#gotta chat with mom and dad so we can pass on the advice!!!

[songofsunset]

Today we weren't allowed out on the playground due to wet paint, and my kids were doing great but by the end of the day we were getting stir crazy and bouncing off the walls

And also separately we've been working with this one kid to try and control her temper (her tiny body fills up with So Much Rage and she will bite!!!) and I realized that we only tried to give her tools to deal with that when she was all worked up, and that isn't any sort of way to build a new skill

So we all sat on the carpet and and dimmed the lights and took like 5 minutes for toddler yoga and deep breathing and it was actually great?????? We practiced taking deep breaths and blowing them out (toddlers can't see the difference between breathing in and breathing out, they just hear it, like a lot of times if you show them how to smell a flower they will blow on the flower!!!! So emphasizing the blowing out part helps them figure out the breathing in part) and we patted our heads..... And our shoulders ... Then gave ourselves a big hug!!!! (One little boy who loves hugs was so excited about this part!!) Then I walked them through a basic sensory activity where we felt the carpet with our hands and listened with our ears to see what we could hear and then looked around for what we could see, and then we did deep breathing and stood up together for some stretching and wrapped it up

And it was so helpful??? It really helped reset the mood in the classroom, it was amazing

AND THEN, later in the day, when my tiny child was full of rage when her classmate grabbed a toy, I said 'take a deep breath!!!'

AND SHE DID

SHE STOPPED RIGHT THERE ALL FULL OF RAGE AND TOOK THE TINIEST ANGRIEST MOST ADORABLE BIG BREATH IVE EVER SEEN AND IM SO FUCKING PROUD OF HER!!!!!!!!

#SHE DID IT!!!!!! SHE DID THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!¡!! #ive done enough therapy that at this end of time i forget how much of my childhood i spent Really Angry anf unable to cope #and the only times people ever tried to help me with it was during!!!! it was not effective!!!!!!!! #and so i realized this and was like 'what are we doing???' and by god we will do better by this child!!!!! #......is what I say about all my children lmao there is catharsis in a job like this #i understand my parents much better now and they did really try and also I see where they messed up and hurt me and why its a whole thing #ANYWAYS THE POINT IS THAT THIS IS A TEACHER VICTORY AND IM REALLY PROUD OF MY STUDENT!!!! LOOK AT HER GO!!!! #gotta chat with mom and dad so we can pass on the advice!!! #.....her mom and dad. my parents dont need to hear shit lmao we're beyond that hahaha #lori chat

[bts-reveries]

waste it on me | part 23

(text under image + more images under text + more text under images + one more image🤣😭)

You felt somewhat awkward sitting next to Jungkook. Everything went well the other night but you can’t help feeling like he just did that because he wanted to give you one last memory of him before you never see him again. But I guess you can’t beat fate. Or Jin. Maybe you should thank him? For playing as fate and bringing you and Jungkook together again. 

The flight time was just over an hour, maybe you can just sleep the whole time to avoid any awkward tension between you two. You wiggle in your seat, trying to be comfortable. Slowly, you close your eyes.

A minute or so passed when you heard Jungkook’s surprised voice. “Oh! You’re going to sleep, didn’t you just wake up not too long ago?” You pop open one eye, side eyeing him. 

“I’m just excited for the proposal,” you whisper, “sleeping will help pass time much faster.” Again, you close your eyes.

“But talking to each other will help time fly by faster, don’t you think?” You let out a sigh.

“Jungkook didn’t we say everything we needed to say the day you were supposed to leave?”

Jungkook frowns at your response. “Why do you seem so mad at me, didn’t we have a good time that day?” He says in a pout. 

“Nothing, I’m just sleepy,” you say, shutting your eyes tighter. Jungkook scoffs.

“Liar,” he mumbles underneath his breath. Suddenly, you open both eyes, turning to him quickly.

“I heard that,” you tell him, he smiles at you instead. An annoying smile.

“Good, so you’re awake then.” You groan, dropping your head in your seat. “Yn,” Jungkook starts. “I know you were waiting for me to ask you out that night.” You turn in your seat, facing the window of the plane.

“If you knew, then why didn’t you..”

“I wanted to ask my mom for advice first. I was going to ask you on my last day, but since we canceled the flight for this trip and my days with you are extended, plan B was to ask you in an extra special way since we’ll be in Jeju. But… I guess I have to cancel that too since I’m telling you everything before we even get there,” he answers with a sigh. You turn around to face him. 

“I’ll pretend like I didn’t hear anything you just said,” you tell him, making him laugh. 

“Alright. But stop being all pouty and just talk to meee~” He whines, grabbing hold of your hand. Sighing, you finally gave in.

“Fine, I’ll stay awake for you,” you say, intertwining your hand with his. 

***

“How long have they been in there?” Jimin whispers. The eight of you were hiding behind a bush and some trees outside the Airbnb that you ten will be staying at. Waiting for Jin’s cue. The plan was that they’ll be going in first to drop off their things, freshen up, and get ready for the beach. Once they leave for the beach, he’ll “accidentally” drop the key. Then the group can go ahead and go in and get ready themselves. 

“It’s been like.. 10 minutes?” Hobi whispers. 

“They better hurry because I reeeaallllyyy gotta pee,” Taehyung whines, crossing his leg as he holds onto the tree. 

“Just pee on the tree,” Jungkook whispers. You and Miya both look at him with a disgusted expression. “Nevermind, dumb idea.”

About 10 more minutes have passed when they hear footsteps drawing near. Taehyung was sitting on the floor with his head in his knees, trying to concentrate. Still not having the chance to use the restroom. 

“I think they’re coming,'' Yoongi says, crouching down. Everyone dropped to the floor as they saw Jin step out of the door. He makes eye contact with one of you, winking before Miyeon comes out of the house. 

“Ahh~ I’m so excited. I can’t believe this is the first time we’re having a picnic date at the beach. All alone, just the two of us,” Miyeon smiles, tippy toeing to kiss Jin’s cheek. Jin smiles at her, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her away from the door. Dropping the keys at the same time. 

*cling!* 

Jin’s eyes widened a bit as he heard the keys drop. Knowing for sure that Miyeon heard it too.

“AcCHOO!” Jin yells in an attempt to mask the sound of the keys.

“Oh-- are you okay?” Miyeon asks, stopping to make sure Jin was okay.

“No no no, let’s keep walking, I’m fine,” Jin says, pushing Miyeon slightly to walk a bit faster. She furrows her brows at him, but ignores his weird act instead. She was starving and she couldn’t wait to feel the sand in her toes.

As soon as they got in the rental car, Taehyung got up faster than lightning, picking up the keys from the floor on the way. He fiddles with the keys in the lock. 

“AISH,” he yells in frustration.

“Hey stupid. If you were paying any attention, you would’ve noticed that hyung didn’t even lock the door,” Namjoon says, twisting the door knob and pushing it open. Taehyung didn’t have time to argue back, he immediately ran to find the bathroom. 

“Alright, let’s get ready so that we can stalk the beautiful couple!!” you scream as you run to an empty room.

“Wow, there’s a lot of rooms,” Miya says. “How can my sister not be suspicious of this?” She says sarcastically as she walks down a hallway full of doors.

***

“That’s them,” you whisper, zooming into the couple with your camera. You were pretty far from them, so there’s no way Miyeon could’ve seen you. You felt like a creep, as you took pictures of them from afar. 

“Are you getting good shots of them?” You say into the mic of your earphones. You were on a call with Jungkook and Taehyung. The three of you being the camera crew for this proposal.

“Yes, Jin hyung just did the signal,” Taehyung says. He was closer to them, hiding under a large umbrella. Jin’s signal was putting a flower in Miyeon’s hair. This meant he was about to do the actual proposing part of the proposal. 

You and Jungkook were on opposite sides but you two began to get closer. Jungkook was taking videos and you were taking photos. Taehyung was doing both. 

Jin sighs, reaching out for Miyeon’s hands. The two have been sitting and eating, chatting the day away on this beach for a few hours. Jin wanted to propose at sunset. In the meantime, the rest of the group just ate and talked, doing little things to make the time fly by a little faster. The group may have waited a few hours, but Miyeon has been waiting for over 10 years. It was finally time. 

“Remember in high school, our first anniversary, we already planned our whole future. What to name our kids, where we’ll live, where we’ll get married, where you wanted to get engaged..” He started. You could see the exact moment when Miyeon realized where this was leading. Her heart skipped a beat.

“Our first anniversary you said you wanted to get proposed to in Jeju because it was your favorite place to go with your family. Our third anniversary you said you wanted to be proposed to in private, where it was just us and no one around. Our fifth anniversary you said a picnic date would be a cute way to have a private proposal. Then on our tenth you said, I changed my mind. The beach during sunset sounds better. Then three days ago, when we had our early anniversary date, you said, you know what, screw everything I said before. I don’t care where you propose as long as you’re the one doing the proposing. After all these years, it was set in stone that I was the one you wanted to marry,” Jin says, he smiles at Miyeon, a single tear falling down his eye. Miyeon was already crying too, she giggled as she brought her hand up to wipe away the tears. You couldn’t hear them from where you were taking the pictures but you were already tearing up. Your view of the couple through your camera lens was starting to look blurry from your unshed tears.

“I’m sorry I made you wait so long, but before we promise for forever, I wanted to make sure you can handle me for as long as you already have,” Jin laughs. “We watched each other grow up, I’ve seen you at your worst and at your best, through thick and thin, and you were there for mine. Our families are so close with each other that at times I feel like we’re already married. It’s just that we don’t go back home to the same place.” Jin takes a shaky breath, getting up on one knee, he takes out a small box from his pocket. “I literally have been waiting to do this all my life, and I know you have too. Hwang Miyeon, I love you with all I am. Will you marry me?”

Miyeon didn’t have to say anything. She just smashed her lips against Jin’s. 

“Was that a yes?” Jin asks when she pulls away. Miyeon laughs, more tears falling down her face.

“Are you an idiot?”

“I need you to say it though, or else I’m not taking this ring out of the box and I can return it if you don’t say yes.” Jin jokes, looking down at the ring.

“Yes yes yes! yES, I say yes,” Miyeon says quickly, throwing Jin into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. “Shut up,” Miyeon says, shoving his shoulder. “Don’t make me wait any longer,” she jokes. Jin stops laughing and quickly takes the ring out of the box to place it on her ring finger. 

“Sorry, it’s my first time proposing,” Jin says, rubbing his thumb over the ring.

“I can’t believe you remember everything I wanted for this proposal,” Miyeon says as she admires her ring. 

“Of course. I also remember you saying how you wanted it private but you wanted your friends and family to be there,” Jin says. Miyeon’s eyes widens.

“You’re kidding.” As if on cue, Miya starts running out of nowhere and to the couple’s picnic blanket. The rest of the boys followed behind her. Miyeon suddenly starts crying even more. Out of happiness of course. 

Everyone congratulated the newly engaged couple. Everyone that they loved was there for them. 

“Babe look,” Jin pointed. Two older couples were walking towards them with open arms.

“Mom! Dad!” Miyeon yells, getting up to run to her parents.

“When did you--” Miya starts, turning to her future brother-in-law before getting up to run to her parents as well.

“Ahhh, my sons,” Mrs. Kim says as she is greeted by her three sons who went up to hug her and their dad. 

You and the four boys stood together and watched, before they turned to hug you as well. The couple introduced the new boys.

“This is Yn’s boyfriend,” Jin says as he introduces Jungkook to both of their parents. Your eyes widened and Jin notices. “No?” He says in confusion, but you knew that he was doing it on purpose.

“Old friends,” You correct. 

“Almost boyfriend,” Jungkook says after. Miyeon and Miya’s mom’s eyebrows rise at Jungkook’s words. She nods in approval, making you blush. 

“I guess love is in the air today isn’t it?” Mrs. Kim says. 

“Ugh, someone get the disinfectant spray,” Namjoon comments, getting a smack from his mom. 

“Shall we go celebrate now?” Jimin says with a smile. “Hyung promised food afterwards,” he says, pointing to Jin. 

“I apologize for this one,” Hobi says awkwardly. “He’s always hungry.” 

“No he’s right, it is time to celebrate,” Jin says, looking towards his fiancée, holding Miyeon’s hand up to his lips. 

“Alright, let’s go then,” Jimin says, already walking off. 

“Follow the little guy,” Namjoon says, walking right behind Jimin. Everyone else followed after him, you and Jungkook being the last ones.

“So when are you going to ask me?” You say to Jungkook with a smirk. He laughs at your question.

“Let’s talk about it after we get some food. Maybe I’ll ask you tomorrow, who knows?” With that he runs ahead to Yoongi. Leaving you alone in the sand. 

“Y-yah! Jeon Jungkook! You made me wait for 10 years and you’re making me wait another day?” 

☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞ ☞

waste it on me

☞part 23: love is in the air☜

→ pairings: jeon jungkook x reader

→ a/n: sorry this took forever rkejgwrebgkjeng also sorry about that proposal, i suck at those, i never proposed to anyone in my life and i don’t plan on ever doing it bc i suck💀💀🤣

→ taglist:

@kookiemonstersugatea @lylanie12 @crazyferalvigilantedragonwriter @serious-addiction @zamasus-sugarbaby @cosmicdaylight @strwberry-jam @ratking101 @chiminilove @ask-blogger-miss-prussia @lyssjeon @moonlightrose19 @blueberrykenn @jungmanor @forkpops @nochujjk97 @bldvnbln @hplsmoon @kirbykook @girl-with-luvvv @vantaexx @ephyra1230 @girlwiththeglittereyeliner @akirathao @catspancake @kawaii-desv @strapsforyoonie @dammit-jjk @to-onystark @butterflylion @apollukee @xionysus @ilyluuna @uglyratlmao @iridescentplethora @monosomes @tomowasu @taekookcaneatme @mayumioutloud @rjsmochii @super-btstrash-posts @hellotherehoneybee @betysotelo18 @moon6rop @kxk-soul @honeycutelove @cchristinnaa @io-is-lame @shadowstark @goldenchemistry @incredibleella @sope-and-shine

TAGLIST IS CLOSED!

to be notified when i post, please turn on my notifications! thank youu~

#bts-reveries #bts x reader #bts fluff #bts smau #bts social media au #bts au #bts #bts x you #jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #jungkook fluff #jungkook au #jungkook social media au #jungkook smau #jin smau #hoseok smau #namjoon smau #yoongi smau #jimin smau #taehyung smau

[purrincess-chat]

Kill Em With Kindness CH2

Thank you all so much for 3.5k (and growing)! You are all so wonderful, and I’m glad that you all enjoy my content enough to stick around and follow. I have a lot of plans for the future, and I just hope that you all will like them! Here is part two of this next spite filled adventure.

The opening scene and really this whole fic were inspired by lenore’s post from forever ago after Chameleon came out so shouts out! Also, I know several of you wanted me to tag you when I updated this, and I will do my best to get everyone, but I suggest getting an AO3 account and subscribing to the fic there instead. You’ll get an email whenever I update, and I always post on AO3 first before tumblr. 

Read on AO3

Previous chapter Next chapter

Chapter 2

“You know, when you made these plans with Adrien, I thought you meant to be nice,” Tikki said chidingly in the bathroom as Marinette washed her hands several days later.

“I am being nice,” Marinette said with an innocent pout.

“You put a ‘Coping with loss’ book on Lila’s desk yesterday.”

“She said her hamster died.”

“And the safety glasses by the napkins in the cafeteria?” Tikki cocked a brow.

“Max was worried about losing an eye.”

“You did your science presentation on tinnitus.”

“Well, after the music festival with Juleka’s mom, I was worried about our hearing.” Marinette snatched a paper towel from the dispenser and dried her hands.

“Your history report on the greatest liars and cheats in history?”

“I became fascinated with P.T. Barnum’s life after that movie and finishing with a comparison of Volpina and Rena Rouge was just a modern-day example everyone could identify with.” Tikki gave her a look. “I got a standing ovation for that presentation.”

“What about the fact-checking robot you petitioned Max to make?”

“For Alya for her birthday! I’m just trying to help her become a better journalist because I’m a good friend.” Marinette placed her hands on her hips haughtily.

“Speaking of Alya, you’ve been telling her to just hang out with Nino lately.”

“She said she wanted to spend more time with him. I’m just being supportive of their relationship,” she shrugged.

“Marinette,” Tikki sighed.

“What? We can’t expose Lila, so we’re just playing along until she inevitably exposes herself which I will watch probably with popcorn,” Marinette said with a laugh. “It’s called kill em with kindness.”

“It’s called being petty.”

“Semantics,” Marinette waved it away, but Tikki was unamused. “Look, I can’t beat Lila at lies. She just makes more, so I’ve come up with another plan that doesn’t harm anyone and keeps everyone from getting mad at me for calling her out. I mean, you saw what happened the other day when she got me expelled. Scarlet Moth almost made a comeback, and I was on the frontlines.”

“I guess we can’t let that happen again…” Tikki reasoned, tapping her chin.

“Exactly. Lila wants everyone to believe those things, so I’m just gonna let her keep falling down the rabbit hole until she eventually hits the bottom,” Marinette said with a twisted grin. “If I happen to push her a little deeper along the way then so be it.”

“That’s very underhanded of you, Marinette.”

“I don’t like it when people use my friends and threaten me.” Marinette clenched her fists. “She almost got me akumatized multiple times now, and we can’t ever let that happen.”

“You’re right. Just be careful,” Tikki advised.

“Don’t worry, Tikki. Coming up with solutions is my superpower.” She winked as her phone buzzed in her pocket with an akuma alert. “Speaking of, we have a city to save. Tikki, transform me!”

***

“Ladybug!” Alya waved her down after the battle, brandishing her cell phone. “Do you have time for a quick interview?”

“A little,” she said with a shrug. “Make it quick.”

“Okay, okay, many of my viewers want to know what advice you have to help people stay positive to avoid being akumatized,” Alya began, pressing record.

“Well, I would recommend changing your perspective a little. Instead of being bummed out about failing a test, maybe commit to studying harder next time. If you get into a fight with your friends, just take a deep breath and remember that if they’re your real friends, they’ll forgive you.” Ladybug replied, placing her hands on her hips. “And if you do get akumatized, don’t make a big deal out of it. Chat Noir and I will always be there to save you. Negative emotions are a part of life just like positive ones, and everyone can have a bad day, even me.”

“Next question, with the passing of Hero’s Day, my viewers want to know what they can do to help you and Chat Noir.”

“Just do your best every day. Lift each other up instead of tearing each other down and do your best to help others who need it,” she said with a smile.

“My friend Marinette is like that, always helping others and helping us stay positive,” Alya remarked, and Ladybug bit back a smirk.

“I think I’ve met her a few times. She’s alerted me of a few akumas here and there.” She tapped her chin with a coy smile. “Not everyone has superpowers like me and Chat Noir, but there are a lot of ways to help out in your school, in your community, or even in your own home just like your friend. I think that everyone should strive to be a Marinette.”

She pressed a hand to her earrings as they beeped and palmed her yoyo, flashing Alya a peace sign. “Gotta go before I change back.”

“Thank you for your time, Ladybug!” Alya bounced on her heels, clutching her phone to her chest as Ladybug tossed her yoyo over the roof.

“Bug out!”

***

When Lila walked through the doors of the library that afternoon, she stopped short when her eyes locked with Marinette’s sitting at the table with Max. They held that same taunting innocence that made Lila’s blood boil, and she knew this was another one of her “nice” schemes.

“Oh, Lila, there you are,” she greeted with a smile, and Lila did her best to suppress an eye roll. “You haven’t been doing so well in class, so I’ve asked everyone to pitch in helping you catch up. Max is here to help you with your maths and science, Rose has agreed to help you with Literature, Sabrina can help you out with history, and then Nathaniel said he would be more than happy to help you with the art project we have due next week.”

“Oh, that’s not necessary. Adrien agreed to help me,” Lila said, waving it away. “He should be here any minute.”

“Actually, he had a pop-up fencing lesson with Kagami this afternoon. She insisted because her mother is so hard on her to improve her technique, and Adrien is the only opponent who challenges her enough, so he just couldn’t say no,” Marinette explained.

“Adrien does score well across the board on all of his exams; however, his schedule guarantees an 87.96% chance that you won’t get sufficient help in order to pull your grades up in time, so Marinette reached out to the rest of us to step in on his behalf so you don’t fail the semester,” Max stated, and Marinette smiled sweetly beside him.

“As class representative, I’m just looking out for the needs of everyone,” she said, standing up. “Thanks again for your help, Max.”

“No problem, Marinette.” Max waved it away. “Oh, and I will have prototype designs for that software you asked me for later this week.”

“Awesome! You’re the best, Max!” Marinette clasped her hands together cheerfully. “Good luck, Lila, and let me know if you need any more help.”

Lila offered her a forced smile before her face fell into a scowl.

“Have fun at movie night!” Max called, waving as she left.

“Movie night?” Lila quirked a brow.

“Yes, many of our classmates are convening to watch movies at Kim’s house this evening, but seeing as it’s a movie I’ve already seen, I agreed to help you catch up on your studies tonight instead,” Max explained, pulling out his textbooks. “I’ve assembled 100 maths problems for us to work covering each section of material that you missed while you were traveling then I have a PowerPoint reviewing over our particle physics unit from last term-”

Lila glared at the door Marinette had gone through, gripping her pencil with white knuckles. She wasn’t quite sure what game Marinette was playing with her, but she was definitely up to something. No matter, she wasn’t about to be defeated so easily. After all, she had Gabriel Agreste on her side.

***

“How did Lila react to Max?” Adrien asked as Marinette grabbed a juice from the snack table.

“She looked half ready to strangle me,” Marinette replied, popping the tab and taking a sip.

“There isn’t going to be a lot I can do if my father decides to use her in photoshoots again, but I’ll help you in any way that I can outside of that,” he said, grabbing a cookie.

“What are you two whispering about?” Alya asked with a smirk, and they both stiffened.

“Uh, I was just asking Marinette if she wanted to sit with me during the movie,” Adrien said, nudging Marinette with his elbow.

“Y-Yeah, I- of course. You don’t mind, do you, Alya?” Marinette fumbled, and her friend gave a proud beam.

“Not at all. I was actually on my way to tell you that I want to sit with Nino.” She winked.

“Great. Then it’s settled.” Adrien waved as they moved to their bean bags.

“How did she sneak past your father anyway? I thought he was some impenetrable wall?” She asked, and Adrien threw his head back with a sigh.

“Your guess is as good as mine. Is it wrong I kind of wish she’d teach me?” He chuckled, popping a popcorn kernel into his mouth.

“Your dad let you come to this, didn’t he?” Marinette pointed out, but Adrien averted his gaze guiltily.

“I’m technically supposed to be meeting with my Chinese tutor right now, but I may have told him I lost my voice while also telling Gorilla that this was his address,” Adrien admitted, tapping his chin with an impish grin.

“Sneaky,” Marinette complimented, but he curled his shoulders.

“I feel kind of bad disobeying him, but all I want to do is see my friends. What’s so wrong with that?” He shrugged, and Marinette offered him a smile.

“Nothing, and I’m sure your dad will come around eventually,” she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Marinette. I really hope so.” He smiled weakly, his gaze softening on her. “You really are the kindest girl at school. Lila won’t know what hit her.”

Marinette bit back a smile, cheeks pink and heart pounding.

“Ya know, Adrien, maybe if your dad ever allows it we could-”

“Lila, Max, you made it!” Kim called, and Marinette felt her blood run cold.

“I’m a really fast learner,” Lila said, shooting Marinette a pointed glare, and her jaw clenched as Nathalie entered through the doorway beside her. “Oh, Adrien, I ran into Nathalie on the way over. She was worried about where you were, so I told her we could check here for you.”

“Adrien, you’re supposed to be at Chinese right now,” Nathalie scolded, and Adrien stiffened, face falling. “If you come now, I won’t tell your father about this.”

“Yes, Nathalie,” he said glumly, shooting Marinette an apologetic wince. “I’ll see you at school.”

“I’m sorry, Adrien. I didn’t realize you’d get in trouble.” Lila winced, pressing a hand to her lips in an ‘oops’ manner. “Nathalie said your father was worried.”

“It’s okay, Lila. It’s my fault,” Adrien said as he passed, head hung low as he made his way out with Nathalie.

When the door closed behind them, Lila curled her shoulders and turned to everyone with a pout.

“I’m sorry. I feel like I ruined everything. I didn’t realize that Adrien was here without permission,” she said, covering her face.

“Don’t sweat it, Lila. You didn’t know,” Nino assured her, and she peeked over her hands.

“I hope he doesn’t get into too much trouble,” she fretted, but Nino waved it away.

“Nah, Nathalie totally sticks up for him. If she says she won’t tell, then she won’t,” he said, and Lila relaxed a little.

“That’s a relief,” she sighed.

“Well, since Adrien had to bounce, why don’t you take his seat next to Marinette? You two have been getting along so great lately,” Alya suggested, pointing to the empty beanbag beside Marinette, and Lila flicked her gaze to meet Marinette’s with a grin.

“Do you mind, Marinette?” She asked, a challenging glint in her eye as if to say, ‘your move.’

“Not at all.” Marinette smiled sweetly as Lila paced over to sit down, and her phone buzzed in her pocket with a text from Adrien.

Well, looks like we have our work cut out for us.

Marinette glanced at Lila out of the corner of her eye, chatting with Rose about Kitty Section before typing a quick reply.

So it would seem.

