway? Yeah that's totally different and Bruce definitely panics a little about that. Harley, Bruce and Selina have a whole Model Bootcamp which is basically trying on heels and watching America's Next Top Model.

The theme is 'Red Carpet After-party' and so Selina dresses him in a two piece, floor length dress with a navy lace top and a navy skirt with gold sequins and strappy gold heels. Also gold hair tips and a shimmery navy eye shadow, and his nails match his skirt. (Idk if y'all can tell but I suck at describing clothes)

To cut a long story short, they demolish at that fashion show. Bruce, after a pep talk from Harley and Selina while Harvey was standing there drooling, makes that runway his bitch. He walks like a hooker trying to make her quota. If he wasn't the campus hottie before, he is now. He and Selina eventually go their separate ways but they always look back on that day fondly.

And he gets a lot of offers from big time modelling agencies. They say all the things like he has "potential" and they wanna turn him into "a star" but, while he found it fun, he kinda just wants to do something small. He chooses a small cologne brand that Alfred likes. Alfred tears up at this which makes Bruce tear up and well they're both messes.

They dress him in a smart suit with deep purple eyeshadow to match the bottle of the cologne. His nails get a silver coat like the cover of the bottle. That cologne ad gets so much attention that the business nearly runs out of bottles.

He gets asked if this modelling thing is just a phase, he gets shamed for his clothing and makeup and he generally just gets badgered. He replies the same to all of them "I like doing it so I'm gonna do it"

He kind of a jack of all trades. He models clothes, colognes and perfume, jewellery, shoes, nail polish,(lingerie 😏), he's even appeared in ads for games and toys. He once got all dolled up only to play with Lego but it was so much fun.

Not that Bruce never walks the runway again. He does it for charity, whenever Harley blackmails him into doing it and whenever he feels like. He took Harley with him to every fashion week cause he goes nowhere without his makeup artist.

Nobody could ever connect Batman and Bruce Wayne because while Bruce is a bit shy, he's very graceful while there are too many YouTube compilations of Batman tripping over himself or walking into things.

( @bruciemilf )

[preciadosbass]

9/8/24 [draft from friday — DAY OF THE TRIBUTE CONCERT!! i promise this gets interesting]

woke up at 9 watched the rest of that pierce the veil giant jenga interview while feeding boris. afterwards i got dressed into the same thing as yesterday because it was all set out [silverstein shirt, checkered black + white/black and red studded belts, knee high converse, band bracelets, diy can tab necklace, a big-ish chain, black ripped skinny jeans, danger days mcr zip up, and my pin covered backpack.]

once id done i rushed outside to cuddle with him [boris] and tried to spend as much time with him as possible before leaving. i came back inside at 10:35 and straightened my hair with the new straighteners that my hairdresser dropped off. it didn’t work even though i was doing the exact thing she had done previously when i got my hair dyed for the first time so i tried again. once that didn’t work my mum called my hairdresser and she gave me some tips but i ended up doing my hair AGAIN [11] with the old straighteners and it sort of worked, but my hair obviously looked fried.

once that was over and done with i checked on boris and made an outfit check for the fell out boy + the black charade concert. at 12 my mum handed me one of my depop packages thatd come so i opened it in my room and it was my frank iero + gerard way posters!! on the back of the frank one [showing his tattoos at the time] was a poster of the band in full; the back of the gerard photo had two extra photos of ray + mikey and text that im yet to read; and the back of a mcr poster with a little text about mcr being anti objectifying [etc] had frank explaining the meanings behind his tattoos. [photos at end]

i also took a few photos of this deceased moth my dad found for me a few months ago. i’ve been meaning to for ages because i know it’s too far gone for me to actually preserve it. because i was already ready to leave i kind of just paced around and went over to boris every now and then while watching jackass edits. i said my long goodbyes to boris and we left for the hotel at 1. i once again listened to the [unconfirmed] concert setlist on the way there. the drive was about 3 hours and once we’d eventually got to bedford we put all our stuff in the hotel room and set off to do some charity shopping [thrifting].

just like yesterday, there was only around 2 that were open and none of my family had any luck — but we did see two unopened shops and kept them in mind to possibly check out tomorrow before leaving for home. after that and briefly looking around town we went back to the hotel. my parents stayed there with me and my sister for a while until going out for dinner. while they were away, my sister connected her nintendo switch to the tv and i played a few silly games with her.

this lasted up until 7:10 when my parents got back. i hadn’t been told what time the concert was and my dad just so happened to check the time and we had to leave. thank god he checked because we would’ve missed it otherwise. we left just 5 minutes later and rushed around town. we tried to go through a shopping centre as a shortcut, but we got halfway in before we were told that the door in the direction we were heading had already been locked. so we frantically got out and started asking people where the venue was.

we did ask people earlier but nobody knew. we came across this really friendly couple that asked who were we’re going to see and i honestly thought they were about to come along. they seemed to so into the whole thing. when had thanked them and were walking off i heard the woman say something to her partner and i’m suspecting it was about both me and my dad dressing matching with our clothes. we arrived at the venue at 7:40 with quite a decent amount of time to spare. my dad asked the security woman where the best area for us to stand would be [due to our height] and she showed us to a heightened platform. we went to stand there but saw the barrier was somehow not even full.

i stood right in the centre of the stage at the barrier. i took a few photos of my place in the crowd because i’ll probably never be this close to a live band ever again and took a few selfies with my dad. the concert started at 8:10. fell out boy we’re on first and they were phenomenal. most of the stuff they played were from american beauty/american psycho so there were a few songs i didn’t know off by heart. i took lots of videos and finally had the chance to jump when ‘patrick’ jestured to. with the other two concerts i’ve been to i haven’t been able to because at cavalera conspiracy, i was seated; and at pierce the veil, i was perched on a pillar on the tips of my toes. i really liked the way ‘pete’ played bass. the guy singing as patrick also pointed at me a ton and gave me the mic for the song saturday. it was AWESOME.

here are the songs i know they played: ‘love from the other side’, ‘the phoenix’, ‘uma thurman’, ‘grand theft autumn/where is your boy tonight’, ‘a little less sixteen candles, a little more “touch me”’, ‘this ain’t a scene, it’s an arms race’, ‘saturday’ [‘gerard way’ came out for the screaming part], ‘i don’t care’, ‘centuries’, ‘thnks fr th mmrs’, ‘my songs know what you did in the dark’ [[light em up]], and ‘sugar, we’re goin down’. during the interval the person next to me complimented my dads pierce the veil shirt and we joked about it because it’s mine, he was just dressed up like me. the same person asked if i’d seen pierce the the veil and said they went to a show too. my dad also got me a pint of water and i tucked it behind the amp infront of me.

at 9:30 ‘the foundations of decay’ started playing so me + everyone else knew that the mcr tribute would be on soon. sure enough they did, in the killjoys outfits. [‘gerard’ had even put on a bright red wig] i especially loved the whole atmosphere even more when they came on. everyone got extra pumped as soon as they started playing and admittedly i did too after seeing mikey’s signature bass and the person playing his ‘role’. they played nanana first and i didn’t see in the moment, but my dad was singing along to it. at 10 there was a small interval and the band switched into black parade outfits — and OH MY GOD did ‘frank’ act so much like actual frank. nobody was really recording ‘mikey’ and when he noticed i was, he looked at me directly [a couple times] and purposely went up to front and played his bass on the speaker infront of me. also, when they played ‘i don’t love you’ ‘gerard’ came into the crowd and at one point was right behind me and i didn’t notice for ages XD

it’s magical when there’s nothing like this around your actual area and this is the closest you’ll get. seeing someone act as mikey is enough for me. the songs i know they played were: ‘look alive sunshine’ [i was full on screaming this im so surprised i didn’t mess up like i usually do], ‘nanana’, ‘this is how i disappear’, ‘the sharpest lives’, planetary [[GO!]], ‘thank you for the venom’, ‘helena’, ‘the end.’, ‘dead!’, ‘mama’, ‘teenagers’, ‘famous last words’, ‘im not okay [[i promise]], ‘welcome to the black parade’ [‘frank’ went right infront of me and pointed at my camera during this]

the concert finished at 10:30 [they took a photo of them + the crowd and mikey sat on my water lmaoa] and i had a look at the merch before realising my dad had walked off. when i found him he was asking if they had any setlists and the backing guitarist from fell out boy shook his head but he got me a black charade pick from his amp which is 100x better!!!! [photo at end] on the way out of the venue i got a picture with ‘gerard’ and went on about the pick and the bass the entire walk back to the hotel. [media of concert at end.] once we’d gotten back to our room i told mum about the concert and showed her a few videos. afterwards i noticed jackass was on tv so i watched that for a while up until 1 when i had a tiny nap.

my sister got to sleep quite quickly so after getting into my onesie i asked my parents questions about boris. my mum got mad because of how panicky i was getting but i did eventually finish and then said goodnight to boris via a picture of him while sitting in the bathtub [😭]. im not sure when i went to sleep, but i’m guessing 2:30. photos below ⬇️

have a good day/night O_o

[puppypeter]

HELLO this is the normal!Roy/famous!Jamie anon and your response has literally made my brain worms with this au 10000 times more potent!!!

