#I’ll cry if he wins 2024 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fangirl-dot-com · 1 month

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Chapter 30 - Vettel Reincarnate

final gp y'all - I might cry..

Shoutout to that one reader who was asking about secret santa - this one is for you darling!

Not going to do a giant speech - you all will know when the last chapter comes out because I'm going to do a farewell little post before the chapter goes live ☺️

Please enjoy!

A red Santa hat sat on your head as you stood in front of some cameras. Your grin was wide as your hands held three neatly wrapped presents. Secret Santa had finally graced the paddock and you could tell that the air felt lighter. Or maybe it was a bit hot in the oversized Santa suit that you were in.

Max had already won the championship this year, so there wasn’t any bad air between two drivers. You and Charles were very close, but it wasn’t a fierce rivalry as the press seemed to make it. One stink eye to him and apparently you hated the Monegasque with every fiber of your being. And the pictures of the two of you at family dinner? The two of you were secretly conspiring against the other the entire time.

Jemma, as you learned the lady’s name, was walking over.

“Are you ready to start?” she asked, looking over the cameras one more time.

You flashed her another smile. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The cameraman gave you the signal, letting you know that it was rolling. You took a deep breath before you started.

“Hi everyone, and welcome to the 2024 Grid Secret Santa.”

You paused as you looked down at the presents.

“I guess I’ll start then?”

The crew chuckled around you as you set two down on the little table. You were saving the biggest one for last.

The first present was a medium box. You carefully unwrapped it, making sure not to tear the paper. You giggled as you went slowly.

“Max hated it when I would not just rip and tear last year at Christmas. I wanted to save the wrapping paper.”

Laughter erupted from the crew around you, making your smile grow wider. You were a sucker for people laughing at you trying to be funny.

You finally got the last of the paper off.

“Props to whoever wrapped these. It’s very well done.”

You opened the box and immediately started laughing. The small crowd was questioning what was in the box. You pulled the item out, which earned more laughs.

In your hand was yet another pair of Lightning McQueen with Charles’s signature on them. You gave the camera a look.

“This is like the third pair that I have currently. Arthur got me a pair last year with Charles’s signature on them as well.”

Jemma questioned, “Do you have any guesses?”

You thought for a moment.

“It cannot be Lando, he does not wrap gifts this well.”

“I heard that!”

Your head whipped around to see the McLaren driver walking by with Jon. You raised your hand in a wave.

“It’s true though!”

You turned your attention back to the camera. The smaller box was in your hand. You quickly opened it up and let out a small gasp. Your fingers gently picked up a charm bracelet and you held it up for the camera.

“What’s on it?”

You smiled as you looked at all the charms.

“So there’s an Italian flag, some maracas, and some dice – I’m thinking that these are for my wins – Monza, Mexico, and Las Vegas. Then there’s a little Formula 1 car, oh, is that a tiny can of Red Bull?”

You held the bracelet to your face.

“It is! That’s so cute. Ok, so then there’s an 8 and then a 9, probably for my number. There’s a camera, a football, a longhorn. Oh, ok, I definitely know who this is from.”

You positioned the little charm toward the camera.

“It’s a little chili.”

Your eyes welled up at the thoughtful gift.

“You know who your secret Santa is then?”

“I’ll wait to say until I open the last present. You said there’s a card in there right?”

“Correct.”

You quickly picked up the last big box. This time, the box was already decorated so you didn’t need to unwrap it carefully. You threw your head back with laughter once you saw what was in the box.

Your hands grabbed it and held it to the camera. A giant blanket was on display. On said blanket was a giant Max Verstappen in all his glory. You put it around your shoulders.

“This is just beautiful.”

You spun around, showing the blanket off. A familiar laugh erupted from behind the camera.

“Did you put him up to this?”

Max looked as though he got caught before he smirked.

“I-I can neither confirm nor deny,” he managed to get out between the laughs.

You pulled the blanket around you, nuzzling your face into the soft fabric. By now, a lot of the guys were watching.

Jemma reigned everyone back in.

“Ok, do you want to say who you think it is?”

You smirked.

“It’s Carlos.”

The Spaniard flashed you a giant grin. You walked up to the Ferrari driver and gave him a hug.

“Did Charles tell you that I already had a pair of the Crocs?”

You felt his head shake and you huffed.

“Charles!”

“That is my cue to leave. I’ll see you all on track.”

A flash of red quickly passed by your face.

“Yeah, you better run!”

Everyone laughed as you gathered your things. However, you wanted to stay for the next person, since it was the person whose name you drew.

You watched as Lando stared with wide eyes at the giant crate that was put down before him. And then you silently laughed as the man also put a smaller box on top.

Carlos leaned down and whispered, “You don’t have anything to do with this chica?”

You whispered back, “I have no clue what you are talking about.”

Your shoulders started to shake as you watched the Briton open the crate. He huffed as he looked down.

“What is it Lando?” Jemma asked.

The McLaren driver pulled out one singular fruit.

“It’s a crate full of papayas. This was definitely not in the budget. How the hell does someone just get a full crate of papayas?”

“What’s in the smaller box?”

Lando pulled out a singular piece of paper.

He read it, “One free drive in any one of my cars and two admissions into any country clubs I want for a full week.”

You watched as a look of realization crossed his face. A warm smile grew as he looked right at you.

“This is Y/n. I know it.”

“Correct.”

“Why in the hell did you get me a crate of papayas?”

You shrugged behind the camera.

“Because you always complain that I call the McLaren color orange.”

Lando rolled his eyes but waved the makeshift coupon.

“I will be driving your Apollo though.”

You pretended to grimace. However, it turned into a smile. You knew that he was going to pick that car, so you didn’t even try to stop him by writing ‘any car except the apollo.’ He would have whined and whined until you let him do it anyway. You watched as they rolled the crate away, signaling that they were done filming in this area.

“Did you read the card chica?” Carlos asked as he walked you back to your garage.

You pulled the piece of paper from your pocket.

It read:

Dear Chica,

When I heard that Checo was retiring, I was kind of hoping that I might have been able to get the Red Bull seat back. I knew that Ferrari would change things for 2025, and I knew that you were on their radar. (Also, Charles can’t keep a secret.)

You giggled but kept reading.

However, seeing you grow on the track this year made me realize how special you truly are. No one is lying when they say that you will be World Champion one day. I hope that I’m still on the grid to see it.

No one knows, but I will be returning to the grid in 2025 for Audi. (Please keep it a secret unlike Charles – I didn’t tell him because then he would tell Pierre and Max, who would then tell the entire grid.)

If you ever need to come eat spicy food, I’ll have the guest house ready for you in Spain. We’ll go to the beach and tan while Max and Charles burn like lobsters. Maybe this time I’ll be willing to play mermaids with you.

You’re going to go far Chica. Keep driving fast and with your heart. It only goes up from here.

Love,

Carlos

Your eyes were watering by the time that you finished reading. You turned and put your head on Carlos’s chest as his arms wrapped around you. Sniffled escaped as you squeezed into the hug.

“You know, the press is going to think that I’m not conspiring with you on how to take Charles out of the race.”

You felt Carlos shake as he laughed. You bid your goodbyes as you headed back to your garage. You quickly placed your gifts in your driver’s room before changing from the Santa suit into your fireproofs and race suit. Since you had only let a rookie drive your car once, you and Max were able to just hang out during FP1.

“Ok, so who did you get and what did you give? And what did you get from who?”

Max sighed, a smile on his face.

“So, I picked Charles.”

“Oh no.”

Max’s smile turned into a smirk.

“So I got him one of those Inchident shirts from Etsy or wherever. And then I signed the shirt and said it was for my biggest fan.”

The Dutchman smiled as he heard your giggles.

“And then I just got him a gift card to some restaurant back home. But he said he’s going to wear the shirt next time we play paddle. He said something about creating an Inchident 2.0.”

“And who got you?”

“Logan. The kid did well.”

“Yeah?”

Max jerked his head behind him. “He got me three cheesecakes from The Cheesecake Factory and then a football. He also got me a book of dad jokes, saying that since I call you kid, I need to up my dad-joke game.”

Your eyes landed on the three boxes, the book, and the brown, egg-shaped ball.

“Can I have some cheesecake after the race.”

“No.”

redbullracing has posted

redbullracing max didn't get the memo? at least y/n can bring him everywhere now!

liked by y/n.89, landonorris, carlossainz55, and 4,204,981 others

y/n.nation the video was so cuteeeeee - I was so happy when Carlos picked her! And Max totally understood the assignment with Charles's gift

formulala_delulu the gifts this year was top tier! glad Charles didn't gift another calendar

maxverstappen1 I guess you're stuck with me kid

landonorris will you finally share this blanket?

y/n.89 maybe - depends on how I'm feeling.

charles_lecerlc when you get to an inchident competition but your opponent is a 27 year old Dutchman who can't let go of the past 👊😔

maxverstappen1 I mean...I'll take the shirt back then

charles_leclerc TOO BAD I'M ALREADY WEARING IT - GET YOUR OWN

y/n.89 chill shawty, no one wants the shirt anyway

box_box_express stoooppp I'm going to miss this grid!

y/n&co y/n is going to win - mark my words!

On Sunday, you were practically vibrating. Only a few points separated you and Charles. You needed to score higher than a P3 and needed fastest lap.

However, Charles only needed a P3 and fastest lap to come out in second place. Qualifying was not in your favor as you were starting P9. Max and Charles vacated the first row. Standing by your car, they seemed so far away.

Yet, as you sat in the seat, going over a few more details, you knew you could do it.

“Final radio check kid for 2024.”

“Mitch, I think it’s time.”

“Time for what?”

“An overtake masterclass.”

“Right. Any song requests for the end?”

You sighed as you looked around you. You knew that people were wanting a song from you, as you did after ever season closer. But this time, you really didn’t have a song that fit well.

“Not this time Mitch.”

“Ok. Lights out in 15 seconds.”

You turned the radio off for the remainder of the time. You basked in the silence, finally welcoming it to think.

The formation lap went well and no one ran into the barriers, letting everyone be able to line up to go.

You watched as the lights started to count down.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

“And it’s lights out and away we go for the final time in 2024!”

Your foot hit the throttle and off you went. Like always, your car felt alive.

Woman and machine as one.

“Now, Y/n L/n has to make her way back up to P3 while also trying to go for the fastest lap to be able to win the second place of the driver’s championship. We talked to her earlier and she said that she would be trying her hardest to also possibly get one more win for this season to complete her glorious rookie campaign.”

“Yes, David, she has had the best rookie season since Lewis Hamilton. Even if she doesn’t win this race, she has blown his point record out of the water. She would tie him with wins during a rookie year, but she wouldn’t beat his place holder of second in the driver’s championship.”

“And there she goes around the outside, getting by Oscar Piastri.”

“Another overtake for L/n as she gets out ahead of Carlos Sainz in turn 3.”

“It’s a double pass for the rookie on the straight. She is now in P5 as she gets around both Mercedes going into turn 1.”

“I don’t know what classes she is taking, but this is a advanced one as she now overtakes Lando Norris.”

“It’s P3 for L/n in 23 laps. Incredible! Truly an Overtake Master Class.”

Your voice shook as you came on the radio.

“I need to box. Something is wrong with the left tyre.”

You had only been able to scrap back up to P3 when something felt off.

Mitch responded quickly. “If you pit, this is the only one you get. Can you get to the end?”

You knew that the one stop strategy might not work the best with the car for this circuit. You sighed, mulling over your options.

If you did mediums, the tyre degradation might be too severe to even be on the podium. But, the hards would take forever to warm up.

“Box, box.”

“Looks like L/n is boxing early. Is Red Bull undercutting their team?”

“What the hell is wrong?” Max voiced over his radio. Where they undercutting him?

GP responded. “Something wrong with her front tyre. The nuts weren’t in enough and she would have had a major accident if we hadn’t boxed her. She will come out in P2, so you will hold the position.”

The Dutchman sighed in relief. You’d be safer if they did undercut him.

“Ok.”

“Copy Max. Let’s just try to bring it home.”

With the early pit stop and a fresh set of hard tyres, you were back out in P2, just able to get by Charles.

The rest of the race, you sat back and fought as hard as you could. Only 30 more laps to go. When your tyres finally heated up, you were slowly gaining on Max. Before he or you knew it, you were now fighting for first place.

“Ok, Max, it’s a free for all. Just don’t take each other out please.”

“Copy GP.”

“Y/n, we’re letting you and Max fight it out. He is not pitting again. Keep it safe and bring it home.”

“Who has fastest lap currently?”

“Leclerc.”

“Shit. Ok. What should I go for Mitch?”

“What matters most to you?”

An answer from your radio never came.

“L/n and Verstappen have been given the green flag to just race. We are seeing two of the best of this generation fight it out at the last circuit.”

“And that is a lock up from Verstappen! Does he get the lead back? Yes he does. He maintains the lead in front of his teammate.”

“L/n is going to try to go around the outside, and she gets the lead going into turn 4, but loses it coming out of it.”

“The rookie and the World Champion, what a duo these two have been.”

“Fastest lap?”

“You currently have it.”

“Right on.”

“And we are down to the final lap of the race. Will L/n be able to get a lead on her teammate and be able to keep it? That is what it is down to. We have seen these two brilliant drivers dance with each other, but L/n has not been able to keep a lead going out of a turn.”

“You know who she reminds me of David? Sebastian Vettel. It’s the hunger and the passion for the sport.”

“I absolutely agree with you. Vettel was a four time world champion. If she is anything like him, she will be world champion before we know it. Her driving style is so close to his, it’s like see him back in his Red Bull glory days. Truly unbelievable.”

“MAX VERSTAPPEN GOES WIDE AND THROUGH GOES L/N TAKING THE LEAD AND SHE IS RUNNING WITH IT!”

“L/N WINS HER FOURTH RACE OF THE SEASON IN ABU DHABI. Ending a perfect rookie year on a high!”

You sighed as you crossed the line in P1.

“Fastest lap Mitch?”

Please, oh please.

“Sorry kid. Leclerc got you in the last sector.”

A frown wanted to grow on your face, yet you didn’t let it. You were a three time race winner and you wouldn’t let that be ruined. Your head turned as you saw Max pull up near you. You gave him a wave that was reciprocated.

You watched as his finger went in a little circle and you nodded in agreement. A red car was now in your mirrors. You stuck your hand out the halo to give Charles the signal that the Dutchman gave you to. You saw as he stuck a thumbs up as well.

Once the cars were in position, you took the lead for the burnouts. Laughter erupted from your throat as you spun your car. Above, fireworks went off in the sky. As your burn out ended, you pulled into the P1 spot.

You quickly got out of the car and fell on your knees. Your helmet lowered to the ground as you put your hands on the tyres in a mock bow. You leaned back and just sat for a moment. Your visor was still down as you took it all in. You hit the pavement before getting back on your feet.

Yet, it didn’t take long for Max to barrel into you. You almost fell over, but he kept you up. You were starting to jump up and down in excitement.

“You did so well Geitje! So fucking proud of you. That was such good racing!”

“I thought you had me! Like we were all vroom, and then you locked up, but kept it, and then I was all like ‘Waahhhhh’, and I saw you went wide and I was like, I’m going to get him,” you kept rambling to him as the two of you got weighed and then went to get interviewed. You stopped Charles on his way, though, when he passed to go to the cool down room.

“Charlie! I thought I had you!”

A laugh escaped the Monegasque as he brought you in for a hug. You just leaned into him and sighed in content. You felt Charles put his head down against yours. His hands were tightly wound around your shoulders while yours were around his waist.

“You did good Gosse, you did good. I am so proud of you.”

You pouted against him. “But I couldn’t get second.”

Charles removed you and put you at arm’s length.

“Y/n, you cannot even begin to fathom what you’ve done this season. As a rookie, you have beaten a four-time world champion. You’ve beaten Ferrari. You’ve beaten everyone’s expectations. You’ve done it all, and that should be something to be proud of. And if you’re worried about a placing, you just confirmed that Red Bull won the constructors championship.”

Your eyes lit up by that, and you brought Charles back into a quick hug before going to the interview. A smile grew on your face as you saw Arthur standing with a very sweet smile of his own. The younger Monegasque loved to see you getting along with his brother. It was only solidifying that he made the right choice with you.

He watched you walk up to him as you took a microphone.

“Y/n, that was some racing! Starting from all the way from P9 and making your way up to a race win. How are you feeling?”

You exhaled before answering.

“Well, you know, it was exhilarating. I would have been happy with P3, but then my left tyre wasn’t doing too well, so I had to box early. I think that’s what was able to position me just right to get a placement on Max.”

Arthur smiled. “So, in terms of a rookie year, you have had one of the best campaigns since Lewis Hamilton. How do you feel to know that you have broken so many records?”

“Well Arthur, it feels great. I just really wanted to prove that I could do this and show people that Red Bull made the right choice with me.”

“One last thing. I was hearing Crofty on the livestream and he was making some connections between you and Sebastian Vettel. I’ve also seen many videos calling you a Vettel Reincarnate. Thoughts on that?”

Your eyebrows pinched.

“Well, Seb isn’t dead, so I don’t know how I could be his reincarnation.”

The two of you laughed at that.

“But I am honored to be compared to one of the greats. I know that people always compare drivers, but I really am proud to know Sebastian personally and to be great at driving to the point that people want to say that I remind them of him.”

The interview was wrapped up after that. Since you took a little more time, you weren’t able to get to the cool down room. Thankfully, Max had a water bottle or two for you when you got to the podium.

You guzzled one down as you watched Charles and Max walk out. You were able to follow them, but someone tapped you on the back. It was a man holding your nation’s flag.

“I know that this celebration is normally reserved for World Champions, but we thought you’d like this.”

You took the flag without hesitation and wrapped it around your shoulders. You stood proud with it as your anthem rang out.

The two male drivers watched as you hummed along to the anthem, swaying back and forth. The flag almost fell as you raised the trophy, yet, you held the trophy with one hand and then flag in your other.

As Charles and Max were spraying you with champagne, your mind began to wander. You’d be on this top step at some point. But that time, it would be as world champion.

The champagne seemed to freeze in the air as you took everything in. You finally felt as though you could breathe easy. You had made it. You had a contract renewal coming way before your contract would even expire. You had your family here with you.

Everything was perfect.

redbullracing has posted

redbullracing rookie and champ - logging out one last time 💙

liked by arthur_leclerc, y/n.89, maxverstappen1, formula_fan, and 5,210,756 others

y/n.nation SO THAT'S IT???? WHY AM I CRYING 😭

box_box_express thankful to have been here since the beginning. y/n deserves everything that she has done and more

y/n.89 FANS ARE CRYING - I'M CRYING - WHY IS THIS ENDING???

maxverstappen1 there's next season? 🤨

y/n.89 OH YEAHHHHHHHH

maxverstappen1 this kid I swear

formula1_4ever this season was phenomenal - the amount of racing that we got to see and multiple drivers winning, I'd go back to rewatch it all again

wholesomef1 tell me why this season is going to go down in history

rookie&co while I'm sad for winter break - I'm gearing up for next year!

y/n.89 has posted

y/n.89 wow, there were just so many moments this season that had me in a loop, so - here are some pictures from my favorites album 1. the first time I truly witnesses Lestappen in all it's glory 2. me and thur when he visited my apartment in the UK 3. for the Charlie girlies - looking ethereal in Vegas 4. my first podium in Abu Dhabi!! 5. for the Oscar girlies - (he was looking at lando) 6. Lewis and my son 7. Logan when he had to come find me after getting lost in the trains 8. my parents trying raising canes for the first time 9. this glorious picture of me from VEGAS 10. my boyfriend looking SCRUMDILLYICIOUS (hard launch who?) 11. George in Mexico after I gave him a sombrero 12. Lando wanting to punch me after I gave him a crate of papayas

thank you 2024 season - you will be one I never forget!!

liked by oscarpiastri, y/n.nation, formula1fan, rookie&co, and 2,049,148 others

y/n.nation this was so sweet 🥺

landonorris did me dirty bug

y/n.89 it's what you get

lewishamilton your son? 🤨

y/n.89 yes, my son

maxverstappen1 when did you take the first picture??

y/n.89 vegas 2023 - you look so in love maximillian

charles_leclerc awwww you do 🥰

maxverstappen1 gag.

box_box_express stop stop stop all of these are so cute

fanof_1681 Charles/Oscar girlies we rise

alex_albon why that picture?? I know you had like 5 others

y/n.89 cause lily looked the best in that one - duh

rookie&co I guess this means I have to change my username :(

formulala_delulu oh to just go back in time and rewatch the entire season again for the first time

It took a while to get back to your drivers room. You took just a minute to just feel. Feel the trophy, feel the champagne in your suit, feel the emotions. You didn't bother to sit on the little bed, so you were on the floor leaning against the couch.

You let your mind wander.

In reality, you were thankful for your past. Arthur, Vito, Stella back at Dams, maybe even your parents. It’s because they all pushed you to be the best.

