#little nemo: dream another dream

[balu8]

Toby Cypress: Little Nemo

[gnabnahc-143]

Love is what we make of it | L.K

Pairing: Lee know x reader

Summary: You knew love with him wouldn’t be easy, but you were willing to do anything for him. As you transitioned from best friends to lovers, you start to crave more than what he’s giving—more than he could ever give.

Genre and notes: angst?, This is really mindless honestly, breakup, childhood friends-to-lovers, breakup, lee knows a bit bad at feelings😅

wc: 2.4k

Song suggestions: things I wish you said to me - Sabrina Carpenter

Edit: pt.2 out now🤭

You treasured his presence, the love he made you feel and yet you couldn’t help but deny the love he actually gave, the love one would usually act upon. Lee Minho was a strange man, one who you thought had a lot of love to give and yet not many ways to show it, your suspicions were confirmed when you first told him you loved him.

You were sitting on your living room floor with him, eating Chinese takeout whilst a scarily terrible horror movie plays, a tradition you’ve both kept for years, even during his busy trainee days. Growing up with him meant you were one of the only people who knew the way to destress him, who knew when to comfort him and when truly the only thing he needed was silence instead of a badgering voice telling him all he already knew.

“Why did we choose this movie again?” You grimaced as another expected jump scare came.

“I was feeling critical, needed something to judge” he said, a lazy smile decorating his face.

“Didn’t you do enough judging in practice?” You joked, shaking your head.

“Yeah and I’m trying to keep the momentum up so come on, that cgi is fucking horrendous, I could do better on imovie” he laughed, a belly laugh, as he tried to get his point across.

From then on, you knew all he needed from his stressful day was denial, ignorance to reality. So you joined in, not once mentioning his job, whether or not he’s okay, silently checking up on him, but that was it, silently.

As the night came to an end, he took his cue to leave back to his dorms when you remembered a very important surprise you left cuddling your pillow as it slept.

“WAIT I almost forgot my very special surprise” you grinned.

Rushing into your room you grabbed the little ball of fluff gently, ready to see the inevitable smile on Minho’s face. Walking slowly back to the living room you saw him right where you left him, as you whispered his name, his eyes turned wide as he caught the sight of what was sleeping tightly in your arms.

His eyes shone brightly, moving to gaze at the small kitten in your arms, enthralled by how easily you’re always able to pull him back to earth from whatever dissociative state being an idol could leave him. “Who’s this?” He asked with a grin and a small voice, fearing of waking up the angel in your arms

“Nemo” you grinned as you proudly admitted the pun of a name you came up with to match one of the cats he oh so cherished. You knew you accomplished your mission when he went quiet, no emotion showed on his face except the hint of a teary eye he tried to hold back. What you did not expect were the words that came next.

“I love you.” He admitted, emotions still a stranger to his face.

“What?” You blurted, shocked. You knew he loved you but before right know, you thought it would only ever be platonic.

“Shocking right” he chuckled “I was never good at showing how I feel, and yet you always knew. My biggest flaw, and yet you seemed to look past it, telling me it’s okay to bad at it, to have hope that someone in the future could accept it too. But as time went on, I realized that the only person I wanted it to be, the only person I will ever need in my life, will always be you. I know I’m difficult, I won’t be the perfect boyfriend, I won’t show my love normally, more so I don’t know how to, but I’ll try it all as long as it’s with you” he admitted.

Your heart was beating embarrassingly fast, this was a moment you never thought in your wildest dreams could be a reality, but it was and it was yours. You knew then on, ever since the start of the relationship, that it wouldn’t be an easy one. Even before the relationship, you knew you wouldn’t feel love the same way with him as with others, but you were okay with that and you embraced his imperfections with your whole heart. You always thought in your daydreams of your relationship with him that you’d be okay with his unique way of showing affection, that you could be the one to embrace it proudly, going as far to promise him that the way he showed love didn’t matter to you as long as he loved you. That was before you truly felt what it was like to be at the end of this affection.

A relationship with Minho was unpredictable, one day he’d shower you with kisses, his clingy side took a hold of him as you were met with endless cuddles and loving gazes. On another day he settled with silent love, homemade dinners left in the fridge when he knew he’d be too busy to come over, playful teasing to mask the immense love he felt for you, buying your now shared kitten every single cat toy he would ever need. However as months passed by, the honeymoon phase came and left like the wind, all that was left was silent gestures to show he cared but no love felt from him, only the love his mere existence made you feel. The love you would hold for him no matter what, not ever triggered by his own actions.

“Hey honey” you smiled to him as he entered your now shared living room. He kept his eyes down as he entered the house with a big sigh, not saying a word only leaving you with a kiss on the forehead as he went to shower. Your smile fell, you knew his aforementioned problem with affection coupled with his demanding job would take a toll on your relationship, but you never doubted the forever in his “I love yous” until recently. As your relationship became meeting at night when he would come home, only to leave early in the morning not taking time to eat breakfast with you, and a string of phone calls occasionally through out the day filled with mindless conversations.

You always thought you could handle a distant relationship, as long as it was with him you told yourself. After knowing just what that entailed, you no longer knew if you could continue being this strong, if you could handle a love that essentially felt one sided. That’s when you accepted that maybe this was never meant to be forever.

It became worse as stray kids gained even more popularity leading to a world tour he was so excited to tell you about, and although you were thrilled to see all his hard work pay off, the thought of a tour meant even more distance and you didn’t know if you could handle that. Mustering up a smile to hide your tears you hugged him tight congratulating him and assuring that this was the least of what he deserved.

As he ended the call you burst into tears as you knew you had to face the inevitable sooner or later, and just like the passing spring, your strength to hold on passed right as he arrived in America. You were lonely, desperately so, his calls became less and less frequent as time zones clashed and schedules overtook, it didn’t help that one of his many imperfections you once promised your ability to overlook was the rarity of his “I love yous” or even now his “I miss yous”. Texts filled with questions of how your day was, updates on his trips, photos of things that remind him of you. Yet you can’t help but feel unrequited love, a feeling you thought would never change, leading you to a decision you never thought you’d make.

You wanted to stay, in fact your feet refused to leave your shared apartment, wanting to savor every moment of this life you were thinking of leaving behind. You called him one last time in a desperate attempt to stay, to hear him say he loved you that he’d change, and yet you knew he wouldn’t…he couldn’t and that wasn’t his fault, but maybe you just weren’t the right person to accept that.

“Hi this is minho, if you’re trying to reach me-“ you hung up as you recognized the voicemail message playing, tears came to your eyes as you finally accepted the inevitable. He deserved an explanation, he deserved more than a half empty closet, an empty clearly not slept in bed, and a pair of keys as he came back home from tour. That was not how you’d end your relationship, because even through all of it you still loved him, and you could never be as cruel as to do so.

So you called him back, expecting the sound of his voicemail to play so you could send one last message to him. Instead you heard his voice call out “y/n?” and instantly your mission had become that much harder. “Minho…um hey I wasn’t expecting for you to actually pick up” you responded hesitantly.

“I could hang up if you wanted” he joked, you would normal chuckle at his teasing but your head was filled to the brim with nerves and worry, so much so that you didn’t realize the whisper that came out of your mouth

“That might be easier honestly” you whispered

“What? Y/n what’s wrong? First you call me Minho instead of your incessant nicknames and now this, have I… have I done something wrong?” The worry in his voice again increased the difficulty as well as your hesitancy.

“I want to break up.” You blurted before your thoughts could consume you and take his worries as the only form of apology you’d ever need. Silence took over the other line, you feared his reaction, not cause you thought he’d get mad and start shouting but because you thought the lack of it would break your heart. That the expected “alright I’m sorry if I did anything wrong, can we be friends?” would break your heart.

“Why?” was all he said, you could hear his voice quiver, and your eyes softened recognizing the tone of voice as the sadness he always tried to hide but only you could completely see through.

You clenched your eyes as you braved yourself for a long talk. “I will always love you, I have always loved you, and before you started loving me I thought I could be the one to understand you, the way you thought no one could. But maybe my place to understand it was as your best friend, not your lover which expectantly made me want more, and you deserve someone that could appreciate the way you show love not just settle for it.” You sighed, getting ready to confess to what led to your decision. “So yes, I love you but I can’t continue being in a relationship where I keep thinking the only love in it was mine. I can’t be chasing for a requited love in a relationship I’m already in, no one expects a relationship with unrequited love.”

“Please don’t, don’t do this, I love you okay I love you so much and fuck I hate that I don’t know how to express it but I can try alright, I’ve BEEN trying. I’d do anything for you and I realize I may be unconventional but my love for you is still as strong if not more than your love for me” he ranted.

“I don’t know what to tell you…I never thought I’d be the person to need to feel it to know it but as we go on, I can’t live in this relationship having constant doubt of whether you love me! I just can’t.” You replied teary eyed, it took all of your strength not to give in.

“BUT I DO! I’ve tried my best and I can’t lose you just because what I thought was my best want good enough. I thought you were happy- if I would’ve known, maybe I could’ve changed. Just please…give me a chance to change” he started to cry.

“I don’t want you to change for me….don’t you get it, I’m leaving not just because I thought you didn’t love me but also because I could never ask you to show it, I can’t change who you are and even if I was successful in doing so, you won’t stay that way forever. You and I deserve people who we don’t need to change for, who we don’t need to settle for. I will always love you, but maybe I’m not supposed to be in love with you.” You cried, not letting him say a word you hung up and turned off your phone, avoiding any more calls to come.

Just then your now grown Nemo came into the room, seeing its small figure reminded you all too well of your love with Minho. Remembering his words and realizing what it truly meant.

“I made breakfast before I left for you :)” I’m sorry I had to leave but I love you

“Look honey, I saw this in a shop and it reminded me of you <3” I can’t get you out of my head, I miss you and god I love you

“The boys wanted to get dinner but I really just want to rest and make us a homemade meal” Any chance I get to be home, I will, because I love you

You sobbed on the bed you were just about to abandon, hugging nemo tightly hoping to find comfort in your decision but all you could feel was regret. Because love was what we make of it, and you were too obsessed with the idea of conventional affection that you saw past what you should’ve known. You knew he loved you but selfishly you wanted more, and as you came to realize how many times he’s truly said he loved you in the many ways he disguised, your heart broke at the fact that you truly didn’t deserve him as you now cried in regret. Love is what you make of it, and you rendered his efforts futile.

