Tumgik
#okay okay i'm done i got it out of my system
willowser · 2 years
Text
edit to add: it's because of this incredible fanart that i got this brainworm
Tumblr media
no bc i need to talk about this, like i'm NOT DONE like bakugou as your next door neighbor !! since you were a child !! and it's a nice neighborhood and his parents seem well adjusted and have clean-cut professional jobs and hold dinner parties with your parents and they're always bringing something delicious for the neighborhood new year's get together.
BUT THEIR SON IS A LITTLE HELLION. the kid that had a mohawk in middle school and made fun of you for not using cuss words until you were like 13. and he's not a bad kid, bc he still is at the top of all his classes and never breaks the law or anything -- but he comes to school after his 16th birthday with a piercing through the middle of his lip and the clothes he wears are black and baggy and he drives an old beat up, cherry red shelby mustang and you're pretty sure he got the tattoo on his forearm before he was 18.
and your dad is like. absolutely not. don't even look at that boy. can't even be caught dead with him.
you've been neighbors for almost your entire life, but it's not like you're really friends. hung out together when there was no one else and your dad was too busy talking about the upcoming season for fishing and golfing to notice. your mom doesn't mind so much bc he's really not terrible, just a wicked little brat, and the week he started playing the drums, nobody in a five mile radius got any sleep. still blares music with open windows and turns it up even louder when you wave at him from across the lawn to shut up.
at graduation, he accepts his diploma -- summa cum laude, of course, the little shit -- and almost gets kicked off stage for sticking his tongue out in the picture. wears all this smudged liner under his eyes and gels his hair out at a million different angles. bc he's the WORST. and your parents try to throw a combined graduation party bc it's easier to plan, but of course bakugou could care less. doesn't even show up until the very end, after most of everyone is gone. counts all the money from the congrats grad! cards he got and then tells you,
"'m gettin' the fuck out of here after this."
you don't think he means the party.
"hate this shit," he grumbles, and you're surprised that he's even talking to you. in his backyard, in front of the beautifully built fire pit for those cold fall nights. it's still hot in june, but he lit it out of spite, bc he doesn't mind the heat. "never gonna be like these fuckin' losers, worried about what everyone else thinks of me 'n shit. oh the HOA will be upset if we decorate the lawn with skeletons, fuck you."
it makes you laugh--he kind of always does, with how crass he can be--and he looks at you, sitting in the wicker chair beside him. he looks like he's glowing in the fire light, liner looking even darker with the shadows on his face. he's traded the stud in his lip for a little hoop in his septum, another in his eyebrow almost hidden in his hair.
"know your ass is gonna stick around here," he says it like an accusation, frowning. "gonna fuckin'--look for some prince charming, tuxedo mask douchebag. shack up and buy a house in the hills or somethin'."
"maybe," you shrug, earning a scoff from him. now that high school is over, the future seems so--open ended. you thought you'd be prepared by now, after all that your parents have tried to instill in you since elementary school, but. you don't know. maybe you don't want to go to law school. "or maybe i'll--join a rock band. dye my hair pink and split my tongue, or something."
you stick your tongue out for emphasis and he watches you closely, sticking his own out in response. when you laugh again, he shuffles in his seat and looks away.
"whatever." bakugou snorts, "you don't know the first thing about bein' in a band. i'd have to teach you everything."
"oh, you think you could?"
"hell yeah," he grins, wicked, all sharp teeth and sin. "learn from the fuckin' master."
"oh my god," you roll your eyes, but smile at him anyway. his eyes dart down to the curve of your lips, the apple of your cheeks, and then he's looking away again. speaking into the fire instead.
"i mean i guess i could, if you wanted, or whatever." the only fully painted fingernail remaining on his left hand is his pinky, and he picks at with interest. "if you--wanna come with me, not like i give a shit."
you try to picture it, you and him. katsuki. in the passenger seat of his car with nothing but clothes in a backpack, money stuffed in your pockets. wherever he's going--you don't even know--but it couldn't be too bad, with him. stopping in a motel when the driving gets old, buying snacks to feed him so he doesn't have to take his eyes off the road. he could be there when you get your first tattoo, and even though he'd make fun of you no matter what you choose, you don't think there's anyone else you would want there but him.
"when are we leaving?" you ask it to the sky, open and unending. dark and dazzling just like him.
from the corner of your eye, you can see him look at you for a long time before he snorts again, soft. disappointed, almost, because he knows it could never be. your fate has already been sealed, molded, starting from the day you moved in next door, and no matter how much you'd love to throw caution to the wind and follow him--it's just a dream.
"first thing tomorrow," he murmurs, and your heart thumps harder in your chest. so violent that it hurts. when you look at him, his face is turned up to the sky, too. "don't be late."
445 notes · View notes
revvethasmythh · 1 year
Text
Tumblr media
Vaxleth, in our year of Predathos 2023. She's pondering her Vax'ilorb
2K notes · View notes
caracello · 9 months
Text
i don't knowww i don't like p.ro‌shippers i don't want them near me but i do think the way some people on here talk about them is like. insane. like making them into an Evil Force that we as the Good Guys must Vanquish in order for us to Live In Peace is kind of weird. you get how that's weird, right?
26 notes · View notes
eidetic187 · 9 months
Text
Can i just scream into the void for a second
7 notes · View notes
izupie · 1 year
Text
also for the love of god don't be self deprecating over and over and over about your own writing as a joke
it's not funny ! it's not cute !
sure we all like to joke haha my writing is garbage but if you do it constantly it can be so so bad for you. you won't even realise when it stops being a joke inside your own head. if you're always criticising the way you write, even for the funnies, it can take all the joy out of it before you've even noticed. plus everyone around you will stop finding it funny very quickly, even if they don't say it out loud. trust me.
if you tell me you don't like your fic or the way you write, why will I decide I do??
if you're addicted to the validation of someone going 'nooo your writing is amazing!' then you need to address that because that's going to be a problem and you need to find a way out of that hole because it's not. good. for. you.
8 notes · View notes
hrokkall · 2 years
Text
Okay I got several people egging me on so here we go.
Scrybe Classpecting below the cut (both for length and to prevent psychic damage):
Leshy: Maid of Blood
Class isn’t set in stone here, but... hey. It’s nearly two in the morning and we’re just going for it. Active class; maids create/create through their aspect and start the session with a surplus of it. Though perhaps unintentionally on his part (as he’s zeroed-in on the story rather than wasting time picking apart bonds with a microscope), he does manage to temporarily mend the rift between the other scrybes by positioning himself as the antagonist (and, in a literal sense, “creates” more blood by turning them into beasts as opposed to the menagerie of parts they were before).
Aspect wasn’t intended to be a reference to his game mechanics, but… hell, if it works out that way it works out that way. I was going to make him a heart player, but… heart tends to be a focus on the self/sense of self rather than the “heart of the story” as he would be. Blood is unity, in a sense, and... is that not exactly what he tried to do? A single unifying thread for the storyline, bending the rules only for the sake of flavor as opposed to what makes sense (and getting upset when his bent rules/general unbalancing were overridden by Kaycee).
Blood players also tend to be pretty good leaders (whether intentionally or not) which… is definitely shown in canon. In Act 3, though admittedly out of necessity, he’s pretty damn easily able to band together with the other two Scrybes that hate his guts (albeit with a common goal of destroying the fourth to reset, but... technicalities.)
Also blood players’ interpersonal relationships tend to be a disaster which. Do I need to elaborate on this. Even if you ignore the semi-canonical divorce he literally turns the only other beings on the planet that sort of understand his plight into wild animals.
As a final note, he’s really the only Scrybe in canon to have formed an actual relationship with a Challenger. P03 sees Luke more as a tool, the others confiding in him only as dying company. But based on the logs in Kaycee’s mod, the two were genuinely friends, and he expresses remorse when pulling her deathcard in game. Hell, they were close enough that he prevented the premature death of their world via Kaycee being unable to destroy the disk because he was on it. Wild. Anyway, moving on because this is getting lengthy.
Grimora: Witch of Doom
Witch... I feel like this is a given one. Active class, death motif, association with secrets and even-tempered personalities that give way to extremely powerful abilities. Plus, the class name also fits with her whole necromancy motif: while not being a formal spellcaster like Magnificus is, she still does have magical associations in the realm of the undead. Plus, witches tend to break the rules of their aspects a little bit. Doom is, fundamentally, an ending. Yet, despite being worn to bone and rotting flesh, Grimora and the denizens of her crypt are all very much alive even if she’s not a healer in of herself.
Doom is... similarly cut and dry. Not only does she (literally) bring about the end of the world, but she also seems to be the only one truly aware of what the OLD_DATA is (whether it be via Bone Lord proximity or just a general awareness that it is something that is so much larger than themselves and using it for their own gain is selfish at best and actively malevolent at worst). Fate’s chosen sufferers, but bringing with it a surprising amount of empathy (misery loves company, after all), albeit in a fatalistic fashion. Doom is sacrifice and... she (tries to, anyway) sacrifices the lives of everyone on the disk to prevent the “greater evil” from spreading.
I... don’t think there’s much to elaborate on this one, really. Little shorter in comparison to Leshy’s class analysis but this one I’m more confident in.
Magnificus: Mage of Light
I wanted to make this guy a seer. Legally I should make this guy a seer. But seeing as fucking no one knows what Mages’ deals are that seemed… pretty fitting. Also having an entire session full of active classes is… really fitting of the Scrybes. Not to mention the fact that each mage is (at least implied to, if memory serves) have given up one of their five senses. Magnificus loses an eye, which has to count for something. Still, a mage seems to have total control over their aspect in exchange for their plight, which I’ll touch upon later.
The aspect was a lot trickier for this guy, but I ended up settling on light. Fundamentally, Light is the aspect of knowledge. Seeking and seeking and digging deeper no matter the consequences just for answers’ sake: a very “ends-justify-the-means” sort of aspect. Even though Magnificus tries to obscure his intentions, a rapid pursuit of what will ultimately only hurt himself and those around him for sake of power is exactly what he’s doing. Light also has associations with seeing the future and luck: while the latter is absent, the former is a pretty damn big aspect of his character as a whole.
The only non-light trait he shares is his fundamental unwillingness to share this information with others (though it might not be unwillingness so much as “physical inability”. He does, after all, try to tell the player a bit about what’s going on... only to disappear from the game entirely unless he’s challenged at the end). Even his students are purposefully kept in the dark, ironically enough, but I’d be willing to argue that this ties into the mage class. Total control over an aspect means both giving and taking away. Deliberate obfuscation is just as much a “light” trait as it is a “void” trait, especially in the case of the Scrybes which... fundamentally are examples of these classpects at their very worst. In Magnificus’s case, an example that because he was willing to make vast sacrifices for knowledge that others must be willing to do the same for their own abilties (which obviously Isn’t The Case and wouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all solution regardless, but Magnificus chooses to deliberately ignore that because he can see the outcome).
P03: Knight of Breath
The Knight. Puts up a façade. Knows more than they let on. Ultimately uses that knowledge to protect either their aspect or themselves. Now who does that sound like. (Plus, two knights in canon are shown to have problems with alternate versions of themselves which… fits P03’s relationship with G0lly to a T.) (He could be a Prince too though tbh but this analysis is going to interpret him as a knight because. I’m not re-doing it. This shitpost has gone on long enough already).
