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dinosaurtsukki · 3 years

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BSD x university au hc’s | pt. 2

part 2 of the university au hc’s !! i am obviously a slut for chuuya and fyodor so don’t mind me. i hope you guys like this !!

check out pt. 1 here

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Akutagawa Ryuunosuke:

i love akutagawa ryuunosuke my angst child but i’m just like ‘hmmmmmmm’ when it comes to what his course would probably be

after extensive research aka reading his character page on wiki i feel like maybe he’d be a history major because,,,, he likes antiques?

well his clothes do seem very dark academia-esque and i can see him liking something as cool as history

akutagawa’s probably into something like war history but he’s not weird about it he just finds it really cool how different strategies work or analyzing what exactly makes the winners win

he absolutely HATES the fact that he keeps having to read the Iliad for class

he’s also that classmate who INTENSIVELY DEFENDS achilles for being a bit of a little bitch (but he fully agrees that patroclus and achilles were gay af ok this was random moving on)

akutagawa has practically no social life. he doesn’t go to parties, he doesn’t talk to his roommate, he doesn’t even like to eat in the dining hall

BUT he absolutely loves being in debate team because WINNING

he’s such a nightmare to work with though but he just delivers so well when it’s time for him to speak. like, if he’s on a negative and it’s time to hash out rebuttals, just prepare to get MURDERED

other debaters: “esteemed scholars and adjudicators...”

akutagawa: “you, sir, have no idea how wrong you are.”

that is until dazai decided to randomly show up at a debate tournament all ‘la di da da’ like and completely crushed akutagawa along with his ego

from then on he started stalking dazai and just SOMEHOW managed to end up in his circle of friends

even though he’s antisocial in real life, akutagawa 100% runs a dark academia aesthetic blog on tumblr i’m right and i don’t accept criticism

it’s actually really good he has a ton of followers and even does requests for moodboards if someone asks nicely

atsushi was the one who actually found out about it but he’s nice so he didn’t tell akutagawa about it

kunikida probably follows that blog

Chuuya Nakahara:

if this part sounds like i’m just thirsting for chuuya then you’re absolutely right i love wine man

don’t get mad at me but i can ABSOLUTELY SEE HIM MAJORING IN FASHION DESIGN I MEAN LOOK AT HIM

he’s just always had such a good eye for fashion and he’s veryyy meticulous when it comes to snipping and putting together clothes

chuuya also carries a sketchbook full of designs and his drawings look amazing and he isn’t afraid to just show them off

that said he doesn’t dress like a tired uni student at all, like he just always looks so on-point and unbothered by his five million deadlines

dazai: chuuya, i said this was a CASUAL LUNCH

chuuya, dressed in what looks like silk pajamas: THIS IS CASUAL

tbh if he just wore a white t-shirt and jeans i would die maybe he’s actually saving us from this ordeal

he has so much talent though as a designer he’s probably had several internships with design companies all throughout his years at uni

i feel like chuuya’s also really active in extracurriculars and has been in leadership positions in some of them (he probably runs the student org for fashion design)

chuuya in a student band though oh my gosh i can’t breathe i can’t breathe him as a VOCALIST?? and wearing torn jeans and eyeliner and that same hat in concerts ican’t brEATHE

okay in all honesty he would thrive being in a band chuuya loves the attention and the creativity of being able to design their whole look and write songs

tbh i don’t know if he’d have a roommate chuuya’s probably the type who’d rather have one of those single rooms or just rent a flat for him to stay in even after graduation

because his social life is super vibrant, he does have a lot of friends and he does make an effort to get to know all of them individually

but he’s more open around those who he’s been friends with for a really long time and as much as he’d like to say dazai isn’t one of them, he is

also chuuya is definitely the type to party hard during the weekends and has more than once crashed in someone’s house after drinking too much (dazai drew on his face on more than one occasion)

Oda Sakunosuke:

i love this man SO MUCH you guys have no idea i would literally die for him

100% this guy majors in creative writing because this is supported by FACTS and not just me wanting to be coursemates with him in this fictional world

super serious and diligent with his work especially since he’s passionate about writing. he loves to read in his spare time and is such a fan of classic novels about social realism or philosophy

oda spends 99% of his time in second-hand bookshops that the owner probably knows him by name at this point

he’s super old school when it comes to writing though, like he still keeps and writes in a notebook before typing it up on a laptop and no matter how many times dazai tells him its impractical, oda just keeps doing it

lmao whenever workshops come around he’s super nice with his critique. i bet a lot of his fellow classmates like sending their writing drafts to him

he draws smiley faces and always adds ‘nice work’ on people’s drafts omg i love odasaku

he’s such an old soul, he probably doesn’t do a whole lot of partying but he likes more quiet, private social events like drinking with close friends or just hanging out and talking at other people’s houses

he and dazai probably met when dazai decided to take an intro to creative writing class and wrote a long poem about double suicide on his first day that kind of put off everyone in the class from wanting to sit with him

odasaku was the only one who wasn’t exactly bothered but he did give dazai some comments to help him with his poetry and dazai instantly wanted to be his friend

in terms of extracurricular life, i can definitely see odasaku joining a writing organization and even the campus newspaper. he does find joy in interviewing students for newspaper articles

he’s also pretty into photography and uses a really old, second-hand camera that he bought at an antique store and fixed himself. at one point he won a prize in a contest

odasaku would be the best roommate. he’s super sensitive to when you have a bad day and will invite you to sit on his bed and hug his pillow and talk about your problems

scratch that, everyone talks to odasaku about their problems and now your room is like a therapist’s office

Edgar Allan Poe:

i swear this was the only gif i could find other than actual edgar allan poe

ANOTHER CREATIVE WRITING BUDDY AHHH I WOULD LOVE TO BE BESTIES WITH HIM AHHH

well actually i feel like since he’s super ambitious and already has a fixed idea on the stuff he likes to write, he’d probably double major in something like forensic science because he’d use it to write his mystery novels

omg that’s where he meets ranpo and now pretty much every main character poe writes is slightly based on on ranpo

it’s a problem. his professor brings it up more than once during his classes but it’s poe’s Thing now

he also has such an unending passion for gothic literature and he wears those white, long-sleeved blouses and waistcoats on a REGULAR BASIS

chuuya probably saw him once and was like ‘hmm, i could pull that off’

poe’s daily route is just going to the library and to class and then go home and that’s about it

he ended up working as a student assistant at the library because he’s just super familiar with the book collections and it’s a job that’s peaceful and quiet

more than once though, he’d just be really in-deep with his writing to the point that he doesn’t even notice that the library has closed or that he hasn’t eaten the entire day

that’s alright though because ranpo always passes by the library at night to check on his friend and (reluctantly) give him some snacks

also since poe’s pretty much a recluse, he doesn’t go to any social event UNLESS it’s a halloween-themed one

he loves going all out with his costumes because he’s a Drama Queen like that but the problem is he keeps dressing up as gothic novel characters and nobody gets it

dazai, trying to guess his costume: umm,, Two-Face from Batman?

poe: IT’S DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

there was this one time when poe took it upon himself to host the halloween party and it was EPIC

he basically designed it as a murder mystery night wherein everyone who came pretended to be guests at a house and then a murder happened

the only problem was that ranpo was conspiring with poe and it was pretty much unfair

except for the fact that ranpo was frustrated at how bad everyone was at deducing that he ended up solving the mystery for them

Fyodor Dostoevsky:

one of my favorite scenes of him in s3 was of fyodor playing the cello because god damn that is beautiful and therefore i am hc-ing him as a music major and you can’t tell me otherwise

fyodor is an absolute music genius and he was definitely scouted by the university’s music program and then he was granted a scholarship (because in this ideal university, the arts are valued)

he purposely decided to go to a university rather than a music conservatory because he’s also interested in learning a bunch of other things

aside from his music classes, he ventures into comparative literature and philosophy, even a bit of computer science at some point

people always assume that since he’s a music major he probably wouldn’t do well in other subjects but SURPRISE BITCH

anyway, fyodor’s a genius because god clearly has favorites

aside from attending class, he’s even part of an official orchestra and has even landed a few solos

that said, he’s quite busy and very preoccupied in his own work to actually have a social life either

you’ll often find him rehearsing by himself in an empty classroom for hours and hours on end (someone pls bring him food he’s also the type to forget to eat or even drink water)

if you are able to catch him perform at an orchestra or just practice by himself, it’s quite a mesmerizing sight. his eyes are often closed so he could focus on the sound alone and his fingers move so elegantly along the neck of the cello

(sorry i just love people who play any form of stringed instrument)

fyodor also takes such good care of his cello. also he would probably kill you on the spot if you touched his bow

he has a fairly small group of friends and they like playing chess together (even though fyodor is better than all of them) and just talk about um,, idk philosophy and stuff (whatever it is smart people do idk i’m not one of them)

i have a feeling he actually follows akutagawa’s dark academia blog and loves his content, even to the point of requesting ‘cello player moodboards’

also because he’s a cello player he needs to take care of his fingers so he wears gloves a lot (idk why i find this hot)

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taglist (check out my post for details on being part of my taglist): @waitforitillwritemywayout @tpwkatsumu @laure-chan

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd writing #bsd headcanons #bungou stray dogs writing #bungou stray dogs headcanons #akutagawa ryuunosuke #chuuya nakahara #oda sakunosuke #edgar allan poe #fyodor dostoevsky #bungou stray dogs university au #bsd uni au #bungou stray dogs scenarios #bsd scenarios

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cherriesradio · 3 years

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I would have given you the world, did that mean nothing to you?

Oikawa x Reader — Angst

Warnings: angst, cheating, very poorly edited lol, tumblr glitches >:[

Word Count: 1,477? Idk words a lair

“I just have practice. I’ll only be another minute.”

That was the first excuse. Which; you only realized by the end of the story. He repeated that statement every time you texted him, which was five times by now. You couldn’t question him, he always worked longer at practice. That’s something you loved about him, just how determined he is to get it right. To do his best. Apparently, that’s not how he looked at you.

“Just… get home soon. You know how worried I get. I care about you, and I want you to care about my feelings, too.” You said. It felt as if those words described everything you’ve been feeling the last few days.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be home as soon as I can. And of course I care about your feelings, why would I not?” Oikawa chuckled softly. You didn’t feel as comforted as you were meant to be.

And you had been to Iwaizumi’s house before. Sure it’s closer to the school then Oikawa’s, but it’s far compared to how close your house is. Could he not just stay at yours?

And it’s been only a few day since the first excuse.

And this time was much worse. You had only seen him at school the last few days, and you craved his touch. It felt like he must be a million miles away, and that he could emerge reach you.

You wanted him. Hell, at this point you could settle for just a call. Or a text. That’s all he’s given you in the last few days, anyway.

“I’m here!!”

Those words quickly rung through your ear, immediately sprinting to your front door. Oikawa, your darling Oikawa, was finally coming to visit you after a week.

“Toru!!” You cheered, throwing yourself into his arms. Sure they were open to you like normal, but it hasn’t been normal lately. But that’s fine. He’s tired, he can’t help it.

“Hey Cutie! How are you?” He said with that classic smirk, not quiet yours though. Your smirk was warm and made you feel fluffy, and cared for. This… this wasn’t your smirk.

But that’s besides the point. He’s still your Oikawa, isn’t he? He’s yours. Well, romantically anyway. Your not possessive.

The rest of the day was filled with not-quite-warm-enough cuddles, not-quite-sweet-enough kisses, and perfect little romcom worlds that the both of you adored.

By the end of the day, you had your head in his lap and were asleep.

You were disappointed when you woke to a dark room and feet shuffling out the door at 2 am.

TEN MISSED CALLS

Those three words ran through your head like they were in a marathon, and they were sure determined to win.

It’s been two weeks. If you did the math, that’s precisely 1.4 calls per day. Why didn’t he answer? Yes it’s the first week of summer, sure he was busy that last week of school. But isn’t graduation meant to be… romantic? No, not romantic per say, but it’s where the couples hop in the others arms and spin them around and kiss their lips likes it’s their last chance.

Maybe you should text him. Yeah, why didn’t you do that in the first place?

“Hey babe. What’s goin on? We haven’t talked in a while :(“

No, no. That makes you look desperate. Maybe that’s what you want though? No, you shouldn’t guilt trip him into hanging out with you.

“Hey babes!! Wanna hang out at the Park later? I’ll bring food ;]”

Too arrogant.

“Hey baby, wanna hang out later? I miss ya lol”

Perfect. Not to desperate, not to arrogant. Perfection. And sent.

Delivered.

Read.

“Ehhh I’m so sorry cutie, I promised the team I’d help them practice at the park today :(“

Course. He was working with them team.

It made sense, really. At least it should’ve. But it didn’t, not to you.

You sigh, you breath heavy and hot on your hand holding your phone. You brought it slightly closer to your face, proceeding to look at cute couples photos and yearning for the rest of the day.

“I’m forever yours.”

You heard those words on the regular. Heard. Why does he no long tell you he wants you to tell him every single thought that ever comes to your head? Why doesn’t he ask what’s on your mind and gets invested even if it’s the weather? Why doesn’t he profess his love to you in front of his team, showing off just how much he adores you?

Is he not happy with you?

“Their my other half.”

You never liked it when he called you that. He was his own person, and so were you. Did he want to be able to tell someone that? Did he want someone who would need him to survive?

“Your a cutie.”

You turned your head over to where you heard the familiar words. So warm, and inviting… so Oikawa. No, no, it’s probably just another cute couple. A couple with a brown haired and eyed man, who had the slyest smirk in the world.

“Y/n? Y/n, what are you staring at?” Yachi, your best friend (whom for some reason you didn’t tell any of this to) said, tapping your shoulder.

“Yachi. Can-can you see that?” You said, pointing towards your boyfriend. Your beloved Oikawa, sitting in a booth with a girl who you didn’t know existed till now, sipping from a milkshake that has two straws.

Silence. Yachi, your beloved and trusted, chatterbox of a girl, was silent.

“Y/n… are you alright?” She said. She put both her hands on your shoulders, pulled herself close to you. You didn’t even realize you were tearing up.

You always thought that people are like… cups. Through out any amount of time you can fill them, little by little. The more full they get… they more complicated feelings packed on top on each other… the cup slowely but surely fills up, all the way up to the top. When it’s filled over the top… the water spills out.

Tears spilled out of your eyes, shimmering and shinning in the fluorescent light of the shopping center.

“Yachi what do I do?” You whimpered. She already had her hand on the back of your head twisted with your hair, lightly pushing your head into her shoulder.

“Let’s go, just give me a second first.”

“Cutie, what are you talking about?”

“You know what I’m talking about.” You said, your fists clenching, tears piling up in your “rim.”

“No, Cutie I have no clue.” He said. He stepped closer to you, gently setting his hand on your cheek. His hands are so warm and tough with calluses. So familiar.

You bite your bottom lip, trying to not let yourself whimper. “You were with a girl.”

Oikawa chuckled gently, as if all this was some joke you would pull for tik tok. “Possessive now, aren’t we Cutie?”

“No! Stop playing pretty boy for once in your life and take me seriously!” You almost yelled, pushing him away from you. He caught himself on your parents couch, you quietly thanked the lord that they weren’t home till very late.

“Cutie please just-“

“No!! Call me by my name, quit it with calling me your cutie! Hell, I’m detonating if I’m even yours anymore!”

That’s when your sure he finally realized. Realized you knew.

“Do you have any proof? Or are you just being paranoid?” He said, a fake sympathetic look on his face.

“Well.”

You picked up and logged into your phone, went into your messages with Yachi, and showed him Oikawa the photo she took one day ago now.

Oikawa, with his beautiful brown eyes and wavy hair, his pretty boy persona. With a girl, with long brown to blond ombré hair in a messy bun, with red cheeks. Red cheeks with a warm, calluses-covered hands gently placed on them, soft lips resting on hers.

You remembered just barely hearing the words said after that picture was taken, through Yachi’s barely-long-enough-to-reach-your-ear-hair.

“I burn you?”

“You melt me.”

