#law school bingo: insecurity

[theautumnisnoble]

we'll learn to swim in the oceans you made

After listening to Shirtsleeves by Ed Sheeran this scenario immediately came into mind, also heavily inspired by Jenn Im's pregnancy youtube video titled, "We're Pregnant!"

[Also a very big thank you to A (@solhwippedsubs on twt and holdoutandwin on ao3) for beta-reading this. I love you my solhwi fluff confidant!]

Word Count: 2k words

"Wake up!" Sol removes the comforter that was covering his husband's body and started shaking him. "Han Joon Hwi, ireona!"

"Mmm, Sol-ah. Why?" Joon Hwi covered his eyes with his arm to shield them from the rays of sunlight and wondered why the love of his life was forcing him out of their bed so early in the morning.

"Ireona! Jebal.." Joon Hwi immediately shot up as Sol's voice started to crack and he examined her face. Sol teared up and Joon Hwi noticed she was holding something tightly, stick close to snapping into half.

"Babe, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Joon Hwi held both of her arms and looked up at her.

Sol had been so emotional these days, well, more than she usually is. Sol always has been a passionate ball of fury, but Joon Hwi especially had it rough this week. He doesn't find Sol annoying or tiring for any of that matter, but he would wonder why Sol would suddenly cry or get mad at him for absolutely no reason, and if there was, then he avoided asking it as when he did that one time, Sol only got more mad at him. There was also yesterday when Joon Hwi sprayed on himself the perfume that Sol gifted to him on their wedding anniversary last April and Sol suddenly pinched her nose close and walked outside of their bedroom. And now, Sol was in tears, sobbing, at 7 am in the morning.

"Babe.. I'm starting to worry. What's wrong?"

"I told you to be careful!!!" Sol lightly punched his shoulder and bawled.

Joon Hwi raised his arm and wiped her tears using the sleeves of his sweater, pulling on the cloth with his fingers. "What did I do wrong? Calm down for a sec and tell me.."

"Don't tell me to calm down!"

"O-okay." Joon Hwi surrendered for a while and let Sol release all of her emotions. Moments later, her sobs started to simmer down and Joon Hwi opened his arms wide. "C'mere."

Sol bended down and let Joon Hwi's arms circle around her. Her lower body slowly went closer to him and then she sat on his lap, her shoulder against his chest. Joon Hwi wiped down the dampness on her face and caressed her arm. "Now, babe, talk to me, okay? I'm never gonna know what I did wrong if you won't tell me."

Sol faced him and tried to form intelligent words. "Well, you—"

"Hmm?"

"I'm—" Her mouth started to form into a pout and tears started fall again from her eyes. "Joon Hwi-ah." She released sobs again and buried her face into his neck. Joon Hwi sighed and patted her arm.

"Babe—"

"I'm pregnant."

Joon Hwi paused his movements and pulled his head back away, lightly pushing Sol by her shoulders, to let Sol face him. Sol's eyes wandered down to her left hand and Joon Hwi followed them, then he grabbed the stick from her hand.

It was a pregnancy test. Two red-dyed lines. Positive.

Joon Hwi faced Sol, his lips starting to form into a smile. "Babe—"

"I told you to be careful!!" Sol again whimpered, tears still falling.

"W-what? Is it because I—"

"Nevermind!" Sol wiped her tears in a rash way and breathed out to calm herself down. "I-it's actually not your fault." Sol now realized the irrationality of her internal reasoning.

Joon Hwi held back a chuckle and tucked a hair behind his wife's ear.

"Remember April?"

"When we shared a sloppy kiss under the rain?" Joon Hwi tried to lighten the mood by reminding her how they had to walk all the way to the bus stop under the heavy pouring rain, just right after they had their wedding anniversary date at a fine dining restaurant four months ago. It was a funny, but sweet memory.

"No! Before that, when I got diagnosed with PCOS."

"Aah."

It left Sol and Joon Hwi almost hopeless for a child when she was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. But Sol, even before that, was convinced she didn't need to have kids and that she was satisfied with her life with Joon Hwi, content that they'd be that couple with no children. They were already busy with their very time-demanding jobs and Sol— she convinced herself she wouldn't be competent with the whole mothering a child thing. But after knowing her condition, the question, "should I?" turned to "could I?". The condition that would possibly rob her of the choice eventually made her think about how it wouldn't be so bad, because Joon Hwi was there. So after the news of her condition, she decided on one thing.

"A-after that I got off birth control." Joon Hwi nodded and listened to Sol, who was still tearing up a bit, and he also wiped down those tears when he could.

"Then yesterday, when I realized I wasn't on my period yet, I got to read my period calculator and saw that I- I was 16 days late." Sol exhaled for courage.

"Then I bought the pregnancy test." Sol paused and looked at Joon Hwi, and her face looked like she was about to burst again. Her lips were shaking and her eyes were still crystal with tears ready to fall. She was scared.

"You can take it slow, I'll be here. I won't stop listening." Sol released a small smile, tidied her face and tucked in her stray hairs, preparing to tell Joon Hwi more while also now trying to relax herself.

"I didn't know if I should take it though. I mean, everything would change if I was pregnant. But I did wanna know, I wanted to be certain. And it said that I should use my morning pee for it so I waited until morning."