This au was actually a Trojan horse for my role-reversal sugar baby au!!!! There was a post going around hypothesizing the dynamic of a young new-money sub who seduces his older 9 to 5 Dom, basically switching up the usual sugar baby/daddy dynamic.

NOW PICTURE THIS: Jamie attempting to win his grumpy older beau's heart through increasingly extravagant gifts. Oh, your watch broke? I gotchu. Oh, you're worried about the dress code at the venue for our date? I got it covered babe, let's go bespoke suit shopping. Oh, youre having car trouble which is affecting your work? Here's a G-wagon. Just Jamie attempting to buy his way into Roy's affections because he's never actually had to TRY to woo someone, he's just had to say "Hi, I'm Jamie Tartt" and he was in. Now he's gotta charm the pants off this grumpy grandad who he has fallen head over heels for.

Roy is of course incredibly overwhelmed by the crazy expensive gifts from this needy brat who won't leave him the hell alone!! (He's also very flustered because he's never actually been spoiled like this before,,, he's soo used to being the provider that experiencing being cared for so explicitly is very new to him).

To clarify, Jamie would still be the bratty sub to Roy's exasperated Dom, but Jamie would just be happily showering his sexy older partner with gifts, because he deserves it!!

I loooove the idea of Jamie getting to dress up his sexy older Dom and show him off at things like the charity dinner (LOOOVED that idea!!). But you're right, the protectiveness of privacy would also be sooo interesting to explore with this pairing, especially the angst potential of the press becoming super invasive in Roy's life and that causing strain in their relationship.

Waaaahhhh your engagement has really motivated me,,, ❤️❤️ I may have to commit and write this now!!!

(EDIT: For anyone else curious here's the previous asks: part one and the one after part three)

I am so into this I pulled out my laptop to answer cause it became a big screen level ask ahah

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE LOVE LOVE that!!

Jamie would absolutely try to buy him stuff all the time and woo him with money and Roy is both mad (just cause I work in a diner it doesn't mean I need your money) and flustered (because someone is getting him flowers and a suit and nice stuff, but I think Jamie would also be fairly considerate in his gifts, not just random fancy stuff but also "you mentioned your knee was bothering you so I asked my physio and bought you this fancy knee brace/cream" or "I overheard you talking on the phoen to your sister about your niece's new obsession with painting and I saw this watercolour palette and thought I'd get it for her")

Also, cause I like suffering, I'd like to point out that Jamie Tartt (especially post-return to Richmond lonely Jamie Tartt) likes to buy people's love and affection with gifts (remember those PS5? What better thing to spend money on than love?) and I once replied to a post about how he's been doing that with James forever, by getting him tickets and probably that watch/rings etc, hoping if he buys him stuff maybe he'll be happy with him.

So I think there would be both him just thinking it's a good way to show love (and when they get closer / more open with each other he does admit he did not grow up rich at all which is why he gets Roy but he also wants him to experience this fancy ridiculous stuff with him) but also because he does hope/think Roy might stick around that way.

And I absolutely adore a bratty sub making their dom all flustered!! is there anything more delightful than cheeky flirty jamie and rosy cheeks roy??

I think the charity gala would also have a lot of potential for angst/hurt comfort because of what we know about Amsterdam. Like Jamie would buy him the suit and invite him and be very adamant that Roy come even if Roy doesn't want the attention and can't understand why Jamie keeps throwing things at him to convince him (I got you a fancy watch and a limousine and the fanciest champagne and flowers and a necklace and please please come with me) and he later admits he was super stressed about the auction thing. Everyone at the gala is intrigued by this mysterious dark haired older bearded man spending so much money on him (well jamie's own money but still). If I had to picture this as a film, I feel like when they walk out of the gala and are walking around Richmond at night that's the moment of most vulnerability, when Jamie finally opens up to Roy and is honest and sheds all the layers. Roy takes them back to the diner and opens it just for them and they sit there for hours talking about their lives and families and growing up, having cherry pie (don't tell my coach) and playing footsie under the table.

Re the privacy thing it perhaps post-gala post-night alone in the diner together, someone recognises roy or even worse approaches Roy while he's with Phoebe and it really pisses him off because he's super protective of her? Make it 100 times worse and make that person James/Denbo/Bug? Maybe they've followed Jamie or found out about Roy somehow and threaten him or Jamie doesn't show up to the diner a few times or starts being very on/off, cancelling last minute and Roy snaps that he thought he was dating a grown up and he doesn't have time for these stupid games. While actually Jamie was just trying to keep him and Phoebe at a distance to ensure his dad (or the press) wouldn't bother them, but then he finds himself in need of help and calls him or shows up to Roy's place/the diner having a lil breakdown (in the cutest way as we know)

God I won't be able to stop thinking about them now!!

[meikuree]

closet tour meme

tagged by @augerer via my main blog, thank you! what a delightful idea for those secretly harbouring serveworthy closets among us. the theme of this is 'secondhand swag is the best swag' probably, I have consistently found myself happier with off-beat things from charity shops and relatives/friends than things bought new. my dubious achievement is that everything here was secondhand or a gift.

5 items from my closet:

a purple shawl gifted by a friend 6 years ago. impressively it still looks as mint as the day i got it and I have brought it with me to every climate possible

when i had to revamp my wardrobe for the uk's wonderfully miserable weather, this cornflower blue Pringle of Scotland (yes, that's their legit brand name) pure cashmere jumper saved me. looking on their website their jumpers cost £200 - £400 new but I found this for £20 at a vintage market. it's soft and feels like a wearable hug :)

including fragrances in my definition of a 'closet'. these two eau de parfums collectively cost me £5 because one was given by a family member and I got the other one secondhand. the salvatore ferragamo one has osmanthus and pear notes, and the franck one smells aquatic with a whiff of water lily.

borrowed this photo off google, but i have the same dress. it has pockets, is comfortable, and flatters me although i'm flat-chested so into the staple list it goes

another photo i'm copping off google, this is a COS blazer coat i found at a charity shop for £15. it has an interior pocket that's very useful for storing my phone while in London so that the infamous phone snatchers can't strike. it looks and feels sleek in general and helps me look more dressed-up than i actually am when i've woken up only 5 minutes prior.

tagging @post-futurism @chocochipbiscuit @pretty-rage-machine @bothzangetsus @darlingpoppet and anyone who'd like to try this!

