#like not apart of the cool kids club necessarily but everyone Knows and Loves them

[beebeesiims]

griffin's a popular girl! which isn't a shock, since i love and adore her and she's perfect. she's also best friends with roxanne goth, lucy burb & alexander goth's daughter.

#i feel like they're the popular girls that organize the school dances and senior community service #like not apart of the cool kids club necessarily but everyone Knows and Loves them #roxanne goth #griffin oaklow langerak #ll2 #langerak legacy

[willexxmercer]

Willie’s Backstory

We don’t know much about Willie’s life, but here’s my take on it for Willie Appreciation Week - Day 2.  It’s not so much a fic as it is a series of headcanons written in prose, which is why i’ve opted to post it here on tumblr instead of ao3.  You’ll find it under the cut below!

Warnings: mentions of Willie’s canonical death, implied car crash, implications of Willie having (undiagnosed) ADHD

Taglist: @screamin-amuseum @thedepthsofhell @iridescentkippen @owenmercers @oldsmobile-hotdogs @phanhowell @williexmercer @lyxchen @chickwiththepurpleguitar @sk8rwillie @mynameisntluke @julieandthequeers @fairylightsandrainydays @burntchromas @itsthebooks @fireflyingaway @sunsetcurbed @thegirlfulloffandoms @bluedarkness @themongosianhorse @angelofarts  @kikikiwi27498 @imratking @21st-century-sweetheart @bowtiesareavenged

A Life Before

Life at the Hollywood Ghost Club wasn’t so bad.  Willie had a place to live and people to talk to.  More than that, though, Willie felt a sense of belonging.

Growing up, Willie didn’t have it bad, necessarily.  His father wasn’t in the picture, but his mother more than made up for it.  He was her little duckling growing up; they did everything together and Willie never felt like he was necessarily lacking anything.  In the best way Adele Ortega knew how, she loved her son.  It was hard to find work, though, especially as a single mother, and they weren’t able to keep a steady home.  Willie grew up living out of a suitcase, moving between motels and short term rental apartments in the dingiest parts of town, never having a place to call his own.

One of the bonuses of moving around so much was that Willie learned very quickly how to make friends.  He had a natural talent for convincing even the surliest of truckers at the motel to talk to him and show him the inside of their cab.  The employees all loved him, and he loved them back.

See, his mother raised him to be open and welcoming and kind.  No matter what, he would use his manners and be respectful, and that was what he did.  At school, Willie was friends with everyone, including the teachers, even if he didn’t get the highest grades.

After all, it’s hard to do homework while a drunk couple screams at each other in the next room.

When he was eight, his mother introduced him to painting one night.  They were in a new motel, and Willie couldn’t sit still no matter how hard he tried.  After he came in from running around the building, she had a canvas and some paint set up.  When he questioned it, she merely smiled and sat back on the bed, telling him he could paint whatever he wanted.

His first painting was a collage of colours that covered the entire canvas.  They hung it in every room they stayed in after that.

Art quickly became something Willie loved.  He would spend hours with a piece of paper and markers, or canvas and paint.  His mother would spend her spare change getting him new art supplies.  It kept him calm; it gave him something to do when all he wanted to do was bounce around the room.  It became his happy place.

It was a teenager who introduced him to skateboarding when Willie was thirteen, rolling along the sidewalk outside the motel.  Jake was fifteen, with shaggy hair.  He wore a muscle shirt, and a ripped denim jacket, and he was cool.  Willie spent every evening outside with Jake the entire week he stayed at the motel, learning how to skate.  More than skateboarding, though, Willie learned something possibly even more important about himself.

He had always considered the girls in his school to be nice, but he never liked to talk about them the way the other boys in his school did.  In fact, he usually joined the girls in gossiping about other boys.  It wasn’t until he was standing on the pavement, though, watching Jake explain how to do an ollie with his hair moving a bit in the wind and his muscles showing, that Willie realized he wasn’t even listening to the older boy’s explanation.

Nothing came of his crush on Jake, of course.  When the older boy’s family left, Willie stared longingly at the RV as it pulled out of the parking lot.  His mother asked him why he was so upset, since seeing people come and go was so commonplace, but Willie didn’t have an answer.

Thinking she understood, his mother got him a skateboard for Christmas that year.  Willie gladly accepted it as a memory of his first crush.

By the time Willie reached high school, Adele finally got a permanent job at an office in Winnipeg.  They moved into a quaint little mobile home on the outskirts of the city, and Willie was looking forward to being able to live a more normal life.  As a teenager, he was excited to do the things Jake had talked about.  Teenager things.  Staying out late, going to the drive in with his friends, that sort of thing.

It was as if a switch was flipped.  The rules changed.  Now that Willie was a teenager, Adele seemed terrified that something would happen to him, so she started putting restrictions on him.  It started with a 10pm curfew, then he couldn’t go downtown unless he let her know exactly where he was at all times.  It was as if she realized he was getting older and had more options open to him; it was probably even perpetuated by her coworkers at the office.  Willie wasn’t a kid standing outside a motel talking to a trucker, anymore.  Willie was fifteen.

It was suffocating.  There was so much Willie wanted to do, and his mother wouldn’t let him do any of it.

Their relationship suffered as a result.  Willie challenged his mother every chance he could, pushing the boundaries.  He stayed out past his curfew, and at seventeen, he came home on Saturday with a tattoo.  A small one, mind you, a skateboard on his wrist, but a tattoo nonetheless.  It was art, Willie argued.  It was just another way to express himself.

His mother disagreed.

His grades kept slipping at school not because he didn’t know the material, but because he couldn’t focus long enough to complete assignments or tests.  That was another point of contention between him and his mother, who tried to take away his skateboard when he failed grade 11 Math for the second time in a row - their argument lasted over an hour, and Willie avoided his mother for a week afterwards.  The only class he seemed to thrive in was Art, of course, but now Adele was looking for him to decide on a career path.  Art wasn’t a career, not in her mind, even if it was one of the things Willie was really good at.

At the age of eighteen, Willie spent most of his time hanging out at the skate park with a group of older boys.  He had learned very quickly that it was best not to mention that he was gay, given the political climate, and that it was better to play along when the boys started whistling at girls.  He hated it, but it was the only way to protect himself.

And then it happened.

Willie was heading home from the park late at night, helmet loose on his head, the strap undone, when a car came out of nowhere.

The last thing he remembered was the screams from the driver as she realized she had hurt someone.

So yeah, the Hollywood Ghost Club, in all honesty, was one of the best things that could have happened to Willie, given the circumstances.  Caleb found him about a year after his death and lured him in with the promise of a community.  He visited his mother a few times, but it was always too hard.  It was easier to spend his time with Caleb and the other ghosts, with whom, of course, he immediately become friends.  He learned to dance with Tatiana, a cute blonde who quickly became one of his best friends.  Diana, Tatiana’s other best friend, was a little less sure about him.

Honestly, though, that was fair.  Willie took a while to warm up to Diana too.  It wasn’t until he showed her the tattoo on his wrist and told her why he had gotten it that she opened up.  While Tatiana and Willie could chat for ages about the silliest things, he talked to Diana about the serious topics in his (after)life.

He had mixed feelings about Caleb at first.  He was the man who had found him, who had explained everything there was to know about being a ghost.  At the same time, though, there was something about him that was unsettling.  Willie pushed those thoughts aside, though.  As the years went by, he grew to trust Caleb more than anyone else at the club.  He was positive there was nothing that Caleb could do wrong.

A place to live, people who cared about him, and a sense of belonging.  That was all Willie could have ever wanted.

#willie jatp #willie nolastname #willie ortega #willie wilbur williamson #jatp #julie and the phantoms #willie appreciation week #mine**ff

[youvebeenlivingfictional]

The Wait

The Pool | The Difference | The Notes | The Fear | The Thought | The Question | The Walk | The Worry | The Ordeal | Masterlist Pairing: Benny ‘Borracho’ Magalon x Reader Rating: Explicit - 18+ only Notes: Merry Christmas Eve to those of you that partake! To those of you  that do not, happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!  💝

Warnings: This chapter deals with pregnancy! I’ve CW’d them for that in the tags!! If you need me to add any additional tags, please let me know. I’m not a doctor and have never been pregnant. Just, you know. Disclaimer.

Summary: Thing is, you think you’re able to keep it quiet from the guys for a while.

You don’t tell the guys the good news at first. Thing is, because you don’t tell them, they notice some stuff about you. Stuff like the fact that you’re getting up to pee… More often than usual. You just pass it off as drinking a lot of water - hydrating way more, it’s been a goal of yours, anyway. They let that go.

But then there is also that time Connors gets a tuna fish sub with extra mustard and relish and you nearly throw up in the middle of the bullpen. You manage to make it to the bathroom before getting sick. Borracho meets you in the hall with a bottle of water, a pack of gum and a kiss on the forehead. You take a walk around the block to get the smell out of your nose. When you get back to the office, all of the windows are wide open. You know it’s Borracho’s doing, but the guys are all ribbing Connors for bringing in the smelliest sandwich imaginable. With this distraction you manage to meet Borracho’s eye and mouth, I love you, without anyone noticing. -- 

The two of you have some stuff to figure out - moving into a new place is your first priority. Your current apartment just doesn’t have enough room for a baby. The two of you have been looking at a few places, have gone to a couple of open houses, but nothing has seemed like a good fit. Borracho, unsurprisingly, wants to move somewhere closer to his family. You do see the appeal - more people in close range to help with the baby. And you do love the Magalons. But you also… Kinda like having your space. And maybe that’s a little selfish of you, especially considering how much you know they’re going to offer to help you two with the baby. After your first prenatal doctor appointment, the two of you go looking at a few places. The two of you have mostly been looking at two-bedroom apartments. You see one or two that you kind of like, but the two of you agree that what you saw was not what you were looking for. You stop to grab a bite to eat - you’re getting sleepy (you’re so tired these days, but Nadia tells you that that’s normal - so does Megan… And Isobel… And Regina, and your mother), and Borracho didn’t eat before the two of you left the apartment that morning. The two of you cuddle up on the same side of a booth at a diner, and you don’t even care that you look like the kind of couple that you used to make fun of. You’re too comfortable, tucked into Borracho’s side. You’re half-asleep (“Resting my eyes, I swear,” You mumble when he accuses you of being completely asleep), and he’s scrolling through more apartment listings on his phone while you wait for your food. “Food’s here, sweetness,” He murmurs, and you vaguely register the light thunk of plates being set on the table. “You want another cup of coffee?” The waitress asks, “You look like you could use it.” And she’s right, you’d love one, but you need to start cutting back on the caffeine, so you give her a smile and ask for more water instead. “Our baby better appreciate my caffeine withdrawals,” You sigh, scrubbing at your eyes. Borracho chuckles, pressing a kiss to your temple. “They will. Hey-- Gabriel sent me a listing. You up for checking out one more when we’re done here?” You consider it for a moment as you pick up your spoon and push your oatmeal around to help it cool a bit. If Gabriel sent it, it’ll probably be quite close to the Magalons.  And frankly, right now what you really want to do is go home and curl up on the couch. But you might feel better after you’ve got some food in you. So you nod. “I could go for one more.” -- It’s a condo, not an apartment. It’s got plenty of light; the bedrooms are right across the hall from one another; there’s only one bathroom, but you think you could live with that; the kitchen is much more open than the kitchen you have now. It’s a twenty minute drive to the nearest Magalon home; they’re not right on top of you and you don’t feel underfoot. “What do you think?” Borracho asks as the two of you leave. “... I really love it, but I didn’t wanna say it while we were in there. What do you think?” “I think… We should look at the listing online again and then maybe go to the bank. See what we can do about a loan.” You grin. “I would so be doing a little excited jump but I feel like if I jump right one, I am going to throw up.” “I’ve got the gum.” 

-- Thing is, you think you’re able to keep it quiet from the guys for a while. You don’t intend to at first, really, you don’t, but they do catch on to some things - like the fact that you’re not drinking when the group of you go out for drinks after work. You just pass it off as being the designated driver for the two of you, and the guys rib Borracho, telling him to let you have some fun once in a while. You’re able to hide the slowly growing bump under your jackets and shirts and dresses. Nick officially finds out first - you schedule a meeting with him to discuss maternity leave during your fourth month. He has a straight face for a few moments before he nods and congratulates you. “Thanks,” You smile, “Who won the bet?” “Connors.” “Motherfucker, every time.” The guys won’t tell you how much the bet was for, though - they won’t even tell Borracho, which is new, and weird. But the two of you shrug it off, and the guys insist on taking the two of you out that night, and make a show of buying you rounds of seltzer. 

-- “Do you want to know the sex?” You turn away from the ultrasound to look at Borracho. The two of you have been asking each other that all week. “We’ll get a bunch of yellow stuff if we don’t,” You’d pointed out, “Do we want a bunch of yellow baby stuff? Or people will buy a ton of stuff one color or the other and then be like, ‘well gosh, now you can’t use it’ if it’s the other sex-- Even though we’ll use it anyway-- Am I overthinking this?” You’d asked, looking up at him from where you were cuddled back against his chest on the couch in your new condo. He’d looked down at you, brows raised. “You are, but it’s hilarious, so, please, keep going.” 

“Do you wanna know?” You ask him now, because if there’s a time to stop the technician from telling you, it’s this moment. And Borracho glances from the ultrasound to you before he shakes his head a little. “Do you?” He asks. You smile and shake your head. “We’ll wait,” You say, turning to look at the technician again. 

-- 

“I love this green!” Nadia’s squealed declaration is ear-piercing, but you’re glad she approves of it. You laugh a little, watching her look around the room. You and Borracho painted the room a couple of days ago. The two of you had settled on a sage green color - not too in-your-face, but something that would be warm and welcoming. Borracho and Gabriel are out getting some of the furniture for the nursery now - the bassinet, the rocking chair, the combination changing table-dresser. Nadia’s dropped her kids off with Isobel to come over and help you guys start building some of the furniture. “You’re getting a rug?” “A small area one, yeah. Grey,” You nod. “How’s everything been?” Nadia asks, watching you lower yourself to lean against the windowsill. “Oh, it’s been…” Nadia gives you a knowing look, cutting off the, ‘being pregnant is great’ spiel you usually give the guys at work when they ask (because as sweet as it is for them to ask, they don’t really want to know). You sigh. “I’m constipated and my boobs are getting bigger.” Nadia nods, reaching out and patting your cheek. “Welcome to the club, honey.” 

-- 

“Stop scratching.” “I’m not scratching.” “I saw you scratching, sweetness,” Borracho chuckles, “I’ll get the salve, get on the bed.” You don’t bicker with him. He’s been a saint - giving you a hand up to stretch when you have leg cramps, helping around the apartment more when you’re tired - and rubbing salve when your stretching belly is itchy. You lean back on the bed and pull your sleep shirt up. You sigh, giving your growing baby bump a rub.  “Not scratching, huh?” Borracho teases, sitting on the edge of the bed beside you, “I see irritation.” “It’s itchy,” You whine. Borracho lets out a sympathetic hum before he leans down, pressing a kiss to your belly. You smile, watching him sit up and open the jar of salve. His sisters all swore by it - and they’d been right. It smells good, helps soothe the itch, and is a life saver. Borracho scoops out a small amount and begins to rub it in. You sigh, resting your head back against the pillows. “We still have to narrow down names,” You remind him. He hums, nodding, and you reach out to the notepad you keep on the bedside table. “Don’t drop that on your face again,” He teases as he reaches into the jar again. “You made me laugh last time, so that’s still your fault,” You argue, but you’re giggling. You flip it open, finding your list. “Mmm… Start with boy names?” You offer. “Sure, sweetness,” Borracho murmurs. “So we’ve got… Liam… Santiago… Xavier… and Giovanni.” “I don’t like Giovanni,” Borracho says, “I don't like the nickname ‘Gio’.” “Well someone’s name doesn’t necessarily dictate their nickname, Borracho,” You tease, “But I’m fine to take that one off of the list… I don’t think I like Liam so much anymore.” “Really?” “Mm. Liam Magalon. They kinda run together. LiammmMagalon.” Borracho chuckles, closing the jar of solve. “Liam’s out, then.” You reach out to the bedside table and grab the pen, crossing off Liam and Giovanni as Borracho stands up to put away the salve.  “So that leaves us with...Santiago or Xavier.” “What about girls?” You turn the page. “Mmmm… Malia… Faye… and Xiomara.” “I like Malia,” Borracho flops onto the bed beside you. “Yeah?” You raise a brow, looking over at him. He nods a little. “Malia Magalon… Lia for short. Be cute.” “It would be cute,” You smile. Borracho watches you for a moment before he leans up, kissing you gently. You lower the notepad and cup his cheek, humming quietly. “Agreed, then?” He murmurs. You nod. “Malia if it’s a girl,” You murmur. “If it’s a boy?” He asks against your lips. “We’ll figure that out later,” You drop the notepad on the bedside table, reaching out to catch hold of his shirt with your other hand. 

