#she wants it she wins it call it ambition!!!!!

[whimsicalcotton]

drama queen make murder scenes

#sdhsjgfshj listen. it's near the top of her playlist for a reason. #she's not a girl she's a swarm of bees wrapped in a skin suit w perfect teeth! body bags + limousines!! gorgeous girls!!! guillotines!!!!!! #feed the beast on broken dreams; pheromones amphetamines!!! #she wants it she wins it call it ambition!!!!! #putting her in a jar and shaking her around. studying her under a microscope. Ouuagh; #anyways i rly liked the pink pallet from yesterday so fuck it i shall use it some more #nova scribbles

[most-datable-datable-bracket]

ROUND 5 MATCH 6

Claude propaganda:

"To say Claude has trust issues is an understatement—you have to spend half the game earning his. (Claude isn't even his real name!) Once you have it, though, he's absolutely ride or die for you until the stars go out. He is so full of heart and ambition: He wants both sides of his heritage to get along, he wants to open borders and eliminate xenophobia and promote equality between commonfolk, and deep down, I think he craves a partner to stand with him at that new dawn, or an equal who sees his vision for the future and will fight for it just as hard. Nobody believed in him when he was a kid, but if you put your faith in him, he'll return it tenfold. Some people don't like that he's calculating, or has to leave the player character at the end of the game to go back to his homeland, but both are necessary elements for his goals to change things. He will always come back, and everyone who bets against him and his love for his companions is wrong with a big fat W. #KhalidForMostDatablePrez"

"Claude is a fun little onion of facades. He calls himself the embodiment of distrust, he acts like he's carefree and without worries, an unscrupulous schemer--and so many in universe buy into that hook line and sinker. He's used to others viewing him with suspicion and uses it as armor to obscure his not-so-dark truth: that he cares immensely, that he values minimizing the loss of life, and that above all he has so much hope that people will fundamentally choose to do better given the choice.

His front guards a center that his conflict filled world would be happy to tear apart. As the child of people from two nations in constant conflict--one of which is explicitly isolationist and dehumanizes those outside its church's reach--he hasn't really had a place where he can be without his facade. As a child he thought he could run, but when confronted with the fact that this hatred existed no matter where he ran, he chose to instead try to create a more just and kind world.

His inability to let others in beyond his facade at first may lead to a sense of distance, but isn't it then all the more satisfying when you're allowed in? All he wants is a little trust, a little faith, and--like what he wants to give everyone--a chance to be better.

And like that you got a charming young lad with a fun personality that your grandma would be thrilled to have stay forever."

Josephine propaganda:

“you get to have a full Disney princess style romance with her, she is the most precious, the most sweet, I love her so much 🥺”

“Josephine's one of the "behind the scenes" companion for the protagonist and she advises them on diplomacy-related matters.

Her personal quest and romance is fairy-tale worthy: she gets threatened with assassination, you help her restore her family's fortune, you get threatened by her best friend to not break her heart, she doesn't dare to hope you mean anything serious when flirting until you spell it out for her, after which Josie agrees to a deeper relationship... And immediately after that she finds out her family has engaged her to a random noble without her knowledge!! You publicly challenge the suitor to a one-on-one duel to win her hand, she finds out and interrupts the duel because she's worried of the Inquisitor throwing literally the entire plot away and risk life in combat for her... To which of course you can confess that they're doing it because they love Josephine, and they get the cutest cutscene with Josie jumping in the Inquisitor's arms and them spinning her around before kissing each other <3 The betrothed steps away because he sees true love between the two. She and the Inquisitor stay together through the end game and after it, gaining a "second home" with her and her family.

She really believes in the Inquisitor's cause and from the very first conversations with her, she asks questions about your background and tries to make you feel welcomed (especially appreciated if the Inquisitor isn't human since people are less trusting of them). She's politically smart but dislikes violence, overall very sweet but still strong... Josie tends to overwork herself (she's a perfectionist) and at first she tries to keep a professional air at all times but if you encourage her, she will rant to you and spill all the tea about nobles lol.”

#claude von riegan #Fire Emblem #Fire Emblem: Three Houses #FE:3H #josephine montilyet #Dragon Age #dragon age inquisition #Round 5 #MDDC 2

[emeraldspiral]

I feel like we don't talk enough about how Gaz is also a victim of Membrane's neglect and how that affects her sibling rivalry with Dib.

Like, I think because Dib is the deuteragonist of the show and Gaz is a supporting character it's easier to focus on analyzing him and everything going on in his life that influences his maladjusted behavior. But not a lot of people talk as much about why Gaz is the way she is. Why are her main emotions apathy and anger? Why is she the only other kid at skool besides Dib and Zim with no friends to hang out with at lunch or recess? Why are her revenges against Dib over things like cereal and pizza so over-the-top? Why does she purposefully try to destroy all human life and then get mad when it doesn't work?

Some of Gaz's behaviors have a pretty clear-cut cause and effect. She and Dib don't get to spend much time with their dad, so she gets upset when Dib's actions threaten their time together. Dib is also selfish and inconsiderate of Gaz, frequently stealing her food or talking her ear off about stuff she doesn't care about and expecting her to take an interest while never asking about her hobbies.

But I think some of her hostility toward Dib and general sour attitude can also be explained by Membrane's unequal treatment.

I've seen elsewhere that some people think Membrane favors Gaz because she's his "normal" child. He actually respects her gaming hobby and doesn't treat it like a phase she needs to grow out of. He doesn't talk down to her or try to push her into giving up something she loves in order to win his approval. Where Dib is constantly arguing with his dad about the legitimacy of his version of science, he and Gaz seem to have an easy rapport free of that kind of tension.

But is Membrane's behavior toward Gaz really a sign of favoritism, or just a different form of neglect?

The main conflict between Dib and Membrane stems from Membrane wanting Dib to be his successor. In Chickenfoot he specifically calls Dib "the future of the Membrane Empire", against Dib's wishes. In Mopiness of Doom, he and Dib finally bond when Dib decides to temporarily give up paranormal science and assist him with "real science". And supposedly, part of Eric Trueheart's clone Dib concept was that Membrane engineered Dib specifically to carry on his legacy.

But all of this begs the question, where does Gaz fit into Membrane's grand designs? Is she just the spare? She's just as smart, if not smarter than Dib, but we never see any indication that Membrane's trying to push her toward a career in science the way he is with Dib. It's one thing for him to not be bothered about her gaming hobby because it's not "disreputable", but there's no indication that Gaz has anymore interest in becoming a "real" scientist than Dib. So does Membrane just assume that since she's never shown any other ambitions she'll just fall straight down the path that's already been laid out for her, or does he just not care what she does with her life because he's only focused on living vicariously through Dib?

We don't know exactly how Membrane views his kids, but it's easy to see how a little girl might come to some pretty negative conclusions about what her status is in her father's eyes. Even if it's not true, Gaz might very well believe that he favors Dib. That despite Dib rejecting the legacy she was never considered for, despite him constantly getting into trouble and being weird and annoying and embarrassing, and putting his stupid hobbies ahead of their family, their dad doesn't give up on him as a lost cause. Even when he has another perfectly good child who mostly behaves herself and stays out of trouble, would never try to upstage him or ruin an important moment for him, who appreciates what little time they have together and would never jeopardize it by running off to play with some stupid alien, and who's just as smart and capable and not a weirdo paranormal-obsessed freak, Membrane still wants Dib to be his successor and not her.

Not only does this add more layers to her contempt for Dib, it could also explain her apathy and misanthropy. If her dad doesn't care about her, why should she care about anything? If he isn't concerned with her future, why should she concern herself with anything other than the immediate gratification of video games and pizza? Her dad and her brother both think their work is so much more important than spending quality time with her or talking about anything other than their "important work" whenever they're together. They both think they're saving the world, but they're either too blindly optimistic or too egotistical to realize that the slack-jawed idiots populating the planet are beyond salvation. But maybe if there was no humanity left for them to save, no heroic ambitions to fulfill, they'd finally treat her like someone worth paying attention too.

#invader zim #gaz #gaz membrane #professor membrane #dib #dib membrane #gaz is just as messed up as dib #her trauma just expresses itself in different ways

[hastyprovocateur]

Mizu, Akemi and Gender as a weapon

Mizu's masculinity isn't something she dislikes or is seeking to be rid of. Even at her most feminine, Mizu is still androgynous. Not limited by gender performances, stereotypes and beliefs. It's all part of her. The doting lover, the skilled samurai, the knifemaker, the patron of arts. It just creates internal conflict when she's unable to connect to her femininity in a gendered society, knowing that her femininity will be seen as weakness. On the flipside, we know Mizu suppressed masculine parts of herself in her marriage with the expectation that they'll become a deal-breaker which also wasn't healthy. Mizu doesn't need the go-ahead to be traditionally feminine, she just needs space or a person/people who will allow her be herself without nitpicking parts of her. In that vein, I also wanna address how Akemi is also masculine in her own ways.

Just because she doesn't wield a sword or has an androgynous bodytype, doesn't mean that Akemi isn't masculine (the social understanding of it). She is very much so in her own right. Seki, her tutor, keeps aligning her with her father claiming that they have the same conviction in their beliefs in which their roots are unshakeable. This lays out how traits of power seeking, ambition, stark independence and intelligence that her father prides himself on are discouraged in Akemi as she's a woman. She is politically informed, highly educated and sexually dominant. She is calculative, express in her expertise at Go, something she's been better than grown men at since she was 12. Seki tells her that beyond just surviving in her marital home, she is equipped to succeed, expand her territory, find people's vulnerabilities, capture and win. That she can learn to do anything she wants and be whoever she wants, even if the goal is to become the ruler of Japan. In that same episode, Mizu is parallel to Akemi where she seeks wisdom from Master Eiji to exact an artful revenge where he proceeds to tell her that he didn't train her to be a demon or a human but he showed her how to be an artist. That revenge, swords, pots, noodles are all the same to an artist. The goal is to learn to be good at something. Anything. Mizu's pursuit of revenge is as masculine as Akemi's pursuit of power. They are both capable of learning. Of being successful. They are both elements of their own destiny. Water. Fire.

It doesn't matter what the means used are if the objective is one and the same. Akemi learnt this throughout season 1. That to evolve oneself guarantees success over only changing the scenario by running. Like Mizu, Akemi works with what she has. She is feminine presenting, enhanced through the princess finery, she can't fight but she uses her beauty, charm and wit to execute her plans and bend men to her will. Mizu attempted to maneuvere this same tactic after Mikio called her a monster, dolling up like on her wedding day to appease to his masculinity but it only pushed her towards the one thing she does best- wielding a sword to survive. Mizu knows how to fight, that is her agency, not a definitive of her gender. To fight and evolve is human, not select for a particular gender. Akemi also knows how to fight. She's trained in koto playing, singing, dancing, literature, poetry and the sutras. Her modus operandi is to weaken a man through his own hubris of thinking that she presents no threat. Which, as a personal opinion, I find a requires a tad more skill than cutting through flesh and bone. With Mizu, men brace for a fight, with Akemi, they don't even realise there was one in the first place. I posit that fighting is seen as more glorious than manipulation because it's a traditionally masculine way of dealing with things. Meanwhile, artful manipulation if rife with character bashing because femininity, according to some, should not not exist to take advantage only be taken advantage of, which again. Trash take. Needless to say, both Mizu and Akemi easily outclass the men who stand in their way.

Finit

#blue eye samurai analysis #mizu #akemi #netflix blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai #mizu blue eye samurai #akemi blue eye samurai #blue eye samurai mizu #bes akemi #netflix bes #bes mizu #bes #bes netflix #blue eye samurai netflix #akemi ito

[22ayla19]

Wriothesley x Younger sister Clorinde! Reader

Summary: Let's imagine that Clorinda has a younger sister who is very different from her sister, thereby winning the heart of one tea lover from Meropid Fortress.

Due to your violent nature, you have been called a hooligan since childhood, unlike your sister, who was calm (although still, at times, she liked to participate in your pranks). Of course, you are still a hooligan, but no matter how you look at it, your rowdy behavior was harmless. The last thing you want to do is end up in court before Judex and embarrass your sister, who has become a judicial duelist. Clorinde was grateful to you for the fact that you tried to cause her as little problems as possible.

How you met the Duke of Meropide Fortress can be described by the word originality.

Even though you were still a hooligan, you are a lady with great ambition in love. It’s good to get married so that your husband doesn’t drink or smoke, and doesn’t cheat. But, unfortunately, your current (now ex) boyfriend cheated on you, for which you could not forgive him and left him. Oh, and how much he ran after you, apologized, said that you were deliberately ignoring him. A walking problem clung to you and could not disappear. It got to the point where he started saying with threats that you had to marry him.

