#also some snippets are from the same stories fyi

[morning-sun-brah]

Here's few ideas (typing aggressively on my phone):

- Mafia AU where Leo (40s or 50s) is the boss while reader (30 or 40s or any age you want to put) is the secretary while begin a huge simp of their boss Leo.

- Rockstar AU: Reader begin a pop star, idol or a singer who isn't in the rock genre but they and Leo are doing a collab or singing battle against each other (Leo vs reader the winner is the one who's getting votes from the audience online).

- tactical AU as reader is a doctor who's working on making a kraang virus cure and F!Leo is protecting them because his teammate and family passed away because of this virus.

- F!Leo begin reader's neighbor and started living in the apartment next door after a nasty divorce. Reader could be a single mother who's pregnant with her child. The two are growing from neighbors to friends to slowly falling for each other (something wholesome and fluff as it comfort and healing from previous wounds).

*drop on my knees/hj* i hope you like them master/hj

I might be under the weather, but I have this in my back pocket...

So, once upon a time, @starrcrossrose and I worked on a Mafia AU (so if you like this, make sure you throw a thank you at her head like a grenade). I have... quite a few more snippets I can share of these two- if anyone is interested, and I am not opposed to writing the occasional ask for this if it fits into the story (i.e.; Leo goes into the bank and x-y-z happens).

Also, @snipersiniora; THANK YOU FOR THE ASK AND THE PROMPTS. I'm keeping them all and I'll eyeball some of the other ones for ~later~. That said, the end game for this is exactly what your prompt was- the OC absolutely is supposed to end up as Leon's secretary/assistant.

Eventual smut, as an fyi, but nothing here other than set up. MINORS DNI, though! This is going to be shared in parts, and it will (eventually) be explicit. I should know, I've heard about a specific scene I've shared from the smut for ages, from friends who have seen it. (as an aside- I realize that Vivian is Julie coded, and that I've also used the name Vivian in a different fic. Shhhh....)

Gonna try out this whole sharing a fic on tumblr jazz. Definitely not nervous about it haha (a lie).

MAFIA AU UNDER THE CUT.

Summary; Leon has been in charge for a while now. Over a decade, actually. He's not really the same person anymore, not to the public and certainly not at a glance. He's... more. A mythos, almost. He's given a wide berth, talked about in hushed voices, and regarded with a healthy mix of fear and respect.

Too bad Vivian doesn't know who the fuck he is.

Marked mature for eventual smut. Ongoing. Leon x OC. OC uses she/her pronouns. Bank teller OC, Mafia Boss Leon. Aged up Ninja Turtles (an in, in their late 30's/pushing 40). Some violence and questionable activity on Leo's part. Where do you find your ride-or-die? In the bank, obviously. Don't like, don't read, you know the song and dance.

Next>

“I can help you, big guy.” 

To say Leon hadn’t already noticed her would be a lie. The pale blonde of her hair, down and straightened with a few frayed ends. The big white smile she kept painted on her face. The way her laughter carried through the high walls of the bank and echoed throughout. When he’d gotten close enough in the line- refusing to cut even when it was offered (and it was offered more than once)- he’d heard the way she spoke to each individual person. It was different with each new customer. Sometimes she was calm and to the point- talking quickly and keeping conversations short with patrons who clearly had further things to do and no interest in chatting. With others, it was casual and teasing, repeat customers or someone who she’d decided she could easily chat with, who would be comfortable with mild silliness.

At first, Leon had waited there in line annoyed, grouchy, and exhausted. He’d had a long night of strategizing with Donatello, and he’d only gotten a few hours of sleep on his office couch before peeling open his eyes and crawling to the bathroom to freshen up. He’d changed into one of his spare suites, glaring at his prosthetic arm and deciding it was a weight he didn’t want to carry today (and never mind that Donnie had started nagging him to wear it more often). 

By eight am he was ready for a pot of coffee and a day of phone calls. But there had been no coffee in the pot at reception, and there had been no receptionist, either. 

One glance at his phone told him why- and he’d answered the call (he’d missed six others) with a groan of irritation.

“Robert’s in the hospital!”  

His secretary, Betty, had half sobbed the words, the fifty-something-year-old woman in a panic because her eighty-something-year-old husband had collapsed in the middle of coitus (which- Leon had always thought was the point of Betty marrying an older man- but her worry over the phone made him wonder if she actually cared for the geriatric she called her husband. That, or his last will in testament hadn’t been settled). 

Leon had told her not to worry, to take as much time as she needed. He’d also promised to complete her errands himself- insisting on it even when she offered to send her nephew in her stead. Leo had scoffed; the last thing he wanted was Betty’s nephew in his office, sticking his nose where it didn’t belong. Instead, he’d made a list, listening to Betty as she rattled off everything that needed to be done before five. 

It was errands. How hard could errands be?

The morning had been a shitshow. 

The dry cleaners just down the street had misplaced two of his suits, and the owner had kept him much too long to apologize- nearly in tears even after Leon had insisted it was fine (it wasn’t- those were tailored Armani suits and he needed them back, goddamnit). Then he’d rescheduled all his appointments for the day- which was a hard thing to do when the person you don’t want to talk to was the one you were calling. Most of the calls had devolved into business, no matter how hard he tried to insist he didn’t have the time, and Leon had ended up just texting the last three and hoping that it wouldn’t reflect poorly on his business- unable to tolerate another voice saying “hey, while I have you on the phone,” and keeping his ear longer than he wanted. 

Still no coffee, and it had been nearing ten in the morning. 

Leon had nabbed his driver, Otto, from where he lounged in the lobby- snapping his fingers as he stalked passed and hearing the younger man scramble to get to the car before him. He’d slipped into the back of the black Rolls Royce and ignored his stomach when it growled loudly, resolved to get the last of the tasks off his list by noon- and when it was all done he was going to treat himself to a Ruben the size of his face and a bottle of whiskey. 

They’d gone to Queens to drop off a delivery, and again he’d been held up by the owner of the laundromat- who had nearly pissed himself when Leon walked in. Leon never walked in. Not unless there was a problem.

By early afternoon the list was only a third of the way to being completed, and he still hadn’t had coffee.

So he waited in line at the bank, the Royce and young Otto idling at the curb- right in front of a fire hydrant, too, because there wasn’t a cop on patrol who didn’t know to keep moving. Depositing a check shouldn’t be overly hard… Though, the last time he’d done it was in his early twenties. He didn’t think it was customary to actually head into the bank and do it in person anymore. In fact, he was sure he’d seen a commercial or two, when he had time for television, that exalted the benefits of snapping a picture and having it all done within a few moments. 

If that was the case, though, Betty was the one who knew how to do it. She ran his life, practically, and with her husband in the hospital she wasn’t in any situation to explain it to him. Certainly he wasn’t going to call her. 

“Hey, Bett’s. I know your old man is in critical condition, but mind explaining how this shit works? Thanks, Doll.”

He might be an asshole- but he wasn’t a monster. … Depending on who you asked, anyway. 

So he’d been annoyed, standing head over shoulders taller than any human in the bank and ignoring the wide berth he was given, jaw ticking as the line sluggishly moved along, half tempted to take up the offers to cut the line and be done with it. But she’d caught his eye, and with nothing better to do he’d just watched her, watched the way she spoke, the way she moved. Took in the loose cotton of her sage green top that stretched over an ample chest, the glint of gold in her jewelry- large hoops that swayed in her ears and chunky rings on every other finger. The way her eyes hardly left her computer screen as her fingers flew over the keyboard. The way her lips would occasionally wrap around the lid of a paper coffee cup that was stained mauve from her lipstick. 

Fall colors, Mikey had taught him. She was wearing fall colors. He wondered if she matched everything to the season. He wondered how high-maintenance she was, how fussy. He wondered how long she’d spent in the bathroom before she came to work, how carefully she’d painted her face. 

Not that he was complaining. 

Maybe other men weren’t into the look she presented. Certainly, she wore makeup, dyed her hair, and wore a shirt a little too revealing. He could already tell she was loud, with the way her voice carried through the bank, could tell that she’d have no qualms reading someone to filth if they were rude to her. But Leo was already half-smitten with her, even before she called him “big guy.” 

That had just sealed the deal, honestly. That, and every single word that had left her mouth from then on. 

He walked to her raised counter, her greeting lingering in the air. The woman who stood behind Leon in line sucked in a sharp breath at the address, as though she were steeling herself for an onslaught of profanity, maybe even violence. Which made sense, really. People knew Leon. He had a reputation. Casualness was a no-no. Calling him anything other than ‘Sir,’ or ‘Mr. Hamato’ was a good way to find yourself in trouble. Maybe Leon should be offended that he instilled such fear, such caution, but as it had been that way for over a decade, he decided that he still enjoyed the reaction- no matter what it said about him. But the teller didn’t know him, didn’t recognize him, and all at once he knew he wasn’t going to correct her. 

“Whatcha got for me?” The blonde asked, pushing her large framed glasses up the bridge of her nose. It gave her a slutty librarian look, Leo would later think- not bothering to feel bad about the assessment. 

He peered at her name tag. “Hello, Vivian.”

For a moment, her eyes held confusion, then she blew out a loud, punctuated breath. 

“I forget I have this thing on, half the time,” she expelled, a high little laugh on her lips and her hand on her chest, fingers fiddling with the plastic pin. “I was about to ask how the hell you knew my name.”

Leon shook his head, a little tsking sound on his lips as though to assure he wasn’t some derelict. “Need to deposit a check.” 

“Well, let's see the deposit slip. Come on, come on,” she rushed, grinning at him so wide he wondered if her cheeks hurt. He skated the slip across the laminate counter, which he’d filled out when he first entered the bank, all hunched over and muttering in irritation (something that was lost in the wind, now). The check he kept in his palm, understanding directions when he was given them, holding onto it until she asked for its production. 

“You new to New York?” he asked, leaning against the counter and watching her as she glanced at the slip he’d slid to her, her hands folded one on top of the other as she peered down at it.  

“What gave it away?”

“Your accent is very neutral.” 

“Is it? I guess it would be. You sound like you’ve lived here all your life.”

Leon gave an easy smile. “Midwest?” 

“Oh lord, are you a cop?”

“Hmm, not quite.” 

“Well, you got it right. Dead center of the Midwest. Iowa.” 

She still hadn’t picked up the bank slip, just eyed it with an arched brow, and she gave him an assessing gaze before asking, “How often do you make deposits, big man?”

God, he liked that. It fed his ego just the right way, having some pretty bank teller with long lashes and big doe-eyes calling him big man, big guy. Leon cocked his head to the side a bit, ignoring the little thrill that shot through him. “Why?” 

“I’m just wondering how much shit I need to give you for filling out a withdrawal slip, instead of a deposit.”

Leo bared his teeth in an apologetic cringe. “My secretary usually handles this,” he explained, nose all scrunched at the excuse. He sounded like an asshole, maybe, using the words my secretary, like he was incapable of doing anything on his own- coddled and babied.   

She cut him a look, glancing at him quickly as though to gauge his expression, his apology. Then her lips tipped into a paltry smile, her eyes rolling as she gave an exaggerated sigh.

“It’s alright,” she allowed, procuring the correct slip from a drawer, nails clicking over every surface as she moved. “I’ll fill it out… You know you can do all this over your phone, right? Just snap a picture of the check and move on with your day?” Then, with eyes that seemed to dance, she added, “Are you too old to know how to work the app?”

Leon raised a brow ridge (the audacity) and shook his head. 

“I’m old-school, not old.” 

She gave a non-committal hum, and Leo scoffed. 

“I’m not even forty!” He said in faux offense, heart jumping a little in his chest.

“The fact you said “I’m not even forty,” instead of “I’m in my thirties,” tells me exactly how close to being forty you are.”

At that, he barked a loud, surprised laugh. A laugh that took even himself by surprise. It had been… years, since someone talked to him like this. Decades, maybe. 

I was right. She doesn’t know who I am. She has no idea who I am…

“How long have you been here, Vivian?” He asked, amusement written all over his features, a light in his eyes that only his inner circle ever witnessed. 

“Oh, a couple months,” she answered from her bent forward position, using a blue ballpoint pen to handwrite his information on the correct bank slip. 

“You like it?”

She gave a little derisive snort of a laugh, then straightened to look over her shoulder. An older man with a Manager pin seemed to loom behind the counter, looking over her and Leon with a watchful gaze, and she said loudly, in a voice that carried, “I love it here!” 

She threw a cheery look at the slider and added, “This is honestly the best job I’ve ever had! I’ve only been here two months and I already feel like this is my second home, everyone here is so wonderful! It’s been such an amazing opportunity, and I love all the people and the atmosphere and-”

“He’s gone.”

“It’s awful,” she quickly transitioned, tone deadpan. “Are you kidding me? No one here is nice- except John,” she canted her chin to the man working the other window down the long counter- his long sandy blonde hair pulled back and gauges in his ears as he frowned at a harassed-looking woman who jabbered at him about late fees. “But he’s new too, so we’re in this together- like High School Musical.” 

Leon’s smile twisted higher at her honesty. “You’re telling me being a bank teller isn’t the American Dream?” 

Vivian snorted again. “Please. It is better than being in a secluded cubicle- at least I get to talk to people. But ugh, dealing with the public is terrible. No one wants to be at a bank, you know? It’s like the BMV. No one is happy to be here- and if you’re coming into the bank it’s usually because there is a problem. And then you get jokers who fill out all the wrong paperwork.”

She gave a belabored sigh before throwing him a wink, and Leo didn’t bother trying to smother his wide grin. 

“That must be terrible.” 

“It’s so terrible,” she agreed with a sage nod, crossing the ‘t’ in his last name with a flourish. “Alright, Mr. Fancy Pants, lemme see the check.”

Leo slid it to her with his thumb and didn't miss the way her eyes rounded just slightly before schooling into a neutral expression. 

“What’s that look?” He asked. 

“Just a lot of zeros,” she murmured casually.  

Like so many times now, since he’s entered the bank, Leon’s brow ridge raised high. “Are you allowed to comment on the amount someone is depositing?” he asked lightly. 

Vivian rolled her eyes. “Don’t start with me, big guy,” she began. “You’re the one who asked what the look was for.”

Leo chuckled and gave a half-shrug, “Not used to someone having such a terrible poker face.” 

She threw him a sour little scowl. “How dare you,” she quipped. “Just for that, I’m making you stand here longer.” 

Leon pressed his lips together, thought about his response, and then immediately unglued them. 

“I can live with that.”

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Views not so bad, at this window.”

Leon decided very quickly that, as pretty as she was, he liked the way she looked when she was blushing even more. It was a blotchy show of red and pink, from her cheeks all the way down her neck. He liked the little strangled hum she made, too, her eyes darting from his face to her computer screen, her whole body fidgeting. Nervous. Caught between preening and embarrassment, her hands twitching as though she’d like to hide her face in them. Either no one took the time to compliment her (unlikely), or she enjoyed it because it was him serving said adulation. 

She took a long sip of her coffee, clearing her throat as she did, and Leo eyed the cup and sighed loudly. Fuck. He still hadn’t had any coffee.