[danielfuckingricciardo]

r/relationship_advice - Charles Leclerc x Reader

A collection of Reddit posts, comments, tweets, and fic

Pairing - Charles Leclerc x Reader

Synopsis - The reader is in a difficult situation, and decides to make a post on Reddit to get help with her predicament. What she doesn’t expect is for people to realise who she is.

Content Warnings - swearing, sexual references

Author’s Note - this is not just a standard fic! This is a collection of Reddit posts, comments, tweets, and fic. Sort of like a collage of different shit all telling one story! Because of this the perspective is different in each part, like the Reddit posts are in first person, and the fic is in second person as usual!

I wanted to experiment with something different structure wise, you know me, I like to fuck with stuff and do weird shit. If high school musical taught me anything, it’s that we shouldn’t stick to the status quo.

Please do tell me if you like the structure, if you don’t, if there’s anything you don’t think works etc! I’d love to do more shit like this so if you have any ideas of what else I could include in one of these (like text messages, DMs, Snapchat, insta stories, whatever) do let me know!

r/relationship_advice • 5d ago

Posted by throwaway27936

My (25F) boyfriend (27M) thinks I have a thing for one of my coworkers (25M). The worst thing about it is… I do.

I wanna preface this by saying that I’ve been with my boyfriend since I was 18. And I do love him. But last year I managed to bag my dream job and it meant us going long distance.

I wasn’t worried about the whole thing, after all, we’d been together for six years already and lived together for three of them. We had two cats together, and the word on the street was he was thinking of buying a ring to pop the question before I got my job offer.

The job is my dream job, and it’s actually what we had initially bonded over when we were at college together. When I got that email saying the job was mine he was so excited for me, and I was thrilled. It’s what I’d been working towards for so long!

But as things set in for him, and he realised I would be away for weeks and weeks, I could tell something changed. It was like he was faking being happy for me. The proposal never came, I suppose maybe because I was going to be away for days like valentines and both our birthdays, maybe he just couldn’t find the right time? Either that or he didn’t want to be engaged to someone who was hardly around?

He drove me to the airport, and no matter how sad I could see he was feeling, I couldn’t stop my excitement as I jetted off to another country to begin my work! I suppose that didn’t help either, him seeing how pumped I was and not being all tearful and sad to be leaving him. But I couldn’t help it, and I was sad, I just didn’t want to make our parting more upsetting for myself or for him.

The job kept me busy. Like super busy. But I did manage to come home every now and then, to tell him about all the amazing things I’d seen and done, do date nights snuggled up on the couch with our kitties Nemo (4M) and Milo (4M) but something was just… off??

And him being off, not being as affectionate and loving as he used to be, is what drew me to my coworker.

The final nail in the coffin was my trip home during summer last year. My bf and I pretty much argued the entire time, just over little tiny things, until suddenly, he just exploded. He berated me over the fact that I was never home. That he was the one stuck there looking after the cats, living a normal life while I was living my dream and flying around the world with my team.

It hurt, and I’m gonna be honest with you, I said some things I wish I could take back. Mainly along the lines of ‘it’s not my fault you weren’t able to make something of your life like I was.’

I regret saying that. I know that he struggled after college. It was a low blow. But I was angry, because I was living my dream, the dream we had bonded over that night in the sports bar just off campus when we met. He should be happy for me, right?

Well, after I left at the end of summer on a particularly sour note, I was ready to be done with him. I thought I’d give him the benefit of the doubt and hope he’d gotten it all out of his system and that when I returned during a two week break in October, things would be better.

We hardly talked. September meant no FaceTimes, hardly any texts, no likes on my Instagram posts, nothing. Zilch. Nada. I tried, god knows I did. Scrolling through our WhatsApp chat makes me look so fucking desperate but I wasn’t ready to give up.

One day, after another period of being totally ignored, my coworker, who I shall call C, noticed I was upset. Before now I hadn’t spent much time with C as he was far more high profile than me. I worked in the wings but he was the star of the show.

I didn’t mean to trauma dump on him, but all these feelings just kinda came spilling out. I ended up crying on him and getting his shirt all covered in snot. It was gross, I apologised, he said not to worry about it.

The thing about C is, is that he’s beautiful. I know you don’t often see the word beautiful being used to describe a man, but he is. He’s gorgeous. Like don’t get me wrong, my bf is hot too, but C? Damn.

He was so kind to me, he listened, he wiped away my tears, cheered me up, and made me feel better again.

Don’t get me wrong, I would never cheat. I couldn’t. One of my best friends from college had her boyfriend of five years cheat on her and she was heartbroken. I still loved my boyfriend, I couldn’t do that to him. Besides, C himself already had a girlfriend. So anything between me and him was completely off the table.

But that didn’t stop me from catching feelings for C. There’s nothing cheaty about catching feelings, right? Especially when your bf is ghosting you the way mine was.

But C and I became good friends over the time we spent together throughout September after the whole snotty crying situation. He was a good friend, and it was nice to have someone in your corner when all of your normal best friends are halfway across the world.

When I went home in October, I arrived at my bf and I’s flat to find him sat in the lounge, surrounded by packed boxes and suitcases. He told me it was over.

Naturally I cried, I was hoping we’d have a chance to smooth things out, especially over Christmas when I’d have a whole two months to spend at home before I had to be back at work.

My bf showed me a picture on his phone, it must have been from some night out I can hardly remember after a good weekend’s work. And there I was with C. We were just dancing, but his hand was on my waist. Man we must have been so hammered.

My bf assumed I had a thing for him, which I did, but I would never have acted on. But I told him I didn’t, that we were just good friends, which wasn’t a lie. We were good friends, I just happened to fancy the pants off C but only in secret.

He wouldn’t listen to me, told me the whole long distance thing wasn’t working and that I either had to quit my job, or we would have to break up.

I couldn’t quit. I loved my job too much. It was exactly what I had dreamed of since I was a child. I told him that, and he said it was over.

He said he’d look after the cats until I found a new stable home someplace, and that he’d let me store my things in the spare room, but I didn’t live here anymore.

I left for my parents that night, in tears, and texted C. I told him what had happened, and he said I should get out, go visit him at home and keep my mind off of things before we had to travel again.

I knew I shouldn’t have. That it just made C and I’s relationship look even more suspicious. But I was upset, and angry. Besides, I wasn’t the only one at fault. If my bf had just replied to my texts more, and been willing to work harder on the long distance thing, I think we’d still be together now.

But I went to see C. And we had a great week. We hung out, played video games, got drunk, it was great. Of course his girlfriend stopped by every day for a few hours at least, and sometimes I’d be left alone in his apartment while they went for dinner and stuff. And that was when I cried.

I felt guilty for something that was beyond my control. I felt angry because, if my boyfriend had just been more willing to make it work, I wouldn’t have gone crying to C and I wouldn’t have ended up with this big fat crush on him.

By the time it was time to return home, I went and moved all my stuff out of my now ex-bf’s apartment and took the cats to my parents. I spent Christmas with them, and despite how much it hurt being alone surrounded by my family who were all coupled up, I had my work in 2023 to get me through.

But I also had C. We texted, a lot, after the breakup. I think he wanted to make sure I was okay? That I wasn’t feeling down.

But eventually it was my turn to check in on him, as C and his gf broke up. We spent a lot of time on FaceTime that week, being a pair of sad single losers drinking red wine and talking shit. He was my friend, and I cared about him a lot.

Come New Year’s Eve, I was invited to see in 2023 with my closest friends at a party one of them was hosting. And it was there I saw my ex-bf for the first time since I moved out.

I expected he would be there, after all, we had a lot of the same friends. But I was prepared for it. I’d cried my tears out, I’d gotten out all of my frustrations, and so when he asked me out on the balcony for a chat, I said ‘sure, why not?’

Call it a bad idea, call me foolish, but we ended up making out up there. We kissed at midnight that night, and promised to give it all another go. He said he wouldn’t get jealous of me and my job, and I said I’d try to come home more and spend more time with him.

The first week of January, I moved my stuff back into our apartment, brought the cats back from my parents, and we rekindled our relationship. Despite all the pain I went through, I still loved him. And he still loved me.

But then C texted, asked if I wanted to fly over and hang out for a weekend. My bf wasn’t too happy with the idea. He was still convinced I had a thing for C, despite me telling him most certainly that I didn’t. But I did still have a thing for C.

Thing were frosty between me and my bf for a few days, and as I prepared to return to work, he got increasingly more agitated. But eventually, when it came time for me to leave, he cried. I cried and hugged him as we parted at the airport. I promised I would call and text every day, and that I wouldn’t ignore him in favour of work.

I loved my boyfriend, I really did. But then I saw C again. And now I don’t know what to do.

I love both of them, so much, and I don’t know what I want anymore. Is it selfish of me to stay with my bf? Would it be stupid for me to call it quits with him and risk things with C even if he doesn’t feel the same? I’m just stuck in a rut and my emotions are going crazy. Help!

TLDR: my boyfriend thinks I’m in love with my coworker, I say I’m not, but after a shaky period with my bf, I fell for my coworker. Now I don’t know what to do! Help?

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Comments ↓

AutoModerator • 2d ago

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Reindeerbuddy27 • 4d ago

I think your boyfriend sounds like a dick. It was his fault for ghosting you! If he hadn’t have reacted the way he did over summer you would have never bonded with your coworker and caught feelings. IMO you’d be better off breaking up with him and either being single or getting with C, though I’d give him some time to get over his own ex-gf before you try anything!

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Throwaway27936 • 4d ago

Yeah, it kinda was his fault I caught feelings in the first place, you’re right. I wouldn’t say he was a dick, he just missed me I guess and his sadness turned into anger the longer I was away and it just all exploded. Even so, we’re back together and on good terms, and I still love him. I don’t think I could break up with him without a valid reason to do so?

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ReindeerBuddy27 • 3d ago

I get that you don’t want to lose him, but if you’re not fully invested in the relationship with him and want to explore the possibility of having something with C, I think breaking up with your bf would be the fairest thing to do.