--

You have two baby showers. You expect one, but not the other. They’re both sort of surprises in their own way. 

--

The first one is more traditional. It’s at Regina’s house - your friends, Borracho’s sisters, and your family are there. Borracho knows before you do that it’ll be happening. If you’re honest, you kind of suspect it. He’s on his phone all morning - you see his mom’s name, his sister’s names popping up. You don’t look too closely at the messages, but you’re suspicious when he mentions swinging by his mom’s to pick up a couple of things and asks you to tag along. He knows that the jig is up when you come out of the bedroom in a photo-ready outfit. “... Was I obvious?” He asks. “No, babe. I just know how Magalons do surprises now,” You tease, before pecking his lips, “Let’s go.” --

The second one you do not expect at all.

Nick asks you to drop a file to someone on another floor.

There’s a moment where you think, ‘Can you ask someone that isn’t seven months pregnant?’, but you take it and go. The elevator takes a stupidly long time both ways. By the time you make it back, your desk has been decorated, the guys are all standing around it, and there’s a banner hanging from the fluorescent lights that says, ‘Surprise!’

Tears fill your eyes and you cover your mouth with one hand and wave at your eyes with the other.

“She’s crying! Pay up!” Nick yells.

Borracho runs his hand over his face before directing his gaze at the ceiling.

Once you’ve calmed down, you sit at your desk and the guys give you a few gifts for the baby. Henderson passes out cupcakes (you eat yours and Borracho’s). 

“You guys find out if it’s a boy or a girl?”

“Nope. We’re flyin’ blind,” Borracho says, rubbing his hand between your shoulder blades.

“How much money is riding on it being a boy?” You ask, peeling the wrapper off of the second cupcake. The guys look between each other and you tip your head to the side.

“C’mon, if you tell me you’re not betting on it, I am so calling bullshit. Do you know?” You turn to Borracho, but he shakes his head, “Not a clue, sweetness.”

“We’re gonna let it be a surprise. You’ll see,” Nick waves it off.

--

“Settle down, tiny,” You grumble, looking down at your stomach, “You’ve gotta let mama sleep.”

“Kicking again?” Borracho asks.

“We’re having a soccer player,” You tell him as he comes over to the bed, “Or a can-can dancer.”

“Maybe they’ll do both, why are you trying to limit our baby?” Borracho teases you. You chuckle.

“Maybe they will-- Or maybe they hated that idea,” You wince at a particularly hard kick.

Borracho lays down on his stomach beside you and leans closer to your belly.

“No more kicking your mama, little one,” He murmurs, “We talked about this.”

You raise a brow, peering down at him from where you propped up on a small mountain of pillows.

“Did you?” You ask. He hums, nodding and rubbing a hand over your belly.

“When exactly did you have this talk?” You add, “I feel like I would’ve remembered this.”

“You were napping at the time, sweetness. This was a dad and baby talk.”

You bite your lip, fighting a wide smile.

“Do you have these talks often?”

“Sometimes.”

You reach out, running your fingers through Borracho’s hair.

“...Are you excited?” You ask. You feel like you haven’t asked since… Well, since you told Borracho that you were pregnant. He nods, looking up at you,

“A little nervous,” He admits, “But… Yeah, I’m excited. Are you?”

“Mhm. Not just because I won’t be getting kicked… from the inside, but… I wanna meet our kid.”

Borracho chuckles and sits up, placing his hands on either side of your head and bracing himself as he leans in for a kiss. You smile, reaching up and cupping his cheeks.

“... Well, thank you for the dad and baby talk. Tiny listened to you,” You glance down at your stomach.

“Mm,” Borracho lowers his head and presses a kiss to your neck, “Anytime, sweetness.”

--

Borracho’s at work when it happens.

You try not to panic.

You just take a deep breath and pick up your phone and call Nadia and say as calmly as you possibly can that your water broke and you need someone to drive you to the hospital. She doesn’t exactly… Answer, at first? She kinda screams - an excited one, but it doesn’t exactly calm you down.

You call Borracho after Nadia tells you that she’ll drop the kids off with Regina and be right over.

“Hey, sweetness. I just followed up with the witness Nick tracked down--”

“My water broke, Benny.”

“...Is this a drill?”

“I know that class we took recommended drills, but I was so not into that idea, it seemed alarmist.”

“Fuck-- Okay, I can--”

“It’s okay, Nadia’s on her way to get me. Just meet us at the hospital.”

“The bag’s--”

“Next to the door, I know, Benny.”

“Are you okay?”

You let out a shaky little laugh because you’re a little freaked out right now.

“It’s gonna be alright, sweetness,” He adds gently, “You sure you don’t want me to come and get you?”

“It’s alright, Nadia’s closer. I’ll see you at the hospital.”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you, too, sweetness.”

--

“She’s so small.”

“...Can’t tell if that’s you or the drugs talking, sweetness.”

“Shush. I’m just… I am just saying… She’s frickin’ tiny.”

“Babies usually are.”

“Stop ruining this for me.”

Borracho chuckles, pushing your hair back from your forehead and pressing a kiss to your forehead before resting his forehead against yours. The two of you peer down at your sleeping daughter together, quiet for a few moments.

“Malia Rose Magalon,” You murmur. It’s the first time you’ve said her name aloud.

“...Lia’s got a very tiny nose,” Borracho mumbles.

You’re quiet for a moment before you glance up at him.

“Literally what was I just saying about her being small?”

--

When the guys come by to see you in the hospital, they have a gift bag with them.

“Guys, what even?” You nod to it.

“Well, you know those bets we had on… Whether or not you were pregnant, boy or girl, that kinda thing…” Henderson lists.

“Uh huh,” You nod.

“Here,” Nick sets the bag on the bed. Borracho carefully lifts Malia out of your arms, shushing her as she whines. You reach into the bag, pushing aside the tissue paper.

“We agreed that the pool money could all go to a… Better cause than usual,” Connors rubs at the back of his neck. You pull out a jar that’s filled with cash, labeled, ‘College Fund’.

“Figured we’d get you guys started,” Zapata adds, tucking his hands into his pockets.

There’s a moment of quiet in the room before Nick laughs, “She’s crying, pay up!” 

#The Pool #The Wait #Benny Borracho #Benny Borracho Magalon #Benny Borracho x Reader #Benny Borracho Magalon x Reader #Benny Borracho x You #Benny Borracho/You #Benny Borracho/Reader #Benny Borracho Magalon x You #Benny Borracho Magalon/Reader #Benny Borracho Magalon/You #Benny Borracho Imagine #Benny Borracho Magalon Imagine #pregnancy cw #Pregnancy #Pregnant CW

[sgt-revolver]

ULTIMATE Beatlemaniac Tag!

I was tagged by @ourladylennon and @johns-prince to complete this questionnaire. Thanks for the tags, I honestly really enjoyed answering these questions.

How long have you been a fan?: I’ve been a fan for as long as I can remember. I always loved hearing their music on the radio and my music teacher was a fan, so he’d regularly play their music in his lessons and on one occasion I saw like the first 30 minutes of A Hard Day’s Night. I think I only got as far as the scene with John in the bath before he turned it off. But it’s only been during the last 2 and a half years that I’ve listened to them more often, and I’ve finally listened to all the albums all the way through. Now I’m a huge fan and can’t live without their music.

Favorite Beatle: John. It’s always been John for me, even back when I was a kid he was my favourite.

Favorite era for music: I’ll always have a soft spot for their early-mid era music, around 64-66 is my absolute favourite.

Favorite era for lewks: Teddy boy and the whole of 1966 for me. They simply looked so fucking cool around those two eras. The teddy boy era was just hot with all the leather they wore and how they tried to make themselves look ‘tough’, and during 1966 that entire year seemed to be a huge transitional period which mixed with their earlier career and how they looked later on.

Favorite song: This changes, and I do not have only one favourite song. I’ll always love Strawberry Fields Forever, it is always up there as one of my favourites. Same with I am the Walrus. I also love If I Fell, Nowhere Man, In My Life, I’m Only Sleeping and Something. There’s more but this answer will be too long if I keep going.

Favorite album: Revolver, no question. My username is based off it too.

Unpopular/Controversial Beatles opinion: Not necessarily unpopular but I really don’t like Yoko Ono as a person. I wish she didn’t try to make herself part of the band, it’s actually really infuriating. I don’t like to talk about this sort of thing so I’ll leave it at that.

A song everyone loves but you dislike: Ok I don’t necessarily dislike these songs, but I think Hey Jude and Let it Be are overrated.

A song everyone dislikes but you love: Run for your Life, Blue Jay Way and Revolution 9. I’m not really sure why Blue Jay Way isn’t well liked its underrated imo.

Your fantasy involving The Beatles: Seeing them live in concert, before they become big and go to America, preferably in Hamburg or at the Cavern Club. It must have been amazing to be able to be where they started out before Beatlemania, the atmosphere omg yes please. After the show I’d try to do anything I can to meet them, but I suspect I’d end up being so starstruck it would be painfully awkward, but it would be so worth it.

Tell us about the moment you knew you were a fan: There is no one moment I knew I was a fan, but I guess I realised I was a big fan when I listened to their albums all the way through, and I enjoyed them. There’s also the time when I watched the Eight Days a Week documentary and I couldn’t help but love them so much.

Did you ever have a genuine ‘The Beatles suck!’ phase before becoming a fan?: Nearly. This was after I became a fan but a long time ago, I kept hearing constantly how they’re not that good from people I know irl and it almost got ingrained in me for no reason at all. I’m glad I didn’t have that phase, otherwise I would be beating myself up for it now.

Favorite Beatles book: I haven’t read any yet, but I really want to and I’m not sure where to buy any (I’m a bit iffy about buying off Amazon)

Thoughts on the old generation of fans: They can be a bit full of themselves, but I like hearing their stories and their preferences on their favourite albums. Most of the older generation of fans I personally know seem to love John and hate Paul, so I automatically think they’re all the same but I know that’s not true.

If Hollywood were to make a high budget Beatles biopic, what is one thing you desperately hope they include?: I’m personally unsure if I want a Beatles biopic as I know they’ll mess everything up but I want them to include the strong bonds formed with each other and that they never actually hated each other.

Do you read/write fanfic?: I read a lot of fanfic, but I’m not confident with my writing ability so I don’t write anything. Yet.

Are you the only one in your family/friend group to enjoy them?: Both my mum and my dad claim to be fans. My step dad loves them though, yet every time I bring it up with him when he mentions them he ignores me completely, and its painful. My friends either think they’re overrated (they’ve probably only listened to Hey Jude, All you need is love and Yesterday) or they just don’t care/don’t know who they are. And if anyone I know is interested in them, they just mansplain everything to me so I can’t really enjoy listening to them or talking about them with others irl.

Are you a shipper?: Yeah I am.

Favorite movie starring/made by them?: A Hard Day’s Night.

Do you believe in McLennon?: I believe they were soulmates, definitely.

General opinions on McLennon?: They loved each other, there is no doubt about it. The signs are obvious, like the eye fucking, how they were literally inseparable for years and their LSD trip they had together. I do think it was mostly platonic though, and that any romantic attraction was one sided from John. I think Paul was oblivious to some of John’s feelings for him during the 1960s and that upset him.

If you got to change ONE thing about their history, what would it be and why?: The break up, they hurt each other’s feelings so much from all the suing and fighting they were miserable. I would make sure they ended things more amicably and I’d make sure Allen Klein does not get a look in at all during 1969. Seeing Paul get hurt like that is awful.

What song has the best vocals?: This is a real hard one to answer, but I’d say Twist and Shout, Helter Skelter and Norwegian Wood.

What song do you feel had no effort put into it?: Wild Honey Pie.

What is a well talked about moment in Beatles history you genuinely believe to be false?: Yoko wasn’t fully responsible for the break up the Beatles. I believe it was everyone’s fault to some extent, some more so than others. I think John caused the most damage to the band as a result of him putting in nearly no effort and having Yoko on his shoulder every day. Ringo quitting for two weeks is when I believe things were really starting to fall apart, and they never really recovered from that.

What is something you KNOW to be true, but often gets erased in their history?: John was bisexual, he’s pretty much admitted it as well. It gets dismissed constantly though. All of the Beatles were nice, amicable men who had their flaws and did what they can to become better people. None of them were gods, and none of them were inherently terrible people. John and Yoko’s relationship was toxic and incredibly unhealthy. They weren’t as happy together as the books and the Lennon estate make them out to be.

Least favorite look from a Beatle(s): John’s Sgt Pepper moustache. It just didn’t suit him, but then there was his beard from 1969. The beard looked disgusting and way too messy. I don’t think he made any attempt to keep it clean and that he just didn’t give a fuck about it, he just left it there to get worse and worse each passing day.

Favorite look from a Beatle(s): Shea Stadium, on all of them. But when John’s sweaty and his hair is a mess, he just looks fantastic. I also love the suits all four of them wore in Cincinnati in 1966.

I’ll tag @princessleiaqueen @theliverpoolsoldier @underwallsandbridges and @latinxbeatles and anyone else who wants to do it. Don’t feel like you have to do this, but I love reading everyone’s answers :)

#tag games #the beatles

[asherjhemmings]

( MATTHEW DADDARIO + CISMALE ) —  Have you seen ASHER HEMMINGS ? This TWENTY-EIGHT year old is a MUSIC PRODUCER who resides in BROOKLYN. HE has been living in NYC for TEN YEARS, and is known to be OUTGOING and ALLURING, but can also be ARROGANT and SELF SERVING, if you cross them.  People tend to associate them with SCATTERED SHEET MUSIC ON A MARBLE FLOOR and GOLDEN BAR CARTS LITTERED WITH EXPENSIVE LIQUOR. — ( haley, 21, she/her, triggers: eating disorders & self harm, est )

hello all !! i’m haley and i’ve been roleplaying since i was like eleven but i just came back to tumblr rp a year ago and that just so happened to be with my baby asher, so happy anniversary to him being a muse <3

i’ve boiled his bio down into some bullet points because it used to be so fuckin long and i’m sure nobody read it so here it is condensed into just the basics

basics:

name: asher julien hemmings

nicknames: ash, aj

age: 28

hometown: cambridge, ma

currently living: brooklyn, ny

education: high school diploma, degree in music production from nyu

birthday: april 13th

zodiac: aries

sexual orientation: bisexual

tattoos: ** doesn’t have a neck tattoo like alec in shadow hunters lol but he has mad tattoos, two full sleeves

aesthetic: pinterest

before nyc (tw: alcoholism, abuse, prison)

asher was what some holier than would call a miracle or what other would more harshly call an accidental pregnancy. 

his father owned a low-life club in the city, known for mistreating employees and sneaky business behind the scene. some speculated that the operation of the club was to simple launder drug money, however that is a far different story. 

his mother began working at the club around her twenty-seventh birthday and took on a position as an exotic dancer. she never quite had a set career path, often working odd jobs until it lead her to the intimidating world of stripping.

asher’s father took a liking to her, in the same way he took a liking to most females that got hired at the establishment whether it be a guest or an employee. however, unlike the other, he got her pregnant.

their relationship was toxic from the beginning. seeing as the relationship was forced for the sake of their child, they didn’t get along great. cops were constantly called to their apartment during 2am screaming matches, a lot of nights spent with one of them on the couch. but it wasn’t bad enough for one of them to leave, but it wasn’t good enough for one of them to say i love you.

asher was born on a rainy day in the spring and came into the world with a smile on his face. the nurses even joked he looked like a young frank sinatra with the way he slyly smirked. 

but the smile didn’t always stay on his face. as he grew up, he saw the repercussions of staying with someone out of convenience rather than love. while his mother fell in love with him and hand crafted her maternal instincts to excellency, his father developed a love for whisky and coming home late from work. 

despite what they once thought, a child didn’t fix things. in his father’s worsening condition, he began to get violent. it started off aggressively verbal until it matured into a far more physical act. at first it was just asher’s mother taking the brunt of the abuse. but as asher began to get older, it wasn’t uncommon for him to a victim on the lashing too. 

it wasn’t until child protective services got involved after asher in seventh grade came to school with bruises that anyone was even aware of what he was enduring. asher’s father was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for domestic abuse & parental negligence.

the abuse had made asher timid moreso than it made him aggressive. so when he and his mother moved in with his grandparents, he was hesitant around his grandfather at first. his grandfather tried to form a relationship with him doing everything from playing board games to watching television or going mini-golfing.  nothing seemed to be able to break through asher’s timid exterior.

this was until one day his grandfather caught him plucking at the keys on their grand piano and offered to teach a young asher how to play. music was the first thing they truly bonded over and within a year, asher was playing better than most people can in a lifetime. 

once moving in with his grandparents, his mother wasn’t around much. she was always with her latest boyfriend or with her friends. asher didn’t mind though, he enjoyed cooking with his grandmother or strumming a guitar with his grandfather.