[faaun]

as someone who is also trying to overhaul their entire wardrobe after throwing out fast fashion pieces,, do you have any specific brands you like, advice on places to get clothes for long-term wear, etc? ty!!

thank you for asking! this is a long post but it's been my life for a bit now so i would suggest reading through it to skip the learning stages that i went through the hard way! there is some important and useful info here :) brand recs at the end

i would suggest looking for vintage or secondhand clothes first and foremost bc that's how you can find quality pieces for a reasonable price :)

if you want pure longevity, synthetics like polyester, nylon, elastane, etc will last not only your lifetime but your grandchildrens' too. they can be quite comfortable sometimes BUT:

they will likely break down in hundreds of years

they are NOT biodegradable and so will break down into microplastics and toxic microfibers

for me and a lot of others, you will notice the difference in quality in synthetics vs fabrics like cotton and virgin wool. i refuse to buy synthetics for the above reasons but also bc they just Feel Worse idk how to explain iykyk (tip especially valuable for autistic ppl)

brands: all depend on style so look for the styles you like/want to dress in on pinterest, then track down the original designer of the dress! from there you can search irl places or plug the designers into apps like:

vinted: cheaper vintage or second hand clothes from all sorts of brands

vestiare collective: more high-end, pieces are authenticated and usually in great condition

GEM: a gem of a site truly, accumulates all the finds from your search from different websites like ebay, etc

depop: honestly not the biggest fan but can be good sometimes! make sure to buy vintage/secondhand and ask sellers for the brand to not get sold an aliexpress dupe for 100 bucks

vintage shops: especially good for accessories like belts and ties. vintage shops usually have much better stuff than charity shops

kilo sales: THE BEST PLACES IRL in my opinion i got a 2k+ virgin wool coat for £20 . honestly in my experience kilo sales are great. check out Worth the Weight if you're in the UK!

remember that brand history matters! for example vivienne westwood has a great reputation as luxury punk but the pieces produced in recent years are actually very low in quality, defintely not worth the money for a lot of people! pay for quality, not just the name :) same goes for jean paul gaultier's recent pieces imo.

additional VERY USEFUL tips:

the standard zipper used by most of the companies making your garments is YKK. if you look at any zipper you're wearing rn and inspect it closely chances are you'll see YKK engraved on it. before buying a piece check that it has opti or riri zippers - this is some indication of a higher quality

one of the first things to do before buying a piece is to immediately check the materials it's made of!! the tag detailing materials is usually towards the bottom of the garment . i immediately dismiss things that have higher than 5% synthetics but i'm just rly picky w materials

EACH MATERIAL HAS DIFFERENT USES !!! BUT GENERALLY: virign wool is the best kind of wool, full-grain leather is better than most other kinds of leather, mulberry silk is better than other kinds of silk

brand recs:

yohji yamamoto, yehufan (i own a skirt by him!!), marina eerrie, ann demeulemeester, jw anderson, solovair for shoes (much better than docs), maison (martin) margiela (esp artisanal line 0), miu miu (i wear their beret i thrifted for £15 almost every day), valentino esp pre 2021 , lemaine , undercover older pieces , early raf simons , ...honestly there's a lot, if you need more send another ask or DM :)

p.s. if u can go runway shows etc go to the sample sales afterwards sometimes the pieces there are gorgeous !! but sometimes v pricey :')

all recommendations and advice, don't take my word as gospel and defintely do your own research + formulate ur own opinions ! hope this helps ♡

[doctahpants]

Been meaning to do this for a little while - revisiting my old cosplays from 2010-2016ish. I really need to do some again. Maybe next year!

Hidden behind read more for the many pictures!

I started with shoving on some stuff I already had in my wardrobe as End of Time Simm!Master

The next year, I had managed to find a decent brown suit, and went as Ten. I teamed up with J - one of the friends I'd made through DeviantArt, and she came as Simm!Master. Spoiler alert, we're now married!

Nine was also a closet one, with the exception of the leather jacket, which I picked up for £5 in a charity shop :)

Then I started actually learning to sew and decided to dive straight in with a fairly complex dress. It... didn't go great to be honest! This was also the dress that got eaten by an escalator on the London underground. Keep your hems lifted, guys, those things do some damage! So Lucy Saxon with Saxon!Master. (Also I hated that wig)

Then it was the 50th anniversary, and I decided to improve my Ten cosplay by making his coat. This is still one of the things I'm most proud of making. It turned out so good! Even if I did stay up late the night before the con to finish the hem!! (Also featuring my Dad in the Four scarf I had recently knitted, J as Simm!Master and a school friend)

And a bonus solo picture, messing around!

This was also the year I made my beloved TARDIS dress - I already had the dress, but it was such a good colour, I couldn't resist!

And then we met Missy. J wanted to be Missy so much, so I decided I would make it for her. I had planned to be Twelve, but ran out of time, so chose to be Osgood instead. More last minute finishing (buttons in this case), but we had a lot of fun, especially when J waltzed up to Michelle Gomez at out photoshoot and went "Do you want to kill Osgood?" (Also note the mini crochet!Missy in her pocket!! She still lives on my desk)

But we did team up later though

And finally one more closet cosplay when I realised I had a perfect red velvet and sunglasses. This never made it out of the house, but still fun!

This is partly because I promised @seaweedstarshine I would, so enjoy!

[belmottetower]

Sorry to get nit picky about your Roy and Jamie time line academy post but:

1. Year 7 is the equivalent to 6th grade - grade 6-8 (middle school/junior high) is the equivelant to years 7-9 (key stage 3/lower secondary school).

2. All schools both private and state (public schools) wear uniforms and from my experience at a private school the state schools in my area were stricter about uniform/dress codes than my private school.

3. I got the impression from 3x06 sunflowers that Roy going to Sunderland was more of a Boot Camp/training camp rather than actually joining the academy.

Thanks for your thoughts!

For reference, the previous post is here - some notes on Roy and Jamie's academy experiences. A firmer version will go into the AO3 primer.

1. You've misunderstood what I said or perhaps why I said it. This info on British school years is already covered in my primer. But - UK Year 7 is still the equivalent to US 7th Grade in terms of year and age levels. We do R (reception, like their kindergarten) to Year 6 primary school, then Year 7 and beyond for secondary school. I am totally aware that the US splits the "school eras" differently into K-5 Elementary, 6-8 Middle and 9-12 High. British schools split the education levels in a different place - R-6 primary and 7-13 secondary (we do 14 years, not 13, overall.) But year 7 and 7th Grade are still the same year of school. The 8th year of formal education after K-6. The point of what I wrote in that post was to flag that in the UK, Year 7, rather than Year 6 or Year 9, is when the "new school era" starts.

2. Yep, most schools here in the UK wear school uniforms. I didn't say in this post they didn't, I just pointed out how strict somewhere like St Bede's is, which is a real school that I have researched. The primer is for people who DON'T know UK culture, and Americans tend to forget that uniforms are standard in the UK because for them, plain clothes are standard. Bede's is strict in terms of formality - it's a blazer, branded jumper and tie, as opposed to a polo shirt with a crest or something - and it's strict in terms of only wearing the official school shop uniforms. What happened at your school is your school, I am talking specifically about this real actual school. Here's a random tweet from St Bede's with some boys in uniform in case anyone wants a look at it to imagine what Jamie wore.

3. You might be the first person in the fandom to get that impression about Roy. In my opinion that is a pretty big misread of the show. Roy mentioning coming back home for Christmas in 3.06 is a very good indication that he was in fact living in Sunderland, and Christmas was his first visit home. That Christmas visit is also something he cited in 1.06, Two Aces, when talking about moving to Sunderland - in Two Aces there are actually two references to Sunderland that make it clear that he was scouted and moved up there at age 9. It's phrased like his visit at Christmas was a temporary stay, not a permanent return to London.

First, Keeley says the following to him on the treadmill: "I read this mad story about a kid who grew up in a shit part of South London. And who got sent off to play as a child in Sunderland, of all places. And who later was force to rap his own verse in a charity single which was called "Winner, Winner, Football Dinner."

And then at the curse breaking ritual Roy says: "I was nine when I got scouted by Sunderland, and I'd never left London before. My granddad drove me all the way there, and it was freezing, and I was terrified. I was fucking nine. Say something. When I got there, he gave me this old blanket. He said it was to keep me warm and to remind me of home. And that was the last time I saw him. 'Cause he'd passed away by the time I got back for Christmas, so..."

Scouted has a very specific meaning in this situation. It means scouted as a potential professional player and signed by a club's academy.

This season, in 3.09, Roy references Sunderland again. He says:

"When I was first coming up through Sunderland, there was an old-timer on the team. Local guy. He and his wife were about to have their first kid, so during training one day, I made a joke that, statistically, I was probably the real dad."

This comment tells us that Roy not only came up through Sunderland - as in, through their academy - but that he also made his way onto the first team there and made his senior debut with them. Because his academy team isn't going to include an older player about to have a child. This story is something that happened to probably a 17 or 18 or 19 year old Roy, to a 30 year old Sunderland player. This indicates that he "came up through" the Sunderland academy all the way til he was pulled from the junior side into their first team.

