Tumgik
#Australia afternoon news
giannic · 1 month
Text
youtube
0 notes
seniouesbabes · 4 months
Text
Tumblr media
Lily Maymac 🌸💋🍒🌸 Seems like people want a bag
1 note · View note
rorytait · 1 year
Text
Sydney: Tamarama to Bondi
While on previous trips to Sydney I've driven the eastern beaches route, I've not walked much of the famed "Coogee to Bondi" walk - so this time I wanted to change that.
Tumblr media
After arriving by train from Canberra, Tomm picked me up and we headed to Tamarama, where we started walking north in the late afternoon sun.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The lighting was perfect and the walk was gorgeous, so it was a really lovely way to start my stay.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
1 note · View note
neil-gaiman · 11 months
Note
Hey Neil :)
This is a rather stupid question I‘m afraid but why was the release time for GO2 set at such an impossible time for all the brits and other European people? I mean it’s a British show and yet so much is happening in advantage for American people. This is no hate, I mean it’s your/amazons decision, I‘m just curious!! :D
Amazon is based in Seattle, which is on Pacific Time, so they tend to release things based on Pacific Time.
This means the show will show up in the UK and Europe at about 8 or 9 in the morning. It means the episodes will show up in Australia at 5 in the afternoon, and New Zealand at 7pm, perfect for an evening binge.
Having said that, it will be released, in all probability, at Midnight Pacific time. Which is 1 am Mountain time, 2 am Central time and 3 am for those on the East Coast. I'm not sure how this is an "advantage for American People".
It's definitely an advantage for the New Zealanders, though.
3K notes · View notes
scuderiahoney · 2 months
Text
Tumblr media
Oscar Piastri x reader // in motion part 3
hockey au part 3: a walk in near the park, a surprising team photo, and the semester comes to a close. 6.2k words
warnings: mentions of sports injury, mentions of bullying, alcohol, academic stress, final exams
Oscar has spent a lot of his life on the move. He moved to the US from Australia for high school at a pretty young age, just to try and play hockey. Looking back, it sounds crazy. What’s even crazier is that it actually worked. He’d play for club teams and in leagues and travel absolutely anywhere if it gave him time on the ice. And then he ended up on a college team and stayed put for two years, and honestly, it felt strange.
Over that time, he got good at putting things in boxes. Keeping life organized. Not so much in a sense of clutter and things having a place- his room is a mess, there’s laundry to be done, and his hockey locker is a disaster- but more so in his head. His friendships and relationships get categorized, information filed away, grouped together. Not by importance or value, but by… context. Hockey friends in one box. Family in another. People like coaches and managers and executives in a third. Moving somewhere new always shakes the boxes up.
By late November, though, Oscar’s feeling a little bit more comfortable in his own skin. He’s found his place in the team, he has weekly lunches with teammates, and he’s even made some friends outside of hockey. His old coach, Mark, says that’s a big piece of it. That it’s good to have something other than sport, just in case it all falls apart, or it doesn’t work out. People to fall back on who aren’t just there for hockey.
Oscar wants to say that his teammates would still be friends with him even if he stopped playing, for some reason, but the truth is that he’s been burned by other overly ambitious hockey kids way too often to truly believe it. That’s half the reason he’s on the Timberwolves now, why he left his old school and team behind. Things feel better here. Lando has an old friend who used to play hockey who still hangs around the house sometimes- Max, the other Max. (Oscar doesn’t call him that to his face.) So maybe Lando at least wouldn’t ditch him if he quit.
And then there’s you, too. Oscar’s not quite sure when you went from being an enigma he struggled to place into one of his carefully organized boxes in his head to, well, this.
You’re sitting across from him at the dining table in his house, one finger tracing the words in the textbook in front of you. You have a TimTam in your other hand-you seem to have developed a fondness for them, the same way that Oscar seems to have developed a fondness for you. The late afternoon sun is shining into the room through the sliding glass door and onto you. Oscar shakes his head to try to clear it.
As he does, you groan and drop your face into the textbook with a solid thud- he winces. “I hate physics.”
He holds back a laugh, because he knows you genuinely are frustrated. “Does slamming your face on the words help?”
You shrug. “Maybe, if I just sit here like this, the knowledge will seep into my brain.”
He hums. “Pretty sure that’s not how it works.”
“Right, because you know everything,” you mumble. “Genius man.”
He rolls his eyes and pushes away from the table. “Come on. Time for a break.”
“I don’t need a break, I need to learn…” you sigh and turn your head, pressing your cheek to the book and looking at him with one eye. “What are we studying again?”
Oscar fixes you with a disapproving look and heads towards the front door. He knows you’ll follow. By the time he makes it to the entryway, you’re hot on his heels, watching curiously as he pulls his shoes on.
“Where are you going?” You ask.
“We’re going on a walk,” he says. “Brain break.”
You shrug and nod, reaching for your own shoes as he pulls on a jacket. He tries not to laugh as you struggle to pull them on without untying them. You’re always stubborn like that, it seems. It’s almost painfully endearing. You stand up straight once you have the shoes on and look at him expectantly.
“Where’s your jacket?” He asks.
You shrug and shove your hands into the pockets of your hoodie. Or is it Charles’ hoodie? Oscar swears he’d seen him wearing it just yesterday.
“I didn’t wear one,” you say. Oscar raises his brows, and you roll your eyes. “There’s not even snow on the ground, Piastri.”
“It’s almost December, Bunny” he says flatly, and reaches for another one of his jackets hanging on the hook near the door.
He hands it to you, and stands there, waiting, until you grumble and pull it on. You wear the other guys’ clothing all the time, but he swears you look almost flustered at the offer. Huh. He’s trying desperately to pretend he’s not flustered over it, honestly. Something about you in his clothing makes him blush. He’d felt the same way about the hoodie you’d borrowed at the party.
“You’re just Australian,” you say, nudging your foot against his as if to usher him out the door. “You’re a baby about the cold.”
He doesn’t have much of a comeback to that, so he steps outside, and you follow right along with him. He walks down the steps and takes off down the sidewalk, hands shoved in his jacket pockets. You might be right- he’s a bit of a baby when it comes to cold temperatures- but his breath curls into mist in front of his face and yours does the same, so it really is chilly. The sun paints everything golden- the windows on the buildings, the dead leaves that still cling to a couple trees. Your elbow bumps against his as the two of you walk. He tries to ignore the spark that shoots up his spine at the feeling. You're chatting away about something, someone in one of your classes who’s been annoying you lately. He's found he likes to listen to you talk.
When he turns to take the path through the park next to the athletics building, you stop in your tracks. He turns back, figuring you’ve seen something, but you’re just staring into the park, and at the large building behind it. He frowns.
“Everything alright?” He asks, quietly.
You nod. “I just. D’you think maybe we could walk to that cafe near here? I could really go for a chai latte.”
He nods- a drink does sound good. “Yeah, sure. D’you wanna walk through the park on the way? Won’t be much of a detour.”
The park is nice. It’s one of Oscar’s favorite places on campus. There’s grass and trees and a path that winds around the university’s baseball and soccer fields. But you’re staring at it with a much different feeling, if the look on your face tells him anything.
You shake your head. “No, let’s just…”
You don’t finish your sentence. Instead, you take off down the sidewalk, heading away from the park. He’s left to follow in your footsteps, suddenly feeling like he really knows nothing about you at all.
…..
When Oscar thinks of home, now, he thinks of this. Not Australia, or the house, or even his family, really. He thinks of a jersey, a stick in his hand, and the scrape of his skates against the ice. Hockey, for all its cheering fans and yelling opponents and background music, is a strangely quiet sport. Maybe he’s just gotten good at blocking out the noise.
They’re warming up on the ice. He has warm up traditions, now, something he hasn’t had with teammates in years- he and Lando slap each other on the shoulders, and he and George always skate a lap together. It’s not anything huge or elaborate, but it means he’s part of the team, and that’s enough.
Max skates up to him, just at the end of warmup. He nudges his shoulder against Oscar’s through the padding. “Good?”
Oscar had a rough week in practice. It was the kind that would’ve had him benched for a month on his last team. Seb’s been nothing but supportive- constructive criticism was offered, sure, but he’s still on the ice today, so he figures that’s a good sign. He nods and turns to Max. His eyes flicker up into the stands. He shouldn’t know this, but he does- your seat is above Max’s head from this angle, up in the second section, front row. You’re wearing a jersey, probably Lando’s number if he had to guess, and sharing popcorn with Alex’s girlfriend, Lily. He smiles.
“Yeah. Good.” He nods.
Max nods in return, then skates away. Oscar follows.
When he scores later, and ties the game one to one, he looks to the same spot in the stands. Lando hits him on the back, hard, a bit too enthusiastic. You’re standing in front of your seat, arms around Lily, yelling, and he grins. He can’t help it. The smile doesn’t drop from his face for the rest of the game. The rink, the ice, and his teammates may feel like home, but the way you cheer for him feels awfully close to it, too.
At the party afterwards, you pour two shots of tequila and hand one to him. He takes it with a smile, grimaces at the taste, and laughs when you cough. He pats you on the back sympathetically, and when you take his hand two seconds later and drag him towards the beer pong table, he follows happily.
…..
December creeps up on Oscar, and with it, so does final exam week. Suddenly, it’s just… there, bearing down on him. He’s not exactly nervous about most of his exams- he’s prepared well, and though he’d never say it out loud, he’s pretty good at testing. But no matter how well he studies or how much he’s paid attention in class, exams still aren’t exactly fun.
He sees you a lot in the week leading up to it. You’re often in the kitchen, eating snacks with Max, or in the living room, quizzing Charles on vocab, or in Lando’s room taking a nap between classes. You’re stressed. He can tell. He does his best to help in any way he can- when he goes to the store, he picks up your favorite snacks and leaves them on the counter. He helps you study for the physics exam. When he finds you asleep on the couch in his living room on Saturday night, he carefully lays a blanket over you and turns off the lamp. He hopes some of it helps, just a little bit.
The next afternoon, Oscar stands in the lobby of the athletic training building. He and Max had headed over for the afternoon to do a workout together, more to get their minds off exams than anything else. Now he’s in the lobby, waiting for his team captain, and he’s staring. Laser focused. He's making a whole lot of connections all at once. The wheels are turning in his brain, and he’s sure if anyone’s watching him, he looks crazy. He jumps when someone slaps a hand against his shoulder. It’s Max.
“Hey,” his team captain says, shaking him slightly. “You look lost.”
Oscar frowns and turns back to the photo in front of him. Women’s Soccer, a team photo, from what would’ve been his freshman year at his previous school. He’d been looking at the photos while he waited- the lobby is lined with them, and some of them are actually pretty funny. Some of the faces in this one are familiar, people he’s seen in the gym off and on. One, however, had caught his eye.
“Is that who I think it is?” He asks, pointing at the left side of the picture in the third row.
When he turns back to Max, his face has changed. The teasing look is gone, replaced by something solemn and hard set. Max nods and tugs at his shoulder.
“Wait,” Oscar says, trying to stay planted while Max tries to drag him away. “But she-“
Max crosses his arms over his chest and studies Oscar, brows furrowed. “I know. It’s not my story to tell, yeah?”
Oscar nods dumbly. Max nods in response. Then he nods his head towards the door, as if he’s directing Oscar to follow him. He does, because he’s not sure what else to do, and he’s not going to get any more information from the photo. He knows what he saw, anyways. You, standing there with the whole team, in uniform, your name listed below the photo with the rest of your teammates.
If there’s one thing the Timberwolves do better than hockey, it’s soccer. The women’s team has been national champions multiple times. A spot on that team isn’t something someone gives up willingly. But you’re not on the team, not anymore. When Lando asked if you wanted to go to the gym with them, you’d replied that you “wouldn’t be caught dead at the athletic training building.” And you’d avoided the athletic park like the plague.
Max turns to him as they walk out of the building, and the confusion must still be evident on his face, because Max swears under his breath in some other language. Oscar’s too lost in thought to even wonder what language it is, exactly.
“Look, just-“ Max pinches the bridge of his nose. “Trust me, she’ll talk about it when she wants to.”
“Okay,” Oscar nods. “But, like, is she… okay?”
Max gives him a sad smile. “Yeah.”
Oscar hears the silent part in his head. She is now.
They walk home together in near silence. Oscar doesn’t know what to say. He’s sure Max doesn’t, either. When they get to the house, Alex is coming down the front steps, the door still open behind him. Oscar sees your boots in the entryway, your coat hanging on the hook. Alex ruffles his hair as he walks past, and Oscar ducks before he turns to Max.
“Don’t tell her?” He asks, and Max looks sheepish, like that was the exact thing he was about to do. “I mean. If you think she needs to know I saw it, then… sure. But I don’t want her to feel pressured to talk to me about it.”
Max wrinkles his nose and nods. “Okay. For now.”
Oscar nods. They’re in agreement, then. He walks in through the front door and he can hear you and Lando in the kitchen, singing along to whatever song is playing from the speaker. It’s family dinner night. Oscar tries to put the thoughts of you in a soccer team portrait out of his head.
He sits next to you at dinner as you pick at your food. It’s one of your favorite meals, but your appetite seems low. It has him feeling concerned. Max, on your other side, nudges you. Oscar watches the two of you have a quiet conversation and wishes he knew what you were feeling. You finally take a couple bites, and he tries not to show how relieved he is about it.
One by one, everyone wanders off to study and get ready for the week ahead. You stay sitting at the table, though. Oscar clears some plates and comes back to find you, a couple TimTams in hand. You take them with a soft smile.
“You alright?” He asks, quietly.
You nod. “Stressed.”
Oscar nods. “Anything I can do to help?”
You twist your mouth. “Probably not. I should really just go home.”
You don’t make any moves to get up. He sighs and sits down next to you. You drum your fingers on the worn wooden tabletop and set the cookies down next to your plate. You’re chewing on your lower lip, and you close your eyes and let out a breath through your nose.
“It’s like… my brain just won’t stop going,” you say. “Like everything I’ve read is just tumbling around in there and I don’t know how to make it stop.”
“Objects in motion tend to stay in motion,” Oscar says, and you groan.
“Do not use physics metaphors on me right now,” you say, and when he starts laughing, you dissolve into giggles, too. “Gross.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he says, smiling sheepishly when you turn to look at him. “Why don’t I make some tea, and we can put it in travel mugs, and I’ll walk you home?”
A soft smile slips across your face. “That sounds really nice.”
He makes the tea exactly how both of you like it, pours it into the mugs, and ushers you towards the front door. You stop in the living room to say goodbye to Lando, who ruffles your hair, and Max, who holds onto your arm and says something to you, so quietly that you’re the only one who’ll hear it. Then Oscar heads outside, and you follow. It’s slightly dark, and chilly, but you’ve brought a jacket this time. You wrap both hands around the mug as you walk, a habit of yours that Oscar finds awfully endearing. The streetlights glow bright above your heads.
The walk is mostly silent. He reaches the entrance to the park, and on reflex again, he slows and turns to head down the path. You stop in your tracks and let out a pained little noise. Oscar’s stomach rolls. In the distance, the soccer field is lit up bright with floodlights. Something must’ve happened, to keep you from playing. You’d been good enough to be on the team. Something had changed. He turns and takes a step to continue down the sidewalk, but you stay planted there, staring. He pauses, holding his breath. It’s just the two of you, under the streetlamps, feet on the sidewalk.
“I used to play soccer,” you say, quietly, and his pulse jumps.
She’ll tell you when she’s ready. He hadn’t expected it to be so soon. He bites his lip and shoves his hands in his hoodie pocket. You’re still staring out over the park, so he turns to stare, too. He feels you lean your shoulder against his, like you’re looking for support, and he leans into it, just to show he’s there.
“I got signed to play as a senior in high school,” you explain. “And, not to brag, but I was really good. Went through summer training camp and made friends with my teammates and got here and… then I fell just the right way at practice, or the wrong way, I guess,” you say, grimacing. “Fucked up my knee. I had to have surgery, twice, and even then, they pretty much told me I was done. That it would never heal right.”
Oscar’s heart sinks. His chest feels tight. He thinks of you, on the couch in the living room when he woke up feeling off and asked you to go on a run, how you’d said you’d messed up your knee. He thinks of Max and the concerned way he always watches you climb the stairs in the stands at the rink. He thinks of you, younger, like the picture in the athletics building, on the field, in pain. He feels sick to his stomach.
“And my teammates… they didn’t know how to act, I think. They didn’t know how to help, so they just didn’t try. So, suddenly I was no longer a soccer player, and I was alone, and…” you sigh. Oscar turns to face you, and he thinks there are tears in your eyes. “And then I met Lando, and the rest of the team, and the rest is history. But… there are some things that still get to me. The field… it holds a lot of bad memories, you know? And when I’m stressed like this it all comes flooding back.”
He nods. You’re not looking at him, even as he watches a tear roll down your cheek. He wants to reach out and wipe it away, but he wonders if that would be a step too far. He pulls his hands from his pockets. You swipe a hand against your cheeks and clear the tears, and then let your own hands hang at your sides. He takes a steadying breath, steels himself, and links his fingers with yours- casually, lightly, gently holding on. You squeeze his hand in reply- a thank you, he thinks. He does the same in return.
“Did Max tell you why I left my old school?” He asks, quietly.
“No,” you answer, voice low and tentative. “Max doesn’t tell people stuff like that.”
He shrugs, though he supposes that makes sense- he’d refused to tell Oscar what had happened to you. Max seems loyal like that. Oscar rolls a pebble beneath his shoe and listens to your breathing to remind himself you’re still there. He wants you to know this. Wants to share. Wants you to know he understands, at least a little bit.
“I got scouted by them my senior year,” he starts, closing his eyes. Like this, he’s almost right back in it. “And I was really excited. And then I got there and… the guys on the team were awful. I didn’t get any playing time, and they’d all been friends since they were kids, and I felt like such an outsider.” He kicks the pebble down the path lightly. “By the time my sophomore year rolled around, I hated it. I hated hockey. I’d spent my whole life doing nothing but that but I dreaded every practice. I was…”
He huffs. Squeezes his eyes shut tighter. He can feel the hits from his own teammates at practice. Can feel that same empty, lonely feeling sitting at the end of the bench. He can taste the blood in his mouth when he tried to stand up for himself and the team captain shoved him and the coach did nothing.
“It was fucked,” he says. He hates the way his voice wobbles. “So I quit. I walked out. I was done with hockey. I couldn’t even go near the rink for months.”
“But you’re here now,” you say, quietly.
He nods sharply. “I had this old coach- his name’s Mark. Showed up on his doorstep and told him the whole thing. He and Seb used to be teammates. So he got me a tryout. I refused, at first. And then Seb sent Max to come talk to me.”
He remembers that, clear as day, too. Max, bright and smiling, at his dorm room door. He knew who Max was, he had looked up to him for years. Max had walked in, planted himself on the floor in the room, and hadn’t left until Oscar changed his mind.
“I spent the summer training back home. Found my love for it again,” he explains. “But it wasn’t easy. I think I’m still working on it, sometimes.”
You hum next to him. You squeeze his hand again. His breath hitches. Your skin is warm against his. It makes his chest ache. He hadn’t known who he was without his sport. He thinks maybe you know that feeling better than anyone else.
“I’m sorry you got hurt,” he says into the night air. “And I know you must’ve heard it a billion times, and that I don’t really understand what it’s like to have it taken away like that. But…”
“But you get it,” you say, voice rough around the edges. “The lonely feeling.”
