#which could be a foot in the door to a career that i am interested in but im just fucking. stuck and fatigued and in pain and wallowing and
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#toy txt post#i guess i just need to find a different job since this one seems to be. not great for me#but i also like. dont know what wont be bad for me. like sorry i just dont think there are jobs that are accessible to me that arent going#to feel Like This#at least in some way. and this one has good insurance and shit. and if i can get my shit together it has fucking. paid community service#time that i could theoretically use to like. volunteer at the aquarium or smth and have a day off for it and get paid by my job#which could be a foot in the door to a career that i am interested in but im just fucking. stuck and fatigued and in pain and wallowing and#have no fucking energy and i cant do anything and im fucking nocturnal and i joke about it and i was fine with it but i hate it i hate#not seeing the fucking sun and i miss my old job which is INSANE but i know what i miss about that job was#that it was part time. and i regret not doing more with that#but im also allergic to normal hours i guess i dont fucking know#i know part of it is prolly just feeling profoundly out if control of my life so i just stay up bc at least thats quiet time for me#w no expectations but thats not even tru bc i shoukd be at least doing my fucking laundry or smth cos it would make sense#and the fucking answer to so many of my issues rn is like just do that then or just stop doing that then but i cant i dont know why im just#like this ive always been like this stupid useless cant fucking do anything cant fix my shit just fucking wallowing and angry and doing#nothing and its just gotten worse cos now i have fucking chronic pain and fatigue and now i REALLY do FUCKALL#im depressdd and anxious and in pain i should get a therapist but thats hard and i dont fucking trust ppl#i should move out and maybe that would help bc i wouldnt feel like i have to wear a mask around my own house but im barely functioning#as is w a lot of support from my mom i cant fucking live on my own#not to mention the whole country being so fucking. Bad rn. ive done nothing all day not even resting#and tomorrow ill wake up too late and be in a rush and in pain and tired and just#i dont fucking know#im so miserable and lately so many topics can just send my stupid little brain just Spiralling but i dont want to say that i dont want ppl#to feel weird for talking about fucking college. i dont want to sit here being so bitter that something in my brain broke about school#im happy for ppl who can do their fucking college shit i just. smth wrong in my brain and i cant dwell on it and i try not to be too#outwardly negative about it cos i dont want ppl to feel like they cant talk to me about it or smth idk#rambling and venting and im gonna hit tag limit lmao for sure#been having the same goddamn problems nonstop for my whole life and its just that i cant fucking do anything#i have too much shit i should rid of#whatever
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https://x.com/safeforlando/status/1750936311563723024?s=20
I don't need to add anything. The best driver duo on the grid without a doubt <3
you're so right to say there's nothing more to say, anon. and yet ! lol
(behind a cut so no one can think I'm literally reporting facts here or that I'm living and dying by my own weird and pointless takes I'm just enjoying over-analyzing for fun)
(I am fully switching off RPF/narrative here)
so temporarily switching off friendships or any kinds of ships and focusing solely on driver partnerships, I love how certain Lando's always been about what Oscar has done for his (Lando's) performance. I think this is where age and generation play some part bc Carlos and Daniel are both firmly in the same age group and separated from Lando to a certain degree bc of that. they both viewed Lando as a little brother type of teammate and their careers were never perceived by themselves as especially tied to McLaren or to Lando. they'd both kind of become the lone wolf type by then which is honestly how most drivers have to be. (even moreso in the Max/RB dominance era)
whereas Lando isn't just toeing the line by saying he's a big team player, he adores working in groups in absolutely every area of his professional life and even having hobbies that put him with a minimum of 3-4 people. he also needs to feel the safety of a support network to be at his best. he's the very opposite of a lone wolf. hell, he literally said 'it took an actual village to raise me'.
he very intentionally developed the shared interests with Carlos and Daniel to create those kinds of bonds and familiarity (that's The Lando Effect). and while it's too much of a leap to say for sure, I think it's likely - at least at the start - that Lando felt like they might each have been his teammate for longer than they were. either way, the shared hobbies and friendly bonding didn't really translate to his time time spent with them in team meetings, speaking to the engineers or in development back at the factory. Lando has said he and Carlos were on completely different planes of experience and ability and Carlos was one foot out the door after what, the first year? and well, we know the lack of synchronicity between Lando and Daniel as drivers that started to set in not long after that first season together.
so when it was announced Lando's next teammate would be a rookie and also younger than him, he didn't really hide that the swapped dynamic worried him - even if he was half-joking. and then Oscar being so quiet and independent a person definitely threw him. he even describes their pre-season interactions as friendly but only really having time to say a few words. Oscar had his own work cut out as a rookie (and as we found out, wanting to prove himself most to the engineers and folks at MTC) and Lando already had a full life running alongside his racing career.
and it sounds all projection-y and armchair psychology to say this but genuinely it's clear to state that unlike the usual PR push that a lot of new teammates partake in, Oscar's been notably disinterested in any of that - not even just overplaying a friendship or a bromance with Lando for the sake of the cameras. that's an especially unusual choice for someone who could really have used the Lando Effect boost to his own image after contractgate with Alpine and the hoards of Ricciardo fans/McLaren fans ready to hate someone they saw as a snake or a pretender (usually both). especially considering Oscar pre-F1 was extremely active on social media and had his own viral moments and a much more colorful, fun personality than what he's allowed F1 fans to see so far - it was a pretty deliberate choice to not carry that over right away to selling the partnership with Lando.
we might be able to glean through the murk of Netflix's highly questionable editing of this upcoming season of DTS how much was really going on behind the scenes between Lando and Oscar around this time. but it really seemed like Oscar was more focused on letting his loyalty to the team and his own driving do all the talking (and Mark Webber often said as much). when you compare a lot of those early Lando and Oscar videos and challenges to his Prema ones, he's so unusually quiet and reserved. so he had absolutely no interest in trying to sell himself as a persona or a character to F1 fans. he was perfectly sweet and polite! and boy, did Lando enjoy having someone with endless patience for him lol.
but it's very marked how, despite whatever was or wasn't developing between them as teammates, Lando has consistently always said the same as he has here about Oscar being so talented and giving Lando that "push" and how "you hate and you like it" bc it made him (Lando) take his own driving to the next level. that healthy competition and 'wow, this guy is bringing it' seemed to strike him immediately. Lando can't lie for shit so if he'd found Oscar to be a crappy teammate in any way there's no way he'd be able to choke out any praise for him even for the sake of the team alsgfljasgfa.
and I liked that here in I think March? he said how he planned to get Oscar into all his own hobbies and bring him out of his shell, but apart from one last minute invite to golf that never really happened. we know they spent a fair amount of down time together but it was always mentioned in passing rather than posting about it online or having anyone film it (that we know of yet). the reason I like it is because Lando went on to say how Oscar has reminded him by example to "keep calm and be yourself". and in this interview he'd said how he considers himself and Oscar to be pretty similar people in terms of their approach to their F1 careers. so instead of them bonding through hobbies and interests or both of them being chatterboxes, I think they bonded (if that's the word?) over not being stereotypical extroverted drivers in terms of their personalities and also that they've so adamantly never wanted to have driver in-fighting make life harder for their teams (and themselves). plenty of guys from F2 and F3 can attest to that for Oscar and of course there's The Lando Effect as far as Lando's concerned.
you could almost say they both needed to be teamed up with the other bc for all that Oscar projects Just a Guy, he also finds himself incredibly awkward when it comes to everything about his job outside of racing the car or talking about the car. Lando's just as much the same but he's learned to charm his way through it. he's still awkward as hell even in Quadrant promo videos and he's been doing those regularly for years now, and with all his friends there! they're both enough off-center that they either need an extroverted teammate to lean on or in their current situation, someone who can sympathize.
which I think considering how much loyalty to the team and a sense of 'home' and consistency are for Lando, it makes all kinds of sense that Oscar was the teammate to show up and really form that partnership that he considers to be 'the strongest' on the grid.
they're the same generation, have the same ethos when it comes to their racing careers and Oscar not only went through a court case to get to McLaren he then extended his contract to 2026 the second McLaren made the offer. Lando's got stability as well as a serious challenge from Oscar. he's more poised than ever for that win(s). and now I just hope he listens to Oscar in other ways like not self-flagellating in front of the cameras so much and focusing on where he has done well.
#inchreplies#inchidentallyanessay#NOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY#JUST FOR FUN#I AM SELF-AWARELY STUPID TRUST ME#lando contract renewal
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Metatron's manipulation step by step
Part 4: Putting on a human face
Part 1 - where I discuss the significance of the coffee.
Part 2 - where I take a look back at season 1
Part 3 - from Metatron's arrival on Earth to sending the Archangels away
Okay, so after we've discussed how Metatron set the stage, it's finally time to have a look at how he interacts with Aziraphale.
Obviously, Aziraphale's initial attitude is not friendly. He's very guarded and doesn't want to talk at all.
His exact words are "I don't believe there's anything left to be said. I've made my position quite clear."
Sure, it's not said in the most assertive way possible, but what taints it is simple nervousness, not indecisiveness of any kind. Aziraphale genuinely means it. Whatever he said and did in season 1 was not something that happened in the spur of the moment and was regretted later. I haven't seen anything in season 2 that would hint at Aziraphale being in any way unhappy with his little retirement or missing his attachment to Heaven.
I'm absolutely sure he was ready to stand his ground.
So what does Metatron hit him with?
"Yeah, well, I brought you a coffee from the shop."
It's a deceivingly simple two-layered trick.
The first layer is a classic foot-in-the-door technique, where you see pushing your agenda doesn't work, so instead you temporarily drop the subject and simply don't allow the interaction to end in the hope that given enough time the other person might lower their guard down or otherwise become more open, and then you will present your case again.
As a matter of fact, Crowley used the exact same strategy in season 1 episode 1, when he was trying to convince Aziraphale to try and stop the Armageddon.
"We've only got 11 years, and then it's all over. We have to work together."
"No."
"It's the end of the world we're talking about. It's not some little temptation I've asked you to cover for me while you're up in Edinburgh for a festival. You can't say no"
"No."
"We can do something. I have an idea."
"No! I am not interested."
"Well, let's have lunch."
