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sylvie-writes · 3 years

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Jersey #18

pairing: Steve Rogers x reader (ft. Bucky, Sam, Nat, and Wanda)

request: I know your requests are closed but I had an idea for a Steve Rogers au where he is in high school and his best friends bucky and Sam are trying to set him up with their girlfriends friend? It would be post serum Steve but like he never had the serum (like puberty was just very kind to him, not that he isn’t everything and more without the serum, just wouldn’t make sense for him to be a football star as pre serum Steve ya know?) and reader is a cheerleader but is also shy. Anywho the day of the homecoming game cheerleaders have to wear a football boys jersey and Nat wears Buckys because they’re obvi in love, Wanda wears Sams, and reader wears Steve’s and when they win the game she runs onto the field and hugs Steve and tells him she’s proud of him and they go to the dance together and they end up dancing to the song Rumor by Lee Brice? And end up admitting they have feeling for each other? ❤️❤️😭 if you could make this happen I would be ECSTATIC

a/n: Thank you for being patient with me. It took me longer to write this because I wanted it to be good. I’m trying to get my shit together at the moment lol. Hopefully you enjoy this because I loved the idea!

*I chose the number eighteen because Steve was born 1918 and I didn’t know of any other numbers that corresponded with him haha!

A weight had been lifted off your shoulders once the bell rang, freeing you and your classmates from your last bell class. All week long you had tried to rush the hours, longingly waiting for Friday to arrive as that was the day of the homecoming game. The minute the school bell rang, you threw your backpack on one shoulder, practically running out with your textbooks in hand.

As you lightly jogged down the hallway, you could spot Natasha’s cerise locks of hair vividly flying around as she animatedly spoke with Wanda, the two of them most likely awaiting your presence.

The walk from your last class to the lockers was like trekking from Timbuktu and back. Eventually, the familiar tone of Wanda sassing Natasha filled your ears and you giggled, hearing her tell the redhead as it is.

“Now now, ladies.”

You slowly twisted your dial lock, putting in the combination and then opening the creaky metal door to set down your textbooks. Nat leaned up against the locked to your right, Wanda to your left.

“For once, we weren’t actually arguing, (y/n/n)! We were talking about the homecoming game.”

Turning from your locker to face the woman, you raised an eyebrow at her, “Oh really?”

“Yeah, we were thinking about wearing the boys’ jerseys for tonight’s game.”

You smiled, happy for them both, not fully understanding their words. Continuing to listen, you faced your locker once more, going to round up the things for this weekend. In your hand, you held your planner, looking over all of the upcoming assignments and strategically picking which ones to accomplish this weekend.

A sound of feet shuffling sounded louder and louder in the hallway, getting closer to you and the girls. You heard the sounds stop, and a voice replaced the noise.

“Hey babydoll, we got the things you asked for.”

Curious, you turned to your right to see Bucky with his arms wrapped around Natasha’s waist as his lips were glued to behind her ear. Your friend tried to function somewhat normally as her boyfriend continued to shower her in affection.

“This is for you.”

Turning once more, you now saw Sam handing Wanda a jersey as she sheepishly smiled, listening to the man drop some cheesy pick up lines. You looked to your left and right, smiling at your friends' happiness. Suddenly you felt a hand caressing your shoulder, causing you to turn towards the one direction you hadn’t. Behind.

The tall and sweet blonde man you had dreamed about since middle school kindly smiled at you, a jersey in his large hands. Your eyes went wide as you realized the girls had managed to rope you into this too.

“Hi to you too, (y/n).”

Steve chuckled and you then registered that he must’ve seen your startled expression. Feeling a bit awkward, you laughed with the man, shaking off the embarrassment.

“Hi Steve, is that for me I assume?”

The tables had now turned and Steve had been staring at you for a few seconds so far, a bright smile on his face, words struggling to leave his mouth. You giggled at his sweet little mistake.

“Oh! Uh yes!”

His face shuffled through three shades of vermilion, his cheeks most likely toasty as his blushed ears said so. Steve’s lips contorted into that million dollar smile, pearly whites twinkling at you. Unfolding the jersey, Steve brought the shoulders of the jersey to your own, letting the shirt drape over your chest. “Looks great, babe!”

You bit your bottom lip at his playfulness, lightly slapping his chest.

“Oh hush, Rogers.”

The two of you were in your own little world, as your friends watched upon your interaction, unbeknownst to you both.

“I hate to break this up, but we have to get to practice, punk. Gotta be in tip top shape, ya know?”

Bucky quickly kissed Nat goodbye, Sam doing the same with Wanda, leaving you and Steve to awkwardly wave at each other. Once the boys had left, your two best friends hounded you like detectives, not allowing you to leave until you answered each and every question. It was no secret that you harbored feelings for Steve, and vice versa, yet both of you were too petrified to make the first move. Honestly, you felt somewhat insecure, as the girls who wanted to date Steve made up a queue line longer than the Great Wall of China. There were so many options, and he chose you? Apparently it made sense to everyone else except for yourself.

‘Lovey-dovey’ feelings aside, Steve was a great guy, who you considered one of your close friends. Since middle school, you had known Nat, Wanda, Bucky, Sam, and Steve. You six had always been close, and sports brought you all even closer. First, Bucky and Nat got together, then Sam and Wanda, now the four have spent the past year trying to set you and Steve up, which you do kind of enjoy, but of course you don’t let them know that.

When you had finally satiated Wanda and Nat’s dying need to know every detail of your five minute interaction with Steve, you three went to go find the rest of the team and work on some cheers. Time ticked on and soon four hours became three...two...one.

With an hour until the game began, Natasha, who was cheer captain, frantically ran around, checking up on the team members as you all added finishing touches to your makeup and hair. You sat in front of the vanity, carefully watching Nat getting chastised by Wanda. Her hands hastily flew as she talked, probably scolding Natasha for worrying about everyone else and not even being ready herself. Time was ticking away, so you and Wanda helped the woman get ready. When finished the three of you looked into the mirror to see your reflections smiling back, large jerseys half-tucked into your cheer skorts.

Needless to say, the first three quarters of the game were intense leaving not only you, but the audience on edge. A few offenses left you grimacing, but the boys picked themselves up and kept going. For a majority of the game, you and the girls stayed on the sidelines, expertly performing cheers that were prepared by Natasha. At halftime, you all came onto the field and executed more advanced tricks and such.

Now here you all were, last quarter of the game. So far, your school only needed one more winning play to win the game and keep the team’s winning streak. You gripped your pom poms tightly as you watched Steve briskly run down the field, football tucked in his arm, making your heart race increase a bit. It was then that you realized that you have really cared for Steve as you were constantly worrying about him out on the field.

Too busy daydreaming, you hadn’t even noticed that the game had ended until the crowd started cheering. Immediately, you saw the guys standing in the field waving at the sea of screaming people who excitedly waved their foam fingers and signs. Football was a huge thing in your town, especially with your high school having been the reigning champs.

You looked to your side to notice Natasha and Wanda missing and now running towards the guys. With confidence, you dropped your pom poms and ran towards them all. Steve caught sight of you and with a bright smile, held out his arms. Catching your figure, he laughed and spun you around.

Steve set you down, but not letting go and still in fact holding you close to him. He continued to smile down on you while you gazed up at him.

“Congratulations, Cap.”

You teasingly called the man by his nickname, gently running your fingers through his sweaty helmet hair as a few strands had fallen forward.

Cheeky grin, the man replied, “Well thank you. Couldn’t have done it without you and your girls.”

You gave the man a tight hug and he chuckled.

“Hey, I was thinking that maybe if you were free, would you like to go with me to homecoming dance tomorrow?”

He looked ready to apologize for what he thought was being forward when you happily smiled at him.

“I’d be honored. See you at seven, Steve Rogers.” Giving the man a quick kiss on the cheek, you ran back across the field with the girls who were leaving.

Exactly seven o’clock on the dot you heard a loud knock on the front door. Running down the stairs, sparkly stiletto heels in hand. Last night when you had told Nat and Wanda that Steve asked you to homecoming, they practically threw you into the car and drove to the mall as if all of the dresses might disappear overnight. The three of you decided on a red high low dress, one of Steve’s favorite colors which you had learned from Bucky. Next, Wanda picked out said stilettos and you were ready for homecoming dance. That night you were so excited that you could barely sleep, and now the time had finally come.

Containing your excited squeals, you threw open the door to see Steve with his jaw dropped as he shamelessly eyed you over.

“(y/n), you look absolutely stunning. Not that you don’t always but-”

Before the man could stumble over his words anymore, you placed a soft finger against his lips, shushing him. Steve hurriedly nodded and mumbled out a “yes ma'am,” then holding out an arm for you to link onto.

Time passed quicker than before as you and Steve talked a mile a minute in the car. Before you knew it, you and Steve had arrived at the venue and you could already see Nat and Bucky along with Wanda and Sam as they all looked absolutely picture perfect.

Once Steve helped you out of the car, he again offered an arm that you gladly took. Snuggling into his side a bit, you felt so comfortable with Steve and it was honestly the best feeling in the world.

The six of you spent some time tasting the fancy horderves and of course used the photo props provided. It was something that would make an amazing memory for the future.

Eventually, the lights started to go dim and some soft notes came through the speakers. Nat and Bucky had already left for the dance floor with Sam and Wanda trailing behind.

Steve jokingly wiggled his raised eyebrow, holding a hand out for you. “Madam?”

Placing your much smaller hand in his, the man pulled you close and onto the dance floor.

There's a rumor going 'round, ha, about me and you Stirring up our little town the last week or two Oh, tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling I feel it and you feel it too

Steve’s hand supported your lower back as you wrapped your arms around his neck, relishing in this first dance with the man. You laid your head on his shoulder, and with a smile and closed eyes, followed his slow swaying.

The song continued to echo in the room and it neared to an end quicker than you had imagined.

There's a rumor going 'round, and 'round, and 'round What d'you say we make it Make it true What d'you say we make it true, yeah?

Just as the song came to the final verse, you lifted your head from Steve’s chest. He placed a delicate kiss on the top of your head prompting you to look up at him. With your eyes, the two of you silently asked for permission from the other. Slowly, you leaned into Steve’s lips as he pushed back gently. Both you and Steve were in your own little blissful world, ignoring your friends’ whistling and clapping. You heard a bit of their commotion and giggled against Steve’s lips. His lips turned into a smile and the two of you kissed once more, this time smiling like lovesick idiots.

10 years later

You were sitting on the arm of the sofa, Steve’s broad arm safely wrapped around your waist. Looking across, you smiled while listening to Sam and Wanda tell their own rendition of homecoming night. As they finished, you looked down to the floor where Nat and Bucky were sitting, then disputing your other friends’ version and telling their own. Steve chuckled and waved a hand, “You guys did not set (y/n) and I up,” your husband rolled his eyes in faux annoyance.

Steve then looked up to you and tenderly squeezed your side, “We did that all on our own. Right, honey?”

You nodded and placed a peck on his lips. Suddenly a high pitched squeal sounded and you looked back down to the floor seeing your daughter pointing to the picture of you and Steve kissing on the dance floor.

Tonight was the anniversary of your homecoming and you and Steve thought it would be fun to have your friends over to remember the night. Over the years, Nat and Bucky, and Wanda and Sam have stayed in touch, and quite frankly, they have become your family. Your daughter was currently flipping through the album from your homecoming night. Peering over her shoulder were two kids, Wanda and Sam’s son, and Bucky and Nat’s daughter. The three of them giggled and babbled amongst themselves. Bucky scooted closer to the kids, telling them about each picture they pointed to. You blissfully sighed, a small smile on your lips as you looked over your family. Steve noticed your loving gaze and ran his thumb along your side.

“We did it, babe.”

Taking his face in your hand, you kissed his forehead.

“We really did.”

a/n: I apologize for any mistakes, I may have been too lazy to proofread heh heh...

taglist: @memissbee @tricereads @buckybarnesthehotshot @bval-1 @tonystankschild @just-one-ordinary-fangirl @turtoix @kelbabyblue @jakiki94 @calirindo @aubreeskailynn @lady-elena-adeline

If I’ve messed up the taglist somehow, let me know!

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers high school au #steve rogers x y/n #Bucky Barnes #sam wilson #natasha romanoff #wanda maximoff

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stuckinapatriarchalbullshitland · 3 years

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Come cringe with me - ɟ

Guys… The cringe… The cringe 😖😖 I’ve been gone for less than 24 hours and I’m bombarded with news. One that made me very happy (who knows what I mean, gets me 😏 and heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped 🥰😍🤗), and others, most of which are honestly making me cringe to the core.

Point number 1.

Have you learned nothing all these years?

All the people who believe in all those accounts like T, my question is: why? No, seriously, why? Mari sent me screenshots of the list they posted that ‘should belong’ to Scooter, and where are the proofs of what they say? And I don’t mean something that can be easily faked like a Word document, or phone notes. I mean actual proofs.

So why do you fall for it? Because you’re kind-hearted? Because you still believe in Santa Claus? So if I were to write a list based on what people want to hear, would you believe it? Okay, let’s give it a try:

1° Shawmila will break up before Cinderella’s release.

2° Camila will come out as queer after the movie reviews.

3° Lauren’s album will be released in March 2021 around Camila’s birthday.

4° Camren will tell the world about their epic love story in late 2022.

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Guys, come on. What else do you still need to open your eyes? Did you forget all the accounts that turned out to be impostors? I wasn’t here at the time when it happened, but Mari told me about a Lola, Lota? I don’t remember her name. But take her as an example. Or take the story about Lauren’s journal. Remember that one?

For those who don’t know, on September 16, 2016, Lauren tweeted: “So just found out my journal was thrown away in Nevada..there’s no feeling in the world to describe the desolation I feel inside my soul”. And coincidentally, a fan, who along with three of their friends found it after eight hours of searching in the dumpsters, posted a video the next day with this so-called journal belonging to LMJM. The journal was obviously a fake.

It’s easy to fake something nowadays and pass it off as proof. So please don’t be so gullible.

Point number 2.

For all those who still don’t understand how things work behind the scenes.

The music industry, even if it doesn’t seem like it, is as small as a butthole, literally. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone uses everyone. Things are planned months and even years before. Everything has a purpose. Why am I saying this? Because Roger is in touch and has connections with as many people as possible. Even more horrible people than Scotti bRice. Whether you like it or not, he needs to have these connections FOR Camila. Think about this. Camila has always been his priority since 2015. If C is where she is now, if she has and has had this success, it’s also thanks to him.

Point number 3.

As for the Shitshowmila situation and the CS who are leaving because they can no longer bear the weight of their monkey business, guys, okay, go if you really can do it no more. But I want you to think about one thing. Picture the sharks pat you on the back and walk you out the door with a huge smirk plastered on their faces. Because that’s what happens when you play their game, and my friends, although I understand that everyone is free to do and believe what they want, you make them win by leaving.

The days of Shout’s releases are approaching, it’s obvious that everything will be thrown in our face and that everything will be heavier. Because THAT’S HOW IT WORKS. You have to resist. You have to be patient. Do you think that I myself don’t get annoyed to see all that falsehood? It’s more the time that I roll my eyes than the rest.

“It’s all about her”. Yeah, sure, Chin Chin. And what about the relationship you had for two years (2014-2016) with that girl, Lauren Arendese? Didn’t you confirm that in that Q&A in 2017? Didn’t you say you had a girlfriend for two years and write songs about her that day, therefore loooong before this whole made-up comical little story? Ah, no? My bad. *And then I’m sorry but when have you ever write your songs?* And what about the example of the song you used, Treat You Better? Weren’t you together with Lauren at the time? And above all, 🎵 “The second you say you’d like me to” 🎵, didn’t you say you never had the balls to tell her you liked her and that you were going to do it when her PR with Matteush started? 2016 song, 2018 when you were supposed to confess your oh so great love. The math, the math…

There will always be holes in their narratives, guys. There will always be bullshit that they will try to inculcate in us to make us fall into their traps. With any PR. You need to resist. You must not give them any importance. You must not fall into the traps. You need to keep your eyes open. Don’t give up. And above all, don’t give up on hope.

I love you guys. Always with love, F. ❤️

P.S. I’m not 100% back yet, but I couldn’t resist after talking to Mari.

___

Thank you for the necessary wake-up call, because it was something that was not really taken into consideration. But what you're saying is true, although I really don't like the part about Scooby tied to Camila. Disgusting. I think the most basic problem here is that the anons, the fans who leave have been too bombarded by all the circus they see on social networks, because all that shit comes from there. I know, because I do my best to ignore all that mess and nothing happens to me when I ignore everything. I am aware that it is there, that the clowns behind the PR are desperate to sell showmila and do whatever it takes to win that goal, that we can disrupt. It can. Most of us don't believe that circus because we know that they started creating it in 2015 and had to stop because Camila needed to launch her solo career and they took up the circus in 2018. Since that year, there has been talk of a showmila circus on steroids and that. is what we are seeing. Nothing they do or what they say will make us change and believe that Showmila is real because the Diva was never there with Camila. Not in the sense that they want to sell because it wasn't even that way from the beginning. So at least, for those of us who believe that Showmila has been a boosted circus since 2018, nothing they do will make us believe otherwise. Lauren didn't make it with her podcast, no one will. And for the anons who want evidence, I am sorry to say that direct evidence from Camren will never have unless Lauren or Camila want to show us something. Keep in mind, folks. Artists have two lives for a reason. It's to keep your private life private and not transform it into a PR circus like Showmila. And I think we have to respect their decision. At least that's what I've decided. I love both girls too much to risk something as important to them as their privacy. And F, was Loca. That insider was called Loca.

#submission #f anon #camren

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moldisgoodforyou · 4 years

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the one where jj plays intramural football

a/n: this one is dedicated to the homie @sunnypogue. no warnings just cursing, word count is 1.2k because I got ~carried away~

as spring rolled around, jj finally decided it was time to join beta’s intramural football team. he had been recruited for the past three years but always came up with some lame excuse as to why he couldn’t play. in reality, he knew football well enough, and the athleticism was there, but didn’t want to be compared to some of the guys that were good enough to have played in college but didn’t want the commitment. they took it at little too seriously and the frat was known for winning the league yearly. but he needed a stress reliever and something to get his mind off upcoming job applications, so he signed up.

charlie was ecstatic, of course. as the first born and being older than her brother by a good ten years, her dad took it upon himself to teach her everything he knew about football. she knew the game like the back of her hand and it showed with the way she complained about south carolina’s current team.

at the first game of the season, she opted to sit about four feet away from the beta’s team bench, instead of further down the sideline with the other girlfriends that showed up for support. she tried keeping to herself for the majority of the game, but couldn’t help calling out a few directions to the players.

after her third outcry of “cover your man, dumbass!” and her fifth time shouting at the ref for his shoddy job (the poor sophomore was just trying to work his part-time job), one of jj’s frat brothers and the team captain, thomas, had enough. in the huddle, thomas jerked his thumb over to where charlie was seated and rolled his eyes at jj. “handle your girl, maybank,” he told him, exasperated. jj immediately stepped forward, pointing his finger in thomas’ face. “watch your fucking mouth. she wouldn’t have to keep yelling if you could actually follow the right plays.” thomas shoved him away, shaking his head as a couple brothers stepped in to break it up. “whatever, I’m just sick of a girl backseat coaching.”

jj was fuming inside but let it slide as the ref blew the whistle to break up the huddle. they barely won the game and as the boys split up post-game, jj walked over to charlie with a grin. “we’re pretty good, huh?”

charlie spun her keys on her finger, walking to the car. “if you’re going to play receiver you need better hands. you dropped two solid passes and almost fumbled on that 40-yard run. work on your ball handling.”

jj laughed, not taking her seriously. “yeah, yeah, whatever. you seemed to like my hands just fine last night.” he slid into the passenger seat and charlie did the same, turning to look him dead in the eye.

“I’m serious. I’m not dating a shitty football player.” she told him, ignoring his innuendo.

jj laughed again. “it’s intramurals, walker.”

charlie nodded. “exactly, maybank. and you were more attractive when you caught the pass.”

he didn’t take her too seriously, but her words were like a glowing reminder in his head every game for the rest of the season. he improved with practice - and her instruction - and she continued to coach from the sideline. while all of her advice was unwarranted, it was mainly appreciated and jj’s frat brothers began to take her more seriously as they saw she knew her shit.

the final game of the season, the championship versus sigma chi, was an event in of itself in greek life. it was played in williams-brice stadium and since it was spring, it was just another excuse for greek life to tailgate once again. jj had been talking her ear off all week about it, worried he was going to screw up and make a fool of himself in front of everyone. students filled up the first few sections in the stands, rowdy as ever. charlie took her place in the stands right behind the bench, ready to call out plays as needed.

the first half was pretty evenly matched, sigma chi also having their share of former high school football players on the team. (they even had a guy that had played for kentucky for two years, then transferred and joined the frat - charlie had tried to get him kicked off the team but he was still eligible somehow.) charlie was one of few students that was actually sober in the crowd, watching every play intently. after yelling out a few choice words toward the student refs, she had already received a couple warnings and stayed silent - save for cheering enthusiastically whenever beta made a solid play.

at halftime, the boys seemed to be arguing back and forth, trying to draw up a few successful plays.

finally, jj’s teammate thomas turned to the stands. “walker! get your ass down here,” he yelled out, pushing jj away as he tried to shove him for talking to his girlfriend in that manner.

charlie paused, surprised. “really?”

thomas looked annoyed that he had to clarify. “yes, we need a fucking coach.”

charlie grinned and didn’t hesitate to hop the stands, coming onto the field. “so now that you’re desperate, you finally want to take my advice?” thomas rolled his eyes as the whistle blew, signaling the start of the second half. “whatever. just do your thing, I’m not gonna let us lose the streak.”

charlie took her job seriously, coaching the boys through the rest of the game. (she ignored jj trying to flirt with her while he sat on the bench - “don’t talk to me,” she scolded, ignoring another lame pickup line.)

in a desperate attempt at the end of the game, she drew up a trick play, calling the team into a huddle. it involved the quarterback scooping the ball in the backfield to the running back, who would then throw it to the quarterback in the end zone. there were mere seconds on the clock. it was crazy. possibly stupid.

but it worked.

jj hollered as they scored, signaling the end of the game. he sprinted to charlie from the field and promptly lifted her up, spinning her in a wide circle. charlie had an ear-splitting grin as jj squeezed her tightly. they finished celebrating on the field, someone yelling that they were moving the party to the beta house.

jj walked to the car with his arm slung around charlie’s shoulders proudly. “do I get my girlfriend back now?” he asked teasingly, tugging at her hair. she laughed, swatting his hand. “what do you mean?” jj laughed. “you’re kidding, right?” charlie shook her head, confused. “no, what do you mean?”

“charlie, I love you, but I am so glad you’re never going to be a coach again. if you’re like this for intramural games I don’t even want to think about what you’ll be like at our kids’ games.” she stopped in her tracks, grinning. “you've thought about that before? our kids?” the tips of his ears turned red and he hesitated, not realizing what he had said. “well. I mean. yeah, haven’t you?” charlie nodded, smiling. “yeah, I have. let’s just hope they don’t inherit your skills.” she giggled as he grabbed her around the waist, whispering in her ear. “let’s hope they don’t inherit your sass.”