Every indication from the show, as well as interviews with Brett, tell us that Roy went to Sunderland at age 9 and lived there, was a part of that football club, for at least the next decade before being eventually sold to Chelsea as an adult.

[iamacolor]

2023 sewing projects - part 2 details at the end of the post (click here for part 1)

Note: I work for a fabric shop so I get most of my fabrics fabric for free as well as some patterns as I have to be wearing our products at work (I definitely consider it a perk). Without this job I would not be sewing as much and I'd probably be buying most of my fabric second hand or on sale as I used to do before. I also sometimes sew during work hours so keep that in mind if you're also a sewist, go at your own rythm 💜 Although I have basic training in pattern drafting I prefer to sew from pre-existing patterns to save on time (as i have to regularly make myself some new clothes for work) and discover new techniques and styles - but I often change stuffs to adapt the designs to my style.

1 - same pants as in part 1 but this time in a double wool crepe from italy (i found it in a charity shop and the border says so in italian - it's absolutely gorgeous, i found 3 pieces of it at once for like 10 € each. I made a dress in the first piece, then these pants in the second)

2 - dream dress in a coton double gauze - the gingham is sized differently on each side of the fabric so i had fun deciding where to put which but i had less fun gathering all of that fabric (the nice thing is it's super light and i get a lot of compliments on it) - the pattern has a short sleeves version that i'd like to make for this summer

3 - a simple tee made in ribbing fabric (usually used for the collar and wrist pieces on sweater) - the pants were made last year but they're the same pattern as the pink ones in part 1, just the slim leg version!

4 - another super quick make in a modal fabric (it's so soft and nice to work with), the last one i made in june before my tendinitis stopped me from touching my machine for a couple of months (and tbh i maybe shouldn't have made this one lol)

5 - first project back on the sewing machine during the summer holidays, very quick one in the remnants of the linen-viscose blend i used to make the matching set in part 1 (can you tell i love this fabric and this colour?)

6 - a mini retro skirt in coton gabardine - the skirt was made to be short and as i'm taller than the average height used in patterns i lengthened it but almost not enough as i ended up having to do a single fold of 1cm to hem the bottom instead of the usual 1 + 2/3 lol

7 - ok so this one...i went in with no pattern and not much thoughts tbh i took this striped fabric and decided to turn thop of the piece into a plain colour by folding it repeatedly so that the folds would reveal the secondary colour by opening - it was super long to make especially because i just cut straight on the side instead of taking into account the fact that I am very much not straight from the waist down to the hips so i had to do a little fixing on the side seams once all the folding and assembling was done before i could put in the zipper. I was very proud of this skirt when I finished it but I've only worn it twice since then (september lol) because it's absolutely awful to iron it (and although i stitched every single fold on one side i still have to press them all one by one)

8 - these curtains are made in a wax fabric given to me by my grandmother who got it from a church friend who brought it from her homecountry in Africa (can't remember where that is, sorry) - they're lined in a dark navy coton so they can be more occulting (the same used at the bottom for the ruffles as the piece of fabric was too small for my curtains to go all the way down). I did this project in an evening so the inside finishes are very rough and i didn't even iron them but i was hellbent on finishing them on the day I started (after months of just having the fabric draped over the window as a makeshift curtain) - it doesn't show too well on the pictures but the darker yellow is actually gold!

[dandelioninajungle]

First day of college!

UK college, not American.

It was good. We had assessments. I love assessments.

And I had an espresso milkshake and then wandered all the charity shops in town. Popped into the grocers and got giant purple garlic, and fresh corn for Alfie. Got an almost brand new dress for £5 (it has pockets!!!) and a map activity book thing, it’s hard to explain but like. You draw your own maps and stuff. Also; new birds on the bird app (Merlin ID).

[strawberry-s0ap]

I saw you asking for collections, and I have quite a few, but I chose my little bear statue collection!

all bought from thrift stores for under 5 dollars. I love them all dearly (and I'm not just saying that because a few might be haunted /j). anyways, thanks for the chance to show them off! enjoy!

cute cute CUTE!!! i love these so much, i have a similar one i got from a charity shop, she’s wearing a little pink dress!! i love finding these kind of little knick knacks in charity shops :)

thanks for sharing!!

[tyrannuspitch]

top 5... films? comfort foods? clothing items you own?

Hmm okay let me think!!

I don't watch films very often, partly bc I'm always a bit ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ when trying to think of one to watch, but five which I like and which resonate on some level are:

Thor 💛💛💛

Heathers

The Girl with All the Gifts

Slaughterhouse Rulez

The Great Gatsby (Luhrmann)

Comfort foods I am likely to bring home after a Difficult day:

Pretty much any red smoothie

Strawberry laces

Jamaica ginger cake

Halloumi

These specific salt and vinegar crackers

Clothing I own:

Big black coat(tm). There’s nothing like a big black coat to protect you from the horrors

Dressing gown. Indoor equivalent of big black coat. Has a hood :)

Black leather gloves. I bought them bc my eczema was too bad to tolerate anything knitted, but they make me feel vaguely sinister and that's fun

Vintage blazer with shoulder pads I got for £2(!!!) in a charity shop

Black/green/purple scarf. Nothing special I just like the colours

I used to have big black boots too but they wore out and I haven’t been able to find a good replacement yet :( RIP

[lulubelle814]

The Masked Proposal

Masterlist

"Love, Luke wants to talk to you?" Tom came out of his office towards Liza, his somewhat long-time girlfriend (they had been together for almost 3 years now), sounding confused and handing you the phone.

"I have a huge favor to ask. I tried to work it with Tom, but his schedule this evening won't permit it. He wouldn't have enough time to get there and back between his interviews to do it." Luke sounded hesitant but hopeful.

"And what is this for?" She inquired, not wanting to agree to anything without any details. A person could get in a lot of trouble agreeing to something without asking what exactly they were agreeing to do.

"So sorry. It's to guest host The Masked Singer for tonight. It's a tribute to Queen week, and they are doing it in conjunction with charity week as they believe it will help generate more donations. The person they originally had came down with the flu. They got wind that Tom was in town, but he's tied up with other obligations. Otherwise, he's be happy to do it. They'll donate $50,000 to the charity plus an additional $25,000 if you agree to sing as well, and from what I've been told and have witnessed, you are a great singer."

She and Tom loved watching The Masked Singer together. If they couldn't watch it live, then they would catch it on Hulu. They would exchange funny quips and commentary the entire time.

"Hey, hold up. Why me though? Aren't there other way, way more qualified people to do this?"

Luke sighed. "There are, but I think you'd be great for this. You're an ambassador for Unicef, you've helped organize and run charity auctions, plus you're on the rise as a best selling author. You're working on your third book now,I believe?"

She chewed her lip. The thought of singing in front of people intimidated her, but it was for her favorite charity. After all, Unicef is how she and Tom met.

"Second book. Okay, I'll do it. Text me the details."

"Does that include the song?"

Taking a deep breath, she responded, "Yes, but only because it's for charity. Which charity are they donating to?"

She could hear him grinning through the phone. "Unicef actually. I thought you might enjoy that part. I'll email you the details shortly. You'll need to be there by 5. They start filming just before 7. You'll need to let me know your song selection by noon."

Looking at her own phone, it was just after 10 A.M. “Damn it. I’ll have to go shopping for a dress to wear. I didn’t bring anything that screams ‘I’m hosting The Masked Singer tonight!’. I believe there were some shops nearby. I’ll have to run to make sure i have plenty of time.”

Tom gave her a big hug. “You are going to do amazing! You could go on in your ratty pajamas you love so much and look incredible.”

She smacked his arm. “Hey! I’ll have you know those so-call ‘ratty pajamas’ are worn in just right. You’re lucky I’ve let you see them.”

“You’re right dear.” He laughed, giving her a light kiss. Looking at his own watch, “you’d better get gowing. Hopefully I’m here when you get back. My interviews start about 3 pm, and I have to be out of here by 2 to make sure I make it on time.”

She kissed him again before grabbing her purse, phone, and keys and heading out the door. After spending an hour at the first store with no luck, she remembered Emma was in town on vacation and texted her.

Liza: You free? Need help

Emma: What’s up?

Liza: Doing a last minute favor for Luke. Hosting a show tonight. Need help finding outfit.

Emma: Ooooo what show?