Of course, lunch with Crowley was something far more appealing for Aziraphale than a coffee offered by Metatron (not to mention he didn't actually want Armageddon). Still, he is far too polite, far too caring about the proper etiquette, to simply tell someone who had brought him a drink to piss off.
But what really makes it work is the second layer - confusion.
The gesture is so unexpected, Aziraphale completely loses his footing. His love of Earthly food and beverages was something other angels could never understand. It made him an anomaly, in the worst sense possible - something gross and unnatural. And here the great Metatron not only tolerates it when Aziraphale chooses to indulge, but he himself offers!
He's so baffled, he needs to make sure. "Shall I...?" he asks uncertainly rising the cup in question. And only after Metatron confirms "Drink it? Of course" does he take a sip.
Now, the next line is quite interesting:
"I've ingested things in my time, you know."
Metatron very efficiently shows how he's different from other angels and may have more in common with Aziraphale than the Principality might suspect. He humanizes himself. Maybe not in the most literal sense within the lore of Good Omens, but he does. Not only is he okay with Aziraphale's unusual interests, he understands the appeal.
But he's actually doing something truly devious here. Yes, it is validation, but somehow it's dismissal at the same time. The in my time combined with the creepy tone in which the line is delivered, gave me strong "it's okay, it's just a phase" vibes. Made me think of all the situations a small-minded person belittled someone's passion by saying it's fine to have a hobby and they also had hobbies when they were younger but you can't make a career out of it. Or that some place is fun to visit but one cannot seriously consider moving there. Or that it's normal to experiment when you're young, who didn't experiment, but then you grow up and enter straight marriage...
Metatron offers Aziraphale a coffee and says it's fine to indulge but he doesn't have a drink for himself. Because he only went for it "in his time".
So yes, Metatron is demonstrating he understands Aziraphale, just like I've written earlier. But at the same time, he's already subtly signaling it's time to let go and grow up and be a proper angel.
But for now, Aziraphale only sees the good things, like he so often does.
And it works.
Metatron once more insists they need to talk, and this time Aziraphale isn't as ready to turn him down. He doesn't outright accept, but he is not certain what to do anymore.
He turns to Crowley. And Crowley, unfortunately, doesn't see the danger at all and encourages Aziraphale to go.
And Aziraphale leaves.
And I'll end here.
Continued in: Part 5: The offer ("canonical" version)
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from Eden - part 1
Pairing: Mark Webber/Oscar Piastri
Tags and Warnings: Age difference, mentor/protégé relationship, trans male character, period talk, fluff, Mark is not a pervy old man here, domestic fluff.
Status: Incomplete
Summary: Oscar stays at Mark's place for the short break. Mark is totally cool about it.
LITTLE LIGHT OF MY LIFE
“Such a sweet young man. Is he yours?”
Mark got startled by the question. Oscar insisted on assisting an old lady he started to chat at the grocery store in loading her bags in her car while Mark helped her walk across the parking lot.
“No, no. I am his manager.”
“Oh, either way, you should be proud of him.”
Oscar shut the boot and waved at them with a smile on his face. Mark knew that it was the equivalent of jumping up and down with enthusiasm for Oscar and rolled his eyes.
“Oh, believe me, I am, ma’am.”
Mark watched the lady pinch Oscar’s cheek fondly and they said their goodbyes. While they walked towards Mark’s car, the lady’s question was echoing in his head.
Is he yours?
Daily life coincidences had the habit of complicating things that were already complicated enough, Mark thought.
—-------
Oscar was staying at his place to avoid spending the entirety of the short break with his family. Mark didn’t blame him. It was already difficult to justify the disappointing results of the season to themselves. He was sure it was much harder for Oscart to listen to his family trying to console him.
Mark was happy that Oscar was there, he really was. The kid, despite his calm and silent nature, has visibly lightened up the whole place with his presence. Even though a stray sock or an empty pack of crisps laying around made Mark frown, he was sure that Oscar did more good than he annoyed him. Mark secretly loved knocking on his door to wake him up in the morning, just to see him sprawled on the guest bed, sleeping soundly. He loved seeing the pink hue on his face when they sat on the balcony for far too long. He loved the way he cut his bagel carefully while preparing breakfast side by side. Their coexistence was nice, peaceful and addictive.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing to host the young Australian in his house. Firstly, he had the habit of sulking when Mark left him alone for too long. He knew Oscar loved attention but it wasn’t only about attention. He knew the kid started overthinking about his career and his future whenever he is not distracted by something else.
Secondly, Oscar got his period during his stay and it was a hormonal nightmare which Mark could swear that spilt onto him as well. Since Oscar was on some sort of medication to delay his periods to not coincide with race weeks, he had to leave intervals to actually have his period to keep things healthy. This fucked up cycle ended up overloading his hormones, causing insane mood swings which made life very difficult for all parties.
A voice from the back of his head told Mark that it wasn’t that usual for Mark to know so much about his protégés cycle but they had to trust each other during Oscar’s transition for things to sail smoothly. It wasn’t that Mark had any special interest in the kid’s reproductive system.
Finally, with this arrangement, he had no place to run and hide when Oscar did the thing. He wasn’t sure how to describe the thing but it was keeping Mark awake at night, more often since Oscar was staying at his place. Was it the way Oscar looked at him when Mark served his food on the wooden dining table? Was it the way his fingers lingered on his face when he asked Oscar to check whether his sideburns look symmetrical after he shaved? Was it the way he scooted closer and closer when they were watching a film on the couch when both of them couldn’t sleep?
Mark wanted to say all of the above. If only he was sure that the kid was into him so that he could actually build a wall between them… He knew it was the appropriate reaction to deal with teen crushes but the uncertainty was making his footing unstable in this plane. He accused himself of actually knowing that Oscar had a crush on him and putting them in a situation where this crush could build unhealthily. It wasn’t entirely true because Mark had no concrete evidence. Moreover, if he decided to put additional boundaries between himself and Oscar unexplainably, he would cause hurt to the kid unnecessarily in the scenario where the poor kid didn’t even have a crush on him. If it was the case, he would be the petty, prude guy who misplaced Oscar’s trust and vulnerability.
If it wasn’t the case, well, the trouble was more serious. Mark has never been the most emotionally intelligent guy as his exes loved to point out. He would probably mess things up, break Oscar’s heart in the wrong way and push the kid away when he needed his presence the most as his manager and his… friend.
It was a headache of a situation and being aware of the fact that he wasn’t unaffected either. Some days, it embarrassed him to admit, more than anything, so he pushed it away. Some days, he let his mind wander and think of the possibilities he surely shouldn’t have let himself think. How did Oscar sound when he was touched pleasantly? What did his soft, pale skin taste like? How long did it take a love bite to bloom on that skin? He knew he was a terrible person to ask these questions, even to consider finding an answer to them but they were just thoughts, and thoughts couldn’t hurt anyone.
He wasn’t a coward. He could face Oscar if he decided to make a move and he could gently reject him. If he was more afraid of what that move could entail, he wouldn’t even dare to stay alone with Oscar in the same room. And what a sorry life it would be, an old man making the kid pay for his lack of confidence and control. No, Oscar was too precious to be troubled by all these and Mark wasn’t going to disappoint him just because he couldn’t control his thoughts and anxieties.
He repeated this in his head when Oscar came to his bed to cuddle at the worst part of his period. During the day he was either crying or throwing a tantrum all the time so Mark was indeed surprised to find him at the end of his bed.
“Oscar? What’s up?”
He tried to wipe the sleep out of his face.
“It hurts.”
“Did you get your painkillers and hot water thing?”
“Yes, doesn’t work.”
Honestly, the boy looked miserable under the dim light coming from the hallway. His hair was in disarray and he was very tired. Mark could see that standing up was difficult for him from his bent posture. He was in Mark’s t-shirt and boxers because he ran out of his quickly with the unpredicted extension of the stay.
“C’mere.”
This was something they kept for the most difficult times, especially when Oscar was a couple of years younger. Oscar always told him he gives the best, the most soul-healing cuddles, making Mark blush. He remembered how small Oscar felt in his arms while he was squirming with cramps.
“Shhh, it’ll be over soon.”
Mark remembered Oscar tucking closer to Mark and locking himself between his arms.
“Make it go away, please.”
Mark thought about what he has done to deserve such trust from Oscar. He knew he looked up to him because of their mentor/protégé position but this, this was different. It wasn’t even an alleged flirtatious behaviour from the kid. This was just complete, uncensored vulnerability and trust that Mark out of all people got to receive from Oscar.
Mark pulled Oscar close to him and didn’t protest when he brought his hand closer to his abdomen. It was to soothe Oscar, nothing more. There was nothing even a little suspicious about this. Mark should’ve just pushed the thoughts back and focused on comforting Oscar.
Oscar hummed once Mark placed his heavy hand on where it hurt the most and he was fast asleep before Mark could do anything else. He just couldn’t believe his luck to be in that position, the only person in the world Oscar let himself be vulnerable to like this. It was so overwhelming that it even surpassed the sheer physical excitement of being this close to Oscar. It wasn’t a problem, Mark could control himself and present only what Oscar needed and nothing more. And if a time when Oscar needs more from him never comes… Then that would be it, it would save Mark from a lot of moral conflict anyway.
Nevertheless, Mark was happy that the days he had to wash blood stains off the sheets before Oscar could realise and be embarrassed about it are left behind in their little vacation. The kid was probably not that comfortable with his mismatched biology creating that much trouble for both of them so it was the least Mark could do to keep him more at ease.
It was very pleasant to have Oscar without those huge mood swings back. It was obvious from how he held himself that he was feeling better. He was playing with the old Nintendo console Mark gave him to keep him occupied until dinner was ready. Mark couldn’t believe it worked but Oscar looked more than happy to just play Pokemon instead of bugging him about when the dinner was going to be ready.
Even though he pretended like he didn’t like cooking for both of them, Mark loved every second of it. They were under heavy attack and observation by Oscar’s PT so he had to be really careful about the nutritional value of everything. It was more than alright because Mark realised that he loved doing something for Oscar. Hell, he would feed him first if they had only food for one and starving so this was, again, the least he could do.
“Dinner’s ready.”
Oscar immediately lifted his head from the console. Mark wondered if he could taste the care and love he put in the dish just because he knew Oscar would eat it and say “I tell you, you chose the wrong career.”