"But you hardly even slept.." Joon Hwi recalls her wife tossing and turning beside him, and then ultimately giving up trying to sleep then went downstairs. He bets on Sol reading up on her cases, which works as an alternative sleeping pill for her.

Ever since she was diagnosed with PCOS, Sol really took effort into having a more healthy lifestyle— like exchanging coffee for matcha, this among other things, and also trying to get some more sleep. So Joon Hwi knew that Sol would definitely try to catch up on sleep.

"I did, a bit." She smiled. "So, after that I took it just earlier. A-and I tested positive." Sol's emotions now returned to her and she closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowed and tears started to fall again.

"I'm scared." She looked at him. "I don't know if I'm gonna be a good mother. I feel like I should be happy or something, but I'm just really scared." Sol now covered her face with both palms and cried, Joon Hwi pulled her in to embrace her.

"Babe.." He patted her back.

"What if I try my best, and our kid still doesn't love me?" That was it. Sol released another wave of sobs and her body shook against Joon Hwi's embrace.

Sol thought she wasn't ready. Even if it was her choice to get off birth control, she didn't think she would immediately become pregnant. After all, her doctor said it was now almost impossible to be. In her mind, pregnancy would change everything— from how much devotion she has to her work to maybe how her and Joon Hwi's relationship would change, and maybe for the worst. And she didn't like change, her idealistic plans for her future would need to be altered, and she also didn't like how it would most likely change their marriage. She couldn't have that, she couldn't live with a ruined marriage because she didn't want anything to change between Joon Hwi and her, and she also couldn't live with her child possibly having to live through all that. And what if he gets tired of taking care of me? And tons of other doubts and insecurities showered her.

Why does my mind do this? Sol asked herself. Why can't I just be excited? Joon Hwi is the father of this child. I'm sure he's disappointed in me right now.

Joon Hwi pulled away after she calmed down. He wiped her face, again with his already damp shirtsleeves. He placed short kisses on her wet cheeks and cupped her face. "Sol, I believe in you."

Sol melted and her lips turned into a pout, her face still showing fear and uncertainty.

"I'm with you, whatever your decision is. I will be always there for you as I always have. If you arrive to whichever decision, I will give you my opinion but at the end I will always support you. If you don't want to have the baby, I'll still be here. If you want to try and see it through the end, I will be happy and help you every step of the way. I'm your husband Sol-ah. I know you don't trust yourself that much yet, but trust in me. "

Sol put her arms around him and hugged him tight. "I love you Sol. We'll take it slow, step by step. I know you're panicking right now, but there's no rush. We'll do it together. You're never gonna be alone. I'll be there every single step of the way. And I'm sure our kid will love you. You were an amazing older sister to Byeol and you still are, she adores you so I'm sure our kid will, too."

"I love you Joon Hwi. I love you so much. I love you."

"You love me that much?"

Sol pulled away, annoyed. Joon Hwi released a chuckle.

"I love you too."

"You sure I can do it?" Sol asked. "Being a mom? What if I'm going to be too busy for it?"

"We can always ask Byeol to babysit. Or your mom, she has said she already wants a grandchild."

"You always know the solution to things don't you?" Sol rolled her eyes.

"That's why I'm the perfect husband to the ever worrier Eomma Sol."

"Eomma Sol?" Sol raised her voice, taken aback by the sudden nickname.

"And I'm Appa Joon Hwi. " Then Sol bursted out, laughing. Her tears were now drying on her cheeks and she was more relaxed now.

"See? It's cute." I just wanted to see you smile. Joon Hwi thought.

Sol pulled him into a hug again. "You better not regret being a father to our child, Han Joon Hwi-ssi."

Joon Hwi let himself fall into bed, taking down Sol with her. They both laughed and Joon Hwi pulled her into a kiss, tasting the bitterness and sadness of her tears. They made out, feeling at home and Sol, feeling assured and loved by the person in front of her. Joon Hwi kissed her, tasting the ocean, drowning in the one she made.

"I will never regret it. I will fulfill all the promises I made on our wedding day, to be by your side, To support you, to be a loving husband, to be always there to annoy you—" Sol laughed, remembering his one-liner during their exchange of wedding vows. "To always wake and sleep beside you whenever I can, and to never leave your side." They both smiled at each other and Joon Hwi placed a kiss on her forehead. They pull each other close, feeling each other's warmth. And Sol is now close to slumber, fatigued after her nonstop crying.

"I'll be the happiest father to our child. Of course I will, you're the mother, after all."

#law school bingo #law school bingo: kissing in the rain #law school bingo: insecurity #law school bingo: wedding vows #law school bingo: anniversary #law school bingo: pregnancy #law school bingo: nicknames #law school fic fest #law school month #law school bingo: i just wanted to see you smile #Law School Bingo: Verdict

[littleredroseonthevalley]

An Opera on Separation - Chapter 12

Prologue | Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6 | Ch. 7 | Ch. 8 | Ch. 9 | Ch. 10 | Ch. 11 | CH. 12 | Ch. 13 | Ch. 14 | Ch. 15 | Ch. 16 | Ch. 17 | Ch. 18 |

Summary: Zig and Emily have an awkward conversation at a corner Starbucks, while Queenie prays on Nathan’s insecurities.