in high school, asher became a punk. he strived in all social groups due to his charisma. he excelled with the music kids, got in with the burnouts, even was cool enough to hang around with the popular kids. teachers loved him despite not being the best student. it was impossible to hate him.

his music teacher wrote him his letter of recommendation to study at nyu. he never saw himself going to college but he was excited to reinvent himself.

in nyc (tw: alcoholism)

during his years at nyu, asher began to reinvent himself. he was no long timid or the least bit shy. he was suave and slick, getting along with almost everyone he came into contact with.

unfortunately when some many people love you, after a while, it begins to get to your head.  it was no surprise to people when asher began to get arrogant and cocky about his musical abilities. but one thing he had to fake confidence with was who he was as a person.

asher didn’t like himself, hence why new york was such a turning point for him. deep down, he believed he didn’t deserve love or his success. but when he started getting praise for his music producing abilites all of that changed.

classmates were intimidated by him and professors were undoubtedly impressed with the way in which he could perfect a beat or make a hit simply experimenting. asher liked the attention, lived for the applause he’d get at the end of a presentation. the love others had for him inflated his ego but also drove him to success.

after graduating at twenty-two, asher moved to an apartment in brooklyn and immediately began interning at a record label. he didn’t necessarily like what he was doing, truly believing that he was too good to be there most days.

but even as an intern he excelled and at the age of twenty-five, he bought his own music production company that houses over twenty studio spaces for artists to record. 

in three years, not much has changed. except his bank account has quadrupled, he’s moved from a shoebox to a villa.. oh, and he’s developed a bit of a drinking problem.

drinking started off a social thing for asher. a few beers at a college party here and there seemed to be the beginning of it. then it was shots, and then getting black out at parties and not remembering much of anything. being surrounded by famous artists in his career only made this habit worse. he was drinking to wake up in the morning, in the studio, before bed and repeat. 

nobody knows much about his blossoming alcoholism but it’s quickly beginning to fester and consume him. but he’s pretty good at hiding behind the tortured artist facade.  

personality:

asher is the epitome of smiling and rolling your eyes in the same instance. he’s charming and goofy in the same line and doesn’t miss a beat.

super flirty. will flirt w u. and ur friend. and ur friend’s significant other. that’s just how he is. 

loves verbal sparring, the certified king of it

why is he always smoking a cigarette? nobody knows

can be an asshole, will most likely get you to yell at him and then laugh and tell you that you’re the one being ridiculous 

Indecisive af

a ride or die for his friends, literally would kill for a buddy

wanted connections:

ex girlfriend or boyfriend: asher’s been in nyc for ten years so he’s definitely tried to get serious ab someone by now. their relationship was for sure super toxic. let’s plot.

college roommate: someone who went to nyu and has watched asher’s success absolutely blow up. someone who pulled him drunk out of parties and threw him their dorm’s cold shower. give me disappointed friends vibes or a strained relationship !! anything !!

half-brother:  as far as asher knows, he’s an only child. his father was an alcoholic who often had affairs with the girls who worked at his clubs in boston or were in the city on business. it is no surprise that something came from his late night rendezvous. asher’s not the warmest person, especially when it comes to his negligent father. will anything come of the brothers sharing the city streets? or will they simply turn a cold shoulder to one another? 

assistant: asher is a famous music producer with his own recording studio in manhattan. he and his personal assistant spend a lot of time together. this connection is pretty open ended so asher could be their mentor if they’re musically inclined but they could also be confidants, best friends, frenemies, potential love interest, fwb, up to you!!

ride or die: this man needs to have some friends who put him in his place plz, he’s a whole ass disaster

music friends: self explanatory 

fwb/ex-flings: this man is so flirty if he hasn’t messed around w u he’s messed around w someone u know. give me angst. give me missed connections. give me unrequited. give me friendzone. give me anything. 

#about #codintro

[hargroves-angel]

Cookies And Cream 🏹🍪

Chapter 3 - chocolate Sundae

A/N *Contains Swearing and sexual references 

// Chapter 4 - Devils Food Cake // Cookies And Cream Masterlist //

Y/N applied some mascara onto her eyelashes, she’d been up and buzzing since 5:30, she couldn’t sleep, there was so much to be done before Billy was going to pick her up. She had to shower, do her hair and makeup, make a quick batch of cookies to be prepared for the oven when her mother woke up, put on her outfit, make some pancake mixture and prepare her school bag and schedule. It was a busy morning.

She basked in the sunlight that escaped through slits in the curtains, creating pretty patterns on the floor as she hummed softly, packaging some French toast she’d made for Billy. He didn’t eat breakfast at home she noticed so she was going to make sure to feed him, as he was driving her to and from school it was the least she could do.

A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, Billy was stood, denim jacket on, white shirt and denim shoes, his classic boots.

“Good morning doll, you ready?” She nodded and picked up her bag and the small brown package on the side, labelled with B.H. On it.

“Here, I noticed you don’t eat breakfast, it’s the least I could do, if your lucky on Fridays if you come early you can have some bacon and eggs instead” her smile was wide. Billy blushed, as much as he hated blushing he genuinely blushed. She went out of her way to make him breakfast, when his own father couldn’t be bothered his own step-mom didn’t care.

He felt butterflies in his stomach. That was new, he’d never felt that before, maybe it wasn’t nerves because of some girl, it was probably just hunger, yeah that’s what it was, hunger.

“T-Thank you... That’s sweet of you doll” She shut her door and walked to his car, he followed shortly after, digging into the toast whilst walking, it was fresh and still warm. It tasted amazing. He scoffed it down quickly and joined Y/N in the car.

She was chatting to Max. He glared at Max as if to get her to stop talking to Y/N so that he could have her to himself.

Max didn’t care, Billy wouldn’t do shit whilst Y/N were here.

“I’m sorry, Max I would’ve made you something if I knew” you apologised profusely. She laughed at Y/Ns worry, Billy once again glared at her in the mirror whilst driving.

“It’s ok Y/N, I usually make myself some cereal anyway, Billy doesn’t like cereal, he says it tastes soggy” She said in a smug tone. Billy felt his cheeks heat up again.

“Maxine, you little - minx” He saved himself from going crazy at her and causing further embarrassment. Max couldn’t believe it, Billy never gave a shit about who was present whilst he yelled or shouted at her, that’s when she caught on... She definitely wasn’t like Billy’s other women, she had an effect on him, something that made him want to look better and be better. The bastards only gone and fallen for her! She giggled at the thought of her own step-brother, Hawkins signature asshole! Falling for the girl next door!

“What are you giggling about Maxine” Billy said through gritted teeth. He was gonna kill her later.

“Nothing much brother, nothing much” she glanced outside the window a grin on her face. She knew that the way she said that sentence, how she called him her brother angered him. She was gonna tease him so much, the minute Y/N left.

Y/N and Billy held a decent conversation, talking about new recipes she had been wanting to try out, designs for the bakery and some school work.

“Is it big?” Y/N asked, her innocent doe eyes fluttering her eyelashes as she asked him. Billy almost choked, he’d only been asked that a few times and they weren’t referencing anything but his co- “the school?” She continued after Billy didn’t answer.

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, it’s quite big I guess, but also comfortable, not like the huge ones in California though” She nodded, excited to meet new people, she didn’t necessarily enjoy school, as not many kids did but she accepted the fact that she had to go and took that with pride and grace.

Billy pulled up in the car park. He had one problem, Tommy, because Tommy liked to talk, he liked to talk mostly about girls. In particular girls that he thought Billy would want to bed, so Billy’s job today was to keep Tommy from running his mouth and ruining Billy’s Chance at getting- no, bedding her.

She opened her door and breathed deeply in, a smile on her face and a bounce in her step. Billy spotted Tommy and his gang stood around his car. Tommy’s mate Daniel stuck his hand in the air and waved Billy over to the group.

“Bye Max!” Y/N waved her off as she skated away. Wondering in her mind how long it would take for her to hear that Billy wasn’t a guy who sticks around. She bet an hour maximum with herself.

Billy placed his hand on the small of Y/Ns back as he led her to his friends.

“Oh Billy, who’s the new lay?” Tommy raised his eyebrow, taking in Y/Ns figure in her dress.

“She’s not a lay” Billy said sternly, glaring at Tommy “but anyway this is Y/N L/N” he felt uneasy introducing her to his friends, they weren’t like her.

She held her hand out to the boys as if to shake them. They all shook hands with her apart from Dylan, who lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly. Billy felt himself nearly shake with anger.

“You ok Billy?” Her soothing voice would usually calm him, but the only thing he could see was red, every other sense was blocked out.

A squeal interrupted everything as Y/N turned around to be engulfed in a hug from Carol. “BITCH!” Carol squeaked. Tina stood awkwardly next to them. “I haven’t seen you in forever Y/N! Come, I need to show you everything!” Before Y/N could even protest Carol had dragged her away from the boys.

As soon as she was out of sight Billy grabbed Dylan and held him by his shirt to meet him face to face.

“You fucking touch her like that again I’ll fucking end you alright” he spat.

“What’s wrong dude, she’s just your woman of the week what the fuck, plus you don’t care about sharing, never have in the past” billy shoved him to the floor and left. Dylan was right though, she was just his woman of the week, why was he getting jealous? But still if any boy even dares look at her in that way again he’s going to be getting his hands dirty. Why did she make him feel like this!

Class for the rest of the day was boring, Billy only had one class with her and it was English, he couldn’t even show off in English because in all honesty he felt as though it wasn’t his best subject. Y/N on the other hand was loving Hawkins High. Everyone was so bubbly, boys were being gentlemanly, girls being sweet. Billy shared the same lunch period as her, she told him about her day as they walked around the school to get to his hang out spot.

“I’m going to cheerleading tryouts tomorrow” She beamed up at him.

“You’ll do great, you’ll look amazing in the outfit” he fnatsised a little, but snapped out of it after hearing her giggle.

“Maybe I might get paired up with you, for the games... you know when the cheerleaders skip there designated player onto the court does some kind of flip and then the little.. kiss on the cheek at the end” she smiled at the ground at the thought. Billy felt those butterflies again. Nope, no he didn’t! That’s just hunger not nerves he reminded himself, shoving his sandwich in his mouth as quick as he could.

“Slow down tiger!” She laughed at his antics. “What even is in that sandwich?”

“Ham, Mayo and cheese... with a bit peanut butter” he said peanut butter with smirk.

“Ew! Billy that’s so gross!!” Y/N squeaked as he made noises of enjoyment as he continued to eat his nasty sandwhich.

They hung out with his friends for a little while before Y/N got dragged off by a group of cheerleaders and Carol.

“So then Billy, she good?”

“The best” he smiled, not realising what he said or what he just answered.

“Damn boys! She the best lay? We gotta get us a slice of that cake” Tommy laughed and joked with his mates.

“What no? I haven’t... she and I haven’t done that yet”

“Oh so Billy’s going soft on us?” Tommy teased. Billy shot him daggers.

“I’ll bed her this week, I’m just buttering her up, you know she seems a bit...” don’t say it he thought, “frigid” it had been done. He felt so bad immediately afterwards.

“Ahh, we gotta get Billy layed boys” Finn joined in.

“Nah, I’m holding out, who knows maybe she’ll be good in bed” he winked. His words coming with guilt. He hated feeling guilty, why was she having this damn affect on him. Tommy and his gang moved onto other subjects, Billy not wanting to join in.

Soon enough the bell signaled the end of the day. Billy met her by his car, she was talking to the head cheerleader, Emery, she was alright, was never nice to the new kids though so he was prepared to start telling her where she could shove her opinions but surprisingly she was talking to Y/N about cheerleading, they both were giggling.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at 4:15 Y/N, I think the girls would let you on even without an audition, they all love you! But rules are rules unfortunately, trust me you’ll do great though, see you around!” She smiled and walked off. Billy grinned at Y/N, she looked so excited.

“You ready to go then princess? Max is at some crappy AV club so it’s just us, that ok?” He kept his cool manor. She nodded and got into her side of the car.

They drove off, both singing along to some of Billy’s favourite songs.

He felt so much happiness around Y/N he couldn’t explain it... that frustrated him to much extent. It meant that once he did bed her, he couldn’t keep her, not that he wanted to anyway! ... because having a girlfriend is for softies. That’s what he told himself anyway.

#billy hargrove fanfiction #billy hargrove imagine #billy hargrove x reader #billy hargrove x y/n #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove #billy hargrove fanfic #billy hargrove fluff #billy hargrove angst #billy hargrove smut

[afreakingdork]

So this isn’t really a review as it is more a rant. I had a reaction last year that was very dangerous and it has taken me a long time to recover. When I am not feeling good I love turning to cartoons because they represent low stress and easy on the mind entertainment when everything else seems out of control. I cut the cord with cable years ago and I only have Hulu and Netflix to turn to for entertainment. I am a huge buff when it comes to cartoons in general and I even ran a club back in my college days dedicated to teaching others about the joy of cartoons, but recently I took on watching Twelve Forever on Netflix, a show that if you remember was posted as a short back in 2016 for Cartoon Network to pilot test new shows (a practice they have been doing for a hot minute now). Now I am going to put a majority of my rant under the cut just in case people don’t want to look at the text but I will simplify my point here (feel free to stop reading if you disagree). I don’t like the message that this show portrays about vices and growing up...

Now I have done the basic research and I understand the creator’s past issues with alcohol. Now because of that fact I would assume this was a direct correlation in a show about escaping the real world, but instead we are left with 25 episodes where Reggie doesn’t really learn anything. Reggie is a selfish character and an outcast. I totally get it, I was a wild child myself and I couldn’t care less if I had friends or didn’t. One time my mom tried to punish me by taking everything out of my room, but my imagination was so strong that I was having a blast playing with literally nothing. I see myself in Reggie in so many ways, but there are many ways I don’t. She is incredibly selfish as Todd kindly points out. She is so selfish that it manifests in the show via the fact that Ester is constantly trying to put some meaning into Endless. It takes all the way until the end of the series to even find out how Reggie made a way for herself to enter even though Ester has been asking those questions all along. Reggie constantly just brushes any comments about Endless away with an ‘I don’t care’ or ‘It’s more fun to accept Endless the way it is,’ which is awful considering how dangerous Endless actually is. 

A big departure from the short is the added gross-out humor that wasn’t necessarily as prevalent in those first 8 minutes. I was jarred in that first episode when they started to lean heavily on creepy or downright gross comedy as I wasn’t expecting anything like that from this supposed fun and magical world. Instead we have an entire episode where our trio plans to spend all of spring break on Endless only to have Reggie removed from the equation due to appendicitis. Ester and Todd LITERALLY lose their minds due to their prolonged stay on Endless and when Reggie can finally make her appearance to save them, she has to physically force them out. They regain their memories and are visibly scared by what has happened to them, while Reggie is just mad that they ‘ignored her’ when they were clearly under some sort of spell. She doesn’t care about their well-being and instead chooses to go back into Endless alone because she missed her time there and her friends are just disrespecting her. The episode ends with Reggie lamenting that her fictional friends are her real friends. This ominous ending is just that and this idea never really comes to fruition further. 

This idea is expanded on further when we meet Elmer who is a child that was orphaned and decided to move his life into Endless permanently. We are shown that he has not only lost his mind, but his humanity. While Todd and Ester are scared by this proposition, Reggie is instead spurned on. She still wants to live her life on Endless and believes she is stronger than Elmer in that she won’t succumb to the same fate. I see how this can be a definite parallel to addiction, but with 25 episodes the story that is told doesn’t even get close to showing how this mentality is a bad thing. Are the writers just assuming they are going to get another season? More story progress was had in the 10 episode arc that was Over the Garden Wall than this and I find that totally appalling. One of the main reasons I stopped watching Teen Titans Go! was because the episodes started to become moral-less.Let me clarify that I don’t expect kids cartoons to have morals! I mean I watched Adventure Time and I can totally get down on a whole episode that amounts to nothing but a fart joke. The issue i have is when you set yourself up for something real, something that can impact that life of a child, that you are doing a disservice to a very impressionable target demographic. I am worried about the kids that will watch Twelve Forever and think that this type of escapist attitude is alright in the world. This is why ensemble casts are so important in cartoons. It’s healthy to surround yourself with other people. Not caring about others isn’t cool just because you want to be weird and quirky. There are other weird and quirky people out there that will love and support you. You shouldn’t just be the way you are so boldly that it alienates you from everyone else. I’m not saying to not be yourself. You should always be yourself boldly, but human beings are inherently apart of society and it’s healthy for them to interact. 