*sigh here we go*

Tagging: @teresarosiadeviluke2112 @sam-spectra @posyfoot @captain-rice @aloeveraspeaks @somethingelsefine @crazylittlemunchkin @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @rlv29 @kaleigh-girlonfire @kokoa-vb @fanwarrior-at-your-service @liebredavinci @starberry-mina @dalandana @rose-sparks13 @foreverblindedbystars @a-6-yearold-inside @redheadeddemon16 @deerestaurelia @graduatedmelon @janaikam @zatanni @shamefulllove @lunar-wolf-warrior @french-dog-joke @magnitude101999 @pinkittwice @musicallylara @summersprit-sims @timelinegodabandoned @patronusxcharms @azureocean33 @zazzlejazzle 

#miraculous ladybug #ml spoilers #marinette dupain-cheng #ml salt #cat writes #my writing #kewk

[kamandzak]

Into the Great Night - Chapter 2

I started writing this book about a year ago and finished it ~7 months ago. Performing a big rewrite and this chapter is so dismally beautiful I can’t keep it to myself.

Context: Andrew Garland’s boyfriend of eight years has passed away and he is struggling

Recommended listening: Compass and Miracle by Two Steps from Hell

     It was foolish of me to think it would be any better at Tessa’s house. Merely leaving the place Greg and I had cohabitated didn’t mean our past would leave me; that my grief would leave me.

    It was no better sitting on Tessa’s couch as opposed to my own.

    It was still lonely. It was still joyless.

    It was still too cold.

      If that was my new normal…. If that was the life of which I would be forced to live for the rest of my days, I preferred to die.

      Tessa was worried. Beth was worried. Sara and Clara were worried. They all had the right to be. Mom and Dad still hadn’t reached out. I couldn’t say I was mad about it.

      For the first month I carried the same daily, depressive routine: Wake up, shower, watch videos, eat, shower again, sleep. Wash, rinse, repeat. Nothing to disrupt the morose mentality I held from the moment my eyes opened until they closed. Even in my dreams I continued being sad. I couldn’t escape – trapped forever.

    Jake’s constant messages of concern did nothing but send me sinking deeper and deeper into hazy nothingness. Peppered with queries about when I planned to emerge onto the gaming scene, along with the occasional ludicrous statement about how he understood my stuffy brain, each message was deleted as it was read. There was no reason to have those hanging around, reminding me why I was in Reno and not where I had once dreamed of making a life for myself.

      Whenever I closed my eyes, Greg’s face appeared in the dark. Maybe I was napping; maybe I was finally sleeping fully through the night; maybe I was simply blinking. Always, he was there.

    Sometimes it was a fleeting glance of what used to be the best part of my life. Sometimes I dreamed of things that had already happened, or things I wanted to be that would never come to light.

    One night, I dreamed we got married. Waking up was almost as painful as watching him die.

      Tessa was worried I’d off myself. It wasn’t like we talked about it or anything, of course, but I could hear her and Beth sitting over tea every weekend, hushed mutterings coming from her dining room table or her room or her little porch. My grief had thrown a wrench into the lives of those around me, Beth worrying about my life when she normally would work on lesson plans for her rambunctious class of first graders. When she was feeling brave, Tessa would ask why I kept my secrets down deep for so long. That right there was why.

    I had suffered from depression before but what I was feeling wasn’t just unadulterated sadness; it was a fierce, far more complicated set of emotions leading me to exist in a far more dangerous mindset than I had ever been in before. Instead of having an urge to kill the part of me that is making me feel so unbelievably yet nondescriptly sad, I wanted death. Death, full stop.

    Mom and Dad and Sara and Clara and Beth and Tessa weren’t good enough reasons to stay alive, and all I wanted was to see Greg just for another minute. I wanted to give up a life with my own flesh and blood just to see him again. I would have given up all the time in the world for one more night of SNL and inside jokes with a man who made me feel like so much more than who I actually was; a unextraordinary nerd with awkward social tendencies and difficulty communicating. With Greg I felt like I was more than just me; without him, I didn’t know who I was anymore.

    “Andrew! Your phone!” A crumpled ball of paper bounced off my head as Tessa’s voice cut through my outer shell, the sounds of my phone following her words. My phone beeped loudly, the tell-tale sign of a Facetime call on it’s way, and I dragged my finger across the screen to accept before I read the name. Each bodily movement seemed to take ten times longer than Before. I was living seconds behind reality.

    “Garland.”

Jake’s face popped onto my screen. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1….

    “Hi.”

    “You look like hell.”

Jake’s mouth stopped moving before I even put together the string of letters that made up his blunt statement.

    “Mm,” I managed.

    “You in Reno?” I nodded. “I’m heading out that way this weekend. Never been to Vegas believe it or not. Figured I’d go explore. Have you seen anyone since everything happened?

    “Andrew, want anything from the gas station?” Tessa stood in her door frame and as I shook my head she left without another word.

    “I’ll take that as a no?”

    “Yeah, no. No, I haven’t seen anyone. I don’t want to see anyone.”

    “What if they came to you? So you didn’t have to leave where you are?”

    “I’m not about to let a stranger into my sister’s apartment.”

    “We’re not technically strangers at this point, right?”

    “Why are you so hell-bent on meeting face-to-face?”

Jake paused, inhaling loudly, wheezily, in a way that reminded me of Greg; then again, everything reminded me of Greg whether it had anything to do with him or not.

    “The best thing that came out of the worst time in my life is now I can be empathetic to other people going through the same thing.”

The tiniest part of me wanted to know what he’d been through but the larger part didn’t have the brain power to care because what actually mattered didn’t exist anymore. I didn’t think Jake was purposely jabbing at open, festering wounds for the sake of cruelty; he was just caring for me.

    I didn’t want his caring. I only wanted one person’s caring and couldn’t get past the knowledge that I'd never have it again.

    “Let me know if you want someone to talk to. I’m only in Nevada for a couple of days. I won’t mind stopping. Really.”

    “Mm.”

    “I gotta go. Message me.”

The screen went black. Please Rate the Quality of your Call, a prompt stated, with the outlines of five stars beneath. I did no such thing.

    I wasn’t about to message him, even if I had a reason to do so. I wasn’t going to be messaging anyone because all conversations led back to Greg. How was gaming going? Was I still in Los Angeles? Was I still going to be on YouTube? All questions would eventually wind up being about him and the more I talked, the more I would have to remember. The more I would have to remember, the more I would have to feel, the more I would hurt.

    It started happening when I arrived at Tessa’s; my need for answers led me to the internet and introduced me to the term dissociation; I would simply leave my body. Up to the ceiling I seemed to float as if filled with helium, watching what was taking place below. Tessa waking up and making breakfast before going to her gaming room; her video editor Reese chatting with her about her upload schedule; Beth coming and going; myself sitting in the same spot on the same couch day in and day out.

    I didn’t know why it was happening, the only reasonable explanation being that I so desperately didn’t want to exist but was too much of a damn coward to kill myself. In the end, dissociation seemed like the best option. Just remove myself painlessly from my surroundings. Was certainly better than the alternative. It was peaceful, exiting the current plane and living somewhere else if only for just a few minutes.

    Live. That was the key word. I was still technically alive, my heart still beating and my stomach still digesting and my eyes blinking and lungs expanding with each breath. The human being my brain commanded was still moving. My mind was developed enough to operate on autopilot, doing the dumb things it had to do to keep everything in stasis. I ‘lived’, for lack of a better word.

    When I did gather the courage to look up what I was feeling on the internet, nothing made sense. Nothing could be remotely tailored to fit my situation. I could relate to none of it. These people with their inspiring stories and memoirs written in loving memoriam, and benches dedicated to loved ones… their experiences seemed to minimize what kept me awake at night. How were they able to do that? How could those strangers make me and my emotions feel trivial without even knowing me and without me actively posting in detail what was happening in my head? As hard as I tried to imagine those brave widows and widowers and left-behinds feeling the way I did, their stories always wound up being of getting over that tremendous loss.

    I didn’t want to get over it. If I got over it I would lose Greg forever. I’d already lost him once.

    The grocery lists of things I could do to help myself mocked me as I read the advice of people who claimed to know how to recover from the un-recoverable. Write them a letter, authors would write in silly, curly-cue fonts before giving me a whole page to write the letter, as if I was going to sit down and put pen to paper and tell Greg about something I saw that reminded me of our first date. List all the good times, one said, with bullet points for me to fill out five moments, as if every moment we had together wasn’t the best of my life. Find someone to talk to, another whimsically suggested as it reminded me that keeping my feelings inside was dangerous. As if I didn’t already know it was ripping me apart from the inside.

    They didn’t tell me how to start a letter to Greg where all I could do was say how much I missed him. They didn’t tell me how to find someone to talk to when I didn’t want to talk to anyone about anything. They gave me five fucking spots to talk about good times as if our six-year relationship could be reduced down to that many moments and no more.

    They said all of it was doable; they said that when the lost their husband or wife or boyfriend or girlfriend or best friend or grandparent or dog or whatever, those were the steps they took to recovering and moving on.

    They weren’t me, though. They weren’t me and they weren’t Greg and they weren’t the set of circumstances under which we had lived. Even if half of the equation was there, the other wasn’t. Maybe their loved one was sick. Were they sick with the same ailment, or one that carried similar stigma? Did they purposely risk illness for the sake of their significant other or family member or friend? Did their risk become reality because fate can be an unnecessarily cruel mistress? Did they love the other person so much they shortened their own life?

    The door opened and couch shifted as Tessa’s hands landed on the sides of my face.

    “Andrew”

I cracked at her voice, her icy hands wrapping around my head and pushing me against her. Worming my arms under hers, I clung to her small shoulders, weeping into her jacket sleeves. Eyes screwed shut I gasped for air, seeing Greg in the darkness as he mirrored the same breathy sounds. While mine were of sadness, his were of death – the only sound of him I could manage to remember despite being together for so long. Tessa pulled at my non-resisting body and we sat together, tangled in a heap of coats and scarves and unwashed hair. Much like when we were young – when we didn’t understand what the world was about or why we were with the people we were with – and Tessa would protect me, we sat close, her love drowning out the pulsing drone of fear and hatred and sadness and anger rushing through my mind as it struggled to comprehend the incomprehensible.

    For several minutes, we sat in silence.

    “Andrew.”

    “Mm.”

    “I love you.”

    “I know.”     “And,” she finally pushed me off her body, holding me in front of her. Cold air hit my hot face, adhering the salty wash of tears to my skin, “And you can talk to me about anything you need to. I know you don’t want to. I know you think you’re strong enough. Maybe the only way to become strong is to not be.”

    “Where do I s-start?” I hiccupped.

    “Let’s get the team together,” she began, rising slowly and pulling me up with her. “Maybe they can help.”

    “But-.”

    “No one knows you like we do.”

      Hours later, beneath the door of Tessa’s bedroom, I heard her. I heard them.

    “You guys have to get here as soon as you can. Please.”

    “What’s the matter, Tess?”

    “I think it’s happening…. I think the numbness is wearing off. He’s starting to feel things again. It’s not that I don’t want to be here when it happens. I just don’t want to not have you guys here with us. I don’t know what do to.”

Greg’s death wasn’t supposed to be affecting my sisters as the sounds of their video call trickled through the under-crack of the door. It wasn’t supposed to be affecting Jake or anyone else but me and the Davis’.

    It was a stupid thought and their voices continued, muffled by my sense of inadequacy. Of course it would be affecting other people. It started doing so the moment Tessa posted my video. It started affecting the girls the second I told them I was having an emergency and they needed to come see me. What I hadn’t wanted was exactly what I had dug myself into when I welcomed other people into the hell-circle I was stuck in.

    I didn’t want them to come see me. I didn’t want Beth to take time off and Clara to leave Frank and Sara to leave Duncan to come take care of me. I was twenty-four. I should have been able to take care of me.

      The front door opened several hours later and I looked up with a faux look of surprise. Out, I sent them telepathically. Please go.

    “Why are you here?” Tessa rolled her eyes at my question.

    “Boy, don’t pretend like you weren’t listening on my Zoom call with them,” she cracked a smile before reading the room and immediately coming back to our reality. “You know why.”

    “We’re just afraid that there’s more to address than just your changing grief,” Beth began and bile began rising in my throat. It was only a matter of time really, before they put two and two together. I guess I had thought it would take a little longer. Her hand landed in the middle of my back, leading me to the same sofa where Tessa and I had broken down together.

    “Don’t worry about me,” I began confidently. “I’m just-.”

    But then I coughed. I coughed and coughed and the more I tried to regulate my breathing, the harder it was. Choking; gasping.

    Hands rubbed my back while others pushed me down and a another lowered a glass of water into my field of vision. Sip, choke, swallow, repeat until I could finally shakily inhale with difficulty.

    Looking down at me were four sets of beautiful, worried eyes with which I could barely stand to keep contact.

    Clara spoke,

    “Stage three.”     “What?”

    “That’s what you’re in, isn’t it? Frank just… just lost a patient and when I asked him, especially when Tessa told me about all of your shakes and fevers, he said he thinks it's stage three. I think I believe him.”

I was at a complete and utter loss. In my molasses-filled, sloths-paced brain, grief at the loss of Greg drifted beside my own secrets and the suffering of my sisters, bouncing off of one another like oil and water.

    “You don’t understand,” I finally said.

    “Don’t understand what, exactly,” Tessa asked pointedly, further questions and opinions trapped behind pursed lips. I could practically see them stabbing her mouth, begging to be released.

    “Everything!” I exploded. I hadn’t been truly angry yet; up until then anger had taken too much effort. What energy grief didn’t zap from my system the HIV stole for its own selfish purposes. “It’s all connected, isn’t it?” I asked, huffing out laughs like a mad scientist whose madness had taken over the scientist within. “I can’t tell the world about me and Greg because I’m afraid of people finding out I’m not straight. Then I’m with Greg and he’s so afraid of never having love and I love him more than I’ve ever loved anyone in my life, so then we take a risk and guess what? Protection fails. The risk becomes reality and I get HIV but I can’t talk about the love or the disease because it’s been ingrained in me since I was a child that people who get sick with this illness get it as recompense for their actions. I don’t believe it when I look at Greg but when I stare at myself in the mirror all I can hear is Dad’s voice. I go to clinics occasionally but only outside of town and without people I even sort of know because I’m afraid subscribers who have never seen my fucking face will recognize me and assume I’m going there for a reason I don’t want anyone to know about and guess what? They’re right! I don’t want them to know about going to get HIV treatment because I’m afraid of people finding out I’m not straight.”

    “Andrew-.”

    “We keep loving each other because hey, once I’m sick, we might as well, right?”

    “Andrew-.”

    “And then Greg dies. Greg fucking dies and I can’t tell anyone because I don’t have anyone and the only reason I don’t is because I spent the first seventeen years of my life having it ingrained in my mind that if I don't date, marry, and have a family with a beautiful woman, I’m damned to a life of eternal suffering.”

    “But we-.”

    “I can’t tell the gaming community because then Dad could find out. I can’t tell you guys or Mom because I feel bad that I kept it a secret for so long but I had to keep it a secret so I could stay safe and love the man I loved because I knew he didn’t have all the time in the world. So now I’m one serious infection away from dying because I didn’t do serious enough treatments to start with because I was so afraid of people finding out I’m not straight,” I nearly screamed, throat raw, standing up and spinning around to face my audience. “How the fuck am I supposed to deal with all of this?”

From all four sides, warm sweaters hit my torso as each sister came from a different angle and held on tightly, two of them shaking against me with emotion. Long nails raked through my hair, hands rubbed my back and arm and nape of neck; hair tickled my nose. Cold, dry lips pressed against my forehead.

    When I dared to observe who was directly in front of me, Sara had tears running down her slim cheeks.

    “This is why I didn’t want to tell you,” I whispered. “All it’s doing is making you sad.”

    “I would have been sad when you first told me, Andrew. Nothing keeps human emotion from happening. But you’ve kept it in for so long, and the longer it builds up the more explosive it is when you finally release the valve. If you told me six years ago that you were in love with a boy and were scared, I would have been so proud. I would have supported you in whatever you wanted to do… however you wanted to live your life. If you told me whenever you found out about being sick that you were sick, I would have been devastated. I still am. It’s just… complicated now,” she petered off as the others nodded in agreement.

    “I’m not mad at you, in case you think that,” Clara spoke. “I don’t think any of us are. In a way it’s nice to finally know all your dirty laundry so we can be here as a family. I know you have your reasons for doing what you did. We all do. There’s a lot to sort out. A lot to do. A lot of catching up that has to take place.”

    “There’s no timeline for this stuff,” Beth began and before I could stop myself, I opened my mouth,

    “AIDS, Beth. A. I. D. S.”

    “Grief, Andrew. G. R. I. E. F.”

    “Awesome,” I mumbled. “How am I supposed to do this?”

    “Not alone. We need to get you a doctor here,” Tessa said with a sad expression that, for a brief moment, I wanted to smack off of her face. “I haven’t seen you go since we moved. You don’t want to, but we don’t want to lose you.” I wanted to lose me but that was beside the point so I kept the words inside. “I can’t lose you,” she managed and faint sounds of stifled sadness cut through the quiet.

    “I know you want to go,” Beth said as Clara and Sara ushered Tessa away from the scene. “Not to the doctor, but to him. You want to go to Greg. Right now what we say won’t change that. Nothing we say will change how you feel. Nothing feels worth living for right now and I know that. When you go through something like this, you can tell other people you really do know what they’re going through. We aren’t worth living for right now and I understand that. There isn’t much we can do, but what we can do is make sure you’re eating and at least taking some medication. There isn’t much more to do right now than sustain yourself. Let us help.”

    “Okay.”     “You loved him. I understand that,” Beth whispered, wrapping her arms around me. “And you both did what you could with the time you had. Life’s unfair. I don’t know why things happen to people the way they do. I’m sorry.”

    “Why wasn’t my best good enough?”

    “Oh, Andrew. It was. I promise. There are just some things we can’t control. It’s horrible, isn’t it?”

#writer #writing #novel #novelist #author #kamandzak #into the great night #grief #tw suicide #tw dissociation

[westcoastrry]

Tracing The Stars Chapter 5

Harry's POV

When Coach Parker sent the official team list to the group chat, and I saw Gabe and I as Captains, I pretty much lost it.

During tryouts, I played the best I had ever played. If I didn't get that pep talk from Blair beforehand, I probably would have been worried about everything. But, I took Blair's advice, and I wasn't playing to please coach, my parents, or anyone else. I was playing for fun. I was playing for me.

"So you gonna tell me where the hell that beast came from today?" Gabe asks, snapping me out of my thoughts, passing me a beer.

"Dude, I wish I fucking knew."

"Two goals and three assists. Yeah, we are getting that Champion State win for sure."

"I'm nervous about Crestview," I reply. "Their team gets better and better every year, and I heard they got a brand new coach who used to play at Stanford."

Gabe says something in response, but I'm not paying the slightest bit of attention because all my eyes are on Blair, who just walked into the party with Megan.

A black lace shirt that makes her boobs looking fucking amazing. Her jeans hug her curves perfectly, and I'm trying to keep my eyes on her face, but her body is so alluringly distracting.

Blair was undeniably attractive. Everyone at this damn school knew it, and if they didn't know it before, they sure as hell were going to know it now.

Out of nowhere, Maya comes up behind Gabe and I startling both of us. "I want her pussy on my face."

I hit Megan's shoulder, while Gabe just stares at Maya with a wide mouth.

"Respectfully. I meant that in a very respectful manner," she corrects herself taking my beer out of her hand and chugging it down.

Gabe is still staring at Maya in complete shock.

"Please, don't tell me we are just gonna brush past that, right? I refuse to brush past this like we all did not hear what she just said."

"Looks like I just came out to you, bud," Maya exclaims before drunkenly strutting away.

Gabe looks at me with the same shocked expression on his face, and I just shrug my shoulders in response.

"You have got to be kidding me? You know Maya was my middle school crush, right? I lost my virginity to her!"

I laugh in response. "Yeah, I had a feeling she decided she was gonna explore her sexuality and then toss us to the side when she was done."

"So you and Maya aren't fucking?" He questions.

"Not since she came out to me this summer."

"Jesus, can you grab the stash of weed from my room? We gotta stop letting women use us like this man. It's degrading."

I get up to grab Gabe's stash, but turn around simultaneously to respond to him. "Who cares! I'm completely fine with it."

As I'm walking up the stairs to Gabe's room, I hear him yell, "Of course you are completely okay with it, you whore!"

Gabe's party is starting to get packed, which was normal since his parties are so popular. Gabe's Dad is super-rich and is always traveling with his girlfriend, who is probably a few years older than Gabe. It is quite obvious she is using Gabe's Dad for his money, but I don't think he cares. Gabe is usually home alone because of this, and I know it sucks for him. His mom died in middle school, and he hasn't been close with his Dad since. When I saw that Gabe was virtually living in a mansion by himself, I basically forced him to live with me when he wasn't throwing parties. He would come over for family dinners, and we basically shared a room.

Sometimes I think Gabe throws these parties not only to spite his Dad, who doesn't condone Gabe's partying addiction but because secretly, Gabe hates being alone. So the more people, the better.

I didn't blame him. We all have our demons. We just have to find a way to cope with them.

I finished rolling up some blunts for Gabe in his room. I was just about to leave when Blair stumbled through the door.

"Oh!" She squeaks. "Sorry, I was looking for the bathroom."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine—just a little tipsy. I feel good, though. How were tryouts?" She eagerly asked, not seeming to be drunk where she is off the rails, but definitely tipsy enough to have a good time.

"Team captain, baby," I respond with a slight smirk on my face.

She squeals, running into me, pushing me back on Gabe's bed with her arms around my neck.

"I knew you could fucking do it!"

She slightly shifts on top of me, causing me to groan because of how she is situated on my lap, but she crawls beside me, not seeming to notice how she just gave me a full-on boner.

"Whose blunts are these? She asks curiously, picking one up."

"Gabe's. Do you want one?"

"Yes. God, a blunt right now sounds so good. How does Gabe get all this weed?"

"Usually me," I say without context, making Blair furrow her eyebrows. "I'm not a dealer or anything like that. I have a medical card for when I got into my accident. Sometimes when I'm at the shop, I pick up stuff for Gabe." I take the joint from her hands, light it up, and hand it back to her.

"I needed this," She said, hitting the blunt before passing it back to me. I decline, not really in the mood to smoke at the moment. "My anxiety was getting the best of me."

"Anxiety?"

"Yeah. People always have something to say, you know?" She continues her rant after taking a drag of the blunt and blowing out the smoke. "I think people are expecting me to take my top off and dance on Gabe's living room table like I did sophomore year."

I burst out laughing, distinctly remembering that memory from Gabe's fourth of July party.

"Plus, Megan keeps wanting me to hook up with a guy so I can get over my ex."

I frown at her words. "You definitely don't have to hook up with any guy if you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to," She says, almost finishing off the entire blunt. "It's just that I think my clit is broken."

The words tumble out of her mouth, almost as if she doesn't have a care in the world for what she is saying.

"Like there is no way my isn't clit is broken. Or my entire vagina, for that matter. I never get to finish, or at least I never have, and then the guy always walks off, and I'm left all hot and bothered."

"Have you tried to pleasure yourself?" I ask curiously.

"Haven't really figured that one out yet. Working on it, though."

I hum in response, watching her finish off the last bit of the blunt.

"Your clit isn't broken, by the way. You just gotta find a guy who is willing to give a fuck about your pleasure, not just his. Sex should be pleasurable for both parties anyway."

"You say my clit isn't broken now, but I promise you it is."

"I promise you it's not. You just have to learn your body and the things you like."

"Teach me."

#harry styles fic #harry styles fanfiction #harrystyles #harry styles smut #harry styles writing #harry styles fluff #harry styles writings #harry styles coming of age #coming of age #harry styles soft #TTS #Tracing The Stars

[54fangirl]

Can’t Wait

Requested: [Y]/N - Can I get a FP Jones imagine where the reader is Fred Andrews daughter and Archie’s sister and during the time FP goes to jail she falls pregnant with his baby and Fred finds out cause he found the positive pregnancy test in the bathroom. She told FP she was pregnant before he went to jail. Also could Archie and the core four find out about her pregnancy and if you want add a part where they’re both raising their kid? Please

Summary: She’s pregnant, her boyfriend is in prison, her family is on the outs, what’s she supposed to do?

Pairings: FP Jones x Andrews!Reader

Words: 2568

Warnings: Swearing, pregnancy (ADULT PREGNANCY. NONE OF YOU TEENAGE HOOLIGANS)

A/N: This took so much longer than I thought it would? It also ended up a lot longer than I thought. If anyone wants, I’ll do a part two with the kid and everything, but y’all gotta show interest (sorry, not sorry)

Disclaimer: I do not own Riverdale (CW) or any of its characters.

Part 1 => Part 2

xxx

“FP’s been arrested”

Archie told her over the phone that Jughead ran out of the school and that they were looking for him, but all Y/N could focus on were those three words.

Her dad took her mom and Hermione to the dance as well, leaving her home alone to deal with her emotions.

There was some screaming, then a lot of anger, a plot to break into the police station and break him out, then a whole bunch of crying.

xxx

She was crying again when there was a knock on the door a few days later. Knowing it wouldn’t be anyone from her family, seeing as they all had keys, she approached it cautiously. Opening it slowly she was graced with Tall Boy’s presence. She was familiar with him from her time spent at the Wyrm with FP.