Rating: T - Content not suitable for children.  Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with minor suggestive adult themes.

Words: 1287

Notes: Y’all know the gist, Lady Gaga song, read, review, whatever. Alors to the important matters: I am considering writing a sequel for  Wildest Dreams, and I’d like some imput. And readers, preferrably.

As always, I’m availiable for talking on direct messaging, through my never-non-open, anon-friendly askbox, comments and reblogs on this or any other chapter, and pretty much anything other than smoke signals.

With no further ado, enjoy.

Alejandro

Zig and Emily sat at a Starbucks a block away from the apartment building. She stared at him, while he focused on his cup of coffee.

The Latino man had dropped by unannounced at the Sterling residence, looking for her. He had said they had to talk, but there would be no room devoid of prying ears at the upscale apartment, so Emily complied to a walk.

The elevator ride seventeen floors down and the walk over to the coffeeshop were done in complete silence. Once there, Zig had broken his quietness to ask her what she would like and to order an espresso and a hot cocoa. Afterwards, he reverted to the silence, as they picked up their beverages and sat at a corner table.

Finally, she tired of the icy demeanor and says: “Zig, please…”

She was cut off by him. “Why, Emily, why?”

“Why what?” She asks.

The black, thick eyebrows frown pronouncedly. “You know what. Why have you dropped everything here in New York for Nathan, of all people?” He breathes out, tired. “Do you want to get back together with him?”

“God, no!” The redhead shouts, as the mere idea disgusted her. “He served me a divorce over the phone, Zig! That’s a pretty low point for someone to come back from.”

While the phrase was relieving, the tone set the man off. “Then why, Emily?! Why run back to your douche of an ex-husband the minute he has a boo-boo?!”

“Because he needed me to.” She responds, with a low and calm voice. “He didn’t kidnap me and forced me to marry him, you know? I got into that willingly, and while it didn’t work out at the end, I still have the obligation to help him if he truly needs it. Even if out of respect for the years of our marriage.”

The pair of hazel eyes bore through hers, angry and incredulous. “I don’t believe it, Emily. It’s Nathan, for crying out loud! He cheated on you repeatedly, remember?

“Even if he hadn’t, he’s an awful person. You even know what he’s being accused of? Not to mention that Alpha Theta Mu scandal all those years ago. You owe him nothing!”

“That doesn’t matter, Zig.” The woman argues.

“Yes, it does!” He counters, almost childishly.

“People are horrible, Zig.” She looks at him pointedly. “James is a pretentious ass. Chris and Becca stopped talking to me after I divorced Nathan, because the Sterlings are big donors to his campaign. Kaitlyn doesn’t even want to hear anyone’s name, lest of all she remembers she was once a starving college student.

“And, yet, if any of them needed my help, I would help them. What people do, to you or to others, doesn’t erase the bonds you have with them. It doesn’t erase the good moments you had with them. And it doesn’t erase your obligations with them.

“Yes, Nathan was a dick to me. Yes, he could be guilty of the greatest fund embezzlement on the history of North America. Yes, if the roles were on reverse he certainly would not help me. But he was once my husband, and that commands me to support him through a difficult time in his life.”

“And he doesn’t have anyone else he could mooch off?” The brunet asks, petulant.

“Oh, believe me, I tried.” The woman laughs, humorlessly. “Neither of his parents could be bothered. I won’t even mention the rest of his extended family. And his girlfriend mugged him and skipped town.”

This tidbit of information made Zig sadistically satisfied. As much as he was bothered about him latching on his girlfriend, at least he was a maggot devoid of human connections and knew it.

That did not keep him from pressing on. “Regardless, Emily, you owe him nothing. Except perhaps contempt.”

“Look, Zig, I probably won’t ever be able to make you comprehend where I stand about this whole situation.” The woman raised to her feet and left a ten-dollar bill on the table for her unfinished cocoa. “I’m not asking you to understand, I’m not even asking you to accept it. I won’t begrudge you if you want to break up with me over this, but the truth is that I still want to be your girlfriend.”

With that, she turns around and leaves the coffee shop.

Queenie was at the common bathroom between her ‘ratty guest room’ and Nathan’s, putting on jewelry and giving a finish polish to her make-up.

“Ale-Ale-Alejandro, Ale-Ale-Alejandro.” She sung while opening her eyes wide to put on the mascara. “You know that I love you, boy/Hot like Mexico, rejoice/At this point I've gotta choose/Nothing to lose. Woo!”

A person stood by the door, clearing their throat. “Where’s Emily? We have to finish cleaning my closet, and then we have to set up her room.”

“Don’t worry about that.” She responds. “I’ve already been through your mother’s stuff and sorted them.”

“Between what you’re stealing and what you’re burning?” Nathan says, unamused.

“Exactly.” She giggled, happy with the results.

He rolled his eyes. “Where’s your daughter, Soraya?”

“She’s out with her boyfriend.” The woman responded, dismissive.

“Emily has a boyfriend?” Nathan asks, surprised with the titbit of information.

Queenie laughs derisively. “Yes, Zigmund Ortega. You’ve been introduced before, I’m certain. Tall, dark, handsome? Brooding Latino bad boy? Honour roll at Hartfeld?”

