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greenorangevioletgrass · 4 months

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fever pitch (b.b.) - part two

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soundtrack: lavender haze - taylor swift pairing: footballer!bradley x popstar!reader synopsis: you and Bradley go on a date. they say the wrong things --or right things-- and surprise each other as they get to know each other better. warnings: language, so much unresolved tension, mentions of character deaths, fluffy heartfelt stuff, but also like sexy stuff 👀 notes: i had so much fun writing this! special shoutout to @gretagerwigsmuse who had to deal with my annoying thots at all hours. comments and reblogs are greatly appreciated as always. happy reading! <3

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Subject: Guest Attendance Confirmation From: [email protected]

Dear Madam,

Thank you for confirming your information regarding your upcoming visit to Annabel’s.

It is our pleasure to host you for your dinner reservation on the 23rd of March, 2023, as a guest of our member Mr. Bradley Bradshaw. We hope that you have a wonderful experience dining and entertaining at the Club with us.

In order to ensure your positive and memorable experience with us, we kindly ask all members and guests to be aware of a few key rules of the Club:

DRESS CODE. We encourage individuality and style in your smart attire. After 6PM, gentlemen are required to wear jackets. Read the full dress code guidelines here.

PHONE & PHOTOGRAPHY. As a Private Members’ Club, we kindly ask Members and Guests to refrain from taking photographs within the Club’s premises. Posting content to your social media from your visit to the Club is not permitted. Phones must be kept on silent at all times and are only permitted for use in limited areas of the Club.

For guidance, read the Rules & Bylaws of the Club here.

If you require further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out through this email address or by phone at +44 20 7946 0011.

Thank you and see you soon.

Best wishes, Maude Adams Floor Manager.

***

You’re not sure why you’re bracing for something to go wrong.

The restaurant is rife with opulence, with rich chartreuse and bronze walls and Japanese-style paintings over classic British architecture. Bradley booked a little corner booth just off the fireplace, the privacy still granting a nice view of the grandiose bar across the room. He pulled up your chair and told you that you look beautiful—a good three or four times, and it feels just as genuine as the first. With your show and his training the next day, you both had to pass on the booze and settle with some green tea to go with your food. Conversation flows effortlessly, exploring easy topics like your shared love of old movies, the Venn diagram of your music tastes, the novelty of the sport that he plays…

“Okay, but how did you get into soccer—I mean, football?” You smile sheepishly as you correct yourself. “Sorry. Wouldn’t wanna get maimed to death by the locals.”

He laughs. “Don’t worry. You’re safe with me.” And then he takes a deep breath as his finger toys with the condensation on the side of his glass. “It’s… uh, my dad, actually. He bought me a soccer ball for Christmas when I was like 2 and… it’s most of the memories I had with him, playing kickabout in the backyard.”

“Oh?”

He smiles—diplomatically, all things considered. “He died when I was 4.”

Your face falls. Fuck. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry…”

“Nah, don’t be. It was a long time ago. And I feel like he’s with me every time I step on the pitch.” Bradley nods, ever so reassuring. He’s had enough ‘I’m sorry’s’ for every time his dad comes up in conversation, and he doesn’t want you to feel obliged to do the same.

“But hey, I think it’s wonderful… that he’s right there in spirit with you every game.” You smile back, trying to save this slip-up in conversation. “And I bet your mom’s really proud of you, right?”

To his own surprise, he chuckles. It really is true that tragedy plus time equals comedy. “I mean, I like to think so.” He notices your questioning look, and realizes he needs to let you in on the joke too. “My mom died when I was 17. Cancer. I moved out here and lived with my godfather. Got scouted for Arsenal.”

And there it is.

You’ve been so worried about all the external factors going wrong, that you didn’t consider that the faulty one might be you.

The clinks of plates and cutleries suddenly become so loud. The subtle piano playing over the speakers sound garbled, like you’re underwater. And the salmon sashimi in your mouth tastes like lead now. How the fuck does lightning manage to strike twice?!

“I’m sorry, I…” and now you can’t even muster up a proper apology, because what do you even say?! The only thing that comes out of your mouth is a lame excuse, “I… thought it was a good idea not to Google you.”

His heart catches at the sight of you, all wide-eyed and dumbstruck. You wouldn’t believe it if he told you, but he thinks he might have just fallen in love with you there. Foot in mouth and all.

But you… you think you must’ve looked so stupid right now. “Fuck. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have assumed—”

“No, no, no. It’s alright!” Bradley quickly interjects, that twinkle of amusement in his eyes still lingers. “I appreciate it, actually. I’ll take awkward moments with you over anything else you can Google about me.”

“Really?”

He nods. “Of course. I mean… it’s not like you killed them, did you?”

There’s a split second of silence, when you meet his playful gaze, and his mouth pulls into a grin over your petrified look, and then… the tension simply melts away in a sigh of tentative laughs. The garbled underwater music has come up to the surface, the dining noises dissipates, and everything turns back to normal… ish.

“Anyway, what about yourself? How did you get into… all of this?”

“Oh, it’s all I’ve ever known, really. Pretty sure I sang before I knew how to talk. I was always pestering my mom about ballet and piano lessons and living room concerts… I was that kid, you know?”

The image makes him smile, and it sends butterflies to your stomach. “Your mom must’ve been thrilled.”

“Eh.” You shrug flippantly, and that non-answer is enough of an answer for Bradley. “But she knew I was stubborn as hell, and she’s better off letting me tire myself out than trying to stop me, so…”

“But you didn’t.”

You shake your head. “By 5, I was on Broadway—”

His jaw falls open, and he looks at you like grew a new head. “I’m sorry. Five years old?”

You raise your hand in defense, not wanting to oversell yourself. “To be fair, though, it was mostly luck. My mom was working in the theater company and they needed a kid, so I volunteered to stand in—I mean, naturally,” you roll your eyes at yourself, “And they liked me. So they put me on. But I didn’t have to do anything but pretend to be asleep while the adult cast carried me around.”

“Still. That’s more than most people can say. You continued doing it afterwards, right?”

“Mm-hm. Stage, commercials, TV, the occasional movies… anything I could get my hands on.”

Bradley studies you with this look of awe—not an unusual reaction, he’s sure; it’s a pretty impressive feat. But he also catches a lost sense of melancholy in the way you say it, and he can’t help but ask, “Did you have a childhood at all?”

And your heart catches. That’s something nobody ever asked you before… “What do you mean?”

He pauses, realizing he may have inadvertently touched on a sensitive subject with this line of questioning. So he tries again more carefully. “I just meant… you’ve been working most of your life. Did you ever just get to be a kid?”

“I…” you trail off, considering your answer. You want to say yes, of course you did, but the little sting in your throat makes you question yourself: did you?

And with the soft look in his eyes, you know he knows the real answer to that. Both of you do.

It’s alarming how disarming he can be, and you would hate it… except you don’t. At least not enough to make you run off. “I guess, being in that kind of environment, I didn’t really know how to be a kid…? If that makes any sense.”

Bradley nods, understanding. He’s not entirely sure how to respond, but he wants to be empathetic.

“I went to school and made friends for a while, but…” Normally this would be an uphill point in your story, but tonight… this part is tinged with distant sorrow. “I got a record deal when I was 15, and suddenly I was living in LA and working in the studio or going on tours and… I just wasn’t a kid anymore.”

It breaks his heart, the thought of a childhood lost on you like that. “Wow. You really have lived a life, haven’t you?” He can’t resist but reaches out for your hand.

The touch makes your heart catch, and it feels overwhelming. It feels like you’re gonna burst, so you chicken out with a lame joke. “Haven’t slept in 22 years.”

Bradley can’t help but smile at that, squeezing your hand three times in comfort. And just like that, the bubble bursts and the world continues on its axis once again. He finishes his last slice of tuna tataki and washes it down with his konacha.

“You know, for how much you’ve done since you started out, I thought you’d be more… Hollywood.”

You raise an eyebrow in amusement. “Hollywood?”

“Okay, that came out wrong,” he admits bashfully. “I just… you’re very down-to-earth. And real. I guess I expected more, like, an attitude?”

“Oh? I can have an attitude…” you smirk coyly over your tea, “...if you can handle it.”

Fuck. You’re gonna be the death of him. It’s insane how easily you switch from being sweet and vulnerable, to flirty and borderline devilish. But he wasn’t born yesterday, and he knows he’s well-equipped to handle this back-and-forth.

“I think you’d be surprised by what I can handle.”

Oh, here comes the fun part. “Is that right?”

He nods, leaning into you a little bit from across the table. “I think you’d find a lot about me surprising.”

If the whiff of his Tom Ford Black Orchid catches you off-guard, you don’t show it. Instead, you mirror his body language, propping your chin on your knuckles for good measure. “Like what?”

God, he really wants to kiss you… but it’s way too soon, and he doesn’t know how you feel about public displays of affection. “Like… I’m a pretty decent cook. And I like reading.”

“An athlete who can read? My, my…” you smirk teasingly.

Bradley laughs. He walked right into that one. But he’s not ready to admit defeat yet. Instead, he makes use of that bedroom voice girls like so much to push the point further. “That’s right. I know how to use the washing machine, too.”

You bite your lower lip and sigh, shuddering a little from his low rasp but definitely playing up the dramatics. “You do? Mmh…”

Jesus. If that’s you faking it, he can’t wait to make you all wet and needy for real. “And you wanna know the best part?”

You meet his gaze, and for a moment, the lustful tension is real. “Yeah?”

He leans in just a little closer, head tilting as if he’s moving in for a kiss. Maybe if he throws it out there… “I can put together Ikea furniture.”

You throw your head back and feigns a quiet but dramatic moan for your one-man audience. “Oh my gosh, I think I just came in my pants a little.”

Fuck. He really wants to make you come now. With his fingers, his tongue, his cock—

Your gaze drops to his mouth, the stupid 80’s pornstache you’ve never been into before this, the soft inviting lips underneath. The ball is in your court now, and you know he would kiss you earnestly if you close the distance…

But you burst out laughing instead. Bradley releases the breath he didn’t realize he was holding, although your bright laughter doesn’t deter him from thinking dirty thoughts about you. If anything, it just makes you ten times hotter in his eyes.

“Well played. That was a good one,” Bradley concedes, his face turning just a little bit pink.

“We should probably stop before the staff kicks us out for having too much fun,” you lean back into your seat, looking around the restaurant, making sure no one is listening. Squeezing his hand three times as the next course arrives… not entirely putting the kiss off of the table either.

Bradley recommends the vanilla mille crepe to close the meal, and you come up with the idea of sharing a slice. The dessert arrives, a lush little golden brown thing with thin layers of cream in between, so simple and so intricate at the same time. He lets you take the first bite—insists upon it, actually. It’s the gentlemanly thing to do.

That, and he wants to watch your face twist in pleasure again. Eyes fluttering closed, chest falling in a sigh, lips parted ever so slightly... God, he can’t wait to be the one responsible for it.

“Amazing, right?” He beams at you, very pleased with himself.

“Mm, it truly is,” you hum in agreement, watching him take a bite. It gives you a naughty idea… “It’s so amazing, I might just hijack this whole thing.” You jokingly pull the plate a little closer to you.

Bradley playfully holds the plate back, looking faux offended. “Hey! Come on. You know I’m a little bit stronger than you, right?”

“Please. That’s never stopped me before.”

“Really?”

“I have my ways…” your finger reaches out just enough to touch his, just slightly.

Between that and your eyes darkening in mischief, Bradley fights hard not to turn into goo under your slightest touch. He bites the inside of his cheek to contain himself. “You’re really making me earn this, aren’t you?”

“Why? Girls never gave you a hard time before, Mr. Big Time Football Man?”

He laughs. “No. But you’re probably the only one giving me this hard a time for a bite of dessert.”

“Is that all we’re playing for? A bite of dessert?” you smirk, egging him on.

“What else do you think we’re playing for here?” He takes a second bite, maintaining eye contact as he does so.

You take another bite and lick the cream off of your fork. “I don’t know. A bite of… something else?”

Ah. So we are interested. Bradley is unfazed as he gently warns you, “Careful. I might take you up on that.”

“Good. I was hoping you would.”

The tension rises as reality sinks in. You both want to fuck, and looking at the trajectory of the evening, there’s a good chance you will. And it sobers you the hell up, pulling you both straighter in your seats. Sharing the slice of cake in quiet civility. Keeping a completely respectable distance, as if worried you don’t trust yourself not to climb over the table and kiss him senseless.

But the game… oh, the game is on.

“I don’t know about you, but… I was thinking maybe a few bites, though.”

“Oh?”

“Oh, yeah. I intend to explore every part of this… dessert.”

You stop chewing for a moment. There’s something so hot about how he says it so casually. “That’s… very optimistic of you.”

“Not optimistic enough to decide if kissing you out here was a good idea,” he admits sheepishly.

“Why is that?”

Bradley shrugs. “Just a hunch.”

He’s right, of course. He didn’t choose an ultra-exclusive, members-only establishment with a no-phone policy just for kicks. He sees the security detail that follows you around, lurking at a safe distance—from back at the club. And tonight, you’re traveling light with just two bodyguards, each strategically posted near you and the exit, but it’s still more than he’s ever encountered. There’s no way you would risk a first kiss in public, no matter how discreet the place is. No matter how much you like him.

And you like him a whole lot.

“Tell you what…” you put the fork down as quietly as you can. This is the moment of truth. “I’ll let you kiss me all you want back at my hotel, hm?”

Bradley’s eyes light up instantly. He takes a moment, not so much to consider his options, but to process what’s about to happen. “I would like that very much, yes.”

“Alright, then. Shall we?” you smile brightly, flagging the waiter for the check.

“Uh, yeah. Totally. We shall,” he stammers a little, recovering fast enough to snatch the check and slips his credit card in the tab. Barely addressing the waiter as they walk back to the till.

It all happens so fast, and you whine in complaint. “Oh, come on!”

“What, was I supposed to let you pay or something?”

“You were supposed to let me pretend to fight for it, at least…” you huff.

He smiles in amusement. You are so adorable, it makes his heart fucking swell. “Okay. Next time I’ll let you pretend. I’ll even give you a little pushback for good measure, how about that?”

“Perfect.”

“Now, let’s go back to your hotel and… I don’t know, pretend you have to try really hard to resist my charms.”

“Yeah, okay.” You chuckle in agreement. This is really happening. Wow. And just as the excitement sets in, another point of concern pops up in your head, like a really annoying notification. “Did you drive here or…?”

He nods. “You wanna take my car?”

“No, I got a car waiting for me…” you smile apologetically, glancing at her bodyguard. There’s no way they’re gonna let you jump into some guy’s car. “And there’s gonna be paps out front…” Here comes the tricky part. “Would you… mind if we… go separately and meet up at my hotel?”

Oh. Bradley’s face falls a little upon realizing that he can’t just walk out the door with you. He sees how this works. You don’t want the media to jump on this first date, and it’s actually a smart move. Besides, what’s a few more minutes to a whole night of complete privacy? “Sure, no problem.”

You nod tentatively. Well, that was surprisingly easy… “And just to be clear, this has nothing to do with you. It’s just… this whole thing can be a circus, and I don’t want you to deal with anything you didn’t sign up for.”