Liza: Masked Singer.

Emma: Give me 15 min and tell me where to meet you.

Liza texted her the address for the coffee shop next door. While she waited, she read through the details in the email Luke had sent over and also emailed him her song selection. As it turned out, tonight was an even bigger deal than Luke made it out to be, and Liza thought he was just buttering her up. If the judge wanted to final guess who was under the mask, they had to donate $2,500. If they were right, the person under the mask would have to match the donation. There would also be lifelines given to the judges for tonight only; however, each lifeline would require a donation in order to use it, and each lifeline would only be available once. Each time a lifeline would be used, the donation amount required for the next lifeline would increase, and only 3 lifelines would be available. Each lifeline would give a clue to help “unmask” the singer, and there were a few they were just itching to unmask. She had a feeling this would be a wild card. There would also be an option on both the voting call in and online for the audience to donate as well.

She was getting extremely excited which grew even more when it was listed that Queen ft. Adam Lambert would be there as well, donating their time and would also perform Bohemian Rhapsody.

By the time she finished the email, the tea she had ordered was finished, and Emma arrived.

“Let's get going, shall we? I passed a couple of stores that looked very promising!”

They went into the first shop and wandered around, trying on a few dresses, but no luck after another hour. “Lets go on to the next one?” Emma suggested. “Third one's a charm, right?”

“Right. Let’s do this!” Liza hoped she sounded more confident than she really was. It was getting close to 1 pm, and they still hadn’t found anything. About 20 minutes after getting to the third store, it was like magic. The perfect outfit presented itself along with jewelry to match and shoes that were not only cute but were comfortable and the right fit. The store rang it up and placed everything in a nice garment bag to help ensure everything stayed neat and clean.

“Now that we’ve got that sorted, let's grab some lunch and catch up. I can help you do your hair and makeup later at your place if you’d like?”

“That would be fantastic!” Liza and Emma had become great friends over the past few months.

Once lunch was over, they headed back, just missing Tom but having plenty of time to work on hair and make up. Liza wanted to leave by 4 to make sure she had plenty of time to make it to the studio which was a good thing. There was an accident on I-5, and she just barely made it. What should have been a 25 minute drive took an hour.

She met with the judges and producers who were all welcoming and friendly. “Thank you so much for stepping in last minute. We can’t thank you enough!” Robin Thicke spoke as he shook her hand.

Kim Jeong stepped in. “I had an idea, and the producers thought it would be great. Luke thought with your song choice, it would be a great one to kick off the show. What do you think? I know it can be nerve racking, but Adam and the band will be backing you up and will help step in if you want or need.”

You weren’t looking forward to singing in front of who knows how many people, but this would get it over with much sooner. “Sounds good to me!”

“We told Luke 5 so that whoever would fill in would have time to get acquainted with the stage, take a look around, give us a chance to talk with them, and they’d get to maybe jam with the band for a bit before the show starts. Give you a chance to shake out your nerves. Then you’ll have an assistant, Andy, who will stay with you, letting you know where to go when you’re not on stage, when we’re at a commercial, and he’ll help get you drinks to help you stay hydrated.” Jenny and Nicole spoke in turns, wanting to make sure Liza knew the what’s what before the show.

A young gentleman then came up to the group. “And this would be Andy,” Nicole said. “He’ll help show you were to stand on stage, off stage, and also over to the band to get to know them and such. It was so great meeting you! We’ll have to catch up after the show!”

Liza waved to the judges and left with Andy who took her up on the stage, showing her the different marks for where to stand. “The camera to look at will have the red light on, and the teleprompter for what to say will be just on top of it. Pretty easy to follow. You can adlib a bit if you feel it’s right and appropriate for television. Once the red light turns off, you’ll exit stage right,” he pointed to your left. She was familiar with stage direction from a stage production she did in college, Romeo and Juliet. “I’ll bring you water while the show is going and let you know when it’s at commercial so you can use the restroom if needed.” He showed you where the restroom dedicated for the host during the show was just off stage. “The masked singers have larger private bathrooms to help preserve their identity, and everyone else has other bathrooms. This one is only for you and your assistant, but your assistant can only use it during the show, never during commercials so that the host can have it available when they need it, but the host must be available for camera shots when not on stage and not on commercial break.”

She got parts of that. She knew to look at the camera with the bright red light, read off the teleprompter. When off stage, she got that the bathroom was for her during commercials and he would get her water when needed.

Looking at her watch, it was only 5:45. Andy took her over to meet Adam and Queen, and she started to fangirl. “I love you guys so much! I’ve been a fan since I was little!”

“Me, too!” Adam responded. They grasped hands and jumped up and down, screaming like fangirls together. “So girl, I heard you’ll be belting out a tune with us tonight? What will you be singing?”

She told him. “Oh, that’s a great one!” They sang a few bars together, him picking up her rhythm and style quickly. “Girl, you are GOOD! I’d love to join you on the supporting parts of it and some of the chorus if you’re good with that?”

“Wait, really? That would be AWESOME!”

"This is going to be amazing! Girl, did we just become best friends?”

Liza smiled. “I think we did!” They exchanged numbers before she had to go backstage and double check her hair and makeup.

Thirty minutes later, the show started, and Liza made her grand debut on The Masked Singer. She read from the prompter, letting the audience know about both Queen and charity night, giving the added rules for the judges and the donations they would have to give in order to ‘final guess” as well as how the audience could donate to Unicef as well.

“We even have a guest Masked Singer who will be performing later tonight, so stay turned! There will be special donation guess rules set up for this contestant which will be announced later in the show.”

As it went to commercial, she made a beeline for the bathroom, telling Andy to let her know through the door how long she had. She was so nervous about singing that it was setting off her bladder. Thankfully she had 2 minutes, just enough time to use the facilities and make it back on stage.

Once the commercial break was over, she was back on stage, front and center. “And we’re back! I think it’s time to get started on our fantastic night dedicated to Queen!”

Robin stood up. “Hey Liza, I heard you're a fan of Queen, is that right?”

“You would be correct! I love their music.

“Maybe you could sing a little something for use?”

“I think I could do that.” She looked over at Adam and the group. “You guys up for it?”

Adam smiled and looked back. “We will back you up.”

She smiled back. “I think you know which one.”

Smirking. “We got you. 1…2…3…” Then the piano started, soon followed by the rest of the band. Liza lost herself in the music, forgetting everyone else was there, and jammed out as if she were home or doing car karaoke.

Tonight I'm gonna have myself a real good time

I feel alive

And the world I'll turn it inside out, yeah

I'm floating around in ecstasy

So, (don't stop me now)

(Don't stop me)

'Cause I'm having a good time, having a good time

I'm a shooting star leaping through the sky

Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity

I'm a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva

I'm gonna go, go, go

There's no stopping me

I'm burnin' through the sky, yeah

200 degrees

That's why they call me Mister Fahrenheit

I'm travelling at the speed of light

I wanna make a supersonic man out of you

I'm having such a good time

I'm having a ball (Don't stop me now)

If you wanna have a good time just give me a call (Don't stop me now)

'Cause I'm having a good timeb(Don't stop me now)

Yes, I'm havin' a good time

I don't want to stop at all

The judges were stunned, everyone on their feet jumping, screaming, and clapping.

Jenny spoke first. “Uh, I think you missed your calling girlfriend!”

"I might need to borrow you to partner on some vocal tracks in the near future," Robin Thicke was astounded. "Seriously. "

Liza just smiled because she didn't know what else to do. "I take it under consideration."

They moved on with the show. The first masked contestant to go on was the hungry, hungry hippo who sang Radio Ga Ga. The judges placed their guesses afterwards, but this wasn’t one of the ones they had their eyes on for the special life lines. The hungry hungry hippo said she would donate the money to Unicef as she was a big supporter of the charity.

Next up was the cowardly lion who sang The Show Must Go On. For this, Ken used the first lifeline with no luck, but the cowardly lion said he would still donate $2500 to Unicef regardless.

Before the commercial break came back on, it was her turn. “Ok judges, are you ready for your first special rule for the guest masked singer?” She could hear back a resounding yes not just from the judges but from the audience as well causing her to laugh.