RDISHSUAUAG JESUS CHRIST THAT WAS A LOT BESTIES

Reblogs > Likes :]

#haikyuu!! x reader #haikyuu oikawa #oikawa tooru x you #oikawa x reader #hakiyuu #haikyuu fanfiction #x reader #oikawa x y/n

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tenacityreturns · 3 years

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aokaga drabble: post-nba

plot: kagami cuts off all his friends after forced retirement from the nba, and goes to live in japan again so that he can rebuild himself from the ground up. aomine’s girlfriend, sabs (whom we love), breaks up with him and aomine follows kagami to try and reconnect after a quiet few months. he’s worried as hell, he loves kagami, who he knows without hearing from him that he is miserable. it’s angst. word count: 5860 notes: sfw, future verse, aomine’s pov. it’s specific to my future verse hcs but hopefully it makes sense even if u dont know them lol. nijimura and kagami are ( thank you so much for reminding me about this. present tense. they ARE ) besties, i think that comes up.

god, it's just too weird coming back here. everything is the same. same cream wallpaper, same dirty mirror in the lift. same buttons, circled with red once pressed. same shitty elevator music. it hums melodically, creating the pretence of relaxation, but daiki is anything but. he stares at himself in the mirror. not much taller than the last time he'd been inside, on his way to see an exuberant redhead in that same, ridiculous penthouse apartment he'd had by himself. would it seem small now that he'd seen the world? now that he had money of his own, lived in a big apartment himself? there are lines in his brow as he inspects it. he doesn't try to fix it. allows himself these nerves because they remind him that he cares. if he didn't, he wouldn't have come back to stay with his parents. wouldn't have followed taiga across the world despite the months of radio silence. missed calls ( ignored calls ). unanswered texts. daiki had tried everything. called taiga’s dad, asked if he'd heard anything recently from him. he never had. never gave daiki anything, anyway. all 'oh, I'm sure he's fine, he's probably just sulking about his injuries.' yeah, that's what daiki is worried about. asao had always got on his nerves. how is he so blind? why can't he see that taiga's devastated to be retiring? he still had as much fight in him as he'd had when they were teenagers. so much fight, and grit, and impossible potential.

the elevator dings. he doesn't move for a moment. ghosts surround him. that time taiga dragged him way too roughly into his apartment, only to kiss him like he's made of glass. the times they'd held hands in the full elevator and no one had minded. the time someone had, and taiga nearly beat him up for it. like, really nearly. all the occasions taiga found to cook meals for him. all the excuses. how the hell could taiga stand to come back here and relive all those memories?

the doors shut. daiki grunts and pushes the button to open them again. he has to buck up. he has to gather himself, all the courage in the world, and tell taiga everything. he was waiting inside, anyway. he'd buzzed him up. yeah, alright. he'd said at the door. yeah, alright. he sounds different now. colder. the knot in his stomach is eating him alive. tearing organs apart. his knees are weak, barely carrying him into the hallway.

how will he phrase it? Daiki makes his way to taiga's door. it's the same colour. same paint, it's peeling a little. he feels sick. so sick. it's fight or flight, isn't it? the nerves. well, he'd already flown away. already allowed taiga to think he didn't care. maybe he hadn't. maybe love had drifted between them, fluttering around like a butterfly in spring. sabina had been a flower daiki visited, she was everything he thought he'd wanted in a partner. funny, clever, interested in him. not like in love him, which she had been, but she'd asked how his day was. sabs was great, but she wasn't taiga. they fought a lot, but not in the same way he'd fought with taiga. and taiga had dated people too, like that hot business guy. older, smart, in love. daiki recognised the way he'd looked at taiga during that terrible doubt date they'd gone on. softly, in awe, like there had been no one else in the room. and taiga had been looking at daiki. saying something with a smirk, trying to get a rise out of him. daiki could have kissed him then.

but he's broken up with sabs when taiga retired. all daiki had done was call him, text him, trying to find out if he was okay. of course he wasn't, but daiki wanted to be there for him. sabs grew tired of it. he doesn't blame her for it. he doesn't blame himself for being in love with taiga, either. it's the natural way of things. and it has been the natural way of things to go back to Japan as soon as he could get a break away from work. he stayed with his parents, kept his head down. reconnected with other old friends from high school, tried to pretend it was just a social call. Tried to pretend he hadn't come all the over here on the off chance taiga might be around to see him, wherever he'd been. what a bittersweet moment when taiga first texted back a few months ago. all casualness, he’d said don’t worry about me, i’m fine. talk soon x and that had been it. he’d replied in english, daiki had texted in english. daiki called him about a week ago and taiga had answered. hearing his voice had been jarring. he’d been waiting so long, so patiently. always hoping taiga would call him for a change.

“i’m in tokyo visiting family,” daiki had said hastily, shocked that he’d actually get a reply this time. he waited. nothing. fine. he kept talking. “i get it if you don’t wanna talk to me, or whatever, but---

“no, i wanna see you. come over. i’m back in my old apartment, you remember where that is? come by next saturday.” and they agreed on a time like it was the most normal thing in the world.

daiki sees his hand raise to knock on the door, and he wonders how many times in his life he’d done this. his knuckles had met the door hundreds of times before, when they’d been younger. less experienced. happier. god, daiki’s scared. it’s too weird coming back here.

the door opens. it’s taiga. he looks tired. he’s put on weight, his bare arms are still tree trunks but they’re not showing muscle definition anymore. he makes grey sweats and a black t-shirt look classic for a reason. daiki stares at him, taking it all in, suddenly tongue-tied. he doesn’t have the right words, they don’t exist. there’s nothing to say. he shouldn’t have come.

“makes you feel old, don’t it?” taiga says, rubbing his neck.

"what?”

“being back here. i feel like i should ask you if you wanna play one-on-one then go to maji’s.” the joke hurts. red eyes hold such sadness in them. it looks like it hurts to look at daiki, too. he shouldn’t have come.

“taiga---”

“i can’t, i dunno if you heard. i can’t play again. i’m still recovering. i had to choose between being able to walk when i’m sixty, or playing basketball another year. i was so close to picking basketball.”

daiki trudges inside. he fights the instinct to sweep taiga into an all-encompassing hug. it’s awful being in this room again. the furniture is different, thank god, but the essentials are in the same place. the kitchen is the same. there’s the spot daiki would always perch when taiga was cooking something for him. the sofa is in a different position. how clearly he can see the old layout now that he stands amongst its replacements. daiki doesn’t know what to say to taiga’s crushing statement. could he speak if he wanted to? there’s a lump in his throat. he takes his shoes off. those are taiga’s jordans. it’s good he still wears basketball shoes. it’s wrong when he doesn’t. they’re like an extension of him, like the colour of his hair. scarlet in the sunlight.

“isn’t that what you wanted to hear?” taiga’s voice is so dark, he hasn’t shut the door yet. when daiki looks over, the hand on the door is tense, as if trying to make a fist through the wood. it takes daiki by surprise to see this rage. “isn’t that what anyone wants to know, whether i care if i played again?”

“i---” he blinks. “i don’t care about basketball.”

wrong answer. the door slams. daiki flinches. taiga stalks into the kitchen.

“i mean, of course i care, it’s just-- you scared the shit outta me. i figured you didn’t wanna see me of all people, then i heard you cut everyone off, all your old teammates. gave everyone the cold shoulder. we just wanna help you, man, you’re not alone in this.”

“i’m over it.”

“i wouldn’t be, if i was you.”

“you have no idea how i feel, daiki,” taiga pulls two beers from the fridge. daiki had half expected banana milk. the thought makes him feel worse.

“nobody does, you won’t talk to anyone.” it’s a leap, maybe he had been, but had avoided daiki’s questions when he’d asked them. did nijimura know how he felt? did satsuki, and they just hadn’t told him?

“i don’t want to,” he takes the drinks to the couch, and daiki follows. daiki sits in a chair where his beanbag had once been. taiga continues, “i don’t wanna even think about basketball. that’s why i never messaged you back. i knew it would all come out once i saw you.”

daiki doesn’t open his beer. he stares at it guiltily, but he can’t bear opening it. can’t bear disturbing the quiet falling between them.

“i would’ve left you alone if you hurt yourself,” taiga goes on, in too smooth of a tone to have been anything but the truth. “i would’ve known you wouldn’t want to see me because it’d remind you of the old times.”

silence. he really shouldn’t have come.

“i’ve always had basketball,” taiga says quietly, sipping on his beer. “all my friends were into it too. back when i had this place first, i figured everyone was only interested because i was good. especially you guys.” he clicks his tongue. “you, generation of miracles. i didn’t blame you, either. i got it. tetsu, ryouta, tatsuya. i’d think about whether you’d lose interest if i got hurt and couldn’t play anymore. i didn’t wanna face it.”

“is that--- is that what you think about me now?”

no reply. he drinks more beer. daiki shifts to the edge of his seat.

“taiga. answer me.”

“i considered it. at first, definitely. then you kept calling, i guessed it was your conscience or something. don’t feel bad about it, or whatever--”

“don’t feel bad? why would you think that? i--” he has to take a breath. it’s taiga’s mistake. it’s something in his past that caused him to think that the limits of his worth are tied with his ability to play ball. that’s awful. but it’s not something to argue over. it won’t help. “look, you’re wrong. alright? don’t ever think that about me again.”

taiga shrugs. “you wanted to know how i felt.”

it’s a blow. it hurts. no doubt about it. when daiki had said i love you, had taiga always heard i love your basketball? that’s ridiculous. daiki had loved taiga’s way of playing, but that wasn’t just it?! there are corners of taiga’s mind that daiki doesn’t like, doesn’t get along with. but despite that, he loves that, too. loves taiga. loves, loves, loves him. he always has, he always will.

“you once said there’s nothing a winner can say to a loser. ain’t that how it is here? what could you say to me i haven’t heard from everyone else who can still play basketball?”

“if you couldn’t walk now, do you really think i wouldn’t wanna be there to help you with your wheelchair?” it slipped out, almost venomously. defensively. taiga blinks, quiet as the dead. daiki sighs, setting the drink down unopened. “you’re one of my best friends, taiga. you’re more than that. i think i made myself pretty clear when i called you and texted you. sorry if that was the wrong thing to do... but... if you stopped playing basketball after high school, i’d still have wanted you around, you know. even if you were some boring ass banker in another country, i still would’ve kept in touch.”

daiki doesn’t look at taiga now. he can’t. it’s too much honesty. there’s too much weight to his words. ( if he had looked over, he’d see the shaking hand raising beer to lips, hiding that they too quiver under the threat of tears. )

“sorry if i’m just saying stuff you’ve heard before. i’ll leave if i’m making it worse. i didn’t mean to.”

continued silence. what does he say next? what can he say? he doesn't want to leave. he should have come. daiki sighs, sinking back into his seat with his eyes anywhere but on taiga. this chair is hard. it's a sand-coloured linen armchair with deep mahogany accents. the kind of chair that really isn't meant to be sat in. sabs had one like this. it was a glorified bowl. totally uncomfortable, and even he was never able to sleep in it. this chair is similar. its voice is loud and harsh: i am an adult purchase. daiki misses the beanbag. the most comfortable thing he'd ever slept on. second most. he finally looks at taiga. the couch is different. it's also sand in colour, and cuboid, but the arm-rests are low and with the right cushion, their rounded corners would make for a good napping area.

the old sofa hadn't been comfortable. he'd convinced himself that it was, until taiga became the perfect cushion between sofa and daiki. it's a stupid thought, but is a toned body really that comfortable of a cushion? the soft lines of taiga's broad shoulders look just as enticing. but... the beanbag... daiki's bought beanbags for himself since then but they've never been the same. even the same brand (model discontinued) hadn't been the same. it wasn't just that it was oblong and firm enough that he doesn't touch the floor, while still retaining body-moulding softness. it was partly that. daiki had realised it the first time he settled into his new and immediately rejected beanbag years ago, when he and taiga had broken up for the second major time. it was that he'd been on taiga's floor, exhausted after an almost challenging one-on-one, waiting for his rival to make him his dinner. even before they'd started dating, daiki had felt a special sort of peace here. there's comfort in finding someone who you can be your authentic self with. daiki's basketball ability didn't scare taiga off.

"daiki?"

daiki had been staring at the window when taiga spoke. he immediately looked over, momentarily forgetting everything that was said minutes before. forgetting why he's here, what brought him, what chair he's sitting in. he's in the beanbag again. taiga's about to ask him to solve a history question, and daiki's half a second away from making up a completely fictitious answer so he doesn't have to bashfully admit that he doesn't know.

“can i ask you something?”

“shoot,”

“were you just thinking about your old beanbag?”

ah. busted. he blinks, dazed. taiga’s expression starts to change. his eyes search daiki’s from across the room and gradually, a smile forms. the sun comes out. literally. the shadow-stealing grey sky gave the city a brief interlude of hope in a few, impossibly long seconds of proper sunlight. the weather, daiki noticed, linked inextricably with a personal epiphany. it doesn’t matter whether he’s an easy read. at any given moment, daiki is thinking about his next meal or his next sleep. but that, in the depths of their conversation, taiga had pulled himself out of it enough to come to the correct conclusion on what daiki was thinking about. it wasn’t basketball, it wasn’t their history ( not entirely, at least ), and it wasn’t taiga’s injuries ( though maybe it should have been? ). it was his old beanbag. not taiga’s. not nijimura’s. his. and he’s smiling again, for the first time today. a wall has come down.

the future starts to fit into place. is that dramatic? it’s fate. it’s fate. does taiga see it too? does he knows that daiki could walk to the ends of the earth for him? daiki smiles too, now. he sinks deeper into his awful seat, shoulders almost meeting his ears.

“i hate this chair, taiga.”

“me too, but i hated the beanbag more.”

“you didn’t,” a critical insult! “why’d you keep it if you hated it so much?”

taiga sighs now, shifting in his seat so that his arm rested on the back of the couch, head against his hand. he stares with an unimpressed downwards turn to his mouth, and a double chin beneath his jaw. because you loved it, his eyes replied in words his mouth couldn’t betray, and i loved you. past tense, daiki can’t flatter himself into thinking that taiga is in any kind of place to be thinking about relationships. but they’d been in love before. daiki had been taiga’s first ( almost ) everything. it’s over in a split second, but he remembers thinking they’d be together forever.

“do you really think i could’ve been a banker?”

the question, offered casually under the guise of an innocent topic change, has weight to it. daiki knows this, but it doesn’t matter. his answer comes from the heart. their eyes meet.

“y’know,” daiki straightens up a little, “yeah, i do. i still think you could be a banker, dude. you’re one of the few people i’ve met who can really do anything you set your mind to.”

“i’m too stupid to be a banker.”

insecure words don’t suit taiga’s voice. they sound wrong. daiki doesn’t look away. “your tenacity outweighs your stupidity any day.”

taiga rolls his eyes and sips his beer. his smile fades. what’s he thinking about? daiki feels guilty realising he can’t read taiga as well as the other way around, but the last time they’d been in this room, it would have been a fair guess to suggest basketball was on his mind. it had almost always been on his mind. and now that his eyes no longer sparkle, basketball or lack thereof would also be a decent guess, but daiki didn’t think it was just that. does taiga think of the past? does he regret not paying attention in school and not giving himself any kind of backup career? daiki does. their parents do.

god, why can’t he think of anything to say? why is he so fucking silent all of a sudden? daiki’s usually quick as a whip, can spark a laugh or a fight at his whim. he usually knows just what to say when taiga’s not feeling great. or knows just what to do. all he can think of is a hug and what good has a hug ever done, really? he wants to wrap his arms around his old friend’s shoulders and tell him it’s all going to be alright. would taiga push him away? would he get mad?

“so,” taiga stands unexpectedly. is he about to tell him to get lost? “how are you doing?”

it takes him aback. uh, he’s been shit. he’s been worrying to death over taiga’s lack of communication, and fearing the worst with every phone call ignored. daiki exhales, watching taiga walk over to the sliding doors to the tiny balcony. it’s early evening and the city is starting to twinkle. does taiga admire its familiar beauty, or does he stare out with an empty gaze? for the love of all things good, daiki, for fuck’s sake! just say something!

“fine,” excellent.

“good. how’s sabs?”

“sabs?”

“yeah. i heard things were getting serious with you two.” his voice is impossible to hear, but he’s not mocking him. taiga’s ignorance at the situation is baffling, but he isn’t being spiteful.

“uh. we-- we broke up, man, ages ago. like, a few months.”

“huh.”

silence returned. daiki hates this. he understands not googling each other, but hadn’t anyone told taiga about sabs and him? had taiga really not asked? he’d been avoiding every other basketball guy he knows, why would daiki be any different? was it possible that taiga doesn’t care anymore? no, cool it. no talking about relationships right now, it’s not the time. fuck knows what conversation this moment does call for, but it’s not that. leave it. chill. have some beer.

daiki follows his own advice and finally opens his beer. it’s gross. he’s more of a wine guy, while taiga has always liked his beers. unsurprisingly, the drink does little to distract him.

“how are your parents?”

so is this what it was going to be? small talk? daiki would prefer going back to aggressively telling taiga how fucking amazing he is, just to fight the voice that had said i’m too stupid to be a banker.

“dad’s retiring soon,” daiki replies in a sigh, “there’ll be a party. you should come.”

taiga chuckles dryly.

you don’t have to, jesus. daiki doesn’t say it, and fights the irritation as best as he can. he’s using the same patience that taiga had used with him in the past when the world had felt like it was collapsing. “mom asks about you all the time.”

a grunt this time; it’s kind of like the surprised huh from earlier, mixed with a noise of amused rejection.

“how’s your dad?”

“he doesn’t get it at all. i tried telling him imagine you lost both your hands and couldn’t work anymore, but it’s not the same. he doesn’t love his work.”

daiki’s moving before he can help it. he comes to stand beside taiga to watch the city. he can’t see beyond the reflection of taiga’s sorrowful face in the glass. he’d been right, earlier. those gorgeous eyes were empty. if he was looking at the view, his eyes were dead on the horizon.

taiga continues without interruption. “he only works as an escape from everything he fucked up in his life. me, for instance.”