“Smells nice. What’s it?”
My burning soul for you.
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hi! can you do a COD pairing for me please? <3
I’m 5’2 female, dirty blonde hair, slim ish with a curvy figure, multiple ear piercings, and I am a Criminal Justice major. I love your pairing fics and I think they are so much fun! Thank you so much if you see this! <3
Kyle "Gaz" Garrick
How you met: Civilian For your Laws, Politics, and Society, your professor informed the class of a special guest speaker. You pulled out your laptop and iPad as the class began and prepared for another boring law enforcement officer or middle-aged lawyer to speak for an hour and a half. However, to your surprise, a young man who couldn't be much older than you entered the room in a dress shirt and slacks. The class' attention was drawn to his genuine smile which hinted at a strong jawline and caring hazel eyes. "Good morning, class, ah that sounds to formal," he joked to the laughter of your peers, "I'm Kyle and if you can't tell this isn't my usual day to day but I'm here to talk about the joint interactions between the Special Air Service and the Metropolitan Police Department." Throughout his presentation, he included jokes and questions that kept the audience engaged. Even the students who fell asleep in the back of the class were intently taking notes and responding to his discussions. By the end of it, various people had questions and you decided to wait around after to have a more personal conversation. As the class exited, you walked down the lecture hall's stairs and greeted the man. "Hi Sergeant Garrick, I just wanted to say your talk was very informative," you began and he nodded at your compliments. "I hadn't thought about a position similar to yours but I am interested in learning more about it, do you have any advice?" He took a moment to think as you stood there looking up at him. "I think if you have a dedication to protecting the ones you love and have the right connections, it was help your career immensely," he began to say and you smiled as he continued, "I'll give you some contacts to reach out to if you'd like to learn more?" You agreed and he wrote down a few emails and names of people who could point you in the right direction. "Thank you again!" you said as you exited the room and headed to your next class.
A peek into your relationship: "Alright, alright I think it's time we hear about how Kyle and Y/N met," Johnny said and deflected the conversation to you and your boyfriend. You had enjoyed a night of drinks at the pub and everyone was going around introducing their significant other's and their meet cute. You looked at Kyle and asked who wanted to tell it. He decided he would take a shot at it and you smiled as you sipped on your beverage. "Well I first met her when a buddy called in a favor and had me speak at her Criminal Justice class," he started and Johnny laughed in response. "Oh so this was a professor student situation," he joked and his significant other lightly punched his shoulder. "Shut up Mactavish, anyways I couldn't focus on the presentation as I kept locking eyes with a particular blonde student who was intently taking notes," he continued and smiled at you as you blushed slightly. "I was preparing to leave when she just happen to come up to me and ask how to get a foot in the door and honestly the rest was history," he finished. It was a great retelling, after you had met Kyle, you ended up interning for one of his contacts and eventually met him later down the road. Now established in your field, you started off as co-workers and eventually found yourself moving into a flat together. As you left the pub, he put an arm around you. "I'm so glad you stayed after class," he joked and kissed you gently. You were glad you decided to stay too.
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Small Life Ch. 1
Alright little rats this is an idea/ rough draft of a fanfic I am thinking of writing so tell me should I write it, or should I focus on the WIP that is almost 100,000 words and not even half way through the plot
What had Damian done.
Oh Alfred, what had Damian done.
Damian should be at home getting ready for school. Damian should turn around, turn back through the door and drive back to where Alfred can hold him and make him a cup of tea.
Damian took a deep breath and stepped in shutting the door with his foot. The living room was bigger than Damian expected, honestly the whole house was more than he could have ever hoped for.
He set down the car seat and diaper bag.
About nine months ago Damian had taken up the tradition of spiting Bruce, a pastime of all his siblings. And that had led Damian to a party and then into a bed with Oliva Patel. She was quite pretty and most importantly not a gossip or overly interested in Damian’s family.
It was lovely and Damian returning to the manor in the morning really did its job in ticking Bruce off. It took Damian three months to talk to Oliva again, and the pregnancy test she had given him had been more terrifying to him than fighting with the Riddler had been the night before.
At first Oliva had wanted to keep the baby and Damian was too terrified to know what he wanted to do, two sixteen year olds were not prepared to be parents. He had thought options of adopting the baby out were the most realistic and would be best for the baby.
Slowly Damian had warmed up to the idea and by the sixth month mark they were planning how to tell their families, Oliva had done a wonderful job of hiding her pregnancy, and they had been talking about what future their baby would have.
They were both smart and dedicated, their child would grow up with great role models. They would move in together, they didn’t need to get married but they would both be involved and loving parents. And Damian would always have access to any money they would want or need. Their baby could play any sport or take any classes they wanted.
Then Oliva’s best friend found out. She only saw the disaster it would wreck on Oliva’s perfect grades, 4.0 GPA, and all of their plans of going to an ivy league together.
Damian could see that Oliva could easily be ivy league material, and that some day she would likely be someone that could be an equal to Alfred. But, Oliva wanted her baby and she wanted her baby to have the best possible life.
Damian could see how at some point she would choose the baby over her education and career. She wasn’t someone who wanted a nanny or babysitter raising her child.
Damian could see the resentment that would form in the future and the current fear that had encompassed Oliva. She didn’t want to regret their baby even for a moment. So Damian had offered to take the baby.
It had been a rash decision but they both quickly agreed. Damian and Oliva made a plan for the final months of prenatal care, which Damian had been providing for her pregnancy ever since he knew. Then they had agreed on visiting terms. Oliva would be able to visit whenever she wanted as soon as she was out of college. Damian decided not to tell his family and Oliva didn’t tell hers.
They had talked about sending pictures and other things so Oliva would still be able to know how the baby was, but in the end they agreed that until she was living on her own it would be too risky. Oliva wouldn’t be able to explain to family or friends why she had pictures of a random baby in her room.
Oliva wanted their baby well taken care of so she made some conditions. Before the baby was born a place to live had to be secured and he needed to have basics for taking care of a baby. He also needed a plan for where the child would go to school.
Damian spent several Saturdays with Oliva in baby aisles and took a couple parenting classes every week to prepare himself.
Damian had found a house in Montana. It had three bedrooms and two baths and was within a half mile of both a high school and an elementary. The house was nice; it was in a small quiet town, the type of place that no one would ever recognize or look for Damian Wayne.
Everything had been taken care of. But that wasn’t enough to prepare Damian.
A week ago while in math Damian had gotten a text from Oliva, she was in the school bathroom, and her water had broken.
Damian left class and drove her to one of Jason's safe houses, the one across from the hospital where Oliva’s OB GYN worked. Jason never used it and he would clean after so Jason would never know.
Damian stayed there with her rubbing her shoulders and back, drawing her a bath, and cooking meals for her. Nearly 17 hours later she was having contractions close enough together to head to the hospital.
5 hours later their baby girl was placed into Oliva’s arms. They had agreed not to breastfeed even for the first day because Damian would need to bottle feed so Oliva held onto their daughter until a nurse came in to teach Damian how to feed her.
Oliva wanted Damian to name her, but Damian wanted Oliva to name her. Eventually they decided on the name, Martha Oliva Patel-Wayne and Mary for short.
Damian stayed with the two of them until they were released before driving Oliva home. Before he left he made sure she had everything she needed and left her with a good amount of money to take care of herself, he was hesitant to leave and Oliva didn’t want to say goodbye. Damian was forced to leave by the pressure of Oliva’s parents being twenty minutes away and was reassured that Oliva’s best friend would be around to take care of her and help her clean the stitches and with any other maintenance.
Damian arranged everything and made sure he had everything he would need to get to the house he bought. The drive from New Jersey to Montana would be 33 hours but Damian would stop at least every hour for 15 minutes to take care of and check on Mary. He would stop and stay somewhere every night. He wanted her to be taken care of and he wanted a clear mind. He didn’t want to get into a crash because of fatigue.
It ended up taking him 5 days to get to the house.
Here Damian was, in the middle of Montana. 5 days or 33 hours away from family. What had Damian done?
It was late when Damian finally arrived and he was exhausted but there were a few things he needed to do.
Damian locked the door before setting Mary in a safe corner of the entrance while he checked the house over. When he was sure it was clear he locked all the windows and doors before drawing the curtains and flicking on the living room light. He moved Mary and the diaper bag into the living room.
He checked on her and made sure she was asleep before going out the front door, locking it behind him, to the car to grab the collapsible crib and other necessities like a crib mattress and a sleeping bag for himself. He would buy her an actual crib and other furniture soon but he would make due for a little bit.
He set everything down on the porch to unlock the door and move everything inside, once inside he locked the door. He set up the crib and halfway through setting up his own place to sleep Mary woke up. After settling her down in her crib he finished his own bed and turned on his quiet alarms that would wake him up every couple hours to feed Mary.
Damian spent the first night in the new house tossing and turning. It wasn’t easy to fall asleep when he kept having to get up to feed a baby and the unfamiliar sounds of the house settling and life far from Gotham was unsettling and not helpful when he was trying to fall asleep.
And if Damian was completely honest he spent most of the night terrified he would fall asleep and wake up to the league of assassins or the bats in his house. But, there was no way that would happen.
He had made sure to buy the house with his funds that weren’t connected to anything and to get the house put in Martha Patel’s name. He was happy to let the house be legally hers.
It had taken some interesting legal loopholes but there was no way that he would be found.
When the sun was finally rising Damian got up and considered what to do. He needed to get a number of things. First he would need groceries, then cleaning supplies, and then actual furniture for Mary.
He would wait a little before getting other furniture. Mary’s room and other necessities were a priority and Damian had lived with much less. He still had plumbing and running water, a huge plus.
He could technically go without groceries for a couple of days. He had enough baby formula, and he would survive a couple days without food but he knew that he wouldn’t be at his best so he decided against waiting. Mary deserved her parent to be at their best.
And technically he could afford to furnish the whole house at once, but he wouldn’t have the time to put together the furniture and he didn’t want to use too much money too quickly.
And the house had the necessities for him. The kitchen had all the appliances he would need and both bathrooms would be fine. And for sleeping, he had a nice sleeping bag, much better than cave or cell floors.