“I had a much bigger group for Jones’ boy, but I figured your neighbors might not appreciate the gesture.” He took in her tear-stained face, “I’ll tell you the same thing I told the kid. Serpents look after their own. No matter what happens to him- however long he’s gone, we’ve got your back. He told me about the munchkin...”

She looked to be on the verge of tears again. Tall Boy sighed, not really prepared to deal with a pregnant woman’s emotions.

“Some of the younger Serpents miss you hanging around the bar, you should come by- maybe it could help.”

She gave him a genuine smile, seeing he was trying his best.

xxx

Her boyfriend was in prison.

She was pregnant.

Her dad had been shot.

And her brother was spiraling.

“Tell me again, how am I supposed to deal with any of this?” Y/N asked.

“I’d offer you a drink, but...” Toni nodded towards her stomach with a smile.

“Full of helpful advice aren’t you?”

“Always.” The girls chatted for a bit longer until Archie called telling her Fred had woken up.

xxx

Fred was awake and chatting with Archie when Y/N came in.

“Hey, there you are!” Archie hugged his sister with all his might. When she looked over at her dad she could see him looking at her with a strange look on her face.

“Hey, Arch, why don’t you go get something from the cafeteria so I can talk to your sister alone for a minute.”

Archie seemed just as confused as his sister, “um, okay dad. I’ll see you when I get back right?”

“Yeah, I’ll wait.”

Y/N sat next to his bed after Archie left and waited for her dad to speak.

“So you’re pregnant?”

She froze, feeling like her heart stopped along with the words.

“I found the test in the trash. If it’s Veronica’s-”

“No, it’s mine.” They both paused, “Yes, I am pregnant.”

Fred sighed and rubbed his face best he could.

“I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.”

“It’s...complicated, to say the least.”

“Complicated as in-”

“Complicated meaning that for the foreseeable future he’s not in the picture.” Tears springing to her eyes as she thought about her love, locked up.

“Oh, sweetie...”

“Don’t tell anyone, please?”

He sighed, “You know I'll always be here for you, right? What about your brother? Your mom?”

“I’ll tell Archie later, he’s not okay right now.”

“Are you okay right now?”

Y/N sighed, “No, but I will be. I have to be.”

xxx

“I’m telling you guys, something is off with my sister.”

“What do you mean off?” Betty asked.

“Like she’s disappearing for hours, her and my dad are having secret conversations- she’s hiding something.”

“You could follow her.”

“Archikins are you sure she’s not just dealing with everything that happened?” Veronica asked.

“No, we never have secrets...” He trailed off, realizing just how distant he’d grown with his sister.

She didn’t agree with his thoughts that the Black Hood was most likely from the southside. She certainly didn’t stand behind the Red Circle. She firmly stood with her beliefs that he was the little brother and it was up to her and her dad to protect him, not the other way around.

Maybe they never had secrets before, but they weren't sharing a lot these days.

xxx

Toni: Maybe skip the Wyrm tonight

Your brother is causing trouble

Not that we don’t love you

Just don’t want you getting shit because he’s a dumbass

Y/N wasn’t sure what Archie could’ve done, he wasn't here when she got home from the jubilee with her dad.

“Are you ever going to give me even the slightest hint of who got you pregnant?”

“Probably not.”

“Why the hell not!? Her dad yelled at her, making her eyes go wide. Fred doesn’t yell very often. “I’m not asking for much but give me something! I get it! You’re an adult! But I’m your dad, I wanna know who knocked you up before they split-”

“He didn’t leave me!” She yelled right back, tears falling down her face. “He’s a good man and I love him and I know you won’t approve so just leave it alone! Please!” She begged tearily.

“Y/N, I’ve given you space, I’ve let you keep this from your brother, I haven’t asked for much from you, but neither of us can keep living in denial. You’re pregnant and that’s not going away anytime soon. Your brother is going to find out- rather soon too- whether you tell him or not. And whoever got you pregnant isn’t around.” Fred heaved a deep sigh and rubbed his hand over his face, “You, Archie, and I...we’ve lost something. I want to say it started around the time I got shot, but if I’m being honest with myself I saw the distance starting a while ago. I think... it’s time we all stop living in this house of secrets and start opening up.”

The two sat in silence for a minute.

“I love him, Daddy...” Tears still rolling down her face, Y/N spoke softly.

“Is he from the southside? Is that why you think I won’t approve because, I don’t care where he lives, as long as you’re happy, Y/N-”

“It’s FP,” she blurted out, not wanting to hear him go on about how all he wanted was her happiness. Especially when she knew he wouldn’t give a passing thought to her happiness once he knew who her baby-daddy was.

The tense silence sat between the two.

“FP Jones. Jughead’s dad. Your brother’s best friend’s dad- My best friend!” The was no anger in his words. There was no emotion at all.

Fred stood up and walked upstairs without a word, leaving his tear-stained daughter to sit on the couch wondering how she became such a disappointment.

xxx

“If there wasn’t something before- well, there’s definitely something going on, now my dad and sister aren’t talking at all,” Archie spoke as he entered the student lounge.

“I mean, sometimes when I ignore daddy, it’s just to get a rise out him.” Veronica tried to comfort him.

“No, Y/N has never been like that. And it’s not even her- it’s like my dad can barely stand to look at her.”

“You think she did something?” Betty asked.

“I have no idea. You know my dad; I can’t think of anything she could do that could make him act like this.”

The group tried to gather their thoughts when Veronica spoke up, “Well, it looks like we’re getting the group together for some mystery solving again.”

xxx

Jughead and Betty sat in her room, watching the Andrews’ house, while Archie and Veronica were in the dining room, waiting for any movement from the older Andrews sibling.

“Archie!” Betty yelled from upstairs.

The couple ran to the window and peeked out from behind the curtains, they watched the girl get in her car and start off down the street. Betty and Jughead running downstairs to meet up with the other two, open laptop in hand.

“Okay, we were able to ping her phone so we should be able to follow her.”

“Let’s go!” Archie rushed out of the Cooper house first, everybody getting into the station wagon Betty was ‘borrowing’ from her mom.

The group found themselves driving past Riverdale, right through the Southside, and right into Greendale.

“Why would she need to come all the way to Greendale?” Jughead questioned.

“Maybe she just wanted to go to the mall,” Ronnie tried to reason. But that went out the window when she pulled into the Planned Parenthood parking lot, “Or not...”

“Planned Parenthood!? She’s pregnant?!”

“Archie there are plenty of reasons for people to come here. Birth control, STI testing, general healthcare- just because she’s here doesn’t necessarily mean she’s pregnant,” Betty spoke up.

xxx

The group sat in the car, waiting for what felt like forever before Y/N came out of the clinic.

“I’m gonna talk to her-” Archie started unbuckling.

“You will do no such thing!”

“Absolutely not!”

Betty and Veronica insisted.

“Why not?”

“What are you gonna say, Arch? ‘Hey, we were just out for a drive on a school day and ended up in this Planned Parenthood parking lot in Greendale when we saw you, my sister, coming out. Now, what exactly were you doing in there?’ Be real, Arch,” Jughead reasoned.

“Hey wait, look-” Veronica pointed to your car leaving the lot. “She’s not turning back to town.”

“Betty go, go now,” Archie spoke rushing his friend to hit the gas and follow his sister.

xxx

“Still think she’s going to the mall?” Archie asked lividly as they pulled up to prison.

When he saw you getting out of the car, without hesitation, he jumped out and rushed towards you. Ignoring the protests of his friends.

“Y/N!” He yelled, making you look back at him with wide eyes.

“Archie? What the hell?”

“Exactly, what the hell? What hell are you doing here?”

“Archie now isn’t-”

“I don’t care if now is good or not, what’s happening with you?! First, you start disappearing, then you and dad are hiding stuff from me and whispering all the time, and now he’s acting like he doesn’t have a daughter and you’re going to planned parenthood and Greendale Penitentiary! One of you better start explaining or I’m going to lose it!”

Anger took over her.

“First of all Archie, I’m a full grown adult, I can do whatever and go wherever I want. Secondly, dad and I don’t have to tell you anything. And don’t even act like you don’t keep stuff from both of us, you’ve turned into a completely different person- I barely recognize my own brother anymore. Lastly, who do you think you are? Following me around and demanding I tell you what’s going on?” In the heat of the moment, something in her snapped. 

Her father wasn’t talking to her, her mom only made comments on how hard it was going to be for a single mother, why not make my brother hate me too? She reasoned. 

“Fine. You wanna know what’s going on? I’m pregnant, a few months along. FP is the father and I love him. Yes, FP Jones; Dad’s best friend and your best friend’s dad. Dad won’t say a word to me after I told him, I don’t entirely blame him but-” She expected her dad to be angry, maybe yell at her, but she also expected that he’d still be there for her like he promised. “there. There’s your explanation, now I’m going to see the man I love because visiting hours are over soon and he deserves to know how my appointment went.” Y/N stormed into the building, wiping away the tears leaking from her eyes, unaware of the group of teens that accompanied her brother.

“Did she just say...” Jughead trailed off, not sure how to follow.

“Does that mean, you’re niece or nephew will also be Jughead’s half-sibling?” Veronica asked.

“I don’t think that’s important right now, right now I need to go talk to my dad,” Archie spoke, the shock wearing off, and her words finally settling in.

xxx

“Dad!” Archie yelled, walking into the house.

“In here,” Fred called from the dining room.

Archie walked in, to see his dad with papers surrounding him.

“What’s this?”

“Hospital bills, but uh, don’t worry about it. What’s up, what do you need?”

“For you to talk to Y/N again.”

His dad went rigid, “Archie, you don’t-”

“I do. Y/N told me everything.”

“Not every-”

“Everything,” Archie emphasized.

“You can’t really expect me to be okay with this?”

“Maybe not okay but- Dad, are you gonna hate your grandchild? Are you just accepting never talking or seeing them again? Because if you think she won’t move out, you’re wrong.”

Fred stayed quiet for a minute.

“I don’t know what to do here, Arch. I want her to be happy, she’s my daughter. But he’s my best friend. I’ve known the man for years and this just feels like a betrayal from both of them and I just-” Fred stopped. “I don’t know if I can ever see past that. I don’t think I could get used to seeing them together in that capacity.”

“Well, don’t worry,” a voice spoke from behind them, making them both look back. “I’ll be out by the end of the week, then you won’t have to see anything.”

Y/N calmly walked up the stairs, stopping to pull her luggage out of the hall closet.

xxx

Y/N gave herself to the end of the week, but with the help of Sweet Pea and Fangs, she got her stuff moved in 2 days later, as soon as she got approved for a trailer.

“You don’t have to do this, Y/N.”

“If he doesn’t want to be happy for me that’s one thing, but if he can’t accept my relationship with FP and the fact that I’m having his kid, well then I don’t really see the point in sticking around.”

“Can I come to see you?”

She hesitated, “Maybe now’s not the best time for you to be on the Southside, Arch.”

The ginger hung his head, knowing he brought it on himself.

“But...I’ll let you know, okay?” she told him, giving him the first real smile he’d seen on her since before their dad got shot.

xxx

“You’re getting out?!”

“Yeah, I’m not sure why but I’m also not going to question it,” FP told her over the phone.

She had been excited since she heard the robotic phone asking if she’d like to pay for a collect call from Greendale Penitentiary, FP never called.

“When are you getting out, I’ll come-”

“Don’t worry about a thing, sweetheart. Jughead said he was gonna come up with a ride so he could come to get me. But I’ll be at your trailer as soon as I get back to the southside, you can hold me to that.”

Y/N giggled. She couldn’t wait to see FP again, he’d already missed so much, she couldn’t wait for him to be there for the rest.

“Now that I got my news out of the way, what were you gonna tell me earlier?”

Y/N hesitated.

“You know what? It can wait until I see you tomorrow.”

“Yeah? Well, then I’ll see you tomorrow sweetheart.”

“Okay, I love you, FP.”

“I love you too, Y/N.”

The line clicked, signaling their time was up, but she couldn’t bring herself to be sad this time. He’d be back in her arms in a matter of hours, and this time she knows he’s not going anywhere.

“Well,” Y/N looked down and rubbed the small bump of her protruding stomach, “looks like daddy is coming home. I know he’s just gonna flip when he hears the news. But it’s okay, baby girl, he’s not going anywhere, soon we’ll all be together and I can’t wait.”

#riverdale #riverdale fandom #riverdale fanfiction #riverdale imagines #riverdale southside #southside serpents #southside serpents imagine #fp jones x reader #fp jones x oc #fp jones #jughead jones #archie andrews x reader #andrews!reader #archie andrews #fred andrews #tall boy #betty cooper #veronica lodge #core four #fp jones x you

[numba99]

Hate to Love You Part 5

Part 1 Part 2  Part 3  Part 4

Summary: You and Jimmy have never gotten along. To say you hated each other would be an understatement. But when a night at a party takes an unexpected turn, things between the two of you change forever. Word Count:1,817

Warnings: i’m talking about a family dynamic in this part and it will be part of the series from this point on. I just want to be clear that I am not saying I think this what Jimmy’s relationship with his dad is like. Like the rest of the story it is 100% fictional. Please don’t get big mad about it in my ask, it’s fake and just for the dynamic of the story tysm. Also v light smut

The rangers had been out another road trip, so it had been a few days before you were back at Brady’s place. With his girlfriend back in Minnesota, he was inviting you over more than usual, which you didn’t mind. Plus, on this particular night Brady told you Jimmy’s family was visiting so he would be out. You couldn’t pass up a Jimmy-free hang out with Brady.

You and Brady sat on the couch, flicking through movies on Netflix. Jimmy sat at the other side of the room, ignoring as the two of you bickered over what to order for dinner.

“We haven’t had Chinese in forever,” you groaned.

“Chinese food makes sluggish the next day, I gotta be sharp for the game,” he replied.

You rolled your eyes. That was always his excuse. “Right, because the giant lasagna you’re going to order isn’t going to make you sluggish,” you said.

“It’s not! It’s called carb loading, if you were an athlete you’d know,” Brady teased. 

“Oh shut up,” you laughed, tossing a pillow across the couch at him, “And I’ll have you know I do know. We used to have pasta parties before volley ball games in high school to carb load, thank you very much.”

“Alright, alright you got me,” Brady laughed, “We can do Chinese this time, but if I’m slow on the ice tomorrow, I’m blaming you.”

Your banter was interrupted by a knock the door. You both looked over at Jimmy, as he was the only one expecting visitors. He stood up, grumbling under his breath about being early.

“Dad you’re early,” Jimmy said as his dad stepped into the apartment. Wasn’t the greeting you would except after not seeing a parent for months. His dad looked in your direction, only offering a half wave to you and Brady, which you didn’t even bother returning. 

“Well I had to be Jimmy, we have a lot to talk about,” his father said sternly. 

“Dad I don-”

“What the hell were you doing out there on the ice last night?” his father cut him off, “I mean, jesus, Jimmy you play like you don’t care. Never going to get anywhere like that.” 

You shifted uncomfortably next to Brady. As much as you didn’t like Jimmy, it was hard to watch. You’ve never seen him look so defeated. He kept his eyes on the floor, just taking his father’s words.

“Where’s mom?” Jimmy asked, trying to change the subject.

“She’s waiting in the car downstairs. We should get moving come to think of it,” his dad replied. Jimmy seemed to let out a breath, like he was happy to get out of this situation. “But we aren’t done talking about this.” 

Jimmy’s face tightened again as he grabbed his jacket off the hook by the door. He didn’t bother saying a word as he slipped out the door, his dad following him. His father said bye to Brady, not even acknowledging your presence. What a charming man.

“What the hell was that about?” you asked once the door closed behind them.

“Oh Jimmy’s dad? He’s always been like that, super tough tough on him. I kinda just got used to it, but yeah he can be pretty intense,” Brady explained.

“Pretty intense? I’d say full out douche bag,” you replied. You supposed that was where Jimmy got his attitude from, but you shook your head. Something about his dad was far worse. And that was saying something. 

“Yeah he’s a hard ass. I think he’s been like that his entire life,” Brady told you. You felt a twinge of sadness for Jimmy. He was far from being your favorite person, but no one deserves that, especially not from a parent.

Your mind drifted away from Jimmy and his dad when your food arrived - it’s hard to think of anything when you have dumplings and fried rice in front of you. Even Brady admitted Chinese was a good choice and you smiled triumphantly, popping the last bite of a dumpling in your mouth.

After you had stuffed yourself with food, you both settled back on the couch, knowing you wouldn’t be able to move for awhile. You guys chatted for a while, realizing it was the first time you were alone in a long time. It was always nice to have some time just the two of you. You loved your other friends, like Gracia and Kevin, but there was something about being just with Brady. It was nostalgic, reminding you of when you used to hang out together growing up in Minnesota.

Eventually, as the two of you grew tired, you decided to watch one those crime documentaries you’d heard so much about. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as interesting as you had been led to believe. Between the slow build and the drone of the narration, you found yourself nodding off.

Sunlight hit your face, pulling you from a light sleep. You shot up, slightly disoriented. You hadn’t intended to spend the night at Brady’s, but well here you are. It wasn’t the first time you stayed over by any means, but it still confused you for a moment since you weren’t expecting it.

You noticed then Brady wasn’t next to you anymore. You wondered if he had went back to his bed to sleep. You checked your phone, knowing he would text you and sure enough there was a message from him.

Headed out to get bagels, I’ll be back soon!

The message was from just a few minutes ago. Damn, you thought, just missed him. You stood up from the couch, stretching yourself before padding into the kitchen. You searched the cabinets for a glass - a harder task in this apartment than it should be. You finally settled on a wine glass, filling it with water and chugging it to hydrate yourself after a long sleep.

“Sleeping beauty finally wakes,” a voice says from behind you. You jumped, nearly dropping the glass.

“God you’re like a cat,” you sighed, setting the glass down on the counter. Lord knows they couldn’t afford to lose one. 

“I can’t tell if that is a compliment,” Jimmy said, leaning against the counter across from. He wore an old Harvard tee, with gray sweats sitting low on his hips. His hair was a little messy, like he just woke up too. You hated to admit it, but it was a good look.

“Neither can I,” you said. Normally you’d straight up tell him it wasn’t, but you wanted to do some digging and guessed it would be better to play nice. “What was that with your dad?” you asked, trying to sound casual. 

Jimmy’s demeanor changed instantly. “Let’s not go there.”

“Sorry,” you replied, expecting that much, “But for what it’s worth he was being a total dick. Which for me to say about how someone was treating you is saying something.”

“Yeah, well, that’s my dad for you,” Jimmy sighed, “He’s an asshole.”

“All the time?” you asked.

“All the time,” he confirmed, “Hockey’s all he care about, I never hear the end of it. It’s fucking frustrating.”

You wanted to say something thoughtful, maybe even give advice. However, when you opened your mouth a different set of words came out. “Take it out on me.”

Jimmy’s head snapped up, studying your face to see if you were for real. “What do you mean?” he asked, stepping closer to you. Your heart raced, looking up as he towered over you.

“Your frustration, take it out on me,” you told him. You took a step closer to him, squaring yourself up to look him in the eye. You wanted to appear confident even if your knees were shaking a little. “Come on, what are you scared or something?” you challenged.

In a flash, Jimmy was on you.He lifted you up effortlessly, placing you on the counter. “You’re going to regret this,” he said, nipping at your neck. His teeth grazed across your skin, before his lips nursed the parts he bit.

“Try me,” you replied, pulling his face to yours. You kissed him hungrily, nails scratching at the back of his neck and shoulders as your tongue slipped between his lips.Jimmy bit down on your lower lip, pulling at it with his teeth, before returning to kissing you.

Jimmy yanked at your leggings and you lifted yourself up slightly to allowing them to slip down your legs.Jimmy stepped between your thighs, spreading your legs slightly. You felt your pussy throb in anticipation knowing he would be inside you in just minutes.

You weren’t proud to admit it, but since you had seen the size of him you couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d feel like. This eagerness led you to pulling at the waistband of his pants. Jimmy took the hint, sliding his pants and boxers down just enough to take his dick out.

He leaned into you, his lips finding yours again. All the while the tip of his cock was brushing against your core. It was driving you wild, you could feel yourself pooling on your inner thigh. His hand griped the base of his cock, about to press into you when you heard the front door open.

You both went into a scramble, nearly smacking your heads against each other as you tried to get your pants back on. You both turned in opposite directions, trying to look occupied with whatever was on the counter in front of you.

“Oh great you’re both up!” Brady chirped as he entered the kitchen. You only managed a nod, afraid talking would give away how on edge you were. You had been seconds away from being caught and it freaked you out. You had no idea how Brady would react, but you knew there would be know going back after that.

“Hard to sleep with this one snoring on the couch,” Jimmy commented, back to his teasing ways. It was nice, almost, it felt normal. You needed normal after that close call.

“I’m sorry, I should have been more thoughtful of your beauty sleep. God knows you need it,” you replied. Brady chuckled as he usually did, always finding humor in the banter. He handed out the bagels, which you ate relatively quickly. You didn’t to look like you were in a rush to leave, but you did want to head out of there.

You made up an excuse that you had a shit ton of errands to run, heading out the door without looking at Jimmy again. Maybe it was because you had basically been blue balled or that you were almost caught, but you just felt off. You had surprised yourself with how much you’d wanted him. Or maybe just his dick. Or maybe it was him. You didn’t know. You took the long the long way home, hoping for clarity that would never come.

#j vesey #jimmy vesey smut #jimmy vesey imagine #new york rangers imagine #new york rangers smut #nhl imagines #nhl fanfiction

[ravenclawshavemorefun]

Monstre Aux Yeux Verts 《a miraculous ladybug fanfiction》 chapter 5

Adrian can't stop thinking about the night before. Supper at Marinette's was the most fun he'd had in a very long time. Adrian was young when his mother disappeared but he still remembered how she made everything fun, even boring every day tasks. He remembered going to the park with her, movie nights, and even cleaning his bedroom, but he never remembered having a meal as a family like they did at Marinette's. They joked and laughed with eachother during and after the meal while they all cleaned up together. Adrian had been more than happy to help out, they treated him like part of the family. Although Luka was there also, he felt closer to Marinette than he had ever felt before.

"What are you thinking about?" Plagg asks packing away some camembert in Adrian's backpack for the school day, "you're smiling and laughing at nothing like a crazy person over there."

"Last night." Adrian laughs.

"What was so great about it? They didn't even have a cheese platter."

"All you think about is your own stomach, Plagg. When i have my own family, we'll have all our meals like that."

"Cheese-less?!" Plagg gasps.

"No!" Adrian laughs, "together and fun."

"Whatever you say, kid."

There's a knock at the door and Natalie opens the door a crack, "Adrian, your breakfast is getting cold and you have 10 minutes before you need to leave for school."

"Thank you, Natalie, but I'm not very hungry." Adrian says packing up the rest of his things and heading to the door.

"Is everything alright?" She asks in her usual way: deadpan, like it didn't matter to her either way, but Adrian knew her better.

"Don't worry," he smiles at her, "everything's great, i just had a large supper last night."

She nods, "i hope it was a pleasant evening." They start walking to the front door where his bodyguard is waiting to take him to school.

"It was so fun!" Adrian gushes, "Mr. Dupain is so funny! He played a prank on us with wasabi flavored macaroons and had us laughing all night! Mrs. Dupain-Chang is so nice and Marinette-" he blushes, "she's just really great. Do you think father will allow me to go out like that more often?"

"I'm not sure, Adrian, that is a question for him."

They reach the front door. "Right." He says deciding to not get his hopes up.

"Have a productive day at school." Natalie says as he and his bodyguard walk out, he waves goodbye.

"Marinette!" Her mother calls up the stairs, "if you don't hurry you're going to be late!"

"Coming, mom!" She calls back, throwing her stuff in her bag.

"Last night seemed like a success." Tikki states optimistically, "Adrian looked very happy."

"I hope so, Tikki. I had no idea he was dealing with so much at home."

"It really makes you appreciate what you have, doesn't it?" Tikki asks getting into her hiding spot.

"It sure does. I hope the advice i gave him works and things get better for him." Marinette says nervously.

"Don't worry so much, Marinette, it was great advice."

She runs downstairs and grabs an apple to eat on the way to school.

"Marinette, tell your friends i can make more wasabi macaroons if they'd like!" Her father laughs.

"Oh, dad, you're not that funny!" Marinette says despite laughing as well.

Alya was standing with Nino and Adrian on the steps of the school waiting for her. "Hey, girl, we were about to give up on you being on time today!" Alya says smiling.

"Sorry, guys!" She says hurrying up the steps. In her hurry she misses a step and flys forward. Adrian catches her in a hug. "Ugh! Sorry!" She blushes, "honestly, it's beyond surprising I've never broken a bone considering how 'graceful' i am."

Adrian pulls her into a standing position chuckling, "you okay?" He pulls away a little but keeps a hand on the small of her back.

Marinette puts a hand on his arm and moves away to a more appropriate distance for 'just friends'. "Yeah, thank you." She self consciously looks away at Nino and Alya who both have a strange look on their face that she can't read. "Are we ready to go in?" She asks. They all walk towards the door, Adrian holds it open for her. "He seems happier, at least" she thought to herself.

Waiting for class to start, Alya nudges Marinette, "what happened after Nino and i left yesterday?" She whispers.

"Well, Adrian and Luka stayed for supper..." Marinette whispers back.

"And?"

Marinette's confused, "and that's it. Why?"

"Adrian's acting a little different today is all, i was just curious." Alya smiles like she knows something Marinette doesn't.

"How's it going, dude?" Nino asks Adrian then adds in a whisper, "what was the deal with you and Marinette earlier?"