“taiga,” daiki’s heart aches.

“i should’a listened when i was a kid. that’s it. i should’a paced myself.”

“would you have joined seirin’s team if you paced yourself?”

silence.

“your intensity is a part of you, taiga,” daiki says gently. taiga’s distant eyes hone in on the reflection, too, and now they’re looking at each other in the glass. daiki is first to look away like a coward. “i think if you had paced yourself, you’d have come to one of seirin’s games. you would’a found out about the generation of miracles and thought i wanna take those asshole down a notch.”

“you told me my light’s too dim when we first met, though.” taiga turns his head so that he’s facing the city again. “even if i joined the team, we still lost before we got to finally beat you.”

“it was tetsu who lifted you up to my level,” daiki’s reply is barely a whisper. he’s falling into his own memories and his eyes drop to the windowpane. it had always been him. they both dwelled on it, he didn’t have to be a mind-reader for that. he misses kuroko like hell.

“you ever wish you hated basketball?” taiga’s voice cracks. he takes a sip of beer and daiki copies him.

“yeah,” before he’d met taiga, he’d been plagued with the idea of never meeting anyone up to his standards. anyone better. kise came close, but daiki had lost to seirin. that felt like lifetimes ago now.

“this fucking sucks,” he’d finished his beer now. daiki glances over in time to see taiga blindly toss his beer bottle over his shoulder. he looks back to see where it landed. it hadn’t shattered, but flown safely onto the sofa where taiga had been sitting. taiga doesn’t move. he doesn’t react at all.

daiki feels it keenly too, can’t taiga see? he’s not alone. sure, daiki can’t fully understand how it feels to be forced into retirement due to injury, but he’s on his way there. his body is tired and it is always sore. one of these days, he’ll land funny and never properly recover. and then daiki will isolate from the world until he can figure himself out. it will be like carving the basketball out of himself. having played for his whole life, what will be left? he comes to stare at taiga so gradually that he hadn’t noticed when it happened. he sees a strong man with a huge heart and the rest of his life ahead of him. he is awesome at cooking, maybe he’ll do something with that? he has enough money that, if he’s sensible with it ( which he always has been ), he’s financially secure. hell, taiga’s always been financially secure.

he sees a man waging a war in his mind. he sees broken pieces desperately held together. daiki sees himself.

“i’ll leave if you want me to, tai. i don’t wanna make it worse.”

taiga shakes his head. he looked, for a second, like he’d say something. his mouth opened, but he changed his mind last minute and closes it again. daiki can’t stand to see him this way. if they never talk about basketball again for the rest of their lives, he’ll find something else to say. they can’t just stop talking because they can’t play against each other anymore. unless that’s really what taiga wants, which daiki doubts.

it’s a bold move, perhaps, but he bumps his knuckles gently against taiga’s hand hanging beside them. the redhead glances between them, but it doesn’t put daiki off. he carefully offers his hand to hold, forgoing breathing lest it spark an outburst. there’s no rage this time. their hands connect like they had a million times before. daiki already feels better for it, selfishly, as if how he feels is what’s important right now. fuck, he just loves taiga so much. he’ll be fine, he’s taiga. of course he will. he’s at a low point and it’s weird to see him so lost, it’s unnatural somehow, but he’ll get through it. daiki believes in him. he believes in him with his whole goddamn heart.

taiga meets his eyes just as he’s feeling like he could just say it outright. daiki sees tired, teary eyes. he squeezes his hand. “what are you thinking about?” taiga asks quietly.

“how amazing you are,” he replies. “you’ll get through this. i know you will.”

taiga scoffs, but it doesn't sound like an outright rejection. not totally, at least.

a silence settles between them as they each think of something to say. daiki wishes there was something he could do to fix it. fix all the hurt. wrap it up in a ball and throw it outside. it's more of a distraction than anything, but hadn't that metaphor sounded like basketball? it would be impossible to cut the sport from himself. he doesn't think he'd be able to do it. this must be hell for taiga. he glances over and meets teary eyes unexpectedly looking at him, too.

"come here," daiki pulls his hand away, only to slide in and wrap his arms around taiga's waist. he hadn't thought twice about it this time. it's the right thing to do.

"i'm fine," taiga sniffs.

"then it's for my benefit," he snaps. it works, and he feels familiar arms wrap around him in kind. they stand in gentle silence, there’s a wall clock ticking somewhere in the background. cars beneath them sound like crashing waves. a siren. daiki runs his hands along taiga’s back soothingly, and notes that the form is softer now where muscles had laid careful marks of definition. taiga had always been bulkier than him, but this added weight makes the guy seem immovable. and here he is, hiding his face in daiki’s shoulder in the world’s saddest hug. he has to stop himself from kissing him there and then. as if that would help anything. it used to. enough kisses peppered on taiga’s face had always been enough to lift his mood. it’s strange to love taiga with restraint, but he will, if that is what he needs.

"you were right, by the way," taiga mutters, "I haven't talked this through with anybody."

"yeah. i'm here for you, tai. but we don't gotta talk about it if you don't want to. hell, we could pretend i'm the one who works at the bank and never talk about basketball again."

"you, a banker? that's just unrealistic." it's a joke delivered totally pathetically, with a shaking voice.

"shut up," and it's a defence without any bite to it.

“sorry about sabs,” daiki feels the words mumbled into his shoulder, feels taiga’s lips say her name against his t-shirt. taiga sounds guilty. he must know.

“don’t worry about it.”

“i heard you say in that interview that you were gonna have kids. i thought you were gonna end up with her.”

“interview?” daiki frowns. taiga breaks out of the hug and opens the sliding door. he comes to lean against the balcony, and daiki is still standing where he had been, racking his brain for what the hell he was talking about? he remembers an invasive question from a dickhead reporter along those lines, but daiki hadn’t said that he was going to? have them with sabs? he had never even considered it. really never considered it. hell no. “uh,” he finally replies, realising that he hadn’t yet, “no.”

“would you, in the future? not with sabs. i just mean, in general.”

daiki slides the door further open and steps into the cool air. he rests against the railing with his forearms, looking down and out at the city. for all that it could mean, he looks over with a gentle expression at the only person that would change his mind about it. “would you?”

taiga remains fixed on the horizon. his shoulders shrug. “i never thought about shit like that before. i think so, maybe.”

daiki hums. he doesn’t say anything. he doesn’t admit to being happy to hear that taiga is open to it, doesn’t admit that he’s always liked the idea of having kids. at least one, maybe two. being an only child is difficult, but then, the adoption process is difficult. hopefully two kids. he recalls a conversation they had had a long time ago, or maybe it had been a moment in passing that stuck out. taiga has changed his mind. back then, daiki distinctly remembers hearing that taiga didn’t think he’d make for a very good dad. he remembers, because he knows how much he disagreed. a guy like him with a heart like that? please. it’s a given.

“while you’re here, you should visit nijimura and his kids at teiko.”

daiki blinks. the speed at which the conversation was going is leaving him behind. he’d done that before, sure, but not as often as taiga. that makes sense though, right? taiga was always good at making time for shit like that. he shrugs his shoulders. “yeah, i guess. i hadn’t thought about it.”

“daiki?” taiga says quietly. when daiki looks over, their eyes meet. god, taiga’s eyes are so fucking sad. he can’t deal with it. daiki nods, taiga continues. “i’m gonna give you a word of advice. you should really think about what you’re gonna do when you can’t play anymore. i wish i had. there’s no point dwelling on the past, but if i can stop you from feeling like this, then it won’t all be for nothing.”

daiki categorically doesn’t like talking about stuff like this. his injuries will heal. they always do. and he will play again. he is not strong like taiga, he can’t just carve it out and build himself up again. taiga will be able to tell by the look on daiki’s face that he has taken the advice to heart, even if he can’t speak for the lump in his throat. when he can, after a moment, daiki replies.

“i get it if you wanna be alone right now,” his eyes drift back to the city, “and i’ll go stand on the side-lines ‘til you’re ready if that’s what you want, but if our roles were reversed like you mentioned earlier, i hope you would know to come find me.”

“of course i would,” taiga rests forwards on the balcony, mirroring daiki. their arms touch, neither move. “when you put it like that... i’m sorry i was so hard to find.”

daiki doesn’t tell him that he loves him now. not in words. he says it between the lines, in the diminishing space between his fingertips and taiga’s skin. any excuse to touch him, he makes. now, as his head comes to rest momentarily on taiga’s shoulder. can he stay there? taiga allows it. he does. on the arm, later, as a story is told, on the hand. taiga returns it in a drifting touch across daiki’s shoulders as he’s passing in the kitchen, or that one, affectionate moment where taiga had playfully scuffed his knuckles against daiki’s chin. god, it had driven him crazy. taiga is so beautiful. his hair is a little longer. the guy’s always wanted a mullet, maybe now he’s actually growing it out? his hands, his back, his thighs. they’d been friends with benefits a few years ago because they couldn’t handle being in the same room without physically reacting to it. then they’d started taking other people. and now, daiki feels that gut instinct to give taiga everything again. but he won’t. not tonight.

instead, he’ll confess his love in the respectful silences, in reassuring smiles, the changes of conversation, the nah, i’ve got nowhere to be when 11 o’clock hit and taiga was embarrassed to have taken up so much of his time. he says i love you in the way that they briefly hold hands. in the words unsaid because now isn’t the time. in the lingering glances, in the i’ll take the couch tonight. ( taiga, in his way, says i love you as he says no you won’t, you’ll sleep with me. or at least he says i know you love me, which is good enough. ) of course they sleep together. taiga’s head comes to rest upon his chest. they’re clothed. it’s weird not immediately making out with him now that all that daiki can smell is taiga. they are silent as their arms find comfortable ways to settle to sleep. daiki waits for the longest time before he speaks. he waits for breathing to even out, and grip to loosen where taiga’s hand had come to rest at his hip. and, when he does speak, it’s barely a whisper scraped through his tired, croaking throat:

“i love you, tai.”

nothing happens. taiga had been asleep. the night wears on and daiki’s mind walks through every sentence they had spoken. he falls asleep as the stars start to fade, wakes up again when taiga is getting out of bed, but doesn’t stay up. later, the smell of breakfast makes him stir ( it’s never failed before ). taiga tells him that he’s got a job at a bakery, so this bread is actually made by him. it’s perfect, but of course it is. it’s his.

#drabbles.#aokaga #future verse.#this came from a prompt then what was prompted never happened so :///// i moved it to its own post #imagine over 5.6k words and what you had PLANNED to happen JUST DOESNT #these guys are too unreliable. smh #lol since the last tag i added MORE WORDS because apparently i REALLY CANT STOP #SJDSJHD SINCE THE LAST TAG I ADDED MORE OH MY GOD IM JUST GOING TO STOP WRITING NOW

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OK, November 23

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Jeff Bridges opens up about the fight of his life

Page 2: Contents

Page 3: Contents

Page 4: Lori Loughlin’s life behind bars -- Lori’s been having a hard time adjusting to her new reality

Page 6: The holiday season will look a little different for Prince Harry this year -- originally the plan was for Harry to travel to England around Christmastime and Meghan Markle reluctantly agreed though she was far from happy with the idea but now with new travel restrictions in place due to Covid-19 she’s told him there’s no way they’re leaving California which is crushing for Harry who was looking forward to spending the holidays with the royals especially since he missed out last year and he’s been horribly homesick these last few months and he misses the holiday traditions he grew up with even though he loves his life in America with Meghan and son Archie

Page 7: Newly single Kelly Clarkson has been swooning over country crooner Brett Eldredge her collaborator on the flirty new Christmas tune Under the Mistletoe -- they spent lots of time together in the studio and on the phone and really bonded while they were cutting this sexy song, Brad Pitt’s most recent ex-girlfriend Nicole Poturalski has started talking to friends about what happened between them in detail and it’s an embarrassing mess for Brad who prides himself on privacy, after 16 seasons as colleagues and sparring BFFs on The Voice Adam Levine and Blake Shelton are besties no more because there was a lot of talk between them about keeping in touch and hanging out after Adam left the show but amid lingering tensions neither has made an effort and Adam may not even be invited when Blake marries Gwen Stefani

Page 8: Ever since Sofia Richie split for good from Scott Disick she’s been out every night with some really shady types to the dismay of her dad Lionel Richie who is not liking what he’s hearing about her partying and dating habits -- Sofia has already jumped into a new relationship with Cha Cha Matcha founder Matthew Morton and is hanging nonstop with his crew -- Lionel thought breaking free from Scott would mean a calmer life but it just sees like she’s gone off the rails, Betty White is already gearing up to celebrate her 99th birthday in January with a low-key yet reverent bash, she’s been linked to several Hollywood hunks of late but Lily James just wants her old beau back and she’s regretting breaking off her five-year relationship with Matt Smith -- since the split she’s been linked to Dominic West and Armie Hammer and Chris Evans and the onslaught has only made her miss Matt more -- Matt’s always had her back and Lily knows she made a mistake letting him go but Matt feels duped regarding all the rumors about her and other guys but she swears nothing happened and that she misses him

Page 10: Red Hot on the Red Carpet -- stars wow in romantic ruffled gowns -- Keke Palmer, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kirsten Dunst

Page 11: Lupita Nyong’o, Halsey

Page 12: Who Wore It Better? Renee Bargh vs. Alessandra Ambrosio

Page 14: News In Photos -- Paris Jackson posed for a portrait in Beverly Hills days before releasing her debut solo album

Page 15: Adam Brody with his newborn son in Malibu, pregnant Jinger Duggar stepped out in Venice with husband Jeremy Vuolo and their daughter Felicity for lunch, Lady Gaga on stage at a drive-in concert in Pittsburgh

Page 16: Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O’Connell headed out for brunch with one of their twin daughters in Encino, Camila Cabello held on tight to one of her three pups while chasing another one who escaped from his leash in Miami, Pierce Brosnan playing golf in Hawaii

Page 18: DJ Diplo took a dip in the ocean in Miami, John Legend took his Ford Mustang out for a spin with wife Chrissy Teigen and one of their dogs in Beverly Hills

Page 19: Bella Thorne and boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo in Rome, Scott Disick was Ace Ventura for Halloween in L.A.

Page 20: Ruff Life -- stars show love for their canine companions -- Ariel Winter and her latest rescue Cobey, Jamie Chung and her dog, soccer star Alex Morgan with her dogs Kona and Blue

Page 21: Nev Schulman cuddled up with Dancing With the Stars partner Jenna Johnson’s dog Ziggy, PLEASE ADOPT, DON’T SHOP

Page 22: Shawn Mendes on a walk in Miami, Kate Mara stopped by Target with her daughter, Ellen DeGeneres dressed up as a nurse who is her favorite superhero

Page 24: Skai Jackson headed to rehearsals for Dancing With the Stars, Elizabeth Lyn Vargas of Real Housewives of Orange County gave a tour of her home, Joe Jonas strolling daughter Willa around the neighborhood

Page 25: Thomas Brodie-Sangster attended the premiere of Stardust a biopic about David Bowie in London, Donnie Wahlberg and Steve Schirripa filmed a scene for Blue Bloods in Brooklyn

Page 26: Taking over duties from Prince Harry his stepmother Duchess Camilla arrived at the Field of Remembrance to commemorate those who lost their lives in the armed forces in London, Amber Heard enjoyed a hike with her dog in L.A., Renee Elisa Goldsberry and Sara Bareilles and Paula Pell and Busy Philipps filmed a scene for Tina Fey’s upcoming series Girls5Eva in NYC

Page 27: Offset delivered free food to voters waiting in line on Election Day, Ciara in Seattle

Page 28: Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes have finally become husband and wife in a low-key ceremony in the backyard of their L.A. home with just a handful of family and close friends like Steve Carell and Emma Stone were in attendance -- Ryan wore jeans with a button-down shirt while Eva wore a red dress from her own collection -- now that the party’s over Eva and Ryan have been talking about having a third child

Page 29: Reality hit Love Is Blind hooked viewers with its OMG premise but the show’s married cohosts Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey were decidedly less riveting and their presenting style was laughably wooden and stiff and while the duo is slated to return for the show’s second season Nick and Vanessa have been put on notice to spice it up, Tori Spelling is freaking out at the prospect of her husband Dean McDermott spending six months alone in Toronto which is the same town where he cheated on her seven years ago -- Dean has signed on to star in Canadian TV show Lady Dicks and while Tori should be thrilled that that he’ll be bringing in some income for their often-struggling family of seven she is preparing for the worst

Page 30: While it appears Nina Dobrev and Shaun White have spent 2020 in hardcore flirt mode Nina’s friends have cautioned that this is a dead-end romance because Shaun shows up and posts pictures of them on social media but the fact is they’ve barely spent any time together and they hook up and then he goes back to his own place -- Shaun rarely invites Nina to either of his two Hollywood Hills pads and is proving his flaky reputation is legit, things are looking up for parents-to-be Kit Harington and Rose Leslie after a rocky start to their marriage the two are finally in a happy place -- Kit has stopped boozing and this baby has put a fire under him to be more accommodating and besides helping update and baby-proof the couple’s 15th century countryside manor Kit’s been more attentive to Rose in every way, Love Bites -- Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi split, Maya Erskine and Michael Angarano are engaged and expecting, Ashlee Simpson welcomed her second child with husband Evan Ross

Page 32: Cover Story -- Jeff Bridges: I’m not giving up -- how the beloved star is coping during his brave health battle

Page 36: Katherine Heigl why she disappeared -- the reason Katherine walked away from the spotlight ad how she found her way back

Page 38: Home Alone turns 30 -- in honor of the holiday classic’s milestone anniversary secrets and trivia about the movie and its stars

Page 40: Feel the Burn -- fitness fanatic Morgan Coleman is here to take your home workout up a notch

Page 42: Healthy Holidays -- how stars stay fit and feeling their best during the festive season

Page 46: Style Week -- Olivia Culpo has teamed up with her siblings on an exclusive collection for Macy’s

Page 48: What’s Hot Right Now -- Madewell wants you to Make Weekends Longer with its new sustainable MWL collection

Page 49: Steal Her Style -- Drew Barrymore

Page 50: Dress the Halls -- festive pieces to rock through the holidays even if you’re celebrating at home -- AnnaSophia Robb

Page 54: Entertainment

Page 55: Q&A -- Jake Tyson

Page 58: Buzz -- Just weeks after Kim Kardashian West was slammed over her 40th birthday bash Kendall Jenner received similar criticism for throwing a jam-packed soiree for her 25th birthday

Page 60: Sound Bites -- Cameron Diaz on having a baby at 47, Conan O’Brien on the props that were stolen from his late-night set, Sacha Baron Cohen joking that he and his wife Isla Fisher are not A-listers, Anne Hathaway on the embarrassing ways she handled the lockdown

Page 61: Florence Pugh on her close relationship with her Black Widow costar Scarlett Johansson, Christine Quinn on not being bothered by negative comments, Chelsea Handler on crushing on New York governor Andrew Cuomo

Page 62: Horoscope -- Lisa Bonet turned 53 on November 16

Page 64: By the Numbers -- Colin Jost

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cilliansaccent · 4 years

Text

The Peaky Designer - Cillian Fanfic, Chapter 9

Hello, welcome back. Below is the next instalment of my fanfiction!

