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miracleonice87 · 8 months

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behind the scenes at 30 rock

part of the kissing kelce universe

a/n: the newest installment is here! takes place during Travis's SNL appearance. includes guest appearances from jason, mama and papa kelce, and kelsea ballerini. enjoy!

warnings: mention of pregnancy / related sickness / babies, alcohol, swearing, i think that's it

word count: ~4,000

___

March 5, 2023

Travis was mere hours from hosting Saturday Night Live, the biggest honor of his entire life and career outside of football.

And you? You were sitting alone in his green room – an appropriate name, considering how you were constantly green in the gills these days – being sick in a trash can.

Travis was rehearsing on stage, along with Jason and the cast, while Donna, Ed, and Trav’s management team were being toured around the studio. You had hung back after muttering a lame excuse about needing to call home and walk your parents through how to record the show tonight. Donna had eyed you suspiciously but let it go… and the group left you alone just in time for you to cough up your guts moments after the door closed.

The wave of sickness lasted for a good three or four minutes, and as you sat up weakly, pressing the inside of your wrist to your sweaty forehead before reaching into your purse for your breath spray, you wondered how the fuck you were going to clean this up without anyone noticing. With a groan, you reached for some paper towels, crumpling them up and shoving them into the bag of the offending trash can, then tied the cheap plastic bag tightly closed and put it in another empty trash bag which, thankfully, you found inside the can. Somehow, you kept the gagging to a minimum as you picked up the bundle of bags and walked toward the door, taking a deep breath in when you reached it.

This is so fucking embarrassing.

You cracked the door open just far enough to call out to a young PA walking down the hallway. As he drew closer, you called sheepishly, “Excuse me?”

He whipped his head up and stood straight, not having noticed the partially open door until you spoke.

“Oh, Mrs. Kelce!” he said with a polite smile. “Yes, can I help you?”

You winced visibly. “Actually, yes,” you admitted softly. “Please know that I absolutely hate to do this, but… I was just, uh, sick, in here and… I was wondering if it was possible to get rid of this for me?” You held the bag up a few inches and smiled at him apologetically. “I swear I’m not drunk, I’m just, uh… I’m not feeling well.”

He nodded and gave you an understanding smile.

“Not a problem, Mrs. Kelce,” he said, carefully reaching for the bag. “Trust me, I’ve dealt with much worse than this,” he said playfully, and you were grateful for his assistance and his attempt to make you feel better. “You let us know if you need anything else, alright?”

“Thank you so much,” you said quietly. You read his nametag before continuing. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Jeremy. And, um, one more thing…”

He nodded again. “Anything.”

“Keep this between us?” you said softly, lifting an index finger to your lips.

Slowly, a knowing smirk stretched across his lips. “Of course,” he assured. “My lips are sealed.”

You nodded, mouthing a final “thank you.” You closed the door and rested your head against the cool frame, closing your eyes and exhaling slowly, relieved that that hadn’t been as painful as you’d feared, and making a mental note to send Jeremy some piece of memorabilia signed by Travis as a token of your gratitude.

You jumped when, just a few moments later, a soft knock came on the other side of the door.

“One second!” you called, ducking into the view of the lighted mirror to check your appearance, reaching for a tissue to wipe at the corners of your mouth.

“Hey, it’s Kelsea,” a voice said quietly. “Can I come in?”

You smiled. Not only was it Travis’s first time on SNL, but it was also the first appearance for the musical guest, Kelsea Ballerini, who just so happened to be one of your favorite artists and one of the most-played on your Spotify account. You had briefly met her earlier and were able to tell her what a big fan of hers you were, and you were thrilled that she was back again, presumably to chat or maybe to take a quick photo before the show.

“Yes, come in!” you called cheerfully as you cleared your throat and tossed the tissue into the trash from three-point range, plastering a mega-watt smile on your features as if nothing at all had happened in the last ten minutes.

She opened the door wearing a sweats set and carrying one of the SNL bags given to each special guest, and you noticed her freshly finished hair and makeup – the final step before the show would be to change into her outfit, which was sure to be stunning.

As you were about to open your mouth to tell her how beautiful she looked already, she shut the door and said abruptly, “Are you okay?”

Your stomach fluttered, this time due to nerves and not the baby in your belly.

How did she know?

You swallowed hard and tried your best to play it off.

“Yeah, I’m fine!” you lied through your teeth with a wave of your hand. “Why do you ask?”

She smiled and shyly ducked her head before meeting your eyes again.

“Well, my boyfriend Chase was just walking past and overheard you talking to the PA about being sick…” You pursed your lips, trying as hard as you could to keep a grin from your face. Kelsea forged ahead. “Now, listen, you do not have to tell me if you don’t want to, of course, but… I doubt you’d be here at all if you had the stomach flu, and you don’t seem like you’ve had too much to drink, so…”

You chuckled quietly, then nodded. After a long pause, you copped.

“We literally just found out a week ago…”

Kelsea covered her mouth as she screamed silently and began hopping from one foot to the other.

“Oh, my god, oh, my god! Congratulations!” she whisper-yelled as she wrapped you in a warm hug. In your wildest dreams, you could have never guessed that Kelsea Ballerini would be the second person – well, technically the third, if Jeremy had in fact caught your drift – in the world whom you told that you were expecting. Kelsea pulled away and held you at arm’s length. “Okay, well, I’m glad I asked – I had a feeling so I brought ginger ale and Jolly Ranchers. That’s what helped one of my girlfriends through her whole first trimester.”

She reached into the bag hanging from her forearm and produced said items, and you pressed a hand to your lips as tears pricked your eyes.

“Sorry, ignore me!” you exclaimed, laughing as you accepted the items. “It’s the freaking hormones. But that is so sweet of you. Thank you. You did not have to do that – you have a show to prepare for!”

She waved her hand nonchalantly. “I know, I know, but this is just girl code,” she said decidedly. “I’ll run back out there in a sec but I wanted to make sure you were okay. Here, sit, sit,” she insisted as she motioned toward the velvet couch.

You did as you were instructed and happily screwed the cap off of the soda, taking a few small sips. The coolness and carbonation of the drink were a welcome sensation on your tongue.

“So nobody else knows?” Kelsea whispered excitedly, scrunching her nose with glee.

As you swallowed, you smiled. “No,” you whispered back, and Kelsea squealed. “I’m only six weeks. We’re gonna tell my brother- and sister-in-law and his parents tomorrow when we go to Philly to meet the new baby, but right now it’s just us who know. And you!”

She clapped her fingertips together enthusiastically. “This is the coolest thing ever!” she exclaimed, tipping her head back.

“Don’t tell Trav that you know!” you warned as you unrolled a watermelon Jolly Rancher and popped it into your mouth. “He won’t be upset, but then he’ll wonder how you found out, and he’s been so worried about how sick I’ve been. I mean, he tried to cancel this,” you explained, motioning generally around the room.

Kelsea held up a hand. “I swear on my life – again, girl code,” she promised. “But what I am gonna do? Is tell my boyfriend to keep an eye on you during the show and get you an out if needed. I don’t need to tell him why – he’ll listen.”

You reached to rest your hand on her knee, squeezing it affectionately. “Thank you, Kelsea,” you said sincerely. “I really appreciate it. I’d say we’d name our baby after you, but that might be a little weird.”

Kelsea burst into a fit of laughter. “Yeah, Kelsea Kelce might be a bit much,” she admitted. “We can workshop it though.”

You giggled, then took another sip of ginger ale.

“Think you’ll be okay to sit through this whole thing?” she asked as you reached for the bag of salt and vinegar chips you’d stashed in Travis’s bag as you were leaving the hotel earlier.

You nodded. “Usually I’m okay for a few hours once I’ve eaten something. Today’s just been so crazy that I hadn’t even realized I hadn’t eaten enough. I can tell you that won’t happen again,” you told her as you popped a chip into your mouth.

Kelsea tutted. “Girl, I get it. I get hangry so easily, and I’m not even pregnant,” she confessed as you beamed. “Well, I’m gonna get out there, but I’m glad you’re hanging in there. And I’m so happy for you and Travis, truly – I know we just met but it’s not hard to see how much y’all love each other and love your family, and you’re gonna be amazing parents.”

Tears welled in your eyes once more as you wrapped your free arm around Kelsea’s neck, and she hugged your waist.

“Thank you,” you managed, voice watery. You sat back and cleared your throat. “Now, break a leg! No pressure, but you’re technically baby’s first concert.”

Kelsea gaped. “I didn’t even think of that!” she said giddily. “Oh, my god, I’m gonna turn it all the way on then.”

___

Backstage, a few hours later, Kelsea and Travis locked eyes in the moments immediately following the end of the live taping and the chaos that ensued. Over her head, she pointed both index fingers at him, doing her best to make a beeline to him through the sea of cast, crew, family, and friends. Travis danced toward her as though he had just caught a touchdown in the corner of the end zone at Arrowhead.

“You did it!” he exclaimed, booming voice echoing throughout the short distance between them.

As she finally reached him, she extended both hands to high-five him, then the two embraced giddily.

“We did it!” she shouted back, clapping him on the back. “You absolutely killed it out there!”

Travis pulled back to point at Kelsea. “You were amazing,” he praised. “You sounded incredible!”

“Thank you, thank you,” she said, bowing playfully. “God, what a night!”

Travis rubbed his palms together. “What a fucking night indeed,” he concurred. “Now it’s time to celebrate – I’m gonna go find my family and get this freakin’ makeup off,” he laughed, then looked at her pointedly. “See you and Chase at the afterparty?”

Kelsea looked at him as though he were crazy. “Are you kidding? We’ll be there with bells on. I’ll meet you for shots in twenty,” she assured, then her expression grew more serious, and she leaned up to speak into Travis’s ear quietly enough so that no one could hear. “Just make sure you check on wifey first – and make sure she eats something before we go out.”

As Kelsea took a step back, Travis eyed her in disbelief.

“Wait, how did you-”

Kelsea pressed an index finger to her lips.

“I’m sworn to secrecy – girl code,” she whispered. Then, as she backed away, she mouthed, “congratulations.”

He shook his head, a bashful smile on his face, and mouthed back, “thank you.”

___

Another hour into the night, after Travis had made sure you had your fill of the Chinese takeout he’d made certain to have a PA deliver to you right after the show, you were watching him hold court in the middle of Mermaid Oyster Bar in Times Square, simultaneously amused by and in awe of the way he was being doted upon as king of the city, even if just for the night. The poignance and ferocity of your first hug upon finding him after the show rivaled the embraces shared between the two of you after both Super Bowl victories, after your wedding vows, and, most recently, upon finding out you were expecting.

But never in any of those sacred moments had you been so fucking tired as you were right now. Fighting against the exhaustion that threatened to overpower you at any moment as you watched Travis in a daze, you hid a yawn behind your palm and blinked furiously. In the corner of your private booth reserved for family, Donna sat sipping her cocktail, eyes never leaving you. When Ed got up from the table to meet someone at Jason’s behest, Donna scooted closer to you, leaning in so that she could be heard above the thumping music.

“We should do a tequila shot together – I know it’s your favorite, and it’s a special occasion!” she suggested, nudging your shoulder with hers.

You threw her a smile which you hoped wasn’t riddled with the anxiety you felt at the proposition.

“You’re crazy!” you accused in jest. “It’s been such a long day, I’ll fall asleep if I take a shot.”

Donna nodded decisively, took a generous sip of her drink, and placed her hand atop yours on the table, studying you.

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

“Mom!” you suddenly heard from behind you, the single syllable tinged with a familiar northeast Ohio accent, and you and Donna both turned your heads to find her youngest son gaping at you, blue eyes wide with bewilderment and lips parted. “What the fuck?!” he spat as he hurried around to the front of the booth.

Donna guffawed. “Well, now I definitely have my answer!” she said, smacking the table gleefully before throwing her arms around you. “Congratulations, honey!” she exclaimed, kissing your cheek. “Oh, I’m so happy for you!” She reached for Travis’s hand as he tucked into the seat next to you, and you leaned against the table to allow mother and son as much space as possible to embrace behind you in the cramped booth.

“What’s happening?” Jason questioned as he approached alongside Ed, his signature brows furrowed as he looked at you accusingly. Travis and Donna parted and turned their attention to the other two Kelces. You pursed your lips before bursting into nervous laughter.

“Well… our mother just accused this one of being pregnant,” Travis announced, wrapping an arm tightly around your shoulders as you offered a playful wave, watching Jason’s eyebrows shoot straight up, his color draining from his face at the perceived uncomfortable moment. “And as only Mom could be, she was 100% correct in that assumption.”

“Ayyyy-yyy-yyy!” Jason erupted, throwing his arms into the air before slinging them around both you and Travis at the same time, as Ed clapped in the background. “That’s fucking amazing! Oh my god!”

As Jason made space for Ed to congratulate the two of you, Donna put a finger in the air.

“I want to make it clear that I did not ask based on her weight or appearance or anything of the sort,” she insisted, one hand flush to her chest as if reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. “I only asked because she turned down a tequila shot for the first time in the many years that I have known her.”

Jason and Ed cackled, and Travis drew you even closer into his side.

“Alright nah! That’s my girl,” he joked, pressing a kiss to your temple. “Only eight more months until your next one, sweetness.”

“That is very unlike her, I’ll give you that,” Ed concurred. “So, when are you due, sweetheart?”

You looked up at Travis and shared an elated grin. “Uh, November 6!” you announced. “It’s early – we only just found out last week.”

As Donna clapped furiously and Ed nodded, beaming, Jason held up both hands.

“Hold on, hold on, hold on… isn’t that the first day of Travis’s bye?” he asked incredulously.

You nodded happily as Travis bobbled his head from side to side, pride and euphoria radiating from him, especially in his alcohol-flooded state. Jason stood still as a statue, gaping. “This is insane! You’re probably gonna get to be with her and the baby for, like, multiple days and not have to work or go anywhere,” he pointed out.

Travis nodded knowingly. “You’re goddang right, brotha – everything’s coming up Kelce! Ha haaa!”

Jason chuckled. “You’re unbelievable,” he said, shaking his head. “But shit, am I happy for you guys! Oh, my god, Ky’s gonna flip!”

Travis squeezed your bicep and implored, “Jason, please do not go back to your hotel and drunkenly call her, okay? We’ve been planning to wait and tell her in person tomorrow when we get to your house to meet Benny, which is when we were gonna tell all of you, but apparently Mom had other plans!”

Jason crossed his heart. “Um, you might have to take my phone away from me to make sure that doesn’t happen, but I promise I won’t do it on purpose.”

___

You somehow managed to stay awake until four in the morning, largely thanks to the advice Jason had received from Rich Eisen to sleep in for as long as possible that morning in order to prep for the wild night after the show, but you realized you had finally hit your wall when the crew was ready to head to another location and you were not. Travis pulled you into his chest while the group discussed the route to the next party, his big hands resting on your lower back to keep you close. He ducked his head to speak into your ear, as private a conversation as could be managed in the midst of a gaggle of people.

“I don’t think I’m gonna go,” he said simply.

