#res velvet pack

[solvicrafts]

I completely forgot that I cut out a bunch of forms for smaller plushies, so uh, guess what guys?

Drow kids!

[plbsims3]

— TS3 Velvet Dress by Plbsims

Velvet Dress

original mesh 2048k Textures Custom Thumbnail 1 Recolorable Swatche Custom Normal Map Available for Maternity 6K Polycount (Medium)

Download (Public)

@katsujiiccfinds | @sssvitlanz | @emilyccfinds | @pis3update

Do Not convert my CC to other games but The Sims (ex: GTA V, IMVU, SL).

Do not Re-Upload my CC (Youtube packs, Sims3Planet, VK).

Recolors are allowed, just give me the credits.

[milswrites]

Hobbies Part 6.

~Azriel X Reader ~

Summary: In an attempt to keep Azriel away from Elain, Rhys sends him on a sabbatical to the Day Court. With a lot more free time on his hands Azriel needs to find something to keep him occupied. Unfortunately he meets Y/N who has the annoying habit of not staying away. Can she teach him that there’s more to life than he thought?

Grumpy!Azriel X Sunshine!Reader

Series Masterlist

Warnings: Lil bit of fluff at the start and then nice and angsty

Y/N couldn’t sleep. She had tossed and turned for hours, trying to settle her swirling thoughts so she could rest but her attempt to sleep was fruitless. How could she sleep after having the most incredible night of her life? Azriel had blown away her expectations, doing more for her than anyone had ever done in her life. She didn’t even mind that he had rejected her invitation for him to come into her home. Azriel was a smart male, he most likely didn’t want to rush things and she most definitely did not want to scare him away.

But he had agreed to meeting again tomorrow and the thought of that alone was enough to flood her body with excitement. Hence her lack of ability to fall asleep. As she laid in her bed, she wondered if Azriel was in the same position as her. Wide awake in his bed reliving the perfect evening that the two had shared.

Ever since she had met Azriel it was obvious he was the most handsome male she had ever met. She never blamed him for his anger and pain that he took out on her, it was understandable after being dumped in an unfamiliar Court by those he called family.

Whilst she had no family of her own, having grown up an orphan in her Court, Y/N was sure she would react in the same way if she were in his shoes and so every time Azriel had snapped and shouted at her she reminded herself of this.

She wasn’t even meant to get as involved in this as she was. Yes Helion had asked her to keep an eye on him and make sure he was comfortable in the Court, but he hadn’t made her spend as much time with him as she ended up doing. No one could have predicted what had blossomed between the pair.

Deciding that she just wasn’t going to get any rest tonight, not with the memory of Azriel’s lips on hers still fresh in her mind, Y/N slipped from her bed and made her way to the room she had dedicated to sewing.

Sitting down with a contented sigh she held up the tunic she had been making for Azriel. A matching one to the cobalt blue dress she had made herself. She had begun making it after their talk while riding the horses, the blush at the thought of Azriel wearing something she had made stayed on her face the whole ride back to the city and refused to leave until she had arrived back at her home and decided to start working on something for him.

It wasn’t easy to produce, not with Y/N being unfamiliar with how to sew clothes for people with wings, but she had managed it (but not without many failed attempts). A few more hours tonight and it would be finished, leaving her able to present it to him tomorrow.

It took longer than expected, hands delicately sewing the silver thread into the intricate designs of the Illyrian tattoos she had spent hours studying the drawings of from books about Illyria in Helion’s library. The sun had long risen when Y/N finally finished the piece, a golden glow settled in the room, sparkling against the metallic sheen of the thread like stars twinkling in the night sky.

Now complete, Y/N lovingly wrapped the tunic in a black paper before securing the packing with a dark blue velvet bow, reminiscent of the Night Court colours Azriel always wore.

Not wanting to wait any longer before seeing the male, she bathed hurriedly and dressed once more in the now matching dress to the tunic she had made Azriel. Gathering the gift in one arm and the bag of painting supplies she had put together earlier for the days activity in the other hand.

~~~~~

Y/N rushed to Azriel’s flat, now very familiar with the route between their two residences having walked there plenty of times.

Once she reached the building he resides in, Y/N stopped outside for a moment to compose herself, butterflies dancing in her stomach. She allowed her uneven breathing from practically running here to return to normal, knowing Azriel would likely find away to tease her for her flustered state.

Once Y/N had waited long enough that she was sure there was no way Azriel could call her out on her desperation to see him, Y/N entered the building and made her way to his door, placing the bag of paints down and knocking to alert him of her presence.

Her attention goes to the crack at the bottom of the door where his mischievous shadows usually peak out in curiosity whenever she turns up here. There was no movement this time. However, it wasn’t uncommon for Azriel to take a while answering the door, Y/N could have sworn that one time she had knocked he had been out and crawled through his window upon his return before answering the door. Or at least that’s what she had inferred from the muffled bang that sounded from somewhere in the flat and the heavy panting he had been doing.

Y/N knocked once more in hope that he would hear it but there was no answer. Perhaps he had gone to the market. His cupboards were bare when she had been in the flat with him yesterday, having used some items for their baking. Deciding to wait for him to return Y/N sat down in the corridor, legs stretched out facing his door.

Unsure of how much time had passed since she sat on the ground, Y/N looked to find something to cure her growing boredom as she waited for the Illyrian to turn up and so she pulled out the paints and a canvas from her bag, electing to pass the time through painting until Azriel arrived.

It took a while for her to decide what to paint, having found she now had plenty of inspiration after the past few weeks she had spent with the shadow singer. Finally Y/N decided upon painting the view from the sky last night, a constant reminder of the promise made between the two of them. The promise to travel the world together.

Tongue between her teeth Y/N did her best to accurately represent what she saw last night. Her memory of the view slightly blurred as most of her focus had been on the male whose arms she had been wrapped in. The painting was a swirl of black and blue skies, spattered with glowing stars, the bottom depicting the illuminated city, Y/N trying her best to paint the intricate architecture of the day court buildings.

It wasn’t long before her painting was pretty much complete and yet there was still no sign of Azriel. Perhaps he was at the training ground? Packing up the paints, Y/N rested her artwork against his door to allow for it to dry before leaving the bag of supplies next to it, trusting that no one would take it.

Y/N grabbed the gift she had made from the floor and stood. She would surprise Azriel at the training ground. She would give him the gift there and chide him for being late and forgetting he had planned something with her.

Butterflies growing once more at the anticipation of seeing him, Y/N hurried to the grounds where she hoped Azriel would be. There was no frustration growing in Y/N at his absence from the flat, instead there was just the excitement of seeing him train. There’s something about seeing him in his element that she couldn’t help but be attracted to, and she would never pass on the opportunity to stare at his muscled figure as he worked. Especially not now she could appreciate it openly.

Arriving at the training grounds Y/N was disappointed by the fact that he wasn’t there. The only people training in the arena being some of Helion’s army that she vaguely recognised the faces of.

Disheartened Y/N turned to leave, wondering if she should check the gardens. It’s likely he could have gone there to clear up the mess of the picnic the two of them had forgotten to clear away last night, distracted by the intoxicating presence of each other.

As she began walking away from the grounds Y/N was stopped by the calling of her name. Hope growing in her chest she whipped around, eyes scanning for Azriel, only to be met with one of the soldiers, who had been training, jogging towards her. “Y/N right?” He asked as she attempted to put a smile on her face in greeting as she nodded at him, “Helion’s been looking for you! He wanted to meet.”

“Ah ok. Thank you!” She tried to sound appreciative but it came out more depressed than she had planned. Y/N supposed if she went and met with Helion then it may give Azriel time to return from wherever he was. Gift still in hand and now feeling exhaustion creep in from her lack of sleep and rushed trailing around, she made her way to the palace.

~~~~~

“Y/N you are looking as divine as always” Helion charmed as he kissed her hand upon entering his office. “Been doing some shopping?” He asked curiously, eyes locked on the gift being supported in her other arm.

“What? Oh yeah, just a bit of shopping because I haven’t been able to find Azriel today.” Y/N lied, not quite ready to share what was growing between her and Azriel with Helion yet. She was sure he’d be happy for her, having tried to set her up with numerous people over the years, yet Y/N was still anxious that whatever her and Azriel’s relationship was it didn’t fall under her workplace guidelines.

“And that’s exactly why you’re here!” Helion said as he took Y/N’s free hand and led her over to the sofa in his office where she placed the gift down next to her as she sat, confused as to why he would want to talk about Azriel with her. Maybe they hadn’t been as discrete as she thought.

“What about Azriel?” She asked as casually as she could, trying to hide her growing anxiety.

“Oh well he’s gone now so it’s time to reassign you. Get back to your other jobs now the time has freed up again, I thought you could start by going to the outer village and - …Y/N are you ok?” Helion trailed off noticing how her eyes had suddenly widened and her breath caught in her throat.

“What do you mean he’s gone?” She asked in disbelief, doing her best to dampen the betrayal she was feeling not wanting it to show on her face. She knew that one day he’d eventually have to return to the Night Court but she assumed he would have said goodbye. That they would have planned some form of communication between them and promised to visit each other.

“Rhysand sent a message this morning, said the shadow singer left last night…What’s wrong Y/N?” He tentatively asked, a comforting hand resting on her shoulder.

“I’m fine!” She said a little too quickly. Helion was her friend but the last thing she wanted was for him to be pressing her about this, especially when she felt as though she was about to burst into tears, “Just surprised he was gone that’s all…Now what was the job you needed doing?”

Helion didn’t buy it, Y/N could tell that much. She knew the man cared for her. He had always supported her and been a good friend whenever she needed someone, even helping her by giving her the job she has now. But if she had to look at his concerned face for another minute then she definitely would start sobbing. As if sensing this he continued with describing Y/N’s next task, every once in a while flicking his worried eyes to her watery ones.

Once this was done, Y/N was quick to jump onto her feet, grabbing the gift which now felt much heavier in her arms than it had when she walked into the room.

Helion took her in once more, eyes raking over her dress, realisation crossing his face before asking, “That’s a pretty dress Y/N, did you make that?”

It now hurt for her to even look at the item of clothing she wore, instead she let her eyes drift around the room, looking anywhere else than the clothing that reminded her painfully of the man who was now gone.

“Yes. Thought I’d pick up sewing again.” She replied bluntly, struggling to hold the tears at bay.

“It’s an unusual colour,” Helion pressed, “not like what you normally wear.”

“You’re right. It doesn’t suit me.” With that Y/N left his office finishing the conversation, afraid of what he was going to say next.

As she raced through the corridors, frantically searching for the nearest exit, Y/N couldn’t stop the tears that were now streaming down her face and fogging her vision. He was gone. Azriel had left without even saying goodbye.

He had returned to his home, the place he had so badly wanted to return to. Y/N couldn’t stop the horrible thoughts that flooded her brain and pierced her heart. Perhaps all she had ever been to Azriel was a distraction. Something to keep him busy until he could get back to his normal life. Maybe the kiss was born from his pity for the lonely Day Court girl who had forced her way into his life against his will.

She sobbed loudly, gripping the led-weight box in both her arms and drawing it tightly to her chest. Azriel was gone.

Part 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes: A little bit from Y/N’s perspective to rip your hearts out :(

Taglist:

@minnieoo @thelov3lybookworm @going-through-shit @iluvyewman-blog @laughterafter @amysangel @bigcreatorwombatdreamer @aaronwarnerobsessedmylove @justvibbinghere @honeybeeboobaa @willowpains @tele86 @mysticalfuncollectorus @mybestfriendmademe @starryhiraeth @gorlillaglue25 @moonlwghts @darling006 @anuttellaa @serendipityx150 @xxxalicerogersxx @that-one-little-soybean @scatteredstardustt @naturakaashi @nyx-the-alien @lostinpages13 @namelesssav @dreamlandreader @fightmedraco @maxmouse001 @amara-moonlight @aunicornmademedoit @spideytingley @iamjimintrash @one-big-fangirl @tsunami-of-tears

[squiddy-god]

"Antique hearts"

Zhongli x reader

Sweet, cute, and domestic fluff with the former geo archon turned charming man. More re-uploads. As usual no beta no prof

♥︎REQUEST ARE OPEN♥︎ don't be shy, send request for any of the fandoms on my fandom list, you can even recommend shows/games if they aren't there. Or even if you just want to chat! Anon is also always open!

────────────────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹───────────────

Hesitance was etched along his defined features when you suggested a trip to mondstat, nothing too long, simply a day away from the familiar mountains of liyue. "Are you sure my dear? " He inquired, you nodded smile painted on your face, "it'll just be for a day I promise, there's a place I'd love to take you" 

How could he say no when you gave him such a hopeful expression. He let out a deep sigh, amber eyes closing gently. It was no secret that zhongli was not a fan of mondstat taverns, the oddities that they often served- it simply wasn't his cup of tea. Thankfully you had no intention of taking him somewhere like the cat tail or angel's share, no no, you were planning to take him somewhere you were certain he'd love. "Alright, I suppose a day's visit to the city of wind wouldn't hurt" He agreed, still slightly sceptical. 

Holding his gloved hand in yours you lead the tall man through the stone streets of mondstat. Although the geo Lord stuck out quite a bit in his liyue attire, people still smiled nonetheless. "Dear, where exactly are you taking me? " His inquisitive gaze was locked upon you, the rich hues of his eyes holding a silent plea that it wasn't a tavern. "Well we're almost there! You'll see soon" 

You were indeed right, you soon came to a quaint cafe, a hole in the wall that was almost never packed. 

He took in the sight, a charming sign hung up above and the small chalkboard with a drawn cake and teacup, it gave a calm atmosphere he rather appreciated in a city such as the bustling mondstat. "Wait until you see the inside" You chirped, interlocking your fingers and leading the way. 

The interior was plastered with a warm yellow wallpaper, murals of cities and gardens painted on the walls. It was as if  each wall was a new place, straight from a story book's pages. But truly what caught. His eyes were the antiques. The front room was adorned in cute white shelves stacked with anything from porcelain birds to beautiful oak jewelry boxes. Elegant carvings in the dark wood drew his eyes to inspect them, a shimmer of curiosity lighting his dazzling face. 

You smiled seeing him so happy, the gentle smile he now dawned warmed your heart and you chuckled. The lady at the front desk created you with a warm smile before leading you to a table in the further back of the cafey. Zhongli admired the walls, beautiful flower bushes and charming window shutters tying together in a landscape unfamiliar yet beautiful. 

"This place is quite charming, hmm, even the cloth on the table holds much character, perhaps this place holds interesting stories" He mused holding his chin. He was delighted to learn they had a vast selection of tea, some blends even from liyue harbor, how curious that such a small cafe had such selection. 

His gloved thumb traced the smooth porcelain cup, swirls of gold lining the rim with pale yellow flowers painted on the smooth surface. 

"This is a common shape for tea cups, the design is wider and lends itself to the maximization of surface area" He began, eyes shifting subtlety from the hot liquid to your eyes. You happily listened as he went on, gently placing the cup down on the matching saucer as you intertwined your fingers atop the table. His voice was soothing and calm, the slight rasp lending itself well to his deep vocals. "The reason for this is to focus on the texture and feel of the tea, specifically teas with rich and velvet textures. Hence it is often used to serve black teas such as Sichuan Imperial Gongfu" He finished, a warm smile on his face as he sipped his tea. 

He always loved when you listened to him, he adored how appreciated you made him feel. That twinkle of attentiveness in your eyes as he spoke, yes, he'd make sure to return that love ten fold.

────────────────⊹⊱✫⊰⊹───────────────

[adnauseum11]

Unexploded Ordinance (John Price x Reader)

You and John navigate the process of moving in together. John is pleased you are home.

1.4k words

CW: swearing, explicit sex MDNI

If the end of this chapter feels a bit abrupt it's because I split it in two to keep it from being a ridiculous length. You can expect the next chapter to pick up where this one left off.

Still not completely happy with this chapter but in the interest of not circling the drain forever and moving forward I'm posting anyways lol yolo

feedback welcome!

When John hasn’t returned from his call before you are done eating your breakfast - and polishing off the last of the raspberries - you take yourself to the bathroom to shower. He’s waiting for you in the living room when you finally emerge, feeling a bit more like yourself. He’s clearly lost in thought, your hand on his shoulder finally knocking him back to the present.

John is easy to talk into moving more things today, on your impromptu day off. When you arrive back at the apartment, he checks the door before he lets you enter, satisfied it’s been undisturbed. You immediately bicker with him about your furniture and what pieces will stay or go. You can tell he’s pleased when he wins the debate between the couches, you being partial to your vintage re-upholstered and wildly heavy chesterfield sofa. It’s too short for John to lay down on, forcing him to bend his knees and isn’t very comfortable, truth be told. It’s a gorgeous deep green velvet that draws the eye but otherwise isn’t overly practical. You pout about having to give it up until he gives over on your books entirely. He’s consistently bitched about moving your personal library, filled with heavy anthologies from your university days. They’ve been dragged from pillar to post over the years and you’ve refused every less than subtle suggestion to sell them. He doesn’t even try to make you choose which ones to keep, sighing deeply in resignation and asking how many boxes you think it will take to pack them all. This earns him the hardest hug you can muster and a rain of kisses he has to crouch for, chuckling lowly.

You make a trip back to his place with your clothing, the colourful array of fabrics making John’s limited selections seem all the starker by comparison. It brings you up short, seeing your things beside his in the wardrobe. You get caught up wondering what the hell you are doing, agreeing to this. You don’t get very far in your spiral before John finds you, kneeling surrounded by folded t-shirts. You’re jealous of his ability to seemingly pick a course of action and execute it without the self-doubt that swamps you occasionally. If you hadn’t known him as long as you have you would say it’s something he learned in the military, but you’re pretty sure that’s all John.