#jj maybank imagine #jj x charlie #jj maybank fanfic #jj maybank #jj maybank obx #obx fanfic #mine

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my-whumpy-little-heart · 4 years

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The Zodiac Whumper - Gemini Part 1

So you may have already noticed that this is part one. So um. Yeah. This is already really long so I had to split it into two parts. The second one should be up within the week. Continued from here. If you’re new, start here!

Tag list (ask to be added or removed): @whumpallday, @stxck-fxck, @thatsthewhump, @unsung-sympathy, @terriblethrillssss, @insanitywishes, @woodenhoneybee, @whale-whumps

Content warnings: lady whump (there will be guy whump too if that’s not your speed, more next part though), descriptions of a near panic attack, burning with candlewax

Last of the notes: a huge shoutout to @shameless-whumper who requested the premise I used for this piece and the next, and @card-games-and-pain for this post which I used a slightly modified version of in these pieces. Big creds to you guys for providing my creativity some sustenance.

She woke up slowly, blinking the sleep from her eyes and wincing at a voice above her, gradually floating into her ears.

“...can’t just skip you; up and at ‘em now, Gemma!”

“Who th’hell’s Gemma? ‘m I lost? I‘ve never known anyone with th’name Gemma…” she slurs, sleep laden tongue stumbling over the words. Her hands pushed her to sit up, forcing her to look at the person staring into the cage at her.

“There you go, nice and awake. And you’re Gemma, obviously.” Zoran tilted their head in a coy smile as if it had been her name all along.

“Gemma, that’s not even right… aren’t I supposed to be Gemini? I mean, you used the full Zodiac names for everyone else and I think you called me Gemini so I just assumed...” Gemma hung her head slightly. Saying this kind of thing was exactly what would get her on their bad side, but it would be easier to make the best of it later if she knew what they wanted.

“Oh, but I couldn’t very well call you both Gemini, could I?”

The words took a few seconds to settle in. And then her heart plummeted.

“Wh-what do you mean both?!” There were a million scenarios and theories to panic about in her head, filling it up and drowning her consciousness as her body shut down. Her gut instinct was yelling and trying to warn her, but she couldn’t hear it over the roaring waves.

“Yeah! I split it instead: you’re Gemma and he’s Nye!” They gesture at nothing, face falling for a second, “ ...oh that’s right, I almost forgot I didn’t reintroduce the two of you. Nye, get in here! Take her out for me, could you?” Short hair and dark skin came walking in, expression blank as he bent down with a ring of keys in his hands and Gemma gasped in a horrible, shaking sob.

“Brice! Oh god, Brice did they… why?! What did you- what are you doing to him?!” Gemma’s heart pounded at the sight of her twin brother--oh fuck they took her brother too what the hell what the helI--and he didn’t even look up to see the tears rolling down Gemma’s face and the hand clamped over her mouth to quiet her pathetic sobs.

“It’s wonderful how a Gemini breaks, isn’t it?” Zoran comments, not caring to address her distress. “That inherent need to learn and improve put to good use, huh? What a pity it would be to see you go the same way.”

“Don’t-” and sobbed silently, horrified that her first thought was ‘don’t do to me whatever you already did to him,’ “Please, just please let us go…”

“Leaving so soon?” they gasped dramatically, and Nye finally got the cage open. He dragged his sister out with a firm grip on her arm and held her still, facing Zoran. “I had to work so hard to find the perfect pair of Gemini twins! You have to stay for the rest of the party at least, watch everyone else’s turns, and, well, I haven’t even decided what to do with you lot after that!” They laughed like it was funny.

“Brice,” Gemma gave up on them, turning back to her brother with teary eyes, “why are you doing this? Please, let me go; whatever they offered or did to you isn’t worth it. I promise.” Nye twitched at that and she swore she saw just a hint of conflict in his expression. Not all was lost.

“Your brother Nye and I have an arrangement and, contrary to your belief, it is very much worth his while to comply with me. It’d be a shame if I had to-”

“No,” It was a husky, haunted whisper that first escaped Nye’s lips. “Please, don’t…”

“Oh, well if you insist,” Zoran sighed, “Nye, fetch the table I had you bring down. I trust you know well enough not to run by this point, Gemma. You’re not as thick skulled as a few other people here.” Pointedly, they glanced over at Taurus whose eyes glimmered dully with hurt at the comment.

Gemma stood complacently with hands held behind her back, eyes following her brother as he left the room. Nye came back just seconds later, locking the door behind himself, and wheeling in a long metal table that nearly had her passing out at the sight of it. Torture implements of all types and sizes were laid out in neat rows just begging to inflict pain on an unlucky victim. Amidst the knives, bottles, and syringes she recognized were countless mechanisms she didn’t even want to place, as well as everyday household objects strewn about.

She couldn’t even comprehend why or how all of this would be used on her and she was trembling uncontrollably and unseeingly when a hand clamped on her shoulder, pulling a flinch and coaxing her head up. Zoran stared, a fond smile spread over his lips, and wordlessly pulled her forward towards the table.

Gemma suppressed the urge to swat the hand away, or run, or crawl back in that awful, degrading cage to get away. She walked at the guidance of Zoran’s hand, and knelt when it pushed her down, holding hands still when a length of rope pulled them behind her back, and then her ankles just a minute later.

When a length of cloth came around her head as a blindfold, she leaned ever so slightly into it. Then the room was silent until she heard something akin to… the shuffling of cards?

“Nye, you and I are going to play a game,” they started, no room in the statement for refusal, “and Gemma is going to be a good pawn for us. The rules are simple, so pay attention because I’m not repeating them.

“We will draw cards one at a time. Whoever pulls the card must first read it aloud and then perform the listed action on Gemma or, because I’m merciful, you may forfeit and I’ll turn the card’s command on you instead. That card will then not count towards your full six cards. When both of us hit that card total of six, the game is over. Clear?”

“C-crystal,” Nye’s voice cracked around the word.

“And one more thing. To be sure this is as fair as possible, I’ve elected to include a mediator. Take Libra from his cage, Nye, and tie him down over there. Just the hands should work fine.”

At the mention of his sign, Libra went stock still. Some other captives were arguing, trying to protect him, but he couldn’t hear as he felt every muscle in his body locking up and panic coming on quicker than he could quell its effects. Nye’s tall, lean silhouette loomed over him and he squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn’t prepared for this. He would never have been prepared for this. He knew it was coming, but he thought he had a few days to collect himself--

“Libra, hey, can you look at me?” A hand holding his chin gently and a soft voice talking to him parted the impenetrable fog just for a second. “Where are you right now?”

He tried to think, but around wheezing breaths and shaky limbs it was impossible. Libra muttered something that got another response out of the voice.

“Listen to me, try to breathe. You’re, ah, you’re locked up in the basement where you’ve been for a few days. You know, the grey stone and cage, dim lights, all that. Smells a bit like mildew. Don’t worry, you’re not going to be hurt right now. This won’t be hard if you follow their instructions.”

The descriptions helped a bit, and he drew himself back to reality with them, pushing the fog and panic away to the back of his mind in favor of paying attention and following instructions right now.

“I- yeah, I ca-can, I can breathe I’m oh-okay,” he muttered, short of breath. Inhaling slowly, he counted out measured gasps as Nye pulled him out. Shaking legs carried him unsteadily to the loop in the floor where Libra was tied tightly, hands in front between his knees, so he couldn’t escape.

“Libra.” Zoran’s voice was sharp enough to cut, and he snapped his gaze up, wobbling with the lasting effects of his near panic attack. “You will be our mediator for obvious reasons. I trust you to have the values of fairness on your side as your sign should, because you know you’ll pay dearly for any deviance or bias. I’ll ask your opinion if I want it, and otherwise you’re to stay as a silent, close observer. Yes?”

“Y-yes.”

“Alright! The boring shit’s out of the way, so let’s get this show on the road!” Zoran’s expression split into a blinding grin, faux professionalism of earlier all driven away by the immediate promise of pure, unadulterated fun. “I’ll take the first turn.”

The room held its breath as they took the first card from the deck, reading it slowly over in their head before revealing it to everyone else.

“Drip hot wax on them.” They enunciated each word with pure ecstasy, “Starting things off with a bang, I see.”

At their feet as they lit a candle furnace, Gemma bit her lip in anticipation. Surely melted wax couldn’t hurt all too badly, she rationalized. She’d burnt herself on a candle before and it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. She could handle this.

Above, Nye watched on as Zoran melted what looked to be pieces of a candle. It melded into liquid in a basin above the flame, turning translucent and nearly sparkling as it stirred under the lights. It was tantalizing and sickening at the same time to know it would be poured over his sister’s skin, burning and burning until… he didn’t even know what would happen.

Zoran slipped a glove on one hand to protect him from the heat and flicked out a knife to slice open the back of her shirt, thankfully leaving her underclothing intact, and reached back for the melted wax. Gemma trembled under their hand that pulled the t-shirt apart, pushing hard on a shoulder to make her bend further over her knees.

When the wax hit, it felt cold for a few lovely seconds before the nerves buzzing under her skin caught on fire. In a blink, it was searing and pulling at her as it dripped and spread further like a parasite. It was melting her skin, starting at her shoulders, the liquid left of it dripping further and further down her stripped bones and muscles and hardening again, bonding like a shell that protected her from the relief she so desperately craved.

Her teeth were clenched with such force that she feared she would break them as she whimpered and moaned at sluggish agony that felt no better even minutes after most of the wax had dried.

The hand on her shoulder pulled her to sit back up, and at the movement Gemma felt the wax adjusting and cracking, reforming itself and shifting across its own burns. The blindfold was already soaked with tears but that didn’t keep her from crying all over again.

“Your turn, Nye,” Zoran turned to him and gestured to the stack of cards. Hand shaking, he drew one and flipped it over, breath already caught in his throat.

“Shut… shut them up,” he read, brow furrowing, “and it has a question mark on it.”

“That means you have a choice. You either find some way to ‘shut her up’ using whatever you can find on the table,” they gestured to Gemma, whose harsh breaths were still echoing through the room, “or I find a way to silence you. Your choice.”

“I-I can do it to her,” Nye muttered, walking closer to the table he’d brought in. He could do this painlessly, some way or another. His hand ghosted over a few things on the table, shivering and flinching away from others that he hoped he’d never see used. Or worse, he contemplated breathlessly, have to use himself.

Slowly, carefully, he settled on something. He felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of strapping it on his own sister, but it could be useful to her long term. Something to bite down on for the pain… something to help block screams so it was less humiliating…

Grimacing, Nye picked up the muzzle, all leather facepiece and straps with a metal bit, and carried it carefully over to where his sister was kneeling.

“Wow, didn’t take you for that kind, Nye,” Zoran commented with a giggle, “just don’t forget our deal about talking to her.” The man in question fixed them with a fragile glare before turning back to Gemma, putting a gentle hand on her jaw. Slowly, he coaxed it open and met her lips with the metal bit, sliding it in to the back of her mouth.

It pressed down on her tongue and Gemma nearly gagged on it with how far back it reached. She held still as her brother figured out how to fasten and tighten the straps, pulling them only tight enough to keep the muzzle snugly on her face. She wasn’t upset with him, she reassured herself. He had no choice in what he was doing and there were a million worse avenues that prompt could have taken them down.

When he stood and walked back away from her, she tested the give on the muzzle, working her jaw and finding she could hardly open it. But the metal gave her something other than her own teeth to bite down on. She just prayed it wouldn’t come that far even though she knew, deep down, that it already had.

Next part

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bakugous-bakahoe · 4 years

Text

A Detective meets a Detective

Batman x Reader

Hello! I hope you guys like this story. I think it could be way better but maybe it’s just me. It’s a bit long but I hope you guys like it.

Being a private detective in Gotham was a love-hate relationship, to say the least. Sure, This part of work is dangerous because no one wants someone sniffing were they don’t belong. But I love the danger, That is something that I’m never going to mind. Most of my cases are just follow this person to see if she or he is a cheater or follow this person to see if this is who they say they are, but the boring days are the stakeouts. I sometimes work with the GCPD only if I have taken some interesting photos that deserve to go to the police.

But tonight was a boring night. I knew what the case was the second the woman walked to my office, she wanted me to follow her husband to see if he was indeed cheating. So, while the guy is in a cozy hotel room I was on the rooftop of the building across the hotel. I am hungry and cold but I can’t move from this spot until I get the photo I want. A moment later the girl came through the door. I quickly took the photo of the woman that came through the door. The man was already kissing her so I got what I needed. I stood up from the rooftop and when I did that I saw a wire shot across. I quickly took my camera and started to take pictures. It was Batman. Even if I was in the middle of work I always take at least one picture of Batman or his family. I think it was the detective in me that wanted to know who was The Batman. I think I have it narrowed down.

I grabbed my bag and went to my car so that I could go home. But before I could go home I went to the docks. I come around here to see if there something happening there always is. I wasn’t too far away that I couldn't see what was happening but far enough so that I wouldn't be caught. That is when I saw him again. Two in one night that was great. Then I saw Robin jumping behind him. This was turning out to be a great night. I started to take more picture and I saw they were gun trafficking for Penguin which wasn’t new. Then I heard guns and screaming. I jump out of my hiding spot and went closer. If I could get a photo of them kicking ass would be great.

There were a bunch of guys of penguins guys on the floor but then I started to look around and started to take photos that could give me leverage. Then I saw them fighting and started to take photos of that. They finish the last guy and started to talk.

“Penny-one. Let know Gordon know that Penguin is gun trafficking at the bay.”

“Now, where are we heading, Father”

“Father?” I said that a bit too loud because they look at where I was at. Now, this is my time to run. I bolted out of there without any care in the world they are probably running behind me but that is the last thing I want to do. As I kept running I started to take out my car keys. And started to open my car, right now I hate that my apartment is on the other side of Gotham. I go in my car and from what I could see they weren't following me, that was great. I started to head to my apartment

I arrive at my small apartment, I check every window that they were close. Then I take my computer and my camera to my kitchen, I sit down at my table and took my SD card and plugged it into my computer. I started to move my photos to my computer so I could develop the photos. I was about to start to print my photos but I heard something. I take the SD card out and hide my computer, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and started walking to where the noise was coming from. It was coming from my room, I grabbed the doorknob and opened it and I saw him. Batman. I was scared, to say the least.

“Why are you here!? How do you know where I live!?” He was looking at me and started talking.

“What were you doing at the docks?”

“That is my business, not yours. This is illegal you know that!” pointing at the window.

“And what you do is not an invasion of privacy?”

“No, It's my work and I have legal documents bu breaking and entering is illegal.

“You have some photos that I want,” he said with a stern voice

“No”

“I’m not playing games.”

“Neither am i. I'm not scared of you.” I am fucking terrified. “Now leave and I will call the cops.” He looked at me and I gotta say that he has an amazing jawline. like damn. he turned around and started to walk, just before he could leave I said.

“Wait.”. he looked back. “I know that is aren’t the photos you want, but I have been following a trail and this is some of the photos I got.” I went to my desk and went to the last drawer and pulled one of the corners to release a secret part of the drawer to reveled a folder. “This folder contains some videos and photos of Black Mask doing some deals with Penguin which I assume was for the guns. I have those for a couple of weeks so if you get penguins then you get Black Mask.” He took the folder and looked through the photos and went to the window.

Has he went out I started to go back to my computer and started to look through photos again before developing them and she started to look at the batman photos. Even though he does some very shady stuff he does have some really good features. Have I continued looking at the photos, that jaw was reminding me of someone but can't put my finger on it. I started to look through all the photos that I have ever taken I pick one that I have taken very recently. It was one of the Wayne building with Brice Wayne coming out of the building. This was a photo of some of his competitors. I spent the majority of the day following him. But, I really did love the photos. And then I notice he had the same jaw as Batman. It hit me. It all made sense

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~a couple days later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I didn’t know what to do with this information. I was paranoid, to say the least, I haven’t even talked to him and I am afraid that he is just going to appear out of thin air. But here I am again on a rooftop this time I was watching this young man. because his mother was afraid that he was doing/selling drugs but in reality, he was just hanging out with his boyfriend. poor kid.

“Your info was right.” a voice from behind me scaring me into almost dropping my camera. I turned around to see him.

“gahh. Christ could you not do that.”

“I went over the photos you gave me and they were correct.” He walked to where I was sitting on the ledge. He saw who I was watching.

“Well, I am a private investigator I do know how to look for the clues.”

“Hmm”

“By the way, I have a question. I have been searching for a few more jobs recently. I was wondering if you could help?”

“Why is that” He left the ledge and gabbed his grapple gun.”

“Bruce!” He stopped dead in his tracks. “I knew it. I was right.”

“What do you want”

“Nothing really in particular. Only two things. The first thing I want to work with you. I sick of doing the same thing over and over again. Catching a cheater is boring.”

“And the last one?”

“The last one well.” I walked closer to him and looked up at him and said. “Well, go out on a date with me.” He was stunned, to say the least, what the hell was happening right now. He grabbed his grapple gun and fired it into one of the building

“Are you going to leave without an answer!”

“Will see what happens” then he lefts what a bitch.

#Batman #Bruce wayne #Bruce #Bruce x reader #bruce x you #dc universe #jason todd #dick grayson #tim drake #damian wayne

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artycloudpop · 4 years

Text

1hey are u bored at home, wanna chill and netflix....... but just can’t find some thing nice to watch? here’s a list of movies for u watch

A Ghost Story (2017)

Director David Lowery (Pete's Dragon) conceived this dazzling, dreamy meditation on the afterlife during the off-hours on a Disney blockbuster, making the revelations within even more awe-inspiring. After a fatal accident, a musician (Casey Affleck) finds himself as a sheet-draped spirit, wandering the halls of his former home, haunting/longing for his widowed wife (Rooney Mara). With stylistic quirks, enough winks to resist pretension (a scene where Mara devours a pie in one five-minute, uncut take is both tragic and cheeky), and a soundscape culled from the space-time continuum, A Ghost Story connects the dots between romantic love, the places we call home, and time -- a ghost's worst enemy.

Airplane! (1980)

This is one of the funniest movie of all time. Devised by the jokesters behind The Naked Gun, this disaster movie spoof stuffs every second of runtime with a physical gag (The nun slapping a hysterical woman!), dimwitted wordplay ("Don't call me, Shirley"), an uncomfortable moment of odd behavior ("Joey, have you ever seen a grown man naked?"), or some other asinine bit. The rare comedy that demands repeat viewings, just to catch every micro-sized joke and memorize every line.

A24

American Honey (2016)

Writer/director Andrea Arnold lets you sit shotgun for the travels of a group of wayward youth in American Honey, a seductive drama about a "mag crew" selling subscriptions and falling in and out of love with each other on the road. Seen through the eyes of Star, played by Sasha Lane, life on the Midwest highway proves to be directionless, filled with a stream of partying and steamy hookups in the backs of cars and on the side of the road, especially when she starts to develop feelings for Shia LaBeouf’s rebellious Jake. It’s an honest look at a group of disenfranchised young people who are often cast aside, and it’s blazing with energy. You’ll buy what they're selling.

Anna Karenina (2012)

Adapted by renowned playwright Tom Stoppard, this take on Leo Tolstoy's classic Russian novel is anything but stuffy, historical drama. Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander are all overflowing with passion and desire, heating up the chilly backdrop of St. Petersburg. But it's director Joe Wright's unique staging -- full of dance, lush costuming, fourth-wall-breaking antics, and other theatrical touches -- that reinvent the story for more daring audiences.

NETFLIX

Apostle (2018)

For his follow-up to his two action epics, The Raid and The Raid 2, director Gareth Evans dials back the hand-to-hand combat but still keeps a few buckets of blood handy in this grisly supernatural horror tale. Dan Stevens stars as Thomas Richardson, an early 20th century opium addict traveling to a cloudy island controlled by a secretive cult that's fallen on hard times. The religious group is led by a bearded scold named Father Malcolm (Michael Sheen) who may or may not be leading his people astray. Beyond a few bursts of kinetic violence and some crank-filled torture sequences, Evans plays this story relatively down-the-middle, allowing the performances, the lofty themes, and the windswept vistas to do the talking. It's a cult movie that earns your devotion slowly, then all at once.

Back to the Future (1985)

Buckle into Doc's DeLorean and head to the 1950s by way of 1985 with the seminal time-travel series that made Michael J. Fox a household name. It's always a joy watching Marty McFly's race against the clock way-back-when to ensure history runs its course and he can get back to the present. Netflix also has follow-up Parts II and III, which all add up to a perfect rainy afternoon marathon.

NETFLIX

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018)

The Coen brothers gave some big-name-director cred to Netflix by releasing their six-part Western anthology on the streaming service, and while it's not necessarily their best work, Buster Scruggs is clearly a cut above most Netflix originals. Featuring star turns from Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, and more, the film takes advantage of Netflix's willingness to experiment by composing a sort of death fugue that unfolds across the harsh realities of life in Manifest Destiny America. Not only does it revel in the massive, sweeping landscapes of the American West, but it's a thoughtful meditation on death that will reveal layer after layer long after you finish.

Barbershop (2002)

If you've been sleeping on the merits of the Barbershop movies, the good news is it's never too late to get caught up. Revisit the 2002 installment that started Ice Cube's smack-talking franchise so you can bask in Cedric the Entertainer's hilarious wisdom, enjoy Eve's acting debut, and admire this joyful ode to community.

NETFLIX

Barry (2016)

In 1981, Barack Obama touched down in New York City to begin work at Columbia University. As Barry imagines, just days after settling into his civics class, a white classmate confronts the Barry with an argument one will find in the future president's Twitter @-mentions: "Why does everything always got to be about slavery?" Exaltation is cinematic danger, especially when bringing the life of a then-sitting president to screen. Barry avoids hagiography by staying in the moment, weighing race issues of a modern age and quieting down for the audience to draw its own conclusions. Devon Terrell is key, steadying his character as smooth-operating, socially active, contemplative fellow stuck in an interracial divide. Barry could be any half-black, half-white kid from the '80s. But in this case, he's haunted by past, present, and future.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

You can't doubt the audacity of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Anomalisa), whose first produced screenplay hinged on attracting the title actor to a script that has office drones discovering a portal into his mind. John Cusack, Catherine Keener, and Cameron Diaz combine to create an atmosphere of desperate, egomaniacal darkness, and by the end you'll feel confused and maybe a little slimy about the times you've participated in celebrity gawking.

A24

The Blackcoat's Daughter (2017)

Two young women are left behind at school during break... and all sorts of hell breaks loose. This cool, stylish thriller goes off in some strange directions (and even offers a seemingly unrelated subplot about a mysterious hitchhiker) but it all pays off in the end, thanks in large part to the three leads -- Emma Roberts, Lucy Boynton, and Kiernan Shipka -- and director Oz Perkins' artful approach to what could have been just another occult-based gore-fest.