But you’d continue to show them how truly great you were. You’d put your name in the hall of fame if it was the last thing you did.

As you looked at the pictures in your room, your eyes landed on one., You were bunched in with Max, Charles, and Mitch at Vegas. Just looking at it gave you shivers as you thought of what was to come. However, right now, you could only wait for the future. A future full of championships and families. Deep down, you second guessed yourself, wondering if it ever would come true.

But it’d come true. You knew it would.

World Champion.

Because, for all it is, it's just wishful thinking.

TAG LIST: @fionaschicken @glitterquadricorn @laura-naruto-fan1998 @treehouse-mouse @sam-is-lost @kagatinkita @fangirl125reader @megatrilss1885 @myxticmoon @angsthology @cmleitora @fly-me-away @graciewrote @ashy-kit @slutofmultifandom @aexitizen-ln4 @sugarvibez @vellicora @thatgirlthatreadswattpad @33-81 @hoetel-manager @xcharlottemikaelsonx @jayda12 @ilove-tswizzle @justme2042 @itsjustkhaos @nikfigueiredo @stopeatread @cha-hot @sadg3 @iloveyou3000morgan @s4turnsl0ver @alessioayla @torchbearerkyle @leptitlu @awekbachira @shreks-sugar-daddy @v1naco @stan-josie @mellowarcadefun @badassturtle13 @beskardroids @callisposts @poppyalice2001 @juniper-july19 @lizzypiastri

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pitchsidestories · 7 months

Text

The Bitch is back II Lucy Bronze x Reader

a/n: based off this request.

"I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch, oh, the bitch is back Stone-cold sober, as a matter of fact I can bitch, I can bitch 'cause I'm better than you It's the way that I move, the things that I do, oh-oh-oh."

~ Elton John, The Bitch Is Back

barcelona women masterlist I word count: 1591

You always knew that your professional tennis career would be filled with ups and downs, with periods of injuries and streaks of unbeatability.

You knew you worked hard, harder than most other competitors. So it didn’t feel fair when your lowest low came; your knockout in the Olympic Games 2020 before you had a chance to take a medal home with you. Your memory of this game was very blurry.

All you really remember of this day were the tears and your girlfriends strong arms around you. Your eyes were red and swollen from crying so much when you plainly stated; “Lucy… I failed.“

“You didn’t fail, you lost. Those are two very different things.“, she had answered while trying to wipe away some of your tears with her thumbs.

You tried to push out her hug, annoyed; “Oh, and that makes it so much better?“ But Lucy had never let go, “Yes, it does.“ “Why?“ “You will get it when you get over the pain.“

Then you remembered finally losing your tenseness and sinking deeper into her hug. New hot tears were welling in your eyes; “But it hurts so much right now… Maybe I should end it here, let the younger tennis players take over.“

“And then?“, Lucy had asked.

“I don’t know. Giving up seems like the easiest way to stop the pain…“

She had determinedly shaken her head, “You’re not done yet.“ “I need to think about it…“, was all you said because it was the last thing you wanted to talk about, you wanted to get out of the conversation as soon as possible.

You just needed her to hold you. And Lucy could feel that; “Take your time before you make that decision.“ “Alright.“

With a serious face the male tv journalist was turning to the expert who was watching the game with him: “Do you think it was the last time we saw her at the Olympics? She said she’ll think about it in her post-match interview?”

“Yes, I think that’s it for her. She’s at the peak of her career. It’s only reasonable to stop playing now.”

“Don’t worry for everyone who’s watching now we’ll keep you updated on that but for now we’re heading to swimming where the next medals want to be won.”, he continued, the smile returning to his face.

Those men thought you were done but you knew better, their sureness about you giving up only fuelled your passion to keep going and try again next time.

The gold medal was in reach, closer than ever and knowing this motivated you the upcoming years.

Something you and your girlfriend had in common was the mindset of always wanting to win.

2024 The Olympics in Paris

“Will you be watching my tennis match later, Luce?”, you asked the defender.

Of course Lucy knew how important this half final was to you, so she reassured you with her reply: “ Sure. I might be a bit late. I’m coming straight from training. But I’ll watch.”

“Thank you.”

Knowing the football player will be watching made the pressure on your chest felt a little lighter.

Shaking her head softly, Lucy said: “It*s nothing.”

“Who knows, we both might end in the Olympics final of two different sports.”, you winked through the video call with your girlfriend.

A warm laugh escaped from the defender’s lips: “Who knows. Everything’s possible at this point.”

“See you afterwards.”, you told her after looking at the time.

A huge grin was appearing on the Barcelona player’s face as she answered:“ See you.”

While you were warming up for your match, your girlfriend was just ending her training session with her team. She took a quick shower and started to get dressed. With a glance towards the clock in their dressing room, Leah reminded her; “Luce, you got to hurry up to see your girl play the match of her career!“ “Yeah, I know.“, Lucy replied calmly, slipping into her shoes. Millie watched her in disbelief; “Then what are you waiting for?“ “Yeah, I’m basically running.“, she laughed and grabbed her bag. Before she could leave the dressing room, Jordan kept up with her; “Wait, we’re coming with you to support your girlfriend.“ “Alright, but we have to hurry now.“ Lauren James nodded obediently; “Let’s go!“

Your match was just starting when the football players reached their seats. After the first serves, Leah bent over to Lucy; “She will win it this time, Lucy.“ “You don’t know that yet.“, she shook her head, never taking her eyes off you.

Lucy watched most of your match in silence. She was too tense, hoping and wishing that this game will end in your favour and that all the hard work will finally pay off.

Again, it was Leah who spoke as soon as the last ball hit your opponents side of the court, sealing your win. “I told you so!“, she yelled at Lucy, genuinely happy. Clapping and cheering erupted from the football players.

The excitement that Lucy felt deep in her chest for you, didn’t reach her face yet, so she just stood up to leave her seat; “Excuse me, girls.“

When you saw her standing there, right between your dressing room and the court, you couldn’t stop yourself from running into her arms; “Lucy!“ “You made it!“, she finally smiled. Now that she had realized what just happened, her face could barely contain her pride and happiness.

“Yes, and you were right, I’m not done yet.”, you whispered excitedly into her ear.

Beaming the defender stroke one wild string of your hair back: “I know you! I knew there was more to come for you.”

“I’d never have been here on the way to the final if you, my coach and family did not believe in me.”, you confessed, heart still pounding loudly in your ear.

Determined Lucy shook her head: “No. This is your win.”

You knew you were required to answer some questions, so you quickly kissed your girlfriend goodbye for now before heading to your media duties: “Sorry, I got to go and give a few interviews.”

The football player knew this all too well because she was an professional athlete aswell, that’s why she released you from your hug even though Lucy would have preferred to hold you a little longer: “I’ll meet you afterwards.”

Confidently you faced the press: “Well you did not see the last of me and you all were so convinced I’d never come back but here I’m.”

“I guess we were wrong about that.”, one journalist shouted back.

A bit less cocky you announced: “So I’m ready to answer you guys’ question.”

“How does it feel?”, a female reporter asked.

Your eyes looked dreamy while you replied: “It feels amazing. I always dreamed of being in the Olympics final and I still can’t believe that this dream is coming true.”

“You’ve been waiting for this for four years now. Your opponent was the favourite in these Olympics. Does it make this win even better?”

You waited a moment to gather your thoughts before you told the journalist: “It kind of does, especially because she’s currently the number one in the world and I really admire her talent. So yes, it makes this win taste even better. And the fact that my loved ones were here to watch this means the world to me.”

“We saw a few of the lioness’s watch. Including your girlfriend. She must be very proud.”, one of them remarked, with a mischievous smile on her lips.

“Yes, I think Lucy is quite proud. Actually, she’s very impatiently waiting behind the cameras for me to be done so we can celebrate my win together.”

For a moment you could see your girlfriend grinning about the comment you made in front of the press, Lucy was not known for her patience.

The journalist opposite you couldn’t contain a smile; “In that case, we won’t keep you any longer. Congratulations on that win again and best of luck to the lionesses for their game tomorrow as well.“ “Oh, don’t worry. Lucy will do anything to win the upcoming games with her teammates. Good night to you all. See you after the final. Hopefully smiling again.“

With a confident smile, you left your place in front of the press and were immediately greeted by Lucys hug. She carefully kissed the top of your head with as grin; “Hey.“

“Hey.“, you smiled back.

Clearly amused, she raised her eyebrows; “Advertising for our game after your own win?“

“Of course. And I’ll be there cheering for you girls in the stands too.“, you laughed. “That’s real sportsmanship.“ You nodded; “As it should be! Girls support girls.“ “What about girlfriends supporting girlfriends?“, Lucy asked with a smirk on her lips.

For a second you grimaced, “I guess they know that you’re my girlfriend now… Hope you don’t mind that.“ You could feel your cheeks flush, but Lucy calmly shook her head; “I don’t. We never made it a secret anyway. And now I can do that.“ Before you knew what she was talking about, she pulled you closer and passionately pressed her lips on yours.

You laughed into the kiss; “You could not wait for this, huh?“ “No.“ “Lucky for you, me neither.“ Lucy took that as a signal to take your hand and nod in the direction of the exit; “Want to leave? And celebrate your win?“ “Yes, please.“, you replied as you let her drag you along. “Let’s go then.“

#woso x reader #lucy bronze #lucy bronze x reader #lionesses #engwnt #woso imagine #fc barcelona femeni #barcelona femeni x reader #woso one shot #woso fanfics #lionesses x reader #jordan nobbs #lauren james #leah williamson #engwnt x reader #fcb femeni #woso

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thefoxholecast · 1 month

Text

The Original Foxhole Court Extra Content (Archived from Nora Sakavic’s Tumblr)

We copied the following text directly from the pre-2024 version of the Foxhole Court Extra Content page on Nora Sakavic’s Tumblr blog (korakos.tumblr.com/fox). In March 2024, she did “some spring cleaning” by shortening the list of links and deleting/hiding old posts. The links in this copy lead to archived snapshots of the old posts on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

Some of the links are broken. If you have copies of these posts, please let us know so we can fill in missing content!

Because Tumblr only allows up to 100 links per post, we're unable to replicate the full list here. View the full list of links on our blog here: thefoxholecast.tumblr.com/FoxArchive

The Foxhole Court

ETA 2023: most of the posts here are from 2013-2015. Some of them overlap with older drafts. Some answers have evolved over time, even if they haven’t been updated here. Most I haven’t changed my mind on, for better or worse. Take ‘em or leave ‘em, and good luck making sense of ‘em around all the drunk rambling and detours. One day if I have the energy I’ll just sort it into a coherent reference.

Two sections here: the questions submitted by tumblr users, and a miscellaneous collection of stories & factoids pulled from the oft-neglected blog. The questions aren’t in any particular order, though I did try to organize them by subject matter. Ish. Once the dust is settled a bit I’ll try to find a better sorting system. Also, the tumblr tag I use for questions is http://korakos.tumblr.com/tagged/foxhole-court-questions-and-spoilers

Lots of spoilers for The Foxhole Court ahead!

Preface: Why are Asks disabled in 2016?

COURTING MADNESS

—Exy Rules & Regulations

—Exy: A History of the Sport

—Palmetto State University

—The original “What Happens After King’s Men” post

—SON NEFES, the cousins’ freshman year through Renee’s eyes

——One . Two . Three . Four . Five

—Nicky Hemmick

—Seth Gordon

—Aaron Minyard

—Matt Boyd

—Kevin & Andrew

—David Wymack & the Monsters

—Wymack & Andrew re: Neil

—Dan Wilds is recruited to the Foxes *

—Allison through Dan & Renee’s eyes *

——pulled from an abandoned, unfinished book about the Foxes’ women

TUMBLR

NEIL

—Neil’s life on the run

—Do they ever celebrate Neil’s birthday?

—What if Neil told the truth earlier?

—Neil through the Foxes’ eyes

—Neil through Ichirou’s eyes

—Neil’s looks post-book and relationship with his reflection

—Does Neil ever talk to Bee?

—Neil’s millions

—Neil’s fight training

—Who’s Neil closest to beside Andrew

—Neil’s fashion style

—Cellphone ringtone

—Christmas/birthday presents for Foxes

—Does Neil ever cry?

—Neil’s lonely fifth year

—When Neil’s overwhelmed

—Does Neil crush on his teammates?

—Neil & Ichirou’s intimidation

ANDREW

—Andrew’s sober look at his teammates & Neil

—How did Andrew react to Cass’s letter?

—Andrew’s medication and the follow-up

—Has Abby seen Andrew’s scars?

—Andrew & Mama Bee

—Andrew & Roland

—How far has Andrew willingly gone?

—What animal figurine did Andrew buy Betsy?

—Andrew’s eye color

—Andrew’s opinion of the cats

—What’d Andrew say to Nicky in TKM?

—Andrew’s honest opinion of Exy

—Andrew’s thoughts on Neil’s binder

—Andrew and his sexuality

—If Andrew had met Neil’s mother

—Andrew’s thoughts on Neil’s sexuality

—Andrew’s fondest memory of Neil

—Andrew’s aforementioned withdrawal

—Do you think Andrew is really really really awesome?

—Proust and Andrew

—What happens to Proust?

—Andrew’s reaction to Neil’s bday blood

—Andrew on Neil eventually changing out

—Does Andrew get grumpy?

—Does Andrew get less dead inside?

—Does Andrew call Neil by his name?

—Why give the Foxes crackers?

—Andrew’s first choices in winning a fight

—Who liked knives?

—What got chopped from Drake’s arc?

—Does Andrew get off thinking about Neil?

—Post Andrew & Bee’s side story?

—When did Andrew start thinking Neil was interesting?

—Any other words he can’t stand?

—What does he think about nicknames?

—Explain Andrew’s fatal disease in the comic version

—Andrew’s canon mental state

—How did Andrew not know about Tilda’s abuse?

—Why punch Neil for “Sorry”, and when Andrew is sick

—What’s with Andrew and promises

—Andrew’s thoughts on Roland’s premature confession

—Andrew’s arrest

—Wanting nothing vs not wanting anything

—Why was Andrew laughing after Drake?

—If Neil had chosen Dan & Matt over Andrew

NEIL & ANDREW

—The other 10%

—Which teammate caught on first?

—Do Andrew & Neil go on dates?

—When did they first hold hands?

—When did Andrew clue in?

—Exites self-censure

—Betsy’s & Aaron’s reactions to the news

—Roland’s opinion of things

—The breaking point

—Who tops?

—On tying people up

—Their domestic life aka Sir Fat Cat

—I love you

—Andrew and the bed issue

—Nightmares

—Do they learn to talk to each other?

—Blaming Neil for Drake

—Andrew comforting Neil?

—Neil’s fondest memory of Andrew

—Neil getting Andrew off for the first time

—Neil seeing Andrew naked

—Neil & the sex how-to

—How was the first time

—Where’d it happen?

—When was their first hug?

—“I won’t let you let me be”

—Their roadtrips

—Neil waking Andrew up

—Andrew’s real smile

—How does Andrew show appreciation for Neil

—Their happiest moments

—Does Neil ever make Andrew laugh?

—Does Andrew take comfort in Neil

—Does Andrew get protective/possessive?

—Doesn’t Neil crave affection?

—Andrew re: Neil’s panic attacks

—Media reaction to Andrew/Neil

—Further reaction to Andrew/Neil

—On “accidentally” sitting in laps

—What if Andrew died?

—What if Neil died?

—Reaction to getting hit on by others

—Do they celebrate anniversaries?

—The first time Neil pushes Andrew down

FOXES

—How tall are the Foxes?

—Why is everyone so short?

—Where did their names come from?

—What were their majors?

—What do the Foxes look like?

—What are their Hogwarts houses?

—Reaction to the kidnapping

—Do Neil & Renee become friends?

—What did Allison do with Seth’s urn?

—Nicky’s evolution over the drafts

—Do the Foxes get their skiing trip?

—Does Andrew know Nicky kissed Neil?

—When did Aaron & Katelyn fall for each other?

—How did Andrew and Wymack end up handcuffed together?

—Kevin’s favorite things

—Kevin and Andrew’s on-court kerfuffle

—Dan’s haircut

—Dan & Matt’s relationship

—Dan & Matt’s first kiss

—Matt bouncing back from Columbia

—Matt rooming with the monsters

—The other what-if OT3 aka D/M/N and the dynamic

—Do Allison and Renee have the hots for each other?

—Matt forgiving his father

—Any mistletoe shenanigans?

—Thanksgiving and the Foxes

—Kevin’s best friend

—Janie Smalls

—How did Kevin and Thea meet?

—Foxes’ favorite ice cream flavors

—Kevin & Andrew’s on-court argument

—Foxes’ taste in music

—Kevin’s middle name & drink of choice

—Do Kevin & Neil want to kiss?

—Which Fox would Kevin kiss, then?

—Kevin’s best non-Exy memory

—Allison’s three bets

—Why is Allison’s middle name Jamaica

—Kevin, Andrew, and Neil staying friends

—“Joan of Exy”?

—Can the Foxes sing?

—Some of the Foxes’ previous bets

—Do Nicky & Allison become friends?

—Are Foxes based on RL people?

—Nicky when Neil asks about friendship

—Dan & the monsters in Columbia

—What if Kevin was killed?

—Renee and her near-death experiences

—More background available on Renee?

—Why doesn’t Aaron let the Foxes in?

—Team’s reaction to Drake, Andrew’s reaction to being outed

—Andrew & Aaron’s time with Tilda

—Does Aaron reconcile with Andrew over Tilda?

—Nicky & his parents after Drake

—Foxes thoughts in Baltimore

FOXES POST-TKM

—The Pro Teams

—The Weddings

—Neil as the Best Man?

—Kevin after TKM —Thea, Jean, Foxes, and Riko

—How does Kevin & Wymack’s relationship evolve?

—Renee after TKM

—Nicky after TKM

—Aaron after TKM

—Allison after TKM

—Dan & Matt after TKM

—Dan and the US Court

—Any pro-period scandals?

—Andrew & Neil’s relationship with their team

—Would Neil hold Matt’s children?

—Neil & babysitting the Foxes’ kids

—Which Fox’s child would curse first

THE FUTURE FOXES

—Who is Robin Cross?

—Neil and Jack

—Andrew’s reaction to Neil punching Jack

—Foxes’ reaction to Neil punching

—Kevin and Jack

—Neil’s new recruit

—Andrew and Jack

RIVALS

—Who is Riko Moriyama?

—Riko & Kevin’s evolving relationship

—More about Riko & Kevin’s past

—How did Riko break Kevin’s hand

—Riko’s brutality toward Jean

—Any draft where Riko wasn’t killed?

—Were Riko, Kevin, and Jean involved sexually?

—Does the Fox-Trojan rematch happen? Also how do the Trojans & Jean get along?

—Do Alvarez & Laila (Trojans) have backstories?

—Thea’s number & thoughts on Raven brutality

THE “ADULTS”

—Kayleigh Day & David Wymack

—Abby Winfield & David Wymack

—Wymack’s parents

—Did Wymack cry during the trilogy?

—Did Kayleigh know about the Moriyamas?

Nora & the Foxes

—Fancast and Andrew

—Changing opinion of Foxes over the years

—Bits of the scrapped K/N/A threesome here and here

—The KxAxN AU where Kevin died

—Will there be a sequel?

—What inspired you to develop Exy?

—Fox fanfictions, collected by coldsaturn

—Why a pseudonym?

—What came first, characters or story?

—Were you the artist of the comic version?

—What did the comic-Foxes look like?

—What do you do when you’re not writing?

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starsandhughes · 6 months

Text

Penalty Box Series— Trevor Zegras Edition (One)

23-24 Season Masterlist

next: two

quinn's game

OCTOBER 14, 2023

yourusername

liked by trevorzegras, _quinnhughes, and 18,644 others

yourusername WELCOME TO MY FIRST POST GAME PENALTY BOX UPDATE SHOW FOR THE 2023-2024 SEASON (for z-baby)! i’ve missed all of you terribly <3

my ducklings did not bring home the win tonight against vgk, but considering they just won the cup, they held their own pretty well!

AND JAMIE BABY GOT HIS FIRST ASSIST OF THE SEASON TONIGHT ON THE DUCKS ONLY GOAL! SCORED BY MASON! THAT’S MY BOYS!!!! for those wondering, yes, they got lots of good job forehead kisses!!

and shoutout to carrick, for giving me a fight, you’re such a real one for that and i love you <3 beautiful!

the rest of this season has so much potential to be amazing and action packed, and i can’t wait to go through it with my fav boys!

to my dear z-baby, please do a trick for my entertainment so that i can rave about you🧡 i love you, always!

tagged trevorzegras

view all 214 comments

trevorzegras i’ll give you something to rave about soon, sweet girl🧡 i love you, forever

yourusername you got this, z-baby! you’ll make mama proud!

jackhughes @/yourusername stop. calling. yourself. mama.