You shot him a “yeah fucking right” look and immediately shook your head. “No, baby, you’re going – that’s not even a question,” you argued, smoothing a hand across his broad chest. “I’m gonna head back and get some sleep, you’re gonna stay out as late as you can keep your eyes open, and that’s final,” you said, poking him in the sternum.

His fingers ghosted up and down your spine as you spoke, and he smirked in amusement, knowing better than to continue to fight you on this.

“Are you absolutely certain?” he asked. “Because you just say the word and I swear to god, we turn around and walk out that door and go back together right now.”

You shook your head again, toying with his silver chain. “Absolutely not, Trav,” you reiterated. “I’m certain. This is a once-in-a-lifetime deal, and you’re gonna enjoy every second of it. And to be frank, I’m gonna pass out the moment my head hits the pillow, so it’s not gonna make a difference to me whether you’re there or not. Until morning, and you can go back to holding my hair back for me.”

Travis giggled, and his long arms wrapped you in an all-consuming hug as he buried a kiss in your hair. “Gladly,” he stated, and you knew he meant it. He dropped another kiss to your forehead and added, “I love you so bad.”

You hummed appreciatively and tipped your head up to peck his lips. “I love you so bad,” you echoed. “This has been incredible, watching you shine. You were amazing, babe. I’m so proud of you.”

The humility and delight in his eyes was overwhelming, and he cradled the back of your head to thank you with a passionate kiss, the kind usually reserved for private spaces. But this was a special occasion, not to mention how much alcohol your husband had consumed by this point, so you simply smiled against his lips until he pulled away for air.

“Couldn’t have done it without you, my girl,” he said warmly. “Be safe. Text me when you’re in. I’ll see you soon.”

You nodded, squeezing his waist.

“I will,” you promised. “Have a ball, 87.”

_____

But truth be told, Travis did not have a ball once you had left him. Admittedly, he had watched your location on his phone incessantly while you traveled the short distance from the Mermaid back to your hotel, grateful that his mom had accompanied you, having had enough of the party for the night herself. Once he had watched the blue dot representing you reach the front of the hotel, then become stagnant once you had apparently reached your room and minutes later texted him “made it back, getting ready for bed - love you ❤️”, he tried his damnedest to focus on being present and enjoying himself, reminding him that this night was special, just as you’d said.

But with every drink that was poured down his throat, with every celebrity he tried his best to entertain, with every introduction by somebody he was supposed to recognize to somebody else he was supposed to recognize, his thoughts were always, only, with you – whether you were asleep yet, how you were sleeping if so, if you had had enough to eat, how you were feeling. He’d spent so much time away from you this week because of the rigorous schedule of meetings and rehearsals that he just missed you with every fiber of his being – he swore it had to be biological, because anyone who knew Travis Kelce knew that he loved a party, especially one celebrating him. Though he’d never quite felt this way before, his heart simply wasn’t in it.

Around 5 in the morning, he locked eyes with Jason and gave him the high sign, hand gesturing at his neck to indicate that he’d had his fill of the SNL pandemonium. Jason gave a knowing smile and nod, well aware of what was coming next – an Irish exit by his younger brother. Travis knew he would be there for another hour if he attempted to say goodbye to each and every person at the party, even just the ones he knew personally, and with his one-track mind focused solely on his exhausted pregnant wife back in his suite, he made the executive decision to dip out through a side door near the bathrooms. He quickly made his way to the car waiting for him, shared a nod with the driver, and climbed into the backseat.

“How you doin’, man? Back to the hotel, please,” he requested.

“Of course, Mr. Kelce,” the driver replied. “Do you need to make any stops first?”

Travis smiled softly and shook his head. “Not a one – thank you.”

Finally, after what had to be the longest day of his life, he snuck back into the hotel unnoticed thanks to the accommodating staff, slipped in the door to the penthouse suite, quickly shed his outfit leaving on only his boxers, and snuggled into bed behind you, pressing his chest against your back. At his familiar touch and scent, you inhaled deeply and moaned softly, glancing over your shoulder and throwing him a sleepy smile.

“Hey, superstar, you made it back,” you greeted him, voice raspy and thick with sleep as your head dropped back to the pillow.

“Mmhmm, and I have been dreaming of this all day long,” he whispered, kissing a line from your shoulderblade, up your neck, along your jaw and ending at your temple. “Go back to sleep, sweet thing. I gotchu.”

“Mmm, ‘kay. Love you, Trav,” you all but slurred, instantly slipping back into your slumber.

He smiled so big it hurt his face, completely, wholly, overwhelmingly, blissfully content as his hand settled on your lower stomach where a baby bump was still weeks from appearing, your warm fingers lazily covering his.

“I love you, mama.”

#kissing kelce #travis kelce #my writing #travis kelce fic #travis kelce fanfic #travis kelce fanfiction #travis kelce fluff #travis kelce x reader

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imaginespazzi · 6 days

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Part 5: One Perfect Day

Masterlist - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

Let me photograph you in this light (in case it is the last time that we might be exactly like we were)

(In which a procrastinating writer procrastinates giving her ship happiness)

Pairing: Paige Bueckers X Azzi Fudd

Themes: Angst, Pining, Some Fluff

Words: 7.5K

TW: Swearing, Alcohol, Alludes to Sexual Content

A/N: Good evening my lovelies <3. As many of you have reminded me it is indeed Friday and so here we are, nobody needs to yell at me! I know I'm years too late with this but I hope y'all like it anyways, even though this is very much mainly hurt with very little comfort. But for things to get better, they have to get worse and remember, it's all for the plot! There's plenty of creative liberty taken this chapter with how hotels and post-championship celebrations work and other logistics but I wrote it how I needed to so just go with it. Did I edit? Yes. Are there typos and errors anyway? Probably. As always, tell me what you liked, what you disliked and what you'd like to see next. Have a wonderful weekend lovelies!!

March 2019

The final buzzer echoes through the Williams Arena, and the disappointment of the last couple of years is finally drowned out as the Hopkins Royals win the state championship. Surrounded by the cheers of her teammates, Paige doesn’t know if she’d call this the happiest moment of her life, the stomach flu symptoms haven’t quite faded yet, but she knows it’s definitely on her mount rushmore of times when life was great.

For a second, as she’d been crouched over the toilet with Azzi’s hands soothingly rubbing her back, feeling her soul leave with the remnants of last night's dinner, Paige had almost lost hope. But she’d never been taught to give up without a fight. And so it hadn’t mattered that she definitely looked a little green or that standing up was taking twice the energy it normally did, Paige was going to play today. It hadn’t been a flashy scoring night but she’d done everything else her team needed. And as that lead had built and built and built, Paige knew, the moment was still hers.

“Paigeyyyyy,” Drew is the first one to find her after her and her teammates break apart, launching his tiny body into her legs, “you won!”

Paige laughs, lifting her brother into her arms and spinning him around, “I told you I was gonna didn’t I?”

One by one, her whole family, the epitome of a modern family, pull her into hugs and then they gather into one large group hug, with Paige at the centre of it all. Her siblings look at her with pure admiration while her parent’s eyes are filled with pride. And it fulfils that part of Paige that has always lived a little more for her family than for herself.

As her family moves away slowly, Paige finds herself face to face with Azzi’s shining smile and her heart skips a beat. And she doesn’t really know when it started or even how really, but it gets a little more difficult every time she sees Azzi, for Paige to convince herself that that fluttering in her chest is nothing.

“You look a little pale white girl,” Azzi teases, taking a couple of steps towards the blonde, “glad you didn’t vomit all over the floor.”

“Nah no bullshit flu is stopping Paige Bueckers. The flu is scared of me,” Paige juts out her chest with a smirk, earning her a patented eye roll from the younger girl.

“Oh yeah, you’re real scary,” Azzi indulges before pulling Paige into a bone-crushing hug, “I’m proud of you P.”

Paige smiles into the crook of Azzi’s neck, basking in the glow of the compliment. It’s these little moments they have in between their constant banter, where they let themselves be each other’s biggest cheerleaders, that makes them Paige and Azzi. They pull away, still grinning. and Paige’s eyes roam over the Team Paige jersey framing Azzi’s body. It makes her feel some type of way to see the younger girl wearing her name across her chest, but it’s not a feeling Paige is quite ready to accept. Perhaps it’s been written in their destiny that someday things will change, that eventually they’ll both have to confront the something more that’s simmering underneath it all, but for now, Paige just wants to protect what they already have.

“That’s a pretty jersey,” she says with a wink, fingers rushing over the soft material.

“I was forced at gunpoint to wear it,” Azzi sighs dramatically, “I was actually cheering for Stillwater. Their pg’s kinda cute.”

Paige bristles at the comment, the queasiness from this morning returning with vengeance, “she’s mid as hell on and off the court.”

“Don’t be petty Paige. You think she’d let me wear her jersey instead?”

“You know what,” Paige fights a losing battle with the quick surge of anger that’s taking birth in her stomach, “how about you take off my winner’s jersey and go to the loser’s locker room and beg for her jersey instead.”

She knows Azzi’s joking, knows the point guard on the other team isn’t even really Azzi’s type, knows that even if Azzi’s being serious, Paige doesn’t have a right to feel this way. But that green eyed monster is clawing at her heart, squeezing it and making it hard to breathe.

“Oh- hey hey hey,” Azzi’s quick to grab at her when Paige tries to storm off, “chill dude. You know I’m just kidding.”

“Well it wasn’t funny,” Paige pouts, aware that she’s being unnecessarily childish.

Azzi opens her mouth, about to make some smartass quip but there must be something about how genuinely frustrated Paige looks that softens her expression, “I came to watch you P. I have no idea what that other girl was doing. I was cheering for you the whole time.”

“You’re so sappy,” Paige snorts, throwing a handful of confetti at Azzi, but inside, the ice cold jealousy melts into something warm and lovely, spreading through her heart into her veins.

“Can’t even say nice shit without you being a dick about it,” Azzi rolls her eyes, as she links her arms through Paige’s, “now come on, let’s go celebrate you.”

***

It’s almost 2 a.m. when Paige’s teammates finally begin to filter out of her house, leaving with droopy eyes and tired smiles. She and Azzi stand in the doorway, waving goodbye to every last one of them and it feels a little domestic, like a couple after a dinner party. Paige shakes that thought away the minute it begins to form, forcing herself to ignore the burst of wouldn’t that be lovely that blooms in her chest.

“What if I just fell asleep here?” Paige sags against the doorframe.

“You’d probably fall flat on your face and I’d get an epic video of it.”

“You’re so fucking mean to me.”

“Oh yeah right because you’re so nice to me.”

“Am to,” Paige retorts, before she makes grabby hands towards Azzi, “carry me?”

Azzi swats her hands away, “Absolutely not lazy, it’s one flight of stairs.”

“That’s like 20 steps,” Paige whines. To be honest, she’s not that tired. Out of the two of them, she’s probably closer to being a night owl. But Paige is nothing if not a little bit of nuisance, especially when it comes to Azzi.

“Are you an athlete or not,” Azzi chides, rolling her eyes.

“Bro I just won a championship AND I had the flu. And you won’t even carry me? What kind of best friend are you?”

“Paige.”

“Azziiiiii.”

“Paige I’m tired.”

“Pleeeeeaseeee.”

The younger girl sighs, a sign of her caving in, before turning around so her back is facing Paige's front, “fine, get on you big baby.”

“YES-”

“Dude shut up, you’re gonna wake everybody up,” Azzi groans, always the responsible one.

“Sorry, sorry,” Paige whispers as she jumps onto Azzi’s back, the force of it causing the brunette to take a couple steps forward, “fucking hell Azzi don’t drop me.”

Azzi lets out an indignant squawk, as she regains her balance, “with that attitude, I should drop you.”

“If you’re too weak to carry me, just say that,” Paige teases, wrapping her legs firmly around Azzi’s torso. She buries her shit-eating grin in her best friend’s neck, as she loops her arms around Azzi’s shoulders.

“It is not my fault you’ve put on like a hundred pounds since I last saw you.”

Azzi squeals when Paige pinches at her ribcage and the blonde immediately slaps a hand on her best friend’s mouth, “what happened to being quiet? Now, onwards horsey- OW! Did you just fucking bite my hand!?”

“What happened to being quiet?” Azzi mocks, adjusting Paige’s weight on her back as she begins to walk towards the staircase, grumbling something under her breath about ‘ungrateful best friends’ but Paige knows she doesn’t mean a word of it. She snuggles further into Azzi’s neck, letting herself breathe in the scent of the younger girl.

When Azzi had first left Minnesota, after they’d spent every second since the plane ride back from Argentina, Paige had thought that that hollowness in her chest was temporary, that it would fade once she got back into daily life. It didn’t. And the thing is the word miss had existed in Paige’s dictionary before too but she doesn’t think she really understood what it meant til she started to miss Azzi.

As soon as they reach Paige’s bedroom, Azzi’s already swatting Paige off her back. The blonde falls back onto the pillows on her bed with a content sigh, watching with a cheeky grin as Azzi pretends to stretch out the muscles on her back and her arms.

“I think that might have broke my fucking back,” the younger girl groan, face scrunching up in mock exhaustion, “and I have to sit on a plane again tomorrow.”

That wipes the smile straight off Paige's face. It’s so easy to get lost in the moment with Azzi, so easy to forget that they spend less time together than they do apart. They haven’t bothered with the actual lights but even in the dim glow of the moon through Paige’s windows, Azzi sees her best friend’s change in expression clearly, her own face becoming melancholic. Sighing, she climbs onto the bed herself and lies down next to Paige, intertwining her hands with the older girl’s.

“You could stay a little longer,” Paige says after a moment, eyes resolutely focused on the ceiling.

Azzi let out a wistful sigh, “I wish. But you know I can’t.”

“You can, you just won’t, little miss goody-two-shoes,” the light-hearted teasing eases some of the mood as they both let out soft giggles. They dissolve into a comfortable silence before, “I can’t wait til we’re playing for UConn together.”

Paige misses the way Azzi stiffens a little next to her, too enthralled with imagining a future where she and her best friend could conquer the world together. She knows Azzi, with all her indecisive tendencies, hasn’t quite come around to being anywhere near ready to pick a college team yet but Paige still has time to convince her and Paige Bueckers is nothing if not persuasive.

“So it’s definitely UConn then?”

“Yeah. I mean it’s UConn dude. The UConn. They’re the best. All these other programs are nice but when UConn calls, you don’t say no to that shit,” and Paige means that with all her heart. As the number one recruit in her class, there had been no shortage of offers and of course Paige had entertained them for a little while. But the minute Geno Auriemma had given his offer, everything else had become obsolete. She hadn’t committed yet, still maintaining a façade of being in the decision stage, but all of that was just a front. Paige knows she’s meant to be a UConn husky, there’s no way around it.

“I think you’ll make a pretty damn good Husky,” Azzi says with a soft smile, as she absentmindedly plays with Paige’s fingers.

“We’ll make damn good Huskies,” Paige affirms.

“I don’t know P, California’s pretty tempting,” it’s said teasingly but a hint of seriousness slips through the cracks anyway.