Now this idea leads into a larger concept about the infantilization of millennials and I am a millennial that is well into their 20s who loves watching cartoons. I know that this idea of nostalgia is ruling media right now and I am happily apart of it.  To people who tell me I am too old to watch cartoons I of course say they are being ridiculous and cartoons have always been created for kids with the parents who have to ‘suffer’ through them in mind. Parents are always in the background of creators thoughts because they will always been inadvertently watching the cartoons also, but this message of  infantilization in Twelve Forever scares me. I am scared for Reggie that she will never grow up and will be lost to Endless forever because she was never encouraged to grow emotionally for the sake of her friends. The whole reason she made it into Endless was as an escape because she can’t deal with her emotions and no one is trying to help her. This brings me to the characterization of parents in Twelve Forever. I find the parents in the show to be downright horrifying. 

Reggie’s mom, Judy, genuinely thought it was a good idea to give her daughter a bra on her 12th birthday full well knowing that one of her party guests was going to be a boy. Just typing out that sentence I can feel the second hand embarrassment. Judy believes she is doing the right thing by shoving make-up at her daughter because that is what she liked at that age. It doesn’t matter to her that Reggie is an obvious ‘tomboy’ who even asked for a specific new action figure for her birthday. She can only see her daughter through her own eyes and does nothing to try to get closer or understand her on any emotional level. Now you can of course say that she is working as a nurse and those are undeniably grueling hours, but Reggie is straight up honest with her mom and her mom blatantly ignores this. Judy even has a friend, Kathy, in the show who is an archetype for a less than feminine woman. She takes no cues from Kathy when it comes to raising her own less than feminine daughter and instead just exasperatedly can’t understand why Reggie is the way she is. Now I was a ‘tomboy’ (it’s in quotes because I don’t care for the phrase, gender roles are bullshit) who grew up after my mother refused to even dress me in girls clothes. My mom was so frustrated with unhealthy depictions of women that I wasn’t allowed to have Barbies and I didn't mind this, I could crash my Hot Wheels all day and make a parade float out of Beanie Babies without a care, but when it later came to choosing my own clothes my mother never intercepted. It was always my choice, because expression is important, but Judy can barely meet Reggie halfway in the episode where they go to the mall to pick out an outfit for Reggie to wear to a wedding. She ends up forcing Reggie into an uncomfortable and ill-fitting purple dress and tries to make up for her actions by letting Reggie pick out equally ill-fitting big ole’ red boots. I don’t find this to be compromise, this is nothing but simple placation. Judy knows what she did was wrong, but she refuses to see any other way to move forward on the matter and the show thinks that this is a heartfelt way to wrap things up to which I wholeheartedly disagree.  

Another failed parental image that scares me is Todd’s dad. This is a man we see only once and can only imagine through Todd’s eyes. This is a man that is in the midst of some mid-life crisis and has somehow gotten custody of his kids in a divorce. He has a new wife(girlfriend?) who he pours so much money into making her happy by taking her out constantly and doing what she suggests (dying his hair) that he can barely pay his bills and is shown to be repeatedly selling off Todd’s objects to make ends meet. Todd even tried to hide a coin collection only to have it inadvertently found by his little sisters, who are wild due to lack of parenting, and then sold immediately by his dad for cash. This unhealthy situation is of course what leads Reggie to showing Todd Endless, but the show again puts no effort into illustrating that this is a horrible situation for Todd. Instead it is just his circumstance to give some semblance of meaning to the fact that he wants to escape reality. This paired with everything else is exactly the reason why Twelve Forever scares me so much. It depicts these incredibly unhealthy and downright dangerous situations as simply existences that people have to suffer through. If I were a kid that had watched that, I would just thought that was normal and not something that is inherently wrong with our society that should not be perpetuated or fixed! This is not representation, this is normalization. 

P.S. But hey, Reggie has a crush on a girl so we should support lgbtqia+ media? Well here’s my little piece of that. I love my little lesbeans. If you’ve read any of my reviews you know it’s something I crave, but Reggie is so misplaced in her emotional development that just coming to terms with the fact that she may have done something embarrassing in front of her crush is enough for her. She then shuns Conelly (and the options of gaining friends in the real world who like the same quirky stuff as she does), so that she can once again return to Endless. It’s less satisfying then yuri for the sake of perv pandering in my opinion. 

#me #rant #cartoon review #at least it kinda is #Twelve Forever #cartoons

[leia-morales-suggestions]

//Backstory Time!//

//So the reason I was barely on yesterday was because I was busy finishing this up. I thought it would be good for people to have a better understanding of Leia's history leading up to the creation of this blog, so I've compiled a list of key points down below.

Born (on May 3, 1991) and raised in Chicago.

Parents both very Catholic. Leia will participate in holidays and accompany her mom (Cassandra Morales) to church out of obligation, but her beliefs don’t necessarily align with the religion anymore.

Dad (William Doherty) was abusive. Was good at keeping up a charming facade and hid his uglier side until Leia was around 6 or 7. Only verbally and emotionally abusive at first; him hitting Leia’s mom was the final straw that made them leave. He never signed the divorce papers, but he also hasn't contacted them, and they were able to get their last names changed, so Leia and her mother don't really think about him anymore. Leia can’t be near people when they’re smoking cigarettes or drinking hard alcohol (cigars, pipes, vape pens, cocktails, and wine don’t bug her as much, but she personally won’t touch them) though, because the sight of it reminds her of him.

Leia and her mom moved to Central City when she was 12. Her sister (Jessica) was born shortly after. With their mom working multiple jobs in an attempt to make ends meet, Leia took on more responsibilities at home, including basically raising Jessie. The two of them grew very close and were basically inseparable.

Leia has always been kinda tomboyish and geeky, which has made it harder for her to make friends. In her early childhood, the girls didn't want to hang out with her because she was too boyish, and the boys didn't want to hang out with her because she was a girl. In middle school, that was less important, but kids started worrying more about popularity as they got closer to high school, and she had already been labeled as an outcast. After the move, she was able to start fresh, but she was also the new kid, so that was its own bag of worms. In high school, she joined the softball and water polo teams, as well as a few leadership and community service clubs, but while she mostly got along with her teammates and fellow club members, she didn't really click with them or hang out with them more than she was required to.

Leia did find herself with more people wanting to be her friend in junior year, when senior football star and school heartthrob, James Oh, took an interest in her after meeting her in a shared class. She agreed to go out with him, and she sort of adopted his social circle, but Leia was pretty sure “friends” didn't make you feel like you had to fake your interests and personality…

Unable to afford to go to college right after high school, Leia got a job at the local comic book shop to save up for tuition. She became very close with her boss (Scott Jeffries), who she saw as a father figure, and a frequent customer (Cisco Ramon), who eventually became her best friend.

James didn't care for Leia working at the comic store; he insisted she didn't need to save for college if she stayed with him, because his family was rich and he was going to become a great businessman, but she insisted on making sure she was self-sufficient, much to his annoyance. Unbeknownst to Leia, his interest in her had been, at least in part, because she seemed easy to manipulate. She had never dated anyone before to compare him to, she didn't have any friends, she got anxious easily and was a people pleaser at heart… It was very easy for him to use her insecurities against her, to make it seem like she was the one who didn't deserve him, to make her feel dependent on him, to make her family fall in love with him and think he could do no wrong… and once he had accomplished this, he started trying to change Leia, buying her makeup and outfits to encourage her to be more feminine, critiquing some of her interests that might seem odd to others, and pressuring her into displays of affection that she wasn't really comfortable with. Her job at the comic shop and the friendships she might make there put his plans at risk, so he doubled down on his efforts, becoming more controlling and blaming his actions on stress from college whenever she seemed to be pushed too far.

Cisco was the first person who got Leia to open up about how James was making her feel. He noticed that she had been looking kinda down in the dumps during his recent visits to the store and asked her what was going on. She tried to downplay it, but she did tell him some of the details. Seeing that she wasn't going to disclose anything further, but still wanting to try and cheer her up, he invited her out for coffee, which wound up being the thing that really kicked their friendship off. They continued to go out for coffee or catch a movie together every once in a while, and Leia was happy to finally have someone her own age to hang out with that she could be herself around.

A little while after the particle accelerator explosion, Leia started to develop what she thought was a fever. It seemed to go away on its own, and she didn't think too much of it until she started to notice objects that she stayed in contact with for long periods of time began melting or giving off smoke. Not knowing what to do, she looked up how to keep the human body cold, and she used a variety of methods to cool herself down, which seemed to work well enough, but eventually, there was an accident…

While spending a day at the park with her family, Leia decided to take a quick nap in the grass. While she was asleep, the clouds shifted, allowing the sun through. Leia subconsciously internalized the sudden feeling of warmth and her new abilities kicked in. When she awoke, it was to the sight of fire all around her and people screaming as they ran in the opposite direction of her. Before she could do anything, the Flash showed up to put out the fire, running in a way which drew the oxygen out of the area, causing Leia to pass out in the process.

When she woke up, Leia found herself in a chilled cell in the Pipeline. Barry came down to explain her situation to her, and “Wells” followed shortly after, saying that if she was able to learn control over her abilities, she could be a useful ally to the Flash. Overwhelmed by everything that had happened recently, Leia’s powers started acting up again, and the containment cell started to malfunction (they later found out that it had pretty much only worked in the first place because Leia expected it to, the same reason her earlier home remedies had worked); Cisco was finally brought down at this point to talk to her and help calm her down. He had already given her the nickname ‘Swelter’ while she was passed out, and he continued to visit her occasionally afterwards, becoming the most frequent person to help her figure out how to get a handle on her powers. Things got pretty hectic with everyone else trying to stop “Wells” though, and Leia’s training didn't really begin until after his apparent demise. In this version of events, Barry was unable to become as reclusive in the aftermath of that day, because he had Leia to be responsible for.

The gist of Leia’s powers is simply the manipulation of heat. She has the ability to generate heat from her body, raise the temperature of her body, raise the temperature of her surroundings, melt, burn, or combust most things that she touches or comes into close proximity of, and send waves of heat towards her opponents. There's no way to safely test it, but there doesn't seem to be any limit on what temperatures she can reach.

After a couple of months, Leia had enough control of her powers to be able to leave S.T.A.R. Labs without worrying about accidentally hurting anyone. She contacted her mom first, hoping to return home, but her mother was unconvinced that it was actually safe for Leia to stay at their house again and said she needed more time to process everything. Leia proceeded to ask James if she could stay with him, but he saw her powers as something to be capitalized on and used for personal gain, and when she voiced her complete lack of interest in this, he suddenly decided that she was a “freak” and dumped her. So, she wound up staying at the lab full-time.

Leia started to help Barry out on the field with smaller missions. He didn't want her endangering herself by getting her involved with Zoom, but she did what she could behind-the-scenes, and she became pretty close with the rest of Team Flash as a whole, especially Cisco. The two of them eventually admitted to having feelings for one another, but they agreed to put off trying to date until after after Zoom was no longer a threat. That agreement was never fulfilled, however, because after Flashpoint, everything changed.

During Flashpoint, the comic store Leia worked at was bought out by Francisco Industries, along with many other local businesses, for the construction of a new building. Without her job to distract her, Leia’s stress sped up the growth of her powers. She started a fire in her apartment by overheating the kitchen's electrical systems. Her sister suffered from mild burns and her mother kicked her out of the house. So, she became desperate for a cure. She got involved with some shady people, committing small crimes here and there in exchange for serums that dampened her powers for a while.

After Flashpoint, Leia’s first big accident went back to being the fire in the park, but it happened earlier, on a different day, one where the Flash was preoccupied with something else and he couldn't get to the fire right away. Instead, Leia went on a path of destruction, melting asphalt as she ran away, accidentally burning people who reached out to help her, causing an explosion in the freezer section of a supermarket she tried to steal some ice from… Eventually, she was found, not by Barry this time, but by a corrupt doctor who sedated her and gave her her first power-dampening serum in exchange for her cooperation as a “voluntary” test subject. The first time the serum became less effective, however, he sent her to his supplier, Amunet, who got her a new serum in exchange for training Leia to steal for her. After a while though, Amunet decided that she was more of a hassle than she was worth, so she sent her directly to the people who had produced the serums, a large black market operation run by a mysterious leader that mostly operated in metahuman trafficking; that's where Leia has been ever since.//

#//origins//

[dxmedstudent]

Dx’s Dating Tips #3 -The Profile

This post is about profiles as a whole - the bits and bobs that may not necessarily be in your blurb. Funnily enough, I started these posts months and months ago when I was still actively on those sites. Guess it took me a long time to hit my drafts and publish them, but I think it’s still useful.

 Fill in the most useful fields, but don’t wory about listing every minute detail. Some dating sites really seem to go into incredible detail, because data is currency for them. But think carefully about how much information you are putting into your profile, and whether it’s going to look overwhelming and cluttering and hard to read. For example, you can put your hobbies, but stick to things that are most important to you, rather than something you tried, once. But this also means you really should spend some time making your profile actually complete and worthy of being read.

And yes, this also means try not to overstate how much you do things. If someone decided to date you because they thought you liked rock climbing as much as they do, they’ll probably be pretty bummed when they discover you tried it once, took a selfie, then hated it and would never want to try again. Being genuine about what you enjoy is key to finding people with similar interests or people who will respect you for yours. 

It also means don’t understate things you do, either. If you smoke and drink, own it. Both those things might be dealbreakers for a lot of people, but you need someone who is compatible to you. For example, lots of people who like to go out drinking want partners who will share that experience with them, whereas people who don’t enjoy that particular pursuit might not want to spend all their dates being dragged round a club with their new SO and their friends whilst they all get plastered. Personally, I’m happy that the guy I’m seeing also doesn’t drink much, and doesn’t smoke; both would be dealbreakers for me, and equally, I wouldn’t want to feel like the ‘stick in the mud’ partner who doesn’t have fun. So I looked for someone with a similar definition of ‘fun’ to me.  I heard of couples where one partner pretended not to smoke for the longest time because they knew their SO didn’t want to date a smoker, and I just found that to be such a sad deceit. Give prospective partners an honest chance to see if you are for them. I was quite open early on about my shifts, and my current sightly nomadic lifestyle in medicine; I talk quite a bit about work when dating, it turns out! Really, I want anyone who dates me to know what they are getting into; I don’t want them to feel tricked. Anyhow, despite all my talking about death and medicine, and having less than ideal timetables it seems I can’t put everyone off, and I’m truly honoured to have met someone for whom those parts of my life are part of the deal.

Be honest about your attributes, including things like your body type and height. Yes, it’s  silly if someone will only date men over 6ft or women under 80kg, but nevertheless, you’ll want to look for people who will love you for who you are, rather than resent people for wanting something else. It’s pointless to argue with people about what they have decided are their preferences. So many men obscure their height on dating sites because they fear women won’t date a short man, and really tall guys say that women only really want a man who’s somewhere between 5ft 9 and 6ft 2 or so - above or below that, apparently people get put off. But if a woman’s that judgemental they’ll just probably get dumped after the first date, so ultimately lying is still pointless. I personally didn’t care about height at all; some people I met didn’t list their height at all and it didn’t faze me (yep, they were short, no, that’s not the reason there wasn’t a second date). But I think people being honest about their height, particularly if they are pretty short, or pretty tall, is a pretty brave, confident thing to do. You deserve someone who accepts and loves you for whoever you are.

This also includes things like whether you’ve been married or have kids by a previous relationship. Again, if someone isn’t prepared to deal with that, then they aren’t right for you. These are the kinds of things that work best if gotten out of the way early on, because the later you leave revealing big things like this, the more people will feel like important things are being concealed from them. This also means being honest early on (I’d say during messages or around the first or second date) if you’ve just recently come out of a breakup; be prepared that other people might want to take it slow because they aren’t sure if you still have a lot of issues from your last relationship, or they might want to wait until you have taken some time to think and heal after your breakup. For example, one guy mentioned his ex turning up uninvited to events during messaging. He effectively invited me to join his gaming group on a date, having told me that his ex still plays with his gaming group. Now, if I’m dating someone yes, I’d love to meet their friends after a while, but intitially you just want to get to know a person by themselves. I don’t want high romance, but I don’t really want to turn into ‘one of the boys’ after the second date, either.  And no, I don’t want to meet their very recent ex at these get togethers, nor do I want to replace her in his gaming group that soon; it all came across as likely to cause drama and hurt to everyone. I thought he would make a genuinely good friend, if I had the time to pick up new friends but I couldn’t see it leading to anything more. He agreed that he still had things to process, and I really hope that he has taken that time, and found that space and that he meets someone lovely.  A few guys confided in me that they’d only recently got into dating after long breaks from dating or after a breakup and I don’t think it makes you less dateable, as long as you can make it clear that you are now ready to date and are serious about it, and have gotten to the point where it won’t massively hamper your current dating. Alternatively, if all you want to do is dip your feet in, and you don’t want anything serious then it’s good to be honest about that too; because there are lots of people who are happy with that.