Opposite aspect of Leshy because they’re foils. I was going to make him a mind player (which also fits pretty well) but as knights tend to ghost their aspect with their façade… I cannot in Any stretch of the imagination see P03 acting like a heart player. He does, however, put up the façade of a blood player—Leshy in particular. Hell, it literally builds bastardized caricatures of the other Scrybes and itself to seize a sense of complete leadership (as opposed to making its worker bots into bosses, which just presents too many damn variables. It wants to lead, sure, but having to forge bonds in order to get others to trust it and therefore follow its commands? Yuck. It’ll settle for making OCs instead, thank you.)
But mostly, breath is the aspect of someone untethered. Someone who sees themself as completely “distant”. They’re all code, yes—P03 is most familiar with this concept, arguably—but he is still different by design. Ironically enough, the others all need to breathe. He can hear it in the wheezing of Magnificus’s lungs, in the rise and fall of Leshy’s chest rustling the foliage racing down his back. Grimora doesn’t need to breathe anymore, but that doesn’t stop the rise and fall of her chest in sighs of relief. ...Quickly realizing this is veering into Prince territory again with the whole “lack thereof” an aspect. Lack of a freedom they all so desperately want to attain, but with P03 being the only one willing to ignore the repercussions to do so.
They have an invalid session obviously (because of lack of Space/Time players; not that they’d know that) and profusely blame each other for that fact. But even if they did have the required time/space player it wouldn’t work out anyway because they’re the scrybes from Inscryption. Doubtlessly remaking the world in their collective image wouldn’t appeal to them, and it would end up in an artificial stalemate over whose concept is objectively “the best”. They’d work together to defeat the Dersian royalty and that’s about it.
Bonus points: Kaycee and Luke would be space and time players respectively. I mean. Come on. Kaycee quite literally had a hand in creating their world, and with Time’s association with death... yeah. Luke would be a page though because he’s a fucking idiot. I say this affectionately but also because he’d never really reach a full realization of his abilities (which is almost certainly for the best). Kaycee... no idea. Maybe an heir? I like the concept of them being passive classes in contrast to the scrybes’ Four Active Class Shitshow.
15 notes · View notes
dwobbitfromtheshire · 6 months
Text
I'm clearing out my draft folder again.
Steve and Robin were running through Starcourt, high as fuck when Steve skidded to a stop in front of Eddie Munson.
"You look like Eddie Munson," Steve giggled.
"Steve!" Robin said with wide eyes. "I think that is - "
"Man, what happened to your face?" Eddie asked.
"Funny story, can you keep a secret from Eddie?" Steve said seriously.
"Sure," Eddie grinned.
"No, Steve, that's - ,"
"ANYWAY," Steve rolled his eyes at Robin. "I had this crush on him in freshman year. Do you think I should tell him?"
"Uh - are you guys on drugs?" Eddie asked.
"YES! But we didn't want to," Robin said. "They wanted information."
"Aw, fuck, there's this guy that works with Rick. Real sketchy. I told him he needs to let him go before he gets Rick into trouble, but does Rick listen to me? Nah!" Eddie exclaimed. "Look, whatever the hell he gave you should wear off. Not all drug dealers are like that. What we pitch to you is what you get. What you want is what you get. Okay, let's get you guys to the bathroom and try to get it out of your system. Come on."
"I'm going to tell Eddie," Steve said with a grin. "Shh! Wait here. I'll tell you how it goes."
Steve ran off with Robin on his tail. Eddie cursed and chased after them. They got distracted by the lights hanging overhead and started spinning around, gazing at them in awe.
"You guys do not want to do that," Eddie said, and they started heaving before they ran off in the direction of the bathrooms. "And that's why."
He ran off after them and into the bathroom room, where they vomited into the toilets. Eddie knelt down next to him and stroked Steve’s hair as he emptied the contents of his stomach. Once Steve was done, he leaned his head into Eddie's touch and closed his eyes, letting Eddie stroke his hair. He whined when Eddie moved away and saw him go to the sink. He came back with a wet, soapy paper towel and started cleaning Steve’s face.
"I guess I'm chopped liver," Robin said. "It's okay, I'll get it myself."
Steve laughed and made a face at the taste in his mouth. Eddie clapped a hand on his back.
"I'll be right back," Eddie said.
He rushed off to buy a couple of toothbrushes and toothpaste. He also picked up what he thought was lip balm. When he returned, he he heard them talking. They were clearly bonding, solidifying their working relationship into a friendship. Or maybe something more considering how Robin was talking about watching Steve. Shit, maybe Eddie should leave. They were talking about someone else now.
"But Tammy Thompson's a girl," Steve said.
"Yeah," Robin said.
"Oh."
Or maybe not. Oh God, Robin was coming out to Steve, and Eddie was overhearing it. Oh God, what should he do? He was frozen to the spot. Steve was going on about how Tammy Thompson was a total dud and how she sounded like a Muppet. Eddie snorted. Yeah, that was true.
"I can't believe you're making fun of my crush," Robin laughed. "What about yours?"
"Hey, at least Eddie can sing," Steve replied.
Fuck! Okay, so he had been telling the truth then.
"How do you know he can sing?" Robin asked.
"My car broke down near the Hideout one night, and I heard him singing. He was playing with his band, Corroded Coffin," Steve said. "They were really good. I was going to go talk to him, but I kind of thought that the drummer was his girlfriend, but that's crazy. I mean, guys and girls can just be friends, right?"
"I like to think so," Robin replied.
There was a long pause in their conversation, which gave Eddie plenty of opportunity to burst through the door.
"Okay, so I have a green toothbrush and a pink one," Eddie said. "Which one do you guys want?"
"Ooh, pink," Steve said and they stared at him. "What?"
"Nothing," Eddie said in amusement.
He watched as they brushed their teeth. Well, he mostly watched Steve.
"So, how much of our conversation did you hear?" Steve asked, setting his toothbrush on the sink.
"What? I didn't hear anything. Were you guys talking about something?" He asked.
"Seriously?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't hear anything that you guys didn't want me to hear," Eddie said.
"I don't think you're the kind of guy who would spill the beans on us," Robin said. "At least, I hope not so you don't have to deny anything."
"Ooh, lip gloss," Steve plucked it out of Eddie's hand. "May I?"
"Yeah, I thought it was lip balm," Eddie frowned. "So, have you always known that you liked guys?"
"Not just guys, girls too," Steve said as he started applying the lip gloss to his pouty lips. "I'm bisexual."
"Did you always know you were bisexual?" Eddie asked as he watched Steve’s lips intently.
"Well, yes and no," Steve said. "It was more like a slow build-up to my realization. Like more and more evidence started piling up that I could no longer deny."
"So, it wasn't like you looked at someone one day and realized 'shit, I'm into dudes, now?" Eddie asked as his eyes raked over the swell of his ass.
"It's always kind of been there. Why?" Steve asked as he closed the lip gloss.
"No reason," Eddie blushed, looking at his shoes.
"Oh my god!" Robin exclaimed. "You woke him up."
"What?" Steve asked.
"You woke him up!" Robin exclaimed, and Eddie quickly hid behind his hair.
"It's the outfit!" Eddie shrieked.
"So, what is it about the outfit that does it for you?" Steve asked.
"It's everything! The socks! The shorts that fill out your ass fantastically, by the way! And the shirt with the red bow tie in front," Eddie said. "It's just the whole fucking outfit."
"You should see me in the hat," Steve said in amusement.
Suddenly, Dustin and Erica burst into the bathroom before Steve could say anything else.
"There you are!" Dustin shrieked.
"Hey, could you give us a minute?" Steve asked Robin.
Robin quickly started ushering the kids out of the bathroom.
"But, Steve?!" Dustin asked.
"Out!" Robin yelled and shut the door behind them.
"I like you and as badly as I want to kiss you right now. . . I don't want it to be after I vomited in a bathroom. Plus, you still need to figure things out. If you still want me a few days from now. Call me. I have to deal with these kids I babysit. So go home and think things over," Steve said softly.
There was something that Steve wasn't telling him, but Eddie knew that he was also right. Besides, it was late. Steve placed his hands on Eddie's shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek, close to the corner of his mouth. It felt much like Steve was promising him something. Steve pulled away and started moving toward the door.
"Hey, Steve?" Eddie asked.
"Yeah?"
"I'm definitely going to call you," Eddie said.
Steve laughed and walked out of the bathroom, leaving them both with hope for the future.
1K notes · View notes
thotsfortherapy · 2 years
Text
so for those of you who don't know, I was recently diagnosed with ADHD-I. So far, I think my favourite thing that I've learned is the idea of "embrace the pivot".
Have you ever found a productivity system that works for you (whether it be your Google calendar, bullet journaling, agenda-ing, etc), and you're so pumped because it's like finally! Now I can actually get some stuff done! But then time passes, days or weeks or years, and the novelty of it runs out, and then it kind of just... Stops working. It can be so frustrating, because this thing that used to work no longer works for seemingly no reason.
But, that isn't a failing of the thing, that thing worked for a certain amount of time, and that's good! I used a massive agenda in my first year of uni, and it kept me on track for all my assignments. My second year agenda? Barely touched it. Instead, I started to use a bullet journal, and that was the thing that helped me through most of the year. But as time went on, my spreads got less creative, and in the final term, I didn't even want to touch it because it was too much work. So I switched to Notion.
The agenda didn't fail me, and neither did the bullet journal, it just worked for a certain amount of time. And when that time inevitably runs out, you can just say, "thank you for serving me for so long, I'm going to pivot to the next thing." And then you do it without feeling like you should try harder or like that thing failed you.
This doesn't just have to apply to productivity either. Systems, tools, habits, hobbies, coping mechanisms.. They all serve their purpose. It's okay to let them go when the time comes.
16K notes · View notes
Text
You're a racewinner (Lando Norris)
The one where Lando won his first Formula One race
Note: english is not my first language. That race took years out of my life and all of the tears out of me, but I couldn't not do something for this moment ✨️
Thank you so much to everyone who likes and reblogs, your feedback is appreciated 🤍 and I'm taking requests so if you have any ideas or concepts you want to share, feel free to do so as I'll try to get to them the best I can!
my masterlist
Cw: alludes to smut at the end, curse words
Tag list: @myloverjk-blog @hiireadstuff @c-losur3
"Baby, can you come here and help me, please?", Lando called from the hotel bathroom, "I can't place this quite right".
Getting the plaster from your boyfriend's fingers, you fiddled with it a little before holding Lando's jaw so he could face you properly, "stay still,", you whispered, applying the sterile material on his nose cut with a tender touch.
"Thank you, lovie", Lando mumbled once you peeled both hands away from his face, pecking your lips, "couldn't help myself when I have your beautiful face so close to mine", he snickered.
Shaking your head at his capacity of turning you into mush, you pecked his nose gently, "are you going to play padel the whole afternoon?", you wondered.
"I'm not sure, I think so - we have dinner reservations downstairs though, Will, Mark and Oscar said they'd join us as well", he offered.
"Okay", you nodded, grabbing your laptop so you could get on with work at the desk in your room.
"Do you have a lot of work to do today, angel?", he asked, kissing your naked shoulder as he looked at the screen. For his life, he couldn't understand half of what you had written in there, let alone actually do any of the smart tasks you had in there.