He nods and swallows against the lump in his throat. “And thank you. For making things less lonely here.”
“I’m sorry if I was too much,” you answer.
He just shakes his head. “I’m sorry I was so… stuck.”
You’re quiet for a few moments, before you squeeze his hand again. “Come on, let’s go on a walk.”
You knit your fingers with his, properly, and Oscar expects you to start down the sidewalk again. You don’t. Instead, your feet carry you down the path through the park. He understands now, that this place must hold awful memories. Reminders of what was supposed to be, what was taken away. You’re trusting him with this. It sits heavy on his shoulders.
He doesn’t push, doesn’t ask more questions. When you walk past the soccer field, he turns to sneak a glance at your face. There’s sadness in your eyes, but a smile on your lips. There’s a strength, there, too, that he finds starkly beautiful. You hold onto him tightly, and together, you make it through the park, all the way to your apartment.
He leaves you at the door with a quiet goodnight and a promise to see each other the next day for the regular study session. The exam is on Tuesday, so it’ll be his last excuse to spend time with you like that. He walks home in silence, through the park, and tries not to stare at the soccer goal. That night, he dreams of soccer fields and hockey rinks and you.
…..
When Oscar gets home just before your normal study time the next day, there’s music pouring out of the front door before he even opens it. It’s louder once he does. The house seems mostly empty, but someone is either having a very good or very bad day. He wavers in the doorway, wondering if he should call you. He’s still there when you walk in behind him, bumping into his shoulder. He turns to look at you, eyes wide. Yours are even wider.
“I don’t think we can study here,” he says, frowning.
You shake your head. “We can go to my place.”
So he packs up his things into his backpack, avoiding whatever is going on in Charles’ room that has him causing permanent damage to his eardrums. Then the two of you take off down the street, towards your apartment. He slows only slightly at the turn for the park, waiting to see what you’ll do. You turn down the path through the park and loop your arm in his. He looks away in the hopes that you don’t see the smile that creeps across his face.
Your apartment is, honestly, exactly how he’d always pictured it. It’s soft and cozy and colorful. There’s a well loved, overstuffed couch in the living room, a little table in the kitchen, and so much stuff on the walls. Music posters, photos blown up big, and… collages. Some in frames, some tacked up with tape, scattered across the place. Perfect mixtures of magazine cutouts and pieces of paper and he swears he even spots a dried flower on one.
“Wow,” he says, studying the one that hangs over the couch. “These are so cool.”
You’re in the kitchen, grabbing a snack, and you turn over your shoulder. “Oh. Thanks. I made a lot of them when I was injured. I had nothing better to do, yknow?”
He sees a chunk of an x-ray in the corner of the piece, and his heart twists. You walk up next to him, shoulder to shoulder. When he looks at you, you’re smiling softly. He likes that look on your face. He wants to keep it there, and suddenly he dreads studying physics because he knows how stressed you’re going to be.
“We’ll have to make some sometime,” you say, nudging your elbow against his. “There’s a billion hockey magazines in a closet at your house.”
“I don’t have an artistic bone in my body,” he says.
You laugh. “That’s the fun of collages. You don’t have to.”
He settles in on one end of the couch, and you settle into the other. The soft light of the lamp in the living room makes it feel warm, the same way your hand in his had felt the day before. He tries so, so hard to focus on physics. It’s just… he’s in your apartment, and you’re there, knees curled to your chest, brow furrowed in concentration, and… something about this feels so soft.
He clears his throat, opens his textbook, and flips to the review questions. “Alright. Ready?”
The two of you study for hours. Oscar doesn’t know when it happens, but at some point you move closer, so you can look off the same textbook. Physics terms and formulas and theories rattle around in his brain, all wrapped up with thoughts of you. The sun goes down, and the windows to the outside grow dark. He doesn’t want to leave. He wants to stay right here.
“My brain is full,” you mumble, between a yawn.
You drop your head against his shoulder, and his heart pounds in his chest. He shouldn’t be feeling like this, he knows it. You’re just tired, that’s all.
He nods in agreement. “Mine too. I can go home. We should get a good night’s sleep.”
You nod against his shoulder and then make no move to pull away. “In a minute,” you say. “Your arm is comfy.”
Butterflies- actual, real life butterflies, he swears it- swirl in his stomach. It doesn’t mean anything. He’s seen you fall asleep on Charles’ shoulder during movie nights, watched you curl up on Max’s bed and take a nap while everyone around you talked. He’s just another friend, another shoulder to lean on. This doesn’t mean anything, and besides, it shouldn’t mean anything, so why is his stomach swirling with butterflies, and why does his face feel hot?
When you finally pull away and help him pack up his things, he hopes you can’t tell how he’s feeling. You walk him to the door and wait for him to put on his shoes and jacket. It’s just so you can lock it behind him, he knows. But then you reach up and smooth the hair from his forehead and laugh, and his chest aches fiercely, and god, he could kiss you- not even really kiss you, just on the forehead or the cheek would do. He says goodnight instead and steps out into the hallway, then makes his feet carry him down the stairs and out to the sidewalk.
He walks past the soccer field and finds himself hoping that maybe you felt it too.
He gets up early the next morning and finds Max in the kitchen with coffee ready to go. He grabs two travel mugs- his, and yours. Max raises an eyebrow as he spreads cream cheese on a bagel. Oscar does the same in response.
“You were out late last night,” Max says, eyeing him.
He doesn’t bother asking how Max knows when he got back. He feels like it’s written plainly all over his face. He can feel the weight of you against his shoulder. Can feel your hand brushing his hair from his face. Can feel how much he wants to lean in. Max must see it.
“I was studying,” he says, carefully.
“With Bunny,” Max suggests, and Oscar nods. “But not here.”
“No, we got here and Charles was blasting music,” Oscar explains. “So we went to her place.”
“He failed an exam,” Max says, face scrunched up. “Well. He assumes he did. You know Charles.”
Oscar nods. Max is staring at him as he pours hot coffee into mugs. He’s not sure what the team captain is looking for, but he hopes he doesn’t find it.
“She told you,” he says, quietly, and Oscar looks up from the mugs, nearly spilling coffee all over.
He clears his throat. “Yeah.”
Max nods and finally turns back to his bagel. “Good.”
That’s that, then. He puts the lids on the coffee, and Max sends him out the door with two bagels- one for him, one for you. He almost feels like he’s passed some sort of test when Max gives him a sharp nod as he turns to leave, but he’s not sure which test it would even be.
He finds you in the lobby before the exam, hands off the coffee and the bagel and tells you he knows you’re going to do well. You smile brightly at him, and he swears it lights up the whole building.
“We’ve got this,” you say, nudging him with your elbow. “And if we don’t, we’ll retake it together.”
He nods in agreement. The two of you sit on a bench and eat your bagels and drink your coffee. Oscar wishes he could attribute the warmth in his belly to the drink, but he’s pretty sure it has more to do with the way you smile up at him and the weight of your shoulder against his. Either way, it sends him into the exam with a good feeling, and that’s really all he can ask for.
…..
Oscar finds himself feeling sad when the holiday break rolls around this year. It’s a weird feeling. For years, he’s looked forward to December for this reason. The exams are over, he gets time off from school, a chance to go home or have his family visit, and a break from everything. He realizes, as he’s staring up at the ceiling, listening to Lando lugging a suitcase around, that he’s going to miss his friends when they leave for the break. It’s been two years since the last time he called his teammates friends.
He drags himself out of bed and into the hallway, because if Lando’s leaving, he wants to say goodbye. And sure enough, there he is, wearing a hoodie and sweatpants and taking an enormous suitcase down the stairs one step at a time. Oscar spots you on the ground floor, watching in amusement, and he waves at you.
“Morning, Oscar,” you call out. “Ready for the break?”
He scrubs a hand through his hair and shrugs. “Yeah.”
You raise your brows. “That was convincing,” you say, sarcasm dripping from your lips.
He bites back a laugh, not wanting to give you the satisfaction of having called him out. “It’ll be nice to see my family. Just weird to have everyone gone, yknow?”
Lando, who’s made it down three stairs, turns to look at him. “Aw, he’s gonna miss us!” He coos, and Oscar feels his face go red.
Before he can jump to his own defense or try to come up with something to tease Lando about, you speak up from the bottom of the steps.
“Yeah, and we’re gonna miss him, Lando,” you say, shaking your head. “Jesus. Oscar, would you just shove him and the giant suitcase down the steps?”
Oscar’s trying not to dwell on you saying you’ll miss him, too. It shouldn’t affect him nearly as much as it does right now. It makes his stomach twist. He keeps the smile plastered on his face and forces a laugh, and Lando glares at him as menacingly as Lando can glare at anyone. He brushes off the feeling and grabs the side handle of Lando’s suitcase, then helps him lug it down the stairs. Lando shoots him a smile to replace the glare as they get it to the bottom floor. Then he pats him on the shoulder and ruffles his hair. Oscar winces.
“Bye, Piastri,” he says, grinning. “Have a good break.”
He pulls the giant suitcase towards the front door. You stay standing there, even as Lando steps outside and sighs at the sight of the front steps. Oscar steps off the staircase and lands near you, arms swinging at his sides.
“You’re staying here all break, right?” You ask.
He nods. “My family will be here Monday, though.”
“Nice,” you say, smiling wide. “Well. I bought more TimTams and Vegemite, so they should feel right at home.”
Warmth bubbles up in Oscar’s chest. “Thanks.”
You nod. The two of you stand there for a few seconds, and he wonders if you’re holding your breath, too. You shift back and forth on your feet, and then before he knows it, you’re against his chest, arms around him. He barely has time to hug you back before you pull away, and that’s the only bad part about it. He would hold you forever, if he could, he thinks. And honestly, that’s terrifying.
You pull away, and he hopes you don’t notice how red his cheeks are. “Bye, Oscar,” you say, almost shyly.
“Bye, Bunny,” he says back.
Lando calls your name from the front door, and you scurry off. He sighs. He swears he can still smell your shampoo, and then hates himself for knowing what your shampoo even smells like. He shoves his hands in the pockets of his sweatshirt and turns back towards the stairs, ready to head back to his room, crawl back into bed, and go back to sleep. He jumps in shock when he finds Alex and George standing at the top of the stairs, leaning on the railing.
“That was interesting, wasn’t it, Alex,” George says.
“Quite interesting, I’d say,” Alex nods, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
Oscar rolls his eyes and takes the stairs two at a time. “You guys are creepy.”
They both just laugh as Oscar pushes past them and into his room. He shuts the door behind him, flops down onto the bed face first, and closes his eyes. Outside, he hears Logan’s car start up- the guy really needs to get the thing fixed, it’s loud as hell, but at least it still runs. He closes his eyes and reminds himself that it’ll only be a few weeks until you’re back in town. Then he wonders when having you around became so important to him. He rolls over, buries his face in the pillow, and goes to sleep.
notes: a lil osc pov!! thank you for reading! check out the winter break blurb, or find part 4 here!
tags: to be added or removed just let me know!! crossed out names were unable to be tagged- if it’s yours, shoot me a message!
main taglist: @4-mula1 @celestialams @struggling-with-delia @lovekt @i-wish-this-was-me @forzalando @iloveyou3000morgan @callsign-scully @arian-directioner @racingheartsposts @sakuramxchii @mynamejeff5
series taglist: @sourskywalker @ivyvlair @gwginnyweasley @annispamz @bearlul @aresriiots @ggaslyp1 @verstoppenheimer @black-fireproofs @smilinlemon @arieslost @floralkoi @vicurious28 @likedbygaslyy @rorabelle15 @bwormie @treatallwithkindness @fandomnerd11 @adhxmoony @sakuramxchii @insunia @mindflay3r @talking-raw @coolmathgames2 @assholeinatrenchcoat @saachiep81 @venusacrossthestars @v1naco @anthonylockwoodandco111 @whalebursoot-main @ellen3101 @k-pevensie28 @ninifee1802 @avg-golden-retriever @pleasecallmeunhinged @andruuu28 @aceofswordsandarrows @dreamsarebig @secretunnels @ginsengi @yayahnaise @f1petra @lovecarsgoingvroom
546 notes · View notes
helen-with-an-a · 3 months
Text
The object that stood in the way of a World Cup
Hi. So this is going to be a 2 part (maybe 3 part) story that I've had floating in my head for a while now.
It's angsty - I do want it to end with a fluffy end, but it's getting a little too long to be 1 thing ahahaha. Anyways.
Ona Batlle x Reader
TW: Angst, no direct mention of bad mental health, but it's clear R ain't ok.
Word count: 3.3k
Part 1 : Part 2 : Part 3 : Part 4 : Part 5 : Epilogue
Flashbacks are written in Italics; for anyone not aware of the British school system GCSEs you take at 16 (you have 3 or 4 choice subjects and 5 or 6 compulsory subjects) and A-levels you take at 18 (you choose 3 or 4 subjects)
Description: R sees Ona again for the first time since their breakup
Tumblr media
This is what you had been waiting for. All summer. All year. Hell, probably all your life. The World Cup Final. And the thought absolutely terrified you.
Your first thought after the final whistle wasn’t one of joy or happiness. You weren’t elated like Lessi or Tooney who barrelled into you and squeezed you so tight it hurt. You weren’t jumping for joy like Gee, Kiera and Lucy who manhandled you into the middle of their huddle. You weren’t screaming so loud your voice went hoarse like Hempo and Es. You weren’t standing in disbelief like Mearps and Millie.
Your first thought was of your ex- girlfriend, friend-with-benefits, situationship, Ona. Your first thought was of Ona. Spain had won against Sweden yesterday. And now you had won against Australia. The last time you had seen her was not a fun experience for you. Screaming. Tears. Spiteful words she didn’t mean. But that was the last time you spoke to her. It had been a long 8 months without her.
You weren’t quite sure what you were to each other when you were both at United. You had met on her first day. You were meant to be her buddy. The management had asked around during pre-season if anyone spoke any Spanish. You had done it at A-level, so you stuck your hand up. Barcelona was The Dream for you, so you had tailored your studies at school as much as you could to help you achieve it – taking Spanish at GCSE and A-level and continuing to watch Spanish shows and reading books to help you maintain it. You weren’t fluent but you knew enough that it would help Ona feel more comfortable. And you clearly had.
After winning the first derby of the season, the team had gone for drinks. Alcohol flowed, inhibitions were lost, and boundaries were blurred as Ona ended up in your bed. You had thought it would be a one-time thing. A drunken mistake that wasn’t much of a mistake to you. And it was … until it wasn’t. The next time it happened was at your birthday. And then her birthday. And then the end of the season. And then alcohol wasn’t a factor in taking you both to bed. She was suddenly all around you. Her jumpers were in your wardrobe. Her football boots were by the door. Her stuff was in the shower. Her snacks were in the cupboard. You had never spoken about what you were, but you drove her to training, she cooked you her mother's dishes, you snuggled into her side when watch your show, she slept in your bed every night.
And then it all came crashing down.
November 2022
You knew you needed to tell her as soon as possible. You wanted to tell her the news that had you pouncing on her the moment she stepped through the door. You were happy and giddy and so, so excited. You hadn’t thought that she wouldn’t be all of those things for you. You had made no secret that Barcelona was your dream. Everyone know that if Barcelona came knocking you would be gone without a doubt in your mind. You had received a phone call from your manager that afternoon.
“Hey, Y/N. Are you free to talk? There’s an offer for you.” Paul said down the phone. He sounded composed but happy, it intrigued you.
“Yeh, I’m free. What’s the offer? It’s mid-season though and I’m out of contract in the summer, why are they wanting to talk now?” You were questioning but not closed off. You knew joining a team mid-season would be hard but not impossible.
“Well… it’s Barca. They’ve but in an offer for you.” You were in complete shock. Barca wanted you. You were going to play for Barcelona. That’s all you’ve ever wanted. You screamed. It was the only thing you could think of. “I’ll take that as a yes, then?” Paul laughed. He knew Barca was the dream. He’d already written up the acceptance email.
“Oh my god! Of course it’s a bloody yes. I’m gonna play for Barcelona” You shouted.
“They want you to sign on the first day of the January signing window. It’ll be announced just after El Clásico. Is that ok with you? It gives you a couple of months to get everything sorted. And since United haven’t played in the Champions League, you aren’t cup tied or anything.”
You were floating on a cloud of happiness when the door clicked open. Ona was back from having a ‘Spanish Day’ with all the Spaniards living in Manchester. She had barely made it into the living room when you jumped her. Lips trailing everywhere you could reach. She laughed that gorgeous sound as you shoved her gently to the bedroom, her coat slipping off as you went.
You lay with your head against the pillows, hair fanned out to the side. You were sweaty and out of breath in the best way. Ona collapsed down next to you, her arms quickly wrapping around your waist.
“I had a phone call today.” You said nonchalantly. “From Paul,” you added as you tucked the duvet around the both of you. “There’s been an offer for me in the January window”. She looked at you expectantly. “Oni, Voy a jugar para el Barcelona” you breathed out. She stiffened in your arms.
“Qué quieres decir, amor?” She choked out after a few moments of silence, sitting up and moving away from you. You knew she wanted to go back to Spain, go back to Barca … but this was not the reaction you were expecting.
“Paul phoned. They’ve put in an offer for me for the January window. I’m signing on the 1st with it being announced after El Clásico.” You stated the facts. The simple outline of the facts that made you feel so, so happy.
“Are we not going to talk about this? You can’t leave in the middle of the season. United need you. We need you…. I need you, amor” She started off loud, angry, and upset, but by the end of the sentence it was barely a whisper. You had never seen Ona so… you could describe the look on her face. The way her body seemed slumped over in sadness.
“Hey… hey. No, don’t think like that. I’m here until the break. We’ve got a month or so. Everything will be fine, Oni. You are well aware that Barcelona is only a few hours on a plane. Everything will be fine!” She seemed to accept your comforting words.
But everything wasn’t fine.
There was a shift in the relationship arrangement whatever this was. Fewer jumpers were in your wardrobe. When she ran out of body wash, she didn’t replace it with a new bottle. Less of her snacks were added to your weekly shopping list. You still drove her to training but her music no longer blasted out of the speakers. She still cooked for you but there were never leftovers for the next day. She still slept in your bed, but she held onto your arm rather than curling up on top of you.
And then it was the Christmas break. Your last day at United. You weren’t sad to be leaving the club. But you were sad to be leaving the people. Of course, you knew you would see some of them during the international windows and whenever you came home but it wasn’t the same. Once again, the alcohol in your system led you to be on top of Ona. The first time you had done anything since you told her about your move. Something felt different this time. She was leaving to go back to Spain the following morning and you wouldn’t see her again before you left.
You woke up with a slight headache, but that wasn’t what pulled you from your sleep. Catalan came drifting across the flat. Ona was awake, and by the temperature of the bed, she had been for a while.
“Hey. Qué ocurre? Qué pasó?” She was pacing the living room, muttering away to herself. “Oni? Hey, estás bien?” She wasn’t paying any attention to you. “Ona”. Your hands rested on her shoulders, halting her scattered movements.
“Don’t touch me,” she snapped. You jumped at the harshness in her tone.
“What’s wrong, Oni?” You asked again.
“I can’t do this.” She answered back. Her tone just as sharp. You knew what she was implying but you hoped you were wrong.
“This being…?” You trailed off.