The cleaning supplies were actually at the top of his list, the house was nice and the previous owners had cleaned before selling it to Damian. Still the house had stood empty for a month and tiny amounts of dust had accumulated, and with a newborn Damian did not want to risk her getting sick.
He knew he was probably overdoing it and had been more cautious then he needed to while driving up. And would continue to keep her far away from most things until she was a little older, but it would help him feel better. Plus Damian never liked working in a dirty area.
Damian had no clue where anything was, so as most people do he got out his new phone and looked up nearby stores. It was a new phone because he had replaced his old one on his way up.
When he drove through Pennsylvania he had thrown his phone in a random garbage, he had wanted to restart it and give it to someone else but simple restarting wouldn’t make it impossible for the bats to track it, nothing short of throwing it in a volcano would stop them from being able to track it, so it had to go and he didn’t want them thinking someone had stolen it. Unfortunately that meant the garbage.
And in Ohio he had gotten a rental car. His family would find the car he left in Ohio but they wouldn’t find any clues of what transportation Damian had, he had used a fake ID to rent the car and a card connected to an account his family didn’t know about. Damian would need to buy a car soon. But that was something to worry about later. Getting a job would also need to join his list of priorities.
Damian really was glad that finding living accommodations was not also on his list of To Do’s. Thank Alfred, Oliva had insisted that Damian give her proof of living accommodations before she agreed to let Damian take the baby.
Damian didn’t really want to take Mary with him into a store where people might try getting up in her face to coo at her or touch her but he couldn’t leave her alone. Damian didn’t have a stroller or a chest carrier yet so Damian would need to keep her in her car seat while in the store. It would be fine, Damian definitely was strong enough and he could set the seat into his cart so it wouldn’t be a bother but he would have to add a stroller and a chest carrier to his list of baby things he would need.
Damian decided to bite the bullet and choose a store, as he took care of Mary and got everything prepared to go to the store. He kept his phone open nearby and memorized the route to the store.
He paused before he opened the door. The curtains for the windows around the door were thin enough that he could see three people making their way up the sidewalk to the house. He could open the door and greet them, or he could try going through the garage but they would hear, or he could pretend he was sleeping and not answer the door but the lights he just turned off would make that unbelievable.
And If he was avoiding the neighbors then he couldn’t leave as soon as they were gone and there wasn’t anything he could do until he went to the store. He needed cleaning supplies. He had dirty clothes but the previous owners had told him the current washing and drying machine were broken, easily fixable Damian would just need to pick up some parts to fix them. But he had some body wash that could work as a laundry detergent. He could hand wash them, but he didn’t have any good places to hang the clothes.
The decision was taken from him when they knocked on the door. He sighed and walked to the door, unlocking it and opening the door as he set Mary safely to the side, out of sight. “Hello, can I help you?” It was a cold and biting tone and Damian knew that, but he had things he needed to do and meeting the neighbors was not one of them.
There were two men and a woman. The woman looked to be middle aged and had a smile draped over her face. She was wearing a colorful knee length dress and had a large pan covered in tin foil. The older of the men looked to be around the same age and was wearing jeans and a colorful T-Shirt that matched the woman's dress.
The younger of the two men was wearing much more muted, casual clothes. He was probably somewhere in his late twenties, he looked nothing like the older man or woman.
Despite the cold greeting the woman perked up when he answered the door. “Hello, dear, I am Sandra and this is my husband Pete and my son Noah. We live next door and just wanted to introduce ourselves.” Sandra paused and slightly tilted the pan. “Oh, and we brought food, but it seems like you are on your way out. So we’ll try and get out of your hair.”
Damian mustered up the energy to smile. “Yeah I was just getting ready to go to the store. And you didn’t need to bring anything.”
Immediately Pete waved him off. “Not to worry son, food is the culture around here. To be fair food might just be the culture everywhere, but anyway there is no way you are escaping without food. What’s your name son? What are you headed to the store for?”
Damian glanced at Mary when she made a quiet gurgling noise. “I’m Damian, food is beloved everywhere. I am going to the store for a variety of things. Groceries, cleaning supplies, some things to fix the washer and dryer.”
When Damian glanced towards Mary he could see everyone else's eyes follow his. He hadn’t been trying to draw attention to her but he didn’t want to ignore her. And she was awake and shifting around a bit.
Pete leaned forward. His eyes widened. “So son, why are you taking the baby with you instead of leaving the baby with your parents?” It was clear he had spotted the car seat.
Damian could feel the genuine curiosity and he could tell that they were just being neighborly but Damian felt himself freeze at that question. He may not have personally lived it yet but he knew there was a stigma around both single fathers and teen parents and he considered what to say. “I am the father.”
Pete paused, it was clear that he thought Damian was too young to be a father. “And the mother? Why aren’t you leaving the baby with her?”
Damian leaned into the door putting more of a barrier between the inside and outside of the house. “She’s not involved.” It was true, still it felt wrong. Oliva hadn’t just abandoned Mary, she had made sure she would have a secure future.
They all nodded and seemed to find that a good enough answer. Sandra adjusted her hands on the pan. “Is the baby a boy or a girl, and how old is baby?”
Pete's questions had been the kind of questions that were firm but asked by a well meaning relative. While Sandra’s questions were much more cushioned, and seemed like she wanted to make sure you were doing the best you could, like she was going to give pointers along with heavy amounts of encouragement.
Damian shifted, glancing at Mary. “She’s a girl. And..” Damian looked back up at Sandra, he knew that traveling across the country with a newborn wasn’t the easiest or safest and he considered what follow up questions there would be. He also knew there would be a bit of judgment, and there was his rental car from Ohio in the driveway. “She’s just over a week old.”
Sandra’s eyes widened and her body curled up as she tried glancing in at Mary. Damian shifted his weight and pulled the door slightly more shut, “Dear, you're bringing a week old baby to the store?” After the door was pulled a little closed her eyes flitted to the rental car.
Damian sighed. He knew what she was thinking and yes he was aware that Mary’s immune system was still developing, but there were precautions he could take and Damian had plenty of medical skills and he wouldn’t hesitate to get her help so it would be fine, probably. And what else could Damian do? He couldn’t leave her home alone and there was no one to watch her while he was gone.
“If you wanted I could watch her while you go to the store.” Damian almost slammed the door in Sandra’s face. There was no way he would be leaving Mary with someone he didn’t even know.
“No.” He spat, then remembered they were his neighbors and plastered a fake smile on. “Sorry, but I really have got to get going.” They smiled and apologized for keeping him before handing off the pan of food and leaving.
Damian poured the contents of the pan in the outdoor garbage can that was currently sitting in the garage, the last owner had left it in there until he got to the house, and set the pan in the sink for him to wash.
After he was done with that he washed his hands and he checked on Mary before walking outside, locking the door behind him, and getting situated in the car.
It was a short painless trip to the store, once there he checked Mary and got her situated before heading inside. He used the signs to quickly locate the food, along with kitchen supplies like pans and utensils, and the cleaning supplies he needed before ending up in the baby aisle.
He picked out a crib, a stroller, some more clothes, a changing table and changing pad, more diapers, wipes, and a baby bath. He had been wiping Mary down with baby wipes and keeping her in clean clothes but he felt bad that he hadn’t been able to properly clean her. After he cleaned one of the bathrooms he would need to give her a bath.
After getting baby stuff he headed towards the hardware aisle and got the things he would need to fix the dryer and washing machine. As he was on his way to the register his eyes caught on the door jam reinforcements and the door knobs and locks. He grabbed a door jam reinforcement for the front, back, and garage doors along with better locks and then a couple of other locks to replace the bathroom door knobs and to add locks to his bedroom and Mary’s room.
He got back to the house and took care of Mary, moving her portable crib into the upstairs landing where his room and the nursery would be so she would be close by while he cleaned and assembled. He made sure she was comfortable before he got to work cleaning the nursery, after he was done he got to work carrying her furniture upstairs and assembling it, only taking breaks to take care of Mary.
By the time he had the furniture assembled and had moved her things into the nursery it was getting late and Damian moved Mary downstairs into her car seat while he brought her portable crib back downstairs. Her actual crib was assembled so having it downstairs made more sense.
He made dinner quickly and ate before moving his stuff into the nursery for the night, because it was the only place he had cleaned. He would probably stay in there anyway until Mary was a little older and sleeping through most of the night.
After that he came back downstairs and did the dishes. He dried them and set the pan on the end of the counter to remind himself he would need to return it to the neighbors.
A sharp pain rushed his heart. He had neighbors. He had his own neighbors.
Damian leaned on the counter and slid to sit on the floor.
Damian was a teen dad living on his own.
He was all on his own.
The floor of the kitchen was hardwood cold to the touch but didn’t bite through your clothes like the tile in the kitchen of Wayne manor.
The kitchen only had one sink, one fridge, and one oven. While the manor had a prep sink and a double basin sink, Two fridges, and an oven and a fireplace if needed.
The cabinets were shorter and all of them were easy to get into without help. In the manor half of the cabinets required a ladder.
The manor was built to show off. To be extreme, it was not built with living in it in mind.
This kitchen. This house. Even this town was built for comfort and for family. They were built for company and community. It was all meant to be cozy, safe, and certain.
Damian was alone.
Unsafe and exposed.
Damian could go home.
The manor had friends and family.
This house had a baby who needed his care.
Damian could be with his family. Show Mary to Alfred and ask Dick how to take care of a baby. Mary would have aunts and uncles and a grandfather and a great grandfather. She could have a cousin.
Damian set his head back against the counter and rubbed his hands over his arms.
Alfred was extraordinarily accepting, Maybe he could go back.
His siblings would be furious, but they would love the baby. Mar’i wasn’t too much older, She was almost two.
Damian sat up, things were going to be rough. He knew this when he went into it and he had a baby in the next room.
Damian got up and took Mary up to her bed. Before settling in for a restless night.
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I honestly don't get why people are so pressed about the Oscar/Daniel situation.
Daniel had, what 10/11 seasons in F1? He had victories, basically a solid career - which is on the downwards trajectory for a while now and if we're all being real here, does not look like he can turn it around. Yes, I know being egoistic is part of getting that far but... it's time for him to count his money and make room for the next person.
