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viviennevivisection · 1 year

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Session 21 - “A Very Persuasive Presentation” - 10-16-22

-Fighting!

-Benny has been killed

-Viv is holding Cass’ hand during combat — squeezing hard

-Naomi’s spiritual weapon a one handed sword, rapier thin, made of pure gold

-All of the Skellies have been killed (hellhound breath weapon go brrrrrr)

-The teleportation sigils lit up for a second, as if they were activating

-Viv yelled “Heel!” In infernal to try and confuse The Hounds

-Cass outline started to look…funky. The Enforcer was trying to possess her again

-Naomi (DN??) can see in magical darkness ?? Cass can too????? Viv is the only one in the dark lol

-Cass casted hellish rebuke, and her eyes flashed residuum green

-Viv casted spiritual guardians a lot

-She was downed

-Norman had insane shadow blades with multi-attack

-Naomi casted beacon of hope

-Watts was also downed

-Norman was killed, turned into goo (as is tradition)

-Viv and Watts were healed in the aftermath

-One hellhound (the one Viv was able to use verbal commands on) was left after the combat, Viv successfully won it over and told it that Cass was its new mother

-Once up, Viv casted cure wounds on everyone

-Cass’ Grandad’s gun did like double damage to Norman

-A soul was stolen? (Norman’s assumably)

-“Do you think he’s any better?” Norman to Cass about her “new manager”

-“Excellent work. I think this new partnership will work out.” - The Creature

-Cass is talking pictures of everything — which exposes what looks like handprint from inside the crystal

-There is then a knocking from inside the crystal

-Naomi goes and touches the crystal — DN rips out the spectral form of what looks to be a mummified miner — one of the lost Hell Divers

-The form thinks that Cass is Abe (the jacket)

-The ghost is Carter — the previous foreman

-“We found something. They’re not who they said they are. We were trying to push back and then they had us closed in. They had a way in. There’s something down here. It’s powerful. We need to protect it.”

-The soul of someone who had died and was trapped, stayed to try and protect

-Devils go back to Hell when killed

-Grandad’s gun is no longer working?

-We defaced the teleportation similar

-Cass asked Naomi where her power comes from. DN tried to hijack her body for whatever reason. Naomi said it’s not Corcillium.

-“The reason that my magic has been stronger is because I’ve been praying to myself.” - Naomi

-(Why is THIS MUCH residuum divine? Is this what’s draining the divinity from the Woodvale peoples?)

-Asking Vytris about the inclusions in the crystal — seemingly tracing the ley line to other spots of power

An industrial looking basement (in Idella)

Another underground cave

A grove of “dead” pine trees (moving a little too…fluidly)

One by the ocean, in a secluded cavern

One under the ocean

-Everyone saw two hands reaching out toward one another

Naomi and Dark Naomi reaching for each other

Tori and Hannah reaching for each other

Cass and a hand she doesn’t recognize (a smaller, feminine seeming hand — Helen??)

-We feel weak after experiencing the vision

-Two entities are touching that should not be (? The Dodder Plants and the crystal?)

-The knocking has stopped

-Cass texted Judd to call the meeting for us to Expose Everything

-(Straight) Ezra called Cass from work, asking if we had gone into mines, corresponding almost directly to when Norman bit it

-Ellie named the hellhound Celsius

-Getting a Presentation set up in the Town Hall — Cass setting up a projector with the pictures she took at the bottom of the mine. Putting Celsius in a cage with a sheet over it

-(Straight) Ezra has entered and looks confused, other townspeople are trickling in as well. Not Riley Smith though! Naomi has sent DN to get her ass

-Cass is giving her Presentation (“What’s down there needs to be protected.”)

-Riley Smith has arrived after it’s started, being escorted by DN

-“You’re all aware of why I left. I worked for them. The suits. What I was working on was researching why we’re so sick.” -Cass

-Cass explained the contract she signed, and what it entailed

-Cass started asking Riley questions, VE casted zone of truth on her

-Riley TRIED to lie about knowing Normal Steele

-“What did he promise you? Was it what you did to Ezra?”

-Getting her to admit most of her crimes — that’s she been charming people, more or less betraying the town, and that she was mostly in it for herself

-Celsius was revealed (to shocked gasps) in order to drive home what exactly Norman was/is

-“…and we maintain our independence.”

-“Divinity is sparked in a common thought, a common goal. Putting faith in each other.” (Cass sermonizing, giving off divine energy.)

-VE got Riley to admit that she knows about Woodvale Sickness. She explained that it’s caused by a loss of faith or passion in the town, as well as blocking of the well of magic (to the town)

-Charlie Smith ripped up the original Dodder contract

-Charlie was seemingly well-intentioned, but manipulated and back into the corner. Riley is simply a bad egg

-Sam was trying to figure out who Buddy/The Creature was and Sarah said: “How did you meet Buddy? Think about the material.” Truly inscrutable

-Cass to Riley: “You may think that was an even trade. Power doesn’t come from nowhere. If it’s given like that it can be taken like that, too. Don’t owe yourself to someone else. Even after everything, this town is forgiving.”

-THE EZRILEY ENGAGEMENT IS OFF! WE WON!

-It seems that with Norman dying/going back to hell, the contract was nulled

-Even after this, we had never asked what Woodvale is making in their famous factory. It’s weapons and weapons parts

-Trying to help Woodvale create an independent business, reaching out to Dandy to see if he has clients who could use the town’s services

-Cass used the Hacking Wall Street Money to fully pay for Jamieson’s GoFundMe for Woodvale Schools

-Ms. Moody went to school with Helen Smith … HS from Woodvale #confirmed

-Helen was…ambitious

-HS reminds Moody of Cass (Yikes!)

-Helen did/does in fact have magic

-Helen is not super closely related to the current Woodvale Smiths, but there is relation nonetheless

-“It’s hard to shake up this place.” -Cass on Woodvale

-Everyone sleeps relatively soundly :)

-VE have some weird dreams —broken fragments, seemingly repeats of the visions from the DIR at the bottom of the mine. Images of Angie in a ball gown. Somehow…outdated? Almost. Abigail Larson Vibes

#dnd #campaign diary

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yesimwriting · 3 years

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Anastasia (prologue)

A/n ive been talking about my Anastasia x SOC story for awhile and im finally ready to post the prequel,, ive also been working on some requests and thinking about my next multi-part fic (ive made some posts about it lol)

things to know before reading: i tend to like to make up my own countries when writing these type of politically/plot driven fics that revolve around a royal family bc i think it makes it not only easier to write but less confusing bc it takes out the issue of potentially conflicting with canon, so i made up the country ‘Anastasia’ is from,, this also follows the musical Anastasia a little more bc i feel like that version of the story is more mature and easier to write for SOC (the only difference is that not everyone is happy that Anastasia is alive and someone tries to kill her bc they hate the royal family)

Series Summary: y/n makes an unconventional deal with Kaz to save the life of her best friend. No one’s ever made a deal with the infamous Dirtyhands that resulted in them shedding the title of orphan from a revolution-torn country that can’t remember her life before the orphanage and taking on the title of Princess Anastasia. As time progresses, things are made more complicated as y/n has to deal with royals, revolutionaries, a grisha general who has a lot to gain from an alliance with a princess that doesn’t know what she’s doing, and potential feelings for a conflicted Kaz Brekker that has more to do with Anastasia’s disappearance than he’s ever admitted.

The world seems to be made up impossible things. Each day, people defy odds, strangers fall in love, the universe expands, and the Saints watch it all. I am not the kind of person to sneer at a miracle, to try to explain it away instead of acknowledging it for what it is.

But what this stranger is proposing is laughable.

I lean more into the chair, doing all I can to get away from the desk that he sits at. A nervous kind of giggle threatens to escape me, a laugh at the expense of the foolishness of the situation. If his demeanor was any less brooding, I would have already laughed at the irony. Kaz Brekker, the Dirtyhands, creating a ploy so colored by the fairytale notions of dreamers.

The longer I go without reacting, the worse this situation becomes. I haven’t seen Verne since Brekker and his people separated us. I can see the world of torment my eldest friend must be experiencing at this very moment while I sit at this desk.

“Me?” I’m the most ridiculous part of his plan. He said the only reason me and my partner are still alive is because I fit the general description of the kind of person he needs, and if I’m blackmailed into it he won’t need to waste kruge paying me. “A princess?”

He blinks, as uninterested and stoic as he’s been since he first ordered me into his office. “A pretend one,” his correction feels like a slight, “a surrogate one.”

My eyebrows furrow together. “But what--I know the odds of the real Anastasia coming back are beyond slim, but if we’re caught in a lie the Dowager Duchess of Avila will have all of us killed. She may be in Ravka now, and her title nothing more than decorative due to the revolution, but she still has people loyal to her.”

“Anastasia can’t come back.” The graveness of his voice is so certain a part of me has to wonder if he could have anything to do with her death. I dismiss the thought almost immediately, I don’t know his exact age, but he doesn’t look much older than me. He couldn’t have been more than two or three years older than Anastasia when she died, and she was a child at the time. “No one remains missing that long unless they’re dead.”

I awkwardly scratch the back of my wrist, “You’re the expert here.” No--I did not just say that out loud. “Sorry--I didn’t mean to say that out loud. Not that thinking it makes it any better, but at least then you wouldn’t know and I’d seem like less of an idiot and I wouldn’t be talking about it right now, and just rambling at a really inconvenient time for me to just...” I cringe slightly, opting to stare at his desk instead of meeting his judgmental gaze. “Sorry, again. Normally Verne is here, and he just kicks me in the shin or something to shut me up.”

“If you’d like to see what apparently is your only source of impulse control alive and in decent enough condition to kick anything ever again, you’ll agree to what I’m proposing.”

I straighten my posture slightly, nerves and guilt twisting in my stomach. “I’m going to be as transparent as physically possible.” The warning is for both of us, the urge to hide all my weaknesses bubbling in my chest. “Mr. Brekker.” That’s awkward--what am I supposed to call him? “I’m a university student that’s only in Ketterdam because of an academic scholarship. I’m from somewhere average--I’m not from a place nice enough to give me the manners I’d need to pass as a girl who spent her fundamental years growing up in luxury and I’m not from a place grimy enough to make me a quick enough liar to make up for what I don’t know.” I inhale slowly, ignoring the sting of the flaws I laid out for a cruel stranger. “I’m not particularly graceful or sly or talented in any field that someone like you would value. The closest thing I have to talent involves things that can be tracked on paper. I wasn’t even supposed to be here tonight, I was just doing a friend a favor.”

“You claim that you’re not a decent liar or a thief and yet your closest friend is one who believed himself talented enough to challenge me?”

I resist the urge to shrink back into my seat. “This is Ketterdam, you try finding someone that doesn’t dabble in crime and ambition.” He does’t reply to my retort, which I think means I won. “Cards on the table, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to save Verne, but you don’t want me for something like this.”

He pauses, jaw locked and eyes too stony for me to interpret. “Every flaw you just pointed out, every reason you think makes you unfit for this job, is exactly the reason I’m offering you this.” I keep a thousand questions to myself as I wait for him to continue. “Those used to lying lack the warmth that will be needed to sell this. The Dowager Duchess is a grandmother first when it comes to Anastasia, that’s why she’s offering so much gold. She, and the rest of the royals that desire to know what happened to Anastasia, want to believe the story I’m telling. If you present yourself as someone real and warm and you understand table manners enough to not disturb the serene picture they want, they’ll squint at ugly details until they disappear.”

Wow. I know that he’s intelligent, but what he’s constructing is so much more bullet proof than I thought it’d be. “I’ll admit you’ve constructed an airtight narrative.”

I know my approval means nothing to him, but it’s the most agreeable I’m willing to be. “A narrative the background you told me of fits perfectly.” I shouldn’t have answered all those questions he asked me earlier so honestly. “A child born in Avila who was sent to a Kerch orphanage due to a war-relief effort during the revolution. A faceless orphan who was found during the height of the revolution with no memory of anything before the morning she woke up in a hospital cot.”

I say nothing. My skin burns in protest of someone knowing so much about me. He must take my silence as a sign of me teetering the line away from what he wants, because he then says, “your friend is fortunate, if things aligned a little less perfectly he’d be dead already.”

Dead already. The words elate my heart in a way that pinches. He’s still alive. Verne is alive. “If I agree, you let me see him and then you let him go.”

“If you need a contract to believe me, I can have that arranged.” The words have an almost mocking edge. I guess it’d be a little ridiculous to get an official contract drawn up for something so small. “If you at any point change your mind, I’ll do the same.”

The threat is clear. I back out and Verne pays for it in blood. Verne’s safety is once again in my hand. This situation is much more precarious than Kaz Brekker wants it to seem. “You need me to do something that will literally last the rest of my life. Tiaras aren’t something you can slip in and out of.”

“Yes, I’m forcing you to give up a life in the slums for a palace for your friend’s life. This must be a difficult choice for you.”

I look down to avoid rolling my eyes. “It’s still permanent, and it’s large because at any point I could reveal the truth and take you down with me.”

“Remember who you speak to.” His voice has turned to pure darkness.

Don’t wince. Don’t wince. Don’t wince. “All I’m saying is that you’ve offered Verne’s life to buy my cooperation, but you have yet to mention the cost of my silence.”

His expression is sharp enough to draw blood. “The Dowager Duchess is old and sick, wait at most two years and you’ll have more gold than you could ever spend. The revolution took that family’s power, not the wealth the Duchess took with her to Ravka the night of the massacre.”

I shift awkwardly. “I’m not trying to get kruge from you for me.” I fold my hands neatly on my lap to avoid fidgeting. “Verne--he’s beyond desperate for kruge, that’s why he risked angering you.” The urge to shy away threatens to break my resolve. I think of all the times Verne has saved me. “Let him keep what he tried to take.” The request is awkward from my lips. I’m asking for more when I should should be grateful any type of mercy came from him. Any type of offer. “Half. Let him keep half.”

He’s silent for a long moment, weighing the implications of loss. “You’re already entitled enough to pass for royalty.” I don’t let myself shrink. “Deal, but not because you threatened me--try that again and you’ll find yourself wishing you had never left the orphanage you came from.” The relief is practically crushing. Verne is going to be okay. He’s going to live and my resistance earned him enough kruge to have a week or two without worry as he plans what he’ll do in my absence. “You better be as good a study as you made yourself seem to be.”