He smiles at you. Bless you for being so thoughtful, but it does make him wonder if other people have had trouble with it. But maybe that’s a question for another time. “Hey, I totally understand. We’ll just meet up at the hotel and leave it at that.”

“I’ll text you, okay?”

You squeeze his hand gently before you get up, making your way out of the restaurant. Powering through the camera flashes as soon as you walk out of the front door. Giddy because you know something these vultures don’t.

Meanwhile, Bradley sits. Waits. For one minute, and two, and three. Looking at people walking in and out, wondering how inconspicuous he would be if he walks out now.

And then…

His phone buzzes.

#stick around for some more fun stuff 👀#bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw x reader #footballer!bradley #footballer!bradley x popstar!reader #top gun imagine #top gun au #ava writes #fever pitch

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rheya28 · 10 months

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Grace Dance Studio ♥ The Sims 4: Speed Build // CC

➽ Hello guys, today I am building a Dance Studio in the Sims 4. Grace Dance Studio is owned by Madame Cecilia Grace, a well-known dancer, choreographer, master ballet teacher and performer in Windenburg. This beautiful dance studio is home to both competitive and non-competitive dancers and provides training to help students and passionate dancers accomplish their dance goals on and off the stage.

➽ I placed this as a Generic Lot as we don’t exactly have a Dance Studio Lot type, so it’s all just pretend. This lot could also be set as a Café as it meets all the requirements to function as one.

● Please make sure to turn bb.moveobjects on! ● Please DO NOT reupload or claim as your own. ● Feel free to tag me if you are using it, I love seeing my build in other peoples save file ● Feel free to edit/tweak my builds, but please make sure to credit me as the original creator! ● Thank you to all CC Creators ● Please let me know if there's any problem with the build

➽ SPEED BUILD VIDEO

0:02 Intro 1:44 Speed Build 19:21 Photos

➽ LOT DETAILS

Lot Name: Grace Dance Studio Lot type: Generic lot type or Cafe Lot size: 30x20 Location: Windenburg

➽ MODS

Tool Mod by Twisted Mexi *I recommend Downloading: Sims 4 Ballet Barre Mod and the Ballroom Dance Mod by Mercury foam*

➽ CC LIST

Note: I reuse a lot of the same cc in all my builds, specifically cc's from felixandre, HeyHarrie, and Pierisim so if you're interested in downloading past, present, future build from me i suggest getting all their cc sets to make downloading a little easier! other creators include Sooky, Charlypancakes, Sixam, Thecluttercat, Myshunosun, awingedllama, and tuds. This will also ensure that the lots are complete and are not missing any items upon downloading !

Awingedllama: Apartment Therapy

Lustroussims: Cozy Cottage [hanging aprons only]

Novvas: Rahat Set [poster II only]

Severinka: Monica Bathroom [wall lamp only]

Sooky: Horizontal Oil Painting - Portrait, Horizontal Oil Painting - Still Life, Tiled Floor Collection, Vertical Oil Paintings – Landscape, Vertical Oil Painting – Portrait, Vertical Oil Painting – Still life (LINK for ALL)

The Clutter Cat: Sunny Sunday pt 2 [ mirror only]

Charly Pancakes: The lighthouse Collection, Chalk pt 2, Lavish, Maples &S Construction

Felixandre: Chateau [all] , Colonial pt [1][2][3], Fayun pt 2, Berlin pt [1] [2] , Florence [all], Georgian, Grove pt [4], Kyoto pt [2], Paris [all], Grove pt [1][3]

House of Harlix: Harluxe, Jardane, Livin Rum, Orjanic pt [1][2]

Harrie: Brownstone [all], Brutalist, Coastal pt [2][5], Octave pt [2], Country pt [2], Spoons pt [2], Shop the look, Kichen

Cowbuild: Blooming Garden Café

Leafmotif: Calliope Bathroom [wall light only]

LittleDica: Rise& Grind

Littlecakes: Flowers (big ass roses)

Madameria: Basic Luxe [bar stool only]

*MOD*Mercuryfoam: Ballet Barre

Myshunosun: Daria Bedroom, Simmify pt [2]

Peacemaker: Hamptons, Pattered Jute Rugs, Terra tiles

Ars Bortanica: Peonies bouquet

Pierisim: Coldbrew [all], Domain Du close pt [2] [3], MCM pt [1], Oak house pt [3], The office, Winter Garden pt [1]

CharlypancakesxPierisim: Precious Promises

Ravasheen: Catas Throphy style [1][ 2][ 3], Skewllskewl highschool Décor

Rustic Sims: Modular life

Sforzinda: Func EP02 Espressogrindomatic

Simplistic: Rug Holland

*MOD* Simsten: Playable Harp

Sixam: Hotel bedroom [table only]

Syboubou: Ballet

● TRAYFILE ● Origin ID: Applez ● Twitter: Rheya28__ ● Tiktok: Rheya28__ ● Patreon: Rheya28 ● Youtube: Rheya28__

#showusyourbuilds #sims 4 cc #sims 4 #thesims4 #ts4 #sims #photography #sims 4 builds #thesims #builds #build

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shiro-00s · 9 months

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heaven on earth

44. sit still .. !

[ genshin impact smau / idol!xiao x fem!reader ]

heaven on earth - 44. sit still

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synopsis ; 🗝️ — in which you befriend your next door neighbour who, unbeknownst to you, was apart of a soon-to-be one of the most popular bands throughout liyue. you're unable to tell if cupid was helping you or not when things with xiao kept going up and down. will he continue to keep his secret from yours truly?

TAGLIST#1 [OPEN] — @mikctp @ghostlysyntaxed @kazemiya @nnasv @gojoandelsalovechilde @candy-purple-cyanide @kissingkzuha @zyilas @lunaavity @luminescent-lightbulb @mave-in @rizakari @riikyu @kokoscutie @starsxnight @sketcheeee @softlie @izakyun @xiaxilia @the-sweet-madame @rifran @milkwithspiceyicecubes @coffeethoughtsandanxiety @rxkan7 @goodthingimsam @pomeiu @fogturtle @farelady-fate @tzu-scara143 @wonderful-worlds @cianalikesbeans @h3xi2g0n3 @jasxiao2317 @rosaryia

#genshin #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #genshin fluff #genshin smau #xiao genshin #xiao #xiao smau #xiao genshin impact #xiao x reader #xiao x you #xiao x y/n #xiao x reader smau #xiao fluff #genshin impact idol au #genshin impact modern au #heaven on earth - shiro.

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gegengestalt · 5 days

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131 useless or often forgotten facts in The Brothers Karamazov!

This 27 of April is the second anniversary of the day I finished this book for the first time. To do something special, I reread it over the last 20 days and as I did it, I compiled little things that are easy to forget in these 1000 pages filled with food for thought. Let's go!

1. Mitya fought in a duel, though it's most likely that nobody died in it.

2. Ivan's journalist pseudonym is "Eyewitness".

3. Alyosha, in his own words, came back to Skotoprigonyevsk to visit his mother's grave.

4. Fyodor Pavlovich owns several taverns in the district.

5. Grigory was the one who gave Sofia Ivanovna a proper gravestone.

6. Alyosha is one deduction away from becoming a communist.

7. The Brothers Karamazov begins in late August.

8. Kalganov is supposedly Alyosha's friend. This is never mentioned ever again.

9. Kalganov gave one coin to some beggars and told them to divide it among themselves.

10. There is a rumour that the previous elder beat people with sticks. This is false.

11. Alyosha is the only person in the monastery who knows that Rakitin is an atheist, and keeps his secret.

12. Four years ago, Pyotr Miusov divulged a fake story about a saint making out with his own decapitated head. Fyodor never forgot.

13. Madame Khokhlakov is only 33 years old. She has been a widow for 5 years, meaning Lise lost her father at age 9.

14. Zosima's serenity in front of the woman who confesses to a murder may foreshadow his later recollection of having a murder confessed to before.

15. Zosima likes to make jokes.

16. Lise and Alyosha last saw each other two years before.

17. Reminder that Grushenka met Mitya because Fyodor wanted her help to throw Mitya into a debtors' prison.

18. Kuzma Samsonov is the mayor of Skotoprigonyevsk.

19. Ivan rambled to Dmitri and Katerina about how he thinks Rakitin will be a failed journalist turned landlord.

20. Fyodor Pavlovich's house is filled with rats.

21. The Miusov family had their own private theatre.

22. Lizaveta Smerdyashchaya was a bit over 142cm/4'7 tall.

23. In 1842 there was a runaway convict called Karp commiting crimes in Skotoprigonyevsk.

24. Marya Kondratievna's mother is missing a leg.

25. Mitya ghosted a girl in real life.

26. Katerina's mother died when she was young.

27. Mitya had a fever for two weeks once because of a spider bite.

28.Mitya thought Grushenka was "nothing striking" the first time he saw her.

29. Mitya was squatting in his neighbour's rented room.

30. Fyodor Pavlovich has a portrait of the former provincial governor in his house.

31. Fyodor Pavlovich goes to sleep at 3- 4AM, like Dostoyevsky himself.

32. Sofia Ivanovna was being courted by a rich man called Beliavsky while she was married.

33. Who was the woman coming from the alley that Mitya mistook for Grushenka? I still wonder.

34. A cheap glass jar was destroyed during Mitya's frenzied break- in.

35. Katerina sends two detailed reports a week to her surrogate mother figure who lives in Moscow.

36. Katerina has an aquarium.

37. Alyosha sleeps using his monk habit as a blanket.

38. Father Ferapont survives eating nothing more than 1,6kg of bread a week.

39. Ivan had told his father about his feelings for Katerina, for some reason.

40. When Alyosha kissed his father, he had the impression that Alyosha was thinking that it was their last conversation.

41. Madame Khokhlakova owns three houses as property.

42. Madame Khokhlakova and Katerina Ivanovna are supposedly great friends.

43. Ivan reads Schiller when nobody is looking.

44. One of Snegiryov's daughters, Varvara, is invested in feminism.

45. Captain Snegiryov's childhood friend is a lawyer.

46. Mitya spilled cognac over the table of the summerhouse.

47. Smerdyakov sings in falsetto.

48. Marya Kondratievna is the only one who ever calls Smerdyakov 'Pavel Fyodorovich'.

49. Ivan uses Smerdyakov as a messenger.

50. Dmitri and Katerina had been engaged for around six months.

51. Ivan's right shoulder looks lower than the left one when he walks.

52. Smerdyakov often moves the tip of his right foot from side to side when he stands (adorable).

53. Dmitri's favourite death threats are "pounding in a mortar" and "breaking legs".

54. Grigory suffers from paralysis three times a year.

55. The real name of 'Lyagavy' is Gorstkin.

56. Zosima's real name is "Zinovy".

57. There was actually another old German doctor before Herzenstube and he was named Eisenschmidt.

58. Zosima has known Brother Anfim for forty years.

59. The Bible is thrown once.

60. Madame Khokhlakova asked Rakitin to go to the funeral as her eye.

61. Alyosha was hiding behind the grave of starets Iov, who lived 105 years.

62. Zosima was harshly criticized for telling a monk hallucinating to take his meds if praying doesn't work.

63. Both Grushenka and Rakitin are children of deacons.

64. Samsonov is the only person that Grushenka seems to be completely and clearly sincere with.

65. Likewise, Samsonov only trusts her when it comes to counting money.

66. Samsonov has the entire first floor of his house for himself.

67. Mitya tells many of his secrets to his landlords, who are fond of him.

68. Alongside eggs and bread, Mitya grabbed and ate a piece of sausage that he "found".

69. Mitya and Perkhotin first met at the Metropolis tavern.

70. Mitya's dueling pistols are his "most prized possessions".

71. Madame Khokhlakova apparently borrows money from Miusov.

72. The brass pestle was 17 centimetres long.

73. Mitya spent exactly 300 rubles in food and alcohol in Mokroye, and it would have been 400 if Perkhotin didn't help.

74. Mitya gave a glass of champagne to a kid.

75. The owner of Plotnikov's shop is called Varvara Alexeievna.

76. Two thousand villagers live in Mokroye.

77. Trifon Borissovich makes his younger daughters clean up the messes of every guest of the inn.

78. Pan Wroblewski is 190cm / 6'2 tall.

79. Madame Khokhlakova gets a migraine whenever she has to talk to Mitya.

80. The ispravnik's elder granddaughter is called Olga, and the night of the murder was her birthday.

81. The prosecutor's wife seems very interested in sending for Mitya often, for reasons he doesn't know.

82. Mitya does not know that the epidermis is the outer layer of the skin.

83. Nikolay Parfenovich is the only person in the world who trusts Ippolit Kirillovich.

84. Mitya often dreams that a person that he fears is chasing him and searching for him.

85. Nikolay Parfenovich wears a smoky topaz ring on his middle finger.

86. Pan Wroblewski is a dentist without a license.

87. Kalganov had visited Grushenka once before, but she seemed to dislike him for some reason.

88. Kolya's father died when he was a little baby.

89. There was a plot going on in the background about the doctor's maid having a child out of wedlock.

90. Rakitin often talks with Kolya. Seems like the only person who takes his ideas seriously is a literal child.

91. Smerdyakov and Ilyusha met and talked to each other.

92. Alyosha rarely gets colds.

93. Katerina befriended Snegiryov's sick wife.

94. Kolya was taken to a judge for teaching a guy how to efficiently crack the neck of a goose.

95. Kolya is against women's rights.

96. Mitya and Grushenka spent five weeks secluded and away from each other after the arrest.

97. Grushenka went to see Grigory to try to convince him that the door wasn't open.

98. Rakitin made up in an article that Madame Khokhlakova offered Mitya 3k rubles to run away with her.

99. Madame Khokhlakova doesn't remember Rakitin's patronymic, and calls him "Ivanovich" instead of "Osipovich".

100. Madame Khokhlakova didn't know of the judicial system reform until two days before the trial.

101. Lise sent chocolates to Mitya in jail, even though there's no reference to them ever interacting before.

102. Alyosha has had the same dream about the devils that Lise has.

103. Alyosha is friends with the jail inspector, who often discusses the gospels with him.

104. Mitya spent two entire nights awake since he discovered ethics.

105. Ivan cleans his own room.

106. Smerdyakov shared a hospital room with an agonizing dropsy patient.

107. Mitya's letter had the bill on the other side.

108. Smerdyakov uses garters with his stockings.

109. There is an apple tree in Fyodor's garden.

110. One of Ivan's "most stupid" thoughts is being the fat wife of a merchant.

111. Ivan had a friend named Korovkin when he was 17, the one he told the story of the quadrillion kilometres to.

112. Ivan has another poem named Geological Cataclysm.

113. Alyosha was the first person the distraught Marya Kondratievna ran to.

114. Ivan is mistaken for "the eldest son" twice in the trial.

115. Grigory did not remember he was in 1866.

116. Rakitin knows "every detail" of the biography of Fyodor Pavlovich and all the Karamazovs.

117. Grushenka's surname, Svetlova, means "light".

118. Mitya once dropped 100 rubles while he was drunk.

119. Ivan saw not just the Devil, but people who had died while he walked in the street.

120. Ippolit Kirillovich died nine months after the trial, the first and last day he received applauses.

121. Marfa is dismissed as a suspect simply because they can't imagine her killing.

122. There is a partition wall in Mitya's lodgings.

123. Mitya mostly stopped staring at the floor during the prosecutor's speech whenever Grushenka was mentioned.

124. Fetyukovich bends forward in an unnerving manner when he speaks.

125. An 18 year old street vendor committed axe murder earlier that year.

126. The verdict was given past 1AM, making the trial last almost 16 hours.

127. Katerina kept the sick Ivan in her house knowing it could possibly be harmful to her reputation.

128. Rakitin tried to sneak in to see Mitya in the hospital twice.

129. Lise sent the flowers that adorn Ilyusha's coffin, and Katerina paid for the grave.

130. Snegiryov cries seeing his late son's little boots the same way one of the women at the monastery in the beginning of the book did.