His presence steadies you again and you end up making another trip to collect your hairdryer and various other products needed to make yourself presentable for work tomorrow. Most of your everyday use items and valuables are safely rehoused in John’s flat by the time you are ready to throw the towel in for the day. You agree to go to the pub around the corner for dinner, neither of you feeling like cooking. On the walk down, John’s big hand stays on your lower back, keeping you close as you wander down the street together. It’s quiet at the pub, early in the week meaning the clientele are mostly regulars. You get your choice of seats and John steers you to a booth against the back wall, tugging you to sit on the same side as him.

He questions your half-baked plan to quit your job while distracting you from giving an answer, his hand creeping over your thigh and shoulders, bracketing you against him. You finally cross your legs, pinning his warm hand between your thighs so you can formulate a coherent response. He presses a smirk against your temple and listens as you complain of your treatment this morning, and then just in general. You've had a volatile few days and vent your spleen accordingly.

He removes his hands from your body when the food arrives, creating a tiny sliver of space between you on the bench seat. John hums sympathetically at your complaints but finally convinces you to get through the rest of the week before you submit anything in writing, pointing out you should probably update your resume first at minimum. You grumble but reluctantly agree, his even-keeled approach to the situation a better tactic than your instinct for dramatics.

John’s level head only seems to extend to your choices because by the time you’re out the door and on the way home he’s truly unable to keep his hands to himself. Twice on the short walk back he’s pressed you up against the wall of a nearby building, his hands cupping your face as his eager mouth finds yours. You make out like teenagers until you can feel the cold creeping into the tips of your ears, a gentle push against his chest enough to back him off temporarily. You’re getting better at reading John in this state, how his eyes glaze with want and his focus narrows. You finally resort to threading your fingers with his to keep his hand from constantly drifting over your ass, wrapping yourself around his arm to make him behave. 

You open the door using your key, John too preoccupied with working his hands under your jacket and shirt. His big body corrals you against him, kicking the door shut after wrestling you through it, almost not giving you time to get your key out of the lock.

“Fucking hell John.”

You breathe out as he spins you around, your arms going around his neck automatically. He kisses you hungrily, his palm cupping the back of your head. You feel the thump of the wall at your back, his hand leaving the back of your head to shove your coat off your shoulders. You wiggle out of it and push at the thick lambskin jacket he’s wearing, slipping your hands under it to grip his shoulders. He shrugs out of it, his lips finding yours again almost immediately. You can feel desire vibrating through his frame, his thigh working its way between yours. Before he can overwhelm you completely, you push back against his chest.

He's breathing hard, confusion mixing across his face as you flatten your palms against his chest and push, reversing your positions by backing him up against the opposite wall. You have to go up on your tip toes, gripping the back of his neck to tug him down to kiss you again. He’s got his hands full of your ass, too preoccupied to catch on to your intent until you're slipping out of his grasp, sliding to your knees in front of him. Your nimble fingers have his belt undone and his jeans open before he can process and stop you, hissing out your name as your fingers wrap around his twitching cock.

You smirk to yourself and wrench a deep groan from his chest as your lips close around the flushed head of his cock, your eyes locking on his face. His cheeks and throat are flushed with the same shade of red as his cock, his blue eyes now nearly black, his pupils dilated with desire. He looks so intense it sends a thrill through your belly that you’re capable of affecting him like this. You swirl your tongue over the head, tasting the salty pre-cum and slide your palm up the wiry hair of his firm abdomen, pushing his shirt up.

John growls lowly, his fingers burying into your hair, gripping close to the roots. He doesn’t try to direct your movements, content to let you work him over however you see fit but the gentle pull on your hair sends flashes of sensation down your spine. The muscles of his stomach jump at the drag of your fingers on his cock as you squeeze the base, sucking on the tip deeply, making John’s fingers clench in your hair. You lift off him and press his erection against his belly, running the flat of your tongue over the underside before teasing his balls with the tip of your tongue.

That has John rocking up onto his toes, hissing your name again followed by a curse. You can’t stop the pleased smirk that slides across your face and wrap your lips around the tip again, focusing your tongue on the sensitive spot on the underside. You can feel his cock twitching, the tension in his body ratcheting tighter with a moan. You let his shirt drop and cup his balls, lapping at the tip intently.

That seems to finally push John beyond his limit and he firmly tugs your hair to pull you off him. Your scalp tingles and you hum in disappointment but John’s already got a hold of your arm, lifting you to your feet again.

“C'mere love, I want to be inside you when I cum.”  

He growls lowly, making you shiver, backing you down the hallway to the bedroom with predatory intent. The look on his face makes your stomach quiver in anticipation, your insides going molten.

Next Chapter

Tag list:

@deadbranch @cadotoast @beebeechaos @syoddeye @writeforfandoms @itr-00

[marwolaeth-76]

random headcanons on twins

° I feel that Veneer is the kind of person who can easily panic because his hair “doesn’t look right” and I feel that he spends the most time packing before the concert than Velvet.

° Velvet would literally have to console him when he had another tantrum due to his self-esteem swings, whether she wanted it or not

° After re-watching the movie, it seemed to me that Veneer may have problems with nervousness and most likely panic attacks are not uncommon for him. This would be especially common after the shows early on when he and Velvet started performing

° Veneer is terribly tactile and needs affection, this is 100%¡¡¡ Velvet is also tactile, but less so than her brother, in any case, she is clearly against hugging him😢

° When he takes a selfie he makes “duck lips”

° He sleeps with a plush toy, it gives him a comfortable💔💔

° Velvet snores and once in his teenage years Veneer tried to joke about it, which he immediately regretted

[i06gyu]

𝜗❀᧓   ۟  𝑹𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝓛𝐨𝐯𝐞 — 𝗮 𝗸𝗽𝗼𝗽 𝗺𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁.

blend the excitement of k-pop with the dreamy world of shoujo manga/anime. make boards and pair your idol with your favorite shoujo character!

🐇 ✹ 𓈒 ꒪ 𝓗𝐎𝐖 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒!

𓏲 comment join, reblog this post and tag 3 of your friends. then dm me a pick-up line, 5 groups from the options i gave, and i’ll choose one of them for you! you can pick whichever member you want and which shoujo character you want. + make sure to add a song lyric of your choice in the locs. use the tag #i06gyu — roluv event and tag me in your post.

🐇 ✹ 𓈒 ꒪ 𝓣𝐇𝐄 𝐊-𝐏𝐎𝐏 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏𝐒!

𓏲 the k-pop groups options are: ive, newjeans, le sserafim, enhypen, txt, ill-it, aespa, twice, nmixx, stray kids, blackpink, red velvet, g-idol. pick 5 of these groups and don't forget to dm me it alongside your pick-up line.

🐇 ✹ 𓈒 ꒪ 𝓡𝐔𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓!

𓏲 you have to use a member from the group i have chosen for you. obviously, don't forget to add a shoujo character. you have to add lyrics from a song by the group. for example, here i used bubblegum by newjeans because the member i used was minji.

𓏲 use the tag #i06gyu — roluv event and tag me on your post. otherwise, it won't count as an entry.

𓏲 the due date is 30th November 2024. so you’ll have plenty of time to make the moodboard. outside the due date won't be accepted unless you dm me, and so I will make an exception.

𓏲 remember, i choose by which moodboard i think is prettiest. it is my opinion, therefore it isn't my fault if we may have different opinions. i promise you there will be no favoritism in this.

🐇 ✹ 𓈒 ꒪ 𝓟𝐑𝐈𝐙𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔’𝐋𝐋 𝐆𝐄𝐓!

𓏲 for the 1st winner: 70 re-blogs on 15 posts. 3 custom moodboards. 3 png packs (a theme of their choice). 3 frame packs.

𓏲 for the 2nd winner: 70 re-blogs on 10 posts. 2 custom moodboards. 2 png packs (a theme of their choice). 2 frame packs.

𓏲 for the 3rd winner: 70 re-blogs on 5 posts. 1 custom moodboards. 1 png packs (a theme of their choice). 1 frame packs (a theme of their choice).

𓏲 for participants (people who didn't win but already joined): 70 re-blogs on 1 post.

🐇 ✹ 𓈒 ꒪ 𝓔𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝚰𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓𝚰𝐎𝐍!

𓏲 again, i will choose based on which one i think is prettiest. i will also choose based on how creative you are with it (gifs, edited pictures, etc).

𓏲 here are 2 examples: one. two. the 2nd one doesn't have a song lyric, please don't forget like me TT.

favorite blogs ♡ @flwerwon @jicito @p-eonias @bambicito @coqiito @y-ves @i-kyujin @7hyein @baekkku @umiena @menhpy @haerinism @hy6in @eliatopia @y0oni3 @raeceah @i04rei @fuckici @aiirene @h-jini @koogifs @chaeryeos @h-aeun @tyunlouv . . . . and many more! sadly most of them are now inactive :(

. ੭ꠥ    𓈒   ׄ     first of all, thank you so so much for 450+ followers! it’s not much but i think it’s a lot since i always disappear every month 🫡 i love each & one of u, especially people who had supported my blog and keep me going. it's so sad that most of my mutuals here are already inactive, cause they are the one of the reasons why i love this app. shout out to my gf ruby who is the very reason why im even brave enough to start a moodboard blog xx 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 i hope i'll be better in the future and i am sincerely sorry if i ever made an action that has upsets you during the times ive been on this app so far.

[pupsmailbox]

VAMPIRE ID PACK

NAMES ⌇　acheron. adelaide. adonis. adrian. adrienne. aero. alaric. alfonso. alistair. allure. alluria. altair. amber. ash. asher. ashlin. avenal. bara. batte. belladonna. bianca. bitelle. bitte. blade. blaine. blair. blaire. bloodette. bloodie. bloodier. carmilla. cathedral. cecilia. celeste. chatelaine. ciel. claude. claudia. coffina. corbin. count. countess. crimson. crowley. dali. damienne. dirge. dorian. drac. drusilla. eleleth. elisabeta. elizabeth. elspeth. eve. fangcheska. faustus. felix. feronia. gorey. gossamer. gothita. guinevere. hemlock. hesperia. ivy. james. jasper. jericho. juliet. karnage. kings. lenore. lilith. louis. luci. lucian. luciel. lucien. lucienne. lucious. lyn. magnus. marce. melancholy. mercer. miriam. morcant. mortem. mortis. muse. nikolas. nosferatu. onyx. orpheus. pandora. princely. raven. rhys. rosalie. salem. sangue. scarette. selene. shadow. silas. silhouette. silvias. stoker. suckite. talon. valeria. vamp. vampira. vampiress. vamplita. vampress. vampyr. vampyre. velvet. velvette. victor. victoria. viktor. viktoria. vile. ville. vincent. virtue. xander. zak.

PRONOUNS ⌇　?/?. bat/bat. bi/bite. bit/bite. bit/bitten. bite/bite. bite/vamp. bleed/bleeding. blo/blood. blood/bled. blood/blood. blood/bloody. bloody/bloody. bur/bur. clo/clot. cof/coffin. coffin/coffin. cor/corrupt. corp/corpse. cro/cross. crypt/crypt. curse/curse. cy/cyr. dae/daemon. dark/dark. dea/dead. dea/death. drac/drac. dri/drink. en/tombed. evil/evil. fa/fang. fang/fang. grave/grave. gri/grim. grime/grimey. hau/haunt. hex/hex. horror/horror. it/it. ix/ix. kill/kill. mist/mist. mor/morbid. ne/nem. ni/nightlife. night/night. ny/nyx. pale/pale. phan/phantom. pyr/pyr. re/red. red/red. rot/rot. roy/royal. scare/scare. sharp/sharp. si/sire. spook/spooky. stake/stake. su/suck. syl/syl. teef/teeth. tomb/tomb. un/dead. un/un. undead/undead. upir/upir. va/vamp. vam/vamp. vamp/vamp. vamp/vampire. vampi/vampire. vampir/vampiric. vampire/vampire. vampy/vampyre. vampyre/vampyre. ve/vir. vex/vex. vile/vile. wi/wine. xi/xir.

[pauking5]

Runaway 🏎️ Chapter 3 🏁

Pairing: Naozumi Hiyama x fem reader oc

Genre: racing AU, enemies to lovers, sports rivalry, suspense, a whole lot of teasing, gender power games, spice

Word count: 15.2k+

A/N: Curious who's going to catch the Tokyo Drift reference 😏 Hope you're ready for the storm cause lightning and thunder just met for real in this one. It was literal hell to write at times, but I wanted to get more accurate with it and bring you as close to the view in my head as possible, so sorry for the delay. Tried my hand at writing tension so I hope it's good. Enjoy lovelies. Smooches to you :)

Raiko's Playlist: Bad Boy - Red Velvet, High Horse - Kacey Musgraves, Antisocial - Ed Sheeran, Travis Scott, True Disaster - Tove Lo, "good guy" - Against The Current, Summer Jam - 99 RZNS, John Gibbons, KOOLKID, How Bad Do You Want It (Oh Yeah) - Sevyn Streeter, Pump It - Black Eyed Peas, Tokyo Drift - Teriyaki Boys, Morning After Dark - Timbaland, Nelly Furtado.

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Day 3 of Tour de Tokai - Final stages

The sun was up before you could catch any sleep, peaking through the thick blinds with bright beams. That brightness didn't bode well with the small hangover brewing between your pinched eyebrows. A remainder of the excessive amounts of champagne you drank last night and the really excited twosome next door, working hard to drill a hole in the wall behind your head all night long.

At one point, they quieted down and you were near falling asleep until they went at it again and again, and you contemplated sleeping in the bathtub.

Putting on your golden blue team kit and the darkest shades you could find in the mess of luggage, you packed and dragged your heavy bags into the hallway and pressed the button on the lift for reception. You caught your reflection in the shiny silver doors and thanked god no one saw you yet. Your hair was a half-tangled mess, hidden under the team baseball cap well enough. Only two days on the job and you already had sunken in eye bags, but those were probably from the amazing beauty sleep you had the night before.

I had better days, you blew out a breath pulling up your shades.

Bags checked out and safely loaded into the airport car until later, you headed for the track. Walking out to the biggest stand on the hill overlooking the road for today, you scanned the grounds. It was still pretty early but the crowds were already making their way to the stands to get the best seats - right in the sputter of a dusty drift corner. The dirt must be doing wonders for their skin if they paid so much to sit there willingly, you thought, grimacing at the dried up mud painting most of the sun-bleached seats.

At least it was a quiet spot to just do some people watching and wake yourself up. You watched the food court vendors open the back doors to their vans before getting to work on the food. Some people were sat on the trunk of their cars, huddled in blankets or hoodies, eating a makeshift breakfast before queuing up for entrance. The race marshals were putting up the access signs and doing other maintenance checks.

The spring breeze blew softly feeling like a refreshing cup of coffee you didn't have yet. Early mornings like these were the best. Just quiet and mundane. Slow and pleasant.

Your peaceful perusal was interrupted by a figure settling in on your right, mimicking your leaned back posture on the wooden fence next to the race banner, hands crossed over your chest and all. You didn't even need to look over to know who it was. The expensive combination of lemony vanilla and other bitter, citrusy fruits entered your nostrils like ten meters ago, before he even stopped next to you.

How can someone so irritating smell so good?

"How did you sleep?" he spoke, voice low and husky, still laced with blissful sleep. A luxury mere mortals are unable to acquire at the expense of divine hedonism. Though, if that was how gods fucked, you wished to never hear it again. The girl's moans replayed like a broken record in your head even now, voice sweet like cotton candy reaching impossible notes.

Jesus Christ, you shuddered, trying your hardest to get rid of the image you just accidentally put in your head.

"I didn't," you said with a tight-lipped smile, turning to the devil beside you. He did look well-rested. "Hearing your name being moaned until three in the morning kinda ruined the peace one needs to sleep."

"I told you to join us," he shrugged, like he was asking you to join a grocery run and definitely not a threesome call. "It was a good sex catch."

I hope that angel never comes across his dick again.

Staring ahead, you hoped that if you ignored him, he would make himself scarce like he did last night at the car reveal. Instead, he leaned over to your side, lips slightly brushing the side of your ear with another offer that made your skin crawl with tendrils of chills, branching out from your nape all the way down to your spine.

"You know, we could've moved the show to your room. Get you out and about with the masses. Learn a thing or two."

You could taste the malice in his voice, looking to throw you off with raw sex talk. He pulled back to his corner, that annoying grin bright as day on his face, way too enthusiastic about his choice of words after last night.

He should work on his sweet nothings some more.

"I have my fair share with the masses. Don't you worry your frozen little braincells with that," you said, trying to shake off those chills still dancing on your spine.

"Ah, so she does get action," he laughed dryly, tilting forward with another remark he was better off keeping to himself. "I couldn't tell."

A little burst of mischief raised in you, so you turned to face him fully, pulling your shades off. Your body acted on a mindless spurt of small revenge as one of your hands lapped itself around his shoulder, gripping the other in balance and to pull him towards you, while the other rested on top of his chest. Under your palm, his heartbeat was calm and steady, just like the engine of the car before the race.

Narrowing your eyes at him, you scanned his face to see the ever-present amusement etched into every chiseled dent of his jaw, high cheekbones and perfectly angled lips. You wondered if dimples would pop out on the sides if he ever smiled for real, not just in a teasing manner or for show. Was he even capable of smiling?

The more your eyes drove up his face, the wider that eager glint in his eyes got. In the morning sun, rising brighter over the hill behind you, golden beams reflected off his orbs much like fiery bronze specks glinting off regal statues.

