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#Mans was like hi keep up the good football and John’s putting ‘best mates with William’ on his CV
sendinthehuskies · 1 year
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You may already have talked about and answered this long ago, but I wanted to ask just in case because the intrusive thought has been rattling around my brain all transfer window so far:
Hypothetically, how do you think the Stonesford relationship (friendship/bond/potential romance or whatever you want to call it) would change, both in canon and fanon, if Pickford were by some incredible twist of fate transferred to Man City this year or next? Say if by the early Summer both Ederson & Moreno pick up big chronic side-lining injuries (hopefully they don't IRL of course! Not wishing anyone ill) and/or Carson retires, but no-one from the reserves/subs is quite ready to blood in yet either, and so the club has to scramble quickly to nick a good proven keeper from another Prem team to fill in for the start of next season...and it's Picks who's the best choice both available and desperately wanting to move club fast (not implausible, Everton are in a highly precarious position).
To me, this feels like it would be a very decisive make-or-break flashpoint for Jordan & John as a pair, who by now are used to not getting much time together, splitting their time, and having a lot of time apart, whether that's as best mates or anything else. They live fairly close by each other, but as it is they've got commitments and families and other mates/colleagues who take up their hours, and schedules for Prem footballers are squeezed. So, if then suddenly they got to (had to) work together daily or weekly in person, do press, go to all the same club functions, wear the same badge and go to the same training sessions/dressing room/canteen etc., how would they like all the new proximity and adjust? Would they soon start to find each other more annoying, off-putting or boring in ways they hadn't had chance to notice before? Or would they become even more endeared and interested and hard to separate?
I also can't help wondering how Stonesy's behaviour around his City teammates, especially the England lads, might cause a major sticking point. John seems very intensely focused on Jordan when they're together at England, sticking close to him at least half the time and noticeably prioritising him over all the others, but could he--would he--willingly keep doing that at City? Give up his social time and affection needs with the boys, just to keep Jordan close and feeling secure, preserve what they have? When it's nine whole months of the season to get through, and not the nine weeks total as it is for internationals, that's a much bigger ask both socially and emotionally (this was the man who refused to marry his childhood sweetheart of 11 years/first child's mother/round the way girl because he "needed space", after all.)
And how would Picks cope, seeing John draping himself all over Kyle & Kalvin & Jack every working day, nibbling their ears and climbing over their laps all day like Jordan's not even there? Or worse, all over Ruben & Laporte & KDB & Julian etc., who are lads Jordan can't even confidently rip into or shout at or warn off? (language and cultural barriers, y'know). Would he come to a place of ease with sharing and letting out more space between him and John (or adding someone/s into their little clique for two?), or would it just be too painful and humiliating, forcing Jordan to cut ties and let him go? It's one thing to watch John being John on edits and social media posts online, or on MOTD clips, or in photos, but when it's happening live in the flesh in front of his eyes every single day and he can't do a thing about it publicly, could be a different story?
In any case, it feels like at City, under Pep's watchful strict eye, there probably wouldn't be the same loose, easy, and safe freedom to be Stonesford(tm) the way they instinctively know how to at England, and to keep starting places in the City team they'd have to buck up and stop hanging off each other or hyperfocusing on each other positively or negatively, whether they preferred that or not. The demands of the top-table team and Guardiola's control would impact the way they are, one would imagine.
tl;dr it's hard to see it going smoothly for Stonesford if Picks went City, whether they stayed together/grew even closer or ended up splitting under pressure and calling time because of it. Really interested to hear your thoughts, though.
What an absolutely incredible thing to receive in my inbox!
Let me start by saying that your own thoughts on this are excellent and i thoroughly enjoyed reading this. One thing I long for is more people throwing their weight behind the story of this pairing and sharing their opinions on what will/won’t/is happening rather than just me rabbiting on about what I think, so this was an absolute joy to behold.
So, I think fundamentally their relationship is something that crosses over to both canon and the fic world - I don’t think their friendship and the way they are around each other in fic is wildly different from how they are in real life (obviously they’re not fucking, and I mean this in contrast to like Jack and Hendo - which is entirely made up based off a ten second clip), which means largely I think the consequences of Jordan joining city would be the same here and there.
My impression in both fic and in real life has long been that they work because Jordan does not, never has, and never will, need John. He’s extremely happy to just get his head down and get on with work - he has never been clamouring to into a clique, never been one to try and flaunt relationships with other footballers on insta comments or stories. Hes got no desire to be famous, to secure a big gig when he’s retired. He’s got his mates from home and his family and football is just his job, same with you or me.
And John has never not been John. When they were 18 John was hanging off Barkley, then Harty, then Kyle for years in a big way, and since then tonnes of various men. So I think Jordan would not be phased by John being John at city, not even in front of his salad.
Jordan’s not star struck by Kev and Erling and Mahrez. They’re just men. He’d happily boss City’s back line about too because apart from John and Kyle, they’re all either geeks (sorry laporte) or younguns. He’d not be scared to scream at them when he needed to.
I think where Jordan would potentially struggle would be under Pep, and what he expects, and how he can be quite brutal to the players. Jordan would either fold under the pressure, or, what I think is more likely, is that he’d thrive off it. As we’ve seen countless times - pen shoot outs, finals, everton relegation zone - he doesn’t panic and implode. He gets better the more pressure is on him.
He’s never really had any remarkable tutelage, so Pep could help him to refine the skills he has and become the great player he really is. And we know already that the way John and Jordan play together, as attested by sports journalists and pundits and all sorts of experts, makes both of them better.
Jordan’s able to stay closer to his net because John has such a tight rein over the box which makes Jordan a better keeper and less prone to accident. Conversely, Jordan’s ability on the ball, command of the back line and skill at playing out lets John relax, focus, and press deeper where needed.
As is the case with John and Kyle, the longer people have been playing together the better they become at intuiting each other’s moves and working as a unit. The three of them would certainly do well together, especially aided by City’s other star defenders.
John’s attitude towards England players at City is somewhat different, though, if we’re to go off how he’s acted in the past. I do think there are people who gravitate to the most popular person in the room and latch themselves on. I do think John is one of those people.
But what makes it work is that Jordan isn’t bothered. John will be back, like he always is, and Jordan doesn’t need him all the time anyway. In fact - in real life and in fic - too much John gets on his last nerve. So dipping in and out of favour is a blessing.
And it only turns on John on when people he loves are centre of attention. I don’t think he’d want to protect Jordan and keep him to himself, I think he’d love having him do well and be popular. He’d love nodding and saying “do you get it now?? What I’ve been saying??” It would make John want him all the more.
If John can maintain his obsession with Kyle at England and City, he would with Jordan too, I think. Like you see in the one interview they got to do with Kyle, they just end up folding in on one another and sniggering at in jokes anyway - I can’t see that changing if it’s Haaland or Dias or DeBruyne in Kyle’s place.
I think it’s worth saying though that I come at this from the point of view of their 2023 selves, which is extremely significant. Because they’ve both been to the cliff edge and back, I truly think they’re both so much more relaxed about the whole thing now. A few years ago, I’m sure the pressure would’ve crushed them. John wouldn’t be able to compartmentalise and he’d blame Jordan for things and vice versa. I feel they view all this playing time they get now as extra - a second chance. So they just enjoy themselves. And they’d enjoy exploring the sport together at premier league level now, because they’ve done everything else together. Why not this.
Anyway. None of this will ever happen because Jordan’s going to spurs… but I enjoyed thinking about it very very very much. You are welcome to discuss these matters in my ask box at all hours of the day and night xxxxx
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stephspurs · 3 years
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A Family Affair | Euro 2020 Football Fanfiction
Life is beautiful and life is cruel. A window into the souls of the victorious and the vanquished. In a way, football did come home during the summer of 2021. Follow along Amelia’s journey, navigating the football world as a tactical analyst for the italian football team, with a brother and father part of the three lions. Will Amelia leave Italy and come back to England? Will she leave the Serie A for the Prem? Will she set aside the bianconeri stripes for new colours, leaving behind friendship for love? Maybe she can have both...
Hello my lovelies!! Part 3 sees a whole lot Amelia's beautiful brain & you get your first slice of interaction with the british boys - leading up to an all important Mykonos adventure (part 4 - out friday). As usual, please let me know your thoughts and feelings, and let me know what you want to see happen with Amelia and her story! Updates have increased to 3/week! I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am!
Love always,
Steph xx
UPDATE as of 31/07: I've made some additional editing changes due to some feedback about the confusion between ben white (her brother) and ben chilwell (not her brother LOL). Nothing has been added to the story, just the addition of either surname has been added where i think it could be more straightforward - for future readers!
Part 3. | parte terza
warnings; none - just a whole lot of feels.
word count; 2081
writing tools; third person until dashed line, first person thereafter.
next update; Friday 30/07 5pm AEST. Updates are three times/week (Monday, Wednesday & Friday)!
