#overexuberance

[treewithabark]

The two sides to training with Juno

Gorgeous girl. Angel. Can do no wrong.

Demon dog. Awful. Where are your manners?

[yeah-yeah-beebiss-1]

in case you were wondering how things went down at the pokemon world championships this weekend:

-during the top 8 of the TCG masters division, chilean player fernando cifuentes was running a gimmick deck that consisted exclusively of four iron thorns ex and a whole ton of control-focused trainer cards in a strategy that either completely shuts down opponents or shits the bed entirely

-through skillful play and some good luck, fernando made it through 2 days in a tournament with over 1100 players to get to the quarterfinals

-fernando lost 2-0 to ian robb, who was running regidrago vstar (widely considered one of the best decks in the current format)

-in an overexuberant victory celebration, ian did what can only be described as a jacking-off gesture, on a stream with tens of thousands of viewers run by a company with very firm player conduct expectations

-the judges determined that this warranted a penalty of game loss, but for some reason, rather than applying it to ian’s next game in the semifinals, they applied it to the one he had just won in the top 8

-(it should be noted that the prize money for making top 8 is $15k while top 4 is $20k, so this jerking gesture cost ian robb $5,000)

-nearly an hour after fernando came to terms with his loss and the end of an impressive run, he was told that he was to get back on stream because he’s now playing in the semifinals due to winning by default

-the player he was up against in the semifinals was playing a deck (miraidon) that happens to get shut down hard by iron thorns’s gimmick, so fernando wins the semifinals

-said player, jesse parker, had notably had an undefeated run throughout the whole tournament up to this point, and likely would have continued that streak had his intended semifinal opponent not gotten a game loss penalty for miming a lewd act on stream

-meanwhile, the other semifinal winner is japan’s seinosuke shiokawa, running a deck (roaring moon) that players had largely written off as underwhelming months ago

-the grand finals are on the following day, so saturday evening was abuzz with a lot of people baffled by the absurdity of the situation

-come sunday afternoon, the grand finals are set to begin, with fernando cifuentes running iron thorns and seinosuke shiokawa running roaring moon

-it should be noted here that the roaring moon deck doesn’t rely very much on abilities, so iron thorns’s gimmick has very little effect - this is basically an even matchup

-fernando wins the first game of the set, and seinosuke wins the second

-the third and final game of the set is a bonafide cheek-clencher, with both players reaching a state where a single KO will win the game, but fernando manages to clinch it at the last minute

-and that’s the story of how a guy pretending to jork it led to the first instance of a pokemon world champion who also lost the quarterfinals

[dreadsuitsamus]

Teacher's Night Out | Satoru Gojo x Reader |

author's note: i just imagined a silly lil night like this with him haha he honestly would be so much fun for sooooo many shenanigans

pairing: satoru gojo x fem!reader

warnings: au verse, gojo and reader are college professors, small mention of nsfw topics but nothing remotely explicit, looooootsa kissing

"Your movie is in theater five. Enjoy!" The teen attendant smiles, pointing your way to the left of the crossroad of the theaters.

Satoru grins and leads the way, practically dragging you down the hall. It takes all of your coordination skills just to stay on your feet as the overexuberance from Satoru threatens to remove your arm from its socket. "Why are you so eager?? This movie is supposed to be really bad!"

"You answered your own question." Satoru looks back at you for a wink and pretty smile, tugging you closer to his body as he urges you into the darkened theater that's already playing the previews. "You never have quite as much fun watching good movies as you do making fun of bad ones!"

Letting slip a quiet laugh, your earrings gently knock against your cheek as you shake your head at such an intention. It's not shocking, not one bit, to think Satoru would genuinely rather watch a terrible movie than any other, though roping you into it was something you foolishly didn't expect. It was meant to be an after work thing, nothing more than colleagues spending some time together outside the confines of the time clock, but with the way nobody else showed up and Satoru wasted not even a minute waiting for your other work friends, not to mention how touchy he’s being, the inkling that Satoru is up to something starts nagging a bit more.

The fact that you don't mind is awfully telling to both you and him.

Satoru quickly ushers you both to your seats, the theater so laughably empty that, even though you're a bit late, you can still get the absolute best seats in the house. He slips a few boxes of candy from his pockets, offering them up to you like cards. "Pick any! Except the Sour Patch Kids." Those long fingers swiftly pluck the box from your selection, and you laugh and take another.

"I appreciate you sneaking in candy, but I'm gonna go get a drink from-"

"I'll do it!! Keep my seat safe!" With that, Satoru is quite literally leaping across the rows of seats to the exit, and you can only stare in awe.

He's truly an idiot, and somehow the most decorated professor at the college you're both employed at. It's said by nearly every student he's had how they simultaneously regretted and did not regret taking his class. The curiosity alone makes you wish you could experience the teachings of Gojo Satoru for yourself, though knowing him on the other side of the desk is much more ideal.

It isn't long before your colleague returns, two large sodas in hand that have your brows practically rising to your hairline. “Jeez, Satoru, there's no way I could even dream of finishing this!”

“And these are the medium cups! I was this close to ordering large, just to see how much of my hand and forearm would fit.” He places his drink in the cupholder to his left as you set yours to the one on your right, the one between you left to house the little boxes of contraband he's snuck in. Satoru quickly swaps glasses, leaving the more tinted ones in their case as he opts for his regular frames, not that he plans to actually watch the movie— he's already seen this dumpster fire of a film, and it wasn't even fun to make fun of!

Your gaze flicks to the large screen, briefly wondering just how many previews for much better movies, and maybe much worse, you'll have to see before what you paid for starts to play. Satoru’s slender fingers brush your jaw, gently urging you to look back at him instead. His brilliantly bright blue eyes look at you in earnest, a little smile on his lips as he chews a gummy. “I'm glad you came to see this with me.”

“Of course, Satoru. Especially since the rest of the 'invitees' didn't show.” Your voice is dripping with suspicion, lips curving and a giggle following at the completely unabashed look on his face.

“Guess that cat's out of the bag. But come on! Can you imagine Nanami at the movie theater?! What a bore!”

Another laugh bubbles up despite your best efforts to stay somewhat hushed up. There are a few strays here, after all, and you'd hate to end up in someone's viral Twitter posting for being rude in a movie theater. “Satoru! Kento is a fine man; he can be more relaxed than you give him credit for.”

“Oh?” Satoru’s brow raises and he leans in closer, as if to whisper conspiracy in the dead of the night, his nose nearly tapping the tip of yours. “Have you and Nanami been spending extracurricular time together?”

“You do know we run the creative writing club together, don't you?”

“Literature nerds.” Satoru snorts, his breath fanning across your skin. “What kind of smutty, filthy things does he write, hmmm?”

“Gojo!” You scold, plucking his chest and just barely being able to keep your heart from pumping out of your chest with his awfully close proximity. Boundaries have always been a tad wavy with Satoru, personal space becoming less personal whenever he's around, but he's never quite… unabashedly close to your lips with his own.

“What?? Fine, fine. Keep his secrets! I’d rather hear about what you write anyway. That's the fun stuff.” Satoru leans in closer, his soft, pink lips a mere hair’s breadth from yours— half of an exhale and they'll be touching.

“Come to this Friday's meet then.” Your whisper isn't out of consideration for any other attendees of the movie, as the lights are drawn down and it's begun to play now. “We're doing poetry this week.”

“I can think of far better ways to spend a Friday night.” Satoru lowers his own voice to a murmur. “How about we have our own little meet, you and me?”

“Isn't that what this is?”

“What, you can't make a little more time for me?” Satoru pouts pathetically and you begin to suspect that he can cry on command after seeing how sad his eyes seem.

“I’m a busy woman, Satoru. You know the life of a college professor.” Your tongue darts out over your lips, tasting the vanilla cupcake flavored gloss you slid on tonight.

“So let's make the most of this time then.” Satoru's knuckle taps your chin up and then he's pressing his lips to yours. It's a gentle kiss, an ultimate test of your boundaries, but one he's confident will go his way. He notices the little things about you, the way you linger for him at the end of the day, just to walk to the parking lot together. You have his Starbucks order memorized, make him delicious sweets all the time and do plenty of other soft gestures that make his heart beat.

Warmth floods your face at Satoru's kiss— never in your life did you think things would get to this point between the two of you. All that time pining for him was surely wasted, wasn't it? You certainly could have made a move months ago, and he'd have received you eagerly. It's you that deepens the kiss, encouraging Satoru’s tongue to lick at your sweet lips and, little by little, remove the tasty gloss from your lips.

Satoru’s teeth gently dig into your lower lip, sucking it into his mouth for a moment, letting go soon after. The armrest between you is quickly flipped up, your poor candy boxes sent flying as Satoru moves in further, bracing a large hand on your back as he lays you back in the seat. A rumble echoes in his chest as your fingers find their place in his hair and gently thread through the white locks, spurring the professor’s kissing into something more frenzied, more desperate and with a tinge of neediness dabbled in too.

Your concept of time is muddied by the time Satoru pulls his lips back, your lip gloss smeared between both of your faces in a messy display of actions that you'd expect teenagers to do rather than adults past thirty. Satoru smiles down at you, eyes beautiful crescents to match the gorgeousness of his grin. “So you'll meet up with me again soon, right?”

Satoru can hardly register your snort before your arms are around his neck and pulling him down for more.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Satoru turns his head to the screen, his brows knitted as he witnesses a scene that certainly wasn't there when he actually watched this movie before. “We're in the wrong theater!”

It's a tad hard to explain to the manager on duty that there's been a mistake when the movie you were actually in was ten minutes from its end, but somehow Satoru manages to talk his way into a showing of the film you'd actually paid for, giving you just enough time to slather on some more lip gloss before Makeout Paradise 2: Electric Boogaloo.

[cuffmeinblack]

Encore

Drummer!Garreth Weasley x f!reader

Tags: explicit | public sex | blowjobs

2.2k words

Summary: Garreth always gets worked up after a gig, and tonight is no exception.

A/n: Just a quick one for this week's WW theme: AU. I said I'd do a Drummer!Gar fic ages ago but never got around to it so here's a little smutty one shot instead!

The lights were dim as you tapped your foot impatiently on the ground, gaze fixed on the empty stage in front of you. Not a bad turnout, considering the state of the venue, but their regulars were loyal enough to follow them to even the most dilapidated dive bars. This was a palace in comparison to some of the earlier venues. So many scantily clad young women milled about, some utterly gorgeous, though you knew your boyfriend would only have eyes for you. Sebastian would likely be lapping up the attention later though, as well as other, more unsavoury things.

Finally, the band filed onto the stage to a round of cheers as they began to sound check, still shrouded mostly in darkness. Your heart pounded with anticipation, though you'd seen them perform dozens of times before, the main event was what awaited you after the performance. Sipping your drink, you waited patiently until you saw the ruffled red hair as the lights finally came on, and the onlookers erupted into cheers. Garreth's green eyes scanned the crowd, finding you and flashing you a wide smile before he sat down behind the drum kit.

You hadn't seen him before the gig—in fact it had been a very long week away from him, both of you busy with your jobs and various hobbies. Laying eyes on him now had you all kinds of worked up. He looked fucking fantastic with his effortlessly mussed copper hair, endless freckles that mingled with his various tattoos and the simple black t-shirt he wore that showed every toned muscle of his broad chest. Sebastian was busy pandering to the crowd, flirting with the girls in the front row and strutting around like he owned the place, but Garreth kept his eyes on you and only you. 

"Are you fucking ready?"

The fluffy-haired brunet shouted at the crowd, who responded with a rabid cheer amongst the shrieks and wolf whistles. Garreth gave you a final wink that had your insides squirming before he counted them in and the band launched into their self-titled track. The atmosphere was electric, in no small part due to Sebastian's overexuberance with a microphone, but the whole band was on spectacular form tonight. You downed the rest of your drink and pushed your way into the throng, weaving through sweaty bodies until you were near the front, with an excellent view of Garreth.