That eagerness turned to confusion when you inched closer to his ear, your lips brushing his in the same way his did. Your breath ghosted over his neck and you felt the smallest rise in his pulse, the muscles in his back tensing under your hold. You spoke small, but loud enough to cover the buzz of the rave music catching volume in the stands, making sure he received every single word.

"You know what would be a better catch?" you asked, tone sweet and tempting like a fiend.

His head craned down slightly and he quirked an eyebrow at you, curious as to where you were taking this. Only for it to not be in the direction he expected it to go in.

"Breaking that penis of yours in two and scattering pieces of it on the track like it's fucking gravel for everyone to drive over it. That," you enforced your threat with a swift gaze at his precious groin then moved your eyes back to his, "would be the catch of the year."

His lips parted in disbelief, the smug look on his face gone completely, as if you just detonated a bomb with his very own hand on it.

That was an unofficial war announcement. Jaw tightened in bold offensive, you stood your ground waiting for his retaliation. Your hand was still on his chest waiting for that spike to come again. But it never did.

Slowly but surely, the look in his eyes morphed to one of challenge, burning with the dire need to crush you to pieces for that daring threat.

Was this a novelty to him? A woman driving the reality train through his brain without having her legs open for him? Possibly. Because his smirk was now taut, filled with the same vindictive goading you carried. Just a tad bit darker and full of hunger for battle.

"I would like to see you try, rookie."

Rookie.

That nickname was starting to get on your nerves. Though there was no lie in it because you were a rookie in the sport, the way he said it implied that there was nothing else to you but that - a clueless beginner that will always stay a clueless beginner. Belittling at its finest. Your temper didn't buy belittling very well.

"Listen here you asswipe-" you started, only to get cut off by Don Tanaka's voice closing in behind you.

"Rai, the crew's waiting for... you..."

The words died in Tanaka's throat the more he took in how curled up you were with Naozumi. At first he was about to reprimand you for dealing cahoots with the enemy again, but when his eyes fell on the teeth grinding murderous looks you both threw each other, he decided on breaking it off before the interaction turned violent.

"Rai, step away from Naozumi."

"This. isn't. over," you gritted out with poison, plying yourself away from him.

Pushing your sunglasses back up your nose and throwing one more sharp imaginary knife right in the middle of his annoyingly handsome face devoid of imperfections, you sourly turned and left with Tanaka.

"I think it is, princess," he muttered behind you.

"Just you wait."

The really funny thing about curses is that they never truly... leave.

They might take a break and sip a cocktail somewhere sunny, like the big white-bearded gramps dressed in red does in his vacation after Christmas, letting you bask in some sort of chill ambiguity that all is well and perfect. Until nothing is well and perfect. Just absolutely horrifying and close to provoking a collective meltdown. Quite like the one in your team pen at the moment.

The team was gathered around the car with discouraged looks decorating all their faces as Sentaro, the main mechanic, relayed the news to you. Not one soul moved, everything and everyone as still as your shut off engine.

This had to be some sick joke. There was no way this is happening.

"What do you mean I can't go out on track today? You're joking right?" you laughed nervously, trying to stop your eye from twitching violently.

Apparently, the mechanics tried to start the engine and black smoke came out of it. While that issue was partly because of a clogged air filter that was vacuumed clean now, the engine also overheated to the point they thought it would blow up if they let it run longer.

From your brief experience with cars and growing up around the team garage, you had a feeling of what the issue could be.

"Is the dashboard blinking with the high oil pressure sign?" you asked Sentaro to which he nodded in response.

You were in front of the car in an instant, popping the hood open to check the oil injection. Pulling out the dipstick on a clean cloth your assumptions were proven right, though you wished they were horribly wrong. The rough dirt roads from yesterday definitely took a toll on the engine's oil filter, judging by the black sludge you were met with instead of the normal light brown color of the motor oil.

Dropping down to the ground with your phone's flashlight, you looked under the car and sure enough, there was a trail of the same dark goo leaking out from the car. The oil filter was the problem. And lucky for you, the oil specialized mechanic wasn't here today.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," said Tanaka, leaning on the side of the car. "There's nothing we can do."

Before you could even browse solutions, Kate ran in the pen nearly tripping over her feet. Thanks to Tanaka's steady hold, she landed upright on her feet, giving him a shy look of gratitude that didn't go unnoticed by you. They held each other's gaze for a while, not one thought behind them but a tinge of affection.

Realizing they had an audience, she cleared her throat stepping away from him. His hand shot up to rub his nape with a nervous smile.

What was that about? you thought, scrunching your nose inquisitively at the two. The faint blush spreading on her cheeks and the playful look in his eyes was a bit of a dead give away of what went on between the two. The car issue was more of a priority right now than their mutual fancy. I'll pester them about it later.

"What's up, Kate?"

Your voice seemed to break her out of whatever reverie she was having.

"The pre-race press conference starts in fifteen," she announced, eyes grazing over your team kit before flying back to yours with confusion. "Why are you not in your racing suit yet? What's going on?"

"I'll explain on the way," you replied hastily.

You moved away from the car to grab your bag and went to change in the trailer with her following in tow. Turning back around, your eyes flew back to Tanaka and the rest of the crew.

If the big man was here, he would know what to do. But he left for Tokyo early in the morning for a business meeting with a new sponsor. You were completely on your own with the team, and from the looks of it, it was time to take the lead.

"Nothing you can do," you said with a small smile trying to bring some optimism back into the sour mood. "There's something I can do. Just don't touch the engine until I'm back from the conference."

"Also, go tell the organizers I'm retiring from the first stage and keep them posted on the second one," you told Tanaka, ignoring Kate's gasp of shock. "We might still have a shot at points today. We worked too hard to let that go."

With that, you ran back to the trailer behind the pen, getting changed while Kate's worries doubled and spilled over yours in a frenzy of overly dramatic and stressed hand gestures.

"What do you mean retiring from the first stage? Are you crazy?"

Taking off the kit with a grunt, you made haste for the fireproofs and the suit.

"Not crazy," you groaned, pushing your legs through the pants of the racing suit. "Just trying not to freak out because it won't help anyone if I do."

"The car has an issue that's preventing me from taking part in the first stage today, but I hope," you breathed out, struggling to pull the top part of the suit over your hips, "that we can somehow get it out on track at least for the second stage."

With the already smoldering heat outside and your growing nerves, the ensemble felt so uncomfortable to wear. Pulling your arms through the sleeves and zipping it up to your neck, you fiddled with the soft collar unable to close it properly. Kate swatted your hands away to help you fix it so you could be out the door. Though you couldn't do that without your driver's card that was nowhere to be found.

"On a scale of one to ten, how big are your hopes of that actually happening?"

You stopped your relentless searching for your identification lanyards only to find them in the safe hold of Kate's hands.

"A solid eleven," you paused, grabbing them with a grateful smile. "On a good day. We'll have to see if today is one of those."

You were out of the trailer in no time, heading for the conference room while she ran you through possible questions you could get asked by the stingy reporters. Before you went on stage to take your designated seat, she pulled you back around for a last check.

"You know what you have to say?" she asked, placing her hands on your shoulders to make you focus.

Narrowing your eyes at her with a 'I'm not a child' look, you recounted the rules of publicity she made you repeat before each press meeting. Or more like your very own not so accurate version of them.

"No snarky replies, wait for my turn and try to maintain the already crumbling image we have. No biggie."

She smacked your cheeks together, shaking you hard to bring you back from sarcasm land. Better sarcasm than a full blown meltdown. You rolled your eyes at her dramatic antics, reciting the actual holy trinity of rules to get her off your case.

"If it's not for my own benefit or the team's, don't reply. Avoid all questions about my or dad's personal life with a simple 'no comment'. Keep levelheaded and avoid conflicts of interest," you finished confidently, but with a slight confusion on the last one.

She nodded with a bright smile, letting go of your cheeks. Whirling you around, she made quick work of your hair in a ponytail and fixed your team cap on top of your head to look more professional than you felt at the moment.

"You've got this, Rai," she encouraged sweetly like she always did. "I'll be right here in case of anything."

"Thanks Yuzu," you smiled at her, trying to ease her stress before it rubbed off on you, turning you into a ticking bomb. "I owe you one."

"You owe me more than one," she quipped as a matter of factly.

"Yeah, yeah," you waved her off, turning for the stage. "I'll tell dad to add a holiday bonus to your paycheck."

"All debts are paid," she replied, sounding like an ATM machine that just cashed out your first salary before you even saw it in the account.

You went up the stairs, taking a seat behind your name tag, near the middle row on the lower side of the makeshift stage. Most drivers were already in their seats waiting for the show to start so you could all be on your way. You caught sight of Akira about two chairs down to the left, already clocking you with a small wave.

At least there's some sunshine in the world.

You leaned over the seat, turning the mic away. He scooched over, meeting you halfway with a short smile that was enough to send butterflies swarming wildly in your stomach.

"Hello there."

"Hi," you replied sheepishly. "You ready for today?"

"I hope so. The tracks today look way better than whatever the fuck those three were yesterday."

You both shared a horrified look remembering the disaster that almost left your cars in totaled wrecks the day before.

"What about you? Ready?"

"It's complicated," you looked down in disdain, conscious of the mess awaiting you in the team pen after the conference.

What was the point in elaborating further? He's going to see the scoreboard anyway. The retirement issue was better kept under wraps for now, in case press inched to you like leeches before they even got to ask you a question.

"Hogging my seat doesn't look that complicated."

That tone of mixed delight and irritation could only belong to one person. That and the shady vibes prickling the hairs on the back of your neck like the very shadows of death were about to swallow you into the underworld.

Sure enough, craning your head backwards Naozumi was right behind you. Alarm bells rang in your head replaying his words again. His seat? What the fuck is he on- Your eyes fell back on the name tag right beside yours, reflecting Naozumi Hiyama back at you, bright as the light of day. Oh.

Naozumi was to be seated on your left for the next half an hour. What a joy. For some poor sick bastard, definitely not for you.

How did I not notice it before I sat down? I could've switched seats with the backfield guys in a heartbeat and no one would know a thing.

Looking back behind you, your small hope was crushed as most seats were taken up already, busting your escape plan. Your gaze landed back on the man, now more interested to know how much of your conversation he heard.

"How long have you been standing there like a scarecrow?"

"Enough to almost physically gag at your conversation."

Ah, there he was. Repulsion in human form. Wonderful.

You bid Akira an apologetic smile and leaned back in your seat, letting nation's finest walk by to take his own. He held onto your backseat to let himself down in his. Leaning way too close to you again, you caught an extra accidental whiff of that expensive perfume of his, toned down by the scent of the burnt rubber fumes caught to his suit. You turned your head away with a breath, resisting the urge not to choke. From the snicker on his lips pointed downwards, you could tell he did that on purpose. Fucker.

It wasn't long and the press conference finally commenced. As expected you weren't first in line for questions, both to your relief and growing unease. Your thoughts ran back to the car. The longer you spent here, looking pretty for the media that could care less, the less time you got to spend on fixing the car. Changing the oil filter was relatively less time consuming than the oil draining and changing. Besides, who knew if there weren't other problems. There were always problems.

Tapping your feet impatiently under the table, your eyes trained on the digital clock at the back of the room, mentally pushing the flickering red dots bouncing between the numbers a tad bit faster. Boring questions aimed at the other drivers went in through your ears, fading together, getting lost into an incorrigible mess of side thoughts, all while you dissociated somewhere far away.

At some point, something heavy moved on top of your leg that seems to have taken on incessant bouncing. You broke your eyes away from the clock to check. Thinking it must have been a bug or your sleep-deprived hallucination, you were beyond surprised to see a hand resting there, all five fingers of it splayed wide on top of your knee, nearly enveloping it whole.

Following the path of the muscular, veiny hand to the grey material going up the plush arm of a racing suit, you found it connected to Naozumi's shoulder. His gaze was set ahead with his chin propped on his other hand, a bored look taking over his usual amusement.

Is he looking for entertainment again?

Focusing your attention back on the press crowd, you went to push it off briskly. You felt it slide off your leg, shutting your eyes in relief that he let go and didn't put it back, going back to your daydream.

The clock ticked by infuriatingly slower, and by the looks of it, only ten boring minutes passed. You resumed your foot tapping, unable to keep cool without releasing tension in a way that kept you calm and levelheaded for the rest of the conference. You even started repeating Kate's set of three rules, again and again, until they blurred together in your head into a mess of words.

Unconsciously, you resumed the knee bouncing. That's when the same familiar weight sat back on top of your knee, trying to cease your restless shaking. You groaned mentally, aware that there was nothing else you could do but let his hand sit there until he got bored of being annoying.

Was it weird that the touch gave you a small ounce of comfort? It was so far from an actual touch, closer to a simple brush. But it grounded you back to reality in a less impatient way than your nervous foot tapping.

Jesus, Rai. The man fucked the sleep out of your brain last night. He's trying to get under your skin.

Leaning forward on your hands, you shifted your position so your feet crossed under your seat in hopes his hand would slide down again. His grip never lessened, turning firmer on top of your knee, seeing right through your trick. You huffed a breath through your nose, trying to calm down before you shoved your fist heavy with rage in his beautiful face to do some overdue damage, since he was asking for it so nicely.

In your line of sight, you saw him reach down for his water bottle, right beside his leg. His hand trailed down your calf with the movement, only for it to slide back up to its original spot on your knee.

This wasn't anywhere near comforting. This was teasing. Maybe even payback for this morning for invading his space with violent threats of castration. The side of his lip curled up in the slightest, letting you know he was enjoying tormenting you a whole lot.

Since he's so into masochism, we'll see how brave he is next time when I sneak in a lighter. The suit might be fireproof but I don't think his fingers are.

Somewhere between Naozumi's idiotic game and your patience running thin for the male species, the press finally remembered you existed and your name was called out by a reporter.

"I'm Hina from Daily Times. I have a question for Rai Suruki of Suruki Racing."

"Go on," you nodded with a smile.

"There haven't been a lot of female entries to rally in past years. Are there some goals you hope to achieve with your participation in the Seiko Rally Cup Series?"

That was quite a nice question. She seemed a little unsure of herself, probably new on the job since she was already being mangled down by the experienced male gazes in the room, especially from the reporter clique.

Turns out rally isn't the only industry where women are not welcomed.

"Well," you started, "I hope that if more girls see me out there on track, they can gain the courage to get racing too. Be it karting, rally or any other series. I grew up seeing my father's generation race and it felt daunting getting into it in the first place, since there was little to no female involvement. But times are changing and I hope it's for the better. Goal-wise, I would say the biggest one is to get girls into the sport, technically or behind the wheel," you ended with another smile, making sure she got a good amount of detail to work from.

That encouraged her to show you a bright smile in gratitude before she sat back down. You nodded back at her with one that matched.

"For Raiko Suruki, from Automotive Racing," called out another reporter, much older than the rest. "Heard the car is totally self-manufactured. How's the pace on track so far?"

Ah, technical questions. I like those.

"So far it's good. We're still testing bits and pieces to see what works best, but so far it's responding well to our tinkering. Like any car there's setbacks, as you may have seen in the previous stages, but we're working to remedy that and maximize its current performance. There's a lot of power under that hood and we're trying to see just how much of it we can bring out."

He nodded, scribbling down your words in a stacked leather notebook filled to the brim that has definitely seen better days. At least that said he's passionate about the sport and not just here to get a quote for a flimsy article. True to that, he geared up with another question.

"Performance progress-wise, do you think it's a car able to compete for the cup this year? Maybe even to reach the WRC?"

It was a reach to aim for the title, knowing the team barely got back on the road. But it was a goal nonetheless.

"Absolutely," you answered right away. "We wouldn't be here if it wasn't. As for the WRC, I guess it's all in due time."

"I'm looking forward to your evolution. Thank you," he concluded his short round of questions, sitting back in his seat.

"One more question for Miss Suruki," shouted another reporter. "From Tokyo Action Sport."

Uh-oh.

Tokyo Action Sport was one of the big ones Kate told you to be wary of. Due to their huge coverage of all sports around the country, sports buffs took their word like it was the weekly Ten Commandments in print form. That and the fact that they liked to scandalize most, if not all of their headlines - basically the foul celeb tabloids in dirty sports version.

From the way the reporter twirled the pen around his nimble fingers and the sneer on his face as he skimmed over his fancy notebook, you could tell he was looking for another front page story with an equally disarming question at the ready. You nodded for him to talk, bracing yourself for the incoming attack.

"Last night, at the official car reveal, you said you will compete for Suruki Racing until the team no longer wants you," he started, lifting his icy eyes from the paper to cut through you. "Does that mean your contract has an expiry date?"

If there was a question that, when uttered out loud, would have the power to open the gates of hell, it would be this one.

Expiry date? Driving for the team that has my name on it? Fuck me if I know.

Your nervous tapping resumed tenfold, forgetting all about Naozumi's hand that was still stationed on your leg, now struggling to stay there in the wake of the shaky earthquake coursing through you with the sharp truth of the real world.

You never thought of the possibility of driving for another team. Right from the start, Suruki Racing was to be your forever home. For Christ sake, you were the only hope for the team to stay alive at the moment. But that was just your opinion, maybe Tanaka shared it. But the team might still be adamant to take you as their only viable option and that might just be the case for your father too.

Nothing guaranteed that you will always be their number one choice.

"Why did Suruki Racing pick you out of the wider talent pool out there?"

"Are you trying for yourself or for him?"

"Do you consider yourself a challenge to the rest of the drivers?"

Your nervous shaking was several tempos away from rattling the panel table and attracting attention you were better off without at the moment. The aftermath of that happening was already in sight.

Suruki Racing's finest cracks under the pressure of her first press conference, would read the first page in the later Sunday print.