"It's not too bad - it's the administrative boring stuff that I actually enjoy doing", you admitted. There wasn't much to it, and while your colleagues found it boring, you found comfort on the sequential and system like steps.
"I'm going then - call me if you need anything, okay?", he kissed the top of your head, "I love you".
"I love you too, Lan - enjoy yourself!", you kissed him back before he grabbed his things and left the room.
It certainly wasn't something you did for every race, but whenever it did, you'd fly in earlier with Lando and work remotely whenever he had his own duties and activities.
After King's Day, you and Lando flew over to Miami, the sunshine greeting you to contrast with the gloomy days you had back home. Warm weather always made you feel happier and you welcomed the golden hues on your skin after spending the first two days basking in eachother's presence by the pool and walks along the beach.
By the time Lando came back, he was met with you putting your laptop back into your backpack, "all done for today, beautiful?".
"Yes - for the week actually! There was a meeting that was cancelled and the other was pushed for next week, so I went ahead with the rest and it's all done!", you smiled, "I was about to shower when you texted saying that you were on your way back".
"You were waiting for me? Such a good girl", Lando whispered on your ear after wrapping his arms around your towell covered body, "let's go then", he pulled you with him.
After a shower filled with soft touches that were a thin line away from teasing, you both got ready for dinner, meeting the rest of the group at the restaurant.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?", Mark asked Lando once you were already enjoying your meal.
"What's tomorrow?", you questioned.
"I'm going the yoga class with Hilton - actually, you can come to that now that you don't have the meeting anymore", your boyfriend suggested, "you're a good... yoga practising person".
"That one on the beach? Am I allowed to go?", you asked. You wouldn't mind having a muscle stretching session.
"I'm sure they can put a mat down for you", Mark offered, "I'll text them about it".
"Lando will just get distracted by you and fall on his face - at least you can add to that plaster", Oscar joked before taking a sip of his water and earning himself a kick in the shin from your boyfriend.
.
"My girlfriend is actually quite good - I asked her to teach me some of this stuff because i didn't want to be too bad at it", Lando admitted, winking at you while he dusted the sand off of his fingers.
So far, the class was one of the funniest videos you've ever watched Lando record. He was really taking on the job and the part seriously, answering Alli with all of the lines you had told him about yesterday. Since you were sitting further at the back, you could giggle freely at his antics, stealing quick looks from eachother every chance you could.
"Look at this excellent form!", Alli complimented as she watched the rest of the class.
"She's talking about me, not you guys - me!", Lando chirped in as he stretched his arms up.
"Now this one is really good to stretch your hips", Ali added as she moved into a different position.
"Work on this one, lovie!", Lando shouted at you, "but be careful, okay?", he ensured as he looked to see if you were doing it well.
"I'm good, Lan, thank you!", you giggled, shaking your head before changing your feet position on the mat.
"Are you afraid of the sand?", Alli asked.
"I don't like the sand, no", Lando snickered, swatting the grains away from his hands, "Y/N will tell you all about it since she's always making fun of me because of it - she's lucky she's cute otherwise I might get mad", he argued half jokingly.
As the crew tidied the area, Lando crept up behind you, hugging your waist and pulling you to his chest, "did you like it, love?".
"It was nice, yes - my back and hips feel better actually", you smiled, resting your hands on top of his around your tummy.
"That's good", he placed a soft kiss on your neck, "how about we go and take advantage of that then?", he whispered.
"Lan, we're outside and we were doing yoga!", you scolded softly despite the goosebumps erupting on your skin. The warm Miami air didn't have anything to do with that reaction, so Lando knew you were just as bad as he was.
"We'll go to our room, of course - you look so good in these leggings and this top", he turned you around to face his chest, his hands grabbing a handful of your hips and butt, "I can tell you want it too", he smirked.
Playing coy, you fiddled with the string of his hoodie. How he was wearing it under this sun and warmth, you had no idea, but it would be a plus to touch and admire his body underneath it.
"You don't need to do anything else?", you asked. Despite your desire, you would never do anything that go between his work duties.
"No, I'm free for the rest of the day", he smiled.
As soon as you got the okay to leave and call it a day, Lando was a man on a mission to spoil you and let you lose yourselves in eachother.
.
Media day was usually the quietest day, but given the media and celebrity attention the paddock got for this Grand Prix, it was quite packed and action filled.
"Hello handsome", you greeted Lando once he came to meet you in the lounge for some lunch.
"I'm tired and I haven't done any racing yet", he muttered, "the social media team made me film this video which I think you'll like", he said, getting his phone from his pocket and showing it to you.
"Aren't we full of ourselves, hm? It's a video of your handsome face", you pointed out teasingly, kissing his cheek before watching it again.
"Are you saying you don't like it? If you didn't like it, you wouldn't have watched it again and again", Lando tickled, ending up having to hold your back so you wouldn't fall to the ground.
"You look very handsome, baby", you agreed with him, catching your breath as you sat on his lap.
"We also met Jimmy Butler and the team brought one of the trophies out - it was so cool, look!", he showed you on his phone, flickering through his gallery.
.
The first sprint qualifying session gave the team a 1-2, followed by Lando's pole position for the second session was applauded by everyone in the garage, "I'm not sure how it's going to be with the compound change though, but everyone else is also changing so we'll see", Mark observed. 
The car seemed to skid away slightly, the grip level from the new tire not allowing Lando a smooth turn as you watched his on-board for the third and last qualifying session. 
"I'm happy with everything, just not one thing", you heard Lando say in the post qualifying interviews.
You didn't get to see him before he went to the media pen, so you couldn't whisper sweet words to him before he went out there. Not that he would listen to them too much anyway. If there was something you learned over the years is that you should let him come to you, no matter how much you wanted to hold him in your arms.
He was always too hard on himself and it was no different after this qualifying. You waited around for him, chatting with some of the team members while you did so to pass the time.
"Lando!", you waved, calling him so he could notice you.
"I need to go to my driver's room", he offered his hand out for you to hold and follow him.
Once you were inside, you wrapped your arms around Lando's neck, kissing his neck multiple times and rubbing his back.
"I can't believe I did that? Not even a rookie would've done that shitshow, it's like I forgot how to drive", Lando muttered, shaking his head.
"Everyone struggled with the grip Lando, they were either eating up their tires or squiding away", you reasoned with him, "I don't think any of the guys thought they had a good lap".
"Mine surely wasn't", Lando scoffed.
"Hey, look at me", you said sternly, cupping his face in your hands to make sure he wasn't looking elsewhere.
You had to let him come to you, but that didn't mean you couldn't give him a piece of your mind first.
"You have been with this team since you were a kid, Lando, and everyone inside this hospitality is rooting for you, bad day or good day, everyone has your back, and as well as you don't win on your own, you don't lose or get a bad result on your own. Everyone out there is supporting you and no one thinks you're a failure or a bad driver", you stated.
You knew what was going on inside his head, Lando reasoned with himself - there was no point in lying to you or saying that he wasn't feeling like that when you could practically read him like a book.
"You're only as good as your last race, Y/N that's how this sport works", Lando offered.
"Then let's make this one count - the weekend has barely begun", you rubbed his cheek.
"I have to go to debrief", Lando mumbled, looking down before he pressed a kiss on your forehead.
"I love you, thank you", he whispered, squeezing your wrists before kissing them too.
"I love you too, all of you and everything that you do", you winked before he left his driver's room.
As soon as all of his duties were taken care of, you went back to the hotel, deciding to stay in for the night after a long shower.
"Come here so I can play with your hair and magically pull away all of those bad thoughts going on inside there", you smiled, finally sitting down on the bed.
Lando didn't want to seem needy or clingy, but every time you reached for the body moisturiser to scoop some of it out and rub it on your skin, he felt himself deflate a little, having to wait a little more to be able to touch you.
Crawling to your hold, your boyfriend rested his head on your chest as his arms circled your waist, feeling your fingers do as you had told him.
"Do you think tomorrow will be better?", he muttered.
"I don't know for sure, but I hope so", you answered honestly, "you deserve a good result tomorrow, you deserve all the good things, love", you added.
"I don't deserve you", he mumbled, looking up at you.
"You do, Lando", you kissed his forehead.
"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me", he stated, "whether I deserve you or not is another ballgame, but I hope you never leave me".
"It's not on my plans, no", you chuckled despite the seriousness of your words, "do you know what is though? Sleep, because tomorrow you have a big day", you kissed his lips, "go to sleep, baby".
"I love you, baby - sweet dreams", Lando whispered.
"They always are when you're here with me", you murmured.
.
"Fucking hell", you groaned, "is he staying out?", you wondered outloud.
The team radio with the veredict came in quickly, deciding that the risk they would be getting into by continuing the race and potentially worsening whatever damage the car had was not worth the points that would be up for grabs. Like so, they would retire the car, so Lando jumped out of the car and crossed the track.
"He shouldn't have done that", you muttered, noticing the other people around you looking at you curiously. Most of them were paddock guests who you had never seen before, so you excused yourself as politely as you could, waiting for Lando to come back from the pitwall and into the garage.
He exchanged a few words with the team before he approached you.
"I'm sorry it didn't go the way you wanted - do you want me to fight anyone?", you tried to get a smile out of him.
"Sometimes these things happen, there was nothing I could do", he kissed your forehead, "they're bringing the car back but it seems to have not been that bad - I was worried about the suspension damage but it doesn't look too bad from what they can see on the computer", he offered, "I need to go to the media pen, lovie".
"Go go, I'll be here if you need anything", you smiled, feeling him squeeze your hand in his before he found the team member he was supposed to go with.
A couple of hours later, race qualifying rolled around and despite P5 still being a good position, you could see that Lando was struggling a little bit and he would surely blame himself on his lack of skills.
"Is he coming straight here or the media pen?", Ria asked you.
"I'm not sure", you mumbled, looking around to check for any signs of where your boyfriend would be headed.
When Lando came back to the garage, you were the first person he looked for.
"Hello hello", he said, squeezing your hand once more before greeting the rest of the group.
"That was not bad, P5 means a lot is up for grabs still", you tried, not really sensing the mood he was in which was unusual for you.
"It felt better yesterday, we still have to check about the changes we made and decided what to keep and what to undo", Lando offered without a prominent emotion on his tone.
"I'll be here when you're back", you told him.
"I still have the debrief and I'm staying as long as I can", he stated, "you can go to the hotel if you want to".
"I'll wait here", you kissed his cheek before letting him go.
His mood wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't the worst you had ever seen it, so you had to make do for now. Getting your book from your bag, you went up to find yourself a spot in the lounge since Ria told you they would be going back to the hotel.
"Are you ready to go?", Lando announced his presence a couple of hours later, stepping closer to you with his backpack on his back already.
"Yes", you said, putting the book back and getting up, "What is that?", you wondered as you pointed to the envelope on his hand.
"A fine for crossing the track - twenty-five thousand euros because I got out on my own, and it's that little if I don't do anything else again", he shook his head, "do you want to have dinner out or in the room?".
"Whichever way you prefer, handsome", you replied earnestly.
"Are you doing it because you feel pity for me? Is that why you're that quiet and following my lead to whatever I say?", he mused, letting his insecurities get the best of him, "because I told you, it happens and I'm fine".
"It could never be out of pity when it is, always, out of love, Lando", you smiled, pecking his lips and heading to the car so you could make your way back to the hotel.
.