- But I’d rather marry that guy than a piece of shit like you! – you pointed at the guy who passed by, who turned out to be Wriothesley. This was the first time Wriothesley was confused, especially after you came up and kissed him on the lips. Passersby are shocked, the ex-boyfriend is shocked, Wriothesley is shocked. With the threat that you will pay for your choice, the ex-boyfriend left, and you, asking the stranger for forgiveness, ran away. Wriothesley himself stood there in shock for another two minutes.

Arriving home, Clorinde wanted to ask how your day was, but seeing you depressed, she prepared tea and covered you with a blanket. You then told her about what happened, of course, it was awkward, but on the advice of your sister, you decided to make an official apology to the stranger. Little did she know that after staying with Wriothesley at Fortress of Meropide, he would tell him how a girl he didn’t know French kissed him to scare off his ex-boyfriend.

“But my sister has been trying to find this stranger for a couple of days now. Who knew that it would be Wriothesley?..”

Convincing you that your elder sister had found that stranger, you went to Fortress of Meropide. To tell the truth, you were worried, was it possible that after that incident, this stranger was tried and ended up in the fortress? Various thoughts crossed your mind, but since the elder sister found a stranger, then she knows what she’s talking about.

- The Duke will be with you soon, Miss Clorinde, -the guard said to your sister.

- Thank you, - Clorinda answered briefly.

- I understand correctly that he was just talking about that same Duke of the Meropid Fortress? – you asked.

- Yes, this is the same Duke.

- Will the Duke himself bring that stranger? – you asked, clearly not understanding what was happening.

- You’ll find out everything for yourself soon, dear sister, - your sister answered with a slight grin.

The guard informed the Duke of the arrival of Clorinde and another lady. He wondered who this could be? Although only one option came to mind. Clorinde's younger sister. She told many times what a hooligan her sister was, she even promised to introduce her, although Wriothesley himself did not expect that he would meet her so soon.

- I didn’t expect that you would visit the Fortress of Meropide so soon, it seems like you were visiting only recently. Should I pour some tea? - Wriothesley greeted Clorinde with his signature grin.

- Tea can wait, but I want to introduce you to my sister, whom you met before, or rather, who kissed you.

An awkward silence hung in the Duke's office. You literally wanted to fall into the ground from shame. Well, how could you manage to kiss not an ordinary resident of Cour de Fontaine, but the Duke of the Fortress of Meropide himself!

- Why are we silent, little sister? You yourself wanted to apologize to him, - your sister tried to support you, although she was more likely to passively mock you.

- You didn’t tell me that this same stranger is the same mysterious Duke of the Meropid Fortress!

- Well, you didn’t ask him when you kissed him.

While you and your sister were arguing, Wriothesley was trying not to laugh. Firstly, so as not to embarrass you with my behavior, because I understood how ashamed you were of that situation; secondly: the arguments between you and your sister were very funny.

- Well, that's enough. Apologize and get it over with, - Clorinde said, hinting that she didn’t want Wriothesley to witness their quarrels.

You were very nervous, and not even because it was difficult to apologize, but because you managed to kiss the Duke himself. Without thinking for a long time, you let go of your head as a sign of apology and said:

- I apologize for the inconvenience caused. I sincerely want us both to forget about my thoughtless offense.

- Apology accepted, don't worry. To tell the truth, I was very surprised by your action, but I do not hate it at all. So you don't have to worry about it. Maybe we can get to know each other better over a cup of tea? - Wriothesley suggested, trying to somehow make the atmosphere in the office more comfortable, rather than awkward.

- Well, I won’t refuse.

Should I do a second part?

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #wriothesley #wriothesley x reader #genshin imagines

[blubffsd]

— WORLDS COLLIDE.

summary: It's the world cup final, your boyfriend and his national team reached the final again. But this time he's playing against your country.

note: play "The Great War" by Taylor Swift if you wanna a better experience.

thank you so much @http-isabela for make this with me, this is yours too girl 😋😋

warnings: a lot of drama.

Mia is in the bathroom of the hotel room looking at the shirt she is wearing. It's the France jersey, with the number 10 on the back and her boyfriend's last name too. At another time she would have been proud to wear it, but now she feels uncomfortable. She knows she doesn't want to use it.

This event and football itself is very important to her boyfriend and it's also important to her. Not only because of Kylian, her whole family has always been related to this sport and her father was a player too.

Her boyfriend's parents and his little brother are in the room too, they're all totally excited and all they're talking about is who could win the match. Obviously they are sure that France will be the winner and they really want it to be so. But Mia can't say the same.

She leave the bathroom under the gaze of Fayza, who noticed her strange behavior today, but didn't want to tell her anything. Mia walk over and sit next to Ethan, and he rests his head on her shoulder.

—Hey, I don't think I should go, I'm very nauseous and I don't think that going to the game gonna be the best, what if it's a virus or something contagious?

—Oh, please. –Ethan laughed– what you have is called nerves, you're afraid to see Kylian play, I understand you.

The fear is actually seeing Kylian win.

—Come on, Mia. Don't be negative, you'll see that we'll do very well –this time it was Fayza who spoke to her trying to calm her down.

—I can even see the photo of us kissing the cup just like in 2018 –her brother-in-law hugs her by the shoulders.

Why does everyone assume she wants France to win? Mia doesn't know what to do or say, she wants to think of something else so they will believe her and leave her alone in the room, but she knows they won't allow that. Kylian needs her there to feel good, but this time she doesn't want to support him.

Mia stays in the room with her boyfriend's family until it's time to go to the stadium. She leaves the hotel knowing that what is about to happen is not going to be easy.

And that what happened in 2018 is going to happen again, no matter which country she support.

As she walk into the stadium her boyfriend is on the pitch warming up with his national team, he's pretty determined to win today. His ambition doesn't let him think about anything other than the possibility of raising the cup a second time and fulfilling his dream again. On the other hand, her love for her country, her father and the sport doesn't let her think about anything other than seeing Lio win the cup, even if it means that her boyfriend loses.

Mia had even seen several comments on instagram posts from people who expected her to support her boyfriend's country, since it was the place where she lived now. Even several Kylian fans had sent her messages threatening her to support him and not her country.

Mia knows that this isn't a normal football match, it could say that the pride of two countries was being played. And that both the Argentines and the French expected her to support their respective countries. The Argentines because it's her country of birth and she is the daughter of one of the most beloved football players in the country, and even Messi's former coach, also because of the good relationship she has with some players and their families, and the French because she is the girlfriend of their biggest star and they don't want her to distract him.

She feels like everyone is waiting to see what she does but even she doesn't know what she wants to do.

Mia knows that she doesn't want to support her boyfriend's country, she knows that she feels like a black sheep sitting on the side of France and she also knows that now all the Argentine media are attacking her, like in 2018.

Mia knows everything that is happening and everything that she is feeling right now but she doesn't know how to act in the face of it. And it's not very easy to think about that when she has a camera in her face as she sit next to Ethan in the stands, knowing that her dad will be disappointed at the moment he sees her in the Kylian jersey.

Behind Mia are her in-laws sitting, with Jirès and Melissa and on the other side Hakimi and Hiba, who don't stop talking about how very proud she must feel to be about to see her boyfriend be world champion for the second time.

Everything that was happening around her is making Mia very nervous, it won't be long before the game starts and she knows that there are many people in the stands recording her to prove or deny that she is supporting Kylian just by seeing her reactions.

All the people sitting around her supporting her boyfriend are talking but she doesn't really pay attention until she hear her name.

—Right, Mia? –Jirès is looking at her waiting for her answer.

—Sorry, I didn't hear you, what?

—Your father was a player for the Argentine national team, right? –Mia nod– and he never made it to any world finals, right?

—No, but he won World Cups in Argentina as a coach.

She doesn't know why he asked her that, but it made her feel bad. Mia feels Melissa's gaze on her, so she turns to look at her and see her mocking face.

—The good thing is that now you are with a true champion.

What did she just say?

What did she mean by "a true champion"? Was it a roundabout way of saying that my dad was a failure or something? Or did she just want to praise Kylian and chose the wrong words?

Mia wants to believe that it wasn't malicious, but Melissa's expectant gaze on her, waiting for some reaction on her part, makes things clear to her. And she weren't going to let her humiliate her dad like that.

She is about to say something she'll regret later, but Ethan interrupt her saying that the game is about to start.

When the game started and she saw the Argentina players touch the ball, she remembered the times her dad took her to see him at his games or training sessions, the way he told her how proud he was to be able to say that he played for his country, and how he always taught her that she never have to forget where she came from or the difficult situations she went through, because that's who she is.

Mia remembered all the conversations that he and she used to have, everything they used to do before she moved to France, before everything changed.

She can't screw it all up again, so she gets up from her seat to do what she wanted to do since she arrived in Qatar: cheer on her country.

Mia knows that there are many French fans recording her while she sings "Muchachos" or other songs supporting Argentina, she is aware of all the signs that her brothers-in-law, her in-laws and her boyfriend's friends have given her to sit down and shut up, but honestly at this moment she cares in the least.

After a while of shouting to the beat of the Argentine fans, she sits down while she feels the disapproving looks of her boyfriend's family. They are looking at are so badly that it really makes her uncomfortable, but she tries to ignore it.

This is the moment that she and her father had waited all their lives and what they think didn't affect her joy and her desire to support Argentina at all.

The atmosphere in the box is tense after Mia have supported Argentina with the France shirt on, she were too brave to do that.

But obviously everything got worse.

Mia feels how her breathing paused, the whistle blows, it's a penalty kick for Argentina.

Everyone around her is too deep in their own mind to notice her happy face.

The person in charge of kicking the penalty is obviously Lio, she does't know how it happened, the only thing she saw was the ball going through the net of the French goal.

Her body acts on its own at this point. Lio scored the first goal of the game, she gets up from her seat shouting with happiness like the rest of the Argentines.

Right now she doesn't care that she is wearing the France jersey, that Ethan is next to her, or that her boyfriend can see her. Nothing matters now.

Ethan took her arm with a lot of force making her sit again.

—What's happening to you? You're crazy, don't do that again. –her brother-in-law looks at her angrily, with a frown and a glare.

—Ethan let me go, you're hurting me –she raised her voice so he can hear.

But he ignores her words, so in a sudden movement she let go of his grip, seeing that he left the mark of his hand on her arm.

—How dare you support Argentina and then celebrate their goals? You have my brother's number jersey on your back.

—Calm down Ethan, I couldn't help it.

It's my fucking country that scored, what you do expect me to do? Cry?

—Don't do it again.

Mia is about to answer but Hiba grabs her shoulders stopping as a sign to shut up, so she did.

—Enough both of you, silence. Don't make a fuss here. Ethan, relax, please. –Hakimi intervenes this time seeing the tension between the two of them.

—I can't calm down, she's celebrating that we're losing. –he turns to see Achraf and then back to Mia.– What's wrong with you?

She knew this was going to happen and she couldn't be more sorry she went to the game.

—Ethan, please. It was an impulse, let's focus on the game, there are cameras everywhere. –says Hiba trying to end the discussion.

Ethan looks at Mia for the last time and she prefer to remain silent.

She turns to see Hiba and smile at her, as a sign of gratitude for having calmed the situation, but she just nods.

After 13 minutes where Argentina has absolute possession of the ball, Di María scores the second goal of the match.

Mia rises from her seat again, whooping with excitement, as she watches the players from her country hug each other.

This time no one stopped her.

The only thing she thinks about is her father, who could never win the world cup when he was playing, knowing that right now he is probably shedding happy tears at home, almost feeling the cup in his hands.

When her excitement fades a bit, she sit down again, then Ethan tosses her jacket onto her lap, the jacket that's been on his since they sat down. Mia looks at him confused.

—You're a fucking traitor –he yells close to her face.

Wilfried puts his hand on Ethan's chest, pulling him back away from her.

—Stop son, don't do that.

Mia keep seeing his angry face, she never seen him like this.

—You don't deserve the shirt with my last name on your back –he yells even louder.

She feels how her pulse quickens.

—Kylian deserves more from you, it can't be that you don't support him when he needs you the most –Hiba brings her face closer to Mia whispering– Stop doing stupid things, you're crazy. You're wearing Kylian's jersey and sitting next to his family as you clap for the enemy.

Enemy? It's my country, my people, my father and his dream, it's all my life.

—Have respect for him.

Mia doesn't know what to answer so she looks back at the field.

The first half passed, with a 2-0 result with Argentina winning. She is all the time with her eyes fixed on the field, she doesn't have enough courage to look at someone.