Paige scoffs, “cause it’s hot? Bruh that much heat would be boring. Connecticut gets all four seasons. We’d get the heat and the snow.”

“I get all of that in Virginia already,” Azzi points out with a huff, “maybe I want something different.”

“You do get something different. You get to play with me. That’s different.”

“Yeah but-”

“Dude why are you fighting me on this? Do you not want to be on the same team as me or something?” Paige asks agitatedly, suddenly feeling frustrated with the turn the conversation had taken.

“Okay breathe,” Azzi gives her a stern side-eye, “I was just saying California’s nice. Of course I want to be on your team. Did the shirt not make that obvious?”

Involuntarily, Paige has to smile at the memory of Azzi’s jersey, the team Paige that had been loudly imprinted across her chest, “right, sorry got a little carried away. I just always want you on my team, you know?”

“I’m always on Team Paige. I always have been. I always will be,” Azzi says firmly, as if it’s the most obvious truth in the world.

When Paige turns her head to look at her best friend, the younger girl is already looking back at her and the sincerity in Azzi’s eyes makes Paige’s heart stutter. The moon shines against Azzi’s face and Paige swears she can see every little detail in the dim light. And the thing is Paige has always known Azzi’s a pretty girl, she’s not blind. But it’s different tonight. Tonight Azzi’s the kind of beautiful that Paige wants to memorise until it’s imprinted in the back of her eyelids, the kind of beautiful that she wants to lock away in a treasure chest and preserve only for her own eyes to ever see again. The kind of beautiful that Paige knows she isn’t allowed to think of Azzi as. But still, right now, Azzi’s the kind of beautiful that makes Paige want to try and see if maybe, just maybe, there’s the possibility for something more.

That night, when she finally falls asleep to the sound of her best friend’s quiet breathing, Paige dreams of UConn and championships and at the end of it all, kissing Azzi under the confetti.

***

April 2024

There’s 14 seconds left in the National Championship game and UConn is ahead by eight points. Adrenaline courses through Paige’s veins as that one elusive dream of hers seems to finally be coming closer and closer to fruition. Winning a National Championship had been on her mind since she’d first picked up a basketball. The minute she’d committed to UConn, it had felt inevitable and yet year after year, her team had fallen just a little short. But this afternoon, it seems like it’s finally within grasp. 14 seconds to go. 14 steps closer to having her perfect moment.

Except, every time Paige had imagined this moment, she’d expected her best friend to be there. In the beginning, before everything, she’d dreamed of them being on the court together, running into each other’s arms the minute the buzzer sounded. And then, until the last second today before she had to take the court, Paige had just assumed that when she’d look in the stands, somewhere in the crowd, there’d be the one face she wanted to see most in the world. But no matter how much she squinted, that face had been nowhere to be found and Paige had forced herself to compartmentalise her disappointment, and focus on the game. She hadn’t looked at the crowd since.

The ball is in the other team’s hands, their point guard, diligently calling out plays before she inbounds it. Coach’s words echo in Paige’s head, try for a clean steal but don’t under any circumstances foul. Their pg inbounds the ball and the shot clock starts to count down. The ball bounces through the hands of different players on the other team but the UConn defence is stifling. Their coach is out of timeouts and it isn’t until the last millisecond that they heave up a prayer shot. And it doesn’t matter if it goes in, it’s a two point possession game, but Paige’s eyes are glued on the basketball anyways.

The shot is an airball. The buzzer sounds through the arena. UConn wins their 12th national championship.

For a second, everything goes silent around Paige. The normally over-excitable girl, known for her insane golden retriever energy, is perfectly still. It takes a couple more seconds for the adrenaline to hit. And then she’s screaming, pummeling her body into the rest of her teammates as the bleed blue crowd goes wild. She loses herself in the noise of her teammates cheering and the bright lights of cameras flashing nearby. They did it. And it doesn’t erase just how fucking hard the last couple of year had been, but it makes the burden significantly lighter.

Paige rushes through the handshake line, the opposing team’s coach giving her an appreciative review of her performance before she’s recaptured into a group hug by her teammates. It’s a surreal feeling really, one that’s far better than even her most wonderful dreams. For the first time since the game began, Paige lets her gaze wander over to the family section who are all tearfully hugging, smiling at her parents and then her siblings and then-

When her eyes meet Azzi’s, it’s like the last piece of the puzzle has finally settled into its rightful place, completing the perfect picture of Paige’s perfect moment. A #5 UConn jersey hangs loosely against Azzi’s hips as she smiles shyly at her best friend. And Paige is scared to blink, scared if she looks away, the girl in front of her will disappear. It takes everything in her to not rush into the stands, pull her best friend into her and kiss her under the confetti.

Azzi doesn’t budge when the rest of the family and friends crew start to move towards the court. There’s too much attention, too much media, for that to be a feasible option. Paige wishes they would all just disappear, let her have her moment the exact way she’d pictured it. She thinks she’d like to fulfil that dream of hers, kiss Azzi in the confetti, twirl her around, and between it all, let the world know that she was Paige’s.

As always, Drew is the first person to reach her. He’s a little too big for her to pick up, but she spins him around anyway.

“You won Paigey,” her little brother squeals and he might be older now, but that innocent admiration of his older sister is as palpable as always, “I knew you could do it!”

“Thanks for always believing in me, little dude,” Paige says softly, leaning her cheek against the top of Drew’s head.

Over the top of her brother's head, Paige realises with sudden panic that Azzi’s not there anymore. Dread filters into her bloodstream, the voices in her head screaming it was too good to be true. The way her body tenses doesn’t go unnoticed by her mother who’s quick to hold her.

“She said to tell you she’d see you at the hotel later,” Amy Jo says with a knowing smile, before letting Paige’s body sag into hers. She rubs her daughter’s back as relief settles into the younger girl's features, “proud of you Paigey.”

Paige smiles into her mother’s chest. Last year had been the hardest of her life and for a while the light at the end of the tunnel had been hard to see. Today, she feels the light surrounding her, washing away all the darkness from the last few years, bathing her in the glow of happiness.

***

“I always knew you’d look good in a UConn jersey.”

Azzi’s eyes fly open and Paige smirks, leaning her body against the wall. The last couple of hours had been a whirlwind of media, champagne and excited chatter about what the after party would be like. Paige’s focus had been on celebrating, but the thought of getting back to Azzi had been a constantly lingering presence in the back of her mind. And as the bus had gotten closer to the hotel, anxiety had creeped in because what if Azzi wasn’t there? What if she’d changed her mind?

Paige had smiled for the fans outside the hotel, diligently posing for pictures and signing autographs, ignoring the heaviness in heart. But as soon as she was far away from prying eyes, she was bolting towards her room. And then everything was okay. Paige has heard a lot of cliché things about love, about how it makes you hear violins and see stars and all of that, about how it increases your heart rate and makes you flush. But Paige thinks all of that can’t quite be right. Because when she’d seen Azzi, curled up in her sheets, #5 jersey crumpled but still fitted around her body, Paige had only felt a sense of calm. And that Paige thinks, is probably the actual truth of love, it’s about finding peace and to Paige, Azzi has always been her peace.

“I’d look great in any jersey,” Azzi claps back groggily, moving to sit up.

“But you look the best in mine. You always have,” Paige tries to keep her voice teasing, but it comes out sounding rather wistful, and the next words are even softer, “you came.”

Azzi bites her lips, looking down at her fiddling thumbs, “you asked me to.”

Those four little words carve themselves into a little crevice in Paige’s heart as if they’ll stay there forever, as if they’ll echo through her entire body for the rest of time. She practically throws herself onto the younger girl, the force of it pushing Azzi back down into the pillows, as she buries her head in the crook of Azzi’s neck. Their legs slot together of their own accord and it’s a little bit like they’re trying to meld into each other’s skin the way they press themselves as close as possible, til there’s barely space for air in between them. They lie like that for god knows how long; it goes by in a rush and yet ever so slowly.

“I’m really fucking happy you’re here,” Paige whispers into Azzi’s skin, “really fucking happy.”

Azzi doesn’t say anything, humming into Paige’s hair as she tightens her grip on the blonde’s waist but Paige can tell by the way she stiffens underneath her, that Azzi’s holding herself back from something. Her heart hammers in her chest as she lifts her face from Azzi’s neck to inspect the younger girl’s face.

“What aren’t you saying to me Az?” she whispers quietly with a sinking feeling.

“Paige,” Azzi closes her eyes. And just that is enough for Paige to understand exactly what’s going through her best friend’s head and suddenly she wishes she’d never asked, just let them have this moment.

“Never mind, I don't want to hear it.”

“That’s not how that works. I- I wanted to wait a little but we- we need to talk.”

“No we don’t,” Paige retorts stubbornly, fighting the tears threatening to spill, “I don’t want to.”

“Paige-”

The girl in question pushes herself off of Azzi, rising to sit on her knees, “this is meant to be the best day of my life Azzi.”

“I know- I’m sorr-”

“What game are you playing, Azzi? Why even fucking come if you were never gonna stay?” Paige spits out.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have,” Azzi says softly, as she sits up “maybe- maybe I should have stayed away. But it’s you Paige, it’s you and I- I’ve never been that good at staying away from you. And maybe I’m just really selfish but I- I told you once that I wanted to be there when your dreams came true and so- here I am.”

They’d barely known each other when Azzi had said that, when they had just been young innocent girls with a tentative friendship, lying in the grass and sharing their dreams. Back then, the words had thrown Paige off. She hadn’t quite understood why they had meant that much to her, why they had filled her with more warmth than the sun shining above them. But she’d tucked them away in a little corner of her heart hoping she’d understand it better when she was older. She’s older now and she understands. Except every single emotion she’d felt at fifteen is heightened with the realisation that the words had meant something to Azzi too. And-

Paige surges forward to kiss Azzi. She’s pretty sure this bipolar act of theirs will be the death of them someday but it’s the only thing in the moment that makes sense. Azzi is hesitant at first, clearly too in her head, always the overthinker, but she gives in when Paige squeezes at her waist. It’s not as if they’ve kissed that many times before but it feels familiar, a little bit like coming home. She moves to straddle Azzi’s hips and they can’t get any closer really with every bit of their bodies pressed together now, but Paige tries anyways, tries to etch please don’t leave me into the other girl’s skin. And she isn’t sure if the salt she can taste is from the tears steadily streaming from Azzi’s eyes or the ones free-falling from her own.

The minute Azzi pulls away, Paige misses her.

“We can’t-”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Paige cuts Azzi off immediately, resting her forehead against the younger girl’s, “please.”

“Paige,” Azzi breathes out, “I have to go.”

“No you don’t,” Paige says stubbornly.

“Paige please-”

“Stay- fuck please- Azzi- just give me tonight. Tomorrow we can talk and you can-,” Paige swallows, not wanting to say leave out loud, “but please- tonight can we just pretend? Can you give me that? Fuck- can I just have tonight? Please- just- stay.”

Azzi lets out a shaky breath, “it won’t make it hurt less.”

“I know- fuck- I know but I just don’t want it to hurt right now.”

“Okay,” Azzi whispers slowly, thumb caressing Paige’s wet eyelashes, “okay, I’ll stay tonight.”

Paige kisses her again.

***

The UConn team falls in love with Azzi in a matter of hours. No one had been shocked when Paige had shown up to the after party a.k.a everybody gathering at the hotel bar, fashionably late and with a nervous Azzi teetering behind her. It had been awkward at first; everyone was a little unsure of how to act around the new presence. Not only was Azzi from a rival team, but everyone was at least a little aware of her tumultuous relationship with their star player. But then KK had wanted to film a tiktok that needed someone to do random camerawork and when everybody else had groaned, Azzi had quietly volunteered. Much to KK’s delight, Azzi turned out to be quite the cameraman. And that apparently was all that was needed and Paige marvels at the way Azzi just fits.

She moves around Paige’s team as if they’re just as much hers. One second she’s timing some stupid drinking game that KK and Ice are playing, the next she’s sitting in a corner laughing with a more subdued Ash and Q.

Aubrey and Ayanna gush over their girlfriend and Azzi’s coos over their pictures, a hint of wistfulness on her face when she meets Paige’s eyes.

The team does their routine of teasing Aaliyah’s about being vegetarian and Azzi diligently backs the Canadian up with a spiel of how tofu isn’t actually that bad. That gets her a hi-5 from Aaliyah despite the eye rolls from the rest of the team.

Despite being a little tipsy from having been dragged into doing shots with Amari and Carol, the two other people she knows pretty well, Azzi diligently lets Inés and Jana teach her little bits of Portuguese and Egyptian.

Even Nika sheds her frostiness, amused by Azzi’s curiosity to learn her native language beyond just the curse words, and teaches the younger girl a couple of words. Azzi rolls her eyes fondly when she realises she’s been taught to say UConn is the best team ever in Croatian and amidst Nika’s laughter, Paige knows is a hidden acceptance.

But the best part of it is that although Azzi’s suddenly being pulled in all different directions by various UConn girls, she never really leaves Paige’s side through it all. There’s always a little bit of them touching, whether it’s their shoulders or their knees, even when they’re both involved in completely different conversations and activities. It feels oddly domestic and Paige is reminded of the part after her state championship all over again. The burst of i want this forever that stirs in her chest makes her want to sob because it collides head first against a wall of this is only for tonight. And Paige knows that one night won’t ever be enough for her.

“Aye Paige’s girl, come play truth or shots with,” KK’s loud voice breaks through Paige’s cloud of distress and it’s eclipsed by the implication of those two words.

Paige’s girl. The phrases makes itself home in Paige’s heart, sounding so fucking right. She hasn’t let herself acknowledge it truly ever but that’s how it’s always been in Paige’s mind. It’s how she’s always thought of Azzi. As hers. Her Azzi. Her girl.

“I’m not-that’s not-” Azzi’s cheeks are tinted pink as she stutters through her words, withering under KK’s cocked eyebrow.

“Uh-okay if you say so,” KK rolls her eyes, holding her hands up in a sarcastic defensive position, “guess we’re starting off truth or shots by lying.”

The rest of the team laughs as Azzi’s blush grows even deeper and Paige can’t even try and hide her smile, her own neck tingling a little bit as she tucks herself into Azzi’s side. And it’s not real, they’re not anything, but in this moment it feels a little bit like they’re everything.

“You guys are sickening,” Ice accuses when she notices the two of them cheesily smiling at each other, “it makes me gag.”

“They’re cute. Leave them alone,” Caroline chastises, ever the supportive friend.

Azzi leans back against Paige’s arm as the group goes around the circle, asking each other ridiculous questions, cheering like little kids when their teammates opts to drink instead of answering a vaguely invasive question. When it’s her turn, Paige can already tell by the glint in KK’s eyes that her menace mini-me is about to cause trouble.

“Paigey cakes, when’s the last time you had sex?”

Next to her, Paige can feel Azzi stiffen immediately. The shot feels heavy in Paige’s hand as she seriously contemplates taking it. She knows why KK asked the question, probably having concocted some idea of exposing Paige and Azzi. She’d known by the waggling eyebrows that the whole team had thought the two of them were late because they’d been fucking but that couldn’t be further from the bitter truth.