Leave a like or a comment if you liked it, or if I can do anything better! Please, it would mean the world and to understand if anyone is enjoying my writing. Also, sharing/reblogging would be even better.

PLEASE READ:

I will not be including Cillian’s family as it’s kinda weird since he has children lmao. Just a mention of his parents and a previous lover.

I will indicate in a chapter if there is smut in the beginning and before the actual scene!!

I will add trigger warnings if there is any!!

There is a variety of levels of swearing during a chapter, I will not hold back, everyone swears.

The timestamp for the Fic is now 2016 and onwards!!

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Background: Gabrijela Babic is a Croatian girl from Sydney, Australia. She is born in the year 1991 on the 24th of December. She studies a Fashion degree in a University with a major in Game Design as well. Her teacher in the fashion designer class managed to nail an Internship on the set of Peaky Blinders with the shows very own Costume Designer, Allison McCosh. There, she travels to London for under a year to learn how to be one, working alongside the actors as well the man she admires, Cillian Murphy. But, her platonic feelings for the man begins to grow into something more, and she wonders whether she should pursue them or let him go for fear of her strict parents and her three older brothers…

Characters:

Swantje Paulina as Gabrijela Babic (swalina on Instagram)

Cillian Murphy

Word Count: 2,928

!!Warnings!!: None.

Date: August to December 2016

Chapter Name: ...And Cruel.

Brief Chapter Outline: Gabrijela hangs out with her bestie for the next four weeks, having a great time. But at a Christmas Party, all of that good joy and happiness shatters to pain and heartache...

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By morning, Gabrijela called up Lucia and called her over for breakfast. She was there in less than fifteen minutes and she let the girl up. Gabrijela had already finished cooking, "Goodness, does it smell good." Lucia smiled and hugged her. "Thanks. Been practising." She smiled. She had cooked up eggs, bacon, mushrooms and pancakes were wrapped up in foil to be kept warm. They ate in silence and Lucia helped her clean up once they were done. Then when they had their hot cocoa they sat at the couch together, "I need to ask you something." Gabrijela started.

"I know. Yesterday," Lucia sighed, looking down at her cup then back up. "I want to apologise for that. I was being mean and rude, no other reason." Gabrijela nodded, "Logan didn't feel comfortable at all. And neither did I, especially with that last comment you made about whether this lasting or not." She frowned, "That hurt." Lucia reached over and took her hand, "And I am deeply sorry for that. Let me make it up to you." Gabrijela smiled a little, "Alright. You can totally make it up to me." After that day, the girls spent each day together. They did plenty of shopping, Lucia was a bad influence when it came to shopping and Gabrijela had to watch her spending even if she had a lot of money still. They did the usual tourist things, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and all that. Bought souvenirs for home and their friends and went on organised tours. Gabrijela had learned Lucia was here for a break of University. She had stated it was too hectic and would be here till early December. Lucia planned to stay here for a month, then return to Spain to see her extended family before she would come back here and spend the two last weeks with Gabrijela in December It seemed odd, Gabrijela thought but she didn't care. She had her best friend here with her. So the next few weeks were busy, Gabbie balancing out her new work and life with Lucia. Clubbing, getting wasted over the weekends and having the absolute fun. Logan had occasionally tagged along with some of his mates, which was fine but Gab couldn't get a little overprotective. Especially when Lucia always eyed him like a meal. But she didn't pay much attention to it, Lucia wouldn't hurt her like that. Overall, Gabrijela had missed her best friend a lot, missed just being herself and acting like a bunch of mad women laughing and all that. It was good to let go but she still kept in mind she was with Logan and kept herself distanced from any men who tried to hit on her. As the months wore on, Gabrijela was busy working away. She had a good balance of her work and romance with Logan. She was happy finally, and even got to see Cillian almost every week. Just either dinner or coffee or catching a film together. Life for her was good. She was in a good mindset after so, so long being in darkness. By December, after long hard working through her new work and being with Logan for almost five months now, Logan had organised a small Christmas Party on Saturday for his buddies from work, so Gabrijela brought Lucia along before she was to fly out in two days. The pub was decked out in Christmas decorations and a live band played classic Christmas music that made it warm and cozy despite the cold temperature. Gab had changed into a mini tube skirt with an ugly Christmas sweater on top. It was the theme for tonight and Logan had an equally ugly sweater. "And yet you still look so delicious." Gab grinned up at him and they kissed. "I always look good in everything." He said, keeping an arm around her waist. "That's true." She nodded and they joined the group of friends. Lucia was chatting with a guy, clearly, she was trying to see if he could go home with her. The night dragged on, people danced and drank and drank and... drank. Gabrijela was talking to some of the girls outside and decided to head back in with them as it started to rain. But she wasn't feeling tonight, Logan had been... off the whole time. Even when they had met up during the week. Especially when Lucia was around. "Where is Logan?" She asked one of his mates. "Gone to take a piss." He replied. Gabrijela nodded, but her senses or whatever you called it was telling her something was up. Everything was wrong tonight. So she headed to the toilets, she was slightly shaking as anxiety rolled through her. She didn't want another attack, she hadn't had one for a long time and that was during and after the messy break-up with her ex. Some girls were laughing as they left the female toilets, "Fucking disgusting huh? Can't fucking shit in peace with that noise." Gab watched them go and could hear something inside despite the loud music. As she walked in the sounds were... muffled, soft moans came from the last stall. She could see the shadows below it. As she neared she heard it, "Logan." A soft female voice she knew too well. But she wanted it to be untrue and she pushed the door open which was unlocked. "Hey! Someone is-" When the door opened she saw Lucia and Logan. His pants at his ankles and her legs around his waist. It was exactly how Lucia had explained to her how she found her ex with a woman. "Gabrijela." Lucia hastily fixed her skirt as Logan fixed his pants, "I-I'm so sorry. Oh god Gabbie." "No." She snapped, tears falling down her cheeks, "No! You don't get to fucking call me that! You don't!" She screamed. "Please, baby, fuck I-I'm sorry she just-" "You shut the fuck up. Just shut up." She whimpered, her heart was ripping to pieces. She felt the darkness of her pain swallowing her up once more. "Oh, my god. Oh, my god." She repeated, running her fingers through her hair, gripping the strands. She paced around, "Fuck, what is wrong with me huh? Huh? I-Is there something wrong? What don't you like about me? A-Am I to fat? Do I have to small size breasts?" She looked at Logan, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?" She screamed in absolute pain. Logan looked away, regret in his features. "Fucking trusted you. I opened my heart to you. I let you in." Her voice dropped into a broken whisper. "You cheated on me. How long huh? How long?" She looked at Lucia. "Tell me, how fucking long have you two been messing around hm?" "Four months." Lucia winced when Gabrijela let out a pained whine. "Oh wow. Wow, so I've been riding a fucking used cock that was used on a bitch. Wow. Just fucking wow. Lucia, you are so fucking horrible, you know that? You wanna know something Logan, yeah? You ain't the first fucker she's gotten her hands on. She's done it to the other men who were taken. And now, I've had enough fucking looking after you Lucia. You have no sense of personal space and you ruin everyone's lives. You almost did it to Elijah. But at least he was the better man and stopped you." Gabrijela said with such venom Lucia looked down. "I-I'm sorry. Please don't leave me alone, I beg you. I'll make it up-" She whimpered as she stepped to her. "No. No way. It's over. No more will I stand back and let you trample over everyone's lives. You'll learn that one day, fucking someone's partner is not a thing that should be laughed about. I can't believe what moron I was to even stick to you. I only stayed because you had no one else. But now, this is the line I draw entirely." And with that, she left the bathroom, tears and makeup running down her cheeks. She didn't care if it was raining she just needed out. Away from this place. She cried, but no one would know as it was pouring down. Gabrijela came to a park and she sat under a gazebo. She was shaking, it was so cold. But she didn't care. She cried her heart out. Her phone buzzed and buzzed but she ignored it. Only after she stopped she pulled her phone out, Lucia had sent her messages and missed calls from Logan. But she didn't want to speak to them at all. Shivering, she rang up someone else who would listen to her. She waited until the phone was picked up, "Hello?" It sounded like Cillian had just woken up from his sleep, voice heavy. "C-Cillian." She sniffled, the rain had eased off now. "Gabrijela?" He sounded more alert, "Are you okay? Gab?" "I-I'm not Cillian. I... Please pick me up. I-I'm so scared." She started to cry again. "Shh, don't cry hey. Look around yeah? Where are you?" He asked, there was some shuffling and it sounded like he was getting dressed. Gabrijela sniffled and checked her phone for the maps and told him. "Okay. I will be right over. Stay where you are, okay? I won't hang up." His voice was gentle. She nodded, "Okay Cillian." He spoke to her about filming and what was happening as he got into his car. He carried an extra jacket as he sped down the road to the park she was in. It was about twenty minutes and the rain had begun to fall hard again. He parked and ran through the semi-dark park and found her on the gazebo. Gabrijela stood when he came over and she wrapped her arms around him, crying into his chest. He wrapped the jacket around her and held her close. "I got you." He said, a hand on the back of her head. "I'm right here. Oh, darling. Come, let me take you to my home." He murmured. He held her close as they made their way back to the car, he helped her in and he got in and drove off. His home was almost how her apartment looked like. But he had a whole three-story all to himself. He had Christmas decorations up, a Santa light in the bay window. Cillian helped her out of the car, through the iron gates with a pretty garden and up the stairs to the wooden door. Once inside, they were greeted with a narrow hallway that looked like it led to the kitchen and the small dining room. A set of stairs went up to the second floor, and on the right was an open door frame that went into the living room. It was all warm tones, it was cozy and like in a cabin in almost. She spotted photos of him and his family on the little table in the hallway. "Let's go upstairs. You're shivering." He said. Up they went and into his bedroom that took most of the second floor. It overlooked the back garden, it had a large king-sized bed with deep blue sheets and a white throw. It was messy as if he had kicked it all off. He got her to sit on the bed, "I'm going to make a bath, okay? Just wait here." He said as he left the room to go to the bathroom. She sniffled as she looked around, the bed was wooden and had a shelf like backboard that had stacks of books inside it. The wall was dark blue with the other three being an off white colour. Light oak coloured floorboards with a grey carpet at the foot of the bed. Directly across from the bed was a small balcony. From where she sat, across her was a tall bookshelf that had a mixture of books and little statues and photos of him and more of his family. When she turned to look behind her, there was a dresser beside a floor to ceiling window with heavy drapes the colour of storm clouds. And further next to the bed was a small walk-in wardrobe, the light was still on. The room was nice, sleek and cool. Much like Cillian. She smiled at the thought. It even smelled like him. He came back in, carrying a packet of wet wipes and a towel. "Bath is filling up," He said as he sat beside her, "May I?" He held the wipe as if to clean her face up. "Okay." She nodded. He gently began to clean her face up, wiping her eyes and lips and cheeks. "I'll go check the bath." He said and stood, "You can undress, I left the towel there." He smiled and left. She stood up and slowly took off her clothing, neatly leaving it in a heap as she wrapped the fluffy towel around herself. A knock at the door, "Come in." Gabrijela called. He came in, "It's ready. Come on." He gestured for her to come over. He took her into the bathroom. It was cute and simple. It had white tiles halfway then a grey/green/blue coloured wall the rest. The white claw tub that was also a shower was right across, a large window that looked down to the garden below. To the right was a dark brown vanity and white bowl atop. A huge mirror above it. The floors matched the dark colour of the vanity with a plush carpet in the middle. "Fancy." She murmured as she came over to the bathtub that was full of bubbles. She giggled. "I knew bubbles would make you smile. You told me you liked bubble baths." He said, a hand on her back. "I did. Thank you, Cillian." She looked up and gave him a smile. "Any time." He said. "Get in and get comfy. I'll go downstairs and make some tea." He said. She nodded and got in after he had left. She moaned softly and sunk in further, she had kept her hair up in a bun as it was almost dry now. She didn't want to get it wet again. She could feel her body warming up now, but she felt a chill within her. She was going to get sick. Shutting her eyes, she tried not to think of what happened tonight. Tried to stop her heart from breaking any further. But it was hard, she had worked so hard this year, dove into her studies more fiercely and focused more on her happiness. She couldn't believe Lucia would do this to her, but then again... she was stupid to even believe her. She had hoped she would be a better person, but it seemed she wasn't. Tears began to fall again just as Cillian knocked on the door. She quickly washed her face, "You can come in." She called as she watched him enter with two teas. "How is it?" He asked as she set the tray on a little table. "Perfect." She smiled as she held out her hands for her tea, he handed it to her. "Good. I made earl grey, something-" "I told you. Yeah. Thank you, Cillian." She sipped her tea and shuddered, "Yum." She murmured. He sat on the toilet seat, he was dressed in long flannel pants and a white shirt. He had changed it seemed. They stayed silent as she drank her tea, she knew he wanted to ask what happened but she wasn't ready to speak about it. "I uh, I have a long-sleeved shirt and some pants, if you want to wear that. And socks. That's all I can offer." He laughed softly. "That is fine by me. I'd like to be surrounded by you tonight." She whispered as she handed her empty cup back. "I'll bring it in," He said and left and returned with the clothing. Then left again so she could have some privacy. She got out and dried up, combed her hair with her fingers and changed into the clothing he gave her. It was soft and warm. She used the mouthwash and the cup before she cleaned it. She trudged out to the bedroom where he was fixing the bed. "Hi," She said softly, she had puffy red eyes when she had looked at herself in the mirror. "Feel better?" He came over, reaching up to brush his fingers along her jaw. "Yeah. Much needed. Thank you, Cilly." She leaned her cheek into his hand. "I'd like you to stay in bed, I... I need comfort." He nodded, "Alright. Let's get in." He said. She got in with him, the bed was so soft. He laid in the middle on his back as she laid down with her head on his chest. His arm wrapped around her as he pulled up the sheets. "Oh!" He jumped and she looked up. "What?" She asked. "Your feet are cold. Touched mine." He chuckled softly. "Oh, my bad." She let out a soft smile and laid her head back down. She let the sound of his heart lull her into sleep. She was warm, surrounded by the smells of Cillian and his arms. Cillian had no idea what happened tonight to make her so distraught. It broke his heart to see her alone in the dark, shivering and cold. He would not push her, he would let her tell him when she was ready. He would make sure tomorrow she was entirely comfortable and happy.

#cillian murphy #thomas shelby #peaky blinders #fanfiction

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neshabeingchildish · 5 years

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Hello Stranger.

A few different things went into the creation of this fic. One was a request: “A story 10 years in the future. Henry has not seen or communicated with Charlotte in years. His best friend, Jasper sets him up on a blind date with an old friend.” Another was a chat with the fandom bestie about various ideas we both have the mind for but not necessarily the time for. But, what really made me definitely go for it/make the time for this one was me rewatching Moonlight and remembering the classic goodie that is Hello Stranger by Barbara Lewis. It’s not very long and I don’t have the time to make it longer, so hopefully, it’s enjoyable.

