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2knightt · 4 months

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「 you are—unforgettable.」

IN WHICH—you’re them and they’re you!♡ ໋֢ 👒✧

🍵ヾFT. THE GREASERS࿐ྀུ ♡

⌗ 👒 notes !𖥔༌ ᰷ ﹅ people in this fic refer to two-bit as ‘keith.’ who cuz who the FUCK says ‘he got his two-bits in🤓’ NOBODY! but in the descriptive parts he will be two-bit. ALSO IF U DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M SAYING LOOK IN THE TAGS!

Ponyboy Curtis ;

his class was gonna watch this movie before reading a book. ‘the outsiders,’ or somethin’.

it was made in the ‘80’s—he didn’t want to even watch it. watching movies in class was the worst!

ponyboy sat at his desk, head in his arms. he heard the music and looked up, chin resting on his arms.

when ponyboy seen you writing down and narrating, he could’ve sworn he died and came back to life. LIKE WHEN HE HEARD YOUR VOICEEE HE GOT A LITTLE BLUSH ON HIS CHEEKS.

his friends beside him noticed, snickering to themselves. they shoved him, asking if that was his future partner. he just pushed them off, quietly telling them to fuck off.

when ponyboy seen you covered in the soot??? phew—he questioned his morals, man. and THEN HE SEEN YOU BEAT UP?? he was getting FED.

ponyboy came out of that school a new man.

his ears were hot, his cheeks were red, and he was already looking up edits of you. ponyboy shoved those almost broken wired apple headphones in his ears and tuned everyone out.

when he got home he ignored any questions darry and soda threw at him and immediately went to his room. ponyboy quietly closed the door before hopping into bed, pulling out his phone, and going on tiktok.

spent like a solid 30 minutes tweaking over edits of you. like full on screaming into his pillow—i’m so serious.

“darry, what the hell is that noise?”

“i dunn—ponyboy?”

“AHHH!!”

when he found out that, outside of the outsiders, you’re decades older than him he was SO HEARTBROKEN.

the gang seen him looking at photos of you and immediately started teasing him. he absolutely tried to back himself up with stutters.

“they’re how much years older than you, bro?”

“NONO HEAR ME OUT, PLEASE! KEITH, BRO, PLEASE.”

reads fanfic. look at me in the eyes and try to tell me that ponyboy motherfucking curtis doesn’t read fanfiction.

you can’t.

like bro he’s so desperate for more content of you to the point where he writes the fics he yearns for—got pretty popular to.

“why the fuck is your phone blowing up?”

“PLEASE don’t ask me any questions about it.”

he’s a freak. he knows everything about you. ponyboy’s even began to watch your interview’s about the movie. and your other movies.

literally a teenage girl.

“THEY’RE SO FINE THOUGH, PLEASE!”

“nuh-uh.”

“FUCK YOU MEAN ‘NUH-UH’?”

Johnny Cade ;

seen you when he was watching random movies at the curtis house. at first he was like, ‘wait!! they’re so me coded😛.’ it never occurred to him that you could be so cute.

he seen you crying and something in him like actually snapped.

“wait….am i getting a crush? they’re kinda…”

when he seen the equivalent of ponyboy in this universe snuggled up to you in the church he was soooo jealous.

yk that one audio where it’s like, “how long is he gon’ be talking to my WIFE.” that’s literally johnny cade when he seen that person kiss the top of your head.

“what the fuck?”

“…what do you mean?”

“nothin’. it’s just kinda bullshit that they swoop in and steal my chance😒.”

“you never had one.”

“okay, pal😐.”

heart broke when he seen you in the hospital bed btw. like was full on gripping onto a pillow with tears in his eyes.

johnny was in such denial when he seen you die😭. ‘bro, no. they literally aren’t dead.’/‘guys!! it’s just a prank!!’

when he got to the scene he was in SHAMBLES. HE WAS INCONSOLABLE. ripping his hair out, screaming, crying, allat.

“stay gold…”

“NOOOOOOO-“

was so pissed when you didn’t come back. was even more pissed when your letter was read out loud.

“HOW COULD THEY KILL THEM OFF?? THEY DIDN’T DESERVE IT!”

“johnny, it’s a movie.”

“this is so unfair. i hate movies.”

gets nervous looking at photos of you. like to the point where he tries to look up your name on pinterest before bailing mid sentence and giggling. like full on throwing his phone across the room, kicking his feet.

will talk for hours about you. thinks your the coolest character ever!! defends you like his life depends on it.

“they killed someone?”

“so?? you’re acting like you wouldn’t do it to🤣🤣 fake ahh friend.”

—

“they legit can’t stand up for themselves. you want someone like that to be out walking them streets?”

“oh, god for bid a person has trauma. and YES I DO🗣️. i hope they walk right into my arms, HO.”

all said online btw. he would never ruin his ego by speaking like this. i am a strong believer johnny cade puts up a strong front online.

johnny literally thinks you’re the cutest person he’s ever seen. like his cheeks get so hot when he thinks about you and he gets a silly little smile on his face.

he looks at photos of you and his friends think he has a little girlfriend.

“who you textin’, johnnycakes?”

“nobody-uh!”

“c’mon—we see that smile!”

and it’s literally just you with blood dripping down your face.

Dallas Winston ;

caught a glimpse of you at some girls house he slept at. literally stopped dead in his tracks as he seen you light a cigarette before mumbling, ‘nothin’ legal, man.’

“i-uh, what movie’s this?”

“huh? oh, the outsiders. pretty good movie.”

he thanked her and threw on his jacket before speed walking to bucks place. he had to watch this movie or he’s actually lose it.

imagine buck’s bar is actually a house, kay? dallas sits his pretty little ass on that couch, flips to whatever streaming service, and turns on ‘the outsiders.’

thought it was all boring until he seen you walk into frame—mocking the main character. at that very moment he was all, ‘wait that’s kinda hot.’

seeing you help the two younger ones run away while still acting tough was so attractive to him. dallas felt like he was losing his mind.

seeing you run in after the two into the church kinda made his knees weak.

“BAE NO!”

“what the hell are you screamin’ ‘bout?”

“nothin’, buck…”

he was so scared that you’d die in the fire. (little did old dallas know am i right fellas!!!!) like i swear to god he was so scared you’d end up like the johnny in this universe.

WHEN HE SEEN YOU FIGHTINGGG. he went feral. dallas was like so flustered. he was trying so hard to hide his blush to the ghosts around him with his hair.

his flush was short lived however. seeing you cry and then literally point a gun at a cashier was lowkey whiplash for him.

“what the fuck is happening?”

dallas figured out what was gonna happen early on and started kinda tearing up. like one tear formed in his eye before he blinked it away. but he was still devastated.

WHEN DALLY HEARD SOMEONE SCREAM “they’re just a kid!” he lost it. like actually. he went limp on the couch and spaced out. like damn…his fiancé, who doesn’t know they’re his fiancé yet, really WAS just a kid.

nobody knows he likes the outsiders OR that he has a crush on you. and they CAN’T know, it’s way too embarrassing. like actually.

when he’s with the gang and he’s just casually scrolling on tiktok and he sees the tags with your name, he immediately favourites it and scrolls. he saved it for later when he’s alone.

also defends you like there’s no tomorrow.

“they were hitting on someone who had a partner??”

“okay?? fucking live a little jesus.”

—

“THEY’RE A FUCKING CRIMINAL?”

“i’m into it tho lmfao”

swears up and down that if you and him were in a room together—you’d have a crush on him. top tier delusion.

like if he gets drunk with keith, he will rant about it.

“no—hear me out. put me in a room with y/n l/n and i swear to god they’re gonna be madly in love with me.”

“no they won’t, dallas.”

“yuh-huh.”

looks at photos of you and probably has you as his pfp on his spam. includes you in every other photo dump.

Sodapop Curtis ;

seen an edit of you on tiktok and audibly gasped. full on went, “WHO IS THATT😜” went to the tags and just scrolled under it for a good long while.

he seen a angst edit of you and made up his mind that he had to watch the movie.

for the while that you weren’t on screen, he was trying to push through. he really was. but deep down—in his head he was screaming, “BORING! SHOW ME THE PRETTY ONE!!”

when sodapop seen you tending to your younger sibling he could’ve sworn he was on cloud 9.

“my turn when :/.”

WHEN SODA SEEN YOU GET OUT OF THE SHOWERRR😭😭. he lost his BREATH like was full on gripping his imaginary pearls.

had to take a breather to walk around the house before unpausing the movie. had a blush across his cheeks, i can’t even lie.

when he learned that you were described as, “movie star attractive,” all he did was nod. like,

“mhm. i always knew my fiancé was good looking.”

SODA WAS APPALLED WHEN HE FOUND OUT THAT YOUR PARTNER CHEATED ON YOU. like jaw was on the FLOOR.

“I COULD TREAT THEM BETTER🗣️🗣️ THEY KNOW WHERE HOME IS!!”

he is so open about his little crush in you—it’s so cute :(

“steve, look at ‘em.”

“i see them—get your fuckin’ phone outta my face.”

“aren’t they so perfect??🤭🤭”

“i guess.”

“well, BACK OFF. we’re already happily married.”

“in your dreams maybe.”

“oh my god.”

soda has you as his pfp on at least two platforms. his name on one platform is “y/n’s boyfriend (REAL!)”

seeing you run out on your siblings after they grouped you into your argument made him just wanna hug you so bad. like he just wanted to tell you it was all gonna be okay.

has a album in his photos where it’s edits of you and photos. giggles and twirls his hair as he looks at it.

Darry Curtis ;

his parents used to watch the movie all the time and you’ve always just been a life long crush of his.

like when younger darry seen you walk into frame, comforting your kid sibling, something in his head snapped.

suddenly everything was in slow motion, there were hearts everywhere, he had rose coloured glasses on, and for some reason—harps play in the background.

as darry grew up it literally never went away. whenever the outsiders comes on when he’s home he always still goes, “woah.😍😍”

like he thinks you’re so fine.

he doesn’t like watch edits, read fanfic—none of that🗣️. but if he gets asked who is celebrity crush is—your name is coming out of his mouth ASAP.

“so, darry, who’s your celebrity cru-“

“y/n l/n.”

“but they’re a character?”

“Y/N L/N.”

he has like ONE printed out photo of you in his room from years ago. he knows exactly where it is and where to hide it, but he still keeps it.

at least once every two months, when everyone’s asleep and he has no work the next day, he’ll stay up just to watch the movie.

he’ll have a budlight in his hand as he watches you absolutely DEMOLISH at the rumble.

“i always knew they’d win.”

“you’ve watch this movie a thousand times.”

“PONYBOY?!”

the gang eventually found out his little crush on you. only light teasing ‘cause they’re so scared they’ll get that darry smoke if they push him further😭😭.

“oh my god! look, darry! you’re little crush is on screen!”

“steve, i will beat some sense into you if you don’t shut up.”

“…okay, bud.”

—

“when’s the weddin’?”

“after your funeral, keith.”

“wow. hater.”

Steve Randle ;

his dad fell asleep on the couch one night with this old movie playing in the background.

steve was about to turn it off before he caught a glimpse of you offering this half naked person some cake. he was all, ‘WAITTTT🙈🙈!!’

like he seen you in that sleeveless jacket and immediately fell in love. literally was on a mission to figure out who you were.

when he did? all he wanted to do was watch the outsiders. WHEN HE SEEN YOU SCOLDING THE MAIN CHARACTER HE SOO KNEW YOU WERE HIS TYPE

“wish they’d scold me like that…damn…😞✊”

was TWEAKING SOO HARD WHEN HE SEEN YOU ALL BLOODY WITH YOUR HEAD THROWN BACK.

“…you think i look tuff?”

“YES BAE!!!”

making his name on like insta or something, “y/n’s HUSBAND.” he puts emphasis on the husband because he believes that you want him so bad.

like actually. he’s fucking delusional.

“guys…they like cake…and I LIKE CAKE! do you see my vision??”

“no??”

“man, fuck you.”

photo dumps on insta of pictures of you with the caption, “from our honeymoon 😍😍😛😛!” his friends are ripping him apart in comments btw.

WOULD GO FOR WAR FOR YOU.

“they’re actually so gross what.”

“YOU’RE GROSS!🗣️ KEEP THEM OUT OF YOUR MOUTH YOU FOOL!!”

—

“they have 0 depth.”

“0 depth to YOU. to ME they’re the love of my life.”

Two-bit Matthews ;

seen the outsiders when he was drunk. he didn’t remember anything that night but the cute lil’ actor who was laughing after flirting with some rich lookin’ kid.

the only thing he remembers saying that night was,

“damn—when is it MY TURN😩😞”

WENT ON A FUCKING HUNT TO FIND THIS MOVIE ISTG. he was looking up shit that didn’t even matter to the plot—so he got different movies each time.

‘cute actor flirting’

‘cute actor in old ass movie’

‘mickey mouse shirt’

‘when was mickey mouse created’

‘who is walt disney’

he got a little distracted but that’s not the point. two-bit found the movie and cried tears of joy. fell to his knees and all😭.

he immediately turned the outsiders on and waited to see you. HE WAS SOO SAD TO FIND OUT YOU HAD LIKE SUCH LITTLE SCREENTIME.

but he worked with it. he was taking SO MUCH PHOTOS OF HIS TV WHEN YOU WERE ON SCREEN LMFAO. they were all so shaky too😭😭.

doesn’t shut the fuck up about you.

“they want me so bad🤣🤣😂😂.”

“they wouldn’t touch you with a ten foot pole, keith.”

“what if i killed myse-”

—

“they’re so find i won’t ‘em.”

“what the fuck are you saying?”

“what are YOU SAYING? back up.”

saves edits of you. he is ABSOLUTELY THE TYPE OF PERSON TO SAY THE MOST OUT OF POCKET SHIT ABOUT YOU IN THE COMMENTS LMFAOOO

‘they could beat the shit out of me and i thank them :3’

‘WHAT?’

‘omg who said that’

you are his profile picture everywhere. and anywhere.

genuinely believe you’re the love of his life. i swear to god he does. KING OF DELUSION ABOVE ALL ELSE!

#the outsiders #the outsiders x reader #dallas winston x reader #johnny cade x reader #ponyboy x reader #ponyboy curtis x reader #sodapop x reader #sodapop curtis x reader #darry curtis x reader #two bit x reader #two bit mathews x reader #two bit matthews x reader #steve randle x reader #LUV THIS CONCEPT!!!#like you’re the movie character and he’s the real person #like idk you’re the dallas and he’s the real person giggling over u.#feels so good to write like this again!!! teehee!!

