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maybeimamuppet · 2 years

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picking teams- chapter 7: janis

hellooooo happy wednesday!!

welcome to chapter seven of this idk what’s happening here anymore either but. eh. here it is!

tw for

mentioned drugging

that should be it but if i’ve missed something please let me know and i’ll add it in :)

enjoy!

—————

Janis isn't totally sure how to face going back to school on Monday. She hasn't done any of her homework over the weekend, or... much of anything at all, really.

Nobody blames her for spending the weekend hiding away in bed. She's heard word that Cady was released from the hospital on Saturday and that she's doing well. Physically, anyway.

Janis is the one not doing well. Seeing the look in Cady's drugged eyes, the raw fear there, will stick with her for a long time. Her eye still hurts, no matter how many cool compresses she rests on it or how much of the weekend she spends napping.

But she knows she doesn't want to stay home. People might stare, she might be just going through the motions all day, but she needs the distraction of school.

She's gotten a bit ripe after spending an entire weekend in bed, so she goes to shower on Sunday evening.

Scrubbing her entire body as hard as she can helps, a lot. She feels the memories of the weekend start settling in her mind, some of the pain wash down the drain with the water dripping off her skin. Her skin is an almost fluorescent pink by the time she comes back into herself enough to stop.

Janis lingers in the shower a lot longer than she needs to, just feeling the scalding hot water run over her face, gradually getting colder as the hot water starts running low. Hopefully nobody else needs a shower for a while.

She sighs as she turns the water off, toweling her hair and body off and returning to her room. She should probably clean up a bit. Her clothes are still on the ground, and all the dishes she's used for three days are scattered around the room. Her bed isn't the freshest either. She hasn't changed her sheets in a while, and it's very clearly unmade.

Meh, it's been worse.

Her bed is a priority, though. No point getting back into a dirty bed after spending so long in the shower.

Janis changes into some clean, comfy pajamas and strips her sheets off. Her dad gives her a grin when he sees her stumbling to the laundry room with her entire bedspread.

She grabs some clean sheets and pillowcases from the linen cabinet and remakes her bed, immediately collapsing into it. She has to admit this is much nicer.

Before she knows it, Janis is drifting off to sleep.

—-

She was right.

People do stare, a lot, throughout the day on Monday. Word spreads fast at North Shore, and she's walking around with a black eye. Some people also saw her carrying Cady out of the party, which isn't helping. People are saying everything from the truth to claiming Cady was the one who punched her.

Janis is used to people staring. She doesn't care. The important people know what really happened, and that's all that matters for now. Janis knows North Shore well enough to know this will all blow over in a week or so.

Cady isn't there, which worries her. She tries not to think about it, tries not to focus on the empty chair in front of her in chemistry class.

She's not there on Tuesday, either.

Janis doesn't know why she's so worried. It's not like she wants to talk to Cady. Cady doesn't even know what happened beyond her getting drugged. But it would be nice to be sure she's okay.

Janis gets her wish on Wednesday. The whispers have shifted to Cady's return, which makes Janis feel much worse about wanting to see Cady so bad. The last thing the poor girl deserves after her ordeal is everyone staring and spreading rumors about what happened to her.

But Janis knows there's nothing she can do. Things would only get worse if she tried to say something, to do something. Things would be much worse if people saw Cady Heron talking to the space dyke.

So Janis stays quiet.

She's so in her head she barely hears Ms. Norbury trying to stop her on her way out of math class. "Janis, can I speak with you?"

Shit.

"Uh... yeah," Janis says.

"Your grades are still slipping," Ms. Norbury says quietly. "You have a month to get them up again, or you'll be on academic probation."

"Shit," Janis says out loud. She tries to walk away a bit, get out of this situation. "I'll-I'll try harder, I'm sorry. I've just been so busy with football, and everything-"

"Janis, you don't have to apologize. It's like I said, we're here to help you. I understand you're busy."

"So-"

"So, I think it's for the best if we get you a tutor. At least for a while. Someone who knows what they're doing and can help get you back on track," Ms. Norbury says. "It'll be on your own time, but you won't have to pay anything. They'll be compensated another way."

No. No way. No way in hell. "Do I have to?"

"If you want to keep your spot on the football team, I think so," Ms. Norbury says. "I have someone in mind for you, I'll just have to ask her. Cady Heron?"

"What?!" Janis asks frantically. Not her, anyone but her. "No, please, don't you have anyone else?"

"I really think the two of you would be a good fit," Ms. Norbury replies. "She has a similar schedule to you after school, and she's bright as a button. I really think she could help you here, Janis. At least give it a shot?"

"Fine," Janis grumbles.

"Excellent. I'll let her know when I next see her," Ms. Norbury says. "You can go now. Sorry to keep you."

"It's fine," Janis says, trying not to sigh. "Thank you."

"Anytime."

Janis stalks out of the classroom and off to art, panicking internally. She's done everything she possibly can to get over this little infatuation with the new girl. There's no way Cady isn't straight, there's no way she'd like Janis if she was queer, and there's no way she'd act on those feelings if, by some miracle, she happened to have them. Keeping this going is only going to hurt her.

But now, she's going to have to spend extended periods of time alone with the object of her affections. And Cady is going to get to see just how dumb she is.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

—————

"Damn, who shit in your sandwich?" Damian asks when she slams her lunch tray down on the table, rapidly followed by her head. Janis just groans.

"I have a C in algebra," she grumbles.

"Okay? What's the problem with that?" Damian asks. "It's first period math, that's understandable. Your dad won't mind."

"But coach does," Janis says. "If my grade goes any lower I'm benched, and if I don't get it up after a month I get kicked off the fucking team."

"Oh," Damian whispers. "I see the issue."

"No, it gets worse."

"Worse?"

"Ms. Norbury says I have to get a tutor," Janis says. "And you'll never guess who she picked."

"No," Damian gasps. "Cady?"

"Yep."

"Oh, darling," Damian tuts. "These are going to be the gayest tutoring sessions in all of history."

"No, they're not!" Janis huffs. "She's straight."

"Look at her," Damian says, gesturing vaguely across the lunchroom towards Cady sitting with the Plastics. Janis does. Cady is in jeans today, but still wearing a tight-fitting top.

"She's a Plastic. There's no way she likes girls," Janis insists.

"My gaydar is immaculate, thank you very much," Damian says. "That girl ain't straight."

"Even if she isn't, it doesn't matter, because she is a Plastic," Janis says. "Regina's already got her mind all twisted up like spaghetti."

"You're too Italian," Damian says with a chuckle.

"Fuck off."

"I refuse," Damian says. "So when are you getting schooled by Cady?"

"I dunno yet. Ms. Norbury said she was gonna talk to her about it when she had a chance, I don't know when that'll be. I haven't heard anything," Janis says, poking at her chowder.

"Well, have fun with that."

"I know you will."

"You're damn right."

————-

Janis jumps when Cady hands something to her in chemistry. She looks at her hand and sees a note between her fingers, so she takes it and moves to pass it to the boy behind her.

Cady motions frantically for her not to, gently pointing to her. Janis frowns in confusion. Nobody has given her a note before.

She unfolds it and reads it over. It's just her name and phone number, and a smiley face. Janis looks back up at her and points to herself, double checking that Cady has the right person. Cady nods and turns back around with a little smile.

Janis blinks at the back of her head for a moment. The only thing that snaps her out of it is their teacher lighting a table on fire, and even that barely does it.

This is gonna go great.

—————

Janis texts her after football practice to set up a time and place for their first session. The idea of having Cady over, risking her meeting her family, is too humiliating. She's very relieved when Cady agrees to having the session at her house.

Until she realizes that means going to Cady's house.

She panics all week until Saturday comes and she's standing on Cady's front porch. Cady's house is nice. Eco-friendly cars in a tidy driveway, nice little garden getting started out front. The flowers aren't perfectly tended to, but they look nice. It looks like somebody lives there.

Cady's house is smaller than hers, but it's still nice. The phrase this is Cady Heron's house feels correct in her head.

She knocks on the door and waits, hearing someone come down the stairs and a bit of noise on the other side. After a second, Cady pulls the door open.

"Hey," Cady greets. Janis feels her heart stutter with just that single syllable directed at her.

"Hi," she says, looking away and desperately trying to tamp down the flush threatening to rise to her cheeks.

"Come in, we can work in my room, if that's okay?" Cady says, motioning Janis inside. Janis steps through the door with a nod. She instinctively stops to take off her boots, leaving them by the door. "This way."

It's quiet as they start the walk up to Cady's room. Say something. "Your house is cute."

"Thanks. We like it," Cady giggles. Janis smiles knowing she made Cady laugh, even without meaning to. "Lot nicer than our old tent, anyway."

"You lived in a tent?" Janis asks in shock. "Oh, right, Damian said you lived in Africa."

"I forgot you know him. But yeah, I did," Cady says. They stop outside a white door right at the top of the stairs, which Cady pushes open and heads into. "You can put your stuff wherever."

Janis looks around for a second. Cady's room feels very her. Clean, bright, cozy. A bed with brightly colored sheets is right inside the door, and Cady's desk is on the other side. There's some beanbags in the far corner, and another door leading to what Janis assumes is a bathroom. "Nice room."

"Thanks," Cady grins. God, how is her smile so cute?

"Is this you?" Janis asks, leaning down to peek at a picture on Cady's nightstand. A tiny redhead with a bright smile and chubby cheeks. "Riding an elephant?"

"Oh my god," Cady gasps. Janis blinks as she runs up and takes the photo, resting it facedown on the bed. Oops. "That's so embarrassing."

Janis shakes her head. "No, it's cool. You were cute." And you still are.

"You really think so?" Cady asks softly. Janis nods.

"I do. Not every day you meet someone who grew up riding elephants," she says, feeling herself shrug awkwardly. "That's always cool. Sorry for snooping."

"No, you weren't," Cady says. Janis sighs under her breath, relieved she's not mad. "I'm the one who left it out. Anyway, uh... we can work over here, if you want?"

"Sure," Janis nods, heading over to the beanbags and plopping down on a yellow one. Cady sits down on the other one and grabs her backpack. Janis is relieved she won't be the only one doing work. She doesn't know how well her heart would handle Cady staring at her the whole session.

It's quiet for a while, until Cady says, "Um... I never got to thank you. For what you did at the party. I know my parents said you didn't want me to know it was you, but Aaron told me what you did. I don't remember what happened, but... thank you. I don't even want to think about what might've happened if you hadn't gotten involved."

Shit. Aaron, how could she have forgotten about Aaron? Of course he would've told her. Now what does she do? What does she say?

"Any decent person would have," Janis mumbles. "But it just so happens that North Shore is teeming with assholes."

"Any decent person would've just stepped in. But you did so much," Cady says. Janis feels time almost slow down as Cady gently leans forward and rests her hand on top of Janis'. Her hand is cool, callused, and so tiny. Janis doesn't want her to ever let go. "Aaron said you wouldn't let him be the one to take me to the hospital. And that you stayed with me until my parents came."

"You can never know. Aaron might be my teammate, but Shane was too," Janis shrugs. I didn't do enough. "I just wanted you to be safe. I wish I could've stepped in before it got that bad."

"We can't change the past. I'm just... really thankful you were there. I know things like that can't be easy for you. I've seen how they treat you," Cady says. Janis can't tell if she likes or loathes the pity in her eyes. "I wish I could stop that."

"You get used to it," Janis lies, for Cady's sake. It's been three years and she's still not used to it. "Regina doesn't even phase me anymore. I have more important things to focus on."

"Like your algebra," Cady giggles. Janis thinks she could hear that sound forever and never be sick of it. "We've been talking for a while. What are you working on?"

Janis thinks. She can't remember much from her last few math classes. "...I'm not sure."

"Okay then," Cady hums. "Let me see."

Janis opens the cover of the book and pulls out the list Ms. Norbury made of everything she needs to catch up on. She flips to the correct page in her book before she shows Cady.

"Oh, cross multiplication! This is easy, you'll get this in no time," Cady says. Janis grins at the eagerness in her tone and how happily she takes the list of problems Ms. Norbury needs done. "Do you have a notebook?"

Janis nods and pulls one out of her backpack. She winces when she remembers her math notebook is the one she painted a pride flag on. Maybe Cady won't mind. Or maybe she wont know what it means.

"Did you paint this?" Cady asks.

"Yeah," Janis says shyly, unable to look Cady in the eye. "Nothing special."

"I like it," Cady says with a smile. Janis watches her open the notebook and write something down. "You just have to multiply diagonally, and then simplify. Like this."

Janis looks to see what Cady wrote, and finds it to be one of the sample problems. Helpfully, Cady drew in little arrows to show her what to multiply. Of course, that still doesn't mean Janis has the slightest idea what she's doing.

But she gives it a try, double checking her mental math with her calculator. It seems... maybe correct, so she turns it for her tutor to see. "Like that?"

"Yeah, exactly!" Cady nods eagerly. Janis gets a bit warm and hides her face. "I told you you'd get it quick. Nicely done."

"Thanks," Janis mumbles sheepishly.

"Here. Finish these, Norbury wants you to try them," Cady says, writing down the rest of the problems. Janis feels herself nod as she takes the notebook back.

She works quietly for a while, and sees Cady reading a book out of her peripheral. Cady will know something's up if she doesn't finish her work, so she resists the urge to watch her read and tries to focus on her math. Until Cady suddenly sighs heavily. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry," Cady replies, shyly looking up at her. Janis looks at the cover of her book.

"Crime and Punishment? Do you have Mr. Tucker?"

"Yeah," Cady sighs.

"He's really tough," Janis says.

"He is! And I'm already so bad with English," Cady huffs with an adorable pout. "I don't understand this book at all."

"The Russian names are tough," Janis nods with a chuckle. "I'm... pretty good with English, I could... maybe help you too, if you want?"

She can hardly believe the words once they're out of her mouth, but Cady seems excited.

"Really?" she asks. "That would be great."

"Sure," Janis nods. Cady isn't getting paid for this, so she might as well do something to help her out too. "Everybody benefits. Can I?"

Janis takes the book when Cady hands it to her and grabs some highlighters from Cady's desk. She explains the strategy she adopted for helping to keep the characters straight in her head, knowing that's probably Cady's biggest problem right now.

"Oh my god, thank you," Cady says. "You're a genius, this is amazing."

"No problem," Janis says shyly. "Can you check these?"

"Yeah," Cady says. She takes Janis' notebook and looks over all the work she's done. "They're all correct."

"Wow, really?" Janis laughs.

"Yep," Cady says proudly. "You sound surprised."

"I am," Janis says. "Math is the part of the triangle I'm missing."

"The triangle?" Cady asks in confusion.

"Oh. Um." Janis stutters in embarrassment. She explains the rule, wondering absently what part of the triangle Cady is missing if what Damian says is true. Cady giggles sweetly at the explanation and asks if it really checks out.

"I think for most gays, yeah," Janis nods, chuckling along with Cady. Her laugh is so cute.

Cady gets a strange look in her eye, flushing and looking away. Janis does the same. Did she make Cady uncomfortable?

Cady grabs the notebook and writes something else in it before handing it back to her. "Anyway, um... try these."

In spite of everything, Janis can't hold back a smile when she looks at her to take the notebook back. She's about to get back to work when she hears Cady make an exasperated sound.

"Are you okay?"

