#i always found this song very good for building up tension

[mob-choir]

It was the raging storm of a foreign war, and a face I'd seen before... | Mob Psycho 100 Season 3 Episode 10 + Pale White Horse by The Oh Hellos

[monzabee]

déjà vu (beyoncé’s version) – ln4

masterlist

Summary: The one where a bad prank leads to you and Lando exploring an option you thought was not an option.

Pairing: lando norris x bestfriend!reader (nicknamed Tink)

Word Count: 5.2k

Warnings: smut elements but no actual smut, cursing, pining and of course fluff!

Request: “Haiiii. I love your style of writing Lando and feel like you would 100% do a request justice to scratch the itch in my brain Reader and him have been childhood friends, mutual pining with some sexual tension but never crossed lines other than a new years kiss with friends etc. So reader ends up training and qualifying as a physio/masseuse and travelling with Lando bc fun besties on tour together yay! Thinking she ends up getting to know his body really well from that and has to massage some intimate area- tension builds blah. They have a cosy night in together after front row quali to prep for the race, face masks cuddles bc really physically comfortable together and then some confessions happen. After this going out to celebrate home race (not jinxing tomorrow!!) and reader ends up dancing with another driver, Lando gets jealous fully opens up and they go home together (as much detail on that as you feel comfortable with) No probs if it’s something you don’t feel inspired to write! Pls continue writing whatever you love because I love to read your stuff!!”

Author’s Note: hi, hey, hello!! am i back after a literal month of no fics?? i hope so!! thank you so much for being patient with me you guysi i appreciate it, and i just want to say that this was the first time i wrote for lando (and you can definitely thank @userlando and her lando brainrot posts for that) and i’m kind of obsessed!! so as always, thank you to the anon for the request, and i hope you guys enjoy! good morning, noon or night wherever you are, xoxobee

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

Being friends with Lando has resulted in both of you getting in trouble way too many times, you realise. The most recent case? The both of you ended up in a supply closet nearby the Aston Martin hospitality, hiding from a very, very, angry Spaniard. The close proximity and the limited space wouldn’t have been a big issue, for if Lando wasn’t looking at you with that look in his eyes. Under normal other circumstances, your reaction would’ve been much more different to the one you give him now – which is a glare that shows him you are not happy with the situation the both of you are in.

You’re about to scold him, but the words on your tongue quickly die as he presses his index finger to your lips. “I know you’re about to yell at me,” he whispers as he tries to keep his voice as low as possible, “but I really don’t want to be found right now.”

“Then maybe you should’ve thought about that before, you bloody idiot.” You hiss while slapping his hand away, which wins you a mock pout in return. “Why would you play that song every time he walked into a room?”

“It’s his name,” Lando tries to reason, “I thought he’d be used to it by now!”

Here’s the sitch. Lando, being the absolute prankster he is, decided to play ‘Fernando’ every time his former teammate entered into a room that morning – which resulted in the Spaniard becoming more and more annoyed with him until he snapped and Lando had to find himself a hiding place. How did you get roped into this, you may ask? You have absolutely no idea, other than your best friend dragging you into a nearby storage closet as you were walking back to the McLaren hospitality after meeting up with some of your friends for a cup of coffee. And now? The two of you are stuck inside a closet which is obviously too small for you both, and Lando has to bend his neck in an uncomfortable position.

“Lando,” you whisper in an attempt to keep your voice down, “don’t bend your head like that, you’ll strain something.”

“Well it’s not exactly comfortable, Tink.” He grimaces as one of the shelves hit his neck, which causes him to let out a low groan.

Ignoring the nickname he’s used for years, you motion him to move lower. “Just– let me see, okay?”

He begrudgingly nods as he bends his body towards you to accommodate you. You let your fingers run across his skin to find any knots along his shoulders. He lets out another low groan, but this one is more appreciative as you work some of the knots your fingers end up finding.

You watch as Lando’s expression changes from painful discomfort to relief as your fingers work their magic on his tense muscles. For a brief moment, it's just the two of you in the confined space, and you almost get lost in the comfortable silence. “Feels good,” Lando murmurs, his voice barely above a whisper, “I swear you have magic hands or something.”

You let out a breathy chuckle, “I just know your body, Lando.” After realising the words that come out of your mouth, your face flushes with embarrassment at the unintended implication of your words and you scramble to add, “Not like that, I didn’t mean–”

He smirks playfully, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “Oh, really? My body, huh? You think about my body often?” he teases, his hands squeezing your waist – and being lost in the moment, you don’t even know how they ended up there.

Your cheeks grow even hotter, and you feel your heart rate quicken. “No, that's not what I meant,” you stammer, trying to regain your composure, “and you know it’s basically my job to think about, you know?”

The mischievous glint in his eyes shine brightly as he decides to play dumb, “To think about what, baby?”

Your heart skips a beat at his teasing, and you can't help but let out a small laugh, trying to hide your embarrassment. “Don't be ridiculous, Lando,” you retort, trying to act cool despite the butterflies in your stomach. “I meant knowing your body like an expert, considering the fact that you pull a muscle every time you decide to do a physical activity.”

He chuckles, and his hands, still resting on your waist, give you a playful squeeze. "Sure, sure, Tink," he replies, a hint of playfulness in his voice. "But let's be honest, it's not just my body you know well. You practically read my mind too."

You roll your eyes, trying to playfully push him away. "Oh, please. You're not that hard to figure out."

Lando leans in a little closer, his grin still evident. "Is that so? Then tell me, oh expert of Lando Norris, what am I thinking right now?"

You raise an eyebrow, not falling for his trick. "You're probably thinking that you got away with the Fernando prank and now you owe me big time, your brain is empty most of the time."

He smirks, impressed by your response. "You're good, Tink. But you're right, I do owe you one. What can I do to make it up to you?"

You pause, the closeness between the two of you making it difficult to think clearly. "Well, for starters, maybe you can stop dragging me into your pranks and getting us into trouble," you suggest with a hint of a smile. “And I don’t know, maybe take pole for me, you know?”

As the playful banter continues, you both seem to forget about the predicament you're in. The confined space of the closet no longer feels suffocating; instead, it becomes a haven for shared laughter and camaraderie.

Just as the two of you are lost in the moment, the closet door suddenly opens, and you both freeze. The angry Spaniard stands before you once again, but this time, his expression has softened, seeing you and Lando in a surprisingly intimate moment.

"Am I interrupting something?" Fernando asks, his tone amused.

Your face turns beet red, and Lando lets out a nervous chuckle. "Oh, hey there. Just having a chat, you know."

But Fernando raises an eyebrow, still looking amused. "In a supply closet?"

You and Lando exchange a sheepish glance, realizing how the situation must appear to Fernando. "Well, we kind of got caught up in the moment," you admit, hoping he doesn't read too much into it.

Fernando chuckles, and there's a warm glint in his eyes. "I see. Well, it's none of my business, but you might want to find a less cramped place to chat next time."

You nod in agreement, grateful that Fernando seems to be taking the situation lightly. "You're right. We'll keep that in mind," you say, trying to sound casual.

Lando adds with a grin, "Yeah, and we promise not to play 'Fernando' every time you enter a room from now on." But he’s quick to correct himself when you give him a glare, “I promise not to play 'Fernando' every time you enter a room from now on."

Fernando chuckles again, seemingly amused by the whole ordeal. "I'd appreciate that. Anyway, carry on. I won't keep you two any longer."

As he walks away, you let out a sigh of relief. "That could have been a lot worse," you say, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement.

"Yeah, we got lucky," Lando agrees, giving you a playful nudge. "But you know what they say, Tink, nothing like a bit of closet bonding to strengthen a friendship."

You roll your eyes at his playful banter, but there's a fondness in your heart as you look at him. "You're incorrigible, Lando Norris."

He grins, "You love it, though."

You can't help but smile, knowing he's right. “Come on,” you say, “you have a quali to attend.”

The tension from the qualifying session had left you on edge, your heart pounding with every lap, and your nerves had gotten the better of you, leading to some slightly bloody nails from biting them in anticipation. But all that anxiety melts away when you see Lando step out of the car, grinning ear to ear. As soon as he catches sight of you, he opens his arms, and you don't hesitate for a moment. You rush into his embrace, holding him tightly, relieved that he's safe and thrilled that he performed so well.

"You were amazing out there!" you exclaim, unable to hide the pride in your voice. "P2, front row! That's incredible!"

Lando chuckles, his arms still wrapped around you. "I don’t know how we did it!"

You pull back slightly to look into his eyes, your heart swelling with admiration for your best friend. "I never doubted you for a second," you say earnestly.

His grin widens, and he playfully ruffles your hair. "I know you didn't. Seems like you’re my lucky charm, hm?"

“You know what that means?” You ask him return, a playful smirk on your lips.

His answer comes quickly, and his look seems to reflect your own, “Pizza and a movie?”

Your reply is just as enthusiastic as you throw your arms around him and give him a big smile, “Pizza and a movie, baby!”

Eventually, you manage to escape the whole hustle and bustle of the circuit, and you and Lando find yourselves back at the hotel, with you on the couch trying to find something to watch and him deciding to take a quick shower after the stressful day of qualifying. After a few minutes, you hear the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. You smile to yourself, glad that Lando is taking some time to relax after such a demanding day. As you wait for him to finish, you finally settle on a movie to watch with a small grin on your face, clearly pleased with your choice. Just as you're about to start the movie, you hear the bathroom door open, and Lando emerges, looking refreshed and relaxed.

After he gets the pizza box out of the oven, he walks over to the couch, wearing sweatpants instead of his jeans, and flops down next to you. "That shower was exactly what I needed," he says with a contented sigh.

You chuckle, glancing at him, while also trying to actively ignore the fact that he’s wearing grey sweatpants. "Feeling better now?"

"Definitely," he replies, flashing you a grin. "So, what are we watching?"

“Mamma Mia,” you scoff, “of course.”

“A classic, nice.” He nods in understanding, extending the pizza box to you for you to take a slice. “It’s still warm.”

You wordlessly grab a slice and pass the box back to Lando as you settle in your seat, ready to focus on your choice of movie. The comfortable silence between you feels familiar, like the unspoken language of best friends who have shared countless memories and moments together. Throughout the movie, you can't help but notice Lando's occasional stolen glances at you, and you find yourself stealing glances right back. He even winks at you with that boyish grin every time he catches you staring at him, making you giggle as you quickly turn your attention back onto the screen. You somehow find yourself sprawled out on the couch once the pizza box is emptied and discarded, and it’s harder for you to keep your eyes open. With your head on Lando’s lap, he plays with the ends of your hair as the two of you try to keep your attention on the screen.

‘Try,’ being the operative word here, since Lando realises that you end up falling asleep in the middle of the movie where Sophie realises all of the men she invited to the wedding thinks they are her father, and though he finds some kind of comfort in the chaos knowing that it will get resolved eventually, he can’t help but take his role as a makeshift human pillow very seriously. As the movie continues playing, Lando tries his best not to disturb your peaceful slumber. He leans back against the couch, adjusting his position so you can rest more comfortably on his lap while also trying so hard to not wake you up. He can't help but smile to himself as he plays with your hair, finding himself mesmerized by the gentle rise and fall of your chest as you breathe.

With a sudden realisation that maybe it is not the best thing to stare at you while you sleep, he tries to occupy himself with something on his phone while also trying to keep still so that you don’t wake up. However, the text thread between him and Max quickly makes him realise that the thoughts that he tries so hard to keep away. He never gave himself the opportunity to think about the two of you that way, he supposes. Not that it would be weird or anything, but in his mind, he’d seen, and been in, far too many relationships form and de-form to know that not all is permanent when it comes to relationships and it’s also not something he’d want to risk when it comes to you. Although the unwarranted thoughts of the two of you together, as a couple, have been haunting him for the past couple of months, he did a great job of sending them away and finding something else to focus on – up until now, that is. And now that he’s pictured the two of you together, holding hands in the streets of Monaco, going on dates, doing more than what ‘best friends’ are meant to do, it doesn’t seem that daunting to give it a try.   

He carefully shifts you onto his lap with gentle movements, surprised that you don’t wake up and also trying to figure out the best way to wake you up without startling you. As he gently brushes your cheek, your eyes flutter open, and you look up at him with a sleepy smile. "Did I miss the end of the movie?" you ask, your voice still heavy with sleep.

Lando chuckles, shaking his head, but not stilling the movement of his hand. “No, we just finished. You fell asleep somewhere in the middle.”

You sit up slightly, rubbing your eyes with a small yawn. “I'm sorry,” you say, sounding apologetic.

“No need to apologise,” he assures you, his thumb caressing your cheek. “You looked adorable sleeping, Tink.”

Your cheeks flush slightly, and you give him a playful nudge. “Stop teasing me.”

Lando grins, but there's a tenderness in his eyes as he looks at you. ���I'm not teasing, Tink. I mean it. You always look adorable, no matter what you're doing.”