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ineffablelvrs · 9 months

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THE BIG BYLER FANFIC RECS POST PART 1

PART 2 HERE

aka every byler fanfic ive ever had opened on my phone but never got around to reading (and i dont think i will because. change of fandoms lmao) (it was supposed to be just 1 part but apparently there's a link limit)

!! btw a lot of writers repeats so im tagging them only the first time !!

long post so everything is gonna be under the cut

movie magic by dragons_like_smores (@howtobecomeadragon)

Think I've Died and Gone to Heaven by 0_space_ghost_0

a real fucking legacy, to leave by andiwriteordie (@andiwriteordie)

the strawberries are dying by eggowlss (@eggo-owl)

strangely, he feels at home by andiwriteordie

lying on the floor (typing your name into the internet) by andiwriteordie

The Artist and the Writer by heyits_L (@buck-yyyy)

A Covert Cat in a Cramped Coffee Shop by if_the_stars_fall (@inky-iridescence)

Rock 'n' Roll by bylerisc4non (@bylerisc4non)

The Sharpie Effect by VibraniumStrap

what a match: i'm half-doomed and you're semi-sweet by perexcri (@perexcri)

your string of lights is still bright to me by heidibyers (emiliano)

I don't quite know what to say (but I'm here in your doorway) by mikeslawyer (@mikeslawyer)

beneath these boughs, my devotion blooms by perexcri

love in the time of dragons by mogiah (@morganee)

this is when the feeling sinks in by mogiah

a hundred thrown out speeches by andiwriteordie

i should be over all the butterflies, but i'm into you by willelfanpage (@willelfanpage)

you're stuck in my brain by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy) (@parkitaco)

with all my heart by mogiah

The Breath That Passed From You To Me by AabH

The Tempests Created This Tide by AabH

just gotta call on me by wiseatom (@wiseatom)

somethin' about you (that i will always recognize) by andiwriteordie

there's nothing more cruel than to be loved by everybody but you by perexcri

Paper Faces by laozuspo (@henrysglock)

i know the end series by bookinit (@bookinit02)

take your time while you're mine (and smoke slow) by andiwriteordie

takes one to know one by andiwriteordie

sweetheart, you're so cruel by perexcri

The Secret to Being Unlucky by lovetriangled (@lovetriangled)

my life begins and ends with you by RomeoWrites (@itsromeowrites)

anything, anything by inblue

someone who loves me now (better than you) by SomeLovleyPopTarts

Daydream by disaster_energy

i had a dream (i got everything i wanted) by andiwriteordie

But Not Tonight by Matto (@mattuhoh)

Real sweet, but I wish you were sober by queercodedvillain

i'm not going anywhere by vissers

provide me sweet understanding by agustplz (shout_out_lou)

To Hell and Back Again by perexcri

an ode to hope (and other funny things) by pyschologicalrocketgirl (@pyschologicalrocketgirl)

i'll find myself in the moonlight by beansie (@byeler)

where the light glows by beansie

yellow is your favorite color by RomeoWrites

emotional motion sickness by delusionaltogether (Whyyyyy)

i'll be your first, i'll be your last by agustplz (shout_out_lou)

home is where the heart is by smoosnoom (moonsooms) (@smoosnoom)

let our walls cave in by andiwriteordie, kidovna (@kidovna)

the words we held back by mogiah

The Only Truth (that I could see) by DrunkenWhalerbitc4 (@drunkenwailerbitc4)

Landslide by hopelessromanfic (@hopelessromanfic)

landslide by chamb3rs

Mike Wheeler And The 5 Stages Of Dealing With Your Best Friend's Secret Admirer by onstoryladders (@onstoryladders)

summer days a plenty by RomeoWrites

running up that road by smoosnoom (moonsooms)

if i was higher, maybe i could see heaven. by bookinit

icarus falls by bookinit

Wrathful Wishing Star and Poisoned Apple Tree by DaineYui

now that we are both doomed by boryaundernight (orphan_account)

they don't know what i know (been thinking about you) by miketozier (smallcuts)

what it means to be gentle by Zara_Zara (@bylermyheart)

how light carries on endlessly series by andiwriteordie

undertow by beansie

cause i’m utterly useless (totally stupid now) by yemeoto

Jealousy (turning saints into the sea) by wasabi8000

Geography Notes and Doodles by midnighteverlark

Bring Your Roommate(?) to Work Day by sarah_tonin_on_the_rocks

stare at pictures of you 'til i'm blind by agustplz (shout_out_lou)

Sounds pretty gay by SkuldTheNorn

want for anything (and everything) by losingcontrolnow

no takesies-backsies by AttaboyLuther (@titforatat)

RESPONSIBILITY by Wheelerboi

poor old jim's white as a ghost (he's found the answer that we lost) by AttaboyLuther

I'll Be Waiting, Time After Time by Kakerutori

tell me, is it really love? by agustplz (shout_out_lou)

Teenage Blues by ThornyWords (@thornywords)

Secret Moments by ur_ur_ur_mom

touch like velvet by ciders

a dream always the same by sevensided (stonedlennon) (@sevensided)

harness your hope by johnnyfucksup

where is my mind? by ciders

yesterday, we were just children by andiwriteordie

selfless; self destruct by didthattwinkjustcommittreason

hanging on the telephone by elmaxed (orphan_account) (@elmaxed)

i will never rust (wanna be yours) by raedafan

Unbreakable Connection by Tea_For_One_Please

but i like you by felinecharismatic

Sleepaway by roady

i keep my distance (but you still catch my eye) by andiwriteordie

don’t you know (that i love you) by bookinit

if you kissed me now by astrobi (@astrobei)

i'm caught up in you by wiseatom

need-to-snow basis by smoosnoom (moonsooms)

#byler #byler ao3 #mike wheeler #will byers #stranger things #byler fanfic #byler fanfiction #byler fic rec #mike wheeler x will byers #byler tumblr #will byers x mike wheeler #st4 #stranger things 4 #byler tag #byler fandom

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foreverjustaplace · 3 months

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The Bear in the Room

AHHHHHHH!! I'm not at all normal about Syd and Carmy. Like not at all. I have been reading and writing fanfiction since elementary LOL, but it's been years and years since I wrote anything. I've devoured just about every single fanfic with the Syd/Carmy tag I could find and then some. I've had this tumblr for over a decade and posted ZERO things. Now I've retweeted every other sydcarmy post and debated sharing my own theories and fics. But it's time. Feedback is welcomed! But be gentle, my darlings, I'm not exaggerating when I say I haven’t written fanfiction in over a decade. I'm nervous. Here's an excerpt from the first chapter, which will hopefully be up soon on AO3. It's called The Bear in The Room and will be a 5+1 Time fic.

5 Times Syd called Carmy "Bear" and 1 Times he calls her "Bear"

Syd is irritated. “Look, Carm. Effective teamwork begins and ends with communication.” She doesn’t tell him she stole that line from Coach K. “How can we build this up to be as successful as we want it to be if you’re not even telling me you’re going to be late? Or, I don’t know, text me if you’re not going to come in at all during our scheduled time.”

“Syd, that was one time. And I didn’t realize my phone wasn’t plugged in properly which is why it died and I couldn’t text you until much later. That’s my fault. I was tired–”

Sydney cuts him off. “Carmy, dude, I’ve literally gotten less than five hours of sleep each night for the last couple of weeks. We’re all tired. We’ve been tired. This shit isn’t new for us. We need you on your A-game. I need you at your best!”

Carmy runs both of his hands through his hair, and his voice is strained but louder than it’s been all morning. “Syd, you are the one person who gets me at my best. If I’m fucking up out there,” he gestures to the windows behind them as he continues, “I’m doing everything in my power to not bring that shit near you. I give you whatever my best is, okay? You have to know that I want this restaurant to succeed, and I want to get you those fucking stars.” His face redding as his electric blue eyes look into her expansive brown ones.

Syd’s annoyance is fizzling out. She knows she shouldn’t let it. She wants to keep it at the forefront of her mind. She tries to force herself to keep thinking about how he’s been absent, hanging out with his girlfriend–a friend who’s a girl–Claire–whoever she is to him–but he’s still Carm and she’s still Syd. And though she hasn’t worked on the menu with him in his apartment in weeks, and though the moments of them talking about nothing and everything outside during a smoke break, where he somehow is always just finishing the cigarette he came outside to smoke as she opens the back door and comes to sit right next to him, haven’t been as frequent, she still feels deeply connected to him.

So all she can do at that moment is bite her bottom lip and swipe her tongue on that same spot so quickly, you’d miss it if you blinked, before hesitantly responding. “You have my best, too, and I—” But she doesn’t get to finish because Fak chooses that moment to push the restaurant’s new door open and boisterously yell out to no one in particular, “Look who I found! It’s Claire Bear and she is going to help us with our GET-THE-BEAR-FUCKING-READY-FOR-OPENING-DAY day!” Syd can’t help but stare at Claire, a beat too long, with her full face of makeup and fancy-looking shirt. At least she put on some closed-toed shoes for today. Before Claire can get out of Fak’s embrace, Syd turns back to Carmen and says, “I need your best to be better,” as she walks off to find Nat.

Soo what do you think? Is it worth posting?

#sydcarmy #sydney x carmy #the bear fanfiction #sydney adamu #carmen berzatto #the bear

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vettelsvee · 11 days

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FIRST VICTORY (PART 2) | Sebastian Vettel

f1 masterlist | history series masterlist

summary: seb and di wake up together after spending the night in di's hotel room speaking and getting to know each other more. rumors start going around the paddock about both of them being something, and people start making theories about that... including hanna, sebastian's girlfriend.

word count: 7050

warnings: translated german. race strategies that might not seem accurate but i tried my best. sexism, lots of sexism. bad language, curse words. mentions of sex and cheating. seb being a man; everyone being the man (friendly reminder that whatever you read here is fiction, and nothing that happens here or how characters act is real)

taglist: [@theseerbetweenus @annewithaneofthegreengable @vincentvanshoe] if you wanna be tagged in each part just tell me in the comments <3

¡! you can read the fanfic as diana or y/n, but the faceclaim will always be my girl emma stone :)

feedback is truly appreciated!

September 14th 2008

Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale Monza

Sunday

A buzzing sound echoed over the wood of one of the nightstands, followed immediately by an annoying melody that cut off after a few seconds.

Diana, still immersed in the dream she had where both her sister and her were attending a Grand Prix as Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button's partners, abruptly opened her eyes. She didn't recall the time she fell asleep, but she was aware that Sebastian did so before her.

Paling at the thought of the German sleeping next to her, she blinked rapidly, hoping to discover that everything was part of the alternate reality she lived in during her short night.

Realizing she couldn't move, she turned as much as she could, surprised by the scene not only in front of her but also of which she was part of. Sebastian laying beside her, arms wrapped around her as if he didn't want to let go. His hair was completely disheveled, and his mouth was slightly open, letting out occasional snores. The Austrian blushed and tried to prolong the moment, but a flash of light from Sebastian's mobile phone interrupted.

Once again, the ringtone filled the room.

"Seb, wake up, please," the blonde began, pushing him gently to awaken him. "You're getting a call, and I won't be the one to answer."

All she received from the driver were drowsy grunts and a request for five more minutes of sleep. The girl, a bit fearful and curious about whether it was someone important, approached the device and saw the name Hanna on the screen.

Hanna, Sebastian's friend. The one he stood up after the press conference.

Would a friend call you at eight-thirty in the morning on a Sunday? Shouldn't she be at church, studying, or something like that?

"Sebastian," Wagner whispered firmly into the blonde's ear, "Hanna is calling you."

The news seemed to surprise the boy, who quickly bounced out of bed, answering the call. Diana could see desperation in him but chose not to ask where he was heading when he took the phone in his hands and left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.

Sebastian ran out, head down in case anyone from the media recognized him. Hanna had called him twice, and he didn't answer either time, so he assumed she would be worried. He didn't want to imagine how she'd react if she caught him sleeping in his his new friend's hotel room...

No, he hadn't done anything wrong, so he shouldn't panic.

"Hello, Hanna!"

The German greeted his girlfriend, trying to sound as calm as possible, aware that the attempt was in vain. At the same time, he kept moving constantly through the corridors of the third floor.

"Hello, sweetheart! It took you a while to wake up today, right?" Prater replied sweetly, sensing her guy's nervous breathing. "Is something wrong? You sound a bit tense."

"No, no. I just went to bed a bit later than usual preparing some strategies with Alex for today's race," he explained, briefly altering what had actually happened. "I overslept, and they're about to close the buffet, so you might hear me a bit muffled."

Hanna, despite trying to believe her boyfriend, wasn't entirely convinced. She had known Vettel since they entered school. She could tell when something bothered him, especially when he lied. She would venture to say that this was one of those moments when Sebastian preferred to put on a mask and play the actor, as he did every weekend when he had to race.

That was what she liked least about her boyfriend being a Formula 1 driver, and it had become one of the reasons she didn't attend his races, along with the privacy they, especially her, wanted to maintain.

"Are you sure you're okay, Seb?" the German insisted. "Are you worried about today's race, or is there something else?"

"The race is the least of my worries, liebe," he quickly responded, trying to steer the conversation away from that topic. "I'm just nervous because the expectations on me are very high, and I don't want to disappoint anyone. I have so much on my mind right now..."

And that was true. Not every day did you race from your first pole position. Nor did you wake up in a girl's bed, holding her as if your life depended on it, especially when she wasn't your girlfriend and you had only known her for a few months.

The German sighed over the phone, knowing that if her boyfriend was nervous, there was no way to get him to talk. He tended to keep a lot of his feelings to himself, and this seemed to be one of those moments.

"Okay, but if you need to talk or anything, you know I'm just a call away," the girl said affectionately.

"I know, Hanna," Seb replied gratefully. "Don't worry, really. I promise if I win, I'll dedicate you the victory."

Prater accepted her partner's words though she knew something was amiss. Avoiding a conflict, she decided to move on without making a big deal out of it, discussing other matters such as his upcoming return home, whether he felt like going to the movies when they met again and, especially, when they would visit the apartment they had planned to buy in Berlin and liked so much last month.

Throughout the call, Seb tried to stay calm and, especially, forget about the great night he had spent with Di. He knew he had nothing to worry about because he hadn't done anything wrong, but the feeling of guilt for partially hiding the truth from Hanna didn't disappear, no matter how hard he tried.

His girlfriend wouldn't make a scene if she found out, but he was fully aware that it would hurt her because there was nothing she wanted more at that moment than to be there, in Italy.

With him.

Finally, after a few more minutes of conversation, the couple decided to end the call. As soon as he hung up the phone and put it in the back pocket of his pants, Sebastian quickly returned to Diana's room. She welcomed him with tiny spots of partially applied foundation all over her face, especially under her eyes. Their eyes met, and they couldn't help but smile at each other with a hint of shyness.

"We should hurry, Di. We can't waste too much time."

Vettel smiled at the girl and immediately entered the room to see if he had left anything behind. Diana still stood at the door, a bit embarrassed and, let's face it, confused by the pilot's behavior. She simply watched him while he carefully checked if he left anything. She didn't know if it was because of the race, the call from that Hanna person, or the night they had spent together, but the blonde felt the tension running through the guy in front of her.

"Everything okay?" she asked, finishing applying simple makeup while her gaze followed the German's movements. "You seem... I don't know... strange? You usually make jokes at all hours, but today it seems like you've had thirty coffees."

"Yes. Everything is... fine," the blonde replied, although Diana knew his words didn't convey sincerity, especially. "It was just a call from my friend Hanna. Nothing important for you to worry about."

You're acting as if this Hanna is more than just a friend so yes, I should be worried, thought the girl to herself, knowing there was more to that explanation. Even though she wanted to know more, she decided it was best not to press the guy. If he wanted to share something with her, he would do it when he felt comfortable.

"Are you ready to go?" Sebastian asked to change the subject.

"Yes, of course," Diana assured. "While you were on the phone I went down to the buffet and brought you something to eat," she pointed to some plates on the desk with croissants, cold cuts, some seasonal fruit, and two coffees. "I didn't know what you liked, so I chose a variety within your strict diet," she laughed. "I know you like to be calm before a race, and you wanted to leave already, but you should eat something before you go," the girl explained seriously. "I don't want you to leave with an empty stomach."

Sebastian laughed at the childish tone the blonde used while touching his stomach shyly. It reminded him of his mother when he was a bit younger, forcing him to eat before any karting competition.

Nodding in gratitude, the young man took a piece of pastry and filled it with a slice of mortadella. He took his coffee and sat on the bed, trying not to stain anything and eating more slowly than usual for someone in a hurry. Diana sat next to him, with a small glass in her hand filled with the same drink he was having.

"Aren't you eating anything? Do you want a piece? I can share with you. This is way too much for me" he offered, making a motion to cut his breakfast in half.

The girl shook her head and hands, thanking the driver for his offer.

"I already ate something downstairs before," Diana declared with a not very convincing sound. "Anyway, I wasn't very hungry."

Sebastian continued devouring his croissant as if his life depended on it. It seemed he was hungrier than he initially thought because he ended up eating the remaining loose pieces of cold cuts and even an apple and some peach slices. Diana seemed to have read his mind, even though she didn't want to admit it initially.

"Now we really should go, Di," Vettel said, getting up quickly and picking up everything from the belated breakfast. "If we keep delaying, Franz is going to kill me, and Alex, you."

"Do you think Fiori would be capable of killing me?"

Sebastian Vettel smiled at the girl as he put on his coat and took the belongings the girl usually carried with her.

