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lokilickedme · 5 years

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MASTER FIC LIST ~ *updated 10/27/19*

Newest updates:

The Department - updated 10/27

Previous recent updates:

Aingeal Ard - updated 10/14 Hammer of The Gods - updated 10/20 The Department - updated 10/21

All fics on this list are posted at AO3 unless noted

*The Loki Reads series is exclusively on tumblr.com

Everything is under the cut because this list is LONG.

Fics are categorized by main character (i.e. Loki, Tom Hiddleston as Original Characters, etc)

Series and associated AU’s and side stories are grouped together (Chemical + Prehistories + Troika Apocalyptica + Penumbraluna + Wolfsbane...you get the idea)

Fics are identified as WIP (work in progress) or complete, with associated word counts and chapter amounts.

WARNINGS are notated, though the warning tags at AO3 should be paid attention to because they are far more complete and detailed.

Fic genres (romance, comedy, thriller) are briefly notated but these are general.

There is a link at the end of the list to my books at Amazon, if you’re interested in those.

This list will be updated as fics update and incomplete information will be added as I have time.

Click READ MORE to see the list:

Exclusively on tumblr:

Part 1 - Loki Reads The Night Manager Part 2 - Loki Reads High Rise Part 3 - Loki Reads Fifty Shades of Grey

WORKS AT AO3

Word/chapter counts are current as of 10/21/2019

Loki

Jack Montague - WIP - 176,534 words, 62 chapters - WARNINGS: hardcore sex, language, violence, sexual deviance, mentions of abuse, mentions of depression, explicit everything, blood/vampyric activities, numerous smutty kinks, and whatever else you can think of. Not kidding, everything in this one is really hardcore. Supernatural romance/adventure in the post-MCU/Post-2012 Avengers. Main character - Loki. Secondary character/love interest - Jack Montague. Relationship - Loki/Jack. Side characters - Adam (OLLA), Thor, Nick Fury, Eve (OLLA), Selina (Sanguine). The Trickster God has been exiled to Earth for a very long time...as the oldest living monster in the realm, he’s bored off his skull and endlessly intrigued when he runs across a monster of an entirely different kind - and strikes up a playful romantic partnership with a vampire who may be far more than he bargained for. *EXTREMELY EXPLICIT*

Sugar Skull - complete - 3115 words. Side story to Jack Montague, part 3 of The Joker And The Thief. Main character - Loki. Side characters - Jack, Thor. WARNINGS: Language, sex. What Loki does every year on Halloween. *MATURE*

The Gucci Incident - complete - 4278 words. Side story to Jack Montague, part 2 of The Joker And The Thief. Main character - Loki. Side characters - Adam. WARNINGS: Mostly language. Loki and his vampire father-in-law Adam chase a pair of bedroom slippers across New York City. *MATURE*

The Trickster’s Wife - complete - 71,001 words, 31 chapters. Post Avengers, MCU. Romance/epic adventure. WARNINGS: Very explicit sex, some language, some violence, very adult themes, mentions of abuse. Main character - Loki. Secondary character/love interest: Princess Anja. Relationship - Loki/Anja. Side characters - Thor, Odin, Frigga, Bragneire. Asgard needs Loki, but Loki has a price - a wife he has no right to ask for. So of course he does just that. *MATURE, EXPLICIT*

The King of All The Rest - WIP - 1444 words, 1 chapter, ongoing (Part 2 of Myths of Asgard) - Sequel to The Trickster’s Wife. Romance/comedy. Main characters - Loki, Bragneire, Anja. Relationship - Loki/Anja. Loki has retired, left Asgard, left the throne, left everything save for one beautiful thing that he’ll never lose again...the wife he fought so hard to keep. WARNINGS: Sex, language. *MATURE*

The King’s Heart - complete - 47,229 words, 21 chapters. WARNINGS: Explicit sex, sexual violence, abuse, language, mental illness, blood, grief, very adult themes. Main character - Loki. Secondary character/love interest - Lyra. Side characters - Thor, Frigga, Aleks Lokisson, several offspring. Post-Avengers UA. Loki has been given the throne, but his apparent madness prevents him from opening his heart to his new queen. *VERY EXPLICIT*

The Wolf King - complete - 44,315 words, 17 chapters. WARNINGS: Sexual activity, language, some violence, smutty talk from Loki, adult themes. Fluffy adventure/romance. Loki’s son Aleks has been handed the throne, but he doesn’t want it yet - not while there’s a universe to be conquered in “other” more satisfying ways. But a mysterious pair of offworlders have a vested interest in the boy king fulfilling his prophecy the way his famous father did. Main characters - Aleks, Loki. Secondary characters/love interests - Cara, Lyra. Side characters - Thor, The Syl, Sleipnir, Loki’s daughters, some surprise guests at the end. *MATURE*

Lost Creatures - complete - 4929 words. Main characters - Loki, Thor. WARNINGS: Explicit sex, explicit language, violence, male/male. Loki and Thor have always loved as much as they’ve hated...but which of the two emotions is the stronger? *EXPLICIT*

Civil Disobedience - complete - 1066 words. WARNINGS: Spanking, nonconsensual. Main character - Loki. Short vignette involving a Dominant Loki and his disobedient plaything. *EXPLICIT*

Mine - complete - 2051 words. WARNINGS: Explicit sex, language, voyeurism, angst. Main character - Loki. Side characters - Thor, the bride. She was one thing over all others...she was mine. *EXPLICIT*

THE TEMPEST SERIES

Main character for all parts - Loki. WARNINGS FOR ALL PARTS: Hardcore sex, strong language, some violence, implied bestiality, very heavy smut. All parts complete. Dark romance/thriller.

Part 1 - Darkness Lives In Me - Loki’s fall from grace (1421 words) Part 2 - Before Chaos - Loki plots to take over Midgard (3120 words) Part 3 - After The Maelstrom - Loki kills some time before the conquest (3088) Part 4 - Eye of The Storm - Loki finds a way to...well... (2369 words) Part 5 - Her Side of The Storm - Loki’s chosen conquest tells her side (2476) Part 6 - A Perfect Whirlwind - Loki serves his time, misses his chosen (2928) Part 7 - Cyclone In A Teacup - A conjugal visitation to Midgard (2654 words) Part 8 - An Intemperate Rain - Loki comes bearing gifts (2132 words) Part 9 - Darkening Skies - A trinket with...dubious powers (4304 words) Part 10 - The Nature Of Thunder - Loki, kidnap, what could go wrong? (3325) Part 11 - Lightning Strikes - Fury’s revenge, Loki’s redemption (3905 words)

*All parts of the above series: EXTREMELY EXPLICIT*

No Regrets - complete - 1634 words. WARNINGS: Crazy explicit sex, language, absolutely no plot. Smutty comedy. Loki, dad’s throne, and a willing partner...just another Wednesday on Asgard. Main character - Loki. Side characters - woman, Thor, Odin. *EXPLICIT*

Whisper - complete - 6440 words, 6 chapters. WARNINGS: Explicit sex, explicit language, threatened explicit violence. Main character - Loki. Side character - woman. Romance. Asgard has fallen while Loki is imprisoned far beneath the city, leaving him the sole survivor - and as the world slowly decays above him, he opens a path to escape through the dreams of a Midgardian female. *EXPLICIT*

The Dragon Queen - complete - 37,503 words, 28 chapters. Main character - Loki. Relationship - Loki/Eira. Romance. WARNINGS: Very hardcore sex, violence, rape, abuse, language, torture. Odin has given up trying to break Loki - until the day he sends his other prized prisoner into the Trickster’s cell. *EXTREMELY EXPLICIT* *WARNING - CONTAINS RAPE SCENES*

The Good Stuff - complete - 3513 words. WARNINGS: Crude explicit language, some smutty sex and references and drunkenness. Comedy. Main characters - Loki and Thor. Side characters - Frigga, Odin, castle servants. Two bored brothers, one long night, and mom’s secret hooch stash - what could go wrong? *MATURE*

Smooth Criminal - Part 1 of the Criminal Activity Series - complete - 4252 words. WARNINGS: Explicit sex and dominance. Avengers (2012) adjacent. Where did Loki get that suit anyway? *EXPLICIT*

Blue Collar Criminal - Part 2 of the Criminal Activity Series - incomplete - 1171 words. Post-Avengers. WARNINGS: None really, it hasn’t gotten far enough yet. Sitting on the throne is dull as fuck. Might as well hit Asgard again, only this time Loki only intends to conquer one human - the girl from the suit shop. *WILL BE EXPLICIT IF I EVER FINISH IT*

Tom Hiddleston as Original Characters

The Department - WIP - 56,810 words, 17 chapters, ongoing. *UPDATED 10/27/19* Main characters - Greta (OFC), Chief (Tom Hiddleston). Side characters - Andy (Andrew Hozier-Byrne), Cree (Jason Momoa), Cade (Chris Evans), Kevin (Dave Bautista), Hawk (David Tennant), Sarah (Sarah Lancashire), Ted (Sebastian Stan), Wilson (Owen Wilson). Comedy/romance. WARNINGS: Explicit sex, explicit crude language, sexism, minor violence. Greta arrives in a small town in Minnesota to wait out her disciplinary review after an on the job accident and struggles to survive a crackpot stationhouse full of sexist cops...while trying really hard not to fall in love with the Chief. *EXPLICIT* - updates weekly (Sundays)

Hammer Of The Gods - WIP - 23,305 words - 24/30 chapters, ongoing. *UPDATED 10/20/19* Main characters - Jake (Tom Hiddleston), Tate (OFC), Pete (Chris Hemsworth). WARNINGS: hardcore language, explicit sex, mild/brief violence, referenced mental/emotional/verbal abuse. AU Loki and Thor as human construction workers renovating a house next door to a recently divorced mom who really needs to learn how to live again. *EXPLICIT*

Body Double - complete - 143,489 words, 40 chapters. WARNINGS: Explicit sex, language, references to past sexual and physical abuse, brief reference to miscarriage, heavy Dom/sub undertones. Main character - Tom Hiddleston (as himself). Secondary character/love interest - Anna (OFC). Side characters - Chris Hemsworth, Ian. Romance. An actor and a body double working on his film embark on a romantic relationship after the movie wraps. *VERY EXPLICIT*

Sunflower - WIP - 33,577 words - 13/15 chapters, ongoing. Main characters - Tommy (Tom Hiddleston), Chloe (OFC/Dove Cameron). Side characters - Amy (Sarah Wayne Callies), Martin (Idris Elba), Blake (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) , Tony (Robert Downey Jr). Sweet romance. Don’t park in the disabled spot unless you’re ready to fall in love with the girl you stole it from. WARNINGS: Sex, mild language, injury description. *MATURE*

THE MCCLARY CHRONICLES

Part 1 - Sgaile Leannan - complete - 58,066 words, 20 chapters. Main characters - King McClary (Tom Hiddleston), Molly Thompkin (OFC). Romance. Molly arrives in Scotland on a work assignment and meets her nemesis - the surly kilted sheep farmer who owns the land she’s trespassing on. WARNINGS: Very explicit sex, explicit language, mild violence. This story was rewritten for publication with changes - original version remains on AO3. *EXPLICIT*