"Hm? O-oh, yeah, just... tricky part," Cady explains sheepishly, holding up her book again.

"Can I help again?"

"Um... I'll try myself for a little longer, but I might have to take you up on that," Cady says. Janis nods.

"Just let me know."

"Thanks," Cady says, smiling at her. Janis can't help but smile back as she turns back to her math.

It takes her a while to actually get going on it, distracted thinking about how Cady's hair is shining in the light streaming in through the window they're sat beneath and the way her blue-green eyes twinkle a bit every time she smiles.

Cady doesn't notice, intently focused on her book. Janis shakes her head a bit to snap herself out of it and back into her algebra work.

She gets a few problems done before Cady quietly asks, "Okay, can you help again?"

"Yeah," Janis says. She scoots her beanbag a bit closer and leans in to see the page Cady is confused by. Cady is so tiny. Janis can hardly resist the temptation to pull her into herself to explain the problem. Don't be a creeper, come on.

She manages to explain the subtext Cady needs without stuttering or blushing too much, and rapidly moves back to her own area when it clicks for Cady.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Janis murmurs. Big problem.

—-

Janis doesn't want to leave when her hour and a half session is up. Cady made math... easy. Almost fun, if she dares to say so. Getting to know her even that little bit was exciting. But they agreed on an hour and a half, so Janis packs up her things and follows Cady back downstairs. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem. Thanks for yours," Cady says. Janis smiles back when Cady shoots her a grin. So cute. "And for the company."

"No problem," Janis says, trying not to blush.

"Same time next week?"

"Sounds like a plan," Janis nods. She can hardly wait. To do math? I'm too gay. "Bye, Caddy."

"It's Cady," Cady replies, frowning in confusion.

"I'm gonna call you Caddy," Janis says, hopefully passing off her misspeaking as a cool nickname.

"Fine. Bye, Janis. See you Monday," Cady calls with a sigh and a wave. Janis waves back, starting the short trek back to her house.

Oh, Damian's gonna have a field day with this.

————-

Their sessions continue to go about that well. Janis is amazed Cady hasn't caught on to her gay panic yet, since she can't stop herself becoming a blushing and stuttering mess every time she sees the redhead.

But as the weeks go on, they get to know each other, which actually makes it a bit easier. They talk about their families, and their respective sports, and how different their childhoods were, and the Plastics and how Cady got involved with them, and all sorts of other things. Whatever comes to mind at the time.

Janis likes getting to know her. She knows it's dangerous, learning about Cady and starting to see her as a person. But something about it being Cady makes it so easy.

The first Friday in October, Janis finds herself smiling a little all day. It's her favorite month, and she gets to see Cady tomorrow.

She's violently snapped out of it when she opens her locker after football practice, to grab a couple books she needs to take home with her.

"Jesus!" she yelps when she opens her locker door and is immediately showered in confetti. She spits out a few pieces and looks around with a glare. "Damian!"

"What?" Damian asks innocently from next to her. Janis jumps again and whirls around to see him.

He's standing with a sign in his hands and a dorky smile on his face. Janis reads over the sign. Hoco would be pretty baller with u, with a little football drawn in the corner.

"This is a remarkably heterosexual sign, nicely done," Janis praises.

"I know, right?" Damian says eagerly. "Isn't it awful?"

"Truly," Janis nods. "But did you have to rig my locker with a confetti cannon?"

"Yes."

"Great," Janis sighs, pulling stray confetti out of her hair.

"So will you go?" Damian asks, approaching with the sign.

"Yes, fine," Janis chuckles. "I suppose homecoming sounds amenable."

"Yes! Het sign strikes again!" Damian cheers. Janis rolls her eyes.

"I made it easy for you this year with the football thing," she chuckles. "Help me clean this up."

"Yes, dear."

—————

Damian insists they go homecoming shopping that Sunday. Janis agrees reluctantly, so Damian says he'll pick her up at noon sharp.

Janis promptly forgets this information.

She's curled up in bed on Sunday morning, sound asleep with her cat at the foot of her bed. Until Damian slams her door open and comes waltzing into the room.

The cat jumps off the bed and runs out of the room, so Damian comes to shake Janis awake. "Gooooood... noon."

"Ngh." Janis whines into her pillow. "What d'you want?"

"We have shopping to do!" Damian insists. "Chop chop, bitch."

"It is the day of the lord," Janis grumbles back, pulling her covers over her head to hide.

"No it's not, RuPaul's day is on Friday," Damian says. "Come on, let's goooooo."

"Nooo," Janis whines. To which Damian rips her covers off and hauls her out of bed by an ankle. Janis thumps to the ground with an, "Ow."

"Come onnnnn."

"Fine," Janis huffs from the floor. "Let me get dressed."

"You have eight minutes," Damian says, dancing back out of her room and closing the door behind him.

"That's very specific!"

"Deal with it!"

—-

As strong as the temptation is to crawl back into bed and go back to sleep, Janis did promise they would go shopping for homecoming today. She always keeps her promises, so she's downstairs fully dressed and ready to go in seven and a half minutes.

Damian looks surprised that she actually listened as she comes down the stairs to find her shoes. Janis sticks her tongue out at him as she walks by, holding her boots in her hand.

"Papa?"

"Sì, stellina?" her father asks, turning around in his chair to see her.

"You look like a supervillain when you do that," Janis chuckles. "I'm going homecoming shopping with Dame, do you need me to take Stevie?"

"No, we'll be fine here," her father says. "You two have fun. Do you have enough money?"

"Yeah," Janis nods. Her dad beckons her over anyway.

"Then save it. Here," he says, pressing his debit card into her hand. "Just don't go crazy."

"Thanks, Dad. I should be home by four," she says. Her dad pulls her down to kiss her forehead before shooing her from the room.

"As long as you're safe. Have fun, call if you need me."

"I will. Love you," Janis says.

"Love you too, rock star."

Janis heads back to the kitchen. "Okay, you ready to- what the hell are you doing?"

"You guys have the good fruit snacks!" Damian says, holding the whole box. "I'll pay you back, but I need some."

"Fine," Janis chuckles. "You ready to go?"

Damian sneaks a hand in to grab another pouch of the Frozen fruit snacks. "Yes."

"Then let's go. Dork."

"They're Olaf flavored!" Damian defends.

"I don't even wanna think about what that means," Janis sighs as she ties her shoes on and heads out the door.

————-

"Should we match?" Damian asks, browsing the racks of suits.

"Yeah, what color dress are you thinking you want?" Janis teases.

"God, I wish," Damian sighs. "I don't have the shoulders for homecoming dresses. I have more of a spring figure."

"Mm," Janis hums, nodding in agreement. "I don't think I want a dress either."

"Matching suits it is, then," Damian says, rubbing his hands together in excitement. Janis groans internally.

"What color?"

"You look nice in red," Damian hums. "Nice enough to catch a certain someone's eye."

"Would you give that a rest? We barely know each other," Janis huffs. "She's just my math tutor."

"And I know you well enough to know you're hot for teacher. So let's make you fucking hot for teacher," Damian says. Before Janis can protest, he's off to the women's suits section and grabbing one off the rack. Janis follows him so neither of them get lost and takes the pile of clothes he shoves at her.

"What about you?" she asks.

"You just leave that to me. Go try it on," Damian says, pushing her towards the changing rooms.

Janis sighs and heads towards them. She tugs the curtain closed behind her and looks to see what Damian has gotten her into.

It turns out to be a tight-fitting maroon suit. Or, what's supposed to be one, anyway. Janis can tell right off the bat that the pants don't fit the way they're meant to, and the blazer isn't sitting right on her shoulders. In spite of that, the color does suit her and works well with the light grey t-shirt Damian found for her to wear underneath it. With pants in a different size and a bit of tailoring, she'll look amazing.

She tugs the curtain back open so Damian can see, but he isn't there. "Damian?"

"One second!" he calls from another changing room. Janis sits on a bench to wait for him. Damian yanks his curtain open in dramatic fashion and struts into the main area. Janis startles and looks up, but laughs when she sees him.

"You look great," she chuckles. He does, to be quite honest. The sleeves on the blazer are a bit too long, so he has blazer paws, but other than that, it suits him quite well. So to speak.

His suit is the same shade of grey as Janis' t-shirt, and his t-shirt is the same shade of maroon as Janis' suit. Subtly matching for Janis' sake, but matching enough to make Damian happy.

"So do you. What do you think?" he asks, walking over to look at himself in a mirror. Janis follows him and tugs awkwardly at the neckline of her blazer.

"I think we need a tailor. But I like it," Janis nods. "Nailed it first try, again."

"Yes!" Damian cheers quietly.

"Can we get frozen yogurt now?"

"Mm, yes. I gotta maintain this figure," Damian says, putting his hands on his hips and striking a pose. Janis laughs and pokes his belly.

"You've had this figure since we were six, I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Excuse me, I have gotten much taller since then," Damian scoffs indignantly.

"That's true. Remember when I was taller than you?"

"Yes, you literally held it over my head for those entire five years," Damian sighs. "Physically could not forget."

"Well, now you take every chance you get to return the favor," Janis chuckles.

"You're short."

"I'm 5'10"!" Janis huffs.

"And I'm 6'2". I win, bitch."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

————-

thanks for reading!!

#cadnis #paint by numbers #space safari #cady heron x janis sarkisian #cady x janis #cady heron #janis sarkisian #damian hubbard #mean girls #mean girls broadway #mean girls musical #mean girls on broadway #mean girls the musical

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cathygeha · 9 months

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REVIEW

Wyoming Cowboys by Regan Black & Janie Crouch

Never Too Late For Love

Three mature men and women find their happily ever after in Sweet Pines, Wyoming but only after first having to deal with some dangerous situations. The three male main characters are old friends from rodeo days but each of the women is either a native of town or new to town.

MARIA’S COWBOY:

Maria’s in debt and can’t seem to get a break as her ranch seems to be plagued with one problem after another. Taking a night off to enjoy herself provides a rather interesting escape that brings Huck into her life. Their story is probably my favorite of the three as this couple find their way to a wonderful future together…once they figure out why all of those difficulties keep plaguing Sky Wild Ranch.

TERESA’S COWBOY:

Teresa’s on the run when she reaches town. A stop at a Cup O’ Joe lands her a job and hopes for a safe future in seclusion but, as these stories go, her safe harbor doesn’t last forever and having Cole step in to help keep her safe leads to a whole lot more…including that special happily ever after they both so deserve.

CALLIE’S COWBOY:

Callie is also on the run trying to avoid an abusive ex-husband when an act as a good Samaritan sees her on a trail ride she was not properly prepared for. The chemistry between Harvey and Callie sizzles but only honesty can further relationship and see them riding happy trails together forever.

If you are looking for strong male leads with women who are their equals, this collection of stories just might be for you…especially if you like a bit more mature couple finding their HEA.

Thank you to the authors for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

BLURB

Three full later-in-life romantic suspense books... one great price! Starts with: MARIA’S COWBOY Maria Boyne feels like she’s living inside a country song, and not in a good way. Everything that could possibly go wrong has... from a husband who died and left her with major debt on her tiny ranch, to a horse that’s gone missing, to feeling like she’s being watched. At 50, she never thought this was the life she’d be living: alone, broke, and scared. Cowboy Huck Samuels came to Sweet Pine, Wyoming to work on a friend’s ranch and start a new life. Most people assume his scars and limp are from his rodeo days. That’s better than them knowing the truth. When the gentle beauty at the neighboring ranch needs help with her horses, one of the few things Huck’s ever been good at, he’s more than happy to volunteer. It doesn’t take him long to realize Maria’s string of bad luck is actually something much more sinister. And that, despite his injuries, he’s not going to let her face them alone. It’s not too late for him to be the man he once was. And it’s never too late for love. ••• This collection also includes Jackie’s Cowboy and Teresa’s Cowboy. Love isn’t just for the young. Unfortunately, neither is danger. These cowboys will do whatever it takes to keep their women safe...

#Janie Crouch #Regan Black #Contemporary Western Romance #Romantic Suspense #Mature Main Characters #Wyoming Romance #Fiction

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00katrinka00 · 1 year

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Landcaster legacy Gen 7 Update #23

Dear Diary, Janie dared me to kiss her at the sleepover last night. Everything kind of just went back to normal after that, but now I don't know what to think, because I actually liked the kiss. Maybe I should talk to Lacy. -Violet

"Lacy, Lacy, Lacy," Violet was saying over and over again. "I'm sleeping," Lacy mumbled. "Get up!" Violet said even louder. "Ugh," Lacy complained. "It's like 10am on Saturday, what?" "I need to talk to you."

"I think I like girls," Violet said. "Congrats," Lacy said. "But I like boys too," Violet added. "So, you like boys and girls, so do I," Lacy shrugged. "I think I have a crush on Janie." "What did any of this have to do with waking me up so early?" Lacy asked.

"I just wanted to talk this through with someone," Violet told her. "Oh," Lacy said. "Glad I could be of service. But really, whomever you like it doesn't matter. As long as you're happy." "Thanks Lacy," Violet smiled up at her great great grandmother.

"Was everything okay with your family the other day?" Violet asked Owen at work later that day. "You're asking me a question about myself?" he asked jokingly. "You're interested in someone else's life for once? Are you okay?" "Shut up asshole," Violet stuck her middle finger up.

"Everything is fine," Owen told her. "My Mom made a surprise visit, picked my younger brother up from daycare without telling us, older sister freaked out. It's fine now though." "Oh," Violet said. "Your Mom doesn't live with you?" "She's in and out, usually not around though."

Joyce came over later that afternoon to further discuss the details of Lacy's punishment. "We aren't paying anymore," Ethan said. "Your son is a little punk who tried to take advantage of our daughter Violet. He deserved to get a broken nose." "My boy is a sweetheart."

"Ha" Ethan let out a laugh. "That couldn't be further from the truth." "Says who?" Joyce asked annoyed. "Me," Lacy exclaimed cheerfully. "He's an asshole, doesn't deserve shit. I'd beat him up again." "I just want us all to be on the same page," Mads added in.

"I was perfectly fine with our previous deal, don't know why you want to renegotiate," Joyce scoffed. "That was before I found out your son is a little punk," Ethan. "How about this," Mads began. "We'll pay half-" "No" Ethan said quickly, Mads flashed them a look.

"We'll pay half, and Lacy will do community service for a week" Mads said "But you need to have a conversation with your son about the proper way to treat women" "He's perfect" Joyce told them. "And I want you to pay everything" "No" said Ethan "This is going nowhere" Lacy sighed

Janie came in a little later. "Violet, oh my watcher, Violet," She exclaimed. "I have the best news! Can she take her break?" "I do not care," Owen said clearly annoyed. "What's the news?" Violet asked, she couldn't help but feel the butterflies in her stomach.

"You are not going to believe this!" Janie exclaimed after a quick change into her hot weather outfit. "Lila's older brother got us a gig!" "What?" Violet asked in disbelief. "Yeah, he owns a bar and said we can perform tonight for Summerfest!" "Holy shit!"

"Gig starts at 8," Janie told her. "I don't know if my mom will let me go out," Violet admitted. "I slept over at your house last night, not sure if she'll let me out of the house two nights in a row." "Oh, my watcher, Violet," Janie rolled her eyes. "Just lie."