You knew all the words by now, even the throaty growls that Sebastian spat out and the backing vocals that Garreth screamed from behind his drums. As they switched tempo to a slower tune, you were thankful for the breather, swaying to the unfamiliar track and finding Garreth staring straight at you with glittering eyes. His hair stuck to his glistening forehead and chest heaved, but it didn't stop him from giving his performance everything. As the song started to build to the chorus you realised why he'd been keeping his gaze locked on you the entire time—he belted the harmony of the chorus about a man hopelessly in love, and you realised this was one of his. A song for you.

Your breath caught in your throat as the realisation dawned, apparently presenting on your face as Garreth smiled as he sang. As the last chord rang out, Sebastian thanked the crowd for coming, to a cheer for more—you'd usually join in, but all you could think about was getting your hands on the redhead currently pouring water over his head and drenching his already damp t-shirt. Fuck. You were pretty sure he was doing that mainly for your benefit, no matter how hot the musky bar was. It was certainly having the intended effect as a ripple of tension shot through your abdomen and by the time he looked back at you, pushing the curtain of wet hair out of his face, you were practically salivating.

As the band carried on with an encore, you snaked your way back out of the pit to stand at the side of the stage, eagerly awaiting their finish. Finally, finally, as Garreth stood up and bounded off the stage, he made a beeline for you and picked you up effortlessly in his strong arms. You were vaguely aware of the rest of the band being intercepted by fans, but Garreth carried you through the grotty door with far too many layers of paint that led to the backstage area. In reality, it was a poorly furnished kitchenette, but he didn't intend on stopping there. 

"Are you going to put me down at any point, Gar?" you laughed, kissing his fiery locks.

"When I get you somewhere quiet," he rasped, his voice hoarse and dripping with lust.

He always got wound up after a set, the adrenaline pushing his already rampant sex drive into high gear, and you were happy to be on the receiving end. Post-gig sex with Garreth was incredible, no matter where it ended up taking place. He finally put you down in a dark corner near a fire exit; not the most romantic spot, but it was quiet. Your heart pounded into the silence, impossibly loud.

"That song…," you sighed, before his lips crashed into yours.

He hummed in assent, confirming that yes, it was for you, but there would be time to talk about it later. Your fingers threaded through his damp hair, tongue slipping inside his hungry mouth as you succumbed to his desire. He tasted of beer and sweat with lingering undertones of the single cigarette he smoked before every gig; a sort of ritual he'd performed ever since the band started touring, but it was so Garreth and not at all unpleasant. His musky scent sent your head spinning, the overwhelming urge to run your tongue over his skin writhing inside you.

"You look…beautiful tonight," he hummed as his mouth trailed down your neck with gentle nips at your flushed skin.

Your skirt was already above your hips, his hands working to rid you of the enticing lingerie he wouldn't get to appreciate before it hit the floor, absolutely drenched in your arousal. Next came the zip on his trousers, freeing his deliciously girthy cock, already hard and throbbing with desire.

"Fucking hell, Gar. You were incredible…"

And he was. There was nothing quite like watching your boyfriend effortlessly twirling his sticks and throwing you cheeky smiles between songs to get your blood pumping. Garreth let out a soft growl against your neck, gripping your behind with both hands and lifting you clean off the floor. He had you pinned against the cold wall with his weight as if you were nothing, a frail waif of a thing as your arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. The way he usually threw you around in bed was nothing to the frantic manhandling you received now, all bites and bruises and searing kisses.

"I've wanted to do this...all week, you have no idea…," he whispered in your ear.

"I think I have some idea."

"Yeah?" he asked, his cock probing teasingly at your entrance. 

A whimper left your mouth, your heart fluttering and core throbbing for his attention.

"Fuck me, Gar, please."

His performance had been the foreplay, and with nothing more he thrusted inside you in one swift motion, the satisfying burn only lasting a second before any discomfort was muted by the utterly incredible feel of him inside you. His cock pressed deep, hitting you just right as he pulled you down hard onto him with a groan. The perfect fit, he filled you completely and perfectly. The gutteral moan that clawed its way out of his throat indicated he'd needed this just as much as you.

"God, you're so fucking wet…you weren't joking."

All you could manage in reply was a whimper as he started thrusting in earnest; a slow grinding that teased every nerve ending you possessed, your head lolling back against the wall with sheer pleasure. His grip on your backside was bruising, kneading the flesh in rhythm with his hips as his mouth attacked the sensitive skin of your neck. He'd mark you up prettily as he always did, making his claim for all to see. You were his, and his alone.

You managed to look down at him with hooded eyes, just as he relinquished his mouthful of skin with a gentle bite. His own eyes were dark, glazed, with a fire behind them that threatened to burn into your very soul. He picked up the tempo, his arms beginning to shake but still fucking you into the wall with everything he had. It was working wonderfully, your blood rushing to hour heat with an intense swell of arousal, fluttering around his cock in anticipation of your impending release.

"Yes…," you managed to gasp faintly.

"That's it baby, I can feel you getting close."

His sultry, rasping voice sent tingles across your body, your lips finding his in a desperate kiss as you fell apart. Garreth groaned and pinned you hard against the brick, carrying on shallow thrusts as you rode out your orgasm and gasped into his mouth, gripping his hair for dear life. Your ears rang with the intensity of your climax, left as a shaking and limp mess being held up by Garreth's body.

"That feel good?" he asked with a grin.

You nodded through bleary eyes with a lopsided smile as Garreth finally let you down onto the floor, the rippling muscle in his arms twitching in protest. He was still hard, desperately rutting against your hip with renewed vigour; he attacked your collarbone with his mouth as you tried to catch your breath. Without another thought, you dropped to the ground, ignoring the state of the floor and focusing on his cock; red and dripping with your mixed arousal. With a salacious moan and drawn out swipe of your tongue along his shaft, you watched his reaction.

"Yes…"

Garreth sighed as you ran your tongue over his head, lapping up the beads of precum with another moan for his pleasure, though you thoroughly enjoyed sucking his cock. Taking him in your mouth with a gentle swirl around the tip, you were about to end his world with a mind-shattering suction until you heard voices approaching. Looking up at Garreth with wild eyes, he stared back at you with a finger on his lips and a gentle tug of your hair to keep going. With an upward curl of your lips, you took him deeper, teasing his length with gentle pressure as the intruders stood nearby, lighting up cigarettes with the telltale spark of a lighter. 

"Too cold outside, they won't grass on us for lighting up in here."

A grunt of agreement and the men lapsed into conversation, utterly dull and not worth paying attention to when you had much more interesting things to focus on in front of you. Garreth's breath grew heavier as he controlled the urge to moan, but you wanted those delicious sounds echoing in the hallway, company be damned. With a firm grip at the base of his cock, you dipped your head to take him into your throat, sucking hard on the way back. Garreth's hips twitched, his grip on your hair growing tighter with every movement. 

He tasted divine, and looked even better with his flushed skin and pink, kiss-swollen lips. You ran a hand up his t-shirt, over his taut stomach, raking his burning skin with your nails as his cock twitched eagerly in your mouth. With a teasing smirk, you popped your mouth off his cock, resuming the agonisingly slow swipes of your tongue as he looked down at you with silent, begging eyes. Yes, it was slightly cruel, but it was so fun to toy with him when he couldn't even protest; the two voices were still nattering on in the background.

Your plan fell apart when Garreth took matters into his own hands, gripping your head with both hands and sliding his cock into your mouth. The surprise intrusion made you gag, but he didn't stop, pushing himself further down your throat with every thrust. You knew he was close, desperate for his release; his breath stuttered and legs shook as you braced yourself. He pulled back at the last second and spilled his load into your mouth, coating your tongue as you let out a satisfied moan before you could stop yourself.

Your hand pumped the last drops of his cum onto your tongue, aware that the voices had stopped talking and Garreth was too far gone to pay them any mind. 

"I think we've interrupted something," one of the men muttered.

The other chuckled, their footsteps receding into the distance with the creak of a door.

"I thought they'd never leave," Garreth sighed, his grip on your hair loosening as he slumped against his arm on the wall.

"Didn't stop you from nearly choking me, did it?"

Garreth gave you an apologetic look and a cheeky smile, as if to say, 'can you blame me?'. You swatted his arm playfully as you stood up, wiping your lips with your thumb with a low hum. You took a minute or two to redress and fix your hair until you were finally ready to join your other friends, walking hand in hand with Garreth back towards the bar.

"So, that song…"

"You like it?" he grinned.

"It was beautiful," you said, kissing his cheek.

"Of course it is, it's about you."

[mariacallous]

Earlier this week, after warping across the galaxy for 90 hours in a sentient spacecraft, Twitch streamer John Wissmiller realized that Concord was the best first-person shooter he’d played in a decade.

“The gunplay was crunchy, the movement was smooth, and the progression felt rewarding,” he says. “I was even more enthralled by the world the developers had created when I looked into the lore.”

He wasn’t alone. “One of the biggest perks about the game was the absence of toxicity within the player community,” says Kelle Dees, a content creator at KDeesGamez. “Everything about the game was positive and inclusive.”

On Wednesday, less than two weeks after the game’s August 23 launch, Sony announced it was taking Concord offline and offering full refunds to anyone who had purchased it on PlayStation 5 or PC. “While many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended,” wrote Ryan Ellis, Concord’s director at Firewalk Studios, a division of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

“I was completely devastated,” Wissmiller says. “We’ve never seen a first-party title from Sony get this kind of treatment.”

In fact, we’ve never seen any AAA video game get this kind of treatment—and that’s what could make Concord a horrifying canary in the coal mine for gamers and game workers alike.

“It’s unprecedented for a game of this scale to be shut down so quickly,” says Liam Deane, a video game analyst at Omdia. “Usually publishers keep games that struggle at launch on life support for a while, but in Concord’s case the launch was so bad there was clearly no way back.”

Like Fortnite, Destiny 2, and Valorant, Concord was meant to be a live-service game that constantly released new updates over the course of several years. But while those other games are free to play—and rely on microtransactions to make money—Concord cost $40 up front. “It's just very difficult to break into competitive multiplayer games [and] displace the existing top titles,” says Simon Carless, an industry analyst who publishes the GameDiscoverCo newsletter. “These are the kind of titles that players socialize with their friends in, and they're often not motivated to switch games.”

Sony hasn’t revealed how many copies of Concord sold between August 23 and September 3, but the number of active PC players on the Steam platform peaked at just 697 on launch day. That’s abysmally low for a major release that spent eight years in development; Sony’s previous live-service game, Helldivers 2, had over 155,000 players on its first day, back in February, and later peaked at 458,709.

Helldivers 2, though, was a breakout hit that already had an established fanbase. Concord, on the other hand, was a brand-new franchise that didn’t get much of a marketing push and drew the ire of “anti-woke” snivelers who complained about the game’s use of pronouns on its character selection screen.

“For big companies, it's difficult to work out what bets—and how large bets—you should make,” says Carless. “Some of the corporate overexuberance during Covid and low interest rates has meant that large companies overextended, and the pullback has been—and is going to be—painful.”

Over the past 20 years, the brutal blockbuster-or-bust mentality of Silicon Valley startups has spread to executives across the entertainment industry. Movies with $100 million production budgets are considered dead on arrival after a bad opening weekend and are quickly ripped from theaters. TV series are canceled after failing to meet undisclosed performance metrics in their first seasons.

Now, the quick death of Concord, which officially went offline today, points to a similar mindset in the video game industry that could kill creativity, reduce jobs, and shutter entire studios.

“If you have a stable parent company with a balanced set of single-player and [live-service] releases, you should be in decent shape,” says Carless. But “the middle of the market is disintegrating. The games industry is deprofessionalizing in many ways; games as a stable profession will be tricky for many people in high-GDP countries.”

