#it does also make sense to me that not everyone would respond to both because the probability one was only implicitly a math question

[commsroom]

one of the things that makes wolf 359's characterization work so well and feel so genuine is how much it's about perspective. maxwell is a manipulative backstabber in hera's story, a "gift of a friend" in jacobi's, and - from their subjective perspectives - both of them are right about her. i love eiffel, and i'm completely on his side, but... if you were kate garcia and your ex you had a toxic relationship with, a man you had to tolerate in your life because you had a child with him, who - after you were awarded full custody - attempted to kidnap your daughter, and got in an accident that left her disabled... if you thought that man was serving 26 years in prison for what he did, and then you thought he was dead, and then he showed up alive - walking free - and wanted to make amends...? would you want to hear him out? eiffel has suffered so much, and he became a better person in a way carceral punishment would never have done, but from kate's perspective, it must seem like he has never had to face consequences for anything. and that's... complicated, but it's real.

[unopenablebox]

look. most people on tumblr, like most people everywhere, are just kind of innumerate, at least in slightly unexpected cases theyre asked to discuss on polls. they can't demonstrate an understanding of probability and they also don't understand compound interest. this is bad, but we can't fix it by explaining on the polls at length why they are wrong, because people on tumblr, in a specific manner but also still pretty much like people everywhere, think you are a fun-ruining evil stemlord who automatically loses the argument and should be put to death as the oppressor if you try to explain math to them

[goldencithaerias]

Unexpected Intervention

Bully!Miguel x Reader

tw: dirty talking, semi-public sex, fingering, p in v smut, enemies to lovers if you squint, mean miguel o’hara, soft miguel o’hara at the end

(author note: first off, this is my first miguel fic after a few weeks of being down bad for this man, second, this is PURE FILTHY SMUT. nothing hardcore and more focused on reader’s pov if anything tbh, but maybe it’s just me projecting. anyhow, enjoy.)

(smut under the cut)

It was supposed to be just a small break.

You were simply tired and wanted to take a breather from all of your classes. So, as any rational student would, you skipped fourth period to go up to the rooftop, hoping that some fresh air would help boost your mood.

Unfortunately for you, Miguel O’Hara, the bane of yours and pretty much everyone else’s existence, was also there, smoking weed on a Tuesday afternoon. He was the stereotypical mean jock that picks on others with a hot body to die for, the kind that makes people both want and fear. In other words, a hot bully.

And that’s how you find your skirt hiked up to your stomach, back pressed against his chiseled body as his two thick fingers pump in and out of your abused cunt. This has to be at least the 4th orgasm that he had pulled out of you, and just from his mere fingers alone. His lips were pressed against your ear, his other hand fondling your tits as he whispers the vilest of words that make you whimper.

“Needy slut, eh? So desperate for attention that you need to wear that tiny skirt everywhere you go, hm? Need the whole world to fuck your pussy out before you’re satisfied, isn’t that right?”

You could only respond in loud and desperate moans, body bouncing up and down on his fingers as your arm clings behind his neck, brain too fucked out to come up with anything actually cohesive. Your juices have covered his entire hand white by now, legs spread wide as the man you swore you despise with your entire being hitting that gummy spot inside you that makes your eyes roll back over and over again.

It took so many illegible pleas and mind-blowing orgasms for him to actually unzip his pants, ripping your skirt off and filling you up to the brim with his girthy cock after pressing you flat onto the dirty floor. Hell, you were pretty sure the door to the rooftop wasn’t locked, and that anyone could walk in any moment now, yet that didn’t stop him from fucking your senses out like a madman. His grip on your hips was so tight that you were sure there would be bruises afterward, but the thought only made the lewd noises that escaped your lips louder.

This is it, you decided; Miguel O’Hara has ruined your experience with any other man from now on, as you were sure no other can ever fill you up as good as he does. You made sure to memorize each and every vein of his cock, taking note of how thick and warm his dick felt around your walls as you took him in as the good girl you were; his words, not yours, and tucking it in the deep corner of your brain for safekeeping.

You both were there until half an hour after fourth period ended, panting and out of breath from the intense sex that left you completely brain fucked. Miguel takes in your form, inspecting how your pretty eyes glaze over with so much bliss and with drool rolling down the corner of your mouth. All because of him, the person who has been bothering you ever since the beginning of time, the one you had cursed out so many times that landed you in enough after-school detention to last at least half the school year. He chuckled at that, chest swelling with pride as he picked up your helpless form in his arms, pulling your panties up and covering your lower half with his jacket like the gentleman he was. You nuzzled your head into his chest, which earned you a huff from Miguel, who then leaned down to you while halfway through the door.

“Why don’t we finish this at my place, muñeca? Gotta make up for your ruined skirt, after all.”

[estrellogy]

Astro Notes Pt. 4

Thank you to everyone who participated in the poll!

- Both water and air signs, especially risings here, are good at mirroring others. But they often evoke different responses. Water signs are often projected on because like water, they reflect directly what energy others are giving out. Water deals more with subconscious emotions and energies that others may not even be aware of themselves. Air signs, on the other hand, mimic and adapt. They are social chameleons who know what’s expected from them. That’s why they are often well-liked.

- Scorpio placements, especially sun and rising, if underdeveloped, can pride themselves on their manipulation skills and how good they are at lying. They are extremely emotionally intelligent, observant, and aware of their environment. These are the keys to be a good manipulator. However, when they mature, they’ll use these natural abilities in much more productive ways. They grow to value truth and integrity above all else because they’ve experienced the other side of it.

- Personal experience: I have Moon in 9th house and traveling is so intertwined with my life. Two out of three siblings on my dad’s side (my dad and his sister) work in the airline industry, so they travel all the time as part of their jobs. My mom is a Sagittarius moon and she loves traveling. She would let me skip school sometimes to travel. It’s so interesting to see how astrology is not only reflected in an individual’s chart but is connected through generations.

- Speaking of 9th house. I have a theory that if you want to improve your social skills and charisma, work with your 9th house energy. People usually focus on their 1st, 7th, and 10th house because they are social/relationship houses. Maybe 3rd house since it focuses directly on communication. But 9th house is the house of higher learning, philosophy, and hope. I think we often connect best with others when we discuss about our own life philosophies, our live experiences and lessons, and our hopes and dreams. 9th house represents such an interesting and expansive part of us that’s often overlooked. I think 9th house is where our human spirit is stored.

When you’re deeply connected to this well of positivity, wouldn’t you naturally become charismatic and interesting and fun? That’s why Sagittarius is such a charming sign. Even though it’s not ruled by the beautiful Venus or glamorous Neptune, it radiates light. Work with your 9th house to unlock your own charm. It is that which attracts people.

- Sun sextile Pluto women have a very subtle way of getting people to do what they want. They don’t try to dominate or force, but they play into their natural strengths. For example, if they notice that people respond well whenever they come across as innocent/childlike, they’ll play more into it. They don’t alter their authentic self but more like, they add spice to it. Sun trine Pluto does this more naturally, sometimes without even realizing. But sextile is much more intentional.

They’re usually quite playful and flirty individuals. They gain power without people noticing. Sometimes, they even give up a little bit of power, become intentionally vulnerable, while gaining the upper hand without the other person knowing. They truly understand power = influence, not control. Fascinating people to observe.

- Taurus will take their time. That’s why they’re master seducers. They don’t make their suitors wait simply to play games. They are genuinely picky and know their worth. Like any earth sign, they know the value of time, especially theirs. So they would rather wait to see if the other person is worth it than jump blindly into it and have their time wasted. It also helps that they are so sensual and tempting, which comes from being deeply connected to their physical senses and body. They radiate feminine power. Venus in 2nd house also applies.

[waiting-for-a-sunny-day]

If Geto and Gojo were so close, why didn't Geto try to convince Gojo to defect with him?

Because Geto knew that Gojo’s support would guarantee his success, but that success would come at the cost of hurting Gojo.

I believe that Geto cared more about protecting Gojo than he cared about building a better world.

..

Let me explain…

First, let’s talk about why it would’ve made sense for Geto to ask Gojo to join him:

(1) Gojo would’ve been Geto’s most important / most powerful ally

By the time of Geto’s defection, Gojo is already the strongest sorcerer in existence. He and Geto are two of only three special grade sorcerers. Having them both on the same side is essentially an automatic win.

(2) Gojo should’ve been (relatively) easy to persuade

Gojo had already told Geto that he didn't like having to save the weak and didn't care about the moral justifications for it…

…Geto has also seen that Gojo doesn’t always value / protect human life. He was ready to massacre the Time Vessel Association without reason, but ultimately he didn't, because he deferred to Geto's judgement…

…and, most importantly, they are best friends on a DEEP, unparalleled level. Geto is Gojo’s “one and only” best friend.

If Geto was truly dedicated to changing the world order, Gojo should’ve been the first and most important person that he tried to recruit to his insurgency / cult / mission.

BUT

Not only does Geto make zero effort to reach out to / recruit Gojo, he actively avoids him and pushes him away...

- - - - - Keep reading cut - - - - -

After he kills the 112 non-sorcerers, Geto runs into Shoko in Shinjuku. He happily approaches her and willingly answers her questions.

Look at his smiling face in their interactions:

But, when Shoko calls Gojo, Geto leaves before Gojo shows up. Gojo tracks him down anyway and demands an explanation. Geto still doesn’t want to talk about it (“You already heard it.”)

It's strange, right? Geto loves talking about his vision of a better world with everyone else.

Then, there is this confusing progression of dialog:

Geto is hurt/annoyed that Gojo doesn’t believe in him, so he points out that Gojo’s argument against his plan is invalid. The plan is possible (“You could do it”), therefore (according to Gojo’s own logic) it’s not “pointless.”

In a way, Geto is admitting that he knows it would make the most sense for Gojo to join him.

But before Gojo can respond, Geto pivots to saying something extremely hurtful. He's questioning who Gojo is / would be if he wasn't the strongest. Is there really anything more to him? (See more detail in my post here).