"Ask to hang out at my house tonight," Janie told her. "The gig ends at 10 so you'll be home in time for your 11 o'clock curfew, easy." "I don't know, Janie," Violet said hesitantly. "I'm just starting to gain my parents trust back, I don't want to blow it." "We need you, Violet"

"You're the lead singer, we can't do this without you," Janie told her. "Let me think about it," Violet told her. "I'll get back to you."

Nat stopped over to hang out with Leo that afternoon. "Have you thought about what you plan to do?" Leo asked her. "About the baby." "Well Noah thinks I should get rid of it," Nat said. "Sent me a text saying I'd be a terrible mother. I think I'm going to keep the baby."

"If anything, I want to prove Noah wrong," Nat said. "I've also always wanted to be a mother, and you bet I'm going to be a great mother." "I know you will be," Leo encouraged her. "And I'm here as a friend, for support."

"Can I get your advice on something?" Violet asked Lacy after returning home from work. "Sure," Lacy shrugged. Violet told her about the gig tonight and asked her opinion. "You'd be an idiot if you lied again. They're just starting to trust you again."

"But what if this is my big break," Violet said. "I can't afford to risk that." "You're young," Lacy told her. "It might not feel that way, but you are. You have so much time yet, to get that big break. Don't blow the relationship you have with your parents for one night."

"But-" "Don't do this, Violet," Lacy said again. "It would be a mistake."

#TheSims4 #TheSims4Gameplay #TheSims4Community #TheSims #TheSimsGameplay #TheSimsCommunity

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turquoisebooks · 2 years

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key words: YA fantasy, belle époque inspired hotel, sisters, magical rooms, changing stairs and halls, mystery, strange things, danger, dark magic, contracts, traveling,

trigger warnings: violence & threat of violence, murder, enslavement, drugging, loss of loved ones, body horror, ornithophobia (birds)

What I loved the most about Hotel Magnifique is how colorful the story is. It is full of colors, flavors, aromas, and magic. And at the same time, it´s actually pretty dark, a bit creepy, and deadly. I love such combinations. Overall, It´s got fantastic mysterious magic vibes.

Initially, the hotel and all the magic in this enchanting world are very much shrouded in mystery. The reader has to discover everything - that is how the hotel and magic in general works - step by step together with Jani. I loved the magic and plot. It kept me on my toes. While we get some answers along the way, thus same things start to make more sense, others just make you ask more questions, making you more curious. I really enjoyed this discovery journey… following Jani´s attempts to uncover all the secrets of the hotel, its employees (including my dear Bel), and especially its powerful maître.

At first, the hotel seems like a paradise, a dream come true… that magical place full of extravagant things, incredibly rich guests (by the way, I am sad that we didn´t see much of them), and lavish events. It feels like everything you could ever imagine or dream of coming true. It´s simply glittering. Eventually, though, the book takes a darker turn, as Jani discovers all the rot hiding beneath the lustrous hotel walls.

Despite not falling for it myself, because I expected the darkness to flow on the surface (yeah, I am a very suspicious person), I think the author made an excellent job of trying to make the reader believe in all that glitter and gold.

That hotel is as bizarre as it is enchanting and I am all in for that. I wish I could visit such a place as a guest, even though it´s probably not a very wise idea because there are some truly nefarious things going on. I mean… all those glass eyes, people turned into birds, missing memories, deadly contract, the danger of disappearing into some void.

I would describe Jani as a very devoted, fierce girl which I admired about her. Anyway, sometimes she was acting a bit foolishly. From time to time, she felt a bit too stubborn for my taste, but I can appreciate that she has flaws. Good characters are always those who are not perfect. Bel got my heart. He is such a precious cinnamon roll character, yet there is a lot of passion hidden in him. Someone give the poor guy a hug. He deserves it.

I loved seeing Jani and Bel together. They worked well as a duo and I was sad to let them go at the end. I love their dynamics and appreciated how they slowly get to know each other a bit more while the sparks were flying around. I think it was a well-done slow-burn romance.

It was nicely wrapped. I loved the way it all tied down at the end, everything making sense and ending just how I imagined. To tell the truth, while I appreciate the ending I am still a little bit sad that this book seems to be a standalone. I would love to see more of these characters and their ongoing journey. I want to see more of all those wonderful places the hotel visits each day.

To summarize, I loved this magical piece of work. The hotel was very intriguing. You know, I just can´t get enough of magical buildings. Plus, I now need to read The Night Circus and Caraval because others claim that it is perfect for the fans of these two books. From what I know about them, I absolutely believe it. Yeah, this book felt truly magnifique.

Thank you Pushkin Press and Netgalley for the e-ARC.

#netgally #hotel magnifique #book review #turquoisereview #emily j. taylor #moodboards

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madmensideblog · 3 years

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MAD MEN BOOK RECS

Happy pride/Don Draper’s fake birthday ❤️ Below the cut, I’ve listed info on my favorite Mad Men related books and a couple I haven’t read yet but I’m really looking forward to. Let me know if you check any of these out, or if you have any other recommendations! ❤️

Mad Men Carousel: The Complete Critical Companion by Matt Zoller Seitz

“Mad Men Carousel is an episode-by-episode guide to all seven seasons of AMC's Mad Men. This book collects TV and movie critic Matt Zoller Seitz’s celebrated Mad Men recaps—as featured on New York magazine's Vulture blog—for the first time, including never-before-published essays on the show’s first three seasons. Seitz’s writing digs deep into the show’s themes, performances, and filmmaking, examining complex and sometimes confounding aspects of the series. The complete series—all seven seasons and ninety-two episodes—is covered.

Each episode review also includes brief explanations of locations, events, consumer products, and scientific advancements that are important to the characters, such as P.J. Clarke’s restaurant and the old Penn Station; the inventions of the birth control pill, the Xerox machine, and the Apollo Lunar Module; the release of the Beatles’ Revolver and the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds; and all the wars, protests, assassinations, and murders that cast a bloody pall over a chaotic decade.

Mad Men Carousel is named after an iconic moment from the show’s first-season finale, “The Wheel,” wherein Don delivers an unforgettable pitch for a new slide projector that’s centered on the idea of nostalgia: “the pain from an old wound.” This book will soothe the most ardent Mad Men fan’s nostalgia for the show. New viewers, who will want to binge-watch their way through one of the most popular TV shows in recent memory, will discover a spoiler-friendly companion to one of the most multilayered and mercurial TV shows of all time.”

A classic episode-by-episode look at the series from reviewer Matt Zoller Seitz.

The Legacy of Mad Men — Cultural History, Intermediality and American Television (Edited by Karen McNally, Jane Marcellus, Teresa Forde, and Kirsty Fairclough)

“For seven seasons, viewers worldwide watched as ad man Don Draper moved from adultery to self-discovery, secretary Peggy Olson became a take-no-prisoners businesswoman, object-of-the-gaze Joan Holloway developed a feminist consciousness, executive Roger Sterling tripped on LSD, and smarmy Pete Campbell became a surprisingly nice guy. Mad Men defined a pivotal moment for television, earning an enduring place in the medium’s history.

This edited collection examines the enduringly popular television series as Mad Men still captivates audiences and scholars in its nuanced depiction of a complex decade. This is the first book to offer an analysis of Mad Men in its entirety, exploring the cyclical and episodic structure of the long form series and investigating issues of representation, power and social change. The collection establishes the show’s legacy in televisual terms, and brings it up to date through an examination of its cultural importance in the Trump era. Aimed at scholars and interested general readers, the book illustrates the ways in which Mad Men has become a cultural marker for reflecting upon contemporary television and politics.”

This is a really beautiful collection. It was published in 2019. It’s rather expensive. (I found a used copy for much cheaper.) If you can afford it, I really, really recommend buying it. There is a pdf floating around if you know where to look though. But like I said, it’s really amazing work and the women who curated it deserve high praise and compensation.

A few favorite essays of mine include “Don Draper and the Enduring Appeal of Antonioni’s La Notte” by Emily Hoffman, “Mad Men’s Mid-Century Modern Times” by Zak Roman, “Mad Men and the Staging of Literature via Ken Cosgrove and His Problems” by Aaron Shapiro, and “What Jungian Psychology Can Tell Us About Don Draper’s Unexpected Embrace of Leonard in Mad Men’s Finale” by Marisa Carroll.

Mad Men and Philosophy: Nothing Is as It Seems (Edited by William Irwin, James B. South, and Rod Carveth)

“With its swirling cigarette smoke, martini lunches, skinny ties, and tight pencil skirts, Mad Men is unquestionably one of the most stylish, sexy, and irresistible shows on television. But the series becomes even more absorbing once you dig deeper into its portrayal of the changing social and political mores of 1960s America and explore the philosophical complexities of its key characters and themes. From Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to John Kenneth Galbraith, Milton Friedman, and Ayn Rand, Mad Men and Philosophy brings the thinking of some of history's most powerful minds to bear on the world of Don Draper and the Sterling Cooper ad agency. You'll gain insights into a host of compelling Mad Men questions and issues, including happiness, freedom, authenticity, feminism, Don Draper's identity, and more.”

This collection was published just a month before the start of season 4, so it only concerns the first three seasons of the show. As such, it includes some assumptions that are proven false and a few strange misreadings that I’m sure would’ve been cleared up had they had the rest of the show at their disposal. But there are some great philosophical insights and analysis.

I haven’t yet read the whole collection, but my favorite essay of what I’ve read so far was “Pete, Peggy, Don, and the Dialectic of Remembering and Forgetting” by John Fritz.

The Fashion File: Advice, Tips, and Inspiration from the Costume Designer of Mad Men (by costume designer Janie Bryant)

From Joanie's Marilyn Monroe-esque pencil skirts to Betty's classic Grace Kelly cupcake dresses, the clothes worn by the characters of the phenomenal Mad Men have captivated fans everywhere. Now, women are trading in their khakis for couture and their pumas for pumps. Finally, it's hip to dress well again. Emmy-Award winning costume designer Janie Bryant offers readers a peek into the dressing room of Mad Men, revealing the design process behind the various characters' looks and showing every woman how to find her own leading lady style--whether it's vintage, modern, or bohemian. Bryant's book will peek into the dressing room of Mad Men and reveal the design process behind the various characters' looks. But it will also help women learn how fashion can help convey their personality. She will help them cultivate their style, including all the details that make a big difference. Bryant offers advice to ensure that a woman's clothes convey her personality. She covers everything from where to find incredible vintage clothing and accessories to how to pair those authentic pieces with modern shoes and jeans. Readers will learn how to find their perfect bra size, use color to convey a mood, and invest in the ten essentials every woman should own. And just so the ladies don't leave their men behind, there's even a section on making them look a little more Don Draper-dashing.

I recently ordered a used copy of this book and haven’t yet received it, but I’m very much looking forward to it. Like Mad Men and Philosophy listed above, it was published between season 3 and 4, so unfortunately does not cover the whole show. It sounds like it might just cover the women’s costume design, though I’m not sure. Janie Bryant is such a meticulous, genius costume designer that I can’t wait to read it. Relatedly, you should follow her incredible costume design instagram where she posts lots of her work from Mad Men and other shows with fascinating insight into her process.

The Universe is Indifferent: Theology, Philosophy, and Mad Men (Edited by Ann W. Duncan and Jacob L. Goodson)

Centered on the lives of the employees at a Manhattan advertising firm, the television series Mad Men touches on the advertising world's unique interests in consumerist culture, materialistic desire, and the role of deception in Western capitalism. While this essay collection has a decidedly socio-historical focus, the authors use this as the starting point for philosophical, religious, and theological reflection, showing how Mad Men reveals deep truths concerning the social trends of the 1960s and deserves a significant amount of scholarly consideration. Going beyond mere reflection, the authors make deeper inquiries into what these trends say about American cultural habits, the business world within Western capitalism, and the rapid social changes that occurred during this period. From the staid and conventional early seasons to the war, assassinations, riots, and counterculture of later seasons, The Universe is Indifferent shows how social change underpins the interpersonal dramas of the characters in Mad Men.

I only just found out about this collection, but I’m very interested in finding a copy. This was published in 2016. You can see the table of contents here. EDIT: This book is available to read on Scribd. They offer a 30 day free trial.

#mad men #books

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birdsaesthetic · 3 years

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A Hell of a Day

Summary: Kurt is accused of being an abusive jackass to Jane? (I’m sorry but I had to write this one.) On fanfaction.

Jane was right behind Kurt as they chased the fleeing suspect, but with an unmatched urgency Jane caught up to the woman first, who managed to get in one good swipe with her knife before Kurt knocked it out of her hand reach. The suspect put up a fight with the two then, actually landing a punch right to Jane's left eye and knocking Kurt across the room before Jane finally pinned her to the ground and paralyzed her movements to end the fight there.

Some time later, after the suspect was handcuffed then taken to custody, Jane could still feel the sting of that woman's fierce punch to her eye, and the burning sensation there, and knew she was probably already developing what would be a quite impressive black eye. Goddamnit.

In the ambulance vehicle Kurt went, and found Jane sitting with an ice bag being pressed against the left side of her face. "Sorry for that," he murmured as he tucked the mess of her hair behind her ears.

She looked up at him with her non-swollen eye and put up a small, forced smile. "I'm okay. It barely hurts, I promise."

The tips of his fingers had trailed down her neck by now, and he said, "That's because of the 600 milligram tablet of Brufen they had you swallow."

"Well, then that's good!" She drew a deep breath and lifted her free hand atop his own. "Our date still stands, huh? We're still going to have that dinner at the French restaurant, right?"

"No. Another time," he sighed, and his heart felt as though being physically stung at saying that.

"Kurt…but we made a reservation this time!"

His blue eyes bore into hers, full of pity and fear and exhaustion, and love—always love. "Doesn't matter. Your injury is no joke. We're going home so you can rest."

"I said I'm okay! And I'm starving."

"I'll make you something to eat at home," he promised, his thumb brushing against the tender skin of her neck.

She put the ice bag aside, lowered her head, and blinked several times to lose the burning sensation and get the tears under control. After a moment she surfaced, a frown clung to her face. "You know, we've been saying 'another time' for the past two weeks."

"I know, Janie… We've been unfortunate. I'm sorry. But the headache will be tenfold worse if you don't rest. So, just let me help you out of here and take us home."

She said nothing when he secured a protective arm around her back and walked her the paces to their car then helped her get comfortable in the passenger seat. The first half of the drive home went quiet, save for the hisses Jane occasionally let out, at which Kurt's heart sank. In the second half, she was feeling completely numb, all over her body, and might as well have fallen unconscious if the bag of ice she'd been holding to her swollen eye hadn't agitated her when it started leaking drops of iced water all over her neck, chest, and jeans.

"I think that…I need another ice bag. This one is leaking," she said between gritted teeth, and Kurt immediately nodded, offered some reassurance by patting her on the upper thigh. "Alright. Alright. I'll get you that. Right now. Hold on."

He made a stop at the nearest drugstore, though before he hopped out of the car, he asked Jane, "Need anything else besides that?"

"No. No. Just that."

Only when she heard the door being slammed by Kurt did she let out a loud groan she'd be holding back, and threw the broken ice bag to the dashboard. The pain was getting worse by every passing second; it was the kind of pain that time seemed to stop. She steeled herself for a minute, two, three, and then thought, how am I supposed to keep up with this pain for the rest of this damn day? God. If she was to survive it, she'd need numerous ice bags to cover her whole face with them, and a package or two of Brufen—which she should've told Kurt to bring with him, but… She released another loud groan, and the urgency she felt afterward made her get out of the car and into the store Kurt was at to get everything she needed herself.

