𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅.

if driving himself home was a feasible option, he would have already been deep in a bag of taco bell and crying into his chalupa. but his own beaten up ride is in the shop — again. something about a carbonator or a radiator leaking. “uhh ... i don't know. maybe he got run over or something.” he sounds a little too haughty, not to mention the poor word choice. it wouldn't be the worst thing, jihoon all injured and looking for some tender, lo — no. he drags himself out of that thought and focuses on tania instead. “of course we should celebrate! fourth place is huge! we can get some beers, get some taco bell, drive up to tampa and start new lives ... the usual.” of course they can see through him, minkyu has never been good about hiding the wounded, kicked puppy dog aura of his. instead of acknowledging it, he only attempts to distract from it with a smile a little bit too artificially bright. “me? no? what?” the half of pack a cigarettes he'd smoked earlier in an attempt to look cool and relaxed were complete bullshit. “we should just hang out. unless you had plans, of course. i can always wait for you to cancel them.”

#tania hardja.#tania & minkyu.#jasmine.#MY DOG BOY OF ALL TIME I MISS YOU.....#as does tania

“the usual,” they echo flatly. any other night, it might be said in contrast to the twitch of their lips, already threatening to form a stupid grin in minkyu’s presence. anything under the sun would be ‘the usual’ to him. and tania would have to pretend to give him a look, and then inevitably end up letting him drag them along. apparently that's what friends do for each other.

but tonight isn't any other night, because the false cheer in his voice is so painfully obvious that it almost makes them think that if they just stare him down for long enough, he'd eventually crack and say something. then again, maybe not. for all the heart he wears on his sleeve, this is minkyu. tania could threaten to kill him and he'd still say that they should do the usual to celebrate. nothing he can't weasel his way out of with a bright smile and puppy dog eyes. change of tactics, then. "okay, that's morbid," they say instead. "shouldn't you be more concerned about him being maybe ran over somewhere? what if he's dead in a ditch?" they're still watching minkyu. hand outstretched for him to reach, tania steps closer into his space. "i'm cancelling my plans so we can go find jihoon."

@niziui

santino's mouth is already open - as it mostly is . some joke about how andrés has officially become the motivational speaker of camp alder ridge . something stupid about charging by the hour for pep talks . something light enough to keep the dark from settling too deep between them . none of it makes it out . the sharp tug catches him off guard and a second later andrés is there - close enough that santino can feel the warmth of him through the chill creeping out of the trees . an arm settles around his shoulders , his nose disappears into his hair . and santino is offically trapped - and exactly where he wants to be . for one impossible heartbeat , the woods cease to exist . stands there , unusually still .

i trust you . that one does him in .

lets out a quiet , crooked laugh that sounds suspiciously like it's covering for something . " dude " murmurs . " you really picked the worst possible place to get all sappy on me " slowly , he lifts their joined hands between them , giving andrés' fingers an exaggerated little shake . “ see ? evidence ” then his free hand comes up to squeeze the back of the other's neck , brief but grounding , before he lets it fall again . " i'm not letting go " and they should wander onward , they should . santino wants to - except he doesn't . because , why would he ? gaze tips downward , traces the bridge of andrés nose . . . wanders toward more dangerous territory . “ so , i'm thinking pancakes tomorrow morning ” though the voice behind the words is rugged raw .

#andres herrera.#andres & santino.#fawn.#andres herrera everybody. delaying said horror house by saying that he wants to kiss his best friend #u telling santino to stand up as if gay little andres has any leg to stand on rn #obsessed with them i fear

it is so fucked up to be thinking about santino's mouth like this when they're standing outside what might be the serial killer house. but it's not like it's his fault that santino morreti is shameless, mouth open and lips always curving into a grin or the start of a laugh. so santino has a pretty mouth, sue andrés. he's always known that, anyway, not shy with the compliments he's given over the years. fingers reaching out to put a curl away. tracing his eyebrows. looking at his mouth and saying, pretty. they're close enough for that, aren't they? maybe he's as shameless as santino is at wearing his heart on his sleeve in the presence of the man.