If studio C-suites keep cutting all the buds that don’t instantly blossom, the golden age of gaming of the 2020s—a mix of AAA blockbusters like Elden Ring, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Baldur’s Gate 3, alongside smaller-budget gems like Tunic, Chants of Sennar, and the reimagining of 1997’s Riven—could already be over.

“I think innovation is more likely to come from smaller companies with lower budgets that are happier to take risks,” says Piers Harding-Rolls, who leads the games research team at Ampere Analysis. “This has really been true for many years, but the current commercial environment makes that truer than ever.” Still, even the future of indies is uncertain and may be somewhat dependent on funding efforts like Innersloth’s Outersloth initiative.

Concord may have gotten off to a slow start with gamers (most of whom hadn’t heard of it yet) and critics (who didn’t love the initial character designs), but the same could be said of Elder Scrolls Online, which has since made more than $2 billion, or the Destiny franchise, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year, or No Man’s Sky, which has become a cult classic.

If those games were released now, would they survive longer than Concord did—longer than the lifespan of a honeybee? The answer lies with the most ruthless beekeepers in the industry, and all they care about is the honey.

[theundercoversquid]

My World Champion

Pairing: Charles Leclerc x author!Reader

Request: okay, ferrari screwed up in the 2022 season, but you can fix it. Can you write something where Charles wins the world championship (in the constructors' championship, of course) and then goes on vacation with the author!reader. Please i need chapter 6 - @lewis-seb

Paired with: Please, please, please, please, author!reader and continue the charles leclerc series. Maybe Charles is having a better season, maybe even world champion, just beat mv0 (max versttapen idiot) - @someguy45

Paired with: I just read an article from another blog where charles leclerc is world champion I'm sure it would be great if you wrote it and of course you can combine it with the author!reader, I love you and your blog - @buluba

A/N: This doesn't have to be read with the other chapters.

Warnings:

Masterlist

Stood by the barrier, you were screaming yourself hoarse as you watched history being made. Charles Leclerc. Your amazing partner came souring across the line. Making him the world driver's champion. The first Mongasage world champion.

Ferraris first world champion since Kimi Raikkonen back in 2007 and their first constructor's championship since 2008.

Il Predestinato had finally done what he had been fated and prophesied to do. He was Ferrari's redeeming warrior. Rising from the smoke and ash of years gone by. He is Ferrari and Ferrari is him.

You couldn't believe that it had finally happened. After all the energy, time and dedication that Charles had put into this sport. He was finally rewarded with his first world driver's champion.

As Charles pulled his Ferrari into parc ferme, the cheering only got louder. As the world cheered for your brilliant boy.

Climbing out of the car, Charles celebrates pumping his fists in the air. Spotting you in and amongst his team, Charles leaps off the car. Hurtling to the barrier before he throws himself at you. Almost knocking you over with his overexuberance.

Wrapping him in a hug, you shout how proud you were of him as everyone cheered. Hitting him on the back and the helmet as you all celebrated this fantastic moment. But Charles refuses to let go of you. He celebrates with his team. Screaming, crying and chanting. But he refuses to let go of you.

Eventually, your lover gets pulled away. Charles has duties that he has to do. Including collecting not one but two trophies.

When it came to the podium ceremony. You and an army of red are standing below the podium. Cheering Charles's name as he steps out to collect the trophies. You couldn't believe this was happening as you watched him lift the trophies triumphantly. 

As he sprays his competitors with champagne, you wonder if there is any way to bottle this moment and this feeling. Because this is the moment, he has spent his whole life striving for. All of his life has been spent reaching this goal. And you want to keep some of this pure euphoria for a rainy day. But you know that that can't happen.

And after his break, Chares will be on to his next goal. A second world title. And, of course, you will be behind him for every second of that goal. But for now, you savour the moment as you watch Charles's beaming face.

[chronically-ghosted]

Second Base.

rating: 18+

pairing: max phillips x f!reader

word count: 3712

summary: you try out second base; hand stuff only, but it changes things between you two, as much as you don't want it to.

warnings/tags: cute little outfits designed to drive max nuts, hand jobs (m and f receiving), more blood, fangs, one emotionally unavailable vampire

a/n: this contains one of my favorite lines i've ever written!

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Second base.

Because you aren’t actual sadists or masochists, after the first bite, your sex life with Max went back to normal. Well, as normal as sex with an immortal creature of the night ever was in the first place. Okay – as normal as sex with an immortal creature of the night who is Max Phillips ever was in the first place. Which is to say, often, hard, and loud. It had been weeks since you’d seen that worried look of consternation, that sweet vulnerability he expressed, as if feeding on you might be the thing that kills you and not being railed against your couch for the better part of an entire day. Sometimes you wished he had much respect for your ability to walk upright as he did your jugular vein. 

On some level, you were aware that his recent overexuberance was in part due to that vulnerability. As if you might lift the curtain and find that the man behind it all might leave you wanting. Truly a frat boy at heart, Max struggled to express anything that couldn’t be summed up with the three “ings” – licking, sucking, and fucking, obviously – but now, he had been exposed as someone capable of those deeper feelings, as if he had been the one to split open a vein for you. And despite the heavenly glow you indulged in after the first bite, you really weren’t quite sure how you felt about it all. You hadn’t started dating Max with any illusions about who exactly he is. In fact, you might have started fucking him in the first place because it seemed wildly out of character that he or you would get attached at all – to anyone or anything. The dating thing just sort of happened, when you both came to the same conclusion at roughly the same time: no one else was really doing it for you, so why not? So what if you only directly referred to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend in the privacy of your own apartment, or his? So what if half of the office was entirely clueless about your relationship and the other half was actively placing “secret” bets about how long you two had been fucking? Annoyingly, Tim had been the one to be almost right: “six months ago, I’m telling you, man. That’s when he stopped eating secretaries and she got so much nicer.”

Technically, he stopped eating secretaries about a month into your relationship, and what Tim accidentally overheard was not him “eating” a “secretary”, but you weren’t about to correct him. But Max found it all hilarious: “he’s right, you’re so much nicer when that pussy has been taken care of. But I like it when you’re mean.” 

You actively choose not to think about what he meant by a “deep emotional connection” last time.

Fine, Phillips, I’ll show you how mean I can be.

“Nope, no, uh uh.” 

You put your hand just over the frilly blue lace on your hip. “I’m sorry, I don’t see the problem.” 

It had been about a month since first base and while Max had gotten notably more relaxed around you seeing him eat – he now occasionally walked around your apartment with his food in an opaque smoothie tumbler with a straw – he was still very strict about moving onto second base. 

Which, if left up to him, meant you’d be wearing a straight jacket and thick flannel pajamas. 

“Max, if we’re ever going to do this thing for real, you’re going to have to get used to seeing me naked. I’m not letting you fuck me and bite me while I’m in riot gear.”

“Okay, but, baby,” he whines and he can’t help himself from rubbing the satin bow above your crotch between his fingers. “You look like a birthday cake.” 

Is the baby blue lingerie with a strapless bra that catches around your biceps with white lace a bit overboard? Yes. But last time was ridiculous.

Max frowns, his visible pout morphing into something subtly dangerous as he realizes he can unpeel your bra with a string in the back. “Can’t I just fuck you normally in this and then we’ll try again later?”

You swat his hand away as it sneaks across your ribs. 

“No.” 

“You know, if I wasn’t already dead, I’d think you’re trying to kill me.” Smirking, he drops his hands down to your waist and, not so subtly, curves them around the mold of your ass. Distractedly, he slips one finger under the seam of your panties. You press your hands against his chest and blink up at him coyly. 

“Whatever gave you that impression.” 

He shakes his head, squeezing your ass once. “And I’m supposed to be the soulless demon with a heart of darkness.” 

“So you’ll do this?” 

With a sigh and his eyebrow jumping, he nods. “Yeah. Fine. Go get on the bed.”

Trying desperately not to squeal, you tear away from his arms and all but run and leap on top of the white towel. Max slips out of his shoes, and starts unbuttoning his shirt. You bite your lip, nerves humming in anticipation, as you sit up on your knees to watch him. To your enormous dismay, no matter how hard you worked, no matter how much spit or cum you used, you could not make him purr again. You’d had wet dreams on the idea alone of putting your head against his chest as he vibrated but he swore it was involuntary. “And,” he added as a way to soothe your ego, “I’m pretty sure it can only happen when I’m feeding.”

“Does it happen every time? Like with blood bags or back when you hunted people?”

“No,” was all he said about that.

Max slips his shirt off over his shoulders and goes to work unbuttoning his pants. When they slide off his hips, you frown. 

“The boxers with the hole in the waist? Ooh, baby, I’m so turned on when you make such an effort.” 

He rolls his eyes as he climbs in next to you. “Look, I didn’t think you’d be seeing my underwear and I need to do laundry.”

“You didn’t think I’d see your underwear in a situation where we’re going to specifically jerk each other off?”

Attempting some version of contrite, Max’s gaze falls from your face to your throat, to your clavicle, to your tits, pillowed up for him beneath the blue lace. He leans in as if pulled by magnets. 

“I’m sorry if I thought we’d both be a little more preoccupied.” 

His broad palm smooths across your thigh, around your hips, to just above your tailbone, his nose drawing indistinct lines from your shoulder to your ear. You sort of hate how quickly he can make you not irritated with him. You shift to take him into the cradle of your thighs, when he winds your panties up in his fingers and tugs. The gossamer material tightens just over the seam of your pussy, teasing your clit, you choke. That heated, teasing Max Phillips smirk spreads like hot butter across his lips. 

“What are the rules again?”

“Max,” you whine as you drag your nails over his chest and up his shoulders. But he hesitates, his hand knotting your underwear in his fist. One move and it’ll rub against you again.

“I’ll stop,” he murmurs in a half-sing-song voice. You huff.

“Silver. Bad touch, on your skin. Lightheaded or dizzy, I use the safeword. And,” you sigh. He’s so painfully handsome sometimes it hurts. He’d set out candles again, as if he needed any help in his seduction of you and he just sort of glows. You don’t know if it’s your anticipation or some vampire illusion, but every line on him is blurred. Soft, as if he doesn’t have your pleasure literally in his hands. There it comes again, that small bit of light in his eyes, the emergence of the early morning sun over the horizon. The way he looks at you makes your chest heavy. “And . . . only hand stuff,” you grumble. 

He chuckles, pouting at you in faux-sympathy as he reaches out, other hand wrapping around the back of your neck. “Only hand stuff, she’s so sad about it,” he whimpers into your cheek with a high, mocking voice. 

Your fingers dig into the skin on his chest, daring to hold him away as he goes for your mouth. “I swear to god, Max –,”

In one single fluid motion, he pushes on your tailbone, and swings your hips forward as he tackles your mouth with his own, effectively yanking you under him. You huff in surprise, before pulling away to find menace and glee in his eyes. Grins again as he nips with flat teeth on the curve of your neck. 

He plants wet, hot kisses across your chest, heat blooms against your ribs and tunnels down between your legs, as he tongues the softer places along the hollow of your throat, then up the other side of your throat, teasing your earlobe. 

“I’m sorry,” he breathes, “that was mean. What can I do to make it up to you?” 

Pressing your chest up against his, knowing he can feel the squish of your tits, you wrap your legs around his waist and pull him towards you. His hard cock rubs up against your seam and he lets loose with a muffled groan into your mouth. You roll your hips once with him between you and he turns his head to your jaw, as you both pant at the sensation. 

“You know exactly what I want.” 

His teeth graze you gently. This is an exercise in restraint for you as much as it is him. Given any other night, you’d have his pants off by now, on his back, or behind you, but you refrain. You can’t squeeze him like you want to and that only frustrates you more, makes you heated and ruffled, makes you want more of his skin on you, around you, as if he could smother you. You want to merge your bodies. Your knees dig into his ribs.

He whispers something, too low and fast for you to catch it, but it ends broken and uneasy as if you’re touching something delicate within him. Bending back with one hand, Max reaches between your legs and cups you, one finger barely pressing the wet material back inside you. 