“Yes, I remember him.” The blond responds with his teeth clenched. “But I also remember that Emily hasn’t seen him since our marriage.”

“Yeah, he’s a teacher at Emily’s school. A volunteer, at it! Such a coincidence, right? It’s a small world indeed, after all.” The woman puts on an earring to finish off her preparation.

“Volunteer? What does he do for a living?” He inquires, trying to coax some information out of his former mother-in-law.

“Don’t tell me you think you’re the only rich guy me and Emily know.” The matriarch smirks. “He’s co-owner of a tech company and is a highly-sough after programmer and mathematician.”

“What? Zig?” The man scoffs. “Don’t take me as a fool, Soraya.”

“Believe what you want, Wonder Bread.” She responded, pushing him out of the way and walking over to the living room. “I’m off to bingo. Mama’s feeling lucky tonight! Toodle-hoo!”

It was shortly before midnight when Emily finally crossed into the apartment threshold. All she wanted was get to a bed and cry her eyes out.

Not one to get what she wants, though, she encounters Nathan, lounging in an armchair at the living room.

“Hey.” He greets, looking up from his book.

“Hey, Nathan.” She manages a weak, polite smile. “My mom’s sleeping?”

“No, she said she was going out to bingo.” He informed her of the older woman’s whereabouts.

It was enough to elicit a groan out of Emily. “Not this again. I don’t have the strength to deal with her tonight. If the police calls, I’m not home, okay?”

“Sure.” He nods, laughing softly. “I’m guessing your talk with Zig did not end the way you wanted to.” The blond said, appraising the woman carefully.

“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t even know how I wanted it to end, really.”

“You want to talk about it?” The man offered.

The redhead shook her head once again. “Not really. I’d prefer to go to bed now if you don’t mind. I’m too tired and I have classes tomorrow morning.”

“Of course.” Nathan agrees, sporting a comforting smile. “Queenie switched the linens on the bed, so it should be fine for sleeping. If you need anything, there’s extra covers on the closet.”

The redhead sighed, relieved. “Thank you, Nathan. Good night.”

“‘Night.” He responds, and the woman walks over to her bedroom.

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An Opera on Separation - Masterlist

#an opera on separation #the junior #zigmund ortega #nathan sterling

[kbaldwin0609]

'The Bachelor' episode 2 recap: Crash course in love

Photo: ABC

Warning: This recap for episode 2 of The Bachelor contains spoilers. 

Get your motor running rose lovers, because it’s week 2 and our Bachelor is ready to hunt down a wife, like a hawk stalking its prey. (Sorry for mixing my metaphors and similes, folks.) And even though the “ladies” seem to be getting along famously right now at Casa Bachelor, Chris Harrison is quick to remind them that that camaraderie will not last.

Photo: ABC

That’s for damn sure: When Becca K. gets the first one-on-one date, our resident single mom/villain Chelsea is not happy.

Photo: ABC

Becca, meanwhile, hops on the back of Arie’s (rented) motorcycle for a ride through the picturesque Southern California mountains. It’s all very romantic… except for the whole “donorcycle” thing.

Photo: ABC

Krystal’s dad, it turns out, was in a “serious” motorcycle accident, and she also knows lots of people who have died or “lost body parts” in bike accidents as well. Given all that potential awkwardness, I’m surprised Team Bachelor didn’t make Arie take Krystal on the motorcycle date. They love a good “forcing someone to confront a source of personal terror on camera” opportunity.

That said, there is something Team Bachelor loves more than making women fear for their lives, and that’s… the Pretty Woman Date™!!!

Photo: ABC

Naturally Becca is THRILLED at this development — though as a grown-ass woman living in the year 2018 she should know that a man buying you expensive clothes and baubles on your first date is not romantic, it’s creepy and infantilizing. But who cares about that when everything is so SPARKLY???

Photo: ABC

Vom. “Arie makes me feel very special,” gushes Becca. “I appreciate that he picked me to do this.” She appreciates it even more when Arie tells his little lady that she gets to keep ALL the pretty dresses, and he even has some sparkly $700 Louboutins to go with!

Photo: ABC

After poking some diamond Neil Lane earrings through Becca’s lobes, Arie goes in for the smooch, all the while keeping one hand on Becca’s neck. When Becca gets home to primp for part two of her date with Arie, she strolls in so laden with packages and shopping bags that the “ladies” can’t believe what they’re seeing.

Photo: ABC

“Look at those shoes! Are those Louboutins?” shrieks Lauren G. “Eeeeeeeee!” The women vociferously demur when Becca admits she was nervous about bringing all her loot home — and even though the air is thick with jealousy and tension, most of it seems to be directed inward rather than at Becca herself. “Oh my God,” sighs Bibiana ruefully. “They’re gonna get married.” Oh gurl, look at the odds — that’s very unlikely.

Over dinner that night, Arie does a lot of the talking, telling Becca that he feels “wiser” since his last experience on TV and reiterating that his real estate career allowed him to “slow down” and get ready for romance. When Becca does get to speak, it’s to fill Arie in on her late father’s battle with brain cancer — which was, understandably, “the hardest time that I had ever lived through at that point.” The experience, says Becca, brought her even closer to her family — and she’s happy to hear that Arie has strong family ties, too. Of course, she gets the date rose… and some free Neil Lane earrings!