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Throwaway27936 • 3d ago

Hmm… maybe you’re right. I need some time to think about it. Thanks for the advice! I really appreciate it! ♥︎

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Pedr0Pascal14 • 4d ago

Would you maybe be able to ask your bf about opening your relationship? Allowing you to pursue things with C to see where they lead while also keeping your bf?

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Throwaway27936 • 4d ago

Definitely not. He’s all about monogamy, and I am too. If I suddenly asked about opening the relationship he’d be even more suspicious of me and my reasons for asking.

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Demeter779 • 3d ago

Could you reduce the amount of time spent at work maybe? Like going part time so you’re only away for six months out of the year?

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Throwaway27936 • 3d ago

Sadly it’s not possible. My job is kinda all or nothing. If I asked about reducing my hours they’d laugh in my face and fire me. There’s plenty of people who would die for a chance to fill my role so I wouldn’t be missed.

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Demeter779 • 3d ago

That sucks. I would say tho, without being mean, it seems like your job is your number one priority and not your bf. While there’s nothing wrong with that, I think that’s where the problem lies. Especially if before you took the job he was always your number one! It’s probably been hard for him to adjust! I hate to say it, but I don’t think you two are meant to be and these problems are only gonna get worse this year with you being away. This situation really sucks for you OP, I’m sorry.

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LionVerstappen33 • 2d ago

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Hon3ybadg3r • 2d ago

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MonacoBaby • 2d ago

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r/relationship_advice • 6hr ago

posted by Throwaway27936

UPDATE: My (25F) boyfriend (27M) thinks I have a thing for one of my coworkers (25M). The worst thing about it is… I do.

Okay, ya got me.

Considering my life has already been put under extreme scrutiny from random strangers on the internet to literal news publications, I figured it couldn’t get any worse than it already has and so I’d post an update here.

I wanna start out by saying I am stupid. I made my post thinking I was fully anonymous, the account was a throwaway with no real ties to my irl identity and I tried as hard as I could to conceal the true nature of my work, but you F1 girlies are far too intelligent and I realise that now.

In hindsight I shouldn’t have deleted those comments, because it did just make me look more suspicious. If I’d have left them, maybe even replied to them and said ‘yes I work in F1 but can we please keep it on the dl as I don’t want anyone finding out who I am’ then right now I wouldn’t be sat in my childhood bedroom crying with a cat on my knee typing out this post.

I also wanna say that I hold no grudges with Twitter user LionVerstappen_ I mean, they’re far too clever for their own good, and they terrify me, but I don’t hate them, and all the hate that they’re getting is unjustified and wrong. It was my fault for posting on the internet thinking I’d be safe. That’s on me, not them, so please do leave them alone.

Since that post was made, a lot has changed. Obviously I had already returned to work, I was in the factory at Maranello working on some technical shit I won’t bore you with and getting ready for the livery reveal on the 14th and fine tuning for next season.

I had seen LionVerstappen_ and Hon3ybadg3r’s comments and deleted them as soon as I did. I didn’t fancy answering them, and thought ‘shit, this is getting a little dicey’ and disabled commenting on my post. I thought that would be the end of that, I had some good advice given before that, and I would mull it over before I next saw my boyfriend.

Suddenly, my phone just started fucking blowing up. I had a bunch of random people request to follow me on Instagram, and when I say a bunch, I mean a fuck load. Like 20k follow requests in the space of a few hours. Immediately I was like ‘what the fuck?’ Assuming I’d been hacked or something. I had like 200 followers before that, and I knew all of them in some capacity, and I hadn’t just become some internet celebrity (not on purpose at least) so what was going on?

That’s when I got a message from my friend back home. She’s an F1 fan and is pretty active on F1twt which is how she saw the posts. She sent me a link to the original tweet from LionVerstappen_ as well as to DeuxMoi’s Instagram stories. I was shocked, I really didn’t know how to react.

I couldn’t believe that my silly little Reddit post had actually been figured out, especially after I’d deleted those comments, I thought it was the end. I debated taking down the Reddit post, but really, what was that gonna do? There were already screenshots all over Twitter so it wouldn’t make a difference.

This all happened during my lunch break, and after lunch, I was called into my boss’ office. It seems the Ferrari PR department had also seen the tweets and the speculation, and they wanted to talk to me about it.

I burst into tears. My personal life was all over the internet, my boyfriend had probably seen it all and knew how I felt and that I’d been lying to him about my feelings. I knew it was only a matter of time before he called me and ended things with me again.

Thankfully, the PR team were nice to me. They said they’d handle it, and most importantly, that my job was safe. It was nothing to do with my capabilities as an engineer, after all, so I suppose it made sense. What they did do, however, is give me the week off to sort my life out.

I left the factory sniffling like a baby, packed my shit and got on a plane home. I called my parents to pick me up from the airport, and asked them to take my stuff back to their place but to drop me at the apartment my bf and I shared.

When I entered the flat I had to brace myself. I knew it wasn’t gonna be pretty. My bf was sat on the sofa, surrounded by packed bags and boxes again. Deja vu anyone?

He didn’t yell, or threaten me, or call me names like I thought he would. No, he stood up, and hugged me. And I started crying like a baby. Full on body shaking sobs.

I told him I was sorry, that I loved him, but I understood. He said it was okay.

We sat down together surrounded by the boxes of my things, he made me a coffee, and we talked. It was refreshing to talk to him considering last time he forced me out of the house without a word.

I told him everything, from start to finish. About how neglected and sad I felt after the summer break, how his ghosting was what led me to Charles, how I still really loved him but just didn’t know what I wanted, and how scary it was to have my private life all over the internet like that.

He was sympathetic, but ultimately he said that we just didn’t work together. He wished me luck, I took the cats, got in a taxi, and went home.

Funnily enough, I wasn’t really upset about the whole relationship ending. Mainly because I was just so relieved my ex was handling the whole situation so well. I’ll miss him terribly, he was more than just my boyfriend but he was my best friend too (I am aware of how cliche that sounds).

We had bonded over F1 all those years ago. I was cheering for Sebastian Vettel and he was cheering for Lewis Hamilton while watching a race in a sports bar. We ended up having an argument over who’s driver was better which after a few drinks evolved into us making out in the smoking area. That night I’d told him my dream, to be an engineer, to work for Ferrari. He believed in me, and it’s due to his belief that I managed to get my job. It’s a shame that achieving my dream was the thing that eventually tore us apart.

But anyway, now I’m at home. My parents are out collecting all my things from my ex’s flat right now, and I’ve finally calmed down enough to start typing this out. Mainly because Nemo has decided to curl up in my lap and have a big nap.

Consider my overdue cat tax paid:

When I settled in my room, Charles called me. I nearly didn’t answer it, but I did.

For the sake of his privacy, I’m not going to tell you all of what was said. But I can say that he doesn’t hate me, and if anything, he feels so bad for the situation I ended up in.

I suppose he knows what it’s like to have all that speculation around your personal life 24/7 and can empathise more than most of the people in my life.

I will also say, that we are just friends! That’s all. This isn’t a hallmark movie. He hasn’t hopped on his private jet, flown all the way to my home in bumblefuck nowhere to declare his love for me, and we all live happily ever after.

Real life is a lot more complicated than that. And a lot shittier and a lot more depressing.

I’m going back to Maranello tomorrow morning. I know they gave me the week off, but I’m going to spend some time in the area, maybe even look at getting a proper rental and moving out there full time. I have nothing really to tie me to my home anymore, not really (and yes I will bring the cats with me and pay a cat sitter!)

So yeah, this is my update. You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine now, I think! Moving onwards and upwards. One day this will be a funny story I’ll look back on. It isn’t funny now, but it will be.

I do ask, however, that everyone reading this post thinks before they post. I’m a real person, and thanks to all this drama my life is fucked up and I’m now Googling how to emigrate to Italy.

Before you press that button, just consider how it will affect that person, and if it’s really worth it. Sometimes it is, I’ll grant you. But we’re all real people. Those of us in the factories, the TPs, the drivers, everyone. And we have a right to respect and privacy just as any ordinary person does. Think before you post.

I’m signing off now. It’s been a wild ride. Comments will be off, no doubt you’ll be making comments and dissecting my every word on Twitter anyways but at least I don’t have to see em.

I likely won’t update this again.

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—

March 5th 2023

No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t quite acclimate yourself to the dry heat of Bahrain. Your hair clung to your neck with sweat, and your team polo was already sodden and damp.

You weren’t quite sure if it was just the heat, or the nerves getting to you as the cars begun their formation lap. You fidgeted with the pen in your hand, your eyes firmly transfixed on the screen in front of you as you catch a glimpse of red zooming down the straight.

Lucky for you, things had died down. As the season began, people had the racing to focus on, and your silly little Reddit post had been almost forgotten. You were able to blend into the background, just as you had done that previous year. You were just another engineer hidden amongst a sea of red shirts, and it was nice.

You knew, however, that this peace would be short lived. It was only a matter of time before you were all over social media again, not as the mystery Reddit user anymore, but as Charles Leclerc’s new girlfriend.

You didn’t lie in your post, the two of you hadn’t gotten together on that fateful day. You were just friends. That was until February 14th.

The day of the car reveal, which also happened to coincide with Valentine’s Day. You didn’t mind, of course, after all, you had no plans. You were quite happy to have something else going on to distract you from your tragic love life.

Charles, however, had made plans. After the reveal you went back to his hotel room, where he had organised a fancy dinner with candles and roses. He asked you out then and there, away from the prying eyes of fans or paparazzi.

To you, it was the most romantic gesture anyone could ever make. It was clear he had thought of you, keeping the moment as private as possible to protect you.

He, of course, knew how you felt about him. He didn’t have to worry, he knew you’d say yes. And you did.

You spent the evening drinking wine, chatting, just as you had always done. But one thing was different - after dessert he kissed you.

The kiss was sweet, and it wasn’t just because of the tiramisu he had eaten.

He didn’t want to rush you, he knew that you were still healing from your trauma. But you weren’t so coy.

February 14th marked the first time you had kissed Charles Leclerc, but it also marked the first time the two of you made love.