“What’s that about?” She asked, clearly trying to pivot without addressing what he’d said, her lips still over the lid of her cup. She wasn’t even looking at her computer screen, but one hand still tapped away on her keyboard. 

“Haven’t had coffee yet,” he admitted, some of the irritation from before, which had all fled the moment he’d looked at her, returning. “It’s been a long, long morning.” 

“I was wondering about those eye bags,” Vivian said with a smirk, laughing when he glared at her. She took another deliberately long sip of her coffee and smacked her lips. “Delicious,” she teased.

Leo shook his head. “I tell you I’m suffering and this is how you act? You’re a terrible person.” 

“Am I? And I was just about to offer you some…” 

Leo’s eyes widened, and he straightened from his leaned posture to reach out a hand. “Please,” he intoned, voice half beseeching, half in jest.

Vivian shook her head, amused, then did a double take. “Wait, really? What if I have cooties?” 

Leo scoffed. “What are you, five? I told you, I haven’t had any caffeine. I'm dying here.” He said it seriously, suddenly convinced that, with only a little pleading, he might get a taste. “Come on, sweetheart, I’ll bring you a cup if I ever have to come back into this hell hole.” 

The blush, which had begun to recede, flared back up the instant he uttered sweetheart. Still, Vivian passed him her cup after only a moment of deliberation- eyes dancing with amusement when he drank what was left in three large gulps- like some kind of parched animal. 

It was lukewarm and not nearly sweet enough- but as soon as the liquid hit his tongue, he felt more like himself. 

“What kind of man,” Vivian began with a breathy laugh, “drinks from the cup of a woman he doesn't know?” 

Leon gave a loud, pleased sigh, eyes closed and lips twitching. “The desperate kind,” he responded. 

“Yeah? Hope you don’t mind having my lipstick all over your mouth, either.” 

He looked down at the plastic lid, seeing immediately that her mauve lipstick stains were smeared across it. He gave her a toothy grin. “Is it my shade?”

“Of course it is.”

Without really thinking about what he was doing, Leo rubbed the back of his sleeve across his mouth, the white of his cuffs stained in an instant. 

“That’s a good way to get in trouble with the girlfriend,” Vivian remarked, taking the empty cup out of his hand and setting it to the side. 

“Lucky me, I don’t have one of those.” 

Leo didn’t miss the little upward tug of her lips, and a predatory glean filled in his eyes. He knew bait when he saw it- he was tempted to ask why she was fishing. Before he could say anything, though- deplorable flirting just on the tip of his tongue- Vivian gave a few loud final taps to her keyboard.

“You’re all set, Mr. Hamato,” she lilted. “Want a receipt?” Then, as though she heard her own question, added, “What am I saying of course you do. Otherwise, how will you know I didn’t skim a little off the top?”

“I wouldn’t even notice,” Leo said truthfully.

“Oh in that case.”

She printed his receipt and folded it, putting it in an envelope and sliding it across the counter. 

“Anything else, sir?” 

He was half tempted to have her tell her actually did want to make a withdrawal- just to keep talking to her. But his phone buzzed in his pocket, a reminder that someone else was counting on him, and he sighed. 

“Not a thing,” he said, all that irritation bleeding back into his body at the thought of walking away. 

“It’s been a pleasure,” she told him with a smile- a real one, too. One that reached her eyes, one that he returned, gray meeting green and holding for just a moment. “Or a nightmare, whichever you think is best.” 

Leo’s smile stretched across his face. “A pleasure, absolutely.” 

“You treated Mr. Hamato well, right?”

The question came from Vivan’s manager, William Taylor, and it had her pausing as she gathered her things at the end of the work day, her purse dangling from her shoulder, her hurried movements halted with a screech. That always happened when a superior had a question- one that was more an accusation than anything else.

“I’m sorry?” 

“Mr. Hamato,” he repeated, voice a little high, a little stressed. “Did he leave happy?” 

Vivian’s brow raised. Leonardo Hamato (and never mind that she’d remember his name, a flare of pink dusting her cheeks at the mention of him) had been inside the bank hours ago. It seemed a little odd to wait until they were closing to ask, especially if there had been a complaint. 

Had there been a complaint? Had her casual manner, which she’d thought he’d read as… charming, maybe, actually been ill-received? If that was the case, she needed to find the nearest manhole and swan dive right into it- just to escape the utter embarrassment she’d have for misreading the conversation. That, and she was definitely getting fired- no one but John even liked her (and sometimes she thought he only tolerated her).

“Uh… yeah? Yes. He left happy. He seemed happy, anyway.” She paused, bottom lip between her teeth, then added, “Did he call and complain about something…?”  

It was as though her answer was something that caused her manager great relief, because Mr. Taylor exhaled a whooshing of held breath. 

“No calls or complaints,” he replied, waving off her question. “But I wanted to be sure.” 

Before she could ask, he gave her a stern look- like a parent about to discipline their child for some perceived bad behavior. “If he comes in again, I want you to make sure he has everything he needs from us- that goes for both of you! Be nice. Accommodating. Whatever he wants, I mean it!” He barked the instruction to her co-worker, John, as well, and before Vivian could even give an affirmative he was leaving with a huff, office door slammed in his wake.

The moment it was shut, Vivian gave John a bewildered look. 

“What the fuck was that about?” 

John gave a large shrug, passive gaze conveying just how much he didn’t care. “I dunno, man. Maybe he’s a big client?” 

“Oh, he is. I saw all the zeros in his account.” Vivian glared at the closed door of the office Mr. Taylor had retreated to. “I’m always nice,” she muttered sourly. 

At that, John scoffed. “Are you?” 

“Oh fuck you! I’m so nice!” 

“You froze that lady's account the other day.”

“She called me a bimbo!”

John chuckled and shook his head. “Come on, I want a drink, and being here longer than I have to makes me depressed.”

She let it leave her mind, for a while. Let the words Mr. Taylor said to her float away as she and John played a few rounds of darts over beer and nachos- each of them refusing to talk about work when they were outside of it. Instead, they threatened to ping each other with darts and argued over the jukebox selections, and by the end of the night they giggled in a bathroom stall while using a Sharpie to add to the graffiti. Immature, maybe, but John seemed to bring out the worst in her, egging her on until she broke- hissing at her to “stop drawing the cocks so big, it’s more unsettling if they're flaccid.”

But later, in the relative quiet of her small apartment, Vivian thought about it, stewing over her manager's words as she drank down a glass of cold water and a handful of ibuprofen.

Mr. Hamato hadn’t complained, and that was a relief. She’d only been in New York City for just over two measly months, was only able to afford her questionably located apartment because of a payout she’d taken at her last job, back in Iowa, and she couldn’t afford to get fired. Not with how expensive everything was. 

God, everything was so expensive. Rent alone had her scraping to get by- even when she took a second job cleaning office buildings on the weekends. And never mind utilities and groceries and cab fare when she needed to get home from a night out with John. It left hardly any time at all to just enjoy herself, to enjoy this new lease on life. Her wings might be unclipped, but she hadn’t really been able to stretch them.

You always knew this was going to be hard. Moving to a new city, not knowing anyone. Suck it up. 

The pep talk was one she gave herself often. 

Still, Mr. Hamato hadn’t complained, and it was a relief. She might not love her job, might not even like it, but the bulk of what she earned came from the eight-to-five. She needed it, was lucky to have it, and teasing some good-looking mutant wasn’t worth the potential loss. 

So why had Mr. Taylor asked her about him? Why had he looked so worried, so nervous? Why had he seemed relieved when she’d said he’d left happy? And why oh why was he so special that she and John and everyone else who worked in the bank were told to be accommodating? Nice?

Not your circus, she thought to herself, frowning at her empty glass of water, head spinning a little from the cheap IPA still sloshing around in her stomach. Remember? Mind your business. Keep your head down. 

The thought wouldn’t leave, though. She stopped herself from searching his name on Google, showering as quickly as she could (the water heater afforded exactly three minutes of uninterrupted hot water), and crawled into bed with a loud yawn. She didn’t need to know, and she certainly didn’t need to care. He’d liked her, she thought. He’d liked the teasing, the banter. He’d flirted with her. 

Even under the covers, hours between herself and Leonardo telling her he liked the view, her cheeks blossomed pink. God, she needed to get laid, if that was all it took to get her worked up. 

Him being a literal fucking tank hadn’t hurt, though. Neither had the stormy gray eyes or the easy smile or the laugh lines. Which was stupid, probably. He looked tired and had a scar on his lip (and she shushed her mind when it tried to insist that those features made him hotter, somehow), and he exuded too much confidence. The kind of confidence that people only got when they weren’t used to being told no, she thought. He just screamed that he was the kind of man who didn’t know how to do anything but flirt, and she decided, too, that he must have a laundry list of bodies in and out of his bed. 

Be kind, you don’t know that.

Maybe not. But what she did know was that she hadn’t moved to New York just to get caught up in another man. Hell no. 

Still, Mr. Taylor’s words echoed in her mind as she drifted off to sleep, three alarms set for the morning so she wouldn’t miss her wake-up call.

Who the hell was Leonardo Hamato, that she had to tiptoe around him?

[summerpoison]

Markus suddenly felt lost in the middle of the room. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

The silence stretched on and Connor’s LED was still spinning a bright yellow.

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”, he asked eventually.

Markus squinted his eyes, trying to make sense.

“Slap me across the face,... among other things…”, he said carefully, studying Connor’s face.

“Just, slap you?”

“Yes.”

“Markus, I’m not sure I…”

“As I said, I understand. I’m asking a lot, but I think you understand why I couldn’t just go out and say it.”

“I do. But I meant what I said about helping you.”

Markus wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“Connor, I appreciate it, but please don’t force yourself for my sake. I will figure something else out.”

“I’m not opposed to the idea. I just don’t see how exactly that would help you.” His brown eyes were fixated on Markus, studying him and his movements. Markus wasn’t lying about what he had said but Connor couldn’t quite wrap his head around it. “I will admit, I am uncomfortable with hurting you. But I’m also curious about pain and if I can help you clear your mind… I’m willing to try.”

Markus couldn’t believe it, had that really worked?

[jhsgf82]

Find Me In the Garden (alternate title: Here is the Place Where I Love You)

Lovely cover edit by @mrspeetamellark​

Not me working on this again when I have too many WIPS, haha... 

Here are some rough snippets of my Secret Garden!Everlark that might one day see the light of day (I’ve been planning this for, I dunno, over a year). FYI, if you’re familiar with The Secret Garden, Katniss = Mary, Peeta = Colin, and Gale = Dickon; however, in mine, Katniss and Peeta will NOT be cousins (because it’s endgame Everlark) and I’ll alter the personalities of the boys slightly. I’ll also probably start them off slightly older, and I’ll be aging them up eventually toward the middle to end of the story. There will be romance.   

Snippets: 

~The other children called me Mistress Katniss. They even made up a song about it. They teased me, calling me a snob, saying I thought myself better than them. I didn’t think that; I simply had no interest in being friends with them. I’m not very good at making friends, after all. I suppose that’s why I have none.

~“You’re not very big, are you?” the servant girl says with a smile. I scowl at her. “Or particularly pretty.” I scowl even harder. 

It’s not like I’m unused to being called ugly. I’ve heard the whisperings and even the taunts. All she says is true, I know, and yet, it annoys me that this stranger, this servant would say that about me to my face. I want to smack hers, but I don’t raise a hand.

. . . 

“Did you hear that?” I question her. 

“Just the wind, Mistress Katniss,” she says, though her eyes flit away, and I know she’s lying.

“No. It wasn’t. It was…someone crying.” 

Her eyes go wide, then crinkle at the corners, and she giggles. “Oh, Mistress Katniss, the wind makes all kinds of sounds. Sometimes it even sounds like someone wailing on the moors.” 

“It wasn’t coming from outside,” I insist. “It was coming from this house.” 

The servant girl’s cheeks betray her this time, but she dismisses my notion again. When I don’t let it go, she tells me another lie, that it must be the scullery maid, who’s had a toothache all day. 

But no. I know what I heard. It wasn’t the wind. It was definitely someone crying, and it wasn’t the scullery maid. It was a child like me.

I will find the source of the crying. I’m determined to. 

~A thin, frail, pale boy with hair the color of wheat is lying in the bed. As I creep closer, his eyes shoot open. They’re blue, so very blue. 

“Who are you?” he demands, pulling his covers up tighter, to his neck. “What are you doing here?” 

I don’t answer him. Instead, I demand to know the same. “Who are you?” 

“I’m Peeta Mellark, master of this household. At least, while my father’s away.” 

I didn’t know old Mr. Mellark had a son. 

“Who are you?” he repeats. 

I don’t answer him. Instead, I pose another question of my own. “Why were you crying?” I ask.  

The boy, Peeta Mellark, scoffs. “Wouldn’t you cry if you were dying?” 

[ohgodmyeyes]

Hellooooooo my queeeeeeen!!! Just a really weird question. When it comes to writing out chapters how many words do you usually aim for?

what a cool question!

My short answer is that a chapter is as long as it needs to be, and that's that. My longer answer, which is just me blathering on about my own shit because I don’t actually know anything about writing/how to write, is below the cut.

For me, the number of words in a chapter is heavily dependent upon the kind of story it's going to be added to. Usually, word distribution evens out pretty quickly once the fic finds its rhythm, and the people reading get an idea of what they can expect (and I get an idea, however vague, of what it is they want).

I think the first chapter of Disassembly has fewer than 2k words, but once everything got established, 2k words stopped seeming like enough to work with. (Granted, I didn’t think anyone was going to read it at first.) Something sort-of similar happened with Counselling. (fyi: almost everything I wrote before Counselling is an embarrassing, structural nightmare and shouldn't be read by anyone.)

Something people seemed to like about Eventide was that although the narrative was linear, it also sort of jumped between moments in time without much transitioning. Some of those moments ended up being longer than others, but overall, they were all communicated fairly succinctly, with as few words (600-1.5k usually) as possible. It's a style I love, but frankly one I'm not very good at executing. I'm so happy I got it right (or almost right) at least once! If I could go back and write that story again, I'd probably add a few more ‘moments’, although not necessarily longer ones. (That story didn't need a bunch of meandering contemplation from Reader; it wasn't her style. She was proactive more than she was a thinker, I guess, which is something else to put that weird story outside of my usual repertoire.)

The 'industry standard' for chapter lengths is 1.5k-5k words, I think, and most published novels don't seem to aim for any particular consistency in chapter length: The chapters are as long as they need to be to communicate what they want to say. Flow and readability is the name of the game in publishing, which I really do think is ideal. 

Fanfiction is (usually) a different kind of storytelling, though, and I find that some of my favourite of my own fics are the ones I can cut into fairly equal chunks (Worthless, Little Box, and Stay Still all come to mind). This is probably because lots of readers consume fanfic incrementally, and lots of authors post as they write. I don't (usually) write way ahead, nor do I ever publish long stories all at the same time. That means having to take into consideration the fact that an audience who's gotten used to 3-5k words of meandering prose every update (as in Disassembly) is inevitably going to be disappointed by a 1.5k word, dialogue-heavy snippet, no matter how well it fits, or how 'good' I think it is. (Likewise, I think a 5k word chapter of Reader's internal turmoil would have pissed off the people enjoying Eventide, no matter how much fun it would have been for me— that's not what they came for.)