"What do you mean?" Adrian asks feeling a little warm.

"Did you tell her?" Nino asks.

Adrian shushes him even though he was already whispering, "no, she doesn't know, but... I'm going to tell her." He decides impulsively.

"Everything?" Nino asks eyes wide.

"Probably not the stalking and spying stuff but yeah, I'm gonna tell her i love her."

"Woah, dude! Too soon!" Nino hisses, "you can't just tell a girl you love her out of nowhere!"

"You can't? Why not?"

"Well... 'cause you can't. You gotta start slow. Like asking her out first. Is her date with Luka still on?"

Adrian gets that burning sensation in his stomach, "how am i supposed to know?"

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Adrian? Nino?" Startled, they shake their heads. "May we start class then?" The teacher asks amidst giggles from the rest of the class. Adrian looks down at his books a little embarrassed. And class begins.

"Adrian seemed to have a good evening at the Dupain-Chang's." Natalie states to Mr. Agrest.

"I'm aware, but it's only a matter of time before his heart brakes." Mr. Agrest says certainly.

"Are you sure Miss. Dupain-Chang wouldn't want to be in a relationship with Adrian? We won't wait that long to akumatize him will we?"

"Of course not, Natalie, i have back up plans to be sure he will be akumatized before the week is out. Then i will have the miraculous and our family will be one again." Mr. Agrest gazes at a photo of his wife and Natalie nods feeling conflicted.

School passes quickly, at lunch Alya, Nino, Marinette, and Adrian are all sitting together talking and eating when Alya says, "it's been a really long time since anyone has been akumatized, hasn't it? I hope that doesn't mean something big is coming."

Marinette and Adrian realise she's right and their eyes widen. Nino says, "yeah, it's been almost a week. Maybe Hawkmoth gave up." He adds hopefully.

The room quiets a little then hushed whispers give the illusion the room was full of snakes. The four of them look around to see what's going on. "What's Luka doing here?" Alya asks.

Adrian looks at Marinette and watches her cheeks get pink, "i don't know, maybe he has to drop something off with Juleka."

"Most guys don't bring their sister flowers at school." Nino scoffs. Adrian quickly looks at Luka, sure enough he was carrying a medium sized bakery box and just a single pink flower.

"Hey, guys, i have a long lunch break so i thought I'd stop by and eat with you." He sat next to Marinette and held out the pink flower to her, "this is for you, Mari, i saw it and thought of you." She took the flower and thanked him, blushing furiously.

"What's in the box?" Alya asks.

"Oh, i stopped by the bakery, your parents said these are your favorite dessert, and i made your dad swear they aren't wasabi flavored." Luka laughs. They all laugh with him and grab a macaroon from the box. They were red strawberry with chocolate filling and dark chocolate with mint filling the colors of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Adrian gets an idea, as Chat Noir he's much more confident, he could tell Marinette tonight as Chat Noir. Feeling more confident, Adrian takes a bite of his dark chocolate and mint macaroon. He'll just have to bide his time until then.

Marinette felt very self conscious with the whole room looking at her and Luka sitting together. Luka seems to read her mind, "i hope it was okay that i came here," he takes her hand and whispers in her ear, "i didn't realize it would cause such a scene."

Marinette gives his hand a squeeze and whispers back, "I'm glad you came."

Once everyone got used to Luka being there everything went back to normal and the rest of the school day was mostly uneventful.

That evening after the meeting with Jagged Stone Marinette and Tikki decided Ladybug should go around the city and check things out. "It's strange that Hawkmoth hasn't made any moves lately." Tikki says suspiciously.

"I agree. He wouldn't just give up, he must have something big planned." Marinette says setting her stuff aside on her desk. "Let's make our rounds, Tikki, spots on!"

Nothing seemed out of ordinary around Paris, after a couple hours flying around the city, Ladybug decided it was time to go home. She lands on her rooftop terrace and feels a presence there with her. "Who's there?" She calls swinging her yoyo.

"Woah, milady, it's just me." Chat Noir steps out of the shadows.

"What are you doing here?" They both ask at the same time.

Chat Noir laughs, "i just wanted to talk to Marinette."

"'Talk to Marinette'?" Ladybug repeats, "why?"

Chat looks uncomfortable, "well... i just... why are you here?" He changes the subject.

"I am... checking things... around the city." She says carefully, "don't you think it's strange that Hawkmoth hasn't made a move lately?"

"The thought has crossed my mind. Did you find anything?"

"No." She says half relieved but still a little apprehensive.

"Well, i guess all we can do is wait." Chat says sitting in one of the lawn chairs.

"What are you doing, Chat?" Ladybug asks crossing her arms.

"What? Nothing. Waiting." Chat says nervously.

"Here? You're up to something, i can feel it." Ladybug tapps her foot waiting.

Chat gives her a long look. "Okay, look. I've been waiting so long for you to love me like i love you, and I've realized that it's just not going to happen."

Ladybug sits in the other lawn chair. "I'm sorry, Chat-" she begins but is interrupted.

"No, let me finish. You are a great friend and partner, so I'll always care about you, but I've decided i need to move on."

Ladybug is surprised to feel a little stung, "but what does Marinette have to do with it?"

"I have feelings for her." Chat says quietly looking away.

Ladybug mentally facepalms. Of course that stupid cat would "move on" to the same dang person except without the mask. "You know you can't reveal your true identity to her, right?"

"Yeah." He sighs.

"What kind of relationship would that be if she can't truly know you?" Ladybug cuts herself with her own double edged sword. How could she be in a relationship with Luka if he couldn't truly know her?

Chat Noir interrupts her thoughts, "so what? We can't be in relationships ever? That doesn't seem fair! Everyone has secrets! Everyone!" He has a point, she thought to herself. "I don't care if you think I'm selfish, i have to tell her. Tonight." He adds stubbornly.

"What about Luka?" She asks before she could stop herself.

Chat looks at her suspiciously, "what about him?"

"Well uhhh... she uh... told me about this boy Luka- i think that's his name. She said he asked her on a date for friday and she agreed." Ladybug hopes that sounded convincing.

"Maybe i will sweep her off her feet and she'll forget all about that guy." Chat grumbles.

Ladybug giggles, "oh, Chat, i love you, but you have the worst timing."

"I have the worst timing? I tell you I've moved on and THEN you tell me you love me? It's like I'm cursed!"

"You're not cursed. Maybe you should find someone in your normal day-to-day life."

"She is from that part of my life, but i can't talk to her- what are you doing?"

Ladybug had clapped her hands over her ears and started humming, "i can't know anything about your identity, Chat!"

"I didn't say anything... unless you know Marinette out of the mask too! Do we know eachother?!"

Ladybug jumped up out of the chair, "let's just stop there! We can't know anything!" She meant what she said but she couldn't stop herself from wondering.

"Maybe we can talk to Master Fu, it would just be easier if we knew everything about eachother."

"Yeah! Easier for Hawkmoth! All it would take is one little slip. It's not just about us, its about our loved ones too. You have to think about someone other than yourself, Chat!" She says out of frustration.

Chat looks hurt, "you think i don't?"

"I didn't mean-"

"I know what you meant, Ladybug. But maybe if you knew who i really was you'd understand that this mask helps me be the real me. The people i care about are the same in both lives, so is it really safer to not know eachothers identities or are you just afraid to let someone know the real you?" Ladybug is stunned into silence and Chat scoffs, "go ahead and run away. I'll wait here for Marinette."

Ladybug isn't sure what to say and stands there awkwardly for a few moments before taking off around the corner and de-transforms. "This is going to get really awkward, Tikki."

"Speak from the heart, Marinette, he'll understand." Marinette takes a deep breath and walks down the street to the door beside the bakery that lead straight to the rooms upstairs.

Chat spots Marinette walking down the street alone and watches her step towards the side door just below. He takes a deep breath and tries to figure out how to say what he needs to say. He hears Marinette shut her bedroom door and he waits. Should he knock? Should he wait to see if she comes out to the terrace? He quickly grabs the bouquet of flowers he had left in the shadows when Ladybug surprised him. He was about to knock on the trap door when it busts open and hits him in the face. He groans and covers his bleeding nose. He can't even see Marinette with his eyes streaming but he could hear her.

"Oh my god! Chat Noir! I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were there! Oh my god! Your bleeding! Don't move! I'll be right back!" Chat sits there trying to clear his vision and stop the bleeding. Marinette returns less than a minute later with a first aid kit and tends to his sore nose. "I don't think it's broken at least. I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine, princess, I'm fine." Chat held the tissues Marinette gave him to his nose.

"What are you doing lurking around by my door?"

"Great! Starting off on a bad foot." Chat thought to himself. "I wasn't lurking! I was about to knock like a gentleman when you threw it open like the room was on fire. Is your room on fire?" He asks mockingly.

"No!" She says shortly. "I just... it doesn't matter, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He cuckles and hands her the bouquet, "these are for you."

"Oh. Thank you. What are they for?" She asks surpised.

Chat laughs, "well not for breaking my nose, that's for sure."

She slaps his arm playfully, "oh its not broken! Don't be a baby."

Chat stands and offers her his hand and pulls her up. They walk to the chairs and sit. "There's something I want to talk to you about." Marinette's face gets very serious. "I came to tell you that..." Chat pauses looking for the right words, "I... I... really like you, Marinette. I think you're really awesome and beautiful and..." Marinette blushes.

"That's really sweet of you Chat but we don't really know eachother."

"But we do-"

"You can't tell me your identity!" Marinette interrupts him. She sighs and keeps her eyes closed, Chat takes the opportunity to study her face without judgment, "i wish things were different, but they aren't. If i were akumatized i would get you hurt, or worse and i never want to hurt you, Chat."

Moved, Chat caresses her cheek and she opens her eyes, "i understand, princess, but i felt like if i didn't tell you i would burst. When Ladybug and i defeat Hawkmoth maybe things will be different for us."

She delicately lays a hand over his, "i hope we'll be able to get to know eachother, but until then i hope you find someone that makes you happy, even if you can't tell them you're a superhero."

Chat fights an overwhelming urge to de-transform and show her who he really was, but decides he has to confess his love for her as Adrian. "Maybe i will."

"How did you think that was going to end?" Plagg asks bluntly.

Adrian bellyflops onto his bed "I don't know." He sighs, "but now that I've said it as Chat Noir i know what to say. Tomorrow's the day. Ive got to tell her before it's too late."

[dylanobrienisbatman]

Rewatch: Episode 1x08, Day Trip

Some of our best commentary from our rewatch 

Why does Clarke mention never having ‘floated in the water’ in her little monologue? it seems weird. Like not, felt the breeze in her hair, or seen plants, or felt the grass on her feet? Bri got us thinking about this. 

Bellarke was a perfect ship and then Clarke went bonkers and ruined it all. 

We got strangely into the minutia this week. 

Bellamy sitting there staring at Lincoln, the GUILT in his face. god, we love our sad son. 

Why does Miller get that job, telling parents their kids died?

Bri just reminded us to mention how pretty s1 Bellamy is. Very important

Miller getting head butted is so fucking funny. 

Where did they get a camera, for that video chat?? 

Bri said probably the art supply store lol

Always all up in the Jonty feels during s1. 

We’re all so pumped for High Jonty

Shumway is the fucking worst. 

Octavia is such a petulant child, we love it. S1 Octavia gets to be a part of Pettykru. 

Her little “why do you even care, if i ruined your life”... man, siblings. 

Bellamy is such a grumpy boy. He needs to find a book and chill out. 

Elyse said he’s grumpy because there are no books. 

We love our Grumpy Boy™

Bellamy Blake, at it again with the iconic lines

Seeing Monty just makes us sad

EW RAVEN FINN SEX IS THIS EPISODE. 

Raven bby leave him you deserve so much better. 

Finn needs to stop being stressed about Clarke when his peRFECT GIRLFRIEND RAVEN REYES IS RIGHT THERE. 

Octavia asks Lincoln “its good right” when she giving him a drink. Babe.. Honey.. its WATER. he has definitely had it before. 

Elyse reminded us that she was never properly socialised. We will give her a pass. 

The line about Bellamy being a dick always makes me laugh, its so true. I love my dickhead son. 

A Necessary™ shot of Ricky Whittles Abs. 

Octavia taking responsibility for something? are we hallucinating? did WE ingest jobi nuts? 

Octavia being Petty again, but Raven is such an adult. 

Why are Raven and O always best friends in fics? like obviously no shade on any fic writer your stuff is always amazing everyone, but the show never really digs into that friendship, far as we can remember. They actually kind of actively dislike each other for a while.

I said i wanted to Vom about finn, and Elyse told me to drown him with it. So thats gross.

RAVEN GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU DESERVE BETTER. 

Clarke talking about the dirty bunker, such a princess

Bellamy is so grumpy about the blankets? like dude. Chill. 

He DOES chill, almost immediately, upon finding guns. the nerd. He’s like a kid on christmas. that smile is blinding. 

High Jonty is the best Jonty tbh. 

Monty is such a calm stoner. Just wants to hug the Earth. 

The camera angles used in this to show us that they’re all high is so cool. 

this is such an awesome episode all around. 

THE ANTI GROUNDER STICK. 

Octavia definitely only knows slang because her entire socialisation is a bunch of teenage criminals. 

Miller definitely doesn’t have siblings because if he did he would have never ever trusted those nuts Octavia gave him. His lack of suspicion is entirely because he doesn’t have a sister. 

INTENSE keysmashing over the bellarke gun shoulder touch. THROWN BY THE INTIMACY OR SOMETHING RIGHT?!?! 

They banter like an old married couple “we NEED to do this” “No we NEED to do that” lol. 

WHy couldn’t bellamy have a nice happy trip like Monty. poor sad boy. 

The difference in everyone’s trip was really awesome as a narrative choice

How is Clarke not MORE messed up after a year in solitary. 

okay we all love the ‘i can’t change the tide’ line, but i never noticed that when he comes into Finn and Raven’s tent, he starts with “Is the moon in here?” lmfao monty is an angel 

Raven making finn come out because everyone is so high is so funny. 

Clarke is so YOUNG. Like sometimes we all forget how young she was in the first season. Shes literally 17, season 1 doesn’t even go a whole month and in episode 1 she says she doesn’t turn 18 for another month. 

She just misses her dad, its so sad. 

They’re all just kids! Even Bellamy is only like 22/23 which is just about our age. 

Clarke being such a Teenger™ to her halucinated!Dad is so funny 

Okay but actually how old is Lincoln supposed to be? 

I have made Bri reevaluate the entirety of Linctavia. 

“The most beautiful broom, in a broom closet, of brooms” and then the kid just sort of hums at her. What a great Raven line. @the-most-beautiful-broom we miss you <3 

On first watch we were definitely all nervous that Lincoln wouldn’t get away. This is one of Finn’s few good moments. 

Elyse pointed out that Finn is like two separate characters, and Bails (no surprise) mentioned how they talk about that a lot in the @metastation podcast, about how they just sort of attribute random traits to Finn to fit his plot line. Go listen to the podcast, especially for s1. 

Jaha’s line “You want the peace of death” is so intense and well delivered. 

Bell saves Clarke, Clarke saves Bell, they save each other, they forgive each other, god s1 Bellarke is so alsdhfinsakldmjsdkjfh

Bullet to the neck Bell? *Jake Peralta Voice* Smort

Augh the forgiveness scene

Forgiveness... can you imagine. Hamilton references are always necesary. 

Bellamy is SO SAD AUGH. 

He just wants to be the man his mom raised him to be (our thoughts on aurora blake are... not so positive but its still super sad.) 

We all just wanted to cry because Bell is so so sad. 

Can they please ACTUALLY parallel the forgiveness moment in s6, and not this half assed shit they did at the end of s5? because thats not forgiveness. 

God these babies need a nap. 

Monty the Pine Cone Eater

“They’ll kill us” “Or Worse!” Okay, random kid... whats Worse? exactly? 

That synchronised Power Couple Strut™ and dropping of the guns, the epic power couple speech. Iconic.

Bellamy definitely made them practice this before they went in. “No clarke, you gotta say it like this”. He’s a Drama Hoe. We love our Drama Hoe. 

For real though, even with all the problems they have later, the way they actually write the Blake Siblings is so good. They feel like real siblings. There are a lot of shows that write siblings that you can just tell the writer doesn’t have siblings and didn’t ask anyone’s advice. But the Blakes have that dynamic of like “I’ll definitely kill you, but if anyone else says a bad word about you, I’ll kill THEM.” They have this petulant back and forth, but its always sort of underlined with this deep love. The writers know how to write a sibling relationship. Even when it becomes abusive and terrible later, that sort of weird dynamic is still there. Problematic, but the dynamic is well done. 

Finn is so high up on his own pedastal. Bellamy tortured Lincoln to SAVE YOU. How are you gonna shit all over him for it. How are you gonna question him like that. 

Clarke saying she trusts Bellamy is so lakdhjflsjhafkd;sa

Finn is such a fucking tool. 

The whole scene where Bellamy and Clarke talk to Jaha is so amazing

The scene where Diana kills shumway is intense. 

Kills: Bellamy: 1 Diana Sydnee: 1  Attempts:  Dax: 1 

“How many times did we talk about hating Finn” Tally: 6

Countdown till Raven meets Zeke: 6 years 6 months and 15 days, 56 episodes.

Times Bailey mentions the @metastation podcast (because she has a problem):  2

Times Octavia takes actual responsibility: 1 

How many times we called Octavia Sneaky: 5

Times Clarke’s Canon love interest is jealous of her relationship with Bellamy: 1

Countdown to Finn’s Death: 26 days, 13 Episodes  

 @granger--danger @raven-reyes-of-sunshine

#the 100 #the 100 1x08 #pettykru rewatch #pettykru rewatch 1x08 #Day Trip #Bellarke

[multiverseofmiracleshq]

For the third year in a row, the Stark Memorial Gala was held in New York to honor those lost to the Cleanse. Like always, proceeds went to the Mutant Outreach Trust, Stark Memorial Fund and the Natasha Romanoff Foundation for Girls. Those invited to this exclusive event are guaranteed to have something to talk about the next day.

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL INCOMPLETE CHAT LOG COVERAGE OF THE IC

TONY: Here’s something no one ever really expected— Tony Stark being present at the Stark Memorial Gala. It was easy for him to have a short laugh at the irony of the whole situation, especially since he’s had time to adjust to being back. Stepping back into the spotlight was like walking through a memory, though. He was still himself. He was still Tony Stark, Iron Man, blah blah blah. But he was different, and there wasn’t really a way around that. There was a lot on his mind as he waited for the perfect moment to officially kick everything off, holding a mic and tapping a repetitive rhythm on its handle with a few fingers. Eventually he turned it on, straightened his bowtie, and walked out with a smile. “Hello everyone! Welcome, welcome! I gotta say, it’s nice to see all of you again. I’m sure it’s just as nice to see me back up here. All of you really missed me throwing words in your face for a few minutes before every party. But shh, shh I’m not pausing for laughter. To get back on track, it’s amazing to see so many people here tonight. We have a few charities that are close to our hearts receiving support tonight: the Stark Memorial Fund, The Natasha Romanoff Foundations for Girls, and the Mutant Outreach Trust. It’s gonna be an even split between the three, so keep the donations comin’ throughout the night. It’s all about helping those who need it. That’s what heroes do, right?” Tony took a small pause, then continued. “Alright, you know the drill. Like always, my advice is to have fun, give generously, and try not to be too stupid. Let’s all have a great time and do some good while we’re at it! Happy Holidays and let’s make this New Year start off on the right foot!” Then he switched his mic off, gave the crowd a peace sign, and walked away to join the festivities.

ALEX: Champagne flute already in hand, Alex adjusted his bow tie with his free hand, listening patiently as Stark made his speech. Despite the occasion, nothing good ever came out of these events for Alex - and going into the evening with a preemptively negative attitude didn’t bode well for the younger Summers. But he’d make the best of it - whatever that meant - and if he needed a little alcohol in his system to make things easier, well then, so be it.

QUILL: Peter kept tugging at his collar, two fingers pulling at the starchy material and loosening the too tight black tie around his neck. Man, but he was already sweating through his shirt, he could feel it sticking to his back. "We promised no dancing right?" he said under his breath to Gamora, who was standing just a little off to his side. He'd had to let go of her to start rolling up his sleeves when the ballroom didn't offer any air circulation. "The only moves I know are the electric slide." he tried for a smile and hoped he wasn't doing too much. Since getting her memories back, they hadn't been to something like this-- and even for him, it was suffocating.

PETER: Tonight Peter was wearing what was possibly the nicest outfit he’s ever worn. Tony had offered to get him something new like he did every year, and for once Peter agreed. It was mostly because he wanted an excuse to spend time with him now that he was back, since there was still a weird feeling in his gut when he accepted things from him without any rhyme or reason. But Tony enjoyed it. So Peter let him. It was a maroon suit, something Peter would never have thought about wearing, but he had to admit it was nice. And he looked good. As Tony was making his speech, Peter was already chowing down on some of the fancy bread that was sitting out on the ends of the tables. He smiled through a mouthful of it and clapped as best he could with some still clutched in his hands. “Oh crap—” His words were muffled through the food in his mouth as he glanced down to his suit, realizing he was getting crumbs all over it. “You can’t wash suits, right? I gotta be careful.”

JULIAN: "Look its not my fault we're late -- you're the one who decided to babysit the dog and I wasn't going to walk in here covered in dog hair." Julian grumbled as he plucked two flutes from a passing waiter and offered Kate one. "Besides, if you hadn't gone for round three we'd have been here an hour ago." He took a sip from his glass and chanced a glance around the already crowded room. "I have a feeling body shots are out this year. Damn."

CABLE: "I can think of a hundred things more terrible than a Stark party. One, being stuck in my dad's moon house having to listen to my baby brother wail all night. Two, stuck listening to my dad give me another round of strategy lessons. Three..." his voice was quickly drowned out by the din of the ballroom and Nate cast a glance around, recognizing some but not enough. "Oh I miss Krakoa parties." he said a little to himself, a little to Lana.

BUCKY: The most embarrassing thing on Bucky’s mind tonight was the amount of time he spent trying to make his hair look okay. Back when it still had length to it he had eventually mastered pulling it back and being done with it. Now it was short again and he was learning a whole new style. But there was one thing he was learning— and it was that people seemed to like it when he thought it was too messy. So that’s what he tried to go with tonight, even if he felt that it was a bit too casual to be paired with a suit. “Am I the only one who never knows what to do at these things?” He glanced to Wanda with a soft smile, lightly tapping a metal finger against his glass of champagne.

NATASHA: It was strange to hear her own name, especially in conjunction with a charity gala of all things. Natasha had been a lot of things over the course of her life and good person didn’t always rank. There it was though, one of her aliases next to a real, tangible thing that helped people. And not only people. Girls who were lost or had been taken advantage of. There had been no one there to save her. Natasha had to save herself even if it took decades. Even though ‘Natasha Romanoff’ wasn’t her birth name there was still a brief appearance of tears that she quickly blinked away. Due to the tight security at the gala there was an ease that had settled over her. Most there knew she and Steve had gotten married even if they had put a raincheck on the big ceremony thing. After everything that happened she had just wanted to get it done and enjoy their second chance. Bells and whistles would one day follow. Her hand was connected to Steve’s but Natasha was making her way towards Tony, knowing her husband could detach if he wanted to. “Feels strange to have people giving money in my name, but I’ll always support a good cause.” She tilted her head towards him before a smile flickered over her lips at the sight of Tony. “How long did you practice that in the mirror this morning?”

CRYSTALIA: As much as she didn’t want to be the pregnant person who couldn’t stop complaining about being a pregnant person, Crystal was teetering on the brink of being just that. She was two months pregnant, and yet, about to burst. That was due to her boyfriend’s mutant genealogy, a quirk the Inhuman doctors had yet to crack. The baby - their daughter -was by all accounts full term and ready to come any day. They had attempted to give her a due date but the entire pregnancy had turned into a game of we’ll see how it goes and Crystalia had no choice but to wait to see when a human exploded out of her. Hair pinned into a crown and adorned with flowers, one hand was on her tulle covered stomach and the other clutching a flute of water. “Is your sister coming?” She turned to Pietro, the light yellow layers of her dress swishing slightly.

SAM ALEXANDER: Sam had only ever owned one suit. A dark blue tuxedo he’d reluctantly worn to junior prom and then never again. But this seemed like a good enough time to break it out, right? His mom seemed alright with it, and Kamala hadn’t immediately laughed at his appearance upon their meeting earlier in the evening, but now, after stepping into the gala and seeing everyone else looking - ridiculously expensive - Sam was not so sure. “Alright, well— uh- we can’t drink. Do we mingle? How does one mingle...”

TONY: Tony gave Nat a smirk and shoved his hands into his pockets as he replied to her. Then he gave Steve a nod hello and offered up a nonchalant shrug. “Just once. I’m nothing if not a professional. Normally I would just wing it but with us having the added flare of being back from the dead, I figured I should put in a little effort this time. I will admit uh.. it’s nice to be back. Feels almost normal, you know?”

STEVE: Steve was use to events, though it felt like it’d been  a while since he’d bothered to attend. he followed natasha through the crowd of familiar faces, dressed in a traditional suit and tie—which somehow seemed underdressed compared to the attire that seemed to be going on tonight. as she spoke, steve chuckled “Get used to it.” She was bound to attract the appeal of the sympathy donation for all that she’d done, it was a good tactic and she deserved the recognition. plus it went toward a good cause. “Normal?” steve sighed, though it was more content than anything else. “I’ll drink to that.” he smiled. “Maybe we can get it to last longer than a week?”