131. At the end, Alyosha mentions "leaving the city for a long time" soon. Where to? We don't know.

If you read this far down, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing all of these down.

#the brothers karamazov #fyodor dostoyevsky #I had made a thread on twt about this but decided to post it all at once on tumblr

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peaky-shelby · 1 year

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NEW ROMANTICS | MBAPPÉ [8]

» summary: in which an arrogant and talented football player (the best of his time as some say) and a focused and harsh critic of a journalist are gonna have to find a way to co-exist.

» chapter 8: life is just a classroom

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» writers note: good luck???

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His dark eyes glowed in the dark as they looked up at her. His face half hidden in between her thighs. A dangerous view. Her hand grasping on the sheet. Her scream expressed in a gasp of air because her vocal chords felt broken. His hands glued on her, leaving invisible tattoos anywhere he’d touch her. He head appeared whole , he reached closer to her lips. He dived in her neck. Biting her ear. His heartbeat an echo in the dark room.

Knock.

Getting louder. His lips on hers, her sitting up just to be closer, to taste ever part of his lips she could, her hands all too familiar with the back of his head and his hair in between them.

Knock. Knock.

Was that hers or his heartbeat? Was it both in the same rhythm. Her eyes close.

“Taylor” he whispers and it’s a sound she could get drunk on. She takes in a heavy breath; she took in his smell. It’s so wrong. She opened her eyes. He smirked. Behind him she can see the stands, they’re not in her room.

Knock. Knock.

“Taylor!” His voice come out clearer now. He leans in to kiss her again, but she only focuses on where they are. The field. There’s something incredibly romantic about an empty field.

“Taylor!”

She jumped on the bed, her heart beating faster than the drums on a rock song, reaching for air. A hand pushing her thigh, she flinched, screamed, and fell off the bed.

Knock. Knock.

“Open the goddamn door.” Sayd Trish in a gruff and tired voice, her face half hidden in the pillows. Taylor looked around confused, she rubs her head. Her mind stuck on the dream or memory whatever it was. Like someone had set a curse for her to be controlled by him.

Knock!

She got up, tried to steady herself and looked through the peephole. A suited important looking man, black skinned and tall. She opened the door slightly, peaking her head in between.

“What could you possibly want from me?” she asked, not in the mood for conversation.

“Monsieur Mbappe m'a envoyé chercher sa voiture. Si vous pouviez me donner les clés, s'il vous plaît.”

She would have reacted if she knew what the hell he was talking about. Instead, she remained frozen as she was, a dumbfounded, brain cell burned expression on her face.

“Madame va bien ? J'ai juste besoin des clés.”

“What on earth are you on about?”

“Les Cles pour la voiture!”

Maybe if she hadn’t just woken up from a scary dream she would have understood it faster but all she could hear were noises with an accent. Suddenly she was pushed on the side by Trish. A very angry looking Trish, who started speaking in French to communicate with the guy. Taylor stood watching a little surprised by her friend.

“He wants Kylian’s keys!” she said quickly.

Taylor raised her eyebrows, processing and slowly understanding. She looked at the clock tied around her wrist, than back at the unknown guy “It’s 6am” she spat out. They guy seemed to be saying something else, but she couldn’t follow again. Trish was already looking around the house for the car keys while Taylor was contemplating murder, not of the guy but of Kylian. Her friend found the keys under the desk, Luna sitting next to them. She grabbed them and gave them to the employee, faking a smile. “Bonjour!” she said quickly and closed the door. Taylor kept her hand on the door, her eyes settling on Trish.

“I’m going to murder him.”

“If he wakes me up again at 6am, I’m murdering both of you!” she said and went straight for the coffee machine.

“This is an act of war” mumbled Taylor, already planning her own attack in her mind “What does he even need the car for at 6am in the morning? Why would he be awake at 6am in the morning? This was planned! That’s why he gave me the keys in the first place—”

“TAYLOR! TAYLOR! Please, I just woke up, lower your bloody voice.” She complained, starting the coffee machine. “Why is this so noisy?” she bent her head on the counter groaning.

“Since when do you speak French?” she asked, getting closer to her friend.

“I was paying attention in class, wasn’t kicking balls all the time like you.” She paused, smirking “not in sports at least, you know.”

“Oh my god.” Her disgust was visible on her tone. She went and sat back on the bed, pulling the sheets and the blankets over her head “it’s too early for this.”

“You know...” she dropped sugar on her coffee “if you two started fucking each other on regular basis, I think it would solve a lot of problems—”

Taylor threw the sheets away from her face, looking at her “are you out of your mind?”

Trish picked up her coffee, smiling and sat on the edge of the bed “girl you were whispering his name in your sleep—” Taylor sat up in shock, her eyes widening in fear. She held her mouth with her hand. “I’m just saying. You are not exactly subtle. Neither is he. Ramos knows he has a hate-crush on you.” She took a sip from her cup, her eyes staying and watching at Taylor’s expressions. She was enjoying this, she kept opening her mouth like she was going to say something, but no actual words would leave her mouth. She raised her finger.

“Which reminds me—” she started changing the subject “you and Ramos are a little too close, aren’t you?” she asked. Trish laughed, winking. “You never talk to a guy that hot unless you plan to fuck him or have fucked him already and you are leaving to go back to England tonight so—” her voice trailed off, her eyes getting bigger “Oh my god you already fucked him.” Trish sipped loudly on her coffee, a slight smirk on her face as she left the cup down and got up to go to the bathroom. “You slept with one of my players?”

“So did you.” She reminded her from the other room, the water running on the sink. Taylor didn’t have an answer to that, so she just dropped herself back on the bed, sinking in the pillows, wishing it was an ocean instead. Her palms reached for her face, rubbing it and muffling the loud groan that came out of her throat. Trish came back in the room, looking fresh and less like a half awaken zombie. “Besties that fuck the same team, stay together? Or something like that—”

“Trish please”

Trish laughed, picking up some of her shirt from the floor and leaving them on the bed before getting each one to fold them carefully. “Listen, the only reason we are alive is to eat and have sex—”

“OH MY GOD. It’s not happening!” she got up, pushing her hair out of her face “It was just a moment of weakness! Me and him it can’t happen because I’ve already given up my writing for this team— I’m not risking my job for a fuck. End of discussion.” She took her phone and left for the bathroom, closing the door with a thud that made Trish jump.

But Trish smiled because she knew her friend all too well. The door to the bathroom opened again just a few seconds later. Trish studied her friend who had her face stuck on her phone, looking at something important. “What happened, did he text you?”

“No…” she murmured “it’s official.”

“what’s official? Taylor what’s going on?” Taylor handed the phone over to her friend, showing her a post on Instagram. An article about her joining the team. Trish started reading “PSG hires ex female player and journalist as a coach consult before QATAR TOUR 23” They looked at each other, all sort of emotions appearing in their faces. “why do you look like a ghost? This is good news! Are you ok?”

“No, I am not ok.” She confessed, her eyes saddening, worry reflecting on them as realization hit her harder than it had so far “I slept with one of my players.” She paused, her brows lowering, the blood leaving her face. Her voice coming out weak and broken “and I liked it.”

TRAINING CAMPUS / GYM – DAY

“You’re here early.” Mumbled Hakimi when he saw Kylian coming in, already dressed and ready.

“Don’t want to give her any excuses to blow her whistle on my face again.” He said, jumping on the treadmill next to Hakimi. “What about you?”

“We have the fitting for DIOR in the afternoon, wanted to finish before that—”

Kylian almost tripped as he stopped running for a second. He held on to the treadmill to regain his balance and looked at Hakimi “That’s today?”

“Yeah, why? You had other plans?”

“Meant to meet a friend. What time?”

“I’m planned for 5. I don’t know about you. Leo was scheduled for 3 maybe you’re with him.”

“They are separating us?”

“yes” he said simply and continued running. He heard footsteps coming from the entrance and he looked behind him, taking a quick peak. It was Ramos, looking at his phone.

“You guys saw the announcement?”

“What announcement?”

“I think you’d rather get off the treadmill first.” He smiled. Kylian glanced at him. He hesitated but stepped of the treadmill and snatched his phone from him. Reading the same announcement that Taylor had read, his expression copying hers because the same realization hit him like a car, because there was no more hiding on the sin they had committed.

“Merde…” he whispered.

“You ok Man?” asked Ramos, a smirk on his face. Hakimi got off his treadmill too, moving in between them to read whatever they were reading. His first reaction was to look at his best friend, unlike Ramos, Hakimi wasn’t smiling. He was worried, he knew much more and saw way more than he was letting on. Kylian left without saying anything.

“Holy shit.” Was all Hakimi said.

TRAINING CAMPUS / OUTSIDE AREA – DAY

Fog. Cold. Grey skies and grey feelings. All of those things expressing the emotions of almost everyone in the field.

Taylor saw him when she came, passing by her on the hall. Walking in different directions, their energy touching on another. She kept her eyes on the floor while he moved next to her, and he stared blankly in front of him like he hadn’t even seen her. Still, there was a sense of electricity that charged both of them when they walked passed one another. An electricity that made her close her eyes and him close his fist. No jokes, no side eyes. Nothing.

She was in the middle of the field, watching the players moving in between the obstacles. Sometimes they’d stop, they’d fool around. Marquinhos accidently stepped on Neymar and he smacked him on the back of his neck. That started a little game of chasing each other around. She would have blew her whistle sooner if she didn’t get carried away by seeing Neymar laughing like that. She had missed that dork.

“Wilock!” she turned around, meeting Linda, the secretary. “You’re on the third batch. You have a fitting at 5.” She gave her a little card that had her name and a number on it, number 16. She felt a burden on her soldiers.

“What’s this for?”

“DIOR Fitting. You’re part of the team now, they wanna show off their new girl.”

“Wai—wait” she cleared her throat “Did you just say DIOR, or is that another French word I don’t understand?”

Linda laughed, shaking her head “just be outside at 4:30. They’ll drive you and a few more of the players at the fitting.” She said and left but Taylor had so many questions. She read the card again, narrowing her eyes, like she was trying to read in between the lines. She turned it around, her pupils dilating when she saw the stamp on the back “bitch really said DIOR.” She mouthed an inaudible ‘oh my god’ before someone violently crashed on her back, causing her to misstep and ran a few steps in order to not fall. She looked behind her, Kimpembe standing there with his hands raised claiming his innocence. “Wasn’t me!” he said quickly and looked to his left. Bernat was on the ground there, bent to his knees, breathing heavily. He waved his hand, apologizing quickly.

She put the whistle back in between her lips and blew it. Everyone closing their ears.

“I want her whistle privileges revoked.” Complained Neymar at Marquinhos.

Kylian, standing also next to Neymar, overheard the comment. He pulled his neck warmer up, glaring at her from a distance. She caught it, looked in his direction while players moved in the space between them. She put the whistle back in her mouth and blew it, coldly at him.

TRAINING CAMPUS / ENTRANCE – DAY

Taylor walked out, looking at the card, back and forth, again and again. She kept thinking that the words on it would disappear eventually and all of it would turn out to be a prank. One of the employees, held her arm to lead her on the right van. She followed with no complained, her disbelief showing in her face. The employee opened the door for her and nodded for her to go kin.

“Merci” she mumbled and stepped inside, still looking at the card. She slid on the window seat, until her thigh bumped on someone else’s. She looked up, realizing she wasn’t alone in the car.

Hakimi gave her an awkward smile, waving at her. She cleared her throat and moved a few inches away from him, looking away. A few moment later Sergio came on the van, sliding next to her. Then Neymar, sitting across from her and—

“Oh, for crying out loud—” she murmured when she saw him bending himself to get in the car. He stopped when he saw her. Tension rising in seconds. She looked away but she had no idea where to keep her eyes on. She didn’t want to look at Hakimi and she couldn’t look at Neymar either. Looking at Ramos made her stomach twist because she could see Trish all over him. So, the choices were two, ceiling or the floor. She tried the floor first, but her eyes kept looking at his feet. She bit her tongue and laid her head back, staring at the ceiling instead.

“You alright?” asked Ramos.

“Parfait.” she said.

Kylian’s eyes arose in the sound her voice. Hakimi noticed the look his was giving him, a look mixed with crave and anger. He kicked his ankle, to get him back on reality. Kylian looked at him, his expression softening.

“Exercising your French?” questioned Ramos.

“Only so I can yell at you in both languages.” She said simply, keeping her eyes closed.

“Je veux te voir essayer.” Prompted Kylian. She lowered her head, her eyes meeting his. Being locked in a car with him, in such an enclosed space felt wrong. It felt like she was trapped. Her palms were sweating as she thought about last night’s dreams, her dirty thoughts racing at the corner of her mind. She was feeling naked, the more that he looked at her, having to remind herself that they weren’t alone in the car. The only words she picked out was “je veux” which she knew meant “I want”. She had no idea what the rest of was but still decided to torment him.

“Do you?” she asked. Seeing the fear and surprise when he thought she understood him. He was intrigued.

Now it was Neymar’s turn to notice, the way they glared at each other. Like they were going to attack one another in seconds. He and Hakimi locked their eyes, understanding each other, Neymar slowly picking on the tension.

“Hey chill out. Both of you! Jesus.” He waved his hand between them to ruin their moment, feeling weird just by watching them. “Santo inferno.” He mumbled in Brazilian. Taylor looked back at the ceiling again. His eyes would unwilling always find their way back to her but in his defense, he tried to look away.

“Bonjour, bonjour! Je m’appelle Diego! Je suis heureux de vous rencontrer.” Diego was really energetic, dressed in what looked like an expensive suit. Incredibly tall and pretty. He looked so elegant, she thought. As she followed everyone inside the venue. Elise was waiting for them inside, smiling when she saw everyone.

“bonjour!” she said, shaking everyone’s hand. “Venez avec moi. Les loges sont à l’étage.” She explained and motioned for them to follow. Taylor was walking slowly behind them in the back, studying the venue. It was big, with cameras set around and white sheets. She imagined it’s where the boys would be photographed later. While going upstairs with them she noticed how expensive everything looked. Golden and fashionable. Then they reached the room.

The room was separated in small private spaces, that everyone could go change in respectively. There were mirrors around for them to look at themselves after they were dressed. She stood behind Neymar, gulping.

Elise walked up to her smiling “Ta robe dans un de ceux-là.” She said and pointed at the third fitting box.

“Elle ne parle pas français.” Said Kylian quickly, Taylor looked up at him annoyed.

“Oh um.... Your dress…in there. You…change.” Taylor was looking at Kylian while Elise spoke, with her broken English, twisting her tongue.

