#support putting a gene clean in every movie
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who’s your icon it’s driving me insane that i can’t remember his name
it is Billy Ray Cyrus as Gene Clean in Mulholland Drive 😎
he's an inspiration to me...
#great movie#support putting a gene clean in every movie#absolutely genius move#up there on the top david lynch characters list#right next to the lady who laughs a lot at gordon in season 3 twin peaks#and the british guy with the green hand
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Hello is this Chronivac Support?
I've been trying to use your app to become a really beefy and big russian bodybuilder but I can't seem to get past the changes page. I always wanted to be like the ones in the movies that speak no nonsense and get shit done all the time while looking like I rip through t-shirts on the daily and as a russian american myself I'm a bit envious of their looks...
But then you obviously have the right genes, so something can be done. I can't quite understand why nothing has happened so far… Probably your change requests were not formulated precisely enough. I have now formulated it as follows: You become one year younger every day. And every day you have lived one year longer formally in the gym. Since the invasion of Ukraine in the Ukrainian village in Chicago, before that in Sevastopol. There you had your own gym, now you use your good contacts to different laboratories to bring more or less legal substances to the USA. You yourself are clean, all natural!Just lie down and relax, I'll activate the transformation in 15 minutes! Now lie down and relax, I'll activate the transformation in 15 minutes!
When you wake up the next morning, not much has changed. Except your bed. It is now in a small boarding house in Chicago. You turn on the television. Russian news. Even though it's nasty propaganda, it's still a piece of your culture. There's something Russian in you, too. To wake up, you do a few push-ups. And then off to the gym. Before you open the training area, you want to lift some iron yourself. You still feel a little lost among all the bulks. But the training is starting to have an effect, and in your mid-30s you still have a good chance of achieving a lot. Besides, you like the guys here. Many refugees from Ukraine. But also young guys from Russia who fled the war effort. All with their hearts in the right place. And most of them good customers when it comes to nutritional supplements…. After you've cleaned up and wiped through, you stand in front of the mirror and do a few poses. Yes, you're starting to see something. You are quite satisfied.
The next mornings always the same routine that you had since the hasty departure from Sevastopol. It was actually quite a good idea, as a Russian-born man, to set up a business there. Nobody could have guessed that war would break out after such a short time. Now you are building up your new business here and you are actually quite satisfied. For the Russian-Ukrainian community, especially for the young men, you have already become a central point of contact. And you yourself have been able to make good use of the year and a half here to put on some muscle. You are definitely no longer one of the little boys here. And the really big boys come at lunchtime to eat your special protein pirogues. You just have to be inventive to build and keep clientele. And with you, necessity was the mother of invention.
After one week, the transformation is complete. You are still living in the boarding house where you moved in after fleeing from the Crimea. But in the meantime it belongs to you. Fortunately, you were able to sell your well-functioning gym in Sevastopol through straw men and continue a good part of your import and export business. You miss Crimea. You are 28, at the age of 21 you returned to your parents' homeland to seek your fortune. And in the end you found it in your old homeland. Even though you have a heavy Russian accent, you were born here. Even though you met most of your friends here on the Black Sea, it was emigration to the USA that really brought you together.
And even if you are officially American, no one can get the Russian out of you. No one is more of a man than a real Russian!
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Hey!! Can I please request some married life headcanons for Nemu Kurotsuchi from Bleach with a Alpha Male S/O? Thank you!!
Omega Nemu / Male!Alpha! Reader
Fluff bcs omegaverse activates my motherhood gene
She’s so sweet omgggggggg
The wedding was medium sized. She honestly wanted it smaller but so many people wanted to support y’all it was so cute. Her dress was lavender cus I think it’s look good on her.
Deff retires after getting married. You kind of convinced her. You’d rather her be somewhere where Mayuri couldn’t harm her, you’re not really a fan of him. And the Alpha’s word goes, that’s really the only time you exercise that law. You’d rather her have a small flower shop than work for that crazy doctor.
The shop is next door to your actual house so it all works out, she’s able to get out of the house while still having it feel familiar and it calms her.
She wouldn’t want pups right away. Wanting to spend time with you first before her omega instincts devoted all of her attention to them. She wouldn’t want you to feel unloved or left out.
The pups go no where near Mayuri as babies. You’re considering chaperoning a meeting or two when they’re (much much) older.
The house is LOUD. Children generally don’t have inside voices but these kids were impressive. But from a young age they were simply used to noise. Sleeping though loud movies or older children playing loudly so it was a good thing in the end. Nemu was taken aback at how loud they actually were but the older one understood not to shout too much or else they would scare Omi, the younger one was beginning to pick up on the cues.
Nemu reads to them every night. They pick the books, the nursery is filled with them, they read so many they’re starting to find hardcover books about non fairytales to hand to her to read. Once it was a “diary of a whimpy kid” book a news paper at breakfast while you feed them or even a biology book. They just live Omi’s voice and that’s when she talks the most.
But she is a really good Omi she makes cute snacks or the pups that all of their friends get jealous of.
You have two boys, an older omega and a younger alpha that cling to her any chance they get. Not that they hate their Apa, never, he’s just not as soft as Omi.
They pretend though. Especially our omega which hurts more than you let off. You call the house and Nemu puts them on the phone and your oldest goes “Apa, I don’t like you!” While they both giggle. Your sweet little omega, your first born you waited so long for loved to bully you. But they had more of a soft spot for you than the alpha.
They love being held by Apa when Omi is busy, and they share all their snacks with you when they can.
The youngest baby stands on your feet while you dance and likes to get hoisted up onto your shoulders.
Now, you are an omega advocate, but the thought of seeing her with one baby in her arms, the other by her side and one in her stomach was…enticing.
You’d bring up other children while you cleaned up dinner one day and the pups got to play before bath time. They were hating mule stones so quickly and it felt as if the years were getting away from you. You’d heard this happened to other parents but you didn’t think it’s feel like this
“Nem?” You asked, too embarrassed to look up from the plate you were drying.
She hummed in response and you muster up the courage to ask what had been in your mid for weeks now.
“How about we have another pup?” The question was complete, but you were so nervous it felt awkward and unfinished.
The silence didn’t help. She didn’t talk constantly but when she was quiet, it’s not always the best.
So, you were quick to backtrack. “We really don’t have to! It was just a thought I know how hard the first two were. And they’re still so young, I really shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry” but a baby plate infront of your face cute you off.
Taking it to dry and tucking your head against your wife finally spoke.
“Ok”
You blinked, the plate long dry at this point but still being twirled in your hands.
“I’m sorry?” You said to clarify
“Ok” she responded again, just like she had done before.
“(Pup name) has been asking for a little sister, ‘an omega he can watch over’ as he said to me”
You looked at her as she stared forward, face unmoving. The pups laughter from the next room only adding to the situation.
“Alright then, next season you can knot me”
She was always blunt when it came to your children. Borderline rude when anyone said it did anything she didn’t like regarding them. It was knee, but exciting. One of the sexier changes that came with motherhood.
“Yes, I would prefer a girl this time though. I’m the only one” with a small chuckle she looked back down at the water.
Your ears perked up and as you did a small dance she handed you a bowl. She turned off the sink and turned around, her back facing but now.
“Yes, I hope you can keep up next season, Alpha” she was almost mocking in the way she said it.
But if she kept it up she wouldn’t have to wait until next season.
#bleach omegeverse#bleach#bleach Nemu#nemu kurotsuchi#kurotsuchi nemu#anime omegaverse#bleach imagines#sfw#anime x reader#male reader#alpha reader
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NEWNESS AND DEARNESS
by Réginald-Jérôme de Mans
150 years ago, Alexandre Dumas introduced two minor characters to dinner at the Count of Monte Cristo’s, dressing them perfectly for the occasion in brand-new clothes from the finest real-life tailors and outfitters, and then immediately set their fellow dinner guests to criticizing them. “These Italians are well named and badly dressed,” quips one. His friend suggests he is too demanding: “Those clothes are well cut and quite new,” eliciting the coup de grâce, “That’s just what’s wrong with them. That gentleman appears to be well dressed for the first time in his life.”
Newness, that supposed bogeyman of classic clothing! Legends pile up, no doubt almost as fictional as Dumas’ novel. The old saw about English aristocrats forcing their butlers to break in said aristocrats’ new custom shoes (rather harsh, this, considering servants were no doubt on their feet much more often than their masters and could have used a comfortable pair of shoes that weren’t made to fit someone else). Fred Astaire throwing his new Anderson & Sheppard suits at the wall to get the “stiff, square newness” out of them. Yet another nabob, whose name escapes me, taking a bath in his new custom suits to exorcise that same parvenu newness. What commitment it must take to put on a suit and wear it in the bath! That can’t be very comfortable. One wonders if he also put on a shirt and tie as well. And socks? Only a hippie would wear a suit barefoot, after all. Did he wear shoes, too, or was his butler bathing in those?
What a flex! By criticizing someone for wearing clothes that show their newness, Dumas’ fictional critics and the legends of the stories are suggesting that it’s not enough to have the means and desire to afford beautiful clothing. (Not enough for what? For entrée into whatever society these folks hope to join or stay part of.) Instead, you have to have what can’t be bought: time, time for the clothes to have worn in and aged. And implicit in that suggestion of time are multiple other requirements: not just that you had to have money and clothes for a long time, but that you had to have the training – through upbringing or otherwise – to wear your clothes right, to have the right clothes for every occasion so that you were not wearing your hard-earned new suit of clothes every day. You also had to have the army of valets, tailors and menders who would scrupulously clean, press and repair that suit of clothes over the years, because perhaps worse than newness would be dirtiness and unkemptness.
And those clothes, tailored jackets, trousers, and a “black satin stock, fresh from the maker’s hands,” were, are, complicated to maintain. Some valet no doubt had to put a crease back in Astaire’s newly wallbanged suits, and some other servant, cursing under his or her breath, must have had to carefully air dry, reshape and gently iron the suit that was bathed in. And then mop up. Clothes lose their newness quickly without the support of that army of labor. A labor of skilled hands, cheaply paid. It takes time and attention to spot clean and press a suit well, and a considerable amount of dexterity to invisibly mend frays and holes. Today, the number of professional reweavers, the only people who really know how to do that work, can be counted on the fingers of a single hand in most countries. And if you get your suits brushed and pressed (not dry-cleaned, which all iGents know can reduce the life of a suit if done too often) after each wearing, or do so yourself, you’re a better man than I.
Labor costs a lot more nowadays, which is good for most of us except for snobs who have to iron their own shirts. After all, almost all laundries will press shirts in a button-cracking appliance called a mangle or mangler (and yes, there have been at least two horror movies about such a machine coming to life and, well, mangling people).
So today newness really is just a bogeyman, an old but unfounded scary story. Unpacking my suit during a business trip reminds me that newness and all the stiffness and other mythical monsters associated with it will disappear very quickly today. Unlike travelers of Astaire’s, let alone Dumas’, generation, we don’t travel with wardrobe trunks for our garments to hang in, or with servants. I almost always never check luggage, in order to get through airports quickly (among other reasons). Long ago I mastered the tailor-blessed method of packing a jacket for quick travel (inside out, tucking one shoulder under the other, and folding), but my suit still came out of the case looking like Alex from A Clockwork Orange, rather than Astaire or Gene Kelly, had been doing a dance on it. I shrugged and hung it up in the closet. At least it had good bones, and over a night got to a place of more or less presentable character, but certainly not newness. Hopefully Dumas’ Château-Renaud and Debray wouldn’t mind. These old clothes are still dear.
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ATEEZ as dads
HONGJOONG
1 boy and 1 girl
tries very hard to be the cool dad
but his kids thinks its embarrassing
“when i was your age...” type of dad
his kids would probably be like “when i was your height...”
very strict on curfews, bedtimes, etc
lets his kids creativity and imagination run wild bc he is like that himself
a little troubling when they paint on the walls or his nice clothes
always tells them to follow their hearts
cries during their graduations 100%
SEONGHWA
2 girls
makes the best lunch boxes for his kids
picks them up everyday and everyone’s jealous
likes to dress his daugthers with matching outfits
very very protective as they grow up, especially when it comes to dating
likes to have a self-care days with his daugthers like face masks and a movie
knows exactly what his kids likes and don’t like
weekends mornings will be him blasting music and his kids will wake up knowing they will be cleaning the house
“rise and shine sweeties, it’s time to clean.”
domestic dad
YUNHO
twin girls, 1 boy
gives them late-night snacks behind your back
“pinky promise to not tell your mother, okay?”
sweetest dad ever
a wholesome dad
sneaks little treats and candies in their lunch without you knowing
watches cartoons with them
puts them on his back and run around like they’re flying
the household is so loud and wholesome
a pro at dad jokes and he won’t miss a chance to say it
YEOSANG
2 girls
one of his child is super loud and sassy while the other one is quiet
“let’s go take a nap before mommy yells at us, okay?”
he tries to get her off the couch
“BUT THE FLOOR IS LAVA!”
very exhasuting but he loves his kid regardless
helps them with homework most days
talks intellectual stuff with his kids
“...and so that’s why consumerism is bad for our environment.”
his girls are really smart, due to that very reason lmao
loves to listen to them talk
SAN
2 boys, 1 girl
hype dad
supports his kids in anythin they do/want to do
super protective of them espically his only girl
you bet san has a whole photobook for each of his kids
type of dad to show baby photos to his kid’s friends
obsessed with them, won’t shut up about it
likes to take them on walks (just like how san’s grandparents did)
they all have their very own special plushie like san and shiber
has deep talks with them about insecuries/self doubts stuff like that because he wants them to be the best version of themselves
MINGI
twin girls
would make spagettios for dinner a week straight cuz he can’t cook but he’s trying his best
loves to brag about his girls
probably so good at dressing up like santa his kids will believe him until they’re in middle school
definitely plays dress up with them
“daddy you’ll be the prince.”
“but i want to be the princess” he says with a pout (he’s more baby than his kids)
mingi is the coolest dad
has two hands, for his two girls
so so soft!!!
WOOYOUNG
2 girls and 1 boy
gets along with san’s kids, they’re like bffs
likes to tie his girl’s hair into little pig tails or braid them
this household is so chaotic, i can feel it
will fight anyone for his child
very very playful !!!
spoils them
birthday parties are the best, loves to go all out
loves to take them to aracades, carnvials, yk just give them a fun tme
not too strict like hj, just wants them to have fun
JONGHO
3 boys
reads bedtime stories every day
likes to play sports or just go outside with them
extremely chill and patient with his kids
lifts his kids up and swing them around like they’re flying
the apple breaking and vocal genes are getting passed down
sings them to sleep
i feel like all of them would be into sports
cheers the loudest duing his kid’s game matches
promotes independancy for his kids
very protective of them though, espeically when they’re young
will fight a toddler for them lol
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nice jeans
#ateez#ateez scenarios#ateez imagines#ateez drabbles#ateez fluff#ateez fanfic#kim hongjoong#park seonghwa#jeong yunho#kang yeosang#choi san#song mingi#jung wooyoung#choi jongho
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Hey Cat!! I hope you're doing well as always ! 💖
AHHHH huhu I closed the form last Sunday since I've collected enough responses dy! (NOOOOOOOO ToT) I got a total of 221 responses at the end of the week, which is 3x the amount I initially needed! :o I'm beyond grateful and appreciative ToT I've cleaned the data and have proceeded to run some data analysis, but I ran into an issue whereby the scores on the subscales are equal (it has never been reported in past studies! :O) so I'm waiting for my supervisor's feedback on how to proceed. Hopefully it's nothing too serious ToT
Hehe finance is interesting indeed! I just started reading a book on finance for young adults (Rich Dad Poor Dad) and I look forward to learning more from the author's tips! The Coursera introductory course has also made financial terms a lil more familiar, even though it's just the basics and it's really helped w my financial literacy 🥺 I can push myself to study but it's also the numbers and calculations I'm worried of cuz I am rly a nong (idiot) when it comes to numbers * - * it runs in the genes I guess AHAHAHAHA my mom and sister aren't good at numbers either keke
Aww I'm glad yr professor made financial accounting enjoyable and a fruitful experience for you! Some lecturers / professors rly just have that spark in them to inspire ppl and I'm blessed to be surrounded by a bunch of em in the psych department!🥺😭 it truly makes a difference and I'm sure we both are living proofs of that!