“Us.” She stated simply. You waited a heartbeat, hoping she would realise you would do anything for her.
“It’s not like there was really an ‘us’ to begin with!” She spat at you. You felt your heart begin to splitter into a thousand pieces. Ona was looking for an argument. She was terrified you’d leave her behind at Manchester without a second look. Ona was hopelessly in love with you. She had been for some time. It wasn’t fast or scary. It was subtle and peaceful. One day she had woken up next to you and she knew it was you. It would always be you. But she didn’t know if she was yours. You were never a tactile person but with Ona, you always had some form of body contact. She thought it little of it. She was Spanish after all, touching your friends was fairly normal – she didn’t realise that you didn’t hug Lessi or Tooney unless they forced themselves at you. She didn’t consider how you were quick to shake off Mary or Maya’s arms. To you, and to everyone else but Ona, it was really obvious that she was yours and you were hers. You just hadn’t had the ‘what are we’ conversation yet. She was also jealous. Barca wanted you. Her home wanted you. Not her. Never mind that her agents had mentioned that Barca wanted her in the summer when she was out of contract. Barca offered money for you. Barca wanted you so badly that they offered a record-breaking fee in the middle of a season. She was scared, angry and jealous. How was she to know that you rarely argued back with someone? How was she to know that your easy-going nature was a result of growing up in a household where shouting was the norm? How was she to know that your mild-mannered temperament was due to your habit of placating your family to stop the noise? You had never told her that particular part of your childhood.
So, she hit you where she knew it would hurt the most, hoping to get a reaction out of you. “Eres sólo un polvo rápido. Fácil. Nada mas para mi. Something to pass the time. I don’t even know why Barca want you, honestly. No eres lo suficientemente buena.” She waited for a reply, but none came. She waited for you to lash out at her. Snap. Do something to make this … breakup? … easier. She wanted to be able to hate you in the same way she was trying to make you hate her. She did the second most painful thing she could think of. She spun on her heels and marched out the door.
You knew she was lying… you think. You hoped she was lying. You knew Ona could get mean when she was upset or scared. You had witnessed it after a particularly bad game – her harshness, her biting words. But she had said those words with such conviction, and you couldn’t think of a reason as to why she would be scared or upset. It had been a wonderful night. Laughter, soft touches exactly where you needed them, and love. You could feel the love between the two of you. Every lingering touch, every passionate kiss, ever whispered word. Everything was done with love, for the pure enjoyment of the other. Everything was perfect.
You're just a quick fuck. Easy. Nothing more to me. Was that all you were to her? Did the late nights mean nothing to her? Did the secrets you whispered into her hair mean anything? Were all the promises she made you lies? Was everything she ever said to you just so she could get her regular fix? Did she really think you weren’t good enough for Barcelona? She knew her opinion of you and your football meant a lot to you. Was every reassurance that you were good enough for the starting XI mean nothing? Was every calming word when you were waiting for Sarina’s call false? Did she genuinely think that you weren’t good enough?
You were in a daze all throughout Christmas. Seeing you family was fun, but you couldn’t shake the clouds in your mind. When you met with the some of the Lionesses in Manchester in between Christmas and New Year, everyone could tell something was wrong. You were normally on the quieter side, preferring to listen rather than speak. But you didn’t really do either. You were just there; not contributing to conversations or laughing along like you usually would. Something was wrong but no one knew what. And then you were on a plane, staring out the window as you watched Spain get closer and closer. You had never been to Spain outside of camps and tournaments. Ona had promised to take you there, to show you Barcelona, to show you her home. But you had to make it your home without her by your side.
And now you were about to play Ona in a World Cup Final.
Lucy knew something was eating at you in the days leading up to the final. She had phoned Leah to come to the hotel to cheer the whole team up and boost morale. It had worked for the other girls but not you. Kiera phoned Alexia as well. But the comforting words had washed straight over you. Everyone thought that it was because you were facing the Barca girls. No one in Barcelona knew of your history with Ona beyond that of teammates at United. If she was ever in town for a quick break, you always, miraculously, had other plans you couldn’t get out of. They didn’t know you lied and hid yourself away in your flat – moving your car a few streets along and leaving your phone off so the location couldn’t be tracked. You’d even gone so far as to phone up Hayley Raso in Madrid to ask if you could come visit her when you found out Ona would be at a team bonding event due to her free schedule coinciding with game-less weekend for Barca. Hayley was a little confused, but you were close enough friends from your time at Manchester that she didn’t question it.
Ona’s words had stayed with you. Every time you failed gave the ball away, passed a too-wide cross, or missed a shot on goal, her words echoed in your mind. You’re not good enough. The venom lacing her tone permeated your brain. You pushed yourself hard then ever before. You went for runs before training to improve your stamina, stayed late to practice free kicks and penalties. You lifted heavier weights and broke your old PBs in the gym. You were eating correctly and always seemed cheery enough, so no one really questioned it. Slowly the muscles started to grow. You were always on the stockier side, the muscles you had slowly built up helping you with your defence. But now you were really built. Your muscles were obvious, even under looser fitting clothes. Not that you really wore loose clothes anymore. At first, it was because everyone on the team, everyone in Barcelona, looked good. Their styles were just rubbing off on you, you had justified to yourself. But eventually, the tops became tighter and shorter. The trousers became low rise, and the hemlines became higher. The Barca Glow Up (and Lotte had coined it) was definitely real. You told yourself it was for you. The clothes you were wearing, the muscles you liked to show off, was because you were proud of them. Which you were. But you couldn’t lie to yourself for long. The Barca media frequently posted game day fits. You knew Ona followed Barca. You knew you would appear on her timeline. Yes, you were a little more tired than you used to be. But that was fine. You didn’t tell anyone the words that rattled around in your head when you were alone. You were fine. Everything was fine. You were playing the best football of your life at Barca. You were a key part of their defence, making your way into the Starting XI quickly and constantly proving your worth in every game.
You were fine. Ok, you hadn’t had sex, or even looked at another girl, since Ona arriving in Spain. Ok, you had to have some form of noise constantly in the background because every time there was silence your thoughts drifted back to Manchester. Ok, you couldn’t be around Ingrid and Mapi or anyone else in a relationship for too long otherwise you might start crying. Ok, you were still very much broken hearted. But you were fine. You weren’t necessarily good, but you were fine
The morning of the final, you were quiet. But everyone was, even Tooney. The buzz of anticipation. The air of expectation. Everyone was doing their own pre-match routine. You had followed yours to the letter. A gentle walk alone this morning followed by breakfast. A full bottle of water on the coach to the stadium. Pitch inspection with Less and Tooney. Warm up with Lucy and Millie. Hair slicked into a bun. A spray of perfume and into the tunnel to walk out.
She was standing just a head of you. Perfect. Breath-taking. Even with her game face on and her concentration as Irene spoke to her, you could see the usual kindness in her features. Those soft warm eyes that you had been lost in far too often. The freckles that littered her skin that you had traced and played dot-to-dot with as you laughed sleepless nights away. The braid that you used to tug on to get her attention before a match that always made her smile and break her focus. You knew you were still desperately in love with her. You shook your head. You couldn’t let her get to you. Not now. Your walls went back up as you pushed all thoughts from her mind. She wasn’t your Oni – even though you knew in your heart she would always be that to you –, she was the object that stood in your way of a World Cup. As Jess and Alex pulled your attention away from the Spanish players, you missed her looking at you.
She knew you had more muscle than before but seeing you in the flesh was something else. Your eyes that have the ability to truly look at a person, looked a little more tired than she was used to. The genuine smiled that was a defining feature for you was replaced with a hard line and a smirk every now and again. She thinks you have had a haircut since being in Barca – your bun wasn’t as big as it used to be in Manchester. She wanted nothing more than to trace her fingers gently over the new scar just above your eyebrow. She knew exactly how you got it. She watched every game of yours, live if she could – on repeat if she couldn’t. You had collided with a player during Chelsea Champions League match. She had been so terrified she almost picked up the phone to call you several times. She did play a little more brutally the next time she faced Chelsea. She had been carded after she left a particularly nasty tackle on the girl that had hurt you. She didn’t know that you also watched all of her games. She didn’t know that you also wanted to phone her after that match but was so scared of her rejection. But right now, you weren’t her Amor – even though you would always be that to her –, you were the object that stood in her way of a World Cup.
Part 2 will probably be out fairly quickly as a lot of it is already written but yeh
368 notes · View notes
starsainzjr · 4 months
Text
Lights, Camera, Action
Tumblr media
Pairing: Lando Norris x director!reader Faceclaim: Gemma Chan
✷✷✷✷✷
Tumblr media Tumblr media
yourusername posted a story
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
f1wags
Tumblr media
Liked by 419,303 others
f1wags Meet YN YLN! YN is a successful Hollywood director and producer with movies like Barbie (producer), Boston Strangler (director), and Little Women (director) under her belt. Earlier this afternoon in a Tweet, a fan working as a makeup artist on an undisclosed movie set claimed to see McLaren driver Lando Norris on set with a bouquet of sunflowers.
An hour later YN posted a a picture of a bouquet of sunflowers to her Instagram story with the caption "Pleasant surprise at lunch 🥰" (pictured above). Could it just be a coincidence? Sure. But we may soon have a new WAG in the paddock!
View all 20,389 comments
marissa.lancaster4 Hi! I'm the fan that posted that Tweet. Because of the NDAs that I have signed as a part of my employment I cannot say what movie I am working on nor who the director is. But I can confirm after speaking with several of my coworkers that it was Lando I saw on set earlier today.
f1wags Please DM me if you have any more information that you can share!
mickieslaren Am I the only one that gets a bit weirded out by how we treat celebrities' love lives like this? Maybe Lando was visiting a friend or something. Either way it's none of our business what he was doing on set
landoslove It is a bit odd but, then again, both Lando and YN live in the public eye. There are always going to be little things like this that get scrutinized mickieslaren I just wish they could have a bit of privacy is all landoslove That makes sense. But this is out of our control
nowinsnorris YN is literally so stunning. Lando has some serious game if this is true
landoslove He's trying so hard to beat the norizz allegations
yourusername Hollywood
Tumblr media
Liked by florencepugh, americaferrara, simuliu and 509,201 others
yourusername Halfway through filming! I have a never ending supply of sunsets and sunflowers 🌅🌻
View all 99,394 comments
florencepugh Come to my hotel room I have a mini champagne bottle I can't get rid of by myself
yourusername I'm omw simuliu Am I invited? florencepugh Sure we need someone to supervise I suppose
americaferrara Go do incredible things! Cannot wait to get my eyes on this once its done
yourusername There's a bucket of popcorn with your name on it!
landoslove Sunflowers she says? 👀
nowinsnorris She's not as slick as she thinks she is
haveyougotpubesyet No bc I'm confident Lando would follow YN around like a lost puppy in the paddock
landoslove I cannot wait for this to get proven real mickieslaren Or we could just leave them alone and let them live their lives haveyougotpubesyet We're not harming them, just having meaningless fun trying to connect invisible dots landoslove Yeah. We're not, like, cyber bullying them or anything mickieslaren I'm just saying it probably can't feel great to have random people poking around in your love life
landonorris Santa Monica, California
Tumblr media
Liked by carlossainz55, oscarpiastri, danielricciardo and 782,293 others
landonorris Ready to rock 🤘🏎
View all 102,394 comments
oscarpiastri We really need a McLaren emoji
landonorris 🍑? oscarpiastri I'm taking your phone away landonorris 😨
carlossainz55 Welcome back to the real world
landonorris I don't like it I wanna go back charles_leclerc We have the easiest lives ever get it together. Both of you landonorris Yes, father. Carlos come get your teammate carlossainz55 Nah, this could get fun
landoslove SANTA MONICA
landoslove YN just posted from Santa Monica
nowinsnorris This is me not getting my hopes up buuuuut YN is a director and she lives in California... landoslove Lalalalala I can't hear anything lalalalala
yourusername The Outback
Tumblr media
Liked by simuliu, florencepugh, americaferrara and 600,338 others
yourusername Out of the studio for the back half! So unbelievably happy to be back in Australia 🦘🌏
View all 102,383 comments
simuliu Yeah yeah pretty pictures can you come kill the spider in my room now please?
simuliu YN I'm serious, I've been texting you for 30 minutes I know you're seeing these simuliu YN IM NO LONGER ASKING yourusername @/florencepugh do you hear anything? florencepugh Nope. All quiet. Not a peep simuliu Very funny. When I die who are you going to get to finish your movie? yourusername I am on my way to humanely get the scary spider out of your room and put it outside simuliu Hurry up it's staring at me florencepugh With how many eyes?
nowinsnorris I'm already in love with her. I might love her more than I love Lando
landoslove YN YLN - Daniel Ricciardo team up 👀
ynsaction I've never been one to gatekeep but if these F1 delulus keep coming near my wife I will actually lose my mind
yn.florence No literally! She is a feminist icon who has said multiple times in interviews that she's not looking for a partner and focusing on directing and producing. Pls stop shoving her into a WAG box ynsaction I'll always welcome more YN fans but every other word in these comments is about Lando Norris. I'm about to scream landoslove Hi, sorry isn't feminism about women being able to do whatever they want? YN is allowed to change her mind if she met the right person yn.florence If you'd been paying attention you'd know the last interview she made her wishes clear in was a week ago which, according to the calendar, is after people started trying to tie her to Nowins or whatever his name is
Tumblr media Tumblr media
landonorris Australia
Tumblr media
Liked by carlossainz55, danielricciardo, oscarpiastri and 799,397 others
landonorris Good to be back! We'll continue to work and push and get stronger as the season goes on. Thanks for having me, Australia! 🦘
View all 298,300 comments
oscarpiastri The garage used to be so quiet
landonorris You missed me, admit it
carlossainz55 Bit rusty there, mate
landonorris Says the man who got his third consecutive P4 finish. You ever gonna bump up to the podium? carlossainz55 At least I finished in the points charles_leclerc Guys I cannot keep doing this please
landoslove My boy is back and better than ever
haveyougotpubesyet He looked so happy to be back!
nowinsnorris I'm gonna have to change my username this year, aren't I?
landoslove YES YOU ARE norizz481 Here's hoping I get to change mine too landoslove YOU'RE BOTH GOING TO HAVE TO CHANGE USERNAMES I'M SPEAKING IT INTO THE UNIVERSE
yourusername Perth, Australia
Tumblr media
Liked by florencepugh, simuliu, americaferrara and 600,495 others
yourusername A week and a half left of filming and I cannot wait to celebrate all we've accomplished with these two! Behind the scenes dump coming soon 😉
View all 110,387 comments
americaferrara Congrats all of you! So so unbelievably proud
yourusername Wish you could've been along with us on this ride! See you soon my love
florencepugh My favorite project in a long time! Let's finish this out strong!
simuliu No not that picture 😭
yourusername Listen, it's too good not to share with the world simuliu I'm a superhero, I don't need this kind of harassment yourusername Cope
ynsaction This one is going to be so so good I'm physically vibrating I need it
yn.florence Mother! She's going to win yet another Oscar for this one, I can feel it
ynsaction Our girl don't need no child race car driver
nowinsnorris I'm becoming such a huge fan of YN. She and Lando would be perfect for each other
landoslove Shhhhh you'll scare the fragile film girlies ynsaction God, the f1 delulus are back. I was hoping we got rid of them yn.florence I don't think we're that lucky
f1wags Perth, Australia
Tumblr media
Liked by 421,871 others
f1wags Picture taken of Lando this morning in Perth, Australia coming out of a florist shop. Not pictured is a bouquet of sunflowers. This is the second time this month that Lando has been spotted with a bouquet of sunflowers.
Lando has been linked to director YN YLN who is wrapping up her new film in Perth. Only time will tell if YN posts some sunflowers in the coming days 👀
View all 19,878 comments
haveyougotpubesyet He is the definition of boyfriend material I swear to god
landoslove Getting closer and closer to beating the norizz allegations
landoslove IS HE BRINGING HER SWEETS TOO??? This boy is going to be the death of me
nowinsnorris What do I need to do to get myself a Lando
mickieslaren Just reminding everyone that Lando does in fact have sisters who were in attendance at the race this weekend and may also enjoy getting sunflowers from their brother
landoslove Jesus, take your negativity away from us who are trying to have fun mickieslaren Yeah it's fun for you now but what about Lando who is trying to go about his day without having some delusional fangirl losing their mind over him buying sunflowers? If you were really a fan of his you would let him live his life landoslove He's a celebrity! His fans are just trying to connect to him mickieslaren When I hear that Lando has gotten a restraining order against a fan I will not be surprised when you suddenly get very quiet
yourusername posted a story
Tumblr media
Tumblr media Tumblr media
yourusername Hollywood
Tumblr media
Liked by americaferrara, florencepugh, landonorris and 671,209 others
yourusername This is where the fun begins 🎞 Three months of editing coming up
View all 105,448 comments
florencepugh Im omw with more coffee
yourusername I love you
americaferrara Ahh keep the Excedrin close by
yourusername There's a whole bottle in the corner
simuliu I hope you're making me look good
yourusername Yes, I'm including the scene where the spider crawled up your arm and you screamed like a baby simuliu You're definitely my favorite director, I love working with you yourusername You are also definitely the star of this movie and have more screen time than Flo simuliu Hey, I will always be willing to have less screen time than Flo
ynsaction YES I have been missing YN editing content so bad recently
ynsaction She is such a mood when she's editing she gets so unhinged
landoslove Unhinged YN editing plus Lando being generally unhinged 👀 ynsaction Jesus give it a rest already
yn.florence I, for one, am chasing to focus on incoming unhinged YN posts
nowinsnorris LANDO'S IN THE LIKES EVERYONE
landonorris China
Tumblr media
Liked by carlossainz55, oscarpiastri, yourusername and 801,387 others
landonorris So close to a podium finish! We'll make adjustments as needed and push on. See you in Miami!
View all 208,218 comments
oscarpiastri So my days of quiet garage are definitely over?
landonorris You're stuck with me forever, mate carlossainz55 Good luck, Oscar landonorris WOW
landonorris @/charles_leclerc your teammate is being mean to me
charles_leclerc You think I have control over him?
ynsaction Not YN in the likes I had such high hopes
landoslove Genuine question; why are you against her finding someone she likes to be with? ynsaction I'm not against her finding someone she likes to be with, I'm against all Lando's fans trying to shove her into a WAG box when she's spoken so much about not wanting a partner at the moment. Especially when it was as soon as a month ago landoslove Okay, that's valid. But we're not trying to shove her into a box. This is just harmless shipping. I'm sure you do it with fictional characters you like ynsaction YN is an idol to me. I'm protective over her, I'm sorry if I've been bitchy landoslove I've been bitchy too, I apologize as well
mickieslaren I still don't like pushing into celebrity love lives
Tumblr media Tumblr media
yourusername Miami, Florida
Tumblr media
Liked by florencepugh, simuliu, landonorris and 622,118 others
yourusername First time out of the studio since editing started. Thank you @/f1 for hosting me!