I don’t understand the second threat. “Studying?”

“You didn’t think you could wander into the Dowager Duchess’s home, use the excuse of amnesia to explain why you don’t even know your own mother’s name, and expect them to think you more than an Avilan orphan with a desire for wealth.”

“I actually don’t know my own mother’s name because of amnesia.”

He’s in no mood to be contradicted, glowering sharply, “not anymore, anything that doesn’t fit the narrative I’m constructing is no longer true.” He straightens slightly as he begins to pace away from me. “You’ll have five minutes with your friend and then we’ll see where your table manners are at. I know someone who knows enough to correct you.”

I try to picture where someone like him would meet someone that knows about etiquette. My mind provides nothing useful, but it doesn’t matter--I’ve agreed. It can’t be undone, not without having the blood of my dearest friend on my hands.

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mollyscribbles · 3 years

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Owl House rewatch thoughts

* Hard to say from what little we see of her, but I think Luz' mom might have been less worried about her daughter reading fantasy and more about the "multiple incidents of bringing uncontained live animals and explosives to school" thing.

* If Eda considers Luz' Azura book as being only useful as kindling, it means she's not inclined to view human books as something she can make snails on. Considering how unique her portal to the human realm is treated, where did Amity get her Azura books? I've seen people suggest the author travels between realms, but if that were the case, Amity would've been able to get the latest volume from a local store rather than needing to borrow Luz' copy.

* Suggestions for other species that escaped from the Boiling Isles: the platypus and peacock mantis shrimp.

* "Weak nerd arms" ok really identifying with Luz here.

* Really love this take on Chosen One stories. Because yes, there is an appeal in being told you're special, you're unique in the best possible way, but ultimately this is a story about people who aren't "special" so much as outcasts who do their best with the situation they're in. Which is something that a lot more people can aspire to be.

* The fact that this was a set scheme(as the multiple fake maps would indicate) rather than a trap specifically designed for Luz indicates that even people who've spent their lives on the Boiling Isles would be drawn to the idea of being a magical chosen one. I bet Amity's not the only one to have an interest in fantasy literature around here.

* Oh wow Amity's first appearance outside the credits is . . . something. It's easy to forget just how far she grew in one season.

* Eda's not a *bad* teacher, so much as she has yet to learn that teaching requires expanding on a concept you introduce and explaining your reasoning. "Here is what you can learn from tasting snow" instead of just "here, taste these different kinds of snow"

* Hm. For someone who despairs at the concept of the school teaching blind obedience, her teaching style kinda relies on it. Bit of a hypocrite there, Eda.

* Gonna be honest, the first time I watched this and King mentioned Eda sneaking a drink of elixir, I thought it was going to turn out to be a magic-looking flask.

* It seems slightly odd that King's apparently known Eda for a while but didn't have any idea of the curse. Maybe she was just REALLY good about keeping up with her elixirs pre-series.

* Really like the metaphor for a chronic illness that's kept under control by medication.

* If the Emperor's Coven provides access to all forms of magic, you'd think others aspiring for a spot would be permitted a multi-track education at Hexside. That might be why none of them seem to be that impressive at magic when they're supposed to be the "best of the best" -- even if they have *access* to all forms of magic, they've only had training in one specific field during the bulk of their education.

* lbr, Lilith's cheating was worse because at least Eda told Luz what she was doing.

* You'd think Willow and Gus might have caught on that Luz didn't have permission for them to come over when she told them to hide from Eda.

* It's nice that Eda realizes raising a kid with a "screw the rules" mindset will result in a kid who breaks her rules sometimes. Cleaning up the mess she caused is really the correct punishment for Luz; directly dealing with the consequences of her actions but otherwise considering it a lesson learned.

* Reading to kids in the library is an A+ way to shift Amity from "Jerk" to "Jerk with a heart of gold" territory.

* Prediction: At some point, Luz will return to the human world (probably only briefly but Eda won't know at the time) and Eda will come across the "Coping with empty nest syndrome" book Luz got her from the library. She'll cry. King will cry. Hooty will cry. Every viewer will cry.

* Pretty sure that, given what the world is like, if any of them ended up questioned about their actions during the body swap episode, they could just say "Oh yeah I was body swapped that day. What'd I get up to?" and everyone would consider this a perfectly logical explanation for them acting out-of-character.

* HC that Hexside is fully aware some illusion-track students skip class by having an illusion of themselves attend in their place, but they figure a student maintaining a decent replica of themselves for the duration of the class period requires enough effort to count as a form of class participation, so they just let everyone think they're getting away with it.

* Gus and Willow are really ride-or-die friends. Always nice to have.

* Probably some of the mystery appeal will be gone from the Human Appreciation Society once a legit human is just attending classes on a regular basis; being able to get definitive answers to questions rather than spending your time speculating would cut back on the draw.

* I love all the details they include on this show -- a lot of other shows would just stick in scribbles while panning past pictures instead of writing out all of Eda's incident reports.

* The pallisman is a neat concept; sort of like a mix of a wand and a familiar, a magical control that will have opinions of its own.

* Given Bat Queen apparently has enough of, um, a biological aspect to have kids, I wonder if that means Owlbert is capable of laying eggs. Or having eggs with another owl/pallisman if the male pronouns are anything to go by.

* I mean even Phineas and Ferb didn't question Perry laying an egg when he uses male pronouns so could go either way in terms of what Disney would allow.

* Reading the book fair signs, it looks like sci-fi is a popular genre in the Boiling Isles. Makes sense, since what we'd consider Fantasy would be more contemporary/urban fantasy to them.

* Getting the vibe that someone on staff had a less-than-amicable experience co-writing with a friend to inspire this one. And/or experience with shitty contracts.

* The Hexside requirements also required knowledge of basic runes, but given Luz apparently had no issue with that I'm guessing she just picked those up offscreen.

* "I've seen worse" is the ideal admissions response tbh. Like . . . she pulled off the required spells and the headmaster has seen decades of students' awkward first attempts. It probably counts as a good day when no one's admissions test resulted in needing to bring in someone from the Construction Track to repair the building.

* It's very reminiscent of D&D that the majority of the cast has the response of "This is clearly a trap. Let's check it out!"

* You'd think that carnival fortune tellers wouldn't have the same appeal in a world where it's something you study at school. Unless it's viewed the same way as those "magic" shows they have sometimes where the tricks all involve chemical reactions.

* Kinda surprised a school that teaches kids fire spells doesn't have some kind of fire suppression system in place.

* Hrm. Guessing the mind guardian went back and undid their own damage offscreen; otherwise they'd have had to go re-do the repairs before leaving.

* Good they had the wifi and charging cable coming through the portal to explain why Luz' phone still has service and the battery's not long dead.

* Luz, how have you survived this long with your instinct for pushing buttons. The same as the rest of humanity in a world full of buttons, I suppose.

* Probably if they thought about it, the best criteria for picking Grom royalty would be less who's the most skilled at magic and more who has the most low-key fears. . . . nvm, having a Stay-Puft incident would cause them to reasonably scrap that approach. Maybe appointing someone who obsesses over grades would have better odds of producing a relatively-simple-to-combat exam paper.

* I'm thinking the letters are written by Eda, who doesn't intend anything sinister by it so much as being the type to cover her bases when pulling off a scam and realizing Luz' mother would need some evidence to indicate her daughter was safely at camp.

* The band-aids clearly have some healing spell built-in, considering they've been used to heal inanimate objects.

* someone on the writing staff has a long-standing rant about Quidditch they've been holding back on.

* I know that normally the humor in the cut from "she's finally growing up." to Luz planning the heist would be that she's doing something that sensible adults would consider to be a bad idea, but if Eda saw her just then she'd wipe away a tear of pride and go "Her first self-planned heist! They grow up so fast!"

* Eda's the one who talks about cheating at stuff, but Lilith has a habit of playing *dirty*.

* I would like to say I appreciate them going with a more serious credit sequence because it was disconcerting with Star Vs when a dark ending was followed by "I THINK EARTH'S A REALLY GREAT PLACE"

* Lilith may have made a 30-years-late attempt to redeem herself, but I really don't trust her. I don't quite want her dead, but she DID spend decades trying to force her sister to join the Emperor's Coven as a prerequisite for curing her curse.

#the owl house

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wefoundloveunderthelight · 3 years

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Wonderland by GleefullyCaptainSwan

Read on AO3: Chapter 1

Or on FF

Tagging: @kmomof4 @lfh1226-linda

Notes: I hope to add a new aesthetic for each chapter because...well work sucks and I need a way to unwind. :)

Substance abuse is a serious issue. If you need help with an addiction, please call The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHS) National Helpline – 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Killian Jones

2 weeks ago

The hotel room was littered with empty bottles of rum and beer, it smelled of smoke, leather, and sex. The naked girl strung out on the expensive leather couch had passed out hours previously from too much drink.

“Lass, do share!” Killian tipped his glass back, the sting from the alcohol had been dulled six drinks previously.

The brunette gyrated on top of his lap, rubbing her center against his naked form. She passed the $100 bill to him and then began slithering a trail of wetness against his skin with her tongue. He pushed her out of his way to lean forward, rolling the bill and inhaling the white powder into his nose, his head fell back against the chair. His eyes closed, letting the feeling wash over him.

The girl continued her duty, eagerly sucking his cock while her hands caressed his chest. Her fingers trailed the flesh on his left arm, and he reached out with his right hand, grabbing a fist full of her hair and yanking her away from him. She stared at him wide eyed. “No, you can touch me anywhere but there.” He growled, shoving her back down to his groin.

He closed his eyes again, getting lost in the swirls of her tongue and the euphoric sensations of her mouth gloriously working his cock. “Mm, Milah.” He groaned.

“Who the hell is Milah?” The girl stopped her eager work.

His eyes blew open, looking down at the dark-haired girl who was staring at him angrily. “Mary?” He said warily. “Nancy?” He pressed his fingers to his head and squeezed his eyes shut trying to remember the damn woman’s name. “Janice?” he said snapping his fingers.

“It’s Abby.”

“Who cares.”

The girl got up from his lap and walked toward her friend who was passed out on the couch. “Fuck you.”

“I already did that, twice, and I don’t seem to remember any complaints, darling.” He leaned over and took another snort. His vision distorting slightly. “Get back over here, it’s not going to suck itself.” The girl reluctantly walked back toward him. “Abby love, please.” He added.

He took another shot of rum as the girl reluctantly returned to continue her task of pleasuring him. “You’re damn good at that love, my heart is absolutely racing.” He groaned, sweat pouring off his forehead.

She stopped her task, “You sure you’re ok, Mr. Jones?”

“What are you bloody stopping for?” He yelled, grabbing the bottle next to him, and tipping it into his mouth. His hand slid onto his erect member, tugging himself to try and reach the release he so desperately needed. “Do I have to do this for you?”

His heart really was racing. The girl stepped back from him, retreating to the couch to try again and wake her friend.”

“Who needs you.” He growled angrily. “I’ll do it my damn self.”

He closed his eyes. Dark hair invading his thoughts. Images racing across his lids.

“I love you Milah.” The scenes played out like a movie on fast forward in his brain. “Why would you do this?” Blurring, bright lights, his headache was blinding him. “Killian, you shouldn’t…” His heart was pounding out of his chest. “Oh God what have I done?” Red lights and rain?

Wait. Was it raining in his room?

Darkness was threatening to swallow him, he was screaming into the night.

“Killian, wake up.”

He could faintly hear someone speaking to him. He tried to respond; words didn’t come.

“Call 911.”

Present Day

Killian watched the land come into view, a bright patch of green over a sea of blue. It was a beautiful sight that he would surely have welcomed if he were here for pleasure.

“At least you’ll have a gorgeous view during your stay.”

Killian glared at the man sitting across from him, gripping the leather handle on his seat. “Yeah, I’m sure sightseeing is the first thing they sign you up for, right after racquetball and cricket.” He grumbled sarcastically.

“I know you’re upset with everyone, KJ, but you know we had no other choice, right?”

Killian looked away, glancing out the window again to focus on the ground as the wheels touched down.

He stood when the plane came to a stop and walked toward the exit. Robin got up and followed him. When he got to the steps he turned around and faced the man. “I think I can turn myself in Dad.”

Robin rolled his eyes. “I’m just trying to be here for you.”

“I think you’ve done enough Rob. Go home.” Killian turned and bounded down the steps, grabbing his bag from the pilot, and storming toward the car waiting for him.

“Killian Jones?” The man asked.

“Yup, I’m the lucky bloke!” He said mockingly and climbed into the backseat.

“Welcome to Wonderland.”

“Wonderland? You can’t be serious. What a bloody stupid name.” He mused but the man simply shut the door behind him.

The trip from the small airport only took five minutes, Killian watched the beauty of the island zoom past through the darkened windows of the limo. He slammed back against the headrest and squeezed his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Killian, this has to stop, you almost died this time. Do you think this is what mom would have wanted for you?” “And yet I’m still here.” “Is that what you want? To not be here? Because I can’t decide if this is a death wish or you are just fucking stupid.”

The car came to a sudden halt, he let out a long groan and peered through his eyes. The door opened and he stepped out into the sunlight.

“Welcome to Wonderland Rehabilitation Center, Mr. Jones.” The moment he left the car, he was greeted by a man in a security uniform. “Names Graham, Pleasure to meet you. I happened to hear the call that you were arriving and wanted to greet you personally. Can I just say how much I loved “Seasick”? That song changed my life, man.”

“Oh good, a fan. Splendid.” He said sarcastically as he brushed past the man and up the walkway to the entrance.

He heard the guard’s footsteps behind him. “I checked you in, but you’ll need to meet with Regina.”

“Well point me in the way of this Regina then and let’s get on with it.”

“You’ve found her.” A dark-haired woman was standing at the front desk, her dark suit and heels told him that this was a woman who liked to be in charge. “Regina Mills. I’m the Manager here at WRC.”

“I suppose this is where you read me the rules and tell me how its going to be, scared straight or something, right?”

“Something like that.” She grinned and gestured for him to follow her.

“So, you’ve met Graham, he’s my head of security, so if you step out of line, break any of my rules, I’ll know about it.” She opened the door to her office and sat at her desk, waving her hand to the chair across from her.

“Just tell me what I need to do to get out of here.”

“Ready to leave so soon?” She mused.

“No, just eager to get back to my life.”