Tags (as requested by users); @footballffbarbiex @obsesseds-world @abysshaven
link to fic masterlist here
It was the day after the final match and Amelia should be nursing a hangover due to the large amount of red wine she consumed with her Italian counterparts the night before. However, she finds herself at St. George’s Park before 9am, meeting one of her father’s colleagues who directs her to the recreation room that she remembers from a few days prior.
Standing outside the door, she assumed she was just waiting for her dad as agreed on the phone an hour earlier. As she was waiting, she could hear Gareth Southgate give a team talk to the players, praising them for their ability and pleading for them to bounce back from this defeat and use it to push on. The next voice she could hear was that of her father, giving them the tactical run through of the game. She listened to the points her father made, and both agreed and disagreed with some. Unexpectedly, the man sent to collect her opened the door and ushered her inside.
She stood at the back of the room, facing her dad and Gareth, whilst the team and other management staff had their backs to her. Making eye contact with her dad, he smiled slightly.
“Whilst I can offer you my opinion on the match last night, to better prepare you for the next time, there is no better opinion to learn from at this moment than that of your opponent. Amelia, would you please come up here” Dean really threw her into this situation, that again, she was not prepared for nor did she want to participate in. However, the 30+ sets of eyes that had currently turned around to stare at her didn’t exactly inspire a choice to be made here.
_____________________________________________________________
“Lads, this is my daughter. I taught her everything she knows, which was probably too much considering I can now recognise that it was her signature plays that the italian side used to their advantage last night. Treat her with respect, or I will let her at you. Which i’m sure you all saw a few nights ago in this very room” My dad spoke as I walked up to the front area, weaving in and around beanbags with players occupying them.
Standing in front of the Three Lions was more nerve wracking now than it had been when she was confronting her brother, maybe Fede did offer her protection as his bodyguard. Either way, she put her big girl pants on (figuratively speaking, literally she was wearing her official puma tights and Italian polo) and got on with it as if she was speaking to her team.
“Thanks Dad. Hey guys, I think the first thing I would like to say is that you’re allowed to feel exactly how you feel right now. There is no rush to ‘get over it’ or ‘push on and learn’. You need to feel this now, feel it throughout your body, understand the pain and then turn it into motivation.” I speak to the group, trying to accurately express how sincere I am to this group of heartbroken men.
“As for tactics, I can stand here and praise you for how good you really are but that's not how you are going to learn. You came into the game hard and fast.” I paused, understanding the innuendo just as it was flying out of my mouth. I pursed my lips and tried to hold my giggle in, however some of the boys seem to have the same sense of humour as I do. My brother, face of steel and eyes that burn into any man that tries to joke with me.
“Sorry, can’t help myself. So yeah, you took charge of the game from kick off and we were not ready. You had the aggression and desire to push from the start and that's what you did, Shaw, you really surprised me with that goal. Not because I didn't think you could do it but because I wasn’t anticipating you being someone we had to watch so closely.”
“Again, something you guys need to keep in mind is that it is literally my job to know everything about you and how you play the game, what foot you prefer, who you pass to, how long you hold the ball before you pass, do you like to assist or score...all of these things make a massive difference in each play we make.”
“The error you made came around the 25th minute of the game, we had settled into the game and did what we do best - we slowed you down. In Italy, in the Serie A, which is where most of my team play, the game is a lot slower. There is more skill and tactic used to ensure a favourable outcome. Again, i'm not saying you all don’t have skill, but the Prem favours pace over tactics and strategy. The only way we were going to be able to win was by making you play our game, but in your half of the pitch.”
At this point, all of their eyes are trained to me and the more senior players of the team, like Henderson, Walker, Coady, Kane, they understand what i’m trying to say. Gareth, my dad and other members of staff are sitting to one side, arms folded and a slight smile on their face at the simplicity of my approach to such an important game. I direct my next question to them.
“Can I ask - have you already selected your man of the match?”
“Off record, yes we have. Before I announce to the team who it is, can I direct the question back to you and find out who you would award it to?” Gareth poses back to me, interested to hear my opinion.
“While the obvious choices would be Kane, Sterling, Maguire - your players who perform week in week out and are consistent and no doubt deserve an award as such. I would recommend Declan Rice. Personally, he was the most instrumental in the match last night. Every time we turned to attack, he was there to stop it. He was a player I was confident that I knew the extent of his ability, when it was obvious that I didn't.”
The boys around him, Mason Mount & Ben Chilwell, offered him a gentle shove and ruffle of the hair, to show their encouragement to the bashful boy who seemed surprised at the praise he was receiving.
“The other player that I think deserves a bit of a shoutout, and not because of his hair, is Jack Grealish.” I spoke, looking around the room until we locked eyes. I wanted him to understand how serious i was about my next words.
“You are so dangerous on the ball, you are an asset as a team mate, you aren’t guilty with the ball, but you have the power behind you to score when the opportunity presents itself. The moment you were subbed on I pulled Jorginho to the side and told him to treat you like Chiellini and Bonnucci were handling Sterling and Kane. You were one of my players to watch, and for good reason”
At the end of the little session, I said thanks to the boys for listening and that I hope to see them again in a tournament. The only way to be the best is to beat the best. After a quick round of applause that made me feel more special than I am, I walked past my brother, gave him a quick ruffle of his hair and met my dad at the back. Gareth dismissed the boys and they all stood up, breaking away and grabbing some breakfast that was set up to the side of the room, for one last team meal.
“Mills!! I’ll get you an almond croissant and a coffee, come sit with me!” Walker shouted from across the room.
“Oi mate, she’s my sister not yours” Ben counters from the back of the line.
“Yeah she's your sister by blood, mine by choice.” Kyle firmly states and begins his way to one of the tables.
“I suppose i better join Kyle before he drowns everyone in his tears” i joked with the england officials i was standing with before walking over to Kyle and a few of his team mates.
“Sooo am I supposed to pretend I don’t know who you all are so you can introduce yourselves? Or do we just mutually agree that I know too much about each of you and not bring it up?” I question the boys, jokingly. They all laugh and I sit down in the space Kyle left between himself and John Stones. I sat there and got to know some of the boys on a less competitive level, working out who was a leader both on the pitch and off it. After listening to the boys joke around and just be mates, rather than teammates, I leaned over to Kyle.
“Hey, before I go, do you think you can introduce me to Bukayo? I want to speak with him for a moment.”
“Yeah sure, I'll take you over there. Why are you nervous? You've never been shy before” Kyle questioned back at me.
“I’m not nervous, I'm just hyper aware of the sensitivity of the moment. Last night would have been tough”
Saying goodbye to the boys, Kyle directed me over to a table that was sitting my brother Ben White, Kalvin, Ben Chilwell, Grealish, Saka, Sancho & Rashford.
“Hey boys, Ben, I just wanted to come say goodbye before I head off.” I directed towards my brother. He pulled up a chair and asked me to sit for 5 more minutes, claiming he deserved it after months of no contact.
“Ben here didn’t let us know he had a sister as smart as you...what happened to you Ben? Did you miss that gene?” Jack Grealish poked at my brother. With his signature scowl on his face, Ben White let his mates laugh at his expense.
“Oh don’t make fun of my brother Benny, that’s my job!” I joked back, setting the boys off again with my brother’s childhood nickname. It was nice to hear some laughter again from a side that looked so solemn the night before.
“No in all seriousness boys, I especially came over because I wanted to talk to you Bukayo - what you did was so impressive. In a final, as the last penalty taker, to take on the responsibility of the nation at the age of 19! Not many players would dare to do that. You have earned a lot of respect, particularly from the Italian camp.” I spoke with a smile on my face, directed at the young boy.
“The same goes for you two” Now looking at Sancho & Rashford.
Bukayo looked down at his hands & smiled, before getting up and walking to my side of the table. Anticipating what he was going to do next, I stood up and welcomed him with open arms. Grateful that he understood my message and was beginning to accept the praise he so deserved. Stepping back from the hug, I turned to address the group of lads one more time.
“If any of you fancy a change of pace and want to come over to the Serie A, just give me a call - Benny can give you my number!” I start to speak, before I'm cut off but my brother.
“Stop poaching my mates! I’ve already lost you to another country. I don't need to lose anyone else” He jokingly says while standing to walk me out of St. George’s Park. I know it was a joke but I can't help but think there was some truth to that.
It had been more than 3 years since I moved out of our family home to start my life in Turin, and not one moment had i regretted it or thought i made the wrong decision. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when I wished I was closer to my family, but I know I had to make that move to prove to myself I am just as successful as I hoped I would be. Not saying I have learnt everything there is to learn with the Serie A giants, Juventus, but maybe it's time for a new challenge? Maybe I can bring the strategic spin on the game to the fast paced action of the premier league?
Part 4. | quarta parte
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macybeckham7 · 4 years
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Army Medic - Eric Dier
Part Five
It had been a long stressful day trying to help out at the hospital with the kids who were at the school and to try and calm down the families. Then going round attending everyone who needed it and would accept help from the British flag.
It was getting dark and Imogen and YN reformed and made their way back to camp, knowing it wasn’t safe to be out alone when the sun goes down. The two medics talked amongst themselves, learning that they were completely opposite from eachother.