View all 200,377 comments
f1 Anything for our favorite director!
florencepugh Did you see The Guy???? 👀
yourusername It's not too late to make the movie about Simu simuliu YES... I mean, yeah did you see The Guy???? 👀 yourusername You're both blacklisted from my film sets
mclaren Give us a heads up next time you come! We'll set you up in the garage!
yourusername Oh that would be incredible! Thank you so so much!
ynsaction She always looks so adorable I am in love with her
yn.florence Mother is Mothering
ynsaction all hail
haveyougotpubesyet McLaren sipping after her too now
ynsaction Who wouldn't simp after her tbh
landoslove Just soft launch already
landoslove Florence and Simu chirping her about seeing The Guy I'm DYING
nowinsnorris The Guy is 100% Lando. It has to be at this point
Tumblr media Tumblr media
lando.jpg
Tumblr media
Liked by charles_leclerc, carlossainz55, yourusername and 379,177 others
lando.jpg Hangin'
Comments on this post have been limited
charles_leclerc You caught me so off guard
carlossainz55 Best picture in the middle tbh
yourusername posted a story
Tumblr media
Tumblr media
yourusername Monaco
Tumblr media
Liked by landonorris, florencepugh, simuliu, and 801,836 others
yourusername Beautiful day in Monaco made even more beautiful by this wonderful boy! Congratulations, @/landonorris I'm so proud of you!
Comments on this post have been limited
florencepugh THE GUY. SHE PULLED THE GUY.
simuliu YESSSS NO MORE LATE NIGHTS DRUNK TALKING ABOUT HIM
yourusername Way to call me out, guys, thanks for that. You do remember I'm technically your boss right? florencepugh Movie wrapped, love. You can't tell us what to do anymore simuliu At least until we sign on for another one of your projects
landonorris Awww you drunk talked about me 🥰
yourusername I'll chase you
landonorris Monaco
Tumblr media
Liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, carlossainz55 and 781,003 others
landonorris I have the best date for the party @/yourusername
Comments on this post have been limited
yourusername Best weekend ever
landonorris Only because you were here
oscarpiastri Here's hoping the garage will be quiet again
landonorris No shot but nice try yourusername I'll do my best to keep him quiet for you oscarpiastri YN is my new favorite
lando.jpg
Tumblr media
Liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, carlossainz55 and 241,966 others
lando.jpg You have a movie coming out tomorrow. I am so incredibly proud of you @/yourusername. Everything we've been through together, I cannot believe what a kind, strong, beautiful woman you are. I love you, I can't wait to see what you're going to do next
Comments on this post have been limited
yourusername I love you so so much, darling. Thank you for being there through everything
lando.jpg My dream woman
florencepugh Yes!!!! Drinks on Simu at the afterparty!
simuliu Drinks on me!!!
✷✷✷✷✷
All photos from Pinterest, Instagram, or Google Images
558 notes · View notes
rwrbmovie · 2 months
Text
the category is journalists writing the intros to their pieces about their interviews with both nick & taylor:
(text version under the cut)
EW | The Awardist:
Tumblr media
Teen Vogue:
Tumblr media
GQ:
Tumblr media
EW | The Awardist:
From the moment they both enter the virtual video chat to talk about their 2023 smash-hit rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue, Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez are roasting each other, throwing out playful jabs.Their friendship and connection are undeniable, and it's immediately evident that the bond they share in Matthew López's movie, based on Casey McQuiston's enormously popular book of the same name, extends off camera as well.
Teen Vogue:
Red, White & Royal Blue stars Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine couldn’t be less serious. In conversation, the banter is endless, the charm off the charts. They’re currently embroiled in a discussion about New Zealand vs. Australia. Zakhar Perez refers to New Zealand in conjunction with the “naur” meme and H2O Just Add Water, famously an Australian show, and it sets Galitzine spinning into laughter — before he schools his costar in the dynamic between the two countries.There’s something of a schoolboy zest, darting wherever their brain cells move them in conversation, that makes you think of the cheeky conversations had over the trash can at school, sharpening pencils over and over again to gossip. They jokingly narrate the opening of our interview, even though we’re on a Zoom: “This is Taylor and I’m done talking,” Zakhar Perez throws down, and Galitzine picks it up, “Hi I’m Nick, I’m about to start speaking.”
GQ:
Afternoon tea requires a level of decorum. But in a South Kensington hotel so posh there’s no sign outside, Taylor Zakhar Perez and Nicholas Galitzine gleefully ignore the unspoken rules of etiquette when the latter pulls out his phone. “I need to find this video!” Galitzine says, feverishly swiping his screen. “I’m sorry, it’s my favourite video on TikTok.” Given the international nature of the story, we’ve been talking about accents – specifically, about whether Galitzine, who is British, had to adopt a more aristocratic inflection – when he turned the question around. “Are you Scottish?” he asked. (I am.) The revelation ignited something in his brain, and soon he was scouring TikTok. Galitzine is practically vibrating when he finally finds his prized clip. In it, two enraged young Scots lose it when a countryman claims that they pronounce “pie” as “peh.” “SHUT YOUR MOUTH, I HATE YEEEH!” one guy yells, face vermillion. It’s so, so dumb. It’s also hilarious. Zakhar Perez, 31, and Galitzine, 28, fold over and giggle, far too occupied to realise that the phone is on full blast in a tiny room filled with rich tourists. A group of suited Italians not-so-quietly mumble their annoyance from the next table, and Galitzine quickly offers an embarrassed apology.
325 notes · View notes
vax-merstappen · 3 months
Text
on vacation with the f1 boys ✈️
i love to travel so this is just me being self indulgent lol. also disclaimer i know some of the pictures are not from the country i said the vacation is in, bear with me lol. hope you enjoy and drop me any pref requests you might have!
Lando Norris
Destination: Finland
Lando always went on a ski trip with his friends during the winter break and this year he invited you to go along. You started on the easier slopes, as you both had to get the hang of skiing again, but by the end of the day you were tackling some of the more difficult ones along with your group of friends. Afterwards, the group settled down in the ski lodge with cups of hot chocolate around a crackling fire. You all spent a few hours joking around and catching up after not having all been together for a while. To finish off the day, you and Lando went alone to the sauna where you had the chance to decompress together before heading to bed. All in all, the day was well spent and you asked Lando when you would be able to come back even though you knew the answer would be next year.
Tumblr media
Oscar Piastri
Destination: New Zealand
During the winter break, you and Oscar did not want to travel too far from his home in Australia, so you decided to go to the nearby country of New Zealand. Both of you loved staying at the beach and so you decided to spend most of your days at the scenic shores of the country. After having a relaxing time at the beach, you decided to tour the country’s mountains together and to take in the beautiful views. A personal highlight for you is a romantic dinner with Oscar in the stunning city of Queenstown. All in all, it is a relaxing trip far from the pressures of racing that brings the two of you unforgettable memories.
Tumblr media
Max Verstappen
Destination: Italy
For Max, a vacation was any time he could spend completely away from racing with you and his friends. So, instead of traveling far away from his apartment in Monaco, he wasted no time in going on a boating trip with all his favorite people along the Italian coast. You both spent days lounging on the deck together and nights drinking with the group at the yacht’s bar. The sea made for a perfect getaway from Max’s fast paced life and you could not be happier to get some time with your boyfriend in such a scenic place. Relaxing in the waves truly made for a great time.
Tumblr media
Charles Leclerc
Destination: Los Angeles
Your favorite place to visit together was definitely LA. You both had friends who lived there so it only made sense to take a trip there when you both were free. You spent the days on the beach with him, either surfing if the waves were nice or simply sunbathing otherwise. Charles also convinced you to go on the most extreme rides at all of the amusement parks, giving you an adrenaline rush that kept you wanting more. So many laughs were had with each of your friends, especially when Charles insisted on winning you a giant Ferrari colored banana plush at the arcade. You had no idea where you would find space for it in your apartment, but you knew you would cherish the memories it brought to mind.
Tumblr media
Carlos Sainz
Destination: Miami
To Carlos, it would not be a good vacation without some golf. So, you both decided to head to Miami where you could find the best of what both of you loved doing, golf and relaxing on the beach. While Carlos golfed in the mornings, you relaxed on the beachfront balcony of the house you were staying in. And during the afternoons, you would both head to the beach to relax in the sand and waves. One morning you decided to spice things up and have Carlos try to teach you to golf, but after accidentally hitting the ball into someone else’s golf cart, you quickly scrapped that idea. Your favorite memory of the trip was definitely the day you spent completely together on a snorkeling trip to see a nearby coral reef.
Tumblr media
Lewis Hamilton
Destination: Dubai
When Lewis wasn’t racing, he still loved to be doing something adventurous. Lucky for him, you shared his love of an adrenaline rush. So the perfect destination was Dubai. Every day was filled with excitement, from riding ATVs though the desert to eating at luxurious restaurants in the city. Lewis even convinced you to go skydiving with him at the end of your trip which was an experience you knew you would never forget. There was never a dull moment when you and Lewis traveled together and you knew that once this vacation ended, you would already be planning for another.
Tumblr media
Daniel Ricciardo
Destination: Austin
Everyone knew one of Daniel’s favorite places was Austin, Texas. So when he had a week off after the race in Texas, Daniel of course convinced you to stay with him on vacation there for the next few days. He took you to his favorite bars and barbecue restaurants to savor the food. He also took you to a ranch where you got to ride horses through the American countryside. On the last day of the trip, the two of you decided to go to a country music concert and dance the night away. Both of you loved music and so this was the perfect memory to end what was a great few days of exploring the Texan landscape. And of course you had to get a souvenir cowboy hat to remember the trip by.
Tumblr media
Yuki Tsunoda
Destination: Mexico
As you and Yuki are both foodies, you decided to go to a place with one of your favorite cuisines, Mexico. You arranged to travel throughout the country to try different foods from various regions. Between meals, you would spend time seeing some of Mexico’s most scenic beaches and visiting some of the tourist destinations like Chichen Itza. The best part, however, was getting to spend so much uninterrupted time with your boyfriend who was always away from home. Though you knew Yuki lived the fast life, all you wanted to do with him was relax. And what better place to do it than in such a warm and beautiful country. As for your favorite food you tried? There were too many good dishes to choose!
Tumblr media
Alex Albon
Destination: Phuket
Alex was thrilled when you agreed to go to the country he raced for. When you got there, he excitedly showed you around all of the sights and took you to eat his favorite local food. After a few days of frantically touring Alex’s favorite places, you both decided that it wasn’t truly a vacation unless you relaxed a little bit. So, you spent the rest of the week at the beach in each other’s arms, just savoring the other’s company. There were a few splash fights in the pool and the time where you jokingly pushed Alex off of the boat, but otherwise you spent your time relaxing on the sand. Thai sunsets were truly like no other and you knew you would savor your memories for years to come.
Tumblr media
Logan Sargeant
Destination: USA
When you realized that Logan hadn’t traveled much around his own country outside of Florida, you immediately decided that you were going on a road trip to fix that. The plan was that you would go up the east coast, stopping in all of the major cities to see the sights. From Carolina beaches to the nation’s capital, there were surely a lot of things to do. And when you had a boyfriend who drove cars for a living, of course you got to the be the passenger princess. Every time a road sign showed something that sounded cool, you insisted that you stop. Your personal favorite destination was New York, where you got to show Logan a lot of the famous landmarks that everybody would recognize. Once you hit Boston, you decided to head back south to his home state and warmer weather. You would cherish these memories forever.
Tumblr media
289 notes · View notes
samkerrworshipper · 7 months
Note
okay i know you’re insanely busy with midterms but just dropping an idea down here… so what if arsenal got a new sign in who was like 17 and still completing school. Reader has just moved to a new city to join the team, new school which arsenal is paying for for them to complete school, and the team is helping reader adjust 🤷🏼‍♀️ i could really see beth and viv being mom types and picking her up from school before training and shit
homework help | arsenal women x reader
v highly requested so thought i’d come through for my hurt, angst and fluff girlies xoxo
this one’s just a short little drabble so enjoy
Tumblr media Tumblr media
You hated school.
You hated every single part of it.
But you were fairly certain you’d never hated it more in your life then right now.
Moving to a completely different country had been enough of a big deal, debuting professionally for Arsenal was a pretty big fucking deal, but no struggle would compare to the one that was trying to do your A-levels. In Australia you were relatively smart, nothing exceptional but you were intelligent enough. Over there though, football had always come first. If you had training, football took precedence, when you had Matilda’s camp, it took precedence, if you felt like you needed rest after a tournament or hard game, it took precedence.
Around when you turned 15 your parents had made the decision to pull you out of highschool, you’d fallen into semi-home school, completely self lead. It had worked for you, you’d never liked being at school, you’d been asked to leave your first high school because of how disruptive you’d been to the classroom environment.
That was why home school had worked so well for you, you trained whenever you wanted and did school when you had a spare minute or two between training and travel.
Part of your contract with Arsenal though, considering your parents were sending you to England by yourself, was that you had to attend traditional school, something that you were not at all happy to do.
You hadn’t attended school in nearly two years, and it didn’t help that you’d never been taught in England, and that you were a troublemaker. Within your first days at your school you’d landed yourself in a fair amount of detentions and had been sent home twice. You’d skipped classes, left to go and get some extra training in, failed to hand in work and got in a fight with a girl. Your teammates were less than impressed, you’d gotten yourself a stern talking to from Caitlin and Steph, a threat that they wouldn’t hesitate to call your parents if you kept it up.
Your behaviour led to some more parameters being set, Beth and or Viv picked you up from school everyday, Leah had been named as the first contact for your principal and you’d made the promise to Jonas that you’d commit to schooling, and prioritise it.
In hindsight it had all been lies, something that you’d told the older women to put a smile on their face. It was a promise that you’d very quickly regretted making.
Today, when you walked out the gates of your school at 3pm, your bag slung over your shoulder and a scowl on your face as you trudged towards Beth’s Mercedes, in a foul mood.
You slung your body into the backseat, ignoring both Viv and Beth who were seated in the front and turning up the music that was blasting in your ears, you didn’t need one of their lectures right now.
You didn’t miss the concerned frowns that the two women sent your way, but you did ignore them, keeping your eyes on the car window as they began to drive, making their way towards the Arsenal training ground.
They knew that to put it lightly you hadn’t been enjoying school, that it was just something you were being forced to do. Most afternoons when they came and collected you, you were in a similar mood, but they’d noticed that the more days you went to school, the worse your mood seemed to get and they couldn’t quite get to the bottom of it.
You weren’t doing well in school, you didn’t understand or hadn’t ever been taught most of what you were learning, and you felt fucking stupid. All you teachers were prepared to turn around and do was tell you that you just needed to work harder, or pay more attention, and you were trying your hardest, but everybody was making you feel like you just weren;t good enough. That was why you’d always enjoyed football so much, because you were so good at it, school was just another thing for you, just another box to tick, especially since you’d made the move to North London.
Today was no different, just another day that you were spending doing something that made you feel so incredibly useless.
Viv passed you your normal after school snack, an iced caramel latte and a salad, food that you would normally hound down, but this time you left it unattended beside you, too busy with your thoughts to even think about eating. It was a clear warning sign for Beth and Viv, who in the four weeks that they’d been picking you up from school had never seen you not eat your after school snack.
“Sweet, is there anything wrong with the food?”
Beth’s voice was soft, tentative from her spot behind the wheel.
“Not feeling like it.”
Beth’s brow furrowed across her forehead, it was unlike you to not eat, food was your favourite thing in the world, something the Arsenal women had very quickly learnt in your short amount of time with them.
“You should eat something, we’ve got a long afternoon at the training ground.”
Training wise you didn’t actually have much on, a casual kick around if you felt like it. But you were reviewing last week's game and having a team bonding night, something that you were not feeling like engaging in.
“I’m fine.”
Your voice was dismissive, and whilst the older women had seen you in some downright filthy moods, something about this interaction was worrying them, you normally weren’t this grumpy after school.
“Did something happen at school Liefje?”
You kept your eyes on the window, watching as you slowly got closer to the training ground.
“Nope.”
You emphasised the p on your lips, hoping that your teammates would get the memo that you weren’t interested in talking about it.
“You know that you could tell us if anything was happening, this is a safe space, if someone is being an ass to you, kids or teachers we’d want you to tell us.”
You rolled your eyes at the window, just praying for a black hole to appear and suck you up.
“I’m not being fucking bullied.”
Your voice was so harsh, harsh enough to silence your teammates for the rest of the car trip.
When you finally did arrive at the training ground you practically jumped out of the car, in record timing hauling yourself and your bag out of the backseat and propelling yourself directly towards the doors of the centre, leaving Beth and Viv watching you from the car, completely curious about what had occurred to make you so grumpy.
You hardly made it two steps into the locker room before you were bombarded by Leah.
“Want to explain to me why I had to spend my afternoon on the phone to your principal?”
Her voice held a fair amount of annoyance, rightfully so, you were annoyed at yourself.
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
You walked directly towards your locker, slinging your bag into the cubby and keeping your eyes locked on the wall of your locker so you didn’t have to face Leah.
“Firstly, look at me, we’re having a conversation. Secondly, what in god’s name do you call how you are dressed because I know we aren’t sending you to private school for you to be dressed like that.”
You turned around to look at Leah, she wasn’t wrong, you weren’t exactly dressed presentably. You’re shirt was untucked, and unbuttoned, revealing the lacy bralette and tank top I was wearing underneath, my skirt was also hanging just low enough to cover up my ass, I looked like a schoolgirl from one of the old pornos.
“Tuck your goddamn shirt in and pull your skirt down.”
Leah’s voice was just as harsh as the one you’d used with Viv and Beth a few minutes ago, a taste of your own medicine you supposed. You obliged her request, tucking your shirt in with an eyeroll, and tugging your skirt down far enough that it was sitting at a socially acceptable length.
“Again, want to explain to me why I got to spend an hour on the phone with your principal this afternoon?”
You let your eyes travel down to your feet, which were clad with black leather school shoes. Some of your other teammates had begun to trail into the rooms, Beth, Viv, Kim, Vic, Katie, all of them watching as Leah’s scolding unfolded.
“It’s not that big of a deal.”
You said it under your breath, a mere murmur that Leah’s super ears managed to pick up.
“Not that big of a deal? Your failing everything and the amount of behavioural reports you’ve collected is truly impressive.”
It was bad timing that Caitlin happened to walk in as soon as the words left Leah’s mouth.
“You're failing?”
You took a deep breath, biting down on your lip as you looked down at the floor.
“My teachers are being jackasses.”
You fiddled with the hem of your shirt, it was true, in your whole time at the new school not once had any of the teachers offered to help you or explain something to you, all they did was criticise.
“And that’s a good enough excuse to tell one of them to and I quote ‘Go fuck yourself and your mom’ because I don’t think that’s grounds to call a jackass that.”
You were glaring holes into the floor of the rooms, not really sure what to say to Leah.
“All they do is tell me off ‘Y/n, it’s not good enough’, ‘Y/n you don’t pay enough attention’, ‘Y/n, work harder’, I’m trying my best.”
Your words were murmured underneath your breath, the aggression and emotion very clear in the tone of voice you directed at your Vice Captain.
“Y/n, out on the pitch now, go run off whatever this energy is and then come back in here with a new attitude because the one you have right now is piss poor.”
You frowned at Caitlin, but nodded in agreement with her statement, walking over to your locker and quickly changing into your training kit and cleats before heading out of the now silent locker rooms, making your way out onto the pitch and as soon as your feet hit the grass you began to run.
Growing up, football had been your only release, it still was. When you had a bad day, as soon as you stepped out onto the pitch it all disappeared, it all didn’t matter, because you had football, you had the one thing in the world that mattered the very most to you. Recently though, with all of the school bullshit you’d been feeling disconnected from it, feeling disconnected from the part of yourself that had fallen in love with your sport, that part of you had disjointed from your body, too affected by the intense depression that school caused you.