“Merci” she said, glancing back at Elise.

Kylian smiled, winked even and walked in his fitting room. Taylor did the same shortly after, closing the curtain behind her as well as she could. When she turned around she found the dress. Blue, the color of the team and magnificent. Hanged up on one side of your fitting room “oh my god” she whispered, getting closer and touching it with her thumb. “This is beautiful.”

He could hear her changing from his fitting room, next to hers. Her clothes falling on the floor, her feet moving around the small space. He buttoned up his white shirt as quickly as he could so he’d stop listening to those sounds because it was doing something to him. He walked out, Diego clapping for him and saying he looked amazing. He led him to one of the mirrors and helped him put on the jacket of the suit.

“it feels a little long”

“That’s cause we haven’t adjusted it yet.” Said Diego. Another woman came next to him, examine the suit while holding a box of needles on her hands the other boys started coming out, following the same process while the tailors adjusted their suits for them.

“Elise!” called Taylor from inside her fitting room. Kylian turned to her direction only by the sound of her voice but she was still inside. Elise rushed in to help her while one of tailors reminded Kylian to keep his body straight and steady. He obeyed looking at himself in the mirror until he saw her reflection, walking out of the curtain dressed in the navy blue dress, tied around her neck by two very thin threads, and a length that got just a little over her knees. He couldn’t notice anything wrong with it, maybe because he was too focused on her bare feet and how good they looked on her new pair of black heels. He knew that heat in his chest, all too well by now, she was the only one that could ignite it. Ramos came out of his curtain a few seconds later, whistling when he saw her. That made him mad. Elise led her on the other side of the room, behind him, that allowed him to still be able to look at her reflection while they tailored her dress, shortening it. He could even see her face by the way the mirrors reflected on each other and she could see him too. Their eyes meeting while everyone else clueless of the way the stared on another through the mirrors. Sometimes he’d let his gaze travel down to her hips and her legs before letting get back to her face. She did the same, he noticed it, a slight smirk on his lips when he realized she was checking him out.

“Good length. You see legs better.” said Elise.

“j’aime…” she thought about it “la?” she questioned herself getting a few side giggles from the boys. All except Hakimi, who sometimes was as bad as her. Elise smiled standing up and stood behind her pulling the dress down to show her chest more. The minute she did that her eyes searched for Kylian’s. Yeah, he was still looking and she felt a sense of happiness when she realized.

“Tu es tres belle.”

“Merci, Elise.” She said, while still looking at Kylian until he abruptly diverted his gaze back to himself.

“Just wait till they see me arriving at the stadium looking like this. One-zero, already!” he bragged. Hakimi laughing from where he was standing next to him. Taylor scoffed, looking away.

“such confidence.” She mumbled. Kylian glanced at her.

He smiled.

When they boys were done, they were taken to the venue downstairs to take some videos and pictures for the official psg account. Taylor’s dress took longer. Elise wanted it to be perfect, show her silhouette and all her curves. Communicating was hard when she could barely speak French and Elise could barely understand English. But they pointed at what they needed, making sense of it in the end. When they agreed on everything, Elise told her to change so she could fix the dress. Taylor got back behind her curtain and tried to get off her dress but the knot was so tight around her neck she couldn’t untie it and she was too scared of ruining it. Plus, the dress was filled with needles.

“Elise!” she called “Je… aide?” her hand reached behind her neck, trying to pull on the threads until she heard the curtain opening, a presence behind her. “Merci” she said.

She felt his thumb on the back of her neck before she heard his voice “De rien.”

She jumped and turned out, Kylian standing in front of her. She smacked his shoulder. “Are you out of your mind? Get out!” she warned.

“Je veux t’aider” he said innocently, grinning.

She went to push him out, when she heard steps, Elise, coming back. She walked back against the wall and pulled him closer to her, their bodies slamming together.

“Ms. Taylor, ca va bien?”

“Oui” she said quickly “Oui!”. Kylian’s eyes seemed to find comfort in her lips while she was trying to save his mess. He leaned a little closer, his hands close to her body, looking at her with hunger. “Could you get me a glass of water?”

“Que?”

Kylian pulled back so she could see his face. He’d mouth every word slowly and she’d repeat them

“Pourrais”

‘Pou-ais”

He held back his laugh “je”

“Je.”

“Avoir”

“Aboir-“ he held his hand in front of his mouth, cracking up. She stepped on his foot and he let out an inaudible gasp, pulling his foot away.

“Damn you!” he mouthed.

“Mademoiselle?” tried Elise.

“Yes sorry, I’m trying—” she stopped when she felt his lips on her ear, as close to her as ever. This time whispering the words in her ear. She repeated them slowly, same way he was telling them or at least that’s what she thought. She couldn’t really focus on her accent when she could smell his cologne like that, when his lips brushed her ear, reminding her of her sins. Each word sounded dirty, it almost felt wrong repeating them.

“Pourrais-je avoir un verre d'eau?” she asked in the end with her messy accent but thankfully clear enough for Elise to understand.

“Oui.” Said Elise and left the room again.

Taylor stayed as she was until Kylian decided to move his face away from hers, allowing her to breathe normally.

“That was a C plus” he said, with a cocky grin.

“Leave” she warned.

“We need to talk.”

“Lost your keys?”

“I’m serious!”

“Not here.”

“After the fitting. come with me.”

“No.” she said as if the answer was obvious.

“Taylor—”

“Get out.” She persisted.

He let out a bitter breath, his hand reaching behind her neck, his fingers playing with the thread that was keeping the dress on her. He played with it a little, intentionally. The skin to skin contact made her weak, made her embarrassed for her thoughts. Then he untied it, the dress loosening around her but not enough to fall off. Still she moved her hand over her chest, holding the dress up. He smiled, examining her whole one last time before his index finger stroked her blushed cheekbone for a second.

Taylor let herself crumble against the cold wall, trying to replace the warmth he had ignited.

“I just wanna go home.” Said Neymar, sitting next to Ramos on the couch. He couldn’t take it with the flash and the cameras anymore. He leaned back, covering his face. Ramos laughed and patted his thigh. “I haven’t even packed for tomorrow.”

“I don’t think anyone has.”

“Mr. Ramos! Your suit is ready!”

Ramos got up. For a moment Neymar was alone, half asleep on the coach when he felt the space next to him deepening. He looked to his right, meeting Taylor. She lifted her leg up, crossing them on the coach, getting comfortable. A sweet silence settling between them. He looked up at the ceiling, trying to ignore her.

“Suit looked good on you.” She tried. All she got as a respond was a slight ‘hm’. She sunk deeper on the couch. “This is all very special, isn’t it?” he opened his right eye taking a quick peak at her. She looked at him, smiling. She poked his shoulder “you’re gonna talk to me or what?”

“Where’s your whistle?”

“Left it at the stadium with my devil horns.”

“Ah!” he nodded, letting out a very weak and short laugh before silence came back.

She looked at her fingers, scratching her nails. “you ever gonna forgive me?”

He made a ‘tsk’ sound with his death, shaking his head slowly.

“I know I hurt you. Maybe I was little too harsh in my reviews—”

“Maybe?”

“Fine, very harsh. Definitely. But—” she huffed “it’s the same with Kylian. I see your potential and it stinks that you let personal issues get in the way of it. There is zero chemistry on the field anymore. People can see that, they are not dumb. You’re trying to better when it’s all about working together. He gets mad because he is in denial. You get sad because you know it’s true.”

He avoided her eyes “haven’t seen you writing anything new.”

She hesitated “I gave it up.”

“What?” he looked at her.

“I can’t do both things. I thought I could but… first of all there is no time and…” she smiled “I don’t like dragging my friends online.” His eyes softened, she shrugged her shoulder “I just drag them in their face.” He laughed, nodding. “Whistling in their ear. I have to be honest I’m having a lot of fun torturing you!”

“We can tell!” she smacked him.

The doors behind them opened and laughter was heard. She could recognize both laughs. When she looked behind her, she saw Kylian, next to a much taller familiar man.

“TJ!” Called Bellingham and Taylor jumped up from the couch while Jude came closer to hug her. She hugged him back, feeling a sense of home in his arms.

“What are you still doing here?” she asked, stumbling her words. He pulled back to look at her.

“Kylian called, he said you’re going out for drinks.”

“Did he?” She asked in a high pitched voice, giving him the fakest smile she could master.

“Thought you’d like to see a friend from the past.” Said Kylian, his arm hanging around Jude’s shoulder. “he’s leaving tomorrow. It’s be a shame not to.”

She smiled. Unable to do anything else.

ROOFTOP GARDEN BAR – NIGHT

“She got in a fight every other day with the lads.” Joked Jude.

They all sat in a rounded table. Kylian and Taylor across from each other, separated by everyone else. She was in between Neymar and Hakimi, secretly hoping Ramos would have been here as well. Taylor was pretending to laugh through all the embarrassing stories that Jude was telling about her, the same look of annoyance in her face through the whole night.

“It’s because I knew I was better than all of you.” She supported, sipping on her Margarita.

“You were in trouble with the coaches too.”

“Really?” gasped Neymar.

“Don’t get any ideas on your mind Junior. I was just…” she thought of the right word “a little feisty.”

“A little? You were loud.”

“She’s still loud.” Mumbled Kylian. Their eyes met under their dim lights. His comment dirty for anyone that could understand. She looked away.

“She had a little crush on me too, didn’t you?” he laughed. Taylor opened her mouth, laughing.

“That’s fake news. It was you that had a crush on me. Remember?”

“Don’t listen to her, she was at my house every other day.”

“We were kids” she defended, finally starting to enjoy the moment “It was only because your mother made the best carbonara I’ve ever tasted. I was obviously using you!” Jude pretended to be hurt, holding a hand over his chest. “Oh don’t do that—” she chuckled “Remember my dad’s cooking? Your mother was my last hope—plus, you were all over Sandra when I wasn’t there.”

He raised his finger “oh— hold up now, that’s not fair. I might—” motioned his hands “have filled the empty space you were always leaving me with, with Sandra—” Everyone laughed, Taylor hitting her hand on the table. It was a loud belly laugh. Kylian realized he had never made her laugh like that “but you’re the one that left us, moved away to Chelsea—” She chuckled, looked at her cocktail, cocking her head. Her expression saddening. She bit the corner of her mouth, not really wanting to say anything. “Then she met Mason, forgot all about us brummie boys.”

Neymar raised his eyebrows in shock. She shrunk in her place, shaking her head “Mason Mount?” asked Neymar. Everyone except Kylian was shocked. He already knew. “I could have sworn you said something about being immune to footballers ones—so far you’ve dated two—”

“OK!” She raised her hand “Me and Mr. Dracula over there—” Jude laughed at the nickname, obviously an inside joke “We never dated.”

“That breaks my heart, doll.”

“I was Nine!” she protested, still laughing “and you’d buy candy rings for me. Of course I lied about being in love with you.” She explained “and Mason… it was very brief. You know… got immunity right after him.”

It was Kylian’s turn to laugh, maybe a little louder than he should have, everyone looking at him. Taylor must have tried to kick him but she got Jude’s leg instead.

“What the ‘ell?” He yelled.

Taylor tried to wave it off, like she actually meant to kick him but her eyes found Kylian’s. He was sipping on his wine, an infuriating look on his face while he was picking out every single detail he could about her.

A few more stories about how insolent she used to be, a few more jokes of their shared adventures and how dangerous she could get. A few more laughs, allowing Taylor to forget about Kylian on the other side of the table. Kylian noticed how normal she looked, a whole other side of her, childish even. She was a different person, sweeter, less defensive. He wished he could make her feel like that. As always, he realized he was staring when he felt Hakimi’s elbow, hitting his shoulder. His eyes darting away.

They got downstairs on the street, all of them walking to their cars. The boys had called their personal drivers, taylor would get an UBER. She was anxious when she saw Jude in the beginning, anxious of her past but in the end she felt comfort as they walked side to side. It was like she was getting back a part of her she had lost.

“how’s your dad? Haven’t seen him since the wedding” he asked

“He’s happy, finally.” She reassured him, staring at the pavement “He and Beth are as in love as ever and Little Lily is growing” They stopped their pace. The rest of the boys standing a little farther away from them. He looked at her, a very obvious question in his eyes. Taylor could hear it, she looked away, her hands finding solace in her pockets “He’s... taking it one day at a time. Like always. So is Beth…”

“But is he better?”

She shrugged her shoulders “I don’t know. He’s older, so it’s harder but he never talks to me about it. He still blames himself for what happened. Which is dumb but… you know.”

“Next time, I’m in London I’ll go see him.”

“Oh he’d love that. He’d love to see your mother too.” She said, rubbing his arm. “Thanks for tonight.”

“Thank Kylian. He’s the one that invited me.”

She snorted “yeah, he’s intentions weren’t as good. It just backfired on him.”

She he pursed his lips and opened his arms as an invitation to a hug. She accepted it, sinking in his arms and the memories. Jude lowered his head to her ear, smiling while looking at Kylian who was staring at them both “I think he cares a little more than you think by the way he looks at you.” He kissed her cheek “be careful.” He warned and slipped away from her, to get in his car.

Taylor looked behind her, at Kylian, as her uber stopped in front of her. She gave him and the rest of the boys, a quick nod but her eyes lingered on him as she opened the door to her car. And his eyes lingered on her until her car left and he stood in the middle of a sidewalk, in rainy and moody Paris.

PRIVATE PSG AIRPLANE – EARLY MORNING

She wasn’t used to cameras following her around, the social media team seemed to have a great interest in her all of a sudden. All she’d do was wave and smile. When she entered the plane, she met Kylian, who was apparently fooling around with the flight attendants.

“Welcome on board” he said, smiling, not just to her but to everyone.

The plane was huge, separated in cubicles, small spaces for everyone to be comfortable during the 6-hour flight. She chose one seat on the back, next to a window. Her body sinking the minute she sat, ready to fall asleep again. The boys seemed to be in a cheery mood, despite the hour. She was mentally dying, wishing she could be back on her bed but neither the lights or the voices bothered her. She’d fall asleep again in no time.

“Ola!”

She looked sheepishly on her right. Neymar, sitting next to her. She studied him, her expression remaining unimpressed.

“For your own good, I hope you’re not loud during flights.”

Neymar laughed “Maybe I will just to get back at you.”

“Maybe I’ll just throw you off the plane.”

“Little grumpy, coach?”

“Two days now, I’ve waken up before daylight without my will.”

Neymar took his bag of nuts, started throwing them in his mouth “why’d you wake up yesterday?”

She remembered the reason, turned her head towards the window. “long story.”

“sure.” He mumbled.

She fell asleep a while later. He saw her, a few seats away from her. He kept glancing at her, Neymar sometimes was zoning out as well. He needed some sort of master plan to get to her without making it obvious. Hakimi was sleeping next to him, his head on his shoulder. Kylian moved his shoulder to wake him up, repeatedly. Hakimi hummed, sneered but didn’t open his eyes.

“Haki!” he said a little louder.

“It’s your turn.” He mumbled.

Kylian narrowed his eyes “what?”

“I changed the diapers last night”

“Oh my god! Wake up!” Kylian pushed him off his shoulder. Hakimi woke up violently, looking around a little confused. He rubbed his eye, tiredly.