Paige chances a look at Azzi’s face as she bites down on her lips. The younger girl’s face is stoically devoid of any emotion and Paige knows she’s thinking about the night of the crash (or as Paige likes to call it, the most terrifying night of her life) except-

“November, last year,” Paige says slowly and Azzi whips her face around to look at her, lips falling apart in shock.

“Don’t play, there’s no fucking way,” Ice guffaws and Paige shrugs.

“It’s the truth.”

“Bruh what the fuck,” KK looks a little shell-shocked, “how the fuck did you survive that long?”

“Some of us actually know what to do with our own fingers,” Paige quips defensively, trying to ignore the butterflies dancing in her stomach at the way Azzi’s still looking at her.

“I bet Azzi knows all about your fingers huh Azzi?” and even that, KK’s unhinged commentary, isn’t enough to get Azzi to pull her gaze away from Paige. It’s almost as if she hadn’t heard it all.

“You didn’t- that night?” Azzi manages to get out.

“Couldn’t do it,” Paige mumbles, “she wasn’t you.”

Despite the horde of people around them, they’re in their own little bubble now. There are a multitude of questions swimming in Azzi’s eyes and Paige wants to answer all of them if it means that maybe just maybe, she could prevent the inevitable misery tomorrow would bring.

“Okay Azzi, it’s your turn,” Amari’s voice draws Azzi’s attention away and Paige feels cold without the heat of it. She doesn’t know how she’ll survive tomorrow. Living in the present isn’t working and Paige finds herself already feeling the emptiness she knows will become her reality in a couple of hours. Her fingers tap an incessant pattern on her thigh as she tries to keep her focus on the game,

Azzi swallows nervously before mustering up a grin with false confidence, “I’m ready. Hit me with your best, I’m not drinking.”

“We’ll see about that,” KK smirks, diabolically rubbing her hands together, before she turns to Nika, “all yours Nik-Nik.”

The other girls “ooh”, knowing Nika’s reputation for being notoriously good at this game. The Croatian grins at Azzi, as she sits up from where she’d been lazily lying on the love seat, a glint of mischief in her eyes. And then her eyes meet the forlorn ones of her twin and something shifts. When she looks back at Azzi, there’s a more serious look on Nika’s face.

“Have you ever been in love?”

There’s pin drop silence once the gravity of the question registers. The light-hearted air in the room is replaced with anticipation, as all of Paige’s teammates look back and forth between their point guard and her best friend. Paige isn’t sure if she wants to know the answer, doesn’t know if there’s an answer that wouldn’t break her heart just a little bit. For a second, it looks like Azzi’s going to drink until she puts the shot down on her hand rest until-

“Yes,” she confesses in a whisper, and Paige feels her heart begin to race, “I have.”

“How many times?” Nika prods

“That’s not how the game works. I already answered your question.”

“Different rules for newcomers,” Nika shrugs. It’s a blatant lie but nobody says anything. Paige is still caught up in her own head and the other girls won't challenge Nika, not when they’re just as curious, “I get to ask questions til you drink.”

Azzi narrows her eyes, knowing it’s all bullshit and maybe if she wasn’t a little bit tipsy and competitive, maybe if she couldn’t feel every inch of Paige’s side pressed against her, she’d walk away but she can’t.

“Only once,” she answers.

“With your ex-girlfriend?” Nika asks. The way she raises an eyebrow suggests there’s only one right answer to the question. Paige doesn’t know if there’s a right or wrong answer, only that there’s an answer that would shatter her.

“No. I was never in love with her,” Azzi directs the answer towards Nika, but everyone knows it’s meant for Paige’s ears. And despite the tornado still roaring in her body, the blonde lets out a sigh of relief.

Nika’s intimidating demeanour cracks a little bit when that answer makes her smile, “are you in love with someone right now?”

Even if it’s not said out loud, the implication of Nika’s question, the someone, is clear. And suddenly Paige doesn’t want to hear the answer, not right now, not when they’re both a little tipsy, not when they’re surrounded by all her teammates, not when their future is so unclear.

“Drink,” Paige cuts in, holding the shot in front of Azzi, “don’t answer it.”

“Paige-”

“Drink Azzi,” Paige says firmly.

Azzi looks equal parts relieved and frustrated as she downs the drink, happy to have gotten out of the uncomfortable round of questioning but a little annoyed at losing in front of the UConn girls.

“And you said you wouldn’t drink,” Nika sneers, as she hi-5’s her teammates.

“Because you bent the rules; she did great,” Paige defends immediately and everyone snickers, the mood in the room returning to something more casual.

“So fucking pussywhipped,” Ice teases.

“Shut up,” Paige whines, hiding her face against Azzi’s shoulder as everybody else laughs. If the voices in head screaming this is just for tonight would shut up for a second, Paige thinks maybe she could fall in love with this moment, surrounded by her found family.

It’s almost 3 am when the team decides maybe they should start going to bed, knowing they have a morning flight back to Connecticut. Everyone else is still in a jovial mood, sufficiently drunk of both alcohol and the high of a championship but Paige’s stomach pools with dread. Every minute is a step closer to a goodbye, she’ll never be prepared to say.

They get to the lobby of the hotel when Paige turns to Azzi, ignoring her anxiety to be a nuisance instead.

“No,” Azzi says immediately when she sees Paige making grabby hands at her, “there’s literally an elevator Paige.”

“So? That just makes it easier for you. This is tradition.”

“In what world is this a tradition?” Azzi sighs exasperatedly.

“Since I won the state championship,” Paige grins, “pleeeeease, I’m tired, my feet hurt.”

Azzi gives her an unimpressed look, “you’ve been sitting for the last couple of hours.”

“And before that I was winning a championship, after beating your team by the way,” Paige’s smirk widens when Azzi guffaws at catching a stray.

“Oh fuck off. Reminding me of that is not the way to get me to carry you by the way.”

“C’mon Az, you know you’re gonna give in anyway. You know you wanna sleep, stop wasting time.”

Azzi rolls her eyes with a dramatic sight before doing exactly what she always does, giving into Paige, “hop on then you big baby.”

Paige cheers, latching on Azzi’s back as her knees circle around the other girl’s waist. Unlike when they were younger, Azzi’s doesn’t stumble anymore at the additional weight. She’s stronger now, completely solid and steady underneath Paige and that absolutely doesn’t trigger any inappropriate thoughts in the older girl’s brains, absolutely.

“Y’all are so cringe,” KK crinkles up her face when she turns to look at them as they wait for the elevator, but there’s a certain amount of fondness in her voice, “but Azzi’s cool. Much cooler than you P boogers. You should bring her around more often.”

Paige’s smile vanishes in tandem with Azzi letting out a strangled noise. KK looks between the two of them, slowly realising maybe she’d just put her foot in her mouth.

“Yeah, maybe,” Paige answers noncommittally, trying to keep her voice steady.

Much to her relief, the elevator dings open, saving her from having to say anything more. She wraps her arms tighter around Azzi, burying her face as far into the other girl’s neck as she can and closing her eyes, trying to lose herself in Azzi, instead of in the jail of her own mind.

She doesn’t look up from where she’s nestled into Azzi’s skin, when the rest of her teammates start towards their own separate rooms, telling Azzi how lovely it was to meet her.

“Can you get off her back, so I can give her a hug?” Ice pinches Paige’s arm but the older girl just shrugs her off.

“No. Go hug someone else.”

“Bro you’re so fucking annoying,” Ice groans and Azzi sends her an apologetic wink but it doesn’t go unnoticed that she doesn’t try to shake Paige off like she normally would. It heals something in Paige to know that Azzi doesn’t want to let go either. And she doesn’t understand why they’re doing this, why they’re fighting this, when neither of them want to.

“I think your teammates might like me better than you,” Azzi teases when they finally get back to the room and Paige climbs off of her back. The blonde is too lost in her thoughts to come back with a smart quip. And of course her best friend notices it immediately, nudging her quietly, “P? You good?”

Paige blinks up at Azzi, and even before she says the word, she knows Azzi’s already read them in her eyes, “I don’t want you to go.”

“Paige,” Azzi sighs tiredly, “what happened to pretending tonight?”

“Fuck pretending,” Paige blames the alcohol for how loud her voice comes out, guilty only because it makes the girl in front of her flinch, “I don’t want just tonight. It’s no where near fucking enough. I want forever. With you.”

“That’s not- Paige- we live on different sides of the country.”

“For now, but we can make it work. It’s us,” Paige pleads desperately.

Azzi scoffs, stepping away from Paige, “you say that like it a good thing.”

“What-”

“Us! We don’t- it’s not- being ‘us’ is not a good thing Paige. May us from before but us now? Us now is complicated and messy and hard and I just- I can’t do this Paige.”

“You can- we can- Azzi- just- think about it okay- sleep on it- you’ll see. You’ll see, I’m right.”

Azzi shakes her head, closing her eyes as a single teardrop leaks out, “you’re making this so fucking hard Paige.”

“I don’t want to- I’m sorry- I’m so sorry baby,” the term of endearment slips through Paige’s lips before she can catch it, “but I need you to think about it once please.”

She moves to cup Azzi’s cheeks, thumb caressing away the tears, “please.”

“Okay, okay,” Azzi nods, resting her forehead against Paige’s, “I’ll think about it.”

They’re quiet as they get changed for bed, thinking about the same thing. Co-existing together comes naturally to them after years of inhabiting each other’s space and the. there's no getting in each other’s way, even if they’re both dead silent. It’s awkward when they finally get into bed, both of them lying on their back, resolutely staring up at the ceiling. Paige is the first one to move, turning onto her side so she can face Azzi. The moon shines against Azzi’s face and Paige thinks that so much has changed, but Azzi’s still that kind of beautiful, the same kind of beautiful Paige had thought of her as since the state championship.

“What was your answer going to be,” she asks quietly.

“To what?”

“To Nika’s question. Are you in love with someone right now?”

Azzi hesitates a little bit, before turning her own body to face Paige, “you know the answer Paige, you don’t need me to say it.”

Paige doesn’t prod, knowing they were too volatile for her to keep pushing. Instead she reaches over to intertwine their hands together.

“Do you know what my answer would have been?”

“Yeah,” Azzi says softly, squeezing her hands, “yeah I do.”

Maybe there’s peace in knowing. Or maybe there’s only more pain. Paige doesn’t know if the truth sets her free, doesn’t know if she could ever even be set free from the shackles that bind her to Azzi, doesn’t think she even wants to be set free. But at least Azzi knows too. Maybe there’s peace in drowning together.

***

Paige wakes up in a panic when she reaches over and finds the other side of the bed empty. She gets up with a jolt, eyes frantically searching for Azzi, until they finally land on the girl sitting on the couch next to the bed.

“Fuck,” Paige’s voice is still wracked with sleep, “I thought you left.”

“That’s more your style,” Azzi says and Paige flinches at the reminder, “how’d you sleep?”

“Pretty good. How about you?”

“Pretty shit actually” Azzi admits, “I woke up every two seconds, scared you’d be gone.”

“Az-”

“You asked me to believe in you- to believe in us and I-” Azzi draws in a sharp breath and Paige knows she’s not going to like where this is going, “I want to- I really, really, wish I could. But I don’t. I can’t- I can’t be with you Paige- not when I’m scared you’re going to break my heart every second.”

“Azzi,” Paige scrambles across the bed, stopping when the girl in question holds her hands up. Everything in her feels like it’s on fire. There are no burn marks on her skin but she swears she’s been turned to ashes underneath.

“And you deserve better than that too Paige. You deserve someone who- who’s not scared. Who can give you all of herself without- without holding back and I- I can’t do that.”

“You can- fuck- Azzi you can- please,” desperation leaks through every syllable as Paige fights what she knows is a losing battle.

“Not right now. Too much has happened between us and we can’t- we can’t just ignore all of that and start something new- maybe someday- but not right now.”

Azzi stands up from her seat, hesitantly walking over to Paige’s side of the bed. She cups Paige’s face, watery dark brown eyes meeting crystal blue ones that are glistening with tears.

“Azzi please,” Paige begs, feeling everything slip away before she’d even had a chance to fight for it.

Azzi presses her lips to Paige’s forehead, holding them there for what feels like the briefest of seconds until she’s pulling away, “I’m sorry P.”

And then she’s gone and every part of Paige’s heart is gone with her.

#pazzi #paige bueckers #azzi fudd #wcbb

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yellosnacc · 30 days

Text

(sorry u have to see them undressed)

This is not a final look but let's say there are some small changes to uniima. (There's very little practical change because these were already a thing, it just wasn't visually clear.) The hair has been like this forever but I never drew the bamboo feathers themselves so here they are.

So yeah, different plates/parts of the unii-skin have slightly different functions or store other things. The back of the neck contains many hard roots from which the node hair grows. The skin itself is leathery but flexible. Its biggest strength comes from the roots that function like osteoderms. Hard pieces like this are easier to see in older individuals whose skin is less fatty and more wrapped so they might look somewhat spiky at times.

The neck is another strong armor piece because it needs to protect multiple organs - primarily lungs/part of lungs. But in most individuals, the "roots" inside don't grow outside of the skin.

You can see here that compared to "islanders" (or coastal etc), "centrals" are pretty small and less bulky. One thing is that centrals are more arboreal than many other groups and being heavy makes climbing liiittle harder. Other ethnicities are also not the biggest fans of powered flight but it's getting around. I will talk in more detail and more informatively another time. I still need to do some sloman things. For now, enjoy the plate designing wip.

Have this snack while you consume information. Harvested in the morning.

#art #speculative biology #artists on tumblr #digital art #artwork #worldbuilding #speculative evolution #spec bio #uniima #alienart #alien species #original alien species #creature design

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reasonsforhope · 8 months

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"When Ghana’s parliament voted to decriminalise suicide and attempted suicide in March, Prof Joseph Osafo felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

Osafo, head of psychology at the University of Ghana, had been engaged in a near 20-year battle to abolish the law – brought in by the British – which stated that anyone who attempts suicide should face imprisonment or a fine.

“It was a very good feeling. I felt like a certain burden had been removed. I was extremely elated,” he remembers. “Then the next morning, I realised we had a lot of work to do.”

Four countries decriminalised suicide in just the past year

Ghana is one of four countries to have decriminalised suicide in the past year – Malaysia, Guyana and Pakistan are the others. More could soon follow, which campaigners say is a sign of greater awareness and understanding of mental health. Kenya and Uganda have filed petitions to overturn laws and members of the UN group of Small Island Developing States have committed to decriminalise. Discussions are also being held in Nigeria and Bangladesh.

“There seems to be a domino effect taking place,” says Muhammad Ali Hasnain, a barrister from United for Global Mental Health, a group calling for decriminalisation. “As one country decriminalises suicide, others start to follow suit.”

“It is quite unusual,” adds Sarah Kline, the organisation’s chief executive. “It’s a huge sign of progress and an important step forward for the populations most at risk, as well as the countries as a whole.” ...

A large number of laws were introduced by the British during colonial rule. Suicide was decriminalised in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in the 1960s – it was never criminalised in Scotland...