“Ok, here’s your first rule. You will only get one guess. One you give your answer, you are not allowed to change it. Once they finish their songs, you will have 60 seconds to speculate. After that, the name you give will be your final answer. The next rule will be given after the next commercial break!”

The commercial break seemed to fly by, but she texted Tom.

L: I’m having so much fun1

T: I’m so glad! I wish I was there with you.

L: I wish you were too. You would love this.

T: These interviews are so boring. I can’t wait to watch the show with you on Hulu tomorrow!

L: I’m not sure I want to watch myself. You might have to watch solo on this one.

T: Oh, please don’t make me watch by myself. It’s so much more fun to watch with you!

L: LOL ok. I’ll think about it.

T: That’s all I ask.

The next masked singer looked like a version of Porky Pig but with wings who sang Fat Bottom Girls. They were followed by a funny looking unicorn singing The Invisible Man, and then a giant Mushroom singing Somebody to Love.

Robin used a lifeline cost on Porky Pig and was successful in unmasking Scott Baio. This is when the judges also learned that the lifelines doubled in cost each time they used one. The celebrities in the costumes agreed to match the donations should the judge be correct, regardless if the prior guess was right or wrong.

Going back up to center stage, Liza gazed at the judges. “You ready for the next rule?”

“YES!” It echoed all around her.

“Okay! Okay.” She laughed. “You will get 1 lifeline, but the cost of this lifeline will be high. It will be twice the cost of the final guess cost you use tonight which means the special guest will be the last one to perform. There is one more rule, which I’ll give you later in the show. After the commercial break, we’ll get to hear Queen featuring Adam Lambert perform for us! We’ll be back in a few minutes!”

The show went to commercial, taking a couple minutes more than usual. Andy gave you the current audience donations which was running at $25,000. This did NOT include the show’s donations nor the judges or contestant’s donations. Incredible! The numbers were shared with the judges and the band as well who were also happy, especially as donations were still rolling in.

The band was all set up to go when the commercial break was over. Standing center stage, you started a little banter with Adam. “Heya! I hear you’ve got a little something for us!”

“I sure do Liza! But before we start, I just wanted to thank everyone who has donated to Unicef. It’s such a great charity helping the less fortunate. For those who have donated, thank you so much. If you can donate, it would be appreciated. No amount is too big or too small. If you can’t donate, not a problem! We understand not everyone is in a position to be able to do so, but we still want to thank you anyways. Each and everyone if you are incredible.”

Liza tried to hold back her tears. Then Adam turned to her. “So, Liza, I was wondering if you might join us on our song? Help give it a little extra pizazz?”

“Oh, you guys are so much better without me.”

“Oh, no. I insist.” Adam went up to the stage, grabbing her hand, and walking her over to the band as they kicked it off. “We changed it up a little, but I’m pretty sure you know this one.”

They started playing Crazy Little Thing Called Love, everyone having a great time. The audience and judges all sang along, the air electrified. When the song ended, you took the mic. “We’ll be back from commercial break in a few minutes folks!” Once the camera light went dark, you hugged Adam and the group. “That was so much fun! Really, tonight has been a dream come true. I can’t thank you guys enough!”

“It was our pleasure!” Brian said.

Soon, it was time for the last three masked singers before the special guest. First was the rhino ballerina singing We Will Rock you. Jenny used the third lifeline, insisting it was Halie Duff. She was wrong, but the Rhino said she would still match the donation.

The rhino was followed by a huminoid flamingo singing Another One Bites the Dust. The judges had theories but no concrete guesses. Flamingo was followed by an operatic dressed leopard singing We Are The Champions. Robin hit the red button. “I know we’re out of lifelines, but if the leopard is game, I’d like to make a guess?”

You looked between Robin and the leopard. “Based on the standard rules, that would mean right or wrong, you’d have to pay $40,000 to take a guess, but only if you both agree to it?”

She looked at Robin. “I agree. Unicef is a fantastic cause.”

She looked over at the leopard. “How about you?”

The leopard pointed their head at her and said in their voice changer, “I’m game” which got a chuckle from a few people.

“Ok folks. We’ve got that on record. Robin, who do you think is under that mask?”

Robin stood up, adjusted his jacket, and placed both hands on the table. “That, my friends, is none other than Toni Braxton!”

Gasps of shock could be heard across the auditorium, especially as the mask came off to reveal Toni Braxton, “You would be correct, my friend.” She smiled and waved at everyone.

“Oh my gosh! This is amazing!” Liza was trying hard not to fangirl on camera and looked to the teleprompter to keep her going.

“Toni Braxton everyone! Ok judges! Are you ready for the last rule?”

Ken jumped up on the table. “GIVE ME!!!”

She couldn’t help but bend over laughing. “You are too funny” and took a moment to compose herself. “Ok. Unlike the previous guests, you will only have 30 seconds to confer once the guest masked singer finishes. Should you choose to use the lifeline for a hint, the time will be paused while the hint is given and then resume once the hint is completed. Capiche?”

The judges agreed.

“Ok, we’re off to commercial break and will be back shortly with our final masked singer. I wonder who it will be?”

The cameras cut to commercial, and she texted Tom.

L: I know you’re probably busy, but thank you for encouraging me to do this. It’s been so much fun.

T: I’m so glad!

L: I hope you’re not too bored!

L: I’ll treat you to dessert later tonight?

She waited and didn’t hear back from him. Likely he was wrapped up with more interview stuff. A few minutes later, and it was time to go back on. “Alright, is everyone ready for our guest masked singer?”

Everyone jumped up and down, screaming, clapping, and such. “I’ll take that as a yes hahaha. Without further adieu, here is King Alligator!” On walked a tall, large alligator wearing a gaudy crown and an oversized guitar, shaking a bit.

“Mr. Alligator, are you ok?”

With a voice changer, he responded. “I’m just a bit nervous.”

“Awwww. How come?”

“I’m not used to singing in front of a lot of people, and my girlfriend is here,” he responded.

“It’s ok. Just imagine it’s you and your girlfriend and that you’re singing to her. You’ve got this! I believe in you.”

“Will you stay up here with me?”

She looked at the judges who shrugged and agreed. “I can do that. I’ll stand over here. You can do it Mr. Alligator!”

The lights around everyone dimmed, and a guitar started an acoustic version of "You're My Best Friend"

Ooh, you make me live

Whatever this world can give to me

It's you you're all I see

Ooh, you make me live now, honey

Ooh, you make me live

Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had

I've been with you such a long time

You're my sunshine and I want you to know

That my feelings are true

I really love you

Oh, you're my best friend

The entire time, he strummed his fake guitar while Brian May played an acoustic guitar. Everyone in the room was practically in tears when Mr. Alligator was finished, Liza and the judges included. During the song, he had wondered over her and back.

Wiping away the tears threatening to roll down your cheeks, you addressed the judges. “I think we all need a moment. That was beautiful. Can I declare him the winner of Masked Singer?”

A tearful laughter rolled through the audience before Nicole responded. “That was truly amazing.”

All the judges looked at each other and nodded in agreement. “We want the clue!”

“Just so you’re aware, the clue will cost an $80,000 donation. Do you agree to the $80,000 donation?”

“Yes. We’ll split it.”

King alligator jumped in. “I will match the donation, regardless.” Everyone gasped, her included. “That’s extremely generous! Thank you!” You hugged Mr. Alligator, or at least his arm and part of his guitar. His costume was very bulky and awkward.

The clue then came up on the teleprompter. “Ok judges. Here is your donation clue. The clues to the answer you seek can be found in his costume.”

The judges spent the next 30 seconds studying his costume and discussing details. A few names came up. When the time expired, the judges were in agreement on one name.

“Tom Hiddleston”

Liza laughed. “I’m pretty sure I would know if my boyfriend was here. I texted him earlier. He’s doing some interviews right……now…..” She slowed down and stopped as people started gasping and awing. She turned around to find Mr. Alligator had discarded his guitar and costume (thanks to an amazing costume department and a hidden zipper for a quick costume exit), wearing his navy blue suit, holding a emerald cut diamond engagement ring.

Liza was stunned, hand over her mouth in shock.

During the costume change, they gave Tom a mic that fit over his ear.

“My dearest Liza, you’ve been my best friend for three years. You’ve put up with me through thick and thin, the good and the bad. Would you do me the honor of putting up with me for the rest of our lives and becoming my wife?”

