#her girlfriend must get *wild* work stories

[clonerightsagenda]

She remains remarkably composed for the most part but Holly Munro is really going through it tbh. Imagine: you are 18 and your boss is a 15 year old. You have a minor crush on one of your coworkers who hates you because she sees you as a threat to her crush. (He is a boy. You are a lesbian.) The two of you have such a bad fight it destroys a building and then she quits and everyone, including your boss, thinks it's because of you. Then she comes back and you try to bury the hatchet while sharing a hotel room and she reveals she's been enacting a horsegirl movie with an undead graverobbing cultist and fondly reminisces over how he'd encourage her to kill you with various kitchen implements. Over the span of a year you blow up a research facility, rob a grave, fight a crime ring, and take a day trip to hell. You were hired to be an admin assistant.

(Joking tone aside, she's vague about why she left her last job beyond that her boss was "disgusting" and "didn't treat his employees well", but given that she was a young woman who'd just turned 18 working as a secretary for a powerful older man, I wouldn't be surprised if he was acting inappropriately, which would make it even more galling for Lucy to immediately get her hackles up. The last thing Holly wants is special attention from her male boss. I hope she enjoyed blowing up Rotwell's laboratory.)

[cutieln4]

His Loss | CL16 smau

charles leclerc x reader, carlos sainz x ex!reader

summary: when carlos and you broke up, everyone thought that was the last time you’d be in the paddock. they were wrong.

fc: various pinterest girls

a/n: no hate to carlos!! i just love this concept

f1wags

Liked by username1 and others

f1wags Trouble in paradise for Carlos and his girlfriend, Y/n, who have been spotted arguing late last night

View all comments

username1 NOOOOOOOOO MY PARENTS

username2 i am a child of divorce

username3 ur joking😃

username4 WHAT DID HE DO TO MY WIFE???

username5 nah cause what did he do now

username6 they seem so toxic

username7 ikr as much as i love y/n…i kinda hope they break up

username8 she’s crying brooo😭

f1wags

Liked by username1 and others

f1wags One week after Y/n and Carlos seemingly broke things off, Carlos is spotted with Y/n’s best friend. Any theories as to what happened?🧐

View all comments

username1 oh so he’s a cheating bastard😊

username2 always the best friend smh

username3 wow. i feel awful for y/n

username4 y/n deserves better

username5 i thought carlos was better than that

username6 yikes that is actually wild

yourusername

Liked by charles_leclerc and others

yourusername little visit back home

View all comments

username1 we love you y/n!!

francisca.cgomes beautiful as always💞

yourusername that’s all you kika🫶

username2 charles in the likes??🤨🤨

username3 IKR I NOTICED THAT TOO

username4 WHAT IS GOING ON??

username5 you deserve better girl, that boy doesn’t matter anymore

username6 we’ll always support you!

username7 girl give us the tea what happened??

username8 shut up don’t be nosy

f1wags

Liked by username1 and others

f1wags Carlos brings his girlfriend into the paddock for the first time for the Spanish GP!

View all comments

username1 😒😒

username2 BOOOO👎

username3 so it’s official then huh?

username4 must be awkward cause y/n is there for one of the sponsors…

username5 BRING BACK Y/N🙌

username6 nah she deserves better than carlos

username7 carlos better have some much regret

username8 he’s unemployed anyway while y/n is thriving🥱

username9 DAMNNNNN

username10 YOU ATTEEEEE

charles_leclerc

Liked by yourusername, pierregasly, and others

charles_leclerc LET’S GOOOOO!!! Incredibly happy to get another win at Barcelona and thank you to the team for working so hard, we’ll push even harder to stay at the top❤️

View all comments

username1 there’s something so poetic about carlos’s teammate winning HIS home race while he dnfs

username2 WHO IS THAT???

username3 YOU CANT JUST DROP THAT PIC AND NOT SAY ANYTHING

username4 i have a theory but im not gonna say it

pierregasly Nice job, mate👏

username5 ummmm WHAT😃

username6 first of all, leo is such a cutie, second of all, what the fuck

username7 that should be me😣

username8 BABE WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?? I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!!!

username9 i wish i was this delulu

username10 so you actually can’t just do that

username11 you know who this looks like…🧐

username12 hear me out...nvm i'm not gonna say it

yourusername

Liked by charles_leclerc and others

yourusername i look better in the driver’s seat anyway

View all comments

username1 BODY IS TEAA

username2 HOLYYY

francisca.cgomes loveeeeee😍

username3 MARRY ME PLEASE

username4 i just know carlos is gonna come crawling back

username5 so she just used carlos's money to buy a fancy car? good thing they broke up

username6 she actually owns her own company

username7 not the ferrari...

username8 gold digger

username9 DEFINITELY his loss

username10 now that you're finally single, will you go out with me??

username11 felt the aura 50 scrolls away

yourusername added to their story

View replies

username1 WHO IS THAT MAN

username2 flowers...interesting...

username3 you can't just post this picture and then go offline

francisca.cgomes 🤨

username4 too gorgeous to let another man hurt you

carlossainz55 wow

username5what a hoe

username6 already moving on huh?

username7 GIRL WHAT SPILL THE TEA

yourusername

Liked by charles_leclerc, oscarpiastri, and others

yourusername so what else is on the menu?

View all comments

username1 GIRLLLLL

username2 oscar💀

username3 he loves the carlos slander

username4 i live for the drama

username5 ME ME ME🙋‍♀️

username6 okay but WHO IS THAT????

username7 wouldn’t it be hilarious if she just dated one of carlos’s friends

username8 PLEASE I NEED THAT

username9 i need a reality tv show just about this whole situation

username10 i can tell he’s hot just by his outfit

charles_leclerc

Liked by yourusername, pierregasly, and others

charles_leclerc your loss, my gain

View all comments

username1 sorry, WHAAATTTTTT????

username2 OHHHHH???

username3 how is carlos feeling now😂

yourusername my love💞

username4 best possible outcome

username5 ME N WHO???

pierregasly Congrats mate

username6 sleeping on the highway tonight🫡

username7 ik carlos is crying himself to sleep

username8 yikes it’s gonna be awkward for the rest of the year…

username9 so is she just gonna make her way around the whole paddock?

username10 brother euhhhh🥴

username11 i knew it🤷‍♀️

yourusername

Liked by charles_leclerc, oscarpiastri, and others

yourusername i’ve always liked ferraris

View all comments

username1 still in shock

username2 i just know he treats her right

username3 god when will it be my turn🙏🙏

oscarpiastri Congratulations!

yourusername thank you son🫶

username4 omg😭

charles_leclerc love you ma chérie❤️

username5 upgraded to a bf with a job🙌

username6 NAH THATS CRAZYY

username7 LMFAO

username8 so who’s next after charles?

username9 stfu

username10 they’re so cute

[magics-neptunes-things]

Pretzel Chocolate

Hi guys!

This is a request I add some days ago, I know it kind of the same background as @alessiasfreckles current story. But I asked her before and she kindly accepted it. So thanks to her too ♥ (Go check her work, it really is amazing)

It's a little less sweet that what I usually write with Wally, but I hope you will like it.

TW : Accident, Loss memory, Angst but happy ending

______________________________________________________________

Clearly, you didn’t expect that when you innocently get in your team’s bus back to London. Like your girlfriend Lia, you’re a footballer and that’s how you got to know each other. You quickly fell in love with the Swiss girl and after some very disturbing flirting attempts on your part, Lia saved you from humiliation by asking yourself for a date. You agreed and the rest is history.

You were sleeping peacefully in the front of the bus when the accident happened. Most of your teammates had gathered in the back for a wild game cards, allowing you to catch up on your sleep peacefully. Over time, you get used to falling asleep with Mackenzie’s Australian-sounding curses when she loses, Kristie’s happy exclamations, or Katrina’s laugh.

You have no memory of the accident, you don't know why and how the driver ran straight into a pole, throwing you out of your seat under the violence of the shock and putting you at the top of the list of wounded with a vital emergency when help arrived.

Lia was at a team bonding and will remember perfectly when Mackenzie called Caitlin shortly after the accident, in shock of what had just happened. She will remember the blood that suddenly left her ex-girlfriend’s face and the horrified look she gave her. She will also remember that she needed to be told things three times so that the information was anchored in her brain and that Leah was more reactive than her, taking her to the London hospital where you were having your operation at that moment.

She will also remember the relief of learning that you are alive, but the distress of not knowing when and if you will wake up. Nor in what state. But she will also remember the unfailing support of Leah and Lotte who kept her company in the waiting room for hours.

********

When you regain consciousness, the first thing you face is a blinding light that make you close your eyes again quickly. You hear different beeps around you, whispers of voices and the sound of a chair being dragged on the floor that makes you open your eyes instinctively.

You are this time facing the faces of several people, who look at you attentively. One of them is dressed all in white, a man of about fifty years certainly who slowly approaches you by looking at you carefully.

"Can you hear me?"

You nod, bitterly regretting your gesture when your vision is blurred and a pain awakens in your skull. You wince and moan in pain, your eyes flickering when one of the two women in the room takes your hand in hers. She seems to be on the verge of a panic attack or passing out.

"Where am I?" you ask, difficulty articulating.

"At the hospital in London. You had a traffic accident two weeks ago. Do you remember?"

"No…" you frown, searching your mind for any information.

"It’s normal" the doctor assures you with a smile, noting a few words on his notepad "Can you tell me today’s date?"

As he looks up at you, he must feel the fear that begins to take hold of you. The hand on yours tightens around yours, but you are quickly diverted from this by the professional who talks again.

"What year are we?"

This time, you're way more scared. You know nothing about it. You are unable to be even close to the reality.

"It doesn’t matter, everything is fine. Tell me the closest memory of today that you have.”

"I…"

It’s the nothingness in your memory. You turn your brain upside down, without being able to get anything out of it.

From the corner of your eye, you see the two women exchanging a look, without you being able to understand what it's about. And, when you realize that you cannot give your own identity, it's panic that takes hold of you.

A few hours later, you finally come to yourself again. After your panic attack, the doctor gave you a sedative that sent you into the clouds. You come back to yourself, but your memory is still lacking, despite all the different stimuli tried by the doctors. Aside from getting annoyed and tired, it doesn’t change anything. And it's finally when one of the two unknowns women asks them dryly to leave you alone that it stops. You are grateful to her, you hope that the look you cast at her speaks for you.

You have no memory of your love life, your past, your present or your family. The doctors warned your parents who came immediately, apparently not living very far from London. You learned in the meantime that the two young women in the room are respectively called Lia and Leah, the pronunciation being the same, it confused you a few seconds. But when the brunette mumbled that she was nicknamed Wally, you decided to go for it too. You found out you were friends, Leah showed you some pictures to prove it.

Other friends came to visit you, including Mackenzie who came with a photo album so you could list the people who mattered to you. Lia is very often at your side, discreet, almost mute. You’ve noticed that her eyes get wet sometimes and then she apologizes before leaving your room in hurry.

"She cares about you and is worried" Mackenzie answered kindly at your questions.

"I think I care about her too, even if I don't remember. Seeing her sad make me sad" you mumble.