“Ah yes, Killian Jones, Mother died when you were four. You lived with your father, Brennan and brother, Liam until you were 17, dropped out of high school when your dad died and started a band with your high school buddy Robin Locksley at 18.” She turned the page in his file. “How am I doing so far?”

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not here for a history lesson.”

“I wasn’t finished.” She cut him off. “Let’s see, got your lucky break playing in a bar when you were 22, signed to a 1-year contract with Capitol Records. What’s the name of your little band?”

“The Sea Dogs and it’s not exactly little.”

“Ah that’s right. Your 1-year contract turned into a multi record deal, didn’t it?”

“Aye, we won a Grammy, actually.”

“Never really understood your band honestly, the sea doesn’t have dogs. Never the matter, where did I leave off, ah your aspiring acting career. Three picture deal, isn’t that correct?”

He nodded. “Yes, the last film starts production in 6 months. Hence my need to finish this up.”

“You can’t rush recovery, Mr. Jones.”

“Then does this little story have a point, or should we continue wasting my time?”

“The point is, I don’t care who you are. You’re not here on vacation, this isn’t a spa. If you want to leave WRC, I expect you to work for it. You’ll find that we have many special people here. Movie stars, musicians, billionaires, the fact of the matter is, I don’t give a damn who you are. You’re all the same here.” She tossed his file onto the desk. “Addicts.”

His jaw was tense.

“The sooner you realize that’s who you are, that’s when your recovery can start and not a second sooner. Until then you’re just another rich guy hiding from his problems on my island.”

“Well, this was uplifting. Are all the sessions going to be this inspirational because I want to make sure I get my money’s worth.”

“You’ll have individual therapy sessions 3 times a week and group session once a week with Dr. Hopper. There is a cafeteria where you will have all your meals, any medication will be provided to you by Dr. Whale. I understand you are still in the process of physical therapy since the…”

“That is correct, I assume my physical therapy will continue with Dr. Whale also?”

“Yes. There is a gym where you can work out on your down time, as well as yoga classes that are hosted by our recreational therapist and dietician Zelena West.”

“Yoga sounds most interesting.” He mused sarcastically.

“Lights out is at 10pm. No sex of any kind.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“No sex. I would assume that is self-explanatory, Jones or do I need to provide you the rules in a book with pictures?”

“No Ma’am. But 10pm? Honestly, I’m going to miss Big Brother After Dark, and who doesn’t love a good reality show with drama, am I right?”

“I think you’ll find that the sooner you take things seriously, Mr. Jones, the better your stay here will go for you.” She glared at him. “Now if I can just get you to sign some paperwork for me and turn in your cell phone and any personal items into this bag. I will have it locked up so you can gather them when you leave.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, tossing it into the bag.

“Did you need to check your messages or send any before you turn it over?”

“Nope, don’t have anyone I care to communicate with.”

“Well, if you change your mind, you are permitted to make your first phone call after completing 14 days of treatment. After that you will have access to the phone in the lounge during the hours of 9am to 9pm.”

“Am I scheduled for restroom breaks as well or am I allowed to take those as necessary?”

She stared a hole through him. “Dr. Hopper is going to have a field day with you.” She chuckled dryly.

There was a knock on the door and a fair skinned man in a white coat poked his head into the room.

“Did you call me for a patient meet and greet?”

“Ah yes, Dr. Whale, may I introduce you to Killian Jones.”

The man stepped into the room and extended his hand, withdrawing quickly when he looked down at his missing limb and swapping the hand he extended. “Nice to meet you. How long has it been?” He asked, pointing to his lack of appendage.

“Long enough to not want to talk about it.” Regina cleared her throat and Killian internally groaned. “Three months.”

“I got the notes from your previous physical therapist so we will continue strength exercises three days a week starting tomorrow.”

“I can hardly contain my glee.”

Dr. Whale exchanged a glance with Regina. “Oh, Dr. Hopper is going to love him.” She nodded with a smirk on her face. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He remarked before turning and leaving him alone with the abrasive woman on the other side of the desk.

“So, when do I get to go to my room to sit and reflect on my life.”

“Ah yes, let me take you to your room now.” She stood, depositing his items in her desk drawer, and locking it behind her. “This way.”

He followed her down the corridor, noting all the windows lining the hallway with views of the ocean. He wished again that he were here for a different reason. “Here you go Mr. Jones.”

He stopped before entering the room. “Jones is fine, Mr. Jones is my father, and he’s no longer among the living.”

“Alright Jones, home sweet home.”

He stepped into the room, more windows looking out onto the island. His eyes settled on the two beds in the room. “Um, I’m pretty sure this is costing me a hefty penny, but care to explain why I need two beds?”

“You must be the new guy.” A man pushed past him into the room.

“This is your roommate, August.”

“Roommate? I thought this place allowed privacy and solidarity.”

“Did I forget that rule, sorry about that. For the first 2 weeks, all patients are paired with someone who has already completed their first 14 days.”

“I don’t need a bloody babysitter.” Lowering his voice and turning toward Regina.

“Think of him more as a buddy.” She appeared to be taking joy in his discomfort and anger.

“I don’t need one of those either.” He growled.

She turned on her heels and started off down the hallway. “Dr. Hopper will see you in 20 minutes. Don’t be late. Your buddy can help you find your way there.”

He clinched his fist, watching the woman click her heels on the tile until she turned the corner and disappeared. He spun around and stepped into the room.

“It goes by quickly.” His new babysitter was sitting on one of the beds reading a book.

“Not quick enough.” He tossed his bag on the empty bed.

“You’re that guy, aren’t you?” He stood up and pretended to look off into the distance. “Ahoy Matey there’s land ahead.” Killian groaned and tossed his clothes into the empty dresser. “Sorry, but you’re pretty recognizable.”

“Fantastic.”

“Secrets safe with me. No one cares who anyone is here anyway.”

“How long have you been here?”

“24 days. You get used to the way things work around here after the first week.”

“Not bloody likely.” He grumbled.

“Hey, don’t fight it, trust me, the first guy I stayed with when I got here has been here 6 months and still keeps breaking the rules, at this rate, he’s never leaving.” Killian thought about his situation. He knew the more he resisted the longer he would be stuck on this island and he wanted nothing more than to leave this place and get back to set.

“Perhaps you have a point. If you would be so kind as to show me to Dr. Hopper’s office, I would much like to get a start on getting the hell out of here.”

He followed the man down the hallways, a maze of rights and lefts until they exited the building and crossed a lush green lawn to a small building on the other side of the complex. “First door on your right.” August pointed toward the building. “Good luck.”

He stepped through the doors and was greeted by a friendly, curly haired man, “You must be Mr. Jones, I’m Dr. Hopper, but you can call me Archie.”

“Killian will be fine, Archie.”

“Alright, Killian, please join me in my office.”

Killian walked into the room, not at all surprised to see the long couch and leather chair. He nervously took a seat on the couch and looked around. “So, uh how does this work, do I lie down, or can we skip that part?”

The man laughed. “None of that is necessary, unless that makes you comfortable. Our sessions will happen three times a week, sometimes I may ask you questions, other times you may feel like sharing, but really, the most important part at WRC is that we make sure you don’t ignore the mental part of your recovery.” Killian shifted uncomfortably on the couch. He had no idea how he was supposed to sit here and share anything with this man, a man he had just met. “What exactly are we supposed to talk about?”

“How about we talk about what brought you here.”

Killian looked at the ceiling. “My bandmate, Robin brought me.”

“Not who, but what was the reason you chose to come to Wonderland?”

Killian laughed loudly. “Chose, that’s an interesting way to put it.”

“And how would you put it?”

“Forced, not given much choice, ordered to come, your pick I guess.”

“And yet you’re here.”

“Yeah, did you know that there’s a moral clause in contracts?” He clicked his tongue in his mouth in annoyance. “Guess I should have read the fine print.”

“So, you’re here because your behavior was deemed to be in breach of contract?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

“And do you think your behavior was acceptable?”

“I think my behavior was no one’s business but my own.”

He nodded and then wrote a few sentences in his notebook.

“What? Was that the wrong answer?” Killian said dryly.

“I’m just taking notes, it doesn’t mean that I agree or disagree with anything you have said. I’m merely here to observe your response.” He put down his pencil and looked back at Killian. “Tell me about the night of the accident.”

Killian’s jaw clenched and he formed a fist with his right hand. “I don’t know what that has to do with anything.”

“Interesting response. You had attended a premiere for your first movie, is that correct?”

“What were you doing talking to him?” “We were just talking, Killy. He’s your co-star.” “Bullshit. Don’t lie to me.” “Killian, would you stop acting like this.” “I’ll stop acting like this when you start telling the goddamn truth.” “I’m not going to talk to you while you’re drunk.” “No but you’ll fuck him when he’s drunk, isn’t that right Milah?” “Fuck you.”

Killian flinched when he heard the man sit forward in his seat. “This is fucking pointless.” He growled.

“Neverland? That was the name of the movie, right?”

Killian stood up suddenly and began pacing. “How much longer do we need to talk about this today?”

The man shut his notebook. “This is your time, if this is too overwhelming for you on your first day, we can pick this back up in our next session.”

“Thrilling, I can’t wait.” Killian raced out the door, almost sprinting across the lawn before he found a spot against the wall underneath a tree and paused. He leaned against the building trying to calm his breathing. He said he would come here after his detox in order to satisfy his director, but he would be damned if he was going to spend his days baring his soul to a stranger about things he hadn’t even shared with his brother.

He agreed to lay off the drugs, he begrudgingly swore off rum to make everyone happy, but this went too far.

He was going to have to find a way around this therapist BS if he was going to get out of here.

He shoved off the wall and walked back toward his room, pausing as he passed the front desk. Blonde hair and gorgeous legs capturing his attention. “Name, please.”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “Emma.” She glared at Graham. “Swan.”

“Say’s Nolan in my logbook.”

“Listen asshole, it’s Emma Swan. Update your damn records.”

He licked his lips, working his eyes down to the curve of the woman’s ass. Maybe this place wouldn’t be so terrible after all.

Notes:

Here we go again... I will try and post an update once a week. This one will be longer than my last fic and requires a lot more research, so it may take a bit longer to update than MHFLB did.

#wonderland #wonderland fic #stacy's fics #captainswan #captain swan #captain swan au #captain swan fics #captain swan modern au #emma x killian #killian jones #emma x hook #emma swan

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bestsportmedia · 3 years

Note

I’m still in disbelief Leo is not a fcb player anymore. Bruh saurez had a better farewell at least his wasn’t in some dark corner of a press conference room. How could this happen? What’s wrong with the media team at barca? Also I agree I think Leo just wanted to leave ASAP. This is not adding up there is so much more going on behind the scenes.

Anonymous asked: “I don’t think Laporta was 100% honest about what happened… there is more to the story.” Admin there is definitely more to the story. I hope one day we find out what really happened. They way Messi was rushed out is one of the biggest football shocks of the decade. His farewell (I wouldn’t even call it that) was rushed. My guess is that he really feels betrayed and angry after all he’s done for the club they couldn’t keep him. So he decided if he leaves it’s best he leaves ASAP. Part 2) even during today’s press conference he said he was grateful how quickly Psg were able to make the contract. ( he repeated this too) I think he really did want to leave ASAP.

Anonymous asked: This is the biggest transfer in history. What’s worse is the whole reason it happened was Barcelona ran out of money. This is just embarrassing to the club it’s always gonna be remembered the reason why he left. I’m still in disbelief how a multi million dollar company with 100m followers can be in this situation. Biggest shock in the world of football. No one saw this coming a week ago.

Anonymous asked:

This is the biggest transfer in history. What’s worse is the whole reason it happened was Barcelona ran out of money. This is just embarrassing to the club it’s always gonna be remembered the reason why he left. I’m still in disbelief how a multi million dollar company with 100m followers can be in this situation. Biggest shock in the world of football. No one saw this coming a week ago.

Anonymous asked:

There is so much more to the story. I don’t believe this. I honestly think that Laporta and co knew how bad things were from the beginning and that la liga was going to deny them. But they still went through the motions. There’s more to this. I mean look how quick anto unfollowed the club she is clearly angry. It looked like Leo wanted to get out Fast too he so was happy and grateful that Psg made it so easy for him. He mentioned it in multiple interviews. I wonder what really went down

I think the Barca media team was in a shock. They weren't prepared at all. They were posting video and photos that prepared for renewal announcement. We don't know really know happened but imo there was lack of planning ahead (on both side). Messi has done a lot for Barcelona & the club have also done a lot for him. Sad it ended like this.

Anonymous asked:

You were right fcb needs a damn reality show 😂 soooo much drama. Antonela did really unfollow the club. And the new players still not registered. Kun can’t play till October. And what’s with pique? He seems to be having a midlife crisis now that Messi gone. Damn all of this is crazy. Makes me really happy to see psg and fans going above and beyond welcoming at least. Still in shock the club ran out of money. I don’t think I can ever believe that a multi million company like barca going bankrup

hahaha Pique and his selfies. It’s very easy for companies to go bankrupt.

Anonymous asked:

I never imagined messi would leave barca. Especially in the way he did In a press conference wearing a suit with a room filled with people wearing face masks. If you showed me the images years ago I would be like wtf is this movie? This is just crazy admin I’m still In disbelief I’m still waiting for the farewell. Can’t believe his farewell was in a basketball court. Imagine 1 or 2 years early you would come here and say messi and ramos are teammates and at PSG. And post a video of them

Anonymous asked:

Over a year who would of thought messi would leave Barcelona and wearing a face mask😂 people in history gonna look back at pictures and know about the virus. It’s kind of funny because now all the masks we are so used to at this point. But if you told me this before i would of thought it’s not normal.

Strange times. ya that welcome was good. I mean its messi! he deserves it all.