santino's hand is warm against the back of andrés neck. it should speed his pulse up, but santino has always been good at making him feel at home—even in the dark, scary woods in front of the weird death trap house. andrés leans back into the touch, just in time to feel santino's fingers squeezing lightly before letting go. his own fingers come to replace santino's, relishing in the phantom warmth from the touch. "you're not letting go," he repeats, half a confirmation and half a statement in awe. “okay, yeah.” how lucky, andrés thinks dazedly, that every year in their childhood he's found santino again and again and again. and again, still, even as adults. i trust you, he had said. he means it—he knows santino won't let go. he squeezes their joint hands again, watching as santino's gaze moves from his eyes down to his nose to— andrés blinks. he can't be thinking of santino's mouth again. and yet, he finds that he can't really help himself, opening his own to say, "i'm thinking i could kiss you tomorrow morning. if we make it through and you make me pancakes for breakfast." a smile follows, nervous and shameless all at once. he exhales a laugh. "how does that sound? sounds good, yeah? pancakes for breakfast are kind of romantic, you know. i'd deserve it after braving this horror house for you."

open to : f / nb / m

“ your face . . . say , have we met before ? i don't recall when , but you feel terribly familiar . ”

#steffan kiiza.#steffan & rohan.#fawn.#steffan kiiza also 36 #maybe a new hire at the university #also prolly met when they were both young benders in academia during like college age or whatnot #nature of their relationship.... we'll figure it out

"have you forgotten me so soon, rohan?" said in jest as steffan lowers his hood to allow rohan a better look at his face. "i know it's been years since we last crossed paths, but i didn't think you'd have forgotten me already." they move, clapping a hand over rohan's shoulder. "does an old friendship mean nothing to you?"

svnblinds

“maybe if you’d gotten me flowers, i might’ve been more motivated,” isra retorts, not even bothering to look at tobias. she would’ve hated flowers, actually — unless they were the deadly type — and they both know it, but that’s not the point. it’s also only 5.59pm. honestly, isra had mentally checked out of work hours ago but she wasn’t going to tell him that. call isra petty, but she clacks her long nails against her keyboard until her watch shows 6.01pm. only then does she finally shut down her laptop and look at tobias. “well? get my coat then and we can go.”

#tobias flint.#tobias & isra.#liza.

two whole minutes of patiently waiting for isra to finish clicking and clacking at her keyboard. to make matters worse, it’s painfully obvious that she’s not doing anything at all—just toying at her keycaps with her long manicured nails. tobias sighs, drumming his own fingers against the doorframe behind him. “you’re late, and you think you still have a right to order me around?” he quips, but he peels himself off the wall to snatch her coat from its hanger. moving around isra’s desk, he settles the coat over the back of the chair before placing his hands over each of her shoulders. “never say you didn’t date a gentleman.” a pat follows. “just for this, you’re paying for our date.”

SPECIAL DELIVERY for @mademonstrous, from levi acker.

“you ever think this whole thing is gonna fuck us up someday?” can barely see anything beyond the smoke, body sprawled out on some wrinkled sheets, feet dangling off the edge he could barely even fit on anymore. life didn't exist in here — that was the lie he sold himself on. free to get wrapped up in the wrong person, tangled up and limbs weighing each other down. make a few mistakes and lie his way out of any consequences. yell, scream, let everything out in this room until it was so suffocated with feeling neither could breathe. “feel like we bring out the worst out in each other.”

#luca haddad ferrante.#luca & levi.#jasmine.#guy who is doing a terrible job at coping.....

yes. all the time. i try not to. all of them honest answers in their own right, but luca says none of it. he rolls onto his side to look at levi, eyes catching on the curve of his lips before trailing upwards to where his curls fall over his eyes. luca's fingers twitch against his own skin—a piss poor attempt at stopping himself from reaching out to touch. "is there anything i need to know?" he asks instead. it's true, he knows, but why destroy something still good enough? "we promised, remember? that we'll say something if we'll regret this. don't tell me you're starting to." he doesn't mean it to sound accusing, but when his hand finally finds levi's hip, his fingers press lightly against the bone. "come here. least you could do is say it into my mouth if you're regretting me."