Mackenzie smiles at you, squeezing your hand in hers. She was in the accident as well and only got out with a slight concussion. Most of the players (you learned that you were a professional footballer) got away without serious injuries. There's only you.

You learned that you play football, like most people who come to see you at the hospital. And you’re playing pretty well. You play for West Ham but also in the England national team and you even won the Euro in 2022. Unfortunately, you are without a screen for many more weeks. So, Lia came back to see you once with photos of the event. You pose there beside Leah and other people who also came to see you. Beth, Alessia, Lotte and many others.

But you don’t remember that either.

********

Staring at the clock on the walls of your room, you wait for time to pass. Leah and Wally are supposed to come see you and you can’t help but feel some excitement at the thought. You appreciate when Lia comes to see you, she is calm, gentle and always very attentive to your needs. You seemed close before your accident and it’s probably stupid since she’s in a relationship with Leah, but you want to find back the bond you had.

"Hi there!" cheers Leah, entering your room soon after.

She carries Swiss chocolate and some flowers. She put the old ones in the trash to put the new ones on the table. You look at her, lying in your bed, a little bit tired. You had exercises to try to have your memories back all the afternoon, but it didn't go well.

"Thank you, Leah" you answer, slightly smiling. "Are you alone? Where is your girlfriend?"

"My girlfriend?"

Leah frown, looking at you. You frown too, you know you have a bad memory, but you saw both interact together.

"Well... Wally?"

"Wally? She's not my girlfriend" Leah laughs. "She's one of my best friends though."

"Oh... I thought... You look close."

You shrug your shoulders and you see Leah sitting on the chair next to your bed, tilting her head on the side while looking at you.

"We are. But in a friendly way"

She smiles at you and you smile back. You feel like she want to ask you something but didn't. You don't have anything to remember, so you try to work on your intuition to guess things. And you usually are very good at this. But you didn't insist, something else coming in your head anyway.

"We... We only were friends, you and me right?"

"Yes" laughs Leah "Don't get me wrong, you're very cute but..."

There is no but, because Wally is entering the room at this moment. She looks at Leah with a special gaze, making the blonde looking a little bit uneasy.

"Hi" you say, trying to dismiss the tension you don't understand.

Lia's eyes are coming on you and her face softened, giving you a small smile.

"Hi Y/N"

Her accent is special, you asked her where she's from the other day and learn that she's from Switzerland. After that, you asked one nurse what Switzerland looks like and she came back with a travel-themed magazine, the principal subject being Switzerland this month. You didn't ask Lia if you already went there, sometimes she looks so sad about your situation that you want to cry too.

She comes to kiss your cheek, before giving you the chocolate Leah was caring.

"Swiss chocolate. It's your favorite."

You look at the package with curiosity, turning it in your hands. Milk chocolate with pretzel in it.

Your loved ones have been instructed to give you secondary information about your tastes, preferences or things you like. But they must not give you information that you have not looked for yourself before. That’s why you don’t know anything about your love life, some of your past too.

You remembered some things, like how you hate artichokes so much or what your bedroom looked like when you were a teenager. Maybe you should have left this information behind when you think about the number of posters of all kinds that covered your wallpaper.

After hesitating, you open the tablet to take a square and eat it. It's not surprising that it's your favorite, the flavor is exceptional. As you enjoy your chocolate, a picture dances before your eyes. A living room with a fireplace located right next to a TV. The wooden floor is light and there is a coffee table between the sofa and the TV.

"Do I have a fireplace in my house?"

Leah and Lia exchange a look, and it's finally Leah who answers you with a little sorry smile.

"No, you live in an apartment.”

"Oh…"

You sigh softly, a little disappointed. You don’t realize that in Lia’s eyes looking at you, there’s hope for the first time since your accident. You strive to engrave this vision in your mind to forget as little as possible.

Lia sitting next to you, you instinctively seek her hand, mixing your fingers with hers. You realized a few days ago that the feeling soothes you and since Lia doesn't seem disturbed by this kind of gestures, you don't deprive yourself of it.

********

"Did Lia come to see you?"

You look up at Alessia, who has come to keep you company for the day. Her eyes are placed on the chocolate bar opened on your bedside table and a smile decorates her lips. Apparently, your chocolate tastes seem to be known to everyone.

"Yeah, she was here earlier with Leah."

You repost the crossword book that Alessia brought you, as well as some Spanish specialties received by Lucy, with whom you also play in the national team. You are apparently close to her too, but since she plays in another country and you aren't allowed to use electronic devices now, you haven't been able to exchange much. She wrote you several letters though, telling you about her dog, her love life and her life in Barcelona. That’s probably what you’re talking about when you call. It took you several days to answer something in writing, your concentration being still difficult sometimes. But you managed to do it.

"I thought they were together. Lia and Leah"

Alessia looks at you with an expression that mixes surprise, tenderness and fun.

"Many fans thought they were together before they denied the rumors. You remembered Leah’s ACL, right?" asks Alessia before continuing when you answer positively "Lia was very present for Leah at that time. I guess it brought them closer."

You nod thoughtfully, playing mechanically with the pen you always have in your fingers. You did remember Leah’s injury, which kept her away from the World Cup you apparently competed in last summer. You have a few images in mind, like kangaroos you saw with Ella or a laugh when Mary showed you a video of Alessia traumatized by a turkey.

You miss those moments we stole from you, and you can’t remember them. It’s frustrating and it makes you very sad sometimes. You wish you could get your life back, but it’s not working right now. Your parents come to see you regularly and show you photo albums of you as a child, with your brother and cousins. You seem to be numerous and you seem to be in the youngest of this generation.

"You’ll remember, Y/N" Alessia says gently, putting a hand on your knee.

You give her a little smile before you nod. Yes, you will remember. You have no choice.

********

Several things have been put in place to help you regain your memory. You have a medical treatment to take every day, you have psychotherapy and hypnosis sessions and you also have a sports routine to respect. This last thing isn't a bad idea since you are a professional footballer and if you want to get your life back, you must stay fit enough.

Sometimes you are accompanied by one of your friends, and today it is Mackenzie who helps you to return to your room. No release date has been given to you, but according to your doctors it will not be long. You don't know where you will go however, it has been highly recommended to you not to live alone for the moment. You didn’t have the guts to ask anyone. You would like to ask Lia if she would accept to host you for a while, but for a reason that you cannot determine you retreat every time you are about to ask her the question. And it’s been a few days now.

So, you are fucked up when the doctor comes back to see you in the room after your shower while you and Mackenzie watch a game on television.

"Did you find someone to have you when you left the hospital?" asks the doctor.

You feel yourself blushed and you see Macca’s face turning in your direction.

"Um… Mackenzie, I haven’t asked you this yet, but if you’re okay, I thought about you?"

Just a beautiful liar.

"Oh… yes, of course. I thought… whatever. Of course, my guest room is at your disposal."

"Thank you" you answer with a slight smile.

The next day, when Lia comes to see you and you tell her that you are going to settle for a while with Mackenzie, it would be hard not to see her face fall. You don’t understand the pinch in the heart that it makes you, but she recovers quickly, making sure that she is very happy to learn that you are better.

"Will you keep coming to see me? At Macca's?" you ask, almost timidly.

A few seconds pass during which she looks at you intensely, before nodding.

"Of course. If you feel like it"

"It would make me very happy."

She smiles at you, but with that sad smile that doesn't reach her eyes, before diverting your attention to the newspaper she brought you. You listen to her read you the latest news and you decide to offer yourself a new square of chocolate that Lia brought you, that you save with precious care. Barely in your mouth, you feel a new image coming before your eyes, pushing Lia’s voice in the background.

You’re in the same living room with the fireplace and the TV is on this time. There is a presence beside you and you hear a laugh, a laugh that gives you a strange sensation in the hollow of your belly. When you open your eyes, Lia doesn’t seem to have noticed anything. But these images caused a question in your mind and you interrupt the reading of the Swiss.

"Lia?"

"Yes?"

The brunette raises the nose of the newspaper with a curious air, looking at you attentively.

"I just… don’t take this question for what it isn’t, but I’ve never heard you laugh since you came to see me."

"It’s not really a question" ended up answering Lia after long seconds of silence.

She’s not wrong and you bite your lip, looking for the best way to put your point of view in a better light.

"I just don’t want you to feel obligated to come here, if it weighs on you. I love your presence here, but if it’s too heavy for you…"

"No. It’s important for me to come and see you."

Your eyes cross for a few moments and you only see sincerity in the green eyes of your interlocutor. You end up smiling and holding out a hand that she doesn’t hesitate to grasp. Only then do you notice the ring she’s wearing on her finger. It’s not an engagement ring, but the kind of ring you get for duck fishing at the fair. You find it strange that Lia is wearing something that is quite suitable for children.

"What is this ring?" you ask curiously.

It reminds you something, but you feel like you’re looking for a needle in a fog. Lia seems to have understood, since she looks at you briefly before answering you.

"What do you think?"

You bite your lip, searching again and again. Lia gives you time and unlike the exercises you do for your memory, you feel no pressure. Lia exudes kindness and the way her thumb caresses the back of your hand helps you a lot.

"I gave it to you."

You leave the ring colored rainbow to focus your eyes on Lia whose face is suddenly radiant. You don’t remember all the details, but you do remember the decor around you when you take out this plastic ring from its paper packaging. And of your insistence on putting it on Lia’s finger, the latter accepting not without rolling her eyes.

"Yes, it’s you" confirms Lia in a soft voice despite the excitement that seems to have gripped her.

"I don’t remember when it was" you mumble in an apology tone.

Meanwhile, Lia got up from her chair to sit on the mattress of your bed, on which you are sitting too. She always have her smile, a real smile this time. And when she affectionately passes her hand through your hair, you feel like butterflies in the hollow of your belly.

"It doesn’t matter" Lia gently says "It will come back. I know it."

You want to kiss her suddenly. You wonder what sensations her lips might give you. But, before you can answer this urge, knocks are made at the door of your room, letting in Katrina, Clara and Harper.

"I’ll leave you with your new guests" decides Lia.

You’re having a hard time covering up your disappointment, even though you’re happy to see Harper.

"I’ll see you tomorrow before we leave for Manchester." Lia informs you before putting a kiss on your head.

********

"Why does Lia looked sad when I told her I was going to live with Mackenzie?"

You are walking Leah Mom's dog with Leah, during a rather cloudly afternoon. You doctor asked you to stay in shape and because you're not ready to go back to training, you do as much as you can to move. You go to the stores walking and your coach sent you bodybuilding and endurance exercises to do every day.

Leah looked at you for some seconds, before answering you. You know you were friends before your accident, but you don't know if you talked to the other a lot. Still, you feel safe with her. You know you can talk to her.

"I feel like you already know the answer for this question."

You bite your lip, looking at Bella running after ducks. And Leah running after Bella soon after, trying to protect those poor ducks. When the blonde come back next to you like nothing happened, she pats your arm.

"Talk to her. Wally really cares about you and I'm sure she misses you"

"She said she will still come to see me. But she never came" you mumble, without looking at Leah.

You don't understand. You thought you were close and Lia's absence made you realize that you maybe have like a crush on her. Which is stupid, why in the world would she have interest in someone broken like you are? But you still miss her.