Lando woke up earlier than he expected considering how tired he had been, sensing your even breathing pattern next to him. His mind filled with strategies, outcomes and potential situations that could arise, so he definitely wasn't sleeping until nightime.
"Good morning", you surprised him as he didn't think you were awake yet, your eyes greeting him as he turned around to face you.
"Good morning, lovie", he smiled, getting your hand from under the pillow and kissing your knuckles, "you're awake already?".
"Couldn't sleep anymore - you?", you mused.
"Same - means we can have some morning snuggles", Lando offered as he pulled you closer to him.
"Do you want to talk about the race?", you mumbled after you kissed his lips.
"You know me too well, don't you?", he chuckled, kissing you again while he traced patterns on your waist.
"We've been dating for nearly seven years - it would be a little weird if I didn't", you pursed your lips jokingly.
"I don't know, I keep thinking about all the things that can go wrong and what I can do in that situation - P5 isn't bad but I'm not sure I can extract all of it", he sighed.
"You're too hard on yourself", you mused, "there hasn't been a challenge that you didn't want to face, you never backed down from it and it's not something you're going to start doing now, baby", you stated.
"Do you think I have it?", he mused. He wasn't sure what it meant, but right now he didn't know anything.
"Of course you do, it will come to you, my love", you tried to build his confidence up, "you're such an amazing, skilled driver, you climbed up the ladder on your merit, and your team is backing you up. With some work there, that podium can be yours, Lando".
"I don't know", he tsked still.
"Well, I do know, so you'll have to trust me", you moved under the sheets, supporting your torso on your hands so you could hover over Lando, "this one is for when you'll start doubting yourself", you kissed above his left eyebrow, "this one is in case you need a little push", you kissed his right eyebrow, "this here is for good luck", you kissed his forehead, "this one here is because you are the best driver out there", you kissed his nose, "this one is for how much you deserve to be on that podium", you kissed his cheek, letting your eyelashes tickle him, "This is for the amazing person that you are", you kissed his jaw, "And this one is for how much I love you and how proud I am of you", you landed a kiss on his lips, letting yours melt into his to show you just how much you meant all those words.
Lando felt loved unconditionally. There were no better words to describe what he felt. No matter what he delivered on track, you were always there for him. To congratulate him when things went well and to comfort him when he needed. It didn't matter if he was P1 or P20, your love and affection was a constant in his life.
"I never want to know what life is like without you by my side", Lando cupped your cheek, rubbing the skin.
"I'm not going anywhere", you promised.
You stayed in bed until the alarm rang, then getting ready to go to the track. Lando kissed your temple before he went to the debrief meeting, leaving you to grab a cool drink to deal with the Miami heat.
"I love you, be safe out there", you smiled, kissing over his left eyebrow.
"I could do with a little more luck", he admitted, blood rushing to his cheeks as you stood on your tippy toes to kiss his forehead like you had that morning in bed.
Lando continued getting ready while you occupied your spot on the garage, giving him a little wave before he went to the grid.
"He seems hopeful today", Mark nudged your shoulder as he sat next to you, "I don't suppose you have something to do with it", he smirked.
"What do you mean?", you wondered.
"Yesterday he wasn't exactly cheerful, but he walked into the debrief saying that today was a day full of opportunities", he clarified.
"Just helped him see the other side of the coin", you blushed at his assumption.
The race got off to a bumpy start, making you hiss as soon as you watched the cars get through unharmed, "that was a close call", you muttered.
Just as Lando had set the fastest lap, you watched Max go outside of the track slightly and hit the cone and later giving Oscar first place since he needed to pit, "the car pace looks good, doesn't it?", Jon told you.
"Oscar is coming to the pit and Max is right behind Lando", you muttered as you heard your boyfriend's radio and watched the mechanics get ready with the new tires for Oscar.
By lap thirty, still under the safety car, Lando was the one to pit and you couldn't help but do the math, "He's going to come out at the front, isn't he?", you looked at Jon and Mark, wanting to check your calculations right.
"Yes, look at him go", Jon pointed to the screen.
From then on, your heart beat as fast as it ever had, your eyes focusing on the gap between Lando and Max as your leg bounced up and down.
"Y/N, you should take it easy", Jon said, "you're going to work yourself up and it won't be good", he noticed. The way your eyes watched the race combined with the heat, your innate lack of water intake and the way your blood pressure seemed to be going, his worry was genuine.
"Mas just said on his radio that he's struggling with his car", Mark said as he placed a hand on your shoulder.
"Don't jinx it, don't jinx it", you whispered as you looked at everyone else around you.
Everyone shared the nerves you felt, everyone held on to see what was happening while keeping an eye on Oscar's brilliant drive after all that came his way.
"Should have dated an accountant", you mumbled before getting up, pacing around the small area once you made sure you weren't annoying people too much and not blocking anyone's view, "my heart wouldn't be like this", you took a deep breath as the last five laps warning came on the screen.
"Love how Oscar is the one with the fastest lap all the way down there - it's such a shame, he deserved more", you pointed out in an attempt of distracting yourself.
"Three laps!", someone yelled.
As you saw the rush to the checkered flag and your boyfriend's car be the first one to cross it, the garage and pitwall erupted in celebration.
"HE WON! HE WON! LANDO WON!", you yelled, crying into your hands after the initial shock wore off, Mark and Jon hugging you as they celebrated, "this is amazing? Aren't you amazed?", you yelled.
Lando's screams and laughs filled your ears as you listened closely to your boyfriend's first reactions after crossing the finish line on his first win, the pout being replaced with a massive grin even though you were still crying happy tears, "we did it, Will! We did it!", he boasted.
Once you were allowed, you joined the rest of the team and ran to Parc Fermé, stopping by Natalie once she spotted you for a quick hug.
"Will! Will! Will!", you called your boyfriend's race engineer once the team kindly let you go to the front, "Congratulations!", you hugged him, "I'm so happy!!", you squealed as he laughed.
Your phone rang with a FaceTime call coming from Max, "Hiiiii!", you beamed.
"Are you at the front?", he asked, "he did it, Y/N, he fucking did it! I'm going to add Adam here, just let me go here...", he tapped his screen until you noticed a new square forming on your phone.
"Hiii!", Adam and Cisca accepted the call quickly, "Y/N! Where are you now?", Cisca asked.
"I'm at the front here, slightly on the side!", you yelled as you showed them the number four car park in front of the number one plaque, "Look at him!", you squealed.
Lando was quick to get out safely, celebrating his first position and getting weighed in before taking his helmet off, leaving it on the ground and diving into the team who congratulated him enthusiastically.
"He's so happy and he has his big smile that makes his eyes crinkly!", you cheered as you stood next to Mark, making sure you didn't get shoved or pushed around too much.
"She and Lando are so cute, ugh, I can't deal with it", Pietra groaned.
"He's very lucky to have you, Y/N", Adam agreed before you saw Flo and Cisca.
"Lando No wins no more, hey? Y/N, have you seen him? He must be so ecstatic!", Flo offered.
"Stop it - I just passed by Natalie on my way here and she recalled the first time I watched a race from the garage when I was nineteen! Nineteen, might as well have been a baby! And I cried a little more, nearly choked because I had to run here and my breathing was ragged", you muttered, "I think the guys are putting him back down", you mused.
"Dude! Broken Rib time!", Zak yells once Lando was back on the floor, hugging your boyfriend before Andrea did the same.
"Now make room for the missus - she also gets to hug him all in one piece", the italian engineer encouraged while he helped you with the barrier.
Seeing Lando was enough to get your eyes to water again, not caring about hitting your phone on his back once he pulled you into his arms, nuzzling his face on your neck.
"I'm so proud of you, baby, you drove brilliantly out there", you let out, kissing his skin before cupping his face with both hands once Zak took your phone away from you, "you're a race winner, Lan, you're incredible and I love you so so so much", you told him before smashing your lips on his.
"Did the microphone pick that up?", Zak asked everyone on FaceTime after waving at them.
"It did - they're the cutest, I told you! I'm team Lando-Y/N until the end of time", Flo chuckled as she watched you and Lando look at eachother as if there was no one else around.
"I love you, babygirl", your boyfriend gave you a big smile, "this is for the team, for my family, my friends and for you! I love you, Y/N Y/L/N!", he said as he walked back with the FIA staff member that was guiding him to the cool down room.
Getting your phone back, the mechanics let you stand at the front with Will who gave you your phone back, "I'm back, the crybaby is back", you stated, wiping your cheeks.
"Mum is no better, Y/N, don't worry about that", Flo joked as you watched Cisca crying too.
"You and Lando are so cute, ugh, I can't deal with it", Pietra groaned.
"Stop it - I just passed by Natalie on my way here and she recalled the first time I watched a race from the garage when I was nineteen! Nineteen, might as well have been a baby! And I cried a little more, nearly choked because I had to run here and my breathing was ragged", you muttered.
At the podium celebrations, you grabbed a good spot to watch your boyfriend finally go on the highest step, accepting a hug from everyone who came to offer their congratulation on your boyfriend's achievement.
"You do know we are watching on TV, right?", Max wondered as you waited for the call for Lando to step on the podium.
"Of course I know - I'd feel bad for you if you were actually paying attention to what I've pointing the camera at -, I just need your company because I think I've cried all the tears I have in me and if you're not here with me, even if figuratively, I might fall apart again and that won't be good", you reasoned as you switched the camer around to show your face again.
Hearing the anthem and watching Lando raise his face up to the sun added magic to the serene moment until they sprayed the champagne between them, Lando saving some from his bottle to try and get the rest of the team too.
After all the media content was take care of, you and Lando headed back to the hotel ao you could get ready for dinner.
"You have a really big smile on your face, Y/N", Lando pointed out as you showered together.
"Look who's saying it", you blushed, grabbing his jaw so you could kiss him, "I'm so happy and so proud of you Lando, it doesn't fit inside my heart or my body what I'm feeling right now".
"I can't believe it still", he mused as his hands found themselves on your naked waist, "thank you for being here - today and every day you're with me", he joined your foreheads.
Dinner was lovely and you left to the party straight after, meeting up with Max once you were inside and in the reserved area. You danced all night along attached to your boyfriend who didn't seem to want to let you go, teeth nipping at the skin on your neck.
"Do you want another one, baby?", Lando asked and you shook your head no, kissing his lips.
"I'm good, Lan", you smiled, twirling him and kissing his lips.
"You two could stop fawning over eachtoher, you know? Y/N didn't rest until the whole paddock was informed of your win, as if they hadn't watched it happen and now this?", he chuckled playfully, "you two make me sick!".
"Can't help it if I'm proud of Lando!", you stuck your tongue out at him.
When you left the club to go back to the hotel, Lando walked with you on his arms with your back to his chest, allowing you to walk on your legs still but his rush setting the pace you were doing it with.
"Lando!", you squealed as you balanced yourself, holding on to his arms like your life depended on them "we're are we going?".
"I'm taking you to our room, put the no disturb sign outside and have my way with you in any way you allow me to", he smirked
"Our flight leaves in a couple of hours", you reasoned, a big smile on your face mirroring your boyfriend's.
"Then I'm going to take advantage of those hours we have left - I can't wait until we get home and what I want to do with you is not mile high club appropriate", he winked, "I'm a race winner, babygirl, and the celebrations are just getting started", your boyfriend said, tapping your butt once again.