After debating for a while, I've decided not to take a minor mainly because I'm so tired HAHAHAHAHAHA and I'll just do my own self-studying and exploration whilst working! Go out and explore the world, live life! Whilst ironically still staying in my room because of the COVID-19 situation in our country (cases are abt 20+k every day :') )
My proposal has been finalized and it's been accepted! It's just that some elements of my proposal is also part of my actual report, so I have some guidance to refer to in terms of structure! :3 and yes don't worry! I got plenty (sometimes a lil too much) rest during the sem break whilst remaining productive! Plus, I got to catch up w some friends and had game nights (maybe too much of game nights hehe) and movie nights w my friends which was truly refreshing! Also cuz I might not see a lot of them again after we graduate so we gotta cherish every moment 🥺😭
I'm a freelance graphic designer for my uni's newsletter! Occasionally, they'd ask us to create both the content and design! I'll place the link to my recent work below if you wanna check it out! UwU I'm trying to incorporate the same practices during sem break in my last sem (current sem) too! cuz yes mental health is so so important and I'm just tired of being academically tired you get me? :(
What makes me most trilled abt learning abt psychology is how to apply it in daily life too! I find it so fascinating and awestruck at how relatable and within reach these things are like wow we can be influenced in such ways?? :o can be both good and bad but imma stick w seeing it as the development and evolution of us humans UwU
Also, the vaccine has fixed my sleep schedule HEHE (another perk of getting vaccination :3) I got some rly good rest and managed to reset my usual sleeping time, thank you science ToT oooo I see I see, we've had cases of nurses injecting empty syringes hence the recording :( but GHIOGHWEOGIOHW I could never do that, I can feel the liquid entering me as it is so that's good enough ToT (* plays Love Talk * I can feel it coming)
OMG YOUR ART PIECES ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, ADORABLE AND ELEGANT! 💖🥺🥰 it must've required a lot of hard-work and effort AHHH thankiew for showing me yr work!! it's truly unique in its own manner despite it's simplicity UwU is there a reason or backstory to yr chosen theme and objects? :3
I just Googled Somi Somi and omg that's such an UwU ice cream AHHHH 💖🥺😭 ice cream is my fav food of all time and it looks like an ice cream haven omg imagine eating it after a loooong hard day's of work ToT and OMG THE SATISFACTION OF EATING THAI MILK TEA ICE CREAM ON A HOT DAY YASSS 😋🤤 hehe if you get the chance to try milk & biscoff, do try it! It's amazing !😍 and ooo i haven't tried alcoholic ice cream before but I will one day!! :3 my alcohol tolerance is rly low though, will I get tipsy over alcoholic ice cream? We shall see UwU (i can only drink half a bottle of apple cider before my face gets red and I start getting a lil tipsy + headache)
and lovie....knowing yr school schedule now...OURS IS DEFINTELY BRUTAL OMG a 3 month long sem break huhu that's only the total amount of sem breaks we get in a year ToT i thought uni was hard but not that hard ToT
Always glad and honored to have you onboard! and AHAHAHAH the contractions about to start soon 👀 I enjoy talking to you huhu you're such a sweet and supportive person 💖🥺🥰😙 huhu for my period cramps, I've been having them since I was 12 ToT my doctor prescribed me some panadols but sometimes I can't even swallow them cuz I'd puke them out ToT I've settled w heatpacks to reduce my reliance on medicine, but I finally got some upgraded and safe to eat medicine from my gynae! She said it's fine to take it every month to keep my womb healthy and apparently my ms. lil uterus is suffering from inflammation, hence the super crazy bedridden cramps :( the upgraded medicine worked for a while, but after time it kinda didn't help either :/ but I realised that exercise rly does wonders to reduce the cramp too (gynae also recommended exercising) so i take walks and do my back stretches more frequently now! my period in the previous months (2 months ago) have been almost painless and bearable, it's so weird not seeing my bedridden ._. when I was in high school, there would always be a day in every month in which I don't attend classes, and that's solely because of my cramps. It just isn't worth suffering in school, plus we don't have a sick room :/ I hope the pain continues to subside! ToT
And ayy internship is also working experience, yr advice would be of great help to me regardless! 🥺 oh yes, I always remind myself that interviews are similar to the speaking test I took for my Cambridge English exams! That kinda help calm my nerves down a lil, but w nerves comes bigger smiles, so I guess it takes on a rather practical form of coping mechanism (sublimation) AHAHAHAHA
WAAAA WHAT A QUEEN you got an offer from every interview?? I aspire to be like you! 💖🥺🥰 huhu skill wise I believe I have lots to prepare esp in terms of case studies, and I perform rly poorly on certain assessments (*ehem * esp those concerning numbers) so I took the chance to study a lil during sem break too ToT but noted on that! I will work on that too and try to maintain that me element in interviews and overall just be myself keke
That's all from me for now! Imma wait for my supervisor's feedback and journey on w my last semester. Bon voyage!
Link to my recent work: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTBqGzjr6sN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Other works:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPpv-IyM7Gi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
https://www.instagram.com/p/CL55EG-MbL2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
hi hello honey bee !!! 💓 omg i'm so sorry for the belated response, i finally got on my laptop 😭 i'm gonna put my response under the cut since it got a little long 🤧
omg 221 responses !!!!! that's so many 🙀 congratulations aaaaa it's amazing that you were able to get 3x the data you needed !!! was it difficult to run data analysis? were you able to solve the issue with the equal scores on the subscales? i hope it didn't create too much additional work for you ):
omg yes finance is really interesting! i enjoyed the classes i took for it :') how is rich dad poor dad? did you learn a lot from it? i know it was a book my prof recommended, but i never got around to reading it 😶 did you learn any helpful tips? and ooo i'll have to look into coursera! yeah, there's quite a lot of terms for finance, and it can be a little intimidating paired with all the math formulas and such, but it's pretty useful imo! how are your financial studies going so far? 💕 omg nong is such a cute word?? i would never think it meant idiot asdkfhlkajsdf omg my whole family is good at numbers and really like math, but i didn't like it 😭 my mom made me study it a lot everyday though rip are the financial calculations getting easier for you as you practice more hopefully?
yessss omg i absolutely agree with this!!!! like you can just feel when a professor loves to teach and is genuinely so excited to talk about their subject, and it just makes the most boring horrible subject into something you learn to enjoy and hate less :') and i'm really happy to hear you have tons of professors like that in the psych department 🥺💗
that's great to hear!!!! 🌷🌷 i'm glad that you're prioritizing yourself and your health, which is so much more important than taking on a minor. what fun subjects have you decided to explore and self study so far? 💞 oh my gosh, the rising cases are so high?? i hope it's gotten better there for you ): are you able to go outside yet?
big congratulations on your proposal being finalized and accepted, lovebug !!!! 🥳🥳 i'm very proud of you and hoping one day i can read your published studies in a scientific journal :') aaaa i'm so glad to hear that you got to rest and enjoy your time with your friends!! i definitely feel that omg i regret all the times i skipped out on movie nights or game nights with my friends because now we're all scattered across the country and the only way we can have them again is over zoom calls 🤧
I SAW YOUR DESIGNS AND THEY'RE GORGEOUS OMG I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!!! 💖 I'M IN AWE AAAA IF PSYCH DOESN'T WORK OUT, I HOPE YOU BECOME A GRAPHIC DESIGNER 🤩🤩💖 and yes i totally get it ): i really felt the academic burn out when i was in college and it was really difficult at times 🤧 but i hope it's going better for you nowadays, sweetpea 💝💝
omg yeah i absolutely agree !!!! whenever i read about psychology, i keep it in the back of my mind and then when i see something irl that relates to it, i'm like :O amazing. it's so cool to learn about different psych tricks too and see how it works when you test them out yourself and whatnot. and it's really crazy to see how the human brain is so easily influenced at times ??? it truly is an amazing subject !!!
ah what a great side benefit of the vaccine - a better sleep schedule 🤩 i'm happy to hear that your schedule has been fixed 💘 and omg what ??? they're injecting empty syringes wth ????? 😭 that's absolutely horrible, are they getting sued?? lmaooooo that love talk reference askdfhlaksjd
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR KIND COMPLIMENTS 😭😭💗💗 there were many late hours spent in the art studio to finish them, but i'm really happy with the end products :') i thought light bulbs are an interesting subject to do, and my prof said that cutting out circular objects or sculpting them is the most difficult since they're made up curves and not straight lines and i was like ok bet i'm gonna do it aND I'M SO GLAD I DID BECAUSE I REALLY LIKE THEM 🥺 and i love honey bees !!! that's why i decided to paint them and we were supposed to paint them in a combined style of two artists so i tried monet's impressionist style with the short brush strokes and pop art triptych style like marjorie strider 💕
somi somi is sooo good and i just had it again a couple weeks ago :') omg ice cream is your favorite food? :o and YES ice cream is so satisfying after a long day of hard work, like it's such a nice reward to look forward to at the end of day ✨ aaaaa i have to try thai milk tea ice cream one day now !!!!! it sounds amazing 🤩 and YES i must look for places that sell milk & biscoff ice cream !! i have milk ice cream from somi somi, but i need to try to combined flavors 💘 i don't think you'll get tipsy over it !!! it's a really faint taste of alcohol, like i didn't even notice it at first, and i don't think they put very much of it in there! aksljdfhals omg you're a lightweight :o at least that means you save money on alcohol LOL i need like nine shots to get drunk 🤧
your school is too hard 😭 you need more than just 3 months of break !!! 😡 we get a week off for thanksgiving in fall semester and a week off for spring break in spring semester too and then the month long winter break and three month summer break. and we have the one day holidays off too like labor day, memorial day, etc. i can't believe they give you so little time off after working so hard???
asdfhlkajshdlksja loool are the contractions over yet? has it been born? what's the current status, doctor? 👀 i really enjoy talking to you too !!! i'm very sorry for the late responses, work is really taking over all of my time, and i never have enough time to get on my laptop to reply to my asks 😭 and thank you for saying such kind things about me 🥺🥺💝 oh my gosh, i'm so sorry to hear that you have such terrible cramps 😭 i can't even imagine going through that - mine are nowhere near as horrible 😖 do the heatpads help a lot? i'm relieved to hear that you were prescribed better medication though! but yeah, your body does eventually get used to the medication and you have to continue taking stronger meds for it to work, but that's not a very healthy solution /: but i'm really glad to hear that exercise has been helping out a lot!! 💖 hurray for almost painless and bearable periods 🥳 i'm sorry to hear that you had to go through that in high school ): that sounds absolutely horrible 😭 periods are just awful, but it's like i'm grateful that i have my period because that means i'm not pregnant, but also please go away aslkhdfaklsj
omg what was the speaking test for the cambridge english exams like? :o it sounds so formal and a lil intimidating askdjfhalsd do you know of any psych tricks that can possibly help calm your nerves? :')
aaaa yes i did !! i was really surprised that i got an offer from them all because at the time, i was not in the right major and i think i was one of the most underqualified applicants 🤧 one person who interviewed me asked why i withdrew from my engr physics class and i explained it in a kinda funny way but in my head, i was like "oof i'm not gonna get this offer anymore" but then he laughed at my response and told me about how his prof told him he should drop a guitar class he was taking because he was doing very poorly and we bonded over that aklsjdhfkals omg how do interviews for psych jobs go? do you have to discuss a lot of case studies? do they give you a list of possible case studies they'll ask about? :o what sort of assessments do you have to do? good luck on all of your interviews, honey bee 💛 i'm rooting for you, you're gonna do amazing !!!! 💘
omg what did your supervisor say about your case study? and how is your last semester going? are you almost done now? 🌸 (also how have you been? what have you been up to? thank you for taking the time to leave such detailed messages for me, i'm really excited to see all the fun updates in your life, lovebug 🌷🌷)
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little t&a deleted scene (julia)
i mentioned this and a couple other scenes from “little t&a” in an earlier post-- i’ve cleaned up and added to the bare bones of this. it’s really just an alternate take on the paul portion of chapter 25, where julia calls prior to or maybe instead of ace. thanks for the encouragement re: posting these, i appreciate it!
The phone rang before he could decide what else to do, whether to wait on Gene or eat something or waste awhile in front of the T.V. It startled him a little. Ever since Gene had come, he’d rarely been in the house enough to hear it ring. Another cushion from reality.
He ignored it. It kept ringing. Six times. Seven. Eventually, the answering machine tape started up, and he heard his own, actual voice, another piece of bewilderment.
“Hey, this is Paul Stanley. If you’ll leave your name and number, I’ll be in touch as soon as I can. Thanks.”
“Stan?”
He froze.
“Stan, this is Julia. Mom gave me your number--”
He picked up the phone before he could think to stop himself, throat suddenly desert-dry.
“Julia.”
“Who’s this?” The question was abrupt and immediate. Irritated. Julia was always far quicker to irritate than he was. The agitation still sent slight pinpricks of fear driving into his skin. Paul swallowed hard. He hadn’t even thought about it. God, he hadn’t even thought about what it’d be to talk to his sister the way he was now.
“I-it…” and, stupidly, he started to cough, trying to buy himself a second or two more on the line, desperately trying to drop his voice down at least a little, for all the good that would do. A week and a half ago, he would’ve hung up. He would have rather gone another three years without speaking to her. Now, something was tugging at him, awful and aching and desperate. “Julia, it’s-- it’s--”
“Who?”
“Don’t hang up. Please don’t hang up.” He took a breath. “I… I just want to… I can give him a message for you. Whatever you’ve gotta say, just let me know, and I’ll--”
“Has he told you about me?”
“Yeah.”
“He said I was crazy, didn’t he?” Julia snorted. “He is, too. He’s been in therapy since he was fifteen.”
Paul swallowed thickly.
“Really?”
“Stan’s a wreck. He wants everybody else to be just as fucked-up as he is.”
Paul’s tongue felt like cardboard. He wanted to argue with her. It had been three years since he’d seen her. Three years. He’d never reached out to her on his own. Never invited her to a concert, positive she’d come loaded or with a bunch of druggie friends or-- or mental. Julia was supposed to be somebody hidden away. Somebody with a carved-out space miles and miles apart from his life.
He didn’t support her. Not directly. He knew his parents gave her some of the money he sent them. He knew they had her contact information. He knew Bill had it, too, in case something happened to her that KISS’ publicity machine had to cover up. But he’d made a point of knowing nothing himself. Like not knowing where she was meant she couldn’t affect him. Couldn’t infect him, either. The terror he’d had as a child, not wanting to be in the same room with her, her anger, her rages, had morphed over time. Gone from terror of her to terror of being her. Wondering whether he’d be just the same. Whether he’d be a secret his parents didn’t want to bring up, whether he’d end up on pills and drugs and off-and-on committed, too. It scared him worse than anything else, going crazy, really crazy-- not just all worked up inside his own head, but out of control.
Sometimes, at his lowest, he thought the only reason he hadn’t had anything heavier than therapy as a teenager was because his parents couldn’t stand the thought of having two fucked-up, lunatic children. It was bad enough as it was. Him missing an ear and her crazy. Hilsen had assured him over and over that that wasn’t the case, reminding him he’d come of his own volition, reminding him he showed no signs of her illness. But he never could convince himself entirely. Not with the rest of what they had in common. The bisexuality he could pop off about casually to Gene or Ace or Peter or Bill, or even hint at in the music mags for shock value. It bothered him when he was at his lowest. It bothered him to know she was like that, too.