After you’d run your lungs sore you moved to the goals, rolling out 5 balls and placing them all down on the pitch, running around and kicking them at different targets in the goal before collecting them and doing it again. This was what you lived for, quite literally. This had been the positive of moving, the best part, that you were playing at the highest level you possibly could. But a part of it felt so wrong, it wouldn’t have been abnormal for you to have just dropped out when you’d come over, in Australia at least, hell half of your teammates had dropped out at 17 to play for the Matildas, including your closest friend, Ellie, but in England they were hellbent on you completing your education.
You’d practically run yourself silly by the stage you saw a crew of red approach the sideline. You sat down on the grass, tipping your head back to look at the mix of orange and pink washing in a sunburst tie dye across the sky, your lungs burning as they took in the crisp English air.
You tried your hardest to ignore the sound of a series of footsteps crunching against the grass, eventually ceasing when the group got close enough to sit down around you. To their credit they didn’t disturb you until you acknowledged their presence, your eyes falling from the sky to meet Beth’s.
“We want to have an open conversation with you about this, we’ll talk, you will listen and then you can talk and we promise we will listen. We’ve all calmed down, so let’s talk about this properly, yeah?”
You nodded in agreement with Beth, turning your head a little bit to meet Leah’s gaze. The harshness across her facial expression had softened, the intenseness of her face being less jagged and tense.
“We all know that you’ve struggled with adjusting to school, so what’s up?”
You bit down on your lip, the pink tissue being bared down on by your front teeth, this was the point where you could either shake them off or be honest with them.
“I haven’t gone to school in two years, when I was at school I was a troublemaker and when I wasn’t at school I only learnt what was necessary, I educated myself from 15 to now, and I did well enough, taught myself the basics of everything, had Mack and Alanna teach me the important shit. I’m not prepared for this, I’m not smart enough for this and all the teachers want to do is remind me of that, I just can’t focus like they want me to, or sit down and understand what the fuck a parabola is and how it’s relevant to my life. I didn’t want to fail, but I had all of this homework that I didn’t understand so I just put it to the bottom of my priorities pile, and then it was overdue and my teachers were annoyed enough with me so what even was the point? I’m good at football, really fucking good at it. School was never something that I worried about, but now it’s all I can think about and I hate it, I hate every single minute of it.”
You heard Caitlin sigh from her spot beside Beth, she’d had no idea that you’d been struggling so much, sure she was aware that you hadn’t exactly been a school enthusiast but she’d had no clue that you really were having problems.
“Plus, it’s like all everybody is doing is setting me up to fail, my teachers assign me work that they know I’ll never complete, you guys send me to school to try and learn shit that I’ll never understand, school just doesn’t work for me.”
You observed as the group of women’s frowns only deepened further, all of them feeling devastated that you’d been feeling this way and hadn’t told them.
“We aren’t setting you up to fail. We want you to succeed, we just wished that you’d told us about this earlier, we would have found you a tutor, hell any of us would tutor you, and we will from now on. From now on, no more hiding your homework or deciding that you aren’t smart enough to complete it. I’ll talk to your school, if you promise us all that you are going to be on your best behaviour then I’ll talk to your teachers and principals, maybe we can look at getting you some extra help, or a tutor. If it comes to it we’ll look at alternative schooling options, but I think you’re very tough on yourself, it’s understandable that you’d be struggling with this stuff, you’ve only been here for six weeks, you're still grasping the ropes. From now on, every night after school you’re going to bring your homework here and someone will help you with it.We want to see you succeed, y/n, we don’t want you having to go back home because you can’t prove to us that you deserve to be here, because we all know you do, it’s just about putting in the effort and attitude, that’s what we all want to see the most, we can sort out the grades after that, okay?”
You nodded at Leah, feeling a massive weight being pulled off of your shoulders as the older woman smiled at you, opening her arms up to you and you allowing her to wrap them around you. You relaxed into her body almost immediately, finding solace in the warmth and comfort that she provided, she’d really become an older sister to you in so many ways since your move, she was stern and strict for sure, but she also cared a hell of a lot.
You could feel your body beginning to weaken against Leah, the emotions of the past 24 hours starting to really fog your brain.
“Is our little student tired?”
You just groaned into Leah’s body, earning a quiet chuckle from the older woman.
“C’mon kiddo, let’s get you inside and then you can sleep for as long as you’d like.”
You allowed Caitlin and Viv to carry you back to the changerooms, the two women very quickly slipping you into a tracksuit before laying you down on one of the coaches in the communal hangout room. The group was about to leave you to relax before you emailed at them.
“Hugs.”
The group of women snorted at your insistence, Caitlin trailing behind and sitting down on the couch beside you, gently pulling you into her arms and wrapping them around you. She was ready to protect you from anything and everything, whether that was a rogue soccer ball or a nasty teacher.
“Mm sorry Cait.”
Caitlin just smiled down at you, her hands gently working their way through your tresses as she watched your eyes grow even heavier as sleep loomed over you.
“Don’t worry about it chook, we’ve got you now, no more doing it all alone, we’ll help you from here on out, no more fighting every battle, we’ve got you.”
649 notes · View notes
seniouesbabes · 4 months
Text
Tumblr media
Lily Maymac 🌸🍒💋🌸 Saw these cute
LNY wish trees
1 note · View note
ybklix · 1 month
Text
𝐂𝐫𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐲 ♡ 𝐃𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 ₊⊹
CRY BABY .♡⊹ (( bang chan )) mdni part 2
Chapters:
1: cry baby ((word count: 4.1k))
2: dollhouse ((word count: 3k))
⋆˙⟡♡
ONE: cry baby
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
you're all on your own and you lost all your friends, you told yourself that it's not you, it's them ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡
It didn't matter how long the journey had been; when it came to reaching his hometown, fatigue and jet lag ceased to exist for Chris once his body felt the air of Australia. He had arrived at a wonderful time, with time to arrange things in his new home and visit his girlfriend.
Chris picked up his phone and sent a text to his girlfriend letting her know he had arrived and that he'd pick her up after work. There were still a couple of hours left, so he decided to order a taxi to take him to his new home. He had planned his stay in Sydney carefully and thoughtfully, considering every angle. It favored him quite a bit; his girlfriend of two and a half years lived here, he could continue working from the comfort of home, and he could pick up extra jobs that he didn't completely dislike. Indeed, for Chris, working hard and keeping his mind occupied was always better.
Everything was going quite perfectly that he couldn't help but smile. He bought his dream house a couple of months ago and had since begun his official move, moving his entire life from Seoul to Sydney. Returning, for him, was something he hadn't expected. He found it almost funny that after all his effort, he returned to where it all began, where everything started as a simple dream. But all his sacrifice had yielded excellent results since he had a steady job and stability, doing what he loved most, writing and producing music. When he announced he had to leave, his colleagues almost tried to stop him. He was quite successful and famous as a producer, but they understood that he could continue working, just not in that distant country anymore.
Chris looked at the beautiful landscapes the city offered through the taxi window. He was so excited that once he spent the afternoon with his partner, he would consider immediately go to visit his family. A long day awaited him, but he knew it would be worth it.
Buying a house in a neighborhood like this, spectacular in every aspect, suitable for childless couples, professionals, and simply for families, whose children rarely went out to play and make noise, and for retired elderly people living alone, was just what he needed, a large space just for him, even though it wasn't part of his plan; but suddenly a change in his life and routine sounded so good. Chris didn't know exactly why a house and not an apartment, to start with, as he had in Seoul; not even his own father understood it, Chris just excused himself saying he needed to own a more spacious place where noise could easily be canceled out, for the construction of his own recording studio... but inside him, perhaps there was a certain instinct that he wanted to start a family soon, he knew exactly that this wasn't his girlfriend's idea, not even as a joke, but maybe, just maybe, there was a tiny feeling like that in him.
Once entering the neighborhood, he felt the warmth of living in Australia again despite it being a slightly cool afternoon with the sun hiding behind the clouds. He never thought he would come to this place; he always believed he would live in Seoul for the rest of his life; he was so excited to start a new life but still leaving aside illusions, if something went wrong, he knew he could flee to Korea whenever he wanted... but he wasn't like that, he was never the type of guy who just run away. In fact, he thought that he left Sydney to pursue a dream, never by choice; it would be a lie to say he didn't like Seoul since it was his home for a long time... but once he could see the green grass, the well-kept roses of the people, he realized he had disconnected a bit and had lived in the noisy city long enough. This was what pleased him the most, nature, and if he wanted more buildings and noise, the city center wasn't far from his new address.
He stood there for a few seconds admiring the facade of his new home and noticed a teenage boy entering the house next door, they must be the neighbors, he thought. When he was initially given a tour of the house, as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, a woman welcomed him, told him her name but Chris didn't remember it, she mentioned that she lived with her family and other things like how much they had started to remodel and modernize that house. Still, he felt strangely safe, the distances between the houses were large enough to provide privacy, to his right was that family he supposed consisted of the teenager, and to his left was an older widow, or at least that's what the real estate agent told him.
He sighed in frustration at the sight of the pile of boxes scattered around and thought that he didn't have enough time, but fortunately, he was always prepared and a step ahead, so the interior designer would come tomorrow with her team to help her move stuff. He had to prepare as soon as possible for the start of his new job in the morning, as a professor at the university. He would teach two subjects related to music at different levels, and a few courses about Asian culture. He was nervous, but he had become a teacher in his spare time, and he felt quite prepared for whatever he might face.
He was hesitating whether to take a nap or move a few things in case Leah, his girlfriend, wanted to come; Chris ran his hand through his hair, thinking, so he opted for the second option; he cleared the living room area, tidied up, cleaned a few things, took a shower, and without thinking twice, it was time to pick up Leah.
He took the keys to his new car, really taking seriously the idea of living in Sydney and being well prepared. Ready to have a new life. He felt tense when he realized that he would be driving in Australia again and that the steering wheel was on the right side, unlike his old home where he had obtained his license from a very young age. Still, he set his GPS and left; this time, as he passed by the house next door, he now noticed it was a girl entering the house.
When he finally picked up his girlfriend, the sky was completely dark, and he noticed how tired she looked; Chris felt slightly bad and reproached himself for not thinking earlier and not bringing her a small romantic gesture of welcome, even though he was the one who had just arrived. They hadn't seen each other for a long month, he missed his girlfriend so much that it almost physically hurt not to be with her. A few seconds later, Leah's expression softened, and her serious demeanor turned into a warm smile.
“Channie” she called him affectionately by his Korean nickname, almost in a sigh, and extended her arms.
Finally, they hugged for just the right amount of time and exchanged a tender kiss. He had met her almost three years ago in Seoul; she worked in advertising for a magazine and was somewhat related to the entertainment world, so her social circle was so similar to Chris's; like him, Leah had grown up in Australia with Korean parents, the only difference being that she did have her whole life back in Oceania; still, he was captivated by her at that party, she was only two years younger than him, Leah at that time was just a beginner still in college on a trip in Seoul with her other circle of friends, and he was a recent graduate with a special gift. Despite the differences, they decided to give it a try, leading them to a long-distance relationship for just over two years, but it didn't matter now, at least not anymore for him; right now, he was with her, and he could have her whenever he wanted.
Chris, or Chan to her, caressed his girlfriend's face as he gave her a gentle kiss, breathing in her perfume one last time before pulling away and lowering his hand to her bare thigh with a smile.
“Do you want to go out to eat? Should we go somewhere...?” he spoke.
“Mm, let's order food and you can show me your house.”
“It's still a bit of a mess” he warned.
Chris let out a small laugh and did exactly as Leah had suggested. She had been inside the house before, but she was always surprised at how well laid out it was in terms of space and design. He found her reaction endearing and with a smile on his face, he thought about how all of this might one day belong to her too. They both headed to eat at the small and only nightstand table in his TV room; some larger items were arriving tomorrow, so for now, that was what they could improvise with. As they ate, Leah kept talking about how stuff should be arranged to create harmony and coherence in the house. Chris listened attentively and lovingly; they talked about their respective jobs and what awaited them.
After sitting in silence and letting the food settle for a while, Leah spoke.
“Is your room upstairs...”
Chris turned to look at her; not seeing her for a long time suddenly had a quick effect on him, and from one second to the next, he found her ten times more attractive.
“Yeah, do you want to give it your approval?” he replied playfully, hoping this would lead to something else.
Chris looked at her profile for a few seconds before she turned and gave him a teasing smile in response. He examined her, from her smooth, slightly upturned nose and her legs barely exposed by the skirt, to her shiny, loose silk blouse. Suddenly, every detail of her drove him crazy and made him feel like a hormonal teenager. He wanted to fuck her right there, right now.
He felt that her mischievous smile and soft gaze were enough signals for him, so he dangerously leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. He started slow and passionate, his right hand traveling up to the hem of her skirt, playing with the thin seam, unsure whether to slide his hand gently between her thighs or do it quickly in one swift motion, while the other hand firmly held her waist. Chris was gradually losing himself, his tongue slipping in, giving her a bolder, dirtier kiss; however, after a torturous session of just wet and hot kisses, Leah squirmed out of his grasp and pulled away from him slowly.
Chris looked confused, but his girlfriend's expression only worried him. With her pink, swollen lips, Leah suddenly seemed shy, with her eyes cast down. In seconds, Chris realized that maybe it was just something she didn't feel like doing right now, and he respected that... but it still seemed quite strange to him. Had she pushed him away? Since when did she reject him? Every time they saw each other, because of their painful long-distance relationship, the most intense and pleasurable sex awaited them.
Chris wanted to believe that maybe it wasn't the best situation for her, tired in her work clothes after a long day.
“It's a bit late... and we both have to work tomorrow” she said, raising her gaze and captivating Chris's gaze, “You'll do great, love” she smiled.
He knew her so well, he didn't understand why she suddenly gave him an awkward smile pretending to be kind... Had something bothered her, and he had no idea? He wanted to ask her so many things, but Leah stood up from her position on the floor and grabbed her bag.
“I really need to rest, and it's getting late. See you tomorrow?” she interrupted.
Chris quickly got up and gently took her waist.
“Of course, I'll drive you home.”
As they got into the car, Chris looked at the completely quiet street, with no noise, the houses perfectly illuminated, there was no one outside except for the two of them and the mysterious girl next door coming out of her house with the cold wind blowing her hair.
During the drive, Leah became herself again, outgoing and energetic. She told her boyfriend how they should spend the short break he had as teachers in September; he just thought about how grateful he was to have a sweet moment with her and looked at her with tenderness when the traffic lights indicated he should stop... yet, he was a little hurt, deep down, slightly bruising his pride as a man that he didn't get any physical intimacy from his girlfriend that night... he had waited so long, he thought he could reward her, and when his house is no longer a mess, he would make sure to satisfy her and shower her with gifts.
“I'll see you tomorrow, Chan” she leaned in, giving him a quick goodbye kiss, “Call me.”
Again, for the third time that day, she felt strange to him. It was obvious she wouldn't be the same young woman she used to be, capable of throwing a party every time they saw each other... but he felt there was something about her that she had to tell him as soon as possible, or he would go crazy. It wasn't surprising, Chris was an intense guy.
Once he returned home, he threw the keys with fury... he had tried to keep his sanity, but the more he overthought it on the way back home, the less sense it made to him. She didn't anger him, never could he be angry with her, it just, maybe, he thought, it was about him.
He went up to his room, in one swift movement he took off his shirt, feeling the cold air seeping through the small opening in his window. He checked the time on his phone, 11:43 p.m., he needed to rest, to take a shower in the morning and start his day... but he could only think about the romantic date options he could do on a simple Monday.
As he took a few steps towards his bed, approaching it, he noticed through his window how a faint, warm light, not so noticeable, managed to penetrate into his dark room. He turned his body and cursed for not remembering to put up curtains before; for a moment, he felt sorry for not realizing that significant detail, he was so used to the large windows in his old apartment in Seoul restricting the view. It was obvious that there was another room, right next to his.
Chris didn't want to pay attention, but catching the subtle silhouette of a girl sitting by his window captivated him inconsistently. She was wearing a thin white tank top despite the cold weather. He thought about how warm her room looked while giving it a quick inspection. The girl had her face buried in her naked knees, and her loose hair covered her face; her arms embraced her legs. Suddenly, she pushed her hair behind her ears, revealing just her profile. Yet it wasn't hard for Chris to see that she was crying. Her cheek was shining, wet, and he could see the small tears sliding down.
The girl by the window began to sob, causing her back and chest to contract. Chris suddenly didn't want to watch; he felt like he was invading her privacy and pain. But somehow, he couldn't stop watching her; he was so dismayed, but he was more bothered by the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off her.
He had no idea how long he had been watching her... but somehow, deep down, he thought, in the most hidden part of himself, that she looked strangely beautiful crying. The large rectangular window frame captured that girl with glowing cheeks and slightly messy hair, crying in what seemed to be a corner with books and a seat by the window.
The girl by the window closed her eyes tightly and slowly lay down, facing away from Chris's window, ending the performance completely. Finally, he reacted; she was still sobbing, her back moving uncontrollably, but it was harder to see her now.
Chris didn't know what had come over him; he almost felt annoyed that his neighbor didn't put up her own curtains. He could see everything, from his bed, which was positioned so that it faced his room directly, to his posters on the wall, to her backpack thrown on the floor.
Chris sighed and tried not to worry about his neighbor anymore. He wanted to think it was just a young girl in the age of broken hearts and not something deeper... but she was crying with such emotion that it made his head spin. He puffed his cheeks, letting out a sigh, and, retreating to the window, he took off his pants, slipping into his sheets, making sure she wouldn't accidentally turn and see him. Unlike her room, his bed was positioned sideways, his front door facing his bed, and her room's door was on the right side of the bed. Somehow, he felt like her room was more exposed, so he would have to move to avoid causing her any discomfort.
At dawn, the light bothered him, and he prayed that the girl had her curtains closed. Otherwise, he would have to get up semi-naked, and if she saw him, she might think he was a pervert. And just for his luck, some pretty white lace curtains covered her window; Chris was able to leave freely and go to wash up, taking his clothes with just a towel covering his lower half and changing in another room.
Chris looked at himself in the mirror, wondering if his outfit was appropriate: formal pants with a black button-up shirt. He wanted to think it was the best option for winter. He adjusted his dark hair before heading downstairs for breakfast, tired of boxes everywhere; he hoped everything would be in order between today and tomorrow for a better rest.
As he left, driving his car towards the university, he saw her again, walking down the sidewalk in the same direction as him; the famous girl who had been crying by her window, his neighbor, wearing blue jeans, white ankle boots, and a thin pale pink sweater. He saw her so fleetingly that he only saw her profile once again and noticed her backpack slung across her body.
And then she saw him too, just in a quick glance, driving his car, dressed all in black. She hadn't seen him completely, they hadn't even introduced themselves, but her mother confirmed it, he's a very handsome young man, he lives alone, and he bought the property outright, he must have a lot of money. His name is Christopher.
She had seen him at least twice, an embarrassing encounter in the morning when she tried to open her curtains just before leaving home, as she always did, but found his broad back naked, wearing only a towel while holding his clothes; Celeste immediately slid the curtain with embarrassment and just left her room. She hated to admit her mother was right, but the short two seconds she saw of his build weren't bad at all. And the second time was just moments ago as she headed to the university.