Now Mia is sitting between Hakimi and Ethan, both of them mad at her.

She is deep in her thoughts, she doesn't know what to do, her father will be devastated if he sees her supporting France and Kylian will be more than disappointed if he sees her continue supporting Argentina.

It feels like two worlds about to collide, her life in Argentina and her life in France. Her father and the people she loves against her partner and everyone around them. Both sides expect her to be with them.

She doesn't notice that the players have returned to the field until she hear the whistle of the referee starting the second half of the game.

The match continues with France without scoring a goal, the players already a bit tired and making fouls.

But the time came, a player falls in the Argentine area after a push from Otamendi, the referee whistles indicating the penalty.

Kylian is going to kick it.

Mia feels her body tense, everything in her wishing he would miss the penalty. She closes her eyes feeling guilty about her thoughts.

Seconds later she hears everyone around her scream with excitement, she opened her eyes and saw all the French people celebrate, Ethan, Hakimi, Hiba, Wilfried, Fayza, Jirès and Melissa scream and hug each other with excitement.

Mia and Ethan make contact for the first time after the fight, his eyes teary from the excitement and joy of his brother's goal. Joy she doesn't feel.

Her eyes go to the field, looking for Kylian. She realizes that he was already looking at her, pointing at her, dedicating the goal to her. She smiles slightly, feeling completely guilty.

The celebration ended, just a minute after scoring the first goal, Kylian scored the second.

Her body completely tenses up, her breathing stops for a few seconds, it's the same feeling as when she was 8 years old and she saw her dad lose a game. Maybe he feels the same now.

Mia wants to cry and run away, she can't be there.

Everyone around her shouts with joy, Kylian on the field hugs his teammates.

Once the celebration is over, Kylian turns his gaze towards her, her eyes met his. She can't take it anymore and she let out a sob, covering her face with her hands.

—Are you seriously crying? –she looks up and sees Achraf, looking at her with anger and disappointment. Mia tries to say something, but no words come out of her mouth.

The rest of the game was intense, Argentina scored another goal, wanting to avoid another fight, she just lowered her head, put her hands together and mentally thanked for the goal.

Not long after, Kylian tied the game for the second time. Making a goal that, in addition to achieving his hat-trick, would change everything.

Ethan is excited, shouting and celebrating, telling Kylian from afar that he is the best, that he is incredible.

The last minutes of the game were the worst.

Dybala took the ball from Kylian, preventing the tiebreaker at the last minute, making her boyfriend yell in frustration.

The game ended and the penalties came, the players and the referees are preparing for what is to come.

Mia takes her jacket and head to the bathroom, she needs to calm down a bit and be alone. Ethan didn't take his eyes off her until he saw her disappear into the crowd.

Once inside the bathroom she takes a deep breath trying to control her breathing, everything around her is spinning, she is about to have a panic attack.

Mia grabs her phone as fast as she can and send a message to the only person who can help her right now.

Mia tries to take big breaths to calm her thoughts but she can't. Ethan hates her right now. Hakimi and Hiba are upset with her. She doesn't feel comfortable there at all.

Mia wants someone to understand at least one of her reasons for supporting her country. Although she knows that the simple fact of being her country was enough. But there is much more than that.

She hears someone knock on the bathroom door.

—Is occupied –her voice is shaking.

—Miss Mia? Mrs. Antonella sent us, she said that she spoke with you recently.

She opened the bathroom door to find two security men, both of whom gave her a slight smile and guided her to the opposing team's box.

Mia manage to calm her breathing and her mind on the way to the box, knowing that she would no longer have to deal with the disapproving looks reassured her a lot.

She finally arrive and see Antonella waiting for her, she rushes over to hug her.

—Tranquilizate, ¿sí? No pasa nada –she says while stroking her hair– Ya está.

Mia nods her head and give her a small smile.

—Decime entonces, ¿qué pasó? (so tell me, what's happened?) –she sees the concern on her face.

—No me siento cómoda allá, no me puedo hacer la triste (i don't feel comfortable there, i can't pretend to be sad) –she laugh a little– no quiero volver (i don't wanna comeback there)

Anto smiled at Mia again.

—Bueno vení, vamos a ponerte otra cosa, que te van a decir mufa acá si te ven con eso puesto. (Well come on, we're going to give you another shirt, because if they see you with that shirt they're going to tell you that you're bad luck.)

Antonella goes to the box to look through her things and returns with an Argentina shirt with the number 24.

—No tenía ninguna yo, así que le pedí a las chicas y la novia de Enzo te prestó esa (I didn't have any t-shirt, so i asks the girls and Enzo's girlfriend lent you that one.) –she gives her the shirt and guides her to the bathroom.

Mia walks into the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror. She knows that if she changes her shirt she betray her boyfriend and that everything would get worse, but she doesn't care.

She leaves the bathroom with the Argentina shirt on and she feels more comfortable and safe being on that side of the stands.

Just as Mia sit down next to Antonella, the referee blows his whistle indicating to Kylian that he should take the first penalty. He kicks and scores, the entire audience celebrates with him. He looks happy.

—Silence –Anto laugh– My husband is going to kick.

Everyone wait for Lio to kick with sweaty hands and heart to the fullest, ready for anything. Antonella was the first to shout the goal, being imitated by all. They all hug each other. Mia hugs Mateo, completely moved.

The next penalty was missed, Dibu Martinez saved it. The silence from the French audience was chilling. Argentina for its part celebrates and praises its goalkeeper. Happiness overflows her.

Her phone was ringing with messages from your father, full of emotion about what is happening. Mia feels her teary eyes, his dream is coming true.

She hears Antonella call out to you and point to the field, Kylian is grabbing Enzo by the jersey. Antoine and Olivier try to calm the situation, while Di María and Cuti Romero keep Enzo away from her boyfriend.

Mia sees Kylian's angry face while Enzo was talking to him, surely provoking him, he points in her direction. She feels her skin crawl when Kylian turns to where she is and looks at her and her shirt.

Enzo doesn't stop with the taunts, she doesn't know what he's saying, but he keeps pointing at her until Oliviar punches him in the face.

Security intervenes and separates them, but her eyes are fixed on Kylian, who didn't move from his place, looking at her from afar, his eyes reflecting pain.

The people around her yell in anger at the interruption of penalties.

Her phone vibrates in her hand, making she looks away from Kylian.

She stares at her phone for a few seconds, feeling a slight pain in her chest.

Mia gets up from her seat without wanting to attract anyone's attention and lock herself in the bathroom, quite overwhelmed by everything that's happening, and not wanting to face whatever it's going to happen.

She looks at her in the mirror while she thinks about everything that will happen when this is over, she doesn't know what will happen, but she knows that it will not be good.

She hears everyone nearby yelling and you open the bathroom door to find out that Argentina just won.

All hugging and crying with joy.

Her dad's dream came true, the dream that made her wait for him for more than one birthday, the dream that made her dad not go to the hospital when you were born, the dream that forced her to love football to spend time with her dad.

The moment she has been waiting for her whole life has just arrived. And she wants to cry with happiness, her dad is surely the happiest man on earth and she is happy with that. Although she would have liked him to have been just as happy on her birthdays, or everytime he was with her.

Mia leaves the bathroom coming back to reality, all the happiness she felt a second ago gone. She is thinking about Kylian now, she needs to talk to him and try to explain something to him, if she can, but she knows that he won't want to and that no one is going to let her get close.

Mia feels the tears running down her cheeks, everything she said really hurt her, mostly what she said about her dad, but she can't blame her, although it hurts, she's right after all.

She puts on her jacket, the same one that Ethan had thrown at her completely angrily a few hours ago, and she goes to the exit of the stadium.

She takes the first taxi she finds and go to the hotel, she quickly goes to her room once she arrived and put her things away as fast as she could.

She takes the first shirt she finds and take off Enzo's to put that one on.

She looks for the fastest flight to Paris and buy tickets for the first one available.

She has to go.

She can't see Kylian, she can't look him in the eye.

She brokes his trust in her.

His brothers hates her

His father looks at her with contempt.

His friends do the same, reminding her that everything she did was wrong.

She rushes her steps in the lobby to leave the hotel as soon as possible, she takes another taxi, this time bound for the airport.

She ruined everything, like in 2018.

note: i really tried my best this time lol

tags: @suzysface @mrswhitethornbelikov

#kylian mbappe #kylian mbappe fanfic #kylian x reader #mbappe imagine #mbappe x reader #mbappe one shot #mbappe #football imagine #football one shot #football x reader #football

[architect-2015]

Hand In Hand | mapi león

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

In which Kennedy Russo and María León have been a couple since Russo debuted at Fc Barcelona in 2020 - this well know to the public - so after the Fifa WWC 2023 the lioness gives insight of the pain caused by the spanish federation, she tells the players story.

◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤◢◤

The Call Up

Kennedy’s life since joining Barcelona has been as sweet as it could be, a record breaking transfer from Manchester United, winning league title after league title, winning the Champions League after the heartbreaking defeat the previous year and The summer of 22’ winning the European Championship along side her little sister Alessia.

But the joys of her international careers do not match those of her girlfriends, after their quarter final knockout in the Euros tournament, the truth began to spill about the Spanish Football Federation: the lack of respect for players, the harmful environment and the disrespectful head coach - Jorge Vilda.

María León had always been one to speak her mind, never let her thoughts and opinions be squashed by others. So she did what was right - She took a stand.

Mapi and 14 other Spaniards resigned from the national team, with a dream for change. A dream that turned into a nightmare.

The Federation took no notice of these players.

The game carried on.

So when the World Cup call ups were around the corner, they knew they had to give up their childhood ambitions to win a World Cup, to stand up for what is right.

————

In the cozy living room of Mapi León’s home, the couple laid out on the sofa - arms tight around one another. A conversation needed sat unspoken plaguing the air.

“Would you be okay if i played?” a shy mumble left Kennedy’s mouth, she obviously wanted to play as anyone would in a World Cup but she also wanted to support her other half.

María shifted undeath the 27 year old, sitting them up and holding her girlfriends face in her warm hands.

“mi corazón, of course you should play, you’re coming off the back of your biggest international win you can’t give up on your World Cup dream just because of me. That can’t happen, I’ll make sure it wont happen.”

Mapi’s voice was thick with emotion. She hadn’t given up on her dream - simply put it on the back burner - so the fact Kennedy would consider sacrificing hers made her angry. Not angry at her girlfriend, she could never be angry with her but angry with the world that power hungry men like Vilda not only effected her career but the game as a whole.

“Cariño you’ll go, you’ll play for your country, your sister, you’ll play for yourself and i’ll be here cheering as loud as i can being as proud as i can.”

————

The Tournament

The older Russo had excelled during the tournament, many sung her praises complementing her performance and goal scoring ability and her link ups with her younger sister.

She was making her opinion know with her now well recognised celebration, creating a ‘M L’ with her hands into the closest camera. A nod to her partner back home.

Getting through to the final was the best night of her career this far, celebrating with her team, her sister and her best friend Lucy Bronze - a women who had shared experiences of world cup disappointment like Kennedy.

To then find out Spain would be joining them well that was a feeling she couldn’t put into words, fear, excitement, being endlessly proud of her spanish friends for making to their first final but most of all anger, anger that María and many other couldn’t have their World Cup moment, anger their dreams had been taken away, anger that selfish men once again had come out on top.

————

The Final

{María❤️}

mi corazón, good luck with the game tonight. You’ll play amazing and hopefully you’ll be the one lifting that trophy! te amo! xxx

It was half time and the lionesses were down 1-0, a beautiful goal from Olga had put the spaniards infront. The eldest Russo had been yellow carded in the first 45 minutes for straight up shouting at the spanish head coach - every wrong action he made, she countered with a word to the referee or to his face. It was now clear that the young women had a strong desire to make this match miserable for the man. It’s the least she could do after all the damage he’s caused.

A speech from Sarina and Millie had instilled some determination into the squad but walking back out from the tunnel had been the thing to create a fire inside of Kennedy.

The second half had now been played in until the 87’ minute after a saved penalty from Jenni Hermoso, one in the opinion of Kennedy was well off the penalty spot.

A well timed pass from Lucy Bronze had Kennedy flying past the spanish back line, continuing her run towards Cata Coll, slotting it with a perfect strike into the top left corner.

The crowd erupts, before Kennedy could process what had happened, she had fallen victim to a human pile on- tears of overwhelming joy overflowed from her eyes.

A whistle was blown, a VAR check.

The words ‘possible offside’ had create a looming feeling of fear within the midfielder.