Photo: ABC

Also, I really wish he’d stop running his hands through Becca’s hair. It’s a little much.

The second date of the week is — hold up — another one-on-one date? With Krystal? Well I hope the fitness coach (or whatever) is ready to bring her A-game, because as Arie said, “Becca has definitely set the bar high.”

Krystal may not walk away from her date with a pile of bling, but she will have something to make the other “ladies” jealous: Arie’s taking her home to Scottsdale, Arizona! And she LOVES it.

Photo: ABC

Vom. Once in Arizona, Arie gives Krystal the nickel tour, showing her the Pizza Hut where he worked as a teen, the tree where he had his first kiss, his high school, and naturally his condo, where they pore through old photo albums and watch home movies.

Photo: ABC

But why look at old photos when you can have an awkward encounter with the real thing? That’s right: Arie surprises Krystal with the news that they’re going to meet his family! Though Mr. and Mrs. Arie weren’t super warm the last time they met one of Arie’s dates on TV (see: talking in front of Bachelorette Emily in Dutch), they do their best to endure Krystal’s breathy questioning about how they met.

Photo: ABC

“My mom loves you — I can tell,” Arie tells Krystal as they leave his parents’ home. As for his sister-in-law? I think this barely-repressed sigh speaks for itself.

Photo: ABC

At dinner, Arie invites Krystal to speak (“I want this also to be about you”) — specifically about her family and growing up. As we’ve learned from numerous confessionals, Krystal doesn’t have a close relationship with her family, and she’s nervous about revealing this to the Bachelor. Still, she soldiers on: “My dad wasn’t a part of my life, and my mom was there but was so emotionally unavailable — and I just really felt like my parents didn’t want me.”

Dayum, that’s rough. Krystal goes on tell Arie about the day her brother called her from the hospital after getting beaten up, and she learned he had been living on the streets. The Bachelor assures Krystal that her difficult upbringing doesn’t “reflect negatively” on her, and that he’s not put off by her struggles. In fact, says Arie, he specifically brought Krystal to meet his family in order to ease his mother’s mind about the types of women he would be dating on the show. “You are amazing,” he concludes, handing over the date rose.

Did you have “awkward private concert by (mostly) unknown artist” on your Bachelor bingo game? Time to stamp that card!

Photo: ABC

Maybe next time, Connor.

On to the group date — which is so large Team Bachelor had to hire a tractor-trailer limo to fit all the women inside. Maquel, Marikh, Tia, Valerie, Annaliese, Lauren G., Kendall, Bekah, Jenny, Sienne, Jenna, Caroline, Brittany, Bibiana, [giant gasp for air] and Chelsea bounce out of the truck in their cute athleisure gear and are greeted by Arie, who drives up in a spray-painted beater

He briefs the “ladies” on demolition derby ground rules, and then sends them off to spray paint their cars. To their credit, some of the women get pretty creative with their designs. Winner:

Photo: ABC

Runner-up:

Photo: ABC

Unfortunately Annaliese can’t stop crying; it seems she had a traumatic experience with bumper cars as a child — which Team Bachelor promptly illustrates, nightmare-dream-sequence style.

Photo: ABC

“A bumper car trauma?” scoffs Jenny, one of the 17 blondes on the date. “I didn’t know that bumper car trauma is a thing.” Damn right it is, toots! Especially if it gets Arie to come over and comfort the still-weeping Annaliese one-on-one. The girl’s no fool.

Naturally Chris Harrison is there — along with racecar driver Robby Gordon — to do the color commentary for the “Bashelor Demolition Derby.” And damn, the host isn’t holding back. “So could this be the first time that Arie actually wins something on a race track?”

Photo: ABC

When the air horn blows, the women hit the gas. Suddenly Annaliese transforms from a weepy wuss to a stunt driver in Death Race 2000: She rams into Chelsea, “t-bones” Kendall, and slams into Marikh, all while driving in reverse. “She’s crushing girls like it’s her job!” marvels Harrison. Several minutes of ear-splitting metal-on-metal action later, Seinne emerges victorious in the derby, beating out Raven 2. “Second place sucks d***,” she groans.

Though she didn’t last the longest, Brittany’s derby run was apparently so violent that she upset her own equilibrium, because by the time the after-party rolls around, she is not in attendance. “Brittany smashed everybody with her car,” explains Jenna, “and unfortunately can’t be here.” Hmmm… if Brittany’s going to let something like whiplash or a possible concussion stop her from competing for Arie, maybe she doesn’t really want to be married after all.

Immediately after the toast, Chelsea pulls Arie away for a private chat. It’s time for her to reveal her big secret: She has a 3-year-old son, Sammy! The Bachelor is unfazed, as he once fell for single mom Emily Maynard, and he even lived with a woman with two kids for over a year. “I know that it’s hard to be away [from your son],” says the Bachelor. “It makes me happy that you’re here and taking a chance on me.” Then he eats her face.