"You have no idea what that man would be capable of, Di," he said, avoiding eye contact at all costs. "But you can't imagine what I would do to prevent that at all costs."

[…]

The journey to the circuit felt longer than the return to the hotel the previous day. This time, there was no soothing rain in the background, no blasting radio with Coldplay music to unwind and drift away. The only thing piercing the ears of Diana and Sebastian was the sound of the car engine, filling the silence within the vehicle.

Well, that and the cheers of thousands of fans waiting outside the circuit, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite drivers speeding by in a car. Well, and also photographers, journalists and anyone eager to extract interesting information or, which was the same, create chaos.

As flashes from cameras began to burst, reflecting on the car windows, Sebastian paled, knowing that what would come out of there wouldn't be good. Diana didn't know what to do. Anxiety attacked her gradually until it became almost unbridled. She had never experienced anything like it and she wasn't enjoying any part of the experience. As she watched Vettel rummage through the belongings he seemed to have in the glove compartment, she focused on taking deep breaths and exhaling slowly. She had had so many anxiety attacks since her early teenage years that she knew exactly what to do and how to do it to calm them as quickly as possible, even though it didn't make them easier to endure.

Fans, upon seeing the pole man arrive, started screaming uncontrollably, making it impossible for Sebastian and Diana to hear each other.

"What's going on? Could you tell me what you're doing, Vettel?"

The blonde raised her voice as much as she could so that the German could distinguish what she was saying. However, he didn't utter a word and continued searching for the unknown until he pulled out a pair of sunglasses, which he hurriedly handed to Diana. Slowly, they were entering the lion's den, and the blonde was aware that if he didn't do anything to remedy it, rumors would start spreading like a pandemic.

"Put this on, please."

Sebastian's face pleaded for mercy. Wagner, who understood nothing of what was happening and even less the mystery the driver had in his hands, just made a disgusted face.

"I'm not putting that on," the girl clarified. "So, don't even think about forcing me to."

"Di..."

The entrance to the paddock parking was getting closer and, with it, the possibilities of getting into trouble. The Austrian persisted, trying by all means to get Sebastian to drop that idea, who became fed up and a bit enraged.

"For God's sake, Diana!" he shouted, still trying to remain calm. He couldn't risk his relationship with Hanna that way, especially for going to a race with a friend, only that the friend was a girl. "I've met journalists in the hard way and I don't want you to become their invention of me hooking up with a girl and then brought to the race, okay?"

Relaxation exercises weren't working at all and, more than anxiety, what Diana was feeling at that moment was pure panic. The feeling of claustrophobia was growing, and if before she felt like she was suffocating, now she was sensing her death right there if no one hurried to help her.

Drawing strength from where she didn't have it, she took those glasses and put them on, lowering her head. Sebastian was right: a girl seen with a driver became the subject of rumors that they had hooked up and brought to the race. Diana Wagner was much more than a mere sex toy, although at Toro Rosso people thought otherwise.

The blinding lights passed quickly until they faded along with the cheers and chants. They had finally entered the private parking of the circuit, exclusively reserved for drivers, demonstrating the amount of security gathered in one place.

Diana hurriedly got out of the car, needing to breathe some fresh air even though they were underground. Sebastian spent a few seconds staying inside the car, trying to calm down from the madness they had experienced, and above all, hoping they hadn't taken a photo of him with his companion with enough quality to cause a sensation in news around the world.

"That was crap, Seb," the girl told him as he got out of the car. "Seriously, I don't understand how so many people can be gathered in one place. I'm sure they couldn't breathe! And isn't there any security? At least an ambulance should be there. You know, someone could..."

"Miss, can I know who you are?"

One of the security guards, of considerable stature and a very robust appearance, approached the girl aggressively.

"I'm Diana Wagner, sir. Race engineering intern, part of Toro Rosso's internship."

The firmness with which the Austrian said that while showing her ID was quickly blurred by the laughter of the men present there, except for Vettel, who wanted to say something even though he knew it wasn't the most appropriate. Finally, the twenty-year-old succumbed to the pressure and the murderous looks, joining the laughter even though he tried to do the opposite.

"Oh, I see," one of the men retorted, "Alex's little bitch. Isn't that right, Vettel?"

"Well, she's much more than that. If it weren't for her..." the German replied, cowed.

"Don't tell us stories, Vettel," another of them, albeit slightly more disheveled, approached the mentioned one. "Let's hope you made her scream so much last night that those are the same screams you make when you win today. And then you make her scream again tonight."

Maybe the intention was to say it in a whisper and keep it between them, but Diana heard it all, just like the rest of those present. Bewildered, she looked at Sebastian, who didn't know how to react, ashamed of his behavior and, above all, wanting to apologize to the girl. Then, she ran towards the team garage, trying not to be run over by the cars that were arriving.

Tears ran down her face as she went through the paddock, trying not to collide with anyone who got in her way. The curious looks didn't leave her alone, and Diana noticed that she didn't want anything more than to become as small as an ant and have everyone ignore her or even trample her, because that's what she felt they were doing. Lost in her thoughts, she jumped when she felt someone grab her arm.

"Who made you cry, beautiful?"

It couldn't be true.

It couldn't be Rosberg again.

Wouldn't he get tired of receiving a no for an answer?

"You as soon as you opened your mouth, to be honest," Diana said sarcastically. "Leave me alone, I already have enough dealing with a German, blond, blue-eyed idiot. I don't need to be enduring another one," she replied, changing the language to perfect Spanish and leaving Nico somewhat perplexed, even though he partially understood what she was saying.

Fernando Alonso, who was talking with Felipe Massa nearby, just laughed quietly, earning a few unfriendly glares from the German and a confused one from the Brazilian. The pair decided to approach the younger ones, who were engrossed in a heated argument.

"What are you talking about?" Felipe asked curiously, interrupting the conversation between the German speakers. "Is it about the rumors that have started circulating?"

"What rumors?"

Rosberg seemed to be having a great time trying to annoy Diana. The girl's face, due to anger, had turned a reddish shade similar to the color of the suit worn by those belonging to Ferrari.

"Those saying that Vettel and you spent the night together," added Alonso in his mother tongue. "I don't know the details, and I don't want to know them, but people can't stop talking about it. Be careful, Diana: what starts well, ends badly."

"And why the hell does anyone care who I spent the night with?" Diana shouted a bit louder than expected in perfect Spanish. "For God's sake, Sebastian and I are just friends... I think," she clarified. "There will never be anything between him and me because... I don't have to give you explanations. I'm done with the conversation."

"Can you talk in a language we all understand perfectly?" Nico pleaded, supported by the Brazilian driver. "Please."

In a matter of minutes, Wagner had gone from sadness to irritability, and in that situation, all she wanted was to hit someone. She didn't want to, of course, but containing her aggressiveness in those moments was becoming an impossible task.

Her entrance to the Toro Rosso garage was nothing special either. As always, glances over the shoulder and gossip was what she received from her colleagues. That day, more than sinking Diana's self-esteem a bit more, they managed to make, for the first time in the entire season, the blonde think about herself and go directly to where she usually spent most of her time inside, ignoring everyone.

As the hours passed, the garage filled with engineers engrossed in their monitors, mechanics focused on preparing the cars in perfect condition, and even some random celebrity who had no idea about the sport but was curious and eager to fiddle with everything, becoming a nuisance.

Wagner, absorbed in telemetry to see if she could come up with a plan B in case Alex messed up, despite the shitty behavior the German had had with her on arrival, began to notice that everyone's attention shifted to the entrance of the box. Curious, she decided to ignore Sebastian's data for a moment and imitate the rest.

Sebastian Vettel, already dressed in the appropriate attire to get into the car, entered the place confidently. Despite being hurt by his behavior, Diana couldn't help but make direct eye contact with the blonde, who gave her a remorseful smile. She did no less: smiled back at him.

Sometimes, she hated being a woman who succumbed to the slightest charms of men, especially when they were blond, of medium height, with clear eyes and, especially, treated her well.

Next to him was a man of short stature and a chubby figure, with little hair and a thick beard that gave him a Santa Claus vibe. By his side, tightly holding his hand, was a girl with long jet-black hair, shy and embarrassed in the crowd around her.

Vettel ignored all the calls directed at him and went straight to Diana, eager to introduce her to two of the most important people in his life:

"Di," he began in German, "let me introduce you to a quarter of my family... I think, Maths has never been my strong suit. This is my father, Norbert," he said, pointing to the man, who quickly shook her hand, "and this is Lara, my little sister," he added, pointing to the girl, who shyly nodded her head.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," the girl replied, nervously touching the headphones resting on her neck. "I hope today is lucky and you can see Sebastian take home his first victory."

Vettel's father nodded, very convinced that it would indeed happen.

"I trust my son more than the bank that gave me the loan to pay off our mortgage," he said, patting Seb on the shoulder. "And that's saying something when he's a useless twenty-one-year-old! Plus, having you as an engineer I'm sure everything will go great. Finally I see a girl doing something other than wearing suggestive clothes and applauding these Neanderthals when they step onto the podium!"

"Dad, behave yourself, please," Sebastian forced with a smile while not-so-subtly elbowing his father.

"I'm not Sebastian's engineer, Mr. Vettel," the blonde clarified hastily. "I'm just a team intern. I can't do much, but I promise I'll do my best to ensure your son's race goes as smoothly as possible and, above all, that you enjoy it to the fullest."

Suddenly, Franz appeared and got between them, putting his hands on the shoulders of father and son and leading them away. Sebastian's sister stood in front of Diana, wondering why her brother's boss was so stupid.

"I really wanted to come to a race, but it's all very weird. Mom warned me that this wasn't a good place for a girl like me, and now I see why! Everyone Dad and Seb have talked to seems very silly," she vented, "and you're the only one who has looked at me."

Finally, Lara had gathered the courage to talk to the blonde girl. In response, the girl crouched down to her level. She didn't know why, but that girl, who, despite being of the same blood as the driver, seemed to be the opposite of him, had taken quite a liking to her.

"You get used to it... Lara, right?," the girl nodded, seemingly happy. "I don't usually get much attention, but your brother always manages to make me smile and make me feel valued."

"What does it mean to make you feel valued? Is it something that cost money?"

"It's when someone puts in a lot of effort and you let them know," Sebastian said, reappearing. "Like when your Maths teacher puts a happy face sticker on your notebook when you solve an exercise correctly."

The conversation continued between the siblings and the intern in a more lively and relaxed manner. Lara started to feel more comfortable with the girl, even asking her a few questions about Formula 1 that seemed trivial to Vettel. "What happens if they run out of gas?" or "Can they stop if they need to pee?" were two of the many questions Diana had the pleasure of answering for the ten-year-old until they were interrupted by Alex, who informed Seb, ignoring the two girls, that he had to get into the race car and position it on the starting grid.

The driver apologized, quickly taking Lara's hand to lead her to where Norbert was. Diana simply returned to her seat and hid her head behind one of the screens, but before she could Sebastian spoke to her:

"I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to you. I'm sorry for how I acted earlier. I felt incredible pressure, even more than when I'm on the track! I know it's not an excuse because I could have shut them up as I always do, but...

Diana remained static, unsure of how to answer.

"Aren't you going to say anything?", Seb replied, trying to get a response. "I need my paddock girl to bring me good luck."

"Go get 'em, tiger."

"So now you're Mary Jane Watson, huh?" Sebastian confronted, raising an eyebrow and trying to keep Diana's shyness from escalating after that statement. "I didn't think you liked the geek with glasses who shoots webs, which I love, by the way," he explained, "I saw you more as Gwen Stacy actually. You know, since you're blonde and intelligent as fuck..." he pointed to the girl's hair.

Wagner refrained from biting her tongue. She wished she could tell him that blonde wasn't her natural color and that she was a redhead like Peter Parker's girlfriend, only that the insecurity created in college about her hair color had led her to dye it that platinum almost monthly. Also, she was sure that if she decided to go back to the coppery tone she loved so much deep down, they would say it was just for attention, and that was the last thing she wanted.

She hated hiding her true self, but she hated even more the fact that there was a high chance people would like her for not being herself.

Acting was not a profession that particularly appealed to her, but if she had to dedicate herself entirely to it to get what she wanted most, she was more than willing to continue playing the role of her life.

[...]

The starting signal was about to be given, and in the Toro Rosso garage, everyone was aware of it. The rain was the main cause of this, which had started just moments ago and had suddenly poured down all at once.

Everyone was on their feet, watching Sebastian on the large screen hanging on the wall, eagerly awaiting his start. Even Fiori wasn't positioned in front of his computer, and that had never happened.

The expectations for the German were too high, and he could hear it through the comments filtering through his radio. He began to feel nervous but forced himself to calm down: he not only had a team that had trusted him watching him but also his family, the girl he loved, and possibly the entire Heppenheim. Diana kept her eyes on the screen, not taking them off unless it was to see the seconds remaining for the start.

The thunderous sound of the engines took over everyone's attention when the red lights came on, and after the lights went out, the race cars shot off toward the first turn. Wagner held her breath and crossed her fingers, mentally praying to whoever God might be that Sebastian would have opportunities to win despite the rain, which now seemed to be working against him.

After the start, the Toro Rosso garage began to fill with activity. Mechanics returned to their respective positions, waiting for either of the two drivers to make a pit stop, and the same happened with the engineers, who hurried back to telemetry with their helmets on. Diana also did the same and returned to what had become her corner of confidence, immersing herself in the battle through the team's transmission. The buzz of voices and data filled her mind as she followed the race, while she began, as in any other Grand Prix, to develop her own ideas to improve Vettel's performance even if they were in vain.

In the midst of her thoughts, a familiar voice slipped in. Sebastian had started singing a low melody that didn't quite reach her while maintaining the lead. The intern couldn't help but let out a silly smile at the German's antics that had given the team so many headaches.

"Sebastian, I need you to focus on what's around you, not to think you're Freddie Mercury at Wembley."

As the laps went by, and information exchanges continued, the rain increased simultaneously. Although the intermediate tires were suitable at the start of the race, the weather conditions were worsening, affecting Sebastian's performance. Diana could see on her monitor how the sector times for her driver were deteriorating compared to most of the other drivers, especially Barrichello, who was rapidly closing in.

Vettel seemed to be aware of the issue because he repeatedly urged Fiori to make another pit stop, only to receive rejections from the engineer. The blonde continued analyzing the data, and her mind began to develop a strategy that, while not the best and could risk everything, she knew was the most appropriate.

Even though Diana was just a mere intern, or more of a gofer, with no voice or vote, seen only as a pretty face to showcase that women could be part of motorsport, she knew perfectly well that the data Alex was providing lacked cohesion, the strategy hadn't been properly designed and all of it would end in the greatest disappointment for the German driver if something wasn't done.

"Mr. Fiori," she cautiously began, "I think we should consider thinking about a different plan to maximize the chances of success."

Sebastian, who was holding onto the lead as best he could, started listening to the conversation, quite interested in what the girl was saying.

The Austrian had minimal hopes that her boss's response would be appropriate, but it wasn't. Instead of considering the girl's suggestion and seeing what they could do, Alex looked at her with disdain and began a string of derogatory comments that only soured the intern's day even more.

"Do you think you know anything about strategies?," he replied with disdain. "Girls like you should stick to shutting the hell up and stop spewing shit about something you don't know," the glares were starting to focus between the two of them. "If you're still here, it's because you bring us good reputation, not because you're fit for this," he said, pointing at the data. "I'm sure you have some little task to do right now to earn your salary because you're not doing anything here."

"You don't know that because you haven't given me a damn chance to prove what I'm capable of."

The Italian went cold at the response from the subordinate girl. Even Sebastian, who was listening attentively to the discussion they were having, was impressed by his friend's response, though very proud that she had finally decided to stand up for herself.

"I'm just asking you to make one more pit stop and change to wet tires," Diana explained, ignoring the man. "We would stop in the next two or three laps," she calculated. " Then Sebastian would come out, according to my calculations, from the tenth position onwards, and we wouldn't have to stop again because fuel would be just enough, which would even increase the speed of the race car in the last laps."