Then, in the very next panel Geto turns and starts walking away.

In summary: (1) Geto avoids Gojo, (2) Geto only argues in favor of his plan when Gojo forces/baits him, (3) Upon invalidating Gojo’s opposition to his plan, Geto immediately puts emotional distance between them, (4) Geto then puts physical distance between them.

Why is Geto trying so hard to make sure that Gojo won’t follow him?

Is he just being prideful about doing this on his own? Is he so angry at Gojo's arrogance that he'd jeopardize the success of his life's mission over it?

These arguments aren't in line with Geto's characterization / known motivations (see the end of this post, if you're interested in more on that.)

Geto's main motivation is (a twisted form of) compassion. He wants to end the suffering of sorcerers.

He is a thoughtful, contemplative person, and would've thought about the ramifications of recruiting Gojo.

What are the ramifications?

If Gojo joins the cause, Geto’s plan would succeed, but Gojo would suffer for it.

Like anyone who joins Geto's cult, Gojo would become a pariah / fugitive from Jujutsu society. He’d kill people. He’d kill other sorcerers.

But because Gojo has the singular level of strength/ability to kill non-sorcerers en masse, he would commit the vast majority (or all) of the murder / destruction. The legal, social, and mental impacts would be most severe on Gojo.

(Also, at this point, I think Geto may still question whether he’s made the right choice. It’s difficult to go from a hardline stance on protecting non-sorcerers to wanting to gen0c1de them, within the span of a year, without any lingering ethical qualms. So he may be worried about moral costs to Gojo as well.)

Let’s remember that Geto (canonically) deeply loves Gojo. Gojo is his one and only best friend. Geto worries about Gojo when he overworks himself protecting Riko. Geto is shocked when Toji kills Riko in front of him, but he only flies into a rage when he thinks Toji has killed Gojo. (Again, see my post here for more on how much Geto loves Gojo).

So, it makes sense that Geto is ready to make sacrifices to create a better world, but it’s a cost he’s willing to put on his own head. Not Gojo's.

Ultimately, Geto cares more about Gojo than he cares about achieving the mission he has dedicated his life to.

The last thing Geto says to him is this:

What he's really asking Gojo is: "Have you stopped loving me, now that I've committed myself to this dark path? Would you kill me to save them?"

If Gojo hates Geto enough that he’d kill him, then Geto never had a chance of recruiting Gojo in the first place.

Of course, Gojo can’t make himself hurt Geto. He still loves Geto too much.

Geto protected Gojo by pushing him away.

___

Addendum:

I'll also argue against two other possible explanations for Geto's behavior.

(1) Geto is jealous / prideful /wants to build his own legacy without Gojo stealing the spotlight

Geto has clear motivations for his goals and they’re not egotistical. He wants to end the suffering of sorcerers caused by non-sorcerers’ existence (e.g., Riko’s death, Mimiko & Nanako’s abuse).

Geto’s pride isn’t hurt when Gojo becomes the strongest. The only thing that bothers Geto is that they’re getting sent on separate missions.

After Gojo becomes stronger that him, Geto still has overt affection for Gojo (e.g., he asks Haibara to bring back sweets from his mission so he can share with Gojo).

Although Geto does believe in his superiority over non-sorcerers, he doesn't feel superior over other sorcerers and doesn't struggle with his 'inferiority' to Gojo.

Does Gojo’s lack of faith in Geto’s ability (calling his goal “impossible”), spur Geto to want to prove himself? Yes, probably. But Geto had already been avoiding Gojo before he said that. And I don’t believe that wanting to prove himself to Gojo would overshadow his stronger motivation to build a better world for sorcerers.

(2) He thinks Gojo actually is too moral to join him

After Geto kills the 112 non-sorcerers, Gojo is shocked and upset by what’s happened, but not once does he insult Geto or imply that Geto has done something unforgivable. In fact, he’s practically begging Geto to explain himself because he wants to be able to justify his actions. And, again, Gojo’s argument against Geto’s plan is NOT that “it’s wrong,” it’s that “it’s impossible.”

[ace-touya]

Class 1-A PowerPoint Night

A PowerPoint night is when a friend group all make PowerPoints on random topics and present them to each other in case anyone doesn’t know. This is what I think all of class 1-A would do.

Yuga Aoyama makes a PowerPoint explaining french slang terms that he thinks the entire class should start using

Mina Ashido makes a PowerPoint rating everyone’s families. Points are awarded based on presence of both parents, how well each student gets on with their parents, whether they have siblings (younger siblings get less points than older ones) and how much she personally likes their family members.

Tenya Iida makes a PowerPoint on how to revise for their upcoming exam, complete with diagrams and information about the psychology of learning. The class feel like they’re in a lecture.

Tsuyu Asui makes a PowerPoint where she turns things the class has said into Pinterest-style inspirational quotes and they have to try and guess who said what.

Ochaco Uraraka makes a PowerPoint on tips to save money, because you cant tell me some of the people in this class buy useless things they either lose, forget about, or have no idea what to do with.

Mashirao Ojiro makes a PowerPoint of things he does not understand. It features things such as the existence of languages, barcodes, and credit cards.

Denki Kaminari makes a PowerPoint called ‘Crying Wrapped’, which details the reasons he has cried over the least year, which months he cried the most and the least in, and rates his top 5 cries with little explanation

Eijiro Kirishima makes a PowerPoint called ‘things I’ve seen at the gym that just make sense’. Some of them have pictures to go along with them, and Ochaco and Katsuki nod along and say ‘I remember that’ to every other slide.

Koji Koda made a PowerPoint on why Aizawa should let them have a class pet. The PowerPoint actually had good reasoning so they emailed it to Aizawa, who only responded ‘no.’ And did not elaborate.

Rikido Sato makes a PowerPoint assigning each classmate a type of cake. He lists the reasons, the ingredients, and has a nice message for each member of the class on the slide with their cake

Mezo Shoji makes a PowerPoint about how Tokoyami is Not Real. Enough said.

Kyouka Jiro makes a PowerPoint detailing the soundtrack she would put together if their life was a movie, complete with photos and video clips of stuff they’ve done to go along with each moment she assigns a song to.

Hanta Sero makes a PowerPoint called ‘Canada is not real’, and it lists all the reasons why he believes Canada is made up. Shoto is nodding along and finds it very thought-provoking

Fumikage Tokoyami makes a PowerPoint analysing everyone’s entire zodiac charts. Kirishima is shocked to find out there’s more than just the sun sign. They also give everyone their horoscopes for the next month.

Shoto Todoroki makes a PowerPoint on conspiracy theories that he actually believes. They’re all completely insane but he does end up convincing some members of the class by the end.

Toru Hagakure makes a PowerPoint on Disney Men and whether or not she would trust them with her drink with little to no explanation. All the girls agree with her ratings.

Katsuki Bakugo makes a PowerPoint rating each of the barbie movies based on whether or not he could beat the protagonist in a fight. The class is shocked to find out that Katsuki does believe he would lose to some of the barbies.

Izuku Midoryia makes a PowerPoint analysing the class’s fighting techniques and their strengths and weaknesses as heroes, using all the notes he’s written about each of them in his notebooks. Additionally, he assigns everyone in the class a current pro hero that they’re most similar to.

Minoru Mineta makes a PowerPoint rating the girls in every class of their year group and is not allowed to present it.

Momo Yaoyorozu makes a PowerPoint assigning each classmate a different kind of tea, complete with the benefits of each flavour and why she would give it to them. She also includes the prices and the best places to buy them.

[prince-kallisto]

STYX Experiment: Levan

I was in the middle of writing up a different-yet-related theory, before this came to mind! Many thanks to @hanafubukki, your messages fueled the ideas here 👀🫶💖🐦‍⬛

Regarding Levan’s disappearance, I think it’s easy to forget that soldiers repeatedly went missing at the East Fort, aka the fort that Levan was both in charge of and also disappeared as well. While we don’t know the details of where he actually disappeared, I think it’s suspicious that he was headed to the same spot where other Fae soldiers kept disappearing. Lilia was headed over there not only for Levan, but for the other soldiers too.

But why did these soldiers disappear? Why at the Eastern Fort? I admit that I can’t come up with concrete answers, but another line that’s been bothering me ever since Book 6 released, is that Fae don’t respond to the River Lethe the same way humans do.

Idia specifies this when planning to erase the memories of everyone on Sage’s Island, which included Fae like Malleus and Lilia. But apparently, they need different “dosages” adjusted for them regarding their memory. It’s quite fascinating how STYX was able to fine-tune this process, and learned how to keep the very specific and long memories of Fae, while also erasing others.

The time period of the Fae-Human war makes this tricky, but teleportation magic is established here. Book 6 also establishes how in the modern day, STYX can show up to any country, whether they asked for it or not. It’s not entirely impossible that STYX potentially could’ve done research near Briar Valley at some point, especially because there were so many human kingdoms around at the time allied against Briar Valley.

It’s also interesting that we never get a confirmation of Levan dying or not- something that Lilia was able to sense with Meleanor’s magic disappearing. He just simply disappeared, without any traces of his magic for Lilia to track down.

Now that I’ve brought up all these seemingly unrelated points, let’s try and put them together! With all this information, was Levan and his fellow soldiers kidnapped by STYX, or by a human kingdom that was allied with STYX at the time? 🤔

With Levan, I think of Diaval from the Maleficent live action movie. Diaval was a raven captured by a HUMAN hunter, and was forcibly transformed into a human to be saved. Maleficent could also change him into different forms like a wolf or a dragon- all species that he wasn’t meant to be. Essentially like an “experiment.” In the TWST story, with Styx making its sudden appearance that deviated greatly from Hercules, could Diaval’s transformations be referenced in TWST through Levan being an experiment?

If Levan was kidnapped by Styx to be an experiment, it makes sense why Lilia couldn’t find him despite traveling the world. The Isle of Woe is practically untraceable unless you have a rare Unique Magic like Rook does! It’s underwater, so of course people who lack inside knowledge wouldn’t know about it, no matter how much they travel the world.