“Was this waiting for me under all those layers?” You nod as he pushes deeper, your mouth dropping open. He kisses your chin, before tucking his head under your jaw again. “No wonder you were burning up.” 

He inhales as if his face was pressed right up against your cunt, two fingers rubbing up and down over that sodden material. It scraps against your clit and it burns. “I could eat you. Just like this.”

“Max, c’mon–,”

“I know, baby, I know.” 

Smearing that pink little bow with the smell of you, he dips his hand under the line of your underwear, past your damp curls, and soothes your overheated sex by filling it with two thick fingers. You arch, brow furrowing, mouth open, fingers clamping down around his shoulders, arousal crawling up your spine, higher and higher the deeper he goes. Max likes the build up, the tease, it’s why his thumb only hovers above your clit, the heat doing half the work for him, as he pumps his fingers in and out of you, the wet squelching almost embarrassing. Behind his hand, his hips swing in time. He groans, deep, into your ear, breathless. 

“Could come like this, baby, could come right like this.” 

The bend of his cock bumps the back of his hand as he thrusts against nothing. You hitch your pelvis up, opening wider, pussy easier within reach, and you forgo any teasing for him, hand sliding right past his boxers, molding your grip around him. He’s hot and leaking all over your fingers. 

“‘Ngh . . . shit, baby.” The arm holding him up shakes. You want to lick the salty precum but there has to be a rule about that, right? If you aren’t so desperate for that final fuck, you would have been a bit more careless. His fingers inside you press up into the places only he knows can send you into oblivion, as if grateful for tearing him apart. His wrist flicks quicker, faster into you, fingers plunging deeper, up to the knuckles, bouncing you as if you were on his cock. You match his speed with your own hand and Max hums, a dark sound verging on distressed. 

You bite your bottom lip, eyes drooping, the rocking motion scraping against your pleasure again and again, like a match scratching against the box one stroke at a time. “Maaax –,” He adds a third finger and you keen, high-pitched and desperate, the width stretching you out for a cock he won’t let you have. You grind against his fingers, the bounce knocking loose every sane thought in your head. 

Opening your eyes, you realize he’s been staring at your tits this whole time. His chest warm and glowing with sweat, his eyes track every bounce and jiggle, the cups of your bra putting them more on display than if you held them up yourself. 

“Where do you want it, darling?” His voice is strained, softer than it should be with your cunt sucking up his fingers. 

Max Phillips doesn’t do cutesy nicknames. Not during sex, not ever. Your his slut. His monsterfucker. Not – 

Your already unspooling mind struggles to grasp at darling before it slips away. 

His cock is throbbing against the palm of your hand. If you could see it, it would be flushed red, the vein at the base protruding. You pump him faster and his hips stutter. He’s so close and so are you. 

But he’s not talking about that. 

“On my tit, Max. Bite me on my tit.” 

With a groan that is all growl, all tension and feral hunger, his arm collapses and he sinks his weight against you. He manages to get his hand out, but yours is still trapped there, pinned between your tender cunt and his painfully hard cock. You writhe. “Max–,” 

His kiss against your lips is a starving sort of one, one that steals the breath from your lungs, wiping any lingering ache temporarily from your body. He licks the inside of your mouth, swallowing the moan that races from your throat into his. It’s all need, desire, a blistering familiarity that you didn’t realize existed between you two. He’s trying to say something with this kiss. 

He doesn’t give you long to read into it, as he pulls back, sinking more into his knees as he mouths the skin under your neck, above your clavicle bone, and in between the valley of your tits. His weight shifts off you, enough to pull your hand out. You arch, pushing your chest deeper into his mouth, using the back of his neck to pull you higher, he groans and licks, and you yank the tie of your bra behind your back. 

“Max, you can –,”

His hand claws at your cups, mouth consuming yours again, the ropes almost stinging your back as they are ripped so fast across your heated skin. Before you lie flat, his hand cups under you, fingers pressing into where the threads burned and forcing you to maintain that bend in your spine. 

The moment is coming. You can feel it. It’s different from a rising orgasm, or the first time he ever sucked your nipple into his mouth. Your lizard brain is sending off warning flares, but you ignore it once again. Those flares arc and bend, your arousal now fire hot. 

His tongue pressed flat, Max draws a long stripe of spit from under your breast, over the weight of it, and up your nipple, where he swirls it between his teeth. Whether Max Phillips was an ass or tits man depended on the day of the week, or whatever was blowing in the air, but he laved attention onto yours like they were the first pair he’d ever seen in his life. The skin on your other breast shines from where his fingers mold around it, smearing your wet juices all over your pebbled skin. He switches over and laps up that smell off you. 

He’s wavering, caught between drawing it out and doing it so instantaneously he might black out and miss the whole thing. Your heart racing, skin almost too sensitive, you feel like you might shudder apart.

“Max, please –,”

He chooses the second approach. 

Without warning, his fangs spring out and he latches onto the skin near the valley of your chest on your right breast. 

You yelp in surprise, pain and pleasure zigzagging like rough scissors from his bite out through the rest of your body.

Okay, that hurts. 

You gasp, bucking, yanking on his hair. “Baby, baby, gentler, be gentle–,”

He swallows and the ache lessens. Hot blood pools out of the spot where his fangs punctured you. It runs warm then cold, teasing like a feather, as it rolls down your stomach. It’s not a lot, but it's more than last time. It stains his chest too.

Slowly, that same sort of miraculous fog sinks down into your bones. The grip on his hair eases, softens, and soon you are petting him against you.

You swear you feel his fangs scrape your heart. 

“That’s good, Max, that’s so good.” Your eyes roll lazily in your head and you nuzzle his hair. “God, how does this feel so good?” 

As though determined to remind you he is more than just fangs, his hand pulls away from the mattress and slides back between your legs. You feel only one finger brush against your folds through your underwear – you’re almost disappointed, go back to using three, Max –

His finger plunges deep, deep inside of you, and you gasp, feet scrambling against the towel, as a swell of pleasure almost smothers you in an overwhelming wave. You nearly choke from the force of it. You were so overly sensitive but the gooey haze didn’t let you realize it until it was too late. You come hard, harder than you thought possible, seeing eons of galaxies and stars behind your eyes, with just one of his fingers inside you and his thumb distractedly circling your clit. 

He feels you gush around his hand, wetting his wrist, and with a moan you can feel in your ribs, he spills in his boxers, the spend running down his thigh and smearing on yours. 

Your entire body goes slack, as if someone had made all your bones disappear. His hips jerk slightly as if his orgasm is still trying to wring him dry before he stills and plucks his head from your chest, unplugging his fangs from the holes he made.

Blood immediately bubbles up from the wound and without his fangs there, it spills freely and violently over your tits, your ribs. The whiplash between your orgasmic high and a full-body weakness sends hot nausea swooping into your stomach and the room spins.

“M-m-ax,” you murmur, barely opening your mouth, your voice weak and thick as if stuffed with cotton balls. 

“Fuck, sorry –,” you can’t quite see him clearly as he moves and suddenly there’s a warmth over your chest, comforting and heavy. The blood trickles to a stop and you breathe deeply. The darkness of the room stabilizes as you fully open your eyes. The room spins but this time pleasantly. 

“Hmm, whoo, wow, ah, okay . . .”

You don’t realize he’s gotten off the bed until the mattress sags again and he’s cleaning you up with cold cotton balls. 

“So, I’m going to take that mindless babbling as a good thing.” He smiles gently, but he’s holding something back. He keeps his head low like he doesn’t want you to see his face.  

You wiggle your shoulders, as he delicately wipes you down. “What, you don’t wanna clean me up with your tongue? And why do you even use disinfectant – there’s no open wound.” You poke him in the shoulder with your toe. “And you didn’t even purr that time! I demand a refund!”

“Next time, okay?” 

You frown. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nothing. Just let me–,” 

You sit up, the dried blood pinching your skin, and he pulls away. “Max, what is it?” 

He pulls away so much, he’s on his feet by the dresser before you can touch him, the back of his arm tearing at his mouth to wipe it clean. Max is a lot of things but cold when you need aftercare is not one of them. 

“It’s nothing.” The line of his shoulders is taught, tense. But he cracks his neck and takes the Gatorade from the dresser. He finally sits back down on the bed in front of you, offering the bottle to you. You take it, unease mounting, your fingers brush his, but this time he doesn’t retreat. Instead, gently, his fingertips ghost over your wrist, down the fine hairs on your arm, drop from your elbow and settle delicately on the blue material covering the crease of your hip. Where your blood had pooled, wet, and stained the blue to a deep magenta. 

“I ruined your pretty underwear,” he says softly, forlorn. 

You move closer to him, your knee touching his hip, but you refrain from seeking out the warmth of his hands. 

“Max, I can get new ones, I don’t care about that. Please, talk to me. Did I do something wrong? Did I push you too far?”

His fingers flex around the towel, now also appropriately ruined. He shakes his head, more firmly this time. He snags his shirt off the floor, over his head, then moves towards the bedroom door.

“I don’t wanna talk about it. I’m sticky. I’m gonna take a shower. You wanna come?”

The invitation, it’s something, an encouragement you genuinely feared he might not give. Maybe it’s not you he wants to part from. 

You didn’t enter into this for the emotional connection and neither did he. You have to remember that.

“Y-yeah. Of course.”

He invited you. He still wants you around. 

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[rayshippouuchiha]

Not a question but I just need you to know that Sing Sweet Sparks and the Components of Construction series live rent free in my head. I reread SSS, The Guiding of Death, and The Devouring of Hearts at least once a year. I'm pretty sure I'd expire from overexuberance if you ever suddenly updated either series. The tears I've cried over these damn characters and the beauty of every written word? Enumerable. You're one of my favorite authors and I want to kiss your brain. Just a little peck.

[sensualnoiree]

astro notes: daily transits 9/23

Monday, September 23, 2024, begins with a tough astrological atmosphere, marked by a Gemini Moon square to Saturn, casting a shadow over early conversations. The communication-heavy energy of Gemini, typically light and fast-moving, encounters resistance in the form of Saturn's restrictive, serious influence. As the day progresses, a Mercury–Eris quincunx introduces a sharp, discordant tone, making diplomatic exchanges difficult and increasing the likelihood of defensive or contentious conversations. Later in the day, a Moon–Jupiter conjunction offers a burst of enthusiasm and intellectual sharing, but it risks tipping into overexuberance, where one person dominates the conversation.

Key Influences

Gemini Moon Square Saturn (4:58 a.m.): Bitter Early Conversations: The day starts on a sour note with a challenging square between the chatty Gemini Moon and stern Saturn in Pisces. This aspect creates tension in communication, as Saturn's restrictive and critical energy clashes with the Gemini Moon's desire for light-hearted, free-flowing conversations. Words exchanged under this influence may feel heavy, burdened by a sense of duty or responsibility. There may also be a tendency to dwell on negative thoughts, which can lead to feelings of frustration or defeat early in the day. Conversations are likely to feel stifled or weighed down by seriousness, making it hard to express yourself freely or with ease.

Mercury–Eris Quincunx (Mid-Morning): Discordant Communication: The mid-morning Mercury–Eris quincunx exacerbates the challenging communication dynamics. Mercury in detail-oriented Virgo meets disruptive Eris in Aries, creating a mismatch in communication styles. Eris stirs up chaos and rebellion, while Mercury seeks precision and order, leading to misunderstandings or overly candid, critical remarks. This aspect doesn't lend itself to diplomacy, as people may speak too bluntly or react defensively to perceived slights. The result is a combative energy that makes it difficult to find common ground in conversations, as criticism and sharp words can lead to unnecessary arguments or hurt feelings.