She started to cry, unable to get any words out but began furiously nodding, the room exploding in cheers. He slipped the ring on her finger, stood up, and kissed her, whispering in her ear, “I think you’ll have to watch this with me on Hulu now, darling.”

[legendarywolf2022]

🐺Chapter 11: Looking for Something New, Old and Charming (Part 1)🦝

(The next day is going to be the next adventure from a calm shopping to a wildest chase with a certain raccoon.

Just wanted to say that I’ve been dying to write this chapter because I have a secret that I’m willing to show y’all.)

⏰ 10th of July 2022, 09:09am ⏰

🌎 Starbucks Café, Los Angeles 🌎

This morning, the Bad Guys and the Panda Squad went to Starbucks for something to eat so they would have the energy to do some shopping as the girls wished. The café they went, it’s got everything they want;

1. Wolf got caffè mocha, spinach/feta/egg white wrap and blueberry scone

2. Snake got caffè americano and kale/mushroom egg bites

3. Tarantula got cappuccino and egg white/roasted red pepper egg bites

4. Shark got royal English breakfast tea, melted cheese/chive egg omelette and glazed doughnut

5. Piranha got royal English breakfast tea latte, crack black pepper/sea salted egg omelette and glazed doughnut

6. Meilin got vanilla crème, bacon/sausage/egg wrap and watermelon

7. Catalina got hot chocolate with a hint of coffee, spinach/feta/egg white wrap, banana and butter croissant

8. Miriam got espresso Frappuccino blended beverage and and bacon/sausage/egg wrap

9. Priya got coffee Frappuccino blended beverage and impossible breakfast sandwich

10. Abby got strawberry crème Frappuccino, turkey bacon/cheddar/egg white sandwich and triple chocolate chip cookie

“Hot chocolate with a hint of coffee?” Meilin asked, as she sipped her vanilla crème.

“It’s a perfect blend for my taste,” Catalina explained.

“And I thought plain coffee with chocolate powder was the only thing,” Snake said as he took a bite into one of kale/mushroom egg bites.

“Well,” Catalina spoke. “Hot chocolate with coffee shots blended perfect as well as what you said.”

“Okay,” Snake shrugged.

“So,” Miriam spoke after 5 seconds later. “What time does Diane want you and Catalina to have a meeting with her?”

“Around about 3 o’clock,” Wolf said while checking on his phone and take a sip on his caffè mocha.

“And what job did you ask for?” Miriam asked before drinking her espresso Frappuccino.

“Me and Snake being secret agents,” Wolf replied as Snake groaned.

“As in super spies?” Abby asked, eating turkey bacon/cheddar/egg white sandwich.

“Yes, but look.” Snake said, “I’m not keen on being a super spies because, well… I don’t do lessons of those lame history or any training to be the best fighter because I’m a snake, and I’m not a weapon guy.”

“Because you’ve got the ability to bite the prey, like small animals for the example,” Priya pointed out as she took a bite on impossible breakfast sandwich. “To hold onto their victim while they quickly wraps their bodies and tightly coils around the prey. Each time the victim exhales a breath, the snake tightens and preventing the animal from inhaling more air. Without an air supply, the prey rapidly becomes unconscious and usually dies.“

“Exactly!” Snake said. “But mostly, I eat guinea pig alive.”

“Hmm,” Priya smirked. “Nice.”

The Panda Squad laughed followed by the Bad Guys, then Wolf raised his drink. “Well,” Wolf spoke. “Let’s hope that will make a great adventure until Mei’s mother come and spoil everything.” The Bad Guys and the Panda Squad cheers and clanked their drinks together and promised that it would be the best adventure ever.

🐺🐍🕷🦈🐟

Meilin got the camera and began to film it so everyone would see the good time after this, the girls were stealing the spotlight a little until the Bad Guys joined in.

The two groups were now at the shopping mall just to look around and maybe to find something for them. They went to charity shops, bookstores, clothe stores, sweet shops and many more. They had a great time together…

Catalina and Wolf were reading books about all around the world, wolves meaning, stargazing, and stories about myths and legends.

Meilin and Snake were looking at the windows of women in colourful dresses as well as men in fancy suits. Meilin was looking for something to apologise to her mother which would be something old and new at the same time with the help of Snake who knew exactly what the perfect gift would be.

Priya and Tarantula were at the jewellery store just to look at the gold chains with pendant of bat-shaped diamond and sliver charm bracelet of different kinds of Halloween style that goths would wear whatever they want.

Miriam and Shark were at the food store to get more push pops, nachos and many more for the whole team in case they might run out of them.

Abby and Piranha were at the art and craft store just to buy bits and bobs for everyone to enjoy some fun activities and learn the history of arts.

While Wolf was filming the girls dancing to one of the song from the 4*Town, Shark and Piranha seemed to enjoy that song before deciding to join in with their rapping moves as their fins were wagging to the rhythm.

🐺🐍🕷🦈🐟

“It’s nearly 1 o’clock, guys.” Wolf said as the others were having lunch. “Where’s Abby and Piranha?”

“They’re properly at the mall still,” Priya said while looking at her phone. “Trying to find the perfect meal for them.”

“But you do know that we’ve got food here,” Meilin said.

Tarantula rolled her eyes, “The mall is so big that you can easily get lost with someone so small.” She spoke while be on Priya’s shoulder.

“And I did told Abby to not talk to strangers if they’re coming up to her,” Miriam replied.

“But she can fight, right?” Shark asked.

“Just kids in her size,” Priya said.

“Uh,” Snake spoke. “Have we forgot all about her got my butt kicked?”

As the others started talking, Wolf caught something blue that was turned out to be person outside of the bank after a fail robbery from other thieves… and as curious as he was, he wanted to check it out.

Snake noticed this and goes to Tarantula. “Webs, go to Wolf while me and the others go to find Abby and Piranha.”

“On it,” Tarantula said before jumping off of Priya’s shoulder and goes to Wolf.

Catalina was about to go until Snake stopped her. “You’re coming with us, Cat.”

“But I want to check if Wolf’s okay.” Catalina said.

“He’ll be fine,” Shark said before picking her up. “Webs got this.”

🐺🐍🕷🦈🐟

Wolf, with Tarantula on shoulder, followed that mysterious person until they reached corner in back alley hearing talking to himself. “These goons seemed to be tougher than I thought they would be…” Wolf and Tarantula peek behind the wall, then realised that the person was talking through his communicator with someone else in his ears. “Bentley, don’t you think you and Murray can come to lend me a hand once you get the van repaired?”

Wolf was curious to know who was that person until he turned around, “Okay. I’ll wait for our rendezvous,” revealing himself as male raccoon with a brown stick and a golden C-shaped hook on top.

Wolf was a little mesmerised by the good-looking raccoon. He was wearing grey pants, red bag around his leg, dark blue boots, gloves, cap and a shirt along with a red backpack and black eye-mask. His fur was grey-ish with very grey-ish blue like any raccoons would with but with milk chocolate brown eyes to add up such charming looks. Wolf eyes suddenly sparkles in light blue, pink and purple the more he stared at the raccoon and he barely noticed his cheeks were blushing as well and his heart beating…

Just then Tarantula snapped him out, “Wolfie?” She asked before pointing out his tail was wagging, “Your tail.” He sees this and quickly grabbed it as he and Webs hide behind wall again to not get caught. Wolf fur was fuzzy up and he smiled a little. “You okay, bro?” Tarantula asked, not knowing that she was smirking at Wolf’s reaction to see the raccoon.

“I’m good, yeah…” Wolf said before shaking his head, thinking that coast was clear he check again. Only much to his shock to find that the raccoon is gone. But how? This was the dead end and they haven't seen any way out. Wolf then noticed something glistening on ground. He was going to pick it up then he suddenly saw something that made him stop his track.

It was some sort of medal of the wolf-shaped as well as the paw-print that got wolf clawed across the middle while there were a star, a moon and a sun with three teardrops. They were all gold and bronze in red and orange colours with shows so sparkling and shimmering when the sun shines on it.

“What is it?” Tarantula asked as she noticed something was shining through Wolf’s hands.

“It looks like some old brooch…” Wolf said while staring at it while looking around of it. “Or medalion?”