NATASHA: Steve and Tony, talking with ease and getting along. Natasha and Tony, not dead but breathing in the same public space. “Thank god you boys clean up so nicely.” She knew that she did as well, dress plunging and also revealing a sliver of leg. “And what, exactly, is normal to the three of us? Robots or mad titans?” Maybe the government collapsing. It was day dependent.

SAM WILSON: It wasn’t every day that he got to roll up to nice events a beautiful woman on his arm. Most of his time at the Avenger’s party had consisted of Sam, a beer and either Steve, Rhodes or Barnes. Now, Rogers was with his wife and Sam hadn’t seen Rhodey in a minute. Even though they were likely around, he only had eyes on the blonde on his arm. “--Y’know, you gotta be careful, Cap,” he was saying as they made their way across the room. “People are gonna think you like me and I don’t want to ruin your street cred.” That was both a joke a little bit true. “Now, for the important question of the night: bourbon, whiskey or rum?”

BETSY: They never got any time to breathe anymore. The chance to take off the armor and put down the ( telepathic ) sword came as a welcome relief to the constantly tired defender of Britain and Otherworld. A pretentious title, and one that she was desperate to slide away from for just a moment. The old Betsy - the model with the blonde hair who was blissfully unaware - reemerged momentarily when she put the dress on her credit card, deep purple adorned with an amethyst and gold arch at the top of the slit. It was pricey but she liked how she looked and her chest was secure in the sharp scoop of the neckline so she wasn’t complaining. Brian couldn’t be convinced to come even though Meggan had also suggested it, meaning that Betsy was making her way around the perimeter of the room alone with her drink. “Alex,” her tone was light as she came to a stop, accent lilting. “Did you come alone?”

GAMORA: Despite the fact that she had been back for the better part of a year, Gamora had made a grand total of zero public appearances. She wasn’t hiding, per se. She’d stay on the Milano or go into the New Avengers Facilities. There just wasn’t any parties or outings. They weren’t her scene and she had slowly been knitting together what it meant to be herself now. There was virtually no back to the tight black dress, the tiny flimsy straps crisscrossing over  green skin. “I thought you liked dancing.” Dark eyes flickered towards him before Gamora finished her visual sweep of the room. Once she was satisfied she was able to turn and face fully with a small smile. “Or do you only prefer when it’s horrible and in your room?”

TONY: “I am so glad you said something. Now I don’t have to awkwardly hit on your husband in front of you.” Tony was in a surprisingly good mood tonight, and he was doing his best to not sabotage himself by thinking about how strange it was to be even slightly happy during the holidays. “Robots are so last year. But I’m not going to tempt you into using your imagination because I happen to be very superstitious and like Steve said— we’ll be lucky if this calm lasts the week.”

YELENA: Like gum that you couldn’t get off your shoe, Yelena continued to appear at events where she was assumed she wasn’t wanted. It wasn’t true, but she hadn’t quite been able to wrap her around that yet. Still, there was a part of her that desired acceptance and approval. Maybe it was the years of being conditioned to achieve and attain. All Yelena knew was that she had taken time on her hair and makeup. The dress - while white - managed not to look like a wedding dress due to the missing fabric under her non-existent chest. She had been ready before James had picked her up and now she stood by her side. Natasha was there, but like all the other times Yelena just turned in the opposite direction. “It’s too pretty here.” The corners of her lips tugged downwards. “Someone’s got to get in a fight.”

JESSICA: Despite the fact that she once had a live in manny, it had been hard to secure a babysitter. Maybe that was on Jess. No, scratch that. It was definitely on Jess. She could have asked Roger but she felt bad when she was planning on attending a party with someone else. He had moved out anyway and back with Kallie for the foreseeable future. It was for the best. That was what she kept telling herself, at least, as she flicked a dark wave away from her shoulder and the strap of her red dress. “Aw, look. Carol’s with Sam. Maybe that means I can talk about it now.” She could keep a secret but Jessica hated them. She was too impulsive to remember to hold things in. “We need drinks, Barton. First and foremost.”

LORNA: Who didn’t want to attend the biggest party of the year with their dad? Lorna had become a diligent daughter. She divided her time between the Boneyard and the Monarchy of M where Dawn was living. Erik made a fuss about bringing honor to the Monarchy of M but Lorna admittedly liked having a purpose. She existed best when she had a reason to. Without one she began to lose direction and that had never led to anywhere good. “I’m surprised you didn’t give a speech. You love to hear yourself talk.” Lorna’s voice was wry. Her neck was hurting from the massive pile of green curls that was piled on her head and her dress was tight. Ever since she had Dawn she noticed things like that more, but Remy was coming later and she had to look good in case he ever decided to get on one knee.

KAMALA: The whole thing had been nothing short of a CIA sting. Her parents -- for very good reason -- knew nothing about Kamala’s second life. She couldn’t exactly say Nova was taking her to Iron Man’s holiday party, so instead she dealt with the pang of guilt and lied that she was going to Bruno’s to study. Nadia had been thrilled to help her get ready ( maybe too thrilled, but it was cute ) and her dress was conservative enough to make her comfortable. With the goal of staying out of any pictures, Kamala arrived on Sam’s arm with an eager smile. “--This is awesome. Like, maybe the coolest thing ever. We mingle. We definitely mingle. But where to start?”

WANDA: She had half been lost in thought, gaze focused on nothing in particular on the dance floor. Wanda didn’t mind parties. She attended even when she felt alone. Then, she had Vision. Now, she had Pietro. She existed in the middle spaces. Crystalia was incredibly close to delivering and Wanda hadn’t even suggested attending with Pietro as she knew the unborn child and its vessel deserved his attention. She was a big girl who could handle hanging out at the desert table to see if Steve or Clint showed up. “--Oh,” she shook her head. “I usually eat the cookies. I don’t drink, so, it’s seltzer water for me.”

KATE: “I’m not babysitting the dog, Julian, He lives with me.” Kate reminded him once again. It had been difficult to get out of her sweatshirt and leggings even though it was just as nice as the dresses she had worn back when she wasn’t a broke ass bitch. The lilac of her dress meant that she had been spared the trouble of golden retriever fur all over her. Instead, she had needed Julian to zip her in even though the zipper was buried by layers of light fabric and tulle. “Listen, I thought you had four in you and that’s my bad. I also underestimated my getting ready time. You like how I look though, don’t you?” She arched a dark brow. “Damn. Maybe at Clint’s tacky knockoff party.”

LANA: “Don’t act tough. You love the baby.” Lana was hiking up the skirt of her dress to avoid getting stepped on. “And your moon house is really @#$@# cool. You should try living on the Champions Mobile Bunker. Tres chic.” Violet eyes rolled. “I’m pretty sure every Krakoan party is an orgy. Which is impressive and concerning.

MICHELLE: She was putting effort in. Effort towards what? That depended. College had been good for Michelle. She had found a few freaks like herself and was coming out of her shell some. Her previous participation in the Stark Scholarship Program meant invites to other events that made Stark look good, like his charity. For the entire week leading up she said she wasn’t going to attend. Then, three days before, she went out and bought a dress she wouldn’t have before and showed up. Just like that. A part of MJ longed to be home with her books but instead she went to the snack table to check out  their bread selection. “You can dry clean them,” she answered automatically without looking to see who was speaking. Peter. They hadn’t really seen each other since graduation. His identity was public and some classmates made the connection and asked what it was like to be Spider-man’s girlfriend, to which she had almost redirected them to Gwen. Now here they both were with him looking admittedly adorable in his suit and her being very tall but well dressed in the black and maroon of the tightest dress she had ever worn. “Hey, tiger. Nice suit.” She wasn’t sure what to do with her hand so she grabbed a random cracker.

ALEX: Alex was mid-sip when Betsy approached, tilting the glass back instead as he quickly downed the rest of the champagne, “Betsy— hi. Uh, yeah. I guess. I’m surprised my name was even on the list,” a curt laugh followed his words as he glanced ( as respectfully as he could ) at Betsy’s ensemble, “You look lovely. You uh—“ Alex glanced around, “—come here alone as well?”

PETER: “Ohhh right, right—” Peter nodded and then swallowed, using his one free hand to carefully scrape the crumbs down towards the floor. When he looked up and saw who it was that happened to answer him, he froze. “MJ.” He blinked a few times and gave her a quick glance from head to toe, trying not to be too obvious. Then he cleared his throat. “Hi. Thanks, uh— Tony he, well he picked it out. You look great.” She really did. “I should have remembered you would get invited to come tonight. It’s really nice to see you. How’s everything been? How have you been?” Per usual, Peter was unsure of what to do with his hands. In a spark of mild panic he set his piece of bread down on the table next to him and then shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants, only to take them out again a few seconds later. He almost offered MJ a handshake, he almost went in for a hug, but ultimately he did neither of those things. Damn, he was not good at this.

SAM ALEXANDER: Sam knew Kamala’s parents were unaware of her alter ego, which was a feeling wholly unfamiliar to him. His father had been a Nova, and his mother had been well aware of his father’s profession. There weren’t a lot of secrets in their family. But he understood Kamala’s situation, and would do everything he could to help keep her secret. Sometimes, however, that secret life lead to things like this. Attending the Stark Gala— and mingling. “Uhh— that is a good question,” Sam’s gaze drifted around the room, “Trying to pick out someone unintimidating, “I have no idea.”

ERIK: Erik gave his daughter a sideways glance in response to her comment, one eyebrow perked up in a dramatic fashion. “And here I thought I might have earned some praise for relenting my time to Stark instead of hogging the stage for myself.” He took a moment to fiddle with his cufflinks, even though they were already perfect. “I’m doing my best to learn when to talk and when to not. Progress is progress, wouldn’t you agree? And perhaps someday it will be you making the speeches, instead of me.” A short pause. “—in case I haven’t said it yet tonight, you look beautiful Lorna.”

BUCKY: Bucky took another sip from his glass and chuckled. “Cookies and seltzer water. I’ll have to try that sometime. Usually I’m not a big fan of bubbly stuff that doesn’t taste like anything, though. If you ask me, plain water is the way to go.” Alright, so apparently he could at least handle talking about food. That was progress in the small talk department. “How’s it been having your brother around for the holidays again?”

BETSY: At his apparently flustered response, Betsy tilted her head to the side with an amused chuckle. He went for champagne but she had skipped ahead to the ever elegant whiskey. It hit harder and that was more her style. Her new tastebuds had softened compared to Kwannon’s sharp ones but she was soldiering through the burn. “I think being a Summers will always put your name on the list.” It was nothing more than a casual observation, neither good or bad. She had known the Summers for a long time to varying degrees. Betsy had no quarrel with them currently. She couldn’t help but laugh at his compliment - and the corresponding thoughts - before smoothing a hand down the front of her dress. “Thank you. Considering how much this cost, I’m very glad to hear that. It’s been forever since I’ve been allowed to be pretty.” She tossed back the rest of her drink and glanced to the bar. “Woefully. I thought I’d try my hand at meeting someone here.”

MICHELLE: At the sound of her name coming from his mouth again the best thing MJ could do was flatten her lips into a pursed smile. She was over him. Of that she was roughy 70% sure. Michelle had made a living not being the sentimental type. He was her first love and therefore her first heartbreak. Why then did she still want him to see her? “Tony, right. I was going to text you or something to see how you were doing with all that, but then there were classes and meetings and....” Distance. There was distance between them and she forgot how to cross it. “You like?” She couldn’t help but turn to the side slightly to show the dress. “It’s, like, a lot. But my friend Danika liked it so I thought I would wear it even though I’m here alone and it’s 90% rich white people.” Her favorite crowd, really. Michelle was still holding the cracker so she tapped it against the heel of her other hand while she collected her thoughts. “--S’good. I’m good. I’m dorming which is nice because my Aunt Anna was ready for an empty nest. School’s good. Idk about you but Empire is chill. I’m thinking journalism. How are you, Spider-man?” She swallowed around the inevitable. “And, uh, Gwen.”

KAMALA: Wow, there was a lot of people. Were there always? She had never been to a Krakoan Outpost. Even though Kamala herself tried to be personable and agreeable she was still an Inhuman and the mutants weren’t super hip on them yet. Kamala bounced slightly on her feet, eyes wide as she took everyone. “I mean, I know Carol pretty well. It’s that whole marvelous thing. But is she... is Carol on a date with Captain America??” She made a mental note for an update on her Avenger’s fanfic that was eighty chapters deep. “Maybe we should start with punch. Punch is simple.”

LORNA: “Mhm, well, I’m surprised that in all your years of life you haven’t learned that you just can’t win.” She was being facetious. The mutants were, by most accounts, on a winning streak. She’d hate to see what it would look like when they lost again. “Of course, father. But I’ve made plenty of speeches. Underground, Hellfire Club. They’re never well received. Now I only give drunk speeches. Better for everyone.” Lorna couldn’t help but blush at her fathers compliment, head ducking. Here she was, almost twenty-five years old and still craving praise even though she had gone years denying that she wanted it. “Erik. Dad. Gambit’s coming tonight. We’ve been seeing other and you’re going to be kind.”

CAROL: For a woman who spent most of her time in flat soled boots or tennis shoes, Carol was doing surprisingly well in her heels – a strappy pair that lofted her just enough that the hem of her white dress brushed the floor gently. She still had to ball up the right side of it to keep other people from stepping all over her, but she was happy for the break from hoodies and spandex. Tossing Sam a warm smile, she suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, even if it was lovingly. “I’m pretty sure I was starting to hear spinster behind my back.” She commented as they approached the bar. Even as she let go of his arm, Carol kept a hand pressed lightly to the small of his back. “Bourbon. Double, neat.” She supplied to the bartender. “Jeez, when was the last time we got to do this? A year ago?”

QUILL: The laugh he let out was almost unexpected, but Quill quickly recovered. “We agreed to never speak of that again. Besides,” after locating the dance floor and then the bar, he refocused his gaze onto Gamora. “I’m more of a Footloose guy. I can get down to a little bit of Bowie, some Marvin Gay. This,” he pointed to the ceiling. “Is not dancing music.” He pushed his sleeves up a little more. “Now I did hear there was a buffet. Hungry?”

JAMES BUCHANAN: James had slung his suit jacket over his shoulder as they entered the Gala, his free hand trailing touches across Yelena’s lower back. The crowded room was causes pinpricks to roll under his skin and he had to fight the urge to bolt. Instead, he focused on where his feet were planted and tried to keep a marginal amount of distance between them and the other guests. “You want someone to get in a fight?” he asked, his tone dipping humorously. “Big parties bore you that much?”

JULIAN: “So when did we decide to get a dog?” he said with a smile as they hit a couple of empty tables. He loved the Stark Galas; they reminded him of the parties he’d attended before donning the black sheep label – and Stark sure knew how to splurge on them. Nothing felt cheap or worn, and Julian reveled in the few hours they’d have to be the people they once were, even if Kate was happy to shed that part of her. Without faltering, Julian spun her gently, the edges of her dress twirling out as he did so. “Do you need me to compliment you a tenth time tonight? You look damn gorgeous, Kate Bishop.” Her name came out a little breathlessly and Julian gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting go. “You think I’d get invited to one of those?”

CABLE: Nate made a sound at the back of his throat. “He drools you know. On everything.” But she was right, because buried under his chiding tone was a bit of adoration he couldn’t suppress. “Maybe I want to live a little rugged. I am mostly cyborg – living life in luxury is hardly my scene.” He fanned his arms out a bit to make his point, the whirring of his metal pieces speaking up as if to agree. “The orgies are only half the fun,” he joked.

CLINT: Clint pulled at the edge of his deep purple vest, more a nervous habit than a serious concern that it was riding up. He wasn’t sure where the feeling was coming from – the energy that was settling in around him. Maybe he’d been trapped inside his one bedroom too many nights, watching reruns and eating stale pizza – or maybe he knew these Gala’s always promised something more dire in the future. A bit of light before the darkness, if you may. Tugging again, he searched the din for the sound of Jess’s voice, but it was hard to pin it down through his aids. So instead, he turned towards her, just in time to catch her suggestion for drinks, but he knew she’d said something before that. “Sure --- wait who’s together?” he tried to follow what was her eyeline and the pieces fit together without her having to repeat it. “So Carol finally settled.” He remarked good-naturedly. “We should buy Sam a round for that win alone.”

ALEX: Alex eyed the glass of whiskey in Betsy’s hand as she finished off the drink, realizing a bit too late that that was sort of an option here. Getting shit-faced wasn’t necessarily the classiest thing to do, and this was a classy event, so Alex would have to be smart about this. Just enough to drink to dull his senses a bit, but not enough to ruin the party. He let out another laugh at Betsy’s remark, shaking his head, “Well, only the most eligible bachelors are in attendance tonight. Take your pick—“ he gestured to the crowd full of mutants and humans and heroes alike, before signaling to the bartender that he’d like a whiskey as well. Top shelf. Scott could afford it.

WANDA: “Tommy told me a joke,” Wanda smiled as she tried to remember. “It’s spicy water. That’s funny.” In a dumb kind of way, of course. There was a lot of things that Wanda had missed in her childhood that she was now experiencing. She wasn’t any good at dumb humor but it still made her chuckle. “Pietro and I are Jewish. We never celebrated Christmas and the holidays became difficult after we were ten. This is the first season in a long time where I’ve felt warm. Does that make sense?”  Even with holes, it felt secure. “Do you have someone to spend time with?”

SAM ALEXANDER: Sam leaned around Kamala to gawk at the duo before realizing how ridiculous he probably looked and stopped, attempting (horribly) to be a bit more inconspicuous instead. “Holy shit you’re right. When did that happen? Wait do we go talk to th—” He glanced over at the punch bowl the moment Kamala mentioned it, “- no, yeah. You’re right. Punch. Punch is good.”

BETSY: He didn’t order her a drink and Betsy didn’t need him to, so she leaned back against the bar and gave the bartender a nice telepathic push to replace her glass. She thanked him with a smile and took a long sip. “Any of the bachelors? I’d consider a bachelorette as well, but everyone seems nice and coupled up.  That’s how these things always go.” Before, she had been on Warren’s arm. He was tall, blonde and too perfect while Betsy remained a slender shadow by his side. They were on fine terms now, but there were moments when Betsy missed the wholeness of human connection. “And what about you, Alex?”

SAM WILSON: Moving carefully to ensure that no one stepped on his dates dress or knocked her over, white flashed as Sam smiled. “It’s the cat. I tried warning you but I’m scared of him. That Flerken’s going to eat my face.” Goose had taken Fury’s eye. If he had messed with him then Sam was definitely not safe. When Carol released his arm he gave the bartender a good natured smile before ordering the same with a casual “Thanks, man.” It was easy to get distracted looking at Carol. He had spent a lot of time observing her in different lights, from the tired planes of her face after combat to the way the light softened the edges in the morning. She was a marvel and he was honored that he got to work with her, let alone call her a friend. “It’s an annual gala, so that sounds about right. Last time we were all together we were fighting Osborn.” A shadow crossed his face at the thought of Osborn’s escape. But he didn’t want to darken the night. Sam tried to shake off the thought as he raised his glass. “To you, Carol Danvers.”

ALEX: Alex raised an eyebrow curiously at the mention of a bachelorette - he hadn’t even considered the option. Huh. You learn something new every day. “Fair enough,” Alex shrugged, realizing just how right she was. Shit— it was out of the norm to come to these events alone, but at least he wasn’t the only one. But what about him. He had been casually flirting with Tabitha for some time, but ( and perhaps it was the alcohol’s influence ) it still left a sour pit in his stomach to see Lorna in attendance with someone that wasn’t. Their relationship was long over, though. No use dwelling in the past. Just the lonely, shitty present. “Uh, nope. Single and loving it,” he groaned, his tone painfully sarcastic as he raised his glass to Betsy’s - clinking it against the other before taking a large swig of whiskey. His nose wrinkled slightly at the burn as it crept down his throat.

GAMORA: “You agreed. I didn’t.” Gamora shook her head, the pink ombre of her hair moving around her bare shoulders. “Be proud of yourself. You try.” Before she had both admired and disliked that about him. Gamora was impressed by how he threw himself wholeheartedly into things but when it was his initial pursuit of her she hadn’t been impressed. They had come a long way. “Kevin Bacon.” Her tone was serious even though they had gotten into a fight after she learned the truth about that movie. Something had been thrown ( by her -- quill had never been violent ) but they had somehow ended up in his bed lost in an ocean of warm, scratchy sheets. She swayed slightly to the beat, shoulders shaking ever so slightly. It was for him. Gamora’s body felt in this moments where her mind wasn’t her own but that of the Gamora had died. If the last few months had taught her anything it was how to push past it. “Terran food is too salty.” Her nose scrunched before she pointed a finger towards the buffet. “That way.”

CAROL: She turned so she was leaning back against the bar, her drink cradled in her hand. Her nails were painted a simple nude, but her hands were bare of any jewelry save for a thin silver bracelet. It glinted against the dim lights as she crossed one arm over her chest and cast Sam a small smile. "It's also Stark. Annual is a relative term for him." The routine they'd settled into felt more like coming home than Carol had imagined it could --- her brief affairs over the years had burned out faster than they'd begun, mostly due to her attitude, her job, her duties. There were only a few people in the world who knew Carol better than she knew herself, and she couldn't believe she was falling for one of them. The woman in the mirror warned her that she was a bullet ripping through people's lives, leaving dead bodies in her wake, but Carol ignored the voice. Ignored how it told her she'd just leave Sam ruined and broken. He was stronger than her and so much more than she deserved, but she couldn't pull her gaze away from his face. Couldn't get enough of the sound of his voice. They fit too well together, their minds and bodies moving in sync --- it was just too, too good to give up. Smiling behind her glass, she tinked the edge of his softly with her own. "We've been through this before, Sam. Just because I'm the first to hit something doesn't mean I should get praise for it."

BETSY: One shoulder shrugged at his reaction. Her bodycount was high. Betsy had never shied away from the lovers she had taken over the years as their minds and bodies imprinted on her. For someone who felt cold she had craved the fleeting warmth of another. But that was then. Betsy lived in moderation now even if she had nearly finished her second glass. There was a pleasant buzz in her head intensified by the whisper of minds around them. Alex wasn’t terrible company either and fine to look at. “I’m terribly sorry, but I have to remind you that I’m a telepath. And Lorna’s lovely, but you worked as well as Warren and I did. But we don’t need to talk about that. To new, better decisions.” With that her second glass was gone.

REMY: The shop would be shut down for three weeks, they'd said, and tonight was the last night before the New Years holiday that Remy could get in. It'd meant that he'd be late to the Gala and wouldn't be able to escort Lorna in, but for him, there were far more pressing matters. It had given him enough time to pick up the velvet box and drop it off at home, shower and change, and now he was pushing through the thick crowd at the entrance over an hour late. Spotting bright green hair wasn't the toughest quest in the world and he was almost to her just before he saw who she'd attended with. Pulling up short, Remy instinctively resisted the need to turn on his heel and call Lorna later with apologies that he'd gotten stuck in traffic -- but it was a lame excuse and even worse, both of them would know it was a lie. Swallowing his pride and probably a good amount of his dignity, Remy approached with a wry smile towards Erik and a softer one towards Lorna. "Sorry I'm late," he was suddenly too sober for this. "Erik, I didn't think I'd ever get to see you out of your helmet." there was a bit of sarcasm beneath his tone that he couldn't help and so he faced Lorna instead. "Tu es belle chérie" It was quieter and softer. And then, "You too Erik. Nice, I mean." Suddenly he realized that the amount of parents he had to meet and talk to could fit on one hand if he chopped off two fingers -- let alone having to try and charm the least charmable person in the room. "Drinks?" he suggested.

YELENA: Her skin was electric. She always was hyperaware of her body and where it existed spatially but James’ hand on her back had filled her with lightening. “Honestly?” Boredom laced her words. “I’ve been to too many. You smile, you flirt. Maybe show some leg and then you finish the hit. If there’s a fight there’s always at least one thing different about each of these.” Yelena tilted her head to the side. Her long blonde hair had been pushed into a series of cascading finger waves but she kept her fangs hidden behind red lipstick tonight. “I’ll settle with you getting me a drink. пожалуйста, James.”

ALEX: Alex blinked slowly, embarrassed, “Riiight. You know, I should probably be more aware of that or it’s definitely gonna bite me in the ass some day.” He took another sip, finishing his own drink, before mumbling under his breath, “Not that it hasn’t already.” Nodding to the bartender again, Alex set his glass down onto the bartop as the man returned with the same bottle as before, and refilled it. Making note of Betsy’s empty glass as well, the bartender offered to refill hers, unsure of what sort of night the woman wanted to have. Alex, on the other hand, was already nearly finished with his second glass, but rather than accept another refill, he chose to abstain — giving the alcohol a little bit of time to settle in his bloodstream before forcing more into his body. “To new, better decisions,” he held up the now empty glass, nodding at Betsy, the tired grin on his face just beginning to reach his eyes.

QUILL: "Right. One of our six no no topics. Sorry."  he tossed that out with a smile, realizing belatedly that two of those topics were older -- as in an experience he'd had with the Gamora who'd died, and not the one who'd just recently acquired her memories. He forged on, pushing that thought out. "This isn't Terran food," he said pointedly. "This is fancy food. Big, big difference. It was a mistake taking you to Sonic, I see that now." he followed where she was pointing and reached down to weave their fingers together, leading her through the crowd. "Food, bar, maybe the dancefloor after a lot of time spent at the bar. Sound like a plan?"