Bloodsport (1988)

Jean-Claude Van Damme made a career out of good-not-great fluff. Universal Soldier is serviceable spectacle, Hard Target is a living cartoon, Lionheart is his half-baked take on On the Waterfront. Bloodsport, which owes everything to the legacy of Bruce Lee, edges out his Die Hard riff Sudden Death for his best effort, thanks to muscles-on-top-of-muscles-on-top-of-muscles fighting and Stan Bush's "Fight to Survive." Magic Mike has nothing on Van Damme's chiseled backside in Bloodsport, which flexes its way through a slow-motion karate-chop gauntlet. In his final face-off, Van Damme, blinded by arena dust, rage-screams his way to victory. The amount of adrenaline bursting out of Bloodsport demands a splash zone.

Blue Ruin (2013)

Before he went punk with 2016's siege thriller Green Room, director Jeremy Saulnier delivered this low-budget, darkly comic hillbilly noir. When Dwight Evans (Macon Blair) discovers that the man who killed his parents is being released from prison, he returns home to Virginia to claims his revenge and things quickly spin out of control. Like the Coen Brothers' Blood Simple, this wise-ass morality tale will make you squirm.

WELL GO USA ENTERTAINMEN

Burning (2018)

Some mysteries simmer; this one smolders. In his adaptation of a Haruki Murakami short story, writer and director Lee Chang-dong includes many elements of the acclaimed author's slyly mischievous style -- cats, jazz, cooking, and an alienated male writer protagonist all pop up -- but he also invests the material with his own dark humor, stray references to contemporary news, and an unyielding sense of curiosity. We follow aimless aspiring novelist Lee Jong-su (Yoo Ah-in) as he reconnects with Shin Hae-mi (Jeon Jong-seo), a young woman he grew up with, but the movie never lets you get too comfortable in one scene or setting. When Steven Yeun's Ben, a handsome rich guy with a beautiful apartment and a passion for burning down greenhouses, appears, the film shifts to an even more tremulous register. Can Ben be trusted? Yeun's performance is perfectly calibrated to entice and confuse, like he's a suave, pyromaniac version of Tyler Durden. Each frame keeps you guessing.

Cam (2018)

Unlike the Unfriended films or this summer's indie hit Searching, this web thriller from director Daniel Goldhaber and screenwriter Isa Mazzei isn't locked into the visual confines of a computer screen. Though there's plenty of online screen time, allowing for subtle bits of commentary and satire, the looser style allows the filmmakers to really explore the life and work conditions of their protagonist, rising cam girl Alice (Madeline Brewer). We meet her friends, her family, and her customers. That type of immersion in the granular details makes the scarier bits -- like an unnerving confrontation in the finale between Alice and her evil doppelganger -- pop even more.

THE ORCHARD

Creep (2014)

Patrick Brice's found-footage movie is a no-budget answer to a certain brand of horror, but saying more would give away its sinister turns. Just know that the man behind the camera answered a Craigslist ad to create a "day in the life" video diary for Josef (Mark Duplass), who really loves life. Creep proves that found footage, the indie world's no-budget genre solution, still has life, as long as you have a performer like Duplass willing to go all the way.

The Death of Stalin (2017)

Armando Iannucci, the brilliant Veep creator, set his sights on Russia with this savage political satire. Based on a graphic novel, the film dramatizes the madcap, maniacal plots of the men jostling for power after their leader, Joseph Stalin, keels over. From there, backstabbing, furious insults, and general chaos unfolds. Anchored by performances from Shakespearean great Simon Russell Beale and American icon Steve Buscemi, it's a pleasure to see what the rest of the cast -- from Star Trek: Discovery's Jason Isaacs to Homeland's Rupert Friend -- do with Iannucci's eloquently brittle text.

Den of Thieves (2018)

If there's one thing you've probably heard about this often ridiculous bank robbery epic, it's that it steals shamelessly from Michael Mann's crime saga Heat. The broad plot elements are similar: There's a team of highly-efficient criminals led by a former Marine (Pablo Schreiber) and they must contend with a obsessive, possibly unhinged cop (Gerard Butler) over the movie's lengthy 140 minute runtime. A screenwriter helming a feature for the first time, director Christian Gudegast is not in the same league as Mann as a filmmaker and Butler, sporting unflattering tattoos and a barrel-like gut, is hardly Al Pacino. But everyone is really going for it here, attempting to squeeze every ounce of Muscle Milk from the bottle.

NETFLIX

Divines (2016)

Thrillers don't come much more propulsive or elegant than Houda Benyamina's Divines, a heartwarming French drama about female friendship that spirals into a pulse-pounding crime saga. Rambunctious teenager Dounia (Oulaya Amamra) and her best friend Maimouna (Déborah Lukumuena) begin the film as low-level shoplifters and thieves, but once they fall into the orbit of a slightly older, seasoned drug dealer named Rebecca (Jisca Kalvanda), they're on a Goodfellas-like trajectory. Benyamina offsets the violent, gritty genre elements with lyrical passages where Dounia watches her ballet-dancer crush rehearse his routines from afar, and kinetic scenes of the young girls goofing off on social media. It's a cautionary tale told with joy, empathy, and an eye for beauty.

Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Eddie Murphy has been waiting years to get this movie about comedian and blaxploitation star Rudy Ray Moore made, and you can feel his joy in finally getting to play this role every second he's on screen. The film, directed by Hustle & Flow's Craig Brewer, charts how Moore rose from record store employee, to successful underground comedian, to making his now-cult classic feature Dolemite by sheer force of passion. It's thrilling (and hilarious) to watch Murphy adopt Moore's Dolemite persona, a swaggering pimp, but it's just as satisfying to see the former SNL star capture his character at his lowest points. He's surrounded by an ensemble that matches his infectious energy.

The Edge of Seventeen (2016)

As romanticized as adolescence can be, it’s hard being young. Following the high school experience of troubled, overdramatic Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), The Edge of Seventeen portrays the woes of adolescence with a tender, yet appropriately cheeky tone. As if junior year isn’t hellish enough, the universe essentially bursts into flames when Nadine finds out her best friend is dating her brother; their friendship begins to dissolve, and she finds the only return on young love is embarrassment and pain. That may all sound like a miserable premise for a young-adult movie, except it’s all painfully accurate, making it endearingly hilarious -- and there’s so much to love about Steinfeld’s self-aware performance.

FOCUS FEATURES

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Romance and love are nothing without the potential for loss and pain, but most of us would probably still consider cutting away all the worst memories of the latter. Given the option to eradicate memories of their busted relationship, Jim Carrey's Joel and Kate Winslet's Clementine go through with the procedure, only to find themselves unable to totally let go. Science fiction naturally lends itself to clockwork mechanisms, but director Michel Gondry and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman never lose the human touch as they toy with the kaleidoscope of their characters' hearts and minds.

The Evil Dead (1981)

Before Bruce Campbell's Ash was wielding his chainsaw-arm in Army of Darkness and on Starz's Ash Vs. Evil Dead, he was just a good looking guy hoping to spend a nice, quiet vacation in a cabin with some friends. Unfortunately, the book of the dead had other plans for him. With this low-budget horror classic, director Sam Raimi brings a surprising degree of technical ingenuity to bear on the splatter-film, sending his camera zooming around the woods with wonder and glee. While the sequels double-downed on laughs, the original Evil Dead still knows how to scare.

The Firm (1993)

The '90s were a golden era of sleek, movie-star-packed legal thrillers, and they don't get much better than director Sydney Pollack's The Firm. This John Grisham adaptation has a little bit of everything -- tax paperwork, sneering mobsters, and Garey Busey, for starters -- but there's one reason to watch this movie: the weirdness of Tom Cruise. He does a backflip in this movie. What else do you need to know?

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The Florida Project (2017)

Sean Baker's The Florida Project nuzzles into the swirling, sunny, strapped-for-cash populace of a mauve motel just within orbit of Walt Disney World. His eyes are Moonee, a 6-year-old who adventures through abandoned condos, along strip mall-encrusted highway, and across verdant fields of overgrown brush like Max in Where the Wild Things Are. But as gorgeous as the everything appears -- and The Florida Project looks stunning -- the world around here is falling apart, beginning with her mother, an ex-stripper turning to prostitution. The juxtaposition, and down-to-earth style, reconsiders modern America in the most electrifying way imaginable.

Frances Ha (2012)

Before winning hearts and Oscar nominations with her coming-of-age comedy Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig starred in the perfect companion film, about an aimless 27-year-old who hops from New York City to her hometown of Sacramento to Paris to Poughkeepsie and eventually back to New York in hopes of stumbling into the perfect job, the perfect relationship, and the perfect life. Directed by Noah Baumbach (The Meyerowitz Stories), and co-written by both, Frances Ha is a measured look at adult-ish life captured the kind of intoxicating black and white world we dream of living in.

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Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019)

Everyone's favorite disaster of a festival received not one, but two streaming documentaries in the same week. Netflix's version has rightly faced some criticism over its willingness to let marketing company Fuck Jerry off the hook (Jerry Media produced the doc), but that doesn't take away from the overall picture it portrays of the festival's haphazard planning and the addiction to grift from which Fyre's founder, Billy McFarland, apparently suffers. It's schadenfreude at its best.

Gerald's Game (2017)

Like his previous low-budget Netflix-released horror release, Hush, a captivity thriller about a deaf woman fighting off a masked intruder, Mike Flanagan's Stephen King adaptation of Gerald's Game wrings big scares from a small location. Sticking close to the grisly plot details of King's seemingly "unfilmable" novel, the movie chronicles the painstaking struggles of Jessie Burlingame (Carla Gugino) after she finds herself handcuffed to a bed in an isolated vacation home when her husband, the titular Gerald, dies from a heart attack while enacting his kinky sexual fantasies. She's trapped -- and that's it. The premise is clearly challenging to sustain for a whole movie, but Flanagan and Gugino turn the potentially one-note set-up into a forceful, thoughtful meditation on trauma, memory, and resilience in the face of near-certain doom.

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Good Time (2017)

In this greasy, cruel thriller from Uncut Gems directors the Safdie brothers, Robert Pattinson stars as Connie, a bank robber who races through Queens to find enough money to bail out his mentally disabled brother, who's locked up for their last botched job. Each suffocating second of Good Time, blistered by the neon backgrounds of Queens, New York and propelled by warped heartbeat of Oneothrix Point Never's synth score, finds Connie evading authorities by tripping into an even stickier situation.

Green Room (2015)

Green Room is a throaty, thrashing, spit-slinging punk tune belted through an invasion-movie microphone at max volume. It's nasty -- and near-perfect. As a band of 20-something rockstars recklessly defend against a neo-Nazi battalion equipped with machetes, shotguns, and snarling guard dogs, the movie blossoms into a savage coming-of-age tale, an Almost Famous for John Carpenter nuts. Anyone looking for similar mayhem should check out director Jeremy Saulnier's previous movie, the low-budget, darkly comic hillbilly noir, Blue Ruin, also streaming on Netflix.

The Guest (2014)

After writer-director Adam Wingard notched a semi-sleeper horror hit with 2011's You're Next, he'd earned a certain degree of goodwill among genre faithful and, apparently, with studio brass. How else to explain distribution for his atypical thriller The Guest through Time Warner subsidiary Picturehouse? Headlined by soon-to-be megastar Dan Stevens and kindred flick It Follows' lead scream queen Maika Monroe, The Guest introduces itself as a subtextual impostor drama, abruptly spins through a blender of '80s teen tropes, and ultimately reveals its true identity as an expertly self-conscious straight-to-video shoot 'em up, before finally circling back on itself with a well-earned wink. To say anymore about the hell that Stevens' "David" unleashes on a small New Mexico town would not only spoil the fun, but possibly get you killed.

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The Hateful Eight (2015)

Quentin Tarantino has something to say about race, violence, and American life, and it's going to ruffle feathers. Like Django Unchained, the writer-director reflects modern times on the Old West, but with more scalpel-sliced dialogue, profane poetry, and gore. Stewed from bits of Agatha Christie, David Mamet, and Sam Peckinpah, The Hateful Eight traps a cast of blowhards (including Samuel L. Jackson as a Civil War veteran, Kurt Russell as a bounty hunter known as "The Hangman," and Jennifer Jason Leigh as a psychopathic gang member) in a blizzard-enveloped supply station. Tarantino ups the tension by shooting his suffocating space in "glorious 70mm." Treachery and moral compromise never looked so good.

High Flying Bird (2019)

High Flying Bird is a basketball film that has little to do with the sport itself, instead focusing on the behind-the-scenes power dynamics that play out during an NBA lockout. At the center of the Steven Soderbergh movie -- shot on an iPhone, because that's what he does now -- is André Holland's Ray Burke, a sports agent trying to protect his client's interests while also disrupting a corrupt system. It's not an easy tightrope to walk, and, as you might expect, the conditions of the labor stoppage constantly change the playing field. With his iPhone mirroring the NBA's social media-heavy culture, and appearances from actual NBA stars lending the narrative heft, Soderbergh experiments with Netflix's carte blanche and produces a unique film that adds to the streaming service's growing list of original critical hits.

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Hugo (2011)

Martin Scorsese hit pause on mob violence and Rolling Stones singles to deliver one of the greatest kid-centric films in eons. Following Hugo (Asa Butterfield) as he traces his own origin story through cryptic automaton clues and early 20th-century movie history, the grand vision wowed in 3-D and still packs a punch at home.

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)

A meditative horror flick that's more unsettling than outright frightening, I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House follows the demise of Lily, a live-in nurse (Ruth Wilson) who's caring for an ailing horror author. As Lily discovers the truth about the writer's fiction and home, the lines between the physical realm and the afterlife blur. The movie's slow pacing and muted escalation might frustrate viewers craving showy jump-scares, but writer-director Oz Perkins is worth keeping tabs on. He brings a beautiful eeriness to every scene, and his story will captivate patient streamers. Fans should be sure to check out his directorial debut, The Blackcoat's Daughter.

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I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

In this maniacal mystery, Ruth (Melanie Lynskey), a nurse, and her rattail-sporting, weapon-obsessed neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood) hunt down a local burglar. Part Cormac McCarthy thriller, part wacky, Will Ferrell-esque comedy, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is a cathartic neo-noir about everyday troubles. Director Macon Blair's not the first person to find existential enlightenment at the end of an amateur detective tale, but he might be the first to piece one together from cussing octogenarians, ninja stars, Google montages, gallons of Big Red soda, upper-deckers, friendly raccoons, exploding body parts, and the idiocy of humanity.

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

With a bullwhip, a leather jacket, and an "only Harrison Ford can pull this off" fedora, director Steven Spielberg invented the modern Hollywood action film by doing what he does best: looking backward. As obsessed as his movie-brat pal and collaborator George Lucas with the action movie serials of their youth, the director mined James Bond, Humphrey Bogart, Westerns, and his hatred of Nazis to create an adventure classic. To watch Raiders of the Lost Ark now is to marvel at the ingenuity of specific sequences (the boulder! The truck scene! The face-melting!) and simply groove to the self-deprecating comic tone (snakes! Karen Allen! That swordsman Indy shoots!). The past has never felt so alive.

Inside Man (2006)

Denzel Washington is at his wily, sharp, and sharply dressed best as he teams up once again with Spike Lee for this wildly entertaining heist thriller. He's an NYPD hostage negotiator who discovers a whole bunch of drama when a crew of robbers (led by Clive Owen) takes a bank hostage during a 24-hour period. Jodie Foster also appears as an interested party with uncertain motivations. You'll have to figure out what's going on several times over before the truth outs.

DRAFTHOUSE FILMS

The Invitation (2015)

This slow-burn horror-thriller preys on your social anxiety. The film's first half-hour, which finds Quarry's Logan Marshall-Green arriving at his ex-wife's house to meet her new husband, plays like a Sundance dramedy about 30-something yuppies and their relationship woes. As the minutes go by, director Karyn Kusama (Jennifer's Body) burrows deeper into the awkward dinner party, finding tension in unwelcome glances, miscommunication, and the possibility that Marshall-Green's character might be misreading a bizarre situation as a dangerous one. We won't spoil what happens, but let's just say this is a party you'll be telling your friends about.

Ip Man (2008)

There aren't many biopics that also pass for decent action movies. Somehow, Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen and director Wilson Yip made Ip Man (and three sequels!) based on the life of Chinese martial arts master Yip Kai-man, who famously trained Bruce Lee. What's their trick to keeping this series fresh? Play fast and loose with the facts, up the melodrama with each film, and, when in doubt, cast Mike Tyson as an evil property developer. The fights are incredible, and Yen's portrayal of the aging master still has the power to draw a few tears from even the most grizzled tough guy.

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The Irishman (2019)

Opening with a tracking shot through the halls of a drab nursing home, where we meet a feeble old man telling tall tales from his wheelchair, The Irishman delights in undercutting its own grandiosity. All the pageantry a $150 million check from Netflix can buy -- the digital de-aging effects, the massive crowd scenes, the shiny rings passed between men -- is on full display. Everything looks tremendous. But, like with 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, the characters can't escape the fundamental spiritual emptiness of their pursuits. In telling the story of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a World War II veteran and truck driver turned mob enforcer and friend to labor leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Steven Zaillian construct an underworld-set counter-narrative of late 20th century American life. Even with a 209 minute runtime, every second counts.

It Comes at Night (2017)

In this post-apocalyptic nightmare-and-a-half, the horrors of humanity, the strain of chaotic emotions pent up in the name of survival, bleed out through wary eyes and weathered hands. The setup is blockbuster-sized -- reverts mankind to the days of the American frontier, every sole survivor fights to protect their families and themselves -- but the drama is mano-a-mano. Barricaded in a haunted-house-worthy cabin in the woods, Paul (Edgerton) takes in Will (Abbott) and his family, knowing full well they could threaten his family's existence. All the while, Paul's son, Trevor, battles bloody visions of (or induced by?) the contagion. Shults directs the hell out of every slow-push frame of this psychological thriller, and the less we know, the more confusion feels like a noose around our necks, the scarier his observations become.

WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Jupiter Ascending (2015)

Jupiter Ascending is one of those "bad" movies that might genuinely be quite good. Yes, Channing Tatum is a man-wolf and Mila Kunis is the princess of space and bees don't sting space royalty and Eddie Redmayne hollers his little head off about "harvesting" people -- but what makes this movie great is how all of those things make total, absolute sense in the context of the story. The world the Wachowskis (yes, the Wachowskis!) created is so vibrant and strange and exciting, you almost can't help but get drawn in, even when Redmayne vamps so hard you're afraid he's about to pull a muscle. (And if you're a ballet fan, we have some good news for you.)

Jurassic Park (1993)

Perhaps the only movie that ever truly deserved a conversion to a theme-park ride, Steven Spielberg's thrilling adaptation of the Michael Crichton novel brought long-extinct creatures back to life in more ways than one. Benevolent Netflix gives us more than just the franchise starter, too: The Lost World and JP3 sequels are also available, so you can make a marathon of it.

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Killing Them Softly (2012)

Brad Pitt doesn't make conventional blockbusters anymore -- even World War Z had epidemic-movie ambitions -- so it's not surprising that this crime thriller is a little out there. Set during the financial crisis and presidential election of 2008, the film follows Pitt's hitman character as he makes sense of a poker heist gone wrong, leaving a trail of bodies and one-liners along the way. Mixed in with the carnage, you get lots of musings about the economy and American exceptionalism. It's not subtle -- there's a scene where Scoot McNairy and Ben Mendelsohn do heroin while the Velvet Underground's "Heroin" plays -- but, like a blunt object to the head, it gets the job done.

Lady Bird (2017)

The dizzying, frustrating, exhilarating rite of passage that is senior year of high school is the focus of actress Greta Gerwig's first directorial effort, the story of girl named Lady Bird (her given name, in that "it’s given to me, by me") who rebels against everyday Sacramento, California life to obtain whatever it is "freedom" turns out to be. Laurie Metcalf is an understated powerhouse as Lady Bird's mother, a constant source of contention who doggedly pushes her daughter to be successful in the face of the family's dwindling economic resources. It's a tragic note in total complement to Gerwig's hysterical love letter to home, high school, and the history of ourselves.

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The Lobster (2016)

Greek style master Yorgos Lanthimos' dystopian allegory against romance sees Colin Farrell forced to choose a partner in 45 days or he'll be turned into an animal of his choice, which is a lobster. Stuck in a group home with similarly unlucky singles, Farrell's David decides to bust out and join other renegades in a kind of anti-love terror cell that lives in the woods. It's part comedy of manners, part futuristic thriller, and it looks absolutely beautiful -- Lanthimos handles the bizarre premise with grace and a naturalistic eye that reminds the viewer that humans remain one of the most interesting animals to exist on this planet.

Mad Max (1979)

Before Tom Hardy was grunting his way through the desert and crushing tiny two-headed reptiles as Max Rockatansky, there was Mel Gibson. George Miller's 1979 original introduces the iconic character and paints the maximum force of his dystopian mythology in a somewhat more grounded light -- Australian police factions, communities, and glimmers of hope still in existence. Badass homemade vehicles and chase scenes abound in this taut, 88-minute romp. It's aged just fine.

Magic Mike (2012)

Steven Soderbergh's story of a Tampa exotic dancer with a heart of gold (Channing Tatum) has body-rolled its way to Netflix. Sexy dance routines aside, Mike's story is just gritty enough to be subversive. Did we mention Matthew McConaughey shows up in a pair of ass-less chaps?

The Master (2012)

Loosely inspired by the life of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard -- Dianetics buffs, we strongly recommend Alex Gibney's Going Clear documentary as a companion piece -- The Master boasts one of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s finest performances, as the enigmatic cult leader Lancaster Dodd. Joaquin Phoenix burns just as brightly as his emotionally stunted, loose-cannon protege Freddie Quell, who has a taste for homemade liquor. Paul Thomas Anderson’s cerebral epic lends itself to many different readings; it’s a cult story, it's a love story, it's a story about post-war disillusionment and the American dream, it's a story of individualism and the desire to belong. But the auteur's popping visuals and heady thematic currents will still sweep you away, even if you’re not quite sure where the tide is taking you.

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The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)

When Danny (Adam Sandler), Matthew (Ben Stiller) and Jean (Elizabeth Marvel), three half-siblings from three different mothers, gather at their family brownstone in New York to tend to their ailing father (Dustin Hoffman), a lifetime of familial politics explode out of every minute of conversation. Their narcissistic sculptor dad didn't have time for Danny. Matthew was the golden child. Jean was weird… or maybe disturbed by memories no one ever knew. Expertly sketched by writer-director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) this memoir-like portrait of lives half-lived is the kind of bittersweet, dimensional character comedy we're now used to seeing told in three seasons of prestige television. Baumbach gives us the whole package in two hours.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

The legendary British comedy troupe took the legend of King Arthur and offered a characteristically irreverent take on it in their second feature film. It's rare for comedy to hold up this well, but the timelessness of lines like, "I fart in your general direction!" "It's just a flesh wound," and "Run away!" makes this a movie worth watching again and again.