Hello Stranger.

Jasper knocked on Henry’s door and wondered, “Are you cancelling the date?”

Henry was literally in his boxers with a bowl of Frittles and about to turn on the Dog Judge marathon on the classics channel. “Ohhh… Yeah… I guess, I am!” He reached for his phone to text Jasper’s friend, but Jasper snatched the phone and texted instead, So sorry! Running late. Will definitely be there. “There! She’s expecting you to be a little late. Let’s get you dressed, now!” He took the bowl, much to Henry’s dismay and pulled him up by the wrists.

“Dude, just because you just got engaged doesn’t mean I need to go on a date!”

“No, it doesn’t. But, you’re certainly not gonna cancel a surprise date that I worked my butt off to arrange for you to sit in your underwear eating chips!”

“Some people would kill to have that option…” Henry complained. Jasper was hearing none of it. This was probably the best date that Henry would ever have. He had been sinking more and more into his work and becoming numb in every other area of his life. He barely noticed when Jasper stopped coming home, when Jasper fell in love, and when Jasper got around to being so involved with his partner that he was now engaged and getting ready to plan the rest of his life. He hardly even seemed to care when Jasper told him. He’d simply said, “Okay, well, I can move into the gift shop. That office in the back has room for a little bed.”

No! Jasper didn’t want to see his best friend die, a sad, lonely old man, or worse… Be a soulless manbaby like Ray Manchester. He wanted to see him happy and in love, or at least among a friend or two. It couldn’t be Jasper, right now. He would do what he could, but planning a wedding, contemplating children, and selecting a family dog were all his top priorities for now… If only he could get his worries off of Henry’s lack of a social life. So, he set him up on a blind date with an old friend and wanted it to be a surprise to the both of them.

His plan - to get them there to meet up and then voila! Seeing each other should do the rest. But, he didn’t want too much anticipation, so he just referred to them as “A friend that I think you’d like,” and gave them contact numbers and got them to text what they would be wearing. Now, Henry was so disinterested in this date that he forgot it was even happening; nevermind what she was supposed to be wearing! But, Jasper searched the text and found Henry’s outfit to fit the description… But it was “like a flannel shirt or plaid or something and jeans and boots.” Jasper rolled his eyes.

But her response had been, “Okay. Sounds casual. Then, I’ll have maybe a floral blouse and khaki shorts. I’ll throw a flower in my hair in case the place is riddled with cutiepies in khaki.”

Jasper wiped his face, “It’s like neither of them even want to do this.”

Charlotte was already at the bar, with a virgin drink in a coconut. If Jasper’s little friend was gonna be all casual and stuff, she decided on a pretty casual place, but one with great ambience that wasn’t too far from her house, in case he was a loser. He was friends with Jasper, so… She chuckled and shook her head. That wasn’t nice. Besides, you dated him! But, that was ages ago. She and Jasper. And, it was honestly unexpected and probably just a move of convenience. They’d just gotten so close being in the background of all of Kid Danger’s things… She smiled to herself. Kid Danger. Henry Hart… Now, what the heck was HE up to?

She wondered if he’d kept in touch with Jasper. He certainly hadn’t kept in touch with her. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Henry in 10 years, despite all of those “friends always” declarations they’d made over the years as friends. It was surprising to her, but she got it. The guy was a superhero. Keeping in touch couldn’t be easy. She wasn’t even a hero and even keeping in touch with Jasper had been difficult for her, especially in the past few years. Engaged??? That was bonkers to her. He was probably still a great guy and all, but that somebody was ready to marry him forever… That was… Incredible.

“Charlotte Page?” She heard a voice say and she turned and SPEAK of the Devil!

“Henry Hart?” her face brightened and she smiled and said, “Wow! HI! Good to see you!” She reached for a hug. “What are you doing here?” She asked. Then, she winced a little. It’s a bar and grill. He’s probably here for dinner, ya gunch!

Well, he didn’t want to say that he was meeting a date. In fact… Now, he didn’t want to meet his date! In fact… He had to cancel that date and Jasper would just have to be mad at him later. Charlotte obviously noticed his hesitation and filled in the space with her own plans, “I’m uh… I’m meeting someone for dinner, but I think he’s running late, if you wanna try to catch up for a bit?”

“Yeah. I do. I’d love that. I’ve just gotta run to the bathroom and wash my hands, then I’ll be right back to see what the ever-beautiful Charlotte Page is up to these days.” Henry rushed off and she smiled at his retreating back, noticing that he was in plaid and jeans. Wait… She took her phone out to check the text, because that was pretty much what her Jasper date was supposed to be wearing, and that would be quite the coincidence if… Hey. It’s Jasper’s friend. So sorry. Something really important came up and I can’t make it. Hopefully you have a great night though. She looked suspicious. More and more, this was looking like… She saw Henry returning, and tossed her phone into her bag and tried not to drool over him.

He looked good. Like really good. And… his plaid was gone. Why was his shit gone? He just had on a t-shirt now. “Spilled water on myself, like an idiot and had to ditch my shirt,” he said.

She laughed at that. “How do you spill water on yourself washing your hands?”

“I actually remembered that I had to wash my face too and also brush my teeth…”

“How and why would you even leave your home without doing that?” She asked, pretty disgusted.

“Enough about me! What’s up with you? You look good. You said that you’re meeting somebody?”

“Yeah. Well, not anymore. My schedule has freed, so - you wanna be my date tonight?” As soon as it came forth from her lips, she regretted it and tried to correct herself, “Not like date, but you know, like a date, an old friend date or whatever… Not… It doesn’t have to be a date, but…”

“I’d love to be your date,” he said, cutting her off and beckoning the bartender over. “What are you drinking? Something girly?”

“Something fruity and alcohol free.”

“No drinking for Ms. Page?”

“Not while I’m on a date. It hinders the decision making portion of the brain.”

“You won’t be obnoxious about it if I order a drink, will you?”

“Absolutely not. I do find it harder to trust people’s words and actions when they’ve hindered the decision making portion of their brain, but a great deal of my business happens because of those types of mistakes.”

“Morbid. What kind of doctor are you?”

She laughed, “What makes you think that I’m a doctor?”

“Well, I remember that you were going to go into engineering or medicine. I just haven’t talked to you enough to know which direction you went in.”

“Well, I was an engineering major, but I changed halfway through college. Never EVER bring that up to my parents, because they are both still pissed at me, to this day! I had gone through a bad breakup and my ex was top of our class and in the same field. I wanted both some distance and a change, so I let her have that world and I dove head first into political science.”

“Her? Your ex was a her?” Henry asked smiling.

“Grow up, Henry. People should connect at soul.”

“No, I agree. I just didn’t know. I knew you and Jasper dated in college. I thought that was pretty funny.”

“I don’t know if I like the word funny to describe that. It was definitely not perfect, but Jasper will always have a special place in my heart. He’s a good friend and he was a good boyfriend. He just wasn’t one for a long journey.”

“One for a long journey?” The bartender came and Henry said, “Yeah, I just need a licorice soda with a lime.” She grimaced at that order. That sounded disgusting. But, he went back to the conversation, “What is one for a long journey?”

Charlotte smiled and said, “Well… I don’t believe in eternity. I don’t believe in soul mates. I don’t believe in ‘the one.’”

“Great date topic.”

“Don’t interrupt. What I do believe is that individuals evolve and develop and the people that we interact with add to and take away from our lives, in order for us to become our best selves. We have to use every connection that we have as a means to grow. People are there so that we can take a journey together that nobody else is equipped to take with us. Sometimes the journey is short. Mine and Jasper’s was because we were friends stepping out into a bright new world and scared shitless. We needed support and wanted romantic connection in the meantime. It was great for what we both needed at the time. He helped me to relax when I was stressed and I helped him to take things seriously. It flowed until neither of us were getting what we wanted or needed and both of us knew that the journey had ended. But, then I met someone who… if I did believe in soul mates, she could have been that… But, a couple of years later, I realized that even though it was a longer journey than Jasper’s, it wasn’t an endless journey. I also realized that my journey needed a detour.”

“All of that is so over my head. Basically what I heard is that you love being in love but it's being committed that you’re unsure of.”

“You heard a different monologue than I gave, I assure you,” she laughed. “I am very committed, as a friend, a lover, or a business associate. My trustworthy reputation is how I keep clients.”

“You never told me what you do! You went into political science… Wait! Are you a lawyer?”

She smiled and said, “I thought about it, but I wound up working as a political analyst after becoming popularized by my commentary on social media and ran out of the time and energy for law school. I did eventually take the bar exam in a state that lets you do that without finishing law school, but I only did that to say that I did it.” She laughed.

“Same overachieving Char. So, you built an online rep and wound up doing well.”

“Yep. I went into crisis management a couple of years ago and recently started my own firm.”

“Crisis management…”

“Like what Olivia Pope does, but not as sensational… or as dangerous. Though, I have definitely gotten death threats…”

Henry suddenly looked alarmed and went into protective mode, “From who? They ever find them?”

She laughed and said, “Calm down, Hero. No need to blow a bubble tonight… Is that still how you do it?” She wondered. He raised an eyebrow and finally got his soda. “You know what? After 10 years, it's totally inappropriate of me to wonder about that part of your life. I’m sorry I asked.”

“No. It’s alright. I mean… I always presumed that you knew I was still working.”

“I am definitely a Captain Danger fangirl,” she said and blushed slightly.

“He’s alright.”

“Not according to my research. He’s expanded outside of Swellview, Bordertown, Neighborville, Rivalton, and I heard that he might be looking to expand even as far as Metroburg.”

“Jasper’s not supposed to be telling people stuff, Man.”

“He’s really bad at secrets when it comes to me, but he did good this time. I had no idea that he was setting this up.”

“Setting what up?”

“...This date. Didn’t Jasper send you here to meet up with a friend of his tonight?”

“Yeah… Wait… That was you???”

“Yeah. You totally ditched me tonight to go on a date with a more charming, hotter woman.”

Henry was bright red in the face. “I am so sorry! Why didn’t he just say that he wanted us to meet up? He knows I hate blind dates.”

“Maybe he didn’t think you’d want to see me. Last time we talked, it was pretty… uncertain how things would go. Then, we never talked again. Whenever we were dating, he would always ask, ‘Have you and Henry still not talked?’ and I’d tell him that you never call.”

“You never called, either.”

“I didn’t think it should be up to me. You were the one who was angry. I gave you space. I guess Jasper decided it was too much space.”

“Jasper decided that he didn’t want to see me move onto a cot in office of the florist and gift shop that I opened a floor above Junk n’ Stuff, because that’s what I intend to do since my roommate is getting married and it’d be a dick move to try to get him to move out of our apartment.”

“Jasper and Donovan are not moving into that apartment. They’ve got a house.”

“Jasper and Donovan have a house?”

“Donovan has a house and they’ll expect Jasper to move in, I’m sure…” She squinted her eyes and reminded him, “You know that Donovan’s pronouns are they, their, them?”

“Right. I do know that. Because, I was definitely told that. And I definitely can’t determine outside of that who Donovan might be.”

“You are borderline being transphobic. Donovan is nonbinary and they look androgynous, but anything beyond that is quite frankly none of our business.”

“I wasn’t being phobic. I just never really got a chance to be around this person much and now Jasper is marrying them? Like… Where did the time go? Where did my friends go?” He blinked a little and Charlotte reached out and held his hand. He looked at their hands, then into her eyes.

“Whoever you need on your journey will definitely be in your path whenever you do need them.” She smiled and squeezed his hand, “It feels good to be back…. You want to order something to eat?” His thumb caressed her skin and he nodded. She grabbed the menu that had been sitting in front of her this entire time and said, “I heard this place had a rockin’ jackfruit menu.”

“Jackfruit? They have a tomahawk steak called the Hunk o’ Cow… It’s like… It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“I’m not eating a hunk of cow. Oooh, I see the jackfruit menu. This jackfruit poke bowl sounds good.”

“It absolutely does not!”

After dinner, Henry walked Charlotte to her car and she was unsure if they should hug it out, kiss, if she should invite him to her place, ask to come to his… “Hey… I had a really great time. If this was a date with anyone else, I might wonder if they would like a nightcap. Me and you… There’s just so much history in the air. But, if you’re fine with us taking a different journey than we initially had before, my place isn’t far.”

Henry wrapped his hands around Charlotte’s waist and pulled her to himself for a hug. He felt her shiver in his touch and as much as he enjoyed that, she was right. There was a lot of history there and in his opinion, not nearly as much catching up as he needed in order to let his guard down with her yet. “That sounds amazing, but maybe another time? I definitely want some kind of journey with you. Just… Maybe a slow one, if that’s okay?”

She smiled and nodded. “Of course it is.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and got into her car. “You have my number now. Call me. Don’t wait ten years.”

“You kidding. You might be stuck on a very long journey with me, now.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” she said and winked. “It was really good to see you, Hen.” She started her car and this song began to play on the satellite station she had on. She heard the words and wondered if that was some kind of sign as she drove home.

#requests #Hello Stranger #henry danger #hd fanfic #Nesha HD Fics #chenry

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punkscowardschampions · 4 years