Part 2 - Samhach Mhiannan - complete - 78,763 words, 25 chapters. Molly returns home to Philadelphia with a little secret - and her world flips upside down when King shows up at her door months later. SAME WARNINGS AS PART 1. This story was rewritten for publication with minor changes - original version remains on AO3. *EXPLICIT*

Part 3 - Na Binne an Leann - complete - 77,600 words, 25 chapters. Molly moves to Scotland to be with King, but her future with the cranky sheepherder is, as always, shaky and uncertain. SAME WARNINGS AS PARTS 1 AND 2. This story was rewritten for publication with minor changes - original version remains on AO3. *EXPLICIT*

A Meeting With The King - complete - 2507 words. Side story to The McClary Chronicles. What really happened that day at Clendon Williams when King met Ian, told from King’s POV. WARNINGS: Some language, mild violence. *MATURE*

Aingeal Ard - WIP - 16,297 words - 16/20 chapters, ongoing. *UPDATED 10/14/19* WARNINGS: rough language, explicit sex. Main characters - King McClary (Tom Hiddleston), Molly Thompkin (OFC). A retelling of Sgaile Leannan from King’s POV, chapter by chapter. *EXPLICIT*

Chemical and its Related Side Stories

Chemical - incomplete version, ended - 263,007 words, 58 chapters. This story was rewritten and completed for publication with major changes - the original version minus the final chapters and epilogue remain at AO3. AU Loki/Tom Hiddleston as a bartender in San Diego who falls for the last girl he should ever look at - who just happens to be his soulmate. Main characters - Tom Heyworth (Tom Hiddleston), Anja Black (OFC). Side characters - Chris (Chris Hemsworth), Ewan (Ewan McGregor), Pop Heyworth, Cara, Kady, Robert Laing, Eric (Michael Fassbender). Romance. WARNINGS: Extremely hardcore sex of all kinds, language, mild violence, references to past sexual abuse and child abuse. *EXTREMELY EXPLICIT, NOT REMOTELY KIDDING*

THE CHEMICAL PREHISTORIES

All parts complete, all parts MATURE AND/OR EXPLICIT for sex, language, references to past abuse, mild drug use.

SIR - Characters: Anja’s mother and her lover; young Anja Das Vorspiel - Characters: Alicia and The Boss Quiet Gods - Narrator: Eva. Characters: Eva, Tom, Chris Medialuna - the original unused ending to Chemical Two Princes - Narrator: Anja ADDITIONAL WARNING: character death The Mechanic - Narrator: Chris. Characters: Chris, Tom, Anja Eidolon - Narrator: Emma. Characters: Emma, Tom, Anja ADDITIONAL WARNING: disturbing imagery, imagined character death, mental illness The Scottish Barman - Narrator: Ewan. Characters: Ewan, Tom, Anja Taos - Narrator: Alicia ADDITIONAL WARNING: character death Girly - Narrator: Anja

Penumbraluna - complete - 19,179 words, 10 chapters. Main characters - Tom and Chris (as teens). Side character - Meredith Hemberley. Coming of age. WARNINGS: Strong language, references to sexual abuse and child abuse, mild drug and alcohol use, male/male (brief), semi-explicit sex, character death. Tom’s friendship with Chris, from the day they met as kids up to the point where Chemical begins. *MATURE*

See You After The Apocalypse - Part 1 of the Troika Apocalyptica series - complete - 5414 words. Chemical AU, post-Chemical - Tom, Anja, Chris, Pop, Cara, and Tom & Anja’s two babies have all survived the zombie outbreak, hunkered down in the cabin in Big Bear. But Tom sends Anja and the two little ones away with Chris when the mountain is overrun with the undead. Will they find each other alive when it’s all over? WARNINGS: Suspense, mild violence. *MATURE*

Meet Me In Phoenix - Part 2 of Troika Apocalyptica - incomplete - Characters: Tom, Anja, Pop, Chris, Cara. Chemical AU in which Tom & company survive a zombie apocalypse, are separated, and embark on a cross country quest to find each other again. WARNINGS: language and some sexual references. *MATURE*

Wolfsbane - complete - 1826 words. Tom/Anja Chemical AU side story. Assassins in love. Tom and Anja are agents assigned to bump each other off, if they can stop seducing each other long enough to pull the trigger. WARNINGS: Language, sex, mild violence.

Other TH Original Characters:

Burn - complete (will fill in this summary ASAP)

Would You Like To Play A Game? - complete (will fill in this summary ASAP)

Golden Boy - incomplete (will fill in this summary ASAP)

Awakening - complete - RPF - (will fill in this summary ASAP)

Beautiful Disaster - complete (will fill in this summary ASAP)

Dandelion Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 - complete (will fill in summary ASAP)

Broken Petals - A Magnus Martinsson fic - incomplete

Yes Please, Magnus - Magnus Martinsson fic - complete

Weekly Meetings of The Most Useless Muses in The History of Fanfiction - incomplete - 23,802 words, 22 chapters. Pretty much what it sounds like. Characters - all of them. WARNINGS: All of them.

Adam - Only Lovers Left Alive

Sanguine - complete - 28,795 words, 16 chapters. Main character - Adam. Secondary characters - Selina, Eve. Romance/mystery. WARNINGS: Very explicit sex and violence, language, vampirism, blood, pregnancy, rape. A redemption tale twisted up in an epic love story between a vampire and a mortal who break a few rules and make a few of their own in the process. *EXPLICIT*

(Adam is also a prominent character in JACK MONTAGUE and THE GUCCI INCIDENT)

Thomas Oakley - Unrelated

Sleep - complete - 1471 words. WARNINGS: Sex and language. Thomas Oakley is chosen for a college sleep studies program. Too bad the only thing that puts him to sleep is an orgasm. *MATURE*

Tom Hiddleston - Jaguar Promo

The Way of The Cat - complete (summary will be filled in ASAP)

Andrew Hozier-Byrne

THE TALIESIN SERIES

Part 1 - Nobody - complete - 3293 words. Romance/fantasy. WARNINGS: character death, raunchy language, implied sex, implied drug use. A perpetually reincarnating Celtic deity (Andrew Hozier-Byrne) just won’t stop causing problems for the Pantheon, no matter how many times they reboot him and his lover. Loosely based on the song. *MATURE*

Part 2 - Shrine Of Your Lies - WIP - 1011 words, 2/15 chapters, ongoing. Romance/fantasy. WARNINGS: Explicit sex, some language, some implied violence. Taliesin (Andrew Hozier-Byrne) and his lover have been reincarnated again, this time without any memory of who they are - or of each other. Fate won’t let them wander for long though and their paths cross over two parallel lifetimes. *MATURE*

(Andrew Hozier-Byrne is also a prominent character in THE DEPARTMENT)

Can Yaman

Kiz Yan Kapi - The Girl Next Door - WIP - 5533 words, 3/10 chapters (will fill in this summary ASAP)

Chris Hemworth

Thor’s Beard - complete - 3163 words (Part 2 of Forgotten Gods, side story to Hammer Of The Gods). WARNINGS: Explicit sex, language. Pete from HoTG hooks up with Jake’s older sister and a battery operated device. *EXPLICIT*

See You After The Apocalypse - see above under The Chemical Prehistories

Allan Hawco

A Wife For Mister Brown - complete (will fill in this summary ASAP)

Et Tu, Mister Brown? - complete (will fill in this summary ASAP)

PUBLISHED BOOKS

All of the following are available at amazon.com:

Sgaile Leannan - Rewritten from AO3 version with changes/additions. Sex, language, adult situations. *EXPLICIT*

Samhach Mhiannan - Rewritten from AO3 version with some changes/additions. Sex, language, adult situations. *EXPLICIT*

Na Binne an Leann - Rewritten from AO3 version with minor changes/additions. Sex, language, adult situations. *EXPLICIT*

Chemical Volume One - Rewritten from AO3 with major changes/additions. Sex, language, adult situations, references to past child abuse. *EXTREMELY EXPLICIT*

Chemical Volume Two - Rewritten from AO3 with major changes/additions (includes the final three chapters, ending, and epilogue that are not included in the AO3 version). Sex, language, adult situations, references to past child abuse. *EXTREMELY EXPLICIT*

Here And There - Book One of The Strada Series - not associated with any AO3 fics. Sex, language, violence. Paranormal romance. A man falls out of the sky - literally - and Holly’s quiet existence goes all kinds of sideways when his otherworldly nemesis follows and the two of them end up in her bed...and inextricably in her life. *EXPLICIT*

The Carmichael Addendum - not associated with any AO3 fics. Sex, language, violence. Paranormal/supernatural romance. Clarissa is one of a final few slayers left in a world where the monsters have quietly retreated into myth - but the local library has started spitting immortals and werewolves out through a rift in the Genealogy section, and it’s time for the last two slayers - Clarissa and her ex-husband Kaine - to come out of retirement. *EXPLICIT*

*All of the above are also available in Kindle format

Complete officially published works

#Tom Hiddleston #Hozier #Loki #fanfic #master fic list #Hemsworth #Momoa #Andrew Hozier-Byrne #original fic #master list #writing #lokilickedme

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ificanthaveu · 5 years

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Car Rides, Middle School and Older Brothers || The DropBack || Shawn Mendes

Description: Shawn and [Y/N] get to know each other a little deeper than intended on their long car ride to see her brother

A/N: Part 2 baby!! honestly the more i write parts, the more parts i come up with soooooo idk how long this’ll actually end up being. Get ready to learn what makes your character the way she is, also, hella foreshadowing as to how this is going to affect her in the future which we’ll actually delve into in a few parts.

Word Count: 2.9k

The DropBack Masterlist

Waking up at 6:00 am was never ideal, but it certainly wasn’t when you had to do it on a Saturday. USC was a two-hour drive, and Matthew insisted you all leave at 7:00, so you all had time to walk around and explore. Matthew also insisted that he get to drive.

“Are you nervous?” Elsie asked you as you finished getting dressed, throwing on your brother’s USC jersey with a pair of shorts.

“Why would I be nervous?” You asked.

“Because it’s the first time your brother is starting,” she said as she waited for you at the end of your bed.

You simply shrugged your shoulders.

“David’s going to do great. I know he will. He was literally born to do this,” you paused for a moment. “Yeah, it sucks neither of my parents can go, but you and Matthew will be there and you’re basically like his siblings.”

“And Shawn. Shawn’ll be there.”

“Well, yeah, but he hasn’t met Shawn.”

“Will he think something’s going on between the two of you? Like this is some double date?” She asked. You hadn’t really thought about it that way, but now that she mentioned it, you could see it a little bit.

“I’ve known him for a week, El. If David thinks something is going on this quick, then that’s his own deal,” you said as you quickly finished getting ready and checked the time on your phone. On cue, Matthew’s name popped up with a text saying him and Shawn were out front.

“Did Shawn stay at Matthew’s?” You questioned. Elsie nodded her head.

“Yeah, they’ve become pretty close. Perfect since you’re going to fall in love with him.”

You rolled your eyes at her and gave her a look, but all she did was smile back at you.

“I barely know him,” you said as you both started walking downstairs.