Is Suruki's own bloodline able to keep the legacy with no surety of a long-term contract? another one would say.

If you were lucky they would put it on the second spread or in the middle pages next to some old car adverts. But the worst part of it all is that the majority of the rally community, including the panel of drivers around you, would wholeheartedly agree with the newspapers.

Maybe this was just you making movies in your head but those were always possibilities upon possibilities and they all pointed to failure. Your failure of saving the team and seeing it succeed if you caved in to them.

The weight on top of your knee moved higher up your leg, stopping mid-way on your thigh. Enraged out of your mind, you were about to swat if off like a fly just when Naozumi did the unthinkable - his thumb started rubbing the side of your leg in circles over the suit, alternating patterns. You could feel that touch burn even through the triple permeable fireproof layers, sending all your senses in override, heartbeat pounding louder in your ears with each languid stroke of his thumb.

Was he trying to calm you down? Or was this him riding on the wave of anger surfacing from the depths of your very being to make you inch closer to exploding? Because there was a thin line between the two and you struggled to find which direction he was steering in today.

Strangely, that mildly provoking but oddly comforting caress worked. It calmed you down and drowned the black hole your mind went down into, bringing your focus back on the task at hand - giving the reporter an answer before your silence was taken as one.

"I'm afraid not," you responded, your voice bouncing back way too quiet on the microphone for it to sound like you were sure of yourself.

A handful of chuckles erupted behind you, rippling down into the audience and the rest of the media crews around the room.

"Everyone has an expiry date on their contracts, doll," commented a gruff voice from behind you. "Better find it out before the press does," they added with a chuckle.

You turned around to match the rude remarks with Katsumi's face, driver for Top Rank Racing. From what you knew about the man, he's been in rally long enough to know that he was right. Though he could've delivered that a bit more nicely.

Casting an unsure look at Kate, you saw her beckon you to say something else, mouthing several pointers that fell unheard with your growing unease. There was nothing else to say. That was the pure truth. No one had a safe seat in rally, except if you were Akira with loads of talent or Naozumi with a shit ton of cash to throw around. But you... you were lucky if there was a next year for you at all. And that might just be the case for your team too, whether it takes off or it burns to charred ashes again. Whether they keep you with them or not. And that realization hurt the deepest of them all.

"There you go again with useless questions, Misano," spoke Naozumi, successfully diverting your attention away from a meltdown.

His voice carried out smooth like whiskey over the shushed murmurs in the room, able to charm the attention of even the stingiest creature. His dark brown eyes were throwing sharp daggers with the aim to impel the man in the middle of the press convoy, almost like he had some personal vendetta against him, able to see past his journalistic tricks better than anyone.

From the few words he uttered your way you could tell why.

"Why don't you wrack your brain for something more interesting to ask?" he added bitterly.

Misano could only glare at him, shifting his attention from you to the man beside you, much more poison seeping from his tone at being interrupted.

"I was just about to get to you Naozumi. Impatient as always," he sneered. "I do have a really good one," he chuckled lowly to himself, like he was about to get the scoop of the century.

Naozumi was absolutely unfazed by his tactics. Just like you were, before he opened his mouth.

"You and Shinkai are in quite the fight to reach the higher ranks of the WRC. Did you solve the misunderstandings from last year to prevent more incidents from happening this time around?"

Naozumi laughed dryly at that, averting his eyes away from the man so overzealous for drama. When his eyes fell back on him, it wasn't with the same playful gaze reserved for toying around with people, but with raw hunger to rip him to shreds until every other word he was dying to write was out and cut to tiny little pieces on the floor.

Even you shuddered at the intensity of that look. You thanked the heavens it wasn't directed at you. If you were in Misano's shoes, you would shove those words back down your throat and run to puke them out somewhere they would be more well received, like the trash can outside, right around the door. That might do everyone in here a favor.

Naozumi finally let go of your leg, turning around in his seat to face the press with more interest. You breathed a small sigh of relief at the loss of contact. But a small part of you mourned the reassurance it provided for a short while, letting the nerves about your future race back up your spine again. At least they were dimmer now, since you put your focus on the charade of power to your left.

"If by misunderstanding you mean forced damage to my car," paused Naozumi with an icy grin matching the gaze that never once faltered from Misano, "then no, we didn't solve anything."

He delivered that affirmation so smoothly that even you leaned over the table to get a better look at him. Contrary to the calmness in his voice, there was a furious annoyance taking over his features. One far more irritated than the other looks you've seen him sport in the past three days.

"You can't solve misunderstandings with hardheaded people," piped in Akira, matching the same sweet venom in Naozumi's voice.

Naozumi could only smirk coldly, dropping his gaze to his team racing suit before he aimed it at Akira.

"That's where you're wrong," corrected Naozumi. "You can't solve misunderstandings with irresponsible people that can't admit to their faults."

It was Akira's turn to be vexed, staring down the man on his right. Those eyes, softer than melted chocolate, turned into the most violent tempest catching speed by the second. Though he wasn't necessarily asked a question, he was just as involved in the one served to Naozumi, so he turned to Misano with a comment.

"I think what Naozumi means by that is that some things are better left in the past. Or swept under the rug for the sake of it."

Point, aim and shoot.

"Let's leave the talking to the track," grinned Akira, patting Naozumi's shoulder in feign respect.

Naozumi broke into a toothy smile, tongue coming out to swipe over his teeth in disbelief. That smile grew and grew until it matched Akira's, just like a Cheshire cat. Then he leant over to him, whispering something in his ear. A threat you just so happened to hear.

"Stay the fuck away from my track. And don't fool yourself that thing was accidental to free your conscience" he mumbled.

The cameras flashed to immortalize the moment, making sure to get all sides of the burning declaration of war. They held each other's gaze with impending rage, pumping hard enough to blow out big dark fumes like messenger torches.

Keeping levelheaded and avoiding conflicts of interest was a rule their agents were probably negotiating with them, not even close to being able to enforce it.

From the looks of it, there was way more tension between the two than they let on with those loaded glances passed from one end of the paddock to the other in between stages. They had history that was better left unraveled for the sake of the rest of the season.

I take it back. The car reveal was a baby next to this shit show.

After that, the rest of the conference went by uneventfully. Surprisingly. The stifling tension however, was still palpable in the air. It was crazy how just one question from Misano turned the mood salty real fast. He hasn't asked anything else ever since, sitting merrily in the audience with a smug smirk, utterly pleased at causing an uproar.

The rest of the reporters went for decent questions as the drivers geared up for mayhem on track. As soon as the organisers let you, you dashed outside, welcoming the fresh breath of air and freedom away from that purgatory room.

Got nine more of those to endure.

"Not bad for your first press conference, rookie."

Was that supposed to be an encouraging pat on the back? If anything it sounded haughty and kind of condescending.

Does it hurt him to shed off some of that superior complex thing he has going on?

Upon remembering his game back in the conference room, you whirled around to him instantly, backing him in a corner so no one could hear your murderous intentions. The flames inside of you were leaping high and violent again. But that must have been the Naozumi effect at this point - setting you on fire then walking away only to come back and kindle you again whenever he saw fit.

"Don't ever touch me again or I will rip your hands and shove them down your cars' exhaust. Understood?"

"It was a good distraction though, wasn't it?" he smirked, pinning you with that knowing look of his that made you want to spit fire like a dragon.

"It was so fucking unnecessary-" you stopped, the rest of your words dying in your throat. "It was so -," you growled. "You're so -"

You gave up on speaking. There was no point in explaining why punching him was the right thing to do because the more you looked at it you realized he was right. That playful stroke was a good distraction from going berserk with all those demons patiently waiting to pick you apart like flies that dove into shit on the side of the road. Even if it was for a while, he managed to calm down your stormy temper. It was a miracle for anyone to even do that in the first place.

He leaned down to you, stopping just a few inches off your face. His eyes drifted down to your lips for a brief second before securing your gaze again with that dark look of his that has probably disarmed more girls than you could count on all your existent fingers, hands and toes included.

"That's what I thought," he said as teasingly soft as a brush on canvas.

Before you could say anything else he walked off, leaving you dumbfounded with your tongue poking your cheek, and kind of questioning your sanity.

He's so goddamn infuriating.

Back in your pen, you took off the suit, changing back in the team kit and made a beeline for the car. There was no time to waste. The crew gathered around you in a heartbeat, waiting for your directions.

The skilled gazes laid on you, full of years of garage work, made you very aware of the fact that they expected full professionalism from you.

God, I hope this works.

"Okay so, we need to change the oil filter," you started. "The oil inside is contaminated and from the looks of it, it's not usable anymore. The filter itself appears to have blown a gasket, so that too needs replacing," you finished in one breath.

"But our oil person isn't here today," Akio, one of the mechanics, pointed out.

"Mister Hinode isn't," you sighed, hoping the old man was enjoying himself for taking the day off today of all days. "But I am. I watched him change enough oil filters back at the garage to know what I have to do."

"Very well. Lead the way," he replied with a nod, fully placing his trust in your hands.

Though slightly unsure, the rest of the team followed. Looking back at Tanaka, you saw him nod too, letting you know he had your back. At the silent show of support, you pushed the nerves away and got to work in your full element.

"What I need from you is a car lift, a drain pan, the new oil filter, and four or five liters of motor oil," you told the team. "Draining it will take about an hour, more or less, and replacing it a little less in theory. We have less than four hours until stage two so we can't afford to lose any time if we want to get something out of today."

"You heard the girl," clapped Tanaka, moving to get all hands on deck. "Let's move."

You turned to Sentaro and the electrical engineer.

"I need you guys to run the electrical checks again, now and after I finish changing the filter, in case anything else goes off and needs fixing so we're on top of it ASAP."

"Got it. Also, regarding the oil pressure, it was on high levels last night when we brought it back from the event, but we thought it was from being out on track for so long," he said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it. It can happen out of nowhere too, especially considering the roads I drove it down yesterday. But do ping Mr. Hinode in case there's something we're missing."

"Thanks, Raiko. You're a lifesaver," he said, walking back to his laptop.

Eh, I'm a what now? you blinked trying to take that compliment in. Shaking yourself out of it, you rolled up your sleeves to your elbows and worked to lift the car at an angle you could fit under it.

Pulling over a creeper, you leaned back and got under, looking for the oil plug under the dirty chassis. Finding it right away, just a little off the underside of the front bumper, you unscrewed it with a wrench. Barely twisted open, the splotchy black goo started spilling everywhere, much more liquid and disgusting than you thought it would be. What was on the dipstick was nothing compared to what spilled out on the sides of the plug. It smelled horrible, like murky grass and three days old mud had a biochemical hazard lovechild. And there was about four liters of that to drain out.

The more you unscrewed the plug, the more it splattered everywhere, some of it flying in your hair. Jerking away so it wouldn't land in your eyes, you turned the plug tugging it off completely. The oil flow doubled right away and you realized you should've had the drain pan under it before you unscrewed it.

"Fucks sake," you grunted, holding out a hand to whoever was close by. "Loosen the oil cap on the top and hand me the drain pan."

A hand pushed the drain pan into your own and you moved fast to shove it under the oil drain, to avoid more of it staining the asphalt.

You slid out from under the hood to breathe in some fresh air, meeting with Kate and Tanaka's faces, looking at you with matching disgusted looks as they took in your very contaminated appearance.

"Your face..." started Kate, pointing at your face as she pinched her nose.

"All natural," you shot back. "You should try it sometimes."

Tanaka howled a laugh as he pulled you up from the ground, handing you a few clean cloths. You wiped your hair as best as you could, frowning at the dirt coming out of it. That will take a lot of showers to take out.

"Now what?"

"Now we wait. And make other checks on the car to make sure nothing else is broken."

Come on, pick up.

Pacing the dusty ground above the stands, you listened as the line rang and rang, each dial tone pumping the nerves back in your system. You were starting to regret this until he finally picked up on the seventh ring.

"I'm in a meeting right now," filtered your father's shushed voice through the phone.

Of course he's in a meeting. That's why he left early this morning. In the chaos with the car and the press, you forgot all about that. Now the scope of the call didn't even really seem that important anymore, preoccupied with the fact that you interrupted something that probably was.

"Raiko? Are you there?"

A car whizzed past on track, pulling roars of cheers from the crowd, prompting you to find a quieter corner.

Was there even a point in asking that?

Fuck it. Just get it over with.

"Does...," you started, but the rest of the words got lost somewhere in the mess in your head. You took a deep breath and tried again, this time sounding a bit more composed. "Does my contract have an expiration date?"

He could tell something was off. You could be as composed as you wanted, but your father could always pick up on the uncertainty laced in your voice.

You heard shuffling, rushed goodbyes and a door closing shut, before a chair creaked. His voice came through more clearly now.

"Of course not. I told you you're welcome to drive for Suruki Racing until you no longer wish to."

Those were the same words you said out loud to the reporter just last night, so sure of yourself and knowing what you wanted that it would be impossible for anyone to second guess it or even challenge your claim to the seat in the team. Until smug-face opened his mouth to comment on it in the press conference today.

"Is everything alright, Rai? I know I left in a rush but if there's anything you need, please let me know."

"Everything's alright," you reassured him, trying to sound more on top of the situation than you felt. "Sorry for disturbing the meeting."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I could use a break," he chuckled, making you chuckle too.

It was so good to finally talk to him like that. Like you were father and daughter for once in a while, before being team principal and driver.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" he asked again, willing to listen to any concerns you had, big or small.

"Yeah," you sighed softly. "It is now. Thanks dad."

He could tell there was more to it than you were telling him, like the issues with the car and missing the first stage, but you didn't push it. Tanaka would catch him up on it later anyways. There was no use in railing him up on a plane right now.

"Always, firebolt. Good luck out there."

That always was your I love you. He wasn't one to be a softie for cheesy stuff, like blurting out those three words, but that always never failed to reassure you that you'll get through anything and come out on the bright side. No matter what.

"Good luck to you too," you piped up, ending the call.

Looking ahead, you caught sight of the Spica Racing blue hues right on time, approaching a rocky corner. Naozumi took it so effortlessly before diving into the last drift portion taking it wide, closer to the barrier, lifting the dust and gravel off the ground to fly off in the stands like a gust of sand.

You backed away coughing a little, shaking your head with a smile at the gesture that was one hundred percent intentional.

At least someone's having fun today.

You got back to the pen at the same time Naozumi pulled up. He got out of the car much more pleased with his run than he has these past few days. He didn't even yell at his engineers this time. Peace and quiet ruled the Sigma Racing pen surprisingly.

Unfortunately for your short lived peace of mind, he caught sight of you and turned your way with a smile as wide as his pride must be flowing in from head to booted feet for completing a stage this nice. If only you had the chance to go out on the road too.

The closer he got to you, he eyed you from head to toe, taking you in all your muddy glory, scrunching his nose at the smell that was still glued to you like you sprayed on intense dirt road cologne. The nasty kind that barely washes out of your clothes after rolling in it. Your clothes also reeked of motor oil. If someone had a flint they might as well light you on fire if you just breathed in their direction.

"What happened to you?" he frowned. "Did you DNF into a bush of skunks or something?"

"Haha, really funny," you deadpanned. "I didn't even start the race for that matter."

Throwing a look at the scoreboard in your pen since it was closest, he scoured all the names of the drivers until his eyes landed on yours, staring back at him with a DNS in bold letters, right at the bottom of the grid. Shameful and defeated wouldn't even begin to explain your sour mood.

"What? How did you even manage that?"

Was he actually concerned or was he just planning to fumble the bag for more insults based on your answer? Closing in on the playful glint in his eyes, it was probably the latter and you were not in the mood for it. At all.

"Engine issues," you sighed, slumping in defeat.

It's been half an hour and you were still waiting for the oil to finish draining before you could actually fix anything. Time was ticking away and so were your hopes of somehow participating in the second stage.

"You missed a spot," he said, gesturing to your face.

Bringing your hands up, you wiped them everywhere coming up entirely clean. Is he seeing things?

He shook his head before coming closer, wiping his thumb over the tip of your nose. Your heart thrummed in your ears, drowning everything else around you but his touch and how close he was. Feeling the callused pads of his fingers on your skin, without all those fibrous layers of the suit between you, felt like being touched by millions of sparks of electricity at the same time. Heat surged on your cheeks quicker than you could hide it.

Him being him, he just had to ruin the moment. Not that there was one there.

Instead of getting the splotch of mud away, he smudged it all across your cheeks with a grin.

"There. Much better," he concluded, stepping back from you, proud of his outstanding work of art.

That only provoked you, flipping the switch on your rage. You kept it under wraps long enough and at this point, he was just asking for it. Not your fault his decency sensors must have been broken since he was born and folded in a blanket.

"I told you not to touch me ever again," you rasped, swatting his hand away a bit too violently.

"Hmm, I don't recall," he hummed, wiping his thumb on his suit to get rid of the dirt splotch he scooped from your nose. "It was probably an empty threat."

An empty threat? Hah. He's really starting to piss me the fuck off.

"What the fuck is your problem?"

Because he had many of them and most of his recent issues included disturbing your peace on an undetermined period.

"I don't really have a problem, rookie," he shrugged nonchalantly.

"Stop calling me that," you seethed. "I'm not a rookie," you breathed out with eyes closed to try and calm the fuse inside of you before it blew. Though you didn't mind if it blew in front of Naozumi's face and set him on fire a little.

"Oh, but you are." He took a step closer to you, broad shoulders branching out to appear more intimidating. "Need I remind you that you stepped foot in the car not even two days ago? A rookie stays a rookie until they prove themselves worthy of the road."

"You think you're the shit, don't you?"

"And you are?" he chuckled darkly. "You don't have the guts for it. Why don't you go back to being daddy's little spoiled princess, driving plastic cars, since it's very obvious you can't drive a real one?"