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trevorzegras @/jackhughes you know you’re supposed to love her, right?

jackhughes @/trevorzegras i do! very much! she just makes it hard!

yourusername @/jackhughes i love you, too, you human dildo🫶

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yourusername @/jackhughes overruled🫶

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yourusername @/jackhughes no, but i sure do like to judge

trevorzegras @/jackhughes HA @/yourusername i’m so in love with you. never change. you’re perfect.

yourusername @/trevorzegras i never plan to<3

user58 z was hearing some HOT gossip from the ref

colecaufield @/trevorzegras hey you fell on your ass

trevorzegras @/colecaufield i was pushed

_quinnhughes @/trevorzegras and then you fell on your ass

trevorzegras “mmf” -my baby mama

yourusername @/trevorzegras it’s okay bb

trevorzegras @/yourusername you’re so comforting

yourusername @/trevorzegras i know🥰

colecaufield @/yourusername i wanna be bb

yourusername @/colecaufield you can also be bb!

trevorzegras alexa play traitor by olivia rodrigo

_quinnhughes @/trevorzegras cry bb

user63 I’VE MISSED THIS SO MUCH

user12 what did trevor witness to make that face in the fourth pic omg😭

_quinnhughes i worry about you

yourusername don’t do that?

_quinnhughes yes do that because you love for violence is concerning!

yourusername it stems from my youth, QUINTIN

_quinnhughes HOW?!

lhughes_06 @_quinnhughes you ripped jack’s braces off

jackhughes @_quinnhughes we were so violent as kids

yourusername @_quinnhughes just because i took over the role of fighting jack doesn’t mean my love for watching fights stopped. this is really all on you.

_quinnhughes @/yourusername @/jackhughes @.lhughes_06 monkey see, monkey don’t do!

yourusername @_quinnhughes monkey saw, monkey did, monkey still does

slkight35 @/trevorzegras i’ve been told to say congrats

trevorzegras @/slknight35 oh no, you’ve been sucked in

slkight35 @/trevorzegras what?

colecaufield @/slkight35 you’re going to have to sign the princess treaty

slknight35 @/colecaufield that was even less helpful

jackhughes @/slkight35 we don’t break the princess

slknight35 @/jackhughes that’s a little closer to helpful

trevorzegras @/slkight35 the princess treaty at it’s very basic form is we all kinda just do whatever little thing she asks because it’s a “little thing” that “does no harm to you”

slkight35 @/yourusername sissy, why?

yourusername @/slknight35 it’s not my fault i somehow convinced all of them to agree to that

trevorzegras @/slknight35 she’s very convincing

jackhughes @/slknight35 “she’s very convincing” is code for she cries

user16 he’s drinking hot coffee???? am i in an alternate dimension????

jamie.drysdale thank you for the forehead kisses!

yourusername you’re ever so welcome, jamie baby!🧡

trevorzegras @/yourusername where’s my forehead kisses?

yourusername @/trevorzegras get a point and then we’ll talk

jamie.drysdale @/trevorzegras sucks to suck

trevorzegras @/jamie.drysdale you’re uninvited to the fort

yourusername @/trevorzegras we’re using his bedding he physically has to be in the fort! plus, i love him

jamie.drysdale @/trevorzegras ex hubby ex wifey solidarity, bb

trevorzegras @/yourusername @.jamie.drysdale 2 minute penalty for both of you for being meanies! get in the bathroom!

user3 that’s ducks hockey, baby🤪

user91 14 straight losses! pretty sure that’s a record!

_alexturcotte @/trevorzegras aren’t you so happy that y/n gets new reaction memes?

trevorzegras @_alexturcotte sure, let’s go with that

yourusername i am! i am! i am!

_quinnhughes @_alexturcotte for trevor? yes. for me? not at all

yourusername @_quinnhughes i am! i am! i am!

_alexturcotte @/yourusername WOOOO!

jackhughes new memes! new memes! new memes!

yourusername @/jackhughes don’t assume you’re safe

_alexturcotte @/jackhughes you walked right into that one, jacky

jackhughes @_alexturcotte i have a tendency to do that

trevorzegras @/jackhughes you should stop that

jackhughes @/trevorzegras sissy would make a new entrance for me to walk into

yourusername @/jackhughes damn right

jamie.drysdale @/yourusername you’re such a sweetheart

yourusername @/jamie.drysdale thanks, i know<3

269 notes · View notes

brucebocchi · 18 days

Text

Winter 2024 anime, Pt. 2: Mixed reactions, the bench, and the gems

hey y'all, this is also up on my ko-fi! it's free to read both here and there, but i'm struggling financially rn so i could appreciate if you'd throw a few bucks my way if you liked it! part 1 can be found here.

And we're back for part 2! Here's all the new stuff I finished this season, and one more I'll get back to later. As with before, these are sorted alphabetically within each category and are not ranked as of yet.

Also as before, the OP for each series is linked in the title. Check them all out if the header images aren't giving you the right feel for each show, but also check them out because most of them were actually pretty damn good this season.

[Solo Leveling OP voice] LET'S GET IT!

Mixed Bags:

Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!

Your standard, quasi-harem “easily flustered Regular Guy wins over hot girls just by being really nice” shonen romcom. I really don’t have much to say about this one other than if you’ve seen My Dress-Up Darling, you’ve basically seen this already. The only thing that really sets it apart is the setting.

Tsubasa (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki, in a FAR cry from his turn as Mahito in Jujutsu Kaisen) is a straight-laced Tokyoite whose family situation lands him in a small city in the frozen boonies of Hokkaido. While looking for the bus to his new house, he runs into a gyaru in the snowy wild, the underdressed, hilariously-proportioned Minami, and they hit it off. It turns out they go to the same school, there are other cute girls there who take a shine to him as well, it’s nothing new.

I ultimately don’t have much to say about Hokkaido Gals, but I do have a soft spot for series like this, and after reading ahead in the manga I felt obligated to see it through. This is all junk food, but it’s all stuff you’ve seen done better in other series. I also have a soft spot for gyaru in anime and manga, and while I do like Minami just fine, she isn’t Marin Kitagawa or Rumiko Manbagi. I don’t really have it in me to recommend this show to many, though, at least not until another season rolls around, if that ever happens. The manga genuinely does get a lot better as it goes on, but the really worthwhile stuff may not happen until a third season, and I just don’t see that happening.

The manga has issues that the anime isn’t willing or able to solve, chief of which being the visuals. The art style of the manga is wildly inconsistent, and getting a mediocre animation team on this didn’t help matters at all. While the colors often pop nicely against the pretty, snowy backdrops, nobody looks all that great overall. The characters are recognizable, but they just plain don’t look great a lot of the time, nor do they look consistent from one cut to the next; I said that Minami’s proportions are hilarious, but just as hilarious is how wildly they vacillate from one scene to the next for the sake of trying to titillate the viewer.

My biggest takeaway from both the manga and anime was everything I learned about Hokkaido in the process, and if the series is taking subsidies from the island’s tourism bureau, then it’s a job well done. I want some goddamn jingisukan now. The OP is a great time, though. I’m shocked it took over a decade for us to get a proper “Uptown Funk” knockoff in an anime.

Metallic Rouge

I’ll be upfront in saying that this was my biggest disappointment of the season by far. This show had so much going for it, and what we got was… ugh.

There was an unbelievable amount of promise from the outset: This was Studio Bones’ commemorative 25th anniversary production, and coming from the studio that gave us all-timer adaptations like Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood and Mob Psycho 100, not to mention later works from Cowboy Bebop creator Shinichiro Watanabe (including the Cowboy Bebop movie), you can’t fault anyone for having high expectations. It looked to be a fitting production as well: Watanabe’s influence shines through immediately in the gorgeous, lived-in cyberpunk off-world locales and racially diverse cast. Action takes the form of dope robo-tokusatsu transformation fisticuffs, and it’s entirely in 2D animation to boot. The first couple of episodes were killer, too; everything looked and sounded amazing, and there were just enough plot threads teased out that I just had to see how they’d unravel.

It brings me no joy, then, to say that Metallic Rouge collapses into a jumbled mess. I don’t even want to bother talking about what happens in the show because I don’t fucking care anymore. There are few media experiences more sobering than to have it dawn on you over a span of several weeks that “oh… this isn’t actually all that good, is it?” Episode after episode piles on with sloppy lore, weak worldbuilding, warring factions whose names you immediately forget, pointless double-crosses, and the most predictable twist you’ve ever seen. For a while I was willing to accept the fact that I didn’t know what was going on half the time and expected things to become clearer, but now I’m not entirely sure the writers knew either. The stakes apparently kept rising and everything just kept getting more claustrophobic. I’m glad it’s over, if only because if I had to hear “Clair de Lune” one more fucking time, I was going to go ballistic.

There are several attempts at emotional beats, as the story is rife with tragedy and sacrifice, and every single one lands with a wet thud. Nobody gets enough time, motivation, or characterization for any of these things to feel like they actually matter, and that’s especially a shame because the finale might have been able to stick the landing if the previous episodes were less dense and better paced. Emphasis on “almost,” though, because just before the season ends, we get the absolute most pointless fakeout I’ve seen since The Rise of Skywalker, which is the lowest point of comparison you can make for any work of sci-fi.

This is especially frustrating because on paper, there is so much to like here. Rouge and Naomi are likable-enough deuteragonists with a fun dynamic, and they’d make easy yuri bait in a better show. The characters are all pretty and uniquely designed across the board, and the overall aesthetic, almost a pastiche of late-90’s anime futurism, is undeniable. The toku suit designs are neat and several of the action scenes are gorgeous. The score and soundtrack are outstanding (except for the aforementioned Debussy indulgence). I have few complaints about how the show looks and sounds; the style is great! All of my issues lie with the substance.

Metallic Rouge may have had all the ingredients, but it just needed more time to cook; whether that would have been by doubling the episode count or by more carefully planning the pacing and trimming some of the fat from the lore, I’m still not sure. Probably both. It probably needed better writers, too. Maybe it just isn’t as smart as it acts and there was no way to satisfyingly resolve the clumsy civil rights allegories that bring it uncomfortably close to the likes of Detroit: Become Human. So all of the above, I guess. I tend to adore stories that involve artificially-intelligent beings developing their own wills and emotions and learning to cut their own strings (the likes of Blade Runner, Nier Automata, even a couple of character arcs in the Persona series), but this ain’t it. I’m not even mad anymore. I’m just disappointed.

If there are two positives that will stick with me, though, they would be the absolute banger of an OP and, of course, Naomi Orthmann herself (pictured above, left). Outstanding character design. I’m mildly obsessed. She deserved a better show.

The Unwanted Undead Adventurer

This one isn’t even worth talking about, so here’s a brief synopsis, then I’ll add some commentary, and then we’ll all move on with our lives.

Rentt, a beloved but mediocre adventurer in a fantasy town, gets lost in the mysterious labyrinth that all adventurers explore for personal gain, gets waxed by a dragon, and awakens as a shitty-looking CGI skeleton. He notices, though, that he’s able to level up better as a skeleton than he did as a human, and with the more monsters he defeats, the more he evolves into something closer to human. The rest isn’t really worth discussing.

If I’m being honest, I should’ve dropped this show much sooner. It looks kinda lousy most of the time, the plot (inasmuch as there even is one) is boring, character designs are forgettable (except for Rentt’s closest ally, Lorraine, holy hell) and it seems wholly uninterested in actually building its own setting. If it returns for a second season, I won’t be there, nor will I feel like I’m missing anything. Each episode felt like a chore to watch. I probably only saw it through because 1) I liked looking at Lorraine, I know what I’m about, and 2) I didn’t want to lump it in with the shows I did drop. The Unwanted Undead Adventurer isn’t as patently upsetting or frustrating as those three, but it just plain isn’t a very good show.

The Witch and the Beast

This show could have been so much more. I was drawn in by the gorgeous character designs and intriguing blend of Victorian gothic aesthetics and architecture with modern infrastructure, and very quickly disappointed by just about everything else. The first episode is an exceptional proof of concept, and almost everything that follows is an upsetting showcase of what could have been.

The story centers around Ashaf, a languid, chain-smoking agent of the governing church with a big-ass coffin strapped to his back, and his partner Guideau, a snarling hyena in a young woman’s body, as they investigate abuses of magic across the continent in search of nefarious witches. Guideau in particular has a bone to pick with witches, as the body they presently inhabit is the result of a witch’s curse, and they remain in furious pursuit of the one who cursed them. The curse can be temporarily undone by a kiss with a witch, allowing Guideau’s true body, a hulking brute confined to the coffin, to escape and wreak havoc. Meaning that on a few occasions we get a girl-on-girl kiss followed by a big dude wrecking shit. There’s also other investigations of serial killings, necromancy, and a cursed sword, and here’s hoping you like those, because the coffin breaks are few and far between.

This wasn’t great! By the third episode I had the sneaking suspicion that the animation talent on hand just wasn’t enough to support the aesthetic. While the character designs are exceptional, almost everyone looks awful in any shot that isn’t completely focused on them. This is especially true of Guideau, who looks so inconsistently off-model from one shot to the next that I’m still not entirely sure what they’re supposed to look like, and that’s kind of unforgivable when we’re talking about a main character. Everything looks too dim and too shiny at the same time, and action scenes look like shit more often than they look interesting. I can see so many flickers of something excellent (or at least really good-looking) in Witch and the Beast, and everything else that keeps those flickers from actually igniting makes it so much more frustrating to watch. Maybe just read the manga instead; the panels I've seen from it were uniformly gorgeous.

Actually, yeah, you should probably just read the manga, because for a season of anime, the pacing is atrocious too. It’s clearly trying to angle for a monster-of-the-week format, but each of these mini-arcs is a little too dense for a single episode, so multiple episodes are dedicated to these one-off curiosities, most of which do nothing to advance the plot or show off what the show does best. And if one of them isn’t particularly interesting, you’re saddled with it for the next two weeks like you've been stuck munching on a mealy apple. And I know you can only adapt so much in a 12-episode season, but the decision to end the season on a flashback arc and a lore dump was baffling. That’s not world-building, that’s lazy, and it made the show’s existing pacing issues feel that much more inane.

I feel like I was sold a false bill of goods. I can only imagine how the mangaka feels about this. Dull and uninspiring all around. What a waste.

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

Isekai, unassuming high school boy gains a unique power, impending war with the Demon Lord, yadda yadda yadda. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic isn’t anything new or special by any means, nor is it particularly well-animated or -paced, but at its best it’s silly and charming enough that it made a nice, brainless palate cleanser on Fridays.

Usato, your standard quiet high schooler, ends up walking home on a rainy evening with the popular, attractive student council president and VP, when an isekai portal happens. It turns out that it was just the seito-kai that was invited along for the ride (and President Suzune, as it turns out, is fucking psyched to get to be in an isekai), and Usato got caught along with them. When tested for magical aptitude, Suzune and VP Kazuki hit the jackpot with electric and light affinities, respectively, but things go awry when Usato’s reading turns up with healing magic. Terror strikes the palace as the intimidating dommy-mommy Captain Rose barges in to spirit Usato away from his new friends and into her squadron of goons to train him as a combat medic.

As character comedy goes, this one is actually pretty solid at times. Shogo Sakata is plenty of fun as the put-upon, lippy Usato (a much louder role than Chainsaw Man’s Aki Hayakawa), and Atsuko Tanaka (Major Kusanagi herself!) is a blast as the uncompromising Rose, a terrifying slave driver of a drill sergeant with a secret soft side. The dynamic between them is great, too; Usato is over Rose’s shit from the beginning and isn’t afraid to talk back to her, but before you know it, this transforms into friendly banter as Rose clearly takes a shine to Usato and knows he can handle any punishment she doles out. Suzune’s also a bunch of fun now that she’s broken away from having to be the competent, popular girl at school and gets to fully lean into being a complete dork.

Wrong Way also works decently as an isekai, because it makes an effort to stay rooted in high fantasy rather than fall back on JRPG mechanics, meaning there are no stat screens! It also avoids the trappings of wish-fulfillment isekai series by having Usato start out as a regular-ass guy; he’s not a Kirito type, just someone Rose sees as a rough gem in need of cutting. There are no cheat skills or OP weapons or anything, just a kid training every day to get stronger so he can protect the people close to him, and that’s the kind of anime protagonist you should want to be.

For better and for worse, I get serious mid-00s vibes from this one; watch the OP if you don’t believe me. Some of the colors pop uncannily in that early-digipaint-era way, and the animation is pretty middling; the most fluid animation we see is whenever Suzune is acting like a creep. Much like those mid-00s anime, though, Wrong Way may have benefited from being weekly (or twice as long) rather than seasonal. There’s a ton of planting with very little payoff, and it doesn’t feel like the actual scope of the story has even been addressed yet. We don’t even learn why the series has the name it does until someone literally says it aloud in the 11th episode. I may have to reevaluate this season after a possible second, if we ever get one, because this doesn’t stand too well on its own.

Of the anime in this “mixed bags” segment, I’d say I enjoyed Wrong Way the most, but it still had enough problems for me to keep it here. It’s not a particularly bad anime, but it’s not especially good either. I guess we can slot it into what Hazel refers to as “good mid.”

On Hold:

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (three episodes watched)

Man, what a title. That was the main draw for this BL series, which on paper is basically a gay version of the Mel Gibson vehicle What Women Want.

Adachi (a surname that will always make me laugh thanks to Persona 4), a gloomy salaryman, has hit the big 3-0 without getting any, and now he can somehow read anyone’s thoughts just by making physical contact with them. Just as he laments that this is his life now, he accidentally bumps into his handsome, popular coworker, Kurosawa, whom he learns has been harboring a massive crush on Adachi this whole time. Well dang, what now? Kurosawa’s a really nice, thoughtful dude, but Adachi’s never even thought about being with a man before! And isn’t there something wrong with already knowing this secret? How can he even go into the office and look Kurosawa in those big, handsome eyes… every single day…

What I’ve seen so far has been pretty solid, if not particularly well animated. The visuals are really my only gripe here; I just put it off for way too long and didn’t have it in me to finish it on time to actually get this thing written and published. Yaoi isn’t my forte, which feels like a shortcoming on my end as a fledgling bisexual, and I’ve already remarked on the solid LGBT representation this past season, so I do plan on hopping back on this one.

I gotta say, the co-leading voice actors put in serious work this season. Adachi is voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi, who continued his role as Stark in Frieren, returned to Mashle as Mash Burnedead, and contributed to Metallic Rouge’s cluttered cast as Noid. Kurosawa’s seiyuu, Ryota Suzuki (of whom I’ll always be a fan for his masterful turn as Yu Ishigami in Kaguya-sama), also held down leading roles in Bang Brave Bang Bravern and The Unwanted Undead Adventurer. They’ve been great in the few episodes of Cherry Magic! that I’ve seen so far, and they’ll be a huge part of what brings me back.

The Gems:

Bang Brave Bang Bravern

I feel like the mark of a perfectly audacious piece of media is in the moments where I find myself incredulously shouting “WHAT THE FUCK AM I WATCHING” at the screen, and Bravern made me do that at least once per episode. I have so many things to say about what makes this show great but all of it can be summed up as “it fucks so goddamn hard.”

A joint military exercise in Hawaii between Japanese and American mech pilots goes south as a sudden invasion by metalloid aliens portends certain doom for humanity. Just in the nick of time, though, a bombastic, autonomous mech named Bravern arrives from space and insists that ace pilot Isami Ao take his reins. Isami reluctantly agrees, and to his consternation, Bravern goes full tokusatsu on everyone’s asses, complete with fully-diegetic theme music, and keeps the threat at bay. With Bravern continuing to pester him to act as a pilot, Isami is forced to take up the mantle of a reluctant hero as everyone rallies around Bravern to save Earth. Tagging along is blond-haired, blue-eyed American pilot Lewis Smith, who gets to live out all of his Top Gun fantasies, right down to the latent homosexuality.

That last point isn’t a projection or anything: This show is legitimately gay as hell, and it rules. Bravern’s feelings towards Isami feel far more romantic than what you’d expect from a literal robot, and his description of how it felt to have Isami pilot him for the first time, as relayed to a grim-faced military council, is riddled with hilarious innuendo. Isami struggles not only with shouldering the burden of needing to be a hero to all of humanity, but also being beset on both sides by a loud, insistent mecha and a dewy-eyed gaijin, both of whom very well seem to want to get in his pants. Intricate rituals punctuate Isami and Lewis’ angsty relationship as these broad-shouldered, muscular men grow ever closer. It’s also worth reiterating that Isami is voiced by Ryota Suzuki, who also voiced Kurosawa in Cherry Magic!, and that may not have even been his gayest role this season. I’m not super well-versed in mecha as a genre, but I do know that there’s a lot of Warrior’s Bond-type stuff in these series, and Bravern lays it on thick. And hard.