‘Let me guess you prefer The Wanted over One Direction’ Imogen joked making them both laugh.
‘An Arsenal fan, how do the troops trust you with their lives’ you joke playfully nudging her.
Suddenly a young girl appeared, looking concerned and out of breath from running.
‘My sister, she’s giving birth’ she states.
The two medics look at eachother and nod before following the young girl.
As they get to the hut the man is stood blocking the door and shaking his head speaking to his daughter. YN heard the women’s groans getting louder as she was close to give burst. Imogen tried to negotiate while YN just barged in, she froze as she found the young women with her mother putting a wet cloth on her forehead.
‘Oh god, you’re here’ the women said in a strong accent. ‘I wanted you and not the other one, you have a kind face’ she says softly.
YN gets pulled closer to the women who was close to become a mother. She placed her bag down as the middle aged women spoke again.
‘Being a mother is a joy, it’s a precious thing because only a select few can take the role’ she beams. ‘How far along are you?’ She asked as her hand goes to her stomach.
She pulled away from her as if she just stroked her with an iron.
‘I’m not..’ she says but stops as the women lets out another cry.
Imogen runs in saying they have got a green light with the man, but they had to get out as soon as the baby has been delivered. YN felt semi conscious under the women’s watchful eye.
‘What do we do?’ Imogen whispers.
YN clears her throat. ‘She’s in the driving seat, we just ease the pain’ she says smiling at the women, who couldn’t speak a word of English.
The two girls both give the women their full attention, them both having a weird connection they not really not having to talk but they knew what the other wanted needed.
Imogen gave YN a look before looking over at the soon to be grandfather. He watch looking pretty on edge as he looked up and down of the lane as if he was expecting someone. YN looked at the women who noticed the two of you as she had her daughter close to her.
Imogen gave her a nod, which meant they were both on point. YN knelt down to get a better view.
The two managed to safely delivery the baby, when som guys on a motorbike and quad bikes appeared and started to shout. The two medics grabbed their bags and congratulated the family, knowing that it would bad for everyone if they found two British army medics in their home. The took YN’s hand before she could leave.
‘She wants to know your name...’ the mother smiled. ‘She wants to name her daughter after you’ she smiles.
‘Imogen’ she smiled, before saying goodbye and pulling away.
.....
Eric walked off the bus and into Wembley stadium where the friendlies were being held. Dele and John were either side of him as they walked into the dressing room.
‘Have you spoke to YN?’ John asked as they took their seats.
Eric nods. ‘Briefly yesterday, she said she’d going to be watching tonight and then we are calling again tomorrow’ he explains.
‘Better look your best then mate’ Dele winks.
‘Do you guys have FaceTime sex?’ John questioned, looking concerned, making both the North London footballers just roll their eyes and get ready for the task at hand.
Eric finds himself standing looking down at his black trainers, which had YN’s name on it with a shamrock. Everyone knew about you two dating, and knew how much Eric was a big supporter and often worked alongside charities.
As it was soon Remembrance Sunday they did a minute silence/applaud before the game started. Eric stood in with his teammates as they all thought about the people who fought and continue to fight for their country. Eric mainly praying like every night that the love of his life is safe and will be back with him soon. The cameras stayed alittle longer on him as he had pure emotion on his face, as his head was lowered.
.....
Animal watched Eric who was definitely missing his girl, he looked over at the door hoping that smudge would be here soon to watch her man. He knew that she would never miss the games, she was always the main one who got everyone involved in games. Always the one jumping around when her team scored and swearing when the opponent scored.
Sergeant and Captain Henry stood looking at Imogen and YN.
‘Imogen you can go’ C.Henry said but not taking his eyes off the more experienced medic.
‘But-‘ she started but the look Sergeant gave her cut her off. She saluted them and stomped before giving YN a soft look before walking off.
‘I didn’t mean to-‘ YN stayed but instantly got stopped when Captain shouted in her face.
‘Are you just going against everything I tell you guys?’ He asked. ‘I gave you all the curfew for YOUR safety!’ He snapped. ‘I don’t give a flying fuck if you don’t like me YLN. YOU need to respect me because I’m the captain, and if I tell you to jump you say how fucking high’ he mocked.
YN stayed quiet but she didn’t stand down from her intense glare.
‘You are a good medic, you have good potential but you will get yourself or someone else killed’
Sergeant saw her eyes soften.
‘Go to bed, you have tomorrow off’ Henry says. He shakes his head when she was about to speak. ‘That was an order medic’ he snaps.
She looks at Sergeant who doesn’t say anything, even though it means a lot to her to watch the game.
She straightens up and salutes them with tears threatening to run down her face. And walks out slamming the door behind her.
Imogen and Jason walk into the bunker to find YN sat on her bed doodling, they both ask where she was tonight, she tells them before bursting into tears. Jason instantly pulling her into him and hugging her.
Animal walks in and instantly goes to his friend.
‘Henry has it out for her, we did a good thing this evening’ Imogen explains.
Animal instantly grabs her hand and pulls her towards his bed. He grabs his tablet and tells her to ring Eric and they’ll cover for her. Knowing she’ll only have ten minutes, she pecks a kiss on his cheek before instantly dialling Eric’s contact.
‘Eric, Hi’ her face softens as he appears on her screen.
A big goofy smirk appeared on his face as he sees her face and hears her voice. He could see her was messy which was different from her normal well put braids. He could tell that she has been crying, but he knew that these calls shouldn’t make you bring up everything.
‘Did you see my goal’ he smiles.
Her face winces alittle, before she shakes her head. ‘No, I um missed the game..’ she grimaces. ‘I’m so sorry’ she whispers.
‘It’s alright, I’m sure you’ve got more important things to do than watching a stupid game’ he shrugs.
From outside she could hear the guys laugh.
‘I love you’ she gushes. ‘I miss you’ she whispers.
‘I love you too darling’
The two talk alittle longer, Eric telling her how the England camp is, mentioning both of their parents and them babying him to make sure he was alright. Dele and Harry popping their head into shot, and wishing her well. A small giggle escaped her mouth as he told her funny story, she saw Imogen popped her head round the door. She said goodbye to Eric, with them both expressing their love for each other.
....
‘Smudge!’ Sergeant waved towards the two medics and Animal.
She said a quick goodbye to them and good luck for their training, before she made a getaway the one of two people she is trying to avoid.
‘Smudge, Captain wants you in the gym’ he says.
She glares at him. ‘The gym? That’s bullshit! I’m being punished for not following his rules? If I did and something happened to that family he’d be wanting my head’ she snapped, her eyes finding the captain. ‘He doesn’t like I’ve got my own mind, and I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him’ she mutters before storming off.
YN went to the gym for around five minutes showed her face and then ran out. She walked out of the base, wearing a headscarf and making a beeline towards the hospital.
She found the doctor she met when they came in with the casualties from the score.
‘Asal!’ She calls, she instantly recognising her.
‘YN?’ She asks as she takes her hand, looking at her outfit.
‘I need help, I need a pregnancy test’ she mutters.
Asal raises her brows at her. ‘It’s for a young girl in the village, she won’t come her but she’ll let me take her blood, so will you help me, so I can help her’
She nods and tells her to follow her, YN looks around before follow her hot on her tail.
....
YN managed to get the blood test from Doctor Asal, she went back and got an American medic to do it for her, before she sneaked off back to the hospital. Telling Asal to ring her with the results, and telling her to try and push it forward if she could.
Henry found these medic in the canteen to tell her that she had a doctor on the phone.
‘The test is positive’ Asal mutters.
YN’s breathed hitched. ‘Are you 100% sure?’ She whispered.
‘Yes, these tests are very accurate’ Asal replies. ‘This girl, does she know how far along she is?’
She clears her throat. ‘No’
‘Will she keep it?’