The results of these punishments can be “devastating” and present “a huge barrier” to addressing the problem, says Natalie Drew, a technical officer with the mental health policy and service development team at the World Health Organization. Health experts and advocates argue that suicide should be treated as a public health issue rather than a crime.

Criminalising suicide denies people the right to access health services and discriminates against them because of something they’re experiencing, Drew adds. Research shows that in countries where suicide has been decriminalised, people can seek help for mental health and rates tend to then decline.

Next Steps

In September, the WHO is due to release a guide on decriminalising suicide for policymakers, with explanations of how countries have managed it...

“[Ghana’s decision] should have an impact on the work ongoing in other countries, especially in the Africa region,” says Osafo. Within the past couple of months, he has set up a mental health working group with representatives from about 20 African countries, and one of the biggest issues on the agenda is decriminalisation of suicide, he says. “Nigeria is active, Cameroon is active … Kenya has joined and is doing fantastic work. We have Uganda. People have been asking us how we did it.”

Since suicide was decriminalised in Malaysia last month, Anita Abu Bakar, founder and president of the Mental Illness Awareness and Support Association (Miasa), has already seen things change. Crisis response teams and helplines are expanding, and money from the mental health budget is being given to organisations who work in the community. “This is the shift we’re so happy to see,” she says. “It was such an archaic law.”

She adds: “I’m a person with lived experience. What does decriminalisation mean to people like me? We feel supported, we feel this conversation can go to a different level. Obviously decriminalisation is not the only way to prevent suicide, but it’s a big one. I’m happy for this progressive move – better late than never. I’m excited to see what happens next, not just for Malaysia but for the rest of us.”"

-via The Guardian, July 20, 2023

#cw suicide #cw sui mention #ghana #malaysia #guyana #pakistan #nigeria #kenya #uganda #cameroon #mental health #mental illness #healthcare access #decriminalization #england #colonialism #good news #cw sui attempt #suicide

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blueberrypancakesworld · 5 months

Note

can i request a dead x reader x euronymous fic where the reader has a solo project of her own it comes out to the public that she’s dating both dead AND euronymous?? pls and thank you

Dating the devils

warning : drinking, mentioning of smoking and drugs, smutish (making out), implied threesome

Info : Thanks for the request anon and your formal words ;) Have fun reading and everyone else too.

masterlist

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

Breaking News: The Swedish celebrity "Dark Lilith" the solo artist and also necomer to the black metal scene was seen performing a satanic ritual in the cemetery last night, apparently trying to summon demons, two figures were seen walking into the night-" the TV was switched off and a sigh came over her lips, her eyes rimmed with dark make-up showing annoyance and yet a little amusement.

She held a bottle of beer in one hand and her guitar in the other. The dark material shone slightly in the dim light in the anteroom. Outside, she could already hear the audience waiting for her.

Thanks Satan that I'm here but the report is unnecessary shit she thought and took the last sip of her beer. She liked it when people reported on her and yet she could do without false statements.

Two unnamed people. She knew for sure that it was neither a ritual of shame nor two unknowns. Her lovers and sex on the farm were more likely to be asked. But every interviewer had either fled or refused.

It was true that she was female, a witch, Lilith, and perhaps went a little too far. But she was a part of the scene, of the time, and in that time from her beginnings to her rise she had gotten to know them.

Her two dead ones, her loved ones, it was romantic. Euronymous always gave her song lyrics and gestures in the form of kisses and instruments. Dead, on the other hand, often drew her things and wanted her to kill him.

Things that flattered her, but she also knew that if it came out that she was the biggest solo maker in such a scene, dating the two men from Mayhem would be hell. Everywhere. ,,The Christians and fans are coming for me," she muttered, plucking at the side of her guitar before throwing the bottle into a garbage can, hearing the rumble and clink before she stood up and knew it was time.

The stage was her home. Her fans were her worshippers and her voice was the magic. Looking into the crowd, she saw the many dark shapes, the make-up of the women looking up at her and the blood on them. It was perfect.

And when her eyes fell on the group, she saw the black-haired and the blonde. She winked at them and saw that they knew she meant them. Felt the beating of her heart as she started to play and the guitar joined in. It was another concert of life, it was everything.

The walls shook, the crowd went wild, her voice screamed into the microphone and everything was fucking perfect. It was a bloody night, there was alcohol involved, some drugs and Satan himself.

It was all perfect and as the dark curtain closed and she retreated she heard the voices of the group. ,,You played perfectly!" she heard Euronymous shout as he pulled her close and gave her a deep kiss.

,,Really good...almost deadly," quipped Dead and she saw the hint of a smile on his lips, a gesture she knew she didn't see often and yet she was grateful that they were happy. But the rest of the black circle also congratulated them on another successful concert.

They all grabbed a beer and a cigarette before retiring to the anteroom to have a little celebration of their own and make it all the better. Euronymous always had his hand by her side always had his lips on her body wanting more of her whether in front of the others or not.

Dead watched her, every now and then he would say and show her something and gently stroke her hand, enjoying feeling the bones underneath. They both loved her in a way that was indescribable. And at the latest when the cold night air hit her body, she was snapped back to reality.

,,The afterparty is long over, but here... it's cozy, isn't it?" she heard the voice of the band founder as he stood next to her, entangling her in a kiss and only making her mind even more clouded by alcohol and drugs.

,,Supper cozy-fuck," she mumbled and leaned into him wanting more of him wanting more of them both no matter if it was in a side alley next to the hall. It didn't matter, it was the only thing she needed to get down. ,,Warm...soft," she heard Dead murmur as he knelt in front of her and kissed his way up her legs.

His cold lips almost as cold as a corpse, his pale pale in the moonlight as he ran his knife over her skin while Euronymous used his hand to start massaging her breasts. She wore no tights, just the black top and the short leather skirt.

The warmth she gave him was the only thing the blonde needed to live. He needed her to stay here and Euronymous needed her to keep going. And she needed them both to feel fucking good.

It was a moment between them that would lead to a promising night. If all three of them didn't pause when they heard the clicking sound. ,,What the fuck?" she mumbled, coming back to the now lost to the two of them and looking into the surprised face of a reporter.

,,You're dead!" Euronymous hissed and took out his taser, which flashed through the dead end. ,,Death," Dead muttered, gripping the knife in his hand tighter before the two ran towards the reporter. As he ran screaming for his life, their laughter could be heard. It was satanically good, it was hellishly ampsant for her.

It only got better when she saw her picture on the title page the next day. ,,Fuck look at you so pretty," Euronymous said and Dead nodded in agreement. ,,An album cover...for Lilith," the blonde said and began to draw inspiration.

The picture showed her leaning against the brick wall, her eyes closed with lust, Euronymous at her side, his hand under her top as he kissed her neck.

Dead kneeling in front of her with the knife running over her skin as he kissed his way up her legs to her center. ,,A fucking good picture...I think we should have done this sooner," she muttered, picking up the newspaper before cutting out the article and nailing it to the wall with a knife. It was a fucking satanic masterpiece.

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

@mayhem-things , @icarus-star

#lords of chaos 2018 #lords of chaos movie #rory culkin #jack kilmer #euronymous x reader #dead x reader

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lavendermunson · 5 months

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cards - eddie munson

day 3 of leia's christmas tree farm

cw eddie struggles with mental health, eddie's pov. henderson!reader (no physical descriptions). angst. exes to lovers. inspired by a scene from love actually.

Eddie is a mess right now. He sits on the couch of his trailer, his right leg bouncing as his foot taps loudly into the floor. In his head, breaking up with you was the best thing he could ever do to protect you from all his mood swings, tantrums, and anger episodes.

But he fucked up, you haven’t talked to him for a month and it’s killing him. He missed you, he let you go for a stupid, stupid reason and he regrets it every day of his damned existence.

The phone rings so loudly that it makes him flinch. As annoyed as Eddie can get, he picks up the phone and shouts “What do you want” to the person on the end of the line. As good as his luck can get, it’s only your brother, Dustin.

“I’ll be quick, my sister is going out with a weird guy. Well, he is not weird, he is just Drew and he isn't you, Eddie. I know she loves you, I know you love her and this guy isn’t good for her. Please do something! They are watching a movie at his house! GO NOW!”

Dustin hangs up the phone, leaving Eddie speechless. Jealousy crawls over his body, he holds the phone so tight his knuckles turn white. He knows this guy, he has been in his house for a couple of parties and even if Drew is not the worst person ever, he still has something that Eddie loves, something Eddie wants.

He makes a plan and after an hour Eddie gets in his van and turns on his walkie-talkie to talk to Dustin on his way. It has to be perfect.

When Eddie arrives at his destination, he hears the phone ring inside the house. That was his sign to knock on the door, not too hard but with his hand shaking in desperation.

You open the door and Eddie’s heart melts, you look so beautiful. Even more beautiful than he remembers, his memory doesn't do justice to your perfect and beautiful face. He lets out a nervous sigh as his breath comes out in a cloud from the cold. He holds the cue cards in his hands and presses the play button on the boombox to a Christmas song sung by a random caroling group. He begins to pass the cards.

He feels so lucky you didn’t close the door on his face, that was a great sign.

‘I’m sorry, I know I fucked up’

You cross your arms over your chest, wrapping the blanket you had around yourself to warm you up while the cold wind hits the front porch.

‘I love you, since that time in the sandbox’

‘Remember? I found a ladybug and gave it to you’

A voice comes from inside the house, you jump at the sudden scream.

“Hey, who is that?” your date asks while holding the phone in his hand. “I’m getting a huge deal on family video tapes over here!”

Oh, and Steve is going to kill Dustin.

“Great!” you reply, looking over at the guy with the red phone in his ear, excited to hear how a little kid tricks him. Only he is oblivious about it. “Just carol singers, I got it”

And you return your attention to Eddie, who nervously passes to the other cue cards as you read them carefully, while his knees keep shaking. He has been planning this for hours, and it’s not what you deserve but it’s just a start. He thinks he can do better and he is going to.

‘Because we used to believe ladybugs…’

“Are for good luck since one landed on my hand the day we kissed for the first time”

You say, and Eddie nods with the biggest smile on his face. His cheeks hurt with the cold weather. He feels his fingers cramp, his arms are about to give out and he needs a better jacket but that didn’t cross his mind because you are in it. All the time.

‘I’m in love with you, that’s never going to change’

‘You make me better, kind, smarter…’

‘I miss you’

‘My life has no meaning without you’

He sees you crying, tears rolling down your cheeks making Eddie’s heart break like shattered glass because he knows he caused all of this mess. He just wants to fix it because he has lost a million opportunities by running away, this time he is doing the opposite and he is trying, he is trying.

“Are you gonna watch the movie?” Right, you are on a date. With a guy who has never broken your heart, while Eddie begs for forgiveness feeling almost stupid for it.

The final cue card comes, and Eddie has lost all of his hope. But it’s worth a try.

‘You are the love of my life, the only one I want’

The music stops. Both standing in silence, while Eddie holds his bleeding heart on his hands and you keep crying, bottom lip quivering and red cheeks hurting while you try to hold a smile.

“I- I’m sorry Eddie”

You take a step back and close the door. The dungeon master admits his defeat, picking the cue cards from the floor and the boombox from the steps on the porch. Walking to his van before collapsing on the snow.

He had to try. He had hope, he lost it, he lost you and now he will be heartbroken for the rest of his life. No matter how many friends he has, how many metal records he owns, and how many concerts he performs. Life would be nothing without you.

Once he gets in his vehicle his hands grip the steering wheel and he starts crying. He touches his chest, just where his heart is. The cold, his heartbreak, the thought of him losing the only person he loved other than Wayne. It’s too much and he honestly doesn’t know if he can handle it.

His sobs get cut when someone knocks on the window of the passenger seat, Eddie glances at the door ready to scream the loudest ‘FUCK OFF’ of his life with all the anger in his chest.

“You are the love of my life too, Eddie. I love you”

You hop on the van and kiss him. A soft but gentle dance of lips, mixed with tears. It’s so tender, so soft… it erases the what-ifs, the sadness, and the tiny little voice in Eddie’s head that used to torture him. And now, as you hold him. He knows it was worth the risk, he knows he should stop running away from everything. And that Christmas miracles exist, according to Dustin.

reblog to support your creators! comments are appreciated !! ♡ thank you for following my christmas event, remember you can still request a gift!

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midnightwrriting · 8 months

Text

Distractions

This is based on one of my headcanons I wrote...

summary: Dalton likes drawing on your hand rather then talking to people.

warning : mentions of anxiety, fluff.

word count: 920

did not proof read.

When hanging out with new people, Dalton always found it hard to talk to them. He would get nervous, and most people knew him by that, he was also known as 'y/n's boyfriend' and he was fine with that.

You had to meet some friends at the cafe before going on your date with him, but because it was a close call for the reservation, you thought it would be easier for him to come with.

"Ready love?" He shuffled to your desk as you finished your hair. 'So beautiful,' he thought. He could stare at you for hours. Your eyes, the hue of the (e/c) made him melt, and the way you always had such a soft smile.

"Yeah, let me get my shoes on." You looked around the room for them and saw them by the bed. Slipping them on, you added some ChapStick and called it good.

"Alright, let's get going." Standing up, your hands rested on his chest. The feeling of them gave him a sense of comfort, yet still, after months of dating, any slight touch from you makes his breath hitch. You kissed his cheek and made your way to the door.

"Hold on." he quickly turned back to the desk and grabbed something. You couldn't see it but didn't press what it was, leaving the dorm he grabbed your hand walking side by side.

The sun was already setting, the warm summer wind slowly turning into a crisp cold breeze. A comfortable silence lay between you and your boyfriend. You know he's not the biggest talker in public, but with just you and Chris behind closed doors, he won't ever shut up.

Cars passed by as you continued your walk to the café his hand held yours so tightly, you could tell he was nervous. He was always like this being out in public, he just held onto you and kept close. Your thumb brushed over his knuckles, your way of comforting him.

The cafe was a few steps ahead, "we'll be in and out" your voice was like silk to his ears. He smiled and followed you in, your friends sat at a table that was in the corner. "Hey, sorry I'm late" you sat next to Jess, and Dalton sat at the end of the table right next to you.

"No worries we were just talking about other things while we waited, should we go over the main plans now and then we can meet up again in two days" Lola was the main leader in your group when projects we assigned.

"Yeah, that sounds perfect!" you smiled and took your phone out to write some notes. Dalton sat peaceful next to you while you and the others went over the topic for the assignment. Your right hand was typing in your notes while your left hand laid in Dalton's lap.

He traced and played with your fingers and sat listening, "great so y/n I know it's a lot but are you okay with drawing a blueprint and then maybe you can write two of the paragraphs and then Jess you can edit and finish the last paragraphs?" you shook your head yes as Jess hopped into the conversation.

All of a sudden you felt a coldness on your hand, looking over at Dalton you saw he pulled a pen out and started drawing on your hand, he held your hand so softly, and instead of forcing you to turn your hand he turned his body as he drew. You could feel the coldness of the ink hitting your skin and the light traces he made.