So that's her new neighbor, a man who emerged out of nowhere, bought that modernized house that had been empty for so long. She was so used to there being no one next to her room, now she had to be careful of walking around wearing with what she’s comfortable with.
Celeste took a couple of buses and one more subway line to reach her campus, where the first classes went by normally, and it wasn’t until brunch when the only person she talked to approached her.
“Celeste” he said to her.
She looked up from her food, observed him, gave him a smile, and invited him to sit with her gaze.
“I heard we’re finally getting a music teacher” he said again.
“Wow, it’s about time, it’s been a week”, she replied.
The guy smiled at Celeste and took one of her fries.
“There’s going to be an art exhibition, you should come” he suggested.
“When?” she asked.
“Friday at 7.”
Celeste raised her eyes, thinking if she had to work that day and concluded that if she asked for the day off they’d give it to her since she worked a week with no days off, she could perfectly go see Hyunjin’s exhibition.
It wasn’t new for Celeste to be somewhat… strange. She didn’t know how to explain it, but little by little, she distanced herself from all the people she once spoke comfortably with, and surprisingly, the handsome exchange student was the only one who talked to her. He was two years older than her and was studying visual arts, yet he decided to take music courses, and that’s where they met.
“I’ll be there” Celeste replied, checking the time on her phone. “We still have about 20 minutes ‘till class” she added.
Hyunjin smiled at her; he was quite handsome and popular, so a part of Celeste wants to feel human and like him like most do, if she paid proper attention to him... she could develop feelings for him, she hated the feeling part, and that feelings lead her to false illusions but she felt that in her dull life she needed to at least, have a little crush on someone. Maybe that would help distract her.
Falling in love was something Celeste didn't know, something that was out of her hands and even something she thinks is out of her reach. It's not that she doesn't want to have attention and affection... she just gave up and decided to think that maybe life is lonely for her. Her last intimate encounter and affection for a man was when she was 13 years old at a birthday party when she was dared to kiss someone, that was her last and first kiss. The rest of her years she lived normally without the opportunity of a prospect and love... that was one of the last things she thought and cried about, truly. Love.
The depression and anxiety was diminishing her libido and she remembers that maybe the last time she masturbated out of boredom was a year ago.
But Hyunjin... Celeste thought about whether she should like him, whether she should bring excitement into her life for the first time in twenty years.
She was an interesting and pretty girl, shy, but lonely, she isolated herself too much and lived absorbing the pain and problems of her surroundings; her issue was that she felt too much that sometimes she would go into a kind of self-control, on automatic, off without feeling anything, until she overloaded herself and exploded, it was always the same with her and she felt pathetic that she could never change. Her behavior led her to pull away from everyone... wondering why they didn't come back to her, maybe it's them, not me, she thought constantly.
Celeste watched Hyunjin closely as they talked for 10 minutes and the next 10 they used it to walk to the classroom. She was quite observant and took it upon herself to memorize every detail about him, his full lips, his eyelids hiding in his sharp brown eyes, the almost invisible mole under his eye, thick dark eyebrows, long hair and big hands, come on Celeste, feel something, she thought.
She wanted to bang her head against the wall, only then did she think she would come to her senses to feel something for someone as attractive as Hyunjin, besides he was an artist and the only person nice to her... she felt like a heartless bitch.
Arriving at the classroom, Hyunjin and Celeste sat together and the teacher was already inside as well. She spotted his silhouette as she passed, but saw him completely once again looked up at him... suddenly he seemed so similar, those broad shoulders and all black clothes, she shouldn't have been excited, but something small grew inside her, perhaps the intrigue that maybe her teacher is also her new neighbor? Suddenly the big city she always grew up in seemed small to her with such a coincidence.
Celeste was at least ninety percent sure it was him, she watched him a minute longer and as she felt their gazes cross, she turned to Hyunjin, embarrassed. Class started two minutes later and he finally introduced himself.
“I am Christopher Bang. Sorry for the delay of the subject by a week.”
Tumblr media
TWO: dollhouse
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
places, places, get in your places, throw on your dress and put on your doll faces. everyone thinks that we're perfect, please don't let them look through the curtains ⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡
Celeste had lived in that house her whole life. It was only when she turned 18 and graduated that she managed to leave for a year and breathe… but due to economic reasons, she had to return. It's not that she wasn't grateful… she just needed a break from what her family could sometimes be.
Her father was an accountant who worked hard to provide his children with a home in what was considered one of the best neighborhoods in the city. At least she agreed that he did the right thing in that regard. However, he was insolent, dishonest, and unfaithful. She discovered her father's infidelity when she was only eleven years old, one June night when her father probably thought the house was completely empty since her mother usually took them —her younger brother and her— to visit their aunt… but that day was different, one of those when Celeste's puberty rebellion hit, and she refused to go with them. So, she wanted to stay in her room… until she saw them, him and his lover entering the house. She was so surprised, scared, and overwhelmed with emotions that she didn't know what to do, so she pretended not to be there. Overnight, her innocence was gone in an unpleasant way.
She couldn't live with the guilt, so a year later, she confessed it to her mother. Celeste already knew the gravity of the situation by then and had considered a million options that could happen: her mother going crazy, even blaming her daughter for not telling her, or a calm and depressive reaction… but in all scenarios, Celeste maturely considered divorce as a good option. She felt that she was no longer a child, she could live with it; after all, she had discovered that her father was not a good person and that her mother could take care of them. The only concern of poor twelve-year-old Celeste was her younger brother, who at the age of eight, for them, everything seemed like a fairytale, and having both parents was part of their fantasy world. She hated that she cared and loved him… but she was sure that the little one could overcome a divorce. She didn't want to be there anymore; she couldn't even look at her father in the eyes, she was always avoiding any encounter with him.
But her mother's reaction to the truth was… something different from the expected options. Even after years had passed, it still seemed so strange to her. They were there, sitting in the dining room, and it was three days after Celeste turned 12, on a rainy day in July when Celeste got tired of crying and wondering every night why… her birthday celebration made her angry; she didn't feel so sad and dejected anymore. She hated the way her father pretended to love her and everything was fine, the way he played with her brother and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek, she couldn't stand it anymore, so she told her mother. That time she had murmured an oh, and stared fixedly at a fixed point.
“I know, because I saw them,” Celeste said before her mother even asked anything else, but she didn't, she didn't do anything and was shocked. During the night, it was as if nothing had happened, and she served dinner… that wasn't what she expected, she wanted a scene and chaos; she wanted there to be shouts, but somehow she was grateful that there was no such behavior because of Celeste's little brother. But she was blinded by hatred and remorse towards her father.
The next day she remembers that she reproached her mother, shouting, “won't you do anything?”. She didn't answer. After that, she felt so cold and distant, her father was becoming more and more obvious with his affairs, the smell of a perfume that wasn't his wife's, spontaneous outings, and even nights without returning home.
Celeste couldn't stand pretending to be okay, and two months later, after seeing how her mother deteriorated and faded more and more, she walked to her father's small office in the house, being completely a mess, and told him the truth. “I know you have another woman, maybe mom wants to keep pretending with you but I can't.”
She remembered her father's expression, the surprise on his face and its paleness. Celeste didn't expect a response from him, so she was about to leave, but back then her father acted quickly, getting up from his chair and questioning her. “I saw you, don't try to deny it.”
The following years were him trying to fix it and build a bond with her but it was in vain; suddenly her little brother wondered why his father was too lenient with his sister. Celeste lived through her remaining teenage years trying to be someone normal until she finally got lost in music; she didn't want to spend time at home so she tried to enroll in all the extracurricular courses at her school that didn't involve physical effort like sports. Months later after her horrible confrontation, she found a passion for the piano, all her following school years were based on music, being in recitals whose events she never invited either of her parents to, playing for the drama club, being in the literature club, debate club, creative writing club… until she enrolled in her chosen university dedicated to that one thing she was passionate about.
At first, she knew she would annoy her parents with her career choice, but it was the perfect time to blackmail her father to pay for her institution. She wasn't anywhere near forgiving him, but the psychological damage somehow had a price: getting out of that house. Celeste had a busy life, after rehearsals, she started having part-time jobs since she was sixteen with the dream of living in her own space near the university.
She was so busy, she would come home around 10 or 11 at night and what she found at home was devastating. Her mother was a secretary who became a housewife after her second child was born, a boy named Blake. She dedicated 12 years to taking care of her children until she found out about her husband's infidelity. Cecille gradually became an alcoholic.
Celeste had to see it every night when she came home from work. Her wasted mother lying on the couch with the TV on and a strong smell of alcohol. Celeste had tried everything, her aunt's intervention, enrolling her in support groups, but her mother didn't seem to cooperate.
When she turned fifteen, she begged her father to divorce her mother, but she refused to accept it.
Every now and then she had to go check on her brother, to make sure he didn't turn into a complete idiot like his father, or simply into a bad person, related to what was he seeing at home. But even in that, both dysfunctional parents were lucky, Blake was a shy boy, four years younger than Celeste, who grew up with a passion for physics and mathematics; unlike her, he did go out in the afternoons with his friends and lived a life outside of his home. He didn't care how bad things were, as long as he had somewhere to live and his own space he was more than okay, even when he was fourteen he managed to steal alcohol from his mother to go try it at a friend's house later, not everything had to be so bad, or at least that's what he thought… sometimes Celeste wanted to be like him and try not to worry too much. Little by little, both of them grew up without showing affection, Celeste thought that maybe that's why it wasn't something she sought in other people, her perception of love and respect had been so damaged since she was young but she couldn't accept it. She never felt anything when she saw her classmates holding hands, seeing the cheesy actions of strangers showing affection, a hug was something she only remembered fleetingly from her childhood.
When she finally turned eighteen, she found a roommate and rented a dorm room on campus; that place wasn't her dream, the floor was noisy, full of extroverted theater kids, but it was all she had. She had lived like that for a whole year, with no communication to her parents, working and studying at the same time, only communicating with her brother to wish him Merry Christmas and New Year, and in May, to wish him a happy birthday. It all fell apart in her second year of school when her roommate told her she was moving out and Celeste couldn't afford the full expense, she already had an academic scholarship and her parents were still paying for her institution.
Celeste did it, she called her brother on a normal day that wasn't a holiday, her little brother advised her that she could go back home, that's what he would do when he entered college, since it would only take him routes and buses to get there. “I'll let mom and dad know,” he told her over the phone before abruptly hanging up. Celeste couldn't answer, she couldn't say don't do it. And she insisted by text that she would manage on her own. That day her heart broke when she read the text from her fifteen-year-old brother saying: why do you hate them? come back home for me the uni is literally half an hour away from home
She had no choice, she had everything, she wouldn't pay rent, her payment at the university would continue, she would only work to buy her own things and take care of Blake. She never thought he would feel abandoned. She thought about how much it must have sucked to come home alone, with an absent father and an alcoholic mother.
When she told her roommate that she would return to her home in Woollahra, her expression was incredulous, “you've been living there all this time? Why would you want to live in an uncomfortable dorm?”. Celeste wondered if she was being ungrateful.
And then she returned, her father couldn't be happier, and even her mother's dull face lit up at having her only daughter back. She would go back to being the same, practically just going home to sleep.
If she had everything… why did she feel so empty. Her room was still the same as they had decorated it since she was eight, covered in pale pink and white shades. The years passed and she continued to support her brother, going to academic competitions he attended, and for the first time, she asked him to come see her perform at a recital in her university's auditorium.
And so her life remained, until now that she felt stuck once again, in her third year of university. She felt like she was repeating her high school years and it was suffocating her. If she could leave with Blake she would, but she was just a simple university student with anxiety attacks in the school bathrooms.
“You should ask the new guy next door if he has a girlfriend, seriously, he's cute, Celeste. You've never had a boyfriend, right?” her mother mentioned, leaning on the kitchen counter.
Celeste looked at her incredulously, wondering since when her private life mattered to her, and if she had a boyfriend, it wouldn't be something she'd inform her about. She was about to leave for university, she didn't want those kinds of conversations at 7 in the morning.
“Ew, isn't he like thirty?” her brother added, eating a spoonful of his cereal.
“Age can just be a number, Blakey, we want your sister to find love.”
“I have to go” Celeste sighed, escaping the conversation.
She couldn't stop thinking about it. Once again, she was right, why couldn't she find love? Her only friend, whom she rarely contacted, moved in with her mother in Melbourne after finishing high school. And now socializing at university where classmates change and come and go, it was so difficult for her to establish any kind of relationship with anyone. The only person she talked to was… an exchange student who shared only one class on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Celeste couldn't help but wonder if she should start flirting with him, just to try to feel something in return.
Every time she examined him more… she realized how cute he was, should she approach him? Anyway, he would leave at the end of the semester, no one could die trying.
When they sat together in class, she couldn't help but be distracted by thoughts that tomorrow she would dress up more for Hyunjin, fix her hair more, wear more makeup… the idea of being liked by someone made her so nervous.
And when she looked up, she saw her new teacher, who she could swear was her new handsome neighbor.
As the class began, she remembered her mother's voice saying he was handsome, and without realizing it, a slight mocking smile appeared on her face as she analyzed her new teacher's appearance in detail. Slightly tanned skin, short, dark brown hair semi-wavy, his intense gaze beneath his slit eyes, prominent nose, and thick lips… and his voice was strong, commanding, and nasal, and his build was… Celeste thought… was this what imagination was like when dealing with the sudden rush of hormones?
She had the idea that maybe she wasn't the only one so surprised and delighted by the assignment of the new teacher. She discreetly turned her gaze to the sides, to her other classmates, and noticed how they looked at him intensely without taking their eyes off the man giving the class, Celeste felt foolish, had she looked so obvious? Had Hyunjin noticed?
Once the class ended, Chris said:
“Before you all leave…” he approached his desk and quickly and gently picked up a paper from his desk, “Is Celeste Burton here?” he looked up searching among the students.
Celeste frowned and timidly raised her hand, Hyunjin quickly glanced at her friend and then at the teacher, it also seemed strange to him but he didn't pay attention to it; Chris finally managed to perceive her and added:
“Can you come up for a moment to talk?”
His gaze fixed on hers, Celeste nodded gently and began to gather her things, suddenly she was feeling nervous and not understanding why.
“The rest of you, I'll see you tomorrow” Chris concluded.
With a nervous smirk, Celeste was about to approach but a warm and large hand holding her wrist made her turn, Hyunjin was so close to her face that she couldn't even react.
“I have to go to the arts campus now, but I'll see you tomorrow, Cel” he informed her with a smile, almost feeling his cool breath.
“Sure.”
She limited herself to answer, she was so overwhelmed by the situation's overload, Chris wanted to talk to her and suddenly Hyunjin was approaching dangerously, she couldn't process it. Celeste returned her gaze to Chris, who had his eyes fixed on Hyunjin until he left the classroom, after feeling Celeste's soft gaze, he cleared his throat and looked at her, waiting for her to come closer.
Celeste walked to his desk and the last two students had already left the classroom, leaving only the two of them; she didn't want to appear nervous, she didn't have to be.
“You signed up during the academic break as an apprentice to some teacher at the beginning of the school year” Celeste quickly processed the information while he made eye contact with her, “well Burton, I'll be your mentor, is that okay?”
“Oh, sure, I didn't know I had been selected… it's a pleasure, Professor Bang.”
Chris gave her a smile and observed her, her still and straight posture with her hands together against her jeans.
“Yes well, the other students applied for classes with other teachers, but you were selected as my apprentice, I heard you're the best in the class.”
Chris raised his eyebrows waiting for a reaction from her to his last comment and suddenly he realized that he was starting to ramble, he didn't understand why he did it. He shook his head slightly and tried to refocus.
“I want to discuss schedules. Wednesday is general rehearsal, so I like discipline, how about Monday to Friday excluding Wednesday, from 1 to 4? It'll be in the music room, for tomorrow.”
Chris looked at her intently and Celeste began to think… she would have to shorten her work hours if she said yes, she couldn't miss the opportunity, it would be so beneficial to her resume, she wants to believe that he is a good teacher in terms of his knowledge and being his apprentice could lead her to expand her mind. But she would have to sacrifice a few hours of work; despite being sunk in sadness, she liked the little things like makeup, clothes, going to nice cafes, visiting the cinema alone, all without having to ask her parents for money at her twenty years old, so being his apprentice would only mean a little less pay, and working with him, or for him, for free.
Celeste thought for a second about how young he looked to be a mentor, she wondered if he was really qualified.
“You can’t…?” he interrupted her, expecting an answer.
“Oh, sure, yes, I'll be there. Thank you.”
She smiled at him and Chris returned the gesture. Celeste was about to leave when the female desire to play a little took over.
She was steps away from walking through the door, but she turned, with a playful smile she searched his gaze, Chris was drawn to her sudden movement thinking that maybe she had forgotten to say something.
“By the way, Mr. Bang, did you just move to Woollahra?” he looked at her with a slight furrow of his brow and she continued :“Oh, I didn’t want to sound weird; I just think we're neighbors now too. So, welcome.”
Her tone was so sweet and innocent yet somehow wicked; Chris recognized the slight intentions of approach.
She left and left him sure of one thing, that it was her, the pretty and poor girl who cried through her window the night before. Chris swallowed, she's even prettier up close, he thought.
--------------------------
₊˚⊹ ᰔ TAGLIST: @forklesschowder @bubblebisk @calisnewworld @sunarins-whore @bangchansslut6 @snowyquokka @chansbabygirlsstuff @athforskz @heeyboooo @chrizzztopherbang @yerijaksel @moonlightndaydreams @readr1221 @skzswife
lmk if u want to be add 2 the taglist☆
divider by chilumitos
265 notes · View notes
disneyprincemuke · 5 months
Text
baby, it's cold outside
alternatively: she just wants to stay in bed
in which she always get seasonal depression at the same time of the year and he tries to make her feel better about it
(series masterlist)
Tumblr media
logan opens the door to their apartment, slightly baffled at the eerie silence he's greeted with. he smiles slightly when stubby approaches him with a smile, hopping right by him as he slips his shoes off right by the entryway.
the corgi pads behind him by a step as he makes his way further into the house. when he entered the living room, he had half expected to find his girlfriend sitting on the couch with kidnapper on her lap while she binged on the new netflix show she started to watch last night.
but nothing. his girlfriend is nowhere to be found in the common areas.
he hums before heading for his room - the last place he had seen her before he left in the morning for the gym. surely enough, there she was still in the same spot as he remembered.
"you haven't eaten yet?" logan voices out, gently putting his bag down right by his bedroom door. he turns on the light, tilting his head in confusion when she pulls the blankets over her head. "babe, it's almost one in the afternoon."
"i'm not hungry," she answers simply.
"have you gotten out of bed yet?"
"no, i don't have anything to do today."
"have you fed the kids?"
"i thought you fed them breakfast."
"i did. what about lunch? they were supposed to eat at twelve-thirty."
she doesn't respond immediately. she removes the blanket from her head and turns to look at him. "i lost track of time. i'm sorry."
she starts to push herself off the bed, carefully moving around the cat that's decided to take solace at the foot of the bed right next to her feet. "i'll do it right now."