KATE: Cute. “I got a dog. As in, I stole Clint’s dog.” The situation was more nuanced. They had a non contractual custody agreement that worked well for both. Lucky was the epitome of an emotional support dog and she wished she had him during the nights After when she had sat up all night in a ball on her bed. An elderly man passed her, eyes a little too friendly as they trailed down her form. In Derek Bishop’s court no one had dared do so. Even before her dad was a certified super villain he had just been a mean bastard. Now there was no father she would accept help from and Kate shot the man a glare, knowing it would take .2 seconds to topple him. Even though she hadn’t admitted it aloud, Kate had picked the dress with Julian in mind. She had worn tight and revealing before but wanted something new. The deep plunge in the neckline was softened by the sheer fabric that composed a high neckline and sleeves that formed around her bicep. The slit in the leg was nearly buried by the voluminous skirt but she made sure to flash some calf. Good on her feet, Kate followed through on the turn before steadying herself with one hand on his arm. “Thirteen is my lucky number, so I’m getting close to being satisfied.” Her smile was genuine. “You’re my plus one. Maybe next year. Hey,” she paused, a funny half smile fleeting on her face. “I kind of like you, Julian Keller.”

KAMALA: When Sam started acting like a total loser ( let’s be real, they both were ) Kamala swatted at him discretely. “No idea. We talk but she doesn’t, like, give me life updates.” Maybe Kamala needed to ask her to get coffee soon. The only problem was that Carol was Carol and her face was always recognized. Why would New Jersey high school student Kamala Khan - the face behind Kamala’s Law - be hanging out with an Avenger? Nope. Too weird. Kamala pivoted towards the punchbowl and began to ladle out two cups. “I hope it’s not cherry. I hate cherry.”

JAMES BUCHANAN: James perched against the edge of a barstool, the heel of his shoe hooking around the bottom rung. He couldn't comment much on her opinion of parities seeing as the clearest memory he had of one was from 90 years ago. Anything else was messily strung together pieces of a story in a language he didn't understand and he was tried of trying to translate. Instead, he used what he knew, and that was that he knew the proximity between him and the person behind him, he knew the four exit points beyond the main entrance, and he could clearly see a path mapped out to each of them. Drawing his eyes away from the crowded floor, he eased a smile to soften his features. "You ever long for a quiet night? The booze is free," with that, he indicated two drinks, whatever Yelena wanted, and passed her the glass. "Mostly everyone is too enveloped in their own world to try and talk to you and-" he took a sip and noted the bitter tones that would do nothing to ease his sobriety. "-There's dancing. I used to be really good at that, too."

SAM ALEXANDER: Sam shrugged, understanding, but a bit disappointed - for Kamala’s sake. The Avengers often felt like the untouchables. But did Sam resent them for that? Only a little. He did however, sort of know Tony, and maybe that counted for something? “Hey— I take offense to that. I kinda like cherry,” Sam joked, a soft smile tugging at the corners of his mouth before he graciously accepted a cup from Kamala, “Thanks.” Taking a sip, he furrowed his brow as he pondered the flavor, “Tastes just like, I dunno— punch.”

BETSY: “Sometimes things bite you in the ass. It’s not always unpleasant.” Betsy made no motion to explain. Instead, she just brushed purple waves away from her eyes. Deciding she would allow herself to step out of line, the telepath once again urged the bartender mentally to refill her glass and leave the bottle this time around. Dropping one hand onto Alex’s arm, Betsy used him as leverage to ease herself onto a barstool. The dress was tight and she had to angle her body so that her leg came out of the slip instead of losing circulation. “I’ve been thinking a lot, you know, about life and second chances. What’s something you want to do?” The liquid was swirling in her glass with its dark amber tones. The minds were louder now but the edges of the world were a little ore blurry and gentle. It was a nice reprieve and Betsy rested her chin in her hand.

JESSICA: It felt like she had been attending these things for a hundred years, and while Jess wasn’t sure of her age she knew she wasn’t that old. A part of her mind was at home in sweatpants watching a two year old break out laughing over something that was admittedly not funny. Gerry had been entranced by his mothers skirt, fists balled in the red until she had untangled herself and made it to her Uber. There was no way in hell she was riding her bike in a ballgown. “Carol,” she repeated as she jutted her chin towards the couple. “I think she’s in the process of settling. They’re comfortable, but Sam definitely deserves a round. Carol is rough.” So was Jess and everyone knew it. “You want a beer or are we living a little tonight? It’s not every night I go to a dead mans party with my ex.”

JULIAN: "So no chance on giving him back then?" He asked, though his tone belied his genuine like of Lucky. He'd had one dog growing up, a Great Pyrenees that'd been already twelve by the time he was old enough to learn her name and then she was gone. His parents never got another dog after that. His affinity for Lucky had a lot to do with the pieces of Julian that weren't selfish and narcissistic, but even after a year of being together, Julian still didn't admit to that easily. With a soft smile, he trailed his fingers lightly over Kate's waist, leaning down to whisper softly, "As good as you may look in that dress, Kate, the whole reason we're late is because I like you much better out of it." he straightened and shook his head. "You know, I was going for absolute loathing but I guess I'll take kind of like. I kind of like you too. Now, drinks?"

YELENA: Accepting the drink, Yelena sipped it in silence for a moment. She’d never fit in at parties because she’d never be able to relax and enjoy herself. Instead her back remained ramrod straight despite the fact that her dress did give her some room to be flexible. “I’ve had a lot of quiet nights.” She usually only made it through a handful before an ugly spree of nights out with a high body count. “You danced?” She softened, gaze drifting over the cloud. “I dance too. Ballet. It’s the one thing I’m actually better than Natalia at. I don’t do it enough anymore.” Sorrow settled over her words before she shook it off and cleared her throat. “I’m not built right to be a ballerina. Too short, too curvy.”

ALEX: Alex watched on with dazed fascination as the bartender deposited the bottle in front of Betsy, and the temptation to refill his own glass again was much too strong. But before he could do anything a hand latched onto his arm. Helping Betsy to a seated position now, Alex couldn’t help but stare - at the way the fabric draped over her body, the way the dress hugged her waist just snugly enough to be agonizing, the way her dark purple locks fell past her shoulders - ah, fuck this wasn’t good. ( C’mon Alex, you’re better than this. ) Her question caught him off guard. “I uh—“ ( But are you really? ) “—I dunno, just thinking about being somewhere else right now.”

BETSY: I hate my dress it’s just too tight. Man, maybe I’lll get laid tonight. My tie is choking me. Foreign thoughts invaded her mind but Betsy casually left them slip through like sand falling through an hourglass. It took her a moment to remember that she was in engaged in conversation with someone and his gaze was trailing over what she had to offer. Which was, admittedly, a lot. As Kwannon Betsy had existed with miles of legs and bare skin. In that moment, she missed it. She didn’t want to put her armor back on. “If that place isn’t your brothers moon home, I wouldn’t mind an invitation.”

CLINT: Clint had already redirected his attention away from the pair, settling his gaze on the array of liquor bottles that lined the shelves behind the bartender. He'd done what any sane man would do and had started at home, lining up the empty beer cans on his windowsill and slingshotting them with a rubber band and paperclip until his cab had come. It had actually been Jess's cab and thank god for that, considering he was pretty sure his phone was dead and stuffed between his couch cushions. "You think I'd come to a Stark party and not abuse the open bar?" he actually had no plans to over drink tonight, already regretting the hangover he'd have in the morning. "Should we send four shots down to them?"

JAMES BUCHANAN: James wanted to comment that his version of a quiet night was probably different than what she'd been thinking, but he instead took another sip of his drink and slipped into the second half of the conversation easily. "At least an approximation of a dance." he said with a small smile. "Nothing too crazy, but I hated being holed up inside. You could feel the tension in the air with the looming war and no one wanted to waste any quiet moments they had. So I learned to dance, at least well enough that I didn't step on any toes." A few weeks ago, it had been tiresome and difficult to talk about a life that felt more like a shadow than a memory. The person he'd been almost a century ago had died -- and yet, if James focused a little, he could still feel the buzz of budding adulthood - the last summer he spent in New York before enlisting. It was the last time he remembered being James Buchanan Barnes and not the Winter Soldier, and the more he talked about it, the more the grief grew. And yet he still spoke of his past to the only person who wouldn't pity him - and he was so ever grateful for that. "But you enjoy it, don't you?" he asked, because attempting to disagree with her was usually fruitless. "There is a studio in the city."

PIETRO: In all honesty the last thing he wanted to be doing was attending this damn event — not with a baby due any day now and precious sleep to be salvaging. Still, he’d put the suit on and agreed to escorting his beautiful girlfriend and mother of his child to be to the floor.  Pietro carefully tucked one of her strawberry curls that had gone astray back into place and dropped his hand to the small of Crystalia’s back. At the mention of wanda his blue eyes cast a look around the room “she will be — i don’t see her yet. any one from your side expected?”

STEVE: Steve cracked a smile a sipped his champagne. “I guess in this case, normal’s subjective.” he said. “But I think the general population might agree with me that it’d be nice if this party ended without aliens falling out of the sky.” as he spoke, he slowly walked toward a little table with food. he wasn’t overly familiar with the display of hor’dourves but when he saw a little cone of french fries he put them on the plate and passed it to her. “what do you think of this Krakoa thing?” he asked.

GAMORA: There was a range of we’re cautious around these topics that eventually escalated to the six he referred to. Thanos - the Titan who had dominated her life - didn’t fall on either. How funny it was that the giant things in Gamora’s life, the ones that made her feel the most stripped down and vulnerable, were the ones she could share. Kevin Bacon, Twinkies and the other four topics remained off-limits. She began to drift towards the buffet, neck inclining slightly in acknowledgement. “The food that’s not related to the fast blue Rocket creature.” Hedgehog? It was close. There were some foods that Gamora liked. She liked the insides of the Oreo cookies, a trail of black cookies sucked dry left in her wake. “Bar dependent, yes. I may pass over the food.” Again, salt. On the warship the Children of Thanos had drank together, but Gamora had never been welcome in the Black Order. She took her bottle in the back of the room with boots propped up on the table.

JESSICA: “I knew you’d come to a Stark party and abuse the bar. I have Uber pulled up on my phone for the moment I have to load your ass into a car.” At least, that’s how it had been before. Before: when they were actually dating. They were on a team and it was simple. No baby, way less time learned trauma. A lot of passionate sex, though. That had been a plus. Jess couldn’t help but laugh as she gestured for the bartender to do just that. She sent them down the bar along with an air kiss in case her friend chose to look over. Bare arms braced against the bar, Jess’ eyes trailed down the fancy laminated lists of drinks. “I’ll have the I am Iron Man,” her nose scrunched. “Terrible name.”

KATE: “I’d give you back before Lucky. That’s my main man.” Even though he was Clint’s dog, her mentor understood. Kate needed Lucky and they all made it work. Her father had been strict about no pets. No cats, no dogs, no turtles. Not even a goldfish. Still, Clint would come for the dog eventually. He always did, and then her apartment was silent once more without clicking nails and an obnoxiously loud pant. Kate had never liked sleeping alone. Her mother had been too willing to sit on her daughter’s bed in the middle of the night, Kate never considering that maybe Eleanor didn’t want to be in her own next to her husband. She had grown out of it only to become afraid of the dark once more years later. The warmth of Lucky’s body as he dominated her bed made it a little easier to close her eyes, sleep settling over her for twice as long as it would otherwise. Her hair - originally an updo - was a victim of their little tryst and had been shoved into ( not so ) purposefully messy waves. She turned to face him, hand skating over his suit sleeve as she smiled. “Play your cards the right way and you may get to again. While I debate if you’re absolute loathing worth, I would love a drink that’s not Clint’s cheap lukewarm beer.”

LORNA: It wasn’t often that her boyfriend and father occupied the same space. Which was funny, really, as Remy was all but living with her in the Monarchy of M when she wasn’t in the Boneyard. Magneto, as a leader, was hard to pin down. Erik, as a father, had been distant on a good day. They made concerted effort now and their tea times were spent just the two of them or with Dawn playing on the floor. Lorna had never had a father and now she was reluctant to share him. He had been cordial with Marcos when they had met, even though she already had a screaming bundle of blankets at that point. He had never been sold but he hadn’t been rude. Lorna didn’t want to get into what it would be like if Erik and Remy clashed, so she kept them apart as casually as possible. After Remy addressed her father and Erik responded, Lorna rose on her toes to press a kiss to Magneto’s stubble lined cheek. “I’ll see you for tea tomorrow, father.” Even though their evening had been pleasant, Lorna was still quick as she and Remy made their retreat. “I always want drinks. My fatal flaw. Also, hey. You like nice.”

CRYSTALIA: She liked being doted on. Could you blame her? Pietro was tall and handsome. An asshole, sure, but she wasn’t without her own moments. She liked when people looked them and did a decent job ignoring the fact that at least some percentage was because of her distended stomach and their strange situation. “You’ve met my family.” She turned her head so her her cheek brushed his hand before it fell to her back. “They veer from antisocial to arrogant and stuck-up.” Crystal adored them but would be remiss to ignore their faults. The Inhumans had made a lot of mistakes over the years but Crystalia was determined to not let the child in her stomach count as one. There was a slight pain in her stomach off to the side, not unlike the one earlier when she had been sewn into her dress. One hand moved to rest on the side, almost like she could somehow figure out the source from the simple gesture. “At least these parties have beverages. Not that I can imbibe, but still.”

QUILL: "No, but it comes out fast and that's where the similarities end." It'd been a last minute stop, mainly for him, after he'd convinced Gamora to go on a long drive up the coast. It'd been too long since he'd seen it either, and he missed the salty, briny air. Fast food was a blow to the evening, but man did they have great tater tots. "Do you know what happens to people if they drink on an empty stomach?" he grumbled around a bite of food he didn't have a name for. He offered her some of it with his free hand. "Sure you don't wanna be a little adventurous?"

CLINT: "Awh Jess," he started, his tone cloying. "You do care." he bumped shoulders with her gently as they both peered over the bar card and he suppressed a laugh at the name and her opinion of it. "I'll take a Capscicle and a shot of Jack on the side." He twisted slightly to face Jess as they both waited, pulling out a few bills and dropping them in the tip jar as he did so. "So. It's been a long time since we've attend one of these together, yeah?"

NATASHA: It only took a smile and a few words for Natasha to excuse them both from Tony’s company before she followed her husband to the table that was steaming with food. “Aliens were 2012. 2017 and 2018 as well, if we’re keeping track. This year was political espionage.” A return to Natasha’s roots, really. She took the fries gratefully, the pit of her stomach warming at the fact that they knew each other so effortlessly. It had taken years to get there but their friendship and mutual respect had strengthened into the strongest bond she had known. Popping one in her mouth, red lips blew a tiny circle at the heat. “I think any kind of new government just popping up and demanding sovereignty is dangerous.” Her voice remained upbeat and neutral in case someone was listening. “I was dead a year. In the time it took me to come back they already had the world by its balls. I don’t love that.”

JULIAN: He clicked his tongue at that, the corner of his mouth quirking into a half smile. "Careful Bishop, with words like that Sofia may just get her chance." One girl he'd had an on again, off again flirtation with in the months prior to sleeping with Lana that had never really died down -- even if it went into a more platonic territory now. Still, he joked about it with no real seriousness. "You truly put up with a lot, Katie," he said as he indicated the bar with a tilt of his head. "A few drinks and a few bad decisions later and this might actually turn out to be a true Stark party."

LANA: “Duh. He’s a baby.” She rolled her eyes. It wasn’t like Lana had any real experience with babies. Her mom hated them and had been very vocal about the fact that she had been thrilled when Lana no longer required her diaper changed. Taking both of his hands, Lana squeezed the metal one. “Part cyborg, part hunk, part asshole. It’s fine that you live with your parents. I very obviously don’t want to live with mine, but I don’t know.. You got this family that adores you and parents that call you *son*. I can’t help but be a little jealous.” Lana released him, watching as he extended his arms. “Well, I haven’t been to any. Definitely not my scene.”

REMY: "You do know one day I'll probably have to have a full conversation with him, non?" Remy asked as they weaved through the crowd towards an unoccupied space at the bar. It was filling up quick with some parties milling around, as the rest of the room began to get claustrophobic from the amount of people occupying it. "How does he know this many people?" he wondered aloud as they hit the wooden bar top and he ordered simply; just a double shot of rum, neat. Turning, he leaned forward just enough to kiss the corner of Lorna's mouth, the shadow of a smile on his lips. "Merci," he responded just as the drinks hit the bar. "You can't keep your father hidden away forever." And back to the topic at hand.

CABLE: "Yeah well, I might not remember being one, but I can say for sure I didn't cry half as much." he could hear the petulance in his voice, but there was no real honesty behind it. He loved that weird little hellspawn that was both his full brother and his half brother simultaneously. Nate looked down to where she was holding his hands in hers and he flicked his gaze up just as she started speaking. "Not full hunk? It's the eye, isn't it? Always throws 'em." It was tough to be serious in a room full of patrons getting rapidly more intoxicated and the music had begun to change to accommodate --- but Nate tried to sober up the humor and he squeezed her hand back. "It's weird Lana -- I had to accept this guy who dipped out on me as a baby and a mom who looked like the woman who raised me down to the last detail. I'm not ungrateful, and I love them both, but sometimes you have to find family, you know?"

SAM WILSON: There were parts of him that didn’t know how to do this. This: a healthy, functioning relationship pressed in between the layers of hate and grime that being a hero came with. Sure, Sam had girlfriends before. There was the one from high school, the one when he first enlisted. After Riley, however, he hadn’t found it in himself to invest in another person. Riley had been his brother in every sense of the word and in his absence Sam had decided the only thing he could do was carve out spaces for himself to heal. It had been a long time since then. His morality and humanity had weighed heavily on his mind since he picked up the shield. Where was the balance? Being around Carol had helped him realize that it feasible to be both hero and human. He still lived his life, the morning runs and the evenings spent reading to try and make sure both his mind and body were being worked out. It was just a little more full now. There was someone to bounce ideas off of when he was sipping his coffee at the table. Sometimes he’d hear water running from a tap he hadn’t turned on and smile a gap toothed smile to himself. It was nice to not be alone. “Relative is all Stark is, but everyone likes the circus.” Tony had slowed down some ever since he had been resurrected. It made sense with the kid and the wife and the expensive place Upstate. Body against hers, Sam stood with arm propped up on the bar so his chest was aligned with Carol’s profile. He was close enough to touch her, and he did. It was little gestures, like his fingers brushing hers as he passed off a cup or a chaste kiss to the side of her temple. “We’ll compromise. It’s all me next time.” The bartender then slid them four shots and he caught the end of Jessica Drew’s air kiss. “A gift from your friend and Barton. Think they put something in it?”

YELENA: She hated that what he was saying made sense. That it was relatable, almost. There had been no looming war for Yelena. There was always a war, or at least a quiet approximation of one that they were enlisted to fight in again and again, soldiers for the highest bidders. Her dancing was a commodity too, even if she tried to lose herself in the tempo and pretend that it was hers alone. “You speak well.” Yelena’s voice was quiet. Not reverent, exactly, or entranced but something that danced on the edges. Of course, all spells are meant to be broken and Yelena had never had interest in witchcraft. Her jaw feathered before she took a measured sip from her glass. “Do you know why I love ballet? It’s ugly. Everyone sees it as so beautiful, so graceful. Ballerinas are tasked with slamming their bodies on the stage and creating the illusion that it’s soundless.” It wasn’t. The ballerina heard the dull thuds the music hid. They felt the shockwaves go up their ankles and they ignored it. “It makes your feet bleed when you go on pointe, but girls love the pretty pink slippers. It’s so ugly and so beautiful. That’s what they wanted from us. Look at Natalia,” she jutted her chin towards her sister. “So beautiful and she did ugly, ugly things.” Her little monologue was over. Yelena returned to her drink. “Нет. Like I said, I’m not built right. Have you seen a ballerina? Tall and thin. They want long legs. I wasn’t built to dance.”

GAMORA: “--I don’t think I like what you are saying.” Gamora shook her head. There was one thing she would always have over the Gamora who died. Any memory on Earth was hers and hers alone. Gamora and Quill had never made it there together, her former self only ever hearing about the place her love had grown up on before being kidnapped. It was Gamora who got to experience this for the first time and she carried the win like a small flame in her chest. “If they’re strong, nothing.” A green shoulder shrugged. It was a testament to the gladiator like environment she grew up in. You knew your limits. You didn’t mess up. Still, she turned a critical gaze towards the table before pointing at one item. “What is that?”

JESSICA: She scoffed. “Yeah, well, having a kid absolutely ruined me.” Maternal instincts and shit. As his shoulder connected with hers Jessica willingly let the momentum sway her to the side. “Capsicle, really? I thought the Hulk Smash was tempting.” That was a joke. Not one bone in her body was interested in Jagermeister and she had quit Red Bull around the time she had gotten pregnant. His question took a moment to mull over, one hand running through her hair as she thought. “Four? Five? It was pre Gerry, definitely. I don’t know, Barton, you never seemed short of company.”

KATE: She was tapping one had against the bar casually, shoulders relaxed and body loose. “So we threaten each other with exes now? You’ll have to give me a minute to find my list.” Another joke. She had no problem returning barbs if the mood was right. Kate had grown up with parents in a loveless relationship. They had never laughed, never joked. It was suffocating. “I’ve had a lifetime to practice. And never, I mean ever, call me Katie. Only person who does is Clint and I’m liable to kill him any day for it.” It had been Katherine at home. Kate everywhere else. Katie had never really fit, but Clint was like an older brother and it had slid on like a glove she pretended to hate. “I skip these sometimes. I’m technically an Avenger and my partner actually is one but they all blur together. So,  I’ll take whatever you’re having.”

LORNA: “One day that’s not today.” Lorna tapped Remy’s arm with one black painted finger. She thrived in busy, full places. The amount of metal in the room made her feel charged. It was tempting to hold a hand out towards the people she passed and let their jewelry rattle a little bit on their arms. “Money means you know everyone. Or, everyone wants to know you.’ She shrugged. Lorna had never really cared about wealth. There were other ways to be powerful and for a long time all she had to rely on was her own magnetism. Lorna turned her head to meet Remy’s mouth but was left with only the ghost of his kiss. A small smirk crossed her lips instead. “You can’t hide Magneto. He’s pride is too big. It doesn’t fit anywhere. And I’m not keeping him under lock and key, Remy. You could march into the Monarchy if you wanted and demand a session. I just don’t want him to come in the way of us. He’s... messy.”

CAROL: She couldn't agree more. Carol hated confined spaces and large gatherings -- the discombobulation of panicked civilians fleeing one enemy or another always made her heart race, even after years of training. Yet she attended every single Stark party, hell bent on drinking his bar under the table and not worrying about where the exits were. Even though she knew parties like this could end in disaster, she couldn't step away from the role she wanted to play: a normal girl attending a normal party with her normal boyfriend. But who was she kidding -- neither of them were, even if they were playing dress up for the night. "I'll hold you to that, Wilson." Carol said with a hint of a smile, turning her head just in time to intercept the kiss for something a little more public and a little more out of their present comfort zone. Turning again, she grabbed for one of the shot glasses. "Knowing Jess, she just made sure it was a liquor I couldn't stand cause she loves to see me pucker." She held the shot up. "She really wants to see me tango too, apparently."

JAMES BUCHANAN: That made him laugh, though it was short lived and not at her expense. He appreciated the way Yelena spoke - bluntly and without hesitation. Too many people tip toed around him, worried he might lose it or break down, when in reality, he just wanted people to either say what they meant or not speak at all. "I've never been to a show," he began "Sounds a lot like sacrifice for the sake of entertainment, but what would I know." he truly didn't because he didn't understand why anyone would willingly sacrifice their bodies for the sake of dance. But then again, he willingly charged headfirst into a war he only thought they'd win. And they'd had - but at whose expense? "Also sounds exactly like what I'd expect from the Red Room." Hidden ugliness beneath layers and layers of beauty. It made them deadly and efficient. "Does that mean you can't then, or just don't want to?" he wasn't sure why he was pressing the issue, but it came anyway.

LANA: He was arrogant but it was charming. Lana couldn’t help but lean into him. She had screamed. She knew that much. She had screamed her head off until her mother had debated blowing her up. If she had tried it hadn’t worked. “That’s one more difference between us. I have great lungs now.” Not that Lana was the yelling type anymore. She had been more combative if anything. “No, no. I’m not going to tell you what it is. You’ll have to keep guessing. I’ll give a hint: I like the eye.” The sentence was punctuated with a wink. Lana was underage and Nate didn’t drink. Maybe before she would have copped a shot from someone ( Julian Keller ) but  she was feeling inspired on starting the new year off on a good start, so she nursed a Sprite instead. “Scott, Jean and Rachel now. Is that your found family?” She didn’t want to sound ungrateful. She knew his situation was hard. The curl of jealousy and longing remained in her gut though. Lori was quick to yell and her hand came closely after. She had exploited and degraded and ruined the notion that Lana could have a mother. So she had found a family. She found friends. Why wasn’t that enough to keep her content?

QUILL: He just chuckled around another bite of food, quickly filling up a plate as he went down the table. "You base a lot on strength but you haven't tried to go down Tony's bar card like it’s a frat game." he turned just as she pointed towards something that he didn't recognize. "You know, probably has a name I can't pronounce. What's the worst that can happen if you give it a go?" Peter was only egging her on out of adoration and love; their relationship having moved into a more comfortable place in the past few months. He kept trying to introduce her to things they missed out on the first time and he was determined not to waste time this go around.