only then does he watch them descend to the fire's edge , his gaze lingering not upon the stranger but upon the quiet ritual of the blade . the curved steel is laid aside with measured intent - far enough to proclaim peace , near enough to answer danger before it could draw a second breath . it never truly leaves its master's keeping . the faintest ghost of a smile stirs at one corner of corvin's mouth , gone almost as swiftly as it came . silent confirmation of something he'd suspected all along , sensible . such people were infinitely easier to survive beside . “ i would have found greater cause for worry had you surrendered it without so much as a second thought ” for any soul willing to part so readily with the one promise that stood between flesh and the grave deserved neither the steel nor the privilege of bearing it . “ trust is a costly coin ” eyes rise from the dancing flames to meet theirs - not piercing , nor demanding . “ i've known too many who spend it as though the purse could never empty ” the fire answers with the sharp crack of a settling log . a shower of amber sparks unfurls into the dark like fleeting stars , each one burning brightly before surrendering itself to the night . corvin follows their ascent for a heartbeat . " though , if misfortune had been either of our intent , i daresay we would have chosen a situation less . . . conversational . "

#lea millaud.#lea & corvin.#fawn.#this is kinda all over the place omfgg im sorry im trying to find lea's voice still

léa had tried to leave behind their anger in the small town they had called home, all those years ago when they packed their bags and promised that they will return one day. it followed at first, like an incessant stray dog begging for scraps, nipping at their heels. but that was then, and this is now. she allows herself to shed what remained of it along with her cloak, the thick brown fabric falling to the ground beside her. the man on the other side of the flames is looking now. she'll learn how to make do with his companionship.

she hums, meeting his eyes as she settles into a cross-legged sit on top of the cloak. "you must think yourself wiser than them, then," léa says, but there's no real bite to it. a man cautious is a man alive, and who are they to begrudge him for it? their lips quirk into the beginnings of a smile. "and i suppose that depends on your definition of conversation. you were yet to utter a single word until i put my blade down." she allows her fingers to brush the hilt of the blade, gaze still locked on corvin. the smile grows against all odds. they will make do. "imagine how miserable," she continues, "to have even less conversation than this while you worry about my blade in your back. makes for a poor combination in a travel companion." and then, almost like a challenge: "i can take first watch."

svnblinds

binding herself to a demon wasn't on ada's to do list for the day. nor, in fact, was it on any of her lists. for all her academic curiosity about demons, it was just that — academic. not practical. unfortunately, her brother had other ideas. several mistakes later and here she is, looking down at the clawed fingers extending towards her, wondering if the demon is about to rip out her heart. logically, ada knows the demon — cassius — can't hurt her. it's part of their contract, but logic has little place here. "my brother is none of your concern," she replies, lifting her chin to hold his gaze as her hand meets his. she has to supress a shudder at the feel of his claws against her cool bare skin. "he may have summoned you, but it is me you're bound to and my commands you'll follow."

#cassius fulgora.#cassius & ada.#liza.#he is actually insufferable #get a job! stay away from seb!

“he will ask of me, will he not?” he hadn’t missed the hunger reflected in the sorcerer sebastian’s gaze, his brown eyes the first thing that greeted evander—cassius now, the reminder from his newly sealed contract comes—when he stepped into the mortal realm. some mortals simply cannot help themselves. this one, though, is different. ada stares at him with resolution lighting her eyes as their hands touch. squeezing her fingers in his grasp, he says, "our kind do not follow commands." your life is also mine, cassius doesn't tell her. he pulls the claws back. cocks his head, smiles, and leans in. mortals are such funny little things. "we are bound, for better or for worse. sebastian is part of your life as he is also now mine."

she's got a seltzer tucked between her legs and chest, all curled up on the couch as a her head leans on the couch. jane's brows raise for a moment — because yeah. of course he's forty. she had to send his gift by mail, working forcing her out of the country for a couple of weeks at the time. it doesn't fully register until she sits with it for a moment, eyes widening slowly and sitting up an inch. "holy shit, you're forty," she repeats, letting out a laugh. the longer the idea sits with her, the more something weird brews inside of her — feelings that went ignored at the time, agreeing for entirely selfish reasons. "well ... are you ... single? honestly, that doesn't really sound possible."

#elijah abrams.#elijah & jane.#jasmine.#eli's line of work is flexible so mayb they met thru work many years ago orr thru a mutual friends or smth?#but bc of wtv her job is theyre both busy and havent seen e/o all that often as of late maybe....