Anonymous asked:

I wish” (kind of! Bartomeu was still here so people could blame him. He ran. It’s not fair he created the problem but Laporte is the one who getting blamed and getting rage from people in cataluna. I feel like Bartomeu dogded this issue without any repercussions, he escaped

He released statement saying Laporta could have signed messi if he followed his strategy. Which kinda make sense but idk

Anonymous asked:

Did y'all see the video of Leo greeting Laporta before the press conference? it was a cold exchange. The farewell was rushed and Leo seemed like he wanted to get out there ASAP” I noticed too there’s more to the story. antonella in the behind the scenes fawell video she told Laporte him to move inside. She looked mad at him it was at three minute mark

Yes, I saw it. She looked angry especially when you compare it to her interaction with the psg president

Anonymous asked:

Same I don’t understand why last minute. Couldn’t they try to sign earlier. Did they not want to ruin his vaction or sum

Bad time management lol

Anonymous asked:

Admin how are you feeling? right now I just feel so defeated what’s the point of even supporting barcelona when our administration is filled with people who gave us debts. Im still confused so they not have professional lawyers, economist, educated financial advisers to prevent this. I’m shocked like what else could be coming? Although I have these thoughts I’m still always gonna support the team in good and in the bad moments. I hope fans who leave don’t come back when la Masia comes through.

Bad time management lol. They are fake fans. and oh they will come back when things get better. That’s what fake fans do lol

Anonymous asked:

Do you think Laporta lied the entire time? He knew that he couldn’t sign him? I think he didn’t fully disclose the deep terrible situation the club is in and led him and his family on till last minute. I don’t think he ever had plans to except the CVC deal as he never accepted it before this. I feel like it’s an excuse.

Anonymous asked:

The 9 million for depay and other money/wages for signings. Couldn’t that of got to Messi? I just don’t belive this it’s unbelievable a club like barcelona have people to know ahead of time if a contract would get rejected. The have people who hired to know this. They way the announced and the farewell has me suspicious

I can’t tell you if lied (or not) to Leo but he sure lied to the fans. He was tell us that things were going well. My question, whose idea was it to wait till last minute i mean few days before new season starts? why wasn’t his agent pushing for the contract to be signed earlier than that? I understand his entourage trust FCB but this is new board and it’s well know that the club is in bad situation financially. Laporta and Co betrayed him but also his agent failed him. Remember last summer? he had clause that let him leave on free transfer but the clause has deadline. He couldn't leave because his agent sent the burofax past the deadline.

Anonymous asked:

Did you know pochetino was there when Leo made his debut In 2004. He was a player at the time. crazy how life circles back.

He was Espanyol player right? That’s amazing lol

Anonymous asked:

For the anon- they can’t keep leos image up because of the contract. Image right belongs to Paris rn that’s why they are posting him all over insta

Anonymous asked:

They can’t have Messi at camp nou or anywhere associated with the club because psg has image rights. That’s is a big portion of the contract

Thank you guys. @anon

#this is long #annonymous #messi leaves FCB #messi to psg

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giovanniis · 4 years

Text

what is UP my pals , mis amigos . my name is dab and i’m ur new bff . besides that , i’m also twenty , use she/they pronouns , and am kickin’ in over here in pst ! under the cut , i’m gonna ramble probably a lot about my son , giovanni . ( spoiler alert : he’s a dumbass who only ever wants to talk about hockey . ) DMISMDA anyways . pls give this a LIKE if u’d like to plot and i will come RUNNING ! my d*scord is 𝒅𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊_420#1971 if u wanna hmu there ! i’m gonna shut up here now so i can start babbling more below hehe

chicago’s very own GIOVANNI NARCISO has been spotted on madison avenue driving a range rover , welcome ! your resemblance to shawn mendes is unreal . according to tmz , you just had your twenty-second birthday bash . your chance of surviving new york is uncertain because you’re stubborn , but being ambitious might help you . i think being a leo explains that . 3 things that would paint a better picture of you would be the sharpened blades of a pair of ice skates, hockey memorabilia everywhere, and late night escapades .

╰ * MINI STATS !

FULL NAME : giovanni noel narciso

NICKNAME(S) : gio , g

AGE : twenty - two

GENDER + PRONOUNS : cis male + he / him

ORIENTATION : bisexual / biromantic

ZODIAC : leo sun , gemini rising , pisces moon

BIRTHDAY : july 26th , 1997

PLACE OF BIRTH : toronto , ontario , canada

LOVE LANGUAGE : physical touch

OCCUPATION(S) : professional hockey player for the ny rangers , socialite

DRINKING / DRUGS / SMOKING : hell yes / no / only weed

TRAITS : stubborn , hotheaded , dramatic , standoffish , brash , overemotional , facetious , distant , provocative , inconsistent , unpredictable , gullible , sympathetic , charming , loyal , hypocritical , protective , talented , ambitious , passionate , affectionate

LIFE GOAL : make it to the hockey hall of fame and be remembered as the G O A T

╰ * BACKGROUND INFO !

giovanni narciso was born in toronto, canada on july 26th to a world-renowned hockey player and his socialite wife. needless to say, gio lived his life in the spotlight from the moment he was born, and he’s always had everything he’s ever wanted right at his fingertips.

from a young age, gio was encouraged to be active all the time. he started skating almost as soon as he learned how to stand up by himself. it’s no wonder that he had such a knack for it with his father being a hockey legend and the fact that he got so much practice. when his father realized that gio had a natural affinity, he put him onto a club hockey team as soon as he was old enough, and started making gio work with a private coach to give him a one-up on his teammates and everyone else on the ice ( despite the fact that he was only seven when he started ).

because of this, he always felt a lot of pressure to be the best he could possibly be… how could he not ? there were sports reporters showing up to his games to get the scoop on how he was doing, and how he compared to his father, and if he’d ever actually make it in professional hockey.

his parents divorced when he was eleven, and his mom moved to marry a much older, wealthy man in chicago, illinois. so, much to his despair, gio lived his life switching from toronto to chicago. the only constant in his life was hockey. so even though it stressed him the fuck out, it also made him feel at peace. he knew no matter where he was, he could get on the ice and kick everyone’s ass. he spent most of his time in chicago with his mom, and attended school there too, but during holidays or the summertime, he spent his time back up in toronto with his dad.

this really took a toll on his mental health because his mom ?? sorta just forgot about him :/ like … she fought for custody just to spite his dad ? she didn’t actually want gio. this sounds kinda dumb but like … sorta think about cinderella ( #gioella ) and how he suddenly got thrust into an entire new family that didn’t really like him or know how to connect with him. he felt really alone more often than not.

luckily, at sixteen, he was signed to a minor league hockey team in chicago. because of this development, he stopped going out to visit toronto as often ( especially when it was game season ). this caused a lot of buzz in the hockey community because oh my god giovanni narciso, son of a hockey legend, was breaking onto the scene

and it SHOULD’VE STAYED THAT WAY !!!! BUT NO ! gio’s dad had other things in mind. demon.

you see, pretty much all throughout high school, gio was dating kylie. she is the love of his life. there’s never been an ounce of doubt about that fact. the sky is blue and gio loves kylie. like ???

gio proposed to kylie when they were eighteen. fresh out of high school. this made gio’s dad LIVID. he didn’t like kylie or her family or anything about her. gio’s plan, of course, was to say a big fuck you ! and marry her anyways. but it didn’t end up working out like that.

sadly, giovanni’s father did not approve of her. was he a little salty that gio chose to stay in chicago and not visit anymore (even if it was because he was signed there) ? yes. was he incredibly greedy and wanted to cement the narciso name in history too ? aaaabsolutely.

as soon as he was eligible at eighteen, gio had multiple offers from nhl franchises to come play for their teams. he could pick and choose whoever he wanted, basically. he was a real hot commodity. but suddenly, the offers were being ripped right from his hands. and it was all because of his dad’s influence in the hockey world. he basically gave gio an ultimatum: marry kylie, and there was no more hockey. or do as he said, and he could have it all.

it was rushed, haphazardly chosen decision, but gio chose hockey. it had helped him through every rough patch in his life, and it was the one thing he knew he was good at. it’s not like he was exceptionally smart or good at anything else. if it wasn’t hockey, then he wasn’t worth anything. that’s something he honestly believes to this day.

so instead of TALKING THIS THROUGH WITH HER LIKE ANY RATIONAL PERSON WOULD ! he straight up left. packed his shit and left in the middle of the night when kylie was asleep. completely ghosted her. didn’t answer her texts, her calls, nothing. blocked her on everything.

he did as his father told him to, and started dating carolina graham, a nice girl that his father liked a lot better

their relationship was reminiscent of p*te dav*dson and ariana grande’s. they very quickly got engaged and they were the talk of all the tabloids. there wasn’t a moment where they could step out without cameras being shoved in their face. this sky-rocketed gio to socialite status. everyone that didn’t already know him from hockey wanted to know the handsome young man now engaged to carolina

ok now lightning round

when he was twenty-one , he secured the bag with the ny rangers DJSIOAJDOA and got a multi-year contract — one of the biggest contracts in the nhl history, and became one of the youngest captains ever .

* more fun facts about gio n hockey : he plays first string center and is #2 !

since his career was actually stable, he decided to stop having to pretend to be in love with someone, and immediately just broke up with carolina. he said goodbye wifey JDSAODSA aaaaand now , a year later , he’s livin it up !

also ? 1000% still in love with kylie but THAT is a completely different story he is a #simp

╰ * PERSONALITY !

hockey is a rough-around-the-edges type of sport, and that’s reflected in gio’s personality. he’s very charming, and is typically a pretty nice person ? he doesn’t go out of his way to be kind or anything but he’s not gonna start a fight for no reason DSAIJDSADSjDI

he’s terribly stubborn, and once he’s set his mind on something, it will happen no matter what or who he has to do. this could be good because in a way, it just means he’s very ambitious, but it’s also bad because he will do and say things without a thought about how it makes someone feel

narciso is a fitting last name because he’s incredibly full of himself. how could he not be ? he’s the son of a hockey legend, and he’s made a great name for himself too. he’s an amazing athlete, and he knows he’s good looking too. it’s no secret that he’s a little big-headed sometimes.

he has a very short temper. he blows his lid very easily, and will say things he probably doesn’t mean just because he wants to hurt you.

he just??? doesn’t think. he doesn’t have a filter literally at all. will say the first thing that comes to mind always and it’s usually fucking stupid sdjdjas… he’s also a big jokester and very sarcastic

also has a problem with being honest ? lies about everything? the type of person to smile in your face while he stabs you in the back? will lie when there’s no reason to? you could be like “gio did u eat breakfast” and he’ll be like “ya.” even if he didn’t like… dumb shit. don’t ever trust him about anything

ok so he comes off as cocky like… externally… but inside, he’s really insecure? like he believes that love exists because he’s felt it but he doesn’t…. think it was meant for him, if that makes sense. because every time he loves someone, he fucks it all up. because of this, he has a really poor vision of love n everything. uhhhh can u say trust issues?

he’s also a wh*re . i’m so sorry. lowkey craves affection and fills that void with meaningless hookups and one night stands

most people think he lives up to the ‘dumb jock’ stereotype, which is something he’s also really insecure about. it’s not that he didn’t try in school. he did to a point, but then he just flat out stopped caring. school was always really difficult for him. he was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 7, and it always made him feel really out of place in school… to the point where he just stopped caring because all it did was made him feel frustrated and dumb when all he needed was some extra help?

he’s misunderstood

and also just… a whole mess tbh djsaios….

u can find some wanted connections here

#don't be fooled ... this whole thing isn't double spacedDIOSJDIOJASIO #also if i sent u g's old intro ... still read dis one because SOME things have changed #wealthyhq:intro #o my god he is a MESSjdijIODSIOA #neglect tw #manipulation tw #blackmail tw

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god-hunter · 3 years

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My Major Turnaround

Hey folks,

Things have really turned around for me in the past 2 weeks - a month. Honestly I could have and should have written earlier, because there was a lot of build up and toss up between 3 jobs that I could’ve taken at one point. It would’ve been interesting to analyze how I felt in that moment before I made a decision, and relive that in future readings. I also have to tell you about my recent luck in the Dating Scene!

On the job front, things finally worked out for me. It was a lot of back-and-forth with a Recruiter, then a phone interview, followed by an in-person interview 2 weeks later, where it was basically a done deal already. Only, it really wasn’t that simple at all. I was applying left and right daily and 2 other things hit too. I had this interview at a bottle/can sleeving company that was so different and interesting and very high pay. It was honestly a why not apply, but they actually bit and were interested in me!! [It’s clear that these guys were my first choice, but it didn’t work out.]. Still, that interview was SUPER positive and I wouldn't have some sort of answer until 3 weeks. [The fuck!?] That was not unlike the job I ended up with. Long waiting period.

Then, there were 2 other places that bit too, but they were an easy 3rd and 4th place. I won’t give names, but both were Warehouse jobs. The 1st one was just so disorganized and the place looked dirty.. and when it came time to talk about pay, it was kind of up in the air, but I’d either get $14 as a Warehouse Associate or $16 as a Lead. Get the fuck outta here. I was upfront and let her know that I needed time to get back to her because I was waiting to hear back from other places.

The other Warehouse opportunity was way more promising, but the bottom dollar was $15.72 at start. As I’ve never worked in a Warehouse before, there wasn’t much room for negotiation, but I really tried very hard. This was a Hiring Event that I was at, so things moved quick. Before I knew it, I was filling out an app on one of their laptops and then received an offer e-mail. But when I saw that low number, there was no way I could sign the dotted line. After any of that negotiating at the first interview!? What the Hell, man?

The only thing that would've made me consider taking that risk was the Game this guy talked. He was promising me that this was a lasting career. People moved up there. Great benefits. There’s nothing wrong with starting at the bottom. In 6 months, things open up, you apply within and see what happens. etc. etc. He told me that people on his team moved up to Corporate or other high paying departments, and he trained everyone on everything if he saw that they were willing to go that extra mile. All this good stuff.

But I crunched those numbers, and they just didn’t make sense at all. I’d barely be making grocery money, let alone bills.

So... in my mind I had my 1st Place spot - the canning/sleeving company, this 2nd place spot from the Recruiter, the 3rd place spot, which was the $15.72 Warehouse job and 4th place, which was a last resort $14 or possible $16.

My in-person interview at the 2nd place area was the next day, and I didn’t know what I was gonna get. He could’ve trapped me with more in-depth questions about things I didn’t know. He could’ve completely caught me off guard. But instead, just like the phone interview, he was very impressed. He told me he needed a week, before he had his answer. That night the Recruiter called me, asked how it went and then told me, I got the offer.

!!! I was shocked. It was 2nd place, but it’d been so long since that 1st Place job saw me, that I had to consider putting it out of my mind. 4th place, also wasn’t an option. So really, it was down to this place, which gave me an offer, which met me at my number, or a Warehouse job that was offering $15.72 an hour.