Photo: ABC

The women, on the other hand, aren’t so supportive. So what if Chelsea sacrificed time with her son to be here? All of them sacrificed something — like time away from posting on Instagram or posting homemade exercise videos on YouTube! “Everybody has a story,” notes Bibiana. Seinne’s, for instance, involves graduating from Yale, studying abroad in Brazil, and generally being far too good for this show/Arie. And he knows it: “I barely graduated high school and worked at Pizza Hut!” Of course, Arie isn’t going to let his insecurities stop him from macking on Seinne;  when she attempts to pull away from their “thanks for the chat” hug, he keeps his arm firmly around her neck until she realizes the only means of escape is to kiss him.

Photo: ABC

As the night wears on, Bibiana — who was already irritable when the party began — grows ever more frustrated as woman after woman grabs Arie before she can. That is, if she’s even trying — we only ever see her sulking on the couch.

Photo: ABC

“I’m done,” she says with a pout, before stomping out of the room and slamming the door. Meanwhile…

Photo: ABC

“It was, like, really hot,” reports Bekah of her first smooch with the Kissing Bandit. Not hot enough, toots: Seinne gets the date rose!

Photo: ABC

Seinne is in it to win it, dawg.

Cocktail party time! Arie — who either is a true gentleman or just knows how to approximate one, I can’t decide — kicks off the night by seeking out Brittany T., to make sure she feels better after her demolition derby-related injury. She does, especially after the Bachelor gives her this:

Photo: ABC

We interrupt this recap to remind you that fur is gross, folks. Here’s hoping Bekah the nanny’s coat is faux.

Photo: ABC

“I lead with chemistry, and with Bekah, there’s a lot of that,” says Captain Obvious. “She’s bold and charismatic, and when we kiss, it was just apparent that she could be the whole package.” The whole package minus about 10 years, but why quibble?

After an intern surgically removes Arie from Bekah’s face, he gets accosted by Krystal, who feels it’s necessary to “follow up” with the Bachelor even though she already has a rose. As you can imagine, this does not go over well.

Photos: ABC

“I’m not worried,” breathes Krystal in her hyperventilating baby voice. “Some girls are a little weird, and some are very young, and some girls aren’t even there yet.” Which may be why she thinks it’s ok to interrupt Arie again while he’s talking to Bibiana, and you just know Bibi Gun is not about to lose her time tonight.

Krystal: “Do you mind if I step in for a moment?” Bibiana: “I actually do.”

The tension carries over into the house when Krystal foolishly (or as a calculated manipulation) comes and sits next to Bibiana. “I really think that you have a lot of balls just coming to sit down with us,” growls Bibi. “When you learn to speak to me like a normal human being and not with a fake tone, then I can actually respect you.” Then she does a dramatic interpretation of Krystal’s annoying personality.

Photo: ABC

When Krystal tries to protest that she was just “checking on” Bibiana, Miss Miami puts a stop to that real quick. “Baby girl, it’s not about checking. If I’m trying to talk to my man, you need to back the f**k up.” Naturally, Team Bachelor makes them stand next to each other at the rose ceremony.

Photo: ABC

Fortunately for Krystal, Bibiana — who warned that Krystal would have to “sleep with one eye open” if she got sent home — gets a rose. She joins Maquel, Jacqueline, Bekah M., Jenna, Chelsea, Lauren S., Raven 2, Annaliese, Lauren B., Kendall, Brittany, Ashley, Marikh, Caroline, Becca, Seinne and Krystal in the winners’ circle. That means we must say goodbye to Lauren G. (2 down, 2 to go!), Valerie, and Jenny… who takes it the hardest.

Photo: ABC

Ever the gentleman (or a jerk capable of impersonating a gentleman, I’m not sure), Arie goes after Jenny to comfort her in her time of nationally televised rejection. “I have to make tough choices,” he says. “And I just didn’t see it.” And Jenny’s all, Whatever, Old Man River. “I’m not sad about you,” she sniffs. “I’m sad about leaving my new friends.” Indeed, Jenny has never experienced rejection before, and she definitely does not enjoy it. “He literally picked a taxidermist over me,” she moans. “I just feel like I embarrassed myself.” Finally, Jenny and I agree on something.

And with that, rose lovers, we’re done with week two. (The “next week on” preview can be summed up in one word: Tears.) So tell me, do you think Arie’s a true gentleman or just playing one on TV? Does anyone else feel guilty about hating Krystal, given her tough upbringing? And why in the world would anyone ever want a pickled bat? Post your thoughts now! And be sure to check out Chris Harrison’s exclusive blog right here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get examined for whiplash… just in case.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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#_revsp:wp.yahoo.tv.us #recaps #_draft:true #the bachelor #_author:Kristen Baldwin #_uuid:06514bb9-aa3b-3517-a5f2-b6974f368db2 #_category:yct:001000086 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000AE7lXEAT

[starlingsrps]

wendy calvin dev.

ORIGINS & FAMILY:

Name: wendy danielle calvin

Nickname: wendybird

Birthday: august 1, 1990

Age: twenty seven

Gender: female

Place of birth: lima, oh

Places lived since: lima; chicago, il

Parents: adrian & beth calvin, 55

Siblings: rosemarie calvin, 30; jacob calvin, 25

Relationship with family: ughhhhhh - wendy is very much the black sheep of the family and her parents are honestly great? like they were supportive of her leaving home and studying philosophy because she was going to Do Something with it and then when she bombed the lsat and didn't get into law school and she decided to lay down and say fuck it, they were a little less so. they love her anyway and are always asking her to come home but she makes excuses about being too ~busy. she's so not looking forward to rosemarie's wedding because she's a bridesmaid and ughhhh.