YN nods as her hand goes to her stomach. ‘Yeah’
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jmeddows2 · 5 years
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Everything I do, I do it for you (Roger Taylor x Reader)
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It’s now time to give @veriloquently  my present for ‘A night at the fandom’. Be prepared for a 2,6k+ fic filled with lots of fluff (some may even call it cringe, so sorry about that).I also tried to create a visual for some of the scenes which you can catch on the ‘moodboard’ :)  anyways,I gave it a go, I hope you’ll like it - your secret santa @dtfrogertaylor ps: I’m sorry for any mistakes/weird grammar, english is not my first language, but I’m always trying my best :) Summary: It’s 1971. You’re John Deacon’s roommate, he joins a band, read for for more ;)
                    “Y’know, I’ll never get your taste of music“ startled as you were applying some makeup,when a quick glance in the mirror in front of you revealed Roger peeking into the room. Being John Deacons roommate was everything you could have ever wished for, it was very relaxing in fact. He was kind, attentive, strong, sane and quiet, so there were no wild college parties that could have kept you awake at night. John was also one of the most intelligent and independent people you’d have ever known and also witty and not as afraid of speaking up, once he warmed up to you. He was a morning person, even woke you up in time when he noticed you might oversleep and of course,the table always already decorated with breakfast every single morning, which he prepared beforehand. John was very fond of the football club ‘Queen’s Park Rangers’, but another passion of his was music. He wasn’t entirely obsessed with it though, so it surprised you when he told you about auditioning to be the bass player of a band, which you couldn’t quite believe at first, until he introduced you to his new band mates about two weeks ago. Freddie, the lead singer was somehow like John. He was shy at first, but as soon as he was on stage, Freddie turned into something else. He had the audience in the palm of his hand, which most people didn’t even realize at that time. Brian was the most caring one of them, he accidently stepped on your foot helping you reach for something on the top shelf of your kitchen and kept apologizing for two weeks afterwards, because the guilt was eating him alive. Oh Brian. And then there was Roger, the most annoying person you’d ever encountered. He was nosy and had been hanging out in John and your flat every single day now, since you’d first met. John even got quite annoyed by it, but didn’t have the heart to tell him off yet. “What do you want, Roger?” you spat playfully at him. He didn’t answer, instead he stepped into your room, admiring the posters of artists he wasn’t familiar with, or simply despised. Rock’N’Roll was the only thing that mattered to Roger, it was basically running through his veins. Almost causing him to abandon his own biology studies because of music, as he only ever started revising a week before big exams. “Who even listens to that? Or these hippies” he took a step toward the poster and squinted his eyes “Fleetwood Mac pfff” “Alright blind melon Taylor, are you done? Then leave!” you pointed towards the door. “Ok, I deserved that” he stepped back hopping onto your bed making a few of the pillows fall to the ground, as he was digging through some of your magazines that were lying on the bed, while constantly cringing because of the record that was playing in the background. You continued doing your make up. Being completely lost in thoughts, you didn’t even notice Roger staring, as he was lying on his tummy watching you intently apply some makeup along the waterline of your eye. “You’re really good at that huh?” Roger said with his elbows on the bed, hands rested under his chin as he admired you and you looked at him through the mirror in front of you when he continued: “uh with the makeup stuff. I’m sure John told you about our first gig that’s happening pretty soon? and I uhh.. Could you maybe do my makeup for it?” His sudden nervous being made you smile, as he had always been rather cocky, but you agreed to do it anyway.   “Now let’s see what else you got there” he jumped up to roam through your collection of records, expecting him to pick one from the few (hard) rock albums you owned which were ‘worthy’ of his time. Once he found the right one, he placed it on the record player and put the needle on. The record started spinning and Roger watched you, waiting for a reaction on your face when a voice started saying: “Fellas, I'm ready to get up and do my thing I wanna get into it, man, you know I wanna get into it, man, you know Like a, like a sex machine, man, Movin', doin' it, you know  Can I count it off? (Go ahead)” Then the music started. Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine by James Brown. He wiggled his eyebrows at you as your serious gaze turned into a smile. “Roger” “Hey, it’s not my record” he laughed. “I think I could get into your style of music” winking at you “I’m only kidding” He nudged your side and serious look was painted on his face.                  Roger was just inches away from your face when suddenly the door burst open. John. “oh uhm dinner’s ready” he awkwardly stumbled out of the room. “Did he come on to you or something?” John asked handing you another plate to dry off with the cloth in your hand, doing the dishes. Roger had dinner with John and you, but the awkward silence continued throughout,until he left. “You know, I don’t have to join the band, especially when it includes a guy creeping on my best friend or not treating her right” John continued, scrubbing another plate clean. Reassuring him was quite easy, at least you thought so, but John made sure to keep an eye on him every time Roger came over, or when you joined their band rehearsals. Every time Roger came over. Not a single day passed, where the blonde boy didn’t knock on your door. It was odd. He started making up little excuses for coming over. One time he claimed that his oven was broken and he couldn’t make something to eat, that’s why you thought he was just trying to scrounge around, looking for free food. Your assumptions turned out to be wrong though, when he called wanting to come over to study for uni, because there apparently had been a construction site right below the window of his living room. Of course it was a lie, which quickly proved itself when he turned up without any textbooks on him and joined John and you in watching some movies instead. It was 10pm and you were asleep, still able to make out some quiet noises from the tv, with your head on Roger’s shoulder, his arm around your shoulder resting on your back, the feeling of his soft, warm skin on your cheek and your nose lightly brushing against his soft, long hair, taking in his scent. It was a mixture of nicotine and faint cologne and it fit his whole persona. Your hand was resting on his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. Your heart clenched when he brought his other hand to your cheek, drawing circles on it with the rough pad of his thumb. Tracing along the features of your face, he audibly sighed: “If only you’d feel the same way”, continuing he brought his free hand to your long, dark hair to caress it. His soft touches were enough to make you relax and cuddle even further into his chest.   “She still asleep?” John whispered from the kitchen, as he prepared a final ‘good night’ tea for him and Roger. “Yeah” “You can stay over, wouldn’t wake her now though if you want to continue staying alive” John chuckled thinking about how you weren’t a morning person at all, the complete opposite to him, as he sipped away his tea Roger smiled, thinking about how it would feel to wake up next to you, having you wake up in his arms, when John brought him back down to earth: “I see the way you’re always looking at her. Listen, Roger we haven’t known each other for very long now, but I know that look! I’m sure she’s the only reason you’re always over, but she’s not another conquest!” John said in a serious tone, almost warning his new band member. “Don’t play with her if you don’t mean it! She’s a special girl! One of the kindest, most beautiful people inside and out I’ve ever met!” both taking a sip from their tea. “I doubt she’d like me anyway, so you don’t have to worry, Deaky” Roger took a front strand of your hair, softly twirling it around his finger, then releasing it while his eyes were fixed on your face, admiring your beauty. “Better be telling the truth, Rog, or else I’ll have to punch you in the face. I wouldn’t be so sure about her not liking you though” John got up, reaching for both empty mugs. “Quite like the new nickname. Deaky.” John smiled wishing him goodnight. You could have sworn that it was all just a dream when a soft snoring into your ear woke you up. Roger. His arm draped over your waist, legs tangled with yours holding you tight. You were in your own bed now, as he had carried you all the way to your bedroom and and you kind of felt like a little kid again, that’s been carried there by their parents. The thought alone made you smile, so you pulled back a little to get a full view of his beautiful face. Roger was still wearing his jeans, but no shirt. He wasn’t really muscular at all, while his soft dark blond hair fell in waves to his shoulders, a few locks hanging in his face. You decided to carefully brush it out with your hands and the goal not to wake him up, without success. He slowly opened his shining blue eyes and you pulled back. “Good morning” he mumbled with a smile on his face, quite unsure of how to handle the situation without making you feel uncomfortable, removing his hand from your waist. “Morning” you were staring at the ceiling, trying to hide the fact you’d been staring at him, your heart beating fast, then looking back at him again. “You didn’t have to carry me here last night” “Wasn’t going to let you have a sore back, love, besides, it’s not very gentleman like leaving a beautiful lady on an uncomfortable couch” he smiled. “well, thanks, Roger” you placed your hand on his bare chest, leaving it there a little longer than intended, when his eyes dropped down to look at your hand, then back to your lips, biting his own. Roger slowly leaned forward to put a gentle kiss on your lips when you pulled back with concern. “I have morning breath” you managed to say. “I don’t care” he placed another kiss on your lips “but you have it as well” you laughed. This time he pulled back, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink, but you couldn’t resist him anymore. Reassuring him that he was fine, you moved on top of him, crashing your lips against his, earning a moan when your hands found its way into his messy hair, his hand placed on your hip and mouths moving in perfect sync. Since then you decided to keep your little affair? Hook-ups? private. You didn’t even know how to define it, but it was hard to hide your affection/cravings for one another.  It was especially harder when the other boys were around, for example when you were doing his makeup for their first ever gig, not trying to get caught when he shamelessly placed kisses on to your face, every time you leaned forward with your makeup brush.   It all changed when one night Roger invited you over to his flat for dinner. Opening the door it revealed him in a black shirt that was halfway unbuttoned and black trousers with little white bows along the outside of each leg. He greeted you with a passionate kiss, handing you a little bouquet of roses, then leading you into his flat. “That was just the first present of the night.” He winked. “Food’s going to be finished in a second, but first” he quickly disappeared into another room, only to arrive seconds later with a ball of fluff in his arms. “This is Dusty, my neighbour’s cat” he held the cat’s paw out for your hand to take  and greet him . It was hilarious, yet adorable. His loving way of patting the cat oh so lightly made your heart clench. . “They asked me to watch him while they’re in Australia, visiting their family” he continued patting its head, but suddenly remembered the food on the stove. You took the cat from him when he headed off into the kitchen. “I didn’t know what you’d rather enjoy so I made two different meals, number one an Alfredo chicken bake and number two a pumpkin and spinach cannelloni” after placing the plates on the table, you were digging into your food, not expecting Roger to be that much of a decent cook. The dining table was also beautifully and romantically decorated with a vase of roses and tiny heart shaped décor all over the table making it seem like Valentine’s Day, and 100 percent unlike Roger. Dusty jumped on the chair right next to you, also joining in on dinner , when Roger grabbed a tiny plate to put some chicken on it for him. “Maybe we could also adopt a cat? Or a dog? “Roger asked looking up to read your reaction. “ I love animals, but dogs own  my heart.” You admitted with your mouth full of food, bringing your hand to your mouth, trying to cover it. “I thought I owned your heart, do I have some competition here?” Roger cheekily smiled. “Y’know we’d make great dog parents” he continued, shoving yet another fork into his mouth. His comment made you blush considering you’d been ‘together’ for about three months now, but eventually talking about ‘children’ even if it was just in the form of animals. “Never took you for such an amazing cook, Rog” you hugged him from behind placing a kiss on his neck as he placed the plates into the sink. “I’ll take it as a compliment, but now moving on to the next surprise.” Roger took your hand leading you into the living room. “I know I’ve been giving you quite a heart time about your taste of music but..” “Roger” you interrupted. “No, please, let me finish.” He took your hands into his, looking deep into your eyes “as I said, your taste in music.. It’s different, but so are you” brushing your hair behind your ear “ you make me such a happy man, supporting me no matter what, being always there. You were putting up with me when I was being an annoying shit, trying to get your attention. That’s why I’m asking you now. Will you be my girlfriend?” he nervously pulled out two tickets from the back pocket of his pants, which happened to be for the Fleetwood Mac show at the Marquee club in the following august. He smiled at you waiting in anticipation for an answer when you pulled him into a tight hug. It was such a sweet gesture. You knew he hated the music, but still got the tickets, knowing they were your favourite band. “Yes, yes ,yes, Roger!” you took his face into your hands and kissed his soft lips passionately. “I love you, Lucy” “I love you too, Roger” And it was true. Roger would do anything for you. He would leave the light on for you, even if it was too bright for him. Listen to records he didn’t like. Take you to concerts of bands he didn’t like. Watch the worst and cheesiest romantic movies. It didn’t matter to him, as long as you were there with him.