(*As an aside, for that Fat Anakin longfic I write, I try to keep the chapters above 2k words solely because I figure that if people are reading the story for the same reason I'm writing it, then they probably need enough time to 'finish up'. Again, it's me trying to read the room.*)

Truthfully, I'd probably think a lot less about chapter length if I didn't share my stuff... but I love sharing it, partly because it's really nice to have the company of other like-minded people while I write. This is my hobby; it needs to be fun. In respecting those like-minded people, though (no one has to read my shit and I know it lol), I might sometimes make structural decisions I otherwise wouldn't. It’s worth noting that fics which are finished probably come off much differently than works in progress to new reader... but since I write as I go, it’s not something I often take into account.

If I were to write a story and keep it to myself until it was finished, I likely wouldn't give much thought to that kind of balance. I've been very, very lucky to accrue at least a small audience for most of my longer stories so far, but I'd be lying if I said that having readers didn't affect some of my stylistic choices. If I ever post a fic that absolutely nobody reads, it might end up looking very different from anything I've written before. (The only way to find out is if you ignore me, but please don't do that. I love you.)

So... the short version of my long answer is that fanfiction is weird, partly because it's more like publishing a serial in a magazine or even airing a television series than it is like writing an actual book. (Could you imagine if some episodes of Loki or TFATWS were 45 minutes long, and then some others were only 6?) Some fanfic authors certainly do write like novelists (and pull it off, too!), but most don't, and I'm definitely not one of them.

Thank you for asking me that question. I know literally nothing about actual writing, but I sure do love talking at length about it, if only to myself lol.

[mercurysnitch]

Mother Mercury, Part 1

Summary: Ben meets a mysterious young wardrobe assistant with a startling resemblance to Freddie Mercury on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody. Is it just a coincidence, or could Freddie’s legacy have included a very large secret?

Author’s note: Surprise! This is the first part of the Ben x OC story I’ve been working on for a little while. I was planning to only make it a oneshot, but the plot’s a bit too complicated. This was born from an idea I had while home alone one day that sparked several hours of furious typing (I tend to follow the muse when it strikes, if I have time of course). It’s taken me a while to get this together because I changed my mind about some major aspects of the plot after I’d already started writing, which meant a lot of reworking of what was already there. I have parts of the rest of the story written, but it’s really just snippets at the moment, so I’m not sure when the next part will be up. I’d like to get it done while I’m on uni break this week, but I’ve got a lot of other stuff to do as well so I can’t make any promises. FYI, at this point I’m planning 3 to 4 parts, but that might change as I write more of it.

It’s not actually explained in this part, but this whole story basically hinges on Freddie Mercury having accidentally gotten a woman pregnant during a drug-fuelled party back in the late 70s. If you’re not comfortable with that idea, that’s fine, but stop reading now. I don’t want to give too much away here because things will be explained more in the next part (though it won’t be explicit), but rest assured Freddie in this story is still “gay as a daffodil.” For the record, I personally believe Freddie may have been biromantic, but in this story he’s essentially ‘gay but also things happened while I was high,’ and those things resulted in a lovechild. Remember this is fiction, and sometimes certain things just need to happen for the overall plot to work.   

Warnings: Writing about real people, allusions to teen pregnancy, sudden POV switch near the end

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Ben ran over and launched himself at the dark-haired, denim-clad figure from behind. “You absolute bastard! Why did you-". The petite figure jumped and turned around. “What the- oh hi Ben.” The girl’s yell trailed off when she realised who had just jumped on her. Ben was stunned. “Oh my God, I am so sorry" he babbled, "I thought you were Rami in costume.” “It’s ok” she reassured him. “I think I should have worn a different jacket, I’ve been getting that all day.” “Well you do look a lot like him from behind” Ben commented. “But not from the front?” the girl questioned, smiling slightly. Ben shook his head. “No, from the front you look like… Freddie.” The girl raised an eyebrow. “That surprises you?” “No, it’s just… you look so much like Freddie you could practically be a makeup reference" Ben explained. "It’s… a little weird, to be perfectly honest.” There was an awkward pause. “So what do you do here? You working?” Ben asked finally. “Wardrobe assistant" she told him. "Not bad for my first proper job.” Ben smiled. “Not bad at all” he agreed.

A sudden thought occurred to him. "Wait, how do you know my name? We've never met before." The girl smiled. "You're one of the stars. Everyone here knows who you are." Ben looked sheepish. "I'm not used to being a star" he muttered. "Hey, why haven't I seen you around yet?" "I'm low down the chain" the girl explained. "I've mostly been dressing extras and keeping stuff in order, they don't let the underlings near the big names." "I'm not…" Ben protested feebly. He really didn't feel like a big star, not yet anyway. The girl smiled again. "You are here." Ben just shook his head. "Speaking of names" he said smoothly, "I haven't caught yours yet." "Mel" she replied. Ben smiled. "Lovely."

Mel saw a lot of Ben after that, not always intentionally. The very next day they ran into each other at the catering tent during the lunch break. Ben grinned when he spotted her dark hair weaving through the tables. "Freddie clone! Good to see you again." Mel smiled back. "You too." She filled her plate and went to leave, but Ben stopped her. "You meeting anyone?" Mel was confused. "No?" "Come and eat with us then" he offered. Mel considered it. Spending time with a blonde hunk was tempting of course, but then again they were supposed to be working together. No one had specifically told her not to socialise with the actors while on set, but she got the impression it wasn't really encouraged. Then again, what harm would one lunch do? She smiled. "Alright then." Ben beamed at her agreement. "Follow me."

He led her over to a table already occupied by two blokes apparently deep in conversation. One was tall and lanky, his face obscured by an enormous curly wig. That must be Gwilym, Mel thought, with his Brian May hair on. The other was smaller and paler, his head also covered by a long auburn wig. Joe, Mel realised, dressed as a pre-perm John Deacon. "I still think my hair is worse" Joe pouted. "You don't suffocate under it every day" Gwilym replied. "You didn't have to get a perm though" Joe pointed out.  "Alright, you win" Gwilym laughed. Ben cleared his throat. "Gentlemen." "Benny boy" Joe responded. Ben groaned. "That's Joe" he told Mel, indicating the redhead. "The tall one's Gwilym. This is Mel" he introduced. "From wardrobe." "Pleasure" Gwilym replied instantly, as Ben and Mel sat down. 

Joe eyed Mel up from the seat opposite her. "Say, Mel, how d'you feel about perms?" Gwilym sighed. "Joe, don't." "Why not?" Joe protested. Gwilym turned to face Mel. "Sorry to be nosy, but how old are you, love?" "21" Mel told him. Gwilym shifted back to look at Joe, whose face had suddenly blanched. "That's why not. Couldn't you tell she was too young for you?" Joe shrugged. "It's hard sometimes. Sorry Mel" he added sheepishly. She smiled. "It's alright, I would have turned you down anyway." "Why?" Joe whined, pretending to be upset. Mel grinned mischievously. "You're nearly the same age as my mum." Joe looked bewildered. "How is that even possible… unless-oh." Joe's eyes widened and he fell silent as the realisation hit.

"Where's Rami?" Ben asked, diving in to change the subject before the awkwardness consumed them all. "With Lucy" Joe told him, giggling. Mel was confused. "Wait, so are they a thing now?" Gwilym grinned mischievously. "They refuse to admit it, but yes." "Naww, that's cute" Mel cooed. Ben snorted. "It'd be cuter if they'd stop bloody hiding, it's not like everyone else can't tell they're mad for each other.” Rami and Lucy were clearly very preoccupied because neither of them appeared for the rest of the half hour Mel was allotted for her lunch break. By the end of it she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to go, and her dining companions definitely didn’t want to see her leave.  

Ben was unusually quiet as he watched her wend her way back across the set to the wardrobe truck. This did not escape his friends’ notice. “Earth to Ben? You still with us, mate?” Ben jumped slightly as Gwilym’s voice finally dragged his attention back to his castmates. “Yeah, sorry. What were you saying?” “About Mel” Joe explained, grinning slightly at his friend’s obvious distraction. “Right, yeah” Ben muttered. “Don’t you think she looks like Freddie?” he added, slightly breathless. Joe and Gwilym glanced at each other. “Yes,” the Welshman replied exasperatedly, “that’s what we’ve been discussing since we left.” “Sorry” Ben mumbled sheepishly. “You agree though?” “Yep” Joe nodded. “It’s kinda scary almost.” “We were wondering how that might have happened,” Gwilym explained, “but it’s probably just a coincidence.” “Probably” Ben agreed.

Suddenly Joe grinned deviously. “But that’s not as important as the fact that Ben is clearly into her.” “I am not!” Ben protested, but it was no use. “Oh, you are, you hardly looked anywhere else while she was here" Gwilym countered, grinning mischievously. "And you've been staring at her arse since she left the table.” Ben immediately blushed. "I was not" he grumbled. "He's blushing! Benny's got a cru-ush" Joe teased in a sing-song voice. Ben rolled his eyes. "Hypocrite. You cracked onto her the minute she sat down." Joe looked mildly wounded, but merely shrugged in response. "Well she is pretty, y'know." "Yeah, Ben knows" Gwilym quipped. Ben just groaned in frustration. But he couldn't help thinking Joe wasn't wrong. Not at all.

Lunch with Mel became a regular feature of Ben's day over the next few weeks. Their schedules didn't always match, but they managed to spend that break time together significantly more often than not. Ben was generally accompanied by the rest of "the band," as they called themselves, and sometimes Allen, but Rami and Lucy were usually absent owing to different schedules. Or so they claimed, anyway. Lucy appeared at the band's lunch table for the first time about a week after Mel's first lunch with them, and she took to Mel immediately. "It's so nice to have another woman to balance out this lot" she confided. But Rami didn't join them for over a fortnight, and his reaction was something Mel wouldn't forget in a hurry.

Rami's jaw dropped when he saw the dark-haired girl sat next to Ben. "Uhh… who is this?" Joe smirked. "Nice of you to finally join us for once." Rami rolled his eyes. "I've been busy, ok?" "Sure…" Joe teased. Ben cleared his throat. "Rami, this is Mel, from wardrobe. Mel this is-" She cut him off with a nudge of his shoulder. "I know who he is Ben, I do work here y'know." "Nice to meet you" Rami cut in. "By the way, has anyone ever told you look like Freddie Mercury?" Mel barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "A lot of people on this set have" she replied, trying not to sound too annoyed. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you do it?" Rami asked excitedly. Mel shrugged. "I don't really do anything. I suppose I'm just lucky." Rami chuckled quietly. "Very." 

Suddenly Mel stood up from the table. "This has been lovely as always, but I need to get back to work" she declared. "Rami it was lovely finally meeting you. I'll see you all tomorrow, gents." She left the table to a chorus of 'see you later's. As soon as she was out of earshot Rami turned to the others. "Is she… she must be related to Freddie, right?" he asked eagerly. "We don't know" Joe sighed. "It might just be a coincidence" Gwilym pointed out. Rami snorted. "No way. She's the spitting image, and she sounds like him? She has to be related, the question is how." Ben looked at Rami curiously. "Does she really sound like Freddie?" he asked wonderingly. "I hadn't noticed." Rami stared incredulously at the blond. "Are you deaf or something?" "No, he's just distracted cause he thinks she's hot" Joe quipped. Rami suddenly grinned mischievously. "Oh, so that's the girl he's crazy about" he teased. Ben groaned. "Aww, not you too." 

Rami's comment caused the others to tease Ben good-naturedly for the rest of the break, but his own mind was elsewhere. Mel's resemblance to Freddie was too strong to be a mere coincidence, he thought. It had to come from shared DNA. But most likely she was a distant cousin or something. She was much too young to have been his actual child, Freddie died before she was even thought of. Besides, even when he was alive Freddie never had kids, right?  

Rami initially dismissed the whole idea out of hand, but something about it nagged at him for the rest of the day. He was sure he'd read something that referred to Freddie and kids during his preparation for Bohemian Rhapsody, but he couldn't remember what or where he'd found it. It wasn't until he finally got back to the pile of research in his hotel room that night that he managed to dig up an answer.

A couple of articles published in the first months after Freddie died both said similar things. 'There are whispers Freddie even fathered a lovechild around the time Queen hit the peak of their fame, at the turn of the 80s, but this has never been proven.' 'Some rumours go as far as to suggest Freddie had a secret lovechild hidden away, the result of a drug-fuelled encounter during his partying years, but those now appear to be almost entirely unfounded.' Clearly no one really thought the rumours were anything more than old gossip back then. But what if they were actually true? That would mean… it would mean Freddie had a child, somewhere out in the world. Except Mel couldn't be that child, Rami thought, she was too young. But if Freddie's child was born in the late 70s, like the rumours said, they would have been old enough to have their own child by the time Mel was born 21 years ago. Rami gasped as a sudden realisation hit. If the rumours were true, and he was right about Mel being related to Freddie, that could mean Freddie Mercury's grandchild was working on the set of Bohemian Rhapsody.

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

This is a bit different to what I’ve written previously, so please let me know what you think!

I’m going to use my old (it’s basically permanent now I guess) taglist for now, but let me know if you want to be added. Or if you want to be taken off for this story, that’s fine too, just drop me an ask or dm.

Taglist: @wandering-at-midnight @fruityfreddie @trumanjo @ohmygoditsanthonyedwardstark @itsametaphorbriansblog @theedwardscollection @bookish-oreo @simplyvictoria-93 @kotoamor @j1224 @closertothesunwhenimwithyou @florenceivy @jennyggggrrr  

(crossed out tags didn’t work, I’ll take them off next time if they still don’t work)

[starry-avidan]

| Rant Ahead/Heavy Discourse/Unpopular Opinion | 

The following are some thoughts and I don’t know snippets that I have kept to myself over the past few months or only shared with one or two friends (as I honestly don't involve myself with drama & I try to stay away from a lot of stuff that could make me anxious) but I just want to say fuck it and just post it at this point, Disclaimer these are just my own personal thoughts and I don’t mean to offend anyone reading them. But the following is very discourse and very unpopular opinion heavy…

I can’t help but have a gut feeling that A***** is using Dan like I cannot explain it, I just get this bad vibe from her which is something I just cannot put my finger on and I just want to say this is not me being some jealous fan, as all I want is for him is to be happy but I don’t know for someone who used to be so so private about his personal relationships with girls it still seems so strange to me just how incredibly public he is about her like it almost seems forced yknow, maybe not in the beginning but now??? especially since looking at some photos of them together he sometimes looks maybe annoyed if that makes sense? it’s always the same position as well in most of those photos which is kind of odd too (and it seems like lately all the recent posts are just each other which again gives me odd vibes don’t get me wrong one or two is fine but it’s constant almost avalanche like, not even the likes of Mark and Amy etc post as much of each other as they do) but I don’t know what their “relationship” is like behind closed doors - no one does, but in pictures taken of him with other people eg band friends, musicians, his friends etc it always looks he’s so much happier like his smile is genuine etc and he seems so much more relaxed?. I also find it kind of interesting that she only interacts with the pic’s he posts that mention her or is something she was there for, like on some other posts that doesn’t have anything to do with her or is something she wasn’t there for she doesn’t even interact with it seems no comments..no like on the post. I just low-key side-eye a lot of stuff especially as she seemingly puts their entire relationship on her Instagram stories too like??? it feels to me at least almost as if she is very attention seeking & it feels like a lot of what she does is very childlike behaviour on her part like I get it you can be immature in your twenties but to constantly act like such an annoying child? It's alarming man, she just seems as if she's a toddler who always wants it her way. I also find it strange that he goes to a lot of places for her but she on the other hand doesn't really do the same in return for him like she'll go to one maybe two things for him whereas he'll go to anything she asks of him... (Oh and yes I still can’t believe she decided not to go & support him at the 10th anniversary arena show, like if there is one time you should probably go support your significant other it’s there but hey what do I know…) I also find it strange how some of Dan’s friends don’t even follow her, for example Brian, like if this person is so important to him, if he’s “so in love” why aren’t some of your friends supporting that? If he is in love why does he word his ig captions or comments with her so weirdly, so awkwardly, perhaps even forced? It almost comes across like as if he is being pressured to post pictures of her like he feels he has to. I also don’t get how incredibly insane some fans can get whenever either of them post pic’s of them together please just relax, like this is not his first ever gf, please just chill with the blindless devotion

I just find their whole relationship extremely odd in a bad sense, sorry.