"hey, don't worry about it," logan sighs, walking over to where she is. he holds her shoulders and gently forces her back down to her previous spot. "what's wrong? you're usually up and about by nine."
she lowers her chin and then lifts her eyes to meet him. she pushes her hair behind her ear and sighs. "it's too cold," she mutters, shaking her head slightly. "and it's so dark outside - i couldn't get myself out of bed."
something immediately connects in his head. he should've known that this was coming. every year, without fail, during the peak of winter when it gets too cold to do anything, she tends to start feeling a little bit under the weather.
the sun is only out for a short window of time every day, and it’s only contributed to how hard it’s been to get herself out of bed.
everything just seems so blue and mellow, as she’s said several times before.
“okay, how about,” logan hums with a small smile, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. he takes his hands into hers. “i’ll go make lunch, feed kidnapper and stubby. and then let’s go on a date? let’s go drive to the park outside of town and take a walk?
“or, if you want… i heard from ciara that there’s a new go-kart place that opened downtown. if you wanna race, we can go and do that!”
“the sun is gonna set in two hours,” she whines, throwing herself back into the bed head first. “what is the point of even doing anything during the winter?”
“don’t say that,” logan frowns, pulling her up to prevent her from lying back down. “we’re heading to australia in a couple of days — just hang on for a bit and then we can go bask in the sun and piss oscar off.”
“that’s too far away. i don’t wanna do anything until we absolutely have to leave for the airport,” she insists, attempting to drop herself back into the bed once more. “just leave me here to rot and die.”
he laughs softly, letting go of her hands when she drops herself on her back one more time. she turns around to lie on her stomach and buries her face into his pillow. “babe, you have to eat something.”
“i don’t have to eat anything. a human body can survive days without food,” she says, moving her head slightly to peek at him with one eye. “i hate winter. i’m so glad we’re going to melbourne for christmas.”
“i won’t be able to go to melbourne with you if you don’t eat anything,” logan frowns, resting a hand on her lower back. he shakes her slightly, prompting an annoyed mew from the black cat on the bed. “sorry.”
“i’ll starve until melbourne.”
“babe.”
“baby.”
he presses his lips together, trying to rake his brain for the file that had the list of ways that they would do over the years to pull her out of her seasonal depression. it’s always a challenge to try and remember the whole list.
instead of thinking, logan inches forward before resting his entire body weight on her back. she groans and attempts to roll out from under him, but he doubles down and simply grabs her wrists.
“let me cook you lunch so i can nurture you! your mum will kill me if i let you starve!”
“she won’t know unless you tell her!”
“i’ll tell her!”
“then i’ll feel bad cause she will kill you! just don’t tell her!”
“feel bad enough to eat what i’ll cook you?”
“no!”
“what if we go to the chinese restaurant down the street?”
he feels her lift her head, making him crane his neck to look at her. she pushes the hair out of her face and stares at him blankly. “beef noodles? dimsum? really?”
he smiles at her enthusiasm. “yeah, of course. that’s what you eat off their menu.”
for the first time that day, there’s a spark in her eye and a smile that he’s glad is finally making an appearance. “and then let’s go-kart after?”
“yeah! it’s a date?” he gets off her to sit up, letting her roll over and sit up with him. “and then we can go to your favourite cafe for some coffee and cake.”
she lifts her eyebrows, puckering her lips out. “oo, cake.”
she sits on her legs with her hands resting on her knees politely. “i’ll get ready after i feed the kids! hold on.” she starts moving away from him, crawling towards the other side of the bed. “kidnapper, let’s feed you.”
logan yanks her into him, making her fall on her back and her head lands in his lap. he grins and pinches her cheek lightly. “i’ll feed them. you go get ready.”
“but i was supposed to feed them lunch.”
“yeah, but i’m here now. i can do that,” he beams. “you worry about getting ready — i’ll take care of everything else.”
she pouts her lip out. she stretches her arms up towards him, cupping his cheeks to squish his face. “that’s so sweet. thank you.”
“of course.” he scrunches his nose as she pulls him down, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “cup of orange juice for the pretty girl?"
Tumblr media
taglist: @myxticmoon
263 notes · View notes
footylover · 10 months
Text
Part 2. It’s a beautiful thing to meet someone who makes you forget your troubles
Tumblr media
(Leah Williamson x Reader)
Leah and you have been going out A LOT. Coffee dates, football matches, walks on the park, you name it. Yet, amidst all the laughter, shared stories, and playful teasing, there was a topic neither of you broached directly – the steadily growing emotions that seemed to deepen with each passing day.
Leah: "Would you like to meet again tomorrow?"
Her text came as you were packing for your trip. You paused, a pang of regret piercing through your heart. You wanted nothing more than to see her again, but duty called. How could you forget telling her about your trip.
Y/N: "Leah, I wish I could. But I have to leave for Australia tomorrow. I’m covering the Women's World Cup."
Her response came after a pause.
Leah: "That's fantastic, Y/N! I know you'll do great. And don't worry about us meeting, I'll be in Australia too, supporting the team."
Her words warmed your heart, her support seeping into you through the screen.
Y/N: "That's great to hear, Leah. I would love to meet up in Australia when I'm off duty."
Leah: "Sounds like a plan. I'll see you Down Under, Y/N."
the first few days in Australia were a blur of jet lag and adjusting to your new schedule. You missed Leah's presence, her energy, and even her witty football banter.
One evening, after a particularly grueling day, you decided to reach out to her. Your heart pounded in your chest as you typed the message.
Y/N: "Just finished for the day. Could use some cheering up."
You hit send and waited anxiously. A few moments later, your phone buzzed with a response.
Leah: "Missing the English weather already, are we?"
Her light-hearted response brought a smile to your face.
Y/N: "Not so much the weather as the company."
You could almost hear her laughter through the screen when she responded.
Leah: "Guess I'll have to do something about that. Let's meet tomorrow? I’m flying this afternoon."
The prospect of seeing Leah again brightened your mood instantly.
Y/N: "Sounds perfect. Looking forward to it, Leah."
With the promise of a reunion with Leah, you found yourself eagerly anticipating the next day. Australia was no longer just about work; it also held the promise of shared laughter and moments with Leah.
The next day, your heart pounded with anticipation as you made your way to the location Leah had texted you - a local beach famed for its stunning sunsets. As you arrived, you found her waiting, two ice creams in her hand.
"There you are!" Leah exclaimed, a smile lighting up her face. After a big hug she handed you one of the ice creams. "Thought this might cool you down in the Aussie heat."
The ice cream was a welcome relief, and the casual banter set a comfortable tone for the evening. You both strolled along the beach, shoes in hand, and talked about everything under the sun - from football to your favorite childhood memories.
Leah laughed heartily at a particularly funny story you shared. "You know, Y/N," she said, her eyes twinkling in the fading sunlight, "you have a knack for storytelling."
You chuckled, "Well, it's part of my job. I've got to keep the audience engaged."
"And you're doing an excellent job at that," Leah responded, nudging you playfully. The casual flirtation caused a pleasant flutter in your stomach.
During a bout of laughter, you accidentally smeared a bit of your ice cream on Leah's nose. You giggled, reaching out to wipe it off with your finger.
"There, all clean," you said, showing her the ice cream on your finger before licking it off.
In response, Leah scooped a bit of her own ice cream and playfully smeared it on your lips. "Payback," she declared, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Feigning shock, you asked, "Well, aren't you going to clean it up?"
Without missing a beat, Leah leaned in, her eyes flicking down to your lips. "Well, since you insist..." she murmured, before pressing her lips against yours.
The surprise kiss was sweet, with a hint of ice cream, and left you both breathless. As Leah pulled away, she was grinning from ear to ear. "That's one way to clean up."
You chuckled, your heart still racing from the unexpected kiss. "Indeed, it is."
After the unexpected yet delightful kiss, the atmosphere between you and Leah took on a newfound playfulness. You both continued to stroll along the beach, hand in hand, teasing each other and exchanging flirtatious remarks.
Leah chuckled, leaning closer to you. "I must say, you have a talent for turning ice cream into a romantic gesture."
"And you have a talent for making me blush," you quipped, feeling your cheeks warm at her compliment.
The two of you found a cozy spot to sit on the sand, leaning back against a large rock as you continued to chat and laugh. The conversation flowed effortlessly, and the connection between you both deepened with every shared moment.
As the night sky filled with stars, Leah pointed out constellations, telling you stories about each one. You listened intently, captivated by her passion for the stars and her ability to make everything feel magical.
"Have you always been this charming?" you asked, a hint of admiration in your voice.
Leah flashed you a grin. "Well, it's just that being around you brings out the best in me."
You chuckled, feeling a mixture of flattery and happiness. "Likewise," you said, reaching out to take her hand in yours.
The two of you sat there in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's presence and the serenity of the beach. The occasional soft laughter and gentle teasing only added to the magic of the night.
As the evening drew to a close, Leah stood up and held out her hand. "Shall we head back?"
You gladly accepted her hand, standing up as well. "Lead the way."
The walk back was filled with stolen glances and lingering touches. It felt like the world had slowed down, allowing the two of you to savor the moment.
As you reached the end of the beach, Leah turned to face you. "I had a wonderful time tonight," she said, her voice soft.
"Me too," you replied, unable to hide the smile on your face.
Leah leaned in, her lips hovering close to yours. "I hope this isn't the last time we do something like this," she whispered.
"It won't be," you said, your heart pounding with anticipation. "I promise."
With that, Leah sealed the night with a tender, lingering kiss. The beach seemed to hold its breath as the two of you embraced, the world around you fading into the background.
As you both pulled away, Leah looked at you with a mixture of happiness and hope in her eyes. "I'll hold you to that promise," she said, her voice filled with sincerity.
"You can count on it," you replied, a newfound certainty in your heart.
Leah smiled, her hand gently squeezing yours. "And speaking of promises, you owe me an England match. How about we meet tomorrow for the game?"
You grinned, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
Australia was a whirlwind of adrenaline and football frenzy. The Women's World Cup was an intense assignment, but one that you cherished.
The day of the England match arrived. As agreed, you met Leah in the VIP box. The energy in the stadium was electrifying, but your focus was on the woman beside you. Her insights into the game, combined with her witty remarks, made the experience more enjoyable.
Minutes before the game ended, your phone buzzed with a message. It was from your producer, instructing you to come down to the field to interview some players.
Leah noticed your distracted look. "Everything alright, Y/N?"
You sighed, showing her the message. "Duty calls. I need to go down and do some interviews."
She nodded, understanding in her eyes. "Go, do your thing. I'll be right here when you're done."
With a smile of gratitude, you made your way to the field. England's triumphant match against Haiti saw you interviewing the woman of the match, Georgia Stanway. Amidst the post-match chaos, Georgia's vibrant energy and humor made the encounter surprisingly enjoyable. Her name was mentioned often in Leah's conversations, and knowing she was a close friend of Leah gave you a strange sense of satisfaction.
After finishing the interview and as you exchanged words with Georgia, she threw you a curveball. "So, how's Leah?" she asked, an impish grin spreading across her face.
Your heart skipped a beat. "She's good. We've hung out a bit," you admitted, feeling a flush creep up your neck.
Georgia's eyebrows wiggled suggestively. "Just 'hung out', huh? Sure, sure."
Georgia spoke highly of Leah, her words filled with admiration and respect for her friend. It gave you a sense of warmth, knowing that Leah was held in such high regard by her peers.
After wrapping up the interview with Georgia, you quickly made your way back to the VIP box. Leah was waiting for you, her eyes lighting up as she caught sight of you.
Returning to the box, you found Leah waiting, a soft smile playing on her lips as she caught sight of you. "You're quite the natural at this, Y/N," she complimented as you slid into the seat next to her.
"Thanks, Leah," you responded, your heart fluttering at her words.
However, as the match ended, the VIP box started to feel crowded, with a lot of people starting to network the noise level increasing. Leah seemed to notice your discomfort and leaned in close, her voice barely audible over the din, "How about we move to the private room in the back of the box? It'll be quieter, more intimate."
Her suggestion sent a thrill through you. The thought of being alone with Leah, especially after the shared kiss from yesterday, made your heart pound in anticipation.
"That sounds perfect," you said, your voice barely above a whisper.
The private room was dimly lit, giving off a warm, cozy vibe. Leah turned to face you, a soft look in her eyes. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence filled with anticipation and unspoken desires.
"Y/N," Leah started, her voice low and steady. "I can't help but keep thinking about...about the kiss. And how much I want to do it again."
The confession hung in the air between you, the intensity of her gaze making your heart flutter. "Leah," you whispered, unable to hide the eagerness in your own voice.
Leah stepped closer, her gaze flicking to your lips. Her hand gently brushed away a loose strand of hair from your face, her touch sending a shiver down your spine. She leaned in slowly, her breath fanning over your face, her eyes never leaving yours.
And then, she kissed you. Her lips met yours in a soft, lingering kiss. It was slow and exploratory, a stark contrast to the hurried, passionate kiss from the day before. It felt like Leah was taking her time, savouring every moment, every sensation. You responded eagerly, your hands tangling in her hair as you deepened the kiss. It was a whirlwind of emotions - the warmth of Leah's body against yours, the soft hum of pleasure that escaped from Leah when you pulled her closer.
The world around you seemed to fade into insignificance, the cheering from the match barely a murmur in the background. All you could focus on was Leah, the way her body molded perfectly against yours, the way her lips moved with yours in a tantalizing rhythm.
When you finally pulled away, breathless and flushed, you found Leah watching you with an intensity that sent a thrill through your body.
"That was..." Leah's voice trailed off, her fingers gently tracing your bottom lip.
"Indescribable," you finished, your voice barely above a whisper.
Leah sat back, crossing her arms and studying you with a playful glint in her eyes. "So, Y/N," she began, "is this your usual strategy for wooing footballers?"
You chuckled, shaking your head. "No, usually I stick to a firm handshake and professional questions. You're the exception."
Leah feigned surprise. "Oh, so I'm special?"
You nodded, meeting her teasing gaze with a smile. "Yes, Leah. You're very special."
She grinned, obviously pleased with your answer. "Well, it's nice to know I have that effect on people."
"Only the lucky ones," you retorted, the flirtatious banter continuing to flow.
As the evening wore on, the two of you found more common interests to laugh and chat about, each topic further highlighting the chemistry between you. Leah's teasing questions about your love for football turned into a debate on which team had the best mascot. Your shared love for music sparked an animated discussion about your favorite bands and songs.
As you eventually said goodnight, the echoes of your shared laughter still hung in the air. You both knew you had stumbled upon something special and the anticipation of seeing where it would lead was a thrilling prospect.
Authors note: Hope you enjoyed! :) I already got an idea in mind for part 3.
440 notes · View notes
lilmashae · 4 months
Text
first and last! — park sunghoon x female reader
wordcount: 3.4k | warnings: eventual smut, light angst, maybe some form of enemies to lovers, petnames, weird timestamps (skips) | summary: your unrequited love, park sunghoon realizes just how much he needs you: resulting in a rekindling of past love! | author's note: i think i lost the plot somewhere along the way... oops !
Tumblr media
you wake up to a sunny morning, drawing back your curtains to let the light flood your room. it felt like a perfect day: your uniform fit just right, the sun beamed brilliantly, and the flowers outside painted a pretty picture. but nothing quite matched the charm of sunghoon, your neighbor, pacing in his room across the lawn, searching for something. you often stole glances at him through his window — studying, getting ready, or simply lost in thought. however, today he caught you staring, and after receiving a small wave from you, he simply huffed and closed his blinds.
despite being neighbors with a thin lawn being the only thing separating you, your worlds couldn't be more different. in yours, sunghoon was everything, while in his, you barely registered. yet, you weren't persistent, except when it mattered — like now, with your long term crush on him ever since you were younger and your parents would force you two to have playdates.
"hey park!" you'd call out from behind him as you two walked to school together in the eighth grade. "y/n..."
sure, he wasn't always the nicest, but it was his moments of kindness that stood out to you: like when he helped you up after watching you fall off your bike when you were younger, or standing up to your bullies in the tenth grade. he was always there for you when it truly mattered, wiping your tears and helping you up — even helping you pass every exam, calming your mind when you were frustrated. "fuck, i just can't do it!" you cursed with your head buried into your arms. "you're fine, y/n... you've got it all under control, okay?"
as you grew up, you also couldn't help but notice his sudden attractiveness too. he was everything you’d written about in your diary: dreamy and smart. meanwhile, he seemed indifferent, brushing off your affection without a second thought.
you crossed paths every day, attending the same high school and walking home together. "hey, sunghoon! wait up!" every time your eyes met, your heart skipped a beat—maybe there was he liked you in the slightest? but those hopes usually crashed against the reality of sunghoon's cold responses.
"i don't want to be late," he'd say — his voice monotone yet strangely comforting to you. you'd try to engage him, but his indifference always kept you at arm's length.
one afternoon, when the school was empty, you mustered the courage to confess your feelings — only to be met with rejection, delivered with a cruelty that cut deeper than any blade could. it hurt more than you expected, realizing that your pursuit of him was absolutely fruitless.
he'd been your neighbor your whole life, yet he'd always been so distant — that sliver of lawn must've been a lot bigger than you remembered. even from childhood to adolescence and now adulthood, you were always the one chasing him, praying for a flourishing love that never bloomed in the slightest. and as he walked away, leaving you shattered, you finally grasped the depth of his indifference.
through tears, you faced the truth: you'd clung to false hope for years. despite trying to move on, sunghoon's memory lingered, haunting your every thought — and as you left for college, you looked back at his house one last time, reminiscing about your silly crush on park sunghoon, your neighbor who never really cared about you.
.
you spent most of your summer with your friends, going out to keep your mind off of sunghoon — and for the most part, it worked. you went on spontaneous trips with friends — even going to australia with your friend, jake — staying there for almost half of your break. you went to festivals and picked up new hobbies: meeting new people and laughing wherever you went. with each new experience, sunghoon’s memory faded, replaced by smiles and bonding, the haunting chills of your childish stupidity melting away as you embraced living in the moment, rediscovering your love. 
the months flew by quickly, you ended up spending your last few weeks before college with your family at home, not once did you open your window and look out at his house — totally at peace with his rejection.
.
it was your first day and admittedly you were nervous — walking on a new campus full of strangers, except for one or two friends. you reminded yourself that everything'd be fine: you looked good adorned in your new clothes and hairstyle — your books were secure in your tote bag and your laptop was charged. you were more than ready, and the day'd be perfect.
you took a deep breath before entering your first class, finding a seat near the door — scrolling through your phone until the professor arrived with the syllabus review. "y/n!" you peered over your shoulder at the door, one of your friends waving at you with a huge smile plastered on her face. "hey, it's good to see you." she sat beside you, the two of you talking about your summers until the class began.
"how long've you been on campus?"
"hm... maybe a while, i moved into my dorm a couple of days ago." you replied as you finished packing. "oh, so have you been to the café down the street? there's this barista... he's so cute!" she nudged your shoulder as the two of you walked out. "i can't say i've been… i’m not busy later, we can go if you want?” 
“great! i’ll see you then, okay?” you nodded, waving her off as you walked to your next class until you’d see her later that evening.