It bothered him more these days than it ever had before. Growing up, they hadn’t looked any more alike than most siblings, but right now, especially with his face softer, features not quite as jutting and angular, the similarities stood out more starkly. It was still his face, sure, but the flickers of resemblance were more pronounced, more uncomfortable. He’d kept thinking about her-- oh, hell, he thought about her a lot, anyway, every time he called his parents, every time he took Ericka out to the movies or to an amusement park. But she’d never been on his mind half this much before the curse. He was even talking to Gene about her at random-- Gene, who’d never figure out how much he’d pissed Paul off by calling him by Julia’s name.
(julia is out of her mind)
(she was nuts even then)
(you’re too hard on her)
(i have a right to be)
He couldn’t speak. He heard Julia blow a loud sigh against the receiver, and he was surprised she didn’t hang up at his silence.
“You don’t believe me, huh? God, I have all the stories on him. I see what’s in the magazines. Whatever he told you is a bunch of shit.”
“I know how he is.” Paul swallowed again. It wasn’t just his tongue feeling like cardboard now. The whole roof of his mouth was almost like sand. “He wants to talk to you.”
“No, he doesn’t. He hates me.”
“H-he… he wants to apologize.”
“For what?”
“For putting you down.”
It could’ve been him. Some of what had happened to her could have happened to him. Nineteen years old and knocked up by God knew what boyfriend. It could’ve happened easily. Just someone willing to pay him a little attention. As a guy, he’d fallen for Gene over something as pathetic as a tiny reassurance, and ended up all over him as soon as he’d gotten the opportunity. As a girl, a real girl, dumpy and easily rattled, desperate for attention and approval, he would’ve been the same. Would’ve gone for whoever looked his way, been willing to do anything. As a girl, he would’ve reaped all the consequences, too, instead of being able to shrug most of it off in the morning after.
“He can’t mean that.”
“He does, he…” Paul trailed, not knowing how to say it. “He didn’t know how bad you had it. Maybe he’s not ever going to know. He…”
“What the fuck did he say to you? Who the fuck are you?”
“Julia--”
“Who are you?”
He couldn’t tell her. Not like this. Not the way he was now. She’d never believe him. He couldn’t drop his voice down enough to really sound like himself. The inflections and the lisp were still there, but the pitch was all screwed up. She’d think he was trying to-- to make fun of her, or hurt her. Something. She’d never even realize it was him.
“H-he’s just been talking about you a lot, lately. That’s… that’s all.” Paul swallowed. “Let… let me have your number. Please. I’ll have him get back in touch.”
“He won’t call me.”
“He… he will. I swear.” His throat felt warm. “Maybe, maybe he wants to see you.”
She laughed shortly. He could almost picture her shaking her head. His throat only felt worse with each passing moment, heavy and hot, as he realized he was edging on a promise he couldn’t keep as long as he stayed this way.
Julia was the first memory he even had. Julia, much taller than he was, carrying around that Muffie doll, with the blonde hair and blue dress and red socks. He remembered wanting to just touch that doll, knowing, somehow, it had to be special, because she was holding it. He had gotten hold of it as soon as she set it down, tugging off the socks, and then she’d snatched it back.
All that time. All those years a room apart. Knowing her, being scared of her, angry with her, and now even the chance of connecting again was gone completely. The way he was now, he couldn’t ever see her again. He’d never, ever be able to see her. If he wanted even a shot at making things up with her, he’d have to go back. If he wanted his family at all, he had to stop fooling around, stop the outings and teasing and get it all over with. Cut it out for their sake, if not for his own.
“You’re nuts,” she said, and hung up the phone.
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001. MEET JADE
FULL NAME: jade beatrice montgomery.
PREFERRED NAME: jade.
NICKNAME/S: jadey or jadee — from family only — and her little brother calls her nova due to her gaming years but people in general don’t tend to use nicknames with her.
DATE OF BIRTH: march 21st, 1998.
GENDER & PRONOUNS: cis female & she/her.
ORIENTATION: hetero.
RELIGION: non-practicing christian.
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: in a relationship with nicolas leuthold.
OCCUPATION: full time university student and freelance designer.
RESIDENCE: gramercy park, new york city though she currently lives in zurich, switzerland.
002. CHECK JADE’S BACKGROUND
HOMETOWN: perth, australia.
NATIONALITY: australian.
ETHNIC BACKGROUND: australian.
LINGUISTICS: english which is her native language and french, spanish, portuguese and italian in a fluent level.
EDUCATION: she studies game design at nyu.
CRIMINAL RECORD: clean.
BIRTH ORDER: second.
FATHER: joshua seth montgomery, born on december 2nd, 1971 in sydney, australia, currently residing in greenwich village, new york city and working as a psychiatrist.
MOTHER: meredith eva montgomery, née adams, born on april 12th, 1972 in melbourne, australia, currently residing in greenwich village, new york city and working as an anesthesiologist.
SISTER/S: helena sophia montgomery, born on august 8th, 1995 in perth, australia, currently residing in boston, massachusetts and working as a cardiologist and heart surgeon.
BROTHER/S: blake stephen montgomery, born on november 9th, 1999 in perth, australia, currently residing in boston, massachusetts where he studies.
SIGNIFICANT OTHER: nicolas leuthold.
CHILDREN: none so far.
OTHER RELEVANT FAMILY: eliza marie montgomery, grandmother.
EX/ES: benjamin lucas and noah williams.
PETS: kylo ren, a cavoodle and drax, a french bulldog.
003. GET UP CLOSE & PERSONAL
HEIGHT: 5′6″ or 168 cm.
WEIGHT: between 116 lbs or 53 kg and 121 lbs or 55 kg.
BODY BUILD: body-shape wise, and following the stereotypes, she would be considered the classic shape. jade is naturally slim, she never had ease putting on weight and when she was younger that translated into being made fun of because she had no actual curves. with a lot of hard work at the gym, and a diet tailored by a nutritionist, over the years she managed to achieve a body she’s proud of. nowadays, jade is the epitome of fit. she has particularly long, toned legs as well as toned arms and abs. she’s willowy, has a defined waist and though she’s by no means thick, she does have a medium sized bust - 32C - and bum.
EYE COLOR: green.
EYESIGHT: she wears glasses, blue-light blocking ones, when she’s working on the computer for hours on end and when she’s resting her eyes. otherwise and on a daily basis, she wears contacts.
HAIR COLOR & STYLE: her hair is naturally brown, but instead of being one shade only, it’s a few different ones. usually she keeps her long hair loose and allows it to dry into its natural waves but at times, she’ll throw it up in a bun or in a high ponytail. if she’s going to an event of any kind or for a more special occasion, she goes for more of a classic low bun with some strands framing her face or she just straightens her hair. other moments, she just keeps half of her hair up and the other half down.
DOMINANT HAND: right.
NOTABLE PHYSICAL TRAITS: from the cat-shape of her eyes and the long eyelashes framing them, the little ski-slope nose, as people have taken a liking to call it through the years, to her plump lips and chiseled features, there’s a lot to notice about jade. people say god was playing favorites when she was born, that she stole all the good genes in the family and really? they’re not wrong.
SCARS AND MARKS: jade is, as she usually says, team random bruise which means every now and again, without her even noticing and probably as the result of some workout or daily activity, a bruise will appear on her skin. besides those, a few scars she’s gotten over the course of her life and a few little marks, like little moles and freckles, she doesn’t have anything particularly outstanding.
TATTOOS: she has a 11:11 on the underside of her right upper arm, she has a subtle orion constellation on the inside of right arm, she has a dainty, watercolor supernova tattoo on the left side of her ribcage, often covered up by her bra straps, she has her grandma’s name in morse code, on the inside of her left wrist and she has four little arrows pointing upwards on the back of her right ear.
PIERCINGS: she has her regular lobes pierced.
VOICECLAIM: isabelle mathers.
ACCENT & INTENSITY: she’s been living in new york since she was four, meaning the australian accent should’ve faded into nothing by now, but with the amount of time spent with her parents and siblings through the years, all the facetime calls to her granny and the friends back home, as well as the frequent visits to sunny australia, it stayed put and it’s still as intense as always.
ALLERGIES: insect stings.
PHOBIAS & FEARS: failing, not being able to achieve what she wants in life.
MENTAL & PHYSICAL ILLNESSES: none so far.
ALCOHOL USE: sometimes.
SMOKING: she doesn’t smoke.
NARCOTICS USE: no, she doesn’t use drugs.
INDULGENT FOOD: occasionally, she won’t say no to her favorites.
SPLURGE SPENDING: not so often.
GAMBLING: no, never.
004. DIG DEEPER
CAN THEY DRIVE? yes, she can drive.
CAN THEY COOK & BAKE? yes and yes.
CAN THEY CHANGE A FLAT TIRE? ish.
CAN THEY TIE A TIE? yes.
CAN THEY SWIM? yes.
CAN THEY RIDE A BICYCLE? yes.
CAN THEY JUMP START A CAR? no.
CAN THEY BRAID HAIR? yes.
CAN THEY PICK A LOCK? no.
EXTROVERTED OR INTROVERTED? extroverted.
DISORGANIZED OR ORGANIZED? organized.
CLOSE OR OPEN MINDED? open minded.
CALM OR ANXIOUS? calm.
PATIENT OR IMPATIENT? in-between.
OUTSPOKEN OR RESERVED? outspoken.
LEADER OR FOLLOWER? leader.
OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC? optimistic.
TRADITIONAL OR MODERN? modern.
HARD-WORKING OR LAZY? hard-working.
CULTURED OR UNCULTURED? cultured.
LOYAL OR DISLOYAL? loyal.
FAITHFUL OR UNFAITHFUL? faithful.
NIGHT OWL OR EARLY BIRD? night owl.
HEAVY OR LIGHT SLEEPER? heavy sleeper.
COFFEE OR TEA? coffee.
DAY OR NIGHT? night.
TAKING BATHS OR SHOWERS? baths.
COCA COLA OR PEPSI? neither.
CATS OR DOGS? dogs.
NETFLIX OR CINEMA? netflix.
SHOWS OR MOVIES? movies.
LAPTOP OR GAMING CONSOLE? gaming console.
HEALTHY OR JUNK FOOD? healthy food.
ICE CREAM OR FROZEN YOGURT? ice cream.
PIZZA OR HAMBURGER? pizza.
LOLLIPOPS OR GUMMY WORMS? gummy worms.
BEACH OR POOL? beach.
SNOWBALLS FIGHTING OR ICESKATING? iceskating.
LITERATURE OR SCIENCE? literature.
HISTORY OR ART? art.
CHOCOLATE BARS OR COTTON CANDY? chocolate bars.
XBOX OR PLAYSTATION? playstation.
FACE-TO-FACE OR PHONE INTERACTIONS? face-to-face interactions.
DRAMA OR SCI-FI? sci-fi.
HORROR OR COMEDY? horror.
005. JADE’S FAVORITES
FAVORITE ACTIVITY: gaming.
FAVORITE ANIMAL: koala.
FAVORITE BOOK: city of girls by elizabeth gilbert.
FAVORITE COLOR/S: she doesn’t have one.
FAVORITE CUISINE: mediterranean, thai and chinese.
FAVORITE DISH/ES: parmigiana, som tum, avocado toast, khao pad, pad thai (anything thai mostly), pavlova, tim tams, chocolate crackles.
FAVORITE DRINK/S: lemon lavender tea latte and coconut water.
FAVORITE FLOWER/S: water lillies and dahlias.
FAVORITE GEM: jade.
FAVORITE MOVIE: eternal sunshine of the spotless mind by michel gondry.
FAVORITE SONG: mona lisa by VALNTN and Peter Fenn, featuring tray haggerty.
FAVORITE SCENT/S: rose, vanilla, coffee and lime.
FAVORITE SHOW/S: la casa de papel is her ultimate favorite show and currently the only one she’s been keeping up with.
FAVORITE SPORT/S & TEAM THEY SUPPORT: basketball, she supports boston celtics.
FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR: summer.
VACATION DESTINATION: seoul, south korea.
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Shadows on the Horizon - 7
Pairing: Winter Soldier! Bucky Barnes x OFC! Layne Hardin // Thor Odinson x OFC! Susanna Sweet | Word Count: 2.4k | Warnings: None | A/N: This is a sequel to my story Like a Whisper in the Night | Shadows on the Horizon Masterlist
Susanna stepped out of her bathroom with a towel tied around her body while using a second to squeeze water from her red hair. She looked up as the doorknob to the apartment turned and smiled softly as the lumbering frame of her boyfriend slipped in.
“Long day?” Sue asked, taking in his ragged appearance and tired eyes.
It had been a whirlwind romance and admittedly a complete accident. She had come to the tower when she got a frantic voicemail from Layne about having been kidnapped and being unable to get a hold of the team. Sick with worry she had hopped on her motorcycle and drove all the way from Minnesota to New York barely stopping. When things with Layne had settled and she met Thor the connection was instantaneous. She was a forty-year-old divorcee and had given up on the thought of love, putting all of her energy into her music and her friends. Thor was the first man in a long time to make her feel beautiful and wanted.
She would be the first to admit that this whole thing had gotten a little out of control. Susanna went from hiding the fact that she was born with the mutant gene to now being an Avenger. Albeit, an Avenger that was off the radar. Layne, Wanda, and Natasha were constantly hinting that she should be joining them during press conferences, especially after missions that succeeded thanks to her, they always press how more women on the team the better. But she just couldn’t, she had grown kids and the last thing she needed was for them to be worried sick about her all the time.
She had already been chewing over how she would bring up to Thor and the team that she would have to step away for a little while. She owned a mechanic shop back in Minnesota and while she had a very competent team running it in her absence, between the tour and the Avengers it’s been almost six months since she last stopped in to make sure her business was still standing. The weight of her responsibilities back home battling the taste of actually contributing to keeping the world safe was starting to wear on her.
“Only because you were not beside me,” Thor answered with a dopey smile and followed her into their bedroom.
Sue was digging through her clothes drawers trying to find something comfy to wear, her muscles pleasantly sore from her work out earlier. Thor walked up behind her and wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her up and against his hard body. Sue giggled as his beard tickled up the side of her neck as he spattered kisses along the soft expanse of skin.
“A good thing I wasn’t, you never pay attention when I’m around,” Susanna teased and Thor simply hummed in agreement.
“How can I? You are the most distracting creature I have ever come across.”
Sue felt the heat of a blush creep up her chest and flare the tips of her ears. “Flatterer.” She spun in his grasp so she could lean up and catch his lips with her own and creep her arms up around his neck.
Thor growled in want and softly bit at Sue’s bottom lip until she allowed his tongue access. They made outstanding in the middle of their room until both needed to break away, dizzy from lack of air.
“How was Layne this morning?” Thor whispered, not wanting to break the soft mood between them as he rested his forehead on hers.
Sue shrugged, a slight frown creasing her features. “I think it was just a fluke. We’ll have to see if it’s a pattern that’s going to continue, but I think she scared herself a bit.”
Thor placed a kiss on her forehead before sliding his arms down under the round of her ass and lifting her easily into his arms. Susanna let out a less than delicate squawk of surprise, still not used to being handled like a delicate little thing like Thor often did, only for him to carry her over to the bed.
“What did they say about Barnes?” Susanna asked, running her hands up Thor’s chest as he climbed onto the bed to hover over her.
“Rogers seems to think that he can be given some extent of trust. He’s not a mindless machine like he was last time I suppose, I was not around when problems with Barnes were happening in the past so I couldn’t really say. He reminds me of how he was when I first met him after he was brought back from Africa.”
“So, what? Are we rotating babysitting duty?” Sue questioned, tangling her fingers in Thor’s blond locks.