[CHECK COMPLETE: OFFSIDE]

The floor seemed to fall from beneath her feet, breath leaving her chest involuntarily, the spanish chants invading her ear as sobs left her mouth. Arms looked around her frame: Lucy. “Head up Russo we have time, we’ve got to keep going”

Many minutes of added time passed until the final whistle blew, they failed, they had lost. He had won.

Crashing to her knees - in that moment she couldn’t find it in herself to feel happy for her Barcelona teammates, she couldn’t begin to imagine how this would effect María’s international career, she could only feel the guilt seeping in. She was offside. She has ruined the lionesses chance of becoming world champions. She let her country down.

Whilst her time stood still as she laid there on the grass, the world moved on.

A delicate hand was placed in her back and her sister’s floral perfume surrounded her like a blanket of safety. Alessia. Her manicured hands hooked underneath her older sisters arms, pulling her into a sitting position.

All the adrenaline had left Kennedy , making a feeble attempt to support herself only led to her head falling onto the shoulder of her sister, looking for some form of comfort. A comfort she knew could only be provided by María.

It felt like hours that the sister duo sat on that pitch, their shirts now soaked with sweat and tears. A sobbing Lucy Bronze had joined the circle, arm in arm the three walked towards the tunnel of spaniards - who were eager to hold the trophy in their grasp.

The walk was agonising, through the rows of players, to shake hands and then to be bestowed with a silver medal. She like Mapi lived with a ‘second is the first loser’ mentality.

Her time on the pitch concluded with watching the trophy being lifted from afar, her eyes glued in the celebrations of the man she despised.

————

The Interview

“So Kennedy tell me how are you feeling?”

She hated interviews, especially after a loss.

“Uh- It’s hard you know. I’ve now had the opportunity to play in three world cups and i’m honoured to have done that but it’s just not a nice feeling to inch closer and closer every time to then fail, in the biggest moment of my career i was offside so… yeah it’s not a nice feeling at all.”

Anyone who was watching the interaction could tell that the Russo women was actively trying to keep her emotions at bay. Little things like tapping her foot, the furrow between her brown, and most noticeable rubbing her thumb harshly across the skin of her wrist - above a fine line tattoo of a lion.

“You are referring to your goal that was not allowed due to it being offside, do you agree with that decision?”

“Well it’s not up to me to undermine the decisions made by the referee, whilst some of them i do not agree with at the end of the day it’s not my job. I guess it just wasn’t in our cards to win today and yeah we’re all disappointed but we’ll come back from this. Train harder, play smarter. Our squad is full of young people who are no where near finished with their world cup dreams.”

“Now we saw you had some confrontations during the game with the spanish head coach, are you allowed to comment on that?”

“I mean i’m probably not but i can say i do not like Jorge Vilda, not as a coach and not as a person. When you are given the role of a head coach it is your job to keep your players safe, to respect your players, to respect the game and make sure your players have a good working environment. He does none of that. He abuses the authority he has been given and i find it disgusting. The RFEF and Jorge Vilda have shown on countless occasions their lack of professionalism.”

“And can i question you on your celebration from this tournament?”

“Of course so, my celebration is for someone back home, someone i said i would play for and i did. It was upholding my promise i made to her and to others that you shouldn’t let someone else tarnish your desire and whilst they cannot be here, i am so i said i’d carry that desire for all of us.”

“Is that in reference to the players of the spanish national team that are not here? You also said ‘she’ and it’s public knowledge that you and a certain Mapi León are in a relationship, did you see play for her”

“Every footballer has dreamt of playing and winning a world cup, and to be able to do that is the greatest achievement anyone could have. We know as players especially as women that things don’t always go our way - but to be able to stand up for what you believe to the scale those women did and continue to do is incredible, i’m so unbelievably proud of them because fear is a big factor in taking a stand. You could protest but if you fear the results, you won’t get anywhere. I stand hand in hand and in full support of those women. The game cannot progress unless there is change.”

————

Kennedy Russo - England national player - fined for statement made in a post match interview in regards to RFEF and Jorge Vilda.

In a post match interview after world cup final loss, Kennedy Russo who plays for the England National Team and FC Barcelona was fined by the RFEF for some comments she made on their in her words ‘lack of professionalism’

Whilst Sarina Weigman or The Lionesses are yet to comment on this, the decision was made to send Russo back to Barcelona prematurely.

————

Back home

There was no place she would rather be.

A silver WWC medal was sat on a shelving unit above her tv, among other items she had won over the course of her career.

Walking through the shared house towards the bedroom was the most exciting part. Finally being reunited with María after this last month.

Opening the door, a warm light flooded through the windows. Mapi laid asleep under the thin layer of sheets and a little black furball had taken his place on Kennedy’s pillow.

Taking a seat beside her girlfriend, her hand begins it’s course through her bleached hair. Leaning down she places a delicate kiss on her partners neck, seemingly waking her up in the process.

“Buenos días, sleepyhead”.

“Mmm? mi corazón? hola”

María shoots up from her position to wrap her arms around her lover, her face concealed in Kennedy’s neck. Tears of relief are flowing down her cheeks, she had missed this. She had missed her.

Russo shifts them so her girlfriend is sat on her lap whilst Kennedy’s back is against the light green headboard. Whispers of reassurance dance around the room as many kisses are placed on any exposed skin.

“I’m so proud of you Cariño but i’m so glad you’re back”

And while the World Cup had not gone the way anyone had planned, it was alright. This was all they needed - no medal could ever match the love they hold for one another.

wow a non WWE fic, i might start writing some more woso stuff but who knows also i dint speak spanish so some stuff might be incorrect ❤️

#mapi león x reader #maria leon #woso x reader #woso imagine #mapi león imagine #mapi leon x reader

[thehopefuljournalist]

unrelated- what's your favorite news story recently?

Hello, thank you so much for asking!! I've had a hard time because this week was actually full of news stories and I'm working on releasing them all to you guys!

But let me tell you about my favourite one from today :)

As an activist, working within my own country and out especially in climate-related themes, I believe in people-power, fully. I know, of course, that some people have more power and influence than others, but there's no denying that there's strength in numbers.

This recent, huge, protest in New York is such a hopeful turn, I think. I love seeing that I'm not the only one worried, that I'm not alone in my fighting. With numbers, we have a bigger chance of winning over our world leaders, and by doing that, to protect ourselves and our futures.

Well, this is my favourite news story from the past two days.

This past Sunday, 75K climate activists took to New York's streets in a “march to end fossil fuels”

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the US continuing to approve fossil fuel projects, something which the Biden administration did earlier this year with the controversial Willow project in Alaska.

“We are all here for one reason: to end fossil fuels around the planet,” Ocasio-Cortez told a rally at the finish of the march, which ended close to the UN headquarters where world leaders will gather this week. “And the way we create urgency is to have people around the world in the streets.”

“The United States continues to be approving a record number of fossil fuel leases and we must send a message, right here today,” adding that despite record profits the support for the fossil fuel industry was “starting to buckle and crack”.

“This is an incredible moment,” said Jean Su of the Center for Biological Diversity, who helped organize the mobilization. “Tens of thousands of people are marching in the streets of New York because they want climate action,"

“This also shows the tremendous grit and fight of the people, especially youth and communities living at the frontlines of fossil fuel violence, to fight back and demand change for the future they have every right to lead,” she said.

The march came during Climate Week, as world leaders gather for this week’s UN general assembly, and a UN climate ambition summit on Wednesday.

On Friday, the national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said Biden was not currently scheduled to take part in Wednesday’s UN climate summit. Biden has been praised by climate activists for last year passing a historic $369bn climate law but criticized for allowing oil drilling projects and the expansion of gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

A decision for Biden to stay away from the UN climate ambition summit is “unacceptable”, said Su of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The time is now for Biden to lead on the world stage, and show he means it when he calls climate change the existential threat to humanity.”

During the march, the Rev Lennox Yearwood, head of the Hip Hop Caucus, likened today’s climate movement to the US fight for racial justice. 

Youth climate activist Vanessa Nakate, from Uganda, said: “When we say that we want climate justice, we’re not just talking about transitioning to solar panels. We are talking about leaving no one behind when you’re talking about addressing the injustices that come with the climate crisis."

Article published September 17, 2023 - The Gaurdian

Another article, interviewing a young climate activist

#climate change #climate #hope #good news #climate crisis #more to come #climate emergency #news #climate justice #hopeful #long post

[etheries1015]

Hello! I really hope you're doing well and that all is fine on your end<3

Could I pretty please request some comfort fluff hcs for Zhongli and Artem with a fem s/o that's studying real hard and losing sleep and such. But she's determined to achieve her dream job in the long run of being a legal counsellor/lawyer💪

Tysm and have a good day! Mwah!❤️

Studying and Affection What better way to pull you away from the woes of your work than your lover making an abrupt interruption in your cycle of unhealthy developing habits?

General warnings: Gender neutral reader, since I did not use pronouns. However, pet names ARE used, such as "dear" and whatnot. You can read it as any gender <3

TW: None! If I missed any, please let me know and I shall update this section accordingly~

featuring: Zhongli, Artem

Zhongli

The archon knew just how much you wanted this job, how long you had yearned to make a difference in people's lives, and how much you would sacrifice to reach your dreams. Having ambitions and all is a wonderful thing that he understands drives humans to find fulfillment in their lives, however, he began to notice signs that even he, the geo archon himself, was able to perceive was getting out of hand.

"Dear," Zhongli called out for the third time as you sat at your desk with papers spread out and large books opened. By the fourth time when you had not noticed his presence, the tall male snuck his hands around your body plucking the pencil you held with an iron grip with ease. Shocked, you gasped slightly sitting up and turning to face your lover. You seldom see Zhongli in a state of annoyance, however it was clear as day the way he furrowed his eyebrows and folded his arms.

"My love, I have called your name multiple times now," He said in his deep, honey like voice, "Why don't you take a break?" Zhongli's expression softened, setting the pencil down gently upon the table. You sighed and rubbed your temples, frustration also clear as day upon your features.

"Morax," You sighed, "This is important to me. I HAVE to get this job, If I don't all those years I spent studying and practicing will be for nothing! The exams are coming up and if I don't-" He quickly shushed you by leaning down to your level, grabbing your wrists with his strong hands and pulling them apart, forcing your gaze to look into his own.

"You are avoiding my gaze," He grunted, "Look at you. You have dark circles under your eyes," He began to rub your wrists and eye you up and down, "And you seem to have lost a significant amount of weight. You are not properly taking care of yourself, Come," He pulled you off the chair and began to lead you away from your work, to which you groaned in annoyance however did not protest. You knew deep down you needed some sort of break, and knew better than to avoid your dragon lover any longer.

"Let us take a stroll and make our way to Wanmin restaurant," Zhongli intertwined his fingers with your own, "Take a break. Humans are fragile creatures, you must take care of yourself, my love." You bit your bottom lip and sighed in defeat, leaning your tired body against his strong lean one.

"Alright," You exasperated with a slight smile upon your lips, "You win. I will take a short break, but after I need to go back to-" Zhongli spun you around, one arm wrapping around your waist while using his other one to tilt your chin to look into his mesmerizing golden brown eyes. His lips inched closer to you and with a sultry voice hushed and intimate, your face flushed a bright shade of red with his bold statement;

"I am not doing this just for you, my precious glaze lily," He pointed out, "I have also been neglected in the time you have spent away to your studies. I'm afraid I will have to put a pause in your schedule for the rest of the day, for I am not letting you go so easily."

Artem

Artem was always known to be stoic and strict, consistently instilling pressure upon his subordinates. Yet it was obvious he held clear favoritism for one particular person- you.

You were dedicated from the start, you held similar views to him, your heart of gold shining brighter than anyone else in the office. From the moment you stepped into his life, he knew you were the one for him. He hadn't realized his very position was cause for your distress- he is all you wished to be; A successful, young, talented, well-put-together lawyer. The pressure seemed to turn up as exams came close for you, however thankful for the support Artem had given to you, recent struggles came to the surface throwing you into a string of all-nighters, missed meals, and increasingly short and frequent naps on your desk had become more and more apparent to your boyfriend.

He tapped against your desk to gain your attention, yet your concentration was left unwavering.

"Let me finish this chapter," You sighed, jotting down yet another note, "I don't have it perfected yet..." Artem pursed his lips in worry and set his hand above your own, causing you to set down your pencil and look up at the blue-eyed man.

"You said that an hour ago," He said gently, "You had promised we would have a date today, do you recall?" You bit your bottom lip, letting out a shaky sigh and nodding.

"I know I did- but the exams are coming up so fast and I'm so unprepared, I have to-" you were quickly interrupted by Artem spinning the chair around for you to fully face him, his arms caging each side of your head as his forehead pressed against yours gently.