“It does look pretty old, but felt new when the sun hits it...” Tarantula paused when she noticed the look on Wolf’s face. Something wrong, Wolfie?”

“I don't know,” Wolf said. “I got this strange feeling that I've seen this before.”

They turn around to leave only to get startled as they're stopped by the same raccoon. “I knew someone has been following me.” The raccoon said while spinning his cane. “Though I didn't expect a wolf and spider. Well, at least not the ones I know.”

Before they could explain themselves, the raccoon snatched the brooch with his cane to drop in his hand.

“What the…” Wolf was speechless, then snapped. “Hey!”

“I'll take this, thank you.” The raccoon said while smirking.

“That doesn't belong to you.” Wolf protested.

“Neither does to you.” The raccoon pointed out.

“Oh, come on!” Tarantula hand-smack her face. “It's not like we're stealing it!”

The raccoon shrugged. “Sorry, guys.” He spoke while putting the brooch into his pocket, “But I kinda need it. Trust me.” He was ready to leave, not noticing Wolf’s mischievous look and unlike Tarantula who was looking rather nervous. In a second, Wolf outran raccoon only to snatch his blue cap as he waved it around in front of him as some juicy steak. The raccoon wasn't amused as he crossed his arms. “Real mature. Now, give me back my hat.”

Wolf only smirked. Bingo, he thought. Now we’ve got in common.

“Wolf,” Tarantula whispered nervously. “What are you doing?”

“Oh, you want this?” Wolf asked before putting the hat on his head, “Then you have to catch me first.” And then he made a run for it.

The raccoon closed eyes before mumbling to himself in frustration. “I don't have time for this,” but then he smirked looking at direction where Wolf and Tarantula went. “Then again, few minutes won't hurt.”

While Wolf was running through the streets with the raccoon chasing him and Tarantula clinging onto his shoulder, the others were still looking at Abby and Piranha in the mall like some sort of big hide-and-seek and tag-you’re-it games for everyone here in this opening world they’re living together.

Wolf went up to the roof which got Tarantula annoying, “Wolf!” She yelled, “Are you crazy?

“Don’t worry,” Wolf said before he managed to catch his breath and to a leap of running once the raccoon tried to catch him up. “I’ve got this, everything is under control.”

Tarantula really needed to contact the others on what’s going on only when she still hold onto Wolf's arm, she didn’t wanting to fall off.

🐺🐍🕷🦈🐟

The others had been searching for Abby and Piranha in the mall for a while until they found them singing karaoke while eating burritos. Meilin, Miriam, Priya, Shark and Snake just collapsed in relief and annoyance but Catalina just stood there smiling that those two were okay.

“Should we find Wolf and Tarantula now?” Catalina asked Snake who nodded with his tail turned into a thumbs up. “We’ll wait ‘till you guys takes some breath first.” She chuckled.

🐺🐍🕷🦈🐟

The chase continued until Wolf was be able to catch a when a cane been pulled him into another shady alley. Wolf realised that cane belonged to the raccoon who stood in front of him as he pulled him closer. Wolf blushed slightly, but be able to control himself while looked a bit scared.

The raccoon only grabbed his hat, "I'll take this, thank you." He spoke. Wolf pulled himself away, keeping distance to composure himself. “Next time, don't mess with the Master of Thieves.” The raccoon added while smirking before putting his hat on his head.

“Sure, you're the Master of Thieves," Wolf said but then he smirked. "But I have the trinket." He raised his hand to reveal that he have the brooch in his hand.

The raccoon's eyes widened, quickly checking his pockets only to found it really wasn't there.

Tarantula only smirked knowingly, “Heh. An old bait and switch. Classic. People really should underestimate us.”

The raccoon looked at Wolf amazed. He couldn't believe that he got tricked by him with simple bait and switch. But then he chuckled. “My, my. I'm impressed, no one was able pick-pocket me ever. You got some skills.”

“Thanks,” Wolf said. “You're not bad yourself either, stripes. By the way, I'm Mr Wolf and this little angel voice of reason on my shoulder is Miss Tarantula.”

Tarantula wasn’t amused. “Haha, very funny.”

The raccoon look at them in surprise, “Wait. Your actual names are Wolf and Tarantula?

Wolf and Webs exchanged looks as they realized what he meant. “Well…” Wolf spoke first, “Not exactly, but… uh…”

“Hey,” the raccoon said as he realised his mistake. “It’s alright, I just kinda find it unusual. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.”

“It’s find,” Wolf said. “So, what’s your name?”

“Oh, right.” The raccoon said, “The name’s Sly. Sly Cooper.”

“Sly?” Wolf asked as his eyes suddenly sparkles, “Heh. Really? And you're saying our names are unusual?”

Sly Cooper couldn’t help but laughed at that irony, “Okay. Fair enough, you got me there.” Then his expression changed, “But seriously. Give it back, it’s not safe having it.”

Wolf and Tarantula were confused as they look at the brooch, then back at Sly. “Why?” Both of them asked.

Suddenly Sly pinned Wolf along with Tanrantula still on his shoulder on wall, while making himself a shield as the gunshot was heard with bullet flying around them. “That's why.” He explained.

Wolf was blushing after noticing their positions, but then stopped after the three heard a shout from other thieves. This was suppose to be a bait to lure other thieves who escaped from the bank and Wolf with Tarantula accidentally got involved, that's why Sly needed the brooch.

The black rabbit leader thief, Gary, shouted. “Got you now, you filthy rodent!”

Sly Cooper prepared his cane as he stood in battle position, while protecting Wolf and Tarantula behind.

“You better give us that brooch and I promise you that we won’t kill you!” Gary threatening to the raccoon.

Sly Cooper chuckled, “Like I would believe some crooked people. The only thing I give you is nice vacation to jail.”

The dark brown rabbit second-commander thief, Larry, laughed sarcastically. “Ha! Don't play with us or you'll see what are capable of.”

Tarantula then spoke up, “Seriously? All because of that trinket?”

The golden brown rabbit last thief, Barry, snapped. “No one was asking you bug!” Tarantula gave him scary look which frightened him enough to nearly peed his pants.

“You're clearly not smart enough, if you can't tell diference between bug and poisonous spider.” Wolf said to Barry, “And didn't mom teach how to behave in front of lady? Maybe that's why you're low-thief with no girlfriend.”

Tarantula laughed. “Hah, burn!”

“I agree,” Sly Cooper nodded. “That was good one.”

Larry rolled his eyes and scoffed, “We’re not afraid of… you…? He then gasped when he realised that he was now looking at Wolf, his face had gone pale.

Gary noticed his middle brother was staring like he just saw the ghost, “What is it?” He asked.

“That wolf…” Larry said, then he, Gary and Barry stared at Wolf.

Wolf, Tarantula and Sly Cooper looked confused as well as Gary and Barry, they have no idea what Larry was talking about until…

“He has the similar image of Akela Wolfervile!” Larry explained.

The three rabbits gasped before laying their eyes on Wolf who was confused.

“Wolfervile?!” Gary asked, “That's impossible!”

Wolf looked confused and slightly anxiety about this, “Uhhh… who?”

Gary then smirked, “Alright.” He spoke, “Change the plan. Boys, take the brooch and that wolf!”

“Wait, what?!” Wolf gasped in panic.

🐺🐍🕷🦈🐟

Her inner wolf send her nearly off the edge. She could feel something wasn’t right, she can even smell the thought of something way worse; Blood.

“Mr Snake,” Catalina said.

“What?” Snake asked after finally cool down from all that search for Abby and Piranha.

“Something is not right,” Catalina replied. “I think Wolf and Miss Tarantula are in danger.”

Snake, Shark and Piranha looked at her in shock and confused about how she would be sure about this. Miriam, Priya and Abby looked at each other who were a bit confused and kinda scared of what was going to happen to Wolf and Tarantula.

Meilin noticed that Catalina would smell a wolf being in danger from the distance. And Catalina would be in the rampage if someone was going to hurt Wolf…

(Disneyfriend, please forgive me but your ideas are getting bigger from the ideas you give. I’m still waiting for the third one, but please take your time.

Song: You Know What’s Up from 4*Town in Turning Red

Oh, and don’t mess with three rabbits; they may be cute and cuddly, but they are based on the two weasel from kung fu panda the dragon knights; funny but feisty!)