“Well, today’s the day to do it,” she said as you walked outside where Shawn and Matthew were waiting. Elsie slid into the front seat, and you hopped into the back with Shawn.

Everyone said quick hello’s before Matthew started driving. You looked over at Shawn, and he was frowning at your shirt.

“What?” You asked as you glanced down at it.

“Not 55?” He asked. You shook your head.

“Nope, he’s 39 for USC. Guess I won’t be repping both of you today,” you said back to him.

He gave you a frown as he placed his hand on his heart.

“I don’t know how I’ll get through this.” You lightly pushed him as you pulled your legs up onto the seat and faced him. He followed suit.

“Where are you from, Mendes?” You asked.

“We’re getting right into it then?”

“Well, you’re meeting my brother today, and I don’t know anything about you,” you said as you slightly shook your head. Shawn’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

“I’m meeting your brother?” He said just a little too loudly. Elsie glanced back and laughed.

“Did you think [Y/N] was going to her brother’s game and wasn’t going to see him?” She asked as she turned around to look at Shawn.

“Well, I thought just she would see him,” he rationalized.

“I love David about ten times more than I love [Y/N]. If she didn’t let me see him, I’d combust,” Matthew chimed in.

“Were we just going to wait in the car while [Y/N] spent time with her brother?” Elsie asked Shawn.

Shawn looked flustered as he thought this through.

“I didn’t think that far,” he mumbled. You shook your head again and patted his shoulder lightly.

“You’ll be fine. Worse thing he’ll do is try to embarrass me,” you said with a shrug. “But we’re done thinking about that. Where are you from?” You repeated your question from earlier. Shawn took a deep breath before answering.

“Originally Canada, but I moved here from Pittsburg,” he answered as he faced you again.

“Canada? I had no idea you were Canadian!” You said with a little too much excitement.

“I moved when I was eight, so I don’t remember a ton. I came to Pittsburg right before second grade and didn’t know anyone, so flag football was the perfect thing for me to meet people,” he answered. “We go back to Canada like once a year, but it’s hard with my football schedule.”

“That’s how it was with Dave. Football is pretty much a year-round commitment, especially when you’re good, so family vacations were always out of the question. Unless it was for a football camp at some college in the country, then we’d just make it a vacation. My mom or dad would take me to do touristy things while David was at his camp,” you said.

“I don’t want to hear about your brother. I hear that enough from Coach. No offense,” he quickly corrected himself. You laughed at him, so he knew you weren’t offended.

“None taken. My whole life has pretty much been about my brother, so I’m used to it.”

“Do you have any other siblings?”

“Nope, do you?”

“A younger sister. She’s in eighth grade at Monroe middle.”

“Why’d you choose Monroe?” You asked him. He paused for a moment to think about it.

“I wanted somewhere that had a good football program, but also a good education. This was the best one in the area that was also public. My parents let me make the decision since it’s hard enough being uprooted right before your senior year of high school,” he said with a sad look on his face.

“Well, at least you found us,” you said with a big smile on your face. He finally smiled and lightly shook his head.

“You diverted my question. I want to get to know you, too,” he said as he pushed your knee. You could feel his hand there even after he removed it.

“I told you David’s my only sibling.”

“Riveting,” he said with sarcasm laced in his voice. You rolled your eyes at him as he laughed at you. “I wanna know the good stuff.”

“Alright, ask away. I’m an open book,” you said while leaning back against the window. Instead of looking at you, he turned forward again.

“Matthew?” He asked.

“Yeah?” He said as he looked through the mirror.

“What was [Y/N] like in middle school?”

“No, Matthew, if you answer that I’ll wring your neck and won’t let you see David,” you scrambled as you hit him on the shoulder. He continuously pushed your hand away until you gave up and leaned back in your seat.

“Well, Shawn, [Y/N] was a handful in middle school,” Matthew started as you rolled your eyes and pulled your knees up to your chest.

“Really?” Shawn was intrigued.

“Yep, she was the most dramatic bitch I’d ever met.”

“Everyone’s dramatic in middle school,” you chimed in.

“Well, yeah, but you were that times a million. Remember when Jack didn’t want to dance with you at the middle school dance?”

“Don’t remind me,” you said as you banged your head on the back of the seat.

“I think you cried for a month,” Matthew said as he tried not to laugh.

“Matty, please stop talking,” you begged.

“Don’t call me Matty,” he whined.

“Then don’t talk about middle school,” you countered.

“Fine, I’ll cut you a little slack. Middle school was hard for you,” Matthew said as the car went silent. You could tell Shawn could only wonder why.

“My parents got divorced when I was in seventh grade,” you finally said as you looked down at your hands. “David was just starting high school, so he threw himself into football. I handled it by being dramatic and doing a hell of a lot of writing.”

“You write?” Shawn asked. You nodded your head as you looked back up at him, thankful he switched the topic.

“Yeah, mostly poetry. I call that period of writing ‘The Dark Ages,’ since all of it was incredibly depressing, but I swear it’s a lot happier now,” you said through a giggle.

“I want to read it,” Shawn stated. Elsie laughed from the front seat.

“Aw, Shawn, that’s cute. [Y/N] doesn’t even let me read it,” she said as she continued her laughter.

“Why not?” He asked the car. You shrugged your shoulders.

“I always feel like they aren’t complete, and I only want people to read something if it’s 100% done.”

“Well, you still sent them to USC even if they weren’t ‘complete’,” Matthew mocked from the front seat.

“You want to go to USC?” Shawn asked. You nodded your head.

“Yeah, it’d be nice to be around David. I’m trying to get into their creative writing program, but it’s tough.”

“I’m sure you’ll get in,” he said as he gave you a look.

“You haven’t even read anything of mine. I could be a shitty writer,” you said.

“I’d like to believe you aren’t,” Shawn replied.

The rest of the car ride was filled with a continuous back and forth between you and Shawn, trying to get to know each other in a two-hour time span, with Elise and Matthew occasionally chiming in. By the time you were parked a few blocks from the stadium, you knew just about everything about Shawn.

You knew he could play the guitar and the piano and loved to play them in his spare time. You learned his favorite book, movie, artist and more. You learned about his best friend Brian he had met in Kindergarten and had somehow stayed friends with. He told you about his little sister and the struggles of moving. You knew it all.

You also knew David was going to love him.

You and Shawn walked a few steps in front of Elsie and Matthew as you made your way to the stadium.

“If it’s not too sensitive, why couldn’t your parents come?” Shawn questioned carefully.

“If Mom’s going somewhere, then Dad doesn’t want to be there and vice versa. My mom planned ongoing, but she had a last-minute work trip. And my dad had already made plans. So it’s just me,” you paused. “I’m used to it though. I guess David and I are just so close because during the divorce they never wanted to see each other. It was always mom or dad, or neither, not ever both mom and dad, but I could always count on David being there, and he could always count on me. The divorce was hard on everyone, but I definitely took it the hardest since I was a preteen girl. David was always protective of me, but it definitely exceeded once that all went down,” you explained.

Shawn nodded his head as he glanced down at you. He smiled sympathetically at you as you returned it.

“I can’t wait to see him play,” he said.

“He’s pretty good, Mendes. You might be intimidated,” you taunted him. Shawn rolled his eyes at you.

“Maybe I could learn a thing or two from him,” he said as he hit your shoulder against yours as you handed the people at the front gate your tickets.

You practically skipped into the stadium, not having been there since last season. Elsie was right behind you, also practically jumping as Matthew and Shawn trailed a little bit behind.

“Breaking out the divorce story on day one? Are you in love with him already?” Elsie whispered as she bumped into you. You shoved her back, and she laughed as she grabbed Matthew’s hand and followed you to your seats.

“Is this your first USC game?” You asked Shawn as he walked beside you.

“Nope, I saw them play at Notre Dame last year.”

“Don’t tell me you’re a Notre Dame fan,” you asked as you waited for his answer. He laughed at you and shook his head.

“I don’t really have a favorite team, but I have a feeling it’s going to have to be USC if we’re going to be friends?”

“You already know me too well, Mendes.”

You rounded the corner into your seats in one of the middle rows on the forty-yard line.

“Can’t wait to see [Y/N] go crazy again,” Matthew said as he rubbed his hands together and looked at you. You rolled your eyes at him before he continued. “Shawn, I wouldn’t sit by her if you want to keep an arm. She grabs whatever’s closest when she’s mad.”

Shawn feigned hurt and grabbed his arm that was closest to you. “Not my throwing arm.”

“You’re not even a quarterback.”

“Still. I need my arm,” he said all too seriously.

“Matthew’s being dramatic,” you reasoned.

“No, he’s not,” Elsie chimed in without even looking up from the field.

The next few hours were spent talking football and walking around the stadium before kick-off. You were sat between Elsie and Shawn, and you and Elsie gripped hands and cheered as loud as you could when David ran out onto the field.

Matthew was definitely right. Any time David did anything at all, you gripped onto Shawn’s arm or Elsie’s hand.

“You have a tight grip for such small hands,” he said as he picked up your hand during half time. “You might have bruised my arm.”

You laughed at him and pulled your hand back since you knew you wouldn’t be able to respond to him if he kept holding it.

“He’s doing really good,” Elsie said. You took a deep breath and nodded your head. He was doing good. For being a sophomore and it being the first game he’s starting, he was doing remarkable.

You should’ve known that would jinx it.

Two minutes into the second half, and David was tackled so hard that even Shawn flinched.

“Shit,” you mumbled as all the players kneeled and medics came out to see if he was ok. You chewed nervously on your thumbnail, a nervous habit, and debated on when was the best time to tell your parents if he ended up having to go to the hospital.

Elsie gripped onto your hand, and Shawn had his arm around you, holding you close to his side. You breathed a sigh of relief when he stood up and was able to walk to the edge of the field. You rested your head on Shawn’s shoulder for a minute to catch your breath. He rubbed your shoulder comfortingly and gave you as much time as you needed.

“You ok?” He asked when you finally stood back up completely. You nodded your head and smiled over at him.

“Yeah, thanks,” you said quietly.

The rest of the game flew by since you really weren’t interested if David wasn’t in. You left early to make sure you were at the exit when David got out.

David walked out slowly, looking around for you. You walked up to him quickly and hugged him carefully since you didn’t know what actually happened.

“Are you hurt? What happened? Was it your hip again?” You asked a million questions. He brushed off your questions by just one look. David may be protective over you, but it was definitely a two-way street.

“Yeah, my hip just cramped up. I’m fine. Just have to keep doing my physical therapy again,” he said, all while giving you that look that always made you shut up.

Matthew was next in line and gave David a big hug and couldn’t stop talking about his big play. Elsie gave him a hug quickly, too, before Shawn walked up. David gave you a quick look, and you shook your head.

“This is our friend, Shawn. He just transferred to Monroe this year, and the best part, he has your old number,” you introduced.

Shawn stuck his hand out and shook David’s hand.

“Bet that was an awkward first game?” He asked you. You nodded your head.

“Yeah, a little bit, but we’re good now,” you said as you and Shawn looked at each other.

“You any good?” David asked Shawn.

“I mean, yeah, I think so,” he said back to David as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“He’s amazing. He scored three touchdowns against Lincoln last week,” Elsie chimed in. David looked impressed.