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Saturday Spectacular #12
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Happy Saturday!!! So this is me thanking awesome fanfic writers for their amazing work and all the time they put into their fics. ♥️ I want to recommend spectacular fanfic stories I read this week! ♥️ They are posted in the order I read them. All posts will be tagged #saturday spectacular fic rec
When Did It All Go Wrong by @wrldtravler | Arrow | WIP
Summary: After a mission with A.R.G.U.S. goes south, agent Oliver Queen learns something he shouldn’t about Director Amanda Waller. Sent on the run when A.R.G.U.S. turns against him, he’s forced to seek out the one person that never wanted to see him again but whom he trusts with his life: his ex, Felicity Smoak. Putting their past behind them, the estranged pair come together along with John Diggle and Lyla Michaels to stop the looming threat. However, the past never stays buried for long. With their renewed connection comes great strength. But where there is strength, there is also great weakness – one that may cost them everything they worked to prevent.
“Time for a story” Drabble Series by @smkkbert | Arrow | WIP
Summary: This fic shows Olicity and their life as a (married) couple with family. Although Olicity (and their kids) are the protagonists, other characters of Arrow and Flash make appearances. It started as a drabble series, but developed more and more into a full domestic AU.
Providence by @so-caffeinated | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Will Queen has struggled in silence in the year since he was shot. But when a shadowy crime lord known as Domino targets the only woman Will’s ever truly loved, fate forces him to confront his demons in ways he never could have imagined… Whether he wants to or not. Amelia Prescott has fought to take control of her life since learning two years ago that her personal and professional worlds were manipulated by others. But nothing can prepare her for just how hard she’ll have to fight to set her own course, especially when her heart belongs to a damaged man and a crime lord threatens her every professional move… And her life. Destiny brings them together, but as chaos reigns and personal demons haunt Will and Amelia both, it may also threaten to tear them apart.
(i want to) save that light by @callistawolf | Arrow | WIP
Summary: What if one little thing changed in the history of Arrow? What if, instead of going to Laurel’s apartment after discovering the extent of Merlyn’s plans for the Glades, Oliver stayed at the foundry and talked to Felicity instead? This series of short vignettes explores some of the ripple-effect changes that could take place throughout the next season as a result of this one, fortuitous change.
Semper Fidelis by @oliversmuse | Arrow | Completed
Summary: Oliver Queen is a member of the Bravo Squad, a team that specializes in search and rescue, covert infantry and translating foreign documents. He is known as one of the best and even though he is one of the youngest recruits he advances quickly. While serving he meets Lance Corporal Felicity Smoak, a young woman with skills in hand to hand combat. Despite the fact they butt heads they fall in love and soon start to talk about a future together. However, when her plane disappears on a mission in China and she is presumed dead, Bravo Squad searches frantically for her, only to find her plane and her bloody dog tags. Five years later Oliver runs into “Megan” at a coffee shop near that gym he has been running with his friends. She has lost her memory from the plane accident but has had dreams of Oliver and the Bravo Squad. With the help of his friends and team mates, can he help her reclaim her past and fall for him once again?
grade 2 right shoulder subscapularis strain by @alexiablackbriar13 | Arrow | One-shot
Summary: Oliver Queen is an Olympic archer with a shoulder injury who hates sports therapy with a passion. Dr Felicity Smoak is his new physiotherapist. Sparks fly. Perhaps Felicity can change Oliver's mind.
Aftermath by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot
Summary: Malcolm Merlyn has laid waste to the Glades. Laurel Lance is dead. Moira Queen is in jail. Thea is hiding away in her brother's nightclub. Oliver is licking his wounds, who knows where. Tommy would like nothing more than leave town and never look back, but someone needs to stick around and be accountable for his father's murderous undertaking.
Mothers know best by @smkkbert​ | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Since they have been kids, they have been best friends. Since they have been friends, their mothers wanted them to be together. After coming back from the east coast, Felicity takes over a position at Queen Consolidated, the company her best friend will soon take over from his father. Their mothers still push for them to be together, and they seem closer to that goal than ever because wedding bells are ringing. The only problem is that they both plan to get married to someone else.
Alpha by @oliversmuse | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Oliver Queen was a powerful vampire that was captured by a group experimenting on hybrids. Turned into a hybrid that is half vampire and half wolf he is strong, fast and deadly. While in captivity he meets Dr. Felicity Smoak a hermatologist who is called in to monitor his feedings. All Oliver wants is to be free, away from the experiments and being in a cage, and strangely he feels he can trust Dr. Smoak. There is also an unspoken attraction between them that is forbidden. Can he convince her to set him free or will her attraction to him tempt her to keep him close?
Artemis by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: When the Queen’s Gambit sank, two people were stranded on Lian Yu. Five years later, four came back.
Daughter of the Demon by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: What if in 1988 while traveling through Las Vegas Ra’s al Ghul bumps into a nice waitress named Donna Smoak and they have one-night stand together? A little bundle of joy named Felicity Smoak is the result. In 2014, the Demon Head becomes aware of his youngest daughter’s existence.
The Ravager by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Slade Wilson’s plan for revenge against Oliver took time, money and no shortage of lives to pull together. His plan didn’t anticipate Felicity Smoak. How will his plan change now that his lost-lost daughter is working with the very man he’s trying to destroy?
Felicity of Themiscyra by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Years ago, Donna Smoak left the island of Themiscyra and her sister Queen Hippolyta behind to live in man’s world. She never told Felicity the truth about where she came from. As a result of the Undertaking, Felicity discovers some of her Amazonian abilities and makes an interesting new friend: Diana Prince.
The Daughter That Was Left by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Before the Gambit, Oliver Queen met QC intern Felicity Smoak. When he boarded the Gambit, he left something behind. Now, five long years later someone is waiting for him.
I Scream But No Sound Comes out by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: When Oliver returns from Lian Yu after five years, he comes back different. What happened there damaged more than just his body. How will his friends and family deal with this new Oliver?
| ONE | (Oliver The Footballer) by @someonesaidcake | Arrow | Completed
Summary: Felicity Smoak had a plan; to save enough money to kick her monotonous job and start up the company of her dreams. She made good plans, solid plans, attainable plans. He was never part of her plan. His name was Oliver Queen, the reclusive Brazilian football star with a broken smile and a story to tell He’d never planned on her either.
Did I Forget to Mention That My Dad is a Supervillain? by @laxit21 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: When Felicity told Oliver about her father, she wasn’t lying per se. She wasn’t completely honest either. It’s just that ‘my dad left us’ sounded better than the truth.
Or: A Series of one shots in which Felicity’s dad is a supervillain and we see how Oliver and the team finds out.
little wonders (twists and turns of fate) by @alexiablackbriar13 | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Oliver and Felicity's drunken mistake of a hook-up in the bunker comes with unexpected consequences in the form of a... souvenir. Deciding to remain romantically uninvolved, the two of them will have to battle all the trials and tribulations of maintaining a platonic relationship while Felicity is pregnant and the two of them are living together, coping with all the emotional baggage that they both bring to the table - and dealing with the fact that they are still very much in love with each other, but scarred by the events that broke them apart in the first place.