And if Levan was an experiment, he would be the perfect “candidate” for the River Lethe dosages. Levan was a presumably powerful Fae, as it’s rumored he fought against the Knight of Dawn and survived. It is why Styx and Idia were so confident in using the River Lethe even against a powerful Fae like Malleus- they’ve done it before and so many times that they were able to fine-tune to a near perfect degree.

Styx also shows how they developed technology similar to Riddle’s “Off with Your Head,” and can seal a person’s magic. Perhaps Lilia could no longer trace Levan’s magic because it was sealed off at some point in time when this technology was developed as well 🤔

Fae in general seem like perfect subjects, with their capacity for magic (and thus blot) and their long life spans. Even if the lead researchers of the Shroud family passed away, Fae could technically be subjects for generations. In Idia’s life time, they seem to be rather lax and generally gracious with their subjects compared to how they could’ve been- although the invasions and electrocutions are admittedly quite bad haha. But again, at some point in time in the early stages of Styx development, there must have been unfortunate subjects for Styx to figure out the River Lethe, their magic sealing collars, their blot tools, everything. Throughout human history, scientific progress has repeatedly been made often through the suffering of others.

And at the time of the Fae-Human war, Fae were considered *monsters.* Monsters like Grim or Phantoms- the exactly sort of creatures that Styx had. Even the subject that killed the human Ortho was described as a “monster,” not a Phantom (there’s theories floating around that this monster was Grim 👀). Henrick also brought up his plans to essentially enslave Malleus before he even hatched- to use his dragon form as “his steed.”

So I wouldn’t be surprised that there was a time where Styx shared similar views, and thus kidnapped and conducted experiments on Fae as if they were as “expendable” as monsters 🤔 Even if Styx in the modern day has changed greatly, the damage that previous generations created cannot be undone.

I’d also like to say that Levan was similarly considered to be Meleanor’s “eyes and limbs,” much like how Diaval was Maleficent’s wings. Maleficent’s wings were trapped in a cage, still alive, but trapped. Perhaps the ideas of Diaval being captured by a human hunter and Maleficent’s wings being trapped in a cage were combined for TWST as clues to what happened to Levan? 👀

Tampered memories, blot…ANSJJSZ I have tried my hardest to not bring up Crowley, but I find his relationship with Styx to be fascinating 🫣 But I’ll save that and the details regarding blot for a future post, because I mostly just wanted to talk about the potential backstory for Levan in this one \(//∇//)\ What are your thoughts on what happened to Levan and even the other soldiers who disappeared? 🤔

[acesw]

The Grecos, Schneider, and her Religious Trauma

One of the characters I really find interesting is Schneider. There are strong signs that she has religious trauma, which ties really well with the neglect she's experienced growing up and the way this trauma reflects her behaviors and words.

The Grecos are known to be really religious, and they're quite devout to Christianity as a means of life. It does not mean that they wouldn't do things to ensure that they're able to at least eat. Living in Chicago of all places is already one struggle enough, making sure they get by despite having bad relationships with gangs adds so much.

Prior to moving, they were more devoted to God as coming from a community in Sicily. They moved because of how bad the poverty situation had been (the major Italian emigration in the 1900-1910s), hoping to seek a better life in America. Of all places though, they moved to Chicago, where there were crimes and gangs all about. This resulted to the Grecos having to pull strings to keep their head up the water, and they still practice Christianity as a means to maintain morale.

We then have Schneider. The youngest and most neglected child of the Grecos. She was barely fed and paid attention to among her 11 older sisters. The Narrator also notes that she was even neglected from the start, as she turned a year old before her father realized she wasn't baptized.

Now, there are two main instances that showcase Schneider's religious trauma peeking through are the traces "From One Castle to Another" and "Long Night Trip". Both of which are very much talking about Schneider's past. There are parts of the dialogue that stick out to me.

-From One Castle to Another

"It's impossible to keep every child well-fed. Schneider could not even get a piece of bread in the Eucharist. But a good daughter would not let anyone worry about her. She sat on the bench outside the church and hummed. She found a way out for herself."

"The Grecos are among them. They're covered by the dark cloud of long-handed umbrellas. [...] But you can't find Schneider. [...] It rains heavier. The priest opens his arms to embrace the sky, 'The Lord be with you.' " " 'And also with you.' Schneider responds in a voice that could hardly be heard. She puts her hand on her heart. This is the first time she responds to the Lord. And it will be the last."

-Long Night Trip

The Narrator talks about Schneider's slow descent into losing her faith in these conversations. She used to pray and hope that God would fix things and give an answer for her and her family's suffering. And all that happened was that it got worse.

It only ever makes Schneider question and doubt, and eventually she stops believing in God. But everyone around her, her family in particular, still maintains their strong belief that he'd guide them out of struggle. Meanwhile, she take things into her own hands for that matter.

And again, everyone would resort to praying, praying, and praying. Yet Schneider wouldn't dare try. Because if he listened to her this one time then they heard all the other times and never cared to help. That rubs salt in the wound.

So with this, we see how Schneider creates her newfound identity. She starts frequenting underground markets and doing certain odd jobs. She is able to make amends with other gang leaders and grow her own strong faction in Chicago.

All so she makes enough money for the rest of her family to eat and thrive. It showcases her sense of selflessness, her full care for her family despite how they treated her. She cares for them more than anything, because even with barely receiving love, they're the ones that raised her. Schneider actively does it all to prove that she can give.

Even in the main story there are those hints of that trauma seeping through. Throughout the game she refers to her bosses as "My Lord", a name that's usually reserved for God.

In the 'Green Oranges' segment of chapter 2, we see that Schneider's younger self describes America as a new world. A place of wonders, where blessings will be given and all sins will be forgiven. There, "God loves the world". Because back in Sicily, she believes that God does not love her and her family here. This ties back to the major Italian emigration in the 1900-1910s, where again, the poverty situation had been so bad. Not to mention the overpopulation and the natural disasters that came with it.

Meanwhile, her adult self is heavily injured from the gunshot wounds and Vertin stops shooting her. She expresses her frustration of being unable to die fast, which then turns to this: "Or did God finally forgive me...He allowed me...to stay alive!!"

"God would never make or guide one to that first action," Schneider thinks, because only she alone did it. She decided to step in, with no guidance of the God she once loved. The God that never forgave her.

The entirety of chapter 1 and 2 shows that her trauma runs really deep. The youngest and most neglected child turns into the most diligent and faithless Greco. She expresses her clear disdain for God, and does everything in her own power to do what "he never did for her and her family."

[forfucksakesniall]

"Car's Outside" - part 1

Pairing: Lewis Hamilton x Driver!Reader

Summary: You're a struggling Formula 1 driver who joins Lewis Hamilton's family on a holiday, discovering unexpected connections and a sense of belonging that transcends the track and redefines your perspective on family and racing.

Word Count: 3090

Trigger Warning/Content Advisory: Contains mature content and explores complex themes. Please be aware that it may also include scenes of high-speed racing, accidents, intense emotions, emotional conflicts, personal growth, and intimate moments. Reader discretion is advised.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Masterlist

You're a driver for the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team and your teammate is Lewis Hamilton. Lately, you've been experiencing a string of bad races with incidents like DNFs and collisions with other drivers. It's been frustrating for you and affecting your performance, and it's becoming apparent to everyone around you. After the worst race of your life, you're heading back to the paddock.

"For fuck's sake, why does it always have to be me?" you mutter.

Lost in your thoughts, you didn't notice Lewis's dad, Anthony Hamilton, waving at you on your way. You walk right past him until someone grabs your arm. Irritated, you shoot them a glare, but your eyes soften as you realize who it was.

"I've been calling out to you from a mile away. Where were you?" he chuckles.

"I'm not sure... I've been distracted by something," you respond, avoiding mentioning what happened earlier.

"Do you have a moment to talk?" he asks, seeming eager to share something.

"Um, yeah, sure," you reply, not fully engaged in the upcoming conversation.

He extends his arm in a gentlemanly way, and you take it, walking together toward the paddock. He leads you to a table where you both sit down.

"So..." he begins, looking at you and rubbing his hands.

"Um... hi?" you greet with a smile, unsure of what's happening.

"I know you've had a rough start, and I was thinking I could offer you some help."

"Oh, I'm fine. I don't think I need anything... um... yeah," you respond, feeling embarrassed and frustrated that Lewis Hamilton's dad has to address this with you.

"I can see it's been challenging for you, (Y/N). It's not about more training or spending time on the simulator. It's about finding a genuine love for what you do," he explains, pausing briefly and then smiling at you.

"What I'm saying is... I'm inviting you to join us for a little break from everything. It's Easter soon, and I know you usually prefer to have some time to yourself, but wouldn't it be better if you got closer to your teammate and have a change of view?"

You and Lewis have never been close friends, perhaps due to the chaos you've caused on the track or because you weren't good enough to be on the team, making him not even acknowledge your existence. You've never had a conversation or even exchanged a nod. Everything people see online is just PR to avoid any controversy.

What confuses you is the fact that you're being invited to their family holiday. You! Someone who has no connection to them whatsoever. Well, you and Anthony had formed a father-daughter bond. He would motivate and encourage you during race week. Your own family has never been close or supportive when it came to racing. Since then, you've worked hard for everything you have and have become independent, not relying on anyone.

You simply blink at his offer, lost for words.

"Lewis!" Anthony calls out as Lewis enters the paddock. "(Y/N) and I were just talking, and I invited her to join us on our holiday."

Lewis looks at his dad, eyebrows furrowed. "Um... Did you ask her, or are you taking her hostage?" He glances at you and then back at his dad.

"You can say no, you don't have to do everything he says," Lewis tells you without even looking in your direction.

"Um... yeah, I don't think I should disturb your family matter," you say, standing up and making your way to your driver's room.