“That’s insane, dude. Lincoln’s hard to beat,” David said as he looked in-between Matthew and Shawn.

“And we crushed them,” Matthew cheered as he high fived Shawn and then David.

“Well, I gotta get going,” David said after a few minutes of talking. You gave him a big hug this time since you knew you wouldn’t accidentally hurt him. “Are we still doing dinner on Thursday?”

“Of course, I’ll be here by five.”

Matthew and Elsie both hugged him before Shawn shook his hand again.

“I hope I’ll see you at another game?” David asked. Shawn nodded his head and smiled at him.

“Yeah, I hope so.” You waved your final goodbyes as the four of you started the walk back to the car.

“I really like your brother,” Shawn finally said.

“Everyone likes David. He’s just got that type of personality, but thanks. I’m glad he liked you as well,” you said as you glanced over at him.

“So, he wants me at another game...” He trailed off as he gave you a look. “Guess you’re going to have to keep bringing me,” he said with a big, cheesy smile.

You shook your head as you laughed at him.

“Yeah, I guess I will.”

PART 3: Physics, Baby Blue and Homecoming Dates coming next Sunday!

tags: @peacedolantwins2 @shawn-youth @t-holland2080 @feliciaceciliamariajacobsson @enchantingbrowneyedgirl @particularnervous @mariamuses @shawnsvlogsquad @theetherealbloom @innocentb3an @haute-shawn @gigi-maria-argu

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eddie-boii · 4 years

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Never Let You Go (part 11/14)

Fic info: Both Eddie and Stan live because I do what I want. Multichapter.

Rating: Teen and up (may change). Language.

Pairings: Reddie, Benverly.

Ao3 link: here

Summary: The Losers prepare for a wedding. They’ve had enough of reddie’s antics.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

By the time the Losers got back to the hotel, they were all shivering and damp from the snow, their noses red and cheeks flushed and shoes squelching on the carpet, but they were all still too elated to care and there was plenty of time before the second ceremony to dry off and warm up in front of the grand fire in the lobby.

“I can’t believe you two are married,” said Richie, grinning over at his friends who were snuggled up together in one armchair by the fire.

“Who do you think is gonna be the next out of us to get married?” said Ben.

“Ss-stan and I are already married,” said Bill.

“You are?!” cried Richie. “Why wasn’t I invited to the wedding? How could you?”

“Thirteen-year-old Stan would be ecstatic,” Bev giggled as Stan glared at Richie. He turned the glare to her instead.

“Ww-what?” said Bill.

“I had a little crush on you back then, it’s no big deal,” Stan sighed. “Everyone did.”

“E-everyone?” Bill squawked.

“Yeah.”

“Yep.”

“Definitely.”

“I’m mostly straight but yeah.”

“Oh, come on,” said Bill. “N-not Rr-Richie at least. H-he was too busy crushing on Eddie.”

“What?” Eddie blurted.

Richie was about ready to deny everything, divert his affections to Eddie’s mom as he always did, but he was happy and warm, still on a bit of a high from the day’s events and surrounded by people who loved him, so for once, he didn’t bother.

“Okay, but there was a brief few weeks before Eds came along,” he shrugged.

“You’re not denying it?” Eddie said, his voice cracking adorably and his eyes wide as he turned to Richie. “You had a crush on me?”

“You were just so darn cute, Eds!” Richie said, leaning across to pinch Eddie’s cheek. He decided not to mention that that ‘crush’ was still ongoing. Eddie batted his hand away as usual but seemed too in shock to protest the nickname.

“So who will be the next to get married?” said Ben in a thinly veiled attempt to divert the attention off an embarrassed Eddie. “Mike?”

“Oh, no way, I’m not really the marrying type,” said Mike. “Not really the relationship type, either, to be honest.”

“That just leaves Richie and Eds,” said Bev.

“And they’ll marry each other, so that’s two at once,” said Stan.

“Will you guys give it a rest?” said Richie. Tired of his friends’ antics, he turned to Eddie. “They’re betting on whether or not we’ll get together.”

“What?” cried Eddie, who still seemed like he had yet to process Richie having a crush on him let alone this.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, who told him?” said Bill.

“Guilty,” said Bev.

“And it’s n-not a question of if,” said Bill, smirking at Richie. “It’s a question of when.”

“Stan and Bev reckoned you’d get together on or before the day of the wedding,” said Mike. He checked his watch. “So we have about nine hours before Bill and I win.”

“I’m sorry I had a little faith that one of them would grow balls,” said Stanley, rolling his eyes.

“I can’t believe you’re fucking betting on us,” said Eddie, face red and eyebrows scrunched up with fury. It was one of Richie’s favourite expressions of Eddie’s.

“Yeah, and I would’ve won if Bev hadn’t kidnapped you and ruined my plan last night,” said Stan, turning to scowl at Bev. “You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“He’s my emotional support gay!” Bev defended.

“You guys aren’t ss-supposed to meddle!” said Bill.

“None of you should be fucking meddling,” said Eddie. “My love life is none of your fucking business.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Eddie, it’s been thirty years,” said Stan. “I, for one, have had enough of this. You two have been pining for each other since you were twelve! You like each other, okay? Now can you please get a move on and bone already?”

Richie opened his mouth to retort but no words came. He looked over at Eddie who was staring right back at him, his flustered expression and red face probably mirroring Richie’s. Sure, Stan was right, Richie had liked Eddie since they were twelve. But Eddie liking him back? There was no way. Eddie was always mad at him, always fussing at him about his hygiene and how he was bound to get a bunch of infections, always complaining about his jokes. And sure, Richie loved watching Eddie get all heated and flustered, but that was out of annoyance, not anything else. Surely…

No. Richie mentally shook his head. Stan saying Eddie liked him didn’t mean anything. The others were just on a romantic high from the wedding, just seeing things that weren’t there. Until Eddie straight up told him himself, Richie was not going to believe anything the others said. Because, honestly, he didn’t think he could handle it if they were wrong. He’d rather spend another thirty years pining then be rejected, then ruin what they had. He liked being Eddie’s friend, he liked poking fun at him and watching him get all red-faced, he liked their back and forth banter, and he liked those soft moments when it was just the two of them, when they could just exist as themselves, comfortable in each other. He didn’t want to risk losing that.

“Give them a break,” said Ben, interrupting Richie’s thoughts. “Twenty-seven of those years weren’t their fault, and they’ve been through a whole bunch of shit. We know that better than anyone. Let them take their time, okay?” He looked over at Richie and Eddie and smiled, forever the supportive friend. “We’re here for you no matter what. Even if you never get together. Right guys?”

He looked over at the other’s and they let out a series of reluctant but affirming groans.

“That being said,” Ben continued, turning back to Richie and Eddie. “Can you two at least promise you’ll have a talk about it?”

Richie and Eddie glanced at each other.

“I guess,” mumbled Richie after a moment.

“Yeah, whatever,” grunted Eddie.

“Good,” said Ben, smiling.

“Buddy,” said Mike, “please tell me you and Bev plan to have children, coz you are already the world’s greatest dad.”

Ben’s face flushed instantly but Bev grinned and squeezed his hand.

“All in good time, Michael,” she said which only served to make Ben even more flustered.

By the time the second ceremony was due to start, the real minister had arrived and Stan was back to being a man of honour and walking down the aisle with Mike, which meant Richie was walking with Eddie alone. He tried not to focus on it too much, which was exceedingly difficult considering the conversation the Losers had just had. Did Eddie really like him? Was this just as flustering for Eddie as it was for Richie? Had they really wasted thirty years thinking the other didn’t reciprocate their feelings? It seemed impossible, like something out of Richie’s teenage fantasies, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Richie tried his best not to fidget during that second ceremony, but standing by the aisle while Bev and Ben repeated generic vows in front of a room full of people Richie didn’t care about was almost too much. He occupied himself by scanning the room. He spotted Audra and Patty seated next to each other, and Bev’s aunt sat in the front row beside Ben’s parents with his grandmother beside them. Then there were Ben’s colleagues, the odd work friend of Bev’s who hadn’t abandoned her after her divorce from Tom, and rows of random cousins and distant relatives that probably hadn’t all been together for at least twenty years. Richie tried to amuse himself by making up ludicrous stories for each of them, but eventually, his attention strayed to the other side of the alter, back to Eddie.

He was wearing a neat black suit over a pink shirt that reminded Richie of one of Eddie’s outfits when they were kids. They’d all been fashion icons back then. His hair was neatly combed back as usual and his face was cleanly shaven. And for once, he didn’t look angry or worried or like the world was going to come crashing down on him at any moment. He looked happy as he watched Ben and Bev, his dark eyes soft and shining and a slight smile on his face, his dimples on full display. He was beautiful, and fuck, Richie really needed to get a grip on himself. There was no way - no way - someone as perfect as that could have feelings for someone as much of a mess as Richie.

He zoned back in in time to see Bev and Ben kiss for the second time that day, actually managing properly this time. They walked back down the aisle together, holding hands and waving as everyone stood and cheered them on, then Bev held her bouquet of flowers aloft.

“Ready?” she called.

There was a shriek as all the single ladies in the room fought their way to the aisle for a good spot. Richie just watched them in amusement, but when Bev finally threw the bouquet, it soared over everyone’s heads - she’d always been pretty good at throwing - and right into Richie’s hands before he could even process what was happening.

A disappointed sigh swept over the room from all the ladies who’d missed out, but Richie barely heard them, still staring at the flowers in momentary shock.

“Nice catch, dumbass,” said Eddie, snapping Richie out of his trance.

“Told you you’d be next to get married, Rich,” Stan snorted.

“Yeah right,” Richie scoffed, ignoring his burning face. “You wish.” He tossed the bouquet back into the crowd and there was a scuffle as the women realised what was happening and tried to grab it first. It eventually ended up in the hands of Ben’s grandmother who was quite feisty for a woman in her nineties.

The reception was the part Richie was really looking forward to; free food and cake and an open bar, and a dance floor for him and his friends to embarrass themselves on.

Music rang through the air as Ben and Bev took to the dancefloor for their first dance as a married couple.

“Close your eyes,

“Realise,

“It’s you and I…”

“Is this fucking New Kids on the Block?” cried Richie as Ben pulled Bev into his arms. “Why am I not fucking surprised?”

“Beep beep, Richie. Shut the fuck up and let them enjoy themselves,” Eddie said, elbowing Richie lightly in the side.

“If loving you is right I can’t go wrong,

“Girl we’ve known each other for so long,

“Chemistry between us has grown strong,

“You are the one and only meaning to this song.”

“It’s sweet,” said Mike, watching the couple dance. Neither were very good at it, stepping on each others feet and giggling, their smiles lighting up the room as they swayed around like they were thirteen years old again and nothing else in the world mattered. “It fits, you know?”

“So fucking cheesy,” said Richie, smiling as he watched two of his best friends dance together. “But yeah, you’re right.”

“You make me feel there's no such thing as too far,

“Forever's just enough time to show you, girl,

“That I'm not acting like I know,

“I'll never let you go.”