This show looks killer, by the way. CGI implementation in 2D anime is still a touchy subject, but Bravern features some of the best I’ve ever seen. Simple cel-shading goes a long way to the point where, outside of some uncanny motion, Bravern himself feels perfectly blended into the hand-drawn animation. Mecha designs range from realistic military-style tech to otherworldly sentient robots, and battle sequences run the same gamut as the stakes rise. As goofy as all of the above may sound, it’s committed to being a grandiose, big-time mecha showcase.

This is as good as camp gets in anime; Bravern does for the mecha genre what Akiba Maid War did for yakuza film pastiche (I have also heard positive comparisons to Samurai Flamenco, which I’ll have to get on ASAP). It’s an excellent mecha show in its own right, and wildly hilarious to boot. Bravern himself is very genre-savvy and seemingly a bit of an otaku himself; he loves acting like a mecha hero, to everyone else’s chagrin. Several of the villains (also mechanical beings, voiced by an all-star seiyuu roster that includes Kenjiro Tsuda, the aforementioned Atsuko Tanaka, and Rie Kugimiya) are total dorks themselves. A CIA interrogator tries to waterboard a mecha at one point. Bravern is a deeply silly show, but the heart is as firmly on the sleeve as the tongue is in the cheek: For as wacky as it can get, the story still unfolds with a straight face and excellent emotional beats.

This show also has the most unskippable ED of any anime since Chainsaw Man dropped a new one every week. I will not say what happens. You cannot predict what it is. Just watch it. One of the top YouTube comments on that video says “When I saw this ending after episode 2, I thought I was going crazy.” That’s a ringing endorsement.

Chained Soldier

On the heels of 100 Girlfriends completely rewiring my brain, I was raring for some more good old-fashioned anime trash. I was told that there would be plenty this season, but you can consult the “dropped” section to see how well that worked out for me. Chained Soldier came with some significant hype, and soon enough into the first episode I realized that I’d actually skimmed through this manga before (don’t ask why), so I was on board immediately. Now here’s some nice trashy fun.

The world is in peril thanks to creatures called Shuuki that can advance on our world via portals from another dimension. Women primarily lead the charge against these monsters, as this dimension produces a special fruit that can lend them (and not men) otherworldly powers to help them in the fight. Yuuki, a perfectly normal young man, ends up in grave danger as he stumbles into a portal, where he is saved by the beautiful Kyouka, a commander who is able to subjugate Shuuki at will and use them to fight others. In a bind, she asks Yuuki if she can subjugate him, which he agrees to by licking her finger and transforming into a monster himself, at her beck and call. Because of his utility in battle, Yuuki is enlisted into her squad of baddies (and also an 11-year-old), living in their home as a caretaker and answering directly to Kyouka as her “slave.”

I know, I know, but let's settle down for a second. I put “slave” in scare quotes because Chained Soldier fortunately isn’t going full Shield Hero on us; this arrangement has a give-and-take baked in. See, every time Yuuki completes his service, Kyouka (or whomever else takes advantage of this anomaly) is compelled to carry out whatever suitable “reward” springs from his unconscious, and this is where the ecchi kicks in. Sometimes it’s a kiss, and sometimes it’s something a little more; the reward corresponds to the length and intensity of Yuuki’s contributions to battle, so the heat can turn up in the form of, say, clothed face-sitting, a good scrubbing in the bath, or some nice, casual CBT. All of this is to say that “slave” is a bit of a buzzword here: It’s more of a dom/sub situationship with a lot of extra steps.

Yes, just about everything that isn’t an action setup is full-on harem trash, and Chained Soldier lays it on thick, right down to full-on nudity. Nothing about this show resembles high art, but I can’t help but admire such a high level of commitment to its aesthetic, including the sleaze. It fully commits to the bit and doesn’t even bother lampshading its own trashiness. Chained Soldier knows what it’s about, and I respect that. It also has the good sense not to sexualize the youngest girl, which is a point in its favor that I can’t award a couple other shows previously discussed.

And while this show is plenty fun, the action sequences often excellent, and the character designs usually delightful, there’s not actually a whole lot going on here. As I said with Mashle, I know that battle manga like this can take a minute to really get cooking, and as I said with Witch and the Beast, 12 episodes may not always be a sufficient runtime to adapt enough to break ground, but the debut season feels more like a proof of concept than anything else. That being said, Chained Soldier’s manga has a very effusive audience, and its praises don’t seem to entirely be about the boobs and butts, so I’ll wait patiently for the second season. I think it’s earned that much.

Delicious in Dungeon

This is the one I’m having the hardest time writing about because it so confidently and so completely speaks for itself that anything I could add would feel like scattering sawdust at the beach. Dungeon Meshi (I refuse to call it by its official English name) is a widely beloved manga among those who’ve read it, and for Studio Trigger to do an honest-to-goodness manga adaptation for the first time might as well be front page news among anime fans.

The story follows Laios, the deeply weird human hero, as he delves back into a bizarre and mysterious dungeon to rescue his sister Falin from the belly of a dragon, along with his misfit party: the neurotic half-elven mage Marcille, the temperamental halfling rogue Chilchuck, and the dwarven warrior-slash-chef Senshi. The party is frequently low on supplies, so to survive the trip they’ll need to subsist on the most abundant resource in the dungeon: Monsters. Senshi’s aptitude in the kitchen helps ensure that everything is edible and sufficiently tasty, regardless of how nasty the monster it came from may have been. With monster obstructions out of the way and their bellies filled, our party delves deeper into the dungeon as the mysteries deepen in kind.

I love the character dynamics in this so goddamn much. Marcille and Chilchuck are frequently put off by the food presented to them, but their consternation is worsened by the fact that Laios’ fascination with monsters annoys the shit out of them. I referred to him as “deeply weird,” but that doesn’t begin to describe his absolute galaxy brain, and I mean it as a term of endearment. Laios is deeply knowledgeable and curious about the fauna in the dungeon, and not just how they taste: He is vocally curious about how certain monster attacks may feel, sings along with siren songs, and even keeps a hardcover bestiary inside his breastplate. He’s one of those people you turn to if you have a question on a hyperspecific subject, but you have to be careful how you ask it or else you’re trapped for the next two hours. And I love him for it.

Even putting the comedy aside, there is a fascinating human element at play in Dungeon Meshi, and I can tell that that surface has barely even been scratched yet. Marcille is just as dogged in her pursuit of saving Falin as Laios is, maybe even moreso (remember what I keep saying about LGBT representation this season?). Chilchuck continues to convince himself that he’s only in the job for his own personal gain, but you can see that mask slipping. And I still wanna know what Senshi’s deal is. Even with the five major players I listed, there’s an increasingly deep roster surrounding them—showcasing a broad spectrum of races and ethnicities, both real and fantastical—each with their own histories and motivations, and I cannot wait to see how they play out and interact with one another. There seem to be much deeper themes at play here as well as we learn more about perceptions and grudges between differing races, oppositional magics, clashing ideologies, and the monetary incentives that drive both the dungeon’s exploration and its very existence. I’m here for it.

I’ve been holding off on reading the manga until the season is up in June (though I could crack any day), but I know a loving adaptation when I see one. Not that Trigger ever slacks off in the animation department, but they absolutely brought their A-game here. As with Frieren, the action sequences aren’t frequent, nor are they entirely what the show is about, but they look incredible every single time. Everyone looks bouncy and cartoony in the way only Trigger can pull off while still looking as close as possible to Ryoko Kui’s source material (as far as I can tell). And the food, of course, looks incredible, no matter how weird. This is practically a cooking anime and a fantasy dungeon anime at the same time, and both aspects are visually on point at all times.

I’m obviously speaking from my own bubble as one of the six people who still uses Tumblr in 2024, but I rarely see new anime make a splash like this on social media every single week, and the ones that I do are usually the monster shonen hits like Chainsaw Man or Jujutsu Kaisen. Dungeon Meshi deserves the exposure and success it’s attained, and I’m excited to see it continue. I’d easily slot this right up there with Bravern as one of the best new anime of the season.

A Sign of Affection

I’ve seen a hell of a lot of shonen slice-of-life romances in the past year and change, so a nice fluffy shoujo like this was an excellent palate cleanser. There were a hell of a lot of Big Action Setpieces and panicky teens and grim dungeon crawlers this season, and at the end of the week I wanted to unwind with a bunch of pretty twenty-somethings falling in love with each other.

The show centers on Yuki, a college student living with congenital hearing loss, making do at a public college after growing up at a school for the deaf. Though she’s able to get by with LINE messages and lip reading, she’s unprepared when a foreigner asks for help, but she’s saved by a handsome and mysterious young man named Itsuomi. He’s able to help out, and takes an interest in her when he realizes his fellow undergrad is deaf, and Yuki takes an interest in kind because he’s really goddamn hot. It turns out that he’s a polyglot and an avid world-traveler, but sign language is not in his purview. This mutual interest sparks the concern of her childhood friend, Oushi, one of the few people in her life who already use sign language, who wants to be sure that nothing untoward is happening. And it isn’t, because this is just a really lovely, low-stakes romance story.

This is pure, unfiltered shoujo at its best. Yuki’s internal monologue is peppered with flowery prose, and everything and everyone looks soft and beautiful. Fashionable, doe-eyed women and pillowy-lipped ikemen abound (seriously, holy shit, the lips on these boys) as the scope widens and the main love interests’ friends explore their own possible love stories. Itsuomi is very much of the “mysterious boy” archetype you’ll find in romance stories in this demographic, but he’s not hiding any sort of dark past like you’d typically expect; he’s just an interesting guy who keeps his personal life close to the vest. He’s a self-appointed world citizen who loves learning about how people of all cultures live their lives, and in Yuki he sees someone within his home turf who happens to live in her own world entirely. And it’s easy to see his forward behavior with Yuki as infantilizing at first (Oushi sure does, and I’ll get back to him in a second), but as they grow closer he quickly becomes much more considerate of her boundaries and learns to accommodate her as he studies sign language and gestures that help ensure her comfort. This is a story about Yuki’s horizons broadening just as much as it is about Itsuomi wanting to be let into Yuki’s narrow world, and that sort of synergy makes for some exceptional romance.

A Sign of Affection deserves some credit for refusing to shy away from Yuki’s disability and making a point of depicting her world as one that does little to accommodate her. Very few people in her daily life ever bothered to learn sign language, she relies on a friend to take notes during lectures, and work is hard to come by. It’s an honest depiction that makes an effort not to be exploitative, which is a breath of fresh air. Not only that, but there’s some interesting meta-commentary in there: The only major conflict in the story stems from Oushi’s jealousy, and his reservations about Itsuomi possibly “taking advantage of” Yuki almost feel like he believes that he’s the only one who knows what’s best for her just because he’s done the bare minimum to accommodate her. He thinks he’s coming from a good place, but he winds up accidentally infantilizing her in exactly the way he thinks Itsuomi might. That’s a particularly interesting bit of irony!

I’ve seen enough shonen-oriented romcoms where an unassuming Regular Guy gets flustered as a way-too-casual girl pushes his boundaries (hell, I’ve already reviewed two of those this season), so it’s nice to see the formula flipped for a shoujo as Yuki and her best friend Rin blush and squee over Itsuomi and his coworker Kyouya, respectively. A Sign of Affection isn’t afraid to get a little silly with it, either; plenty of these moments are punctuated by characters’ faces going low-detail or full chibi, and they are cute as shit every single time.

This one was just cozy as hell. If you’re into this sort of thing, swaddle yourself in it and bask.

Solo Leveling

I let this one collect dust after the third episode and didn’t pick it back up until the season was almost up, and honestly, I was kinda dreading it: The trailers didn’t look too promising, the show was slow to start, and it looked like yet another derivative JRPG-style dungeon crawler that managed to get popular. Turns out, nah, this show actually kinda fucks and the web novel series and webtoon it’s based on are popular for a reason. The story is nothing special, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a perfectly serviceable turn-your-brain-off action spectacle with a bit more lying beneath the surface.

In a modern-day South Korea where portals to mysterious dungeons open up and threaten the populace, those who can brave the dungeons, known as hunters, are an invaluable human resource. Once someone is assigned a grade as a hunter, they have that grade for life, barring some rare occurrences. Sung Jinwoo is at the lowest rung on that ladder as an E-rank, incapable of improvement, assigned the epithet “the weakest hunter of all mankind.” He mostly shows up to portal raids as a warm body to fill a quota, and one such job goes haywire as a secondary dungeon within a portal brutally slaughters most of the raid party, Jinwoo included. He somehow wakes up in a hospital, unharmed, and able to access a digital menu before his eyes that exhorts him to do the One Punch Man workout every day, lest he incur punishment. He gets hilariously chadly in the span of a few days in the hospital, including an inexplicable haircut, and finds access to dungeons only he can enter and levels up within this new system.

This one gets off to a slow start and may have benefited from a longer premiere like Oshi no Ko or Frieren, but once the table is fully set, Solo Leveling really starts to cook. Jinwoo’s titular leveling process is a blast from one fight to the next, and as he moves to work in the dungeons that other hunters can access, it turns out he’s been training with the weights on. He’s suddenly fighting way above his pay grade, and after staving off attacks from hunters taking advantage of portals for nefarious ends, he is recruited by an ambitious corporate scion to make some real coin and establish an independent association of hunters.

While it can feel like there’s a whole bunch of table-setting between portal sequences, it’s some smart worldbuilding on Solo Leveling’s end to establish how portal hunting became a central pillar of this society, and doubly so how political and capitalist interests can leave a wide berth for corruption and bad actors. If there’s money to be made in hunting, of course people will find ways to make even more at the expense of others, both at the corporate and personal levels. There’s a lot of talk in there about “survival of the fittest” and “natural selection” and that… makes me nervous.

Those are terms that can be used to justify immoral actions in the name of money, sure, but Jinwoo also uses them to justify his own actions. To what end is he constantly improving himself? Sure, he's doing what he can to provide for his younger sister and their ailing mother, but I see less and less humanity in him as this goes on. There are constant hints at something far more sinister at play than just a dude getting stronger for himself, not the least of which being “the system,” the UI that implores him to keep taking on these “quests.” Someone, or something, seems to be guiding him. Whenever another hunter turns on Jinwoo, of course his self-defense instincts kick in, but system pop-ups instruct him to defeat X number of hostiles like it’s a normal video game scenario. There’s something eerily depersonalized about these encounters, despite them being full-on mortal combat, that gives me serious Ender’s Game vibes. Consider me intrigued.

I’d heard that the Solo Leveling manhwa’s main draw was its visuals, and though I had my doubts early on, I'm sold now. This is a pretty solid presentation! Hiroyuki Sawano turned in yet another banger soundtrack to punctuate all the action setpieces, helping to stitch together a fairly complete package. Said setpieces are exhilarating and almost impressively bloody, and while the animation is nothing impressive in the day-to-day, it goes absolutely batshit when the gloves come off. Movement is inhumanly fluid and the visuals can go into the same psychedelic territories we’ve seen in the likes of Mob Psycho and Jujutsu Kaisen. If this is the new meta for shonen action, I’m not complaining.

By all rights, this is a pretty decent show, but if I’m being honest, this one just hasn’t stuck with me much. And that’s fine! Sometimes I just wanna see some nutty action stuff and move on with my day. Solo Leveling hits that spot perfectly, and I'll be right back there when it returns for its next season.

‘Tis Time for “Torture,” Princess

I was surprised to learn that the gag manga this is based on, with such a seemingly simple premise, has been running for well over 200 chapters and counting. As the anime progressed, I was far more pleasantly surprised to learn that it actually works.

In a standard anime fantasy world where the forces of good are fighting the demonic Hellhorde, an unnamed warrior princess and her talking enchanted sword are taken prisoner and subjected to torture as they’re squeezed for intel. Said “torture,” as the title’s scare quotes would suggest, is mildly unconventional, as the demon baddie inquisitor, aptly named Torture Tortura, attempts to ply the princess by presenting her with tantalizingly delicious-looking food that she can only partake in if she coughs up some info. Naturally, the princess caves every single time, but her intel is often inane and useless, so the “torture” continues. It’s not all food, though: The princess is soon held out of arm’s reach of adorable baby animals by a gyaru beastgirl, pampered into submission by a spa-loving giantess, and is faced with a tsundere vampire faildaughter, who… tries.

And you’d think that would be it; the joke wears thin and you move onto something else. Before you realize it, though, something’s changed: The princess and her captors are quickly becoming friends. The premise almost feels perfunctory: These inquisitors are actual people just doing their jobs, and whatever happens after the princess’ myriad confessions is fair game. There’s no malice or animosity, even during the “torture” sessions themselves: Everyone will have a blast and grow closer as friends, and then the princess will voluntarily go back to her bedless cell. It’s like Sam and Ralph after they clock out, except they’re almost always off the clock. Everyone is genuinely looking out for each other in all directions, and the only thing that keeps the torture going is the need for a status quo to return to, even as it grows more elastic. If anything, Time for "Torture" is a good example of committing to the bit without having to necessarily rely on it.

The real irony in all of this is that it becomes increasingly apparent that the princess is having her needs met in captivity far better than she ever did back home. In her proud proclamations about how she’ll never cave to the temptations before her (shortly before she does just that), the princess often talks about her upbringing and her time as the head of an imperial legion, but these stories often betray her lack of friendship or any of the little things that make life worth living. Her life as royalty was one of isolation and deprivation, to the point where she finds more freedom and fulfillment as a prisoner. She truly lives in a society.

Hellholm, on the other hand, has a surprisingly healthy approach to things like work-life balance, food, and leisure, and its most valuable prisoner is no exception. The Hell-Lord himself is a surprising exemplar of this; for as much as he looks and talks like your standard terrifying JRPG demon king, he’s a surprisingly good dude! He looks after his family, employees, and even the captive princess as if they are all one and the same; he exhibits strong principles and an aversion to conflict, sees to his employees' needs and wants alike, and is a supportive, loving father to his unbelievably precious little daughter (who also serves as a “torturer,” to the princess’ delight). He’s also a big time anime dork, and even bonds with a knight attempting to rescue the princess over their shared otakudom before sending him off peacefully. As “villains” go, he’s top tier.

Time for "Torture" is nothing groundbreaking by any stretch, but it’s a cute, silly time and it plays with anime fantasy tropes in the same way a six-month-old German shepherd “plays” with a cheap stuffed toy. How long the premise holds up is entirely up to you, but I had a lot of fun with it. I have no idea how this ended up being one of the better shows this season, but I guess it just scratched the right itch for me.