Anthony lets out a disappointed sigh upon hearing Lewis's comments. "I told you she needs our support," he tells Lewis, his eyes filled with sadness.

"You don't know her well enough to know what she needs," Lewis retorts sharply, then turns and heads to his room.

✧*̥˚ Timeskip *̥˚✧

As you prepare to leave and head to the parking area, a smiling Anthony calls out to you from a distance. You jog over to him, not wanting to keep him waiting.

"Hey, I'm sorry for turning down your offer. I thought it might be awkward for..." you begin to explain.

"Oh no, you're coming!" Anthony interjects.

"What?"

"We're leaving right now," he informs you.

"Huh?"

He gently puts his arm around your shoulder and guides you towards a van. You spot Lewis sitting by the window, and Anthony nudges you to get in, making you sit between the two Hamiltons.

Initially, your thoughts race:

Wait... Where did he say we were going?

I don't have a bag with me...

Wait... Where is my passport?

Lewis remains silent, engrossed in his phone as you sit beside him. Anthony wears a smug smile, satisfied that his plan is unfolding as intended.

"Um... Thank you. I guess, for having me... I'm still not sure what's happening," you express, uncertain.

Anthony chuckles in response.

"Here." He hands you your bag. Opening it, you find your passport and other essential items for the airport.

"We are leaving?" you ask, staring at the contents of your open bag.

"But I don't have any clothes with me," you point out to him.

"I've already taken care of that. You'll get some once we arrive in London," he assures you.

"London?"

He smiles at you once more.

You glance at Lewis, who continues to ignore you, still fixated on his phone, unwilling to address the situation.

You take a deep breath.

Well, at least I'm getting a free getaway, you think to yourself.

You arrive at the airport, a crowd of flashing cameras blinds and disorients you. Unsure of where you are standing, someone suddenly appears behind you, guiding you through the airport. Despite being trailed by a swarm of cameras and paparazzi, you manage to make it inside. Curiosity pokes you to turn around and see who helped you.

To your surprise, it's Lewis, and you hadn't realized how close you were standing to each other. Embarrassment flushes your cheeks as the realization sinks in, and you take a step back. Both of you lock eyes, and he gazes back at you with disregard. The words fail to escape your mouth, leaving an awkward silence hanging in the air.

Should I say something?

He probably wouldn't care if I thanked him.

"Alright, that was one step closer to home," Anthony exclaims, breaking the uncomfortable silence, his words drawing attention away from the awkward encounter.

You all boarded the plane, found your seats, and finally allowed yourself to relax. You settled in, trying to create a cozy space for yourself, determined to block out any distractions or disturbances around you. It was time to take a well-deserved rest after everything that had happened.

You round the corner, fully focused and determined, a sudden jolt of impact from behind throws you off balance. The unexpected collision shatters your concentration, and the car swerves off its path, rushing toward the barrier at an alarming speed.

Then, your car slams into the unyielding concrete barrier in a sickening crunch. The impact is overwhelming, causing the car to jolt violently. The immense force propels you forward, pressing your body against the seatbelts and contorting you under its unrelenting pressure.

You awaken from the nightmare, your throat dried and your back drenched in sweat. Gasping for breath, you gradually return to reality, only to find Lewis sitting in front of you, a concerned expression on his face. You scan the surroundings for a water bottle, but none is within reach. Unexpectedly, he offers you his bottle—the one he always keeps close, guarded from anyone else's touch.

You hesitate to accept it, but the dryness in your throat triggers a fit of coughing. 

"Just take it," he insists. Reluctantly, you grasp the bottle, bringing it close to your lips, and you glance at him again. His gaze remains fixed on you, carefully observing your body language.

"Were you dreaming about the crash again?" he asks you, his tone empty of emotion.

"Why would you care?" you snap, a touch of bitterness seeping into your words.

So now you can talk?

He simply stares at you, his silence carrying a weight of its own.

"Yeah," you finally admit, looking down at your lap, feeling the lingering pain in your head from that fateful day, as if it wants to force you to relive. You place your hand on the back of your head, swallowing and exhaling deeply.

Lewis abruptly stands up and departs without uttering another word.

Hmm... He left me his beloved sippy cup, you think to yourself.

Finally, you arrive in London after what feels like forever, and you retrieve your suitcase, realizing that you'll be spending a considerable amount of time with the Hamiltons. On the way to the car, you find yourself once again sandwiched between the Hamiltons.

I can't escape this situation anymore. Well, I'll be surrounded by them regardless, so I might as well get used to it.

Sitting there in silence, it dawns on you that you haven't bought anything for them, feeling a pang of embarrassment. "Um... Anthony? Is it okay that I didn't bring any gifts for your family? It's already embarrassing enough to join you on this holiday. I could have at least gotten you guys something..."

"Oh, don't be silly," he reassures you, a warm smile on his face. "You are part of the family now, so don't worry about those things."

His words bring a smile to your face, and he reciprocates the gesture.

Gazing out of the car window, you take in the sights of Stevenage, London. The vibrant town envelops you, with a blend of historical and modern buildings lining the bustling streets.

The journey through the streets of Stevenage, London immerses you in a sensory delight. The blend of sights, sounds, and scents creates a vibrant tapestry of city life. Every step fills you with a growing excitement and curiosity, as you eagerly explore the streets, eager to uncover the hidden treasures that lie within.

Arriving at their house, you're greeted by a charming, quaint home with a small garden decorating the front. You can't help but admire the beauty of it all, puts a smile on your face.

"Let's go inside," Anthony invites you, breaking you out of your trance.

Before taking another step, you turn around, quickly checking yourself in the reflection of your phone. You make a few adjustments to your hair, brushing off any specks of dust from your clothes. Taking a deep breath, you give yourself a pep talk, “Don’t be awkward or say anything weird, okay?”

You hear a chuckle behind you and turn to find Lewis smirking at your words. "Can't be helped," he remarks casually.

Wait, did he just make a joke? You're taken aback, his demeanor seemingly different from what you expected.

He walks into the house, leaving you standing there with your mouth slightly agape. Lewis appears to have a new side to him.

You step into the house and are warmly welcomed by Anthony's wife. She greets you with a hug and expresses her hopes that you will enjoy your stay. Grateful for their hospitality, you thank her sincerely.

"Come in, come in," she invites you further in. As you make your way through the hall with your luggage, you enter the living room. There, you see Lewis playfully interacting with his niece and nephew, laughter filling the air. The room is decorated with family photos and cherished remembrances, giving you a glimpse into their close bond.

The children catch sight of you and excitedly run toward you. 

"We know you!" they exclaim. "We see you on TV all the time!"

Surprised and touched, you engage with them. "You watch the races?"

"Yeah! We see you and Sir uncle all the time!" they happily reply, embracing you tightly. Their genuine affection warms your heart.

"You guys are too sweet," you say, unable to contain your smile. They giggle mischievously before returning to play with Lewis.

Anthony appears from the corner of the room. "Alright, would it be alright if you stayed in Lewis's room for tonight?" he asks.

"Oh, umm... sure. But where will-"

"Don't worry about him, he's a grown man," Anthony reassures you, leading you to Lewis's room. He opens the door and gestures for you to enter first.

"This isn't his room, but since he visits us often, we call it that and some of his stuff are here," Anthony explains.

"Anthony," you pause, looking at him gratefully.

He meets your gaze. "Thank you for having me stay here. It's nice. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"You better," he responds, playfully teasing you.

You chuckle, appreciating the lightheartedness of the moment, and walk around the room, ready to make yourself at home in this new environment.

At night, the Hamilton family has a nice dinner together. The room looks cozy with soft lights. The table is set nicely with fancy dishes, shiny silverware, and colorful flowers.

The food smells delicious and makes you hungry. It tastes great, with different flavors from juicy roasted meats to tasty sides and salads. Everyone is happy and talking, creating a joyful atmosphere.

The Hamiltons are excited about their upcoming trip to Bali. They talk about the beautiful beaches, nature, and culture there. 

You see how close the family is and how they take care of each other. They listen and understand each other, showing the importance of real relationships. Being here teaches you that family is more than just blood. It's about the connections we make with people who appreciate us. At this moment, you feel like part of their family, embraced by their warmth. Seeing their passion and support inspires you to pursue your interests. Their belief in you boosts your confidence.

In this special moment, You vow to nurture and cherish the connections that bring care and passion into your life. As you feel accepted at this table, you realize that you're never truly alone because a family can be found in the hearts of those who care for you unconditionally.

"What does your family do on holidays?" one of the kids asks you.

"Oh, umm..." you begin to respond, but Lewis interrupts you.

"You don't need to answer that," he says, tickling the child to divert their attention from the sensitive topic.

"It's okay," you say, smiling at Lewis. "Well, usually I go on solo holidays because my family is usually busy." You still cling to that excuse, even though deep down you know your family wouldn't care as much.

"Where did you go last time?" the children ask, their innocent eyes filled with genuine curiosity.

"I went to Japan, and it was absolutely beautiful," you reply convincingly, even though they are just children who would believe anything you say.

They continue asking you questions, and you answer them sincerely until...

"I heard from the TV that you got in an accident," they say, unaware of the weight of their question.

Suddenly, your ears ring, and your hand instinctively goes to the back of your head.

"Okay, I think it's bedtime," Lewis declares, diverting their attention.

"But she hasn’t told-"

"Time to go," Lewis effortlessly carries them out of the room.

✧*̥˚ Timeskip *̥˚✧

You find yourself sitting on the bed, possibly due to jetlag or simply because you're in the room of a seven-time world champion. A mischievous thought crosses your mind, urging you to snoop around, while another voice suggests taking something valuable and selling it on eBay. The conflicting thoughts leave you undecided.

Realizing your phone battery is low, you desperately search your bag, hoping to find a charger. However, to your dismay, there is no charger to be found. Frustrated, you grab your luggage in the hope of finding a charger there, but your search proves wrong. Defeated, you let out a sigh.