CLINT: "The Hulk Smash sounds like a hangover from hell and I have work in the morning." That was half a lie. He promised Kate he'd take Lucky around the block and get his ass curtain trimmed in the morning, which meant he'd have to hop skippity skip on over to her side of the tracks and take him for half the day. Which meant watered down mixed drinks that looked like more food coloring than alcohol were his forte tonight. "Well Pop always told me never to show up alone or you'd get bullied at the door." Which was neither true nor relevant, considering what memories he did have of his dad were shit at best. "Cheers," he said, holding up his glass.

SAM WILSON: One of the most memorable Avengers parties that Sam could think of had been all the way back in 2015, the group gathering together only for Ultron to smash through the window. They had eventually dealt with the problem like they always did. It didn’t change the fact that Sam had increasing concerns about if they could ever just unwind for a night. Dating the woman who was powered by an Infinity Stone and could smash through ships helped ease some of his nerves while the others remained. It wasn’t up to Carol to save the day even when she thought it was. It wasn’t worth losing her over. She was an incredibly strong woman who could make her own choices and he respected her, but hero colleagues needed to check one another. The intercepted kiss meant that she just got another quick one before Sam grabbed one of the shots. His other arm snaked around Carol’s waist to pull her close. “You may not know it, Cap, but the community center in Harlem offered dance classes. Now, my mama was really big into being involved. Pop got killed when I was nine and she went shortly after. Kept taking my siblings to the center for as long as I could and I got a mean tango as compensation for the tragedy.” He had been taught by that same community to be glib. Black men didn’t cry. Not even when they were boys.

TOMMY: Tommy wasn’t very into the special events that involved a suit and a tie—in fact most times he avoided the tie all together. Tonight was a little different in the fact that he had a date, one that he hadn’t exactly been sporting around. Not for any reason outside of just...not really leaving either of their respective rooms. Still, it was kind of nice to get out, see his friends, stretch his legs. As he surveyed the room he noticed Crystalia looked like she was about to pop any second—how someone so little could carry that baby... “ten bucks says she delivers that kid before the night’s done.” he said turning to James, a pile of snacks on the platter he’d just snagged.

YELENA: She didn’t laugh with him, but it didn’t make her frown either. Instead, dark lips remained flat over the rim of her glass. She exhaled slightly before taking a sip, the cup finding a home on the bar without much thought. “Maybe we could go.” Yelena tossed out, a rare instance where her words made it out before her mind approved them. Yelena had learned to take her time in conversations. Some liked to shoot retorts back quickly but she moved slower. The last thing she needed was to have to shoot someone for taking something the wrong way and getting upset. Maybe we could go sounded simple but was anything but. Yelena wasn’t often in public with people she closely associated with ( why put a target on their back? ) and she had been on random dates for the hell of it but didn’t put much effort into it. She never called back after, just grabbed her shoes and slipped out. “They have good ballet in New York, supposedly. The Lincoln Center. Probably not as good as the Bolshi Ballet.” Maybe one day Yelena would explain to him why the sacrifice was worth it. The layer of deception satisfied the sadist in her but the beauty sated her unspoken desires. It felt good to have one singular thing in her life that brought other people joy, even if it had been tainted like everything else. “The Red Room can иди нахуй сама.” She scoffed as Yelena reclaimed her drink. “I can, but there’s no career in it. If I dance it’s by myself and I can only do so much. I can’t lift myself, can I?”

GAMORA: “You know I don’t know what a frat is,” Gamora muttered under her breath. She didn’t point it out every time a reference went over her head ( it, at a certain point, had become embarrassing to reflect on how little she knew about the jokes that had lingered in the mind of quill for three decades ) and instead rolled her eyes. The evening had her feeling loose though, a little lighter. The world could have been ending outside but they were in a bubble of champagne ( she knew what that was -- it fizzed on your tongue and made it dance ) and a privilege she had never acquainted herself with. Gamora had just picked up the small green item of food and observed the way they shade differed from the fingers that held it. There was a moment she lost herself and her mind went back. Not to Thanos. To before. Her family had never been rich. They had never known opulence or expensive dresses that somehow managed to cling to your skin without becoming sticky. They would never know what it was like and Gamora had never felt more like an alien who had been shoved off the spaceship and into a whole different world. She took a careful bite that severed the food in half before wordlessly offering him the other part. “I hated it here, Peter.” Gamora’s voice was quiet. “But I loved you, so I stayed. Even when I couldn’t remember I never talked myself into leaving. I’m glad. I’m glad for this. I’m glad for you.”

JESSICA: The Hulk Smash sounded like something you’d drink at a frat party before someone took a video of you getting your head shaved while shit faced. Not that Jess had ever actually attended a frat party, or went to college. Minor details. “Oh, so you have a job now?” The reply was glib. He had a more solid gig than her at this point, motherhood excluded. In reality she was happy for his spot with the West Coast Avengers. Some stability never hurt. Carol had told her multiple times she could rejoin the Avengers but every time she brushed it off with the reassurance that she was happier on the reserves, happier getting her faced smashed into the NYC pavement on her own time. “Nice. My pop just taught me that the best way to deal with your problems was to vanish into thin air.” Jess held up her glass as well, the clinking of glass nearly lost in the din of the party before she took a sip. “---Jesus, that tastes like ass. Are they using rocket fuel?”

#event: tdocm 2020 #tdocm 2020: stark memorial gala #chatlog: stark memorial gala #unfinished chatlog #momevents

[thegamemann]

All in the Family - Loud House One Shot

Here's the fifth chapter to my story This is us. This chapter takes place after Ronnie Anne moved in with her extended family. This chapter will also introduce my OC’s. Enjoy. It was a special day for a certain young couple. Spring was in full force and the students were excited because school was out for spring break. They get a whole week to enjoy themselves without having to worry about the burdens of the classroom. Ronnie Anne was sitting in her room and will wanna explain the rest for you. “Right-o. It's a special day for me because Lincoln's coming over for the week. His parents are dropping him off and my grandpa Hector’s gonna wait by the front of the building so he can help Lincoln get passed the cats. We managed to convince our families to let him visit and I'm super excited. We've only been talking to each other through video chat and I was really starting to miss actually hanging out with him. My only problem is trying to convince my family that we're not dating. It probably would be easier to just tell them about us but I know they would keep bugging me about it. I know my Aunt Frida would keep taking pictures of us while he's here. I just want to have a nice, fun spring break with my boyfriend without having to deal with the craziness of my family.” The front door could be heard opening up, causing Ronnie Anne to shoot up with a smile. “That's probably him now.” She got up from her bed and walked out of her room. She made her way to the living room and saw Lincoln standing there with his orange suitcase while her family was welcoming him to their abode. “Hey, Ronnie Anne.” Lincoln greeted. “Hey, Lame-o.” Ronnie Anne greeted back while punching him in the arm. “I see your punching hasn't gotten any softer.” He said while rubbing his arm. “You know it.” She declared with prideful smile. “Ronnie Anne, why don't you show your boyfriend where he’ll be staying?” Frida suggested. “He's/I'm not her/my boyfriend.” Ronnie Anne and Lincoln protested at the same time before walking down the hall. “You’ll be staying in Bobby’s room on the air mattress. I figured you wouldn't want to be in the same bed as him since he moves around in his sleep.” She opened the door to the room. “Just leave your stuff here and we can go to my room.” “Alright.” He complied as he left his suitcase in the room and proceeded to follow her. They entered the room and Ronnie Anne took a seat at her desk while Lincoln chose to stand. “So how's everything back in Royal Woods?” She asked. “Same old, same old. Things haven't been too exciting since you moved.” He claimed. “Of course they haven't. I'm not there to make things exciting. But how have your sister's been? I honestly miss them.” She admitted. “They're good. They keep saying how they miss their future sister-in-law. Which is kind of weird of them to say.” He said while taking a seat on the bed. “Yeah, weird. Heh heh.” She laughed nervously. “So how's everything been here?” He asked. “Pretty good. I managed to get a lock on the bathroom door so no one can just barge right in. I also managed to find a wicked skatepark. I’ll take you by there while you're here.” She said. “I don't think I'm cut out for skateboarding.” He argued. “Doesn't mean you can't come and praise my awesomeness.” She declared. “Okay.” He said while rolling his eyes. “So how have you been getting along with your family?” He asked. “Kinda so-so. My aunt Frida still loves taking pictures of me every chance she gets. It's annoying but I gotta admit some of them I look pretty good in. My grandpa Hector is still a cheapskate. He gave me one of those popsicles I like and then told me I had to pay him a dollar for it.” She complained. “Wow, that is cheap.” He responded. “No kidding. And my grandma Rose keeps trying to get me to eat. I can't take two steps outta my room without her constantly making sure I've eaten. I already gained a few pounds just from her cooking.” She claimed. “You don't look any bigger to me.” He pointed out. “Thanks. Then there's my cousin Carlota, who keeps trying to get me to wear whatever cheap fashion disaster she buys from the thrift shop. Most of those outfits are so girly and lame, they make me want to hurl. I don't know why she thinks I care about fashion. It just gets so frustrating so I try and avoid her.” She complained. “Maybe she just likes spending time you. From what it looks like, she doesn't have any sisters to hangout with. She probably just thinks of you as the little sister she never had.” He said. “I guess. It's just been kinda tricky trying to get used to having an extended family. I'm still trying to adjust.” She confessed. “Don't sweat it. You already know how it is with my family. I still don't really understand everything about my sisters but I manage to get by. You just gotta adapt to everyone and their habits.” He said as he got up and put a hand on her shoulder. “Still giving helpful advice as always.” She pointed out. “Of course. You are my girlfriend.” He declared. “Am I? She questioned. “What do you mean?” He inquired with a worried look on his face. “Ever since you got here, you haven't exactly done anything to prove I'm your girlfriend.” She stated while looking at him with fake hurt on her face. “Well, I guess I need fix to that.” He pulled her out of her seat and wrapped his arms around her as she rested her hands on his chest. “Is this better?” “Much better, Lame-o.” She said as she puckered he lips and moved her face closer to his. “Ronnie Anne!” Carlota came bursting through the door, causing Ronnie Anne to throw Lincoln on to the bed. “Wha-what, what? We weren't doing anything.” Ronnie Anne said with a guilty smile on her face. “There's some people I want you and your boyfriend to meet.” Carlota stated. “He's not my boyfriend and just as well why do we need to meet these people?” Ronnie Anne asked. “Because they're our neighbors and it's not right that you haven't met them since you've been here.” Carlota explained. “So. I haven't met the neighbors back in Royal Woods.” Ronnie Anne pointed out as Lincoln got up from the bed. “These guys are different. They're pretty much another part of the family. Come on, it'll be fun!” Carlota grabbed Ronnie Anne and Lincoln’s wrist and dragged them along. The couple tried to break free from her grasp but to avail. “Boy, she really has a strong grip.” Lincoln stated. “Tell me about it.” Ronnie Anne replied with an angry look. The three arrived in front of an apartment that was a floor above the Casagrande's. “You’re gonna love these guys.” Carlota claimed. “Doubtful.” Ronnie Anne said as Carlota knocked on the door. A scuffle could be heard from the other side of the door as well as repeating of the phrase ‘I got it’. Lincoln and Ronnie Anne looked at each other, confused about what was going on. The scuffle stopped when a loud thud could be heard from inside. “What type of people are these guys?” Ronnie Anne inquired. “You'll see.” Carlota responded with a smile while staring at the door. The door opened to reveal an African American teenage boy who was about Carlota’s height. He wore a white t-shirt and black basketball shorts that went past his knees and had a white spandex cap on his head. “Hey, Lota. What's up?” The teen greeted. “Hey, Jamie. I wanted to finally introduce your family to my cousin, Ronnie Anne and Lincoln. He's visiting for spring break and they're dating.” Carlota introduced. “No, we're not.” Ronnie Anne and Lincoln protested simultaneously. “What's happin’, little homies?” Jamie grabbed Lincoln's palm and slid it across his own palm, slightly gripping his fingers and then pulling away, leaving Lincoln with a confused look on his face. “I'm guessing no one’s eva dapped you up like that before, huh, little man?” Lincoln shook his head. “Well you don't need to worry too much ‘bout dat. Y’all come on in. Mom, Dad and Grandma took da munchkins to the ‘musement park.” Jamie told them. Lincoln looked at Ronnie Anne as she shrugged, not knowing what to think of what just happened. The three followed after Jamie as he closed the door behind them. The apartment looked the same as the Casagrande’s but with a darker color scheme. They went into the living room. “Y’all can sit on da couch.” Lincoln and Ronnie Anne took a seat while Carlota continued standing. “Yo, Lota’s here wit some youngins.” Jamie shouted as footsteps could be heard rushing towards the room. “Ahhhhh, Lota.” A girl was heard screaming as she ran into the room. She had a curly Afro and was wearing jeans and a black and white striped shirt with a sleeveless jean jacket. She bared a small resemblance to Jaime. “Jazz.” Carlota screamed as she ran up to the girl and hugged her while jumping up and down. They broke the hug and held each other's hands. “It's been so long since we last saw each other.” “Girl, we gotta meet up more often.” The girl responded. “Jazmine, stop actin’ like y’all ain't just talk yesterday.” Jamie demanded. “Jamie, you just jealous you don't have a BFF like Lota.” Jazmine snapped back him. “Whateva. Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, dis my twin sista, Jazmine.” Jamie explained. “So this is Ronnie Anne? Lota told me so much about you. And this must be your boyfriend.” Jazmine said. “He's just my friend.” Ronnie Anne replied, defensively. “Okay.” Jazmine said sarcastically with an eye roll. “So you two are twins?” Lincoln asked. “Yep. Even though we don't look like it. I came out with the looks as you can see.” Jazmine said. “Why you lyin to dem kids?” Jamie questioned with an unimpressed look. “That's kinda funny. I have two twin sisters back home.” Lincoln stated. “Aw, they must be as cute as you.” Jazmine said as she booped Lincoln's nose. “Heh heh. Well,I uh... wouldn't say I'm cute.” Lincoln said shyly, earning a jab from Ronnie Anne's elbow and an annoyed look. “Hey, where's Jackson?” Carlota asked. “Yo, Jack, get out here.” Jamie yelled. “I’m coming, I'm coming.” A voice said from down the hall. A teenager with a small Afro wearing a black vest with a blue shirt and red skinny jeans entered the room “Would you chill. I must look on point before I present myself. Okay, jay-jay? I'm not as comfortable looking like a slob like you.” Jackson explained while placing a hand on his hip. “Just introduce yo-self, foo’.” Jaime demanded. “Hi, I'm Jackson. I'm the most talented out of everyone.” Jackson stated as he walked over to the the young couple. “Like whateva.” Jamie and Jazmine challenged, simultaneously. “And you must be the Casagrande's newest edition to their home. Please to meet you.” Jackson held his hand out. “Likewise.” Ronnie Anne shook his hand. “Oh, and this must be your boyfriend. Oooo, you two make such an adorable couple.” Jackson complemented. “We’re not dating.” Ronnie and Lincoln protested together. “You two might as well admit it. I already know about you two.” Carlota claimed. “What? How?” Ronnie Anne and Lincoln questioned together. “Bobby told me. I didn't bother you about it because I knew the family would bug you about.” Carlota confessed. “Dang it, Bobby. Well since the cats out of the bag. Yes, we are dating.” Ronnie Anne finally admitted while grabbing Lincoln's hand. “Oh, honey you look so cute together.” Jackson said. “Oi.” Ronnie Anne groaned. “Wait, there's still one question I have.” Lincoln spoke up. “What’s dat?” Jamie asked. “Who were you wrestling with if Jazmine and Jackson wasn't in the room?” Lincoln questioned. “Oh, he was wrestling with me but he threw me away from the door and my outfit got messed up when I fell on the floor so I left the room to clean up.” Jackson explained. “And I was never in the room.” Jazmine pointed out. “Oh. That makes sense.” Lincoln said. “I also have a question. A few actually.” Ronnie Anne said. “Shoot.” Jackson advised. “If Jamie and Jazmine are twins how come one speaks with an accent?” Ronnie Anne inquired. “Oh, he's speaking in what we call Ebonics.” Jazmine explained. “Ebonics?” Lincoln and Ronnie Anne questioned. “I guess there's not that many southerners where you two are from, huh? Well to put it simply, Ebonics is a type of English that some black people from the south speak. It involves slurring some words and mispronouncing certain words. Like how Jamie replaces the TH in the them with a D. A lot of our family is from the south and we sometimes speak in Ebonics. Jamie and our oldest brother, Jimmy speak in it more than Jackson and I. We speak in it whenever we're angry or sometimes when we're really happy. Jamie and Jimmy speak in it whenever they feel like it.” Jazmine explained. “Whenever I'm in a chill mood I'll speak in Ebonics. I normally speak like this. Where I enunciate my words correctly. I just enjoy speaking in Ebonics. Makes me feel special.” Jamie claimed with a smile. “Your whole brain is special.” Jackson joked. “Hush.” “Okay that explains that. I guess my other question is, how does your family know my family?” Ronnie Anne asked. “Lota’s and our mother went to the same college and your family helped us out at a really bad time. But I won't depress you guys with that story. Also, Lota’s been dating our brother, Jimmy for sometime.” Jazmine explained. “Wait. You have a boyfriend?” Ronnie Anne asked with a baffled look. “Of course.” Carlota responded. “Sweetie, did you really think all this wasn't gonna have a boyfriend?” Jackson gestured to Carlota. “So where is this other brother of yours?” Lincoln asked. “He prolly still sleepin’. Jack, come help me wake him up.” Jamie demanded. “Alright.” Jackson complied as they made their way down the hall to the bedroom. They entered the room and a loud ruckus could be heard. It went on for a few seconds before it turned into silence. Footsteps were heard leaving the room as a tall, semi-buff teenager walked out with a short fade haircut and a small beard on his chin. He wore a black t-shirt and white basketball shorts. He held Jackson in a headlock in one arm and Jamie in the other as they squirmed to break free. “Lincoln, Ronnie Anne, this is our brother, James.” Jackson said through a choked breath as Ronnie Anne and Lincoln looked up in amazement. “Hey, how's it going?” James asked. The young couple were still stunned by the teenagers strength and stature. “Don't let his height fool you. He's only got us like this because we interrupted his sleep. He's like a kitten when he's fully awake.” Jackson stated as Carlota walked up to the teen. “Babyyyy, how am I supposed to get a hello kiss if you're choking your brothers?” Carlota asked with a fake pout. “You right. Come here, you.” James agreed and dropped Jamie and Jackson in favor of grabbing Carlota and pulling her close to him. They shared a brief kiss as Jamie and Jackson got to their feet. Carlota rested her head on James’s chest and looked back at the couple as James smiled. “Lincoln and Ronnie Anne, this is my boyfriend!” Carlota claimed. The couple continued staring at the teen until... “Wow, you're really tall!” The couple pointed out. “That's what happens when you drink your milk, kiddies.” Jackson joked. “Do you play basketball?” Ronnie Anne asked as Carlota moved towards the couch. “I would but people keep saying I have an unfair advantage.” James answered. “That, and if you end up trippin’ and fallin’ on someone, they ain't walkin’ off the court.” Jamie mocked. “Shut up. Over there, lookin’ like a dirty deodorant stick.” James responded. “Oh boy, I'm ‘bout to cook you worst then when you fell asleep on the beach.” Jamie retorted. “Um, excuse me?” Ronnie Anne interjected. “Yes?” The two brothers responded. “You guys don't really act like brothers. It almost seems like you guys hate each other.” Ronnie Anne stated. “You kidding?! I'd destroy anybody who’d try ta hurt these foos right here.” James wrapped his arms around Jackson and Jamie necks. “Yeah. We insult each other because we're family. We're comfortable with each other so we never say anything too hurtful. If anybody we don't know like that tried, they'd be in a world of hurt.” Jackson spoke. “I love these three idiots. They drive me insane sometimes but their family.” Jazmine added, bringing a smile to Lincoln's face. “Wow, you guys remind me of my family.” Lincoln said. “How's yo family little man?” Jamie asked. “Well, I have a 11 sisters so it can get pretty hectic.” Lincoln divulged. “Dang. Y’all got rabbit DNA or summin’?” Jamie joked. “How do you live with that many siblings? Doesn't it feel cramped?” Jazmine asked. “Sometimes but we make it work. Like this one time me and my sisters switched rooms…” Lincoln went on to talk about all of the misadventures he got into with his sisters. Lincoln continued talking for about an hour while standing in the middle of the room. Everyone was sitting on the couch and on the floor as he talked. The brothers and sister were laughing at some of his tales. Some the stories left them a bit confused. “So your sisters ruined your chances to get your cereal?!” Jamie said. “Yep. But they made it up to me by buying the zombie bran.” Lincoln explained. “Man, I would of threw dem under the bus. I ain't about to let no one mess up my chance of gettin’ breafas.” Jamie proclaimed. “Yo sisters sound like a handful in a half.” James pointed out. “Tell me about it.” Ronnie Anne added. “So what about you, Ronnie Anne? Lota kept telling me all about you. Like how she likes finally having another girl in the house and that she finally has something like a little sister.” Jazmine said. “Really?” Ronnie Anne questioned to Carlota. “Yeah. I was so excited to have you come live with us. I never had a sister before so I was looking forward to getting able to bond with you.” Carlota expressed. “Sound familiar.” Lincoln smirked causing Ronnie Anne to have a light blush on her face and rub her arm. “But you kept avoiding me so I thought you didn't want to have anything to do with me.” Carlota said with a frown. “It's because you keep trying to dress me up in those girly outfits. I hate putting on dresses and wearing makeup and all that junk.” Ronnie Anne confessed. “I didn't know that. If you had told me I would've tried bonding with you some other way.” Carlota explained. “How?” Ronnie Anne inquired. “I like video games.” Carlota admitted. “You do?” Ronnie Anne questioned. “Definitely. No one’s been able to beat her in Pavement Brawler. She's like the reigning champ down at the arcade.” Jamie said. “There's an arcade? Wait, you're reigning champ?!” Ronnie Anne asked. “Yeah. I wanted to take you by the arcade during the break but I didn't think you wanted to hangout me.” Carlota looked down at her feet. “Carlota, I'm sorry. Ever since we moved, it's been kinda hard for me to really adjust to everything. I also don't have the best experience expressing my feelings.” Ronnie Anne said. “I can vouch for that.” Lincoln interjected. “I should've just told you I didn't like dresses and girly things instead of avoiding you. Can we start over?” Ronnie Anne pleaded. Carlota got up from the couch and walked over to her. “You got it, sis.” Carlota kneeled down and hugged Ronnie Anne. Ronnie Anne returned the gesture. They held the hug for a few seconds. “Aww, this is beautiful.” Jamie stated as the two broke the hug. “I still wanna know why you really wanted me to meet these guys.” Ronnie Anne said. “It's because they're, pretty much, another part of the family. You're gonna see a lot them.” Carlota emphasized. “How come I haven't seen them around before?” Ronnie Anne questioned. “We usually go to school later than you and come back later. Also we hang out somewhere else usually.” Jazmine explained. “Okay, but how come you don't visit us downstairs?” Ronnie Anne asked. “We do visit. You're just in your room most of the time when we're there. You're mother kept wanting to introduce us to you but you kept saying you were busy.” Jazmine pointed. “Oh. Sorry.” Ronnie Anne looked down in regret. “Eh, don't worry about it. I'd stay in my room too if I had to meet these two oafs.” Jackson pointed to Jamie and James. “Man, hush.” Jamie said, defensively. “Heh heh. You guys are pretty funny. I want to know more about you.” Ronnie Anne stated. “What do you want to know?” Jazmine asked. “Like, how come James is dating my cousin?” Ronnie Anne inquired. “Cuz she was never afraid or intimidated by my height. Most people are a bit scared to approach me but she asked me out one time and we've been dating ever since. She's the nicest woman I ever met. I couldn't asked for a more perfect girlfriend.” James complemented. “Ooohhh, honey bear.” Carlota walked over to James and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Hope your boyfriend takes note.” Jamie said to Ronnie Anne. “He treats me pretty good. Don'tcha, Lincoln.” Ronnie Anne said with sultry eyes as she leaned closer to him. “I um… hehe heh, I uh.” Lincoln struggled to talk. “I'm just messing with you, Lame-o.” Ronnie Anne teased. “Guys can't resist that Casagrande charm.” Carlota smirked. “Yep.” James agreed. “I got a question for you, snow cap.” Jamie spoke up. “What's that?” Lincoln inquired. “What's going wit yo hair?” Jamie asked. “Oh, it's from my grandpa. I'm the only one out of my siblings to have white hair.” Lincoln explained. “Oooh, okay.” Jamie accepted. “So Jazmine what's your connection to Carlota?” Ronnie Anne asked. “Fashion, of course. She saved me from a first day of school fashion disaster back in 2nd grade. I looked like a nightmare. My hair was completely out of whack, my outfit was unkempt. I was a mess. Lota saw me, took me into the bathroom and worked a miracle on me. We've been besties ever since.” Jazmine claimed with a smile. “Cool. What are your connections Jamie and Jackson?” Ronnie Anne asked. “She helped us a lot during what we know as… the great water war.” Jamie said in serious tone as everyone excluding Lincoln and Ronnie Anne bowed their heads, leaving the couple confused. “Never forget.” Jackson said. “What’s the great water war?” Lincoln asked. “A tale for another day.” Jamie stated. “Aw, man I wanna know.” Ronnie Anne pleaded. “We'll tell you about it some other time. Right now, I think it's time we head out.” Carlota got up from the couch. “Come on you two. I'll see you later, baby.” “See you, Lota.” James waved. “Aw, but I wanted to hang out with them more.” Ronnie Anne whined as the three walked towards the front door. Jamie followed behind. “I'm sure they got other stuff they need to do today. Plus you got a whole spring break to hangout with them.” Carlota assured. “That's true. But I have one last question.” Ronnie Anne claimed. “What's that?” Jamie asked. “What’re your last names.” Ronnie Anne inquired. “McBride.” The brothers and sister answered together. “Wait, what!?” Lincoln and Ronnie Anne asked in surprise. “What's wrong?” Jamie asked. “Do you know a kid named Clyde McBride?” Lincoln questioned. “Yeah, that's our cousin. Wait, how do you know him?” Jamie asked. “He's my best friend back in Royal Woods.” Lincoln stated. “Wow, no kiddin’? Small world. How’s he been? We haven't seen him and uncle Howard and Harold in a minute.” Jamie stated. “Still as wacky as ever. He actually has a crush on my oldest sister.” Lincoln informed. “Yeah, that sounds about right. We told em to try dating someone around his age but keeps tellin’ us the heart want what the heart wants. Alright, we'll see you guys around.” Jamie opened the door for the three. “Okay. Bye, everyone.” Lincoln waved. “Bye, nice meeting you two.” The brothers and sisters. “Bye.” Ronnie Anne waved back as Jamie started closing the door. “Man, those guys were cool.” Ronnie Anne said as the three made their way downstairs. “Yeah.” Lincoln agreed. “Since you liked them so much, I could invite them to a day at the arcade, if you're okay with that.” Carlota said while scratching the back of her head as they made it to their floor. “That’d be awesome… and Carlota?” Ronnie Anne beckoned with a light blush on her face. “Yeah?” Carlota answered. “Could we hang out sometime, just you and me?” Ronnie Anne asked. “Sure. I managed to get my hands on the latest Zbox.” Carlota claimed. “Sweet… and also.” Ronnie Anne hugged her. “Sorry again for avoiding you.” “It's okay. Now we can really be sisters.” Carlota stated. “I’d like that.”