Bev and Ben twirled around the dance floor as the crowd of guests cheered them on. The music really wasn’t the kind of romantic melody couples tended to dance to at weddings - more like something that would play at a middle-school dance - but neither of them seemed to care. They danced like there was no one else in the room, gazing at each other fondly, laughing when Ben tripped over his own feet or Bev stepped on his toes, joking that they probably should have gotten dancing lessons. They were so in love and - call him a sappy romantic but- Richie could have watched them dance for hours.

Eventually, though, the song came to an end and a new one started, and Bev and Ben beckoned the other Losers onto the dance floor.

“Come on, we need the best men and men of honour to dance together,” said Bev. “You promised.”

Mike didn’t hesitate to grab Stan and start reenacting Dirty Dancing with him, and Bev pulled Bill onto the dance floor for what she called a ‘father-daughter dance’, despite his protests to the name.

Richie hesitated, eying Eddie reproachfully. The prospect of dancing with him after Eddie finally knew about his childhood crush, plus what all the Losers had said about them, was almost too much to handle. He thought about what it would be like to dance with Eddie, pressed up close to him, his hands on Eddie’s waist as Eddie’s arms were draped around his neck, barely a breath between them. Just an inch away from-

Nope. Richie couldn’t handle that. He couldn’t trust himself not to do something stupid and embarrassing. So Richie did what Richie did best; made a huge joke out of it.

“Come on, Eduardo!” he said, dragging Eddie onto the dance floor before immediately releasing his hand and lurching into movement. “I believe this is what the kids these days are ‘the Floss’.”

“You’re doing it wrong!” cried Bev, releasing Bill to stand by Richie. “It’s like this. Watch.”

She demonstrated some weird movements and Richie did his worst interpretation of them before dabbing.

“You are such a fucking moron,” said Eddie, but when Richie looked up at him, he was smiling. God, he’d never grow tired of that smile.

“You ever heard of twerking, Eds?” he said.

“No one wants to see that!” Stan cried as Richie went into a squat.

“You do not have alcohol in your system to blame this on,” said Bev. “And that being said, someone get the cameraman!”

Okay, so Richie was stupid and embarrassing anyway, but he figured this was better than the alternative.

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#it chapter 2 #it chapter two #reddie #benverly #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #the losers club #writing #fic #fanfic #fix it #fluff #slow burn #EB writes

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missmentelle · 5 years

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In short term 12, Grace shows Jaden her self-harm scars and discloses her past with abuse and self-harm. Is that something that happens and is okay (to share that kind of history with these kids) or is it another example of a lack of personal boundaries?

It’s… complicated, but I would say that the scene in the movie crosses the line into “poor boundaries” territory. That doesn’t mean that conversations like that don’t happen in these settings, it’s that that specific scene was not necessarily the preferred way to deal with that situation.

For those of you who haven’t seen the movie [spoiler and content warnings in effect] there is a scene where a deeply troubled girl has been placed in a sort of “cool down” room after a meltdown, and she begins attempting to self-harm by digging her thumbnails into the flesh of her hand. Her counselor, Grace - who has been struggling to connect with the hostile girl since she arrived - sees this as an opportunity to finally find some common ground with the girl, pulls up the leg of her pants to show her own self-harm scars, and discloses her own history of abuse.

Whenever a mental health worker tells a client personal information about themselves, we call it “self-disclosure”, and it’s not inherently a bad thing. Used properly, it can help you to establish trust and rapport with a client. When you work in mental health, clients will often assume that you can’t possibly understand where they are coming from, and that don’t have anything in common with them. This is especially true if you work with highly marginalized clients like the ones in the movie - they will often assume that your life is perfect and that you’ve never faced anything like the obstacles they have. Self-disclosing that you have had similar experiences can help you establish rapport and make the clients feel that you are talking to them as a peer who has been there, rather than a counselor talking down to them about things they’ve never experienced.

When it comes to self-harm, sometimes it can be better for a counselor who has visible scars to address that head-on, rather than trying to dodge the issue; many people who work in mental health have visible scars, and it can be an important opportunity to normalize having these scars and show that recovery is possible for people who have them. One of the best counselors I have ever known has a very obvious row of scars on his arm, and when kids asked him about it, he was honest about how he got them and what that recovery process was like for him, rather than trying to brush off the question. I certainly don’t think it’s inappropriate for mental health workers to have visible scars, or to answer honestly when asked how they got them.

When it comes to self-disclosure in general, though, there are a couple of big possible pitfalls, some of which Grace stumbles into in the movie. Self-disclosing to a client is always a risk, because:

It could make you look like an asshole. If you tell your counselor that you’re suicidal because your long-term partner just left you for the person they were cheating with and you think you lost the love of your life, and they respond with “yeah, I know how you feel, sometimes I feel like my husband doesn’t care about me because he never remembers to buy my favourite type of ice cream”, that’s not going to make you feel more connected to the counselor. It’s going to make you feel like the counselor is a self-centered asshole who isn’t taking you seriously and doesn’t understand what you’re going through at all. Self-disclosing when you don’t actually have any experiences that are similar to a client’s just makes you seem clueless and out-of-touch, especially if you have had a much more privileged upbringing than the client. New counselors make this mistake a lot. As someone from a relatively privileged upbringing, your parents’ divorce might genuinely be the worst thing that ever happened to you; trying to use it to connect with a kid who has been in neglectful and abusive foster care homes since age 2, however, just makes you sound like a rich jerk whining about having to have two Christmases.

It could be used against you. Counselors don’t always know their clients as well as they think they do. Sometimes, disclosing immensely personal information can be a mistake, because the client may share that information with other people, or try to use it as leverage against you. If you disclosed to a client that you were also a victim of sexual assault, they may cruelly throw that information in your face the next time they are upset with you, or they may share that information with your other clients without your consent. I currently work in a residential facility; anything that is told to one client usually spreads throughout the entire building, and staff are well aware that it’s only safe to disclose information that they are comfortable with every single client knowing. Even very casual information like “Oh, sorry I’m late, the 6 train was delayed today” can be dangerous - if you have a client who hates you (or likes you way, way too much), that’s information that they can use to track you down outside of work.

It can create an inappropriately personal relationship with the client. A counselor can have an amazing and close relationship with a client, but it’s important to remember that it’s still a client-counselor relationship. You are not friends, and in the case of teenage clients, you are not parent and child. If you’re going to be able to confide your darkest and most embarrassing secrets to a counselor and trust the advice they give you, there has to be a little bit of professional distance there. Otherwise, it’s impossible for the counselor to be impartial. A therapy session is a safe space for you to work through serious trauma and dysfunction, and learn healthier coping skills; it should not feel like a casual gossip session with your bestie. Therapists can definitely have a relaxed, fun, casual persona, but if the two of you are spending half your time together analyzing each other’s Tinder matches and swapping stories about drunk things you did in college, that’s a sign that professional boundaries are starting to break down. Counselors who over-disclose can cause their clients to start believing that the relationship is a genuine friendship, which sets the client up for shock and pain the first time the counselor tries to enforce boundaries. This is especially true of abused teens like the girl in the movie; they are often desperate for intimacy, and very quick to try to form inappropriately close or dependent relationships with their counselors.

It can make the counseling session all about you. Think about the last time you were having a mental health crisis - a panic attack, anxiety attack, depression wave, PTSD flashback, etc. In that moment, were you in a good place to listen to someone else’s darkest, most horrible experiences? Probably not. Self-disclosing your trauma or mental health issues - especially ones that are still ongoing - puts the client in a position where they suddenly have to comfort YOU, instead of the other way around. That’s not something that most people are prepared to take on when they are in the middle of a breakdown, and it can both damage the relationship between client and counselor, and leave the client feeling even more stressed-out than they were before. Many people who have experienced trauma need to be in a good headspace with advance notice to prepare themselves before they engage with potentially traumatic content - that’s why many people appreciate the inclusion of content warnings on media. For those people, having your mental health worker throw their own trauma in your lap when they are struggling to cope with their own is the stuff of nightmares.

That last one is the main error that Grace made in the movie, and it’s the biggest reason why I think this particular scene crossed boundaries. For one thing, she chose a pretty risky moment to have that kind of disclosure - not only was the girl in a bad place, she was actively self-harming. That girl was not in a place where she could even process her own emotions, and asking her to suddenly process someone else’s severe trauma - trauma that closely resembled her own - is too much. Perhaps when the girl was a little calmer, finding out that her counselor had been through similar experiences might have been helpful, but in the moment, it’s hard to see how that kind of disclosure would do anything but make the girl panic about the fact that she lives in a world rife with child abuse and self-harm. The description that Grace gives of the abuse she endured is quite explicit and quite graphic, and that girl already had enough horribly damaging images in her head at the time - it probably was not a good thing for Grace to add more. If anything, since Grace’s self-harm scars are much more prominent and numerous than the girl’s, the message that comes across is “I went through much worse than you did, why are you whining?”, even if that is not her intent.

Secondly, I think that Grace crossed the line because she was sharing abuse that she herself had neither worked through or resolved. The reason my counselor friend with the scars was helpful when he self-disclosed was because he was able to share a story of recovery - he would gloss over the bad things in his life that happened to cause the self-harm, and focused the narrative on the fact that he had successfully gotten help and that this kind of pain was no longer a part of his life. The message he was sending was “you can get better, and it’s possible to get to a place where you don’t feel the urge to do this anymore”. The trauma Grace is sharing, on the other hand, is unresolved. It is still very much affecting her life, and that is clear when she discusses it with the girl. Instead of presenting a message of hope or understanding, the narrative she inadvertently creates is “yeah, all this stuff is probably going to suck forever and you’re still going to be in pain as an adult”. It also really puts the teen in that counselling role - it’s clear that Grace is still very much in pain from her childhood experiences, and most people’s instinct would be to try to comfort her, which is the opposite of what should be happening here.

I do think that there are strong benefits to self-disclosure in mental health, but I don’t necessarily love how it was done here. This is reinforced by the fact that Grace later goes way too far in trying to personally take revenge on the girl’s father, something that points to some seriously blurry boundaries between the two women. In real life, that kind of breach of boundaries could get you fired and permanently barred from the profession, if not actually criminally charged if someone found out about it. A counselor who crosses boundaries like this is ultimately doing a disservice to their clients, and there are better ways to handle these kinds of situations.

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i-breathe-therefore-i-read · 5 years

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Beautiful Bastard Series by Christina Lauren

An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling. Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He's exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard. Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family's massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who'd been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he's never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe's so tempting he's willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office. As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they're willing to lose in order to win each other.

*What I thought: 4 out of 5 stars

read: 6/19

It’s so trashy and a bad representation of how a relationship works but I couldn’t stop reading it. I was addicted to it. lol

There was definitely some things Bennett did, I was not okay with. He’s the type of man I want to stay far away from. Chloe doesn’t put up with his BS so I guess that’s why they work. It’a such a weird relationship. I mean there was cute moments between them but mostly it was just mainly panty ripping sex. What’s up with that fetish anyway? Cute underwear is expensive and I would be pissed if someone kept doing that!

I liked how it ended. Their relationship was a lot better than how it started.