Perhaps someone is still awake and you could borrow a charger from them. With a glimmer of hope, you open the door and notice light coming from the living room. Your spirits lift momentarily, only to deflate when you see Lewis sitting there with his laptop, absorbed in who knows what.

"Hey, umm... I forgot to bring my charger. Could I borrow yours?" you ask Lewis, keeping your gaze on his laptop.

"How do you forget your own charger?" he responds with a hint of sass.

"Well, I didn't know about this trip until recently," you sassily reply.

"And someone else packed my bag for me," you add, realizing that arguing won't get you anywhere when you really need that charger. He reluctantly hands it over and returns to his laptop.

As you turn to leave, the tension between you both becomes real. In a moment of vulnerability, you express your concerns to him, "I know we aren't friends, and maybe you hate me or something," you begin, your voice filled with a hint of vulnerability.

"But I hope I don't make this trip uncomfortable for you. If you want me to leave, I will, so I don't disturb your holiday..."

Lewis pauses for a moment, surprised by your unexpected words. The honesty in your voice catches him off guard, making him reconsider his preconceived notions about you.

"No, it's okay," he responds, his voice softer now. "I don't hate you, and I don't want you to leave. We can try to make the best of this trip, even if things are a bit awkward between us. Let's just focus on enjoying the holiday."

You nod, a flicker of relief crossing your face. "Alright then. Let's try to make it work."

With a small smile, Lewis bids you goodnight and retreats to his room, hoping that this newfound understanding will help ease the tension and be comfortable for the rest of the trip.

You return to your room feeling baffled by your conversation with Lewis as if you were speaking to someone entirely different. Nevertheless, you lie back on the bed and plug in your phone to charge. You can't help but think about selling this charger later.

As fatigue sets in, you gradually drift off to sleep, caving to the embrace of slumber.

🌟 Attention, fellow readers! 🌟

You have the power to shape this story too! Share your questions, predictions, and ideas. Let's dive deeper into this journey together.

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@omgsuperstarg @copper-boom @notleclerc

[allhappyandgay]

The bedroom scene was undeniably flirtatious and romantically coded and whoever says it isn’t is specifically filtering out the signs so they don’t see it

(because we all know if they were straight everyone would clearly view it as what it is: an intimate moment)

here’s why:

Mike’s (and will’s) body language

The shots and cinematography (I was planning on linking @byleranalysis’s video on this scene cuz it’s great but I can’t find it, still though the shots are very telling. edit: t'was found! x)

Labeled ‘intimate moment’ in the script

Interruption trope

It inspired will to take his painting which is a symbol of his love for mike

Mike enters the room, completely shutting the door behind him (no matter the reason), leaving the two of them alone. He sits down on the bed, letting his bottom lip audibly slip out from under his teeth and nervously drums his legs while looking will up and down from behind. he let’s out, “thanks by the way,” which he knows Will will have to question (re: “I didn’t say it”). mike is aware will doesn’t know what he’s referring to, adding clear design to his approach.

Now this could just be me but starting a conversation with something like “thanks by the way,” regarding what you know the other person is unaware of, is intentionally setting them up for a surprise appraisal, which I think is very flirty.

This allows mike to make a joke out of his shitty behavior as a means to lighten the mood because admitting you were wrong and being able to make fun of yourself is hot, sorry not sorry! this is mike giving will permission to laugh at his behavior with him, which seriously throws him off and he looks mike up and down before turning away in excitement, denial, self preservation, vulnerability or most likely all of the above lol, poor flustered will. once he turns away mike draws in a deep breath to wipe the smile off his face so he can focus on apologizing to him. he shakes himself out of whatever trance he was just in so he could get to his point, squinting one eye and stuttering as he changes the subject. “hey, also, but, uh, about the last few days,” he starts, exiting flirting territory.

He tells will his home isn’t the same without him despite having all their other friends, and doesn’t mention his girlfriend until suggesting he was worrying too much about her, followed by “I don’t know, maybe I feel like I lost you or something,” bringing the two right back into a flirtatious standpoint.

This again could just be me, but asking “does that make sense?” is such a… I don’t even know the word, it’s just, such a thing to say lol. there are some situations where it’s annoying to hear, like a parent trying to confirm their child knows what they did was wrong. but the way mike asked will if what he’s saying makes sense low key gives me butterflies. he paused to make sure he’s on the same page in such a soft way and will immediately nods his head, holding back tears. Idk maybe Im making it a bigger deal than it is but I love that simple line from mike so much.

Mike and will both nervously gulp down air, unable to take their eyes off each other. the tension rises as the camera gets closer to both their faces, removing any physical distance you might’ve thought was there at one point. mike tells him that whatever it is that happens next, he thinks it will be easier to go through if they have each other, if they work as a team. quiet moments linger on their teary eyed expressions with every heartfelt addition from mike. he quickly looks will up and down again, emphasizing his desire to be “best friends,”—reciprocating wills own previously stated desire brought to light at rink o mania—his lips slowly parting with anticipation.

Will responds finally with a quiet “cool,” trying to keep his cool lol. you can see his excitement despite the stillness of his body, and there’s a calm steadiness to his eyes, glistening with tear beads. mikes eyes are also shining, the sunlight from the window illuminating his own teardrops sitting comfortably, refusing to fall. he raises one eyebrow as a smirk forms from his lips, looking him up and down once again but slower this time, before completing wills ‘cool’ with his own. he chuffs as his smirk grows into a smile, and they gaze at each other in silence for a couple moments.

This is a huge contrast to how mike was acting before their scene in Jonathan’s room, which tells us something changed for him because of it. mike was reminded how much he loves being with will, how much he missed his company. and without will having to tell him, mike realized he was being an idiot. of course this was seemingly because will reassured him about el, but quite honestly I think it was mostly by will flirting with him. he literally waltzed into wills room—without even knocking first—to get some more of whatever that was between them two scenes prior. and neither of them are fully aware the other is flirting or what that could mean (otherwise we’d be in very different territory by now), which tells us it’s intentional from both parties.

I also think it’s important to mention that what made them start flirting in Jonathan’s room was will reminding mike (and the audience) of their history and how they used to be, saying “that was you guys who saved me, that was you guys.” this is what made mike all giddy and what inspired him to address everything so they could be close like that again.

Based on this logic, will flirting with mike was what “knocked some sense into him”that he was being a “self-pitying idiot,” because mike apologizes to will by following the same energy that inspired him to, flirting. making fun of a situation. joking around.

All they had done since mike got to lenora was fight and ignore each other. then suddenly every moment they get alone they find themselves giving each other heart eyes and hiding stupid grins. they don’t even seem to question it, this is just how they are now. it comes naturally. so when mike realized how good it felt to be in wills presence again without arguing and being petty, just themselves, it probably gave him a huge confidence boost and made him feel better about the entire situation. yes will told him he would have another chance to tell el what he didn’t get to (which is what the GA thinks he wanted to hear), but what really lifted his spirits was having will back in his life, which inspired him to confront and apologize to him. he got a taste of what they could be like, and decided he needed that. he couldn’t go back to fighting and being awkward after their moment in Jonathan’s room. when he confidently swung the door to will’s open, and skipped straight into flirting, that was mike implementing his decision to turn back the clock, make things go back to how they were. but this time with slightly different intentions in mind.

Mike suggesting they be friends (best friends) again is also a callback to, canonically, “the best thing [he’s] ever done,” I might add. that holds a lot of weight, they didn’t need to remind the audience of mikes (also teary eyed and intimate) monologue in s2 but they did. mike basically relived the best thing he’s ever done in this scene.

After mike and will have their “intimate moment,” as the script itself calls it, a tire screech dramatically breaks their eye contact. we are brought back down to earth, where the two of them are actually several feet apart and not face to face. if you felt like they were supposed to kiss, you were quickly reminded that they physically couldn’t lol.

The tire screech wasn’t even that loud and yet their demeanors both changed drastically in less than a second, as if they’ve been caught doing something they shouldn’t. Jonathan hadn’t even barged in yet, but they were so focused on each other that a loud noise basically jumpscared them out of it lmao.

This is, as we all know, the interruption trope, which is used most commonly for ‘will they won’t they,’ tension reliant, slow-burn romances to keep you on the edge of your seat, only to make you throw your arms in the air and yell “oh, come on!”

The last part of the scene mike gets up and goes to the window with Jonathan, but we keep our eyes on will who gives mike one last pineful look before quickly grabbing his painting—a symbol of his love for mike—and stuffs it into his bag.

This is intentionally showing the audience that their conversation gave will either the confidence to give it to him—which he seemingly has been going back and forth between based on mikes behavior toward him, proving that’s what made him decide to take it in the end—or hope that it could go well, possibly implying he thought mike might feel the same, or at the very least was flirting with him (which he was).

The fact this moment was deliberately focused on says “hey! will got an idea from this interaction—one that specifically made him decide to take the painting—so you should too!”

In conclusion, gæ.

[ingravinoveritas]

Oh, boy. Well, I was on a plane when I saw this, but now I'm finally at my hotel and have time to answer.

So right off the bat, I'm having a little trouble discerning the "tone" here, of both the comment and Georgia's response. I honestly can't tell if what the commenter is saying is meant positively or negatively (it kind of comes across as a backhanded compliment, or at least one that was worded badly?). But because I can't tell how the comment was meant, it also makes it difficult to tell how Georgia took it. Did she respond out of genuine annoyance, or was she not annoyed but just saw an opportunity to give a sarcastic/funny response? I have no idea, but I'd love to know what everyone else thinks.

All that said...there is certainly a lot going on with Georgia's response. We already knew that Michael had a stealth/private account on Instagram, so does this mean he's created another one? I noticed as well that Georgia cropped out the avatar of the person who left this comment, but did leave in the avatar of another commenter whose comment she posted in a story after this one (which has since been deleted). So it seems strange that she cropped one, but not the other, for some reason.