Since that day, the two of you had kept your relationship a secret. You cooked for one another, or ordered takeout, watched movies, cuddled with the cats, and just enjoyed each other’s company.

It was exactly what you had wanted. A nice, private relationship with the man you had fallen so deeply in love with.

But there was a small niggling feeling in the back of your mind that it was all about to change. If he won this race, you wouldn’t be able to control yourself. You wouldn’t be able to stop the urge to throw yourself into his arms, to kiss him all over, to tell him just how proud you are.

A race winner always deserves a kiss, right?

You chew on your nail as the final cars pull into position, ready for lights out.

Charles had taken pole position that previous day, but you had managed to save your celebrations for later, sneaking over to his hotel room when no one was around and promptly sneaking out early this morning to avoid suspicion.

Lights out - Charles’ reactions are lightning. He manages to keep away from the rest of the grid, allowing the cars behind him to battle for P2.

The Ferrari garage is hopeful, but they know better than to cheer before the race is won. Too many bittersweet moments from the previous season haunted each and every one of them.

All was well, Charles was set for the first win of the season, until a collision at the back of the pack meant that the safety car reared its ugly head.

Max was getting closer and closer to the back of Charles’ car. They weaved behind the safety car, getting ready, preparing for the moment that it would leave the track.

As the car enters the pit lane, the power was in Charles’ hands. He needed to make a good move, surprise Max, get him on the back foot and out of sight.

There were only two laps left. Two laps to victory. Max just had to stay back, and Charles had to race like he’d never raced before.

You chew on your nails anxiously as Charles takes each and every corner, hitting the apex with precision. All that time in the simulator was definitely paying off.

They cross the line for the final lap, Charles was a car’s length ahead, but Max too was pushing hard. He wanted that first win just as much as Charles did. But you told yourself mentally that he wasn’t going to get it. This was Charles’ race, and he was going to stand on that top step of the podium.

The seconds felt like hours. You make eye contact with Vasseur across the garage and he gives you a small smile. A reassuring one, and you smile back. It probably looked more like a grimace but it was the best you could muster.

The final corner passes with ease, and it looks like Charles has hung onto his win. Max is practically driving alongside him as they cross the finish line. No one cheers.

It’s a waiting game, waiting for the photo to see who had crossed the line first.

You bury your head in your hands, unable to think, talk, move or see until the entire garage erupts into cheers.

He had done it! Charles had won the race!

Tears begin to fall from your eyes as you finally look up. You were sobbing, you couldn’t help it. He’d won.

You give every mechanic you see a pat on the back as you walk over to Vasseur. He was smiling brightly at you. He had so much faith in Charles, he loved him like a son.

He embraces you tightly as you cry onto his shoulder, and he whispers ever so quietly “go see him. See your love.”

You didn’t even care to ask how he was able to see right through the two of you. You just pulled away and nodded as you run out of the garage towards parc ferme alongside a sea of red suits and shirts.

You push your way to the front, definitely sure that your tear stained face would be onscreen for the world to see, but you didn’t care. The world had seen worse of you, after all.

When Charles takes off his helmet, your heart skips a beat. He was beautiful, every day he was beautiful. Even when he was still sweaty and breathing heavy from the adrenaline of the race, his face marked with balaclava lines.

He makes a beeline for you, pulling you in for a hug the way friends would hug one another.

“Kiss me.” You say.

“Are you sure, mon amour?” He whispers, and you nod.

Charles captures your lips in a kiss reminiscent of your very first just a few days ago. The cameras were definitely on you, but you didn’t care.

No doubt social media would be going crazy over the whole thing, but it was nothing new to you. At least this time you weren’t just in love with your coworker, but he was in love with you too.

Whatever the internet may have to throw at you, this time, you didn’t have to handle it alone.

—

~ THE END ~

[slowfae]

My Group shifting « method »

I am calling this the Nemo method, because of the movie it is inspired by. The English title is Slumberland, but in French, it’s « la petite Nemo ». It is a lovely movie about lucid dreaming but also about grief, so if you watch this, be prepared to cry a lot if you are like me 😅. I actually just saw the critique of the movie were not that good, idk i really liked it.

It could also be called the red string method, which would be more self explanatory. In the movie, the characters attaches their little fingers to one another with a red string before going to bed, to find each other in the dreamworld. This is basically what we did with my friend, but with the intention to shift.

Because I am a witch I also enchanted the string we used with a sigil, to make our intentions stronger, but it is optional. (If you want me to explain how I make sigils, let me know but you can find videos on YouTube on how to do it) the affirmation I used to make the sigil was « me, my name, and my friend’s name are shifting to our mha reality ».

And to charge the item i want to use i draw the sigil on a Watercolour paper, make it artsy and just put the item on top of the sigil to let it charge. If you want to, you can draw the sigil directly on the item you want to use. Because, in my case it is a string it was more complicated to do that, but it would totally work to make matching bracelets , or matching pouches to put under the pillow . In a pouch, you can put cristals and herbs that match your intention, i think it’s a really good idea actually.

And for when we want to do this methods when separate, we each have a small red string we charged with each other energy to attach to our finger.

Everything about this method is optional, really, we just like that it makes our intention to find each other visually clear. Then, we each went with the method that is most comfortable for us. My friend loves the Raven method , affirming over and over « I shifted » works well for her (and I mean, she is a regular shifter, so sometimes simple is best, it doesn’t work with my brain at all though) Me, I hate it. I invoke thoughts of my dr that makes me feel love for it, I visualise scenarios a bit, but don’t force it too much, otherwise it feels like I am too focused on visualising perfectly and not on shifting.

We are twins in our shared dr, and we share the same room. It is a Mha dr and I have a fairy quirk. I say this because she said she saw my wings .We didn’t shift together yet, but we had very similar experiences when trying.

When we woke up in the morning and didn’t fully shift, we talked about what we heard and sensed, and it was pretty much the same. She said she saw me, and my wings in my back. I kind of saw the room we are supposed to wake up as well, and i did sensed something in my back. We both heard our mother telling us to wake up, saying there was no way she was letting us be late for our first day. We really heard her say the same thing !

[20kmemesunderthesea]

Mobilis in Mobili

Things of Interest:

Captain Nemo, Freedom Fighter

Films:

The Russian 1975 "Captain Nemo" Miniseries

SNL: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

AMC's "Nautilus"

Games:

Leagues of Love: a Steampunk Dating Sim

Nemo's Fury

Verne: the Shape of Fantasy

A Whale of a Tale:

Hello my fellow bookworms, geeks and uncivilized vagrants! My name is Anna, and I hail from the United States.

I married a man from India. He’s the full package. Tall, dark and handsome…sort of broody until he warms up to you, then he’s a total cinnamon roll. He’s also adventurous, has compelling leadership qualities and a penchant for humanitarianism, which is one of the main reasons I husband’ed him. We’ve been bound in holy matrimony for many a year, and he’s aged like fine wine.

Here's us as young 'uns living in India:

Behind us in this photo you'll see an Indian naval submarine. He took me on a tour of it as a date, because he knows how to show a girl a good time.

Early on in our relationship I read "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." I couldn’t put it down! At night I would dream about being on board the Nautilus. Furthermore…I was immediately smitten with Captain Nemo. 

I actually got a little flustered reading TKLUTS. Captain Nemo is first introduced with three paragraphs describing how handsome he is, with a commanding presence, swarthy features and “finely-tapered hands.” In Professor Aronnax’s words, “Certainly the most wonderful physical specimen I'd ever met up with.”

As the story progresses, he’s shown to be level-headed under pressure, a great leader, and, of course a brilliant mind. My little ol’ heart could hardly handle it when he saved that pearl-diver’s life…or when he smuggled gold to the revolutionaries in Crete. And it did certainly did not help when he would have an impassioned outburst, or break down in tears at the sight of a human life being taken. 

(Jules Verne made Captain Nemo SO HOT…and for what?!)

Now obsessed with this literary figure, I had to find out his elusive backstory. A brief Google search revealed another Jules Verne book, “The Mysterious Island,” which promised to answer my questions.

Upon reading “The Mysterious Island,” I was hard-hit by the tragic tale of the deposed Indian Prince Dakkar, alias Captain Nemo who lost his family during the rebellion of 1857, then built a futuristic submarine in secret with his faithful followers, and dedicated his life to science…and revenge.

Then it hit me like a thunderbolt.

Captain Nemo is Indian...

The way people look up to him…

The intelligent, constantly active mind…

The thirst for adventure…

The tender heart hidden under an exterior of emotional constipation..

It was then I realized that I was besotted with a fictional character…who is a dead ringer for my own dear husband!

Upon re-reading TKLUTS I could attest that the way Captain Nemo reacts in any given situation is just how my husband would react if he had a penchant for engineering and undiagnosed chronic depression. I was flabbergasted that I hadn’t seen it before!

Practically slamming a copy of “20k League Under the Sea” in front of my spouse, I said, “This could be us: we just need a submarine!”

They always said, "boys are better in books..."

This is why I advise people to not hold out.

Wait until you find the literary character of your dreams in the flesh.

It’s truly a joy to hold his finely-tapered hands.

[thegreatestsandwich]

Every night I'm dreaming I could hold you (Namor x Soulmate!witch!reader)

Masterlist

Pairing: Namor x soulmate!witch!reader

Word count: 690 words

Summary: You finally met.

Warning: You are awesome and can’t shut up

A/N: Here we go!!!

Coments, Reblogs and Asks are happily received! I love to read your lovely coments :)

You hated the beach with so much passion, being under the sun, surrounded by loud families being annoying, the smell of salt in the air, the weird feeling of sand on your feet, you just couldn’t help to hate it.

You were sitting under an umbrella completely dressed up, a pair of jeans, boots and a tank top, people were giving you weird looks and you just responded with a sarcastic smile and the middle finger. One mother even went full crazy mode and demanded you to leave because you were making her kids uncomfortable.

You just laughed on her face before putting on your sunglasses, but that didn’t end up there, the moment the lady left you alone, you made all the birds go to where she and her family were and let’s just say it was a magnific poop party.