Just when Chloe’s career starts to take off, Bennett wishes it would all slow down long enough to spend a wild night alone with his girlfriend. But after he refuses to take no for an answer, Chloe and Bennett find themselves with two plane tickets, one French Villa, and a surprising conversation that, predictably, leaves them wrestling under the covers.

*What I thought: 3 out of 5 stars

read: 7/19

I thought this was just okay. Honestly I wished I didn't buy it or read it because I don't think it added more to the characters. I did like it showed a glimpse of Max.

Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon’s moved to New York City and is looking for excitement and passion without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night’s fun. But the manner—and speed—with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger. The whole city knows that Max Stella loves women, not that he’s ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it’s not until Sara—and the wild photos she lets him take of her—that he starts wondering if there’s someone for him outside of the bedroom. Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.

*What I thought: 4 out of 5 stars

read: 7/19

I didn’t think anybody could top an underwear fetish but boy was I wrong! Max and Sara were some exhibitionists! I liked Sara’s whole mentality of just having fun because her ex-fiancee was a douche canoe. I loved the moment when Sara realized that he wasn’t a stranger that’ll she’ll never see again. lol

I really liked Max. He was a perfect match for her kinkiness. lol I like that it was Max that was pursuing for more unlike most stories it’s the girl.

Overall I like the growth of both the characters and their relationship. The only thing that I didn't like was how come password protection was not put on devices?!? Private things wouldn’t have gotten out!! Gah the embarrassment! lol

When Max, Henry, and Will steal Bennett away for a weekend of shenanigans and strippers in Vegas, the first stop of the night doesn’t go at all as planned. With their scheme for a Guys Weekend completely derailed anyway, Max and Bennett begin to play a wild game of stealth and secrecy in order to have their bombshells all over Sin City.

*What I thought: 4.5 out of 5 stars

read: 7/19

I really liked reading their shenanigans in Vegas. Bennett and Max were hilarious with trying to sneak out to find their ladies to have some fun. ;)

A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school. When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy? Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.

*What I thought: 5 out of 5 stars

read: 7/19

So far this is my favorite one! I absolutely loved Hanna and Will. I loved Hanna’s blunt, no filter personality. There was so many things she just spouted out that had my eyes bugging out. I laughed so much at what came out of her mouth lol. I loved how much she tried to do things she normally wouldn’t have.

I couldn’t wait to read about Will because in the past books, he wasn’t really in it. Just little bits. So I was super excited to see how he works. I liked that he wasn’t a complete man whore like his buddies were. He’s a schedule man which I never heard of.

I really loved reading how their relationship blossomed from his best buddy’s kid sister until them getting all hot and heavy. I laughed when Hanna’s family became suspicious of their relationship by calling her by her name and not her nickname. lol

Overall, two thumbs up.

An exasperated bride who just wants to elope. A determined groom whose only focus is getting to the wedding night. And—of course—a whole lot of name calling.

*What I thought: 4 out of 5 stars

read: 7/19

I liked it though Bennett and Chloe are my least favorite of the couples so far. They’re just too intense and angry for my romantic heart lol. I like the shenanigans with Chloe’s aunts lol. I’m so glad I don’t have any ladies like that in my family lol. I laughed so much with what Bennett told them to do. Now after reading this....I really need a story with just George. He’s probably my favorite minor character in any book. He’s so hilarious and I want him to have something too! Whenever he’s in the scene, I wished there was more of him. Give my George!

When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside—and staying in a hotel with—Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive…until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice. Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?

*What I thought: 3.5 out of 5 stars

read: 7/19

I really liked that Niall was the least experienced out of all the boys in the series. Kinda refreshing when the main guy in the story isn’t a playboy. Every time I read stories of men getting around, all I think of is that they're walking std’s. lol

While I liked Ruby, I also got weirded out on how obsessive she was towards Niall. It got awkward at times. I like how she’s understanding with how Niall is because his ex-wife messed with his head but then at times, she’s pushing for more than he is ready for. Like girl we know you’ve married him in your mind since meeting him and writing his name in your notebook but give the man some time to come to terms with a failed relationship he had for half of his life!

Completely off topic but why do most romance stories the couples never wear condoms? Like most of these couples in this series seem like they never heard of them or they mention I’ve never done this before with others but want to with their partner. I guess that’s how we know ‘it’s true luv 4ever’ 🙄

One Player tamed. One nerd girl satisfied. And one more major life decision to make. When Will fell for Hanna, her quirky sense of humor and fierce dedication to her career were part of the attraction. (Not to mention her coy newbie attitude toward sex and her willingness to let him teach her everything.) But when the job offers start rolling in for her—and oh, they do—Hanna has trouble deciding what she wants, where they should live, and how much she should burden Will with the decision. Magic between the sheets is only one part of a relationship...getting on the same page is quite another altogether.

*What I thought: 2 out of 5 stars

read: 7/19

I was a little disappointed with this because I love Will and Hanna. I really liked the beginning with them getting married but quickly got bored with reading about Hanna being indecisive with where she wants to work at. I ended up skimming the book.

Oh wait, there was a one scene where the group all drinks together and there was this one part with George getting a kiss he’ll remember forever, that was the best. lol

#beautiful bastard series #beautiful bastard #beautiful bitch #beautiful stranger #beautiful bombshell #beautiful player #beautiful beginning #beautiful secret #beautiful boss #my bookish thoughts

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allthingscomeintwos · 5 years

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Guilty or Not Guilty?

The case. A domestic violence case. Ugh that's going to be a hard one. When I initially got the summons to go to court for jury duty, I dreaded it. Not only because I would be taking off time off from work, but because I've always worried about being on a jury. I know myself capable of being an impartial person, even though I do have some strong beliefs and convictions. I knew I was an ideal candidate for the role. Having that much responsibility over a person's life, whether it being able to get justice for someone or keeping someone wrongly accused out of prison, scared me though. It's especially nerve wrecking to know that a number of people have been exonerated for crimes they've been found guilty of. What's there to ensure we're going to get the verdict right?

When jury selection was being done, I listened as each person answered the questions posed to them by the court. Pretty much everyone who was asked had some sort of connection to domestic violence, whether it was them being personally being affected by it or they knew of someone who had experienced it. I was not one of the original 12 jurors chosen to sit in the jury box, but I was one of the first few called up to replace jurors who had been dismissed.

Because domestic violence didn't play an ongoing role in my life growing up, I initially thought that I didn't have any stories to tell. However, when others started to tell their own stories, I remembered my own connection to domestic violence. My mother's parents had a pretty violent relationship. My grandpa made amends with his ways as he got older, so they stuck together until my grandpa's death. I then recalled something much more personal. I remembered my parents getting into a physical altercation in front of me in high school or middle school. Once I was done recounting my stories to the court, the judge asked me if this was a one time occurrence between my parents. It was. The defense attorney wanted to ask me some follow up questions. What exactly did I do for a living? Worked as a program manager for a children's literacy/mentorship non-profit. He wanted to know if I would be impartial even though a child was involved in the case. I told him I would be. I guess I was the perfect last juror because the district attorney didn't ask me any questions and then we were told that both attorneys agreed to the jury.

I'm not going to go into too many specifics of the case because I don't want their story to be trivialized. The basic story of the case though was a soon to be divorced couple were doing an exchange of custody of their two kids. During the exchange (where, of course, both kids were present), the wife said her ex-husband hit her in the stomach and on the mouth. She said this caused her mouth to bleed a little. She promptly took picture of her injuries. Normally this would be an excellent approach to proving domestic violence, but in this case, the pictures didn't really show any injury. I, personally, discounted this because maybe he didn't hit her that hard, so it didn't really cause any physical injuries. He still could have hit her. I didn't need there to be blood to believe. Their eldest daughter was also put on the stand, as she and her younger sister were the only witnesses to the alleged incident. I really felt for the daughter up there. She was caught in between her parents. I know what that feels like. When the district attorney questioned her, she said she saw her dad hit her mom. When her dad’s attorney questioned her, she said she didn’t see it.

I know we had unreliable evidence- the pictures and the witness, but I didn’t want to discount the wife right away. I was uncomfortable with how a number of people were talking about the wife. People were basically calling her a liar. Myths like “there was no prior history of domestic violence, so this couldn’t have happened” were being spouted. You watch a ton of Law & Order and a ton of law movies and they always depict a jury with one juror who refuses to bend to what everyone else has decided. Was I going to be the one to hold up this jury? Why would she lie about this? Why would she call 911 immediately after the incident? We listened to the call she made and she did sound very upset, like something had just happened. Why would she allow her daughter to deal with the stress of being called to the stand, if it wasn’t true? Why would she want to go through the stress of a trial? Why would she take these photos of herself, which obviously didn’t look like anything had been done to her? Yes, there are a few women who lie about such instances, but most women do not lie about such things. Given that 1 in 3 have been abused by an intimate partner, and that was definitely illustrated among our jury, I wanted to believe her. I had to speak my peace. I actually got a little emotional about it when I was explaining how I felt to everyone. I couldn’t vote “not guilty” without this weighing on my mind. My fellow jurors thankfully allowed me to speak and stew in my uncertainty for a few hours. It was a good exercise in standing up for what you believe is right, even if everyone else has already reached their conclusion.

I was able to come to a “not guilty” decision alongside my fellow jurors when I had to look solely at the facts presented to me from the district attorney. This is what you’re supposed to do as a juror. It is up to the district attorney to prove his case. It just took me a bit to adjust to this way of thinking. There simply wasn’t enough reliable evidence. By voting “not guilty”, however, I wasn’t saying he actually was; I was saying that there wasn’t enough evidence to make me certain that he did it. I did have more than reasonable doubt that he didn’t do it. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough. Given the lack of a strong case, I wondered why the district attorney had decided to go to trial. There were references to the “Me, too” movement during jury selection. I wondered if his office was relying on the movement to stir emotions to get a guilty verdict. While I believe in “believing the victim”, you still have to look at the evidence to guide your decision. It’s the only true fair way to decide a case. I had to come to accept what we were given as a jury. As one fellow juror said, they put 12 strangers together to come to a decision on a case; this is the best we could do.

If I had been the district attorney there were a couple of things he could have done to strengthen his case. He should have been more realistic with himself about the weakness of his case. He never really explained to the jury why the victim’s photos didn’t seem like she had been hit. Maybe he (and maybe she) was too graphic in her description of the violence? Maybe using the word “headbutt” (she after all didn’t use this word during the 911 call) conjured up a more severe injury than the one that was shown? Maybe they felt they had to be more graphic in their description in order to be believed that this was a “true” domestic violence case? The injury, however, did not match the description of what took place. The district attorney also did not do a good job of playing devil’s advocate in his closing statement. I would have said what I said here, “Why would she make this up? Most women don’t make this up?” He should have played up the, “Me, too” movement more. When I said this during the jury deliberation a couple women (the jury was half women and half men) started to see what I was saying.