"Since when do interns think they've been working in Formula 1 for twenty years or so?", he answer with a completely sarcastic tone. "Wagner: you either follow my rules, or you leave. A girl like you shouldn't tell me what to do to get victories for the team, clear?"

"No, actually," Diana replied, not allowing herself to be intimidated and ignoring the man's last words, "but what is clear is that Hamilton, Button, Alonso and Räikkönen have switched to wet tires and are improving their times. That should also be clear to you, just as information."

Alex looked at her with anger. He wanted to kill her at that moment.

"Look, little one...", he commented, approaching the girl intimidatingly. "Stay quiet in some corner like the whore you are. I'm sure the next time you open your mouth, someone, I hope not to be me, will shut you up in ways you won't like. Or maybe you will."

If it hadn't been for her self-control, Diana would have given the man in front of her the beating of his life. She could hear Vettel's voices in the background, very coupled, and how he demanded Alex to leave the girl alone. The twenty-year-old sounded very frustrated, and she completely understood: they were ruining his race.

But Diana Wagner wasn't going to let that happen.

Just as she was about to say something more, Franz Tost appeared, approaching Fiori and whispering something in his ear that none of those around them could hear. The engineer looked at the team leader and simply nodded his head before disappearing from there together.

"You better hope this isn't broadcasted on television, Wagner." Fiori threatened as he disappeared. "If it is, you'll pay dearly."

At that moment, the blonde's adrenaline was so high, even though she felt like shit, that she didn't stop to think about her boss's words, quite the opposite: as quickly as possible, and making sure no one saw her, she took Fiori's headphones and began giving orders to the driver:

"Seb, I don't know if you trust me, but I need you to do the following, so listen to me, please," Diana ordered, drawing strength from where she didn't have it. "You're going to stop in the next lap, change to wet tires and they will give you enough fuel to finish the race with a margin," the urgency in the girl's voice was evident. "Weather conditions are getting worse, and so is the track. If you stick with the intermediates, you risk losing the victory."

The blonde's intervention completely caught Vettel off guard, but he began to mysteriously relax.

"Di, are you sure about what you're saying? Do you think it's the best option?"

She nodded, even though the guy couldn't see her.

"The majority have already stopped and, if my calculations don't fail me," she began to review the telemetry, "you, Bourdais and Webber are the only ones who haven't made any tire changes. All you're going to achieve is gaining grip on the track, getting more speed and securing a victory."

Sebastian took a deep breath, and his response was immediate:

"Okay, Di. Hey... thanks for standing up against Alex," he confessed. "Sometimes he can get a little crazy with all this and loses his nerves under pressure."

"You don't have to apologize," she said affectionately. "I'm here for this, and I'd rather end up on the street than not being able to help you to show what you can do."

One pit stop, about seventeen more laps, and some struggles that kept hearts pounding until the end, Sebastian Vettel was the first to cross the waving checkered flag of the circuit. Everyone from Toro Rosso began running euphorically to the fence to greet the guy, still racing in his race car and already heading to parc fermé. Cheers and applause began filling the air, and all eyes were on the young German driver who had achieved his first victory.

Sebastian, with his helmet still on, ran towards his mechanics and even to his engineer, who celebrated the victory as if he had been part of it. The blonde's face was infected with a smile that seemed unwilling to disappear; his arms, raised in a sign of victory, were followed by what, from that moment on, would become his characteristic celebration: his index finger pointing straight, indicating that he had finished first.

Diana, who was watching everything from the box, witnessed the scene with a series of conflicting feelings. Before the German was taken by some responsible people to the podium, she saw how their eyes met, and Seb articulated a thank you in their native language, intended only for her; he even blew her a kiss and winked at her, but she didn't give it much importance because he did the same on the podium many times, looking directly at his team.

Everything happened very quickly. The podium ascent after the post-race weigh-ins. The German anthem in honor of the champion, immediately followed by the Italian anthem; the trophy presentations and the corresponding champagne celebration, concluding with an interview where Sebastian couldn't stop thanking Tost, Alex, and the team in general.

As the girl expected, there was no special mention of Diana Wagner; just a note on the floor of her hotel room that welcomed her as soon as she crossed the door.

Thank you for making this possible, newbie. I apologize for the haste, but Horner has arranged a dinner with Tost and a couple of others to discuss my Red Bull contract more seriously. I wanted to see you, and no matter the excuses I've given, Britta has forced me to go. You should see how ridiculous I look in a suit. I owe you a dinner and, above all, my life, I would say.

P.S.: The kisses I threw were for you, each and every one of them; without you, none of this would have been possible.

P.S.2: I owe you a dinner, how about at the end of the season? That way, we avoid surprises :)

P.S.3: I don't know if roses are your favorite flowers, and I don't know if you like chocolate, but... I hope you at least like the small detail you have on your desk.

The surface where that morning she had set the breakfast for the German was now almost completely covered with a large bouquet of flowers and various types of Italian sweets.

Diana Wagner was slowly sinking into quicksand, and she wasn't even aware of it yet.

[…]

Sebastian Vettel detested nothing more than meetings, especially after winning his first victory when he could be out getting drunk with shots and various drinks, leaving him vomiting and hungover the next morning.

Or having a quiet dinner with Diana in his room as a thank-you for what she had done for him.

God, how much he loved that girl.

He emerged from the bathroom with disheveled hair, wearing only a towel around his waist. Small drops of water fell down his bare chest, but Vettel was so eager to talk to his girlfriend that he took a shower of less than a minute, dried off quickly, and rushed to his backpack to grab his laptop and call Prater on Skype.

Hanna appeared on the screen, but not her exactly. Instead, there was photo she had taken for her university ID. It was strange for the German to have the camera off. Normally, after a race, she was always eager to see Sebastian to chat or even do something crazy.

"Sorry for taking so long, love," Seb started saying. "Britta, as we know her, forced me to go to a dinner with..."

His words were interrupted by the arrival of two photos his girlfriend had sent through the app's chat. His gaze shifted to the blurry, thumbnail-sized images that were downloading. When they opened, he could clearly see himself holding the steering wheel with one hand while the other reached for a blurry face, one he knew perfectly was Diana's.

Damn.

This couldn't be happening.

"Were you busy with dinner or that blonde who looks so much like me and clearly isn't me?"

The question was directed straight at the German, who began to get nervous. No matter how much he tried to stay calm because he hadn't done anything, he couldn't help his pulse skyrocketing uncontrollably.

"Hanna, listen, it's not what you think," he began to explain, searching for the right words for her to listen.

She, now with her camera activated, stared at him through the screen, her blue eyes reflecting only disappointment.

"Seb, I need you to tell me the truth."

"Liebe, I promise there's nothing between that girl and me," the German's thoughts began to jumble. "It's Diana, I think I've told you about her. The intern. It was just pouring rain and I wasn't going to let her walk alone to the circuit."

Hanna interrupted him:

"I understand, darling," she said, "but I don't understand why you're smiling. Do you feel more comfortable with her than with me?" The girl began to cry. "Damn it, I'm so insecure. You dedicated today's victory to me with those kisses..."

Vettel ran his hand through his wet hair, completely desperate with that situation. He knew Hanna was very insecure and that what bothered her the most when he was away was the people he associated with. For that reason, they had had a thousand and one fights that kept happening despite the driver assuring her that she was the love of his life and the only person he had eyes for.

But that didn't mean he wasn't guilty of the events of the previous night and the accumulating lies, like the dedication of the victory.

It wasn't for Hanna but for the girl who seemed to be slowly becoming his girlfriend's replacement in the paddock.

"Hanna, I promise you have nothing to worry about," the blonde said, feeling great guilt because the photos were taken with the intention of creating misunderstandings. "My relationship with you is the most important thing to me. Besides, Diana probably has a boyfriend. She's just a mate, and if it makes you feel better, I'll talk to her to avoid misunderstandings," he let out. "If you allow me, of course."

The girl seemed to consider it for a moment until she finally agreed.

"Okay, Seb. But I want you to swear to me, for the sake of everything you hold dear, that if something changes between you two and you start to be more than friends, you'll tell me. You know you have my trust to do so."

Sebastian nodded seriously, swallowing at the same time to contain the question that was eating him up inside these days.

Why had he grown so fond of Diana Wagner in such a short time?

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lestappenforever · 4 months

Note

Do you have any lestappen fanfic recommendations? :)

Hello my lovely anon! ❤️

I was unfortunately shit at bookmarking fics when I first started reading Lestappen fics, and I still haven't had time to sit down and read through everything that catches my fancy in the pairing tag on AO3 again so I can do a proper job of bookmarking fics I really enjoyed, and creating a complete fic rec list. But, I am absolutely planning on doing it as soon as I have time at some point next year!

As for right now, I can definitely recommend the fics I have remembered to bookmark while reading/re-reading!

Below you will find some of my absolute favorite Lestappen fics:

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And That's How I Foksmashed Dad's Championship Trophy Teen And Up Audiences | 6,500 words | Complete By the legendary queen PrincessElectra (AO3)/@il-predestinato (Tumblr)

Summary: All of that would have been forgivable if not for the Green-Eyed Monster’s complete disregard for the pre-contracted occupation rights of Max’s lap. Such rights had long been pre-determined and belonged to Sassy (and occasionally to Jimmy, she admitted begrudgingly). However, no amount of quiet hisses and vicious glares seemed to penetrate the creature’s thick skull, and he would greedily occupy Max’s thigh for more than 95% of any given afternoon. Sometimes with his head, sometimes with his feet, and a few times he even straddled his entire body over Max; the latter could not have been comfortable for Max, as the Green-Eyed Monster was enormously overweight compared to Sassy.

(Jimmy had insisted that it was not nice to shame another living creature about their weight, but she was not wrong. With her compact size and considerably more reasonable mass, Sassy was confident that she was much more comfortable for Max to have on his lap than that horrendously oversized creature.)

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Keep to the Line Mature | 13 696 words | WIP By the incredible fancastik (AO3)/@nico-di-genova (Tumblr)

Summary: “Red Bull Racing have announced that Gianpiero Lambiase will not be returning as Max Verstappen’s race engineer for the 2023 season. Taking his place will be Charles Leclerc, former Scuderia Ferrari performance engineer.”

His hands had shook around his phone as he read the announcement, his breath firmly lodged in his throat. Charles has known he had the job since he first sat down across from Christian Horner and accepted the offer, alongside a Red Bull polo, with hands that felt bloodied. But reading it from the official F1 socials is something else entirely. It is real.

“At twenty-five, Leclerc will be the youngest race engineer in Formula One history.”

He had barely managed to get to a trash can before vomiting up his lunch.

Or:

The Engineer!Charles AU no one asked for

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P19 Explicit | 5 619 words | Complete By the exceptionally talented leafycats (AO3)/@sennaverstappen (Tumblr)

Summary: “Charles,” it comes out soft, worried, upset. Charles will light himself on fire. He hears Max take a few steps towards him, feels two warm, winning, arms wrap around his fast-breathing chest. He’s still wearing those golden shoes. Max snuggle into his neck. “I’m here for you.”

And Max had won, and he’s winning the season, and he’s P19, and losing this season. And Max is winning, and he’s not even talking about it – choosing to comfort his Charles instead.

Every little thought converges into a single, red-hot one.

He’s going to fuck the pole sitter so hard he’ll be sore tomorrow.

“Max,” he whimpers, trying to find his voice, find his grip, find his footing in this world. Max tightens his grip around his waist. “Yes, angel?” And he can feel Max frown against his nape, soft breath against his earlobe. It turns his body white-hot.

“Get on the fucking bed.”

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The Nights Are Long (But It's Easier Together) Explicit | 43 759 words | Complete By the amazing f1writingbyme (AO3)/@f1writingbyme (Tumblr)

Summary: “Oh, God, what is it?” Max groans. “It’s Mr. Corvetto, right? I knew it. I’m telling you, never move into an apartment next to elderly people. It’s just– Why does she call me? What the hell can I do? Doesn’t she need to call an ambulance or something? Or, I don’t know, her family, or–”

“Max.” Charles interrupts Max’s ranting. He ends the phone call, cutting off Mrs. Corvetto’s panicked yelling with a simple press of his thumb. He stares at the blue-eyed man in front of him. “Your apartment is on fire.”

Or: The fire in his apartment is only the beginning of a long list of misfortunes that await Max. Fortunately, he has Charles by his side to help him through it. That is until Charles is the one that gets targeted.

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you and me, just us (and your teammate sergio) Teen And Up Audiences | 3 377 words | Complete By the wonderful averyverse (AO3)/@oscar-fastri (Tumblr)

Summary: Checo was fully aware of what he’s walking into. Still, he seriously doubts that anyone could have been prepared for the full force of Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc being heads over heels in love with each other and not even trying to hide it.

Or: 5 times Checo thirdwheels Max and Charles + 1 time it's everyone else's turn

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Temptation's Trajectory series Explicit | 25 009 words | Complete By the incredible pongsfootxlily (AO3)/@cupidskissx (Tumblr)

This series consists of two equally amazing fics that I've lost count of how many times I've read.

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more than fun, you're the sanctuary Mature | 21 813 words | Complete By the wonderful lestalos (AO3)

Summary: “Because I love you.” He said it like it’s the simplest thing in the world, like it doesn’t crush him to admit it, like it doesn’t scare him that it won’t be reciprocated. Or, Charles loves Max but he's scared. Max is bold enough for the both of them.

#Asks #Anon asks #Lestappen fic recs

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sunshine-jesse · 4 months

Text

It wasn't okay.

Someone gave me the idea to write an analysis in the form of a fanfiction, so this is what I coughed up.

I haven't written a fanfiction in 10 years, so bear with me. There is also no smut here; sorry to disappoint. Maybe once I become more confident in my fanfic writing lmao

Ashley almost thought it'd be okay.

"Yeah, I'm dating Julia now."

Ashley thought she'd be able to handle it. But she knew better. She's always known better. And Andrew did, too. It's why he took so long to tell her. She's never been able to keep her fucking mouth shut, but why should she? He's the one who lets her down. He's the one who tries to distance himself from her! He tries and he tries and he tries but he fails, every time.

But now, she's not so sure.

"WE HAD AN AGREEMENT, ANDREW!"

Her words seem to fall on deaf ears, but his gaze never diverts from her eyes. She can see it plainly in his face- his anger, his exasperation, his frustration. She's always been so good at reading him, and now is no different.

"So why? Why do you keep doing this?! Why do you keep trying to distance yourself from me?! Am I not good enough?"

"Ashley…"

"I've always been the only one you can rely on, Andrew! The only one you can talk to! So why?! Why do you keep trying to find other people?! And why Julia, of all people?! Why her?!"

"Ashley."

"What is she giving you that I can't?! Why can't you just be happy with me?!"

"Ashley!"

"No, Andrew! Your excuses aren't good enough! Nothing I do is ever enough! You always want MORE!"

Ah, how close she was to being right, yet how distant she was from the reason.

He has to be dating her out of pity, right? Ever since __ died, Julia hasn't been able to keep that knife away from her arm. She wears arm-warmers now to hide them, but Ashley knows better. Everyone does. And maybe now, Andrew is trying to make it right.

"It's out of pity, isn't it? You feel guilty over what happened to that bitch, and-"

Andrew closes the gap between the two of them, his gaze growing significantly more dire. A lump appears in Ashley's throat. She doesn't know what it's from, and can't process just how much danger she's really in. She could read Andy just fine, but the Andrew that was starting to surface was a different story entirely. But Andrew stays his hand and walks away, never once breaking eye contact with her until he walks out of the door.