Winds of Change by Nerdofmanytalents | Arrow | One-shot
Summary: Tommy finds an unexpected visitor hiding under the bar. [This segment takes place before the events of "Whats the Matter, Baby."]
The Road Not Taken by @oneofthosecrazygirls-fics​ | Arrow | WIP
Summary: Canon divergence/fix-it AU. Everything that happened in the series up through 4x11 happens as it did in the show and this fic diverges from there.Direct sequel to “Swear This One You’ll Save” and “Have Your Cake (And Eat It Too)” so make sure you read those first before reading this one.This fic is part of the What Should’ve Been ‘verse.
A Hidden Life by @realityisoverrated-fic | Arrow | One-shot
Summary: It's Oliver, Felicity, and Tommy's first Thanksgiving together. Their plans for a shared meal are upended by the unexpected arrival of Donna Smoak.
The Cat, the Canary, and the Dinosaur by stick2theplan | Arrow | Completed
Summary: Nyssa and Sara are visiting Oliver and co for the week. Of course, this means they'll at least have to endure a semi-awkward pseudo-family brunch. Fighting bad guys is easy compared to answering awkward questions from Oliver's too-perceptive son.
ink stains and dumbbells by inlovewithimpossibility | Arrow | WIP
Summary: "Hey Dynasties, Oliver here coming at you with another video!"
"Hi guys, welcome back to Ghost Fox Goddess, I am Felicity Smoak."
When one half of YouTube duo, Queen-Merlyn Dynasty, lands himself in hot water with Principal Wilson due to failing grades, Oliver knows that he needs to step up his game. The principal recommends a tutor but little does Oliver know that she's also a successful YouTuber. The two of them set out on filming a collab but neither anticipates how popular their videos will be or the insane reaction the sight of the two of them on screen together will gain from the fans.
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Hi, I just found out your blog, and I really like it! Lots of things about John and Paul. I find their relationship very interesting and intriguing. About LSD, why do you think it took Paul so long to take it with John? I remember reading somewhere that Paul took it in the end of 1965 or in then begging of 1966 with some of his friends from London, but somehow he didnt want to take it with John. Do you think he was afraid?
Hey there, @righimoraes! I’m glad you’re enjoying what you came across so far! And yeah, your choice of words is absolutely perfect; I think it was those very same characteristics that captivated me so much in the first place (besides the utter beauty involved in a creative process of this magnitude).
I must warn you, this got terribly out of hand, so prepare for a proper testament! But I’d love it if you showed the patience to plough through to the end and let me know what you think!
Now, you can’t begin to imagine how happy I was when you brought up the LSD! Because, in my personal opinion, if there is a change in tune in the middle of this whole symphony that can be described as ‘intriguing’ it is that 1st acid trip they took together. For me, it’s only surpassed in terms of sheer mysteriousness by India.  But let’s look at the timeline that preceded it first.
As the story goes, John and George were the first to unwittingly come into contact with the famous lysergic acid diethylamide 25, somewhen between March and April of 1965, in the London home of Dr John Riley, George’s cosmetic dentist. 
The experience, as they describe it, was fantastic and life-changing. 
We’d just sat down and ordered our drinks when suddenly I feel the most incredible feeling come over me. It was something like a very concentrated version of the best feeling I’d ever had in my whole life. It was fantastic. I felt in love, not with anything or anybody in particular, but with everything. Everything was perfect, in a perfect light, and I had an overwhelming desire to go round the club telling everybody how much I loved them – people I’d never seen before.
- George Harrison, Anthology
John too seemed to have a rather good trip, as he fondly recalls all the crazy shenanigans they got up to that night.
George somehow or another managed to drive us home in his Mini. We were going about ten miles an hour, but it seemed like a thousand. And Pattie was saying, ‘Let’s jump out and play football, there’s these big rugby poles’ and things like that. I was getting all this sort of hysterical jokes coming out, like with speed, because I was always on that, too. George was going, ‘Don’t make me laugh!’ Oh God! It was just terrifying. But it was fantastic.
- John Lennon, Lennon Remembers by Jann Wenner
So amazingly reality-shattering was the whole ordeal, that the two Beatles felt it was crucial to share this new-found enlightenment with the rest of the band.
John and I had decided that Paul and Ringo had to have acid, because we couldn’t relate to them any more. Not just on the one level – we couldn’t relate to them on any level, because acid had changed us so much. It was such a mammoth experience that it was unexplainable: it was something that had to be experienced, because you could spend the rest of your life trying to explain what it made you feel and think. It was all too important to John and me. So the plan was that when we got to Hollywood, on our day off we were going to get them to take acid. We got some in New York; it was on sugar cubes wrapped in tinfoil and we’d been carrying these around all through the tour until we got to LA.
- George Harrison, Anthology
And so, on 25 August 1965, while on break from their tour, John and George share the wonders of LSD with Ringo. Roadies Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans respectively partake and stay straight to keep an eye on things. Paul declines.
Curiously, it was a particular encounter in this LA party that inspired John to write ‘She Said She Said’.
He was describing an acid trip he’d been on. We didn’t want to hear about that! We were on an acid trip and the sun was shining and the girls were dancing and the whole thing was beautiful and Sixties, and this guy – who I really didn’t know; he hadn’t made Easy Rider or anything – kept coming over, wearing shades, saying, “I know what it’s like to be dead,” and we kept leaving him because he was so boring! And I used it for the song, but I changed it to 'she'” instead of 'he’. It was scary. You know, a guy… when you’re flying high and [whispers] 'I know what it’s like to be dead, man.’ I remembered the incident. Don’t tell me about it! I don’t want to know what it’s like to be dead!
- John Lennon, All We Are Saying by David Sheff
In the same way Paul is absent from this episode, he is notably not featured in the Revolver track itself.
And so begins the months-long effort (especially on John’s part), to try and pressure Paul into dropping acid with them (him).
Paul felt very out of it 'cause we were all a bit cruel. It’s like, 'We’re taking it and you’re not.' 
- John Lennon, Lennon Remembers by Jann Wenner
As you see, making him feel excluded was one of the prefered methods of manipulation. And it came both in the form as literal exclusions from the song making process (see above) and perhaps more insidious attempts at eliciting jealousy. I think one of the pawns in John’s famous ‘mind games’ ended up being George himself. The latter seemed quite happy to fill the vacancy as the main travel companion, the one with the shared life experiences, and all the closeness that brought.   
After taking acid together, John and I had a very interesting relationship. That I was younger or I was smaller was no longer any kind of embarrassment with John. Paul still says, 'I suppose we looked down on George because he was younger.’ That is an illusion people are under. It’s nothing to do with how many years old you are, or how big your body is. It’s down to what your greater consciousness is and if you can live in harmony with what’s going on in creation. John and I spent a lot of time together from then on and I felt closer to him than all the others, right through until his death. As Yoko came into the picture, I lost a lot of personal contract with John; but on the odd occasion I did see him, just by the look in his eyes I felt we were connected.
- George Harrison, Anthology
Finally, John - his idol, his hero - regarded him as an equal! 
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to belittle John and George’s relationship, because the dynamic was also fascinating, and it was with each other that they could explore the more spiritual questions of their existence, something they couldn’t quite do with the more down-to-earth pair of Paul and Ringo. But that doesn’t invalidate the fact that the person John seemed most desperate to share this incredibly intimate experience with was Paul. 
On his part, Paul was, as you correctly supposed, rather afraid. We must remember that he was always the most cautious out of all the four. As he put it:
John – he’s got movement. He’s a very fast mover. He sees new things happening and he’s away. Me – I’m conservative. I feel I need to check things. I was last to try pot and LSD and floral clothes. I’m slower than John, the least likely to succeed in class.
- Paul McCartney, The Beatles by Hunter Davies
In the Anthology, he spells it out quite clearly.
But I really was… frightened of that kind of stuff. Cus it’s what you’re taught when you’re younger! ‘Hey! Watch out for them devil drugs!’. So… so when acid came ‘round, we’d heard you’re never the same. It alters your life and you’ll never be the same again. And I think John was rather excited by that prospect; I think I was rather frightened by that prospect! [huffs] Just what I need! You know? To have some funny little thing where I never get back… home again! You know? Oh, jeez, you know? May not be the greatest move… So I delayed. And I was seen to sort of stall a little bit, I think, within the group. Cus a lot of peer pressure- I mean, talk about peer pressure! The Beatles?
Paul McCartney, Anthology
It must have been a rough few months of resisting for Paul, as he recounts multiple times how straining it was to be the one on the side while your band, your closest family, continues to increase the rift between you in an effort to make you jump. 
Thoroughly worn down, Paul finally capitulates on 13 December 1965. That night, John and Paul had returned to the Scotch of St James nightclub, where on the previous day the Beatles had their end of tour celebrations. There they met  The Who’s John Entwistle and the Pretty Things’ former drummer Viv Prince, but most importantly Nicky Browne, Tara Browne’s wife, who invites them all back to their London home on Eaton Row. Paul and some others accept the offer. John declines.