Lastly, the 6 days I spent on the trial added some insights into my views of the justice system. I couldn’t believe some of the theatrics that were being done in the courtroom. At the beginning of his questioning, the district attorney was pretty aggressive with the defendant’s mom. He asked her, “You jumped at the chance to testify for your son, didn’t you? You would do anything for your boy?” The judge rightly put a stop to that type of questioning. The defense attorney wasn’t any better. In the middle of questioning his client on the stand, he asked his client what he had in his hand. He had been using it to wipe his tears. He says it’s his daughter’s handkerchief. Seriously? Is this really buying your client sympathy from me? They also rightly tell you not to Google anyone involved in the case during the course of the trial. Out of curiosity, I looked up everyone after the trial. It was an interesting look into everyone’s background and experiences; they may have played a role in the way they acted and said the things they said during the trial. On the whole, I would say the trial was conducted in a fair manner. The judge really did play the role of umpire for the trial. He called the balls and strikes. The judge also really did an excellent job of making sure we had a good experience as a juror and we understood the importance of our role in the justice system. Not much is asked of us as citizens of the United States. People have sacrificed much more for this country. The least we could do is serve on a jury. Next time I get a summons, maybe I won’t dread it so much?

#jury duty #juror #losangeles #socialjustice #domesticviolence

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butterflydreaming-writes-fic · 7 years

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Ship Meme

Remington Steele/Laura (Remington Steele TV series)

Batman/Catwoman (Old TV Series with Julie Newmar + DC Comics) "Why aren’t you writhing in pain?”

Hades/Persephone (Greek Mythology)

Niles/Daphne (Frasier TV Series)

Touya/Yukito (Cardcaptor Sakura)

Clow/Yue (Cardcaptor Sakura)

Fujitaka/Nadeshiko (Cardcaptor Sakura)

Kougami/Ginoza (Psycho Pass)

Eugene Fitzherbert/Rapunzel (Disney’s Tangled)

Flynn Rider (Eugene Fitzherbert)/Elsa (Disney’s Tangle + Frozen)

1 - Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

Episode 58 of the anime, the kitchen scene where Sakura says that Yue gets a look, when he speaks of Clow, like the look her father gets when he speaks of her late mother (Nadeshiko).

2 - Have you ever read fic about 2?

No, but I should fix that maybe.

3 - Has a picture of 4 ever been your screensaver/ profile pic/ tumblr?

No, that one is kind of in the outfield.

4 - If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

Fujitaka has to move on sometime, I guess? I mean, she dead.

5 - Why is 1 so important?

I tried to list in chronological order, and stick to ships where I had imagined/written sexy times. As a kid, I mostly shipped character/Mary Sue Self Insert. Remington/Laura was rare enough that it stands out for me to remember. I didn’t especially like Laura, but I was captivated by the terribly mysterious, dark past, running from something cad who had stepped in and taken over playing Laura’s made-up person. (As a kid I had no idea that this show was nearly as smutty as I wanted it to be, but that all of that context was going over my head.)

6 - Which one has the strongest bond?

Hades/Persephone (3). No joke, I really do ship this as I have since my first reading of D’Aulair’s Greek Myths. I always saw Persephone as requiting Hades’s love before she ate the pomegranate seeds, that she ate some so that she wouldn’t be taken away from him, but it wasn’t enough before the gods decided that she had to go back upstairs. That they have to be apart half a year at a time, that parting and reunion, hits me right in the feels. Hades is a, well, saturnine loner, and Persephone is a good daughter. They’ve both had to sacrifice to find a balance that everyone can accept.

7 - Which ship has lasted the longest?

The most persistent ship for me is H/P with Clow/Yue following, for amount of time I’ve shipped it on an ongoing basis. (I think about H/P pretty much every equinox. There is poetry.)

8 - How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up?

{laughs and laughs}

Never.

9 - If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive? 2 or 8?

Batman/Catwoman or Kou/Gino? {dies} I’m gonna go with (2) because book Batman has excellent problem solving skills and Catwoman matches him in wits & physicality. TV Batman & Catwoman would survive because he always wins a fight and she kicks a$$.

10 - Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason(s)?

Yes! He was still a high school teacher and she was still in high school, plus he had no family or social status, and she was from a wealthy & influential family, so I imagine that in the beginning they had to meet in secret. But Fujitaka is so good, I’m sure he went to her family honestly, rather than waiting until they were caught.

11 - Is 4 still together?

When last we saw them, yes. In spite of Niles being twice divorced, and Daphne having turned down proposals as well as having run away from the altar, they had a child together. Niles falls head-over-heels quickly, so he totally could have a wandering eye. But Daphne will probably turn into her mother, and hit him over the head with a relationship stick if he did fall for someone else, and get them turned back around. I think they have what it takes for the whole journey.

12 - Is 10 canon?

Crossover ship! At least it’s still from the same animation studios, but no, not canon, never gonna be canon.

13 - If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

I went right to Kou/Gino because they would have minimal qualms about killing the competition. And no matter how much sex they were having in the woods, Ginoza would get them back to work and Kougami would never have been too distracted to know what was going on around them.

14 - Has anyone tried to sabotage 5?

Uh… I’m totally guilty of that myself. BUT. I will point strongly to L-chan, fanfic author and originator of the Touya/Tomoyo ship. She’s never liked Yuki, so ~

15 - Do you spend hours a day going through 3’s tag?

Not at all.

16 - If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all up, which ship would you SINK?!

Aw, take Niles/Daphne ya evil witch.

The truth is, there’s a lot about that ship that is not OK. It’s largely justified by being friends-to-lovers, and the plot device of them being meant for each other. But Niles is married, and expresses devotion to his wife Maris, when he first meets Daphne and gets poleaxed by attraction. And Daphne is oblivious, showing no inclination toward him romantically even after Maris divorces him. They even have an incident where she goes to his place, flirting with the idea of having sex, but she had self-sabotaged herself by leaving her meds at home. The writers kept them apart forever to keep the tension going, to the point of it being hard to believe when she finds out (indirectly) how he feels and “realizes” that she loves him.

I would rather have seen them acting like a couple the whole time, oblivious about how they looked when they both think they are being “just friends”. Then some follow up after a catalyst like the hot summer night when Daphne goes to Niles.

Which is, in fact, how I’m writing Eugene/Rapunzel in Parfait...

#meme #sorry this was really long

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mlmcompanies · 5 years

Link

When you see a legal advisor embroiled in ongoing legal battles, you can’t help but wonder…

If they’re the real deal, why can’t they defend themselves?

But LegalShield may finally have their act together. The question now is whether you can make any money with this MLM.

LegalShield was once a big, bad, publicly-traded company with a network marketing opportunity on the New York Stock Exchange…until they went private faster than a celebrity in rehab.

Judging from some of their past scandals and legal troubles, going private was definitely a smart move. But are they worth joining? We’ll let you decide.

FAQ

1. What does LegalShield sell? LegalShield gives access to affordable legal coverage to its members, no matter how traumatic or trivial the situation. They’re the No. 1 subscription-based provider of legal plans to families and small businesses across the U.S. and Canada.

2. What are LegalShield’s most popular products? LegalShield’s Personal Legal Plan costs about the same as a dinner out ($24.95/month) and gives you coverage for you, your spouse or partner, and your children. Included with your membership are advice, letters/phone calls on your behalf, legal document review, standard will preparation, 24/7 emergency assistance, and trial defense services. Another popular service is ID Shield, which protects your identity, including customized alerts, complete identity monitoring, credit scores, and unlimited consultation.

3. How much does it cost to join LegalShield? It costs $99 plus any applicable state licensing fees to become a LegalShield associate. This gives you an Associate Start-Up Kit with brochures and applications so you can begin your business right away.

4. Is LegalShield a scam? No, LegalShield is a legitimate business with 1.7 million members in 50 states and 4 provinces. They have provider law firms across the United States and Canada, so the legal support you get comes from a lawyer who’s well acquainted with your local laws and regulations. What does feel scammy is the lack of full disclosure about becoming an Associate and how much you can earn. If it’s such a great opportunity, why aren’t they more forthcoming with information about how to join?

5. What is LegalShield’s BBB rating? A+

6. How long has LegalShield been in business? Since 1972

7. What is LegalShield’s revenue? $457 million

8. How many LegalShield distributors are there? 287,812

9. What lawsuits have been filed? In 2001, Wyoming came down on Pre-Paid Legal Services (which was LegalShield’s original name) for making income representations that were prohibited by Wyoming law. [1] The SEC also required them to stop counting commissions as assets instead of expenses. Complying with their ruling essentially cut their reported earnings by more than half. [2] In 2005, LegalShield lost a case related to deceptive advertising and fraud and paid $9.9 million in punitive damages. [3] In 2007, the FTC began investigating their marketing, saying it was misleading. Fortunately for LegalShield, in 2010 the investigation ended without any action. [4] In 2018, LC Technology International filed a proposed class action against Harvard Risk Management and LegalShield for sending unlawful, unsolicited fax messages as part of a pyramid sales scheme. [5]

10. Comparable companies: Market America, Life Leadership, Primerica

So should you join LegalShield?

I’m not a hater of the company at all, there’s definitely a market for legal advice and resources. But as far as passive income opportunities go, there are better options out there.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

Either way, here’s the full review on LegalShield.

Overview

LegalShield was founded in 1972 under the name Sportsman’s Motor Club in Ada, Oklahoma. A couple of years later, they changed their name to Pre-Paid Legal and went public, selling its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

In 2011, the company was acquired by MidOcean Partners, a private equity firm worth $3.5 billion, for $650 million. They then went private and changed their name to LegalShield. In 2011, before they went private, they were raking in an annual revenue of $461 million. [6]

Back in 2001, they were hit twice by the law – first by the state of Wyoming for misrepresenting distributor earnings, and again by the SEC for counting commissions as assets to inflate their stock prices. They also faced legal troubles in Missouri that year. [7]

In 2009, they were subpoenaed by the SEC for various documents which were never sent over to the SEC despite multiple demands. After that, the FTC filed a complaint against LegalShield for multiple violations, including misleading representations. [8]

Jeff Bell is LegalShield’s new CEO, and this guy is no joke.

Bell got his MBA from none other than the Wharton School of Business back in 1989. He’s worked in key positions at Ford Motors, Chrysler, NBCUniversal, Advertising Age, where he won them their first-ever Online Marketer of the Year award in 2005, and Microsoft, where he oversaw the launch of Halo 3, among other major releases, as Vice President of Global. [9, 10]

He’s got decades of experience in marketing and advertising at some of the world’s biggest corporations, and he was named as LegalShield’s new leader in 2014. [11]

Hopefully, he can replicate his success in the world of multi-level marketing. This will be his first MLM, but maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe his credentials can fend off the FTC.

So maybe he can turn their rep around. However, in March of 2016, he made the decision to leave the Direct Selling Association, the regulatory body that pretty much ensures that an MLM is at least semi-legit (see the full MLM rankings here).

Bell claims their decision to leave the DSA is because the DSA actually isn’t enforcing its own Code of Ethics against other MLMs who are clearly breaking it, and thus is weakening the direct selling industry as a whole. Wouldn’t be the first time. [12]

As of January 2016, LegalShield membership began a steady increase, hitting 1,612,183 members before the end of the year. Now, they’re over 1.7 million members. Smells like a comeback.

How much does LegalShield cost?

At the time of writing this, it costs $99 for a New Associate Start-Up Kit, which includes online training, materials, sponsor support, a back office, and a few other perks.

Products

LegalShield sells legal services, in case their name didn’t tip you off. They claim to offer direct and affordable access to law firms.