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Moonlight (2016)

Chronicling the boyhood years, teenage stretch, and muted adult life of Chiron, a black gay man making it in Miami, this triptych altarpiece is at once hyper-specific and cosmically universal. Director Barry Jenkins roots each moment in the last; Chiron's desire for a lost lover can't burn in a diner booth over a bottle of wine without his beachside identity crisis years prior, blurred and violent, or encounters from deeper in his past, when glimpses of his mother's drug addiction, or the mentoring acts of her crack supplier, felt like secrets delivered in code. Panging colors, sounds, and the delicate movements of its perfect cast like the notes of a symphony, Moonlight is the real deal, a movie that will only grow and complicate as you wrestle with it.

Mudbound (2017)

The South's post-slavery existence is, for Hollywood, mostly uncharted territory. Rees rectifies the overlooked stretch of history with this novelistic drama about two Mississippi families working a rain-drenched farm in 1941. The white McAllans settle on a muddy patch of land to realize their dreams. The Jacksons, a family of black sharecroppers working the land, have their own hopes, which their neighbors manage to nurture and curtail. To capture a multitude of perspectives, Mudbound weaves together specific scenes of daily life, vivid and memory-like, with family member reflections, recorded in whispered voice-over. The epic patchwork stretches from the Jackson family dinner table, where the youngest daughter dreams of becoming a stenographer, to the vistas of Mississippi, where incoming storms threaten an essential batch of crops, to the battlefields of World War II Germany, a harrowing scene that will affect both families. Confronting race, class, war, and the possibility of unity, Mudbound spellbinding drama reckons with the past to understand the present.

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My Happy Family (2017)

At 52, Manana (Ia Shughliashvili) packs a bag and walks out on her husband, son, daughter, daughter's live-in boyfriend, and elderly mother and father, all of whom live together in a single apartment. The family is cantankerous and blustery, asking everything of Manana, who spends her days teaching better-behaved teenagers about literature. But as Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß's striking character study unfolds, the motivation behind Manana's departure is a deeper strain of frustration, despite what her brother, aunts, uncles, and anyone else who can cram themselves into the situation would like us to think. Anchored by Ia Shughliashvili's stunningly internal performance, and punctured by a dark sense of humor akin to Darren Aronofsky's mother! (which would have been the perfect alternate title), My Happy Family is both delicate and brutal in its portrayal of independence, and should get under the skin of anyone with their own family drama.

The Naked Gun (1988)

The short-lived Dragnet TV spoof Police Squad! found a second life as The Naked Gun action-comedy movie franchise, and the first installment goes all in on Airplane! co-star Leslie Nielsen's brand of straight-laced dementia. Trying to explain The Naked Gun only makes the stupid sound stupider, but keen viewers will find jokes on top of jokes on top of jokes. It's the kind of movie that can crack "nice beaver," then pass a stuffed beaver through the frame and actually get away with it. Nielsen has everything to do with it; his Frank Drebin continues the grand Inspector Clouseau tradition in oh-so-'80s style.

The Notebook (2004)

"If you’re a bird, I’m a bird." It's a simple statement and a declaration of devotion that captures the staying power of this Nicholas Sparks classic. The film made Ryan Gosling a certified heartthrob, charting his working class character Noah's lovelorn romance with Rachel McAdam's wealthy character Allie. The star-crossed lovers narrative is enough to make even the most cynical among us swoon, but given that their story is told through an elderly man reading (you guessed it!) a notebook to a woman with dementia, it hits all of the tragic romance benchmarks to make you melt. Noah's commitment to following his heart -- and that passionate kiss in the rain -- make this a love story for the ages.

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Okja (2017)

This wild ride, part action heist, part Miyazaki-like travelogue, and part scathing satire, is fueled by fairy tale whimsy -- but the Grimm kind, where there are smiles and spilled blood. Ahn Seo-hyun plays Mija, the young keeper of a "super-pig," bred by a food manufacturer to be the next step in human-consumption evolution. When the corporate overlords come for her roly-poly pal, Mija hightails it from the farm to the big city to break him out, crossing environmental terrorists, a zany Steve Irwin-type (Gyllenhaal), and the icy psychos at the top of the food chain (including Swinton's childlike CEO) along the way. Okja won't pluck your heartstrings like E.T., but there's grandeur in its frenzy, and the film's cross-species friendship will strike up every other emotion with its empathetic, eco-friendly, and eccentric observations.

On Body and Soul (2017)

This Hungarian film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film, and it's easy to see why. The sparse love story begins when two slaughterhouse employees discover they have the same dream at night, in which they're both deer searching the winter forest for food. Endre, a longtime executive at the slaughterhouse, has a physically damaged arm, whereas Maria is a temporary replacement who seems to be on the autism spectrum. If the setup sounds a bit on-the-nose, the moving performances and the unflinching direction save On Body and Soul from turning into a Thomas Aquinas 101 class, resulting in the kind of bleak beauty you can find in a dead winter forest.

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The Other Side of the Wind (2018)

Don't go into Orson Welles' final film expecting it to be an easy watch. The Other Side of the Wind, which follows fictional veteran Hollywood director Jake Hannaford (tooootally not modeled after Welles himself) and his protegé (also tooootally not a surrogate for Welles' own friend and mentee Peter Bogdanovich, who also plays the character) as they attend a party in celebration of Hannaford's latest film and are beset on all sides by Hannaford's friends, enemies, and everyone in between. The film, which Welles hoped would be his big comeback to Hollywood, was left famously unfinished for decades after his death in 1985. Thanks to Bogdanovich and producer Frank Marshall, it was finally completed in 2018, and the result is a vibrant and bizarre throwback to Welles' own experimental 1970s style, made even more resonant if you know how intertwined the movie is with its own backstory. If you want to dive even deeper, Netflix also released a documentary about the restoration and completion of the film, They'll Love Me When I'm Dead, which delves into Welles' own complicated and tragic relationship with Hollywood and the craft of moviemaking.

Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo Del Toro’s dark odyssey Pan’s Labyrinth takes a fantasy setting to mirror the horrible political realities of the human realm. Set in 1940s Falangist Spain, the film documents the hero’s journey of a young girl and stepdaughter of a ruthless Spanish army officer as she seeks an escape from her war-occupied world. When a fairy informs her that her true destiny may be as the princess of the underworld, she seizes her chance. Like Alice in Wonderland if Alice had gone to Hell instead of down the rabbit hole, the Academy Award-winning film is a wondrous, frightening fairy tale where that depicts how perilous the human-created monster of war can be.

Paranormal Activity (2007)

This documentary-style film budgeted at a mere $15,000 made millions at the box office and went on to inspire a number of sequels, all because of how well its scrappiness lent to capturing what feels like a terrifying haunted reality. Centered on a young couple who is convinced an evil spirit is lurking in their home, the two attempt to capture its activity on camera, which, obviously, only makes their supernatural matters worse. It leans on found footage horror tropes made popular by The Blair Witch Project and as it tessellates between showing the viewer what’s captured on their camcorders and the characters’ perspectives, it’s easy to get lost in this disorienting supernatural thriller.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Poltergeist (1982)

If you saw Poltergeist growing up, chances are you’re probably equally as haunted by Heather O’Rourke as she is in the film, playing a little girl tormented by ghosts in her family home. This Steven Spielberg-penned, Tobe Hooper-directed (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre) paranormal flick is a certified cult classic and one of the best horror films of all time, coming from a simple premise about a couple whose home is infested with spirits obsessed with reclaiming the space and kidnapping their daughter. Poltergeist made rearranged furniture freaky, and you may remember a particularly iconic scene with a fuzzed out vintage television set. It’s may be nearly 40 years old, but the creepiness holds up.

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Taking Jane Austen's literary classic and tricking it out with gorgeous long takes, director Joe Wright turns this tale of manners into a visceral, luminescent portrait of passion and desire. While Succession's Matthew MacFadyen might not make you forget Colin Firth from 1995's BBC adaptation, Keira Knightley is a revelation as the tough, nervy Lizzie Bennett. With fun supporting turns from Donald Sutherland, Rosamund Pike, and Judi Dench, it's a sumptuous period romance that transports you from the couch to the ballroom of your dreams -- without changing out of sweatpants.

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Private Life (2018)

Over a decade since the release of her last dark comedy, The Savages, writer and director Tamara Jenkins returned with a sprawling movie in the same vein: more hyper-verbal jerks you can't help but love. Richard (Paul Giamatti) and Rachel (Kathryn Hahn) are a Manhattan-dwelling couple who have spent the last few years attempting to have a baby with little success. When we meet them, they're already in the grips of fertility mania, willing to try almost anything to secure the offspring they think they desire. With all the details about injections, side effects, and pricey medical procedures, the movie functions as a taxonomy of modern pregnancy anxieties, and Hahn brings each part of the process to glorious life.

The Ritual (2018)

The Ritual, a horror film where a group of middle-aged men embark on a hiking trip in honor of a dead friend, understands the tension between natural beauty of the outdoors and the unsettling panic of the unknown. The group's de facto leader Luke (an understated Rafe Spall) attempts to keep the adventure from spiralling out of control, but the forest has other plans. (Maybe brush up on your Scandinavian mythology before viewing.) Like a backpacking variation on Neil Marshall's 2005 cave spelunking classic The Descent, The Ritual deftly explores inter-personal dynamics while delivering jolts of other-worldly terror. It'll have you rethinking that weekend getaway on your calendar.

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Roma (2018)

All those billions Netflix spent paid off in the form of several Oscar nominations for Roma, including one for Best Picture and a win for Best Director. Whether experienced in the hushed reverence of a theater, watched on the glowing screen of a laptop, or, as Netflix executive Ted Sarandos has suggested, binged on the perilous surface of a phone, Alfonso Cuarón's black-and-white passion project seeks to stun. A technical craftsman of the highest order, the Children of Men and Gravity director has an aesthetic that aims to overwhelm -- with the amount of extras, the sense of despair, and the constant whir of exhilaration -- and this autobiographical portrait of kind-hearted maid Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) caring for a family in the early 1970s has been staged on a staggering, mind-boggling scale.

Schindler's List (1993)

A passion project for Steven Spielberg, who shot it back-to-back with another masterpiece, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List tells the story of Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who reportedly saved over 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust. Frank, honest, and stark in its depiction of Nazi violence, the three-hour historical drama is a haunting reminder of the world's past, every frame a relic, every lost voice channeled through Itzhak Perlman's mourning violin.

A Serious Man (2009)

This dramedy from the Coen brothers stars Michael Stuhlbarg as Larry Gopnik, a Midwestern physics professor who just can't catch a break, whether it's with his wife, his boss, or his rabbi. (Seriously, if you're having a bad day, this airy flick gives you ample time to brood and then come to the realization that your life isn't as shitty as you think.) Meditating on the spiritual and the temporal, Gopnik's improbable run of bad luck is a smart modern retelling of the Book of Job, with more irony and fewer plagues and pestilences. But not much fewer.

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Shadow (2019)

In Shadow, the visually stunning action epic from Hero and House of Flying Daggers wuxia master Zhang Yimou, parasols are more than helpful sun-blockers: They can be turned into deadly weapons, shooting boomerang-like blades of steel at oncoming attackers and transforming into protective sleds for traveling through the slick streets. These devices are one of many imaginative leaps made in telling this Shakespearean saga of palace intrigue, vengeance, and secret doppelgangers set in China's Three Kingdoms period. This is a martial arts epic where the dense plotting is as tricky as the often balletic fight scenes. If the battles in Game of Thrones left you frustrated, Shadow provides a thrilling alternative.

She's Gotta Have It (1986)

Before checking out Spike Lee's Netflix original series of the same name, be sure to catch up with where it all began. Nola (Tracy Camilla Johns) juggles three men during her sexual pinnacle, and it's all working out until they discover one another. She's Gotta Have It takes some dark turns, but each revelation speaks volumes about what real romantic independence is all about.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The late director Jonathan Demme's 1991 film is the touchstone for virtually every serial killer film and television show that came after. The iconic closeup shots of an icy, confident Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) as he and FBI newbie Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) engage in their "quid pro quo" interrogation sessions create almost unbearable tension as Buffalo Bill (Ted Levine) remains on the loose, killing more victims. Hopkins delivers the more memorable lines, and Buffalo Bill's dance is the stuff of nerve-wracking anxiety nightmares, but it's Foster's nuanced performance as a scared, determined, smart-yet-hesitant agent that sets Silence of the Lambs apart from the rest of the serial killer pack.

THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and David O. Russell’s first collaboration -- and the film that turned J-Law into a bona fide golden girl -- is a romantic comedy/dramedy/dance-flick that bounces across its tonal shifts. A love story between Pat (Cooper), a man struggling with bipolar disease and a history of violent outbursts, and Tiffany (Lawrence), a widow grappling with depression, who come together while rehearsing for an amateur dance competition, Silver Linings balances an emotionally realistic depiction of mental illness with some of the best twirls and dips this side of Step Up. Even if you're allergic to rom-coms, Lawrence and Cooper’s winning chemistry will win you over, as will this sweet little gem of a film: a feel-good, affecting love story that doesn’t feel contrived or treacly.

Sin City (2005)

Frank Miller enlisted Robert Rodriguez as co-director to translate the former's wildly popular series of the same name to the big screen, and with some added directorial work from Quentin Tarantino, the result became a watershed moment in the visual history of film. The signature black-and-white palette with splashes of color provided a grim backdrop to the sensational violence of the miniaturized plotlines -- this is perhaps the movie that feels more like a comic than any other movie you'll ever see.

Sinister (2012)

Horror-movie lesson #32: If you move into a creepy new house, do not read the dusty book, listen to the decaying cassette tapes, or watch the Super 8 reels you find in the attic -- they will inevitably lead to your demise. In Sinister, a true-crime author (played by Ethan Hawke) makes the final mistake, losing his mind to home movies haunted by the "Bughuul."

NETFLIX

Small Crimes (2017)

It's always a little discombobulating to see your favorite Game of Thrones actors in movies that don't call on them to fight dragons, swing swords, or at least wear some armor. But that shouldn't stop you from checking out Small Crimes, a carefully paced thriller starring the Kingslayer Jaime Lannister himself, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. As Joe Denton, a crooked cop turned ex-con, Coster-Waldau plays yet another character with a twisted moral compass, but here he's not part of some mythical narrative. He's just another conniving, scheming dirtbag in director E.L. Katz's Coen brothers-like moral universe. While some of the plot details are confusing -- Katz and co-writer Macon Blair skimp on the exposition so much that some of the dialogue can feel incomprehensible -- the mood of Midwestern dread and Coster-Waldau's patient, lived-in performance make this one worth checking out. Despite the lack of dragons.

Snowpiercer (2013)

Did people go overboard in praising Snowpiercer when it came out? Maybe. But it's important to remember that the movie arrived in the sweaty dog days of summer, hitting critics and sci-fi lovers like a welcome blast of icy water from a hose. The film's simple, almost video game-like plot -- get to the front of the train, or die trying -- allowed visionary South Korean director Bong Joon-ho to fill the screen with excitement, absurdity, and radical politics. Chris Evans never looked more alive, Tilda Swinton never stole more scenes, and mainstream blockbuster filmmaking never felt so tepid in comparison. Come on, ride the train!

The Social Network (2010)

After making films like Seven, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, and Zodiac, director David Fincher left behind the world of scumbags and crime for a fantastical, historical epic in 2008's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The Social Network was another swerve, but yielded his greatest film. There's no murder on screen, but Fincher treats Jesse Eisenberg's Mark Zuckerberg like a dorky, socially awkward mob boss operating on an operatic scale. Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin's rapid-fire, screwball-like dialogue burns with a moral indignation that Fincher's watchful, steady-handed camera chills with an icy distance. It's the rare biopic that's not begging you to smash the "like" button.

SONY PICTURES RELEASING

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

In this shrewd twist on the superhero genre, the audience's familiarity with the origin story of your friendly neighborhood web-slinger -- the character has already starred in three different blockbuster franchises, in addition to countless comics and cartoon TV adaptations -- is used as an asset instead of a liability. The relatively straight-forward coming-of-age tale of Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), a Brooklyn teenager who takes on the powers and responsibilities of Spider-Man following the death of Peter Parker, gets a remix built around an increasingly absurd parallel dimension plotline that introduces a cast of other Spider-Heroes like Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glen), and, most ridiculously, Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), a talking pig in a Spider-Suit. The convoluted set-up is mostly an excuse to cram the movie with rapid-fire jokes, comic book allusions, and dream-like imagery that puts the rubbery CGI of most contemporary animated films to shame.

Spotlight (2015)

Tom McCarthy stretches the drama taut as he renders Boston Globe's 2000 Catholic Church sex scandal investigation into a Hollywood vehicle. McCarthy's notable cast members crank like gears as they uncover evidence and reflect on a horrifying discovery of which they shoulder partial blame. Spotlight was the cardigan of 2015's Oscar nominees, but even cardigans look sharp when Mark Ruffalo is involved.

The Squid and the Whale (2005)

No movie captures the prolonged pain of divorce quite like Noah Baumbach's brutal Brooklyn-based comedy The Squid and the Whale. While the performances from Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney as bitter writers going through a separation are top-notch, the film truly belongs to the kids, played by Jesse Eisenberg and Owen Kline, who you watch struggle in the face of their parents' mounting immaturity and pettiness. That Baumbach is able to wring big, cathartic laughs from such emotionally raw material is a testament to his gifts as a writer -- and an observer of human cruelty.

SONY PICTURES RELEASING

Starship Troopers (1997)

Paul Verhoeven is undoubtedly the master of the sly sci-fi satire. With RoboCop, he laid waste to the police state with wicked, trigger-happy glee. He took on evil corporations with Total Recall. And with Starship Troopers, a bouncy, bloody war picture, he skewered the chest-thumping theatrics of pro-military propaganda, offering up a pitch-perfect parody of the post-9/11 Bush presidency years before troops set foot in Iraq or Afghanistan. Come for the exploding alien guts, but stay for the winking comedy -- or stay for both! Bug guts have their charms, too.

Swiss Army Man (2016)

You might think a movie that opens with a suicidal man riding a farting corpse like a Jet Ski wears thin after the fourth or fifth flatulence gag. You would be wrong. Brimming with imagination and expression, the directorial debut of Adult Swim auteurs "The Daniels" wields sophomoric humor to speak to friendship. As Radcliffe's dead body springs back to life -- through karate-chopping, water-vomiting, and wind-breaking -- he becomes the id to Dano's struggling everyman, who is also lost in the woods. If your childhood backyard adventures took the shape of The Revenant, it would look something like Swiss Army Man, and be pure bliss.

NETFLIX

Tallulah (2016)

From Orange Is the New Black writer Sian Heder, Tallulah follows the title character (played by Ellen Page) after she inadvertently "kidnaps" a toddler from an alcoholic rich woman and passes the child off as her own to appeal to her run-out boyfriend's mother (Allison Janney). A messy knot of familial woes and wayward instincts, Heder's directorial debut achieves the same kind of balancing act as her hit Netflix series -- frank social drama with just the right amount of humorous hijinks. As Tallulah grows into a mother figure, her on-the-lam parenting course only makes her more and more of a criminal in the eyes of... just about everyone. You want to root for her, but that would be too easy.

Taxi Driver (1976)

Travis Bickle (a young Bobby De Niro) comes back from the Vietnam War and, having some trouble acclimating to daily life, slowly unravels while fending off brutal insomnia by picking up work as a... taxi driver... in New York City. Eventually he snaps, shaves his hair into a mohawk and goes on a murderous rampage while still managing to squeeze in one of the most New York lines ever captured on film ("You talkin' to me?"). It's not exactly a heartwarmer -- Jodie Foster plays a 12-year-old prostitute -- but Martin Scorsese's 1976 Taxi Driver is a movie in the cinematic canon that you'd be legitimately missing out on if you didn't watch it.

FOCUS FEATURES

The Theory of Everything (2014)

In his Oscar-winning performance, Eddie Redmayne portrays famed physicist Stephen Hawking -- though The Theory of Everything is less of a biopic than it is a beautiful, sweet film about his lifelong relationship with his wife, Jane (Felicity Jones). Covering his days as a young cosmology student ahead of his diagnosis of ALS at 21, through his struggle with the illness and rise as a theoretical scientist, this film illustrates the trying romance through it all. While it may be written in the cosmos, this James Marsh-directed film that weaves in and out of love will have you experience everything there is to feel.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Paul Thomas Anderson found modern American greed in the pages of Upton Sinclair's depression-era novel, Oil!. Daniel Day-Lewis found the role of a lifetime behind the bushy mustache of Daniel Plainview, thunderous entrepreneur. Paul Dano found his milkshake drunk up. Their discoveries are our reward -- There Will Be Blood is a stark vision of tycoon terror.

Time to Hunt (2020)

Unrelenting in its pursuit of scenarios where guys point big guns at each other in sparsely lit empty hallways, the South Korean thriller Time to Hunt knows exactly what stylistic register it's playing in. A group of four friends, including Parasite and Train to Busan break-out Choi Woo-shik, knock over a gambling house, stealing a hefty bag of money and a set of even more valuable hard-drives, and then find themselves targeted by a ruthless contract killer (Park Hae-soo) who moves like the T-1000 and shoots like a henchmen in a Michael Mann movie. There are dystopian elements to the world -- protests play out in the streets, the police wage a tech-savvy war on citizens, automatic rifles are readily available to all potential buyers -- but they all serve the simmering tension and elevate the pounding set-pieces instead of feeling like unnecessary allegorical padding. Even with its long runtime, this movie moves.

STUDIOCANAL

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

If a season of 24 took place in the smoky, well-tailored underground of British intelligence crica 1973, it might look a little like this precision-made John le Carré adaptation from Let the Right One In director Tomas Alfredson. Even if you can't follow terse and tightly-woven mystery, the search for Soviet mole led by retired operative George Smiley (Gary Oldman), the ice-cold frames and stellar cast will suck you into the intrigue. It's very possible Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch are reading pages of the British phone book, but egad, it's absorbing. A movie that rewards your full concentration.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (2018)

Of all the entries in the rom-com revival, this one is heavier on the rom than the com. But even though it won't make your sides hurt, it will make your heart flutter. The plot is ripe with high school movie hijinks that arise when the love letters of Lara Jean Covey (the wonderful Lana Condor) accidentally get mailed to her crushes, namely the contractual faux relationship she starts with heartthrob Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo). Like its heroine, it's big-hearted but skeptical in all the right places.

Total Recall (1990)

Skip the completely forgettable Colin Farrell remake from 2012. This Arnold Schwarzenegger-powered, action-filled sci-fi movie is the one to go with. Working from a short story by writer Philip K. Dick, director Paul Verhoeven (Robocop) uses a brain-teasing premise -- you can buy "fake" vacation memories from a mysterious company called Rekall -- to stage one of his hyper-violent, winkingly absurd cartoons. The bizarre images of life on Mars and silly one-liners from Arnold fly so fast that you'll begin to think the whole movie was designed to be implanted in your mind.