You feel your heart skip a beat at his sincere compliment, and you can't help but smile back. “Thank you,” you say softly, feeling a warmth spreading through you, “I, uh, I should probably go to my room and let you sleep.”

“What? No, you don’t have to go.” Lando’s eyebrows furrow on their own, “I mean, you could stay over, it’s not like we haven’t done it before.”

You give him an unsure look, “I don’t know, Lando, you have a race tomorrow.”

“And we’ll sleep,” he shrugs, “the name ‘sleepover’ implies that, baby.”

You end up giving in and nodding, albeit a little hesitant. "Alright, I'll stay over."

Lando's face lights up with a bright smile, clearly pleased with your decision. "Great! It'll be fun, just like old times."

You chuckle softly. "Yeah, just like old times."

And you’d expect it to feel like the old times, because the two of you said it would be like the old times – the times where you’d spend the night over at his house because his mother picked you up and you didn’t want the playtime to be over. But instead of the excitement of a prolonged play date with your best friend, you find yourself anxious in the hotel bathroom over the fact that it’s him out there, and there is no way that he is not aware of the way you feel about him. You take a moment to compose yourself, splashing some cold water on your face to calm your nerves. This situation is new territory for both of you, and you don't want anything to ruin the friendship the two of you have. When you eventually make your way out of the bathroom, you desperately want to go back in, feeling undoubtedly exposed under Lando’s burning gaze.

“What?” You ask, your voice coming off weaker than you hoped, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

It takes a minute for him to answer you, mainly because of the fact that poor Lando is having a brain malfunction at the sight of you in his shirt – which he gave it to you because it was the only logical option for sleepwear, you know? Suddenly regretting his possessive streak, he attempts to clear his throat, “Nothing, you look good in my clothes.”

Your eyebrows shoot up, and you try not to let yourself become reduced to a blubbering mess, “Oh, well thank you. It’s yours,” after a brief moment of realisation you quickly add, “but you already knew that.”

“Tink,” he calls out, snapping you out of whatever embarrassed state you’re in, and your eyes quickly snap to his. “Come here,” he pleads as he extends one of his towards you, he’s quick to draw you into his arms – and just like that, you find yourself straddling your best friend.

“This is crazy,” you whisper as Lando grabs you by the waist to still your movements as you try to find a comfortable position while not realising just how uncomfortable it becomes for him.

“It doesn’t have to be,” his whisper is just as soft as yours as he looks up to you, “we don’t have to make it weird.”

A compromise, you’ll take it. “Are you going to kiss me?”

“Do you want me to kiss you?” As much as you hate it when he replies to your questions with his own, you nod your head with a sheepish look on your face, though it doesn’t satisfy Lando as a valid answer. “I need you to say it, baby.”

You answer comes of in an instant. “I do, please.”

“Such good manners,” he mumbles while giving you that boyish grin you love oh so much. When he catches biting the corner of your lip, you’re broken out of your daydream by his thumb pulling your lip free. “Don’t do that, you’ll hurt yourself,” his thumb caresses the side of your lip, “that’s my job, anyway.”

Your cheeks flush at his playful comment, and you can't help but smile at his words. "Your job, huh?" you tease, feeling the tension in the air starting to dissipate.

Lando chuckles, his fingers gently tracing patterns on your waist. "Among other things," he replies with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Before you give yourself the opportunity to overthink, you lean in and press a soft kiss to Lando’s lips – it’s only a peck, a hesitant one at that, but not completely uncharted territory when you think about it. The two of you have shared kisses before, at Christmas or New Year’s at midnight, but somehow this simple peck feels different than any of those other occasions. Lando doesn’t rush you. He’s a patient man after all, and he knows that the feelings he has for you are reciprocated by the feelings you have for him. So when you look him with widened eyes, he gives you a soft smile and it does wonders to calm your nerves. It doesn’t take you long to press your lips against his once again, but this time the kiss is deeper, more passionate, and filled with the unspoken words that have lingered between you for too long.

It starts off with another peck, but this time you take the initiative to deepen the kiss, and the appreciative groan that leaves Lando’s lips makes you feel butterflies in your stomach. His hands move from your waist to the small of your back, pulling you closer to him, while yours tangle in his hair, revelling in the softness of his curls – and the fact that all of this feels almost familiar in some kind of a way. He’s not shy as he lets his tongue explore your mouth, in fact, he encourages you to do the same. It’s a messy kiss filled with colliding tongues and mixed breaths, and the hands that were on your waist one moment are now on your hips, encouraging their slow movement against his groin. It’s not a subtle build-up for any of you, either. It a matter of seconds, you find yourself dry-humping your childhood best friend in his hotel room, and in a couple more, both of you are whimpering into the kiss.

You’re both out of breath and breathing deeply as you rest your forehead against Lando’s. Thankfully, his hands continue to guide your hips as their movement get more and more erratic, and you him groan out, “Slow down, baby.”

You let out an objective whimper in return, whispering out a weak, “No.”

“No?” Lando repeats, his breath hitting your exposed neck in a light chuckle, “Do you want to come?”

“Uh-huh,” you mumble, letting your hands grab handfuls of his hair, “but you can’t fuck me.”

The whine that comes from your lips can only be described as bratty when Lando forces your hips to cease their movements, raising an eyebrow at you as he grumbles, “Excuse me?”

“You can’t fuck me, Lando.” You mumble, trying to move your hips again, but his hold is too powerful against your attempts. “At least not tonight.”

“And why is that, Tink?” He takes in your wide eyes and shuddering breath in, thinking he’d done something wrong, something you didn’t like. “You want to come, no?” He thinks at that moment, as you give him a nod with that dreamy and almost innocent look on your face, he could die and he’d be happy with where his life has led him, but he gives you a confused look, “Then what is the problem?”

“Um, you have a race tomorrow,” you explain as your fingers gently slide down to meet at the nape of his neck, “I don’t want to jinx anything.”

As a respond to your words, Lando gives you a look of disbelief, “You don’t want to jinx me having a good race,” he mumbles.

You give him another nod, “Are you mad at me?”

 “Am I mad at you?” Lando repeats the question, and he flips the two of you over in a smooth motion so that you're lying on the bed with him hovering above you, his eyes locked onto yours. “Answer the question for me, will you?”

You take a moment to catch your breath, your heart racing as you meet his intense gaze. “No,” you reply softly, your fingers tracing the outline of his jaw. “Why would you be mad at me?”

Lando's lips curve into a playful smile as he leans in, his breath warm against your skin. “See?” he murmurs, his lips brushing against yours, “Good girl.” As he moves down your body, you let out a protesting sound, but he quickly shushes you as he positions himself between your legs. “I’m going to make you come, and you’re not talking to Micheal Italiano ever again.” He taps the side of your hips to signal you to raise them up as he carefully takes off your underwear and then murmurs to himself, “Pretty girl, too.”

With a blush which is quickly spreading onto your cheeks and neck, you raise yourself onto your elbows as you watch him give you the do-over. “Lando,” you plead.

“Oh baby, you're wet,” he teases, “don’t worry, though, I’ll help you with that.” He also gives you a look while grabbing both of your thighs, “And the shirt fucking stays on.”

After the events of the previous night with Lando working wonders between your legs for the remainder of the night, he honestly didn’t expect to start the morning with you returning the favour. Alas there you were, between his legs, with sleepy eyes and an innocent smile as if you hadn’t just given him the best blowjob of his life. And as the two of you make your way along the paddock, he wishes he was back in his hotel room with you in his arms. You try your best to distract him from overthinking everything and costing himself the race, and Lando is aware of what you’re trying to do – though that doesn’t mean you succeed completely.

You can tell by the small frown of eyebrows that he is lost inside his head, probably double guessing every aspect of the strategy his team debriefed him about this morning. With a deep inhale, you give his hand a small squeeze, halting your movements to stop him alongside you. “Hey,” you call out gently, “you’re going to be amazing out there, okay? You have nothing to worry about.”

“I know, it’s just the pressure is getting to me.” You watch him sigh, closing his eyes for a moment to regroup his thoughts, “I’ll be fine before I go in the car, I promise.”

You nod, giving him an encouraging smile, “I know you will. After all, you feel the–”

“Need for speed.” He completes the sentence without thinking, which makes the two of share a short laughter. “Thanks, Tink.”

“You’re welcome,” lifting yourself up on your tiptoes, you give him a soft peck on his lips, “I’ll watch the race with your dad, okay?” You chuckle at his reaction when he lets out a prolonged groan, “What?”

“He’s going to make fun of us, big time.” He says, rolling his eyes.

“Go,” you say in between laughter, “don’t be late and for the love of God, be careful!”

Lando chuckles at your playful warning, giving you a mock salute. “Yes, ma'am!”

It doesn’t take long for you to find Adam, who gives you a knowing look, in the sea of spectators in the McLaren garage. And as the race begins, you and Adam stand side by side, your eyes fixed on the track where the race is unfolding. The first four laps as the Lando leads the race makes your heart beat so hard, you can practically feel the excitement coursing through your veins. Each turn and straightaway that Lando navigates flawlessly adds to the anticipation building in the air. Even when he returns to his original position, you’re on the edge, praying to whatever deity up there for him to finish this race without and incident. You’ve told him million times before that you don’t get F1 at all, you’ve always thought the adrenaline linked with the sport to be a negative feeling – too heavy, too much and definitely not something you want to feel every weekend. But in the moment that Lando passes the finishing line P2, you realise why people are so obsessed with this sport. Because when Lando crosses the finish line, you find yourself cheering as loudly as anyone else. The rush of emotions, once alien to you, now feels like a shared celebration of human achievement and dedication.

Lando is all smiles when he finally finds his way back to you, and he’s giving you a kiss the moment he has you back in his arms; celebrating with the team in the paddock was a whirlwind of emotions. As he wraps his arms around you and pulls you close, his big smile is infectious.

So you’re honestly confused when he starts dragging you through the hallways of the club you went to for his celebrations with the rest of the team. The beat of the music playing back in the dancefloor echoes in the hallway as he leads you down the hall. The lights, the laughter, and the energy of the celebrations in the main area of the club are still audible, but you can only hear the muffled sounds of the celebration being held for him. “Lando,” in hopes of finally getting some answers, you say his name for the umpteenth time, but he just looks at you with furrowed eyebrows, “what’s wrong?”

He's silent as he wraps his arms around your waist and before you can repeat your question he buries his head in the crook of your neck. While you’re thinking about what could’ve caused his sudden need to be alone with you, he’s very glad that you’ve opted to wear sneakers tonight instead of heels.

“Baby,” you murmur, your fingers running through his curls in an attempt to bribe him, “tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong.” His voice is muffled by your skin and you can feel the breath he exhales on your shoulder.

You purse your lips and give him a few moments for him to break on his own, but when he doesn’t, you sigh softly. “Something is wrong.”

He raises his head momentarily to give you an unamused look, then bury his head back into your neck, “I saw you and Oscar.”

“Yeah, we were talking about the race.” Your confirmation leaves you confused as he lets out a scoff, and you find yourself warily asking, “Is there something wrong with that?”

You hear him scoff again and then, “Well I didn’t particularly like it.”

You gently push him off of you as you try to look past his confused expression and pouted lips, “You didn’t like me talking to your teammate… about your race.”

“Well when you put it like that–”

“Lando he is two years younger than us, and he has a girlfriend you do realise that, don’t you?” Your hands rest on either side of your body on your hips as you give him a small grin, “You were jealous, weren’t you?”

His eyes widen as he nods, “Well yeah, Tink, I think that one was very much obvious when I dragged you here.”

“I mean,” you drawl, “it was kind of cute, you know?”

As his eyes narrow, Lando walks you backwards until you’re pressed up against the wall. “Well I am a cute person.”

“Oh yeah,” you let out a giggle, “the cutest.” Your fingers toy with the buttons of his shirt while you look up at him to meet his eyes, “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That we should probably get back to the party?” He mumbles, his eyes drifting as he looks around the hall.

You fist the collar of his shirt as you raise yourself up on your tiptoes, your voice lowering down for only him to hear even if it’s a deserted hallway, “You don’t have a race tomorrow.”

His eyes come back down to meet yours, “Well yes, it’s Mond– oh,” it takes a moment for him to realise what you’ve meant, and you’re thrown over his shoulder in an instant.

“Wha– Lando put me down!” You shriek, “What are you doing?”

His voice is playful as he starts walking towards the back door of the club, “We are not leaving that hotel room for a few days.”  

It doesn’t take long for you to start laughing, “You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe,” he shrugs the opposite shoulder, “but I’m your idiot.”

The sincerity in his words catches you off guard, but you can’t help the small smile forming on your lips as you murmur, “Yeah, yeah you are.”