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Ronnie & Joe

Ronnie: where the fuck mckenna Joe: stuck at this thing Ronnie: like i fucking said Ronnie: where Joe: oh Joe: this kid from my course was doing open mic so we all had to show up Ronnie: youve done youre time then yeah Joe: overtime Joe: i wanna be home bad Ronnie: leave Ronnie: whats keeping you there Joe: them Joe: you know how people are Joe: buying me more drinks Ronnie: fuck em Ronnie: down whatever youre on & fuck off Joe: i will Joe: i am Joe: you picked up or am i Ronnie: its on you Ronnie: for the radio silence Joe: come on baby Joe: can't hear myself in here nevermind my phone Ronnie: not your fucking baby Joe: don't be like that Ronnie: i dont only exist when its quiet in your head Ronnie: thank fuck Joe: no one does then Joe: that's the whole point ain't it Ronnie: the point is where the fuck have you been Joe: i told you ron Joe: if i didnt have to i wouldn't be gone from you Ronnie: if you werent a pussy you wouldnt have to do fuck all Ronnie: grow a pair for christs sake Ronnie: baby is fucking right Joe: ive got to go out sometime Joe: if i didn't show to uni i couldn't afford half the shit we cop Ronnie: you aint at classes Ronnie: so unless some bitch off it is paying you to escort i call bullshit Joe: sadly not Joe: see if any of 'em are game maybe Ronnie: with 1 foot out the door Ronnie: you wish Ronnie: no fucking game when youre trying to play fuck all except cello Joe: 💘 for my cello skills Ronnie: youve got groupies Ronnie: go cry to em like Joe: you're sick of me, yeah Ronnie: work it out cunt Joe: we don't need to play games Ronnie: goin from baby to middle fucking aged aint cute Joe: you've got it covered for the both of us Ronnie: fuck you Joe: now I can't call you cute Ronnie: you cant call me old shithead Joe: i weren't idiot Joe: come on Joe: it'll all be good when i get there Ronnie: you come on Ronnie: I could be fucking dead Joe: you aren't Joe: don't say that Ronnie: no thanks to you Ronnie: or fucks given by you Joe: stop it Joe: you're the only person i care about Joe: literally Joe: not even myself Ronnie: & this is how you show it yeah Joe: i'm shit Joe: i know it but i never told you no different Ronnie: get another drink bought for you mckenna Ronnie: drown in it Joe: we got better plans Joe: and methods Ronnie: stop pissing about then Joe: will you be my baby again Ronnie: not that easy Joe: what if i get you something special Ronnie: do it & find out Ronnie: why the fuck would i commit to a yeah for a maybe Joe: 'cos you know i'm gonna Ronnie: your word is for shit Ronnie: i know that Joe: fine Joe: i'll stop talking Ronnie: promises promises baby Joe: 😶 Ronnie: left yet Joe: just me and my two feet Joe: no promises Ronnie: if you aint & youre silent on me to talk to some other bitch you wont be walking anywhere Ronnie: thats a fucking promise like Joe: if you were trying to get me to go faster Joe: why would i wanna talk to anyone else Ronnie: why else go out with those doss cunts Joe: part of it is keeping 'em thinking i'm normal Joe: can't just show up and nod out Ronnie: youre the only 1 with your ma on speed dial Ronnie: who fucking cares Joe: means i don't need to go back don't it Joe: or would you rather i was in dublin every other weekend Joe: i do what i gotta for a reason you know that Ronnie: theres fuck all need to have that many playmates Ronnie: if you planned that it was to piss me off Joe: i wouldn't need to plan that Ronnie: fuck you Joe: and i didn't Joe: they're boring Ronnie: 💔 Joe: i am Joe: i miss you Ronnie: you dont Joe: yeah i fucking do Ronnie: you fucking dont Joe: how do you want me to prove it Joe: tell me Ronnie: i aint spoonfeeding you ever day of your fucking life Ronnie: not that bitch Joe: you want it you ask for it Ronnie: you wanna prove yourself do it Joe: i will Ronnie: 💘 Ronnie: picked a boss day for romance Joe: have i Joe: i'm always romantic Ronnie: dont you know what day it is Joe: oh Joe: lol yeah Joe: i'll get you garage flowers instead Ronnie: fuck off Ronnie: theyll die quicker than you Joe: picky Joe: put the rig to another use after then Joe: 🥀 v classic Ronnie: ill carve it into my arm as you like it so much Ronnie: cheers for the easy design Joe: you could wait 'til I'm there Joe: so mean, baby Ronnie: course you wanna watch Ronnie: putting down the glass like Joe: if you don't know me by now Ronnie: so misunderstood yeah Joe: 💔 Joe: you wish Ronnie: yeah you know me proper well Joe: bollocks Ronnie: keep the sweet talk coming baby Joe: that's not what you like Joe: silence is golden Ronnie: you reckon you know what i like now Joe: yeah Ronnie: took you long enough Joe: you been waiting all your life yeah Ronnie: shut the fuck up Ronnie: puked enough today cheers Joe: see? s'your favourite Joe: can't get enough Ronnie: hating you fuels me Ronnie: aint denying it Joe: you're so welcome Ronnie: got that from your avoidance tactics Joe: i'll turn around then Joe: give you a real reason to live Ronnie: try it Ronnie: ill fucking kill you Joe: have to come find me first Ronnie: yeah & Joe: you threatening me with a good time ain't how this day is supposed to go Joe: know that much Ronnie: itll go however the fuck i say Joe: yeah? Ronnie: you know that much about me mckenna Joe: ain't denying nothing me Ronnie: too busy doing it round your besties Joe: 'cos i don't owe them shit Joe: only you get to know me like that Ronnie: you said you were killing the sweet talk Joe: it ain't its just how it is Joe: you know me Joe: no one else, end of Ronnie: come be with me then Joe: i am Joe: one stop but that'll be worth it Joe: come to mine and stay yeah Joe: don't wanna see the others Ronnie: ill be there before you Ronnie: few streets away Joe: good Joe: i like it when you're there Ronnie: want me to kick the door in so your flatmate girlfriend has a heart attack Joe: go on Joe: if she lives i'll say you forgot your keys Ronnie: ill say its your 💘 day pressie Ronnie: all for you baby Joe: if you're also in a mac, believable Joe: her boyfriend dumped her so she'll definitely be in Ronnie: tonights the night for that 3some Ronnie: hot Joe: only if you kill her first 😏 Ronnie: we need her tears for lube Ronnie: think it through like Joe: we've always got blood, baby Ronnie: keep it up & ill deffo stay Joe: forever Ronnie: ive been waiting all fucking day for you Joe: i'm sorry Joe: i'm making it up to you, alright Ronnie: i mean hurry up Joe: 🚖 it and everything Ronnie: your gf will be thrilled Ronnie: can hear her crying from here like Joe: maybe its the cat Joe: very similar Ronnie: watch your fucking mouth bitch Joe: 😂 Ronnie: 😾 Joe: you're both very cute Ronnie: say that again & well both fuck you up Joe: adorable Ronnie: 🖕 Joe: 👼 you Ronnie: you wish soft cunt Joe: nah Joe: but i'll survive Ronnie: you fucking wont Ronnie: i know you like Ronnie: & what you like Joe: 'cos its you Joe: all you Ronnie: ruined your gfs rom com Ronnie: shes gonna need some of whatever the fuck youre bringing Joe: too bad Joe: its for you Joe: i might have some benzos she can have though Ronnie: 💘 Ronnie: its wild being here when you aint & she is Joe: rude of her to have her drug-fuelled orgies when i ain't in Ronnie: party can really start now i am Ronnie: know shes dying to break the tension Ronnie: 👊💋 Joe: won't make you wait for me on that score, babe Ronnie: like you could Ronnie: bitch is ready to go Joe: you trying to make me jealous of sophie Ronnie: wouldnt use her Ronnie: fuck that Joe: awh Joe: 👼 Ronnie: you trying to say shes hot enough to bait you Ronnie: step your pussy up mckenna Joe: no Joe: i'm saying if you wanted to i would Joe: i'd obviously do anything for and with you Ronnie: we aint taking her virginity Ronnie: youre hard enough fucking work Joe: shut up 😏 Ronnie: make me baby Joe: that's part 2 of the plan Ronnie: you gonna talk me through it or you gonna do it Joe: i know what you like Joe: and how you feel about talking Joe: even if it ain't no empty words bullshit Ronnie: youve still got your tongue Ronnie: means i must wanna hear some shit youve got to say Joe: that means i can tell you all how you won't regret giving sid my tongue as a toy when it can be yours Ronnie: you wont regret leaving those cunts there & coming back to me Ronnie: [pics from his bed like hey it's me] Joe: i already knew that Joe: but keep reminding me whilst i wait for the man Ronnie: you gotta know it harder Joe: you'll know how hard i know it Joe: i'll make you feel it too Ronnie: you can keep you fingers unbroken too like Ronnie: typing that shit while we both wait Joe: don't reckon much to a dealer's idea of foreplay Joe: and i've waited too long for you already Ronnie: youve gotta bring it to em baby Ronnie: junkie law states it aint a real addiction til youve sucked a dick for it Ronnie: romance him Ronnie: [pics again like these will inspire you] Joe: fuck Joe: how 'bout I stay up here on my high horse and enjoy just being addicted to you then Ronnie: how bout you come the fuck home Ronnie: now Joe: yeah Joe: i gotta Joe: i need to see you right now Joe: i got what i really wanted we can top up later Ronnie: ill go out then Ronnie: they plug me faster than theyll do it for you Joe: can't blame 'em Ronnie: yeah you still smell like 🍒 Joe: and they know they ain't getting nothing sucked Ronnie: you could do a toe Ronnie: dont be a pussy Joe: 😂 Joe: i think they'd rather my money Joe: not cute like you Ronnie: fuck you Ronnie: big cal is well into it Joe: tempting Ronnie: hell tell you how pretty you are Joe: just what i need Ronnie: yeah i know Joe: nah you know what i really am Joe: and that's what i want Ronnie: ive got eyes like Joe: me too Joe: even when they're half-shut or pinholed Ronnie: cute Joe: you Ronnie: dont Joe: why Ronnie: cause fucking dont Joe: alright Ronnie: fucks sake Joe: forget it Joe: i'm practically in the door Ronnie: make me

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ewh111 · 4 years

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Annual List of Favorite Film Experiences of 2019

Happy New Year! All the best to you for a fabulous 2020 and new decade!

2019 was a busy year of traveling. Work took me back to China (three times), Japan, Korea, and first time visits to the Czech Republic and Australia.

I had the opportunity of a lifetime when I helped lead a group of Harvard-Westlake faculty members on a culture and food themed trip to China with James Beard Award-winning food writer/chef Fuchsia Dunlop. As a big fan of hers, I invited her to join us as our culinary tour guide and she accepted, leading us through three regions of China with distinct cuisines (Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Shanghai). Over ten days, she curated 19 meals with over 300 different courses! For more, go to my first annual food post: https://ewh111.tumblr.com/post/189972112494/2019-food-lists

And now, here are my favorite film experiences of the past year.

Cheers, Ed

The Best and The Favorite of the Year

Parasite

The less you know before viewing this metaphorical, fiercely dark, genre-bending comedy/horror/social satire of haves and have nots where everyone is arguably a parasite, the better. Korean filmmaker Boon Joon-ho creates a memorable, twisty, thought-provoking film experience with exquisite storytelling, stunning visuals, sudden tonal shifts, unexpected turns, and a terrific cast. Just take the journey and enjoy this masterful work that may be the best film of the year. Trailer: https://youtu.be/isOGD_7hNIY

Jojo Rabbit

Appealing to my affinity for the quirky, this one is my favorite film of 2019. Who knew that a story during the waning days of WWII about a 10 year old Hitler Youth, his imaginary friend Adolph Hitler, and his single mom who is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic would be so sweet and funny. While an absurdist witty satire on the surface, it’s really an anti-hate, coming-of-age story as we experience the world through the eyes of 10 year old Jojo as he confronts and reconciles “the other” he’s been taught to hate in the world around him. Delicately balancing whimsy and seriousness, Jojo Rabbit is a beautiful and soulful film thanks to a great cast, including a terrifically endearing Scarlett Johansson (while likely to garner more attention for Marriage Story, this is the more memorable character to me), the audacious Jewish-Polynesian director Taika Waititi as the sophomoric Hitler bestie, Sam Rockwell as an SS officer with a heart, and a wonderful Roman Griffin Davis in the title role. Trailer: https://youtu.be/tL4McUzXfFI

Racing Against Time

1917

Wow. Daring and bold filmmaking in one of the most realistic and visceral war film experiences since the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. In a role that may be overlooked during awards season, George MacKay is a standout as one of the two soldiers sent on an impossible mission through No Man’s Land to deliver a message to prevent British forces from entering a massive German ambush. Oh, and via pure movie magic, director Sam Mendes and master cinematographer Roger Deakins tell this story in what seems like one continuous shot. I was totally drawn in by the Gallipoli-esque race against time, the real-time pacing of 24, and the immersive POV of a video game. The result is breath-taking as the camera dances around the soldiers, trenches, bunkers, and towns in a beautifully choreographed dance without distracting from the gripping storytelling. Trailer: https://youtu.be/gZjQROMAh_s

Ford v Ferrari

An exhilarating, high octane, crackling thrill ride. The story of two obsessively passionate crazies, ex-racer and car designer Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and British race car driver Ken Miles (Christian Bale), who join forces with American corporate titan Ford to defeat Ferrari at the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1966. It’s pure adrenaline that non-racing enthusiasts can enjoy because of the well-crafted story and performances. Trailer: https://youtu.be/I3h9Z89U9ZA

Unforgettably Creepy and Disturbing

Joker

Joaquin Phoenix disturbingly and completely transforms himself into the pathologically deranged, downtrodden, and delusional part-time clown/aspiring comic Arthur Fleck in this origin story of Batman’s arch nemesis. Joker is a deeply disturbing character study of how an emotionally fragile individual on the fringes of society gets pushed deeper and deeper into the downward spiral of insanity to the breaking point. Dark, edgy, and unsettling, Joker is not for everyone. But there’s no denying Phoenix’s brilliant, tour de force performance. (Unfortunately, my edginess was heightened in my screening by an audience member who was similarly laughing inappropriately like Phoenix’s character, which had me looking for the closest exit in the event of a disturbance). Trailer: https://youtu.be/zAGVQLHvwOY

In his sophomore directorial effort, Jordan Peele has gone beyond the horror and social commentary of Get Out, and into even deeper, more chilling existential territory. In Us, Peele has created an All-American family terrorized by a creepy scissor-wielding doppelgänger family and spirals into more terrifying and mysterious terrain with a fabulous dual performance by Lupita Nyong'o. Who is Us? Is Us them? I’ll leave the metaphorical debate for later. Trailer: https://youtu.be/hNCmb-4oXJA

**Midsommar deserves notable mention in the creepy category–a slow-burn, dark tale of a young American couple’s vacation in the remote Swedish hinterland at a once-in-lifetime summer festival that goes creepily and morbidly wrong. Trailer: https://youtu.be/1Vnghdsjmd0

Masterworks by Tarantino and Scorsese

Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood

Perhaps Quentin Tarantino’s most mature film, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood beautifully captures in painstaking detail a specific moment in time: Hollywood, 1969. A passionate homage and love letter to Los Angeles and the Hollywood scene, Tarantino blends a concoction of history and fantasy (a la Inglourious Basterds) in a buddy movie with Leonardo DiCaprio as declining TV hero/star and an endearing scene-stealing Brad Pitt as his stalwart stunt double/best friend whose lives fatefully intersect with Sharon Tate and the Manson family. While at times meandering (it’s less plot and more a series of vignettes), it is also at times spellbinding (an on set encounter between DiCaprio’s character and a fellow 8 year old child actor; Margot Robbie’s Sharon Tate watching herself on screen inside Westwood’s Bruin Theater). As the title implies, this is a quintessential Tarantino fairy tale: funny, yet warm, and, of course, violent. Trailer: https://youtu.be/ELeMaP8EPAA

The Irishman

An epic, career-capping entry into Martin Scorsese’s mob-themed oeuve, The Irishman appropriately brings De Niro, Pacino and Pesci together in this elegaic saga, complete with de-aging technology to tell the story of mob hitman Frank Sheeran (De Niro) through multiple flashbacks. And for those of us old enough to remember, the story helps to answer the unsolved question, what happened to Teamster head Jimmy Hoffa. Trailer: https://youtu.be/RS3aHkkfuEI

Family Dramas

Marriage Story

Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are top-notch in this raw, yet poignant, and ultimately life-affirming journey through the disintegration of a marriage and the logistical mechanics of the divorce process and custody fight seen from both sides as each struggles to reestablish priorities in their lives and redefine family. Trailer: https://youtu.be/BHi-a1n8t7M

The Farewell

We are told the film is “based on an actual lie” in the film’s opening titles; director Lulu Wang’s heartfelt, deeply personal, and charming film stars Awkwafina as a young woman whose grandmother (in China) has been diagnosed with terminal cancer but the entire family has decided to keep it a secret. Under the guise of a hastily planned family wedding, the family gathers to say goodbye to grandma. Capturing the uneasy tension between Chinese and American culture, questioning where one belongs and the role of family in our lives, Awkwafina shines in her first dramatic role, as does the rest of the supporting cast. Trailer: https://youtu.be/RofpAjqwMa8

Little Women

Director Greta Gerwig follows up Lady Bird with another achievement, giving the classic 19th century Louisa May Alcott period piece a thoroughly modern feel with an effervescent cast and 21st century non-chronological storytelling. Saoirse Ronan leads a fantastic cast. Trailer: https://youtu.be/AST2-4db4ic

Two Funny Smart Girls, Two Religious Guys, and Only One Baby Per Family, Please

Booksmart

More than just a female version of Superbad, Booksmart is an impressive directorial debut for Olivia Wilde with the fantastic duo of Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein (HW ‘11) as the “study hard” academic besties on a mission to “play hard” on the last night before graduation. Also memorable is the scene-stealing Billie Lourd (HW ‘10). This very funny and delightful coming-of-age pic stands out in the pantheon of teenage comedies not only for its quirky and smart tone, but for its inclusive and diverse three-dimensional characters, including LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming teens whose sexuality don’t define who they are. Trailer: https://youtu.be/Uhd3lo_IWJc

The Two Popes

I didn’t expect a film that is essentially an extended conversation between two people would be so intriguing and gripping. The imagined conversation in 2012 involves two very different men, one the sitting pope who finds himself standing increasingly in the way of progress, and the other, his eventual successor looking to retire from an institution he is increasingly frustrated with. But with spot-on casting and terrific performances from Jonathan Pryce as the ABBA-humming future Pope Francis and Anthony Hopkins as the stoic, humorless intellect Pope Benedict XVI, The Two Popes is a joy to watch. Trailer: https://youtu.be/T5OhkFY1PQE

One Child Nation

This one’s a doc. From 1979 to 2015, China instituted the “One Child Policy” as a means of population control to stave off mass starvation. Documentarian Nanfu Wang, herself an exception to the policy and now a first-time mother, explores the enduring ripple effects of the policy that included forced abortions, sterilizations, abandonment of baby girls, and child trafficking. This powerful and devastating documentary looks at the multi-layered trauma–how it was carried out and the heartbreaking human and societal toll it has taken. Trailer: https://youtu.be/gMcJVoLwyD0

**Other documentaries to check out: Cold Case Hammarskjold, Where’s My Roy Cohn, The Biggest Little Farm, Leaving Neverland.

All Out Pure Fun Movie Experiences

Knives Out

An enthusiastic bundle of joy, Knives Out is Rian Johnson’s stellar, intricately crafted, Agatha Christie-like whodunit with a stellar cast who seem to be having as much fun as the audience. Trailer: https://youtu.be/qOg3AoRc4nI

Rocketman

Can’t help but compare this to Bohemian Rhapsody, but Rocketman is the superior and more entertaining musical biopic (using the term loosely). It’s bold, magical, and fantastical, as befits Elton John. Trailer: https://youtu.be/S3vO8E2e6G0

Other notables: The King, Avengers: Endgame, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, Honey Boy, Yesterday, Velvet Buzzsaw.

In the queue: Pain & Glory; Uncut Gems; Bombshell; Richard Jewell, The Last Black Man In San Francisco.