As soon as sun started to set and everybody began going home, you got comfortable on your spot, watching your watch moving slowly. Last night you had a dream, you were finally meeting the man of your dreams (literally), after his horrible attempt of healing himself, you made a huge bag with the necessities you would need to help him correct his mistakes and scars. You sighed, terribly tired from today. Just another 3 hours more. Jesus Christ.

You couldn’t help to fall asleep, today was a tiring day, the first thing you did when you open up your eyes was to look at your watch, you smirked, four minutes and fifty-two seconds until you both met. So you waited.

He got off the waters, his tan skin beautifully wet, his eyes dark just like you saw them before, pointy ears, fun and tiny little wings on one of his feet? What?

You quickly stood up and walked to him. You didn’t have a plan. “Hey!”

The men stood still, watching you with hard eyes. His hand gripped his spear harshly.

“So,” You put your hands on your pockets. “Coming here often? Let me tell you, I don’t know how you do it but living closer to a beach? Awful. Name’s (Y/N).” You offered your hand but he stared at you like you were mad. I mean you are. “Right, not so talkative, are we? Well, meh.” You shrugged. “Well don’t worry, my therapist says I speak for everyone, like literally I never shut up.”

“Leave.” He demanded before turning away and walking to the waters.

“Rude.” You told yourself, running to catching up with him. “So, you’re from the water, right? That’s cool, I’m from Salem, you know, the land of the witches and spells.”

He ignored you.

“So, we should like talk about us, you know?” That made him stop, he looked at you like you were crazy. You shrugged. “I mean, destiny put us together, y’know? Like look at this.” You raised your left hand and a red string quickly appeared on one of your fingers, another appeared on one of his fingers. “We should talk about it…so, where do you live? You live under the water like nemo? That’s cool, don’t worry you go ahead, I’ll catch up with you, babe.” You patted his back before going to where you were sitting.

He stared at you without knowing what to say.

______

“So this is were you live, pretty cool, I like the rock collection, really aesthetic, y’know?” That was the first thing you said as you entered the cave where he lived. He was standing there startled at how you arrived. “Where should I put my bag?” You wiggled it. “It’s heavy.”

“What is this?” He whispered, taking a few steps closer to you.

“Yeah, that’s a portal, sorry for not coming sooner but you know how faith is, everything needs to happened at an exact moment, sorry for your back I mean it sucks how you fixed it but still a good attempt, want me to patch you up better? I’m really good at it.”

“Who are you?” He confusedly asked you.

You smiled, letting the bag hit the floor and offering a smile. “Well, Namor of Talokan…meet your soulmate!” You exclaimed, your arms opening in happiness.

[luuv-zomby]

Child Star (LIKE FROM THE GALAXY.) Alter

pt. Child Star (like from the galaxy) Alter

General ✿ —⁠ name : Lynx, Northern, North, Winter ✿ —⁠ pronouns : they/them/ze/zir/north/northern ✿ —⁠ gender terms : neutral and nonhuman ✿ —⁠ presentation (masc, fem, neu) : neutral ✿ —⁠ age : little ✿ —⁠ labels : voidgender ✿ —⁠ birthday : January 1st

System ✿ —⁠ role(s) : syskid/little ✿ —⁠ type : willogenic ✿ —⁠ source : luuv-zomby

Personality ✿ —⁠ general mood / emotion : fine ✿ —⁠ traits : impulsive, tidy, active, outdoorsy ✿ —⁠ mannerisms / habits : cleans a lot ✿ —⁠ priorities : keeping everything nice and neat ✿ —⁠ pet peeves : dust ✿ —⁠ introvert / extrovert / omnivert / ambivert : introvert

✿ —⁠ aesthetic : basics ✿ —⁠ theme : super tidy child star ✿ —⁠ theme song : that one American clean up song we all sang

Appearance ✿ —⁠ body type : skeleton ✿ —⁠ species : star ✿ —⁠ height / weight : short, average weight for a child ✿ —⁠ voice / accent : distorted and deep, American accent ✿ —⁠ hairstyle / hair type / hair color : none ✿ —⁠ facial shape : star ✿ —⁠ eye shape / eye color : none ✿ —⁠ nose shape : none ✿ —⁠ lip shape : none ✿ —⁠ other features : wings on the side of their face

✿ —⁠ clothing aesthetic : spacey

Ideas ✿ —⁠ dream job : astronaut ✿ —⁠ fears : getting lost, losing a caregiver ✿ —⁠ regrets : being mean sometimes ✿ —⁠ insecurities : none ✿ —⁠ core values : loyalty to family ✿ —⁠ philosophies : none

Interests ✿ —⁠ likes : being outside, frogs, learning, reading ✿ —⁠ dislikes : rocks being thrown at him ✿ —⁠ loves : being read to by family, baths ✿ —⁠ hates : rocks in his shoes ✿ —⁠ hyperfixations : space ✿ —⁠ unbearable : the feeling of hatred and misery ✿ —⁠ comforts : family pets

✿ —⁠ favorite color : green ✿ —⁠ favorite activity : coloring ✿ —⁠ favorite song : none ✿ —⁠ favorite music genre : pop music ✿ —⁠ favorite game : Minecraft ✿ —⁠ favorite TV show : big kid shows ✿ —⁠ favorite movie : Finding Nemo ✿ —⁠ favorite food : chicken fingers ✿ —⁠ favorite drink : sprite ✿ —⁠ favorite scent : freshly cut grass ✿ —⁠ favorite flower : dandelions ✿ —⁠ favorite feeling : being joyful ✿ —⁠ favorite season : summer ✿ —⁠ favorite weather : hot with a breeze

Extra ✿ —⁠ other :

Notes: I tried really hard bro :sob: I don't know stars that well and another mod came up with the idea of a humanoid shooting star. I liked it a lot.

Tagging: @spacestationsystem , @galaxy-starshine

[nilboxes]

Vivamus, Moriendum Est (At the Altar of Abandon)

Part 5 of Nemo Saltat Sobrius, Nisi Forte Insanit, an Aventurine x Dr Ratio / Aventio series

Read at AO3

Ratings, warnings, tags and extensive notes ⬇

I changed the title... so many times because other works were having the same title... hopefully the subtitle is there to differentiate. Sorry there's only so many Latin quotes 😌

I just really wanted to write something that sends both of them to Dream's Edge. I got so inspired when I first reached the area. It's such a dreamy and romantic place for somewhere that's only half-built and I really wanted them to have a date of sorts in there, and came up with all sorts of scenarios until I just fell on the easiest—Aven getting some manner of quarter life crisis upon digesting that he might not win this bet of his and wanting one last grand ride with Ratio.

Cue thinking about fast cars, street racing and that scene in 2 Fast with the stare and drive, which I thought was like pure audacity that really fit Aventurine lol and I went, you know it's a dream, why not make them romantically sky dive? Of course poor Veritas probably didn't enjoy the prolonged sensation of falling, but I like to think he's a champ and enjoyed it more than he hated it.

This work was really about trust and how they tend to communicate by talking outloud about one thing and meaning another. A lot of it is because they know they could be watched at any moment in Penacony, but also I like to think they are both just reticent to really just outlining what they feel and what they want to say and instead bury it under other things. They really aren't a sordid love confession couple (I think what happened in Nitimur was as far as they were going to go) but instead of it being a negative I like to think they trust each other's intentions and have come to know each other enough ("I trust in your nature") that they can extrapolate each other's thoughts and motivations and know what the other is going to do.

Of course, words+actions is the ultimate solidifier of someone's convictions/intentions and Aventurine sometimes gets so in his head, gets too buried underneath thoughts that he fluctuates and has doubts, but ultimately I think their trust and affection for each other win in the end (and the game shows this!)

I wanted to write more conversations between them, like each of them sharing something positive about their childhood, but the fic was getting really wrong so I had to choose what would be the one thing they talk about and I chose Aventurine thinking about an immediate future he might not have a honeymoon little vacation with Veritas and then I thought where might they go?

Immediately I thought of what the opposite of where he grew up in would be, and I imagine Veritas' homeworld would be very Mediterranean inspired, lots of coastlines and stuff and just thought it fitting that Aventurine would dearly like to see where Veritas grew up.

Anyway next in line I might be taking a break from them, though I have Veritas processing the final events of 2.1 in mind, and hopefully try for something dreamy feeling idk.

[elfboyeros]

Keen Eye

“Skurwiel, I hate this forest,” Percy muttered, “Why can’t we just cut it all down?”

“Imagine the effect in the environmental effects, Percy,” Calvin remarked, walking through one of the deepest and densest parts of the mystical forest with Georgia, Maverick, and Nemo, “a forest this big house more than just the curse creatures Duke constantly let free, but magical properties as well. Many witches, alchemists, and mages, live in it. Plus, there are tons of minerals and useful materials—”

“I get it, I get it,” Percy scoffed, “Doesn’t make it any less creepy.”

“Mr. Corals, are we going to be able to get out?” Georgia asked, fear lacing her voice as she clung to Nemo’s arm.

Calvin looked back at the group of teens flashing her his signature smile, “Of course, Georgia.”

“What about Rowan and Elias?” Maverick asked.

“Indigo and Sloan are looking for them,” Percy answered, “Knowing Indigo and her feline, once they are located, we’ll be able to find one another.”

“Don’t call Hecate a feline, like it’s an insult,” Calvin commented, “She’s a sweet little baby.”

“She is a nuisance,” Percy mumbled, before looking further ahead of them and seeing another pack of wild cursed creatures, “Goddess, will this ever stop.”

“When we get out of here,” Nemo scoffed.

Then a big burst of light hit the pack of animals, causing them to scatter, and Indigo poked her head out from behind a tree.

“Indigo?!” Percy gasped.

Calvin stared at her in shock, watching her every moment as she came out from behind the tree, “ Where is Sloan?” he asked.

“We got separated, so I came and found you,” she answered.

There came a sense of ease once she enjoyed their little group with an uncharacteristic bounce to her stride, and a smile on her face as her hands latch behind her back. No one knew it, but Calvin could no longer hold his normal gaze, or look on his face. He was staring off gently or dreaming looking at his wife, no he looked at her slightly confused as a pit formed in the depth of his stomach.