[ackermonie]

i think that as we grow up, there’s always this little child that still comes out to play once it feels safe enough to.

the more satoru makes you feel safe around him, the more this child comes out to play, and he cannot be happier. even though it could backfire on him in the sweetest, most frustrating ways possible.

it can either build up over the week or a single day of satoru not giving you the attention you’re used to from him. he’d notice you getting quieter, retreating from making the first moves. he’d say that it sometimes makes you feel insecure even, but he’s never done that on purpose.

if anything, him making it up to you afterward is usually rather enjoyable for him.

this time, he’s been busy for a few days, only able to throw in mid-day texts and good-night forehead kisses, so you begin to retreat back into your shell. you stop texting him back right away, no double texting when he gets too busy to reply, turning your head away when he tries to kiss you good night, until the weekend finally comes.

it was friday night. work in jujutsu high ends early and both you and the students get the luxury of a couple more hours of freedom, but gojo was nowhere to be found all morning.

your sour mood could be easily detected by the first-years, rendering them just a bit more careful with you for the day, which could be a reason why they were done with their training sessions a bit earlier than usual today.

back home, you convince yourself that you’re unbothered. you light up a few candles, slip in the bath, and pour your favorite shower gel all over, letting the warm water carry the tension off of your back for a bit.

"i don't care," you repeat like a mantra as you put on nice pjs. anything can be happening, right? you shouldn't be bothered this much when he doesn't prioritize you. you knew what you were signing up for when your heart started to beat a little differently around him.

he's gojo satoru, for heaven's sake. with a status and a name like his in such a world, you most definitely were never going to be a priority.

the sun sets and there is still no sign of satoru, so you grab yourself a snack to try to fill the emptiness he is leaving. it could be pms, or you’re just looking a bit too much into it, but your eyes start tearing up at some point. you throw yourself on the empty sofa with something playing on the tv to distract you, but that’s when you hear the click of the lock.

even though it’s still late, this is the earliest he’s been home all week.

"i'm hhooommmee," the sing-a-song tone rings in the house. despite the way your stomach crunches at the sound of his voice, a roll of your still-teary eyes is uncontrollable. you can hear him move in the house until he spots you, and his footsteps accelerate until he jumps over the back of the sofa to settle in his normal position by your side. an arm immediately pulls you to him. "there she is!!"

"mmm," your smile is tight-lipped and barely reaches your eyes. you keep your attention on the tv, suddenly seeming to be much more interesting than your boyfriend.

now, satoru knew this is happening, and the man never shows up to a fight unprepared.

“what are you watching?” the lights turn off without either of you moving a muscle, leaving the light from the tv as your only guide into the darkness. he takes off his glasses, focusing on the tv for a few seconds. “new girl? again? what are we? 20?”

“i don’t have anything else to offer, i’m afraid.”

his head dips to your neck. the tall man takes some rather big, dramatic whiffs as he squeezes you even closer, pulling yet another eye roll out of you.

however, those eye-rolls seem to always come as a package deal with something twisting girlishly in your stomach.

“you smell so nice, baby, what the hell.” you feel his nose press against your neck almost obnoxiously.

“mhmm,” you let out, trying to pull away just a bit until he straightens again, a bright smirk on his very, very kissable lips.

“you took a bath without me?”

“that’s what one does when they get back from work to find the house empty again, yes.”

“did you eat?”

you say nothing, but your grumpy gaze snaps to his, and you wish you can just slap that victorious smile off of his face. “no.”

“i figured,” his hands slip to your waist, and in one swift move, you are facing him on his lap, knees on each side of his hips. “so, an early day at work, no food, and no boyfriend? you must’ve had the worst day ever.”

you’re not aware of the way your lips pout grumpily. you just frown at him and cross your arms over your chest with a roll of your eyes. “it went fine.”

“did it, now?”

“yes. very.”

“what’s this pout for, then?”

you glare at him. intensely, ardently, you just stare daggers into his head, and the man has the audacity to giggle at your reaction. his hands slip to cup your cheeks before he squeezes them together, making your lips pucker grumpily, then he kisses the pout away in a very obnoxious, loud, messy manner.

“you missed me, didn’t you?” he rocks your face gently, using a baby voice that makes you slap his hands away immediately.

“no.”

"oh you so did. you so did." he only stops rocking your face when you slap his hand away, a gesture at which he giggles lovingly. "I missed you too." he wraps his arms around your waist, leaning his head back against the couch so he can look up at you. "very much so."

"ah yes, yes, of course," you cage his head to the couch, frowning down at him. "what else? you didn't mean to act like you forgot I existed all week?"

"oh, how could i?" he tilts his head to the side. the blissful look on his face as he looks up at you, soft ocean-colored eyes and all, is putting you in a very weak position in this argument. "I can deadass write a 100k word essay about every thought I've had about you this past week alone."

you try to get off his lap, but steel grips are on your waist, pulling you flush back to him. his hand slips under your shirt, the cold skin sending shivers down your back.

"come on, baby. you know i'm sorry." his tone turns a bit serious, and your grumpiness begins to subside. "with yuji and sukuna's fingers, I can barely have enough time to even piss." he reaches up and brushes a strand of your hair out of your face. "i'd rather drop dead than forget you existed."

"ugh," you roll your eyes, turning your head away only to have it adjusted back by a gentle hand to gaze down at him.

"i missed you so much, baby," he leans closer, eyes turning softer by the second as he brings you in by your cheek, one that's literally burning under his touch. after all those years of being together, gojo satoru is still very capable of turning you into putty in his hands.

"i think i missed you more," you mumble, eyes planted droopily on his lips in the dark room. newgirl is still playing in the background. your body relaxes into his, and arms wrap lovingly around his neck. "I was literally about to start crying right before you stepped through that door."

he kisses you briefly, but it's interrupted by a fit of endeared chuckles. "oh no, baby," he holds your face in his hands as he laughs, and you try to push at his chest to get away to no avail. "I'm so sorry," he continues on shamelessly, making you lean your forehead on his. "I promise I'm gonna try to do better."

"shut up," you hit his chest. "don't do that. work is still important. that was selfish of me."

"never more important than you are," he swipes your hair from your face again, pushing it behind your shoulder. "besides, I already did what I wanted to do with the fingers in my possession. so until further notice, I'm all yours."

you lean down, giving him a proper kiss this time, one in which you both sigh in relief. god, you missed the way he tastes.

"good. we have a lot of rotting in bed to catch up on."

==================================

more?

[zerobaselove]

acting homework | kim jiwoong

pairing: actor!jiwoong x costar!reader

genre: suggestive MINORS DNI

word count: 1096

warnings: no smut but it does get suggestive, lowercase intended, not proofread

prompts: 16. "let's kiss and see where this takes us."

notes: this unsurprisingly made my jiwoong problems so much worse LMAO but apologies as this is a little rushed and not my strong suit

"and, cut." the directors sharp voice cut through the air, ripping you and jiwoong out of the immersion of the kiss scene, not that there was much immersion to begin with. with his busy idol schedule on top of acting, you two hadn't actually gotten to meet until today, having done script readings over zoom and speaking in hypotheticals for weeks; so to say it was a little awkward was an understatement.

the director let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head at the two of you, "let's wrap up for the day," he put down his clipboard before walking over to you and jiwoong. "i need you guys to work on your chemistry, we are going for romance not whatever you think this is. you're both better than that and you know it." his words were harsh, but you couldn't help but agree with his statement; you two weren't exactly giving romance, and something had to change.

the director turned on his heel, walking back to his trailer, leaving the you and the taller man standing there, an awkward silence surrounding you. "so," you spoke up, not really knowing where to take your words. thankfully he took the lead, speaking up himself.

"do you maybe want to hang out? off this set, maybe somewhere with less people breathing down our necks." he let out a laugh, you following suit; the tension already lessening, thank god.

"yeah that sounds good, but where is even private around here?" you wondered out loud, you were in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the country. "well i know it's not very romantic but," he sighed, realizing how lame his suggestion was, "we could always go to my group's company building, there's always empty rooms there. and they're soundproof." he winked at you before his serious composure broke, suddenly covering his face in embarrassment of the implications it might've had. it was cute, you weren't used to seeing this side of him, but it made you feel a bit more at ease.

giving a small nod, you gestured for him to lead the way, the two of you making small talk on the way to the parking lot. surprisingly the conversation flowed better than you had imagined and you found yourself enjoying his conversation at the least. "this is me," he gestured to an all black car in front of you, rushing ahead to open the passenger door for you.

"thank you jiwoong." you smiled, hopping in the front seat as your eyes grazed over the details of the car.

a coffee cup for this morning you presume was sat in the cupholder, the other one filled with loose change. instead of the stereotypical fuzzy dice on the rearview mirror, he had a little charm of a butterfly which you thought was quite cute.

"here," he handed you his phone, spotify open already, "you can be in charge of the music." his smile was contagious, you thought to yourself, unable to contain a small smile from spreading to your lips as he looked at you with joy. you had only nodded as you scrolled through his playlists, heading out of the parking lot.

"oh i love this song," he exclaimed as you played something from his liked songs, causing you to laugh. "i hope so, it's from your likes." a sheepish grin took over his face, chuckling lightly before shaking his head, "you make a fair point."

the rest of the drive had been peaceful, light conversation in between faint melodies playing over the speakers. it was nice, he was nice; you had no doubt about that before, but getting to start to see his personality, you totally saw what everyone else saw in him, beyond his good looks.

arriving at what you assumed was the company building, jiwoong rushed out of the car, opening your door for you yet again. "i know how to use door handles, you know" you chuckled, nodding your head as a thank you before following him to the entrance. "what kind of gentleman would i be then?" tilting his head as the sliding doors to the building opened themselves for you this time.

eventually you ended up at what you assumed was a vocal practice room; there was a keyboard sitting in the corner with a desk and chair, as well as a small two seater couch that looked rather inviting after you'd spent your whole day standing. jiwoong sat down first, ushering you over to get comfortable.

"so, what do you want to do, do you want to practice, or?" you rambled on, not noticing the way jiwoong smiled at your string of words.

"well how about," he thought for a moment; he hadn't expected to like you this much, this quickly, but he couldn't stop thinking about kissing you, for real this time. not for the script or the directors approval, just to feel your lips on his. "let's kiss and see where this takes us, yeah?"

you didn't mean to nod so eagerly, but it was too late, jiwoong's smile widening at the idea of you wanting this as bad as he did. his hand came up to the back of your neck pulling you in slightly, your eyes fluttering shut as your heads tilted, connecting in a kiss that you were convinced had caused fireworks to go off around you. this was no match for earlier today, you thought to yourself. you weren't sure what changed but you were sure that you didn't want to stop.

you let one hand rest on his torso as you leaned in closer, parting your lips slightly, letting his tongue lick into your mouth. sure, it was moving a little fast, but you didn't care; he was addicting.

he tugged on your hair slightly, causing you to moan into his mouth which made his head spin more than he had been prepared for. his free hand had found it's way under your shirt, grabbing you at the waist, sending butterflies to your stomach. "do you want me to stop?" he mumbled against your lips, wanting to make sure you were okay with everything. you let out an opposing hum, but that wasn't enough for him.

"i need words love," the pet name made you dizzy, pulling apart for a moment to nod feverishly, "please, continue." your words were whinier than you meant them to be, but at this point you couldn't be bothered to care.

"then let's keep it up."

[neptunes-sol-angel]

This is going to be different from my other pick a piles. Instead of using cards, I solely channeled these messages with shufflemancy. I loved doing this reading because I've always imagined myself composing music for a movie or at least deciding which songs to use for scenes if I ever got the chance to have a job in that field. While you're thinking of the scenes and how they parallel with what next year could be like for you, definitely give those songs a listen, as if they'll be in the background.

Paid Readings | Patreon | Tip Jar

Pile One 🍿

The Beginning Scene:

Provoker - Dark Angel

(That's a bad ass song for an intro!)

I see a montage of a person (the main character) arriving to a new city that has some sort of cyberpunk aesthetic. The locals aren't very welcoming to this person, but the main character isn't exactly fond of them either. It's dark and gritty despite the showcasing of colors from all sorts of gadgets, lights, and holographic displays. This place is big, with a lot to glimpse at and discover, and crowds of individuals who could potentially be a rival, enemy, lover, or even a friend.

I feel like this pile is going to be starting the new year in a different environment, possibly a new place to call home, but for a lot of you, I'm getting school. For the scene I visualized for you guys, there was this building tension that I kept feeling. Like you guys are not really happy about this new beginning, but you're here at this destination to have a more discreet life with no ties to your past. You guys could feel like a lone ranger, who's lost in life, but isn't necessarily trying to be found or have an obligation to anything. It seems like you're really looking for peace, and aren't trying to make yourself popular amongst people or make connections. I see people sizing you up to intimidate you, but they aren't aware that you aren't the one to mess with, they will though. I also see you being active in this new environment, and people boasting about how helpful and talented you are, but you aren't accepting these compliments. You guys could be dealing with an ego death at the beginning of this year and are having trouble seeing the good that people see in you, whether they're genuine people or foes. Its like you're trying to keep yourself in the dark of this new place, despite running away from your past, and this year is throwing a lot of intervention in your way to bring you out of this self-loathing mindset and to stop running away from fate.