482 notes · View notes
the-modern-typewriter · 4 months
Note
Hi, I love your writing! Are you still taking requests? What about a villain finding out his fav hero is actually an robot?
The hero went missing briefly and in their reunion his systems start to panic, the villain attempt to help? And finds out there is grey metal under his mask? Not skin?
"Oh," the villain said, soft. "Oh, I see."
"See what?" The hero stayed turned away, head bowed, frantically trying to shield his face. "Don't look at me. Just - what are you doing here?"
"I came to rescue you."
"R-rescue me?"
The villain stepped closer into the hero's cell. Heat radiated off the hero's back and, well. The villain pressed a finger to the back of the hero's neck; where the skin had burnt away, revealing the cold grey of metal and circuitry.
The hero gasped and whirled.
His face was - well, it was fried from the few short days he'd spent missing, captured. Where his enemies had tried to bruise him, bleed him, there were caved in spaces that revealed yet more metal. The hint of a perfect silver skull. Veins which throbbed with electricity instead of blood. Even one of the hero's eyes were gone, replaced by the startling blue of a machine staring back. Well, they were always blue but...so muffled, before, compared to what the villain looked at then.
The two of them stared at each other.
"You can't tell anyone," the hero said.
"I always thought you were too impossibly good to be true," the villain replied. "Too flawless."
"Don't," the hero whispered.
The villain took the hero's jaw, carefully, tenderly, in their hands. "Look what a mess they've made of you. I'll kill them for it."
The hero closed the one eye that he could. He trembled, so exquisitely life-like, so exquisitely alive, in the villain's palms.
"They must have been so angry when they found out what you were," the villain said. He let his finger stroke over the ruined curve of the hero's cheek. "I'm glad I got here before they destroyed you completely."
"Why? What are you going to do with me?"
The hero took a step back.
The villain let him go, for now, studying him with fresh eyes. More and more puzzle pieces clicked into place. "Do with you?"
"I'm not human."
"You're beautiful."
"I'm not - if people know -"
"I've never heard you talk like that before. System overload?"
The hero shook his head. Something sparked. "You're d-dodging the question."
"Well," the villain said, evenly. "I was going to take you out of here. Clean up your wounds at my place. That sort of thing. I could probably makeshift the kind of specialist support you currently need in my lab, but I imagine you have a much better set up at home. So I guess I'm taking you home. If that's okay with you."
"Home," the hero echoed. He stood frozen.
"Home."
"You're not mad? Mad? Mad?" The hero managed to jerk to a halt. He heaved a ragged, shuddering breath.
"No."
"I'm not human. You came to rescue a human. Human." The hero shoved a hand over his mouth. The tremors were more forceful than before.
If the villain touched him again, he would be fever hot, wouldn't he?
The villain shrugged.
"I don't understand," the hero said.
"Unsurprising. You're not running at full capacity right now, are you? So shall we pick this up again when you're out of here? And feeling a bit better? It would be tragic if I came all this way just for you to overheat in front of me."
The hero stared some more. The blue eye contracted and expanded, whirring noiselessly. The villain wished he knew what kind of diagnostics the hero was running. How it all worked. He wanted to know everything.
His brain, such as it was, must surely be the most gorgeous thing.
He'd always wanted to know how the hero ticked but this...oh, this. He held out a hand and smiled.
"It's a relief, actually," the villain said. "I'm not mad. Now. Let's get you back in your mask, shall we?"
By the time the repairs were done, it was impossible to tell. It was extraordinary. Giddying. A love letter to the best that people could be.
And the hero looked shattered by the truth of it.
501 notes · View notes
matrixbearer2024 · 3 months
Note
After reading the "Club Catastrophe" could I please request a Vox POV after the Club rink and it's just him going home and letting all of his questionable feelings for Reader out of his systems(See what I did there?)
A Heart's Conundrum
Vox x CollegeStudent!Reader
A/N: I love writing introspective chapters like this in Vox's POV, lets me mess around with his brain and just have him actually face the music that this is in fact something entirely different. What he has with our dear Reader is actually special, and that he's fucking terrified by it. Usually I've seen Vox often "tending to himself" in other fics when he's obsessed over someone but I notice it's usually because he's got a facination and interest but not something quite complicated like this. Bro doesn't feel lust here despite the closeness and he's very VERY confused. I wasn't initially going to write something like this to keep things pretty goofy but it actually slots into the narrative pretty well to have the resident TV man take another gander at attempting to understand his emotions after the emotional whiplash he'd gone through in "Reunited Again Aren't We?". Bonus points that we kind of get a jealous Valentino confrontation HAHAHAHA-
A/N: This chapter kind of mentions Vark being a good boy and taking care of his emotionally constipated owner lol, I love myself a good doggo. I plan on reader meeting the funny little dude in a later interlude but for now it's just going to be mostly Vox. Anyway, I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this series- I just wanted to say thank you to those sending me love through my inbox too! I read all the things you guys say so it makes me really happy to see my work so well recieved. As always, I hope you guys enjoy this interlude and happy reading!
When Vox had warned you back then to be careful at a party and not to drink too much-
He only said it out of courtesy in good faith that you knew how to hold your liquor.
Disclaimer, you didn't.
Another thing he didn't expect was just how easy it was for you to get drunk.
It was like your tolerance was nonexistent.
The two of you had just been hanging around by the bar and ordering drinks when he noticed you were starting to sway slightly in your seat.
That made the overlord glance over to see you'd just gone through two margaritas and you were holding a third.
Vox had been drinking a lot slower than you have, adopting a leisurely pace and just trying out the different cocktails that the bar had to offer.
Though seeing what you were doing made him wonder if you were still kind of new to casual drinking.
Rolling his eyes, the overlord finished up his martini and plucked the half-finished margarita from your hands.
"Okay doll, maybe that's enough for you."
"Whaaaaaa? Whyyyy??"
"Because you're drunk dollface, so I won't let you have any more."
"Awwwwwhhhhh... can't I at least finishhh itttt??"
Your words were slurred and your breath absolutely reeked of alcohol, your movements clumsy as you tried to grab your beverage back.
When you ungraciously slumped against his chest in a giggling mess while trying, Vox was fairly certain you were hammered out of your mind at this point.
That took a lot less than he originally thought it would.
Placing down your glass at the bar, he let you stay leaning on him while he shrugged his blazer off and wrapped it around you instead.
Your fluffy ears just wiggled around slightly when he'd done that, making Vox raise an eyebrow at you.
Especially when your arms clumsily circled his waist in a hug and kept him there.
"Mhmmmm... warmmmmm..."
Pfft, you were really out of it this time.
He couldn't help the smile on his face at your antics, but as cute as it was-
It would be really irresponsible to still keep you here in the club.
When he noticed Vaggie was nearby, the overlord waved her down to get her attention.
He didn't know if the mild surprise from her was because of how clingy you were or because he wasn't really reacting to it.
"Woah, what happened to (Y/N)?"
"Drank a bit too much too fast. I'm gonna take (Y/N) back to the hotel so they can rest."
"Sure, we'll meet you there. We'll only be staying a little while longer anyway."
"Whaaaaaaa?? Nooooooo- I don't wanna gooooooo-"
"Nope, you need rest. Let's go."
Vox just sighed when you made a small fuss about leaving and being carried.
You were cute, but your drunken stubbornness was not.
Especially with how difficult you made it for the overlord to properly carry you.
In every other way he tried to grab hold, you squirmed out of his grip and it almost made him drop you multiple times.
He panicked a few times when he almost did but it just made him feel more tired when he saw you were fine-
He did eventually find a compromise though, since it seemed you didn't have too many issues being carried on piggyback.
Your head rested on his shoulder by the time he walked you both out of the club, arms wrapped around his neck while he held up your legs.
"Vooooxxyyyyyyy~ Where are we gooiiinnnnnn~?"
"Back to the hotel, you're wasted dollface."
"Aawwwwhhh? I wanted to keep partying witchuuuuuuu-"
"There's always a next time doll, just don't drink too much again."
You giggled at his response and Vox couldn't help but smile.
Your ramblings were entertaining, and it gave him some food for thought while walking back to the hotel.
He just hummed and agreed with some of the things you would say, even if it was nonsensical or not to show he was still listening.
Of course, that was until you said something that nearly made Vox trip on his own feet.
"Mhhhmmmm- you're really cute ya knowww~? I like that yooouuu alwaayyshhh take care of meh-"
"I'm not cute, but thank you."
He tried to brush off the comment, struggling to reign in his own emotions in lest he accidentally overheat and burn you.
He already had trouble just getting over your antics, the last thing he needed was to accidentally bluescreen and drop you because you drunkenly said something cute.
Well, that was until his processing froze anyway when you nuzzled your head into the back of his neck and mumbled something he couldn't quite catch.
His heart jumped into his throat and he had to stop walking for a moment, willing himself to calm down.
Static charge began to wind up in the air around him, and he took a moment to focus and dissipate it before moving again.
He almost zapped you, and it would'be been completely your fault-
You were making it really difficult to just- exist at the moment.
Not that Vox was complaining, he just didn't really know what to do with himself at the moment.
He wondered slightly if you'd even remember any of this come tomorrow, but that wasn't really his problem.
He used his powers to open the hotel doors before stepping in, immediately making his way towards your room.
Vox already knew where it was, especially since he'd walk you there whenever he visited before leaving to return to Vee tower.
He let out a tired sigh before gently placing you down on the bed mattress, just leaving his coat wrapped around you while he tucked you in.
Considering that you were already out like a light, the overlord could only guess that you'd fallen asleep just a little earlier while he was still walking.
Not that he'd have been able to notice when he was too busy trying to keep his abilities from going sideways because of you.
Vox looked back to your resting form and couldn't help but fondly smile, slowly moving to your side and brushing away a stray hair that fell over your face.
Your expression reminded him of the one night he'd been at your side after that horrible situation with your ex back when you were alive.
You just looked so peaceful, not plagued by any worry or fear of anything else.
That made him just that little bit more relaxed compared to earlier.
Before he knew it, he placed a soft kiss to your temple while you slept.
"Rest well my dear."
Vox stays there for a while to make sure you're actually asleep before getting up and walking out.
His limbs feel heavier than earlier, to the point he actually needs to make a conscious effort to leave you.
By the time he's walking out of the hotel, he feels weird.
Like he's just extremely tired, but... pleased?
Once he gathers his bearings again, he travels through some wires to get back to the Vee tower.
However, he's a bit absentminded when he walks through the doors.
"Hold up, where's your blazer?"
Vox doesn't even look at Velvette when he replies, his posture slightly slumped to reflect his exhaustion.
Compared to his typical work day, this wasn't really much.
So he wasn't entirely sure why he felt so out of it already.
"(Y/N) borrowed it, I'll just get it tomorrow."
He mumbled, walking past the youngest Vee towards the elevator.
The overlord's only goal right now was to get to his room and just rest.
By the time Vox shuts the door behind him, he leans back against the cold metal with a sigh.
His back sliding down until the overlord finds himself sitting on the floor with his screen in his hands.
Today was... something.
From how eager you were to teach him how to skate-
Then the anger he felt from that other sinner trying to make a move on you-
To becoming one adorably messy drunk.
Not to mention the kiss you'd given him-
His fans whirred louder when he raised a clawed hand to where you'd pecked his cheek.
You nearly crashed his systems with that one.
