#she needs more appreciation

[itiswhatitisboi]

naked in manhattan || k. ledecky

katie ledecky x swimmer!reader

summary: katie had been your teammate for the past couple olympics and didn’t notice how much you were in love with her, a friendship you cared more about losing than a race.

warnings: none x

words: 2.6k

pictures cred by sinnerjannik !

first try at writing for katie i hope it’s alright! i have a lot of exposition i feel like so maybe there’ll be a part 2, who knows!

“there she is! she’s done it! once again, she is an olympic champion! setting a new record, nobody can ever count her out!”

that was the video of the announcer’s filtering through your speakers as you watched what all your friends and family had sent you, smiling at their reaction videos texted to you.

“is that from your mom?” katie’s voice asked, leaning over your shoulder to watch your phone screen.

you peeked back at her, smiling, “yeah. her and my brothers sent me this a while ago from when i competed earlier. i’m just watching it now cause i haven’t had the time.”

“makes sense.” katie nodded. “i could recognize her squeals from anywhere.”

you laughed. “man, of course you did. she always cheered louder for you than for me during races.”

the blonde laughed along with you. “not true!” the look on your face told her all she needed to know and she conceded, ���okay but if she did, i cheered so hard whenever you swam to make up for it.”

you and katie ledecky had known each other since the rio olympics, which had been your debut and her second appearance, but the both of you were only a year apart at ages 19 and 18.

while you had no particular reason to be as close as you two were, your relationship was the strongest on usa’s swim team. when you were a late decision to be added to the relay, it only seemed to make the bond stronger as katie instilled all of her confidence into you. confidence that pushed you to have your best split in the butterfly portion— your stroke.

you placed gold twice in your debut, besides additionally coming in fourth for the 200 meter butterfly race. that had bummed you out back then, until katie had reminded you of the medals you already adorned and to not dwell on missing the podium no matter how many seconds it was, which was annoying to you because it was only 0.001.

eight years later you were still on the national team, still in the conversation as a medal finalist, and most importantly of all, still best friends with katie— the woman you were madly in love with.

maybe it was all the training, the long practice sessions, the work outs that all prompted you to spend more time with a girl that went to an entirely different school than you in those four years. until you ended up spending all your time with her. maybe it was her laugh, or the sparkle in her eye when she smiled. maybe it was the way she considered you before she thought of herself and you always did the same. or maybe it was at that one celebratory party where you got a little too drunk, a little too focused on her defined muscles that you just couldn’t help from wanting to touch.

you weren’t sure when it had happened..but it had.

and for some reason, this olympics felt different than all the others. sure, maybe paris the city of love was causing you to be a little more flirty with your remarks or touchy when you joked. but you could’ve sworn that katie leaned into you more.

was it contributed to the fact that the both of you were the two oldest female swimmers there? if it were, you didn’t care.

you held onto her gaze longer than you should, you smiled wider, and you just knew that anyone with a pair of eyes could probably agree with you that there was something.. something.

but no matter, you were going to enjoy this olympic games to the fullest.

and you had been. that’s for sure.

even at 27, when people had counted both you and her out of the paris olympics for your ages because you had to have peaked, right?— katie ledecky was proving everyone wrong. how she’s a generational talent, a leader, a gold finalist, and always shattering the glass ceiling that people tried to place her under. once again.

katie ledecky was amazing— perfect, in your opinion.

you didn’t compete that day so you were watching from in the stands with some of the boys from the swim team. when she started her take in her moment of glory, you excused yourself and shimmied past to make it down to the bottom.

you squeezed through two very enthusiastic australians and waved her down as she neared. “hey! ledeckster!”

katie’s head instantly snapped in your direction and the joy on her face seemed to grow once she spotted you. she broke into a jog until she reached you. the medalist’s arms instantly wrapped around you as you leaned over the bar.

“congratulations! it was your’s all day!” you tell her excitedly. “your race, ledecky!”

you heard her lightly laugh into your ear before pulling away to look at you. her smile was the most contagious thing you’ve ever seen. “thanks. i had no idea how ahead i was.”