Again this^ is just my own personal opinion, these are my own personal thoughts and I know they are very unpopular and will probably make me lose followers and friends because I have said these things.

FYI: All hate will be deleted.

[theaerofanfics]

Starset: 1- Better Believe Beginnings (aka BBB)

A/N: So I did the thing. I made the Baysha rockstar AU fanfic all thanks to @iceicesheamy ‘s edit and @becksflair little snippet I saw on the post. Trust me, this WILL get better and hopefully it doesn’t seem messy. FYI: The song lyrics/songs I’ve come up on my own (other than the Turn it Up name since it’s basically Bay’s theme song name ;P) and if you want some of the songs in full for what they’d sing and whatnot, I can make a separate tag for them and do that as well! Okay too much rambling!

Hope you enjoy and look out for the 4hw mythical beings fic as well today! and maybe another gift ;p

“Is this good?”

“Perfect, Mrs. Martinez.”

One of the crewmen adjusted the little microphone on Sasha’s jacket and once it was fixed, she gave him a brief smile and looked at the interviewer. “Okay, so… I know this is for the documentary that the company wants us to do. Is there anything in specific to talk about, Kayla?”

Kayla grinned and shook her head. “Not really, but let’s start with the brief introduction once the camera rolls of who you are and maybe about the documentary and we’ll start from there. We want this to be as personable and unscripted as they told you when they recorded everything. We want the same with this interview portion of recounting the events.”

“Of course! Whenever you’re ready.” Kayla looked at the cameraman who stated he was ready and Kayla watched as he gave the countdown and saw the red light light up. “Hey everyone, Sasha Banks here and you’re in for a treat into the life of the Boss ‘N Hug Connection with our rockin’ tour: Ain’t No Stopping Us. This tour is probably the most interactive and personable tour we’ve had and we definitely want to have more like this.”

“Alright, fantastic.” Kayla smiled. “Why don’t we start from the beginning with the tour? With the first stop in New York and anything you can really note about that.”

“Yeah, sure.” And just with ease Sasha began to speak about the tour.

“I want the monsters to go away,

You only need to stay.

We are standing in the thunder,

Standing in the thunder,

Every single moment with you

Reminds that love comes when it wants to.

We have to be patient.

Standing in the Thunder,

We have to be humble.

Standing in the Thunder.

Falling in reverse,

Falling through the sky.

Letting the electricity

Course through us,

There’s nothing, but the two of us—”

She was cut off because Bayley kissed her. She merely smiled and giggled slightly between it before Sasha pulled away and smiled warmly. Standing in the Thunder was their song. It was the song that showed everyone their love and care for one another and it became a major hit once it came out. The music video had so many hits that Bayley almost didn’t believe this was all true. Even here and now, the duo and their bandmates singing their song to a huge crowd who was singing with them. “You know you can’t do that every time we sing.” Sasha mumbled away from the mic before moving to continue to sing.

“Watch me.” Bayley teased and winked, still playing the tune.

               The concert had ended after the song and the two women were in each other’s arms in a hug, waving to the crowd who was aww’ing at them and cheering them. The two then got off the stage and Bayley picked Sasha up and spun her around. If anyone didn’t know how they were, they’d assume their marriage was like a Disney movie. Bayley would be the prince saving the princess from the situation and they’d end up marrying. They met through the power of music, Bayley’s guitar mainly the reason Sasha was drawn to her.

Sasha laughed a bit as she was spun and once she was on the ground she kissed Bayley deeply for a moment. She then pulled away and she grinned softly. She didn’t care that the cameras for the documentary were there. She was used to them by now, especially as they used to record everything back in the day because Bayley wanted to do a documentary of their up and coming to stardom. “I love you.” She whispered to her wife.

“I love you too, babe.” Bayley stated back and she pecked her wife’s lips softly. “You sounded really good out there.”

“As did you. You and your guitar playing. My partner in crime.” Sasha laughed and pulled away from the other’s grasp. “I also will admit, our idea of bringing a few fans on stage was a nice touch.”

“I figured it’d be a good idea to give them the experience of stardom.” Bayley chuckled and shrugged before the two started to walk to their dressing room. “Plus, I wish we could have them all on stage because I’m sure many saved up the money for the tickets. I wish we didn’t make them so expensive.” Bayley sighed as they walked into their dressing room and she put her snapback on the coffee table and sat on the couch.

“I wish that too, babe. The venues are fucking expensive.” She sighed a bit. “Maybe we can go back to our roots in San Jose? Do a concert in a field somewhere or a park and just.. You know, play and let the fans enjoy the music rather than pay with their life savings.”

“Maybe.” Bayley pulled out her phone to check out Social Media so she could update their band twitter. “The setlist by the way was good. I tend to forget you’re good at that stuff while I’m good with the creative and dressing aspect.”

“That’s because, you” Sasha moved to sit next to her wife and started to take off her shoes. “are the more creative one. You have a keen eye on the detail, remember? Our first music video we made you asked us what we all saw in ourselves.”

“Well yeah. The song was Inner Sanctum.”

Sasha laughed softly. “We should play that one when we do go to San Jose. Bring back an old but gold song.”

“Well then Inner Sanctum and Turn it Up should be added for when we go over there then. I’m sure the fans will love that kind of set.”

“Yeah though I’m sure it’ll be cool to play it more often in the sets at the other cities.” Bayley realized Sasha didn’t say anything else and looked up, seeing Sasha looking at her and she furrowed her eyebrows. “What? Is there something on my face?”

“No, no. You’re fine. I just like staring at you.”

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” Sasha rolled her eyes and nudged the other before getting up, taking off her white and gold jacket she had on and putting it up on the rack. Eventually the cameras left so they could at least get dressed and once they did, Bayley looked at Sasha. “You okay?”

“Yeah, everything is fine. Why?” Sasha felt Bayley’s hand on her cheek and she touched it gently.

“I just want to make sure considering the cameras and everything. I know you’re used to it and all, but I don’t want you—”

“I’m not uncomfortable, Bay.” She said softly and pecked Bayley’s lips lightly. “We have our own documentary from when we were a local band. This doesn’t bother me, especially when we tend to actually record some concerts.”

“Okay, okay.” Bayley hugged her wife before she picked up her and Sasha’s bags, the two heading out to the back. Once they got outside, the screams were heard and they waved to the fans. They took some pictures, signed some pictures and paper, and eventually they got onto their tour bus.

Bayley collapsed into the sofa on the tour bus, laying across it. She had her hand covering her eyes and she let out a breath, relaxing. She could feel eyes on her and she spoke softly. “You really like staring at me, huh?”

“Well yes, especially when you basically lay across the couch when I wanted to sit.”

Bayley moved her hand to look at Sasha, who was playfully smirking, and she stuck her tongue out at her wife. Sasha did it in return and Bayley sat up just enough for Sasha to sit down and placed her head into her lap. She smiled warmly and the two’s gaze met again. Their world froze while the bus started to move.

“You’re staring again, Bayley.”

“Hell yeah, I am. I’m staring at a masterpiece.”

“Alright, Cassnova. Enough with the cheesiness.”

“That definitely sounds like a good time indeed.”

“It was. It was the most interactive show we’ve had and Bayley’s idea really captivated that we cared and we wanted to make sure they knew that. Without our fans, we wouldn’t be these hit sensations that we are doing features on other’s albums or doing music for movies or anything like that. This whole ride for the past few years have been... a wild rollercoaster.”

Kayla said with a grin. “tell us a bit about the Boss ‘N Hug Connection. We partially know the story for those that have found Bayley’s Youtube and saw the episodes, but not many know the story behind it all.”

Sasha lowered her gaze and a soft smile went on her face before she looked up at Kayla and then the camera. Though she wasn’t looking at the camera, Bayley was right behind the cameraman and she was smiling. It made her smile more and she began to speak. “Bayley and I were in high school, our senior year. She caught me one day after school singing in the empty band room when she goes in there to play the piano and we met. We didn’t realize we also had Physics together, but we connected instantly by having similar taste in music. After a bit, Bayley told me how she wanted to start a band and wanted a voice like mine to be the main singer and her as a backup.” Sasha smiled when she saw Bayley nod in agreement as she continued, trying not to laugh even. “She kept telling me that my voice would, and I quote, “would make men and women fall in love with not just me but the music”. Somehow, my voice was so angelic to her that she really wanted us to be a band. So, we started a band. The Boss ‘N Hug Connection was named that because I was known to be the Boss in the choir at school and Bayley just loved to hug me and somehow it just made a lightbulb hit when I said the name. So, we just stuck with it.”

“And over time, you two fell in love?”

Sasha giggled lightly and nodded. “Yes, over time we did. I guess in a way she fell in love with me and the music.” She laughed softly. “Though, if it was during that time it wouldn’t have made a difference. People kept thinking we were a couple anyways because Bay and I never left each other’s side really, especially back then. Anything music? We went together. Any interview” She said and winked at Bayley, for which Kayla noticed Bayley was in view. “we went together. We need each other for reassurance and to relieve nerves because I get nervous with interviews and Bayley works herself up and rambles.”

“Interesting. Well, continue with the tour story. You were saying that one thing you loved was how great a lover Bayley is?”

Sasha blushed. Of course she said that and of course Bayley would be in the room. She could see the cheeky, amused smirk on her wife’s face and she just spoke. “Well…”

“B—Bayley, stop.” Sasha laughed as she was getting hugged by Bayley, almost the other being a koala and hugging her tightly and from behind. “You are nuzzling into my neck and you know that tickles.”

Bayley nuzzled anyways and laughed. “I thought you loved it when I would snuggle you like this.”

“I do, but I’m trying to type up an Instagram post for us.”

“Oh? Taking a picture of us in bed, naked under the covers?”

Sasha blushed and looked back at Bayley, who was smirking. “No, I wouldn’t want to give the perverts the satisfaction of thinking it.”

“Fair.” Bayley wrapped her arms around Sasha’s waist and gave her a little squeeze. “Your mine anyways.”

“Well yeah. There’s an official paper that says so.”

Bayley mumbled something as she hid her face into her back and Sasha rolled her eyes, understanding.

“I do know what you mean, but I know I’m yours. You’re mine too. Anyways, I’m posting the picture of us backstage when we were looking out to the crowd while we were hiding and then the big one where we were sitting in front of the crowd to catch the crowd, remember?”

“Oh yeah! Jeff took that picture.” Bayley said as she lifted her hand up. Sasha nodded and she finished the post and posted it, checking twitter on the mentions and everything and she smiled as she saw all the photos there were. She could feel Bayley also looking while occasionally kissing along her neck and shoulder and she let out a relaxing breath as the tour bus was still going, heading to their next stop in New Jersey. Sasha shut her eyes briefly as she was feeling more relaxed and once she opened her eyes again she turned and kissed Bayley.

The two were lost once again in their little romance, their love just bring firework whenever they kissed, whenever they stared at one another. Bayley quietly moaned in the kiss and eventually the two separated and Sasha spoke softly. “That stressed, huh?”

Bayley chuckled lightly and ran a hand through Sasha’s purple hair. “Yeah… You take on a lot of the work and I can feel it on your shoulders. I know the tour is a lot, especially because it’s almost double of what we did before.”

“And we’re having a part two to make it triple the amount…” Sasha mumbled softly.

“Well I’m gonna make sure you’re not stressed out throughout this. Probably give us some parts of the day to have fun with games or something or—”

“Doing things like we’ve done for the past hour or so?” Sasha raised an eyebrow with a smirk on her face.

Bayley laughed. “Of course.”

“I like the sound of that. I especially like it if we end up going to play arcade games or even play the games we have or bought.” Sasha said as she sat up a little. “I’ll kick your ass in Mortal Kombat again.”

“Oh no. We’re not doing this bet again.” Bayley raised an eyebrow. “I won fair and square the first two times. You cheated last time.”

“How?”

“You played the same character!”

“You didn’t make a rule that we couldn’t.”

“You still cheated.”

“You want to try me for a fourth time then?”

“I was already between your legs, Sash.”

“Bayley.” Sasha playfully smacked Bayley’s arm before rolling her eyes.

“Let’s go for a forth time then. Let me put on a tanktop and pants.”

“Are we recording this to put in the documentary?”

“Sure, why not? Let me grab our camera.” Bayley stated as she went to get dressed. “I’m going to win.”

“You’re going to lose. You’re just a sore loser!”

“Takes one to know one.” Bayley said as she moved to get dressed. “Let’s get this game out of the way.”

[yaz-the-spaz]

Thoughts on scripted?

hey nonnie, so i’m so so sorry i kept you waiting for like four days for this but i just really needed some time to properly process and collect my thoughts (cause i have a lot on this) and take my time to get them down in a coherent way, i still feel like it’s a bit jumbled and unclear at times but i tried my best to explain my thoughts as best i could. i hope it’s sufficient...