“Hecate!” Georgia exclaimed running towards the cat after she jumped out of a brush, the seer girl picked up the black cat off the forest floor giving her some nice head scratches, “You sweet baby, you found us!”

“Sloan must be nearby,” Percy remarked.

Hecate jumped out of Georgia’s arms, staring intently at Indigo before her back arched and the fur on her back stood up, growling and hissing at the woman in front of her, “Hecate, babe, what’s wrong that’s your momma!”

Calvin’s hand immediately went to his sword, “Calvin?” Percy asked, apprehensively, before watching Calvin draw his sword and hold it to Indigo’s neck.

“We met in the school’s west garden in early December, what flowers were blooming?” he asked harshly.

Indigo laughed, “Are you serious?”

“Answer the question!” Her replied with narrow eyes.

“Calvin?!”

“Dude, what are doing!?”

“Mr. Corals…”

“Moonflowers and Wisteria, and of course all the other winter flowers,” Indigo answered.

“What was the color of your wedding dress?”

“… It was pink, Calvin come on this is ridiculous.”

“When did we get married?”

“Calvin come on! This is preposterous,” Percy scoffed, “It’s her!”

“Whoever this is, is not my wife,” Calvin spat out through gritted teeth, “When did we get married?!”

“Calvin that was forever ago, how I am supposed to remember a date like that,” Indigo replied tilting her head to the side and smiling, “We love each other that all that matters right?”

There is then silence, “Would you like to ask me questions, Percy? So, I have to prove that I am me?”

Percy stepped back shielding Nemo, Georgia, and Maverick, “Professor?” Georgia asked.

“If I say run, you run, got it?” she stated.

The three students looked at the science teacher confused, “What’s our daughter’s name?” Calvin asked.

“Calvin, we don’t have a daughter,” Indigo mocked.

“What’s her name?”

“How can a give the name of someone who doesn’t even exist?!” Indigo exclaimed with a sense of fear lacing her voice. “If we don’t have a daughter, how would I know her nam-eh gah…”

“We have a daughter—”

“Oh, I like this already~”

“Darling~”

“Alright, we have a daughter, and?”

“What is her name?”

“Fayette has always been at the top of my list, Marguerite too, it’s hard to choose.”

“What about Aurora?”

“Like the Northern Light?”

“I was thinking more along the lines of the dawn, but that is also fitting.”

“Sweet Aurora Bookstone-Corals, mhm, I like the sound of that!”

“You have a very keen eye,” ‘Indigo’ coughed.

“I knew you weren’t here the moment we met!” Calvin commented twisting the sword further into this creature's stomach, “I know my wife, and you may masquerade as her, but you are not her, nor will you ever be her!”

[divingintothewatersoftheworld]

Thanks @ofbooksandstardust for tagging me! Movies are literally one of my favorite things in the world!

Rules: posts 10 of your comfort movies and then tag 10 people

1. Dead poets society (1989): do i even need to say something? This movie is THE movie, it's literally perfect

2. Billy Elliot (2000): i literally grew up with this movie. I would watch it all the time with my mom and it's just so good <3

3. Mamma mia (2008): same reason as billy elliot (these two movies raised me). The setting, the songs, the cast, everything is perfect in this movie!

4. Charlie and the chocolate factory (2005): i honestly don't know what to say. It's just so much fun

5. Les Tuche (2011): french movie about a lower working class family winning 1 million € at the lottery and moving to monaco. The humour of this movie is so beauf as we say in french (i'm sorry i don't have any english word that fits) but i love it so much! Perfect for when i need a good laugh

6. Frozen (2013): i don't know what it is about this movie, i've seen it so many times and it just makes me so happy! I remember being like 12 and spending afternoons with my friend filming music vidéos for the songs, i also have another friend with who we sometimes look at each other and quote a scene. Just lots of good memories around this one <3

7. Little miss sunshine (2006): so good so fun so sad so lighthearted so deep so everything

8. The great Gatsby (2013): i'm in love with the aesthetics of this movie, it's so pretty to watch! I also love the (very random) soundtrack

9. Finding Nemo (2003): the first movie i was obssesed with! I would watch it all the time when i really young (like 2 or 3 years old)

10. Call me by your name (2017): makes me dream of spending my summers in a beautiful house somewhere in northern italy <3 the vibe of this movie is everything!! (the book made me really uncomfortable though)

Tagging @i-think-i-can-speak-here @floooooook @delightfullyterrible @anbybeingcool @waiting-for-that-feeling @givemea-dam-break

[randomvarious]

Technotronic - "Pump Up the Jam" 1989 House / Hip-House / Eurodance / New Beat / Eurohouse

Here we go, folks; it's the big one. Belgian dance project Technotronic's legendary debut single, 1989's "Pump Up the Jam," is, whether you like it or not, one of the most important songs in the history of music. And that's because it was the *very first* house track to ever *massively* cross over onto the American pop charts, managing to peak at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, while also dominating many other charts across the globe as well. And in retrospect, as far as the music itself went, it wasn't really anything all that new; but for people who were completely unaware of the underground house tracks that had been pumping out of Chicago since the mid-80s, this song sounded like it could have been shot out of a cannon from Neptune, before incidentally puncturing our very own troposphere. Like, do you know what the #1 song in all of America was when this thing hit its eventual peak in January of 1990? Michael Bolton's "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You." So, imagine getting bludgeoned by that literal one-two punch on your contemporary hit radio station in the dead of winter thirty-three years ago. Nothing like that had *ever* happened before.

Now, yesterday I got into Technotronic's biggest ever controversy, which was that the lycra-clad girl in the iconically curious and candy-colored music video, who was the same person that appeared exclusively in the group's album art, and who also even went on TV multiple times to perform the group's lone hit herself, was actually a lip-syncing model named Felly who didn't even speak any English. But I'm not going to be relitigating much of that in this post today.

What I am going to be doing, however, is digging into how this track itself came to be made, because there really is quite a long and interesting backstory to it, and it doesn't even begin with anyone who was actually in Technotronic.

See, the tale of how "Pump Up the Jam" first came to fruition actually starts in Chicago in 1988, with this house track here by the legendary Farley "Jackmaster" Funk called "The Acid Life." Trip on this tune and you'll immediately hear where Technotronic derived one of the most recognizable intros in the history of contemporary music from:

The rippling rhythm of the acid bass pulsations? And the idea to set them between incessantly rattling, pressure-cooked hi-hats too? All of this was actually Farley's invention. Crazy, right?

Now, as far as I can tell, Farley was never officially credited on any of Technotronic's own records as a songwriter for "Pump Up the Jam," but according to a very informative Google-Translated Belgian article I was able to find, he still did end up receiving gains from it 🤘.

But this was really just a starting point for the song. After its first few bars, producer Jo Bogaert would end up taking his tune in a very different direction from that of Farley's. And the first sign was the little taste of string synth that he gave that would later go on to define a piece of Technotronic's own sound.

Now, Jo Bogaert had already become something of a successful musician in Belgium before he'd ever even met the other members of Technotronic. He was a pioneer of this genre that was pretty much only popular in Belgium called new beat, with a trio of hits between '87 and '88 that were released under the moniker of Nux Nemo: "Hiroshima," "Chinatown," and "Asian Fair."

But at a certain point, his productions would end up seeing diminishing returns from the record-buying public, and, as a result, his own label, Clip Records, had found itself struggling too. Bogaert had another idea though, and it was fueled by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk's "Acid Life." He, like so many other European musicians, had a dream of actually breaking big in America. And he would end up using part of an American record to actually do it.

So, with his near-reproduction of the open from "The Acid Life" to kick off his own tune, he ended up cobbling together a similar pair of raw, absolute stompers and pressing them to a 12-inch. Both tracks sampled some dialogue from Eddie Murphy's Delirious set, and under the alias of Pro 24's, Bogaert would title this record...wait for it... "Technotronic."

And these two tunes would end up serving as the blueprint for what would later become "Pump Up the Jam."

Now, "Technotronic" didn't do too badly in Belgium, but the CEO at one of the country's biggest labels, ARS Records, thought that it could maybe become a much bigger hit if Bogaert had agreed to make some changes to it. There was a fusion genre that set party rap lyrics to house beats that was gaining popularity in other countries called hip-house, and he thought Bogaert's song could be retooled into a smash if he followed that formula.

But creating a hip-house record would require the talents of a rapper, and Bogaert didn't seem to personally know any. However, he had heard from someone about this sixteen year-old biracial girl originally from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) named Ya Kid K, who was in a crew called Fresh Beat Productions, and who also had her heart set on recording an album. And as Ya Kid K likes to half-jokingly put it herself, she also happened to be the *only* female black MC in all of Belgium at that time too 😅.

So Bogaert sent out demos to some Belgian rappers and, fortunately, Ya Kid K ended up answering his call. She would take about fifteen minutes to write some inanely hooky lines over his track and then it would take another twenty minutes to record the whole thing itself. The first words out of her mouth ended up being "pump up the jam," so that's what they decided to call their song. They could've called it something like "Make My Day" instead, given how many times that that line was repeated, but M/A/R/R/S had a pretty big hit in "Pump Up the Volume" a couple years prior too, so Bogaert and Ya Kid K were probably trying to chase some of that tune's glory as well.

Bogaert would then release the record on his own Clip label under the name of Technotronik and take it to ARS. And upon hearing it, they were very impressed, but they also said that if they were to pick up the record, the vocalist would also have to be the star, and Ya Kid K didn't want to be in a music video or on an album cover. So, without her knowledge, they went and enlisted Felly to fill those roles instead.

ARS then released the record, and a bunch of labels in other countries picked it up too, and then, miraculously, this song was everywhere. Finally, there was this throbbingly weird and super catchy house tune with a very boisterous vocal that was awkwardly commanding us all to have a good time on the dancefloor; and it came equipped with rap lyrics that you could easily anthemically chant and a beat that you could seriously dance your ass off to as well, as Felly and some other kid would put on display for us in the music video themselves. Clearly, ARS was onto something with their vision for this earworm.

Now, were there better produced house tracks out there than this one in 1989 and 1990? Unquestionably. But because it happened to be unleashed upon a public that was largely unaware of house music altogether, this is the one that just so happened to really break down the barrier that was continually keeping house separate from pop.