NETFLIX

Tramps (2017)

There are heists pulled off by slick gentlemen in suits, then there are heists pulled off by two wayward 20-somethings rambling along on a steamy, summer day in New York City. This dog-day crime-romance stages the latter, pairing a lanky Russian kid (Callum Tanner) who ditches his fast-food register job for a one-off thieving gig, with his driver, an aloof strip club waitress (Grace Van Patten) looking for the cash to restart her life. When a briefcase handoff goes awry, the pair head upstate to track down the missing package, where train rides and curbside walks force them to open up. With a laid-back, '70s soul, Tramps is the rare doe-eyed relationship movie where playing third-wheel is a joy.

Uncut Gems (2019)

In Uncut Gems, the immersive crime film from sibling director duo Josh and Benny Safdie, gambling is a matter of faith. Whether he's placing a bet on the Boston Celtics, attempting to rig an auction, or outrunning debt-collecting goons at his daughter's high school play, the movie's jeweler protagonist Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) believes in his ability to beat the odds. Does that mean he always succeeds? No, that would be absurd, undercutting the character's Job-like status, which Sandler imbues with an endearing weariness that holds the story together. But every financial setback, emotional humbling, and spiritual humiliation he suffers gets interpreted by Howard as a sign that his circumstances might be turning around. After all, a big score could be right around the corner.

Velvet Buzzsaw (2018)

Nightcrawler filmmaker Dan Gilroy teams up with Jake Gyllenhaal again to create another piece of cinematic art, this time a satirical horror film about the exclusive, over-the-top LA art scene. The movie centers around a greedy group of art buyers who come into the possession of stolen paintings that, unbeknownst to them, turn out to be haunted, making their luxurious lives of wheeling and dealing overpriced paintings a living hell. Also featuring the likes of John Malkovich, Toni Collette, Billy Magnussen, and others, Velvet Buzzsaw looks like Netflix’s next great original.

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)

Oscar-baiting, musician biopics became so cookie-cutter by the mid-'00s that it was easy for John C. Reilly, Judd Apatow, and writer-director Jake Kasdan (Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle) to knot them all together for the ultimate spoof. Dewey Cox is part Johnny Cash, part Bob Dylan, part Ray Charles, part John Lennon, part anyone-you-can-think-of, rising with hit singles, rubbing shoulders with greats of many eras, stumbling with eight-too-many drug addictions, then rising once again. When it comes to relentless wisecracking, Walk Hard is like a Greatest Hits compilation -- every second is gold.

The Witch (2015)

The Witch delivers everything we don't see in horror today. The backdrop, a farm in 17th-century New England, is pure misty, macabre mood. The circumstance, a Puritanical family making it on the fringe of society because they're too religious, bubbles with terror. And the question, whether devil-worshipping is hocus pocus or true black magic, keeps each character on their toes, and begging God for answers. The Witch tests its audience with its (nearly impenetrable) old English dialogue and the (anxiety-inducing) trials of early American life, but the payoff will keep your mind racing, and your face hiding under the covers, for days.

Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

Before taking us to space with Gravity, director Alfonso Cuarón steamed up screens with this provocative, comedic drama about two teenage boys (Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal) road-trippin' it with an older woman. Like a sunbaked Jules and Jim, the movie makes nimble use of its central love triangle, setting up conflicts between the characters as they move through the complicated political and social realities of Mexican life. It's a confident, relaxed film that's got an equal amount of brains and sex appeal. Watch this one with a friend -- or two.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher's period drama is for obsessives. In telling the story of the Zodiac Killer, a serial murderer who captured the public imagination by sending letters and puzzles to the Bay Area press, the famously meticulous director zeroes in on the cops, journalists, and amateur code-breakers who made identifying the criminal their life's work. With Jake Gyllenhaal's cartoonist-turned-gumshoe Robert Graysmith at the center, and Robert Downey Jr.'s barfly reporter Paul Avery stumbling around the margins, the film stretches across time and space, becoming a rich study of how people search for meaning in life. Zodiac is a procedural thriller that makes digging through old manilla folders feel like a cosmic quest.

13th (2016)

Selma director Ava DuVernay snuck away from the Hollywood spotlight to direct this sweeping documentary on the state of race in America. DuVernay's focus is the country's growing incarceration rates and an imbalance in the way black men and women are sentenced based on their crimes. Throughout the exploration, 13th dives into post-Emancipation migration, systemic racism that built in the early 20th century, and moments of modern political history that continue to spin a broken gear in our well-oiled national machine. You'll be blown away by what DuVernay uncovers in her interview-heavy research.

20th Century Women (2016)

If there's such thing as an epistolary movie, 20th Century Women is it. Touring 1970s Santa Barbara through a living flipbook, Mike Mills's semi-autobiographical film transcends documentation with a cast of wayward souls and Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann), an impressionable young teenager. Annette Bening plays his mother, and the matriarch of a ragtag family, who gather together for safety, dance to music when the moment strikes, and teach Jamie the important lesson of What Women Want, which ranges from feminist theory to love-making techniques. The kid soaks it up like a sponge. Through Mills's caring direction, and characters we feel extending infinitely through past and present, so do we.

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onthevirgeofdestruction · 4 years

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Plea for My New Self

Sanders sides Vampire College AU - it’s gay - it’s full of fun fluffy tropes - a bit o’ hurt/comfort - mostly fluff

Words: 4,531 Warnings: Extreme sass, Arguing, Alcohol, Illness mention Characters: Virgil, Roman, Deceit (Logan and Patton Mentioned) Ships: Prinxiety, Anxceit, Eventual LAMPD/CALMD Universe: Plea for my New Self Rating: T Genre: Prinxiety Bickering

Chapter 28: Sir Prize

Chapter 1 for New Readers - ffn mirror

“It’s absolute bullshit, Virgil! No freshman can play the lead role. Ugh! He can’t even waltz! One of us will have to teach him!” Roman shouted, waving his arm in dissatisfaction. Virgil held Roman gently in the middle of the dorm floor while he fumed wildly about the audition results, trying to console him with very little success. He rubbed Roman’s back a while and sighed with exasperation. Just getting him back to their dorm was hard enough. Virgil was still pissed about Mitchell’s bullshit and only just managed to start saying consoling or productive words. He mostly was just hissing and grousing as he guided an enraged Roman across campus to their room. Roman tried to run off to punch things on 4 separate occasions. Virgil nearly let him until he realized Roman would dent or damage whatever he hit, and Virgil wasn’t in the mood to deal with that.

“Well, at least you’re not playing a womanizer,” Virgil rolled his eyes and shifted Roman in his lap to sit more comfortably.

“I was clearly better suited for and more capable of playing Septimus than that Anton jerk!” Roman hissed angrily. Virgil ran his hand through Roman’s hair and continued to try to settle him down.

“I thought so, too, but at least you get to threaten him with a sword,” Virgil offered in solace. Roman looked more interested in that over everything else he’d tried to say to calm him down. He should have known threats of violence were the answer. When weren’t they, really? He knew what he’d like to say to that- nope, nope. Deal with Roman’s anger and his own anger would calm down.

“That is a bonus,” Roman huffed and crossed his arms. “But Septimus’s lines are more fun, and Captain Brice is barely in the play,” Roman groaned bitterly, his fingers balled into fists. Virgil kissed Roman’s forehead and stroked his hair again.

“And you’ll deliver those lines way better than anyone else on the stage, and they’ll see their dire folly,” Virgil cooed, slightly running his nails gently along Roman’s scalp and returning to stroking his back.

“Quit patronizing me, Virge! It’s a travesty of justice!” Roman objected loudly, flailing an arm again in righteous indignation. And people called Virgil a drama queen. Roman was the drama king and Virgil was a drama knight at worst compared to him.

“I’m not patronizing you, I’m giving you the gift of the greatest and most powerful driving force behind all human endeavors. Spite,” Virgil smirked. If nothing else works, appeal to spite. It had always worked for Deceit in the past, anyway. Roman blinked at him for a moment, processing what he said.

“You devious bastard,” A grin broke out and spread slowly across Roman’s face. Roman grabbed Virgil’s head and jerked him forward to kiss him. “Bless you,” He held his face and said emphatically. Virgil hissed facetiously at the blessing. Roman looked shocked and pulled back quickly.

“Sorry, vampire joke,” Virgil chuckled, having amused himself, and lightly scratched Roman’s neck. Roman shivered slightly at the gentle motion.

“You sound exactly like a cat when you really mean it, it’s surprising,” Roman said, looking slightly baffled up at Virgil.

“We can go blow off some steam somewhere, if you like. I know it’s getting late and a school night, but you’ve never seemed to care,” Virgil shrugged. Anything to cheer Roman back up so Virgil wouldn’t go stalk Mitchell and… cheer up Roman. Staying in control was important.

“Get me drunk, Virgil,” Roman held Virgil’s shoulders and stared seriously into Virgil’s eyes.

“What, for real? You sassed the shit out of me when you thought I was drinking under-aged,” Virgil huffed angrily, shaking his head. The audacity of this bitch.

“I never implied that I was free of sin,” Roman crossed his arms, continuing his intense stare.

“Let me guess, you and your brother were teenage bastards and got drunk at house parties?” Virgil took a guess, but he was positive he was right.

“Hey, Remus was the bastard. And it was only a couple of times during my senior year. I’ll have you know I was a perfect gentleman,” Roman glowered at Virgil and held his hand to his chest.

“Nobody is a perfect gentleman drunk. You probably only thought you were,” Virgil rolled his eyes and shifting Roman again so he could reach his upper back to scratch that.

“Excuse me, ladies hung around me like moths to a flame,” Roman said proudly but melted quickly after Virgil started moving his hand.

“I’m sure they just knew you were safe because you’re gay and your eyes or hands never wandered to their anywhere,” Virgil chuckled and started rubbing Roman’s back instead, not wanting to accidentally cut Roman.

“Okay, in hindsight, maybe that’s true. But I never broke any vases or threw anybody into a pool,” Roman said defensively, though his expression was still relaxed.

“Speaking of gay hindsight, are you thinking about coming out of the closet yet?” Virgil asked, gently scratching the back of Roman’s head again.

“I… I don’t know if it’s the right time,” Roman muttered, closing his eyes.

“It’s not like they can cut you off anymore, you already cut yourself off. You’re the one who thinks it’s important,” Virgil reminded him.

“Okay, so I’m nervous about it, so sue me!” Roman shot Virgil a cross look.

“You? Nervous? I don’t believe you,” Virgil laughed airily. Roman swatted him on the arm with a sour look on his face.

“Are you going to get me drunk or not?” Roman pouted, returning his arms to the angrily crossed state.

“Fine, fine, we’ll drink away your casting woes. Do you want me to sneak you in a bar or do you want to just get a hotel room and some high-dollar tequila?” Virgil listed Roman’s options, not feeling like fighting it any longer.

“Oh, I didn’t realize the second one was an option,” Roman hummed, sounding like he was mulling it over.

“We can’t bring alcohol on campus. I’m stealthy but I’m not risking expulsion over you being moody about some guy who can’t even waltz,” Virgil said, tilting his head and rolling his eyes at the ridiculousness of it all.

“Let’s do the high-dollar tequila one, I don’t want to get arrested at a bar,” Roman decided. Probably the better choice of the two.

“Smart. Do you want to invite anybody?” Virgil asked, returning to running his fingers through Roman’s hair and humming contentedly.

“Patton and Logan both don’t approve of under-aged drinking,” Roman frowned. “They’re not up for it and they probably don’t want us doing it either,”

“That’s true,” Virgil shrugged. “And I’m not boozing up the whole drama club minus Anton, I draw the line there. How about D? He’d also find it a travesty that you weren’t cast as the lead,” Virgil suggested with a slight smirk.

“His hobby seems to be embarrassing me, Virge, why would I want to do that?” Roman asked incredulously, tilting his head from side to side.

“Because he is the most affectionate drunk on the planet. He would whisper you sweet nothings instead of you being stuck listening to me make fun of you all night,” Virgil explained his reasoning with a little shrug.

“Oh, are you drinking with me?” Roman raised his eyebrow. So Roman remembered that Virgil was a bitchy drunk. Virgil chuckled through his nose and took Roman’s hand.

“Why wouldn’t I? I’m buying it. I’m not watching you have fun all night, that’d be the real travesty of justice,” Virgil grinned evilly as he watched Roman return to righteous indignation in a second flat.

“No worse than Anton’s acting, I assure you!” Roman blurted irately, glaring at Virgil.

“He’s not that bad, Princey. I thought he was good,” Roman looked extremely offended and made a wide variety of upset noises. “You were better, hands down! But he’ll be good enough,” Roman made a variety of offended noises. “Fine, he’ll be an absolute disaster. So much of a wreck the entire theatre collapses due to his sheer ineptitude,” Virgil rolled his eyes and pulled Roman’s hand up to kiss his knuckles.

“Now you’re definitely patronizing me,” Roman crossed his arms again and scowled. Virgil dropped his hand and pulled him in close for a kiss. He maybe restarted this mess, but he didn’t want Roman to get riled up all over again and turn Virgil into an angry idiot. Roman was sour at first but kissed back after a moment. He didn’t care about the placating words much longer.

“If you want to, text D and ask him if he wants to get drunk with us. I can’t reach my phone without moving you. So get off so I can start looking for a liquor store and a hotel,” Virgil asked him after he pulled away. Roman looked a little dazed and blinked a few times before shaking it off and pulling out his phone. Virgil kissed Roman’s hair while he texted. “So those party examples earlier were very specific. Your brother did break a vase and throw someone in a pool, didn’t he?” Virgil raised his eyebrow.

“Yes, yes, he did. It’s really not a particularly splendid idea to get him drunk,” Roman smiled knowingly. There was probably a story there, and that little smile intrigued Virgil.

“That just makes me want to get him drunk, Princey. Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Virgil laughed. He wanted to see this guy party.

“Your ancient unhinged ass is probably the most dangerous combination with him,” Roman looked a little horrified at the thought. “You must never get him drunk,”

“You know I’m cautious, what makes you say that?” Virgil asked, nearly feeling offended at the implication. Virgil could control himself just fine. Assuming he stayed in control, anyway.

“Because it doesn’t take very much to flip that caution into fuckitville when it comes to low-risk things, and sometimes if you do enough low-risk things the higher risk stuff seems more acceptable. Remus would find a way to change your mind and he’d abuse it,” Roman insisted seriously.

“You’re no fun,” Virgil stuck his tongue out.

“You probably want an excuse to do stupid shit deep down. Remus once jumped off a roof to see if he’d bounce,” Roman motioned to Virgil and looked very convinced he was right.

“Oh, a scientist,” Virgil chuckled. Roman was probably right.

“See?” Roman glared at him, gripping one of Virgil’s shoulders.

“Fine, I trust you! I get that I have a poor sense of boundaries and sometimes imagine brutally murdering people,” Virgil rolled his eyes, taking Roman’s hand again.

“God, Virgil, don’t joke about that,” Roman furrowed his eyebrows at Virgil.

“No, I do. I don’t want to do it. Well, sometimes I do. I know better, anyway,” Virgil shrugged dismissively.

“You should probably feed on me,” Roman said deliberately and nodded.

“Ro, we talked about this. I’m not sure what’s the compulsion and what’s you,” Virgil huffed. This wasn’t the first time this week he brought it up. Roman was probably just trying to wear Virgil down like he always does.

“You’re having murder thoughts and I have tasty tasty blood that solves that problem! Deceit will back me up!” Roman said fiercely, trying to tempt Virgil.

“If he wants to come out with us to a hotel, anyway,” Virgil said dismissively. Deceit would back him up. He did just shove him off the bed to drink from Logan the other day. Murder thoughts just came with the whole package, and D knew that. But D was never afraid to take what he wanted, including what he wanted for Virgil. Roman checked his phone.

“He doesn’t. He wants us to come to get drunk at his apartment,” Roman said, showing Virgil the screen.

“With my baby grand? Sold!” Virgil shot up, still holding onto Roman. “My violin is there too,” Virgil beamed brightly and twisted around, spinning Roman with him.

“Put me down you fucking dork,” Roman said humorously, pushing off of Virgil. Virgil set him down gently. “I want to wear something nice,” Roman went to his closet and started sliding around hangers.

“I thought you were dashing in that silk top,” Virgil winked, watching him dig around in his closet.

“I’ll think about it. It was hard to wash the club smell out of it last time. You should probably put up your hair or it’ll get alcohol in it somehow. It always happened at parties to people with long hair,” Roman suggested and motioned to Virgil’s hair. Virgil hummed in agreement and stepped into the bathroom so he could French braid it in the mirror.

“Will you flit me there?” Roman asked, sounding like he had found something and started changing into it.

“That’s dangerous, Ro, I can’t adjust gravity for anybody but me,” Virgil groaned as he slid his fingers through his hair and pulling it all into a braid.

“Oh, like you’d ever drop me,” Roman huffed disbelieving.

“If I get attacked mid-air I might,” Virgil growled. Roman had absolutely no survival instinct. How did Roman survive this far, exactly?

“How often does that happen?” Roman asked, very obviously poking around for a reasonable place to argue for his cause.

“More often than zero. We should make sure to get you some food to eat,” Virgil said, trying to change the subject. Virgil knew if he let Roman go at it too long, he’d change his mind.

“I can bring some leftovers in a bag. He’s got a fridge, right? I’ve got a half-sub and some penne. I still think you should carry me. It’d be way faster than a car if you’re anywhere close to D’s speed,” Roman changed the subject back. Damnit.

“I’m faster,” Virgil grunted. “Ever so slightly, though. D’s pretty fast for a turned. But you don’t want me to go that fast. Your body isn’t wired for it,” He wrapped the bottom of his hair in a hair tie he dug out of the bottom of his shower bag and started pinning up loose hairs in the mirror.

“Seriously, Virge, more often than zero is probably you saying it doesn’t happen that often,” Roman objected, and he wasn’t wrong. He still was an idiot, though.

“Yeah, it doesn’t, but it’s still dangerous,” Virgil grunted back, making sure everything was in place in the mirror.

“I’ll let you drink my blood,” Roman sang temptingly from the bedroom.

“That’s you getting two things you want, Ro. You’re not fooling me,” Virgil rolled his eyes and slid another hairpin in.

“So you admit that you know I want it and it’s not just the compulsion!” Roman shouted out suddenly. Holy shit, he wasn’t willing to drop either subject.

“Hecate, save me from this evil,” Virgil groaned and ran his hand down his face in frustration.

“Don’t you want to make me happy?” Roman asked sweetly. He was a dog with a bone and he wasn’t letting it the fuck go.

“All the time! I just- augh, you are so frustrating!” Virgil growled. Roman came into the bathroom and wrapped his arms around Virgil, kissing his neck from behind. He had changed into a jewel tone red long sleeve button down with decorative stitching instead of the plain white button-down he auditioned in.

“Do it,” Roman hissed temptingly in his ears, like the evil siren he is.

“I thought your brother was supposed to be the one who was a dangerous combination with me,” Virgil groaned, looking at Roman’s smug face in the mirror. Roman clearly knew he was winning.

“Once again, I never implied I was free of sin,” Roman smirked to Virgil’s reflection. “Wear a dark lip color, you look so good in it,” Roman smiled and kissed Virgil’s neck again. Virgil sighed and changed his makeup to something cleaner and more defined with a dark purple lip. “Stunning. Now take me flying,” Roman demanded.

“You’re very bossy for a sub,” Virgil chided in a low voice and smirked darkly at Roman’s reflection. Roman sputtered wildly, letting go of Virgil. Virgil laughed loudly, holding his sides while Roman babbled partial objections.

“I- I’m not!” Roman eventually stammered out.

“I just wanted to shut you up, Princey,” Virgil smiled and pulled Roman back in, kissing him. “I like the outfit you picked. The embroidery on the sleeves is very classy,” Virgil felt the stitching on Roman’s top. It was flimsy as best, but it looked nice.

“Thanks,” Roman blushed and rubbed his arm a little sheepishly. “I hope Pat’s figured out shielding better or they’re probably very confused right now,” He mused.

“I’m 100% positive you confuse them on at least an hourly basis. But this is what they wanted,” Virgil shrugged, grabbing Roman’s hand and leading him out of the bathroom, then twirling him around the middle of the dorm floor.

“An hourly basis? Please. You’re at least as bad as me. You freaked out because found a song you really liked earlier,” Roman objected as he spun into Virgil’s chest. Virgil pulled him in and pouted.

“It was a really good song,” Virgil growled defensively.

“And that organ at the theatre? You’re a massively irredeemable music nerd,” Roman kissed his cheek. “Come on, take me by foot,” Roman pestered him again, but it was clear in Roman’s tone he already knew he’d won.

“Fine, but I’m leaving you alone on a roof while I pick up the alcohol,” Virgil grunted in concession.

“And put on a flowy blouse,” Roman smiled sweetly.

“Oh, my hallowed Hecate. I need Pat around with you at all times. You’re like a shoulder devil unopposed all by yourself,” Virgil sighed dramatically and let go of Roman to go change tops.

“You don’t seem that resistant,” Roman crossed his arms and shifted his weight to one foot while he watched. “You’re not really going to leave me alone on a roof, are you?” He asked as Virgil found a blouse that matched the description, still black of course, and pulled off his hoodie and shirt to change.

“Oh, absolutely. You’d rather be left alone in a dark alley?” Virgil smiled mischievously before sliding on the new top.

“Of course not!” Roman said, very irritated.

“They smell absolutely splendiferous, you’ll love it. Nothing like the smell of roofing tar and gravel in the middle of a city,” Virgil said smarmily and smirked before pulling Roman back in.

“You’re an absolute bastard,” Roman grunted.

“And you’re a terrible influence,” Virgil smiled, and they kissed again. Virgil assaulted Roman’s face with a 62 little kisses and Roman’s expression melted into a sweet expression with a little giggle in his throat.

“How do you get up to the roof to leave, anyway? They lock the door there,” Roman mused after a moment of finding his bearings.

“I just pick it. So does Deceit. I’ve never met a vampire who couldn’t pick a lock,” Virgil twirled Roman around again.

“That’s objectively terrifying,” Roman said, looking very concerned when he came back.

“So am I,” Virgil flashed his fangs. “You’re just an idiot and Patton’s got kinks,” Virgil said derisively.

“What about Logan, then?” Roman huffed, surprisingly not objecting to being an idiot this time.

“Intellectually curious. He normally has the good sense to keep his space. But also I think he might have a thing for goths,” Virgil shrugged. “Pack some food for your human intestines,” Roman sighed and went to the fridge to pull out some leftovers. Virgil grabbed a bag out of his closet and tossed it in Roman’s way. Virgil watched him pack the food, feeling pretty satisfied with himself. He knew how to make Princey shut up about wanting to go flitting again.

“To the rooftop, your majesty?” Virgil held out his hand. Roman lightly rolled his eyes but took Virgil’s hand, anyway.

They locked up and headed out of their dorm and up the stairwell. Roman didn't whine about taking the stairs for once, even though there were a few flights to climb. When they got to the top of the stairs, Roman crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, motioning to the door with his arm and looking unimpressed. Virgil flipped a sharp pin set out from behind his ear and listened for the tumblers, picking the lock swiftly. He opened the door and bowed, holding it open for Roman with his arm outstretched.