“What’s wrong with you?” he yawned.

“I need you to do something for me.”

Hakimi’s expression fell “I was sleeping!”

“that’s not the point— don’t look at me like that! Come on, I need you to find a reason to speak to Neymar.”

“like plotting your murder?”

“Sure whatever works for you.”

“Why?”

He didn’t answer. Hakimi raised his body to find Neymar. He rolled his eyes when he found him next to Taylor. She was sleeping on his shoulder while he was on his phone. He looked back at Kylian “You have to be kidding me.” He lowered his head “I really don’t want to get involved in this.”

“First and last time, I promise.”

“What am I even gonna say to him?”

“You’ll find something- baby diapers, father stuff, you’ll figure it out, I’m sure!” He said and got up. Hakimi tried to snatch his arm but Kylian left before he could. He walked down the thin hallways, standing over Neymar. He told him, Hakimi wanted to speak to him about something. Neymar hesitated at first but moved Taylor carefully away from him, her head falling on the side of the window and getting comfortable again.

Kylian took his seat as soon as he left, looking over her. He wondered how he was supposed to wake her without losing an eye. He drew his bottom lip between his teeth. While he moved his leg against hers, pushing her thigh, slowly but repeatedly so he’d wake her. Suddenly she moved her entire body closer to him, laying her head on his shoulder, same way she was sleeping with Neymar. It did something to him, her hair on his skin, the smell of lavender. He closed his eyes while she nuzzled closer to his neck. All of a sudden he didn’t want to wake her, he wanted her to stay there until they landed. He slid himself closer, her hair tickling him. Her nose wrinkled, like she was smelling him, waking up. Her eyes opened and she moved away just as quick. He moved his hand to her mouth, so she wouldn’t start yelling and wake everyone up. Her eyes were as wide as he had ever seen them, glaring at him. He put his finger in his mouth telling her to ‘shush’. She slapped his hand away from her mouth, sliding her body as far away from his as possible.

“I told you we need to talk.”

She snapped her head at him “here? Of all places?” she hissed.

“Everyone’s sleeping.”

“So, was I! what happened to Neymar? Did you lock him in the toilet?”

“He’s in deep baby conversation with Haki—”

“You’re using kids to—” Keylor Navas passed by them, both of them looking away, stopping their conversation until he was gone. “—to your advantage now?”

Kylian leaned closer, so he’d be able to whisper in a tone only she could hear. “did you see the announcement?” She reached for one of the magazines, flipping the pages like she was searching for something specific. He took it from her hands, she smacked him “can you focus for a moment?”

“What do you want me to say? yes of course I saw it, it was about me, wasn’t it?”

He waited for her to say something more “That’s it?”

“Kylian is this gonna be a problem?” she asked “I mean besides the fact that you hate me for my website. Is that also gonna be a problem? because I need to know right now.” He didn’t answer “I thought you wanted to talk about this—”

“I do”

“Then talk!” she demanded, looking fearlessly in his eyes. How was it that sometimes he felt like he had all sort of power over her and then the next moment, none at all. “It was my mistake that I didn’t tell you but if you’re gonna pull one of your smart little tricks, tell everyone and ruin this for me—”

“I won’t” he cut her off. She seemed surprise, he sat straight and away from her, letting out anxious breaths. “You really thought I would?”

“I don’t know Kylian.” She mumbled “been realizing lately that I don’t really know you at all.”

He gazed at the ceiling, nodding his head. “So we agree, we pretend like it never happened?”

“Yeah. Sounds good to me.” She stared forward, nibbling on the inside of her mouth.

“good”

“Great.”

Silence.

She looked at the blackness from her window “does Hakimi know?” she asked. And he could almost hear the terror in her voice. He lowered his head.

“He knows something happened. He doesn’t know what.”

“Don’t tell him.” She requested.

He moved his eyes at her, he could only see half her face. “I won’t.” he promised and he realized it was the most sincere, he had ever been with her. Why did his chest felt heavy then?

DOHA

Doha was the first stop. The welcoming was beautiful. Everyone had a smile on their face, shaking everyone’s hands. Some would point at Taylor, whispering something. She’d look away, feeling weird just by the thought that she was being recognized be strangers. She was never that popular as a footballer and she wasn’t used to it either.

When they reached their reception everyone was given their own key and room number. The employees helped them settle in their rooms, Taylor had used most of the boys as a shield while walking around the hotel, hiding in between them so the cameras wouldn’t find her. The members of the team were forced to go on a number of interviews while she could stay in her room, sleep, drink, do whatever she wanted to until the charity event in the hotel, later in the night. She chose sleep.

PLAY MUSIC

Kylian liked getting dressed up, it made him feel good and that outfit certainly looked good on him. He admired himself in the mirror, examining how it fell on him.

He fixed his handkerchiefs and his collar first.

Taylor fixed her make up first, blue eye shadow and maroon lipstick, same color as her favorite wine, puckering her lips in the mirror. She picked half her hair up, while the rest laid curly on her body.

He put on his black suit, dusting off any dirt that might have gathered during the trip.

She slipped in her blue dress, feeling like it was uniform made for her and her only, moving her head side to side, so her hair would fall better on her shoulders.

They stood on the edge of their beds, putting on their shoes. He tied his and she slipped her feet on her black open toe heels, strapping them. Her hands stroking her legs, she smiled, feeling way too sure of herself for the night.

She stood up when she heard a light knock on her door. She snatched her mini bag from the bed and opened the door, smiling.

“Ready?” asked Marquinhos.

She smiled and slid her hand around his elbow.

Kylian was already on the venue across the hotel, a glass of red wine in his hand, taking pictures with his teammates and interacting with fans or people that looked important. His eyes scanning the room, always, like he was expecting a bomb to go off any time. It was hard for him to hold a conversation, mostly because he’d always twist his head, any time he thought he saw a woman in a blue dress. The dim purple lights made it harder for him to spot what he was looking for until he saw her, close to Marquinhos, laughing about something.

He could hear whoever was next to him still talking but it was like a void, a noise in his head that wouldn’t go off. His eyes found a home in her silhouette, like he was seeing her in that dress for the first time. He didn’t know where to focus, her legs? Her heels? Her exposed neck or chest? He had never seen her with make up before, red lips like those, a curse and a gift. Hakimi was nowhere near to remind him he was staring so he was still staring until her eyes locked with his. He noticed she held on Marquinhos hand tighter after she saw him, getting closer like she was seeking protection. Her attention was taken away by a reporter, asking her questions. He watched as her lips moved, curling in a smile or shutting in a straight line while she listened to the questions. Marquinhos helping her through the chaos that he was used to a long time now.

“Kylian!” His companion said, pulling on his arm. He finally looked away from her and back at the man next to him.

“Excuse moi.” He said and motioned for him to continue with whatever he was saying. He very cheekily made a few steps backwards so he’d be able to look at her while also pretending he was part of the conversation, taking slow sips from time to time. Following his prey as it moved around the venue.

So, we both agree, it never happened?

But it did happen, and he wanted it to happen again.

Taylor was feeling exhausted just an hour later, any opportunity she’d find she’d sit on an empty seat, massaging her ankles that were begging to be let free of the heels. She had met more people in an hour then she had met in the entire year and she didn’t even remember her names. Her boys would compliment her, always, without ever making it inappropriate, something that made her feel better but there was one that hadn’t even come near her.

While sitting in one of the empty tables she searched for him, finding him in between the crowd. She couldn’t deny he looked good in a suit; it made him look older and wiser. His presence was louder than most people and yet he didn’t have to make any noise for people to notice him. She studied how even the fabric couldn’t hide his perfectly structured body, the body she had stroked like few woman had, the body that was hers a few nights ago. She caressed her own palm with her thumb, trying to remind herself what touching him felt like.

So, we both agree, it never happened.

Sounds good to me.

But it did and she’d never be able to forget.

A figure came and stood in front of her, hiding the view. She looked up, Ramos, smiling down at her.

“Are you allowed to dance with us?” he asked. She laughed, shaking her head.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea. Rumors can be terrible.”

He studied her “it’s hard being around us, isn’t it?”

“Sometimes harder than others.” She admitted, her eyes looking for him again. He wasn’t there anymore.

“Fuck the rumors.”

She laughed louder “you hanged out with Trish way too much.”

“She was good company. Knew what she wanted.”

“Yeah…” she hummed “I was always jealous of her for that.”

“Ah…” Ramos knelt in front of her so he’d be on the same level. She let her head fall on the side, narrowing her eyes. “I believe we all know what we want. Pretending we don’t is easier.” He got up and left to go back to the dance floor. She thought about his words. What if she wanted more than one thing and it was one or the other? Which one was the one she should pretend like she didn’t want it at all?

A chair moved next to her; she turned her head. Him, she thought. He kept staring at her while he sat down, as close to her as he could. He gave her a glass of wine while holding his in the other hand. She took it, their hands touching ever so slightly. They took a sip, their eyes not moving. If intoxication was a picture, it would have been this one; them, their eyes locked, sipping on the red liquid, her letting her leg fall against his and moving away when it touched his thigh. Reading their thoughts. No need for conversation. Confessing crimes to devil himself would have less tension than whatever they were doing.

“Stop staring.” She whispered

“You first.”

She swallowed the eternity of her glass in one go and left it on the table. She got up and lost herself in between the crowds until she was outside. Cold air sending a chill all over her body, she walked as far deep in the wide garden of the hotel as she could until she reached the back pool, empty and lonely. It wasn’t as cold as Paris but she was exactly well dressed.

Her body trembling until his jacket and smell covered her shoulders.

PLAY MUSIC

She closed her eyes, taking it in. His hands rubbing on her arms. She leaned her head back to him, weak to keep it or her thoughts straight as she craved to be closer to him.

He slipped his hands under his jacket so he could hold on her body as he moved closer, his breath on her neck. “you’ll freeze.” He whispered. She turned around so she’d be able to face him, her hands placed on his chest, covered by his white shirt. They could still hear the music from the distance, their bodies moving in the rhythm of it while her tachycardia seemed to pick up the closer his face would get. She gripped on his shirt, wrinkling it. Their mouths half open, moving in opposite directions while they brought each other to insanity.

“It never happened.” She reminded him with whatever strength she was left with.

He looked at her lips, his hand reaching behind her neck, his thump stroking her face. “Maybe it should.”

She moved her head to the side, so she’d stay away from his lips just to be safe. She wasn’t sure if she was trembling because of the cold or him. She looked over his shoulder at the pool. She shook her head and walked away from him closer to the pool. He watched her, half wondering what she was doing. He followed her, standing next to her. She took off her heels, returning back to her normal height and testing the temperature of the water with her toe.

“we are sinking.” She whispered “there’s only one way to go when you’re sinking.”

He turned his head away from her. He started unbuttoning his shirt, throwing it on the ground and then his pants. She watched, confused. He took off his shoes, staying in his underwear. “If we are sinking, we might as well swim.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. A minute later and he was diving in the pool, his body lost in the water. She stepped a little closer, before sitting on the edge of the pool. Leaving her phone by her side. Her feet sinking in the water as well. He returned to the surface, smiling. She grinned when she saw him until he started throwing water at her, splashing it on her. She laughed holding her hands over her dress. “This is a DIOR!” she yelled. Begging him to stop. He swam closer, enclosing her in between his arms.

“I’ll buy you an other.”

She snorted “cheeky.”

He moved even closer, her feet against his bare chest, the two of them staring at each other. Sinking, indeed. Dangerous, for sure. His hand moved away from the marble and settled on her leg. She didn’t react, a symbolic gesture for him to continue. He caressed her skin in the water, his hand finding it’s way in between her thighs, always looking her in the eyes. Opening her legs slightly. Enough to be able to leave kisses on her inner thigh, that’s when he got the first reaction, a gasp. He continued, higher, until she shut her thighs together. A momentary lapse in judgement and she jumped in the water in between him and the marble, her lips finding his in seconds. Finally allowing him to taste that lipstick, to suck every little part of her and drink it like it was whiskey. The dress getting stuck in her body as it got wet. His hands still travelling in between her thighs while his mouth got complete access to hers.

Because it did happen and it was going to happen again. And when you’ve already started sinking, there is only one way to go.

“Who’s down there?” yelled the security guard.

Screaming crying perfect storm.... Oh well..... Sinking we go. Down to the bottom we go. Unless of course they were caught. Are they gonna sleep together? Are they not? Qatar trip is gonna be fun from now on. I mean it's getting hot in here. People missing. Where is Ann? Jude's a cutie isn't he🥺 BUT HEY-- STAY CHILL PEOPLE. WE DON'T HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. 😭😭 Ones again thanks to everyone that is reading, writing this for you is pleasuee and all i need in return is your feedback so i can't wait to see your comments. You're THE BEST!!! See ya next Sunday (maybe) xx

Next Chapter »

#kylian mbappe #mbappe imagines #mbappé #mbappe #mbappe x reader #football writing #football imagine #football requests #neymar one shot #neymar x reader #jude bellingham x oc #jude bellingham x reader

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punkrockhistory · 4 months

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44 years ago

HR of Bad Brains at Madams Organ, Washington DC, January 1980.

Photos by Lucian Perkins

#punk #punks #punkrock #hardcorepunk #HR #badbrains #history #punkrockhistory

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sygol · 8 months

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sees someone reblog a chunk of text onto one of my posts: ah what the fu— *sees that it is a 44 yr old MILF running the account* oh heavens, my apologies madam, do carry on, as i am rightfully eager ears for your enwisdoment

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layce2015 · 8 months

Text

Supernatural (Dean Winchester x Female!Reader)

The Curious Case Of Dean Winchester

Masterlist pt 1

Masterlist pt 2

"You expect me to believe you're CDC?" The doctor asked us after the boys and I showed him our CDC badges. "Excuse me?" I said, confused. "It's just that you're a day early. First time in history I haven't sat on my ass waiting for you people." the doctor said. "New administration. A change you can believe in." Dean said. "Right." the doctor said before she leads us to the morgue.

Once there, the doctor pulls the corpse of Mr Xavier out of a freezer, who looks like a dead eighty-year-old. "Meet Xavier. Date of birth, April third, nineteen eighty-four." she said and the boys and I exchange confused glances with her.

"I know. I ran the DNA twice. That's definitely him." She said, as if reading our thoughts. "Well, he wasn't big on the sunscreen, huh?" Dean jokes. "So, what's your theory?" Sam asked. "All I know is, decedent's male, twenty-five years old and he died of old age." the doctor said before she walks away.

"You were right about this one. It's definitely a job." I said to Bobby in my phone as we leave the hospital. "Thought so. Any other stiffs in town?" Bobby asked me. "Just the one body." I said. "Anything else?" Bobby asked. "Couple missing persons, but usual for a town this size." I said. "Well, check 'em out." Bobby said.

"You think they're connected?" I asked him as we get to the Impala. "Call it a hunch." Bobby said. "You got it. And, by the way, how you doing?" I asked him. "Doing?" Bobby asked, confused. "Yeah. You know, just...in general?" I said. "Oh, you mean my legs. Well, I'm just weepin' in my Haagen-Dazs. Idjit." Bobby said, with harsh sarcasm, before he hangs up. I roll my eyes and put my phone away.