Moon–Jupiter Conjunction (3:38 p.m.): Lively Conversations with a Risk of Overindulgence: The mood lightens in the afternoon as the Moon forms a conjunction with expansive Jupiter in Gemini. This aspect brings an abundance of mental energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm for sharing ideas. Conversations may become more lively and optimistic, with a sense of excitement about learning and exchanging thoughts. However, Jupiter's influence can sometimes lead to overindulgence, particularly when it comes to talking. There’s a risk that one person may dominate the conversation, seizing the "talking stick" and leaving others feeling unheard. While the energy is more buoyant than earlier in the day, it’s important to ensure that communication remains balanced and that everyone has a chance to contribute.

Integrating the Influences

Approach Early Conversations with Patience: Gemini Moon Square Saturn: The early morning Moon–Saturn square can make conversations feel tense and burdensome. It’s important to approach these interactions with patience and a sense of responsibility. Rather than forcing lightness into the conversation, acknowledge the seriousness of the mood and focus on productive, thoughtful communication. This is a time to listen carefully and respond with measured words, avoiding unnecessary conflict or negativity. Be mindful of any tendency to dwell on critical thoughts or allow frustrations to build up, as Saturn's influence can bring a heaviness that lingers throughout the day if not managed properly.

Navigate Mid-Morning Conversations with Caution: Mercury–Eris Quincunx: As the Mercury–Eris quincunx takes hold mid-morning, be prepared for potential miscommunications or discordant conversations. It's easy to speak too bluntly or react defensively under this influence, so take a moment to pause before responding to any critical remarks. Try to maintain a sense of perspective and avoid getting drawn into arguments or debates that could escalate unnecessarily. If possible, save important or sensitive conversations for a later time when the energy is less charged, and be mindful of your tone and word choice, as people may be more sensitive to criticism today.

Embrace the Lively Energy of the Afternoon, but Share the Spotlight: Moon–Jupiter Conjunction: The Moon–Jupiter conjunction in the afternoon brings a more optimistic, expansive energy to conversations. This is an ideal time for brainstorming, sharing ideas, or engaging in intellectual discussions. However, be mindful of the tendency to dominate the conversation or overextend yourself in social interactions. Make an effort to listen as much as you speak, and ensure that everyone involved has the opportunity to share their thoughts. This aspect is wonderful for broadening your perspective and exploring new ideas, but it’s important to maintain balance in the exchange.

follow for more astro insights like this and head on over to @quenysefields or my etsy --> sensualnoiree to grab my new astrology guidebook on reading your own natal chart :)

[caffedrine]

Rio Ortiz - It's Your Fault I'm Lusting - Event Summary

If anyone gets the idea that I know what I’m doing, then we have both made a giant mistake. I do not guarantee anything, much less accuracy.

I think I did pretty decent at keeping it tame this time~

This is set after Rio’s route.

Rio’s extraordinary love for Emma almost always makes her smile. However, there are times when his love makes her anxious as well.

When Rio says her name late in the stillness of the night, her heart beats sweetly. His straightforward expression of love makes her feel embarrassed and shy, but even so, she still loves it. His overexuberance of affection fills her with joy and she is beginning to wish to return this joy to him.

(In full disclosure, this event starts out with Rio already naked, so that's where we're going)

Recently, Emma had all but officially moved into Rio’s room, spending the entire night with him. Even when they don’t have sex, Rio enjoys holding her in his arms while he sleeps. Emma enjoys cuddling with him at night, waking up and having tea together in the morning, and immersing herself in the happiness of being loved.

This morning, Emma wakes up to find Rio already awake and dressed in his formal wear, pouring tea for her. Emma is a little disappointed, she had been hoping to wake up before Rio so she could brew the tea for him this time.  

In fact, she actually woke up early, it’s just that Rio woke up earlier. Rio admits that he woke up specifically to watch Emma’s sleeping face, and asks if she wants to go back to sleep. Emma considers this and decides Rio’s tea is more important than sleeping in.

Rio is happy with this response; Emma always knows what to say to make him happy. As thanks, he wants to fix her hair for her this morning. She doesn’t mind; though this reminds her of that time when Rio played her butler back in Rhodolite.

However, anxiety begins to grow in her heart. It feels like recently, she hasn’t been able to dote on Rio the way that he dotes on her. She knows that his love for her was boundless, but she just hasn’t had an opportunity to express her love for him.

As Emma drinks her tea and thinks about other ways she can express her love for Rio, Rio finishes with her hair. He asks if she doesn’t mind if he helps her get dressed today as well, his gaze full of love.

Afterward, with Emma in fresh clothes and light makeup, Rio admires his handiwork. He thinks she is especially cute today and thanks her sincerely for letting him help her get ready this morning. Emma laughs and shyly tells him that he’s exaggerating, but she appreciates his efforts. Suddenly Rio leans forward and kisses her cheek, smiling at her reflection. He assures her that he never exaggerates when it comes to her, everything about her makes him happy. He is delighted at the opportunities she gives him to express the feelings he holds in his heart.

That’s actually a good point. Rio finds opportunities to surprise Emma with joy because he’s not shy or embarrassed about expressing his feelings. Emma needs to take a page out of his book, stop hesitating from shyness or embarrassment, and just be open about how she feels.

Emma catches Rio’s attention and begins to ask about his plans for their day off. As a beginning effort, Emma decides to try using one of the date ideas Rio has come up with in the past.

Today is their first holiday in a long time, and Rio is already in a good enough mood to hum under his breath. They’re walking together through the city when  Emma tells him about a café that opened recently, one that has a celebrated pain perdu dish. Rio lights up on this, he’s excited to try it. So excited that he has to spontaneously stop and hug her in the middle of the street.

And then he doesn’t stop. He loves hugging her, to the point that he wants to just stay like this, hugging her forever. Emma appreciates this, but they can’t walk like this, and won’t get to the café anytime soon. The café, which has food that they need to eat in order to live.

They continue walking down the street, arm in arm. Rio admits that if Emma went through all the trouble of inviting him out on a date, he wants to enjoy it to the fullest. Once again, Rio is overwhelmed with his love for Emma. She needs to stop letting shyness get in the way of her expressions of love for Rio.

Continuing down the street with Rio, Emma spies a store selling men’s accessories. She sees a tie clip that would look lovely on Rio in the window and asks Rio to stop. She’s hesitant about just giving him a gift but reminds herself that she needs to stop holding herself back.

She asks Rio to wait for her while she heads inside. Rio doesn’t mind, and with a wink adds that if it’s what she wants, he’ll wait right there forever.

Taking far less than forever, Emma quickly buys the tie pin and presents it to Rio. He looks at the tie pin, very confused, and time around them seems to stop. After a while, Emma prompts Rio to respond, or at least, do something.

Coming back to himself, Rio tells her that he’s so delighted that he forgot to breathe. His fingers trace the tie pin as if checking its quality. Emma doesn’t think he particularly hates it, but he doesn’t seem to like it all that much either.

Rio abruptly repackages the tie pin and shoves it into his pocket, asking Emma if she’s ready to head to the café with the pain perdu. It’s almost noon, they should hurry before the café gets too crowded. For the first time in a long time, he walks just a step ahead of Emma as they head toward the café.

(Rio has a one-track stomach mind)

Rio’s desire level is 100.

In the café, Rio has Emma hand feed him the pain perdu. Emma asks him how he likes it, and Rio exclaims over the fluffy texture and the sweet flavor. Besides that, it’s all the better since Emma is feeding it to Rio. Emma laughs, she’s happy to see Rio so happy, it makes her research into pain perdu cafes worth it.

Rio thought he saw her looking into cafes, he’s delighted that she’s putting in so much effort into making him happy. Emma is happy that she can repay the happiness Rio has brought her in some small way. Leaning forward, Rio admits that this pain perdu doesn’t hold a candle to what Emma makes for him. Laughing, Emma thanks him for his praise, all while mentally chastising herself. She’s trying to make Rio happy not the other way around!

Going on a date with Rio and eating pain perdu isn’t all that different from what they normally do. Emma needs to up her game, she needs to convey her affection and love for Rio more! Maybe she should take another page out of Rio’s book and use her words to convey the full honesty of her feelings.

As Rio happily chews his pain perdu, Emma tells him that she absolutely loves his smile. At Rio’s dumbfounded expression, Emma continues. His smile makes her smile and warms her heart. And he’s so fun to watch when he eats something he enjoys, kind of like right now. His shoulders bounce and his mood visibly improves. She also loves watching him eat something she made, his obvious love of it is so much she feels embarrassed.

With every word she speaks, Emma’s face grows hotter and hotter. By the time she finishes, her face is beet red and hot enough to be on fire. Her gaze drops, so the last bit comes out as if she’s talking to Rio’s meal instead of Rio himself.

It occurs to Emma that she might have overdone it, especially when Rio says nothing in return. Shyly, she raises his gaze to Rio.

Staring at her with wide blue eyes, Rio raised a hand to his mouth in surprise. Making eye contact with Emma, Rio lowers his hand and gives her a smile that makes her want to melt. He loves Emma’s smile too; he would do anything just to see it. It’s so warm and kind . . . it’s hard to describe in words, but he feels like he’s looking at a goddess when she smiles.

Of course, it’s not just her smile that he loves. Rio loves it when she’s thinking with a slight frown, or when she’s wide-eyed and surprised. He loves her no matter what expression she has, he loves her so much that his heart hurts.

With a dazzling smile directed at her, Emma is dismayed to discover that once again she has failed to return Rio’s affection with the intensity that he shows her. Worst of all her face is definitely red right now and boiling hot with a mixture of joy and shame. Suddenly, Rio reaches out to touch Emma’s face. He’s found a new part of her that he loves. He loves how his words of affection embarrass her and turn her face so red.

Yes, Emma has lost to Rio again. Every time she tries to convey her feelings, Rio returns them tenfold more. However, even though Rio is the winner, she can’t help but smile at his words of love. She just needs to try again.

As they leave the café, Emma comes up with a new plan. Even though she feels nervous and embarrassed at public displays of affection, she decides to endure it for Rio’s sake. As they walk down the street, Emma reaches out and wraps her arms around Rio’s, close enough for her cheek to rest on his arm. Reaching down, she entwines her fingers with his, wrapped around him as close as a lover.

At least, this should make Rio happy, right? Feeling her heart pounding, Emma peers up shyly into Rio’s face.

Rio directs Emma’s attention to a nearby shop – there’s a tailor who is selling a lot of clothes that would look good on her.

. . . no response to Emma throwing herself at him?

Emma agrees to go with Rio to look at the store, wondering why Rio doesn’t seem to notice that she’s wrapped herself around his arm. Has he gotten used her to already and just didn’t notice her? Not even a little bit of a reaction?

They look into the window and Rio admires the different accessories and dresses; mentally picturing them on Emma. He considers which ones to gift to her.

Emma assures Rio that if he feels like he owes her something for her present earlier, not to worry about it. She gave him the tie pin just because she felt like it, not because she wanted something.

Rio assures her that he understands, he feels the same way. He’s doing this because feels like it; no other reason. Even though he’s smiling sweetly at her, Emma feels anxiety build up in her heart. Presents, words, physical contact – none of her strategies are going her way. Maybe she hasn’t been trying hard enough?

Giving into Rio, Emma agrees to go inside the shop and see what else the tailor has. She decides to take longer to think of more ways to make Rio happy. From Rio, she thinks she hears him mutter that she’s so cute that it drives him crazy, but she thinks she misheard him.

Inside the shop, Rio is at a loss; everything looks good on Emma. He can’t just choose one or two things; he must purchase the entire store. This is a step too far for Emma, and she demands he stops. Rio backs down and agrees to pick out one thing that suits her the best.

Emma knows Rio enough to know that this isn’t a way of showing off, he honestly is trying to express his love. She realizes that beyond everything else if she wants to match Rio’s level of affection, she also has to think about the magnitude of Rio’s grandiose gestures and adopt them into her plan.

While Emma thinks about this, she doesn’t notice the secret conflicted expression on Rio’s face.

Rio’s desire has reached 150.