If you’re in an open relationship, be honest. And no, it’s not an open relationship unless your current partner is aware and OK with you seeing other people, and all prospective new interests are also aware of the situation. Keeping anyone in equation in the dark is wrong. Yes, that might eliminate a lot of people, since a lot of people aren’t into that, but lying is not cool, and implicating people in things that would make them uncomfortable is also wrong. Be warned that if you have no photo, or have really blurry obscured photos, everyone is going to assume that you’re either cheating or on the run from the police. I came across one profile where the only picture was the dude in a literal balaclava. I don’t know how he thought he’d attract a woman with a photo that reveals none of his face, but who knows, maybe he got lucky.

 Don’t lie about things like whether you want to get married, have kids etc. This is where acting in good faith comes in; tell people the truth, not what you think they want to hear. You need to find people who will want the same things as you, and people can’t do that if nobody is honest. Now, this is the real world, and a lot of people can’t necessarily fit their feelings into a neat ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to those questions. If you aren’t sure, it’s OK to be honest about that; many people just want to see where things go, and that’s perfectly fine. Some people like the idea of these things, but really want to focus on meeting someone right first. Others are pretty sure that they want to be married in like, 2 years, tops, with a kid on the way. Personally, people who are super-keen to marry or have kids soon kind of scare me a little, even though I want those things, because I very much want to take things at whatever pace things come, so I struggled to know exactly how to put that across in my profile. Lying also makes things more difficult for everyone. Some people want casual relationships, but struggle to find others who are open about it. Meanwhile, lots of people who really just want casual setups (and mainly, well, sex) absolutely pretend that they are interested in much more, because they think people won’t give them a chance if they don’t go through the performance of pretending to eventually want a relationship. The thing to remember about people who lie is that it’s easy to promise the world if you have no intention of delivering. So it’s worth bearing in mind that if someone is talking about marriage and kids on like date 3, they might be very, very keen, or they might just be counting on the fact that’s what you want to hear. I wish I could tell you it was easy to tell the two apart. Having seen enough people get hurt by people who claimed to want one thing, but clearly wanted another, I have a hard time trusting what people write in these particular boxes until you really get to know a person.

I don’t think stating how much you earn is important, in fact, I wouldn’t. If you earn a lot of money, the last thing you want is someone who’s sought you out just because they thought you were rich. And yet, a lot of guys post pics next to shiny cars, mention how much their brand new house cost, and write about their summer homes and salary. Some of them even write explicitly that they aren’t into uh... people who are trying to take advantage of that. But that’s no use if your profile just reads like one long advert about how wealthy you are. I don’t know why people who are wealthy often feel they have to make it obvious, but it’s really not necessary. If you want someone to love you for who you are, not your money, then don’t hide behind your wealth, or use it as bait to attract people.  If you emphasise only what you bring financially, you will attract people who value you only for that. The easiest way to avoid that is just to be discreet.  I didn’t mention what I do or what I earn explicitly in my profile at all; only that I work in healthcare. I love and respect my nurses and physios; any man who’d date a doctor but not a nurse isn’t someone I want in my life.I’d never lie about what I do, but I didn’t think there was anything to be gained by boasting about it. I want someone to date me and find it cool that I happen to be a doctor, rather than someone to be dating me because they think doctors are smart, or rich or the kind of girl their parents want etc.

If you’re really stuck, I’d say that it’s a good idea to take a look at the profiles of people of your gender, to see what other people do, and work out which cliches to avoid. Looking at other profles  of any gender can be a great way to see the difference between an interesting profile and a dull one. You’ll find that the more you look at profiles and date, the more you’ll build an idea of what you like (and want) and what you really don’t.  I started out fairly neutral and doing my best to be forgiving, but  found that I gained strong opinions on what makes a good profile after perusing so many of them.

#dx's dating tips #dx dates #dxdates

[peachywise]

to be here, with you

stanley uris x reader 

– one-shot

– synopsis: You and Stanley had been secretly seeing one another for a couple of months now, keeping it a secret from the rest of the Loser’s Club. Turns out, Stan’s patience has begun to run thin and it’s only a matter of time before everything comes out in the open. (aged up; 18) 

– notes: this was requested by anonymous!! “could you do a stan x reader where they’ve been secretly seeing each other & they go swimming and the reader has hickeys or calls him daddy in front of the losers" sorry it took me so long to do, took a lil break from fic writing!! let a gal know if you wanted to be added to the general tag list and i hope you enjoy!! 

– ao3 link 

“You look cute in your bathing suit,” a soft voice whispered in your ear.

Moving your sunglasses down a tad to glower at Stan as he hovered over you, a small blush coloured his cheeks. You pushed his face away with a small, playful smile. “You’re blocking my sun, Uris,” you quipped. He gave a low chuckle, sitting down beside your sprawled out figure on the cheery yellow striped beach towel.

Today was a perfect day.

Technically, perfect would be lounging on a yacht in the middle of the Atlantic, surrounded by all of life’s luxuries, fanning yourself with hundred dollar bills. But c’est la vie. A day at the sunny quarry with your friends was your idea of perfect, and you wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Taking a long breath of air, you couldn’t help the smile that stayed splayed on your face, lazy and all too inviting to Stan’s gentle teasing. “You sure you’re not just nervous about me being this close to you?” he offered lowly. You turned your head to look at him, eyebrow raised. Usually, he wasn’t this outwardly flirty with you, especially not when you two weren’t exactly alone. 

“I’m absolutely fine, but how about you? I know you haven’t been out here long enough for that to be a sunburn on your face,” you baited, reaching over to pinch his faint rosy cheeks like a grandmother with a vengeance. He groaned before trapping your hand in his, holding it to his face with a light grip. Leaning in closer as if on instinct, you noted how his gaze was fixed on your lips, just as yours were his.

“Watcha guys doing?”

Mike’s voice startled you of whatever hazy summer love spell you had momentarily been under and acting in total impulsiveness by your panicked mind, you did the one thing you could think of to cover it up.

You lifted your hand marginally away and slapped Stan’s cheek.

“Got it!” you yelled, shuffling slightly away from him as both boys stared at you in unreserved disbelief. “What the hell!” the golden hair boy hollered, reaching up to cup his cheek. “The bug on your face, I uh—I got it,” you fibbed, giving your most innocuous expression. Stanley would know it was a lie, but all you needed was for good old Hanlon to buy it. Judging by the partial skepticism crossing his features, but overall accepting nod, it had done the job.

You couldn’t risk the others finding out about you and Stan.

It had gone on for a couple of months now, this hiding and sneaking about. For years you'd harboured a crush on Stan. As a kid, you had no idea that the feelings you had felt towards him were of the romantic nature. There was a lot of animosity, a lot of confusion and a lot of tension, but as you’d aged, you became exactly aware what type of tension it was. And though you liked him, you couldn’t risk telling him and losing all those things you’d admired from afar; the way his nose scrunched up when he began to think too hard, the grace in which wrapped around his tone and demeanor, and his brilliant but frustratingly challenging mind always pushing you further, to better yourself.

You’d both finally had enough of this stupid, mutual pining at Richie’s last party. The alcohol in both of your systems probably had a hand in it also, but that version was a little less romantic. Not that Stan impulsively throwing you up against the wall to make out with you was necessarily romantic. Just hot.

Both of you had tried to ignore it, pretend it had never happened in a stupid ignorance that made things even more awkward than they had been before. But it just kept happening. And happening. And happening. It was like when you were around each other, it was only a matter of time before you would lock eyes and an invisible force would shove you two together with the heat of two starved bears.

Yeah, at that point there was really no fighting or denying it.

Still, even though you two had officially been dating for two months, you hadn’t told the Losers’ Club yet. It was kind of nice just to have it between you two, having no one else but into your business. Then again, you were mostly just afraid that the relationship wouldn’t last. Not that you didn’t want it to. You really, really did. But it would be easier to try to act like nothing had ever happened if the others had no idea. Richie, for one, would never let it go, and Ben? Ben would be so nervous about having a broken up couple around each other he’d constantly be waiting for a bomb to drop and trying to dilute any awkward tension, in turn, making it more awkward.

At first, Stan had agreed. It was the practical thing to do until you both had truly settled into everything and figured it out. Neither one of you wanted to jump the gun, per say.

Unfortunately, Stan was no longer as apprehensive as you were.

You thought he would be one hundred percent on board with keeping it from your friends, always having been the more anxious one, annoyed with the other’s pestering about him and his personal life. But the past two weeks he’d been on your ass asking ‘when are we going to tell them?’ and complaining that he ‘can’t keep it in any longer, it’s going to slip out, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.’

His puppy dog look killed you when he did that.

“See you later Stan,” you grinned, popping up from your tanning position on the grass, racing up to Mike and jumping on his back, clinging on as you wrapped your legs around his waist in a piggyback fashion. Mike chuckled lowly, carrying you down to where the others were down by the water as Stan hollered from behind you, “you can’t keep killing bugs forever!”

Odd choice of words, but you got the gist of what he was trying say.

“I didn’t see a bug,” Mike hummed, as you rested your chin on top of his head. “It was tiny,” you stated, “a tiny, tiny bug.” Mike nodded his head, but you didn’t need to see his face to know that his gaze reflected disbelief. “If you say you saw a bug, I believe you,” he mused, “because that’s what friends do. They believe and support one another,” he quickly continued as the smile on your face dropped.

Well, shit.

As you got to the shoreline of the water, you slid off his back and patted his shoulder, avoiding the eye contact he was trying to make. You always cracked under eye contact.

“It’s just a bug, Mike,” you replied with a small shrug and hesitant smile, “it’s not that deep.”

Mike stared at you for a long beat and you knew he was debating on further confronting you on the matter or not. Jesus, your heart was beating so much faster than it had when you and Richie were kids and you ripped a worm apart and both ends started moving. At least then your heart was beating in excitement thinking you two had life healing superpowers. Now it was beating in pure, unadulterated dread and anxiety.

“Okay,” Mike said.

“Okay,” you sustained.

Staring at each other in some type of friendly, ‘what do we do now’ face off, you were broken from the awkward spell as Stan came stumbling from the spot he was before, eyes locked with yours. Yikes. He looked determined. Determined to talk.

You were determined to not.

“Well, see ya in the water!” you yelped, quickly turning around and racing right into the cool, sunlit reflected water. Wafting your way through the waves to the rest of the Losers’ Club tossing around a football in the water, you hollered, “pass it my way!”

At the corner of your eye, you saw Mike cast Stan a look, but the golden boy was way too preoccupied giving you a stare of his own to even notice. Damn, he looked fed up. Deep down you knew he wouldn’t reveal the truth of your relationship to the others so long as you weren’t okay with it. He was a good guy and pushing you that far would break the trust you two had developed. But you also knew that you couldn’t force him to keep it a secret and expect him to be fine with it and stay with you. You would do it eventually, but now? Now you just wanted to spend a nice day at the quarry with your friends.

You mouthed a small ‘sorry’ to Stan as you turned towards Bev, stretching your arms up to catch the ball she threw towards you.

Before you knew it, two hours had passed. You had floated on, bathed in the sun, and even built a sandcastle with Eddie that Ben accidentally tripped over. You’d also successfully managed to evade Stans every chance to get you alone, but from the unhappy antsy look on his face, that really wasn’t something you should have been proud of.

The sun had now begun to set, painting the sky with yellow-orange hues, casting hazing warm shadows on everyone’s faces. The warm breeze that wrapped around you was distracting enough, but the anxiety of the impending conversation was eating away at your nerves.

You would do it. You had to do it. Just not here. Not now.

And then a fucking Frisbee hit your face.

“How’s La La land, Baby Cakes?” Richie hollered over to you, a wide grin spread across his features as he laughed. Shooting him a nasty glare, you snapped back, “it was fine before you showed up, asshole,” chucking the Frisbee back at him with as much force as you could. He raised his arms up to block it, still laughing away.

“Holy shit, you’re bleeding,” Stan’s voice suddenly called out from where he sat around the recently built fire. Instinctively reaching up, you put a tender hand above your brow, removing it as you felt a warm stickiness to look at the red slightly coating your fingertips.

Damn.

“Y-You okay?” Bill’s troubled eyes looked at you, standing up from his spot to glance at the wound. Stan was very quick to join him, reaching up to inspect the most likely minuscule cut. “It’s fine,” you grumbled, trying to bat his hands away before he trapped your wrists with his gentle grip, giving you the stern ‘no-nonsense’ look you knew all too well. It shut you right up as your eyes fell to look at your suddenly fascinating shoes. Was that a freaking stain? What the hell was on your shoe? Who the hell dropped—

“We’re going back to the truck to clean it up.”

“What?” you squeaked as if someone had squeezed your sides and pushed all the air right out your lungs. “Stanley, I’m fine,” you argued with a breathy scoff, stepping away, stumbling only a bit with lightheadedness. His arms quickly shot out to grip your shoulders, pulling you back closer to him. His warm eyes shone a weird mix of concern, frustration, and inexplicable smugness. The bastard. “You sure about that?” he quipped, as you mumbled under your breath, “that could have been from too much sun exposure.” He didn’t even humour you with a reply as he just began hauling you off.

You almost flipped Mike off as you caught him giving the tiniest of chipper smiles your way.

Silent on your small trek to the truck on the off road parking area, Stan only let you go to swing open the door, patting the driver’s seat saying an expecting, “up you go.” You crossed your arms over your chest, shooting him a scowl. “I’m not a dog,” you disputed.

Stanley sighed, taking small strides towards you. Cupping your cheek with his gentle palm, he bent his head down lower to a more eye-level position and the sudden change in his demeanor made your mouth slightly gape open in shock, unsure. His voice softened due to his whispered tone as he breathed out your name, and you wanted to argue that the wind caused the sudden chill that shot through your body but that was a big damn lie.

“I just want to check out the cut, okay?” Gently brushing his thumb tenderly over your cheekbone, you unconsciously leaned into his touch, craving more. A small, fond smile tugged at the corner of his lips, pleading tenderly, “you’re hurt, and I don’t want to see you hurt, so let me fix it.”

There were only a few inches separating your face from his, sharing almost the same breath as you just gazed into his comforting eyes. You barely nodded your head, mumbling, “okay,” in defeat. The genuine, loving smile that found its way on his face constricted your heart, and as you closed your eyes and leaned in for a soft kiss to finish what both of you had started earlier in the day, his hand suddenly dropped from your face as he stated in a loud tone, breaking the tension, “I’ll go grab the first aid kit!”

His previous smile had turned teasing; he knew exactly what he was doing. You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t stop your own amused smile as you groaned, “I deserved that.”

Sitting on the raised seat of the truck, facing out of the open door so your feet dangled outside, Stan quickly rushed back with the small kit in hand, already having an antiseptic wipe in hand. Scooching over a bit so he could plant himself right next to you, you tried your best to face him in a way that made your legs comfortable, but you couldn’t find a spot. Stan just raised an eyebrow at you as he set the things down, grabbing your hips and sliding his hands down a little more slowly then he needed to, positioning your legs so they wrapped around his torso, pulling you closer.

“Better?” He offered.

“Much,” you affirmed with a small blush.

Picking back up the wipe, he ripped open the small travel sized package and leaned in closer, raising his hand over the cut. “This will sting,” he warned, his eyes entirely focused on your upper brow. You scoffed, replying back with, “I think I can handle a little—“ but as soon as the coolness of the cloth touched the cut and a dull stinging pain shot through that small section, you hissed and winced back in pain for dramatic effect.

Stan immediately ripped his hand away looking utterly horrified. Grinning, you released the fake tension in your shoulders and sing-songed, “just kidding,” as he stared at you with the cutest frown of all time, pressing the antiseptic wipe back on your face with a vengeance. “Please laugh at my joke, it sucks when the only person who validates my humour is Richie,” you complained as he continued to work. Stan gave you the driest, most sarcastic “Ha Ha,” in return, but you appreciated the effort.

Sitting in silence as he finished his work, you took the time to unabashedly study his face. As a kid, he had always been a lot more mature than the rest of your friends, and his perfect posture and ever-neatly pressed clothes reflected that. As he aged, it was no different. His angular face grew more fitting, becoming an elegant kind of handsome. The only part of him that ever seemed slightly out of place was his unruly, curly hair. It was adorable, and you’d taken the advantage many times of running your hands through with it or playing with it when you were alone.

He was patient but tough. As much as you were always frustrated with how much he pushed you, you knew it was his way of showing he cared. It was never hurtful or done in malice. You respected him so much. He was a brilliant light, and suddenly a pain constricted your soul at the knowledge that keeping your relationship a secret had hurt him. Was hurting him. You wanted him to be happy, and you had avoided him. How could you do that to someone you loved?

Because you did love him.

Looking at him now, there was no doubt in your mind that every single part of you loved every single part of him.

“What are you smiling at?”  Stan asked with an inquisitive look after he was done, rubbing his hand up and down your arm in a soothing motion you weren’t sure he even noticed. Utterly caught up in the moment and your thoughts, you couldn’t even process that your mouth had started moving, words tumbling right on out in a matching soft caress.