They have a network of almost 7,000 independent attorneys throughout the United States and Canada who offer these services. For your monthly membership fee, which varies by state but usually comes out to just under $25/month, you get:

Legal Advice: If you ever need advice or consultation from a legal representative, you always have one at your service.

Legal Representation: In the case that you should need legal representation, you have their independent attorneys at your disposal.

Automotive Defense: Accident defense and moving violation assistance.

Familial and IRS Legal Services: This covers everything from divorce and name changes to IRS audits.

Considering legal advice can cost hundreds, and representation from an attorney can cost anywhere from $150-$500 per hour, it’s not a bad deal.

The company also now sells identity theft protection services starting at $9.95/month. The basic plan covers you and a spouse, and includes:

Credit report and credit score analysis

Credit restoration

Unlimited ID theft consultations

Minor protection

Credit monitoring and alerts

Honestly, if you have even a halfway decent bank or own a credit card, you probably already have access to all of these services for free.

Compensation Plan

You’re selling a monthly membership, and when you get a new customer, LegalShield pays you an advance for a year’s worth of that customer’s membership. Sounds great, right? Yeah, until that customer decides to cancel, and you have to pay back a huge chunk of that advance.

The compensation plan is nowhere to be found on their website, and the information you can find is very vague. It doesn’t list any specific commission rates.

There are four ways to earn:

Personal Sales

You make a percentage on each membership you sell, which varies by rank. This is roughly what you can make, according to rank:

Junior Associate: Up to 50%

Associate: Up to $75 on each sale

Senior Associate: Up to $100 on each sale

Manager: Up to $125 on each sale

Director: Up to $150 on each sale

Executive Director: Up to $182.50 on each sale

These numbers look generous, but remember, they are advances on 12 months of membership payments. Also, it’s very, very difficult to move up even past Junior Associate, let alone all the way to director levels.

Build a Team

Team commissions are offered in the form of bonuses for every membership they sell. Exact numbers are not specified.

Residual Income

After a membership that you’ve sold lasts a year, you make a monthly commission on each month they stay active. Whether or not this commission is the same as before isn’t stated, but this is basically number one rehashed.

Performance Club

Each time you sell memberships and recruit new associates, you earn points. If you earn enough (fat chance), you can start earning cash bonuses and prizes.

Recap

The company is not without their scandals. They’ve got a pretty colorful history, to say the least.

However, it seems that the worst might be over for them. They’ve survived dozens of legal battles, and since going private, they’ve only had one claim made against them. (It looks pretty frivolous; they’ll probably pull it out.) On top of that, they’re being run by a rock star CEO, and so far, he’s doing good things for the company.

That being said, the commission plan is vague, at best. It’s really not clear how much money you’d make as an associate. One thing that is clear – you’re probably not getting rich here.

I’ve been involved with network marketing for over ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

#MLM companies #network marketing companies

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antionetterparker · 5 years

Text

LegalShield: Are their legal services really legal? [Review]

When you see a legal advisor embroiled in ongoing legal battles, you can’t help but wonder…

If they’re the real deal, why can’t they defend themselves?

But LegalShield may finally have their act together. The question now is whether you can make any money with this MLM.

LegalShield was once a big, bad, publicly-traded company with a network marketing opportunity on the New York Stock Exchange…until they went private faster than a celebrity in rehab.

Judging from some of their past scandals and legal troubles, going private was definitely a smart move. But are they worth joining? We’ll let you decide.

FAQ

5. What is LegalShield’s BBB rating? A+

6. How long has LegalShield been in business? Since 1972

7. What is LegalShield’s revenue? $457 million

8. How many LegalShield distributors are there? 287,812

10. Comparable companies: Market America, Life Leadership, Primerica

So should you join LegalShield?

I’m not a hater of the company at all, there’s definitely a market for legal advice and resources. But as far as passive income opportunities go, there are better options out there.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

Either way, here’s the full review on LegalShield.

Overview

Jeff Bell is LegalShield’s new CEO, and this guy is no joke.

He’s got decades of experience in marketing and advertising at some of the world’s biggest corporations, and he was named as LegalShield’s new leader in 2014. [11]

Hopefully, he can replicate his success in the world of multi-level marketing. This will be his first MLM, but maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe his credentials can fend off the FTC.

As of January 2016, LegalShield membership began a steady increase, hitting 1,612,183 members before the end of the year. Now, they’re over 1.7 million members. Smells like a comeback.

How much does LegalShield cost?

At the time of writing this, it costs $99 for a New Associate Start-Up Kit, which includes online training, materials, sponsor support, a back office, and a few other perks.

Products

LegalShield sells legal services, in case their name didn’t tip you off. They claim to offer direct and affordable access to law firms.

Legal Advice: If you ever need advice or consultation from a legal representative, you always have one at your service.

Legal Representation: In the case that you should need legal representation, you have their independent attorneys at your disposal.

Automotive Defense: Accident defense and moving violation assistance.

Familial and IRS Legal Services: This covers everything from divorce and name changes to IRS audits.

Considering legal advice can cost hundreds, and representation from an attorney can cost anywhere from $150-$500 per hour, it’s not a bad deal.

The company also now sells identity theft protection services starting at $9.95/month. The basic plan covers you and a spouse, and includes:

Credit report and credit score analysis

Credit restoration

Unlimited ID theft consultations

Minor protection

Credit monitoring and alerts

Honestly, if you have even a halfway decent bank or own a credit card, you probably already have access to all of these services for free.

Compensation Plan

The compensation plan is nowhere to be found on their website, and the information you can find is very vague. It doesn’t list any specific commission rates.

There are four ways to earn:

Personal Sales

You make a percentage on each membership you sell, which varies by rank. This is roughly what you can make, according to rank:

Junior Associate: Up to 50%

Associate: Up to $75 on each sale

Senior Associate: Up to $100 on each sale

Manager: Up to $125 on each sale

Director: Up to $150 on each sale

Executive Director: Up to $182.50 on each sale

Build a Team

Team commissions are offered in the form of bonuses for every membership they sell. Exact numbers are not specified.

Residual Income

Performance Club

Each time you sell memberships and recruit new associates, you earn points. If you earn enough (fat chance), you can start earning cash bonuses and prizes.

Recap

The company is not without their scandals. They’ve got a pretty colorful history, to say the least.

That being said, the commission plan is vague, at best. It’s really not clear how much money you’d make as an associate. One thing that is clear – you’re probably not getting rich here.

I’ve been involved with network marketing for over ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

via https://mlmcompanies.org/legalshield/

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psychotherapyconsultants · 7 years

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Getting to the Root of Your Anxiety

One of Rachel Dubrow’s clients was anxious about a big presentation at work. It wasn’t because she was worried about speaking in front of her boss and colleagues. It wasn’t because she was worried about doing a good job.

She was afraid that she’d be judged for not having straight teeth. (Instead of discussing public speaking anxiety, she and Dubrow explored her self-image and others’ perceptions.)

Another client of Dubrow’s insisted on completing all his work before leaving the office, which meant that he stayed late. Every single day. He wanted his performance reviews to exceed expectations. This stemmed “from his childhood when his parents told him that in order to be happy, he needed to clean his room, put away his toys, do his laundry, and do the dishes just like they did before bed each night,” said Dubrow, LCSW, a psychotherapist who specializes in helping people who feel buried under ongoing anxiety, stress, relationship issues and depression.

Psychotherapist Lila Braida, LMFT, was seeing a client who was having anxiety about keeping her dog safe in the yard. Even though she knew her fear was unfounded, she didn’t feel any better.

After digging deeper, she and Braida identified the root of her anxiety: “She was preparing to pursue a second pregnancy after life-threatening health issues had come up during her first,” said Braida, who practices holistic counseling psychology in Napa, Calif. “She had not had any sense of control over that situation, and it became clear that staying hyper-vigilant over her dog’s health was a way for her to maintain at least a small area of safety and control in her household.”

With other clients, Braida also has witnessed how much of their social anxiety stems from their own sense of self. “Our ideas of ourselves as ‘overbearing,’ or ‘not good enough,’ can lead to an experience of social disconnect, where we aren’t comfortable being ourselves in relation to someone, unless we are compensating for our perceived shortcomings.”

Maybe we compensate by going out of our way to seem non-confrontational (because we fear that others will think we’re too much). Maybe we compensate by people pleasing or caring for others (because we think people won’t accept us if we don’t; a lesson we learned in our childhoods).

“That constant effort to be different from who we naturally are leads to stress and anxiety in social settings,” Braida said. “[A]nd it’s easy to see how someone could begin avoiding those settings over time when they associate them with feelings of stress.”

Braida also has seen clients experience tremendous anxiety over keeping their homes spotless or proving themselves at work—because they were in the midst of redefining their identity. Because they’ve become new parents or recently divorced or experienced some other major change in their lives, shaking up their status quo.

Our anxiety often has a root cause. Maybe you get anxious at work because you don’t trust yourself to excel, to succeed. Maybe you get anxious over final exams because you don’t think you’re capable. You don’t believe in yourself. Maybe you grew up in a home where independence was lauded and expected, so asking for help—at home or at work—terrifies you. So you try to do it all—even when you’re crumbling.

“Finding the root cause of anxiety is tricky because it can creep up on us,” Dubrow said. “We might start feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, unable to focus, or not able to fall asleep at night because we are thinking about so many things.” This leads us to focus on the physical symptoms and sensations of anxiety and to overlook the psychological ones, to not explore any further. It can lead us to focus on techniques to reduce our anxiety—deep breathing, meditation, yoga—without really understanding what’s going on, without addressing the real issue.

To dig deeper, Dubrow suggested asking ourselves these questions: “How long has it been since I felt differently than I do now? What has changed in my life over the last 3 months, 6 months, or year? Are there other times in my life, past or present, where I felt the same way but the situation was different? If yes, what are they and is there a common thread?”

When she starts feeling anxious, Braida also pauses and turns inward. “…I compassionately check in with my emotional state.” She gently asks herself: Why am I so freaked out? What is this really about? And she listens for the answer—without judging herself.

Anxiety is complicated. There may be layers upon layers to unpack. There may be surprising causes—like Dubrow’s client and her insecurity about her teeth, like Braida’s client and her hunger for control where it didn’t exist. Seeing a therapist is always a good idea—and so is journaling about your anxiety. So is compassionately exploring what lies beneath the shakiness, sweaty palms, tight shoulders and butterfly-filled stomach. Because getting to the root can help us to genuinely diminish the anxiety—and better understand ourselves.

from World of Psychology https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2017/10/19/getting-to-the-root-of-your-anxiety/

#World of Psychology

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positivepsychologyinterventions · 7 years

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Getting to the Root of Your Anxiety

She was afraid that she’d be judged for not having straight teeth. (Instead of discussing public speaking anxiety, she and Dubrow explored her self-image and others’ perceptions.)

Psychotherapist Lila Braida, LMFT, was seeing a client who was having anxiety about keeping her dog safe in the yard. Even though she knew her fear was unfounded, she didn’t feel any better.

from World of Psychology http://ift.tt/2yyGjGB via IFTTT

#IFTTT #World of Psychology

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