#anime reviews

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not-a-unique-snowflake-blog · 4 months

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2023 was fun! It’s my first year reading fan fiction so it’s been one of the horniest and the thirstiest years of my life!😁 I found a lot of amazing people here and this hellsite truly became my home in 2023!💖

I want to say ‘thank you’ to people who made this year very special for me and wish them all wonderful 2024!😘 I came up with some categories so here they are!💖

✨The “OMG” fic of the year

This one goes to Promise /a dragon!Ezra x f!reader/ by @criticallyacclaimedstranger I’m a proud monster fucker but holy hell I surprised myself when I loved this fic so much!🥵 it’s hot and also very sweet and beautifully written!😍❤️ After reading it I had long and thorough discussions about the logistics of dragon fucking with a few people and had the best time!😄

✨The series I love with all my heart

Stay In Bed /pre outbreak!joel miller x f!reader, one sided tommy miller x f!reader/ by @psychedelic-ink is amazing, touching and beautiful! I felt a ton of emotions reading about Joel and reader’s journey to each other. Thank you for writing it, Sil!🫶

✨The “I’m too old for this, my heart nearly stopped” fic of 2023

Every Inch pt 3 /m!ghostface x f!reader/ by @toxicanonymity was so hot that it nearly killed me😅I had to open the window to get some fresh air cos reading it made me dizzy with hyperventilation. I survived thus I strongly recommend to TRY THIS AT HOME‼️

✨The loveliest co-writer of 2023

@milla-frenchy my friend, my twin, my co-writer💖 your support gave me confidence to come out with my own writing which wasn’t easy😅 thank you!🫂 It’s always a pleasure to write with you and I hope to continue our creative journey in 2024. I love you, baby! Check out her masterlist! It’s gold!🥵🥵🥵

✨The most unhinged reader

@gracieispunk created a reader so unhinged, badass and hot that she sometimes overshadows Maintenance Man!Joel himself!😍 Tenant Girl takes what she wants and I love her for it‼️💖

✨My man, my love, my everything

Do you have an emotional support character who can make you feel happier, safer, calmer when you simply think about them? I do thanks to @toxicanonymity ! Nightwalks Joel is my most favourite fictional man! The first, the best, the hottest! HELL YEAH!🍆🧎🏼‍♀️🐆

✨“If horrible, why so hot” character

Joel from the Wrong Way series by @romana-after-dark wins this one! This Joel is one of the darkest I’ve ever read and he makes me feral and I love him!😵‍💫🥵

✨The most read fic of 2023

Liquid Gold /Joel Miller x fem!pregnant!reader x Tommy Miller/ by @gasolinerainbowpuddles is my breastfeeding kink Bible and simply an extremely hot fic! no joke I thought of pinning it on my blog cos I searched for it that often. Just thinking about it now makes me feel like a reread is due!😵‍💫🫠

Also thank you, Puddles, for your hilarious memes!😆👏 you’re a treasure!💖

✨The most unique series

Muddy Waters /Ezra x F!Reader x Joel Miller/ by @bonezone44 blew me away this year! Its characters are complex, the plot is fascinating and unique, it’s like a diamond that shines differently when you look at it from a new angle❤️

✨DDDNE fic of the year

Whatever You Want /Comandante Veracruz x Reader/ by @iamasaddie is a non-con masterpiece! It’s not easy to keep the realism of the situation and still make it hot, but this story has a perfect balance of both!🥵🖤

Also Aly, thank for being such a great friend!💖 You’re hilarious, kind, gorgeous and a super talented writer and artist!😍👏 I love you!😘

✨My favourite writer of 2023

I dearly love many writers on this site. But this title goes to @toxicanonymity without a doubt❤️

You made this year for me, Toxy! I’ll never be normal about your writing, your talent, your characters, your kindness, your heart😍 Every series, every story of yours is perfect! Thank you for everything you gave me and all of us this year! I love you, friend!💖🫂😘

✨My favorite people in 2023

My moots, my lovelies, my friends! Y’all made me laugh, cry happy tears, thirst, FEEL things like I’ve never felt before! I LOVE YOU ALL💖 @missannwinchester @milla-frenchy @toxicanonymity @iamasaddie @neverwheremoonchild @lumoverheaven @multiversed-daydreamer @beefrobeefcal @lunitawrites @rubyfruitjungle @xdaddysprincessxx @ellasinnombre @princessanglophile @romanarose @gasolinerainbowpuddles @noxturnalpascal @gracieispunk @ghoulettesinspace @janaispunk @funnygirlthatgab @jupiter-soups @seratuyo

Special smooches to my wifey @missannwinchester who has to deal with my nonsense every single day😅😘😘😘 LOVE YOU, SWEETIE🫂❤️

If you feel you should be on the list and I missed you, you’re absolutely right and I deserve a good spanking for not including you!😏

HAVE AWESOME 2024 Y’ALL!!! WOOOOOO!🥳🎊✨💖💖💖

#my thanks for 2023 #love you all #thank you all #❤️🫂😘😍#I’m finishing it up tipsy cos it’s 2024 here already so sorry for any fuck ups

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specialagentlokitty · 4 months

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Lokittys 2024 prompts

“I knew that you were from the beginning, I could see the blood on your hands. You’re like me.”

“You will always be a monster.” “Maybe, but like humans we can choose what we want to be.”

“He/she/they carry more anger and pain then the whole universe combined, I can see it. Betrayal, hurt, deception, heartache, they’ve been through it all. He/she/they walked through hell a thousand times.” “Why are you telling me this?” “Because the only time I’ve ever seen true peace in his/her’s/their eyes is when he/she/they saw you.”

“I wish you always remember me as I was, that I once existed. Will you remember that I stood here with you like this?”

“There is no such thing as beautifully broken.” “Then what is it called?” “It’s called being torn apart from the inside out, and learning how to live.”

“Tell me something about you.” “All I’ve ever loved, I’ve loved alone.”

“You are the best person I’ve ever met, I’ve met so many people, but none of them compare to you.”

“Can I be honest about something?” “There’s a first time for everything, sure.” “There are no words that describe how I feel about you, no words to describe how deeply, passionately, insanely in love with you I am.”

“Why is he/she/they like this?” “All the coldest, rudest people were once as beautiful as flowers, as warm as the sun.”

“I fear if you get too close you’ll see me for who I really am, I don’t want you to see me for that.”

“Why does it hurt..?”

“Let pain come, let it wash over you, then let it leave.”

“You exist, and that in itself is beautiful.”

“You deserve a love so deep it roots itself into your very soul, reminds you that out there somebody who thinks of you and sees the world in your smile.”

“What is it about (Y/N) you love so much?” “Aside from being the most spectacular person I have ever met, everything. I just wish there was a way I could say that.” “Turn around.”

“Would you come find me?” “I’ll cross the entire earth if I have to.”

“Will you meet me in the place where we first met?”

“I’ve been told that apparently I love you.” “See, I want to say good for you but that doesn’t seem like the appropriate response.” “No, it really wouldn’t. But if you want to say it then that’s okay.” “Good for you.”

“Give me money.” “Do I like like a bank to you?” “Do you have money?” “Yes?” “Then yes.”

“I can’t read, you know that right?” “You can read, stop lying and help.”

“I didn’t know you were married, I can’t believe it! You didn’t tell me?!” “Wait until you find out who actually agreed to marry me.”

“Let’s make a bet.” “No!” “Why?” “Because somehow you always win!”

“I once sold my soul.” “Hard to believe you had a soul in the first place.”

“Can you use magic?” “I feel unsafe answering that.”

“You make me want to cry.” “Like, in a you’re happy to see me way?” “I said what I said.” “Is that a good or bad thing?!”

“Look, in life you either find a way or make a way, but if you stand there and do nothing, then you’ll never get where you want to be.”

“I need a parent or guardian to sign this.” “I’m neither.” “You’re close enough, sign it.”

“Tell me something I don’t know about you.” “I was hit by a car once, not fun.” “Not what I was expecting. Why?”

“You ask a lot of questions.”

“Do you want a hug?” “No, that involves physical contact and that’s gross.” “We are quite literally married. If you’re angry at me just tell me.”

“Why is it every time I come here you seem to be here too?” “I study here.” “In detention?”

“What was the last thing he/she/they said to you?” “Ask if we could get married.”

“Can I stay at yours?” “You don’t need to ask.”

“If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” “Home…”

“I don’t remember you… I’m sorry…” “that’s alright, how about we start again, from square one?”

“Will you ever forgive me?”

“I can’t do this… be this anymore…”

“I never asked for any of this!”

“Did you mean it?” “What?” “When you said you loved me did you mean it?”

“Don’t go… stay with me..”

“I think when you’re in love, and that person in return loves you, it is the most beautiful thing in the world. The most painful thing.”

“All my heartache is because of you!”

“I’m.. I’m sorry…” “it’s okay… it’s not your fault…”

“If you want the world then it’s yours, whatever you want I’ll get it for you.”

“Come with me.” “Where?” “Anywhere but here.”

“I have to do this, I have to do it alone.” “No you don’t..”

“You’re all alone.” “I never go anywhere alone.”

“You’re not so scary.” “I’m not?”

“You’re the one!” “What?” “You are everything I never knew I needed, everything I never knew I wanted. You are the one person I want for the rest of my life, to be by my side.”

“Did you just punch me in the face?” “I would say sorry but that’s a lie.”

“How long have you been waiting?” “Hundreds of years.”

“I love the sound of your laugh.”

“What’s your favourite thing in this world?” “You.”

“He/she/they would hurt anybody, everybody, but you’re the one person he/she/they just can’t hurt.”

“You are the one thing that keeps me sane.”

“So, want to start a riot?” “Sometimes I worry about you.”

“Are you drunk?” “Extremely.”

“I swear to god I’m going to knock you out one day.”

“Are you an Angel!” “No, the opposite actually, demon.”

“Why do you insist on destroying all my things?”

“Stop throwing things!” “No!”

“Warn a person before walking up to them!”

“My mother warned me about people like you.” “Did you listen?” “No, I never was any good at that.”

“I’m pumped up on caffeine and I feel like my heart is going to explode.” “Yes, no more caffeine for you.”

“You’re very British.” “I.. don’t know if that’s an insult…”

“Why do you insist on breaking all the rules?”

“You stole my car?” “You left your keys unguarded.” “So you stole them?”

“Even if nobody else believes you I do.” “Really?” “Of course.”

“You will always be the most important part of my life.”

“Thank you.” “For what?” “For showing me what it’s like to be human…”

#Lokittys writing prompts

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airsoftaction · 3 months

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ao3feed-newsies · 3 months

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Cowboy or Convict?

by, RickenPizza by RickenPizza "Will they ever be able to thank you enough?” The mocking words and cruel smile made Jack want to scream and cry and hit someone all at the same time. He looked back and forth between the two men and silently cursed them. “What will it be, kid? Cowboy or convict? I’ll win no matter what you choose.” -- A more in depth view of the betrayal scene and Jack's thoughts. Words: 973, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Jack Kelly (Newsies), Joseph Pulitzer, Snyder (Newsies) Relationships: David Jacobs/Jack Kelly Additional Tags: Angst, Character Study, One Shot, this has been sitting in my drafts for so long lol read : https://ift.tt/bVOgxFJ - January 20, 2024 at 02:03PM

#AO3feed #newsies #fanfic #newsies fanfic

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kozumekenza · 3 years

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on my mind :: eight

:: suna rintarou x f!reader :: playlist :: masterlist ::

:: taglist: open :: wc: 1.6k ::

After a drunken one-night stand with your ex, you thought you could get him out of your life for good. Unfortunately, the two of you can’t seem to keep away from each other. Why can’t you leave each other alone? And more importantly, why is he still on your mind?

tw: profanity, mentions of sex

author’s note: this is it, the final chapter. i have bonus scenes that i’m planning to write in the future, but this is it for the main story! thank you so much to everyone who has read this and supported it, i appreciate you all so much <3

Team Japan was performing the best they ever had. With Hinata and Kageyama’s freak quick attack, Sakusa’s angled spikes, MSBY’s teamwork, Aran’s powerful serves, and Suna’s intimidating blocks, Japan easily made it past the first few rounds and into the gold match game.

You and the team were lucky; there were no substantial injuries, and even after countless games against some of the best in the world, everyone was still upbeat and energetic. Morale was high, and everyone was excited for the next game: the final gold medal match against Argentina.

You had met Iwaizumi’s fiance, Oikawa Tooru, and immediately understood what Iwaizumi meant. There was, in fact, an “Iwa-chan, I can’t believe you! Rival against your own fiance!” All in all, you thought Oikawa was a good match for Iwaizumi’s impassive nature, and you were happy for both of them. You just hoped Iwaizumi would survive the final game.

Jerseys were put on, water bottles were filled, medical bags were prepared, and soon enough, you were standing next to the bench and watching the National Team practice for their most important match. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of Suna, who was donning the jersey you had stolen months ago. You had already expressed your love for Suna in a National Team uniform, jumping him almost immediately after they won their first game.

Practice finished, and both teams were given a short break before the match would start. The arena had a few family members; you could see Osamu and Kita, along with Bokuto’s husband and Hinata’s sister and mom. Once again, you were thrilled that you were able to stand next to the court during the game and not in the bleachers.

Suna approached you where you were next to the bench, and you stood up to give him a good luck kiss.

“I know you’ll do great, Rintarou. I’m so proud of you. Good luck, and make sure to beat Argentina and give Oikawa hell!”

Iwaizumi laughed next to you, earning a glare from Oikawa who was talking to him. You gave Suna a final hug and kiss, then turned away to redo a wrap on Aran’s knee.

You missed Suna handing a tiny black box to Iwaizumi, and Iwaizumi subsequently hiding the box in one of his bags.

---

Japan took the first set, a service ace from Kageyama ending it. Argentina took the next, thanks to a surprising setter dump from Oikawa. Sakusa’s final spike gave the third set to Japan, and Oikawa’s service ace gave the fourth to Argentina. With the tie, everyone was nervous approaching the final set. You redid a few wraps, gave encouraging words, and wordlessly threw an ice pack at Hinata, who was acting like he didn’t receive a ball with his face in the fourth set. Oikawa was happily taunting Iwaizumi, who was threatening Oikawa with a pair of tape scissors in hand.

The whistle blew, and the players made their way back onto the court. You watched with bated breath as the set flew by, long rallies and quick movements making your head spin. You were exhausted just watching; the game had been long and hard, but this set was full of back and forth points with neither team getting a clear lead.

Finally, Japan had a break and was in the lead at match point. You could barely breathe, and everything felt like it was in slow motion. You watched as Oikawa served, Komori received, Sakusa spiked, and Argentina’s libero sent the ball towards Oikawa, who set it towards a spiker. The spiker jumped, Suna jumping right in front of him. The ball was hit, and it felt like an eternity as you watched Suna send it back down to the other side, guaranteeing Japan’s victory as the ball hit the floor. A whistle blew, signaling the end of the match and solidifying the final score.

You were shouting, Iwaizumi was shouting, the coach was shouting, everyone was rushing towards the court and Suna. You ran as fast as you could into his arms, laughing as you took his face between your hands and showered him with kisses as he spun you around. Both of you were crying, his teammates circling around you, hugging him (and by proxy, you) and patting him on the back. He finally set you down, grabbing something from Iwaizumi before he was pulled away by a jealous Oikawa.

You watched in awe as Suna Rintarou got down on one knee right after scoring the winning point for Japan’s Olympic gold medal.

“Y/n, I know we’ve been back together for only a few weeks, but in my heart, it’s been over eight years. I’ve loved you since then, and I’ll love you until the day I die. You’re the only one I can picture beside me in the future, and you’re the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I could go on and on for hours, but I also have a medal to get for you. Will you marry me?”

The tears streaming down your face prevented you from properly speaking, but your enthusiastic nod said it all. You threw your arms around Suna, letting him pick you up and spin you around again as everyone in the arena cheered and the cameras picked up the proposal on live television.

“Of course, I’ll marry you, Rintarou.” Your voice was breaking, and you could see tears on Suna’s face as well. “I love you so much and I’m so proud of you. I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

---

When Suna crept into your room that night, you welcomed him with open arms, grinning as he placed the gold medal over your naked chest, the cold of the metal seeping into your skin as the bed broke beneath you, again.

---

Los Angeles, August 2028

“We’re gonna be fucking late, Rintarou.”

“No we won’t, calm down.” He tossed you your team jacket, watching as you zipped it fully to cover the bruises blooming on your neck.

You glanced down at your phone. “Fuck, Rin, it’s almost time. Get out.” You pushed him out of the empty training room, grimacing at the clock on the wall. “I’ll see you out there.”

You snatched your bag off of the floor just as your phone began to ring.

“Hey, Osamu, I’m kinda busy right now.”

“Busy banging Sunarin?”

“Shut the fuck up. Are you guys here?”

“Yeah, right behind the bench. She’s asking for you.”

“Be there in a sec.”

You hung up with a click, pushing open the door and walking down the hall to the court. The rest of the team was already there, and you glared at Atsumu as he shot you a smirk. Just like Osamu said, he was seated in the bleachers behind the bench. You dropped your bag down, walking over to him and Suna.

“Hi, baby. Are you being good for uncle ‘Samu?” You cooed at your daughter, who was currently latched onto Suna’s neck.

“Yes, momma.”

“Good girl.” You grabbed her from Suna, bouncing her on your hip as the whistle blew for practice to begin. “Tell your daddy good luck.”

“Good luck!” she giggled, hands reaching out for Suna as he leaned down to hug and kiss you both.

“Make sure you watch me close, baby girl. Not uncle ‘Tsumu.”

Your daughter grinned at her dad, nodding her head and promising him all her attention (which was pretty minimal, for a three year old).

You handed her back up to Osamu, who bounced her on his knee as she waved at you and Suna.

Practice came and went, and another gold medal match for Japan started. Japan had won again at Paris in 2024, and everyone was hoping for another one. You waved to Iwaizumi, who was arguing with Oikawa on the Argentinian side. The two of you stayed in contact after he moved, with him frequently telling you about the most recent stupid things Oikawa had done and you keeping him updated on your life with Suna and EJP.

The game began, and it was close, just as the last two between Japan and Argentina had been. Before the fifth and final set, they were yet again tied, with the previous sets being close as well. The whistle blew, and the final set began.

It was back and forth, as was usual for Japan and Argentina, but a break at the end put Japan at match point, just like the game in Tokyo. With bated breath, you watched Atsumu serve, Argentina receive and spike, and Komori receive. Atsumu set, and time slowed down as the ball flew in an arc, right into Suna’s waiting palm. The ball was slammed down, the echo carrying throughout the silent arena. The final whistle blew, and the gym went up in cheers.

You ran towards Suna, just as you had done at the Tokyo Games, leaping into his arms and showering him with kisses. Osamu approached, handing your daughter off to Suna, as the three of you celebrated in your own little world. A third Olympic gold, an amazing daughter, an incredible husband; everything was perfect.

The next day, you received what was quite possibly the best picture you had ever seen. You, Suna, and your daughter, tears on all of your faces, huddled close together in a tight hug, smiles bright and wide, taken by Osamu.

You had everything you could ever ask for in your family, your friends, and even your job. Still, Suna Rintarou was always on your mind.

taglist: @sunasexual @call-me-lulu @ntimacy @circleglasses @porcolie @keikotaro @rintarovibes @kenmaslov3r

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newtonsheffield · 3 years

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I have $14 and a stick of gum can we trade for some Gregory and Lucy’s wedding hcs? Nerdy details? Kate crying? Did Richard and Lucy reconcile did she have any family there? Alsooo in order to eventually have 9 kids was Lucy pregnant at the wedding or did they already have a kid or 2...because how else did they get to 9?😂

$14 and a stick of Gum? I’ll take the stick of gum, I know my worth. And more fool you, I would have done it for free!

Lucy+ Gregory+Getting married!!!

Lucy and Gregory get married on her 24th Birthday. 21st of September 2024. It wasn’t necessarily a romantic choice on their behalf. More so Lucy’s brother Richard, who was trying to make up for his less than enthusiastic reaction at the start of their relationship (vehemently declaring his sister to be single whenever anyone asked until it became apparent Lucy was not going to change her mind on this matter when she became engaged and had recently started introducing Gregory as Lucy’s fiancé rather than Lucy’s friend A real win Luce! Gregory had claimed happily) by hosting a very elaborate wedding at their family estate in Dover and he had decided on the date. Lucy had wanted to refuse but Gregory had said quietly He’s trying. Lucy. And the look on his face had made her agree. Gregory had also put her Uncle on the guest list, and Lucy’s heart ached a little when she thought about the kind heart Gregory must have to be belittle by her family constantly, but still push and push uphill

So here they were, having an outlandishly extravagant society wedding, full of people that Lucy hadn’t seen since she left boarding school and who looked at Gregory and said Oh Lucy! A Bridgerton! Well done! Even if he is the youngest one. We all thought you were stupid for becoming a working woman but I see now you were just playing a long game. Lucy had rolled her eyes and said in a mock whisper He’s fantastic in bed as well purely to watch her Brother turn purple.

Anxiety gnawed at Gregory’s stomach the day of his wedding. He knew Lucy loved him, god knows she screamed it at her uncle on the phone, and he was Sure about Lucy. This was his purpose, to love Lucy Abernathy with everything he had. But God, that entrance hall had so many people piling into it it might explode. Will you calm down please Gregory? Anthony tutted, straightening Gregory’s tie for him. When the knock sounded at the door Gregory practically leapt to it, opening it to reveal Kate grinning broadly Greg you look so Handsome, Lucy’s going to die she said, tears in her eyes. I have to get back to her but she asked me to bring you something. She said she knew you’d try to be too serious. She said, holding out a box before she disappeared as quickly as she’d come. Gregory hesitantly opened the box laughing loudly to push back the lump forming in his throat as she looked down at a tie, canary yellow with tiny little cartoon badgers on wearing jedi robes and holding lightsabers. Underneath the tie was a set of gold cufflinks Engraved with the words I Love You (LMCA) and I Know (GGB) and as he stared at their initials engraved on his cufflinks as he stood at the alter waiting for her, he knew that it didn’t matter what anyone else thought, they were perfect.

Gregory is standing at the alter, his back to the grand staircase when he heard it start. Across The Stars was filtering through the hall and he couldn’t stop himself from turning around and watching her walk down the staircase. Kate came first, tears already in her eyes. Anthony reaching into his pocket and pulling out a handkerchief that he past across the aisle to her from his place next to Gregory. Hermione followed, but he barely noticed her. Lucy had appeared at the top of the stairs, Looking absolutely radiant and his breath caught in his chest, he could feel tears running down his cheeks, could barely see her floating down the stairs her lace train following on for feet behind her. When she finally reached the alter he let out a shuddering breath and said La la la Lucy, You look absolutely beautiful. Her answering smile stole his breath from his chest again. I Love You She whispered. I Know.

#bridgerton and sons au #lucy x gregory #lucy abernathy #gregory bridgerton #bridgerton and sons weddings #this got real long #molly's asks and answers #just can't help myself where gregory bridgerton is concerned

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calm-and-wine · 4 years

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(I’ll give you) the best years

part III (masterlist, taglist)

Hiya, I hope everyone is well and taking care of themselves. Here is the third part of Nulu’s adventures, I think there will be five or six parts total, we’ll see how things play out. Hope you like it and please come talk to me about anything, any thoughts, comments, opinions, I’d love to hear them!