This was your favorite thing ever, knowing it brought some kind of comfort to Dalton made you happy. You could see his face peaking from his hair, he looked so considerate and so hot-

"Great so we have about two weeks for this to be done but if we just stay on track with our parts, we should get it done in a week!" Lola's voice filled your ears making you turn your attention away from Dalton.

"Okay, sweet that sounds good" your hands closed on Dalton's making him look up, "I'll get started tomorrow, but for now I have a day with this cute boy here, so I'll catch you guys later" everyone smiled as they looked at Dalton, he was looking at you with rose cheeks. With the attention on him he could feel his face heat up.

"Alright love bird have fun!" Lola smiled and waved you both away.

"Not too much fun though" jess make a smirking face eyeing the both of you.

Dalton grabbed your coat slipping it back on you, he waved bye as you said goodbye. Making your way outside a smile laid brightly on your face.

"What?" Dalton looked at you flushed with how your eyes laid on him.

"I just think you are really cute, and I love you" he could feel his heart beating faster, you loved him, and you meant it!

"I love you" his voice was so soft; his brown eyes looked all doe eyed. Sticking out your hand you looked at the little drawing he did, there was hearts, some spiderwebs and eyes.

"I love when you draw on me too" you walked along him slowly the cold breeze pushing your hair back.

"I'm glad" his arm went around pulling your head to the side so he could kiss your forehead. humming at the affection, you couldn't be happier.

#dalton lambert #dalton lambert imagines #dalton lambert x fem!reader #dalton lambert x reader #insidious #insidious 5 #ty simpkins #insidious red door

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wherethefireliliesgrow · 9 days

Text

Moonlight Sunrise (Part 2)

Minatozaki Sana x reader

Part 1

GENRE: angst, fluff, non-idol

TYPE: Short fic

You could feel the warmth emanating through the wooden doors of the hub, followed by muffled roars of laughter and conversation.

Momo had invited you for a drink in the local pub the night before the start of the event. You had spent the day training and preparing yourself, and you also did some shopping, buying food to pack for the event as it may last up to several weeks, depending on whether any contenders are alive.

Taking a deep breath to brace yourself, you pushed open the door and walked in.

The chatter died down immediately the moment you stepped in, with all of the men looking at you menacingly and with a hint of fear. War heroes, knights, and even thieves were there, all wanting a piece of the treasure. They had nothing in common in terms of background, only one thing—they saw you as their biggest threat.

"Y/N!" A familiar voice called from the back of the pub, Momo. "Over here."

You slowly made your way towards her, hands deep in the pockets of your coat. Some of the people stood up as you passed them, afraid yet trying their best to show their dominance.

You heard one of the groups of people make a move to draw out their weapons as soon as your back was turned, and you swiftly drew out your poison-soaked dagger. Skillfully dodging his swing, you silently and swiftly had your dagger at his throat.

The crowd fell silent, tension thick in the air, as beads of sweat formed on the scarred man's brow.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He cried out, craning his head to look at his leader for help.

His leader, a blurry hard-faced man, simply looked away and sat down.

"Now now, Y/N," Momo sighed, getting up from her seat and tugging you to release the man. "Let's not kill anyone before the competition."

Reluctantly, you relented, allowing the man to stumble backward and collapse onto the wooden floor.

"But feel free to hunt as many down in the labyrinth," Momo mused with a mischievous glint in her eyes, laughing when she saw the rest of the people shuffle uneasily.

The crowd cleared within seconds, leaving the bar now half empty.

"What a way to clear the crowd, I'm impressed," a soft voice called from the table Momo was originally sitting at, and you looked over to find another of your past colleagues and close friend of your sister, Minjeong.

Minjeong trained with you, your sister Yeji, and Momo at the same academy, spending most of your childhood together under the same master. She was skilled in poison and herbs, choosing to leave the academy as soon as she turned 16 to set off on a journey to learn more in this area. You hadn't seen her since.

You did, however, hear stories about her once in a while—how she turned into a master of poison and started her own academy at the young age of 21. Most of the weapons infused with poison, like the very one you had, were developed by her. Her name was now Winter, possessing a beauty as captivating and alluring as the first snowfall of the season. Her features were delicate yet sharp, like the frost that kissed the landscape with its icy touch. But beneath her stunning exterior lay a darkness, a chill that could freeze the hearts of those who crossed her path. As all of the people who had unfortunately come in contact with her dangerously poisonous infused blade, only managed to utter "cold as winter" before they hit the ground dead.

Contrary to what you had heard about her through these past few years, the tall girl was here, smiling goofily, grabbing you into a familiarly tight hug.

"I missed you, Y/N unnie."

You returned the gesture affectionately, feeling a surge of nostalgia. Minjeong had always been like a younger sister to you, a role she embraced wholeheartedly during your time at the academy.

"You've grown tall, baby rabbit."

She let out a laugh and dragged you and Momo to sit down with her. "That's exactly what Momo unnie told me when she saw me."

Momo simply glared at her with her arms crossed in front of her.

You let out a sigh. This was the face she made whenever someone was about to do something stupid.

"What are you doing here, Minjeongie?"

"Same reason as you. I'm going into the labyrinth."

"No," you said simply, shaking your head, with Momo nodding in agreement. "That's too dangerous."

"Whyyy," Minjeong whined, her tone childlike despite her lethal reputation, "I'm fully capable."

"We know you are, Min. It's just that it's too much of a risk. No one knows what's in the labyrinth," Momo tried to appease the younger girl. "Besides, what could you possibly want from the labyrinth? Money? We can provide that, just tell us how much you need."

The younger girl pouted. Seeing this menacing girl acting so childish must have been bizarre for the people she hunted down.

"I have money. I just really need this material that's rumored to be in the labyrinth," she paused, before quietly muttering, "the ashes of voidlings."

"Absolutely not," Momo hissed, "are you out of your mind?"

Minjeong looked at you pleadingly. She knew you were always the one to relent and fall for her maknae charms.

"If Y/N unnie is with me, it will be safe."

You sighed, shaking your head. "Not this time. Voidlings are not creatures you can kill. Even Master Kim said to flee when we encounter one."

Voidlings originated from dark witchcraft, when a spellbounder cast the darkest, most evil curse on a deceased, turning them into beings of the dark, preying on fear and weakness. These beings were created only if the deceased was filled with enough anger and hatred, making them powerful and nearly unbeatable. There has been no sure way to defeat these creatures. Nearly every person who encountered them died on the spot, let alone survived long enough to defeat them and gather their ashes.

Desperate, Minjeong blurted out the reason she swore to keep secret. "It's for Yeji."

"What?" You paused, putting down your mug and looking at the young girl.

"What about Yeji?" Momo asked, completely out of the loop. You hadn't told her the reason why you were here.

"Yeji wrote me a letter a few weeks ago, asking me for help. She wanted me to accompany Y/N unnie into the labyrinth, saying it was too dangerous for anyone to go alone. She told me you were going for her, and that was when she told me about her illness."

"She's sick? Wha-when? How?" Momo furrowed her brows in concern. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"She's been sick for two years now, and it's getting worse," you lowered your eyes, staring at the droplets that formed on the outside of your mug. "She was poisoned by one of the unknown beings in the far eastern territory, and no one has a way to cure her. That's why I was hoping to find the Luminite stone—you get one wish, right? Maybe this would work."

"My students and I have been trying to figure out a counterpoison for that, and I need the ashes of voidlings," Minjeong patted your hand in comfort, "If the stone doesn’t work, we can try for this."

The three of you sat in silence, each one lost in your thoughts, weighed down by the news like thick clouds pressing down. With every passing moment, the heaviness in the air grew, filling the room with uncertainty and a sense of foreboding that stretched into the late hours of the night. It was as if the very atmosphere held its breath, anticipating some ominous revelation lurking just beyond reach.

After much contemplation and discussion, you and Minjeong came to an agreement, despite Momo's disagreement. If you failed to find the stone within a week, Minjeong would enter the labyrinth and help you find and defeat a voidling. None of you were happy this decision, but this was the only way to save Yeji.

"It's late, you have a big day tomorrow," Momo yawned, rubbing her eyes. Minjeong was already fast asleep with her head drooped over the table.

"Yeah, I have one more stop to make," you said rising out of your seat, "Can you let me into the castle?"

"You know I can't do that, Y/N," Momo sighed before lifting the sleeping girl in her arms.

"Please. There's someone I need to say thank you to."

"Fine," the head of security relented. "Minjeong is crashing at my place anyway."

The three of you slowly made your way down the empty pebbled roads, the moonlight guiding the way, just like old times when you would leave training and head back to the dorms together. However, this time, there was a noticeable absence – Yeji.

"By the way, what's Princess Sana's favorite food?"

"What the fuck, Y/N? Be quiet or we're going to get caught."

"Please?"

"Fine. Apples I think. Anything apple flavored."

"Nice."

"Shut up."

Pushing open the familiar run-down wooden door, you found the space in front of the labyrinth deserted, as expected. You had a feeling the princess didn't want to be seen, especially after giving you that fake name.

Silently, you walked towards the metal bars and peered into the dark misty abyss again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the blonde girl. Instead, you saw only eerie shadows that seemed too haunting to be her. You definitely didn't want to come in contact with any of those beings.

Deciding to call it a night, you reached into your knapsack and pulled out a bottle of apple cider along with some small cakes bought at the market earlier that day. Placing them on the bench where you had sat together the day before, you wanted to thank the princess for her compass, even if you weren't sure if it was real or not.

Before you could make your way back, a familiar soft voice cut through the whooshing sounds emanating from the black clouds within the labyrinth.

"Hwang."

Turning, you found Luna sitting on top of the towering metal bars, swinging her barefoot legs casually.

"Hey."

She jumped down from the metal wall, landing gently with a thud.

"Couldn’t resist visiting me, huh?" She chuckled, eyeing the items on the bench. "Ooooo apple cider!"

She eagerly tore open the bottle and took a swig, resembling a little kid on Christmas morning. You couldn’t help but soften at her endearing behavior.

"It's just to thank you for giving me the compass."

"How do you know if I'm not fooling you?" She turned to look at you, a piece of cake still in her mouth.

"I don't," you said honestly, "but I'm willing to take that risk."

"For an assassin, you're oddly trusting," Luna mused, before splitting one of the cakes and passing it to you.

"How did you-"

"I hear your name once in a while in the labyrinth, Hwang." Luna giggled at your bewilderment, before lowering her voice as if she was an announcer. "The greatest assassin of the century, Hwang Y/N, the NightWalker. Some of the competitors talked about you, 'What would the NightWalker do in this situation?', 'Oh no, I'm cornered, if only I could walk on water like the NightWalker.'"

Your face flushed with embarrassment as she teased you, her laughter echoing through the empty space.

"Shut up," you nudged her with your shoulder.

She no longer felt like a monster; she felt like the cheerful princess people always talked about in their stories.

Luna put her fingers to her mouth, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Besides, it's a win-win situation if I get the stone," you shrugged, biting into the cake, the sweet-savory invading your taste buds.

"How so?"

"You're Princess Sana, aren't you?" You laughed at her surprised expression. "It says on the compass. If I win, I promise you'll be able to see the sunlight whenever you want. I have no interest in locking you by my side."

Instantly, the carefree girl in front of you shifted to the defensive half-human being. Sana's eyes glowed red once again, and you felt your body constrict, as if a rope was squeezing you tightly. She was looking for any lies behind your eyes. She found none.

"Sorry," she muttered, releasing you from her stare. You simply waved her off.

"I can't see the sunrise either way. I'm bound to the stone," she murmured softly, her delicate features cast in a faint glow from the moonlight.

As she spoke, her shoulders hunched slightly, a subtle gesture that spoke volumes of the weight she carried. Your heart couldn’t help but flutter in sympathy for the beautiful being before you, her words tinged with a hint of melancholy.

"The moonlight will be the only light I see for the rest of my life."

"I'll figure out a way. I always do," you promised.

Sana looked up to meet your eyes, her own remaining human and soft this time. In that moment, her gaze held a sense of vulnerability. You found yourself momentarily lost in her soft honey hues, the warmth of her gaze enveloping you. A faint blush tinged her cheeks as she met your stare, a silent acknowledgment of the connection between you.

"You're an odd one, NightWalker."

"As are you, Princess." you replied, unable to resist a teasing tone.

"Don't call me that," she muttered, trying to hide her smile, but her eyes betrayed her amusement.

You spent another hour or two talking to Sana, enjoying her company and the lighthearted banter that momentarily lifted the weight from your shoulders.

"It's almost sunrise. I have to go," Sana announced, stretching as she rose to her feet. "You should get some rest too, Y/N."

You nodded, following suit and standing up.

The princess grinned and extended her hand in a handshake. "Partners?"

"Partners," you agreed, shaking her hand firmly. Her touch sent a shiver down your spine, despite the warmth of the night.

Satisfied, with a hint of pink on her cheeks, Sana turned to make her way back towards the labyrinth, her figure gradually disappearing into the darkness.

"You better bring me some more of those cakes, Hwang," she called back before vanishing completely.

"Aye-aye, Princess," you replied, unable to resist one last teasing remark.

"Don't call me that!" she retorted with a laugh, her voice echoing faintly in the night.

Previous Chapter

Cute filler chapter this time 😉

#gxg #kpop fanfic #kpop imagines #wlw #twice x reader #twice fic #kpop fic #wherethefireliliesgrow #itzy #twice #sana #twice sana #sana x reader #minatozaki sana #minatozaki sana x reader #sana imagines #fem reader #aespa winter #aespa

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venuscnjunctpluto · 1 year

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My first astrology observation

Credit: @venuscnjunctpluto

(Pls excuse the book at the end y’all I’m just sick of straight men)

*Black men w virgo rising either have dreads that they let hang in front of their eyes or they want dreads that they let hang in front of their eyes😭

*actors with mars-pluto aspects or Scorpio mars can play convincing psychopaths and villians (dacre Montgomery, drew starkey, ethan cutkosky)

*Saweetie and Mariah the scientist are Unconfirmed Taurus risings idgaf

*I have Pisces and Neptune in my 11th and when I tell you pisces can be so manipulative. I’ve been friends w all types of Pisces placements. Esp when Aries in is in mix they know exactly how to act like children and therefore literally be seen as children (zero accountability). For example chrisean rock whose a Pisces w an Aries mars.

* the biggest players are Scorpio/libra placement men by FARRR. They’ll flirt with anybody and they’ll befriend people who they know for a fact are interested in them romantically. You’ll know that they like when you they never “leave” you in any way, when they try to help you anyway they can, and when they change themselves for you (as terrible as that is that’s the truth). Lemme say after a break-up or any situation they feel wronged their hoe phase is terrible. They don’t gaf at ALL and my friend even got caught up (he spent the whole summer flirting w her after his gf dumped him and then ignored her once we got back to campus) she still doesn’t want to believe he was playing her.