"I appreciate your dedication, and it's good to work hard for your goals. But..." His hand moved to trail your face, "You're pale and tired. It's just as important to rest," He muttered, now using both of his hands to trail your cheeks. You felt tears prick the side of your eyes and a frown deepen upon your features, Artem's eyes widening slightly at the sudden display of vulnerability. There you spilled your heart, how tired you were of feeling so far behind in life, feeling unaccomplished and unworthy of his love. How tired you were of spending sleepless nights trying to catch up, tired of losing motivation for a job you had dreamed of having for years yet seemed too far to actually reach.

"(y/n)..." He choked up, "..Come. Let's...take a break, together. Okay?" He ran a warm bath for you, cooking a nutritious meal and bundling up the couch with pillows and blankets as he set up your favorite movie/tv series. When you came out freshly clean and seeing all of your favorite foods and your favorite person set up in the living room, his arms opened wide for you to snuggly fit between his legs and lean against his back. Artem trailed kisses against the back of your ear to your neck, his black hair tickling the side of your face.

"Today is a day for a break and rejuvenation, and tomorrow, I will help you with your studies, okay? We will go over the parts you're struggling with together. You have a good drive, and a beautiful heart. That's what made me fall in love with you. Do not feel the need to struggle alone, I will always be here for you through thick and thin. Do not doubt that ever again, okay? Caring for your mind and body is just as important as work, your body and your mind does a lot for you, take care of them, my love."

~~~~

Thank you for the request! I actually had a lot of fun writing this one!! I hope for all of you people studying in college, or struggling with work or whatever else you are going through, please remember to take care of yourselves. drink lots of water and consistent breaks, your health and well-being is more important than any job you have. I'm proud of you, lovelies. Standing amidst the face of adversity is the mark of true strength

#Genshin impact #Tears of themis #Tears of themis Artem #Artem wing #Artem wing x reader #tears of themis x reader #Zhongli #Zhongli x reader #zhongli genshin #genshin x reader #Tears of themis x reader #Genshin impact x reader

[imgeekgirlfan]

Down The Road (F1 x Reader) SMAU Season 1

>> Down The Road 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

➡  Previous Part : Next Part

Taglist: @raizelchrysanderoctavius , @laura-naruto-fan1998 , @jpg3 , @tsukishimawhore , @minkyungseokie , @roseseraj , @bbhyuneee , @omgsuperstarg @roseseraj (If you want to be added in this fic, just tell me in reply )

A/N : I got huge inspiration after reading Zendaya's definition of Hunter Schafer in the 2021 TIME100 NEXT, and I vowed to include this scene in my fic. LOL, Time Magazine practically became the main plot for this Episode. I'm putting a lot of effort into every detail, so if you like it, don't forget to like and reblog

Episode 4 will be the final part of Lewis Hamilton. After this, the series will move on to a new season with new storyline and new main characters. Stay tuned for Season 2 of the "Down The Road" series!

note ; As you can see, I want my SMAU to be as realistic as possible. So there will be both positive and negative comments from F1 fans. Just to show you that the social network has people with various attitudes, not everyone has a positive attitude.

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Season 1 : ── 𝐃𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐬 ── (Lewis Hamilton x Reader) S1 : E03 𝑅𝑢𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑠

The year 2024 started with a lot of news and a lot of rumors, especially for Formula 1 drivers. Y/N, in particular, has had to deal with a great deal of attention since last year when she made it clear that her goal was to clinch this year's championship. This has subjected her to considerable pressure, not only from her performance on the track but also regarding her personal life. The rumors about her relationship with Lewis Hamilton don't seem to be fading away easily; in fact, they are growing more intense with time.

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Source : @autosport

The year 2023 is coming to an end, confirming Max Verstappen as the new world champion of the year. He secured a memorable victory at the Qatar Grand Prix, considered one of the toughest F1 races this year. There were several tense moments on the track, with one of the most talked-about incidents being the collision between Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, teammates, resulting in missed opportunities for both to be on the Podium

However, two other drivers who have made a lasting impact this year and are worth mentioning are Oscar Piastri and Y/N YLN, the two rookies in the world of Formula 1. They have consistently impressed in various races and are closely watched by experts as potential contenders who could challenge Verstappen for the championship title in the near future.

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Source : @TIME

As a woman who runs and drives in the world of Formula 1, @Y/N a standout racer in Formula 1, is not only known for her exceptional performances throughout 2023 but also as a global icon for women. She defies stereotypes and inspires us all. Her ambitions to become the Formula 1 World Champion next year are exciting. invite us all to follow and support her with excitement in the coming year. Congratulations to Y/N on making the #TIME100Next list for 2023.

@LewisHamilton on @Y/N #TIME100Next : 

I truly believe anyone lucky enough to meet Y/N will feel the immense light that is constantly radiating from her. She makes everyone in her orbit feel seen. I’ve had the privilege of watching her tap into every facet of her courage as a girl driver in Formula 1, and I am lucky to call her one of my special ones. Her ability to solve on-the-spot problems, compete in a male-dominated industry fearlessly, and continuously set impressive records is truly remarkable. Additionally, her beautiful heart, honesty, and selflessness, which are rare qualities in the world of Formula 1, leave me so impressed that I'm at a loss for words.

Y/N is so special in so many ways that I could go on forever, but this truly is only her beginning. There is no limit to the wins she will create.

Hamilton is a seven-time Formula One world champion

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Source: Y/N's Instagram (update)

“I can't believe it! I've made the Time magazine cover as #TIME100Next2023 Thank you @lewishamilton for the beautiful description”

Y/N shared a moment of joy after being selected as TIME 100 Next 2023. Fans, friends, and even fellow F1 drivers joined in to show their support. and the one who drew the most attention was Lewis Hamilton, who wrote an entry for her. This has generated a strong and hot response from the media, reigniting discussions about their romance rumors (again)

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Source: Lando Norris's Instagram (update)

“Thank lil sis @Y/N for friendship bracelets. I won't take it off for sure (except when you're not around)”

Lando Norris shared a new photo on Instagram wearing friendship bracelets made by Y/N, symbolizing their strong friendship as friends from the same academy who are now both Formula 1 drivers.

Furthermore, Norris's post also helps reduce the rumors about the relationship between Y/N and Lewis Hamilton, which have been widely discussed since the release of TIME Magazine.

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Source : Twitter (update)

Fans noticed that @Charles_Leclerc was seen wearing friendship bracelets made by @Y/N at the #BahrainGP after he commented to her on Lando's Instagram last week, saying he wanted friendship bracelets like Lando too.

Some fans view it as a lovely relationship between Formula 1 racers, while others have pointed out the incident when Lewis Hamilton's accidental sharing of a photo of him wearing friendship bracelets on his Instagram Story. and compared it to Leclerc and Norris, suggesting that the rumors about Y/N dating Hamilton are trivial.

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Source : @ClutchPoints

This year's Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 1 race was exceptionally intense and special, with the special appearance of two Latin pop stars, Úrsula and Shakira, both of whom are currently rumored to be romantically linked with Formula 1 racers, Y/N and Lewis Hamilton.

What makes this even more interesting and complex is that Y/N and Hamilton were previously rumored to be in a romantic relationship with each other before they seemingly drifted apart last year. Now It seems like both of them have moved on to new romances, especially considering the clear distance they've maintained throughout the competition, and the arrival of both pop stars further solidifies that they are each embarking on new relationships, closing the door of romantic rumor between the two drivers once and for all.

However, the new relationships might not be smooth. According to insiders, Shakira herself has been rumored to be nurturing a romance with another star, Tom Cruise. While Úrsula and Y/N have rumors circulating that they had an argument before the female singer flew back to Los Angeles the next day, maybe both Y/N and Hamilton are more suitable to be single than in a relationship with someone? What are your thoughts? Feel free to leave your comments!

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𝙏𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙪𝙚𝙙 (in the next chapter)

If you like it, don't forget to like and reblog for me.

cr. https://x.com/autosport/status/1711339473470984517?s=20https://x.com/autosport/status/1711367295988084833?s=20https://x.com/autosport/status/1711122194044948778?s=20https://twitter.com/autosport/status/1711373281268207634https://firstsportz.com/f1-news-fans-baffled-as-lewis-hamilton-creates-an-instagram-burner-account-with-a-cryptic-username/https://twitter.com/TIME/status/1362015022927409154https://x.com/TIME/status/1362034951424778245?s=20https://twitter.com/i/events/1575120720597745667https://twitter.com/TIME/status/1362016250449326083https://twitter.com/PopBase/status/1710763206497714284https://clutchpoints.com/tom-cruise-shakira-lewis-hamilton-love-triangle-rumors-racinghttps://x.com/f1memorod/status/1712185898409087051?s=20

#f1 instagram au #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 imagine #formula 1 x reader #f1 social media au #f1 fanfic #f1 twitter au #f1 smau #smau #down the road fanfic #formula 1 #lewis hamilton #famous!reader #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton x you #lewis hamilton imagine #lewis hamilton fanfic #lewis hamilton smau #lewis hamilton social media au #formula one x you #formula one x reader #formula one x y/n #f1 x y/n #formula one fanfic #lewis hamilton x y/n

[fuokir]

Aena Florence Cowell - Profile

◊ Basic Information ◊

▹ Gender: Female ▹ Date of birth:  19th of February ▹ MBTI: Defender ISFJ-A ▹ Nationality: British | Welsh ▹ Blood status: Pure-blood ▹ Wand: English Oak Wood | Unicorn Core | 14 ½" Length | Slightly Springy flexibility ▹ Nickname: - ▹ House: Slytherin ▹ Patronus: Red Squirrel ▹ Boggart: Dragon/Fire ▹ Amortentia: Juniper, menthol, lime ▹ Animagus: -

◊ Appearance ◊

Aena is slightly above average height. She has long blond hair, to be honest it's hard to say what color, her hair was once very burned out in the sun, I would call it a pearl blond, with a warm undertone. Violet eyes, in her favorite sly squint. A long, straight nose, it is very easy for them to get into other people's business. Freckled skin and two facial scars.

▹ Clothing style: Ready to dress up in anything, the main thing is that it be washed and ironed. She loves trendy blouses and comfortable shoes, otherwise she just wants to look neat. ▹ Accessories: Silver earrings. A brooch with which she secures a bow on her collar. ▹ Other distinguishing features: Two scars. First received before Hogwarts, her younger sister hit her with a candlestick in a fit of rage. This scar cuts through her upper lip. The second one was obtained approximately between 4-6 class step (I still haven't decided) in a fight with Aisha. This scar is located across the bridge of the nose.

◊ Personality ◊

Aena is a person who values connections very much, and, first of all, values her own comfort. She can come across as rude due to her bluntness, although she usually tries to choose her words. For close people, Aena is the figure of an older sister, patronizing and ready to help with deed or advice. She is still clueless in conversation, but it has its own charm. If you come to her in a bad mood or in tears, she will definitely coo around you and if words do not help, then be sure that you will be taken to have fun in Hogsmeade, even if Professor Weasley did not give permission to visit the village. Due to her rather reserved nature, it is very difficult to catch her own resentment or bad mood. As a rule, she suppresses bad emotions if the pressure on her is very strong. Cowell is inclined to break loose on someone, but more often than something (Ferdinand Octavius Pratt will never forgive her for his torn portrait that once hung in the Trophy Hall). Otherwise, she learned to live such moments in herself, not wanting to impose her problems.

▹ Traits: Self-confident, imposing, diligent, cunning, communicable. ▹ Likes: Feeling of winning, gift gifts to friends and family (she is one of those people who will see a wild flower, remember you and pick it to give), To speak caustically. ▹ Dislikes: Gobstones, hates all kinds of sweets and candies (childhood trauma). ▹ Good at: Chess, persuasion, remember things quickly. ▹ Bad at: Flying on a broom (she gets motion sick), to be tact. ▹ Hobbies: Board games, Herbarium, calligraphy. ▹ Fears: Fire, fatal disease. ▹ Ambition: Become an influential person in the magical world.

◊ Family ◊

▹Father: Ambrose Thomas Cowell ▹Mother: Lavinia Marjorie Cowell (nee Brown) ▹Sibling: Aeva Francis Cowell (little sister) | Darcia Arthur Cowell (little brother) ▹ Paternal grandparents: Bertram Caspar Cowell and Marjorie Rose Cowell ▹Maternal grandparents: They do not communicate for one reason or another / Aena does not know them, as much.. ▹ Other noteworthy relatives: Angus Beresford Cowell (uncle), Anna Rayne Brown (aunt), Victor Brown (cousin), Cain Beresford Brown (cousin, illegitimate son of Anna and Angus).