Naozumi had a talent at making sure his words drove straight to their recipient, cutting deeper than intended, at times with a purpose more painful than the edge of a knife could do damage.

But words were empty to you. You trained yourself not to believe the little white lies and rumors people tried to feed you to stay as far away from letting it affect you as possible. This was just another one of those confrontations meant to throw you off and undo the steps you've already done on the climb towards the top.

Hard pass on downgrading. But nice try.

"At least I'm not the idiot that wrecked the car in the easiest turn in the whole region just yesterday, driving it full speed with an engine failure only to blame it on my team. It takes real skill to pull that off."

His jaw ticked with fresh blood. You definitely ticked a nerve with that. If you're throwing knives at each other, might as well throw them deep just for the funk of it.

"At least I didn't get a DNF and a DNS first time on the job. Your father may have put that winning image in your head to motivate you, but if you think it will be that easy, you're wrong. You will always be a rookie and there's nothing you can do to help it."

If that was supposed to make it hurt more, boohoo, it missed it's mark. Kinda late to the pity party. Might invite you next time.

"Oh, you're one to talk," you scoffed incredulously. "You're nothing without your team and you can't even see that. What's gonna happen when they all walk out and leave you stranded to work on the car all by yourself? Will you magically pay your way out of it by hiring other people?"

"That's none of your business," he hissed.

"Real drivers help their team," you growled.

You were overtaken by a sense of kinship for your team stronger than anything the world could say or throw at you. He probably knew nothing about what it means to make constant sacrifices for something you love body and soul. But he sure had the nerve to come and preach it to you like a total hypocrite since the rules of normal society apparently don't apply to him but they do to everyone else.

"You don't get to tell me how to be a driver," he shot back, tone becoming more menacing with every word.

"And you don't get to trample all over my hard work. My team's hard work. Don't talk to me about privilege when you're living off it just fine."

You didn't even notice you closed the distance to him, getting right up in his face, seeping into his space once more, this time with a different kind of savagery - one that felt a lot like unleashing chaos. You were a brief remark away from spearing your claws out for some physical atoning.

"You don't know shit," he growled, towering over you. "So I suggest you to back the fuck off."

"Or what?," you gritted back.

The corner of his lip turned up with a dark wicked smirk, a warning pledge of fast approaching colossal disaster, just like the words rumbling out of his throat, low and deep like thunder.

"I'll make sure the rest of your time here," he paused, raven eyes boring into yours with intensity before he whispered the last words a mere breath away from your lips, "is a living hell."

A living hell?

I'm already living hell, pretty boy.

You simply chuckled at that. He had no idea that you laughed in the face of danger. He must have thought you were crazy for it. It took more than a threat to steer your wheels in that direction. The direction of sin.

His head tilted in slight confusion at your reaction, though his eyes never left their furious fire behind. You quipped a brow, silently accepting his challenge, wondering just how far he could go to prove a point and preserve his pride in the face of a mere rookie.

"I'd like to see you try."

"You're gonna regret this."

This man loved to make enemies with everyone. But he picked the wrong person to start the fight with. Unfortunately for him and his loud wrathful thunder, vengeful lightning always strikes twice. Always.

"We'll see about that."

Not another word came out of his mouth. But you knew better than to accept his silence as a retreat. His mouth curved, a devilish grin over it, as if he already started devising a wicked little plan in his head to pull the earth from under your feet when you weren't looking.

Regarding you with one more look full of hatred, he pulled back, walking off to his pen.

Little did he know, he just met his match.

Regrets... you had many for yourself. But you were sure as hell that him of all people was the last one to add to them.

Never in a million years would you let that happen.

I wouldn't wish hell upon anyone. Especially mine. But if I had the choice to curse one person in the whole wide world right now...

I would curse him in a heartbeat.

You were sitting outside the pen, glaring at Naozumi's back, until Tanaka called out to you.

"Raiko. The oil has drained out.," he said, stopping in his tracks. "What are you doing out here?"

Googling ways to overcome your enemies with the power of forced distance.

"Nothing," you scoffed, heading back inside.

Time to get dirtier than my soul.

Taking your place back under the car, you worked on changing the oil filter with a new one. Screwing off the old filter entirely by hand, the leftover oil spilled everywhere again. At least there wasn't that much left in the basin to really stain anything.

It would've been nice not to have to do this with your bare hands, but you've been Mr. Hinode's human flashlight enough to know that the filter can only be tightened by a bare hand to make sure it's in the right spot and that none of it can leak out.

"Could you hand me a filter wrench?"

"Here," popped in Akio's head, who now became your human flashlight.

"Thanks."

A little shimmying and the old broken filter finally popped out with the rest of the oil leaking out down your arms. The last drop fell on your forehead. A good luck omen? We shall see.

Passing it to Akio, you motioned to him to shine some light on the broken filter. You noticed the head gasket was indeed damaged.

"Is the new filter ready and rubbed with oil yet?"

"Yep. Good to go?"

"Yeah."

Checking the engine block with the flash light one more time to make sure there weren't any other bits or parts stuck inside, you tried putting the new filter in. You struggled to make it do inside the engine block, moving down a little farther under the car. Not a fun thrill to experience with a ton hanging above you lifted by a tool weighing less.

Please don't crush me, hun. I drive you but I can assure you that you don't want to drive me.

Spinning the part to the right, you finally got it in, puffing out a breath. You screwed it on until you felt it stop turning. You gave it another spin with your hand before you tightened it with a wrench the rest of the way.

"We should be good to go now. Pour the motor oil in."

One of the mechanics poured the oil in on top. You waited to see if any of it would still leak out only to see none.

The new oil filter was successfully attached.

Well fuck me, I just did that.

Rolling out from under the car, you breathed out a sigh of relief as the team started applauding you and howling your name out of nowhere.

"Raiko! Raiko! Raiko!"

"Oh, shut the fuck up."

They all laughed at your antics. Tanaka and Sentaro pulled you up as the rest threw their cloths at you to send you to shower. Your team kit was sticking to you like you just took a dip in an oil lake, save for the sweat rolling down your back. That one belonged to you.

"You smell as bad as the car after a day on track and I'm saying that in the nicest way possible," said Akio.

"Haha, really funny," you laughed, throwing some of the cloths back with oil stains. "If I had a hose I would drench you all. Don't tempt me."

Little did you know that someone came around to check out what the ruckus next door was about. He watched you from the sidelines, running around to smear the oil on your hands on whoever landed in your range of attack. Most of them didn't even move, welcoming your attack with defeated smiles. The corner of his lip tilted up in a delighted grin at the scene.

Maybe I underestimated her.

"Everything's got the green light, right?"

"Yes, Raiko," Tanaka reassured you for the hundredth time since you stepped in the car. "All other car checks came out good. Stop stressing."

"I'm not stressing."

Well, you kinda were since you lost a lot of points by retiring from the first stage. You needed a clear head before the race and after today it just wasn't happening. You fixed the car before it was time to race, but if you didn't do right by this one, you could kiss any advancement ahead in the series goodbye.

"You saved us today. Any other driver would've ripped their contract to pieces in front of the team if they had to get anywhere near motor oil."

"I think you're forgetting I'm not just any driver," you smirked, pulling your helmet on. "Let's do this shit."

You went out there and enjoyed it for the first time this weekend. Your run was smoother than anything else today. The corners were mostly wide, mid-range turns, and the car felt great with the new oil change. It would be another 3000 miles before you had to change it again and hopefully, the filter would last longer than that.

Even Tanaka seemed to enjoy himself. He didn't reach for the door handle not even once like he was used to whenever he was in the car with you. You did accelerate faster in some turns watching his hand come up halfway only to stop and retract back.

"6 left 100. Flat out."

One hundred meters left to the widest corner left in the race.

Come to mamma.

The dirt flew up in the air behind you, leaving a trail of dust on each side. You dove closer to the left where the stands were, taking the last corner with a large drift that rose up huge clouds of sand from your rear. You heard the roars of the crowd before the puckers from the slide over the gravel, all getting lost in the rave music booming through the speakers.

This is what racing was about. Leaving it all in the hands of the wheel for two minutes where the world quieted down. Being on a one track mind.

Once every driver went for their run, you sat on the hood with the rest of the team waiting for the final update of the track times. You chewed your lip in thinking, tapping your foot on the floor.

I hope all those sacrifices weren't in vain. We all worked way too hard to fall off the track right now. We need this right now.

The scoreboard loaded to display the first three names and all heads perked forward. No one spoke. Not even the wind dared to rustle a banner.

1st place - Naozumi Hiyama - Spica Racing Factory

2nd place - Akira Shinkai - Sigma Racing

3rd place - Takatoshi Tohira - YM Works

Naozumi's ego was strong today. He just so managed to bag podium after that whole show of arrogance. Fucker. Pushing your annoyance for the man away, you focused back on the board.

Come on, load faster.

4th place - Katsumi Ishibashi - Top Rank

I can kiss top five for Tour de Tokai goodbye. So long world.

5th place - Raiko Suruki - Suruki Racing

What the fuck-

Loud cheers erupted all around you like the national football team just won the World Cup. That was totally impossible but you did it. You placed in the first point rankings. You were in top five! Still far away from the podium, but at least you didn't fall off the scoreboard.

Before you even said anything, the screen updated to display the Drivers Championship standings so far.

1. Akira Shinkai - Sigma Racing - 61 pts

2. Naozumi Hiyama - Spica Racing Factory - 53 pts

3. Neil Emerton - Cusco Racing - 47 pts

4. Takatoshi Tohira - YM Works - 38 pts

5. Fairuz Badawi - Eliot Racing - 31 pts

6. Katsumi Ishibashi - TOP RANK - 28 pts

7. Raiko Suruki - Suruki Racing - 25 pts

"It's not much, but they're good points," said Tanaka, patting you on the back. "Amazing work today, lightning strike."

Turning back to everyone, you called out to them. The team gave you their full undivided attention. Your team. Most of these people saw you grow up from a rowdy teenager into the driver you are today. They were more than your team. They were your extended family. You owed them everything.

"I know dad's not here today, but someone has to do the honorary speech" you clapped your hands together, trying to will some normal words out.

"I wouldn't have been able to get out there without you guys. You're the reason this team works like oiled parts, no pun intended."

Some of them laughed at that. You happened to have your father's humor.

"I know there's no podium celebration for us this time, but I will work even harder to bring it to you soon. For now, please rest up, eat well and stay safe. The Fuji Highland Masters round is nearby so we need to get in the gear for it soon."

"Raiko! Raiko! Raiko!"

"Guys, please stop," you giggled, suddenly flustered at all the attention. "Come on, go home. Before the organizers kick us out."

Grabbing your duffel bag with your things, you went back to the race banner. You pulled out your phone and took a photo of it and a selfie.

Your career officially started. It was a rocky start and the climb up to even get a chance at podium was even rockier. But you were willing to fight for it with your teeth.

Suruki Racing was born again this weekend and you were planning to keep it alive for longer than it has before.

Turning around, you cast a look at the podium. Naozumi just received his trophy, smashing the champagne bottle to spray the crowd. That million dollar smile was back on his face, wider and brighter than you've seen it. It almost looked real. Among all that lust for fame and money in his blood, he looked like he fit right in with the haze of celebration. Like he was made to be a winner.

On the other side of the podium, Akira lifted his 2nd place trophy too, fully enjoying the squeals from his fans. You didn't know what came over you, but you pulled your phone out to snap a picture of both of them for safekeeping.

Spotting you on the side about to leave, Akira took off in your direction. His hand tugged on your arm to spin you around.

"Hey!"

"Hey, you," you smiled. "Second place, huh?"

He looked down at the trophy with a small smile, not really reaching his eyes like usual.

"Yeah. Not my best drive but it's alright."

"Could say the same."

"Are you coming to the party?"

"The famed afterparty on Naozumi's yacht?" You looked back at the podium, watching him throw the champagne bottle down his throat, spilling everywhere on his suit in the process. "No, thanks. I'll pass."

"He wants everyone on the grid there. Though I would much rather not go, my agent said it's good publicity. To tame the media after that stunt today or something like that. So, come with me."

After declaring each other mortal enemies, you wanted nothing to do with Naozumi at all. Not even being in his range of view. Going to a party, on his yacht, in the middle of a body of water was the last thing you needed.

"I'll think about it."

A staff member came to pull him away for a quick press interview. He seemed adamant to leave but you waved him off. You were in need of a shower before the mud became one with your skin.

"I have to go," he pressed his lips together in a smile, dimples popping on the sides. "See you back in Tokyo?"

"Sure."

Would going to that party be so bad? I could definitely use some alcohol and if it's free, why the hell not? He must have expensive alcohol on board. I can let my pride go for a free drink.

There was no lie that Tokyo's skyline looked so magical at night, especially on a yacht ride down the central river. Skyscrapers stretched out into the sky, multicolored lights blinking back at you with sparkles. The rich really had this superb view every night and they barely took a ride here if it wasn't for business purposes.

At least yours truly knows how to pick a party location.

Speaking of the man of the hour, you counted about eight girls around him from your secluded spot at the bar. You could hear their high-pitched voices all the way there, asking him all kinds of questions about himself and the car. He just hummed in response to all of them, focusing his attention elsewhere.

If today wasn't so shit and he didn't literally declare war to you, you might have just been a tad bit happy for him. The most you mustered was a mumbled congratulations when you boarded the ship. He just passed you a grin and left it at that.

He doesn't deserve my cheerfulness. He gets it from the world enough as it is. Plus the fact that he invited everyone on his yacht just in spite.

None of the drinks at the bar were for free and most were too expensive for your pocket, so you had to drink a mocktail. Even his hospitability was in mocking.

More girls scooched closer to get a piece of him, tanned arms and bare legs brushing up against him from all sides. He didn't even seem to be bothered in the slightest that his space was being taken up. But he did mind when it was you doing it.

"Then let's make a toast again!"

"Cheers!"

"Congratulations on being the champion!"

The girls cheered and clinked glasses, sipping on the expensive champagne. He joined on the clinking too, though he didn't drink with them, keeping his glass aside.

His eyes drifted from the champagne glass in his hand to you. The small smile on his face turned into a smirk of provocation. A smirk that went right to the epicenter of your rage. He came to kindle that fire again.

Before you knew it, you made a beeline through the crowd stopping right in front of his table. The girls shot you disapproving looks, sizing you up and down in every way they wanted. Picking apart your messy, tousled hair. Your tomboy outfit. Some even mumbled something about your nails not being in fashion. You shot them a look and they stopped looking at you altogether.

Naozumi just regarded you with a knowing look, averting his eyes to the water surrounding the boat in dismissal. You just stood there with your arms crossed, waiting for him to stop his passive ignorance.

"Got something to say to me, rookie?"

Would he explode if he just called me by my name?

"I do actually."

"Then," he extended a hand around one of the girls getting more comfortable with her. She snuggled into his body, giddiness taking over her for getting so close to him. You could feel the jealousy oozing off the other girls, waiting for their turn. "Let's hear it."

He really does have a thing for public humiliation.

Akira stepped beside you, lightly pulling at the sleeve of your leather jacket to get you away from trouble. Little did he know you loved trouble more than anything in the world. Especially when it involved a certain know-it-all with an annoyingly handsome face.

"Rai, let's go," he muttered, aware that some people turned around to watch the scene. "You're better than him. Don't give him the satisfaction."

"I wasn't talking to you, Shinkai," spat Naozumi, not once lifting his eyes away from you. Not even when the girl at his side caressed the side of his neck with obvious want. "Go lick the boots of your own team principal."

"Talk, rookie. Or did the cat get your tongue?"

You want war on and off track, Naozumi?

You have it.

The words were out of your mouth in a heartbeat, not one thought behind them. Nothing but the sole need to see how he would react to being challenged publicly.

"Let's settle it on the road. You and me. Our cars back at the docks."

An illegal race on the streets of Tokyo. Might as well be career suicide for some. But you had way too hanging by a thread, while he only had his pride. Taking that away would be like shoving him off his throne and sitting on it like it was yours.

Best case scenario, you win and leave him with a shattered ego.

Worst case scenario, you lose or end your career.

The only good thing was that the odds were in no one's favour out there on the road. It took skill to win an illegal race in a city that was built up on street racing of the highest stakes.

"What does the winner get?"

"Always so set on winning, aren't you? Would losing something dim your small manly pride?"

His tongue pushed his cheek in the same annoyed manner it would at his brother reprimanding him for being incapable of listening to simple directions.

"That's between you and me," you added, settling on making this as private as you could.

The sudden realization was written all over his face. He knew what you were referring to since you threw his very own words back at him.

"A rookie stays a rookie until they prove themselves worthy of the road."

Ripples of gasps echoed around you, people already murmuring things about you. Until the rumors started being directed at Naozumi and his ability to drive. It was time for him to prove himself worthy of the crowd as well.

Naozumi sat back swirling the champagne in his glass until the liquid was left without bubbles. He seemed to give it a good thought.

There was that curiosity dancing in his eyes again. The same rush of novelty measuring up on your very own. He wanted to know where you would take this if he gave you the chance.

"Fine by me," he said, taking you up on your offer.

Shaking off the female arms circled around him, he got up and threw back that glass of champagne emptying it in one go, before calling out to the captain to turn the boat around. He walked to you, stopping mere steps away from you.

"Where?"

"The hill over there down to the docks. No time cuts, no tricks."

"You shouldn't drive after drinking," you remarked.

He smirked, taking one more step towards you. "Are you worried about me, princess?"

"No," you said, taking one step in his direction.

One more step from each of you and you were chest to chest, facing off like it was a real battle for the very pride of driving. People made a circle around you, staying away from the tension already wafting through the air.