Only when he hears a yip and some cooing does he snap out of it and look up.
Ah.
"Hey Vark..."
The hammerhead moved closer to him and whined slightly, prompting Vox to start petting him in comfort.
The little guy always seemed to know if there was just something up with his owner.
Today was no different.
"I'm okay, just tired. Today was... weird."
The shark kind of just sat there, accepting pets while the overlord talked to him about his day.
The ups and downs-
Even some of the random things you mentioned-
He recounted everything, talking to the hammerhead about it to get it off his chest.
It didn't matter if Vark couldn't say anything in response, the little guy was just listening attentively to his owner regardless.
And as silly as it was- Vox just had to let all of his thoughts out.
It wasn't like there was anyone else he could talk to about this stuff either.
"And it's so odd... I almost didn't want to leave the hotel earlier when I dropped her off."
The shark just made a displeased noise.
"Oh come on, you know I wouldn't leave you by yourself here. Hm, it's almost time for your dinner."
While preparing Vark's food, the overlord finds his mind wandering back to you again.
Especially that time you had to watch over your friend's puppy.
He didn't really understand why he did the things he did back then either.
Placing the pet bowl down in front of the hammerhead, Vox wanders outside to the common room and plops himself down on the couch to surf his phone.
He had nothing better to do, and as tired as he was-
He didn't feel like sleeping quite yet.
When the couch dips beside him, Vox looks up from the small gadget only to see Velvette gazing at him inquisitively.
"Gotta say, this is probably the most chill I've ever seen you."
The overlord scoffs and rolls his eyes, was he really that subdued today?
"I drank quite a bit earlier at the club so I'm still feeling the buzz from the alcohol."
That was a lie, he didn't really drink much compared to his usual.
It just seemed like the most sound excuse he had that didn't involve you.
Still, Velvette just rolled her eyes at his deflective response.
"Right. Anyway, how was it?"
"How was what?"
"Your thing with (Y/N)?"
"Why not just ask her yourself?"
"She's not responding and I've got to know the details old man."
Vox just looked at his colleague for a moment, debating on shrugging off her question.
Hm...
Well, he was feeling nice.
He could indulge her a little.
"We just met together at the club to catch up. We talked, we sang, we danced, and then I saw (Y/N) off at the hotel before coming back here."
"Wow, that has got to be the most boring date ever."
The overlord just shrugged nonchalantly, he left out a vital piece of information on purpose but it was mostly because he didn't know what to do with it.
Yeah... he still wasn't sure how to make heads or tails of that kiss.
And it wasn't even a proper kiss either.
But suddenly, the loud slam of a door from behind them made the other two Vees quickly look to see who caused it.
And in strolled a clearly irritated pimp overlord.
"A date? You're kidding me Voxy, you actually went on a date?"
"I wouldn't necessarily call it that, but I did go out today. Why?"
"Don't fuck with me right now Vox, did you or did you not go on a date?"
Despite the buzz of the alcohol in his systems keeping him more pacified than usual, Vox narrowed his eyes at Valentino annoyed.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Because it's unlike you to just go on a date without needing something from someone. Like a deal or to conduct business, and I checked in with your secretary amorcito, you didn't have anything scheduled for today."
Velvette just stared between her two colleagues.
She wasn't about to get involved in this drama.
After all, it was Vox's fault if he couldn't properly handle his relationships.
Even if a small part of her did grow concerned about how (Y/N) factored into this.
"I just went out to a club, drank a little and came back. What's that to you?"
"Oh Voxy~ If you wanted to go clubbing why didn't you invite me~?"
Valentino moved closer to the couch, adopting a flirty tone and sensually grabbing Vox's arm.
To which the technology overlord just shrugged off his advances.
It felt wrong.
Just, all sorts and levels of wrong.
Predictably, the moth wasn't pleased with that reaction.
All the more when he had caught a wiff of something new.
That perfume didn't belong to any of them-
So who's was it?!
"You fucking liar! Who the fuck were you with at the club Vox?!"
"I wasn't with anybody, I just went to go drink and unwind. It's been a long week."
"Oh please, as if that's the case. Which new plaything did you find? Don't tell me you actually have feelings for some random tramp you found off the streets?!"
Vox didn't really know how to react to those words.
On one hand, he was absolutely livid that Valentino thought you were just some 'random tramp'.
But on the other hand, that just brought his feelings back into question again.
You were both friends-
And that was it.
Right?
Still the overlord couldn't help but question if that really was just the case.
"Fuck off Val."
"You wouldn't go around dating with just anybody, what the hell were you doing and with who?"
"I'm going to sleep."
At this point, Vox was just done with the conversation.
He didn't want to keep dancing around the obvious question and it just made him feel more tired.
Rising from the couch, he attempted to walk past Valentino and just head back to his room.
Well, that was before the pimp roughly grabbed his arm and prevented him from leaving.
"Who the fuck was it Vox? I swear to god I'm going to turn the entire ring upside down and find that bitch if it's the last thing I-"
The moth didn't even have time to finish his sentence before he got a heavy punch to the face.
Staggering back, Valentino looked at his colleague with wide eyes when he realized what had happened.
All the more surprising was just how royally pissed his colleague looked.
Vox's screen glitched as sparks and small jolts of electricity jumped across his body, his left eye swirling with rings as he just finally put his arms down and just glared at Valentino.
"If you so much as harm a single hair on their head I will personally kill you myself."
His voice was distorted by some static overlay, the white noise only fizzling away when Vox had managed to compose himself properly.
Velvette merely glanced between the two worried this altercation might end up devolving into something worse.
Thankfully, it didn't.
Valentino just grit his teeth and glared at the technology overlord, watching as he held his arms behind his back and briskly walked away.
That punch fucking hurt!
By the time Vox had returned back to his own bedroom, he sighed as his colleague's words just echoed in his mind.
He didn't have feelings for you-
You were both just very close good friends.
But when he passed a nearby mirror, he almost didn't recognize himself.
This wasn't the smiling telecaster overlord that had total control over hell's biggest technological empire.
This was just... him.
Tired and disheveled in a light blue turtleneck practically falling to pieces because he couldn't understand what was going on.
And this was considering that Vox was already a pretty self aware person from an emotional standpoint.
After all, he had to make sure not to have freak outs too bad or it could cause the entire pentagram city to lose power.
So why...
Why was he such a train wreck whenever it came to you???
Inadvertently, he'd changed over time because of your influence.
How he felt towards Valentino being more than proof of that.
And again, his chest bloomed with a warm fuzzy sensation he couldn't properly comprehend at the thought of you.
Sizzling his wires and just feeding his systems with an electrifying feeling that Vox just couldn't begin wrap his head around.
Again, it was because of you.
He stared at the mirror for a good minute before catching himself with a tinged pink screen.
Wait a minute-
He's seen this kind of situation play out before.
After all, he's aired enough shitty and cliche romance dramas to know.
There was just no fucking way.
He couldn't be foolishly head over heels in love with you.
And still, as he continued to look-
The more things in the past started to click into place.
His emotions and reactions around you just started to make more and more sense when love was inserted into the context of the situation.
The reality crashed into Vox like a freight train and he just stared at his reflection in disbelief.
"You have got to be kidding me..."
He was completely fucked.
A/N: Now if y'all are expecting Reader to start dating Vox after his oh so overdue realization- they're not. Cuz our dear (Y/N) is hilariously dense and Vox just does not wanna make a move when he's still trying to understand when and how the heck this happened without him noticing lmao so still more suffering and shenanigans that are going to make us and the Hazbin cast absolutely appalled at how a pair of people can be so blind to a truth slamming into their faces-
335 notes · View notes
3hks · 1 month
Text
How to Avoid "Talking to The Reader"
A lot of people will often tell you to avoid talking to the reader, but why? How? And what does it mean? "Talking to the reader" is a technique used by an author when they want to specifically address the reader directly. Depending on your writing level and style, there could be several drawbacks to using this, such as a sense of informality and sudden awkwardness. However, I'm not saying that you shouldn't talk to the reader, because how you write is ultimately up to you!
But if you're genuinely looking for some tips on how to avoid talking to the reader, then I absolutely got you! As both a frequent reader and writer, I have advice based on experience and knowledge! These simple tips can seriously elevate your writing (especially if you're pretty new), or at the very least, make you aware of certain things and offer new ideas!
Replacing the 'you' with...
A VERY common factor in talking to the reader is using the word 'you' to reach out to your reader (dialogue from characters don't count). Although you should avoid this when you're trying not to talk to the reader, there is something behind it. Majority of the time, we include this word in a story when asking a rhetorical question. This creates a certain effect that reaches out to the reader while making them think, which can't be exactly duplicated.
Okay, so how do we fix this? Well, my advice is to simply replace 'you' with the word 'one'! Let's go a bit into depth, shall we? When dealing with a rhetorical question, the first step is to rephrase and reform the inquiry into a statement that answers what you're asking. Remember that this is a rhetorical question, meaning that there IS technically a right answer that you're looking for! Next, remove the 'you' and slap the 'one' on top of it! The replace-you-with-one method also works when you're not including it in a question, but instead a statement! Let's look into some examples, shall we?
Prompt: A lot of people will often tell you to avoid talking to the reader, but why?
Let's examine this example that I took from the top of this post, shall we? While this sentence is indeed in the format of the question, I am not directly asking you to give me an answer and there isn't really just one right answer. So how do we fix this? Replace 'you' with 'one' and boom! Done!
Fixed: A lot of people will often tell one to avoid talking to the reader, but why?
Alright, how about a much more direct question?
Prompt: The king's way of ruling was incredibly biased and unfair, wouldn't you agree?
For this prompt, we can see that 'you' is in "wouldn't you agree?" so it's pretty clear that we are seeking for an answer from the reader. In this type of context, the answer is almost always "yes," so we will have to take the longer route of rewording the sentence.
Fixed: The king's way of ruling was incredibly biased and unfair, one might argue.
As you can see, the phrase "wouldn't you agree" got altered into "one might argue." Why did I choose this? Well for starters, the sentence is now a statement, not a question, and it does indirectly answer our questions of "wouldn't you agree?" because it distinctly demonstrates that they agree with the opinion that the king's rule was unjust. Now, why did I choose "might argue"? Our previous question may have been rhetorical, but not everyone is going to say "yes, the king was unfair," so adding "might" and "argue" helps include the fact that it is indeed, an opinion!
Now that we have gotten the 'you' part out of our system, let's talk about another thing that can really help you improve on your writing (while avoiding talking to the reader)!
Stop Using...
Stop starting the sentences with "he/she is or has" (including past forms) when describing someone. I can safely say with first-hand experience that repetitive use of the sentence starter can feel a bit unnatural and too straightforward. In other words, you can most definitely do better!
When writing one's attributes, instead of starting with "he is" or "she is," try starting out with a possessive form of the pronoun, such as "his" or "her"! After that, it'll work itself out; let's look at an example to clarify!
Prompt: She had long, luscious, brown hair that fell over her shoulders in waves.
Fixed: Her long, luscious, brown hair fell over her shoulder in waves.
Simple, right? There may seem to be hardly any change, but this can seriously improve your writing when used correctly! Of course, continuous use of "his," "her," or "their" will also sound repetitive, but it's a good place to start! As experience follows, you'll get the hang of creating more varied sentence styles! Let's look at an example!