“I’m in love with you.”

Stan froze up like he’d just gotten shot of all things, and you swore you’d never seen someone so motionless in your life. “Pardon?” He sputtered out, his honey brown eyes opening wider.

Then your brain finally caught up to what you had said.

Gripping his face between your hands in a wretched panic, your own terrible, cold shock took over your body as you tumbled out in an unstoppable stream, “wait, oh God, that was too sudden, wasn’t it? Please, please don’t get freaked out, I was just staring at you and I was so distracted, and it just kind hit me, and Stan, I’m so sorry about today, I’m so sorry if I’ve hurt you by keeping this a secret, we can go tell everyone now, I just can’t lose you, you know? I was just scared--“

Suddenly your breath was cut off when his lips crashed into yours, unexpectedly, greedy, and utterly intense. Melting into it, your hands slipped to the back if his neck, his weight leaning into you comfortably. You groaned as he just as suddenly pulled away, but slowly and painfully. He pressed his forehead against yours, whispering a quiet, “breathe.”

You did as he said and sucked in a much-needed breath.

“I love you too,” he smiled with a breathless laugh, squeezing your sides which he gripped so desperately, “I love you so much.”

“Good. I mean, I’m—I’m glad,” you laughed out, utter relief washing through you with a tension you hadn’t even known you’d been holding. Stan’s own beautiful laughed joined in with yours, as you leaned into to give him a tender kiss.

Reluctantly pulling away, you slid your hands away from his neck, moving down to grip his hands, still needing to feel him anchored to you in some way. “Are you sure you want to tell everyone?” Stan questioned, lowly still, and you nodded your head. “Yes. I’m sure,” you stated, surprising yourself at how resolute you sounded. “I’m sure about us, and I don’t want you to feel like I want to hide this or that I’m ashamed. I never was, I just didn’t want it to change anything.”

The pure joyous smile that suddenly spread across Stan’s face was almost worth all the stress of today.

“They’re never going to let this go,” he added in a teasing warning, giving your hand a small squeeze. You let out a small laugh, biting your bottom lip. “I’m ready to deal with it if you are.”

Stan didn’t even need to voice a response, instead of letting his lips meet yours again in an unrelenting kiss, hands wandering up and down your body as you fought to get a proper grapple on him. You two had had intense make-out sessions before, there was no doubt about that, but this… this was something on an entirely different playing field. It was like the boy had held back on you all these months, and he was just letting out all of that pent up energy, nervousness, and everything he was ever unsure about. It was a raw need.

Moving forward a bit, you pressed your hands to his chest and successfully maneuvered your legs already wrapped around him to straddle his sides, trapping him in his place against the seat. Giving a cheeky little grin against his lips, Stan’s hands moved down to squeeze your upper thighs before moving them to rest on your lower back just under your shirt. His lips never once left yours, the utter tenderness making your heart feel like it was going to give out any second.

A mild moan left your lips as Stan moved down, leaving a trail of kisses from your cheek, to the corner of your jaw, under it, to where he settled in the crook of your neck. You couldn’t stop the breathy sigh of his name as it escaped you, and as you began to tangle your hands into his hair that you loved so much, you could have kicked him as he breathed against your neck, “I love hearing you say my name.” Cupping his jaw, you moved his face back up, muttering, “shut up, you idiot,” before pressing your lips against his in a once more greedy kiss. He obliged.

Leaning his head away, he gave a gentle nip at your bottom lip before opening his eyes to gaze at you under his heavy lashes. His lips were slightly swollen, breath heavy, face a little redder than usual. You probably mirrored the same image.

“Let’s wait to tell them tomorrow,” he stated. Bewildered, you pulled back and let your hands slide down to rest on his arms. “You’re okay with that?” you questioned hesitantly. Dang, you hoped this wasn’t some weird elaborate trap. Stan nodded his head, his shy smile returning to his face. God, he was so cute. “Yeah. I want it to be just us for a little while longer if that’s okay?”

Returning his smile with your own beaming one, you gave him a final gentle, but lingering kiss. “Of course it’s okay,” you offered, maneuvering yourself off your position on his lap and jumping out of the truck to the gravelly ground.  Stan followed suit.

Grabbing his hand for one last bit of contact, both of you made your way back to your group.

As soon as you found your way squished in around the little campfire surrounded by your friends, immediately you knew something was up the moment everyone stopped talking abruptly. Turning to give a questioning side glance at Stan, he shrugged his shoulders, looking equally as perplexed as you felt. 

After about thirty seconds of silence, you threw your hands up and exasperatedly bit out, “what!” 

“Is that a, uh, burn mark on your neck?” 

The question was directed from Ben who was sat beside you, but by the sudden look of pure horror that crossed Stan’s face, you knew without even looking that the thing he was talking about certainly wasn’t a burn mark. It was a god damn hickey. 

Mother fucking shit! 

“Oh, Ben sweetie, no,” Bev tsked as she gave an all too amused smirk at him, trying to cover up her chuckle beneath a hand. You felt a certain blush of heat rise to your cheeks as you shot up in embarrassment.

“Doctor Stan, I’m pretty sure there are rules against fucking your patients,” Richie laughed out. Both you and Stan returned it with an aggravated, “beep beep Richie!”  

“I’m allowed to give the person I’m dating hickeys!” Stan shot out in defense, as the group replied with a hearty chorus of “what’s” and “dating?” Soon, so many questions began to be directed your way, your friends overlapping themselves in a loud, desperate attempt. 

Mike Hanlon, the saving grace he is, finally hollered out, “hey!” and successfully shut them all up, all eyes turning to him. 

“Anyone want to roast marshmallows?” he smiled. 

And just like that, everyone nodded their head in agreement, moving past it just as quickly as the news had come. Rolling your eyes, you sat back down on the log made bench and gripped Stanley’s hand in yours.

It was still a perfect day.

-- general tag list: @@multi-parker @stan-the-losers-club-man @this-cute-shit-xo @breederofguilt@babylovereddie @ubertrashmouth @derrysdenbrough @socially-awkward-nerd @emmaamalie @catching-fire-in-the-wind  @noodleboyuris @sspideyboyy

#it #it fanfiction #it fanfic #it imagine #stan uris #stanley uris #stanley uris x reader #stan uris x reader #stanley uris imagine #wyatt oleff #mike hanlon #richie tozier #eddie kaspbrak #beverly marsh #bill denbrough #ben hanscom #stanley uris fanfic #stan uris fanfiction #stan uris fanfic #stanley uris fanfiction

[korstudies]

College And Anxiety

When I was in high school, I had a friend who went absolutely everywhere with me. We would sit in the morning and wait for classes to start together, we would meet up between every class. She would skip into my class and I would skip into hers and this kind of mutual co-dependency can be scary but for someone who has severe social anxiety, it was actually pretty comforting. Somehow we kept up this act of class-dodging, teacher-fooling acrobatics for nearly four years without being caught and still managed to graduate with 3.5 GPAs. This ill-advised scheme we had developed between the two of us kept us from being overwhelmed by schoolwork, the school itself, and the people in it. While I have moved around a lot, somehow, I always found another companion with the same issues of being alone in public as I had and that made the struggle somewhat easier.

However, we ended up going to different colleges so there I was on the first week of school facing a few facts that I had avoided for 19 years of my life:

I did not know how to make friends and I had held myself back from ever developing this skill through chronic shyness and awkward platonic attachments along with the near agile aptitude that I had developed for never having to speak unless it was utterly necessary.

I had no idea how to go places alone. (My over-protective family had this social handicap covered entirely.)

It is not so easy to find an anchor when you are dropped in a place with thousands of other people who don’t know you and have absolutely no motivation to talk to you.

I had gotten through school by barely forming any lasting social bonds.

Fortunately for me, I am only 19 and so I took it upon myself to correct these inadequacies before I reached an age where they would be irreversible. I looked at social interaction in the same way I look at posture: If you can fix it before you're thirty, then you're not too late. Some people never catch themselves on this. When I asked my grandma, for example, “how do you make friends?” she promptly replied to me with “I don’t.” and while her response was met with a ton of laughs from myself, I was slightly worried that I would find myself in the same place at her age. That being said, Here are my top 3 tips for making friends in college (when you know no one and just don't want to be alone):

No one cares. Okay, so this tip may seem counter-intuitive to begin with since one of the main worries of anxiety for some people is that you're alone and no one cares about you or no one likes you, however, I mean this in the best way possible. During my first week of college, I saw a boy wipe out on his skateboard on the wet breeze-way just after a light shower. While I remember this happening, I have absolutely no recollection of who the boy was or what he looked like. If he were to walk up to me today, I would have no idea that was him. This is one of the big differences between high school and college. Unless someone knows you personally or you do something like commit murder  (don't commit murder for notoriety. I've gathered that it typically doesn't go as planned.) no one is ever going to know that you tripped over the third step in front of the library and spilled your dunkin' donuts or that you dance in the elevator on your way to class when you're alone or that you locked yourself out of your dorm room once when you went to take a shower before a talent show. (all of these things have happened to me and a cute boy saw me doing the last one but team #noshame) In high school, things were majorly a popularity contest and while you will encounter this same primary, predatory hierarchy somewhere else in life, college probably won't be that place. At least, not during your first year. The thing about college is that while high school was about being better than everyone else, college is just about being the best you that you can be. In high school, everyone was worried about being pretty or cool or...whatever the kids want these days but in college, people are mainly just worried about getting their shit done on time and well and graduating. Whether or not some dorky girl dances on her way to do her laundry, doesn't matter to them. In college, no one cares and everyone minds their own business and it is beautiful. Sure, every now and then you will come across with spiteful people who will go out of their way to be awful but it's rare and they should be given no merit since they are simply being spiteful because of their own issues. Pull an old lady move and offer them some hard candy and move along.

Join a club. This one seems like a no-brainer but it can be a pretty daunting task. If you have social anxiety, walking into a room full of people who are probably close to each other and don't know you, at all, can be utterly terrifying, however, joining a club will help. In high school, people make friends due to obligation and proximity, but in college, there's no obligation to spend time with anyone unless they're in a club with you. This may seem to defeat the purpose of making lasting friends in college but it isn't. If you choose the right club with something you genuinely care about or are interested in then you're more likely to make lasting friends with them. Another factor that will help you make friends is the fact that friendship tends to be a chain reaction. If you make friends with people, you will most likely make friends with their friends and so on and so forth.

Live On Campus. There’s two reasons for this. Partially because you can't be late to class if you're already there and partially because everyone loves those apartment building cute-meets and that's exactly what a dorm building is, a slightly smaller apartment building. Now, I’m not saying that you’re gonna meet the love of your life or your future maid-of-honor here since it’s (like I mentioned before) a friend of circumstance situation but you’ll definitely meet some pretty good people here, especially if your school has a roommate matching service. Since international students most likely live on campus, you’re also more likely to meet some new and unique people here that aren’t necessarily from your country or area which is really nice because new things are great! (This also means you won’t be late to class and will bump into people in your classes more but that’s less of a focus.)

Show Up To Class Early. Showing up to class early can put you in some different situations. In high school, you had less than ten minutes between each class every day. College is not like that, at all, the time between classes varies but normally, colleges won’t schedule two classes in the same room back to back and even if they did, your classmates will be outside. Something important to remember is that college is costing everyone there money, so people will normally be on-time to class or they won’t show up at all. While the few minutes before class where you may have passing conversations with your classmates seems super insignificant and like it doesn’t matter, I assure you, that’s probably not the case. These small conversations can lead to other things and you may even have more than one class together (this is more likely if you’re an undergrad).

Be open about your interests. This one is a little difficult. It can be trecherous territory trying to balance talking about yourself and finding more out about the other person but this is the only way that people find common interests. A good way to think about it is to tackle every conversation like the popular improve game: Yes and? This is a good thought to use when you try reciprocating most things. Basically, when someone asks you a question, you respond with your answer + a little something extra as your “Yes” then ask them something about themselves as your “and?” Here’s an example conversation:

A Person you just met: What classes are you taking?

You: Oh, Basic Philosophy. I was really inspired by a book I read called Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Do you read a lot?

Obviously, you don’t want to do this for a long time and in every conversation, but it should be enough to get you started!

These tips are just something to get you started in your journey to making more friends and exploring adult life! Until next time, signing off!

#mine #studyblr #studyblr podcast #college studyspo #college studyblr #college advice #college tips

[mysimsloveaffair]

OC interview

I was tagged by the incredibly talented @daylightdisco ! Thanks for the tag =)

RULES : 1. Pick a character you’ve created. 2. Fill in the questions/statements as if you were that character. 3. Tag at least four people to do this meme I choose Talib (Adwin’s brother). Answers below…

1. What is your name? Talib O’Neal 2. Do you know why you were named that? My parents liked the meaning. It means ‘seeker of knowledge’, so I suppose that it’s fitting.

3.Single or taken? Single 4. Stop being a Mary Sue! First of all, don’t you mean Marty Sue? And second, to be a Marty Sue in the first place I’d have to be unrealistically perfect, unbelievably talented and totally lack substance. I hope that’s not how people see me. *cringes*  5.What’s your eye color? Brown 6.How about hair color? Black 7.Have you any family members? We have a fairly big family...well extended anyway. But in my immediate family...there’s only me and my brother Adwin. *sad sigh* Both of our parents recently passed away. 8.Oh, how about pets? We have a dog... a King Charles Spaniel named Skittles. 9. That’s cool, I guess. Now tell me something you don’t like. I don’t like the thought of moving away from my brother, but deep down I know that it’ll be for the best. 10. Do you have any activities/hobbies that you like to do? I like to read...a lot! I also enjoy playing video games. 11. Have you ever hurt anyone in any way before? Yeah...my brother when I first told him that my Uncle Hollis and Aunt Maddie wants me to move in with them. He’s cool with it now, but for a brief moment, I could tell that he was hurt by it. I can’t really blame him. With our parents being gone now...there’s just the two of us. 12.Ever … killed anyone before? Only in video games! 13.What kind of animal are you? An owl maybe? The owl is usually a side character that’s portrayed as the wise animal in stories...the one that everyone comes to for advice, knowledge or to find the next step in their journey. I’m not saying that people come to me for any of that, but it’s an animal...at least in fiction, that I can relate to. 14.Name your worst weaknesses. Being too smart. In the perfect world it would be a strength, right? You’d think so anyway. But I say it’s a weakness because it sets me apart from everyone else. I didn’t mind so much when I was younger, but now it sort of gets to me. Maybe it’ll be different at my new school.

15.Do you look up to anyone at all? My big brother. He’s dealing with so much and I know he gets down on himself a lot...because he’s always comparing himself to dad. But I think he’s handling our current situation with great tenacity and bravery. 16.Are you straight, gay or bisexual? 

Straight, but I don’t know if I’ll ever get around to dating. Girls are confusing to me right now. I mean, there are some that say they're interested in me...but most of them used to tease me when I was in elementary school. I don’t get it. What changed?

17. Do you go to school? Yes, but I’ll be switching schools when I move in with my Uncle Hollis. I’ll be attending a very prestigious school called J.A. Milligan Academy. It’s supposed to be for highly gifted kids, but personally, I think anyone one with enough money can attend. You know how that goes. I’m kind of looking forward to it though. Maybe there actually will be more kids like me there.  18.Ever want to marry and have kids one day? I’m not opposed to it, but right now in my life...I don’t see it ever happening. 19.Do you have fangirls/fanboys? No, my brother is the star of the show really. I see myself as sort of a secondary character. The type that doesn’t necessarily have fans.  20.What are you most afraid of?   Losing more members of my family 21.What do you usually wear? I’m usually in a t-shirt and jeans or shorts. But soon...it’ll be a school uniform, five days a week. 22.What’s one food that tempts you? I’m not really tempted by food. I don’t think of it that way. Food is used to fuel my body. That would be like a car being tempted by gas. 23.Am I annoying you? Actually no. Of course, I’m shocked that I was even chosen for this interview so I suppose I’m still reeling off the fact that anyone is interested enough in me to want to hear what I have to say. That doesn’t happen often. 24.Well, its not over! Okay, great! 25.What class are you (low class, middle class, high class)? I don’t really think about it...not in the way that most people do. 26.How many friends do you have? My only friends are actually my cousins. We are part of a club called the Wallace Clan. There are currently 4 members. 27.  What are your thoughts on pie? As in food or 3.14. I’d rather answer for the latter. Did you know that I can recite pi to the 50th digit?! *responds to interviewer’s reaction* Yeah, my peers at school aren’t very impressed by that either. 28.Favorite drink? Water 29. What’s your favorite place? Real or fictional? I’d love to live somewhere like Simkanda...although it only exists in comic books. But can you imagine a place where being a geek is actually celebrated and technology rules the land? I’m sorry...I get a bit excited just thinking about it.  30.Are you interested in anyone?~ No 31.That was a stupid question. … How so? 32. Would you rather swim in a lake or the ocean? I think too much to fully relax in either. I start thinking about all the bacteria, the fish feces, how the secretions from my own body will affect the water...you know, stuff like that. 33.What’s your type? Type of what? There are a lot of things where I can have a type...you know, like movies, books, video games - oh, you meant girls. Sorry...next question. 34.Any fetishes? An amulet I guess. That’s a strange question. Oh...you weren’t referring to that type of fetish. Sorry *blushes* 35.Camping or indoors? If I had a choice...I’d rather just stay home. Again...the over thinking thing.