▹ Pet: Couple Mooncalfs and Jobberknoll ▹ Family home: Cardiff ▹ Blood Status: Pure-Blood ▹ Social standing: Middle class family, i guess... Aristocracy? ▹ Family background: The relationship between the Browns and the Cowells became very tense after the announcement of the engagement between Lavinia and Ambrose. Both Aena's parents were strong-willed and strong-willed, and although the families did not want this union, in fear that the newlyweds would quickly fall out of love with each other when they were drawn into the routine, this did not happen. The birth of Aena, the first-born, was not accepted by applause, the parents were still very young, just about to graduate from Hogwarts. it was also that Anna, Lavinia's cousin, and Angus, Ambrose's brother, were not careful and their families found out about their union. And although the Cowells, as a fairly young purebred family, were not well known, everyone whispered about the Browns. This angered the Browns and almost all ties between the families were cut off. This did not prevent the girl from growing up in love and care, even in some kind of permissiveness. Aena was a mischievous child. In particular, she adopted the confidence of her father, and inherited from her mother an unshakable determination. Of course her uncle Angus, who frequents them (living for a while with his brother and his family), also contributed. He was cunning, playful, witty and an excellent gambler. During the early years of Ambrose and Lavinia's marriage, he often stayed to babysit his niece while his brother and his wife worked at Gringotts Wizarding Bank. It would be nonsense if, in the end, Aena did not learn to play almost as well as her uncle. Over time, her sister was born, and now not only Angus was the nanny, but Aena herself, because her sister turned out to be a completely restless child.

The Cowell family can be safely called an example of a healthy family, where everyone listens and hears each other. Where conflicts are not hushed up, but resolved. In their house there is always an atmosphere of warmth and comfort. Family members value each other, they will never refuse to help friends and relatives. Her parents still work in a bank. Grandfather was an Auror, and her grandmother worked as a curse breaker. Her uncle Angus does not work anywhere, but thanks to his skill as a card sharper, he squanders money in all directions.

◊ Relationships ◊

It is difficult to write down with whom Alena is friends to one degree or another, since she tends to call a friend a person with whom she communicated a couple of times both of them at school. Anyway, she was the most frequent communication with Amit Thakkar, Aisha Werdy(oc), Grace Pinch-Smedley and Imelda Reyes. With the advent of the New Fifth Year, Aena's friend list has become noticeably larger! Since the fifth year, a new student has appeared in Cowell's inner circle (I would like to use a specific character, but I love many MCs so much … this is a difficult choice for me, in general, your character could be here !!!). Through the new fifth year, Aena became closer to Sebastian Sallow and Ominis Gaunt. This was an interesting experience for Aena, who was very prejudiced against Gaunt due to rumors and stories from her parents. Although her parents did not want to appear biased, because they had also been the subject of all sorts of dirty rumors before, they were very afraid of ties with the Gaunts. Interestingly, thanks to MC, Cowell stopped communicating with Cressida Blume. One day, Aena managed to overhear a conversation between a newcomer and Ominis in the Hogwarts library, where the MC told in detail what he had read in a Gryffindor girl's diary. She also had a quarrel with Imelda for a while, Reyes was tirelessly talking dirty about the new one and Aena was so tired of it that she asked Imelda not to talk to her until it was all over.

Any more serious and romantic feelings were alien to Aena for a long time. Probably the culprit was gambling, through which she received joy and adrenaline. When she was strictly banned from playing within the walls of the school for as much as 2 years, for Cowell it was a global catastrophe. She was still holding small sessions of games in Hogsmeade, Aena could not find a place for herself and did not know what to do. She struggled with background anxiety for a long time, at some point losing any interest in games. Ominis became her distraction. They bumped into each other on the way to Hogsmeade, talking. Gaunt had another problem with his parents (and more problems with Sebastian), Aena had complete emptiness and disappointment in herself as a person (she was really ashamed of her actions). The Slytherins entered into a playful agreement, Aena helped the boy create the appearance of the life that the Gaunts wanted for him (minimal, but this, as it turned out, was enough), and in return Ominis was supposed to simply brighten up Aena's especially lonely days. And so, with slow steps, they became closer and closer to each other.

◊ little things ◊

Heather Mason - Silent Hill 3

Dana Scully - X-Files

Morrigan - Dragon age:Origins

Suki - ATLA

Princess Leia Organa - Star Wars

Rhaenys Targaryen - House of the Dragon

#hogwarts legacy mc #hogwarts legacy oc #aena cowell #hphl #hphl mc #hp oc #ominis gaunt #ominis gaunt x mc #ominis x mc

[athanasius-symposium-of-writings]

Lucky Rabbit Blow The Dice

Chapter One

High Roller!Orpheus x Reader

Rated Explicit

On Ao3

Chapter Two

High Roller, a person who gambles or spends large amounts of money, they usually are cocky and rarely cash in when the reward is grand. Shiny and seemingly obtainable.

Enough alcohol and praise going straight to the head lowers those inhibitions, and ambitions rise. Then the rat trap taps on their necks.

Lucky Guy and you are very good dealers. Picking targets and giving enough wins to the guests before draining them dryer than their glasses.

All of this was an easy game until he showed up.

High Roller, he calls himself– You thought him arrogant for his cocky behavior. You underestimated him…

When he practicality had the casino by the balls (somehow winning every fucking game from slots to roulettes), he said he will bet everything for one game.

A game, you to this day, do not know how he won!

Yet…The ultimate game, a game you could not imagine anyone but the one named High Roller could win.

Lucky Guy and you could only stand in shock as he called out his challenge to the one.

Here in the casino, in Her domain— Her temple— Luck roams from one player to the dealer to a newcomer whenever she pleases. None can claim to her, he is free and promiscuous, though can sometimes select those with her blessings, of sorts.

Lucky Guy and you are not here just as dealers but as those who keep risk and rewards flowing in balance.

This man somehow disrupted the natural order of luck by somehow winning every fucking game!

“For my prize:” Making his demands clear as he stood on top stage where the showgirls stayed behind him confused and looking at one another, “I want them!” Pointing at you and suddenly the spotlight is on you.

There are few you can claim to be a favorite, you are one of them. Lady Luck can have her moments when She fancies a mortal and for a night She indulges.

Lucky Guy was someone she snatched from a game, his soul bound to servitude.

You are a product of lust and She keeps you here close knowing how easily someone could use you. Just like Her, you are essentially a good luck charm. 

You took the challenge in her place, She is above mortal bullshit and you still believed you could turn the luck of the night around.

Then you lost. You swear the match was between yourself and the devil. The grin on his face furthers this belief.

The worst part: Your mother did not seem upset, no, She seemed pleased to have Her child taken by a master of cards like High Roller.

Though Lucky Guy swears she hides her pain.

Now you are at a different casino. Darker, enslaving the guests, it is like a prison. Risk Taker, a woman who does all this for her God, heads all of this.

At your mother's casino, at least the guests can go home with their souls intact (tainted but whole)… Here it is like watching each one lose not only their inhibitions but their sanity.

The winner takes all, the loser loses all life is thrilling; there is no balance. Just constant decadence and debauchery.

Watching every night, you see the hollowing out of these people. You… You wish you could do something or at least bring balance here. Risk, reward and loss, and caution seem imbalanced. But cannot, this is not Her temple but some other creature's temple. No longer are you allowed to be a dealer or even play; you are the High Roller's bunny, a lucky rabbit he calls you.

Bunny ears, the latex corset teddy style with the long tail tuxedo jacket (to keep you warm), a bunny tail pinned above your ass (he loves toying with it when you sit on his lap), the fishnet stockings, and heels (you hate these because your feet hurt after awhile which makes you sit, and guess what the only place you can sit on is the High Roller's lap).

You hate it, he doesn't care that you hate it. Or maybe he likes how he can flex his power over you.

By his side to blow the dice before he rolls. To kiss his deck before he shuffles. To sit on his lap as the roulette wheel spins. 

The High Roller's favorite game is anything that involves cards, a master of dealing, and beloved by Miss Fortune (the guests call Lady Luck that here).

All night you have been made, as usual, to be his eye candy on his arm (or on his lap) as he plays the games. Busy nights, though, mean he sometimes will have you fetching him drinks— For the guests. The drunker the guests get, the braver they get. The braver guests are, the more money they spend, and the more money spent the bigger bets and losses.

A cycle that keeps the casino going: Greed.

Currently, the night is dying down, and people cashing in their chips or heading out broke.

High Roller is dealing cards in the private room with you being a ‘player’. He only plays a simple game with you with stakes being articles of clothing. He has the advantage even though he claims you have luck over him.

Lady Luck versus Miss Fortune.

“You just want to see me naked.” What a joke. You frown as even as Her child, you still lost against him! A fucking mortal! You cross your arms as he places his deck of cards down the table while chuckling at the sight of his unhappy bunny.

“Let’s make this fair.” He removes his jacket, placing it behind the chair neatly before sitting down, “Ready?” As if he cares if you aren't ready.

He just wants to fuck you on the dealer's table.

“Yeah, whatever.”

The first time you had sex with him, he was surprisingly gentle. A gentleman who was more focused on your pleasures than his own. It was strange given how objectifies you in public. He pushes buttons plenty, teasing endlessly, and God, you find yourself stumbling helplessly.

However, you have an affect on him.

See, you do not play nice. You fight him for control rather than let him have it. After all, you still are bitter about losing to him and no amount of him going down on you is gonna change that. In fact, when serving you, you make sure he is a mess before you are.

High Roller does not know what pussy drunk means but you had him a number of times that close. So close to the state of promising anything just to be able to feel you around his cock.

Of course, he has gotten better in keeping himself sane but not by much given you know just where and how to stroke him.

The cards are dealt, the first match you win. He removes his gloves. 

Hours pass.

Pass closing time.

The cleaning shift has since long left.

Risk Taker told you both, before heading upstairs to the hotel portion of the building, to clean up any mess left between the game.

At the time, you still were covered.

Right now you only have stockings left and High Roller has his drawers on.

You tap your finger on the table for a card.

He gives you a card and he takes a card.

“Straight flush, you bastard!” Slamming the cards on the table, “Those come off!” Because you know he would take off his sock garters.

He eyes you with an eyebrow raised as he presents his royal fucking flush.

“What… You son of a bitch!” groaning in your hands as you bend over banging your head on the table in defeat.

“Oh, when will you learn little rabbit, you simply can't beat me.” leaning against his chair, “Now I believe you have an article of clothing to remove.”

You huff as you stand up straight ready to remove the last bit of clothing before you are completely naked… Only because in the damn bunny suit you cannot wear underwear (rather you are not allowed to wear any).

“Wait.” He says, “Hmm.” The idle mind is the Devil's playground but a wandering thought is the Devil himself.

“Double or nothing.”

You know he is going to win, he does not offer something without knowing he certainly will win. With a sigh, long and exasperated, “I’ll bite what are the terms?”

The grin spreads, and he leans forward, “You deal this time. If I get an ace of hearts: you touch yourself for me to watch.”

“You are so obsessed with me it makes you look stupid, babe.” As if you do not sometimes enjoy the attention of the older man.

“Say what you will,” Handing you the deck after he shuffles it, “However, tomorrow night when you are on my lap at this table,” Low and with that fucking cursed sexy low voice, “You will know what that stain on here is from.”

Fuck, fuck, holy fucking him! You hate how your cheeks burn or how that makes you cross your leg over the other as that goes straight to your crotch. “Tsk.” Clicking your tongue before snatching the cards out of his hand.

#reader insert #fanfiction #identity v x you #idv reader insert #identity v x reader #idv x reader #identity v #idv orpheus #idv high roller #idv orpheus x reader #idv novelist #idv orpheus x you #idv x you #ao3 fanfic

[that-ari-blogger]

Iconic (Defying Gravity)

If you look up "iconic Broadway songs", you get lists upon lists of musical numbers, but there are a few constants. Beside One Day More from Les Misérables, Don't Cry For Me Argentina from Evita, and Seasons Of Love from Rent, you will usually find Defying Gravity, from Wicked.

If you think about it, this is actually rather weird, right? The aforementioned songs are about preparing for death, dying, and looking back on life, respectively. Defying Gravity is about a witch deciding to fly. A story that is objectively fantastical (it depicts magic and flying monkeys in a place that definitely does not exist) stands next to stories of real-world history and events, and nobody bats an eyelid because... well... because it's just that good.

This is like a corgi winning a race fair and square against a ton of cheetahs.

I think it's worth examining just what Defying Gravity does to stand beside giants, and what story it is telling.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (Wicked)

Defying Gravity is a battle cry.

When you examine a piece of media, the first thing you need to understand is what it is that that piece of media is trying to achieve. For example, if you examine a commercial for toothpaste through the same lens as a commercial film, that commercial will fall short. Similarly, if you examine a song that is trying to get stuck in your head through a classical, technical lens, things get funky.

You can, of course, apply those different lenses if you want. That's the fun thing about art, there are few rules. But even then, you need to understand the purpose of the text.

Defying Gravity is a battle cry.

It is a song that calls to arms its listeners. It says to Oz that things will get better, if Elphaba has to tear down the world to make it so. And it tells the audience to get excited, because someone has just started shaking things up.