"She's going to kill me for saying that" Leah sighs, pinching the base of her nose, before looking at you "She thinks you are developing feelings for Macca. Like romantic feelings"

"What?! That's the stupidest thing I ever heard since my accident."

Well of course Mackenzie is sweet and you understand why she was your best friend before and you really like the idea that you can still have that after all that. Of course, you don't know her like Caitlin or Alanna does, but of all your teammates, she's the one you’re closest to.

Leah shrugs and call Bella to going back home.

"Like I said, talk to her."

You hum for any answer, your hands stuck in the pockets of your jogging and the brain turning a thousand an hour. It’s only after saying goodbye to Leah on her doorstep that you realize that it doesn’t explain why Lia would stop seeing you if you were really in love with Mackenzie.

She’s watching a movie with her own girlfriend when you come back home. Since they have been waiting for you to eat, you sit at the table with them and try to stay focused on the discussion, but your mind is elsewhere. You are relieved to have the opportunity to find the calm of the guest room, in which you decide to offer yourself a new piece of chocolate offered by Lia.

You were disappointed to find that no other square allowed you to remember other things as the first two times. This is the last squares you have left; you will have at worst the excuse to want extra chocolateif you need excuse to contact Lia.

Lying on your back, on your bed, you swallow the last chocolate crumbs you have left, your eyes fixed on the ceiling.

But, while you don’t expected more, a new flash comes dancing before your eyes.

The same living room, the same television, the same fireplace and the same laugh. Except this time when you turn your head, Lia is sitting next to you. She looks much happier than you’ve seen her since you opened your eyes. And the way she looks at you… Like you’re the most beautiful thing she’s ever seen.

When the image dissipates, you blink several times.

You remember.

Not necessarily in every detail and in order, but you remember.

You remember Lia, how much you hate that nickname of Wally that others give her, your relationship, your first kiss and the long weekend she took you to Switzerland.

You remember.

Your hands shaking, you’re getting out of bed. You’re as wrinkled as if you’d been running a whole game. Other memories are jostling in your head, but the only thing you want now is to go see Lia.

"I’m going to Lia's!" you shout at Mackenzie down the stairs.

You barely take the time to throw your coat on your shoulders before going out and slamming the door. When you see the rain falling on London, you congratulate yourself.

********

It’s with frowns that Lia picks up her phone some time later. There’s basically no reason for Caitlin to call her so late.

"Hello?"

"Lia? It’s Caitlin… Listen, I’m calling you from Mackenzie, she doesn’t have your phone number and uh… Did Y/N make it to your house?"

"Y/N? No? Why would she be at my house?"

Other voices are audible behind Caitlin and there are different noises before Mackenzie’s voice sounds in the phone.

"She left my house almost two hours ago, without her phone, telling me she was coming to your house."

"She’s not here" Lia replies, standing abruptly on her couch, feeling panic take hold of her. "Why did you let her go by herself?"

"I thought she ordered an Uber or something. But without her phone…"

"Do we call the police?" asks Lia.

"They will laugh in our faces" replies Katie’s voice, which is apparently there too.

It’s not surprising if Mackenzie went to see Caitlin. But this is probably not the time to ask these questions.

"I’ll go get my car and do some research in the neighborhood" Lia decides.

After deciding to do the same and giving herself directions not to turn in the same places, Caitlin and Lia hang up their phones before starting to look for you.

For your part, it’s not very glorious. Persuaded to find the way back to Lia’s house now that your memory has returned, you have dug into the streets without thinking too much. Except that you suddenly had a hesitation, then another and a third, which eventually led you to no longer know where you are. Or where you’re from.

To top it off, it’s still raining and you haven’t taken your medication to fight your chronic headaches since the accident.

Long story short, you are now in tears, sitting on a sidewalk of an unknown street, in the rain.

Finally, while she had lost hope, Lia sees your silhouette sitting out in the light of a lamppost. Her cry asking Leah, who came to the rescue, to stop, gives her a start of cardiac arrest. But the blonde obeys and Lia hurries out of the car, running in your direction.

You jump suddenly when someone sits next to you, your first reaction being to get as far away from that person as possible. But you realize quite quickly that it’s Lia and anyway she doesn’t leave you much choice by squeezing you suddenly in her arms. Hard.

“God, are you ok? What happened?” Lia asks, taking your face between her hands to look at you.

“I thought I can remember where you live, I needed to see you but then I got lost and I didn’t have my phone with me.”

“Why didn’t you call me?!”

Lia raised her voice a little and you flinch, but the Swiss woman seems to regret it as soon as it happened. She takes you once again against her, her arms firmly tightened around your body. It makes you feel safe. You’re tired, exhausted to be honest. But you know you still owe her an explanation.

“I wasn’t sure you will take my call. You said you will come to see me, and you didn’t even if I’m at Macca’s since almost two weeks now, and…”

“I’m so sorry” Lia cut you, looking at you with tears in her eyes. “But I just… I couldn’t.”

“It’s ok” you breath before staring deep into her eyes “I remember.”

A silence passes. Lia is looking at you, too.

“What?”

“I remember. My past, my childhood memories. It’s you who have a fireplace in your living room. I remember you, mein Schatz. I remember us.”

After that, it went a little chaotic. When Lia starts to cry for good, Leah almost gets out of her car, but then she see you both kiss and she understands. She takes her phone to ring Caitlin and let you some minutes before taking you both back in her car. She drops you at Lia’s, giving you one big hug before leaving you.

********

Hours later, you’re in Lia’s bed after a good hot shower. Lia gave you some fresh clothes and you can’t stop smelling them. They smell like her, like your girlfriend.

Your girlfriend who is actually looking at you like you will disappear at any moment. You can’t blame her though, so you just grab her hand and take her against you to kiss her.

“Why didn’t you tell me everything?” you mumble after the kiss.

“They didn’t want me to. They said it would be too much for you or that you won’t remember everything if we told you the truth. Your brother fights with the doctors against it, but he didn’t have the last word. I should have fight against it too, but I wanted what was the best for you, and they were the doctors, so…”

Lia shrugs, her head on the cushion, still looking at you. You can’t imagine what she went through.

“It must have been so hard for you” you whisper, stroking lightly at her face

“It was. But I knew I had to do if I wanted to have you back at some point. But then after you choose to go to Mackenzie’s and I kind of freak out. What if, even if you remember in some days, you realize that you’re in love with her and not me anymore?”

“I don’t. She always had been my friend, nothing more. It has always been you, since we crash your team” you add with a smirk.

You met Lia during a friendly game between Switzerland and England in 2022. Leah Williamson had made the presentation between you and since then you never stop talking. She asked you on a date after two weeks of texting, you said yes and everything went great since then. Even if you’re a West Ham player dating an Arsenal one.

“I thought you were with Leah, the first days after the accident” you confess at your girlfriend.

Lia frown, looking at you oddly.

“Why did you?”

“Dunno. You were like always together, but I understand now. I’m glad Leah was there for you.”

You are confident in your relationship. Even if the fans seems to like Lia and Leah together, you trust your girlfriend and your friend deeply. Plus, you’re kind of a fan of their friendship. Maybe people would find strange that your girlfriend went to live with another girl like Lia have done when Leah was injured, but you didn’t. You know how good Lia’s heart is.

“I love you” Lia whispers, before kissing you.

You smile against her lips and she doesn’t let you the time to answer before kissing you once again, hard this time. You let her. You still can tell her how much you love her later.

_________________________________________________

It’s way longer than I thought at first 😅

[zcorners120]

I love love love your writing, maybe a request about the reader working in finance or business or smthing and just not feeling as beautiful as some of the other models/wags at an event, with Charles comforting her.

thank you so much mwaaaah <3 yesssssssss! i must say i like the concept of a wag being into a job sector like that, i love businessss

charles leclerc x fem!reader

synopsis; req above MASTERLIST

warnings; swearing

Leadership as a woman can be a difficult thing to own and portray without coming across as emotional, a bitch, being too 'Work orientated'. Working at a multi billion dollar business as the head of sales overlooking all of Europe was a hefty title.

Your father, former F1 reporter and journalist ensured you worked your way to success, even when surrounded by F1 drivers worth millions. Becoming an avid fan and sharing the passion with your father, you attended regularly, as a little girl and as the woman you come to be.

How you came about to be the girlfriend of the Charles Leclerc, or should I, (the narrator in your head) rephrase; How Charles Leclerc came about to be the boyfriend of Y/N L/N, featured in Forbes magazine as one of the most successful business women in our modern day, is another story.

Paddock appearances were becoming a more normal occasion for you, you had no excuse to stray away from making WAG friends at this point.

A tap on the shoulder, you turned your head to be met with one of the most beautiful women you've ever seen.

"Hi! You're Y/N right? I'm Lily, Alex's girlfriend!" Her angelic voice spoke, pearly whites shining without a flaw.

Having to slightly swallow due to your embarrassingly dry throat, "Yeah! It's so great to meet you, I was worried I wouldn't be able to find anyone to hang out with."

"Oh my gosh of course, I was so nervous in my first couple appearances but you're a pro already." She spoke, before being called over by a reporter.

"I'll see you later!"

Standing cowardly in your spot, fingers twiddling, you had to snap back into reality. Lily was a wonderful girl, there wasn't a need to be jealous. Girls don't get into competition with one another, especially one sided competition and jealousy.

You felt horrible about it, but couldn't help feel it when you're stood in straight leg jeans, black long sleeved top with a grey hoodie on your arm. It was slightly crushing, looking around to see photographers going wild over the supermodels and genetically blessed WAGs all over the paddock.

But it wasn't a matter of them being at fault here, because they didn't choose how they look, but a matter of yourself. It was self destructing and realising this quality in yourself made you feel isolated.

Verge of a panic attack, you rush to Charles' driver's room praying he wasn't there to see you in this state. Smoothly moving past people and not drawing too much attention to yourself you burst the door open.

"Hey amour, you okay?" Even his voice comforted, and the warm smile that you made you melt.

"Nothing, all good." Putting on a meek smile.

"No, please tell me. Something's off." The tone suddenly serious, desperation twinkling in his eyes.

"It's just that.. It sounds pathetic."

He pulls that look.

"I was looking around the paddock and every girl was just so beautiful, supermodels, journalists, influencers."

"Ba-"

Cutting him off, "I just felt so out of place, their type of thing being gala dinners and extravagant brand trips, mine being sitting in meetings and offices."

"Baby. You have nothing, and I mean literally nothing to be insecure about. Look at yourself, you're need to appreciate yourself like how I'm appreciating you. You are beautiful, sent from Heaven if I may. You're kind, funny, supporting, confident, and you don't take shit from anyone. You are my person, my missing piece."

Cheeks blushing furiously at the praise, pulling him in for a hug. You knew you had nothing to worry about now.

"Look at who's being pathetic and mushy now." He laughs, pulling you in for a kiss.

WRITERS PSAAA; i got so into this lmao, it reminded me of the women empowerment vibe from the new Barbie movie, how we're never against each other, but here to encourage one another.

By these means, it comes across as like hating influencers, models and journalists in this but it's not like that haha, just picked some of the more common roles for women to have in the F1 world.