The Middle Scene:

SWANES - Cozy

I see the main character attending a nightclub party, and the appropriate attire for entry is masquerade themed. The main character is looking for someone or something but unexpectedly encounters someone else. Someone from their past, but before they could really catch up with each other, a fight breaks out.

I'm seeing this as a lot of chaotic events that you'll have to deal with in the middle of the year to the point where it's hard for you to focus on anything or anyone else, besides a way to end all of the drama that keeps unfolding. It's like in the middle of this storm, you feel like this is its peak, but then you come across someone from the past that you absolutely don't have time for or want to be bothered by or finding a new love interest that brings you both joy and stress because it all feels like the wrong time to have them. For a lot of you, I feel like this reconciliation with someone you've either dated or never got the chance to but definitely had strong feelings for. But then again, this could really mean, finally finding someone that understands you on an intimate level in this new place that you're in, or allowing yourself to put your guard down and and be in the embrace of someone who will give you comfort for being yourself, instead of giving you more reasons to not like yourself.

The Ending Scene:

Naja Young - Brighter Days

A bittersweet sight to see. For the first time in the movie, in sadly the last scene, the main character stands in front of a golden‐amber sky instead of the clouded and dull atmosphere that they were used to seeing in the city. There's no one else around them, only them, but they're finally content and at peace, with a welcoming smile, staring out in the open, but no long moving. No longer walking or running away from anything.

The genre that I felt for this movie was action. A lot of jaw-dropping fight scenes, and cool neon futuristic weapons and stuff. So I'm getting that the year could feel like endless fighting for you guys, even if you guys are winning, there's still this exhaustion with even having to fight still. This could symbolize being tired of not fitting in with a community but could also symbolize not understanding why you can't fit in with yourself. The Scene doesn't include anyone else, because it represents the main character (you), finally ending this battle that they have within, moreover, finding and attaining peace with themselves that didn't include what they did for other people or what other people did to them. The thing about action movies is that they tend to rank lower than other genres because the fights water down the plot, so I think this means that you're still not really attached to finding or working towards your purpose this year, or even the potential drama with other people in the future, you're OK with where you are now and aren't concerned about anything other than what makes you happy. So regardless of the pain you've experienced in the past, recently, or will experience, in the future, this year will teach you how to not let it consume you or keep you in a panic of how to survive rather than how to live.

The Grammy Award Winning Scene:

Family Time - Magic Abyss Hotel

I'm seeing this fight Scene where it looks like you're losing and about to be killed, but you're smiling and chuckling? The person fighting you is confused, and that creates an opening for you. It's your rhythm while you're fighting that makes this scene the star of the movie, it's like your fighting is almost like dancing with the way it syncs with the song.

This could represent a tower moment that could feel like an inevitable end for you or maybe something that could potentially put you at rock bottom, and it just feels unbelievable. So you laugh because this isn't how you envisioned your end to be, but I feel like the irony of it gives you strength to keep pushing and know that it's not over for you and you won't go out from what you're currently facing. The main character (you) creates visual of what's familiar to everyone which is resilience, but also an inspiration of what triggers a person to keep fighting for their life.

Pile Two 🍿

The Beginning Scene:

Winter - Bonsai

I see the main character being a famous musician in a band performing in front of a huge crowd of people. They're really feeling what they're singing and playing on their instrument that you would think it's real, but it's not. This is a dream. They know that though. It's an awesome dream that they have most of their nights of sleeping, it's just painful when they have to wake up. But they wake up, and then they carry on with with their normal life that isn't as colorful and exciting as the dream that they were in.

I feel like at the beginning of the new year, you will feel like it's any other year, where it's the same stuff and you are no longer expecting anything to change or get better. This could make your attitude appear very nonchalant, but inside you're actually angry over how can reality be so monotonous. As you're reading this, you probably won't believe my word, but I have a feeling that this year could actually be the one where you experience a different tune, something life changing, but only this time, will there be positive transformations. I must add though, that this doesn't mean you won't face anything bad or that the year will be 100% good, but I do see improvement that will make you pleased. If you guys are maladaptive dreamers, you could experience a lot of deja vu in the beginning of the year. Where the opportunities and people that you meet aren't as exaggerated like in the scenarios that you imagine, they will still scarily resemble too much of the things that you wished for or dreamed of experiencing. The start of your year, could be the opposite of boredom that you were expecting. It will start off eventful, that could be overwhelming to keep up with, but I feel like it will only be the tip of the ice berg. Momentum for something exciting that'll give you that new start you were craving, but most importantly, real.

The Middle Scene:

Saskatchewan - Venom

I see someone in front of a computer, looking for answers, but are heavily frustrated with what they can't find. I see them moving onto books and old articles, but still they can't find anything. Then I see them in front of a mirror, with tears falling down their face. They're just not sure about something anymore. I see a scene of this person trying on makeup that changes their looks drastically, but it doesn't satisfy them, so they immediately wipe it off. I see another scene of them shaving their head, but it's the same result. Another, where they're getting a piercing, but no luck. Last, a scene where they get a tattoo, but futile. And then, the person is back in front of their mirror, eyes red from crying, and then they grab something to shatter the mirror with.

There could be something about your existence that's bothering you. This feels like imposter syndrome, or not quite figuring out what's dragging you down and making you feel like there's something missing. Or maybe you'll come across some new information about yourself or your family that you weren't expecting, that shatters who you've always known yourself to be. Maybe you're haunting yourself with things from the past that make you overthink about where you fit in with people or what about you just doesn't resonate with people anymore. Maybe you're losing friends or even broke up with someone, but this seems a lot about blaming yourself for what you've lost, or why you don't feel cut out for a project or role thag you were chosen for. This could also symbolize stress over school or work, where you question if you're good enough for something or if signs are showing you to change your route. I definitely see you recovering from this phase of uncertainty, but for a lot of you, the solution is to move on to something else that makes you more sure of yourself without any pressure, or away from people that discourage you about your dreams because of an unconventional calling or path that you're on.

The Ending Scene:

The Macho Ache - How Did I Get Here

I see the main character (you) in their own place, somewhere that they're proud to call home. The place is cluttered with beautiful Christmas decorations. There's this huge window with a beautiful view of a city, probably somewhere that they've always wanted to live in. They're dancing in front of that window, in front of that skylight view, with stars in the background, twinkling just like the main character who has now finally become their own star in reality, not a dream.

I see success. Success that the main character (you) wasn't expecting, that feels like night and day compared to last year. They are happy. You are happy. You're overwhelmed with how much your life has changed but it's different from the kind that you were experiencing earlier in the year, this feels like like relief that didn't seem possible.

The Grammy Award Winning Scene:

Surf Curse - Labyrinth

I see the main character driving with an adrenaline rush that's emphasized in their eyes. They've had enough and are madly driving driving away from people. This could be from a job that they've quit, their parents, a friend or group of friends, or a lover. The main character is slowly breaking down crying as they're still driving away, but eventually they start crying happy tears.

This Scene represents the pain and grief after someone makes a decision that they didn't want to make but feel as if they needed to. The Scene represents regret after walking alway from someone that they've known for the longest but can no longer handle anymore hurt from them. The sad tears could represent their life flashing in their mind with these individuals, both happy and sad memories, and this pulling feeling that wants them to stay because it's familiar, but the happy tears symbolize that what's done is done, and the joy from their emancipation.

Pile Three 🍿

The Beginning Scene:

Ordinary Child - Float On

I see the main character in an aftermath of the world as we knew it, destroyed. They're the last human. They're laying down on what's left of a rooftop, staring up in a daze, at the sky filled with aurora lights.

At the very beginning of this year, you could be fearful of what's to come because you're still processing all that has happened to you in 2022. For you, you just don't feel right about this year, as if the world is ending, so you could be disassociating a lot. Or maybe you're confused about your surroundings. How people can still go off living their lives when there's so much going on in the world, so it's like you're anticipating something and you're just wondering when other people will catch up. You could be internalizing too much of the world's pain, so I'm seeing that there could be lessons brought to you on how to place boundaries with how much you're feeling from other people and situations, but reminders to stop moving so fast trying to find out how everything is going to end, because you have a life that still needs to be lived now. Maybe you're also being nudged with experiences that bring you back to appreciating what life has to offer now, but it doesn't move you completely. It seems like you'll feel like a ghost. Nothing makes you feel much anymore or everything around you just doesn't feel real.

The Middle Scene:

Easy Life - Wet Weekend

I'm seeing the main character encountering an alien that arrived on earth as a new home. They're just as confused as the main character, but the main character puts their guard down, and shows the alien around earth despite what has been destroyed.

I'm picking up that you could be around younger individuals. There's a baby, child, or someone that's around your age who's naive that you'll meet and be around a lot. Somehow, you're both learning a lot from each other, but most importantly, this is making you regain your humanity or at least faith in humanity. Because I was getting maybe a baby or child, they could represent a newfound perspectives and appreciation for living, and allowing yourself to recieve and give. This could also mean using your knowledge and awareness to find inspiration for a new lifestyle or philosophy. There's something about your beliefs changing a lot in this part of your year, where you're no longer obsessing over other people's enlightenment or lack thereof, but focusing on how there's still much to learn than just concluding that the point in life is to die and that's it. You could also find newer communities to be in, that will put you at ease, and make you have more fun.

The Ending Scene:

Slchild - Maybe We Need a Break

After separating from your alien friend due to an argument or one of you guys being captured. You guys are reunited again, and are walking together with your shadows signifying the strength of your friendship.

For some reason, I feel like this represents feeling like yourself again. Like no longer feeling outside of your body with no confusion over your life and why things happen the way that they do. You're feeling very whole even amongst the people that you couldn't understand before. I'm getting that you're also no longer caring about your pace by realizing that we all move at different tempos. This could also mean no longer feeling like the world is out to get you, and there are other people who share similar traumas that you've faced, despite what they look like on the outside. I also interpret this as creating something that substantial that surpasses time and death. This can be finding new friends and "family" and making memories with you that they will always remember and keep close, or this could represent strong progress in healing through grief that you've been experiencing with a loved one that died. People may not live forever, or happiness may not be a constant thing, but you're learning how to immortalize things that you love about living or that you loved about someone who passed away.

The Grammy Award Winning Scene:

VACATIONS - Steady

The main character (you) is scavenging through old remnants and belongings of people that didn't survive the apocalypse. They're mourning over both people that they've known and haven't even met.

I feel like grief is a big message in this pile. Grieving through your loss for wanting to life, grieving through dreams you may have missed out on, grieving through people that you've lost to death or other reasons. This is a powerful scene for the audience that knows what it's like to have feelings of emptiness and no idea left on where to go. I feel like if this pile is going through a loss, please know that you will get through this, even if it feels endless. I feel like the year of 2023, will evoke the recovery that you need to find your way back into the world again.

[wildemaven]

The Beginning: The Fight

Pairing: Frankie Morales x F!Reader

W/C: 3333

Warnings: 18+; Mentions of food and alcohol, fluff, established relationship, language, sexual tension, mentions/allusions to sex but no actual description of the act, talk of anxiety and self doubt, a kiss of angst, happy ending, 2nd POV, non-descriptive reader, if I missed anything please let me know!

A/N: I’m so nervous for this because it felt like it was the first time I had ever written something and words were very hard. But it felt good to have these two together again. There were key points I wanted to have in this part to build up for the next part, so I’m really hope this doesn’t feel all over the place— I read through it a few times and it seems to be where I want it to be but I’m always second guessing myself as always. I’m also making a point to find a song to go along with each piece, this one felt fitting.

Previous / Next / The Beginning Masterlist / Weekends Masterlist

Your nerves had a wonderful way of making you feel, well, nervous.

Standing in line as you slowly made your way up to the entrance of the building, hoping your brain would settle a bit before you saw him.

“Why do you look like you’re about to barf?” Hannah’s voice reminding you that you weren’t alone as you waited.

“Do I look that bad?!” Questioning your appearance and feeling like you might actually throw up now.

“You look fine babe! I’m just teasing you. But you definitely look nervous.”

“Well I am.” Looking down at your feet as the shuffle forward, inching you closer to the ticket handler.

“Why?”

“Because— All the guys are here tonight and — I don’t know, I just want to make a good impression.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

You all but snap your neck when you turn to look in her direction, brows pinched together in confusion and shock at her comment.

“You already know all the guys. Plus Frankie will be there. I think they know you well enough now that you don’t have to make a first impression again.”

“Ugh!” You throw your head back as your shoulders drop, knowing Hannah is actually giving you sage advice. “You’re right. I guess just being there as Frankie’s girlfriend and hoping things don’t get weird for him, just has me going all worst case scenarios. You know how I get.”

“Yeah, I do. But if Frankie didn’t want you here as his girlfriend, I don’t think you would even be wearing that title to begin with. He really likes you from what I’ve heard from you and briefly seen. He wants you here, in this space with his friends.”