The song is a turning point in the musical. It is the end of act one, and it sets the trajectory of the second half of the story. It defines how the characters will behave going forwards. But also...

Defying Gravity is a breakup song.

I don't think the two are disconnected at all. Wicked is about reality and dreams colliding, and it follows the seeking of freedom. The twist is that for freedom, you have to give up your safety, and Glinda isn't prepared to do that, but Elphaba is.

This is a piece by @abd-illustrates (Youtube, Deviantart). Although I believe it's technically about No Good Deed, I feel it's relevant here and a spectacular feat of artistic merit that I had to put it in.

Wicked has been accused of queer bating by fans, and while I see that angle, I don't quite agree. I think that the romantic relationship between Glinda and Elphaba does happen, but the fact that it doesn't work is key to the story. They are doomed lovers, and this song is that breaking point.

What is more valuable to our protagonists? Autonomy or stability? Both characters pick different options, and that incompatibility tears them apart.

"Elphaba, why couldn't you have stayed calm for once? Instead of flying off the handle!

I hope you're happy

I hope you're happy now

I hope you're happy how

you've hurt your cause forever

I hope you think you're clever"

Glinda's perspective here is clear, she believes in the system she is a part of. She sees its flaws, but because they work for her, she sees them as strengths. And this is understandable, the system has only benefited her, so she is blind to its faults.

But understandable is not the same as agreeable, and I am inclined to follow Elphaba's logic here. The system is unjust, and directly in opposition to her goal of fairness and equality. She wants to make the world a better place, and now that the system's lies are revealed to her, she needs to take things in a different direction.

"I hope you're proud how you would grovel in submission

To feed your own ambition"

So, the sides are established, and this song serves as a battle of ideas. Both characters want their friend to join them, and its notable how they go about doing that.

Glinda falls on aspiration and references a previous song to get her point across.

"You can still be with the wizard

What you've worked and waited for

You can have all you ever wanted"

I feel the need to point out that Glinda wasn't present when Elphaba sang The Wizard and I, and yet she matches the tune and meaning almost perfectly. Elphaba hasn't merely told Glinda her dream, she has shared her dream with her, and confided in her that incredibly vulnerable side of herself.

Elphaba acted so differently in The Wizard and I than in the rest of the story, she was less guarded, and more childish with that naive hope that she holds onto throughout the entirety of the show. That hope just becomes less naive and more relentless.

Elphaba has shared that naivety and hope and whimsicality with Glinda, and it's that relationship that Glinda is calling on now. Remember us, remember our dream.

However, for all Glinda's canniness and understanding of the world, she doesn't understand people, and she doesn't understand Elphaba.

Elphaba wanted to meet the wizard for a reason. She had a motive behind her dream that superseded the specifics of how it would play out.

"But I don't want it

No, I can't want it anymore"

Notice the vernacular that Elphaba uses. She can't want to be with the wizard. In her mind, doing the right thing isn't a choice. To Elphaba, good is a force that has pushed her to where she is right now, and forced her to sing this song.

Essentially, Elphaba is a paragon hero and is actively unmaking the grey morality of the setting. Often in media, "realism" is shorthand for everyone being either selfish or misunderstood. It's a pessimistic worldview of life that I don't entirely agree with.

That does happen in real life, don't get me wrong. The vast majority of the world is made up of people who are capable of actions that are good, bad, or neither.

But there are people out there who are truly cruel and evil, trust me, I've met some of them. But I've also met their opposite, people who are kind and compassionate and do what they think is right because to them, there isn't another option.

Elphaba is that second type of person, and the musical has got its audience to take this for granted at this point. But it's worth remembering that this character is the Wicked Witch of the West, the cartoon bad guy of an iconic work of literature. The musical hasn't made her more morally nuanced; it has made the world more nuanced, and that has reframed this character entirely.

The song even reminds the audience of this fact through the ensemble, just to make the juxtaposition more obvious.

"Look at her! She's wicked, get her.

No one mourns the wicked! So we've got to bring her

Down"

This is actually foreshadowing for a later song.

Back to this part, the backing of the song has spent the majority of its run time playing elaborate movements, but for Galinda and Elphaba's talk about dreams, it simplifies. Galinda gets a bare trickle of that floaty harmony, but Elphaba gets next to nothing for her line. Mostly.

This, combined with the slowing down effect brought on by the fermata (the symbol that looks like an eye), gives the conversation an intimate tone. The two have just each other to hear, and nothing to get in the way. It also frames Elphaba's line as reassurance. There is a storm coming and she is telling her girlfriend that things are going to work out ok in the end.

However, the big chords come back in on the "anymore" and lead into the key change that covers the rest of the song. This is a metaphor for the change that is happening in Elphaba's mind. As she makes her decision on how to proceed, and recognises that things are now different, the slow build up to this song's finale is finally got underway.

The rest of this song is just a build up to a final crash of sound. It rises in a few beats with the choruses, as Elphaba tests her wings, so to speak. And the song gains momentum slowly as more instruments are added.

If you thought I wasn't going to at least reference Glee's multiple performances of this song and how in that series, Defying Gravity is explicitly synonymous with queerness and pride, welcome to the blog. I make analysis posts, maybe stick around if you like this kind of thing.

"Too late for second guessing,

too late to go back to sleep"

There are two separate ideas being intertwined here. First up is the reiteration of Elphaba's inability to stop. Once again, she is doing the right thing because someone has to do it, and soon it will be too late. But the duality of this phase links that idea with the revelation about Oz. She can't go back to sleep, she can't go back to ignorance. Now that she knows what she knows, she has to act.

"Too long I've been afraid of

Losing love I guess I've lost.

Well, if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost."

This isn't particularly complex storytelling, but it's effective none the less. Elphaba is saying her realisations out loud to keep the audience up to speed. In this instance, she has been chasing acceptance, and now understands that she was never going to get it from Oz, and that what she would have to do to obtain a facade of understanding is not worth it.

The fact that my analysis of that phrase is just saying it again but slightly differently is a pretty good example of how effective the storytelling in the line is.

"I'd sooner buy defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye, I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down"

The first chorus of this song is remarkably understated. It doesn't have the confidence of latter verses, and I will discuss why I think that is in a moment. The orchestra pulls back to a few instruments, and the drum plays a light rhythm on one of its... ok I my musical knowledge is a bit limited here. The bit of the drum that goes "tss tss tss", you know the one.

This gives it a light feeling that adds to the unsteady feeling of the chorus as Elphaba tests the waters and learns to fly. But she needs guidance, and support, and who does she turn to for that?

"Glinda, come with me."

This is the first time Elphaba has been thinking on the spot. Usually, she thinks everything through before she says it, but now she is running entirely on a single train of thought. I cannot stress enough how this thought process is literally: "love, kiss goodbye, Glinda". Historians will say they were close friends.

A leitmotif is a recurring musical phrase that represents a certain theme. For example, earlier in the musical, Galinda's "you deserve each other" musical phrase was repeated to show false relationships and false promises, and was also used in The Wizard and I to foreshadow the false promise of the Wizard and his gifts.

The Unlimited Leitmotif is used exclusively to symbolise Elphaba and Glinda's relationship. You can read that as platonic if you want, but there are some context clues that I would argue suggest otherwise. For example, it's called the "Unlimited" leitmotif for a reason.

As I have kept harping on about, the most valuable thing a person can achieve in this musical is freedom. This is a song about defying the laws of physics themselves. And the thing that Elphaba is offering Glinda here, the thing that is so defining for their relationship that it is literally the shorthand for it, is complete and total freedom.

Together, the two are unlimited.

The second chorus is sung together. Glinda gives Elphaba the strength of spirit to continue and is quite literally the reason she can fly in the first place.

But Glinda doesn't want that. She wants to feel in control of herself more than autonomy, and that's why the relationship falls apart. The two are doomed lovers, and it's not because one of them lies or cheats or any of that soap opera nonsense, but because they want different things out of life.

"Well, are you coming?"

"I hope you're happy

Now that you're choosing this"

"You, too

I hope it brings you bliss"

All in all, I think this breakup goes remarkably well. The two realise that their lives are taking each of them in a direction that the other cannot follow, and so they offer their goodbyes peacefully and get ready for the finale of this act.

Glinda even gives Elphaba a cloak to protect her from the elements as a final goodbye gift. Which, if you are keeping track, means that both the hat and the cloak, the Wicked Witch's most iconic visual elements besides her skin, were gifts from a very close friend.

I don't need to explain why the final chorus of this song is so good, do I? The music is phenomenal, the vocal performance is unrivaled, and it outright says half of the points I have been trying to make in this post.

I do think that the sheer skill on display here is important for the theming as well. Yes, the high note symbolises the flight and escape, yes it's synonymous with rising above petty grievances, and yes the rising is literally a reverse Deus Ex Machina. But it's also just the actress who plays Elphaba showing off and having a blast. There are no limits on her vocal performance, she doesn't have to rein in anything, and she can instead belt out a number as loud and powerfully as she wants because nobody is stopping her.

"As someone told me lately,

Everyone deserves a chance to fly"

This is a reference to something that the Wizard said to Elphaba, but when he said it, he was completely talking out of his arse. The Wizard, and a significant portion of Oz as a whole, parade around saying nebulously benevolent things, but they don't actually mean it. The Wizard has created a nation based around surveillance and oppression, there is no way that he believes in everyone getting a fair go.

The important thing to understand is that the Wizard's worldview is wrong. Everyone does deserve fairness. So his lie to appease Elphaba was in fact true. Elphaba's role in this is making that lie into a reality, by giving the people someone who will say things honestly and try to actually make the world a better place.

Finally, however, as the lights prepare to shut off and Elphaba rises into the distance. Glinda stands beneath her, looking up. She is now just another face in the crowd, but her sentiment stands in stark contrast to the rest of Oz.

Simultaneously, Glinda says goodbye, and wishes Elphaba good luck on the road ahead.

"I hope you're happy."

Final Thoughts

It needs to be understood that part of why Defying Gravity stands beside historical giants like Don't Cry For Me Argentina is the fact that it is fantastical.

Wicked is a musical about the relentlessness of hope. It is set in a world where anything is possible, and it brings that to life. Through the application of some truly impressive stagecraft, the actress who plays Elphaba genuinely flies for all to see.

This is a story that takes the impossible and makes it possible, and this is the song which cemented that theme in the minds of anyone who watched it. This song fully deserves its place as my second favourite in this musical.

That's right, my favourite is yet to come, and I'm enjoying watching y'all guess at what it is in the replies.

Next week, I will be looking at Thank Goodness and how it sets up the plot of the second act. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #what's so special about...? #character analysis #wicked wizard of oz #wicked #wicked musical #wicked the musical #defying gravity #lgbtq #lgbtqia #lgbtq community #queer community #wicked is a queer story #gelphie #galinda upland #elphaba thropp #seriously guys Gelphie is such an awful ship name #musical analysis #musicals #musical theater #broadway musicals #musical theatre #elphaba #glinda #if anyone has technical musical knowledge please share your thoughts on this song. Please

[folkbreeze]

Lola Valdez, a sim for @lotuso3o's call for celebrities

"It comes as no surprise to anyone that Valdez is the MVP once again in today's game. She secured the victory for the Suns with an impressive game and proved that her nomination for player of the year was not a fluke."

Lola Valdez is (possibly) the best basketball player at the moment. She plays for the Suns of the Valley, Del Sol Valley's team, which is about to win the SUL (Sim Union League). Here's what we know about her:

Born and raised in San Myshuno. Still loves to visit from time to time.

She's active, obviously. She loves sport so much she built her life around it. Or, her life is sport, more like.

Her ambition knows no limit. What she wants she gets.

Girl bro. Loves watching sports on tv, loves hanging out with her team. Bro.

She's Bisexual, but it should be called Basketsexual because that's all she has time for. Like, who cares about relationships when you can play basket, right? Right? Ugh, whatever, she's not so lucky when it comes to love.

GO SUNS!

★★★

#ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #my sims #the sims community #simblr #ts4 edit #ts4 cas

[vilandel]

Athénaïs Vitrail ☘️

(Black Clover OC Profile ☘️)