LOVE U ALL, LOVE URSELVES <3

[turn3tifosi]

Request for arvid

Yk how prema does those LAP videos after every race. How about one where in the background you can see like reader and him walking together or smth and the fans and other drivers are like wait who is that

who’s that girl?

arvid lindblad x girlfriend!reader

masterlist

It had all started with a fan pointing you out in the Bahrain LAP video. You and Arvid had been really secretive, and even his own teammates didn’t know you two were dating. 

Then Prema released the video, and in one of the clips, you and Arvid were in the background, hunched over an iPad, watching something with intense concentration. 

The comments section exploded almost immediately.

“Who’s that girl with Arvid?” one fan asked.

“Are they watching race footage or something else? They look so focused,” another noted.

Speculations ran wild. The fans dissected every frame, every glance, trying to uncover the mystery. 

You and Arvid had always been careful, keeping your relationship out of the public eye. But now, the secret was out, even if only partially.

Arvid's teammates were the next to notice. In the team lounge, Ollie and Dino exchanged curious glances, whispering amongst themselves. Finally, Ollie decided to confront Arvid during lunch.

“So, Arvid,” Ollie began, his tone casual but his eyes gleaming with curiosity, “who’s the girl in the video? The one with you in Bahrain?”

Arvid didn’t bat an eye. With a deadpan expression, he replied, “What girl? You guys must be seeing things.”

Dino snorted, almost spitting out his drink. Ollie pressed further, pulling out his phone to show a perfectly timed screenshot, pointing at you in the frame, “Come on, man. Seriously, who is she?”

Arvid shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eyes.  “Oh, her? That’s my cat. She actually turned into a human just a few weeks back. Crazy, right?”

His deflection tactics only fueled their curiosity. The more they pressed, the more absurd his answers became.

“Arvid, you can tell us,” Dino coaxed one evening after practice. “We won’t tell anyone. We’re just curious.”

Arvid leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. “You know, she’s actually a secret agent. If I tell you more, I’ll have to kill you. Or worse, she will.”

Frustrated but amused, Ollie and Dino eventually gave up, at least for the time being. They couldn’t get a straight answer out of him, and without you around to ask directly, they were left with nothing but wild theories and Arvid’s ridiculous explanations.

You, meanwhile, were buried in schoolwork, unable to attend any races for the foreseeable future. The distance was tough, but you and Arvid made it work through late-night video calls and constant texts. You both laughed over his teammates’ attempts to uncover the truth and his outlandish stories.

One evening, as you watched the latest Prema LAP video together over a call, you noticed the comments section buzzing about you again. Arvid glanced at you through the screen, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

“Ready for the next round of rumors?” he asked.

You grinned back. “Always. Let’s see how creative they can get this time.”

As the weeks went by, the mystery surrounding you only grew. The fans, the other drivers, even the team staff – everyone was trying to piece together the puzzle. And through it all, Arvid kept up his game, deflecting, joking, and gaslighting with the skill of a master.

One day, Ollie cornered him again, this time in the gym. “Alright, Arvid, last chance. Who is she really?”

Arvid paused, wiping sweat from his brow, then deadpanned, “She’s an alien, mate. Came down from another galaxy just to catch my races. Top-secret stuff.”

Ollie groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

Arvid just winked. “That’s what makes me fun.”

The mystery of the girl in the background became a running joke in the team, and unbeknownst to Arvid, some of the team members even had a bingo guessing what ridiculous excuse he would make. Rene had won the game within a month, and Ollie was close to winning it.

[lleldey]

Preview: System Shutdown

Word Count: ~300

Description: In a society where happiness is hard to maintain, any individual with one to spare is highly scrutinized. Jungkook’s outward routine seems ordinary enough, yet the surface of his daily existence is built with lies, deception, and heartbreak.

Always plugged in, always engaged in conversation, he carries on with an unseen presence—one he introduces as his girlfriend. From the moment he wakes till the time he rests, her voice accompanies him, coloring his world with shared stories, laughter, and a connection that transcends the mundane.

However, there's a catch: she is never actually seen. She's supposedly on work trips, elusive yet constant. As whispers of curiosity spread among those around Jungkook, doubts begin to sprout. How can he talk to her nonstop while she's supposedly away? Why has no one met her? The line between truth and deception blurs as Jungkook’s world becomes an enigma and he must ask himself, what is truly real?

~

“Are you sure though?” her sceptical gaze manages to irk something deep within him, he knows his baby, why is she questioning him? “What are you getting at?” he doesn’t mean to come across as rude, especially considering she’s the only tolerable colleague in this shit hole, but her words awaken a side of him he’d rather leave untouched.  

“If you’re truly talking to her, why has no one seen her once?” she carefully weights her words, as if talking to a child, mindful of scaring them away, but Jungkook just laughs, finding the hoped loophole in her words, “Because she’s working, you alre-”  

“No, she’s not,” Thalia’s quick to interrupt him, “I saw her this morning in the city centre.” At this Jungkook’s grin slowly disappears, thoughts running wild, “Are you-,” his heart pounds in his chest, “Are you saying she’s going behind my back?”  

“No, I’m asking whether she’s real.”  

[horrorlove14]

The Cat's Out of The Bag - Gotham

Pairing: Jonathan Crane/ Scarecrow x Female! Reader

Warning(s): Just Gerald being a jerk, brief mention of death and hospitalisation

Thank you for your request, @poppunkandchill , and I do apologise for taking so long due to my busy work schedule and life

Poor Jonathan is forced to keep his relationship with you, his beloved girlfriend of over a year, a secret from his father because he fears that he would use you for his experiments to test out his fear serums and observe you like a wild animal.

You understand his concerns and agreed to keep the relationship a secret from his father after hearing stories about him, which weren't pretty ever since his mother's untimely passing from a fire.

Luckily, your family approves of your relationship with Jonathan because they can see that he's a sweet boy with good manners and knows that he doesn't act like his father.

One day, you and Jonathan were just hanging in his living room, cuddled up together on the sofa, watching TV and basking in the moment. After the movie, you received a text from one of your parents telling you to return home for dinner.

Before you leave, Jonathan gives her a sweet kiss on your lips before you leave his home, completely unaware that his father had watched the whole thing like a silent hawk, seething with rage in his eyes.

Needless to say, the two ended up in a nasty conflict where Gerald is upset that his only son went behind his back to get himself a girlfriend and insults you and said that you don't deserve him in a cruel tone of voice.

Jonathan defends you by screaming at him that you're the best that happened to him and wishes that he would rather be with you and your family instead where he is now.

Needless to say, Gerald tackled his poor son to the ground in a fit of rage before pulling out a syringe containing the fear serum and injecting it into him. He watches Jonathan experience the side effects where he is dealing with his worst fears, and Gerald has him hospitalised as a result.

A week later

You haven't heard back from Jonathan and are growing concerned until you suddenly get a phone call from the local hospital and hear his voice begging you to come visit him.

You rushed yourself to the hospital with all sorts of thoughts running through your head, wondering what happened to him and what led to his hospitalisation. Once you've made it to his hospital room, you had to catch your breath after all that running before settling down onto a chair next to his bedside.

Poor Jonathan held onto your hand so tightly that you thought he might have crushed it by accident. You do your best to calm him down by gently drawing shapes with your fingers from your other hand which has managed to calm him down for a bit.

Eventually, he tells you what happened with his father, and the reason led up to where he is now. You can't help but feel guilty that your sweet boyfriend is in the hospital because of you, which has enraged his father to harm him with his sick experiments.

Jonathan reassures you that it's not your fault and that it is bound to happen at some time during the relationship. It feels like ages since you've arrived until a nurse comes in to tell you that visiting hours is over.

You reassure him that you'll visit him again soon and you give him a kiss on his forehead before leaving the room to make your way back home as you must have worried your family when you ran out of your house after getting the phone call.

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

End of story. Likes and reblogs are very much appreciated. Thank you, @poppunkandchill , again for requesting me.

[enquiringangel]

Statements like: ‘None of the Lost Boys like Star’ lack a firm basis in canon. Talking just movie canon here rather than novels, scripts, etc. which actually add a bit more nuance to the whole thing.

Star's place in the story is as Michael's comphet love interest and as window dressing, because all movies must include a hot chick(tm). She has very little agency or role in the plot other than to lure Michael into the vampires' world. The story could have easily worked without her with only a few minor changes.

But that's typical of the film industry doing lady characters the dirty. We all know this. And we all know that characters of her type are widely disliked across Fandom as a whole for a bunch of reasons, one of which is probably that those of us who identify as women became sick to death of being portrayed as objects without agency because it can hit too close to home. Let's not flog that dead horse anymore.

Back to her relationship with the boys: they don't share enough screen time for us to definitively say they feel any particular way about her. Aside from Paul briefly saying "Ah, chill out girl" when she tells them off for hazing Michael, the only one who interacts with her at all is David. And that is very limited too: after the two scenes where she gets on the back of his bike, he basically pays her no attention for the rest of the movie. Though it is implied that they have some conversations off screen (about making Michael her first kill, etc.) that we don't see .

The boys' focus moves to Michael, and on male-male bonding. (I am very straight-faced while typing this.) Star fades away into the shadows during Michael's initiation not only because she was unable to stop him from making her mistake, but because her presence is unwelcome. It would be like someone's girlfriend going along to a wild bachelor party: probably doesn't happen that often and likely to be uncomfortable as hell. It's a boys' night. She'd cramp their style.

Whatever the writers' intentions may have been, any attempt at creating a rivalry between David and Michael for Star's affection falls flat on its face because David simply does not care to play that role. He does not seem to give a damn that Michael is obviously lusting after her, and shows no signs of being bothered about them sleeping together. In my view the scene where he makes Star get on the back of his bike instead of Michael's has very little to do with Star - that triumphant smirk makes it clear he's trying to get a rise out of Michael.

From the little interaction David does have with Star, I get the impression that their relationship is one of ownership. He views her as belonging to him, but obviously he has no problem sharing her if it means he gets what he wants - Michael joining them. For her part she comes across as being a little afraid of him, which is understandable considering the boys are literally horror movie monsters who brutally murder people. (Contain yourselves you monsterfuckers, yes I know, we all love them because of, rather than in spite of this.) But the way she laughs while riding on the back of his bike, the sheer joy in her eyes, it makes me think that's not all there is to it. There is happiness in her time with them as well.

[g-oblincat]

One of my favorite manga ended 3 hours ago and I must talk about it

I actually wrote this two days ago and of course, the finale comes out RIGHT when I was about to post lol

On Twitter, I used to maintain a yuri manga recommendation thread to keep track of what I read and recommend my fav works to others. Now that I'm back on Tumblr, a platform that actually allows you to write why you like something, I want to start doing more in-depth recommendations. Starting with this one!

Koroshiya Yametai (I Wanna Quit Being a Hitman!) by Tonoki Sun

Rose is a hitman who dislikes her job, but she has one thing to look forward to: dates with her girlfriend, Benika. However, not wanting to go on dates with a guilty conscious, she always confesses her sins (murder) to a priest in a confessional booth that hides both their faces. The priest, Father Shirafune, happens to be Benika’s actual biological father.