There, she stumbled across Kurt about to grip what seemed like a package of painkillers? And were these two or three bags of ice in his other hand? She couldn't quite tell, and so she went straight to him.

"Worraya doin' here? You okay, Jane?" he blurted, leaving whatever he was about to grip and gripping her arm instead. Oh, love. There were also bruises already forming right below the purple skin of her swollen eye.

"Did you need anything else?"

"Yeah. Just a… Some more Brufen, please, and lots of ice bags. Lots of them." She fumbled in her words, and Kurt regripped her even harder by the arm his knuckles turned white only so he could keep her still—because by now she was shaking, her eyes fluttering.

"K. K. I've got that for you. Now go back to the car. Can you go there by yourself?"

She nodded, and as he loosened his grip around her arm, Kurt noticed that there was a woman glaring at him so intensely with an apoplectic, contorted face. Though once he glared back, she pretended she was busy and walked the same way Jane had just passed by: to the gate.

Weller had never been this fast as he gripped the nearest two packages of Brufen, dealt with the cashier in three seconds, and jogged to the gate, where he saw the same damn woman speaking to Jane face-to-face.

"Ma'am, stay away from my wife!" Kurt shouted, willing himself for an ambush or something even worse at the scene before him, as common and mundane as it was. He stopped between Jane and the woman, who jerked back.

"What the hell do you want?" he said in a voice that spoke volumes about how heated he was.

"Kurt…," Jane tried to say.

"You're an asshole. A piece of garbage. I hope you die right here and now," the woman snapped at Kurt, and then pointed an index finger at Jane, who was shaken and in a total agony and could barely hold herself together, and said, "And you…you don't deserve this! I've been in your place once. I've been just like you. But thank God I got away, and you can, too." The woman was seconds away from bursting into tears. But then she hastened on her way without a glimpse back at them then was no longer seen.

"What the hell was that?" Jane asked with a puzzled look. He looked down at her and raised his brows in exhaustion. "Let's just get in the car."

Once back in the car and out of the parking lot, Jane blurted, "What just happened back there, Kurt?"

His eyes on the road, Kurt mumbled, "Well, that woman thought that I'm a jackass and abusive to you."

"What?" Her eyes widened. "That didn't even cross my mind!"

"Well…"

She took a new ice bag and pressed it against her swollen eye, then stared at Kurt with her fine eye for a full minute as he drove. "You're upset now?"

"I'm."

"Kurt, since when do we care what people think of us?"

"Since they start seeing me as that type of man. I never want to be seen as that type of man."

"We know the truth, Kurt. And so does everyone we care about. You are not that type of man. Are you hearing me?"

He only nodded.

"Everyone who knows you knows what kind of man you really are. And that's what matters. You're a good man, Kurt. A great husband. An incredible father."

"Thanks, love."

"I'm just saying facts here!" She tried a smile when she saw his faint smile. "And that woman, she was absurd."

"I feel deeply sorry for her. She must've really been traumatized by an abuser before. Hence why she seemed impulsive and hateful of me when she saw your injury, and couldn't interpret our case other than the way she did."

"If that's the case, then I'm deeply sorry for her too. And I'm sure, if she'd known what happened behind this black eye, how we literally saved Manhattan from blowing up today, and had to postpone our 'special date' because of all that, she'd would've been so, so sorry for us, too…"

Kurt sniggered then, and Jane fought between laughing and groaning.

"It's not like I wanted to postpone our special date earlier today, you know. We're still going. But not until you get better."

"Yeah, I know. And, I'll admit, my headache is getting the best of me at this point…"

"It'll get better, Janie."

"It better get better…"

Note: Let me know what you think of this :)

#I have not enjoyed writing something in a while #if you have prompts for me feel free to send #them #i have plenty of time in my hands these days #blindspotfic #my other fics #blindspot #Jeller

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villainousshakespeare · 3 years

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Learning a Lesson Chapter 9

iLearning a Lesson Chapter 8

Part 1 Here, Part 2 Here, Part 3 Here, Part 4 Here, Part 5 Here, Part 6 Here, Part 7 Here, Part 8 Here

Young Actor Tom Hiddleston/OFC

Rated E -Smut, Angst, Complicated Relationship - Teacher/Actor Posing as Student, Feels, Flirting, Fluff, Oral Sex, Sex, Shower Sex, Threats, Breakups, Angst…

ANGST IN THIS CHAPTER! (but don’t worry… I’m a hopeless romantic)

Summary: It’s your first day as a teacher and things are going well. That is, until a tall, gorgeous boy with blond curls and dramatic ways saunters into your last class. When he ignores all the swooning girls to flirt outrageously with you, it is secretly thrilling. Even more so is when he tries to steal a kiss after class ends. How long will you be able to keep your defenses up?

Up and Coming actor Tom is under cover in high school for research for a movie, but the pretty drama teacher is making the long assignment so much more enjoyable

@arch-venus25, @caffiend-queen @ciaodarknessmyheart @frostbitten-written @just-the-hiddles @kellatron55 @myoxisbroken @nonsensicalobsessions @poetic-fiasco @shiningloki @shae-annelore @thecutestlittlebunbunfairy @hiddlesholic @yespolkadotkitty @vodka-and-some-sass @wolfsmom1 @tom-hlover @toozmanykids @delightfulheartdream @whyispistashanuttaken @hopelessromanticspoonie; @loki-yoursaviourishere @is-it-madness

The Monday morning walk to school was the longest of Emily's life. With every step she took she was tempted to turn around and run the other way, hiding under her blankets and weeping rather than going on. Only a deep seated stubborn streak kept her from giving in to her fears and doing just that.

She needn't have worried. Tom was true to his word. There was no sign of him to be found in school. No infectious laugh ringing through the hallway, no tousled halo of blond hair floating above the shorter students amidst a throng of admirers, and no ice blue eyes seeking hers for a secret wink or speaking glance.

Emily told herself it was for the best. She hoped she would eventually believe it.

The other god-send was that Jim Howard seemed to have called in sick. A substitute was in his classroom when she got there, and never had she been so glad to see the old woman than she was that day. She assumed that it was his pride that kept him from walking into the building with a black eye and a swollen jaw, and took evil delight in the fact that Tom had so thoroughly trounced him.

Tom. There he was again. She could not go five minutes without calling him to mind. It was going to be a long day. Hell, it was going to be a long forever as far as she knew. How long would it take to get over the golden boy who had so completely won her heart?

Half a day was how long it took for the news of his exit to hit the school grapevine. Emily began hearing his name whispered during her fourth period class. By the time that class ended and she made her way to the staff lounge it was all anyone was talking about. Ada, Janis, and Mike were gossiping about it when she came in, a pathetic lunch of coffee and a banana in her hand.

"Well, anyone with eyes could have seen that that boy should be a movie star," Janis was opining. "It doesn't surprise me one bit."

"Oh, come on Janis," Mike laughed, skepticism showing, "he was handsome, sure, but there's no way you saw this coming!"

"I'm not saying that," Janis sniffed. "Obviously I didn't know he was an actor. But if anyone in this school was destined for greatness it was Martinsson."

"Hiddleston," Mike corrected her. "Apparently that's his real name. You're awfully quiet, Emily. You were close with the boy, weren't you? Tutoring him after hours and all?"

"Not that close," she said with a half shrug. "He claimed to want help with an audition monologue, but that was obviously for show. We never actually worked on it. Just class."

The words were true enough as far they went, even if the meaning behind them was an all out lie.

"Still, he clearly preferred you," Ada said, giving her a probing look. "I heard all sorts of chatter about how he always flirted with you, volunteering to read romantic scenes with you. I was a little jealous, to tell the truth. I mean, and I can say it now that I know he's a genuine adult - what I wouldn't have given for a chance to sculpt a nude of that boy!"

"No wonder Howard hated him so much," Mike laughed good naturedly. "It seems it's not just the high school girls who had a thing for him."

Emily did her best to tune them out after that, and took to eating in her classroom. The days blended into each other, with no end of the day secret to make them stand out as special.

The kids in her drama class were all excited of course. The thought that they had read scenes with an honest to goodness actor, one who was going to be starring in a movie, made them practically giddy. Kate began recirculating the lie that the two of them had been involved, and no one dared to correct her. Emily was angry on his behalf, offended that anyone would believe he would fool around with a student, until she realized the implications of that thought.

It was that guilt that was the worst. Well, along with the loneliness. Even if he had been an adult, she hadn't known that. She had thought him no different than Kate or Zack or Jamie, and she had slept with him anyway. She deserved all the pain she was feeling. Deserved more than that; to loose her job and never be hired again, even. More and more she slipped into a depression.

It was nine days after she had thrown him out of her apartment and her life that the first letter arrived. She grabbed her mail from the small slot inside the door and rifled through it on the way up the stairs as she always did, expecting nothing more than bills and solicitations. When she turned over an envelope addressed in an instantly recognizable hand, she felt as though she had been punched in the gut. Hands shaking, she opened the seal, afraid that if she didn't do it at once she would never find the courage, and unfolded a letter.

"My Darling Emily," it began in Tom's loopy mess of long hand, "I know I have no right to write to you, having broken your trust in the most caddish way possible. I only hope that you will allow me the opportunity to once more take advantage of your goodness of heart and kindness of disposition, that I may try to explain why I orchestrated such a hurtful charade.

"As you are patently aware now, I am an actor of both stage and screen. I take my profession very seriously, perhaps more so than it deserves, though I like to believe that you among all women will understand why. If I can peel away the layers of a character enough to expose the beating heart within, allowing my audience to sees even a piece of the truth of humanity in my portrayal, then I truly believe that I am contributing something to this shared experience we all are living. Pretentious as that sounds, it is my goal every time I assume a role, be it Iago or a soldier, or even Mr. Toad.

"When I was cast as a student from the States, I knew I had my work cut out for me. I was educated, I blush to say my love, in the best schools in England: Eton, Cambridge, and RADA. My good fortune has been quite excessive, I know, though no teacher I encountered in all of my tutelage could hold a candle to you, my darling. In any case, I was woefully unprepared to know the struggle such a young man was going through. My director came up with the idea to have me pose in a small town school, and I admit I leapt at the chance.

"Never in a million years would I have guessed that I would meet the woman of my dreams in such a situation.

"I confess that in the beginning I flirted with you to amuse myself. You are quite breathtakingly beautiful, my sweet, and I was bored beyond belief. As the days went on, however, I began to uncover the woman underneath the starched blouses and pencil skirts. A woman with a mind that soared and a soul that sung. One who shared my passion for stage poetry, and did not back down from a challenge.

"In short, my darling Emily, I fell in love with you.

"I should have told you the moment our relation crossed over the line. Alas my love, I fear that it is a coward who worships you. I was afraid that if you learned the truth you would be angry, and I wanted to collect as many precious moments with you as I could before your warm eyes turned cold. My sin is great, I know. I do not deserve to be forgiven. Nonetheless, I place my heart at your feet in hope that you will take it up, take pity on me, and not stomp it beneath your shoe.

"The film I am working on seized the opportunity afforded by my early matriculation to begin shooting. I am relocated to New York City to start principal photography. I know it is a mere two hours from you, and yet it feels the length of the world. Knowing I will not see you each day, hold you at night, is a weight on my soul that I know I have only myself to blame for.

"I ask nothing of you, my dearest Emily, but that you allow me to write to you. I do not expect you to write back, although I live in hope that one day you will. The distance keeps us apart, but perhaps that need not be all bad. Perhaps it can give you time to heal and to trust me once more. Let me write to you, to tell you about myself - my real self - and try to win your friendship back if nothing else. It has been the most important of my life.

"I do not flatter myself that I will ever hold you again, kiss your soft lips, feel you beneath me as you gasp in passion. I have too great a mark against me to hope for such grace. I would die to have it, but will not impose it on you. Just let me try to heal the hurt I have done, and I will be content.

"If you cannot find it within you to accept my offer of friendship in the form of epistles, simply write me with one word. 'Stop' and I will cease. You are in control, my heart. I will bow to your wishes.

"Please take good care of yourself, my Emily. I wish I could be their to tend to you myself. Be warry of the dread maths teacher. I know it is no longer my place, but I would ask you to not be alone around him.

"Enough of that. I will end for now. Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.

"My heart is yours.

All my love,

Tom."

Emily read the letter through, barley able to make out the words through the tears welling in her eyes. When she had finished, she collapsed onto the bed and read it through again, openly weeping this time. All of the pain and guilt she had been holding in came flooding out. In the end, she had to put the letter aside so that the deluge of her tears didn't permanently mar the ink composing the lines. By then she knew it by heart, but she still loved to see his strong hand scrawled out over the page.

She did not for a moment consider writing him to stop. Perhaps she should have. There was no future she could see for the two of them. Her trust had been shattered, along with her mental image of herself, by the situation. On top of that, he was away, filming a movie in the big city that she rarely went to. When this movie was ended, who knew where he would be? Jetting off to exotic countries? Treading the boards in London? His life was exciting and adventurous, and she was a little mouse of a school teacher from a small town. How could they hope to make a relationship work, even without their drama?

The letters came far more frequently than she had expected. While it was not every day, Tom was clearly grasping every spare moment he had to pour out his heart to her. He told her all about the filming process. She felt as though she knew his costars, so vividly did he depict them. Against her will, Emily would find herself laughing at ridiculous anecdotes, or groaning in commiseration at delays in the shooting.

In the midst of all of these tales of misadventures and productivity, Tom made clear to he still hoped to win Emily back. He never missed an opportunity to praise her, calling her darling, his sweet, his dear, his love. He mentioned how he had suggested that one of the teachers should be young, smart, and sexy as an homage to her, though no one could possibly do her justice. He let slip that he had been making his costars groan with his continual referencing her, to the point where they teased him any time her name arose.

At the end of each letter he dropped all pretense, stating plainly that he loved her and would do anything to win her back. He insisted that he would wait, that the decision was entirely hers, but that he lived in hope that one day she would write him back, telling him she forgave him. Until that day, he would soldier on and try to deserve her.

Several times Emily found herself sitting down, trying to pen a reply to him. She wanted, desperately wanted, to do so. But each time, the fear would come crashing down and she would end up tearing the letter to shreds.

About two months after the letters started, there was a longer than usual gap between arrivals. Emily began to think that he had given up on her, and a panic she had never felt gripped her. She had not realized the extent to which she had been living for his words.

When an envelope finally arrived, it was in an international envelope, and the return address was London, England. That was it, then. He was out of the country. All of the stories of his homecoming, complete with welcoming family, were a dagger to her. He still professed his love, but now an actual ocean separated them along with the sea of emotion.

Their were two more letters, spread over a month and a half, and then nothing for three weeks. Depression returned. She had all but given up when a card shaped envelope, gilded on the edges, arrived in her box.

***

"Alright, out with it!"

Emily looked up from the pile of papers she was grading to see Ada standing in her classroom door, arms crossed over her paint splattered apron and a determined look on her face.

"Out with what?" Emily asked, confusion genuine.