Ashley is left alone, confused and afraid. She thinks the fear is from the thought of Andrew leaving her for good, but it's not. All she knows is that she is afraid of getting hurt again, no matter what kind of hurt it is. It's all the same to her. But this fear doesn't get any better over time; it gets worse. As Andrew is out, the sinking feeling in Ashley's gut and the cold grasp she feels over her heart grows more and more profound. Her breathing grows labored. He's going to leave her for good, isn't he? No matter how much she breathes, she never feels satisfied. Every thought spurs her to gasp for more air:

Why is he doing this? Why is he dating her? Why can't she calm down? Why did he still seek comfort from Ashley in the dead of night this past week, despite having been dating Julia for that long? Why can't she calm down? Is there something Julia can do that Ashley can't? Why can't she calm down? Is it the fact that Julia can fuck him but Ashley can't? Why can't she calm down? Is it him trying to distance himself? Why can't she calm down? Is it him trying to be normal is it him trying to forget is it him trying to make up for Nina or is it him-

"WHY CAN'T I FUCKING BREATHE???"

The icy cold grip on her heart turns into a sharp pain in her chest, a stake being driven right through it. What little breath she had left was stolen from Ashley, her hands growing numb.

Her course of action becomes clear:

She has to break them apart. She HAS to.

Ashley runs towards the phone and goes to dial the number. If Julia knew the truth about Nina, if she knew what they did, there's no way she'd still like Andrew. There's no way they'd still be together. She'd have to break up with him, and then Andrew and Ashley would be stuck together forever. She goes to dial the number.

But she freezes.

She feels her throat close up, words unable to escape her mouth. She agreed to never speak of it to anyone else ever again, and that oath was being enforced. But by whom? Why did she feel like she was being watched? Her parents were gone, and so was Andrew. So who was watching her? Why were they watching her?

With every number she dialed, she feels weaker and weaker. She feels like she's going to pass out. And when she finally calls…

"J-Julia! I need to tell…-"

…luckily, they were still home. Every word Ashley spoke was punctuated by a desperate gasp of air. And at the last moment, rather than revealing the truth, she changes her mind. She needs her Andy back. But she needs to get him back without breaking her end of the agreement. After all, that's the least she could do, isn't it?

The least Ashley could do was stay committed. That's all she has going for her. Her love, her dedication, her commitment. If she couldn't at least offer that, does she even deserve Andrew, no matter how much she feels she needs him?

She wouldn't, because that's all she thought she could offer him: Herself. But now, she was starting to wonder whether even that was enough.

"Andy. I think-… I'm having…"

She forces out her last few words…

"…a heart attack."

Before collapsing on the ground, a loud THUMP echoing on the other side of the phone.

It doesn't take long for her beloved Andy to come home after that. He looks terrified, but Ashley smiles, and grabs the bump on her head.

"Took you long enough, asshole."

Andy was less than pleased, but at least she knows that he still cared for her. It calms her down so quickly and abruptly that it looks like she was faking it. She even thought she might've been. But as long as her Andy was back, everything was okay. As long as she knew she could do something for him, everything was fine.

Andrew still slept in Ashley's bed that night, despite what happened. He still sought her comfort, no matter what. Julia wasn't good enough for him. She'd never be good enough. And yet as long as she still existed, Ashley would forever feel herself growing distant from Andy. Andy was lying to himself. He had to have been. There's no way he could want to be away from Ashley while still seeking so much from her, right? Julia had to be dealt with, she had to be taken out of the picture. It didn't much matter how. And so, the next morning, when Andy is away, she picks up the phone, dials Julia's number, and-…

… …

It feels like it's been so long since then.

So distant from the way things are now, that you feel like an entirely different person; like you're watching a performance.

When the dream ends, you shoot up in panic. You look down to your side, and see Andrew, sleeping. You look upon his back, and see your scratch marks still there, and you can't help but smirk. Ah, you really got into it, didn't you? You never saw yourself as that kind of person, but it makes sense, now that you're so much less afraid of losing him.

You know you're awake now, and in a time and place where things are much better, and yet, some of your past still lingers. You can't help but still feel afraid that he'll leave, just like everyone else has. And worse, you fear it'll be your fault. But now everyone is finally honest with themselves and what they want. Now things can finally heal. Now things can finally get better.

Now you can finally dream. Now you can finally hate what you see.

Now you are finally the one who needs to be held at night.

#andrew graves #ashley graves #the coffin of andy and leyley #gravecest #tcoaal #gaming #this is a smut free zone #tcoaal essay #fanfic

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florart98 · 3 months

Text

Jackson Lamb in season three.

I just finished my rewatch of the third season for a fanfic I'm thinking about. And I can't stop thinking about Lamb and his whole reaction to Standish's kidnapping.

Lamb is the first to realize that Standish didn't show up for work, and he quickly understands that this means something bad happened, because she never arrives late without warning, nor does her cell phone run out of battery, nor does she take the tube to come. He is worried, even angry at River for not following Donovan when he bumped into him the previous afternoon. (Although it is normal for him to get angry with River, in this case it is more exaggerated than normal, how would River know that they wanted to kidnap Catherine)

Throughout the season Lamb is violent about getting Catherine back, from the first moment when River doesn't dare to tell him that he saw Donovan before and Lamb says:

Or when Louisa calls him to tell him that everything indicates that Catherine was kidnapped, she asks why anyone would do that, and Lamb responds:

And when they release River, he asks him what you would have done if you got this photo and he says:

There's a great moment where he and Chapman are in the laundromat, Chapman offers him a drink and Lamb declines.

Chapman's face when he tell him that they took Standish seems perfect to me, because he knows Lamb, he knows how he defends his people, and, of all his people, they took Catherine. This is big. Catherine is not just anyone.

Then, when he discovers that Catherine is not in real danger, he is visibly calmer, at least for a few minutes, until he discovers that the Tiger Team has revealed itself and now Catherine really is a hostage.

We have that great moment where he gets into Sly's car and then into Judd's lunch. He is so angry that he talks to more and more powerful people until someone brings Standish back to him. But that doesn't happen and he has to go look for her himself. Thanks to the help of Standish herself, who pointed to the wall in her kidnapped photo, Roddy is able to discover where they are keeping her locked up.

So Lamb spends all day doing everything he can to get to Standish back. And he himself is going to rescue her

And he arrives and she's sitting there playing scrabble. After he home-aloneing the house and getting out of there, comes the big fight and the big reveal.

When they are in the car with Standish, just before the fight at the gas station starts, she talks to Roddy and tells him that she knows how to read people and Lamb makes fun of her. (referring to how he has no idea what Charles did)

When they park at the station, Lamb is upset, not angry, he's not yelling like he usually does, but instead he's silent, which is why she says he never wants to talk about anything.

I think Lamb is upset because he spent all day trying to find her but when he gets there she only talks about Charles. And I understand that he hates Charles, the man betrayed them and because of him his companions died. But you have to understand that Catherine doesn't know anything about that, in her eyes he is the perfect man who extended a hand to her when everyone abandoned her.

Catherine has no idea that Charles was worse than Ingrid or Diana, for her he was an honorable man, and Lamb hates that, he hates that she has him on a pedestal, so, knowing that he is going to hurt her, he tells her the truth that he had been hiding from her for years. And not only does he tell her that Charles betrayed them all, but he also used her.

Also, it really bothers him that she says Charles was an honorable man, because he wasn't. And Lamb may be many things but he truly has honor, he will never betray his people, and he would do whatever is necessary to save them.

So, in my opinion, Lamb didn't think about it, not really, he was tired, he was angry with Charles's betrayal and with Standish for admiring him so much, that he needed to break that illusion in her. I think at the end of the day he regrets doing it. He really does, as he tells Judd, Standish runs my diary, now I don't know what he'll do without her. He did everything to find her and when he finds her, he loses her.

Special mention for Marcus saying what we all think:

#slow horses #catherine standish #jackson lamb #season three

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reivrze · 1 year

Note

Hey hey heyyyy-

Omg I love ur blog sm 😍-random, ik, but I do rly love it. I love all creators Ngl, the dedication to writing and posting is not something I have 😭.

Anywaysssssss I was wondering if you could do a fanfic/headcannon (u choose) of idol!enhypen and how they would react when their s/o started intensely fangirling over their new concept pics. 99% sure all engenes can relate to that rn 😩.

Oh right….and can I be the 🪷 anon if u do anon claims…?

Thanks smmmmm!

🪷anon

a/n : hiii ! thank you for the kind words, they motivate me so much ♡ ♡. i can definitely relate to ur reqs considering i almost died seeing those concept photos, 100% srs. as for the anon thing, i've put you down as 🪷 anon in my anon list ! anyways, i hope you like the outcome !!

pairing(s): bf!enha/idol!enha × gn!reader genre(s): fluff kinda / headcanons format warning(s): thirsting over enha, this is not proof read, i have no motivation to proof read it, i might do it later

희 ; heeseung would laugh so hard when he learned from your best friend that you were on the floor, having a meltdown after seeing the concept photos. he had begged for her to send pictures. the people around him giving him weird looks after he bursted out laughing in public. he'd find it even funnier after seeing that he was now your new wallpaper.

제 ; jay would feel a little embarrased at his pictures but hearing you being a fangirling mess over him would boost his confidence so much, he'd be so thankful that he has you around to remind him constantly that he is hot, sexy, beautiful, amazing, handsome, attractive, pretty, adorable, captivating, sharp, elegant, stylish, every compliment in the dictionary basically.

크 ; jake would get so happy, like he'd have this sheepish smile when he sees that his phone was getting spammed of you going crazy. he'd call you the minute he was available, he'd be laughing and giggling during the whole 3h of call of you just rambling about hot good he looked in his photos.

성 ; sunghoon would get super confident but also shy? like internally he gets so timid and finds you adorable but on the outside he plays it off as "yeah i'm hot and i know it". it'd be adorable watching him try to keep his cool when inside, he's literally dying from the happiness he gets when he sees you fangirl over him.

선 ; sunoo is stuck in between fanboying over you fangirling and side-eyeing you. he'd probably try to act annoyed but he can't hide the fact that his ears would become all red and his cheeks a pink tint. he'd his face in the crook of your neck out of embarrassement.

정 ; jungwon would feel releived to hear that the pictures came out well and that they're good enough to make you nearly faint. he'd been stressed about if the concept would go well and to hear you rant about how attractive the pictures looked would take weight off his shoulder.

니 ; niki, niki, niki... ah.. this boy would tease you forever, it's a horrible idea to let him know the effect he has on you. he'd film your little meltdown and would never let you live that down. his ego would skyrocket and for the rest of the month, if you ever whined about anything, he'd pull the video out and threaten to send it to his whole contact list.

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canonicallyobserving911 · 1 month

Text

Several Sentences Sunday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 26 will be posted soon.

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Currently 25 chapters completed: 973.1K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

___________

I'm excited to finish writing Chapter 26 because at the end of Chapter 25, the Diaz family had just returned to the U.S. and after they made it home, Eddie checked his voice mail and there was a message from his cousin about an attempted delivery of a SpedEx package for Buck. Buck had no idea who it was from and he worried about it all weekend into the New Year.

They attended Maddie's and Chimney's New Year's Eve party which turned out to be an engagement party for them but they told their found family they got married while they were in Italy and that Buck adopted Chris on Christmas morning. Everyone questioned them regarding why the didn't tell anyone about their nuptials but they reassured them they're going to have a vow renewal ceremony in May of 2024 so they can all celebrate with them. But they didn't tell them they put a bid on a house in Italy and they aren't planning to until they believe the time is right.

On January 2nd, Buck accepted the package from the SpedEx delivery driver and after he opened it and viewed the contents, he collapsed and became unresponsive and unconscious right after Eddie entered the room.

___________

Here's a snippet from Chapter 26 of Eddie panicking and calling emergency services.

___________

Even though Eddie doesn’t have an ECG machine in his medical bag, he knows the signs and symptoms associated with a bradycardia event and that’s exactly what he believes Buck’s experiencing. It’s been more than a minute and a half since his eyes closed and he’s worried out of his mind. He’s been counting the seconds ever since he put the pillows underneath his head and his ankles and he’s still counting but now he’s reached two minutes and Buck's entering the danger zone and he needs to get help fast.

For a brief moment, he considers lifting him up, carrying him to the truck and driving to the hospital but he knows that’s his heart talking instead of his rational mind which is filled with LAFD protocols and his paramedic training.

He doesn’t have any of the necessary equipment needed to revive him and if his husband dies on his watch, he’ll die too and that’s not an option. He's already lost one spouse and Chris has lost one parent and him and Buck promised each other they're going to die on the same day at the same time 50 or 60 years from now, so he has to act quickly. Instead of continuing his mental debate about if he should call emergency services or drive Buck himself, he removes his phone from his pocket, dials 9-1-1 and waits for what seems like an eternity.

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?”

“Yes I’m at 4995 S. Bedford St. and I have an adult male, 31 years of age whose unconscious and unresponsive and I need medical response.”

“Ok sir, can I get your name?”

“Eddie Diaz! I’m a firefighter and a paramedic with the 118.”

“Eddie!” Linda asks.

“Yes! Linda, I’m so glad it’s you.” He heaves past the sob lodged in the back of his throat that feels like a ping pong ball and continues. “Listen, it’s Buck… SHIT!” He stops talking because he remembers he's supposed to follow protocol for her recording and he tries again. “I mean you need his first and last name for the call. It’s my husband Evan Diaz and he’s also a firefighter with the—the 118.”

“Ok Eddie, I’m checking to see which RA unit is the closest to that address but can you tell me what happened?”

“I—I came into the living room; he was swaying back and forth and I caught him before he—he hit the floor. I manually checked his vitals by doing the ABC method… I opened his airway, checked his breathing along with his circulation then I—I grabbed my medical bag and I checked his pulse, his blood pressure and his heart rate but all of them are still low which is why I believe he might be having a bradycardia event. Linda… oh my god, whatever is happening to him is more serious than a syncope event because he’s still unresponsive.”

“Can you tell me how long he’s been down?”

“It’s been more than two minutes but I didn’t start counting until after I caught him.”

“Ok, Eddie, our closest unit is about 6 minutes away.”

He frowns and loudly asks, “Six minutes? Why?! I’m sorry please—please forgive me for being loud but I... I—I’m asking because there’s a firehouse less than 4 minutes from here.” He feels like he’s about to jump out of his skin because the proximity of their home to the closest fire station in this area is one of the reasons he decided to purchase it. He wanted to be close to one for Chris just in case they ever have to call.

“You’re right Eddie there is but they’re returning to their station from a call and they’re caught in a backup on the I-110 and…”

He interrupts her. “Linda, I—I can’t wait any longer so… I’m going to pick him up and drive him to the hospital myself…”

“Eddie?!”

He keeps talking and he thinks he can hear Sue talking in the background too but in this moment, he needs to get his husband the help he needs. He says, “Linda, I need to…”

“EDDIE!” She calls his name again but louder this time because she needs to get his attention.

The panic he feels is threatening to escape his lungs and he wants to scream but he swallows it again and responds, “Yeah?”

“Eddie, listen to me. I know it’s hard but I need you to remain calm. Are you listening?”

Eddie’s practically hysterical but what is he going to do next? 🥹

Will he listen to Linda and follow protocol or will he pick Buck up and carry him to the hospital himself? 🤷🏽‍♀️

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it. But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago. They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial. But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories. Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie. It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - After Buck, Eddie and Chris arrive in London, England on December 24th; the Diazes immediately start preparing to spend their first family Christmas together. During their stay, each of them will hear a few choice words that will be the life raft to get them home to complete their searches to be seen and to be found.

Chapter 25 - After spending more than two weeks in Europe, Eddie, Buck and Chris are back in Los Angeles and they’re getting ready to attend Maddie and Chimney’s New Year’s Eve party. During the event, they have plans to make two surprise announcements but the question is, who’s really going to be surprised, the Diaz family or their found family at the 118?

Chapter 26 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-25 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapter 26 will be posted soon.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #the buckley diaz family #buckley diaz family #The Diaz Family #Married Buddie #Fanonwriter2023 on AO3 #911 abc #911 on abc #911 fanfic #buddie fanfic #ao3 fanfic #“I'm still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”#Several Sentences Sunday #Seven Sentences Sunday #buddie wip #Chapter 26 will be posted soon.

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ctinalk · 2 months

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Season two isn’t (fully) real, it’s a peaceful, fragile existence

The more I rewatch the show and read different theories, the more convinced I get that S2 is some sort of elaborate dream sequence or a distraction or memory alteration attempt (Neil’s chaotic angsty ineffable husbands fanfic?). But not all of it.