“You’re such a fucking show off,” Roman groaned, but he was clearly impressed.

“I just like seeing your dumbfounded face,” Virgil slid the pins back into place and checked to make sure the straps of the bag were tight enough before pulling Roman up into his arms. “Do not let go of my neck under any circumstances or I’m never doing this again,” Virgil hissed. Roman wrapped his legs around Virgil’s Torso and nodded. Virgil supported him and held him close.

“Oh, so this isn’t a one-time thing?” Roman smiled knowingly.

“I think you’ve proved your point about how I’m an idiot,” Virgil held Roman tightly and walked to the edge of the roof. “You swear you don’t have vertigo, right? I don’t want to get thrown up on,”

“I would have gotten sick when you first roller-coaster’d me,” Roman replied blithely.

“Great,” Virgil grinned mischievously and held his foot off the edge of the roof.

“What are you doing?” Roman screeched at Virgil and gripped tighter. Virgil stepped off the roof. They dropped and Roman screamed in terror. Virgil reoriented against the building and pushed off two stories down and Roman possibly tried to choke Virgil out in anger with how hard he was squeezing.

“You think it’s a smart idea to choke a person who’s got you 12 stories up?” Virgil laughed as he jumped off the next building.

“You absolute fucking basilisk!” Roman screamed as Virgil bounded again, lifting his gravity and jumping higher.

“This is what you wanted, Princey,” Virgil cackled in delight. That shut him up for sure.

“I wanted you to jump off a roof, not fall off of one!” Roman retorted, his expression completely enraged. To his credit, other than futilely trying to choke Virgil in revenge, he hadn’t let go.

“I’ve jumped off multiple roofs,” Virgil said smugly, making sure Roman was secure in his arms.

“You know what I meant, you bastard,” Roman hissed furiously.

“Enjoy the ride, Princey, you’re the one who was pushing for this,” Virgil cackled again, jumping into the skyline.

“Promise to not do that again!” Roman demanded. Probably fairly.

“I have to do that sometimes,” Virgil knew he was being a smartass, but Roman’s reaction was just too good to stop.

“Then warn me!” Roman growled his revised demands.

“Fine,” Virgil laughed. He only intended to scare him like that once, anyway.

“Jump the next one backwards, I want to see,” Roman requested, much less crossly this time.

“You’re an absolute madlad,” Virgil shook his head and complied. Roman cheered excitedly and Virgil faced forward again before landing. Maybe it was worth it to make him this happy. Roman’s enjoyment was addictive. He really didn’t feel things by halves.

—

Roman groaned on the living room couch at Deceit’s. It served him right for telling Virgil to speed up. Virgil smiled and wrapped Deceit up into his arms and cherished kissing him ‘hello’. Deceit hummed happily and kissed back.

“You wanted to get here fast, Princey,” Virgil sassed Roman after pulling away. Virgil smiled like an idiot, happy to be back in Deceit’s arms and held him close.

“I also wanted to keep my intestines where they are, but I suppose it was too much to ask,” Roman groaned, grabbing a throw pillow and falling over, holding it tightly to himself.

“It’s just some lag, you’ll clear up in a moment. I’ll get you some cold water,” Virgil said and kissed Deceit’s temple before letting go to grab one of his mugs from the cabinet. Virgil dispensed some ice water from the fridge for Roman and tossed Roman’s food in the fridge. Virgil put it down on the coffee table for Roman when he got back up and deposited the bag on the floor. He yanked Deceit down on to the couch with him, wrapping his arms around Deceit and pressing a kiss into his neck.

“So what did you bring to drink, darling?” Deceit asked, eying the backpack next to Deceit’s coffee table.

“Whiskey, tequila, and rum,” Virgil smiled into Deceit’s hair.

“You did always prefer having options,” Deceit smirked. “The French braid is cute, love,” Deceit angled his head to steal another kiss. “You’ve only got 30 minutes until you can’t play anymore, so perhaps you should serenade us while Roman’s intestines settle back into place,” Deceit smirked when Roman failed to throw a punch at him and moaned weakly into the couch again.

“Promise you’ll take us back to the dorms slower, you rapscallion,” Roman groaned pitifully, pointing shakily to Virgil.

“We can take a car back if you want,” Virgil offered. He didn’t mind going slower, Roman was the one who wanted to speed up in the first place.

“Don’t even talk about motion right now,” Roman grumbled. He was the one who brought it up, but Roman was the one suffering. Virgil stroked Roman’s hair gently, feeling bad for him.

“If you throw up on my couch you are cleaning it up,” Deceit said haughtily, wrapping his arms around Virgil’s arm.

“Okay, I’ll throw up in your shoes,” Roman shot back. A-plus rebuttal. Deceit glared at Virgil for that errant thought. Virgil just smiled smarmily back.

“Do you want to lie in bed, Ro?” Virgil asked, checking on Roman as he stroked his hair.

“If you lift me again you die,” Roman hissed weakly. It was so damn cute when humans pretended to be scary. Deceit chuckled and nodded in agreement.

“I’ll carry you, you massive idiot,” Deceit rolled his eyes and got up, scooping up Roman slowly and taking him into the bedroom. Roman whined feebly, but he probably wanted to lie in bed or D wouldn’t have bothered moving him. Virgil got up and headed to the spare room to grab his violin and checked on it carefully. He made sure the strings were tuned and ran the bow across them, checking on the sound. Virgil walked over to the bedroom and Roman was laying back, looking much less distressed, and Deceit was leaning back on the edge of the bed.

“Requests?” Virgil asked, picking somewhere in the room not too close to Deceit to start playing.

“Partita No. 2,” Deceit suggested smoothly, crossing his legs.

“I haven’t touched a violin in over a month and you want me to play that?” Virgil rolled his eyes.

“I doubt you’re out of practice. Woo me, love,” Deceit smiled and folded his hands, the challenge clear in his tone.

“You just like torturing me,” Virgil huffed and pulled the violin in position to play.

“I never said I didn’t,” Deceit smiled and Virgil stood upright and started to play.

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cup-half-full-of-anxiety · 4 years

Text

Taron Fic - Working Title (Chapter Three)

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Authers Note:

I promise a title will come soon, not sure why it has been so hard for me to come up with one for this. I’ll also be updating again in the next couple of days. I have chapter four done and since my family is going to be in town for the Thanksgiving holiday so I will be busy but I want to give you lovelies a little some some early.

A little Taron in this. More in the next chapter.

The next 4 days flew by with the wind. Eleanor had pouted when Adelaide first sat her down and told her she would be going away for work for a little while. It had been a year since she had had to travel for gigs. Most of the productions she had been lucky enough to be a part of were in California.

“I don’t want you to go” Eleanor’s lip quivered as she finally stood in front of her mom, saying goodbye at LAX. Adelaide knelt to her level.

“I know Little Bird but remember what I told you” She gave a squeeze to the teddy bear Eleanor was clutching, trying to get her to look at her. The toy she had made for her out of an old t-shirt before she was born held the little girl’s attention.

“You are going to stay with Gran for a few weeks and then you guys are going to come be with mommy” She reminded her.

“Why can’t I just come with you now?” Elea rubbed her eye sleepily; it was far too early for her liking.

“Because Darling, mommy has some adult things she needs to take care of before you come out” Adelaide kissed her forehead.

“I promise we will talk every day; we can facetime at night so I can read you a bedtime story. Then, before you know it you and Gran will be in London with me” She smiled reassuringly as she wiped the few tears from her daughter’s cheek.

Adelaide stood up to hug her mom.

“Thank you for everything”

“I’m always here for you my Little Bird” Margret gave her a tight squeeze.

She quickly checked her watch.

“I should get going” She said, giving one last hug to the two most important women in her life.

“You be good for your Gran” She kissed Eleanor one more time and headed to check-in.

Adelaide has made the flight from both LAX and Detroit Metro Airport to London more times then she can count but no matter how many times she did, her stomach would always end up in knots over the whole thought of flying over the ocean so once she was old enough to she took on her mother’s pre-flight ritual. 2 bloody Mary’s at the airport bar. Lucky for her all those flights also awarded her the luxury of having access to the Virgin Air upper-class lounge, she had herself tucked into a comfy chair in the corner of the lounge, drink on the table next to her and her laptop out going over files Tilly had emailed her in regards to the make-up department.

Mockups and ideas for the outfits for the productions. Digital renderings of how they wanted Taron to appear to age. He would start playing Elton at the age of 17 and into his early 40s. She jotted down her ideas for some of the looks that came across, she couldn’t help but laugh as she imagined Taron in some of the costumes.

She kept Tilly updated during her hour-long wait to board her flight. Tilly let her know that Matthew had announced to the crew yesterday that she had joined on to the production. She had to wonder if her name had gotten back to Taron, how he felt about her joining on but then Tilly told her that Taron had been gone for the week working on some last-minute stuff for the Robin Hood film he had coming out soon. She was almost relieved he didn’t know yet.

“Now boarding flight VS5178 Los Angeles to London-Heathrow Departing on time at 8:34”

Downing the last of her bonus third bloody Mary and feeling good, Adelaide packed away her laptop and made her way for the gate.

Just a little over 10 more hours and she would be back in her second home.

Tilly unsurprisingly showed up to Heathrow with a giant sign that read:

‘Welcome home from rehab

It works if you work it’

“I really should hate you” Adelaide laughed as she hugged her best friend a little tighter than necessary. She even received a few pats on the back and a thumbs up from a few random strangers that had read the sign.

“You should but you just can’t” Tilly smiled in return.

“Let’s get your shit and get out of this bloody zoo” She flung Adelaide’s carry on over her shoulder and began marching in the direction of the baggage claim.

After a game of real-life Tetris, all of Adelaide’s bags were packed into Tilly’s car. It was bad enough having to pack for a few months’ worth of life but also having to pack all her make-up and supplies she brought to every film she worked on made it even harder.

“I am so happy your Gran is bougie enough to have an elevator in her house. There was no way I was carrying any of this upstairs” Tilly joked as she slammed the trunk closed.

The 40-minute drive to her Gran’s home in Chelsea was filled with laughter and singing. No matter how long the two of them were apart, once they were back together it was like no time had passed.

The girls stopped off at Starbucks for some energy. They knew the adrenalin they were feeling from being reunited wouldn’t last long and neither of them was the perkiest of morning people. After 2 elevator trips, the bags were in and Adelaide and Tilly plopped down onto the plush couches.

“We have to go shopping” Tilly said as she adjusted herself on the couch, her legs dangling over the armrest, a throw pillow under her head.

“For what?” Adelaide asked as she laid in the same position on the oversized chair, sending a text to her mom.

Made it to Grans. Call me when you wake up <3 -A

It was only 1am in LA so she knew a reply wasn’t coming anytime soon.

“We need to get you an outfit for the cast and crew mixer this weekend”

“What are you talking about? We just brought up 6 suitcases, 4 of those are filled with clothes, shoes, bags and accessories and my personal make-up, thankfully I have extra work supplies here or I’d have another 2 bags. Why on earth would I need to go shopping?”

Tilly gave her a ‘duh’ look.

“Cause we need to go find the perfect outfit to show off those hot mom-curves you have now so we can get you and your man back together” She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Adelaide sat up in the chair and looked at Tilly.

“Tilly that’s not why I am here. Would I be happy if it did? Yes, but I am here for Eleanor. I am here to finally tell Taron the truth. Outside of making money to support my daughter and our life, this is not for me.”

“And I respect that, but please let me just have one night to have my ‘Parent Trap moment’ as you put it the other day. You’re doing this whole thing for them. Let me do this part for you”

Adelaide gave her best friend a very annoyed mother look, but she gave in.

She throws her hands up.

“Fine”

How could she say no to shopping with her fashion-forward friend?

Giving in is how she found herself, 2-days later standing next to the bar of The Sky Garden in a peony-print long-sleeved mini dress, a black clutch in hand and a pair of black Jimmy Choo’s that helped show off her legs and bum, Tilly’s favorite of her physical attributes as she always made sure to remind her.

She was waiting for Tilly to make her way back from the restroom while she waited on their drinks. She messed with her naturally wild curls that now hung tamed just below her ears, her brown roots fading to blonde ends. Her makeup was flawless as always, eyebrows arched for the Gods’, the smoky green eye shadow matching the green in the flowers on her dress also brought out the green in her eyes. Her lips painted in a matte taupe color, she was not a conceded person, but she knew she was beautiful, she had worked hard for it and she took pride in making herself look good.

Having been at the party for close to an hour now, Adelaide had met a few members of her make-up team; everyone was so welcoming. She had been introduced to Jamie Bell and Brice Dallas Howard. She hadn’t seen Richard yet but him she knew from meeting through mutual friends in LA when she was first getting back onto the scene. They had kept in mild contact.

The venue for the party was incredible, the 38-story building showed a breathtaking view of the city. The Sky Garden took up 3 of those story’s, overlooking the River Thames. It was magical but the anxious feeling clawing at the back of Adelaide’s mind kept her from fully enjoying everything. She knew Taron could show up at any minute and she was trying to prepare herself for that.

“Hey Ladie” She jumped slightly when Tilly tapped her shoulder. She turned around, taking in Tilly and the man standing next to her that she knew from photos to be Dexter Fletcher the director.

“I wanted to introduce you to Dex before everything gets too crazy tonight” She laughed.

“Dex this is Adelaide DeFay, one of my oldest mates and the best make-up designer I know. Ladie, this is Dexter Fletcher our fearless leader”

“It is an honor to get to work with you Mr. Fletcher. I am a fan of your work” Adelaide put her hand out to shake.

“What’s this mister bit?” Dax asked in his gravelly voice “Mister is my old man, I’m just Dex here. It is lovely to meet you darling” He took her hand, giving a firm shake before pulling her into a hug.

His ringing cellphone pulled him away.

“Oh, it’s our leading man” Adelaide froze when Dexter looked at his phone, he was none the wiser. “If you’ll excuse me ladies. Must see what has the boy held up.” He said before answering the phone.

“T!” he greeted as he walked away.

“I need to go outside” Adelaide said quickly, grabbing her clutch and leaving Tilly and their drinks behind.

She stood looking over the side of the balcony, hands grasping the railing. She took in a deep breath in through her nose, holding for a 3 count and breathing out for a 5 count. She needed to get her thoughts under control. When it felt like her heart was beating at a normal rate she turned around, seeing Tilly had made her way out, sitting at one of the tables with their drinks.

“Figured you might need this” She said as she gestured to the forgotten Gin and Tonic.

“I think a joint might help more” she joked.

“Ohh a joint. It has been years since I smoked weed. I think it was back when you were working on Guardians, that lighting guy from California had it. Man, those were the good old days” Tilly reminisced.

“If we knew then what we know now”

They fell into a comfortable silence, but it only lasted a few moments. Sudden cheers from inside pulled their attention. Everyone began to gather, facing the elevators, blocking both Tilly and Adelaide’s view but neither of them needed to see to know what was going on.

Taron had arrived.

The panic rose again in Adelaide.

“I can’t do this” she said suddenly. She stood up, her eyes wildly looking around for a way to exit but unless she had a parachute stashed in her clutch the only exit was blocked by the exact reason she wanted to leave.

“I can’t do this” she repeated.

Tilly stood in front of her, one hand holding her shoulder, the other on her cheek making her look her in the eyes.

“Yes you can. Breathe with me”

Tilly had worked Adelaide through plenty of panic attacks over the course of their friendship, she was one of the only people that knew how to bring her back when everything else seemed too much. Her and one other person but for the past 5 years, that person has been the main cause of them.

“Breathe in 1-2-3, breathe out 1-2-3-4-5. Repeat. Breathe in 1-2-3, breathe out 1-2-3-4-5”

Tilly spoke softly

“Remember you are doing this for Eleanor”

“Breathe in 1-2-3, breathe out 1-2-3-4-5”

Her breathing finally leveled back out

“I don’t know what I would do without you” Adelaide finally felt like she could speak again.

She pecked Tilly’s lips

“Thank you”

“I am going to go in and get us both another drink” Tilly told her “Do you want to come in and get some food or are you fine out here?” She asked.

“I am going to wait out here” She answered but her attention had been pulled. Tilly watches as Adelaide’s eyes locked on Taron’s frame when he came into view. He was dressed so handsome in what looks like navy blue pants and blazer with a white button-up, the top few buttons were undone. He looked as amazing as ever.

Adelaide watched him as he weaved in and out of the crowd. She couldn’t help but smile as she watched him smile, listening intently to each person that he talked to. It was one of the characteristics she had fallen in love with. Taron knew just how to make someone feel like the center of the universe.

She gasped when his eyes suddenly swept the balcony as he moved to another group, he looked right at her for a moment then moved away, she turned away quickly before she saw him doubletake, but he shook his head.

Just another moment of wishful thinking on his part. 5 Years and he stilled looked for her face in the women around.

When Adelaide turned back, he had already moved on. Lost in the sea of people.

She jumped for the second time tonight from Tilly tapping her shoulder.

“Hey Frogger, need another?” Tilly teased

She thankfully accepted the drink.

Taron stood talking to Jamie and Richard for a moment. A drink hanging loosely in his hand. It had been a great night. He really was excited to get the ball rolling on filming. He had put so much work into this project already, he couldn’t wait to show the world, but he also wanted it to last forever.

“Croatia may be one of the most beautiful places I have gotten a chance to shoot” Richard added to their conversation.

“Ah I haven’t been there yet. Would love to vacation” Jamie said, “Didn’t you film some of Robin Hood there mate?” he asked Taron

“Yeah, it was bloody cold while we were there, but it was beautiful” he answered just before his attention was pulled away. He watched as a curly head of hair made its way through the crowd from the bar and out the revolving doors onto the balcony. It was the second time he had been drawn to her; he didn’t catch her face this time though.

“Oh no, blokes got eyes for the new head of make-up” Jamie joked as he nudged Richard and pointed out toward Adelaide.

Taron watched her walk up behind another woman, when the woman turned around to accept a drink from her, he saw that it was Tilly. He hadn’t bumped into her yet tonight. He was excited to be working with an old friend on a project that meant so much to him. It would make things more relaxing to have as many people he cared about around him.

“Oh yeah, that’s Adelaide. She just signed on a few days ago” Richard filled in the blank and Taron’s blood ran cold.

“Adelaide?” he asked, his voice sounding miles away.

“Yeah, Adelaide DeFay. She’s an amazing make-up artist. You should introduce your self at some point tonight” Richard said.

“Yeah. Introduce myself. Ha” Taron mumbled as he walked away from the guys, his body on autopilot as he made his way to the balcony.

Richard and Jamie were left puzzled.

Tilly’s smile dropped as she looked over Adelaide’s shoulder, Taron stepped out of the revolving door onto the balcony, his face as if he just saw a ghost.

“Doll?”

Tilly moved like lightning, grabbing Adelaide’s glass as it slipped from her hand at the sound of his voice.

“Is...is that you?”

Chapter 4

@xceafh

#Taron Egerton #Taron x Reader #taron egerton fanfiction #fanfiction #rocketman

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fly-flower-fanfics · 5 years