@kalolasfantasyworld, @acacia-may, @loosesodamarble, @lyranova and anyone else who loves my Rosette, I don't think you will share the same sentiment towards her older sister... Athénaïs was created because I wanted to try to make not lovable OCs. Not really a villain like Dante or Vanica for example, not a complex person with redemption like Nozel or Langris, but more like a typical noble but smart, arrogant, spoiled and full of herself... It's a bit difficult to explain just like this, maybe it will clearer to understand in her profile. If I like her, only because I like to hate her or when she is put in her place and it's not easy in her case.

☘️☘️☘️

Basic Information

Name: Athénaïs Vitrail

Age: currently 24

Birthday: 27th May

Sign: Gemini

Love Interest: None. She was determined to marry into royalty, Nozel was her first choice, but she got Damnatio instead.

Birthplace: Clover Kingdom’s Capital, city villa of house Vitrail

Current Location: Clover Kingdom, Kira Palace

Affinity: Glass Magic

Likes: Luxury, clothes & jewelry, puddles, balls, wine, being admired and put on a pedestal, controlling others, putting others in their places, having power

Dislikes: Not being in control, poverty, the current state of House Silva, being dismissed, being in the shadow of someone else.

Grimoire Design: A bright grayish white, kinda looking like a lot of light shining through glass with golden complex looking patterns.

Appearance:

Hair Color: Golden blonde

Eye Color: Royal blue

Height: 170 cm

She is considered one of the biggest beauty in Clover. Her skin is like porcelain, lips like a blooming pink rose, her eyelashes black and long, her hair looks like gold in any way and falls in wavy curls over her shoulder. Athénaïs has very pretty curves, considered perfect.

She usually wears her hair down or into hairdos that are currently in fashion. Her clothes are usually very luxurious, mostly with golden patterns, but never looking gaudy. Her fashion sense rivals the one of Nebra. She also barely uses make-up, just a bit sometimes, but she never needed it really with her looks.

She is beautiful, but inside she is rather vain, which mades her not that beautiful compared to anyone with a good heart.

Personality:

Athénaïs is what you can consider a typical Clover noble lady: arrogant, vain, spoiled, full of herself and dismissive to anyone she considers unworthy... In her case it's not only commoners and peasants, but also often other nobles and royals.

But she is also clever woman. She is very admired since she was a baby and she knows that. Since she is also ambitious, she learned to manipulate rather early on. Athénaïs knows how to talk, to compliment and also to put shade on someone, in a way that it sound like a fact. She can also destroy someone's reputation with a mix of fake pity, gossip and amusement. She is a force in noble circles.

When Athénaïs wants something, she usually make sure she has more than one option to reach her goal. So, she is often very calm about her ambitions. But when nothing works, while she remains calm, she starts to be very nervous inside, searching for a scapegoat to blame and she loses a bit of her control.

Don't play gambling games with her. She always wins and not only does Athénaïs knows that, she would never cheat. In her eyes, cheating is unbefitting of royalty. But she is ready to cheat when she can't get what she wants.

She does love her little sister, but it is yet to determined if it's really genuine or if it's just because taking care of her so-called unhealthy younger sister puts her in a good light. Athénaïs actually doesn't know it herself.

Background:

Athénaïs is Rosettes older sister. So, she is from high nobility and the eldest daughter of lord Verre, head of house Vitrail, and his wife Cristal. Already since she was a baby, she was admired and considered growing up one of the most perfect noble ladies in Clover. The stupid nobles are always in awe in front of her, the clever ones admire her.

She got one of the best educations. Unlike many noble girls, she didn't considered her lessons as useless for her future. On the contrary, she took them seriously and it helped to get the excellent reputation she has today.

Like said before, she is a force in noble circles. In fact, her word can quickly become a fact. Especially on the marital status. For example, if she says something like "House Lügner shouldn't try to get married with house Boismortier, house Sandler is the better option for them", you can bet that soon, a betrothal will be announced between house Lügner and house Sandler.

And most importantly, Athénaïs is considered to be one of the best nobles to marry into royalty. So, her parents and many nobles expected and even worked for that. Athénaïs herself is convinced of that fact and also that she could take over any royal house. Especially the Silvas.

Marital Situation:

Since everyone considered her as a perfect candidate to marry into royalty, Athénaïs refused any suitors that weren't royal. And even in royalty, not everyone was good for her. People like Leopold, Solid or Kirsch were unfitting of her. The king as well, not because of his position, but even Athénaïs deemed herself to good for this fool. Fuegoleon and Nozel were more fitting for her ambitions. And since Nozel is already Head of House Silva, he became her first choice.

To be noted, Athénaïs always considered that House Silva wasn't well lead. Oh, not for the reasons that might come first to our minds. No, she considers that Nozel did a stupid job when he took over at fifteen, that he spent too much time grieving his mother instead of doing his duty. In her eyes, children and parents shouldn't be close. She also thinks that he handled his siblings badly and that he should have 1. banish Noelle completely from royalty, 2. put Solid more in the shadows and 3. never allowed Nebra to become a Magic Knight since she has just Mist Magic. She also doesn't think that Nozel is able to properly lead, be it House Silva or the Silver Eagles. But he is head of house and he has presence, plus he is popular. Of course, she wouldn't say things like this out loud, she is too clever for that. But subtle shade is Athénaïs speciality.

She was convinced that she would be the only one capable to make House Silva a great royal house again and also that she could lead it, since in her eyes Nozel was easy to control since he was close to his mother. Here I have to reassure you. Even before he started to change and redeem himself, Nozel never ever once considered Athénaïs Vitrail as a potential future wife, despite the pressure of nobility. He is not stupid, he sees behind her mask and ever since he overheard her talking (subtly) badly about his beloved mother, he grew a big dislike towards her, while never showing it (he was cold to everyone, so...).

When Nozel fell in love with Vanessa (or in Paper Hearts universe, when it will be more official with Helena... sorry to be a bit bold, Lola^^'), Athénaïs first wasn't worried. For her, it was just an annoyance, since she doesn't have a high opinion on witches (or foreigners, even if they are royalty). Instead, she was very bold to give Nozel a daring suggestion. To be noted, she doesn't believe that love has anything to do with marriages, that romance is the only luxury peasants and commoners could have. So, she was convinced that Nozel wasn't in love, but just had a fling. Athénaïs proposed to him that if he doesn't want to get rid of his "plaything", she could allow to have her stay at the Silva Palace. He could have his fun with her, but he should only have children that are legitimate, not bastards. Athénaïs even suggested to give Nozels beloved a proper position, like a governess for the children, but she should never have any power.

You can be certain that not only Nozel refused her proposition, but put her also very harsh at her place, probably for the first time in her life. Showing her his dislike directly as well. Athénaïs was taken aback by it, not expecting it at all and for the first time, there was a shatter in her ambitions.

She still later got married to a royal, to Damnatio. But it was more kinda out of nervous despair than anything. Their marriage is as arranged as arranged could be. And well, Damnatio is not someone to control at all, so Athénaïs was very upset that she couldn't take control over house Kira. Damnatio also doesn't trust his wife and to not lose some kind of power, Athénaïs did her best to remain a force within nobility. Her frustration is always at his peak when she sees or hear about Nozel being happy with a woman outside of his circle. She just couldn't understand and considered Nozels wife a thief that stole her price.

Damnatio and Athénaïs only got one child together (which conception rather coincide with the birth of Nozels first-born children, hm...). A daughter named Esperanza. Who looks exactly like her mother, expect for a little mole on her chin. Since Athénaïs considered that children and parents shouldn't be close, she never got any kind of bond with her daughter, not even wanted to see her every day and only made sure she got a brilliant education, like she had herself. For her, it was normal that her daughter would be another Athénaïs.

But luckily for little Esperanza and to a lot of people surprise, Damnatio came to genuinely love his daughter. Despite his personality, he made sure to spend time with Esperanza, forging a proper bond with her. Heck, he even put a crib in his own office for her. It shocked many people and it is probably Damnatio biggest redeeming quality. He also considered that his daughter needed a proper maternal figure and since his wife was inclined to do so (he demanded it first of Athénaïs and they had such a terrible fight about it that Damnatio lost his calm for the first time), he asked Esperanzas maternal aunt to be that mother figure. Aka, our dear Rosette. Which allowed Esperanza to spend a lot of time with the Silva next generation.

Thanks to all of this, Esperanza became a wonderful, gentle and kindhearted girl (Rosettes or Finesses genes somehow got through). And one day, she will be the next queen of Clover, replacing Augustus.

Family Tree of the Vitrail Sisters:

Trivia:

Athénaïs was very vaguely by the mistress of the French king Louis XIV, madame the Montespan, heck why that name.

I actually created Athénaïs a bit before Rosette, but Rosette came really close afterwards. First I haven't thought about making them sisters, but somehow it felt fitting for me. They both have some similarities, but Rosette has a good heart while Athénaïs doesn't have it.

Athénaïs hates getting fat or getting too skinny, so she has an extra control about each food she takes.

Like madame the Montespan, has sometimes weird methods to take care of her beauty.

Can't cook at all, but would dare to say something dismissive if she considers that a cook has done something dumb.

Is one of the best dancers in the kingdom.

Is of course dismissive of Asta, but gives him points because "he tries to be polite."

Still visits Rosette from time to time, but those visits are rather short.

Is firmly convinced that her little sister is not getting along with Vanessa (or Helena), Zora and Asta, since she is a Vitrail and above commoners and peasants. Is very in denial about that.

Isn't upset or worried that Rosette spends time with her daughter or that Esperanza spends a lot of time with the Silvas. She just thinks that it will be like it was to her.

Hates Charlotte for many reasons. At first, she considered that being married to Yami was the fitting punishment, but then was upset that Charlotte was happy with him. Athénaïs just couldn't understand it.

Is still very loved within nobility, but her power fades over time.

Was very proud that her daughter will be queen, but was very angry that it won't give her any power.

The only things she genuinely loves are puddles. As a princess of house Kira, she got six of them and they got even their own chambers.

Sadly won't change and might end up along with puddles and some nobles who still admire her. Rosette is a bit sad about it, but she has the Silvas who are her true family.

Esperanza was never close to her mother and kept her distance, but still respected her enough to make sure she won't end in poverty.

#Black Clover #Black Clover OC #My Black Clover OC ☘️ #Athénaïs Vitrail #When you like Rosette you won't like Athénaïs #She wasn't made to be likable #But her daughter is

[blues-valentine]

Do you think that the show retconned Gina's character/took away her agency by making it appear as if Ricky was the reason why she joined the musical?

No. And this is such a random take because the show made it clear that Gina joined because she wanted to find a propose that connects her to something other than ambition and success. And this is what Ricky has represented for Gina all along. They just spelled it out for you. Ricky is the reason Gina found community in theater.

What we learn about Gina on Season 1 is that she is a highly ambitious girl which motivation is often to win and be the lead. We can asume she joined stuff like those not just because she enjoyed it and was good at it but her approach to it was to win and being the main focus, not to form a community. And this is her mother’s influence who used to tell her is not worth it if she isn’t number one at it. We saw on Season 1 she had a lot of medals/trophies from dancing competitions but it wasn’t something that made her feel fulfilled. There’s a reason she was so touched by the medal she was given by the drama club for winning the clues game during the thanksgiving episode (a medal you can also see on Gina’s room on Season 4). In the scene from 406 is very clear that her issue is that she lacked an emotional propose after being yet again moved to another school. She’s back at square one. Adopting another personality to protect herself from forming attachments. She met Ricky, found him intriguing and decided to join something she probably would’ve joined eventually for the sake of it or not consider at all. Gina has been the lead of shows probably all of her life. Her joining “for Ricky” wasn’t much about him but what he represents for her since.

Ricky made her enjoy theater but not just as an activity she can be better than others but as a place she can find a community and where she can allow herself to be just Gina. And that has been real about their connection since the start of the show. It doesn’t take away from her agency or her ability to be goal focused and ambitious, it just gives her reasons to find the things she has been looking for all of her life, stability and a place to connect. A place to call home. Because she desires both. She wants to be successful but she also needs constants and people she can be vulnerable with. I am sure Ricky will now become her source of calm and groundedness when things get overwhelming.

This is also the reason Gina connected with the role of Bailey. She was imagining Ricky because he is the person that made her connect and feel seen not just in theater but as herself. Had she not met Ricky, she’ll probably still see theater in a very individualistic way instead of team work. The 406 plot just made it more tangible. Also, we need to stop thinking women doing things for “love” is a negative. Especially when it comes to Gina as a character who’s entire arc has been about finding people to connect with.

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts season 4 #hsmtmts s4 #rina #gina porter #ricky bowen #ricky x gina #ask