Then there's the undertones (overtones? Today is the day for tone issues, apparently...) to Georgia's response. What struck me first is that she read this comment and associated it with Michael, suggesting (on some level) that Michael is jealous of her for being married to David. This could, of course, simply be playful jealousy--which would speak to what a lot of fans seem to be embracing, that idea of Michael, David, Georgia, and AL as one big, happy, Brady Bunch of polyamory--but I have a feeling that is not actually their dynamic in reality.

This brings to my mind comments I've read from @cloud-based-and-rainpilled and others about how poly arrangements can go so far south because they quickly become about ownership and possessiveness. As I've talked about previously on my blog, Michael does not seem to be a big fan of sharing (thinking of how he got jealous/possessive toward Chris Hemsworth when he and David were on Graham Norton in 2019). So if there is jealousy on Michael's part, I can't help wondering if it's because Georgia gets to be with David in the public way that Michael wishes he could be.

(Also I would really like to know what the hell the rationale was for Georgia using "Nessun Dorma" as the song in this Insta story. So many questions...)

Whatever the case may be, the implications are definitely implicating, in some way and on some level. I would love for my followers to weigh in to see if anyone else has made sense of this, though. Thanks for writing in! x

[torturedblue]

Part 2 of endless Disaster Twin parallels, the not so fun version

Part 1, the fun version

Considering the series shows Donnie coming off as autistic, he’s portrayed that way much more in fan art and fanfics, etc. We often see it in fan portrayals through an aversion to touch or his senses getting overwhelmed, etc. In the show I noticed Leo actually has a consistent aversion to anything with a gross texture too: like in the first episode when they’re all sliding down Draxum’s vines and he’s tripping over himself, the only one bothered by them “I hate this!”

He also starts flailing in a panic after a worm jumps on his face (and do I even need to bring up how the texture of worms ain’t all that enjoyable let alone on your face), recoils when that evil Hidden City massage guy pours hair serum all over his head, and he’s the most visibly repulsed when Raph gets trash all over them in the beginning of Battle Nexus: New York. So on multiple occasions he comes off as pretty texture or germ averse as well

Both also have insecurity issues about their role to the team: “If mystics can do everything I can but better then why would you guys even need me?” “I’m nothing without them!”

Ironically, in Many Unhappy Returns, Splinter thinks Leo doesn’t know what he’s doing and isn’t taking the mission seriously, saying he should’ve brought Purple. But in the same episode during fights with Shredder Donnie’s seen texting on his phone half of the time. Which is also very parallel to Leo making quips in the beginning instead of helping fight like Donnie and the others

In that same fashion, Donnie’s also goofiest when everyone’s acting serious in Insane in the Mama Train, while Leo’s the unserious one in the following episodes. Another role reversal from their norm

The show also portrays these two as feeling the most affected by Splinter’s history of emotionally distant parenting. Donnie constantly talks about his unmet need for parent-aged-adult approval/validation, and Leo shows his struggle in a more Leo-like way, constantly finding father figure connections in other people like Jupiter Jim and The Dunk. He also rejects/roasts Splinter a lot too, which seems more like a form of overcompensation; acting like he doesn’t totally need or crave Splinter’s attention. The exact opposite of Donnie’s methods. “No! I’m not going back to what’s-his-rat.”

“He’s my all-time favorite actor/role model/father figure!”

“That eccentric billionaire, who was kind of a surrogate father figure to me, has shown me a version of myself I don’t like.”

Leo acts like he doesn’t pine for his affection. I’m sure he sees the way Donnie openly, desperately goes after it when it’s offered and then gets crushed even harder with disappointment (ahem Turtle-dega Nights). No way Leo’s opening himself up to that. I mean come on how sad is the moment when Splinter says they should do something together and Mikey is so eager to jump on the opportunity before it gets taken away, only for Donnie to have to pull him aside and remind him it’s usually some kind of trick or he’s likely possessed? Just for Mikey to immediately respond, “You’re right, I always fall for this!” Ouch. Honestly considering Mikey’s empathy and emotional maturity in mind, the reason both he and Raph seem to handle Splinter’s lack of attention so well is probably also because in addition Raph became a second parent himself, and taking on that role like Splinter, he knows from his own experience that even though their dad doesn’t show it in the ways they wish he would, of course he loves them and what he does do to take care of them as a parent proves that

I think the parallels and direct contrasts between how Leo and Donnie show their dissatisfaction in their relationship with Splinter is probably the most developed and interesting one to me 💔

I mean Leo’s the only one who would actually say something like this to Splinter and you can’t tell me there’s not some deep-seated resentment in the way he looks and the way he says it…

So yeah. There’s the sad edition of Disaster Twins parallels. Let’s all cry together 😃

[blingblong55]

✨Hello✨ I would like some Headcannons of 141 + könig with a gen z reader who's on the older side (like, 20-25) at first they were besties with soap, but then they became good friends with everyone. They are one of the very few people who can bother the shit out of ghost and live to tell the tale. All of 141 and könig have had their nails painted/makeup done by reader, and once a week AT LEAST, reader and the 141 + könig have a ✨ s p a d a y ✨ face mask, manicures, pedicures, you name it and the reader, 141 + könig have probably done it. Reader is also ver affectionate. Their name can be whatever you want it to be. Have a good day/night, eat, drink water, and don't overwork yourself or I'll find you and hit you with a steel frying pan. Love ya 😁

I love the way you show your love for me!!

Material Girl- 141+König

Not a proper hc...I think (idk my brain isn't braining rn)

Gn!reader! Smut at the end so warning!!

It's been forever since you arrived at base. 141, mainly Ghost nicknamed you rooks, short for rookie, also short like you. "Sergeant rooks, get over here." "rooks you sure 'bout this?" "Hey rooks, wanna hang out" god did it exhaust you, but it was all banter. Nothing more.

Soap soon after you had arrived at base became your best friend, only friend in the eye of others. He knew almost everything of the tiny rookie that had become his friend. Price didn't get it at first. How someone so smart as you had befriended his Scott soldier. But soon after seeing you and him explode different things around base he understood, "not about the level of knowledge but by how dumb they both are." It took 5 months for them all to be open to you.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"ghost...ghost...heeeeyyyyy ghooossstttt" you whispered yelled (does that make sense? hope it does)

"yes rooks?" His voice hinting at his frustration.

You jumped from behind and made him jump. "Just wanting to see if you were still alive" "3 laps around base, go"

----

And after much fight, he got used to you. Always making extra coffee for the days he knew you'd be around the most. He felt like a teacher with you and soap around. "If you do that, don't ya think it'll explode" then he saw your wheels turn. "that'll be awesome!"

----

"fuck off Janet. im not goin to your fucking baby shower?"

"Who the fucks is that sergeant?"

Man did you annoy him with quotes from tiktok, but he loved how every time you would laugh at literal dark jokes, others would consider a sigh of a mental illness. "Die bitch...dieeee!!" You said as he killed a spider. He soon chased you with it. And as always you cried a little.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

When the team found you stressed after a mission, they asked soap what a day off in your life looked like. "They better thank us for this." Price sighed as he, ghost and König prepared the common room to seem like a comfy living space.

"Ghost, you're next..what color would you like?" you looked up at him, annoyance leaked from his eyes. "Black..all black" You look around your kit, "I have glittery black? will that work?" your curious eyes starring at his, "fine" he responded. Gaz took pictures and sent them to the group chat, the same one he left because of your stupid daily memes.

"This is worse than torture."

"Do you or do you not feel bonita?" you smiled as you carefully painted his nails. He hesitated, "I feel bonita" . "Wonderful because you look Bonita!" you squealed, your hands cheerfully in the air.

Then it was König's turn, "nails or makeup mister?" you kindly asked. "pick makeup, their skin care routine after the removal makes your skin so smooth." gaz said as he caressed his own face. "Makeup, but just do my eyes please, ja?" You understood why his request was so odd, but you complied. Once you did his eyes: "gosh you look prettier than me, König!" he blushed at your comment. "Lift your mask, and I'll do your lips, want to see how pretty this shade will look on my pretty boy." you made way as he lifted his mask, "Pretty, pretty lips" his smile giving him away.

"Price?" "m'fine with the nails, thanks"

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It was a Wednesday night, that you and the team designated for spa days. You bought them those soft hair bands with different shapes and colors. Ghost and König agreed on wearing surgical masks just for this activity. All of the tough soldiers reclined on sofas as you went around and applied face masks and cucumber for aesthetics. ----

Soap enjoyed how your hands would massage his hair. It was something you had mentioned, when he applied black war paint on his hair and you gasped. "If you want hair masks just ask Johnny! don't gotta kill me with this!" you exclaimed on the field.

----

They all had robes on, you even ordered those foot massager machines for them. And when you were done with their masks, you would lay on the floor with pillows around. You read, and sprayed the room with different aromas. Sometimes when you felt hippie enough you would walk around with incense.

----

It was the only time you went around taking pictures, they soon found out because you accidentally airdropped one to Gaz, who made it his profile on the group chat.

----

"it smells horrible" ghost would say, "shh im cleansing you honey" your calm voice making him more scared, what if you accidentally lit him on fire, something that soap had done to gaz when he too felt like a hippie.

"thank you hase (bunny)" König would always keep you close when this whole thing was happening, his excuse was that your body heat was comfortable to him, in reality, he just needed an excuse to have you near.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

It was a routine that you had created with them. For Ghost and König, you always spent the nights with either of them, you would stay up and wait until they needed you. Hugs from these two were the best. Soldiers stared and they would give them 'the' look. (you comment on this..I kill what you love)

"König it's time for hugs!" you jumped and he catched you, your head on his chest, "You are kind mein König," you used that only when he needed to be brought back after a tough mission.

----

Soap and you had physical touch as love language, so showing him your affection was easy. You'd give his hands a squeeze or rubbed his shoulders and this man would just stand there, taking all the affection you could give. Sometimes it was him who would hug you so tight, you thought you might pass out.

"too much love" you would remind him. "m'sorry, felt like giving it all today" he would chuckle.