Sweet End

At dusk when the world was dyed orange, Emma and Rio finished their date and returned to the castle. It had been a long time since they had a date, and Emma enjoyed it. She was able to plan for and visit a café and did some light shopping.

As Emma watches Rio carefully put away their purchases, she feels unsatisfied. Something had changed after they visited the tailor; as if Rio had mentally taken a step back from her. Wanting to figure it out, Emma gives Rio a hug from behind.

Rio immediately turns away from his task and asks Emma if something is wrong. He turns and hugs her back, holding her against him.  Emma decides to go for broke and directly asks him if something happened after they visited the tailor. No matter what she did or tried, something felt off with Rio.

Shyly, Emma looks into Rio’s face, only to see his dazzling smile on her. He tells her that it was just that she was so cute, it drove him especially crazy that day. Emma realizes that Rio noticed that she was acting differently from usual too, which given how attentive Rio is to her, makes sense.

Emma asks if he’s sure that’s it, and Rio assures her that she’s correct. Emma is silent, Rio has given her a clear and direct answer, but she’s still confused. Rio is telling the truth, but there seems to be something else that is hanging between them unsaid. What is it, and why would he hide it from her?

~A few days after the date~

Emma watches the sea from the Benitoite Palace, lost in thought. She doesn’t know why, but she feels like something is going wrong. She has tried various things mirroring Rio’s previous displays of affection, but barely got any reaction to them; nothing that would be comparable to a happy puppy.

Rather, since their date, Emma has only received very calm, mature reactions from Rio.

There are differences between Rio’s displays of affection and hers, and she wants to match Rio’s. What can she do that Rio would like?

Maybe Emma should take a step back; she’s done a lot to Rio in a short amount of time and might have gone overboard. Maybe he’s become numb to her affection?

Jingle-jingle. Someone calls out to Emma, asking why she’s moping alone in a public corridor. Looking around, Emma quickly locates Silvio and wonders how much he overheard. As if to reassure her thoughts, Silvio tells her that she has a habit of talking to herself. A lot.

How embarrassing. Emma apologizes, turning to focus on Silvio.

Silvio asks if she wants to talk about it. Suspicious, Emma asks him what his angle is, but Silvio praises her courage in doubting his good intentions.

Emma backs up; Silvio is acting weird. He wouldn’t just randomly start caring about her. But on the other hand, Silvio is also Rio’s older brother and has known him for all of Rio’s life. She might be able to get a hint of what she wants to know about Rio from him.

(How could anyone believe he is anything other than a sweet and caring brother in law?)

Emma tells Silvio that she’ll take his word for it, you see-

After telling him everything from the beginning, Silvio bursts out laughing evilly, mentioning that he half expected this. He tells her that if pushing all her affections on Rio doesn’t work, she should try pulling back.

Well, Emma is all out of ideas, so she might as well try Silvio. The past few days she’s been pushing her feelings onto Rio, he could probably use a break from her. She can use this break to calm down and think seriously and methodically about what Rio would want. She honestly thanks Silvio, who only gives her a meaningful smile.

~That night~

After finishing their official duties, Emma spends time relaxing with Rio. She comments that he must be tired, she heard that he had a busy day. Rio assures her that he’s fine; after seeing Emma’s smiling face waiting for him after work, his tiredness drained from him completely. Laughing, Emma tells Rio to take care of himself and not overdo it.

Silvio’s advice rings through her head, and Emma decides to give it a try – especially since Rio is tired and could use the break.

To Rio’s surprise, Emma announces that she’ll go ahead and return to her room early today. Normally, she would go to bed and sleep beside Rio at night and wake up to him first thing in the morning. This would be the first time in a long while sleeping apart from him.

Rio gives her a sweet smile and thanks her for thinking about him. But it’s not like that, so she doesn’t need to worry about him and leave him alone.

Oh no! Following Silvio’s advice has only made Rio worry about her! Emma tilts her head as she considers her words and decides to be honest and explain.

Rio has been working hard, and she wants to make sure he can rest. They’ve been together for so long; he must want to take a break and spend some time alone. Rio looks visibly shaken at this, and Emma silently apologizes to him. She wants to stay by his side, but doubtlessly she’ll start trying to do something to him and bother him. It’s best that she let him recover at least a little bit by himself.

Emma wishes Rio a good night, touching his arm and kissing him gently. It’s such a sweet kiss that Emma can’t help but go in for a second one. At a surprised reaction from Rio, Emma catches herself and apologizes, wishing for a relaxing night to Rio.

Emma quickly leaves Rio’s room, heading towards her own before she tries to go in for a third kiss. How embarrassing, Emma needs to go back to her room quickly. Her sense of propriety and distance is unbalanced, especially considering how she’s acted these past few days. If she leaves right now, and if she’s very lucky, Rio might not think she’s strange.

Recalling the look of surprise on Rio’s face when she kissed him, Emma wants to sigh mournfully again. Suddenly Rio runs out into the hallway, calling for Emma to wait.

Rio’s desire level has reached 500.

Premium End

Expecting to spend the night together with Emma, Rio was caught off guard when instead of getting ready to go to bed with him, Emma left. He spent a few seconds recovering from the surprise before running out the door and chasing after Emma down the hall. He recalls a conversation he had with his brother the previous night.

*Flashback time*

Rio is complaining/bragging about how much cuter Emma has been acting and how he can barely restrain himself.

Rio often finds Silvio drinking on the balcony outside and uses him as a source of advice. Since Silvio has such a great history with women and all. This problem is difficult enough that he needs a warm body to at least act as a sounding board.

Right now, he is telling a silent, drinking Silvio about how Emma has been hugging him in front of other people, and how delighted he was to the point of not being able to breathe. He’s caught on that she’s following his example in expressing her feelings, and the results make him very happy, but there’s a new problem.

Every time Emma does something like this to him, evil, perverted thoughts flow through Rio’s mind. What should he do? After a long break, Silvio lets out a long sigh and responds to Rio.

How is it that if Silvio were to search the very corners of the world, he wouldn’t be able to find someone who can make his alcohol taste so bad simply by talking?

Silvio takes another moment to obviously pretend at considering Rio’s question. He asks if that’s seriously Rio’s problem, having wicked thoughts.

Silvio’s advice is to play it cool; make Emma come to him, focus on him, and want him more.

(Source: Dude, trust me, bro)

*Flashback End*

With anxiety in his heart, Rio catches up to Emma and grabs her wrist. He immediately apologizes and explains that he has noticed her showering him with affection. But he had no idea how to react, like when he got that present, the tie pin. He knows how to react when gifted with sweets and accessories that he can wear on special days. Having something that he can wear as an everyday accessory was new ground for him.

And besides that, he had been on a date that Emma had invited him on, so his heart was already soaring with happiness. He belatedly thanks her for that day, explaining that he could hardly breathe from joy. He knows that he didn’t react that well to the gift, and Emma agrees that Rio’s reaction seemed muted. She had been wondering if something was wrong.

On that note, what was with his lack of reaction when Emma had hugged his arm and clung to him? Did Rio not like that? Emma’s expression was remorseful and apologetic, and Rio quickly assured her that she was wrong.

Rio recalls that day when Emma had spoken so sweetly to him at the café. She had been acting out of character as if trying to imitate the way he put his feelings into words. He had thought that she was trying to show him the same affection, which suddenly made her odd behavior make sense.

Rio admits that he loved it when Emma touched him, loved how soft she felt against him. He had thought that if he pretended that he didn’t notice it, she would continue doing it. He immediately apologizes for playing with Emma’s feelings.

Emma assures him that she doesn’t mind, if anything, she needs to apologize for surprising Rio by acting out of character. Really, she’s sorry.

Rio assures her that she has nothing to apologize for, if anything he was happy that she was so lovey-dovey with him. He gently strokes her hair, and the guilt inside his chest disappears. All that he has left is to love Emma. Returning to his room with her in his arms, Rio whispers an apology for making her uneasy.

Come to think of it, why did Emma change up her tactics tonight?

The story Emma tells him is unexpected, and Rio wonders if this is a kind of revenge perpetrated by his brother in retaliation for bothering him last night. Then again, it turned out to be good advice, as they were able to bring their problems to the forefront and solve them.

Since things are back to normal, Emma grabs Rio’s sleeve and asks if she can spend the night with him.

Oh, how cute!

Rio admits that he brought Emma back to his room with that very intention. He can’t just say goodbye for the night after having that kind of conversation, and besides, he wants to convey his love to her. He reaches out to gently cup her cheek and kiss her gently.

Parting, Rio admits that the problem is that he’s not used to receiving this kind of love. He acted that way because he wanted more of that kind of love from her, though he obviously didn’t react well.

Emma agrees to try again, slowly so that he can get used to him. She had wanted to be more proactive in displaying her affection for Rio, so she had used him as an example of how to act.

Rio complains that Emma’s words and actions are too dangerous, his head is spinning, and he is even deeper in love with her. He kisses her again and again. When he pulls back, Emma leans forward, her lips chasing his. Even now, she’s conveying her love for him, and he lets her take initiative, continuing kissing.

He doesn’t want to interrupt Emma’s kiss, but he also wants to do more. He places a hand on Emma’s corset straps, but Emma tells him to wait. This tries Rio’s obedience, and he doesn’t want to ‘wait’.

But a look in Emma’s eyes makes his hands stop. She explains that she wants to do everything tonight.

Rio’s brain goes dizzy with the implications as his imagination goes wild. He cannot refuse Emma anything and asks her to proceed. Very gently, Emma pushes Rio back onto the bed.

Rio’s desire has reached ∞.

(Seriously)

Epilogue

With Emma’s words, Rio sinks into a sea of sheets; not yet used to communicating and receiving love this way. All he can hear in the stillness of his room is the sound of their breathing and the rustling of clothes against sheets. Rio’s heart wants to burst with happiness as he is showered by kisses all over his face over and over again.

Emma stops, pulling back to focus on his clothes again. Very clumsily, she begins to undo his shirt, her face bright red. She kisses him again and again, whispering that she loves him.

Rio feels the same way about her.

Their lips meet again, and he feels Emma’s tongue hesitantly slide into his mouth. He entwines his own tongue with hers in answer, his breathing becoming rough and uneven. He wants to touch Emma even more.

He reaches out his hand, only to have Emma stop him, entwining her fingers with his. She insists that he let her do this. Rio does want to do what Emma wants, but he also is near his limit. Emma’s sweet smell, her soft touch, and her hot skin are overriding Rio’s sanity, and he’s filled with a mix of frustration and happiness.

Rio points out that right now, he’s naked, but Emma is not. He feels embarrassed being the only one, so she should take pity on him and also take off her clothes.

Yes, this makes absolute sense to Emma. Reaching to her corset, she quickly unties it and shucks off her clothes.

Out of patience, Rio reaches up to wrap his arms around Emma. She protests, but Rio apologizes, explaining that he is out of time now, and asks permission to touch her.

They receive each other’s love.

The next morning comes with the sound of chirping birds. Emma wakes up to find that Rio is already awake, albeit still in bed. He admits that once again, he woke up early, but wanted to watch her sleep.

That morning, Emma helps Rio put on his clothes, fastening his buttons and taking care of him. Rio enjoys it, feeling himself helplessly smile like a fool.

When Emma disappears and then reappears from his closet, Rio feels an unusual sense of relief. He remembers the feeling he had when Emma tried to return to her room alone the previous night, and murmurs that he’s relieved it turned out this way.

At Emma’s confused look, he explains about going to Silvio for advice and what they talked about what he said. Emma can’t help but laugh, and Rio pouts; Silvio gave him bad advice, and he was worried that he angered her enough to leave him and never come back.

Emma can only laugh, now she understands that Silvio had actually sought her out to give her ‘advice’ as a sort of revenge. Rio will have to give this one to Silvio; perhaps he was wrong in interrupting his brother’s drink to ask for advice on his sex life.

Suddenly he remembers something and pulls out a package, handing it to Emma. It’s the tie pin she gave him on their date days ago. Emma asks if he wants her to put it on him, and Rio does.