#the loud house #ronnie anne santiago #lincoln loud #carlota casagrande #ocs #one shots

[ebenpink]

Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 http://bit.ly/2IY7v9M

Research of the Week

Third party research confirms that a pasture-based cattle operation in Georgia is securing more carbon in the soil than it releases.

The influence personality has on longevity might be modulated by its influence on sleep habits.

Higher inflammation, more impulsivity.

Exercise improves sperm quality, and this quality is transferred to offspring who are lucky enough to be conceived with said “exercise sperm.”

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 333: Arielle Ford: Host Elle Russ chats with Arielle Ford about the law of attraction mindset for love and life.

Episode 334: Keto: Introduction to Keto and How to Do It Right: Host Brad Kearns starts from the beginning.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Media, Schmedia

What happened at uBiome?

Zuckerberg builds his wife a special glowing sleep box for easier, gentler wake-ups.

Interesting Blog Posts

Are mountain climbers selfish?

Everyone sings.

Social Notes

If you’ve had success with the Primal Blueprint, Keto Reset, or any of the advice offered on this site, send in your success story. All submissions will receive a discount code for use on Primal Blueprint or Primal Kitchen.

Everything Else

You’ve gotta fight… for your right… to LIIIIIIIIIGHT.

How the Thai government invented pad Thai.

Visualization of wolf pack territoriality.

Denisovan jawbone discovered high up in the plateaus of Tibet.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Video I enjoyed: Dave Feldman’s “A Deep Dive into Cholesterol and Risk.”

Article I found interesting: “Busting the myth that depression doesn’t affect people in poor countries.”

Good move: College student leaves university to become a deer huntress on a remote Scottish island.

Post I enjoyed: The Carnivore Diet for Mental Health?

I’ve heard this before: Skipping breakfast could help you lose weight.

Question I’m Asking

What would you choose—politics major in college or remote island conservationist culling deer?

Recipe Corner

Mediterranean salad (I’d add some meat).

Sometimes you just want a big old taco salad. Here’s a healthy one.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Apr 28– May 4)

The (Maybe Not So) Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy – What’s the deal with cold therapy?

A Primal Primer: Lymphatic Health – What’s going on with your lymphatic system?

Comment of the Week

“‘When we sleep, our brain distinguishes between important and unimportant sounds.’

They needed a study to figure that out? Ask any parent. Mom can sleep through the show on TV, or the noise of big trucks passing in the street. But just let Baby whimper, or the teenager try to sneak in late, and Mom’s wide awake. Dad, OTOH, will totally sleep through a baby’s earsplitting wails, but wake up if someone tries to change the TV channel he’s “watching” with his eyes closed and mouth open.”

– Pretty funny, Bet Rob.

//

//

The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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#IFTTT #Blogger

[bizarrebird]

As mentioned, I’m still on my Buffy kick, so I’m gonna continue with my live blogging. Fair warning, I may skip some episodes because they’re... not great or too Xander centric for my tastes. But I don’t think anyone’s gonna read these who isn’t familiar with the series so you probably know why I’m skipping the ones I am.

Anyway, onto Season 2, Episode 2: Some Assembly Required

First, I just wanna say, I’m really dumb cause I thought this was the episode where Spike and Dru show up and stuff gets good but SURPRISE THAT’S NOT TILL EPISODE THREE FFFFFFUUUUUUUU

So we start with Buffy in a graveyard (we start here a lot, idk if it’s the same graveyard all the shots here are so fucking dark you can’t tell what anyth) waiting for a new vamp to rise from his grave. Angel appears out of nowhere, startling her because, as Buffy points out, he never learned to approach people like a normal person. Angel makes a comment about how he expected Buffy to have Xander or someone with her.

And okay, there’s a lot to unpack in this conversation, the parts that happen before and after they get interrupted by random vampire of the week. Don’t wanna spend the whole liveblog on this, so I’m gonna bullet point the important things

Angel giving Buffy shit for dancing with Xander, but refusing to admit he’s jealous cause Angel is a tool (this is a recurring theme)

Buffy saying she just did it to make Angel jealous, probably cause he’s a tool and never wants to talk about his feelings (also a recurring theme)

Vague slutshamey talking about the dancing which is super uncomfy

Angel calling Xander ‘just a kid’ which has a lot of just... super creepy implications, which are like almost addressed when Buffy asks if that means she’s a kid too, but we don’t get an answer to that (for the record she’s 16 and Angel is super fucking old, yeah I gotta talk about this later in another post)

Angel just tries to go cause he’s a little shit baby who makes Buffy do like 80% of the work in their relationship

Alright, there’s a lot of expansion that can be done on all this, but a lot of it’ll probably happen in liveblogging future episodes.

SO ANYWAY as Buffy goes to chase after Angel (like he always makes her do), she falls into an open grave and they realize the body has been dragged away, starting this investigation into the ‘monster of the week’ as we go to OPENING CREDITS

As the cool music fades we go to Buffy and Xander walking into the library to find Giles talking to an empty chair, practicing how to ask out Jenny Calendar. It’s actually pretty cute and I love awkward nerd dad Giles and Buffy sasses him in a charming way... which Xander then makes super weird, leading to the very, very warranted line from Buffy: “I fear you.” You should fear him, Buffy. You and every other female character in this show. Buffy goes on to give Giles some advice about asking Jenny out, which is sweet, while Xander is a tool.

Buffy then starts talking about the grave she and Angel found. Xander of course has to comment on her being there with Angel, y’know the guy Buffy has a legit on and off again thing with, who she has every right to hang out with without you judging her Xander, shut your gross mouth. Buffy continues to explain stuff and they decide to get Willow to look into the missing body, cause I guess this was the 90s and no one else knows how computers work

Willow we find being adorable and signing up for a science fair where random creepo of the week (I think he’s called Erik???? idk he’s gross so I don’t wanna acknowledge him more than I absolutely have to. Isn’t it wild that a feminist show has so many just casually creepy dude characters? I wonder what that’s about, Joss) Less creepy rando of the week, Chris, shows up and has a nice chat with Willow (too bad we’re going to forget he exists after this episode) Then light of my life, queen of my heart Cordelia shows up to also do the science fair cause the writers needed to find a reason to get her into this plot where she’s gonna get creeped on a whole bunch, great. Buffy shows up for Scoobie bizz and Cordy and Willow go with her, conveniently missing the super cryptic lines the episode randos drop in the middle of a crowded school hallway, but I guess none of the extras can hear so no one calls the cops

Cut to the library where everyone except Willow is scared of the witchcraft that makes the computer work, so she looks up the missing dead girl. Cordelia doesn’t care what they’re doing, but follows along anyway cause the writers kinda want her to be in the Scoobie gang but can’t figure out how to make it happen. She also drops some big foreshadowing that no one listens to because no one in this show appreciates her the way I do. Willow finds that their missing dead girl was killed in an accident with two other girls, so they decide to see if their bodies are gone too as Giles runs through creepy theories about flesh eating demons or zombies. Buffy briefly mentions Angel and Xander shoves his own foot up his ass in protest

We then go to the graveyard where Giles and Xander dig up the grave while Buffy and Willow talk about boys (will we pass the bechdel test this episode? we just don’t know) Buffy gets shamed more for her ‘sexydance’ with Xander and then she asks about the foreshadowing Cordelia dropped earlier and Willow turns into an exposition fairy to talk about Chris’s dead brother, who totally isn’t related at all to the dead bodies being dug up now. Buffy opens up the coffin and we cut to--

Cordelia heading to her car after cheer practice, only to be stalked by a mysterious pair of shoes in the most ripped from a horror movie scene this episode. She hides in a dumpster only to realize the creep following her is actually Angel, who still doesn’t know how to not terrify people he’s trying to talk to. As she’s getting out o the dumpster, Cordelia finds a severed hand trying to cop a feel

The gang gets back to the library where Angel and Cordelia are hanging out (probably planning their spin off already) and Xander and Angel are stupid at each other because that’s the only kind of interaction these two can ever have. Angel tells them about the body parts in the dumpster, which apparently he looked at enough to know some bits are missing, throwing out all the theories the scoobies came up with. He says that the stitching was super good and Giles makes the (very justified) point that high schoolers shouldn’t know how to do that, but apparently they like to stitch up bodies in the science club, so it’s time to break into some lockers. Cordelia asks Angel to take her home and it’s weird for everyone (also Angel’s wearing a really weird jacket right now, it’s khaki and makes him look like a business man who just got laid off and is super bummed that means he can’t sneak around with his secretary anymore)

We then go to Chris’s house where his mom is clearly grieving, but still awful. Now okay, this scene is super short, but very good at establishing everything we need to know about Chris’s homelife, so points there. Back to the school for breaking into people’s lockers. Chris and creepo are found to have lots of medbooks and the creepiest fucking frankengirl made out of pictures from magazines or something. We then go to Chris and creepo in their secret lab where they’re frankensteining the girl bits together

And now we go to the school where Buffy rightly says how messed up this is and Xander opens his mouth to word vomit about love and it’s so weird how his mouth moves but Whedon’s words come out and shit all over female characters. Then we get some cute flirting with Giles and Jenny and he stutters a whole bunch and she asks him out and it’s a genuinely sweet moment (this is when we feel the Whedon destruction of happiness hammers looming. Remember kids, Joss Whedon hates happiness)

Willow tries to do research while Xander’s a dumbass, then Buffy gets there and they discuss the possibilities of frankengirl already being shambling around, only for Giles to get there and say that all three dead heads have been found, so Chris and creepy haven’t finished the job yet. We go to them, talking about how they’ve gotta move fast cause there’s a time limit before the limbs start being extra super dead. Creepy wants to kill a girl and Chris is like ‘dude what the fuck, I’m not doing that’ and it’s revealed that his super dead brother is now a frankenjock and these guys can just... bring people back from the dead??? For a show where people drop like flies, you’d think this would get a little more focus, but no. Super dead bro just wants an equally horrifying lady friend and manages to football talk Chris into agreeing to murder. Dead guy looks at creepy’s pictures and he picks Cordelia (cause it’s been almost an episode since she’s been kidnapped, gotta tick that box again)

The Scoobies meanwhile realize that Chris and creepy have to kill a new girl to get a head and Buffy’s the only one appropriately enraged by this. Willow tries to argue sympathy for Chris, which Buffy doesn’t seem to go for until she goes to Chris’s house and gets an idea of how shit his situation is with his mom. Buffy goes to check out Chris’s weird basement room while dead bro looms, she finds a creepy cut up picture of Cordy and rushes to the rescue. Meanwhile Cordelia gets menaced and kidnapped in the locker room but Buffy shows up just in time to save her. Then Cordelia, cause she’s a fucking pro, insists on going out for cheerleading stuff, gotta lead all those fuckin cheers

Buffy realizes Chris is still there and does try to sympathize, but tells him he’s gotta knock off the creepy shit. Chris plays the pronoun game saying he has to do this for “him” until Buffy realizes he means his dead brother. We briefly see said brother smashing everything and attacking creepy until he says he can make him the lady friend on his own. Buffy and Chris get back to the hidey hole too late and realize dead bro and creepy are still going after my sweet Cordelia

At the football game we see Giles and Jenny on their date, her actually calling it that and making Giles go all awkward. But then the cockblock crew shows up and Willow and Xander steal Giles’s food instead of... y’know, worrying about the potential frankenteen stuff going on. Cordelia gets statched by the dead guy and dragged off while the crowd is distracted by the bizarrely shiny yellow pants the football players are wearing. Buffy and Chris get there a little too late and then we see Cordelia with the creeps and she screams a lot, which... fair Cordy, me too

Chris tells Buffy where to find Cordelia. Apparently they’re just doing this in an old science lab??? .Chris goes to get backup and Buffy goes for the save. She real quickly tries to talk things down, cause she does sympathize with Chris, but when deaders goes to attack Cordy, Buffy goes for the ass kick. The fight goes on for a really, really long time cause this guy won’t get staked. The lab starts catching on fire as Xander gets there and (being useful for the first time this episode, no this season) goes to get a tied up Cordelia out (or he tries to, he can’t undo the fucking straps holding her down on her weird gurney thing, just ignoring all the knives and cutting tools like a foot away cause why use his thinkerbox for anything other than petty quips)

Giles and Willow get there and remove an unconscious creepy. Xander just... he fucking throws himself onto a still screaming Cordelia, giving up getting her untied and just wheels them out because the lab is on too much fire now. This knocks the gurney where the rest of the bits of the would be frankengirl are into the biggest fire. Dead bro is about to super smash Buffy when Chris gets there and yells at him.

This makes him notice the burning body and he just... really awkwardly climbs on top of it and gets redeaded in the fire. And it’s kinda sad but he’s been super creepy this whole episode and no one will remember this later

Outside the fire department gets there a little before Angel does (still wearing his weird khaki outfit like he forgot his middle and last names are “I’ll stop wearing black when they invent a darker color”) And he just... stands there for a bit until we cut to Giles and Jenny talking about a second date. I’m sure that will go well and there won’t be any drama

Xander and Willow talk about how they’re sad and dateless for some reason. Well, Xander says that because he’s a clod and Willow humors him because she’s a soft lovely lady who hasn’t realized there are better options out there yet (soon, honey, soon) Cordelia, who has been temporarily possessed by Joss Whedon, tries to flirt at Xander a little, but he’s dumbass and just brushes her off

Cordelia makes the greatest face ever and is temporarily released from the mild insanity that makes her think Xander is anything more than a terrible worm boy (this won’t last and I hate that)

Now we close out on the same graveyard where we started (wow, neat, such closure, much meaning wow) There’s also this weird cut to a closeup where Sarah Michelle Gellar is clearly standing on a box as Angel talks about how he is in fact jealous of Xander. Progress! I guess. He talks about how being a vampire is suffering cause it makes dating a teenager hard

I joke, but okay, this is a sweet scene and a nice way to bookend the episode, and this is coming from Bangelhater69 over here

FINAL THOUGHTS: In terms of advancing the plot, not a whole lot happens, but there are some good character and relationship moments here, so it’s definitely not all bad. But hey guys SPIKE GETS HERE NEXT EPISODE!!!!

#diana hush #diana liveblogs buffy #these are fun for me so i'm gonna keep doing them #xander hate #in my defense he's a massive shitlord here #i mean he always is but this episode feels extra bad #i can and possibly will write some other posts about some of the stuff that came up here #specifically about how the narrative treats buffy and also some of the ishy er things about her relationship with angel #but not right now cause the next ep has spike so i'm getting right on that

[jesseneufeld]

Weekly Link Love — Edition 27

Research of the Week

Third party research confirms that a pasture-based cattle operation in Georgia is securing more carbon in the soil than it releases.

The influence personality has on longevity might be modulated by its influence on sleep habits.

Higher inflammation, more impulsivity.

Exercise improves sperm quality, and this quality is transferred to offspring who are lucky enough to be conceived with said “exercise sperm.”

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 333: Arielle Ford: Host Elle Russ chats with Arielle Ford about the law of attraction mindset for love and life.

Episode 334: Keto: Introduction to Keto and How to Do It Right: Host Brad Kearns starts from the beginning.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Media, Schmedia

What happened at uBiome?

Zuckerberg builds his wife a special glowing sleep box for easier, gentler wake-ups.

Interesting Blog Posts

Are mountain climbers selfish?

Everyone sings.

Social Notes

If you’ve had success with the Primal Blueprint, Keto Reset, or any of the advice offered on this site, send in your success story. All submissions will receive a discount code for use on Primal Blueprint or Primal Kitchen.

Everything Else

You’ve gotta fight… for your right… to LIIIIIIIIIGHT.

How the Thai government invented pad Thai.

Visualization of wolf pack territoriality.

Denisovan jawbone discovered high up in the plateaus of Tibet.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Video I enjoyed: Dave Feldman’s “A Deep Dive into Cholesterol and Risk.”

Article I found interesting: “Busting the myth that depression doesn’t affect people in poor countries.”

Good move: College student leaves university to become a deer huntress on a remote Scottish island.

Post I enjoyed: The Carnivore Diet for Mental Health?

I’ve heard this before: Skipping breakfast could help you lose weight.

Question I’m Asking

What would you choose—politics major in college or remote island conservationist culling deer?

Recipe Corner

Mediterranean salad (I’d add some meat).

Sometimes you just want a big old taco salad. Here’s a healthy one.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Apr 28– May 4)

The (Maybe Not So) Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy – What’s the deal with cold therapy?

A Primal Primer: Lymphatic Health – What’s going on with your lymphatic system?

Comment of the Week

“‘When we sleep, our brain distinguishes between important and unimportant sounds.’

They needed a study to figure that out? Ask any parent. Mom can sleep through the show on TV, or the noise of big trucks passing in the street. But just let Baby whimper, or the teenager try to sneak in late, and Mom’s wide awake. Dad, OTOH, will totally sleep through a baby’s earsplitting wails, but wake up if someone tries to change the TV channel he’s “watching” with his eyes closed and mouth open.”

– Pretty funny, Bet Rob.

(function($) { $("#df4NFKF").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=df4NFKF" ); })( jQuery );

window.onload=function(){ga('send', { hitType: 'event', eventCategory: 'Ad Impression', eventAction: '67624' });}

The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/

[lauramalchowblog]

Weekly Link Love — Edition 27

Research of the Week

Third party research confirms that a pasture-based cattle operation in Georgia is securing more carbon in the soil than it releases.

The influence personality has on longevity might be modulated by its influence on sleep habits.

Higher inflammation, more impulsivity.

Exercise improves sperm quality, and this quality is transferred to offspring who are lucky enough to be conceived with said “exercise sperm.”

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 333: Arielle Ford: Host Elle Russ chats with Arielle Ford about the law of attraction mindset for love and life.

Episode 334: Keto: Introduction to Keto and How to Do It Right: Host Brad Kearns starts from the beginning.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Media, Schmedia

What happened at uBiome?

Zuckerberg builds his wife a special glowing sleep box for easier, gentler wake-ups.

Interesting Blog Posts

Are mountain climbers selfish?

Everyone sings.

Social Notes

If you’ve had success with the Primal Blueprint, Keto Reset, or any of the advice offered on this site, send in your success story. All submissions will receive a discount code for use on Primal Blueprint or Primal Kitchen.

Everything Else

You’ve gotta fight… for your right… to LIIIIIIIIIGHT.

How the Thai government invented pad Thai.

Visualization of wolf pack territoriality.

Denisovan jawbone discovered high up in the plateaus of Tibet.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Video I enjoyed: Dave Feldman’s “A Deep Dive into Cholesterol and Risk.”

Article I found interesting: “Busting the myth that depression doesn’t affect people in poor countries.”

Good move: College student leaves university to become a deer huntress on a remote Scottish island.

Post I enjoyed: The Carnivore Diet for Mental Health?

I’ve heard this before: Skipping breakfast could help you lose weight.

Question I’m Asking

What would you choose—politics major in college or remote island conservationist culling deer?

Recipe Corner

Mediterranean salad (I’d add some meat).

Sometimes you just want a big old taco salad. Here’s a healthy one.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Apr 28– May 4)

The (Maybe Not So) Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy – What’s the deal with cold therapy?

A Primal Primer: Lymphatic Health – What’s going on with your lymphatic system?

Comment of the Week

“‘When we sleep, our brain distinguishes between important and unimportant sounds.’

They needed a study to figure that out? Ask any parent. Mom can sleep through the show on TV, or the noise of big trucks passing in the street. But just let Baby whimper, or the teenager try to sneak in late, and Mom’s wide awake. Dad, OTOH, will totally sleep through a baby’s earsplitting wails, but wake up if someone tries to change the TV channel he’s “watching” with his eyes closed and mouth open.”

– Pretty funny, Bet Rob.

(function($) { $("#df73Mvb").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=df73Mvb" ); })( jQuery );

window.onload=function(){ga('send', { hitType: 'event', eventCategory: 'Ad Impression', eventAction: '72277' });}

The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 published first on https://venabeahan.tumblr.com

[jesseneufeld]

Weekly Link Love — Edition 27

Research of the Week

Third party research confirms that a pasture-based cattle operation in Georgia is securing more carbon in the soil than it releases.

The influence personality has on longevity might be modulated by its influence on sleep habits.

Higher inflammation, more impulsivity.

Exercise improves sperm quality, and this quality is transferred to offspring who are lucky enough to be conceived with said “exercise sperm.”

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 333: Arielle Ford: Host Elle Russ chats with Arielle Ford about the law of attraction mindset for love and life.

Episode 334: Keto: Introduction to Keto and How to Do It Right: Host Brad Kearns starts from the beginning.

Each week, select Mark’s Daily Apple blog posts are prepared as Primal Blueprint Podcasts. Need to catch up on reading, but don’t have the time? Prefer to listen to articles while on the go? Check out the new blog post podcasts below, and subscribe to the Primal Blueprint Podcast here so you never miss an episode.

Media, Schmedia

What happened at uBiome?

Zuckerberg builds his wife a special glowing sleep box for easier, gentler wake-ups.

Interesting Blog Posts

Are mountain climbers selfish?

Everyone sings.

Social Notes

If you’ve had success with the Primal Blueprint, Keto Reset, or any of the advice offered on this site, send in your success story. All submissions will receive a discount code for use on Primal Blueprint or Primal Kitchen.

Everything Else

You’ve gotta fight… for your right… to LIIIIIIIIIGHT.

How the Thai government invented pad Thai.

Visualization of wolf pack territoriality.

Denisovan jawbone discovered high up in the plateaus of Tibet.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Video I enjoyed: Dave Feldman’s “A Deep Dive into Cholesterol and Risk.”

Article I found interesting: “Busting the myth that depression doesn’t affect people in poor countries.”

Good move: College student leaves university to become a deer huntress on a remote Scottish island.

Post I enjoyed: The Carnivore Diet for Mental Health?

I’ve heard this before: Skipping breakfast could help you lose weight.

Question I’m Asking

What would you choose—politics major in college or remote island conservationist culling deer?

Recipe Corner

Mediterranean salad (I’d add some meat).

Sometimes you just want a big old taco salad. Here’s a healthy one.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Apr 28– May 4)

The (Maybe Not So) Definitive Guide to Cold Therapy – What’s the deal with cold therapy?

A Primal Primer: Lymphatic Health – What’s going on with your lymphatic system?

Comment of the Week

“‘When we sleep, our brain distinguishes between important and unimportant sounds.’

They needed a study to figure that out? Ask any parent. Mom can sleep through the show on TV, or the noise of big trucks passing in the street. But just let Baby whimper, or the teenager try to sneak in late, and Mom’s wide awake. Dad, OTOH, will totally sleep through a baby’s earsplitting wails, but wake up if someone tries to change the TV channel he’s “watching” with his eyes closed and mouth open.”

– Pretty funny, Bet Rob.

(function($) { $("#dfhNVQM").load("https://www.marksdailyapple.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=dfads_ajax_load_ads&groups=674&limit=1&orderby=random&order=ASC&container_id=&container_html=none&container_class=&ad_html=div&ad_class=&callback_function=&return_javascript=0&_block_id=dfhNVQM" ); })( jQuery );

window.onload=function(){ga('send', { hitType: 'event', eventCategory: 'Ad Impression', eventAction: '84457' });}

The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

Weekly Link Love — Edition 27 published first on https://drugaddictionsrehab.tumblr.com/