(This gets kind of rambly so if you want my true hook, scroll down to the Michael Sheen Staged gif.)

Let me make this perfectly clear on the outset: I don’t think all of it is a dream, and I certainly don’t think the final 15/kiss is or is going to be discounted (and not only because there would be literal riots in the street, because there absolutely would be, but also I’m putting trust in Neil and the team wholeheartedly). I think that could actually be the domino that brings them out of it. I read somewhere recently something along the lines of “something loved can never be truly forgotten” and I think that fits my theory perfectly. I’m also making no claims (yet) as to what I think is real and what I think is “enhanced”.

Also I apparently am either too far deep or cannot work the tumblr search function with any modicum of usefulness, so please link me to the posts I’m alluding to if you think it’s the right one. I will edit them in and sincerely apologize to the brilliant minds that exist outside the confines of the search function.

Now, On with the show:

You can be in charge of the biscuits

Maggie and Nina: Look, I get that recasts happen, they change the actor playing the character because of scheduling conflicts, etc. But to cast the actor/actress that is immediately recognizable from a prior interaction (whether with the characters or the audience) is not something you see. FFS Maggie DIED in S1, and Nina was pivotal (maybe too strong a word, but enough to be memorable surely) to the storyline. It’s like someone said “Hey, they’ll work, bring em in, no I don’t care that they were in S1. It’ll be a test of how well our facade is working. If they (A&C) notice, then the gig is up and we’ll know it.”

Also why in the world is the owner of a coffee shop offering Eccles cakes to calm down, when camomile tea is right there? (Resists the urge to go off on a tangent on how Eccles cakes were used to celebrate the “Eccles wakes” at the feast of St. Mary (yes that Mary) and how that ties into the second coming plot.) Do Eccles cakes count as biscuits? Ugh another thought for another day I suppose.

It has come to my attention during writing that Shax is the same actress as Madame Tracy. I have less of an affront to this knowledge since I’m 2 months deep and countless rewatches in and only just noticed. But I’m going to pop it in this header anyway. Are you really trying to tell me that a show that apparently has demon entrances happening precisely on the 6s really didn’t think these choices out very deliberately? (Edit 3: https://www.tumblr.com/noneorother/735823422626709504/the-secret-timeline-inside-of-good-omens-season-2 JFC why can I never find the blogs when I want to insert them? It was a breakdown about how all of the demon entrances happen at a 00:00 that ends in a 6.)

Yours very faithfully, Maggie

Text to mail disconnect: There’s been a theory pop up (at the time one writing this at least (edit 2: https://www.tumblr.com/azariah-z-fell/743434274903048192/it-is-extra-weird-because-it-is-on-the-record) that Maggie actually texted Aziraphale her request to talk, and it was magically translated into a physical form, and the spelling error (that so many people are shouting DEMON at) was just an autocorrect typo. But, surely Maggie would know he doesn’t text if she knew him for several years at least. We’ve never seen either of our boys text, only call. Seems like someone doesn’t know how phones work, but wanted to get the message received? See also: currency, below.

You ever think, what’s the point?

Numerous people have pointed out the same obvious background people. There are theories about the guy in the Hawaiian shirt being the second coming or something similar. I wonder if it’s some sort of play on a badly executed attempt to make Wickber Street seem “normal” in an alternate reality, an elaborate distraction, but they have to keep using the same character models because their imagination is just slightly better than Shadwells’ (Oh gfdi how did I miss Mrs. sandwich right there). I’m not saying we haven’t done a “oh oops silly me I forgot something” but that isn’t usually done in the middle of a sidewalk. When Aziraphale is initially talking to Jim with the blanket, there’s a guy just chugging his arms outside the window, not walking. Another one in E3 when Shax show up outside the shop, a guy in an orange sweatshirt passes in the background, then passes again, and not close enough in time/area to just be the continuation of the walk. Especially in the early episodes, there are veritable conveyer belts of people, straight lines, no trying to pass, etc. I’m trying to look at the background in S1 and while there are still tons of people, the background is… livelier. People passing, shoving past, actually going places.

“I’m looking at the statue of Gabriel.” “Oh, good job?”

Aziraphale basically learns fuck-all when he makes the trip to Edinburgh. Granted, I do believe most of that was to make the Bentley “our car”, but so many things are out of character. The no drink, the over-the-top “investigation” (as awkward as he is, Aziraphale knows how to act more normally than that with humans), the background on the drive up there…

All the others were taken (random collective thoughts)

Somehow ALL the businesses on the street are different from Season 1?

A normal person would have moved out of the rain instead of just lolling there letting raid splatter their glasses, yeah? (As a person with glasses I can confirm).

“We have all the hosts of hell searching for him” cue Crowley looking around like then why the fuck are there still demons around me?

The cross disappearing from the Gabriel statue between shots.

“I’m a bit out of miracles” and “that’s not how miracles work” from the guy who got written up for too many frivolous miracles.

I have here a sixpence and a farthing There’s always money in the banana stand

The lack of (accurate?) paid transactions seems like whoever is pulling the strings has no concept of earthly money and how it’s supposed to work, just that it exists. Crowley and Aziraphale talk bluntly about poverty and know that money is needed and used in current society (“Give her the money, Angel”, Rome, Globe Theatre, 1941 magic shop, etc.). Could be a “let’s not get lost in the trivialities” thing but it does strike me as odd. Caveat: Aziraphale forgiving the rent doesn’t quite fit, but cost of the record is obscenely low.

But this does give me hope about the 3rd 1941 flashback, because they were using money accurately there, which hopefully means the flashbacks and memories aren’t being altered, just “present day”.

We’re real people

One of the overarching themes in Season 2 (and S1 now I think of it) is “stop interfering in the lives of other people”. Maggie and Nina, Job, Elspeth, the entire dance party, Warlock, the book of prophecy. It would be a shame if someone were to make sure I failed to be messing about in their own lives.

I had brothers, you don’t scare me

Something happened just before Maggie told them to “Come in here and say that to my face.” Another demonic turn potential here, but also kind of like someone’s saying “FFS get on with the plot”.

The book of love has music in it

This post https://www.tumblr.com/noneorother/731977308306636800/all-the-music-you-didnt-hear-the-good-omens (finally, one I can find!) popped up, and there’s another one that purports to have noticed that there’s music lines missing from the opening sequence (edit 1: Found it!: https://www.tumblr.com/dadesu/726651737165938688/anyone-noticed-the-missing-half-bar-in-good-omens ). Possibly Clueing us in that there’s something that’s missing elsewhere (I mean obviously, that’s the whole point of this season, is it not?).

So where do we go from here?

As much as I’d love to say “Alright so the kiss breaks the spell whoever was put over them because of ✨the power of love✨, the ruse will be revealed, and they’re not talking because they don’t have to”

I don’t know, my thoughts are just the overarching patterns I’ve noticed over many, many rewatches and probably reading a few too many magic trick theories and/or fanfics. I don’t intentionally make my theory posts open-ended, but in the end that’s the fun of it. Nothing has to be mutually exclusive (yes I’m referencing my “Is Crowley already the new Supreme Archangel” post, I think I’m allowed that much). I’m happy to be proven wrong, and probably will be.

Lots of things are wrong right now

But I will leave you with one parting thought: Crowley knows. He knows there’s furniture missing. (That’s why he keeps just tossing things everywhere, because he know it doesn’t matter.)

And he. Does not. Care. For it.

How many theories that I myself hate can I dig into?

I’m a demon, I lied:

#good omens season 2 #good omens #good omens theories #crowley #aziraphale

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loosingmoreletters · 2 months

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Your s classes fics aew so good they've pulled me into the fandom again. Now gonna have to see how far the manwha is along! Hahha

(Also since I love your fics so much, I'm not sure if you read fics for fandom you write (I know some authors don't) but if you have any recs... 👀

Thank you!!!! I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope you had fun with the current chapters!

And yes, I always have recs for fandoms I write because I usually only start writing once I'm truly obsessed or couldn't find a fic that hit quite the vibe I wanted.

Anyway! Fanfic recs! This list has a little bit of everything, I think!

never leave a trace by armed_teddy_bear The Han parents haunt Han Yoojin.

Last Forsythia’s Bloom by Lazlo (hinagikuhaven) Yoojin is hit by a fuck or die curse. Daunted by the knowledge of the cure that will force Yoohyun to make a terrible choice, Yoojin chooses to run away. warning for incest and dubcon

Slumbering Stars by FeltLikeWritingAndHereIAm The world ended when Han Yoojin’s brother died between his arms. Nothing will ever be the same, not even with a second chance.

Behind A Smile by Lazlo (hinagikuhaven) In hindsight, Yoohyun should have long suspected it. The abyss that laid behind his brother’s happy smiles.

does that mean by Frill Sung Hyunjae and Han Yoojin knew one another before the dungeons.

S-Rank Skill Poison Nullification! by chamsie Rather than getting famous for his taming skills, Yoojin accidentally becomes infamous for his ability to eat any and all poisons without dying.

and tomorrow may be something to look for by wovenstarlight Han Yoojin time travels instead of regressing. This causes some problems.

the ghost of you (will never leave me) by Sorbus Han Yoojin has skills geared towards the mind and lending or borrowing power. It only makes sense that if he has a skill to receive the memories of others alongside their power and skills, he could sacrifice his memories of others in return for some strength. Han Yoojin has a skill that lets him give up memories of someone he holds dear in exchange for more power. Things change, but ultimately stay the same.

Now We Have by Frill Han Yoojin can tame monsters. He meets Bak Yerim and Yoo Myeongwoo in a dungeon.

but i have promises to keep (and miles to go before i sleep) by Anonymous Of all the possible ways the Awakening broker could’ve scammed her, Bak Yerim never considered abandoning her in a dungeon as one of them. Stealing her money and never actually bringing her to a dungeon? Definitely. Taking her money and then reporting her to the authorities? Yeah. Going through the effort of bringing her here and leaving her? Wasn’t even a thought in her head. And yet here she was, completely alone in a dungeon. Well. Fuck. or, bak yerim ends up stuck in a dungeon and meetings a certain someone

My Sweetheart by armed_teddy_bear Bak Yerim finds the Han family’s home videos, featuring a young Han Yoojin and baby Han Yoohyun.

Isolation Training by armed_teddy_bear Han Yoojin kept a diary to deal with the stress of his separation with Yoohyun. While moving his brother’s things, Yoohyun finds it.

The Ghost That Lives With Us by Anonymous Hatred comes to Yoohyun as unnaturally as love, and just as intensely.

If love is the answer could you please rephrase the question? by theladyofcamelias Yoojin goes on a date with an old high school acquaintance. Everybody is perfectly normal about this in case you were wondering.

travel logs to you by flyingintherainclouds In which Han Yoojin has decided to live a quiet life, as requested of him by his dear brother, who anonymously deposits money into his bank account. He goes traveling two years after Yoohyun left, determined to come back whole. Still, he can't bear to leave without telling his brother, so he sends recordings of himself on his travels to him. secondary title: recordings to you, from my heart to yours

love me, love me not (love me) by Yersina “Hi,” Yoojin croaks into his phone. His stomach had been churning from downing too many healing potions in a row, so he’d been experimenting with just letting the coughs happen. Now he’s starting to regret that a bit. “I’d like to make an appointment.” He gives the nurse his information and stares out the window of his apartment while she looks up his records. “What are you coming in for?” “Hanahaki surgery.”

new dog's old tricks by snipsnap In which Yoojin doesn’t wake up at the broker. This changes everything. Or: being from the future gives you a lot of strings to pull. Yoojin is studying the harp.

[Final Repayment] by Frill “I…” Yoohyun let go of Yoojin’s hand. The curly-haired man stood there awkwardly before asking, “May I come in?” Yoojin stepped to the side quickly. “Come in, Yoohyun-ah. You’re always welcomed.” Yoojin was very confused when his dongsaeng appeared on his doorstep after 3 months of silence.

convention no. 138 by Yersina Yoojin strokes through Yoohyun’s hair once, and the clumps of dirt that fall from the action remind him of where they’re currently standing. “Yoohyun, why are you in a crater? What happened?” At this, Yoohyun untwists himself just enough from Yoojin’s hold to raise a handful of flames in Yoojin’s direction. “Hyung, I think I have magic powers,” he says solemnly. Yoojin stares for a long moment, long enough that Yoohyun clenches his fist, extinguishing the fire, and looks up at Yoojin worriedly. “Okay,” he manages eventually. “Okay. Sure. Yeah.” He was attacked by dinosaurs and his eleven year old brother has magic powers. That’s… this is fine.

Fighting with Fear by Turacin (Turacoverdin) When a raid of an S-class dungeon goes wrong and a conspiracy is revealed, the only option Yoojin has is to take care of it all himself. Unfortunately, he must violently kill fourteen people and an S-class snail boss to do so. The consequences of this are not what he expected.

You Before Forever by Vehemenace When Han Yoojin regresses, he isn't sitting in one of Haeyeon Guild's guest rooms. Instead, he finds himself in the middle of the streets of Seoul, disoriented, with the feeling of his brother's corpse imprinted on his hands.

#sctir #s classes that i raised #ask #fanfic recs #captainadwen

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mirandapriestlyswife · 15 days

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Mirandy Fanfic- Apocalypse Au: Prologue

Hi! Before you read I would just like to say as a disclaimed this is my first fanfic and it has not been peer reviewed or anything of that sort so I apologize for any spelling or grammatical mistakes. This AU is heavily inspired by “Last Man on Earth” and I intend to write multiple chapters for it. Constructive criticism is welcome! Please enjoy :)

New York City, the city that never sleeps. Theres always some type of noise; sirens, traffic, yelling… Theres always some type of noise. Something to serve as a reminder that, “Hey! You aren’t the only person in the whole world!”. At least thats what it used to sound like..

Tonight, all that could be audible was the rustling of trash in the frigid November air. Andrea Sachs, Andy, former reporter for The Mirror marched her way down block after block. She couldn’t pin point exactly when the pandemic began. Early March of last year perhaps? Or maybe mid February? She couldn’t remember.. Hell, she was still trying to process the fact that everyone, everything she once knew was dead and gone.

New York City had been put under lockdown almost immediately after the United States government had declared a national pandemic. Andy hadn’t seen her parents since..

Sure, they’d talk over the phone, but there was little to talk about when the entire world was practically put on pause. She heard from her sister, Jill, every once in a while, but she had her own problems.

Andy had borderline lost complete touch with her entire family by August of that year, until she was notified that she had lost not one, but both parents to the infection. Both dead at home, not even in a hospital. Soon followed her nephew, then her sister, then her sister’s husband. In only a matter of 6 months she had lost the people most important to her.

After her and Nate, her ex boyfriend, had split, her childhood best friend had graciously allowed her to crash on her couch until she found her own place. Living with Lily was… Well.. Not the easiest.. Somehow this girl, even in the midst of a global pandemic, still managed to bring home a guy every weekend. At the time Andy had debated killing Lily on more than one occasion.. Oh how she envies those times. Two months later, Lily passed. The hospitals were already crammed to the brim with patients so, just like her parents, her best friend had died at home.. But this time, it was even worse, since she was the one to discover that body.

Andy had always been sensitive, possibly too much so. But she can’t recall a time she had cried harder than when looking at the lifeless corpse of the girl she’d known for more than half her life. Oh Lily..

She got laid off the next week. You would think the world of journalism would be booming during such trying times? But no. People simply stopped reading the paper. “Too depressing” is what she remembers her mother saying when Andy had asked if they had seen the latest death poll. She couldn’t blame people for not reading the news. God knows she would’ve too if it wasn’t the only thing keeping her from going insane. With every book in her apartment being read more than twice, along with having long ran out of DVDs, the only thing she could find comfort in now was the constant cycle of magazines and newspapers placed at her apartment door every morning. Eventually that stopped coming too.