Thor sighed, darkness falling over his expression that had Sue furrowing her brows in concern.
“Unfortunately, I am needed back with my people for a little while. There are apparently issues with the government and our settlement. They gave us land to make our own, but they have asked that we follow their laws. We are Asgardian but also Norwegian and my people are finding issue with that as are the locals. My people still see me as the king, but Norway has a…president? And they have laws that are not our own,” Thor sighed again and fell to his side next to Sue where he buried his face in her neck once more, inhaling her scent to bring him comfort.
“Well, being refugees can’t be easy, but you can’t exactly colonize a chunk of Norway and declare it Asgard. You’ll start a war,” Susanna insisted softly.
“But they gave it to us,” Thor pressed.
“That’s not how things work.”
Thor grumbled into her skin and sucked softly on her earlobe. Susanna huffed with amusement at Thor’s antics, even during a rather serious discussion the man was insatiable.
“Will you come with me? Help me navigate the laws of this world?” Thor asked, his voice soft and small.
Susanna sat up and looked down at Thor. “I’m not some kind of political lawyer, Thor. I’m a mechanic. You should talk to Pepper about borrowing some of the legal team.”
“Well. Will you come for support?” He looked up at her with big blue puppy dog eyes and Sue sighed in frustration.
“I can’t just go to Norway, Thor. I need to go back to my home too at some point. Check in with my family and the shop. And I can’t just leave Layne for an extended period with everything going on.”
“But I need you,” Thor said, pouting slightly.
“I have my own responsibilities.” Susanna insisted.
Thor sighed in defeat but then a wide smile took over his face. “Why did I have to fall in love with such a strong woman?”
Susanna mirrored his smile and reached over to run her thumb over his scruffy cheek before sobering and looking him seriously in the eyes. “Because no one else will put up with your bullshit, my king.” She teased lightly.
“Hmm. Well, how about I show my queen my fealty?” Thor suggested and rolled so he was caging her in between his thick arms once more.
~*~
Layne sat curled up in the corner of the long sectional couch in the common space. Everyone had their dinners and cleaned up after themselves and then parted to do their own things. It was Wednesday and normally on Wednesdays those who weren’t on missions would get together and watch a movie or just hang out and socialize, but after the incident with Bucky and no one really getting any rest after long missions it went unspoken that no one would be coming to hang out that night.
So Layne enjoyed the expansive room by herself, curled up with an acoustic guitar and notebooks scattered on the cushions around her. Snow was falling softly outside and Layne had turned on the gas fireplace when the sun dipped down behind the other buildings. It was quiet and cozy and Layne loved the small moments like this that she could get in the tower. Normally she had to lock herself away in her apartment for this sort of peace, but she couldn’t stand being in her old room right now.
As she slowly plucked at the strings of her guitar, pausing every so often to scribble a number or dot on a blank piece of sheet music, her gaze flashed back to the windows. Where it had just been softly snowing only a few minutes earlier suddenly sheets of freezing rain were falling from the sky followed by a flash of lightning and an immediate crash of thunder. Layne sighed and went back to her music, trying not to feel bitter.
When the little hairs on her arms and the back of her neck rose she didn’t falter.
“Escape from your watchdog?” Layne asked, not even bothering to look up from her notebooks.
“He’s a bad handler,” the Soldier answered stepping into Layne’s field of vision.
Layne hummed and looked up at him to examine his face. The emotionless mask was gone, replaced with one that was pinched in concern and confusion. There was a soft sparkle behind his eyes, it gave Layne hope.
“That’s because he’s not a handler,” Layne corrected going back to her notebooks. “He’s your best friend. Where is he?”
“Medical.”
Layne’s eyes flicked up to him sharply and he winced, just barely, in what seemed to be guilt.
“Sparring get out of hand?” she asked nonchalantly. It wasn’t anything new, Steve or Bucky usually ended up in medical getting their nose set or a shoulder relocated every time they sparred. Both were too stubborn to let the other win.
“I broke his cheekbone, maybe his eye socket.” The Soldier admitted and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Layne motioned to the empty expanse of couch and the Soldier hesitantly sat down on one of the ends, a good three cushions away from her.
“This arm is lighter than Hydra’s. Hurts less,” he continued.
“Shuri is very good at what she does,” Layne murmured, trying to keep her heart rate steady and looking focused on what she was doing.
The Soldier was now actively seeking her out, trying to hold a conversation with her. This was good, this was what she wanted. If she kept playing hard to get like this then maybe they could start getting somewhere. She tried to pretend like she wasn’t bothered or concerned about his uncomfortable fidgeting as her pencil scratched along the notebook. This felt so much more familiar to her, her sitting and working on music while Bucky would watch TV with the sound off or just read on the other end of the couch, that she started to forget that it was different.
It was when the feeling of his intense gaze on her got too heavy that she startled out of her reverie and looked up at him.
“Who is with Steve now?” Layne asked after clearing her throat.
“Natalia.”
Layne hummed and plucked a little at her strings. “Does that bother you?”
The Soldier’s eyes moved over Layne’s face, he could hear her heart pick up with nervousness and he watched as her tongue poked out and anxiously wet her lips. His gaze moved down to her long fingers that wrapped around the neck of her guitar, his eyes narrowed as a memory surfaced. He had gotten it for her for her birthday earlier in the year. It looked like the one he had seen from her memories before they were ever together. In her memory, he had watched as her father smashed it against her bedroom wall. He remembered Layne cried when she opened the case and it seemed to get more play than her electric.
“No. Natalia doesn’t remember us,” he admitted finally. It used to hurt him, that her eyes would shift over his with nothing more than simple recognition - like the kind of look you’d give an acquaintance. But then Layne had joined the team and suddenly it didn’t matter. Bucky had kept Layne at an arms length for months after seeing her had stirred the Soldier, Bucky had felt it, the animalistic need to protect the new girl.
“Does that bother you?” Layne pressed and the Soldier shook his head.
“Not anymore,” he answered immediately and honestly, his eyes connecting with hers.
She sucked in a small, sharp breath and broke their gaze to look at her fingers on the fret board, a soft pink blush gracing her cheeks. Clearing her throat she looked back up at him through her lashes as he inched a little closer to her. She smirked and moved a pile of notebooks on his side of the couch over to the other side.
“I wanted to thank you,” he said slowly, lacing his fingers together in his lap and cracking the knuckles of his right hand nervously.
“For what?” Layne asked, setting her guitar aside and pulling her legs up under her and wrapping her arms around her knees.
“For not being afraid.”
Layne tilted her head to the side in confusion and chewed on her bottom lip. “Why would I ever be afraid of you?”
The Soldier shrugged. “Well, I’m not him,” he swallowed hard, his gaze on the floor darting back and forth as he tried to recall something. “I’ve done all the bad things.”
Layne scooted closer and the Soldier flinched, Layne hesitated before throwing caution to the wind and moving right next to him. She held her hand out to him, palm up. “Do you trust me?”
The Soldier looked between her and her hand. She was leaving him with the choice, just like she always did. He took it last night because he was so ridiculously tired, but now when he was awake and aware it was a different story.
“I have always seen you. Please, let me show you,” Layne begged. “Just give me your hand.”
The Soldier hesitated for a moment more before reaching out with his right hand to brush his calloused fingers across the soft skin of her palm. She smiled softly and gently laced her fingers with his. This time instead of the sensation of being hit with a bucket of ice the Soldier felt himself sucked into a vacuum, his ears popped and his vision went dark momentarily and when his vision came back he was looking up at himself from Layne’s perspective.
#winter soldier x layne hardin#bucky barnes x layne hardin#bucky barnes x ofc#winter soldier x ofc#thor odinson x ofc#thor odinson x susanna sweet#bucky barnes fanfiction#winter soldier fanfiction#avengers fanfiction#marvel fanfiction
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For the ship thing: malec?
Thanks @moirabartons
who hogs the duvet
Alec. We all know this giant Shadowhunter is out here pulling all the covers away from Magnus in the middle of the night while Magnus is just trying to get some goddamn sleep. He’s considered magicking Alec into being a peaceful sleeper, but instead he just made their duvet twice the size of the bed so that Alec can’t steal all of it. (spoiler alert: he still manages to steal all of it.)
who texts/rings to check how their day is going
Magnus. Alec is very busy and would love to know how Magnus’ day is going, but just doesn’t have the time to think about sending little texts like that during the day. But Magnus is good at this. If he doesn’t see Alec in the morning for whatever reason, he texts good morning. If he knows Alec might be having a rough day, he asks how he’s doing. But he’s careful about not texting too much and he’s never bothered by getting late answers or no answers at all. He knows he’ll see Alec eventually and Alec will tell him everything when he has time.
who’s the most creative when it comes to gifts
Both. Magnus is, of course, blessed with just hundreds of years of gift-giving experience and doesn’t let this go to waste. He prides himself on knowing exactly what to get people and Alec is no exception. But Alec is surprisingly good at getting gifts for Magnus. He picks up little things in marketplaces when Magnus isn’t looking and always finds something when he’s away on business. The two of them are very creative about gifts and it’s almost effortless for them because they know each other so well.
who gets up first in the morning
Alec. I feel like there’s canon info to support this, since when Magnus is up before Alec he thinks something is wrong, usually. Alec probably gets up early to head to the Institute to start the day off right but Magnus gets up only a little after him to spend time with his boyfriend in the morning.
who suggests new things in bed
Alec. I say this because Magnus is more experienced than Alec and I think he wants to see what Alec is comfortable with. So it’s up to Alec to suggest this or that, not that Magnus doesn’t chime in or make suggestions himself every once in a while and he certainly does it more often once he knows Alec is comfortable in the bedroom. But for the most part, I think Alec takes the lead on introducing new things to the bedroom.
who cries at movies
Magnus. And Alec teasing him mercilessly about this because, “come on, you’re hundreds of years old, haven’t you seen all of these already???”
who gives unprompted massages
Magnus. He’s a big proponent of massages, especially when his boyfriend spends most of his time either hunched over a desk or in hand-to-hand combat with demons.
who fusses over the other when they’re sick
Alec. Don’t get me wrong, Magnus is great when Alec is sick, but he’s more the “here’s a potion to cure what ails you” type of guy than a “do you need soup? do you have a fever? here have more blankets” type of guy. (Although this is assuming that Shadowhunters and Warlocks like… can get sick in a normal, human manner.)
who gets jealous easiest
Alec. Magnus has been around too long to get jealous easily but Alec has only ever dated Magnus and it gets to him that Magnus has been with a long list of people in the past.
who has the most embarrassing taste in music
Both. Define embarrassing because like… Alec’s definitely got some One Direction on his iPod from when Isabelle bullied him into listening to it when they first got big, but Magnus still has saved recordings of what passed as punk music in the 1800s.
who collects something unusual
Magnus. He collects momentos of everyone he’s ever loved. I find that unusual.
who takes the longest to get ready
Magnus. Which is ridiculous because like… snap your fingers and get it over with, dude. But he likes the little things done right and he enjoys putting time into his appearance when he has the chance.
who is the most tidy and organised
Alec. I mean, look at his office vs. Magnus’ loft.
who gets most excited about the holidays
Magnus. Sure, he’s centuries old but he loves holidays. He didn’t when he was a kid and he was all alone but as he grows older and finds people he loves to spend them with, he loves the simplicity of gathering everyone you love all in one place. Alec still thinks it’s wasted time when he could be working but Magnus usually convinces him otherwise.
who is the big spoon/little spoon
I’m a firm believer that they switch.
who gets most competitive when playing games and/or sports
Alec. Call it Shadowhunter genes if you want, but the boy will do absolutely anything to win. And he usually can win against Magnus when Magnus promises not to use his magic.
who starts the most arguments
Alec. Magnus is old and he is Tired and he does not want to argue with his boyfriend. But Alec is young and fiery and wants everything to go his way so… arguments happen.
who suggests that they buy a pet
Alec. Aka the “let’s get domestic immediately” king of NYC.
what couple traditions they have
They’re big on having breakfast together in the mornings. It’s not really something either of them had time for before they met each other but now they make time to sit down, eat, and chat before the day starts and everything gets away from them. They also make a point of always checking in with each other, every day, even if they’re too busy to actually meet up. Sometimes it’s no more than a “how’s the day going” text in the afternoon but it always happens.
what tv shows they watch together
They watch bad TV. Why? Because neither of them really has the time to get invested in a TV show. So they watch The Bachelor and Faking It and Skins and everything they don’t have to keep up with because it’s either finished or too dumb to care about.
what other couple they hang out with
Usually Isabelle and whoever she happens to be dating. Sometimes a couple of Magnus’ warlock friends. Jace and Clary hang out every once in a while, but it’s usually just Jace or just Clary for whatever reason.
how they spend time together as a couple
Usually working. They work together really well and are both very busy, so they tend to spend their time together working too. But that doesn’t mean they don’t do all the little things together too - ie. cook, clean, brush their teeth.
who made the first move
Alec believe it or not. (I still kinda don’t believe it tbh.)
who brings flowers home
Alec. A big sweetheart.
who is the best cook
Magnus. Because the Lightwood’s could burn water.
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Classic Movies for Beginners: Case File #3: The MGM Musicals
The world is a stage,
The stage is a world of entertainment!
Director(s): Vincente Minnelli; Stanley Donen; Charles Walters; and Others
Starring: (Deep Breath) Judy Garland; Fred Astaire; Gene Kelly; Cyd Charisse; Debbie Reynolds; Donald O’Connor; Frank Sinatra; Jane Powell; many more.
Watch if You Like: Musicals. Seriously, the MGM musicals still define the genre in the popular imagination. So even if you’ve never seen one (and you have seen one, The Wizard of Oz) you’re probably familiar with the style. Almost every recent hit movie musical--La La Land, Hairspray, The Greatest Showman, High School Musical--was shaped in some way by the bright technicolor sweetness of these movies. So if you’re a fan of any of those films, a theater geek, or just curious about what the movie musical was like at its peak, enjoy.
Since I could talk for days about these movies, I’ve decided to just do a quick list of the 10 most essential titles There are, of course, many other musicals from the studio that are worth a watch, but I’m trying to control myself.
Singin’ in the Rain (1952): Everyone’s favorite musical! In case you’ve been living under a rock: Don Lockwood (Kelly) is a silent movie star famous for his films with shrill-voiced Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen). Talkies seem poised to ruin them until his pal Cosmo (O’Connor) gives him the idea to do a musical with his girlfriend (Reynolds) dubbing Lina’s voice. No summary can ever capture what makes this movie such a complete joy to watch. Every song, every dance, every performance is just flawlessly executed to put a great big smile on your face. It’s one of the few movies that deserves to be called perfect.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944): A year in the life of the Smith family in 1903 St. Louis, the year the world’s fair came to town. There are four daughters, second-eldest Esther (Garland) is on the cusp of adulthood, starry-eyed, and filled with young love for the boy next door (Tom Drake). Youngest is Tootie (Margaret O’Brien), mischievous and morbidly fascinated by death in a way only an innocent child can be. Father (Leon Ames) gets a job in New York, a move that threatens the family’s fragile innocence. Will they go?
Minimalist plot doesn’t sound like much, but it’s actually a great coming-of-age movie. Beneath its nostalgic sheen there are some darker moments that deal frankly with the loss of innocence that comes with growing up. Garland debuts “The Trolley Song” and the holiday standard “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which she sings with a more heartbreaking style than you’re likely to hear now. “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, now...” she sings, as if you might never have another chance to. Appreciate innocence while you have it, the movie says, it can be taken away so easily.