"It's been four months, Emily," the older woman said, shutting the door behind her as she walked in and sat at one of the student desks. The same desk, Emily couldn't help but note, that had once been Tom's.

"Sorry?"

"Four months that you have been moping around! Barely showing your face in the teacher's lounge, looking like someone stole your dog and kicked your kitten. This, from the girl who was such a spark of joy when she was hired that she even ignited passion for teaching in an old war horse like me!"

"I'm sorry," Emily mumbled.

"Don't be sorry, girl! Tell me what's wrong!"

"It's nothing."

"Emily, do you think I'm blind?" Ada asked with a sigh.

"No..."

"Or that I'm stupid?"

"Of course not!"

"Good," Ada snorted. "As I am neither. Four months ago, a certain long-legged boy with more looks than are good for anyone swaggered out of this school, and you have been a ghost ever since. It's not hard to put the pieces together."

Emily gaped at her, all color draining from her face. If Ada knew, or strongly suspected, was it then general knowledge? Was her shame a joke amongst the faculty, or a cause of scorn?

"Don't worry, hun," Ada said, as though reading her mind. "Most of the people around here are blind and stupid. No one else has any idea. Well, maybe Jim, but that's a whole other can of worms that I am not too keen on digging around in. So, you fell for the boy, huh?"

"You must despise me," Emily said, voice hardly above a whisper.

"So you're failing is that you're deaf," Ada shook her head. "How many times did you hear me rhapsodize about him? Hell, I was undressing him with my eyes every damn day!"

"But you never took it farther than that."

"No, I didn't. But then I am decades older than either one of you and was not given the opportunity. Who knows what I might have done if he had batted those long golden lashes at me and flashed a dimple."

"You wouldn't have slept with a student," Emily said doggedly.

"Is that what this is? That you feel guilty? Tell me something, Emily: would you ever even consider anything inappropriate with say... Jack Simmons, or Zach Lewis, or Dan Fielding? Would it even occur to you?"

"No," Emily said at once, repulsed by the very idea.

"Of course not. Because they are children. The Simmons boy is a hulking child, true, but even though he is big, he is still an adolescent. You can easily tell in a moment he is not an adult. Now, compare that to Tom. He has a baby face, and is all gangly, but there was something about him that flatly identified him as a man. You knew that, instinctively. That is why you let things play out the way you did."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because I know you," Ada said simply. "You are a good person, with a moral compass. Was it a stupid thing to do? Of course! It could have ended horribly for you, and thank god it didn't! But don't beat yourself up for listening to your intuition when it turned out to be right! Even if the boy did end up being a snake."

"What if he wasn't?" Emily asked carefully.

"I just assumed... he left, and you didn't seem happy about it... Emily, what did happen?"

Emily looked at her friend, chewing on her lip as she decided what to say. Ada already knew the worst; what harm could it do to let her in on the rest? In a rush it all came out. The clandestine affair, the trouble with Mr. Howard, seeing Tom on Nicholas Nickleby, their disastrous fallout, all of it. Ada sat there rapt as Emily spilled the whole sordid story.

"He really punched Jim?" Ada asked when she had finished, a huge grin spread over her face.

"Twice," Emily confirmed, answering smile on her own mouth. "Hard. Knocked him flat onto the ground."

"Oh, would I have loved to have seen that."

"I could have lived without it, honestly."

"Oh, hun, I don't know what to tell you," Ada shook her head. "I don't even know whether to feel jealous of you sorry for you. Both, I suppose. Ah, to be young again."

"He's been writing me letters," Emily confessed, face reddening. "Ever since he left."

"What does he say?" Ada's eyes were huge.

"Different things. How his day is going. About the filming. That he loves me and wants to be with me."

"Well what the hell are you doing here then?" Ada stood from the desk to stare at her.

"Ada..."

"Girl, if that young man wanted me, you can bet that nothing would keep me away!"

"He's in London," she muttered.

"Did something happen to all the airplanes?"

"No... In fact..."

"In fact what, Emily? Spill it? Give a woman something to live vicariously through!"

With a sigh, Emily dug through her bag and pulled out the card she had received the day before. It was an invitation to a movie premiere in New York City. Folded along with that was a train ticket, prepaid first class, and a small note:

"I would not wish Any companion in the world but you, Nor can imagination form a shape, Besides yourself, to like of.

Tom (with all thanks to Miranda in The Tempest)"

"Well," Ada smiled at her, "when shall we go shopping? You, my dear, are going to need a dress!"

#Tom Hiddleston #tom hiddleston rpf #Tom Hiddleston/OFC #fic #fanfic #love #angst #pining #letters #love letters #smut (in other chapters)#teacher/student relationship #BUT NOT REALLY #he is undercover for a role #I am a sucker for a happy ending I promise!

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salems-hq · 3 years

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in-game dates included in this drop: september 11th-12th system hack: evening of september 11th, 6:47pm. town hall mob: immediately following the hack, reaching its peak at 7:26pm. warehouse: the morning of september 12th, 5:28am trigger warnings: violence, murder, dead bodies, gore, horror, and supporting themes, religious themes

setting: all across salem, affecting all powered televisions, mobile devices, PCs/laptops, and radios

it’s a normal saturday evening in salem. daily activities are winding down, transitioning into family dinners, game nights. businesses are booming as the sun begins to set, jaunting near the horizon for a final show before giving way to nighttime. main street is crawling with life. it seems as though the city has come to terms with its last jarring occurrence, and things are almost back to normal, even amidst looming threats- which have thus far failed to prove credible. birthday parties, retirement dinners, sport championships, engagement parties: there’s no lack of celebration on the street. this is what makes the interruption that much more memorable.

the sound of static alters the music coming from various speakers that adorn main street’s lampposts before pushing it to a halt. few people pay it any mind, until a voice chimes into the air, through the speakers on the street, radios, phones, laptops, and other affected devices. “good evening, salem.” the voice brings with it the simultaneous shutdown of all powered screens in the city. one by one, people cry in surprise as the single image of a skull appears in the center of their screens, the spoken words written underneath it. the disguised voice continues. “don’t be alarmed. i’m merely here to indulge you all with some secrets our dear mayor has decided to keep from us.” the skull vanishes, and the captions continue as video footage comes onto the screen. a single figure can be seen in the footage, standing near the edge of the recognizable forest river park.

FREDERICK B. FREEMAN stands center frame. unknown to the public, MIKKO THROMBEY is behind the camera, having recorded this incident himself after receiving an anonymous tip about the mysterious civilian. he stands in the shadows, having followed frederick all the way from downtown. mikko’s breath hitches, which can be heard on the video footage, as he watches the man double over, almost as if in pain. limbs can be heard cracking, shifting, as the man slowly morphs into an animalistic, hideous creature. the camera zooms in on the gruesome transition, catching it in its entirety before the creature’s head suddenly snaps up. its gaze points straight into the camera, holding there for a few moments before turning into the forest at full speed.

“this footage is from the computer files of none other than the dashing mayor JULIAN AUSTERE. how many things has our city kept from us? what other dangers do we not know about? what ELSE are they keeping from us? freddy here isn’t the only monster among us. where have all these missing persons victims come from? why are they here now? our city officials have known about these suspicious arrivals for weeks and have kept us in the dark.”

as the voice continues, various files are shared through the screens. official city hall documents, emails exchanged between officials and contracted employees, and images of the mentioned ‘returned missing persons’. “have these demons come here to infiltrate us? why are we still in the dark?”

a smiling image of MAYOR AUSTERE appears on the screens, followed by the edited effect of invisible claws slashing diagonally through the image. “wake up, salem. we deserve the truth.” the same skull appears on the screens before the message disappears, and all devices are released from the hack.

___________________________________________

setting: town square

one would think images such as the video leaked to the public would shut everyone in their homes out of fear, but then again...salem has never been known to follow the meek mentality of fear. instead, hysteria rises. as if driven by a hive mind, the majority of the city has taken to marching down the streets, headed for the same location: city hall.

julian austere had been in his office at the time of the hacking, wrapping up a day’s work. he had been on his way out the door when the radio in the upstairs accounting department suddenly switched channels, playing the hacker’s recording through the second floor. as expected, the mayor heads to the city hall’s tech department, where the employees are doing their best to counteract against the hack- to no avail. the hacker’s message comes to an end, and it isn’t long before the all too familiar sounds of a mob reaches the building’s steps.

the mayor exits the building to meet the growing crowd, narrowly dodging garbage and other such articles that are thrown his way. he comes to a stop at the top of the stairs, looking down at the crowd, at a loss for words. how can you call yourself our mayor?! why are you keeping secrets?! what else is there what else don’t we know are you even on our sidehowcanwetrustaliaryoudon’tdeservetob-

“people, people, please!” his voice cuts through the shouted questions that threaten to crumble his already wavering psyche. the worst possible case scenario has just shown up on his doorstep- and he finds himself struggling to deal with it. “i assure you it was never my intention to keep secrets from you,” he continues, brows furrowing over a sincere gaze. however honest he’s being, the mayor is clearly not in top condition to deal with the situation. he opens his mouth again to stammer out his explanation, when a heavy hand lands on his shoulder.

“your mayor neglected to inform you all per my instructions,” the figure booms from beside mayor austere. the crowd seems to silence at the sudden arrival, entranced by the stranger. to them, the man seems to be glowing with an unsourced light. “i am the archangel GABRIEL,” behind gabriel stands MICHAEL, who is known around town. “joined by my brother Michael. we asked your mayor to investigate a breach in hell’s gates for us, and report directly to us to avoid a panic like the one we have now. please, be still.” incredulous mumbles scatter through the crowd, but they are quickly dispersed when the two angels standing by the mayor unleash their wings. to many, it might be too difficult to stare directly at. the light they resonate is celestial. “but now that things are in the open, we can assure you that this creature you saw on your devices is on your side. they are a select few who have been allowed to return to their human forms. they protect the town in exchange, per our orders. mayor austere hasn’t lied to you. dark threats loom over this city, and i fear the worst is yet to come. please, go home for now. continue your lives as you have been. my brother and i will be available to you from here on out, but for now...get some rest.” the angels ignore the questions being thrown at them and usher the mayor back into city hall. the last thing the crowd sees before the double doors close are michael’s large, blindingly white wings, which sends a gust of wind into the crowd strong enough to push people a few feet back.

___________________________________________

setting: the old lumber mill warehouse, just between salem and eastrath 11:51pm.

“that makes 13.”

“i count 14.”

ANTHONY LORENZO and ORION GREYSON stand amidst 14 bodies, protected from detection and watchful eyes by azrael’s own blessing. the imp raises a bloodstained hand to his mouth. a tongue hovers near the ruby red substance when a crash comes from the other side of the warehouse, earning the interest of both men. matching grins, sharper than an assassin’s knife, stretch as eyes full of bloodlust meet each other.

“you know what’s better than 14?”

claws unsheathe from the imps hand, the sound slicing through the still night air. the sound of bones cracking follow as the siren cracks his neck. the two are in the outer hallway immediately, allowing tony a glimpse of a new victim fleeing out the back door, into the woods outside. they expertly dodge each other as they rush through the hallway and out the door. it would be clear that this is not their first massacre together, were anyone watching.

“15.”

shadowy figures move out of the warehouse and into the night, their supernatural speed causing them to look more like electrically charged figures bounding from spot to spot. it doesn’t take long for them to catch up to the fleeing civilian. they follow him into a clearing in the woods, where he stops in the middle, out of breath. “please! i have a family! i can get you money!” in unison, the boys chime. “oh, shut up.” the last thing the man sees is red: the color of his own blood staining tear-filled eyes.

___________________________________________

the police are at the warehouse the following morning, responding to a 911 call at 5:22am from a warehouse employee. the warehouse’s main hall is covered in blood, and a few dozen of the bodies have been posed in the center of the floor. torsos, severed heads and limbs, are littered on the floor in the shape of a pentagram. the pentagram’s shape is lined underneath the bodies in blood. found in the woods, half a mile from the scene, is old farmer abernathy, strung on a pole in a fashion similar to that of a scarecrow. his throat has been slashed and stuffed with some of the dry grass that covers the clearing’s floor. his hands are purple from the ropes tightly wound around his wrists. surrounding the figure on the pole is a much larger pentagram, this time made of fire.

the fire crew are the next people on the scene, soon followed by local news stations. the story is broadcast on the first news of the day, the 7am session. headlines read: MASSACRE AT THE MILL. a moment of silence is given on the news for the following victims:

Melody Pearson, Katrina Brock, Patti Cooper, Isaac Hernandez, Jaime Greer, Janie Briggs, Austin Hammond, Valerie Bradley, Lee Grant, Betsy Fletcher, Carroll Schneider, Clayton Abernathy, Gordon Delgado, Mindy Chandler, Sylvia Summers

___________________________________________

PLAYER NOTES: players may post threads surrounding/involving the events of this plot drop. if you want your muse to have known any of the listed deceased, go ahead and add it into your interactions! if you would like your muses to have plot specific interactions (i.e meeting with the mayor, any of the exposed angels, etc), or have part in any upcoming plot drops, events, etc, please approach any admin.

tldr; first of all :’) ow. second of all, ANGELS have appeared in salem, specifically the archangels MICHAEL and GABRIEL 15 bodies have been found with no suspects thus far. NEWS ANCHORS announced an 8pm CURFEW following the murders, effective immediately.

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bellyxconrad · 4 years

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Lizzy’s Book Recs

After posting a little book recommendation a few weeks ago, I received a few comments about some more recs. And seeing as I am currently reading book 70 for the year, I thought it could be fun. So this is what this post is. These are all contemporary romances (I'm not a historical fiction fan) and will be either new adult or adult romance. Sorry, but I’m too old for young adult these days as teenagers piss me off.

These will be placed into categories of my favourite tropes.

Enemies to Lovers:

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. This has to be hands down the best enemies to lovers story I have ever read. This is about Lucy and Josh, both assistants at a publishing company. She’s happy, he’s grumpy. They are colleagues and enemies, they fight all the time. But the sexual tension is off the charts. The best slow burn book I’ve ever read and definitely worth the wait. (plus this is going to be a movie with Lucy Hale and Robbie Amell, perfect right?)

Vicious by LJ Shen. Baron (Vicious) Spencer is an asshole. He’s a rich, spoilt brat with one love. Emilia Leblanc. He wanted her when they were teenagers, but she was with his best friend. He is a bully, mean and a horrible person to her and forces her to leave the state when he doesn’t get what he wants. Years later, he needs her help. She begins to work for him and discovers the act he puts on to hide his true scars. This book is sexy and dark. Not a cute fluffy story. But a good read (just don’t take it too seriously)

Into The Wild by KA Tucker. A big-city girl from Toronto goes to Alaska to visit her sick dad she hasn’t seen in over 25 years. Calla runs into cocky bush pilot Jonah. He hates her spoilt brat personality, she can't stand his cocky attitude. Hate turns to like, and eventually. Love. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. This story is sad, funny, sweet and romantic. And has the best banter ever. (plus there is a sequel) Eeek.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuisten. What happens when the prince of England and the first son of the USA have a secret gay love affair? This book, I love! They hate each other, then they become friends then they become lovers. The end. Perfect book. Just perfect.