“Thanks for talking me off the cliff!”

“Next!” The burly man ushers you both forward, tearing your tickets and stamping your hands.

Walking through the large metal doors, your immediately hit with the loud booming of the pre-fight hype music— it’s already drowning out your thoughts.

The lighting is dim, making it hard to scan through the crowd of fight goers as you try to spot Frankie and the guys.

“Okay, I’ll see you in a bit.” Hannah abruptly tells you.

“Wait! Where are you going?” Instantly you panic. She was supposed to be your wingwoman until you found the rest of the group, now she’s bailing on you first thing.

“Ummm, Benny said to meet him in the locker room before hand— He mentioned something about needing some good luck for his fight.” Her eyebrows dancing on the emphasis of “good luck”.

“Oh god Hannah! I don’t need to know what that actually means. I’ll see you in a bit and be safe!”

“Yes Mom!” She said over her shoulder as she makes her way to the locker room.

Taking a few deep breaths, you recenter yourself and proceed to make your way through the crowed space, hoping to spot a familiar face quickly.

You hadn’t seen Frankie since he’d stopped by the salon earlier in the week— only managing to chat or text here and there when you both had time. But you know the minute you see him you’ll feel more at ease.

You make your way closer to the fighting cage, side stepping and politely pushing your way through hoards of bodies. The floor sticky under your feet with spilt beer and soft drinks, every other step is met with a crunch of popcorn and peanuts. The air is hazy with the remnants of the faux smoke from the previous fight, slowly dissipating in preparation for the final fight of the evening as the event announcer gives the audience a 10 minute warning.

Relief washes over you the instant you spot Frankie. He’s near the front huddled together with Santi and Will, it seems to be an intense conversation between them.

Santi spots you first, tossing you a wave of welcome your way which triggers Frankie to turn in your direction.

His face lights up and you melt at the sight of the smile he gives you.

No greeting needed as he takes your face in his hands, his plush lips crash into yours molding so perfectly together.

Everything around you becoming a distant thought, feeling completely consumed by Frankie and the way he deepens the kiss, almost making you’re surrounded by hundreds of other people.

“Get a room you two!” A heckler, also known as Santi, yells out.

You can feel Frankie smiling as he shakes his head at the comment.

“Sorry, I got a little carried away. I-I just missed you and needed to kiss you immediately— definitely still one of my favorite things.”

“I wasn’t complaining. Although, our little audience was very supportive.” You tease pointing your chin over his shoulder towards Santi and Will.

“Yeah, got to love those assholes. You look beautiful by the way.” He says as he gives you a once over.

You were torn on what was appropriate to wear to this sort of thing, the pile of clothes on your bedroom floor to show for your plight of second guessing. You ended up settling on a nice middle ground— a black silk shift dress, a worn in jean jacket and your favorite slip-on doc martens.

“If you keep saying that, I might actually start believing it. And thank you.” He had you feeling like you were the only main event he was interested tonight and you only just arrived.

His large hands emphasize the sentiment as they smooth across your hips, his wanting touch evident and warm through the barely there fabric as it glides against your skin.

He leans in close, his breath hot as it fans against your ear, his grip tightening as pulls your body into his. “The things I want to do to you— you have know idea how much I want you right now.”

A small gasp echos through your parted lips. Serotonin washing away any anxieties you had about the evening, a surge in confidence runs through your body.

“The night is still young Morales.” You sigh, pulling back to really look at him. His irises blown out and his gaze fixed on yours.

“Fuck me…” His tone was rousing. An itch he so desperately needed to be scratched.

“Hmm, sounds like a plan.” Shooting him a wink before planting a kiss on his cheek.

“If you two honeymooners are done sucking face— Oof!” Santi’s pestering interrupted by a swat to the chest from Will. “Leave ‘em alone Pope.”

Frankie’s hand settles on your lower back as he guides you over to the guys. You exchange hugs with them and catch up on their lives since you’d last seen them.

“You know, normally we get the full fight experience and hang out with Benny in the locker room, but he said he wanted to try some good luck bullshit— whatever that means.”

You try to contain the the laugh that starts to bubble up. “Umm, his good luck bullshit walks on two legs and goes by Hannah. Who I came with tonight.”

The realization hits them all at the same time and they all decide how much shit they are going give Benny when they seem him afterwards.

Watching some one willingly get pummeled nonstop isn’t as adrenaline inducing as the small touches Frankie has been giving you.

The way his hand rests on your thigh majority of the night, the hem of your dress slightly raised allowing his thumb to draw small circles against your now exposed skin.

His lips grazing your ear when he leans into your space to explain the point system or pointing out signature moves Benny was known for.

A kiss to your temple when Benny got in a few good swings, to then be hit with his grip tightening on your leg if he took one too many punches— your mind noting how good his hands might feel in other ways.

You were buzzing with excitement and a deep hunger for Frankie, not sure how much longer you could curb your emotions.

Thankfully you didn’t have to wait much longer, the crowd coming to life with a mixture of boo’s and whistles as the fight came to a close.

Your group, now including a very excited Hannah, was elated at the announcement of Benny’s win— it was all high fives and shoulder slapping hugs between the guys, yelling at Benny to let him know how proud they were.

After Hannah let you know she was going to go congratulate Benny, you found yourself watching the Frankie, Santi and Will continue their celebration. You couldn’t help but admire the way they fit together like a close knit family.

You smile at the thought of this becoming your normal— a future where these men are a constant presence in your life. You picture backyard gatherings, holidays and even vacations with them.

And the minute you lock eyes with Frankie, you want it all with him. A place to call home, where you’ll both live out your dreams and face challenges that you’ll work through together. Late night conversations that aren’t over the phone but in bed wrapped in his arms where you feel close and safe.

You don’t even know if these are things Frankie wants, but you know a future with out Frankie in it isn’t one you want.

“Hey— you ok?” Frankie’s warm eyes filled with concern, confusing your blanked out stare with fear and anxiety.

“No— I mean… yeah I’m good, totally fine. Just watching you guys have your moment. It’s kinda cute how excited you all are.”

“It’s nice to see his hard work, and my weekly beatings, pay off—” You cut him off by pulling him in for a kiss, all desperate and wanton, his t-shirt bunched in your hands. You can feel his body settle into yours as you devour the tiniest moans his throat unleashes.

3 words were dancing at the tip of your tongue and you weren’t sure you could contain them any longer. You already knew your feelings for this man but you were terrified he’d find you coming on too strong this early on in your still new relationship.

“Alright you two lovebirds! We’re heading out!” Santi you’ve learned in this short amount of time, has the worst timing. “Guessing there’s going to be rain check for drinks tonight. Benny is already, celebrating…” Nodding towards Benny and Hannah heading back to the locker rooms. “And you two are seconds away from giving everyone a free show.”

“Fuck off Pope.” Frankie laughs as he pulls you in close, knowing Pope is just trying to rile him up.

Santi’s hands fly up in a sort of innocent defense, “Hey, I’m just calling it like I see it Hermano!” A shit eating grin spreads across his face as he gives a few pats to Frankie’s shoulders before heading out. Stopping a few feet away, making sure to get in one last comment, “If you don’t marry her asap, we’re gonna have words.” Then walking off to catch up with Will who’s already half way out the door.

“I just might.” Frankie says looking directly at you.

Your heart nearly bursts as he says it and you think he might have meant for the comment to stay in his thoughts, but the look he’s giving, his gaze all soft and loving like, you makes you feel like he definitely wanted you to hear it.

“Hmmm, and I might just say yes.” Your own thoughts coming out openly and you nearly melt at the sight of his dimple inducing smile.

“So my ride was Hannah and I think we both know she’s a little preoccupied now.”

“Is that your way of asking me to take you home?”

“I mean, I could just Uber myself a ride—Alone— To my house— Where I’ll probably go to bed— Alone.”

“Do I sense a touch of sarcasm? All you have to do is ask nicely and I could probably find it in my heart to give you a ride.” And now you love that he can be equally sarcastic right back to you.

“Well you know that, umm, comment you made earlier?” You sense him quickly replaying the evening, his Adam’s apple shifting as he tries to school his features at the realization of which comment you were referring to.

His stare becomes increasingly obvious and intense. An ounce of courage has you biting your bottom lip as you grab him by his belt loop to bring him in closer, your free hand pulling him by the back of the neck, his hair tickling your finger tips, your lips just barely ghosting his.

“I’d like that please!” Your voice breathy and warm, arousal permeating through your body like a fire burning beyond control.

“Ye-yeah! L-let’s get outta here.”

“My house is closer—“

The morning light is filtering through the sheer curtains of your bedroom window. It’s soft enough to make you aware of the time but not enough to make you feel like you need to get up.

Sheets are draped over your still naked form, the ache between your legs is a reminder of the blur that last night was…

The drive home was nearing illegal speeds as Frankie was trying to get to your house as quickly as possible. Your hand squeezing his thigh was doing little to help his not so little situation confined with in his already tight jeans.

Once you both managed to make it through the front door, it was a frenzied mess of toe-curling kisses and a haphazard attempt at removing each other’s clothes.

You felt drunk off the way he was able to pull orgasms from you the entire night.

Frankie took his time with you, slow and merciful, had you reeling in an unexpected bliss— this wasn’t some quick fuck egged on by new feelings.

He was without reserve making love to you in the most beautiful and delicate manner, you knew you couldn’t hold back how you were truly feeling much longer.

You both laid tangled in each other’s arms, bodies sated from what felt like hours of built up desire finally being released into the world.

Quiet had settled into the darkness of your room. You could hear Frankie’s breathing evening out as you traced small shapes with your fingers on his bare chest.

The sudden urge to share your thoughts started to overwhelm your mind.

Worry and past relationships still giving you doubts and fears, but you knew if you didn’t these thoughts would just fester and you would never know if he felt the same way.

“Frankie?” Your voice carries out just above a whisper.

He hums in response, slightly shifting his broad shoulders so he’s facing you, giving you his full attention— he’s even more handsome completely blissed out.

Releasing a heavy sigh as you take him all in, ready to fully bare your heart to him.

“I’m about to say something that is terrifying, but in the best way. And I totally understand if you, umm, don’t feel the same.“ You can feel your body start to tingle and your heart start racing. “I-I…shit! This went so much smoother in my head.”

“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready.” His hand slowly begins to caress your arm, his way of letting you know he’s ready for whatever you need to tell him — an instant sense of calmness washes over you.

“I wanted to tell you earlier tonight, but then I got in my head and started to worry it was too fast to have these feelings I’m having. But that seems to be our thing, I mean you did kiss me after your hair appointment.”

He laughs at that, but doesn’t regret the pace at which your relationship has been developing, even if it has been rather quickly.

“Shit! Sorry— I feel like I’m rambling now.”

He leans over and kisses you— it’s not to shut up you, but more of a little nudge that he wants hear everything you have to say.

“Frankie, I’m in love with you.” You’re breathless as you take a leap, diving headfirst into a new dimension of optimism and fate.

You feel weightless— fully alive and feeling like you’ve been living for this moment your entire existence.

Before even get a chance to ask Frankie how he feels about your confession, you’re on your back as hovers over you.

“I’m so in love with you too, you have no idea.” He admits without hesitation. “I knew from that first moment when you gave me that gorgeous smile of yours. I’m so glad you feel the same way.”

You brush his tousled locks back from his handsome face, taking in all his features— memorizing the way he looks in this moment.

The air between you is charged with a certain degree of emotion. This new wave of desire— an appetite that is completely different than the beginning of the night.

You roll over seeking the warm body who’s arms you fell asleep in last night, to only be met with emptiness and cold sheets.

The feeling is ice cold running through your chest— nothing, nobody, alone.

Your throat feels dry and your chest is tight as you lay staring up at the ceiling— you’re numb.

Mind working overtime as you begin to spiral into a panicked state.

It was too soon. I shouldn’t have said it, I knew this was going to happen.

As your downfall begins to level out, you hear the sound of your door closing and footsteps nearing your room.

“Morning Beautiful! I grabbed the last of their croissants for us, almost had to fight off an old lady for them. Got you an oatmilk latte, figured you’d want the largest size since we had a—“ He’s standing there in yesterdays clothes, holding up a pastry bag and your coffee in his hands, a folded newspaper tucked under his arm and black reading glasses handing from the neck of his t-shirt. He looks so happy and relaxed so early in the morning.

You feel your eyes well up with tears— not sure really their reasoning anymore now that Frankie is here.

-Sniff-

His smile drops the instant he sees you shed a few tears. Deeply concerned that something is wrong, placing everything he’s holding on your nightstand as he sits on the edge of your bed.

“Hey, are you okay? Did something happen?” His thumb brushing your cheek, catching the few lingering tears.

You nod softly, the brief moment of sadness is gone as quickly as it came on. He’s here, he loves you and you want nothing more than to just enjoy this morning together.

“I’m fine. You just weren’t here and I thought you might have had second thoughts about us after last night. I panicked a little.”