This time, when Tara Brown suggests they drop acid, Paul relents.
I was more ready for the drink or a little bit of pot or something. I’d not wanted to do it, I’d held off like a lot of people were trying to, but there was massive peer pressure. And within a band, it’s more than peer pressure, it’s fear pressure. It becomes trebled, more than just your mates, it’s, 'Hey, man, this whole band’s had acid, why are you holding out? What’s the reason, what is it about you?’ So I knew I would have to out of peer pressure alone. And that night I thought, well, this is as good a time as any, so I said, 'Go on then, fine.’ So we all did it.
- Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now by Barry Miles
Of that first trip itself, Paul had this to say:
It was such a mind-expanding thing. I saw paisley shapes and weird things, and for a guy who wasn’t that keen on getting that weird, there was a disturbing element to it. I remember looking at my shirtsleeves and seeing they were dirty and not being too pleased with that, whereas normally you wouldn’t even notice. But you noticed and you heard. Everything was supersensitive.
- Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now by Barry Miles
You’ll notice that contrary to the other Beatles’ recounts of their experiences while on LSD, Paul’s are often described with more negative words, with ‘disturbing’ being a recurring adjective. 
Now, if you are wondering why Paul took LSD with a group of acquaintances but not with his own band (or rather John), that’s when we enter the realm of speculation. Might it have been a matter of pride, a small victory in the way of ‘okay, I saw what it was all about, but on my terms, not because you pushed me into doing it with you’? Might have. 
But again, here (as in most places) I find that the most likely motivator was fear. There was, after all, a lot more at stake in a life-changingly intimate experience with your best friend and partner – the same partner with whom you’re not entirely sure just how intimate you want/should/can be – than with a bunch of strangers. So Paul probably would rather sacrifice the heavy significance John was sure to place on ‘first times’, in order to more cautiously scout the whole affair. If this is the motivation behind these events, then it should be seen as a sign of just how important his relationship with John was to him, that he was so careful not to screw it up. (What a pity then that John himself seemed to require big bold moves, entire leaps of faith, as a declaration of true affection…)
Meanwhile, John had become increasingly enthralled with the escapism offered by acid and used it regularly. As his at the time wife, Cynthia - for whom the intimacy suggested by the chemical felt false and manufactured - recounts:
When John was tripping I felt as if I was living with a stranger. He would be distant, so spaced-out that he couldn’t talk to me coherently. I hated that, and I hated the fact that LSD was pulling him away from me. I wouldn’t take it with him so he found others who would. Within weeks of his first trip, John was taking LSD daily and I became more and more worried. I couldn’t reach him when he was tripping, but when the effects wore off he would be normal until he took it again.
- Cynthia Lennon, John
For Paul, however, his experiences with LSD seemed not to have freed him of his doubts, for it would only be on 21 March 1967, more than a year later, that he would finally choose to take acid with his songwriting partner, in the well-known episode.
While recording the song ‘Getting Better’ for Sgt Pepper, John mistakenly took and LSD pill instead of a stimulant.
I thought I was taking some uppers, and I was not in a state of handling it. I can’t remember what album it was but I took it and then [whispers] I just noticed all of a sudden I got so scared on the mike. I said, 'What was it?’ I thought I felt ill. I thought I was going cracked. Then I said, 'I must get some air.’ They all took me upstairs on the roof, and George Martin was looking at me funny. And then it dawned on me. I must have taken acid. And I said, 'Well, I can’t go on, I have to go.’ So I just said, 'You’ll have to do it and I’ll just stay and watch.’ I just [became] very nervous and just watching all of a sudden. 'Is it alright?’ and they were saying, 'Yeah.’ They were all being very kind. They said, 'Yes, it’s alright.’ And I said, 'Are you sure it’s alright?’ They carried on making the record.
- John Lennon, Lennon Remembers by Jann Wenner
In this particular instance, John is misremembering, for the session did not proceed when the others realised what was happening. As George Martin recalls it:
We stood there for a minute or two, with John swaying gently against my arm. ‘I’m feeling better,’ he announced. Then he looked up at the stars. 'Wow..’ he intoned. 'Look at that! Isn’t that amazing?“. I followed his gaze. The stars did look good but they didn’t look that good. It was very unlike John to be over the top in that way. I stared at him. He was wired-pin-sharp and quivering, resonating away like a human tuning fork.No sooner had John uttered his immortal words about the stars than George and Paul came bursting out on the roof. They had come tearing up from the studio as soon as they found out where we were.They knew why John was feeling unwell. Maybe everyone else did, too - everyone except for father-figure George Martin here!It was very simple. John was tripping on LSD. He had taken it by mistake, they said - he had meant to take an amphetamine tablet. That hardly made any difference, frankly; the fact was that John was only too likely to imagine he could fly, and launch himself off the low parapet that ran around the roof. They had been absolutely terrified that he might do so. I spoke to Paul about this night many years later, and he confirmed that he and George had been shaken rigid when they found out we were up on the roof. They knew John was having a what you might call a bad trip. John didn’t go back to Weybridge that night; Paul took him home to his place, in nearby Cavendish Road. They were intensely close, remember, and Paul would do almost anything for John. So, once they were safe inside, Paul took a tablet of LSD for the first time, 'So I could get with John’ as he put it- be with him in his misery and fear.What about that for friendship?
- George Martin, Anthology
He seemed especially fond of Paul’s attitude, for he reiterates the point in his own memoir.
Paul’s thoughtfulness in going home with John was typical of one of the best sides of his character.
- George Martin, All You Need Is Years
And so Paul drove both of them back to his home in Cavendish, where the moment had finally presented itself for him to go on a little journey with John.
I thought, ‘Maybe this is the moment where I should take a trip with him. It’s been coming for a long time. It’s often the best way, without thinking about it too much, just slip into it. John’s on it already, so I’ll sort of catch up.’ It was my first trip with John, or with any of the guys. We stayed up all night, sat around and hallucinated a lot.
Me and John, we’d known each other for a long time. Along with George and Ringo, we were best mates. And we looked into each other’s eyes, the eye contact thing we used to do, which is fairly mind-boggling. You dissolve into each other. But that’s what we did, round about that time, that’s what we did a lot. And it was amazing. You’re looking into each other’s eyes and you would want to look away, but you wouldn’t, and you could see yourself in the other person. It was a very freaky experience and I was totally blown away.
There’s something disturbing about it. You ask yourself, 'How do you come back from it? How do you then lead a normal life after that?’ And the answer is, you don’t. After that you’ve got to get trepanned or you’ve got to meditate for the rest of your life. You’ve got to make a decision which way you’re going to go.
I would walk out into the garden – 'Oh no, I’ve got to go back in.’ It was very tiring, walking made me very tired, wasted me, always wasted me. But 'I’ve got to do it, for my well-being.’ In the meantime John had been sitting around very enigmatically and I had a big vision of him as a king, the absolute Emperor of Eternity. It was a good trip. It was great but I wanted to go to bed after a while.
I’d just had enough after about four or five hours. John was quite amazed that it had struck me in that way. John said, 'Go to bed? You won’t sleep!’ 'I know that, I’ve still got to go to bed.’ I thought, now that’s enough fun and partying, now … It’s like with drink. That’s enough. That was a lot of fun, now I gotta go and sleep this off. But of course you don’t just sleep off an acid trip so I went to bed and hallucinated a lot in bed. I remember Mal coming up and checking that I was all right. 'Yeah, I think so.’ I mean, I could feel every inch of the house, and John seemed like some sort of emperor in control of it all. It was quite strange. Of course he was just sitting there, very inscrutably.
- Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now by Barry Miles
There it is then. The main event. And it was just as profoundly intimate as they’d hoped/feared. 
I urge you, again, not to get lost on the fantastically romantic imagery of eye contact to the point of merging, but to notice the slightly uneasy light in which Paul paints the entire episode, with the resurgence of ’disturbing’. And so my tag for the whole LSD scene is born: “How do you come back from it?”
Because these two got to the point of losing their own identities in the other, they truly became One, and they were not ready for it. It was everything John wanted and everything Paul was trying to avoid, and I think it started to destroy them.
And even if John thought this was the level of closeness he ought to be at with Paul (for reasons that I tried to express in the first posted opinion of mine), even he reckoned later that the LSD induced smashing of his ego was more detrimental to his mental and emotional health than beneficial.
I had many [bad trips]. Jesus Christ. I stopped taking it 'cause of that. I mean I just couldn’t stand it. I dropped it for I don’t know how long. Then I started taking it just before I met Yoko. I got a message on acid that you should destroy your ego, and I did. I was reading that stupid book of Leary’s and all that shit. We were going through a whole game that everybody went through. And I destroyed meself. I was slowly putting meself together after Maharishi, bit by bit, over a two-year period. And then I destroyed me ego and I didn’t believe I could do anything. I let Paul do what he wanted and say, them all just do what they wanted. And I just was nothing, I was shit. And then Derek [Taylor] tripped me out at his house after he’d got back from LA. He said, 'You’re alright.’ And he pointed out which songs I’d written, and said, 'You wrote this, and you said this, and you are intelligent, don’t be frightened.’ The next week I went down with Yoko and we tripped out again, and she freed me completely, to realise that I was me and it’s alright. And that was it. I started fighting again and being a loud-mouth again and saying, 'Well, I can do this,’ and 'Fuck you, and this is what I want,’ and 'Don’t put me down. I did this.’