Children of her/his own?: no thank fucking god

PHYSICAL

Height: 5'4

Build: small and skinny

Complexion: fair

Distinguishing features: cute features, big eyes.

Hair color: blonde

Usual hair style: wavy and messy, thrown up in some kind of loose interpretation of an updo.

Eye color: brown

Glasses? Contacts?: neither

Style of dress/typical outfit(s): jeans, t-shirt, big shirt or sweater, sneakers; waitressing clothes.

Typical style of shoes: sneakers

Health: reasonably good

Grooming: loose. she showers daily but forgets to wash her face a lot.

Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: lots of bracelets every day, a sparrow tattoo (because she's wendybird to her family, ya get it?), pierced ears and nose.

Accent?: nah

Unique mannerisms/physical habits: she scratches her nose a lot and avoids eye contact unless she's working.

Athletic?: weak as a baby kitten but capable of shredding when she feels like putting in effort but [whines]

INTELLECT

Level of education: ba in philosopy from uic 

Level of self esteem: eh! wendy is real good at faking it but she's an insecure little marshmallow underneath.

Gifts/talents: wendy is a bulldog when it comes to loyalty. those are HER dirtbag friends and she will NOT take shit from anyone about it. she's clever about figuring out solutions to other people's problems but her own? forget it. 

Shortcomings: wendy is flaky as a croissant. she's not good at follow through and gets anxious really easily to the point that it paralyzes her from doing anything about it. 

Style of speech: so many ums, ahs, and ughhhs

Artistic?: not...really

Mathematical?: not...really.

Makes decisions based mostly on emotions, or on logic?: emotions

Neuroses: she haaaaaaaaates making eye contact with people.

Religious stance: raised methodist, current agnostic, prone to philosophical and theological rambles when high. she's ~spiritual

Cautious or daring?: daring

Most sensitive about/vulnerable to: her sense of self. she's twenty seven and a waitress and knows deep down that there's nothing wrong with that but she was /supposed/ to be a lawyer and look at her now.

Optimist or pessimist?: pessimist

Extrovert or introvert?: both? like it depends.

Level of comfort with technology: comfortable

RELATIONSHIPS

Current marital/relationship status: single af

Sexual orientation: heterosexual

Past relationships: many, many, many hookups. she thinks her last boyfriend may have been in high school.

A social person?: ish.

Most comfortable around: her fellow dirtbag, ----

Oldest friend: her friend julie. julie has her shit together and gives wendy advice about how to get her shit together and wendy nods and nods and takes notes but forgets it all on the train home.

How does she think others perceive her?: she really tries to not think about it. she's sure it's not good.

How do others actually perceive her?: BINGO. kind of a dirtbag, wasted potential, mouthy tomboy, stunted.

VOCATION

Profession: waitress

Past occupations: waitress, intern, ice cream scooper

Attitude towards current job: it's a job. she doesn't hate it 40% of the time.

Attitude towards current coworkers, bosses, employees: ughhhhh

Salary: not nearly enough but she makes it work.

SECRETS

Dreams: ughhhhh

Greatest fears: well, it used to be failure but she's doing pretty great at that so???? breaking a bone??? she doesn't have health insurance so she'd be fucked.

Hobbies: sleeping (she sleeps a lot), netflix (she sponges off of julie's account), walking (she walks when she can't sleep), petting dogs, getting high, reading

Past sexual transgressions: ahahahahah lots of leaving in the middle of the night and hooking up with dudes who definitely have girlfriends

Crimes committed: light shoplifting as a youth, constant jaywalking, smoking pot (but come on she's a pretty white girl like she's ever going to get in real trouble - WE ALL KNOW THE REALITY.)

What she most wants to change about her current life: AHAHAHAHAHA 

What she most wants to change about her physical appearance: she wishes she were more impressive.

DETAILS/QUIRKS

Daily routine: up whenever, food, tv, nap, work sometimes. 

Night owl or early bird?: night owl

Light or heavy sleeper?: heavy

Favorite food: cheetos

Favorite book: the wasteland by ts eliot

Favorite movie: bad horror movies

Favorite song: "chandelier" by sia

Coffee or tea?: ew. coke.

Type of car she drives: ahahahaha

Lefty or righty?: lefty

Favorite color: purple

Cusser?: fuck yeah

Smoker? Drinker? Drug user?: yes / yes / does pot /really/ count i mean come on

Pets?: does she seem like she should be a pet owner because honestly.

#c: wendy calvin #i love my dirtbag daughter

[miseensceneofthemind]

Visualise This

How scrapbooking a vision board can jumpstart action in your life.

Life comes at you fast. I've seen this phrase come up a lot lately on Twitter, mostly in a joking manner to illustrate staggering examples of hypocrisy, but taken as a singular statement, it's painfully accurate. Ferris Bueller knew it all too well:

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

As a classic over-thinker, I often forget things that are obscenely obvious. Smile! Have fun! Stay positive! Affirmations, that help make life a little easier, and dare I say, more enjoyable for the world around you and inside you.