I don't get why anyone would be angry at Oscar. What did Alpine think they were doing, keeping a young, eager and successful driver on the bench for two or more years? Are they really so senile there in the management that they expect him to do that out of thankfulness to be part of their academy? He did the only thing he could, fight for himself because nobody else would do it.
The idea that all the teams rather keep the 'experienced' drivers even if they, sorry, suck, than give someone younger an chance because there's basically no testing opportunities anymore is worrying. do they all expect the same drivers to stay until they are 40, 50? we should celebrate that a new driver gets a chance at all under these circumstances, instead of shitting on him because a few delusional fans think Daniel is cute. He will be forgotten in a year. Yes, the way they treated him was shitty, but he has been on the other end of those deals before, so I am sure his millions will cheer him up.
I think DTS has really driven home this like narrative about Daniel that he's had a tragic career, that he deserved better and maybe he did but the fact is that sometimes, F1 careers fall short of expectations. Like we could look back and certainly find plenty of drivers who were popular with the fans who just never quite got a full chance at a WDC, you know?
I think that some of Daniel's fans (obviously if you do not think what I'm about to say, I am not talking about you), have really inflated in their minds how big and how important Daniel is to F1. He is popular but if he doesn't have a seat in F1 next season, F1 will survive. McLaren will have a tarnished reputation (which I suspect they probably don't care about that much) but they will survive. Daniel is popular but he's not the most popular by any means and there are other drivers in the paddock that are getting more attention right now. He is in the twilight of his career, he is no longer the young, hot, funny NBT that he used to be and yeah, judging by some of the anons that I've gotten from Daniel fans this season, they will not accept that. (Does any of that paragraph make sense, I have no idea but we're going for it.)
It's been interesting the anons that I've gotten in the last 24 hours that have been trying really hard to find some around about way to blame Oscar for this whole mess. I fully believe he didn't do anything wrong. F1 is cutthroat and he's just trying to get his foot in the door.
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If I am very lucky, I will have to choose between two jobs- one which is work from home, as much as OT as I want, and seems detailed, but not hard. I'm not sure if any of the things I could be promoted to from that job are things I'd even be interested in, though.
The other is a potential foot in the door at a bigger, more impressive employer, and an actual step on my career path. It's in person, a bit of a commute, and while it pays more, that difference will probably get eaten up in gas/parking.
I'm worried about how my partner will do if I'm out of the house that much, but if he's ever going to get a less stressful job, I've got to move forward in my career.
I don't know. Worried, as always, about making the wrong choice.
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Evaluation 1
Within this evaluation I am going to analyse how my use of self -promotion within an artistic setting has impacted the modes of promotion for our test site install as a group. Prior to this module I had already made an account on Instagram solely for my art, and used it regularly, following artists that inspired me along with galleries etc that could be of use with regards to networking and getting my foot in the door outside of college. I have also outsourced business cards that I had used while I had a stall at the Ayr Grain Exchange in December last year. By having a physical thing to use to promote myself it appealed to audiences that might not be on social media, which opened up my potential client base. Furthermore, the use of cross promotion (tagging other artists/galleries etc. so they know you exist) was also beneficial in my own promotion, as sometimes you need to make the first move instead of waiting for other to come to you. I believe this was successful as through my Instagram page I was contacted about a potential commission for an up-and-coming Glasgow based -band called Poster Club. This commission serves as promotion for both myself and the band for their new single. Through a lengthy Teams meeting with the band, we have agreed on future work after this commission after the academic year which is a huge success in terms of an artistic career.
Personally, if I had to change anything that I have done thus far through social media, I would have included the use of more hashtags to boost engagement with my work with a larger audience. This made me consider using the boost post option on Instagram which allows you to essentially turn your post into an advert which can be seen by a larger portion of the platform. This feature is great, however in order to do this you have to pay a small fortune.
Furthermore, using social media was also a huge aspect of the promotion of our group show. Once our posters etc were generated we then posted it onto our accounts to make our exhibition known to those outside the college building and boost engagement. This type of promotion paired with our very traditional low-fi approach to making invites generated successful feedback and interest in our exhibition. It was refreshing to essentially take the middle man out and go straight to the audience by handing out our invitations by hand which also added a personal touch. By going straight to our fellow creatives this opened up discussions and networking which benefitted us for our Round Table Discussions as everyone was comfortable to give their opinions. I have noticed this small gesture has been the catalyst for the HND and BA4’s to come together and build personal and creative connections, with both of our classes floating between studios. This is a huge step forward in creating harmony between the different years, as in the past it felt like the BA4s were untouchable, but at the end of the day we are all creatives striving for the same thing.
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ENTRY FIFTY-NINE
It's always interesting when someone asks me what it's like working in the cannabis industry.
The first thing I mention is being at the age of 41 and never thinking it would be possible back in the day. If I could go back in time and tell my younger self that someday I'd be selling legal weed, I probably wouldn't have believed it! I'm still adjusting to the legality somewhat, but it has been so exciting not only interviewing for cannabis jobs but working them as well.
The interviews are awesome because instead of hiding it and hoping they never find out, you get to talk to the employer about your passion for cannabis and cannabis products. I've been in the cannabis industry for 3 years. I've done multiple interviews for cannabis jobs and they're always fun and exciting.
Working the job has been an amazing experience for the most part. Most of the clientele is pretty chill but every now and then you get a Karen or two. It is still customer service and retail after all. However, knowing the medicinal patient successfully treated their pain and stress, knowing the recreational patient had a safe and fun-filled evening makes it beyond worth it.
Then there's this little part...
😱 Being middle-aged and going back to retail (yes it's medical but a dispensary is still like a store in the way that you have similar responsibilities like cleaning and making sales for example). 😱
My first career path was to become a forensic psychologist. Long story short, I got screwed over by student loans and couldn't continue my education beyond my Masters of Science in Psychology, which merely provided a foundation for the ultimate goal I was attempting to work toward.
Once I knew I was officially done, that there were no more classes, no way to afford to keep going in college, no way to achieve what I already worked so hard for, I wanted a job I'd enjoy to ease the sting of dead dreams and crippling debt.
I wanted a job that would be good for the mind, heart, and soul even if it wasn't good for the wallet. I'm just so done with working my ass off at jobs that make me miserable on a daily basis.
Can I enjoy at least one thing in life? Can I at least start to live MY life for ME a little bit?
My only other occupational interest besides forensic psychology was cannabis. I have been using cannabis medicinally to help with my ADHD and C-PTSD. I also use it to help with redecoration, art projects, lots of other things aside from medical treatment. I thought, "I can still help other people, just in a different way now."
So that's why I am a middle-aged woman working in retail. My original plan didn't pan out and I wanted to do something I'd enjoy. We can't all be doctors, lawyers, famous actresses, or heirs to huge fortunes. Some of us are worker bees that need to find a job. And if I am going to be stuck working for the rest of my days, especially since my generation may not have anything to retire on, then I am going to need to be in a place that I don't dread for the sake of sanity.
And so, here we are! I'm a budtender. This is the career path I chose after the first one didn't work out. It's been quite an experience so far. Entering the industry, meeting all the characters in it, sampling different kinds of products, it's been fun! And currently, I am learning and sharpening my skills as a purchasing manager to my favorite dispensary in town of all places!
However, I have complaints. Two of them.
Complaint One:
We all want to hire the right people. We all want to bring on people that will be honest, reliable, and who will take the job seriously. Totally get that. BUT that won't be achieved through making the industry impossible to get into. It took me over a year to get my foot in the door! It is a little disappointing if the person doesn't have experience but how are they supposed to gain experience if no one gives them a chance to do so? Be willing to train! You might be turning away a great potential employee for a completely fixable reason!
Complaint Two:
I wish when legalization hit that the hippies had the money to invest. This is cannabis, weed, ganja, tree, Mary Jane! This should be a hippie industry with good vibes but it's not. Who did get to invest? Fucking car salesmen that made the cannabis industry horribly competitive and cut-throat.
My POV: I don't see other budtenders and dispensaries as competition. I see us all as cannabis enthusiasts trying to get the people some damn good weed. There's no place here for spitefulness and making moves against one another to cost people their jobs or companies.
On another note, talk to some women working in the cannabis industry about the ample amounts of sexual harassment they've dealt with and we can take this little convo into a whole new direction! There just shouldn't be any place in the cannabis industry for that type of stuff, but there is unfortunately.
That's pretty much the industry in its entirety and I hope it changes someday.
More thoughts later.
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Making Of: Intergrated Practice - Evaluation
For this module, I was tasked with creating an artist portfolio of my previous and current work suitable for viewing for a professional client - including a digital website with curated production artwork (URL link + Screenshots in a PDF or PowerPoint) either on Adobe Portfolio, Wix, Artstation or Behance, as well as a 90-second Showreel MP4 – representing my current and appropriate work to my area of interest, and a Behind the Scenes Video to be uploaded as an MP4.
Task one was to fill out two forms: a Skills Audit and a Swot Analysis to analyse my strengths and weaknesses as an artist.
The hardest area to fill in was 'external threats'. This broad category can include many things, such as equipment I need being unavailable through to natural disasters. Still, I filled out the SWOT analysis to the best of my ability and submitted it to Blackboard.
Next, I searched for animation jobs on Screenskills.com. I also looked at Upcity.com, a company job-hunting site.
My first choice for a career would be that of a storyboard artist. I have some experience with storyboarding in the past with other projects, such as with my short film Animatic, River Snake. It’s an entry-level job, so it could be a viable option as an industry ‘first foot in the door’ position.
Junior Animator is another viable career option. Specifically, frame-by-frame digital animation and stop-motion animation. Even though I'm talented with frame-by-frame 2D, this medium involves a variety of programs in which I'm not as well versed as I am in stop-motion software like DragonFrame.
And I do dream of being able to direct or be the head writer of my own projects with a professional company one day. I feel I have a vivid imagination and creative vision that I'd want to express on a mainstream project.
One studio I found on upcity.com was Kilogramme. A studio that specialises in "adverts, title sequences, museum pieces, explainers and public information films on any subject". I liked their look since they do 2D frame-by-frame animation. I could find viable work there. I have always been a fan of informational short films like those on the Ted-Ed YouTube channel, so it would be a great opportunity to work on similar types of short films.