My Thoughts on Scripted

so i wanna preface this by making it clear to everyone who may read this that this is strictly my own interpretation of things and my own opinion on what zayn’s trying to convey in this song. personally, i think this song is very much about public images, narratives, and stunting, and sticking it out through all of that, so that’s the direction/theme that a lot of my interpretations of the lyrics in this song are gonna lean towards. you don’t have to agree. in fact, if you disagree that’s fine and i welcome and any all rational and fair/polite discussion on different interpretations of the song and certain verses or lines within it. i’m in no way trying to convince anyone to see anything a certain way (and my own interpretations and thoughts/opinions on this may even evolve or change with time), but i was asked by this nonnie to share my thoughts (currently) on the song and so that’s what i’m doing, and if anyone has a problem with any of the opinions or interpretations stated here i just ask that you address me about it respectfully :)

ok now onto the song analysis:

Blurry TV screens

Fuzzy broken scenes

Finding words don't have flow

Blurry TV screens

Fuzzy broken scenes

Hold her close finding love

so this verse to me seems like it could be meant to have a double meaning, as in 1) the scenes or roles they [he and liam and/or the other boys] have to play out (i.e. stunts, fake dates, scripted interviews, etc. that they feel like they’re playing out like a scene in a movie/tv show - mgmt telling them hold her hand this way, hug/kiss at this angle so it looks more intimate, ok now let’s take this pic/video and then we’ll do another angle; making sure to only show pieces of the story like scenes and only the pieces and angles that fit the narrative they wanna sell, etc.) and/or 2) the time they get to themselves which often feels like only snapshots that go by too quickly and are like a blur/fuzzy in their minds (stolen moments together in between stunt outings and shows and things where they have to perform/are expected to put on and keep up their usual act for the cameras before they can go back to being themselves again/have some time alone together to just be again, etc.), and the “finding words don’t have flow” part could mean because he doesn’t know how to talk about it or express how he feels about it cause he just has so many conflicting feelings (or even just that he can’t talk about it cause he’s not allowed)

Hearts don't feel the same

And the names we like to say

Change with time and age

so this seems to clearly be referring to feelings changing - though not necessarily in a bad way, maybe just maturing and growing together and changing as people, as in the infatuation is gone and you love each other differently than you did when you first got together but there’s still so much unconditional love there it’s just a different (like a more serious or maybe even a deeper) kind of love, or could be referring to friendships (whether between him and the boys or other people from his personal life) and those friendships changing or even fading with time, or even feelings about a situation changing over time; it could also be taken a bit more literally too of course as well and have a negative meaning as in we don’t love each other anymore/don’t feel the same way about each other anymore/aren’t as close anymore (again whether between friends or a romantic partner, or even not feeling the same way about a situation anymore, etc.), it’s all up to interpretation i guess and how you choose to see it but i think it can be thought of in lots of different ways

for the names thing i think this can also have multiple meanings, like maybe it could be referring to names he and liam and/or the boys call each other (friendly nick names, pet names as a couple, etc.) and/or the names they’re made to mention/promo in interviews, like how some periods we would get a bunch of louis and zayn mentioning each other or niall and zayn mentioning each other lilo or niam mentioning each other, etc. and then other times they’d be promo-ing other random people (like liam mentioning charlie puth every 2 seconds for a while, etc.)

[fyi i’ll be skipping over any repeating refrains/verses since there’s no real need to re-hash things over again or take up unnecessary space with lines that have already been talked about]

So I

I don't wanna say what's scripted

Whether you are or aren't with it

I know what I need

'Cause I

I don't wanna say what's scripted

Whether you are or aren't with it

I know what I need

this part i think is pretty obvious (and i think a lot of people agree) that it’s most likely referring to having to say scripted lines in interviews and things of that sort and that’s why he avoids it so much, he doesn’t wanna be forced or used to sell the narratives they want him to sell and say the company lines they want him to say, he “knows what he needs” and that’s to stay away as much as he can from engaging in all the bs

but again i think it could also have a double meaning in that he maybe doesn’t wanna say or do generic things either and this can be in regards to life in general or more specifically with his romantic partner, like he doesn’t wanna say or do what he’s expected to say/do, he wants to be different and to do things differently/do things in his own unique way (in life in general, but also maybe in his relationship like finding other ways to say “i love you” or to show his love, finding other ways to be together that don’t necessarily follow “traditional” paths which also could be a nod them being in a [conventionally-speaking] “untraditional” relationship, which a lot of people would consider a same-sex interracial interfaith relationship between two huge self-proclaimed dorks lmao to be)

i think it’s important to note that he also includes a snippet of an interview shortly after this part in which he talks about sex not being as meaningful anymore with this generation and how that was a part of what he was trying to convey on ‘let me.’ which begs the question why? why draw attention to this specific interview (one that references ‘let me’) out of all the interviews he could’ve chosen? why draw attention back to such a romantic song (and to the idea of meaningful sex and meaningful relationships) in the middle of this dark part of the album that seems to (imo) mostly be about the negative sides of the industry? we’ll get back to my theory on that in a moment but in the meantime…

there’s also the fact that the melody of song is very somber through most of the song and i think that’s intentional because it kind of serves to evoke the pain and sadness he feels over his situation and i think he wants the listeners to feel and understand that as well and to understand why, to understand all the little things about his whole situation that make him so sad and the main thing seems to be that he has to “say what’s scripted” when he doesn’t want to and isn’t truly allowed to be himself or say or do what he wants as much as he would like. BUT—here’s where we get back to my theory on why he suddenly calls our attention back to such a romantic song and to the idea of meaningful relationships

not long after this point in the song (after the chorus repeats again) the melody suddenly changes, all of a sudden it feels less somber (at least to me), i would almost even characterize it as kind of tentatively hopeful/tentatively optimistic if i had to put a label on it, my theory is that he’s setting for the stage for what comes next, getting us ready for a change in tune (literally but also figuratively as in a change in theme) and then we get this

You'd still remember my eyes

Even if the Men In Black flashed

Their light into your eyes

For the second time this night

It feels right when it's, only you and I

so this seems to be a nod to a huge recurring theme on this album which is this idea of always remembering each other/always being fated to find each other (through space and time and making it together through all kinds of obstacles, etc.)—aka SOUL MATES—which so many songs on this album seem to reference over and over and over again…and which as an aside always reminds me of that moment in an interview (sorry i tried but i couldn’t find a link to it) where i think they’re talking about what would have happened in an alternative universe/timeline if they hadn’t gone on txf and weren’t famous or something like that and zayn says he’s not sure if he would’ve met liam cause “i don’t tend to do much in me own time” and liam’s like “but you might have” and zayn’s like “yeah but maybe” not and Liam Not Having Any of It Payne insists “but then again you might have”

but anyway all that to say that i think it’s clear by this recurring theme that zayn’s definitely since come around to the idea lol and has even adopted him for himself and decided to make into a running theme on the album and not only that but clearly he’s come to believe that the romantic partner (i.e. liam) he keeps alluding to in so many songs on the “icarus” side is his soulmate and they can make it through anything

[but again, as with a lot of the other lines in this song (and on this album in general) i think there’s a small chance this verse could also be have a double meaning as well, possibly as a reference to the fans and how mgmt/1dhq has repeatedly tried to basically do a madagasar penguins ‘you didn’t see anything’ move on us and act like the shit we know we saw never happened by panic-deleting videos and releasing bs articles and manipulating the boys’ twitters; it’s a rather flimsy theory i know, esp given that all the other lines surrounding it suggest that it’s more likely in reference to a personal relationship than a more general reference that could be applied to fans but it’s just something that’s been in the back of my mind ever since i first heard the song so just putting it out there]

Oh, you and I

Oh, you and I

Oh, you and I

Oh, you and I

do i even need to say anything about this?

he repeats it five times which…interesting number first off 😏 (and also separates out the other four from the first one which again - interesting)…but also makes it pretty evident that this is a line that’s being very much emphasized, that has serious meaning, that he wants you to pay attention to, that much is obvious not only in the repetition but the fact that it deviates from the composition of the rest of the song - the music changes/falls away to just a very simple (piano?) melody and beat, the focus is mostly on just his voice and it’s the ever enigmatic “you” that he’s singing to (that also seems to be a running theme on both albums, as he often—not necessarily always but often—seems to differentiate between this “you” and other people/pronouns/things referred to in his songs) in a slightly sped up but very similar style to the style of the harmonies in you & i, a song in which he had very notable harmonies with liam (that’s possibly regarded as the most unequivocal ziam song) that they often romantically and openly serenaded each other with (like specifically turned to each other just to sing to each other), that liam said was his favorite song off the midnight memories album, that liam got a line from (“i figured it out”) permanently tattooed on his arm right below the feather that was widely believed to be the missing feather from zayn’s then chest tattoo (and which many believed being with zayn was the “thing” he figured out), a song that liam cried during the first few times they performed it without zayn, and a song that’s about nothing be able to come between two soulmates people in love who are destined to be together and that clearly had a lot of special meaning to them both (and that the fandom knows and that i’m sure they also know is widely regarded as a ziam song because as liam said on many occasions they see what we say about them, they know what goes on and what we think about the stuff they do/say) - all of that leads me to believe that this was a calculated and very obvious/deliberate move by zayn to emphasize this part in the song so clearly, a [huge] red herring if you will, and i would argue that it has even more significance not only just because of all that’s mentioned above but also because of the fact that he chose to include these lines in a song on the “falls” side of the album, the side that’s supposed to be the more negative/dark side (and the side that i believe is largely representative of his feelings and experience with fame and the entertainment industry). which to me suggests that the overarching message that he’s trying to get across/convey with this song is basically that everything may be shit with how things are being run and the stuff he (and the other boys) are made to do and say but he’s always gonna go his own way and regardless of what gets thrown at them he and liam (and the rest of ot5) are gonna make it through together

[summerspn]

Captain Marvel (2019)

Random movie review...(and rambling)

(Minor Spoilers)

It was great!

I can’t tell you how it feels to have a movie resonate so much with me... I suppose this is what it felt like for many people watching Black Panther.

It just...it was kind of beautiful.

People talk about representation but that’s only part of it.

It’s about getting it right.

I was lucky enough to have some strong role models growing up. My parents were/are great. My mom is independent and strong and vulnerable too. She shows me being strong can mean many things.

However, when see movie after movie of women being assistants - helping men & being secondary characters it does put a little nagging voice in the back of your mind that makes you questions things.

If in life women’s jobs are mainly second fiddle to men...and if they’re like that on tv & in movies then it must mean something. Right?

Growing up I’ve always been told what I can’t do - MOSTLY by men & boys. Women usually told me to ‘give it a shot’.

I guess these are some things I started thinking about after the movie. All the times I’ve been told I can’t do something just because I’m a girl.

I couldn’t play baseball. I wasn’t allowed to play with my brothers friends (my brother didn’t mind) because their parents forbid them from playing with girls because we’d get hurt. Never mind I later ended up on the school baseball team...

I was encouraged by high school guidance counselors NOT to go into design & technology despite the fact I had an A average and my highest grade was Drafting (at 98%).

I’m always told by random strangers to smile because it makes THEM feel good.

I’m always told that I need to help male coworkers out but they don’t help us. They talk over women all the time and don’t even realize it. Meetings go on for hours and we can’t take washroom breaks because the (male) bosses don’t need them (FYI women have 1/3 the size bladder than men do and holding it can result in various health issues...). Getting up and leaving the room would make us look weak and we could miss important information...

I’m not saying this to bring up a debate or to annoy. Simply that there are countless frustrations we go through our lives as women on a daily basis on top of the everyday frustrations everyone goes through.

One of these frustrations is that there was very little attention paid to the idea that a woman could be strong and even less that she could be a super hero. The past ten years things have been improving but at a slow rate.

I was lucky enough to have seen some female characters that are strong and intelligent on screen when I was in high school but I don’t remember any before that. Unless you count The Care Bears(but I never thought of any as having a gender) or Miss Piggy from The Muppets. But humans? I can’t think of any.

However, even in the 90’s these strong women often become damsels around men or have to have a romance going on. Why? Tons of movies with male leads don’t have those.

Even the show Buffy The Vampire Slayer (I still love it) had a massive focus on romantic relationships. It was forward thinking and progressive in many ways but it too had some flaws. It took several seasons for Buffy to show her intelligence and for the women on the show to stop competing for a mans attention (Buffy & Cordelia). Don’t get me wrong it was for the part really well written but I could never understand why there weren’t female characters that were smart AND strong. It was either nerd or soldier (slayer).

- While I am grateful for all the complex, layered & strong female characters out there they often fell short for me. Even back then...Decades ago.

- Why didn’t anyone do Wonder Woman until a couple years ago? The tv show tried back in the day but then there was very little effort until recent years. Why? And why were there no attempts at Captain Marvel before? I mean, how many attempts at Spider-Man have their been? Or the Hulk? Are there even female characters in the cartoons? (I literally have no idea but the commercials never show them...).

So, seeing this movie tonight I went in expecting the same entertainment as all the other Marvel movies and by the end I was thinking...

FINALLY!!!

Finally they get it. The creators, the powers that be, everyone who put this beautiful movie together. They get it.

From the subtle facial expressions that Brie Larson & Lashana Lynch has to the more obvious snippets showing the sexism women experience... to how the girl (Akira Akbar) tries to lift up & encourages her mother and embraces someone different. Showing the nurturing side of being a female as well as being brave, strong, intelligent & complex. It was done wonderfully.

Showing a few instances of Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) rejecting the idea of being put into a box while trying to discover who she is can resonate with so many people.

I love how Danvers discovers she has power instead of being a tool to be used by someone.

And the fact that women can be strong, intelligent, brave and a million other things is great. But what many...many...MANY shows & movies have done lately is take power FROM men. They say they’re feminists and bash men. They become just as cruel as the people they want to take down or be equal to. That’s not right. This movie does not do that. It’s about discovering your OWN power with or without magical abilities!

I absolutely hate when I hear people say they’re for equality and women’s power but then bash men. I have a lot of great men in my life and I’d never want anything to happen to them. It’s unfortunate there are still old fashioned ideas that people have (even by men that love us) but hate is not going to lead to change.

I love how this movie treats the male-female interactions and relationships. After I saw this I let my brother know he should take both his kids to see it. My niece would love the strong female super hero since she hates the princess type movies (which at her age is about 90% of the movies female-led characters). And my nephew would find it funny and cool. He loves super hero’s. Plus it won’t make him feel bad.

Many of the so-called feminist stories/programs I’ve seen in the news, on TV, and even movies say men are the enemy. They’re not. My biggest pet peeve with that is...well, just think about it. How would you like to be watching a show and have the women bashed and told they ruin everything and that they’ve caused all the problems in the world? ...right...there’s an entire movement to stop that. So don’t do that for men either. Just lift each other up and pursue equality without trying to take power from anyone else. I’m very happy to say my nephew can watch something like Captain Marvel without having to feel any shame about his gender - and the EXACT same can be said for girls or any other pronoun one chooses to go by.

As far as plots go, it was good. Acting was good. The writing was good. It was entertaining and fun. The special effects were great.

I heard some bad reviews about this movie but that’s total BS. Ignore those. I find movies like this some people go in thinking it’ll make then run out of the theatre going ‘its the best movie of all time’ and it’ll never hold up to that hype. So some people will simply like it but still not consider it good enough 🤷‍♀️

As far as comparing this to other Marvel movies, yes you will enjoy it just as much, if not more than some of the others. It’s fun, entertaining, and has a couple twists. Don’t go in thinking it’ll change history or anything. It’s just a movie but it is a good one. Yes it resonates with me but that’s because the world was overdue for stories like this. Go into the movie to simply enjoy it.

I do however, recommend this to people with daughters & nieces especially. Especially if they don’t get exposed to strong intelligent and complex women or watch a lot of strong characters.