And not long after "Pump Up the Jam" conquered, Madonna would drop "Vogue," a song that really managed to successfully mesh pop with house, and even featured a spoken-word rap on it too. It's not to say that Madonna was directly influenced by "Pump Up the Jam" to cut her own house track, but the extremely wide acceptance of Technotronic's debut single over the prior handful of months appeared to lay the groundwork for "Vogue" to then subsequently reign as the undisputed song of the summer for 1990. The door for dance music to finally make its return to the American mainstream for the first time since disco had died had finally been opened, and this unexpected triumph from Belgium seems to be the one that really kickstarted the whole trend. Jo Bogaert's dream of making a big American hit had come true, and Madonna, who loved working out to "Pump Up the Jam" herself, would take his group on her Blonde Ambition world tour as the opening act, with Ya Kid K as Technotronic's rightful frontwoman.

More fun videos here.

[balu8]

Moritat: Little Nemo

[a-silent-symphony]

Here are all the songs Nightwish have never played live (by Metal Hammer)

Symphonic metal giants Nightwish have recorded around 117 songs, with only 34 never seeing the light of day

If you’ve ever seen the Finnish symphonic metal giants Nightwish at one of their 951 gigs (at the time of penning this list), there’s a good chance you’ll have heard them play Nemo, Wish I Had an Angel and Dark Chest of Wonders. The band’s top three most-played songs all come from the 2005 album Once, but what are they not playing?

With the help of tour Bible and gig reviewer’s best friend, Setlist.fm, we found 34 tracks from the band that have never been played live. For context, there are around 117 recorded songs in their discography; “around”, because their later albums have frequently been accompanied by a second disc of purely orchestral versions, and because Tuomas Holopainen has a penchant for composing songs that go over the 25-minute mark and consist of multiple movements.

Some of these, like the Lappi (Lapland) quadrilogy, are treated as four separate tracks here per the album’s tracklisting, whereas songs like The Greatest Show On Earth are treated as one long song. Cover songs that are B-sides such as Where Were You Last Night, and the instrumental Imaginaerum soundtrack album, haven’t been included, nor has the second disc of Human. :||: Nature.

Now that we’ve explained our highly sophisticated scientific methodology, below are the songs that have never seen the stage lights. Is your favourite Nightwish song on here? Get ready to strap in, and nerd out…

Angels Fall First (1997)

Besides the recently released Human. :||: Nature, the band’s debut album is the one they’ve delved into the least when it comes to live shows: the aforementioned Lappi (Lapland) and the largely acoustic Nightwish demo have all been skipped over, as have the mellow Return to the Sea and the folky Nymphomaniac Fantasia.

Oceanborn (1998)

The release of Oceanborn saw the band start to tour outside of Finland, and with the 1998 record full of tracks like Sacrament of Wilderness and Passion & The Opera, you could forgive them for overlooking The Riddler and Nightquest. Though if you ask us, we might swap Walking In The Air for either.

Wishmaster (2000)

From the band’s second-most played record, there are just two songs they’ve consistently skipped over: the mournful ballad Two for Tragedy, and the histrionic Bare Grace Misery, a song with a delightfully melodramatic chorus that frankly deserves at least one live outing.

Century Child (2002)

2002’s Century Child and the addition of Marko Hietala’s powerful voice ushered in a new era for Nightwish and brought what would become a new setlist staple in the form of the stunning Ever Dream. It’s not surprising they favoured other songs over the slow, plodding Forever Yours and Ocean Soul, but we reckon that the sultry Feel For You should have its day in the sun at least once. Speaking of which…

Once (2004)

Once is big for many reasons: their most played album, their last with Tarja Turunen, and the one that gained them a significant new following outside of Europe; of all its songs, only one has never been played, and it’s the guitar-driven Dead Gardens.

Dark Passion Play (2007)

The Dark Passion Play tour was, and still is, Nightwish’s biggest tour to date, which is why it comes as little surprise that they’ve played nearly every song on the record with the exception of the sweet mid-tempo For The Heart I Once Had and the vitriolic Master Passion Greed.

With the latter widely understood to be a thinly-veiled jab at Tarja’s husband, perhaps the band felt that playing the song live would be taking things a bit too far, or that those bitter feelings are best left in the past.

Imaginaerum (2011)

With a feature film to promote and another massive world tour, only the instrumental Arabesque and the gentle folky ballad Turn Loose The Mermaids were missed off the setlist for the Imaginaerum shows. The latter, featuring a gorgeous violin solo by Pekka Kuusisto, definitely deserves to be heard in a live setting.

Endless Forms Most Beautiful (2015)

Enter Floor Jansen to take Nightwish into their Attenborough-metal era. Nothing says “I’ve got a National Geographic subscription” like writing an instrumental track called The Eyes of Sharbat Gula as tribute to the publication’s most iconic cover photograph, featuring the piercing green-eyed stare of a young Afghan woman. Of course, instrumentals are tricky to do justice live, so we’ll let them off for not giving this one an airing.

Human. :||: Nature (2020)

They band are only now touring their most recent record two-and-a-bit years after its release, thanks to a little something we’d probably rather not think about anymore, but so far they haven’t shown any love to the album opener Music (except as an intro played over the PA), Procession or closing track Endlessness. Watch this space.

Deeper Cuts

Like any band with as many albums and singles as Nightwish have, they bring out the odd B-side from time to time. Personally, we’d love to hear Floor have a stab at the ludicrous The Heart Asks Pleasure First, a sweeping, cinematic waltz from with some eye-wateringly high notes and beautiful violin outro.

They’ve also never played Away, Lagoon, Live to Tell The Tale, Once Upon a Troubadour, Sagan, Sleepwalker, The Wayfarer or White Night Fantasy. While there’s probably little chance of them playing Erämaan Viimeinen unless Floor really knuckles down in her language studies, perhaps Tuomas’ wife, Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, could join in for the Dark Passion Play-era jig.

[liliana-nunez]

[ gina torres, cis woman, she/her/hers ] — whoa! LILIANA NUNEZ just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for 15 YEARS, working as a/an THERAPIST. that can’t be easy, especially at only 55 YEARS OLD. some people say they can be a little bit IMPULSIVE and BLUNT , but i know them to be WITTY and PERSONABLE. whatever. i guess i’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to MANHATTAN! — @bhqextras

CHARACTER INFORMATION:

full name: liliana mae nuñez

nickname(s): lil, lili, lili mae

pronouns & gender: she/her. cis woman

sexuality: bisexual

age: fifty-five

relationship status: it’s complicated but single

birth date: april 25, 1969

birth place: portland, maine

time in town: fifteen years since 2009

occupation: therapist @ haggar-fox shelter

parents: rafael & briana nuñez

siblings: none

personality: witty, impulsive, personable, blunt

pet: pomeranian named skye

APPEARANCE:

celebrity doppelgänger: gina torres

height: 5'10"

hair color: brown

eye color: brown

FAVORITES:

color: maroon

non-alcoholic beverage: polar tangerine seltzer

alcoholic beverage: cabernet sauvignon 

season: winter

candle scent: midnight sky

book: to kill a mockingbird by harper lee

video game: n/a

tv show: real housewives of atlanta

animated tv show: n/a

movie: girls trip

holiday movie: a christmas story

disney movie: cincerella

pixar movie: finding nemo

disney original movie: n/a

candy: sweedish fish

chocolate candy: whoppers

Fruit: honey crisp apple

Vegetable: brussel sprouts

cuisine to eat: anything seafood

cuisine to make: omelette

genre of music: pop

artist: taylor dayne

song: tell it to my heart by taylor dayne

BIOGRAPHY:

Liliana was blessed in the fact that she never had to worry about not having enough food on her table. Being the only child to Rafael and Briana Nunez, they decided to treasure every moment that they had with their child. Liliana was a smart kid and it was no question that she was going to grow up and be something special. While her parents worked more blue collared jobs, they knew that she was going to go farther than they were ever able to. 

It was no surprise to them that she graduated high school at the top of her class and she was off to the university of Maine. They had a great psychology program and was so excited to pursue her dream of helping other people. While she wanted to help others, she knew that they couldn't get help unless they helped themselves and heard the truth and that's something that Liliana was never shy to provide, the truth. 

She completed her college degree and headed to Miami where she worked for a friend from college who had her own practice and she loved working with her best friend. The two worked well with one another, well that was until they fell in love with one another. She knew that it was dangerous to fall for the person that you worked with so Liliana decided to leave the practice and go work for one of the mental facilities that there were. They were great until her best friend and now partner had decided to leave Miami. Liliana felt like she was building a life for herself and she didn't want to leave so the two broke up. 

Working in Miami for another few years, Liliana was getting bored with life and that's when she went to Los Angeles to try something new. She was there for a few weeks before walking into their ex and the two of them picked up right where they left off and she was surprised at just how easy it was. The two resumed their relationship and even were engaged. Something big happened to her fiancee and they had to leave LA and return to Maine, leaving Liliana stranded once again. 

Everything reminded Liliana of their ex and she decided that she needed to do what was best for herself. So she packed up her things and headed for New York. She was excited for her new adventure and she decided to work for someone once again, but it always felt like there was something missing. She was great with her patients, but she felt like there was something more she could be doing. While Liliana was known to be blunt with people, it was something that they appreciated. She figured some people needed to hear the truth and she wanted to deliver it in an appropriate way. 

With the rise of LGBTQ+ individuals needing more and more assistance mentally, so she found the Haggar-Fox Shelter and since they were just opening up she decided that this was the best place for her. She was excited to be a part of something that cared about such vulnerable individuals and while she still helps others that aren't LGBTQ+, she puts a lot of focus on the individuals that come and go from the shelter. 