Rose doesn’t know the priest she’s told about all her jobs to is Benika’s father. Benika doesn’t know Rose is a hitman, and is also keeping her queer relationship secret from her religious father. Shirafune is curious about his daughter’s new “boyfriend”, and has no idea the “boyfriend” is the person who keeps confessing murders to him.

The initial chapters of Hitman remind me of Spy x Family, where the comedy and appeal comes from the dramatic irony and near misses of each character trying to keep their own secrets, but the tone is different. There’s definitely lightness and comedy there, but underlying is a story of Rose, a refugee fleeing her war-torn home and being forced to work as a hitman in a rich country who doesn’t care about her people. She’s a pawn for greater political powers, and the story is how she tries to break out of that.

A quick, non-spoiler list of why I like this manga - if any of these appeal to you, I beeeeg you to read this comic:

Really cute loving relationship between the main couple! But also: well-fleshed characters outside the main couple! Father Shirafune is GREAT

Plot is more political than I expected, in what feels like a very grounded, real way. The main plot of the story is about refugees that are discriminated against and mistreated and what happens in a country when that mistreatment reaches a boiling point.

I need to think more about the story to be confident in talking about this outside of surface-level observations, so I desperately want smarter people to read it so I can also see their takes haha

The writing is just GOOD and appeals to me specifically. The plot is fast-paced with no filler. There’s a good balance of comedy, lovely moments between the couple, action where you can see Rose get out of tough situations (more on this in the spoilers), and scheming and double-crossing between various political powers.

I read this comic on Dynasty Scans, translated by Gouma-Den. The site’s tags are usually good for content warnings - the main ones are violence/killing/etc. There isn’t a ton of gore though. I believe the raws are here. I don’t think it’s licensed as of me writing this, but you bet I’m buying it all if/when it is.

I want to ramble more about what I like about it below, but it will contain **spoilers**! All images are from the Dynasty Scans translation.

The precise way action scenes are written

The action scenes are super fun to read. Most of them are about Rose escaping pursuers in clever ways that don’t give out her identity, and focus on the steps she took to prepare for these situations and how she outsmarts her enemies. There is a similar appeal here to detective or heist stories where Rose is put in a tough spot, and you see how her knowledge and wild amount of foresight let her escape.

In general, I like the scenes where characters are thinking to themselves and trying to problem-solve in any manga, and this happens a lot in this manga. One of my favorite scenes is when Rose tries to figure out if Benika’s new friend is another hitman, without tipping off either of them.

I just think this is soooo cool. The story is full of Rose’s cleverness in these kinds of situations that is so fun to read.

The romance

The romance is so sweet. The girls have an adorable meet-cute and throughout the story, you really see why Rose likes Benika- she’s kind and energetic but doesn’t hesitate to give Rose a piece of her mind when needed. Rose clearly loves Benika a lot and is always thinking of her. The characters’ interactions feel cute but realistic, and they’re fleshed out outside of the romance, which makes me like them more as people and root for them more.

But also (huge spoilers ahead, please skip this paragraph if you plan on reading this at all) it’s soooo yuri to have one girl try to make a huge high-stakes emotional sacrifice for the other one while confessing that it’s all for love. And it happens in the latest chapter and I went wild.

The themes the story tackles outside of the romance

This to me is both the most striking part of the story!

The first, smaller thing that stands out is Benika and her hesitance to tell her father about her relationship because she assumes her father is homophobic since he’s clergy. Father Shirafune is not homophobic actually and the two have a good relationship otherwise, but it stands out that this is a consideration Benika has. I feel like a lot of yuri is characterized by being only about romance, not identity or society. Characters will like girls, but not be gay. I don’t think this is a bad thing- it’s a characteristic of the genre and TBH in my head, it’s the difference between yuri and LGBTQ manga. However, that’s why this aspect of the story stood out to me- it serves to show queerness plays a bigger part of Benika’s character and the world, is an important motivator in the story, and is good worldbuilding. It also is important because it adds to the grounded tone of the story- it’d be weird to have a story that is full of politics and religion otherwise but say nothing about the two main characters’ queerness.

Speaking of the politics of the story, the main non-romance plot is about how the unspecified first-world country the story takes place in (probably Japan, even though they never say?) treats refugees. There are multiple chapters about how poorly the refugees are treated, and what will happen to the country if it goes too far unaddressed (and if the country deserves what it gets).

This sequence of panels in one of the latest chapters was really good!

That’s it! The Dynasty translation is nearing the end of the comic (EDIT: It got posted right before posting this LOL that's what I get for being slow) so it’s a great time to catch up! Please read this comic and talk to me about it!!!

[mrsshabana]

Anonymous asked:

"It would be really interesting to be the therapist and see the before and after Gyutaro meets Y/n, lol.

Hantengu probably had quite the wild ride with Gyu during these months.

Oh and the week when he rejected Y/n for her own good! That must have been a really awkward session where Gyutaro just sat in silence with his arms crossed and was very defensive with whatever question hantengu was trying to ask him."

Therapy sessions are mandatory for Gyutaro since he is one of the few students that have a red ID. The university assigned him a therapist that he has to visit twice a month to make sure that he's doing ok, and is fit to take classes in an environment around humans.

Hantengu is used to dealing with difficult students, but nothing could have prepared him for Gyutaro.

Before Gyutaro met you, he was mostly silent in his therapy sessions. It was difficult for Hantengu to get anything out of him. The only thing he'd open up about was his sister, and even then he'd just talk about how great she is.

But after he met you, oh boy, that's when Gyutaro started really talking. When he first met you he'd go on and on about the annoying human girl in his class.

"She's so fucking annoyin... her and her stupid glitter pens," Gyutaro growls, "I don't know why she insists on talking to me."

"Well you seem to be quite fixated on her," Hantengu jots some notes down, "Are you sure you actually hate her as much as you say? She sounds like a nice girl."

"Yes, I'm sure I hate her! I just want her to leave me alone..."

"But isn't this what you wanted? Don't you want humans to treat you normally? This girl seems to be doing just that."

"I-" Gyutaro chokes on his words as a blush appears on his cheeks, "Ngh, I guess... b-but she's still annoying though."

After time passed, you became the only thing that Gyutaro would talk about during his sessions. Hantengu was glad to see that Gyutaro was making progress, he would make sure to report this to the university. That Gyutaro was showing signs of being able to facilitate healthy relationships with humans.

That is until the week that you had your first date, and Gyutaro had coldly rejected you. It seemed like all of the progress that Gyutaro had made had just disappeared overnight. And no matter how many questions Hantengu asked, Gyutaro refused to tell him what happened.

And when Gyutaro returned two weeks later for his next session, he had made a complete 180. The happiest that Hantengu has ever seen him. He was finally willing to open up to him about everything that happened.

Hantengu was shocked by the fact that Gyutaro told you about his troubled past. Even going as far to tell you things that even his sister has never known.

And believe it or not, Hantengu was not supportive of Gyutaro being in a romantic relationship with you. He knows more than anyone how volatile and dangerous Gyutaro can be, especially towards humans. Hantengu felt that you were good for Gyutaro, but taking the relationship to a romantic level would be too far. He feared for your life and even contemplated contacting the university about the matter. But ultimately decided against it.

Gyutaro had made lots of progress so Hantengu was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. And it ended up working out.

Now every time Gyutaro visits Hantengu, he has lots of fun stories to tell about his adventures with you. He even asks Hantengu for relationship advice sometimes.

"This weekend I asked Y/N to come over but she said she was at the mall so I went there too," Gyutaro lazily says while absentmindedly scratching his neck.

"You went to surprise her?" Hantengu questions, twirling his pen between his fingers.

"No, to watch her."

"Gyutaro... you can't do that."

"Why? I wanted to see her and she was busy so I didn't wanna disturb her..."

"You can't just stalk her! That's how you scare girls off. You need to give her her privacy."

"But she's my girlfriend? Why would she need privacy? I don't understand..."

"Listen Gyutaro. Time apart is healthy for couples. You don't need to be together at every moment."

"I beg to differ," Gyutaro crosses his arms defensively. Confident in his stance on this.

Repost from my old blog mrsshabana-archive

[billkaulitzwife]

Okokok this is kinda based off ur darrell getting cheated on post but MORE PAIN 😤 plz do some hcs of what dar and sodas relationship would be like if darrys girlfriend cheated on him with soda, like would he ever forgive him?? I MUST KNOW PLZ ADDI

omg i hate you sm rn. also i decided im gonna try and get thru all my asks/ drafts so im not bothered anymore. :)

You're Still My Brother.

(Soda, Darry, F!Y/N)

Sodapop's POV

It was December 27th, 1965.

I was walking home from the DX when Darry's broad came up to me from behind.

"Hey, Soda! You walking home?"

"Uh- Yeah. Why? You coming over?"

"Well.. no. Uh... me and Darry broke up so I dunno if I'm allowed back there."

I was taken aback. I looked around slightly, my eyes pretty wild.

"Whoa.. whattya talkin' about?! Darry loves you with his whole life!"

"I guess not. I just wanted to talk about it before you headed home."

I looked at her and took a deep breath. I nodded slightly and sat down in the grass with her.

Y/N's POV

Sodapop is such a dumbass. As I sat in the grass with him, my façade didn't fade at all.

As I cried to him and told him the whole story, I had rolled my sleeves up enough so he could see the makeup I had put there.

"Y'know, Soda.. I really love him.. We were having a conversation but we didn't realise the twins were home."

I honestly don't feel anything in the moment.

"Addie burst in trying to tell Darry something and she ruined the whole thing.. She lied to him and told him that I was cheating on him."

"Addie? As in my sister?? She would never lie about anything!"

"Sodapop she's with Dallas of course she lies!"

"No she doesn't. Neither of the twins would lie. They love you like your their own sister!"

"Maybe not. Darry believed her over me. I tried telling him I didn't but he just didn't believe me."

Plan is ago. He looked at my arms.

"Y/N what's that."

I pulled my sleeve down so it seemed I didn't want him to know.

"Y/N is your Dad beatin' on you again?"

"...No. It was Darry and Pony."

His face softened with concern.

"What.."

God he's fucking gullible.

"No, no, Y/N.. a-are you sure?!"

"You ain't a woofin.. Addie tried but I guess she was too weak."

Darry's POV

I was wondering where Sodapop was.

He was supposed to be home 10 minutes ago.

"Twins?" I called out. I didn't know if they were with Johnny Cade or not, so I had to check.

"Yeah?" Addie called back, walking out of her room putting a jacket on.

I smiled at her, "Where's Pony?"

"In the shower." She smiled back and grabbed a leftover Christmas cookie from off the table. "Pony! Hurry it up we gotta go meet Johnny!" She yelled into the bathroom.

"I'M HURRYIN' QUIT GABBIN'." He called back.

"Addie, you know where Sodapop is at?"

"As far as I know he should be at work." She said, shoving her cookie in her mouth. "Why?"

"He shoulda been home 'bout 14 minutes ago."

"Oh.. Well I'll be on the lookout for 'im on the way to the lot." I nodded and waved goodbye as she walked out onto the porch waiting for Pony.

God I missed Y/N.

Soda's POV

Would my siblings really do this?

I mean there's obvious bruises, but.. Darry? The twins..?

"Oh my god.. Y/N... I'm so.. I'm so sorry.."