Favorite Binge-worthy TV Shows

Dark, Succession, When They See Us, Chernobyl, Mindhunter, Barry, Veep, Sex Education, Silicon Valley, Stranger Things 3, Don’t F**k with Cats

Special Shout Out to Dark

With elements of the mysterious strangeness of Twin Peaks and Stranger Things (minus the humor and camp) and the intricate intertwined storytelling and compelling characters of The Wire, Dark is the story of four families who live in a tiny German town situated next to a nuclear power plant (add a little of Chernobyl) who are inextricably connected through some strange cosmic phenomenon. Oh, and throw in a big dose of time travel. Dark is incredibly compelling and addictive. It is hands down the most complex and thoughtful (i.e., sophisticated and makes sense) time travel-themed story I’ve seen. Do yourself a favor and resist Googling anything about the show to avoid spoiling the experience. Just watch. There are two seasons worth at Netflix. And one more on the way. Trailer: https://youtu.be/S3vO8E2e6G0

#favoritemovies2019 #favoritefilms2019 #submission

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ofremis · 5 years

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hallo it’s me your trash queen jack back with another gorl ! you know the drill below the cut is info on my newest babs remi along with some wanted connections i’d love for her uwu ! smash that lil heart and i’ll slide into your ims or discord for plots ( probably tomorrow tbh a girl is wiped ) ! i also don’t have her pinterest board done and i feel so off brand ....

history ;

so if you haven’t figured it out already she’s moonie’s little sister ! if you want a full well written out backstory rather then my tid bits on their family check out his intro here !

both of her parents were lawyer with a lil con side business on the side

they both brought moonie and remi into their cons at a young age. while moonie took to it swimmingly, sadly remi did not. it wasn’t that she didn’t have the skills it’s just that she didn’t want to ?? to her it was too much work and never really interested her, so her parents were quick to be like uH yah do your own thing and while moonie was dragged further and further into bigger cons remi left it alone. low key though she can still use the manipulation skills she learned when she wants.

remi from a young age was a lil stubborn binch, you know that dance mom’s quote “i just want to stay home and eat chips” that was baby ( and probably older ) remi in a nutshell. she just wanted to stay home sit on the couch and play video games. interacting with people was never ever her strong suit, unless it was via a headset or chat room.

remi was fourteen when her parents were arrested and she really wasn’t sure what to think, for a while she didn’t fully understand what had happened.

she got along a lot better with her grandparents then moonie mostly because she never really did anything??? she was a real boring high schooler, the only thing they probably ever really got on to her about was staying up all night or sucking the internet.

she breezed through school and is actually v smart but when college came she was like uhhhhhhh huh and didn’t know what to do so instead she decided to follow in her brother footsteps and go to west bridge.

she’s currently a film student and wants to be a producer or smth when she grows up.

moonie was the one who dragged her to manon’s that night in an attempt to try to get her to interact with the college life instead of holing up in their apartment ( they live together uwu )

personality ;

ok so she big nerd

loves video games if you can’t tell, almost majored in video game design. her favs are overwatch, super smash, and sonic. plays online for hours on end, usually has a headset on her head and a coke in her hand. sometimes streams when she’s feeling frisky.

never really been in any relationships and is really dumb when it comes to love. you probably have to scream at her if you’re flirting with her or want to go out with her

a total film snob but also the biggest star wars fan you’ll ever meet pls watch it with her

has a goofy laugh snorts a lil

close w her older brother and doesn’t show it she’s fiercely protective of him

drugs??? she don’t know those somebody pls introduce her

probably has sonic posters on her wall

a classic rock fan

is that asshole that thinks being popular is overrated and will tell you, conforming to the status quo NO thanks

is a NERVOUS wreck over the secret they’re keeping and is too scared of everyone to ever say anything

wanted connections ; all open to m/f/nb !

crushed on by remi ; i really want somebody who remi has big ass Dumb crush on and since she hasn’t really done relationships she be a big idiot about it

ex-significant other ; i hc she has only had one or possibly 2 relationships, she’d probably be a dummy about them and be clingy sometimes and then forget to text back bc she’s in a game

gaming buddy / partner ; ppl come over and play video games with her!!!

somebody trying to get under her skin ; i basically just imagine somebody who is constantly bothering her trying to understand her and get her out of her dorm, maybe even in a romantic way they could be trying to hookup / flirt w her idk

bad influence ; even tho moonie is a bad influence in himself, gimme somebody who forcing her out of her dorm and out into the world!!!

ride or die ; just besties bc we all love some good ole besties

muse ; this would be somebody that she gets a lot of inspiration from and often asks them to be in her short films, etc

online friend ; how cute would it be if they met online gaming or a forum or smth and just became like online besties?? they could know they go to the same school or not!

rival ; could be via video games, another connect, school, etc she is just a competitive person

dislike ; she’s very against the status quo unlike jo so if you muse is very into that there’s a good chance remi has mutter something dumb under her breath about them

acquaintance ; she doesn’t get out much..... so she doesn’t have a lot of friend so maybe they’re in the same class or something, write a blooming friendship w me pls

connection via her brother ; idk if your muse has an intense connection with moonie it could def overlap with remi considering how close they are, we love drama in this household

gimme gimme everything !!!!

#ps.intro #˚ * 　your local trash can　· . ooc

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m00nslippers · 5 years

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All of our questions were answered in RHATO #31! OR WERE THEY? (They weren’t, like at all.)

When we left off in #30, Jason was confronting the guy who claims to be Willis Todd in the basement of an abandoned creepy prison made over into some kind of drug distribution center/android factory/still a prison. That’s pretty much right where they pick up. Oh and also the cover says:

They really don’t, though. One guy dies. One. This cover was an outright lie. There are ZERO zombies in this issue! WHY WOULD YOU LIE TO ME LIKE THIS DC?

There’s a flashback of ‘Willis’ looking back on how Rebirth has gone so far and saying some pretty poignant stuff about how Gotham hasn’t treated Jason the way he deserves. I’m not going to lie, I’m really into the Jason as the promised son/savior allegories. The Damned Prince of Gotham is an iconic epithet.

THIS is where we left off, and we learn Willis is calling himself Solitary and starts calling Jason ‘son’ but Jay isn’t having it.

Jason, you’re like two or three years older than this kid. And you’ve been way worse than kidnapped when you were way younger. Seriously, it’s like he doesn’t even realize he’s traumatized.

ALSO, JayMig, you guys. He’s LEGAL. Ship ship ship ship ship....(it’s okay if you don’t get on my ship I’m just going to be weird over here in this corner...)

Solitary: You missed me! *crowbar wooshes past him* Jason: I ain’t missed nuthin’! *crowbar hits Bunker’s prison-vat* Solitary: Ulp! (no he literally said ulp! in one panel.) Jason: You’ve been bamboozled, SON!

Classic Jason Todd.

I guess Solitary can control perception? I thought he was literally just omnipresent like he was literally everywhere and nowhere. That’s what he said to Ma Gunn, his ‘mother’. But whatever. This is Lobdell, he forgets what he’s doing halfway through doing it and just starts doing something else entirely.

Bunker is Mexican, if you guys didn’t know. It actually makes some sense that he’s here. in Mexico. Also, canonically gay.

( Ship ship ship ship ship )

Technically I’m not sure they actually met in that comic. It was a crossover event in New 52, Roy and Starfire and the Teen Titans (including Bunker) fought zombies, or something while Tim and Jason were captured by the Joker and Jason actually got to show off a little by psyching out the Joker and shooting him while blindfolded and breaking him and Tim out of trouble after getting kidnapped (those two sure do get kidnapped a lot when they are together...)

Also, SUPER REFRESHING for a hero to run into the Red Hood and be all, “Hey man, let’s be friends!” instead of immediately belike “What!? The Red Hood? Yuck, you’re a bad guy! Imma fight you!”

Dog has been around for 2 issues and she’s already the most useful teammate Jason has ever had. Jason and Dog, besties forever!

You really didn’t though, Jay. We have no idea who this guy is, how he got your old costume, what he wants or why he’s here. All we know is he wants you to go back to Gotham.

WHY CAN’T YOU BE HONEST WITH US!? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?

They were fighting right before this panel, and the fight was pretty good too, they seem to be evenly matched in terms of fighting ability. Maybe Wingman was slightly better, but Jason had a Doggo on his side so it evened out.

Unrelated, but I actually like this artist and what they are doing, everything looks really clean, the action is very readable and the anatomy is excellent, I’m not a fan of Jason’s haircut but luckily we already know he gets his longer hair back in an issue or two, thank god.

Solitary comes out as Jason’s dad. Apparently when he was in prison he volunteered for some experiments on people’s minds to try to get out early. We saw a little of this foreshadowed like ten issues ago. The experiments were done with tech stolen from Lex Luthor, so he hired Artemis to go fuck them up for stealing it and using it on people. In the fight it messed Wilis up and combined his mind with a few other inmates into his body or something. So that’s what happened to him.

I think it’s trying to be implied that this prison Jason is at where Solitary is operating out of was literally the prison where it all happened, but there are a few problems with that, namely 1) they don’t send American prisoners to Mexican prisons, and 2) that prison had water around it in the panels where it showed it happening and this prison is in the middle of a dessert so who knows what’s going on here.

Okay, so a Gotham thug getting a batman tattoo after coming out of a fight with him without going to prison is the kind of thing a Gotham thug would totally brag about. “See this scar? I got it from Batman, yo! And then I got a bat tattoo to commemorate it!”

Guess what though, Willis/Solitary doesn’t have the tattoo. SOLITARY ISN’T HIS DAD. Maybe this guy thinks he’s Willis but he’s actually not, he just has his memories or perceptions or whatever. He was one of the minds combined into this dude. This explains why Jason walked right past him more than once, he wasn’t really his dad (although with ‘perception’ powers it wouldn't actually have mattered even if he was). Jason has so many shitty wannabe dads it’s crazy. Batman, Solitary, Joker, Ra’s, get in line, folks.

Jason straight up kills this guy, no flinching. I love how Jason is so matter of fact about everything in this issue, Solitary says he’s his dad, and Jason is just like, “Okay, no, and I can prove it.” No melodramatic gasps or anything.

It amazes me that people seem to think Jason is so overemotional and angry all the time, and can’t get anything done because he’s too busy being mad, when he does shit like this without making any kind of deal about it or shouting or anything. Jason gets angry and emotional about ONE THING, and that’s his ACTUAL FAMILY BEING SHITTY TO HIM. A.K.A batfam stuff. Pretty much whenever he’s actually mad, and acting crazy it’s justified, he’s in serious emotional distress. He’s not some super angry murder boy all the time! I mean, he does murder people...but not because he’s just angry, it’s always a calculated move.

A slight time skip (a week).

*cries* WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!?

I think Lobdell is as pissed off as we are that Roy was killed off in a stupid way for stupid drama. Because he’s been really selling us Jason being super sad and messed up about it and even tried to give him a good send off in the Annual. Like, I complain a lot about Lobdell, but at least I think he actually likes Jason and tries to do right by him in his stories, he’s just really scatterbrained about storylines sometimes. Like he needs someone to say, “Yeah, maybe not this, but this stuff is good.” That’s kind of the comics industry in general though, they don’t have anyone making sure characters act in character. They need someone vetoing some of the more stupid ideas, but they don’t seem to have any of that.

The New Outlaws! Red Hood, Bunker, Dog and Wingman.

Wingman is...some old guy. We see his face but it’s no one obvious. Clearly he has some connection to Jason. But he’s definitely not Roy, unless something REALLY weird is going on.

I still think there’s a good chance that he’s a future Jason from another dimension. But there’s also a chance that he’s Jason’s REAL FATHER since we know Solitary wasn’t. Hell, maybe he’s got the same powers Solitary had and it was him who went to see Ma Gunn before because she seemed pretty sure that guy was really Willis Todd, and he’s changing how he looks so Jay won’t know. We’ll see I guess.

And Bunker is just like, oh, you’re gonna go back to Gotham, fuck up Penguin and take all his stuff and start running a mob? I’m down. I don’t know his character (except that Lobdell created him and purposefully made him not angsty), I’m going to have to read some old Teen Titans, but I’m into it so far. He’s just super puppy-like, helpful, “I don’t know what’s happening but let’s be friends!” I can imagine Jason just blinking at him and being like, “Just...what even are you? Why are you so nice?! Why do you even like me!? Why are you even here!?” Miguel, all like, *shrug* “You saved my life and you’re hot?” Jason, “...well that’s a reason, I guess.”

YEEEEES. Tell me the old costume is making a come back! Also, Jason in a Trench Coat is the shit. He looks so sexy, you guys. I’m so ready for Mob Boss Jason. And Miguel is his gay right hand lover I mean man. YES.

( Ship ship ship ship ship )

Yeah, I’m getting so many “Wingman is from the future” vibes right now. He’s either Jason himself or someone he knows, but from the future/another dimension. Or maybe he can see the future.

Well, that was it. It was pretty good even if I was raising my eyebrows a few times at all the NOT explaining we were getting. I’m actually kind of excited for next issue though, you guys! Jason is going to mess up Penguin and take the Ice Burg Lounge, I’m so up for this!

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jay-wells-writes · 5 years

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The One True Pennywise (Cisco-fun piece)

So, back to writing some Flash fanfiction. And to start you off tonight is a short little Cisco fic. It is based on the movie IT and who played a better Pennywise. It came to me when one of my girls at work was telling me that she agreed that Tim Curry played a better one.

Rated: E for everyone

You could have heard a pin drop with how silent the lounge became, glancing over at Cisco you tried not to giggle at the hurt look on face. Past him, you could see that Barry looked like he was ready to run, leaving his wife behind for probably the first time in his life. Joe, having stopped by for a minute, looked at his daughter, and shook his head. Turning around and leaving, you could hear Joe stopping whoever had been walking in with, “Nope, you don't want to go in there. Just keep walking”

Iris still not knowing what she had done wrong looked to where her dad had left and then to her husband.

“What did I say that was so wrong?”

“Nothing babe. You didn’t say anything wrong”, Barry said as he made his way to her. But both turned to where you and Cisco had been sitting, after hearing both of you groan.

“Didn’t say anything wrong? Barry! She just tainted the name of the great Tim Curry, by saying that Bill Skarsgard played a better Pennywise!”, Cisco cried.

“Oh come on Cisco. She did not say that. All she said was the remake of IT was better than what the original looked like.”, Barry answered as he placed an arm around her.

Getting up to get a drink you answered before Cisco had a chance to, “She might has well had said that though.”

“I think that you two are being a bit over dramatic. I mean, I saw the trailer for the original, and all it has is a man in a clown suit. There is essentially nothing scary to him. But with the CGI in the newer one, the clown was scarier.”, Iris replied.

You had your back turned, but you could hear Cisco as he screamed into his pillow. Grabbing a Coke for him you made your way back to the couch. Walking past Barry and Iris, you could see that Barry was looking like he wanted to tell her that she was wrong, but he knew that if he did he would be sleeping on the couch that night. Handing Cisco his drink you ran your hand through his hair.

“Don’t worry movie bestie. I got this.”, Sitting back on the couch you pulled the throw blanket you had been using back over your legs. Holding your hand out, you waved to the other couch asking Iris to sit.

Rolling her eyes, Iris sat on the couch and waited.

“Ok, so first off. Normally, it is better to watch the original before you watch a remake. NOT saying you have too, but in this case it would have been ideal, mainly for Tim Curry. Who has the ability to own his characters like it is no ones business. Tim is like the Doug Jones of monster make-up.”

“Who is Doug Jones?”

“WHO- ARE YOU KIDDING ME!”

Placing a hand on Cisco shoulders you started to make shh noises, almost like you were calming a baby who had been crying.

“It is ok Cisco. We will explain who he is at a later time. Right now we need her to understand why Tim Curry is the one true Pennywise.” Turning back to Iris you gave her a smile and continued.

“Synopsis, Doug Jones is an actor that plays a lot of characters that are in heavy makeup and he is amazing, BUT back to Tim Curry. The reason Tim is considered the one true Pennywise is because he OWNED it. Back when he played Pennywise, CGI wasn’t used as much as is it now. So all those scenes that scared you in the remake, he had to do on his own.”

“Ok, but he isn’t scary. I thought the purpose of Pennywise’s was to scare you?”

“Well, he is. He feeds off of fear. And to that extent, both Tim and Bill did amazing at playing Pennywise. Each actor played Pennywise the way they wanted to and props to Bill for not trying to copy Tim. But in the books, Pennywise is meant to look like an everyday clown, and it is what he does to you that makes him terrifying. So Tim is a more accurate portrayal of Pennywise. Thus making him the one true Pennywise.”

“I guess I will just have to take your word for it. Cause I just can’t see it.”

Before you could reply. Cisco jumped from his spot; saying nope and shaking his head he opened a portal and walked through. A few minutes later another portal opened and the gang all came out sputtering and asking questions. Cisco continued to shake his head as he pushed everyone onto the couches. Standing in front of the large screen you two had put up earlier to binge watch movies. Cisco waved his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Yo! Ok people. You want to know why I pulled you all away from whatever you were doing? Ask Iris. That poor soul, has been tainted with the remake of IT and doesn’t understand the greatness of the original. So we are going to put all that to rest and EVERYONE is going to watch the original.” Before anyone could protest, Cisco was shushing them. “Nope, not having it. I am tired of none of you respecting the classics. So you all are going to sit here and watch it. And if you try to get out of it. Remember, I can hack into your electronics and put the movie on repeat till you watch it all the way through.”