This has been going around for a while, so I tag anyone who has yet to complete it! 

#sims #sims4 #wallace fam #WalGen6 #San Myshuno #black simblr #replies

[sweltering-in-central-city]

Backstory

Born (on May 14, 1991) and raised in Chicago.

Parents both very Catholic. Leia will participate in holidays and accompany her mom (Cassandra Morales) to church out of obligation, but her beliefs don’t necessarily align with the religion anymore.

Dad (William Doherty) was abusive. Was good at keeping up a charming facade and hid his uglier side until Leia was around 6 or 7. Only verbally and emotionally abusive at first; him hitting Leia’s mom was the final straw that made them leave. He never signed the divorce papers, but he also hasn’t contacted them, and they were able to get their last names changed, so Leia and her mother don’t really think about him anymore. Leia can’t be near people when they’re smoking cigarettes or drinking hard alcohol (cigars, pipes, vape pens, cocktails, and wine don’t bug her as much, but she personally won’t touch them) though, because the sight of it reminds her of him.

Leia and her mom moved to Central City when she was 12. Her sister (Jessica) was born shortly after. With their mom working multiple jobs in an attempt to make ends meet, Leia took on more responsibilities at home, including basically raising Jessie. The two of them grew very close and were basically inseparable.

Leia has always been kinda tomboyish and geeky, which has made it harder for her to make friends. In her early childhood, the girls didn’t want to hang out with her because she was too boyish, and the boys didn’t want to hang out with her because she was a girl. In middle school, that was less important, but kids started worrying more about popularity as they got closer to high school, and she had already been labeled as an outcast. After the move, she was able to start fresh, but she was also the new kid, so that was its own bag of worms. In high school, she joined the softball and water polo teams, as well as a few leadership and community service clubs, but while she mostly got along with her teammates and fellow club members, she didn’t really click with them or hang out with them more than she was required to.

Leia did find herself with more people wanting to be her friend in junior year, when senior football star and school heartthrob, James Oh, took an interest in her after meeting her in a shared class. She agreed to go out with him, and she sort of adopted his social circle, but Leia was pretty sure “friends” didn’t make you feel like you had to fake your interests and personality…

Unable to afford to go to college right after high school, Leia got a job at the local comic book shop to save up for tuition. She became very close with her boss (Scott Jeffries), who she saw as a father figure, and a frequent customer (Cisco Ramon), who eventually became her best friend.

James didn’t care for Leia working at the comic store; he insisted she didn’t need to save for college if she stayed with him, because his family was rich and he was going to become a great businessman, but she insisted on making sure she was self-sufficient, much to his annoyance. Unbeknownst to Leia, his interest in her had been, at least in part, because she seemed easy to manipulate. She had never dated anyone before to compare him to, she didn’t have any friends, she got anxious easily and was a people pleaser at heart… It was very easy for him to use her insecurities against her, to make it seem like she was the one who didn’t deserve him, to make her feel dependent on him, to make her family fall in love with him and think he could do no wrong… and once he had accomplished this, he started trying to change Leia, buying her makeup and outfits to encourage her to be more feminine, critiquing some of her interests that might seem odd to others, and pressuring her into displays of affection that she wasn’t really comfortable with. Her job at the comic shop and the friendships she might make there put his plans at risk, so he doubled down on his efforts, becoming more controlling and blaming his actions on stress from college whenever she seemed to be pushed too far.

Cisco was the first person who got Leia to open up about how James was making her feel. He noticed that she had been looking kinda down in the dumps during his recent visits to the store and asked her what was going on. She tried to downplay it, but she did tell him some of the details. Seeing that she wasn’t going to disclose anything further, but still wanting to try and cheer her up, he invited her out for coffee, which wound up being the thing that really kicked their friendship off. They continued to go out for coffee or catch a movie together every once in a while, and Leia was happy to finally have someone her own age to hang out with that she could be herself around.

A little while after the particle accelerator explosion, Leia started to develop what she thought was a fever. It seemed to go away on its own, and she didn’t think too much of it until she started to notice objects that she stayed in contact with for long periods of time began melting or giving off smoke. Not knowing what to do, she looked up how to keep the human body cold, and she used a variety of methods to cool herself down, which seemed to work well enough, but eventually, there was an accident…

While spending a day at the park with her family, Leia decided to take a quick nap in the grass. While she was asleep, the clouds shifted, allowing the sun through. Leia subconsciously internalized the sudden feeling of warmth and her new abilities kicked in. When she awoke, it was to the sight of fire all around her and people screaming as they ran in the opposite direction of her. Before she could do anything, the Flash showed up to put out the fire, running in a way which drew the oxygen out of the area, causing Leia to pass out in the process.

When she woke up, Leia found herself in a chilled cell in the Pipeline. Barry came down to explain her situation to her, and “Wells” followed shortly after, saying that if she was able to learn control over her abilities, she could be a useful ally to the Flash. Overwhelmed by everything that had happened recently, Leia’s powers started acting up again, and the containment cell started to malfunction (they later found out that it had pretty much only worked in the first place because Leia expected it to, the same reason her earlier home remedies had worked); Cisco was finally brought down at this point to talk to her and help calm her down. He had already given her the nickname ‘Swelter’ while she was passed out, and he continued to visit her occasionally afterwards, becoming the most frequent person to help her figure out how to get a handle on her powers. Things got pretty hectic with everyone else trying to stop “Wells” though, and Leia’s training didn’t really begin until after his apparent demise. In this version of events, Barry was unable to become as reclusive in the aftermath of that day, because he had Leia to be responsible for.

After a couple of months, Leia had enough control of her powers to be able to leave S.T.A.R. Labs without worrying about accidentally hurting anyone. She contacted her mom first, hoping to return home, but her mother was unconvinced that it was actually safe for Leia to stay at their house again and said she needed more time to process everything. Leia proceeded to ask James if she could stay with him, but he saw her powers as something to be capitalized on and used for personal gain, and when she voiced her complete lack of interest in this, he suddenly decided that she was a “freak” and dumped her. So, she wound up staying at the lab full-time.

Leia started to help Barry out on the field with smaller missions. He didn’t want her endangering herself by getting her involved with Zoom, but she did what she could behind-the-scenes, and she became pretty close with the rest of Team Flash as a whole, especially Cisco. The two of them eventually admitted to having feelings for one another, but they agreed to put off trying to date until after after Zoom was no longer a threat. That agreement was never fulfilled, however, because after Flashpoint, everything changed.

During Flashpoint, the comic store Leia worked at was bought out by Francisco Industries, along with many other local businesses, for the construction of a new building. Without her job to distract her, Leia’s stress sped up the growth of her powers. She started a fire in her apartment by overheating the kitchen’s electrical systems. Her sister suffered from mild burns and her mother kicked her out of the house. So, she became desperate for a cure. She got involved with some shady people, committing small crimes here and there in exchange for serums that dampened her powers for a while.

After Flashpoint, Leia’s first big accident went back to being the fire in the park, but it happened earlier, on October 18, 2014, when the Flash was preoccupied with Farooq Gibran and William Tockman, so he couldn’t get to the fire right away. Instead, Leia went on a path of destruction, melting asphalt as she ran away, accidentally burning people who reached out to help her, causing an explosion in the freezer section of a supermarket she tried to steal some ice from… Eventually, she was found, not by Barry this time, but by a corrupt doctor who sedated her and gave her her first power-dampening serum in exchange for her cooperation as a “voluntary” test subject. The first time the serum became less effective, however, he sent her to his supplier, Amunet, who got her a new serum in exchange for training Leia to steal for her. After a while though, Amunet decided that she was more of a hassle than she was worth, so she sent her directly to the people who had produced the serums, a large black market operation run by a mysterious leader that mostly operated in metahuman trafficking; that’s where Leia has been ever since.

#info

[wineanddinosaur]

#DrinkTok: How One App Is Influencing What We Sip

For more stories on TikTok, check out our whole series here.

If you’ve only vaguely heard of TikTok, maybe from a friend, a friend’s kid, or perhaps through the thin walls of your apartment, you might be wondering why this drinks publication would care about the social media app on which teens bop their heads to Jason Derulo songs. It’s because over the past year, TikTok has become so much more than a forum for choreographed dances. Not only has it changed the music industry and given us countless viral food hacks, but, whether you realize it or not, it’s also influencing what’s in your glass.

After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, everyone and their neighbor joined the seemingly frivolous app for a much-needed escape, spiking downloads to over 2 billion worldwide, with over 1 billion monthly active users as of 2021. And if you’re not convinced that the pandemic is to blame, downloads of the app jumped from 718.5 million in 2019 to a whopping 987 million in 2020. As a result, the wide world of TikTok grew even larger to include millions of subsections and mini-communities for nearly every interest, including beans, retail, and, of course, drinks.

Drinks TikTok, or #DrinkTok, is where you will find all content relating to beverages — the good, the bad, and the bizarre. While it might seem flooded with rainbow shots and candy-rimmed cocktails, if you wade through enough of them, you’ll happen upon talented people making concoctions you’ll actually want to drink. And in a year when the world has been shut inside and bar and restaurant culture has been all but nonexistent, TikTok and other online social settings like it now have the power to not only create drink trends but also propel the drinks industry forward.

But how did we get here? And what do actual beverage professionals think? Let’s go back a few years…

It All Started With Gen Z

Invented in September 2016, TikTok is far from a new platform. But its prominence as a trend hub, influencing everything from the way we dress to the foods we eat, only became more relevant in the past year or so as TikTok’s main user base slowly but surely increased in age. The platform has become more relevant to drinks specifically as older Gen Zs — the ones born between 1997 and 2000 — reached the legal drinking age. With their drinks knowledge (or, at least, the ability to purchase alcohol legally) and a deep understanding of TikTok’s all-too-confounding algorithm, Gen Zs started sharing the creative cocktails and drinking hacks that brought DrinkTok into the mainstream.

And as the demographic changes across the platform, DrinkTok changes as well. In the world of drinks, TikTok’s quickly expanding age range has resulted in a vast assortment of well-composed, high-production cocktail how-tos, giant punch bowls made with cheap vodka and gummy worms, and everything in between.

@rojyarshii

🤤 #fyp #alcohol #fruitpunch #fruit #goingpro #snackbreak

♬ Chanel x Gloriaa . – 

A Resource for Innovation

According to Shane O’Neill, lead bartender at NYC’s Quality Eats and the mind behind the account @makemesomethingfun, the key to making a drink go viral on TikTok is more about aesthetics than flavor. It’s all about colorful ingredients, bright images, and eye-catching background, he says. “You can kind of drink it with your eyes.”

While trends and virality usually go hand in hand on TikTok, they don’t necessarily mean innovation. But Jack Schramm, former head bartender at NYC’s Existing Conditions, thinks social media may be the only place where innovation is occurring in the drinks space as of late. “The trend in bars in the United States right now is hanging on for dear life and try[ing] to stay open,” he says.

While we used to turn to cutting-edge bars to know what was cool to sip, the ones that have managed to stay afloat have had to stick to more simple, run-of-the-mill libations to keep their doors open. “The innovation is ‘make ends meet and sell enough of the classics to deplete the stocks in the liquor room and try not to place another order,’” Schramm says.

Though Schramm himself is not yet on TikTok and says his bartender friends typically stick to Instagram (likely because many of them think of TikTok as a space primarily for those under 21, he says), it’s our guess that it won’t be long before more professionals join.

The number of adults using TikTok more than doubled between March 2019 and March 2020, and of these adults, over 60 percent are above the age of 25. In fact, between January and April 2020, the number of adults aged 25 to 34 grew from less than 5 million, to almost 11 million.

Of course — though it often seems there’s nothing TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t know — there’s no surefire way to track whether the ages users are inputting into the app are accurate. Still, there’s no question that the app is gaining popularity among drinking-age users. And as more and more adults make their way onto the platform, either with cocktails in hand or ready to make them for an audience, the promise of inventive drinks content waiting to be mined — by those like Schramm and beyond — becomes even greater.

@makemesomethingfun

I think I found the solution 😅 #gin #vodka #juniperberries #titos #bartender #cocktails #funny #makemesomethingfun

♬ how would they know bad girls club – Chris Gleason

The DrinkTok of the Future

While TikTok drinks fads are beloved by home bartenders and quarantined drinks enthusiasts, maybe they will never make their way to high-end bartending relevancy. Perhaps when the general public emerges from their homes with Band-Aids on their arms, and our favorite bars finally reopen, trends in those bars and online will exist on entirely different planes.

Or maybe, before then, bartenders will begin to engage with TikTok, setting the trends from both behind the bar and through their screens. “I’m gonna make a TikTok account today, actually,” Schramm says.

If other high-profile bartenders follow suit, it’s more than likely that TikTok will maintain its role of being the platform where real-life trends start. O’Neill tells me that the cocktails he develops for TikTok have begun to influence the drinks he creates for customers at the bar. “It’s been a great opportunity for me to experiment with drinks at home to put onto the menu for Quality Eats,” he says.

Whether or not DrinkTok will reign supreme in years to come, it remains indisputable that the app has been, and will continue to be, a hub of innovation, creation, and collaboration for those who love drinks, in a time when those things have otherwise been next to impossible.

The article #DrinkTok: How One App Is Influencing What We Sip appeared first on VinePair.

source https://vinepair.com/articles/drinktok-influence-drinks-culture/

[georgies-boat]

Older // Eddie Kaspbrak

Word Count: 1433

Summary- After a long day, you defeat IT, and some unexpected things happen. (I'm sorry I suck at summarizing things)

Warnings; N/A

A/n; These were two requests combined into one. It's one of my more iffy writings, I wasn't sure if i should rewrite it or not, but I decided against it. I hope you both like it! x

Requested; Yeah, two separate requests! @tomhollandsboo

req; can you do an Eddie x Reader where she kind of has slight anger issues so when they're fighting Pennywise in the sewers at the end when he grabs Bill she kind of flips shit and starts beating on him? thanks😂💖

req; can you do one where the reader is a little older than Eddie Kaspbrak? But she really likes him and the bullies make fun of her for it but he likes her too?

-

Henry Bowers. The boy who made your life a living hell; all because he had a crush on you. It was no secret to the town of Derry he had trouble with emotions. So when you told him the feelings weren't reciprocated, he made you a primary target for his bullying. Hence how you found yourself being the oldest member of the losers club.

You were two years older, in Henry Bowers’ grade. Many people found it weird that you were apart of the losers club, and you were often traded for it. The Losers’ club didn't care about your age and that you weren't the most popular person or that you were debatably the most hated person in your grade, they accepted you as you were.

Especially one of the losers in particular caught your attention. The one who was always worried for his friends, or playfully bantering with Richie. The one that everyone else worried about, despite him being able to handle himself. The sweetest boy you'd ever met. The boy with the inhaler. Eddie Kaspbrak.

You'd never told anyone; not even your best friend, Beverly. People thought it was weird for you to hang out with people younger than you, let alone like one, or even date one. Two years may not seem like a long time when you're older, but to a kid or teenager, two years could make all the difference. It was simply not normal; the younger kids who dated older kids were considered cool, and the older kids that dated younger kids were considered inappropriate.

Anyways, Henry Bowers. His behaviour was typical, he'd call you names in the halls, throw things at the back of your head and talk behind your back (literally) in class, then after school, as you walked home, he'd get belch to drive by you, just to either throw something at you or call you another name, before he was satisfied and left. Today, however, was different.

He'd pushed you so much more than usual, and you were angry. Angry at yourself, mainly, for letting him. You could stand up to him, but ultimately, he'd win. It didn't make you feel any better knowing that you could've tried though, even if your efforts would've been in vain and possibly injure you further.

That's why when Bill came up to your house saying Beverly had been taken by IT, you were beyond ready to take IT down. You'd found a new determination; you had to get back your best friend. It wasn't an option. You had already almost lost Stan to IT, you'd walked through greywater (thanks to Eddie, you knew what that was), and you had just witnessed Ben kiss Beverly and bring her back from her trance.

They all took their hits on Pennywise, you looking desperately for a more effective method, as the clown was seemingly fine after each blow. You found a big piece of hard metal pipe in the giant pile of garbage in the middle of the room, and you turned around only to see all the losers looking at something fearfully. Slowly moving your gaze to what they were looking at, you gasped.

Bill was being held by Pennywise.