Hate They Neighbour by S.M Soto. Sexy bad boy jerk Roman gets a new neighbour with sweet Olivia. She wants to be his friend, he is nothing but mean to her. She is recovering from a broken heart, he is trying to keep his family together. This is HOT HOT HOT! This has one of the sexist scenes I’ve ever read in a while including a lollipop. Trust me, this is soo good.

Friends to Lovers

Beard Science by Penny Reid. Jennifer is sick of being under her parent's thumb so she in lists the town’s evil genius, Cletus to help her and find her husband. I love this book, Jennifer is sweet. Cletus is not. He is brash and no-nonsense but I love him. Their love story is so sweet and turns from friends to lovers in such a sweet way it will have you awwing in no time.

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren. This is another fav. While I love a bad boy, sometimes the good guys do finish first. This is a friend to lovers story. Quirky Hazel and newly single Josh decided to set each other up on dates. When they are a series of disasters one after the other, and a drunken night later. They end up in bed together and discover love was in front of them the whole time. This is a cute and heartwarming story. You can never go wrong with a book by Christina Lauren.

Strangers to Lovers

Beard in Mind by Penny Reid. OMG! You can not get me to shut up about Penny Reid and her Winston series. It is the best series I have ever read. Every book is perfect. But this one here is my favourite of the series. This is a story about kind-hearted Beau Winston. He meets new mechanic at his garage Shelly Sullivan. She is bold, brash and has no filter. While Beau is used to women being charmed by his smile and good looks. Shelly is different. This book deals with some sensitive issues so if you get trigged by self-harm and real conversations about mental health. Stay clear. But this book is so good. Beau is the best book boyfriend ever. And I love him. (shoutout to Truth of Beard. Duane is Beau’s twin and his love story is so good)

Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren. I know, I’ve got another Christina Lauren book on the list, but I just love them. And this book is one of their best! Mia and her friends go to Vegas after college. They get drunk, meet some handsome men and oopps, they get married. Mia wakes up married to sexy Frenchman Ansel. He invites her to Paris for the summer. And she accepts. After a horrible start, they begin to learn more about each other and fall for each other in the city of love. This book is so hot, and while Ansel may be the sweetest he has a dirty mouth and a few secrets in his closet. (This is part of a series involving Mia and her 2 other friends that also got married in Vegas. They are worth a read, but this one is my favourite)

Second Chance Romance

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle. I wasn't sure where to put this one because it is a second chance romance and enemies to lovers. Anyway, this story is about Naomi and Nicholas. They are engaged but hate each other. Naomi wants to call off the engagement, the bad news is she can’t afford to fit the bill. So she tries to get Nicholas to end it instead. They are mean and horrible to each other, but as they spend more time together they soon begin to realise what they loved in the first place. When I first started this book I was in the belief that this couple should not be together. But by the end, all I wanted was them to be happy together. I loved this book, not as hot as the others. But worth a read.

Workplace Romance

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid. What a surprise, another Penny Reid Book on my list. This is the first book in the Knitting in the City series (which I am currently reading right now and am on book 3) This is the story of Janie. In one day she is fired, finds out her boyfriend cheated on her and is kicked out of her apartment. That same day she meets Quinn Sullivan. He escorts her out of the building only to run into her again a few weeks later and save her from being drugged at a club. He gets her new job and turns out to be the millionaire boss. This is a lovely story. Janie has to be the most quirky heroine I’ve ever read. And I love her. (There is also a sequel called Neanderthal marries human which is also good.)

This is just a shortlist of my favs, if you like this or want more recs. Let me know, this was so much fun.

#rec list #books #reading #recommendations #book recommendations #christina lauren #penny reid #sarah hogle #lj shen #casey mcquiston #sally thorne #KA tucker #s.m soto #mine #me #elizabeth's book rec

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mikeyhatesit113 · 4 years

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forever and never: Chapter 10

My car pulls up to the daycare entrance and Janie comes outside, the overnight bag slung loosely from her shoulder. Her face is blank, but her demeanor is defeated. She walks to my car and she gets in, shutting the door behind her. It’s just us two and a pregnant silence now.

A million questions swim through my mind.

Not to be outdone, she has a million excuses prepared.

“He drove you to work this morning?” I start by asking.

“Yeah,” she says quietly.

After the barrage of text messages from her and Bill, I am still unclear about what the truth is.

He said they met multiple times.

She said once.

He said they kissed several times.

She claimed once.

But whether it was a thousand times, or just once, I had a single question. This question did just pertain to the past 24 hour’s events, but it covered all the happenings over the past two years.

The hotel stays without receipts or bank records. The men who were just friends. The phone calls and text messages dripping with secrecy. The names under other names.

The nights where I watched her walk away.

“At any point throughout any of this, did you ever consider what you were doing to your sons’ home?” I asked.

My voice was not loud. My tone was not vicious.

It was a simple question that any mother should have been asking themselves. An anguished look comes across her face and she leans forward, putting her face in her hands.

Her muffled sobs fill the car and the atmosphere is devastating for both of us.

She had been caught, and another secret love story had been reduced to smoldering ash.

And for the third time in 2 years, I once again had been deceived.

Only this time, I had more answers than questions. I knew she was actually guilty.

Her lips had actually touched another man’s.

Proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

With this verdict, what would the jury decide?

They were lenient.

My heart wrenched at the thought of leaving her and the boys. After all we had been through, and all I believed we had overcome, I just couldn’t bring myself to throw in the towels.

I had watched those two little boys grow into walking, talking mini-adults.

James was no longer a curious Pre-K little boy. He was now 10, and he was funny. He had friends, and we had a great relationship. He loved Michael Myers just like I did, and he mimicked my wacky antics around the house. He was as close as a son could be.

Brock was no longer a tot in diapers. He was an animated kid who had started school now, and he loved to wrestle in the living room with his brother and I.

After 4 and a half years of being responsible for them, I was supposed to walk away without a second thought?

What if we could overcome this? One more thing to look back on as an old couple, decades later on that typical front porch swing moment. Saying with a smile as we are looking into eachother’s eyes, “We made it.”

“We got through it.”

“We proved our love was stronger than anything.”

“For better or for worse.”

Despite everything I knew, and how dirty I felt, I had decided to stay. I couldn’t pronounce it dead yet, despite what the vitals were telling me.

And as we moved on just days after the Bill scandal broke, I remained disturbed by a single, abstract thought.

I had trusted Bill, and he was a great friend.

He was my groomsman who saw us at our worst and our best.

But the fact that I was blindsided by his betrayal wasn’t because of those things, necessarily.

It was due to something else.

Like, the fact that, Bill wasn’t the one I had my eye on.

I was eyeing another person entirely, and we had already crossed paths.

Let me introduce you to, Steppenwolf.

“Mr. Steppenwolf is so funny,” Janie laughed in the kitchen as she was preparing dinner one day. We were telling eachother about our respective days, and she was telling me about how Mr. Steppenwolf, a fellow daycare teacher, had outsmarted an angry parent that day.

In fact, Mr. Steppenwolf was the director of the program at Janie’s center.

Sound familiar?

“And he has the craziest hats,” she giggled.

“Oh,” I responded. A balding man with gray hair in his 30’s with a wacky hat collection seemed interesting enough, but it quickly left my mind.

He was married with kids, anyway.

But then, Mr. Steppenwolf popped up on my radar again just days later.

I was scrolling through Instagram, and I noticed that Steppenwolf had been “liking” and commenting on almost every one of Janie’s pictures.

Despite the arena I was in, I wasn’t a terribly jealous guy. But for curiosity’s sake, I went to Steppenwolf’s profile and discovered that Janie was doing the exact same thing to his photos.

For instance, his picture of a stink bug had earned a “like” from Janie, and a bonus comment that said, “OMG Mr. Steppewolf, what a creepy bug!”

In addition, I noticed that their social networking relationship was barely a month old, and the commenting/liking had picked up in frequency.

But nevertheless, I wasn’t a jealous guy. However, I did casually tease Janie about the interactions with Mr. Steppenwolf on Instagram. She played it off and changed the subject.

Coincidentally, Mr. Steppenwolf’s profile went PRIVATE a day later.

But perhaps, Steppenwolf was deemed a true threat until one beautiful Summer day.

It was a sunny, July day, and I was going to a Fantasy Football draft at a friend’s house.

Janie, usually opposing my attendance to such events, was surprisingly supportive and cool with my plans to go. In fact, she whipped me up a batch of Buffalo Chicken Dip to take along as a party contribution.

“And I know when you guys get together, you like to stay out late. Just so you know, I won’t be mad if it goes to 2am or something. You deserve to have a good time with your friends,” she spoke.

“Are you sure you’re ok with me going?” I asked as I put tin foil over the top of the chicken dip pan.

“Yeah,” she insisted brightly. “I’ll just hang out around here, or maybe go see my parents at the campground,” she said.

“Cool,” I said, grabbing my keys. I was running a bit behind on time, and I had to get on the road. I had planned to leave 10 minutes earlier, and now I was probably going to be late.

Just then, Janie’s phone on the counter lit up.

Out of habit, I looked at the screen and saw a text.

From Steppenwolf.

“Hey bud, wasn’t sure if we were still on the for the movie? If not, just let me know, and I’ll kick back and hang around the house.”

I read the message, my jaw clenching and my mind beginning to race.

Movie? With Steppenwolf??

What the fuck?

Janie looked at the screen, and immediately after reading the message, she got frantically defensive.

“He’s texting the wrong Janie!” she insisted, her eyes quickly welling with tears. “He must have meant the other Janie in the other program,” she explained.

She picked up her phone and dialed Steppenwolf immediately. He answered, and once again, what she said next would determine everything.

“Hey Mr. Steppenwolf,” she greeted him. “I have a very upset husband standing next to me, and he thinks your message was actually meant for me,” she fake chuckled.

I’m not certain what he said, but Janie’s reaction did its best to make me believe that this was indeed just a big misunderstanding.

“That’s what I said!” she said on the phone, laughing.

She offered me the phone. “Did you want to talk to him?” she asked.

“No,” I said, scowling.

I wasn’t sure what the fuck was going on, but it didn’t look good. As I waited for her to end the call, I knew that I no longer wanted to go to the Fantasy Football draft.

I wanted to dump the buffalo chicken dip in the trash.

How could I go have a good time with these new suspicions?

In terms of timeline, the Bill scandal had not yet happened. That wouldn’t be happening for another two weeks yet.

So in truth, these were my first suspicions since a year earlier when she ran off into the night with Shawn.

But I thought we had moved past that? I thought I’d never feel that way again?

Janie hung up the phone and insisted that his message was meant from someone else. I did my best to believe her, but I was uneasy.

What if it wasn’t a mistake?

I reluctantly left the house and went to the Fantasy Football party, sitting amongst my friends and doing my best to act normal.

Janie, almost as if she knew that I was on alert, texted me frequently.

A few hours later, I left the Fantasy Football party and went to the campground her parents were at. Janie had went to visit them, and she invited me to swing by.

We sat around the fire, talking casually. Janie and I did our best to ignore the serpent between us that had just been resurrected, threatening to strike.

As the days that followed went on, I noticed other little changes in Janie.

She suddenly took a big interest into the sporty attire that the younger girls at her center wore. She suddenly bought several pairs of running shorts, and her behavior at home transformed into more of their demeanor as well.

She’d post pictures online of herself posing flirtatiously with them. Of course, these photos had a thumbs up from Mr. Steppenwolf, who was often lingering in the background and making goofy faces.

Then, she started staying out later at night. She’d cite after-work meetings at a nearby sports bar, but some nights, she wouldn’t come home till after midnight. I’d stay up and wait for her, knowing I’d have to be awake for work in less than 5 hours, but I couldn’t sleep.

I had to know she was safe, and I had to torture myself with secret suspicions.

I’d watch the Lancer pull into the driveway as relief washed over me. I’d run upstairs and crawl into bed quickly so that she wouldn’t know I had stayed up to wait. She’d come upstairs and get ready for bed quickly, and as she’d get under the covers, I’d smell the beer on her breath.

She’d fall out pretty quickly, but I often laid there in the dark as I stared at the ceiling, wondering where her night had taken her.

The weird occurrences continued one day when I saw a mixed CD in her car. It was titled “Daddy Mix”, and it contained nothing but songs with the word “Daddy” in their titles.

“Daddy Sang Bass”, by Johnny Cash.

“Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)”, by Usher.

“Daddy’s Eyes”, by The Killers.

“What’s this?” I asked, holding up the CD.

“Oh, that,” she laughed. “So, I call Mr. Steppenwolf ‘daddy’ at work, and everyone thinks that it’s funny,” she explained. “So they all got together and put this CD together for me, and slid it in my mailbox,” she said.

The explanation seemed off to me. I’ve found many things my co-workers have done to be hilarious, but creating a mixed CD for them as a result honestly never crossed my mind.

It was such a small occurrence that I quickly forgot about it.

Either that, or I was actively overlooking things as to not find a reason to worry about them.

All I wanted was peace as a husband. I never believed that I had accidentally signed up to be a 24/7 private investigator.

Then one night, I came face to face with Steppenwolf.

It was a night where another after-work meeting was taking place, and she invited me. I sat there amongst her co-workers, and I found myself having a pleasant time as I met people and their spouses for the first time.

Then, Steppenwolf showed up.

I noticed quickly how he presented himself. Though he was a smaller man, he carried himself with an upmost self-importance.

I watched him get out of his purple sports car, and as he walked up, I saw him tug at the bottom of the tight lime-green polo he had decided to wear.

He walked into the outdoor patio area we were all seated at, and his co-workers welcomed him as he took a seat at the far end of the two tables we had pushed together to accommodate our party size.

Steppenwolf did not look at me.

Janie was seated beside me, deep in conversation with a fellow co-worker. I decided to drink some beers, and soon I found myself lost in casual conversations of my own with other people.

It was then I noticed, Steppenwolf and Janie were gone. I looked around quickly, but I could not spot them. I got up from the table and walked inside the crowded bar. After some quick recon, I located my targets.

They were deep in a hushed conversation back by the bathrooms, which were hidden from plain view. I walked up to them and as I stood beside Janie, I crossed my arms and faced Steppenwolf.

Their conversation abruptly stopped, and Steppenwolf shot me a sideways glance as he leaned on the wall. He walked away without another word, and I asked Janie about what I had seemingly interrupted.

“He’s just having an issue with another co-worker, and he was talking to me about it,” she said.

Soon after that night, the Bill events happened.

It was August now, and as Summer was winding down, Janie and I found ourselves in a shattered state.

But were we beyond repair?

The night before Labor Day Sunday, Janie and I decided to go to Hersheypark. It had always been a nice spot for us and the boys, but on this night, it was just us two.

Night had fallen, and the park was clearing out. There weren’t too many people left, and as we walked side by side, I noticed the continued silence between us.

“You ok?” I asked.

“Yeah, I just want to know that you’re ok,” she replied.

“I am if you are.”

The sunset that night, and the emptiness around us, was too eerie for me to ignore. It was symbolic of our love story.

----

The next day, we had a Labor Day cookout planned at our home. Close to the start time, Janie and I walked over to her mom’s house to get some bug spray.

My sister had requested some, and Janie found this as a reason to angrily march off across the street to accomodate my family.

“What is your problem?” I asked her as I followed behind her.

“Nothing, Michael, nothing,” she said.

We both returned to our house and our guests arrived. The cookout got started, and things started off normally enough.