*Im sorry but any prominent sag + Scorpio placements scare tf out of me. I had a stalker with a sag rising Scorpio Venus and mars and my cousin had an obsessive fwb w a sag rising Scorpio moon. Ted Bundy had hella sag and Scorpio on his chart. They have the humor and impulsiveness of a Sagittarius mixed with the intensity and passion of a Scorpio. I think it’s hard for people to realize how insane they are because they’re too busy cracking jokes😫

* 8h stellium natives we see the REAL in people like they come around us and act a mf fool

*women w Lilith inspecting ascendant🤝 Venus-Lilith aspects

*Me w an Aries rising 🤝 men w mars ruled venuses (Aries and Scorpio)

*Can we talk about why a lot of gemini Venuses have race fetishes😭 they’ll literally seek out certain races usually a group they’re not apart of

*8th house synastry is very strange to me. From my experience staring is very real, manipulative, and a lot of push-pull dynamics no thank you😮‍💨

*One really weird thing is I notice men who date younger women always have a cap mars like wtf. They seem to really like the power dynamics involved.

*Ok so me and my friend whose a female both have Venus conjunct pluto at like 2 degrees. I met a guy born a day after me and so did she (so they had Venus Pluto as well) We were intrigued because I’ve had my share of strange relationships but i noticed how light his energy was (the guys whose birthday was near mine). He didn’t really give off the same energy. i truly think it represents a guy’s relationship with women not necessarily him. I have seen women obsess over them but the women always had Scorpio energy in their natal chart already. also have a Madonna whore complex real mf bad so watch out. The WOMEN around them have Plutonian energy already and that’s why 8/10 they’re involved w Scorpio women. I’ve seen the same thing with women w mars-pluto (my mom has this conjunction and my step-dad is a Scorpio). Venus-Pluto men are not magnetic but with the way women (usually Scorpio influenced) act around them makes them think they are and they can become addicted to this attention. Yes other men can be jealous of how women act around them but sometimes they see the Venus-pluto man’s thirsty ways. I’ve seen men w this placement cross their friends for attention from girls. I met this guy w Venus square pluto and he seemed funny at first but he was so sleazy and childish when it came to talking to women I didn’t even wanna be around him. They also have a “type” usually. I’ve seen two men with this placements date girls who look like they could be sisters it’s very weird. I also believe Venus-Pluto men usually end up w women who have money *coughs* city boys or come from better financial situations than them while Venus-pluto women usually have the money they had before a relationship (even if through family). Ex: Beyoncé, Nicola Peltz, Ryan Destiny. You wanna see some real magnetism (and transformative chaos) find a woman w Venus Pluto and a man w mars Pluto🫦

#astro notes #astro observations #drew starkey #venus pluto #beyonce #nicola peltz #ryan destiny #dacre montgomery #saweetie #mariah the scientist

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vigilanteshtagain · 5 months

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HEADCANONS BECAUSE I'M BORED

GOJO

- Uses Instagram the way Millennials do (the first and seconds year's get second hand embarrassment)

- Drives like a maniac. Yaga has explicitly forbidden him to drive students around

- NEVER washes his blindfold, and if anyone suggests he should wash it he will get offended

- Cooks very well but settles for takes outs and fancy dinners with his students because he HATES to eat alone and has no one to share his food with back home, makes him even lonelier

- HAS to smell good ALL the time, and has a collection of different colognes, each one for specific ocassions

- Enjoyed taking Megumi to the park and playing with him, and wishes he wouldn't have grown up so fast

- Made hand crafted albums of every single little thing Megumi and Tsumiki have done, bad portraits of him and all

- Kissed sucked Geto's toes at some point, I'm not sorry

- Nevers answers the phone, much to Yaga's annoyance

- His heart warms up whenever his students bring him little gifts, like sweet pastries

- Defends his students with his LIFE, but this is canon already

- Is an ugly crier, like really bad. He yells when he cries. Shoko just stays there giving him the foulest glare.

GETO

- Refuses to cut his hair, no matter how many times Mimiko and Nanako have complained about finding long hairs plastered on the shower walls

- Keeps photos of his time in Jujutsu High in a box, and looks at them on lonely nights (specially photos of Gojo and him SHUT UP THIS IS CANON TO ME)

- Is allergic to nuts

- Has considered getting Mimiko and Nanako a pet, maybe a dog or a cat (I see them more as cats people)

- Definitely drew Gojo's eyes in the middle of class, multiple times because he couldn't get the colors "right"

- Is a tea person

- Sleeps like a victorian child on their deathbed, he's way too dramatic

- Tax evader

NANAMI

- Shops EXCLUSIVELY in brand stores. Dior, Channel, Gucci, you name it.

- Owns an air frier, uses it to it's maximum capacity. As soon as he got one, pots, pans and stoves doesn't exist to him anymore (I don't even know why I included this)

- Is in desperate need of a pet, this man needs some love and comfort in his life but his job as a sorcerer makes it difficult to have one

- Doesn't actually hate Gojo, he just gets heavily annoyed by him. After all, Gojo and Shoko are the only "close" classmates he has left.

- Pets stray dogs and cats on the streets and feeds them whenever he has time

- Actually likes that horrendous tie

- Knows how to play an air instrument, not sure which one but definitely knows how to play at least one

NOBARA

- Follows every beauty and fashion influencer, her for you page is flooded with that

- She's a Tini fan no doubt, La Triple T on repeat for days

- Can't dance to save her life

- Shows her affection through quality time

- Certified Barb along with Yuji, Nicki Minaj's biggest fans. Megumi acts like he doesn't care but he is just as Barb as they are.

- Her cf on Instagram is basically her day to day with the idiots she calls classmates (She likes to document them to have memories for the future)

- Actually very good at math, despite her not liking numbers.

- Gets road rage even if she's not the one driving

- Got Megumi into skincare

- The first one to propose a movie night between the first and second year's, she likes when all of them hang out

- She's the type to create a group chat to plan a birthday party for her friends and organizes everything

- Has a free pass to everyone's dorm, like she sees the door open and enters just to hang out, SHE DOESN'T CARE

- She enjoys training with the second years, specially Maki (NOBAMAKI FOR THE WIN)

- She gives practical gifts

- Gets way too much into TikTok drama, it's the only thing she'll talk about for days and it's overwhelming

YUJI

- Had a dog when he was little, probably named it something cheesy

- Likes reggaeton, in love with Karol G (a ver, quién no?), Jennifer Lawrence who

- Sunset pictures fill up his camera roll

- Doesn't like needles, still gets nervous when he get shots or vaccines

- He does this thing where he chews really fast whenever the food it's too hot to eat instead of letting it cool down. I don't know how to explain it but it's painful to watch, Megumi and Nobara smacks him on the head for that

- Definitely the type to bake a cake for his friend's birthdays, he bakes it with so much love I'm crying

- Gets his feelings hurt rather easily but he is quick to forgive

- Knows every single trending celebrity gossip and talks about it with Nobara and Megumi

- A KING at dancing, he can dance pretty much anything

- He gives very well thought gifts, like he really puts effort and pay attention to what his friends like

- He calls Nanami just to see how he is doing, needless to say Nanami is deeply touched by this

- Snores so bad Sukuna thought he was going to choke the first nights after Yuji ate the finger, now it's just background noise for him

MEGUMI

- Cuddles with his shikigamis on cold nights, and takes his demon dogs on walks

- He's very reliable, the first one out of his friends to find solutions to a problem

- SMART, but this is already canon

- Taught his demon dogs to steal and hide Gojo's clothes just to mess with him, he's a MENACE

- CAN'T TAKE A JOKE, he doesn't understand TikTok references it's so annoying.

- He looks like he's mad all the time when he's out, so bad sometimes people glare at him unprovoked

- The type to say no whenever someone asks him to do something but ends up doing it anyway

- Has thought about getting a tattoo related to his shikigamis in the future, but he's not really sure if he's going to get it done (Probably his demon dogs mark or Mahoraga's wheel because God he thinks about summoning it first thing in the morning, "With this treasure I summon" in italics tattooed on his forearm)

- Neat freak, NEEDS to have his room clean and organized at all times (if he doesn't, that will be his last straw and will summon Mahoraga)

- Gives well thought gifts, but plays it off and says it's nothing

- Bad grammar makes him wince, needless to say he has perfect grammar. His essays are perfect.

- He was that annoying child that corrected everyone whenever they said something wrong, like "Um, actually you're wrong because-", UGH. He's still like that but now he just throws a nasty glare and corrects them.

- His love language is acts of service but quality time is also important to him (despite how he pretends to hate hanging out with Yuji and Nobara)

- A very decent driver, Gojo taught him despite how he drives like a beast

___________________________________________

Sorry this was too long, but one thing led to another. Jjk brain rot is consuming me.

#i should be studying for my midterms #jjk brain rot #jujutsu kaisen #gojo satoru #nanami kento #satosugu #nobamaki #geto suguru #megumi fushiguro #nobara kugisaki #yuji itadori #jjk gojo #sukuna #maki zenin

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matan4il · 5 months

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To the Nonnie who sent me the ask about the horseshoe theory.

I feel you so much when you say it terrifies you, as the grandchild of survivors, to be living in the same country as a blogger, who would spew so much hatred. I had a look at that person's blog, and it is indeed choke full of antisemitic blood libels.

As for the horseshoe theory, it's basically this idea that, as people on one side of the political map become more and more radicalized, these two extremist sides end up meeting, and having some things in common. I can't address this theory in general, but in the context of antisemitism, I think it's true.

One of the places where you can see it in the clearest way, is the term "Jewish supremacy." Meant to vilify Jews, it was first conceived by Hitler, and phrased in this particular way by the Hitler Youth, and later imported into American culture and the English language by white supremacist and KKK leader, David Duke.

So just let it sink in for a second, that the term anti-Zionists use to de-legitimize the very existence of the Jewish state, was born before that state was even established, and wasn't even first conceived and coined in that context!

And white supremacists like Duke keep that original meaning alive, while anti-Zionists, who claim to be against racism, and for the human rights of marginalized groups, and therefore should be against anything that has to do with Nazis and neo-Nazis, give it a more socially acceptable spin. As long as you present it in an anti-Israel context, you can use Hitler's antisemitic term openly, without anyone shaming you for it.

Or another point where you can see similar tactics is in the way white supremacists embraced the way anti-Zionists say antisemitic stuff, but simply replace "Jews" with "Zionists" to make their hate speech acceptable. The biggest example is the term ZOG, Zionist Occupied Government, which is their way of saying that they believe the US is secretly controlled by Jews (sometimes also that other western countries are). But they don't call it JOG, so apparently that's fine. And it also meets the anti-Zionist claims that Israel is secretly controlling the media, to get a pro-Israeli coverage of the conflict (which is a lie in itself. HonestReporting consistently exposes the anti-Israel bias that exists in the mainstream media), or manipulates western governments to stand by it.

Most recently, we saw anti-Zionists justifying and even celebrating the Hamas massacre on Oct 7, and as one might expect, the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust also drew cheers from some antisemitic white supremacists.

I hope this helped! Take care.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

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outerbankspov · 1 year

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- thank you love for your passionates ❤️ @giannadrichardson-blog

You and Drew have been dating since outer banks season one and you adore one another more than anything. The way you both met was a story you both say “We will tell our kids about this one day”… you needed a job asap in order to get recognized by the public for your future singing career so you signed up to play the love interest of a character name “Rafe Cameron’ WHO happens to be played by Drew Starkey. You for sure saw his face around in your favorite movie “Love Simon” and since then you’ve been together and laughed about him in that film.

- Present day.

“Drew!!” You squeal as you run into your shared bedroom before you jump up and down in excitement. “What’s up, baby?” He smiles while asking you. “My agent just called… and they gave me a green light to tour my album!!’ He jumps off the bed to catch you in his arms. “BABY?? WHAT THE FUCK THIS IS GOOD!” he kisses your lips as you smile up at him nervously. “What’s that Face about?” He asked as he Brough you down with him on the bed. “Thing is it starts in 3 weeks..” You closed your eyes shut. “Well, that’s good news. What with the face?” He asks again, You bit your lip and shook your head “Can you come with?” Knowing this the worse idea to ask is because you know Drew has to stay just in case he gets a call back from his agent about the new movie he was offered that will be filming in ITALY. “Baby.. you know I would to go with you but I can’t” You nod and looks down, pushing your hair behind both ears and smiling weekly as you plaid with your nails. GOD you know you can’t do this without him, you would be a wreck you know that for sure. “What’s going on in that pretty little mind of yours?” “I just really wish you could come, what if I fuck up?? I will never forgive myself” A tear slipped passed your eyes and Drew brushed it away.

“My love you are gonna be so good I promise you” you sniffle and nod. “You’re just saying that because your my boyfriend-” , “No I’m saying that because I believe you can. Baby of course you can” he kisses your forehead and you finally accept it.

Tour has been a real fun… scary experience. Going out on stage and seeing a huge crowd every two days and seeing them actually enjoy your music made you feel like you’re doing something right. But apart of you still wishes Drew was there, you go to sleep every night after a FaceTime with him and talk about your day and how nervous you were. This time when calling Drew, he didn’t answer. You started to get worried but soon after got a text saying “a bit busy. Talk later” confused you just decided to go to sleep.

“Y/N YOU ARE ON IN- 3,2,1 GO” your manager tells you. You put the biggest smile on your face and runs out on stage greeting everyone. “Hello NEW YORK CITY!! As you might know I’m dedicating this night to my love Drew Starkey, we actually met on this day 4 years ago… kinda insane! All I’m asking for you all is to enjoy this night like I’m gonna be and yell loud !!” The group cheered and smiled. You started singing and you Just felt so free until a gut feeling and the feeling in the air made you want to shut down. God you hate this, it’s a big night and your stupid mind wants to shut down now ???. You finish the song and runs off of stage.

“Y/n? What’s up?” Your manager ask calmly.

“Stacy. I can’t do this- it’s like my hearts being pul-“ you was interrupted by a call she picked up. She nodded and said okay to the person and hung up. “Wiped those tears baby! Go back on stage !! You got this” she encouraged, and like the person you was you walked out again and started singing. At this part of the song no one sings because they know it’s a slow part that you enjoy so much. Nope not today- you start to sing and it seems like you got 6 sense because all of a sudden you felt better, it’s like their was this light telling you to continue. Once you was done you made your way back stage ready to run to your manager put stop in your tracks, turning around you see him, them.

“DREW??” You squeal as you jump into his arms. “You’re here? You’re really here!” You kisses his lips and he chuckles. “ m’course I’m here. Wouldn’t want to miss this day ever. Or any other” he looks at you with a knowing look at you jump in excitement. “You’re staying ?” He nods and you kiss him again. So beyond excited and your heart felt completed. “How about we get something to eat baby?” You smile up at him and nod. “I will like that”. You couldn’t believe it, you look at your other friend and runs into their arms. “You guys are amazing”. The day was spent like any other, Drew by your side constantly kissing you and your best of friends next to you.

#outer banks #obx #drew starkey #drew starkey fluff #drew starkey x reader #drew starkey imagine #drew starkey x fem!reader #rafe cameron x smut #rafe x y/n #drew x y/n #omfg i love this #i hope you like this

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artiststarme · 1 year

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Interested or Not?