It should be a no brainer, but again - gotta think long term. The Warehouse would've hired me directly, and despite starting at bottom, I’d be one of them, and climb the ranks within.. Maybe.

Meanwhile this job offered my number, they wanted me, but its Temp-Perm for 6 months. No promises at continuity.

I had to weigh this option and I decided that it was a risk worth taking. As I said to my family the night of the first phone interview. It’s low risk. On their end, if this doesn’t work out, they could just let me go. And on my end, even if this doesn’t last past half a year, I’m going to learn more skills and really hike up my resume in experience. Also the work is very comparable to what I’ve done for the past 2 years. It’s Customer Service for an Aerospace company. It just makes sense.

But again, at this interview, I really impressed it upon him that I was interested in working full-time in the long-term. I asked how often it was that they’d hire a Temp, but things were going well and smooth, so they ended up hiring them full-time after the contract was up.

His answer was pretty positive. He projects that the company is only going to keep needing people, and kind of let me know that this is how they do it. [They just want to save a buck.]

But I’m not just gonna sit back and think I’ve got this in the bag. I’m going to work hard and prove myself and earn my keep.

And all of that starts Tomorrow! I honestly can’t wait to get back to work and feel a sense of normalcy again.

But wait, there’s more.

In the Dating Realm things are heating up again!!

Last time I mentioned that Teacher person on Tinder. She’s out. I don’t remember the time table, but there was another girl on Tinder that matched me, and for a literal 2 days that was exciting, until she peetered out as well. Let’s call her TinderCat for lack of a better name. There’s no reason to really get into it about her, but our first conversation was a lot to do with cats, but then we just found that we didn’t have a lot in common. It certainly wasn’t personal. But when I gauged the whole Social Distancing and eventually meeting, she ghosted completely. So.. ::farts::

Then came this week when a pretty hot girl swiped on me. She was blonde and looked a little tougher, but I said, “Cool!” and matched. Conversation was fine, but not really groundbreaking. Then, when I showed her off to my Dad, he thought she looked like a Whore, because she didn’t smile in any of her pictures... I was so pissed at him, but that nickname has certainly stuck. The Whore and I talked a little more the next day, and we put out a tentative plan to hang out at a bar near me that Friday or Saturday.

That night, while in a band meeting conference call, this other girl swiped on me out of nowhere, and I was blown away! She’s a brunette, has a beautiful smile, she kind of looks like Allyson Hannigan and already, she just seemed so sweet! I don’t have a name for her yet, but we’ve been talking, getting along and are starting to bond a little, so we actually have a date already!! It’s tonight, so I’ve been referring to her as Sunday Girl, lol. She’s really sweet and I can't wait to meet her. That’s practically what we’ve been saying all week. ::fingers crossed:: We’ve both been keeping it cool.

But that’s not all. I hit a touch of deja vu when that Old Flame with a kid wanted to go on another trail date. I know better now though. She’s seeing someone and it’s getting very serious. This was just a friend thing. But I’m bringing it up, because on that day she posted some pics of us walking on the trail, and suddenly the Whore unmatched and unfriended me on FB. I didn’t notice until that night.

Honestly, I’m head over heels for Sunday girl, but I didn’t forget about the Whore. I let a healthy 2 days of space go by, but that was too much for her. We already set a plan for later that week. I was gonna check back on Thursday or something to talk about hanging on Friday or Saturday. We never clarified the day. But now that she fucking deaded me, I had a choice to make.

Let her Ghost and just let her win, thinking I wasn’t interested at all, or be a dick about it and show her that she fucked up. I chose to be a dick.. I was careful, because I honestly didn’t want this date anymore. I didn’t want to fuck up any potential for Sunday, however I needed to know if it was those Trail Pics. It turns out it wasn’t. It turns out that after 2 days of space, she thought I ghosted her. She said it wouldn’t work out because she needed attention.

What the fuck ever. I was busy. I actually have hobbies. And it’s really funny, because I’m Never the ghoster. But apparently this time it was. So there was real role reversal here.

I’m still a nice guy though and told her that if she ever changed her mind, I’d still be down to hang out. But no. This is done.

Then came a new contender! This one matched me on Tinder and calls herself the Real-Life Daria, so we’ve got that nickname covered. We spoke just a little bit on Friday and everything was positive, but then she just disappeared. And I’m absolutely fine with that.

This is why they tell people to multi-task and gear up in the dating scene. Everyone is different, but most people have the attention span of a gnat. So they’ll either gravitate toward you, or they’ll completely focus on themselves and forget to respond altogether.

It’s a dangerous balancing act though, because things are still going well with Gal Pal. Needy Girl is also still in the picture. I haven’t mentioned them at all yet, because by shitty coincidence both of them had Covid scares and quarantined just in case. In Gal Pal’s situation, she’s also been recovering from having her tonsils removed.

I honestly don’t remember the last time I physically saw her. We made up since that weird date, and things have absolutely normalized again. We don’t text every day, and since getting all excited about Sunday Girl, I’ve been pretty quiet. But Gal Pal has been making the extra effort and she’s been feeling better. She’s well enough to talk on the phone and wants to start hanging again, which is nice.

We had 2 really good conversations this week, and she continues to surprise me. We really do get along and have more in common than I think. So things are really getting interesting now.

But we’re gonna see what happens.

In general, to sum up the crazy dating life, the newest developments were:

* getting ghosted by TinderCat * getting deaded by the Whore * setting up a date with SundayGirl * randomly talking to RL Daria * Needy Girl quarantining for my safety * Gal Pal recovering/quarantining herself, but texting/calling again.

You might have noticed that I haven’t said too much about my Date tonight. Honestly, it’s because I don’t want to jinx anything. I don’t want to gush too much, just to tear it all down if things don’t work out tonight.

But again, what attracted me was certainly her Allyson Hannigan look, she’s into metal, hiking, good beer... 2 of those are kind of common, but the Metal aspect is a specialty. She’s definitely my kind of person in that regard. But then it turns out she has a cat and we bonded pretty hard about certain things in pet ownership.

She just seems fun and sweet and really likes my attention. She’s also a hard workin’ woman, which is good, because I’m about to be quite busy myself.

So we’re gonna see! I’m really excited to meet her. We’ve been saying that to each other literally all week. So here’s to tonight.

And the Future, as I start a new job!!

2020 is going to feel very different from here on in. What’s left of it.

#My Major Turnaround #Employment #Dating #TinderCat #TheWhore #SundayGirl #RL Daria #Needy Girl #Gal Pal #low-key gush #tonight's date

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yourdailykitsch · 4 years

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Is Taylor the main star in shadowplay? I’ve been trying to look for some info online about the project but there’s really not much out there. If he is the star why do people have doubts of his involvement in the second chapter?

He is the main star of the first eight chapters. There is some question as to whether or not the story that includes Taylor will be wrapped up in the first eight episodes or continues on in the second eight. That was a tough shoot for him and away from home for a long time. I don’t know that he would sign on to two years of work for basically twelve months (total) away from home. He also, at this point, might have some conflicts as far as the second chapter goes...he seems to still be in line to film ‘Inferno’. All in all nobody has been confirmed for the second chapter, yet. But I think they begin filming in about 30 days.

Ask #2: Did the mike Murphy gala ever end up setting a new date?

Answer: Yes, it was originally rescheduled to October from earlier this year and is now set to go early in April of 2021. Hopefully, they’ll finally get to have the event. There was no mention of Taylor in the new announcement, but I’m sure if he can be there, he will be.

Ask #3: Do you think Taylor is similar to DiCaprio in the regard of not signing onto any kind of franchise? Except for tv

Answer: This is kind of not really known, but with his contract with Disney for John Carter it was like a multi year deal, maybe even something like 7-10 year deal. He also signed on to a multi year deal to potentially do a franchise with Battleship. So when he had time to reflect and years later when he was asked about the lack of success JC and Battleship had, he basically said it could have been a blessing in disguise because he’d be locked into these franchise contracts for so long and he’d maybe get to do a passion project here or there. So, yes. I do think he likes to switch things up and stays away from long contracts.

Ask #4: Do you think when Jennifer is on lake Austin she’s with Taylor?

Answer: I know he is right on the lake, I don’t know about her. And I’m sure she has people that she knows that are on the lake too. But it would probably be a safe assumption.

Ask #5: When was the last time Taylor was spotted out? Probably months ago 😭

Answer: So, I actually finally have an answer for this. No pictures, but this appeared on Twitter today. I do believe he was taking part in a hockey tournament in Texas a few weeks ago. I knew about the tournament but hadn’t had any confirmation of it. This is kind of the confirmation that he was at least in the rink a few weeks back, and in Texas.

Ask #6: How do you find all the Taylor Kitsch news and pictures??

Answer: I can’t reveal my sources! No, most of it if not all of it is just knowing where to look, whether that be social media or whatever. There are certain places to just keep up to date on what’s going on with certain projects. I’ve just been doing this for a long time and kind of know.

Ask #7: Was taylor in the running with a Bourne movie.? He should of been mitch rapp in my opinion. What do you think? And what are the odds he will do something like that?

Answer: Taylor was in the running for the movie Jeremy Renner was in in the Bourne series but I think had a conflict or was passed over for Renner. He was also considered for Mitch Rapp and I think got pretty far along in talks to play Mitch, but it was put on hold for years and then when they revisited the project Taylor had aged out of being able to play Mitch. But they did ask him to come on and play an original character, Ghost.

Ask #8: My boyfriend got me to watch john wick 3 with him and it is horribly voilent but I couldn't help but see taylor in a role like this. I don't know if it's because he has the same kind of shooting style like in true detective or if in moments keanu reminds me of him. Ps love your forum

Answer: For sure. I haven’t even seen John Wick but I know the vibe and I know Taylor would probably totally be into it and kill it, literally.

Ask #9: What's the go with inferno? Is taylor still involved?

Answer: Productions in the US are slowly starting to resume. I don’t believe anything in New Mexico has started up again. I have no reason, as of now, to believe Taylor’s not still involved. The last we heard the head of the studio said as soon as shooting was a go, Inferno was going to get underway.

Ask #10: On Taylor’s Ellen appearance with Mark Wahlberg, she asks him who his New Years kiss was and he said he wasn’t with his gal for New Years so he didn’t have one. That’s what I was referring to in the ask about when they got back together in 2013!

Answer: I actually had to go back and watch this because I completely forgot that he said this. I can’t remember if Jennifer was at that NYE African Children’s Choir event. I don’t think she was, but ironically I think the next day they were spotted out together but he was just with a blonde, so we didn’t know it was her. Especially because he was so vocal about their split.

Someone also asked for the link to the interview and it is here:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x19ehjp

#ask me anything #Ask Me #taylor kitsch

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shirindanesh · 4 years

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FAST-TRACK YOUR SALES SYSTEM WITH AGILE IN 90 DAYS - AND KEEP IT GOING

What if I told you there is a really simple way to accelerate your sales.

Sales leaders know what needs to be done in their sales pipeline but their problem is getting the team’s buy-in to fix it. You’ve got lags, blockages, overloaded people… everything that’s getting in the way of hitting your team targets. If everyone was on board with the fixes everything would happen faster, like a beautifully oiled machine operating smoothly.

Let me show you a system that will improve your sales numbers and fast-track your opportunities in your pipeline.

“It's not a new sales methodology. “

In fact, regardless of what methodology you're using, this will work.

1 - Visualise the problems in your pipeline: All relevant fixes AKA backlog of improvements

You are aware of the fixes that need to happen in your system. The things that are currently not working, your pain-points. You know that a lot of little things need to be improved.

If you look at this simplified pipeline (for the purpose of this article); you can see it goes from Lead Gen→ Opportunity → Proposal → Contract mapped out in Trello.

Let's get a sense of the type of improvements I'm talking about:

In the “Lead Gen” stage, we are not using events well to create leads, or we're not using LinkedIn for lead generation.

In the “Opportunity” phase, we don't have enough videos to show the demo, or we don't have any battle cards, or they are out-dated.

In the “Proposal” stage, we don't have a tracking system. So we don't know if customers are using our system or if they are interacting with the case studies or emails that we've sent.

In the “Contract” stage, we know our current contract structure is old, and it's not easy to amend. And it takes a very long time, forward and backward, to get a sign off on a deal.

Pro Tip: To compose a backlog of improvements, think of your dream sales team and sales operation, think what needs to be done. Add that in your list. Get access to this Trello Board here. Duplicate it for your business and take it from there.

2 - Sizing and prioritising the sales pipeline fixes

Each of these improvement cards are associated with a metric. The key question is “How do you decide which one to go ahead with first?”

Actually, you don't!!!? Let’s walk through a case...

In this picture (above) you can see we have mapped out an end-to-end of a sales pipeline at the back of the room. It has all the steps in the sales pipeline, from beginning to the end.

We invited the sales team. Some of the guns, a couple of the architects, SMEs, some of the newcomers, the hunters, the farmers, anyone that is working on the sales pipeline.In this workshop we asked them to map the pain-points across this end to end pipeline (using the red post-it notes you can see in the background).

Sizing the improvement

Next step is about sizing the issues that the team has highlighted. We ask them to use cards (pictured) to indicate the size and frequency of these problems. Now, everyone can see which one is the bigger problem. Next step we'll ask them to prioritise.

Prioritisation

All problems require attention but not all at the same time. This is actually a specific method of prioritisation. We ask the team, "Which one of these problems is the most important one from our customers’ point of view?" NOT which one is the one that makes more money for us. And you can tell from this picture which one was getting the highest point and will get nominated.

The dot-voting method

The dot-voting method is another option for decision making. This is a democratic method where you nominate the high priority items. This is useful where there is no data available because it harnesses the collective wisdom and team's understanding of customers.

Each participant has 10 dots, in 1,2, 3, 4

They place dots next to issues identified on the sales pipeline.

Issues with the most dots “win” and will be priortised to be resolved.

Other names for dot voting are multi-voting, sticker-voting, sticky-dot voting, dot-mocracy and dot democracy.

Pro-tip: To prevent skewed voting from strongly opinionated team members, invite junior participants to place their votes first, while saving stakeholders or subject-matter experts for last. This approach protects the votes (and voices) of those who may be less likely to authentically contribute and may automatically defer to others.

3 - Implementing the Improvement

If we go back to the Trello board, the backlog of improvement cards, let's say the team prioritises three improvement cards for us:

Lead generation Stage: We are light on lead generation, so let's look at LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the future.