Janie guzzled down alcoholic beverages, and she kept asking her step-dad to admit that she was his princess.

I played corn hole with some of the other guests, but predictably, things took a turn for the worst as night fell.

My father had taken my nephews to a local carnival that night, and he dropped them off at our house because my sister was attending our cookout. However, my father wanted to make a quick job of dropping them off, as his dog had been at home for hours without a bathroom break.

I stood out front with my sister as we casually chatted with our father, and then he got back in his car and drove off.

Janie, however, took great offense to this gesture. He had not come back to the party in the back yard to say hello, and she decided that she had an issue with this.

I picked up on this when I returned to the back yard, and Janie stood amongst the party guests glaring at me.

When I watched her walk in the house, I seized my opportunity to follow her inside and find out what was wrong.

“Hey,” I said as I slid the door closed behind me. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing is ever good enough, is it?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?” I asked.

“Your dad, after all these years, still hates me,” she said. “What the fuck are we even doing?” she asked savagely.

Kelly came inside at that moment, and she saw our confrontation.

“Guys, don’t fight,” she said.

“I’m not fighting!” I said, my temper soaring. “She’s picking another fight with me!”

At those words, Janie scoffed and ran upstairs. When she came back down, she had another overnight bag slung from her shoulder.

The second one I had seen in a month. The third one I had seen in a year.

“And where are you going?” I asked.

“Janie, don’t leave,” Kelly begged.

Janie only wanted to talk to Kelly, but I barreled on, demanding to know where Janie was leaving to go this time.

Janie asked where the Lancer keys were, but I wasn’t about to let that happen.

“You aren’t taking the Lancer,” I said. “You’ve been drinking, and you’re not totaling my car.”

Janie didn’t scream back, though.

As our guests continued enjoying themselves in our back yard, Janie quietly left out the front door. I watched her from the door step as she disappeared into the night, one more time.

There was nothing for it. She was looking for a reason all along.

And I was tired of stopping her.

I was tired of trying.

But seeing her walk away never got easier.

I returned to the back yard, and though some people were aware what had happened, others didn't mind. Janie’s step-dad chatted merrily with our landlord, taking swigs of beer. I wasn’t about to spoil their time.

I walked up to my grandmother and uncle, and I quietly let them know what had happened. I walked them to their car, feeling bad at the failure I had become.

“Well,” my grandmother said. “You’ll have this. And remember what I said, you have a home with me.”

I thanked her and my uncle for coming, and after they drove away, I never felt more alone. Most of the guests had departed, but a few stayed. I walked around my empty home, wondering what to do. I decided to go to bed.

Of course, i didn't sleep at all.

Our Boston Terrier curled up next to me in bed as I listened to Linkin Park’s “Burn It Down” on my iPod.

The cycle repeated As explosions broke in the sky All that I needed Was the one thing I couldn’t find...

I got up several times that night, looking out the window and hoping to see her return. Instead, I remember seeing our landlord and a few of Janie’s family members sitting around our bonfire, still burning brightly.

After a brief stints of sleep and constant exhaustion, morning came.

The sky was full of clouds, and the air was humid and muggy. I walked around our house, seeing the mess in the back yard and the piles of dishes on the kitchen counter.

I was all alone.

I started cleaning up, trying to take my mind off of the situation at hand.

Had Bill re-entered the arena? Or was she with someone else?

I told myself I wouldn’t call, but we were past that point. Enough was enough. I picked up my phone and dialed her number, and it went right to voicemail. I said the only thing I could say;

“I’m not calling to find out where you are or who you’re with. I’m only asking you, out of respect for our time together and the home of those two little boys, to tell me what’s going on?”

I hung up and continued cleaning up the mess.

After a half hour, I called again.

“You don’t understand how serious this is, I need you to tell me what’s going on. Nothing else. Just tell me where things stand,” I spoke.

I hung up my phone.

Then, she called back.

I walked out into the back yard as I answered her call.

“Hey,” I said.

“I’m done,” she said softly. “We fight all the time. Things haven’t been right. We’re toxic,” she spoke. “I’m done.”

“Are you with Steppenwolf?” I asked.

“...yeah, but I slept on his couch,” she said.

Our conversation didn’t last long. What was there left to say?

I packed a few things in a hurry.

I was going home.

As I loaded some things into my car, I saw Janie’s mom sitting on her back porch. I shut my car door after putting my things inside the car and walked across the street.

“Hey,” I said.

“I’m sorry, Ekim,” her mom said. “I don’t know why she’s doing this. I didn’t raise her that way,” Janie’s mom spoke. “I can’t go against her, she’s all I have. She’s my baby,” her mom pleaded.

“I know. She’s with Steppenwolf,” I mumbled.

“Yeah, I heard. I don’t know why she’s doing this.”

---

Walking through my grandmother’s front door was less than ceremonious, but there are places throughout you’re life where you feel safe.

This was one of them.

My uncle had since moved in with her since I had moved out 5 years earlier, and he had my old room. But I didn’t care. I was eager to have any place to call home, and in turn, I moved whatever I had with me into a smaller upstairs bedroom.

It was my room when I was 14 years old before I moved to a bigger room. Since I had moved out of it, it had become a storage room for miscellaneous items and holiday decorations.

The bed mattress was gone, but the box spring was still there. I draped a few blankets on the top until I figured something else out in terms of a bed.

It would have to do for now, like everything else.

That day, I didn’t plan on staying idle and letting my imagination tear me to pieces.

There would be no sleep, no rest, and no peace.

So I might as well stay busy.

I decided to accompany some friends to a back yard cookout, and I needed to take several breaks away from the party to vent to my buddy’s girlfriend.

I was inconsolable. I couldn’t think of anything else.

Luckily, she was understanding and listened patiently while I spilled my guts several times that day.

My life was in pieces, and my marriage was over.

That night, they invited me back to their place to hang out.

I sat beside my one friend on their love seat as they watched the newest episode of the show, Breaking Bad.

I sat next to him and odd as it sounds, just not being alone made my eyes heavy.

36 hours of no sleep was catching up to me.

My head slumped over as I fell asleep, but I couldn’t fall into too deep of a sleep state.

Night was falling outside, and my vicious imagination was going to punish me for not giving it a chance to torture me all day.

I sat there, my head slumped on my buddy’s shoulder as I heard a song coming from the TV. It’s a song called “Crystal Blue Persuasion”, and it was playing on the episode of Breaking Bad. My imagination played a perverse slideshow for me as the melody filled my ears.

I missed her. I just wanted to be next to her.

And he had her.

The music from the TV played as the images in my head haunted me, my stomach turning...

“Look over yonder, what do you see?”

They start kissing in Steppenwolf’s living room, knowing they have the entire night together...

“The sun is a-risen, most definitely.”

They wander through Steppenwolf’s house toward his bedroom...

“A new day is coming, people are changing,”

They reach his bedroom and lay on his bed...

“Ain’t it beautiful? Crystal blue persuasion.”

The light goes out.

But for me, it was far from over.

Broken, but not beyond repair.

We weren’t finished yet.

“My secrets are buried now From my heart and my bones catch a fever When it cuts you up this deep It's hard to find a way to breathe

Your eyes are swallowing me Mirrors start to whisper Shadows start to see My skin's smothering me Help me find a way to breathe.”

Bring Me the Horizon “Sleepwalking”

NOTE: Though this is my side of the story, including my own personal recollections and opinions, the reader should not consider this note anything other than a work of literature. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

#dating #relationships #depression #breakups #relationship advice #divorce #marriage #mental health #suicide #begin again #new beginnings #taylor swift #never #forever #love #hate #papa roach

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i-want-anne-hathaway · 4 years

Text

Mean Girls

I’m wearing pink to manifest the Mean Girls spirit, and a vest to manifest Karen.

All stupid thoughts will be pinned on Kate.

Cady being excited for rap music makes me want a crack fic where Cady listens to rap music and it confuses everybody. Like, let Cady listen to Da Baby 2k20

Whenever I hear the “Welcome to Northshore High” I think of Kalyn West practicing the choreography to It Roars.

Where Do You Belong is iconic as fuck.

Meet The Fucking Plastics, Bitch

That one video of the doors not opening during the beginning of Meet The Plastics is the best thing ever.

Regina George is a Queen, and I love her. Is she a bitch? Absolutely. Do I care? Absolutely not.

When looking up “Is Taylor Louderman straight?” Little Miss Perfect is the first thing that comes up and that’s iconic.

If you’re not black, you cannot get mad at the joke in the beginning of Stupid With Love. Especially because it’s a sterotype based in truth. There is a gene in people from Africa and African Americans that makes them better sprinters.

THOMAS JEFFERSON IS REGINA GEORGE

What’s Wrong With Me is Sad™️

I asked my mom if I could play Halloween music when we were driving to a Halloween bonfire, and she was expecting like Thriller and Spooky Scary Skeletons. She got Sexy instead. She was very disappointed to say the least.

WHY CAN I NOT HEAR THE CAMPBELL IN HER VOICE?! IT FUCKING BOTHERS ME SO MUCH!

My friend went to Mean Girls to see Barrett and not only was Barrett not performing, Cameron Dallas was performing as Aaron.

The Mean Girls but it’s just the names is my favorite video ever because it’s just “REGINA, REGINA, REGINA, REGINA, REGINA...” and it continues like that for basically the whole video.

I feel so bad for Regina during this song, it’s not even funny. Like, I want to give her a hug, and that’s saying something.

Karen is an icon in Stop, and she deserves the world.

I think that we should talk about how the actress for Gretchen in the film was in a low budget movie called Christian Mingle.

Whose House Is This is generally regarded as the worst Mean Girls song

That one clip of Erika forgetting the lyrics to Whose House Is This is literally the best.

Someone Gets Hurt (Reprise) tugs at my heart strings, not gonna lie.

As Kate and Lucky play Minecraft, they get to hear me aggressively shouting “MS. NORBURY’S A DRUG PUSHER”

The Three Genders: Aaron Tveit, Katie Ladner, and Kerry Butler.

Okay, but Renée Rapp’s I’d Rather Be Me pronoun showdown from Regina’s POV.

I love that in the show, I’d Rather Be Me just looks like some angst ridden lesbian teen helping a bunch of children discover their middle fingers for the first time.

Do This Thing is an underrated bop.

I See Stars gets me in the Feels™️

I love that Cady gives Janis like the whole ass crown. It’s because they’re in love honestly though. After the show, Cady and Aaron break up because he’s in college and Cady and Janis get together.

And that finishes Mean Girls. It was a time because this musical is iconic.

And I’m gonna get emotional for this next musical. Because it’s & Juliet.

Final Judgement of Mean Girls: Are there problematic jokes in Mean Girls? Absolutely. At the end of the day though, it’s a combination of a great musical that’s really funny and is also really relatable.

#long post #brees favorite games #tw drug mention #tw cursing #tw capslock

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kate837 · 4 years

Text

Not a Game

AU edition of Rich's attempted get away after the Akkadian.

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It turns out that Rich actually had tampered with their system. And of course he did, he's Rich Dotcom. Thank God for Patterson, she was the only one smart enough to find Rich. Once she did the team swooped in and rearrested him. That's when it started, Kurt had at least been civil to Jane while in front of Rich but now....

"It's just nice to know that people don't change. " He said with a furrowed brow and small smirk. Everyone on that team knew what he was doing, trying to get at least one little dig at Jane in.

Jane didn't let her smug smile towards Rich fade and made sure to move her mouth as little as possible, because she knew Rich could very well read lips, when she very discreetly cautioned "This isn't a game you want to play with me. "

Kurt glanced down at her and she glared up at him. Rich cocked his head to the side, he knew something was up but this definitely confirmed it. Rich didn't really take Kurt as a "petty" Person so to have him obviously take a secret dig at Jane was surprising and h*lla confusing.

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Reade recuffed Rich, and Tasha cuffed Boston. Patterson walked each of them to the SUV they personally were driving them in to take them back to SIOC to wait for the actual prisoner transport to arrive.

Meanwhile Kurt grabbed Jane by the arm and tugged her to the opposite side of the prisoner transport truck, the side that was secluded.

Jane shook out of his grip frustrated. Kurt was very obviously about to scold her but she beat him to it.

" Let me guess, I'M out of line because you took a dig at me,right? "

Kurt pointed at Jane while he talked.

"Now you listen to me-"

"No you listen to me. You think I don't know what you're doing?! Every single chance you get you somehow find a way to take a petty dig at me and I. Am. Done. Kurt. I'm done! I thought that you would at least refrain in front of Rich but I guess I overestimated your character." She whisper yelled.

"Jane I-"

"Save it. Because of your relentless need to put me down we are going to have a very long wait for actual prisoner transport to get Rich. Filled with questions, accusations, and my personal favorite ridiculous inappropriate commentary because you couldn't keep it together." Jane took a breath and recuperated. "Look, I understand your resentment, but I can't do this anymore."

"What do you mean -can't do this- Jane?"

"Don't make me say it, we both know that there was and is a this."

Kurt clenched his jaw and looked away.

"I have been clenching my teeth and stomaching all of the hatred thrown at me because I more than anyone know that I-messed-up, I was in the wrong. I know that so if you need to keep insulting me to be able to be in the same room with me than I will tolerate it but I just-"

"Just what, Jane?"

"I need a break Kurt! At very least in front of Rich. I deserve at least that much"

Before Kurt could apologize or even try to form some sort of apology she walked away.

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Back in interrogation Jane and Weller are sitting across from Rich waiting on the actual prisoner transport crew to arrive, which is going to take a while since it's now 3 in the morning.

They all were exhausted so there was a silence in the room for the first five minutes, at least until Rich got his second wind.

"So Jane from my understanding you're a consultant but wear an FBI vest and not just an FBI vest a Critical Response Team vest especially made for special agents. You're allowed in the field and undercover, but you are not an FBI agent. Why?"

Jane's eyes widened. She forgot that other than being an absolute moron Rich is a genius.

Rich studied Jane's reaction then turned to Kurt who lowered his gaze at him but wasn't glaring.

"You know I don't really care why-"

"Then why did you ask?" Jane asked confused.

"To analyze. See the last time I was here when I even tried to utter a word that could be somewhat remotely close to resembling you I got a death glare from agent Stubbly over here. But not this time, and he might just be tired I get that but something is definitely off. Because 2, you didn't look to Kurt. Whenever someone asks you a question, or figures out a piece of the puzzle, or anything really you look to Kurt first. And you didn't you stared at me, or the wall, the ceiling, the floor, but not Kurt. So what the h*ll is going on here?! And tell me the truth."

Rich was abnormally serious, it was actually quite frightening.

"Look Rich we're tired, and there's nothin-" Jane tried to salvage the conversation.

"This isn't a game you want to play with me."

Jane looked down, she thought she was subtle enough. Guess not.

"Do those words ring a bell Janie?"

Kurt finally steps in.

"Alright enough. It's too early AND too late for this. Rich, Jane and I's history is none of your d*mn business. You are an informant that's all, what my team does and does not do is also none of your business. Is that clear?"

Jane was astonished. He stood up for her! The thought that maybe just maybe they actually would be ok was inevitably spiraling around her brain and put a very faint smile on her face. But was immediately wiped away.

"I know how childish this sounds but Rich I need a break!"