He bent down to your ear. "To settle your worries, it was non-alcoholic champagne. But don't let them know. I keep my alcohol for the big wins."

He really was the biggest asshole on the planet.

The two of you were the first to get off the boat and find your cars, driving them up the top of the hill with some of the crowd from the yacht following right behind. It would be a drive down through traffic and tight corners but it looked much more doable than the roads you've driven through today.

You heard his car purring before he pulled up next to you turning in your seat to gawk at it - a midnight blue R8, a beast of a car compared to yours.

It was an older model, so overpacked with modifications it made your head spin. Nothing on that car looked like it belonged on it and you had a hunch that long hood curving over the engine held a lot more mysteries than the outside body of the car.

He rolled down his window, leaning a hand over it to check yours out too. He scanned it back to front and from the twinge in his lips, he appeared impressed by your weapon of choice. Who wouldn't gape at it when yours was a collection car worth more than three of his yachts together.

"Veilside RX-7. Not bad for a rookie."

He sounded genuinely respectful.

"Thanks."

"I'll give you a five seconds head start," he added.

"I think you could use them a lot more than me," you shot back.

He revved his V8 engine, roaring it to life like a lion looking to claim his rightful throne. You did the same, revving your V6 longer to prepare it for the sprint race. Your engine missed two cylinders and some horsepower but yours had way better grip on the road. Though small compared to his speed intake, you had a shot at winning this.

He was big and wide, a monster under the hood but one that got swallowed on serpentine roads like the one that awaited you. It was a show car. It wasn't made for racing. That and your car was smaller and bunchier, meaning you were able to whizz through corners much faster if needed.

He can't beat me at what I know best.

I was born with the drift in my veins.

And illegal street racing?

Not my first rodeo, pretty boy.

Someone walked to the front stopping between your cars. It was the blonde woman from last night. Shorts that were shorter than your lifespan climbed up her buttocks, joined by a tank top that hugged her boobs better than any of your bras could. A checkered flag hang in her hand, getting rustled by the cool night breeze.

"Not too late to back out," he piped up.

"See you at the finish line. That is if you can keep up," you said, rolling up your window to avoid more of his attitude from seeping inside your car.

You cast a look down to your right at the docks then turned back around to the road.

On second thoughts, Tokyo's skyline looks way better from up here.

The blonde rolled her hand with the flag calling out a count and holding up her fingers. The crowd cheered behind you, already getting gassed by the fumes burning out through the exhausts.

"Three."

It's not about how fast you go.

You revved the engine loud, feeling the car shake with the raw horsepower under the hood.

"Two."

It's about how long you go fast.

Throwing a look at Naozumi, you caught him looking right back at you, that shit-eating grin back on his face.

Fast like lightning.

"GO!"

The flag barely hit the floor when you pressed the gas like a madman. His extra horsepower propelled him a few meters ahead of you. You kept close on his tail, letting him take the tight corners before you so he felt it on his own skin that this wasn't the type of road to get cocky on. Not with a million dollar car like his.

Passing the first two corners, he moved to the middle of the road to cover more ground. He must have realized his car takes way too much space to even drift. And this was a drifting road.

The next corner gave him an opening to shift gears and drift. You went on the outside, trying to overtake him but he was way too wide to get past. You needed a wider corner.

Moving around a rocky hillside, you noticed the road barriers curving down into a wider path, less narrow with more flow.

Naozumi slowed down, reducing his drift angle in the process, rear jerking in a light drift. That's my cue. You pulled the hand brake, pressed down the clutch then quickly stabbed the gas, turning the steering to the left. Accelerating, you flew past him, sliding in front of his car over the middle of the road, slick and smooth like butter on a hot frying pan.

The next turn was just as wide. He accelerated trying to get past you and he almost did if you didn't know him any better. You took the drift faster than him, with the risk of letting the car skid off the road. The tyres screeched loudly at the excess of pressure. Thinking fast, you dropped in the clutch moving down in second gear, finding the sweet spot where the rotations aligned and swerved left into another perfect drift. The roaring growl of the engine was music to your ears.

This is how you drive a car, baby.

A few more turns and you skidded out into intense night traffic. The move from rough to slick asphalt sent your rear wide in the middle of an intersection, passing a red light and being honked at from all sides of the intersection. Naozumi followed right behind you, mere meters away from smashing into your tail lights if you slowed down in the slightest.

You entered a tunnel, whizzing past city cars as fast as you could, overtaking them in fast twisting zig zags. Going back down the hill of the main road, he slid in beside you, pushing the car to its limits to close the gap to you. You didn't let off either, dropping down another gear to rev the engine and push past him.

The docks were just a few blocks away. So close.

Police sirens howled loudly in the distance. One look in the rearview mirror and sure enough the red and blue lights shone bright behind you, heading for you and Naozumi.

Three more police cars pulled up two blocks down, trying to block the street and the two of you from passing through. You shot him a quick look he shared with you, fully aware that this was going to get messy. He threw his head to the blocks on the side, wanting to take the longer route and go around. You laughed at that, turning back ahead.

Go hide, Naozumi. I like to face things head on. You should try it sometimes.

Pressing the gas pedal to increase the speed, you slid in front of him and went through fast. The hands on your speedometer went past 120 kmph. If the officers didn't want to get crushed, they had to pull away. But they didn't. Not that you wanted them to.

You cut the gas, tapped the clutch and steered left really tight, drifting down the lane of the street that was left unguarded. You held on tight to the wheel to stay in control of the car as the force pushed you into the door. Your tyres skidded with a screech at the amount of power, but you drifted into that lane and got the car back around straight, leaving the law enforcement behind you.

Two hundred meters in, you repeated the same maneuver this time to the right and steering wide, diving into another turn down the street, completely losing them. The farther away you got, the less you could hear the sirens. They didn't follow.

One thing about police here: they didn't give a fuck if they didn't stop you on the first try. With the amount of street races around Tokyo at night, they gave up on speeding tickets too. If you can do better than one-eighty they can't catch you. They just liked showing up for some ruckus for people to know they were worth their taxes.

Naozumi slowed down behind you, unable to understand how you got away. He followed your drift on the stretch, miscalculating how wide and low he was as his wheels got up on the sidewalk, scraping his front bumper in the process.

Circling around the last blocks with him in tow, he raced up to you, catching speed until he reached you again.

Now it was finally head to head.

Eight hundred meters stood between his dignity and your career getting knocked off and thrown into the river. None of you backed off, increasing the speed to inhumane limits. Not even the rally cars went this fast. The tyres gripped the asphalt hard, engine thundering under the hood, wheel quivering in your hold the faster you drove.

Five hundred meters.

On your left, his R8 got closer, trying to take away from your ascent. A lower portion going under a bridge came up ahead with a tight corner between the pillars. You veered under it, drifting with his car at the same time. He took the inside pushing you off into the rocky sidewalk as payback for his scratched bumper. Your rear wheel caught onto it, swaying the car off the road. The tremors shook your seat the more you drove over the rocks and you managed to get off it just before you smashed into the pillar, sliding back on the road.

Motherfucker.

You pushed the car even faster to catch up to him. You played fair and square and he was pulling tricks. Fairplay was in the trash at this point when it comes to him. What was worse was that you expected more, but maybe that was a mistake.

Three hundred meters.

The size of a football stadium stood between you and the finish line. The docks were now in view, tall and shabby warehouses littered on the sides of the road. Time for Plan B.

Just because I don't have one between my legs doesn't mean I can't act like a dick too.

You let go of the throttle, slowing down to fall behind him and tailed him, sticking to his end like a leech. He liked to play dirty. At least he could have a taste of his own medicine.

He tried to shake you off, going in chicanes and slowing down in the process. He was growing impatient and it showed because you weren't letting off his tail not in even a little, keeping close to his end. If you had more horsepower you could've kissed his back bumper for shits and giggles.

He tried his hardest to lose you, turns getting Once he steered right really wide, you took the opening and accelerated, speeding through ahead and leaving him behind. You turned to wave at him with a smile as you passed by, bolting through to the end.

You whizzed past the redhead waving the checkered flag, getting the crowd yelling as you drifted around them, lifting some of the dust up in the air as you did some victorious doughnuts. Naozumi pulled up behind you and you circled him a few times before you stopped in front of him.

That dark look in his eyes was full of hatred just a few hours ago. Now, it turned furious with rage, pride absolutely shattered. He took a gamble on your inexperience and he lost the game he started so confident in his own powers.

Everyone rushed to your car to cheer on you. You got out shocked at the crowd pooling in. Akira bolted through the endless mob of people, reaching you and bringing you in a bone-crushing hug you couldn't help but melt in.

"That was batshit crazy! We could see everything from down here."

"I know," your voice came out muffled from being tucked in his shoulder. "I can't believe I did that."

"Well," he pulled apart to hold onto your shoulders, "believe it 'cause you absolutely just did that."

The crowd started chanting your name and you couldn't help the giddiness overtaking your senses. Some of those people were either drivers or really famous and they were calling out your name with excitement.

You might have fallen off the track today but you won the crowd tonight. This was yours to enjoy fully and no one could take it away from you. You earned it. You proved that you belonged on the road.

Naozumi finally cut the engine off. He slumped back in his seat for a moment before he got out to inspect the damage on the front of his car. You walked over to him to see him threading his fingers over the scratched paint stretching over to a dent, covering a good part of the corner in front of the right wheel.

"That looks nasty," you said.

He shot you a look filled with hatred. That graze looked worse than nasty could describe and from how he grinded his teeth in annoyance, it looked like it was entirely your fault in his head.

Not one word was uttered between him getting back in his car and speeding away, leaving his victory celebration for you to enjoy.

I think I scratched his ego too.

Akira slid in beside you, eyes trained on the back of his car, watching it drift away until you could no longer see it.

"Is it wrong that I feel bad for him?"

"Nah, you earned this. He's just complicated." Then he paused, rotating to you. "Frankly, I don't think anyone threw him off his high horse this hard before. Not even me," he said with a grin, happy at Naozumi's demise.

Maybe he was right. Naozumi was a really complicated person. But the more you faced each other on and off track, the more you got to know more about him. And the more your hands inched closer to unravel that puzzle on the shelf with his name on it.

One thing was for sure.

After today's events, that plastic foil on his puzzle box was entirely gone. And one of your dying curiosities was satisfied tonight.

You now knew what made Naozumi tick.

And it wasn't losing.

🏎️Glossary of terms and other useful information 🏎️

The Points - Points in rally get awarded on a top 10 places basis. Depending on the placement at the end of the final stage, the score one gets differs. First place can get as high as 25 points, while tenth place gets only one point. *The last stage is called the Power Stage, giving drivers in top five extra points in the overall standings.

Drivers Championship standings - The overall points gathered over the course of all rounds. If you're familiar with F1, it is the equivalent to the Drivers' World Championship standings.

Downshift - One of Raiko's favourite things. Changing gears from an upper one to an inferior one, where the car revs up before it speeds up. Also the sweet spot where the rotations align and the engine roars.

Next

Thank you for reading! Please leave a note, comment or reblog :)

Taglist: @ellisaworld @howimeetyoukit @jonnelpunk @nadlx33333

[hananoami]

Misty Invasion

The New 5-Star Limited Rate UP Pool [Misty Invasion] Coming Soon

🤍Event Duration: Update on Aug. 7 – 4:59 AM, Aug. 27 (server time)

🤍Description

During the event, you can select three out of the four event-limited 5-Star Memories: [Xavier: No Restraint], [Zayne: Hidden Motive], [Rafayel: Omnipotent Perception], [Sylus: Lost Oasis]. The drop rate of the 3 Memories you selected will be significantly increased. Each time you obtain a 5-Star Memory, there's a 75% chance it will be one of the 3 Memories you selected.

During the event, you can change your selected Memories at any time. Each time you obtain a 5-Star Memory, the chance of obtaining the unselected event-limited Memory and other permanent 5-Star Memories will be 25%.

After the event ends, the four event-limited Memories will not be obtainable through other means and will not enter the permanent Wish Pool, Xspace Echo.

🤍Bonded Blessing: Wish Rewards

During the event, after making a certain number of Wishes, you can claim various rewards: At the 25th Wish, you can claim Universal Headwear: Velvet Bunny. At the 50/100/150th Wish, you can claim Deepspace Wish: Limited×5 each time. At the 75/125/175/225th Wish, you can choose to claim one love interest's Bathrobe Outfit each time. At the 200th Wish, you can choose one Memory among the four event-limited Memories: [Xavier: No Restraint], [Zayne: Hidden Motive], [Rafayel: Omnipotent Perception], [Sylus: Lost Oasis]. *Check the images below for details. The rewards are only available during this wish event.

🤍Limited-Time Memory Growth Bonus

During the event, by completing upgrade tasks of the four event-limited 5-Star Memories, you can claim various Upgrade and Ascension Materials. When the event-limited Memories reach Rank 1, you can claim the [special-color Bathrobe Outfit] for the corresponding love interest.

🤍About Wish Rules

All Limited Wish Pools share one pity system. A 5-Star Memory is guaranteed within a specific number of wishes. If the 5-Star Memory you have obtained from the Limited Wish Pool is not the event-limited Memory, you will obtain the event-limited Memory the next time you obtain a 5-Star Memory.

The pity count from the last Limited Wish Pool can be applied to this Limited Wish Pool, and pity count from this Wish Pool will also be applied to the upcoming Limited Wish Pool.

🤍About Precise Wish

During this event, you can use [Precise Wish] to choose one of the three selected event-limited 5-Star Memories. If your first 5-Star pull is not the one you choose with Precise Wish, then the next 5-Star Memory is guaranteed to be the one with Precise Wish.

Note:

After obtaining the 5-Star Memory you choose with Precise Wish, you can continue with your current Precise Wish choice or manually switch to a different event-limited Memory under the same rule.

Precise Wish can be manually changed or canceled. Please note that if you change or cancel your choice after obtaining a Memory which you didn't choose with Precise Wish, the Precise Wish Point will be reset, and you have to re-accumulate Wish Point to guarantee the next obtained 5-Star Memory to be the newly chosen one.

If no Precise Wish is made and where the 5-Star Memory obtained is not a limited 5-Star Memory exclusive to this event, your next 5-Star Memory will guarantee to be one of the three selected event-limited Memories. *You can read more about the event on the in-game rule page.

🎁First Top-Up Gift Reset

After the update on Aug. 7, the First Top-Up Gift for all Crystal packages in [Shop] will reset. For the first purchase of each Crystal package, you will receive an equal amount of bonus Diamonds.

🎁New Packs

During the event, the special [Aquatic Whisper Pack] and [Aquatic Reverie Pack] series will be available for purchase, which include the [Deepspace Wish: Limited] with a value price. Both [Deepspace Wish] and [Deepspace Wish: Limited] can be used for the Limited 5-Star Memory wishes, with the [Deepspace Wish: Limited] being prioritized for use. *After the event ends, [Deepspace Wish: Limited] will automatically convert to Empyrean Wishes.

[kovacs-of-courage]

Strange Days-- a small hyrule oneshot I wrote

Oh farore, don’t let it end like this.

Traveler, from the moment he began his quest, knew that it’d be the end of him. He just didn’t think that his last moments would be so drawn out. Yet here he was, the oh so mighty hero of hyrule, dying of blood loss. 

He struggled to walk, his knees were wobbly, it felt like he was walking on broken stilts. There was blood, oh so much blood, so much that he’d taken off his tunic as not to irreparably stain it. He’d been ambushed, a pack of moblins had patiently followed him until he’d made camp, and striked while he was asleep.

It happened so fast, before Traveler had grabbed his sword-- a spearhead had sunk its jaws into his abdomen. To the amazement of him, and whatever deity still watched out for him, he hadn’t died then and there. The pure, animalistic drive to survive took over, and his hands cast a ring of holy fire that made the moblins into little more than hallowed ash on the night winds.

And like those ashes, his magic supply was also gone with the wind. Thinking it over, Traveler realized he hadn’t slept in two days, as he’d wasted the previous night and morning away deliriously trying to harness non-existent magic to sustain himself. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead, his skin deathly pale. This was the closest he’d come to the brink. Traveler, hands trembling in fear of the forever unknown, managed to bandage the wound and stop the bleeding.

All was not lost, Traveler knew. Nothing was hopeless, not unless he let it be.

The region was one he frequented, he knew where it’s great fairy resided. He had a chance, albeit a fleeting one.

An undying hope and stubbornness pumped life through his heart, fueling his shambling march. It wasn’t an impressive look for him-- shirtless, bloodied bandages wrapped around his stomach, and shambling like a drunk redead through Hyrule's (mostly) empty roads. Oh, how Impa must be proud.

He’d made it several miles before a scream, a terrified one at that, rustled through the forest canopy. Traveler craned his head to the forest on his right, its verdant greenery spilling over onto the gravel trail. Traveler looked to his hands, coated in his own dried blood.

Traveler shook, tears welling up in his eyes.

He was barely holding it together as it was. Could he really fight? Could he do anything but lay down and die? He knew that if he left his path, he wouldn’t be coming back. 

He didn’t want to die.

In a silent, swift motion--Traveler’s hands reached to grab his sword. It felt heavier than ever before. He sucked in a breath, letting his lungs contract and expand freely. He winced, every irritation to his wounds was another thousand knives plunged into his nerves. He swallowed that pain. It’s not like he’d be feeling it for much longer anyway.

Shakenly, Traveler dragged himself over to the point of concern, his bandages loosening as he tried to speed up his pace. If someone was dead, their blood was on his hands.