“it was amazing. you’re amazing, you know that? keep showing ‘em what’chu got. okay? remind the world who you are, katie.”

katie laughed and it spread warmth throughout your body. “what would i do without you?” she grabbed your hand that gripped the railing and gave it a squeeze before peeling herself away to finish the rest of the lap.

a rush of heat colored your cheeks as you smiled to yourself, making your way back to your teammates. she had no idea how much what she said and did affected you, hanging onto to every touch, every word. she had no idea what she was doing to you—but it was driving you crazy.

the next time you saw a medal around katie’s neck was when you both partook in the freestyle relay and placed first.

stepping onto the podium, you realized a hand found its way to intertwine with yours, belonging to katie. you looked at her with bright eyes to find her grin wide, just filled with so much damn joy, a sparkle twinkling in her eye, nearly matching the crest of the chlorine pool reflecting the bright lights of the stadium above.

looking at katie made your heart flutter in such a way that butterflies seemed to fill your stomach, twirling around in a way that practically mirrored your typical butterfly stroke and the way you had to turn yourself around in the water. a smile on your face blossomed to match katie’s and it made the olympian give your hand a squeeze.

you held onto the hands of your teammates on the other side of you, forming a link from an initiation made by the captain. the captain you’d follow until the rest of time, from previous olympic games to this one, and to your last, whenever that may be.

and maybe this was your last games. because you stood there, soaking in the moment of finishing the swimming events on top, beating australia in gold and all other medals. nobody could touch usa. most of that was probably contributed to the talent beside you and that was when the realization struck.. you were finally ready. the only next thing to do was to figure out how to tell katie because if anyone had to know, it would be her.

after the ceremony you were paraded around and eventually directed to a panel of journalists, with one asking the question, “you have an icon here right now, next to you.” you watch katie duck her head at the realization that his gesturing meant his words were referring to her, and you cracked a wide smile. “she’s done such amazing things. tell us, what’s it like to just be in the area with her? what does she mean to this sport?” katie raised a brow, which prompted the interviewer to comment, “katie, you can answer it if you want, too:”

“i’ll just say ‘no comment’.” she waved her hand in a cutting motion along her throat.

“let me at it,” joked ryan murphy on the other end of the panel.

“i’ll answer,” you said as you leaned forward to the mic.

you peeked besides you at a blushing katie who was studying her hands in her lap. she must’ve felt your eyes on her because she glanced at you out of the corner of her eye and her smile at you caused your heart to flutter in your chest.

“i’ve been her teammate for over a decade now and i think the way she carries herself is second to none. she’s so humble and just such a naturally good leader but even better friend and person, which makes her great to be around. she’s unbelievable, and special and easily one of the best athletes of all time for our sport. we’re lucky to have her on our team.” you finished your answer and looked at katie once more, finding a glimmer in her eyes that you couldn’t quite decipher but it made you smile anyways.

todd went on to add his own response to the question and katie leaned over, whispering, “you know, i could say the same for you. you’re incredibly, you know that? thank you.” you smiled bashfully as she straightened back up, mouthing, love ya. meant so casually, but it never was going to be, was it?

then there was attending the basketball celebration the next day after one of the team’s games, which was originally not on your to-do list. but there wasn’t much that katie couldn’t convince you to do. it was annoying how convincing she was, how passionate she could become when it came to the support of the other american athlete— especially when she knows you know much more about the sport than her and she’d be asking you questions every other possession. she would tap your leg to peel your attention away from a play and it’s like your skin was on fire from wherever she touched, deep down just wishing her contact with you would last longer, every brush of your shoulders heightening your awareness to just how close she was, and yet so far.

you stood about the various athletes, having spoken with suni lee and anthony edward’s together (what an odd duo for you to talk with, something you hadn’t imagined for yourself). because what on earth did you have in common with either of them besides the olympics? you blinked away the spots from your eyes after the bright camera flash took the picture of you three. thank god you had a drink in hand, providing you a boost and giving you social buzz because you weren’t sure how you were going to survive the night. a whole collaboration of popular athletes with so many cameras to capture every moment.

“hey,” you heard the familiar voice of katie as she appeared beside you, having vanished a while back to talk to kevin durant and a few others. “how you holding up?”

she was wearing one of the white polos ralph lauren had given team usa and man, did it look good on her. she had some of her hair tucked behind her ear, really accenting the slight curve of her bangs on the other side of her face.

the slight crease of her brow made you realize you were staring and you hastily cleared your throat, “honestly i’d say racing for a medal is easier than this.”

she closed her eyes as she laughed, the giggle sounding as smooth as honey, her head falling forward slightly. “yeah, i can agree with you there. i mean, i just talked to steph curry. like, how is that even real life right now?”

you snort. “please, says the one who’s been competing in the olympics since she was fifteen,” you tease her, watching her over the rim of your cup as you took a sip, not really pacing yourself since swimming events were done.

“that is not the same and you know it.” her embarrassed flush of her cheeks made you chuckle as she pointed an accusing finger at you in a playful manner. she gestured to the people around you, “everyone here? they are all famous stars.”