Dean sits on an ottoman, looking at a framed photo of an old man, Cliff Whitlow, while Sam and I sit in a couple of armchairs and Mrs. Whitlow sits on the sofa. "That's the most recent." she tells us as Dean hands the photo to Sam and I look at the picture over his shoulder.

The photo is of Cliff as a golf tournament champion, Miami Palms June 2009, holding a golf club and trophy. A USMC tattoo is visible on his right arm. "How long has he been missing?" I asked her. "Oh, I knew right away when he didn't come home Tuesday night." Mrs Whitlow said.

"Is there someplace he likes to go after work, maybe? A favorite bar?" Dean asked and she laughs. "No. Tuesdays, he always works a bit late, but he always comes straight home." She tells us. "May I use your facilities, ma'am?" I asked, getting an idea.

I enters the office, looking back over my shoulder, and head over the desk. I scoop up a pile of papers off the desk and rifle the rest of the desk and the pockets of Cliff's coat.

I pull out a receipt and look at it: it's for Madame Liu's Golden Palace and totals over $250. "Working late my ass." I grumble.

That night, the boys and I walk along the corridor of the Golden Palace. "Well, at least he's consistent. Same room every Tuesday, hourly rates." Sam said. "Hope I got that kind of kick when I'm his age." Dean said and I shake my head. "Yeah, like either of us will live that long." I said. "True." Dean said and he and I share a look.

"So...what do you think's in there?" Sam asked. "A wrinkly, gooey corpse." Dean said as we stop outside room 44. Sam pulls out his lockpick kit and selects two while Dean and I keep watch. A man starts shouting inside the room. "Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh! Oh, God!"

The boys and I look at each other and slam the door open. "Hey! What the—" the man exclaimed. He is bed, naked, with a woman who is barely dressed.

"Oh." Sam said.

"God." Dean mutters as another woman comes out from under the covers.

"Awkward." I mutteres. "It's gooey." Sam said as both women flee the bed. "Sorry. Uh, got the wrong room." Dean said. "Close the door!" the man shouts and we start to leave but Sam stops and stares at the man.

"Hey." He said and I turn and notice that the man has a USMC tattoo that looks exactly like Cliff Whitlow's. "Nice tattoo." Sam said as he goes back into the room. "Happen to know anybody named Cliff Whitlow?" Sam asked the man. He shakes his head. "Never heard of him." the man said.

"Well, that's weird." Sam said and he pulls an ID out of the wallet that was apparently in the man's pants. "'Cause you're carrying his wallet." Sam said as Dean goes over to the bed and yanks up the covers to look underneath. "Huh." Dean said as he drops the sheets. "Your wife told us about your, uh, birthmark there. That's nice. Well, you look great. Cliff. Did you get some work done?" Dean asked and Cliff shakes his head and sighs.

"Could you give us some privacy?" Cliff asked the two women, who are now robed. Cliff goes to put on a robe and hands them some money and they leave. "Please don't tell my wife." Cliff pleads to us as he shuts the door. "Slow down." I said to him. "I'm begging you. As far as she knows, I'm dead. For the love of God, let's keep it that way." he pleads to us.

"How can you possibly be Cliff Whitlow?" Dean asked him. "I can't tell you." Cliff said. "Well, either you tell us or we tell the missus." I said, folding my arms across my chest. "Okay! Okay! It was a game." Cliff said, panicked. "Like...XBox?" Sam asked, confused. "What's XBox? No. Poker. High stakes. Instead of cash, you play for years." Cliff said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dean asked. "Look, I know it sounds crazy. Guy comes up to me at a bar, invites me to play. Gives me twenty-five of these weirdo poker chips, right? Chants some mumbo humbo over them, says now they're twenty-five years. I'm laughing, but then I come out up. And look at me." Cliff said. "What was he chanting?" Sam asked and Cliff laughs.

"How should I know? All I know is, my bad hip's good, I threw away my glasses. One of those ladies was here for free! Man's some kind of miracle worker." Cliff said. "What does this miracle worker look like?" I asked. "Just a guy. Maybe thirty-five, brown hair. Irish accent. His name was Patrick." Cliff said.

"All right, all right. Where's this game at?" Dean asked him. "He said he likes to keep moving. Never stays in one bar long. And he finds you." Cliff said. "Thank you, Cliff." Dean said and we head for the door but Dean stops and turns to Cliff. "Oh, and, uh...stay classy." he said and we leave.

"It sounds crazy, right?" Dean said to Bobby over the phone as we get into the Impala, phone was on speaker so Sam and I could hear. "No. There's lore on it. Goes back centuries. Traveling card player pops into town. You beat him, you get your best years back. 'Course, most folks lose." Bobby said. "Well, that would explain the crunchy corpse." Dean said.

"Supposedly, this player's a hell of a card shark. Got a lot of years in the bank. You find the bar he's working in yet?" Bobby asked. "There's a lot of dives in this town. We're gonna have to split up." Dean said. "Well, why you still talking to me?" Bobby growls and he hangs up and Dean shuts his phone.

After looking around at some bars and not finding anything, Sam and I met up and I call Dean. "Find anything?" I asked him once he answered. "Yeah, a whole bunch of squat. You?" he asked me. "No, not a thing. Sam also didn't come up with anything." I said.

"All right. Well, you come up dry, circle back to the motel in two. Your turn to grab dinner." Dean said and I laugh, lightly. "Let me guess, your usual with extra bacon?" I said and Dean chuckles. "You know me so well." Dean said and I smile before I hang up.

I turn to Sam. "Hungry?" I asked him and he smiles. "Starving." He said and I gesture for him to follow me and we go to a nearby fast food place.

We got into the restaurant, ordered our food and waited for it. As we waited, Sam was looking over at the little play place this restaurant had for young kids. The sounds of kids screaming, talking and running around as they climb into the jungle gym or slide down the slide.

"You know, I kinda miss having that innocence." Sam said and I nod. "Yeah, having not a care in the world and not worry about monsters and demons..." I said. "Or the end of the world." Sam said and I nod. "Especially, that." I said. "All you worried about was homework and what the next new toy was gonna be." I said.

"Then it gets crazy as teenagers." Sam said and I giggle and nod. "Oh, God, yeah. Hormones are the worse. So confusing when your body was changing. And getting interested in dating." I said and Sam laughs. "Yeah, I remember getting so nervous around girls and kissing." Sam said and I give him a playful look. "What? You weren't nervous when you kissed me." I said and Sam groans.

"Oh, God, you had to bring that up. We were kids!" He said and I laugh. "I still remember when you asked me. You were like I just...want to see what's it like." I said, doing a high pitch voice mimicking Sam. "Hey, you were the only person I trusted and I remember you were just as curious." Sam said and I laugh. "Oh, I'm not denying it. But it is funny to kinda look back on. Especially after we shared that kiss and both of us agreed that it was weird." I said.

"Yeah..." he said and I stare at him and he has the oh, crap look on his face. "I-I-I mean, you weren't bad, it was just....weird kissing you...I mean..." Sam stammers, in a panic, and I laugh. "Sam, it's okay. I get it." I said as I pat his arm, he lets out a soft chuckle and we share a smile. "Besides, I get to say I've gotten to kiss both the Winchester Brothers." I said and Sam shakes his head. "Yeah, I'll bet." He laughs. "It's on my resume. Hard-working, Always on time, got to kiss the Winchester Brothers." I said and we laugh.

"But we both agree to never tell Dean." Sam said. "Oh yeah, definitely." I said just as our order number was called out.

Later, we make it to the motel and Sam opens it and we enter, Sam was carrying the sodas as I carried the bag of food and we put it on the table. "Hey, Dean? You find anything?" Sam called out. "Uh, you might say." an unfamiliar raspy voice replied.

Startled, Sam and I turn and draw our guns, aiming at this old man in a bathrobe. He had short white hair and he looked about maybe sixty or seventy years old. "Who the hell are you!?" I asked the old man as he raised his hands. "Guys, relax. It's me." he said and I furrow my brow while Sam lowers his gun.

"Dean?" Sam said, confused, and I look over at him then over at the old man, confused. "Hi." Dean said and my jaw drops as I lower my gun. "What the hell happened?" I asked him, shocked. "I, you know...found the game." Dean replied as he heads for the food and picks up a burger.

"You f—I thought you said you were g-good at poker." Sam exclaimed. "I am. Shut up." Dean grumbles then he gestures to us. "So, you two were just gonna shoot some old guy? Is that it?" Dean asked and I make a noise of disbelief. "We didn't know what you were. I mean, have you seen you? You look like—" I said, shocked.

"The old chick in Titanic. I know. Shut up." Dean said, his mouth full of the burger. "I was gonna say the Crypt Keeper." I said and Dean glares at me. "I would've said Emperor Palpatine." Sam said as a door thuds open and Bobby rolls in.

"I see you two met John McCain there." Bobby said, nodding towards Dean. "Yeah. Either of you want to tell us what happened?" Sam asked, still just as shocked as me. "Bobby's an idiot. That's what happened." Dean said. "Hey, nobody asked you to play." Bobby yells then the two began to argue.

"Right. I should have just let you die." Dean said. "And for damn sure, nobody asked you to lose!" Bobby said and Sam looks over at me and smiles. "It's like Grumpy Old Men." he said and I stifle a laugh just as both Bobby and Dean turn to him. "Shut up, Sam." they said, in unison, then they turn to each other and continue to argue.

"What the hell were you thinking? He's a witch. He's been playing poker since guys wore tights." Dean said to Bobby. "You just don't get it." Bobby growls. "Yeah, I get it, Bobby. You saw a chance to turn the hands of the clock back and get out of that damn chair. Pretty tempting. I can imagine." said Dean. "No, you can't." Bobby growls. "You got me. I never been paralyzed. But I tell you something—I've been to hell, and there's an archangel there wanting me to drop the soap. Look at me! My junk's rustier than yours! You hear me bellyaching? Huh?" Dean yells at him. "Uh, actually, yeah." I said then Dean places a hand on his chest.

"Oh!" Dean groans and he sits down, still holding his burger. "I'm having a heart attack." he said and Sam looks worried while I go over to Dean. "No, you're not." Bobby said. "What is it?" Dean asked as I kneel next to his seat and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Acid reflux. Guys your age can't digest certain foods. You're gonna need to put down that cheeseburger." Bobby said. Dean sighs and puts down the burger.

"So, you want to keep emoting, or you want to talk about solving this little issue of yours? It's got to be about the chips." Bobby said. "I slid 'em across, Patrick did his little witchy number, and you prettied up in a hurry." Dean said. "I mean, what are you all thinking? Some kind of magic chips or something?" Sam asked. "Definitely." Bobby said as Sam sits down.

"You remember what he chanted?" Dean asked Bobby. "Yep—every word." Bobby said. "All right, then let's find out where he stashes his chips." I said. "And steal me fifty. Benjamin Button me back into burger shape. What do you think?" Dean asked and I look at the bathrobe he was wearing. "I think you ought to put some clothes on." I said to him.

Later, there was a knock at the door and Dean, who now is fully dressed, goes to answer the door. A young maid, with a cart and an armful of towels, standing at the door. "Ready for housekeeping, sir?" she asked. "Yes, ma'am." Dean said as Sam and I walk up next to Dean.

"You ready?" I asked him and the housekeeper smiled at us. "It's so nice to see you and your boyfriend take your grandpa out on the town." She said, nodding at me and Sam, and Dean looks at her, offended, while I hold back a laugh. "Oh, yeah, it's great." Sam said, trying not to laugh as well. "But watch out, he'll try to flirt with you." I said to her as I pat Dean's arm and she laughs.

"Oh, that's like my grandfather. He hits on anything that moves, too." she said as she heads past us and Dean glares at me and Sam while we stifle our laugh. "Yeah, he's a handful." I said and the housekeeper giggles and I look at Bobby, who was smiling as well, then I look back at Dean. "Can we just go?" He asked us, annoyed.

Bobby, Dean, Sam and I sit in Bobby's van and watch people go by. The witch guy, Patrick, comes out of a building then he checks his watch and crosses the street without looking, noticing too late that a car is coming: it slams right into him. The driver gets out and checks his injuries then he runs over to a construction crew nearby.

"Guys, get some help! He came out of nowhere! Right out in front of me!" he yells and the boys and I all stare at this when another car drives by, Patrick in the driver's seat. The driver and the construction workers look between him and where Patrick got hit by the driver's car.

Dean laughs. "I got to say, I kind of like the guy." he said.

We followed Patrick to an apartment building then we watch him leave the building, get in his car, and drive off. The boys and I exchange looks, none of us could believe our luck and we get out of the truck. We get to the building and Dean holds the door open while Sam rolls Bobby inside, I follow close behind. Sam then let Bobby roll himself until he stops and sighs.

"Well, I'm out." Bobby said and I look over and see a sign on the elevator that reads ELEVATOR OUT OF ORDER SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. Sam and I look at it, then at Bobby, and both of us sigh.

Minutes later, Sam and I jog up a flight of stairs with no difficulty. We stop at the landing to see Dean walking up one step at a time. "Dean." Sam said as he points to a sign with a large 2. Dean sighs and Sam and I continue up the stairs.

Sam and I leave the stairwell but I stop and wait for a few minutes as Dean, eventually, makes it up the stairs, breathing hard. "C'mon, you old fart." I teased and he glares at me again. "Don't give me that look, this is your fault." I said. "Technically...it's..Bobby's." Dean said, in between breathes. "Good point, both of you were being stupid." I scolded and I turn and walk down the hallway.

We come up to the door of room 3701 and Sam sorts through his lockpicks. He then picks the lock and opens it, the three of us enter. We look around the nice room until Dean said. "Guys?"

Sam and I go over to see that he had opened an armoire with a false back, where there was a safe. "Dime-store model. Piece of cake." Dean said and he turns the dial, squinting and leans in and out, obviously the numbers are too blurred for him to read.

"It's like Mission: Pathetic. Watch out." Sam said and he pushes Dean out of the way and turns the dial: it opens quickly. There are quite a few poker chips in the safe. "I could have done that." Dean grumbles. "Honey, by the time you would've gotten to it, Sam and I would have reached old age as well." I said as Sam starts to grab handfuls of chips.

"What are you doing?" A female voice asked and we turn around to see a dark blonde haired woman, wearing a black dress and a large silver locket. "Aren't you the chick from the bar?" Dean asked her. "I'm a lot more than that." she said and she throws up a hand, clenches a fist, and twists. Dean doubles over. "Dean!" I said, worried, as Patrick hurries up and puts a hand on the girl's arm.

"It's all right, sweetheart. It's all right. They're harmless." He said to her and the girl lets Dean go while Patrick steps forward to us. "You three want chips? Take 'em. They're just chips, Einsteins. It's showmanship. This may come as a shock, but the magic does not lie in a pile of crappy plywood or in any phony abracadabra. It's in the nine-hundred-year-old witch. You three want years? Score 'em the old-fashioned way. Texas hold 'em." He explains as he chews on his toothpick.

"Fine. Let's do it." Dean demands and Patrick pulls a card out of a pocket. It's the eight of hearts. "What card am I holding up?" he asked and Dean squints at it and doesn't answer. "That's what I thought. If your eyesight's that bad, what about your memory? I'm not a murderer. You two, on the other hand..." Patrick said as he looks at me and Sam, Dean turns to us.