The Band Wagon (1953): Washed up movie star Tony Hunter, (Astaire) heads to Broadway to star in a musical comedy written by his friends (Oscar Levant and Nanette Fabray), but they make the mistake of hiring a snooty director of dramas who promptly turns it into a heavy handed Faust adaptation. Tony is unsure of this, as well as the much younger ballerina (Cyd Charisse) hired to be his leading lady. The official favorite musical of people who think it’s too mainstream to pick Singin’ in the Rain. The satire of high art and low art can get heavy handed, and the movie’s ultimate assertion that Broadway musicals are meant to be light comedy is hopelessly dated in the era of Next to Normal and Spring Awakening. It’s real charms lie in the dances, from the joyful hoofing of "Shine on Your Shoes" to the simple romance of "Dancing in the Dark."
On the Town (1949): Three sailors (Kelly, Sinatra, Jules Munshin) on 24 hour leave in New York, New York (I hear it’s a wonderful town) find love and hijinks as they pursue a beauty contest winner (Vera-Ellen) across the city after one of them falls in love at first sight. Along for the ride are Betty Garret as their cab driver, and Ann Miller as a boy crazy anthropologist. Adapted from a Broadway hit, much of Leonard Bernstein’s score was replaced with original music for some reason (censors also required the lyric “New York, New York it’s a helluva town” be changed to “it’s a wonderful town.”) Fortunately, that doesn’t make it any less of a delight, with a perfect cast and great choreography celebrating the limitless possibilities of the city.
Easter Parade (1948): When his dance partner (Ann Miller) leaves him, Don Hewes (Astaire) plucks a girl out of the chorus (Garland) and sets out to make her a star. Shades of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion (nobody tell Lerner and Loewe), with Peter Lawford in the Freddy role and a slew of Irving Berlin tunes along for the ride. The only movie Astaire and Garland made together, and it’s a fascinating pairing of the most carefree (onscreen anyway) musical star and the least. Astaire was rarely paired with singing stars (as opposed to dancers), and Garland was a bigger star than he was when this movie shot. As a result her character gets more solo numbers and feels more independent of Astaire’s than usual. On the flip side, Astaire does a better job at holding his own opposite Garland than most of her leading men. It’s a shame they never made another movie together as their chemistry makes the film.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954): Mountain man Howard Keel ventures into an old west town one day looking for a wife to play housekeeper. He finds one (Powell), who falls in love at first sight and marries him dreaming of a romantic life in the wilderness. He didn’t mention they’d be living with his unruly brothers. Fortunately she manages to tame them enough to go to town for a barn raising. That’s when the trouble starts, each brother meets and falls for a girl from town. After an iconic dance-off with their fiances, the brothers end up kidnapping the women for the winter, which does not go over well.
Look, this is not as sexist as its sounds. This is not a Stockholm Syndrome thing, the narrative does not condone the kidnapping, the men are banished to the barn by Powell so nobody’s pressured to do anything, and if you look at the end of the barn raising dance you see that the women do initially to choose the brothers on their own free will, before their parents intervene. The movie ultimately comes down on the side of equal power dynamics in relationships. Anyway, the dancing in this movie is incredible. Watch it for that if nothing else.
The Harvey Girls (1946): Desperate to get out of her small town, Susan Bradley (Garland) moves west to marry her lonely-hearts pen pal. That falls through, so she gets a job as a waitress at the Harvey House, a (real) restaurant chain catering to train passengers. A lot of the town’s men don’t want the ladies there, because the chain’s strict moral standards has a reputation for civilizing wild west towns. Nevertheless, they persisted. The town is cleaned up, and the waitresses find true love. Great showcase for Garland’s comedic and dramatic skills. The movie’s slyly feminist defense of a woman’s right to see the world beyond her back yard and the boy next door, as well as its emphasis on female friendships, make up for a bland male lead and awkward third act. (A proper big final number was shot, but deleted for time so the whole thing kinda peters out.)
Lili (1953): Barely a musical, but it has one song and two dance sequences that are key to developing the characters and plot, so it counts. Recently orphaned Lili (Leslie Caron) is all alone and naïve about the ways of the world. She is charmed by a womanizing magician in a traveling carnival. After he rebuffs her affections she attempts suicide, but is stopped at the last minute by the carnival’s puppeteer, Paul (Mel Ferrer), who strikes up a conversation through his puppets. Lili’s natural interaction with the puppets attracts a crowd and she is made part of the act. Paul was once a great dancer whose career was ended by a war injury, lonely and embittered he is drawn to Lili’s soft heart but is unable to express his affection for her without his puppets. Touching story about the walls we build to protect ourselves from hurt, and the necessity of letting them down. Caron’s performance is incredible, it’s like she walked out of a fairy tale.
The Pirate (1948): Manuela (Garland) lives in a small Caribbean village and spends her days fantasizing of adventure and romance with the legendary pirate Macoco, so she’s heartbroken to learn she’s to marry the town’s boring mayor, Don Pedro. On a trip to the port to pick up her wedding dress she is spotted by traveling actor Serafin (Kelly), who falls instantly in love. She is unimpressed with his charms so he pretends to be Macoco in disguise to win her over. Mistaken identity hijinks ensue when he shows up in her hometown and realizes her boring fiance is actually the retired Macoco. This never takes off the way it should. Between the stars, the director (Minnelli), and original Cole Porter songs this should be a home run. Frustratingly, the story never comes together as well as it should, Manuela starts to feel like a supporting player in the second half which throws the whole movie off balance. Still, there are some great songs and dances, and the movie does manage to say a few interesting things about who we are versus who we pretend to be in life.
Royal Wedding (1951): Sibling song-and-dance team (Astaire and Powell) heads to England to perform in a new show against the backdrop of the upcoming wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh (what ever happened to those two?) While there both of them find themselves falling in love. Her with a penniless Lord (Peter Lawford), him with a newly engaged dancer (Sarah Churchill, daughter of Winston). This is primarily for Astaire fans who get to see two of his most famous dances. One with a hat rack, proving he could dance with anything, the other where he dances on the wall and ceiling of his room thanks to some clever practical effects.
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There’s No Way I’m Falling (Dejan fic) Chapter 12
A/N: It took more time than expected, but I hope you enjoy it!
Link to my writing HERE!
Warning: implied sex (I guess)
Chapter 12: If it’s not girls, Mimi can move
After eating the pizza, the kids looked like they were about to fall asleep by the table. Mimi couldn’t believe how cute they were right there and then. She had always believed that she didn’t like children, but these two were the cutest little human beings on earth. She took in the sight while Dejan did the dishes while singing some song to himself, right now Mimi really loved her life.
“Mimi, I sleepy… can you help me to bed?” Josip suddenly asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“He needs to brush his teeth and change into pajamas, before being read to” Dejan swept in to help her as he probably saw her panicked expression.
Mimi got up from the table and picked up the boy, letting him tell her where to go to get everything done. Helping him was a blast since the boy had gotten some really good comedy genes from his dad, and he made everything a standup show.
*Dejan’s POV*
After putting Elena to sleep, making up a story about a beautiful Spanish princess who met a wonderful prince with two kids (which Elena loved without realizing who it was about), Dejan walked around the house to see if he could find Mimi somewhere. He looked through every single room before checking Josip’s, only to find them both sleeping with the book halfway read through.
He let out a quiet chuckle and shook his head before gently taking the book out of Mimi’s hands and putting it on a shelf. “At least you two get along” he whispered, mostly to himself, before kissing his son on the forehead and picking Mimi up from the bed and taking her to his bedroom.
Halfway there, she opened her eyes a little and looked up at him in confusion. He chuckled again and kissed her head “Bed or movie?” he asked her, still admiring her face. This woman was just as beautiful asleep as awake, but he felt way less creepy watching her when she was awake. “You should wash off the makeup no matter what though babe” he added and put her down in the bathroom, handing her some facewash.
“Movie…” she barely managed to get out while yawning. “Can you wash my face?” she suddenly asked and he smiled and took a cotton pad and started cleaning off the makeup. He loved helping her because then he felt like he was needed. He needed to feel needed, it made him feel good inside, because if he had something to offer, it wouldn’t be so easy leaving him. And he REALLY didn’t want to lose Mimi.
---
That night went way too fast in Dejan’s mind, they had somehow gotten down to the living room and put on some romantic comedy movie. Mimi had expressed her concern about Elena not liking her, and he had assured her that his daughter would grow to love her when she got to know her better. After, they had both fallen asleep cuddled together on the couch.
---
The next couple of weeks passed without him seeing much of Mimi except at work, she had said she wanted to give Elena some time to get used to the fact that her mom had left. Of course he understood that, but the occasional quickie in some toilet or wardrobe wasn’t quite doing it for him, he wanted Mimi to be there with him all the time.
That day he decided to bring his children with him to their match, knowing very well that Mimi was doing some freelance stuff there. He helped his brother Davor get the kids up on the stands, trying to explain to them that today wasn’t a good day for them to be on the pitch. Just as he was about to leave, Mimi entered the stands and looked at him “Good luck, Lovren” she wished him, in a very formal way before finding her seat. Dejan slapped her ass slightly before leaving for the dressing room, obviously only as payback for calling him Lovren.
The match went really well for the team, Dejan even scored a goal and celebrated by sucking both his thumbs and blowing a kiss up towards Mimi. He hoped she didn’t mind him spilling it to the entire world, but in that moment none of his thoughts were clear he was just happy to hear the supporters finally chant his name.
---
When he got to the dressing room after the final whistle blew, he looked at his phone and saw messages from his entire family, but most importantly one from Mimi. “Interview in the stands… I get dibs” it said and Dejan laughed at the screen causing some of the guys to look at him in amusement.
“Remember you can’t fuck her on the stands” Hendo finally said, causing all the others to laugh and Dejan to roll his eyes.
He sprinted up to the stands and was met by cameras and Mimi with a microphone. Before she could get a word out he just grabbed her and kissed her passionately “I scored! And I’m sorry I didn’t think… so many emotions” he explained and she shook her head and kissed him.
“Interview first dragi” she stated and then nodded to the camera crew. He loved the way she could switch from private Mimi to professional Noémie so quickly. “Dejan Lovren, man of the match… How did it feel to finally score?” she asked and her eyes looked so proud which only made his smile wider.
“It felt amazing… hearing the crowd chant my name… seeing my kids go crazy… it was amazing” he answered, and he noticed how hard it was to remember how speaking worked.
“and that celebration… You got something to share with the fans?” Did she just ask him that? Was that a wink? He just looked at her, trying to see if she actually wanted him to spill the beans. “Come on Lovren, you owe the world an explanation” she stated with a grin and Dejan felt his entire body burn.
“My girlfriend… she’s pregnant and…” He struggled to find the words again and he saw Mimi chuckle “I love YOU so much Mimi” he eventually stated and she froze, loosing the grip of the microphone.
She hugged him tight and Dejan wondered if she realized the cameras were 100 percent filming them. “I love you too! So much! I didn’t realize you wanted everyone to know” she said into his neck and he picked her up and swirled her around.
“I would scream it from a mountain, Everyone should know you’re mine” he stated and she started crying so he wiped the tears off “pregnancy hormones huh?” he asked and she just sobbed as an answer. Dejan signalized for the cameras to be shut off and told one of their press people that he had no wish of speaking with any journalists.
“When did you plan on telling the family?” his brother Davor suddenly appeared with the children. Dejan looked at him and saw him clearly upset. Why did everyone make him feel like shit these days? He hugged his brother tight, looking at Josip and nodding towards Mimi as to tell him to go hug her, and he obliged.
---
A month passed, and Mimi had gradually started to be more at their house. Elena still hated the idea of her, but she could be pregnant with girls, so she lived with it in the hopes of getting a sister. Josip, on the other hand, had already started to call her “mare” and “mami”. Dejan had found out that was the Catalan way of saying it, so when Josip asked him for permission he (and Mimi) had told him to use those two words.
He loved seeing the special bond between Mimi and Josip, it made his heart overflow with emotion. He had wished that Elena one day would also get to that point, but he knew her well enough to know that it definitely would take some time.
The day before they had been to the doctors and found out the sexes of the babies and Mimi had gotten the idea that they could have a gender reveal party. Dejan hated having people over at his house, but he also knew that it would be fun for the kids to find out about their siblings in that way.
While the kids were busy at kindergarten and school, Mimi spent the day baking cakes and Dejan sat there watching her. She had said something about him “making a mess” whenever he was in the kitchen and he had been shown to a chair, watching her from a safe distance.
He didn’t know whether he preferred looking at her belly or her butt. On one hand he enjoyed watching his little kids grow in her belly, on the other her ass was really great. “What are you looking at amor?” she suddenly asked while sucking cake batter off her finger. Damn that woman drove him crazy.
“I have no idea” he honestly said, looking at her confused expression. “My eyes are somewhere between your belly or your ass, don’t move… I like it when you stand sideways” he confessed and she turned to face him, grinning wide. “Tease” he muttered.
Just as he was about to go up and kiss her passionately, the doorbell rang and he had to go open it. Much to his joy, his parents were there smiling widely, and they hugged each other tight before he let them in. “You know where your room is… after you have put your stuff there there’s someone I want you to meet in the kitchen” he told before he had to go back to the kitchen.
---
“I didn’t think French or Spanish people could be so nice” His father said after a while of chatting and Dejan felt mortified, hoping Mimi would take it well.
“I’m neither French or Spanish” she said with a smile “I’m Catalan” Dejan was so happy to see her finally being proud of saying that. To add to that, his parents also seemed to be happy with the explanation.
“So, what are they?” his mother finally asked, hinting about the babies with looks.
Mimi got a mischievous smile and looked at Dejan, as if to tell him that this was his turn to “break” some hearts. “We decided that, apart from us, the children should be the first ones to know” he told them nervously, terrified about their reaction.
“That’s fine son, the children should always come first” his father said, much to his surprise.
“Mr. Lovren… please keep your shirt on for these celebrations though” Mimi jokingly said, causing everyone to laugh and his dad to hug her.
“Welcome to the family, Noémie” he said and Dejan felt like his entire world was just perfect at that moment.
---
When he got into the car at the kindergarten, he looked in the rearview mirror at his two kids. He had had a little while to talk with Elena already as he picked her up first, and she had finally admitted that she didn’t think Mimi was the devil anymore, something that had made him very relieved. He loved looking at them through the mirror before starting to drive, they just seemed so happy about seeing him, but also so happy to be at the school and kindergarten.
“When we go home, Baka and Dida will be there… and there will be cake” he told them and waited for their reaction. Not surprisingly, the kids got super excited and smiled wide. “Also, you will get to know if you are getting brothers or sisters” he then added and they immediately looked a little nervous.
“If it is not girls, Mimi can move” Elena suddenly said, just as Dejan started the car, and he had to focus so he wouldn’t brake hard or something worse.
“She A. Doesn’t live with us.. and B. you don’t get to decide that” he stated sternly before driving home, Elena looking out the window pouting and Josip looking at her angrily.
Entering the house, Dejan saw the cutest thing ever. Josip was standing in the middle of the living room looking from one person to the other, uncertain about who he should hug first. While equally cute, the next thing that happened wasn’t funny to him. As the pressure became too much for his son, Josip sat down on the floor crying. However, Mimi quickly picked him up and tried to calm him down, saying how nobody would be sad if he chose someone else first. She then proceeded to hand him over to the grandparents before hugging Elena slightly. He had made Elena do that every day.
---
After all the guests finally had showed up, and everyone had written up their guesses and just mingled for a while, Mimi and Dejan placed Elena and Josip with their backs to each other and Mimi held two cupcakes. “On the inside of these there are sprinkles of one color… Josip gets for one baby, and Elena for the other… if your cupcake has blue sprinkles inside it’s a boy, and if it has pink it is a girl” she explained and they both nodded. Dejan nodded to her friend, who was filming and as fast as the camera started they let the kids eat.
He was extremely nervous as he watched their faces, he could only focus on them, not the other people around him. He looked over at Mimi and saw her squat and bite her nails, and he sighed a little, at least they were both nervous about the reactions.