[spacepiratenemo]

The wholesome "try not to laugh at your girlfriends sleepy mumbles" challenge

#ocxcanon sweet short-lore in the caption 💛🧡💙

"Ben… B.. en… gib… me… the wreck you… stupid… zZZZzzz..." Nemo's sleeping demeanor was quite the sight: a drooling mouse with messy hair tied into a bun, murmuring nearly inaudible nonsense. 🐭

"Alliqui… You… suck… - Jerk…"

Ace always had a good idea of what his cheeky girlfriend dreamt about. Her sleep-mumblings typically consisted of curses directed at her brother or her poorly-programmed assistant-robot. 😅

"Coco… Firecracker… we .. - need - … get coco…" Of course, dreams about the 'Holy Grail' of deliciousness were part of the repertoire. Whenever she voiced these desires and he hadn't yet fallen asleep, it often made him stifle his laughter. Ace didn't want to wake her, but it frequently kept him awake a bit longer, enjoying her whimsical stories. 🤗🥰

It was a personal ASMR experience, a softly spoken lullaby that inevitably guided him to sleep, regardless of the smiles it brought. (*￣3￣)╭

"Ace…" When she mumbled his name, that was usually the sweetest part. "I… love… you… stupid…" 🤍

Always tough Nemo had a soft spot for her best friend and beloved. An incredible sweetness that usually melted into his arms, clung to him, or buried her face in his chest. Every girl knew there was no better place to sleep than in the embrace of her boyfriend, snug and warm. When they awoke in the morning, they engaged in a little game they loved to play. "Five more minutes…"

Every additional five minutes meant another dose of quality alone time, tender affection, and gentle caresses. These extra moments often multiplied into an hour or more. And don't even think about trying to get her out of bed; it would lead to a playful tantrum, ending with Ace carrying Nemo to the breakfast table. There, another morning ritual unfolded: attempting to keep her awake with coconuts, pancakes, and coffee. ☕

Hope you enjoy this short, sweet fluff! I love all ya'll (∪.∪ )...zzz

Check out my IG for Speedpaint: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0PKpu1oUlG/?img_index=1

[gumnut-logic]

I've got a cold. It's taken me down rip flyboy but anyway, which brother do you think would say 'bless you' every single time someone sneezes? Which brother does that kind of AGHCHOO that makes them sound like they're being murdered?

I've been on an Indiana Jones binge 'cause that's what I watch when I want warmth and death to embrace me. What do you think the boys would watch? Apollo 13? Indy? Finding Nemo?

T Protocol

Okay, I wrote and this happened. I don't think I answered all of it, but most of it. I hope you feel better soon ::hugs you ever so tight::

Warnings for sick!fic and an off-screen injury, but mostly fluff and comfort, I promise.

I hope this helps at least a little.

-o-o-o-

It’s a special protocol. Reserved for only the blanket situations.

In both uses of the word.

There are times when a bug gets loose on Tracy Island and takes them all down, or when the ratio of injured family members to uninjured family members gets skewed in the wrong direction.

This is the protocol that Grandma calls.

This time it is after a flood in Bangladesh. It wasn’t the first time a protocol was called after a flood in the remains of that country, but this time it was complicated by a broken leg and a sprained wrist, both sported by Scott who had flown into a tree.

Virgil had had so many words on the matter, there was a current ice age in progress between the two eldest brothers.

Once the virus reared its ugly not quite alive head in three of the four other brothers, Grandma did not hesitate more than a diagnostic second to shut down IR.

Scott, being Scott could not keep away from any of the snotty brothers despite Grandma’s warnings and before long there were five brothers producing mucus at a disgusting rate.

It was at this point a sneezing Virgil kicked Grandma out of the picture and confined everyone else on the Island to any other place other than where the brothers were. Which was currently the main comms room because Virgil was a softy who couldn’t resist Gordon’s whining.

Okay, technically it wasn’t whining, more a valid plea for time with each other to get through this together. It was possibly a tactic to get Scott and Virgil talking again, but it was definitely designed to torture Virgil’s aching head with b-grade movies that had Alan and Gordon arguing about aliens and sea life for eternity.

‘Can you just…please!” Virgil curled up into a ball on the couch he had stuffed with pillows and begged the painkillers that he had thrown back not minutes earlier to please do their job.

“Sorry, Virg.” Alan’s voice was an octave higher than usual and the words were closer to ‘sowwy, Birg’ but close enough.

Virgil grunted.

John sneezed.

“Bless you.” Three of them said it at the same time. Virgil out of habit, Gordon out of mysticism, and Alan because Gordon said it.

Their youngest brother did have some kind of hero worship for Gordon after all. Gordon never took advantage of it. Well, not since Dad and Scott had ripped him a new one for terrifying Alan enough to induce insomnia in the entire household.

Alan had been too terrified to sleep and had kept everyone awake in the process.

Virgil suspected that the ten-year-old Gordon hadn’t meant to provoke such a reaction in his four-year-old brother, but it had. So telling your little brother about the dreams you might not wake up from, had not been a great idea.

Despite this, little Allie had been wide-eyed about Gordon for most of his life. Not as much as he adored his biggest brother, but enough to get himself into Gordon’s schemes.

They weren’t called the ‘terrible two’ for nothing.

A groan from near Virgil’s feet had him opening one eye.

He shot his big brother a glare. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Scott frowned at him over his leg brace. “Getting a drink.”

“Move another inch and I’m stapling your clothes to that chair.”

That activated his brother’s blue lasers enough to scorch the Earth and Virgil’s t-shirt. “I’m fully capable of looking after myself.” It was followed by a sneeze.

Virgil rolled off the lounge to his feet. “Bless you. Now shut up and stay put. I will get us some supplies.” He steadied himself as his abrupt change in orientation was protested at by his brain.

“I brought stuff!” Gordon protested.

Virgil didn’t bother to look at him. “Real food and drink, Gordon.”

“This is real and super healthy!”

Virgil grunted and climbed out of the sunken lounge. Technically Gordon was correct. Sports drinks and celery bars were good stuff, but Virgil’s stomach roiled at the thought. He needed comfort food.

Or whatever he could manage right now.

Behind him, Scott sneezed again and a chorus of ‘bless you’ sung out from the lounge.

Virgil made his way carefully down to the kitchen and dove into the refrigerator.

The wave of cool air was pure heaven.

He sighed. His fever must still be in play. Explained the headache at least.

“Need a hand?”

Virgil looked up to find John standing at the counter. His brother was a sight. His red hair and pale complexion always conspired to make Johnny look the worst of them when they were sick. His eyes were red and puffy. His nose was in the Rudolph stakes, and honestly, the man looked miserable.

Virgil fought the urge to hug him.

John had been the one to pull Scott out of the river. Virgil and the rest of his brothers had been rescuing a family from a barely floating house. Scott had been in-bound and John had been in Two, as Virgil was needed on the ground.

Bangladesh always took all five brothers. Hell, Kayo had been the lucky one this time having been tied up with hunting down a lost climber in the Pyrenees.

She had been successful. Bangladesh had been mostly successful.

Virgil sneezed.

“Bless you.”

He grunted and rolled back onto his heels. “Screw this.” He shoved the refrigerator closed. “This needs ice cream.”

“God, yes.”

The two of them wobbled their way to the walk-in freezer and loaded up on frozen desserts. A carton each of their favourites and some soda for extra sugar.

“T Playlist?”

Virgil looked up at his little brother. “Definitely. Top Gun it.”

John rolled his tired eyes before thumbing his collar. “Eos?”

“John, you should not be standing up. Your vitals are depressed and you could fall over due to-“

His space brother’s eyes widened. “Eos! I’m fine.”

Virgil frowned at him and if he hadn’t had his arms full of ice cream, he’d have his scanner out.

John must have sensed that. “Really, I’m fine!” He glared at Virgil. “Eos, could you please queue the T protocol playlist on the holoplayer in the lounge. Start point ‘Top Gun’, follow it up with ‘Finding Nemo’ and Dory, ‘Need for speed’, and throw in one of the ‘Fast and Furious’.” He smirked at Virgil. “Top it up with the 1990’s Mummy series.”

So, sue him, he loved a good Librarian adventure.

Virgil glared at John and cut him off. “Eos, chuck in ‘Apollo 13’ and ‘2001: a Space Odyssey’. There would be so much space debate sparked by that last one. “Actually, throw in all the Star Wars movies.”

“Just the twenty or did you want the branching series as well?” Was that glee in her voice?

“Just the movies. Oh, and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, extended version.”

“Are you intending on sleeping at some point?” Eos had obviously been taking notes from John, her tone was pure parent.

John’s smirk proved everything.

Virgil gave him a flat stare in return. “I have no doubt there will be sleep.” Especially his own. ‘Top Gun’ was far from his favourite.

Together they stumbled back up the stairs, arms laden with all the goodies, to find the sunken lounge full of rugs, pillows, cushions and all the comfy stuff. Gordon’s doing, no doubt.

His fish brother already had Allie half asleep under one arm.

Virgil and John stepped carefully into the pile of comfort and handed out their goodies as the first strains of the movie bounced around the room.

If Scott’s eyes lit up at the sight of his favourite ice cream, Virgil wasn’t going to say anything because he was still supposed to be pissed with his brother for colliding with that tree and scaring all Virgil’s hair colour off his head.

But honestly, he loved to see his big brother happy.

Which was why ‘Top Gun’ was queued first, why he handed Scott his fudge-monstrosity of a flavour to him, with his favourite spoon, and why he sat down next to his big brother regardless.

There followed a couple of hours of old Air Force zooming and nooming about, and strutting their stuff for the girls.

Scott’s grin was massive. But ice cream is full of carbohydrate and fat, and enough was consumed that about halfway through the movie, Scott began to wilt.

Virgil was already half asleep, but alert enough to let his head drop against Scott’s shoulder in just the right position…and yes, Scott’s head dipped to lean against Virgil’s and his breathing evened out.

Yes, he was pissed with his brother for taking a risk that possibly could have been avoided and then falling in the drink and giving Virgil a heart attack when he couldn’t respond.

But he was still Scott, and Virgil had fallen asleep to ‘Top Gun’ playing in the background so many times in his life, it was almost automatic.

Across the lounge, John was murmuring something to Alan, and Gordon was already snoring on his side.

Really, they rarely got past ‘Top Gun’, it was a definite sleep inducer.

Someone gently took the carton of melting ice cream from his hands, but his headache was finally going down under the painkillers and he was comfortable, and his big brother was safe, and Tom Cruise really was a bore.

He was sleeping before he knew it.

-o-o-o-