There it was. Another dig. But this one didn't just hurt, it stung. Mimicking her words from earlier, the words she used as pure honesty. She needed just one day to not be reminded of the resentment, one hour even. She was vulnerable with him and he called it childish?? CHILDISH?!?!

Jane stifled her involuntary gasp, clenched her teeth and tried to keep her eyes from stinging with tears. It was too much.

"You had to do it didn't you?"

Her voice came out shaky and hoarse, she walked out immediately leaving Rich completely and utterly stunned and Kurt stilled in place.

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Rich leaned forward in his chair.

"What in the literal h*ll is wrong with you?"

"Excuse me?" Kurt had a dangerous look in his eye which Rich would have found unbelievably hot if he hadn't been outraged with his behavior.

"One of THE most amazing women in the world, and trust me I would know I have met my fair share of international women, is whole heartedly in love with you and you take her heart and perform emotional acupuncture on it every single chance you get! So I'll ask again what-in-the-literal-h*ll-is-wrong-with-you?!"

Kurt stood up to leave but quickly remembered that one of them had to keep an eye on Rich and with Jane's storming out he was on full-time babysitting duty.

He slowly pulled his chair back out and sat down. His posture was slumped like his shoulders weighed a thousand pounds each and he steadily looked at the table. He looked so... Sad.

"Look, you and I both know that I have an unhealthy amount of investment in you and Jane's relationship. I don't actually know why either, it just kind of happened. Kurt there is something special about the two of you, something you only see in the movies. It's magical, it's an energy, it's an aura, it's... Well it's everything. I know that you can salvage it because I know you'll want to, or do want to. You just don't know how. You've spent so much of your life closed off to the world that it became easy, a defense mechanism that was completely foolproof. Until Jane, Jane was unprecedented for you she wormed her way through every single defense you had then I'm guessing tore you apart from the inside."

Kurt cleared his throat, obviously choking back tears. He was hurt but never hurt enough to cry in front of Rich Dotcom.

"But that's the thing with love, it's a power. And once you hand that power over to someone they can completely destroy you. Tear you apart limb from limb while you stand there and watch, because you still love them. That's the kind of love you and Jane have, Jane could break your left kneecap and you still wouldn't hurt a hair on her head."

Aside from their fight in the Motel but Kurt chose not to correct him.

"She broke you but she can build you back up again with one smile if you let her."

Kurt finally looked up at Rich when the door opened and in walked prisoner transport, Kurt made a beeline for the door, he couldn't have more agents seeing him like this.

"ONE SMILE KURT! THAT'S ALL IT WILL TAKE!"

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Jane was still in the locker room. She would have went home but she knew that she couldn't make it in her state of mind. It would have been as dangerous as walking home drunk. Except she was more afraid of the risk of her snapping and killing someone than she was of getting mugged.

So there she was on the bench in the locker room almost in a catatonic like state. She thought that once she was alone she would have broke down in sobs but this, well this was much much worse. Thoughts and memories were swirling around her brain like a emotional turmoil whirlpool.

You'remystartingpointyouneedtolistentomehappybirthdayJanepizzaorhotdogswithhushpuppiesthere'saparkattheendofmystreetyou'reagoodpersonJanekeepthemsafeyou'renotakillernicehaircutthatmeansIcandothis

It was paralyzing.

Until her train of thought was interrupted by the door opening.

"Jane we need to talk."

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Kurt approached the opposite side of the bench to sit.

"Please don't."

"Jane we need-"

"I don't want to talk to you, I'm never going to be ready to talk to you."

"I know but-" Kurt approached again.

"Do. Not. Sit. Near. Me" Jane commanded through gritted teeth.

Kurt obeyed opting to stand in front of her but not directly, and just out of arm's reach just in case she lashed out.

"I'm sorry, Jane. For everything. I went too far, I pushed you too far."

Jane humorlessly chuckled.

"You pushed-. You say you don't hate me, then you push me, you say that you tried to murder the man who hurt me then you push me, you defend me, you protect me, you simultaneously keep me by your side and at arms length, you smile at me then you push me, you-" Jane's voice cracked after having so much bite in it, it's such a dramatic change in tone. "You know exactly how to get my hopes up just to squander them. So no Kurt the problem isn't that you pushed me too far. It's that you pushed me too much."

"You have to believe Jane, that I am so sorry."

He knew he had to say more. He at least owed her that much.

He sighed deeply.

"I've never been good at opening up to people. After the incident, before my mother took off she put me in therapy after therapy trying to get me to open up to someone. It never worked. Some people may have even called me stubborn."

Jane tried not to smile, but Kurt could tell that she was holding back and it made him feel a little better.

"Anyways, whenever I went to the actual appointment I would just sit there and stare at the wall, my hands, my feet, for a whole hour and a half. I even made some of my therapists believe that I was mute, that was until my mother would pick me up and ask what I would like to eat when I get home and I would scream at the top of my lungs MEAT!"

Against Jane's will she let out the softest chuckle, and Kurt couldn't help but think

It really does only take one smile.

"Eventually the therapists would refer me somewhere else because they needed to tend to the patients who wouldn't -waste their time- and the cycle would continue. I wouldn't talk to anyone at school either, and I couldn't talk to Sarah. I was her protector, her rock. I couldn't fall apart on her. So I learned to build walls. The walls allowed me to keep moving forward, they allowed me to take care of my sister while everything in me wanted to run away and never come back. They kept me sane."

Kurt cleared his throat.

"H*ll I hadn't cried in about twenty years, until you showed up."

Jane's gaze flicked towards him at lightning speed.

"With one touch of your hand on my cheek, something in me broke. All of a sudden all of my walls that protected me came crashing down, letting you waltz in. Which was why the day I arrested you I was a wreck. All of the hurt and pain wasn't stopped by my walls. You destroyed me; You know I literally had a pain in my chest when I arrested you. Like my heart couldn't take it. Which was why the CIA was even able to take you in the first place. I placed you in the interrogation room and walked out. I was going to wait for Pellington then interrogate you but I had this awful constricting pain in my chest that I had never felt before. It was too much. I couldn't scream, I couldn't cry. I just blacked out. An agent eventually found me lying in the hallway and had me taken down to medical. They said that I was most likely -overwhelmed- and I said what about the pain in my chest and you know what they said-"

Jane was enthralled. She couldn't look away.

"They said that there was no -medical explanation for it- I was healthy. Then one of the nurses asked if I had been hurt emotionally in the past 24 hours. I asked why and she said that -studies have proven that heartbreak can actually cause a string in your heart to break- hence the name heartbreak. She said that it was highly probable. After twenty years of not feeling you come and you make me feel alive then you break one of my heartstrings."

"Oh."

"So Jane you have to understand that I am trying to cope but there is no excuse for my behavior, I will change I promise I will. I'm just- I'm just hurt Jane." Kurt said finally letting a couple of tears spill over.

"That makes two of us." Jane says letting a lone tear streak her face.

"Can I please sit now? My legs are killing me." Kurt says jokingly.

Jane laughs.

"Come here."

Kurt takes the invitation and drops to his knees in between her legs and hugs her. They hold onto each other tightly, while Kurt keeps whispering apologies in her ear.

"I really love you, you know that?"

"I know"

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#Angsty angst #Jeller #Rich4life #Kurt gets a reality check #Not a game #I love this fandom #I'm trying to post more since the show is ending #I don't want the fandom to just disappear #LOVE YOU ALL 💖💖💖#angst #jeller angst

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marvinswriting · 4 years

Text

Shoulder Devils

Prompt: five times Janis tried to fake okay and the one time she just couldn't OH MY GOD I LOVE 5+1S OFC (this was supposed to be posted next week but i got it written within a few hours and just wanted to post it now bc holy shit its 5+1 and janis angst, my two favorite things.)

The knot in her stomach felt wound up too tight, like it would tear her insides at any moment.��

Calm down, Janis, it's only the first day of school. The common sense part of her brain told her.

But every other part of her was screaming a different story.

It's your first day of high school after being homeschooled through the end of middle school. Nobody has seen you since you were plastic and you'll be totally alone during your tiny only classes.

She subconsciously gripped the shirt underneath her tighter.

Janis was on Damian's shoulder as they walked to their first class of the day.

She knew deep down she'd feel better if she vocalized her worries to Damian, that way an outside source could ease her stress, but Damian had his own worries. He was in charge of not only getting him but also Janis to their classes on time- spare her tiny periods.

Janis had unintentionally made him stressed more just by existing.

Now, that's a little dramatic. The common-sense voice in her head said. It eerily sounded like Damian. Quite fitting.

No, it's true. The other part of her brain said. This one sounded like herself.

Janis felt like she had her own tiny people on her shoulders. Just these were devils and angles, not best friends.

Damian stopped in front of a classroom.

"English, co-sized, room 148, period one."

Sure enough, they stood in front of room 148. Janis could see kids she recognized at their grade, no longer eight graders but now freshman.

"This won't be middle school." Janis mumbled to herself, trying to be reassuring.

"What?" Damian asked as he stepped into the room.

"Nothing," Janis said, a bit to fast. "Just talking to myself."

So much for that no worrying Damian part.

"Okay," Damian said slowly.

He doesn't believe you, you fucked up. Shoulder devil Janis taunted.

Damian sat in the front row of the class so Janis would be able to see the board.

"You're gonna do great today," Damian reassured her, like he could tell exactly what she needed to hear. "If you need me at all during the day, just text me, okay?"

Look, failure, you've got him all worried. Shoulder Janis mocked.

No, he's just looking out for you, like friends should. The reasonable Damian sounding subconscious said.

"I'm fine, really." Janis said with a soft smile.

Janis was pro at keeping her freakouts internal. As a plastic, she learned it better to just keep her problems to herself, bottle them up till she's lying in bed at night and they explode, like a mento in cola.

Damian didn't like the method of emotional management that Janis adapted, but old habits die hard.

Janis knew Damian wouldn't tell her to shut up like Regina would.

But he'll still judge you. Shoulder Janis reminder her. They all judge you.

So she kept her freakouts internal.

Until one night. She was at Damian's house for a sleepover. For the longest time, Janis would sleep on a makeshift bed next to Damian's nightstand. It was safer that way. Even though both Damian and Janis knew when Damian fell asleep he slept like a rock and didn't move, it wasn't worth the risk.

Cuz you're small and fragile and nothing but a worry. Shoulder Janis said. The reassuring mind Damian was quiet.

Nothing to say, because I'm right.

Janis looked over to Damian on his bed. He was lying on his back with his eyes closed, but Janis could tell he was still awake. She shifted slowly in the tiny bed, not wanting to worry Damian.

He deserves better than to be worried by you. The devil Janis sneered.

Janis knew logically that these were her own thoughts, but it felt like somebody else was saying them to her, confirming everything she feared. She was just a burden who got in the way. An irritant to all. A hassle to Damian, who had to take her everywhere.

Just like that, the mento fell in the coca-cola.

She quickly brought her hand up to her mouth to cover a cry. She didn't want to disrupt Damian. Not while he was still awake. She could fall apart when he was asleep.

Her shoulders shook as silent tears slipped down her face. Janis wiped them away briskly.

"Janis?"

Damian was sitting up in bed, looking at her small girl.

Even though the dark room, Janis could feel his eyes on her.

"I'm fine." She said abruptly. Her defensive tone cueing that she was in fact, not fine.

You fucked that one up.

Janis rubbed at the ghost tears on her face, pressing the heels of her palms into her eyes.

Damian reached forward and scooped her up gingerly, his fingers wrapping around her gently as he laid back down on his side. He held Janis to his chest, like a kid holds a teddy bear. He didn't say anything or question her, just held her close.

"I am fine, y' know" She said, but Janis gripped onto Damian's shirt despite herself, listening to Damian's heartbeat as they both fell asleep.

Janis? Where are you?

Janis glanced down at her phone. She was supposed to be meeting Damian at the tiny pick up zone, but instead, she was hiding in an empty classroom trying not to have a panic attack.

Nurse.

Janis typed back quickly, no point in telling the truth and getting Damian all worried.

Sorry if I made you wait too long and you're late to class.

You okay?

Yeah, im tits. dw about me

She placed her phone down, leaning against the cool concrete wall of the classroom. Damian would be heavily annoyed if she asked for help every time she felt this way.

He probably feels heavily annoyed with you no matter what. The inner Janis taunted.

"Right."

Janis knew Damian could tell she was upset. Janis also knew he wasn't gonna push her to talk about or bring it up first. And on top of all this knowledge, Janis knew she was in no way gonna vocalize her feelings.

Sucks for her.

They were sitting in class, and Janis was trying to face forward and do her work, but her mind went anywhere other than algebra.

She could feel Damian staring at her, but she refused to turn around a make eye contact. Janis did a shit job at hiding her emotions that morning, but she wasn't the type to admit when she was wrong. Especially not after saying she was fine so many times earlier.

Even though all she wanted to do was sleep in Damian's pocket until she had to go home, then sleep some more, she knew she just needs to push through the day under everyone's radar.

Because she was fine.

Yup, sure you are. Shoulder Janis was back, and as annoying as ever.

Janis was pretty sure her 'shoulder angle Damian' was just her brain spitting out anything positive Damian had ever said to her back out at her.

Because it all sounded very familiar.

But it all also got drowned out by the shoulder devil Janis, who was loud and mean and most importantly, she was right.

Anything shoulder Damian said, shoulder Janis had a counter that made more logical sense.

Does Damian actually like you?

Of course, he does, he's your friend! Why else would he carry you around all the time and care so much?

Pitty.

That one word made Janis's head spin because it made so much sense.

Poor space dyke. Outed in front of her whole class in middle school. A tiny who can't do jack shit by herself. Who wouldn't feel bad?

"Janis?" She was sitting on Damian's shoulder as they (no- Damian) walked to lunch. She hadn't noticed they'd arrive because she was so lost in thought.

"I'm fine." She said.

"I can't spend every second with you, its not my fault you're like in love with me."

They were at the Hubbard's. Cady was long gone. But her words still echoed.

Damian was holding Janis to his chest, one hand underneath her, the other gently pressing her there.

Janis wasn't crying. She told herself she wouldn't cry over something like this again.

But crying or not, she felt sick. Like Cady physically ripped out her heart and stomped on it.

"Janis?" Damian asked, his voice vibrating through her small body.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Damian says. For once he doesn't ignore it or move along.

"You're allowed to be hurting, you're allowed to not be okay. I'll still be here with an okay Janis and a not okay Janis because you are my best friend and I love you. I know I can't make the hurt go away but I want to help and I can't do that if you shut me out and say you're fine"

It sounded like something shoulder Damian had said so many times, but hearing the real Damian say it, it drowned out the shoulder Janis, and suddenly, Janis wasn't fine. But that was okay.

Damian didn't move or interrupt her as she cried, blubbering about everyone thinking she's a stupid lesbian.

Damian didn't leave like Cady did, or judge her like Regina did.

Because he wasn't Cady or Regina.

He was Damian.

Janis felt bad for lying to him this whole time.

Of course, Damian wouldn't leave her, or make fun of her, or take pity on her.

Damian hung out with her because he loved her, and Janis didn't need any small shoulder people to tell her that.

Tag list: @musicallygt @realmisspolarbear @smallsoysauce @sourishlemons

#g/t mean girls #g/t writing #Giant/tiny #g/t #giant damian #giant male #tiny janis #g/t sfw #sfw writing

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