She had tears running down her face and I didn't know what to do or say.

Next thing I knew she was on top of me and kissing me.

I grabbed her waist, pulling her in a little more. She were warm and her hands were so soft against the back of my neck.

"Y/N, Stop.." I murmured.

She stopped and I sat back up.

"Wha-- Why??" I muttered in shyness.

"Because you understand and listen, Soda."

"Oh.. Hey, Listen.. I oughtta get home so they aren't too worried about me. Ion wanna get put in no boys home."

"Alright. I'll see you around."

"Yeah. Bye." I got up and walked away towards the house.

"Goodbyee"

GOD DAMMIT. I HATE THIS HOW DO I TELL DARRY.

Addie's POV

Pony had finally gotten dressed and walked outside when I saw Sodapop approach the house.

"Hey, Soda! How was work?"

"It was fine." He said, walking straight inside and to his room.

"He's home!" I said before I walked down the steps and out the gate.

"Hey, Ads. Something was off about Sodapop, don'tcha think?"

"You ain't a woofin'. He looked pretty Red- and pale, too.." I stopped walking towards the lot in realisation of something.

Sodapop had lipstick all over his lips.

"Ads, you alright?"

"He picked up a broad!" I smiled and hugged Pony in happiness.

He hugged me back and I jumped up 'n down.

"Ohhh my god ohmygodohmygodohmygod!! We'll have another sister!!"

Pony smiled and shook his head, laughing. We had almost reached the lot in about 4 minutes.

"Hey, Johnny!" I called out to the dark-haired boy I saw about 20 feet away.

Mine and Pony's dark hair had grown a LOT since August. His hair was just below his ears like before, and our blonde and grown out so our roots had came in some.

I ran towards Johnny and tackled him onto the couch, Pony following suite.

I told Johnny everything that had happened once we left and how we suspect a girl.

Darry's POV

"Oh, thanks Ads. Heya, Soda. I'm just makin' dinner."

"Cool." He said as he rushed to the bathroom to wash off his face.

Why? I'm not sure. I didn't think much of it.

"Darry can we talk? It's about Y/N. I'd prefer to sit down.."

"Alright..?" I lowered the stove to low and sat down at the kitchen table.

Soda sat down and took a deep breath. "Um..."

Third Person POV

Soda told him everything. The kiss, the lies, EVERYTHING.

Darry had tears forming in his eyes and he lowered his head onto the table.

"Darry I'm so sorry. I tried to believe myself but I just- I couldn't. I don't know why, Darrell plesse forgive me."

"Hey, Soda, this ain't your fault."

"But I feel so bad.."

"Don't worry. You're still my brother. You had nothin' to do with this. It's her fault, not your's."

. . . . . .

Pony noticed the streetlight turn on.

"Addie, time to go home."

"Ooh right. Dinner time! Johnny you wanna eat with us?"

"..Yeah sure!" Johnny replied.

The three walked to the Curtis'.

They entered and saw Darry and Soda hugging eachother.

"Woah.. what's happened?" Pony asked.

"Just sit down in the living room, I'll bring out the soup. Welcome in Johnny, y'all are just in time."

Sodapop wiped his eyes and grabbed Addie after she took off her jacket. He hugged her tight. "I'm sorry we didn't talk after I came home, I'll explain in a minute."

"Hey, Addie, Mickey's on TV!" Pony yelled to Addie after her and Soda hugged.

"It's all good, Soda. Love ya big brother."

"Love you too kid sister."

Darry had brought everyone a bowl of soup (JOHNNY INCLUDED), and he and Soda explained to the young teens.

Addie had broke into tears and Pony was left in shock. Johnny was just devouring his soup, but was shocked too.

"Soda.." Addie said, crying.

"Man.." Said Pony, his jaw dropped.

"Huh?" Mumbled Johnny.

They lived in harmony after they all dropped Y/N because she's a stuck up piece of SHIT.

[rei-does-stuff]

MAKE YOUR MARK CHAPTER 6 LIVE BLOG BABYYYYYYYY

EPISODE 1!!!!!!

-FIRSTLY I’ve been so fucking excited for this that I dreamt about it THATS RIGHT I DREAMT ABT IT

-This is gonna be the last mym chapter….:(((((

-OKOK LETS STARTT

-NO MORE SPARKY TRANSFORMING THE NETFLIX LOGO :((((

-MANESTREAM!!!

-SIBLING BONDING I LOVE THEM

-“Hold onto your cutie marks!” IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE SUNNY

-AAAA THE INTRO ITS THE LAST TIME WELL HERE THE INTRO!!!

-PIPPP YA GOTTA STOPPP

-I love you izzyyyyy

-HOW THE HELL DID SHE BLOW THOSE SO FAST, strong fuckin lungs

-BLAIZE!!!!

-All the dragons have the same model yes, but they all still look unique and pretty good IN MOTION

-OH SUNNY IS TERRIFIED

-Aww trying to put on her tough voice this is why ur my favorite sunny!!!

-AWW IZZYYYY

-I LOVE LUXXE

-Leaf is cuteee

-Tumble and him are def gay

-FOUNTAIN IS A LITTLE CREATURE….Well big creature but yk

-PIPPS FACEEE

-OH SO THEY HAVE THE SAME SHIT AS SPARKY

-OPALINEEEEE

-OOO SONG

-HER VOICE IM IN LOVE

-God that was sooo goodddd

-Love sunny rushing in to defend alicorns

-Also her putting her hoof around zipp GAYYYY

-MISTY I LOVE YOUU

-Hitch and your dad jokes I love youu

-Sunny trying to make friends with Blaize, IS THAT A PERSONALITY I SEE?

-Also her and Blaize? Rlly gay

-Love this green dragon (already forgot his name im a little dumb)

-SPIKEEE

-OH HIS VOICE WILL TAKE A WHILE TO GET USED TO BUT ITS NOT BAD, he finally has the deep voice he’s always wanted, good on you for the transition, plus he is total nonbinary goals

-AWW SAME HUMOR!!

-Also Sunny fangirling a bit

-AWW HE DOESNT REMEMBER :(

-TWILIGHT MENTION

-AW HIS LIL ‘Twi?’ OUGHHH

-okok so we were all pretty right on the real story!

-“You lost magic??” LMAO EVEN SPIKE IS LIKE ‘rlly???? After everything you rlly lost magic yall are wild mannn”

-When sunny gets excited her alicorn-ness starts to show, I’m not saying its a stim but it’s totally a stim

-AWW SUNNY REMINDS HIM OF TWILIGHT AAAA

-Love his speech but I wish they referenced how he thought the same but realized his true family were with other ponies

-GAYYY i need to see ship art of sunny and Blaize NOW

-ALSO WHY ARE YOU ON HER BACK SUNNY YOU CAN FLY, MORE REASON WHY SHES GAY

-YOU TWO PIPP AND ZIPP YOU CAN FLY!!!

-OUFHHHH THAT WAS SOOO GOOD!!!!

OKOK NEXT EP

EP 2

-TWO PARTER BABYY

-NO NOT THE TOGETHERNESS TREE

-The townsponies still freak just the same as g4, some things never change

-SPROUT

-‘And Pipp’s hair is still fabulous!’ I LOVE YOU ROCKY

-YEA MISTY WOULD KNOW

-LOVE THIS SPEECH UGHHH

-“That is…An option!” SUNNY DONT BE MEAN

-AWWW IM GONNA CRY

-PRINCESS SUNNY AAA

-FILLY MISTY

-‘SHE DOESNT KNOW HOW TO CHECK HER MESSAGES’ HAHAH

-NOOOO NOT THE DRAGONS

-SPARKY YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN

-OHH SHE KNEW SHE FUCKING KNEW MISTY BETRAYED HER

-GET HER ASS ANIMAL FRIENDS

-OOO YAY THE DRAGONS ARE BACK

-OOP NEVERMIND

-YES HITCH GET HER ASS

-OUGH SUNNY UNDERSTANDING HOW AFRAID MISTY MUST BE TO SEE HER ABUSER AGAIN AAAAA

-AAAAAA THAT WAS SOO GOOD

NEXT EP NEXT EP

EP 3!!!

-GRAB HITCHS CUTIE MARK MISTYY

-YESSS GO MISTY

-GET HER ASS

-GO AFTER YOUR GIRLFRIEND SUNNY

-OO PIPP YOU SMART

-WELL IT WORKED FOR A SEC

-UGHH I LOVE THIS INTERACTION BETWEEN MISTY AND OPALINE

-HEY YOU GOT TO DO YOUR PLAN IZZY

-SHE IS SO SMARTTT

-DAMN IT NOO

-‘We could just call’ I LOVE THEMMM

-THE NECKLACE

-NOT OPALINE PLAYING THE “you and I were not so different” CARD

-BUT ALSO SUNNY YA CANT REDEEM HER SORRY

-SPARKY YOU GOTTA BRING IT ALL BACK HOME

-SONGG

-DONT CRY REI AAAA

-NECKLACE TIME RAINBOW POWERR

-THEYRE RLLY PULLING OUT EVERY STOP

-ELEMENT OF HARMONY???

-HA GET YOUR CUTIE MARK WIPED

-AWWW

-CRYSTAL PONY TIMEEEE??

-AWWW THAT WAS AMAZING

LAST EP LAST EP

-40 MINS AND NEW NETFLIX PRESENTS LOGO

-THE MUSIC????

-THEYRE SO PRETTY

-ZIPP BEING WORRIED ABT HER GIRLFRIEND

-THEY DID ALL THE STOPS WITH THE VISUALS ITS SO PRETTY

-CRYSTAL TOWN CRYSTAL TOWN

-New threats maybe?

-MISTY I LOVE YOUU

-CRYSTAL PONIES

-SONG

-TRANCE???

-Auroricorns! New name for Crystal ponies?

-STARSHINE TIME

-AWW THEYRE ALL DOING CUTE EYES AT HITCH

-This is def giving me comfort special vibes!!!!

-Trip-Skating!

-STIMMING SO MUCH RN

-THEY DONT KNOW ABT EQUESTRIA

-Never allowed to leave? Ooooo

-SNOW PONIES

-GIRLFRIENDS AGREE WITH EACH OTHER

-If this keeps going this well this might be my fave ep

-WTFFF

-This is some freaky shit

-WTF ARE THISE????

-GRIFFINS??

-ANGEL BUNNY 2.0

-HER VOICEE

-So she’s like Opaline, but probably less fun? Interesting….

-Messed up tbh

-Maybe Allura will get a redemption arc?

-SUNIZZY CRUMBS

-SONG

-WOW she is stupid I love it

-DAMN THIS IS SOME OUR TOWN SHIT

-SNOWBALL FIGHTT

-YEA MISTY

-SONG

-So she might be back!

-VIOLET FROST

-AWWWW

-NEW FRIEND

-LETS GO COMET

-THEY EACH GETTING THEIR OWN FORM OF ELEMENTS OF HARMONY

-WHO IS THAT VOICE???

-BROTHER???

-THIS IS GETTING INTERESTING

-MANE 7 MAYBE??

-NEW GUY TOO

AAAAA I LOVED THAT, even tho there’s no more mym I’m sure tyt will be just as good once the episodes get longer!!