He presses a soft kiss to your lips and then your forehead. His strong hand cradling your jaw as his thumb moves across your cheek bones, his movements velvety and undemanding.

“I meant what I said last night— every bit of it. I love you. And I am all in with you, with us. I want a future with you. Heck, I’d ask you to marry me tomorrow if it didn’t sound ridiculous.” The look of sincerity beaming from his eyes as his words pour over you like a warm breeze on summer night.

“Ask me!”

“What? I don’t have a ring or anything prepared to ask you.”

“I don’t care about a ring or some extravagant proposal. At the rate we’re going, following a traditional timeline isn’t really our thing.” You smile up at him, mirroring his own dimpled expression. You close the small distance between the two of you and peck his lips a few times. “Frankie, ask me.” Your lips moving against his as you speak.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes!!”

Next

[evansbby]

Some of my inspirations behind Wicked Games 4🩷🩷 *SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT*

The foreboding winds on the night of the gala

Okay so those who know me know that my favourite book series is flowers in the attic. If you read just an excerpt of this series and observed how Virginia Andrews writes, you’d be able to recognise just how much my writing is inspired by hers. It’s bc sometimes her writing makes me emotional, and I can picture things so vividly. ANYWAYS, one of the big themes in flowers in the attic is how the heroine Cathy kept hearing the loud, wild winds. She was imprisoned in an attic in a mansion up in the mountains, and mountain winds are insanely loud, like roaring level of loud. And she’d always talk about how the winds were trying to warn her about something. So…yeah. That part was very very inspired from flowers in the attic 😅 Like how she described the winds, it just stuck with me.

And it really just builds up the tension of the gala night perfectly and encapsulates the sense of foreboding perfectly too AND WORDS CANNOT EXPLAIN how happy I was when so many of you noticed the wind descriptions in your feedback!!! Some of you even called it your favourite part!!! I love that 🥹🥹 Thank you! Also it really goes to show that READING is the best way to get good at writing. I would be nowhere if I hadn’t read all the books that I did in my childhood! I cannot stress it enough: reading really impacts the way you write your own stuff. Anyways, I added a quote from FITA below. I couldn’t find any wind ones (despite the fact that she mentions in ALL FOUR BOOKS the foreboding whistling winds) but yeah, can y’all see how her writing has inspired my writing?? I really think it has.

Steve’s personal problems

A lot of it was inspired by… well… me. BUT JUST HEAR ME OUT. The parts where Steve talks about having too many responsibilities, how all of it just piles up inside his head and it feels like his thoughts are screaming. I get that! Not to such an extreme extent as Steve, but I am someone who panics easily when I have too much on my plate. And it’s like I can physically feel my thoughts racing (it just sounds like me screaming lol) so that’s where I got inspiration for that! Obviously it was exaggerated to fit Steve’s much bigger problems (I’ve never had absentee parents or a younger sibling who I solely worry about all the time nor have I been kicked off the basketball team nor am I an alcoholic). But yeah! That’s how I knew how to write that overwhelmed feeling that he was feeling.

The chapter title “comfortably numb”

Okay so MAJOR SPOILERS for the tv show the sopranos ahead. Basically the song “comfortably numb” plays during a scene where something not so great happens to the character of Christopher. iykyk. And I found the character of Christopher very interesting. He was by all accounts a shitty person. But he was so sensitive, and he was dealing with a lot, and he’d try to escape it by doing drugs, essentially “numbing” himself to the pain. So the title does refer to Steve, who’s problems are piling up so high on his head and he KNOWS he’s fucked everything up for himself, so he just gives up and numbs himself with drugs and alcohol. I’m sure this was pretty self explanatory and didn’t need an explanation but yeah!

Wanda’s drunken tirade 😂

Okay so the part where Wanda only selectively hears what Curtis is saying and latches on to “reader slept with Curtis” and ignoring everything else?? I SAW THIS HAPPEN IN REAL TIME WITH TWO OF MY FRIENDS!!! Basically we were at a party, and we were young af like 16-17. And both my friends were drunk (I’m not friends with either of them anymore but this was in like 2016 bahah) anyways one friend thought the other friend had kissed the guy she liked, the other friend said she didn’t but the first friend was only selectively listening. AND I SWEAR I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN A LOT. Like when someone is so drunk they just selectively listen or just believe what they want to believe. So yeah that’s how I got the inspiration for that. And for a lot of these, I don’t even think what’s inspired me. I write it down and then read it over and I’m like “wait this actually happened to me IRL that must be where I’m getting these ideas from” 😭😂😂😂

Reader’s emerald dress and the gala

Okay this one I didn’t even realise was sooo flowers in the attic inspired until I read it over. So basically Cathy’s mother Corrine wears this gorgeous emerald gown to her family’s Christmas ball. And many years later when Cathy plans revenge on her mother, she remembers this emerald gown from memory and has it remade so she can wear it and confront her mother at the Christmas ball. I remember reading long descriptions of that gown. But tbh I didn’t really remember what that gown looked like or any of the details, just the colour was significant to me. Bc the gala was going to be a night of many confirmations too. The description of reader’s emerald dress all came from my head haha. Like the ruching and the slit etc. I tried to find a dress on Pinterest that matched my vision but none of them lived up to the image I have in my head that’s my own creation LMFAOOO

Andddd my mind is blanking now but if I remember any more inspirations I’ll add them here!!!

[shotmrmiller]

MILLER MILLER MILLER

I KNOW YOUR VERY BUSY BUT MY STARVED SELF NEEDS THIS OML

https://youtu.be/ZY1f7E_2iFA?feature=shared

THIS SONG RIGHT HERE GIVES ME THE ABSOLUTE CHILLS YOU HAVE NO IDEA HHHH

My heart fills with a sort if nostalgia, and my stomach fills with butterflies. It's very exhilarating! I can't help but imagine a sort of small drabble of like.. Simon realizing he's in love with you. Nah cuz I ain't no writer but uhmmmm I'm finna Write something and it's gonna be crusty but tbh idrc

Lmao this is turning out to be long even tho I'm writing it on a whim and pulling everything outta my ass-

You and Simon had a sort of tension ever since he got injured on duty about a year or so back.

Since you were the only Medic in the medbay at the time, you were the one to care for Ghosts wounds. Even though he was very cautious on the job, he managed to get himself a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He had lost quite a lot of blood, causing him to be in-and-out of consciousness.

As you swiftly work to get him a blood transfusion, you slip off his mask and pat the side of his face to try and wake him up. He groans with blurry vision and pain.

You attempt to keep him awake with questions, or making him talk.

"Sir, I need your name"

He coughs up a bit of blood, causing you to wince since it splattered a bit on your cheek.

"Ghost.."

"Alright Ghost, I need you to stay awake for me, yeah?"

"I can try, but no promises" he says with a cheeky grin, which quickly dissipates into a painful expression as you work.

"Alright big guy, I need you to turn on your side so I can see if there's an exit to the bullet"

You start pushing him to his side to assist him, and cut his shirt to find no exit of the bullet.

"Alright it's still in there, so I'm gonna need to dig a bit. I'm gonna give you something for pain" you say as you pull out a srynge of fluid, sticking him with it before he can react.

You get the necessary tools ready, and start digging carefully for the bullet. After pulling out a small silver clump of metal, you start sewing him up.

"Here's a souvenir for you"

You hand him the bullet. He chuckles a bit, but not too much.

(That's literally all I can think of as a backstory lmao ik it's lame hh)

Ever since that late night shift at the medbay, you and "Ghost", later on changed to "Simon", had become close. So close in fact, that it got to the point that even if he had a small cut or a very minor scrape, he would make a B-line to your section of the building.

You would always tease him for such things, giving him a sticker of his choice after every visit (And yes, you carry stickers around for him).

For some reason today, you hadn't seen him at all which was out of the ordinary. You found yourself waiting for him throughout the day, but he never showed up.

You mope away to your designated barracks, face saddened. After JUST getting comfortable in your bed, you hear a knock at your door.

You sigh, getting up frustrated to see who the hell it is. You swing the door open in grogginess to be met with Simon standing there with a sort of look on his face, and not a good one.

Lmao cliffhanger because it's 5am and the idea I had in my head was literally just an emotional Kissing scene in the rain when Simon has to go on a mission that he might not come back from, and you both realize you love eachother idk. (That's why I originally came here with the song lmao but I got distracted hhh sorry for wasting your time 😭) btw this was my first time attempting to write something so sorry that it's musty.

-♦️

kissing in the rain!

who cares about backstory! who cares if it's a repetitive trope! if that's what you're wanting your story to be then write it.

honored to be the recipient of your first ever little snippet.

let me give you a hug and i'm saving the song in my playlist.

[imtheband28]

Never Grow Up

Hiii, this is my first little story that im posting, i hope you like it. I wanna dedicated to @harrywavycurly since she gave me a lot of motivation to do so. Thank you Sarah (go check her stuff) ❤️

Warning: None

I would love to go back to one of those first moments and tell you to calm down and not be in a hurry for anything. 

You had a little bed with airplane sheets that you loved and made you think every night that you wanted to get on one in the seat next to the window with your mother next to you who had just tucked you in, kissed you on the cheek saying "For you I put up with everything" and with a smile that you didn't know was broken closed the door behind her to let you sleep.

Oh little one all the dreams felt so real and everything but absolutely everything seemed funny to you. You played with the few toys you had, some new ones you found in unexpected places left behind by careless children and others that had seen better days. The courtyard of the small two-room house where you had lived until you were six years old seemed to be huge and to contain the whole world where all your fantasies of flying, secret excursions and fighting dragons came true.

The day your mother came running with her long curly hair flying around her to fetch you from the yard and take you out of your world of pirate fantasies I remember better than anyone knows you were about to jump over the plank of the ship that was really just a rock and jump into the grass covered with flowers that you said were sharks.

You thought your mother's desperation was because she was excited about something, but you didn't realize the terror she felt, which she covered with a very convincing smile that years later you began to copy. Who knew how many things one hides behind something as simple and reassuring as a smile. Had you known your mother's true feelings I know you would have grabbed her hand and told her what you believed with all your heart at the time: Everything is going to be alright.

A car horn honked and you climbed in loaded with two garbage bags full of clothes for both of you and your small school bag with your few toys on your back. Arriving at one of your favorite places in the world, your Uncle Wayne's house, your mother said it was just a big sleepover for a few days. Your uncle, always happy to see you, gave you great comfort and made you forget for a moment about the big flutter that was forming in your stomach from the tension that seemed to be getting thicker by the minute. Carrying the bag with your clothes and backpack to the room where your uncle said you would be for the next few days you couldn't help but hear "This time it's for real", "Who told the police?", "I did it Wayne, I can't take it anymore, it only exposes him to tremendous danger". 

At the door of the trailer your mother knelt down in front of you, pushed aside the curls that fell in front of your eyes and looking at you with an enormous intensity she told you that she loved you and that she would come back soon to take you and make your dream of sitting by the window and flying holding her hand come true. When she gave you one last kiss on your forehead and you saw the look she exchanged with your uncle before she got into the car with another woman you didn't know, you weren't sure if she would really come back as soon as she said she would.

She never came back.

Your uncle did his best to make you forget about the confusing and awkward moment you were going through. He helped you build forts in the living room in front of the TV, showing you his favorite vinyls with his favorite songs. When it was time to go back to school he bought you another backpack, two notebooks and a new pack of colored pencils, he combed your hair the best he could and put good softener on the clothes you were wearing, every week when they met after work and school brought you a new cap that his truck driver friends gave him just for you. The collection became so big that you saw no other solution than to start hanging them on the wall.

With the passage of time you got used to life with your uncle, you understood from almost the beginning that there was no other. When you were older, your uncle explained to you that your father got into a lot of problems and everyone had a limit, even patient and sweet people like your mother, but that wasn't an excuse not to come back to you. You told yourself that it didn't matter anymore and that you were going to move on with the person who was pushing you to do it. But in the long and silent nights of your adolescence when Wayne started working at night, the memories of an interrupted childhood and a change of protector without a real explanation made you feel that you were easy to forget and maybe a problem that's why your uncle had to work too much. When you got fed up with the noise of your thoughts and the tears your music was there, that's when you started buying cassettes and filling your walls with posters, you saved every penny Wayne gave you to buy your most precious possession. That guitar that gave you back an emotion that you only felt in your fantasy world in the courtyard of the one that was once your home. 

I wish you had stayed as small, as creative and excited about the world as when you were six.

 Your friends who formed the Hellfire Club with you cheered you up by making sure you looked good with a shaved head after some idiot in class put a piece of gum in the middle of your hair that was already getting past your neck. Those friends who decided to leave the club because of the constant teasing from others or who simply graduated earlier and didn't look back. You realized that the older you got the more afraid you got to love something or rather someone since everyone moved by themselves and you didn't know if you were in their plans so you decided to be selfish too, you felt that you were in your right and then you put on the leather armor that you always wear and the sword of your personality.