#I wrote most of this on monday...#including the celebration#idk why I had to clarify that...#Dejan Lovren#football fanfiction#football fanfic#soccer fanfiction#soccer fanfic#Also I love writing these long as fanfic series#I can do spinoffs if someone wants that
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Marvel Cinematic Universe: The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Does it pass the Bechdel Test?
No.
How many female characters (with names and lines) are there?
Two (20% of cast).
How many male characters (with names and lines) are there?
Eight.
Positive Content Rating:
Three.
General Film Quality:
Not as bad as everyone seems to remember, but also, not good.
MORE INFO (and potential spoilers) UNDER THE CUT:
Passing the Bechdel:
Martina barely has lines to start with, and she’s not even in the same country as Betty, so...no.
Female characters:
Martina.
Betty Ross.
Male characters:
Bruce Banner.
General Ross.
Joe.
Emil Blonsky.
Stanley.
Jim Wilson.
Samuel Sterns.
Tony Stark.
OTHER NOTES:
Bruce sees a bunch of guys harrassing Martina, and he almost walks away to avoid a conflict that could set off the Hulk, but then he thinks better of it and comes back to confront the guys and save the girl. It’s a shorthand way of showing the audience that Bruce is a good guy, not letting his own fear get in the way of doing the right thing, blah blah. I support that message, obviously, but I do wish they wouldn’t use ‘woman in jeopardy’ as their go-to method for proving something about a man. Martina only exists in the film for this purpose, she’s just a pretty prop so Bruce can prove his morals, and that’s not cool. Female characters existing only as props is not cool, and violence against women being used to demonstrate/further a man’s story isn’t cool either. Get a better lazy shorthand, movie.
Lou Ferrigno cameo is clearly the highlight of the whole film.
At least 60% of Betty’s lines are just her saying ‘Bruce’ with different intonations, usually as a question. “Bruce?” she whispers. “Bruce?!” she calls. “BRUCE!!!” she screams. She also almost definitely yells it in slow motion with the sound cut out during dramatic climactic points in action scenes. I don’t know, I didn’t think to take note of that.
Oh. This movie. It might be the first of the MCU films I ever saw, back before they had committed to the idea of actually doing a Cinematic Universe, so it was just ‘a Hulk film’ that I watched, filed as ‘bad’ in my brain, and never revisited again, even after the MCU got going in earnest and - years later - I got sucked into the vortex and wound up watching and re-watching all the movies in order. It’s easy to leave this film out of the chronology (and many people do); despite a totally pointless scene with Tony Stark at the end of the movie, it doesn’t actually tie in to the rest of the MCU in any meaningful way, and as an intro to the Hulk it isn’t really necessary: firstly, because most people who don’t live under rocks already know who the Hulk is from popular culture, and secondly, for anyone else, they get a perfectly serviceable introduction to him in his next film appearance (The Avengers), in which the role has been recast with Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner/Hulk in every future MCU film and leaves this Edward Norton vehicle as a weird outlier better forgotten than incorporated into one’s understanding of the character. Edward Norton is a fantastic actor who has done so much great work over the years, but this was not a good role for him, and having rewatched this movie now nearly a decade after seeing it the first time, I’ll probably go back to giving it a miss whenever I trawl through the MCU. It’s a film with, basically, nothing to offer, neither as a standalone nor as part of a wider franchise. That’s a pretty sad indictment, but there it is.
Is this the worst film in the MCU pantheon to date? Probably. Not absolutely - I think the door remains open for debate (the other contenders for the title, we’ll get to in due time). The thing is, this movie is not as bad as history remembers it: most of it is actually fairly decent. Not remarkable, not impressive, but decent in the sense that it is stock-standard playing to expectation, it isn’t making any negative waves, it’s just there. The bad rep this movie has is owed almost exclusively to the way it ends, with an embarassing and meaningless Hulk/Abomination battle in which the CGI is absolutely not capable of upholding even the basic visual storytelling of two beast-creatures whaling on each other. Bonus features of that fight include: Hulk clapping his hands to put out a fire and SAVE HIS LOVE, and a truly abysmal use of the iconic ‘HULK SMASH!’ line. By the time the final fight mercifully ends, any and all goodwill the rest of the film had built up has been obliterated, much like the neighbourhood and the lives of all those poor collateral-damage civilians that no one cares about. Some beast-creatures whaled on each other in shitty CGI. That’s what we came for, right?
What makes this ending so particularly bad is how out-of-place it is in the rest of the narrative. Yeah, we 100% EXPECT a Boss Battle at the end, because that’s the formula for these things, but the movie does a really awkward job of not actually building up to that climax in a meaningful way that lets it feel earned rather than perfunctory. Let’s rewind; the premise of the whole film is that Bruce Banner is trying to keep his Hulky genetics out of the hands of the military, specifically a program overseen by General Ross, who happens to be the father of Bruce’s former co-worker/lover Betty, because of course he is. This detail is not actually important for any reason, it’s just an excuse for Bruce and Ross to conflict over Betty like she’s a cool shiny object, because ultimately she has no more narrative function than Martina the hot Brazilian chick. Anyway: Bruce is on the run from Ross, Ross is on the hunt for Bruce so that he can experiment on him forevermore, and Betty is there sometimes to say Bruce’s name as a question. Ross chases Bruce with lots of army guys, Bruce Hulks out at various points so that the action sequences can involve more than Edward Norton running away, and there’s a long-term goal for Bruce in the form of getting some Science to another Scientist so that they can Science a cure for his Hulky genes and he can stop running once and for all (it doesn’t work). It’s not a very inspiring script. It’s fairly straight-forward and predictable, but there’s nothing especially bad about it other than the pointlessness of Betty (the same as this is a front-runner for the MCU’s worst film so far, Betty is a strong contender for Worst Inclusion of A Useless Love Interest). Norton may not be a great Bruce Banner, but he does a solid job of giving weight to Bruce’s plight, and the overall effect is at least passable as a film, if forgettable. The problem here is Emil Blonsky, the marine tasked by Ross to head the operation to capture Banner, and the man who eventually becomes the Abomination whom Hulk battles in that cringe-worthy film climax. And the problem with Blonsky is not that he’s some kind of weak link in the script. The problem is, he’s the best character in the movie.
Maybe it’s just that Tim Roth is too good for the material (he is), but Blonsky is easily the most dynamic person in an otherwise flat film, and he’s the only character whose narrative arc isn’t instantly predictable the moment he steps on screen. He’s a consummate soldier, all about the job, and getting into the thick of things himself to make sure it gets done right. His road to becoming Abomination begins partway into the film, as Blonsky grapples with the aftermath of his first encounter with the Hulk - for which he was brutally unprepared due to Ross’ failure to provide essential mission intel - which led to the death of many of Blonsky’s men. As Ross comes clean about the super-soldier serum experiments that created the Hulk, he plucks at a few delicate nerves, noting the physical toll that years of service have taken on Blonsky’s body. Blonsky laments that he can’t take the experience he has now and put it into the body he had a decade ago; Ross suggests that, maybe, they can arrange something kinda like that. It isn’t played as outright manipulation - Ross has just told Blonsky that there were other experimental treatments in the same line as Banner’s work, and Blonsky knows what conversation they’re really having and has already seen what the side-effects could be if it goes badly - but there is plain prompting from Ross, to say nothing of the treatments he then actively facilitates, most notably the second dose which he offers despite having originally stated that if Blonsky experienced any adverse effects (which at that point he has, in limited capacity) the treatments would cease. It’s a situation in which Blonsky rapidly loses his agency, and for which Ross isn’t even a little bit blameless. What’s significant about this is not just that Ross is the ‘villain behind the villain’ in this case, but that Blonsky really...isn’t a villain in the first place.
Now, ‘villains’ in stories (and especially comics) who start out innocent/unlucky/well-intentioned and then become twisted are not uncommon, but the key to making those narratives work is that the story acknowledges the pathos of that journey; that this person never meant to end up as the villain, and it’s a sad turn of events that brought them down that road despite themselves. This is where things fall apart for this movie, because they kinda, oops, forgot to either (1) make Blonsky’s pre-serum behaviour clearly villainous, or (2) match his unwilling descent into villainy with a tone of empathy and regret for how his character has been turned astray. He isn’t presented as some paragon of goodness to be torn down, but he also doesn’t act maliciously or imply that he draws sadistic pleasure from his work. He consents to that first dose of serum, but it isn’t for evil reasons, he’s not bloodthirsty, he’s not going after the Hulk as a personal vendetta: the primary emotional motivation he displays is curiosity. He wants to get the job done, and he recognises the threat that Hulk represents, and he’s interested in finding out exactly what kind of a world he’s just been looped into. He may be antagonistically positioned against the protagonist of the film, but his intentions aren’t reprehensible from any angle. Thing is, the serum he takes is depicted as having a narcotic effect, impairing his judgment and fostering an escalating addiction that ultimately creates the Abomination; it’s all downhill for Blonsky after that first dose, the situation spins wildly out of his control, and he loses himself in the process. This is where the pathos should fit in as an essentially good (or at least neutral) person is lost to this drug, but it doesn’t. Instead, Blonsky becomes Abomination for the final act of the movie, and all of his characterisation evaporates so that he can just mindlessly smash things for no apparent reason. If he had been shown to be someone who engages in unnecessary violence and/or enjoys it at some prior point, then Abomination would be an escalation of existing villainous predilections, and it would work, but that isn’t the case. Where Hulk operates off an established base of anger/raised heart-rate/physiological response to heightened situations, and his destructive tendencies and absence of higher cognitive functions make sense in that context of reactionary hind-brain behaviour, Abomination has no established parameters or reasons for developing as he does, and searching the only information we have - Blonsky’s characterisation - for answers turns up no satisfactory results. Abomination’s rampage has nothing to do with ‘getting the job done’ (Banner is in Ross’ custody by that point in the film, in fact, so the job is already done), nor does it have anything to do with the Hulk himself - Blonsky and Banner never had specific personal beef with one another that would make a final confrontation meaningful (Bruce doesn’t even know who the Abomination is/was) - so Abomination’s entire existence feels pretty pointless. It’s just there so that Hulk can pick on someone his own size.
The final fight scene is objectively bad from a technical standpoint, with the dodgy CGI and the way-too-corny contrivances and the muddy uninspired visual mess of it all: it’s just plain bad to watch, but it is also not only devoid of emotional relevance or weight, it’s devoid of emotional logic. We’ve watched this process of Blonsky ‘becoming a monster’ in a literal sense, and it’s been the only part of the movie with any life in it (it’s not a deep well of complexity, but again, I think it works because Tim Roth is fucking making it work), but a boss fight is not a fulfilling conclusion to that narrative because we haven’t been given clear stakes in the outcome. Considering that Blonsky ends up a victim of Ross much the same as Bruce Banner is, it really should be Ross’ villainy that is ultimately defeated to bring us a satisfying conclusion, but the film forgets its own narrative in the course of pretending that Blonsky was the main bad guy all along, to such an extent that it bizarrely turns around and rewards Ross in the end. After transforming into Abomination, no one so much as suggests that Blonsky is still in there somewhere (his name is not even mentioned), he’s just a beast-creature now, and Ross gets to keep him and do all that fun experimenting that he wanted Hulk for this whole time, and no one challenges the idea. Remember how the whole movie was about Bruce trying NOT to get caught and experimented on forevermore by the military? Remember how that’s supposed to be a bad thing that Good Guys want to stop? Eh, who cares? Apparently not Bruce Banner, whose upstanding morals don’t extend far enough to want to save anyone else from the fate he has thwarted for himself. Not very heroic, just kinda leaving some other dude to take your place. As hardcore as Bruce was about keeping the formula out of Ross’ hands, etc, apparently he has no qualms about this derivative, and he just whistles on out of there, and that’s it. The end. Not a second thought for Blonsky’s fate, no fulfilling closure for Bruce’s ACTUAL villain beef with Ross, the bad guy gets what he wants and no one cares, the good guy completely forgets the ideals that he was fighting for the entire time and therefore kiiinda renders the whole journey of the film pointless, and worst of all, there’s no sense that the story comes to these conclusions deliberately, that it’s supposed to be off-kilter in any of these ways. It’s like they got to the final act and literally forgot everything that had happened in the film previously so they just stopped without actually closing any of the storylines, it’s a totally incongruous ending.
I’ve focused largely on how much they screwed over Blonsky in this process because I considered him the film’s saving grace the rest of the time, but really, the ending screws over every character, theme, and narrative thread in the whole story, and that’s the huge disconnect that leaves the audience remembering a bad film, not just a bad ending. Granted, it wasn’t a good film to start with, and if you were less engaged with Blonsky than I was and you didn’t latch on to one of the other slim elements the story offered instead, then the whole thing turning to shit in the end really can’t have been much of a loss. It’s not that they didn’t, at moments, have the makings of something that might be good, or glimmers in scenes that suggested a quality idea that might have shone if someone had polished it a little better. For anyone reading this and going ‘well, don’t you know they had loads of behind-the-scenes issues with redrafting the script and other bullshit?’, yes, I am aware of that. Thing is, it shouldn’t matter. A 150-million dollar major Hollywood franchise project doesn’t get to use ‘oh, we just didn’t really bother making sure the script made basic sense before we filmed it’ as a valid excuse. If everyone’s doing their jobs properly the way they should be at this level of the industry, then the audience shouldn’t be able to see your BTS issues bleeding all over the finished product; major script redrafts should be a Did You Know? trivia point, not an ‘oh, NOW I get what went wrong here’ explanation. At the end of the day, no one cared enough about making this a movie that would matter in the long run for an expansive Cinematic Universe. Tanking the whole film into a forgettable mistake that viewers would gladly leave out of their Marvel marathons was, ultimately, the one thing they did successfully.
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Bob ships in single dad AU. Who's the single dad? How old is their kiddo? Is it a boy or a girl? How do they meet? How the other gets along with the kiddo?
WINNIX
lew doesn’t quite know what he’s going to do when his ex-wife ships their daughter, madeline, off to live with him for an entire summer.
she’s going to tahiti, because of course she is. with her new beau. and lew’s money.
his only consolation is that maddie seems just as disgruntled about the whole thing as he does. he knows what to do with her about as much as she knows what to do with him. they’re both at a loss… so they come to a mutual agreement of tolerance.
lew goes out in the daytime; maddie is left to amuse herself in lew’s penthouse however she likes. lew comes home; they have dinner together, and don’t talk about anything. then, they go to bed, and the day repeats.
it’s not a life for an eight year old, but lew… just doesn’t know what else to do.
this goes on for about a week before something happens that really shakes lew up – his father hires a new company manager.
richard winters is the polar opposite of lew in every way. maybe there’s some truth to the saying “opposites attract”, because lew finds himself inexplicably drawn to the serious man who he can’t quite understand.
at first he’s convinced dick has a stick up his ass larger than new york state – but then he actually talks to him.
lew, who’s made himself comfortable in his father’s office (while his father’s not there) is spinning around in the chair like a little kid and musing to himself how this whole set up wouldn’t be so bad, were it not for the whole work aspect of the gig, when –
“i don’t think you’re the mr. nixon i’m looking for.’
lew looks up at his father’s newest employee and smirks. “what, you’ve never seen the old man do this?”
“not this early in the afternoon,” dick replies. nix’s eyes drift to the empty brandy glass on his father’s desk (by the end of the day, he’s usually put away a bottle) and grins.
it turns out dick winter does have a sense of humor after all.
that’s the start of an unconventional and kind of beautiful friendship. lew hangs around dick any chance he gets. rather than being annoyed, dick tolerates his presence gladly. he isn’t just grateful to have the company – he finds lew wicked smart, and a companion who understands him better than anyone else he’s ever met.
lew finds himself coming home in a great mood every night. he brings maddie back gifts, takes her out on surprise trips to the movies and amusement parks, teaches her how to dance. dick makes him happier than he’s been in a long time. for the first time, maddie gets a chance to know her dad.
he and dick hit it off so well that it’s only natural that dick meets maddie too. lew is nervous about introducing them at first, but maddie approaches dick with her usual fearlessness. dick, in classic dick style, is a perfect gentleman.