[mairen-marionette]

✨🌼🌺❤️ for the oc asks?

Neo thank you so much for the ask I appreciate it so much! I like talking about my ideas honestly, I need to do it more.

✨- How did you come up with the OC’s name?

Okay so for Mirena, she is a character I have had some variations of for years now in my head for my own original work, (very long story that needs its own post or two), but the name itself is one I came up with some time ago and turned out to actually be a name in Latin, and I've kept it for this iteration of the character. Her nickname is Mira.

As for Miah, that is actually a nickname I came up with and figured out an actual name not long after. His full first name is Jeremiah, btw.

Miah and Mira, the Nälkän and the low-level reality bender both unwillingly employed by the Foundation and essentially playing one of the most stressful irl games of Among Us possible. And then more of their colleagues figure it out-

🌼 - How old are they? (Or approximate age range)

Still working it out along with the timeline. Both are about early to mid-twenties, a bit young for researchers but then again so are other colleagues at this point. A lot of odd and desperate circumstances and very hard work have gone into getting to where they are today, as well as a lot of luck.

🌺- Do they have any love interest(s)?

Neo I am so glad you asked! This is actually one thing I have developed a lot, I just need to write it out more.

Mirena has a girlfriend, Shannon, a shining Mobile Task Force newbie who ends up turning traitor to join the Chaos Insurgency- and despite everything, the love is still there. Shannon wants Mira to join her, Mira both cannot leave and absolutely will not join the Chaos Insurgency. Shannon is forced to flee, and Mira's left to deal with the aftermath. How fun.

And then they just keep encountering each other after that, and it is a whole thing that I have a lot of fun with and need to actually write out.

As for Miah, things are messier and to start with, here is the very abridged version of the man we call Miah's wretched traitor ex: Miah's a research assistant to a doctor and while working under this very shady man he ends up meeting a very nice site security guard who also happens to be relatively new to the whole working for the Foundation thing and they hit it off!

It's sweet, things are lovely, Miah trusts this guy and loves him so very much and tells him oh so many things- and then shit finally hits the fan all at once and in the chaos, boyfriend's true allegiances are revealed as he is in actuality a mole and Miah is unfortunately in the way and loose ends must be tied up, with overkill since he knows Miah is a fleshcrafter and those types are infamously hard to kill. Needless to say, Miah survived, with begrudging thanks to his now late boss who was all too happy to at last put his illicit research into action before he 'terminated his employment' on his own terms.

Needless to say, Miah is still very, very mad at his ex for that stunt and while he is fine with never seeing the wretch again, he would be all too happy to finally confront him and

It's not the only romantic relationship I have in mind for him, mind you, but it is a fairly major one that has had its impact.

❤️ - What is one of your OC’s best memories?

Okay, that is hard to say but I have thought about this before, actually. At least for Miah.

For Miah, one of the memories he holds closest is from not long after he came of age, when he was more formally initiated into the faith he had converted to all those years ago. It is one of the proudest moments of his life, and he remembers it well- the makeshift ceremony in the forest on the night of one of the High Holy Days, the pride in his teacher's eyes and voice, and the pride swelling in his own chest, the happiness.

As for Mira, it takes the form of when she finally realized that she was in fact very much love with the bright, wild, lively woman sprawled next to her on the grass, staring wide-eyed at Shannon as she laughed and laughed. And then Shannon finally looks at her, grinning that signature wild grin of hers, and the researcher feels as if she is drowning, as she's had so many times.

Anyhow, thank you for the ask Neo, sorry it took so long for me to finish answering it! Hope you like it, friend. Sorry if it's too long.

[oranharple]

"Passion" - An Original Short Story

You can listen to an audio recording of myself reading the story on my YouTube channel, right here: https://youtu.be/I41SApi9Xb8

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

I tugged at the collar of my dress shirt and pulled at the tie wrapped snug around my throat. I've always hated ties, and it certainly did not help that it was the same set of church clothes that I had been wearing for the last half a decade. It wasn't so much the issue that we couldn't afford better clothes, because we could. Mom even suggested stopping by the store to grab another outfit, but we were already running late as it was. It wasn't even an issue last time I came to church. However, it had been a while since then, and since leaving for college I had bulked up a bit in some areas.

Mom noticed this struggle of mine and subtly jabbed her elbow into my side. It was her usual way of wordlessly conveying the message, "Stop making yourself look like a fool during the sermon!" I whispered something about perhaps taking my tie off, at least, which she responded by sucking her teeth and tossing her head to the side, her way of wordlessly saying, "Go ahead, if you want to embarrass me in front of all my bingo friends." I kept the tie on, and suffered through it.

● ● ●

I had left for college that previous summer. It was the first time I had been away from my family for an extended period. I recall my mom crying in the passenger seat and Dad practically throwing my suitcase into the dorm room. Meanwhile, Kristen was acting as my shadow. I was initially annoyed by her following me and her pressing questions: "What is this box for?" "Do you have this place all to yourself?" "Are you going to get a girlfriend?" But, after several minutes I came to appreciate her company. I understood that she was just unknowingly mimicking my own behavior from when both James and Simon went off to college. Perhaps it's just a rite of passage all younger siblings must accomplish.

"Clothes." "No." "I don't know."

My siblings and I have always been close– difficult to keep in line and constantly at each other's throats, but close nonetheless. We all drove our parents wild as children, but that's kind of what you sign up for when you have more kids than adults in the house. They could have stopped at me, and everyone was convinced that they would, but then they had Kristen. My brothers and I joked that our parents would've kept trying for a girl until they got one, and maybe we weren't too far off.

I can't imagine wanting that many children– not in the modern age at least. I get the old mindset of children dying young or wanting a bunch of sons so they can pass on the father's name or whatever, but all that just feels so archaic.

I was ten when she was born. No longer the baby of the family, which made me a little happy. The heightened pitch to my mother's tone that she directed at me ended almost immediately after she saw Kristen for the first time. That was nice, but it also meant that I no longer had that unconditional praise and affection that only a baby sibling can have. I actually had to work for that stuff. I had expectations to meet, achievements to work toward, and a completely new identity to discover.

I stood in my new room and arranged objects on my desk from an old cardboard box that had been in the attic for years– if not decades– before we stuffed them full of my own belongings. Kristen sat on my bed, occasionally asking me questions about my upcoming life. Eventually my hand gripped a leather-bound tome. Hefty from the pages inside, but even more so from the words printed in each chapter. I withdrew it from the box. My Bible. The Bible. The only one I knew, at least. I gripped the spine in such a way that, had my fingernails been longer, they could have possibly pierced the skin of the binding.

I placed the book on my desk, right next to my bed. Kristen looked at it for just a moment before turning her head to face me. Her eyes glistened in the warm summer light refracting from the nearby window overlooking the neighboring parking lot. I watched her mouth slowly open, as if the thought was lodged in her throat and she had to cough it out.

"I'm hungry."

● ● ●

I watched as they drove off. It was a very surreal experience; I felt this sudden emptiness in my stomach. The dread of loneliness swelled up within my chest and I just stood there for what felt like an hour, but was more likely just a minute or so.

● ● ●

Apollo arrived later that day. I remember him carrying several suitcases and bags of various sizes packed near to bursting. I understood why he may not have wanted to make multiple trips, but why he insisted on doing all the work himself was beyond me. It's not like he looked particularly athletic, he was actually quite small for someone about one year my senior. "What, did your parents not want to help you move?" I asked as I pulled a duffle bag from his shoulder and a suitcase from out of a death grip.

"Nah," he said between breaths, "It's just me." He then dropped his things to the ground and subsequently crumpled under his own weight, as if his legs were made of paper. Meanwhile, I just stood there, holding some luggage that felt like it was full of stones. I stared down at him, watching his chest rise as fall with each breath, and I became overwhelmed by this sense of pity. Though, I can't say I recognized it as such at the time.

● ● ●

Despite this ordeal, Apollo still had something left out in his car. I offered to retrieve it for him, but he insisted that he be the one to bring it up. I felt like I was in no place to argue, so I watched him step back out the door– not even a full minute after he had collapsed onto the floor of our dorm.

He returned a few minutes later, still short of breath, but carrying just one item. Obvious in identity from its size and shape; it was a guitar case. He set it down by the doorway and pressed his back against the wall. Sweat dripped down from his forehead. I grabbed a bottle of water and tossed it to him, and it collided with his chest before he juggled the container in his arms and chugged about half of it in one sitting.

We both ended up sitting on the floor. Apollo was still drenched in sweat and had gone through another two bottles of water, which were crushed and tossed haphazardly around him. However, he at least seemed cognizant. Eventually, the topic moved to our education and career goals, and he proceeded to explain how his goal was to major in music and pursue some sort of career as a musician.

Just as he explained this to me, my feelings toward Apollo shifted from a strange sort of pity to a clear and unadulterated contempt and loathing. My choice to attend college was to pursue a career in economics, and the work that I saw ahead of me was purely out of a desire for a stable job with a good income. That is what college is for, is it not? Is it not to gain training and knowledge of practical business experience, and the opportunity to find work in that field?

I knew then that there were people that majored in the creative arts, and that there was a place for them in society– I knew that. However, I also understood it to be a foolish venture. How many people pursue a career in the arts? Thousands? Tens of thousands, a year? How many of those that graduate make any semblance of success, whether financial or otherwise? How many even graduate? Perhaps most do, as I cannot imagine the work being nearly as taxing as a degree in math or the sciences. Surely a degree in music could not carry equivalent weight to one in economics, political science, or law.

● ● ●

We hardly spoke for the rest of the day. We retired to our separate rooms, only ever leaving to use the communal restroom. Later in the evening, I was at my desk scrolling through Facebook on my laptop. I saw photos and videos of my friends, finding their own life goals and passions. Blake moved into his dorm, just a couple of floors below me. Lauren and Tanner are now engaged. Chad and Michelle just had their second kid despite both of them struggling to keep the marriage afloat. We all saw it. People have stopped inviting them to events because they cannot coexist in the same room for more than ten minutes before one tries to strangle the other.

I click on the video of Michelle holding her baby. Her smile looks painted on. She is crying, but are they tears of joy over her new child or anxiety over the person holding the smartphone camera? Or perhaps it's the fact that they now have another thread intrinsically linking their lives together, making it harder for either of them to separate.

A pink balloon floats above Michelle's head, yet they call the child their, "beautiful little boy." Perhaps there were no more IT'S A BOY! balloons at Party City, or perhaps someone was expecting a different life for their child.

I click off of the video, and the next post is from Mom. It's two pictures proceeding a novella-sized wall of text. Picture 1. Her and I, shortly after I was born. She still looks youthful, alive, but tired. Very, very tired. I, on the other hand, look like I was molded out of clay, still yet to be cooked; unfinished in her hands.

Picture 2. Me in my senior photo. I really hate this image. I was so very tired and uncomfortable there in the studio, but you could hardly tell that just by looking. They made me wear that stupid bow tie and a tacky black and white suit– but just the top half. They didn't need to photograph anything below the waist; it was just a façade to look professional and well kept.

Though, credit where credit is due, the people doing the touch ups really did a good job of making it look like I was actually happy to be there. It's like looking into a mirror, but one that shows you a warped image of yourself. All the parts of you that make you look good, young, and attractive are accentuated, but you know where the falsehoods lie, and the more you look at it, the more you grow to hate this completely disingenuous version of yourself.