Prompt: He was new to the school. He didn't know how to interact with those his age because he was homeschooled his whole life. He was nervous even when thinking about his classmates and didn't know how he was going to survive.
Does it sound choppy? Too direct? Let's fix that!
Fixed: He was new to the school. Having been homeschooled his whole life, he struggled to interact with those his age, and even thinking about his classmates made him anxious. He had no idea on how he was going to survive.
Look at the second sentence; that's the most major change. As I combined a few different parts of the other sentences and rearranged them, it should seem much smoother now!
Be creative with how to form your sentences--that's all there really is to it! Experience will be your biggest guide and best friend when it comes to this!
Did this help? Keep in mind that my advice won't work with every sentence because a lot of it mainly depends on context! Happy Easter Sunday!
Happy writing~
3hks :)
371 notes · View notes
writerslittlelibrary · 5 months
Text
We can be your family, part 2
Tumblr media
masterlist part 1 part 2
summary: having been in the foster system all your life, you don't expect much when your case worker tells you you're being moved again. what happens when the car suddenly stops in the most expensive neighborhood in all of New York…
pairing: Natasha x teen reader, Maria x teen reader, Blackhill
warnings: mentions of abusive foster families, mention of sexual assault, a deadly amount of mama Natasha fluff
genre: fluff
words: 1257
a/n: part 2 is here! it's really short but I didn't really know what else to write. this is just mainly here to give closure to part one :) 
I'm not really planning on writing a third part, but if the demand is there and anyone has an idea, maybe I will🫶  
You do not have my permission to repost, copy or translate my work
 |——————————— ⴵ ———————————|
Living with Natasha and Maria was the most fun you had in a while. They made you food three times a day, always asked for your opinion on things, and always made sure you were okay. it was a completely different experience than you were used to, and it couldn't have been better.
Tonight Maria and Natasha scheduled a movie night, and to say you were excited was an understatement. The day before, Natasha had taken you to the store to pick out all sorts of snacks. Maria had made your favorite dinner and you were happy and content as you three watched the movie.
That was, until Natasha got a sudden call.
You paused the movie while she left the room to pick up the phone. You anxiously looked at the closed, knowing no normal person called at this time of night, so it must be your social worker.
Marie noticed your concerned gaze, deciding to distract you with the mission to help her make you three hot chocolates. 
Soon enough, you were laughing in the kitchen, the amount of mini marshmallows in the hot beverage being absolutely unacceptable, all the while Maria just kept putting more in. 
You helped Maria take the hot chocolates to the couches, putting them down on the coffee table. Just then Natasha walked in, a distressed look on her face. You looked at her, but kept your mouth shut. You didn't want to know what was wrong, especially if it meant leaving.
Her and Maria shared a knowing look, before Natasha sat down next to you and laid her hand on your knee, smiling warmly at you.
"Before I say anything, I just need you to know that you're not going anywhere. You are staying right here, with us. I promise,” Natasha said as Maria took a seat next to you as well.
"What's wrong?" you asked Natasha, and she hesitated a moment before responding.
"Alice called, and apparently, a foster parent you stayed with before has been arrested, and they want you to testify against him…” Natasha explained carefully, and you just sat there, avoiding your gaze back to the coffee table.
"Why was he arrested?” you asked when Natasha moved her hand to your back, rubbing soothingly with her thumb. 
It was silent for a moment, before Natasha took a deep breath and spoke. “ He's been arrested for abuse and…” Natasha took another breath, finding herself incapable of just saying. “And sexual assault…” she said quietly, and you closed your eyes with a soft sigh.
You knew him, and of course you knew why he had been arrested. You just needed Natasha to say it. You needed to hear it.
"I'm done with movie night,” you said after a moment of silence, getting up and shrugging Natasha's hand off your back, making your way to your room without looking back. 
Neither Natasha nor Marie tried to stop you, letting you walk to your room, knowing you needed the space. 
You laid in your bed, your stuffed bunny clenched tightly to your chest as numb tears streamed down your face. You wanted to be alone, and yet, it was almost as if you wanted to be alone with Natasha and Maria. You'd never felt like this before. You've never craved the touch and attention of your foster parents before, so why was it suddenly so different this time?
It was like Natasha had heard your thoughts, because soon after, you heard a soft knock on the door. 
You didn't say anything, feeling too numb to even acknowledge the fact someone just knocked, but it hadn't mattered as Natasha came in anyway, a mug of hot chocolate in her hand.
She didn't say anything as she walked towards you, sitting on the bed next to you and setting the mug down on your nightstand. You sat there in silence for a while, until a muffled sob could be heard from your mouth, and Natasha didn't hesitate to crawl up the bed, sitting against the headboard as she coddled you closely to her chest. 
"It's okay. Everything is going to be okay,” she assured you as her hand gently stroked your back, her other hand on your head as she held you tightly.
You were so close to Natasha, you didn't think you had been so close to anyone else before. You didn't think anyone ever even gave you a hug like this. A hug with meaning. A hug filled with love and care. You cried for a while, and Natasha didn't say anything as she just held you. 
After a while, your sobs had turned to sniffles, and you gently raised your head from Natasha's chest. 
She wiped the strands of hair from your face, smiling gently as she cupped your cheeks.
"Everything is going to be okay,” she assured you again, and you could cry purely from the way that she said it. You didn't cry, instead just sitting up against the headboard next to her, you bunny still rightly in your embrace. Natasha had one arm over your shoulders, making you sit against her closely.
You didn't mind. You wanted to be as close to her as possible. 
"Can I have my hot chocolate now?” you asked quietly while your head leaned on Natasha's shoulder. Natasha smiled and reached for the mug, handing it to you, watching as you drank happily. 
"I don't want to testify,” you then said. Natasha hummed but didn't say anything, waiting for you to continue. “I don't wanna see him again…” you added softly, and Natasha grimaced slightly  at the idea of what he could have done to you. 
"We'll think of something. We'll be here for you, I promise,” Natasha said as she gave you a kiss on your head. 
You nodded as you finished your drink, handing Natasha the mug so she could put it back on your nightstand. After some more cuddles, you yawned slightly, and Natasha chuckled as she sat up straighter. 
"You should get some sleep, you're exhausted,” she told you, and you nodded. 
When Natasha went to get up, you hesitated for a moment, looking at your hands and picking at your skin. 
"Can I stay with you tonight?” you asked quietly, almost embarrassed of the question. 
Natasha smiled as she nodded, letting you stand up before she placed her hand on your back. "Of course you can.” 
You went into your bathroom and quickly brushed your teeth, changing into some pajamas before walking back into your room. You grabbed your bunny and went to Natasha, who was waiting in the doorframe. She smiled as she led you to her room, opening it to reveal Maria already in the bed, a book in her hand.
The moment she saw you, she put her book down, opening her arms and inviting you to get in the bed. 
"Come here sweet girl.” You quickly got in, crawling to Maria and letting yourself fall into her warm embrace. She smiled as she hugged you close, much like Natasha had done. 
"I'll be right there,” Natasha said as she went into the bathroom, but you paid her little mind as you enjoyed Maria's warm hug. 
Once Natasha was settled in the bed as well, you lay in between them, taking a deep breath before speaking. "Thank you,” you said quietly as you laid your head on Natasha's chest, falling asleep in no time. 
"We love you, Malysh…” Natasha said as she kissed your forehead, her and Maria falling asleep as well.
Permanent tags: @marvelnatasha12346 @lesbionion @nova-kyle @darkstar225 @saraaahsstuff @marvelwomenarehot0 @screechcat
514 notes · View notes
inkskinned · 2 years
Text
i. about 2 weeks ago, i was told there's a good chance that in 5 or so years, i'll need a wheelchair.
ii. okay. i loved harry potter as a kid. i have a hypothesis about this to be honest - why people still kind of like it. it's that she got very lucky. she managed to make a cross-generational hit. it was something shared for both parents and kids. it was right at the start of a huge cultural shift from pre to post-internet. i genuinely think many people were just seeking community; not her writing. it was a nice shorthand to create connection. which is a long way of saying - she didn't build this legacy, we built it for her. she got lucky, just once. that's all.
iii. to be real with you, i still struggle with identifying as someone with a disability, which is wild, especially given the ways my life has changed. i always come up against internalized ableism and shame - convinced even right now that i'm faking it for attention. i passed out in a grocery store recently. i hit my head on the shelves while i went down.
iv. he raises his eyebrows while he sends me a look. her most recent new book has POTS featured in it. okay, i say. i already don't like where this is going. we both take another bite of ramen. it is a trait of the villain, he says. we both roll our eyes about it.
v. so one of the things about being nonbinary but previously super into harry potter is that i super hate jk rowling. but it is also not good for my mental health to regret any form of joy i engaged with as a kid. i can't punish my young self for being so into the books - it was a passion, and it was how i made most of my friends. everyone knew about it. i felt like everyone had my same joy, my same fixation. as a "weird kid", this sense of belonging resonated with me so loudly that i would have done anything to protect it.
vi. as a present, my parents once took me out of school to go see the second movie. it is an incredibly precious memory: my mom straight-up lying about a dentist appointment. us snickering and sneaking into the weekday matinee. within seven years of this experience, the internet would be a necessity to get my homework finished. the world had permanently changed. harry potter was a relic, a way any of us could hold onto something of the analog.
vii. by sheer luck, the year that i started figuring out the whole gender fluid thing was also the first year people started to point out that she might have some internalized biases. i remember tumblr before that; how often her name was treated as godhood. how harry potter was kind of a word synonymous for "nerdy but cool." i would walk out of that year tasting he/him and they/them; she would walk out snarling and snapping about it.
viii. when i teach older kids creative writing, i usually tell them - so, she did change the face of young adult fiction, there's no denying that. she had a lot more opportunities than many of us will - there were more publishing houses, less push for "virally" popular content creators. but beyond reading another book, we need to write more books. we need to uplift the voices of those who remain unrepresented. we need to push for an exposure to the bigotry baked into the publishing system. and i promise you: you can write better than she ever did. nothing she did was what was magical - it was the way that the community responded to it.
ix. i get home from ramen. three other people have screenshotted the POTS thing and sent it to me. can you fucking believe we're still hearing this shit from her when it's almost twenty-fucking-twenty-three. the villain is notably also popular on tumblr. i just think that's funny. this woman is a billionaire and she's mad that she can't control the opinions of some people on a dying blue site that makes no money. lady, and i mean this - get a fucking life.
x. i am sorry to the kid i was. maybe the kid you were too. none of us deserved to see something like this ruined. that thing used to be precious to me. and now - all those good times; measured into dust.
/// 9.6.2022 // FUCKING AGAIN, JK? Are you fucking kidding me?
6K notes · View notes
exilethegame · 6 months
Note
if The Exile were a party system rpg-style video game, what would some of the characters voice lines in battle be? Like, if they won, or a companion went down, or a romanced Commander went down, or they got healed or something?
:))))) I had fun doing this.
For MC being down it's: platonic /romantic, and for healing it's: in need of healing/after being healed.
Vethna: MC's Down: "Ma Vysna! Hold on!" / "Tyrat'ri-- hold on, damn it! We've made it this far, haven't we?" In need of healing: "I need to heal!" / "Thank... you..." Victory: "And I thought Vygrand was violent."