Once everyone realized that Cisco was not joking they all quietened down and got ready for the movie. After starting the movie Cisco took his seat and tapped his Coke to yours in a silent cheer. Half way through the movie Iris suddenly spoke, “WAIT, isn’t that Dr. Frank-N-Furter?! I love that guy!”

But soon the group all groaned loudly when Caitilin asked, “Who is Dr. Frank-N-Furter?”

#The Flash #Cisco #fanfiction

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lovewriterworld · 5 years

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Sister's Bestie {Shawn Mendes}

Imagine: Being Aaliyah’s best friend and growing up with the Mendes family. You and Aaliyah are fairly close, and share everything. Well...almost, everything. You have a crush on Shawn, and all these years have been pretending otherwise. What happens when you realize your acting skills over the years..sucked.

Enjoy the story:

I should leave.

I smile at Aaliyah from across the couch as we continue watching 'Frozen' for the 100th time in her living room. She smiles back, completely oblivious of my inner turmoil.

Any minute now

I pick up the popcorn bag that's kept between us, and place it on my lap. I keep trying to focus on the movie, but my eyes end up nervously looking at the house's main door.

"Lin?"

I almost jump out of my seat at the sound of my name from Aaliyah ; I was so focused on watching the door that I didn't even notice Aaliyah pausing the movie.

"Hey! Pay attention," she said, rolling her eyes, then quietly adds, "You can search for him later."

I stop.

"Search for whom?" I ask darkly, but with every nerve in my body quaking with terror.

Did she find out?

She looked sideways at me with a smug grin, "You know who"

It took me a second to realize she wasn't talking about Voldemort.

"Who?" I squint my eyes, silently praying she wasn't thinking what I was thinking.

She turns to me with the classic Mendes family grin, and whispers- "Shawn".

I freeze.

Shit Shit Shit.

"Aaliyah! I don't- I NEVER..I Wouldn't-" I try restarting my sentence several times but all of them seem to get stuck to my throat. Shit.

"Right, that's why you secretly take pictures of him around the house. " She smiles, then turns back to the movie, even though it's paused.

I gulp.

She knows! My brain is screaming at me and I start taking in the horror of the situation.

Shit, this wasn't meant to happen.

Ever.

"But- how??"I pull my hands to cover my face and let out a groan. All I can think of right now is how screwed I am.

She looks at me, "Cracked your password. Shawn's birthday date, really?" She covers her mouth to try and hide her laugh.

I give her a nasty look that makes her shut up.

"Sorry " She grabs a handful of popcorn from the bucket on my lap and settles back, "but like, it's really really obvious"

Obvious? I thought I did a good job covering it up!

She laughs as though she's read my mind, "I mean seriously, super obvious. Even mom figured it out. "

Holy shit.

"Your MOM knows!?" I practically scream.

"Yeah." Aaliyah leans her head back on the couch, and laughs.

If she laughs anymore, I might just kill her.

" Honestly-" She turns to me with a huge grin "- Mom was disappointed. She thought you could do better than the dumbass and I, for one, agree." She winks.

For a second, I forget about this huge revelation and just hit her lightly on the head, "Hey!"

She laughs, moving away and raising her hands in surrender, "Fine Fine, I won't judge."

I take a deep breath and lean back on the couch, closing my eyes.

This is too much information. I've known the Mendes family since before Shawn was famous and have always been close to them. Aaliyah has been my best friend ever since I could remember, and we had always been absolutely honest with each other.

Well, not always..

I had kept this, my crush, a secret from her ever since I had discovered it. So basically, I had been hiding that from the past three years.

In all these years, I have seen many girlfriends come and go and I had watched, from the bars of the Sister-zone. Yeah... that happened a long time ago. When he defended me from this jerk and I had thanked him and he hugged me while saying, "No one lays a hand on my sister."

That was the day I realized I was screwed for life.

I open my eyes.

"Listen, wait. This is too much for me to take in." I shake my hands in a surrender position.

Aaliyah studies me for a moment, eyes sympathetic, then touches my hand lightly " Hey, if you're worried that either me or mom will tell on you, then don't..."

I glance up and crack a smile " Nah, I don't think so...You know that if you do that, no one would ever find your body."

She laughs and nods "Okayyy then, Miss Overconfident."

I snap my head towards her, "Wait, Who else knows?"

Aaliyah turns to me, "Just us."

At least some part of me relaxes. But now, that awkward feeling is starting to set in. I mean, it would be weird to like your best friend's brother, and even weirder if he has already sister-zoned you.

"So...How long have you known?"

She stares at the blue wall behind the television, and thinks about it. "Some time."

"How long?" I question, squinting my eyes at her.

"Few years.." She mutters.

I feel like fainting all over.

"Few YEARS?!" I jump, making a few of the popcorn fly out from the bucket on my lap.

She has the decency to look guilty. "Yeah.. I found out when I was 15."

Holy Shit. She's 17 now.

"Why didn't you tell me?? " I groan. This is unbelievable.

"Cause" She rolls her eyes as if it was obvious ( It ain't) "I didn't want you freaking out over crushing on someone."

Before I could respond, I hear the one voice that I'd usually die to hear, but not now, definitely not now.

"Lin is crushing on someone?"

I feel like dying for the fourth time today. Argh, Why me?

Shawn.

I turn my head slowly towards the door,sweating like a pig and manage a really really nervous smile.

Right there. He's right there. Standing by the door in all his glory, with a guitar case slung over his shoulder and an expression of having seen a ghost on his face.

He's staring at me.

I'm staring back.

Then suddenly, his face breaks into the largest smile I've ever seen and he raises his hands in the air, resembling a very strange fist pump, and drops his guitar case on the floor.

He shouts a little "Finally!" into the air before glancing at me again.

I wince at the sound of guitar hitting the floor but Shawn doesn't seem to care, instead he continues his large strides over to the couch. I barely have time to steal a 'HELP' look at Aaliyah before he has reached over and settled in between me and her.

Curse his long legs.

"Spill. Now." He threatens as he turns his entire body towards me, completely blocking my view of Aaliyah. " Or I'm going to kill you."

It wasn't an impressive threat but it was a Shawn Threat which makes it dangerous. Lord knows this man can bend all the elements with a snap of his finger. Plus, I kinda-sorta am in love with him, so there's that.

"Shawn" I groan, still not turning towards him. I need to get out of here, and quick. Cause I'm ready to die for this man, let alone confess.

"Nope" he says, wagging his index finger while making 'tsk tsk' sounds. He then places a steady finger into my chin and tries to turn me towards him.

"Look at me!" He says, while I'm dying due to the tingling feeling that erupts in me every time he touches me. ( Soak in the cliché)

I groan, partly from annoyance but mostly from his touch and turn towards him. " Shawnnnn"

I am the epitome of maturity, I know.

"Yessss?" He mocks me, leaning forward and smirking.

Curse his beauty, I can't resist those eyes.

"You know Shawn, this is clearly our girl business. If she doesn't want to tell you, then she won't." Aaliyah finally makes her presence known, moving to stand in front of Shawn and I.

Silently letting out a sigh of relief, I shoot her a grateful look.

She notices but keeps her stern face pointed at Shawn, who stands up from the couch muttering something about 'devil sister'. He stalks away, giving Aaliyah the 'evil eye', to which she responds by rolling her own.

My eyes follow him as he picks his dropped guitar from the floor and heads towards the stairs. Just as I'm about to turn to Aaliyah to thank her, I hear him stop and speak.

"This isn't over, sweetheart."

*********************

Hope you like it! Tell me if you want me to continue this chapter, or if you want another imagine of Shawn.

#shawn #mendes #mendes army #imagine #fluff #cute #sister's bestfriend #aaliyah mendes #short story #crush #celebrities

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thotyssey · 6 years

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On Point With: Queen Robert

Hilarious, oddball antics and high-meets-low-meets-intergalactic fashions do away with the need for some funny-punny drag name for this performer. Whether she’s interjecting with a slaying quip while screening a classic film, or giving you the whole Big Ang Experience in a high stakes lip sync battle, or just being funny and fierce, this queen is giving you life. God Save Queen Robert!

Thotyssey: Greetings, Queen! How is Pride Week treating you so far?

Queen Robert: Hello! Thank you! I've been looking forward to gabbing with you. Pride has been good to me so far! It's been chaotic, but extremely gratifying, and we're only half way through! I also started bartending at the Rosemont this month, so even when I'm not out in drag I'm still out on the scene. It's an exhausting month for anyone working in nightlife.

Wow, that is a lot of nightlife. You must never see the sun!

I actually sat out at the Christopher Pier a couple of days ago while on my way back from a costume fitting. I looked like a vampire amongst all those honey-glazed hunks. I definitely prefer the light of the moon.

It's much more flattering, for sure. So speaking of the Rosemont, you just guest performed for Lucy Ball's show there last week.

I adore Lucy. She's a total weirdo. Her transformations set her apart from anyone working in Brooklyn. Did you see her Lambchop and Cryptkeeper? Incredible. Patti Spliff, another genius, was also performing that night. The three of us each have monthly Tuesday parties at The Rosemont, so it was fun to get together for a show. I did Donna Summer, farted on a cake and then pressed my face into it....because...drag.

You should do kids' parties!

So, how did this all begin... where's your hometown, and what were you into growing up?

I'm from a small town not worth mentioning, in south central New Jersey. New York was always just on the horizon, like the Emerald City in Oz. I often wonder how this all began myself. There's a few memories that come right to the surface: my first wig, a green one from Universal Studios Orlando at age 5; my first two concerts at 7, Cher and Bette Midler; religiously renting The Rocky Horror Picture Show on VHS from blockbuster at 9; my mom playing Queen's Greatest Hits in the kitchen and telling me that Freddie Mercury was the coolest man who ever lived.

I always went big for Halloween--really big, I'm talking prosthetics by third grade and gender play by sixth. Then I got into theater, film, and eventually ended up in Manhattan for college, where I was able to release all of my passions without the constraints of small town life.

Growing up, I was into everything spooky and queer that defied the norm. It wasn't a conscious rejection of heteronormativity, it was simply who I was from the very beginning. Anyone who thinks I'm new to this type of lifestyle and culture is in denial of my entire existence.

So movies were always there! Besides Rocky Horror, what are some other favorites?

Creature features will always have a special place in my heart. I find them to be a metaphor for anyone who has ever felt they had something to hide about themselves. American Werewolf in London, The Fly, Carrie, Gremlins, anything from the minds of Stephen King, John Carpenter, and John Waters. Oh, and the Chucky franchise has always been a favorite of mine. I have all the dolls.

Did you see that Carrie remake, like, 5 years ago? It was dumb. Well, there are two remakes: an early 2000's TV movie, the 2013 Julianne Moore remake, and a 90's sequel to the original. All have their charm, but the best part of each incarnation is surely the role of Margaret White, Carrie's psycho momma. Gays really seem to relate to that film, and the character Carrie. I know I did. She's the ultimate outcast who gets the greatest revenge on her abusers. My first drag performance in Brooklyn was actually a parody of Carrie, where I played both mother and daughter, appropriately set to the music of Madonna and Britney. Metropolitan [Bar] wasn't thrilled with the blood, though.

Was drag just the best venue for you to explore these aesthetics and interests, or was there something else about it that strongly appealed to you?

I moved to NYC to pursue a career in film, and while on that journey came to desperately miss performing. So, yes, drag was the best way to jump back in the performance ring while combining politics, pop culture, and aesthetics. It was hard at first to build an audience for my film work before drag. Now I'm in this creative community where anything is possible, and I can get back behind the camera and generate content that has an audience. Drag is a powerful platform, and I'm excited to see what other avenues it may lead me down.

Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Why don’t you have a wackier drag name than “Queen Robert?” I mean, it is kind of funny in a minimalist sorta way.

I get that all the time! I have a whole list of wacky drag names, and I'd love to utilize them for some more character driven work / alter egos (Gaggatha Christie is my evil twin; I keep her locked up, though).

My drag, isn't necessarily female impersonation, I have a beard, I don't wear a bra, I'm never out here trying to be "fish." I'm a camp queen, so my personality is wacky enough. I never liked my name Robert, until one day I threw "Queen" in front of it and I was like, "oh yeah, that's better!” I'm a butch queen; I embrace my femininity and masculinity. Robert is a very masculine name... but honey, I'm a damn queen! Drag for me hasn't been about inventing a new personality and a new name; it's about being my ultimate creative self.

Also, there's so many repeat names in the drag business, it's annoying to constantly have to clarify which artist you're talking about depending on first or last name. I'm the only Queen Robert: unless you wanna try to compare my name to Bob the Drag Queen--but that would be silly, her real name is Caldwell!

So, how did you begin hosting “Screen Queen” at the Rosemont?

Troy at the Rosemont took interest in my pop culture numbers and said he had a monthly slot available. Being a film buff, I naturally turned the night into a celebration of local queer filmmakers and popular movies in the LGBT community.

What’s your personal strategy of “screen queening,” particularly with the classics? Do you share anecdotes during the movie, do you wait til it’s over, or do you just let it speak for itself?

It's a fun night! I show the film early, chime in from time to time with fun anecdotes or conversation with the audience about their experiences with the film. Then we jump into shows inspired by the film. This month was Pink Flamingos, and this got filthy! Lee VaLone was licking shoes. Pepto Dismal shit eggs on a hot plate. Misty Menthol puked on Coma White. People were actually gagging. Divine would have been proud. Next month is the much more family friendly Mamma Mia.

Yikes, I can’t wait for you to do Showgirls! What have been some of the films that affected you as far as those made by local filmmakers that you’ve screened?

Joe Sulsenti's Fishy was a highlight. It's an animation starring Amanda Lepore. There's so many talented artists that I've been able to screen, I love them all. Sweaty Eddie, Chris of Hur, Amber Alert, Marcel Saleta, Miwa Sakulrat, Chris Crompton. Everybody has such a unique voice and style. It's wonderful hearing their process.

Werk! So I was in the house for the last session of the Lady Liberty drag competition at the Ace Hotel a few months ago. It was a “Snatch Game” celebrity impersonation edition, and you appeared as a clean-shaven Big Ang with ginormous bazooms! It was a hilarious and affectionate portrayal, and it got you in the top two. What made you decide to enter that completion as her? My lesbian bestie Daniella in New Jersey and I would religiously watch Mob Wives and Big Ang together. I regret so deeply I didn't go to her bar in Staten Island, The Drunken Monkey, to meet her before she passed. She's one of my spirit animals (her and Kathy Bates). Everyone said I shouldn't do her for “Snatch Game” because of Pearl's portrayal on Drag Race. But, I have been impersonating her in some sense for years, so I felt it was necessary. And I know her family saw my portrayal and they said she would have loved it. Party everyday, because you never know when you're gonna go!

Lady Liberty returns for a Pride edition this Friday to the Ace Hotel, and you’re gonna be back there too! How do you think it’s gonna go!? I think that they are expecting to get another "Big Ang" moment, and that's simply not what I have cooking. They'll be getting something uniquely me. I hope it goes well!

I bet it will!

And looking a little bit ahead, you'll be at Bizarre on post-Pride Tuesday for a special edition of Lee Valone's BEEF, with a bunch of cool people like The Brides of Burlesque, Pierretta Viktori, Devo Monique and Viktor Devonne. Have you turned it on that stage before?

I love performing at Bizarre! They really have a proper stage, which does help heighten numbers. BEEF Show is a damn riot, always diverse, always entertaining, and I'm thrilled to join this month's cast.

June 28th, you'll be throwing your wig into the June installment of the Mx Mont Rose comedy queen pageant at the Rosemont! That's gonna be quite a lineup. No spoilers, but did you know what you wanted to do immediately for that one?

Comedy is hard. There's a fine line to walk. People are very sensitive. One safe bet is to make fun of yourself. I'm hoping to give you something like the result of Joan Rivers topping Robin Williams after a drunken night at The Rosemont.

That’s all any of us want! Good luck! Anything else coming up to mention?

There's always something. Tuesday, July 3rd at The Rosemont, Screen Queen: MAMMA MIA featuring my sisters Chutney Spears, Tiffany Jones Sterling, Flower Tortilla, and Jessica Rose. [And I’m doing] FAILURE, July 5th at Bizarre.

But what's really exciting is the music video I'm directing for Crystal Mesh this summer. I'll give you a hint... there's gonna be lots of chlorine and cum.

Gag! One last question: what advice do you have for new NYC Pride-goers this week?

More glitter. Less clothes. Stay hydrated. Tip your performers AND bartenders! Have fun and be safe! Oh... and be sure your Pride merch benefits the community or a cause, and not some capitalist corporation that doesn't truly support the LGBT community!

The Queen has spoken! Thank you!

Queen Robert hosts “Screen Queen” every first Thursday at the Rosemont (10pm). Check Thotyssey’s calendar for all her scheduled gigs, and follow the Queen on Facebook and Instagram.

On Point Archives

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