- John Lennon, Lennon Remembers by Jann Wenner
Paul’s overall opinion on acid was as follows:
Sometimes it was a very very deeply emotional experience, making you want to cry, sometimes seeing God or sensing all the majesty and emotional depth of everything. And sometimes you were just plain knackered, because it would be like sitting up all night in a train station, and by the morning you’ve grown very stiff and it’s not a party any more. It’s like the end of an all-nighter but you haven’t danced. You just sat. So your bum might be sore, just from sitting. I was often quite wiped out by it all but I always thought, Well, you know, everybody’s doing it.
The thing I didn’t like about acid was it lasted too long. It always wore me out. But they were great people to be around, a wacky crowd. My main problem was just the stamina you had to have. I never attempted to work on acid, I couldn’t. What’s the point of trying, love?
- Paul McCartney, Many Years From Now by Barry Miles
On 17 June 1967, the whole ‘Paul admits to taking LSD’ debacle happens, and though he defends his statement and his position to the press, by then the bands interested in the substance had started to wane, when some of the disillusionment over the whole drug-cult started settling in. 
By 26 August 1967, the Beatles had publicly renounced drugs and started looking for the answers to life’s big questions with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his system of Transcendental Meditation. 
(But we know how similarly those endeavours ended, with bitter disillusionment and an even greater rift within the band and John and Paul themselves. That, though, is another story.)
And in the end (for those brave few that endured this far), I too see this whole LSD dabbling as exactly what they thought it would be: life-changing. It was a definite turning point (so much so that I chronologically tag it as the Bridge of the piece) in their relationship. They had reached total togetherness. But something there, maybe the restrictions they imposed unto themselves of what is socially acceptable, maybe something even more crucial in human nature that repels us from totally losing a concept of self (despite how much escapism we sometimes desire), made it so they couldn’t handle that. And if this startling realization didn’t start, it definitely enlargened the fractures in the partnership.
But what do you guys think? I’d love to hear your opinions. Especially considering their ‘67 seemingly happy communal living. Maybe India was the true turning point. Maybe it was sooner, when they stopped touring and ‘living in each other’s pockets’. Please let me know your thoughts, and once again, thank you so much for this ask!
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fanpov-blog · 5 years
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Pre-Draft NFL 2019-2020 Mock Season
Regular Season
32. Arizona Cardinals   3-13
The Cardinals finished last season at 3-13 as well, and to be honest, I don't see it getting much better quite yet. I do believe the team will draft Kyler Murray at #1 overall, and I also believe that they should. While I think it is the right decision, that doesn't mean I see it translating to more wins. No matter how good Kyler is, or even if Josh Rosen gets another chance this year, there is still just about the same amount of talent as last year and a new coach once again. As a fan of the Cardinals I hope this isn't the case, but this is what seems right to me.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers   4-12
​Tampa Bay was not good last year aside from the few Fitzmagic games that had the whole NFL world in awe. Their run game is awful, and their best asset was their pass catchers who they lost a couple of this offseason. Jameis Winston hasn't proven to anyone yet that he can be a winning QB, and without a run game, a shaky defense and o-line, and with fewer receivers than last year, I don't see a very promising year unless Bruce Arians has some magic for the city of Tampa Bay. ​
30.  New York Giants    4-12
Odell is gone. Olivier Vernon is gone. Landon Collins is gone. But they still have Eli! Don't get me wrong, Saquon is one of the best players in the entire league, and I love Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate, but on paper the team got worse than it was last year, and last year was already pretty bad. Maybe getting rid of these players will prove to be addition by subtraction, but until they prove that to me and the rest of the world, I don't see much out of the Giants this season.
29. Washington Redskins    4-12
I think most football fans like Case Keenum, but we also know that there usually isn't much success that follows him wherever he goes. He had one great year on a great Minnesota team, but we all saw what he does on an average team, or even a bad team. There just aren't many names that stick out to you on this Redskins team as difference makers or game changers, and Adrian Peterson can't keep up the pace... can he? Whether Case is leading the charge, or a rookie from the draft, the defense doesn't look dominate enough to win games alone, and the team just doesn't have enough offensive weapons to put up points. Disapointing season for the skins, but brighter days could be ahead.
28. Miami Dolphins     5-11
The Dolphins seem to just keep letting their fans down. Year after year they do less than everyone is expecting. Ryan Tannehill was supposed to turn that all around, but we all see how that worked out. But hey, they have some Fitzmagic now! That's gonna be clutch for the first 3 weeks of the season, and for a crazy win against the New England Patriots as usual. They just always seem to do worse than you'd think, and they didn't really get any better, so since many people would expect them to maybe be a .500 team, I'm guessing they'll end up a few games under.
27. Detroit Lions     5-11
​Detroit really needs to consider a makeover. There have been a few good years with Matthew Stafford, but those are in the past, and they honestly weren't even that great once it got past the regular season any other year. They need to accept that where they are now isn't going to get them anywhere. Kerryon Johnson was a pleasant surprise last year, but that didn't translate much to the wins column, and Stafford doesn't have as many weapons as he needs to be successful. Seems to me like another down year for the team down in Detroit.
26. Carolina Panthers    5-11
Cam is scaring me. With Newton healthy, you can scratch that 5-11 off and put a 10-6, but without him healthy, a 5-11 might be really generous. Christian McCaffrey really impressed a lot of people last year, and there was a few flashes from young receivers, but other than that, there wasn't much there to make me think that they can function without their superstar QB. They need Cam, plain and simple.
25. Cincinnati Bengals    6-10
There's some great talent on this team, but there is one common issue every year. AJ Green is a great receiver, arguably one of the best in the entire NFL, but he cannot stay healthy. His running mate Tyler Boyd proved he can be one of the best number 2 WRs in the league, and a breakout year from Joe Mixon solidified him as one of the AFCs top backs. All of this, but the man behind center always seems to choke. Sorry Bengals fans, but Andy Dalton is not a franchise QB. I don't care about any statistics about the team with and without him or anything like that, he just doesn't win games and I have no reason to believe that this will end in 2019-2020.
24. Denver Broncos      6-10
The biggest weakness for the Denver Broncos is that they are in a great division. The Chargers and Chiefs are two 12-4 teams from last year, and the Raiders went balls to the wall on offseason moves. I'm afraid Joe Flacco won't be much better than Case Keenum, and with no other notable changes, it's safe to assume they will be right about where they were last year at 6-10.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars    6-10
Aside from late season and post-season heroics on a great team, Nick Foles hasn't proved to be a very good QB in the league in any other situation when he was away from the Eagles. Leonard Founette proved to many that he isn't capable of staying on the field, and the Jags are yet to improve their below average receiving core. Their defense is still great like it was just a couple of years ago, but with their offense forcing them on to the field 2 times as often, they're bound to struggle.
22. Oakland Raiders    6-10
The Raiders have went ALL IN this offseason. Move after move after move and they do look a lot better. Unfortunately for them they are in arguably the best division in football and this is going to thrown away a lot of wins from their record. This is one team that could completely prove my predictions wrong, but a lot of big names going to one team does not always mean great success right away. Also depending on the draft, this could either be very underwhelming or a great success.
21. San Fransisco 49ers    6-10
San Fransisco had it rough last year. They looked like they could be the team to surprise everyone with Jimmy G and Jerrick McKinnon coming into town, but two early injuries took both of them out for the season. Finishing second to last this past season was a disappointment, but there were some positive takeaways. The run game stayed solid with backups in the game, and TE George Kittle had one of the greatest seasons of all time at his position. They picked up Tevin Coleman and he will be paired with McKinnon for a dynamic backfield behind Jimmy Garappolo. This is another team that could blow past my prediction, but having the Rams and Seahawks to compete with will make it tough to have a great comeback season.
20.  Buffalo Bills      7-9
Josh Allen honestly had a surprising rookie year. Looking at the stats, nothing stands out that much, but he was on one of the worst teams in the league and was viewed as a raw prospect who would take a few years. Being forced to start early on he led his team to a 6-10 finish, 5 of those wins coming in games he played. His ability running the ball was very surprising, and rookie WR Robert Foster showed flashes of playmaking ability. Now they brought in veteran receivers Cole Beasley and John Brown to help out even more, as well as indestructible RB Frank Gore. All of these pieces surrounding Josh Allen to go with a defense that could be in the top half of the league, this could be another step for the Bills to climb their way to the top of the league in the future. 
For the rest, visit fanpointofview.com
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sendinthehuskies · 2 years
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what fucking kind words is Prince William giving John Stones in 2018 like
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