Mighty Giant was a studio I would also consider working for. They specialise in motion graphics and, like Kilogramme, also have done some frame-by-frame 2D projects. I’m not quite as keen on working for this studio as I am for Kilogramme, as most of their work consists of CG animation, a medium I'm not well-versed in. I will still consider them as an option, though.
After this, I was tasked with looking at the different websites and website builders I’d utilise to host a portfolio.
The first website I looked at was Behance. A website owned by Adobe which caters to both professional and amateur artists. The tutor recommended this as good for students such as myself, but I was weary of working with websites and software owned by Adobe. While I am willing to use it at my school as it's considered an industry standard, I disapprove of the company's practices, like the increasingly high prices of their software. Hence, I was hesitant to use it at first.
Artstation was another website where I could create an account and post a professional art portfolio. It has a sleek and professional look. However, the website mainly caters to professional concept artists, so I didn’t know if it would be the right place for me, as an amination student, to host my work.
I also considered DeviantArt, one of the first websites dedicated to hosting art and artist's portfolios. Sadly, though, it isn't as widely used or as popular these days compared to the 2000s and early 2010s, so I thought it wouldn’t be wise to use it as a portfolio site to showcase my work to modern clients.
Ultimately, I chose Behance to make a website on, as I am familiar with Adobe products. Additionally, I wanted to expand my skills by building a page on a website I hadn't used before.
I then created a showreel for my Behance portfolio page, compiling short clips from the animation work I am most proud of and the work that best represented my current artistic abilities.
Although the teacher showed us examples of other artists showreels which showcased only one or two mediums the respective artists were good at, I decided that I'd show a mix of my stop-motion, 2D animation, puppetry, storyboards and sketchbook work to showcase a range of skills.
For the editing, I decided that instead of the film dissolve I used for the transitions of my previous videos and showreels, I would be more experimental and use a swipe transition. I felt it gave the showreel better pacing and a sleeker feel. I also gave the parts with my sketchbook sketches a page flip transition to give the impression of someone flipping through a sketchbook and shake up the film's repetitive format. Overall, I was quite happy with how the showreel turned out.
After this, I compiled a presentation and wrote a script showcasing all the work and research I had done so far during this project.
I was proud of myself for this presentation, especially considering how little time I had to work on it due to being busy with other projects. When it was my turn to present, I knew my project well and spoke off-script. I think it came out great despite not having the time to put more planning into my delivery.
Another aspect of Integrated Practice was recording material for a behind-the-scenes documentary on the film, Thin Ice, my team and I made for the Creative Collaboration project, including making promotional materials/merchandise such as posters. Due to some minor miscommunication, I was briefly confused about my job role in production art. I thought I was going to make the backgrounds and some thumbnail sketches for poster designs; however, my teammate Hung had done a few of those already (mainly the poster sketches). I messaged the group, and we were able to clear this up; Hung was to do the backgrounds while I took care of the promotional poster design.
After I made the poster in Adobe Illustrator, I made a second website on Linkedin, where I posted links to my other artist accounts. And vice vera include a link to my LinkedIn on Behance.
After this, I made a PowerPoint presentation that I could convert to PDF with a link to my Behance webpage. I had trouble with this because the website was inaccessible when I clicked on the URL. As it turned out, the URL behance.net/briannamcarthur was already taken, so I changed it to behance.net/Brianna_mcarthur. And after transferring the PowerPoint to a different computer to test if the link would work there, it did.
Throughout this time, I filmed several time lapsed videos on my phone of me working on creative collab to use in the documentary. I took these from my phone along with the videos Hung and Dennis uploaded to the Creative Collab shared folder and compiled them together in Premiere Pro for the documentary. I also included my own commentary recorded on my notes app. I ran into a problem when Dennis included footage of him working on the animation which was over ten minutes long. So, I adjusted the video speed to at least 2000% speed so it would feel more like a timelapse. Once the film was put together, I realised it went over five minutes, which was the maximum runtime required on the brief for the documentary. So, I had to significantly cut down the film footage wherever I could to fit it into exactly five minutes. This was tough as I felt this hurt the pacing of certain parts and scenes, such as the b-roll of the Lightwaves Festival. But I am satisfied with the result overall.
In general, I feel proud of the things I was able to accomplish in Integrated Practice; I felt I gained valuable experience in how to market myself as an artist and my portfolio of work online. I learned several practical skills in this area, such as building a portfolio/networking website on sites such as Behance and Linkedin and putting together an online portfolio of work. I also learned other practical skills during the making of my documentary, such as recording a voiceover for a film, speeding up footage in Adobe Premiere Pro, and making/editing a documentary in general. I also gained a better understanding of the multitude of jobs available within the animation industry and it has helped me to identify the entry level positions I should aim for. I hope to bring these skills and knowledge with me into the third year of my course and a professional career as an artist.
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My NRF Experience
On January 12th, I attended Day 1 of the NRF Foundation conference. I sat down eager to learn more about people’s roles within an organization. What is NRF and how did I get selected to attend?
The NRF Foundation is an opportunity given to college students who aspire to have a career in the retail industry. The Foundation presents students with speakers who have major roles within an organization to inspire them and teach them how to succeed in their future careers.
I was selected by an advisor from the Marketing Club on campus, Susan Creasey. she saw the passion and excitement I had for fashion and retail industry when I asked to bring a fashion outlook to the club. She noted my traits of being motivated and optimistic.
The first few speakers began, and the first group that stood out to me were the women from the “Bringing Diversity to the Bottom Line” panel. The three speakers were from Burlington, Gap, and an NRF HR officer. They brought great energy and encouraging words to the audience. It was important to me because I am an African American woman who has interest in the retail industry. We as a group love inclusiveness and want to feel heard. They spoke about pushing for diversity and cultural involvement for example, having their brands support movements like Black Lives Matter to help educate people. The ladies were very well spoken, and I enjoyed listening. Bahja from Gap Inc. quoted something at the end of the panel that made me think. She said, “A job is what you’re called for, a calling is what you’re made for.” I thought of it as a calling means you stand out from a large crowd and have something that no one else has.
The second group that spoke was the “NRF Foundation Young Professionals” Panel. The speakers were from Prada, PetSmart, Allbirds Sr. Supply, and Nordstrom. I was left very inspired once they finished their panel. It is very uplifting when there are people in your age group that have big dreams and are making them become a reality. One of the speakers, which was the audience’s favorite, was very informative and I enjoyed hearing her speak. She works in Chicago which made me excited to speak with her. Once I got the chance to speak with her, we connected on LinkedIn and talked about keeping in touch.
The last day was the career fair, and I got the opportunity to speak with a few companies. I spoke with individuals from Saks 5th Avenue, Nordstrom, Steve Madden, Macy’s, and Burlington. I came prepared with printed resumes and a big smile. I was nervous to speak with people from the big brands, but the only thing I could do was be myself. The more I talked, the more confident I became. Putting the foot in the door is key.
My biggest takeaway from this trip is to be aggressive about what you want. This conference gave me a push to go out there and create connections. There are many resources in front of us, and we don’t take advantage of them. These days there are many people that want the same thing, but we have to be unique and confident. As I go on with my life journey, there will be challenges that I will face, however, I will forever hold on to the spoken words of Steve Madden: “PROGRESS, not PERFECTION.”
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Virtual Sketchbook 1
WRITING AND RESEARCH
1) Hello, my name is Alecia Bettis, an interesting fact about me is that I own a poetry page, I have been writing since I was 11, and I hope to one day publish my book with my poems and writing explaining my journey. Currently, I am studying for my AA in Liberal Arts and Science, because I would like to use that to transfer into a psychology program.
2) Ai Weiwei 2006 Kippe. Tieli wood (iron wood) from dismantled temples of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and iron parallel bars.
1) This piece is a form of contemporary art.
2) Weiwei is considered the most controversial artist in the world, because of his intention to instill meaningful, yet debatable topics within his work.
3) The art piece is inspired by Ai's memories of the family's woodpile, and of the village basketball hoop and parallel bars, which are visible in the structure.
4) The Tieli wood (ironwood) is created from dismantled temples of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), which makes this art piece a special artifact, and a part of history.
5) Ai's art is meant to pull at the heartstrings, 38 tons of steel rebar was salvaged from school buildings in the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, and used as a reminder of the greed and destruction that was created in the process.
3) The way my brain processed this art was completely based on how I could relate to the piece, I saw an organized mess, packed into perfection, along with a blank white wall left for expression, I saw a clear example of perfectionism. After learning about the history of the art, and understanding where the wood came from, I view this piece more as a sacred piece of history rather than what I perceived from it in the beginning. My respect for the artist and the piece grew as well!
2) ART AND WRITING
.This 3D painting hanging up in my bedroom was painted by a local artist named Hazelton in 2010, My aunt and Uncle run local art shows, and they set up vendors for local artists in Sarasota. This piece was painted using acrylic, and it is an original. it also comes with 3D glasses! I have owned this painting since I was around 15 years old. I think that this painting is fun to look at, and very detailed and appealing. I love the beauty of the geometry of the shapes.
3) WRITING A SELF-PORTRAIT
I am currently 22 years old, and I identify as a female, I am from Sarasota, Florida, and my ethnicity is Caucasian, my father’s side of the family is Italian, and I’m sure if you met me in person, you would be able to tell. On my mother’s side, we are Dutch and Swedish. In my free time, I really enjoy hiking trails in Colorado Springs through the mountains, and botanical gardens, and finding new beaches to go to. I enjoy writing poetry and painting in nature, and I’m a bookworm. Ever since I was a little girl art has been an outlet of expression for me like it is for many others, I was able to draw things that I was feeling that I couldn’t understand until I got older, and when I couldn’t find the words, the world was my canvas. I am also a huge music enthusiast and enjoy discovering new bands and music types, I listen to everything! Currently, I work at a Catering service restaurant, and I travel and work at different weddings and banquets. If you can’t already tell I am a free spirit, and I enjoy finding new places to go explore. Soon I plan to switch to a job that is more relevant to the Psychology field, I have an interview at a psychiatry center in a few days, and I’m so excited to get my foot in the door for my career and get started. I feel like my diversity makes me unique, whether it is in music, or social situations I seem to be able to blend in or adapt to many different environments, and energies, and I enjoy observing and learning new things.