Eventually, he came upon a small pond-side outcropping. There was a man unconscious on the ground, a dagger lodged upright in his chest- its pommel pointed at the sky. Nervously, Traveler eyed the treeline, hyper-alert for hostiles. In spite of common sense, Traveler ran to the man, as best he could manage in his condition. 

The stranger was an older man, dressed too refined for life out in Hyrule's frontier. Traveler took short, rapid breaths, his body wasn’t letting him forget the severity of his own predicament. The stranger was on his side, the velvet flaps of his overcoat obstructing view of the injury. 

With strained breaths, Traveler pulled him onto his back. Suddenly, he regretted the choice not to wear his power bracelet at all times. He re-inspected the wound, sparks of panic igniting across his face. The knife was jammed through his ribs, and probably punctured a lung. Given the snail’s pace in which Traveler’s half-corpse legs arrived, there was no doubt that the internal bleeding was beyond fatal.

“No, no, NO” Traveler exclaimed.

Traveler pounded his fists on the ground, he wasn’t going to sacrifice so much for nothing. He would not die failing another. This wasn’t the end for either of them, he didn’t know the meaning of giving up. Traveler frisked the man’s possessions, in a desperate hope for something useful. The familiar glint of a glass bottle caught his frantic eye, and Traveler grabbed it without a thought. He scrambled to see its contents- it was a magic potion. It may be half empty, and possibly stale, but he now had a chance.

The thought of whether he should’ve used it to heal himself didn’t pass his mind, not when people were in danger. He gulped down the viscous fluid, a surge of energy electrified his veins, and his mind. For the first time in days, Traveler smiled.

The knife was in deep, even if he was confident in using his healing magic on another person, it was no guarantee that the fluid would be taken out of the lung. He’d have to get creative. The half-dead hero racked his mind for answers, spells, tricks, anything!

There was one spell, a bit of sage magic he borrowed from the ruins of old Hyrule castle. He’d never used it on anything alive, and not on this intricate of a scale.

Traveler hovered his left hand above the knife, paying attention to the stranger’s slow breathing. He made a claw with his fist, like he was holding some invisible object. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting the world slow to an impossible standstill in his mind’s eye. A soft luminescent light flowed from his palm, and streamed like a gentle current into the crevices of blood and muscle. 

Traveler opened his eyes, caught in more than his finite present.

He was downstream a cosmic river, a single flower in a garden of giants. A multicolored battle overtook his irises, and they crashed and flooded beautiful light onto the wound as well. He twisted his hand counter clockwise, and the knife began to rise out, and the spilt blood rushed back into the body.

It was a tricky thing, reversing time.

There was an art to magic, a precision long since forgotten in this age of barbarity. Traveler supposed he just had a talent for appreciating the craft’s finer details. He took satisfaction in watching the knife place itself on the grass, as did he in observing the body revert back into a healthy, uninjured state.

As the light of his spell died out, Traveler sighed in relief, as he watched a healthy exhale escape the stranger’s chest. A jabbing pain interrupted that relief, however, and Traveler was reminded of his body’s sorry state. 

Maybe, just maybe, he had enough magic left.

He wiggled his fingers, and the glow of a dozen small sparks flickered out of them. He wasn’t dead, not yet, not while hyrule needed him. A blue glow emanated forth from his hands, which he’d placed at his stomach. The pain, the pain that’d nearly ripped him in two, slowly faded, like it was nothing but a bad memory.

Excitedly, Traveler ripped off his bandages, revealing a perfectly unscarred stomach, bare of injury. The joy, the utter euphoria that he was going to live brought him to tears.

He wiped a shy tear from his cheek, and then looked at the stranger again, as a rapturous cough escaped the man, followed by reasonable shock.

“Wh-what? Where am I? There were monsters, right, and I was..” He said, almost out of breath. The man looked at his chest, free of harm. “Stabbed?” 

Traveler chuckled, attracting his attention.

“Boy, did you do this?” The stranger asked.

Traveler grinned.

“I did, you’re welcome by the way.” Traveler said.

The stranger paused for a moment, and rested his hand on his beard.

“Thank you, for saving my life. I’m Henry. Who might you be?” Henry asked.

“Oh, me? That’s simple, sir. I’m just a Traveler.”

[yourkimjaejin]

Stranded in Paris

Legend - Early June 2019

Bold ~ English, Italics ~ French, Inner Thoughts

Warnings: Cursing, One moment of unwanted touching

“Okay ladies! One last shot then you’re both free to enjoy the rest of your time in Paris. Now I want you to bring your heads together and glare down the lens of the camera…..Perfection!! That’s a wrap on Moxy and Aurora!!” The camera director called out and all the staff around the room began cheering, bringing out soft pink flushes on both girls' cheeks. 

After a year of practicing together, NCT AG had finally debuted together as four. Moxy, Hannah, Juno and Aurora were the newest members of NCTs’ all female subunit. Their debut song, Something Like A Party garnered some attention. Many netizens were not expecting the group to debut with a cuter concept as opposed to the more popular girl crush one. 

Nonetheless, SLAP got such a positive response that SM was already gearing up for another comeback. The title, Breakthrough, while not as cute, had a fresh pop rock vibe that all the girls were excited for. Their company even flew them out to Paris to shoot the video. 

While in the city, Soonjae-unnie told Aurora and Moxy they’d be staying an extra day or two for a duo schedule. A magazine wanted them to be on the cover for their next monthly release. So that morning the group's head manager left the groups newest manager, Jae, in charge while she saw Hannah and Juno off at the airport. 

The girls were all in agreement. They didn’t really like Jae but they had no reason to bring up his removal. Since the man was moved from Red Velvet’s management to theirs, he’d been distant. Sometimes downright mean. When the girls would ask for stuff, he’d huff and groan. Begrudgingly doing what they asked under the watchful eye of Soonjae. Other times he’d force the girls to practice way longer than they planned. Finding every excuse in the book to keep them behind longer. 

The worst part. His comparisons. 

“Seulgi would have nailed this choreography in minutes, why can’t you.” 

“You’ve got a lot of work to do if your high notes will be as good as Wendy’s”

“You should really study up on Irene’s leadership style”

“Your voice needs to be smoother like Joy’s”

“You should get some tips on how to act like a maknae from Yeri” 

It was grating. 

Luckily most of the day, Jae ignored the two members. Letting the other managers take over his tasks while he did whatever. Honestly Aurora thought he was lying about all his work but Moxy wouldn’t let her say it out loud. Especially out in the open. 

The girls bowed to the staff of the photo shoot as they headed back to their dressing room. Everything was being cleaned up once Moxy and Aurora flopped onto the couches in their room. Bone tired from being up early this morning. 

“What’s our schedule when we get back, unnie?” Aurora asks, barely acknowledging the stylist taking the bracelets off her wrist. 

Moxy threw her make-up wipe away, “We have to re-record a lot of Hit Me Up. Some of the files got corrupted so we need to nail it when we get back.” 

“I bet if Wendy and Joy unnies sang it, Jae would think we nailed it too.” Aurora flinched away from Moxy’s incoming hand. 

“What did I say about proper honorifics with Jae-ssi?” Moxy stood up to retrieve her bag.

“That I have to address him properly when he’s here. And he’s not.” Aurora smiled and all her leader could do was sigh. 

Aurora and Moxy were about to start changing into their normal clothes when their make-up artist walked in with Aurora’s phone.

“Before you change, Hannah and Juno are calling. They just got back to the dorm.”

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The other three AG managers just finished packing their things and met Jae outside to wait for the car. There was supposed to be two vans. One for Moxy, Aurora and Jae and the other for the rest of the SM staff who worked the shoot. But when they got outside there was only one. 

“Sunbae, where is the other van?” AG’s youngest manager, Kyungso asked, looking around for the matching vehicle. 

Jae just smiled, “The girl's van is running a little behind. Moxy told me to go ahead with you guys. They’ll wait for the other van.”

They all looked around at each other, skeptical of Jae's words. Kyungso could have sworn both girls weren’t even finished changing yet. 

Jae gestured to the open side door, “Well what are you waiting for? 빨리!” All the staff shared another look, them all thinking the same thing, I guess we’ll just trust his word. One by one, they took their seats in the van. Jae took the passenger seat and with one word the van set off to the hotel.

They were too late to see the other van drive off with nobody inside.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

“See you at home!!” “Bye!! Have fun in Paris!! Bring back those shoes so we can match.” “Have a safe flight.” “Don’t you dare eat good food without us.” All four members said their goodbye’s. Moxy and Aurora were finally done changing when they realized what time it was. What normally took thirty minutes tops, took almost two hours. 

Quickly, the two girls gathered their things and headed for the front door. Walking through the almost empty room, they noticed none of their staff was waiting around. The two members had apologies at the tip of their tongues that disappeared when they didn’t see anyone they recognized. One lone worker was packing up the last of the equipment when Moxy walked over tapping them on the shoulder. 

“Uhh Excuse me? Are any of our managers around. I’m afraid we made them wait too long.” Moxy asked with a sheepish smile on her face. 

The worker bowed immediately. Moxy tried to wave them off but it was no use. “Miss, You’re management team left hours ago.” 

All the leader could do was sigh. If all their management left early, it meant Jae was pissed at them for taking so long. But instead of being an adult and hurrying them along. He wanted to teach them a lesson. 

“Do you both need a ride home? It may take a car a while to get here.” The worker started to take out their phone when Moxy stopped them. 

“It’s okay. Fortunately our hotel is close by. We can just walk. Be safe getting home.” Moxy bowed quickly. She grabbed Aurora's hand and dragged the younger outside. 

“So? Where is everyone? What happened?” Aurora asked. Moxy turned onto the main street headed in the direction of the hotel. 

“Jae’s being an asshole that’s what.” Moxy huffed, stopping at the corner, “Jae and all the staff left hours ago without saying anything. Now we gotta find our way back to the hotel on foot.”

“I inputted the address before we left.” Aurora pulled up the maps app on her phone, turning the device around for Moxy to see. “My GPS says head right four blocks, turn left then keep going straight for six blocks. The hotel will be on our right.” The two started walking following the directions Aurora’s phone gave them. It was gonna be a long walk. 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After a long day of doing the same pose for twenty minutes at a time, a thirty minute walk felt like hours. 

“Come on Eunji!! We’re only six blocks away.” Moxy tugged on Aurora limp arm. The younger one dragging her feet. 

“I’m so tired unnie!! I know you’re itching to give Jae a piece of your mind but why can we stop and eat something.” Aurora finally gave in, letting her leader pull her further down the street. 

“We can’t stop because neither of us know how to speak french. Come on, I promise we’ll eat whatever you want once we get to the hotel.” Aurora huffed but began lifting her feet keeping up with Moxy pace. The beautiful architecture around them were just regular building to the tired girls 

The two girls were crossing their third block when they heard it. 

“Hey! Where are you two ladies going all by your lonesome.” They both froze at the leering male voice to their right. Aurora almost turned to see who he was but Moxy’s hand gripping her own stopped her. Moxy suddenly started moving yanking Aurora along. 

Before the younger could say anything, Moxy practically hissed, “Keep your head down and keep walking. Don’t make any eye contact. Just keep walking.” 

“Oh come on now!! Why don't you stick around. I can show you both a real good time!” At the sound of heavy footfalls, Moxy picked up the pace.

“Hey! I’m talking to you two! It’s rude to ignore someone older than you.” The voice and its ensuing footsteps got closer. 

A foreign hand grabbed where the members' hands were intertwined. 

A foreign whine left Aurora's mouth at the unwanted touch. 

Moxy didn’t even register what happened until the man groaned in pain. His grip lost

Blood dripped from the man’s nose. Furious eyes met frightened ones. Moxy’s closed fist shaking between them.

“You little bit—” Moxy didn’t stick around for the rest of the sentence. 

The girls took off down the street. Street signs and Building passed them in a blur. They didn’t stop until the third set of footsteps faded further away, lost in the speed they ran through the streets. Up ahead, Aurora noticed an open door. They ducked into the door, hiding behind the wall when an angry male voice passed by. The two girls clutched at each other as their heartbeats slowed down, the rising panic settling. 

When a softer, kinder voice this time thankfully in thick accented English said, “Excuse me.” Both girls couldn’t help but jump. Their jittery nerves still not fully calm. 

“Sorry to startle. Do you…need help?” Moxy breathed a sigh of relief, “Yes please.” 

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Taeyong, you need to calm down."

"How can I calm down when two of my members are missing in Paris and need I remind you THEY DON'T SPEAK FRENCH!!!!!" Soonjae had to move the speaker away from her ear. Taeyong shouting could burst eardrums. Sounds of the phone tossed around were all the manager heard until a more level-headed voice spoke.

"Soonjae-noona, could you tell me what happened." Johnny asked but she could still hear Taeyong pacing in the background. Threats against Jae's jobs spilling from his mouth.

Soonjae shook her head, thanking the heavens Taeyong was still in Korea, "I called Jae as soon as Hannah and Juno finished boarding. I asked where Moxy and Aurora were. He said, verbatim, 'no idea'. Then fed me some BS about the girls telling them to go ahead to the hotel." Soonjae's uber finally arrived and pulled off after she closed the door.

"Moxy and Aurora know better than that. You don't actually believe him?" Doyoung's voice chimed in.

"Who do you take me for Doyoung-ah? I've been a manager at this company for years. Of course I didn't."

"We don't mean anything by that Soonjae-noona. We all just wanna find the girls." Johnny tone once again smoothed out the tension.

Soonjae was seething when she hung up with Jae earlier. Both she and Taeyong were skeptical of him when all the AG members had something to say about his behavior. Taeyong, being the leader, wanted him gone immediately. Nobody disrespected his members. Not on his watch.

Soonjae was the one who stopped him.

She'd known Jae for years now. He first became a manager right at the tail end of F(x)'s active days then he was moved to Red Velvet's team and he flourished. Within three years, he became one of their lead managers. The two regularly hanging to commiserate over the days events.

Then Soonjae was moved to NCT's management, specifically Moxy's. The company wanted her to have a personal manager that she could fully trust since they were adding the girl to an all male group. The Aurora debuted. Then Juno and Hannah came soon after. When AG became real, SM knew they wanted Soonjae to stay on as their lead manager, giving her the choice to choose who she wanted to bring on.

Jae was her first choice and now her girls were in possible danger.

and it was her fault.

"Noona....It's okay. None of this is your fault. You focus on getting in touch with the girls. I'll go to the company and handle this." Taeyong reassured her. Making sure the older woman knew in ire wasn't directed at her. After they hung up, minutes later, her phone rang again. Relief filled her at the familiar name.

"Moxy?!? Thank God, where are you??" Soonjae relayed the address to her uber driver, "Okay I'm heading your way. Do Not Move!!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The older lady introduced herself as Genevieve. The shop Moxy and Aurora ran into was her bakery. Genevieve, or Miss Eve as she asked them to call her, sat them down and told them they could stay while they waited for someone to pick them up. Before they could call, Soonjae's number flashed across Moxy’s screen. The manager demanded to know why the two weren’t at the hotel yet. After reassuring their rightfully pissed manager that they were okay, Soonjae told them she was leaving the hotel on the way to their location. 

When Miss Eve came back out, it was with a tray full of homemade french pastries. The elder proceeded to feed the girls while they waited for their manager to arrive. When asked Moxy told Miss Eve about what they had been up to and who they were. When Miss Eve found out they were celebrities, she got them to sign the wall of her store.

“That way when group get big, I can brag. Knew you before famous.” 

Miss Eve was packing up pastries for the girls to bring back to the hotel when Soonjae arrived. It was a tearful reunion finally seeing a familiar face after what happened earlier. Before they left, Moxy and Aurora signed a spare album and poster for Miss Eve to hang in her bakery. The two left with a promise to bring Hannah and Juno next time. 

The ride back was silent until Soonjae asked, “Was this Jae? And don’t lie.” Soonjae took the silence for their answer. The car sped up in response.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The girls couldn’t catch a break as they walked into the gorgeous lobby of their hotel. Jae was already headed their way with a fake concerned look on his face. 

“Girls, I am so sorry. I honestly thought you were–” “Save it Jae. Girls, go ahead upstairs. I’ll have Kyungso meet you up there.” Warily, Moxy looked at the two managers deciding as much as she wanted to see Soonjae unnie run down Jae her own tiredness won over. Moxy silently told Aurora to follow her to the elevators. 

Soonjae didn’t speak until the elevator doors closed. “Of all the low-down, dirty things I’ve ignored because I know who you really are–” 

“Noona, I said I’m sor—” “THAT'S NOT ENOUGH!!” Jae flinched at the harshness of the elders' tone. In all the time he’s known Soonjae, she’s never yelled. She didn’t really need to. If Soonjae asked for something, everything and everyone followed suit. 

Soonjae took a huge deep breath before continuing, “I know you hate SM for pulling you from Red Velvet to NCT but that is no excuse to take it out on those four girls. You’re suspended, effective immediately. Pack your stuff. You’re on the first plane back to Seoul in the morning.” 

Jae scoffed, “You don’t have the right to suspend me. Only upper management can.” He crossed his arm, looking smug. He faltered when Soonjae just smirked back.

Soonjae took out her phone flipping thru until she reached an email from the CEO himself, “Ehem, Soonjae-ssi, We can’t believe what Jae-ssi has done to idols in our agency. Rest assured we will take care of it as soon as possible. Until then, Inform Jae-ssi that he has been suspended and is expected to fly out early so we can discuss his behavior and attitude towards the idols under his watch.” Soonjae locked her phone with a satisfying click, “Well would you look at that. Seems like I do have the power.” Soonjae patted his shoulder, “I’d get to packing if I were you.” Getting into the elevator, Soonjae couldn’t help the wave of satisfaction that crashed over her seeing Jae seething in the middle of the lobby. 