Afterward, Rio checks himself in the full mirror in his room, and Emma leans in behind him to also admire his reflection. Emma admires how the pin compliments his appearance, and Rio thanks her, feeling the warmth of her smile envelope his body.

There still feels like there is something missing this morning. Rio gets an idea, and turns to Emma, asking for a favor. Since they’re getting used to her showering him with affection, it would be nice to practice a little right now, right? He asks Emma to kiss him. Emma looks a little surprised at the request, but she complies.

Emma’s kisses are sweet like milk and tea, wrapped in a mellow tenderness. Rio revels in the feeling of loving and being loved.

[bowcrazy]

Tsurune Character Songs Album Review

We had a lot of thoughts about these songs while working with the lyrics, so we decided to do a mini album review! Please enjoy listening to each songs as we reflect on the lyrics and composition~

Up Stairs

Mod Yumi: A very gentle, comforting song, as expected from a Minato/Seiya duet. The composers did an excellent job capturing the feeling of nostalgia; this somehow feels like a song I've known and loved for years. The lyrics are perfect--I love the references to the bridge scene from s1 ep10. The line "I had a place where my heart could relax" is so precious <3 Overall, I don't think it's the strongest song on the album, but it's definitely one of my top faves!

Mod Optimus Prime: A heartfelt way to start off the album! It's very sweet and mellow, which of course really fits the fact that, y'know, the song is about Minato and Seiya's relationship! It's more or less just a straight callback to all of season one, but it's really touching how (both literally and figuratively) they come together at the end there.

Crossover

Mod Yumi: This song is so excessively dramatic and I kinda love it?? It does NOT sound like a song that ties into a soothing, chill slice of life archery anime and I am here for it. But I'm also weak for synth horns; give me a cheesy overexuberant fake brass section and I'm sold. Bonus points for all of the archery references and unnecessarily homoerotic lyrics. (And special shoutout to Mod Optimus Prime, our resident FukuJun stan, for helping me with the color codes because I was completely lost lmao)

Mod Optimus Prime: Probably the character duo song with the most...attitude to it? And sass, which of course, fits these two incredibly troublesome boys. To me, it's almost like the two are having a back-and-forth with each other while also brazenly admitting to each other just how tangled up they are—admittedly a reoccurring theme for the duet songs, but that doesn't make it any less cute, I think!

Ari no Mama de

Mod Yumi: Very cute and wholesome, doesn't really do it for me in terms of composition though. I do think this is the most well-acted song on the album. Having heard both of these seiyuu sing as other characters (notably Suzuki Ryouta as Bisco from Sabikui Bisco and Yano Shougo as Mafuyu from Given), I was blown away by how different they both managed to sound! Changing your voice to that extent while singing is not an easy thing to do. I was also tickled by the fact that they both noticeably sang less well than I know they're both capable of singing, because it suited the characters better to do so. Listening to this song, you wouldn't think either of these singers are particularly talented, but that fact is proof in and of itself that they ARE talented. Mad respect for the skill displayed here!

Mod Optimus Prime: Unsurprisingly, sunshine boy Ryouhei and the other local cheery boy have an easygoing and slow duet! I can't really say too much aside from the fact that the lyrics are both just really cute and earnest—you can see Ryouhei's influence here, haha.

Growing Up

Mod Yumi: Very cute, very catchy! I enjoy this song a lot. As a side note, I find it interesting that besides Minato, Nanao is the only character to be featured in two songs. One of the things I like about Nanao is that he's characterized mainly through his relationships with other characters. Sometimes when we see this happening it's more to do with lazy character writing (and lbr, it usually happens with female characters). But in this case, it actually builds our understanding of the character, rather than just casting him into the side character role of 'only here to develop the MCs'. To me it's always felt like he's the most put-together of the team, watching over everyone else and giving them a nudge in the right direction, while blending in so effortlessly they don't suspect a thing, like the social chameleon he is. Oops, this just turned into me gushing about Tsurune character writing lol. The song's nice idk what else to tell ya

Mod Optimus Prime: Also yet another honest song—a rare thing for Kacchan! It's obviously about Kaito and Nanao's close friendship and the further development during season two, so it's fitting we also get to see more of Nanao's (somewhat hidden) stubborn side here. Not to meme here, but really shows how their relationship fits the, "the more things change, the more things stay the same," aka them supporting ("protecting") each other through thick and thin.

Gekkou

Mod Yumi: I'm not the biggest fan of the composition of this song. I can't put my finger on why, but the main melody isn't working for me (and doesn't work great for Asashin's voice either tbh). That said, the backing track lives rent free in my head, I'm OBSESSED. And I love the dreamy feel of the lyrics! Whereas the others feel more like a dialogue between the singers, this one feels like a poem. The ethereal quality of the music and the lyrics draws me back to Masa-san's introduction, when he was a cryptid/ghost (lmao) appearing in the dead of night to guide Minato back to archery

Mod Optimus Prime: I've only heard Asanuma Shintarou (Masaki's VA) sing in a higher register, so this was both surprising and pleasant—it's quite soothing to hear! It's also fitting that the only Real Adult™️ with bounds of experience compared to these young'uns gets a really poetic and dramatic song with, of course, lots of moon references.

Kyoumei

Mod Yumi: THIS IS THE BEST ONE. This song is a legit bop omg. Leave it to luck life to give us a character song that exceeds typical character songs! I also love the meaning of the lyrics; it almost feels like a new angle on the Shuu/Minato relationship in a way? Of course we know their history and their affectionate rivalry, but we don't really see either of them putting into words how they feel about each other (especially Shuu-- I had to laugh at the line "we didn't need mundane words"; like no dude we could actually use a few more words from you, given your track record of communicating approximately 7% of your thoughts smh). This song puts into words how much they mean to each other and how, despite their complicated history and rivalry, they still care about each other.

Mod Optimus Prime: Luck Life actually composed this song, which really shows in the style (that catchy guitar, anyone?)! I adore the constant references to "sounds"—while a bit cheesy and on those nose, of course, it fits these two to a T and calls back to that season one finale. Again, not that any of the songs are really subtle, but "We might be apart, but I believe we'll someday return / So we didn't need mundane words" really just sums up their unique friendship/rivalry. Also, love how the two only sing together at the end: really fits with the song's whole message/theme about the two being separated, but eventually reuniting! How sweet.

[jerzwriter]

All in the Past

AU Mini-Series Part 1 of 3

This started as a request from @angelasscribbles for ONE scene. Three parts later... I decided to make this a follow-up and alternate ending to one of my favorite short, angsty AUs, Unblemished, because we needed more angst. All three parts will be posted today.

Series Summary: Tobias & Casey were friends turned lovers whose different dreams led them to become friends once again. Two years after their painful breakup, Casey has moved on. Tobias is in town to attend his friend and one-time love's wedding, with his new girlfriend on his arm. It's just the wedding of an old friend, or, is it?

Part 1 Summary: Tobias and Meghan leave Boston to attend Casey's wedding in Raleigh, North Carolina. It's a little getaway, a happy trip to see his two friends get hitched. But prewedding events lead to unexpected and uninvited emotions coming to the surface. Tobias gets a cold shoulder from Sienna, and their frank conversation leaves more questions than answers.

Book: Open Heart (Post Series)

Characters/Pairings: Casey MacTavish (F!MC) x M!OC, Tobias Carrick x F!OC, Sienna Trinh

Rating: Teen

Words: 2,700

Series Masterlist

Tobias x Casey Masterlist | OH Masterlist | Full Masterlist

Ladies and gentlemen, we have touched down at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where it is 80 degrees, and conditions are bright and sunny. We thank you for flying Transit Airlines and wish you the best with whatever brings you to the area. 

"Sir?" A woman gently nudged Tobias's arm when he didn't reply. "Sir... I'm sorry, but I need to get...."

"Oh, of course," Tobias apologized, jumping from his seat to allow the woman through.

He was usually the first to get off a flight, but today, he found himself lost in his thoughts, and he still hadn't found his way back as he reached into the overhead compartment to grab his bag. All it took was an arm looping around his waist to snap him back into the present. The petite, red-haired beauty's smile lit up the cabin as she held him tight; she was as happy as he was pensive.

"I missed you," she beamed. "You were such a gentleman agreeing to give that mom your seat so she could sit with her child, but I have a warning for you."

"Oh yeah," he grinned. "What’s that?”

“If we’re ever on a flight longer than two hours, you’re prohibited from doing that. I need you near me... deal?”

“I’ll tell you what. If we’re ever on a flight longer than two hours, I’ll spring for first class, so it’s not an issue.”

“Hmmm, I could handle that,” Meghan smiled.

“Good,” he smiled, taking her hand. “Now, let’s get off this plane.”

~~~~~

He couldn’t describe his mood if he tried. Melancholy was too sad;  wistful may be more fitting, though neither truly worked. He was happy, he reminded himself. More importantly, Casey was happy, too. It had been over two years since that cold Boston night when they tearfully said goodbye. Fast friends from the start, they eventually turned into much more. When different goals ended their dreams of “forever,” they were heartbroken and said goodbye, foolishly believing it was where their story ended. People don’t always see the invisible string that binds souls that are meant to be connected, and when Casey’s phone rang three months later, not answering was never a consideration. They started as friends, and perhaps that’s where they were meant to be. That’s what they were now. Friends. Good friends.

“Welcome to the Umstead Hotel,” an overexuberant young woman smiled. “What name is your reservation under?”

“Uh... Carrick. Dr. Tobias Carrick.”

“I have you right here! You’re in town for the MacTavish-Duncan wedding?”

“That’s right,” he nodded.

“Wonderful! The couple is hosting a cocktail reception for their out-of-town guests in the lounge at six.”

“That’s so sweet!” Meghan gushed, taking hold of Tobias’s arm. “We’re going, right?”   

“Of course,” he smiled with some apprehension. “As long as I get in a nap... that early flight wiped me out more than I thought it would.”

“Fine, old man,” Meghan laughed as they entered the elevator, her head firmly on his shoulder.

He was just tired. He told himself. Besides, it was normal to feel emotional when a good friend was married. And Casey was among his best. It all made sense. Perfect sense.  

~~~~~

The evening found him at the bar alone, anxiously twirling his old-fashioned in his hand. They had only been in their room fifteen minutes when Meghan realized she left her shoes in Boston. She was in an Uber on her way to the North Hills Mall in minutes, leaving Tobias to his nap. She promised she’d be back by six, but Tobias knew her well enough to know if shoe shopping was involved... he’d be lucky if she returned by ten.  

He noticed a small group of wedding guests mingling toward the back of the lounge but didn’t recognize any faces. The normally social doctor wasn’t in the mood for small talk, so he stayed put. He didn’t want to come at all, but hurting Casey’s feelings wasn’t something he was willing to do. Now, it looked like she was a no-show for her own party, so he made a decision. He had already waited the requisite twenty minutes; he was finishing this drink and then making a beeline back to his room. But as he raised the glass to his lips, he heard her voice. It didn’t matter how much time had passed, he’d know it anywhere.

“Hello, stranger!”

They were just friends now, nothing more. So why did he feel his heart flutter? His signature smirk was firmly in place before turning to greet her. A natural defense mechanism to keep the butterflies at bay. But when his eyes fell upon her, all pretense disappeared. 

How did she only become more beautiful? Etheral is how he’d describe her. Blonde hair pulled into a whispy updo, with delicate off-white flowers pinned to hold it in place. Her matching silk dress gracefully skimmed over every curve that he knew so well, and her smile. That smile had melted his heart and pulled him out of more bad days than he dared to count. And after all the years he’d known her, after all they had been through, it still rendered him speechless. Noticing his silence was lasting too long, he jumped from his bar stool to embrace her. A brilliant grin hid the war of emotions battling inside him.

“Stranger indeed! I haven’t heard from you in a while, kid. I was beginning to think you rescinded my invitation.”