Do you have any idea how many shows are out there where the girls (characters) are idiots? Too many. And trying to buy toys for them - almost every box for toys about building, engineering, technology or science have boys on them. Boxes with girls are only for jewelry & perfume making. Hopefully this Christmas there will be Captain Marvel action figures instead.

So think about it. Why does girls’ confidence level dip as they get older? Maybe because a million messages telling us we shouldn’t do this or that while internally we want to. It’s an internal struggle that gets exhausting.

What am I trying to say?

Girls need to be exposed to good characters in different formats.

But seeing an intelligent, funny, female super hero right there on the big screen - magnificent and powerful...it’ll make girls feel powerful! It’ll give them ideas. Inspire them. Maybe they’ll want to be a pilot like Carol Danvers...maybe a soldier. Or maybe it’ll simply make her feel like she can go off and climb Mount Everest because she can do whatever she wants. She doesn’t have to listen to everyone telling her she can’t.

Seeing this as an adult I loved it because it was entertaining. My best friend also loved it but afterwards she said to me that it felt like they ‘got it right’ and she didn’t have to explain anything to me. I get it. For a thousand reasons I can’t seem to put into words.

One part of the movie near then end, I got teary eyed. I just felt a strong sense of pride. Not at the movie but at myself. After everything I’ve been through in my life. All my struggles - big and small - I’m still here. I get knocked down but I get right back up. I may not be a soldier, a pilot, or a super hero...he’ll, I’m terrified of spiders. But I am strong and I’ll always get right back up. Because I’m human. It’s what we do - all of us. And this movie is the first time in a very long time where it made me feel proud to be a woman.

And THAT is why Captain Marvel is going to resonate with girls & women everywhere.

Thank you to everyone who worked on this movie to make it happen. All the actors, the crew, & Mr Stan Lee (RIP).

FINALLY another step forward.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5/5

[tsukihoshi14]

Hi new fan here! I have seen there is a new book about hanyu yuzuru that has came out. How many books are there about him? What are the difference between them and What's your recommendations? I'm planning to buy them on amazon so i wanted your opinion. Hope it's not too much to ask for. I love your blog 💖

Hi there, yes there’s been a boom of Yuzu-related books and contents recently so I totally understand that it can be confusing. 

[alert: everything below this line is purely my opinion and can be biased]

He has 3 autobiographies so far: Aoi Hono 1 (2012), Aoi Hono 2 (2016) and「夢を生きる」(’Living the Dream’) (2018) which was just out yesterday (I think this one also counts as autobiography). A sport journalist wrote a biography of Yuzu called ‘Yuzuru’s Method’. All four of them come with pretty photos of Yuzuru. @yuzusorbet made an amazing post with introduction and snippets of Aoi Hono 1, Aoi Hono 2, Yuzuru’s Method here, I found it very helpful when I was a new fan too. 

I’ve finished the two Aoi Hono books, I have a copy of Yuzuru’s Method but haven’t finished it. imo, the structure of these 3 books are kinda the same, but Aoi Hono-s provide more details (2 books vs 1) and they are mostly Yuzuru’s answers and perception of how things happened in his life in a chronological order, while Yuzuru’s Method focuses more on the concept of ‘What made Yuzuru become a champion?’ and the journalist puts an emphasis on how he evolved each season (each chapter is about one of his senior season). Personally, I also like the two Aoi Hono the best out of all Yuzu books not only because they tell the story of Yuzuru’s life and his thoughts in great details but also because the royalties are donated to Ice Rink Sendai where he trained for so many years.

[update: for those who don’t understand Japanese, nonchan translated Aoi Hono 1 and you can ask her for it if you have the book, I’m translating Aoi Hono 2 so it’ll be ready some time soon, you can have it if you have a copy of the book.]

I haven’t had a chance to read「夢を生きる」yet, but I’ve seen several reviews about it from Japanese fans.  It covers 2015-2018 with interviews from Ice Jewels and interviews done specifically for this book. I’m quite sad that it doesn’t mention Pyeongchang at all (probably too close to printing date), but I heard that there are pretty photos in the book (they even have photos of him wearing hakama in there, the blue one from 2015 :>). I’m definitely gonna get myself a copy of it this month. 

Yuzuru also published a Quote collection book and a Photobook under his name a while ago. @kaerb has been translating some of the quotes from the former book (quote + context) so you can take a look here.

Yuzuru has been mentioned in quite a few books, I don’t think I know all of them. But a lot of fans buy Team Brian 1 (2014) & Team Brian 2 (2017). I don’t have them yet so I’m not sure about how the books really are. But they definitely emphasize on Team Brian, Brian’s relationship with Yuna, Yuzu, Javi more than just Yuzu, so that’s something to keep in mind. The reception of the first book is very good, but doesn’t seem to be the case for the second one. Again, I haven’t read them so I can’t confirm how good/bad they are, but I do plan to get at least the first one and see.

If you also want to read more on Japanese figure skating and Yuzuru’s role in it, then there are two books that were just released a few months ago. One is called「日本フィギュアスケート 金メダルへの挑戦」(The Road to Olympic Gold) (2018), written by Noriko Shirota, mentions how Japanese figure skating evolved from Midori Ito, Arakawa, Mao,…. to Yuzuru. I don’t know much about this one but the reviews seem good. The other one is「羽生結弦は助走をしない」(2017). This is written on the same topic, with the emphasis on Yuzuru and takes other skaters in his generation into consideration more than the first one. Also, this is written by a figure skating enthusiast and strives to explain figure skating itself and why these skaters are great to those who are not fans or not familiar with skating. I’ve only started reading this recently, but I really like the casual voice of this author and how the book approaches skating quite logically and easy to understand. On the other hand, this one doesn’t come with any photos, it’s all plain text with a pretty Seimei-styled cover, just in case you’re wondering.

Several people have asked me about this recently-released book called 英語で読む羽生結弦 (Reading about Hanyu Yuzuru in English) (2018). This is a bi-lingual English-Japanese biography of Yuzuru. I was very excited about this book at first. I only got the chance to take a brief look at it at the bookstore, but my impression was that it’s kinda similar to Aoi Hono, like a shortened version, with explanations of figure skating terms and also a list of his achievements. Friends and Japanese fans reviewed that the English translation was not really good and the book explained some of the skating terms incorrectly, so I wouldn’t really recommend this book tbh.

Ahhh, it’s become a long answer again :))) I hope I didn’t miss any good books. If I did or if others recommend to add some more good titles, I will edit the original post. I’m aware that Yuzu did a lot of interviews on Ice Jewels and mooks (don’t know if you’re interested in them or not) but I don’t have any knowledge on magazine-related or mook-related contents so I can’t really recommend anything :”>

FYI: Since you ask about buying books, I’m assuming that you’re quite comfortable reading Japanese texts. But even if you don’t, it’s still a good opportunity to practice. I never had enough motivation to read books in Japanese until I started with Aoi Hono tbh XD So if anyone wants to challenge yourself reading this and is curious how hard the text is, you can DM me and I’ll send you a scan of the first 2-3 pages so you can estimate before buying. I have 4 books so far and the scale of difficulty for me is:

羽生結弦は助走をしない < Aoi Hono 1 < Aoi Hono 2 < Yuzuru’s Method

Anw, have fun and enjoy reading :D Just ask if you have any other questions :>

[peonierose]

@persephone13 Oh my gosh. I feel you I‘m the same way. I also can never decide which story I like and want to know more about, so I always end up choosing more than one 🥰😅 Gld I could help you feel inspired 🥰💚

So I hope you’ll enjoy my snippets 💚

It’s gotten a bit longer just fyi 😅

May the Force be with you

Book: Open Heart

Fyi: This happens in the future when the twins are already born.

”Look man, it's Grogu.“

”Don’t…“ I wince.

Both Kehlani and Alaia squeal.

”Grogu.“ Their eyes spelling heart eyes.

”…say that name.“ I finished my sentence.

”Why?“ Sky looks at me confused.

”They love Grogu.“ I say.

Sky shakes his head.

”Who doesn’t? He’s adorable. Right girls?”

They both nod enthusiastically.

He holds out his hand and both twins walk towards him and he hoists them up so they can see better.

”Awww. He’s adorable.“

Their eyes get huge and they can’t hold back their excitement.

I grin but I know that if we don’t buy what we came for? Yeah we’ll be here having tea parties for hours.

”Let’s just go grab those foam water pistols.“

Alaia looks at me with sad brown eyes and points at Grogu.

”But daddy…! Grogu! He’s all alone.“ Her lip starts to quiver.

Oh god please don’t cry. I never know what to do when my girls cry.

”No one is left behind right, daddy?“ Kehlani adds and takes Alaia’s hand so she won’t cry. Smart girl. It’s an interesting thing to see the bond that the twins share.

When I look at them I give both of them a kiss. So their big brown eyes don’t look as sad anymore.

Sky whistles.

”Damn Bryce.“

”Why are you saying Bryce? Why aren’t you saying daddy?“ Alaia asks curiosity in her tone.

Sky looks at me with Alaia in his arms.

”Yeah why daddy?“

I sigh and give Sky an annoyed look. Hearing him call me daddy? It’s just weird man.

Nightbound

Book: Nightbound

Chapter 4 - Dream On

Characters involved: Hänsel van Andresen, Gretel van Andresen, Grey, Vi and Vine

I look out the window as I debate what to do. I walk into my kitchen to put on a kettle and prepare some green tea for myself.

As if on cue Vine and Vi enter my kitchen as if they own the place.

Not perturbed in the least by my half-nakedness. They both just take food and drinks out of the fridge and sit down at the kitchen stools in the far corner.

I wave my hand at them.

“Oh yeah please make yourself at home. Are you hungry? Do you want some coffee by any chance?“ I ask sarcasm dripping off of me in waves.

Vine shoots me a satisfied look. His periwinkle blue eyes sparkle with delight. His rose and vine tattoo covering all parts of his right arm.

Dark ruby red roses winding all over his arm, up until his collarbone. With vines peeking out. I love seeing it. Whenever I’m close to Vine I catch the scent of roses in full bloom.

Everyone in Fae gets a tattoo. Whether it’s big or small, that's up to you. Though everyone has one, one way or another. It’s a sign of someone’s power and origins. The tattoos are markings, and tell others from which court you hail.

Vines voice gets me out of my thoughts and I tune back into the conversation.

“Don’t mind if we do,“ he says, his dark blue hair glinting in the sunlight that emanates from the kitchen window and just keeps on eating his breakfast. Completely ignoring my sarcasm.

Vi just rolls her eyes and grabs a bottle of nightshade from the cupboard underneath the kitchen sink. The purple liquid shimmering around in the rectangular bottle.

I shake my head.

Vi shoots me a look and I take the kettle from the stove and pour some hot water into a mug. The green tea leaves are already inside.

Nightbound

Book: Nightbound

Chapter 5 - Purple Rain

Characters involved: Hänse van Andresen, Gretel van Andresen, Grey, Vi, Vine, Bella and Cal Lowell

“What is wrong with you?“ I say on a breathy exhale. Gripping the edge of the tub with both hands on the sides.

He grins and leans casually against the door frame. He leans one foot against the doorframe, and crosses his arms over his chest.

“You said to call you when I can arrange a meeting with Bella. So here I am,“ he says nonchalantly.

I still fight for air and stare at him.

“I said call not appear out of thin air like…like…freaking…Gandalf,“ I say.

He laughs.

“Not sure who that is but he sounds weird,“ he says.

”Lord of the Rings?“ I say and Grey shakes his head.

I sigh and put more bubbles around myself. I feel utterly exposed.

“Do you mind? I’m taking a bath,“ I grunt out. Mad that he interrupted my moment.

He gives me a strange look.

“That’s very interesting. Said no one ever,“ he replies.

I sigh in frustration.

“I’m naked underneath,“ I say.

He raises a black eyebrow - keeping his appearance even though I know what he truly looks like. It must be difficult to keep all this glamor up at all times.

I like him more in his true form with silver blond hair and crystal blue eyes.

“Do you usually take a bath fully clothed?“ he asks.

I scoff at his words.

”Very funny.“

Nightbound

Book: Nightbound

Chapter 6 - Paradise City

Characters involved: Hänsel van Andresen, Gretel van Andresen, Grey, Vi and Vine

“You have a beautiful home,“ I say to Grey.

“You don’t have to sound quite so surprised,“ he comments a bit miffed and I snort at that.

“And you don’t have to sound like a dick. Just accept the compliment. If I wouldn’t have meant it I wouldn’t have said it;“ I reply.

He stumbles but regains his balance. Only to look over his shoulder and give me a curious look.

I sit down at the counter and look at him.

“What?“ I ask him when he keeps staring at me.

“Are you always this blunt?“ he asks trying to decipher if I’m trying to rile him up.

“Do you want me to lie to you?“ I ask him and dangle my foot.

“No I’d rather have your honesty,“ he bristles.

I shrug.

“Alright sugarlips, what are we having?“ I rub my hands excitedly.

He stops and stares at me again and just shakes his head in bemusement.

Another Clue for Scooby-Doo

Book: Crimes of Passion & Scooby-Doo AU

”Wait what is that?“ I ask getting to my feet rubbing my arms and Trystan gets up too.

The freezer door gets opened and we see a dog in the entry together with Matt.

”I followed my nose,“ the talking dog says.

I try rubbing my eyes to make sure I’m seeing this and it’s not an imagination of my tired and worn out brain.

Trystan leans down to me and says.

”I think the ice is getting to me,“ he mumbles.

I roll my eyes.

”The saying goes the heat is getting to me,“ I correct him.

He replies.

”Either way. There shouldn’t be any talking dogs should there?“ he asks.

I shake my head.

”No there shouldn’t,“ I say.

”I don’t suppose you have a name?“ I ask and the brown dane answers.

”I‘m Scooby,“ he says super excited.

Matt looks between us and pats Scooby. Who grins. It’s weirding me out. To say the least. I’ve seen many things. But this is a first even for me.

”It’s true it’s a talking dog,“ Matt says and together we walk out of the freezer.

I feel a pinch on my butt and whirl to Trystan who looks innocently at me.

”Why did you pinch me?“ I hiss in his direction.

”Because I wanted to make sure you’re seeing the same thing. And we’re sharing the hallucination,“ he says and we all walk into the store in the front.

Scooby‘s face is plastered on the glass of various sausages and cheeses.

Meli Kalikimaka

Book: Open Heart

A/N: I wanted to post this for Christmas, but maybe I’ll post it as soon as it’s done 😅

Characters involved: Luna Auclair, Bryce Lahela, Grace Auclair, Brian Auclair

”You go girl.“ Bryce adds.

Everyone looks at Bryce.

”What? I was trying to be supportive. No offense.“ He says in my dad’s direction. He just waves him off.

”It’s all good.“ My mom grins at Bryce.

My mom faces everyone.

”There are these two kids. Twins actually. A boy and a girl. They’re names are Iolana Māhoe and Kaeo Māhoe. Both are 17-years-old. They’re in my English class. Recently they lost their parents in a car accident. So they’ve been in between foster homes for a while.“

Mom lets out a shaky breath.