Soonjae was finally able to breathe once she saw her girls eating, the stress of the day finally sliding away. In the car the head manager could tell something serious happened between the photo shoot location and the girls ending up at that bakery. Knowing they were safe was enough for now. Pushing them for an explanation may do more harm than good. She decided to leave those thoughts for another day. 

Right now, making Migyeong and Eunji comfortable was her top priority.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Here is the orignal request: Can I request an Aurora and Moxy angst, where they have a duo¿ schedule and they're both left out in a foreign country (you pick which) on purpose (shitty new manager) and they get hurt (they fall, get physically assaulted by a sasaeng, pass out from dehydration or idk, you pick 😭) and the members are NOT pleased with it? I've dreamt of this scenario and it was so realistic, so I've thought of making a request..

Thank you anon for your request!! I also wanted to say if any anon reader's want to give themselves an emoji so I can differentiate between you all, you're totally free to do so!! just shoot me a message 💚💚

Taglist: @alixnsuperstxr / @1-800-call-ria / @sophrodite / @sunflower-0180

[miguelsjoy]

HERES SOME INFO ABOUT COLA! (+my lil idea for Todd x Cola)

Name: (his actual name is a mystery)

Nickname: Cola

age: 20

Height: 5'7

Sexuality: Gay

Likes: Red velvet, drawing, art as a whole, cooking, going out, rnb, the color blue, pastel things

Hates: dry people, mixed signals, red velvet antis, ketchup, edm music, the color navy blue

(Todd x Cola below! pls be nice lol!)

Ever since Cola had his last break up, he's been pretty unmotivated and unmoved. it took a lot out of him because Cola was so attached to the man, he made him feel human and made him feel alive...just for him to make him feel like THIS

Cola would then decide to try to take some action on these emotions by making a song about it, he put it on soundcloud thinking it wouldn't take off but by a stroke a luck it definitely did.

He got relatively popular, despite him not doing many performances due to his shyness. He'd later hear from twitter that a vegan rockstar and his girlfriend have broken up because he cheated on her with a fellow bandmate. Just for Cola's manager to call him on the phone an hour later.

Colas manager told him that Envy is taking a break from the band, whether it's permanent or temporary is kind of a toss up, but she was gonna focus on her solo career instead of entertaining his ex's bullshit. Cola was confused why he was telling him all this, just to be told that they saw a brilliant business move

The manager told Cola that he could fill in for envy! their band is pretty popular too, and it could get more eyes on Cola's music as well, and the pay would be pretty good.

Cola was hesitant about doing it, but Cola would go through with it, just as a way get more eyes on his music...but he told the manager he was gonna complain about it and be a bitch about it every 5 minutes.

(A few weeks later)

The manager arranged a session with Cola and Todd, they'd meet up and make a song with each other that'd spearhead the collab!

Todd had a big head about it, since his band was pretty popular, he thought that Cola would be excited to work with him, just for Cola to humble the FUCK out of him.

They'd take a selfie with each other, but Cola was fake smiling, after the selfie, he went pretty cold, not wanting to talk or interact with Todd unless it was about the song. Cola was a perfectionist when it came to his work, so he was kind of a dick about re-recording lines, restacking vocals, etc. However, in Cola's mind he wasn't doing anything wrong just because Todd was a dick to envy.

All this dictating kinda got under Todd's skin, after all HE was the rockstar, so why is some random loser controlling him???

He couldn't argue with results tho...when they reached a stopping point, they both listened to the song, it sounded...perfect.

Todd was impressed, and even kept listening to it over and over, while Cola packed his things and got ready to leave. When Todd was getting ready to high five Cola, Cola just blankly stared at Todd and left for the bus. Todd didn't know why Cola was being so distant with him, they needed to work together after all.

While he was on the bus, Cola held true to his promise, he complained like a bitch about working with Todd, The manager would reluctantly listen to every word.

The next few practices, Todd would try to impress Cola, he felt like the reason why Cola hated him was because he wasn't good enough, so Todd would attempt at getting better when it came to his vocals, the way he played, etc. But it'd end up with him falling on his face and flopping.

Cola would see this and would chuckle. This was the first time Todd saw Cola get close to smiling...Cola would notice this and clear his throat trying to focus on pumping out these songs.

As time went on, Cola was slowly starting to complain less and less to the manager...he saw how much Todd was trying to impress him, and while 50% of the time it ended up failing, he couldn't help but laugh at how cute Todd was at times.

A connection was slowly starting to be formed between the two, during practices, now Todd and Cola would start to joke around a bit. They'd tease each other, laugh at each other, and ultimately make some of the best music the two have ever made! The music was helping Todd show that he was still awesome and worthy of respect, while it was helping Cola break out of his shell and become a bit more relaxed.

Todd would start to question Cola about the lyrics he'd propose sometimes. Cola would become a bit timid as he'd say that the lyrics were a bit personal. Todd would read these lyrics and would have a critique, they are all a bit, bummy...not every song has to be something sad. Cola would take it a bit personally, and would argue that these are experiences that he's gone through

Todd would blink and ask Cola why he just, don't have any happy experiences then, why don't he just, write about happy things so they don't bore the audience. Cola would toss a pencil at him and it'd spiral into an argument but todd would get his point across. Cola would say that he can't think of a time where he's been ACTUALLY happy before.

this would puzzle Todd and would decide to do a little something, just because he

a) wants to use this opportunity to get to know Cola better

and b) at least make the man feel better

and c) so they can go back to making good music

After practice, Todd would invite Cola out to get some (vegan) food with him. Cola was a bit hesitant, but he'd decide to go along with it. Cola would still have his walls up, but he'd also get a bit bashful because he's never been included in something in...a long time.

They'd both ask each other a bunch of questions while they went out. Todd did most of the questioning but Cola responded in such long and detailed answers that Todd couldn't help and listen to Cola speak for hours...eventually Todd would start to smile warmly because he was starting to see Cola for who he truly was instead of who he thought he was in his head..

But Cola would decide to take the moment to cut into his relationship with Envy...Todd was a bit hesitant to answer, even trying to deflect the question, but the persistent Cola would be able to press his foot on Todd's enough to get an answer out of him. Todd would confess that he's really bad with communication, they both kinda were...Envy was getting on his nerves and his ego got the better of him (like it tends to do). He broke things off with Lynette after the news got out, and the band moral has been pretty awkward lately. So Todd his primarily been separated from the band, and working with Cola has been the only thing he was kinda able to do without feeling TOO awkward

Cola sat there with a shocked expression on his face. He didn't expect Todd to be so...insightful...A part of him was moved by the way Todd talked. Usually Todd is pretty simple minded, but maybe this break up was what Todd needed to finally see how bad of a person he could be at times.

Cola would sigh and pat Todd's back, reassuring him that in time, Todd will become a better person..he's already doing a good job music wise...and he could see him and Todd becoming good friends..that's if Todd was open to the idea...

Todd lit up like a star, deciding to take a selfie to celebrate this momentous occasion, and this time...Cola was actually smiling.

the next few weeks the songs Cola would propose would be a bit more positive now.

(Later on)

It was finally time for them to perform. This would be pretty important because Cola rarely does any live performances, plus he's performing with an already popular band, so this was gonna be pretty big..

Cola was noticeably quiet this day, Todd was a bit surprised because normally Cola would be talking a lot and moving around a lot...Cola would confess that he's still pretty nervous about performing live...he's worried that he may mess up or even do something dumb.

Todd holds Cola's hands and reassures him that they'll be fine, instead of focusing on everyone else's faces...just worry about his face

"my...handsome ass face"

Todd meant it as a joke but Cola would blush softly and swat Todd away while laughing nervously.

When they got on stage, Cola did just as todd said, and it was a HIT! Todd and Cola's stage presence blended seamlessly with each other, to the point that some even thought THEY were dating.

Once the performance was over, Todd and Cola celebrated, they both acted like frat bros after they made it to the play offs, and for a moment the two of them locked eyes with each other while hugging...and just as they were about to do something...Cola's manager walked in to congratulate the both of them, causing both of them to have red ass faces while looking away from each other

it was safe to say that they were starting to grow pretty fond of each other, even hanging out with each other on days they didn't need to work or practice! Sometimes Cola would invite Todd over to his place to have a "private listening session" and others Todd would take Cola out on a "totally not a date" date.

but things would escalate until the night of new years eve, Todd was standing off to the side drunk as fuck and looking bummed as hell while everyone was partying. Cola decided to see what was going on since Todd wasn't the type to whine and mope at a party. Todd would sluggishly tell Cola that normally at 12 o clock, him and envy would be damn near swapping spit with each other as a tradition...and this was the first year where that kinda doesn't get to happen.

Cola would pat his shoulder and try to console Todd, but to no avail. Soon the clock would start to countdown, and Cola decided to be bold as fuck (maybe it was his mind, maybe it was the drinks) by kissing Todd on the cheek as soon as the clock struck 12. Todd's face turned red as he held Cola's face, taking a second to admire how cute he was before kissing him like he'd kiss envy...but with a bit more passion~ luckily the place was pretty crowded so maybe one or 2 people saw this happen

after the kiss, Cola would hold Todd close and huff trying to catch his breath...Cola told Todd they shouldn't go any further since Todd's love life is pretty messy right now...Todd nodded and agreed to this.

(The next day)

Cola woke up in a room half naked...his clothes were practically all over the floor...and the room he woke up in didn't look like his....there's no red velvet posters, no switch playing splatoon music...as he tried to peice together what happened...he'd turn around to see Todd smiling ear to ear in his sleep. This would make Cola scream his eyes out causing Todd to wake up in a panic, being just as confused as Cola before he figured out what happened between the two of them

....I guess they both figured out what happens after they both have 8 margaritas/ref

Cola would quickly get his clothes on, while Todd would try to calm him down, trying to explain that this is just a "happy accident", but Cola would toss a pillow at him. He was furious at both Todd AND himself for letting this happen...Cola would angrily tell Todd that

a) they can NOT let his manager figure out what happened

and b) the sex they had was MEANINGLESS and was not to happen again

Todd was a bit...heartbroken by this...he sadly nodded his head as he helped Cola get dressed.

While Cola walked back to his place...he was thinking about everything that happened...but he couldn't help but think of Todd's cute ass....Todd would try texting Cola the next couple of weeks but Cola would just ghost him as he tried to regain his peace and peice his emotions together.

He was trying to ignore the signs, but after the past few months...he felt like he may have fell in love with the man...but he was too nervous to actually say so...

So he did what he did best, and write a song about it. it was more somber and raw than anything he's ever wrote...the only thing left to do was to invite Todd over to another private listening session...

Todd listened to the song, blinking before looking softly at Cola. Cola sat next to him with his body curled up in a ball, his face was red as shit at this time...he felt like he was doing this for nothing because Cola assumed that Todd was straight..but Todd would accept Cola's confession, kissing his face before calling him a loser and a geek.

the private listening session got a lil..

steamy afterwards~ and this time it was a lot more fun now that both of them were in love and REAL love this time.

after they got done, Cola laid on the bed, and told Todd that he should probably keep this relationship a secret for now...he didn't want their relationship to become a public affair, because then none of the moments they share would be personal or meaningful anymore. Todd would assure Cola that this relationship is gonna be theirs and theirs alone.

that following week however...Envy would make a public statement saying that she was ready to go back to being in the band as the lead singer, effectively kicking Cola out. And....she was ready to forgive Todd and go back to being boyfriend and girlfriend...

Cola would read about this on twitter and would start to sweat a LOT...because this situation was gonna get MESSY.

(To be continued, or not idrk)

[instantn00ds]

Heyo! I’ve been posting kinda frequently? lol We’ll see how long that lasts. For my Felinette POTO people! Here’s a little preview of what I’ve been cooking up. I’m thinking I’ll post on ao3 when I’m done with all of it, but tbh we’ll see what I’m feeling. Hope you guys enjoy!

“Lot 665, ladies and gentlemen: a set of silver studs, in the shape of simple, delicate circles. This item, discovered in the vaults of the theater, is still in pristine condition. May I start at twenty francs?���

There was no movement in the crowd gathered at the dilapidated opera house; the jewelry looked plain– of no value to those hoping to resell or show off. But Adrien was entranced by the way they glimmered, hypnotized by the memory of her.

“Fifteen, then?” the auctioneer questioned, “Fifteen I am bid.”

This seemed to motivate the spectators, as slowly, but surely, they began to liven. As the bidding continued, Adrien snapped out of his trance long enough to buy the studs.

“Sold, for thirty francs to the Vicomte de Agreste! Thank you, sir.”

The earrings, placed in a small velvet box, were handed across to the old man. Now, he could study them– focus with a closer view. They felt foreign in his aged hands, heavy almost. As if they carried a weight far beyond that which they should. If these were the earrings– her earrings– Adrien supposed it would make sense. Afterall, Marinette often carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Quietly, half to himself, half to the box, Adrien smiled, “A collector’s piece indeed– every detail exactly as she said.” He began thinking of his dear, old friend as a smile broke upon his lips. She often spoke of them, her earrings, their hypnotizing gem and shiny, polished metal. What became of them when she’d been gone?

Adrien’s attention returned to the auctioneer, as he resumed with the next item, “Lot 666, then: A chandelier in pieces. Some of you may recall the strange affair of Chat Noir: a mystery never fully explained. We are told ladies and gentlemen, that this is the very chandelier which figures in the famous disaster.”

“Our workshops have restored it and fitted up parts of it with wiring for the new electric light, so that we may get a hint of what it may look like when re-assembled. Perhaps we may frighten away the ghost of so many years ago with a little illumination. Gentleman?”

The auctioneer switched on the chandelier. There was an enormous flash as the bulbs came to life, shining and blinding those who looked directly at them. Adrien remembered a time, not long ago, when those bulbs were instead candles– each requiring its own attention to light. He recalled what it looked like when the wax would drip down, milky and hot, as smoke would rise from the small flames. He remembered the stage hands and how they would complain each night the chandelier was to be lit– how hot it made the room, especially when the crowds packed in, a sea of people. It was like he could see the opera house restore itself before his very eyes.

[inquisitiveheretic]

Lee would you like to share the inquisitiveheretic cinema classics? 👀

THE CLASSICS. essential films for viewing and understanding my blog. here's the shortest list not in any order:

jennifer's body (2009) self explanatory. essential 00s pop punk watch, essential horror jam for my generation

hard core logo (1996) insaneeee tragic band guy dynamics here its a pain to find but it changed me <3

metallica: some kind of monster (2004) OKAY UM its bonkers. rewired my brain forever. deeply painful to watch (cringe), hilarious without meaning to be (cringe), kind of tragic if you know a lot about metallica (hi). when pete referenced it while talking about smfs i was deeply shaken cuz thats probably the craziest thing he could have possibly said.

velvet goldmine (1998) self explanatory !!!!!

perfect blue (1997) checks all my boxes re: fame + self, also beautiful i luvvv the art style

d.e.b.s. (2004) its LESBIAN FUN and its a masterpiece

house of wax (2005) camp and brutal gore yay! paris hilton death scene slayed

american mary (2012) she did nothing wrong idgaf. femdom rape revenge feminism, body modification/mutilation, katherine isabelle of ginger snaps fame (which also deserves to be on here)

alien (1979) i love sci fi :-) ripley + the xenomorph were in love

fight club (1999) self explanatory see also: chuck palahniuk as adjacently relevant

my own private idaho (1991) :-(

blade (1998) all the best stuff about late 90s/00s horror packed into one banger movie. the soundtrackkkk

rocketman (2019) watched it like 10 times. cried. now THATS how you make a biopic

[witchcrash]

IF YOU INSIST !!!

💃🍷🌕🍄🐺🗡️

The Yellowjackets' first inaugural "Doomcoming" takes place approximately 5 months into their disappearance, as rations & morale run scant & winter's chill creeps closer.

Back in civilization, Homecoming festivities are underway, so the girls plan a rager of their own. Under the full Hunter's moon, they'll don the dresses they packed for the National Championships' Awards Dinner all those lifetimes ago & get tanked on jars of berries that Mari tried to preserve but inadvertently fermented.

It's all very exciting.

Cass never planned on going to prom or anything like it ; the National Championship was their swansong to high school -- so they packed accordingly.

The dress is a Cassandra Carnes creation, at least in part. It was a gently battered evening gown from a vintage store -- velvet bodice, taffeta skirt -- modified to perfection in the distant, dreamlike comfort of the Brewster's Wiskayok basement.

The bodice's neckline was reimagined into a cold shoulder & de - re - constructed at the sides -- all with the help of grommets & black silk ribbons. She restructured the skirt to bubble out just above her knees and drape from the sides down the back. Black lace was the primary addition, as a batwing cape & as a dripping, floor length underskirt.

In preparation for Doomcoming, she makes a matching veil out of lace curtains scavenged from the cabin, boiled with iris roots & walnut husks. The result ( not quite black under direct light, but at the very least aubergine ) is interwoven with dark feathers she'd been collecting & set with a comb made from raven's wing bones.

They wear the one pair of platform boots they'd brought & indulge in a full face of makeup for the first time since before the crash.

( Casualties include: her last Wet n' Wild kohl pencil, used up lining her eyes & lips ; her glow-in-the-dark disposable lighter, used up on the kohl pencil ; her favorite lavender shimmer, used up in thick blocks of eyeshadow & as an augmentation to her pressed powder. Their eyebrow gel & knockoff Vamp lipstick live to fight another day. )

While the lower half of the dress is irreparably damaged over the course of the night, Cass eventually rehabilitates it into a shorter, intentionally tattered skirt. The dress is still hanging in the back of their closet to this day, sealed safely in a plastic garment bag.