Nikke: MC's Down: "Shit--! MC's down..." / "Hell no. Get back up, MC! You're not dying on me today." In need of healing: "Hey, uh, I don't think I'm supposed to be bleedin' from there. Am I supposed to be bleedin' from there?" / "Ah, yes-- the sweet satisfaction of cheating death... again." Victory: "You'd think they'd get the memo to stop trying to kill us by now, huh?"
Jost: MC's Down: "You're not supposed to take 'break a leg' literally, you know!" / "MC! You're okay-- you are okay, alright-- ? Just... stay there!" In need of healing: "I know you can see I need healing right now..." (said in the most passive aggressive manner ever) / "Ah, that feels good..." Victory: "F*ckers."
Amilia: MC's Down: "No! Stay there, MC, I'm coming!" / "No! MC!" (But it sounds like she's about to burst into tears) In need of healing: "In need of some help here. Now!" Followed by silence and then, a much quieter and polite: "... please?" / "Thanks..." (said with exhaustion) Victory: "I just love restoring harmony into the world." (Said very cheekily) OR, if the enemy is an animal: "I wish we didn't have to do that..."
Sabir: MC's Down: "MC! Get back up, damn it!" / "I'm coming, beloved. Hold on!" In need of healing: "Not to cause alarm, but I do have reason to believe I am on the brink of death." / "Ah, thank you. I'm a few steps from the precipice now, at least!" Victory: "... does anyone know how to get blood out of silk... ? ... no?"
Syfyn: MC's Down: "Stay down, MC-- I'll see it's done." / "NO!" (but screamed in the most utterly gut wrenching way ever in a mix of pure rage and utter terror) In need of healing: "We're taking too many hits here!" / "Thanks." Victory: "..." (She's cool and strong and silent. Maybe just like a small "humph" occasionally?)
Freedom: I feel like Freedom would be an RO that isn't a companion, ya know? Like you can't go out on missions with them but they're still part of the "main crew," and maybe they have a couple of special missions you tag along for. MC's Down: "That is... an inconvenience." / "Breathe, beloved. I will not let you fall so easily." In need of healing: "My body feels... weak...?" / "... odd." Victory: "Eugh-- their corpses already stink. Can we go now?"
571 notes · View notes
runningmunson · 1 year
Text
Can You Show Me?
Pairing: Rafe Cameron x Female!Reader
Word Count: 1.9k
Summary: Rafe finds out that you have never finished during sex. What happens when you ask him to show you and he is more than willing to be a good friend and help?
Warnings: 18+, fanon!Rafe (?), smut (f receiving), fingering, nipple play, teasing
Tumblr media
It was a typical summer weekend in OBX; another party and another drinking game played at the Cameron household. The current game was a classic- never have I ever. Basic ones were thrown around like every party, such as drunk called an ex, snuck out of the house, or slid into someone’s DM’s. After several rounds and drinks, it got spicier.
“Okay, my turn!” yelled Abby, a girl from your school, “Never have I ever had an orgasm during sex.” 
Everyone took a drink, even Abby. Kelce looked over at her, “What the hell Abby? The whole point of the game is to say something you haven’t done to get everyone else to drink!”
The group was so preoccupied with giving her crap that no one noticed you failed to take a drink; well, everyone except Rafe, that was. 
Not long after, the party started to dwindle down. The last few people left Tannyhill, leaving you and Rafe to clean up the mess. It wasn’t uncommon for you to stay the night and crash at Rafe’s, considering you two had been best friends for as long as you can remember. 
You had a system in place for cleanup, Rafe took the living room, and you took the kitchen, trying to throw as many cups and bottles away as possible before you went to sleep. The only sound coming from the house was music playing as you were too tired to have a conversation wanting to get finished.
When you were finally done, you made your way to Rafe’s room where he tossed you a t-shirt and shorts to change into. Once dressed, you left the bathroom and walked out to find Rafe shirtless in bed with your side ready for you. You climbed in and got on your phone to scroll through Instagram.
“You didn’t drink,” he stated bluntly; he locked his phone and set it on his side table.
“What?” you questioned, locking your phone and getting comfortable. 
Rafe placed his hands behind his head and looked over at you with a smirk growing on his face, “During the game, you didn't drink about having an orgasm during sex.”
You could feel your cheeks grow warm, “I don’t know what you’re talking about; yes, I did.”
“Uh, no. I watched you, and you definitely didn’t,” he cocked his head and threw you a look, knowing you were lying. You refused to answer. 
“Wait, you’ve really never had an orgasm during sex?” he questioned while letting out a small laugh out of disbelief.
You angrily turned around and pulled the covers closer to your body “Please don't make fun of me, Rafe. It’s embarrassing and-”
“I’m not making fun of you, alright? I'm just surprised is all,” he interrupted.
You turned around to face him, “It’s not like I've had plenty of experience with sleeping around. I can count on one hand how many guys I’ve been with, and none of them really cared enough about me or how I was feeling during sex to make sure I finished.”
“Fuck them then,” He said,” you don't deserve that, and I promise not every guy is like that.”
You didn’t know how to answer, so you both stayed quiet. You couldn’t help but notice the growing tension in the room nor stop the thoughts of wishing Rafe would be the guy who did care enough. 
You could tell Rafe wasn’t asleep yet by the way he was breathing. “Rafe, can I ask you something?”
“Hmm?” he turned on his side to face you.
“Actually, never mind. It’s really stupid,” you tried to shake out the thought. 
“I bet it’s not. What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” he coaxed, attempting to get you to continue.
“Can you show me what it’s like?” You let the words flow out too fast and slurred for Rafe to fully understand what you were asking and closed your eyes tightly to avoid his reaction. If he said no, you could easily pass it off as having too much to drink and not thinking clearly. Rafe quickly sat up in bed.
 “You- you want me to show you?” he stuttered out uncharacteristically of his usual confident and cocky self. 
“I don’t know why I said that. I probably drank too much, so just forget it. I think I'm gonna sleep in Sarah’s room tonight,” you tried to get out of his bed but failed as he stopped you by gripping your arm.
“I’m not just gonna forget you said that. You and I both know you barely drank anything,” objected. “Fuck, did you really mean it?”
“Maybe…” you trailed off, looking around at anything in his room but his eyes.
“Hey, look at me,” he demanded.
You took a deep breath and turned to face him, your eyes meeting. “It’s just- I know you're experienced and the person I'm most comfortable with.”
“If this is what you want, I’ll do it. I need to hear you say it,” he emphasized.
“I want you to, Rafe,” you confessed with a shaky voice. Your hands found your shirt to remove it, but he stopped you.
“You don’t need to do that, at least not yet. This is gonna be different than the other times you’ve had because we won't actually be having sex,” he stated. He sat higher in bed and placed a couple of pillows behind his back.
You looked at him confused, “Then how is this supposed to work?”
“You do know there are other ways to achieve this, right? It’s not about me tonight, but all about you,” his signature smirk made its way onto his lips. “Come sit with your back facing me.”
Your legs felt heavy, and your heart was pounding. This is Rafe we’re talking about- you’re best friend, the guy you’ve been in love with for years. Was this just a dream? The sound of Rafe patting the place next to him drew you out of your thoughts. You walked over to the bed and sat down. His hands found their way around your waist and pulled you flush against his bare chest.
“Relax, okay? I’m gonna ease you into it, and if at any point you want me to stop, you let me know, and we stop,” he whispered in your ear. You shook your head in agreement.
You felt his warm breath on your neck as if he was hesitating- and maybe he was. Maybe he’s just as nervous as me. He placed a kiss on your shoulder and slowly began to trail upward.
When his lips finally met your neck, you felt a shiver run down your spine. The sudden movement made his lips curl up, knowing damn well the kind of effect a simple kiss was having on you. You felt yourself sink deeper into his chest and tilt your head to give him better access. His right hand moved from your hip and crept under your shirt, placing it on your stomach. His touch burned your skin. 
Rafe continued up to the sweet spot behind your ear and back down, settling right below the nape of your neck. His lips felt like velvet against your skin, and slowly but surely, you felt him begin to suck on your skin, claiming you in what you’re sure will be a mark in the morning. 
You were so caught up in the feeling that you didn’t notice his hand moving further up your shirt. The same time his teeth hit your sensitive skin, his thumb brushed against your sports bra-covered nipple, causing a soft moan to escape your lips. 
“That feel good, baby?” He teased. He called you baby. You nodded in response despite knowing he didn’t need an answer.
He raised his other hand and placed both on your breasts, kneading the plush flesh. Every time his fingers ran over your nipples, your pulse picked up. Not wanting the thin fabric of your bra to impede Rafe’s touch any longer, you leaned forward and threw your shirt and bra over your head and onto the floor. Your nipples pebbled at the sudden coldness in the air. 
Rafe chuckled at your sudden outburst and let his hands wander back up your chest. His fingertips circled your areolas and inched toward your now bare nipples. He ran his thumbs over them and began to toy with them, gently rolling and tugging the sensitive buds. 
He dropped one hand to the waistband of your shorts, silently asking permission to continue. When you didn’t protest, his fingers slipped under. His index finger lightly brushed past your clit and to your folds slick with arousal.
“Shit, babe. You’re already so wet for me,” he removed his hand to get a look at his finger.
“Oh,” You tried to close your legs in embarrassment at his comment, but he grabbed onto your thighs. It wasn’t something you ever heard the other guys say.
“That’s not a bad thing, it’s supposed to happen if you’re a guy taking his time and not just trying to get a fix. Let's make the next part a lot easier, take your pants off,” commanded, and you complied, lifting slightly off the bed so you could pull your pants down your legs and onto the floor. He hooked his feet under your ankles so your legs rested on his to spread your legs apart. 
Rafe’s hands roamed around your body and trailed down to your slit. He repeatedly ran his finger from the front to the back slowly, ensuring his finger was wet enough before his fingertip made contact with your clit. He started lightly circling your clit, causing pressure to build in your core. 
Hearing your breathing grow louder caused him to speed up and apply more pressure when he stopped. You were about to protest but stopped when he slipped one finger inside you and pumped it in and out.
“Feels so good,” you whined, enjoying how his finger felt.
“Can you take another?” he questioned.
“Please, Rafe!” you begged him. He inserted a second finger going deeper and faster. If his fingers felt this good, you couldn't help but wonder how his tongue would feel. His thumb brushed against your clit, causing pressure to bloom in your lower abdomen.
“Fuck, Rafe! I'm so close!” you let out a loud moan. It was hard to ignore the growing bulge in Rafe’s pants. 
“That’s it. Come for me, baby girl,” he demanded in your ear. The pressure built until you finally let go. You threw your head back and pushed further into Rafe, feet digging into the bed as you rode out your high. 
Your breathing was fast and heavy as you collapsed against Rafe. He removed his fingers and wrapped his arms around you, holding you close.
“You okay?” he asked, kissing your shoulder blade.
“More than okay,” you let out a laugh. Once you calmed down, you rolled over to your spot in the bed, throwing your discarded shirt back on. 
Rafe looked over and met your eyes. He reached out his hand and placed it on your cheek, leaning over to give you a soft kiss on your lips. His head rested on yours before pulling away. “Didn’t know hearing you moan my name would turn me on so much.”
“Do you want me to take care of that for you?” you motioned toward his obvious erection. 
Rafe smirked and shook his head, “Nah, I got it. Tonight was about you, remember? Besides, you can just make it up to me next time.”
Next time?
2K notes · View notes