Proposal Stage: Our Battle Cards belong to the industrial era or stone age.

We need to install a tracking system to make sure we are measuring the things that we want.

At the beginning of a quarter, we will commit to three prioritised cards. Then we agree for seven sprints we will apply the change and see how we improve on the metric associated with them.

Why 7?

For seven sprints we will do what we need to do, and then we'll stop. Why is it seven? To change a habit or behavior in a person or an organization, which is made of people, you need to hear something seven times and you need to do it 21 times. However, before committing to 21 times, we stop at seven to see if it's working. 7 sprints can also be mapped to a quarter which works well for organisational financial calendars.

4 - Measuring the impact of change

After seven sprints we stop. We will do a measurement. When we are measuring, we want to always compare the results to get insight to see if it's working or not, or if it helped. We compare that quarter's results with the previous quarter, and we compare that with the last year, same time. That's to make sure that the change and the result is not because of the environment, and is a true change.

5- Zoom in at “Linkedin Lead Generation” Card

Let me look at ANOTHER item, so you get a view of what could be inside it. Let's say the team has never used LinkedIn before. We need to get our sales navigator license. We need to create filters so we know which accounts we're targeting. We need to create the right messaging sequence because we want to have different touch points with our clients. And we want to have a couple of case studies.

At the beginning of a sprint, the team comes together and decides which accounts they want to target. Each day they will update their trackers to what they've done. That's basically a tactical way of looking at the activities. In our sprint review, we say, Okay, how did we go?

TEAM TRACKS THEIR ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THIS

Let me show you a tracker that we put in place a while ago. This was a sequence of messages, the period that we were using it, the delays, between each message and the team’s tracker. So they could show their progress. This is a simple tracker designed to show us the leads, calls and the impact of the change or activity. We go seven sprints with it and at the end we stop and compare the results. It’s as simple as that.

6 - The human element of this system

This system that I showed you allows you to get your team's buy-in.

Remember, you didn't tell them what needs to be done, you ask them and involve them in the prioritisation and decision making process.

What’s important is you’re moving from a "knowing" space to a "doing" space.

Many, in fact all sales leaders, know what needs to be done. But getting their teams to come along with them, that's their challenge. This system is a quite tangible method to get people moving and create momentum and results.

It’s also really helpful in terms of managing noise, if you know what I mean.

7- The metric that rules them all

One other point, probably the most important point of this 45-day plan ; each one of these improvement cards is for improving a specific metric, a number or a percentage. However, the whole system will improve one overarching metric; your "Funnel Velocity".

As you know we have two types of indicators, leading and lagging indicators.

Leading indicators - you straight away see an impact after you’ve put a change in place. These are normally observable, behavioural changes and metrics.

Lagging indicators - are the result of change that we’ve put in place over a period of time.

Funnel Velocity is a lagging indicator.

On a separate note, Funnel Velocity has an element of time to it, and it can be translated to an accounting concept of “Early Revenue Turn-On”.

The two above reasons, being a lagging indicator and having an element of time, funnel velocity is a difficult metric to go after. For you to be able to change that or improve it, you need to do so many things in your system in order to be able to increase the speed of opportunities in your funnel.

If you are anything like me and you’d like a good challenge: improving Funnel Velocity is a good challenge.

8 - The 45-day Acceleration Plan

To bring all the theory and practical sides together, I've designed and tested a 45-day acceleration plan that is action by action to help you implement the process explained above.

The intention of this plan is to show you how to implement Agile ways of working into your sales pipeline. It’s innovation in leadership applied to sales pipelines to increase numbers

I am passionate about Sales Transformation with Agile. If you have any questions, any problems, or you want me to clarify anything for you, contact me,I would love to talk to you about this.

If video is more ‘your thing’ I’ve also created a video walking through this process for you.

Compose a backlog of improvements, think of your dream sales team and sales operation, think what needs to be done. Add that in your list. Get access to this Trello Board here. Duplicate it for your business and take it from there.

Shirin Danesh is founder of Momentum Pipeline a program designed to make top-tier consulting practices in Agile transformation accessible to a wider range of companies. She invites sales leaders to improve one challenging but rewarding metric - Funnel Velocity. She is an Executive Agile Coach, working with futuristic, caring and ambitious executives to level-up their business. You can read her blog on Agile transformation here.

Article originally published on www.shirindanesh.com

#allergictoslow salestips salespipeline businessmotivation salesoperation salesoptimisation businessdevelopment customerexperience sixfigure

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timetoresurface · 5 years

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POLYGLOT (5) / JJK

The prefix poly- comes from Greek and means "many" or "multi-." The last part of the word comes from the Greek term glōtta, meaning "language" or "tongue." = a person who knows and is able to use several languages.

Word: I’m no writer and English ain’t my mother tongue, but I’ll try my very best to make this as great as I possibly can. I’ll try to be your polyglot and put my weird romantic dreams into words. Pairing: reader x Jungkook Genre: romance Warnings: none

Word count: 2218 words

Summary: Your academic background consists of a wide range of languages. You only studied Korean with a linguistic point of view in mind, as Hangul is a perfect phonetic language. Learning a new culture and their music always excited you so when an opportunity arrises to be a translator in Korea you didn’t even hesitate for a second. No, you immediately booked your one way ticket without even being certain that you had the job.

PART (1) / PART (2) / PART (3) / PART (4) / / PART (6)

“Y/N this is going to be your first time so please don’t try to freak out.” Hyun Shik told me in the car on our way to the airport. We were going to a more private kind of airport but reporters and photographers were still going to be there.

“I don’t go with the boys so I don’t think they will give me attention.”

“This could be true but it has been a while since they have been outside. These people are thirsty and want everything they can get even if it means a picture of you with a made up story.”

“You are supposed to be calming me down.”

“I’m also supposed to teach you our ways but you keep doing you. Please try to walk by my side and I will protect you.”

“That really helped Hyun Shik. Thank you for keeping an eye on me.” You rested your head on his shoulder and your mind was brought back to your strange conversation with Jungkook yesterday. Maybe you should try to keep your distance from Hyun Shik as Jungkook thought there was something blossoming between the two of you. Which there really wasn’t. The only thing blossoming was the not in your stomach. You had signed your contract with Big Hit and there was no going back for the next year. You had to get used to these kind of strict rules and strange interactions. It almost felt like you were an animal locked in a cage for everyone to admire from afar.

“Ok, let’s go. The boys have passed so this is a perfect moment to sneak in before anyone really notices us.” He got out of the car and almost grabbed your arm so you would go faster. His long legs were power walking toward the entrance of the airport and it felt like your first day when you had to run to keep up with him. This time it was different as he had your arm in his hand almost dragging you forward which resulted in you almost falling a couple of times.

You rounded the corner and Hyun Shik gave your tickets to the stewardess waiting for us. Her cheeks were still blushing and you had a feeling one of the boys did this on purpose. They know they’re good-looking and sometimes they like to play. Finally reaching your destination, the very fancy waiting area where everyone was already gathered, you tried to loosen the grip on your arm. You and Hyun Shik were the last to arrive so naturally all eyes landed on the two of you.

“You can let go of my arm now. Mission complete. You have brought me to our final destination.” He quickly let go of your arm. Your eyes scanned the crowd and immediately found the eyes of the young Jungkook. His hair was wild and he was drowning in his oversized clothing, but he still looked cute, like boyfriend material. STOP that thinking though. You politely smiled and awkwardly sat down next to some people you still hadn’t properly met.

“Hi! Can I sit with you?” It didn’t take him more than a minute to find the courage to go and talk to you. Everyone noticed the easiness of Jungkook walking over to you. He felt comfortable with you and he didn’t mind the curious looks from his bandmates. They weren’t used of him being so close with a girl so soon.

“Oh Jungkook! Yes, please sit down.” You greeted him with a shy smile. He immediately sat down next to you and went searching through his backpack for something.

“You probably didn’t have had any breakfast yet. I noticed there wasn’t a lot of breakfast food at your place yesterday. Please take this.” He offered you a breakfast bar with blueberry flavor. You stomach started making its characteristic whale noises and Jungkook started to laugh.

“Oh, yes. My stomach just said thank you in his language.” You both started laughing and you felt like everyone had his eyes on the both of you. Watching with inquiring eyes and a look on their face you didn’t understand. You opened the package and started to shove the food in your mouth. Jungkook opened another bar and started to eat too.

You both sat in a comfortable silence chewing on the food Jungkook had brought with him for the two of you. It made you feel like you were the chosen one. You were the one he chose to help and take care of. You tried to steal a glance of him eating but he was already staring at you and in this morning hour and your ‘i just got out of bed look’ you didn’t feel confident enough to lock your eyes with his.

“I brought some-“ you started.

“Do you wanna-“ he started and you both laughed due to the awkwardness.

“Please go on.” You motioned for him to go first.

“No please you were first. What did you want to say?” His smile was enough encouragement for you to go first. You also didn’t want to have this awkward conversation for another five minutes of you two not wanting to start. Something in you said he wasn’t going to give up easily. In the short time you had known him, you noticed he definitely liked to win even if winning meant for you to start talking first.

“I just wanted to say I brought some English books with me for us to study. I also looked up some apps that could help you because you can not always carry a book with you.” You said. You also took out a paper out of your pocket and gave it to him. He carefully looked at your handwriting.

“When did you do this?” He asked you quietly.

“Oh last night after you left. I couldn’t sleep so I started to create a little English plan for you. I’m experienced in studying languages you know, I love doing it and I love helping other people.” You confessed. You made it seem like it only took half an hour but if you were being honest, you had spend a couple of hours trying to figure out a fitting schedule for someone as busy as him. You did have their schedule so you knew the days he had some more free time for extra activities.

“You did this for me?” He looked so surprised and the only thing going through your head was how cute he looked. He looked as happy as a kid in a candy store.

“You said you wanted to help Namjoon so I wanted to help you.” He was still carefully looking at the little schedule you had made. Maybe you should have used another color than pink but the color is just so happy and motivating you hoped it would stimulate him. “What did you want to say by the way?” You asked him curiously.

“I wanted to ask you if you would sit next to me on the plane so we could set up an English plan. But you already beat me to it, it seems.” He carefully studied your features while inviting you to sit next to him.

“I would love to sit next to you Jungkook. I only made the plan based of your band schedule, maybe there are some things you want to change due to personal reasons.” You were both smiling at each other you hand’t noticed everyone was already boarding the plane.

“Will you two also board the plane, please? We need Jungkook as he is a member of BTS and we definitely need Y/N when we land in the US.” Hyun Shik interrupted whatever what was happening between you and Jungkook. You both grabbed your things and walked toward the plane. The stewardess at the entrance of the plane happily greeted the both of you and offered you both a menu. She also walked us over to the only two remaining seats.

“You can sit by the window.” He said immediately taking the other side close to the aisle.

“Thank you!” Was the only thing you muttered before you went to your seat. This wasn’t a normal plane by the way. It was a large plane with only a VIP section or so it seemed. Everyone got a large chair with enough leg space for a giraffe. The chair could also be transformed into a bed and there were even sliding panels to have some privacy, if needed.

Your eyes scanned every corner of the plane and you couldn’t help your mouth from falling open. There were several buttons at the side of your chair for every possible assistance you needed. TV, movie channel, sleeping button, …

“The first time we boarded a plane like this we couldn’t believe our eyes. We didn’t dare to touch anything and the first few times I didn’t even dare to push back my chair to sit more comfortable.” He confessed after he let you acclimatize for a while.

“I feel like I am going to be the opposite. I want to push every button to see what happens. Maybe there is one that catapults me out of my seat like in a James Bond car or something.” You laughed at him with the biggest smile on your face.

“That seems like a very unnecessary button.” He couldn’t help but laugh along with you and it was the most beautiful sound you had ever heard. He was so comfortable around you he didn’t care if his laugh was a bit too loud. The stewardess interrupted with telling us to buckle up and look at the safety instructions. You both glanced over to each other from time to time while the staff of the plane tried its best to teach you the basic safety rules.

The flight was really comfortable and the staff made you feel like you were a foreign princess. They brought you fresh tea when they noticed your cup was empty. They also handed you an extra blanket after one to them noticed you were getting cold. Jungkook and you had been making a new English schedule for him to follow. In a couple of months he would be able to help Namjoon during interviews. If he sticked with the plan of course.

Somewhere along the flight you had fallen asleep and were carefully woken up by a sleepy Jungkook. You noticed he was only wearing his T-shirt which was enough for you to wake up immediately.

“I’m sorry to wake you Y/N but apparently we have already landed. I also slept through it all.” He whispered and his tiny sleepy eyes he could barely keep open. You sat back up and tried to find all your belongings. That was when you noticed a grey sweater wrapped over your shoulders. It smelled great and was incredibly warm and you didn’t want it to leave you.

“Thank you for keeping me warm.” You said while handing back Jungkook his sweater.

“You can keep it you know.” He tried to say but you quickly interrupted him.

“I think it will better if you wear it out. If one person is smart enough to connect the dots you will never hear the end of it.” You explained while trying to give him back his sweater. He smiled sadly but still took his sweater and put it back on.

Leaving the airport was kind of the same here in New York as entering the airport in Seoul. First the boys went through the first layer of photographers and reporters. They posed with tiny eyes and puffy faces. You stayed behind with Hyun Shik and only when BTS drove off in big black cars he took your arm again and dragged you to the one remaining car.

“What is going on with you and Jungkook.” Hyun Shik immediately asked you while closing the door of the car.

“What do you mean?” You asked him innocently but apparently he could look through your act.

“Please don’t start to like any of the members. This can only lead to heartbreak and you getting fired.”

“I don’t like Jungkook in a romantic way. I like him in a friendly way, the way I like you too Hyun Shik.” You tried to explain to him. The look he gave you made you believe he believed you. Hell, you even started to believe yourself.

“I’ve got to admit, it is nice seeing Jungkook so comfortable around someone new. I was just worried, that’s all.” He tried to explain himself and his feelings and it was really adorable.

“Thank you for worrying about me and taking care of me when I can’t seem to take care of myself. I’m really grateful for getting this job and also for you being my rock through this new experience.” You smiled politely back at him and the seemed to relax. The car ride was spend going through the schedule and where you most definitely needed to be. The styling people also took some clothes with them for you to wear to more formal events so you wouldn’t stand out to much.