● ● ●

If the tight collar around my neck wasn't bad enough, the church was sweltering. The air conditioning was broken the last time I was there, but it was turning to autumn, so the priest just decided to not fix it. Come the spring and early summer, he still never got around to it. Now I and dozens of middle-aged people are sweating underneath our nice clothing.

The priest pulled out a handkerchief and wiped down the top of his sparkling bald head, then he proceeded to blow his nose into the rag, and he repeated this process several times throughout the sermon. Oftentimes, I couldn't pay attention to what he was actually saying; I just focused on this one repeated action.

● ● ●

The whole congregation stood for communion. The priest and two other elders moved into positions to hand out the wafers and wine.

It was the first time I had ever participated in the practice, and my mind could not rest as I stood in the line. My arms were quaking by my sides and I could find no good place to put them. I thrust them into my pockets, under my armpits, behind my back, everywhere felt wrong and disingenuous.

● ● ●

Apollo was by far the most social of the two of us. He always wanted to arrange time together, even if it was just walking and talking on the way to class. I often tried to find an excuse to avoid this, but some excuses can only last so long before your true intentions become obvious.

He would talk on and on about his classes, what kind of music he was listening to, virtually every aspect of his life. I responded with very little. It didn't seem to upset him; he seemed quite content to talk about himself. A trait that I was not particularly fond of.

Eventually, I began getting up and leaving the dorm before he even woke up. I had built my entire schedule off of trying to avoid him as much as possible. Any time I saw him on campus, I tried to keep my distance. If we ever passed each other, I would simply not acknowledge him and pretend I never saw him.

Despite this, I can't say I hated him– on the contrary, I began to hate myself. I felt as though I was punishing him for his eccentricities, and I never wanted that. The Lord said to "judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matthew 7:1), and I always took that ideology to heart, but my heart was conflicted, as it seems it has always been. Any time I saw his face, this familiar discomfort swelled within my chest, and the thoughts and feelings that I had often dismissed would race back to me.

● ● ●

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

I remember the priest reading this passage from his pulpit at the front of the sanctuary. It certainly is a convenient piece of the Scripture. It's like a laundry list of sinful behavior to avoid.

As a child, my mind held on to this one set of verses. Perhaps because the Bible is so often left open to one's interpretation of its text, but there it was, written in plain ink, many concepts that someone needed to avoid to be deserving of eternity in heaven. Not a comprehensive list, of course, nor should it be the only verses to cite for a wholly moral lifestyle, but for me, it was a start.

It seemed that, in the eyes of God, you were either all in, or you were out. So, I spent the next few years becoming deeply engaged with the church and the Scripture. I wanted nothing more than to be the best follower I could be, lest I suffer an eternal damnation. Even the rest of my family considered my practice a bit extreme, but I only wished to do right by the eyes of the Lord, for such abstaining from sin should grant me the eternal love and favor of God.

Why, then, did my heart– the vessel by which my faith resided– swell with excitement at the thought of lying in bed with other men? Why did I long for another masculine body to hold me? For us to embrace each other as the gentle moonlight illuminated that which we could not normally see through the dark.

I had tried to turn these feelings toward one of the opposite sex, but that fell apart very quickly. She was a good person, but I could not love her. She always wanted to move the relationship forward, but I was still waiting for that spark of affection, of joy– of literally anything for me to attach to, so that I could say I loved her, and mean it– but it never came. I felt cornered into a situation I wanted no part in, so we separated, and I pushed the feelings down. I felt that if I must feel such a way, then that is fine, but I must not act on such desires, and I should convert this desire– this lust– into energy directed into my faith. I would have to pursue morality to such a degree so as to compensate for my innate sin. This, I decided, was my passion.

● ● ●

Snow began falling across the campus. Classes were canceled after several inches accumulated over the first couple of hours. I woke up to the alert on my phone, and decided to just stay in bed. It was easier than pretending.

Then, I heard it. The gentle chords of Apollo’s guitar piercing through the thin walls of the dorm. It was not uncommon for him to practice when classes were over, but I rarely ever listened. Other times I would put on headphones and drown it out with my own music, or listen to a podcast while doing homework, but this time I layed in bed and just let the music envelop me.

There was something there that I had never cared to hear before. I wish I could explain it in words how each note caressed me and comforted me, like the warm embrace of a parent or lover.

Then it suddenly stopped. A faint voice passed through the walls, though I do not recall understanding its words. All I do remember is the aching in my chest which returned when the music stopped. I tried to dismiss it, to be rid of the thoughts and feelings that crept back into my mind. "You don't really want this," I told myself, "Just stay true."

It was like a drug, and I was feeling the withdrawal.

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).

● ● ●

I tossed and turned until I reached over to my desk and grabbed the Bible. Still in bed, I opened the book and tried to read through the pain. My eyes couldn't focus, and I hardly recall reading anything. I was just mindlessly flailing through the pages, all of which looked like seas of off-color white with dots of black ink floating across its surface. Eventually, I landed on a page that had been marked with a sticky note. One that I had practically memorized word for word by this point: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

I stared at the paragraph for minutes or hours, I still do not recall, but I was pulled back as I read the next line. Verse 11: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 

● ● ●

When Apollo opened his door, I saw a pair of reddened eyes staring back at me. I don’t remember what I said, but the next thing I knew we were sitting on his bed, talking. It was the most we’d talked in months, yet it felt like we had never stopped. I confessed that which had been on my mind, and apologized for how I had treated him throughout the months we had known each other. He responded with very little, and that was enough for me.

We both stopped to watch the snow pile up out the window in silence. The anxiety still filled my chest and had made its way up to my throat. I felt like I was choking on the words I wanted to say to him, unable to say anything more. I looked back at Apollo, and the puffy red around his eyes was almost entirely overpowered by the bright blue that glittered in their center. Staring back at me, his mouth moved, but I just barely heard the words escape, “Are you sure that this is what you want?”

I couldn't hesitate. “Yes.”

● ● ●

I raised my head to the priest and took a few steps closer to the altar. He brought the wafer up toward me and said, just as he had said to the previous hundred or so people, “The body of Christ.”

With my throat pushing against my collar, I was able to whimper out an, “Amen.” From there, I opened my mouth, extended my tongue, and accepted the body of Christ inside me. As the wafer dissolved, I felt the warmth of the room envelop me. Sweat dripped from my brow and my eyes opened to see the symbol of the crucifixion hanging over the entire congregation.

● ● ●

Looking down, I saw Apollo’s face, bright red and sweating. His bare chest raised and fell rhythmically with each breath he took. His fingernails had dug into my back, to a point in which I was afraid I would start bleeding. My own chest swelled and I felt that same feeling of fear and doubt in my throat, but it all seemed to fade as I saw Apollo look back up at me and smile. He had, in that moment, a smile like I had never seen before– it was a smile of true, unadulterated passion. A smile that I feared I would never be able to replicate.

I collapsed on his chest. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, and I reciprocated. A cold chill seemed to run through the room as the storm still raged outside, yet here we lay, warm in each other’s arms.

As my breathing began to steady, and his chest settled on a gentle rise and fall, there was one sound that persisted. Like the ticking of a clock, I heard the soft and measured beat of a heart.

[zot3-flopped]

With the paparazzi pics I understand there are different levels, like some reality stars will call them, someone low-level might call them if they have a product to highlight. But what the photographers say is that the high level celebs don’t tend to do that.

I think the fans/haters focus too much on what the value of being photographed means to the celeb, and forget that their worth is entirely set by the tabloids and consequently by the paparazzi. I can’t even get on the Daily Mail celeb page because I have an ad blocker on. Celeb photos sell eyeballs on pages for advertisers. So paparazzi photograph who they can sell. If I see a story about someone, I don’t think ‘what are they selling?’, I think ‘what is their story right now that is the hook for the tabloids?’

It’s why we got so many photos of Olivia Wilde doing nothing except going into/coming out of the gym. The tabloids could constantly rehash the drama, people would read it even if there was no new information, and so paparazzi stalked her daily. Good money for them. No benefit to her.

Taylor has a relationship and gossipy songs that get eyeballs on web pages. She doesn’t seem to mind the situation. (She’s an entire industry though, I wouldn’t pretend to know what the arrangement is.)

Liam has a relationship with a beautiful blonde with a good body, and a sad history of alcoholism and volatility. The story makes the fans click. Ergo the paps will photograph him. There’s no news, just a rehash, but the tabloids are selling that click and that’s all.

It’s really interesting that Harry is laying so low. Paparazzi know he hates being photographed but they wouldn’t miss a chance because he’s so high value to them, especially with the story of his haircut and his girlfriend. He must be working reasonably hard to stay out of their way. There aren’t even any fan sightings at the moment to give his whereabouts away. Good for him. (BTW the Mustique photoshoot that Enty wrote a speculative blind about has not materialised, funny that.)

I'm not suggesting that Taylor is calling the paps but they're going to find her if she keeps going into high profile New York restaurants with other celebs. When she was with Joe months would go by without a sighting.

And yes - Angry Mod swore up and down that there would be a Mustique photoshoot, and she was wrong again.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb: 

Lambda Literary award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy sapphic rom-com about a quiet bookseller and a romance novel cover model who agree to a modern-day marriage of convenience...Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…      

Review:

What happens when you lie to your family saying you have a girlfriend... when in fact you just used the cover model for popular romances as your fake girlfriend.. and said model actually appears at the same wedding you are attending... and then proposes to you? Well, Tansy Adam’s is about to find out. Tansy has one thing she loves: her family’s bookstore that has been passed down to her stepmother, all Tansy wants to do is make her bookstore flourish and survive another family dinner without people asking her about her love life and avoiding the leering gazes of a horrible ex. So she invents a fake girlfriend, and since she works in a bookstore, she uses the stunning book covet model Gemma West as her fake girlfriend.. except now at a wedding she is attending Gemma shows up and when Tansy’s stepsister confronts her about dating Tansy, Gemma just goes along with the lie and in fact takes it a step further, she proposes on the spot to Tansy. Gemma West, acually is Gemma van Dalen, a wildchild who has been the outcast of her wealthy family, has now been selected as the latest heir to the Van Dalen Publishing business... except her grandfather had one stipulation: in order to inherit the company Gemma has to marry, and she’s desperate to keep the business out of her horrible family’s hands. With limited options and nownhere left to turn she suddenly finds herself literally handed the perfect fake fiancee, Tansy. Gemma just needs someone to agree to marry her for two years so she can inherit her company... and Tansy needs money to buy her beloved bookstore before her stepmother sells it off. Gemma offers to give Tansy the money and in return Tansy just needs to get married to her. Gemma isn’t a relationships girl, but something about Tansy has her wanting to break all her rules. Tansy has had her trust and heart broken yet Gemma is her literal dream girl come true. What started off as a business arrangement might take a turn as both Tansy and Gemma find that there are real feelings between them and that what started off as a fake engagement could actually turn into a real one. This was an AMAZING and super sweet story. I absolutely adored Tansy and Gemma, and their romance was so cute. I loved the story and i just had so much fun reading this! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*