I've admittedly neglected this practice of daily affirmations and goal setting in general over the past year, and decided to put a stop to inaction last night in a flurry of scrapbooking and creative merriment. In the past, I relied on post-it notes spayed in every which way across walls, doors, and even ceilings to remind me of the important things I knew I should be doing. This practice was somewhat effective, but not particularly inspiring to look at every morning. Sure, I personalised them with idiosyncratic lettering and amusing drawings, but that did not change the fact that they were not aesthetically pleasant. I dare you try and make a post-it note look natural when placed next to a poster of La Dolche Vita. I double dare you.

This train of thought led me to research the practice of vision boards, an activity which involves fashioning a visual representation of the things you want in your life, whether that be immediate daily affirmations, or short-term/long-term goals and dreams. After the release of The Secret, vision boards became a sweeping trend that promised life-changing action. While the law of attraction, an idea that is predicated on positive thoughts and energy being reciprocated favourably by the universe, may have an element of truth and perhaps is truly beneficial for some people, there is scientific evidence that challenges the net result of purely fantasising about the final outcome.

This type of result-based visualisation, while great at making one feel great at the time inside of the moment, doesn't necessarily help getting to that point in reality. Research has shown, that those who visualise the steps involved in the process of achieving their desired goals, rather than the mere result, were far more effective in actually accomplishing what they set out to do. My post-it notes of yore neglected this very logical notion – sure, I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to go, but had no guide as to how to get there...

With this in mind, I set out to make a vision board that would actually generate results. Here's how I did it:

(Pro-tip: This works like gangbusters if you have 'Step By Step' by New Kids On The Block playing in the background. THIS IS FACT.)

Now sing it with me...

STEP ONE The search for materials

I don't know about you, but I love buying stationery. I LOVE IT. New pens, paper, books, trinkets – they are my jam. If I was flush with cash, I would have walked into Typo and racked up a devastating bill. Place me in a stationery shop with disposable income, and no doubt about it, I WILL BUY ALL THE THINGS. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), I had a strict budget in mind which all but eliminated Typo as a reasonable option. I also didn't have a lot of time, so I did what all people who don't have much time or money, yet need results fast do – head to Kmart.

You know what? Kmart delivered! In the space of 5 minutes, I had most of the things I needed to scrapbook up a storm. The ability to write was a big factor, which ruled out purchasing cork boards and wired peg boards, as I was feeling more inclined to a scrapbook/collage approach. For just over $13, I managed to buy an A3 Visual Art Diary (120 pages), a pair of scissors, glue (which turned out to be admittedly terrible, but for $1 I can't really complain, and I made it work!), and some fineliner pens (these are really great folks!). Ya done good, Kmart. Now, all I needed was a magazine to mangle.

STEP TWO O magazine, where art thou?

Unfortunately, I had recycled my collection of film, music and guitar magazines months ago, so I had to find some new visual inspiration. Before going to Whitcoulls, I had a vague idea of what I was looking for – nothing with glossy paper, diverse in visual variety, and not too expensive. If you are going to limit yourself, LIMIT HARD. Walking towards the magazine section, I ventured first to the section where Frankie and Smith Journal live. Generally, they have some great content with quirky design elements and images. Ordinarily, they would have ticked the boxes, but I wasn't really feeling it when flipping through the issues. The other option I had in the back of my mind, was picking up a film or music magazine like Empire or Rolling Stone, but these would have compromised the brief of no glossy paper. What was a poor boy to do?

An idea dawned on me – what about comics? Old-school non-glossy paper? Check. Visual variety? Double check. Not too expensive? That's a bingo! Feeling rather irreverent, I picked up a copy of Mad magazine. Oh my word, you know that feeling when you just know the right choice? Alfred E. Neuman and the wacky pages therein were exactly what I was looking for. At the measly price of $8, I now had everything I needed to get started.

STEP THREE Make the damn thing

To be honest, I didn't think scrapbooking a vision board would be that fun. I am so very glad to be wrong on that count. Making it was an absolute blast! Put on some rad tunes, make some tea (or coffee if that's your poison), and collage the ever living hell out of the page. There is something about tapping into the child-like part of one's psyche, that reveals some honest truths in the process – forgotten facets of wonder and creativity, buried beneath the cynicism and dourness that adult life can sometimes obscure. In completing a couple of A3 pages, ambitions and goals that I had previously ignored due to self-exposed excuses began to fight to be seen on the page – the idea of not doing them, now seems not only tragic, but sad. The fun of creativity has imbued these affirmations and goals with a sense of playful swagger, that inspires me to look past my feelings, doubts and insecurities, and just go for it.

Is this activity right for you? Who knows! It might be exactly what you need at this point in your life. Perhaps it is a grievous waste of your time and resources! The point is, don't knock it until you try it. I had so much fun making it, and starting the process has given me enough ideas to create another page or two full of the affirmations and goals I need to be reminded of on a daily basis. If nothing more, it serves as a fantastic way to jumpstart your creativity and get enthused not only about creating again, but living too.

If you are inspired to make a vision board, I'd love to hear from you! Tell me of your vision board successes/tribulations/pro-tips in the comments below.

#vision board #scrapbooking #mad magazine #visualisation