“Clothes for me?” You asked in disbelief. It was like a dream come through. “That is so cool.”

#bts #bts x reader #jungkook #Jungkook x reader #Jungkook x you #jeon jungguk #jungguk x reader #jeon jungkook #bangtan #Bangtan imagine #Bangtan scenario #fanfic #fan fiction #bts fanfic #bts fan fiction #Jungkook fanfic #fluff #romance

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hopelessromantic1352 · 5 years

Text

You Are My Muse - Chapter 1

Hey everyone! I decided to do a multi-chapter series on Thomas Hunt x Stephanie (MC for Red Carpet Diaries) This is chapter one and I have no idea how many chapters there will be, but I hope you all like it! A little background: Thomas was in Venice for two months shooting for his new movie, Enveloped Love, starring Apricott Persimmon and Matt Rodriguez. You will all find out the reason for Thomas hiring Apricott eventually, so bear with me! Again, feedback would be awesome!! I decided to write this series in 1st person and this chapter is pretty long!!

A shrill ringing jolts me awake. I groan as I pick my phone up.

"Hello?" My voice was hoarse.

"Hello, Ms. Park."

I stopped rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Thomas?" I had to admit it was good to hear his smooth voice again, even though it was five o'clock in the morning. "Do you have any idea what time it is here?"

A moment passes before I hear him clear his throat.

"I believe Idaho is just an hour ahead of California."

My eyes shot open. Now I'm wide awake.

"You're back in the country? When? Why didn't you tell me?" I bit my bottom lip, oh how I miss him.

"I just got back last night around midnight. I need your assistance with my female lead in Enveloped Love. She is having...a difficult time grasping what I want from her and I was hoping you'd give her advice." I hear him sigh before he says anything else. "I would also like to see you, Stephanie, I have been quite lonely these past two months."

I smile, "I miss you too, Thomas. And I would love to help Apricott, since she and I can coexist, it might not be impossible for me to give her advice. Plus, I kind of know how the director wants things." I smirk, I can picture his signature eye roll. I missed his eye roll.

"Good to know. When will you be back?"

"I'll catch a flight out tonight." I was now out of bed starting to pack my things.

"I'll retrieve you from the airport, no matter what time you get in. I want to see you."

"Sounds good, see you soon Thomas." I bite my bottom lip again.

"Until then, Stephanie."

"Bye." I smile as I hang up the phone and return to packing.

***

I arrived at LAX at eight o'clock. I pull my phone out and quickly text Thomas that I just got off the plane.

"Meet you at the baggage claim."

His simple text makes my heart start racing, I can't believe how much I missed him.

I quicken my pace, follow the signs to baggage claim and see a tall, impeccably dressed man, with black hair standing in front of me. He was looking at his phone, obviously frustrated because his eyebrows were furrowed and he had a slight frown on his lips. I slow my pace, just so I can observe Thomas for a little while longer. His signature stubble and famous jawline stick out to me, and then he looks up.

Our eyes meet and I can't help the tears I feel stinging my eyes. He smiles, widely, and I laugh, feeling tears falling down my cheeks. I slide my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and start jogging towards him.

We meet somewhere in the middle and he wraps me in a hug. My arms tighten around his waist and I bury my face in the crook of his neck.

"Hi Stephanie." I felt his breath on my neck.

"Thomas, I missed you so much."

I pull back just enough to capture his lips with mine. The kiss was full of longing and passion. We both pull back, smiling at each other. I didn't care if people saw us and I didn't care what they thought of our blatant display of affection.

"We have a lot to catch up on." He smirks, "Would you like to stay at my house tonight, I can fix us something to eat and we can catch up."

"Absolutely." I gave him a blinding smile and headed to pick up my bag off the carousel.

After we picked up my suitcase, Thomas escorted me to his car and we drove to his house.

I hadn't been to his house for two months and I missed our time together behind those walls. Late night discussions regarding any movie that we happened to think of, morning breakfasts at his island counter top with one of his expensive white shirts half-buttoned draped over my shoulders. I even helped him make revisions to his newest film's script. Enveloped Love wasn't anything like The Last Duchess but still, thanks Thomas, had an extraordinary script. The movie was about a con woman who gets caught by the FBI but, to get a reduced sentence, becomes a confidential informant. I begged Thomas to let me star in it, but he decided that it would be best for my career if we didn't work together back to back on projects. As much as I hated to say it, he was right, the press would have a field day, accusing me of using Thomas to get jobs and to further my career. But, the media didn't scare me. I wanted that role and I didn't care what the press thought of me. Unfortunately, Thomas wouldn't go for it.

He did allow me to help him revise the script and he gave me tips about directing. Each morning I woke up in his arms, was a new adventure that took place inside his house. An adventure that taught me new things about Hollywood and new things about the man that I found extremely fascinating.

His modern dark colored two story house was dimly lit as we pulled into his driveway. When we stepped inside, I felt like I was at home again. His house oozed, him. It was impeccably decorated, simple yet elegant.

I let out a content sigh and smiled subconsciously.

After he locks his door he turns to me, eyebrow quirked up. "Hmm?"

"It feels good to be back." I walk over to him and place my hands on his chest. "It feels good to be, with you again."

He smiles lightly, his eyes darken a shade. "I missed you. Very much." His arms encircle my waist and pulls me to him.

Our bodies were flush with each other as he kissed me. He bites my bottom lip gently and his hands travel down my back until they rest at my hips. I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him impossibly closer. I nip his bottom lip and he groans lightly.

"You are incorrigible." His voice is hoarse and his breathing is labored.

I look up at his tousled hair, down to his furrowed eyebrows and I eventually lock onto his eyes.

I reach up and smooth out the wrinkle in between his brows. His lips quirk upwards slightly.

"You, sir, are lucky you don't have permanent wrinkles." I trail my finger down the bridge of his nose and end on his lips. "Still, you are extremely handsome."

I see him blush and he pulls away from me slightly, covering his mouth with his hand, coughing lightly.

I smile. I love it when he gets flustered and shy.

"Yes, well," he coughs once more. "I find you extremely attractive as well."

I giggle, "You're so cute when get all flustered and shy."

There's the eye roll. Yep, I missed that.

I grab his tie and pull him back to me. As soon as our lips met again, I realized something. I love this man. The man, that on paper, was completely wrong for me. Too old, too established, we shouldn't work. On paper, he's too serious and critical, I'm too naive and easy going. We should be at complete odds with each other, but instead we work great together and we balance each other out. In the short time we've been together, he's taught me to enjoy the finer things; scotch, crooner-age music (which by the way I'm completely obsessed with), and high end everything.

I've taught him to loosen up every once in awhile and to just go with it. He seems to enjoy it, while I enjoy everything he's taught me so far.

We pull apart, breathless once again, and I rest my forehead against his.

"Thomas, I-" His eyes seem to bore into my soul. It's like he is trying to decipher what I'm going to say before I say it. "I love you."

His eyes widen and he goes stiff. I start to shrink away from him. Maybe I said it too soon, maybe he wasn't ready to hear it yet. Does he even feel the same?

I try to pull away from him, and I tear my eyes away from his scrutinizing gaze, but he pulls me back.

"Stephanie, you--you astound me." I couldn't bring myself to look at him.

I feel his hand under my chin. He gently makes me look at him, straight in the eyes.

"I love you too." His eyes were sincere and I felt all my nerves dissipate almost as quickly as they hit me.

He kisses me with everything as if he's trying to prove to me how much he cares. I feel my back hit the door. His lips ravish mine and I enjoy every minute of it. I feel him pick me up, my legs wrap around his waist and my arms tighten around his neck.

His mouth trails down to my neck, nipping and sucking on my exposed skin.

"Thomas," I say breathlessly and tangle a hand in his hair.

He groans when I tug on his hair gently. He starts walking us towards his room, never taking his lips off of my neck. Somehow we made it to his room without breaking anything or hurting ourselves.

He gently laid me down on the bed and grinned devilishly.

What followed was the best night of my life, so far.

***

The next morning I woke up to an empty bed. I open my eyes and squint at the light shining through his window. I rub my eyes and stretch, but pause just as I was about to slide out of his king size bed.

"Why exactly is Miss Persimmon quitting?"

Thomas' voice was coming from his office just a few doors down the hall.

"Does she understand that we have a contract?"

Uh oh. I slide out of his bed as quietly as possible and quickly walk to his closet to pluck one his shirts off of a hanger. I button the shirt halfway and start walking to his office.

His hair is tousled, he doesn't have a shirt on and he has maroon pajama bottoms on. He looks very agitated.

I lean on the doorway into his office, his back is to me, so I just wait for him to see me or to finish his phone call.

"I gave her a chance after the whole blow up with the media, does she not understand--"

He rubs his temples with his free hand. The person on the other end of the line actually had the audacity to interrupt Thomas Hunt.

That person has some nerve.

"It is not my fault she doesn't understand what I want for this movie, I have explained to her multiple times but she refuses to work on it."

He lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Understood, tell her good luck for me."

Although his words were encouraging, his voice was straight venom.

He hangs up the call and drops his phone on his desk, which he was now leaning against. He puts his head in his hands and lets out a frustrated groan.

"Rough morning?"

He jumps slightly, and turns to look at me.

He nods, "I suppose I may need a new female lead."

I feel excitement bubbling up inside of me.

"Any front runners?" I smirk, hoping I'm the only actress on his list.

"Stephanie, you know that I don't feel comfortable putting you in a situation where your career will be criticized and put in jeopardy." He is standing now, facing me.

"Thomas, my career is criticized and put in jeopardy every single time my face is in the media at all, no matter what." I walk to him, taking confident steps as I face him. "I don't care what the press thinks, I want this role. Not because of you personally but rather you as a professional. You are amazing to work with, you're literally a genius when it comes to directing and working on scripts. Plus, you've got Matt for the male lead, Holly as the screenwriter, Addison on wardrobe and Chris Winters producing! I mean that's literally the dream team for a movie, I just want to be a part of it."

He looks at me thoughtfully.

"Please Thomas, I want this role so bad. I know that I'll be fine." I give him my best puppy eyes and place my hands on his chest, rubbing my thumbs back and forth.

"I don't have many options right now. I suppose since time is of the essence, you are my new Alexis Lively." He brushes a strand of my curly, dirty blond hair behind my ear. "I never doubted that you would be the best Alexis, but I had to make the best decision for your career."

"Thomas, I love that you want to protect me, but I think I can handle myself with the media." I say this with absolute conviction, showing him that I really want this role, no matter what.

He nods. His hand reaches up to cup my cheek and I nuzzle into his hand. "Then, I suppose, we have a deal."

I smile and kiss him sweetly. "Thank you."

#thomas hunt fanfiction #thomas hunt #thomas orson hunt #red carpet diaries #rcd #professor hunt #hunt x mc #mc x thomas hunt

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choicesfanficanonymous · 5 years

Text

You Are My Muse - Chapter 1 (Thomas Hunt X MC)

***

A shrill ringing jolts me awake. I groan as I pick my phone up.

“Hello?” My voice was hoarse.

“Hello, Ms. Park.”

I stopped rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

“Thomas?” I had to admit it was good to hear his smooth voice again, even though it was five o'clock in the morning. “Do you have any idea what time it is here?”

A moment passes before I hear him clear his throat.

“I believe Idaho is just an hour ahead of California.”

My eyes shot open. Now I’m wide awake.

“You’re back in the country? When? Why didn’t you tell me?” I bit my bottom lip, oh how I miss him.

“I just got back last night around midnight. I need your assistance with my female lead in Enveloped Love. She is having…a difficult time grasping what I want from her and I was hoping you’d give her advice.” I hear him sigh before he says anything else. “I would also like to see you, Stephanie, I have been quite lonely these past two months.”

I smile, “I miss you too, Thomas. And I would love to help Apricott, since she and I can coexist, it might not be impossible for me to give her advice. Plus, I kind of know how the director wants things.” I smirk, I can picture his signature eye roll. I missed his eye roll.

“Good to know. When will you be back?”

“I’ll catch a flight out tonight.” I was now out of bed starting to pack my things.

“I’ll retrieve you from the airport, no matter what time you get in. I want to see you.”

“Sounds good, see you soon Thomas.” I bite my bottom lip again.

“Until then, Stephanie.”

“Bye.” I smile as I hang up the phone and return to packing.

***

I arrived at LAX at eight o'clock. I pull my phone out and quickly text Thomas that I just got off the plane.

“Meet you at the baggage claim.”

His simple text makes my heart start racing, I can’t believe how much I missed him.

Our eyes meet and I can’t help the tears I feel stinging my eyes. He smiles, widely, and I laugh, feeling tears falling down my cheeks. I slide my phone into the back pocket of my jeans and start jogging towards him.

We meet somewhere in the middle and he wraps me in a hug. My arms tighten around his waist and I bury my face in the crook of his neck.

“Hi Stephanie.” I felt his breath on my neck.

“Thomas, I missed you so much.”

I pull back just enough to capture his lips with mine. The kiss was full of longing and passion. We both pull back, smiling at each other. I didn’t care if people saw us and I didn’t care what they thought of our blatant display of affection.

“We have a lot to catch up on.” He smirks, “Would you like to stay at my house tonight, I can fix us something to eat and we can catch up.”

“Absolutely.” I gave him a blinding smile and headed to pick up my bag off the carousel.

After we picked up my suitcase, Thomas escorted me to his car and we drove to his house.

I hadn’t been to his house for two months and I missed our time together behind those walls. Late night discussions regarding any movie that we happened to think of, morning breakfasts at his island countertop with one of his expensive white shirts half-buttoned draped over my shoulders. I even helped him make revisions to his newest film’s script. Enveloped Love wasn’t anything like The Last Duchess but still, thanks Thomas, had an extraordinary script. The movie was about a con woman who gets caught by the FBI but, to get a reduced sentence, becomes a confidential informant. I begged Thomas to let me star in it, but he decided that it would be best for my career if we didn’t work together back to back on projects. As much as I hated to say it, he was right, the press would have a field day, accusing me of using Thomas to get jobs and to further my career. But, the media didn’t scare me. I wanted that role and I didn’t care what the press thought of me. Unfortunately, Thomas wouldn’t go for it.

I let out a content sigh and smiled subconsciously.

After he locks his door he turns to me, eyebrow quirked up. “Hmm?”

“It feels good to be back.” I walk over to him and place my hands on his chest. “It feels good to be, with you again.”