"hey, no need to make me feel old," he shoots back defensively. but there's still a smile playing on his lips, because it’s jane and everything between them is easy. everything is easy, anyway, until eli realises that looking away is becoming harder and harder. he sits there watching jane looking at him with wide eyes, his own gaze tracing over her lips parted in laughter. something must've made him propose that pact years ago. looking back at her now, he gets it. his arm settles comfortably around her, except he's not really touching her. it doesn't count if it's just resting on the back of the couch. eli says, "you'd be the first to know if i weren't single. thought we were good enough friends for that." a hum follows, and then another sip of his drink. been too long since they've had a night just for themselves. "is there anything i should know about you? some hot coworker who caught your eye or something?" this, he says casually. as if they aren't discussing about a lifelong commitment to each other right now.

they find minkyu perched on the hood of their car after the race. not a strange sight on its own, but— "where's jihoon?" tania doesn’t remember offering to be minkyu’s ride, which usually means that jihoon should be around somewhere and has a car to take the two of them back. still, fourth place today isn’t horrendous. “are we celebrating or something? taking my car out for a spin?” not really worth a celebration, exactly, but it’s minkyu. any excuse will do with him. but then their gaze finds his, and tania frowns. slowly, they say, “do you need something?”

starter for . . . @niziui / from tania hardja.

#tania hardja.#tania & minkyu.#jasmine.#u having 3 threads w tania hdjdjdkf they rly do love u…#imagined tania meets minkyu’s face n sees an expression they dont like btw… like thats their little guy #also jia if ur reading this hi…. sorry for namedropping jihoon x #jasmine caught me up on the lore

yuri football (soccer) players anyone.... teammates yuri... rivals yuri... kissed on the field to celebrate a goal to asking what are we yuri... u name it

#eventually i WILL coerce one of u to write yuri athletes with me

her eyes serve as the only movement in her body, trailing the figure before her — walking aimlessly, helplessly. a cool breeze flushes through the air, nearly taking out the very flame lintang was holding so dear. it's all in jest — a monster never meant to do anything more than toy with it's prey as long as the universe had a say. the words spoken with feigned bravado make her grin, only stepping forward as the flame that provided a semblance of light to the hall went out. "it's not safe for you here," she says aloud, concern laced in her voice.

#lintang aulia.#lintang & elvira.#kind of obsessed with this.....#gna say they alr know each other but up to u if lintang shld know elvira's nature or no :3

the figure takes form under the light of the flame, shadows parting and making way for the shape of a companion in the dark. still, lintang's shoulders stiffen. it’s not safe for you here. their lips press together, tongue pushing against the roof of their mouth in an attempt to swallow the response back down. "i know," they say instead. not safe from you? feels like a futile question. the fire burns brighter in her hand. "tell me, then. what favour would you ask of me in exchange for my safety within these halls?"

“ first of all ” lifting a finger like he's about to present a very serious argument . “ i have never once buttered anyone up in my life . i'm naturally charming . it's a burden , honestly ” shakes his head , amusement tugging at the corners of his mouth as if he expects andrés to believe that for even a second . “ wow , look at you . already planning your celebrity breakup tour while we're actively trying not to become the next episode of a true crime documentary ” there’s a house ahead of them , sparsely lit against the darkness . if they keep their current pace , maybe five minutes away . a finish line of sorts , though not entirely in good spirit . probably the only reason santino eventually comes to a halt , eyes flickering toward it before returning to andrés . “ don't worry , though . moretti's heartbreak management services is open twenty four seven . i'll provide emotional support , snacks and a carefully curated playlist for all the people you inevitably devastate ” the joke comes easily , almost instinctively - because sincerity has never been his strong suit when it starts creeping too close . still , he catches it . that brief flicker in andrés' gaze . the kind that digs beneath all the humor , claws its way past every carefully placed wall and squeezes somewhere painfully close to his heart . his smile falters , just slightly . " c'mon , man " voice softens , though he tries to disguise it with the same teasing edge . “ don't hit me with the ' if we get out of here ' thing . there's a rulebook somewhere on what you should never say in a horror movie and that's definitely one of them . that's , like , impending doom written in big , fat letters ” pause . “ and i don't know about you . . . ” looks toward the house again , then back at him . " but i'd really like to actually get out of here . with you , preferably . "