4) ART PROJECT (SELF- PORTRAIT)
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86
Shiloh had her sister’s stubbornness. Brad and Anna had noticed it since she was able to talk. No, I do it! When she was five, she was adamant she was a boy named John. She wanted to dress in boys’ clothes, like daddy, and preferred playing with her brothers. It brought back memories of when Elliot had first learned about the LGBT community from Jason. At eighteen years old, she was like every other teenager who thought she knew more than her parents.
She had become aware of who her father was, as had her brothers and sisters. It bothered her sometimes because the public was so interested in her. She gave credit to her parents for shielding her from the paparazzi as much as possible. Neither she nor her siblings asked to be famous. It was something they talked about when they were together.
Brad would never have enough words to describe how proud he was of his children. They were becoming independent, which was hard for him but he had to let them go eventually. He held onto Shiloh the tightest because of her rough start in life. Both he and Anna had told her the truth of their relationship once she was old enough to understand. Her mother had been in a relationship with another man when she had an affair with her father.
What happened to the other guy? He went through a very deep depression and ended up in rehab. She was upset and she asked if she was part of the affair. No, she was born two years later. What about her sister? Elliot? What did she mean? Why didn’t she visit her when she was younger? She had been the one to discover the affair and she didn’t talk to them for two years because of her anger.
Elliot had gone through a rough childhood. Her mother was abusive to her and forced her into a career in Hollywood while giving her drugs. She was taken from her and placed into foster care when she was ten years old. He didn’t find out she was his daughter until two years later. She then chose to live with him. Her real name was Jayde Lucy Johnson but she changed it to Elliot Ryan Pitt when she was thirteen because of the association it had with her mother.
Was her mother like Angelina? In some ways, yes. She had severe mental health problems, namely Narcissistic Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, and bipolar disorder. Elliot has always been independent, like her. She finally felt like she understood her sister better. Did she have mental health problems? She had ADHD and anxiety but was taking medication. So, no. She was nothing like Angelina. Why did she move to Montana? He laughed.
“That was her dream since she was twelve or thirteen years old. She wanted to have a farm in the middle of nowhere Montana at the foot of the mountains, so she could adopt every animal that needed a home. Whitefish is pretty much in the middle of nowhere Montana.”
After finding her Instagram account, she looked through her pictures and read her captions. She posted a picture of her horses, Lady and Duchess while outside in the snow. Even in cold temperatures, they still preferred to be outside. The horses were beautiful! They had long beautiful manes and tails. They looked like they were having fun running around in the snow.
One of her followers asked her which horse was which. Lady had a white spot on her nose. She was also more stubborn. Duchess had her moments but not as often as her sister. She shared the pictures with Brad. They went back to 2011 when she first made her account. He looked through them with her.
elliotryan: When the cats wake you up and you’re like, damn! It’s 7 am! My deepest apologies to my guests for their rude awakening this morning. The cats have made me their slave.
When they came back inside after shooting for a while, the dogs met them at the door. The cats had taken their dog beds and they wouldn’t give them back! They had beds and a cat tree, but they felt entitled to take their beds. They were a lot bigger than them, but they were still afraid of the cats. They went to the living room, where they instantly saw the problem.
The dogs whined at the humans for help. Milo and Lily glared at them. They were not moving! Bear tried to gently nudge Lily off of his bed but she wouldn’t move. They laughed as she went over and gently grabbed Lily. She put her on the floor before going over and doing the same with Milo. The dogs cheerfully reclaimed their beds. Thank you, human! Milo and Lily grumbled as they walked away. Stupid dogs! They were nice and comfortable! They bent down and gave the cats pets. Thank you! That made them feel a lot better!
Elliot put her gun up high in her bedroom closet, while the guys walked around her room. She had a great view! They could see the snow-covered mountains in the distance. Otis would love to meet her animals! He was a curious little boy, who had inherited his artistic talents. Dad, look what I drew! In school, he thrived in math art, and science, while having little to no interest in English. His sixth-grade teachers commented that he was a great kid, who always made himself available if anyone needed help.
That could be other teachers, staff, or students. He had invited a new kid to sit with him and his friends during lunch. Mike and Phoenix were beyond proud of who he was growing up to be. He loved his grandparents and uncles. Mike’s father told him stories about Japan, which he loved listening to! All around, he was empathetic, sensitive, and kind-hearted, and put others before himself.
While they were in Montana, he was staying with Phoenix’s parents. He texted them to let them know what he was doing. During the pandemic, they were concerned about him being bullied or harassed for being part Japanese. They talked to him about what was going on in a way he would understand. People were attacking people of Asian descent because the virus originated in Wuhan, China and racists couldn’t tell the difference between different Asian cultures.
Asia was extremely vast and diverse with different countries and languages. But all people cared about was that they had brought the virus over and they should be punished. He was safe from harassment, thankfully. When he went back to school, he went out of his way to be nice to people because he wanted to show them that Asian people were not the bad guys.
He had friends from different backgrounds and ethnicities at school and he told his dads about them. Phoenix was a great father! He encouraged Otis to pursue his passions and he always made time for him. While he was producing music for different artists, he was taking over household duties. He was born to be a husband and father. Mike would never understand why he had chosen him to be with him for the rest of their lives.
This was the family he had been dreaming of. He was the person he was supposed to fall in love with. Before Otis was born, they agreed to keep their children’s lives private. That included social media and interviews. His parents also agreed to keep their lives private. It was for safety reasons. They didn’t want people with the wrong intentions to know who he was.
Bringing him home from the hospital was one of the best moments of his life. They were sleep-deprived but they could not be more in love with their son or each other. He hit his milestones on time and he was a happy baby, who smiled at his daddies whenever he saw them. His first word was baba, despite them working on him saying dada. What was baba? They had no idea but they thought it was hilarious! He continued saying it until he picked up other words.
When he started crawling, they had to baby-proof the house. He was five when he noticed he looked different than Phoenix. Instead of black hair, he had orange hair. He liked his daddy’s orange hair and freckles. They talked to him about people being different and how it was okay. That was something he also learned in preschool.
They would teach their future children the same thing. Eleven years had gone by so fast. As he grew up, they were curious as to who he would become.
@zoeykaytesmom @feelingsofaithless @alina-dixon
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akaashi childhood married
Hi bb I didn’t know whether this was for my 3 words + character deal or just in general so I went with general childhood friends to married ❤️ it starts angsty but it gets better I promise
When you were seven, you realized something about the world. Up to this point, it was acceptable for you to answer, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” with “Kei-chan’s wife.”
But Kei-chan’s wife stopped being a viable career at age seven, with everyone telling you to opt for doctor or restaurant owner or journalist or nurse or - oh, and by the way, stop calling him Kei-chan too. Try Keiji-kun instead.
(“Keiji-kun” made him look at you funny, so you resorted to “Akaashi-kun,” which had him look at you more funny. By the time you switched exclusively to “Akaashi-san,” he stopped showing any kind of reaction.)
When you were seventeen, you realized something about the world. The earth is large, but also very, very small. You were certain that Akaashi-san had forgotten most of your childhood memories of libraries and grocery runs and helping both your moms with dinner. You were sure some other girl got the privilege of calling him Kei-chan now.
You were sure that of all the fish in the sea, you only wanted that one, and it should be a criminal offense that your brain still can’t come up with any other career paths besides “Akaashi Keiji’s wife.”
Sure, you have your personal interests and goals, but none of them felt as right as that first one a decade ago.
And suddenly your footing is stripped from under you because apparently no one in the entirety of Fukurodani Academy cares enough about *insert club of choice* to keep your beloved club afloat. The sight of the club room stripped bare was a direct blow to your sanity and will to live (which is over-dramatic, yes, but it’s been the worst week of your life even without that, and goddamn, who keeps ringing your doorbell?)
You pull yourself together enough to open the door with a sniffle, crossing your arms tightly to hold it together. “Hi, how can I- Akaashi-san?”
The boy in question seems to be having it as tough as you, if not worse. “Hi,” the smiles crookedly. “You wouldn’t happen to have an ankle brace?” He’s leaning heavily on your doorframe, and when you usher him in with a bunch of exclamations, he hops in while leaning on your shoulder, and every intelligent thought flies straight out of your brain.
After handing him a bag of ice and telling him that you don’t, in fact, have an ankle brace, you start making calls to his mom and your mom to see what to do when your injured estranged fiancé-but-not-really shows up on a Tuesday night.
By the time the calls are over, Akaashi has made a little origami something. You noticed him fidgeting, but he always does that anyway, so it’s not a big deal. Until he hands you a paper ring inscribed by his messy hand with Kei-chan’s wife and refuses to answer any questions about it.
When you are twenty seven, you realize something about the world. It’s amazing already, but Keiji makes it infinitely better.
He doesn’t remember anything about your old dream, as it turns out, but his mom had mentioned it while he was harboring a huge crush on you. That paper ring that one time was an instinctive thing that he wouldn’t have done if he’d thought about it - but he wasn’t thinking at all, clearly.
“What are you thinking about, love?” Your husband asks sleepily, nuzzling into your shoulder. Lazy kisses bloom across your skin, and you reach back to touch his hair.
“About how lucky I am.”
“Hm.”
“About finding my new dream because I haven’t yet. It’s been years since you made the original one come true.”
“You mean the marriage thing?”
The marriage thing. Keiji could stand to be a little more amazed, but he’s sleepy, so he can have a pass.
“Yeah, that… Keiji?”
“Mmm.” He says as his hands slip over the bare skin of your stomach. His hands are always cool to the touch somehow, eliciting a shiver from you.
“You’re the only star in my sky.” It’s an old thing of yours, the first confession you made while Keiji was explaining something about constellations. You’ve been repeating it ever since.
Each time, the hesitation dissaptes a bit more when he responds, “And you, mine.”
#haikyuu fluff#haikyuu x reader#haikyuu scenarios#akaashi x reader#akaashi fluff#akaashi keiji x reader#akaashi scenario#akaashi keiji fanfiction
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Learning Teamwork
Josh Lyman x Reader
Words: 2184
Summary: Two colleagues that usually butt heads are forced to play nice when the President sends them to attend to a Governor's Ball in his home state.