PART III

March 2024

As Lucy was standing outside hotel room number 174, she felt positively giddy. She was about to see her husband, who she hasn’t seen for three months, since he came to cheer her during her winning run at the Australian Open. However, there was a teeny tiny part of her that felt nervous. Niall had no idea she was about to knock on his door. What if he didn’t like the surprise? Every rational cell in her body laughed at her, more than sure that he would always be happy to see her.

There was a rustle inside after she knocked, which made her smile, just knowing how clumsy her husband can be, especially when fumbling around.

The door was pulled open, revealing Niall, his head obstructed for a second, before he pulled down his t-shirt, which he must have just grabbed to put on.

“Lulu?” he asked with a groggy voice, which along with his messed up hair and outfit consisting of boxers and said t-shirt, let her know he was probably sleeping. Which wasn’t very surprising, as it was just about seven in the morning.

“I heard you’ve got some spare room in your bed,” she barely managed to get the sentence out before Niall pulled her into him for a warm hug, taking a step back with her safe in his arms, so he could close the door behind them.

The hotel room was almost dark, the only source of light being a bedside lamp. They were both quiet, lost in the moment, in the warmth and smell of their partner, the closeness they had been missing. Niall smelt slightly of sweat, with a trace of his perfume and peppermint, indicating he had been opting for a morning shower, which Lucy was kind of glad about, because he just smelt like Niall. As much as she loved a freshly showered Niall, his skin slightly pink from hot water and smelling of orange body wash, this was the smell of home, of his body, and there was nothing better.

His back was hunched a little, so he could rest his chin on her shoulder, his arms wound tightly around the base of her waist, while her nose was hidden in the intersection of his neck and shoulder, her hand playing with the ends of his hair.

“Did I wake you?” she asked, her voice soft like honey in his ear.

He hummed, but didn’t pull away, if anything, tried to pull her even closer. “Mmm, not sure, might still be dreaming.”

His words made Lucy grin, the fact that he thought of her as a vision, someone from his dreams. She made use of the position she was in and bit on his shoulder to show him the situation they were in was real.

“Aw!” he whined slightly surprised, but she knew he was just pretending to be hurt, she didn’t even let her teeth sink into his skin. And he didn’t even flinch or made a move to pull away. “Okay, I’m definitely not dreaming, thanks for that.” He finally pulled back slightly, but kept his hands on her waist to still keep her close, before finally taking a look at her, hair in a bun, one of his sweaters on her body. “Are you tired? Had a good flight?”

Before she answered, she raised onto her tiptoes and went in for a kiss, Niall’s mouth tasting like a mix of toothpaste and sleep, but it was so nice to be able to kiss him again, she prolonged the kiss until they were both breathless.

When they disconnected, she responded. “Not really, five hours with a screaming baby on board.” She pouted, but she’d actually take all the crying babies if it gave her a few days with her husband.

“Let’s go to bed, then. Talk later, yeah?” he proposed, grabbing her suitcase and placing it next to his own in the corner of a room.

She already took off her sweater and when Niall pulled off his t-shirt, she simply outstretched her hand for the piece of clothing, which he handed her with a smile, always loving seeing his wife in his clothes. They got into bed without any other words shared, wrapping their bodies around each other with no problem, like it was in their muscle memory, finding perfect spots to fit with the other person. Lucy was so tired, her mind started slipping into sleep right away, but she still felt Niall plant a sweet kiss at the crown of her head, resulting in her lips curling into a smile.

Lucy woke up the very same way she fell asleep, with Niall’s kisses.

“Wakey wakey, love,” he whispered right into her ear, making a smile appear on her lips, even though her eyes were still closed.

“What time is it?” she asked, her mouth stretching with a yawn right after.

“Just before noon, I have to leave in a bit over an hour. Just ordered us breakfast, it should be here in twenty.”

She finally opened her eyes, a perfect picture of freshly showered Niall, his hair still damp, kneeling right beside her on the bed, looking at her with her favourite smile of his, the look in his eyes reserved solely for her.

“Mmm, okay, I’m gonna shower real quick, then,” she said sitting up, stretching her arms above her head. She needed to get rid of that airplane stench that always clung to her body after flights.

Niall holded her by the waist before she could make a move to get up and off the bed, putting his other hand on the back of her neck before leaning down for a good morning kiss. “Now you can go,” he said, pulling away after a few more kisses and pecks.

“What’s the plan for today?” she asked, going to grab some clothes and toiletries from her suitcase.

“Well, I’m gonna go check if everything is ready for tomorrow, then I’m doing some press for the tournament on the grounds, should be done pretty early though.”

She didn’t just come to see Niall because she missed him, although that was always the main reason. No, she came to truly show her support. His management was co-creator of a new golf tournament that Niall personally was very involved with, making it all come together and be the best it could possibly be. It was a bit of a new role for him, one that he was excited about, because he wanted to be more involved with his company, but it was also a new territory, which made him stressed and nervous.

“Can I tag along?” she asked, stopping by the bathroom, her hip leaning on the doorway.

He raised his brows. “Of course. Don’t you need to train though?”

“Nah,” she dismissed it right away, but when Niall kept looking at her with scrunched brows, she continued, “I need to do one workout a day, but I’ll just go to the gym tonight or whenever we’re back. Don’t worry about it.”

It looked like Niall mulled over in his head whether to speak up or keep quiet, his bottom lip trapped between his teeth. But he took a step closer to Lucy, leaning his arm on a wall not too far and sighed. “Love.” His voice was gentle, like he didn’t want to scare her with his words. “I’m very happy with the surprise, it’s amazing to have you here, but shouldn’t you be playing a tournament in a few days?”

She sighed, but gave him a soft, knowing smile. Sometimes she wondered if they cared about each other’s careers more than their own. Always happy to be together, but also hating the thought that their partner sacrificed possible successes.

“No, I haven’t committed to it. I need a few days off,” she explained. “I’ve also been coming down with a cold or something the last couple of days. It seems to be all better now, but I just wanted a bit of rest. And I wanted to be here for you. Like you are for me so often. It’s a big deal, your tournament. I wouldn’t miss it.”

“But -”

“Don’t.” She cut him off, already knowing what he was about to say and not wanting him to get too wrapped up in his head.

None of them wanted the other person’s career to suffer because of the long distance nature of their relationship. Lucy always had this worry that she didn’t support Niall enough, didn’t show up for him the same way he did for her. While he feared that she’s purposefully saying no to some tournaments or isn’t training the way that would be the best for her, just to come see him or spend more time together. One could say it was funny, how they both blamed themselves, but never the other person. It was a subject they revisited often, giving each other the very needed reassurance.

But in the end, they just needed to trust that their partner is honest and knows what’s best for them, so if Lucy said it’s okay that she’s here, Niall accepts it with a nod of his head and one last kiss before finally letting her go shower.

The whole tournament was a success and Lucy couldn’t be any prouder of her husband. And every success like that deserved a party. It was a bit spontaneous, people deciding to go celebrate soon after the trophy ceremony. It was the best kind of party, though. Quite casual, just a lot of people inviting their friends and colleagues and going to a club together. Lucy, dressed in jeans and red silk shirt, didn’t feel out of place.

She had never been a party animal, didn’t go to college and didn’t party in high school, as she always had training to go to or homework to catch up on, she wasn’t much of a drinker either (as she needed to keep her body in the best shape possible), but she never complained about going out with Niall. Even though she wasn’t flourishing in social situations, Niall was a bit of a social butterfly and she enjoyed watching him like that, working a room, talking to all those people, making conversation with ease and emitting laughs from his companions. The fact that he either kept her close and engaged in his conversations or often made his way around a room to check on her if they were separated, helped tremendously.

Like now, when he showed up by her side, wrapping both hands around her middle and propping his cheek on her shoulder before twisting his head slightly to land a kiss on her cheek. They separated a while ago, after having a drink together, a bit of dancing and some talks with people handling the business side of sports (which Niall made sure to include her in, because he thought it’d be good for her future plans). Later on, she let him wander off, while she stayed with people she already knew, Aisha and Lena, who she met on a few occasions, as they were working for modest!golf, Ryan, who handled PR for that tournament and his boyfriend, David.

At the start of their relationship, when they were going out, Niall had used to be worried about her, trying to constantly keep her by his side, so she wouldn’t feel left out or abandoned. Not because she couldn’t handle herself, but he simply wanted her to feel comfortable. But with time, he noticed, learned, that she was alright left on her own, as long as there was someone else she was familiar with. When they were out with their London friends, she always ended up gossiping, dancing, or, as Niall calls it ‘wreaking havoc’ with Laura.

Lucy wasn’t engrossed with the story that David was retelling, she heard it a day before when they were hanging out during a tournament, so she reached her hand behind to thread through Niall’s slightly sweaty hair and twisted her head to look at him, cheeks pink from alcohol and the temperature in the room, he looked absolutely adorable.

“Gin?” he asked, spotting a glass in her hand.

“Water,” she replied, before taking notice of his hooded eyes. “You could probably use some.”

Niall took a small step to put a little space between them, just to see her better, but his one hand was still wound around her. He smiled taking her glass, enamoured by how she always took care of him, even through the small things.

“I thought you were drinking tonight?” he asked, handing her the glass back after drinking half of its contents.

They were still standing beside her previous company, but were facing each other, while the rest of the group still talked among themselves, giving them a somewhat private moment.

“Yup,” Lucy nodded, “I already had two gins. And some wine back at the tournament. Can’t really have more.”

Niall hummed in understanding. “But you’re having fun though?”

She smiled, placing her hand on his chest, his shirt sticking slightly to his body. She could feel the heat of his skin through the material, always searching for more connection with her husband. Instead of giving a straight out reply, she leaned up slightly, her small heels giving her a few more inches than usual, and kissed him reasurely, both of them feeling the breaking of a smile forming on their lips, which made it a bit harder, but none of them minded. Sometimes Lucy thought those might actually be her favourite kisses.

She had to gently push on his chest in order for their kiss to end, Niall always being more handsy and affectionate after a few drinks, but as easy as it would be to get lost in the moment with him, she was aware of other people around them, especially the ones right beside.

He let her pull slightly away, but still kept her close, the side of her body right against his. “Wanna go dance for a bit?” he asked after licking his lips. “I should probably sweat some of the alcohol off.”

His eyes were glistening mischievously and she had to bite on her bottom lip at the thought of not only just having fun with Niall on the dancefloor, but especially his undeniably wandering hands and stolen kisses. “Yeah.”

Niall already took a step away, when Aisha spoke up. “Oi, but be sure to bring her back to us!” she howled, Ryan sending a suggestive wink their way, which made Niall burst out with a laugh.

So they went, had fun dancing, had one more drink together, Lucy had some conversations with Niall’s colleagues from the golf world, then they both went back to her earlier group, talked a bit with them, before Niall was called to join other colleagues.

After a while, Lucy was sitting alone, replying to Mia and shooting a quick update text to her parents. Her earlier group discarded a bit, with Ryan and David leaving, Aisha calling her boyfriend, who was back in London, and Lena making moves on the dancefloor with a guy she’s been flirting with throughout the night. She didn’t mind too much though, enjoying a moment of peace and quiet, well, as much quiet as you could get in a club.

She was quite engrossed with her phone, so she didn’t notice Niall approaching, only aware of his presence once he sat down right next to her.

“Hi,” he said, slouching down to rest his head on her shoulder.

“Hello mister.” She put the phone back into her purse and looked at the state of her husband. His eyes were glossy, hair a mess, probably from Niall running his fingers through it too many times. He was definitely drunk, but looked so happy and carefree, Lucy couldn’t help but feel a familiar flutter in her stomach.

She looked down at him, just as he tilted his head up, so their eyes met, both of them wearing lopsided smiles. Lucy reached her hand to play with his hair, which made Niall hum happily, his eyes closed with content.

They just sat like that for a minute, but Lucy eventually spoke up, becoming worried that he’d fall asleep in a moment. “Want me to take you home?” she asked.

Niall looked up at her, when she pulled her hand away from his hair, eyes hooded, but surprisingly focused on her, and nodded. “Yes, please.” His voice was soft and sleepy, so she pulled out her phone to call for a car.

“Okay, we need to wait ten minutes, so please don’t fall asleep on me. Tell me about your night. Did you have a good time?”

He nodded again. “Yeah. So nice. And I’m so happy you’re here.” Even though he could barely keep his eyes open, he easily found a good spot on her neck to kiss and nibble on. “Everything’s always better when we’re together.”

She sighed. “It really is.”

They stayed quiet after that, until the car arrived, then Lucy had to support Niall with her arm around his waist, so he didn’t stumble over his own feet or anything else and got home safe. Some girlfriends or wives would probably complain about that, having to take care of their drunk partners, getting them home, making sure they had water and painkillers, or rubbing their back when they were hunched over a toilet emptying their stomach. But in a way, Lucy cherished those moments. Sure, maybe they weren’t the most pleasurable, but they were so simple and normal, she yearned for them. He was her husband and she didn’t mind taking care of his drunk ass. That’s what true love was all about, wasn’t it?

July 2024

When Niall finally called her back, he was just getting comfy on the couch, his house half dark, as always, the light from TV illuminating his figure. “Sorry I didn’t answer, love. Was working late in the studio and hadn’t even noticed that my phone died. How are you? You okay? I’m sorry about your match.”

She tried calling him right after her loss, feeling shitty and yearning for some love and support. But all three of her calls went unanswered, which wasn’t that surprising considering their lifestyles. It was moments like that when for a moment she wished their relationship was different. That they would always be able to be there for each other. Sometimes work and timezones made it difficult, they knew that, so in the end none of them was ever mad in situations like that, even though it could be frustrating at times.

She nodded and gave Niall a reassuring smile, but didn’t say anything on the topic. “What are you working on? You’ve been in the studio quite a bit lately, making an album after all?”

“Um.. Don’t know yet, really. Just kinda working, seeing where it’ll go.” He was looking away, his hand going to the back of his neck, almost like he was nervous, which made Lucy frown. It was an innocent question, usually he wouldn’t shut up if he had a good session, playing her the track or sharing some of the lyrics. She knew he wasn’t sure yet what he wanted to do right now, not necessarily ready for another album and tour, so maybe it was just that making him a bit anxious.

“Well it certainly looks like fun,” she said easily, her face breaking out into a smile remembering the picture she got sent earlier. “I saw you recording half naked, courtesy of Louis.”

“Tommo?” his brows pulled together, bewildered. She nodded, which made him clear his throat, his hand going from his neck to comb through his hair. “Yeah, well, um..” he licked his lips before continuing, “we had dinner and I was going back to the studio, so he just tagged along for a bit.”

“That sounds nice.” She could see that Niall got a bit weird about it, for whatever reason, so she decided to change the subject completely. “What are we doing for September? Are you planning to fly down, baby?”

“Umm.. Not sure yet, but I actually don’t think so,” he said nibbling on his fingernail, which she knew was a nervous habit of his. “I have quite a few studio sessions lined up and then things will be so crazy, getting everything ready and doing promo, the event is like three days after our anniversary. It’s too close, I’d say.” There was another Horan & Rose fundraising dinner happening in September. which made Niall even more of a busy man.

“Oh.. okay. I thought you’ll be able to come for the US Open, like we talked, but I get it.” She gave him a weak smile, because honestly, as much as seeing Niall, even through the phone screen, was always so nice, this conversation was not making her feel better, at all. Maybe they were just both tired. Maybe she was getting irritated for no real reason. But it felt like they were not on the same page today, not even close, and that kind of drift between them didn’t happen often.

“Yeah, I know, I wanted to, but some things came up and I don’t think I can make it now,” Niall said, huffing. Lucy wondered if he was annoyed or whether she was projecting her own frustration on him.

“It’s fine,” she cut off the subject, not wanting to unnecessarily dwell on it. “What about our anniversary? Are we planning anything?”

“Well, as I just said, I can’t really fly over to you.” Now she was pretty sure he was actually annoyed. And it only made her feel worse.

“I know, I heard you,” she replied, having to stop herself from rolling her eyes. “But, well, are we just gonna spend our first wedding anniversary apart, then?”

“I don’t know, Lucy.” Wow, he was hitting her with her full name. That very rarely happened and was a sign this conversation was definitely not going in the right direction. “Why does it seem like it’s my responsibility though? Am I the one that has to come to you?” He raised his voice slightly, almost getting mad. He looked away right after his words, missing the way Lucy’s face felt.

“Wait, what? That’s not what I meant, baby. You don’t have to do anything.” She tried to backtrack a bit, not wanting to get into a fight right now.

When he looked back at her, it seemed like his features softened a bit. “Well, it kinda sounded like that. Like if I don’t come to you, you just accept the fact that we’re not gonna be together for our anniversary.” Even though his voice was more levelled, there was still a bite to his words.

“That’s not it at all. You were planning on coming to New York before, I just wanted to know where we stand. And you didn’t even ask about my plans!” She was growing aggravated, but tried to remain as calm as she could, it was not the time to fight, especially about something that was ultimately mostly a misunderstanding. “You didn’t ask if I’ll be able to come home and you didn’t even invite me for your charity event, not one word about me possibly coming. You just assumed I want you to fly to me, while I simply asked if we’re planning anything. Please, don’t turn it into something that it isn’t.” Her last sentence sounded almost like a plea, but she didn’t even care, feeling tired and vulnerable.

There was a silence on the line for a moment, none of them even looking at the other, just taking a breath and trying to collect their own thoughts. When Lucy opened her eyes back up, after getting her emotions in check, Niall was already looking at her, his face noticeably softened.

“I’m really sorry, it slipped my mind, I guess? I’d love to have you with me there, you gotta know that, just didn’t want you to feel like you have to come. Well, would you be able to come home for our anniversary?” he asked sheepishly, his hand going to his hair once again.

“Yeah, I think so. The next thing I’m playing after the US Open is China, which is like three weeks later. I’ll need to get there a few days earlier to prepare, but I could come home for about two weeks. Just in time for your birthday and our anniversary.” When she finished speaking, Niall’s face finally lightened up with a true smile, for what felt like the first time that day. Lucy wondered if maybe she should have started with that piece of information, instead of asking him, but what’s done is done.

“That would actually be perfect, love.”

There were another few beats of silence, during which Lucy contemplated asking a question that she couldn’t shake out of her head, trapping her bottom lip between her teeth, wondering whether she should ask, even though she wasn’t sure whether she wanted to know the answer.

“Do you really think that?” she asked eventually, something in her truly broken by his earlier words, having her biggest fear about their relationship almost thrown in her face. “Do you feel like I just expect you to always come to me?”

The smile on his face was momentarily gone. Even through the dim lights in his room, Lucy could see the apologetic look in his eyes.

“Lulu,” he started, lowering his head in shame for a minute, before licking his lips and continuing, “no, I don’t. You know how worried I am whenever you’re coming somewhere to see me, I hate seeing you miss training or giving yourself less time to adjust to different courts and places, just to be with me. I’m… I’m so sorry I made you feel that way, I really am. I won’t be winning any husband of the year award, will I?”

“There’s some room for improvement,” she smiled lighthardly, her mind a little bit more at ease. “But I’d still take you over any other possible husband.”

He laughed at that, his very own belly laugh that was so him, it made her eyes water. She missed him. It was the magic of their relationship, never truly fighting, trying to resolve issues as soon as possible. And once they did, they just went back to normal right away, no tension left between them.

“I love you, Lulu,” he said, his voice longing. “And I’m sorry, truly. I think I’ve just misunderstood you. It’s hard to read you correctly through the phone all the time. And to be honest, I’m just tired and I miss you.”

It wasn’t even that long since they’ve seen each other, less than three weeks since she played at Wimbledon. But she missed him after weeks apart and she missed him after a few hours, just the same.

“I’m sorry too,” Lucy said, not willing to put all the blame on him. “I think I should just go to sleep, I had a shit day,” she huffed. It wasn’t even that late, but she was tired, both physically and mentally, so maybe it was best to just put an end to this day.

“Because of the match? Or something more?” Niall asked, concerned.

“Well, yeah, but it’s not even about losing, just…” she sighed, not even wanting to think about what happened, but also feeling the need to share with her husband. “It was a tough one, hard battle, and I don’t think I played well, my backhand was non-fucking-exsisting.” She could still feel the frustration from the match cursing through her veins, making her irritated again. “And on top of that, my knee is acting up, because I twisted it a bit, I misstepped in the middle of the second set and it hurts like a bitch still.”

“What? Are you okay?” It only took a second for Niall to panic, trying to examine her body, even though he saw only a small part of it, not even anywhere near her knee. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It’s gonna be alright,” she assured, “but I had to withdraw from Montreal to give it some rest. It sucks.”

“I’m so sorry, Lulu,” he said earnestly. A second after, his brows furrowed in thought. “But wait, you said it happened in the second set? Didn’t you win that one?”