----

Price was different, this man needed affection when having smoke competitions.

"learned this one on tiktok," you inhaled and perfect circle flew around. "S'good, getting better." He would stare in amusement as the circle of smoke disappeared. But at times he did need a hug. So when the day needed a little snuggle, he would approach you. "Feeling a little cold today, you?" and you would just hug him tight. "Do you feel my love?" you smiled as your face was deep in his man boobs (man am I a whore for man boobs..so squishy and shit)

----

Gaz needed affection in fun ways. So every morning you would send him memes, or tease him about something. "S'not funny." "My uncle broke his neck tap-dancing once." and back to giggles it was. At times since you and him were somewhat the same age, you'd send tiktoks to one another.

"Gaz can you serve" He would pose and you'd laugh, "no like serve your country" and he'd salute. "Fucks sake was that." ghost would whisper to Price. "Maybe if we don't move, they won't notice us."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

(please tell me this is what you meant when you said "done it" cuz if not,,,them im putting myself on blast here)

NSWF(kinda) MINORS DNI!!!

MANHANDLED im telling you!!!

These man were starving for some sex. So when the opportunity rose, you as a decent person, homie hopped. (I would too, so no shame here)

It first started with Ghost, then König. Then the two men with you(yes..threesome bc we only live once). Soap would probably find the three of you fucking. It would be on accident though. He was walking around base when he heard you scream, and when he opened the door you were in between the two big men.

After a week of witnessing the naked horrors of his superior and friends he would talk to you. "I was tempted." you confessed. "Mind doing me next?" he bluntly said. "I mean, would you be up for it?" "Now? or later?" he looked at you, soon later it was you and him and the same room he had caught you in.

Then like a good father and son, price and gaz shared you. And I mean SHARED. You didn't hesitate, mainly because you had a thing for gaz since the beginning, but price was more of a fantasy that turned real.

It took a little bit of convincing, and a lot of drinking and smoking (green plant activities ) to be in the presence on them all.

Gang bang? anyone? Anyways, it was a sworn secret that was called a one time thing. But after the 3rd time of the one time thing it was just a team building exercise for sure. (monthly so you would be able to walk properly)However after every mission Ghost and König would fuck the anger off of their system. Price understood why you wouldn't be able to make it to some training days, those were also the days he had fun with "excuse or not you better pay your debt"

tags: @g4y-gr3ml1n

REQUEST ARE OPEN!!

A/N: please tell me you understood why the title is that?

[neuroticbookworm]

Another Thai BL, another Asian parent-child conflict that enrages the audience and yet, is extremely nuanced. I’m gonna try and speak on it as an Asian kid who grew up in the East, but currently lives in the West, carrying complicated feelings on the Asian parenting I received.

I’m seeing a good discourse in the tags from @lurkingshan, @respectthepetty, @bengiyo, @heretherebedork and @williamrikers, among others, on the hypocrisy of a dad who hit his son in anger and is now lecturing him on the importance of controlling one’s actions when angry. I agree with everyone that the dad is being a hypocritical piece of shit. But I do not think that this is a failure in the writing of the show. Quite the opposite, actually. Because of how Ten responds and acts in the face of this hypocrisy.

Ten comes across as belligerent and confrontational in every interaction he has had with his dad, but it is never uncalled for, and he never seeks it out himself. He tries to stay out of his dad and his stepmom/his dad’s girlfriend’s way as much as possible, and only responds in a defensive manner when provoked. And in today’s episode, he even kept himself open enough in the conversation with his dad, despite his anger, to concede and accept a very good point when raised. Ten understands his dad’s hypocrisy but refuses to stoop to the same level of pettiness because he knows being a good partner and a good friend is more important than being right. This is a mark of excellent writing, in my opinion. The main character is fiercely loyal to his partner and his friends and does not let his baggage with his dad cloud his course of action.

I also see calls for an apology from the dad already brewing in the fandom. And I understand the instinct to want that. It is always so satisfying when mistreated children finally get the apology that’s been long overdue. But it’s rarely this simple in an Asian household. Times are changing faster than most people can in a lifetime, and there are systemic, cultural flaws in how an Asian society understands and teaches parenting. And if we factor in the social, economic, religious lines that heavily influence how an Asian person forms their social circle, it would’ve left these parents with little to no peers who can tell them what they’re doing is wrong. Parents striking their kids is clearly considered evil nowadays, but only a few years ago, it would’ve been a perfectly acceptable response to control a bratty child, on and off screen (and it still is in some Asian cultures).

Now, NONE of what I said above is an excuse to write off the behavior of Ten’s dad as acceptable, just because it’s very Asian. As an Asian who grew up in the East, the demand for an apology does not particularly resonate with me, because Ten and his dad both know that their problems are not gonna go away as soon as Ten’s dad apologizes. Because:

If Ten starts demanding an apology for every shitty thing his dad has ever done, where should he stop? Should he demand an apology for the time his dad probably struck him as a kid when he was trying to get him to memorize multiplication tables, as is wont of every Asian parent ever (it is such an ubiquitous experience to Asian kids everywhere that there are reels with millions of views on IG, referencing this experience. Does this mean every Asian parent is evil and must be put on trial by their kids? Holy moly, think of all the money therapists would make if every Asian kid in the world decided to call out their parents on their shit. Entire economies would crumble to dust from the sudden disruption in cashflow.)

Is an apology going to comfort Ten? Asian parenting warps the sense of self of both the parents and the kids, because of the levels of abject sacrifice involved in it. It is extremely possible that Ten’s dad had worked day and night to provide well for his family, for his son, before Ten’s mom fell ill. It’s the same choice he made for his wife, but in this case, it paid off, because now Ten is financially well taken care of, and he is privileged enough to pursue a career in medicine. If Ten demands an apology from his dad for not being there when his mom was dying, do we know for sure that when he gets that apology, his mind won’t conflate the sacrifices his dad made for him, thus making him feel guilty for forcing someone who clearly cared about him enough to work hard for him, into defeat (look at this rich soup of Asian parenting misery, yum yum yum. I know it’s delicious because I’m paying my therapist weekly to make the broth less spicy).

The dialogue in the show whenever Ten’s mom is brought up and discussed is always very carefully worded:

Not “because you did not act”, but “because you took so long to act”. Looks like Ten’s dad made a choice that ultimately did not pay off. He cared, and he wanted to do something to save his wife, but whatever he chose to do ultimately did not help. And now she is dead and he has managed to not help and comfort his wife in her final days AND unwittingly traumatize his son with his absence. The show has painted this storyline with enough nuance that I don’t believe we are meant to read Ten’s dad as a simple villain, but rather a father who does care but has made some serious mistakes. This situation is so emotionally complicated and realistically, it’s gonna take years for both of them to find a middle ground. Ten is gonna have to grow up and make a few mistakes of his own in life to develop proper empathy for his dad, and that’s gonna put a couple things into perspective for him (I’m not saying Ten is bound to make mistakes because he is bad. He is going to because shit happens in life and human beings always do better in hindsight than in the moment). And the dad is gonna have to grow old and let his aging body humble him a little and shrink his ego enough to see that he had failed his son by not being emotionally available to deal with their trauma, together.

I’ve been watching Kim’s Convenience, a Canadian sitcom that follows a Korean-Canadian family and their shenanigans. I’m only on S04E02, but there is a father-son conflict at the centre of this show that is still not directly addressed by both the dad and the son. It’s been years (almost a decade, I think) since the son has been driven out of his home by his dad for a dumb mistake he made as a teen. And the way the show works on it is so infuriating, because it is so Asian. It is rarely addressed aloud in the presence of the dad or the son, lest it leads to anger and screaming and storming off. The path to reconciliation is built with mom calling her son for help to fix something in their home because his dad is too stubborn to ask for it. With the son visiting the hospital when the dad had to undergo surgery, and having their first real conversation in years which the dad forgets after waking up from the influence of pain drugs. With the daughter’s old phone passed down to the dad with her brother’s number on it, which leads to them texting each other. It is all extra frustrating for me because I’m extremely straightforward in my conversations with my parents. I do not like ambiguous endings to verbal conflicts because they are a ticking time bomb and I do not have the capacity to forget its existence and let it tick away in the background. But, I understand it when my friends, and Asian characters in TV shows, don’t want to force things out in the open if it can be swept under the rug for the time being, because peace of mind in Asian households is fleeting and you would be wise to take what you get.

Good TV shows can best serve their audience when they serve their characters, and stay true to the experiences of the people they are trying to represent. My teen ass was regularly shocked, appalled and intrigued by the sexual liberation promised by Western media I consumed while I was in school and college. I was surrounded by a sexually repressed society that was convinced that the only moral way to enjoy pleasure was after marriage with your partner. And very predictably, this means a lot of dead bedrooms, unhappy marriages and kids growing up with no real understanding of what romantic love looks like. I would’ve never had the courage to move my entire life to the West, if the Western media I watched had not represented its people in all their messy, horny glory, albeit with a rose-tinted lens on gender, race and sexuality.

Some Asian parents in media need to fall at the feet of their children and apologize. I remember being absolutely fucking enraged while @lurkingshan and I watched Double Savage at the behest of our friend @waitmyturtles, and in the finale, Korn was the one who fell at the feet of his absolute piece of shit of a dad to apologize for FUCKING NOTHING. And after Shan and I were done surviving that show, I remember telling my friends that most Asian media does not have strong writing whenever Asian children need to defy their shitty parents and come to terms with their destructive parenting, because chances are, most Asian creators would not have successfully done it. Hence, intergenerational trauma (gasp! It’s all connected!).

So. I would never demand to see Ten’s dad apologize to him to consider Cooking Crush a successful show, because that is not the cultural context this story operates in. Would I enjoy it if he does? Hell yes. Would I be mad if he does not? No, because Ten is proving him wrong time and again, and that’s a constant reminder from the narrative of who is in the right.

[f1monaco24]

Lando Norris x reader

well kind of, I going to be honest I hate writing with y/n so I'm almost always going to write with Olive.