Text

Sleepless Nights

Bruce Banner x Male Reader

Warnings: None

~~~~~~~~~~~

I laid on the roof outside my bedroom window, my arms folded behind my head. The stars twinkled above me, dancing on the black blanket that was the night sky. It wasn't too cold or hot, and there was a gentle breeze.

I couldn't sleep for the life of me, and I was bored as hell. It was three o'clock in the morning, but my internal clock was fucked. I stretched and reached a hand up towards the sky, turning it invisible.

I liked playing with my invisibility, but sometimes I forgot that I was doing it. It was rather comedic when I'd be watching something on TV at the Stark Towers, accidentally invisible, and someone would come in and change it. I'd yell at them, and they'd lose their shit before yelling at me in return.

I pushed myself up into a sitting position and climbed back through my window. What was there to do? Maybe I could make something to eat. It's not like I had anything better to do.

I quietly tip-toed down the hall, making sure not to wake up Bruce. He was my best friend and sometimes stayed over when he didn't necessarily want to be in the Tower. He's been more stressed lately, and I was able to calm him and keep the Other Guy away sometimes. It didn't always work, but at least out here, there wasn't anyone else to get injured. Just a bunch of trees.

In the kitchen, I dug around in the refrigerator for some milk and grabbed a bowl and some cereal. Call me lazy, but I didn't feel like cooking at this hour. I put the milk away after I was done with it so it wouldn't go bad, but I left the box out just in case I wanted more to eat.

I set the bowl on the island in the middle of my kitchen and proceeded to climb on top of it as well. Sitting cross-legged, I grabbed the bowl and started eating. I only paused when I heard shuffling coming from down the hall.

Bruce entered the kitchen, his hands balled around the sleeves of his worn-out, grey pajama sweater. It nearly covered the boxers he was wearing. His eyes looked up at me, and his eyebrows furrowed in before a small smile spread over his lips.

"I see a floating bowl of cereal."

I looked down and noticed that Bruce was right: I was invisible. I set the bowl down and made myself visible before jumping off the island.

"What're you doing up, Bruce?" I asked.

I walked closer to him and met his eyes. They were a bit unfocused since he had just woken up, but they were also sad and frightened.

"I, um, I had a nightmare," he mumbled.

I took his covered hands in mine and rubbed my thumbs over the back of them. Bruce's nightmares seemed to be getting worse lately, and I didn't know how to stop them. I just would hold him through them.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Tears clouded Bruce's eyes as he shook his head. My heart broke at the sight, and I pulled him into a hug.

I hated it when Bruce cried. Low and behold, my gay ass developed a huge crush on the teddy bear. There were things that I understood better than most, and it lead to my feelings developing past a friendship.

"Could, uh, could-could I sleep with you tonight..?" Brice asked after we had separated. He refused to meet my eyes, and his cheeks were coated in a bright red.

"Oh, Bruce... of course you can. C'mon, let's go."

I offered my hand to him, and he took it. The two of us walked back down the hall to my bedroom, and I sat him on my bed.

"Arms up," I instructed, but he only looked at me.

"Why?"

"Your sweater will kill me while we sleep," I replied.

Bruce only replied by tightening his grip on the material balled up in his hands.

"Bruce, listen." I knelt in front of him and gave him a smile. "Why would I make fun of you? If you can accept me for me with this-" I gestured to the top surgery scars on my exposed chest. "Then I can accept you for you, too."

He didn't reply or say anything. He stayed quiet, contemplating for a moment or two.

"If you want to keep it on, I won't make you go shirtless. I just ask if you would put on a short sleeve shirt. I have a thing about long sleeves in bed..."

I knew it was a weird phobia, but I was always afraid that the sleeves would somehow choke me in my sleep, even if I wasn't the one wearing it.

"And you can accept me for my weird ass phobia of sleeves."

This caused Bruce to laugh a little as I stood back up. His laugh sounded like an angel's. I wish it wouldn't ever stop.

"Okay," he said softly, easing his arms over his head.

"Do you want another shirt?" I asked as I slipped the material off of him.

"No...no it's okay."

I climbed into bed next to him, and he laid down. I nearly burst out laughing: he was laying there like a board.

"You big idiot, I'm just me. I'm not gonna bite unless you want me to."

My words caused Bruce's cheeks to flush again, and I pulled him closer to me.

"Lay your head on my chest. Drape your arm over my stomach. You'll be more comfortable."

He followed my instructions, and I instantly felt his body relax more. I combed my fingers through his moppy hair and used my other hand to rub his back.

"Better?"

"Better..."

His grip around my waist tightened a little, and he stretched himself out, laying his one leg over mine. God, he's so perfect.

"Now try and sleep. I'm right here, okay? I'll be here for any other nightmares."

Bruce nodded, and I smiled softly down at him. I combed my fingers through his hair for what felt like hours. His breathing had become soft, and his body laid still. Eventually, I, too, fell asleep with my fingers still tangled up in his hair.

I wasn't quite sure when I woke up, but Bruce was still in my arms. A sigh of relief left my lips, knowing he didn't have anymore nightmares from the night before.

"You talk in your sleep."

I was a bit startled by Bruce's voice because I didn't think he was awake yet. This earned a soft chuckle from the sleepy genius.

"Oh, y-yeah. Sometimes."

He tilted his head and looked up at me, his eyes seeming to stare right into my soul before he blushed and looked away again.

That filled my heart with love and dread. Fuck. I probably embarrassed the hell out of myself.

"Did I wake you up with it?"

"Oh, no. I was already pretty much awake when you starts talking. We held a nice conversation, actually," Bruce said, slowly untangling his body from mine.

Jesus. Christ.

"What did we talk about?" I asked, hesitantly.

"You know... stuff..."

Bruce didn't look at me this time, sitting on the edge of the bed and obscuring my view of his face.

"Bruce..."

"Wetalkedaboutsexuality," he rushed out.

"We talked about wha- oh. Oh..."

I hadn't ever told Bruce I was gay; it was just something that I didn't talk about. I did make a couple jokes here and there, so I assumed that he knew through that. By the tone of his voice, I'm assuming he didn't pick up on it.

"You told me, um... you-you told me you...you loved me."

My heart stopped, and I felt myself disappear. I wished I could do more than just be invisible.

"Well, well yeah. Of course I love you. You're m-"

"Not that way. You know what I mean."

I closed my eyes, tugging on my hair as I pushed myself into a sitting position. Fuck me up the ass and call me Tony.

"Did you mean it...?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"Yeah..." My voice was softer than his.

Bruce looked over his shoulder to face me, his eyes sad when he realized I was invisible. He reached his hand out along the covers to search for me. His wrist bumped into my knee, and he carefully placed a hand on it.

"Let me see you."

"Bruce, I-I don't-"

"I want to tell your face before I lose the guts to do it."

I swallowed thickly and allowed myself to become visible again. Bruce turned and reached up to cup my cheeks.

"I love you, too."

Tears pooled in my eyes. After being made fun of for years, fighting my own personal demons, there was someone out there that loved me for me.

"God, Bruce..."

I reached forward and cupped his cheeks before pressing my lips into his. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it was the best kiss that I had ever had.

"S-so I'm assuming you'd-you'd be okay with being m-my boyfriend?"

I laughed and pressed a soft kiss to his nose.

"Bruce, I'd be more than okay with it. I love you. God, I love you."

I pulled him into a hug and made him lay down with me.

We spent the next couple hours talking about ourselves, things like limits and what frightened us. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge, but it was one I was prepared for and one I wouldn't lose.

#bruce banner #bruce banner fanfiction #bruce banner oneshot #gay bruce banner #gay #lgbt #oneshot #marvel #marvel fanfiction #bruce #banner #x male reader #brucer banner x male reader

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smolbeandrabbles · 5 years

Text

Envy: I Drive Your Truck - Robin x Reader (The Place Beyond The Pines)

Perhaps forever my favourite Robin gif

Look I can’t even with this okay. He is LITERALLY my sunshine. And he makes my day! Author’s Note: So. My mum decided to jump on the request band wagon and I could hardly pass up that... could I? She gave me the vague plot and the song “I Drive Your Truck” by Lee Brice and here we are! Even though I can’t really imagine my baby being envious of anyone...?? Like he just... he’s too pure!!!... I think this really works!

Disclaimer: TPBTP Characters are not mine (if they were Robin would have had all the screen time, but also thank god because I don’t think I ever could have written this ray of Sunshine myself...)

Premise: When he’d lost Luke Glanton... Robin also lost you... When Luke’s birthday rolls around, he’s determind to do something about it.

Words: 3393

Warnings: none of note - drinking / mentions of death otherwise

This thing burns gas like crazy, but that’s alright People got their ways of coping Oh, and I’ve got mine

I drive your truck I roll every window down and I burn up Every back road in this town I find a field, I tear it up Till all the pain’s a cloud of dust Yeah, sometimes I drive your truck

I leave that radio playing Same old country station where you left it Yeah, man I crank it up And you’d probably punch my arm right now If you saw this tear rolling down on my face Hey, man I’m trying to be tough And someone asked me this morning, if I’d been by your grave But that stone ain’t where I feel you anyway

I’ve cussed, I’ve prayed, I’ve said goodbye Shook my fist and asked God why These days when I’m missing you this much I drive your truck

---

noun

A feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or luck.

Robin twisted the keys between his fingers again as he stared at the Toyota truck. This was all around a bad idea… He bit his lip and turned back to his office, No! He couldn’t do that either. This was about the one time of the year he would know exactly where you were and wouldn’t awkwardly bump into you around town, or any time you came down here to have your car serviced. Which wasn’t often these days. Like you were avoiding him. Like you didn’t want to see him. Which he was sure you didn’t… He took a deep breath. Today was Luke Glanton’s birthday. He only knew that because you had told him, he’d never asked Luke himself. And Luke was no longer around, but every time his birthday rolled another year you would visit his grave. Robin desperately wanted to see you… And he’d counted down the days to Luke’s birthday for weeks. But now it was here he was also incredibly nervous. For him there was nowhere closer to Luke Glanton than this truck and you…

*** The drive was long, because he drove it so slow. Reminiscing on all the conversations he’d ever had in it with Luke... with you... with both of you. You sometimes sitting in the bed of the truck and screaming at them both when they went a little too fast, or swerved a little too hard. “HELLO!! NO SEAT BELTS!!!” And them both howling with laughter and apologising, even though they’d clearly done it on purpose.

When he finally had to indicate to roll into the cemetery Robin felt a pang in his heart that almost made him turn the truck back around. He wasn’t sure what really compelled him to keep it running down the little track into a secluded and quiet parking lot. But his heart stopped at the sight of the iridescent blue motorcycle parked under the shade of a tree. It almost perfectly matched the blue of his quadbike. Almost but not quite. Just like your relationship. Almost but not quite. Because he’d introduced you to Luke Glanton. Even though Luke was still in love with the mother of his son, it couldn’t have been more obviously to Robin that you had feelings for him. That look in your eyes when you talked to him, the way you would laugh at nearly everything he said, and smile. Hanging onto his words. You never talked to Robin like that, or laughed at Robin like that, or gave him your smile... in fact sometimes Robin thought he was lucky if he could get you to talk to him at all.

And after Luke died, you stopped hanging out with him. So if that didn’t make it extremely obvious, Robin wasn’t sure what did. He tilted his head and took a breath, this was stupid. Really stupid. He should just leave. Why was he trying to get caught up in this again? He knew how you made him feel. He’d tried to bury it. A billion times. And it never worked. Not alone... but he couldn’t bury it with someone else either... that just wasn’t in Robin’s nature. Now he knew he second he saw your face he was going the dredge it all back up again. Sickeningly he realised as he pulled his truck up next to your bike, he didn’t care in the slightest. He swung out of his car and lit up. Maybe that would help calm him down, maybe he would feel even sicker…

Robin trudged down the path way feeling uneasy. When he figured that the cigarette didn’t make him feel worse, he continued to take drags in the hope it would help calm his nerves. But then there you were... and nothing could help him now. And he could yell at himself inside his head all he wanted but, he knew that wouldn’t work either. You were sitting where he thought you would be; talking out loud, to Luke, to yourself... it didn’t matter. He slowed his walk right down, continuing to watch you. Now he had to think of something to say to you. Of a reason to be here better than the one he had. You looked up and your eyes locked with his. You’d spotted someone in your peripheral vision but you never expected it to be him. Robin froze in his tracks, cigarette half way to his lips. You didn’t expect him here. In all the years you’d been doing this Robin must have stopped by once.

You had to look away from him for a minute; out across the gravestones, cheeks burning. You took a deep breath and looked back to him, gently beckoning him over with a tip of your head. Here we go again... You hadn’t seen him properly, like you used to, since Luke’s death. And still - you had feelings for a man who would rather be around Luke than around you. You were almost certain he didn’t like you around Luke either, and you didn’t know how you were supposed to cope in each other’s presence without the third man in the room. Before Luke it was easy. You’d never call Robin a friend, he just fixed your truck. But you would always stay for ages and just talk and talk and talk, even after he’d long fixed the problem. Sometimes it wasn’t even a real problem but your crush had you running to him about it anyway. “It’s just a scratch in the paintwork Y/N... what do you want me to do about it?!” “Robin! You said you could fix A-N-Y-thing!” “You can fix that one yourself-!” “But I don’t know how-!!” “-Don’t know how?! Darlin’ they been teaching you the wrong things...”

When Luke arrived that changed. Luke talked to you a lot, you liked Luke. Hanging out with him was easy. He was the kind of man you could see on weekends, and sometimes you did. But Robin, whatever unfathomable thing you had with him, receded into pretty much “hi, here’s my keys” and “bye” But he would always watch you and Luke... You’d tried talking to him about it but that wasn’t always easy. And you weren’t about to straight up confess a bunch of things in front of Luke Glanton-! Luke knew, because you’d told him. Maybe once. And you weren’t sure if he’d really listened or laughed it off. But if he’d ever done anything about it, it had only made things worse. The best you got now was awkward “you weren’t meant to see me here” interactions on the street... Robin was almost a stranger to you now and it hurt. Robin, the man who after about 5 minutes of knowing a guy offered him a place to stay and a job. You should have known then or were stupid for thinking this could work out....

He sat tentatively on the other side of Luke’s grave to you. Between us, as ever… Neither of you looked at each other as he stubbed out his cigarette on the low concrete wall. “It’s been a while, Robin.” “Yeah… But… I figured you’d be here…” You smiled at the clouds “…Because I’m here every year?” “Mmm hmmm…” You kept ‘Oh, so you do have some interest in me?’ firmly down where it belonged. Deep inside of you, and a shameful thing to think. So instead you laughed; “I guess we are due a catch up…” you stuffed your hands into the pockets of your jacket – very aware he was doing the same thing “…And the three of us are together once again…” His chuckle didn’t last too long, and you both lapsed into silence. It was on the tip of his tongue he knew. It had been for a while; Robin had never said it. All those encounters on the street were never the right time. But in this moment; he had to forgive you, forgive Luke, forgive himself… “I’m sorry…” “Sorry…For what?” “That it never worked out…” “What never worked out…?” “You and Luke… That it never worked out…” Suddenly your eyes widened and you leapt up “ROBIN-!? ME AND LUKE!? WHAT---!” You found yourself stepping backwards away from him, shocked. Please don’t, please DON’T tell me that’s the reason we never…? He was looking at you with a nearly identical expression. And you covered your mouth and had to do a 180…

For seconds that felt like hours your mind raced. Your mind was screaming at you. “Y/N…” He sounded so dejected. And you turned back, to that same concerned expression, like you were breaking him. “R-Robin do…” you hesitated “…Do you think I…” your eyes flicked to Luke’s grave “was crushing on Luke…?!” you winced, not really wanting to have this discussion here. BUT if it was going to happen, inevitably, and ironically, of course Luke would be a part of it. You looked back into his innocent, broken, blue eyes in complete disbelief. How long had you wasted, had you both wasted, thinking that other was in love with Luke Glanton?! Because the tone of his voice made you think otherwise. He wasn’t resentful of you. But of Luke WITH you. Maybe… maybe… Robin had feelings for Luke. He probably did. You saw the way he looked at him. The problem was he had stronger feelings for you. He still did. And you still had them for him too.

His gaze shifted and he looked to his knees, hands running from his pockets down his legs. “Y-yeah... but... now you make it sound like... that’s not true...” He bit his lip for a second. You made a point to visibly shake your head a little harder than necessary; “No! It’s not! Luke was nice-! Don’t get me wrong! I loved him dearly but not like... not like that...” You felt the need to turn and apologise to his grave. But couldn’t help but smile... this was his fault somehow. He was here somewhere, laughing at you both. “...But you always...” he faltered, his voice in complete denial of what you felt he probably knew now “... always came down to see him. And the way you...” His eyes flicked back to your face, and you could swear that pink dusted his cheeks. “I talked to Luke because I was way too nervous to...” You faltered also. Hands back in your pockets, you shifted on your feet. “...I was in awe of his confidence. If I had that... if I had what he had then maybe I would have... maybe we would have...” You shook your head - this was dumb, now both of you were dancing around what you were both now aware of. You liked him; his attitude was always towards the feeling that he thought you liked Luke. Meaning he ALSO liked you. Is that why he was here…?

“Robin. It was never Luke. It was never about Luke. It was about you...” Then he did go red and looked back to his legs “oh- oh.... I—-”. Robin bit his lip and lowered his head even further. You waited patiently, because somewhere in him was a real response to that confession “...It... was about you too.” It was quiet. Like he didn’t want to admit it. Like he didn’t want to think now that if either of you had just said it back then, something could have happened far sooner. This time when his eyes found yours again the blue was far clearer. “What now?” You were slightly taken aback by the question. You didn’t know. You guessed you proceeded like two people that liked each other did... figuring out if you wanted it to be more than that... You turned back to Luke, and this time he did too. “You know it’s all his fault.” “Oh, you think he’s laughing at us somewhere?” You couldn’t help but laugh “Oh, yeah. For sure...”

There was another few minutes of silence before Robin stood. “Hey... do you... want to go somewhere?” You turned to him; there was a strange kind of confidence to his walk as he crossed to you. “Like where?” He smiled gently “If we’re gonna celebrate Luke’s birthday... I feel we can do it in better places than this...”

Robin let you walk ahead of him. That question he’d asked of “what now?” remained unanswered. He mentally kicked himself... if he’d felt envy towards Luke for the relationship you shared it was clearly for no good reason... You stopped in the lot and smiled to yourself. His truck (Their? Luke drove it around too, but it was certainly Robin’s) was parked up next to your bike. Of course it was. You turned “So am I following you or...?” He looked to your bike and then his trucks tailgate “No... no, you can... hop in the front and I’ll load your bike...” “By yourself?!” “Yeah, I got this.” You shook your head defensively “Uh uh, not my baby...!” He laughed, watching you walk to it and fold up the kick stand “If we do this, we’re doing it together-!” In a rare flash of complete confidence in himself, Robin crossed his arms with a grin; “Are we still talking about the bike…?”

“So what does happen now...?” He re-voiced the question; trying not to stare at your legs up on his dashboard as you relaxed into the seat next to him. “The perils of dating?” You laughed “and if that goes well...” you shrugged “I always felt maybe enjoying the moment kinda worked best...” He nodded, that was sensible. If something happened between you, then it happened... and if not... at least you both knew. But he felt now you both did... something would probably happen. He wished for that. He wanted that. He’d wanted it for a while. “…And are you?” You chuckled, folding your arms “Let’s see... I’m with you, in this truck and we’re about to go celebrate our friend’s birthday...” you looked back across to him and flashed his favourite smile of yours. Ah-! He could tell you that now. “…What’s not to enjoy?”

He drove that truck maybe a little too recklessly through the forest. But he knew it, he knew this place so well he knew where he could take the truck vs where he could take a quadbike. He could drive this with his eyes closed. And all the while he was explaining to you how he first met Luke here. The first place he saw how well he rode his bike. You’d been through here maybe once... you certainly didn’t know it as well as he did... But something about the way he described it made you want to. “Do you come back... often?” “I take my quadbike here pretty regularly... it’d be perfect for yours!” “We should come... and do that...” You looked at the trees flashing by as he notched up the speed again. He laughed. A genuine, cute, Robin laugh that caught you off guard. When was the last time you had heard that? “I’d like that! A lot!”

Robin rolled the truck into a small clearing... and ticked it to a full stop. Pointing west. He indicated to the ridge “And that’s where I first really met him.... this place... this truck and you... that’s as close as I get to Luke Glanton...” Robin bit his lip, and you realised just how personal that reveal was. Like he might never have admitted it out loud before. You smiled; in complete solidarity. You rode a motorcycle, nowhere near as good as Luke did but you did, you felt him sometimes, when the wind pulled through your hair. Or you did something particularly daring. And every year on his birthday, no matter what, you felt the need to update him on your life. Luke was a friend, he deserved to know. “You don’t have to tell me...” you responded looking out across the clearing “I have similar thoughts...” By the look he gave you he’d clicked that it was your bike. “Hmm.” He replied with a smile and nudged your arm gently “Come on, let’s not sit in here all day...”

Robin rummaged in the back, because he knew somewhere he had beer; it wouldn’t be ice cold. Hell, it would barely be cold. Maybe Luke warm! he giggled at his own stupid joke. If you were going to celebrate a birthday... “...We need something to celebrate with!” He held out a bottle to you; “Oh! Man! Robin! It’s like you knew-!” You took it from him, allowing your fingers to brush his. You hadn’t touched him like that in years... and the feel of his skin against yours once again made you beam. And he knew it, by the look on your face he finally knew it. He was the one. He was always the one that made you feel this way.

Admitting your feelings to him would be too much; you could make the excuse to see Robin as much as possible by seeing a lot of Luke... who you clearly had no problem talking to... And Robin knew he’d likely shown outward attitude that wouldn’t make him seem all that welcoming when Luke was gone. With your excuse to visit absent, you couldn’t face Robin alone. Now he knew that he felt stupid, that he could ever be envious... not of Luke himself but the relationship you shared. But he realised he could have that. You could have that... it was so cute to him though... that you, admitting those feelings out loud to yourself - or to Luke, perhaps? - has made you so nervous to be around Robin that you simply couldn’t face him alone.

And he knew you weren’t shy... far from it. You were about as loud and outgoing as Luke himself was... Your temperament around Robin before Luke’s arrival simply matches Robin’s because.... well, he didn’t know, maybe he calmed that storm Ride like lightning, crash like thunder - except you’d never crashed, had you, or maybe you had. And he hadn’t realised... and now it was time for your comeback. Long past due.

You sat together on the hood of his truck... and you weren’t sure you’d ever heard him laugh so loud. Or ever laughed so hard yourself. You reminisced on Luke for a long time, and caught up with your own lives. You had missed this man so much. You couldn’t believe you’d been able to stay away from him for so long... The sun was beginning to set before you knew it. And both of you allowed pause to gaze at the sky; awash with pinks, purples, oranges.... and where the night began to touch the East; midnight blue. “It really is gorgeous when it’s this clear...” “Mmm hmm...” although by the time you’d finished your statement Robin was already looking to you. The way those final rays of sunshine hit your face; left a sparkle in your eyes. In the silence you could both hear the radio; left on softly – but still just loud enough to hear Metallica over the speakers. Somehow you’d rummaged around enough to find a CD Luke had left behind. You drew your eyes back to the horizon and took another sip of beer, you couldn’t help but wonder what the future held. Behind that sunset was another day… And now, perhaps so much more…

Robin took the opportunity of your distraction to lean across and take your free hand in his. Now or never very much became now. You turned back to him; allowing your fingers to tangle with his. You smile gently. In the cooling air and the stillness of your surroundings you let yourself feel it. The way he made your heart beat, that inescapable joy you could finally let cross your face. But this time it was different; because it crossed his too. And he instinctively held your hand tighter. The movement was gentle; and you pushed your forehead against his. The fading daylight turning that blue intense. But there was no way you were looking away from him now. There was a future here. You knew that much. Between the two of you now – tomorrow was the beginning of the future.

Something was going to happen, after all.

--- Thank You For Requesting! (Obviously! It’s Robin! 😁 ) SHAZAM! 5 sins down!

It’s about time I got a virtue out there... Dontcha think...? 😉

@dennismitchell @krnncsbtch @happyskywhale #MendoTagSquad.

#Robin x Reader #Robin Van Der Hook x Reader #The Place Beyond The Pines #Ben Mendelsohn #IF ANYONE SAYS IT I'M GOING TO SCREAM!#7DS #7 Deadly Sins #Envy #Linzi Writes #Linzi Writes Requests #Sierra #52

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easyimagines · 5 years

Text

Leibgott “Rumor” and “Love of My Life”

This was requested. The friend that requested this said I could pick which of the two songs to do. She’s written a whole bunch of different requests for me, so I thought I’d surprise her and write both. Hope these are okay for you, Hermana. Love you. -Eugene P.S. The italicized lines are the song lyrics. The ‘keep reading’ line is because it’s super long. I could make it two separate posts, but this I think is easier?

Rumor by Lee Brice

Girl you know I’ve known you forever. How many nights we hung out together. Same little crowd, little bar, little town ‘round this old dance floor. My boys are laughing and tap me on the shoulder making a motion like “Could y’all get any closer?” They wanna know what’s up. Why I’m still holding you even when the song is over.

Grace and Joe Liebgott were high school sweethearts. Grace wasn’t Jewish, but Liebogtt could live with it. She was too kind hearted, gentle spoken, open-minded, and loving to let that come between them. They’d grown up together- next door neighbors- and Joe hadn’t asked her out until they’re junior year of why school.