”I think I might know where this is going. There’s nothing to be afraid of Gracie.“ Aunt Joe smiles.

”Told you.“ Dad adds and makes me laugh, but I try to tone it down.

Mom has to grin too and takes a deep breath.

”Brian and I applied to adopt them. They’d be Luna's brother and sister.“

I smile. I still can’t believe it. I’m getting a brother and a sister. It’s going to be a tough road but they’re already so loved by all of us. I know with time they will feel like this is their family too. I just know it.

”This is so exciting.“ Evie says. Her green eyes sparkled.

”That’s amazing mamma G.“ Maxi grins.

”Way to go aunt Grace. Wait. That means there’s going to be another guy next to Bryce. Yes. No offense man.“ Sky looks apologetically at Bryce.

Bryce bristles.

”What do you mean no offense? Last time I checked I was still a guy. I mean I have all the parts.“ He says and snorts.

”Eww. Gross.“ Keiki throws a bean at him. Leaving some green remnants on his face behind.

”I look like an art piece.“ Bryce grins.

”A very hot piece.“ I add. B and I grin at each other.

Everyone laughs.

WIP Game

Thank you to these lovely friends of mine for tagging me 💚💚💚💚 @trappedinfanfiction @cariantha @kristinamae093 @tessa-liam @alj4890 @ofmischiefandmedicine and @persephone13

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

I’ve got a couple of wip (okay that’s a lie I’ve got tons 😅🙈)

Somewhere only we Know

You make me see in colors

Las hijas de Luna

Amber

May the Force be with you

Losing Game

Ohana

Coral Crush

Nightbound Chapter 4-6

The Royal & I

Waffle House

Babysitting 101

Humble Quest

Sea Salt

Where the Heck is Camelot?

Primrose

Eat it Twilight

Another Clue for Scooby-Doo

Through Love and Courage

Mele Kalikimaka

I’ll tag:

@inlocusmads @ao719 @txemrn @surrenderronnie1 @karahalloway @socalwriterbee @aallotarenunelma @headoverheelsforramsey @sfb123 @angelasscribbles @mysticalgalaxysstuff @deb-1106 @persephone13 @the-pale-goddess @amortentiaopenheart @hopelessromantic1352 @charlotteg234 @takemyopenheart @mvalentine @dr-colossal-pita @openheartforeverinmyheart

And anyone else who wants to have some fun sharing 💚

[fiti-vation]

sorry to bother, but do you have any evidence on-hand for that Foods To Eat [before/after/to (do/thing)] post sourced to you? i'd like to think it's accurate information but considering it's just claims with no supporting evidence, i'm dubious. thank you!

(fruitarian diet

The What to Eat post contains 12 snippets, therefore which one are you referring to? Are you referring to all 12 or one in particular?

I will start by saying that all 12 snippets come from The Fitness Café, they have over one million followers on Facebook where the vast majority of their content is posted I would be surprised that a network with such colossal following promote “dubious” information. That said, FYI one of the Fitness Café founders actually lost 48lbs in one year and is on his way to completing his first half marathon; unquestionably I am certain he’d be more than happy to hear your concern/feedback regarding his webpage content. Withal, there is a contact us section through their main website or you can also contact them through their FB page if you want to further verify with these guys!

As for evidence, obviously I cannot speak on behalf of the Fitness Café founders, but I can certainly throw in my 2 cents!

If you have been following me for the past 6 years, one thing you learn about me through my blog is that I am a huge advocate of Hippocrates, the father of medicine motto and philosophy; “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. In other words, “you are what you eat”! Considering that every 35 days your skin replaces itself and your liver about a month with new cells coming from the foods you eat there is no doubt what you eat literally becomes you! The food you ingest can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison. I’d like to point out here that although I am an avid supporter of Hippocrates, let not thy food be confused with thy medicine: The Hippocratic misquotation… For example, I do not agree with people who believe that a fruitarian diet (Fruitarianism) cures cancer over chemotherapy, but I do believe that healthy eating may and can help prevent or lower the risk of getting severe cancer. I remember when my mom was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer her oncologist recommended her to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables/to follow a healthy diet along with her chemotherapy treatments. 

Continuing in the same vein, it is also no secret eating a nutritious daily diet is important to maintain good health. Consuming a variety of foods helps to get the daily vitamins, minerals, protein and energy necessary for feeling your best. Many fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed whole foods have properties that can benefit our health. Studies in the past decade have taken nutritional research beyond protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. Chemicals in the plants called phytochemicals have been a specific focus in the past decade, offering benefits such as cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, and hormone regulation, to name a few.There is truly a cornucopia of nutritional benefits that have been discovered. Since the post in question is way too long I will evidently not elaborate on all 12 snippets. 

Before elaborating on some of the information contained in that post I’d like to give you a bit of a background about myself since you didn’t seem to mind reading the about me section on my blog (no pun intended). 

I’m Stephanie (you can call me Steph), I used to be a class 2 obese teen who lost 70 pounds on her own (no personal trainer, no nothing), went from 220 lbs. to 150 lbs. during my first year of college mainly by undertaking running. Long story short, running became more than just a hobby with time (obviously), so after college I decided to give it a shot and try out for the varsity track and field team. I became so passionate with everything surrounding health that I decided to add a minor in social sciences of health during my undergrad. The rest is history, that once obese kid is now a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) tracklete – FYI I am a short distance runner. All that to say, I am not just a random anon posting about health and fitness, I actually live it, breath it and studied the subject. 

Going back to the subject, as a varsity athlete and an avid runner the information contained in the Foods to eat section for: muscle gain, running, before and after workout seems to be correct to me. I can’t think of any fellow sport mate who’d say otherwise.

For example, the what to eat for running sections makes mention of quite a few carbohydrates -  if you are an athlete not only a runner you understand the vital role these micronutrients play when it comes to performing. Healthy carbohydrates of course such as grains (brown rice), sweet potatoes, bananas (such as indicated in the post).

If you are familiar with the world of running, it should be no secret to you that most runners know they should eat pasta, rice, potatoes, or other high-carb foods before a half or full marathon (which is known as carbo-load). After all, carbs are a great source of energy, and you need a lot of energy to cover 13.1 or 26.2 miles. Having said that, if you are unfamiliar with Carb science I would recommend you read on it, it’s very interesting.  

A bit of carb science:

When you eat a bowl of spaghetti, most of the carbs are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver. Glycogen is your body’s most easily accessible form of energy, but it’s not the only source. During a half or full marathon, you burn both glycogen and fat. But the latter is not as efficient, which means your body has to work harder to convert it into fuel.

When you run out of glycogen during a race you hit “the wall.” Your body has to slow down as it turns fat into energy. Proper carbo-loading—or filling your muscles to the brim with glycogen—won’t make you faster, but it will allow you to run your best and, if you race smartly, avoid the wall. Obviously, as mentioned above you have to choose wisely and select the proper carbs.

I personally like to stick to same carbs, sweet potatoes, plantains and berries, but runners don’t need to be so restrictive. Tortillas, oatmeal, bread, pancakes, waffles, bagels, yogurt, and juice are all easy-to-digest options. Many fruits are high in carbs but are also high in fiber—and too much can cause stomach trouble midrace. Bananas are a low-fiber choice. And you can peel apples, peaches, and pears to reduce their fiber content. Throughout the years, I have posted several posts about carbs for runners on my blog.

Moving on, as for the muscle building snippet, I think it is pretty obvious that the foods mentioned contribute to muscle gain. All of the foods contained in the post below are loaded with protein, so I really don’t see why the information would be regarded as “dubious”. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of anyone knowledgeable about fitness and nutrition who’d think otherwise. Protein is a major micronutrient when it comes to muscles growth. Protein is made up of amino acids and amino acids are the building blocks of your muscles and body. Without them, it would be impossible to build, repair or even maintain muscle tissue. Protein is made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Having a sufficient amount of protein will put you in a positive nitrogen balance, or an anabolic state. Being in an anabolic state will allow you to build muscle. Protein is even described as structural components of body tissues such as muscle, hair, collagen, etc., and as enzymes and antibodies.

As for fruits/vegetables I supposed the Fitness Café may be alluding to plant-based protein foods or carbs. A lot of fitness novices make the error of cutting carbs from their diet thinking it will help their muscles grow faster which isn’t the case at all.  As effective as high-protein diets are for losing weight and athletic performance, you still need carbs and fat for maximum muscle growth (all micronutrients). As seen above, your body uses carbs for energy during exercise. If your cache of carbs is low, your body will use protein as an alternate fuel source, and your muscles won’t grow as much as they would if you were feeding them a cocktail of protein and carbs. As for the fat, it’s vital for the production of muscle-building testosterone. (Studies show that guys who eat higher-fat diets also have higher testosterone levels). Good carbs can be obtained from a variety of vegetables and fruits.

Speaking of protein, if you paid attention to the content of the post you’ve portably noticed that protein shakes/bars and foods are mentioned in the after/before and muscle gain section. One of the most important things you learn when getting seriously into fitness is the crucial importance of proper supplementation pre-and post-workout.  Although it can vary by brand, most experts recommend taking protein in two servings: one an hour or so before your workout to tank off your body’s energy reserves, and another dose immediately after you work out to help repair muscle damage and fuel the growth of new muscles.

As a woman, I would like to also comment of the pregnancy section before concluding. Although, I have no intention of getting pregnant anytime soon, I have been reading a lot about healthy pregnancy lately and the foods showed in that section as well seems pretty accurate to me based on my readings. For example, leafy greens such as spinach have high levels of folate and iron, and kale and turnip greens are both good calcium sources. These minerals are important during pregnancy. Furthermore, all women need 10 extra grams of protein a day during pregnancy (for a total of at least 60 grams); beans and lentils are an excellent source, with about 15 grams per cup. They’re also high in fiber, which helps to combat constipation. And 1 cup of cooked lentils meets half of your daily folate requirement. Moreover, considering that many women develop aversions to meat while pregnant. Eggs are an excellent alternative protein source, since they contain all the essential amino acids your body needs. I also really like the fact that they mentioned lean meat because during pregnancy a woman’s iron intake needs to double so it’s important to include plenty of iron-rich foods now.

I could go on and on and give many examples, but I think you get it now. I invite to read more about health, fitness, wellness, everything surrounding wellbeing in general. Do I agree with everything Fitness Café mentioned yes and no, the world of fitness is always debating on various topic! There are a few things I would have added/changed, but overall for starters I think it’s a great post.

SOURCES:

15 Pregnancy Power Foods 

Let Food Be Thy Medicine:

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/let-food-be-thy-medicine-and-medicine-be-thy-food-the-fetishism-of-medicinal-foods/

http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/superfoods-healing-powers

BOOKS:

The Healing Power of Food

Protein - The Foundation Of Building Muscle! 

The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition : A Cutting-Edge Plan to Fuel Your Body Beyond the Wall

Run Fast. Eat Slow. : Nourishing Recipes for Athletes by Shalane Flanagan

Runner’s World Meals on the Run : 150 Energy-Packed Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less by Joanna Sayago Golub

[womenofcolor15]

NeNe Leakes Drops Teaser For New Song Called 'Hunni', And It Might Just Be A Bop

NeNe Leakes came out the woodwork with a whole song. And while we shouldn't be the least surprised, we weren't ready. But now that we've heard the snippet, do we have another Bravo Bop on our hands?

NeNe Leakes, the rapper. Comedian. Reality Star. Actress. Call her whatever but just say booked & busy at the end, we guess. In between clapbacks during her beef with her "RHOA" co-star Eva Marcille yesterday, she dropped a snippet of a new song she's dropping soon called "Hunni."

Remember when Kim Zolciak dropped "Tardy For The Party" and Countess Luann dropped "Money Can't Buy You Class" and Kenya Moore dropped "Gone With the Wind Fabulous"? It was all a joking matter, until we found ourselves in full on bop mode anytime those songs came on when we were nice and tipsy. Can't even lie. And we have a feeling NeNe's new song is about to join those same ranks.

With some heavy production, a simple beat and NeNe's one-liners as ad-libs, she really can't lose with the folks who love (or love to hate) the "Housewives" franchise.

Check out the snippet and the shady caption below:

        View this post on Instagram

                  YOU BITCHES COULD NEVA HUNNI. I can’t turn yo plums into a peach! You should’ve performed #nowbowalittlelower I WEAR THE CROWN YOU WEAR A TIARA #thisisthehouseibuilt #hbic #thethreat #imcomingforyoubitches #goodskin #gunsloaded #the50fabclub NOW DROP THE BEAT APRIL 12th @iamladyluck Do your dance challenges and I’ll post them on my story. The best dance will be in the video

A post shared by Nene Leakes (@neneleakes) on Apr 2, 2020 at 3:45pm PDT

Not sure if it's catchy because she's saying the same thing over and over, or if we're just here for any and all foolery that comes from this show.

Also on the track is artist Lady Luck, who appears on Bravo's "First Family of Hip Hop".

Back at the top of March, the two hinted they had something cooking:

        View this post on Instagram

                  Such an amazing, humble , talented and beautiful person @neneleakes is. We had a ball and can’t wait to show the world what we got cooking! Big thanks to @djboywonda @glendancox @halamaroc Produced by @tmayde Come on and get this money!!! Stock just went up

A post shared by #SheGod (@iamladyluck) on Mar 4, 2020 at 4:18am PST

Are y'all downloading NeNe's new track when April 12th hits?

  BONUS: Eva accepted NeNe's "body challenge", and the petty continues.

        View this post on Instagram

                  Thank you @neneleakes for the body challenge!!! I ACCEPT! I nominate you to do your own challenge but make a video it’s harder to auto correct (and no old pictures with wiggly walls and backgrounds!!! Happy shooting (Both my shirt and pants are cotton no spanx and NO sucking in FYI)

A post shared by Eva Marcille (@evamarcille) on Apr 3, 2020 at 7:24am PDT

  Photo: Nene's IG

[Read More ...] source http://theybf.com/2020/04/03/nene-leakes-drops-teaser-for-new-a-song-called-hunni-and-it-might-just-be-a-bop

[cyberstabbing]

not frerard

Gen

well. shit. - an asshole!mcr ficlet disguised as a desolation row au….. it’s just an excuse to write the boys as jerks. 0.7k

The Year of Living Safely - Post-sobriety MCR. This is as much about me and my own brother as it is about the Way boys, and Christ was it hard to write; it brought a lot of painful things to the surface. 12k

painful but worth a read. or ten.

also, there’s some background one-sided frerard, but very low-key. and i repeat: one-sided.

​​Now With More Cowbell - Hermes - trickster god first and foremost, the patron saint of robbers and thieves, of conmen and rockstars. He’ll go to bat for you if you make him laugh or if he likes your style, or if you have an offering that tickles his fancy (he’s fond of stuffed animals, cigarettes, and ugly puppies, just as an FYI).