“come on,” you clicked your tongue at that. you knew she was humble and you admired and loved that about her, but sometimes it was so tiring the way she thought she didn’t match up with all the others. “don’t sell yourself short. people know the name katie ledecky.”

katie shrugged as if she was unconvinced. “if they know my name then they know yours too.”

you scoff because in your head that sounds just so ridiculous. “don’t try and flatter me, ledecky. there are twenty times more articles written about you and all the records you’ve broken, the medals you’ve won, races you’ve done. i mean, do you even know how many of these people here know exactly who you are?”

your hand motioning to the other athletes makes her look around a bit and you’re eyes lock onto her because to you, all these other olympians don’t even come close.

“you’re a generational talent, a fucking national sensation.” at this point you don’t even know what you’re saying, the words are just coming out of you. her gaze meets your own and you swear you can drown in them, the softest pair of hazel eyes you’d ever come to know. “you make the most boring race in swimming fun to watch because you’re you. you’re katie ledecky. everyone loves you because of the type of athlete and person you are, and i don’t blame them because i do too. okay? and i need you to understand all that. i need you to see just how incredible everybody else knows you are.”

“i didn’t know you thought of me like that.” katie looked at you sweetly, her smile showing just how

“of course i do,” you sighed. because i’m in love with you— “because you’re one of my best friends. i could’ve gone on and on yesterday during press when it comes to you.”

you watched her face soften at your words, probably thinking how kind they were. but they meant so much more— an inch away from more than just friends. and what were you supposed to do about that?

she tilted her head at you and flashed you a bright smile, the one you adored so much because it brought so much light to your life every time. “thank you. thank you for saying that, seriously. it means a lot to me.”

“well you mean a lot to me.” you wished you could tell her just how much she really did.

“i know.” she nodded, making you notice the way her bangs shifted with every movement. “you mean a lot to me too. i’m glad you’re here. i’m glad you chose to return for another olympics, i bet it wouldn’t be the same without you right about now.”

“duh. i knew i had to if you were coming back.” you nudged her arm— and damn was it muscular?

you wished you could keep her hand there, and dangerously your mind was wishing you could feel more of her muscles, trace them to destinations you shouldn’t be thinking about, places your thoughts shouldn’t be taking you. her frame was already so intimidating as it is, her wide shoulders so distracting, her height making you always tilt your head slightly to look up at her.

“well i hope i have you as my roommate if we’re a part of LA28,” she smiled kindly, nudging your shoulder with her own.

you chuckled nervously and swallowed hard. you had so much to tell her but how?

“katie..”

i realize this is a bit of a cliffhanger !! so don’t worry, you’ll get more katie fics soon ;)

[sleeplesssmoll]

Hot Take: Vertin is getting too much Credit for Druvis’s Decision.

I love Vertin, but Druvis is a rare case of an arcanist actually having other options yet making a choice based on their own values.

Druvis was never Manus Vindicate material. Unlike Forget-Me-Not's thirst for revenge, Druvis was someone full of grief yet still kept a gentle heart. When she met Vertin in the beginning they had a common goal: exterminating the Critters in her Woods. However, after that she gave Vertin stocks to help her on her mission. She wasn’t planning on going anyway, but she didn’t have to help Vertin either. It was a little kindness on her part.

We can see hesitancy when she talks with Forget-Me-Not. He is constantly assuring her she is making the "right" choice. Yet, She doesn’t share his enthusiasm for revenge and sadism. Instead, she feels like nothing in her life matters anymore. She’s lost everything: her family, her Woods, her peace of mind. There is no future so she might as well go with Manus so she can at least brave the Storm. When she is chasing Vertin and the others through the labyrinth, she pleads with them to stop running. She doesn’t want to hurt them.

Then, the dinner scene happens. Vertin gives her a perspective she never had. That there is a future worth fighting for instead of just running from the past. This was Vertin’s only chance of escaping with Schneider.

And Druvis granted her mercy. She was never fully on board with Manus and now she sees a future worth fighting. She is taking a risk with Vertin. This is proof of a courageous heart under that apathetic face.

The Foundation also tried to sway her. Druvis, a pure-blooded and very powerful arcanist who had the least to lose, once again chose to stick with the rubble and fight for her vision of a brighter future. She is loyal not just because she "owes" Vertin but because they have the same dream.

And it also once again shows that despite her loss, her grief, and her “antisocial ways” she is strong enough to be kind in a cruel world.

Druvis made the decision. She took the actions needed to make everything possible. Vertin just set her on the path.

[slnttyspydr]

99% sure Niffty wanted to stab Valentino like she does back at the hotel BECAUSE he's a bug.

[orienteddreamerrr]

Aloy Appreciation!