I wish I hadn't grown up, Wayne has more and more wrinkles, gray hairs and looks more tired than ever and that scares me but I try to make him forget about his problems that he never really talks to me about as well as he once did with me. Thinking about him, I did what I did.What once brought me immense joy today did it once again but it's not just a simple guitar anymore, it became a weapon that distracts bats. Keeping them from going to the place that Wayne made my home in the real world where everything wasn't dark and cold like here.

Ironic as the thing that scares me the most is what brought me here, I who no longer wanted to love anyone for fear that they would leave ended up loving, I knew them for a very short time but the very fact of thinking that something would happen to them, especially to Dustin made me make the decision I made.

God, that little one that reminds me so much of me, so much passion, so much energy, so much of everything. I loved him and I told him so and for a few moments I felt loved again before going away. Before just laying in this unknown horrible other world made by a monster  where everything seems to die.

I wish I hadn't grown up.

[itrustmydiscoverweekly]

I think I finally get the point of white girl pop

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3.5 out of 5 stars)(I loathe dev teams for not making a half star emoji)

Yeah, I had fun this week. This album is undeniably good. It might not really be for me, but I listened to it with friends (white girls, yes), and it was fun. The songs are all super catchy and I ended up liking this album a lot more than I expected to.

Opinion time! (as always, not opinion order, just album order)

"Taste" breaks my usual rule of no first or last songs on albums but I LOVE this song. It wins the most batshit mv I've watched in a very long time and that's just a footnote for this song. This song is also the reason I found out Sabrina Carpenter was 5 feet tall. The instrumentation is simple, just regular drums and lead and backing guitar, her vocals and the layering of said vocals MAKE this song what it is. I love the chorus with my whole heart, I love her way of mixing her full-voiced singing and whisper singing in this song. I'm not usually a fan of whisper singing but this song has the right amount. There are so many cool harmonies in the last chorus that make me happy. Everyone that worked on this song did a great job.

"Good Graces" I like the electronic drums on this song, and that is not something I say often. I love the pre-chorus on this song a lot, it builds tension the perfect amount to go into the chorus which slowly pulls the listener back to the verse. I love how the melody is kept in the background on guitar, it adds that perfect layer. This is a very fun song and is the perfect amount of silly and I love it.

"Juno", I never expected this horny of a song out of white girl pop but it is amazing. I love the pre-chorus so much and I don't want to just say the same as the last one but you get the point. this song is unapologetically very silly and gets a 10/10 on the 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 scale. The instrumental section I love so much. The guitar effects used are silly and add a lot to the song. This song does a great job building for the last chorus. I love this song so much and I think it's mostly because so many love songs are grieving the relationship and this one is just so happy and silly.

Honorable mentions!! ��🥳🥳

"Sharpest Tool", great use of rubber bridge guitar, this is a quieter song but it is pretty and I like it. I like the lines "We were goin' right then you took a left[]If that was casual then I'm an idiot" and how they're delivered, it's a great bridge.

"Don't Smile" I love the dreamy vibe on this song a lot. The vocal layering here is amazing. I'm a big fan of this song and it was a great way to cap off the album.

[romancomicsnews]

Why it's the right time for a third season of The Spectacular Spider-Man

While Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man: The Animated Series were my introduction to the character of Spidey, Spectacular Spider-Man was how I truly fell in love with the character.

I was obsessed with the show as a child. I had nearly every action figure, I'd rewatch episodes (shoutout "Group Therapy", it's my favorite), and even tried to make the theme song my ringtone.

As I went on in my years and consumed so much Spider-Man content, I always found myself comparing it to Spectacular Spider-Man.

Did the voice match as well as Keaton's, was the style of the character simple yet unique to what we've seen before, how are the quips?

I did this so much, that earlier this year I wondered if I was just wearing nostalgia glasses. That maybe I was misremembering as one does. So, I rewatched the entire show with my partner...

...and I was NOT.

It is concise, it is beautiful, and every episode at the very least is fun. There is no villain that doesn't get their due, there is no arc that isn't important, and there is not a moment where Josh Keaton is embodying the best voice for Peter Parker or Spider-Man.

As you might've been able to tell by my Young Justice article, I am a huge fan of the storytelling ability of Greg Weismann. But I think it is really put on display in this show. Every beat feels important, most characters have solid arcs, and suspense and danger always feel real and earned.

With my rewatch, Spectacular Spider-Man's recent inclusion in Across the Spider-Verse, and the fanbase continuing to rage on, I thought I'd put my two cents in as to why it's time this show is brought back.

Clearly I'm biased but I don't care.

1. New Villains

Spectacular Spider-Man had a great way of bringing in classic villains and even B-list villains and making them iconic.

My favorite example of this was The Shocker, who in this version was also Montana, leader of the Enforcers.

By doing this, they made one of Spider-Man silliest enemies into a character who feels like the most qualified killer in every room he's in.

Because such time has passed since season 2, new and different Spider-Man villains have entered the zeitgeist. The Prowler, The Spot, and Mr Negative are great examples of villains who weren't well known when the show was originally going on.

There were also several different villains teased during the 1st and 2nd season. The promise of Carnage, Hydro Man, Man-Wolf, and Hobgoblin never came to be, and fans of the show remember!

Much like every character, several villains in the show were left on cliffhangers. Hammerhead and Silver Sable were left without any bosses. Harry was left fatherless. Black Cat hates Spider-Man for letting her father stay in prison. And New York was left without a Big Man.

It'd be very exciting to see who might take over after a situation like that.

2. New Heroes

Unlike other superhero shows, Spectacular Spider-Man lacks many if any team ups.

Since it's cancellation, we have had several Spider-Verse crossovers, and Spider-Gwen and Miles Morales have entered the main stream.

Making Gwen a Spider and introducing Miles into the friend group could add more tension to the Peter and Harry dynamic as he feels left out and an eerie feeling something is going on.

The potential for Spectacular Spider-Man to enter a wider Marvel universe is now possible, with Disney now owning the rights for television.

We could see Peter join the Avengers, fight alongside Ms. Marvel, even switch bodies with Wolverine.

I'm not saying this SHOULD happen, but we do know that Greg Weismann knows how to build out a universe.

3. Not Enough (Good) Animated Spidey Content

Since Spectacular Spider-Man, we've had two different animated Spider-Man shows. Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man.

While Ultimate Spider-Man had a silly interesting tone, and an overarching story that was interesting at times, it paled in comparison to what came before.

Many of the characters lacked depth, and the jokes just didn't hit the same. But at least that show had charm.

Marvel's Spider-Man did not.

The animation was boring, the characters lacked the fun and whimsy of both the others, and every character felt exaggerated. It was painful to watch.

The next Spider-Man show we are getting is entitled Spider-Man Freshman year, set within the MCU.

While it looks promising and different, due to the writers strike, the MCU constantly pushing projects back, and Marvel Studios constantly over working VFX and animation studios, I don't see this one coming out any time soon.

Which leaves a window for Spectacular Spider-Man to fill. We've gone too long without animated Spidey content on television!!

and most importanty:

4. Josh Keaton is just the Best Spider-Man

Holland. Maguire. Garfield. Johnson. Lowenthal. Moore. The question keeps coming up. Who is the best Spider-Man?

But oh they are all wrong.

So soon the public forget how perfect Keaton's acting is. He nails the quips like Garfield. The inner monologues like Maguire. The awkward nerdiness like Holland. And he nailed the blacksuit storyline.

He perfected it all.

Keaton's Spider-Man is on pair with Kevin Conroy's Batman. It is the voice I hear when I read the comics, and it works on every level.

At 44, Keaton still sounds like Peter Parker, and could continue doing the show now as if it never ended. But frankly, we don't know how long that will last, or how long Keaton would be interested in continuing this version of the character. Now is the time to give him that call!

In this era of oh so many Spider-Men, it's time the king took back his crown. There's a reason he's the animated Spider-Man that made it into Across the Spider-Verse.

Now is the time to bring it back. The fans want it. Keaton wants it. It would be a win for everyone.

Let's just hope Disney isn't stupid enough to miss that.

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[my-cabbages-gorl]

Do you have any tips for invoking imagery in your writing? I was reading your fic “Delicate” and was blown away by the metaphor and simile usage. Where do you even come up with the beautiful word combinations?

Whoa, wow, that is SO so kind, @sweet-lemon-slice!

Other than the obvious of always keeping a physical or online thesaurus handy, here are a few tips that might not be groundbreaking, but hopefully they’ll be helpful!

1. Reading a LOT of different types of literature helps; poetry (classic ESPECIALLY), classic lit, modern fiction, short stories, and of course fic!! Reading the way that other writers use metaphor/simile/imagery helps grease the gears of creativity in a biiig way AND always helps with vocabulary expansion!!

2. This one is going to sound strange and skip it if you want but my BIGGEST source of inspiration is meditating on or just reading religious text. Sutras, the Tripitaka, Tibetan book of the dead, the Tao te Ching, the Quran, the Bible and the Apocrypha, the Bhagavad Gita, the Tanach (esp. the Nevi’im and the Ketuvim). The imagery, the metaphor, the natural poetry of humanity grappling with the search for meaning and divinity!!! There is very little I’ve found out there that matches religious text’s literary exploration of depravity, anguish, tension, love, redemption, etc.

3. When you hear a phrase in a conversation, a show, a book, a song (songs are especially good for this) that’s been worded in a way that piques your interest, write it down! Then, play with the phrase and think about others ways to extend the metaphor. For example, I once heard a friend describing a fight with a partner by saying “he was undressing me with his words.” That got me thinking about the metaphor of undressing with words and what other actions harmful words can perform. I wrote down under that phrase, “cruelty as hands that strip, that shame, or rob. Inhumanity as a whip that cracks and splits the skin.” The more you do it, the more it builds a neural pathway that takes one idea you have for a line or a moment and then fans it out into many different ways to phrase it.

I hope this is at least a tiny bit helpful. Thank you so much for the ask! I feel ridiculously honored that you’d seek out my advice for building imagery 🫶🏽 happy writing!!

[somsesh]

The Journey to ASMR Story

In July last year, Shadma told me her story about Indian barbers giving massages, and how the sound of those massages and haircuts has become a source of comfort for YouTube watching crowds worldwide. I hadn't come across anything like this before, so naturally, my ears perked up after hearing this. Shadma shared a YouTube video of Baba Sen, a legendary figure in the world of ASMR, to warm me up about the topic. The video is from the mid-2000s, shot on a low-quality camera. It shows Baba Sen, a guy in his 40s giving a massage to a foreigner. There is a song playing from the film 'Saaya' loudly in the background, and it keeps getting interspersed by the melodically dragging voice of Baba Sen telling his customer to relax. The way he says 'relaxxx' is quite catchy, so much so I kept saying relax while driving around Bangalore. As a newbie on the roads of Bangalore, I found it comforting to have Baba Sen's voice in my head. But there was more to Baba Sen's massage, he appeared to sense cosmic forces around, catching the ones he wanted to merge with the customer's aura, and pulling away the ones he wanted to discard. I don't know whether it was indeed an ASMR experience for me, but Baba Sen as a character was definitely a magnetic one. It didn't take me long to decide that the lead illustration should be dedicated to Baba Sen and how he has been a calming presence for so many viewers online.

This was the initial sketch where I wanted to show Baba Sen channelling cosmic energy. But from the sketch, the initial exploration went a bit abstract trying to show the cosmic energy. I was trying to use the flow of the marbling technique, but it needed to be more direct.

Ultimately, with Shadma's feedback, I tried to bring the planetary force into the visual. It was a coincidence that around the same time, the famous photo of the James Webb telescope came up, and it helped see what space already has to offer.

Given how generally is the nature of news these days, the overall tonality can be a little dark and grim, but this particular article was much lighter and free from such heavy baggage. I wanted the overall visuals to be vibrant, a mix of digital with glitches of hand-drawn techniques. For the second illustration, the idea was to focus on how the soundscapes of ASMR become an aid for people trying to sleep. I tried to use the audio pitch map's graphic to shape up like an ikkat print blanket. I also made use of a lot of textures and print that I scanned from books and magazines to use as background graphics.

It was important to have illustrations peppered around the text so that people don't get tired by reading larger passages of text. The following illustration was a very relatable one because I am certain many of us face the dilemma of what to watch on OTT platforms because the options are plenty and being spoiled for choices is not always a good thing when making decisions. I chose to take some of the popular shows' striking visuals where the character's face is staring down at you to build up the tension.

I didn't intend to have the edges pixellated, but to make the idea of glitch more consistent, and also to have a varied range of framing of visuals, I brought in this finishing to it.

The fourth illustration brings the focus back to the barber and their techniques. In most of the videos and behind-the-scenes productions, you can see that the importance is more on creating content for consumption, so the need to amplify every sonic detail is of utmost significance. I usually love juxtaposing elements to create visuals that can speak to you without trying hard to interpret between the lines.