“madeline nixon. nice to meet you.”
dick takes her proffered handshake and smiles into that dark-eyed face, such a perfect echo of lew’s own. “richard winters,” he says. “it’s lovely to meet you too.”
SPEIRTON
losing his wife came as an incredible blow to lipton. this was the woman he expected to spend his entire life with. now, he’s suddenly left alone, a mourning father with a five year old son.
cliff doesn’t understand what’s happened to his mommy. he keeps asking and asking. lip doesn’t know how he’s going to make him understand.every time he sees his baby boy’s big, sad brown eyes, his heart breaks a little more.
lip does his best to be both father and mother for cliff, but it’s hard. he still has to keep up with work, and he’s grieving too, so sometimes he gets overwhelmed. he’s good at dealing with it – but on the days where everything seems a little too much, he takes cliff to the park.
there’s something so calming about watching his kid play. he gets to see cliff smile and be happy, be everything a little boy should be, and it reminds him why he’s still here. it reminds him that he needs to give this precious little boy the best life he can.
on a particularly rough day, lip takes cliff to the park, and enjoys the sight of him playing as always. he swears that he looks away for one second – just long enough to blink – and suddenly cliff is no longer on top of the jungle gym, but pinwheeling to the ground.
lip is on his feet and running in a split second – but he doesn’t get there first.
he almost has a heart attack when a strange pair of arms snatch cliff out of the air. he is settled safely on the ground a second later, but the little boy is wide eyed and breathing hard. lip recognizes signs of a breakdown when he sees them, because he knows his son.
“it’s okay, baby,” he coaches, kneeling by his boy’s side. “it’s alright. i’m right here. you’re okay. i’ve got you.”
it takes him a good few minutes to talk cliff down. by the time he finally looks up, small child clutched to his chest, he only sees a dark-clad back retreating across the playground.
that won’t do. he’s got to thank his savior, at least. if he hadn’t been in the right place at the right time, cliff could have gotten really hurt. lip picks up his boy and sprints after the stranger.
he looks surprised to be caught up to, but lip doesn’t give himself a chance to overthink what he’s doing. “thank you. for catching my kid. you’re pretty quick.”
a beat passes, and then the man smiles – and carwood feels like he’s seeing the sun for the first time since his wife died. “i was just close by, that’s all.”
ron speirs, as it turns out, was only at the playground looking for his neighbor’s runaway dog. lip has never been more grateful for a missing animal, because it gave him the chance to meet someone who quickly becomes one of his closest friends.
ron is a good listener. he doesn’t get scared off by the whole “my wife is dead” thing, and is able to advise lip soundly when he confides about the anxiety issues cliff has been having since his mother’s death.
what’s more, ron is great with cliff. he gets the soft-spoken little boy to open up to him; though he’s very frank, and doesn’t act the way you’d expect an adult to around a child (he doesn’t baby cliff at all, and seems confused by the idea) it’s clear he adores him, and cliff loves ron right back.
ron integrates seamlessly into their lives. it would be very easy, lip thinks, to fall in love with ron speirs.
he’s not there yet – he’s still mourning his wife. but someday, maybe… the thought gives him a bit of hope for things to come. anytime he’s with ron, the future seems a whole lot brighter.
BABEROE
it takes a village to raise a child, and bayou chene is an extremely close-knit community. gene may have been left to raise his two twins after their mother ran off when they were just babies, but emeric and violette have never been starved for love.
they’re close with their grandmother, aunts, and uncles; their entire family adores them. the neighbors all know the roe twins, and love them like their own kids.
still, as the years pass, gene cannot ignore the building sensation of being trapped. the past weighs on his shoulders. staying in one place your entire life might suit some people, but gene cannot stand it. the swamp is no longer home to him; now he feels as if it’s drowning him.
his family may not understand, but no one blames him when he takes the twins and moves across the country – to the big city of philadelphia.
philly is a big city, and for a little while all three of them feel sort of lost. gene buys a nice little house, starts his residency at the local hospital, and enrolls the twins in the nearby school. he’s very hopeful that everything will work out -- but things don’t go as smoothly as he thought they’d be.
they come home with stories about getting picked on for their accents. gene’s neighbor keeps cutting the bushes between their yards smaller and smaller, there’s a stray cat that loves hanging out in their driveway (emeric has “adopted” her and named her missy), and sometimes he can’t understand half of what the locals are saying. what’s more, he’s stretched so thin with his residency that often he’s too tired to spend time with his kids.
he’s just starting to wonder if he made a mistake coming here. maybe they all would have been better off staying in louisiana after all.
that’s when he meets babe.
babe heffron rides into the hospital on an ambulance with a sprained ankle, a broken nose, a fractured wrist, and a large gash on his head. his friends aren’t in much better states, but babe winds up gene’s problem.
the most incredible thing is that babe doesn’t seem too fazed, even when he needs four stitches and a cast on his wrist. “ahh. this is nothing, doc. the way i fall down, i’ve had a lot worse.”
“how did this happen?” gene asks, not sure he really wants to know the answer.
“we were tryna see if we could roller skate in an empty swimming pool. we thought it’d work a lot better than it did.”
if he’s being honest, babe reminds him of his kids. he’s all enthusiasm, energy, fire, and puppy-dog determination that makes him impossible to ignore. perhaps that’s why gene can’t help saying yes when babe asks if he’d be willing to catch dinner sometime -- “after i’m all healed up, of course.”
it’s not long before babe becomes gene’s favorite person -- and, by extension, the twins’ favorite person as well. babe is a HIT with the kids. he’s great with children, because he’s essentially a big kid himself. he’s not afraid to get rowdy with them, wrestling and playing tag -- but he also knows fantastic stories, and can croon an enthralling lullaby when the need arises. most importantly, he understands the necessity of stuffed animals and finger paint -- he’s never afraid to buy the twins more of both when they tell him they’re running low.
babe doesn’t see himself as their father (”i’m too young to be a dad, gene!” he exclaims, even though he’s just three years younger than gene) but he loves the kids like they’re his own family. as he and gene grow more serious, it doesn’t take babe long to decide he’d do anything for emeric and violette.
he’s not sure how he stumbled into this little family, but he wouldn’t give them up for the world -- and they’re more than grateful to have him there.
WEBGOTT
web has no intention of ending up with a daughter – but an unfortunate one night stand leaves him in over his head. after his baby’s mother makes it clear that she wants no part of her kid’s life, web is left to raise a little girl all on his own.
it’s not a disaster. somehow.
jane ends up well-adjusted, all things considered. sure, they’ve had some nights of cereal for dinner, or having to help her dad look up hair braiding tutorials because they were both clueless, but everything worked out well.
by the time she’s ten, jane is happy, scary smart, and knows more about sharks than any little kid ought to.
when she hits fifth grade, her teacher retires two weeks into the school year. jane is dismayed at first, but quickly perks up again when she meets her new substitute teacher.
mr. liebgott is young, firey, and... not what you’d expect from an elementary school teacher. nevertheless, jane really likes him; he really likes jane; and two minutes into their first parent-teacher conference, web decides he HATES mr. liebgott.
liebgott seems to get a thrill out of teasing him, and argues about everything. there’s just something about him that rubs web the wrong way immediately, and the feeling is mutual. they both leave the meeting fuming.
unfortunately there’s no way to escape him, because jane is stuck with him for the rest of the year. she’s THRILLED about this, of course. as the school year progresses, she only grows more delighted with her teacher.
(web will give him this: mr. liebgott encourages jane’s love of learning at every opportunity. he tolerates all her many questions, and answers as best as he can. he praises her love of reading and writing. he does all he can to help her excel in school, and that’s something web has to appreciate.)
they have numerous parent-teacher conferences throughout the year, and clash every time; but eventually, web has to admit that he doesn’t hate liebgott at all. he respects him -- almost likes him, in a weird way. not that he’ll admit that to liebgott, or, god forbid, himself.
by the end of the year, he’s both nervous and proud of his baby girl. she’s going off to middle school. how on earth is he going to cope? is jane ready?
at fifth grade graduation, mr. liebgott comes up to him. web is convinced he wants to talk about jane, and wheels around with wide eyes, ready for bad news. he’s surprised to find liebgott smirking at him.
“relax. you look like you’re gonna pass out. breathe, web, jesus,” he mutters, and shakes his head. the way his hair falls into his eyes is not fair, and he should really slick that back if he’s going to be working in an educational environment --
instead of bringing up anything about jane, liebgott says the last thing he expects. “so, since i’m no longer a teacher and your daughter’s no longer my student... what do you say if we go for drinks sometime?”
web just gapes at him. he can’t believe what he’s hearing.
jane is in the background cheering them on, of course -- she caught on to her father and teacher’s mutual crush on each other midway through the school year, and has been encouraging mr. liebgott to make his move ever since. she’s THRILLED.
web just exhales, and shakes his head in amazement at the whole situation. he’s got to be crazy for saying --
“yeah. i’d like that a lot.”
(jane winds up having to put up with TWO nerd dads, which makes middle and high school way more complicated -- and fun -- than she could have predicted.)
LUZTOYE
everything was really chaotic after george’s sister died. she was already seperated from her husband, who didn’t want anything to do with the kids. as a result, a six year old and a two year old were essentially orphans. the luz family is about as supportive as you can get, but they’re also huge, so there was a lot of confusion over what’s going to happen to these two kids.
luz’s parents were more than willing to take them in, but mama luz was recovering from surgery. it just wasn’t the right time; so luz volunteered to look after the kids until his parents were able.
it was a weird arrangement at first. he was a single guy living in an apartment, definitely not ready to look after two kids. but layla and jackson were already crazy about their uncle george, so they made it work.
(luz set up a tent in the middle of the living room, and the kids “camped out” for a week until he could move into a two bedroom apartment. they made s’mores, told ghost stories, and sat out on the balcony looking at the stars until the kids fell asleep and luz carried them inside.)
in the end, everything worked out pretty well – so well, in fact, that the family agreed the kids would be better off staying with luz for a while, just to have that stability. all three of them were, of course, fine with it.
living with two kids is an experience, and luz is discovering more every day. grocery shopping is a special sort of adventure – jackson wants fruit, all of the fruit, while layla has six boxes of the sugariest cereal luz has ever seen.
she’s so determined to get them all in the cart at once that luz has to keep her from overbalancing with the weight of them. he’s distracted by layla, so he doesn’t notice when jackson picks up an apple and lobs it clean across the store – into the head of some poor dude just looking for hummus.
that’s how george meets joe toye – a near concussion in the middle of stop&shop. toye is captivating, and grabs luz’s attention immediately. he’s a fitness instructor, veteran, smoking hot, and proud owner of a prosthetic leg.
you can guess what gets the kids most excited.
after the whole “sorry my kid almost killed you with an apple” incident, he and joe get along pretty well. luz invites him out to dinner as an apology, and that’s where he explains how he took his niece and nephew in. as much as he finds him kind of… overwhelming, toye can’t help but admire loyalty like that.
he and luz hang around each other more often, which of course leads to joe bonding with the kiddos. he’s a little amazed – how are luz’s kids both as annoying as he is?? layla is a ball of energy, jackson never stops blabbering, and somehow they’re experts at sucking joe into their games. it only takes joe an hour around the luz kids before he’s covered in marker drawings and is wearing glitter lip gloss, playing zombie barbies with layla’s dolls.
(luz walks in, takes one look, and throws himself into the fray. zombie barbies is his FAVORITE game.)
the kids love joe’s leg. he takes off his prostethic to let them look at it, and even gives them permission to touch his stump. layla eagerly declares that when she grows up, she wants TWO prosthetic legs. luz has to tell her that this is not a good idea.
overall, the kids get pretty close with joe. considering he’s never been much of a “dad” person, joe is surprised by how much he bonds with them as well.
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So You Lost Your Health Insurance
Millions of Americans are feeling the stress of losing their jobs and as a result, their health insurance. But what if I told you that losing your health insurance could actually be a blessing in disguise? What if I told you that there is an opportunity in that loss...an opportunity for growth, and perhaps, with a bit of determination on your part, to reach and maintain your highest health potential?
When I was in high school in the '70s I developed an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa that flipped into bulimia) that lasted 10 years. Sure, I had insurance. But it was the pre-Karen Carpenter era, so no doctors or counselors had a clue---which made my insurance worthless! Nowadays they might prescribe a serotonin reuptake inhibitor, but I am so glad those didn't exist back then. Drugs do not get to the root of the problem and often have side effects nearly as bad, if not worse, than the illness.
Convinced I had to heal myself, I took eight university classes in psychology searching for a cure. But nothing worked till I moved to Mexico and got away from all the processed trigger foods. I also started taking super foods like bee pollen and brewer's yeast, and... suddenly the eating disorder, which had been a 10-year hell for me, simply vanished! 10 years of praying and seeking a cure for my mind by reading psychology and self help books ended. I got well only after healing the body, not the mind.
I then knew the importance of nutrition as the principle key to health. Through the years I experimented with health modalities, even got a master's degree in Chinese medicine and did acupuncture for a while. But I noticed herbs were even more effective than needles. The conviction grew that what a person puts into his or her mouth has the greatest effect of all.
When I discovered the cleansing and rejuvenating power of a raw food diet, my health soared! I was free from hepatitis C, PMS that had me depressed three weeks of the month, athlete's foot, brain fog, herpes, even jet lag! I devoured every book on the raw food diet and came across a multitude of testimonials-people healing from disease without drugs or surgery. Victoria Boutenko, for example, was healed of arrhythmia and her husband of hyperthyroidism. Their son was cured of juvenile diabetes and their daughter of asthma. After just a few months on the diet, they were all going on extended hikes, bursting with energy!
Reverend George Malkmus healed himself of colon cancer...David Klein defeated colitis...Roe Gallo conquered a highly allergic sensitivity to the 20th century chemicals...Lou Corona healed from a head tumor...Dr. Lorraine Day reversed breast cancer...Angela Stokes lost 159 pounds... Jenny Smith no longer sleepwalks. The list goes on and on.
"But what about accidents?" you might be protesting. Yes, you might want to get a very high deductible insurance in case of accidents. But consider this: I know of people who even used raw foods as a main part of healing from accidents. Take Aajonous Vonderplanitz, for example. Four MDs told him that his son, injured from a car accident, would be brain dead for life. But using raw foods, Aajonous got his son to come out of the coma with a full recovery of his brain and muscles. His son went on to graduate from a university. (Aajonous details the entire story in his book We Want to Live.)
Then there is Dr. Joe Dispenza (who appears in the films What the Bleep Do We Know? and What If? and tells his story in his book Evolve Your Brain). Joe was injured in a car accident and was diagnosed with "multiple compression fractures of the thoracic spine with the T-8 vertebra more than 60% collapsed." The doctors recommended Harrington rod surgery, but Joe was haunted by all the patients he had seen that had had this surgery. They never really healed, never regained their spinal flexibility, and many lived the rest of their lives addicted to pain medications. Filled with the conviction of the body's innate power to heal itself, he rejected surgery and used raw foods plus visualization to heal himself.
Researchers are starting to learn that what you eat impacts your health more than anything, even genetics. What you eat feeds your genes toward health or degeneration. A friend of mine who eats a 100% raw diet says her friends are horrified when they find out she doesn't have health insurance. She replies, "My health insurance is what I put into my mouth."