Olive will be used mostly but if it is different people with she is with its like a different universe lol.

PSA

I do not know these people so its all made up.

Lando and Olive have known each other for years now, they meet through Max and what happens when people start to notice their connection on one of Max's live streams.

Sorry about the French It is translated so if it is wrong please let me know. It will make more sense later why she speaks french...

Part 2

Olive's Pov -

Max is streaming once again, meaning I get to sit here and listen, well I could be a part of the stream and I will probably make an appearance, although I know a lot of the fans will be sad during today's stream.

Lando is moving to Monaco, and honestly, I am also sad, but I do not really want to think about it and instead decided to sit on my phone and scroll through Instagram.

I jump when all of a sudden the drums start to be played. I roll my eyes knowing that it is Lando. I walk into the room and just look at Lando giving him a look like are you serious.

"Can you stop" Max ask

I roll my eyes knowing that he will just continue and that is exactly what happend.

Max continues to thank everyone for all the subs and I just look at them.

Lando finally stops and walks back over to sit down.

"Are you serious" I look at Lando and say

Max begins to laugh and Lando follows.

"Here I am peacefully scrolling through Instagram to be disturbed by the loudest and most obnoxious noise possible," I say

"like please learn some impulse control Lando" I laugh

Max and Lando are dying at this point holding onto each other as they laugh.

"je ne peux pas te supporter tous les deux" (I cant stand you two) I say while rolling my eye.

"Oh no everyone watch out the French is coming out" Max jokes

"I'm leaving," I say and walk out of the room.

"Nooo come back" Lando shouts.

Fine, I think and go back and sit next to Lando and continue to scroll through Instagram.

Although I am sitting uncomfortably and so I lay my head on Lando's shoulder and continue to scroll through Insta like always.

But it doesn't last long because Max reads a chat

"AWW Lando and Olive are so cute together!"

This caused Lando to lean back up and me to pick up my head, I looked at him and realized I missed the contact we had.

It doesn't take long for them to move off the topic and back to how the chat is sad over the move.

But I keep thikhig about Lando. Recenlty me and Lando have gotten closer hanging out a lot, but many people have been guesing that we are dating and I think that it had made Lando uncomfortable.

I mean maybe I'm just over thinking it I mean he hasnt said antyhing and we still hang out all the time but that defintley will be changing, he moving to another country.

How could something even start with him moving, wait do I even want something to start.

There is no way that I can like Lando Noriss. Its impossible.

My thoughts are cut short by me feeling a nudge, I look at the person who did it.

It was Lando and he smiles and me and shows me whatever he was looking at on his phone. I laugh at the stuipd instragram post.

Both of leaning close are arms begin to brush against one another, smiling at the contact I realise that I need to stop, he is leaving Olive and he's a huge f1 driver there no chance he would ever look at that way.

Lando most have notice me getting lost in my thoughts once again because he nudges me and says

"what going on in that little brain of your Olli"

God the way my name rolls off his tongue, no one can say my name the way he does.

The way my heart speeds up evertime he says "Olli"

I have to respond so qucily I reply "nothing" and just smile back at him.

Lando gies me a look like he doesn’t believe me but then gets distracted by Max asking him a question.

Although the touch between our arms does not end. Sitting here I can’t focus anything but the butterfiles that start to form.

Max looks back staring, I look at him and smile and all he does is shakes his head and turns back to the stream. I always wonder what Max is thinking, no way he thinks I am being to close to Lando right. Wait what if I am being to close to Lando. I start to freak out that maybe the fans said something causing Max to turn and I didn’t even realsie. What if they are upset.

The only way to end this long out burst of thoughts is to leave, so I abruptly stand up and walk out fo the room, to the kitchen I decided that I needed water.

I also decided maybe I should click on the live to see what the fans were saying.

twitch comments -

User2 - are lando and Olive dating?

User4- Lando and Olive are so cute next to eachother.

User5 - Lando and Olive?

User7 - what is happening between Lando and Olive back there.

User9 - Max turning into the third wheel.

Obviously, there were other comments in between them, but I was right, people were talking about me and Lando, and I had no idea how to feel about it.

Of course, I like Lando I mean look at him how could you not, I continued to stare at the sink not realising that my cup had filled up and water was just running all over my hand and into the sink until someone came up behind me and grabs the cup and turns off the sink.

"olli what is going on with you tonight" Lando says.

Of course it had to be Lando.

"Nothing I just, I just have a lot on my mind I guess" I reply.

"Olli you know you can tell me if something is bothering you, I will always listen, and I can take a break from the stream".

"Lando I "

"I promise. It's nothing" I say while looking away.

Well, that is until a hand comes under my chin moving my head to look back at him.

Our eyes meet and he just stares at me as if he is trying to read my thoughts.

My breath gets faster

I want to kiss him but I know that feeling is not mutual.

"You know you can just say you're going to miss me," Lando says while still staring right into my eyes.

God hes green eyes are so intoxicaiting making it hard for me to even understand what he said in the fristplace.

"Of course, I'll miss you, Lando. It's going to be weird that I won't be able to just walk over to your house anymore" I reply while dropping my eyes to look at the floor. I can't make eye contact with him, not right now.

"olli you can come and visit anytime and I have to come back for Mclaren a lot so do not worry we'll still see each other". He says.

His comforting voice makes me want to believe him, but why would he visit a girl like me. I mean were only friends because of Max and me and Max only met because of our mothers.

I keep thinking about the days recently, the walks, the talks, and the laughs we shared, knowing that they will probably not continue.

I look at him again and say "go back to the stream Lando"

He looks at me almost shocked.

"Don't push me away Olli" he says.

It was almost as if he could read me like a book.

Knowing exactly what I was doing.

But in life, you learn what is easier, after watching person after person leave sometimes it is easier to be the first to leave. Well, you think it is.

I have no reply for him, no words come to my head, and all I can think about is leaving first because then maybe it won't hurt as bad.

"Olli I'm not leaving you, Just because I am moving does not mean I am leaving you". I promise Olli"

I cut him off before he can continue "That's what everyone says but people grow apart Lando and your moving on, and I will be stuck here working in a stupid little coffee shop pretending to be a writer."

my words break my own heart and the truth revealed itself in my anger.

I look at him as the tears build in my eyes "Lando you an F1 driver and I am a want to be writer who has to work in a coffee shop to earn just enough money to live. You grew I didn't. I would just pull back and so I understand that once you leave I will just be a memory".

I can't stand to look at him anymore so I pull away from his touch, grab my jacket and bag, and run out the front door.

But then it hit me, my roommate has her boyfriend over and I promised I wasn't coming home tonight.

I head back to the front door and just stare at it trying to build up the confidence to make my way back inside.

Hoping that Lando has returned to the stream I go to reach for the door but it is pulled open by someone from the inside.

Lando and Max stare back at me.

Max grabs me a pulls me inside.

"Olive where were you going, Lando said you were upset and left and I was worried," Max asked

"I Just have a lot on my mind, okay, so I was just going to head home for the night but then I remembered Leah has Alex over so yeah"

"well just stay here Max says, I'm going to head back to the stream, are you sure you're okay. Do you need anything" Max asked

"No I am fine Max" I reply.

Max walks away and then there is just me and Lando left standing in the kitchen but this time I can't look at him, I can't think or prepare myself for what he is going to say.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

was i the asshole for refusing to pay a private contractor what they claimed i owed?

preface: i rent a townhouse that has both a front and a back yard, and the lawn mower broke (landlord refuses to fix it), so i was forced to find a landscaping company locally who could mow the grass in spring and summertime. i hate mowing so no real loss, plus i get to support local small businesses! score!

everyone around here sucks at communication (as in they just don't show up or respond to any texts, calls, or emails even when Maureen From The HOA is breathing down your neck) except for one company i've been using religiously ever since i found them. love these guys. quality work, excellent communication, affordable, flexible, these guys are the best and i have referred my neighbors to them as well.

at the beginning of spring 2023, money was kinda tight so i asked if they could only mow every three weeks. they told me no dice, only in two-week increments because they have a rolling scheduling of which neighborhoods get hit up on certain weeks. fair enough. i ask for a mow every four weeks. sure, the grass will get a little tall, but the HOA can shut up.

they come every two weeks instead and text AFTER they've already done the work, so i have to pay for it. i pay them promptly, but ask if they can please honor my wishes for it to be every four weeks, as we discussed. they honor that... once. and then go back to every two weeks. by this time, the grass is shooting up faster than expected and i still hate the HOA, so i sigh and let it go. every two weeks it is.

fast forward to late autumn as winter's rolling in and i'm writing the check for the last mow of the season when the guy calls and says "oh btw you owe hundreds of dollars we never told you about until just now".

somehow, they got it in their heads that they mowed my lawn every single week, and should be paid for that. not once did that happen. not only was there no communication about them having been there OR needing payment (remember how i said they were so good about communication? i have texts going back the entire season where they message me "hey we mowed your lawn today" every two weeks exactly, and what sense does it make for them to forget to say anything every other week on the nose?), but i think i would have noticed grass getting shorter for no reason. also remember how i specifically told them i wanted a mow every four weeks and never actually rescinded that request? it's in writing. it's in the text log. at no point did i ever approve this "weekly" work, even if they'd actually done it (which they didn't).

thing is, these guys are prompt and reliable. they're the best option i've got around these parts. they really don't strike me as the types to pull a fast one on me or scam me. i think it was a genuine, honest mistake and they got my house mixed up with someone else's in the ledger, and now they're out the money for work they legitimately performed... just not for me. i recommended them to my neighbors, remember? not impossible they got the house numbers for my street mixed up. a 6 can look like an 8, or a 7 like a 1 if your handwriting smudges.

i got so caught up in my kneejerk response of "hey what the fuck do you mean i owe money for work i told you i didn't want and you didn't actually do" that i didn't work with them to try to figure out what actually happened here, and now a local business got screwed over. WITAH?

What are these acronyms?