"No, guys." Dean said, in a warning tone.

"Dean." Sam and I said, exasperated.

"What, these two not much of a player? Okay, well, happy trails, Dean. Enjoy the twilight of your life. Should have taken better care of that ticker, though." Patrick said and he opens the door. "You're free to go." he said and Dean leaves, Sam and I follow.

"Oh, but, you two..." Patrick said and we turn as he points at me and Sam. "Your brother's situation—that's punishment enough, but I can't let you leave without a small parting gift." He said then he claps three times.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, confused. "You two'll find out soon enough." Patrick said. "Let's get out of here, guys." Dean said and we leave, he-witch closes the door behind us.

We head for the outside door when I noticed Sam scratching the inside of his thighs. At that moment, I felt a painful feeling in my lower stomach area, a pretty familiar feeling that I experience once a month.

I place my hand over my lower stomach as Sam opens the door for us and he scratches some more. "Dude..." Dean said to Sam, who turns to him. "I believe that he-witch gave you the clap." Dean said and Sam goes stiff at this then marches off.

Dean laughs and he turns to me, noticing me clutching my lower stomach. "What did he give you, princess?" Dean asked and I glare at him. "Cramps. Really bad one. So, if you want to live long enough to de-age, I'd suggest you shut up." I growled at him and I walk away.

The next day, the boys and I head towards the motel. "Little help here?" Bobby asked, annoyed, and I forgot...to get to the motel we have to go up an incline. So I go and push Bobby up. "You know, I still think Sam or I should play." I said. "No, no, no. Neither of you are good enough. I'm better. Bobby's way better. We both lost." Dean said. "Exactly." Bobby said.

"So, what? So (y/n) and I don't get a say in this?" Sam asked, annoyed. "Sammy, when you get to be our age—" Dean said and I give a look of disbelief at Dean. "You're thirty, Dean!" I shouted, annoyed. "Look, I've watched you hustle plenty of poker—" I started to say but Bobby talks over me.

"Knowing the game is not enough, (y/n). It's not about playing the cards." He said. "It's about playing the other guy. I know that." I said. "Well, hooray for you. All I'm saying is, I played this guy. I know his style. I can take him." Bobby said. "No, Bobby. You don't have enough years in the bank." Dean said. "I got enough." Bobby mumbles. "No, you'll die if you lose, Bobby." Sam said.

"So what if I do, huh? What exactly am I living for, huh? The damn apocalypse? Watching men die bloody while I sit in this chair, can't take a step to help 'em?" Bobby asked, angrily. "Bobby—" Dean said, exasperated. "No, no. It's the facts. I'm old...and broke down...and I can't..." Bobby stops to take a moment to breathe. "I ain't a hunter no more. I'm useless. And if I wasn't such a coward, I'd have stuck a gun in my mouth day I got home from the hospital." Bobby admits and all of us fall silent.

"Bobby, you are not playing again. I'm not letting you do that. There's another way out of this. There's got to be. And I'm gonna find it." I said and I walk pass the boys, angrily.

*3rd Person POV*

Dean opens the door so Bobby can roll in, then Sam and Dean walk in as Bobby looks up and stops abruptly. Lia, Patrick's assistant, is sitting on the bed, holding up a piece of paper. "Take it. It'll help you." she said and Bobby rolls closer and takes it.

"What is this?" he asked. "The most powerful reversal spell you've ever laid your eyes on." she replied. "And it reverses what?" Sam asked. "Patrick's work—all of it." Lia replied. "You—you saying I could be normal again?" Dean asked. "You and everyone else he's ever played. Who's still alive." Lia said, correcting herself at that last part.

"Why the hell should we trust you?" Dean asked her. "Trust me, don't trust me. I don't care. The spell is real." she said and she gets up and heads for the door. "If it zaps everyone, don't that include your man?" Bobby asked her. "And me, too. I look good for my age." she said.

"Lady, this don't add up for squat. Why would you want that?" Bobby asked her, suspiciously. "I have my reasons." Lia replied then she looks at her silver locket. "Do it quick. We leave town tomorrow." she said and she leaves. Dean, Sam and Bobby watch her go, then look at each other.

Meanwhile, under the bar, Patrick chews on a toothpick, a glass of whiskey in front of him. On the table are five cards in a row, the eight of spades, five and four of clubs, king of diamonds, and jack of hearts, and a pile of poker chips, about three dozen. His opponent, an old man named Hesh, clinks his poker chips against each other (he has at most ten), looking at his two face-down cards.

Patrick looks at his own cards: the kings of hearts and spades, for three of a kind. Hesh has the nines of clubs and diamonds for one pair and he throws a few chips on the pile. "Bet." Hesh said and Patrick takes out his toothpick.

"I sense you've got me by the jewels on this one, Hesh. I fold." Be said and Hesh collects his chips. "What are you up—like thirteen years there, Hesh? What do you say we call it a day?" Patrick said and Hesh chuckles. "Thanks, Patrick." he said and Patrick looks up.

"Hesh here is gonna live to see his granddaughter's bat mitzvah." Patrick said and Hesh turns around to see who he was talking to. It is (y/n). "Isn't that right, Hesh?" Patrick asked Hesh, who turns back to him. "Thanks again, Patrick." Hesh said. "Shalom, my friend. Shalom." Patrick said and Hesh gets up and leaves.

Patrick then shuffles the cards. "That was nice of you." (y/n) said. "I'm a nice guy. What can I do you for, miss?" he asked as he keeps shuffling then (y/n) sits down. "Deal." she said and Patrick smirks at her. "And your name?" He asked her. "(Y/n)." She replied.

At the cemetery, Bobby sits at the foot of a grave while Dean and Sam dig. "Jawbone of a murderer. Great." Dean grumbles as he sticks the shovel in the dirt, breathing hard. "You know, this really sucks. How do we even know her spell's gonna work?" Dean asked. "We don't. But we ain't got a Plan B. Now, less flappin' and more diggin'." Bobby yells and Dean goes to move another scoop of dirt while Sam keeps going.

Then something cracks. "Oh, God!" Dean moans and Bobby rolls his eyes while Sam shakes his head and continues to dig. "My elbows! I'm all creaky." Dean moans. "Hurry up, you crybaby." Bobby spat at him. "Pound it up your ass, Ironsides." Dean growls.

"One little grave. And you got your brother helping you." Bobby said. "Then you do it." Dean said. "Fine. I'll hop right in." Bobby said, sarcastically. "Guys." Sam said, exasperated, but Dean and Bobby continue to argue. "Well, least your legs are numb." Dean sneers. "Shut up and dig, Grandma." Bobby spat and Dean goes back to digging.

"Oh! Now it's my back!" Dean groans,m as he leans forward and Sam sighs, annoyed. "Can you straighten up?" Bobby asked him. "Yeah, but a little sympathy wouldn't hurt." Dean said. "Butt cheek tingling?" Bobby asked Dean and he turns to him. "Well, that's kind of personal." Dean said.

"So yeah?" Bobby said, questioning, and Dean looks up. "It's sciatica. You'll live. Keep digging." Bobby said, not caring, and Dean glares at him. "You know, Bobby, killing you is officially on my bucket list." Dean said and Sam looks over at him. "Dean, can we just hurry and get this done. I don't know how much longer (y/n) can keep him distracted." Sam said as he continues to dig.

"I still don't like that (y/n) is playing that game." Dean grumbles as he goes back to digging. “She insisted.” Sam said. “That woman can be real stubborn sometimes.” Dean grumbled. “I wonder where she gets that from.” Sam teased and Dean shoots him a dirty look.

"Anyway, I trust her. Between the two of us, I think (y/n) has a better chance with him." Sam said. “Geez, why don’t you marry her?” Dean said, sarcastically. “Not her type. She seems to be into 70 year old men.” Sam joked and Dean glares at him again. “Cut that chitchat, boys, and keep digging.” Bobby ordered.

Patrick chews on his toothpick, he has a glass of whiskey on the table, two cards in his hand, and several stacks of chips. Several chips are piled in the middle of the table next to the four of diamonds, a red court card, a black seven, the three of hearts, and a black two. He takes the toothpick out.

"I like you, (y/n). I do. You're smart, and your heart's clearly in the right place." He said but (y/n) doesn't respond. Then Patrick throws down his toothpick and drinks his whiskey. "I can tell a lot about a person by looking." He said. "You mean you're psychic." (y/n) said and Patrick snorts a laugh. "No. That'd be cheating. I'm talking about good old-fashioned intuition." he said and (y/n) nods.

"Right. Let's just play." she said as Patrick drinks more whiskey. "We are playing." he said and he puts the glass down next to the toothpick. "Does your boyfriend know you're here?" Patrick asked her, suspiciously. "Bet five." (y/n) said as she drops a stack of five chips on the pile. She has a lot fewer chips left than Patrick. "Didn't think so." Patrick said, smiling.

He puts one stack of five on another and adds that stack to the pile. "I raise. Here you are, right? Trying to clean up their mess, and they still want to sit you at the kiddie table." Patrick said and (y/n) looks down.

"You're not a little girl anymore, (y/n)." Patrick tells her as he toys with a few chips. (Y/n) looks up at him as he continues. "Then again, maybe you are. You're in over your head here, (y/n). I mean, you can keep making these moves—you know, playing it cautious, playing the percentages. But I'm still gonna kick your ass into the nursing home." Patrick taunts.

"Does this armchair-psychology routine usually work for you?" (Y/n) asked and Patrick laughs. "You tell me. You're the one who's losing." Patrick said as he chews his toothpick.

A little later, Patrick shuffles the cards, chewing his toothpick. He has thirty or thirty-five chips and (y/n) fifteen or twenty. She plays with a few of her chips while Lia walks in. Patrick puts down the toothpick and Lia leans down to kiss Patrick. Patrick looks at (y/n) and winks. "Little break?" he asked and (y/n) nods.

(Y/n) bursts out of doors that reads EMMIT'S PUB DELIVERY RING. She looks around and spots Dean. "How's it going in there?" he asked her and she scoffs. "How do you think it's going? What about you? You have everything you need?" (y/n) asked him and he nods. "We still need a little he-witch DNA." Dean said and (y/n) holds up a toothpick

"He was chewing it." she said as Dean takes it. "Hurry up, Dean. Please." She pleads and Dean grins a bit. "You know, I love it when you beg." He said and (y/n) rolls her eyes. "Oh, God." She groans. "Yeah, just like that!" Dean teased and (y/n) glares at him. "Shut up!" She said.

“You know, if we weren’t so pressed for time I would suggested a quickie behind that dumpster.” Dean said, pointing the toothpick towards a nearby dumpster. “Get out of here, you pig!” (Y/n) commanded and she turns to walk back towards the door. "Besides, your old ass couldn't keep up with me." She teased, looking over her shoulder and winking at Dean, before heading back inside and leaving Dean standing there, stunned and a little turned on.

Oh, when I get back to normal, she's gonna get it... Dean thought as he turned then started rubbing his sore arm from all the digging he had to do.

(Y/n) plays with her chips when Patrick sits back down. Lia stands behind Patrick, who pushes the deck of cards across the table.

"Airmidh mi air maponus, dia na hogalachd. Gairmidh mi air sucellus, dia na time." Bobby recites, reading from Lia's paper while Sam and Dean stand at the bowl full of burning things. Dean throws a handful of an item in the flames, which flare up blue.

"Till an-dràsda obair uile gu bheilair a bhith deànta. Mar sin bitheadh." Bobby said then he looks up at Dean. "Drop it in." he tells Dean, who looks at the toothpick and adds it to the fire.

"Well? How do I look?" Dean asked after a moment of silence but Bobby and Sam don't reply. The truthful answer is eighty years old.

Back at the bar, Patrick looks at (y/n). "Question." Patrick said and he holds up a toothpick. "Is this what you meant to give your boyfriend?" Patrick asked her but (y/n) doesn't let her expression change. Lia flicks a glance at the toothpick.

"The one you gave him never passed my lips. Won't do a scrap of good." Patrick growls and he throws the toothpick across the table. "I don't like cheating, (y/n)." Patrick said, in a threatening tone, then he stretches out his hand and clenches a fist. (y/n) stiffens, gasping for breath, while Lia watches. (y/n) puts a hand to her throat.

"Stop it!" Lia shouts as she grabs Patrick's wrist. "Patrick, let her go!" Lia shouts. "She tried to kill us!" Patrick yells. "I did it! I gave her the spell!" Lia shouts at him. Patrick, shocked, releases (y/n) and looks up at Lia as (y/n) gasps in air.

"What?" he asked her as he stands up and touches Lia's face. "Why...why would you do that?" he asked her, upset. "You know why." Lia said then she touches her silver locket. "You know." she whispers and Patrick looks away for a moment, then sits down.

"Keep. Playing." Patrick mutters and Lia looks away while (y/n) glances at her.

Bobby is driving his van while Dean is sitting next to him and Sam in the backseat. "Everything we put in that spell was kosher." Bobby said. "Yeah, everything except the damn toothpick." Dean said. "You two got to go get a speck of DNA. Strap on your track shoes." Bobby said as he looks at Dean, who rolls his eyes. "Oh, goody. More stairs." Dean mutters, sarcastically.

More than a dozen chips are piled next to the eight of hearts, the queens of clubs and diamonds, and the two of diamonds. Patrick discards a card and deals the ace of clubs, (y/n) has her hands folded against her mouth.

"It's too damn clean in here. First witch I ever heard of didn't spew bodily fluids all over the place." Dean said to Bobby over the phone as he and Sam look around Patrick's apartment. "Toothbrush, comb—anything." Bobby said as Sam and Dean continue to search.

(Y/n) stacks five chips next to another five next to the pile. "Well, look at you—the percentage player betting the farm. Awful transparent of you, (y/n). I mean, if I had a monster hand like you have, I'd trap you. But you get so excited, you bet yourself right out of a big pot." Patrick said then he sniffs and picks up his face-down cards. "I fold." he said as he discards his cards.

"Set of ladies, I'm guessing." Patrick said as (y/n) collects a couple dozen chips and turns over her cards: the three of clubs and five of diamonds, for one pair of queens. "Nice bluff. If we had time, I could make a real player out of you." Patrick said as (y/n) stacks her chips. "I got time." she said, sternly, and Patrick grins.

"Maybe. But I can't say the same for Dean. Your boyfriend's gonna be dead soon." Patrick taunts and (y/n) looks up at him. "And when I say soon..." Patrick said then he leans forward. "I mean minutes." He informs her and (y/n)'s expression changes, fearful, and she stands up.

Patrkck extends a fist to yank her back down with witchcraft. "The game's not over till I say it is. Blinds." Patrick growls and he slaps down two chips and (y/n) one.

Dean spots a wine glass on a table, still with a little wine left undrunk. But then he starts toward it and stops. "(Y/n)..." he whispers and starts slumping on the floor, groaning. "Dean!" Sam exclaimed as he runs to his brother.

Patrick deals two face-down cards apiece. (y/n) glances at hers and adds another chip to the pot. "So." Patrick mutters as he slaps down three cards and spreads them out: the ace of spades and fours of hearts and clubs. (y/n) eyes the cards.