She laughed. “Yeah, I did. But the third one was a disaster, I don’t even wanna talk about it anymore. It’s enough that I’m gonna have to relive it one more time for training and learning.”

“Where are you going next, then?”

“I’m gonna fly to Cincinnati, rest up and start training there. I have a week, so it doesn’t make sense to fly home for a day or two.”

He sighed, “Yeah, I get it. Okay, let’s go to bed, we could both use some sleep. Do you want to stay on?” he asked. It was something they didn’t do very often, time zones and different working hours making it impossible, but sometimes they liked to stay on skype, putting their laptops on the other pillow and having that smallest resemblance of falling asleep together.

“Yes, please,” she said, warmth spilling inside her body just at the suggestion, her husband always knowing what she needs.

They both just got up to move to the bedroom or bathroom, not even contemplating ending the call, going through their routines, but staying connected, enjoying the simplicity and intimacy, even through the phone.

September 2024

The second day she was home after the US Open, Lucy woke Niall up at the unholy hour of five in the morning. He was not happy, but his wife was the only person he could forgive such an atrocity. She was something else, waiting with breakfast on the table, ordering him to get into a car right after, having packed their bags and being very secretive.

“Love, what is going on? Come on, I need to know where we’re going,” he whined. He was the one driving, but so far she’s been just giving him directions.

She gave him a big smile, her hand resting on his tight, feeling the heat radiating from his body. “Okay, okay. Well, as it is your birthday tomorrow, I’ve got a little surprise,” she smiled wickedly. When he raised his brows, she continued, “As we said we wanna do more road trips, I’ve decided we’ll go to our little house for a small vacation, celebrate your birthday and our anniversary, before coming back on Thursday.” Niall opened his mouth to protest, but she gave his leg a squeeze to stop him. “Don’t worry, I spoke to Aisha and Justin, they got it all under control, they’ll call if they’ll need anything from you. Sorry to break it to you, baby, but it turns out you’re not irreplaceable after all.”

“Well, I just hope I’m irreplaceable to you,” he gave her a grin, reaching for her hand to plant a kiss on her fingers.

They bought a cottage in Ireland at the end of last year, just like they planned on their honeymoon. It was an hour and a half outside of Dublin, hidden away from prying eyes, a house full of silence and peace, a perfect getaway place.

After they arrived, they had coffee in the backyard, before moving to the kitchen to make dinner, having stopped for some groceries on their way.

“I’ve actually got some news that I need to share,” Niall said, looking over at Lucy who was chopping the vegetables, while he took care of a piece of chicken.

“What is it?” she asked.

“I, um…” he stuttered, halting his actions, but keeping his head down on the chopping board. “We’re reuniting the band.”

“The band? As in One Direction?” Lucy asked bewildered.

“Yeah.” Niall finally lifted his head, his lip trapped between his teeth. She didn’t understand why he seemed so nervous. It was good news, right?

“Baby!” She put the knife down to go and hug him. “That’s amazing! How did it happen? I want the whole story! What’s the plan?” She was so excited, she couldn’t stop the questions.

He chuckled, but it was a nervous sound, which she noticed especially when he took a hand from her waist and put it on the back of his neck. “Umm… We’ve actually been working together for a bit now.”

“Wait, what? Just…” her brows furrowed in confusion. She took a step back, her spine leaning against the counter. “When did this happen?”

“Well…” He licked his lips and took a deep breath. This time he wasn’t avoiding her eyes, but he seemed embarrassed by what he was about to say. “Okay, so I’ve met with Tommo and he was gonna go meet Liam in the studio later that day, so I tagged along and we just started messing about and actually wrote something and it just…” He shook his head like he still couldn’t believe it, a small laugh escaping from his lips. “God, Lulu, it felt so good, you know? It just felt right. So we kinda started talking about it, it was a lot of maybes and ‘should we’s and stuff like that… But obviously we wouldn’t do anything without Harry and I was supposed to grab lunch with him that week anyway, which was kinda perfect. So I told him about it and he’s actually started working on his new album, but he was struggling and he agreed to go to the studio with us all and just see what’ll happen. And I kid you not, magic happened. I’d say it took us like two or three weeks to actually write something decent, but it was so fun and natural. We talked more about it, you know, got into logistics a little more and yeah, that was it.”

Niall was rambling, his eyes almost shining with excitement, no sign of his earlier nervousness, a smile taking over his face. But Lucy’s expression was nowhere near as happy. Thoughts clouding her mind, trying to put his story together.

“Just when did it happen, Niall?” she asked, her voice calm, even though her insides were practically turning.

“Um… So…” he went back to embarrassed, maybe even a bit scared by her reaction. “That was in July, remember that photo Louis sent you?” Lucy nodded simply, her lips tightly pressed together. “Yeah, we were all in the studio then, I think it was the first week or so.”

“It’s been going on for two months and you haven’t even mentioned it to me? What the fuck?” She was exasperated now, not even hiding it, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes cold.

He looked down, not able to handle her gaze. “I… It felt like something that should be said face to face, you know?” He shrugged.

She shook her head. “Two months, Niall. That’s a shit load of time.” Her words were bitter, full of sorrow.

At least he had a decency to look apologetic. “I.. I know. I wanted to tell you when I saw you, and then Louis sent that picture and I got a bit stressed, and I actually yelled at him because of that, but then he gave me a lot of shit for not telling you. Which made me feel super guilty, but it just felt kinda like I dug myself a hole, you know? I couldn’t tell you over the phone then, because why didn’t I tell you right away, if it’d still be on the phone? So I just… I don’t know, really, I waited.”

The fact that he couldn’t even explain his reasoning properly made Lucy feel even worse about the whole situation. It didn’t make sense to her, because she thought after all this time, having as much experience in a long distance relationship as they had, he should have known better.

“We don’t do that, Niall, we just don’t,” she said, a bit more calm now, but far from being over it. “It can’t be like that. It’s such a huge thing, I actually can’t believe you kept it from me for two months. I know some things are just better shared face to face, but we’re in the situation where we can’t afford to do that. I thought you knew better.”

“Yeah,” he said, ashamed, but reached for her hand, like he needed the contact more than ever, just wanting to make it better. “I’m actually sorry about that. I just… I don’t know, like, I think maybe I was scared nothing would come out of it, you know? Because it felt unreal at the beginning and then felt like it was too late to tell you… I made a mistake, yeah, I admit that.”

She let him take her hand, but made no move to get closer to him, even though he did try to pull her lightly. It wasn’t a huge betrayal or anything like that, she could see he was sorry and saw his mistake, but it still stung.

“I.. I think I’m gonna go for a walk,” she said, taking a step away, but he gripped her hand more tightly, not letting her get completely away from him.

“Lulu, please, don’t walk away,” he started, voice and eyes pleading. “I get that you’re mad -”

“I’m not mad,” she interrupted him, “I promise I’m not. But I am hurt. Because I can imagine how excited you were, I know how much the band means to you. And it just sucks that you didn’t share that with me. I would have supported you for those two months, I would have had your back and would have listened to all of your insecurities and worries. And it just makes me really sad that you didn’t want that,” she admitted, trying to explain her feelings the best she could.

“I did!” Niall exclaimed. “I swear I did, it just…” he sighed, taking a step forward, so he was right in front of her, but not making a move to touch her beside the hand he was still holding. “I was just being stupid. You know I can be like that sometimes.”

“I just need a minute, okay? I’m alright, I promise, just need to sort through my thoughts. I won’t be long,” she assured him, stepping up onto her toes and planting a kiss on his cheek.

He let her slip her fingers away and watched her walk away, her back hunched, so different from her usual near perfect posture sculptured by years of playing.

She wasn’t gone long, thankful to the universe for her phone still in the pocket of her jacket, because she did get a little lost. It was about forty minutes later when she returned, closing the door behind her. She was taking off her shoes and jacket, when Niall appeared, leaning on the doorway leading into the living room and kitchen.

“You alright?” he asked, looking at her carefully, as if he was trying to solve her mood, get a glimpse into her thoughts and feelings.

She nodded, giving him a slight smile. “Did you finish dinner?” she asked, the house filled with smells of food. She closed the distance between them, not hesitating to put her arms around his neck, having to tilt her head to look up at his face.

“Yeah, well, that’s the least I could do,” he chuckled, but it was a bit humorless.

Lucy put both of her hands on his cheeks, wanting to grasp his full attention, their eyes truly meeting. She stroked his cheeks gently, rising up to kiss him, their lips meeting slowly, the kiss tentative at first. It wasn’t one of those passionate, rushed kisses that you felt in your toes, but it’s purpose was different, it was emotional, supposed to transpire love and forgiveness, let them both know they’re okay.

“Let’s go eat,” she said when their lips parted, lacing their fingers together and leading the way into the kitchen.

“Should we talk about it?” he asked once they were sat at the table, eating.

She looked at him, swallowing her bite, before putting down her fork for a second and speaking. “There’s no sense to dwell on it really, you apologized and it’s okay. But please, don’t do it again. I know some news are better face to face, but I just want to know what’s going on in your life, always, whether it’s something big like this or the fact that you had some really good food for dinner and it made you happy. However big or small, I want to share those kinds of moments with you, that’s all.”

The walk did not only calm her, it cleared her mind as well. She took that time to consider why she was hurt, what was the worst part of the whole situation, and finally, to get over it, as it was done.

He nodded right away, reaching for her hand on the table to squeeze it reassuringly. “I have every intention to learn from that mistake,” he said earnestly, bringing her fingers to his lips. “I love you, Lulu.”

“I love you, too,” she said, feeling like she could finally exhale, the earlier hurt not completely gone, but significantly subsided. “Can I hear some of the songs you’ve made?” she asked, not even as a peace offering, she was just curious and excited, always loving to hear previews of the things Niall was working on.

“Of course, always. I have a few things on my phone, so I can play you some,” he said, his eyes sparkling again, newfound life in them. He almost always got excited when talking about music, but this was different, she could see it right away, this meant more, the band always held a special place in his heart.

“Tell me more about it all. What are the plans, then? ‘Cause I might have some news as well...” She bit her lip nervously, bringing up something that’s been on her mind more and more the last few months.

“Happy news?” he asked, brows raised in surprise.

She hummed, “hopefully, yeah.”

“Wait, oh shit, are you pregnant?” Niall’s expression was one she couldn’t read completely, one of shock, definitely, but there was something else too.

“Nooooo, no, that’s not it,” she said right away, laughing a bit that this was his first though, but it also warmed her heart a bit, his reaction not a negative one. “I, um… I’m pretty sure next year is gonna be my last season playing,” Lucy said, her eyes fixed on her husband, not wanting to miss any clue of his reaction.

“Wow,” he huffed, clearly surprised, probably even more surprised than he would have been if she told him she actually was pregnant. “That’s big news. Why next year?”

“Well, I’ve been saying I don’t want to play for that much longer. I think my knee slightly acting up again was a catalyst to this. I want to leave on my terms, not because of an injury again. And it just seems like the right time. I’m excited for the future outside the court, you know?”

Niall nodded, but was silent for a minute, clearly mulling some things over in his head.

“It’s not because of what I said earlier, is it?” he finally asked, a little sheepish, referring to their July phone call. “You know I’ll come to you whenever I can.”

She smiled warmly at him. “I know, it’s not that. It’s actually purely my decision, what I want and also what I think would be best for me. For us too, but for me as well.”

“Well, you have my full support, always. I mean, it’s a bit more complicated, ‘cause I wanted to join you for like the whole tour your last year, which I won’t be able to do, but I’ll try my best. If you want me to, that is.”

Lucy shook her head at his uncertainty. “Are you kidding me? Of course I do, always, baby. What are the plans for 1D, though?”

“Well, it’s a bit unclear, we need to see the public’s reaction first. But we want to drop a single on the band’s anniversary. Then hopefully an album by the end of the year. And then, if all goes well, tour in 2026. Definitely want things to go slower than we were used to back in the day.”

She nodded, their plans actually aligning for once, maybe not completely, but they could work with that. “I could probably join you on tour, then. If I was done playing.”

“I’d love that.” He had a huge grin on his face. It was an unexpected turn of events, but he could see it happening and although it wouldn’t be how he imagined, it had a chance to actually be good for them. “And I wouldn’t be on a super tight recording schedule, so it should be pretty easy to come see you on tour those last times. Especially for the big tournaments.”

She stood up from her chair, going round the table to sit on Niall’s lap, her hands wound tightly around his neck. “Mmm, I do like the sound of that.”

He gave her a kiss before speaking, “me too.”

Their future was still uncertain, a lot of logistics needing to be figured out, but it was all the confirmation they both needed. They’ll make it work, as always. And who knows, after next year, things might actually be a lot easier for them.

taglist: @stylishmuser @verorax @georgiahoranxx @exoticniall

#1dff #niall horan fanfiction #niall horan oneshot #one direction fanfiction #one direction one shot #niall horan fan fiction #one direction fan fiction #dtl #down the line

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whattheforkever · 5 years

Text

Crowley Gets Cheated On

“Your move.”

Crowley stared at the board. He wasn’t the best at the game of chess, he could admit that. What he couldn’t do, though, was loose to a 16 year old antichrist.

He moved his rook.

Adam tapped his chin and moved a pawn.

Crowley was about to make a (very unsmart) next move, when he felt a small tap on his shoulder.

“Yes?” He asked, without looking up, moving his pawn into the direct line of Adam’s bishop. The kid made a show to grin smugly as he took the piece off the board.

“Crowley could you and Adam come man the front of the shop for me for a bit? A lovely young man has invited me to lunch.”

Crowley tilted his head back to look as Aziraphale reached over him, taking Crowley’s next turn himself.

“So you’re going on a date?” Adam asked.

Crowley watched as the angel’s brows furrowed in confusion. “No, of course not. That would be quite inappropriate wouldn’t it?”

Crowley nodded.

“Besides. He’s just being polite. He was admiring my Hugo collection when we sparked a conversation about culture and cuisine that ultimately led to him inviting me to a new French restaurant downtown. He said the crepes were as authentic as they come and, you do know how I love a good crepe.”

Crowley, and Adam, nodded.

“How shocking that you managed to turn a conversation about poetry and classic literature into one that allows you to enjoy some good food.” Crowley said sarcastically, earning a soft hit from the angel, who was still playing Crowley’s turns against Adam, and was at the moment, repeatedly putting the young boy into check.

“So you know for a fact this man doesn’t consider this a date?” Adam asked.

Aziraphale huffed. “I’m sure I’d be able to read if he were to think such an absurd thing.” (He certainly couldn’t) “Oh and Adam darling? Checkmate.”

Adam’s eyes widened and he promptly thought the board out of existence, much to Azirapahle’s amusement.

“This is why I don’t play with you.” He mumbled.

Crowley got up, and kissed the angel on the cheek. “Well done. Maybe you’ll win next time, you little shit.”

“Maybe next time I’ll just-“

“Both of you!” Aziraphale fussed, motioning them to follow him into the front of the shop. “Do not start bickering and come on. It’s rude to keep company waiting.”

Both of them followed begrudgingly, sneering and mouthing not-so-nice words to each other behind the angel’s back.

“Crowley, love, please at least just sit at the front desk. If anyone tries to buy a book-“

“Don’t let them.” Crowley and Adam said in unison.

Aziraphale nodded with a satisfied grin, kissed Crowley goodbye and ruffled Adam’s hair as he made his way to exit.

Adam plopped himself on the counter, violently kicking the sides with his feet.

“Could you fucking stop?” Crowley asked, thumping his back.

His request went blatantly ignored. “Hey look there’s his date.”

Crowley followed the kid’s line of sight to the doorway where Aziraphale was being escorted out by a fairly attractive man. He watched the man gaze admiringly at the angel as he babled about who knows what.

“Doesn’t think it’s a date my ass.” Adam muttered, turning to see Crowley’s reaction.

He nodded in agreement.

“Poor bloke. Doesn’t even realize Aziraphale wouldn’t notice flirting if he outright asked to go home with him.” Crowley said, subconsciously smiling to himself.

“Or that he is in fact currently married to a demon, with a supernatural godson who both could make his life very bad very quick if we wanted.”

Crowley barked a laugh and pulled out his phone to text Aziraphale to remind him to turn down the charm because, well we couldn’t have the poor lad falling in love now can we?

***

“Crowley”

“Yes?”

...

“Crowley!”

Crowley rolled his eyes. He was fairly sure Aziraphale could hear him respond. They were barely 25 feet from each other at the moment, and seeing as he was a ethereal being, he could hear Crowley at a whisper if he were to choose too.

“What!?” Crowley called back, a getting up to walk toward’s his angel, who was sitting on the counter infront of him, staring down at his phone.

...

“CROWLEY!”

“AZIRAPHALE!” Crowley yelled back, so close to the angel now that he had to slide him back onto the counter, as he had been so startled he almost fell.

“Oh my- you scared me!” Aziraphale pouted, holding his heart like the dramatic son of a bitch he was.

“Well i wouldn’t have if you’d have stopped yelling and noticed me walking towards you. Is something wrong?” Crowley asked, slotting himself between the angel’s open legs.

“No.” Aziraphale stated plainly. “I just wanted you to answer this text message for me.”

“You could’ve just walked the 30 some steps to where i was, you know?”

“Well,” Aziraphale said, putting the phone into Crowley’s hand, “that would quite defeat the purpose of me wanting you to come here, wouldn’t it?”

Crowley rolled his eyes and fought back a smile. What a damn bastard.

“So what do you want?”

Aziraphale pointed at the screen. “Go to my messages. That man who I ate lunch with the other day has asked me to dinner tonight but I don’t really understand all of what he’s said. Besides, we are going out to eat tonight.”

“We go out almost every night.” Crowley pointed out.

Aziraphale nodded. “Yes and every moment with you is a gift.” He said with a swift kiss to the nose.

“Cheek” Crowley murmured, making a point to violently wipe the kiss away.

Even so, he wrapped his arms around the angel’s waist. “So what am I supposed to do again?”

Aziraphale laughed and played with the back of Crowley’s hair. He had grown it back out and a certain celestial being was quite fond of it. (It’s Azirapahle. Shocking, i know)

“Just answer it for me. I don’t like to let people down.”

“You do realize even though I’m the one doing the typing, it will still look as though you sent it...” Crowley mused, pulling one of his arms between them to read the message. He scowled has having to use Azirapahle’s phone because 1. Who has the password 1234, honestly Zira, and 2. It’s 2024 and despite all of Crowley’s efforts, Aziraphale will not give up his I Phone 4.

Not mention where Crowley’s home screen was a picture of them dancing from Anethema’s wedding, Azirapahle’s was a picture he got offline of a duckling because I could simply cry at how cute this image is! Have you ever seen something so adorable my dear?

“Yes I know but it eases my guilt.” Azirapahle said, resting his head on Crowley’s shoulder.

“Bastard.” Crowley muttered again, leaning into the touch all the same.

The message he was reading is as follows:

Unknown Number:

It was lovely having lunch with you the other day. I’d love to treat you to dinner tonight, and then maybe treat you some more after😉. How about I pick you up at 7 and we eat at the Ritz?

Crowley read the message. Then he read it again. Looking up to Aziraphale, he feigned seriousness.

“Did you cheat on me?”

Aziraphale’s eyes widened suddenly. “Did I- what- how- what? No of course not, my dear, whatever do you mean?” He stammered.

“Looks to me as though you’ve committed adultry!” Crowley exclaimed.

Azirapahle was not amused. “Oh don’t even. I’m rather aware that you know how i feel about you. And only you.”

Crowley did know. Since he was unable to feel love as Azirapahle could, he was reminded dozens of times a day that he was very very well loved. It was greatly appreciated, and a bit overwhelming at times. “I know, angel. I’m just yanking your chain, as the Americans say. But i hate to break it to you; the bloke thinks you’ve been on a date. And now he wants to fuck you.”

Aziraphale’s face turned bright red. “Oh don’t say it so brashly like that. And anyways he does not! He didn’t say that!”

“Oh, baby, it was implied.”

Aziraphale gasped, grabbing the phone to read it again himself. “But he has to know about you, right? He’s a regular customer and it’s not like we hide that we’re an item.”

An item. Adorable.

He then shrugged at Azirapahle’s statement. “I dunno. He could just miss it. Or be to infatuated with you to recognize it.”

He pulled the angel closer to himself, adding ,“You are quite the flirt.”

Aziraphale let his jaw drop. “I am not!”

Crowley lifted an eyebrow.

“With you doesn’t count!”

Crowley laughed. “All I’m saying is you’re quite easy to fall for. I do it every day.”

He watched as Aziraphale softened, smiling quietly at him.

“But I’ll tell you one thing. If he thinks he’s dinning with you at the Ritz, he has another thing coming to him. I’ll have none of that shit.” Crowley added. The that’s our thing was unspoken.