Bill was like a little brother to you; even before you'd been officially welcomed into the losers club. He lived down the road, and you used to always have little playdates. He was the one who took you into the club when all your friends turned on you after the Henry incident. (They figured if you were a target, they would be too, and since the LC was already primary targets, it didn't effect them in the slightest, and they were all welcoming.) So that's why when you saw him being held captive, something within you snapped.

“Leave him alone, you motherfucking asshole!” You said, running and swinging the pipe at full force, knocking him backwards. He released his grip on Bill, and you continued to beat him with the pole. Everyone was frozen for a second, in pure shock. “What the hell..” Eddie muttered, astonished. “Holy shit, Y/N!” Richie exclaimed. “Woah.” Bill whispered.

You weren't usually one for violence, and your new behaviour shocked the rest of the group. Not really in a bad way, in fact, they all looked impressed. You weren't quite as impressed, as you were fighting a demon on your own. Not the most fun activity, if you ask me. “Are you losers going to help me, or not?” You called, and they all snapped out of their stupor.

After screaming, beating, scratching, and a hell of a lot of luck, together, you all defeated Pennywise.

Walking out of that sewer was a huge weight off your shoulders. You hugged Bill, telling him how much of an idiot he was for trying to sacrifice himself for the rest of you. The others talked about how they were glad it was finally over. Everyone one by one, slowly made their way in different directions. You were left standing there, quietly looking back into the sewer, and folded your arms in front of your chest.

“What you did back there was really stupid, you know.” A voice said, making you jump. “Jeez Eddie. You nearly gave me a heart attack!” You exclaimed, a hand on your chest, trying to slow your racing heart. He chuckled, following your previous gaze to the way you'd exited the sewers, sighing heavily. You stayed quiet until you processed his words.

“Which part?” You asked, making him look at you oddly. “Which part of back there was stupid? I mean, none of that was necessarily smart. Getting kids to try and defeat a demon clown that haunts this town? Yeah, not the best plan.” He laughed slightly, a relieved laugh more than anything. “Yeah, I guess it wasn't the best idea, but Bill was determined to find-” He paused, and you both sighed. Poor Georgie. (sorry I had to)

“I was talking about the part where you beat the shit of that clown with a pipe.” Eddie said, his gaze flicking to your face, before looking down at the ground and having his cheeks flush. He liked you, a lot more than he should. He suspected you had feelings for Bill, and today confirmed it in his mind. It didn't mean he couldn't talk to you, though. You looked like you needed it.

“Oh. Right.” You said awkwardly, scratching the back of your neck. It was obvious from the tone of your voice you were going to continue, so Eddie stayed quiet and patiently waited for you to find your words. “I-I don't know. It's just, Bill is like a little brother to me,” you started, and Eddie suddenly was very interested in what you had to say (not that he wasn't before).

“Bill feels the same. We've been through alot together, me and him. Georgie was like a brother too. It's hard to let go, I get it. I already lost Georgie, I- I couldn't lose Bill too. It might sound selfish, but-” Eddie held up a hand, stopping you. “It's not selfish. You risked your life to save his. It doesn't matter if your intentions were selfish, because you saved his life, Y/N.”

At this point, your eyes were watering, looking at Eddie. His gaze was to the ground, but he glanced up nervously to see you watching him. He quickly turned red, looking back down, hoping you hadn't seen. You did. “I like you.” Eddie blurted suddenly, making you blink in confusion. You tried to make eye contact with him, but he refused. You smiled, (despite him not being able to see), grabbing his hand and intertwining your fingers. “I like you too, Eddie.”

He hadn't expected that, and he whipped his head around, looking at you, eyes wide. “W-What?” Eddie stuttered, and you laughed. “You sound like Bill.” You said, and he went to reply, but you cut him off with a kiss on the lips. You pulled away, smiling at him. “But then again, it's not a bad thing. You look cute when you're flustered.” You chuckled, and Eddie laughed nervously. “Wanna meet up at the quarry maybe tomorrow? I mean, we don't have to, if you don't-” He spoke quick, and you laughed. “I’d love to, Eddie.”

You won two things that day. Not only did you defeat IT, and save your friends from a fucking demon clown, you won the heart of the boy you loved. And you didn't give a fuck about what anyone had to say about it.

#eddie kaspbrak x reader #Eddie kaspbrak #Eddie #kaspbrak #Eddie kaspbrak imagine #eddie imagine #the losers club x reader #losers club #the losers club imagine #losers club x reader #losers club imagine #it x reader #it imagine #it 2017 imagine #bill denbrough imagines #it 2017 x reader

[theladyofdeath]

Kings and Queens {Epilogue}

Summary: A Throne of Glass AU inspired by the Breakfast Club (1985). Five students come together for Saturday detention, and realize they are not all that different. You can read previous chapters here.

Author’s Note: I hope you all have liked my story. I loved writing it, and I truly hope it made each of you smile, and feel. Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading, and uplifting me along the way.

Announcement: On October 31, on one of my favorite holidays, I will be starting a new fic called, The Prince and the Princess. It is a prequel to Kings and Queens and will follow Aelin and Rowan, during the summer they spent together before Sophomore year. It will be deeper and more intricate than this fic, and I am very excited to share it with all of you.

As for the epilogue.....Enjoy. :)

Dorian 

6:45 p.m.

I was hiding in the pantry.

Aedion’s house was as nice as I expected it to be. His mother had inherited a lot of money when his grandmother died, he had said, and the house was the icing on top of the cake. 

Everyone could go anywhere they wanted, except the upstairs bedroom at the end of the hall.

That’s my mother’s room, he’d explained as we were setting up stacks of red solo cups next to a huddle of glass bottles filled with alcoholic beverages I had only heard of, accidentally, while scrolling on the internet. She’s at her boyfriend’s tonight…..but, it’s just better not to go in there. Trust me.

I did. Trust him. So, I would stay away, and enforce the rule to the others as well.

“People typically show up around seven,” he had smiled only moments before, popping the top off a beer and taking a swig. “Although, people also like to be fashionably late.”

I tried to nod enthusiastically, seeming confident and ready. But I ended up telling him I was going to search for the chips we had bought at the supermarket, and ended up in the pantry, instead.

“Deep breaths, Dorian,” I muttered to myself. “Shit. Who am I kidding…..I’m going to vomit.”

“Dorian?” a knock came from the other side of the sliding door. “You get lost looking for the chips? Because they’re on the counter. You know, where you put them an hour ago.”

He opened the door, not waiting for me to reply, and gave me a withering look. “I can take you home, if you want.”

“No.” I sighed, shaking my head. “No, I’m not going home.”

Aedion had said I could stay with him for as long as I needed to, and I was grateful for his offer. I still felt dirty, though. Rebellious. Not necessarily in a bad way……Just in a way I didn’t know how to handle.

“I’m fine,” I lied. “I’m fine, I’m good, I’m great.”

“You’re also a terrible liar.”

“Thank you,” I choked out, as the doorbell rang.

Nearly twenty times in a row.

“Don’t worry,” Aedion grinned as I froze. “There is only one person who rings my doorbell so obnoxiously.”

Aelin let herself in, Rowan in tow, before Aedion could even take a step toward the door.

“Dorian!” she smiled, her cheeks rosy from the cold breeze. Rowan probably had something to do with it, too, judging from the raspberry patches along the base of her neck. “Ready to enjoy yourself?”

What did that even mean? “I – yes.”

“Add a little oomph and you’ll almost sound confident,” she winked.

Yeah. I was going to faint.

  Aelin

7:00 p.m.

Rowan and I had spent the afternoon in his apartment, which he lived in alone, and could afford thanks to his parent’s will, in which they left him a great deal of cash. He seemed to be doing okay by himself, considering. He didn’t have much, but that’s because he didn’t need much (his words, not mine). I didn’t argue, though. Not as he heated me up a warm bowl of chicken noodle soup and sat on his futon, talking to one another about everything that had happened in the last few years, and kissing until our lips grew chapped.

When we got to Aedion’s, I was surprised, and equally impressed, to find Dorian there. He looked sick, but that was to be expected. He was there, though.

And I assumed he was never going back home, because what he would find if he did….

“Here,” I grabbed a glass bottle off the counter and popped the top. “Drink this.”

Hesitantly, he grabbed the bottle. He took a sip……and spit it right back out.

“Ignore the taste,” I laughed. “Trust me, it gets better if you keep drinking.”

“Peer pressure,” he mumbled as he took a heavy drink.

I wasn’t sure if I was worried or impressed that it took so little convincing on my part.

Aedion was pacing back and forth, glancing at the clock every other minute.

He was waiting for Lysandra.

“She’ll come,” I whispered, so that only he could hear, just before the doorbell rang again.

After running to the door, then trying to play it cool, Aedion opened the heavy wooden slab only to find a herd of his teammates, along with their lady friends

Either his popularity was not too much damaged by the rumors, or no one in their right mind would turn down a hot party and free booze.

As people began to flood in, Rowan pulled me aside. “Hey.”

“Hi,” I grinned, taking his hand as he pulled me around the corner, into the hallway that led to the garage door.

His lips pressed against mine, hungrily, before he graced me with a smile. “Has it been an hour yet?”

Let’s only stay for an hour, I had said, before hopping out of his truck. Then, take me back home….

The word home had just slipped out, but I couldn’t help it. Being with him earlier did feel like home. More than staying with Arobynn ever had. It felt safe, and warm, and loving, and honest. I never wanted to be anywhere different.

Rowan had just smiled at me, and brushed my hair behind my ear. I would love to take you back home, Fireheart.

“We’ve been here five minutes,” I laughed, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “I’ll make you a deal: Beat me in beer pong, and we can be gone in thirty minutes.”

He pretended to take this into heavy consideration, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger. Then, “Deal.”

  Rowan

7:20 p.m.

Aelin was much better at beer pong than expected. She must have had quite a bit of practice.

Or luck.

Then again, I was distracted. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her, couldn’t stop thinking about our afternoon wrapped in one another’s arms.

She knew it, too, which is why she kept leaning down with her elbows on the kitchen table…..so that I could see directly down the center of her tank top.

Tease.

I called her as much.

You like it, she mouthed back.

I did.

“Damn,” Aedion whistled, coming up beside me and tossing an arm around my shoulder. “You’re getting your ass kicked. Wasted yet?”

If someone would have told me the day before that I would be laughing at something Aedion Ashryver said to me, that I would actually enjoy his company….I would have slapped them in the face before walking away.

But, I laughed. “Not yet.”

Although a slight buzz was coming on.

“Get used to it,” Aedion shook his head. “Aelin likes to win.” He glanced where I was staring, at the ivory skin and black bra, and rolled his eyes. “Good luck.”

“Oh shit.”

I turned, and blinked, surprised to find that the words had come from Dorian.

I waved my hand in front of his face, but he remained staring into space, his mouth hanging open.

“Uh, Dorian?”

Nothing.

“Are you okay?”

When he refused to answer again, I followed his gaze.

In the doorway of the kitchen stood a white-haired, golden eyed beauty.

Manon Blackbeak.

“Uh,” Aelin called from across the table, above the music and the noise. “Is Dorian okay?”

“I’ve got this,” Aedion winked, tossing his arm around Dorian while holding a red solo cup in the opposite hand. “Come, young Dorian.”

Aelin groaned. “Poor Dorian. Aedion is not as smooth as he thinks he is.”

Maybe I was wasted, or maybe I had simply forgotten what it was like to feel joy, but I looked at Aelin Galathynius and laughed, harder than I had in a long, long time.

  Lysandra

8:00 p.m.

I didn’t want to seem too eager.

I told myself I would arrive at 7:45…..

I’d been standing outside the front door for fifteen minutes.

People had been going in and out, all of whom I had seen in the hallways at school. They didn’t seem to notice me standing next to the bushes, but it didn’t bother me as much as it used to.

Deep breath, I told myself, take a deep breath and then go in. He’s waiting for you.

Then a little voice inside my head whispered, No he’s not.

“Lysandra?”

I hadn’t even noticed the door opened, and surely did not notice Aedion coming out of it.

“Fuck,” I jumped. I hadn’t even had time to prepare.

“The mouth of a sailor,” he smirked, dawdling toward me, “the appearance of a Greek goddess.”

Rolling my eyes, I cursed at how easily he could make me smile. “I was……about to come in.”

“I’ve been watching you for the last fifteen minutes.”

“Creep.”

He grinned, handing me a cup half-full of clear liquid. “I’m glad you came.”

“What did I miss?”

“Well,” he sighed, walking with me around the corner of his country home, “Rowan’s getting his ass kicked in beer pong. And Dorian is currently dancing sloppily around Manon Blackbeak. He’s a lightweight.”

Someone ran past us, swinging his shirt above his head and screaming, I’m naked, bitches.

“These parties get wild fast,” I observed, taking a sip from my cup, a familiar burn tingling my throat.

“Yeah,” Aedion agreed, shoving a hand into his pocket. “Everybody wants to forget something, it seems.”

I dwelled on his words for a moment, a comfortable silence wedged in between us as we made our way up the empty black porch.

Well, empty except for the couple making out in the corner.

We sat on the porch swing, a soft fire going in the fire pit in front of us.

His calloused hand brushed softly alongside mine, and a terrified, nervous sensation swept through my body that I happily embraced.

“I am glad you came,” he said, repeating himself from earlier, a soft twinkle in his beautifully colored eyes. “Very glad.”

“Me too,” I smiled, and meant it.

  Aedion

8:30 p.m.

Rowan and Aelin swept through the back door, pausing when finding Lysandra lying her head in my lap by the outdoor fireplace.

The snow was no longer falling, but I loved the cold. The briskness by the fire…..I would never grow tired of it.

There was no wind, it was simply a calm, starry night in the country.

It was perfect.

They took a seat across from us, Rowan in a fold out chair and Aelin in his lap.

I found her eyes and smiled. I was glad she found some sort of happiness, some form of kindness, in her crazy, hectic world.

I prayed that it would last.

As Rowan opened his mouth to speak, the door swung open and Dorian fell through it.

I mean - he fell through it, tumbling face first onto the frigid wood.

When he didn’t move, I rushed to his aid.

“Dorian?” I picked him up by the back of his shirt, and hauled him into sitting position. “D, you okay?”

When his face found mine, there was a sloppy grin plastered on it……and a series of red lip prints on his cheek, and his neck.

Apparently, he did okay with Manon.

“I…..” he slurred, and laughed hysterically before continuing, “am n-never going home.”

A breathy laugh escaped me as I helped him to his feet, and sat him in a chair by Rowan’s. As soon as his ass hit the metal, his dark-haired head fell into Rowan’s lap.

His broad-shoulders stiffened, then fell as Dorian’s eyes closed, as to say, Ah, what the hell.

“Let him sleep it off,” Aelin murmured, suppressing her grin.

Rowan grunted in agreement before placing his arm gently around Aelin’s shoulder, allowing her to rest her head gingerly against his shoulder.

Yes, I hoped it lasted.

“What do we do now?” Lysandra asked, sweeping her legs back onto my lap as I sat across from my cousin.

“Another toast?” Aelin suggested, raising her plastic cup high in the air.

“Do the honors,” I smiled, raising my own.

“I hope we all find the happiness we deserve,” she began, glancing sidelong at Lysandra as she did so. “I hope we are not afraid to live the lives we want to live.”

“To courage,” Lysandra agreed, taking my hand as she lifted her cup. “And newfound friendship.”

“To love,” Rowan whispered, barely audible above the cackle of the fire. “Both lost and found.”

“To running toward something greater,” I added, watching Dorian fall into a steady sleep. “And the start of a new, happy life.”

“Promise me on Monday…..” Aelin paused, biting her lip before she continued, “Monday, we will all sit together. At lunch. In the cafeteria.”

Lysandra was the first to smile. “Promise.”

Our cups hit one another’s, and a bond was formed, a promise made.

A sense of peace flooded my mind, my core. I did not know much about life, or the world beyond what I had come to know: football, keeping to myself at home, throwing parties every weekend to forget. The teenage years were a nightmare. High school sucked.

But, for the first time in a long time, I felt like everything was going to be okay.

And as I looked around the circle at the others, at my friends, I felt like they were thinking the exact same thing.

For those who say one day, eight hours, cannot change the course of someone’s life: they’re wrong.

 The end :)

  @bigbangt1963  @throne-of-ashes-and-beauty @sarah-akhavan@gcarroll@kortanna@nightquart @notjustanyoldfangirl@superhuman-imagines@iwouldtrusthagridwithmylife@callmeladytypewriter@saybell1994@2-bookmaster-2 @eye-of-elena @shadowsinger-fireheart@inejcalmarekaz@viridiantopaz @books-are-friends-not-objects@raven-the-dark-titan@theantisocialbookworm310@whydoyoucareaboutmyusername

#kings and queens tog #throne of glass #fanfic #dorian #manon #manorian #aelin #aedion #rowan #lysandra #epilogue #the end