"When it's about your boyfriend, you get so emotional, your brain just flies right out the window." He said, illustrating with a hand gesture. "Good to know." He said, smiling. "Go to hell." (y/n) spat at him, viciously, then she shoves all her chips into the middle. "I'm all in." she said and Lia glances at her.

Patrick sighs as he checks his cards. "Don't do that, (y/n)." He said. "I can't leave until it's over? Fine. It's over. Now, where's Dean?" (Y/n) asked him, angrily. "Look, there's poker and then there's suicide." Patrick warns her. "Just play the hand." (Y/n) said.

"Sam? Dean? Boys, you there?" Bobby asked through the phone while Dean gasps, weakly. "C'mon, Dean!" Sam said, worried. "Boys?!" Bobby calls out and Sam runs to the phone. "Bobby!" Sam exclaimed once the phone gets to his ear. "What's going on?" Bobby asked as Dean starts to go still. "DEAN!" Sam screams, fearfully.

Patrick adds all his chips to the pot. "Fine." he said and he discards a card and deals the seven of diamonds and the nine of spades. (Y/n) and Patrick stare each other down, (y/n) worried, Patrick smug, Lia nervous.

Patrick turns over his face-down cards: aces of clubs and diamonds. "I'm sorry, kid. Aces full." Patrick said as (y/n) looks at the cards. Then she lets out a breath then glances at Lia. "You're crying." she said, questioning, while Lia sniffles, looking away.

"For a witch, you're so nice, it's actually kind of creepy. It's okay." (y/n) said then she looks at Patrick. "It was a great hand." she said and Patrick moves to collect the chips: the only hands that can beat a full house with three aces are a four of a kind and a straight flush. The flop cards are three different suits, so he knows (y/n) cannot possibly have a straight flush, and he knows the odds are very slim that (y/n) has the remaining two fours.

"Just—" (y/n) started to say then Patrick looks up. "—not as great as—" (y/n) said and she turns over her face-down cards, the fours of diamonds and spades. She knew she had a four of a kind from the moment the flop cards were dealt; the only way to beat a four of a kind is with a straight flush, which she knew Patrick could not possibly have.

"—as four fours." she finished and Patrick glances up at her, then down at the cards. (y/n) takes a deep breath and lets it out while Patrick leans back. "Well played. You know, that whole...going-out-of-your-head bit—very method." Patrick said and (y/n) smirk.

"Well, there's more to you than meets the eye." Patrick said as he raises his glass, (y/n) nods. "Cash these in for Dean, please." she said and Patrick nods and sets down the glass. "With pleasure." he said, smiling.

"Boys, you hear me? Damn it, boys!" Bobby shouts then he spots something inside the building and turns to look. Someone comes out the door: it's Sam then he steps aside, revealing Dean now thirty again. He holds out his arms, grinning, and does a little dance as he approaches the van.

Bobby stares as Dean jumps up, clicking his heels in the air, while Sam shakes his head. "Idjits." Bobby mumbles under his breath.

*(y/n)'s POV*

I was sitting at the motel when the door to the room opens. I look up and see Sam pushing Bobby in the room, and following him is Dean now looking his normal self. "Dean!" I said, happily, and he goes over to me, pulls me into him and kisses me.

"Well...you're welcome." I said after we break the kiss. "So...No tricks—you actually beat the guy?" Bobby asked me and I pull out of Dean's embrace and spread my arms. "How the hell?" Sam asked me as Dean grabs a burger. "Luck and...a few tricks I learned from my dad." I said, smirking, and the boys give me an impressed look. "That's my girl!" Dean said and I smile.

"Hey. I'll see y'all guys later." Sam said as he grabs his jacket. "Where you going?" Dean asked him. "Uh...mm, nowhere." Sam said and we all look at him. "A booster shot. Don't say it." Sam said and he leaves.

"Well, I guess we can get the van loaded." Bobby groans while Dean sets his burger down. He holds up a finger and clears his throat. "I shouldn't have called you an idiot." Dean said to him. "Which time?" Bobby asked him.

"I'm sorry. I mean, I actually—I, I—I get it. Getting old ain't a bachelor party. And dealing with the crap you got to deal with—" Dean said and Bobby rolls his eyes. "Don't you go on pity patrol." Bobby grumbles. "I'm not. I'm not. I'm just...I'm saying, you know, if I was in your shoes..." Dean said. "You'd never stop complaining." Bobby said and Dean stares for a moment.

"Fair enough. You're not useless, Bobby." Dean said. "Okay. Good talk." Bobby said and he goes to roll away but Dean steps in his path. "No, wait a minute. Listen to me." He said and he sits down next to me on the bed and sighs.

"You don't stop being a soldier 'cause you got wounded in battle. Okay? No matter what shape you're in, bottom line is, you're family. I don't know if you've noticed, but me, (y/n) and Sam, we don't have much left. I can't do this without you. I can't. So don't you dare think about checking out. I don't want to hear that again." Dean said to him and there was a long silence as I look between the two men, my heart was actually breaking for Bobby. I know it must be devastating and hard without having the ability to walk.

"Okay." Bobby said. "Okay. Good." Dean said. "Thanks. Now, we done feeling our feelings? 'Cause I'd like to get out of this room before we both start growing lady parts." Bobby said and I snort out a chuckle. "Yeah, we're done." Dean said then he and I get up.

I grab my bag as Dean picks up his burger, looks at it, and puts it back down then picks up his bag. "Let's go, Ironsides." Dean said as he slings his bag over his shoulder and heads for the door. "Oh, that one's sticking, huh?" Bobby asked and Dean looks back, smiling, and he takes my hand and we leave the room.

@rach5ive @kitsun369 @itzabbyxx @cevans-winchester @ellie-andthemachine

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pierre-reads-comics · 3 months

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Fantastic Four (1961) #44 — Stan Lee, Jack Kirby

A vacuum gun? But...wouldn't that mean you'd also be unable to breathe? OK, whatever, haha.

But she knows Gorgon's name, so...not amnesia?

#Fantastic Four #FF V1 44 #Madame Medusa #Johnny Storm

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ratsoh-writes · 6 months

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Ages updated!!!!

I’m gonna do my best to include all important characters, including some “side characters” that appear often enough! So let’s begin!

Undertale: Sans: 65, papyrus: 49, Undyne: 47, alphys: 54,Toriel: 934, Asgore: 933, Grillby: 522, Mettaton: 22

Underswap: Star: 60, honey: 44, Twister: 44, Winter: 1013, Napstablook: 23

Underfell: Red: 66, edge: 43, storm: 44, King: 998, felltron: 21

Swapfell Mal: 60, cash: 51

Horrortale Oak: 75, willow: 59, Miss: 944

Horrorswap Lilac: 70, Basil: 54

Horrorfell Rust: 76, Noir: 53

Underlust Charm: 66, sugar: 52, Amor: 367, winnie: 10

Lustswap Sparks: 59, Salt: 50

Lustfell Lush: 63, Pepper: 51, Jezebel: 212, Marcelo goldenfoot: 455

Lustswapfell Sir: 68, weasel: 52, snow: 61

Lustred Flambe: 55, Pesto: 54

Lustgold Butler: 68, gold: 49

Outertale Pluto: 67, Jupiter: 49, titan: 598

Outerfell Orion: 60, atlas: 52

Outerswap Helios: 44, Artemis 36

Fellswap Lord: 60, mutt: 53

Fellswap gold Wine: 64, coffee: 50, Empress: 1033

Farmtale Peaches: 51, rancher: 46, Rosemary: 550, Yosemite: 501

Farmswap Cider: 50, Barley: 42, Carmen: 85, whisky: 520

Farmfell Ram: 49, pitch: 40, russet: 478, pooch: 489

Horrorfarm Moose: 64, maple: 53

Mafias Butch: 60, snipe: 58, ace: 53, boss: 50, slim: 48, bruiser: 45, tempest: 64, Don: 645, Madame: 647, Mr corgi (aka Charles): 67

Birdtale Quill: 59, crow: 51

Birdswap Mango: 62, papaya: 36, canary: 278

Birdfell Roost: 53, harpy: 42, Lewis: 90

Draketale Alden: 68, Ollivander: 60

Drakefell Barin: 71, Arwin: 59

Drakeswap Hilda: 66, saga: 63

Seatale Fisher: 60, Jasper 25

Seaswap Finn: 59, sails: 27

Seafell Hook: 58, captain: 30

Gastertale G: 80, green: 79

Dancetale Pop: 52, rhythm: 45, salsa: 678

Theatretale Tempo: 50, vibrato: 29

Fallouttale Lens: 69, cricket, 49, piranha: 65

Templetale Zen: 67, shield: 35

Nomadtale Gears: 49, compass: 42, copper: 645, lilo: 21, weave: 126, wisteria: 157, linden: 158

Here’s a quick rundown of a monsters lifespan:

A common monster has a life expectancy of 700 years give or take. The oldest monster in record (that wasn’t a royal) was a Drake monster who lived 732 years.

They are considered infants/babies up until the age of two. Toddlerhood is from 2-6

Children are from the ages of 7-13. Most monsters start public school at ages 7-8

Teenagers are from 14-19. Monsters mature at a slower rate than humans, and so while the body may look grown in the later teen years, they have yet to develop sexual maturity until around 20.

Once 20 they are considered adults, but some subspecies can continue growing up till 30

After puberty in the early 19-22 range, a monster is considered a young adult from 25-190. You can compare those ages to a human in their early to mid 20s physically

Middle Ages range from 200s- 400s roughly

500s are considered older and retirement age, 600s are elderly. Anything past 680 is fragile

The lifespan goes down with halfbreed monsters ( “full” monster parent and “full” human parent) where they live around 600-650 years

The lifespan takes a bigger drop for mages who have an expectancy of 250 years. Witches (humans who have trained to use magic) are known to live up to their 130s if they aren’t soulbonded to a monster partner.

Monsters and half breeds born with the disease called dimming rarely live past their 400s

An exception to the monster lifespan are the “royals”. They take a ritual after being voted into office that binds them to their country, making it so that any decisions they make for the country has to be for its and the peoples benefit (as far as they believe), making them a servant to ebott for the rest of their lives, but extending their life and health in return. The ritual can be broken for the royals who wish to retire and die in peace. The oldest recorded ruler was rumored to be around three thousand

And now the crash!!

For those who don’t know what that is, it’s when all the AUs merged (and my excuse for why all these guys are in the same place lol).

The crash started 17 years ago, and ended within 9 months. Since then no other mystery groups of monsters have been discovered.

Here’s a brief timeline of ebott from crash until now

First day: the land mass that holds ebott appears

Day 2: undertale, underswap, gastertale,, dancetale, theatretale, templetale, all the “farm” AUs, “lust” AUs and the “outer” AUs

Month one: the bird AUs fall from the sky, the nomads stumble out of the forest and the sea AUs mysteriously arrive on ship to shore

Month two, after two months, most of the fell aus (underfell, swapfell, fellswap gold) appear

Month three, the factory (mafias) monsters appear along with the “ghost city” now inhabited and known as ebott city, the capitol. A few weeks later, the fallout monsters appear and ebotts first official hospitals are created

Month four, the royals are finally brought together after threats of inner fighting, and Asgore is voted in as the king

Things settle for four more months, and the new land is explored, vary basic laws are out into place, and things start getting divided into districts.

Month five: Ebott makes contact with several other countries and is introduced to the worlds currency system. Ebotts gold, silver, copper coins is recognized as a currency by the rest of the world

Month seven, the first and only orphanage is founded for any unclaimed children.

On month nine of the crash, the monsters finally access the underground, and to their horror, they find three separate chambers housing the starving horror AUs who had no idea everything that was going on above.

Month ten, land is sold and divided, and ebott begins creating large scale farms

May 20, 2007, ebott celebrates their first official year as a country. The capitol city is named new ebott (cause Asgore sucks at naming things and frankly the rest of the royals aren’t much better)

May 30th, the royal guard is finally re-organized

December 2007, ebotts first countrywide gyftmas celebration, also an official design for the flag and coins are voted on and implemented

February 2008, the first official jail is built and used in ebott lol

July 2008, ebott is finally let into the rest of the worlds internet, and electricity reaches more areas besides just ebott city

August 2008, ebotts children and teens discover tik tok, and it is unanimously decided by every one that a standard public school has to be created

Late august 2008, the first public school is finished in city center

September 2008, the number of school sites number around 300, and counting

January 2009, ebott state college is built and open

April 2009, the ebott scouts is formed, and children hoping to join the guard in the future are able to sign up.

March 2010, ebott is opened by presiding countries for international students and charity programs

November 2010, the following of lady magic opens the temple to the public, and takes over the maintenance of what used to be known as the horrors underground. A grotto is transformed into a place of remembrance for those left behind before the crash

May 2011, the core from the stable underground is moved to the surface and duplicated into several other power factories. All of inhabited ebott is at least within an hour of power

May 2012, the stable underground is open to the public as a tourist attraction. Ebotts is opened by presiding countries to tourism

February 2013, because of public pressure from mainly farm, bird, lusts and the temple monsters, human-monster marriages are now recognized under the state as valid

July 2013 A farm monster discovers how to successfully cultivate magic crops from the underground, aboveground. He shares the secret for free, and other farm monsters take initiative to start sharing their own crop secrets. He is awarded the title of prince.

January 2014 Due to complaints about side effects from human foods, money is poured into research about safer ways to process and preserve foods in ebott.

April 2014, mellowmart becomes the largest company in ebott, finally beating out Walmart in scale.

December 2016, ebott petitions to be recognized as a free independent country to the United Nations. Ebott is turned down

December 2017, ebott petitions again to be recognized as an independent nation

February 2017 Immigration into ebott is closed, and monsters begin boycotting imported human goods. The ebott navy is built.

July 2017, ebott is declared an independent nation

March 2018, the royals declare ebott self sufficient in feeding the country when the amount of food related exports finally exceeds the imports for the first time

July 2018, ebott celebrates its first freedom festival

October 2018, the first college dedicated to the arts is opened in the captitol

July 2019, magical spars are declared the national sport after a grueling battle between spar fans and pickleball fans

November 2019, the first echo festival is celebrated in Goldenvalley

February 2020, humans not born in ebott are finally allowed to apply for citizenship, and the process for that is created.

April 2020 the goldenflower festival is organized for the first time

September 2020, several big brands like coco cola, Hersheys and nestle are banned in ebott when complaints of health issues becomes too much

March 2021, Wendy’s becomes the first company to create a monster-safe fast food outside of ebott, and after months of testing, is given permission to sell. Many other food companies follow and begin making separate recipes for their monster customers

May 2022, snails are declared the national animal of ebott, and popular snail breeds are recognized and the society of the domesticated snail is created for shows and licenses

November 2022, a different country tries to declare war on ebott on the grounds of them “stealing” their young working force (immigrant workers). Ebott threatens to close borders to tourists, those coming for medical care, and all outside companies selling in their lands. The untied nations slaps down the country declaring war.

February 2023, a new branch of the royal guard, called the NPTRF (national people’s trafficking relief foundation) or more commonly called the reverse kidnappers by ebotts supportive teens, is founded to combat the rapidly rising issue of monsters and humans being trafficked and dragged outside the country

#worldbuilding #I may add more to the timeline in the future #depends on if anyone suggests some necessary events

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