Yes, I love her! AH!😍 (Sorry, had to ACTUALLY search for Gifs instead how I usually search them...lol)

[jupejumble]

my half of a sketch trade with @the-jade-jester27 !!!! this was so fun :}}

[pinoysol]

I am literally a Charlotte Stan. Like theyre so cool, AND AINT NO ONE GONNA TELL ME OTHER WISE.

Anyways this song reminds me of him

My headcanon is that they’re a drag queen/non-binary but that’s just my opinion

[spikesbunny]

outlaw dehya cowboy hat rule fic is already six hundred words and we are NO where near smut...

i like where this is going frfr

[zbloodwhisper]

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH POEMI ART i gotta start drawing her

[larjb3]

[bookalicent]

yeah so this was insane

[tricoufamily]

just some ivy league kids trying to figure out necromancy

[daily-odile]

AUGH I’d love to see more time looping odile if possible,,,,, how do you think she’d like; “devolve” over each of the acts as compared to Siffrin over time :O

ok im gonna be honest i did like portrait edits months ago and just never finished them. so here you go

act 3:

act 5:

[violetsforviolyn]

One of the BEST parts about being Vi's wife is not just how attractive her personality and overall swagger is... no no...

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS WOMAN'S BUILD-

BITCH WAS CARVED FROM THE HANDS OF THE FEMALE GAYS MY GOD-

SHE'S NOT OVERTLY MUSCULAR BUT NOT SHRIMPY EITHER, JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF BUFF AND FIT HOLY JESUS

Do not even get my started on her shoulders or back-

LIKE TO THOSE WHO AREN'T ATTRACTED TO HER (aka my opps), WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DON'T FIND ABOUT HER HELLA FINE?

(Sorry this was just a chaotic Vi simp post after rewatching the bar fight scene 💀)

[babacontainsmultitudes]

Actual footage of Tony trying to talk to Kelsey this episode:

Now what I personally need is for her to despise him for a while then for them to have some big heart to heart and them to become best friends OKAY I'm very invested in what's become of their dynamic and I'm all here for "Punished" Tony the wet cat that he is I yield the rest of my time thank you.

[blackbatcass]

listen I know it’s kind of corny and inaccurate to act like every single person in the dc universe knows each other and is besties but it IS endlessly funny to me to follow the web of connections and see how many degrees removed from each other everyone is.

like look at the arrowfam okay. ollie and dinah are together, ollie is homoerotic best friends with hal, dinah is homoerotic best friends with babs. roy is dating dick, has a kid with jade, and is basically an adoptive father to both grant emerson and rose wilson. connor is dating kyle and is constantly followed around by eddie fyers. mia is friends with a lot of the second gen teen titans kids, had an on-again-off-again thing going on with steph for a while, and is currently dating sienna. emiko is besties with courtney and some of the other recent teen titans. sin has a small army of protective aunts from the birds of prey. the real question is how far does it go before ollie puts a cap on the number of people who are invited to family brunch on sundays

[star-burst365]

“Children have treated toys better than you’ve treated me.”

As much as I love Scarlett (I’m an avid Tella hater im sorry), Evangeline is absolutely my favorite MC that Stephanie has written so far.

Here you have a deeply lonely character who hasn’t even turned 18 yet. All Evangeline wants is love — she gives so much of it (again and again) and it’s all she wants back. She forgives Marisol, befriends Luc again, and gives Jacks and the other Fates second and third and fourth chances. That’s why it hurts so badly when she gets so little of it. Everyone in the book uses her. Tiberius (to frame her for murder), Marisol, her Stepmother, Chaos, LaLa, and even Jacks. She stayed the entire night hugging (kind of) almost-vampire Jacks in the crypt just for him to abandon her when it was her under the venom 😭. In Jacks’s own words, she’s “the unluckiest person he’s ever met.” Our poor girl cannot catch a break: everyone in the books manipulate her for their own gain while she gets absolutely nothing in return, despite getting things done for the people around her. She found the stones, she unlocked the arch, and what did she get as a thank you? Dying in the arms of her almost-lover, before being turned away cruelly by said almost-lover and losing her memories. Jeez.

But that’s why it’s so inspiring seeing her get back up again and again. Evangeline would kill them with kindness if she wasn’t nice enough to try and save each and every one of them. She hugs and forgives LaLa after she placed a curse on her. She tries to talk Petra out of killing her (we all know how that went, yikes). She chooses Jacks again and again, because that’s what love is. It’s everything she stands for: fighting for the people you love and never abandoning them.

Idk, maybe it’s just me, but I really would love to see more of the characters appreciating her, this girl and her blind faith in everything that moves, who’s stubborn and fearless and determined to help others instead of herself. So excited for acftl <3