Eventually.. Everything stopped. Electricity, running water, food. It just all.. Came to a halt. People seemed to have disappeared. It was like the entire human race just one day packed their bags and left Andy there. Alone. She was all alone. She cried over the fact a lot. No, not cried.. More like wailed. Wailed as loud as one could, hoping that someone, something would hear her, and come over and bring her into a warm comforting hug..

Of course the chances of that were 0 but.. She still had some hope. Tonight, Andy lazily roamed around the streets of New York, glancing into long abandoned shops and restaurants.. Often times she found herself sleeping in luxurious hotels and suites for free. I mean, why not? If theres no one there to charge you or say, “Ma’am this is an art museum, you cant stay here.” Why not sleep in The Met??

She walked with purpose down those cracking sidewalks, even though in reality she knew she had nothing left to live for. Had she contemplated suicide? On multiple occasions. The only reason she was even still alive at all was because she knew her parents would’ve wanted her to keep going, “keep fighting” her father would say. Andy sighed, what purpose was fighting if there was nothing to fight for? She walked aimlessly for hours, only stopping every so often to raid a bodega for a bag of expired chips. She rarely thinks of her time at Runway, or at least she tries not to, since it just opens up a can of unresolved feelings that she cares not to open. She wonders what those clackers would think of her now. It makes her chuckle. Thoughts of models with mouths gaping in shock at the sight of Andy Sachs, in her college hoodie and jeans she hadn’t washed since July making her way down Manhattan with a bag of expired Doritos and no makeup, flood her mind, causing the rarest of chuckles to fall from her lips.

The only reason that Runway even popped into her head was due to the sight of the massive, ever-ominous, Elias-Clarke building across the street. Oh how she despised that building. She’d walked past it a million times. One million more times than she had liked to. Every time she saw the damned thing it brought up feelings… Feelings she’d love to forget. Feelings towards fashion, towards Runway, towards her.

The dragon lady, the ice cold bitch of fashion, Miranda Priestly. The woman that had stolen Andreas heart and stomped on with her Prada heels.

Andy cringes at the shameful acts of her past self. Falling head over heels for a woman is one thing.. But falling for a woman 25 years her senior, and thats super rich and powerful?? Oh how could one be so stupid?!

Now here she stands, before her former prison of employment. She’d never actually bothered to intrude the building. She figured she’d find the usual. Abandoned computers, dust bunnies, medical masks, maybe the occasional cockroach. Shockingly, even after seemingly every other living organism had died out.. Or at least reduced in size, cockroaches rained ever strong. Six legged assholes.

Something inside her tells her, “Just go for it. Get some closure.” So, thats exactly what she does. She crosses the empty street, sliding over a taxi that had inconveniently been abandoned in the middle of the road, and walked right up to the front door.

“Its probably locked..” She muttered to nobody. Andy had developed this habit of talking to herself over the months of isolation. It was comforting, to hear a voice. She jiggled the rotating door and to her utter shock. The thing budged. And in one swift motion, she was in the lobby of the Elias-Clarke building once again. Things have hardly changed… Well.. besides the lack of anorexic models talking about how they “Almost called in fat today.” She rolled her eyes at the memory of hearing a 100 pound model saying those exact words to her.

Andy stops at the stairwell. Should she go up to the Runway floor? Why not? Whats the harm? Worst thing that could happen is she cries, and it isn’t like she wasn’t going to do that anyways. She made her way up the stairs. Climbing floor after floor until eventually she found her way to her former place of employment. More like imprisonment, but still. She abandons her empty Dorito bag on her old second assistants desk. She wonders what skinny 5’11 blonde supermodel Miranda had replaced her with. Had her name been Stacy? Or Sylvia? Or-

Andys shocked out of her thoughts when she hears a noise. Walking.. Yeah thats- that’s definitely walking. She stops frozen in place. The building is almost entirely dark besides the sunlight coming from the windows where Mirandas office used to be, so she couldn’t exactly see well. Her whole body starts shaking. What should she do?! She hadn’t seen an actual living person since.. Since.. Since she couldn’t even remember. The walking got louder, the click clack of what sounded like… High heels..? No it couldn’t-

Andys internal monologue is suddenly silenced when she hears a gasp from behind her. Shes too stunned to move, to speak, to do much of anything besides meekly turn her head around. And who is she greeted with?? No one other than the dragon lady herself of course…

“Andrea?” An impossibly regal Miranda Priestly asks.

And thats about it for the prologue! Thank you so much for reading :)

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clanwarrior-tumbly · 10 months

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Hello dear! It's been a long time :)

I've read some of your Mandela Catalog fanfics and they are amazing!

I would like to make a request, how about the Reader (who was a friend of the Murray's and took care of Adam after the divorce as Lynn didn't have much time to spend with him) take custody of him after his parents died?

Adam at least grew up with someone :) and the Reader always sang songs when he got sad about his parents...

But the events are the same as the Mandela Catalog (Volume 1 and 2 etc.)

In the meantime, the Reader ends up dying for an Alternative, after months of the Reader's death, the events of volume 2 happen and then the events of Mandela Catalyst happen.

Basically, Thatcher finds Adam singing one of the songs that the Reader sang to him to calm him down, but since it's not the Reader singing...he can't calm down at all .

Just Angst in general...sorry :)

Oh boy this one hurt a LOT to write. Strap in and be ready for (several) different timeskips (and a whole lot of angst)

.........

--September 1992--

"Hey, [y/n]. I'm so sorry to bother you, but-"

"It's okay. What's up? Do you need me to watch him for a bit?"

"...I actually needed to talk to you about something important, but he hasn't stopped crying, and...shit...I-I just need a little bit of help if that's alright. I can't calm him down."

Hearing Lynn's exhausted sigh over the phone, you frowned slightly. It especially pained your heart to hear her son's wailing in the background, yet you realized she called you around this specific hour last time..with the exact same problem.

It was strange, honestly.

You would've thought she'd figured out what was going on with Adam by now.

"Wasn't Jude there earlier? Don't tell me he bailed and that's why he's-"

"No. He actually showed up this time and watched him while I was in a meeting. Everything was fine..a-and Adam didn't make any fuss when he left. But now he just started up the waterworks again and...god, I don't know what to do anymore.."

"Well you tell the little guy to hang tight, okay?" You reassured her as you grabbed your keys, jacket, and shoes. "I'm on my way over."

"Thank you so much, [y/n]..I'm sorry about this-"

"Don't be. It's not your fault. I'll see you in a few."

"Alright, see you soon."

After hanging up the phone, you headed out the door and got into your vehicle, driving to the Murray's residence.

You've been close friends with Jude and Lynn, having supported them through nearly every milestone of their relationship: when they had their son, when they got married, and....when they unfortunately went through a divorce two years later.

To this day, you still weren't sure what caused their relationship to crash and burn. They were highschool sweethearts who hoped to move into the big city and have kids--the kind of dream any couple would wanna live out.

But then they became incredibly stressed over raising just one child alone, and thought rushing into marriage would resolve things quickly.

Instead, it only caused more friction between them.

Regardless, you still wanted to help them out. So you've offered to watch Adam for a few hours while Lynn went to work, or if she just needed to get out of the house and take a breather.

He's a good kid...aside from being either quiet or having huge crying fits with consistent patterns to them. You suspected he saw something scary and violent on television once and hasn't recovered since.

Lynn mentioned a toddler stress assessment he took, showing his scores ranging from low to zero, indicating he didn't respond to the stimuli properly. She would have been more concerned if other children his age didn't share similar results, all apparently due to them being witnesses to a "phenomena".

Whatever it was, it must've been traumatic enough for him to have these meltdowns seemingly out of the blue.

But you always succeeded at calming him down. Lynn mom had yet to see your methods, though she's convinced you're some kind of "miracle worker", doing a better job at parenting than she or Jude could.

Fortunately, she was going to find out today.

You arrived at the house, exchanging sympathetic smiles with the exhausted mother before she led you to Adam's room. There, he was in the corner bawling his eyes out.

"Adam, sweetie? Someone's here to see you." She cooed, but to no avail as he didn't even look up at her. Sighing in defeat, she stepped aside when you reassured her you'll handle it.

"Hey, buddy. It's me again." You spoke softly, kneeling down on the floor in front of Adam. For a moment, he fell silent and glanced up at you, hiccupping on occasion.

But when you opened your arms up to him, he started crying even louder and clung to you tightly. "Oh it's okay, kiddo. Shhh, I'm here." You hushed, holding him as you stood back up. "[Y/n]'s here now."

He could only blubber your name in response, snot and tears dribbling down his face as he nuzzled into your shoulder. You rubbed his back, wishing you could take away whatever made him this upset.

Since that wasn't possible, you did the only thing you could do in that moment.

And that was sing.

More specifically, sing a song you heard on the radio earlier today. It's one of your favorites, which always helps you calm down after a stressful day; surely it'll help Adam in his case, too.

Although your voice was soft and quiet, it managed to reach his ears as you sang to him, and eventually it worked its magic. His sobs died into sniffles, and then sniffles into silence.

You smiled. "Did you like that one? That's one of my favorites."

He nodded, now resting his head on your shoulder and closing his puffy eyes as you kept rubbing his back, humming softly. Before you knew it, he was fast asleep.

"....are you serious? I've tried singing to him and it does nothing!" Lynn whispered, astonished you were able to resolve that in a minute, when usually it took her an hour.

"Sorry, I guess he likes my voice better." You chuckled lightly, before your eyes shifted around the room. "Where do you want him? The crib as usual?"

"...as usual. I know he's supposed to be grown out of it, but he refuses to sleep anywhere else."

"It'll happen eventually, I'm sure." You set Adam down, making sure the pillow was comfortably underneath his head. Then you turned back to Lynn. "So...you wanted to talk about something?"

"It's..on the kitchen table." She muttered, confusing you as she turned and walked out the room.

You followed her to the aforementioned section of the house, noticing documents on the table. One mentioned child custody, which was signed by her and Jude...but also had a third blank line on it as well.

"Jude and I had a long talk, and...we both decided that if, god forbid, anything should happen to us and we can't be here to take care of Adam...we'd make you his legal guardian." She explained. "I know it's a lot to ask of you right now and I doubt we'll even need this, but-"

"I'll sign it."

She blinked. "R-Really? I mean..there's no rush. If you need time to think about it-"

"My mind's been made up. With those broadcasts having everyone on edge, it's better to be safe than sorry. But I hope it won't come to that." You picked up the pen, clicking it as you sat down to read the document. "I just sign here? Do I have to go to the court?"

"No, you can just sign it and I'll bring it to them tomorrow." She swallowed the lump in her throat, choking back tears of relief. "I-I just want Adam to grow up in a better place and..we trust that you can do that should it be necessary."

Nodding in understanding, you signed the paper, slipping it back into the folder before you gave Lynn a hug. "If this helps you guys out, then it's fine with me. Does Adam know?"

"W-We're gonna tell him about it, soon. But..thank you so, so much, [y/n]. This means a lot to us."

"Of course, I'm here for you and him till the very end."

--One Week Later--

"Lynn? Are you alright? I was driving by and noticed your door was wide open."

"......"

"Lynn? Jude? You guys here?"

"........"

"....Adam?"

"........"

"Anybody home at all? Hello?"

"........."

"C'mon, this isn't.....wha....o-oh my god. LYNN!! No, no, no, no, no!! What the fuck?!! Why would you...y-you....?! Oh Christ, I'm gonna be sick....I need to call 911-"

"[Y/n]? Where's momma...?"

"A-Adam! Don't go in there. Thank god you're okay, but wha...what are you doing out here by yourself??"

"...looking for my new friend."

"Huh? But..sweetheart, there's no one here but us."

"Not even momma?"

"N-No. She's..gone away for a while. And dad, too. But do you remember that talk we had about me looking after you?"

"Mhm."

"Well, that...starts now. I'll be taking care of you for a little while, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good, good..now let's go home."

--January 2002--

It's been 10 years since the worst night of your life, as well as Adam's.

You lost two of your best friends, and he lost his family.

The sight of Lynn's hanging corpse was forever burned into your mind, and you were still unsure of Jude's whereabouts to this very day. He was never found by the police..although you felt like they were too scared to investigate further and give victims like yourself the proper justice.

Nevertheless, you had a promise to keep. And so you've done your best to raise Adam as his legal guardian. Signing those documents all those years ago certainly streamlined the process of you gaining custody over him, and he didn't protest over it.

You never did tell him what actually happened that night. You don't think you'll ever be able to.

All you said was that you found him alone in that house and took him with you, clueless as to where his parents are. It was only partially a lie, yet you still felt guilty.

You tried giving him a normal life away from Mandela County, as it was simply too dangerous to live there. He grew out of the unusual behavioral patterns of his toddler years, thank goodness, and continued being a generally good kid.

In school, he took up a hobby in filmmaking, while also gaining interest in ghost-hunting shows and other subjects related to paranormal activity, including online forums discussing Alternates.

Although concerned about this interest he's been pursuing, you supported his passions.

After turning 14, he reached that "teen angst" state of his life where he was going through lots of changes and constantly flipping moods like a light switch.

And when you picked him up from school today, that bad attitude reared its ugly head for you to see.

He didn't greet you after getting in the car, keeping his headphones on as he stared outside the window, seething red. You did notice a small group of jocks, one of whom seemed to have a nosebleed while the rest scowled at your son, only to see you were staring at them too. They quickly scampered back onto the campus grounds.

But what you didn't notice was Adam rolling down his sleeves to hide his bruised knuckles.

As soon as you both got home, he threw his backpack onto the nearest table and stormed off to his room without speaking a single word to you.

Now any other parent wouldn't have tolerated his disrespect. But rather than chastise him when you knew he was already feeling shitty, you calmly walked towards his bedroom door.

It was partially open, though you gently knocked just to be polite. "Hey, kid..may I come in?"

"....sure. Whatever."

You pushed the door open more, entering to find Adam curled up on his bed, staring down at his music player as he shuffled through some songs. "Glad to see you're using the MP3 I got you for Christmas."

He didn't respond to that, instead burying his face into his knees and keeping his hood drawn over his head.

You sat beside him, knowing that you'd have to choose your next words very carefully from here on out. 'Wish there was some guidebook on caring for a grumpy teenage boy..but I'll have to figure this one out myself..'

"So..what're you listening to?" You asked, hoping to start up some kind of conversation.

"...if you care so much..it's Radiohead." His voice was slightly muffled, but you understood him as your eyes lit up.

"Oh! I love that band."

"You do?"

"Of course! You think I'm too old to enjoy it?" You feigned hurt, although when you heard him sniffle quietly, you sighed and rested a hand on his back. "Look, I noticed those kids staring when I picked you up. They look like the same jerks I used to meet in school. Did...they say anything to you?"

For a few long moments, he was silent, but eventually answered.

"They called me an orphan, so I punched one of them."

Your heart sunk. "Wha--Adam, you gotta be more careful. You could've gotten hurt or expelled-"

"So what? I'm supposed to just take it?" He glared up at you, his eyes red and watery. "I can't defend myself?"

"...that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that there's other ways we can deal with them without violence. But I agree that what they said was wrong." Frowning, you gently brushed his curly bangs to the side. "They shouldn't be using orphan as an insult."

"Yeah. They think both my parents are dead, but they're liars. My mom's still out there, and if she comes back we can prove them wrong."

Ah.

You could feel this familiar conversation starting up again, but this time you weren't sure if Adam was going to be placated by your answer anymore. The more he pressed about it, the more he got suspicious and tired of the same excuses.

"....are we ever gonna go back to Mandela and try to find her, [y/n]?"

You shook your head. "I'm sorry, Adam. But you know we can't. I...have no clue where we'd even start."

"Then why doesn't she try to find us, instead? She must have escaped those things by now..unless she gave up on me."

"Wha--" You blinked, having no idea how he could've drawn that conclusion so quickly. "What made you think-?"

"I-I mean..it makes sense, right? It's been ten damn years and she hasn't tried looking for us once?" He started getting agitated, taking off his headphones as they no longer comforted him. "Maybe she wanted me out of her life for good. I mean...I'm the reason her and dad divorced."