“You’re a mess.” Aziraphale said with a fond head shake. Crowley leaned into the angel’s hands as he carded them through his soft red hair.

“And you’re beautiful.” Crowley answered. And no. It isn’t mushy talk or lovey dovey shit like you humans watch on television. It was simply a fact that he felt his angel needed to know at the moment.

So bugger off.

Aziraphale’s blush rose to the tips of his ears. “I love you.” Aziraphale stated, connecting their foreheads. The phone was set aside, text quickly forgotten.

Crowley knew. He didn’t need to answer.

He kissed all along the angel’s neck and face as Aziraphale began to ramble about where they should go to eat tonight.

Crowley had been alive for over 6,000 years.

But this right here, this was what it felt like to live.

***

“Angel.”

Aziraphale giggled, grinning up at his companion.

“I know you have my glasses.” Crowley said, placing his hand out to receive them. Instead, though, he received a small kiss on the palm.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Aziraphale insisted, the glasses poking plainly through his shirt pocket.

Crowley picked up the snickering mess that was his angel, and plopped him down gently on a book table.

“Not next to the Wildes!” Aziraphale said, laughing, making grabby hands at Crowley’s wrist as he slid his glasses from the pocket.

“Oh look you’ve found them.” Aziraphale said grinning, running his hand’s down the demon’s sides.

Sometimes it hits Crowley in the face how beautiful the angel was. He couldn’t help but be. Even now, after their exact alignment on the celestial scale was muddled and murky, the angel emitted love and light throughout his whole being. Especially in moments like this, giggling and happy and content. Crowley felt very, well you could say blessed, to be the object of Azirapahle’s affection.

And smiling back, Crowley, as he did a good handful of times times each day, fell more in love with him.

“You’re a right bastard. Did you know that? And shit at hiding things.” Crowley said, placing the glasses on his eyes.

“If you didn’t want me to go get lunch that bad you could’ve just told me to order out.”

Aziraphale shrugged, “I could have. But what’s the fun in that?”

“And besides,” He said, pushing Crowley’s glasses to his head. “I do love to see your eyes.”

Crowley pulled him in by the neck and kissed his jaw. “Your wish is my command, my love.” He muttered into the angel’s skin.

Aziraphale continued to giggle, pulling Crowley’s face to meet his. “You know, i believe by some miracle, a delivery order has just been placed at our favorite Chinese’s restaurant.”

“Oh really? Just some random miracle?”

Aziraphale grinned. “Oh yes. Some might call it divine-“

“Ahem”

The voice, coming from behind Crowley, caused Aziraphale to jump so hard that his chin slammed into Crowley’s nose, and to put it politely, knocked the shit out of it.

“Oh fuck- Zira!” Crowley whined, holding his now bleeding nose.

Pushing himself off the counter, Aziraphale said a small “Sorry my dear”, and with a small pull of the hand Crowley’s nose with in perfect condition again, and his glasses were over his eyes.

Crowley turned to see the intruder to be, oh would you look at that. Who would’ve guessed.

It’s the man who took his angel on a date.

Amazing.

Aziraphale moved forward towards the man who was now looking both very embarrassed and confused at the same time. Crowley almost felt sorry for him.

Except he really didn’t.

“How rude of us not to see you come in! I am so terribly sorry. Do you need anything?” Aziraphale asked, his tone apologetic and pleasant.

The man, who’s name Crowley still didn’t know, didn’t seem to be able to meet the angel’s eyes.

“Oh um I just stopped by to see if you received my text yesterday but i see-“

“Oh my!” Aziraphale gasped. “The text! I am so sorry i meant to respond that i had plans but it completely slipped my mind. I’m rather rubbish at replying. You can ask anyone really, my godson always complains and so does...”

At this moment it seemed to dawn on Aziraphale that he also hadn’t introduced the man to Crowley.

“Oh I’ve done it again. I dare say i don’t know what’s become of my hospitality skills today!” He tugged Crowley beside him by the shirt sleeve. “Crowley this is...”

...

Oh, good one Zira. Crowley thought. Break the blokes heart and forget his name.

“Paul.” The man supplied.

“Paul! Yes of course! Crowley this is Paul, and Paul this is my parter, Anthony Crowley.” Aziraphale said, subtly pinching Crowley’s back to say be nice and shake his hand or i will be very sulky for the rest of the day.

Crowley did, begrudgingly and awkwardly, shake his hand.

“I’m his husband. I go by Crowley.” Sliding one arm possessively around Azirapahle’s waist, and the other hand into his front jean pocket, which now suddently had a pocket to slip it in.

He was nothing if not effortlessly cool.

Being just as much of a bastard as his angel at heart, Crowley couldn’t help but make the poor man feel more uncomfortable by adding, “Yes, sorry he didn’t respond. He was too busy being treated last night.”

In reality the pair had gone to eat at a new Mexican restaurant in SoHo and came home to watch a Say Yes to the Dress marathon in their pajamas. But what Paul didnt know certainly wouldn’t hurt him.

The man nodded, ignoring Crowley’s blatant snide ness, and returned his attention back to Aziraphale, much resembling Dog when Adam goes away for the weekend.

“Well i should be going. Just wanted to stop by.” Paul said making a move for the door.

“I’m terribly sorry about the text message!” Aziraphale called after him.

Paul only gave him a thumbs up in response, closing the door firmly on his way out.

“You could’ve been a bit nicer!” Aziraphale said when he left. “You didn’t have to embarrass him.”

Crowley scoffed. “I don’t mind you having admirers but he needed to get the message that for anything further than a friendly lunch, you are very unavailable and very taken. That’s enough of that shit. Besides, he wasn’t your type.”

“Oh really?” Zira smirked, “and what is my type?”

Crowley pulled Aziraphale into him by the belt loops, grinning down. “Demon. Handsome. Cool. Maybe a bit taller than that wanker.”

Aziraphale rolled his eyes, “Oh aren’t you smooth.”

Crowley leaned down for a kiss right as his phone started to vibrate in his pocket. Does everyone want Crowley to not have some quality time with his angel today i mean Jesus- oops- may he Rest In Peace the poor boy

“Postmate says the delivery will be here in 1 minute.” He read.

“Well you can get the food.” Azirapahle said sweetly.

“Oh I can? And why can’t you?”

“Beacause,” The angel said cheekily, “I’m certainly not dressed properly.”

“You’re wearing a full outfit, angel. You’re getting it. I got it last time.”

Azirapahle pulled his hand down. “Oops.” Suddenly, He was dressed in only a fluffy white robe. “Not anymore.”

He scurried into the back room chuckling to himself, as Crowley made his way to the door to pay for their take away. Like it was stated before. Azirapahle = a fucking bastard.

But admittedly, just the kind of bastard you can’t help but fall madly in love with.

After getting their food, Crowley locked the shop’s door behind him and switched the sign to closed because- well. That’s up to you isn’t it?

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

Inspired somewhat by this post :) Also i do like to refer to Aziraphale and Crowley with genderleas pronouns but since they are male presenting in this and majority of their time on earth, I thought it would be easier to go with he/his.

Also I’m terribly sorry that i didn’t put a break in this. My laptop is broken and I’m on mobile and I’m not sure how to do it on here.

#good omens #good omens fic #ineffable boyfriends #ineffable husbands #ineffable godfathers #crowley #azirafallen #aziraley #aziraphale #adam young #daily good omens

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keywestlou · 3 years

Text

TRUMP CHANGES HIS TUNE.....SEES HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

From Trump’s perspective, the truth is whatever he says at a particular time.

His tune is changing once more. From the election was fraudulent/rigged to my intent was to advise the people I thought elections should be properly conducted. Nothing more.

A far cry from 63 lawsuits and a ton of false utterances. The man is not stupid. He saw his cry of fraudulent balloting was one of diminishing returns. Many Congressional Republicans were beginning to steer away from him.

No way to help Republicans win in 2022 and he himself in 2024.

What Trump is silently saying is I miss the attention I was getting. I require it. I promise to behave. Give me one more chance. I’ll change.

He must also sense the sky may be ready to fall on him. January 6, his tax returns, his many wrongdoings, etc. All coming to the forefront at the same time.

Trump’s first opportunity to evidence his change will take place between now and wednesday. A federal judge has given Trump till wednesday to challenge the Department of Justice’s order requiring the IRS to surrender his tax returns to Congress.

A “new” Trump would make sure no appeal is filed. Evidence of the old Trump would be the filling of an appeal.

Court fights ad infinitum have been Trump’s life time way of handling disputes. Especially in the political sphere. And before the Presidency, to thwart bill collectors.

Is there a new Trump? I doubt it. There never has been one before. We will know wednesday.

Senator Rand Paul presents himself as a knowledgeable virtuous man. Knows everything.

Recently he has been badly beating up Dr. Fauci. He recently requested federal authorities to charge Fauci criminally for purportedly having lied to Congress.

What goes around, comes around.

In the past few days, it has become public that Rand has been under scrutiny for failing to return $165,749 to a donor to Paul’s Presidential PAC to support Paul’s Run for the Presidency in 2016. Paul withdrew even before the Republican nominee had been determined.

The Federal Election Commission has fined Paul $21,000 for his failure to do what the law requires if he as a candidate withdrew from the race: Refund the donor or redesignate the contribution for use in another campaign within 60 days.

Very rarely does the Federal Election Commission fine anyone. Words of warning have generally been sufficient. Here the Commission went a step further and has hit Paul with the small penalty of $21,000. There was a message there.

Governor DeSantis must be pleased that Florida has the distinction of being number one in the nation as regards the summer surge in new coronavirus cases. Deaths alone totaled 319 in the surge period. The most in states gravely affected by the virus.

Good job, Governor!

Hospitals are running out of space. Medical help overworked as they were a year ago.

The surge has been driven by the Delta variant, large numbers of unvaccinated, congregations of people indoors because of the heat, and refusal to enforce mask wearing, distance, etc. restrictions.

Successful families and their descendants have found their way to Key West over the years.

Recall Windex. The blue liquid to clean windows. Spray it on and wipe it off.

Phillip Dracket invented Windex. Made himself and the family rich.

Steve and the Windex inventor’s grandson Phil Dracket became friends. Steve tells their story in TACOS paragraph 20.

Phil Dracket was once a cabbie who didn’t have a dime / His grandpa invented Windex, now he’s got nothing but time / He lived alone in a mansion and owned expensive cars / We used to spend our time going to all the bars / He wanted to go on vacation and I had just paid all my bills / So we took off on a road trip to the South Carolina hills / We took his brand new Lotus that was all set up to race / We didn’t look like we were from there, more like from outer space / I thought I was Mario Andretti driving up the hill / When an old pick-up flew past us as if we were standing still.

Enjoy your day!

TRUMP CHANGES HIS TUNE…..SEES HANDWRITING ON THE WALL was originally published on Key West Lou

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andrewuttaro · 4 years

Text

2020 Revisions: Good, Bad and Ugly Rhinos 2021 Scenarios

The Rochester Rhinos Outsider blog was a series of articles written in the winter of 2018-2019 as the second year of the club’s hiatus was at its quietest and darkest. This article is part of the 2020 Rhinos Outsider Revisions series, a series of long-read features jumping off from the starting point of those original articles with new information since revealed.

The Rochester Rhinos pushed it back to 2021. That’s one more year, a third year of waiting. So let’s take another trip back to when we had one fewer year to wait through. One of the funnier articles from the Rhinos Outsider posts was the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. It was about speculating all the different ways the return might go. That is, all the good ways, bad ways and just plain ugly ways. Moreover in the leadup to the meat of the article I wrote about the “hat trick of ruined owners”. That little piece hasn’t meaningfully changed in the year since I wrote it so here it is! That particular passage in a lightly edited form:

First things first, let’s be totally up front: this maybe it for the Rhinos. The Dworkins could also spend themselves into insolvency if Rochesterians don’t come to the new venue. They too could basically be forced to give up the team by debtor banks like the first owners or forced to give it up by the league like the second owner and this club could complete the hat trick of ruined owners. Who wouldn’t want to be the fourth owner of that organization? Hate to be that guy, but that is why I’m talking like we got one last chance here. We do kinda have one last chance.

I think that little nugget is a riot. Most outsiders think this club is basically already dead. Hell, that conclusion makes a lot of sense. So much in fact I’ve been writing letters to perspective new owners. But on another level deeper, this club has ruined every individual or group of individuals that has owned it. I’m not saying that’s a curse but there is some dark humor there if that’s your cup of tea. But enough dark soccer comedy, time for a pep talk.

This article in the original Rhinos Outsider series was a big dose of sobriety. A club doesn’t just survive by way of wealthy owners. A soccer club anywhere survives by the efforts of fans and a community, casual or not, that support it. There is a legitimate argument to be made that Rochester doesn’t support her own. We could go down a whole rabbit hole about population and generational differences that contribute to how sports teams are thinning out here. I don’t want to go into those things now but what I ended up giving in this post a year ago was something like a pep talk. The Rochester Rhinos organization represents a piece of this City’s culture that I don’t think people realize. To be very frank I think most Rochesterians don’t realize what we have or might soon have had.

The Rhinos won the Open Cup in 1999. All of us Rochesterians were a part of that. That kind of title has no easy comparison in American Sports. All things being equal, the Open Cup is bigger in U.S. Soccer than the Superbowl is in American Football. WE DID THAT! US, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK! I mean it when I say it: the Rochester Rhinos are the best soccer team in American History. I’ll die on that hill. It would be such a crying shame if Rochester doesn’t realize that until it’s too late. With that as our introduction lets imagine some scenarios for 2021. I will admit some of this is fantasy fulfillment, other parts of it… nightmares.

The Good

The Rochester Rhinos return in 2020 to St. John Fisher’s College Soccer Field. The games are catered by Wegmans which by itself is enough reason to draw 1500 fans of the casual and family varieties. That number is in addition to 1000 fans of the young and diehard categories. This scenario is the good-est of good boys so let’s go all out: not only is the club’s concessions catered by Wegmans, Danny Wegmans owns the team now! He bought out the Dworkins and now the jerseys have a big old W on the chest for Wegmans and Win! They do just that! The Rhinos beat a couple MLS teams in the Open Cup and dominate League One to win a title in their first season back on the pitch! Danny Wegman announces he’s buying a piece of open land in Pittsford and building a stadium! This scenario is so fun I let out my own rendition of the Howard Dean Scream after writing it.

Let’s go a little less good. The Rhinos are still returning to St. John Fisher’s Field because this is still a good scenario. Except in this scenario there are notable hiccups. The concessions are a little screwy and the team has some facilities clashes with the University. The Dworkins do however do a good job pulling in talent and manage to go all the way to the USL League One Final in their first year back. The attendance numbers gradually climb as the season goes on and the good word spreads. After seeing the relationship as mutually beneficial the Dworkins sign a deal with Fisher to keep the team there for three years. At that point they announce their plans to build a stadium in East Rochester. The Rhinos are resurrected!

Ok, one more good scenario. The Rhinos return to the Downtown Stadium after the City realizes how much money they’re losing on having no tenet thee. The new deal allows the Dworkins much greater control over the venue and the City helps finance some renovations that help draw 3000 fans on average the first season back. More supporters are enticed to come to games when the new indoor sports plex next door destigmatizes the neighborhood for all the scared suburbanites. The Rhinos narrowly miss the playoffs, but the new club has a distinctly Rochester identity that everyone is happy to have back.

The Bad

The least bad scenario that I wouldn’t consider good is a rushed move to the Dome Arena area. The Dworkins announce the plan late in the Fall 2020 giving themselves little time to clear land and put a field on the other end of the Dome Arena parking lot. They exclaim the location’s proximity to shopping and Wegmans and what not. Unfortunately the lift the team actually receives is hard to tell as most of the fans shoehorned into temporary stands at one end of the field are clearly diehards. The team isn’t competitive, missing the USL League One Playoffs and losing to another League One team in the Open Cup. This is not to mention Soccer Sam Fantauzzo still thinks he’s competing with the Rhinos in this scenario as he beefs up the Lancers operation.

As bad scenarios get worse the Rhinos get to go to St. John Fisher College their first season back in 2021 but the University quickly doesn’t like it. They go as far as to make large swaths of parking unusable on gamedays. Nonetheless the reborn Rhinos are competitive on the field and almost make the playoffs. The Dworkins announce an iffy plan to move to another venue they don’t name until the last weeks of the season. A run to the MLS round of the Open Cup distracts the fans from the plan falling through. After much wheeling and dealing the Dworkins secure one more year at Fisher and continue to scramble to find a new home in time.

The Rhinos return to Frontier Field in a freak two-year deal with the County and drive nostalgia real hard in the marketing. For a while they manage to drive attendance up before the new team they assemble crashes and burns. Unfortunately nostalgia isn’t enough to save the club from the collapse and the financial fortune of the club is awful by the end of 2021. The Dworkins make one last plea saying if 2022 isn’t good enough financially they simply won’t continue. 2022 sees a miraculous Open Cup run to the semifinals but once again the Dworkins make a plea for financial help as they look for a place to go after Frontier.

The Ugly

The Dworkins sell the team in November 2020. The League operates the team via Pat Ercoli who sees the team play at the Downtown Stadium out of some miracle due to the new ownership. Unfortunately the same problems persist from before the hiatus and Ercoli is forced to get creative. An alliance with the Rochester Lancers goes nowhere even after their owner, Sam Fantauzzo, announces his intent to move the Lancers to the downtown stadium to help the Rhinos. The league has a meeting with Ercoli that is followed by his resignation from the organization. The team shutters for another haitus in 2022 as the league fails to find a new owner before folding it in 2024, the year the USL System finally institutes Promotion/Relegation adding insult to injury to the end of the Rochester Rhinos.

The Dworkins build a small stadium by the Dome Arena in Henrietta and achieve some better average attendance in the first few games back. Pat Ercoli announces his retirement and receives a splendid send off ceremony. Shortly thereafter Sam Fantauzzo moves his Rochester Lancers to NISA where they garner more support from diehard soccer fans in Rochester. This is direct competition for seemingly no reason. The Rhinos season on and off the field tanks before the Dworkins sell the franchise rights in November. The league does not find a new owner and shutters the brand in 2022. I think two ugly scenarios is more than enough.

Final Thoughts

I had a lot of emotional points to make about what the most likely scenarios actually were in the original version of this article. But now I got to be honest, another year of haitus has made me somewhat indifferent. Don’t get me wrong, I love this club, it’s my aesthetic and my favorite soccer club forever and ever amen. But you can’t expect enthusiasm after nearly zero public information sharing over 14 months. Even a lunatic like me can’t get excited for something they have almost no clue about. Help us out here. The next 12 months and beyond will be very interesting.

That said the truth was very well said by one Brad Bates back in December. Bates is a Rhinos supporter way out in Lansing, Michigan. You can hear him on the League One Unfiltered Podcast (L1Unfiltered) or read him on twitter @BradBates25. The brand is in the gutter. Years of neglect and now years of haitus has reduced the Rochester Rhinos to a punch line and a soccer history fancy. A truly rousing reclamation is needed. The Dworkins don’t just need to resurrect their dormant team, they need to create something new worthy of the name and legacy of the Rochester Rhinos. They need to not only make a highly competitive team on the field but a highly compelling overall product for the supporters. Wherever they play they have to build something special, familiar but also distinctly new. Otherwise this all may very well be for naught.

I’ve been very optimistic in this haitus, but its wearing on me now. 2020, or at least these first six months of it, stands to be the busiest year of my life so far. Unless I’m getting far more regular updates then we saw the last 18 months then it will be hard for me to do anything but write an epitaph come the Fall. I don’t want to, but the burden of proof now points in an increasingly negative direction. The Brad Bates Standard is going to be a tough one to meet even if they come back. And now the darker thought arises: do I even want them coming back if I don’t believe they can stage a comeback worthy of the name? Gee, that question is a tough one. Unfortunately it’s the question I’ll be wrestling with more and more this year.

I am basically the only Rhinos blogger out there so follow me if you want more of this. This series of long-read articles, 2020 Rhinos Outsider Revisions, will probably only have one more installment. Come to think of it, this maybe it for trying to make content out of these posts from a year ago. I will probably have a similar long-read article completely new and original. I think it will be something like what we started getting into with the legacy of the Rochester Rhinos. That will come sometime in the next 6-8 weeks before the return of my regular series on the Rhinos: State of the Support. How about more on that.

In a few weeks we should be getting a real update on the situation with the club; at which point Season Two of State of the Support will premiere. State of the Support is a reoccurring series about the Rhinos that will be broadening its scope a tiny bit to Rochester Soccer in general for Season Two. In the spirit of supporting a soccer club I’d say a club like the Rhinos deserve second life if any domestic soccer team does. And even if you don’t currently call Rochester home like me I’d hope you could support their future going forward for just that reason. Hopefully the future of the Rochester Rhinos isn’t just fantasy.

Thanks for Reading.

Let’s Go Rhinos!

#rochester rhinos #soccer

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