One of his godly duties is to guide souls to the underworld, lead them into their personal version of the afterlife, though maybe some people he doesn’t like get lost along the way. He’s not too great with messages, either, to be honest. 0.5k

Not a Pretty Girl - 28k

Gen. Always-been-a-girl fic featuring kick ass female drummer, Bob Bryar. The story is a series of shorter fics all about her life before MCR, growing up as a woman in the Chicago scene, touring with The Used, joining MCR and everything that comes with that. It's awesome. + art!

The Year of Living Safely - Post-sobriety MCR. This is as much about me and my own brother as it is about the Way boys, and Christ was it hard to write; it brought a lot of painful things to the surface. 12k

Incredibly painful but worth a read. Or ten. Does have one-sided Frank/Gerard (mentioned).

Away With The Boys In The Band - Behind the Music: My Chemical Romance, in the world where Mikey has always been a girl. 69k

Ship(s): Mikey Way/Otter, Mikey Way/Gabe Saporta, Mikey Way/Pete Wentz, Mikey Way/Alicia Simmons

^ I could not put this down. The writing is so so so spectacular, and the dialog is both interesting and realistic. A lot of angst, but still hilarious at parts. Please read. Putting this under both Gen and Other ships because whilst it doesn’t focus on a specific pairing Mikey’s relationships are brought up, just like all the other parts of her life are.

Update because I need to add some things: Listen! Words can not express how obsessed with this fic I am. I made a mixtape for it. Fanart. Currently working on a ebook version of it so I can print it out. Guys. You do not understand how fucking fantastic this fic is. Don’t scroll away from me, I’m serious! Fucking click the link dammit. Click it. C’mon. I’m waiting–click iiiiit. You back yet? Yeah? What did I tell you! I know, it is amazing! You okay? Got tissues? Good. Okay now go wash your face and eat a snack. No, no, no need to thank me, the pleasure was all mine.

Life on the Fashion Scene - This season of Project Runway becomes infamous for reasons beyond the quirks of the designers, Matt P.'s ousting, Pete's apparently crippling co-dependence on Patrick, and the rumored trysts between Mikey and Pete spawned by their formation of the Sweet Little Dudes Club (and the resulting matching t-shirts). 6k

Oh my god. Oh my. God. See, when I first saw the description I just started laughing hysterically. And then I started reading the first paragraph, just to see how ridiculous it would be. But I couldn’t put it down. So I read the entire thing, got way to invested, and now I’m begging strangers on the internet to read it. ...Please do!!!

Rappelling Down Mount Vesuvius - 1k | Gen

I love reading little snippets of their lives like this. Just the right amount of fluff and backstory for something bittersweet and hopeful.

Other ships

Away With The Boys In The Band - Behind the Music: My Chemical Romance, in the world where Mikey has always been a girl. 69k

^ I could not put this down. The writing is so so so spectacular, and the dialog is both interesting and realistic. A lot of angst, but still hilarious at parts. Please read. Putting this under both Gen and Other ships because whilst it doesn’t focus on a specific pairing Mikey’s relationships are brought up, just like all the other parts of her life are.

Ships: Mikey Way/Otter, Mikey Way/Gabe Saporta, Mikey Way/Pete Wentz, Mikey Way/Alicia Simmons

Thank You For The - Just an alien in New Jersey, looking for a mate. 0.5k

"Have fun," Gerard said, even though he'd just told Mikey he couldn't have fun because he needed to be careful. Mikey wished his venom sacs were fully developed. He would spit on Gerard's shoes.

Ship: Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way

Not Smashing Windows - In the beginning, they were the scene. An origin story. 32k

From Gabe’s POV, and it’s done flawlessly. It somehow emulates the same feeling one gets from stumbling across an overlooked short film at three a.m. on youtube. The one you can’t help but wonder about, how it is that you’ve never heard about it before. Like it is in its own bubble of existence. Feeling afraid to even breathe or look away, afraid that it’ll disappear at any time, that it was too good to be true. Something you shouldn’t be able to hold in your hands. This fic feels incredibly personal to read. Gabe’s longings of intimacy, the hopelessness at parts. I could feel my fondness for the characters grow enormously in this fic. 

The wording and conversations and scenes paint a brilliant picture that will stay with you for a long time. I know it will for me at least. 

Ship: Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way

Reaching Through The Mirror - The one where Party Poison and Basement!Gerard have sex. 5k

(part one of Time Travel ‘verse)

Ship: Gerard Way/Gerard Way

James Cameron Got It Wrong - In which 2005!Frank and Fun Ghoul get it on. Then Frank accidentally winds up in 2019. 56k

(part two of Time Travel ‘verse)

Ship: Frank Iero/Frank Iero

Put Your Mouth Over The Stupid Things We're Taught We Ought To Say - Gabe wakes up drunk, holding on to the bed for dear life and hoping he's not about to die. He's had nightmares about that, lately. Waking up confused and disoriented and then a few minutes later, dead. Sometimes there's symbolism and shit. 5k

Ship: Gabe Saporta/Mikey Way

00.06 - '4 and 14 adopt a newborn baby together. What do they name it, how do they raise it, etc, etc. Do they eventually get it siblings? Do they ditch it in a dumpster on prom night because its not as fun as they thought?’

THIS IS QUITE LITERALLY THE WEIRDEST THING I HAVE EVER WRITTEN. And yet, I am oddly charmed by it. 2k

oh my god. it was hilarious. Ship: Gerard Way/James Potter

Code Red - In the fall out of a fire fight, Party Poison goes looking for medicine, and finds pretty much the exact opposite of that. 2k

Ship: Korse/Party Poison

Frank/Gabe pr0n - "I need you to go to a party with me tonight."  Frank blinked and looked up at Mikey, frowning. "What?" 2k maybe

Ship: Frank/Gabe

Workplace Appropriate Attire - Korse is a creepy boyfriend. 1k

This was fun to read, but some lines made me go OH SHIT, because ...... well if you read this you will know what I’m talking about.

Ship(s): Korse/Party Poison

love on the webways - As a writer, Grant supposes he could have considerably worse habits than trolling his own message boards. 

A totally ridiculous AU vaguely inspired by You've Got Mail. 32k

This was so fun to read! It’s a what-if-they-broke-up-after-tbp fic btw.

Ship: Grant/Gerard

We Got Machines - There are questions on the lips of everyone with eyes or money on the arena. Who is this kid? Where’d he come from? Who trained him? BLind’s got no records on him, meaning he’s a Zonebrat returning to the grasp of the city of his own volition. Another anomaly. That a 16 year old nobody could waltz in out of nowhere and turn the system on its head is... concerning to BLind. <1k Part 1 of KJ/Griefers 'verse (3.5k in total)

Ship: Deadmau5/G3rard

xoxoxoxo - Party Poison wakes up somewhere he's never been - but there's plenty that's familiar here. 1k

Ship: Party Poison/Korse

​I'll Repair For You (When The Roof Starts To Fall) - When Gerard inherits a house in Scotland from a distant relative, he doesn't expect to have to spend quite so much time at the hardware store. He also doesn't expect to fall in love with the tiny little village or with one of his neighbors...who just happens to be Grant Morrison. 17k

Ship: Grant/Gerard

In Firmer Chains, Our Hearts Confine - Former musical composer and current writer Gerard Way is a sensation of the musical and literary scenes of 1800s London. But after struggling for ages with his new book, he’s close to giving up. Until he receives an offer from Grant Morrison himself; to go to his manor in Scotland and work on his novel in peace. Gerard seizes upon the chance immediately. Grant, however, has a dark secret he’s desperately trying to keep hidden. And Gerard has a few of his own. 37k

Picture me, casually stumbling upon this fic one late night. Historical? Check. An AU but Gerard’s talents are still appreciated and encouraged, and he makes a name for himself? Double check. Grant Morrison? Check. Gerard and Grant’s dark secrets? CHECK CHECK CHECK CHECK CHECK

Me: *already fucking shaking from excitement, now glancing up at the tags* Enter the tag Alternate Universe - Vampire. Queue foaming at the mouth.

This fic was so fucking awesome in so many ways I don’t even know where to begin. The slow and suspenseful unraveling of secrets and mysteries. The numerous parallels drawn between the AU and real life events of the people in it, and that the author made sure that they all worked within the AU without a hitch. All the actions and ambitions of the people in it that somehow managed to balance masterfully on the fine line between what’s canon and what’s realistic for that time period.

Fuck, lurkers guys. I’m not sure if my word-vomiting even gets anyone to read fic on my list, but for the sake of this fic (and my ego sdkjlskldhfklf) I ask anyone reading this to p l  e a s e read it. For your own sake. And mine. Because I need to yell about this fic with somebody, STAT.

Ships: Gerard/Grant, and very, I repeat, VERY low-key Frank/Mikey

Looking for Satellites - Galaxy-hopping alien trader Gerard has business on space station Perseus Four. Getting to know station administrator Grant is a nice bonus. 25k

Gerard is a sexy, telepathic and open minded (heh) alien and it’s great.

Ship: Gerard/Grant

Candle on the Drawer - No one thinks your hands being funny colors is weird when you go to art school. Probably about 1-3k

“So, okay. Gerard maybe has a drawer full of candles in every color of the rainbow. It’s kind of weird, yeah, but it’s not like anyone ever goes digging in his drawers so it’s not something he really feels the need to hide. How was he supposed to know that Gabe was going to go digging in drawers for whatever reason? How was he supposed to know Gabe was going to be in his room at all? He’s more Mikey’s friend.”

Gerard is into waxplay!

Ship: Gerard/Gabe

the only hope for me - Korse has never been one to show his emotions. 1k

Ship: Korse/Party Poison

your kicks don't hit, so we remain the same - a battery city ambush goes somewhat wrong. 0.8k

Ship: Korse/Party Poison

Methane Skies - Run, run, bunny, run. 3k

Hot damn this is some creepy and suspenseful stuff.

Ship: (implied) Korse/Party Poison

All the Broken Pieces (Keep Cool, Stay Tough) - Up until that fateful night, Frank’s had a pretty decent life. But everything’s changed and now he’s got to figure out how to be himself again. With the help of some really groovy friends, Peppers, and his never-give-up attitude, Frank gonna get there. He’s sure of it. 39k

There’s this spectacular scene involving an escalator and Frank making a grand entrance that immediately pops into my head when I think of this fic.

Description by babylynz: OH MY FUCKING GOD OKAY, THIS IS A FRIKEY FIC BUT IT’S SO FUCKIGN GOODJDDJDHHHGHG

basically Frank gets in an accident that leaves him unable to walk and it’s a really emotional kinda story (but like .. Idk, it’s lighthearted) about him getting used to everyday life again and he meets Mikey online and they bond over really shitty movies and they meet up and AHH!!! Also Ray is like …. a ,,,, what is it …… He helps Frank get used to having sex again after the accident? He’s one of his therapists idk it’s a really good story, read it.

Ship: Frank Iero/Mikey way

And the Painted Ponies - After years of struggling to be taken seriously as a bodyguard, Frank Iero is finally well established. He loves his boss, Ray, he loves his job, and he prides himself on his professionalism. But then he's assigned to be the personal bodyguard of Mikey Way.

Mikey Way, aka Roboboy, is a successful high fashion model. Loved by designers and the public alike for his trademark lack of emotion, but mocked by the tabloid press for the exact same reason. Mikey is someone that Frank's sure he'll hate. Except it doesn't work out that way.

In fact, it doesn't take long before Frank discovers he really likes Mikey. Maybe too much. 34k

Ship: Frank Iero/Mikey way

mutilate, maim and destroy (just a tad) - For clarification, this fic is about Gerard Way the actual person being tortured by Korse in the Killjoys universe. Like. Hnng, you'll see nevermind.

Ship: Gerard/Korse

Your Dirty Smile Shames the Sun - Pancakes, throat fucking, and a good book. It's kind of Mikey's idea of a perfect day. 6k

Ship: Mikey/Frank

london calling - Gerard feels like his life needs to change, so he moves to London. After years of hard work, he gets a book deal with a press that will finally allow him to write exactly the book he's always wanted to write. When he meets his new editor, Grant Morrison, he's surprised at how much they get along. 28k

Ship: Grant/Gerard

A Room Full Of Suicides - His jaw was clenched and his whole body quivering. He looked right at Korse with those huge, transparent eyes. “Do what you want to me. I don’t give a shit, Korse.” He drew in a breath that shook. “You wouldn’t understand. It’s about standing up for what you believe in.” God, the kid was adorable. Korse couldn’t wait to make him scream. 4

Ship: Korse/Party Poison, Fun Ghoul/Party Poison (implied)

For a Different View - AU. Ray Toro is a girl, Rae, but MCR is still just MCR. 49k

The first time they went over to Mikey’s house, Mikey tossed her a beer and said, "My brother might come up. Maybe not, though. He gets weird in the middle of projects.” She found out what he meant halfway through Dawn of the Dead, when a bundle of black fabric barreled from the basement door to the refrigerator and back down to the basement without saying a word to either of them.

I need to finish this!!! But –gah. Such awesome awesomeness.

Ship: Ray/Mikey

From The Corner to The Block - A bike messenger AU. 4k

The comment I left: Oh my god. An AU I never knew I wanted but one I now cannot live without. That was incredibly cute!!

“What are you watching? Is that Degrassi?”

“No,” Frank says quickly, just as a voiceover blares, “Degrassi: The Next Generation will be right back,” because this is Frank’s life.

^ I’m pretty sure my laughter from that line woke up at least one person from my household. Poor Frank.

Ship: Frank/Mikey

Out Where The Sand's Turning To Gold - "Last call, last song," the singer says, touching a finger to the microphone and making it pop softly at the crowd. "For all you lovers out there." 5k

Ship: Gerard/Gabe

Superheroes (2-part series) - Mikey isn’t a superhero. 3k

Ship: Frank/Mikey

vampires will never hurt you - Contrary to what some people in Strahd might think, Bert’s not a fucking idiot. Contrary to what Gerard and Frank might think, Bert’s not a fucking idiot.

Ever since this whole thing started, ever since Gerard and Frank cornered him at the open mic event at his junior college shortly after he decided to go and open his big damn mouth about that picture he’d found in the History of Strahd book that was collecting dust in the back of the library, the picture in which both Gerard and Frank were clearly present, dressed in typical 19th century garb, giving their best vampire smolder--Yeah. Bert has known ever since then, and ever since they had told him how talented of a poet he was, and that they were interested in having him perform at the parties they host for all the town’s leaders up at their old mansion on the hill, that they have had some type of secret agenda as their endgame.

He just hadn’t really expected it to be this.

[this is what happens when i get tired of bert being the bad guy in mcr fic and decide i have to do EVERYTHING myself] 1k

Ship: Frank Iero/Bert McCracken/Gerard Way

Candy Cane Vodka - "Yeah, Mikey, you accidentally made fucking peppermint Everclear. Congratulations and all, but Jesus Christ."

Mikey gets an idea on the road after finding a bargain bin book on homemade infusions. Experimentation follows, and Yuletide chaos ensues. 

ngl... i’m tempted to make that vodka mixture

Ships: Mikey/Ray, Frank/Gerard

drive-by drabble - SO SHORT ALSO LMAO <1k

Ship: Frank/Gabe/Gerard