Based on a prompt from @nburkhardt. I hope you guys like it and please leave your thoughts in the comments!

Also, if you have any angsty prompt ideas, please send them my way!

~*~*~*~

Steve knew he didn’t have any self-confidence anymore. He hadn’t really since his fall from grace as King Steve in his junior year of high school, really. He tried to change for the better, be a man that himself and Nancy could be proud of. But what did that do? It caused his entire friend group and the rest of the student body to shun him. He’d started high school as King Steve, destroyer of morals and jerk of a man. People liked him, he was popular, and he thought he was happy. As soon as he tried to be better though, everyone turned on him so quickly they couldn’t have ever liked him to begin with. He left high school as a broken boy that hadn’t ever been loved at all.

Sometimes he wished he could go back and change things. He used to be someone he was proud of. He’d spend hours perfecting his hair and outfit to show off to the girls of the school (and the boys but that’s neither here nor there). His skin was flawless and his biggest insecurity was the too-faint outline of his abs. Now though, Steve was a mess. His hair was dull, his skin was scarred, and his confidence was gone. How could he have good self-esteem when he had a ligature mark branded onto his neck and chunks of tissue missing from his sides?

There was always a voice in the back of his head whispering that the family he built for himself wouldn’t last, that they’d leave him just like everyone else had. His parents couldn’t get away from him fast enough, his old friends from high school dropped him as soon as he showed an ounce of emotional maturity, and Nancy broke his heart into a million little pieces before leaving too. So why should Steve believe anyone would ever stay?

Even with Robin singing his praises to anyone that would listen, the voice in Steve’s head was louder. It spoke of better options, whispers of abandonment, and deprecating thoughts about his appearance. Who would ever choose Steve when he looked like this?

Steve’s looks were all he had. That’s how he charmed people and drew people in. Now? Anyone in their right mind would stay as far away from him as possible. He didn’t have anything else to offer people either. He didn’t have any interests or intelligence or drive to go into anything. He wasn’t going to school or working at a great job. He was twenty years old working a dead end minimum-wage job at Family Video and babysitting kids that really didn’t need him, for free on the side.

When Eddie started acting weird, Steve genuinely had no idea what was happening. The whispered words pointed to make Steve blush, the lingering touches, and the free weed all confused him. What the hell was Eddie doing and why was he doing it? If a girl had done that to him before everything happened, Steve would’ve upped the charm and started flirting back. But there was no way Eddie was flirting with him. Steve was probably just imagining it, hoping for it, because he knew no one would ever be interested in him again.

But then Eddie got even more bold, less cautious with his words and much more direct. He’d tell Steve how pretty he looked in the lights of Family Videos, an absolute lie since the bright fluorescents made his skin look pale. Eddie would brush an imploring hand through his hair and comment on how soft it felt, another lie since the hairspray made it all oily and gross. He even told him that his singing voice was that of an angel, a definite lie because Robin always tells him he sounds like a dying walrus when he sings along to Queen.

After several weeks and many brushed-off flirts later, Eddie reached his breaking point. He asked Steve not-so-straight out, “Steve, I like you and I think you like me. Would you like to go on a date with me this weekend?”

Steve just stared at him in response. What the actual fuck? “You like me?”

Eddie stared at him blankly before sputtering an indignant, “uh yes? How-how did you not know that? I’ve been flirting with you for months?!”

“That was flirting? What? Eddie-”

“Was it bad? I told you your ass looked great in your jeans like two days ago. How was that not flirting?” Eddie yelled.

“But why? Why are you flirting with me? Is it a joke?” Steve couldn’t wrap his head around this. Why would Eddie of all people be interested in him? There was no way someone as beautiful and full-of-life as Eddie would ever look at a guy like Steve twice.

Eddie rested his hands on Steve’s shoulders and looked at him sadly. “No Stevie, it’s not a joke. How could I not like you? You’re smart, you’re kind, you listen to me talk for hours about nerdy subjects I know you don’t give a shit about. You’re good with the kids and you’d do anything to protect the people you love. You’re also fine as hell so there’s that. There’s no way I couldn’t be interested in you.”

Steve had tears in his eyes by the time Eddie was done speaking. Eddie truly liked him, something Steve didn’t think was possible anymore. But here he was, unswayed by Steve’s tears and low self-esteem and abandonment issues. He was willing to prove to Steve that he was important and that he wouldn’t leave him. He was willing to stay.

With a small laugh, Steve nodded. “I would love to go on a date with you.”

“Glad to hear it, Big Boy because I might be in love with you.”

And with that, they kissed. Steve had a long way to go before his self-esteem was where it used to be but with Robin, Dustin, and Eddie in his corner, there was no doubt that he would get there eventually.

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#Eddie makes sure he gets his self-confidence back and loves him every step of the way #he also bans Nancy from ever entering their home after he hears about how she played a role #Mike is banned too but there isn't really a justifiable reason for that #stranger things #steddie #fanfic #steve harrington #eddie munson #robin buckley #nancy wheeler

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katrin-may · 1 year

Text

Drawing

CW: fluff, some cuddles, reader artist (na'vi), Neteyam calms the reader, support.

TW: tears, some sadness.

Au: Hello, I was inspired by this art to write this drabble(?). Thank you for waiting and reading me. I hope you will enjoy. enjoy reading!🥰

Oh, I also ask you to just rely on this art and finish the rest in your imagination.

Credits for art:https: //www.instagram.com/p/CnwKPC-vn-Y/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Softly touching the paper with your pencil, you began to draw lines. You sat leaning against a tree and watched a group of friends sitting nearby, including Neteyam, Kiri, L'oak, and other acquaintances. They were sitting and laughing, chatting about their own things. But you were attracted to one particular fellow, the oldest of them. And now you captured that moment on paper. You were known in your country as the best and usually the only artist. Your sketchbook was full of drawings of local nature and the people of your clan. Because of your talent, you were welcome everywhere except...

- Are you following us? - answered the biggest boy in the company of the chief's children.

- Yes, she's definitely following us," said another of those with a bow-face.

- No, not at all," you shouted back at them and stepped back from your work.

- Of course, you're always on our tail wherever we are, and with that notebook of yours.

- Come on," Neteyam didn't punch his friend¹ in the chest hard enough to let him know he had to stop. - She's just doing her job. - He shifted his gaze to you, and your breathing quickened.

- It does. Then why is it that every time I look around, she's always sitting on my tail, squinting in our direction?

- Maybe she likes you," Neteyam smiled, glancing from you as you drew on to your friend, who was already blushing, but it wasn't clear if it was anger or embarrassment.

There, in your sketchbook, is a sketch of Neteyam with a smile on his teeth, and the rest.

- We'll teach her a lesson later," the big man whispered to his skinny friend.

Some time passed, and the friends began to leave. There was no one left in the clearing except your two friends and you, who were sitting nearby. You were about to start packing your things and going to your office when you heard footsteps. When you looked up, you saw the boys. One of them was leaning against a tree and the other was standing over you with his arms crossed over his chest.

- Did something happen? - You asked, clutching the album to you. But it didn't stay in your hands for long, because the man standing above you¹ snatched the album out of your hands. - Hey! Give it back! What do you think you're doing! - You stood up sharply and tried to snatch your thing, but you were held tightly by the other guy standing behind you. The pages were all over everyone you could think of, but it was particularly the Chief's eldest son who got hurt.

- Oh, so that's it," the big fellow grinned, and flipped the album over to face you, where the page was Neteyam in the armor of an Icran rider. And then page after page flipped, and there he was, all over the place.

- And? What's wrong with that? - You grinned.

- Oh, really, what is it? A hobby, maybe? Or an addiction? Neteyam is all over the place!

- What's wrong with that? He's the son of a chief, isn't he worthy of having many portraits of himself?

- Yes? In that case, where is L'oak in close-up and in every detail? - The question stumped you, and you gave yourself away by blushing. - That's right. - The boy¹ nodded to his friend² toward the fire, and he² dragged you toward the still-cold coals where the company fire had recently been.

- Hey! What are you doing? - You broke free of the skinny fellow's grip, but he was strong enough² despite his weight.

- Look," the big guy grinned, tearing out the pages of the Neteyam's, ripping them to shreds and throwing them into the coals.

- No, what are you doing! - You shouted desperately. The drawings slowly smoldered and distorted.

- This is just a warning. Stay away from us," he poked you in the shoulder with a finger. The other guy immediately opened his arms, and you immediately rushed to the embers. Tears welled up in your eyes, and you picked the stick closer and tried to reach for your creation. The boys left you alone, lurking around the corner for a long time, giggling nastily. You began to cry. You felt terrible, because not only did you think they were good, not bad, but your efforts had gone to waste.

The pictures were torn apart like a jigsaw puzzle, and now you managed to put one picture together, the same one you had drawn just before this incident. You covered your face with your hands and cried even harder.

- Y/N? - You heard a man's sweet, warm voice. You hesitated to turn around and tried to clean yourself up, thinking you could somehow hide your red eyes and the tears on your cheeks that were still pouring down in torrents. You felt a touch on your shoulder and a sudden warmth behind your back. - What happened here? - Neteyam pointed to the fire.

- I... Well... - you hesitated, not knowing what to say, for you were afraid that Neteyam would take you for strange and intrusive.

- Tell it like it is.

- I got very upset and burned my drawings.

- And to be honest? - Sitting down next to you, Neteyam pulled you to his chest and put his arm around your shoulders. You felt so warm and light, and the gentle gesture made you feel somehow calmer.

- That's how it was.

- Then why are half your drawings on the ground right now, and," he pointed to your attempts to collect the drawing. You hid your face against the boy's chest out of embarrassment. Still hugging your shoulders, Neteyam began to gently stroke your head with his other hand.

- Well. Oh. Anyway, your friends... That's them. After that skirmish, they came up to me and decided to destroy what I love... - Neteyam stopped his machinations with your hair, lifting your face by the chin, he looked into your weeping eyes, and then turned his gaze to the drawings.

- Bastards, just like them," the boy said hoarsely and tried to get up, but you put your arm around his waist, preventing him from doing so.

- What do you want to do?

- I'm going to talk to them. It's going to be okay," he took both your hands in his big hands and looked you in the eyes. - I promise.

After a while, Neteyam returned, but his face was bruised.

- What happened? - All this time you didn't move from your seat, trying to get all the pieces of paper together.

- They won't bother you now," the boy smiled and began to help you pick up the pieces of paper.

- What happened to your face?

- Oh, that. It's just bruises, I tried to talk to them, but they solved everything with their fists.

- I'm sorry...

- What are you sorry for?

- For all this, if it wasn't for me, we wouldn't be in this position right now.

- Anyway, they should have gotten what they deserved a long time ago. And that, that was the last straw, they were too rough on you," Neteyam touched your shoulder consolingly.

- Thank you," you smiled and continued packing.

- What was drawn here?

- Mostly you," you said without a shadow of doubt and with complete confidence.

- Oh," the boy stared at you in surprise, and his gaze made you blush.

- What?" - You asked awkwardly, dreading his answer.

- No, it's all right. Maybe you still have some of your works? I've never seen them," your friend said.

- Of course there are! - You exclaimed and rushed off in search of a more or less complete album. - Here it is," you handed the pictures to Neteyam, and you both stared at them. The first page showed a sleeping buttercup and his children, in the middle of your forest. The next was a landscape of a waterfall at sunset, with many fish in the water and birds soaring in the air. All the pages were filled with landscapes and animals, you really liked the nature of your forest, and there were almost no people (na'vi). There were a couple of sketches, really, the rest of the work, all taken apart by the inhabitants of the settlement.

- It really is so beautiful. Where did you learn to paint like that? - Neteyam looked away from the paper.

- I don't know, it just happens," you scratched the back of your head confused.

- I didn't see you draw me, so could you draw me again? - Your eyes widened. You were afraid to keep drawing. What if someone burns all your work again?

- What if someone sees it again?

- I won't let what happened today happen again," and when you saw the confidence in his eyes, you relaxed and nodded approvingly. Taking the paper from the guy's hands, you pulled out a pencil. - Oh, what's the best way for me to sit down? - Netayam began to assume various poses. - Maybe so," he smiled and stretched his arm muscles, showing off his musculature. You laughed.

- As you wish," the laughter changed to a smile, and Neteyam just sat down on the grass, lifted his knees and looked into your eyes. - Is your neck going to be all right? - You looked into the boy's eyes.

- I hadn't thought of that, but I think it will be all right! - Neteyam smiled, and you touched the paper. Drawing line after line, there was already a sketch of body and head and then hair, a cute smile and piercing eyes. - Can I move? - You looked at the boy and the drawing, comparing them.

- I think so," Neteyam immediately jumped up and walked over to you.

- May I see it now? - He pointed to your drawing.

- Oh, of course, but I can do it if you like, I have to put the finishing touches on it.

- Then I'll wait," Neteyam smiled broadly and lay down beside you, leaning against the stones.

The lines turned from a sharp sketch to a soft drawing.

- Can you sit in the same pose? - Without further ado, the boy sat up again, somewhat oblivious to the way he had been sitting. You decided to help and, comparing him to the drawing, touched his strong shoulders and arms, guiding them. - There you go. And also," you lightly touched his chin with your fingertips and turned him sideways.

- Your hands smell good, did you know that? - Netayama's words made you blush and pull your hand away, and you smiled embarrassed.

- No, but I'll know now, thank you," you quickly took the drawing and hid behind the sheet, continuing your machinations, at which Neteyam grinned implicitly.

One last sweeping motion, and...

- done! - You exclaimed, calling the boy to you.

- Good," Neteyam sat down beside you and you turned the drawing toward him, watching his reaction. He was silent for a while, examining every detail of the drawing and looking at you askance.

- Look, it's incredible! - exclaimed Neteyam, smiling broadly as he took the portrait back. - Literally every freckle, hair, bead, and abrasion. It's just like me! Now I know exactly why everyone loves your work so much! - That guy's words really embarrassed you.

- Oh, really? Thank you so much! - You awkwardly scratched the back of your head and looked at your friend.

- Can I have this?

- Of course!

- Thank you so much! - Neteyam emotionally hugged you by the shoulders. You were surprised, but decided to respond to his embrace.

- I'll take it as a thank you," you both laughed as you pulled away from each other.

- Oh, no, I'd like to do more than that as a thank you.

It's nighttime, and everyone is asleep, including you. You quickly disperse with Netheyam to each other, but now you are in your tenth dream, until you hear the crunch of tree bark. You wake abruptly and get out of your cocoon, about to attack your opponent. But there was no one around, just a square bundle of leaves at your feet. When you unfold it, you find the glued sheets with your drawings, and not just any drawings, but the ones with Neteyam. All the same ones you drew this afternoon and on previous occasions. Did you notice that almost all of them were put together, not very neatly, but you can see that with soul, and if the drawings have only appeared now, does that mean that someone has been restoring them all evening?

There was also a note attached to the drawings:

"Thank you very much again:)".

#neteyam x you #neteyam x y/n #neteyam x reader #neteyam imagine #neteyam fluff #neteyam fic #neteyam #avatar #atwow imagines #atwow

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