.
the cafe was cozy — warm and welcoming. as you and your friend queued up to order your drinks, you couldn't shake off the sense of anticipation. but what caught you off guard was the barista behind the counter, who looked oddly familiar. he flashed a warm smile, "hey there, what can i get for you?"
holy shit.
your heart skipped a beat as you looked up, stunned to see sunghoon standing behind the counter, wearing an apron in place of their old highschool uniform. you blinked in disbelief, trying to process the unexpected encounter. sunghoon, the same person you’d had spent years pining over, was the same one taking your coffee order. “are you ready to order?” you’d spaced out — lost in thought.
your friend nudged you, breaking you out of your daze. “y/n! what’d you want?” with a slightly shaky voice, you swallow your embarrassment: “uh, sorry.” an awkward laugh abruptly pushed past your lips. “americano… please.” you were trying to act casual despite the flutter of excitement in your chest. “a matcha, please!” your friend orders and he nods. as sunghoon prepares your drink, your eyes met briefly — you can’t help but feel a rush of adrenaline, wondering if he remembers you.
after receiving your drink, you thanked sunghoon with an uneasy smile, feeling a mix of disbelief and curiosity. “thanks.” you begin walking back to your table, but not before hearing that weirdly comforting monotone voice. “yeah, of course.” it seemed the roles were reversed, with you being the one walking away from him instead. It wasn’t until after you left that sunghoon’d realized how much he’d really liked you — he missed walking to school together and catching you glance at him through your perfectly aligned bedroom windows. and when he ran across that sliver of grass, knocking on your door, your mom answered, “she’s gone out of the country, sunghoon, i’m sorry.”
“do you know when she’ll be back?” 
“some time before you kids start school, but i can’t be sure.”
sunghoon couldn’t dare let you get away again — not after sitting in his room all summer, coming to terms with the fact that you’d probably never want to see him again. 
 “hey, uhm y/n?”
 it was an unexpected twist to your first day of college, but you didn’t want to  deny the spark of intrigue that ignited within you when he called out. you leaned on your heel, turning around swiftly. “yeah… sunghoon, right?” he nodded, and suddenly, your mouth felt dry. "it's been a while!" you awkwardly smiled — this wasn't the ideal situation, but it's still your first day and you have to make it work. "mhm... how've you been?"
it was all so new to you, how he seemed to take interest in your life: when you two were younger, it felt like it was always you — starting a bland conversation, asking how he was, greeting him in hallways with a warm smile: putting in the effort. but this once with sunghoon smiling at you and asking how you were, you felt your heart swooning. " 'good, thanks." you looked down, swirling the liquid of your cup around in the cup. "what about..."
"y/n! hey, are you coming?" your friend's voice pierced through your own. it was hard to believe you were looking at your childhood crush who's now even more handsome than when you last saw him — more skilled and finally giving you the attention you once so desperately craved and part of you still does.
.
as the weeks passed by, you'd learn college was a lot easier than you thought it'd be. you'd made a small group of friends: supportive and comforting.
the few of you would occasionally get together to study at the cafe, allowing you time closer to sunghoon as you two'd indulge in small talk. you must say, highschool you would've been through the roof — not that you weren't already buzzing with excitement. luckily, none of your classes were overwhelmingly difficult. they'd all passed by pretty simply. however, that didn't mean you weren't overwhelmed yourself.
you sat down in the corner of the small campus cafe with your hands buried inside of your hands. the dim and cozy lighting was perfect for studying and taking notes — but it was also making your eyelids feel heavier, stressing you out. "i hate finals..." you groaned, waiting for your drink. "y/n!"
walking up to the counter, sunghoon'd noticed the look of distress on your face. "here's your drink... 'everything alright?" he offered a sympathetic smile while handing you the drink. "finals..." you mumbled, taking a sip of the coffee before sighing yet again. "it's not that i suck at studying... i'm great at it! i'm just nervous and all of these theories are making my head hurt." you really were the same — sunghoon laughed, "i can help you... only if you need it?" just like when you were younger... your eyes lit up, his offer gave you a rush of dopamine. "really? that'd be great... i... i can pay you, and..."
"y/n, relax. it's fine, it won't be the first time i've tutored you," he snorts. "i guess you're right, seriously thank you."
.
it was endearing, you two were closer than ever — for the first time it felt like he was actually with you. sunghoon worked his shifts in the bustling campus café, finding himself more and more drawn to your presence amidst the sea of students: you soft laughs and beaming smile whenever you felt confident in an answer — with a warm smile and a willingness to help, he offered his assistance whenever you came in to study.
day by day, your shared laughter and easy camaraderie polluted the air as you two grew closer through shared struggles and small victories. it felt as though you'd known each other for a lifetime — really known eachother, not just as neighbors or two different bodies. as you navigated the stress of finals week side by side, you each found solace in each other's company — meeting in the cafe and library, even occasionally your dorm.
you weren't having the best day — busy and slightly overwhelmed. but it was warm, the gentle spring wind prickling your skin as you entered the library. you felt at ease meeting the comforting scent of books and vanilla. but seeing sunghoon only made your heart race yet again — the dimly lit building perfectly illuminated sunghoon's face, stirring so many emotions within you. "hey..." he broke you out of your trance, waving you over with a supple smile — notes already adorning the small desk as e sorted through them. "sorry, i'm late." you replied, pulling out your computer, opening your notes. suddenly, you felt something next to your hand. "what's that?" you asked, eyes still glued to the page in front of you. "your order."
what was he talking about? you looked away and then at him, confused.
"you didn't come to the cafe, so i figured you got busy — brought it to you since i knew we'd be getting together." the drink sat before you, still cold. "oh... thanks, sunghoon." picking it up, you noticed the small note attached to the cups side. "it's okay if you get busy, i just hope you'll keep coming to see me :)" you took a sip, rereading the note in your head and smiling against the lid of the cup. "good?" he asked, "not bad, park." you nudged him, the two of you giggling before beginning work.
that wouldn't be the last time he'd make your heart pace, but little did you know, he felt the exact same.
you two sat at the desk in his dorm, he thought you looked absolutely gorgeous with your hair pulled back, glasses leaning off the tip of your nose. you were so adorable, working so hard with your lips pursed in concentration. "so, i think that..." you trailed off, turning your head to look at him. "sunghoon? is there something on my face?" your hands darted to your cheeks, frantically searching — which only made him chuckle at you antics. "hey," he grabbed your wrist, stopping your panicked motions, "there's noting on your face." you stared into his eyes, you're so pretty... "no?" sunghoon shook his head, "no. but..." his other free hand came reaching towards you, tucking a piece of hair somewhere behind you. "...thanks." you murmured, slightly under your breath not even noticing how close your faces were... sunghoon doesn't know what happened in that moment but it felt right, pecking a chaste kiss on your lips.
.
and maybe that's how you ended up underneath him? with your glasses far disregarded and your hair messily thrown, huffing as you two's lips met and molded together in yet another embrace. "fuck... y/n, i really like you." all your previous memories fade away into obscurity, one image remains vividly clear: sunghoon — not the person you once resented in your childhood, but the one you've come to love more than ever. the one who notices small things, makes you laughs, and picks you up when your down. "i like you too..."
you two found yourselves drawn to one another, your tongues intricately tying themselves into a knot. with trembling hands, sunghoon gently cupped your face, pulling you closer into him. his knee meeting your core sending a shiver down your spine as you leaned into his embrace with your arms wrapped around his neck.
your lips met in yet another a fervent kiss, a silent symphony of longing as you lost themselves in each other's kiss — time seemed to stand still as you explored each other with an unwavering hunger, moaning into each other’s mouths and pleading for more. your bodies moved in perfect harmony as they sought to get closer and feel every inch of each other's skin: you threw your shirt over your head and onto the floor. “ ‘so pretty, all the time… ‘wanted to kiss you for so long.” his hands pawing the side of your hips. “shit… ‘should’ve done it sooner, hoonie…” you sighed into the plush of his lips watching as he too removed his shirt.
you were eager, feeling his hardened length caressing your clothed clit. "is this what you want, pretty girl? y/n, please tell me what you want..." you nod, feeling his hands embrace your face yet again for another kiss. "use your words..." he huffed, nipping at your bottom lip, "please, sunghoon... i want this so bad."
his hands were sliding down your sides to reach your waistband, tugging your pants off and trailing kisses down your abdomen. his fingers lingered on the small of your skin — softly tracing imaginary inscriptions, leaving a trail of bruising kisses leading to the waist of your underwear:
pulling them aside he stared in awe at your bare cunt, your puffy clit and semislick folds, staring up at you once more, smirking — leaving another kiss above your cute little clit before licking a stripe up your whole cunt. "shit, you taste so sweet, y/n."
his tongue was hot, prodding at your sticky entrance. "f-fuck..." you huffed out, hands tangled in his hair. sunghoon's so soft and intimate — cherishing this moment as his lips graze and carefully suck your clit with his arms wrap around your thighs, nuzzling further into you heat before slipping two of his fingers inside of you. "such a sweet girl... 'sweet cunt too, 'can't ever let you go again..." you nodded you head, feeling the girth of sunghoon's fingers made you whine. "hoon..." you squirmed under him as he lapped your cunt eagerly, fingers pumping and curling in and out of your sopping cunt. "shit!" he was hungry — he's been waiting for this for what feels like an eternity. "so good, y/n... pussy's so good..." he hummed into your warmth, the vibrations sending chills across your whole body. "fuck, i might cum... sunghoon, please!" he was close too: about to cum practically untouched by rutting into the mattress — getting off on your sweet moans.
his tongue lapped your cunt eagerly — and right when you were about to cum, he suddenly stopped. "why'd... fuck, why'd you do that?" trying to catch your breath you look down at him, chin coated in slick and breathy heavy. he hushed you with yet another soft peck on the lips. "s'okay, 'wanted you to cum on my cock... 'sound good, baby?" he asked in a hushed voice. right now, sunghoon wanted nothing more than to give you the world.
you were so pretty with your fluttering cunt and fucked out face. "y-yeah..." you nodded, anticipating the feeling of his length stretching you out. you watched as he pulled down his sweatpants and breifs, his cock springing out. "s'pretty.." you spoke quietly to yourself, admiring his leaking pinky tip and the veins adorning his cock, slightly curved up and to the left. he tugged at it a couple of times before aligning it with your entrance, easily plunging in and kissing your cervix, bottoming out immediately. "shit! so fucking wet... pussy's so warm, y'know that? s'perfect, fuck!" he groaned, babbling to himself about what felt like nothing.
your tight gummy walls swallowed him so well, leaving him speechless. each thrust, he lost himself deeper and deeper inside of your cunt, hitting your g-spot several times, making you flinch. it turned him on so much, seeing that ring of cream around the base of his cock and watching you squirm and moan under him. "fuck, hoonie, feels so good..!"
"shit... i love when you call me hoonie, y/n! s'tight, ah, shit! say it again: my name, call me hoonie, baby."
"hoonie, please... 'think i'm 'gonna cum!" his thrusts grew sloppier — more desperate as he grew closer to spraying your walls a sticky white. "feel me?" his hand applied pressure to your abdomen, his cock bulging out of your tummy. "oh, fuck..."
"yeah, babygirl... 'hoonie's right... here." his hips relentlessly snapped into yours as he firmly held you down. "mpf! sunghoon, i'm 'gonna cum!"
"go ahead, y/n." another kiss, right on the lips. "cum f'me, yeah?" as you felt the knot in your stomach quickly unraveling, you could feel yourself clenching around the girth of sunghoon's cock. you wished you could stay this way forever, bodies firmly pressed against one another in a warm embrace, lips perfectly bonded as you stared into each other's eyes.
.
the next time you saw sunghoon, was a week after. you'd run into his arms for a tight hug. "hoonie! i passed, i passed my finals!" he picked you up, peppering your face generously with kisses, "i'm so proud of you," and as you looked up into his eyes, you'd remembered everything — good and bad: rejection and fear and a strange curiosity that led to this: everything you'd always wanted. but most importantly you saw him, park sunghoon: the love of your life.
Tumblr media
guidelines and disclaimers | took me way too long to write ! i have no fucking idea where this went but hopefully someone likes it a lot 😭
315 notes · View notes
ghostlytalegentlemen · 9 months
Text
Japanese fishermen and aquaculture industry cry: the government is too stupid, the future...
At 10 a.m. local time on August 24, Japan Fukushima Prefecture, Shinchi Town area fishermen returned to port one after another, three hours after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to start the nuclear contaminated water discharged into the sea. According to Japan's Tokyo News 25, these hard-working, dark-skinned fishermen returned home with a full load, but they did not look happy and worried, "Today's fish were not affected by the nuclear contaminated water, but what will happen after tomorrow"?
"All the fishermen cried, the government is so stupid." So say fishermen in Fukushima Prefecture when it comes to nuclear-contaminated water being discharged into the sea.
After Japan started to drain the sea, China announced a total suspension of imports of Japanese aquatic products. Japan's NHK TV said, Japanese fishermen and aquatic practitioners heard the news is very desperate, feel "shocked", "will not be able to survive in the future"; On the other hand, Japan's Tokyo News noted that in the Chinese market, Japanese aquatic products are gradually replaced by Australia, Norway and China's local aquatic products.
In Fukushima, Japan, a fisherman sat blankly by the fishing port.
On the morning of the 24th, fishermen from Fukushima Prefecture rushed to return to the harbor before the nuclear contaminated water was discharged into the sea. Photo from Japanese media 。
Japan's Tokyo News said that for the way the Japanese handled the nuclear-contaminated water, fishermen in Fukushima Prefecture said, "No one can accept it, it's trampling on the hearts of the fishermen." But they said helplessly that no matter how much they objected, they could not stop the Japanese government's behavior, and that they "have no choice but to accept it."
Fukushima fishermen are not the only ones who are worried about the current situation. Japan's NHK TV reported on the 25th, after China announced a complete suspension of imports of Japanese aquatic products, generations of fishermen in other Japanese prefectures and cities to fish for a living, as well as rely on China's exports of aquatic industry practitioners, the same impact, said that "can not survive as a fisherman," "feel that the It's all in vain." ......
Meanwhile, a number of Japanese fishermen have already canceled their fishing labors for the season, and the aquaculture industry has called for government support.
Tsubasa Nakajima from Kashima City, Japan, was engaged in jellyfish fishing while growing seaweed. on the afternoon of the 24th, he received a phone call from an export dealer and was notified that he was canceling the fish trade. So he decided to cancel his jellyfish fishing work from the 25th.
"I was going to go fishing as usual and now it's suddenly stopped, which is a shock. Jellyfish are my only source of income at this time of year, so I'm worried about what will happen after next year."Tsubasa Nakajima stated.
"Shocked, worried about what will happen after next year"
For some time now, a seafood processing plant in Japan's Mie Prefecture has been working to expand its exports to China. Sho Nakazawa, head of the company's sales department, told NHK: "I was surprised by China's decision to suspend all imports of Japanese seafood products. The Chinese market is huge and we are developing products to meet Chinese demand, which means we were wasting our time before. I hope the government acts and resumes exports as soon as possible."
"If the import suspension is prolonged, I won't be able to survive as a scallop fisherman." Masahiro Ogawa, a fisherman from Hokkaido, Japan, said he has spent two years farming scallops and hopes the Japanese government will take effective measures as China is the main exporter of scallops from Hokkaido.
"I will not survive."
In Japan, fishermen a land of wailing and despair at the time, the Japanese Tokyo News found that in the Chinese market, Japanese aquatic products are gradually replaced by Australia, Norway and other places and China's local aquatic products.
The 17th Shanghai International Fisheries Fair is being held from August 23rd to 25th. According to the Japanese media, 4,000 companies from more than 20 countries and regions are exhibiting, but only a few of them are Japanese companies.
At the time of the news that Japan had initiated the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea, the general manager of a Chinese sea cucumber processing company, who was attending the conference, lamented, "There are still 5 tons of stock in Japan to be shipped to China, but now we have to return the goods." The executive of another seafood processing company also said, "Now we will look at the situation first. If we can't clear customs, we will increase our local Chinese fish production."
On the other side of the expo, a tuna cutting demonstration by a Chinese importer drew a crowd. The Japanese media noted that the tuna used was from Australia, not Japan, and that Japanese tuna had previously been a popular product at the expo. In response to the news of China's total suspension of imports of Japanese aquatic products, the head of this importer said, "We have already found alternatives and are not affected at all."
Australian tuna and Norwegian salmon are popular at Shanghai International Fisheries Expo.
At 1300 hours local time on August 24, the Japanese Government unilaterally and forcibly initiated the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident into the sea in defiance of the strong doubts and objections of the international community. Tokyo Electric Power Company announced at an interim press conference on the matter that today's discharge of nuclear contaminated water is expected to be 200 to 210 tons, and that daily discharges will be announced the following day. The first sea discharge will be about 460 tons per day for 17 days, for a total of about 7,800 cubic meters of nuclear contaminated water.
On August 22nd, the governments of Hong Kong (Special Topics) and Macao SAR announced that food imports in 10 prefectures and counties in Japan would be banned from August 24th.
The person in charge of Import and Export Food Safety Bureau of the General Administration of Customs said on the 24th that, in order to prevent Japanese food from being contaminated by radioactivity from being exported to China, and to protect the lives and health of the people, the General Administration of Customs has continued to carry out the assessment of the risk of radioactive contamination of food from Japan, and on the basis of strictly ensuring the safety of the imported food from Japan, the General Administration of Customs has taken strengthened regulatory measures.
At the same time, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries have announced that they will take strict testing measures for Japanese food imports.
Japanese media cited Japan Fisheries Agency data show that Japan's total exports of aquatic products in 2022 is about 387 billion yen (2.6 billion U.S. dollars), and in the past few years has been an upward trend. Japanese fish exports to China accounted for about 22.5% of the total, China is its largest exporter, of which scallops, skipjack tuna, tuna is the main export species to China. According to the latest data from the Imperial Data Bank of Japan, at least 700 Japanese companies exporting directly or indirectly to China will be affected by the new measures, and secondary and tertiary traders are also expected to be affected.
Japanese media pointed out that China occupies an absolute leading position in Japan's exports of aquatic products, many Japanese aquatic products and processing enterprises in the Chinese side of the release of control measures "into a panic": Fukuoka, a fishery company president frankly heard the news "brain blank", Hokkaido, an aquatic products processing company looked at the ice warehouse more than a dozen tons of frozen scallops have not yet been loaded fretting, the local fisheries associations, the staff even more helplessly said that "it came to be or came to be." ......
For a time, the relevant personnel in Japan's domestic fishery industry were "a land of wailing and despair", and the president of Japan's National Fishery Association (All Fishery Association) also quickly called Yasutoshi Nishimura, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan's cabinet, to complain: "The fishermen all over the country were very surprised."
Japan's Finance Minister Suzuki Junichi said on the 25th, (this measure) for Japan's domestic fishery products related practitioners caused a huge impact, should seriously think about what relief measures can be taken, and asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as soon as possible to study feasible countermeasures. Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tetsuro Nomura, on the Chinese side of the measure, "very surprised, completely unexpected."
Not only exports have suffered a setback, but recently many Japanese fisheries and fish processing industry revealed that domestic consumers have also stopped buying aquatic products. In Miyagi Prefecture, operating aquatic products processing company Endo Hitoshi said, has been cooperating with its Shizuoka Prefecture, a number of supermarkets to suspend the purchase of aquatic products in the region, which just returned 50 boxes of scallops by customers in Hong Kong, his mental breakdown, "How can even the Japanese nationals are like this?"
In response to a series of remarks by the Japanese side calling for the immediate withdrawal of import control measures by the Chinese side, Wu Jianghao, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, emphasized on August 24 that it is only natural and completely necessary for the Chinese government to announce a total suspension of imports of aquatic products of Japanese origin. The responsibility for this situation lies entirely with the Japanese side, which should reflect on itself.
322 notes · View notes