He smiles lightly, his eyes darken a shade. “I missed you. Very much.” His arms encircle my waist and pulls me to him.

“You are incorrigable.” His voice is hoarse and his breathing is labored.

I look up at his touseled hair, down to his furrowed eyebrows and I eventually lock onto his eyes.

I reach up and smooth out the wrinkle in between his brows. His lips quirk upwards slightly.

“You, sir, are lucky you don’t have permanent wrinkles.” I trail my finger down the bridge of his nose and end on his lips. “Still, you are extremely handsome.”

I see him blush and he pulls away from me slightly, covering his mouth with his hand, coughing lightly.

I smile. I love it when he gets flustered and shy.

“Yes, well,” he coughs once more. “I find you extremely attractive as well.”

I giggle, “You’re so cute when get all flustered and shy.”

There’s the eye roll. Yep, I missed that.

I grab his tie and pull him back to me. As soon as our lips met again, I realized something. I love this man. The man, that on paper, was completely wrong for me. Too old, too established, we shouldn’t work. On paper, he’s too serious and critical, I’m too naive and easy going. We should be at complete odds with each other, but instead we work great together and we balance each other out. In the short time we’ve been together, he’s taught me to enjoy the finer things; scotch, crooner-age music (which by the way I’m completey obsessed with), and high end everything.

I’ve taught him to loosen up every once in awhile and to just go with it. He seems to enjoy it, while I enjoy everything he’s taught me so far.

We pull apart, breathless once again, and I rest my forehead against his.

“Thomas, I-” His eyes seem to bore into my soul. It’s like he is trying to decipher what I’m going to say before I say it. “I love you.”

His eyes widen and he goes stiff. I start to shrink away from him. Maybe I said it too soon, maybe he wasn’t ready to hear it yet. Does he even feel the same?

I try to pull away from him, and I tear my eyes away from his scrutinizing gaze, but he pulls me back.

“Stephanie, you–you astound me.” I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

I feel his hand under my chin. He gently makes me look at him, straight in the eyes.

“I love you too.” His eyes were sincere and I felt all my nerves dissipate almost as quickly as they hit me.

He kisses me with everything as if he’s trying to prove to me how much he cares. I feel my back hit the door. His lips ravish mine and I enjoy every minute of it. I feel him pick me up, my legs wrap around his waist and my arms tighten around his neck.

His mouth trails down to my neck, nipping and sucking on my exposed skin.

“Thomas,” I say breathlessly and tangle a hand in his hair.

He groans when I tug on his hair gently. He starts walking us towards his room, never taking his lips off of my neck. Somehow we made it to his room without breaking anything or hurting ourselves.

He gently laid me down on the bed and grinned devilishly.

What followed was the best night of my life, so far.

***

“Why exactly is Miss Persimmon quitting?”

Thomas’ voice was coming from his office just a few doors down the hall.

“Does she understand that we have a contract?”

Uh oh. I slide out of his bed as quietly as possible and quickly walk to his closet to pluck one his shirts off of a hanger. I button the shirt halfway and start walking to his office.

His hair is touseled, he doesn’t have a shirt on and he has maroon pajama bottoms on. He looks very agitated.

I lean on the doorway into his office, his back is to me, so I just wait for him to see me or to finish his phone call.

“I gave her a chance after the whole blow up with the media, does she not understand–”

He rubs his temples with his free hand. The person on the other end of the line actually had the audacity to interrupt Thomas Hunt.

That person has some nerve.

“It is not my fault she doesn’t understand what I want for this movie, I have explained to her multiple times but she refuses to work on it.”

He lets out an exasperated sigh.

“Understood, tell her good luck for me.”

Although his words were encouraging, his voice was straight venom.

He hangs up the call and drops his phone on his desk, which he was now leaning against. He puts his head in his hands and lets out a frustrated groan.

“Rough morning?”

He jumps slightly, and turns to look at me.

He nods, “I suppose I may need a new female lead.”

I feel excitement bubbling up inside of me.

“Any front runners?” I smirk, hoping I’m the only actress on his list.

“Stephanie, you know that I don’t feel comfortable putting you in a situation where your career will be criticized and put in jeopardy.” He is standing now, facing me.

“Thomas, my career is criticized and put in jeopardy every single time my face is in the media at all, no matter what.” I walk to him, taking confident steps as I face him. “I don’t care what the press thinks, I want this role. Not because of you personally but rather you as a professional. You are amazing to work with, you’re literally a genius when it comes to directing and working on scripts. Plus, you’ve got Matt for the male lead, Holly as the screenwriter, Addison on wardrobe and Chris Winters producing! I mean that’s literally the dream team for a movie, I just want to be a part of it.”

He looks at me thoughtfully.

“Please Thomas, I want this role so bad. I know that I’ll be fine.” I give him my best puppy eyes and place my hands on his chest, rubbing my thumbs back and forth.

“I don’t have many options right now. I suppose since time is of the essence, you are my new Alexis Lively.” He brushes a strand of my curly, dirty blond hair behind my ear. “I never doubted that you would be the best Alexis, but I had to make the best decision for your career.”

“Thomas, I love that you want to protect me, but I think I can handle myself with the media.” I say this with absolute conviction, showing him that I really want this role, no matter what.

He nods. His hand reaches up to cup my cheek and I nuzzle into his hand. “Then, I suppose, we have a deal.”

I smile and kiss him sweetly. “Thank you.”

#playchoices fanfiction #playchoices #red carpet diaries #Thomas Hunt #thomas hunt x mc

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migleefulmoments · 5 years

Text

Sometimes I just can’t keep quiet...

Sometimes I just can’t let a comment go. This is one of them.

From the CC fandom:

Anonymous asked:

Being a Darren fan is like having a constant state of whiplash. You have Team/D & Darren/D and the two have VERY different narratives. You have to “read between” the lines. I honestly take everything he does and says with a grain of salt. EVENTUALLY and HOPEFULLY the truth will come out - pun intended. Unless he plans to be engaged for 7+ years or he takes it to the next level?? This can’t last forever. Thoughts???

Utter and complete whiplash nonnie. It is hard to be a D fan if you pay attention because either he is a walking contradiction or there is a war going on behind the scenes.

Team Shit has tried for years to mold an image of D as a straight bro that is kind of a jerk and very much in love with a woman who acts like a spoiled, rich brat that thinks she is better than every one else and who has painted a public image of someone that does not work and instead prefers to party all the time. And that reflects on D,

D wants you to see the fun loving guy who fully embraces all parts of himself and wants to play queer and is not afraid to embrace his feminine side when appropriate. But also loves sports, is multi-talented but not egotistical. Who treats the people in his path like gold, including his family, friends, colleagues, and fans.

I agree, this has to end soon. There is no 7 year encage. They have already pushed the planning to fandom as if it is happening soon. And every weekend that is not planned is looked to as a possible wedding weekend.

He either says I do or I don’t really soon. I hope the D he has shown us time and again, the one who has been closeted against his will and rebelled for years, prevails and he wins. Because the alternative is a massive defeat I don’t think he can recover from it.

It is hard to be a D fan if you pay attention because either he is a walking contradiction or there is a war going on behind the scenes. The ONLY reason he is a walking contradiction is because the CC fandom refuses to listen to Darren. They collectively refuse to hear his truth as they obsessively rewrite his story to fit their CrissColfer fantasy. The fandom refuses to accept that Darren is exactly who Darren says he is. They spend their time and energy spinning wild tales about how Darren Criss ISN’T exactly who Darren Criss is. The Darren they are left with, ccDarren is a walking contradiction...he is an amalgamation of their fantasy Darren and anything the real Darren does or says that is “gay enough” for them to accept. Everything Darren does that isn’t gay enough is immediately explained away, erased from his story. When someone else is writing your story, you will be a walking contradiction.

“If you are paying attention” is a code for “if you are writing Darren’s story”

Team shit has tried...to mold Darren” Oh, the projection that is happening in that sentence. Darren is a strong man who is very comfortable in his own skin. Nobody is molding him into anything he isn’t already. It’s shameful that ccDarren is a spineless, gullible wuss without a backbone. The only people desperately trying to “mold him” into something he isn’t is the CC family.

“.. as a straight bro that is kind of a jerk and very much in love with a woman”

“Straight bro”? Yes, Darren is straight. He has said so for 9 years. Listen to him, it is the least you can do. EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THEIR OWN SEXUALITY. He has said for 9 years that he is straight. He has said for 9 years that he is dating Mia. For a year he has said that he is engaged to Mia. He is queer only in the CCers’ own twisted fantasy.

“Kind of a jerk”? well I guess if you desperately want him to be queer and he refuse to play along, then I would imagine you can see him as a jerk.

“...very much in love with a woman”? He has been consistent with messaging on his love for Mia for many years now. I’m not sure exactly how this is a bad thing, other than it is incongruent with the CCer’s fantasy that two men -who never dated in real life- are secretly in love. The CCers’ inability to distinguish a scripted, TV couple from real life as the heart of the matter.

“...a woman who acts like a spoiled, rich brat that thinks she is better than every one else” Here we come to the misogyny. Accusing Mia of being a “spoiled, rich brat” who “thinks she is better than every one else” and “who has panted a public image of someone that does not work” and “instead prefers to party all the time” when in fact there is nothing to suggest any of this is true is misogyny. They are nothing more than purely mean-spirited accusations rooted in jealousy and misogyny. We don’t know enough about Mia to know whether she is a “spoiled, rich brat”. What we do know is that Darren says lovely things about her and the impact she has had on his life. We know that both Darren’s friends and her friends say very sweet things about her. The CCers dismiss them all as being “contractual obligations”as if that is a thing. Nobody is getting their friends to sign contracts to praise their girlfriend or themselves. Mia barley speaks and certainly hasn’t said enough publicly for fans to claim she is anything good or bad.

“... believes she is better than every one else...” Um...again, Mia speaks very rarely in public, making this statement simply baseless. It is the ugly green monster of jealousy speaking. Using stereotypical derogatory terms to describe a woman simply because it suits your fantasy is the definition of misogyny.

“...and who has painted a public image of someone that does not work and instead prefers to party all the time” No, Mia has never “painted an image of someone who does not work”. She has worked most of the time we have known of her and then she opened a bar. Owning a bar is actually a job even if ajw and the CC fandom can’t see it on social media. But ultimately, It doesn’t matter if she has job or not-Darren and Mia’s financial arrangements within their relationship is not anyone else’s business. Mia’s value isn’t based on her career earnings or the status of her job- no matter how may times ajw claims they are. Mia’s job or lack of one has NO reflection on Darren as a human being. As for “preferring to party”? That is literally another completely made up CC trope.

“She reflects badly on Darren”? The idea that Mia is supposed to worry that she is a negative reflection on Darren is another misogynistic, 1850′s belief-when women were unable to vote and seen as property of their husband. Mia is an independent woman, a person that Darren loves for who she is. If he is worried about how she reflects on him, then he is an asshole. The majority of the world has no idea who Darren loves and only the most diehard fans even see Mia. Darren tells us he loves her and as fans, that is the only thing that matters.

“D wants you to see the fun loving guy who fully embraces all parts of himself...” Um, sure, Darren wants people to see him for who he is and he is very comfortable in his skin. What part of Darren in the last year was not fun loving? I don’t get who they are seeing.

“...and wants to play queer and is not afraid to embrace his feminine side when appropriate” No, he isn’t afraid to embrace his feminine side...that doesn’t mean he is gay. He wants to play queer? Darren has never said that playing queer characters is a career goal of his...in fact, he said the opposite because he understands representation. He has played queer characters in his 3 biggest roles and it’s getting redundant. Nobody wants to be typecast. All actors want to stretch themselves and doing new things is part of that. If he was in the closet then he really has no business playing queer characters. Claiming that Darren wants to play queer characters is a literally ajw putting words in Darren’s mouth based on her CC fantasy while dismissing the importance of representation.

“But also loves sports, is multi-talented but not egotistical. Who treats the people in his path like gold, including his family, friends, colleagues, and fans”. He’s queer, acts like a girl but he loves sports....can she be anymore stereotypical and reductive? I’m always shocked when they make statements like this; I never think they can stoop lower and they always do.

“...he’s not egotistical”? Newsflash, Darren has an ego. Putting your fantasy of perfection onto a real flawed human being is silly and immature.

“Who treats the people in his path like gold, including his family, friends, colleagues, and fans” Does Darren treat everyone “like gold”? IDK. How could we know? We know that he treats fans well and he has a lot of friends. But we don’t know how he treats people in his life. He is literally a stranger to all of us. Colleagues say nice things about him but it’s all PR, after all? Darren isn’t perfect, he is a real person with real flaws. Proclaiming is perfect is immature.

If you put together statements from various posts from the last few days, you get a picture of the how the CC Fantasy is far removed from reality. Their fantasy reads but in a stereotypical over-the-top romance novel except they are dealing with real people.

“is multi-talented but not egotistical. Who treats the people in his path like gold, including his family, friends, colleagues, and fans... the one who has been closeted against his will and rebelled for years, prevails and he wins....He will do what he needs to do for those he loves. And that includes fighting a foe that we will never know the depth of... (cue the lyrics to The Impossible Dream). This song always comes back to haunt me in relationship to D. He lives it, he breathes it, he feels it on a daily bases. Soon he will find he will reach the reachable star....D isn’t straight, that is a fact and he has a male partner. If you pay attention to the details, it is really clear....To those who know he is closeted (a fact), he looked like a coward and it made it sound like he had CHOSEN to be closeted and it is the path he will be continuing to chose....While D is far from perfect, he is at war and his team is actively working against him...The hole is deep. D must start to climb out of it. The time is now. The encage must be broken shortly after the SAGs. If not, I honestly fear for him and his ability to come out anytime in the next 10 years and frankly, having observed him for a really long time, I don’t think he would survive a continued alliance with M, who is pure poison to him, or a continued alliance with RR and SS..I hope my gut is right and that the D I have watched for so long prevails and wins this war. But while the final battles are being waged, everything must be viewed from the perspective of a fight going on and realizing D is not in control of things published in his name. But despite that, he chooses to continue to do the things he loves, despite them, including channeling his inner Mar/iah gloriously.

Yeah, so not based in reality at all.

#CC #ccer #ccers #cc fandom #cc blog #cc family #Darren Criss #chris colfer #crisscolfer #it's all a fantasy

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