"Adam, their divorce wasn't your fault at all. I knew your mom for a long time, and she loved you a lot-"

"Then why does it feel like she abandoned me?!!" He snapped, throwing his music devices onto the mattress before scowling at you. "Just tell me the truth, [y/n]!! I can take it. If she said I was a burden, then fucking TELL ME!!"

You took your hand off his back the moment he started shouting, feeling yourself tensing up.

The one thing you hoped not to do was make him angry, and yet here he was...lashing out. But you tried not to take it too personally and stayed quiet.

Not long after his explosion, Adam saw the look on your face and instantly felt remorseful for snapping like that. His face began burning with embarrassment as he looked away, fresh tears welling up in his eyes.

"..I'm sorry, I...I just-"

"I know you didn't mean it. It's alright." You carefully wrapped your arm around him, bringing him closer to you. "But you were never a burden to her. That's the truth. She loved you and wanted you to have a better life..one that she couldn't provide. I know you don't understand everything right now, but one day it's all gonna make sense. I can promise you that, son."

He sniffled and tucked his face between your neck and shoulder, trying to stifle his sobs as he mumbled about still missing her so badly. You held him even closer, feeling the poor kid shaking in your arms.

Luckily, you knew exactly how to remedy this situation.

"Adam?"

"Y..yeah?"

"...do you want me to sing to you like I did before? I know you got your music player, but..my voice might help you feel a little better."

For a moment he was quiet, but you felt him nod against your neck. You smiled and kissed the top of his hood, before quietly singing one of his favorite songs:

"Such a pretty house, and such a pretty garden. No alarms and no surprises. No alarms and no surprises...."

He closed his eyes as he listened to your soft voice, tears dampening the collar of your shirt. He felt like he did nothing to deserve you or all of this love after the way he acted earlier.

You could've left him alone, or got angry right back at him.

But you didn't.

You never stopped being there for him.

After Adam calmed down a few minutes later, you let him go and saw him wipe at his face with his sleeve. While still embarrassed to be seen like this, he did feel a lot better. "Y-You...still got it." He chuckled. "You ever think about becoming a singer? Like in a band or something?"

"In my dreams, yeah. But I told ya I'm a big Radiohead fan." You smirked.

"Alright, alright..I guess you're not too "old" to like it." He rolled his eyes, but eventually leaned back onto your shoulder, relaxing. "Thanks again, [y/n]. I-I..really needed that."

"Anytime." You gently hugged him to you. "I'm here whenever you need me, son. I promise we'll go back to Mandela when it's safer."

"Together?"

"Together."

--September 2008--

You couldn't believe it.

You couldn't.

Fucking.

Believe it.

Adam went behind your back and did exactly what you told him not to do.

He left for to Mandela County in the middle of the night, taking a stolen car. Although he did leave you a note saying he was going on a "BPS mission" with Jonah and promised to be back in several days, you were still quite infuriated.

Especially since you've been meaning to talk to him about this little "group" of his.

All this time, you thought it was just some afterschool club he attended that helped him make friends and even find a girlfriend. He told you all they did was chat about ghosts and research paranormal stuff and nothing more.

But he's been using it as a cover-up to hunt down the Alternates who ruined so many lives, breaking several laws while doing so.

You only learned about all this through Evelin, who called your cell phone just a few minutes ago. The poor girl was in tears, explaining that she and Adam had a huge fight, and apparently he told her some....very hurtful things.

Things you'd never believe would come out of your son's mouth.

You didn't raise him this way at all.

You raised him to be a better person, not a rebel who thinks he can talk to girls with such disrespect and run away from home.

Why would he do this all of the sudden?

Did he just get too impatient?

Did he not trust you anymore?

What ever happened to the promise that you'll go to Mandela together?

Regardless, you apologized to Evelin for Adam's behavior before hanging up. Then you called his number, and he surprisingly answered within the first ring.

Usually it took three.

"Hey, [y/n]. What's up?"

""What's up?"" You mimicked, already growing annoyed. ""What's up" is that your girlfriend called me and said you insulted her. All because she didn't like these little "ghost hunts" you've been doing??"

"Oh fuck, did she really tell you about all our problems?" He groaned. "Look, I'm not the bad guy here. I swear. We had a petty argument and she freaked out on ME, and then I got a little defensive. That's all."

"...a "little"? You made her cry, Adam. I had to help her calm down before she could even talk to me."

"....well it's not my fault if she's too damn sensitive."

You couldn't believe how heartless he sounded, but you didn't wanna stay on this topic forever.

So you sighed, sitting down on the sofa as you wondered how you can convince him to stop these ridiculous "hunts". "Listen, son. I just think this is consuming your life too much-"

"But this IS my life, [y/n]! Jonah and I have been making some serious bank from this! Believe it or not, paranormal investigating IS a real job-"

"But it's not a safe one." You interrupted. "I know how badly you want closure on your mother, but those things won't give you any answers. They're only going to kill you if-"

"I stared at one dead in the face and it didn't attack me."

You froze, feeling your heart drop into your stomach. "...what?"

"Yeah! I found out I'm sorta "immune" to M.A.D or whatever, and I have footage of it!" He bragged. "It didn't hurt me at all. We had a pretty funny staring contest. I can send you proof of it so you don't have to worry about me."

"....I don't want "proof", Adam. I want you to come home."

"....not until I find out the truth for myself." Suddenly his tone turned spiteful. "Unless you know something that I don't."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not a dumb kid anymore, [y/n]. If there's something YOU knew about that night that you didn't wanna tell me before...now's the time."

For a few long moments, you were silent as you thought over his words, although his snarky response made your blood boil even more.

At this point you were fed up you were with him sneaking behind your back like this and breaking his promise. You only sheltered the truth of that night from him for this long because you knew how deeply it would hurt him.

But now he was practically goading you into laying it all out.

Maybe that's what you should do. Just to finally put this to rest and make him give up on these stupid "investigations". He was searching for someone who wasn't even alive anymore.

He may hate you, but if this is what he wanted...it's what he'll get.

"I'm sorry, Adam. But-"

All of the sudden, a loud sound akin to static noise crackled right into your eardrum, causing you to flinch and hold the phone far away from you.

Only then did you notice an unknown caller ID had popped up, the ringtone playing normally. You declined it and tried calling Adam back, but the same mysterious number showed up again before you could even dial anything.

You had no choice but to answer the stranger.

"Hello? Yes?"

"This is no longer your place to spill secrets, I'm afraid." A male's voice, staticky and coarse, droned in your ear. "Only I will reveal everything to our prophet soon enough."

"....your prophet? Who the hell is this?" Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I think you got the wrong number. I don't know any "prophet". Goodbye."

Hanging up, you hoped to put an end to that discussion and reach out to Adam once more-

"Of course you do, [y/n]. He's the son you've taken under your wing."

Every muscle in your body tensed.

The same voice was now inside your own home.

Your eyes searched the living room until you noticed the TV flickering to life, the screen displaying a hooded man with a face that looked as if it were melting.

"How do you know about him?" You scowled. "Don't tell me...you're the creep who kidnapped all those kids back in-"

"You played right into our hands. You've passed our test. I must say you've raised him well..keeping him in the dark about his truth." The Intruder taunted. "But it's time you open your eyes and recognize the favor you've done for us."

"...what favor? What does any of this have to do with Adam?!"

"From the moment you saw that boy's poor mother...he ceased to exist, too. I had taken him only for a moment, and gave you back something you promised to protect. But you've been living a lie, [y/n]. Your "son" was never actually him."

"You mean to tell me he's......?" Your heart dropped into your stomach, realizing what he was implying. But you clenched your fists. "N-No. You're lying."

"You had already failed them before you even realized it." The TV glitched to show the shadow of a certain woman with her neck broken, before displaying an image of the Murray house, before it reverted back to the Intruder's face. "You could've joined them, but we wanted to see how he'd grow under your watchful eye. Now thanks to you, we know we can blend into mankind and watch it rot from the inside out. And soon we'll awaken him, too, and rejoice."

"I don't believe you." You tried keeping your voice steady and calm, knowing he was attempting to inflict M.A.D on you. "If you think he's going to be anything like you freaks...you're dead wrong."

"Oh, but he will. He must. It's his fate."

"If he's one of you, then why would he care for the real Adam's mother like she was his?! And on that note...was hanging her just your little "distraction" so you could-?!"

"You accuse me as if I pulled the rope." He scoffed. "But I didn't. She just lost all hope and faith in finding him. That poor mother, too distraught at the sight of her missing infant---distraught at the sight of her missing infant, missing infant, missing infantmissinginfantMISSINGMISSINGMISSINGMISSINGMISSING...."

His voice suddenly began repeating on a loop, corrupted messages and symbols covering the screen. Through it all, you were still able to make out his haunting gaze and widening grin.

The only way he disappeared was when you grabbed a nearby chair and smashed the glass with it, shattering the screen to pieces. Electric sparks and smoke sputtered out of the TV, but besides that...it was finally silent again.

You huffed and took several steps back.

Yet you had little time to fully process everything he told you as your phone rang again. You hesitantly checked it, only to become relieved at seeing's Adam's number and quickly answered it.

"A-Adam! Are you okay?"

"Yeah, um..are you? What happened? You just hung up on me.." He sounded rather concerned.

"I didn't mean to. S-Something must've disconnected our call.." You scrambled to grab your keys, convinced he was in danger.

'Damnit, I swore I was gonna stay away from Mandela, but if he's still there....and HE knows about him-.'

However before you could get your shoes, you stopped and felt a sudden chill run up your spine.

One that left you with the feeling that you weren't alone anymore.

Your gaze slowly went to the front door, where a tall humanoid figure lurked in the nearest corner. It was overtaken by a huge shadow, although the whites of its elongated eyes were still visible, staring back at you.

Adam's concerned "hellos" on the other end fell on deaf ears as you watched the creature limp out from the darkness, revealing itself to be the most horrifying attempt at human mimicry possible.

The worst part?

It looked just like you.

"I'm here whenever you need me, son." It echoed your voice, stalking towards you and forcing you away from the front door, back into the kitchen area. "Something must've disconnected our call-l-l!"

"Who the hell was that? What's going on?!"

Finally hearing your son again, you swallowed back tears as you shakily reached for a large knife, keeping the phone in a tight grip.

This was it for you.

You've just been a pawn in their plans all along.

The Intruder had intentions to kill you with M.A.D by revealing you've basically raised an Alternate for them, and if that despair alone didn't end your life.....then this beast that somehow got inside your home will surely finish the job.

But screw that. Screw all of them.

You'll fight till your last breath if you must.

Your only regret is leaving Adam all alone when he's already lost so much in his life...but you didn't want him to think you resented him.

"I-I have to go. I'm sorry if I sounded harsh back there. I just want you to make the right choices. But if this BPS stuff makes you happy, then..keep doing what you're doing. Just be careful, okay?"

"Uh, sure. But why are you talking like that, [y/n]??" His voice was growing more worrisome. "Look, I'm sorry. I-I swear I'll come back home soon-"

"Don't worry about me...I'll be okay." You smiled shakily, not taking your eyes off the creature closing in. "Just take care of yourself out there. This world's cruel, but I know you'll kick it in the ass."

"Just wait a damn second! Don't g-!"

"Goodbye, my son. I love you."

You ended the call, dropping the phone to the ground and holding the knife with both hands, finally ready to accept your fate.

The Alternate howled with laughter, before it lunged at you with its claws and jaws wide open.

"GOODBYE-E-E!!!!"

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!!!"

"Uh-oh! Bad decision, [y/n]!"

--January 16th, 2009--

Adam staggered through the front door to his home, famished, dehydrated, exhausted....

And burdened with knowledge that made him want to die.

Only a few months ago, you disappeared after that concerning phone conversation you two exchanged. He hasn't heard your voice since, and when he returned to Werksha..you were nowhere to be found.

There was no sign of a break-in, or anything of that sort..but Adam was convinced you were taken just like his mom was--obviously by one of the Alternates.

So he went back to Mandela to continue his investigations alongside Jonah, growing desperate for answers. There had to be at least one who knew what happened to you and where you are.

His obsession with these hunts only worsened, turning him into a crueler person around those who questioned his reasons for "chasing" after Alternates. Evelin did break off the relationship for good, seeing as he was too far gone to even reason with.

He knows you would've been disappointed in him...but surely you'd understand why he'd do this. You understood him better than anyone.

You said it yourself. As long as he was careful, he can do whatever he wanted!

Yet nothing ever turned up.

Until the day he and Jonah agreed to help put a cat's spirit to rest, the "owner" offering them $500 a night if they stayed for three in total...

That investigation ended in a huge argument in which Jonah brought up your name and his mother, setting him off and indirectly causing his best friend's death.

And then he was all alone again, but acted like none of it bothered him and tried to quell BPS' online following with a memorial video.

Days later, the Intruder contacted him on his laptop and unveiled the truth about his existence--the same truth he told you before you died.

"Your skin is not your own."

"You're not the real you."

Those words were drilled into Adam's mind, and he could feel his own body going through an agonizing metamorphosis as he forced himself to drive back to Werksha one last time.

He barely was able to drag himself out of the van and through the front door.

But that's when he was greeted by a grisly sight:

Your rotting corpse slumped against the wall, a bloody knife in your palm and a deep slash wound across your throat, your clothes caked in dried blood.

You were never missing.

You died.

And whatever monster brought you back here decided to present you as some twisted "gift" for him.

Adam collapsed and screamed so loudly that it shattered the lights he turned on, deciding right there that he didn't wanna live this way anymore. He couldn't. He didn't wanna become one of them.

He wanted to join you while he still had his humanity left.

Yet despite all his attempts to end his misery, including using the same knife you used to stab himself and consuming enough bleach cleaner he found under the sink to make him vomit his guts out......nothing was working.

His body didn't fail him like he expected.

He still felt his bones breaking in all the wrong ways, and now his insides fucking burned like an inferno.

Eventually, Adam stopped and instead covered your body with his BPS hoodie, sobbing about how sorry he was for not being here for you, before he managed to crawl his way into his room--his one place of comfort.

Having no strength to climb onto the mattress, he just slumped next to his bed, leaning against the nightstand for support. He made the mistake of looking into the cracked mirror beside him...and wailed as he saw the same monster that robbed you of life staring straight back at him:

A gaunt, skinny husk of a boy with pupils of light and a horrifying facial expression that's impossible for humans to mimic.

God, he wishes he spent more time with you...had he known all of this was going to happen..

Did you know he was an Alternate? Is that why you were afraid of him coming back to Mandela?

What would you do if you found him like this?

Would you still hold him?

Would you still sing to him?

Or....

'That's it...I can sing...' He realized, slowly quieting down as he recalled all the times you sang to him whenever he was saddened in the past.

If you were able to calm him down easily, then surely he can calm himself down in a similar way in this situation. It's just his own voice this time around; it couldn't be that much different...right?

It was worth a try.

"...s-such...a...pretty house...and...and such a pretty gardennn...."

He ignored the creaking of the front door being opened, and the footsteps that echoed through the house, slowly approaching his room.

"No..alarms-s-s....and no....a-and no....!"

Suddenly Adam began hyperventilating, eyes filling with tears as he struggled to finish the line, despising the way it sounded.

It wasn't the same.

It wasn't your voice.

It was a voice that wasn't even his own. Just a broken and flawed attempt to mimic the real Adam's--the one who never even got a shot at life before it was stolen away from him.

If this didn't help him..then nothing could..

He wanted you back.

He needed your voice to sing and comfort him, just as you've done all those years ago.

He needed you.

But you're never coming back again.

Up to this point, a certain ex-lieutenant officer with a vendetta against the Alternates entered the bedroom, shining the light around until he found this kid sitting all alone and....

Singing a Radiohead song?

He realized his ears weren't deceiving him, but just as he attempted to confirm his identity-

Adam's jaw unhinged without warning, stretching to impossible proportions as he looked directly into his eyes, screaming and crying out with all the grief left in him:

"GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!"

#clanask #mandela catalogue x reader #tmc x reader #adam murray #parent reader #platonic #tw body horror #tw suicide mention #tw reader death #angst #hurt/comfort

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