In a long read online, with a single column of content, you have to come up with ways of breaking the linearity, or the monotony. Also, it's not helpful to have illustrations that are trying to represent each and every section of the text, so I chose to drive the next illustration higher on the abstraction axis. I wanted this to also double up as a visual break, and recreate the illuminating sense of ASMR tingling.

I am not sure if you have noticed, but more and more companies are dialling up the use of ASMR in their advertisements. Whether it's the extra fizz of Coke, crunchiness of KFC, wrapper noises of chocolates, or the close shaving sound of a razor. I wanted this one to be an interactive piece where scrolling down the page triggers the movement of the razor and plays the scratchy noise of shaving. What I had in mind was a little demanding execution-wise, but I have a small video of it to give you a sense of it.

After the heavy-weight illustrations, it's always good to pop a small spot illustration that tries to be more clever than descriptive, so an ode to the expensive equipment that helps rake the YouTube views. Santosh Ojha who runs an ASMR channel on YouTube has equipment in his studio that highlights how certain tools are unique in the way they help make the lather or give the closest shave.

The second last illustration in this piece is to highlight how barbers over the years have played a bigger role than giving massages and haircuts. They have donned the role of advisor and confidant too. I have always been fascinated with the way the infinite reflections show up in barber shops, so I decided to use it as a portal to show a barber's different role.

The last illustration has been a key topic for me throughout the article. The disparity of pay a YouTuber makes vs the actual barbers who are giving the massage has been a point of conflict. It was important to not paint the content creators with a dark shade because putting the blame on somebody else is the easiest thing to do rather than understanding the entire system and cycle of such systems. Santosh Ojha makes sure that his barbers have other individual revenue streams too, and takes care of his staff. Unfortunately, Baba Sen's life still holds the mirror of how it is for a large set of content contributors. Baba Sen was a pivot who turned the spotlight on ASMR through his cosmic massage, but he passed away with financial debt in his name. The finishing illustration shows YouTube as a currency that gets trimmed and shredded leaving only scraps to collect at the end for the people who help make the videos.

Thank you for reading through this piece. It has been a while since I have spoken in depth about my thoughts and the process that goes behind framing visuals for a story.

Please read the entire story here, and pass it around. :)

#story #editorial #illustration #digitalillustration #asmr #barber #indianbarber #asmrbarber #factordaily #journalism

[phant0m-l0rd]

I got inspired by @blueofthesun to make my own personal post about Dir En Grey's album openers and how I'd personally rank my favourites~

Just a heads up, with the majority of Diru songs I'm not 100% familiar with all the song lyrics so my preferences rely more so on the musical aspects of the songs rather than their meanings necessarily.

My top 5 is under the cut~

5. 鬼眼-kigan-

I feel like this was the perfect track to start off the Kisou album because, right from the opening notes, it sets the tone for what will be an unsettling, eerie, and dark album that tackles a range of controversial topics in an overt manner.

The slow build-up of the creepy atmosphere transitions into a more chaotic segment, which also gives the listener a preview of what the rest of the album will be like; hectic, unpredictable, yet somehow cohesive.

4. audience KILLER LOOP

I remember the very first time I checked out the Vulgar album- I was on public transport on my commute to my internship sometime last year. And I remember being grateful I was wearing a mask because I was just smiling giddily at how much I was enjoying the opening track. It instantly made me so excited for the rest of the album that was to come.

It opens with a bang, instantly drawing you in and piquing your interest, only to get more melodious as it progresses. It feels refined and the sound feels mature, with lots of little intricacies you only pick up upon further listens. And, for all those reasons, it feels perfect as the opening to this album. It encapsulates and gives a preview of the powerful and dynamic (to borrow @blueofthesun's phrasing) journey you're about to embark on.

3. Sa Bir

I was also tempted to lump Deity and Sa Bir together in my ranking, but I'll keep them separate because I do have a slight preference for Deity as an opening.

Sa Bir is such a good opening for Uroboros because it takes its time to set the mood, yet it doesn't feel in the least bit boring. I've always found that it reminded me of a Pink Floyd track due to the usage of ticking clocks, and I agree with @blueofthesun once more that it overall feels very hypnotic. To me, it serves its purpose at pulling you in, making you intrigued and willing to venture into the unknown.

2. Deity

This is legitimately one of my favourite Diru songs, period, and the only reason it's not number one in this ranking is because I'm ranking these not necessarily based on my preferences for them as songs but mostly for their effectiveness at being album openers.

The reason this one works so well, to me, for opening Macabre is because it's atmospheric, hypnotic, and ominous, much like the rest of the album. As I've mentioned with others, to me a good album opener is one that sets the tone for the rest of the album and also draws you in and leaves you wanting more. I love the way this song starts off slow, then the tension keeps building especially once the rhythm section kicks in. The layers keep getting added and when the vocals finally come in, the stage has been perfectly set for the rest of the album to then unfold.

1. Kyoukotsu No Nari (狂骨の鳴り)

I will not lie, I'm very biased towards this song as an album opening track because, to me, it was not just the opening track to Dum Spiro Spero but also the opening track to my Dir En Grey musical journey, essentially. After I'd heard a 10sec snippet of another song off DSS on YouTube, DSS was subsequently the first Diru album I wanted to check out and this was the first full song I heard by them.

And I don't think a better song exists to set the stage for not only DSS, but for Dir En Grey as a whole. It's chilling, unsettling, terrifying even. It feels like it belongs in a horror movie soundtrack and, as such, is the perfect track to start off the dark and sinister album that is DSS. It's a haunting opening track, and I remember my first impression upon hearing it was that I'd never heard anything quite like it in my entire life, and I was almost wondering what I'd just walked myself into. For that, I think it's perfect.

[eurovision-del]

We’re approaching the final national final weekend, with only two more countries left to pick their Eurovision entries – Portugal and Sweden. I’ll take another look at the Portugal finalists later, but here’s my ranking of the acts in contention to be the host entry:

Smash Into Pieces – Heroes Are Calling

Marcus & Martinus – Unforgettable

Medina – Que sera

Cazzi Opeia – Give My Heart a Break

Annika Wickihalder – Light

Maria Sur – When I’m Gone

Lisa Ajax – Awful Liar

Jacqline – Effortless

Dotter – It’s Not Easy to Write a Love Song

Danny Saucedo – Happy That You Found Me

Jay Smith – Back to My Roots

LIAMOO – Dragon

Honestly, I’m not particularly impressed. I never quite gel with Melfest, the particular type of pop it favours isn’t really my thing, and it takes something really special to cut through and connect with me. With all the other national finals happening, I didn’t watch any of the heats live, but I did catch up with all the competing songs, and actually there was quite a bit that I enjoyed. I’m really sad Clara Klingenström didn’t qualify, Aldrig mer isn’t quite as good as Behöver inte dig idag to my ears, but I still really enjoyed it. I also (perhaps unsurprisingly given my tastes) really enjoyed Circus X – I think it’s a better rock song than Heroes are Calling, and has a far clearer identity too. The creepy circus thing may have been done before, and I wish they’d done something a little more inventive than a straight up IT reference with the red balloon in the opening, but they put their own spin on the concept and I had a great time with it. And the ending was absolutely fantastic - those final few bars where it completely rocks out is one of my favourite moments of the entire national final season this year!

Looking at the actual finalists, Smash Into Pieces are sort of my winners by default. I was very positive about them last year, and Heroes Are Calling is more of the same. It doesn’t hit as hard as Six Feet Under did, but I’m always going to enjoy a heavy guitar riff and a strong beat as long as there’s nothing notably bad in the song, so I have a good time listening to it.

There was also one other entry that I found myself really liking, and that’s Unforgettable. Part of it was down to the staging – Sweden do always deliver there, every single one of these finalists have great stagings and strong semi performances – but I especially liked this one with the walls close them in then expand out as the song progresses, and the general 90s matrix style of it all is great visually, and fits in with the electronic influences in the song, even if it’s not got much to do with anything lyrically. But a big part of it is the song itself, I found it the most memorable of all the finalists. The little rising sequence of notes that makes up the main hook builds tension really well and creates a cooler sound that their brighter voices bounce off really nicely. I especially like the final chorus, the production there sounds almost Daft Punk influenced, and I really enjoy how it keeps the tension ramping up to the very last note.

Because of this, Marcus & Martinus are definitely my pick to win tomorrow night. I’d also be very excited if Smash Into Pieces did by some chance end up representing Sweden, but I don't think it's likely. We know Sweden will put on a great show in Malmö, and no matter what they pick they’ll bring an exciting stage show and strong performance – nothing here feels enough for a second victory in a row to me, but they should have no trouble climbing the scoreboard. Sweden will almost certainly take their performance straight from Melfest to Eurovision with no chances as usual, especially since they’re hosting. The only downside to the production value of their national final being so high is that there’s nowhere for it to go.

[takethistoyourstardust]

Mage Ranks the JD2023E Map… Witch

We’re at the second song in the Enter the danceverses play list, and we’re properly introduced to the main villain of this story, Night Swan.

MAP: Witch - Apashe ft. Alina Pash DIFFICULTY: Medium EFFORT: Moderate JD+ NEEDED?: No SEASON: Base game/Enter the danceverses playlist

Let’s channel our inner Odile and see what this map has in store for us!

--

Jesus christ, I don’t think they could’ve found a more fitting song for her. It’s a Ukrainian song, with intense chanting, even more intense orchestration, and the few English lyrics that pop up are sharp punches. And of course, we can’t forget the chant/chatter noise that’s made in the song, which genuinely remind me of a pissed off swan. If you’ve never had the displeasure of interacting with real swans, they are scary. Do Not Fuck With Them Or They Will Kill You. Which is the exact vibe this song, and Night Swan herself, give off.

The dance is absolutely a spike in difficulty compared to the song before it, which makes sense as we’re going from an easy to a medium dance. This dance is elegant with a dangerous edge, controlled, and challenges you to perfect it, especially taking the first gold move into account. Which... I’m sorry, you think my legs can do WHAT??? Absolutely not, but I appreciate the delusion (although in practice it’s not AS bad as it looks). It builds up slowly, and each time you get to the screech, that tension is released, and gets released further by the more intense moves in the choreography.

This dance has an important but unique job; it’s designed to intimidate you. It’s designed to throw in moves that from the outside looking in makes you go “what the HELL does it want me to do?!”, but it also has to be easy enough that you don’t feel like they just slapped you with an insane difficulty spike out of nowhere after CSTF. It’s a delicate balancing job, and one that I think they pulled off almost effortlessly.

And the effortlessness is even more enhanced by our coach.

First off, I need to shout out Night Swan’s actress, Shirley Henault, for not only being able to have such a commanding presence as Night Swan, but for also having appeared in the previous map as Sara. Yeah, Sara and Night Swan are played by the same person, and I would not have been able to tell that just by watching them. When we hit the penultimate song in the playlist, you’ll realize why that’s extra insane.

With that out of the way, I ADORE her look. I’m a sucker for gothic aesthetics, severe makeup, and those nail-claw things that I’ve always wanted to try but know I’ll hate. The feathers all over her cape and the designs on her leotard that evoke both magic and feathers is so good, and fits in with her inspiration. I made a reference to the character Odile at the start, and that’s because Night Swan is very much supposed to be the black swan from Swan Lake, with some inspiration from the movie Black Swan. Even her backstory, a failed ballerina who’s obsession with perfection drove her to madness, is reminiscent of the movie. And one more note, tying back into the fact that Night Swan and Sara share a dancer; the role of Odile and Odette are often portrayed by the same person. Possibly a coincidence.

Slight headcanon, but if they ever reveal her real name, I’m putting money down that says they’ll say her real name was Odette, and not Odile, as Odette is the more well-known name from Swan Lake. But that’s neither here nor there.

What is here is the background. A swan throne in a purple room, filled to the utter brim with her assimilated army, with four more added to the count by the end of the song. Also by the end of the song, she’s invading other worlds. She seems utterly unstoppable in her throne room, with her army. The danceverses are in dire straits, and she’s loving it, as once she’s taken over, there will only be perfection.

After all, good is the enemy of perfect.

And she doesn’t care much for good.

--

GENERAL RATING: THUMBS UP!

SPECIFIC RATING: 9/10

This map did everything it needed to. It intimidates you, it shows you Night Swan’s character, it shows you how much of a threat Night Swan is to our heroes, and it even teases a future coach (who I’m holding off on talking about because I have so many thoughts. So many...). And it does it well. Points were deducted because of the first gold move having the potential to genuinely hurt you if you’re not careful (I speak from experience...), but other than that it’s a damn fine routine.

--

Thank you for reading! We may have been fully introduced to our villain, but not all is lost for are heroes, as we’re about to be introduced to more friend to help us! Next map we’ll be looking at will be the map for Physical! You’re not obligated to follow, but I’m releasing a new ranking every day at noon EST until I’ve covered all the new maps from JD23, so if that interests you, stick around! Have a good day!

~ Mage <3