#andres herrera.#andres & santino.#fawn.#sorry this got longer pls shorten!!!

part of him wants to tell santino that it's not too late to choose to turn around now. it's selfish. it makes him look like a coward. santino will tell him no. so many reasons not to voice the thought, but the one that stops him from opening his mouth is the newfound fear that santino will still walk in there himself. the image of him twisting away from andrés' grasp fills him with enough dread that he pulls santino closer. they're standing shoulder to shoulder, fingers still linked when andrés mutters, "learned it from you." santino moretti, everyone—master of all things jokes and jolly. "isn't this your preferred way of spending what might be our last night as living, intact bodies and souls? you were on my ass for killing the vibe." maybe he should have just told santino that he is in fact hot and hilarious, dead or alive. beats calling him stupid and holding his hand. andrés inhales. squares his shoulders. what's the worse that could happen? at least he's doing this with santino. "alright," he says at last. "for the kids, right?" can't break their hearts if there are no kids left at camp. that's their job now, to be the last line of defense. "come on." another tug at santino's hand. time to channel some of that positivity his friend is so good at. "we'll—"

and then santino says, with you, preferably. andrés falters. the house looms large ahead of them. "wait, i—" this time, he tugs hard enough to force santino to face him head on. "come here." his free arm comes around santino's shoulders before his gaze could linger. surely if there's a time for him to be cheesy it's now. he needs santino to hear this again, to really take it to heart. nose buried in his hair, andrés says, "promise me you won't let go no matter what. we're getting out of here together." then, softer still: "i trust you."

GQ Sports

TANIA HARDJA: NO, I DON’T THINK I NEED TO BE LESS AGGRESSIVE

Tania Hardja on being part of the Red Bull family, stepping into a senior role in Racing Bulls, and their personal story — or lack thereof.

By Claire Imondi Photography by Antonio Accardi February 27, 2025

#tania hardja.#details : tania hardja.#reposting this bc why not #honestly good overall intro to what tania is like but also specifically this verse #also i had fun writing it

the new name given to him rings uncomfortably in his head. it's a kind of magic of its own, a reminder of the contract that binds him to his sorcerer. a necessary evil. "cassius," he sounds out the name. the demon evander is no longer. cassius is a creature who belongs to the mortal realm now. "will you tell your brother to call me that, too? he knows me by another name." his lips curl, hand outstretched to offer her his long, clawed fingers. is this not how mortals seal their contracts?

starter for . . . @svnblinds / from cassius fulgora.

#cassius fulgora.#cassius & ada.#liza.#unfortunately im not bothering with gifs of grey so no gifs on this one #context btw is that i imagine this is right after they did the demon/sorcerer (or magic practitioner wtv au this is)#and hes given a human name #and ofc he taunts her abt seb bc hes insufferable

dinner? he had texted her in the middle of a long, mind numbing, and entirely unnecessary meeting earlier that afternoon, then followed it up with, i'll pick you up outside your office at 6 sharp. no flowers today, sorry. it's only now that he's managed to get another chance to look at his notifications, already swiping it away before he registers the words on his screen. no matter. he'll be there, isra will be there, and they'll be going to dinner. his knuckles rap against her door thrice before he's pushing it open, slipping in to lean against the doorway. in lieu of a greeting, he says, "you're not ready yet. shame, i have a bottle of wine with your name written on it for our reservation."

starter for . . . @svnblinds / from tobias flint.

#tobias flint.#tobias & isra.#liza.#hi..... these insufferable people omg #also the concept of them in a car ride together to dinner is so funny to me

she turns with the unhurried grace of someone accustomed to being sought out , a faint smile already finding the corner of her lips . “ mhm “ gaze lingers on alena for a heartbeat before drifting , almost courteously , to the person she'd been entertaining . “ it seems i've been summoned ” the words are velvet soft , accompanied by a small inclination of her head - a dismissal so polished it hardly feels like one . ” do excuse me ” nothing more is needed . the farewell is elegant , final , and she allows her friend to lead her away as though she'd intended to leave all along . “ is it me or are they becoming more mind numbing by the day ” question rhetorical , at best . “ not you , of course . you are as dazzling as they come , darling " with a gentle pat on alena's arm .