“As if!” Casey laughed. “It hasn’t been that long. You try managing a busy career, a publishing deadline, and planning a wedding for two hundred of your nearest and dearest. See how much time you’d have to chat.”  

“Casey... do you ever see me in that position?” He asked wryly.

He swore he saw her smile falter, and a bit of her effervescence was gone. But why would it be? She was happy. It must have been one old-fashioned too many.   

“No,” she spoke softly. “I guess I don’t.”

“You look stunning,” he smiled. “How do you plan to outdo this on your big day?”

“Stop,” she said with a playful slap on his arm. “I’m immune to your flattery by now, don’t you know?”

They both laughed nervously as his eyes roamed the room. Still, no sight of Meghan, and someone else was missing, too.

“Where’s Craig? I haven’t heard from him either. I was going to see if we could shoot some hoops before the wedding.”

“He got called into an emergency surgery,” she shrugged. “The glamourous life of doctors. And where is Mandy? You said you were bringing a plus one. I assumed she’d be joining you.”

“Mandy? It’s Meghan,” he chuckled. “Mandy and I broke up some time ago.”  

“Oh, sorry. It’s hard to keep up with you. So, where is your latest and greatest?”

“She had to run to the mall for a few things. But she’ll be back soon.”

“Good,” Casey smiled politely. “I can’t wait to meet her. How long have you two...” She raised her hands, visibly checking herself. Her cheeks red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, that’s none of my business...”

“It’s OK,” Tobias laughed, reassuringly touching her elbow, then dropping it when the gesture took both by surprise. “It’s not a state secret. Only a few months... don’t worry... we’re not headed down the alter anytime soon.”

Casey let out a wry laugh, and her words came out more curtly than intended. “I didn’t expect you would be.”

“Yeah,” Tobias muttered, gulping down the remains of his drink. “Walking down aisles isn’t exactly my thing. Is it?”

“Well, it was your excuse for ending things with me,” she replied with her arms crossed. “But you never know. Sometimes people change.”

Casey felt her stomach drop. What if he had changed? Accepting that Tobias was generally opposed to marriage was one thing, but if he ever took that step, she’d have to admit that marriage wasn’t the issue... she was, and that was too painful to imagine. She began to perspire, and was filled with worry. This wasn’t the reaction she should be having when her wedding was just over a day away. Her eyes darted around the room, desperate for a reason to escape.

“Well, I should mingle with the other guest,” she settled on. “Without Craig here, it’s double duty for me. But you and Meghan will be at brunch tomorrow morning, right?”

He hadn’t been aware there was a brunch. And since laying eyes on Casey, attending more wedding events was the last thing he wanted to do, but he detected the hint of pleading in her voice.

“Do you want me there?” he asked softly.

Casey nodded effusively. “I do.”

“Then I’ll be there,” he assured. “We both will.”

~~~~~

Brunch was... awkward. Tobias was sure Casey thought seating them together was a good idea, but she probably didn’t know how long Sienna Trinh could hold a grudge. And with Sienna’s plus one coming down with the flu, Tobias, Meghan, and Sienna made for an awkward trio.

Casey viewed their breakup as mutual, but Siennna saw things differently. Tobias was a stupid man who let his commitment issues ruin a wonderful thing, leaving her friend heartbroken. He hoped more than two years passing and Casey marrying someone else would have changed Sienna’s opinion of him, but all indications said otherwise. Sienna picked at her stack of blueberry pancakes as they all struggled to make small talk. Perhaps they could talk shop?

“So, Meghan, you’re at Edenbrook, too? What department do you work in?”

“I’m a paralegal. I work with the CEO.”

“Oh,” Sienna smiled politely, that didn’t work. After more uncomfortable silence, Meghan made the next attempt.

“I’m really looking forward to the wedding. The venue they selected is just beautiful! I’ve seen it on some wedding shows but never thought I’d get to attend a wedding there.”

Sienna held back a laugh. “I can understand that. I mean... because we live in Boston, and you know... you’re with Tobias.”

Losing patience, Tobias tossed his linen napkin on the table. “And what’s that supposed to mean, Si?”

“Just that you avoid weddings like the plague. I was shocked to hear you were coming.”

“It’s Casey’s wedding,” he smiled tersely. “Do you think I’d miss it?”

“I guess the answer’s no,” Sienna smiled smugly.

“You know, I’m going to run to the ladies' room,” Meghan announced. 

Sienna wiped her lip, “I’ll join you.”

“No,” Meghan insisted. “I need a moment away from this cold war, and if you both care about Casey as much as you profess to, maybe you should work out whatever... this... is before her wedding day. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Tobias and Sienna sat slack-jawed momentarily, then a slight smile formed on his lips. 

“I guess I deserved that,” Sienna stated. “Meghan seems lovely, and no matter my feelings toward you, I shouldn’t have made her uncomfortable. I owe her an apology.”

“Maybe what we owe her is doing what she asked us to do,” he replied. “Sienna... what exactly is your problem with me? I know people can be bitter about their best friend’s exes, but Casey and I are good friends. If we put the past in the past, why can’t you?”

Sienna shut her eyes, warring over how much she should or should not say.

“It’s different,” she started cautiously. “I got to see the extent of the damage after the two of you fell apart. Whose apartment do you think she ended up at that last night in Boston? Who do you think she sat on the phone listening to her cry all night after she moved? I know you were hurting after things ended, but I experienced her pain. You were spared that.”

“Sienna, breakups are painful. You know that! And no, I didn’t see her immediate aftermath because we felt not contacting each other for a while would be for the best. But I was living through my own personal hell. It was hard on both of us.”

“Then why’d you do it? Tobias? All she wanted was a future with you... You’re the one who said it wasn’t possible!”

“We wanted different futures. Hers included a wedding... just like this one... a house in the suburbs, two kids, and a dog. I never wanted that and didn’t want to promise her something I couldn’t guarantee. Don’t you think I had wished I could? I could put you on the phone with my best friend. Kerry would tell you how wrong it was for Casey to want that life more than she wanted me... but you’re both wrong. We made a choice together, and it was painful as fuck. But, Si, it wasn’t my fault.”

“I guess,” Sienna sighed. “It’s just hard to see you both throw something so special, so rare away. It’s two years later and still hard to see.”

“I understand, but... Casey was dating Craig six months later, and she’s marrying him tomorrow. She and I are friends, hell, Craig and I are friends... so why are we even discussing this?”

“Because I’m her best friend... and I know how someone should be acting before they get married... and I still don’t see that in Casey.”

“What... what are you talking about....”

“She’s happy, sure... to a degree... but I’ve seen her when she was truly happy, and this seems like a facsimile.”

“Sienna,” he stalled, “She’s busy planning this weekend and under a lot of stress, but I’ve been around them. She loves Craig.”

“I know she does,” Sienna replied. “But she was in love with you.”

Tobias sat in stunned silence when he noticed Craig mingling with guests across the way. Looking for any excuse to evade the topic, he spat, “There’s Craig, uh... I’ve been looking for him... wanted to see him before the wedding, but he seems a little evasive...”

“Of course he has. Don’t you realize? Tobias, you’re the one who got away. You’re her best friend... other than me... that is. Do you think he needs a reminder before he says his I dos?”  

“I... I thought coming here was the right thing to do... I just wanted to... to be here for them... and to see...”

“To see what?”

“To see she really moved on. To really... let her go.”

“Right,” Sienna smiled. “But you’re over her. I’m glad we talked, T. I think my bitterness toward you is just my overprotectiveness of Casey. I love her. But I can be a bit of a momma bear.”

“No shit!” he said with a half-smile as Sienna narrowed her eyes at him.

“I’m trying to make amends. Shut up before I change my mind. Truce?”

“Of course. How could I be mad at you for being protective of Casey.”

“I know,” Sienna smiled, pushing away from the table. “Do me a favor. Just lay low until the wedding. Be there to support her, then go live your life and let Casey move on with hers. We have to trust that she made this decision knowing what’s right for her, and... we should both respect that.”

“I never intended to do anything but.”

“Good.” Sienna looked up and saw Meghan approaching the table. “I owe you an apology and want to thank you. This talk was overdue, and I promise. We’ll be grown-ups from now on.”

“Hey, I was being a grown-up,” Tobias protested.

“Tobias, is this the hill you want to die on?” Sienna snapped back.

“Continue...” he grinned.  

Sienna extended her hand. “It was very nice meeting you.”

“It’s lovely meeting you, too,” Meghan agreed. “Maybe we can get coffee back in Boston?”

“Sure, I’d like that. Tobias, I like her... be good to her.”

Tobias slipped his hand into Meghans and smiled. “That’s my intention. Thanks, Sienna.”

After Sienna walked away, Tobias turned to Meghan and thanked her for forcing them to talk. “You’re pretty special, you know. that?”

“I do,” she smiled sweetly. “But let's go back to our room because now it’s our turn to talk.”

"About?"

"About why we're at this wedding..."

"Meg," Tobias sighed. "We're here to see my friend... my friends... get married. Nothing more."

"Good, then it won't be an issue to have a quick talk about it...right?"

He let out a soft sigh. It was the last thing he wanted, but he knew better than to think Meghan would let it go.

"Right," he stood up, extending his hand to her. "Lead the way."

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics @choicesjuly2023challenge - Fairytale

[rara-avis-fr]

i love the new apparel so much i'm screaming and crying. thank you fr staff for letting oceana really look like the overexuberant white woman she was hatched to be

[wyattjohnston]

36 with Tyson and Flick, please!

36. things you said but didn’t mean – tyson & flick

It had all happened so quickly that Flick barely remembered saying anything at all. Her entire day had been a mess with a broken hot water heater to start off the day, an unexpectedly tough therapy session and then the notification that her flight back to Vancouver had been cancelled.

Somehow, she hadn’t broken down in tears, her deep breathing exercises coming in handy, yet she was very on edge and was expecting a breakdown at any moment.

Even Tyson hadn’t been able to soothe her, when she came back into the apartment and, uncharacteristically, slammed the door shut behind her.

And, just like that, Tyson’s overexuberance, his positivity, was too much for Flick to bare.

“Would you just shut up for two seconds? Why are you always on? I just want to be fucking sad.”

Tyson froze in front of her, his gaze lowering as his eyebrows pulled together. Flick only felt worse.

He nodded with his mouth firmly closed and his shoulders sagged as he walked away from her. Her instinct was to follow him, reaching out for his hand before he was too far gone.

“I’m so sorry, Tys. I didn’t mean that.”

“Don’t know why else you would have said it.”

The only answer Flick had was that she was sad and a little bit angry and there wasn’t any real reason at all other than she had wanted quiet. Asking for quiet hadn’t been an issue before, Tyson more than happy to settle down and let Flick wallow for a little—it was why she was so surprised by her own.

Despite his morose expression, he didn’t put up a fight when Flick stepped cautiously towards him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to whisper more apologies and assurances in his ear. The assurances quickly swapped over, though, Tyson opting for a more neutral but comforting approach than his early attempt at seeing the good in everything.

[joons]

"Tom [Jones] made the mistake of introducing Elvis [in the audience] three quarters of the way through the show. Prior to that moment, overexuberant females in the audience had removed their panties and were waving them around trying to attract Tom Jones' attention. At the instant he introduced Elvis, we could see the waving garments change direction in midair."

Ed Parker, Inside Elvis

not the heat-seeking panties adsfhdalfa

[flightfoot]

You know, I really like how Miraculous has had Marinette and Adrien both grow and change over both of their... overexuberance in trying to get their initial love interests to love them back (Marinette with Adrien, and Chat Noir with Ladybug). They both slowly got better about it in later seasons, recognizing that they were going to far and hurting either themselves or the person they cared about, and made efforts to rein themselves in, since they didn’t want to do that, especially to someone they cared so deeply about. It really helps to show that they’re both kids, both learning and growing and making missteps along the way. 

But since they care about each other, they can move forwards towards a brighter future.