It was a skinny love. All of their friends could see that they were both in love with the other but they themselves seemed to miss it. Going to school dances together as ‘friends’ and spending the night together after the dance; Liebgott’s over-protectiveness; Joe making sure she got home safely even though their front doors were only a couple feet away. Their friends couldn’t figure out they weren’t going out yet.

There’s a rumor going ‘round about me and you; stirring up our little town the last week or two. So tell me why we even trying to deny this feeling. I feel it, don’t you feel it too? There’s a rumor going ‘round, and ‘round, and ‘round. What’s you say we make it true? We make it true. Oh, we make it true.

Lieb knew exactly which of his friends had started the rumor going around school. He was a little pissed at first, but let it go. Maybe this could give him the guts to finally ask Grace out? He’d kicked the asses antisemitic bullies before but he couldn’t pick up the courage to ask out the girl he’d had a crush on since eighth grade?

The two of you were walking home from school one day when he first asked Grace. She was unsure. She liked their friendship, if something went wrong in the relationship, they were risking the friendship and the friendship was already silver. Was the idea of gold really worth the silver?

Well I can shut ‘em down, tell them all they’re crazy. I can do whatever you want me to do, baby. Or you could lay one on me right now. We could really give them something to talk about.

Joe needed the pushing from his friend to actually put his feelings together. He wasn’t good with feelings, but he was god with his determination. He had his mind set on being with Grace, he wasn’t going to give up on an “is that a good idea?”.

Oh be honest girl. Now do you want to do this or not? Should we keep them talking, girl or should we just makes them stop?

Liebgott wasn’t angry or annoyed. He was gentle and patient. He could never be angry at Grace, even if he tried to be he couldn’t. He loved the girl and just wanted to hold her, to kiss her, and whisper sweet things in German and make her wonder what he was saying while she knew it was little things about how much he loved her.

Love of My Life by Queen

Love of my life, you hurt me. You’ve broken my heart, and now you leave me. Love of my life, can’t you see?

Grace was broken hearted when Joe had told her that he’d enlisted. She saw it coming; she knew he was going to. She just didn’t think it was going to hit her as hard as it did. Joe’s first thought was for them to break-up. He didn’t want her to wait for him- to be even more heartbroken if he didn’t make it home.

Bring it back, bring it back, don’t take it away from me because you don’t know what it means to me. Love of my life, don’t leave me. You’ve taken my love, you now desert me.

It was the first big fight they had. Joe explaining why they should break up, Grace saying why it was a dumb and bad idea.

Nothing had come between them. Liebgott’s parents wanting him to find a Jewish girl- which Grace wasn’t- wanting him to find a girl that was going to follow social norms- which Grace didn’t. But an ocean? She should be settling and starting a family, not worrying herself out of herself out of her mind. But Grace wasn’t one to sit down and let go like most girls would have been.

Grace wanted Joe to have someone to write to home to, someone to hold him when he came back. Grace’s father was a doctor, she knew the looks that the Great War vets had, the nightmares they had. She wanted to hold him through it. She wasn’t going to let him go through it alone, why was he trying to push her away?

You will remember, when this is blown over and everything’s all by the way. When I grow older, I will be there by your side, to remind you how I still love you (I still love you).

Liebgott told the guys stories about his girl back home when they’d talk about theirs. Lieb never called her his ‘broad’. Always, “My Saving Grace” or “My Grace”. He wrote her letter whenever he got the chance.

He told her about what going on with the men while they were travelling, told her who died and who was still there with them. He had included his fear in his letters: not coming home, not seeing her again, that she’d leave him while he was gone. He told her in sparing detail about the camp Easy Company had freed, the paper stained with tears. He’d tried to rewrite the letter three times but each time he cried anew.

In every letter that Grace replied with, she assured him that she would be there when he came home; that he was coming home. She included how his siblings and mother were doing, how his father’s barber shop was doing. She ended every letter with: “I love you, Liebling and I’m by your side even now, Grace”

Back, hurry back, please it bring it back home to me because you don’t know what it means to me. Love of my life. Love of my life.

Joe wrote Grace the second he could when the Germans- and then the Japanese- surrendered. He couldn’t wait to go home. He was going to miss his brothers, but his girl had waited for him for so long and the scent of her perfume had long since faded from the band of ribbon that she had sent in the reply to letter about the camp.

Grace was the love of his life. She’s waited, he’d waited. He didn’t even let the girls in the Netherlands touch him more than giving hugs and he was a little proud of himself. He was going home to the love of his life.

#joe liebgott #queen band #queen #lee brice #love of my life #rumor #band of brothers #band of brothers imagines

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painandpromisefanboi · 6 years

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Pain and Promise Chapter Two (Late, Sorry)

So I haven’t finished typing chapter two on my computer but here is what i have so far :3

Two days ago

Yesterday was not a good day. It started off regularly. Dad left at four thirty, just like every other morning, and I got up. I checked on Charlie, my eleven year old brother. He was still sleeping. I walked to the kitchen and quickly made a lunch for Charlie and myself. I then went back to bed. I haven't slept well in forever. I slept a little too peacefully for a while. Little did I know of the pain that awaited me when I got to school.

...later…

I woke back up around six thirty and found that Charlie was out of his bed. I called for him. No answer. I began to frantically search the house, unable to find him anywhere. I went down to the basement to look for him, even though I knew he wouldn't be there because he's still afraid of the dark.

I was really afraid he ran away. I came back upstairs and he was sitting on the couch reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

“Where the hell were you and why weren’t you answering me?!”

“Jesus I was outside with the dog, not that you’d care anyway,” he answered with his shitty attitude.

“Kay. Whatever,” was all I said. He’s such a little prick all the time.

About an hour later, after I took a shower, I was getting Charlie ready for the bus. I handed him his backpack and lunchbox. He tried to walk out the door, but I stopped him.

“Where’s my hug?” I asked, sounding like a mother.

“Come ooooon, Ethan,” he protested. “I’m almost twelve. I don’t know any other twelve year old that still hugs their family.”

“Fine,” I whined. I looked down and started to walk away.

“Ugh, fine,” he said, annoyed. He hugged me and walked out the door before I could say goodbye.

...twenty minutes later…

I walked to the bus stop with my earbuds in, listening to dubstep remixes of classical music. I’m not gonna lie, it’s my favorite style of music. I brushed my long, light brown hair off my forehead. I took a deep inhale of the chilly autumn air as the sun glinted off of my glasses. I pulled my sweatshirt closer to me, the cold breeze making me shiver. The other kids started arriving around the bus stop. No one spoke a word to each other, no one ever did here. I boarded the bus and rode in silence the whole way.

When I got to school, a deep feeling of resentment fell over me. I hate being at school. It’s a terrible feeling. I have not gone a day this year without being picked on. I hate my school most because everything about the rules are completely fucked and the people being picked on and bullied get the shit end of the stick.

As I put in my locker combination, I thought about Kael. 32. His sparkling green eyes, his strawberry hair. 43. His little-more-than-stubble. 16. Of course, his absolutely model worthy body. I opened my locker and reached for my APUSH textbook, being shoved with a little ‘haha fag’, in the process. I hit my nose really hard on the shelf. Pain exploded in the top half of my head. I looked up. It was Chad Markel. He was such a douche bag. I ran to the bathroom beginning to cry. I grabbed paper towels and held them to my nose, sliding to the floor, crying. I hate myself with every fiber of my being for liking guys. I’m not proud of it. Which is why being made fun of for it is so upsetting.

I was so upset, I didn’t realize someone was sitting next to me until he put his arm around me.

“What’s wrong?” The voice was familiar and it was the last voice, but also the only voice, I wanted to hear. If you hadn’t guessed, it was Kael.

“Go away,” I sobbed as I heard the ten minute warning bell ring.

“And why would I do that?” he asked in a gentle, caring tone. I didn’t answer. He hugged me from the left side and placed his strong chin on my shoulder. I turned my back to him, breaking the hug. As much as I enjoyed the attention, it was his friends who were picking on me, it was him who agreed with them.

“Heeeeey,” he whined. I stood up and faced him.

“Listen, why don’t you just leave before all of your buddies show up and call you a fag, too!” He gave me a surprisingly numb look. “Or you’ll just call me a fag when they walk in, or shove me into the wall, or give me a fucking wedgie!”

I pinched my nose harder to stop the bleeding faster. I tried to storm out of the bathroom, but Kael was between me and the door. He stood up, easily stopping me, and held me back.

“Why would i ever do that to you,” he asked, sounding a little hurt. I struggled to get passed him but he just blocked my path. Yup, he definitely was a football player and i didn't stand a chance of getting past him. I rolled my eyes and gave up on the nose bleed, tossing the paper towel in the trash. I didn't bother to see if i even made it in. i tried getting around him again, and almost succeeded until he grabbed my arm and pulled me into his chest. I looked up at him. Our eyes locked for just a moment before he hugged me tightly, with me still struggling.

“I’m not letting you go to class like this,” he said sternly. I finally gave up and hugged him back with a fresh burst of tears. He rubbed my back, comfortingly. I slowed my breathing and began calming down.

“Ugh i hate myself,” i grumbled, my words getting muffled into his chest.

“Well don’t. I personally think you're amazing, it takes a lot of strength to deal with bullies. I can't imagine how it feels to always get picked on.”

I pulled away from his hug just enough to look up into his eyes. He smiled at me and i stood there motionless for just a moment. Before i realized what i was doing, my lips were already pressed against his. He kissed me back and wrapped his arms tighter around me. I felt a rush of happiness as my heart pounded hard in my chest. I needed this.

“Whoa…” Kael said, pulling away. I looked at him, dumbfounded at what just happened. His ears and face were burning bright pink, “t-that was awesome.”

I nodded, speechless. I took a step back and looked at him awkwardly, while he gave me a sheepish grin.

“Um.. i- i think i'm going to get ready for.. Class,” i stammered. He nodded.

“Cool, I’ll uh…. Talk to you later?”

He sounded a bit puzzled.

“Yeah…” i agreed. I let him walk out of the bathroom first. I wanted to stop him and ask for his number, but i couldn't get the words out. I couldn't even move. I couldn't stop smiling. I couldn't understand why he made me so happy. I stood there for a few seconds before i could move my legs again.

I walked through the doorway and got immediately pushed back in by none other than Chad himself. This time he was accompanied by his two goons, Brice Ford and Daniel Jameson.

“Where do you think you're going? I’m not done with you yet, faggot.”

He shoved me hard, into the wall. I had to try pretty hard to keep my balance. I stepped away from the wall and tried to look brave, even though i was about to piss myself. Chad laughed at me and shoved me harder. I hit the wall with a thud.

“Bet you suck a lot of dick, faggot,” he said coldly. He pinned me to the wall with his hands on my chest and sneered in my face. I clenched my fists and spit on his shoes.

“Fuck you,” i said.

“See unlike you, I don’t fuck queers, i fuck girls like everyone else.”

His buddies were sneering at me. Then i thought of something sort of clever, and it just came out.

“Then why do you have your hands all over me and why are you all up in my like you’re trying to establish sexual dominance over me?”

I gave him a ‘who’s queer now’ look. He pushed me again and backed up. I let out a ‘huff’ as the air was pushed out of my lungs.

“Yeah that’s what i thought,” I said triumphantly.

“You’re just gonna let the faggot walk all over you? Kick the shit out of him already,” demanded Brice. Chad didn’t have to me told twice. He took a step forward and swung, hitting me square in the jaw. I felt it pop out of socket and t hurt like a bitch. I popped my jaw back into place and stood straight up.

“Is that all you got,” i smarted off. I instantly regretted saying that. He punched me in the stomach. It hurt pretty bad considering the fact that I don’t really have a protective layer of blubber. Chad’s goons looked like they wanted to join in, but they just watched, laughing.

Chad hit me again in the stomach and I curled up holding my stomach. I looked up at him. He sneered at me and punched me again, this time in the ribs. The breathed was knocked out of me. I sucked in a quick breath. A sharp pain exploded in my lungs. I bent over holding me stomach. Chad kicked my knees out from underneath me. I hit the floor and doubled over, in pain. I couldn’t think straight. Everything was screaming in pain, my jaw, my stomach, my chest, and now my knees.

“Just kill yourself already,” spat Chad. With that, they left. I stayed curled up on the floor a little bit after that. Just sitting there. Numb. Numb to everything. I just sat there. Wouldn’t just be better if I died? Who actually needs me here? Would anyone even miss me?

...after school…

The rest of my day was just about as shitty as any other day. It was extremely uneventful, i received too much homework, and the only words people spoke to me were insults. I also got the usual shitty looks and i was tripped twice. Always laughed at, never helped. I was used to it though.

My stomach and my jaw ached, my thigh still burned a little. I only saw Kael again at lunch. I didn’t even bother to look at him.

I walked to the bus, looking at my feet, avoiding eye contact with everyone. I was nearly in tears. I didn't want to be alive anymore. What’s the point? If i’m just going to get used as a human punching bag, Why should i even keep living? I can take the mental pain, but i’m so sick of the mental torture of being picked on and sneered at and name called. I just can’t do it anymore.

Before i realized, i was at the bus.

I watched every cornfield pass. Cornfield after cornfield. I let out a heavy sigh as we entered town. When we got closer my stop, i got myself ready to go.

#gay #gaystories #gaylove

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fabianbutler · 3 years

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stormecloudyy-blog · 6 years

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Amor Proibido [ii]

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else-” Albert Einstein.

What does being happy even mean to me anymore? This is supposed to be the start of writing stories which will shape my career, but this kid is getting under my skin. He tells me he just wants to be happy, and I realize I am not even sure what it means to myself.

My life is supposed to be the most fantastic thing in the world right now… but sometimes I just feel really fucking empty inside. I don’t have the right words to coherently express my unhappiness. However, this isn’t about me. I have to ask this pop star about his music, attend a concert, and write my story.

I don’t need to think about the way I would not mind tracing my fingers over the tattoo on his forearm and softly grasping those arm muscles. Because holy hell, this boy is built like a brick house. All these thoughts are racing through my mind, but my face remains impassive because this is just a job.

Shawn leans over placing his hand on the recording device and clicking it off. Just like that. He does it boldly, his eyes never leaving mine as though daring me to stop him. He acts like he can just get whatever he wants, and it kind of pisses me off.

I snatch the recorder from his hand, eyes glaring, “What the fuck is your problem? You should want me to interview you because a ton of girls will want to fuck you after reading this article. You’ll be even more famous. Isn’t that what you want?”

Hazel eyes bore into mine. “I want to fuck you.”

Preliminary interview complete. However, I still have two more days of dealing with this utter shitstorm I can I tell is just brewing. I keep playing the audio of the interview, trying to make it match with my notes. But I can’t fucking think straight. What the hell am I supposed to write about when all I keep returning to is the way he looked at me the whole time.

“…some of my musical inspirations include Ed Sheeran and Niall Horan…” his voice filters through my big, empty hotel room and I just really need to take a few hours to decompress. Then I can deal with this weird tension Shawn is causing between us, and I can just get this over with and return to my real life. It is just one article/ I don’t need to act like it is going to make or break the rest of my life.

Shutting off the recorder, I stand up and walk over to the window. I could probably just take some time to go out to eat so I am away from this place, but I don’t want to run the risk of seeing Shawn. Not that he would do anything when they were other people around, but I would just paranoid the whole time.

He told me he wanted to fuck me. I mean… I am not sure who the fuck this kid thinks he is. You don’t say those words to a person who is interviewing you for one of the most predominant music magazines in the world. It would be a surefire way to start a scandal and fuck up his own career. But kid is smart. He turned off the recorder and just said it to me. No one knows except the two of us. Shawn has plausible deniability because he is fucking pop star, and no one would believe me just because of my gender. What a fair world we reside in.

My phone starts to ring causing me my thoughts to pull back to the present. Alright. All I need to do is make it through the next few days, and I will never need to see him again. Simple.

Brice calling.

No. No. No. Fuck. Are you serious?

I have been here four hours, not even. And my boss is calling me. What the fuck. Okay, stay calm.

I can just say I was out having dinner and call him back later. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. My life isn’t falling apart at all. Stay. Calm. My phone ceases to ring, anxiety loosening its grip in my chest. And then it starts once again when his name shows up on the display again. Fuck my whole life.

"Hello,“ I say, sounding false chipper and hoping he isn’t going to tell me I am fired. Oh, my god. I can’t breathe.

“I knew you would answer if I called a second time. You should probably not avoid the guy who makes sure you get paid,” he teases. “But I am calling for a reason. We need press release previews for the interview ASAP. So if you could just send those over tonight, that would be amazing.”

I let out a long groan because this is just my fucking luck. “What the fuck? I haven’t even been here long enough to unpack and you want like three pieces of writing by tonight?” I almost scream at him, feeling the anxiety start to settle heavy on my chest.

“This is a big interview. I told you that. You knew the deal when you agreed. I am not asking you to write the whole fucking thing tonight. We just need a few snippets to get everyone excited.” He pauses, adding, “Shawn’s manager asked us to do it since his concert is tomorrow night. He said Shawn was really impressed. You did well, you know.”

I rub the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger, trying to combat the mixed feelings I am dealing with right now. I am supposed to write a whole lot of bullshit to make some other people happy, but he just said Shawn was impressed with me. Why does this make my heart skip a beat? Ugh. “Great,” I retort dryly, “I will just take that great impression and use it to write some press releases when all I wanted to do was relax because I have been working non stop the past week.”

“You need to get these written as soon as you can. The press is already badgering us to find out what you are going to say. Shawn normally doesn’t give interviews as often as his fans want so this is a fucking huge deal for everyone involved. And he is just a kid, how difficult can he be?”

I hold back laughter because Brice has no idea at all. “Yeah, ha ha ha,” I say and let out a sigh. Pretty sure I am using up my sigh quota for the year today alone. “I will just get started on that right now.” I hang up the phone and throw it down on the couch, squelching the urge to let out a primal scream.

This whole fucking this is horrible. I was supposed to be able to just write the article and be on the way to having an awesome writing career. This is way more stress than I should have for a kid. Just a kid. Shawn Mendes is a fucking evil kid who knows how to get under your skin with those stupid eyes and those curls and that stupid voice.

I want to fuck you. Who the hell says that to someone they just met? This is not a fucking porno. This is my life and career. It must be nice he can do whatever the fuck he wants without any repercussions, but I actually have a real life to return to.

Fuck everything. I sit down on the couch, pulling my laptop over to me and trying to find the words everyone is going to want to hear about the apparently not difficult at all kid, Shawn Mendes.

Three hours later, I send off my pieces to Brice and shut my laptop. I am fucking exhausted, and I just want to crawl into bed. But I am also starving. Too lazy to leave to get food, I decide I am going to venture down the hall to the vending machines and have a junk food feast for one. It will help make this shitty day a little less so. I just need sugar and carbs galore.

Not caring I am wearing a faded tank top and kind of small pajama shorts, I grab my wallet and key card to make my trip. The hall is deserted, making it seem like I am the only person in the hotel. All the better because I don’t want anyone seeing how much of a mess I look after putting in more work tonight than I wanted to.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

I spin around and gasp, seeing Shawn poke his head out of his room and looking at me with a smirk. His eyes travel down my body, taking in my outfit and he looks me in the eyes a moment later.

“Fuck off,” I say with a sigh and stare longingly at the vending machines I am still so far away from.

He is shirtless, curls abound. He is wearing only a pair of faded grey sweatpants, low slung on his hips. I can see every muscle in his body and he even has one of those v cuts which leads down to… nowhere. Fuck. Why the fuck does a nineteen year old kid like him look so much older? Not that I am noticing that much, but it is hard to miss when it is right in my face.

He chuckles. “Are you hungry?” he asks.

I roll my eyes. “I am not interested in eating your dick if that is what you’re offering. Earlier was more than enough, thanks. I just want to get some junk food and then eat alone in my room. Thanks.”

His mouth opens and closes, like he is shocked by my comment. “I…no, I was asking because I ordered a pizza and I still have some left over. Plus the mini bar is stocked full of drinks so…” He shrugs. “You are welcome to come in if you feel like it.” He steps aside, creating a path for me to walk away.

I tilt my head, wondering if this is a trap. “I am not going to sleep with you.”

“I am asking if you want some pizza, that’s all.” He gestures for me to come inside.

Too tired to argue, I relent and find myself sitting next to Shawn on the couch with a pizza between us. He seems more relaxed now. There is a random movie playing in the background, but I notice he still keeps sneaking glances at me when he thinks I won’t notice. It is probably because he thinks I am a big nerd for wearing a Harry Potter shirt.

“You keep staring at me,” I tell him, finishing off my first slice of pizza and reaching for the bottled water on the table. Taking a sip, I notice he is smiling. And he has a nice smile. If you simply take into account how he looks, he is very pleasing to look at. He just lacks a good personality, I guess.

“I love Harry Potter,” he replies, softly tracing the decal on the tank top for a second. “Is that a problem?”

“I already said I am not going to sleep with you.” I smack his hand away, pointing to him with my water bottle. “You need to stop acting like I am going to fall for your charms just because I am a woman. That is a fucked up archaic notion all males need to stop. Just because you are a man doesn’t mean all women are going to be interested. I could be a lesbian for all you know.”

He just stares at me before he starts laughing really hard. I freeze, not sure what is going on. He laughs for a long moment before finally stopping and saying, “You should be the one who stops. You keep thinking every action on my part means I want to sleep with you. I know how to be nice as well. It is why I offered you pizza. If I wanted to truly sleep with you, I wouldn’t be offering you pizza. I would be showing up at your hotel room and making you mine.”

The way he looks at me when he says it. Oh, fuck. I can’t breathe and the tingling between my legs is more apparent. FUCK. My body is betraying me in the worst way possible. The way he said he would make me his actually turned me on, but I am not going to let it show. But oh, my god. Those words alone are ones I could touch myself to for days and never have a problem having an orgasm. It is just the way he speaks with conviction. Plus, his voice may be a little bit sexy when he lowers it and tries to be more fucking hot than he has a right to be.

“My boss said you were impressed with me,” I choke out. Trying to change the subject and crossing my legs subtly, I want to know what he said. “It’s funny how you could not even mention that to me at all before I left.”

He shrugs, picking up a piece of pizza and taking a bite. What the fuck. Even the way he eats is attractive. That is more fucked up than it should be.

I glare waiting for him to say something. I can’t understand how he can be so hot and cold with me. I mean, yeah I am doing the same thing. But this is my job. He should be wanting to stay on my good side since I am going to be writing about him. Instead he is getting further and further under my skin. Ugh.

“The last person who interviewed me worked for like MTV right?” he says, finishing up his pizza and wiping his face with a napkin. He chuckles sweetly. “And she was nice. We got along. But she had this idea in her head we were going to start dating. Don’t get me wrong, she was nice. But I was not interested. Nothing happened, I swear. But she told everyone we fucked like a whole lot of times and that she had to stop me from falling in love with her. When I was the one who said no to her. Still she told everyone how I was just madly in love with her, and I just… fucking drama is the last thing I need.”

I don’t reply because I am not sure what to say. This is Shawn just opening up to me as a person. It surprises me because most famous people know to keep their mouths shut around the press. Maybe he knows I won’t say anything since I kept his earlier comment to myself, and I am in my fucking pajamas. Plus, this kid seems like he is trying to be sincere so the last thing I want to do is betray his trust the way this woman did. Not that I care about him, but I do care about my career a lot.

“Don’t get me wrong. I fuck a lot of women on tour. Not like teenage fans or anything, but it is not like I am a saint. But it kind of pisses me off when someone thinks they can just use me to get what they want. I like you though because you don’t care what I think. You just want to do your job, and I get that because that is how I feel about my music…but there is just something about you that…”

He leans in, pushing a stray lock of hair away from my face. “You’re beautiful.”

I can’t breathe. His face is so close to mine if I just leaned my head the right way…

His eyes are looking into mine and neither of us are speaking.

This can’t fucking happen. It-

Shawn presses his lips against mine, and I almost relent. But I can’t. This is my career. I can’t just…

I tense up, placing a hand against his chest and pulling away. “I have to go,” i mumble, running out of the room without looking back.

When I get back to my own room, I fall down onto the bed and try not to lose my shit. That kid just fucking kissed me and I let him for the briefest moment. Fuck. I am going to ruin everything.

My phone vibrates, stopping my thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I answer.

The voice on the line says, “Hi, babe, how are you?”

It’s Landon, my fiance.

God, I am so fucked.

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