Notes: I have so much Josh angst I wanted to write something a little fluffier that I could still capture his signature snark in. (For the purposes of this, I made up a Governor that would fit the story so if there was one discussed in the show, they aren’t in this one.) I also wrote this in two days so… bare with me.
-
If you hadn’t been in the presence of the President, you might have thrown something at him.
“If the President addresses this now, the Republicans will stop at nothing to get back at him for it.” He spoke in that smug, know-it-all tone that drove you insane.
“This is about real people, Mr. Lyman, not the little politics games that you play all day.”
“Okay, everyone, I think that’s enough.” The President’s order may have halted your argument, but you could still feel the heat rising to your cheeks as you stared Josh down. The rest of the team made a very quick exit, hoping to avoid becoming casualties in you and Josh’s on-going battle. But when the two of you started for the door, President Bartlet’s voice called you back. “Not. You. Two.”
You grimaced and turned back around, reveling a little in the fact that Josh looked just as uncomfortable as you did. One stern look from Jed Bartlet, however, was enough to diminish that.
“Is it physically impossible for the two of you to let me get through one meeting without going at each other’s throats?” He urged, his irritated gaze switching rapidly between the both of you. “Not only are you both a part of this team, you are adults for Christ sake!”
“Sorry, sir.” You gulped.
“My apologies, Mr. President.”
God, even apologizing, he had to try and sound smarter than you.
“I’m not finished yet.” The President walked around his desk and grabbed an envelope from under a pile of other papers. “The Governor of New Hampshire is hosting a ball on Saturday to celebrate something that I can’t even remember. Frankly, I think it’s because his wife enjoys parties a little too much, but who am I to judge?”
You and Josh exchanged a look that consisted more of confusion than anger.
Bartlet continued, “Well, seeing as I used to be Governor of my home state, he’s been kind enough to invite me, though I also think this is more of a way to get more Democratic backing for his next election. Nevertheless, while I am unable to attend due to this whole mess with possible terrorism, I know just the two members of my senior staff to send in my place.” He looked pointedly at both of you.
The excuses tumbled over each other as you and Josh blurted them out, desperately pleading to find something that would change his mind. You hated political gatherings in general but the idea of being forced to go with Josh? It twisted your stomach into so many knots you thought you’d throw up.
“There’s going to be political fallout from all of this and I should really be around-”
“C.J. and Toby are going to need me to-”
“Y/N could go by herself.” Josh said suddenly, making your jaw drop. That little snake. “I’m sure there are plenty of young men that’ll be thrilled to see you.”
“Says one of the White House’s most eligible bachelors.” You fired back, forgetting who you were standing in front of.
“Enough!” The President slammed the invitation down on the desk in front of the two of you. “This isn’t about who is more desirable than who. This is about you two learning how to work as a team and not biting each other’s heads off every time you’re in the same room together! Now, I am calling Governor Thompson and telling him you’re going and the two of you are going to be the picture of grace and maturity. If I hear one word of anything else, so help me god, your careers will be so buried, it’ll take years before they see the light of day.” His voice echoed through the Oval Office, rattling you down to the bone. “Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“Good. Now go do whatever you need to to free up next Saturday.” He sat down, putting on his glasses to look over other documents. “Oh, and find something nice to wear. Mrs. Thompson has always been a bit of a stickler with the dress code.”
With that, you were dismissed and you felt the dread settling in your chest. You were going to a ball. In New Hampshire. With Josh Lyman for a date. As you shouldered out the door together, you cast glowering looks.
“I hate you.”
“I hate you more.”
-
If the snickers from Sam and C.J. weren’t enough to drive you crazy in the week leading up to your flight, scrambling to find a dress was not something you originally had on your schedule. Even when you had found one you liked, there was the matter of rescheduling everything you had the weekend you would be gone.
At least Josh seemed to be having as difficult a time as you were. Any time you saw him in passing, he looked frantic and disheveled- which would usually bring you a small amount of joy, but for some reason, knowing you were in the same boat actually made you feel better about going with him.
“Hey.”
You looked up from the piles of work from your desk, surprised to see your unfortunate date standing in your doorway. It was the day before you were set to leave and you both had mountains of work to try and finish.
“What can I help you with, Josh?”
“I just came to say that this might not be such a bad idea.” He moved from the door to the chair, but he didn’t sit down. He just stood anxiously behind it, leaning on the back. He actually looked sincere- and a voice in the back of your head pointed out that, without his usual cloud of arrogance that always hung around him, he was actually very attractive.
No. Definitely not. You hated him.
“Which part? Going to a ridiculous dance so that Governor Thompson can get more clout with Democrats or the fact that we have to go as a bonding exercise?” Your tone was cold, even more so than usual. Call it overcorrecting for your brain’s traitorous thoughts.
“I think the President is right.” Josh’s posture changed, standing up a little straighter as his tone grew defensive. “If this is what it takes to get us to work together, then I guess we deserve it.”
“Funny, since when he first proposed the idea you suggested that I go alone.” You stood up, crossing your arms.
Josh mimicked your stance, his brow furrowing with anger. “Look, I came in here to make some kind of peace with you, and I don’t understand-”
“I know what you came here to do, Josh. You want to show me that I don’t understand Bartlet the way you do while you play some kind of martyr for going on this trip.” You leaned forward with your hands on your desk and he did the same. Your faces must have only been a few inches apart.
“Fine!”
“Fine!”
You’d never wanted to kiss Josh Lyman more than you did in that moment and couldn’t hate him more for it.
-
Your seats on the plane were right next to each other. Because of course, they were. Josh got the window seat despite your protests, sticking you in the middle between him and a rather obnoxious businessman who was speaking loudly on his phone.
“Sir, I need you to turn that off as we prepare to take off.” The flight attendant instructed.
“Yeah, just give me a second.”
“Now, sir.” Her voice was a semi-irritated monotone that left little room for any argument. The man gave her an annoyed look and ended his call. “Thank you, sir.” She continued down the aisle to berate somebody else. Without the distraction of work, he sought out a new way to pass the time- you.
“What takes you to Concord?” He leaned a little closer to you than you would have preferred, but leaning back would basically put you in Josh’s lap so you stayed put.
“My coworker and I have an event to attend.” You motioned to the seemingly oblivious man on the other side of you.
“Just coworker?” His casual expression turned into a suggestive smirk and you felt his fingers run up your knee. You jerked away from him.
“Husband, actually, so how about you keep your hands to yourself?” Josh snapped suddenly, giving Mr. Handsy a death glare. You stared at Josh with wide eyes and forced your mouth shut to keep it from gaping in shock. The man beside you must have been as surprised as you because words came out as a whispered stutter.
“Sorry, I didn’t- she said- and I thought-”
“Yeah, well you thought wrong.” He stood up. “Here, honey, why don’t you take the window seat?”
You sat there, without moving, for a few seconds before he nudged your leg with his foot and you climbed over him to get to the seat by the window. Once you were both situated, the other man got suddenly very interested in the papers from his briefcase.
You leaned over and whispered in Josh’s ear. “Honey? Really?”
“Don’t start.” Though his voice sounded irritated, there was almost a small smile playing at his lips. You shifted awkwardly, trying to keep a smirk from your own lips.
“You really didn’t have to do that.”
“Do you want the window seat or not?” Now his smile had grown into a snicker, making you laugh lightly.
“Who would have thought you were such a gentleman?”
“Well, I’m a married man now, apparently.” He teased. You rolled your eyes.
“In your dreams, Lyman.”
-
After an hour of shaking hands and dancing with the Governor’s persistent son, you were ready to knock your head against the wall until you passed out. Oddly enough, you had yet to see Josh. Mrs. Thompson invited you to come early for tea so you hadn’t arrived together. You were beginning to think he’d bailed when you saw him across the room.
Pushing your way over to him, his eyes widened when he finally saw you.
“You look amazing.” He gasped, his eyes scanning your silky blue dress before settling on your eyes. “I mean… wow.”
You felt blush tint your cheeks as a smile spread across your lips. He cleaned up pretty well himself and you found yourself checking him out for what you wished you could say was the first time ever. What could you say? The man looked good in suits.
You must have stood there, staring at each other, for a few minutes before Ned Thompson came into view. Without a second to think, you grabbed Josh’s hand.
“Dance with me.”
“What?”
“Just do it.” You yanked him with you onto the dance floor, losing sight of the Governor’s persistent son.
Josh looked around, trying to see who you seemed so desperate to avoid as the two of you began to sway to the music. “What was that about?”
You checked one more time to make sure the coast was clear. “Ned.”
“The Governor’s kid?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t he, like, ten years younger than you.”
“He’s only eight, but yes.” You rolled your eyes, annoyed by his pestering. On the bright side, he was a pretty good dancer. “If I dance with him one more time, I think he’ll propose.” You couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation.
“Just tell him you’re married to me.” Josh smirked. “Worked the last time.” You both chuckled and continued dancing. For a while, you forgot why you were here to begin with. You were enjoying yourself more than you cared to admit. In a room full of people, the only one you wanted to dance with was the man you loved to hate.
Maybe it was the other way around.
-
You sat up in bed, sipping coffee and reading the paper while the sound of the hotel’s heater droned on. The fluffy white robe enveloped your body perfectly, but the real warmth came from the sleeping form beside you as he turned over, swinging his arm so it was around your waist and pulling you closer to him. You smiled in both amusement and complete bewilderment as to how you got here.
“I don’t think this is what the President meant by ‘teamwork’.” You noted, folding up the paper and setting it aside.
Josh peeked up at you, half his face still smooshed against the pillow.
“Goodmorning.” He greeted groggily, rubbing his eyes as he slowly sat up.
“I made you coffee.” You handed him the little Styrofoam cup and waited until he’d had enough to wake up a little more. “What are we supposed to tell him when he asks how everything went?”
He thought for a moment. “You know, we didn’t fight at all last night.” He was right. Between the ball and, well, everything after that, not a single argument was had.
You shrugged and held out your cup of coffee for a cheers. “To teamwork,” Josh smirked and tapped his cup against yours.
“To teamwork.”
#josh lyman x reader#the west wing#bradley whitford#jed bartlet#the west wing imagines#josh lyman#c.j. cregg#sam seaborn#joshua lemon lyman
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