Even if you don't want to eat a largely raw diet, switching to whole foods goes a long way. (Don't eat anything from a box, can, bag, or jar.) Get more alkaline by eating more greens (salads, green smoothies, wheat grass juice, chlorella, spirulina, blue-green algae). Avoid the worst culprits (wheat, dairy, table salt, sugar, transfats, monosodium glutamate, aspartame).
Also learn to use supplements instead of drugs. When I had hepatitis C, I took several pills of milk thistle three times a day. When I went back for a test, the MD was astonished to find that my liver enzymes were to be envied! My sister was hooked on a prescription drug and when she lost her insurance, if she didn't keep buying it (spending $200 a month!) she couldn't sleep at all. When I got her a month's supply of tryptophane and told her to gradually reduce the drug while taking this supplement, she was finally able to wean herself off the costly meds.
There are other lifestyle factors besides diet that can make a huge difference in one's health. One of the most important things is to get rid of the toxins in your environment. Get an air purifier and toss the moldy rugs or mattress (especially if you have asthma). Use natural, nontoxic cleaning supplies, makeup, tampons, personal care products, etc.
Exercise is another investment in your health. Vary it so you cover flexibility to prevent injuries and keep the spine youthful (yoga, stretching), endurance and cardiovascular health (walking, running, etc.), as well as strength-building (lifting weights, pushups, etc).
Other factors of health include adequate sleep and rest; supporting relationships; positive thinking; pure air and water; and adequate sunshine during the day so you can absorb Vitamin D.
The truth is that even if you have health insurance, the copayments can bankrupt you if you get a major disease such as cancer and you decide to go the conventional route. (This topic was brought up in the movie Sicko.) And even if you have 100% health insurance, the tendency is to not be proactive in your health. People who have that attitude wait till they get sick, and then expect some pills or surgery to heal them, and then wonder why they never feel good again. Many of these people end up spending a small fortune on alternative therapies that their health insurance didn't cover (after they realize that the conventional route didn't really heal them) because they truly want to regain their health.
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Just as Shy as You
Summary: Being the younger sister of Don Saladino had its ups and downs. You were about to experience both, at the same time, when you meet the handsome Sebastian Stan
Pairing: Sebastian Stan x Reader
Word Count: 2910
Warnings: none really, just bits of fluff. the reader is v introverted and talks a little about anxiety and stuff
A/N: Thank you to @elivanah for requesting! This was so cute to write!
Requests are open, feel free to drop an idea/prompt/imagine :)
There were two places in the world you felt oddly safe in; hiding under the covers of your bed, looking up constellations of the night sky and the gym your older brother Don Saladino worked at. You understood the former, but the latter confused you.
You’d always been completely introverted, choosing to speak with actions rather than words. Of course, manners weren’t particularly thrown out the window. You always kept a steady conversation to whomever started it.
Don beamed as he opened the door to the gym, offering you in first. As soon as the smell of overused B.O buster, sweat and testosterone filled your nose, you couldn’t help the soft smile on your face.
It somehow soothed you, being around body builders and fitness trainers gave you a sense of security. Besides, even if you don’t know Don and how much of a cuddle bear he is, you wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.
Don grinned at the few regulars and you waved politely, not knowing really anyone. He mentioned he would be training a few people today and offered to bring you to the gym. You’d been working flat out at your job the last few weeks, so you were grateful for the chance to get away.
Don kept introducing you to people, names you knew you’d forget almost instantly. But you smiled politely, accepting the usual responses people had when they realised you and Don were siblings. Some people just couldn’t see it.
You had to admit, you’d inherited some ancient ancestor’s genes while Don looked like a better mixture of your parents, but you didn’t honestly mind. It said Saladino on your birth certificate and you weren’t going to argue with that.
“We’re gonna lift some weights, first,” Don spoke, surprising you as your mind had been adrift. You nodded your head, mumbling something about going to the treadmills. You weren’t a “lifts” kinda person, you were more running and cycling.
With headphones in your ears and your favourite playlist blaring, you walked up to one of the treadmills and sorted yourself out before starting with a walk, allowing yourself to stretch before you started a jog.
You controlled your breathing as Don had taught you years before as you kept upping the speed on the treadmill, until you were going at a fast-ish pace. You let the music influence your running as you sang the words in your head, getting slightly lost in both the exercise and the songs.
You looked up from your feet – you’d been trying to see if there was a hole in your sneakers without having to stop and take a look – when you saw you were being spied on from across the gym. After being caught, the guy blushed slightly and turned away, rubbing the back of his neck.
But you’d been caught off guard yourself, and you felt your pace go inconsistent. You stumbled a moment before grabbing either side of the console, using your upper body strength to lift you from the treadmill and place your feet either side of the moving tread.
Your heart beat was going at a million miles an hour when the guy slowly approached you, looking a little guilty. You jumped when you saw him appear before you, a hesitant smile on his face. You slowly lowered the earphones from your ears, giving him a very nervous smile.
“Uh, hey,” He grinned as you stepped down from the treadmill after turning it off, realising just how much taller he was. “Hi,” You squeaked. The guy seemed to sense your increasing anxiety and took a step back before clasping his hands behind his back, tilting his head with a soft smile.
“I didn’t mean to be watching you,” He smiled. He was broad shouldered but quite toned with a sharp jawline hidden by a forest of scruff. His hair wasn’t falling to his collar, but it was long enough to have to be swept behind his ears, which he had.
“I didn’t mean to scare you, either,” He added, almost as if it was necessary. “It’s okay,” You managed to mumble out, easing into the conversation a little. He was giving off a very relaxing aura and the smile you had on your face wasn’t forced.
“I’m Sebastian,” He said, offering his hand. You take it gently, feeling his slightly calloused fingers. You wondered briefly what his job was to get his hands like that. But butterflies swam in your stomach at the touch and you wanted his hand holding yours a little longer than a handshake.
“(Y/N),” You offered with another smile, trying to not look disappointed when he retracted his hand. You both stood there a little awkwardly, not too sure on how to continue the conversation without making it weird or creepy.
The way Sebastian was biting his lip, he looked like he was trying to find his words carefully.
“I-uh, I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before,” You mumbled, trying to remember where you’d seen those cerulean eyes before. You definitely knew him, the forest of facial hair unable to hide his identity.
You could see the blush on his cheeks. Maybe he was a friend of Don’s? “Do you know Don Saladino?” You asked, going with your first guess. Sebastian paused for a moment. “Yeah, he’s, uh, he’s my, well, personal trainer,”
“How do you know him?” He retaliated, the twinkling in his eyes telling you he was being polite, not stalkerish. Now it was your turn to hesitate. “Oh, well, he’s… uh, he’s my older brother,” You mumble, scratching at a non-existent itch on your forearm.
Sebastian’s eyes widened for a moment before he narrowed, deep in thought and evaluating this new information. “(Y/N) Saladino,” He mumbled and it sent shivers up your spine, listening to him recite your name like an exotic painting.
“Oh, yeah,” He mumbled, eyes blowing wide again. “Yeah, I have heard of you. Don talks about you all the time,” He laughed and it was severely contagious, making yourself laugh too. “Uh oh,” You giggle, letting the smile rest on your face as you fiddled with your drink bottle.
“All good things,” Sebastian assured. You giggled again, making his smile brighten for a moment. “Are you looking for Don?” You asked. “Uh, yeah, I was, actually,” He nodded his head, eyes scanning the room again.
“He’s over by the weights, I can walk you, if you want?” You offer. Sebastian smiled and nodded his head, letting you lead the way to Don’s location. You smiled up at him, confidence beaming inside of you at making a brand-new friend, on your own, without much interference from your anxiety.
“Boo!” You cried, jumping on Seb’s back slightly and covering his eyes. Sebastian beamed, rising from the bench he was sitting at before shuffling you further onto his back, giving you a piggyback ride.
“Ah! No!” You squeal, lowering your hands from his eyes, only to clasp them around his neck loosely, so to not choke him but tight enough to hold on. “Don, help! Your gym is haunted!” Seb called dramatically, letting go of your legs long enough to flail his arms about.
Don laughed, along with his other clients that day as Seb shuffled about the gym, you squealing and squeaking at him to put you back down. “You’re both not five! Come on, Seb, just a few more reps to go,” Don encouraged.
Seb laughed as he gently placed you to the ground, sure that you weren’t going to fall over before stepping out of your grasp. You felt your skin tingle and get cold as he separated from you but the smile he gave you banished everything else.
You were crushing on the actor for the few months you’d known him, hard. It wasn’t like you intended it to happen. How could anyone resist his charming smiles, love of pizza and hilarious humour? He was also pretty amazing to look at, don’t deny it.
But the trouble was, he had never shown any sort of romantic interest in you.
Never once had you spotted him staring at you from the corner of his eye, or offer a compliment without some cheesy comment on the side. Your texting included memes, movie updates and the occasional late night philosophical pondering.
You loved every minute of it. Sebastian was the greatest best friend anyone could have hoped for. He supported you and was completely in tune with your anxiety, knowing what to do and when. It was like he had a (Y/N) Stress Radar and the perfect countermeasures.
But, even after all that, you couldn’t help but want more. More time with him, alone. More dates that were actual dates. More lingering glances. More accidental touches. More tight hugs where you hold on for more than necessary. Just, more.
And while you were a little stress balls of anxiety and rainbows, you knew when you weren’t seen that way. So you stuck to grinning and baring it, keeping up the best friend façade until another guy came along and swept you off your feet. This guy needed to get here fast.
“I watched Red Doors the other day,” You smiled as you sat cross legged on the floor next to the bench, watching as Seb lifted the weights with a tight groan and a mixture of exhausted strength on his face.
“Yeah? What did ya think?” He asked, the sentence coming out between huffs as he did he reps Don asked him to do, the action clearly straining him a little bit. “A little odd, but quite enjoyable. You had, like, two lines of dialogue.”
You laugh, slowly joined by Seb who lowered his weights, his chest rising and falling with pants. You watched the sweat stick his hair to his forehead and you had to restrain yourself from pushing his gorgeous locks aside.
Since meeting you, Seb had begun to keep his beard in better condition, usually shaving before he was to meet you. You honestly didn’t mind; bearded or clean-shaven Sebastian looked heavenly. But he had to anyway, for his role in an upcoming movie Logan Lucky.
“How’s the new movie coming?” You ask, rising with him as he moved over to his duffle bag, pulling out his water bottle and towel. “All finished. From what I hear, new movie looks great. Just building up for Infinity War now.”
You squealed, having been a massive fan of the Marvel universe. That was, coincidently, how you originally knew Sebastian. You recognised him as Bucky Barnes, Steve Roger’s best mate. “Ah, I can’t wait for Infinity War! Have you seen the script?”
“Even if I did, cățeluș, I wouldn’t be able to tell you,” You pouted, before his Romanian nickname for you rolled around your head. Puppy. He liked to call you a puppy, but that was Seb. As weird as a pumpkin carving on Christmas.
“Teaser,” You stuck your tongue out at him and he laughed before shaking his head, threatening to dump his water bottle all over you. You yielded, with a promise of revenge. With an ‘aw’, Sebastian stood and walked over to you, pulling you into a headlock.
“Looks who’s acting like the baby sister,” he teased, ruffling your hair a little. With a squeal, you tackled his sides with your fingers, tickling him until he released you. With a booming laugh, Seb backed away as best he could.
As he backed off, he failed to realise that there was a bench behind him. The obstruction knocked his knees, sending him flying with wide eyes over it and landed with a thump on the ground on the other side. With an airy gasp, you race around the bench with worry in your eyes.
You rested on your knees on the floor beside him as he groaned, a hand going under his back. “Are you okay?” You asked, the scene replaying in your head and you bit your lip from laughing. Seb could really be hurt, so it was safer to see if he was okay before laughing.
“Yeah, I’m good,” Seb smiled, his own laughter filled the room before yours joined. You smiled down at him once the laughter died down and admired him. You admired the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and the light twinkle of blue in his eyes.
And then you realised, he was admiring you, too.
His tongue darted out from his mouth and ran across his bottom lip before trapping it between his teeth, eyes running over your smiling features. It was like a window opened, and you gained this whole new perspective on the way Seb watched you, the way he viewed you.
But, in a flash, the window closed and Sebastian turned his head away, blinking his eyes as if to rid himself of a trance or spell. He lifted himself from the ground, making you wonder if what you saw really was him admiring you.
Seb stuck his hand out towards you, silently offering you a helping hand. You took it, smiling slightly as you let him help you to your feet. He went to retract his hand but I couldn’t help but hold onto it a few moments longer, making him look back down at you.
You moved your eyes elsewhere as you let his hand go, almost ashamed of yourself for letting a piece of your true feelings shine for just a second. Seb was watching you carefully, his features knotted with concern and worry. He went to say something, but Don called him over.
Four pushups seemed to be enough for a few months, you agreed, as you laid motionless on the mat, breath evening out. You had music playing through your headphones as your eyes lazily watched the ceiling.
As soon as Seb was called away, you moved over to a more secluded section of the gym, a nagging feeling of wanting to be alone in the back of your mind. You’d been tempted for some time now to pull out some tape and have a go at the punching bags.
But the music and stillness had won.
So, there you lay, eyes unfocused as you paid more attention to the music than you did to your surroundings. Until a voice cut through them music, calling your name. You furrowed your eyebrows, not remembering your name appearing in the song.
Sebastian called again, and you realised he wasn’t exactly the artist. You turn your head, spotting his shadow and shoes approaching you before you sat up on the mat. “Over here,” You offer, slowly pulling the earphones out, cutting off the music.
Seb rounded the corner, his hair slightly tousled and his eyes desperately searching for something; until they landed on you. “(Y/N),” He smiled, his lips wanting to beam but he appeared to go against the action.
You knitted your eyebrows, confused on what was making him act so strange. You rose, about to ask him what was going on as he approached you, feet set on their destination. “Seb, what’s wro--”
You were immediately surprised by his lips against yours, hands holding you face gently in place. You couldn’t help but melt against his touch, raising your hands to hold onto his as he gently pulled away. You didn’t want him to, you wanted him to stay.
“I don’t think you realise how long I’ve wanted to do that,” He grinned, minty breath fanning across your cheeks. Your own flushed a deep red as his hands ran down your arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake before they held your waist, hold him close to you.
You pressed your hands against his chest, feeling his strong muscles beneath his shirt. “You… wait, d-do you, uh, l-like me?” You asked, unable to stop stuttering after being winded slightly by his breathtakingly soft lips and even gentler kiss.
“Since the first second I saw you.” He grinned, voice slightly low as he watched you. “B-But… why didn’t you ever… you never…” You kept losing your words, unable to believe he was confessing, that he was holding you in his arms.
“Honestly, your brother scared me a little,” he said, his own blush tinting his cheeks. You couldn’t help your laugh, leaning into him a little as you felt your worries begin to pass. You forgot how others can perceive Don as intimidating.
But that didn’t matter. Sebastian liked you back. All your stresses about not being his type, or not being able to jump that hurdle from friendship to relationship just flew away.
“I know I’ve been a bit of twit, but would you consider going on a date with me? To the movies maybe, or a nice dinner?” Sebastian offered, his blush deepening. You smiled moving your arms up his chest to loop around his neck. “Sounds amazing, I’d love to,”
Sebastian grinned before bending down a little, wrapping you up and a beautiful, breathtaking kiss that made all the silent suffering, all the sneaky glances and 2am worries just melt away. “Did Don say he was cool with it?” You wondered for a moment. “Why’d you think he called me away?”
There were three places in the world that you felt the safest.
In your room, under the covers at night, looking up constellations and the like.
The gym, surrounded by body builders and trainers.
And wrapped up in Sebastian Stan’s arms.
#sebastian#sebastian stan#sebastian x reader#sebastian stan x reader#sebastian imagine#sebastian stan imagine#sebastian story#sebastian stan story#don saladino#sebstan#sebstantrash
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